A large spider walked out onto my bathroom floor yesterday. I was sitting at my kitchen table only a few feet away from the bug. I reached for my can of Raid, and I gave the spider a dose. Then I said to myself, "spiders are your friends," and I immediately felt terrible. Then the spider leaped from the bathroom floor onto my leg...a good two feet. Luckily, I was wearing sweat pants. At first I couldn't find the bugger, but eventually I found him trying to have sex with my knee. I brushed him away and squashed him.
But I felt bad. But I also had an excuse: I had never seen a large arachnoid creature leap like that! Maybe it wasn't a spider at all? I checked it out on Google. Sure enough it had been a spider. I learned that certain jumping spiders can jump a distance equal to 43 times their body length...greater than any other animal. I also learned that spiders have eight eyes (except for some who have six eyes.) Also, spiders eat bed bugs!
Well, I now felt I had killed my buddy, so I scraped his remains from the bottom of my sneaker and I gave him a funeral just like the one they gave Osama bin Laden. I didn't have an extra sheet, so I covered his corpse with a piece of bathroom tissue before flushing him into eternity.
I'm reading about Venice in the 16th century, and all of a sudden the writer feels he has to take me back as far as the 7th century in order to explain the relationship between Venice and the Popes. Now, either the writer began making mistakes, or the folks who copied the text from the book to the e-book began making mistakes. Bayazid, for example, a 15th c. - 16th c. kind of guy, is referred to as being around in the 14th century. Anyway, despite my intentions to stick with The Cambridge Modern History I gave up for a bit and I went back to reading Mommsens's History of Rome. I won't bore you with the details.
I find it easier to remember the various historical characters by giving them a modern-day analogue. Thus: Pope Julius II / General George Patton; and Savonarola / The Reverend Al Sharpton. Wickipedia would have you believe that Savonarola became the leader of Florence, but actually, much like the Reverend Al Sharpton, he inspired large crowds and pressured the city magistrates to follow the will of the people. Too bad I hadn't thought about this when I was a kid and flunking all those history tests that my sister whizzed through.
I do not publish the "comments" that readers send to my website. I have explained this before. Nonetheless, folks continue to comment. So when a reader says something interesting I include it here. In my previous post I mentioned that The Lady in Purple asked me if Black History Month was over yet. A reader, Betty from Baltimore, tells me that Black History Month begins on Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday (January 15th) and ends on the final day of Kwanzaa. I don't know if this is correct, but I submit it for your consideration.
In an effort to get out of the 16th century I have agreed to review two new books. I should receive them in a week or so. One is Michel Houllebecq's Magnum Opus (I forget the title) and the other is the most recent book from the typewriter of Goeff Dyer...one of my favorite writers despite his proclivity to chew his fingernails.
If you have been following my bets you know that I have bets on both teams in the Super Bowl. I have the Giants at 12-1 and the Patriots at 4-1. Go Giants!
It remains nearly impossible for me to continue to write on this website because of poor connectivity with the Internet. But I shall try. I hope this prints.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
NFL Championship Games; Popes etc.
I have no internet connection for the time being, so I’m writing this on my Scrivener program. If I ever again find an internet connection, I’ll do a copy & paste thing and move this to my COAVC blog. Tomorrow is championship day in the NFL. Prior to the playoffs I had bet 3 teams to win the Superbowl…the Giants @ 12-1, San Francisco @ 11/2, and New England @ 4-1. I wagered $40 on each team. If New England beats the Ravens tomorrow I will have the winner of the Superbowl. But just for insurance, I placed a wager of $40 on the Ravens tomorrow. The Ravens are 7 1/2 points underdogs, so if New England wins by less than 8 points I collect tomorrow’s $40 bet on the Ravens plus which I have bets on both teams in the Superbowl. If the Ravens lose by 8 points or more, I lose tomorrow’s $40 bet but still have bets on both teams in the Superbowl. If the Ravens win outright, I win tomorrow’s $40 bet but only have a bet on one team in the Superbowl. The bet I made tomorrow on the Ravens is called “insurance.” Probably none of you are particularly interested.
I continue to read The Cambridge Modern History (vols 1-5) and I have now completed 7%. Zowie!
It is actually a great deal of fun. I hadn’t known that Lucrezia Borgia was the daughter of the Pope. (I think it was Pope Alexander VI). That made it rather easy for her to obtain annulments and divorces…just call dad. But it turns out that Lucrezia probably was not the terrible person I thought she was. She may not actually have poisoned anyone. Some folks thought rather well of the lady.
