1955

This past weekend (February 6-7) found me driving up to Hanover for the winter meeting of the board of the Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy Fund. Happily, worldwide interest in the late great Dartmouth philosophy professor's work continues to grow. Parallel Rosenstock-Huessy societies exist in Europe and Asia, more of his books are reappearing in print each year (including new translations in Russian and Chinese), and tapes (with transcripts) of all his recorded lectures are available for purchase. Should any of you want more information, or wish to donate to the fund, please contact me or the Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy Fund/Argo Books, 88 Old Pump Road, Essex, VT 05452-2742; (802) 899-5158; (802) 899-2986 (fax); .

En route to Hanover, I shunned the interstate highways and drove right across the middle of Vermont, stopping in Londonderry for a fine visit and lunch with Dick Barr in his beautiful multi-level home, surrounded by birch, pine, and quiet snow-covered meadows. Dick's residence is a veritable museum of carefully chosen treasures from his past, especially those honoring his Scots heritage. Best of all is a superbly restored set of bagpipes, originally from Scotland's greatest master instrument maker, with which Dick will be leading a pipe band on his Cameron's Meadow on July 3 in Londonderry honoring the wedding of the band's pipe sergeant. It is sure to be an event that will echo joyously across the hills of Vermont.

Also from New England, I have just received word of an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer of last September containing an interview with Jud Hale, editor of the iconic Old Farmers Almanac, by the "home notes" columnist of the Inquirer. Jud, who is rapidly achieving icon status himself, answered questions on the weather (the Almanac has been forecasting it since 1792, and has been right 80 percent of the time) and "cow-isms" ("Did you know that when cows hang out together, they are more content and less fearful?").

For the Philadelphia area, Jud predicted this year would be more winterlike, meaning days in the upper 30s, nights in the mid-20s, and at least two feet of snow. By the time you read this, you Philadelphians will know whether Jud needs to raise or lower his publication's enviable record of the past 206 years!

Finally, I am pleased to tell you that one of our class's distinguished authors, Dave"Obie" Oberlander, has successfully passed his abundant talents to his own daughter.

Obie reports via email (new address: ) that daughter Kate Maddox (editor, interactive media and marketing for Advertising Age) has written Web Commerce: Building a Digital Business, published by John Wiley & Sons in New York, and has received the following fine endorsement from the president of the Net Future Institute: "Anyone looking to conduct business on the internet needs to read Web Commerce. If you're looking to conduct business on the 'net now, this book has it all!"

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