Friday, December 18. 2009
A Bird Dog pup took an oath today. He took a vow this past summer, so he is now up to his ears in oaths and vows.
I looked up the etymology of "oath," which I rightly suspected to be of Scandinavian origin:
OATH, a solemn vow. (E.) M. E. ooth, oth; Chaucer, C. T. 120.—A. S. áð, Grein, i. 17; the change from á to oa being regular, as in ác, oak, ár, oar. + Du. eed. + Icel. eiðr. + Dan. and Swed. ed. + Goth. aiths. + G. eid; O. H. G. eit. ?. The Teut. type is AITHA; Fick, iii. 4; allied to O. Irish oeth, oath (Rhys); cf. W. an-ud-on, a false oath, perjury.
Here's "vow:"
The word vow (oath, assure) comes from the Latin voveo (I vow), which derives from the Greek verb ?????? (to assure, to promise with certainty; veveo).
I wonder how much our culture takes oaths and vows seriously in modern times. I like to think that I take all of my promises with the greatest seriousness - but don't we all?
When I think about it, the person to whom I have broken the most promises is myself.
In CT last week. A stacked-rail fence, I think - but maybe it's a zigzag fence:
Thursday, December 17. 2009
Christmas book? NRO reminds us of Florence King's collection of columns, STET, damnit. One quote:
The draft produced the kind of men that today's girls have never known, and relations between the sexes were better for it. What sticks in my mind about them is their self-sufficiency and competence in fixing things that broke and figuring out solutions to emergencies. Thanks to the draft I belong to the last generation of American women who could scream "Do something!" and get results. Most of my men were intellectuals, but they had been taught in basic traning to change a tire in 90 seconds, rig up electrical wiring, tie knots that stayed tied, and take a rifle apart and reassemble it while blindfolded. This last was never necessary in civilian life, but it made for a self-assured deftness that was awesome.
Except for a supply for starter logs under the eaves, I like to keep my firewood wet and out in the weather. I go through around 4-5 cords each season (which isn't much), but it's enough to keep my home fires burning.
Dry wood makes for a dramatic, short-lived blaze, but it will not smolder and produce the slow heat and the slow burn, the popping, and the flickering flames I want.
I like to see a little steam and wet ooze from my wood, not a flash in the pan.
The Canadian version has the old tune, good pics:
Wednesday, December 16. 2009
Pop culture and politics. Driscoll on Guido Beach Meets The Great Relearning. Culture from the bottom, up?
The Underarm Thermometer sales gal. Borderline safe for work.
If those guys at East Anglia had thought of this temperature trick, nobody would be giving them any grief.
Sorry, this was shut down. We'll try to find it again -
Woodstock, CT has always held a certain pride in the education of its children from colonial days to the present. Higher education beyond the basics of readin', writin' and 'rithmetic wasn't a staple of affluent farming communities during those times and Woodstock was somewhat unique in supplying the opportunity to colonial children. The "high" professions of religion, medicine and politics required a larger perspective on the world and the citizens of Woodstock provided that opportunity - mostly under the instruction of various religious and university educated leaders of the community.
As the town expanded and became more populous, the need for an organized "high" school became apparent. On January 12th, 1801 the town leadership "granted provision to build an academy on the North side of Town Common" and $100 was collected from 32 leaders of the community to build the facility.
Farmers from around the area supplied the appropriate amount of white oak and the raising was quite the social event. On Feburary 2nd, 1802, the building was opened for operation under the guidance of Preceptor Thomas Williams of Pomfret, CT.
Over the years, Woodstock Academy has both prospered and fallen on hard times. In the downturn of 1860, the original building was razed, basic post/beam construction saved and this building was it's replacement. Henry Bowen (remember him - Pink House?) donated $5,000 of the $20,000 raised and the rest is, as they say, history. Yale University had an interest in the operating of Woodstock Academy for many years (up until WWII) and supplied many of its original Preceptors and Instructors.
