This video has been making the rounds. It shows Las Vegas schoolchildren’s wild glee at being told that starting tomorrow they can ditch their masks. They’ve certainly suffered more than enough with this, but one of the things I find … Continue reading →
On the previous thread on COVID hope and fear, David Foster offered this quote from Arthur Koestler, as related by Koestler’s friend Richard Hillary: K has a theory for this. He believes there are two planes of existence which he … Continue reading →
I had no idea why YouTube decided I would like this video called “Vocalist Disagrees With Bernstein’s Tempo.” But they recommended it, and I idly clicked on it and watched it: “It doesn’t matter; who can hear the words anyway?” … Continue reading →
Yes, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell and whoever else has joined their cause have the right to threaten to leave Spotify if the platform doesn’t boycott Joe Rogan. But they would serve their cause better if they just state clearly … Continue reading →
A large swath of New England is expecting a big snowstorm this weekend, and that includes me. I’ve got a lot of food in the fridge, my place is warm, and I’m hoping for no power outage so that it … Continue reading →
Instant hit: …[The Bee Gees’ tech guy Karl Richardson] also has a clear recollection of how he first came to hear ‘Stayin’ Alive’: “I distinctly remember Barry saying ‘Boy, Karl, have I got a song for you,’ and sitting down … Continue reading →
Here’s another death of a celebrity in the arts, the actor and singer who adopted the memorable moniker Meat Loaf. He was 74 and no cause of death was given, and although COVID is rumored, I don’t know whether or … Continue reading →
Here’s a companion piece to the video in yesterday’s open thread: Hey, why not sneak in a Bee Gees tune, who with 1000+ songs have one for everything? Originally released in 1975, this is a slightly later live version (and … Continue reading →
The subject of the Tolstoy marriage came up in this thread, in the context of a discussion about Tolstoy’s novel Anna Karenina. In that book, Tolstoy presents a thinly-disguised more idealized version of his own marriage to his wife Sonya, … Continue reading →
Another person connected with the arts has died. This time it’s WSJ drama critic and playwright Terry Teachout, who died unexpectedly at the age of sixty-five. Teachout wasn’t just a drama critic and playwright, either; he was “an acclaimed author, … Continue reading →
On Monday I mentioned that it seems as though there have been a lot of celebrity deaths lately. And now I see that pop singer Ronnie Spector has died: Like burning magnesium, the Ronettes flared hot, brightly and quickly: Their … Continue reading →
Kevin McCarthy shows some of it: House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy told Breitbart News that as speaker of the House he would strip Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA) of their assignments on the House Permanent Select Committee … Continue reading →