Monthly Archives: December 2011

You Say You Want a Resolution…

Sitting in the Spackle Manor living room while the visiting Major (Ret.) goes for a run and Mrs. M hits the grocery. The Spawn is reading stuff on the herPad (It clearly is not an iPad or even a wePad, … Continue reading

Posted in Faith, Family, Literature, Medievalia, Why I Do What I Do | 1 Comment

In Which the Prof Welcomes A Countryman

I’m spending a couple of days in Resort Town right now, before I return to Spackle Manor to greet 2012 with Clan Mondo and special guest the Major (Ret.). So today I wandered down to breakfast, where I noticed something … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Politics | 4 Comments

Does Pogo Stick?

When I was doing my Ph.D. work, I took a course in literary theory and criticism before 1966 with a professor who died shortly after I left for Mondoville, but who remains an academic hero of mine. We read everything … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Education, Family, Literature, Politics | 4 Comments

QotD — Kardashian Edition?

I think it was Harlan Ellison who said that the opposite of love isn’t hate — it’s apathy. In that spirit, I neither seek out nor deliberately avoid things Kardashian-related. If one of the family is on TV, I change … Continue reading

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Mondoville Christmas

It’s gray and rainy outside this afternoon, but a very quiet, comfortable Christmas chez Mondo. The turkey is cooking, the spouse and Spawn are relaxing and reading, and I’ve been leafing through one of today’s goodies, Richie Unterberger’s Urban Spacemen … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Faith, Family, Music, Why I Do What I Do | 5 Comments

For End-of-Year Charity…

There are always more causes worth supporting than we have ability to give. However, if you’re looking, I’d like to recommend: The National Multiple Sclerosis Society — my Mom was a long time member and telephone counselor. The American Cancer … Continue reading

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In Which the Prof Does Some E-Caroling

A couple of my favorites… This one is really more of an Advent piece, but I like it very much. The tune is an old French one, and the lyrics by Eleanor Farjeon, best known for “Morning Has Broken”. This … Continue reading

Posted in Faith, Music | 1 Comment

Thoughtcrime Alert

GlobalPost informs us that the International Committee of the Red Cross is in moderate-to-high dudgeon over atrocities. So far, so good, but the atrocities in question are virtual, in such first-person shooters as (specifically) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: While … Continue reading

Posted in Culture | 3 Comments

“Why brought he us from bondage,/ Our loved Egyptian night?”

Well, because every silver lining must have its cloud, or every rose its thorn, or every great band its “Mr. Moonlight“, The Guardian‘s Neil Clark pegs the stupid meter by looking at the dark side of Vaclav Havel’s Velvet Revolution: … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Music, Politics | 2 Comments

I’m a Little Late On This One…

… but yesterday’s column from Victor Davis Hanson will break your heart. Mondoville hasn’t reached these levels yet, but then, we aren’t as trendy as California.

Posted in Culture | 4 Comments