Monthly Archives: June 2008

Recent Prehistory

Posted on June 30, 2008 by midiguru

Trying to maintain a skeptical stance when talking with religious people is, in the main, pointless. They’re hard-wired not to get it. But while getting nowhere attempting to discuss current events with respect to Judaism and the Middle East, I … Continue reading →

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Practicing Cello

Posted on June 29, 2008 by midiguru

A comment on one of my posts asked whether I have any tips for more efficient practicing. Maybe a few, yeah. I don’t follow my own tips all the time, but here they are: Warm up before you tackle tough … Continue reading →

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Can You Spell “Bee”?

Posted on June 27, 2008 by midiguru

According to a story in this morning’s SF Chronicle, the decline in honeybee populations is continuing. Bees are vulnerable to a number of pests, and the decline has been going on for several years, but two years ago reports started … Continue reading →

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Passion vs. Getting Wound Up

Posted on June 26, 2008 by midiguru

I’ve been searching, rather haphazardly, for something that I can feel passionate about. I have half a dozen candidates — playing the piano, writing short stories, composing electronic music, and so forth — about all of which I feel rather lukewarm. … Continue reading →

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The Human Species — Feh.

Posted on June 24, 2008 by midiguru

Morbid curiosity drove me to spend a few minutes tonight surfing web pages that express opinions about homosexuality (either pro or con) using texts from the Bible and/or the Talmud to support their positions. One site insists that the growing acceptance of … Continue reading →

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Turf Wars

Posted on June 24, 2008 by midiguru

This afternoon on Marketplace (on NPR) they broadcast one of those industry-generated puff pieces that masquerade as news. This one was about how people are responding to the drought in California by replacing their water-guzzling lawns with artificial turf. At two … Continue reading →

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Go for It!

Posted on June 24, 2008 by midiguru

Until the Internet came along, I had never been able to find anyone to play go with. Go is a board game widely played in Japan, China, and Korea (go is the Japanese name). The rules are simple, but it’s as difficult … Continue reading →

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Don’t Do That!

Posted on June 22, 2008 by midiguru

I love rules that violate themselves. Somewhere on the Internet, I’m sure, you’ll find a long list. Here are a few of my favorites: Avoid cliches like the plague. A preposition is something you should never end a sentence with. … Continue reading →

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It’s All Good

Posted on June 22, 2008 by midiguru

The thing I miss most about not being on the editorial staff at Keyboard (I left in 2002, after 25+ years) is that I no longer get to check out the new CDs. For most of that time, I was the … Continue reading →

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Livin’ in the City

Posted on June 21, 2008 by midiguru

Our back neighbor wants us to trim our trees. Actually, he’d like us to cut the trees down, but he’ll settle for having them trimmed back to the property line. He’s a nice enough young guy — he made no … Continue reading →

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