“tinyredcheck” Announcing a new haiku weblog: Bret Wooldridge, who is usually hanging
his haiku for the public to enjoy. Thus, The Wanton Tree was born, filled with verse (and verbosity).
Although BW has led with some of his naughtier stuff (to attract some Google querists perhaps),
there’s lots to like that is family-safe. Here are two good examples:
overpass:
the windshield wipers
squeak dry
preschool:
the lower panes
free of frost
Bret explains in his first post how he got the haiku bug: “I am/was an avid guitarist. Following
my obsessive compulsive muse and playing as fast and furious as posible for many hours a day
resulted in tendonitis and a drastically reduced regimen. What to do with my overindulgent nature?
I remembered that I had written haiku 12 years earlier and took it up again with a vengeance. Since
then, I’ve had some publishing success and found I really enjoy writing and reading these tiny poems.”
as one of his favorite movies. But, he doesn’t tell us if it’s the Leslie Howard/Merle Oberon version (1935), t
1999). Wal-Mart has the 1935 classic for $1, with a great cover. (Or, maybe Bret caught the Broadway musical version with Douglas Sills & Christine Andreas.)
Now, it ain’t haiku, but I’ve always liked these lines:
“I’ve written a poem.”
“Who sir? You sir?”
“Yes sir, me sir.”
“No, sir!”
“Yes sir. Listen.
“The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Sir Percy Blakeney, Bart.
“They seek him here, they seek him there,
“those Frenchies seek him everywhere.
“Is he in heaven or is he in hell?
“That damned elusive Pimpernel.”
the much admired and fondly remembered 1935 film of The Scarlet Pimpernel,
with the great Leslie Howard as the secret rescuer of French aristocrats, hiding
his exploits behind a facade as a very foolish fop dancing attendance on the
Prince of Wales.” It’s easy to love the 1935 and 1982 films, and I’d hate to have
to choose between them. I’d choose to turn off the 1999 tv-flick.
This morning, there was a happy ending to my crashed-computer story.
I’m using it right now, with no data lost. Having my RAM tripled makes my achy body
feel almost turbocharged. And, the bill was a pleasant surprise:
handed the repair bill –
fifty dollars
not five hundred
[dagosan, Jan. 13, 2005]
Prof. Althouse has a pointer today to Maureen Dowd, who is pointing her sharp
finger at men who Just Want Mommy (NYT, Jan. 13, 2005). As a man who has always looked
for an intellectual equal with high (and earned) self-esteem, I find this all a little silly. The
complaining women are looking in the wrong places (e.g., at men who need status and
wealth to feel good about themselves). Not only do I do my own laundry, but I prefer
women who can keep a Scrabble game close right to the end (and don’t want do-overs;
Companions about the companions we choose.
Bret Wooldridge’s Profile sent me off on a pleasant tangent. He lists “The Scarlet Pimpernel”