Why This Compromise is a Win for Democrats (I think)

It's complicated but I'll try to explain why. The senate has just voted to open the government and raise the debt limit. There's some discussion around the internet about whether this is really a win for the GOP, even though it appears to be a win for the president. The argument (for example here on … Continue reading Why This Compromise is a Win for Democrats (I think) →

Gould Recordings 39-49 – Grieg, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Hindemith, Wagner

This batch of Gould records (which includes recordings from 1973-1976) was less interesting, as a whole, than the previous batches, though there were some bright spots. I listened to most of them enough times to feel reasonably sure in my judgments (probably at least 5-10 times for each, with one notable exception). #39 - Grieg … Continue reading Gould Recordings 39-49 – Grieg, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Hindemith, Wagner →

Jane Austen and the War of Ideas

I read Jane Austen and the War of Ideas, by Marliyn Butler (1975), on the recommendation of an old friend, and also because it was footnoted in each of the introductions to each of Jane Austen’s six major novels, all of which I re-read over the last several months. I’m sure it’s not state-of-the-art Austen scholarship at … Continue reading Jane Austen and the War of Ideas →

The Ethics of Child TV Stardom

So this is really more of a question/subject for debate than a thought-out position: Is it ethical to involve your young child in an endeavor which will bring them great stardom? I'm talking about acting, reality-show casting, etc. This arises after having just watched about 15 minutes of "Guy vs. Rachel's Kid's Cookoff" or something like … Continue reading The Ethics of Child TV Stardom →

Glenn Gould and glenn gould on Beethoven

...you... have clearly developed a resentment pattern in relation to those tunes... You resent the fact that... those motives ... can be sung, whistled, or toe-tapped by anyone--any laymen. -- "Glenn Gould Interviews Himself about Beethoven" Gould slips this admittedly elitist anti-Beethoven argument in a strange rhetorical context - "gg" interviewing "GG" - and "gg" (the … Continue reading Glenn Gould and glenn gould on Beethoven →

David Foster Wallace’s Inferno

When reviewing the Celebrity Cruise promotional material early on, David Foster Wallace revealingly drops a name - "Sharing a laugh with your friends' in the lounge after dinner, you glance at your watch and mention that it's almost showtime .... When the curtain comes down after a standing ovation, the talk among your companions turns to, 'What next?' Perhaps a … Continue reading David Foster Wallace’s Inferno →

Yeah, I’m Probably Not Going to Watch Your Show

Okay, putative casual acquaintance/co-worker/family member I don't see that often/stranger on public transit whose cell phone conversation I'm forced to hear half of: I'm probably not going to watch your show. Allow me to elaborate. I know there are a lot of shows on TV. I know that many of them can be streamed on … Continue reading Yeah, I’m Probably Not Going to Watch Your Show →

One Way to Read Infinite Jest

I'm fresh off a reading of David Foster Wallace's awesome "David Lynch Keeps His Head" (in A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again) and also a re-reading of his "Frank's Dostoevsky" (in Consider the Lobster) and I feel like taking a stab at saying something reasonably holistic about Infinite Jest. [By the way - if you haven't … Continue reading One Way to Read Infinite Jest →

Gould Recordings 27-38 (Mozart, Bach, Schumann, Beethoven, Byrd, Gibbons, Schoenberg, Handel)

This is a pretty eclectic bunch of recordings. Probably my favorites in this cluster are #35 -"Consort of Musicke Bye William Byrde and Orlando Gibbons," followed by #38 - the Handel Suites, as a close second. The three Mozart recordings are tied for worst in this group. 27. Mozart / Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1: Nos. … Continue reading Gould Recordings 27-38 (Mozart, Bach, Schumann, Beethoven, Byrd, Gibbons, Schoenberg, Handel) →

The Challenge of Marginal Cases

This is the opening post in a series on the challenge of marginal cases and several prominent responses to that challenge. Most people believe that human beings have full moral significance, whereas nonhuman animals have only partial moral significance. For example, most people believe that the use of nonhuman animals in vivisection may be morally justified, provided the practice … Continue reading The Challenge of Marginal Cases →