By popular demand, Beethoven’s 9th.
Part 2 is here if that didn’t satisfy your Ludvig fix.
Reader Interactions
78Comments
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Come for the politics, stay for the snark.
When you’re in more danger from the IDF than from Russian shelling, that’s really bad.
You passed on an opportunity to be offended? What are you even doing here?
… pundit janitors mopping up after the gop
The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.
Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.
If you thought you’d already seen people saying the stupidest things possible on the internet, prepare yourselves.
The lights are all blinking red.
How any woman could possibly vote for this smug smarmy piece of misogynistic crap is beyond understanding.
When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.
We will not go quietly into the night; we will not vanish without a fight.
A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.
But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.
The snowflake in chief appeared visibly frustrated when questioned by a reporter about egg prices.
The republican speaker is a slippery little devil.
Hi god, it’s us. Thanks a heap, you’re having a great week and it’s only Thursday!
I like political parties that aren’t owned by foreign adversaries.
If you still can’t see these things even now, maybe politics isn’t your forte and you should stop writing about it.
The real work of an opposition party is to hold the people in power accountable.
Quote tweet friends, screenshot enemies.
Those who are easily outraged are easily manipulated.
It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.
Relentless negativity is not a sign that you are more realistic.
Hot air and ill-informed banter
Fight for a just cause, love your fellow man, live a good life.
Brian J
I’m surprised nobody has mentioned this thread from Sadly, No!, where we see RedState utterly, completely pwned. It’s a thing of beauty, really.
dutchmarbel
For those who like classical music: the Dutch royal concertgebouworkest celebrates its 120th birthday with 10 free downloads of popular symphonies (available till november 24th).
dutchmarbel
oeps, I didn’t see the comment so I posted twice
Svensker
The 9th is really really awesome.
May I amend my Victoria de los Angeles recommendation from yesterday, and say that the Bidu Sayao version of the Bachianas Brasileiras is even better. Here it be.
eyeball
I read in the Times that gun sales are soaring in Stupid-Land because they think the Obama National Defense Force is going to come take their toys away. This is a good thing, it seems to me, given that many gun deaths occur when idiots blow their own jaws off while cleaning them. This is a promising sign for social darwinism in the new century.
Svensker
Well, poopy pants. Let’s try that again. Here is Bidu Sayao.
Brian J
When was the last time any of these people actually had their guns taken away?
Josh Hueco
@eyeball:
My favorite quote from that story:
I have nothing to add.
eyeball
… black helicopters … Zionist Occupied Government {ZOG} … the Turner Diaries … U.N.-sponsored midnight cattle mutilation … aaah, the god old days are back.
Josh Hueco
@eyeball:
We’re gonna party like it’s 1995.
Incertus
If you haven’t gotten sick of this sort of thing already, one of my co-bloggers was at Grant Park Tuesday and took some pictures.
Punchy
Good fucking Lord.
Peak Wingnut? Are you fucking kidding me?
burnspbesq
Just tossed a C-note to the Martin for Senate campaign.
Hope others will see fit to donate whatever they can.
Saxby Chambliss really needs to go.
Comrade Scrutinizer
@eyeball: They aren’t worried about having their guns taken away, they’re worried about the assault-weapon ban going into effect again.
TheFountainHead
Jesus Christ, Punchy, a little warning when you’re linking to that level of teh stoopid. I may not be able to have a cogent thought for another hour and will probably be sitting here sputtering in disgust for 15 minutes. Don’t read that link without bracing yourself for it first.
The Moar You Know
@eyeball: Gun owner all my life; could not agree with you more. Any idiot who picks up a weapon (or even looks at one) without inspecting whether it is loaded or not deserves to die.
Dork
@Punchy: I love how the original question of (paraphrasing) "How do you fix your party" gets quickly morphed into rabid and insane liberal bashing, then to physical threats, until……some guy named "Warrior" just goes insane batshit crazy on…..fat people. He thoroughly trashes fat people.
On a questionaire about party reform. Yep, this Republican party will be adrift for many years to come.
Josh Hueco
@Punchy:
Awww…the wingnuts are sooo cute when they pull out their newspaper hats and cardboard swords and play ‘Red Dawn’ in the sandbox. I could just pinch ’em all!
