tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8132006187429968452011-12-11T11:33:58.540-08:00<b>Here are my observations of the world around us. <p>My Goal: Too much prejudice in this world - and not just racial. Religious and especially political prejudice is more prevalent and more harmful. The blogosphere has added to that and I want to subtract from it.</p> <p>Here's some of my life and the things I'm interested in. You can find more info in my Permanent File. Click on the Categories under Blog Index to the Right.</p></b>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.comBlogger7971100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-38291839999785004042011-12-10T11:33:00.000-08:002011-12-11T11:33:58.547-08:00<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Au0Qb3-1Zko/TuUFb8Pf_xI/AAAAAAAABM4/PNTUQWhCs8Y/s1600/IMAG0083-782587.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Au0Qb3-1Zko/TuUFb8Pf_xI/AAAAAAAABM4/PNTUQWhCs8Y/s320/IMAG0083-782587.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5684956082210864914" /></a></p><p>This is a group from the Campbell High School Key Club.  This is part of Kiwanis.  We did this at the Walmart.<br> </p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-3829183999978500404?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-79910592690738289872011-11-27T13:39:00.001-08:002011-11-27T13:39:53.589-08:00<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-McxirNRhUfw/TtKuKsZ-AxI/AAAAAAAABMs/6xKc9_X4oJA/s1600/IMAG0069-793589.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-McxirNRhUfw/TtKuKsZ-AxI/AAAAAAAABMs/6xKc9_X4oJA/s320/IMAG0069-793589.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679793578809623314" /></a></p><p>I took a photo of my friend, Hank Harvey for his LI profile today.</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-7991059269073828987?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-84694356372852719902011-11-23T16:45:00.001-08:002011-11-23T16:45:28.245-08:00<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dIDQmbavCdU/Ts2TqORrgOI/AAAAAAAABMU/L3_BRzzXw9U/s1600/IMAG0063-728245.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dIDQmbavCdU/Ts2TqORrgOI/AAAAAAAABMU/L3_BRzzXw9U/s320/IMAG0063-728245.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678357058780102882" /></a></p><p>Kathy and I attended the Smyrna breakfast for the day before Thanksgiving this morning.  Food was good.  Cancer survivor spoke.  Puts perspective in thankfulness.</p> <p>That&#39;s Charles Lawless from the Kiwanis in the forground of the picture.</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-8469435637285271990?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-49565750116629419932011-11-22T16:31:00.000-08:002011-11-23T16:36:37.393-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R1nvqJHkO2I/Ts2QJ_tBUFI/AAAAAAAABMI/a25bFapYPTE/s1600/Thanksgiving.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R1nvqJHkO2I/Ts2QJ_tBUFI/AAAAAAAABMI/a25bFapYPTE/s400/Thanksgiving.gif" /></a></div><br />Holidays are also a special time for me. It seems that a humdrum time has been broken and something new and imaginative is here.<br /><br />Thanksgiving reminds me of those pilgrims in those early days. It must have been very rough but also new and exciting, too.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-4956575011662941993?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-43009717847957962852011-11-21T06:11:00.000-08:002011-11-22T07:58:50.002-08:00Have you seen my blog on classic literature lately? It gives a small exerpt from a classic each day for busy people. Current selections from <br /><br /><ul><li>Thousand and One Nights from the Middle East. Currently, we are reading The Story of the Enchanted Youth <li>The Illiad, by Homer<br /><li>The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas<br /><li>Innocents Abroad, by Mark Twain<br /><li>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum<br /><li>Romance of the Three Kingdoms, from China <li>Lays of Ancient Rome, by Macaulay. </ul><br />I've had a lot of fun putting this blog together.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-4300971784795796285?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-57962792023826029192011-11-20T09:33:00.001-08:002011-11-20T11:27:24.750-08:00<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V02hAzBNz0I/Tsk568r7-dI/AAAAAAAABLw/r9voKPp201I/s1600/IMAG0061-710541.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V02hAzBNz0I/Tsk568r7-dI/AAAAAAAABLw/r9voKPp201I/s320/IMAG0061-710541.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677132490162829778" /></a></p><p>This is the front of the church that we go to.  And yes, the weather is overcast today in Atlanta.</p><p>The name of the church is Life Church Smyrna Assembly of God.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-5796279202382602919?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-29489194798223283782011-11-19T21:26:00.001-08:002011-11-20T11:28:01.174-08:00<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GA-r7RpxIL8/TsiPfP9a5lI/AAAAAAAABLg/Ft5Rphu4FD0/s1600/IMAG0060-779389.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GA-r7RpxIL8/TsiPfP9a5lI/AAAAAAAABLg/Ft5Rphu4FD0/s320/IMAG0060-779389.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676945097323374162" /></a></p><p>This is Dr. Chatham, the instructor.  We studied the Hebrew prophets.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-2948919479822328378?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-54569003470374600912011-09-28T17:10:00.000-07:002011-11-24T12:46:33.093-08:00<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AUyRMZHwQYg/Ts2Zn784M4I/AAAAAAAABMg/Xg18Sg39wyk/s1600/IMAG0006-755034.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AUyRMZHwQYg/Ts2Zn784M4I/AAAAAAAABMg/Xg18Sg39wyk/s320/IMAG0006-755034.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678363616571044738" /></a></p><p>Here are Sue Hampton, President of the Smyrna Kiwanis, Julius Pryor, and myself.  I had arranged for Julius to speak to them.  It was an inspirational talk.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-5456900347037460091?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-37861857460498970382011-09-27T06:37:00.001-07:002011-11-20T11:26:39.465-08:00How about going to see Julius Pryor at the Smyrna Kiwanis tomorrow (Wednesday) at 11:30 am? He spoke at the Roswell United Methodist Church Job Networking Ministry last month. I was impressed. <br /><br />Price: free.<br />Place: <a href="http://www.smyrnacity.com/index.aspx?page=470">Smyrna Community Center</a>, located at 200 Village Green Circle<br /><br /><br />He speaks from his experience as a VP of Coca Cola and a former naval captain on achieving excellence in your life and in your career.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-3786185746049897038?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-62139158428520349182011-09-18T20:07:00.001-07:002011-11-20T11:29:04.509-08:00<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lLvX7mhjFU4/Tnax5WK3asI/AAAAAAAABLA/U9G10iTdbsg/s1600/IMAG0001-736821.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lLvX7mhjFU4/Tnax5WK3asI/AAAAAAAABLA/U9G10iTdbsg/s320/IMAG0001-736821.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653901980972051138" /></a></p><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><p>I'm experimenting with my cell phone. This was posted from it.<br />The picture is from a civic event in Smyrna last month. This is Ron Long from our church who helped Kathy and move into our new house.</p></td></tr></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-6213915842852034918?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-31924977632976565922011-09-15T09:45:00.000-07:002011-09-15T09:45:47.680-07:00I've discovered the joys and challenges of Linked In. It is the social media site for professional activities. Here is my link:<br />http://www.linkedin.com/in/jacklemoine<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-3192497763297656592?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-5192428444036865622011-03-20T17:15:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.753-07:00In today’s blogs, <br /><br /><a href="http://historymoment.blogspot.com/">History Moments</a>: About Lord Randolph's famous Chips speech.<br /><br /><a href="http://cpafinance.blogspot.com/">Masters of Finance</a>: Napoleon Hill's story about the importance of teamwork and short, achievable goals.<br /><br /><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a>: The fisherman outwits the genie in a passage from 1,0001 Nights.<br /><br /><a href="http://poljournal.blogspot.com/">Political Journal</a>: Is the Arab League going to withdraw it's support for the Libya attack?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-519242844403686562?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-37878653797367101252011-03-19T19:10:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.753-07:00Really bad cold today. Had to miss state championship. Stayed in bed all day.<br /><br />TV Show I've been watching: Alfred Hichkock Presents, Season 4. I especially liked the Dick York episode where he got even with a crooked bank official by fake robbing it all the time. That is to say, he did rob it but only the official knew and the official got the blame.<br /><br />Book I've been reading: <br /><br />In today’s blogs, <br /><br /><a href="http://historymoment.blogspot.com/">History Moments</a>: A joke about FDR's fireside chats.<br /><br /><a href="http://cpafinance.blogspot.com/">Masters of Finance</a>: I give my philosophy about that blog.<br /><br /><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a>: Hail the Conquering Heros! - a passage from Lays of Ancient Rome.<br /><br /><a href="http://poljournal.blogspot.com/">Political Journal</a>: Who are the Libyan rebels? Does anyone know?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-3787865379736710125?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-10001880287993805342011-03-17T22:16:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.754-07:00Had fun this week helping kids prepare for the state chess championship tournament this Saturday.<br /><br />TV Show I've been watching: season 4 of that old Alfred Hitchcock Presents.<br /><br />In today’s blogs, <br /><br /><a href="http://historymoment.blogspot.com/">History Moments</a>: Muslims invade France; stopped in battle before Tours, 732.<br /><br /><a href="http://cpafinance.blogspot.com/">Masters of Finance</a>: Article on national debt; House Budget Chairman on.<br /><br /><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a>: our heroes see the Hans loosing a large battle in distance in a passage from Romance of the Three Kingdoms.<br /><br /><a href="http://poljournal.blogspot.com/">Political Journal</a>: Who said, "It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn’t give it up because by that time I was too famous."<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-1000188028799380534?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-59087878627901014912011-03-16T22:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.754-07:00<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="440" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WlqavRs6ffw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Movie I've been watching: Robert De Niro in Once Upon a Time in America. Way too much sex; too little romance.<br /><br />In today’s blogs, <br /><br /><a href="http://historymoment.blogspot.com/">History Moments</a>: A day in Scandinavia, circa 1700.<br /><br /><a href="http://cpafinance.blogspot.com/">Masters of Finance</a>: Dave Ramsay advises to make a budget monthly as that keeps it real.<br /><br /><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a>: Scarecrow stumbles over some yellow bricks in his trip with Dorothy.<br /><br /><a href="http://poljournal.blogspot.com/">Political Journal</a>: Fact File on Libya.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-5908787862790101491?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-15077528493019686802011-03-15T22:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.754-07:00In today’s blogs, <br /><br /><a href="http://historymoment.blogspot.com/">History Moments</a>: Durant visits Babylon and wonders where all the splendor went.<br /><br /><a href="http://cpafinance.blogspot.com/">Masters of Finance</a>: What are the basics of "3 Step Forcasting"?<br /><br /><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a>: Mark Twain warns against making youths keep journals, "a most malignant punishment".<br /><br /><a href="http://poljournal.blogspot.com/">Political Journal</a>: Regarding FDR's fireside chats, public attention ain't what it used to be.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-1507752849301968680?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-19791404872741149432011-03-15T18:52:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.754-07:00Spent the morning with Kathy; shee needed a blood test.<br /><br />TV Show I've been watching: Alias: Final episode of season 3.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&npa=1&bg1=F1F0E0&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=jalemosbl-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=tf_til&asins=0470569646" style="width:120px;height:240px;float:left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>Book I've been reading: Mari Smith's Facebook Marketing: An Hour a Day.<br /><br />In today’s blogs, <br /><br /><a href="http://historymoment.blogspot.com/">History Moments</a>: Part 1 of one of the great heists of history. Egypt's Pharaoh and his room like Fort Knox. <br /><br /><a href="http://cpafinance.blogspot.com/">Masters of Finance</a>: Benchley should not have become a successful writer but he did anyway.<br /><br /><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a>: a passage from where the lama laments Kim's absence.<br /><br /><a href="http://poljournal.blogspot.com/">Political Journal</a>: The House Budget Chairman's Sunday interview on the National Debt.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-1979140487274114943?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-86602056428587067962011-03-14T07:57:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.755-07:00I'm going to watch <a href="http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mari+smith+facebook&suggested_categories=26%2C22%2C27%2C25&page=1">Mari Smith's video</a> on the new facebook changes this morning. <br /><br />In today’s blogs, <br /><br /><a href="http://historymoment.blogspot.com/">History Moments</a>: Robert Benchley on his writing career.<br /><br /><a href="http://cpafinance.blogspot.com/">Masters of Finance</a>: Rich Dad guy and The Donald advise to invest in stuff you know about and are interested in. <br /><br /><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a>: a passage from Agamemnon tells the Greek elders about his dream. They're assembled on the dock before King Nestor's ship.<br /><br /><a href="http://poljournal.blogspot.com/">Political Journal</a>: Police Union threatens businesses in Wisconsin.<br /><br /><a href="http://wduscf.blogspot.com/">Chess Politics</a>: Even more Polgar lawsuit stuff at the USCF's forums. Will this ever end?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-8660205642858706796?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-40738413664485881972011-03-13T19:30:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.755-07:00Chess tournament training session this afternoon. How many of the 9 ways to draw a chess game can you name?<br /><br />TV Show I've been watching: Alias, Sn 3; Disk 5. Both Michael's wife and his mother-in-law are in the Covenant.<br /><br />Book I've been reading: Twitter Power 2.0 by Joel Comm. My favs: Chapter on how to write great tweets. Chapter on 30 day twitter plan.<br /><br />In today’s blogs, <br /><br /><a href="http://historymoment.blogspot.com/">History Moments</a>: Disraeli wondered, what to do about Ireland?<br /><br /><a href="http://cpafinance.blogspot.com/">Masters of Finance</a>: Napoleon Hill says to be ruthless in cutting off relations with minds not in harmony with your's.<br /><br /><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a>: a passage from the fisherman pleads with genie for his life.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sq42EZZM7S4/TXxYKmB-kzI/AAAAAAAABIU/A0ue7tCSPnU/s1600/Joe%2BDendy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sq42EZZM7S4/TXxYKmB-kzI/AAAAAAAABIU/A0ue7tCSPnU/s320/Joe%2BDendy.jpg" /></a></div><br /><a href="http://poljournal.blogspot.com/">Political Journal</a>: I meet Joe Dendy who's just elected Cobb County GOP chairman.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-4073841366448588197?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-62592854392173720312011-03-12T03:39:00.000-08:002011-08-04T10:27:46.755-07:00Went to political meet and greet last night. Had great time. Met Trish Pridemore and husband. Lots of food and got acquainted with some of the political types in the area.<br /><br />In today’s blogs, <br /><br /><a href="http://historymoment.blogspot.com/">History Moments</a>: What did Will Rogers say to Calvin Coolidge that cracked "old stone face" and made it laugh?<br /><br /><a href="http://cpafinance.blogspot.com/">Masters of Finance</a>: I review Blogging Away Debt.<br /><br /><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a>: a passage from Lays of Ancient Rome by Macaulay.<br /><br /><a href="http://poljournal.blogspot.com/">Political Journal</a>: about Trish Pridemore, candidate for Georgia State GOP Chairman.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-6259285439217372031?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-50555137631236075262011-03-11T08:36:00.000-08:002011-08-04T10:27:46.755-07:00Going to see Patricia Pridemore tonight. She's running for state chair of the Republican Party. County GOP convention is tomorrow. I plan on going.<br /><br />TV Show I've been watching: Alias. After the episode of the big reveal of Sidney's missing 2 years, the series seems to be falling apart. Why is Vaughn's wife acting as both a Covenant spy inside the CIA and an outside operative, too? No wonder she evenually will get caught!<br /><br />Book I've been reading: got inspired by Ramsay's Total Money Makeover. Been reading it for my Finance Blog.<br /><br />In today’s blogs, <br /><br /><a href="http://historymoment.blogspot.com/">History Moments</a>: Barbarians invade Rome; Franks get France (eventually).<br /><br /><a href="http://cpafinance.blogspot.com/">Masters of Finance</a>: the advantages of moving your company server "in the clouds".<br /><br /><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a>: Xuande wins his battle but gets a surprise in a passage from Romance of the 3 Kingdoms.<br /><br /><a href="http://poljournal.blogspot.com/">Political Journal</a>: Be polite, says the Iron Chancellor.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-5055513763123607526?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-12538929089402250282011-03-10T20:27:00.000-08:002011-08-04T10:27:46.756-07:00In today’s blogs, <br /><br /><a href="http://historymoment.blogspot.com/">History Moments</a>: Council of Trent adjourns and the Counter-Reformation begins.<br /><br /><a href="http://cpafinance.blogspot.com/">Masters of Finance</a>: David Ramsay versus Donald Trump and the Rich Dad. <br /><br /><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a>: Scarecrow's scared of fire in The Wizard of Oz.<br /><br /><a href="http://poljournal.blogspot.com/">Political Journal</a>: Why Defunding PBS Matters.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-1253892908940225028?