Java Zen:Thinking Out Loud Saturday, 2025.09.13 
"All bad poetry springs from genuine feeling," wrote Oscar Wilde, and I would
like to suggest that the same can be said for bad politics...

It seems to me that the politics of liberal reform, in recent years, shows many
of the same characteristics as amateur poetry. It has been more concerned with
the kind of symbolic action that gratifies the passions of the reformer rather
than with the efficacy of the reforms themselves. Indeed, the outstanding
characteristic of what we call "the New Politics" is precisely its insistence on
the overwhelming importance of revealing, in the public realm, one's intense
feelings—we must "care," we must "be concerned," we must be "committed."
Unsurprisingly, this goes along with an immense indifference to consequences, to
positive results or the lack thereof.

		Irving Kristol, Symbolic Politics and Liberal Reform, Dec. 15, 1972

2007.09.25

Marcel Marceau

I had to dig to find this, but it was worth it. It’s the autographed program from when I saw Marcel Marceau perform here in Denver in 1980 (click for larger image):

Marcel Marceau 1

I studied French for 5 years and used it only twice in my life for actual conversation. Once while traveling through Canada and once after waiting near two hours at the back entrance of the theater for Marcel Marceau. I told him, in French, that I thought his performance was fantastic and asked for his autograph (Yes, I have spoken with the mime!), which he gave. Still a memorable performance and an inspiration after more than 27 years.

I was saddened to hear of his passing.

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