A Conversation with Bertrand Russell (1952)

Gottasay.   Lord Russell and I have always agreed about most things. 0ctogenerians concur.

Blunt Talk from Lavrov, "Almost Real"

Speaking of the capability of an Inter-Continental Missile named "Eternity." Well, that's what's up. Crudely threatening these Russians. And yet, what if a pre-emptive strike, maybe circum-polar, took out Washington D.C.? And suddenly the CIA, and the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms--and much else that I hate worse than death--ceased to exist? How sad would I be? Might I not rather rejoice for the Deliverance of Mankind?

Phoning Phil (13 Time Zones around the World from me)

Phil says that Brussels is nowadays the Cocaine Capital (¿Or is it Capitol?) of Europe and the World. I'm scarcely surprised. The chief effect (or is it affect?) of cocaine being the numbing of the Moral Sense--causing people, who are behaving with hysterical stupidity and open malice, to think they're being clever and witty.

Playing Elizabeth's Tune : William Byrd

Fabulous. But...but...Isn't doubling the parts of Byrd's vocal polyphony even a worse idea than doubling the parts, say, of a Haydn string quartet? And, really, isn't a Conductor of Byrd's vocal polyphony rather an unwelcome anachronism?  Jest sayin'.

The famous Hungarian bean soup! So delicious I cook for all the holidays!

The tomato/flour thickening in the soffritto is genius.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, K. 453

Those zubtle wizards of algorhythm knew that the the only thing I could bear to listen-to after just listening-to K. 595 (the "Farewell," as I like to call it) would be this.