Better Living Through Introspection

Where can I get me some free ice cream?

I don’t normally do this, but based on his interview on The Newshour with Jim Lehrer, and based on his recitation of his poem “The God Who Loves You,” I have to recommend Carl Dennis’s Pulitzer Prize winning collection, Practical Gods. I’ve already added it to my wish list.

Of course, I would rather have seen Louise Gluck win for The Seven Ages; I’ve dog-eared my copy to the point of meaninglessness. But, thanks to the Pulitzers (and, more appropriately, a wonderful interview (genuine, unassuming, heartfelt laughter, however brief, can do wonders for the heart) conducted by Elizabeth Farnsworth), I’ve a new poet to read. Sometimes I stick to my favorites to my own detriment. You understand, yes?

And, finally, another “of course”: Of course, I was about to go off on a rant about how remarkable and worthwhile PBS can be, but I haven’t contributed in a long, long time, and I would feel only slightly hypocritical if I were to start babbling on about how thankful everyone should be that there’s such an oranization as PBS.

In other news, I’m dog-tired.

An orbiting X-ray telescope has found two bizarre objects that may form a new star class and are perhaps filled with a new form of matter — findings that may challenge fundamental theories of particle physics and astronomy.

The objects, called RXJ1856 and 3C58, were thought to be neutron stars, but observations by NASA’s Chandra X-ray telescope show that they are too small and too cold to be standard neutron stars.

“In both cases, we are seeing contradictions in these observations relative to standard theory,” said Anne Kinney, director of astronomy at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

[full article at nytimes.com | requires free registration]

It wasn’t pretty, but we won. Ball-handling, passing, and shooting so bad you wouldn’t think you were watching the championship game. But again, most importantly, finally, we won.

And again with the idiots. I just don’t understand.

[Tip o' the hat to Seth for suggesting today's title.]