My goals revealed

[JR]

LOML and I are headed for an overnight trip to LA to see the Philharmonic this weekend. This op-ed piece in today's LA Times couldn't have been a more timely reminder of just who I am. I'm not sure I should thank the writer or send him a nasty note. It starts out like this:

"Afew years ago, I began working toward my retirement goal of being an intolerable old man. I'm way ahead of schedule on knowing enough about wine to bore anyone, but classical music has proved much more difficult, largely because no matter how much you listen, it does not get you drunk."

Check it out here: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/...1045111.column

[gsmittle]

LOML and I are headed for an overnight trip to LA to see the Philharmonic this weekend. This op-ed piece in today's LA Times couldn't have been a more timely reminder of just who I am. I'm not sure I should thank the writer or send him a nasty note. It starts out like this:

"Afew years ago, I began working toward my retirement goal of being an intolerable old man. I'm way ahead of schedule on knowing enough about wine to bore anyone, but classical music has proved much more difficult, largely because no matter how much you listen, it does not get you drunk."

Check it out here: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/...1045111.column

Hee! I resemble that remark! I can go on ad nauseum about the Byzantine Empire, too.

g.

[cabinetman]

I'm still working on the wine thing.
.

[JR]

Hee! I resemble that remark! I can go on ad nauseum about the Byzantine Empire, too.

I don't know nuthin about no Byzantium, but I can give you an earful on Winston Churchill if you'd like!

[bfrikken]

you know, that was quite an enjoyable read. Thanks for the link. very funny.

[crokett]

That was very funny but I think I am well on my way to being intolerable, if knowing the stuff I know for my job counts.

[germdoc]

Nice piece--almost Twainian in its elegance...

Or perhaps a hint of HL Mencken??

[scmhogg]

JR,

Great article.

I was forced to take an undergrad art/music course. I chose opera, for the only reason that it fit my tortuous schedule. I became a lifelong fan. We studied Riggoleto and I still love. I fail at my baritone version of la donna e mobile. The late great Pavarotti made it his own.

For the class, I sat in the nosebleed seats at the Shrine, and saw Maria Callas in Carmina Burana. Her voice carried, crystal clear, to the last row. I also saw Gianni Schicchi the same night.

I really enjoy, without understanding, many of the old classical music, by Bach, Beethoven, etc. I certainly don't understand the so called modern classical music by Arnold Schoenberg or twelve tone technique.

Steve

[JR]

I certainly don't understand the so called modern classical music by Arnold Schoenberg or twelve tone technique.

Same for me, Steve, but it's really cool to watch Salonen conduct that stuff. There's all this atonal madness happening while he's making these squares with his baton. I guess it's a Finnish thing.

LOML is much more of a baroque fan, but I more or less insisted on going to this weekend's program of Bartok and Stravinsky. Only Salonen can make it clear.

(There, guys, was that sufficienlty smarmy?)

JR

[jackellis]

Without reading the editorial I'm sure I resemble it. I keep waiting for one of the members of this forum to do me in for my idealogically pure but politically incorrect views on energy.

My wife's the wine snob

[cwithboat]

Yes I am intolerable and retired.
Yes I am a wine snob, I make my own.
And screw Maler I'm a Beethoven guy.
But give it up fellas, the real reason you like this column is that it's about HAMMERS

[wardprobst]

Ahhh, living on the periphery of that world, I loved the column. The artists I can handle, it's _some_ of the audience that makes me crazy. (not to be confused with Willie's song)
DP
sawing to the classics....