Jim Austin

Editor of Stereophile. 'bama native. Former physicist. Professional dilettante. Views are my own. Retweet not endorsement.

[Jim Austin @_JimAustin]

@prem_thakker Few still are mentioning Trump's grudge against Columbia for rejecting his real estate proposal for a new campus. This is payback.

[Jim Austin @_JimAustin]

@dena30211 @prem_thakker To support life-saving medical research, among other things.

[Jim Austin @_JimAustin]

Where's my service @MLBTV ?

[Jim Austin @_JimAustin]

Dear @MLBtv, If you force me to watch that StatCast commercial once more, I will not renew my subscription. That's at least once every inning change for this entire season--too much! OK, maybe you can't change that fast--you've got a week. This is not a bluff.

[Ted Gioia @tedgioia]

Today's new music recommendation: Music of Harry Partch, Vol. 3: Sonata Dementia from the ensemble PARTCH. The album includes this piece, originally composed for jazz artists Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan (who never got the chance to play it). https://t.co/vL0ijwyG5T

[Jim Austin @_JimAustin]

@ATLck23 Isn't that approximately what the Clinton campaign did in '16?
I find the "can't flip Trump voters so don't try" argument wrong. It pretends that all Trump voters were zealots. Not true. Some supported Trump with a shrug, and will now support any opponent they view as reasonable

[Jim Austin @_JimAustin]

@DOBrienATL Braves are responsible for a fair number of those (other teams') blown saves. :-)

[Jim Austin @_JimAustin]

@tedgioia ...better times than 10 or 20 years ago.

[Jim Austin @_JimAustin]

@tedgioia I'm no expert on the economics of the industry, but isn't it a question of ticks versus leaches? I'd love to see more revenue going to artists, but musicians have always gotten bitten. At least some are making money performing and more are controlling their own IP. These are ...

[Jim Austin @_JimAustin]

@tribelaw @SpeakerPelosi @AOC @AyannaPressley @RashidaTlaib @IlhanMN Remember when we knew that you don't fight battles until you can win them? I miss those days.

[Jim Austin @_JimAustin]

@DOBrienATL What did he kick?

[Neil Gaiman @neilhimself]

I met Rip Torn once, in 1990, on a movie location in NC. "You write science fiction?" he said, teeth in a scary grin. "I was in BEASTMASTER." Then he shook my hand and I ceased to exist for him. That was the start of Mr Wednesday in American Gods. RIP Rip.
https://t.co/Fp7fVKtrDp

[Jim Austin @_JimAustin]

@WilliamHogeland No, but an '89 interview with Wright says this is where she began a relationship with him, which complicated his marriage. '76. https://t.co/j7QEfDmCqU

[Jim Austin @_JimAustin]

What's with the retro-audio imagery in the All-Star game broadcast? Cassette tapes, vinyl records? What's it got to do with anything? Maybe remembering an era when the ball wasn't juiced?

[Jim Austin @_JimAustin]

@WilliamHogeland Not GW, but I was really pleased with the "slavery tour" at Monticello. Local scholar--forget her name--does it once a week. No attempt to defend Jefferson. Speaking of: Why is it OK that the African-American cemetery there is still surrounded by a parking lot?

[Jim Austin @_JimAustin]

@ec_blueearbooks Someday soon I hope.

[Jim Austin @_JimAustin]

I am not a Biden supporter. But I'm disturbed by all the non-Biden Dems and progressives fomenting outrage toward Biden and the Biden campaign. More of the same of what got Trump elected. He could be the nominee. Need to stop it now.

[Jim Austin @_JimAustin]

@ec_blueearbooks The contrast between Biden and Harris was the main thing that made me set him aside. Like an '80s Mercedes diesel vs. a Ferrari. The system is totally broken, irredeemably I fear, but stigmatizing moderates is not a step toward fixing it. Cheers.

[Jim Austin @_JimAustin]

@ec_blueearbooks As for flawed analogies, hate still works, xenophobia is as rampant. Higher stakes argues for moderation, not extremism--as, I think, does the broken system: we can't afford to lose. Respect the middle. The candidates know this. The problem is their fervent supporters.

[Jim Austin @_JimAustin]

@ec_blueearbooks Many of his views, though, are shared by a big chunk of America. We love our ideas, but they very likely are well to the left of the center of the electorate. Stigmatize those ideas and you stigmatize much of America. There's too much at stake to just do what feels good.

[Jim Austin @_JimAustin]

@ec_blueearbooks Biden should go away. I didn't think so before the primary got started. Decent guy, working-class, moving life story, Obama's full support. But he's wrong for this moment--so wrong there's no way he can survive in it, IMO. He is out of his depth and will fade.