Armies and Orchids - a new poem by Linda Larson
Posted by markorton on May 19, 2008 in Poetry
Armies and Orchids
The little white posts
Stuck in the soil
Markers naming the orchids
At the flower show
Mimic acres of white crosses
Sturdy and upright
Over bones as fragile as
Ruby’s Dragonfly.
Orchids, deceptive,
Feed only on air.
A rich man’s hobby
Nonetheless, crosses
Bedecked, celebrating holidays
With bright, cheerful flags waving
Hello from those consumed
In battle, at War Meister’s
Command, Nightfire,
Simple Pleasures, Shoot or be shot.
Origami cranes,
Piled high [...]
North Korea - a visit to the “Axis of Evil”
Posted by markorton on June 21, 2007 in book reviews, politics
Recently, in the context of some discussion of the Bush regime, my step-son Jonathan pointed me towards several books on Korea. He said that Bruce Cumings is simply the best author writing in English on Korea. So, a quick trip to the local library and I had this compact little book in my hands.
The book [...]
Sunday, May 6 - A Passion Revealed - Louis Vermond
Posted by markorton on May 6, 2007 in Cambridge, Year-In-Pictures 2007, people
Nancy and Louis visited us over this weekend. Besides the catch-up conversations and visits to various local spots, including the Peabody Essex Museum, Louis showed us his working replica short wave transmitter.
April 24 - Visit to Washington - Harvey & Betsy
Posted by markorton on April 24, 2007 in "Art", Washington, DC, Year-In-Pictures 2007, people
Karen and I visited Washington to attend the celebration party for the wedding of Bob Greenstein and Elissa Parker. We stayed with Harvey and Betsy in Silver Springs. Of course, we also went ot a number of galleries. The most time was spoent at the newly reopened National Portrait Gallery. Besides all of the historic [...]
Gary Spina in the New York Times
Posted by markorton on March 14, 2007 in people
Gary Spina, a teacher and a writer, has also been a soldier, a sailor, a policeman and an outdoors man, among other things.
(photo by Dith Pran - New York Times used here without permission
This sketch of Gary Spina is really a great read. It gave a good start to my day.
On Education
A Teacher’s [...]
Book Review - On Truth
Posted by markorton on March 13, 2007 in book reviews
Harry Frankfurt is at it again. Following up on his popular little book On Bullshit he has written another little book, On Truth, similar size and approach. But, this is really a bit more interesting for what it has to say and perhaps what is missing. I will revise and expand this entry shortly.
Riverside - “suburbs of Central Square”
Posted by markorton on March 11, 2007 in Cambridge, architecture
It is rare to find two substantive articles in the Boston Globe on a single day, but here we are. For some, who fled the neighborhood prematurely (even if for compelling personal reasons), this article will be a comeuppance. It is now several years since the first million $ condo was sold on Kinnaird St. [...]
Review of Gehry’s Stata Center at MIT
Posted by markorton on March 11, 2007 in Cambridge, architecture
This building has been source of interest here from its inception. Last fall we walked around and through it with our friends Linda and Eliot. Today’s article by our well-know local architecture critic takes a swing at answering the question of how well the building works as opposed to its now nearly iconic status as [...]
Book Note - Before the Dawn: recovering the lost history of our ancestors
Posted by markorton on February 27, 2007 in book reviews
Earlier this year I read Charles Mann’s 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus and was rewarded with another reminder of how thin my understanding of our hemisphere’s history is and how much new knowledge is being added by multiple disciplines. Here was a whole new world to be explored.
Nicholas Wade’s book is another [...]
The Healthcare Crisis
Posted by markorton on February 2, 2006 in health, politics
The healthcare crisis in the US is growing in severity and yet is not the subject of any real public debate. More than 44 million Americans are without health insurance and almost 65 million will experience a lack of coverage during the year. Emergency rooms are the primary care provider of necessity. All of this [...]
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