Mark Knopfler, founder of Dire Straits and now solo artist, is known as an astounding guitar player. And that he most certainly is. His playing is unusual, too, in that he almost never uses a pick. His riffs are especially … Continue reading →
It used to be that candidates would make stump speeches and have debates, and that was the best guide you had to their intentions if they were to win—that, and their records. The latter consisted of the jobs they’d held … Continue reading →
What a sad milestone: After steadily rising for five decades, the share of children born to unmarried women has crossed a threshold: more than half of births to American women under 30 occur outside marriage…The fastest growth in the last … Continue reading →
I’ve been unhappy with the primary system for a long time. I don’t like the fact that so many states allow voters to cross over, rather than limiting voting to those registered in each party. I don’t like the long, … Continue reading →
The process of political change, aptly described by Ace: It’s called a paradigm shift. It’s going to seem a little weird and scary at first, but it will also be thrilling and ultimately liberating. A lot of things that have … Continue reading →
[Hat tip: commenter “expat.”] Remember the Mohammad al Durah case? There’s a new court ruling with an angle I’d not heard much about before: The [French Supreme Court] vindicated a doctor who was sued by al-Dura’s father for saying the … Continue reading →
When I hear a song or read a poem, other songs and poems often spring unbidden into my mind. They have some relation to the first, as a sort of harmonic vibration or echo. Sonnets are a particular form of … Continue reading →
Here’s a column by George Will that tackles New York’s very odd rent control/stabilitzation laws—which have been in effect in one form or other for far longer than my lifetime, and which are being challenged in court: The tenants in … Continue reading →
The Republican primaries seem to have ground down to a war of the attack ads. Most (if not all?) are the work of PACs, so it’s a bit hard to tell how involved the candidates are. It would be naive … Continue reading →
This must-read (not!) article, putting down the recurrent Jennifer Aniston pregnancy rumors, refers to the 43-year-old actress’s “amazing rock-hard abs.” And lest you think this focus on Aniston’s abs is unusual, here’s another article that does the same. Here’s the … Continue reading →
…is in the eye of the beholder—and the AKC standards. Malachy the Pekingese is best in show, Westminster, 2012:
Continue reading →I’m one of those people who takes voting very seriously, so much so that I think I’ve voted in every general election and midterm as well. The only ones I’ve ever skipped are the off-years with just the very local … Continue reading →