This is a short post, because I don't have a lot to say about electricity in Switzerland, but I like their home outlets. I'd rather the world adopt our 110 volt system, for safety reasons, but if I could I'd change our plugs to the Swiss type. See how sturdy the prongs are? No worries about accidentally bending them when you stretch the cord too much, straining to get the vacuum cleaner to reach to the far corner. Some outlets are combined with light switches, and many are recessed—a neat safety device that makes it impossible for the prongs to be connected to the electricity and touching your fingers at the same time.
Maybe this post should be "readjustments," since I'm now home and experiencing reverse culture shock, but it's still worth talking about transportation.
Basel is a city, albeit one of the nicest cities I know. It's the third largest in Switzerland, a little smaller in population than Providence, Rhode Island or Tallahassee, Florida, but a lot more dense. I'm not fond of cities, in general, but if you wanted to design a situation that is perfect for public transit, walking, and biking, you could hardly do better—and Basel made a conscious choice, back in the 1970's, to encourage those modes of transport. (More)
I am republishing my initial comments, made in December 2008, when I checked The History of the Ancient World out of the library then discovered I didn't have time to read it. Now, nearly two years later, I have finally read the book, and my additional comments are added below.
The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome, by Susan Wise Bauer (W. W. Norton, New York, 2007)
Despite having some initial negative reactions to Susan Wise Bauer, I've continued to find her work delightful and invaluable. (See my reviews of The Well-Trained Mind, The Story of the World, and The Well-Educated Mind.) I haven't read more than a small part of The History of the Ancient World, but borrowed it from the library in order to determine whether or not to buy it for myself. I've so enjoyed—and learned from—listening to Jim Weiss read The Story of the World, which was written for elementary-age children, that I wondered if Bauer could bring as much delight into a history book for adults. (More)
How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, by Robert Greenberg; a Teaching Company lecture
I've said it before: For accessible, serious, high-quality, adult-level educational materials (DVD, CD, mp3 download) it's hard to beat The Teaching Company. Robert Greenberg is one of my favorite lecturers, and this—so far—my favorite of his courses. (More)
Gabriel Kron. Of all the amazing people who have intersected with my life, he is probably the safest to write about, since he died more than 40 years ago. So I will; he deserves to be better known.
I knew him as my father's friend and mountain climbing partner; my father knew him from their days together at the General Electric Company in Schenectady, New York. Dad, a Tau Beta Pi engineer (like his father, two of his children, and a grandchild), was no intellectual slouch, but he never pretended to understand anything of Gabe's work.
It didn't matter. I myself joined the Kron Klimbing Klub at age seven, and was mighty annoyed when I later learned that some other organization had usurped the acronym, "KKK."
One firm rule of the Klub I remember distinctly: No eating until you reach the top. (More)
