Here’s the short version of yesterday’s Elevator Pitch on YouTube.
Category: Brief Messages or Announcements
Upcoming Video of Our New Iowa Map Cribbage Board
Third Video in the Uncovering Hawkeye History Series: “Endless Innovation: An R1 Research Institution (1948-1997)”
Video of UI Breaking Barriers: Arts, Athletics, and Medicine (1898-1947)
CDC Updates Covid Mask Guidance
As of February 25, 2022, The CDC has updated Covid-19 mask guidance. It’s keyed to the level of transmission in your area and to what specific risk factors you might have.
Next in The Series: The Next Chapter: Blazing New Trails (1998-2047)
The next and final presentation in The University of Iowa Hawkeye History series is entitled The Next Chapter: Blazing New Trails (1998-2047). I believe you can still register here.
It will be a Zoom presentation from 4:30-6:00 PM tomorrow, February 22, 2022. As in the previous presentations, the guide will be university archivist, David McCartney and will feature the following presenters:
Rod Lehnertz (02MBA), senior vice president for finance and operations
Lynette Marshall, UI Center for Advancement president and CEO
Peter Matthes (00BA, 14MBA), senior advisor to the president and vice president for external relations
Interesting highlights can be previewed below:
Milestones in University of Iowa History
Three Leading Professors on the future of The University of Iowa
Hope you can make it!
$70 Million Gift to University of Iowa to Extend Health Care
FDA Postpones Meeting to Discuss Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine for Children Less Than 5 years Old
The FDA announced today that the meeting to discuss Pfizer’s request for authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for children 6 months through 4 years of age, originally scheduled February 15, 2022, will be postponed. This will give Pfizer time to evaluate a third dose of the vaccine in this age group.
Unboxing Tile Lock Scrabble
I just wanted to alert you about the unboxing of the Tile Lock Scrabble game (Hasbro). Sena and I used to play scrabble back in the day, but for the past few years, I’ve been reluctant because the typical board can usually be positioned only so one player can see it right side up. The opponent has to view it upside down-usually Sena, who always says she can read the tiles just fine that way. And the tiles slip all over the place if you move the board.
We used to have a scrabble board that sat on sort of a post on which the board rotated, which made it easier for both players to view right side up. I wonder if that got lost in a move between houses. I have not been able to find one like that lately.
We have a couple of old Scrabble video games on CD and she plays those. It’s easy to forget the rules on some video games because the computer makes moves and scores automatically. I sometimes play cribbage video games that way although the most recent one I got actually has a mode that lets you score your own hand, crib, and pegging. I notice I don’t play cribbage as well with Sena after I’ve played the video cribbage game.
I finally found this Tile Lock Scrabble game at Barnes & Noble the other day. It’s an early Valentine’s Day gift. I telephoned Sena from the store and spilled the beans in order to avoid having to return it if she didn’t like it. Just like a guy.
I couldn’t figure out how to get the box open. That’s how I am. I nearly crushed it before I figured out I could use one finger to flip one end out (you can see the dent in one of the pictures). That’s why I included the slide show below.
You can also see the cool feature, which are the tile locks. Little retainers at the 4 corners of each square hold them in place so they don’t slide off. The rules are included in the box. You can also find the rules at the scrabble web site.

Wait’ll she sees the card


Update: Sena wins the first game on the tile lock scrabble, 291 to 266!
Thoughts So Far on “To Kill a Mockingbird”
I am just getting started reading “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. As I said in a previous post, I can’t remember ever reading it, but I saw the movie (or most of it). I have seen news reports that some schoolteachers are opposed to keeping the title on required reading lists.
I just finished the 3rd chapter, the one that contains an oft quoted line from Atticus:
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”
I found dozens of hits on the web about this quote. There are likely a lot more. I don’t have to explain it to anyone, least of all to schoolteachers.
I can see my bookshelf from my chair where I’m reading Lee’s novel. I see my copy of a book by James Thurber, “The Thurber Carnival.” I occasionally re-read a story in it entitled “Bateman Comes Home.” I think it’s hilarious. There’s a short message ahead of the main text:
“Written after reading several recent novels about the deep south and confusing them a little—as the novelists themselves do—with “Tobacco Road” and “God’s Little Acre.”
And then I searched the web and found a web site, The Library dot org, and on a web page entitled Kids Booklists, there was the message, “If you liked ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’,” you might also enjoy…” Beneath it was a list of books, including “God’s Little Acre” by Erskine Caldwell.
I noticed the resemblance. I’ll keep you posted.








