Povey Prattle

My pal Jeff Davies sent some more photo's of the "olden days" when we were members of an a cappella Gospel Hymn Quartette. Here we are at the St. Vincent's tunnel and cave in Bristol, U.K. in about 1961 Richard and Jeffrey Eric, JMP and Richard For more about the tunnel and cave see http://www.about-bristol.co.uk/lnd-01.asp

When my neighbour was taken off to the hospital some six or seven weeks ago a City of Sarasota  policewoman and a policeman were present to lend support to the two EMT's. The two Sarasota cops lived fully into the meaning of a police motto "To protect and serve ". They were friendly, gracious, and entirely helpful. Similarly when my neighbour's brother (visiting from Michigan) left her home with the door wide open and the house lights on (which I discovered at 4:30 a.m.) I called the local police --- n  (using a non-emergency number) (do check to see if your local Police Dept. or Sheriff's Dept.  have such a number - it's sometimes better than using 911 or 999)  -- the two young policemen who responded to my call could not have been more helpful. So, I am not anti-cop! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was maybe twenty years ago that when I returned to my office at St. Stephen's, Pittsfield...

I have just read three books about three great women. FIRST: "Helga's Diary - a Young Girl's Account of Life in a Concentration Camp" (Norton 2013, Helen Weiss). It's a powerful account by a Czech woman of Jewish heritage -  Helga Weiss (1929- )  and of her transportation from Prague to the Terezin (Theresienstadt)  c amp with her mother and father, of the presumed extermination of her father, and of the trials of Helga and her mother from  Terezin to Auschwitz , then  to Birkenau and finally to freedom back n Prague. (Where within a few years they would experience Soviet Empire anti-semitism.) Helga is a noble women who has suffered so much but has allowed her sufferings to be transformed into a creative and noble life. * ( 15,00 children entered Terezin. 100 survived. * (Theresienstadt was the "model" German Concentration Camp which the Nazis  "tarted up"  in order to...

George Alexander Louis  (newborn) Father  Prince William   (William Arthur Philip Louis) Grandfather  Prince Charles  (Charles Philip Arthur George) Great-Grandfather  Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh    (born  Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark)   (I cannot find middle names for the Duke of Edinburgh) ) Great-great Grandfather  George VI  (Albert Frederick Arthur George) Great-great-great Grandfather    George V  ( George Frederick Ernest Albert) Great-great- great - great  Grandfather   Edward VII   ( Albert Edward) Great-great-great-great-great  Grandfathe r   Prince Albert  (consort of Queen Victoria)  ( Francis Albert   Augustus Charles Emmanuel)

More French civilians were killed the military actions of the Western Allies as they began the defeat of Nazi Germany, than British civilians who were killed by the Luftwaffe bombings of Great Britain. “Altogether 19,890 civilians were killed during the liberation of Normandy and an even larger number seriously injured. This was on top of the 15,000 French killed and 19,000 injured during the preparatory bombing for Overlord in the first five months of 1944. It is a sobering thought that 70,000 French civilians were killed by Allied action during the course of the war, a figure which exceeds the total number of British killed by German bombing.” Source: British historian Antony Beevor Born Antony James Beevor 14 December 1946  (age 66) Occupation Author, historian Language English Nationality British Alma mater Winchester College Royal Military Academy Sandhurst See also  http://fora.tv/2009/10/20/Antony_Beevor_Reads_D-Day_The_Battle_for_Normandy

My unmarried and childless neighbour hovers between life and death; and between compos mentis and non-compos mentis One of her three brothers came down from Michigan. He is a decent bloke and has done his best to be present to his sister (in a hospital); to clean out the "junk yard" of her car port (bully for me); and to rid her home of rodents and other vermin. But his hands have been tied. His sister (my neighbour) has not made a will; nor has she signed a health care proxy or a durable power of attorney; or a living will. Her condo is owned in her name alone. If she recovers.her physical and mental health she will be urged her to take care of these matters. If she does not recover and has to spend a prolonged time in a nursing home I believe that the State of Florida will make decisions regarding her estate (her home, her savings etc) in order to pay for her care. If she dies intestate, there will be a long and involved probate process before her three brothers w...

My weekends are so very much enriched as I watch C-SPAN'S "Book T.V." see http://www.booktv.org/ Today I especially enjoyed  You may view by clicking on this link or copying and pasting it into your browser: http://www.c-spanarchives.org/program/Livio Not only did I learn something about Science from Mario Livio, but I also enjoyed his manner, demeanour, and ever present smile.