Then there’s Cesare Borgia. (Son of a pope) It turns out he wasn’t such a bad guy either. He had this rather nasty habit of killing people up close and personal, but outside of that his intentions were generally good; and as we all know, it’s one’s intentions that really count. Machiavelli, who I thought was a really nasty fellow, was really rather mild and philosophic. Machiavelli thought Cesare Borgia might have been able to unite Italy…the major problem of the period…had it not been for the role of chance in these matters.
I enjoy the writing very much. It begins by swamping the reader with a ton of names and events that no one can possibly keep track of, and then little by little it concentrates on an individual , such as Savonarola, or a city, such as Florence or Venice, and things become more and more clear as one reads. I was saddened to learn that Michael Angelo (that’s how it’s spelled in the books) had made a bronze statue of Pope Julius II which was placed in a city which was later captured by the French (Charles VIII?) who melted down the marvelous statue and turned it into a cannon. Pope Julius II used to lead his troops into battle and hang out with the soldiers and swap jokes etc. Sort of a General Patton. If I remember correctly, Michael Angelo’s bronze of the Pope showed him riding into battle, and was judged by the people at the time as one of Michael Angelo’s bets creations.
Well, that's all for now. Oh yeah....GO GIANTS!!
I continue to read The Cambridge Modern History (vols 1-5) and I have now completed 7%. Zowie!
It is actually a great deal of fun. I hadn’t known that Lucrezia Borgia was the daughter of the Pope. (I think it was Pope Alexander VI). That made it rather easy for her to obtain annulments and divorces…just call dad. But it turns out that Lucrezia probably was not the terrible person I thought she was. She may not actually have poisoned anyone. Some folks thought rather well of the lady.
Then there’s Cesare Borgia. (Son of a pope) It turns out he wasn’t such a bad guy either. He had this rather nasty habit of killing people up close and personal, but outside of that his intentions were generally good; and as we all know, it’s one’s intentions that really count. Machiavelli, who I thought was a really nasty fellow, was really rather mild and philosophic. Machiavelli thought Cesare Borgia might have been able to unite Italy…the major problem of the period…had it not been for the role of chance in these matters.
I enjoy the writing very much. It begins by swamping the reader with a ton of names and events that no one can possibly keep track of, and then little by little it concentrates on an individual , such as Savonarola, or a city, such as Florence or Venice, and things become more and more clear as one reads. I was saddened to learn that Michael Angelo (that’s how it’s spelled in the books) had made a bronze statue of Pope Julius II which was placed in a city which was later captured by the French (Charles VIII?) who melted down the marvelous statue and turned it into a cannon. Pope Julius II used to lead his troops into battle and hang out with the soldiers and swap jokes etc. Sort of a General Patton. If I remember correctly, Michael Angelo’s bronze of the Pope showed him riding into battle, and was judged by the people at the time as one of Michael Angelo’s bets creations.
Well, that's all for now. Oh yeah....GO GIANTS!!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Reading; Lady in Purple
I've been watching football and reading books I know you wouldn't be interested in, so I haven't wasted your time or mine by posting on my website for the past few days. I took notes on the officiating of the 49er's game and the Giants/Green Bay game but you likely wouldn't be interested; except that if Green Bay had actually won their game against the Giants I felt that one of the officials should have been given the "game ball."
My reading has been about the Italian City States in the 16th Century and about a Dominican preacher back in those days named Savonarola. Interesting stuff, but not for everybody. I'm also reading a book dealing with international monetary systems; again, not much funny stuff there.
Then when I took my trash to the dumpster this afternoon, whom should I see but the lady in purple! I just knew you'd be interested in The Lady in Purple. She wasn't in a purple see-through shift today, just some sort of housecoat and her high heels. Her cigarette was hanging from its usual perch. I had to wait for her to finish dumping her stuff into the dumpster before I could dump mine. When she finished, she turned around, seeing me for the first time. She eyed me for a moment and seemed to recognize me. Then she spoke!
I expected a gruff, alcohol induced gritty voice, but her voice was actually kind of normal...almost nice. She asked me if Black History Month was over yet. I realized she must have confused the Martin Luther King Jr. Day with Black History Month, and I began to explain to her that Black History Month doesn't start till February, but before I could finish she just said shit and walked away. I fear I may be off her speaking list.
So I went back to my apartment, did some more reading, then I watched "The Thrilla in Manilla." For those of you too young to know what "The Thrilla in Manilla" was, it was a great boxing match between Mohammed Ali and Joe Frazier in 1975. It turns out that today is Mohammed Ali's 70th birthday, so they were giving him some sort of special anniversary celebration deal. It was a great fight; what more can I say?
If something as exciting as speaking to the Lady in Purple should happen again, I'll be back. I'm not going to bore you with my analysis of the Republican Presidential Debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C., or with the trials of Savonarola. You can read about that somewhere else. btw, Ali won the fight.
My reading has been about the Italian City States in the 16th Century and about a Dominican preacher back in those days named Savonarola. Interesting stuff, but not for everybody. I'm also reading a book dealing with international monetary systems; again, not much funny stuff there.
Then when I took my trash to the dumpster this afternoon, whom should I see but the lady in purple! I just knew you'd be interested in The Lady in Purple. She wasn't in a purple see-through shift today, just some sort of housecoat and her high heels. Her cigarette was hanging from its usual perch. I had to wait for her to finish dumping her stuff into the dumpster before I could dump mine. When she finished, she turned around, seeing me for the first time. She eyed me for a moment and seemed to recognize me. Then she spoke!
I expected a gruff, alcohol induced gritty voice, but her voice was actually kind of normal...almost nice. She asked me if Black History Month was over yet. I realized she must have confused the Martin Luther King Jr. Day with Black History Month, and I began to explain to her that Black History Month doesn't start till February, but before I could finish she just said shit and walked away. I fear I may be off her speaking list.
So I went back to my apartment, did some more reading, then I watched "The Thrilla in Manilla." For those of you too young to know what "The Thrilla in Manilla" was, it was a great boxing match between Mohammed Ali and Joe Frazier in 1975. It turns out that today is Mohammed Ali's 70th birthday, so they were giving him some sort of special anniversary celebration deal. It was a great fight; what more can I say?
If something as exciting as speaking to the Lady in Purple should happen again, I'll be back. I'm not going to bore you with my analysis of the Republican Presidential Debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C., or with the trials of Savonarola. You can read about that somewhere else. btw, Ali won the fight.
Friday, January 13, 2012
3% and counting; Wet Talibanners
You guys aren't interested in history...I don't know why I even bother. Fact is: I was never too crazy about history either. My sister was great at it but I couldn't see the sense of it. Well, now I'm stuck with The Cambridge Modern History as being the most readable thing in this furnished apartment in Las Vegas and I'm becoming a fan. But I won't bore you with it. I mean, who cares about the Ottoman Empire in the late 15th and early 16th centuries? Murders, mass slaughters, torture...all sorts of good stuff; but everyone has unpronounceable names and they all live in cities with unpronounceable names, and the kings, and sultans, and viziers etc., all get killed and replaced so often, who can keep track? The Muslim's favorite method of killing bishops, mayors etc., in those days was to saw them in half. At least now we get a fairly quick beheading.
And it's weird reading the word infidel and having it refer to the Mohammedans. When I was young I think it was this way, but recently it seems to have changed the other way around...we assume the Christians & Jews are the infidel. I wonder how that happened? Next chapter is about Italy but I won't bore you.
In the real world, today I stocked my apartment with enough goodies to last me through the four NFL games this weekend and not have to leave the house. I don't have a considered opinion on these games, so I just made small bets on all the underdogs: Denver +13.5; Giants +3.0; Houston +7.5; San Francisco +3.5, and I'm going to kick back and enjoy.
I briefly saw on the news that Hillary Clinton was terribly upset that some marines had pissed on some dead Talibanners. Hey, if Hillary had read the stuff in chapter three about these Muslims sawing people in half in 1510 or whenever, she might have taken a different view. Nah.
It made me think of something I read about our own Civil War, in the aftermath of which many Southerners travelled long distances at great expense and effort in order to piss on Abe Lincoln's grave. Hillary could tell them this is a great honor which we usually reserve for our finest presidents.
And it's weird reading the word infidel and having it refer to the Mohammedans. When I was young I think it was this way, but recently it seems to have changed the other way around...we assume the Christians & Jews are the infidel. I wonder how that happened? Next chapter is about Italy but I won't bore you.
In the real world, today I stocked my apartment with enough goodies to last me through the four NFL games this weekend and not have to leave the house. I don't have a considered opinion on these games, so I just made small bets on all the underdogs: Denver +13.5; Giants +3.0; Houston +7.5; San Francisco +3.5, and I'm going to kick back and enjoy.
