skip to main | skip to sidebar

The Rehearsal Studio

A place to exercise ideas before writing about them with greater discipline.

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Is Diplomacy Decided by Who Has Cooler Toys?

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/30/saudi-fund-kushners-firm-to-buy-games-maker-electronic-arts-in-55bn-deal 

Posted by Stephen Smoliar at 9:00 AM
Labels: news

No comments:

Post a Comment

Newer Post Older Post Home
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Stephen Smoliar

Stephen Smoliar
The author's construction of his reality of self!

About Me

Stephen Smoliar
Still trying to "liberate the mind from fear, superstition and pettiness."
View my complete profile

Related Links

  • Al Jazeera English
  • Archives from Examiner.com
  • Beyond Rehearsal
  • Civic Center
  • Reflections Beyond Technology (my old blog)
  • San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Blog Archive

  • ▼  2025 (711)
    • ►  December (17)
    • ►  November (55)
    • ►  October (67)
    • ▼  September (64)
      • Rob Sudduth to Return to Chez Hanny as Leader
      • Madre Vaca Half a Decade Later
      • Is Diplomacy Decided by Who Has Cooler Toys?
      • TwoSet Violin Finally Comes to Davies
      • The Bleeding Edge: 9/29/2025
      • Arturo O’Farrill Celebrates Carla Bley
      • Gerhard Reichenbach Plays BWV 827 on Guitar
      • Lislevand Shifts Attention from France to Italy
      • Artificial Intelligence Learns How to Drive Drunk?
      • SFCM Orchestra Off to a Disappointing Start
      • Why Morton Feldman?
      • Cadillac Hotel to Host Something Different
      • Donald Runnicles Brings Mahler and Berg to SFS
      • BARS to Begin New Season Late Next Week
      • Bridge Releases Album of Cellist Louise Dubin
      • Noe Music to Begin Season with Wind Octet
      • California Bach Society: Split-Choir Repertoire
      • Justina Gringyte Sings Bizet’s Art Songs
      • Brahms’ Legacy?
      • SFCM Orchestra will Open Season with Conte
      • Gerhard Reichenbach Plays BWV 825 on Guitar
      • The Bleeding Edge: 9/22/2025
      • Revisiting Verdi at the Opera House
      • SFCA Announces 2025–2026 Season
      • Leave the Games to the Gamers!
      • Choices for November 14, 2025
      • Marin Alsop Conducts Anna Clyne for Naxos
      • Beth Schenck Quintet on Queen Bee Records
      • SFCCO Coming to Old First Church
      • SFS: A Satisfying Opening Night at Davies
      • Outsound Presents: October, 2025
      • Another Brouwer Opportunity Now on YouTube
      • Noel Jewkes to Bring Quintet to Chez Hanny
      • PBO: a Coffee Break in the Financial District
      • Noontime Concerts to Host Solo Guitar Recital
      • The Bleeding Edge: 9/15/2025
      • Heggie’s First Opera Returns to War Memorial
      • Shostakovich Before the Wrath of Stalin
      • American Bach Announces 37th Season
      • Primavera to Return for Another Cadillac Gig
      • Date Set for 2025 SF Music Day
      • Tamura and Fujii Release Tenth Duo Album
