-
Teaching and learning the humanities (part 1)
We lack a convincing account of what it is to teach or learn anything. If we narrow the question to specific skills or factual recall, of course, it’s easy: consider teaching/learning how to ride a bike, or reciting the names of the U.S. presidents. We know what it is to teach these things, and how… Continue reading
-
The one substance in Kingston
I just returned from a small Spinoza conference in Kingston, Ontario. There were about 10 or 11 of us presenters, and a few more who attended all the sessions, so we formed a friendly and animatedly interactive group. Jon Miller was our host, and he did a great job keeping us near a schedule but… Continue reading
-
A tale of two concerts
Maybe my favorite thing about living in Logan is our Chamber Music Series, and the fact that we have an in-house string quartet, the Fry Street Quartet. We heard them play last Tuesday, and on the program were Beethoven, Dohnanyi, and Tchaikovsky. Our 9-year-old son joined us, since he loves classical music and is a… Continue reading
-
New job
Some readers may already know or have suspected that I have a new job (or rather one added on to the old one). Now I am an Associate Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. It’s expected among academics that professors who move into administration have some explaining to do: Are they washed… Continue reading
-
Sabre Dance Boogie
By Freddy Martin and his orchestra. Continue reading
-
Gramophone heaven
Probably only 80% of the 10,000 vintage phonograph records at the Vintage Music Company in Minneapolis have been meticulously organized by genre, group, condition, year, etc. The rest are in stacks in the floor. Still, we were able to find some records we couldn’t live without, including Jelly Roll Morton’s “Big Lip Blues” and Rosetta… Continue reading
-
Trying to impress the dog
Jelly Roll Morton and His Red Chili Peppers, “Ponchatrain Blues Fox Trot,” 1930. Continue reading
-
Another line from my Spinoza manuscript
But Spinoza’s God requires no such faith, as the one substance is fully fathomable by reason. We enter into “a relationship” with it precisely through our employment of reason, the very same organ allowing us to perform geometrical constructions and produce deductive arguments, as well as recognize the truth of axioms. Rational insight and cogitation… Continue reading
-
Books update
Recently read: Close, A Very Short Introduction to Nothing – a neat and fascinating summary of contemporary thought about vacua. Turns out we can’t find nothing anywhere – there’s always something going on. Menand, The Marketplace of Ideas – an intelligent summary of the history general education in American universities, including thoughtful suggestions and some… Continue reading
-
Donkeypalooza
I was out for a ride, and sighted 6 — count ’em, 6! — donkeys! Here’s three of them, from afar: I watched them for a while, and then curiosity got the better of them: Continue reading
-
And a recent arrival from Israel …
Edith Piaf, “La Vie en Rose,” 1946. Continue reading
-
Just returned from NYC
Family and I had a great time. We were introducing the kids to the City, so we loaded up on old standards: Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Wall St., Empire State Building (went up late at night — very cool), the Met, the Guggenheim, Times Sq., etc. Also, of course, trips to big toy stores.… Continue reading
-
Newly arrived from Argentina…
… is my new 78 rpm phonograph record, a 1937 recording of The Hot Club of Paris (including Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelly) performing “Miss Annabelle Lee,” a foxtrot. Enjoy! Continue reading
-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Huenemanniac 