I briefly saw on the news that Hillary Clinton was terribly upset that some marines had pissed on some dead Talibanners. Hey, if Hillary had read the stuff in chapter three about these Muslims sawing people in half in 1510 or whenever, she might have taken a different view. Nah.
It made me think of something I read about our own Civil War, in the aftermath of which many Southerners travelled long distances at great expense and effort in order to piss on Abe Lincoln's grave. Hillary could tell them this is a great honor which we usually reserve for our finest presidents.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
2% of the 5 volume Cambridge Modern History
After several days of reading The Cambridge Modern History...vols 1-5 my kindle shows that I have moved from having read 1% to having read 2%. Oooowheee! Only 98% more to go, and then I can look for volumes 6 through 14. Seriously though, it continues to be fascinating reading. Chapter 2 is a consideration of the New World at the time of the Discovery, and at first I thought I'd have to skip over it. Words like Coaxiquital (I made that word up, but it's close enough) strain my brain. They're bad enough one at a time but when I get three or four towns or Indian tribes with similar wacky names it drives me crazy.
But I stuck with it. I even tried to work out pronunciations and find meanings, but it was a lost cause. But the tales were great...lots of cannibalism, murders, piracy, sacrifices to the sun-god etc. Didn't know the Mexican Indians were so high on cannibalism back then. They had something called the Mexican Law which required a battle between tribes every twenty months, apparently mostly so they could eat the bodies afterwards. Nowadays I think they call them drug wars and they skip dinner.
I've also read about 200 pages of Daniel Kahneman's widely praised: Thinking, Fast and Slow. I'm still unimpressed. I suppose it could be helpful for folks who are looking to buy a house, or invest in an IPO, but mostly what I get out of it is that Daniel really misses his friend Amos, who for all I know was a wonderful and smart and funny guy who died maybe five, ten, fifteen, or twenty years ago. But you would think he died last week the way Kahneman keeps raising him from the dead. Jeez, get over it. As for Kahneman's division of the way our mind works into the imaginary System 1 & System 2, I much preferred the somewhat analogous Left Brain/Right Brain analysis provided by Ian McGilchrist in his book The Master and his Emissary....a book which is, shall we say, a bit more cerebral?
I continue to get error messages as I write this post. the wi-fi out here in Vegas is terrible. My i-phone is also fairly useless. There are times when I write stuff and it suddenly all disappears unless I stop and save it. Stopping now. I'll get back to you soon.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
NFL Playoffs; Cambridge Modern History
It's playoff time in the NFL. This morning the NY Giants take on the Atlanta Falcons. I have a few bucks on the Giants -3.0. Yesterday I lost both games...Lions couldn't cover the spread with 10.5 extra points; same for the Bengals + 3.5. In today's late game I have the Steelers over the Broncos. Steelers are laying 8.5 points. I get a big kick out of Tebow (Broncos) but not today. Denver has no running game. Willis McGahee has been underperforming, and the other runners are banged up. Pittsburgh is also banged up, but Pittsburgh has some depth. Tim Tebow meets Troy Polamalu. I think Troy comes out on top.
It's nice to be able to bet a few bucks on a game without breaking the law. Even if I lose. I may lose today, but there's always tomorrow.
I began this post intending to write about The Cambridge Modern History. But the Giants/ Falcons game is on...I'll get back to it later.
The game is boring. I'm back.
Albuquerque. I just recently escaped a snow storm in Albuquerque. Never gave the word Albuquerque a second thought except for wondering how to spell it. Next thing you know, I'm reading in The Cambridge Modern History (hereinafter referred to as CMH) about a guy named Albuquerque doing all sorts of bad things in or around 1495. Albuquerque was this adventurer/explorer/slave-trader out of Portugal. Sailed up and down the African coast looking for gold/slaves...whatever. I have no idea whether or not the city of Albuquerque in New Mexico is named after this guy or if Albuquerque has another meaning in another language or what.
Anyway, the idea of some guy raiding African villages along the coast and bringing slaves back to Europe sort of sideswiped me. Why was this going on? The CMH mentions something about there having been a need for slaves to repair the damages done by the Moors during their occupation of the Iberian peninsula and even the western parts of France before they were kicked out; but it doesn't go into detail. Our Moorish brothers damaged the Iberian peninsula? I thought they just came over to Europe, built the Alhambra (to show us how it was done) and left town.
