Things that happen
Sobering summary of our current state from The Atlantic’s George Packer: When the virus came here, it found a country with serious underlying conditions, and it exploited them ruthlessly. Chronic ills—a corrupt political class, a sclerotic bureaucracy, a heartless economy, a divided and distracted public—had gone untreated for years. We had learned to live, uncomfortably, … [Read more…]
In the Guardian, an essay on the performance artists Abramovi? and Ulay, and their attempt to walk the Sleeping Dragon, the Great Wall of China. The bittersweet story of Marina Abramovi?’s epic walk on the Great Wall of China – In 1988 Abramovi? and Ulay trekked from opposite ends of the wall to meet in … [Read more…]
From the Guardian, April 18, 2020 Chris Patten, the last governor of Hong Kong, said while the world’s attention is focused on the covid-19 epidemic, Beijing has taken “yet another step towards burying one-country, two-system” and the arrests show that “Beijing is determined to throttle Hong Kong”. He said the liaison office’s claim that it … [Read more…]
At about 04:30 AM this morning, I woke while dreaming that I was watching Joe Biden’s inauguration speech on TV. Biden was speaking of the need for a green new-deal and infrastructure initiative to put America back to where it should be and increase employment. It was the most pleasant dream I’ve had in many … [Read more…]
Published in the Hill, Saturday April 11, 2020 While the number of cases in hard-hit areas like New York, New Orleans and Detroit may slump, the virus will find new fuel in other areas. On Thursday, at least a dozen states reported their highest one-day case counts. They included both states like Massachusetts, Minnesota and … [Read more…]
Last time I shaved off my beard was in 2009, just after I was fired during the recession. Then I did it just to see what was under the facial hair, as part of the ritual of self-examination during a fit of depression. This time I cut it off slowly to make sure my face … [Read more…]
NYT Magazine – Jessica Lustig – March 24, 2020 What I Learned When My Husband Got Sick With Coronavirus Well written essay with no hype …
Jeremy Marre, Documentarian of World Music, Is Dead at 76 New York Times By Jon Pareles March 23, 2020 Jeremy Marre, an English filmmaker who documented music from across the world with hardheaded clarity, died on March 15 at a hospital in London, where he had lived. He was 76.
Reinbert de Leeuw, Dutch Champion of Contemporary Music, Dies at 81 He pushed conservative institutions to program the new, and was a noted conductor of major avant-garde works. … Mr. de Leeuw declared his all-embracing philosophy in the 1995 program booklet. The ambition of approaching contemporary music “with a universal language comparable to the language … [Read more…]
The gas bag pictured below announced he has advanced lung cancer – then the other bloated gas bag gives him a medal – what a travesty! I hope he enjoys his chemotherapy.