Bibliotheca

The Internet is a wonderful research tool. A few key strokes open a world of information. It's quick, easy and utilitarian. It's also cold, sterile and impersonal. Before the era of digital intelligence, inquisitive minds had to trek to the nearest library, and what a magical journey it was.

Since time immemorial, man has sought to store his knowledge. Cavemen painted pictographs; Sumerians incised cuneiform tablets; Egyptians scribed papyrus scrolls. Romans built public libraries to enrich patrician and plebeian alike. In the so-called Dark Ages, monks copied, illustrated and preserved the written word. Persian and Muslim scholars assembled massive libraries in Baghdad and Isfahan creating Meccas of learning.

In colonial America, Benjamin Franklin and his Junto established The Library Company of Philadelphia, the first lending library in Novus Mundus. Another American bibliophile, Melvil Dewey devised the eponymous Dewey Decimal System. Of course he also championed the metric system. Give a guy a millimeter, and he'll take a hectometer.

Entering a library is like walking into a shrine or cathedral. As opposed to data transmitted in binary codes, books are tactile, beautiful objects. The letters typeset with care, the binding and illustrations artwork, the words ambrosia for the mind. Ambling through the stacks, ideas and images are palpable.

Do yourself a favor. Spend the next rainy day at the nearest library and experience the enchantment - as ever BB (Enoch Pratt Free Library card holder)

"I must say I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and read a good book." - Groucho Marx

Of Few Words

I have been called verbose, loquacious and pedantic. One word rarely used to describe me is laconic. Pity, I love the word and truly appreciate the sharp brevity of wit.

The etymology of the word comes from the Greek region, Laconia ruled by the Spartans. This warrior race was known for its sparse living conditions and sparser use of language. Here are some examples:

When Phillip II of Macedon invaded Greece, he send a message to the Spartans saying if he won this war, they would all be slaves forever. The Spartan reply was " If "

At the battle of Thermopylae, a Persian commander told the 300 Spartans that the Persian arrows would be so numerous they would block out the sun. The Spartan reply was "So much the better; we'll fight in the shade."

Other laconic comments throughout history:

At a dinner party a woman sat next to President "Silent Cal" Coolidge. She told the president she had bet a friend that she could get him to say at least three words. His reply was "You lose."

Irish playwright, Samuel Beckett taught school for a short time. At one point, the headmaster reminded him that the students were the cream of Ulster. His reply was "Yes, I know, rich and thick." - as ever BB

"Since brevity is the soul of wit, and tediousness to limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief. Your son is mad." Wm. Shakespeare, Hamlet Act II, Scene 2

Requiem for a Riverboat

The President Riverboat Casino, one of the first modern casino boats, operated in Davenport, Iowa. I was fortunate to have worked on her.

Not a barge with a casino on it, this old girl was an actual riverboat. Christened in 1924 as the SS Cincinnati, she plied the Big Muddy. True Mississippi riverboats were side-wheelers. Rear paddle-wheels were designed to navigate the debris-filled Missouri River. Fires were commonplace on riverboats. So in the 1930s, she was stripped to her hull, rebuilt as the nation's first all-steel riverboat and renamed the SS President.

Port-of-call New Orleans in the fall and winter, cruising the upper Mississippi in the spring and summer, she hosted three-hour dance excursions. Dixieland jazz, big bands, full orchestras, the President saw it all. In the late 80s, she was refitted as a floating casino that opened in 1991. Unfortunately, the cost of upkeep and operational issues, doomed the President. It was decommissioned and sold for scrap.

Once a month, I'd be MOD and had to stay on the boat for the night cruises. I'd stand on the top deck, gaze at the sky and watch the shoreline quietly pass. Words cannot describe the nostalgia conjured up on those magical evenings. Resquiescat in pace matron of the Mississippi - as ever BB

"We move up the river-always through enchanting scenery, there being no other kind on the Upper Mississippi." - Mark Twain from Life on the Mississippi

Mustard Yellow Belt

Fireworks, parades, cook-outs - all take a back seat on July 4th to Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. 2009 marks the 94th time that trenchermen and woman flock to Coney Island to wolf down wieners for $10,000 and the prestigious Mustard Yellow Belt. Will Joey Chestnut maintain the title? Will Takeru Kobayashi reclaim the belt? Last year they tied after the allotted 10 minutes; forcing them to endure a dog-off. The excitement was palpable. Maybe a foot-long shot will win this year!

Officially sanctioned by the MLE (Major League Eating), this event remains free from steroid and betting scandals. However, odds can be found and bets made on several Internet sites.

Frankfurters, franks, wieners, weenies, hot dogs, red hots... no matter what sobriquet you use, July 4th belongs to them. I'll leave describing their contents to writers more intrepid than I. It's a concoction known as meat slurry, technically a mechanically recovered meat product. Mmm, sounds tasty!

Watch the Sandwich Super Bowl on ESPN. Coverage starts at Noon EDT - as ever BB

"A hot dog at the ballpark is better than steak at the Ritz." - Humphrey Bogart