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-8145079453363291902011-03-09T14:49:00.000-08:002011-08-04T10:27:46.756-07:00Big rain in Atlanta today. Lots of thunder and lightning.<br /><br />TV Show I've been watching: Jennifer Garner in Alias.<br /><br />Book I've been reading: Still on David Hackett Fischer's Champlain. Up to Henry IV chapter. Just finished the St. Bartholemew's Day Massacre.<br /><br />In today’s blogs, <br /><br /><a href="http://historymoment.blogspot.com/">History Moments</a>: Durant visits the pyramids. <br /><br /><a href="http://cpafinance.blogspot.com/">Masters of Finance</a>: We CPA's love Quickbooks. Why?<br /><br /><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a>: Mark Twain’s talking up journaling with passengers.<br /><br /><a href="http://poljournal.blogspot.com/">Political Journal</a>: Obama explains latest policy change on Gitmo. The devil made me do it - or the Republicans. Same thing. No, he didn't say that; the Washington Post's doing it for him.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-814507945336329190?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-68238044899974580642011-03-08T10:27:00.000-08:002011-08-04T10:27:46.756-07:00Caught up on some sleep last night. <br /><br />TV Show I've been watching: Alias, Season 3. I'm at the episodes with all those dream sequences.<br /><br />Book I've been reading: been doing research on the Franks and Charlemagne for my history blog.<br /><br />In today’s blogs, <br /><br /><a href="http://historymoment.blogspot.com/">History Moments</a>: Herodotus analyzes Helen of Troy's story.<br /><br /><a href="http://cpafinance.blogspot.com/">Masters of Finance</a>: Bismarks quote on civility.<br /><br /><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a>: a passage from Kim by Rudyard Kipling.<br /><br /><a href="http://poljournal.blogspot.com/">Political Journal</a>: Obama's re-election chances, the good and bad.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-6823804489997458064?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-47116046232316027852011-03-07T04:23:00.000-08:002011-08-04T10:27:46.756-07:00Meant to telephone relatives last night. Got home from church, tired. Watched a little tv and went to bed.<br /><br />TV Show I've been watching: A-Team, the episode with Robert Vaughn, Nancy Kwan. RV actually got some screen time this time, NK not so much.<br /><br />Book I've been reading: audio of Champlain<br /><br />In today’s blogs, <br /><br /><a href="http://historymoment.blogspot.com/">History Moments</a>: Bismark on politeness.<br /><br /><a href="http://cpafinance.blogspot.com/">Masters of Finance</a>: Donald Trump on the importance of history.<br /><br /><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a>: a passage from from the Illiad where Agamemnon sent the criers round to call the people in assembly.<br /><br /><a href="http://poljournal.blogspot.com/">Political Journal</a>: Are the hearings on Muslim radicalization bad?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-4711604623231602785?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-91497546847441653132011-03-06T11:49:00.000-08:002011-08-04T10:27:46.757-07:00Took Kathy out to McDonalds this morning. She's working at Sams Club. Will pick her up and go to church tonight.<br /><br />TV Show I've been watching: Watched Lois and Clark, an oldy Superman series from about 10 years ago.<br /><br />Book I've been reading: Bob Hope's book about the Presidents he has known (11 of them!)<br /><br />In today’s blogs, <br /><br />History Moments: It is 1880, the elections are over and you conservatives have lost again. <a href="http://historymoment.blogspot.com/2011/03/fourth-party.html">What next</a>?<br /><br />Masters of Finance: Napoleon Hill advises to ally with other people. <a href="http://cpafinance.blogspot.com/2011/03/ally-with-other-people.html">More<br /></a><br /><br />Literature Daily: <a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/2011/03/thousand-and-one-nights-32.html">a passage from 1,001 Nights</a> where the genie tells the fisherman that he must kill him because he has set him free.<br /><br />Political Journal: Obama once derided G.W. Bush's views on democracy in the Middle East; now events are imposing those views on him. <a href="http://poljournal.blogspot.com/2011/03/from-baghdad-to-benghazi.html">More</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-9149754684744165313?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-69450377343447529912011-03-03T07:43:00.000-08:002011-08-04T10:27:46.757-07:00Talked to Kathy about finances (sigh!)<br /><br />TV Show I've been watching: Got the latest netflix disk - Alias, season 3.<br /><br />In today’s blogs, <br /><br /><a href="http://historymoment.blogspot.com/">History Moments</a>: The March History Carnival is up. What's been going on last month in history blogs?<br /><br /><a href="http://cpafinance.blogspot.com/">Masters of Finance</a>: Status symbols is a real problem for people today.<br /><br /><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a>: a passage from The Wizard of Oz. Scarecrow decides to ask Oz for some brains.<br /><br /><a href="http://poljournal.blogspot.com/">Political Journal</a>: Is Obama really going to send troops to Libya?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-6945037734344752991?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-45301603974837203412011-03-02T06:25:00.000-08:002011-08-04T10:27:46.757-07:00Got to pay bills and make a sales call today. Been working on my blogs. Like that Durant series I started on the History Blog.<br /><br />TV Show I've been watching: Xena, from season 2.<br /><br />Book I've been reading: Durant's History of Civilization, vol 1 for the blog (see above).<br /><br />In today’s blogs, <br /><br /><a href="http://historymoment.blogspot.com/">History Moments</a>: Who started the first civilization in the Middle East?<br /><br /><a href="http://cpafinance.blogspot.com/">Masters of Finance</a>: How do you tell a slope of a line in a graph - and why is that important?<br /><br /><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a>: a passage from Mark Twain about journals (like blogs) and the trouble of keeping them up.<br /><br /><a href="http://poljournal.blogspot.com/">Political Journal</a>: How insecure is Quaddafi if Libya is having a Civil War?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-4530160397483720341?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-43632846953154108552011-03-01T06:37:00.000-08:002011-08-04T10:27:46.757-07:00Taking Kathy out shopping today, then to library.<br /><br />TV Show I've been watching: Happy Days<br /><br />Book I've been reading: Re-acquainting myself with Durants "Our Oriental Heritage" for the History Blog.<br /><br />In today’s blogs, <br /><br /><a href="http://historymoment.blogspot.com/">History Moments</a>: Menelaos leaves Egypt one step ahead of the mob - Herodotus.<br /><br /><a href="http://cpafinance.blogspot.com/">Masters of Finance</a>: Robert Louis Stevenson, fortune hunter.<br /><br /><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a>: Kim delivers the goods.<br /><br /><a href="http://poljournal.blogspot.com/">Political Journal</a>: Middle East Round Up, country by country from NYT.<br /><br /><a href="http://wduscf.blogspot.com/">Chess Politics</a>: candidate Allen Priest for USCF's Executive Board comments on the financial issues.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-4363284695315410855?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-67895317557737182642011-02-28T08:08:00.000-08:002011-08-04T10:27:46.758-07:00Last day to send in W-2's to SSA. Been busy jump-starting my blogs.<br /><br />TV Show I've been watching: Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Season 4.<br /><br />Book I've been reading: Paul Johnson's History of the American People.<br /><br />In today’s blogs, <br /><br /><a href="http://historymoment.blogspot.com/">History Moments</a>: Robert Louis Stevenson has something to say.<br /><br /><a href="http://cpafinance.blogspot.com/">Masters of Finance</a>: What do Trump and Kiyosaki mean of "Financial IQ"?<br /><br /><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a>: a passage from the Illiad.<br /><br /><a href="http://poljournal.blogspot.com/">Political Journal</a>: how does the behavior of and towards the protestors compare - Wisconsin vs. Tea Party, that is.<br /><br /><a href="http://wduscf.blogspot.com/">Chess Politics</a>: Gary Walters' thread descends into drivel. (Sigh!)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-6789531755773718264?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-4954558074851946092011-02-28T04:28:00.000-08:002011-08-04T10:27:46.758-07:00I'm thinking of moving this blog to Wordpress as the blogger features on this blog have developed too many bugs.  Also, the format has been too limited for my taste. I'll leave the rest of the blogs where they are. Source: Jack Le Moine's Blog Source: Jack Le Moine's Blog <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/BXua-dtfEUviE2RrFdZKKjCPm2I/0/da" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/BXua-dtfEUviE2RrFdZKKjCPm2I/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/BXua-dtfEUviE2RrFdZKKjCPm2I/1/da" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/BXua-dtfEUviE2RrFdZKKjCPm2I/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/JackLeMoinesBlog/~4/4bRw6KMB3HE" height="1" width="1" /><p>Source: <a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JackLeMoinesBlog/~3/4bRw6KMB3HE/checking-out-new-features_3836.html" rel="nofollow">Jack Le Moine's Blog</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-495455807485194609?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-73176023128460415022011-02-27T08:30:00.000-08:002011-08-04T10:27:46.758-07:00Going to get back to blogging again. It is easy to get distracted/discouraged. (Thanks for the encouragement, Vicky!*)<br /><br />Here’s what’s been going on. I’ve got back together with Hank Harvey, CPA. If folks out there need accounting or tax services, give him a call. 770-439-557. <br /><br />Also I’ve got back together with Kid Chess.<br /><br />In today’s blogs, <br /><br /><a href="http://historymoment.blogspot.com/">History Moments</a>: there’s my latest in the Churchill’s World, the book that I am writing. This is a short summary of a passage from it about his parents getting married.<br /><br /><a href="http://cpafinance.blogspot.com/">Masters of Finance</a>: Opportunities are everywhere from Napoleon Hill. I suppose, but sometimes they’re hard to see and exploit.<br /><br /><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a>: a passage from 1001 Nights, where a bad genie out tells his story before intending to kill the man who let him out of his bottle.<br /><br /><a href="http://poljournal.blogspot.com/">Political Journal</a>: an interesting piece in today’s Washington Post – how left wing is the academic establishment?<br /><br />And finally, <a href="http://wduscf.blogspot.com/">Chess</a>: where I rant about the latest foolishness in the USCF elections.<br /><br /><hr><br />* <i>Personal message: I would like to call Paul. It’s been years. Will you please e-mail me his phone #? Thanks!<br /></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-7317602312846041502?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-38595980649970202542010-06-30T03:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.758-07:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/S65ZLDrHydI/AAAAAAAABEI/BP92cceQ5dY/s1600/WayneDyerByPhilKonstantin.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 192px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453394245291854290" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/S65ZLDrHydI/AAAAAAAABEI/BP92cceQ5dY/s200/WayneDyerByPhilKonstantin.jpg" /></a><br />Critics hang around and wait for others to make mistakes. But the real doers of the world have no time for criticizing others. They're too busy doing, making mistakes, improving, making progress.<br /><br />- Wayne Dyer<br /><br /><a href="http://www.drwaynedyer.com/">More about Wayne Dyer</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-3859598064997020254?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-52825351814490908352010-06-26T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.759-07:00<center>Horatius at the Bridge<br />by Thomas B. Macaulay</center><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxbZag0oKRI/AAAAAAAAA0M/Au1hFkAcTVk/s1600-h/Horatius.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 138px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410751051842726162" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxbZag0oKRI/AAAAAAAAA0M/Au1hFkAcTVk/s200/Horatius.jpg" /></a> LVIX<br /><br /> "Oh, Tiber! Father Tiber!<br /> To whom the Romans pray,<br /> A Roman's life, a Roman's arms,<br /> Take thou in charge this day!"<br /> So he spake, and speaking sheathed<br /> The good sword by his side,<br /> And with his harness on his back,<br /> Plunged headlong in the tide.<br /><br /> LX<br /><br /> No sound of joy or sorrow<br /> Was heard from either bank;<br /> But friends and foes in dumb surprise,<br /> With parted lips and straining eyes,<br /> Stood gazing where he sank;<br /> And when above the surges,<br /> They saw his crest appear,<br /> All Rome sent forth a rapturous cry,<br /> And even the ranks of Tuscany<br /> Could scarce forbear to cheer.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from the great Arab book <em>Thousand and One Nights</em>.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />This poem celebrates one of the great heroic legends of history. Horatius saves Rome from the Etruscan invaders in 642 BC. Scottish poet Macaulay published this in 1842.<br /><br /><strong>Illustration:</strong> Horatius at the Bridge from the first edition.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/2009/12/lays-of-ancient-rome.html">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-5282535181449090835?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-57628555672126353082010-06-25T03:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.759-07:00<span style="font-size:180%;">Get ready to play in a chess tournament this weekend.</span><br /><br />Here's a little video to help you get your engine started. (-or to just learn a little more about the game.)<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/roz1YeJjvUY&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/roz1YeJjvUY&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://main.uschess.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&amp;Itemid=199"><em>Chess events in your area</em></a><em> . . . </em>and visit <a href="http://www.thechesswebsite.com/">The Chess Website</a> who created these wonderful videos.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-5762855567212635308?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-61805980491090503832010-06-25T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.759-07:00<center>Romance of the Three Kingdoms<br />by Luo Guanzhong</center><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxxkOgYU2_I/AAAAAAAAA0U/fxlFPFn9r78/s1600-h/China+3+Kingdoms.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 314px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412311052565404658" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxxkOgYU2_I/AAAAAAAAA0U/fxlFPFn9r78/s320/China+3+Kingdoms.jpg" /></a>21 At the time, Zhang Jue's bandit rebel forces numbered one hundred fifty thousand, while Zhi's forces numbered fifty thousand. They were battling it out in Guangzong, still with no clear victor. Zhi discussed the matter with Xuande, saying, "We have the enemy surrounded here, but the two younger brothers Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao are both in Yingchuan, camped out opposite the forces of Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun. You could take your main force, augmented with an extra thousand of my government troops, and advance towards Yingchuan. Once you find out what is going on down there, you could set a date to surround and capture the enemy." Xuande accepted the mission, and marched his troops night and day toward Yingchuan. When they arrived, they found Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun locked in battle against the bandit rebels. The battle was not going well for the bandit rebels, and they had retreated to Changshe, where they had to rely on straw for setting up camp. Song and Jun began to scheme, saying, "The bandit rebels are relying on straw for setting up camp, we should use fire to attack them." They immediately ordered their soldiers to each grab a bundle of straw, and then sneak up on the enemy and ambush them. That night, strong winds began to blow. After the second watch, they all lit their fires in unison. Song and Jun each led a unit of soldiers in an attack. The flames from the bandit rebel stronghold rose high into the sky, and the bandit rebels began to panic. They didn't even take the time to saddle their horses, or don their armor; they just scattered in all four directions. The killing lasted until daybreak, at which time Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao snuck out their surviving forces on whatever escape routes they could find.<br /><br />22 <br />Cao Cao Suddenly, they saw a bunch of soldiers on horseback, all of them with red banners. When they arrived, they completely blocked the road. At the head was their leader; his height was seven chi, and he had narrow eyes, with a long beard. His official title was Captain of the Cavalry; he was from Qiao Commandery in the Kingdom of Pei. His surname was Cao, his given name was Cao, and his style name was Mengde. Cao's father was Cao Song, whose original surname was Xiahou; because he was the adopted son of Cao Teng, the emperor's personal secretary, he assumed the surname of Cao. Cao Song's son was Cao, whose childhood name was Aman; his other childhood name was Jili. When Cao was little, he liked to go out hunting, and enjoyed singing and dancing; he had tenacity, and was extremely cunning. Cao had an uncle who observed that Cao did not apply himself at all. The uncle was angry at the boy, so he mentioned it to Cao Song. As Song was scolding Cao, Cao suddenly hatched a plan: later on, he saw his uncle coming, and pretended to collapse onto the ground, as if he had suffered a stroke. When his uncle frantically told Song what had happened, Song hurried over to see what was wrong with the boy, but found Cao in perfect health. Song said, "Your uncle said that you had suffered a stroke, are you all better now?" Cao replied, "I never had that illness in the first place; it's because uncle doesn't love me anymore that he lied about me." Song believed the boy's story. Afterwards, even though his uncle would report that Cao had misbehaved, Song would not even listen. Because of this, Cao was able to do whatever he wanted without a care in the world.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>Lays of Ancient Rome</em> by Macaulay.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Story</strong></center><br /><br />This is one of four great novels from China, published when it was the most highly civilization in the world. Map shows China at the time of this story.<br /><br /><strong>Chapter Summary</strong>: Three brave men swear an oath of allegiance at the feast in the peach gardens; our heroes' first achievement is the vanquishing of the Yellow Turbans.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/3%20Kingdoms">More of This Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />This translation from Wikipedia. See license <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/">CC-BY-SA</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-6180598049109050383?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-26566429092100274292010-06-24T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.759-07:00<center>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz<br />by L. Frank Baum</center><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxMJG4Gy43I/AAAAAAAAAzc/8FayiBIXw2c/s1600/Wizard+of+Oz.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 144px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409677591146849138" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxMJG4Gy43I/AAAAAAAAAzc/8FayiBIXw2c/s200/Wizard+of+Oz.jpg" /></a>Dorothy reached up both arms and lifted the figure off the pole, for, being stuffed with straw, it was quite light.<br /><br />"Thank you very much," said the Scarecrow, when he had been set down on the ground. "I feel like a new man."<br /><br />Dorothy was puzzled at this, for it sounded queer to hear a stuffed man speak, and to see him bow and walk along beside her.<br /><br />"Who are you?" asked the Scarecrow when he had stretched himself and yawned. "And where are you going?"<br /><br />"My name is Dorothy," said the girl, "and I am going to the Emerald City, to ask the Great Oz to send me back to Kansas."<br /><br />"Where is the Emerald City?" he inquired. "And who is Oz?"<br /><br />"Why, don't you know?" she returned, in surprise.<br /><br />"No, indeed. I don't know anything. You see, I am stuffed, so I have no brains at all," he answered sadly.<br /><br />"Oh," said Dorothy, "I'm awfully sorry for you."<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>Romance of the Three Kingdoms</em> the great Chinese novel from the Middle Ages.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_Ysp_yZVII">trailer</a> of Judy Garland's breakout movie of 1939; why wasn't the rest of Baum's Oz books made into movies?<br /><br /><strong>Illustrated:</strong> cover of the book's first edition in 1900.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Wizard%20of%20Oz">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-2656642909210027429?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-10864869726350620302010-06-23T03:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.759-07:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/S65J7yvsNwI/AAAAAAAABEA/UNKuGbbdgFY/s1600/Soichiro_Honda.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 163px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453377490375161602" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/S65J7yvsNwI/AAAAAAAABEA/UNKuGbbdgFY/s200/Soichiro_Honda.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Many people dream of success. To me success can only be achieved through repeated failure and introspection. In fact, success represents the one percent of your work which results only from the 99 percent that is called failure.<br /><br />- Soichiro Honda<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soichiro_Honda">More on Soichiro Honda</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-1086486972635062030?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-31374204641220094322010-06-23T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.760-07:00<center>by Mark Twain</center><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxLLVUYVrwI/AAAAAAAAAzU/fMYKpQ-wR3E/s1600/Mark+Twain.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 128px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409609669533871874" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxLLVUYVrwI/AAAAAAAAAzU/fMYKpQ-wR3E/s200/Mark+Twain.jpg" /></a>Alas! that journals so voluminously begun should come to so lame and impotent a conclusion as most of them did! I doubt if there is a single pilgrim of all that host but can show a hundred fair pages of journal concerning the first twenty days' voyaging in the Quaker City, and I am morally certain that not ten of the party can show twenty pages of journal for the succeeding twenty thousand miles of voyaging! At certain periods it becomes the dearest ambition of a man to keep a faithful record of his performances in a book; and he dashes at this work with an enthusiasm that imposes on him the notion that keeping a journal is the veriest pastime in the world, and the pleasantest. But if he only lives twenty-one days, he will find out that only those rare natures that are made up of pluck, endurance, devotion to duty for duty's sake, and invincible determination may hope to venture upon so tremendous an enterprise as the keeping of a journal and not sustain a shameful defeat.<br /><br />One of our favorite youths, Jack, a splendid young fellow with a head full of good sense, and a pair of legs that were a wonder to look upon in the way of length and straightness and slimness, used to report progress every morning in the most glowing and spirited way, and say:<br /><br />"Oh, I'm coming along bully!" (he was a little given to slang in his happier moods.) "I wrote ten pages in my journal last night--and you know I wrote nine the night before and twelve the night before that. Why, it's only fun!"<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz</em> by L. Frank Baum.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />This travelogue cemented this rising author's reputation when it was published in 1869.<br /><br /><strong>Chapter Summary:</strong> The Pilgrims Becoming Domesticated--Pilgrim Life at Sea--"Horse-Billiards"--The "Synagogue"--The Writing School--Jack's "Journal"--The "Q. C. Club"--The Magic Lantern--State Ball on Deck--Mock Trials--Charades--Pilgrim Solemnity--Slow Music--The Executive Officer Delivers an Opinion<br /><br /><strong>Photo:</strong> Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) by Matthew Brady Feb. 7, 1871.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Innocents%20Abroad">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-3137420464122009432?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-76039702214333038402010-06-22T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.760-07:00<center>by Rudyard Kipling</center><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jswl5eElLf4&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jswl5eElLf4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />The first minutes of the movie; the first pages of the book.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />A growl came out of the back of the shop, where a man lay.<br /><br />'He drove away the bull,' said the woman in an undertone. 'It is good to give to the poor.' She took the bowl and returned it full of hot rice.<br /><br />'But my yogi is not a cow,' said Kim gravely, making a hole with his fingers in the top of the mound. 'A little curry is good, and a fried cake, and a morsel of conserve would please him, I think.'<br /><br />'It is a hole as big as thy head,' said the woman fretfully. But she filled it, none the less, with good, steaming vegetable curry, clapped a fried cake atop, and a morsel of clarified butter on the cake, dabbed a lump of sour tamarind conserve at the side; and Kim looked at the load lovingly.<br /><br />'That is good. When I am in the bazar the bull shall not come to this house. He is a bold beggar-man.'<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>The Innocents Abroad</em> by Mark Twain.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />Kipling's novel of India and the British empire, published in 1900.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Kim">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-7603970221433303840?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-14715057949951184752010-06-21T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.760-07:00<center>by Homer</center><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKuqMD_15I/AAAAAAAAAzE/pDsE22-ffx4/s1600/Wrath_of_Achilles.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 156px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409578142241118098" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKuqMD_15I/AAAAAAAAAzE/pDsE22-ffx4/s200/Wrath_of_Achilles.jpg" /></a>The dream went when it had heard its message, and soon reached<br />the ships of the Achaeans. It sought Agamemnon son of Atreus and<br />found him in his tent, wrapped in a profound slumber. It hovered<br />over his head in the likeness of Nestor, son of Neleus, whom<br />Agamemnon honoured above all his councillors, and said:--<br /><br />"You are sleeping, son of Atreus; one who has the welfare of his<br />host and so much other care upon his shoulders should dock his<br />sleep. Hear me at once, for I come as a messenger from Jove, who,<br />though he be not near, yet takes thought for you and pities you.<br />He bids you get the Achaeans instantly under arms, for you shall<br />take Troy. There are no longer divided counsels among the gods;<br />Juno has brought them over to her own mind, and woe betides the<br />Trojans at the hands of Jove. Remember this, and when you wake<br />see that it does not escape you."<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>Kim</em> by Rudyard Kipling.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />From the earliest days of Ancient Greece, the author(s) of this poem were contemporaries of the writers of the Bible's Old Testament.<br /><br /><b>Summary of First Book:</b> The quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles--Achilles withdraws from the war, and sends his mother Thetis to ask Jove to help the Trojans--Scene between Jove and Juno on Olympus.<br /><br /><strong>Painting:</strong> <em>The Wrath of Achilles</em> by Michael Drolling, 1819.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Illiad">More of This Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-1471505794995118475?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-60995266166630840292010-06-20T03:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.760-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/S0AjM09IIgI/AAAAAAAAA3g/bjtiy8Pk6uk/s1600-h/Fathers+Day.gif"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 191px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422372654634508802" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/S0AjM09IIgI/AAAAAAAAA3g/bjtiy8Pk6uk/s400/Fathers+Day.gif" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-6099526616663084029?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-43256928519150668632010-06-20T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.761-07:00<center>The Fisherman and the Genie</center><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKymS_YCUI/AAAAAAAAAzM/Tzc_pLF4scM/s1600/1001-nights.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 129px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 162px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409582473427814722" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKymS_YCUI/AAAAAAAAAzM/Tzc_pLF4scM/s200/1001-nights.jpg" /></a>'O chief of the Afrits,' said the fisherman, 'thou meritest the withdrawal of God's protection from thee for saying this! Why wilt thou kill me and what calls for my death? Did I not deliver thee from the abysses of the sea and bring thee to land and release thee from the vase?' Quoth the Afrit, 'Choose what manner of death thou wilt die and how thou wilt be killed.' 'What is my crime?' asked the fisherman. 'Is this my reward for setting thee free?' The Afrit answered, 'Hear my story, O fisherman!' 'Say on and be brief,' quoth he, 'for my heart is in my mouth.' Then said the Afrit, 'Know, O fisherman, that I was of the schismatic Jinn and rebelled against Solomon son of David (on whom be peace!), I and Sekhr the genie; and he sent his Vizier Asef teen Berkhiya, who took me by force and bound me and carried me, in despite of myself, before Solomon, who invoked God's aid against me and exhorted me to embrace the Faith and submit to his authority: but I refused. Then he sent for this vessel and shut me up in it and stoppered it with lead and sealed it with the Most High Name and commanded the Jinn to take me and throw me into the midst of the sea. <br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>The Illiad</em> by Homer.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />From the Arab world: these stories date back to the Middle Ages.<br /><br /><strong>Picture:</strong> Queen Scheherazade tells her stories to King Shahryār.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/1001%20Nights">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-4325692851915066863?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-1485273579109947802010-06-19T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.761-07:00<center>Horatius at the Bridge<br />by Thomas B. Macaulay</center><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxbZag0oKRI/AAAAAAAAA0M/Au1hFkAcTVk/s1600-h/Horatius.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 138px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410751051842726162" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxbZag0oKRI/AAAAAAAAA0M/Au1hFkAcTVk/s200/Horatius.jpg" /></a> LVII<br /><br /> Alone stood brave Horatius,<br /> But constant still in mind;<br /> Thrice thirty thousand foes before,<br /> And the broad flood behind.<br /> "Down with him!" cried false Sextus,<br /> With a smile on his pale face.<br /> "Now yield thee," cried Lars Porsena,<br /> "Now yield thee to our grace."<br /><br /> LVIII<br /><br /> Round turned he, as not deigning<br /> Those craven ranks to see;<br /> Nought spake he to Lars Porsena, <br /> To Sextus nought spake he;<br /> But he saw on Palatinus<br /> The white porch of his home;<br /> And he spake to the noble river<br /> That rolls by the towers of Rome.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from the great Arab book <em>Thousand and One Nights</em>.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />This poem celebrates one of the great heroic legends of history. Horatius saves Rome from the Etruscan invaders in 642 BC. Scottish poet Macaulay published this in 1842.<br /><br /><strong>Illustration:</strong> Horatius at the Bridge from the first edition.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/2009/12/lays-of-ancient-rome.html">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-148527357910994780?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-81048579983200388052010-06-18T03:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.761-07:00<span style="font-size:180%;">Get ready to play in a chess tournament this weekend.</span><br /><br />Here's a little video to help you get your engine started. (-or to just learn a little more about the game.)<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7z66hiJAqmo&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7z66hiJAqmo&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://main.uschess.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&amp;Itemid=199"><em>Chess events in your area</em></a><em> . . . </em>and visit <a href="http://www.thechesswebsite.com/">The Chess Website</a> who created these wonderful videos.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-8104857998320038805?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-85095316718671031082010-06-18T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.761-07:00<center>Romance of the Three Kingdoms<br />by Luo Guanzhong</center><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxxkOgYU2_I/AAAAAAAAA0U/fxlFPFn9r78/s1600-h/China+3+Kingdoms.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 314px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412311052565404658" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxxkOgYU2_I/AAAAAAAAA0U/fxlFPFn9r78/s320/China+3+Kingdoms.jpg" /></a>18 The next day, Xuande and Zou Jing led their army forward, with much shouting and banging of gongs. When the bandit rebels engaged them in battle, Xuande led his army in retreat. The bandit rebels seized the opportunity to give chase. They had just crossed over a ridge, when the gongs from Xuande's armies all sounded in unison. The two armies on the left and right came out simultaneously, and Xuande commanded his soldiers to turn around and attack. Having been attacked from three different routes, the bandit rebels suffered a major blow. They were driven all the way to the foot of the city walls of Qingzhou, when Commandery governor Gong Jing led militia troops outside of the city walls to assist in the fighting. The power of the bandit rebels was now greatly diminished, and many of them were slaughtered; the siege of Qingzhou was over. People in later generations wrote a poem in praise of Xuande:<br /><br />19 <em>He prepared a divinely inspired plan; two tigers must still yield to one dragon. <br />His exploits were already legendary, despite being new on the scene; it is only natural that he would divide his ding tripod, and share the pieces with the orphaned and the destitute.</em><br /><br />20 Gong Jing had finished handing out the rewards for meritorious deeds to all of the troops, so Zou Jing wanted to return. Xuande said, "I recently heard that the palace guard commander Lu Zhi was fighting the bandit rebel leader Zhang Jue in Guangzong. I was a former pupil of Lu Zhi, so I would like to go and help him." Thereupon, Zou Jing returned home with his army; Xuande, Guan and Zhang set out for Guangzong, leading their core cadre of 500 men. They arrived in Lu Zhi's camp, and entered his tent to pay their respects. When they told him their reason for coming, Lu Zhi was overjoyed. He stayed behind with them outside of the tent so that he could listen to their story.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>Lays of Ancient Rome</em> by Macaulay.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Story</strong></center><br /><br />This is one of four great novels from China, published when it was the most highly civilization in the world. Map shows China at the time of this story.<br /><br /><strong>Chapter Summary</strong>: Three brave men swear an oath of allegiance at the feast in the peach gardens; our heroes' first achievement is the vanquishing of the Yellow Turbans.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/3%20Kingdoms">More of This Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />This translation from Wikipedia. See license <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/">CC-BY-SA</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-8509531671867103108?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-79163146154439407682010-06-17T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.761-07:00<center>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz<br />by L. Frank Baum</center><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxMJG4Gy43I/AAAAAAAAAzc/8FayiBIXw2c/s1600/Wizard+of+Oz.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 144px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409677591146849138" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxMJG4Gy43I/AAAAAAAAAzc/8FayiBIXw2c/s200/Wizard+of+Oz.jpg" /></a>While Dorothy was looking earnestly into the queer, painted face of the Scarecrow, she was surprised to see one of the eyes slowly wink at her. She thought she must have been mistaken at first, for none of the scarecrows in Kansas ever wink; but presently the figure nodded its head to her in a friendly way. Then she climbed down from the fence and walked up to it, while Toto ran around the pole and barked.<br /><br />"Good day," said the Scarecrow, in a rather husky voice.<br /><br />"Did you speak?" asked the girl, in wonder.<br /><br />"Certainly," answered the Scarecrow. "How do you do?"<br /><br />"I'm pretty well, thank you," replied Dorothy politely. "How do you do?"