      • Jaap van Zweden Launches SFS Season
      • Ian Scarfe to Livestream Recital from Living Room
      • SFO Begins 2025–26 Season with Verdi Favorite
      • Ian Scarfe to Return to Monument with Acrobatics
      • Making San Francisco Streets Safer?
      • JIVE: Rosh Hashanah to Return to Century Club
      • Turkish Guitarist Performs Turkish Folk Music
      • The Bleeding Edge: 9/8/2025
      • Mike Greensill and Friends Running out of Steam
      • Joseph Haydn’s Final Oratorio
      • One Found Sound Announces Thirteenth Season
      • Ember to Debut on Azica this Coming Friday
      • The Latest SFCMP Concert of ARTZenter Works
      • Davies Symphony Hall in October, 2025
      • Vox Clamantis Returns to ECM with More Pärt
      • SF Phil to Begin New Season with Beethoven
      • Ian Scarfe to Return to Century Club
      • A Violin-Guitar Sonata by Niccoló Paganini
      • Center for New Music: September, 2025
      • An Unexpected Visit From Xuefei Yang
      • The Bleeding Edge: 9/1/2025
      • SFIPF: A Hispanic Finale
    • ►  August (57)
    • ►  July (49)
    • ►  June (65)
    • ►  May (59)
    • ►  April (77)
    • ►  March (75)
    • ►  February (64)
    • ►  January (62)
  • ►  2024 (765)
    • ►  December (56)
    • ►  November (65)
    • ►  October (59)
    • ►  September (67)
    • ►  August (61)
    • ►  July (62)
    • ►  June (68)
    • ►  May (71)
    • ►  April (65)
    • ►  March (66)
    • ►  February (63)
    • ►  January (62)
  • ►  2023 (792)
    • ►  December (64)
    • ►  November (68)
    • ►  October (70)
    • ►  September (56)
    • ►  August (62)
    • ►  July (52)
    • ►  June (64)
    • ►  May (68)
    • ►  April (75)
    • ►  March (71)
    • ►  February (69)
    • ►  January (73)
  • ►  2022 (834)
    • ►  December (67)
    • ►  November (64)
    • ►  October (74)
    • ►  September (69)
    • ►  August (70)
    • ►  July (62)
    • ►  June (69)
    • ►  May (73)
    • ►  April (69)
    • ►  March (73)
    • ►  February (68)
    • ►  January (76)
  • ►  2021 (804)
    • ►  December (55)
    • ►  November (69)
    • ►  October (69)
    • ►  September (64)
    • ►  August (62)
    • ►  July (69)
    • ►  June (68)
    • ►  May (81)
    • ►  April (63)
    • ►  March (78)
    • ►  February (65)
    • ►  January (61)
  • ►  2020 (756)
    • ►  December (68)
    • ►  November (54)
    • ►  October (69)
    • ►  September (52)
    • ►  August (58)
    • ►  July (58)
    • ►  June (60)
    • ►  May (62)
    • ►  April (55)
    • ►  March (66)
    • ►  February (78)
    • ►  January (76)
  • ►  2019 (846)
    • ►  December (69)
    • ►  November (75)
    • ►  October (77)
    • ►  September (74)
    • ►  August (61)
    • ►  July (67)
    • ►  June (67)
    • ►  May (78)
    • ►  April (73)
    • ►  March (69)
    • ►  February (68)
    • ►  January (68)
  • ►  2018 (792)
    • ►  December (65)
    • ►  November (69)
    • ►  October (73)
    • ►  September (62)
    • ►  August (50)
    • ►  July (62)
    • ►  June (68)
    • ►  May (63)
