In this post, we take an exit from EVIL in my previous post to take on the subject of STUPID. You may contend that I’ve already published a lot of stupid posts, but that wouldn’t be very nice of you….and it goes without saying that I resemble that remark, so kindly keep your dope-inions to yourself!

Now, as to the connection (if any) between evil and stupid, I have an open mind. On the one head, we’ve all heard of the term “evil genius,” but who ever heard of a stupid genius? On the other head, it seems a goodly number of stupid people have a genius for the art of evil….so, draw your own conclusions. Meanwhile, I shall quote the conclusions of others on the subject at hand:

“If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can’t it get us out?” –Will Rogers

“Genius may have its…

Life goes on in the cycles it has followed since the world began. I have been thinking about the many things that have made me happy in my life and my thoughts naturally turn to my children and grandchildren. I could fill pages of cute baby photographs compared with the adults my children have become and how my grandchildren have turned into interesting people – but I won’t. Well, to warm to the theme of growth, let me slip in one idea of how little hands later become large hands capable of doing so many different things:

We tend to think of living things when we mull over a theme of growth. While rust does not reproduce or eat in the way a living organism would, it is a chemical reaction we are familiar with the consequences of: if we leave rust alone it will destroy almost anything – like…

The plan of reading my folio set of Dorothy L Sayers proceeds apace, with my reading of Murder Must Advertise  which I greatly enjoyed.  Many editions of these books are available, which means that anyone can get their hands on a copy easily, which makes a nice change from some of the more obscure books I read. I do enjoy reading these lovely books, though, with their nice clear print. Excellent Christmas gift, Northernvicar!

Variously described as a Golden Age Murder Mystery, or a good novel with a murder in it, I really enjoyed reading Dorothy L Sayers  Murder Must Advertise   which features her near perfect detective, the aristocratic Lord Peter Wimsey.

Following the death of Victor Dean, copywriter, Mr Pym of Pyms Publicity advertising agency, Peter is called in to investigate and he opts to become Mr Death Bredon, aspiring Copywriter. He earns the tremendous sum…

Murder at the College by Victor L Whitechurch

A sealed room mystery is one classic theme which is popular in the “Golden Age” detection story; in this 1932 novel the author attempts to control not only the access to a room, but the access to an entire college. This engaging story of murder and deceit has been republished by Oren, an imprint of the Oleander Press, Cambridge. It features the fictional St. Oswald’s College set in a university town where students, fellows and clergy roam free, a place of men with academic functions and a certain amount of leisure to follow their own interests. Detective Sergeant Ambrose, who “looked a bit of a fool. In reality, however, he was anything but that.”, having a “peculiar intuition which was worth attention” and it will be his persistence which makes all the difference to this mysterious situation. In fact, there is more…

Disney in WWII

Just one day after Pearl Harbor, Walt Disney received his first military contract and began creating promotional reels, war bond advertisements, short training and instructional films, and other WWII materials. Also at this time, he received requests from military units all over the world requesting Disney-designed insignia’s and mascots.

David Lesjak, a former employee and Disney historian says, “Insignia helped build morale. Having a cartoon character you grew up with on your plane or shoulder patch helped remind you of home. In my mind it was a happy diversion from the horrors of war.”

Hank Porter designs for Disney

One of the purest expressions of Walt Disney’s genuine patriotism during the war years was his decision to establish a unit devoted to producing customized military unit insignia free of charge for U.S. armed forces and their allies. Headed by the talented draftsman, Hank Porter, whom Walt…