Monthly Archives: August 2011

“So, What?”: Miles Davis note for note

Posted on August 31, 2011 by

I can play an instrument, but I can’t read music. It must be great to look at a page of sheet music featuring the work of someone like Miles Davis (or John Coltrane or Cannonball Adderley) and be able to … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Music | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Photo finish II: Obama vs. Perry

Posted on August 30, 2011 by

A few more thoughts circulating on the Obama vs. Perry photo at the age of 22. There’s this: And this: And my personal favorite, from a Balloon Juice link: As Big Baby DougJ says: “Real Murkins don’t want Yosemite Sam … Continue reading →

Posted in Back in the USA, Politics, Tea Party | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Little League: California beats Japan in World Series

Posted on August 29, 2011 by

It all ended with a walk-off hit in the bottom of the last inning. California won the championship, 2-1. An American flag draped around his shoulders, Braydon Salzman couldn’t contain his glee when he found California teammate Nick Pratto to … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Children, Sports | Tagged | Leave a comment

Just a bad storm

Posted on August 28, 2011 by

Despite all the TV hype, looks like Hurricane Irene wasn’t the end of the world, at least in Washington. As Hurricane Irene moved on to flood the streets of New York City Sunday, people in the Washington region were dealing … Continue reading →

Posted in Back in the USA, environment, Natural disasters | Leave a comment

Creeps and stalkers

Posted on August 27, 2011 by

A couple of bizarre stories last week involving famous men and the women they were stalking. In the entertainment world, Jim Carrey did this: Now, Emma Stone is probably weirded out by this, but imagine what Condoleeza Rice must feel … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Men, Middle East, Movies, Race relations, Sexuality | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Steve Jobs: the art of innovation

Posted on August 27, 2011 by

Years ago, Steve Jobs of Apple appeared on a PBS special on Silicon Valley. The segment began with the announcement of Windows 95, Microsoft’s new user interface that was supposed to revolutionize personal computing. But Macintosh users knew that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising, Art, Business, Economics, Law, Science and Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Photo finish: Obama vs. Perry

Posted on August 26, 2011 by

Let’s say the 2012 will boil down to Barack Obama vs. Rick Perry. Here’s what you can expect (of course you’ll have to work your way through the implied message and the lies): The creator of this little gem is … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising, Africa, Back in the USA, defense spending, Education, Europe, History, Liars, Men, Mistaken identity, Politics, Race relations, Tea Party | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Assorted disasters, naturally

Posted on August 26, 2011 by

There was an earthquake in Virginia earlier this week. And this weekend, Hurricane Irene is headed up the Atlantic Coast. (See its path as of Friday, below.) Both natural disasters have Washington, D.C., in their path of destruction. A lot … Continue reading →

Posted in Back in the USA, environment, Natural disasters, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Opens

Posted on August 26, 2011 by

The Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial opened this week in Washington, D.C., and — weather permitting — there is a dedication scheduled on Sunday. Jerry Bembry, with Baltimore public radio station WYPR, visited the national mall to get people’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Back in the USA, Education, History, Politics, Poverty, Race relations, Religion | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Steve Jobs and Pat Summitt: legends and mortality

Posted on August 25, 2011 by

Two big stories today on two legendary figures in business and sports: one man, one woman. Each revolutionized their fields. Each will be studied for generations to come. And both reveal the sadness that greatness does not mean immortality. ———————————————— … Continue reading →

Posted in basketball, Business, Economics, Education, Health, History, Science and Technology, Sexuality, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment