Monthly Archives: January 2015

Weather Vanes and Weather Stations

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Roger Walck

On May 5, 2011, I posted a blog on the weather vane I built, mainly for the aesthetic pleasure of watching it slowly shift direction as I daydream in a backyard lawn chair on a warm, summer day. That part … Continue reading →

Posted in Popular culture | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Late Marriages

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Roger Walck

There is more to the story of my locker room friend described in the previous posting, another lesson he taught, another lesson I learned. I asked him what had happened to his second bride, the company librarian we all admired. … Continue reading →

Posted in Aging | Tagged | Leave a comment

Suicide by the Elderly

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Roger Walck

“Dr. Death Makes a Comeback” by Paul McHugh. The Wall Street Journal, Opinion Section 1/23/2015. Life is like an amusement park. For some of us—the lucky ones—we get to stay the whole day and go on all the rides. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Aging | Tagged | Leave a comment

Advertising Disclaimers

Posted on January 23, 2015 by Roger Walck

“Warning: The Article You’re About To Read Might Make You Laugh,” by Shirley S. Wang. The Wall Street Journal, 1/22/2015. I have ranted on in the past about ridiculous ads that are accompanied by even more ridiculous warnings, such as … Continue reading →

Posted in Commercials, Popular culture | Leave a comment

Dead People Movies

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Roger Walck

I love the old movies shown on Turner Classic Movies. Everything looks comfortably familiar in black-and-white: hairstyles, suits and dresses, wind-up Victrolas, candlestick telephones, steam locomotives, wood-paneled station wagons, window shades with pull-cords, everything.  So, I was surprised when someone … Continue reading →

Posted in Popular culture | Leave a comment

Yik Yak

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Roger Walck

“Behind App’s Rise, Dark Side Looms” by Evelyn Rusli and Jeff Elder.  The Wall Street Journal, 11/26/2014. I have been having fun playing with the app “Yik Yak.” It is a digital bulletin board where anyone can anonymously post anything … Continue reading →

Posted in Popular culture | Leave a comment

The Changing Middle Class Family—What Else is New?

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Roger Walck

“Fractured Families” by Kay Hymowitz, a book review of “Labor’s Love Lost” by Andrew J. Cherlin. The Wall Street Journal, 1/6/2015. In the 1950s, blue-collar working men proudly took home paychecks that often exceeded those of professionals. Their wives stayed … Continue reading →

Posted in Popular culture | Leave a comment

More on Genocide

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Roger Walck

“The Unkindest Cut of All” by Stephen Budiansky, a book review of “The Killing Compartments” by Abram de Swaan. The Wall Street Journal, 1/11/2015. Genocidal killing sprees have taken more than 100 million lives since the late 19th century—four times … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Leave a comment

Pierre du Pont and the Modern Corporation

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Roger Walck

Pierre S. Du Pont and the Making of the Modern Corporation by Alfred du Pont Chandler.  Beard Books. The Pierre du Pont who built Longwood Gardens in the 1920s (there were four with exactly the same name at different times) … Continue reading →

Posted in du Pont History, History | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Armenian Great Catastrophe

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Roger Walck

“A Century of Silence” by Raffi Khatchadourian. The New Yorker, 1/5/2015. “Armenian Classmates.” This blog, 7/12/2005. The New Yorker article is very long, a length that usually signals a forthcoming book. There is no way I can do it justice; … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment