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Music

Song of the Day #2189

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May 13, 2025

Song of the Day: As features the words and music of Stevie Wonder, who celebrates his 75th birthday today. This song appears on Stevie’s legendary 1976 album, “Songs in the Key of Life.” That double album, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, won the Grammy for “Album…
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Music

Embraceable You – Joanne Barry

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May 12, 2025

In my ongoing YouTube blitz featuring the performances of my brother, jazz guitarist Carl Barry, and my sister-in-law, vocalist Joanne Barry, today I’ve uploaded Joanne’s album, “Embraceable You” (Fat Note Records, 1998). Unlike “Holding On” (Stash Records, 1984), which featured mostly original compositions, this album contains songs primarily from The…
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Music

Holding On – Carl and Joanne Barry

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May 7, 2025

As a follow-up to the Metropolitan Museum of Art “Guitar Heroes” concert, featuring my brother, jazz guitarist Carl Barry, I’ll be uploading on YouTube various recordings and performances by both Carl and his wife (my sister-in-law), vocalist Joanne Barry. Today is the debut on YouTube of Carl and Joanne’s album,…
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Politics (Theory, History, Now)

On Tariffs: Smith vs. Trump

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May 5, 2025

This essay also appears on Medium. Scroll down for a rejoinder to various criticisms of this essay. Adam Smith vs. Donald Trump (from Wikipedia Commons and Truth Social, respectively) The first one hundred days of the Trump presidency have come and gone and nothing I’ve seen has altered my view…
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Culture, Rand Studies, Remembrance

Michelle Marder Kamhi, RIP

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April 30, 2025

Today, I learned that my friend, Michelle Marder Kamhi, died at the age of 87, after a long illness. I have known Michelle and her husband Louis Torres for over 30 years. They have been among my dearest and most loving friends. Michelle was a graduate of Barnard College. She…
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Culture, Music

Carl Barry at The Met

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April 29, 2025

Back in 2011, The Metropolitan Museum of Art opened a wonderful exhibition, “Guitar Heroes: Legendary Craftsmen from Italy to New York,” which celebrated “three New York master luthiers, renowned for their hand-carved stringed instruments—particularly their archtop guitars, which have been sought after by many of the most important guitarists of…
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Religion, Remembrance

30 Years for Mom

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April 21, 2025

It is truly unbelievable that today marks 30 years since my mother, Ann Sciabarra, died. (And if you think that’s a long time, my Dad has been gone for 53 years!) Mom passed away in the wee hours of Greek Orthodox Good Friday, April 21, 1995. At her funeral, Father…
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Religion

Happy Easter 2025

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April 20, 2025

Today offers us one of those rare occasions when the Western and Eastern churches celebrate Easter on the same day. This year, the common date marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. Happy Easter to all those who celebrate and to my Greek family and friends: “Christos Anesti”!…
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Film / TV / Theater Review, Religion

Sacred Cinema: Part IV

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April 15, 2025

The final installment of my four-part Medium essay series, “Sacred Cinema”, has been posted today. Beginning with a discussion of Cecil B. DeMille’s 1956 epic, “The Ten Commandments”, the essay also addresses the many diverse sources that have shed enormous light on the ancient epic film genre. Check out Part…
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Film / TV / Theater Review, Religion, Sexuality

Sacred Cinema: Part III

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April 14, 2025

Today, I’ve posted Part III of my four-part Medium essay series, “Sacred Cinema.” In this installment, I explore the deeply personal impact that the 1959 version of “Ben-Hur” had on me. Winner of 11 Oscars — a record tied but never beaten — this film marked the beginning of a…
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