David Yaffe has done us a great service and writing this moving biography of one of the great artists and song-writers and musicians of the late 20th into the 21rst century— Joni Mitchell. Here is the official summary of this study— “Joni Mitchell may be the most influential female recording artist and composer of the late twentieth century. In Reckless Daughter, the music critic David Yaffe tells the remarkable, heart-wrenching story of how the blond girl with the guitar became... Read more

I’ve been watching a fair bit of stand up comedy lately, some of which is quite good (see some of the previous posts), but for some reason there are a lot of comedians (and apparently a lot of persons in the audiences) who think using four letter words is funny. No, it just shows a lack of creativity, and a rather deficient vocabulary. Of course, there are four letter words worth using— like love, or hope, or trust, and I... Read more

General safety First place: If you miss your exit it’s okay, we made more up ahead. Second place: Better late than never. Third place (tie): Drive like your momma is watchin’. Third place (tie): You are allowed to use turn signals. We checked. Third place (tie): Drive safely or we call your mother. Distracted driving First place (tie): You look great but the selfie can wait. First place (tie): Looking at the road is a great way to stay on... Read more

https://www.wspa.com/news/state-news/k-9-bites-cow-sc-deputy-tases-k-9-cow-kicks-deputy/ You’ve heard the stories of man bites dog. You’ve heard the stories of dog bites man, now hear the story of a deputy’s K-9 who bites a cow whilst investigating a possible robbery in Georgetown S.C. The dog is then tased by the officer to make him let go of the cow, and then the cow, in revenge kicks the officer and the property owner. No wonder those Chick-fila cows say ‘eat more chicken, approach me at your own... Read more

Here is a link to another Patheos blog, with an excellent review of my Priscilla book. Check it out…. BW3 https://www.patheos.com/blogs/kelleymathews/2020/01/priscilla-unusual-new-testament-woman/ Read more

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There was an excellent article in the NY times recently on the decline of the humanities on campuses all over the U.S. Indeed the article suggests it has reached crisis proportions. And partly it is because of the de-emphasis on teaching basic grammar, syntax, and even vocabulary to the young in elementary and junior high schools. When’s the last time you ran into a ‘humanities high school’ as opposed to a math and science high school? And we are paying... Read more

Perhaps the most famous poem to come out of WWI was by John McCrae and begins this way…. In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. 1917 was indeed a terrible... Read more