-
The Cigarette Waltz
A couple of days ago we heard a ballet called The Cigarette Waltz by a French composer, Edouard Lalo, on one of the Iowa Public Radio (IPR) classical music programs. The announcer told a little anecdote (most of which I didn’t hear) about the saying “Smoke‘em if ya got’em” which he traced to the World…
-
Wendy’s Offers the Impossible Strawberry Frosty
Sena told me that Wendy’s will now be offering the strawberry Frosty, for which she and many others have been clamoring for years. The media announcements call it historic. Was there ever a strawberry shortage to explain the absence of a strawberry Frosty? It never seemed that way. It was predicted in December 2021, but…
-
D-Day for All Soldiers in World War II, Including African Americans
Today is D-Day, which was the largest amphibious invasion in the history of warfare, and there is plenty of history to read about it. It was the Battle of Normandy during World War II, which lasted from June to August of 1944. There is also the history of African-American soldiers in World War II. Unfortunately,…
-
Ransom’s Cigar Store in Mason City
I was thinking yesterday about Ransom’s Cigar Store in Mason City, Iowa. There are actually a couple of reasons why it’s on my mind now. The first thing about Ransom’s is that it’s an old pool hall on 120 North Federal Avenue. It looks like it has been there for a century. Decades ago, probably…
-
All Gave Some…Some Gave All
Yesterday, Sena and I drove out to Oak Hill Cemetery to get some snapshots and video clips of the new Coralville Veterans Memorial. It’s still in progress, with plans for stone medallions from each branch of the military. Even now, it’s beautiful and inspiring. That includes the inscription on the Tribute Walkway: All Gave Some…Some…
-
Mysteries in History
The title of the post is “Mysteries in History,” and before I chose it, I realized it had a familiar ring to it. It’s from Men in Black II. It’s an imaginary, cheesy, very low budget TV series narrated by Peter Graves in the movie. And it’s actually the perfect title for what my wife…
-
The Flag of Honor at Fire Department No. 4
We took a walk this weekend on Scott Boulevard and eventually found our way to Fire Station No. 4. At first, we were struck by what looked like a real Dalmatian apparently sitting just inside the door. It was a pretty good sculpture. Just behind it was a large American Flag hanging on the wall.…
-
The Written Word is Blurred
I ran across this quote the other day: littera scripta manet. The English translation is, I think, “the written word endures.” Not to dwell too much on the prosaic side of the issue which is that, for me, often the word has been blurred because of problems with my vision. I just had retinal detachment…
-
Short History of C-L Psychiatry Fellowship at Iowa
I read a short article, “The case for pursuing a consultation-liaison psychiatry fellowship” by Samuel P. Greenstein, MD in Current Psychiatry (Vol. 1, No. 5, May 2022). After 3 years as an attending, he found his calling as a C-L psychiatrist, especially after getting teaching awards from trainees. But when he applied to academic institutions…
-
Some Whys and Wherefores of the Mason City Ys
This is just a reminiscence. I know the word “wherefores” in the title is old-fashioned, but I’m an old guy and so what? When I was a young guy living in Mason City, Iowa where I grew up, I could not afford to rent an apartment. Shortly after I became an emancipated minor, I was…
Go Retire Psychiatrist 