Portland
A man in his late 50s or early 60s, sitting with stocking feet on a rocking chair on the porch of a Craftsman house on Southeast Salmon Street on a cool late-summer evening. A traditional American scene, like something out of Norman Rockwell. Except for how intently he was
Texas
Thomas Gray posts pictures of the storm damage near his house in Houston. I spent a lot of time in that neighborhood when I lived in Houston, and I remember those trees and houses. Staggering. Just staggering.
Music
Norman Whitfield, the leading songwriter and producer of Motown's psychedelic years, died Tuesday of complications from diabetes. He was the producer for The Temptations from 1966 to 1973. "Ball of Confusion"? That was his. "I Wish It Would Rain"? Him, too. "Ain'
Music
I love Mojo magazine, but I do not subscribe to it and I never read it. Why? Because I lack the time to listen to the music I already know to buy. Why pay $150/year to be frustrated?
Life
It was 20 years ago last night that I spent my first night in the dorms at Ohio State. Last night, I dreamed that I was checking in to Morrill Tower all over again, but this time I was 38. (The number of people who know me who would be
Books
A cover blurb from the paperback edition of Jonathan I. Israel's Radical Enlightenment: One of the truly great historical works of the decade. The book and the blurb were published in 2001.
History
Very old presidential candidate? Check. Campaign presents wealthy presidential candidate as a simple man of the people? Check. Campaign fetishizes presidential candidate's military experience? Check. Campaign focused on insults to the exclusion of issues? Check. Little-known vice-presidential candidate with uncertain party loyalties, chosen purely for balance?
Life
If there is a better motivator to clean a messy desk than spilling a half a glass of water across it, I do not know what it is.
Yardwork
Before moving into my current rental, my lifetime experience with yardwork was nearly nil, which means that I am learning as I go. Earlier tonight I took my first close look at the front lawn (most of my work in the front yard so far has been pulling ivy, weeding
Yardwork
The days are quickly getting shorter and weeding the yard after work will soon become impractical, so I am getting out into the yard now every chance I get. The upside is that I will probably get the yard into the shape I want it to be before the rainy
Texas
When I lived in Houston, I worked in the building that is in the upper right of this photograph. Wow. Worse than Allison, and Allison was bad. I hope things are better than they seem… Update: Thomas Gray survived the storm and Rob Booth seems to have thrived during it.
History
For the 1916 presidential election, Republican leaders tried to find a candidate who could unite the party, after the Progressive split of 1912 had cost the GOP the presidency. The elders' first choice for a unifier was Elihu Root, who had won the 1912 Nobel Peace Prize and been