Separated at birth?
I know, I know; the actress in the first photo is a bit older than the actress in the second. But still…
Continue reading →Category Archives: Arts
Cultural Amnesia: on the Nazis vs. the Soviets
From the Nadezhda Mandelstam chapter of Clive James’ excellent Cultural Amnesia [in the following excerpts I have Americanized the British spelling): The main difference [between the Gulag and Hitler’s Reich] was that in Nazi Europe the victims knew…who they were, … Continue reading →
All Things Scottish
After I posted that video about voice recognition systems and accents, a reader kindly sent me a link to this one: The Scots accent is inherently funny (is that un-PC to say, or is it okay because they’re white?) because … Continue reading →
A trip back in time: Joe and Eddie
I was having trouble with my iPod the other day, and while trying to troubleshoot it (it’s fixed now) I came across an entry in my iTunes library that was part of a reel-to-reel tape I had originally made in … Continue reading →
Irony of ironies…
…all is irony. The author focuses on irony and lack of seriousness in art. But the hegemony of irony is certainly something I’ve noticed getting more and more widespread in recent years. It seems to be the default position of … Continue reading →
Blindfold violin test reveals a surprise
I can’t tell a Stradivarius from a Curtin. But neither, it seems, could a bunch of professional concert violinists: There were 12 instruments, six old and six new, with new ones “antiqued” to appear older. The violinists, 10 professional soloists, … Continue reading →
Don’t worry, folks
I noticed that, for whatever reason, a “worry” theme has emerged today in my posts (see also this). Which gave me the idea for a musical interlude from one of my very favorite groups: And as a bonus:
Continue reading →George W. Bush exhibits his paintings
I would love to see this exhibit. And what a great interview. Note the reference to Churchill, the humor, and the relaxed and affectionate interplay between the family members, as well as Bush’s articulate and fluid manner of speaking. Gone … Continue reading →
This is not photoshopped: Marilyn Monroe the bodybuilder
Taken for a 1952 photo essay in Life, this picture was one of a series that never got published in the original article:
Continue reading →Art, royal children, and time
Yesterday I wrote a post featuring this charming photo of the young and growing royal family: What do I like about the photo? It’s not really the subject matter; I’m not so much into the royals, although I think this … Continue reading →
Inner cruising
I’ve seen a couple of these Princess Cruise ads on TV, and they really drew my attention. I think they’re brilliant, actually. In a rut? The ads sell the company’s cruises as a way to get out of that rut, … Continue reading →
This is what the young folks are reading these days
Basically, what they’re reading is a lot of what used to be called porn. And I don’t mean sneaking around to get it, or looking at it online. I mean that the young adult book market—books written expressively for young … Continue reading →