I am reading an older biography of Winston Churchill, by a lifelong friend of his, Violet Bonham Carter. It was published in 1965.
Although I am not yet very far along in the book, I was taken by surprise in her discussion of the period of the English war against the Boers in South Africa, almost 100 years ago to the day.
Look at these two excerpts:
On politics: "the tone of the General Election of 1900 was set by Mr. Chamberlain with the slogan 'Every seat lost to the Government is a seat gained to the Boers....'....All the LIberals, even those who had most loyally supported the war measures, including some who had lost their sons, were lapped in a general condemnation as 'Pro-Boers'. Posters presented pictures of eminent Liberals offering tribute to [Boer] President Kruger, helping him to shoot British soldiers and haul down the Union Jack."
On war: "Lord Kitchener....had the difficult task of dealing with a mobile and elusive enemy scattered in small groups over the wide spaces of the veldt, an enemy who fought without a uniform, who was a farmer at one moment, a guerilla fighter the next, and then a farmer again..."
The more things change........
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Rabbi Steinsaltz has a cold (2 cents)
Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz admitted, at his appearance at the DC JCC last night, that he brought a cold with him from Israel. His admission was hardly needed, as his symptoms were clear, but he used his cold as a metaphor about Israel today.
Asked about the mood in the country in light of the recent war and so on, he said that everyone in Israel was filled with a malaise. It was as if Israel had a cold. Not pneumonia, which has possible fatal consequences and therefore must be dealt with on an emergency basis, but a cold, that annoys, zaps energies and vision, and lingers and lingers and lingers. I thought this was a fresh way to look at the problems there, although perhaps he was being too optimistic. Perhaps it is pneumonia, and people are just afraid to go to the doctor.
Steinsaltz had nothing good to say about Israeli politics, or about Israeli politicians. In an appreciated line, he said that people here should keep in mind that the United States is not the only country that can elect a stupid president.
But he discounts a lot of these problems, it seems. His view of the world and its history is clearly a long term view. What happens today or tomorrow, or what happened yesterday, as important as it may seem at the time, is only one event, and it will quickly be overtaken by others. His prime attribute seems to be patience. Perhaps tolerance, as well.
The holocaust? It is too early to talk about it. It is too personal. He can talk about the explusion from Spain; that was 400 years ago. But the holocaust just recently happened.
Arabs? He says, you know, there is nothing in the Jewish religion that says you have to kick Arabs. Of course, he continues there are clearly some Arabs that deserve kicking. But there are also Jews who need to be kicked, he points out.
I had seen Rabbi Steinsaltz once before, years ago. His conversations (and this was a conversation) with American audiences are low key, and do not give hint of what everyone admits to be his extraordinary scholarship. Perhaps, this is language. Perhaps, it is what he believes his audiences want (or can absorb). I don't know.
You expect a session with someone like Steinsaltz to last for hours and hours and hours. This one lasted just one hour, and it was cut off. Why? Was it his illness? Was it related to when the custodians had to clean the hall? Could it have gone on longer had his interlocutor wanted it to?
Misha Galperin of the local Jewish Federation asked the questions, and did I thought quite a good job. The audience questions were a little weaker.
A worthwhile event? I think so. Yes.
Asked about the mood in the country in light of the recent war and so on, he said that everyone in Israel was filled with a malaise. It was as if Israel had a cold. Not pneumonia, which has possible fatal consequences and therefore must be dealt with on an emergency basis, but a cold, that annoys, zaps energies and vision, and lingers and lingers and lingers. I thought this was a fresh way to look at the problems there, although perhaps he was being too optimistic. Perhaps it is pneumonia, and people are just afraid to go to the doctor.
Steinsaltz had nothing good to say about Israeli politics, or about Israeli politicians. In an appreciated line, he said that people here should keep in mind that the United States is not the only country that can elect a stupid president.
But he discounts a lot of these problems, it seems. His view of the world and its history is clearly a long term view. What happens today or tomorrow, or what happened yesterday, as important as it may seem at the time, is only one event, and it will quickly be overtaken by others. His prime attribute seems to be patience. Perhaps tolerance, as well.
The holocaust? It is too early to talk about it. It is too personal. He can talk about the explusion from Spain; that was 400 years ago. But the holocaust just recently happened.
Arabs? He says, you know, there is nothing in the Jewish religion that says you have to kick Arabs. Of course, he continues there are clearly some Arabs that deserve kicking. But there are also Jews who need to be kicked, he points out.
