Author Archives: jsl915@aol.com

As it’s currently practiced in Washington: Democrats selling the store.

After what he’s seen the GOP do to Obama over the past seven years, Biden extolling bipartisanship immediately puts him out of the running. “TomP” at Daily Kos points out the absurdity. And we thought Obama didn’t get it. . … Continue reading →

Or brilliants or rhinestones or paillettes or bugle beads or whatever was laid down on her little gored dress in Myles Thatcher’s new Polaris at New York City Ballet. Not that she didn’t look fetching, but man, Zuhair Murad’s costumes … Continue reading →

That’s what we’re seeing upstate today. Beautiful, but completely freaky, and yet completely freaky is the new normal where weather is concerned. Will the GOP stage one of its idiotic snowball stunts again?

Mark Karlin at Truthout describes the skewed calculations that produced a zero cost-of- living increase in Social Security–depriving 70 million Americans. By his own admission, Obama has wanted to cut Social Security–the euphemism is “reform”–since before he took office.  Perhaps … Continue reading →

For their roles in harassing rent-stabilized and rent-controlled tenants? Unlike Bloomberg, De Blasio appears to understand how alarming the housing crisis in NYC is, and is now allocating more funds for legal representation to combat tenant harassment. But given the … Continue reading →

You don’t really think about Wagnerian tunes as you might with a bel canto composer,  but of course he began writing in the era of romanticism and bel canto. His 1842 Tannhauser has some great tunes indeed. It’s totally listener-friendly … Continue reading →

The most fun is writing about the fun parts: Venice, 1966: “. . . Kurgapkina accompanied them when they went to a party given by the wife of a prominent artist. She had approached Osipenko in the wings of the … Continue reading →

In the comic first movement of Bourree Fantasque, the man asks for a kiss. The woman says no. He asks again. Still no. Then once more. Now she says yes, and now he’s not interested. I thought about that watching … Continue reading →

The former site of the Ballet Book Shop on Broadway near Lincoln Center remains vacant, unrented, undoubtedly priced at a an extortionate rate that will ensure it remains empty for some time. It is an ongoing, damning indictment of the … Continue reading →