Random ramblings

  Why can’t I appreciate poetry?   Those of you who follow this blog may wonder why I have suddenly switched from weighty matters to something apparently so frivolous. But believe me, the question I ask, is nontrivial, and is also forged in some (minor) childhood trauma. And some of that childhood angst has resurfaced, as I have been encountering more poems than usual. On of the reasons for this is a 2016 film called Paterson (by Jim Jarmusch, with Adam Driver in the lead: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5247022/ ) which I serendipitously ended up watching, twice. The film is a gentle rumination on life, poetry, and poets from the city of Paterson, New Jersey. By the way, highly recommended if you wish for a quiet meditative afternoon. Anyway, all this got me thinking about why I have difficulty understanding poetry, all over again. I realize that what follows is a very personal lament that may be of little interest. But then again, dear reader, with regard to the appreciatio...

  The mystery of Manaus Those of you who expected our troubles to somehow magically melt away on December 31 st 2020, welcome back to reality! But take heart in knowing that you weren’t alone: it must have been one of the most widely held irrational expectations of our lifetimes. So, your disappointment is shared by many, many normal people around the world.   Anyway, there’s a lot of bad news floating around for this time of the year. There is one particular piece of information that has caught the attention of both academics and the lay press alike: the finding that (apparently), even when over 75% of people in the city of Manaus in Brazil had already been infected with the COVID-19 virus, people were continuing to die in large numbers. People are alarmed, and respectable publications are suggesting that “herd immunity may not be possible”! ( https://www.newscientist.com/article/2265696-covid-19-outbreak-in-manaus-suggests-herd-immunity-may-not-be-possible/ ) Academic...