A well-respected academic turns apostate, and reaps the whirlwind. Such a state of affairs should be no surprise to readers of this blog, or readers of Allan Bloom’s The Closing of the American Mind. As Paul Rahe writes: Every once … Continue reading →
Sometimes I don’t like to confront the fact of aging. Sometimes it’s okay with me (not that anyone’s asking). These before and after photos—a person young, the same person older, in the very same pose and similar clothing—are heartbreaking, heartwarming, … Continue reading →
…Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, who has taken the name Pope Francis. Bergoglio is the first Jesuit to be pope and the first pope from Latin America. It had been widely speculated that a new pope might be chosen from … Continue reading →
It was the other guy. Obama’s tendency to pass the buck was one of the very first things I ever noticed about him. It’s one of his strongest and deepest character traits, and one of his least attractive. But apparently, … Continue reading →
…than to ever ever ever post another thread that has anything whatsoever to do with dieting. But I guess I just lack willpower :-), because I couldn’t resist this news [emphasis mine]: Gwyneth Paltrow’s new cookery book will be based … Continue reading →
White smoke. (Hey, is that racist?)
Continue reading →The other day I was looking for some information about a certain passenger on one of the 9/11 flights that crashed. To find it, I Googled something like “passenger lists 9/11 flights,” thinking that would do the trick, and up … Continue reading →
It’s amazing that Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist managed to live past the year 1944, much less live long enough to die in his bed at the age of ninety. A brave man and the last surviving member of the Valkyrie plot: … Continue reading →
[BUMPED UP once again, probably the last time for a while—although of course you don’t have to wait for me to pass the hat in order to donate. And many many heartfelt thanks to all of you who’ve donated so … Continue reading →
Of all the topics I habitually write about, the only posts that generate more flak than the ones on Israel are the ones on dieting and weight. I’m not sure why that is. But I’ve observed a very marked tendency … Continue reading →
…as a hostile takeover?: Multiple sources tell L.A. Weekly that Charles and David Koch — the infamous right-wing billionaire brothers — are considering an offer on either the Tribune Co. newspaper group, which includes the L.A. Times, the Chicago Tribune … Continue reading →
…and most of the Republicans in Congress don’t really seem to want to do very much of it. There’s a reason for that: human nature. Such cuts are unpopular with people. Ever since the 1930s, this country and Europe have … Continue reading →