    • ►  April (72)
    • ►  March (70)
    • ►  February (70)
    • ►  January (68)
  • ►  2017 (812)
    • ►  December (60)
    • ►  November (70)
    • ►  October (67)
    • ►  September (72)
    • ►  August (68)
    • ►  July (60)
    • ►  June (68)
    • ►  May (75)
    • ►  April (68)
    • ►  March (79)
    • ►  February (59)
    • ►  January (66)
  • ►  2016 (435)
    • ►  December (72)
    • ►  November (71)
    • ►  October (81)
    • ►  September (75)
    • ►  August (74)
    • ►  July (48)
    • ►  May (1)
    • ►  April (3)
    • ►  March (2)
    • ►  February (2)
    • ►  January (6)
  • ►  2015 (135)
    • ►  December (4)
    • ►  November (1)
    • ►  October (6)
    • ►  September (5)
    • ►  August (13)
    • ►  July (7)
    • ►  June (12)
    • ►  May (11)
    • ►  April (13)
    • ►  March (20)
    • ►  February (21)
    • ►  January (22)
  • ►  2014 (200)
    • ►  December (23)
    • ►  November (19)
    • ►  October (18)
    • ►  September (13)
    • ►  August (13)
    • ►  July (26)
    • ►  June (18)
    • ►  May (13)
    • ►  April (13)
    • ►  March (13)
    • ►  February (16)
    • ►  January (15)
  • ►  2013 (247)
    • ►  December (23)
    • ►  November (22)
    • ►  October (24)
    • ►  September (23)
    • ►  August (18)
    • ►  July (20)
    • ►  June (19)
    • ►  May (20)
    • ►  April (23)
    • ►  March (17)
    • ►  February (19)
    • ►  January (19)
  • ►  2012 (266)
    • ►  December (24)
    • ►  November (21)
    • ►  October (20)
    • ►  September (16)
    • ►  August (21)
    • ►  July (20)
    • ►  June (21)
    • ►  May (28)
    • ►  April (25)
    • ►  March (20)
    • ►  February (23)
    • ►  January (27)
  • ►  2011 (312)
    • ►  December (24)
    • ►  November (21)
    • ►  October (23)
    • ►  September (28)
    • ►  August (28)
    • ►  July (26)
    • ►  June (27)
    • ►  May (27)
    • ►  April (25)
    • ►  March (29)
    • ►  February (25)
    • ►  January (29)
  • ►  2010 (425)
    • ►  December (34)
    • ►  November (33)
    • ►  October (37)
    • ►  September (37)
    • ►  August (36)
    • ►  July (37)
    • ►  June (39)
    • ►  May (34)
    • ►  April (38)
    • ►  March (35)
    • ►  February (31)
    • ►  January (34)
  • ►  2009 (505)
    • ►  December (37)
    • ►  November (37)
    • ►  October (39)
    • ►  September (40)
    • ►  August (36)
    • ►  July (45)
    • ►  June (39)
    • ►  May (38)
    • ►  April (39)
    • ►  March (49)
    • ►  February (53)
    • ►  January (53)
  • ►  2008 (650)
    • ►  December (61)
    • ►  November (46)
    • ►  October (63)
    • ►  September (65)
    • ►  August (47)
    • ►  July (38)
    • ►  June (48)
    • ►  May (56)
    • ►  April (56)
    • ►  March (60)
    • ►  February (51)
    • ►  January (59)
  • ►  2007 (660)
    • ►  December (49)
    • ►  November (53)
    • ►  October (49)
    • ►  September (54)
    • ►  August (56)
    • ►  July (58)
    • ►  June (48)
    • ►  May (77)
    • ►  April (60)
    • ►  March (65)
    • ►  February (53)
    • ►  January (38)

