"This is a story of an adventure in education, pursued not under the best of conditions. The idea of education has been so tied to schools, universities, and professors that many assume that there is no other way, but education is available to anyone within reach of a library, a good post office, or even a newsstand."
"Often I hear people say they do not have time to read. That's absolute nonsense. In the one year that I kept that kind of record, I read twenty-five books while waiting for people. In offices, applying for jobs, waiting to see a dentist, waiting in a restaurant for friends, many such places. I read on buses, trains, and planes. If one really wants to learn, one has to decide what is important. Spending an evening on the town? Attending a ball game? Or learning something that will be with you your life long?" - Louis L'Amour 1939
A Large Regular
Chris Lynch's slanted view on sports, politics and entertainment. Please send thoughts or comments to chris.lynch@gmail.com
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Education of a Wandering Man
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Matt Taibbi comes out against the TikTok ban. Can't fault his reasoning.
- Lost history: Ely S. Parker Civil War General and first American Indian to hold post of Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
- 40 Life Lessons I Know at 40 (that I wish I knew at 20). (HT Steve Layman)
Tuesday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observation post up on Substack.
Planned to watch the Celtics vs Detroit game on TV last night but the all-girls announcer crew stunt they pulled was unlistenable. They kept on talking about the WNBA at the expense of the action on the court. Finally had to ditch the broadcast after a quarter for anything else on TV. Boston won the game 119-94 but the network treated it like a throw-away game. Not a misogynist but there's a reason a WNBA game has never been held at the TD Garden. Nobody cares! Please Subscribe, hit the Like button, or share the Link to help me overcome this trauma!
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
Have a new Quotes for Today up on my Substack. As I've mentioned doing this as a way to thank those who have Subscribed. If you are a Subscriber - you should have received an email. Thanks!
Monday, March 18, 2024
Some Memes You May Enjoy
Many a truth is said in jest.
- Still waiting for that story about a person trying to siphon gas from the wrong tank on an RV.
Education of a Wandering Man
Started Louis L'Amour's memoir Education of a Wandering Man the other day and was pleasantly surprised to find the introduction to the 1939 book by Daniel J. Boorstin who himself was both an author and the Librarian of Congress. To say Boorstin knew a thing or two about books and authors would be an understatement. He wrote, "We are often told that we are what we eat. In our world since the printing press it may be more accurate to say we are what we read."
L'Amour read everything and though he was a "lone reader but somehow never felt lonely in the company of a book."
Louis L'Amour showed many of the traits of both a wise and happy man to Boorstin:
- "Louis was a modest man, slow to reveal what he really knew."
- "He kept his own values undented."
- "Jealous of any time not spent writing, he luxuriated within the walls of his books."
- "Louis was a good listener, as eager to learn from the spoken as from the printed word."
- "Louis gives us a lesson - too seldom offered by academic or professional critics - in open-mindfulness and literary charity.
Monday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observation post up on Substack.
Happy day after Saint Patrick's Day. Or as those who celebrate call it - Hangover Day! As always - please Subscribe, hit the Like button, or share the Link. Thanks in advance!
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
Have a new Quotes for Today up on my Substack. As I've mentioned doing this as a way to thank those who have Subscribed. If you are a Subscriber - you should have received an email. Thanks!
Sunday, March 17, 2024
Saint Patrick's Day Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
Happy Saint Patrick's Day! The one day a year the world revels in Ireland's boiled cuisine! Enjoy that corned beef sandwich but stay away from the cabbage unless you want to sleep alone on the couch. As always - please Subscribe, hit the Like button, or share the Link, Thanks!
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
Have a new Quotes for Today up on my Substack. As I've mentioned doing this as a way to thank those who have Subscribed. If you are a Subscriber - you should have received an email. Thanks!
Saturday, March 16, 2024
Saint Patrick's Day Music
Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Here are my Top 5 Songs for celebrating Saint Patrick's Day (because Oh Danny Boy is shite).
2. If I Should Fall From Grace with God - The Pogues
3. Four Green Fields - Makem & Clancy
4. The Foggy Dew - Sinead O'Connor and the Chieftains
5. I'm Shipping Up to Boston - Dropkick Murphy's
Blog Anniversary
A brief story on the number 20. A longtime goal of mine has been to drive Route 20 from Fenway Park to the Kingdom in Seattle. Route 20 is, I believe, the longest route in the country with the only break in its cross-country trek briefly in Yellowstone Park. Always wanted to do that drive. Closest I've come is once on a nice fall Sunday I drove a rented convertible from Auburn, MA to Auburn, NY all on Route 20. That was fun!
