How bow?
I feel more than a little sympathy for President Barack Obama when it comes to the criticism he has received over ‘the bow’ and what it represents to a new generation of virtual, international Miss Manners out there. [Read more →]
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Time magazine labels the “decade from hell” the worst decade ever
I don’t know if the year 2010 marks the beginning of a new decade or the end of the current one. In the scheme of things, it probably makes little difference. What’s another 365 days to a decade, really? Time magazine has already called it quits on this decade, naming it the “decade from hell”. Harsh words for a poor old decade. Upon further reflection, though, I think Time magazine may be on to something. Whether it was as bad as the decades that housed the Great Depression or World Wars, I wouldn’t know. But overall, it has been a pretty crappy few years. [Read more →]
Che, Part One and Che, Part Two: the films that celebrate a murderer and communist thug
I have long been interested in Che Guevara, although I am hardly an admirer, and I’ve read scores of books about him, including his Bolivia war diary and his other works.
So as a student of history, as well as film, I forced myself to sit through the two long films about Che Guevara last week on the IFC cable channel.
The most bizarre fetish ever?
I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised by this as humans are capable of doing/believing just about anything. But even so, I was a little caught off guard by this sad tale from Cornwall, one of the most beautiful parts of the British Isles, where the locals even have their own language. I will say no more; just click on the link and immerse yourself in the joys and sorrows of the poor soul who can only get his jollies via frolicking in a mound of rancid manure.
Mr. Truscott was a child once, innocent, dreaming of an exciting adulthood… I suspect that this was not what he had in mind.
H/t: Rod Liddle
Smart grids and liberty
As a follow-up to my previous post, I wanted to add a few thoughts about creeping nannyism.
Privacy experts are concerned that new smart grid technology, meant to give consumers greater control over their energy usage, might be used to reveal more about your life than you’d intend. Turns out that, even if individual electronic devices don’t have communications capabilities, their unique load patterns can be picked up on usage reports. Refrigerators, toasters, gaming consoles, etc, all generate unique patterns that can be detected on meters. It would be possible for the curious to know when you’re home, how long you use a hair dryer in the morning, and whether you should spend less time on the xBox. And, if your devices have roaming capabilities (electric vehicles, for example), more patterns can be created and detected. [Read more →]
Lisa reads: Michael Symon’s Live to Cook: Recipes and Techniques to Rock Your Kitchen
I think this is the first time I’ve reviewed a cookbook here, but Michael Symon’s Live to Cook: Recipes and Techniques to Rock Your Kitchen is kind of special. I grew up in Ohio and I was a frequent guest at Lola long before I ever saw its owner on TV Food Network. That face, that laugh…and that food! As often as we could afford it, we had a table or a seat at the bar and some of the very best food in town.
Lola Bistro is now Lolita and there’s a new Lola downtown. We don’t hear that laugh as often anymore when we come by for dinner, but we do hear it on Iron Chef America. And it’s still the best food in town. Even better, I’ve now got the recipes for some of my favorite dishes and Symon’s advice on how to be a better cook. [Read more →]
When to add another syllable
Recently, my wife and I attended a Philadelphia Orchestra concert that featured, as the concluding work, the Danish composer Carl Nielsen’s fifth symphony, which is perhaps best-known — even notorious — for its first movement duel between snare drum and orchestra (a note in the score instructs the drummer to improvise “as if at all costs to stop the progress of the orchestra”).
At its premiere in 1922, the symphony was pretty well-received by both critics and the public. But a couple of years later, when performed in Stockholm, about a quarter of the audience is said to have fled the hall. Those who remained in their seats were none too pleased, either. My wife, more than 80 years later, felt their pain. [Read more →]