I had seen Rabbi Steinsaltz once before, years ago. His conversations (and this was a conversation) with American audiences are low key, and do not give hint of what everyone admits to be his extraordinary scholarship. Perhaps, this is language. Perhaps, it is what he believes his audiences want (or can absorb). I don't know.
You expect a session with someone like Steinsaltz to last for hours and hours and hours. This one lasted just one hour, and it was cut off. Why? Was it his illness? Was it related to when the custodians had to clean the hall? Could it have gone on longer had his interlocutor wanted it to?
Misha Galperin of the local Jewish Federation asked the questions, and did I thought quite a good job. The audience questions were a little weaker.
A worthwhile event? I think so. Yes.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
When autumn started creeping in, I started creeping out (2 cents)
I was really looking forward to a performance of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons at the Church of the Epiphany today, to be performed by nine musicians, led by violinist Elizabeth Field, playing on baroque instruments.
Before the performance began, Field gave a very interesting introduction, talking primarily about the differences between contemporary and baroque instruments, both with respect to their structure and to their acoustic qualities. She explained that the instruments being played today were not 300 years old, but were built to replicate those standards.
She then said that Vivaldi had composed this piece to follow along a particular poem and that original manuscripts had the words of the poem over specific measures. She had someone read (poorly) portions of the poems, and had the orchestra play the corresponding themes at the start of each of the four movements (sort of like Peter and the Wolf, I am afraid). I found that quite offputting.
I listened to Spring and Summer, and whether it was the musicians, the arrangements, the instruments, or me, I don't know, but I was not enjoying the performance at all. And I cannot imagine that a good performance of this piece can ever be unenjoyable. I think that some of the musicians were having trouble controlling the sounds of their instruments (or was this the instruments and if so, did it say something about these particular instruments, or baroque instruments in general?), and from time to time, the pacing of work seemed off, both slow and uneven.
At any event, as summer became history, and autumn was creeping in, I crept out.
Before the performance began, Field gave a very interesting introduction, talking primarily about the differences between contemporary and baroque instruments, both with respect to their structure and to their acoustic qualities. She explained that the instruments being played today were not 300 years old, but were built to replicate those standards.
She then said that Vivaldi had composed this piece to follow along a particular poem and that original manuscripts had the words of the poem over specific measures. She had someone read (poorly) portions of the poems, and had the orchestra play the corresponding themes at the start of each of the four movements (sort of like Peter and the Wolf, I am afraid). I found that quite offputting.
I listened to Spring and Summer, and whether it was the musicians, the arrangements, the instruments, or me, I don't know, but I was not enjoying the performance at all. And I cannot imagine that a good performance of this piece can ever be unenjoyable. I think that some of the musicians were having trouble controlling the sounds of their instruments (or was this the instruments and if so, did it say something about these particular instruments, or baroque instruments in general?), and from time to time, the pacing of work seemed off, both slow and uneven.
At any event, as summer became history, and autumn was creeping in, I crept out.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Mission Accomplished
My goal over the Thanksgiving holiday was to read Fritz Stern's "My Five Germanys", and I did it. The book was interesting in a number of ways. First, it provided a good overview of 20th century German history, and second, it was a rather complete compendium of Stern's professional life, both as a Columbia University professor, and as a writer and speaker on topics related to German history. For Stern, throughout his life, associated with very accomplished people, whether they be German politicians or cultural leaders, German refugees in this country, or fellow historians, as Columbia and elsewhere.
Stern tells the story of his early years in Breslau (now Wroclaw, Poland), and his coming to this country in 1938 at age 12 with his parents and older sister. His story was different from many you read, because although both sides of his family had been Jewish, both of his parents, as well as one set of grandparents, had converted and been baptized, as was he at birth. Never being religious (although clearly celebrating Christian holidays), his Jewish identity was really defined by the Nazis, and as time went on, he considered himself more Jewish than Christian (although his Jewishness was never religious or ritualistic). And, which I had not thought about, many, and perhaps most, of his parents' friends in and from Germany were also baptized Christians with Jewish backgrounds.
But all of this made for confusion. Germany, America. Jewish, Christian. And this confusion more than anything else led Stern to become a historian of Germany. His entire career seems to have necessarily be dedicated to the question as to how Nazism could have arisen as it did in this very civilized nation, and now that the war has been over for 60 years, how should Americans and/or Jews react to Germany.
In this, for all of his erudition and study, and perhaps because of it, he has no clear answers. He is certainly a strong anti-Nazi; he is equally a strong anti-Communist. But he also does not believe that the Hitler years were inevitable, nor that there is any clear flaw in the German character.
