To promote a recent Royal Albert Hall concert featuring Tchaikovsky’s Concerto in D Major, the BBC commissioned a caricature of famed violinist Leopold Auer for the show playbill. Auer was such a master of the instrument in his day that composers, including Tchaikovsky himself, wrote music specifically to highlight his mastery of the instrument. So, of course,…
Month: September 2015
Tentative Thoughts on Academic Freedom
So there’s been a ongoing dustup in my field over an article about a blowjob. No seriously. HuffPo of all places has a decent enough rundown (although a few months old, since then Prof. Dreger became former Professor Dreger by resigning in protest, plus some other back and forth in the Chronicle of Higher Ed that…
Am I Becoming A Populist?
Not really….or at least not in the historical sense, but this definition is oddly pleasing in a time in which our political representatives conspicuously, publicly, arrogantly reject the desires of those who elected them. Populist:a member of a political party claiming to represent the common people As a callow youth I sneered at the populist…
A Useful Idiot Self-Identifies
‘Why I’ve finally given up on the left Left-wing thought has shifted towards movements it would once have denounced as racist, imperialist and fascistic. It is insupportable Source: Why I’ve finally given up on the left » The Spectator I find young Cohen’s epiphany fascinating. A dim bulb – about the wattage of one in…
Wait, the Word “Muslim” Is An Insult?!
Yesterday, at a town hall in New Hampshire, someone (probably a Democrat or GOP-establishment plant) asked Donald Trump this question: “We have a problem in this country — it’s called Muslims,” the man said. “We know our current president is one.” To this, Trump responded, “right.” The man continued: “You know he’s not even an…
End The Strife Over The Temple Mount: Move The Mosque And Dome
The First Temple, or “Soloman’s Temple” was built, obviously, during the time of King Soloman, about 950 BCE. It was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE, during the destruction of the city by Nebuchadnezzar. The Second Temple was built soon afterward, and stood for 600 years until it was destroyed by the Romans in…
White House Invites Several Opponents of Catholic Teaching to Greet Pope Francis
the White House will have several people who disagree with the Pope on hand to greet Francis next week. Source: White House Invites Several Opponents of Catholic Teaching to Greet Pope Francis – Breitbart Proof positive that Obama has no sense of propriety whatsoever. The Pope is coming to visit, and instead of being a…
Nobel panel saw Obama peace prize as ‘mistake,’ new book claims – Washington Times
The former director of Norway’s Nobel Institute revealed this week that he regrets the committee’s decision to give the 2009 Nobel Peace award to President Obama. Source: Nobel panel saw Obama peace prize as ‘mistake,’ new book claims – Washington Times Do you think? I have a question: what the hell is wrong with these…
Party Unity My Ass!
I cut the cable about three years ago, so I have no idea how the expected public execution of Donald Trump is going – or if Mr. Trump, true to form, is ripping the arms off of Ben Carson and beating Carly Fiorina and Hugh Hewitt to death with them, rhetorically speaking of course. What is amazing…
“So you burnt down the GOP” or “There is no conservative base.”
I’m seeing a wide variety of reasons for Trump support ranging from CNN’s favorite to broadcast the “I loved him on The Apprentice” (I thought a Kardashian would be our first celebrity president, or Beyoncé) to “I like what he stands for” or “He fights!” or “He has the right people mad.” (These to me…