Love and “Marriage” …
Re: current discussion on “quotes” raging waging down the page (see #2,3 for clawification).
Attention Swim People: Is TIP for you AR %, I am not accepting at Williams!
Why? Is great dollar such mess that honor student from Khazakistan is not accepting? Is Mr Morty notes preventing?
I am athlete of first standing. 2nd place cross-river swim with donkey! Award 3-4-9-3-2 for Inward1 1/2 Somersault in fetal position. Practice every day at Tinshein 30 x 6 meter swimming pool with filtration system removing nearly 80% solid human waste! Can you swimmers now say so?
And honor student! Medal for Advanced English Literature paper examining adventures the famous Dick and Jane and doggie Spot. Mathematics 3rd place Understanding calender April through June. Philosophy honorable mention - Why Kazakistan is best except for Gypsies.
Why I not accepting? Is endowment go south to Turkmanistan?
Looking for answer!!!!
(The above showed up in my email the other day. I post it as a poignant human instance of the result of the percentages being so earnestly discussed at length in these postings)
As the new President of ephblog …
I know you want me to look my best while representing this elite blog. And so I dipped into the petty cash Dave keeps in the Folgers Coffee can by the back screen door and took out $150,000 and went to the store.
I hope you will agree with me that I am looking pretty darn good! I am also experimenting with my glasses and hairstyle. When you deal with Joe Six-Pack, you’d better fit right in!
On the Wilde side: “Apportez-moi la tete de (wink)(wink)…”
“Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks” …
… while the parts in contrast may have been aptly analogous, perhaps the direction has changed from ascending (at least for one prominent lipstick analog).
Claes Oldenburg
Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks, 1969-74
Morse College Courtyard, Yale University, New Haven CT
Bringin’ home the Bacon …
Dewey, Truman, Dewey, Truman - will this never end? …
My collar is wilting, the wife’s cut me off, the toast is burning and the dog’s thrown up! Why did Rockwell have to stop by this morning, anyway? Now all I need is one of those David Kane eruptions!
And a plea for input from you to this board, summed up in these three questions:
1. What are your expectations of ephblog, what do you hope to gain from it?
2. Are your expectations being met?
3. What specific areas of concern or interest do you think need better representation?
These from an earlier posting that can be read in its’ entirety here:
http://www.ephblog.com/2008/10/13/great-discussion-sophmom-and-all-the-others/
If you are uncomfortable adding you input under comments, please email me at dick@swart.org
Wins Popular Vote by only 2000 But Sweeps Electoral College …
And, he was endorsed by The New York Times!
More on this breaking story here …Garfield: The Man and The Club
There seemed no shortage of things to do …
and a rousing good time could always be found in the 50’s. The same was true for my father, Rechtal Turgidley, Sr (third from left) in the Class of 1928. Good fellows find each other, I should think. The times are what you make them. Does one really need all these outside hands as a catalyst to sociability?
Rechtal Turgidley, Jr
Quark Island, Maine
(Rechtal asked me to post this on his behalf)
Walker Evans visits Williamstown …
Will Slack, a positive idea from the old days!
ephblog quarterly meetings still tentative …
but this teaser was sent to board members. I just hope the places have those terrific ‘magic fingers’ beds they used to have on Rte 66!
“Elections are my busiest time of the year …”
Dude, Downsize …
http://www.ephblog.com/2008/10/15/cost-cutting/
Christo covers the campaign …
Yet another in the “Famous Artists” series. Christo is coming to the Clark.
It’s not over ’til the fat lady sings …
Talk about a competitive event!
Sunday I went to the district tryouts for The Metropolitan Opera in Portland. Three are selected to go from here to the semi’s to the finals on the stage at the actual Met itself.
16 young singers in competition between the ages of 23 and 29, all in training which includes in addition to voice and musicology, getting your tonsils around French, German, and Italian. In addition, two also could sing in Russian and Czech. No contralto’s, still too young I guess. Sopranos, tenors, a baritone and a basso.
Now there was no white line painted on the stage as in “A Chorus Line” and no one stepped forward to sing “Tits and Ass”, “I can do that”, or “I really need this job”.
So here’s the deal: each singer has five pieces prepared. The first sung is of their choosing. Then the three judges choose any one of the next four, pretty much depending on what the first aria was. If it was something with a strong vocal and dramatic line from la Boheme, the judges would want to hear something in an entirely different style from Handel or Donnezetti.
And speaking of composers. The big three for choices were Mozart, Puccini, and Handel , Modern composers were represented including Douglas Moore with ‘The Ballad of Baby Doe’ and John Adams, with a knock out performance of Madame Mao’s song from ‘Nixon in China’.
The field of sixteen performed with various degrees of skill and professionalism. I kept my own score card and got two out of three. I see my problem is being a sucker for that old presence thing (thank you Dave Bryant and Nikos P). The three winners to go on were all members of the Portland Opera’s Intern program. The interns are not from Portand. They are selected from national applications and auditions. And the judges weren’t from Portland either. They were from San Jose, Santa Fe, and Utah Opera.
If you live anywhere near one of these competitions, go to see it! The aplomb and skill of these young people is reassuring to see. And, to think they still have years of training ahead of them.
Great discussion, Sophmom and all the others …
NOTE: Constant readers will notice that this post has reappeared at the top of the page. this is because the need for input is important to ephblog in helping build, as Ken Thomas posits (below) a sense of community. Also because, as dcat posits (below), I may have glossed over his objection to anonymity in a desire for continuing participation from some very active writers.
At any rate, this post will be top-o-the-charts every two days or so for the next two weeks in order for all readers to have a chance to sound off before the post slips into the obscurity of page five.