Labels

  • 9/11 (45)
  • action (195)
  • addiction (88)
  • Adès (18)
  • Ahmad Jamal (5)
  • AIPAC (33)
  • Alan Louis Smith (1)
  • Alban Berg (69)
  • Albéniz (48)
  • Albert Ayler (4)
  • Alice Coltrane (1)
  • alienation (80)
  • Aminikia (15)
  • Amy Beach (43)
  • analysis (156)
  • Andrew Imbrie (4)
  • Andriasov (3)
  • Andriessen (4)
  • Antes (1)
  • Antheil (9)
  • Anthony Braxton (6)
  • Anton Rubinstein (2)
  • Antonio Soler (10)
  • anxiety (6)
  • Arcangelo Corelli (29)
  • Arensky (4)
  • Art Tatum (8)
  • Arthur Sullivan (24)
  • arts (6)
  • Arvo Pärt (49)
  • Aubrey de Grey (1)
  • authenticity (31)
  • authority (365)
  • Balanchine (39)
  • Balfe (1)
  • ballet (423)
  • Banchieri (4)
  • Bartók (100)
  • Basie (5)
  • Bazzini (3)
  • Beethoven (552)
  • being (12)
  • Bellini (17)
  • Benjamin Britten (120)
  • Berlioz (47)
  • Bill Frisell (6)
  • Birtwistle (4)
  • Bismarck (3)
  • Bloch (18)
  • blogs (96)
  • Bolcom (11)
  • boredom (2)
  • Borodin (12)
  • Boulez (28)
  • Boyarsky (2)
  • Brahms (408)
  • brain (13)
  • brain damage (5)
  • Branca (3)
  • Bruch (25)
  • Bruckner (32)
  • bubble (10)
  • Bud Powell (13)
  • Burke (30)
  • business (526)
  • Busoni (48)
  • Buxtehude (9)
  • Cardew (4)
  • Carissimi (1)
  • Carl Loewe (3)
  • Carl Maria von Weber (21)
  • Carl Nielsen (15)
  • Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (34)
  • Carlos Chávez (4)
  • Caroline Shaw (36)
  • Cassadó (8)
  • Castello (4)
  • Catholicism (2)
  • Cavalli (11)
  • Cecil Taylor (15)
  • chamber music (3207)
  • Charles Amirkhanian (2)
  • Charles Villiers Stanford (9)
  • Charlie Parker (28)
  • Chatman (2)
  • Chopin (159)
  • chutzpah (308)
  • Clara Schumann (41)
  • Clarice Assad (26)
  • Cluetrain (8)
  • Cole Porter (18)
  • collectivism (2)
  • Coltrane (74)
  • communication (276)
  • complex (95)
  • consciousness (161)
  • consequences (576)
  • Constant Lambert (1)
  • consumer (198)
  • control (52)
  • conversation (68)
  • Copland (68)
  • corruption (3)
  • Craigslist (2)
  • CRM (20)
  • culture (298)
  • Cyrille (6)
  • Cziffra (1)
  • Dan Visconti (2)
  • Danny Clay (33)
  • David Conte (35)
  • David Garner (21)
  • Debussy (199)
  • decision (98)
  • deliberation (107)
  • democracy (158)
  • description (61)
  • design (5)
  • Diabelli (2)
  • Dick Connette (1)
  • digital (12)
  • disaster (34)
  • discourse (8)
  • discrimination (251)
  • Dizzy Gillespie (19)
  • Dockstader (1)
  • Dolphy (5)
  • Domenico Scarlatti (53)
  • Don Cherry (2)
  • Donizetti (48)
  • dramatism (76)
  • Duke Ellington (49)
  • Durwynne Hsieh (3)
  • Dušek (1)
  • Dutilleux (5)
  • Dvořák (148)
  • economy (684)
  • Edelman (27)
  • editing (68)
  • education (157)
  • effective (47)
  • efficient (44)
  • Eisler (5)
  • Elgar (69)
  • Ellen Goodman (1)
  • Elliott Carter (30)
  • Elliott Sharp (2)
  • engagement (23)
  • Eno (9)
  • environment (101)
  • Ernő von Dohnányi (18)
  • Esa-Pekka Salonen (35)
  • evolution (5)
  • experience (10)
  • Ezra Sims (8)
  • faith (222)
  • Falla (50)
  • Fauré (74)
  • fear (111)
  • Feinberg (1)
  • Felix Mendelssohn (144)
  • fiction (113)
  • Finzi (8)
  • flamenco (1)
  • Franck (46)
  • François Couperin (32)
  • Frank Zappa (16)
  • Fred Frith (5)
  • Fred Hersch (24)
  • freedom (13)
  • Fučík (1)
  • Garth Knox (2)
  • Gavin Bryars (11)
