The Day I Was Glad To See Keith Olbermann

Last updated on: January 26, 2015 at 5:11 pm By Joseph Susanka

Keith Olbermann doesn’t get a lot of love in my corner of the InterWebs. That’s not a surprise, really. My circles are mostly Right-leaning, Keith has a highly abrasive-style and a not-insignificant ego, and many of my friends are of an age where they’re more familiar with Olbermann’s politics than with his sportscasting career. (That 1989 mustache was just…wow.) Whatever the reason(s), he’s long been persona non grata in and around my social networks. But this segment on the passing of legendary Padres... Read more

The Most Astonishing Picture I Saw Last Year

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:00 pm By Joseph Susanka

That’s not a picture of folks leaving the Green Bay Packers game this past weekend, or of my Chicago-area friends traveling to-and-from work over the past few days. That’s the Hillary Step. On Everest. You heard me. Mount Everest. Highest of heights. One of the most prestigious (and simultaneously most infamous) climbing destinations in the world. And if this picture is any indication, also about as busy as downtown Lander, where I live. The numbers connected with that image are mind-boggling: Traffic... Read more

Thieving Mozart

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:00 pm By Joseph Susanka

First, listen to this opening: Then, listen to this one: That first clip is the Introitus from Mozart’s Requiem, composed in 1791. And the second is Handel’s “The Ways of Zion Do Mourn.” From 1737. Hear anything you recognize? There are a few connecting notes that appear in the first and not the second, and a bit of a tempo difference, as well. But they’re remarkably similar, no? (OK, fine. My title’s pure, unadulterated click-bait. I have guilt. Not enough to... Read more

Farewell, Frédéric Back

Last updated on: January 14, 2015 at 4:07 pm By Joseph Susanka

On Christmas Eve, as I traveled West for the hol(i/y)days, the world of animation lost one of its legendary “elder statesmen:” Canada’s own Frédéric Back, a two-time Oscar winner, and creator of the famous animated short, The Man Who Planted Trees. From the LA Times obit: Frédéric Back, 89, who won two Oscars for his poignant animated short films, died Tuesday morning at home in Montreal, said his daughter, Suzel Back-Drapeau. The cause was cancer. … “My films have become ‘classics,’... Read more

Merry Christmas!

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:00 pm By Joseph Susanka

In honor of today’s joyous occasion, one of my all-time favorite carols, lovingly performed by the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge: If you’re searching for some appropriate music for the day, you could do a lot worse than the Choir’s YouTube channel, which features numerous instances of their famous “Carols from King’s” program. Set one of their playlists in the background, and enjoy! A blessed Christmas to you and yours! Read more

Neil Gaiman, Charles Dickens, and a Bit of Christmas Cheer

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:00 pm By Joseph Susanka

It’s going to be a bit slow here at Summa This, Summa That in the coming days, both because my Christmas travels begins today, and because Christmas with a passel of youngish boys leaves almost no time for blogging (or breathing, really). But I am not leaving you entirely bereft. Here’s a little Christmasy something to enjoy in my absence: a recording of Neil Gaiman’s performance of Dickens’ beloved “A Christmas Carol,” which he performed last week at the New York... Read more

No Commentary Necessary — “Your Name, Sir?” Edition

Last updated on: November 19, 2015 at 8:50 am By Joseph Susanka

This is hilarious. So hilarious that no commentary is …you know…necessary. Just watch. Best part about that sketch? The fact that it lead me to this clip, which almost made me stop breathing. And that it reminded me of this clip, which remains one of my favorite “There’s no way I was expecting him to be so good at THAT” experiences ever. (Strangest part about all three videos, though? The fact that he looks and moves and sounds and acts exactly... Read more

A Marvel-ous Use of Negative Space

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:00 pm By Joseph Susanka

Here’s yet another bit of evidence to support my contention that artists see the world differently than I do. (OK, so I probably see the world differently for a whole host of reasons, and this is one of the most minor. But let’s not focus on that unsettling reality at the moment. Let’s just roll tape, shall we?) The hand (and self-deprecating annotations) belong to Brian Lai, a (shockingly) young Malaysian artist. But the real magnitude of what he’s demonstrating in... Read more

Whitacre’s “Enjoy the Silence”

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:00 pm By Joseph Susanka

Stumbled across this musical oddity a few weeks ago: Eric Whitacre’s setting of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence.” Seems like a bit of an odd fit, but apparently they (and especially this song) were significantly influential on him during his teen years. “The anthem of my youth,” he calls it. I myself find it particularly appropriate this week, since Sarah and the Susanka Seven are wintering (or, rather, Christmasing) in Washington for the next little while. I’ll be joining them... Read more

My Favorite O’Toole

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:00 pm By Joseph Susanka

The legendary Peter O’Toole passed away on Saturday. When I first heard the news, I was reminded of a question Looking Closer’s Jeffrey Overstreet asked his readers last year: Which is your favorite O’Toole performance? At the time, I remember being grateful that he didn’t say “best performance,” because I’m not sure I could answer that question. “Favorite,” though? That’s actually pretty easy for me: Simon Dermott, from How to Steal a Million. It’s a wonderful, hilarious film, and one that I... Read more