Men

As you may recall a few weeks back I posted a rant on gender differences and the subject of everything has a place and should be returned to it.  Unfortunately,  I posted a picture showing my side of the bathroom vanity which showed 5 items neatly arranged and her side piled knee deep with dozens of items many of whose purpose would be unknown to most males. Needless to say Mrs. T was ticked. She demanded an opportunity to respond.  

Why Men Have It Easier (according to Mrs. T.)  Actually the list was too long to copy in its entirety.

 The garage is all yours.

 Wedding plans take care of themselves.

 Chocolate is just another snack.

 You can never be pregnant.

 You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.

 Car mechanics tell you the truth.

 The world is your urinal.

You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.

 You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.

 Same work, more pay.

 Wrinkles add character.

New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.

 Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.

A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.

You can open all your own jars.

 You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.

 If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can  still be your friend.

 Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.

 Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.

 You almost never have strap problems in public.

 You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.

 Everything on your face stays its original color.

The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.

 You can play with toys all your life.

 You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.

 You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife.

No wonder men have it easier…..                       

 

Citizens of London

Few in England would have had any trouble naming the US envoy to the Court of St. James during and after World War II. His name was John G. Winant.  Very few American today would know his name.  Winant was only one of many Americans who came to in Britain to help it survive the worst days of its existence.  Citizens of London tells the story of these Americans in an fascinating book who subtitle says it best, “The Americans Who Stood With Britain in Its Darkest, Finest Hour.”

Lynne Olson, the author and a former White House correspondent, chooses to focus on three American men – Winant, W. Averell Harriman and journalist Edward R. Murrow who made a huge difference in how the story ended.

The first two, as Olson writes, served as FDR’s eyes and ears. Murrow did the same thing for the entire United States, or at least anyone near a radio. But their value also came in their relationships with Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who knew the United States held the key to his country’s survival and needed to find Americans to both trust and manipulate.

Winant was the public face of the US on the streets of London, a generous character who made points by popping up in local neighborhoods with offers of assistance after German bombings. Harriman, who’d go on to a long career in politics, served as a kind of top-level go-between. The super intense Murrow, meanwhile, embraced danger – he “repeatedly gambled his life” by tagging along on air raids – and went all-out to support the British cause.

I wouldn’t describe the book as a page turner but it is fascinating. It has depth in the political and military sense but above all in the personal characterizations  actors.  In other words in the vast scope of events there are some very interesting personal stories.  Even what might seems gossipy but really is relevant to understanding the place and the time. All three men at the center of the book – Harriman, Morrow, and Winant – had affairs with members of Churchill’s family.

“Citizens of London” encompasses much more than just Americans in England. The wide range of topics include war strategy, Eisenhower’s insecurity over his lower-class upbringing and the lack of deprivations back home in the US compared with Britain. While the English tried to win rare onions in raffles, American women refused to give up their girdles during a rubber shortage. A fascinating and intimate history....

 

Who Is it?

Take a guess on these rare photos. Then check the comment sections for the answers and tell how you did. Each one gets a little harder..... :)

 Picture No. 1

 

 

 

The Life Of Pi

Other than the fact that we went to the wrong theater, had two hours to kill when we finally found the right one and ate an overcooked char hardened rib sandwich while waiting for the show to start, The Life of Pi was a really interesting and enjoyable movie. Oh and I might add the awful previews were a reminder of why we rarely go to movies these days. There aren’t many for grownups…..   Lincoln was the most recent one we enjoyed.

The Life of Pi, while PG rated has some frightening scenes involving people and animals.   It would not be for young children. A tiger trapped in a small boat  with other animals and a boy is not for the faint hearted.  It’s really a fantasy wrapped inside a parable. Visually stunning it left me thinking about some of the bigger questions of life including religion, childrearing and choices. All in all, it's an excellent and academy award nominated film….

Drats & Curses!!!

I found some spam on this blog.  Went to the control board and tried to delete them . In the process I accidentally deleted all the comments ever  placed on the blog....... Grrrrrrr.  People like me can  be dangerous when left unguided and trying to handle digital technology.  I'm going to bed now.

Gender

EATING OUT When the bill arrives, Mark, Chris, Eric and Tom will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back. When women get their bill the calculators come out.

MONEY A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs. A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need if it's on sale.

DRESSING UP A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the garbage, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail. A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of them wanted to concede their position. As they passed a barnyard of mules, jack asses, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically, "Relatives of yours?" "Nope," she replied. "Inlaws."

BATHROOMS A man has five items in his bathroom: a toothbrush, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel. The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 137. A man would not be able to identify most of them.  From the photograph below identify which side of the wash basin belong to Troutbirder and which side belongs to Mrs. T.

 

Nook

I didn't think I would but I do I do I do.  When I first heard of the Kindle concept I saw no reason to be very interested.  I'm a omivorous reader and plenty of books were available at our local small town library and the bigger Rochester Minn. version nearby offered there easily available collection as well. Then there was the regional library coop and a Barnes and Noble. Recently a Nook appeared under a Christmas tree.  I hadn't expected it. Downloading my first book, (The Last Lion) the final volume in William Manchesters trilogy biography of  Winston Churchill,  it made a recent long flight bearable. Easy to operate and hold, I love it.  No I won't be doing most of my reading in the digital mode but under certain conditions and circumstances it will prove to be ideal......

Thomas Jefferson - The Art Of Power

I liked Jon Meacham’s new biography, “Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power.” It is a good book. It’s not as great as the authors American Lion, his Pulitzer Prize winning biography of Andrew Jackson. While Meacham is a highly skilled wordsmith (he is one of those journalists turned historian) and his research is impeccable, he does tread the middle ground a bit too much in this book.  As you are probably are aware, Mr. Jefferson’s reputation has taken a beating in recent years. It’s all about hypocrisy. The man who brought us “all men are created equal” had slaves.  Considering the times though, while he made some motions early on towards eliminating slavery later he talked out of both sides of his mouth. Promising some he was against it and would work to end the institution and then continuing to live the live the life and do nothing about it. Meacham deftly avoids much of this subject, says little about his   black mistress and mother of many of his children.  Much of what Mr. Meacham has to say about Jefferson repeated frequently, is that he was both philosopher and politician but could be pragmatic when theory and reality were at odds. Though he was an idealist but was also able to be practical and could compromise in an burgeoning era of extreme partisanship. All and all in todays similar climate there were some good lessons  for today.  I’m sure the book will be very popular and will give it a B+.

 

Washington & Jefferson Go Fishing

Reading voraciously has been a lifelong habit for me.  For enjoyment, knowledge, and sometimes retreat from the cares of life and the world.  Thus appalled by the news of the slaughter of innocents in Connecticut on Friday, I fled to Jon Meacham’s wonderful new biography Thomas Jefferson The Art of Power. I was as far as Chapter 23 Page240.  Thus –
“There was a late snow in New York in the last week of April 1790. Not long afterward President Washington became so ill that he was thought to be dying. By early June, however, the president was well enough to take Jefferson along on a fishing trip off Sandy Hook. Jefferson, ever practical and optimistic, hoped any seasickness would ”carry off the remains of my headache.”

Guns don’t kill people. People kill people using guns. I wonder if these two founding fathers and the others who added the 2^nd Amendment to the Constitution could see these massacres, in modern America,  would they say “this is what we had in mind when guaranteeing citizens right to keep and bear arms?”  Loading a black powder musket would likely not allow someone to kill dozens of children in minutes much less seconds…..   It’s time to move on into the 21^st century and deal with the problems we face now.  Are you listening Judge Scalia?  Probably not