<br /><br />"I'm not feeling well," said the Scarecrow, with a smile, "for it is very tedious being perched up here night and day to scare away crows."<br /><br />"Can't you get down?" asked Dorothy.<br /><br />"No, for this pole is stuck up my back. If you will please take away the pole I shall be greatly obliged to you."<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>Romance of the Three Kingdoms</em> the great Chinese novel from the Middle Ages.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_Ysp_yZVII">trailer</a> of Judy Garland's breakout movie of 1939; why wasn't the rest of Baum's Oz books made into movies?<br /><br /><strong>Illustrated:</strong> cover of the book's first edition in 1900.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Wizard%20of%20Oz">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-7916314615443940768?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-55989731689921994582010-06-16T03:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.762-07:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/S65HVQKH38I/AAAAAAAABD4/ztIWpZNUyos/s1600/Steve_Jobs_WWDC07.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 197px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453374629232500674" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/S65HVQKH38I/AAAAAAAABD4/ztIWpZNUyos/s200/Steve_Jobs_WWDC07.jpg" /></a><br /><div>If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don't have to be pushed. The vision pushes you.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>- Steve Jobs</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs">More on Steve Jobs</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-5598973168992199458?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-9691394195841743962010-06-16T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.762-07:00<center>by Mark Twain</center><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxLLVUYVrwI/AAAAAAAAAzU/fMYKpQ-wR3E/s1600/Mark+Twain.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 128px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409609669533871874" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxLLVUYVrwI/AAAAAAAAAzU/fMYKpQ-wR3E/s200/Mark+Twain.jpg" /></a>When it rained the passengers had to stay in the house, of course--or at least the cabins--and amuse themselves with games, reading, looking out of the windows at the very familiar billows, and talking gossip.<br /><br />By 7 o'clock in the evening, dinner was about over; an hour's promenade on the upper deck followed; then the gong sounded and a large majority of the party repaired to the after cabin (upper), a handsome saloon fifty or sixty feet long, for prayers. The unregenerated called this saloon the "Synagogue." The devotions consisted only of two hymns from the Plymouth Collection and a short prayer, and seldom occupied more than fifteen minutes. The hymns were accompanied by parlor-organ music when the sea was smooth enough to allow a performer to sit at the instrument without being lashed to his chair.<br /><br />After prayers the Synagogue shortly took the semblance of a writing school. The like of that picture was never seen in a ship before. Behind the long dining tables on either side of the saloon, and scattered from one end to the other of the latter, some twenty or thirty gentlemen and ladies sat them down under the swaying lamps and for two or three hours wrote diligently in their journals. <br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz</em> by L. Frank Baum.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />This travelogue cemented this rising author's reputation when it was published in 1869.<br /><br /><strong>Chapter Summary:</strong> The Pilgrims Becoming Domesticated--Pilgrim Life at Sea--"Horse-Billiards"--The "Synagogue"--The Writing School--Jack's "Journal"--The "Q. C. Club"--The Magic Lantern--State Ball on Deck--Mock Trials--Charades--Pilgrim Solemnity--Slow Music--The Executive Officer Delivers an Opinion<br /><br /><strong>Photo:</strong> Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) by Matthew Brady Feb. 7, 1871.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Innocents%20Abroad">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-969139419584174396?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-24276367263803264932010-06-15T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.762-07:00<center>by Rudyard Kipling</center><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jswl5eElLf4&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jswl5eElLf4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />The first minutes of the movie; the first pages of the book.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />'That bowl indeed! That cow-bellied basket! Thou hast as much grace as the holy bull of Shiv. He has taken the best of a basket of onions already, this morn; and forsooth, I must fill thy bowl. He comes here again.'<br /><br />The huge, mouse-coloured Brahmini bull of the ward was shouldering his way through the many-coloured crowd, a stolen plantain hanging out of his mouth. He headed straight for the shop, well knowing his privileges as a sacred beast, lowered his head, and puffed heavily along the line of baskets ere making his choice. Up flew Kim's hard little heel and caught him on his moist blue nose. He snorted indignantly, and walked away across the tram-rails, his hump quivering with rage.<br /><br />'See! I have saved more than the bowl will cost thrice over. Now, mother, a little rice and some dried fish atop--yes, and some vegetable curry.'<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>The Innocents Abroad</em> by Mark Twain.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />Kipling's novel of India and the British empire, published in 1900.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Kim">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-2427636726380326493?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-56554727326193394702010-06-14T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.762-07:00<center>by Homer</center><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKuqMD_15I/AAAAAAAAAzE/pDsE22-ffx4/s1600/Wrath_of_Achilles.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 156px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409578142241118098" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKuqMD_15I/AAAAAAAAAzE/pDsE22-ffx4/s200/Wrath_of_Achilles.jpg" /></a>BOOK II<br /><br /> Jove sends a lying dream to Agamemnon, who thereon calls the<br /> chiefs in assembly, and proposes to sound the mind of his<br /> army--In the end they march to fight--Catalogue of the<br /> Achaean and Trojan forces.<br /><br />Now the other gods and the armed warriors on the plain slept<br />soundly, but Jove was wakeful, for he was thinking how to do<br />honour to Achilles, and destroyed much people at the ships of the<br />Achaeans. In the end he deemed it would be best to send a lying<br />dream to King Agamemnon; so he called one to him and said to it,<br />"Lying Dream, go to the ships of the Achaeans, into the tent of<br />Agamemnon, and say to him word for word as I now bid you. Tell<br />him to get the Achaeans instantly under arms, for he shall take<br />Troy. There are no longer divided counsels among the gods; Juno<br />has brought them to her own mind, and woe betides the Trojans."<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>Kim</em> by Rudyard Kipling.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />From the earliest days of Ancient Greece, the author(s) of this poem were contemporaries of the writers of the Bible's Old Testament.<br /><br /><b>Summary of First Book:</b> The quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles--Achilles withdraws from the war, and sends his mother Thetis to ask Jove to help the Trojans--Scene between Jove and Juno on Olympus.<br /><br /><strong>Painting:</strong> <em>The Wrath of Achilles</em> by Michael Drolling, 1819.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Illiad">More of This Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-5655472732619339470?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-15012722212197030792010-06-13T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.763-07:00<center>The Fisherman and the Genie</center><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKymS_YCUI/AAAAAAAAAzM/Tzc_pLF4scM/s1600/1001-nights.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 129px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 162px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409582473427814722" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKymS_YCUI/AAAAAAAAAzM/Tzc_pLF4scM/s200/1001-nights.jpg" /></a>His head was like a dome, his hands like pitchforks, his legs like masts, his mouth like a cavern, his teeth like rocks, his nostrils like trumpets, his eyes like lamps, and he was stern and lowering of aspect. When the fisherman saw the Afrit, he trembled in every limb; his teeth chattered and his spittle dried up and he knew not what to do. When the Afrit saw him, he said, 'There is no god but God, and Solomon is His prophet! O prophet of God, do not kill me, for I will never again disobey thee or cross thee, either in word or deed !' Quoth the fisherman, 'O Marid,[FN#16] thou sayest, "Solomon is the prophet of God." Solomon is dead these eighteen hundred years, and we are now at the end of time. But what is thy history and how comest thou in this vessel?' When the Marid heard this, he said, 'There is no god but God! I have news for thee, O fisherman!' 'What news?' asked he, and the Afrit answered, 'Even that I am about to slay thee without mercy.' <br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>The Illiad</em> by Homer.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />From the Arab world: these stories date back to the Middle Ages.<br /><br /><strong>Picture:</strong> Queen Scheherazade tells her stories to King Shahryār.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/1001%20Nights">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-1501272221219703079?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-59267637619046344762010-06-12T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.763-07:00<center>Horatius at the Bridge<br />by Thomas B. Macaulay</center><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxbZag0oKRI/AAAAAAAAA0M/Au1hFkAcTVk/s1600-h/Horatius.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 138px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410751051842726162" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxbZag0oKRI/AAAAAAAAA0M/Au1hFkAcTVk/s200/Horatius.jpg" /></a> LV<br /><br /> But with a crash like thunder<br /> Fell every loosened beam,<br /> And, like a dam, the mighty wreck<br /> Lay right athwart the stream:<br /> And a long shout of triumph<br /> Rose from the walls of Rome,<br /> As to the highest turret-tops<br /> Was splashed the yellow foam.<br /><br /> LVI<br /><br /> And, like a horse unbroken<br /> When first he feels the rein,<br /> The furious river struggled hard,<br /> And tossed his tawny mane,<br /> And burst the curb and bounded,<br /> Rejoicing to be free,<br /> And whirling down, in fierce career,<br /> Battlement, and plank, and pier,<br /> Rushed headlong to the sea.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from the great Arab book <em>Thousand and One Nights</em>.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />This poem celebrates one of the great heroic legends of history. Horatius saves Rome from the Etruscan invaders in 642 BC. Scottish poet Macaulay published this in 1842.<br /><br /><strong>Illustration:</strong> Horatius at the Bridge from the first edition.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/2009/12/lays-of-ancient-rome.html">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-5926763761904634476?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-63266519111135087512010-06-11T03:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.763-07:00<span style="font-size:180%;">Get ready to play in a chess tournament this weekend.</span><br /><br />Here's a little video to help you get your engine started. (-or to just learn a little more about the game.)<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VDfjsMXlcek&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VDfjsMXlcek&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://main.uschess.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&amp;Itemid=199"><em>Chess events in your area</em></a><em> . . . </em>and visit <a href="http://www.thechesswebsite.com/">The Chess Website</a> who created these wonderful videos.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-6326651911113508751?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-59054773135713492342010-06-11T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.763-07:00<center>Romance of the Three Kingdoms<br />by Luo Guanzhong</center><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxxkOgYU2_I/AAAAAAAAA0U/fxlFPFn9r78/s1600-h/China+3+Kingdoms.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 314px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412311052565404658" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxxkOgYU2_I/AAAAAAAAA0U/fxlFPFn9r78/s320/China+3+Kingdoms.jpg" /></a>15 Cheng Yuanzhi was furious, so he dispatched Deng Mao, his second in command, to mount an offensive. Zhang Fei raised his 1.8 zhang snake lance, and thrust it straight out, piercing the center of Deng Mao's chest with exact precision, who then doubled over and fell from his horse. Having witnessed Deng Mao's demise, Cheng Yuanzhi whipped his horse into action. Raising his sword above his head with a flourish, he went straight after Zhang Fei. Yunchang swung around his large blade, and rode out on his horse at full gallop. Cheng Yuanzhi was completely taken aback at the sight of this, and was unable to react in time. He was cut in two at the point where Yunchang had raised his blade. People in later generations wrote a poem in praise of the two:<br /><br />16 <em>The heroes exposed the sharp tips of their weapons this morning, one testing his long lance, the other testing his blade.<br />They displayed their power as they set out for the first time, and the names of these three will shall be exalted from this day forward.</em><br /><br />17 All of the bandit rebels saw that Cheng Yuanzhi had been slain, so they threw away their weapons and fled. Xuande led his army in pursuit. There were so many that surrendered, they could not keep count. Triumphantly, they returned. Liu Yan personally came to welcome them back, and to present the troops with gifts in recognition of their deeds. The next day, an official communique was received from Gong Jing, Commandery governor of Qingzhou. It described how the Yellow Turbans had laid siege to the town, and pleaded for assistance. Liu Yan conferred with Xuande. Xuande told him, "I am willing to go and help them." Liu Yan ordered Zou Jing to lead an army of 5,000 men, and head for Qingzhou, accompanied by Xuande, Guan and Zhang. When the bandit rebels saw that reinforcements had arrived, they divided their forces, and haphazardly mounted an attack. Xuande was hopelessly outnumbered, so he retreated for 30 li, and made camp. Xuande discussed the matter with Guan and Zhang, saying, "The bandit rebels are many, and we are few. The only way we can win is if we take them by surprise." He then gave 1,000 soldiers to Lord Guan, and had him hide out on the left side of a hill. Zhang Fei took 1,000 soldiers, and hid out on the right side of the hill. The signal would be the sounding of the gongs, upon which time they would all meet up in unison.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>Lays of Ancient Rome</em> by Macaulay.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Story</strong></center><br /><br />This is one of four great novels from China, published when it was the most highly civilization in the world. Map shows China at the time of this story.<br /><br /><strong>Chapter Summary</strong>: Three brave men swear an oath of allegiance at the feast in the peach gardens; our heroes' first achievement is the vanquishing of the Yellow Turbans.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/3%20Kingdoms">More of This Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />This translation from Wikipedia. See license <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/">CC-BY-SA</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-5905477313571349234?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-36623908913677977672010-06-10T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.763-07:00<center>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz<br />by L. Frank Baum</center><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxMJG4Gy43I/AAAAAAAAAzc/8FayiBIXw2c/s1600/Wizard+of+Oz.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 144px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409677591146849138" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxMJG4Gy43I/AAAAAAAAAzc/8FayiBIXw2c/s200/Wizard+of+Oz.jpg" /></a>This worried Dorothy a little, but she knew that only the Great Oz could help her get to Kansas again, so she bravely resolved not to turn back.<br /><br />She bade her friends good-bye, and again started along the road of yellow brick. When she had gone several miles she thought she would stop to rest, and so climbed to the top of the fence beside the road and sat down. There was a great cornfield beyond the fence, and not far away she saw a Scarecrow, placed high on a pole to keep the birds from the ripe corn.<br /><br />Dorothy leaned her chin upon her hand and gazed thoughtfully at the Scarecrow. Its head was a small sack stuffed with straw, with eyes, nose, and mouth painted on it to represent a face. An old, pointed blue hat, that had belonged to some Munchkin, was perched on his head, and the rest of the figure was a blue suit of clothes, worn and faded, which had also been stuffed with straw. On the feet were some old boots with blue tops, such as every man wore in this country, and the figure was raised above the stalks of corn by means of the pole stuck up its back.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>Romance of the Three Kingdoms</em> the great Chinese novel from the Middle Ages.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_Ysp_yZVII">trailer</a> of Judy Garland's breakout movie of 1939; why wasn't the rest of Baum's Oz books made into movies?<br /><br /><strong>Illustrated:</strong> cover of the book's first edition in 1900.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Wizard%20of%20Oz">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-3662390891367797767?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-32609227921568950562010-06-09T03:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.764-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/S65Fiy7W95I/AAAAAAAABDw/7S9C9EApGmY/s1600/Bill_og_Melinda_Gates_2009-06-03_(bilde_01).jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453372662880860050" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/S65Fiy7W95I/AAAAAAAABDw/7S9C9EApGmY/s200/Bill_og_Melinda_Gates_2009-06-03_(bilde_01).jpg" /></a><br /><div>As we look ahead to the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>- Bill Gates</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Gates">More on Bill Gates</a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo (cc) Kjetil Ree.</span></em></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-3260922792156895056?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-26421365955251277262010-06-09T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.764-07:00<center>by Mark Twain</center><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxLLVUYVrwI/AAAAAAAAAzU/fMYKpQ-wR3E/s1600/Mark+Twain.