Comrade Stuck
@Punchy:
I plan to invest every penny I have in the Cheetos market, and become a Kazzilionare.
Xanthippas
Wow…great link. Thanks!
cleek
they’re also worried about the specter of higher taxes on ammo. i heard a couple of guys in the elevator saying they’re gonna go buy "$500" worth of ammo, before Obama triples the price.
Dennis - SGMM
Obama will be holding his first post-election press conference in Chicago today at 2:30 Eastern time.
DBrown
The wing nuts are out in force at Sullivan, too. They are already getting upset and fighting over Obama’s ‘possible’ choice for the DOE. Fighting over the choice they made in their own mind and are falling apart over this utter made up bullshit. This at a site where the person had strongly favored Obama for two years. The loony moony times are being writen on Sullivan’s site and we are what, all of the second day into the post election? Bushwhack is still president, and I am now waiting for these assholes to start blaming Obama for the mess that is still going down by bushwhack.
Brian J
OMG! Is he trying to run the federal government from Chicago? Will William Ayers and Jeremiah Wright be running the country!?! OH NOES!!!!!!!
jrosen
In the course of my career of 40 years as a symphony violinist, I’ve had the privilege of performing this piece perhaps a hundred or so times, with conductors like Goerge Szell, Pablo Casals, Leonard Bernstein, and Bernard Haitink. I haven’t heard it for a while, but found myself dissolved in tears at the first few bars, from the sheer power of it, and the power of these moments in our history.
I saw Jesse Jackson’s tears and I knew he was remembering those who died without seeing this… MLK, the 3 at Philadelphia, MS, Rev, Reeb, Mrs. Liuzzo, Rosa Parks. And I was happiest to be able to call my mother, aged 94, who took me on picket lines when I was 8, and be grateful that she lived to see this.
When Bernstein did this piece in Berlin after the fall of the Wall, he changed one word in the last movement…"Freude" (joy) became "Freiheit" (freedom). Maybe we should keep that for good.*
Of course, we are not done. If you can stomach it, read John Boehner’s absurd, infuriating op-ed in the WAPO today. AS WSC said, it is the end of the beginning.
BTW…who is performing? I thought it might be Karajan nad the Berlin Phil because of the camera work, but it doesn’t look like him (but sounds good enough to be). It must be a European orchestra (Vienna?…no women visible). Anyone know?
*Nice sidelight. When Robert Shaw (the conductor not the actor) who I worked for once conducted this at is first concert as Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony, two of his four vocal soloists were black: Adele Addison and Seth McCoy. No big deal, you say…but at the time the Governor of Giorgia was Lester Maddox, he of the axe-handle campaign, and in honor of the occasion, he was there (and would doubtless have preferred the Grand Old Opry) and had to smile through the whole thing.
Josh Hueco
Love Robert Shaw, I have the Songs of Angels Christmas CD. It’s always on during the season.
Mr. Merle
I am currently loving the unattributed quote "Michelle Malkin is a national treasure" on the left sidebar.
Svensker
From Punchy’s Peak Wingnut:
This can be arranged…
(What 50s scifi fantasy world are these guys living in, by the way? Too much Heinlein?)
Comrade Scrutinizer
I’m sorry, but the "President Elect" sign on the podium just looks silly.
Comrade Scrutinizer
@Svensker:
Heinlein, when taken with a dose of common sense, is good.
dearleader nyc
Oh bliss! Bliss and heaven! Oh, it was gorgeousness and gorgeousity made flesh.
I was cured all right…
Rob G
Meh. Gimme the 6th any day.
Xanthippas
@jrosen
May I ask which symphony or symphonies?
cleek
@dearleader nyc:
well done!
but, wow. i’m amazed it took 30 comments to come up.
JL
Watching the market is interesting. It’s almost like Wall Street thought that he could do something immediately. When he said there is only one Pres at a time the market fell 40 points.
JL
Gee, It looks like the market wanted him to announce Treasury today.
Tymannosourus
Watching the press conference. But what are those noises coming out of his mouth?
They sound "president-y."
The Grand Panjandrum
Anyone want to bet Obama’s Nancy Reagan seance comment is going to blow up in wingnuttia?
JL
@The Grand Panjandrum: Let’s hope so!!
Svensker
@Comrade Scrutinizer:
I love Heinlein, in fact just re-read a whole raft of them.
But go read Punchy’s peak wingnut piece and tell me which scifi books these guys are reading. Or maybe which movies. They are definitely living in fantasy world.
TheHatOnMyCat
Am I the only one who thinks that in the last half hour, we became sublimely aware that our national nightmare is over? Intelligence, clarity, well formed thoughts, reason. OMFG. We done good. We got a keeper.
TheHatOnMyCat
Fine with me. Anything that irritates them is good for America.
JL
@TheHatOnMyCat: I actually felt that way Tuesday night when we elected the "mutt".
Dennis - SGMM
We went from "America First" to "I will never take a knee to a tyrant and cheat. I would rather die," when referring to our duly elected next president. You’d rather die? Go for it.
liberal
@TheHatOnMyCat:
Uh, dude, get your literary references straight. It’s our long national nightmare…is finally over.
Sorry to take offense, but this is the bible of my religion we’re talking about here…and what a prescient chapter that proved to be.
magisterludi
Bush has got to be dying inside.
liberal
@The Grand Panjandrum:
JFC, that’s funny!
Comrade Stuck
@TheHatOnMyCat:
They can’t unelect him , nor be able to impeach him. All they have is their comic outrage for comfort. On the other hand, the idea of bringing back Ronnie Roo for a little wingnut guidance, might excite them to give seance a go.
JL
Now as I sit and relax and listen to Beethoven, I’m imagining President-elect Obama’s inauguration speech. I have goosebumps.
The Other Steve
Obama says they’re going to get a mutt from the shelter.
JL
@The Other Steve: No, Obama said that they can’t get a mutt like him because one of the daughters has allergies. They would like to though.
Ash Can
@jrosen: What a cool post!
I knew from the news reports and the liner notes that it was coming, but when I actually heard it in the recording I couldn’t help tearing up. (Kind of like on Tuesday.)
P.S. Fans of classical music (and civilized radio in general) are well advised to check out the web broadcasts of WFMT, Chicago’s fine arts station. The station is conducting a fundraiser for the next week or so, so you may want to wait until after that to check it out. Or check it out now and toss ’em a little scratch. They deserve it.
jrosen
@Xanthippas
Started out in Cleveland (I was R Shaw’s rehearsal accompanist also for 4 years)…then Detroit (worst performance of 9th ever) and then 27 years in Boston (Bernstein, Haitink, Ormandy, Ozawa several times). Also some early freelance in NYC (Bruno Walter…I was 18) and Casals festival several times (9th in 1963 in Santo Domingo was most memorable). Never got to conduct it myself, but I did rehearse the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus for Carnegie Hall performance. Also was cmaster for Shaw’s first conducting of it (as opposed to preparing the chorus), and was in the orchestra for the last time he did it…replacing Ozawa without rehearsal in Boston…he died a month later.
We did it once in Japan with a local chorus doing the German phonetically with middling success. Who is Ara Menschen?
BTW…do you take your name from Socrates wife?
@Svensker in re Heinlein. From reading a lot of it, I gather that he was a goo-goo libertarian in most things with a strong militaristic streak…cf. Starship Troopers…leaning almost into a sort of fascism at times. Also a male chauvinist pig (Door into Summer, the Dutiful Daughter).
He could spin a tale, even if all his heroes tended to be the same guy over and over.
Anybody know what happened to Theodore Sturgeon?
Tattoosydney
@The Grand Panjandrum:
What, like this?
My favourite:
All class.
Tattoosydney
Hmmmm. I’ve watched TZ complain about the spam filter, and wondered why…
Last night I offended the BJ gods by putting a link in, and was promptly told that I was marked as spam… then every post I sent just vanished into the ether (not even getting the "in moderation" notice)…
So I changed my email address (which normally gets you sent into moderation) and things sailed right through…
Thankyou, oh great moderation spirits….
The freepers are already going off on the Nancy Reagan comments… when (if) I manage to get out of this editing section, I will post a link…
Ben
On a complete unrelated note. It completely freaks me out that my doctor looks almost exactly like Michelle Malkin.
Tattoosydney
@The Grand Panjandrum:
Freepers. Nancy Reagan. going off. here.
My favourite:
Classy.
