Great monotonous songs
I am drawn to melody in songs. That’s one of the many reasons I don’t like rap music. Rhythm is important too, of course, but for me melody (and lyrics) is key. But there’s a class of rock songs that … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Arts
And now for something completely different—my mother’s childhood poetry
Long-time readers here probably remember when I used to write about my elderly mother. And you probably also recall that about two-and-a-half years ago she died. Although I haven’t written much about that event, some day I may. Shortly after … Continue reading →
State of the Union
Tomorrow evening we have the State of the Union speech. Ugh! I won’t be watching; I almost never watch those speeches, so why would I watch this one? But preliminary reports are all about Obama’s “Robin Hood” tax proposal, a … Continue reading →
I think I need to read these books on Nazi Germany
The book The Nazi Seizure of Power sounds like a fascinating read. From one of the customer reviews at Amazon: …[The Nazis] were masterful at marketing at the local level. They tailored their messages to the specific audiences they were … Continue reading →
Boy, heaven, lies
There’s been a flurry of publicity over the fact that the boy featured in the book The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven now says the whole thing was a lie. The book has been pulled: The best-selling book, first … Continue reading →
The Blue Blood family dinner
I recently watched a few episodes of the popular TV show “Blue Bloods” and was struck by two things: the topical nature of so many of its themes re the police and New York City, and its unusual depiction of … Continue reading →
Now, that’s a taco
Bon appetit:
Continue reading →Picture time
This sort of thing always intrigues me. It’s a series of photographs of the four Brown sisters, taken every single year for the last forty years. My guess is that the sisters are very roughly my age, and it’s a … Continue reading →
‘Twas the Blogger’s Night Before Christmas
[NOTE: This small poetic effort of mine has become somewhat of a holiday tradition at neo-neocon. So here it comes again—just like the holiday itself. Merry Christmas Eve to you all!] ‘TWAS THE BLOGGER’S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS ‘Twas the night … Continue reading →
The Sony cyberattack: portent of things to come?
When I first read about the cyberattack on Sony I didn’t pay all that much attention. That turned out to be wrong. This attack on a US company, almost certainly by the government of North Korea, is a devastating blow … Continue reading →
In profile
I’ve always liked this portrait of Madame X by John Singer Sargent: Here’s the story of the painting, thought quite scandalous at the time. The original was even more scandalous, because it featured the lady with a strap falling off … Continue reading →
Teaching English in North Korea
This article by Suki Kim is an excerpt from her book Without You, There Is No Us: My Time with the Sons of North Korea’s Elite, based on her experience teaching English in North Korea. From a review of the … Continue reading →