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 128px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409609669533871874" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxLLVUYVrwI/AAAAAAAAAzU/fMYKpQ-wR3E/s200/Mark+Twain.jpg" /></a>Some reading was done, and much smoking and sewing, though not by the same parties; there were the monsters of the deep to be looked after and wondered at; strange ships had to be scrutinized through opera-glasses, and sage decisions arrived at concerning them; and more than that, everybody took a personal interest in seeing that the flag was run up and politely dipped three times in response to the salutes of those strangers; in the smoking room there were always parties of gentlemen playing euchre, draughts and dominoes, especially dominoes, that delightfully harmless game; and down on the main deck, "for'rard" --for'rard of the chicken-coops and the cattle--we had what was called "horse billiards." Horse billiards is a fine game. It affords good, active exercise, hilarity, and consuming excitement. It is a mixture of "hop-scotch" and shuffleboard played with a crutch. A large hop-scotch diagram is marked out on the deck with chalk, and each compartment numbered. You stand off three or four steps, with some broad wooden disks before you on the deck, and these you send forward with a vigorous thrust of a long crutch. If a disk stops on a chalk line, it does not count anything. If it stops in division No. 7, it counts 7; in 5, it counts 5, and so on. The game is 100, and four can play at a time. That game would be very simple played on a stationary floor, but with us, to play it well required science. We had to allow for the reeling of the ship to the right or the left. Very often one made calculations for a heel to the right and the ship did not go that way. The consequence was that that disk missed the whole hopscotch plan a yard or two, and then there was humiliation on one side and laughter on the other.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz</em> by L. Frank Baum.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />This travelogue cemented this rising author's reputation when it was published in 1869.<br /><br /><strong>Chapter Summary:</strong> The Pilgrims Becoming Domesticated--Pilgrim Life at Sea--"Horse-Billiards"--The "Synagogue"--The Writing School--Jack's "Journal"--The "Q. C. Club"--The Magic Lantern--State Ball on Deck--Mock Trials--Charades--Pilgrim Solemnity--Slow Music--The Executive Officer Delivers an Opinion<br /><br /><strong>Photo:</strong> Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) by Matthew Brady Feb. 7, 1871.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Innocents%20Abroad">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-2642136595525127726?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-36672951890652445112010-06-08T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.764-07:00<center>by Rudyard Kipling</center><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jswl5eElLf4&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jswl5eElLf4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />The first minutes of the movie; the first pages of the book.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />He trotted off to the open shop of a kunjri, a low-caste vegetable-seller, which lay opposite the belt-tramway line down the Motee Bazar. She knew Kim of old.<br /><br />'Oho, hast thou turned yogi with thy begging-bowl?' she cried.<br /><br />'Nay.' said Kim proudly. 'There is a new priest in the city--a man such as I have never seen.'<br /><br />'Old priest--young tiger,' said the woman angrily. 'I am tired of new priests! They settle on our wares like flies. Is the father of my son a well of charity to give to all who ask?'<br /><br />'No,' said Kim. 'Thy man is rather yagi [bad-tempered] than yogi [a holy man]. But this priest is new. The Sahib in the Wonder House has talked to him like a brother. O my mother, fill me this bowl. He waits.'<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>The Innocents Abroad</em> by Mark Twain.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />Kipling's novel of India and the British empire, published in 1900.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Kim">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-3667295189065244511?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-30854836768350377922010-06-07T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.764-07:00<center>by Homer</center><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKuqMD_15I/AAAAAAAAAzE/pDsE22-ffx4/s1600/Wrath_of_Achilles.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 156px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409578142241118098" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKuqMD_15I/AAAAAAAAAzE/pDsE22-ffx4/s200/Wrath_of_Achilles.jpg" /></a>As he spoke, he took a double cup of nectar, and placed it in his<br />mother's hand. "Cheer up, my dear mother," said he, "and make the<br />best of it. I love you dearly, and should be very sorry to see<br />you get a thrashing; however grieved I might be, I could not help,<br />for there is no standing against Jove. Once before when I was<br />trying to help you, he caught me by the foot and flung me from<br />the heavenly threshold. All day long from morn till eve, was I<br />falling, till at sunset I came to ground in the island of Lemnos,<br />and there I lay, with very little life left in me, till the<br />Sintians came and tended me."<br /><br />Juno smiled at this, and as she smiled she took the cup from her<br />son's hands. Then Vulcan drew sweet nectar from the mixing-bowl,<br />and served it round among the gods, going from left to right; and<br />the blessed gods laughed out a loud applause as they saw him<br />bustling about the heavenly mansion.<br /><br />Thus through the livelong day to the going down of the sun they<br />feasted, and every one had his full share, so that all were<br />satisfied. Apollo struck his lyre, and the Muses lifted up their<br />sweet voices, calling and answering one another. But when the<br />sun's glorious light had faded, they went home to bed, each in<br />his own abode, which lame Vulcan with his consummate skill had<br />fashioned for them. So Jove, the Olympian Lord of Thunder, hied<br />him to the bed in which he always slept; and when he had got on<br />to it he went to sleep, with Juno of the golden throne by his<br />side.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>Kim</em> by Rudyard Kipling.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />From the earliest days of Ancient Greece, the author(s) of this poem were contemporaries of the writers of the Bible's Old Testament.<br /><br /><b>Summary of First Book:</b> The quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles--Achilles withdraws from the war, and sends his mother Thetis to ask Jove to help the Trojans--Scene between Jove and Juno on Olympus.<br /><br /><strong>Painting:</strong> <em>The Wrath of Achilles</em> by Michael Drolling, 1819.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Illiad">More of This Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-3085483676835037792?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-84258431126856716172010-06-06T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.765-07:00<center>The Fisherman and the Genie</center><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKymS_YCUI/AAAAAAAAAzM/Tzc_pLF4scM/s1600/1001-nights.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 129px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 162px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409582473427814722" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKymS_YCUI/AAAAAAAAAzM/Tzc_pLF4scM/s200/1001-nights.jpg" /></a>Then he stripped and dived down to the net and strove with it till he brought it to shore, where he opened it and found in it a brazen vessel, full and stoppered with lead, on which was impressed the seal of our lord Solomon, son of David (on whom be peace!). When he saw this, he was glad and said, 'I will sell this in the copper market, for it is worth half a score diners.' Then he shook it and found it heavy and said to himself, 'I wonder what is inside! I will open it and see what is in it, before I sell it.' So he took out a knife and worked at the leaden seal, till he extracted it from the vessel and laid it aside. Then he turned the vase mouth downward and shook it, to turn out its contents; but nothing came out, and he wondered greatly and laid it on the ground. Presently, there issued from it a smoke, which rose up towards the sky and passed over the face of the earth; then gathered itself together and condensed and quivered and became an Afrit, whose head was in the clouds and his feet in the dust. <br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>The Illiad</em> by Homer.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />From the Arab world: these stories date back to the Middle Ages.<br /><br /><strong>Picture:</strong> Queen Scheherazade tells her stories to King Shahryār.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/1001%20Nights">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-8425843112685671617?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-8389926170306323622010-06-05T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.765-07:00<center>Horatius at the Bridge<br />by Thomas B. Macaulay</center><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxbZag0oKRI/AAAAAAAAA0M/Au1hFkAcTVk/s1600-h/Horatius.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 138px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410751051842726162" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxbZag0oKRI/AAAAAAAAA0M/Au1hFkAcTVk/s200/Horatius.jpg" /></a> LIII<br /><br /> But meanwhile axe and lever<br /> Have manfully been plied;<br /> And now the bridge hangs tottering<br /> Above the boiling tide.<br /> "Come back, come back, Horatius!"<br /> Loud cried the Fathers all.<br /> "Back, Lartius! back, Herminius!<br /> Back, ere the ruin fall!"<br /><br /> LIV<br /><br /> Back darted Spurius Lartius;<br /> Herminius darted back:<br /> And, as they passed, beneath their feet<br /> They felt the timbers crack.<br /> But when they turned their faces,<br /> And on the farther shore<br /> Saw brave Horatius stand alone,<br /> They would have crossed once more.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from the great Arab book <em>Thousand and One Nights</em>.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />This poem celebrates one of the great heroic legends of history. Horatius saves Rome from the Etruscan invaders in 642 BC. Scottish poet Macaulay published this in 1842.<br /><br /><strong>Illustration:</strong> Horatius at the Bridge from the first edition.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/2009/12/lays-of-ancient-rome.html">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-838992617030632362?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-2605083264319859492010-06-04T03:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.765-07:00<span style="font-size:180%;">Get ready to play in a chess tournament this weekend.</span><br /><br />Here's a little video to help you get your engine started. (-or to just learn a little more about the game.)<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qzydxPgPKzs&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qzydxPgPKzs&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://main.uschess.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&amp;Itemid=199"><em>Chess events in your area</em></a><em> . . . </em>and visit <a href="http://www.thechesswebsite.com/">The Chess Website</a> who created these wonderful videos.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-260508326431985949?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-37878314036936938892010-06-04T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.765-07:00<center>Romance of the Three Kingdoms<br />by Luo Guanzhong</center><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxxkOgYU2_I/AAAAAAAAA0U/fxlFPFn9r78/s1600-h/China+3+Kingdoms.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 314px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412311052565404658" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxxkOgYU2_I/AAAAAAAAA0U/fxlFPFn9r78/s320/China+3+Kingdoms.jpg" /></a>13 Green Dragon Crescent Blade As they were thinking about what to do, someone reported, "There are two visitors coming toward the estate; there are a bunch of attendants with them, and they are leading a pack of horses." Xuande exclaimed, "The heavens have blessed us!" The three men went out of the compound to receive the visitors. As it turns out, the two visitors were big-time merchants from Zhongshan: one of them named Zhang Shiping, and one of them named Su Shuang. Each year, they traveled north to sell horses, but had to turn back this time because of the bandit rebels. Xuande invited the two of them to come in, and arranged a full banquet in their honor. He then proceeded to explain how he planned to fight the bandit rebels and pacify the citizenry. The two visitors were overjoyed, and wanted to supply fifty good horses for the cause; they also donated 500 taels of gold and silver, and 1000 catties of bintie steel, which was suitable for manufacturing weapons and other implements. Xuande bid farewell to the two visitors, and then ordered a good blacksmith to craft a pair of straight swords for each hip. Yunchang designed the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, also called Frost Blade, which weighed in at 82 catties. Zhang Fei designed a 1.8 zhang lance, the tip of which was refined steel. They were all outfitted with full-body armor. After they had gathered together more than 500 fighting men, they went to see Zou Jing. Zou Jing escorted them on a formal call to Commandery governor Liu Yan. As the three men were finishing with their formal visit, it was observed that the two of them had the same surname. When Xuande mentioned his family lineage, Liu Yan was overjoyed, and thereupon recognized Xuande as his nephew.<br /><br />14 After not more than a few days, someone reported that the Yellow Turban bandit leader Cheng Yuanzhi was leading an army of 50,000 men, and that they were headed towards Zhuo Commandery. Liu Yan ordered Zou Jing to have Xuande and his two companions lead their force of 500 men; they were to advance on the enemy and destroy them. Xuande and his two companions cheerfully led their troops, advancing all the way to the foot of the Daxing Hills, where they met up with the bandit rebels. The bandit rebels all had disheveled hair, with yellow turbans tightly tied around their foreheads. The two armies immediately squared off. Xuande rode his horse out onto the field with Yunchang on his left, and Yide on his right. He raised his riding crop, and shouted abuses in a loud voice, "Traitorous rebels, why don't you surrender before it's too late!"<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>Lays of Ancient Rome</em> by Macaulay.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Story</strong></center><br /><br />This is one of four great novels from China, published when it was the most highly civilization in the world. Map shows China at the time of this story.<br /><br /><strong>Chapter Summary</strong>: Three brave men swear an oath of allegiance at the feast in the peach gardens; our heroes' first achievement is the vanquishing of the Yellow Turbans.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/3%20Kingdoms">More of This Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />This translation from Wikipedia. See license <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/">CC-BY-SA</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-3787831403693693889?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-30487133343179492352010-06-03T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.765-07:00<center>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz<br />by L. Frank Baum</center><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxMJG4Gy43I/AAAAAAAAAzc/8FayiBIXw2c/s1600/Wizard+of+Oz.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 144px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409677591146849138" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxMJG4Gy43I/AAAAAAAAAzc/8FayiBIXw2c/s200/Wizard+of+Oz.jpg" /></a>When she had tired watching the dancing, Boq led her into the house, where he gave her a room with a pretty bed in it. The sheets were made of blue cloth, and Dorothy slept soundly in them till morning, with Toto curled up on the blue rug beside her.<br /><br />She ate a hearty breakfast, and watched a wee Munchkin baby, who played with Toto and pulled his tail and crowed and laughed in a way that greatly amused Dorothy. Toto was a fine curiosity to all the people, for they had never seen a dog before.<br /><br />"How far is it to the Emerald City?" the girl asked.<br /><br />"I do not know," answered Boq gravely, "for I have never been there. It is better for people to keep away from Oz, unless they have business with him. But it is a long way to the Emerald City, and it will take you many days. The country here is rich and pleasant, but you must pass through rough and dangerous places before you reach the end of your journey."<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>Romance of the Three Kingdoms</em> the great Chinese novel from the Middle Ages.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_Ysp_yZVII">trailer</a> of Judy Garland's breakout movie of 1939; why wasn't the rest of Baum's Oz books made into movies?<br /><br /><strong>Illustrated:</strong> cover of the book's first edition in 1900.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Wizard%20of%20Oz">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-3048713334317949235?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-78697718850130629602010-06-02T03:00:00.001-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.766-07:00<span style="font-size:180%;">Get ready to play in a chess tournament this weekend.</span><br /><br />Here's a little video to help you get your engine started. (-or to just learn a little more about the game.)<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/d7KGYXxg_zo&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/d7KGYXxg_zo&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://main.uschess.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&amp;Itemid=199"><em>Chess events in your area</em></a><em> . . . </em>and visit <a href="http://www.thechesswebsite.com/">The Chess Website</a> who created these wonderful videos.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-7869771885013062960?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-78705797283816259092010-06-02T03:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.766-07:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/S65DJ-xb76I/AAAAAAAABDo/GoxzoSp2mik/s1600/Cicero.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 149px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453370037540482978" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/S65DJ-xb76I/AAAAAAAABDo/GoxzoSp2mik/s200/Cicero.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Genius is fostered by industry.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>- Cicero</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicero">More on Cicero</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-7870579728381625909?