Sententia 2.0

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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.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

---Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918), Canadian Army

The first episode of Sesame Street was aired on TV (1969)

ON DINING ALONE

Solitary dinners, I think, ought to be avoided as much as possible, because solitude tends to produce thought, and thought tends to the suspension of the digestive powers. When, however, dining alone is necessary, the mind should be disposed to cheerfulness by a previous interval of relaxation from whatever has seriously occupied the attention, and by directing it to some agreeable object.

---Thomas Walker, c.1835


There is no right to strike against the public safety of anybody, anywhere, any time.
Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933)

Twenty-two-year-old Garry Kasparov became the youngest world chess champion after defeating Anatoly Karpov (1985)

WATER IN IDIOM

A flawed plan will hold no water; a plan that is exposed might be dead in the water, or risks being blown out of the water; whereas a plan that will stand close scrutiny is watertight--unless someone pours cold water over it. (And even if they do, it might just be water off a duck's back.) To carry water to the river is like taking coals to Newcastle, and while you can lead a horse to water, you can't make it drink. If you have muddied the water, you might seek to pour oil over troubled waters; a true friend will seek always to be a bridge over troubled water. If you fail to keep your head above water, you may find yourself in hot water or deep water (not forgetting, of course, that still waters run deep). You may not take to a backwater like a duck to water--indeed, you may feel like a fish out of water. However, since much water will haveflowed under the bridge, it is advisable simply to tread water and avoid the temptation to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Remember always that blood is thicker than water, come hell or high water.


HOTCHI WITCHU--gypsy term for hedgehog
"James swerved to avoid running over the hotchi witchu."

Good morning, busybodies.

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Be sure to hie to your local comic shop today, as there's lots of D'Argo-y goodness: the fourth and final issue of Farscape: D'Argo's Trial--which guest stars Captain Crais--and the hardcover Farscape: Uncharted Tales Vol. 1: D'Argo's Lament--collecting the four-issue miniseries in its entirety.

Both are written by me, with art by Neil Edwards (Lament) and Caleb Cleveland (Trial). Be sure to check out the preview of both over at Comics Continuum.

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One of the finest learning tools of the technological age, the Children's Television Workshop's brilliant educational TV show Sesame Street celebrates its 40th anniversary today.

I grew up on the show, as it's heyday matches my own youth. So many other formative teaching television has come and gone--The Electric Company, Schoolhouse Rock, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood--but after four decades, Sesame Street not only endures, but thrives.

In the words of Kermit the Frog, "Yaaaaaaaaaaaay!"

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Good morning, busybodies!

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The Louvre, in Paris, opened as a public museum (1793)

BRIC

The BRIC states are: Brazil, Russia, India, China.

From this group, a number of additional terms have developed:

BRIMC = BRIC + Mexico

BRICS = BRIC + South Africa

BRICA = BRIC + the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar

BRICET = BRIC + Eastern Europe and Turkey


I can wish the traveler no better fortune than to stroll forth in the early evening with as large a reserve of ignorance as my own.
Henry James (1843-1916)

Spent much of the morning and afternoon at the dojo helping out with a promotion, and then went to my parents' place for relaxation and dinner. Last night, I had a wine-tasting night with friends, at which food was eaten, wine was drunk, and the Shore Leave roast of me was screened.

I also did some revisions work on Heart of the Dragon, and I'm currently catching up on various bits of TV.

Right now I'm watching Stargate Universe on the DVR with a cat in my lap. *smile*

Life is good.....

The Tacoma Narrows Bridge, in Washington State, collapsed, only four months after its completion (1940)

TUSSER'S PERFECT CHEESE

In his elaborate text Five Hundred Good Points of Husbandry (1573), Thomas Tusser presents ten characteristics the perfect cheese must have:

Not like Gehazi, i.e., dead white, like a leper
Not like Lot's wife, all salt
Not like Argus, full of eyes
Not like Tom Piper, "hoven and puffed"
Not like Crispin, leathery
Not like Lazarus, poor
Not like Esau, hairy
Not like Mary Magdalene, full of why or maudlin
Not like the Gentiles, full of maggots
Not like a Bishop, made of burnt milk


When you're at war, you think about a better life; when you're at peace you think about a more comfortable one.
Thornton Wilder (1897-1975)

Tchaikovsky committed suicide by taking arsenic in order to avoid allegations of a homosexual affair (1893)

BEZOARS

Bezoars are collections of solidified matter that form within the stomach or small intestines. Commonly found in animals (especially grass-eating ruminants), bezoars have been traditionally prized for their "magical" powers. For example, Lapis bezoar orientale, obtained from the stomachs of antelopes and Persian wild goats, was considered to be particularly effective against poison. (The word bezoar derives from Persian badzahr: bad meaning "against," and zahr meaning "poison.") In rare cases, usually associated with psychiatric disorders, bezoars occur in human beings. If bezoars grow to form an obstruction, they may require surgical removal. Three classical types of human bezoar are recognized:

Trichobezoar: a collection of hair
Phytobezoar: a collection of fruits and vegetable matter
Trichophytobezoar: a collection of hair and fruit and vegetable matter


Good prose is like a window pane.
George Orwell (1903-50)

We're so proud.

Good morning, busybodies! As you can see, the comic has updated through the hard work of my wonderful webmaster and designer. Thank you!

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Art Garfunkel born (1941)

MITHRIDATIZATION

Mithridatization is the practice of protecting oneself against a poison by gradually self-administering nonlethal amounts. The word derives from Mithridates VI (c.163-132 BCE), the King of Pontus, who so feared being poisoned that he regularly ingested small doses in the hope of developing immunity. Having been defeated by Pompey, Mithridates attempted to kill himself with poison--but his mithridatization proved too successful, and he was instead compelled to order a mercenary to stab him to death.


What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-82)