Odds and Ends

  • I don’t abide by the concept Voting is my civic duty. I vote when a candidate has earned my vote. Moreover, I consider myself politically homeless. I don’t “play for a team.” When one allows themselves to get drafted onto a team (into a political party), one tends to root for that team irrespective of…

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  • Many musicologists regard Franz Liszt as the greatest pianist of all time. Anyone who has tried to play the music of List would not disagree. Liszt was music’s first superstar; he was to the 19th-century what Elvis and The Beatles were to the 20th. Following concerts all over Europe, Liszt took home many treasures: roses,…

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  • Perhaps the riskiest thing we can do is making ourselves completely vulnerable to another. The consequences can be devastating, the rewards unparalleled. Imagine that you’re an automobile and you have entrusted someone with your ignition key. Your hope is that the better angels of their nature align with yours, while remaining mindful that a portion…

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  • This Day in History

    April 18, 1775, gave birth to America’s first “Bad Ass.” Paul Revere’s Ride By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow LISTEN, my children, and you shall hearOf the midnight ride of Paul Revere,On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;Hardly a man is now aliveWho remembers that famous day and year. He said to his friend, “If the British…

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  • Viva Valentina!

    Watch Ukrainian-born virtuoso, Valentina Lisitsa carve up the final movement (Precipitato) of Sergei Prokofiev’s “War Sonata” (Sonata #7). If you enjoyed Valentina, you might also enjoy The Universe in Keys 04/01/2025. Happy Easter. Happy Passover. Happy weekend!

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  • Home Sweet Home!

    206 Sussex Drive, otherwise known as “Michael’s Kitchen,” ranks as numero uno! There, a typical meal will include broiled Salmon, Acorn squash, and Couscous. Another is Baked Chicken (I have numerous zesty recipes), Sweet Potato, and a Kale/Arugula salad. The food is always fresh, nutrient-rich to promote optimum health, and damn delicious!

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  • A Boomer’s World

    And then God said, “Let there be Baby Boomers.” Apparently, God thought the world lacked grievances. Naturally, I’m being ironical. I’m also referring to the second wave of Boomers, the ones born after 1955, the sect I belong to; I was born in 1962 – the “Boomer” generation officially extends to 1964. Recently, when in…

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  • An Artful Adaptation

    Many years ago, I departed from a situation, hunkered down in an apartment, and mapped out a plan for my life going forward. Funny things happen when one maps out a plan; the world sends all sorts of distractions to knock one from their axis or derail them. Nevertheless, I remained laser focused; I worked,…

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  • A Humble Rushmore

    I shall begin with a novel I’ve already read three times and plan to traverse again. For me, John Irving’s “A prayer for Owen Meany” ranks as a quintessential modern classic. Irving turns humor, irony, and dysfunction into pure poetry. There is no character, in modern and classic literature, quite like Owen Meany. Next, is…

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  • I get poked fun at every time I mention it as my favorite Olympic sport. But what the hell: Cross Country Skiing! There’s something about swishing through a snow-covered, pristine wilderness, combined with target shooting, that hits me the right way. If you haven’t done so, check out this concert, The Universe in Keys 04/01/2025,…

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