How large was this trade in slaves? What was the nature of the slavery? The CMH raises more questions than it answers, but I guess the answers come later...The section I'm reading is mostly an introduction to the world as it was around 1500 A.D., before getting into specifics.
Then I learn that Columbus was sending slaves back to Spain from the Caribbean islands. Who knew? These Carribean Island slaves didn't work out, however, and the Spaniards told Columbus, "No mas! No mas!" The explanation given is that the slaves from the Caribbean were intractable. In other words, they wouldn't or couldn't do any useful work. So, what happened to them? Were they sent back to Hayti? (I love the old spellings of towns etc...) Were they killed? Did they apply for Aid to Dependent Cubans? Did they become priests? I don't know the answer. I'm looking forward to finding out.
And speaking of words, I love coming upon new (old) words or unfamiliar meanings of known words. For instance, I learned that careening means beaching your boat and turning it on its side to scrape off the carbuncles etc. My son is captain of his own fishing boat. I'll have to check this out with Stephen. Another word popped up. I can't remember what the word is, but it means 'a sheltered bay.' I'll have to find the word and check that out with Stephen also.
Well, listen guys, I have to get back to football. If my computer connection is still working tomorrow I'll get back to you. Till then...
It's nice to be able to bet a few bucks on a game without breaking the law. Even if I lose. I may lose today, but there's always tomorrow.
I began this post intending to write about The Cambridge Modern History. But the Giants/ Falcons game is on...I'll get back to it later.
The game is boring. I'm back.
Albuquerque. I just recently escaped a snow storm in Albuquerque. Never gave the word Albuquerque a second thought except for wondering how to spell it. Next thing you know, I'm reading in The Cambridge Modern History (hereinafter referred to as CMH) about a guy named Albuquerque doing all sorts of bad things in or around 1495. Albuquerque was this adventurer/explorer/slave-trader out of Portugal. Sailed up and down the African coast looking for gold/slaves...whatever. I have no idea whether or not the city of Albuquerque in New Mexico is named after this guy or if Albuquerque has another meaning in another language or what.
Anyway, the idea of some guy raiding African villages along the coast and bringing slaves back to Europe sort of sideswiped me. Why was this going on? The CMH mentions something about there having been a need for slaves to repair the damages done by the Moors during their occupation of the Iberian peninsula and even the western parts of France before they were kicked out; but it doesn't go into detail. Our Moorish brothers damaged the Iberian peninsula? I thought they just came over to Europe, built the Alhambra (to show us how it was done) and left town.
How large was this trade in slaves? What was the nature of the slavery? The CMH raises more questions than it answers, but I guess the answers come later...The section I'm reading is mostly an introduction to the world as it was around 1500 A.D., before getting into specifics.
Then I learn that Columbus was sending slaves back to Spain from the Caribbean islands. Who knew? These Carribean Island slaves didn't work out, however, and the Spaniards told Columbus, "No mas! No mas!" The explanation given is that the slaves from the Caribbean were intractable. In other words, they wouldn't or couldn't do any useful work. So, what happened to them? Were they sent back to Hayti? (I love the old spellings of towns etc...) Were they killed? Did they apply for Aid to Dependent Cubans? Did they become priests? I don't know the answer. I'm looking forward to finding out.
And speaking of words, I love coming upon new (old) words or unfamiliar meanings of known words. For instance, I learned that careening means beaching your boat and turning it on its side to scrape off the carbuncles etc. My son is captain of his own fishing boat. I'll have to check this out with Stephen. Another word popped up. I can't remember what the word is, but it means 'a sheltered bay.' I'll have to find the word and check that out with Stephen also.
Well, listen guys, I have to get back to football. If my computer connection is still working tomorrow I'll get back to you. Till then...
Umbriago, Losing It, Cambridge Modern History, 37
"Umbriago... Could be mayor of New York or of Chicago...Umbriago..." This damn song from Jimmy Durante in the 1940s has been ruining my life for two days now. Can't keep the damn tune from automatic rewind in my brain. There must be a pill I can take to regain my sanity.
Serious connectivity problems here in Las Vegas. The wi-fi at this apartment doesn't work well at all. Also, I can't download books to my kindle e-reader. I took a ride to Walmart's this morning and I brought my various electronic gadgets with me. I can't get a decent signal anywhere. Even my i-phone is giving me problems.