  • George Benjamin (4)
  • George Russell (4)
  • Gerry Mulligan (6)
  • Gershwin (87)
  • Gervais (3)
  • Gesualdo (9)
  • Giddens (23)
  • Gil Evans (6)
  • Ginastera (20)
  • Giovanni Gabrieli (10)
  • Giuliani (17)
  • Glazunov (9)
  • globalization (131)
  • Gluck (27)
  • Golijov (6)
  • Google (181)
  • Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel (3)
  • government (842)
  • Granados (32)
  • Grieg (56)
  • Grofé (1)
  • Gubaidulina (23)
  • Hába (1)
  • Habermas (56)
  • Handel (185)
  • Harbison (7)
  • Harry Partch (6)
  • Hasidic New Wave (3)
  • Haydn (195)
  • hazard (28)
  • health care (195)
  • Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber (11)
  • Henry Cowell (12)
  • Henry Purcell (45)
  • Henze (7)
  • Herbert Howells (7)
  • Herbie Hancock (7)
  • Hildegard of Bingen (12)
  • Hindemith (41)
  • history (469)
  • Hollywood (7)
  • Holst (24)
  • Horace Silver (9)
  • Horowitz (1)
  • Hosokawa (1)
  • Hubert Parry (3)
  • Hugo Distler (2)
  • Hugo von Hofmannsthal (1)
  • Hugo Wolf (20)
  • Hummel (5)
  • Humperdinck (12)
  • ideas (22)
  • identity (61)
  • ideology (247)
  • impeachment (4)
  • injury (25)
  • intelligence (33)
  • Internet (358)
  • interpretation (49)
  • intolerance (41)
  • investment (25)
  • Iraq (96)
  • irony (62)
  • irrationality (12)
  • Isaiah Berlin (51)
  • Israel (88)
  • Ives (61)
  • Jake Heggie (30)
  • Janáček (52)
  • Jay Lyon (1)
  • jazz (1858)
  • Jean-Marie Leclair (1)
  • Jerome Kern (10)
  • Joaquín Rodrigo (35)
  • Johann Sebastian Bach (563)
  • Johann Strauss (21)
  • John Adams (70)
  • John Cage (91)
  • John Lewis (4)
  • John Luther Adams (17)
  • Josef Strauss (3)
  • Josquin des Prez (15)
  • Kalevi Aho (4)
  • Kancheli (4)
  • Katrina (28)
  • Keith Jarrett (12)
  • Ken Ueno (3)
  • keyboard music (2930)
  • Khachaturian (10)
  • Kleist (5)
  • Klucevsek (2)
  • knowledge (315)
  • Knussen (1)
  • Kodály (22)
  • Korngold (31)
  • Kortekangas (1)
  • Kosugi (1)
  • Krenek (7)
  • Kucinich (29)
  • Kurt Weill (25)
  • Kurtág (21)
  • La Monte Young (4)
  • Larry Polansky (3)
  • Laurie Anderson (3)
  • learning (50)
  • Leon Kirchner (14)
  • Leonard Bernstein (57)
  • Lera Auerbach (13)
  • Leroy Anderson (9)
  • Leyetchkiss (2)
  • Libby Larsen (11)
  • libertarian (2)
  • Lieberman (1)
  • Ligeti (48)
  • Liszt (139)
  • literature (270)
  • Lorca (3)
  • Lou Harrison (40)
  • Lou Reed (1)
  • Louis Armstrong (7)
  • Lucier (5)
  • Lutosławski (15)
  • Magnus Lindberg (12)
  • Mahler (197)
  • Marc-Antoine Charpentier (4)
  • Marcus Shelby (6)
  • marketing (158)
  • Martinaitytė (7)
  • Martinů (26)
  • Marx (68)
  • Mason Bates (16)
  • Max Roach (4)
  • Max Weber (66)
  • meaning (127)
  • Mechem (4)
  • media (532)
  • medicine (8)
  • Medtner (6)
  • memory (54)
  • Menotti (2)
  • Meredith Wilson (1)
  • Messiaen (76)
  • Meyerbeer (2)
  • Michael Jarrell (2)
  • Mieczysław Weinberg (24)
  • Miles Davis (51)
  • Milton Babbitt (4)
  • Mingus (17)
  • Mompou (16)
  • Monteverdi (36)
  • Moondog (2)
  • Morton Feldman (25)
  • Mose Allison (1)
  • Moszkowski (3)
  • movies (140)
  • Mozart (441)
  • multimedia (21)
  • Mumma (5)
  • music (8211)
  • Mussorgsky (38)
  • narratology (204)
  • Neil Postman (2)
  • network (8)
  • neurotransmitter (1)
  • news (596)
  • Nin (3)
  • Nina Simone (8)
  • object (69)
  • Offenbach (13)
