One of my very favorite scenes…
…from “Idiocracy”: That name bit reminds me ever-so-slightly of this:
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A certain kind of genius…
…can write a masterpiece within the confines of almost any restriction. Tchaikovsky was just that kind of genius. He was one of the greatest composers for ballet who ever lived, transforming ballet music from the light and inconsequential into the … Continue reading →
A stirring letter from Judea Pearl
Judea Pearl is the father of Daniel Pearl, and he has written a stirring letter of protest about the Klinghoffer opera. It’s well worth reading in its entirety, but here’s an excerpt: There is nothing more enticing to a would-be … Continue reading →
The Klinghoffer opera: sympathy for the devil
Last night was the opening of the controversial opera “The Death of Klinghoffer” at New York’s Lincoln Center. It was marked by protests: Demonstrators, primarily associated with Jewish groups, plan to rally outside Lincoln Center with 100 wheelchairs, in honor … Continue reading →
Singing genes
I’m not much of a Streisand fan. She’s just not all that much to my taste, but I recognize her outstanding talent and understand why for many people she’s their favorite singer. I noticed that Yahoo is pushing a video … Continue reading →
The antidote
Here’s a clip of the finale of Paul Taylor’s “Esplanade,” one of the most beautiful dances I’ve ever seen. I’ve written at length about Taylor before, and about “Esplanade” in particular: If I write that in one of my favorite … Continue reading →
It’s not all fun and games for the mosquito, either
As a response to my recent mosquito post, commenter “cornflour” has sent in a link to the article “Cosmic Karma: Mosquitoes Have Flying, Blood-Sucking Parasites of Their Own”: Although it’s oh-so-satisfying to hear mosquitoes have their own blood-sucking winged pests … Continue reading →
My political compass, three years later
Three years ago I took the test on the “Political Compass” site. This was the result back then, which seemed to place me correctly on the scale: I just took the test again. And although I certainly didn’t remember my … Continue reading →
A more pristine Sistine
I’ve never seen the Sistine Chapel in person. The one time I was in Rome, long ago, the Chapel was closed for something or other and no visitors were allowed. Anyway, that was before the controversial restoration that brightened Michaelangelo’s … Continue reading →
Want to see something heartwarming?
In more ways than one. I’ve already described how much I loved the TV show Rescue 911, and why. Those 80s hairdos may look quaint, but the people sporting them are heroes in the truest sense of the word. And … Continue reading →
Obama vs. his generals
The WaPo has been reporting on the fact that Obama and his generals are at odds over the conduct of the operation against ISIS. The conflict seems to be heating up (the war against the generals, that is, not the … Continue reading →
Emmy fashions
[NOTE: I wrote this draft a while back, but never published it. I’m in the mood for some lighter fare today; maybe you are too? So here we go—can’t get much lighter than this.] The Emmys were on TV the … Continue reading →