He believes, and I tend to agree with him, that historical trends develop as a result of a combination of earlier historical trends, but that going from stage A to stage B is never inevitable, that accident and chance play their roles, and that strong figures tilt the balance, sometimes for good and sometimes for evil. Hitler was not necessary, he says, but his rise was understandable. The question is for him, as it is for many, how to make sure that similar causes do not result in similar effects. For this reason, economic chaos, political unrest, and social problems are perhaps more worrisome for Stern than for others, and for this reason, he has tended to speak his mind, whether his opinion is the popular one or not.
There is a lot of namedropping in this book. This is not surprising, because Stern knows everyone (at least everyone other than Hollywood stars, who do not play a role). While this could be bothersome, I did not find it so, because everyone he mentions fits into a context and he deals with them as professionals (writers, teachers, politicians, etc.) and not as subject for gossip mongering.
And, because he is extraordinarily complimentary to most of them. I don't know if I have ever read a book by an academic, where so much praise is laid upon those who might be considered his competitors.
Stern clearly comes down as a middle of the roader, when it comes to judging his German Heimat. His venom (except for that now and then lashing out at Bush, father and son) is saved for Hannah Arendt, for whom he appears to have little respect on any level, as being too much of an apologist for evil, and Daniel Goldhagen, whose book concluding, so to speak, that Germans have an indelible anti-Semitic gene in their makeup, as trying to turn grays into black and white.
I recommend this book highly, if you like this kind of thing. Maybe next Thanksgiving.
Stern tells the story of his early years in Breslau (now Wroclaw, Poland), and his coming to this country in 1938 at age 12 with his parents and older sister. His story was different from many you read, because although both sides of his family had been Jewish, both of his parents, as well as one set of grandparents, had converted and been baptized, as was he at birth. Never being religious (although clearly celebrating Christian holidays), his Jewish identity was really defined by the Nazis, and as time went on, he considered himself more Jewish than Christian (although his Jewishness was never religious or ritualistic). And, which I had not thought about, many, and perhaps most, of his parents' friends in and from Germany were also baptized Christians with Jewish backgrounds.
But all of this made for confusion. Germany, America. Jewish, Christian. And this confusion more than anything else led Stern to become a historian of Germany. His entire career seems to have necessarily be dedicated to the question as to how Nazism could have arisen as it did in this very civilized nation, and now that the war has been over for 60 years, how should Americans and/or Jews react to Germany.
In this, for all of his erudition and study, and perhaps because of it, he has no clear answers. He is certainly a strong anti-Nazi; he is equally a strong anti-Communist. But he also does not believe that the Hitler years were inevitable, nor that there is any clear flaw in the German character.
He believes, and I tend to agree with him, that historical trends develop as a result of a combination of earlier historical trends, but that going from stage A to stage B is never inevitable, that accident and chance play their roles, and that strong figures tilt the balance, sometimes for good and sometimes for evil. Hitler was not necessary, he says, but his rise was understandable. The question is for him, as it is for many, how to make sure that similar causes do not result in similar effects. For this reason, economic chaos, political unrest, and social problems are perhaps more worrisome for Stern than for others, and for this reason, he has tended to speak his mind, whether his opinion is the popular one or not.
There is a lot of namedropping in this book. This is not surprising, because Stern knows everyone (at least everyone other than Hollywood stars, who do not play a role). While this could be bothersome, I did not find it so, because everyone he mentions fits into a context and he deals with them as professionals (writers, teachers, politicians, etc.) and not as subject for gossip mongering.
And, because he is extraordinarily complimentary to most of them. I don't know if I have ever read a book by an academic, where so much praise is laid upon those who might be considered his competitors.
Stern clearly comes down as a middle of the roader, when it comes to judging his German Heimat. His venom (except for that now and then lashing out at Bush, father and son) is saved for Hannah Arendt, for whom he appears to have little respect on any level, as being too much of an apologist for evil, and Daniel Goldhagen, whose book concluding, so to speak, that Germans have an indelible anti-Semitic gene in their makeup, as trying to turn grays into black and white.
I recommend this book highly, if you like this kind of thing. Maybe next Thanksgiving.
I am proud of this one (1 cent)
This is Diamond Head (with Waikiki in the left foreground) from the air when we were on our way from Oahu to the Big Island.
