From:  Steve Benko  Subject:  Hannah Senesh thought for the day  There are stars whose radiance is visible on Earth though they have long been extinct.  There are people whose brilliance continues to light the world though they are no longer among the living.  These lights are particularly bright when the night is dark.  They light the way for humankind. - Hannah Senesh, poet, playwright, and paratrooper (17 Jul 1921-1944)  Here’s part of a poem by Hannah Senesh set to music and performed by my daughter Julie: video (1 min.)

From:  Alex McCrae  Subject:  blood-and-guts, chopped liver  Warhorse US General George Patton was quoted as saying to his WWII officers-in-training, “You’re going to be up to your necks in blood and guts.”  From that point on, the Patton moniker, “Old Blood-and-Guts” stuck.  A common GI saying regarding Patton was, “Our blood, his guts.”  So many common food-words and phrases have entered our lexicon.  Cases in point:  red herring, cake walk, knuckle sandwich, Hot dog! (as an exclamation) . . . the phrases “That takes the cake”, “Easy as pie”, “Good egg”.  Our use of “chopped liver” could also be included in that list.   

From:  Ben Truwe  Subject:  chopped liver    
Chopped liver was sometimes formed into a centerpiece sculpture, surrounded by crackers.  One appears in the film Goodbye Columbus.  AWADmail Issue 1099   

Since its publication in 1667, readers have often used Paradise Lost to think critically about patriarchy.   Mary Shelley took the epigraph of Frankenstein from Milton, and one of the three books that her monster reads is Paradise Lost.  Virginia Woolf called Paradise Lost the “essence of which almost all other poetry is the dilution,” but in A Room with a View, the hyper-learned Milton is an inhibiting figure, someone women are not permitted to rival.  Barbieland, like Eden, is sumptuous, sweet, and sufficient in every sense.  Milton’s Paradise is a place of never-cloying sweetness.  He doesn’t use the word “pink” (first used to describe the color in 1669), but the word “rose” appears 32 times, and the poetry is saturated with luxurious description.  Near the beginning of the film, Ken injures himself trying to run into the sea.  When Barbie comforts him, Ken wilts into the nape of her neck.  This gesture is meant to look pathetic, and Ryan Gosling plays it cartoonishly, but something about it was strangely moving.  In her 2002 book Hollywood Flatlands, Esther Leslie describes how Walter Benjamin and Theodor Adorno found something redemptive in Hollywood cartoons.  It seems a mistake not to allow ourselves to enjoy something because we disagree with its message.  The capacity to take the world as it is given to us and make something radically new out of it is an early meaning of the word “plastic,” which emerged in the English language in the 17th century.  Orlando Reade  https://lithub.com/greta-gerwigs-paradise-lost/#:~:text=I%20think%20this%20is%20why,is%20not%20cause%20for%20contempt.    

Top 15 best cities to retire according to Orchard (home listing and buying service)  Of the 100 cities we analyzed, these 15 cities ranked the highest on our proprietary score.  Top two are: 

1.  Toledo, OH

This vibrant city situated along the western banks of the Maumee River is known for its friendly locals and welcoming atmosphere.  It also boasts the lowest list price of all the cities in our study and the second lowest rent prices—making it ideal for homebuyers and renters alike.

2.  Pittsburgh, PA

Nestled among the hills of western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh is a dynamic city with a rich industrial heritage and a thriving modern identity.  The city boasts world-class medical institutions like the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and a higher-than-average density of Medicare providers.  Allaire Conte  https://orchard.com/blog/posts/best-cities-to-retire#Top_15_best_cities_to_retire2 

John Edward Warnock (1940–August 19, 2023) was an American computer scientist, inventor, and technology businessman best known for co-founding Adobe Systems Inc., the graphics and publishing software company, with Charles Geschke in 1982.  Warnock was President of Adobe for his first two years and chairman and CEO for his remaining sixteen years at the company.  Although he retired as CEO in 2001, he continued to co-chair the Adobe Board of Directors with Geschke until 2017.  Warnock pioneered the development of graphics, publishing, web and electronic document technologies that have revolutionized the field of publishing and visual communications.  Warnock was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Although he failed mathematics in ninth grade while graduating from Olympus High School in 1958, Warnock went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and philosophy, a Doctor of Philosophy degree in electrical engineering (computer science), and an honorary degree in science, all from the University of Utah.  He also received an honorary degree from the American Film Institute.  He lived in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife Marva M. Warnock, a graphic designer.  Marva is a former partner and graphic designer at Marsh Design in Palo Alto, California, and is known not only for creating the iconic Adobe logo, but also as a designer for nonprofit organizations.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Warnock   

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 2711  August 25, 2023