Herbert J. Gans an eminent sociologist who studied the communities and cultural bastions of America up close and shattered popular myths about urban and suburban life, poverty, ethnic groups and the news media, died on Monday at his home in Manhattan. He was 97. For “The Urban Villagers” (1962), Dr. Gans immersed himself in Boston’s … [Read more…]
James C. Scott and the Art of Resistance The late political scientist enjoined readers to look for opposition to authoritarian states not in revolutionary vanguards but in acts of quiet disobedience. By Nikil Saval New Yorker April 7, 2025 Some books: The Moral traditional societies of the Peasant: Rebellion and Subsistence in Southeast Asia (1976) … [Read more…]
Brad Holland, 81, Dies Brad Holland drew the 1971 illustration “Mouths to Feed” ” “Outcast” (1974) was one of many images of Richard M. Nixon that Mr. Holland created “
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/10/lawson-obit-civil-rights-martin-luther-king-00162585 Civil rights leader James Lawson Jr. dies at 95 The pastor was a close adviser to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and an advocate of nonviolent protest. By Associated Press 06/10/2024 05:44 PM EDT The Rev. James Lawson Jr., seen here in California in 2019, taught Gandhian principles to young civil rights activists … [Read more…]
In praise of failure : four lessons in humility by Costic? Br?d??an, 2023. I just finished this quirky little book (273 p) and am left with more than a few things to think about – birth, death, humility, human frailty, hubris, genocide, madness, disease, senility, poverty and wealth to name a few. He uses the … [Read more…]
Daniel C. Dennett, Widely Read and Fiercely Debated Philosopher, 82, Dies Espousing his ideas in best sellers, he insisted that religion was an illusion, free will was a fantasy and evolution could only be explained by natural selection. From the New York Time obituary: “All varieties of perception — indeed all varieties of thought or … [Read more…]
John Walker, Tech Executive Who Popularized AutoCAD, Dies at 74 He avoided the spotlight, but he helped bring to market an explosively popular computer program that revolutionized the architecture and design industries. Rest In Peace, man. He was irascible, never got along with his electric shaver, wore a short sleeved shirt, no matter the weather … [Read more…]
Charles V. Hamilton, an Apostle of ‘Black Power,’ Dies at 94 He popularized the term “institutional racism” and, with Stokely Carmichael, wrote a book in 1967 that was seen as a radical manifesto. “Equitable distribution of power must come from mutual self-interest, not altruism or guilt feelings,” Dr. Hamilton wrote
Greece finally pays tribute to Iannis Xenakis (The Guardian 01/28/2024) “Few cultural figures were as important in the second half of the century,” said Katerina Gregos, the artistic director of the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens (EMST). “Xenakis was not just a polymath, a visionary, a true cosmopolitan, he was a mathematician, civil … [Read more…]
SHERIFF PETRAY AND 2 DETECTIVES KILLED Press Democrat Dec 6, 1920 On December 6, 1920 in Santa Rosa, California, the Sheriff of Sonoma county, James A. Petray and San Francisco Detectives Miles Jackson and Lester Dorman were gunned down. The killer was one George Boyd of Seattle, a professional boxer and a member of the … [Read more…]