Woodstock Academy, while considered by the state as a public high school, is actually a private non-profit institution governed by a Board of Directors and operates outside the governance of the Woodstock Board of Education. It is considered a "free academy" - the only other similar institution in the US is also located in Connecticut, the Norwich Free Academy in Norwich, CT.
Tuesday, December 15. 2009
Woodstock, CT, last week:
Monday, December 14. 2009
A practical Christmas.
Around here, the son and heir needs a new business suit or two from J. Press, and some new dress work shoes like these from Nordstroms. He is supposed to look professional at work. Suits only, it seems. J. Press or Brooks are always ok unless you work at Goldman. Those oxford shoes from Nordstrom's are great, very comfortable shoes for the price. I have a pair of em in brown which had been hiding in the back of the closet, but there are plenty of custom hand-made Italian- or Brit-shoe snobs around here who would only wear such things on rainy days. Not me. They are plenty good enough for me.
Decent shoes, if you have a few of them, last at least half a lifetime (or until gravity broadens your footsies and the old shoes don't fit). The lad could also use a pair of classic Brooks' tassel loafers too, but Santa is on a budget. Santa will try to help a little bit, but a fellow's permanent professional wardrobe is built over time. Fortunately for most guys, fashion doesn't play a role in it. What was appropriate from Brooks Brothers in 1960 is about right today in most work settings.
Me? I should dress well for work, but I can't be bothered anymore. A character flaw maybe, but I just got tired of it.
Who among our readers knows what "Shoes for Industry" refers to? Or, I should say, "to what 'Shoes for Industry' refers." And, in passing, where the heck do those " s belong? Inside or outside the . s?
Sunday, December 13. 2009
Matthew 18:20
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
Yes, there is a dusting of snow:
Saturday, December 12. 2009
 In the WSJ: Deconstructing TV's No. 1 Show - 'NCIS' isn't young, hip or edgy, it just has the most viewers.
I watch it because I love Abby.
Friday, December 11. 2009
 The lists coming in to Santa this year seem to be more about work needs than personal wants. That's what happens as kids grow a bit older. It's more fun to surprise a kid with stuff they never thought of, but first things first.
The Hurricane daughter needs a new Armani business suit or two (as in photo). Armani is made for her (or vice versa), and she is expected to be well put-together at work in NYC.
Santa cannot do everything, but he can try to do a little, depending on what space is left on his Mastercard.
This year, Santa definitely needs the help of his cute nsfw elves (pictured below the fold).
Continue reading "Need, not want or wish for"
Thursday, December 10. 2009
Another in Captain Tom's photo series on his home town -
The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry was established in 1860 for the purpose of encouraging the local and national agricultural community to organize to protect their interests. The Grange was originally modeled along the lines of Freemasonry with ritual, degrees of advancement, secret words and handshakes and closed membership meetings. It wasn't unusual for granges and lodges to have interlocking leadership. Where The Grange differed was that it had open membership - women, men and children over the age of 14 were encouraged to join.
The Senexet Grange #40, Woodstock, CT was established in 1901. Built entirely of fieldstone, it sits on its original location. The membership is still active (a lot of granges have since been disbanded) organizing holiday pie sales (absolutely the best apple pies and peach cobbler I have ever had - sorry Mrs. Francis, but it's true), an annual bluegrass festival which attracts musicians and performers from around New England, tag sales, and has a booth at the local Woodstock Fair. The proceeds go to various projects, the most interesting is the annual dictionary donation to the Elementary School third grade.
Tuesday, December 8. 2009
 This silly thing is going around the email circuit, so I guess we can use it here:
"The good news is that I truly outdid myself this year with my Christmas decorations. The bad news is that I had to take them down after 2 days ... First, the cops advised me that my clever display would cause traffic accidents as they themselves almost wrecked when they first drove by. Secondly, an old lady grabbed the 75-pound ladder and almost killed herself by climbing to the top (she was not happy). She was one of many people who attempted to do that. My yard couldn't take it either. I have more than a few tire tracks where people literally drove into my yard."