Not bad, huh? Not everyone can convince Oahu to hold this pose.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Does a Little Cheating Matter? (1 cent)
I go into Pumpernickels for a cup of coffee and a bagel. There is a line of about ten people. In front of me is a man, there with his young son. An older man (father? father-in-law?) comes up to him holding two large cups of coffee in his hand, which he has self-poured from the store's coffee urns. He asks the younger man if he can hold them (a clear impossibility, since he has a child in one hand and his own coffee in the other). The younger man says 'no', that the older man should find a table and sit down. The older man is concerned that there is something wrong with sitting down with his two large cups of coffee before paying. The younger man tells him not to worry, that he will pay for the coffee, and that the proprietors know that the older man is not going to cheat them. The older man agrees, apparently finds a table, and comes back a minute or so later with money which he gives the younger man to pay for his two large cups of coffee.
The younger man gets to the register. He tells the cashier what he is buying, adding that he is also going to pay for two cups of coffee that have already been taken to a table. The cashier says: 'large or small?'
The younger man says 'small'.
The younger man gets to the register. He tells the cashier what he is buying, adding that he is also going to pay for two cups of coffee that have already been taken to a table. The cashier says: 'large or small?'
The younger man says 'small'.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Curtains!
The most recent plays we have seen were Robert Brustein's "Spring Forward/Fall Back" at Theater J, and Paula Vogel's "The Long Christmas Ride Home" at the Studio Theatre. Both were disappointing. Brustein's play was about three generations of increasingly less Jewish families, whose taste in music disintegrated as did their overall cultural level. It was trite, demeaning to the women in the play even more than the men, and painful to sit through. Vogel's play was also about three generations who went from bad to worse after a miserable Christmas celebration where the father and his father-in-law got into a fist fight, and the kids (who seemed to have a chance in life) turned out to be wasted, social outcasts. Both playwrights are well known and celebrated; both theaters put on nice productions with strong casts. But neither play was worth the time or ticket price in my opinion. (The reviews, by the way, were mixed, as apparently were overall audience reactions.)
Why continue to go to theater if this is what you see too often? Because, as the old saying goes, "better bad breath, than no breath at all".
Why continue to go to theater if this is what you see too often? Because, as the old saying goes, "better bad breath, than no breath at all".
What does the Mailman Really Think of Us?
This is one day's mail (in no particular order):
1. A solicitation from the Central Union Mission, Washington DC.
2. A very special offer for friends and family from Lord & Taylor.
3. "Something in it for you" from Valpak Savings.
