The Anatomy of a Circle
The circle is a rich and potent symbol: of knowledge (Charles Fort’s “One measures a circle, beginning anywhere”), of divinity (the proverbial “God is a circle whose center is everywhere, and whose...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Laws and Sausages (1)
It’s been said that the two things you should never watch being made are laws and sausages. This vintage stereo card shows one of the above. The observation is usually credited to Bismarck; a check...
View ArticlePhilosophy: A Shameful Sonnet
The sonnet is a neglected form these days. Verse of all stripes is unpopular — at least under that name, although it still defines popular music. It’s all in the branding, I suppose. And current...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Laws and Sausages (2)
To our earlier post (10/21/08), illustrating the classic axiom, we add this variant. It’s from 1902, from Underwood & Underwood; the caption reads “Try our sausages! Made while you wait!– you...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Janus
Happy New Year. It’s cold here. We offer you a round to sing as you shiver. Here is old man Janus, the double-faced gatekeeper, gazing in the mirror and realizing how much colder he’s grown. Given...
View ArticleThe U.G.N.D.P.
In May 1776, the Continental Congress proclaimed a day of “Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer.” Since then, our presidents have occasionally marked off a special day for prayer; and in 1988 Reagan fixed...
View ArticleMedicine and Methodology
[Here is, approximately, the outline Dr. Mamie Caton and I followed for our bit in our Medi-Vaudeville event. I prepared it to allow interaction with Mamie (who was too busy to write anything herself)...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Magic Door of Massimiliano Palombara
You can find la Porta Magica in Rome, on the Piazza Vittorio. It’s what remains of the villa of Massimiliano Palombara, a 17th century occultist. There are at least two competing stories about it....
View ArticleClik here to view.
“Marching to Utopia”
The Ullage Group proudly, but earnestly, announces its ninth presentation, “Marching to Utopia.” We will acquaint you with a few schemes for the betterment of mankind. Step out of your cold,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bobby Edwards, the Troubadour of Greenwich Village (16)
A sad and surprising piece of news was reported in the Kokomo Daily Tribune, October 21, 1926. Bobby Edwards, the avatar of Bohemia, got a job. I only hope it didn’t last. (Posted by Doug Skinner)
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Computer Will Never Replace the Newspaper
(Posted by Doug Skinner. The illustration is from Safe Counsel, by B. G. Jefferis and J. L. Nichols, 1928.)
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ron Cobb’s Philosophical Mandala
Ron Cobb is known particularly for his crisp and trenchant political cartoons, which were once a staple of the underground press. He also designed the ecology flag, contributed designs to a number of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Toot-Talk
The American Boys’ Book of Signs, Signals and Symbols, by Dan Beard (1918), is a richly illustrated (“362 illustrations by the author”) collection of symbols: hobo chalk signs, cipher alphabets, common...
View Article