The story: Pop star Billie Eilish has been hit with calls to either return her $3 million Los Angeles mansion to a Native American tribe or welcome migrants inside following her controversial Grammys declaration. The 24-year-old singer won a Grammy … Continue reading →
Composer Philip Glass, 89, is apparently not a Trump fan: Composer Philip Glass announced Tuesday that he is withdrawing his symphony from the Kennedy Center, pointing to the arts center’s values and leadership. “After thoughtful consideration, I have decided to … Continue reading →
This will not surprise you: The 250th anniversary of America’s founding provides an opportunity to reflect on—and fight over—the country’s extraordinary story. Unfortunately, many of the serious scholars who study America—its history, literature and culture—fail to provide a balanced and … Continue reading →
David Foster of Chicago Boyz has a post on “America’s story in song.” He asks – and offers some of his own answers to – the following question: Since this year is the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, … Continue reading →
Quelle surprise. Ohio immigration courts may be subject to bribery: At the center of the operation is Patricia Golder, who, according to the footage, has turned the alleged manipulation of the asylum process into her business. Golder says she takes … Continue reading →
I thought this ballet video purporting to show the ten greatest male dancers of the 20th century would be bad, but it’s kind of okay in many ways. However, one way it is annoying is that it can’t be embedded, … Continue reading →
I have long been very partial to Willie Nelson’s version of this beautiful song. I find it to be understated rather than overdone, with a bittersweet and mature tone of regret. Here it is: I had a vague memory – … Continue reading →
The number of Christian believers in Germany has been falling rapidly, and this presents a problem: what to do with all those empty churches? Maybe it’s time to re-purpose them as mosques – it’s certainly happened before; just ask the … Continue reading →
I’m extremely pleased to announce that Gerard Van der Leun’s poetry book, Into the Smoke of the World and other poems, is ready for purchase. Poetry was very dear to Gerard’s heart, and this beautiful book features almost all of … Continue reading →
Too many murders, both of the public political and jihadi type, and of the private. They signify different things and threaten different things, but there’s this quality to it: Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed … Continue reading →
I’m happy to report that I finally found a printer that can put out a version with which I’m satisfied, and I gave them the go-ahead. I originally thought the book would be available around Thanksgiving time, but that obviously … Continue reading →
Switching it up: Originally conceived by George Orwell as a satirical allegory for the Russian Revolution and the subsequent struggles of the USSR under the rule of Joseph Stalin, Animal Farm’s political ire is redirected in this lively CG-animated adaptation … Continue reading →