Osler's Razor

This morning, I'm on my way back to Minnesota after a long weekend in Louisiana.  We did the Trial of Jesus in New Orleans (on Friday) and in Baton Rouge (yesterday).  It was, as always, a remarkable and fascinating experience.  One of the best articles I've read about the trial, by Jarvis DeBerry, appeared in yesterday's New Orleans Times-Picayune; you can read it here.

The plane ride gives me a good chance, of course, to review the latest crop of haiku, which came up quite nicely!  Our focus was great magazines.  On that topic, in New Orleans it was great to have Abby Rapoport there, who writes for the American Prospect. 

So... what magazines did people write about?  Highlights, Life, National Geographic, Time, National Lampoon, the New Yorker, the Wacoan, Playboy, Penthouse, The Howler, People, Atlantic (twice!),  Cosmopolitan, Weekly Reader, Vanity Fair, House Beautiful (is that really a magazine?), Town and Country, the Saturday Evening Post, something about Kirk Cameron, and "Sheep Fantasies."  Someone (Geoffrey) also mentioned O Magazine, which I had to look up-- sadly, it is not a magazine for and about Oslers.

There were many wonderful entries, but the one that spoke to me most clearly was by Lily of the Valley:

THE NEW YORKER

Ah,the guilt looms large
Your cartoons,your poems like
White-trunked birches grasp.

Noon-day sun essays
Sit unread and pile up like
Excuses.I must read you.

But--what if your brother
Comes next week and insists!!Shame!
I love and loathe you.







Yes, I know that feeling of guilt...