Browse by:

Zappa Documentary

Zappa is available to purchase or rent from today, and apparently, it will also be released as a DVD with material that didn’t make the film. As a primer, this documentary would complement Barry Miles’ biography reviewed by Camille Paglia and Zappa’s very own The Real Frank Zappa Book. Here are some reviews of the documentary that…

T. E. Lawrence: Patron Saint of Motorcycling

Lawrence of Arabia’s last ride. Steve “On Any Sunday/The Great Escape” McQueen would be at his side as will Henry Cole. And if you’ve every wondered about the origin of motorcycle helmets, here’s a nice article from Neurosurgery entitled “Lawrence of Arabia, Sir Hugh Cairns, and the origin of motorcycle helmets“. Would I wear a…

Frederick Rolfe

I’ve been exploring a terrific repository of “Rolfeana” curated by blogger/translator James Conway on his very interesting Strange Flowers blog, its tagline — “A cabinet of human curiosities”. If like me you have a soft spot for radical individualists (i.e. transgressive “characters”), then  James’ blog is just the ticket: [i]s a product of the blogger’s obsession with history’s…

Richard Flathman: The Reluctant Liberal

Richard Flathman who died last year has a posthumous collection of essays coming out within the year. I’ve always had a high regard for RF since he seemed far more philosophically informed (analytically speaking) than most other political philosophers of his generation. Thus we got on very well when he chaired a panel I was…

Michael Oakeshott and the Postulates of Individuality

A newly published paper by Andrew Norris in Political Theory Michael Oakeshott’s political philosophy is the most sophisticated and compelling liberal alternative to the progressive, state-centered liberalism of John Rawls and Jürgen Habermas. Oakeshott’s version of liberalism as the civil association of individuals underwrites more ideological positions (usually characterized as libertarian or conservative) that play a…

The Radical Individualism of David Bowie

And my brother’s back at home with his Beatles and his Stones We never got it off on that revolution stuff What a drag, too many snags Now I’ve drunk a lot of wine and I’m feeling fine Got to race some cat to bed Oh is that concrete all around Or is it in…