I recently came across this essay by Lee Sandlin, entitled “Losing the War.” It was recommended to me by the inimitable Gerard Van Der Leun, who is certainly no slouch in the essay department himself. Sandlin’s article is well-written and … Continue reading →
Ever since I heard about the violent reaction to the Newsweek Koran story, a little bell has been going off in the back of my head. One of those things that says, “This is familiar. This reminds me of something. … Continue reading →
I found the following comment by blogging psychoanalyst Shrinkwrapped on this post by Roger Simon about the Newsweek Koran-flushing fiasco. I was so taken with what Shrinkwrapped wrote that I reproduce it here in full: I have written before about … Continue reading →
Austin Bay has some excellent commentary on the story of the Newsweek article alleging that a Koran was flushed down a Guantanamo toilet. The report has sparked outrage and deaths in Afghanistan, and may cause more before this is through. … Continue reading →
Ladybugs? Yes, ladybugs. I found one yesterday on my bathroom floor and immediately thought, “Oh, how cute!” But that thought was immediately followed by a second one: what’s so cute about a ladybug? Is there any other insect we generally … Continue reading →
Blogging’s harder than it looks, writes history professor and author David Greenberg in today’s NY Times piece entitled “Blogging, as in slogging.” Well, I could have told him that, if he’d ever asked me. I found that out when I … Continue reading →
Whenever I finish writing a section of the “A mind is a difficult thing to change” series, I’m amazed at how much I have to say, and how long it takes me to say it. My guess is that there … Continue reading →
Well, as you may have noticed, I have finally posted Part 4C in the “Mind is a difficult thing to change” series. The experience was somewhat like a boa constricter swallowing a large elephant–at least, what I imagine that experience … Continue reading →
(NOTE: Links to previous posts in the series can be found on the right sidebar, under “A mind is a difficult thing to change.”) When I try to think of the psychological/political effects of Vietnam, two things come to mind … Continue reading →
Today, as on so many days in the past, the murderers of the Iraqi people set about to blow a bunch of them to bits, and have succeeded. Sixty is today’s number. The killers must be so very proud. And … Continue reading →
John Kerry, that most consistently inconsistent of politicians, is reinventing himself, according to a Boston Globe article entitled, “Kerry adopting the rhetoric of a DC outsider.” Now, even the Globe sees Kerry as a poseur; “adopting the rhetoric,” rather than … Continue reading →
Baron Bodissey at Gates of Vienna has thoughtfully and helpfully codified the 10 Commandments of PC. Here they are (please go to his post for further explanation): 1. America is uniquely evil. 2. America is never justified in defending itself. … Continue reading →