Monday, September 30, 2019

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Modern opera conductors suck

So says this 20 minute video. It's engagingly mean-spirited but convincing. The most eye opening bit is the soprano praising Thielemann for making the orchestra so quiet! WTF. Before amplification the orchestra was the loudest thing going. That was the idea, otherwise composers would just write for piano accompaniment.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Prime Minister Al Jolson


He has Governor Northam's endorsement! 
Update on the press playing euphemism twister to avoid saying blackface.

This joins an impressive list of Trudeau apologies. He apologized for assaulting a male member of parliament on the floor of the house. He apologized for shoving his elbow into the breast of a female member, telling her to get the fuck out of his way. He did not apologize for strong arming the Solicitor General to get SNC immunity for crimes it committed, so it's not a perfect record. 

UPDATE He was in town the other day.  I heard his Swanee River was great. 

Social Constructionist Mea Culpa

An interesting essay in Quillette

Monday, September 16, 2019

The war on evidence continues

A NYT story falls apart. More than falls apart actually, since the story is fraudulent, supressing the only pertinent evidence.  And of course we see the politicians piling on because they don't worry about evidence either.

UPDATE: Piers Morgan.

And over at Coyne's where they preen about being the ones who care about truth, decency, and evidence, stuff like this.

Monday, September 9, 2019

Coyne refutes Gelerntner

David Gelerntner made quite a splash abjuring Darwin and all his works. Coyne refutes him thus. (Imagine a stone kicked.)

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Daryl Davis Update

I blogged about Daryl Davis, a black musician who persuades kluckers to leave the KKK. He collects their robes, and has a large collection. Well, he is in the news.

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Black writer quits Star Trek

Devil In A Blue Dress was a good book.  Now I am tempted to read another book by Walter Mosley. I surely won't be watching that Star Trek.

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Is mishearing a hate crime?

Baristas have misspelled my name.  This is not a complaint, it is context.  My name is as simple as it gets but errors can happen. Kent, Can, Kevin, Keith. Is mishearing a hate crime?