Nicol Williamson and the Definitive Hobbit

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:07 pm By Joseph Susanka

Last December, I was discouraged by Peter Jackson. This December, I am discouraged by Steven Greydanus’ suggestion that I will probably still be discouraged by Peter Jackson. So, I’m doing what any reasonable person does when confronted by the specter of such bitter, Hobbit-themed disappointment: I’m listening to Nicol Williamson! Take it away, Internet Archive: In the 1970s, professor J.R.R. Tolkien made a few audio recordings of some readings from his works “The Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings” which... Read more

The Benefits of Reading for (and to) Others

Last updated on: January 16, 2015 at 3:20 pm By Joseph Susanka

Confucius once said “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day… …but teach him to read, and he’ll be able to keep his little brothers occupied for hours.” Or something like that. And it’s absolutely true. In my house, we don’t have Readers and Non-Readers; we have Genuine Readers and Readers Who Read Vicariously Through Others. I love it. Last week, as I headed off to work through the softly falling snow, Dominic the Hunter was sitting in the living room... Read more

Curing My Canon Fatigue

Last updated on: January 9, 2015 at 12:19 pm By Joseph Susanka

Pachelbel’s Canon in D is one of those pieces that a) is truly great, and b) I can barely listen to any more because ALL THE COMPILATION CDS! “Classical One-Hit Wonders” are fairly common, but Johann’s in a category all his own; “ubiquitous” doesn’t even begin to cover it. Search for “Pachelbel” on Amazon, and then calculate the ratio of “vanilla” Pachelbel recordings to “Bestest Chill and Wedding and Kids Music EVER!!!” It’s verging on 1:100,000. And that’s me being generous.... Read more

Nature Turns Black Friday on Its Head

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:07 pm By Joseph Susanka

November 29th was Black Friday — a day of annual (and increasing) infamy. But it was also a day featuring a rare and breathtaking natural phenomenon: Temperature Inversion at the Grand Canyon. The DailyMail(UK) described it thusly: According to the national park’s Facebook page, the fog was caused by something called a ‘temperature inversion’. This happens when warm air acts as a lid to seal cool air near the ground. That means all pollution and fog is trapped and unable to rise.... Read more

Advent Adventures with “The Blue Umbrella”

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:07 pm By Joseph Susanka

One of my favorite scenes from Gettysburg is that moment ’round the campfire when General James Kemper responds to his commanding officer, General George Pickett, with one of the greatest back-handed compliments of all time: “I gotta hand it to you George. You certainly do have a talent for trivializing the momentous and complicating the obvious. You ever considered running for Congress? I bring this up because A) it’s such a great line, and because B) the link I’m about to share could be... Read more

A Word of Warning

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:07 pm By Joseph Susanka

For those amateur chemists out there who might be tempted to mix NH4Cr2O7 with HgSCN some time in the near future, just …don’t. Because WAIT FOR IT… That’s about the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen. Or the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. I can’t quite decide which response is uppermost in my mind as I watch it. Maybe both? In an attempt to figure out what the heck is going on in that video (and, perhaps, to decide if I love... Read more

50 Years of Whovian Title Sequences

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:07 pm By Joseph Susanka

I’m probably heading off into the rarefied, brain-addling air of the nerdosphere with this one, but I just can’t help myself. This post on the 50-year-old-yet-ever-evolving institution that is the Doctor Who title sequence combines two of my all-time favorite nerd-things: Title Sequences. And “Doctor Who.” (OK, yes. That title was a bit literal. It’s Monday.) The pilot title sequence was created by Bernard Lodge, who filmed and manipulated the “howlaround” feedback of a TV camera pointing at its own monitor. A column of... Read more

A Blessed Thanksgiving to One and All

Last updated on: January 16, 2015 at 3:11 pm By Joseph Susanka

Traditional- Simple Gifts with Alison Krauss by Yo-Yo Ma on Grooveshark ‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free ‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be, And when we find ourselves in the place just right, ‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight. BONUS: A pair of a capella versions, courtesy of The Kings Singers and Cantus. And, of course, the beloved Copland. But that Krauss-Ma duet is pretty much perfect. Happy Thanksgiving!... Read more

Marc Breaux, RIP

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:07 pm By Joseph Susanka

You may not know Marc Breaux by name. But you probably know his work. He’s the guy behind this: And this: And this: And (perhaps most memorably) this: A long-time and renowned choreographer, Mr. Breaux passed away last week at the age of 89. And while I must shamefacedly admit that I probably wouldn’t have recognized his name either, his work (and the obvious verve and humor on display therein) is hard to ignore. From his obituary in The LA Times:... Read more

Music for the Octave of St. Cecilia

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:07 pm By Joseph Susanka

I realize that I’m a day (or two …or three) late. But I’d like to make the auditory case for not being a dollar (or two …or three) short. Or as my father always used to put it, “I’m late, but I’m sincere.” Listen to this playlist. And this one (which takes about 20 seconds to get rolling). AND this one. There. I rest my case. (I’m pretty sure the Handel is my favorite, though I’ve always been fonder of the Gonoud than I... Read more