1. Spontaneously, today I got caught up in the life and tyranny of Joseph Stalin. Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, Stephen Kotkin's second of a three volume biography of Stalin is available and Keith Gessen of Columbia University reviewed it in the latest issue of The New Yorker. I took courses in both the History of Russia and Modern European History back at Whitworth, but that's been over forty years ago and so, as I read Gessen's review, I traveled the World Wide Web a bit, reading up on, among other things, Lenin, the periods of terror in 20th century Russia, the collectivist programs Stalin enforced, and the German invasion of Russia in 1941. I wish I could say that all this reading today was merely interesting or that it was fascinating, but most of it was horrifying. I'll leave it at that.
I don't know if this link works for non-subscribers to The New Yorker, but if you'd like to see if Gessen's review comes up for you, it is here.
2. It wasn't much of a game. Zags 96, College of Idaho 67. It didn't count on either team's record nor will it factor into each team's statistics. It was an exhibition game. All the same, it was fun going next door to Christy and Everett's to watch much of the game and to begin to get a little bit familiar with the players on this year's Gonzaga squad. Watching the Zags got me a little fired up in anticipation of their participation in the PK80 Tournament in Portland over Thanksgiving weekend. It's a power packed tournament. If you haven't looked into it, and want to go here.
3. I watched the game while the Deke was at a French speakers' meet-up and supper here in Kellogg. When she finished, she picked me up and we went up to the Inland Lounge for a nightcap and, lo and behold, Allan, Peggy, Nancy, and Ed were at the table in front of the fireplace and we joined them for some cocktails and a whole lot of yakkin'. It was a really fun surprise to meet up with them.
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