Don't expect "Good Kids" to solve global warming

The author was a staggeringly well=behaved child. He was so well behaved that his teachers were doubtless very frustrated at having to seat him up where he could see the blackboard. until he got glasses. Big brother. on the other hand was a rebellious child. One remembers a famous line from ourn maternal
grandmother, "Raymond,why can't you me a bood boy?" "I don't want to be a good boy". Yours truly was wonderful at learning the conventional wisdom ar rules of grammar and teaching them. Ray, however had the spark of creativity enabling him to synthesize solutions to difficult questions. This skill is next to impossible to teach. On the other hand, the writer remembers one of his first students. At age 20, he had patented a motorcycle ignition system. During my lectures. he sat there soaking it up, never putting pen to paper, then when his colleagues had gotten to their feet to leave, he would ask astonishly perceptive questions. This is what Obama needs a number of, to solve the world's technical problems. 40 years have not suggested how to teach such skills. We are left with a faint hope there will be some perceptive teachers who can nurture such skills and not beat them out of the kid. Planet Earth desperately needs such teachers.

Would new bifocals have helped Picasso?

The wruter is in possession of a flyer from the DeYoung Museum which promotes an upcoming show with Picasso exhibits. The painting serving as a come-on which claims to be a lady's portrait; Her nose seems located such that both eyss seem to be on the same side of the nose. Since I have worn bifocals, I have personally observed such an anomaly if the object I am inspecting falls at the dividing line between the two sections. This is not the first time one has seen artistic effects that some experts attribute to vision defects; apparently Van gogh showed what he actually saw in his "Starry Night", with perhaps a small amount of exaggertion for artistic effext. One should not confuse a painting to a photograph taken with a good camera.

Lincoln had an inkling

As he rode the train from Washington to Gettysburg, Lincoln wrote "The world will little know nor long remember what we say here---" Telegraph had been invented, so he could expect that a diligent operator could flash his words over much of his domain. I just finished waTCHING the telecast of the Rose Parade,presimably watched by millions of people worldwide. Now these people probably never wonder about what came to your writer, Who has watched these parades perhaps for 50-60 years. This morning, I wondered "what and where is the city of Sierra Madre? Well, accordingto Google, in 2000 they had 10,000 men , women and children, and yet they consider it worthwhile t0 have a float in the parade. Only in this U.S. of A do towns assert their identity in this way. Now, of course, I asserted my identity by writing a blog and after a year and a half I have 7(seven) people who will admit following it. In comparison, resulting from the work of Time"s person of the year 2011. countless people submit reqauests to be my "Friend". Gee, if I agree, what do I do then? What, out of thin air, should I say? Better, people should read my blog. The talkative part of my soul is exposed there. The link is cgnnenatelgranada@blogspot.com. Stay in touch. Maybe this year I will get really productive.