If so, you have a greater propensity for masochism than I do. I’m already on record many times as saying I don’t like political speeches. So why would I want to subject myself to a parade of pre-recorded statements from … Continue reading →
Mark Knopfler is British. But “Telegraph Road” is his song about the history of America – in particular, the city of Detroit, but certainly more than that: A long time ago came a man on a track Walking thirty miles … Continue reading →
[NOTE: Recently I came across an old post of mine on Orwell and decided to repeat it in edited form, because I think it’s still interesting and timely, maybe even more than before. So here it is.] Commenter “Nick” wrote … Continue reading →
Here’s an interesting video for a change of pace. Some of the music isn’t au courant, but that’s probably because it was made three years ago. But the points are still relevant, I think:
Continue reading →A voice teacher analyzes Karen Carpenter’s singing: I would describe her voice much more simply: “like velvet.” Or “like syrup; like honey.” But he is far more astute, pointing out all the shadings and change-ups that the rest of us … Continue reading →
[NOTE: This is a revised version of a previous post.] Robert Frost’s poem “A Case for Jefferson” isn’t great poetry—even though it’s a poem by a master of the genre. It’s more in the vein of light verse, which Frost … Continue reading →
Or perhaps they already have. I’ve written before about how a course I took in college on Russian Intellectual History stopped me from joining the left in the late 60s. Here’s an excerpt: It was there I learned – without … Continue reading →
Canadian sparrows have changed their tune: A new bird song is spreading like wildfire among Canadian white-throated sparrows, at a scale not seen before by scientists. Birds rarely change their chirpy little tunes, and when they do, it’s typically limited … Continue reading →
…and even prior to that, I don’t think I had watched them for several decades. I watch very little network TV and not much TV at all. I suppose somebody does, though. And now this: CBS has announced a target … Continue reading →
…to say buh-bye: “I am trying hard to create in this magazine a civil, respectful, intellectually honest space for political debate,” Haskell [the New York editor] said. “I believe there is a way to write from a conservative* perspective about … Continue reading →
A double bind is a social science term for “heads I win, tails you lose.” It goes like this: A double bind is a dilemma in communication in which an individual (or group) receives two or more conflicting messages, with … Continue reading →
[NOTE: This is a slightly-edited repeat of a previous post.] I saw that film on TV maybe 30 times when I was a child. Loved it, and in particular loved the idea that James Cagney—whom I already knew as a … Continue reading →