Kin Hubbard (1868 – 1930 )
THE THEME OF GREAT CONVERSATION. Not sure quite why, but the theme of conversation—of really good conversation where you actually listen to each other, learn, and exchange ideas (and change your mind if the argument is persuasive) is still very much on my mind. It’s actually not a subject I normally think much about in the abstract—it is more something one just does—but the more I contemplate conversation now, the more I appreciate how extraordinarily important it is. And, it is substantially a learned skill. Hmm. I’m far from sure we quite grasp the significance of that fact.
THE ABILITY TO ENGAGE ANYBODY. My mother—about whom I have decidedly mixed emotions, as regular readers will know—was not one of life’s great listeners—but she had the impressive ability to talk to, and engage, just about anybody, without benefit of introduction, and regardless of the circumstances—a truly admirable quality. She was socially fearless. Primarily, she used this talent to pick up men—but it also meant she attracted some extraordinarily interesting people of both sexes, whom—as like as not—she would bring home for a meal (and who frequently then entered our social circle). They would normally be unusual in some way—and entertaining. She had a particular weakness for actors, diplomats, and aristocrats.
CHARISMA. Though mother was decidedly charismatic—and had a directness of conversational style that could be most attractive—she was not intellectually curious so tended to focus on relationships above all. Matters political, scientific, and of social concern held no interest for her. She was a “people person” through and through. In particular, she had a truly uncanny ability to read someone’s sexuality—both in terms of orientation and intent—and would normally express an opinion of their sex appeal into the bargain. At a time when such matters were not discussed nearly as much as they are today, her forthrightness could be quite disconcerting. But it was also a refreshing quality and could fascinate people.
MY ADORED GRANDMOTHER. The first person I recall conversing with—who had impressively wide interests—was my adored grandmother. She was about as different from my mother as any two people could be—so I can only conclude that my mother’s personality was largely formed by her rebellion against my grandmother. And I have to wonder about my grandfather’s wilder side—because I’m fairly sure my mother’s remarkable personality was partly genetic. Sadly, having survived World War I—he was a Ghurka officer—he succumbed to cholera in Burma early in their marriage. My grandmother had a deliriously happy marriage, but a short one. She worshipped his memory until she died.
“THE OLDEN DAYS.” For my part, I spent a great deal of time with my grandmother both because she adored me—and because I was frequently sent to stay with her since my mother had a hyper-active social life and had a hard time handling me. As a consequence, in that pre-TV era, I would talk to her for hours about anything and everything. She was widely read, socially concerned, and politically active so we had a great deal to talk about. When I was small, I was particularly fascinated by the two world wars she had experienced—and what it was like in “the olden days”—by which I meant when she was young. And now I can’t write any more about her because I’m tearing up. She has been dead for decades, but I her miss her so.
A TRULY FASCINATING MAN. The person who really gave my conversation bite—and fostered my sense of humor—was my much loved stepfather, Alfred Lyons. Movie-star good-looking, much younger than my mother, and more like a big brother to me, he was witty, sarcastic, vastly intelligent, conversationally ruthless—and quite, quite fascinating. Conversing with him was akin to fencing with someone who was exceptionally good with an un-tipped blade. You displayed weakness at your peril. The man was exhilarating. Sadly, the relationship broke up—as was inevitable given my mother’s destructive nature—and Alfred died far too young—but he had a profound effect on me over many years. Mind you, he was a menace where girlfriends are concerned. They all fell for him and he would flirt outrageously.
LISTENING IS A LEARNED SKILL. I can’t recall who taught me how to draw out other people—but I remember asking the question after noticing that some people just had the knack of putting people at ease. The advice I received was simple and has served me well ever since. It was, in essence, “Ask them about themselves. Encourage them to talk—and listen.”
TO LISTEN IS TO WRITE BETTER. There are many elements involved in the writing process—and I would guess reading would top the list, because that is how you learn from the masters—plus a great deal more from the content. But listening would be high on the list—very high indeed—and it is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Words—one way or another (read, written, heard or spoken) are really the focus of my life. And they all emanate from people. Good grief! Maybe I really am a people person after all!
