Category Archives: Commentary

Opinion or analysis concerning whatever’s on my mind.

Firehose of Rage

Posted on February 15, 2020 by JMN

I hope that none are offended when I say that I am nonplussed at Ross Douthat’s use of “conterminous” in his column. Here are two scenes from the same drama. The first scene takes place in California, where the state’s … Continue reading →

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Artie Shaw on Glenn Miller

Posted on February 7, 2020 by JMN

I transcribed this snippet from the Ken Burns documentary about jazz. It inspires me to make mistakes at what I’m doing. [Glenn Miller]… was sort of the Lawrence Welk of jazz. It was one of the reasons he was so … Continue reading →

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What Stuff Is About

Posted on February 6, 2020 by JMN

http://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/05/science/quadratic-equations-algebra.html “Math is not about memorizing formulas without meaning, but rather about learning how to reason logically through precise statements,” Dr. Loh said. (Kenneth Chang and Jonathan Corum, “This Professor’s ‘Amazing’ Trick Makes Quadratic Equations Easier,” NYTimes, 2-5-20) Dr. Loh’s … Continue reading →

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George Steiner, 1929 – 2020

Posted on February 4, 2020 by JMN

http://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/03/books/george-steiner-dead.html My experience with George Steiner’s work is bitter-sweet. His book “After Babel: Aspects of Language and Translation” had great significance for me at a time when I struggled to establish my bona fides as an academic linguist while casting … Continue reading →

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Advancing Retrogression

Posted on February 1, 2020 by JMN

http://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/31/opinion/brexit-uk.html “Put your flags away, you’re leaving, and take them with you.” [Mairead McGuinness, vice-president of the Parliament, to Nigel Farage, who waved a miniature Union Jack in the European Parliament as he bade farewell (2020).] “We must build a … Continue reading →

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Goya on My Mind

Posted on January 30, 2020 by JMN

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/dec/28/goya-paintings-many-not-work-of-spanish-master-studio-assistants She spoke of her “trepidation” about challenging attributions as Goya’s pictures change hands for millions of pounds: “If a picture turns out to be by an assistant, of course the value collapses. “Artists in the shadow of a great … Continue reading →

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What’s “Up”?

Posted on January 30, 2020 by JMN

Jack ran up the hill. Jack ran up the bill. Why can we also say “Jack ran the bill up” but not “Jack ran the hill up”? What does “up” add in the following: She’ll try to climb up your … Continue reading →

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Musicianshift

Posted on January 30, 2020 by JMN

http://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/19/arts/music/terry-riley.html “For me music is a daily practice that I try to deepen in the sense that I get to understand more about what music really is, and sometimes what I think it really is is the simplest elements — … Continue reading →

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One-One-Twenty-Twenty

Posted on January 30, 2020 by JMN

At nine PM on New Year’s Day 2020, it’s quiet in my neighborhood. Two earsplitting reports in quick succession rip the peace: POP-POP. A second or two of silence, then one more: POP. I recall an old cartoon in which … Continue reading →

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Onboarding HNWI’s in Hacked States

Posted on January 24, 2020 by JMN

http://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/24/opinion/jeff-bezos-phone-hack.html … Christopher Pierson… founded BlackCloak, a cybersecurity company for high-net-worth and high-profile individuals — executives, celebrities and billionaires. According to Mr. Pierson, few people take their digital lives as seriously as they should. “The majority of clients we onboard … Continue reading →

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