No Fixed Plans

  What a lovely chair! They don't make 'em like this anymore. What a pity. Here are some chairs from times past: Warner, W. (1840)  The arm chair / W. Warner . , 1840. [?] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2013650041/. She looks so uncomfortable. Sitting on grandma's lap is much better. (ca. 1873)  The Old Arm Chair . , ca. 1873. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2003654008/. Detroit Publishing Co, P.  Girl, Posed by Chair . , None. [Between 1880 and 1910] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2016818279/.    To see more Sepia Saturday chairs, etc. click here .

  If we were having coffee, I'd tell you I need to leave by 11:30 am because my first substitute teaching gig starts at noon. I'm not quite sure on what I'll be doing. I'm to fill in for the CLC Director. I just got access to the list of openings yesterday and that was one that was open. I figured why not. I also signed up to teach social studies next Friday, all day. I'm planning to sub while I look for a permanent job. This week I self-published a play I wrote called Dora McDonald on Trial. Set in the early 20th century, the play covers Dora's trial for shooting her lover. Dora was married to Gambling King Mike McDonald, who had wealth and power. She took up with Web Guerin, who when the affair started was half her age. After 16 years together, Web tired of Dora's drama and jealousy. Nowadays theaters are looking for plays with small casts and I just couldn't figure out how to have all the lawyers, family members and witnesses and keep the play under...

It's invigorating to watch a smart, insightful discussion of a great book and this video is a great example of that. Michael Knowles hosted Dennis Prager on this Book Club and they discuss Exodus, from the Bible, not the Leon Uris novel, which I would like to read sometime. Dennis has dedicated his life to better understanding of Hebrew scripture and I loved his insights. Thought there's definitely a shared understanding of Moses and the Israelites' story, it's fascinating to learn a Jewish perspective on Exodus.   

  Peter Schweizer's Red-Handed, How American Elites Get Rich Helping China Win explains how powerful government, business and academic leaders cash in with big pay offs from China. I already knew about many of the examples, like the NBA, the Bushes, Mitch McConnell and the Bidens. I also knew that American colleges will sweep problems under the rug to continue lucrative deals with China. (I could write a book on that.)  However, I wasn't aware of how Former Secretaries of State, Kissinger and Albright cashed in on their relationships formed when in office as they opened up consulting firms focused on China. They made fortunes bowing to China's best interests.  Because I worked in higher education the bulk of my teaching career and spent more time teaching in China for an American college, I was most interested in the chapter on academics. I was saddened to learn that though Yale admitted Hong Kong dissident Nathan Law when he was in danger in China, they tried their best...

 

  New York Yes, everyone's different, but these guys all have the same facial expression. Hmm. If you want to see more murals, click here to get to the home of Monday Murals, hosted by Sami.

  This week's prompt first inspired me to look for photos of harps, but the Library of Congress had numerous covers of Harper's magazine. Thus street musicians seemed easier. Here's what I found in their archive. United States Resettlement Administration, Shahn, Ben, photographer.  Street musicians, Maynardville, Tennessee . United States Tennessee Maynardville, 1935. Oct. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2017730463/. Pray, Eleanor Lord, photographer.  Street musicians with a harp and violin in the upper yard of Dom Smith, Vladivostok, Russia . Russian Federation Russia Federation Vladivostok, 1899. [?] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2003652865/. A Couple Cartoons Pughe, J. S. , Artist.  No rest for the wicked / J.S. Pughe . , 1897. N.Y.: Published by Keppler & Schwarzmann. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2012647686/ Pughe, J. S. , Artist.  Bad for business / J.S. Pughe . , 1896. N.Y.: Published by Keppler & Schwarzmann. Photograph. https:...