The Wisdom of Coach John Wooden

The Wisdom of Coach John Wooden

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Basketball legend, Coach John Wooden has written about the fundamentals of basketball and living a worthwhile life. Here are a few of his suggestions for succeeding which I think are worth considering: These are Coach Wooden’s suggestions: Fear no opponent, but respect every opponent Be more interested in character than reputation Be quick, but don’t hurry Understand that the harder you work, the more luck you will have Failing to prepare is preparing to fail He lists what he calls…

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The Unsung Song

The Unsung Song

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The Reverend Robert Schuller once wrote some prose that capture the feeling I have as get older: "Spring is past, Summer is gone, Winter is here, and my song that I was meant to sing is still unsung. I have spent my days stringing and unstringing my instrument" The other poem, whose author is unknown to me, describes the same regret at not having already accomplished the many things I intended to do, but haven’t yet done: Just Do it…

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A Day in the Life of Oscar the Cat

A Day in the Life of Oscar the Cat

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I read with interest in the New England Journal of Medicine  (http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/357/4/328) about the two year old cat Oscar.  Dr. David Dosa says Oscar was adopted by staff members at a nursing home in Providence, Rhode Island as a kitten. After about six months the staff noted that he would make his own rounds of patients. He’s go in, sniff, observe and either leave or stay. If he stayed, the staff realized he had an uncanny ability to know when…

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Random Thoughts

Random Thoughts

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These are random thoughts from my recent trip to Wyoming. I’ve spent this week at the Spence Trial College teaching trial lawyers. But, the truth is, they teach me far more then I teach them. On the plane I was reading an interview of an actor who spoke of his recovery from drinking, but the comments really struck a chord with me regarding our fears and demons. He said: "My recovery was a slow process, rather like my decline. Recovery…

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The “Do-Nothing” Congress

The “Do-Nothing” Congress

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President Harry Truman, who defeated Dewey in 1948, took delight in attacking the Republican controlled 80th Congress for their lack of action. He called Congress the "do-nothing" Congress and pointed out how little they accomplished in any meaningful legislative action. The same epitaph of a "do-nothing" Congress can be applied to the Democrats. Talk about "wasting political capital," the Democrats were elected in reliance on their promise to take action to bring the troops home and get America out of…

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No Salvation Outside the Catholic Church? Pope Benedict

No Salvation Outside the Catholic Church? Pope Benedict

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I’ve commented before about the Pope Benedict’s arch conservative background and the moderate position he seemed to assume after his election, but which soon began to be abandoned and his true conservative posture exposed. (See post 4/21/07) When he did say something that caused controversy, the Vatican would immediately offer a clarifying statement afterwords to mollify the protests. Time published an article about this entitled "Pope Benedict: "What I meant to say…" The mask regally began to slip on September…

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The Iraq Diaster & the Charge of the Light Brigade

The Iraq Diaster & the Charge of the Light Brigade

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In reflecting on Tennyson’s poem Charge of the Light Brigade (See post of 7/8/07) it occurred to me it has meaning in connection with the Iraq war. Not only as a similar unwinable military action, but as to the Bush administration’s attack on anyone who is critical of the Iraq war. In the Crimean War a brigade of British calvary was sent on a suicide mission into the face of superior forces and overwhelming gun power because of a senseless…

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The Millionare who Led a Double Life. Alfred Lee Loomis

The Millionare who Led a Double Life. Alfred Lee Loomis

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Jennet Conant has written a book, Tuxedo Park, about Alfred Lee Loomis who lived during the "roaring twenties" and, as a former Wall Street tycoon, played an important semi secret role during World War II as a scientist. Loomis was an extremely wealthy man who had used his law degree in financial investment activities. This multi millionaire had been wise enough to see the 1929 crash coming and escaped the disaster with his fortune intact. He went through the depression…

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Poetry Selections from The Oxford Book of English Verse and The Best Loved Poems of The American People

Poetry Selections from The Oxford Book of English Verse and The Best Loved Poems of The American People

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Here’s a selection of excerpts from a couple of poetry books I enjoy reading. These are from the very old The Oxford Book of English Verse 1250-1918: Perfect woman She was a phantom of delight when first she gleam’d upon my sight; A lovely apparition , sent to be a moment’s ornament; Her eyes as starts of twilight fair; like twilight’s, too, her dusky hair; But all things else about her drawn from May-time and the cheerful dawn’ A dancing…

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Map of Where My Parents and Their Families Lived in the Old Country

Map of Where My Parents and Their Families Lived in the Old Country

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This map shows the location of the Island of Brac where the village of Splitska is located. This is where my mother’s family immigrated from. It is now in Croatia, but was then part of Austria-Hungry. The map of Italy shows the location of the town of Reggio where dad and his family immigrated from. See previous post for the story of mom.