Here’s a little relief from politics and its discontents–excerpts from a discussion by Robert Frost entitled “Conversations on the Craft of Poetry” (1959).” Any aspiring poets in the crowd, please listen to a guy who knows–who really knows. In response … Continue reading →
Recently I rented the movie “United 93.” The edition I watched included an addendum to the film, interviews with families of some of the passengers on Flight 93 who’d been featured in it. This was almost as interesting as the … Continue reading →
Those of you who’ve followed the continuing saga of my 93-year old mother (yes, she just had a birthday) know that she moved back to NY in mid-November. So, how’s it going so far? Well, she hates it. But she’s … Continue reading →
Taken just a moment ago:
Continue reading →I’ve got an essay up at Pajamas Media. Topic: “Isn’t it Romantic?: suicide, homicide, terrorism, and Romanticism.” That’s “Romantic” with a capital R.
Continue reading →I noticed (hat tip: Pajamas Media) that some Europeans may be reconsidering their near-total abolition of the death penalty. This is surprising news, if true; the recent history of the death penalty in Europe has only gone one way, and … Continue reading →
The new blog isn’t ready yet. But since I’ve been having so much trouble with posting on Blogger lately, I thought I’d give the link to the new blog here, just in case Blogger shuts me out later on. Here’s … Continue reading →
There was an argument–that is to say, a lively discussion–in Tuesday’s comments section in the “Cold hubris” post. The subject was political definitions, such as “conservative” and “Left.” It started about here, and went on–and on and on. Read it … Continue reading →
This week the Sanity Squad discusses the phenomenon of equal opportunity victimhood: demands (by the Muslim Council of Britain, for example) for the replacement of Holocaust Memorial Day with the more inclusive “Genocide Day.” Along the way we discuss a … Continue reading →
Castro’s not really dead, although most likely dying, despite his TV cameo appearance. Chavez’s star, however, is in the ascendance, and expanding fast. He’s the new Castro, with a bigger field to play on than Castro ever had: Venezuela. Chavez … Continue reading →
The Left likes to position itself as the champion of the underdog, the third world, the downtrodden, the oppressed. Until, that is, someone from one of those countries has the temerity to disagree with the party line. Just as the … Continue reading →
Twice in the last few days Blogger–the not-so-gracious host of this and all the other “blogspot” blogs–has been playing some games I can only describe as passive-aggressive. Several times, when I’ve logged in to post, Blogger directs me to register … Continue reading →