The Moody Blues were big in the late 60s. But for reasons I never could quite articulate, their music creeped me out at the time. It didn’t make sense that I disliked their songs, because they had many elements I … Continue reading →
In an odd coincidence, two days ago I sent a friend a video of one of my favorite comic scenes from “Life of Brian,” made in 1979: And last night I saw this article about a new stage production based … Continue reading →
Love is the biggest topic in pop songs. Love gained, love lost, love betrayed, love regained, love yearned for, love rejected. But did you ever notice that there’s a dearth of popular songs about the death of a loved person? … Continue reading →
I’ve been feeling pretty weary lately about the news. So much of it is bad. I don’t know about you, but I need a refresher. “Tragedy” is an odd title for a refresher. But like so many Bee Gees’ songs, … Continue reading →
Plisetskaya tears up the turf: I don’t care how high today’s dancers can get their legs or how many turns they do. They play the character; Plisetskaya IS the character. She’s the second dancer in the series in this video … Continue reading →
Michel Fokine’s ballet “Petrouchka,” created in 1911, is one I’ve seen many times. But perhaps I’ll never see it again, because I have a feeling it’s pretty much banned now. I’m virtually certain that one of its puppet characters, the … Continue reading →
Singer-songwriter – this article says “troubadour” – Gordon Lightfoot has died at 84. RIP. Lightfoot was not an extreme favorite of mine; for example, I never bought an album of his. Nevertheless, he wrote many classic folk-type songs that I … Continue reading →
I was about twelve years old when I first read Orwell’s masterpiece Nineteen Eighty-Four. It scared me more than anything I’d ever read. Did I understand every single bit of it? No, but I understood a surprising amount. And it … Continue reading →
A lot of people have called my attention to this supposed story: This is a joke and everyone knows it. Imagine having some little self respect that you pretend it isn’t. https://t.co/fxVphNPHcp — Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) April 11, 2023 You … Continue reading →
The great ballet dancer Galina Ulanova specialized in the more human roles in the ballet repertory, such as Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet” and the title role in “Giselle.” Becoming the Swan Queen Odette, who was under a spell and … Continue reading →
It seems to be the case in athletics. Mediocre male athletes can become champs by declaring themselves female. A man who has passed puberty has a lifelong advantage that doesn’t end even if that person starts taking female hormones. One … Continue reading →
In yesterday’s thread on a poll indicating a steep decline in patriotism in the US, commenter “charles” wrote: That is one thing that makes polls like this so disheartening; if more and more people believe that love of one’s country … Continue reading →