Odds and Ends Archive
May 5, 2008
The Toxicologist and Her Coronet
This time of year concerts at colleges come in bunches and bands, and choirs and orchestras too. During the semester, these concerts come at a rate of two or three a month but at the end of the semester and...Read all of "The Toxicologist and Her Coronet"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:13 PM
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May 4, 2008
On Being Educated
Jay Crisostomo at MU-PÀD-DA is both bemoaning and cerebrating the number of languages he thinks he "need(s) to control for (his) own eventual research." He comes up with 16 with another 10 that are on his wish list. This is...Read all of "On Being Educated"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:28 PM
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April 28, 2008
Who Are These People?
And why are they on this list? I've been tagged by John Hobbins to play a little game with The Top 100 Public Intellectuals as published by Foreign Policy. I view this as a snobbish game but then I'm a...Read all of "Who Are These People? "
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:57 AM
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April 26, 2008
Watch Out for Those Low Notes
Last night Shirley and I went to another free concert at Pomona College. This concert featured the Pomona College Orchestra and the Pomona College Choir along with four guest soloists. They performed Mozart's Mass in C Major sometimes called the...Read all of "Watch Out for Those Low Notes"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:45 AM
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April 21, 2008
To Jeane Murch
A dear friend died today. I have known Jeane Murch for decades. She was one of those people who brought life to every occasion. Her joy for life was contagious. For the last several months, Jeane fought an extremely debilitating...Posted by Duane Smith at 8:12 PM
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April 20, 2008
Excuses, Dinner and Seeming Irrelevancies
I spent most of yesterday and part of today trying to whip a paper into the proper format for submission to a journal. While software automates some of this work, I must do other parts of it by hand. I'm...Read all of "Excuses, Dinner and Seeming Irrelevancies"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:15 PM
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April 7, 2008
Our Bougainvillea
This mostly red bush is a Bougainvillea (Plantae, Magnoliophyta, Magnoliopsida, Caryophyllales, Nyctaginaceae, bougainvillea [I don't know the sub-species]). It is extremely beautiful this time of year and will remain so throughout spring and summer and well into the fall. Even...Read all of "Our Bougainvillea"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:23 PM
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March 21, 2008
I Do Love This Time of Year
But unbelievably, I have a good friend who doesn't like azaleas. After all, when they are in full bloom one can scarcely see the plant because all the flowers get in the way....Read all of "I Do Love This Time of Year"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:47 PM
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March 16, 2008
Getting A Little Shuteye
While Shirley and I where watching a 60 Minutes segment on sleeping, Soc was taking a nap. But then this is what he normally does in the 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM timeslot and quite a few other timeslots....Read all of "Getting A Little Shuteye"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:08 PM
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March 14, 2008
An Abnormal Day
I never thought I'd see the day when afarensis and Claude Mariottini wrote on the same topic. Pi Day indeed....Posted by Duane Smith at 2:30 PM
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March 11, 2008
A Very Good Day at the Offices
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM: Meeting with CPA on 2007 taxes For the first time in a few years, we are getting a refund from the IRS. Mid-term and long-term, this is not necessarily a good thing; but short term...Read all of "A Very Good Day at the Offices"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:04 PM
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March 8, 2008
Why I Blog
After offering his own explanation, Iyov has invited fellow bloggers to explain why they blog. At the highest level I blog because I don't enjoy working crossword puzzles. I am told and choose to believe that a long happy retirement...Posted by Duane Smith at 8:29 AM
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February 25, 2008
While I'm Deeply Honored, This Seems Like Déjà Vu All Over Again
James F. McGrath is not only busy Exploring Our Matrix he is also passing out awards. He even gave Abnormal Interests one. I am a recipient of the 'E for Excellent' award. In a comment where he informed me of...Read all of "While I'm Deeply Honored, This Seems Like Déjà Vu All Over Again"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:55 PM
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February 23, 2008
Creature Comforter
Between numerous recent trips to doctors and two nights in the hospital, Shirley made this. It looks like Soc is already enjoying it. Here is how it all began a couple of weeks ago. She worked on it every evening...Read all of "Creature Comforter"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:15 PM
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February 18, 2008
Liu Fang Yuan
Today Shirley and I went to the Huntington Library to see the new Chinese Garden. There was a special viewing for members. I think it will open to the general public February 23rd. Don't get too excited. Members are people...Posted by Duane Smith at 7:02 PM
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February 15, 2008
Spring Public Lectures at IAC
