"Symptomatic of the decline and fall of everything"

Odds and ends:

A-Rod’s goal was not simply to fail at the game... but to raise deep philosophical questions about the nature of human achievement. The philosophy of "Atonal Baseball." (But let us recognize the serialist mastery of Gary Matthews, Jr.)

One of my hometown's classical radio stations is a proud sponsor of the Newport International Polo Series. Elitist, you say? If you know of a better way to get horses interested in classical music, I'd love to hear it.

A follow up to last week's rant about airline carry-on restrictions and musical instruments: witness the travails of the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, who, fresh off of a second-place finish at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, was forced to check their equipment with an airline who promptly lost $27,000 worth of their stuff. The items included thirteen drums, in cases, which is pretty much like misplacing a hippopotamus. Terrorist threat, my eye—I rather suspect somebody in the British Home Office is still bitter over the Battle of Bannockburn. (Thanks to Jeana and Glenn Stewart, sister and brother-in-law/master piper, for the tip.)

Last, but not least: Henry Kissinger and Len Garment, art critics. (I love the Freedom of Information Act.)