At the feet of Skinner Part two

Thinking quickly, I told the guard that he better call his Captain immediately,because I had to check the audio equipment on the stage where Dr. Skinner was appearing.He was scheduled to speak in 10 minutes! The guard looked me up and down and when I restated my need to get to the stage[and used his Captain`s name,'the clincher'] he said "let`s Go" and we got on the elevator and descended to the back entrance to the stage.He cleared a pass for me to the stage,for the steps were full of students and younger faculty. There I was on the stage with the President of Temple,the Dean of the Graduate School,and various dignitaries! I stumbled around,pretending to check wires until the President had introduced the Dean and he had introduced Dr. Skinner. There was no place to go,no place to sit so I said to myself,"what the hell", walked to the front of the stage,and sat down! Heard the whole lecture from there! And that`s how I ended up at the feet of Skinner.

Vince.

At the feet of Skinner Part One

Pic courtesy of B.F. Skinner Foundation

When I was in grad school,in the early 70`s,B. F. Skinner was invited to address the Faculty and students at Temple U. .Skinner was,and is, widely regarded as the greatest American Psychologist of the 20th century. The author of "Walden Two" and the discoverer of operant conditioning, Skinner was to appear in our largest auditorium and his address was sent by audio to the smaller rooms and even outside in front of the building. By the time I was able to leave my grad duties that day,the Main auditorium and other rooms were packed! [behaviorism was a hot topic in America then,Psychologists dehumanizing people].I had a faculty key to a back elevator that would take me to the back entrance of the Auditorium,but as I prepared to enter the elevator,a security guard stopped me "Sorry,that elevator`s off limits today."

The Classic Acid Test Poster

How many names do you recognise?

AHA!!!    Getting Old.

E M B A R R A S S M E N T !!

When I was a junior in college,I worked the 4 to midnight shift after school,in a large bank in Phila. . One of my stops each nite was an office where sat a young lady i was pining over,and trying to impress.As I stopped at her desk,she was on break and was looking at the newspaper.peering over her shoulder [being closer] I happened to see a picture of our bank`s Miss United Fund!! [ Backin those ancient days, each major business picked a young lady to represent them in a beauty contest,a way to drum up publicity for the Charity!] Trying to be a young gallant,and looking for more, I said " look at our girl..she`s a Dog ! I would have chosen you way before her. She`s not even pretty!"  For some reason,the young woman looked nervous,which made me edgy, and i left to catch the elevator.

AS i Waited for the elevator,an older woman stood next to me,also waiting. When the doors opened,there was a beautiful young lady standing there! The lady next to me said,Hi, I want to introduce you to my DAUGHTER, "Miss United Fund of the Bank" "Do you really think she looks like a Dog?"  { Oh God,this is hard even to type!}  Thr three of us proceeded to get on the elevator,going down And so I had 3 more minutes to experience their company[mute,of course]                                   Never did go back to that office and,it goes without saying, remained dateless!!!!

Vince D.

My mom and me Xmas before she died....1993

Guess I`ll write about this sometime

V.
Today is my only sister`s Birthday.She died 6 years ago,on her favorite Daughter`s Birthday. I guess that`s why I posted the Pic.

Early Painting

Something I did.

V.

My favorite Quote

My favorite quote;

" To Grow Is To Be Anxious "        Rollo May,Ph.D.

May was one of the first to articulate that Anxiety is often a human reaction to new experience and not solely a Neurotic symptom. I had that done in calligraphy...Only time I`ve done that.

Vince

Emily Dickinson

I heard a fly buzz when I died; The stillness round my form  Was like the stillness in the air  Between the heaves of storm.      The eyes beside had wrung them dry  And breaths were gathering sure  For that last onset, when the king    Be witnessed in his power.          I willed my keepsakes, signed away  What portion of me I Could make assignable,--- and then  There interposed a fly,  With blue uncertain,stumbling buzz,  Between the light and me; And then the windows failed, and then  I could not see to see.

  EMILY DICKINSON

AFTER THE LOVE AFFAIR

And so he sits and writes this poem                                           

Gazing at her painting on the wall

Hoping she`ll read and understand

and bequeath him another glance at heaven.

 

And yet suppose he fails again

As poets often do,

Living in some other`s world

is all they know, and fantasy.

My Son And The Tigers

Every winter,in January or february,on a weekday,my son and i would play hooky and go to the philadelphia zoo. We would pick a day when few visitors would be expected and arrive early . On one of these days,when my son was about 8, we entered a nearly empty zoo. It was very cold and threatening to snow and all of the animals were indoors. Zoo workers were huddled inside drinking coffee,warming,and as we walked up the main road [past the Reptile House] my son started tugging my hand " Dad, the Tigers! Let`s go to the Tiger House!" Something we shared ,the tigers were our favorite animals.We circled to the right and entered the Tiger House.The leopards and pumas always had access to the outdoors and were always pacing in and out. Each of these smaller cats was caged singly and i always wondered if all of their pacing was due to the fact that their only contact with other animals was when they and their neighbors had both paced  to their outside cages. As I was brooding over this,my son Sean kept urging me cage to cage, for the tigers were at the end of the building. Finally we arrived at the last lonely but hot wired leopard,turned the corner ,and there they were! In the first cage was The Boss,an elderly but still regal male who was older than Sean and was Sean`s favorite."Good Morning,Samson",he said,and strained to get closer.Excitedly,he ran down past the cages,trying to take them all in, while I pondered Samson and how it is to get old,and Death.[sounds dumb and obsessive ; I was a Psych Grad student and was dumb and obsessive!]Pondering was interrupted by Sean`s yells..."Dad, they`re here! Dad, they`re here!"It was the three baby tiger cubs on their very first week of display. The cubs stopped playing and stared at Sean,and Sean did an amazing thing! He moved out of their view to the left, and they gathered to that side of the cage.As he moved back in front of them, he said "peek-a-boo" and the three cubs jumped and started prancing. For the next 15 minutes, I just stood there laughing and eventually crying at the antics of the four cubs [3 tiger and 1 human].A Wonderful Time!

City of Losers

E A G L E S !!

If you haven`t the misfortune to love competitive sports and to grow up in Philadelphia,I envy you![ much of the world] Last evening,my son and I watched the Eagles lose their 3rd straight NFC Conference Championship.

Phila. is the city with 4 sports franchises that has gone the longest without a championship [since 1983]

The Phila. Phillies lost more games in the 20th century

than any other N. American sports franchise.

Eagles have never won a Super Bowl.[last championship

1960!]

Flyers last won in 1975.

Phillies have won one World Series in their Existence!!

Rufus.............we              " W A N T     O N E  "   !!!!!!!!!!!!

AOL Music: Rufus Wainwright: Rufus Wainwri...

Click on link to hear a pretty song! Louden Wainwright`s son.