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-55383742308358827252010-06-02T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.766-07:00<center>by Mark Twain</center><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxLLVUYVrwI/AAAAAAAAAzU/fMYKpQ-wR3E/s1600/Mark+Twain.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 128px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409609669533871874" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxLLVUYVrwI/AAAAAAAAAzU/fMYKpQ-wR3E/s200/Mark+Twain.jpg" /></a>CHAPTER IV.<br /><br />We plowed along bravely for a week or more, and without any conflict of jurisdiction among the captains worth mentioning. The passengers soon learned to accommodate themselves to their new circumstances, and life in the ship became nearly as systematically monotonous as the routine of a barrack. I do not mean that it was dull, for it was not entirely so by any means--but there was a good deal of sameness about it. As is always the fashion at sea, the passengers shortly began to pick up sailor terms --a sign that they were beginning to feel at home. Half-past six was no longer half-past six to these pilgrims from New England, the South, and the Mississippi Valley, it was "seven bells"; eight, twelve, and four o'clock were "eight bells"; the captain did not take the longitude at nine o'clock, but at "two bells." They spoke glibly of the "after cabin," the "for'rard cabin," "port and starboard" and the "fo'castle."<br /><br />At seven bells the first gong rang; at eight there was breakfast, for such as were not too seasick to eat it. After that all the well people walked arm-in-arm up and down the long promenade deck, enjoying the fine summer mornings, and the seasick ones crawled out and propped themselves up in the lee of the paddle-boxes and ate their dismal tea and toast, and looked wretched. From eleven o'clock until luncheon, and from luncheon until dinner at six in the evening, the employments and amusements were various. <br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz</em> by L. Frank Baum.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />This travelogue cemented this rising author's reputation when it was published in 1869.<br /><br /><strong>Chapter Summary:</strong> The Pilgrims Becoming Domesticated--Pilgrim Life at Sea--"Horse-Billiards"--The "Synagogue"--The Writing School--Jack's "Journal"--The "Q. C. Club"--The Magic Lantern--State Ball on Deck--Mock Trials--Charades--Pilgrim Solemnity--Slow Music--The Executive Officer Delivers an Opinion<br /><br /><strong>Photo:</strong> Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) by Matthew Brady Feb. 7, 1871.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Innocents%20Abroad">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-5538374230835882725?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-65190890218239432352010-06-01T14:12:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.766-07:00Mother passed away about an hour ago.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-6519089021823943235?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-19592513926467122452010-06-01T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.767-07:00<center>by Rudyard Kipling</center><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jswl5eElLf4&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jswl5eElLf4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />The first minutes of the movie; the first pages of the book.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Kim accepted this new God without emotion. He knew already a few score.<br /><br />'And what dost thou do?'<br /><br />'I beg. I remember now it is long since I have eaten or drunk. What is the custom of charity in this town? In silence, as we do of Tibet, or speaking aloud?'<br /><br />'Those who beg in silence starve in silence,' said Kim, quoting a native proverb. The lama tried to rise, but sank back again, sighing for his disciple, dead in far-away Kulu. Kim watched head to one side, considering and interested.<br /><br />'Give me the bowl. I know the people of this city--all who are charitable. Give, and I will bring it back filled.'<br /><br />Simply as a child the old man handed him the bowl.<br /><br />'Rest, thou. I know the people.'<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>The Innocents Abroad</em> by Mark Twain.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />Kipling's novel of India and the British empire, published in 1900.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Kim">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-1959251392646712245?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-73501859233146494552010-05-31T17:40:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.767-07:00<center>by Homer</center><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKuqMD_15I/AAAAAAAAAzE/pDsE22-ffx4/s1600/Wrath_of_Achilles.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 156px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409578142241118098" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKuqMD_15I/AAAAAAAAAzE/pDsE22-ffx4/s200/Wrath_of_Achilles.jpg" /></a>"Wife," said Jove, "I can do nothing but you suspect me and find<br />it out. You will take nothing by it, for I shall only dislike you<br />the more, and it will go harder with you. Granted that it is as<br />you say; I mean to have it so; sit down and hold your tongue as I<br />bid you for if I once begin to lay my hands about you, though all<br />heaven were on your side it would profit you nothing."<br /><br />On this Juno was frightened, so she curbed her stubborn will and<br />sat down in silence. But the heavenly beings were disquieted<br />throughout the house of Jove, till the cunning workman Vulcan<br />began to try and pacify his mother Juno. "It will be<br />intolerable," said he, "if you two fall to wrangling and setting<br />heaven in an uproar about a pack of mortals. If such ill counsels<br />are to prevail, we shall have no pleasure at our banquet. Let me<br />then advise my mother--and she must herself know that it will be<br />better--to make friends with my dear father Jove, lest he again<br />scold her and disturb our feast. If the Olympian Thunderer wants<br />to hurl us all from our seats, he can do so, for he is far the<br />strongest, so give him fair words, and he will then soon be in a<br />good humour with us."<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>Kim</em> by Rudyard Kipling.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />From the earliest days of Ancient Greece, the author(s) of this poem were contemporaries of the writers of the Bible's Old Testament.<br /><br /><b>Summary of First Book:</b> The quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles--Achilles withdraws from the war, and sends his mother Thetis to ask Jove to help the Trojans--Scene between Jove and Juno on Olympus.<br /><br /><strong>Painting:</strong> <em>The Wrath of Achilles</em> by Michael Drolling, 1819.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Illiad">More of This Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-7350185923314649455?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-80840469789350035182010-05-31T03:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.767-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/S0AizOqPElI/AAAAAAAAA3Y/9Bx4nmvr65A/s1600-h/Memorial+Day.gif"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 304px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422372214857994834" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/S0AizOqPElI/AAAAAAAAA3Y/9Bx4nmvr65A/s400/Memorial+Day.gif" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-8084046978935003518?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-10194457774526114912010-05-30T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.767-07:00<center>The Fisherman and the Genie</center><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKymS_YCUI/AAAAAAAAAzM/Tzc_pLF4scM/s1600/1001-nights.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 129px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 162px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409582473427814722" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKymS_YCUI/AAAAAAAAAzM/Tzc_pLF4scM/s200/1001-nights.jpg" /></a>Then he lifted his eyes to heaven and said, 'O my God, Thou knowest that I cast my net but four times a day; and now I have cast it three times and have taken nothing. Grant me then, O my God, my daily bread this time!' So he said, 'In the name of God!' and cast his net and waited till it had settled down in the water, then pulled it, but could not bring it up, for it was caught in the bottom Whereupon, 'There is no power and no virtue but in God!' said he and repeated the following verses:<br /><br />Away with the world, if it be like this, away! My part in it's<br /> nought but misery and dismay!<br />Though the life of a man in the morning be serene, He must drink<br /> of the cup of woe ere ended day.<br />And yet if one asked, 'Who's the happiest man alive?' The people<br /> would point to me and 'He' would say.<br /><br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>The Illiad</em> by Homer.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />From the Arab world: these stories date back to the Middle Ages.<br /><br /><strong>Picture:</strong> Queen Scheherazade tells her stories to King Shahryār.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/1001%20Nights">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-1019445777452611491?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-22217900957413468862010-05-29T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.768-07:00<center>Horatius at the Bridge<br />by Thomas B. Macaulay</center><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxbZag0oKRI/AAAAAAAAA0M/Au1hFkAcTVk/s1600-h/Horatius.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 138px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410751051842726162" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxbZag0oKRI/AAAAAAAAA0M/Au1hFkAcTVk/s200/Horatius.jpg" /></a> LI<br /><br /> Yet one man for one moment<br /> Strode out before the crowd;<br /> Well known was he to all the Three,<br /> And they gave him greeting loud.<br /> "Now welcome, welcome, Sextus!<br /> Now welcome to thy home!<br /> Why dost thou stay, and turn away?<br /> Here lies the road to Rome."<br /><br /> LII<br /><br /> Thrice looked he at the city;<br /> Thrice looked he at the dead;<br /> And thrice came on in fury,<br /> And thrice turned back in dread:<br /> And, white with fear and hatred,<br /> Scowled at the narrow way<br /> Where, wallowing in a pool of blood,<br /> The bravest Tuscans lay.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from the great Arab book <em>Thousand and One Nights</em>.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />This poem celebrates one of the great heroic legends of history. Horatius saves Rome from the Etruscan invaders in 642 BC. Scottish poet Macaulay published this in 1842.<br /><br /><strong>Illustration:</strong> Horatius at the Bridge from the first edition.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/2009/12/lays-of-ancient-rome.html">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-2221790095741346886?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-30126882526575705672010-05-28T03:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.768-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/S0AhNOlXTQI/AAAAAAAAA3E/1xW7SUrjMxo/s1600-h/halys_kirikkale.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422370462490905858" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/S0AhNOlXTQI/AAAAAAAAA3E/1xW7SUrjMxo/s400/halys_kirikkale.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Halys_(585_BC)">A battle</a> was fought here on this date in 585 B.C. This is the oldest date that we can fix with mathematical certitude because a solar eclipse ended it. The soldiers feared that the sudden darkening was a sign from the gods and fled. Peace was declared between the Medians and Lydians. This river became their boundary.<br /><br />This isn't a holiday but it ought to be one. The oldest event that can be dated in all human history - that ought to be celebrated.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-3012688252657570567?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-24776807747405482722010-05-28T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.768-07:00<center>Romance of the Three Kingdoms<br />by Luo Guanzhong</center><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxxkOgYU2_I/AAAAAAAAA0U/fxlFPFn9r78/s1600-h/China+3+Kingdoms.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 314px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412311052565404658" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxxkOgYU2_I/AAAAAAAAA0U/fxlFPFn9r78/s320/China+3+Kingdoms.jpg" /></a>11 While they were drinking, they spotted a large fellow pushing a cart. The man stopped for a moment in the doorway, then entered into the tavern and sat down. The man called out to the server, "Pour me a drink and be quick about it, I'm in a hurry to get to town so that I can join the army." Xuande took a look at the man, who stood at a height of nine chi, and had a two chi long beard; his face was the color of a dark jujube, with lips that were red and plump; his eyes were like that of a crimson phoenix, and his eyebrows resembled reclining silkworms. He had a dignified air, and looked quite majestic. Xuande invited the man to sit with them, and inquired as to his name. The man said, "My surname is Guan, my given name is Yu, my style name was Shouchang, but then I changed it to Yunchang. I am from Xieliang in the Hedong Commandery. Because there was a man from a wealthy family who was acting like a big shot and bullying everybody, I ended up killing him. I had to become a fugitive, and have been living the life of an itinerant mercenary for the past five or six years. When I heard that this area was recruiting soldiers to go smash bandit rebels, I came especially to join up." When Xuande told the man of his plans, Yunchang was overjoyed. They all went to Zhang Fei's estate to discuss these important matters.<br /><br />12 Fei said, "There is a peach garden in the rear of my estate, and the flowers are now in full bloom; tomorrow, we should conduct a sacrificial ceremony to heaven and earth. We three should become brothers, joining forces with a common purpose, and later we will be able to accomplish great deeds." Xuande and Yunchang both responded in unison, "An excellent idea!" The following day, they prepared sacrificial offerings such as a black bull and a white horse. The three of them all burned incense, and performed double obeisance. They all took an oath, saying, "When saying the names Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, although the surnames are different, yet we have come together as brothers. From this day forward, we shall join forces for a common purpose, and come to each other's aid in times of crisis. We shall avenge the nation from above, and pacify the citizenry from below. We seek not to be born on the same day, in the same month and in the same year. We merely hope to die on the same day, in the same month and in the same year. May the gods of heaven and earth attest to what is in our hearts. If we should ever do anything to betray our friendship, may the gods in heaven strike us dead." Having completed the oath, Xuande was declared to be eldest brother, followed by Guan Yu, with Zhang Fei as the most junior brother. They made thorough offerings to heaven and earth, and then butchered the bull. They also brought out some wine, and gathered together all of the brave men of the county. They recruited more than three hundred men, so they proceeded to get thoroughly drunk in the peach garden. The day after, they gathered their weapons, but became frustrated that they had no horses to ride.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>Lays of Ancient Rome</em> by Macaulay.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Story</strong></center><br /><br />This is one of four great novels from China, published when it was the most highly civilization in the world. Map shows China at the time of this story.<br /><br /><strong>Chapter Summary</strong>: Three brave men swear an oath of allegiance at the feast in the peach gardens; our heroes' first achievement is the vanquishing of the Yellow Turbans.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/3%20Kingdoms">More of This Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />This translation from Wikipedia. See license <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/">CC-BY-SA</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-2477680774740548272?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-21757771580564873202010-05-27T19:03:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.768-07:00But she came back to me, crawling on her hands and knees.&nbsp; In fact, she crawled on her belly, then she said to me, "get out from under the bed, you coward."<br /><br />Oh, well!&nbsp; I can't win them all.&nbsp; (Sigh!)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-2175777158056487320?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-54913070132098367252010-05-27T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.769-07:00<center>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz<br />by L. Frank Baum</center><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxMJG4Gy43I/AAAAAAAAAzc/8FayiBIXw2c/s1600/Wizard+of+Oz.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 144px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409677591146849138" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxMJG4Gy43I/AAAAAAAAAzc/8FayiBIXw2c/s200/Wizard+of+Oz.jpg" /></a>When Boq saw her silver shoes he said, "You must be a great sorceress."<br /><br />"Why?" asked the girl.<br /><br />"Because you wear silver shoes and have killed the Wicked Witch. Besides, you have white in your frock, and only witches and sorceresses wear white."<br /><br />"My dress is blue and white checked," said Dorothy, smoothing out the wrinkles in it.<br /><br />"It is kind of you to wear that," said Boq. "Blue is the color of the Munchkins, and white is the witch color. So we know you are a friendly witch."<br /><br />Dorothy did not know what to say to this, for all the people seemed to think her a witch, and she knew very well she was only an ordinary little girl who had come by the chance of a cyclone into a strange land.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>Romance of the Three Kingdoms</em> the great Chinese novel from the Middle Ages.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_Ysp_yZVII">trailer</a> of Judy Garland's breakout movie of 1939; why wasn't the rest of Baum's Oz books made into movies?<br /><br /><strong>Illustrated:</strong> cover of the book's first edition in 1900.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Wizard%20of%20Oz">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-5491307013209836725?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-14319094929004761502010-05-26T03:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.769-07:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/S65B6KS-lrI/AAAAAAAABDg/RBF9lIgfVvQ/s1600/A+Hamilton.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 84px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453368666244421298" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/S65B6KS-lrI/AAAAAAAABDg/RBF9lIgfVvQ/s200/A+Hamilton.jpg" /></a><br />Men give me credit for genius but all the genius I have lies in this: When I have a subject in mind I study it profoundly. Day and night it is before me. The result is what some people call the fruits of genius, whereas it is in reality the fruits of study and labor.