…and computers were computers, John Backus and associates developed FORTRAN, formally released in 1957. He was also the "B" in "BNF," for Backus-Naur Form, a very elegant notation for describing formal grammars (e.g. computer languages). (Not that I was ever very knowledgeable or proficient with things at that level of abstraction, but I think it's…

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…and then I might think about considering the possibility of stepping out on this thing. I don't like heights. Gives me the heebie-jeebies just to look at the picture. Pre-TypePad http://js-kit.com/for/lightondarkwater.com/comments.js

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The Allman Brothers Band: The Allman Brothers Band No, I have not been listening to this album. Yes, I have kept pretty well to my liturgical/devotional music-only plan for Lent. But I'm not yet prepared to write about any of those works, so I'll take this opportunity to feature some music that I don't have…

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Choir of St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church: This Is the Day This disk was a gift from my friend Daniel Nichols and is the work of the choir where he is a parishioner: St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church in Barberton, Ohio. The subtitle describes the music: Seasonal Chants of the Eastern Christian Church. It’s a…

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I take back what I said a few weeks ago about The American Conservative not being that interesting because it was "sort of cranky," or something to that effect. It's getting more interesting all the time. I've been meaning for several days to link to this piece about the TV show 24. Seeing it mentioned…

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…also enjoys the occasional nap. Pre-TypePad http://js-kit.com/for/lightondarkwater.com/comments.js

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…explains the importance of self-esteem. Pre-TypePad http://js-kit.com/for/lightondarkwater.com/comments.js

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Jewels And Binoculars: Floater Roughly sixty percent of this album is magnificent, sublime, essential. The other forty percent is merely very good. If the idea of a jazz trio—reeds, bass, and drums—playing Dylan songs doesn’t sound all that promising to you, well, just give this a chance. Jewels and Binoculars seems to be a sort…

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For any eMusic subscribers who may have read the Mozart piano quartet reviews, here are links to four performances of them. I have not heard any of them, but I plan to. I've never been terribly cognizant of or sensitive to the variations in performance which make up much or most of what classical music…

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My friends Reuben and Vicki Sairs recently spent some time teaching in Kenya. Here's a report from Vicki. One hears this note a lot when reading about Africa: that despite the terrible problems there is a great deal of admirable and delightful human spirit about the place. I sometimes think that several hundred years from…

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