When I was writing about the 1979 Iranian revolution I asked the following question: The Shah’s secret police–SAVAK, usually referred to with an adjective such as “dreaded” or “hated” before the acronym–was active in Iran to stifle those who would … Continue reading →
The utterly unique and seemingly fearless Oriana Fallaci has died. Charismatic, beautiful, outspoken, iconoclastic, articulate, fiery, controversial, in recent years Fallaci had been battling cancer, but she continued speaking out against Islam’s violent incursions into Europe. Fallaci never was one … Continue reading →
My home page is Google, which always contains a feature entitled “Top Stories,” listing what Google considers the five biggest stories of the hour. Usually it has a variety–I’ve never seen it with the same story five times before. But … Continue reading →
…and maybe not so slowly, after all. Nidra Pollner’s second report, this one focusing on the trial, sounds very, very promising: It was a beautiful trial. It was held in an atmosphere of respect for justice… And here is part … Continue reading →
The great Mark Twain wrote, in one of his pithiest and most insightful aphorisms: History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme. Not all the rhymes of history are beautiful poetry, of that we can be sure. Case in point: … Continue reading →
On this past Monday, the fifth anniversary of 9/11, I noticed the sky was clear and blue. But the blue was an ordinary blue, nothing like the intense clarity of the sky five years ago. It’s one of the things … Continue reading →
I sense a theme here–two headlines spotted today in the supermarket checkout line, composing the entire front page of the tabloid the Globe: Camilla Runs Back to Ex-Hubby Laura Bush’s Nervous Breakdown: “I can’t take any more,” she tells Prez … Continue reading →
When I first read this I thought it was from the Onion. But no, it turns out to be for real. It appears that some person or persons in Australia are seeking vengence for naturalist Steve Irwin’s death by killing … Continue reading →
The latest Sanity Squad podcast is up at Pajamas.
Continue reading →Last night I was talking to my fellow Sanity Squad members after taping this week’s podcast (no, it’s not online yet, but should be soon). The session you hear is usually just the tip of the iceberg for us. As … Continue reading →
Does it seem as though five years have passed since that dreadful day of the stunningly blue sky, the orange flames, the plumes of grey-black smoke? In some ways it seems a lifetime; one looks back at before-9/11 and thinks … Continue reading →
I signed up with the 2996 Project, a tribute to the victims of 9/11. The idea was to get 2996 bloggers to volunteer, and to have each write a post devoted to one person who was killed by Islamist totalitarian … Continue reading →