The Sacramento Philharmonic, now fully resuscitated, as its recent symphonic concerts have clearly established (in recent months Mahler’s “Resurrection” Symphony and Tchaikovsky’s 4th were wonderfully delivered under the baton of Andrew Grams), offered its first “pops” concert last weekend.  Pops concerts by symphonic orchestras gained appeal in the 1960s and ‘70s when Arthur Fiedler (then […]

The major studios and film producers are still holding the big Oscar candidates for release next month, but four films that might get some Oscar notice are already in theaters.  Each merits attention.  Here are capsule reviews: “The Martian” – With Ridley Scott as its director and Matt Damon as its star, this film has […]

The civilized nations of the world, most especially those who are industrialized, were shocked at the brazen and murderous attacks in Paris last week.  And, to be sure, they were horrible, both in terms of the devastation they created, but even more significantly, because of the extreme vulnerability they exposed within the most ordinary of […]

The Russian passenger jet, the one that seems to have exploded in mid-air last week killing all 224 on board, may not have been downed by a bomb, but it is hard to avoid the thought that it could have been.  And if you truly understand what ISIS is all about, you know that things […]