Saturday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
Got off to a late start this morning. Was making rather merry last night. Had nothing to do with Saint Patrick's Day and everything with doing well in cards. As always please Subscribe, hit the Like button, or share the Link. Thanks!
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
Have a new Quotes for Today up on my Substack. As I've mentioned doing this as a way to thank those who have Subscribed. If you are a Subscriber - you should have received an email. Thanks!
Some Memes You May Enjoy
Many a truth is said in jest.
- Reminder
Friday, March 15, 2024
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Naval Ravikant's Life Formulas. Great life advice!
- From the archives: Peter Attia on Matriomania
- Jonathan Turley on Rachael Rollins disbarment. It's a start.
- Mostly forgotten piece of history: The War of Jenkin's Ear
Some Memes You May Enjoy
Many a truth is said in jest.
- Programming vs demon summoning
Friday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
Still don't know what to think about Congress voting to ban TikTok. This would be a time when having Grok AI read the bill to let me know what it really says would be extremely useful. As always please Subscribe, hit the Like button, or share the Link. Thanks!
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
Have a new Quotes for Today up on my Substack. As I've mentioned doing this as a way to thank those who have Subscribed. If you are a Subscriber - you should have received an email. Thanks!
Thursday, March 14, 2024
Thursday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
Today is March 14th aka Pi Day to those who celebrate. Happy Pi Day!! As always please Subscribe, hit the Like button, or share the Link. Thanks in advance!
Troubled by Rob Henderson
A memoir of foster care, family, and social class.
Have a new book review of a book I highly recommend up on Substack.
Thanks to Bob for the copy!
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope you may enjoy.
Have a new Quotes for Today up on my Substack. As I've mentioned doing this as a way to thank those who have Subscribed. If you are a Subscriber - you should have received an email. Thanks!
Albert Einstein
Today is Albert Einstein's birthday. Just a reminder that even though E=MC2 is perhaps the most famous scientific equation in history - Einstein never received the Nobel Prize for coming up with it. The reasons for this slight were mostly because Einstein was Jewish. The committee eventually gave Einstein the Nobel Prize in 1921 for his 1905 explanation of the photoelectric effect but that was really too little too late.
As smart as Einstein was it makes me chuckle to remember that when Einstein graduated from our equivalent of high school - he finished second in his class. The name of the person who was valedictorian is lost to history but I couldn't help but think of someone back then saying something like, "Yeah Einstein was pretty smart in high school but you should have seen this other guy!"
Also when Albert Einstein first visited the US in 1921 - the US Senate saw fit to debate the validity of the Theory of Relativity - seriously. Random Albert Einstein trivia; when Einstein lived in Princeton he had a small 17-foot sailboat he named Tinef which is Yiddish for "piece of junk". I find that endearing.
Finally - 10 Myths about Albert Einstein debunked.
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Top 5 - Movies that Would Be "Cancelled" Today
1. Tropic Thunder - Take your pick of character. No way that could be made today not even to mention Tom Cruise's cameo.
2. Dune: Part 2 - Keep wondering how a movie so overtly about Muhammad and Islam can be made without a fatwa against Timothy Chalamet or Dennis Villeneuve.
3. Dodge Ball - Watch it some time. Funny but sometimes you feel bad for laughing.
4. 10 - Rewatched it about a year ago and it it so cringe worthy.
5. A new all-girls Ghostbusters - the Hollywood equivalent of a double-negative. The all-girls remake was so woke to be unwatchable and now who would touch bankrolling a new version with a ten-foot pole.
Wednesday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observation post up on Substack.
Each year, for I forget how many, my goal is to get better at golf by playing one round and hitting at least a bucket of balls each week. I never keep my vow but today is the first day I break out the sticks to try once again! As always - please Subscribe, hit the Like button, and share the Link. Thanks!
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
Have a new Quotes for Today up on my Substack. As I've mentioned doing this as a way to thank those who have Subscribed. If you are a Subscriber - you should have received an email. Thanks!