Note to Self

When dealing with arthritis, don't let the doctor show you the x-rays.  It only makes it hurt worse.

Deimos The Newest McAllister

I Thought I Made This Clear

I've lived through three Texas presidents.  I've got no particular political statement to make on any of them, but I was finished with having Texans in the White House after the last one.  Not a left vs right thing.  Not a Republican vs Democrat thing. Just let's stay the heck home people.

My problem is selfish.  Starting with Lyndon Johnson, I endured years of  hearing all kinds of stuff about Texas and Texans.  We're dumb, we talk funny, we're all cowboys and on and on and on...

I therefore issued a moratorium on Texas presidents or presidential candidates for the rest of my lifetime.  I made my position clear.  Now there are two of them running around.  And what happens?  I'll tell you what happens.  I turn on the morning news to get the weather report.  Do I get it? Noooooo.  I have to wait through a whole group of people I don't know telling me what's wrong with us.  Texans are dumb, they talk funny, they're all cowboys etc.  I live here y'all.  I know we've got problems.  But I don't want to hear about them from everyone in the country.  I've done that already, THREE TIMES.  There are plenty of other southern states, western states, or whatever.  Find someone else.

Bah!  I've got to start my presidential election news blackout now.

Sunday at Home

We've gone on media blackout today.  It's important to remember, but for some reason it's not something we can view via the mass media.  It feels off somehow for us.  I fully respect what everyone is doing to remember.  Not sure why it just seems too hard for us today.

It's Been a Long Time

Holy Cow!  I haven't blogged in forever and Blogger sort of lost my account.

Duccio Buoninsegna

The Kimbell acquired The Resurrection of Lazarus in 1975.  For some reason, I didn't really notice this work until our last visit in October.  Since then, I've been trying to find other Duccio works that I might have a chance to see.  I love this painting because it shows something of the real fear and the ick factor involved in popping open a four day old grave. Lazarus still looks pretty gnarly.

You can't tell from the image, but gold foil was used throughout making the painting very vivid. Evidence from x-rays indicate that the tomb was originally horizontal.  It definitely adds to the "Lazarus come forth.." for the tomb to be vertical.

In the Gospel of John, we are told that the high priest so feared what he saw that he immediately began a plan to kill Jesus.  Here is Duccio's disposition of the crucifixion.  Many of the same friends and followers are depicted in both paintings. Joseph of  Arimathaea and John are removing Christ from the cross and into the arms of his mother.  Mary is kissing his hand and Nicodemus is removing the nails from the Lord's feet.  Museo dell'Opera del Dumo, Siena.

Booking Through Thursday -- Speed

Thanks for another great question.  I haven't done this in awhile.  It's nice to be back.


What do you think of speed-reading? Is it a good way to get through a lot of books, or does the speed-reader miss depth and nuance? Do you speed-read? Is some material better suited to speed-reading than others?

Speed usually means work when I'm reading.  I can move quickly and learned some techniques years ago to help.  It's work.  Complex technical text usually requires me to slow down anyway but I associate speed reading with getting through massive lit assignments in college or mounds of administrative work in libraries.

Something fun:  New library books are usually put on a cart of shelf in the processing area.  Librarians are given an opportunity to review the new stuff.  Taking a large stack of new books home or to the office to browse is just plain fun.......