THE ANGELS ARE WEEPING for Virginia Zeani
I had the privilege of meeting the great opera singer Virginia Zeani in Fort Lauderdale in 2013. She died a few days ago at age 97. Zeani made her debut…
Orpheus in Macedonia
Can a mythical figure have a real grave? That is the provocative question posed by Tomasz Mojsik in this book about Orpheus. Mojsik is associate professor at the University of…
Mr. Spock’s Vincent
If after-play questions are any indication, some people in the audience at the play Vincent had no idea it was developed by none other than Leonard Nimoy. His Star Trek…
A Night of Mahler
Leonard Bernstein recorded it three times. Several distinguished critics have concluded it is a failure. Whichever side of the fence you are on (and few indeed can be found sitting…
ASTEROIDS at SXSW
In January this year an asteroid passed closer to Earth than some satellites in orbit. Dr. Paul Chodas said that when asteroids are predicted to get really close to Earth…
Xenophon’s Irony
Xenophon (430-354 BCE) is best remembered as a great military leader, but he was also a prolific author. Fortunately, many of his works still survive. A fresh look at these…
Carbon is Not the Enemy!
What to do with all that carbon dioxide and methane polluting the atmosphere? Instead of trying to eliminate them, which is the goal of many countries flailing to achieve a…
Sex in Space
Don’t get caught with your pants down in space! That was the advice given to the audience at SXSW on March 14. In a session peppered with double entendres, four…
Tilda Swinton: I Don’t Want to be an Actor
“I’ve said this before and I’ll go on saying it. I never wanted and I still don’t want to be an actor.” So let’s call her a ‘great film presence.’…
PELOSI: Carlson is a Denier of our Democracy!
Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi never spoke the name of the former Dictator (DT) even once during her appearance at SXSW. It’s for the same reason that this…