RIP Brian Wilson
A musical genius, gone at 82. Then again, who ever thought Brian Wilson would reach the ripe old age of 82? But he did, and gave us a lot of music along the way. The Beach Boys were a family … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Arts
Neo-neocon versus The new neo
Commenter “Jamie” has an interesting observation: I am reminded that this blog used to be called NeoNeocon, and I used to read it as eagerly then as I do now – and I believed to my bones something approximately the … Continue reading →
Democrats cling to imagology
The left’s answer to everything seems to be better messaging: “Democrats spending millions to learn how to speak to ‘American Men’ and win back the working class,” the Independent reported today, with party leaders holed up “in luxury hotel rooms … Continue reading →
For Memorial Day: on nationalism and patriotism
[NOTE: The following is a repeat of a previous post, slightly edited and updated.] The story “The Man Without a Country” used to be standard reading matter for seventh graders. In fact, it was the first “real” book – as … Continue reading →
A song for Memorial Day
I’ve posted this song before, but I think it bears repeating, especially on Memorial Day. It’s Tim McGraw’s extraordinarily moving song “If You’re Reading This“: If you’re readin’ this My momma’s sittin’ there Looks like I only got a one … Continue reading →
AI: is it real or is it Memorex?
We can still tell the difference – kind of. But soon, it may be impossible: It’s so over. Google Veo 3 AI does speech and sound for its video generation now. Not sure how I feel about this. pic.twitter.com/C0voPsrDY6 — … Continue reading →
Elusive muse: Suzanne Farrell
All dancers are unique. But some are more unique than others. Suzanne Farrell may have been the most unique of all – that is, I’ve never seen another dancer who reminds me of her in the least. The closest would … Continue reading →
“Gloria” in three iterations
I had very vaguely remembered the hit song of the 80s entitled “Gloria,” sung by Laura Branigan, but that was about it for my knowledge of the song. But the other day I came across this version of a Leonard … Continue reading →
Art for non-art’s sake: the Times Square monument to our age
A recent development in the world of art is the installation of a statue in Times Square. While the virtue-signaling have been busy pulling down heroic statues of white men, they are erecting this sort of thing in their stead: … Continue reading →
The Trump assassination-attempt photo wins a Pulitzer
But it’s the wrong photo. Although the winner is an interesting shot (literally; it shows the bullet track before hitting Trump’s ear), it can’t compare in terms of composition and importance to the one that became iconic. The latter – … Continue reading →
Suddenly, it’s 1960!
I’ve never taken much interest in cars. I see them as a mode of transportation, and my concern is with drivability and safety features, with looks a distant third. Even as a child growing up in the 1950s I didn’t … Continue reading →
Closing time for Gerard’s blog – plus an update on the poetry book
I knew it had to happen, although I’d been delaying it: closing down Gerard Vanderleun’s blog. For one thing, he left instructions to me to leave it up for two years and then to take it down. So it was … Continue reading →