Wait. Are These Weeks Coming Two at a Time Now?

Last updated on: January 11, 2015 at 3:43 pm By Joseph Susanka

OK, so that’s a rhetorical question. But I can’t always tell… Take the last seven days in the Susanka household, for example. There was enough snow to warrant the cancellation of Son #2’s and Son #3’s Little League practice. …and enough sun that they ended up practicing twice before they were through. I (happily, but time-consumingly) took part in a late-night movie discussion with a group of college seniors, and devoted an entire evening to that most nebulous, indefinable of entities: the Parish Council. Preparations for... Read more

When Classical Stars Align

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:15 pm By Joseph Susanka

The brilliance of the stars plucked from the Classical Firmament for the creation of this video is mind-boggling. Daniel Barenboim, Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, Jacqueline du Pré, AND Zubin Mehta, you say? All in the same recording? And performing one of the greatest chamber works ever composed: Franz Schubert’s Quintet in A major, “The Trout?” Why yes, thank you. That’s exactly what I need for my Friday afternoon. Is this sort of concentrated star power even legal? Somebody’s bound to... Read more

Ella, Enchanting

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:15 pm By Joseph Susanka

In honor of Ella Fitzgerald, the extraordinary artist whose birth is commemorated by today’s particularly charming Google Doodle, here’s a little bit o’ Ella and Mack: And Ella and Louis: Actually, just go here. And listen. And be entranced. Something about that particular doodle struck me when I saw it this morning. It’s unusual; almost 3D-ish. Which is why this Romanian website article (with the help of Google Translate) was so interesting: “…the image that hundreds of millions of people see this... Read more

The Man Behind the Booth, Part I

Last updated on: July 23, 2015 at 2:58 pm By Joseph Susanka

There are few things more enjoyable than stumbling across a great film or television show for the first time. Watching something you know you’re going to like is always a pleasure. But there’s a special brand of excitement that accompanies finding (and loving) something you didn’t even know existed. Recent instances of this phenomenon include the entirely-unintentional discovery of Ostrov, my first viewing of Departures, the unearthing of the beloved family-favorite, Ushpizin, and a wonderfully thought-provoking (and ongoing) interaction with Abbas Kiarostami’s Certified Copy.... Read more

“Howlin’ Ukuleles, Batman!”

Last updated on: January 16, 2015 at 4:07 pm By Joseph Susanka

This VOX Ukulele commercial is a ton of fun — partially because of the music, partially because of the performer, and partially because “UKULELES!” May it brighten your Tuesday as much as it has brightened mine.The fellow doing the pickin’ is Jack Mauro — the same guy who wrote and performs the song. And he’s got a definite BBVD vibe going on in there. (Can a BBVD vibe ever be a bad thing? I submit that it cannot.) The younger set... Read more

Bizarre Baseball Happenings, As Always

Last updated on: January 26, 2015 at 3:15 pm By Joseph Susanka

I love collecting baseball oddities — a fact that helps to explain my extreme fondness for ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian and his fascinating Kurk-Gems segment from Baseball Tonight. And also helps explain why the past weekend was so much fun for this devoted Observer of the Wild and Wacky World of Baseball. On Thursday, Brewers’ SS Jean Segura turned this (unusual) double play: Saturday, the Rays’ Desmond Jennings turned this (even more unusual) double play: Yet both paled in comparison to Segura’s Friday night... Read more

Reclaiming the Week, One Story at a Time

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:15 pm By Joseph Susanka

If you’re like me, this week has left you desperately searching for a silver lining or two in the midst of all these storm clouds. It’s not so much that I want (or hope) to find enough light in these recent (even ongoing) events to offset their darkness — though the heroism so often found amidst the shadows is as blessedly present in them as it will ever be. It’s that I want to be reminded that such ugliness and tragedy... Read more

Milt Kahl’s Inimitable Swaggle

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:15 pm By Joseph Susanka

Thanks to our very own Tom McDonald (from God and the Machine) for this latest bit of Internet awesomeness: a post from Cartoon Brew’s Michael Ruocco on the fascinating phenomenon known as “The Milt Kahl Head Swaggle.” Like a signature, each animator has their own little quirks or trademarks that distinguish their animation from others. Some draw character’s features in a unique way (eyes, hands, etc.), some lean heavily on certain principles or include abstract imagery or gimmicks into their scenes, and some... Read more

No Commentary Necessary — Bach-Rostropovich Edition

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:15 pm By Joseph Susanka

On days like this, when my jangled soul needs soothing, I often find myself turning to Bach’s Unaccompanied Cello Suites, as interpreted by the incomparable Mstislav Rostropovich. I don’t quite know why the sound of the cello is so calming to me — and calming it is, even when Rostropovich is performing at his technically-masterful-but-breakneck pace, e.g. the opening Prelude from Suite #1 — but I’m certainly grateful for the peacefulness, especially at a time like this. (All six suites can be found... Read more

Reflecting on Time with XKCD

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:15 pm By Joseph Susanka

I suspect I’m a couple weeks late on this one. But it’s simply too much fun for me to pass up. So, for those of you who have actually been paying attention to the InterWebs over the last few days, please move along. (Also, since it’s almost impossible for me to imagine a world in which Leah Libresco has not posted on this, I’m going to spend the rest of the day looking nervously over my shoulder.) As a long-time XKCD... Read more