the eye of Nova's mind

Eye test may reveal Alzheimer's diagnosis

Google’s Book-Scanning Is Fair Use, Judge Rules in Landmark Copyright Case -- I've no doubt that the opposition' lawyers next time will emphasize Google's profit-making next time.

Teens More Apt to Fight Than Flee

Richard Cohen in Context: Some people are defending his abysmal column. Their argument is not very good. (by way of supergee)

Such deep roots you have: How Little Red Riding Hood's tale evolved -- from Europe to Asia, not the reverse

What Ted Cruz Doesn't Understand About Green Eggs and Ham

This is a lovely, little article by Matthew Yglesias. I didn't realize until now that the beloved children's book helped steer me down a road of liberal thinking. :) (I am not, however, surprised that Cruz doesn't understand something.)

'People's History' author Howard Zinn dies at 87

'Catcher in the Rye' author J.D. Salinger dies -- "Humorist John Hodgman wrote: 'I prefer to think JD Salinger has just decided to become extra reclusive.'"

I love the Ann Arbor District Library's free book cart. Today I picked up Milton's Paradise Lost & Complete Poetry and Selected Prose, Aristotle's Poetics, Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy & The Case of Wagner, and Dante's Inferno. I'd just mentioned to lameautarch that reading Kafka's Metamorphosis had rekindled my desire to read more classics, so this happy find goes far in satisfying that hunger.

In a complete change of subject, I wanted to correct my list of Christmas gifts: sarahmichigan gave me, in addition to the book of stamps (which will definitely come in handy), an attractive pocket-sized notebook and two gel pens. I don't know if she knew I loved gel pens, but I certainly do. It was a splendid gift package and I thank her for it.

In addition, lameautarch purchased The Poet's Companion by Kim Addonizio & Dorianne Laux, a how-to poetry primer with many creative exercises. He knew how much I wanted it because we were wandering around Borders together and I jumped up and down when I saw it on the shelf. I am very grateful to have the title in my poetics collection.

Edit: Now I have another book on my to-acquire list: Ordinary Genius: A Guide for the Poet Within by Kim Addonizio. Damn you, Amazon.com!

The library had its "free book" cart out yesterday, pretty much chock full. I immediately spotted two titles I would adore: Norton Anthology of American Literature, Vol. 1, 3rd Ed. and Oxford Anthology of English Literature (I can't recall at the moment its volume or edition, but it deals with the period from Chaucer to the Victorian era).

I'd picked up the second volume of the Norton while at college (as I'd focused on American history after Reconstruction), but with a new interest in views of the contemporaries of slavery, I'm so glad to have this literary record. Also, I now have a fair cross-section of the work of my favorite sonneteer, Edmund Spenser. Yay!

(Earlier this week I found there the treasure of H. L. Mencken's The American Language, a trace of the evolution of English on these shores. Wh00p!)