To understand Peru is, to a great extent, to understand the Andes Mountains. They’re considerably taller than any of the Rockies in the lower 48, and much steeper. This means that some of them remain snow-capped all year round. They tower above and around many of Peru’s cities and ancient Inca ruins, like a gentle […]
Peru: A Land Built By Giants Read More »
Here’s a thought: If Alan Parker hadn’t directed his 1991 film version of The Commitments, chances are good I would never have read Roddy Doyle’s 1987 novel of the same name. That would have been a shame. When I started the book, though, I knew I was going to have a slight problem. The film version
“Have You Got Soul?”: Love, Music, and Clashing Egos in Roddy Doyle’s The Commitments Read More »
Think about the last time you went into a gas station and got a cappuccino simply by pushing a button. You realize that what you were drinking probably wasn’t really a cappuccino, right? Machines like these are partly the reason why some people order a cappuccino and then ask why there’s so much foam in their drink, not realizing
It’s about More than Just the Coffee Read More »
It started out with Bob Dylan, I think, the grand concept of the sensitive and confessional singer/songwriter. And he was very good at it, as were Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Randy Newman, Phil Ochs, even Carole King. Some of these folks were VERY good singers and others made do with the voices they had. But it
The High Art of Vocal Interpretation Read More »
My dad grew up on a farm in Indiana. His parents stocked the property with different breeds of animals, all consigned to death for food because the family wasn’t rich and was doing what it needed to do to survive. From early on, my dad studied the relationships between animal intelligence, behavior, and appearance. For
A tragic bullfight in Spain a few years ago that left Matador Victor Barrio gored to death marked the first time in decades that any bullfighter had been killed by a bull. This sad event made me recall the only authentic Spanish bullfight ever held in the United States. And it happened right in our back yard. It
A Spanish Bullfight in America Read More »