Unless you are an initiate, it is difficult to explain the appeal of literature from the era of the pulp magazines. In fact most literary high-brows would insist on putting that word literature into quotes when referring to the pulps. The heyday of the pulps was in the 1930s and 40s. Afterwards they quickly disappeared,… Continue reading Man of Bronze
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The Magic of Medtner
When I was in college in the late 1960s, early 70s, electronic and avant-garde music was all the rage, at least in my circles. Honestly everyone else listened to Rock, but I was fascinated by what is ineptly named “Classical Music.” In the 20th century, a century of the utmost human drama and scientific progress, there… Continue reading The Magic of Medtner
In the Catacombs of Paris
One night many years ago I was driving my son Kevin to a hockey tournament in Casper, Wyoming. It was winter and Denver had been hit by a snow storm. Although I had left Denver at a reasonable time, the traffic was very slow, so we didn’t arrive in Casper until very late. At about… Continue reading In the Catacombs of Paris
How to Retire If You Are a Doctor
To paraphrase General MacArthur, old doctors never retire, they just fade away. Despite having greater than average financial resources and more burdensome than average work load, many doctors seem to have a hard time knowing when it is time to call it quits. I know doctors who continue to practice into their 70s and 80s.… Continue reading How to Retire If You Are a Doctor
In Praise (Defense) of Nurses
Author’s Note #1: This post has been sitting around in my draft bin for some time now. But since it is Nurses Week, it seems an appropriate time to take it out of the bin, dust it off, and post it. Author’s Note #2: I deleted the political innuendo that was in the original version of… Continue reading In Praise (Defense) of Nurses
Configurable Android App Widget Tutorial
Developing an Android home screen app widget is not for the faint of heart. The official Android widget documentation is sketchy and sometimes just plain wrong. Following instructions online I had trouble creating a widget that had a configuration button on it and used an AlarmManager to update the widget in real time. The… Continue reading Configurable Android App Widget Tutorial
1984 in 2014
I am rereading George Orwell’s 1984. The first time I read it was in the 1960s. Reading it again I wonder if he shouldn’t have titled it 2014. The book is closer to reality now than it ever was. No, we don’t have a dictator named Big Brother looming over us. But the ubiquitous electronic… Continue reading 1984 in 2014
Software is Fragile
By now everyone has heard of the Heartbleed bug. Prior to that Apple had its “Goto Fail” bug. Magic tricks seem obvious once they have been explained. In the case of Heartbleed, the programmer forgot to put a limit on the amount of information that could be requested in a packet, thus exposing information that… Continue reading Software is Fragile
The Root of All Evil
Imprecise language may not be the root of all evil, but it runs a close second. The ability to communicate may be the most basic characteristic that makes us human. If we lose that capability, all sorts of unintended consequences ensue, à la the Tower of Babel. Which brings us to the recent US Supreme… Continue reading The Root of All Evil
Thematic Unity in Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto
Rachmaninoff’s second piano concerto (1901) was written after a course of psychotherapy for depression that the composer suffered following the disastrous premier of his first symphony. Apparently this treatment worked, for the concerto is one of the most popular ever written for the instrument. Its popularity stems not only from its lyrical themes but also… Continue reading Thematic Unity in Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto