See the rest of them here. Thanks to Jonah Goldberg and NRO for the post.
Monday, July 6, 2009
The Fifteen Creepiest Vintage Ads
The first one, Demon Jelly, looks like this:
See the rest of them here. Thanks to Jonah Goldberg and NRO for the post.
See the rest of them here. Thanks to Jonah Goldberg and NRO for the post.
Dumbing Down The Naval Academy
Powerline's Paul Mirengoff comments on the decline in academic admission standards at the Naval Academy. "Oh well, it's only our nation's security that's at stake," he concludes.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Unfree And Easy Or Free and Uneasy?
The German Democratic Republic - East Germany - disappeared from world atlases over two decades ago. No one expected adapting to the free world and capitalism to be easy for two generations of Germans who lived under the yoke of communism. The economic pendulum in the free world swings with a wide arc. The extremes of both good and bad times stress all of us. At the same time, I think most people who live in the free world would have expected East Germans to embrace their freedom and the opportunities it afforded them. That does not appear to be the case in a poll reported in Der Spiegel. In fact, 57% of former GDR residents defend the GDR as the provider of a "nice life" and a "happier and better" life than in a unified Germany.
What I find interesting here is the power of the collective psychology - not unlike slavery - to deeply affect adaptation to a free world where personal initiative and responsibility are paramount. Human adaptation is at once a blessing and a curse for the species. If you waited at the food coop each week for thirty years to receive the same loaf of bread, how would you respond when faced with 100 bread choices at the Kroger or Publix bakery? And there is a cashier expecting you to pay for the bread on your way out. And the money comes to your pocket from your personal initiative. When the economic pendulum swings into bad times, it's easy to see how the evils of tyranny fade with thoughts of virtually free bread. I pray the tint of the rose-colored glasses many former East Germans wear soon clears to reveal the evil they left behind and the promise their future holds in a free nation.
What I find interesting here is the power of the collective psychology - not unlike slavery - to deeply affect adaptation to a free world where personal initiative and responsibility are paramount. Human adaptation is at once a blessing and a curse for the species. If you waited at the food coop each week for thirty years to receive the same loaf of bread, how would you respond when faced with 100 bread choices at the Kroger or Publix bakery? And there is a cashier expecting you to pay for the bread on your way out. And the money comes to your pocket from your personal initiative. When the economic pendulum swings into bad times, it's easy to see how the evils of tyranny fade with thoughts of virtually free bread. I pray the tint of the rose-colored glasses many former East Germans wear soon clears to reveal the evil they left behind and the promise their future holds in a free nation.
New York Legislature In Crisis
Factions, infighting, incompetence, and "affirmative discrimination" are bringing chaos to the New York state legislature. Read about it here, courtesy of William Katz and his blog, Urgent Agenda. My employer went through a similar meltdown beginning around 1995.
New York Times Magazine On California's Problems: Don't Mention The Unions
There is an entry on Instapundit today critiquing an article that appeared in this week's New York Times Magazine. The article was a lengthy feature on problems in California. There are a host of reasons why California is the basket case that it is; however, the article ignores the public employee unions that play a major role in crippling the state. This is another example of the astonishing decline in objectivity as practiced by investigative journalist in the nation's leading newspapers.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Variations On America
In defining the United States of America, the word "diversity," in its fullest expression, would rank high on any list. On this Fourth of July 2009, OTR sends his best wishes for a safe and happy holiday in the form of Variations on America.
Charles Ives, a fiercely original American composer, wrote this piece for organ in 1891 when he was seventeen. Sadly, he was generally unknown and ignored in his lifetime, but is now recognized as a pioneer in 20th century music. The organist in this performance is another American original, Virgil Fox. Describing Fox as flamboyant in terms of his persona and technique would be an understatement. He introduced classical music to thousands of young people in a series of cross-country tours in the '70s. I was fortunate to see him perform once in an unforgettable concert in Washington. As for Variations on America, there are five of them, each speaking with a unique voice, but united by a beloved melody. It has been a favorite of mine since childhood. I hope you enjoy the next seven minutes and fifty-six seconds of diverse American originals as much as I do.
UPDATE: I forgot to mention that Fox had a repertoire of over 250 pieces, all memorized. He never performed with a score, even when accompanied by an orchestra.
Charles Ives, a fiercely original American composer, wrote this piece for organ in 1891 when he was seventeen. Sadly, he was generally unknown and ignored in his lifetime, but is now recognized as a pioneer in 20th century music. The organist in this performance is another American original, Virgil Fox. Describing Fox as flamboyant in terms of his persona and technique would be an understatement. He introduced classical music to thousands of young people in a series of cross-country tours in the '70s. I was fortunate to see him perform once in an unforgettable concert in Washington. As for Variations on America, there are five of them, each speaking with a unique voice, but united by a beloved melody. It has been a favorite of mine since childhood. I hope you enjoy the next seven minutes and fifty-six seconds of diverse American originals as much as I do.
UPDATE: I forgot to mention that Fox had a repertoire of over 250 pieces, all memorized. He never performed with a score, even when accompanied by an orchestra.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)