Monthly Archives: July 2007

MORE COMPLEXITIES OF TU AND VOUS.

MORE COMPLEXITIES OF TU AND VOUS. The Matthew Engel article that I linked to yesterday describes some of the continuing complexities of familiar pronouns in other languages. The pronouns are an index of the tension between egalitarianism and a love … Continue reading

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MORE TU AND VOUS IN POLITICS.

MORE TU AND VOUS IN POLITICS. About a month ago I wrote here about how Nicholas Sarkozy flummoxed a senior minister who is ten years older by addressing him as “tu.” A very good article in the Financial Times for … Continue reading

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DIANA’S CAREER PREPARATION.

DIANA’S CAREER PREPARATION. Kids, I know that you and your friends are very much concerned with preparations for careers. I think the following shows how helpful it is to think about what is actually required for a job (the example … Continue reading

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MISTAKEN IDENTITY (COMMENT).

MISTAKEN IDENTITY (COMMENT). Twins run into mistaken identity a lot. Molly in a comment on MY COMEDY OF ERRORS MOMENT told my favorite story of mistaken identity. I early became able to identify the confused expression when people realized there … Continue reading

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HOOTERVILLE THEATER REVIEWS.

HOOTERVILLE THEATER REVIEWS. Terry Teachout in the article discussed in yesterday’s post argued that critics should be knowledgeable and competent and that bloggers cannot substitute for expert critics. He cites Richard Schickel’s opinion that critics should have credentials. My first … Continue reading

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THEATER IN HOOTERVILLE.

THEATER IN HOOTERVILLE. Terry Teachout had a column in the weekend Wall Street Journal (July 7/8) deploring how newspapers around the country are cutting back on the number of book reviewers and theater reviewers. I am grateful to Teachout because … Continue reading

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MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM–STAMFORD.

MIDSUMMER’S NIGHT DREAM–STAMFORD. This is a rave review. Mary Jane and I went to see the outdoor production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM at Curtain Call in Stamford. The best production I could ever hope to see. Everything about the … Continue reading

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EIGHTEENTH CENTURY ROADS.

EIGHTEENTH CENTURY ROADS. I have written about the difficulties of land transportation and the importance of Roman roads here and here. John Steele Gordon’s review of Tim Blanning’s THE PURSUIT OF GLORY discusses the improvements in English roads in the … Continue reading

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ZACH BRAFF AND SHAKESPEARE ON THE SOUND.

ZACH BRAFF AND SHAKESPEARE ON THE SOUND. A final note on Shakespeare on the Sound. Zach Braff played Romeo at Shakespeare on the Sound several years ago. Mary Jane played Zach Braff’s mother, Lady Montagu, who dies offstage before Romeo … Continue reading

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MY COMEDY OF ERRORS MOMENT.

MY COMEDY OF ERRORS MOMENT. As a twin, I have had only one COMEDY OF ERRORS moment. (I define a COMEDY OF ERRORS moment as one in which mistaken identity leads to dramatic consequences.) Mine came over 50 years ago. … Continue reading

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