Monthly Archives: March 2012

Baguette and Oosik

Posted on March 27, 2012 by

So, Julia Child and the baguettes.  One time on “The French Chef,” in order to show how great a difference there is between a hand-made baguette and a mass produced one,  Julia simply held up examples of each.  The store-bought … Continue reading →

Posted in Cartoons, Language & Etymology | 3 Comments

Robert E. Lee on eBay (After Juvenal)

Posted on March 25, 2012 by

I saw this item for auction on eBay, and it made me think of a passage from Juvenal’s Tenth Satire.  In the original Latin poem, Juvenal speaks about Hannibal, the Carthaginian leader who crossed the Alps to invade Italy. When … Continue reading →

Posted in Classics, Poetry, Sports & Games, The South, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

“If You Could Read My Mind, Love”

Posted on March 23, 2012 by

A week before he died, Johnny Cash went into the studio to record a number of songs, among them a cover of the 70s song, “If You Could Read My Mind, Love,” for the album to be entitled  American V: … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Poised Midway Between Dark and Light

Posted on March 21, 2012 by

The spring equinox arrived just after 1 this morning, a little early because of Leap Year.  The uncommon warmth of the winter had nothing to do with it, I see in the newspaper, and yet it seems a little hopeful.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomical, Classics, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Horseshit versus Bullshit

Posted on March 17, 2012 by

What is the difference between bullshit and horseshit?  I just listened to Ira Glass confront Mike Daisey, who had given a deliberately erroneous account of Apple’s factory conditions in China on This American Life, so I guess the topic is … Continue reading →

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The Ides of March Coin

Posted on March 15, 2012 by

It was on March 15th, 44 BC–the Ides of March–that Julius Caesar was killed, stabbed to death by a group of senators, many his friends.  This is well-known from Shakespeare, of course, as is the fact that it was his … Continue reading →

Posted in Classics, Emblems, Numismatics, Poetry, Slavery | Leave a comment

Venus and Jupiter

Posted on March 12, 2012 by

Visible in the Western sky this week, for those of us in North  America, will be an especially stunning conjunction of the planets Venus and Jupiter.  The two planets will come within 3 degrees of each other just after twilight … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomical, Classics, Poetry | Leave a comment