Letters to the Editor
Published Letters: 1824
-
@ certifiedprepwn3d
[Read the article: Richard Cohen's brilliant (and unintentional) exposé of our media]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Hi Arne,
I posted this to jeremys earlier, having included a side-snark at jeremys in an even earlier post-
"When I read your post, I took it to include a non-snarky assumption on your part (not Mr. Cohen's part) that all readers would wish that Scooter Libby had been spared this agony and that Ambassador Wilson should not have taken things so personally."
Upon re-reading his post, I came to the conclusion that he was not trolling, but rather critiquing one aspect of Mr. Greenwald's post - giving a different (still negative) interpretation of part of Mr. Cohen's article.
Here's jeremys:
While I ordinarily find your writing to be insightful, I believe you are off-base in your criticism of Mr. Cohen today. Clearly, in Mr. Cohen's article, when discussing the "urging of the liberal press (especially the New York Times)" he was referring to Joe Wilson's July 6, 2003 "What I Didn't Find In Africa" op-ed.
Here's Cohen, from the article:
With the sentencing of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Fitzgerald has apparently finished his work, which was, not to put too fine a point on it, to make a mountain out of a molehill. At the urging of the liberal press (especially the New York Times), he was appointed to look into a run-of-the-mill leak and wound up prosecuting not the leaker -- Richard Armitage of the State Department -- but Libby, convicted in the end of lying.
The only "urging" in Cohen's post (and the part that jeremys explicitly quotes from) is as to the prosecution of Libby. jeremys was wrong in his claim, if it's to be taken seriously. I stand by my comment.
Cheers,
-
@ Paul Rosenburg
[Read the article: Richard Cohen's brilliant (and unintentional) exposé of our media]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Heck, I just thought it [jeremys] was pgs: pretty good snark.
Hard to tell nowadays. How can you satirize that which is already so far over the edge?
jeremys's second post (about requiring disclosure of real estate information) is either way too high-brow satire for my simple mind to comprehend in today's political climate, or he's muddling the waters with another purpose in mind.
Cheers,
-
The inestimable and invaluable Sysprog quotes Cohen....
[Read the article: Richard Cohen's brilliant (and unintentional) exposé of our media]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"Lights Out" Cohen]: My own state of mind combines some of the blue with some of the red to produce my own political hue. Color me purple.
I perceive Cohen in different colours. Perhaps a six letter one beginning with "y" and ending with "w". But more, I think towards the darker hues; five letters on beginning in "b" and ending in "n"....
Cheers,
-
@ Kitt
[Read the article: Preordering week for "A Tragic Legacy"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I have a new favorite old time fiddle player. Her name is Ashley Hull. She learned from one of the best old-time fiddle players, Bob Holt. She plays her fiddle against her chin....
Thanks for tip. Will have to look her up.
... So, please, don't tell me or attempt to think you are educating me on old-time fiddle playing....
Wasn't trying to. I suspect you know more than most (if not all) here.
... Frankly, I resent your lack of respect and you assumption that you know more about it than I do.
I didn't make that assumption. Just putting in my two cents worth.
On the jig thing, perhaps specifically you are correct. In the real world of language, though, you are nitpicking to the utmost degree.
Well, not exactly. Frailing a jig is a bit different, I'd imagine....
So now the next time one of those trolls say that all of us Greenwald liberals walk in lockstep, you and I can point to this post and prove them to be full of shit...;o)
We really don't need the extra proof, but thanks for the discourse (and disagreement).
[Arne]: Old-timeys tend to play it down like that. You won't find the chin-rests (at least the ones underneath) on an old-timer's fiddle.
You weren't very observant watching that video. Watch it again and you will see that even though he isn't using his chin-rest it is indeed attached to his fiddle.
I disagree. As I said, it's the (actually, "chest") rests under the fiddle that are superfluous and not put on (these type rests are removable and taken off when the fiddle is in the case; you need a wrench to remove the upper one); the ones above are not taken off just in spite, but are not used and are sometime not even present.
Not all old-time fiddlers use the low position; many are trained classically as well, and others just use the standard position because it gives better control. FWIW, I appreciate the influence of classical training in the fiddling of some old-timers; I'm no purist and can appreciate taking the 'best' from wherever. I'd never say an old-timer wouldn't be authentic using a classical stance. In the end, it's the music that counts, and if I like it, I like it, even if it's a cross.
One of the reasons for the lower position is that often the fiddler would be a singer as well, and it's very difficult to sing with a fiddle wedged under your chin; the enunciation is more difficult (not that such is a prised item in old-time music).
One of the "popularisers" of old-time fiddling is Mike Cross, a law-dropout who has found his musical talents more edifying. He does "open tunings" (ADAE, AEAE, and such), on his old-timey offerings (gives that great drop-note drone). I went up to him after one performance and asked if he was using "Cross tunings".... ;-)
Cheers,
-
@ Kitt
[Read the article: Richard Cohen's brilliant (and unintentional) exposé of our media]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Thanks. Reply is there for those at's interested.
Cheers,