Readers in Southern California may be interested in the Institute for Antiquity and Christianity of the Claremont Graduate University's Spring public lecture series: Thursday, 28 February, 7:30 p.m. The Secret Gospel of Mark: Find or Forgery? PANEL DISCUSSION: Dennis R....Read all of "Spring Public Lectures at IAC"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:03 PM
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February 14, 2008
Not a Hiatus Just a Slowdown
Some of you may have noticed a lack of original content here at Abnormal Interests over the last few weeks. A couple of abnormal health related things have produced a nearly infinite time and emotion sink in our abnormal household....Read all of "Not a Hiatus Just a Slowdown"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:47 AM
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January 31, 2008
Three Sentences From Page 123
Iyov has tagged me to carry on the nearest book meme. The rules are as follows: Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. (No cheating!) Find Page 123. Find the first 5 sentences. Post the next 3...Read all of "Three Sentences From Page 123"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:03 PM
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January 22, 2008
Alligators and Those Other Alligators
I had lunch with a long time friend today. On the way home, I listened to the local all news station. They give traffic reports every ten minutes. The first report I heard said that there was an alligator on...Read all of "Alligators and Those Other Alligators"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:19 PM
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January 15, 2008
Lisa Gherardini, La Gioconda
Because I own the real Mona Lisa, I am abnormally interested in various little mysteries that surround it. It looks like one of those mysteries is now solved. Scholars at Heidelberg University have discovered strong evidence that the Mona Lisa...Read all of "Lisa Gherardini, La Gioconda"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:34 AM
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January 12, 2008
Hacking Vandalism Happens
There is a proposal to mandate that all new buildings and those undergoing substantial improvement in California be equipped with a radio-controlled device that allows utility companies to override settings on thermostats. I'm not sure want I think of this....
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Posted by Duane Smith at 12:58 PM
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January 10, 2008
The Power of a Beard
I've had a beard since 1971. I don't know what I look like without one. But I have always wondered if it gave me any special powers or had any special meaning. Well, Aydin Örstan at Snail's Tales consulted a...Read all of "The Power of a Beard"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:52 PM
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January 8, 2008
The Blunders of Modern Technology
Every couple of months I accumulate sufficient unchecked references to justify a trip across town to the UCLA library. I generally prepare so that when I get there I already know the call numbers of whatever it is I'm looking...Read all of "The Blunders of Modern Technology"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:39 PM
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January 4, 2008
What Have You Changed Your Mind About?
Every year Edge asks an "Annual Question." The 2008 question is, When thinking changes your mind, that's philosophy. When God changes your mind, that's faith. When facts change your mind, that's science. What have you changed your mind about? Why?...Read all of "What Have You Changed Your Mind About?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:21 PM
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December 24, 2007
Merry Christmas
This time of year I like it when people wish me a Merry Christmas. I enjoy using that greeting myself. It is comfortable; it is traditional; it is secular. Of all the holidays that have Christian origins, Christmas (and, I...Posted by Duane Smith at 7:16 AM
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December 19, 2007
On Our Multi-Tiered College System
Iyov has an interesting post on the history of United States history textbooks and how history our Universities teach history. Now part of the passing of this textbook [Morison and Commager - des] reflects changes in fashion (social history now...Read all of "On Our Multi-Tiered College System"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:38 PM
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December 17, 2007
Reason and Realism
Here are my results from the Ethical Philosophy Selector. Not too many surprises here. If there needs to be a theologian high in my ethics profile, Aquinas is certainly better than Augustine. Via Iyov and Doug Chaplin at Metacatholic....Read all of "Reason and Realism"
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December 16, 2007
Happy Birthday to the Transistor
A dear friend sent this along. It is from the latest edition of The Final Report. The first working transistor was created 60 years ago on December 16, 1947, at Bell Laboratories in New Jersey. The three inventors, William Schockley,...Read all of "Happy Birthday to the Transistor"
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:44 AM
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December 8, 2007
An Evening of Music
As an infidel, I don't miss much by not going to church. But one thing that I do miss is coral music. So last night Shirley and I got a coral music fix at the annual Holiday Concert by the...Read all of "An Evening of Music"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:21 AM
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December 2, 2007
Socrates' Taste for Learning
This is Socrates, aka Soc. Normally he's a good boy or so he thinks he is. He looks like he is behaving in this picture. But looks deceive. What he is doing is trying to figure out why I yelled...Read all of "Socrates' Taste for Learning"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:20 PM
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