From the delightful Dear Professor Einstein: Albert Einstein’s Letters to and from Children comes the following exchange between Einstein and a bright, witty South African girl named Tyfanny, who reminded Einstein of his own granddaughter and with whom he exchanged several letters despite being at the height of his career and cultural prominence.
In a letter dated September 19, 1946, Tyfanny writes:
I forgot to tell you, in my last letter, that I was a girl. I mean I am a girl. I have always regretted this a great deal, but by now I have become more or less resigned to the fact. Anyway, I hate dresses and dances and all the kind of rot girls usually like. I much prefer horses and riding. Long ago, before I wanted to become a scientist, I wanted to b e a jockey and ride horses in races. But that was ages ago, now. I hope you will not think any the less of me for being a girl!
Sometime between September and October 1946 — a snappy response time by the day’s standards — Einstein replies:
I do not mind that you are a girl, but the main thing is that you yourself do not mind. There is no reason for it.
And now for something else: promoting the unpromotable, but if there’s one person on the planet who likes some of it it was worth uploading: Old cassette tape songs of Bram Cools are now collected on ‘The irresistible 21st centuryn virgin boy tapes tart I’, a compilation of weird instrumentals, christian antifolk anthems and badly recorded folksongs. Sometimes out of tune, otherworldy, preachy or just weird, but always unexpected… Only for those who can stand the hiss of old tape! Listen to it and tell me what you think…
A Bram Cools song about the reality of war and our obsession with false realities in video games and movies. Yea, that makes even a reggae beat sound dark… Violence is not cool and not a game people.
(song is from ‘cyberluddism’ which can be downloaded there, name your own price or get it free)
| — | Noam Chomsky (via fyeahnoamchomsky) |
| — | Jason Dye |
live solo guitar version of ‘Ellulian glasses’ by Bram Cools, video by Karel Aerts and the XreavieV-crew. Original version (different style, more electronica here: http://bramcools.bandcamp.com/track/ellulian-glasses) song dedicated to Jacques Ellul and all cyborg-theologians alive!
Last August the psalters, one of the most remarkable, unique and impressing band of the planet, were in Belgium to play their amazing music, and they did a show in Kortrijk. I was happy to be the opening act, with just a crappy guitar as a substitute backing band, but I actually hardly remember anything of that, since the psalters concert itself that came after my set was much, much more impressing. (one bootlegged song of my own set, called ‘Ellulian glasses’ can be found here)
As was their new CD ‘carry the bones’, which was for me the best CD of 2011! You can mail order it through their site now btw. Do it, you won’t regret it! The real CD has a very cool package and does sound lots and lots better than mp3′s of it at 128 bpm.
I also did a very interesting interview that night for a Flemish website with the mysterious ‘Captain Napkins’, as the CD booklets call him), one of the two leading forces behind the band. Browsing through my old files I found the English version again today, and I found it way too interesting to not share it with the world. Sharing is what makes us humans…
So here it is (drum roll on oil barrel), the psalters interview from Kortrijk, Belgium on 8/23/2011, done by myself (Bram), originally for cultuurshock.net (read the shorter Dutch version here!) ****read further on the site…***
