There are two dynamic conductors who appeared on the musical scene 20 years or so ago. The Philadelphia Orchestra snagged the one from north of the border, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, some time ago, and has signed him to a longterm contract. The Los Angeles Philharmonic snagged the one from south of the border, Gustavo Dudamel, and … Continue reading Conga!
Twin Biopsies
“So tell me why you’re here.” The speaker was the dermatologist, Dr. Chung, at the Penn Dermatology Clinic at the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine all the way over on Civic Center Blvd. “Well,” I said, “my regular dermatologist, Dr. Crawford, noticed the redness on my upper arms, and while he had previously diagnosed that … Continue reading Twin Biopsies
Steve Sattazahn
Steve Sattazahn’s Senior class photo I first saw Steve Sattazahn when I was in fifth grade during the annual choral concert put on by grades four, five, and six of the Eastern Lebanon County Schools, before we were known as Elco. This would have been in the spring of 1960. The concert was organized by … Continue reading Steve Sattazahn
Slinky
I remember getting a Slinky when we still lived in the Great Stone House on the farm back in the mid-1950s. It was fun watching it make its way down the staircase. I don’t know what ever happened to that Slinky; probably eventually went the way of all toys. During my last couple of years … Continue reading Slinky
The Venus Butterfly
Speaking of L.A. Law, as I was the other day, one of my very favorite episodes of that show was entitled “The Venus Butterfly”. Not only did it win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series, but it’s one of the top-rated episodes of the show on iMDB. I remember when it … Continue reading The Venus Butterfly
Another Reason to Hate Amazon
I noticed several weeks ago that when Amazon sends a shipping notice it doesn’t tell me what items are in the shipment. It’s very annoying. John Gruber has the answer. It’s pure spite on Amazon’s part: That statement from Amazon is almost honest, if you squint at it and ignore the bit about it having … Continue reading Another Reason to Hate Amazon
Before and Knepper
Continuing with my occasional looks at actors earlier in their careers… Robert Knepper is an actor that I didn’t really become aware of until sometime in the 2000s, when I saw that he usually played villainous or menacing characters, such as T-Bag in Prison Break. It was only later on that I realized that I … Continue reading Before and Knepper
unDiscover
There was an envelope from Discover Card in the mail. Normally I throw those away because they are usually invitations to open accounts that I have no interest in opening or other advertising of some sort. But something told me that I should open this one. It was a letter telling me that a check … Continue reading unDiscover
Variations on a Nursery Tune
I heard this music on the radio a few weeks ago and found it delightful. It’s Ernst von Dohnányi’s Variations on a Nursery Tune. The Nursery Tune in question is called “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman” in France, but it has a different name in English speaking countries. Dohnányi claimed that the piece was written “for the … Continue reading Variations on a Nursery Tune
Ya Gotta Breathe!!!
It’s the Philly 10K again! Its starting time was 7:30 at 8th and South, so I saw the preparations when I took my morning walk. When I went to the Acme a bit later, it had started but hadn’t reached Christian Street yet. On my way back, however, it was in full swing, so I … Continue reading Ya Gotta Breathe!!!