Alan Rickman, RIP
Are they calling in all the cool British guys in the arts, aged 69? I certainly hope not. But first David Bowie, and now Alan Rickman, have died at age 69 of cancer: Alan Rickman, one of the best-loved and … Continue reading →
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Star Wars: the force doesn’t quite awaken
I went along with family to see the new Star Wars movie over the holidays. I’m probably not the best person to talk to about it, since I’ve been lukewarm (hmmm; a pun?) about the entire franchise since the very … Continue reading →
Germany and the New Year’s Eve attacks: Merkel tries to offer some solutions
Now that the New Year’s Eve attacks in Cologne and other parts of Western Europe have become publicized, there have been some glimmerings of an attempt in Germany to crack down at least a bit (or what passes in Germany … Continue reading →
Well, what do you know—people are gaming the Obamacare system
Well, what else did its supporters expect? It was always obvious that this sort of thing could happen, and that if it could happen, it would happen: Obamacare customers are gaming the system, buying coverage only after they find out … Continue reading →
Iran and the US: first, the abasement
Next, the self-abasement. (See also this.) However, US officials have denied apologizing to Iran. Who’s telling the truth about that? I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter to the world, which can easily perceive that the US has been humiliated. … Continue reading →
Obama’s SOTU speech
I don’t want to listen to it. But if you do, more power to you. And if you want to talk about it, go right ahead. Here.
Continue reading →Iran continues…
…to toy with Obama, prior to his State of the Union address this evening: Iran was holding 10 U.S. Navy sailors and their two small boats that drifted into Iranian waters with mechanical problems. Iran accused the sailors of trespassing … Continue reading →
Taharrush has come to the West
I’d never heard the term till now, but I was aware of the phenomenon of “taharrush”. Anyone who read the story of what happened to Lara Logan in Egypt back in 2011 should have been well aware of the same … Continue reading →
We are pleased to announce the engagement of…
…Jerry Hall and Rupert Murdoch. Yep, Jerry Hall and Rupert Murdoch. Thus proving Kissinger’s old adage that power (and let’s add money) is a great aphrodisiac—sometimes quoted as the “ultimate aphrodisiac.” I want to pause for a moment and add … Continue reading →
Will the most telegenic candidate please stand up?
Commenter “Rufus T. Firefly” makes this observation: In a national campaign always bet on the most telegenic. Been that way since Kennedy-Nixon. Here, he points out Hillary Clinton’s lack of that telegenic quality. Then he throws out a challenge: “name … Continue reading →
No, Trump is not a liberal
I’ve written a lot about Donald Trump on this blog. And when I write, I try to be clear. So I figure that those of you who are regular readers ought to know pretty well what I think about him. … Continue reading →
Europe’s borders: everything old is new again
Europe had a dream of open borders. It was a dream that depended on a certain comity/amity, but it turned into a nightmare when Europe tried to extend that dream to hosts of newcomers from the Middle East. Now, the … Continue reading →