<br /><br />- Alexander Hamilton<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Hamilton">More on Alexander Hamilton</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-1431909492900476150?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-90710957788742547402010-05-26T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.769-07:00<center>by Mark Twain</center><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxLLVUYVrwI/AAAAAAAAAzU/fMYKpQ-wR3E/s1600/Mark+Twain.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 128px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409609669533871874" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxLLVUYVrwI/AAAAAAAAAzU/fMYKpQ-wR3E/s200/Mark+Twain.jpg" /></a>"I'll have to get you to give that to me, Sir. If there's anything you'd like to know about taking the sun, I'd as soon tell you as not--but I don't like to trust anybody with that instrument. If you want any figuring done--Aye, aye, sir!"<br /><br />He was gone to answer a call from the other side. I sought the deck-sweep.<br /><br />"Who is that spider-legged gorilla yonder with the sanctimonious countenance?"<br /><br />"It's Captain Jones, sir--the chief mate."<br /><br />"Well. This goes clear away ahead of anything I ever heard of before. Do you--now I ask you as a man and a brother--do you think I could venture to throw a rock here in any given direction without hitting a captain of this ship?"<br /><br />"Well, sir, I don't know--I think likely you'd fetch the captain of the watch may be, because he's a-standing right yonder in the way."<br /><br />I went below--meditating and a little downhearted. I thought, if five cooks can spoil a broth, what may not five captains do with a pleasure excursion.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz</em> by L. Frank Baum.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />This travelogue cemented this rising author's reputation when it was published in 1869.<br /><br /><strong>Chapter Summary:</strong> "Averaging" the Passengers--Far, far at Sea.--Tribulation among the Patriarchs--Seeking Amusement under Difficulties--Five Captains in the Ship<br /><br /><strong>Photo:</strong> Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) by Matthew Brady Feb. 7, 1871.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Innocents%20Abroad">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-9071095778874254740?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-45899090220493146842010-05-25T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.769-07:00<center>by Rudyard Kipling</center><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jswl5eElLf4&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jswl5eElLf4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />The first minutes of the movie; the first pages of the book.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />The old man halted by Zam-Zammah and looked round till his eye fell on Kim. The inspiration of his pilgrimage had left him for awhile, and he felt old, forlorn, and very empty.<br /><br />'Do not sit under that gun,' said the policeman loftily.<br /><br />'Huh! Owl!' was Kim's retort on the lama's behalf. 'Sit under that gun if it please thee. When didst thou steal the milkwoman's slippers,<br />Dunnoo?'<br /><br />That was an utterly unfounded charge sprung on the spur of the moment, but it silenced Dunnoo, who knew that Kim's clear yell could call up legions of bad bazaar boys if need arose.<br /><br />'And whom didst thou worship within?' said Kim affably, squatting in the shade beside the lama.<br /><br />'I worshipped none, child. I bowed before the Excellent Law.'<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>The Innocents Abroad</em> by Mark Twain.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />Kipling's novel of India and the British empire, published in 1900.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Kim">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-4589909022049314684?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-462857127490562632010-05-24T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.769-07:00<center>by Homer</center><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKuqMD_15I/AAAAAAAAAzE/pDsE22-ffx4/s1600/Wrath_of_Achilles.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 156px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409578142241118098" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKuqMD_15I/AAAAAAAAAzE/pDsE22-ffx4/s200/Wrath_of_Achilles.jpg" /></a>"Juno," replied the sire of gods and men, "you must not expect to<br />be informed of all my counsels. You are my wife, but you would<br />find it hard to understand them. When it is proper for you to<br />hear, there is no one, god or man, who will be told sooner, but<br />when I mean to keep a matter to myself, you must not pry nor ask<br />questions."<br /><br />"Dread son of Saturn," answered Juno, "what are you talking<br />about? I? Pry and ask questions? Never. I let you have your own<br />way in everything. Still, I have a strong misgiving that the old<br />merman's daughter Thetis has been talking you over, for she was<br />with you and had hold of your knees this self-same morning. I<br />believe, therefore, that you have been promising her to give<br />glory to Achilles, and to kill much people at the ships of the<br />Achaeans."<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>Kim</em> by Rudyard Kipling.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />From the earliest days of Ancient Greece, the author(s) of this poem were contemporaries of the writers of the Bible's Old Testament.<br /><br /><b>Summary of First Book:</b> The quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles--Achilles withdraws from the war, and sends his mother Thetis to ask Jove to help the Trojans--Scene between Jove and Juno on Olympus.<br /><br /><strong>Painting:</strong> <em>The Wrath of Achilles</em> by Michael Drolling, 1819.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Illiad">More of This Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-46285712749056263?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-44661396110501126572010-05-23T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.770-07:00<center>The Fisherman and the Genie</center><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKymS_YCUI/AAAAAAAAAzM/Tzc_pLF4scM/s1600/1001-nights.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 129px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 162px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409582473427814722" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKymS_YCUI/AAAAAAAAAzM/Tzc_pLF4scM/s200/1001-nights.jpg" /></a>Then he threw out the jar and wrung out and cleansed his net: after which he asked pardon of God the Most High and returning to the sea a third time, cast the net. He waited till it had settled down, then pulled it up and found in it potsherds and bones and broken bottles: whereat he was exceeding wroth and wept and recited the following verses:<br /><br />Fortune's with God: thou mayst not win to bind or set it free:<br /> Nor letter-lore nor any skill can bring good hap to thee.<br />Fortune, indeed, and benefits by Fate are lotted out: One<br /> country's blest with fertile fields, whilst others sterile<br /> be.<br />The shifts of evil chance cast down full many a man of worth And<br /> those, that merit not, uplift to be of high degree.<br />So come to me, O Death! for life is worthless verily; When<br /> falcons humbled to the dust and geese on high we see.<br />'Tis little wonder if thou find the noble-minded poor, What while<br /> the loser by main force usurps his sovranty.<br />One bird will traverse all the earth and fly from East to West:<br /> Another hath his every wish although no step stir he.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>The Illiad</em> by Homer.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />From the Arab world: these stories date back to the Middle Ages.<br /><br /><strong>Picture:</strong> Queen Scheherazade tells her stories to King Shahryār.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/1001%20Nights">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-4466139611050112657?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-89389704646302268702010-05-22T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.770-07:00<center>Horatius at the Bridge<br />by Thomas B. Macaulay</center><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxbZag0oKRI/AAAAAAAAA0M/Au1hFkAcTVk/s1600-h/Horatius.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 138px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410751051842726162" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxbZag0oKRI/AAAAAAAAA0M/Au1hFkAcTVk/s200/Horatius.jpg" /></a> XLIX<br /><br /> But all Etruria's noblest<br /> Felt their hearts sink to see<br /> On the earth the bloody corpses,<br /> In the path the dauntless Three:<br /> And, from the ghastly entrance<br /> Where those bold Romans stood,<br /> All shrank, like boys who unaware,<br /> Ranging the woods to start a hare,<br /> Come to the mouth of the dark lair<br /> Where, growling low, a fierce old bear<br /> Lies amidst bones and blood.<br /><br /> L<br /><br /> Was none who would be foremost<br /> To lead such dire attack;<br /> But those behind cried, "Forward!"<br /> And those before cried, "Back!"<br /> And backward now and forward<br /> Wavers the deep array;<br /> And on the tossing sea of steel<br /> To and frow the standards reel;<br /> And the victorious trumpet-peal<br /> Dies fitfully away.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from the great Arab book <em>Thousand and One Nights</em>.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />This poem celebrates one of the great heroic legends of history. Horatius saves Rome from the Etruscan invaders in 642 BC. Scottish poet Macaulay published this in 1842.<br /><br /><strong>Illustration:</strong> Horatius at the Bridge from the first edition.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/2009/12/lays-of-ancient-rome.html">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-8938970464630226870?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-2503473522093071972010-05-21T03:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.770-07:00<span style="font-size:180%;">Get ready to play in a chess tournament this weekend.</span><br /><br />Here's a little video to help you get your engine started. (-or to just learn a little more about the game.)<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/urITvqQleUE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/urITvqQleUE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://main.uschess.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&amp;Itemid=199"><em>Chess events in your area</em></a><em> . . . </em>and visit <a href="http://www.thechesswebsite.com/">The Chess Website</a> who created these wonderful videos.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-250347352209307197?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-25329000493354022242010-05-21T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.770-07:00<center>Romance of the Three Kingdoms<br />by Luo Guanzhong</center><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxxkOgYU2_I/AAAAAAAAA0U/fxlFPFn9r78/s1600-h/China+3+Kingdoms.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 314px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412311052565404658" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxxkOgYU2_I/AAAAAAAAA0U/fxlFPFn9r78/s320/China+3+Kingdoms.jpg" /></a>9 When Xuande was little, he used to play with children at the foot of a tree, saying, "I am the son of heaven, and I should mount my chariot." His uncle Liu Yuanqi said in amazement, "This child is no ordinary soul!" Seeing as Xuande was from a poor family, his uncle would often supplement their income. When he was fifteen, his mother sent him away for school. His teachers included Zheng Xuan and Lu Zhi, and he made friends with people like Gongsun Zan. By the time that Liu Yan had posted his conscription notice, Xuande was already 28 years of age. When he saw the announcement that day, his heart became heavy and he let out a long sigh. Right afterward, a man said sternly, "An able bodied man not lifting a finger for his country! What's with the long sigh?"<br /><br />10 Xuande turned around to look at the man, who stood at a height of eight chi, had a leopard-like head, eyes like jade bracelets, a neck like that of a swallow's, and a mustache that reminded one of tiger whiskers. He had a booming voice, and was as forceful as a pack of galloping horses. Xuande thought he looked strange, and asked his name. The man replied, "My surname is Zhang, my given name is Fei, and my style name is Yide. My family has lived in the Zhuo Commandery for generations. I am the landlord of a large estate; I also sell wine and butcher pigs. I am particularly adept at forging relationships with men of outstanding ability. I just now saw you sigh after looking at the announcement, so I asked the reason." Xuande said, "Actually, I am a descendant of the house of Han. My surname is Liu, and my given name is Bei. Today, when I heard that the Yellow Turbans were calling for rebellion, I had a great desire to go smash those bandits, and appease the citizenry. I felt frustrated that I was powerless to do anything, so I let out a long sigh, that's all." Fei responded, "I am a man of considerable means. I should recruit a local militia, and we should undertake this great task together. What do you think?" Xuande was ecstatic, and they both went in to the village tavern so that they could have a drink together.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>Lays of Ancient Rome</em> by Macaulay.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Story</strong></center><br /><br />This is one of four great novels from China, published when it was the most highly civilization in the world. Map shows China at the time of this story.<br /><br /><strong>Chapter Summary</strong>: Three brave men swear an oath of allegiance at the feast in the peach gardens; our heroes' first achievement is the vanquishing of the Yellow Turbans.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/3%20Kingdoms">More of This Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />This translation from Wikipedia. See license <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/">CC-BY-SA</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-2532900049335402224?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-65370135067971322862010-05-20T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.771-07:00<center>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz<br />by L. Frank Baum</center><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxMJG4Gy43I/AAAAAAAAAzc/8FayiBIXw2c/s1600/Wizard+of+Oz.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 144px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409677591146849138" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxMJG4Gy43I/AAAAAAAAAzc/8FayiBIXw2c/s200/Wizard+of+Oz.jpg" /></a>Toward evening, when Dorothy was tired with her long walk and began to wonder where she should pass the night, she came to a house rather larger than the rest. On the green lawn before it many men and women were dancing. Five little fiddlers played as loudly as possible, and the people were laughing and singing, while a big table near by was loaded with delicious fruits and nuts, pies and cakes, and many other good things to eat.<br /><br />The people greeted Dorothy kindly, and invited her to supper and to pass the night with them; for this was the home of one of the richest Munchkins in the land, and his friends were gathered with him to celebrate their freedom from the bondage of the Wicked Witch.<br /><br />Dorothy ate a hearty supper and was waited upon by the rich Munchkin himself, whose name was Boq. Then she sat upon a settee and watched the people dance.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>Romance of the Three Kingdoms</em> the great Chinese novel from the Middle Ages.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_Ysp_yZVII">trailer</a> of Judy Garland's breakout movie of 1939; why wasn't the rest of Baum's Oz books made into movies?<br /><br /><strong>Illustrated:</strong> cover of the book's first edition in 1900.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Wizard%20of%20Oz">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-6537013506797132286?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-26104828802617568242010-05-19T03:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.771-07:00It is a maxim universally agreed upon in agriculture, that nothing must be done too late; and again, that everything must be done at its proper season; while there is a third perception which reminds us that opportunities lost can never be regained.<br /><br />- Pliny the Elder<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pliny_the_Elder">More on Pliny</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-2610482880261756824?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-88614977617467266202010-05-19T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.771-07:00<center>by Mark Twain</center><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxLLVUYVrwI/AAAAAAAAAzU/fMYKpQ-wR3E/s1600/Mark+Twain.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 128px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409609669533871874" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxLLVUYVrwI/AAAAAAAAAzU/fMYKpQ-wR3E/s200/Mark+Twain.jpg" /></a>I loitered about awhile, and then, for want of something better to do, fell to carving a railing with my knife. Somebody said, in an insinuating, admonitory voice:<br /><br />"Now, say--my friend--don't you know any better than to be whittling the ship all to pieces that way? You ought to know better than that."<br /><br />I went back and found the deck sweep.<br /><br />"Who is that smooth-faced, animated outrage yonder in the fine clothes?"<br /><br />"That's Captain L****, the owner of the ship--he's one of the main bosses."<br /><br />In the course of time I brought up on the starboard side of the pilot-house and found a sextant lying on a bench. Now, I said, they "take the sun" through this thing; I should think I might see that vessel through it. I had hardly got it to my eye when someone touched me on the shoulder and said deprecatingly:<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz</em> by L. Frank Baum.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />This travelogue cemented this rising author's reputation when it was published in 1869.<br /><br /><strong>Chapter Summary:</strong> "Averaging" the Passengers--Far, far at Sea.--Tribulation among the Patriarchs--Seeking Amusement under Difficulties--Five Captains in the Ship<br /><br /><strong>Photo:</strong> Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) by Matthew Brady Feb. 7, 1871.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Innocents%20Abroad">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-8861497761746726620?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-90445186306041877412010-05-18T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.771-07:00<center>by Rudyard Kipling</center><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jswl5eElLf4&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jswl5eElLf4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />The first minutes of the movie; the first pages of the book.