I’ve got various kinds of spam blockers on this blog. They don’t work perfectly. but if they didn’t work at all, I’d have hundreds of spam comments here a day. As it is, there are probably fifteen or so, which … Continue reading →
When people think of ballet—if they think of it at all—they often think of dancing on pointe, something only women do in ballet. George Balanchine, one of the greatest choreographers of all time, famously said, “Ballet is woman.” Then again, … Continue reading →
The truck bombs that exploded two days ago in Iraq took a horrific toll. Whether the final tally of human life will be 250 or 500 (the exact figure may never be known), virtually all of the victims were Yazidis, … Continue reading →
Venezuelan not-quite-President-for-life-but-getting-there Hugo Chavez announced that he’s asking for a few changes: an extension of the length of the Presidential term of office, and an end to limits on reelection. To those critics who suggest this is another step in … Continue reading →
Yesterday I saw my first one of these: Can’t say as I do. But that’s just me. I was never a big fan, even though I voted for him—twice, with vigor. But in the NH primary of 92, I was … Continue reading →
This is highly recommended reading—Spiegel reports on the possibly turning tide in Iraq, and the fact that many just don’t want to hear it. I plan to write at greater length on the subject some time soon. [ADDENDUM: Oh, no! … Continue reading →
Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani is a Catholic, although—as this column by Richard Cohen points out—his marital history isn’t precisely what the Catholic church would consider ideal. Cohen compares Giuliani’s recent answer to a question about his Catholicism with that of … Continue reading →
I just love the following statement by Evan Thomas, Newsweek editor, concerning his periodical’s reporting of the Duke rape case: The narrative was right, but the facts were wrong. Thomas actually was one of the writers who wrote early on … Continue reading →
President Bush and my man Sarkozy are together at last—and in my neck of the woods, more or less. Sarkozy has been staying at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, and Bush is at the family manse in Kennebunkport; two places … Continue reading →
This NY Times article describes how the Democratic Presidential candidates are starting to offer a few more ideas about how they might manage an Iraqi pullout, if elected. I guess they’ve given up on their earlier strategy of pressuring Bush. … Continue reading →
There are an awful lot of blogs these days (and a lot of them, no doubt, are awful). Technorati tracks about 57 million blogs, with a little over half of them regarded as “active”—meaning that the bloggers post at least … Continue reading →
[Part I here.] In previous wars, allegations of atrocities have been made by either victims or witnesses. For example, in the case of My Lai, reports were originally made by US helicopter pilots who were shocked by what they saw … Continue reading →