Tuesday 28 February 2017

Thought 470: Self-Loathing Overcome


Self-loathing is overcome
when what we least liked
about ourselves is what
we most like.

Monday 27 February 2017

Thought 469: What Is Privilege?


What we take for granted.

Sunday 26 February 2017

Thought 468: Easy Way and Hard Way


Pillar of Mercy =
there is a pattern
to life = nihilism
does not need
to be conquered

v

Pillar of Severity 
= there is no pattern
to life = nihilism needs
to be conquered

Saturday 25 February 2017

Thought 467: Fool's Mysteries


The greatest disillusion,
which requires the greatest
illusion, is the greatest prize
for a wisdom-lover—
whence the mysteries.

Ultimately,
the mysteries
were instituted
that the abyss
be conquered.

Friday 24 February 2017

Thought 466: Self-Unfoldment or Self-Improvement?


Is self-unfoldment
preferable to
self-improvement?

Thursday 23 February 2017

Thought 465: To Influence or to Inspire?


Is it better
to inspire
by example
or to influence
by content?

Wednesday 22 February 2017

Thought 464: Autism


Autism is auto-ism.

Tuesday 21 February 2017

Thought 463: Beloved Bands


Rock bands are adored
by their fans because
they empower them
with their music.

And empowerment
is happiness.

Monday 20 February 2017

Thought 462: Roman Grand Style


The Romans were
masters of the Grand
Style, which is abundance
that restrains itself in simplicity.

Two examples of Roman
Grand Style are Caesar's
Commentaries and
Augustus' Deeds.

Sunday 19 February 2017

Thought 461: Manly P. Hall's Limitation


Philosopher Manly P. Hall's
greatest strength, his moralism,
is also his greatest weakness,
his blindness.

To the extent
that we hold
on to morality,
we condemn
and therefore
devalue the
world as it is
because life 
is immoral
and cynical.

Power, not
morality,
is the reality
of existence,
because 
morality
is itself
power
for she
too seeks
to establish
trust in her
favour.

Saturday 18 February 2017

Thought 460: Caesar's Fate


Caesar's assassination
was a good fate: his
biographer Suetonius
notes that Gaius wished
to die in his prime and
the Ides of March made
a martyr and tragic figure
out of him which would
cement his place in history.

Friday 17 February 2017

Thought 459: Fool's Hitler


The same (mis)qualities that led
to Hitler's rise and victory led to 
his downfall and defeat, 
and to the extent that 
he was worshipped and
adored by his followers
he was demonised and
ridiculed by his victors.

Thursday 16 February 2017

Thought 458: Fool's Jackson


The same childhood
that made Jackson
an adored pop
icon turned him
into a persecuted
freak show.

Wednesday 15 February 2017

Thought 457: Blind Spot


Others may
see our 
blind spots.

Tuesday 14 February 2017

Thought 456: Fool's Orgasm


The ecstasy women feel 
in orgasm is more than matched 
by the agony of birthgiving.

Monday 13 February 2017

Thought 455: Fool's Books


That great and rare
books are not read
protects them from
the pollution of exposure.

Sunday 12 February 2017

Thought 454: Fool's Beauty


Loving beauty makes 
one more affronted
by ugliness, which 
is more common.


Saturday 11 February 2017

Thought 453: Fool's Schumacher


Michael Schumacher's towering 
Formula One career was met 
with driving inadequacy upon
his return from retirement and
outright invalidity after a skiing
accident.

Friday 10 February 2017

Thought 452: Fool's Thatcher


State legislation saw a massive increase under
the small government-proponent
Margaret Thatcher.

(She was also responsible
for financialising the
British economy with
the consequences
we know.)


Thursday 9 February 2017

Thought 451: Fool's Wisdom


The rarity of wisdom
safeguards its
preciousness.

Wednesday 8 February 2017

Thought 450: Hell Is Not an Option


The human condition
can be summed up
with the insight that
while heaven is a luxury,
no one is rich enough
to go to hell.

