Author Archives: barczablog

A tale of the stub, or Pollyanna Interrupted

Posted on January 20, 2021 by barczablog

As I was choosing my wardrobe for a trip to my mom’s place for lunch, I opted as usual to try to look a bit nicer for her, pulling out a pair of dress-pants that I realized haven’t been touched … Continue reading →

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Bernie Sanders and The Samiotics of the Carolina Dog

Posted on January 15, 2021 by barczablog

Sam the dog seems to be getting better. Her bloodwork shows that the antibiotics have worked. Her recovery is the main message I wanted to convey for anyone who had been worried by my previous messages. As you probably know, … Continue reading →

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Zappa

Posted on January 13, 2021 by barczablog

2020 ended with a pair of Z’s that could just as easily be seen as the start of 2021. After Fareed Zakaria’s book, it’s Zappa, a documentary released late in 2020. Where Fareed is analyzing historical trends with an eye … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays, Politics, Popular music & culture, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Fareed Zakaria’s Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World

Posted on January 11, 2021 by barczablog

The title grabs you, doesn’t it? Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World portends something well-informed, if not brilliant. As 2021 begins I wonder what’s to come, and wish i could turn to someone knowledgeable to tell me what’s to come. … Continue reading →

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Wohin: where do we go from here? now what?

Posted on December 31, 2020 by barczablog

As we come to the end of 2020, we may wonder. Where do we go from here? Now what? It’s in that spirit that I invoke a Schubert song, “Wohin” from his cycle Die Schöne Müllerin. First there was a … Continue reading →

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Wagner, Mendelssohn, Korngold & beyond with Sam

Posted on December 29, 2020 by barczablog

Sam appears to be feeling a lot better. Last week began with her staggering weakly, doing a scary impersonation of a carcass (lying on her side so forlorn in appearance that a couple of times I was asked to check … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Books & Literature, Cinema, video & DVDs, Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Opera | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Looking back, aka Alex Ross’s Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music

Posted on December 28, 2020 by barczablog

I’m ending 2020 with a pair of complementary book reviews. No they’re not in any way similar in their topics, yet they frame the transition to a new year rather well. Fareed Zakaria’s Ten Lessons for a Post-pandemic World, (the … Continue reading →

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Schirmer Serenade: a cure for Sam’s insomnia

Posted on December 27, 2020 by barczablog

Last night Sam the dog went to bed but didn’t close her eyes. It’s disturbing. As you may have read in other recent posts, she’s sick. The liver isn’t working right, an incurable malady whether you’re a human or a … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, domestic & wild, Books & Literature, Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

How to get your dog to swallow that pill

Posted on December 26, 2020 by barczablog

I’m sharing this little tidbit because when I googled there was no sign of this idea. It came from our veterinarian. Perhaps it will be universally known someday but for the moment would seem to be a well-kept secret. Let’s … Continue reading →

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Messiah / Complex

Posted on December 20, 2020 by barczablog

There’s nothing simple about Messiah/Complex, a new film that’s currently available for streaming from the Against the Grain Theatre website until January 7th. Complex? It’s an adaptation of Handel’s popular oratorio, a co-production of Against the Grain Theatre and Against … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays, Politics, Popular music & culture, Reviews, Spirituality & Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment