Professional COMM 9/28: Chomsky on Terrorism

"Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a really easy way: stop participating in it." - Noam Chomsky

What does that mean to you? What do you suppose he is referring to when he says that we need to "stop participating in it"? Are we (you and I, our government) participating in terrorism? Can terrorism ever be justified? What is terrorism?

English III 9/27: "Storm Center" by Nico Muhly

Today you are blogging about a song by a very young and talented composer from Vermont. Nico Muhly has already, in his 29 years, composed a huge volume of choral and orchestral pieces- in addition, Muhly has assisted quite a few independent pop and rock artists with arrangements and performances.

Listen to this piece from Muhly's newest project I Drink the Air Before Me, "Storm Center", and try to imagine hearing it performed in a big dark opera house or symphony hall. Imagine being there and feeling the rising and falling pulses of the music. What kinds of feelings does this piece produce in you? Why do you thnk it is called "Storm Center"? Does the title fit? In what ways is this piece like the center of a storm?

WORDS OF THE DAY

5. to grovel – to humble oneself in a demeaning way 

6. ensue – to follow

7. cryptic – mysterious, puzzling 

8. vilify – to defame or speak of someone as a villain