Very lucid, well-written story by Gorge Packer in the New Yorker about the German chancellor: German politics was entering a new era. As the country became more “normal,” it no longer needed domineering father figures as leaders. “Merkel was lucky to live in a period when macho was in decline,” Ulrich said. “The men didn’t […]

This one’s a little bit out there … fun, harmolodic interpretations of some Thelonius Monk classics. Happy Friday! Harmolodic Monk – at Why Not Room, NYC – Oct 5 2014 Matt Lavelle – alto clarinet, trumpet, flugelhorn John Pietaro – vibraphone, frame drum, percussion    

(DEUTSCH) Last weekend was super busy and fun. Saturday, Laura and I went to a Bar Mitzvah – or rather a B’nai Mizvah (plural) for the twin boys of one of the professors I work for. We attended the service in the morning, and then returned for the party in the evening. Great fun! Sunday, […]

Breaking News from the Telegraph’s Alan Tyers: Hell will host the 2026 football World Cup after a Fifa report found “no reason” to overturn the controversial underworld destination’s successful bid. A 666-page report seen by The Telegraph concluded that Fifa had acted ethically in awarding its showpiece tournament, and suggested Lucifer be compensated with “a […]

Today is the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall – one of the most important historic events in my generation’s lifetime. Ironically, this watershed event was precipitated by a simple, clerical error. To me, the events of November 9, 1989 are profoundly German: a tired, overwhelmed official –  Günter Schabowski –  reads […]