4. The Simon Wiesenthal Center of Los Angeles seeking money to protect against "a new and growing threat to world Jewry"
5. Nov. 23 edition of "Washington Jewish Week"
6. The Jewish Social Service Agency of Rockville MD asking us to donate our automobile.
7. The American Bible Society asking us to "help spread the good news....the savior has been born!"
8. The March of Dimes asking us to walk for someone we love.
9. Special offers and premium savings from Mastercard
10. A rent check from our daughter/tenant.
11. A socilitation from the Capital Area Foodbank
12. A notice from the Department of Motor Vehicles
13. Something from the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania
14. A petition from Planned Parenthood
15. Another communication from Planned Parenthood asking us if we trust our doctor or a politician more.
16. A solicitation from Azlheimer's Disease Research
17. A credit card bill from Citi bank.
18. A check for a charity that we do volunteer work for
19. Something from Politics and Prose book store
20. An ad from Pangea Artisan Market and Cafe on Pennsylvania Avenue
21. An Important Renewal Reminder from WAMU-FM
22. Saks Fifth Avenue Classic Collection
23. Newsletter from the Arlington Public Library
24. A note from Comcast asking us to subscribe to a new French language channel
25. An ad from the Department of Commerce Federal Credit Union for certificates of deposit
26. An ad from Virginia Gardens & Hardscapes, LLC
27. The December magazine from WETA
28. The American Jewish Historical Society's Heritage Magazine, Fall 2006
29. The magazine of the Catholic University of America
30. The monthly Comcast channel guide magazine
31. "Gift documents" from American Express
32. A large envelope for my two daughters from their cousin Donna
33. The November 24 issue of The Forward newspaper
34. The latest issue of "Clinician Reviews"
35. An announcement of a "public auction" of a house in our neighborhood.
36. A large 2007 calendar from Jewish Funds for Justice
37. A "caring publications" catalog from Boulden Publishers
38. "Small Loans-Big Changes" from FINCA
39. An invitation for a planning session at our synagogue.
40. An ad from Zebra Hall, San Francisco
41. A request from the World Jewish Congress for our help in stopping Iran's nuclear program.
42. A solicitation from DC Appleseed "solving DC's problems"
43. A solicitation from Columbia Road Health Services
44. A solicitation from DC Vote
45. A solicitation from CARE
46. A solication from Neve Shalom/Wahat Al-Salam
47. An ad from Kitchen Guild
48. The "world's best travel awards" from Travel and Leisure
49. A solicitation from the American Diabetes Association
50. A solicitation from the House of Ruth
51. A bank statement from PNC Bank
52. Another bank statement from PNC Bank
53. Another bank statement from PNC Bank
54. A offer from The Forward
55. A solicitation from Mazon, "a Jewish response to hunger"
56. An ad from Nuevo Mundo clothing store
57. An unmarked envelope from Sioux Falls, SD
58. A solicitation from JPPC of Union City NJ
59. A communication from the Yale Law School alumni office
60. A communication from the Textile Museum
61. A solicitation from MADD
62. A solicitation from People for the American Way
63. A solicitation from the Hope for Henry Foundation
64. A letter from Grosvenor Park Condominium
You will note two things:
1. There are no personal letters or other forms of communication. Our postman does not deliver those any more, it seems.
2. There are no bulky catalogs. Wait until they start coming!
1. A solicitation from the Central Union Mission, Washington DC.
2. A very special offer for friends and family from Lord & Taylor.
3. "Something in it for you" from Valpak Savings.
4. The Simon Wiesenthal Center of Los Angeles seeking money to protect against "a new and growing threat to world Jewry"
5. Nov. 23 edition of "Washington Jewish Week"
6. The Jewish Social Service Agency of Rockville MD asking us to donate our automobile.
7. The American Bible Society asking us to "help spread the good news....the savior has been born!"
8. The March of Dimes asking us to walk for someone we love.
9. Special offers and premium savings from Mastercard
10. A rent check from our daughter/tenant.
11. A socilitation from the Capital Area Foodbank
12. A notice from the Department of Motor Vehicles
13. Something from the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania
14. A petition from Planned Parenthood
15. Another communication from Planned Parenthood asking us if we trust our doctor or a politician more.
16. A solicitation from Azlheimer's Disease Research
17. A credit card bill from Citi bank.
18. A check for a charity that we do volunteer work for
19. Something from Politics and Prose book store
20. An ad from Pangea Artisan Market and Cafe on Pennsylvania Avenue
21. An Important Renewal Reminder from WAMU-FM
22. Saks Fifth Avenue Classic Collection
23. Newsletter from the Arlington Public Library
24. A note from Comcast asking us to subscribe to a new French language channel
25. An ad from the Department of Commerce Federal Credit Union for certificates of deposit
26. An ad from Virginia Gardens & Hardscapes, LLC
27. The December magazine from WETA
28. The American Jewish Historical Society's Heritage Magazine, Fall 2006
29. The magazine of the Catholic University of America
30. The monthly Comcast channel guide magazine
31. "Gift documents" from American Express
32. A large envelope for my two daughters from their cousin Donna
33. The November 24 issue of The Forward newspaper
34. The latest issue of "Clinician Reviews"
35. An announcement of a "public auction" of a house in our neighborhood.
36. A large 2007 calendar from Jewish Funds for Justice
37. A "caring publications" catalog from Boulden Publishers
38. "Small Loans-Big Changes" from FINCA
39. An invitation for a planning session at our synagogue.
40. An ad from Zebra Hall, San Francisco
41. A request from the World Jewish Congress for our help in stopping Iran's nuclear program.
42. A solicitation from DC Appleseed "solving DC's problems"
43. A solicitation from Columbia Road Health Services
44. A solicitation from DC Vote
45. A solicitation from CARE
46. A solication from Neve Shalom/Wahat Al-Salam
47. An ad from Kitchen Guild
48. The "world's best travel awards" from Travel and Leisure
49. A solicitation from the American Diabetes Association
50. A solicitation from the House of Ruth
51. A bank statement from PNC Bank
52. Another bank statement from PNC Bank
53. Another bank statement from PNC Bank
54. A offer from The Forward
55. A solicitation from Mazon, "a Jewish response to hunger"
56. An ad from Nuevo Mundo clothing store
57. An unmarked envelope from Sioux Falls, SD
58. A solicitation from JPPC of Union City NJ
59. A communication from the Yale Law School alumni office
60. A communication from the Textile Museum
61. A solicitation from MADD
62. A solicitation from People for the American Way
63. A solicitation from the Hope for Henry Foundation
64. A letter from Grosvenor Park Condominium
You will note two things:
1. There are no personal letters or other forms of communication. Our postman does not deliver those any more, it seems.
2. There are no bulky catalogs. Wait until they start coming!
Friday, November 24, 2006
This is too easy!
