Four hundred years of Blaise Pascal, whose words ring today as true as ever vs. spiritual doubt, skepticism and atheism . . .,His birthday months away, it’s time to review his famous bet . . .

https://jimbowman.substack.com/p/four-hundred-years-of-blaise-pascal

In your backyard is a jungle, if you only look . . . Jazz by telemarketer . . . Two writers walked into a bar . . . Poetry by Keats after a night out . . .

https://jimbowman.substack.com/p/in-your-backyard-is-a-jungle-if-you?sd=pf

John Keats and other writers . . .,Standing on others’ shoulders . . .

https://jimbowman.substack.com/p/john-keats-and-other-writers

Two from Blithe Spirit Weekly

July, ’96, black-white dialog hot and heavy. Harangue or not to harangue 26 years ago. Back and forth in the newspaper. Those were the days. . . .

. . . when you could talk and talk and talk . . .

“Grease” on sex . . . Church bells noisy . . . Michigan travelogue . . . Bill Murray on the campaign trail . . .

The July ’96 report, continued . . .

GM selling cars in Mexico that “don’t go.” Microsoft thesaurus laying eggs. Chatting with the washerwoman in Japan. Addressing a black man in the South. “Harangue” rebutted by Oak Park editor . . .,From Mid-July, 1996, edition . . .

https://jimbowman.substack.com/p/gm-selling-cars-in-mexico-that-dont?sd=pf

Netanyahu household a-flutter. Sun-Times man flouts correctness requirements. Homonym issues discussed. The Margaret who grieved, another who did not, glad the sisters made her memorize poetry. . . . ,July 1996, notations . . .

https://jimbowman.substack.com/p/netanyahu-household-a-flutter-sun?sd=pf

Sir Walter Scott, “Lady of the Lake,” Cynthia Ozick, in Dumbing Down: . . . the Strip-mining of American Culture . . ., Alarm sounded in 1996 . . .

https://jimbowman.substack.com/p/sir-walter-scott-lady-of-the-lake?sd=pf

My Jesuit friend the late Charlie Law, writing in 1996 from his missionary post in Nepal about baby-girl harvesting . . . Writing from the mountain kingdom, on the roof of the world . . .

https://jimbowman.substack.com/p/my-jesuit-friend-the-late-charlie

Civilization out of Africa? Not quite. Ignore ethnicity at your peril? If you say so. Dakotas saw their neighborhood changing in the 1840s. West Side black kids in the 1960s and their limited view … As seen in June of ’96 . . .

https://jimbowman.substack.com/p/civilization-out-of-africa-not-quite

OPRF high school has to go, some said, and they had a plan! “Wannabe reformers” castigated. Dog dumplings for dinner. Mark Twain and Ambrose Bierce. Masonic ritual from old, never-was Egypt . . . June of 96, a Blithe Spirit exclusive . . .

https://jimbowman.substack.com/p/oprf-high-school-has-to-go-some-said