HB, J. Child

It’s Julia Child’s birthday again. Had she lived, she’d be turning 98 today. Ms. Child’s mother, Julia Carolyn McWilliams, who lived with John McWilliam in Pasadena (CA, US), named her daughter after herself. The younger Julia later married Paul Child in 1946 and took his last name. When Mr. Child was assigned to a United States Foreign Service post in Paris (FR), they moved there and Ms. Child learned about French cooking.

It was Ms. Child’s “The French Chef” that made me think cooking could be not only rewarding but fun and intellectually engaging, too. Pat and I would watch it on our old B&W TV and then cook things we’d seen her make. Our menus were not grand (chili beans with souffle and salad!), but I got the general ideas of the recipes and the nerve to try them.

Our friends Alan and Diane shared our interest in fine food and gave us Mastering the Art of French Cooking (both volumes). Another friend, Jim, edited the title, replacing “cooking” with “kissing.” We still use them.

It’s wonderful to see that sales of Ms. Child’s cookbooks have increased recently. Those increased sales are the result of renewed interest because of the movie, Julie & Julia. I’ve not yet read Julie Powell’s book Julie & Julia, based on her blog, Julie/Julia Project. A few days before I drafted this post, we saw a trailer for the movie based on the book. And then we saw the film the day it opened (7 August).

Stupid me

A few months ago, I thought that the anniversary of the Apollo mission would be a good reason for a post. So, I drafted one and scheduled it for the day 2009/07/20 when people first stepped onto an extra-terrestrial object. Of course, as anyone who follows the news knows, there are lots (should I make that bold faced?) of reports about Apollo 11 these days. My planned post turns out to be minor blip. Sigh. My misjudgment. See, for example, my pointer to the marvelous “We Choose the Moon.”

Anyway, the post’ll appear soon. And I can laugh at my foolish presumption.

Still, ain’t it amazing that this anniversary is upon us? In a few 100 years (if humans have avoided destroying our local planet), the Apollo 11 flight will surely be a signal marker in Earth’s and Humankind’s history. We Choose the Moon is a fine resource.

HB, H. D. Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau
(public domain image)

On this day in 1817, Henry David Thoreau drew his first breath in Concord (MA, US). Among his many accomplishments, one that I especially admire was his essay entitled “Resistance to Civil Government,” which was published in 1849 as “Civil Disobedience” in Aesthetic Papers. In his venerated discussion of government and individual responsibility, Mr. Thoreau set an important standard for generations that followed his.

Unjust laws exist; shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once? Men generally, under such a government as this, think that they ought to wait until they have persuaded the majority to alter them. They think that, if they should resist, the remedy would be worse than the evil. But it is the fault of the government itself that the remedy is worse than the evil. It makes it worse. Why is it not more apt to anticipate and provide for reform? Why does it not cherish its wise minority? Why does it cry and resist before it is hurt? Why does it not encourage its citizens to be on the alert to point out its faults, and do better than it would have them?

Visit the Thoreau Society. Link to the Thoreau Reader (courtesy of Iowa State University) where one can read “Civil Disobedience.”

Idiocy unleashed

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Numerology (2nd ed.) by Kay Lagerquist, Ph.D., and Lisa Lenard

This book is dedicated to all of you who long for meaning and want to understand how to live your life with consciousness and move with the flow. As our greatest spiritual journey is to “Know Thyself,” as mandated by the Oracle of Delphi in Pythagoras’s time, I offer the wisdom of numerology as a light on the path. May you be guided to the highest and best expression your soul’s purpose, through the numbers.
Kay
April, 2004

According to the back jacket of the book, Ms. Lagerquist’s doctorate is in metaphysics. Penguin publishers describes her as “a professional numerologist, counselor, and workshop leader.” She may also have a book on reading Tarot cards. There’s even a Web site: http://www.numerology-insights.com/ and a phone (waaaaaaiiit for it, please) number: 360.221.2696. For the numerologically exitable, the sum of those digits is equal to 1. (For those who remember it, you can do this by “casting out nines.”)

I am not making up this story. The ISBN is ISBN 1-59257-215-4 and that sum is equal to 5. According to one of the entries on Ms. Lagerquist’s Web site, 5 sounds like a number that should be avoided. The words she lists as associated with a year that sums to 5 are: (a) Chaos, (b) Rebellion, (c) Communication, (d) Uncertainty, (e) Instability, (f) Sudden change, and (g) Media / promotion. (I guess I should have enumerated that catalog instead of using letters, hunh?) I wonder if she would have had better sales with a different ISBN.

Thanks to Tim Slocum for the diversion!

Seeger’s b’day show

There’s to be a celebration for Pete Seeger’s 90th birdthay in New York at Madison Square Garden. It promises to be quite a show.

HB Bayard Rustin

Bayard Rustin, who was born on this day in 1912 in West Chester (PA, US), helped make Earth a better place. Although he deserves note for having championed specific causes (equality and war resistance, for two examples), he excelled in many areas. Here is a snippet from an essay by Randall Kennedy describing the contriubtions of Mr. Rustin.

HB, Professor Einstein

On this day in 1879 in what is now the southern part of Germany, Pauline Koch Einstein gave birth to a son, Albert. After graduating from a technical school in 1900 and while working as a patent examiner, Albert Einstein published four papers in a prestigious German journal in 1905 (“Annus Mirabilis“). In 1922, the Nobel Foundation cited one of those papers as part of the foundation for awarding Mr. Einstein the Nobel Prize in theoretical physics.

He did much more, of course. There are many other physics works and there is his promotion of peace.

Anyway, happy birthday, Albert Eistein!

π day comes again

Happy π Day. Visit the http://www.piday.org/ site and see my previous posts: 14 March 2007 and 14 March 2008.