(continuing the original post ,,,)
who had an in-depth back-and-forth under ‘Gilbert and George’ about ephblog. It was very enlightening to read the different points of view from alums, parents, and Williams enthusiasts about what they were getting out of being active participants in this successful venture run so well by Dave Kane.
Sophmom and I came on-line to ephblog about a year ago. I didn’t know what to expect either.
Here’s what I got out of the discussion:
• ephblog is a place for everyone with an interest in Williams to read, to comment, and to post, if they desire.
• that anonymous posting and commenting is recognized as necessary for some participants and that this anonymity does not take away from the value of their observations.
• that a tone of cordiality and collegiality is desired in discussions, even when a polarity of opinion exists.
Ken Thomas and Will Slack added intriguing background on blogs and blog usage in general that open up possible areas for consideration. To me the crux was between seeing ephblog as a collection of people with various interests attracted to a site by a common Williams interest v a blog that has a specific cause that attracts people and results in a sense of community.
And very specifically, the positive action-oriented response and suggestions to ‘Guest Posting’ and the need for support of student involvement by so many readers causes me to ask these questions.
1. What are your expectations of ephblog, what do you hope to gain from it?
2. Are your expectations being met?
3. What specific areas of concern or interest do you think need better representation?
I’ll compile the answers and report back. If anyone would rather not answer the questions on-line, my email is dick@swart.org.
Please let me hear from you.
Popular Vote …
“Untrustworthy”, “Erratic” … what ever happened to …
“trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent”?
‘What goes around, comes around …’
October 30, 1929.
Now - Have Campus Your Way …
Yes! Finally your chance to have the administration under your thumb! To tell those Commie-Pinkos where to go! To bring back fraternities, to be that BMOC, to make Jr Phi Bete, to end Cluster Cup, to date Mary Jane Hitler!
Why just use ephblog to pretend you can make change, to imagine you know what’s going on in the Quad, to rant at people you don’t know WHEN IT CAN ALL BE ENTIRELY UNDER YOUR CONTROL!
Just $49.95 (plus S&H)! Same-day shipping, we accept all flavours of plastic!
What are you waiting for? Join the gang at Willy E!
Click here for immediate satisfaction ,,,
(offer void in States having a Sanity Clause because there ain’t-a no-Sanity Clause!)
One Hour. Use as many Blue Books as you need. Sign the Honor Statement.
Wait a minute - I saw this episode of Ephblog on South Park last week …
… the bastards, they’ve killed Kenny!
(ref on-going Cluster Cup and Gilbert and George below. South Park episode “Make Love, not Warcraft”.)
Broadband: Ave et Vale …
For a Ciceronic reply , see Gilbert and George #26
I can’t tell from ‘Face Book’ …
Many of ephblog’s finest minds applied themselves to the question of ‘Exceptional Kids’ and the make-up of the Williams student body including David Kane. PTC, hwc, rory, larry george, ronit, current eph, and parent ‘12.
The discussions, lists, percentages, charges, counter charges and complete denials went on for eighty- plus comments. Obviously a subject of interest!
And so I turn to this creme of commentary to help me with an answer to my query.
Years ago when I was on campus many dogs were in evidence at classes and athletic events. Many were named ‘Nads’ as in “Go N….”.
Without regard to cats who seem to thrive regardless of educational experience, what percentage of Williams students/customers are canine? And what is that trend?
I recognize that ‘canines’ is non-descriptive of the many ethnic variety catagories of dogs available for statistical measurement: German shephards, Black labs, Chihuahuas, Shiatsus, Old English sheep dogs (probably the bulk of legacies), French poodles (standard through toy and miniature) and, of particular interest today, the Alaskan husky.
Certainly with this august group of numerators and denominators, my questions are readily subject to analysis, but probably need to be multiplied by seven.
Gilbert and George view the debate …
(a heartbeat away?) Good Golly, Miss Molly!
I’ll give you ‘Male Fantasy’ indeed! From the desk of an outraged Rechtal Turgidley, Jr …
I am outraged that in all the in-depth discussion over a Williams distaff member of the press and her photo in Vanity Fair, not one word has been spoken about the obvious exploitation of Vanity Fair columnist and member of the class of 1949, Dominick Dunne.
Certainly the ‘bedroom eyes and come-hither look’ so flagrantly manipulated for purposes to base to be mentioned, are worthy of the indignation of ephblog readers. And appearing in shirt sleeves in the Whittlesley Room of the Williams Club. Shame! Shame!
As the new president of this organization, I had planned to write a thoughtful President’s Letter in a few weeks, but I am so upset by this exploitation of a revered member of the great class of 1949 that I have no choice but to protest.
Sincerely,
Rechtal Turgidley, Jr
President of Ephblog
Quark Island, Maine
My faith in Freedonia’s finances fails to falter because …
help is on the way!
(Duck Soup 1933. The last of the five pix for Paramount before going to MGM. Groucho is Rufus T Firefly, Contains the mirror scene with Harpo. “Help is on the way” is another famous scene. These notes since no reader seems to over 40 except for Frank, Henry and me)
In re discussions below: Nipper listens to ephblog
but it was so much easier in analog.
Re: Politics - “ain’t nothin’ more powerful …
… than the odor of mendacity…You can smell it. It smells like death”.
(Screen shot from Tennessee Williams’ ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ 1958. Burl Ives and Paul Newman.)
Close readers will see I have changed the head on this post from ‘1st debate’ to ‘politics’, a more general, if fish (not Stanley) -in-a-barrel truism. My motivation was to connect this classic scene and one of Williams (Tennessee, not Ephriam’s) best quotes and a memorable young Newman role to the current scene to emphasize their timelessness. Nor can Burl Ives as Big Daddy be seen as anything other than monumental.
