STAN'S BLOGS

[Last night I attended the " Off Broadway On Campus " musical review The Bright Side of Life , just to hear this song] Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (from Monty Python) From: Monty Python's Spamalot Words and music by Eric Idle "Some things in life are bad They can really make you mad Other things just make you swear and curse. When you're chewing on life's gristle Don't grumble, give a whistle And this'll help things turn out for the best... "And...always look on the bright side of life... Always look on the light side of life... "If life seems jolly rotten There's something you've forgotten And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing. When you're feeling in the dumps Don't be silly chumps Just purse your lips and whistle - that's the thing. "And...always look on the bright side of life... Always look on the light side of life..." Click here for the rest of the song, words

I really enjoy exploring the creative thoughts of others, from around the world and especially the Middle East (where cultural roots run deep). I look in libraries, lecture halls, on the streets or wherever and for whomever has a different or new opinion. Bouncing my ideas off someone else's can be exhilarating or exasperating, but always worthwhile to me. So how do I keep from going nuts with all this difference of opinion... The Blind Men and an Elephant! A Jainist version of the story says that six blind men went to determine what the elephant was like. The blind man who touches a leg says the elephant is like a pillar; the tail-toucher claims it's like a rope; the one who feels the trunk compares it to a tree branch; the man who felt the ear says the elephant is like a hand fan; the belly-toucher asserts it's like a wall; and the tusk feeler insists the elephant feels like a solid pipe. A wise man explains to them: All of you are right. The reason every one of you is t

[The students and staff here at U of R have been really nice about allowing me to feel like a normal part of the campus] Last week I saw a flyer on a posting board in one of the "campus tunnels" that caught my attention... and curiosity. It was an invitation for Saturday night to join in the activities of a fraternity sponsored event called "Hookah and Hummus." The location was right nearby my office, I wasn't doing anything else pressing, so I decided to check it out. Now the location is significant because it's the exact center of the campus , the George Eastman Quad ( see Web Cam here ), where six commemorative red marble benches and a 5' stainless steel compass sit in the middle of a large lawn area. The frat brothers, along with some campus coeds, had a huge "and expensive," three hose hookah setup in the center of the compass on the sacred inscription. About 20 people were standing around the compass when I pulled up on my bike around 9:3

Halloween night I went to hear a talk by Patch Adams, held here at the University of Rochester and generously sponsored by the Neilly Series . Patch, as you may already know, is a healthcare physician, professional clown, and founder of the Gesundheit! Institute , a holistic health facility emphasizing laughter and humor as an essential part of the healing process. Robin Williams played Patch Adams in the 1998 movie titled with the eponym. But this night Patch was more than Robin could have ever portrayed on the big screen. Dressed much like his character was in the movie, a ponytail down to the middle of his back and a long earring dangling from one ear, Patch was quite the treat... or trick, depending on your politics . The enormous Strong Memorial Hospital , a top-rated medical training facility, is just around the corner from my office. The auditorium was packed full of med students and Patch was really trying to get them 'fired-up'. Forget capitalism and making the big b