Jan 22, 2007

Things Noted Here and There

by Cliopatria

Happy"Blue Monday: The Unhappiest Day of the Year." 20,000 people are expected to March for Life on this 34th anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v Wade decision. Oddly, here in the United States, there are no major public demonstrations against the war in Iraq – in spite of its having become more unpopular with the American public than the war in Viet Nam ever was.
Update: Nonpartisan reminds me that there is a large anti-war demonstration scheduled for Saturday 27 January in Washington, DC.

At Lawyers, Guns, and Money, Robert Farley's"Sunday Deposed Monarch Blogging: House of Karadjordje" tracks the history of the Serbian monarchy and includes YouTube footage of the assassination of King Alexander I in 1934.

Thanks to Margaret Soltan at University Diaries for the reference to Helen Pfeffer and Harold Goldberg,"Bad Education," Radar, 20 September, which features"the worst colleges in the country":

Worst Party School: (Tie) California State University, Chico; and San Diego State University
Worst Trust-Fund-Baby College: Bennington College
Worst Ivy League University: Cornell University
Worst Christian University: Liberty University
Worst of the Big Ten: Michigan State University
Worst Military Academy: Virginia Military Institute
Worst Women's College: Texas Women's University
Worst College in America: University of Bridgeport

In"Death of a Giant," History Unfolding, 21 January, David Kaiser pays tribute to the late Art Buchwald.

At CobBloviate, Jim Cobb has some thoughts about the arrest of Tuft's Felipe Fernandez-Armesto for jaywalking at the AHA convention. What's an indignity at an AHA convention could be his ticket into the SHA's elite.

More Comments:

Kenneth R Gregg - 1/26/2007

I still remember my experience at being arrested for jaywalking about 40 years ago in Los Angeles, California. I was on my way to a literary club (LASFS) meeting across the street and the stoplight was a block away with the street completely dark with no traffic. As my bladder would not allow me the courtesy of travelling the distance to the stoplight, I took the risky chance of running across the deserted street, up the stairs and into the restroom of the meetinghouse.

I cannot sufficiently express my surprise and embarrassment when a California Highway Patrol officer, complete with helmet, gun and billy club had followed me to the restroom and pounded upon the door, demanding my ID and presence whilst I was in the midst of relieving myself. The people in the room had made themselves somehow invisible save for an occasional look over in my direction, never quite catching eye contact, while I was attempting, not quite successfully, to appear confident in my attempt to delay the inevitable ticket.

Apparently far too many from this group had made the trek across the street without having been arrested and the police officer was taking this horrid violation out upon myself.

It is only now, looking back at it, that I can see the humor in the situation. I remain unable to venture into the officer's mind to attempt to see what he was thinking.

Just a thought.
Just Ken

Nonpartisan - 1/22/2007

There's a huge one going on this coming Saturday in DC.

They just don't get the kind of press they used to, is all.