Here’s an article on the laborious and idiosyncratic complexity of the relationship between pointe shoes and the ballet dancer. The shoes are hand-made (and for professional ballet dancers, custom-made) but they are not worn as is. There is a lengthy … Continue reading →
Ah, those young people: Are you between the ages of 18-34? Can you name one ”” just one ”” of your home state’s senators? Congrats! You did better than more than three-fourths of people your age. That’s right ”” 77 … Continue reading →
“Groundhog Day” keeps stirring up the opportunity to opine on life and love. So here we go—again… Commenter “Gary” observed: Neo wrote: There is no suggestion that anyone else in the movie is perfect, or near-perfect, or anything of the … Continue reading →
We often talk about Obama’s approach to Iran, offering theories that run the gamut from “fool” to “knave” to various combinations of the two. Here’s an excellent article by Michael Doran in Mosaic that fleshes out the details of a … Continue reading →
You know what day I’m talking about. All together now: Groundhog Day! Really, what could be more appropriate on Groundhog Day than a repeat of an old essay about the movie, a personal favorite of mine? In discussions of the … Continue reading →
I don’t ordinarily write about football, except for the obligatory open thread for the Superbowl—and I don’t always even do that. So this may be the lengthiest football thread I’ll ever write. I’m not a football fan, although I know … Continue reading →
It’s snowing and very cold, for a change. Actually, it’s not a change. We’ve got a lot of snow on the ground already, gobs and piles of it. Now we’ll have more.
Continue reading →The movie “American Sniper” opened in Iraq but was pulled out of fear of demonstrations and violence: But before it was yanked from the theater, one Iraqi man named Gaith Mohammed said that it played to full and enthusiastic crowds. … Continue reading →
More than this apparently: The city Department of Education has failed to fire a teacher rated “unsatisfactory” for six consecutive years. Ann Legra, 44, a first-grade teacher at PS 173 in Washington Heights, racked up “six years of failing her … Continue reading →
Keep your eye on the balls.
Continue reading →I am drawn to melody in songs. That’s one of the many reasons I don’t like rap music. Rhythm is important too, of course, but for me melody (and lyrics) is key. But there’s a class of rock songs that … Continue reading →
One of the most disturbing things about the Obama administration’s reaction to the prospect of Netanyahu’s addressing Congress isn’t just the discord it reveals between Obama and Israel; that’s old, old news. For example, as early as May of 2009 … Continue reading →