First Blog

Alfred Lord Tennyson  (1809-1892) was a renowned English poet often hailed as the Victorian era's preeminent representative. Born in Lincolnshire, England, Tennyson displayed his poetic talent from an early age, composing his first verses as a teenager. He attended Trinity College, Cambridge, where he solidified his literary aspirations and formed lifelong friendships with fellow poets like Arthur Hallam. Tennyson's career was marked by a sense of romanticism blended with a keen interest in social and scientific developments of his time. His early poetry collection, "Poems Chiefly Lyrical" (1830), caught the attention of literary circles, while "In Memoriam" (1850), a tribute to his deceased friend Hallam, showcased his mastery of elegiac verse. In 1859, Tennyson published "Idylls of the King," a series of narrative poems that reimagined the Arthurian legends in a Victorian context. Queen Victoria's admiration for his work led to his appointmen

  A few quotes from outstanding women are good for women and are great for everyone.  "You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for his own improvement..." --- Marie Curie "Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love." --- Jane Austin "Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness." --- Anne Frank  "I believe that the most important single thing, beyond discipline and creativity, is daring to dare." --- Maya Angelou quotes "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." --- Maya Angelou "I know of no single formula for success. ..." --- Queen Elizabeth "I beg you take courage; the brave soul can mend even disaster. ..." --- Catherine the Great "Women, like men, should try to do the impossible. .."  Amelia Earhart "Never

On Quotes Making a quote is a combination of the economy of just the right words and subject.   “A stitch in time saves nine,” is a classic for brevity, accuracy, and memorability.   Another is, “You will never win if you don’t begin” by Helen Rowland.   From Confucius we are instructed, “ Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” But is it really?   “To the victor go the spoils,” is so famous with so many variations, its original author has been forgotten*. Often quotes have a vague tone allowing for multiple interpretations, at least one resonating with the reader. Many are optimistic while others are cautionary.   Some of the favorites are “end-of-the-day” types where it seems life is speaking to you from afar. Below are a few variations on the same theme of the sweet life not being what it seemed .   You believe you’ve found the sweet spot of living only to find it candy-coated misery. Just when you’ve found the sweet spot, you discover it’s

Dangerous Quotes – the talking points of our world. Many if not most Americans are moved by quotes, in fact simple quotes.   Here are three that may resonate. What’s good for General Motors is good for the country. Power to the people. In God’s name … (fill it in) Today we consider a quote from Cervantes’ Don Quixote . “ When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? Perhaps to be too practical is madness. To surrender dreams — this may be madness. Too much sanity may be madness — and maddest of all: to see life as it is, and not as it should be!”   Persuasive? Yes.   Articulate? Yes. Simple? Yes. Accurate?   Well, maybe but…   It is completely open ended, without any indication of what “should be”   should be.   It leaves to the reader the full imagination of possible worlds that could be.   It is attractive to a spectrum of opinion.   The most ardent Nazi and most dedicated Communist can both rally around. This is one problem today in the USA and

Humor is a near unique aspect of humans that leaves untouched just about every endeavor, every aspiration, and every desperation we have.   Not the least of these is aging.   While in Part I of this note on aging we reflected on the majesty and melancholy of aging, here we look at the humor.   Most speak to some aspect of youth when viewed from the lens of age.   Each speaks for itself, comments are not needed.    There are hundreds of published quotes online and in print.   Selected here are some of the very funny ones from notable people - all current graduates of that select club.         The older I get, the better I was. - Henry Louis Mencken     Do not regret growing old; many are denied the privilege. - Ogden Nash     Forty is the old age of youth; fifty is the youth of old age. - Victor Hugo       It's paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn't appeal to anyone. - Andy Rooney     You don't st

I am what I am. I work out, I travel, I write, I teach and research, do a lot of computing, and importantly I continually plan for the future.  But for many, many years I do recall thinking about aging, its processes, and watching others age. Aging has been on my mind; I guess it’s always been on my mind. A good question is “How do we age?” How about bitterly, regretfully, remorsefully, disgustingly, gracefully, joyfully, disappointingly, philosophically, or wisely? Millions upon millions, blessed with the arrival of old age, have penned their thoughts, their ideas, and their wisdom upon aging. In this note we take up sayings and aphorisms on growing old from many luminaries past and present, then add commentaries. There are numerous categories about aging. They range across (a) Physical aspects (conditioning and fitness, aches and pains, activity), (b) Mental aspects (memory, intelligence, interests, sense of humor), (c) Financial (costs), (d) Death (preparation, last will), and R