Why did we go to Hawaii? Because I was able to acquire (sight unseen, and site unseen) 200 acres of prime land on the Big Island where I planned to build a golf course. When we got there, however, we discovered that the land was in the middle of the national park and that it was all covered by a lava flow. I am not deterred, however. We are going to lease the land (for which we already paid a fortune) from the National Park Service and build a beautiful course, although I expect that the balls will bounce a little too much. The water holes (filled with boiling lava) will be a challenge, though. Steam vents will keep you warm and toasty. Suntan lotion and good shoes will be required. Golf carts not allowed.
Pushing "publish again".
Pushing "publish again".
We did go to Hawaii
and I am finally trying to learn how to upload photos to my blog. If this works, you will see a picture of the large crater at Volcanoes National Park.
Let's see what happens when I push "publish".
Let's see what happens when I push "publish".
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Thanksgiving (11 cents)
In a modern day replication of an ancient biblical tradition, each year a scapegoat (in this case a scapeturkey) is selected by the President of the United States, and pardoned from its otherwise anticipated sacrifice and allowed to live, presumably in some subliminal way to atone for our national sins (and we right now have many). This year, the 36 pound turkey is named Flyer and is pictured on the front page of the Style section of the Washington Post with President Bush and a number of children, under the caption "President Bush and a flock of kids make up this year's White House turkey tableau".
An editorial comment, or just the sad truth?
An editorial comment, or just the sad truth?
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
I read "Honky"
It's a book by an NYU sociology professor, who grew up white in a low income project south of the lower east side, where everyone else was black or Hispanic. I picked it up yesterday, and it looked like an easy read (it is under 200 pages) on a short night.
It's not a bad book, but don't bother looking for it (as if you would). In case you couldn't figure it out for yourself, if you are white and poor, you have many more chances to break from that economic situation than if you are black and poor, or Hispanic and poor. Particularly, if your grandparents are not so poor, and don't live in "the projects", and if your intellectual/artist parents know how to wangle you into Stuyvesant High School.
Enough said.
It's not a bad book, but don't bother looking for it (as if you would). In case you couldn't figure it out for yourself, if you are white and poor, you have many more chances to break from that economic situation than if you are black and poor, or Hispanic and poor. Particularly, if your grandparents are not so poor, and don't live in "the projects", and if your intellectual/artist parents know how to wangle you into Stuyvesant High School.
Enough said.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Bam, Clang, Ting, Brrrrmmmm
What fun!! "Constellations for Organ and Percussion" by Dan Locklair, performed this afternoon at The Church of the Epiphany by Leon Khoja-Eynatyan and Scott Hanoian. The percussion instruments were the marimba, two timpani, brake drum, suspended cymbol, three tom-toms, vibraphone, traingle, glockenspiel, xylophone, orchestral chimes and snare drum. Where did Khoja-Eynatyan learn to play this music? Studying at an institution in Moscow with the unlikely name of the Maimonides State Conservatory.
I am not sure where you can hear this piece, but you certainly should try.
Khoja-Eynatyan played a solo marimba piece called Tune for Mary O, by Rich O'Meara, written in honor and memory of his sister. A beautiful and sad and Irish elegy. Very nice.
Hanoian played Bach's Prelude and Fugue in B Minor, and he played it very well, but the stars of the show were the contemporary pieces.
I am not sure where you can hear this piece, but you certainly should try.
Khoja-Eynatyan played a solo marimba piece called Tune for Mary O, by Rich O'Meara, written in honor and memory of his sister. A beautiful and sad and Irish elegy. Very nice.
Hanoian played Bach's Prelude and Fugue in B Minor, and he played it very well, but the stars of the show were the contemporary pieces.
Starbucks
So, I go into Starbucks. There are some customers sitting at tables, but I am the only one at the counter. There are two young women working there, a cashier and a barista. I order a small cup of black coffee. The cashier tells me it will be $1.60 and I pay her. She then says: what is your name?
I am trying to figure out what difference my name makes, and I ask her: "Do you need to know my name in order to give me a cup of coffee?" "Yes", she says, "what is your name?"
I tell her (naturally) "Arthur". She says "thank you".
In the meantime, the barista, who is standing about 20 inches to the cashier's left, has already poured the coffee. There is still no one else at the counter. The barista looks vaguely at me, as if there is a crowd around me and says, in a voice somewhat to loud: "Arthur?".
I say softly, "That's me".
She hands me the drink.
I am trying to figure out what difference my name makes, and I ask her: "Do you need to know my name in order to give me a cup of coffee?" "Yes", she says, "what is your name?"
I tell her (naturally) "Arthur". She says "thank you".
