George Rebane
Russian concert this Friday at the Amaral Center, NC Fairgrounds. This is an evening of fantastic music presented by Music in the Mountains that includes Rocky's immortal Piano Concerto #3. Just had to get this out to you (more here). And fear not, more ruminations later. [27jan18 update] Last night’s Russian concert was outstanding – it was literally as good as it gets. And it all occurred in our own little community tucked away in the Sierra foothills. The Sacramento Philharmonic was in exceptional form, no doubt also inspired by the dynamic podium artistry of Maestra Mei-Ann Chen, with whom Jo Ann and I had an extended conversation at the post-performance reception. The piano artistry and virtuosity of Andrew von Oeyen was unmatched in a flawless and intriguing interpretation of the technically difficult Rachmaninoff’s 3rd piano concerto (affectionately known as Rocky3). Von Oeyen is a big man with big hands all of which came into good use during the furious fffff allegros in the piece. And I should add that conducting Rocky3 is no mean feat, which Maestra Chen again demonstrated in the complete rendition of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition which is a pyrotechnical extravaganza for full orchestra. What an experience!
[24jan18 update] While we are culturating the local scene, I must also encourage you to attend the intriguing and outstanding intellectual tour de force musical Marat Sade opening this Friday at the Nevada Theater and running through 10 February. The play is co-produced by our very own Paul Emery who, in addition to his political derelictions, has long been Nevada County’s celebrated producer, performer, and promoter of musical and dramatic performances. The play is about “The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade.” More about the play and ticketing information is found here. Jo Ann and I definitely intend to attend.
[25jan18 update] Mr Stuart Epstein of Rochester, NY qualifies as a world-class socio-political idiot. His imported letter in today’s Union proposes that the US repeals the new tax law, and “instead spend $1 trillion on a federal government jobs-creation bill that guarantees a job with dignity and respect to all Americans that not only pays well above the official poverty line, but which also pays well above the "near-poverty line" (which is 100 percent to 125 percent of the official poverty line). It is the "humane" and "just" thing to do.” The good news is that no liberal in Nevada County has made such an insane proposal – yet.
Former Olympic gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar will spend a very long time in the slammer after the #MeToo tsunami suddenly washed up 150 women to accuse him of sexual harassment. The science guy in me asks why none of these ladies brought their sufferings to light over the intervening years – that’s an observable that needs to be explained. It appears that the US Olympic Committee is equally puzzled and has launched an investigation.
The definition of sexual harassment has changed in recent years since we discovered and catered to the infirmity of our campus snowflakes. This is not to say that sexual harassment did not occur in years past, of course it did. But it’s reasonable to ask if the boundary line has been moved to include behaviors today that previously were considered to range from harmless to simply annoying. The decades of silence support such questions.
We need tactical nukes again to provide reasonable alternatives to ‘suicide or surrender’ when facing down autocratic thugs like Putin – so argues Professor Matthew Kroening of Georgetown University in his The Logic of American Nuclear Strategy. (more here) Russia has thousands of them; Obama did away with them in 2010. Reviving our capacity for a limited response to Putin’s threat to use his is the best prophylactic to stop Russia’s new policy of incremental accretion, and will NOT start a new arms race since Russia and China already have them. (Full disclosure, I was trained in the use of tactical nuclear weapons and served as an artillery officer in a frontline tactical nuclear artillery battalion in the Fulda Gap during the ‘crisis years’.)
[27jan18 update] Truth seeking socialists rejoice, the government is here to sort it all out for us. No need to educate the public, the state will feed you what you need to know and allay your fears of ‘fake news’. (more here)
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