Ben
I think he made the statement on purpose, just to do that.
cain
I think all of you really should be spending some time playing Super Obama World !!
cain
Tattoosydney
I’m echoing sentiments that I have seen on here in the last couple of days, but what amazes me most (aside from the fundamental fact that I get to say President-Elect Barack Hussein Obama) is how so many of those who have spent the last eight years crapping on about how W. is your president and must be respected have suddenly transmogrified into:
and
From that same page though, this piece of wonderfulness…
Yes, that’s right… use his real name and his new title… that will make him scared!
cleek
Five-foot-one,
Eyes as cold as stone,
Topped off by that hard blackened helmet,
And I’m haunted by the freakish size of Nancy Reagan’s head,
(No way that thing came with that body)
Comrade Scrutinizer
@Svensker:
Can’t argue with you. It’s like Farnham’s Freehold without the incestuous overtone.
Comrade Scrutinizer
Sarah Palin, my ass. Jennifer Granholm is hot, and has a brain.
Joshau Norton
Al Franken gets 100 more votes after spell check.
That is just rediculous! To think taht something as smal and insigniacant as a typo could have the poewr to affect nationul policy.
Theirs just no excuse for that. Someone shuold be fired.
Check you’re work, people!
Comrade Scrutinizer
Died about 20 years ago.
TheFountainHead
A freeper actually said this:
Hu buh wha???
lucslawyer
Ah, the Free Republic from Fresno, California…why am I not surprised…aggie intelligence at its best…btw, I live 30 miles from that hellhole so I do know what I am talking about…
Person of Choler
Ludvig’s 9th, eh?
Who is this "Ludvig"?
You know enough about composers (or at least spelling) to be governor of Alaska.
jrg
Ever wonder who was on the panel of "independent experts" that got Dan Rather axed from CBS? Here you go.
Matt Drudge, Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter are now considered "independent experts".
Xanthippas
@jrosen:
I’m in awe of your musical career. I played the violin as an amateur for something like fifteen years, and decided against a professional career in college when I realized that it would require me to actually practice. I admire anyone who can make a living, let alone a career, out of the instrument.
To answer your question…no. I borrow my pseudonym from the name of a minor Greek general who helped the Carthaginians defeat Rome during the First Punic war. I came across the name in one of Donald Kagan’s many books about the ancient Greeks. As I’ve semi-jokingly told friends, Xanthippas’ level of fame-a minor mention in a four volume treatise covering one specific period of one nation’s history-is one I can realistically aspire to.
Comrade Stuck
@jrg:
I skimmed over that earlier and thought it must have come from The Onion. Un fucking believable. Don’t blame Rather for suing.
jrosen
@Xanthippas
Although I retired, my musical life is hardly over. I got tired of playing the violin after 55 years of it and had been actually taking the piano somewhat seriously even before I retired at 59, 10 years ago. I’ve been working hard on the piano ever since, playing chamber music as often as I can and giving solo recitals just for the fun of it. I retired from the BSO so I could be a musician full time. I look forward to getting out of bed in the morning, which wasn’t always the case, especially during 20 seasons of the Boston Pops. BTW, if you see old Evening at Pops broadcasts with Fiedler or John Williams and occasionally see a little guy (sometimes bearded) at the piano, that’s me.
Sean
Michael – listen to the second part if you haven’t gotten your Ludwig fill? Sweet jesus man, listening to the second part is mandatory.
Ben, w/r/t your doctor, don’t get freaked out, enjoy it.
demimondian
Another favorite — if this doesn’t make you cry with your back turned, play it again and watch the video along with it.
Charity
@Josh Hueco: They are also aware of all Internet traditions.
Litlebritdifrnt
TEARS. Okay I am a little emotional right now, but any version of the 9th totally owns me…., I tend to get all teared up and emotional. Having said that this is the one song that got me fired up this election season. I think it should be the Obama theme song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99P7TTvpO1g
ellie
That is so hilarious. Before I even opened Balloon Juice, I put on some Beethoven. It must be a Beethoven kind of evening.
charlotte
It’s cause Beethoven is the freaking Rock Star of classical music. You can do wicked head-banging air guitar to what he had to offer when all cylinders were fired up and ready to go!
Also, can’t find the post on this thread that turned me onto John Farnham’s You’re The Voice. Awesome! Many many thanks.