  • Oliveros (6)
  • opera (1101)
  • organization (6)
  • Orlando di Lasso (8)
  • Ornette Coleman (19)
  • Oscar Peterson (6)
  • Pachelbel (11)
  • Paganini (23)
  • Palestrina (18)
  • Pamela Z (36)
  • Pat Metheny (6)
  • Paul Bowles (3)
  • Paul Cummins (1)
  • Paul Schoenfield (7)
  • Penderecki (8)
  • pentad (18)
  • perception (63)
  • performance (231)
  • Pergolesi (8)
  • Peter Grunberg (15)
  • Philip Glass (99)
  • philosophy (342)
  • Piazzolla (75)
  • Pierre de la Rue (2)
  • planning (7)
  • politics (745)
  • postmodern (19)
  • Poulenc (67)
  • poverty (216)
  • Prokofiev (129)
  • propaganda (114)
  • psychology (29)
  • Puccini (89)
  • race (34)
  • Rachel Portman (4)
  • Rachmaninoff (151)
  • Randall Thompson (3)
  • Ravel (224)
  • reading (160)
  • reality (451)
  • reckless mind (18)
  • Reger (23)
  • Reynaldo Hahn (9)
  • rhetoric (237)
  • Richard Rodgers (8)
  • Richard Strauss (162)
  • Rimsky-Korsakov (24)
  • Robert Johnson (2)
  • Robert Mann (14)
  • Robert Schumann (248)
  • Robin Holloway (3)
  • Rochberg (2)
  • Roger Nixon (1)
  • Ron Carter (4)
  • Rossini (49)
  • Rostropovich (4)
  • Rott (2)
  • Ruehr (5)
  • Rzewski (16)
  • Saariaho (46)
  • sacred music (440)
  • Saint-Georges (10)
  • Saint-Saëns (58)
  • Sallinen (2)
  • Samuel Barber (67)
  • Samuel Carl Adams (18)
  • Sarasate (8)
  • Satie (28)
  • satire (66)
  • Satoko Fujii (45)
  • Scelsi (4)
  • Schaeffer (3)
  • Schnittke (12)
  • Schoenberg (125)
  • Schubert (283)
  • Schulhoff (16)
  • Schütz (13)
  • Sciarrino (6)
  • science (156)
  • Scott Ritter (2)
  • Scriabin (47)
  • search (30)
  • Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev (4)
  • service (92)
  • sfcmbloggernight (1)
  • sfsymphonybloggers07 (6)
  • Sgambati (2)
  • Shchedrin (8)
  • Shostakovich (144)
  • Sibelius (76)
  • Silvestrov (12)
  • Smetana (17)
  • social software (107)
  • social theory (548)
  • Sondheim (13)
  • Sonny Rollins (8)
  • Sorabji (1)
  • sports (1)
  • stability (1)
  • statistics (6)
  • Stephen Foster (3)
  • Steve Reich (31)
  • Steven Gerber (2)
  • Steven Mackey (4)
  • Steven Stucky (5)
  • Stewart Wallace (5)
  • Stockhausen (22)
  • strategy (11)
  • Stravinsky (181)
  • stress (4)
  • subject (43)
  • Sun Ra (6)
  • Susa (7)
  • sweatshop (2)
  • symbolism (18)
  • Szymanowski (12)
  • Takemitsu (27)
  • Tallis (12)
  • Tan Dun (9)
  • Tancredo (1)
  • Tchaikovsky (172)
  • technology (691)
  • Ted Hearne (5)
  • Telemann (46)
  • terrorism (164)
  • Terry Riley (18)
  • Thelonious Monk (93)
  • Tigran Mansurian (1)
  • time (77)
  • Tomás Luis de Victoria (15)
  • Tony Williams (8)
  • Tristano (17)
  • truth (181)
  • Turnage (13)
  • Umberto Giordano (3)
  • Uri Caine (2)
  • utopia (28)
  • value (143)
  • Varèse (13)
  • Vasks (11)
  • Vaughan Williams (32)
  • verb (51)
  • Verdi (110)
  • Victor Herbert (1)
  • Vijay Iyer (15)
  • Villa-Lobos (47)
  • Virgil Thomson (15)
  • virtual (16)
  • visualization (7)
  • Vivaldi (104)
  • Wadada Leo Smith (12)
  • Wagner (167)
  • Walter Piston (4)
  • war (223)
  • Wayne Shorter (26)
  • Web (96)
  • Webern (58)
  • Wikipedia (71)
  • will (23)
  • William Byrd (20)
  • William Schuman (1)
  • William Walton (13)
  • Winges (9)
  • work (247)
  • writing (208)
  • Xenakis (8)
  • Youmans (5)
  • Ysaÿe (16)
  • Zawinul (1)
  • Zemlinsky (17)
  • Zorn (12)