Monday, December 7. 2009
The Bird Dog pup and his bride have just returned from a friend's wedding in Murcia. The pup was best man, and his friend's lovely Spanish bride did indeed wear a lace mantilla.
They emailed me a few photos of Murcia. View from the cathedral:
The clockworks of the cathedral:
A tapas menu, of course (yum):
Street scene:
Sunday, December 6. 2009
Is art "whatever you can get away with"?
Roger Kimball offers us The art world vs. the world of art, and announces the annual art edition of The New Criterion.
Another offering from Capt. Tom, from his home town.
The East Woodstock, Ct, Congregational Church
Founded in 1760 and built in 1801, the North Woodstock Congregational Church is a prime example of the "barn" style church found in rural New England (there are two other churches in Woodstock that are clones).
This church is particularly interesting in that, other than the addition of electricity and new roof, it has not been modified at all since it was first built. It still has the gated seating areas for those more affluent parishioners where families would sit together the more important sitting closer to the front.
The interior is original plaster with dark oak trim - the kind of varnished oak that becomes deep and rich color that only time can provide. Just looking at this church, one feels the weight of history and time.
Side note: One of the social/historical features of Woodstock that has always fascinated me is the variety of the ways its citizens worship. Three Congregational, one Baptist, one combination Unitarian/Congregational hybrid, one Baptist/Congregational hybrid and two Fundamentalist Evangelical.
Kind of makes us Roman Catholics, Episcopalians and Lutherans the odd ones out.
Ed: Thanks for these posts, Captain. We'll take more whenever you are ready.
Saturday, December 5. 2009
A replica, roughly half the length and 1/3 the width of the Biblical ark.
"Shopping in the sense of the ceaseless search for the next object that will thrill for a moment and satisfy for a minute is the main interest of people without a purpose."
Friday, December 4. 2009
 How about Florist's Transworld Delivery - FTD? Isn't that a sort of business that was waiting a long time for the internet to appear?
(Wiki says: FTD was founded as Florists' Telegraph Delivery in 1910, to help customers send flowers remotely on the same day by using florists in the FTD network who are near the intended recipient. It originated as a retailers' cooperative and began a process of demutualization in 1994.)
FTD was recently bought by an internet company, United Online.
While many if not most businesses have benefited in one way or another by the internet, some businesses like FTD seem to have been made for it - just born too early.
Post your examples/ideas about pre-internet businesses, which in retrospect seem to have been designed for the internet, in our comments.
Thursday, December 3. 2009
 Authors can be judged in many ways. The timelessness of one's book. Its readability. The deep, underlying truths contained therein.
But those aren't the only ways to judge an author.
What about ingenuity? Originality? The brilliance of an idea never thought of before? A correlation; a conjunction of ideas that few others, if any, have made?
Some guy chases a big whale all over the place. Moby-Dick. A lawyer defends an innocent black man. To Kill A Mockingbird. A bunch of Okies migrate to California. The Grapes of Wrath. Architect makes it big. The Fountainhead.
These are original ideas? They might read well, and there are certainly some deep, underlying truths running around the place, but, by my definition?
Pretty boring, really.
Below the fold I present the case that the late Michael Crichton was perhaps the greatest original author of all time.
I'll present the argument. You answer the challenge.
Continue reading "The Michael Crichton Challenge"
Wednesday, December 2. 2009
See it? A tiny green 3 1/2- story 1860 brownstone in mid-town Manhattan:
That photo is brought to you by Scouting New York, who says:
I work as a film location scout in New York City. My day is basically spent combing the streets for interesting and unique locations for feature films. In my travels, I often stumble across some pretty incredible sights, most of which are ignored every day by thousands of New Yorkers in too much of a rush to pay attention.
As it happens, it's my job to pay attention, and I've started this blog to keep a record of what I see.
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