In the meantime, the barista, who is standing about 20 inches to the cashier's left, has already poured the coffee. There is still no one else at the counter. The barista looks vaguely at me, as if there is a crowd around me and says, in a voice somewhat to loud: "Arthur?".
I say softly, "That's me".
She hands me the drink.
Monday, November 20, 2006
On to Serious Business
I just got back from Politics and Prose, where I heard retired Columbia U. German history professor Fritz Stern talk about his new book of memoirs, "Five Germanys I Have Known" (namely, Weimar, Nazi, Bundesrepublik, DDR and the new reunited Germany). And I quote from the Introduction:
"Decades of study and experience have persuaded me that the German roads to perdition, including National Socialism, were neither accidental nor inevitable. National Socialism had deep roots, and yet its growth could have been arrested. I was born into a world on the cusp of avoidable disaster. And I came to realize that no country is immune to the temptations of pseudo-religious movements of represssion such as those to which Germany succumbed. The fragility of freedom is the simplest and deepest lesson of my life and work...."
Of course, National Socialism had, as one of its most core positions, anti-semitism. It has always made me wonder whether Nazi philosophy without anti-semitism would have been a possibility and, if it had been implemented in that manner, what would have been the course of history in the twentieth century. (After all, Mussolini's fascism for years had no anti-Semitic facets, and there were many Jewish Italian fascists.)
But perhaps without anti-Semitism, National Socialism would not have been accepted by the German people; that is a question I cannot answer.
That brings me to another book that I read while we were going to, in and coming back from Hawaii. "Constantine's Sword" by James Carroll. This is the history of the relationship between the Catholic church and the Jews. I am not quoting Carroll here, but a loose paraphrase of his main thesis could be:
"Decades of study and experience have persuaded me that the Catholic roads to anti-Semitism were neither accidental nor inevitable. Catholic anti-Semitism had deep roots, yet its growth could have been arrested. And I came to realize that no church is immune to movements of repression such as those to which Catholicism has succumbed. The fragility of religious tolerance is the simplement and deepest lesson of my life and work...."
Which then leads me to a very thoughtful question asked by a young woman at the Stern presentation. Again to paraphrase, she said:
"Can there be any positive movement of national [or religious ?] identity that does not need to demonize others?"
Of course, here in the United States of America, we have a constitution that guarantees religious liberty, and a history that more or less supports that constitutional guaranty. But on Saturday, I was speaking to a friend, who believes that Islam is not (no longer) a religion, but is an international movement for world conquest that needs to be fought with all the strength that we can muster. He would amend the constitution to eliminate protection of Islam by the first amendment, he would drive out of the country all Muslims (maybe not members of the Black Muslim movement), he would have Congress declare war on Islam, and he would fire bomb them like Dresden and nuke them like Hiroshima.
And surely we know non-Jews, who believe that Judaism is not a religion, but a movement of international control and conquest.
To quote Vonnegut, "and so it goes".
So could it happen here? (I have never read Sinclair Lewis's book; should I?) Probably not, but I did pick up a book (that no one has picked up in 75 years, and very few before that) by former Georgia Congressman William D. Upshaw, published in 1923. The book contained various speeches that Upshaw had made, including one entitled "Justice to the Hebrew Soldiers", presented to Congress in 1920, and which was basically a plea for Jewish chaplains in the armed forces. What sounded like a right thinking position, being pressed for all the right reasons, ended like this:
"and I say this as my last word, that personally, as a Christian man myself, I would that every honest Hebrew would see in the Hebrew Christ the Messiah who has already come and who has meant so much to me in my own heart and life, but until he does, as long as the Hebrew soldier wishes his own rabbi as his teacher, then......I saw let the voice of the Hebrew soul be heard.
"and so it goes".
"Decades of study and experience have persuaded me that the German roads to perdition, including National Socialism, were neither accidental nor inevitable. National Socialism had deep roots, and yet its growth could have been arrested. I was born into a world on the cusp of avoidable disaster. And I came to realize that no country is immune to the temptations of pseudo-religious movements of represssion such as those to which Germany succumbed. The fragility of freedom is the simplest and deepest lesson of my life and work...."
Of course, National Socialism had, as one of its most core positions, anti-semitism. It has always made me wonder whether Nazi philosophy without anti-semitism would have been a possibility and, if it had been implemented in that manner, what would have been the course of history in the twentieth century. (After all, Mussolini's fascism for years had no anti-Semitic facets, and there were many Jewish Italian fascists.)
But perhaps without anti-Semitism, National Socialism would not have been accepted by the German people; that is a question I cannot answer.
