Glenn Gould - Musical Genius

A 1962 quote is often used to summarize Gould's perspective on art: "The justification of art is the internal combustion it ignites in the hearts of men and not its shallow, externalized, public manifestations. The purpose of art is not the release of a momentary ejection of adrenaline but is, rather, the gradual, lifelong construction of a state of wonder and serenity."

Thirty Years on, Punk is Mainstream

I can still remember my younger brothers despising tone when I bought Hotel California in the summer of 1977. He was completely immersed in the Sex Pistols and the like. He just could not understand why I would spend hard earned money on such rubbish music.

According to John Harris, punk is now completely mainstream. I actually like it more now than I did then.

I Hate You Two

My commute home tonight was one hour and twenty minutes rather than the more normal twenty minutes because of bloody zillions of carbon emitters commuting to see U2. It made me really appreciate Adelaide that we don't have to put up with significant commuting baloney most of the time. I have very unpleasant memories of my commute home around the Beltway in Washington DC, trips into town from the Airport in Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Manila, Jakarta and Bangkok, trips through San Francisco and over the George Washington Bridge into New York. People in Adelaide are very lucky. Let it be a warning to the government that their plans for growth have to be accompanied by sensible planning for transportation. Anyway Bono and Pals had a special guest tonight. Glad I missed it. I never did like them much.