One of the things that most fascinates me here (aside from the obvious virtuosity of Horowitz’s flying fingers) is the remote quality of his face. It’s as though he is observing his fingers from a greater distance than usually separates … Continue reading →
The storm hasn’t really been all it was cracked up to be here. But tis enough, twill serve—in other words, there’s a power outage where I live. I’m sitting in a coffee shop right now, plugged into one of the … Continue reading →
One of the things I love about blogging are the discoveries that can result from late-night meandering down paths that lead to the unexpected. That’s what happened the other evening when, after doing some research on Keynes and Hayek, I … Continue reading →
I must say I didn’t immediately get what today’s Google graphic was meant to refer to: I had to cheat by going to “View image info.” Why, it’s the 112th birthday of Jorge Luis Borges! Although he’s a tremendous favorite … Continue reading →
NY Times columnist and Obama admirer (“Obama is smart, decent and tough, with exactly the right instincts about where the country needs to go”) Thomas Friedman no doubt means well towards Obama. But this analogy is quite unfortunate: But lately … Continue reading →
…just too mean, too ornery, and too Texan to be elected? Boy, do the chattering classes ever hate this guy! If he is elected, the furor against him will make BDS look like a love affair. Perry is everything the … Continue reading →
This piece by Seumas Milne in the Guardian is typical of the way the left looks at the riots and their causes: …[W]here exactly did the rioters get the idea that there is no higher value than acquiring individual wealth, … Continue reading →
The other day I was talking with friend, comparing the present feeling of unrest to the turmoil of the late 60s. We agreed that both times were tumultuous, but she thought things were worse now. I said I wasn’t sure; … Continue reading →
I believe we all could use a musical interlude right about now. A happy one might be nice. But I’ve been thinking for quite some time of putting something up that features Nina Simone, a singer/pianist whose music I’ve loved … Continue reading →
…and hope for the best. The latest suggestion is that nothing much that you can do matters—although of course it’s best not to off yourself prematurely if you want to reach three figures. One thing that might help would be … Continue reading →
A mountain lion traveled from South Dakota to New Haven, a distance of 2000 miles: Biologists estimate the size of the mountain lion population at about 100,000 in North America, mostly living in western regions and seldom traveling more than … Continue reading →
Who? Erma Franklin, that’s who. Aretha’s older sister, she was nominated for a Grammy for the original 1967 R&B version of “Piece Of My Heart,” a song later made far more famous by Janis Joplin. I’d never heard Erma’s rendition … Continue reading →