As for my Kindle, I read a review of a book entitled "Losing It" in the WSJ. I've been trying for a week to download a sample of the book to my Kindle but it simply can't be done. It's written by a prof named Something Ian Miller ( I think). The prof is complaining that his brain is shrinking. This apparently happens to all of us as we age. If I recall the book review correctly, the author teaches Icelandic Sagas. I don't know a thing about Icelandic Sagas. I figured this was my chance. They're probably Homeric, and will improve my life appreciably.
On the other hand, the guy may be one of these Occupy Wall Street Whiners who feels that truck drivers owe him a good living while he swoons over Icelandic lore. One of the OWS people who actually found a job doing what he loves to do so he could pay back the hundred thousand dollars in student loans he took out to pursue this wonderfully important calling. The book review made it sound worthwhile though. I'll have to see if I can find it at the local library.
Unable to read "Losing It" for the nonce, I've been reading bits and pieces of books I had downloaded for free or nearly free, and which I've been storing up in my Kindle for just such a situation as this. I've discarded about ten such books after reading parts of them, and I have finally settled on one selection which may possibly take me the remainder of my lifetime to finish reading: The Cambridge Modern History, vols. One to Five. I think it cost me $3.00 one day when I was scanning the Kindle Library for something decent.
Actually, The Cambridge Modern History comprises fourteen volumes. Kindle doesn't have the other nine volumes available, but from the looks of it it will take me years to finish reading volumes One through five. So far, it has been great fun, and I am less than 1% of the way through it.
I have to sign off here. I keep losing my connection to the web and I keep getting error messages. I hope the situation gets better. Till next time, be well.
Oops, I almost forgot...I have an update on that intriguing number 37. Two days ago the FAA released a statement. There had almost been a major airplane crash at Kennedy Airport in June, 2011. One plane was taking off, and another plane, (Egyptian Airlines?) took a wrong path and headed straight for the first plane. The takeoff was aborted just in time. Total number of passengers involved exceeded 600, and it could have been our largest airplane disaster ever. The distance between the two planes when they nearly collided was 37 feet.
If anything else happens re: the interesting number 37 I'll be sure to let you know. Of course, I assume you already know that 37 is prime.
Serious connectivity problems here in Las Vegas. The wi-fi at this apartment doesn't work well at all. Also, I can't download books to my kindle e-reader. I took a ride to Walmart's this morning and I brought my various electronic gadgets with me. I can't get a decent signal anywhere. Even my i-phone is giving me problems.
As for my Kindle, I read a review of a book entitled "Losing It" in the WSJ. I've been trying for a week to download a sample of the book to my Kindle but it simply can't be done. It's written by a prof named Something Ian Miller ( I think). The prof is complaining that his brain is shrinking. This apparently happens to all of us as we age. If I recall the book review correctly, the author teaches Icelandic Sagas. I don't know a thing about Icelandic Sagas. I figured this was my chance. They're probably Homeric, and will improve my life appreciably.
On the other hand, the guy may be one of these Occupy Wall Street Whiners who feels that truck drivers owe him a good living while he swoons over Icelandic lore. One of the OWS people who actually found a job doing what he loves to do so he could pay back the hundred thousand dollars in student loans he took out to pursue this wonderfully important calling. The book review made it sound worthwhile though. I'll have to see if I can find it at the local library.
Unable to read "Losing It" for the nonce, I've been reading bits and pieces of books I had downloaded for free or nearly free, and which I've been storing up in my Kindle for just such a situation as this. I've discarded about ten such books after reading parts of them, and I have finally settled on one selection which may possibly take me the remainder of my lifetime to finish reading: The Cambridge Modern History, vols. One to Five. I think it cost me $3.00 one day when I was scanning the Kindle Library for something decent.
Actually, The Cambridge Modern History comprises fourteen volumes. Kindle doesn't have the other nine volumes available, but from the looks of it it will take me years to finish reading volumes One through five. So far, it has been great fun, and I am less than 1% of the way through it.
I have to sign off here. I keep losing my connection to the web and I keep getting error messages. I hope the situation gets better. Till next time, be well.
Oops, I almost forgot...I have an update on that intriguing number 37. Two days ago the FAA released a statement. There had almost been a major airplane crash at Kennedy Airport in June, 2011. One plane was taking off, and another plane, (Egyptian Airlines?) took a wrong path and headed straight for the first plane. The takeoff was aborted just in time. Total number of passengers involved exceeded 600, and it could have been our largest airplane disaster ever. The distance between the two planes when they nearly collided was 37 feet.
If anything else happens re: the interesting number 37 I'll be sure to let you know. Of course, I assume you already know that 37 is prime.
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