Saturday, September 16, 2006

Stuff

It seems that the moral authority of moms across the land is once again being challenged. After telling decades of telling kids to eat their spinach, government agencies are now siding with kids, telling them what they knew in their gut all along, “this stuff can make you sick.” Unfortunately, I’ve long gotten over my natural dislike of greens and now enjoy spinach (along with collards and kale and turnips), but I don't like my spinach laced with e-coli. I much prefer a vinegar and oil dressing.

Three months after getting this laptop, I’ve finally got around to installing a “screen saver.” It’s a 16th Century painting by Peiter Brueghel titled "Tower of Babel." The original is in a muesum in Rotterdam. Of course the tower looks like it’s built next to a northern European port (like Rotterdam) and not in Mesopotamia, but why let little details bother me. I like the painting. It has great details of construction and of life around the tower. And wonderfully deep red hues. But I mostly I like the painting for it reminds me of human limitation and inabilities. I idea that I needed to get a screen saver was brought to the forefront by a series of posts by a fellow blogger who has a lot more time than I do to pick out the perfect screen saver(s).

I’m down to the last 20 pages of Taylor Branch’s, Parting the Waters: America in the King Years 1954-63, which I plan to finish before bed. Hopefully I’ll get a book review of it out before I head to the desert, where I will be reading Craig Childs, Soul of Nowhere: Traversing Grace in a Rugged Land. It may sound like a religious book, but Childs is a water hydrologist who spends most of his life tramping around the desert southwest. I envy him. Speaking of water (and too much of it), I’m currently listening to David McCullough’s The Johnstown Flood on my ipod. McCullough is a great storyteller. I expect I’ll also review this book.

15 comments:

  1. Thanks for the post. Green's aren't that bad.
    Michele says Hi!

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  2. love the screen saver and might I suggest a diet of M & M's instead of spinach...no government warnings as of yet :-)

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  3. It's a wonderful idea for a screensaver; I think I'd pick it to wallpaper the computer behind the icons.

    Michele sent me.

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  4. oooh kale my favourite and not available here...sod.

    no chance of the lets eating anything green... except pesto and cucumbers at least.

    hurray the silver lining for having bloomin fussy kids :)

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  5. I love that painting of the Tower of Babel. right now I have a photo of the Colisseum on my computer background - in honor of our upcoming trip.

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  6. I've added the book by a water hydrologist to my reading list. It's right after Investment Policy. These better be more riveting than they sound, buddy.

    I'm glad to hear that your screensaver isn't that of a scantly clad female...or is that the one that you use on your computer at work?

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  7. Love the screensaver and I too, love spinach..but other greens? Not so much.

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  8. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I love your links to the side. I'll definitley have myself a look while I'm here =)

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  9. Kontan, like your diet and I'd take it up but I might have to get larger doors into my house...

    Capt. Picard, You're right. I meant wall paper and not a screen saver

    Keda, you have a way of looking on the bright side!

    Kenju, sounds like a neat trip

    Murf, the book on the desert is good (at least his other writings are wonderful), but if you're looking for action, don't read Investment Policy

    Moogie, I like all greens, but like hot sauce to accompany them

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  10. Christi, help yourself and look around! Thanks for stopping by

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  11. I bet even God doesn't like spinach. Lol, j/k.

    From the quotes you posted, the Taylor Branch book seems like an uber must-read. I'll be looking forward to your review.

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  12. Just to let you know that I'm back... right before you leave. Wish I was going with you. The desert is sounding pretty good right now with all this cold damp weather we've been getting.

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  13. I love that painting of the Tower of Babel. And I think the only way I like spinach is fresh; but I rarely buy it.

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  14. Your reading is beyond me.

    I love spinach in salad but dang I am a bit weary of E-coli myself!

    Love, love the screen saver. It has wonderful color and it holds your eye's interest well.

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