Tuesday 7 February 2017

Thought 449: Son of God


Was Jesus crucified because
of bad karma or because
he was the son of God?

In my view, Jesus was
crucified because he
failed to answer
Pilate's question, 
'what is truth?',
and therefore
failed to establish
trust in his favour.

As it happens,
truth is power.

Monday 6 February 2017

Thought 448: Fool's Conscience


The good
conscience
of compassion
depletes, whereas
the bad conscience
of cruelty delights.


Addendum:
Why Do People
Hate Truth?

Truth is worth
despair and
cruelty—but
that is not
all bad as
there is much
delight and
laughter in
cruelty.

Sunday 5 February 2017

Thought 447: Fool's Power



How does one
gain power?

By empowering.

In empowering
others, others
surrender their
power to us.

Apple empower
through their 
products and
we surrender
our power to
Apple—monetarily
and in terms of
privacy.

Hitler empowered
through his oratory
and his countrymen
surrendered their
power to Hitler—
their liberty and
in terms of 
sacrifice.

Saturday 4 February 2017

Thought 446: Loved and Hated


Loved for who one is = Hated for who one is
Loved for who one is not = Hated for who one is not

Friday 3 February 2017

Thought 445: Humility


Humility is wisdom
and humility is to
admit that one 
is power and 
not above it
—says my 
power.

Thursday 2 February 2017

Thought 444: My Three Bugbears


Normativity, superficiality, conformity.

Wednesday 1 February 2017

Review 10: Ivo Pogorelich Plays Chopin's Preludes


Chopin in Arresting Definition—A review of Frédéric Chopin's 
Preludes as performed and recorded by Ivo Pogorelich

Prior to purchasing this album I had some familiarity with Maurizio Pollini and Martha Argerich's established takes, as well as that of Rafal Blechacz available in the Deutsche Grammophon Complete Chopin Edition. 

I looked to new pastures for the simple reason that I was unhappy with these three performances. 

The Pollini recording's main fault is that the volume is too low and the sound quality in my opinion leaves something to be desired. 

I never enjoyed Argerich's Preludes as I found the tempi too quick and that, partly as a result, the playing lacked definition and clarity of intent.

Rafal Blechacz's interpretation is solid and faithful, but lacks transcendental value, being of a prosaic nature. 

So, having searched for the Chopin Preludes on Amazon, I came across this album and I was convinced this was my set the moment I sampled the sheer originality and pianistic definition of the first prelude in C major (my favourite).

And from there on out the album never lets up. 

The most adequate adjective to describe this cycle is that it is arresting, i.e. attention catching. 

This underrated quality is partly due to the high pianistic definition of each prelude obtained through minimal use of the pedal, extremely dexterous finger work, and tempi that for me do each prelude aural justice.

Moreover, this is the first time that I have enjoyed listening to op.28 as a whole rather than as a collection of disparate pieces, rather like Glenn Gould's 1981 take of Bach's The Goldberg Variations.

Again, as so often, I part company with the fogeys chez Gramophone who claim that the tempi in the more ponderous preludes are too slow, e.g. in the case of 'Raindrop'.

They also make the case that Pogorelich is trying to be original for its own sake, betraying Chopin in the process.

What nonsense! 

It is precisely the originality and deliberate tempi that made op.28 in its entirely finally grab my full attention and musical imagination, whereas prior to this set I just could not get into the 24 pieces as a whole and as a unit. 

Now it may be true that Pogo, as he is sometimes called, did not always succeed in his interpretations in other recordings, but in the case of these Preludes he nails them with commanding artistic and technical authority. 

I never thought there would be a day I would enjoy Chopin as much as this, being more persuaded by Baroque and Classical composers like the aforementioned Bach and the underrated Haydn. 

I was wrong. 

Chopin has come to reveal his greatness at long last, after years of trying but failing, thanks to Pogorelich's arresting interpretative performance.

I cannot praise this recording more than that.