The Permanent Renaissance

Welcome to my blog about how the arts and culture serve to expand our mental horizons. You might find me riffing about almost anything that interests me, which is to say anything multicultural and with some attitude. Typically, that means music, art and architecture, design, wine and food, gadgets and Open Source, science fiction and poetry, museums, or travel. But whatever the ostensible topic at hand, the point will be how it opens up new possibilities for what we can become.

My Photo
Name:
Location: Seattle

One thing about me is that I'm creative (or sneaky) enough to bypass the default format for profile entries. Instead of clicking on the Favorite Books links in the lower part of my profile, just copy and paste them. "Si te dan papel rayado, escribe de traves." (If they give you ruled paper, write the other way.) -- Nobel-winning poet Juan Ramón Jiménez, Nov. 20, 1920

Saturday, February 22, 2014

February 22, 2014 at 11:43AM

Today, I've been reading the Facebook pages of Ukrainians who aren't hard supporters of any party, yet who comment on today's apparent ouster of president Yanukovich. One thing that shocks me is that some Ukrainian trade union and Jewish FB pages have recently said, in effect, our people have been beaten up by rightwing anti-government militants, so we condemn the violence of -- the government. Guys, if you think you can use neo-Nazis as your pet shock troops to overturn a government administration you dislike, you're making a big mistake!

Labels: ,

Wednesday, February 19, 2014


Sunday, February 16, 2014

Need a late snack? How about pureed mayo and shrimp entombed in lemon Jello, with boiled shrimp glued onto the sides and blackberries perched on the top like divers wearing mayonnaise tutus while preparing to do triple somersaults into the sea of canned asparagus that fills the center!


Saturday, February 15, 2014


Point-counterpoint.


Thursday, February 13, 2014

I haven't thought of this sitcom episode since it aired back during the Kennedy presidency. If you're an old fogie like me, you'll remember every line when I ask: Did Danny Thomas really have eyes in the back of his head?


Monday, February 03, 2014

It can be scary to be a parent these days!


We three Kings.