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />'When I return, having found the River, I will bring thee a written picture of the Padma Samthora such as I used to make on silk at the lamassery. Yes--and of the Wheel of Life,' he chuckled, 'for we be craftsmen together, thou and I.'<br /><br />The Curator would have detained him: they are few in the world who still have the secret of the conventional brush-pen Buddhist pictures which are, as it were, half written and half drawn. But the lama strode out, head high in air, and pausing an instant before the great statue of a Bodhisat in meditation, brushed through the turnstiles.<br /><br />Kim followed like a shadow. What he had overheard excited him wildly. This man was entirely new to all his experience, and he meant to investigate further, precisely as he would have investigated a new building or a strange festival in Lahore city. The lama was his trove, and he purposed to take possession. Kim's mother had been Irish, too.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>The Innocents Abroad</em> by Mark Twain.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />Kipling's novel of India and the British empire, published in 1900.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Kim">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-9044518630604187741?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-65547795328546167632010-05-17T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.772-07:00<center>by Homer</center><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKuqMD_15I/AAAAAAAAAzE/pDsE22-ffx4/s1600/Wrath_of_Achilles.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 156px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409578142241118098" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKuqMD_15I/AAAAAAAAAzE/pDsE22-ffx4/s200/Wrath_of_Achilles.jpg" /></a>As he spoke the son of Saturn bowed his dark brows, and the<br />ambrosial locks swayed on his immortal head, till vast Olympus<br />reeled.<br /><br />When the pair had thus laid their plans, they parted--Jove to his<br />house, while the goddess quitted the splendour of Olympus, and<br />plunged into the depths of the sea. The gods rose from their<br />seats, before the coming of their sire. Not one of them dared to<br />remain sitting, but all stood up as he came among them. There,<br />then, he took his seat. But Juno, when she saw him, knew that he<br />and the old merman's daughter, silver-footed Thetis, had been<br />hatching mischief, so she at once began to upbraid him.<br />"Trickster," she cried, "which of the gods have you been taking<br />into your counsels now? You are always settling matters in secret<br />behind my back, and have never yet told me, if you could help it,<br />one word of your intentions."<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>Kim</em> by Rudyard Kipling.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />From the earliest days of Ancient Greece, the author(s) of this poem were contemporaries of the writers of the Bible's Old Testament.<br /><br /><b>Summary of First Book:</b> The quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles--Achilles withdraws from the war, and sends his mother Thetis to ask Jove to help the Trojans--Scene between Jove and Juno on Olympus.<br /><br /><strong>Painting:</strong> <em>The Wrath of Achilles</em> by Michael Drolling, 1819.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Illiad">More of This Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-6554779532854616763?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-14051639224036022212010-05-16T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.772-07:00<center>The Fisherman and the Genie</center><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKymS_YCUI/AAAAAAAAAzM/Tzc_pLF4scM/s1600/1001-nights.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 129px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 162px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409582473427814722" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxKymS_YCUI/AAAAAAAAAzM/Tzc_pLF4scM/s200/1001-nights.jpg" /></a>So saying, he threw out the dead ass and wrung the net and spread it out. Then he went down into the sea and cast again, saying, 'In the name of God!' and waited till the net had settled down in the water, when he pulled the cords and finding it was heavy and resisted more than before, thought it was full of fish. So he made it fast to the shore and stripped and dived into the water round the net, till he got it free. Then he hauled at it till he brought it ashore, but found in it nothing but a great jar full of sand and mud. When he saw this, he groaned aloud and repeated the following verses:<br /><br />Anger of Fate, have pity and forbear, Or at the least hold back<br /> thy hand and spare!<br />I sally forth to seek my daily bread And find my living vanished<br /> into air.<br />How many a fool's exalted to the stars, Whilst sages hidden in<br /> the mire must fare!<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>The Illiad</em> by Homer.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />From the Arab world: these stories date back to the Middle Ages.<br /><br /><strong>Picture:</strong> Queen Scheherazade tells her stories to King Shahryār.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/1001%20Nights">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-1405163922403602221?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-36647622765911523682010-05-15T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.772-07:00<center>Horatius at the Bridge<br />by Thomas B. Macaulay</center><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxbZag0oKRI/AAAAAAAAA0M/Au1hFkAcTVk/s1600-h/Horatius.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 138px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410751051842726162" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxbZag0oKRI/AAAAAAAAA0M/Au1hFkAcTVk/s200/Horatius.jpg" /></a> XLVII<br /><br /> On Astur's throat Horatius<br /> Right firmly pressed his heel,<br /> And thrice and four times tugged amain,<br /> Ere he wrenched out the steel.<br /> "And see," he cried, "the welcome,<br /> Fair guests, that waits you here!<br /> What noble Lucomo comes next<br /> To taste our Roman cheer?"<br /><br /> XLVIII<br /><br /> But at his haughty challenge<br /> A sullen murmur ran,<br /> Mingled of wrath, and shame, and dread,<br /> Along that glittering van.<br /> There lacked not men of prowess,<br /> Nor men of lordly race;<br /> For all Etruria's noblest<br /> Were round the fatal place.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from the great Arab book <em>Thousand and One Nights</em>.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />This poem celebrates one of the great heroic legends of history. Horatius saves Rome from the Etruscan invaders in 642 BC. Scottish poet Macaulay published this in 1842.<br /><br /><strong>Illustration:</strong> Horatius at the Bridge from the first edition.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/2009/12/lays-of-ancient-rome.html">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-3664762276591152368?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-55595143655134141232010-05-14T03:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.772-07:00<span style="font-size:180%;">Get ready to play in a chess tournament this weekend.</span><br /><br />Here's a little video to help you get your engine started. (-or to just learn a little more about the game.)<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-qGlSDA4w6M&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-qGlSDA4w6M&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://main.uschess.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&amp;Itemid=199"><em>Chess events in your area</em></a><em> . . . </em>and visit <a href="http://www.thechesswebsite.com/">The Chess Website</a> who created these wonderful videos.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-5559514365513414123?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-12261269148507125972010-05-14T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.773-07:00<center>Romance of the Three Kingdoms<br />by Luo Guanzhong</center><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxxkOgYU2_I/AAAAAAAAA0U/fxlFPFn9r78/s1600-h/China+3+Kingdoms.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 314px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412311052565404658" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxxkOgYU2_I/AAAAAAAAA0U/fxlFPFn9r78/s320/China+3+Kingdoms.jpg" /></a>8 This person was not especially fond of scholarly pursuits; he was relaxed and peaceful by nature, a man of few words whose facial expression never revealed his joy or his anger. He had great ambition, and was particularly adept at forging relationships with men of outstanding ability. He grew to a height of seven chi and five cun. His ears drooped down to his shoulders, and his hands went past his knees. He could see his ears with his own eyes. He had a striking face, like one of the jade ornaments which adorn so many hats, with lips that were red and plump. He was the descendant of Liu Sheng, Prince Jing of Zhongshan, and he was also a distant descendant of Emperor Jing of Han. His surname was Liu, and his given name was Bei; his style name was Xuande. A long time ago, Liu Zhen, son of Liu Sheng, was granted the title of Ting Marquis Zhuolu by Emperor Wu of Han. Later on, he failed to pay his annual tribute, and so he lost his Marquis status. As a result, this branch of the family had remained in Zhuo County. Xuande's grandfather was Liu Xiong, and his father was Liu Hong. Hong had been recommended by the local government to an official post, based on his record of filial piety and honesty. He took up the post, but died early. Xuande lost his father at a young age, but showed extreme filial piety in attending to his mother. His family was poor; they sold straw sandals and wove straw mats for a living. Their home was in Lousang Village of the same county. To the southeast of their home, was a large mulberry tree, which rose to a height of five zhang. The tree was thickly covered with leaves like the umbrella over a horse drawn chariot. The fortune tellers all said, "This family will definitely produce a man of importance."<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>Lays of Ancient Rome</em> by Macaulay.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Story</strong></center><br /><br />This is one of four great novels from China, published when it was the most highly civilization in the world. Map shows China at the time of this story.<br /><br /><strong>Chapter Summary</strong>: Three brave men swear an oath of allegiance at the feast in the peach gardens; our heroes' first achievement is the vanquishing of the Yellow Turbans.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/3%20Kingdoms">More of This Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />This translation from Wikipedia. See license <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/">CC-BY-SA</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-1226126914850712597?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-65831536007457071022010-05-13T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.773-07:00<center>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz<br />by L. Frank Baum</center><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxMJG4Gy43I/AAAAAAAAAzc/8FayiBIXw2c/s1600/Wizard+of+Oz.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 144px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409677591146849138" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxMJG4Gy43I/AAAAAAAAAzc/8FayiBIXw2c/s200/Wizard+of+Oz.jpg" /></a>She closed the door, locked it, and put the key carefully in the pocket of her dress. And so, with Toto trotting along soberly behind her, she started on her journey.<br /><br />There were several roads near by, but it did not take her long to find the one paved with yellow bricks. Within a short time she was walking briskly toward the Emerald City, her silver shoes tinkling merrily on the hard, yellow road-bed. The sun shone bright and the birds sang sweetly, and Dorothy did not feel nearly so bad as you might think a little girl would who had been suddenly whisked away from her own country and set down in the midst of a strange land.<br /><br />She was surprised, as she walked along, to see how pretty the country was about her. There were neat fences at the sides of the road, painted a dainty blue color, and beyond them were fields of grain and vegetables in abundance. Evidently the Munchkins were good farmers and able to raise large crops. Once in a while she would pass a house, and the people came out to look at her and bow low as she went by; for everyone knew she had been the means of destroying the Wicked Witch and setting them free from bondage. The houses of the Munchkins were odd-looking dwellings, for each was round, with a big dome for a roof. All were painted blue, for in this country of the East blue was the favorite color.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>Romance of the Three Kingdoms</em> the great Chinese novel from the Middle Ages.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_Ysp_yZVII">trailer</a> of Judy Garland's breakout movie of 1939; why wasn't the rest of Baum's Oz books made into movies?<br /><br /><strong>Illustrated:</strong> cover of the book's first edition in 1900.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Wizard%20of%20Oz">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-6583153600745707102?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-41570041116364505922010-05-12T03:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.773-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/S64-3KjR9sI/AAAAAAAABDY/K2m0wSBtHek/s1600/Peter_Drucker_Pres_Bush.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 154px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453365316238309058" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/S64-3KjR9sI/AAAAAAAABDY/K2m0wSBtHek/s200/Peter_Drucker_Pres_Bush.jpg" /></a><br /><div>For it is the willingness of people to give of themselves over and above the demands of the job that distinguishes the great from the mearely adequate.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>- Peter F. Drucker</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_F._Drucker">More on Peter F. Drucker</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-4157004111636450592?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-88653649041931165252010-05-12T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.773-07:00<center>by Mark Twain</center><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxLLVUYVrwI/AAAAAAAAAzU/fMYKpQ-wR3E/s1600/Mark+Twain.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 128px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409609669533871874" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1xcS8qG-e_g/SxLLVUYVrwI/AAAAAAAAAzU/fMYKpQ-wR3E/s200/Mark+Twain.jpg" /></a>I picked up a good deal of information during the afternoon. At one time I was climbing up the quarterdeck when the vessel's stem was in the sky; I was smoking a cigar and feeling passably comfortable. Somebody ejaculated:<br /><br />"Come, now, that won't answer. Read the sign up there--NO SMOKING ABAFT THE WHEEL!"<br /><br />It was Captain Duncan, chief of the expedition. I went forward, of course. I saw a long spyglass lying on a desk in one of the upper-deck state-rooms back of the pilot-house and reached after it--there was a ship in the distance.<br /><br />"Ah, ah--hands off! Come out of that!"<br /><br />I came out of that. I said to a deck-sweep--but in a low voice:<br /><br />"Who is that overgrown pirate with the whiskers and the discordant voice?"<br /><br />"It's Captain Bursley--executive officer--sailing master."<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz</em> by L. Frank Baum.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />This travelogue cemented this rising author's reputation when it was published in 1869.<br /><br /><strong>Chapter Summary:</strong> "Averaging" the Passengers--Far, far at Sea.--Tribulation among the Patriarchs--Seeking Amusement under Difficulties--Five Captains in the Ship<br /><br /><strong>Photo:</strong> Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) by Matthew Brady Feb. 7, 1871.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Innocents%20Abroad">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-8865364904193116525?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-33129578394825727222010-05-11T01:00:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.773-07:00<center>by Rudyard Kipling</center><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jswl5eElLf4&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jswl5eElLf4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />The first minutes of the movie; the first pages of the book.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />'A feather! A very feather upon the face.' The old man turned his head delightedly and wrinkled up his nose. 'How scarcely do I feel them! How clearly do I see!'<br /><br />'They be bilaur--crystal--and will never scratch. May they help thee to thy River, for they are thine.'<br /><br />'I will take them and the pencils and the white note-book,' said the lama, 'as a sign of friendship between priest and priest--and now--' He fumbled at his belt, detached the open-work iron pincers, and laid it on the Curator's table. 'That is for a memory between thee and me—my pencase. It is something old--even as I am.'<br /><br />It was a piece of ancient design, Chinese, of an iron that is not smelted these days; and the collector's heart in the Curator's bosom had gone out to it from the first. For no persuasion would the lama resume his gift.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from <em>The Innocents Abroad</em> by Mark Twain.<br /><br /><center><strong>More About This Book</strong></center><br /><br />Kipling's novel of India and the British empire, published in 1900.<br /><br />More information here:<br /><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td width="50%"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/">Literature Daily</a></td><td width="50%" align="right"><a href="http://lit-daily.blogspot.com/search/label/Kim">More of this Series</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-3312957839482572722?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813200618742996845.post-6974150501390718812010-05-10T09:47:00.000-07:002011-08-04T10:27:46.774-07:00Here's some pretty good estimates:<br /><br />500 - 900 million years from now:&nbsp; the planet's average temperature will by 158 degrees F.&nbsp; All plant life will be gone.<br />500 million years after that:&nbsp; Earth will no longer be habitable<br /><br />This is because the Sun's luminosity increases 10% every 1.1 billion years.<br /><br />250 million years from now, continental drift will bring all the continents together into one massive supercontinent around Antartica.<br /><br />4.5 billion years from now the Milky Way Galaxy will merge with the Andromeda Galaxy.<br /><br />5 billion years from now the Sun will explode into a Red Giant.&nbsp; The Earth will find itself within the Sun's atmosphere and will be incinerated.<br /><br />Cheers!<br /><br />-----<br /><br />Just for context, the Earth is 4 billion years old; the universe is 12 billion years old.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/813200618742996845-697415050139071881?l=www.jacklemoine.com' alt='' /></div>Jack Le Moinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01800312583017921274noreply@blogger.com1