CREATIVITY. I missed one rather crucial point when I was the listing the merits of being a good conversationalist yesterday. It is this: Really good conversation stimulates creativity (and, with luck, solves problems). It does so because it draws you out, encourages you to be at the top of your game, brings other perspectives' to the topic at hand, and offers—as always—the stimulus, challenge, and pleasure of interacting with other human beings. And, at its best, that is profoundly energizing. 
parties—and, in sum, seem to be entirely comfortable with people. And they are easy to be around. In turn, they like to be with people—need people, in fact—so they join clubs and organizations, receive and give awards—and generally lubricate the human condition. They think of themselves as “people people” and they are. 
A MOVABLE FEAST by Ernest Hemingway—one of my favorite books. And yes, the photo at the top of this piece is of Hemingway.
CLASS WARFARE IS VERY REAL, QUITE BRUTAL—AND THE ULTRA RICH ARE WINNING HANDS DOWN—AND WRECKING AMERICA. The thought provoking blog, 
FASCINATING BLOG: THE UNZE REVIEW –A Collection of Interesting, Important, and Controversial Perspectives Largely Excluded from the American Mainstream Media
TEN HOUSES 3D PRINTED IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS. This small home may look plain, but it represents a significant achievement in rapid construction. A Chinese company has demonstrated the capabilities of its giant 3D printer by rapidly constructing 10 houses in less than 24 hours. Built from predominantly recycled materials, these homes cost less than US$5,000 and could be rolled out en masse to ease housing crises in developing countries. 
TO MY FRIENDS—TOO MANY TO NAME—BUT YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE. YOU ENRICH MY LIFE
SEX—AND A GREAT DEAL MORE SEX—AND, SUDDENLY, WE WERE 12. The only thing my grandmother was trained to do was be a lady—and to speak excellent French, thanks to her French governess. My mother endured the same fate—until she rebelled in her mid teens and was allowed to go to boarding school. She then fled to London and joined the WAAF—the Women’s Auxilary Air Force—not because she wanted to fight for King and Country, but because there was a war on—and then meant men in profusion. Sure the city was being bombed, and civilians were being killed in serious quantities, but mother needed men as desperately as a drowning man (or woman) needs air. And I was the result. Eleven more were to follow at a time when women of her social standing slept around—if they slept around (and of course they did)—discretely;and did not have large families. Four or five, if you were gentry, was tops. A dozen was for the peasantry—even though mother did it with some style. We alternated boy/girl, boy/girl the whole way through. As someone said about the Japanese, we made for a neat crowd. 
SUPERGUNS AND THINGS. Back in the Nineties, when I had an involvement with a Livermore team (we are talking nuclear scientists here) who wanted to shoot stuff into space with a hydrogen powered supergun, our main competitor—apart from traditional rockets (which have a tendency to blow up when you least want them to—along with that satellite that took five years and $700 million to build)—was seen as being an electromagnetic railgun. However, somehow the railgun seemed to be more promise than product—and it had more than its fair share of teething problems. We said rude things about it because it was the competition. Scientists are supposed to be fact driven—and they are in many ways—but they can be as partisan on as the next person when it comes to their pet projects. That said, I was pretty sure that its day would come. It was already clear that the principles worked—so it was just a matter of working out the details. You do that by throwing money at the problem—and taking a long, long time to come up with answers. They call that development—and the golden rule is: never use your own money. After all, what else is the U.S. taxpayer for. Played right, on the back of such a development, you can put not just your children—but your grandchildren through college—and retire in comfort. Scientific development in this Great Nation—if the MICC (Military Industrial Congressional Complex thinks there is a buck or two in it for them—is a wonderful thing.
The prototype develops 32 megajoules—which I know you understand—of muzzle energy, and fires at the rate of 10 rounds per minute. Downstream, I expect they will increase that rate of fire—but 10 is a good round number to start with, and easy to remember.
Governments come in all shapes and sizes—and operate at different levels (federal, state and local). Some are reasonably honest and highly effective. Others are corrupt and incompetent. A third group are moderately corrupt, but work well. Whatever be the situation, whether we like it or not—I find it hard to overstress that point—we need government. It is—or should be—no more than us cooperating for the common good. In practice—because we have a tendency to be singularly misinformed—and to elect the mediocre—the results have a tendency to disappoint profoundly.