Brad

I had been under the impression that road accidents were a leading cause of death. Perhaps education and safety improvements have led to a reduction. Most surprising is the cause of death in Asia: strokes.

Just because it's a specific subject you specialize in doesn't mean the test was "ridiculously easy", or that it somehow underscores some sad state of history education. Reel it in and show a little humility instead of continuing on with your "if people can't ace this then they are stupid" victory lap. I'm not a specialist but do read a lot of history for pleasure. However, these are basic questions for which you don't need any special knowledge. By process of elimination you could have figured out the answers. As a matter of fact, 8th graders, at least in my district, have to know a lot more, a lot more than I did in 8th grade.

If this test is what passes for the state of knowledge with 8th graders, then the teaching of history in the US is trouble. There were a couple that were of a little more than average difficulty -- such as the date with greatest loss of life in US history; you had to know that the 1862 date was the Battle of Antietam -- but otherwise not challenging. Antietam is probably one of the most significant battles in US history: the Union needed a win badly. At that point in the War there was real concern that the English and the French might recognize the South as a separate country. As a result of the battle, they did not. In addition, Lincoln wanted to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation but on the advice of his Secretary of State, William Seward, he waited until he had a victory. Anything else would have reeked of panicking. Antietam, although not a great victory, was the victory that allowed the preliminary Proclamation to be announced shortly thereafter. Yes, I'm a history buff.

Ridiculously easy. 30 out of 30. Then again, when I was in the 8th grade in the mid 60s, I got a 100 in History.

Sums it up for me exactly. He often highlights lesser known or artists who have faded from view. Maybe too much eggnog.

I know. I am halfway through their edition of Platonov's Soul. I even have a short post (http://erics-hangout.blogspot.ca/2014/08/publishers-of-note.html) going into some of the books that I find particularly worthy. I just visited your blog. An impressive list. I joined their book club and received as one of the bonus books My Face for the World to See. A very impressive book by Alfred Hayes, with an economic style of writing. The prose is taut and he explores some ideas that ring true for many of us. I became initially interested in reading NYRB Classics by reading Zweig's Beware of Pity, his only full length novel. That was soon followed by his Chess Story, Post Office Girl and Confusion, all highly recommended.I like Zweig as well, though I have mostly read his short stories. It's definitely worth checking out Pushkin Press. I am toying with the idea of getting their Collected Stories of Zweig, though there would be a lot of duplication. Also, as nice/impressive as this is, I would never read it on the train! http://pushkinpress.com/book/the-collected-stories-of-stefan-zweig/ Speaking of subscriptions, I am definitely looking into Melville House's subscription to their Art of the Novella series, though in my case I'd have to opt for the ebook version: http://www.mhpbooks.com/merchandise/novellas/ For me, it looks like April - July 2015 would be perfect.I never realized this but it looks like Pushkin is putting out Zweig's works in hardcover and paperback while NYRB is doing the paperback. I assume Pushkin has European rights and NYRB US rights. I've just started to read his memoirs, The World of Yesterday.

Article in today's New York Times by Nate Chinen, http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/12/31/arts/music/jazzs-year-of-complaint-citing-whiplash-and-the-new-yorker.html

Dial Mosaic, Disc 1.

I'm sure that photographic shops (where I've had mine taken) know the proper measurements. I had no issue when I renewed mine earlier this year.

Thanks all for the info. I will pass it onto him.

Listened to part of disc 1 and not hearing any issues. Of course, I'm not an audiophile

My son has an iPod full of songs from someone else's iTunes. He's afraid to add new songs from a different computer as he's afraid all the songs will be wiped out. Is there a way he can download the songs from his iPod to a computer? Thanks in advance.

Buddy and Sonny were great. Thanks Buddy. RIP.

The one about your Gramma and Grampa

Warrior, probably comes from being a lawyer

13/15. The only challenging one was the pluperfect.

No, I wouldn't bother to visit it again. I have other ways to waste my time.

I know. I am halfway through their edition of Platonov's Soul. I even have a short post (http://erics-hangout.blogspot.ca/2014/08/publishers-of-note.html) going into some of the books that I find particularly worthy. I just visited your blog. An impressive list. I joined their book club and received as one of the bonus books My Face for the World to See. A very impressive book by Alfred Hayes, with an economic style of writing. The prose is taut and he explores some ideas that ring true for many of us. I became initially interested in reading NYRB Classics by reading Zweig's Beware of Pity, his only full length novel. That was soon followed by his Chess Story, Post Office Girl and Confusion, all highly recommended.

Really enjoying that Horace Silver disc.

That pretty is pretty much a defining characteristic of any entertainer. I don't know what "we need", but what I like is an entertainer who actually entertains me. On that count, winning, her is! I'm not sure I completely agree. Yes, you have to be outgoing and all that but she's going beyond the line where every entertainer has confidence in him/herself to just showing off. I didn't find her blog particularly appealing.

That's a lot of honey-dos!

An exhibitionist, in love with herself. Just what we need.

The Burning of the World: A Memoir of 1914 by Bela Zombory-Moldovan. Zombory Moldov was a Hungarian artist who like many of his generation found himself thrust into war. He was seriously wounded and tried to return to normal life, which he now found strange. He had witnessed the end of a way of life, the end of the world as it existed. This is another great book from New York Review of Books Classics. They have an incredible catalogue.

I like the idea of this thread. My son is home after being away for a year and a half or so. He was at a wilderness program for troubled young adults and then what they call a stepdown program. It's been a bit trying to say the least, especially because my wife and I had gotten used to being on our own for that time. Onwards and upwards.

Received my CDs today. Thanks David.