Welcome to a Chronicle of Culture
Posted in Books, Life During Wartime, Music, Politics, Sports, Technology, Visual arts on Sep 5th, 2010
I read The Sunday New York Times, so you don’t have to: Sept. 5
This morning’s coffee is from the island of Java. I’ve loaded the five-CD changer with all John Coltrane.
1, Page One at a glance: Democrats are calculating which of their candidates are hopeless causes in the November election and will [...]
Posted in Books, Music, Philosophy, Politics, Science on Aug 29th, 2010
I read The Sunday New York Times, so you don’t have to: Aug. 29
Still no end to these awesome Upstate New York global warming mornings. The coffee’s on, last of the stuff from some island in the Flores Sea. First music of the day: Now is the Hour, Charlie Haden Quartet West.
1, In today’s lead [...]
Posted in Life During Wartime, Politics on Aug 27th, 2010
Free speech: How embarrassing
The country was being rushed into war in 2002. And a lot of us knew that. We knew that George W. Bush had no reason to invade Iraq. Despotic as he was, Saddam Hussein had had nothing to do with 9/11, or Al Qaeda. In fact, in one respect, he had been [...]
Posted in Books, Life During Wartime, Music, Politics, Science on Aug 15th, 2010
I read The Sunday New York Times, so you don’t have to: Aug. 15
The coffee this morning comes from an island off Sumatra. “You get a geography lesson with every cup,” said my coffee guy, Java Joe, as he filled my usual order for a pound of whatever beans he was roasting that day, and [...]
I read The Sunday New York Times, so you don’t have to: Aug. 8
I generally don’t remember my dreams; but last night, John Mellencamp came to stay at our house while he recorded his new album. He was kind of a talkative guy, and while we were sitting around the dining room table, listening to [...]
Posted in Books, Music, Politics, Technology on Jul 25th, 2010
I read The Sunday New York Times, so you don’t have to: July 25
First music of the Day: The Flaming Lips’ re-interpretation of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, in its entirety.
1, Scholars who have analyzed the Supreme Court of Chief Justice John Roberts, now in its fifth year, say it is the most [...]
Posted in Books, Cuisine, Politics, Science, Technology on Jul 18th, 2010
I read The Sunday New York Times, so you don’t have to: July 18
It is 7 a.m., and already two beef-broth injected brisket are on the smoker. First music of the day: The Mahavishnu Orchestra’s Between Nothingness & Eternity. The coffee is Costa Rican. It is a beautiful morning on the deck.
1, Today’s lead story, [...]
I read the Sunday New York Times, so you don’t have to: July 11
First music of the day: Canadian jazz pianist Francois Bourassa. It will be a good afternoon on the deck. Chicken quarters are marinating in a local strawberry-balsamic vinegar purchased Saturday at the Rochester Public Market. They’ll be joined by wings, and later, [...]
Posted in Cuisine, Philosophy, Politics, Science, Sports, Travel, Visual arts on Jun 27th, 2010
I read The Sunday New York Times, so you don’t have to: June 27
I’m back to reading The Sunday Times for you, after a two-week absence that I’m blaming on barbecue and jazz. This morning, Miles Davis’ Miles in the Sky is drifting out the deck speakers, chicken thigh quarters are marinating in a Mexican [...]
Posted in Books, Cuisine, Music, Philosophy, Politics, Sports, Visual arts on Jun 6th, 2010
I read The Sunday New York Times, so you don’t have to: June 6
Nine days without a blog. Sorry! I’ve been busy. The barbecue team, The Smokin’ Dopes, stunned the Memorial Day competition here with a first-place finish (more on that in a day or two). Bob Dylan’s 69th birthday was noted with a deranged [...]