That brings me to another book that I read while we were going to, in and coming back from Hawaii. "Constantine's Sword" by James Carroll. This is the history of the relationship between the Catholic church and the Jews. I am not quoting Carroll here, but a loose paraphrase of his main thesis could be:
"Decades of study and experience have persuaded me that the Catholic roads to anti-Semitism were neither accidental nor inevitable. Catholic anti-Semitism had deep roots, yet its growth could have been arrested. And I came to realize that no church is immune to movements of repression such as those to which Catholicism has succumbed. The fragility of religious tolerance is the simplement and deepest lesson of my life and work...."
Which then leads me to a very thoughtful question asked by a young woman at the Stern presentation. Again to paraphrase, she said:
"Can there be any positive movement of national [or religious ?] identity that does not need to demonize others?"
Of course, here in the United States of America, we have a constitution that guarantees religious liberty, and a history that more or less supports that constitutional guaranty. But on Saturday, I was speaking to a friend, who believes that Islam is not (no longer) a religion, but is an international movement for world conquest that needs to be fought with all the strength that we can muster. He would amend the constitution to eliminate protection of Islam by the first amendment, he would drive out of the country all Muslims (maybe not members of the Black Muslim movement), he would have Congress declare war on Islam, and he would fire bomb them like Dresden and nuke them like Hiroshima.
And surely we know non-Jews, who believe that Judaism is not a religion, but a movement of international control and conquest.
To quote Vonnegut, "and so it goes".
So could it happen here? (I have never read Sinclair Lewis's book; should I?) Probably not, but I did pick up a book (that no one has picked up in 75 years, and very few before that) by former Georgia Congressman William D. Upshaw, published in 1923. The book contained various speeches that Upshaw had made, including one entitled "Justice to the Hebrew Soldiers", presented to Congress in 1920, and which was basically a plea for Jewish chaplains in the armed forces. What sounded like a right thinking position, being pressed for all the right reasons, ended like this:
"and I say this as my last word, that personally, as a Christian man myself, I would that every honest Hebrew would see in the Hebrew Christ the Messiah who has already come and who has meant so much to me in my own heart and life, but until he does, as long as the Hebrew soldier wishes his own rabbi as his teacher, then......I saw let the voice of the Hebrew soul be heard.
"and so it goes".
Where Have I Been? (6 cents)
This is a good question. But it has an easy answer. We were in Hawaii for two weeks. And now we are back.
There is a lot to write about about Hawaii (is there a prohibition against double prepositions?), but this is not the time or place. It would take too long.
Let's talk about what I saw upon my return to Washington.
First and foremost, I have a question for Police Chief (exiting) Ramsey, or for Police Chief (entering) Lanier: why were there seven (7) individuals directing traffic at the corner of Connecticut and K Street today?? Don't you think that six could have done just as good a job?
(That is not to say that the 7 were doing a good job. Tomorrow, let's try 8)
There is a lot to write about about Hawaii (is there a prohibition against double prepositions?), but this is not the time or place. It would take too long.
Let's talk about what I saw upon my return to Washington.
First and foremost, I have a question for Police Chief (exiting) Ramsey, or for Police Chief (entering) Lanier: why were there seven (7) individuals directing traffic at the corner of Connecticut and K Street today?? Don't you think that six could have done just as good a job?
(That is not to say that the 7 were doing a good job. Tomorrow, let's try 8)
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Giant Food's Training Program (36 cents)
Giant Food's Training Program leaves something to be desired.
I don't usually shop at Giant, but I made a quick stop last night to buy some peanut butter.
At the checkout stand, the young woman told me that it was $3.99. I gave her $4 and told her to keep the change. She seemed appreciative.
So far, so good.
Then, as I was leaving, what did she say? She said "see you again". "See you again?"
She obviously does not know the proper way to end a conversation with a supermarket customer. She should have said, of course, "paper or plastic".
I did not let her phase me. Not getting thrown off by her mistake, I looked her in the eye and said: "Paper or plastic to you, as well."
I don't usually shop at Giant, but I made a quick stop last night to buy some peanut butter.
At the checkout stand, the young woman told me that it was $3.99. I gave her $4 and told her to keep the change. She seemed appreciative.
So far, so good.
Then, as I was leaving, what did she say? She said "see you again". "See you again?"
She obviously does not know the proper way to end a conversation with a supermarket customer. She should have said, of course, "paper or plastic".
I did not let her phase me. Not getting thrown off by her mistake, I looked her in the eye and said: "Paper or plastic to you, as well."
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