(NUNAL) (EYEBALL)

Students in my globalization class will appreciate these two articles. One is an interview with the authors of a new book on Karl Polanyi's critique of free market fundamentalism . The other is an interesting perspective on offshoring of wealth and its connections to globalization . (And  yes, don't worry, these are short.)

It's too bad I would never eat at Burger King, because now I can't boycott it to protest its (almost) shameful flight to Canada to avoid taxes. Now we can just generally continue to boycott it for serving shitty food. I was geared up to avoid Walgreens for the same move to dodge taxes. That would have been easy here in the sprawling wasteland of Hampton Roads since ever Walgreens is paired with a CVS at intersections. A law of nature, that. It is a good reminder that none of these corporate entities is value neutral, even ones fulfilling a quasi-public role like Walgreens Of course there are plenty of companies around who are doing the same thing to avoid paying their share in taxes after having profited from it for years. Here is a list, from the Washington Post . Anyway, why do all these companies want to move when patriots like Mitt Romney have shown that it is perfectly possible to avoid taxes and still live here. Now you can go read this.  and this too ...

This is some interesting music, a tenor banjo band in Oaxaca. Nothing written about this music except one dissertation in Mexico I am waiting to get. I am interested to find out a lot more about this, and about Don Francisco Ávila y sus hijos.

This is a really interesting take on why we like repetition in music and how it relates to our cognition.  (no, the author is no relation  but I was at the SEM NEH seminar with her a few years ago and I'm using her new book in my Sound and Noise in American History class).

Here is a sentence that sounds more than a bit odd:  I wish Norfolk would take a lesson from Milwaukee. Norfolk has many of the same historical problems in terms of decay, derelict properties, poverty, white flight, and general cultural crisis. The natural setting here is of course much more appealing in almost every way, starting with the warm weather, the easy access to water everywhere, and the enormous potential with its proximity to vibrant places. What Norfolk lacks is any sort of vision and an apparent hostility to culture, while post-industrial, workingclass Milwaukee is leading the way as a green city taking the fullest advantage of its natural setting. In Norfolk, in contrast, the incredible coastline along the Chesapeake Bay is abandoned to decay except for isolated pockets of Truman Show like ersatz neighborhoods. Whole neighborhoods are allowed to decline until whole blocks are empty lots dotted with a handful of houses. It doesn't have to be this way, ask Milwauke...

I've been involved in planning and organizing a new first annual Festival of Texas fiddling this December that I am really excited about. This festival is the fruit of a partnership between two groups that do amazing work (and with which I have worked in the past) Texas Folklife and T exas Dance Hall Preservation, Inc . It is shaping up to be a great festival with a bunch of fiddle masters from great Texas regional and ethnic traditions, all capped by a great western swing band. The festival will present styles of Texas fiddling far beyond just the contest style that most people think of. The whole event takes place in the historic Twin Sisters Dance Hall in Blanco , Texas. (which is conveniently located near Austin and San Antonio, for those of you wondering) Here below is the press release for the event . I will post more information as it comes out. I hope to see you all there! Here are some great views of the Twin Sisters Dance Hall in Blanco TEXAS FOLKLIFE AND T...