Is Keynes finished?
Robert J. Samuelson says yes. Paul Krugman says no. I say we’ll be arguing about this stuff for the next 100 years at least.
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Women and humor
After Christopher Hitchens’ death I went back and re-read a couple of his old essays, including this one on women and humor (or their lack thereof). It’s written in his trademark style: witty, self-assured, and breezy; the musings of a … Continue reading →
Kim Jong Il dies
Now comes the news that North Korea’s Kim Jong Il (age variously reported as 69 or 70) has died. It’s been rumored for several years that he’d been gravely ill with a stroke and then pancreatic cancer, but his official … Continue reading →
RIP Vaclav Havel
A brave man, dead at 75 after a long, fruitful, and eventful life that had many twistings and turnings, Havel went from prison as a dissident to a long tenure as president during a time of transition from the Communism … Continue reading →
Amazon reminder: there’s still time!
[NOTE: Bumped up from yesterday.] There’s still plenty of time left to order from Amazon via the handy neo-neocon widgets on the right sidebar. I’m a big procrastinator, so I know. And there’s even time to sign up for 2 … Continue reading →
The joys of amateur musicals
In the comments section of this thread from a while back, a number of people praised the old Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, and especially the charms of amateur productions. I’m in complete agreement. The librettos may be outdated in many … Continue reading →
Reagan’s eleventh commandment
Remember Reagan’s eleventh commandment, “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican?” This year the interminable debate format and the large size of the field has made it almost inevitable that just about everybody’s been violating it, and it … Continue reading →
Do men really want…
…chocolate-covered jalapenos? Don’t think so. But correct me if I’m wrong.
Continue reading →Congress strikes a blow for liberty—and incandescent light bulbs
Congress finally does something worthwhile, giving the incandescent light bulb we all know and love a stay of execution: The shutdown-averting budget bill will block federal light bulb efficiency standards, giving a win to House Republicans fighting the so-called ban … Continue reading →
RIP: Christopher Hitchens
The fact that Christopher Hitchens’ death has long been expected doesn’t make it any easier to see it announced. I disagreed with him nearly as often as I agreed with him. But he was a writer of inimitable style and … Continue reading →
On Ryan’s Medicare reform proposal
Description and commentary here.
Continue reading →Sarkozy and Obama
I’ve never thought of Sarkozy and Obama as being similar. But an article about the former in the December 12 New Yorker contained a paragraph that, although about Sarkozy, could just as easily apply to the present attitude of a … Continue reading →