tbird's home on the Web: Precision Guesswork...High tech, plain English
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Want to trade national security secrets, or whisper sweet nothings in my ear? Download my PGP key here. My key ID is 0xC6F25541. The fingerprint is
57E9 D8B1 2BF3 F512 691D 65D1 DA92 E1FF C6F2 5541
Then send me some email.
I'm a member of the The Shmoo Group, an assortment of security folk with widely divergent hobbies.
None scheduled at this time - but you never know where I might show up...
St. Bartholomew the Great, West Smithfield, London - one of London's best- preserved Norman buildings |
Much to my amazement, and amusement, my home town of South Bend, IN has a pretty impressive presence on the Web. Here are some sites related to my early days and family history:
SOUTH BEND - Professor Otto Allen Bird, Founding Director of the General Program of Liberal Studies at the University of Notre Dame, died June 5, 2009 in his sleep. He received his bachelor's degree in English and his master's degree in English and Comparative Literature from the University of Michigan and his doctorate in philosophy from the University of Toronto. He taught at St. John's University in New York. He was Associate Editor of the Syntopicon, the analytical index of the Great Books of the Western World, published by the Encyclopedia Britannica. He was Editor of Great Ideas Today, and worked closely with philosopher Mortimer Adler. In 1950, he founded the General Program of Liberal Studies, based on the Great Books, at the University of Notre Dame. He retired from Notre Dame in 1977. He was the author of several books, including his autobiography, Seeking a Center: My Life as a Great 'Bookie.' In 1936, he married Evelina Bills Polk, who predeceased him. He is survived by eight children: Kate Bird (Joe Volz) of Frederick, Md.; Bill (Evelyn) of Prescott, Az.; Mike (Diane) of Loogootee, Ind.; Tony (Roni) of Noblesville, Ind.; Evie Bird Haas (Dick) of Mequon, Wisc.; Chris (Erika) of Ashland, Ore.; Sarah Bird (Ken Peczkowski) of South Bend; and Barry (Charlotte Cook) of Rockville, Md. He also is survived by 19 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren and a sister, Margaret McGimsey. All five of his sons and three of his grandchildren graduated from the General Program. Visitation will be on Sunday from 2 to 4 pm at McGann Hay Funerals & Cremations, University Chapel, 2313 Edison Road, South Bend, Ind. His funeral will be on Monday at 9:30 am at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, University of Notre Dame. Burial will follow at Cedar Grove Cemetery on the Notre Dame Campus.If you would like to leave a comment for the family, please visit the Guest Book at his funeral home.
In 2002, my ongoing problems with pain and inflammation in my hands and arms, originally incorrectly diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome, was identified as full blown rheumatoid arthritis. I'm still struggling with the many changes this illness has made in my life.
I have an odd sort of RA, which affects my connective tissue more than my joints, and which has been very hard to diagnose and treat. I'm always on the lookout for new information about this disease.
tbird's Patron Saint
St. Christina the Astonishing Just lovely -- a saint with my name who was renowned in the 13th century for her powers of flight. She is the patroness of the mentally ill, psychotherapists and madman. That might explain a lot. "She lived by begging, dressed in rags, and behaved in a terrifying manner." Clearly I don't have too much in common with her. Thanks to Keith Ashman for pointing this out.
nest egg value plummets
i'll retire some day
when i need no food
candidate words blow
fall winds moan across the plains
no help, just cold rain.
Last
Updated: 7 June 2009
( tbird@precision-guesswork.com)