Monthly Archives: April 2007

THE COAST OF UTOPIA ACHIEVED.

Posted on April 15, 2007 by Philip

THE COAST OF UTOPIA ACHIEVED. We have now watched all three parts of THE COAST OF UTOPIA. We watched all nine hours with continuous delight. We left the theater each night elated. I can’t imagine a better production of any … Continue reading →

Posted in Theater | 2 Comments

SHOULD PEOPLE SATISFICE IN LOVE?

Posted on April 14, 2007 by Philip

SHOULD PEOPLE SATISFICE IN LOVE? I think that people should satisfice on things they don’t care about and spend time on choice when they do care. I think that that is what usually people do rather than be paralyzed by … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, History | 2 Comments

SPECIALTY COFFEES.

Posted on April 13, 2007 by Philip

SPECIALTY COFFEES. A couple years ago, an article in the Wall Street Journal pointed out that coffee sellers from the sixties to the nineties let a generation of coffee drinkers get away. Coffee should have been a rite of passage … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, History | 12 Comments

BEER, WHISKEY AND COFFEE.

Posted on April 12, 2007 by Philip

BEER, WHISKEY AND COFFEE. Thinkers like Barry Schwartz are claiming that people will be happier if they have fewer choices at the same time that the Long Tail theory is arguing that the wave of the future in many products … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics | 3 Comments

GRACE O’MALLEY.

Posted on April 11, 2007 by Philip

GRACE O’MALLEY. THE PIRATE QUEEN may not last long on Broadway, but I am glad to see Grace O’Malley receiving attention. This Wikipedia article says that “Grace O’Malley (c. 1530 -c.1603) [was] an important figure in Irish legend but was … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Leave a comment

THE ARBITER OF TASTE IN ACTION.

Posted on April 10, 2007 by Philip

THE ARBITER OF TASTE IN ACTION. Apparently the critics in Chicago hated THE PIRATE QUEEN and the critics in New York also hate it. So it’s no surprise that The New York Times hated it. The reasons given by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism, Theater | 1 Comment

DO WE NEED AN ARBITER OF TASTE?

Posted on April 9, 2007 by Philip

DO WE NEED AN ARBITER OF TASTE? My answer is: No, I do not think we do. I realize that in saying this I am rejecting a line of literary and artistic criticism which goes back over hundreds of years. … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Theater | 4 Comments

IS THE NEW YORK TIMES THE ARBITER OF TASTE AND CULTURE?

Posted on April 9, 2007 by Philip

IS THE NEW YORK TIMES THE ARBITER OF TASTE AND CULTURE IN NEW YORK? John Gapper has an article in the Financial Times today which discusses a quote which I linked to last week. Gapper says, “…the New York Times … Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism, Literature | 2 Comments

THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE BACK IN THE DAY.

Posted on April 9, 2007 by Philip

THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE BACK IN THE DAY. Joseph Epstein in the today’s Wall Street Journal has an essay reminiscing about how his father would not let him read the Chicago Tribune when he was growing up in Chicago in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism | 4 Comments

THE INSIDES OF GREAT BUILDINGS.

Posted on April 8, 2007 by Philip

THE INSIDES OF GREAT BUILDINGS. Chicagoans care about their architecture. Here is an article by the Chicago Tribune architecture critic, Blair Kamin, on the issue of whether to preserve the interior of a building rather than just saving the facade … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | 4 Comments