[NOTE: Please see Part I.] “Swan Lake” is—among other things—the story of a woman named Odette who’s got a lot of reasons to be afraid. After all, she’s under an evil magician’s spell that turns her into a swan by … Continue reading →
This article describes several theories which seek to explain why music is a human universal. All of them focus on group cohesion of some sort, and the fact that music seems to foster it, whether it be in work, play, … Continue reading →
…on the eve of the sort-of millennium makes for some fascinating reading in retrospect. I call it the “sort-of” millennium because it took place in late December of 1999, whereas the real millennium would have begun with the year 2001. … Continue reading →
I’m planning a several-part series comparing three ballerinas in the lead role in “Swan Lake,” and changing styles in dance and art. I got the idea after an evening of surfing around on YouTube and watching old favorites and new … Continue reading →
…but this announcement makes me very, very sad. Ah, but who believes the government, anyway? Today it’s “no mermaids,” but tomorrow they’ll say there are no unicorns, and that the space alien autopsy videos are bogus. The nerve! When I … Continue reading →
In another comment thread, I wrote: In order for the Court to have standing to hear the suit””because if it were a tax, it could not be heard until the “tax” kicks in, which I believe wouldn’t be till 2014””the … Continue reading →
The news that Nora Ephron has died at 71 took me by surprise. I had no idea she was even ill, but it was more than that—she was just so funny (which is a stupid thing to say, I know, … Continue reading →
Tamae Watanabe, 73, has become the oldest woman to climb Mt. Everest. According to the article, this should be an inspiration to us all. My hat is off to Watanabe, but it makes me a bit weary. Now it’s not … Continue reading →
Steyn writes: In an inspired line of argument, Ben Smith of the website BuzzFeed suggests that the controversy over “Dreams From My Father” is the fault of conservatives who have “taken the self-portrait at face value.” We are so unlettered … Continue reading →
Sometimes I wonder what makes me pick a topic to write about. Some days there’s a story du jour that cries out for treatment, even if only to provide a forum for commenters to talk amongst themselves about it. Sometimes … Continue reading →
I’ve watched the TLC show “On the Fly” once or twice (only while double-tasking, so please don’t mock me too much). According to TLC, it “gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the modern air travel experience, sharing the large-scale operations … Continue reading →
You’re probably familiar with Alice Walker’s Pulitizer prizewinning novel The Color Purple. It caused a sensation when it was published way back in 1982, with its story of a poor black woman who rises from a history of abuse and … Continue reading →