Commenter “snowonpine” made an interesting observation in the American Idol thread, in response to my praise of the getting-on-in-years Dionne Warwick’s performance: Ms. Warwick seemed, to me, to exemplify the inability of a star–be it a TV star, prize fighter … Continue reading →
So, was Frost right? Do good fences make good–or at least, improved–neighbors? We may get a chance to find out. Here’s a very interesting perspective from today’s NY Times, on the effect of a possible US/Mexico fence on Mexican policy … Continue reading →
I haven’t kept up with American Idol much this season, which is just fine with me. But every now and then I do take a look. Last night was the final, as the populists among you no doubt are aware. … Continue reading →
Since I’m not really a “linker” type blogger (I like to think of myself as a “thinker”), I don’t usually write a post that is just a series of recommendations. But every now and then I make an exception (hey, … Continue reading →
In Part I I tried to advance some arguments as to why the Iraq war is so hated. Here are a few more. Neither that post nor this one is meant to be exhaustive. One of the main justifications for … Continue reading →
I almost didn’t write Part II of “Why this war is so hated.” The reason is that Part I, yesterday, was actually an attempt on my part to imagine some of the best and most reasonable arguments that could be … Continue reading →
The war in Iraq is especially hated. Of course, all wars are hated by most thoughtful people, since they involve bloodshed and suffering. And havoc. It’s not for nothing that Shakespeare wrote in Julius Caesar: “Cry havoc, and let loose … Continue reading →
My original post about the (now pretty much debunked) report of an Islamic dress code law for minorities quoted that report as stating that the clothing designations were to apply to Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians in Iran. That got me … Continue reading →
Via Dr. Zin of Regime Change Iran, here’s an update on the Iranian dress code story, from the Canadian newspaper that originally published it. The gist of the most recent information seems to be this: Sam Kermanian, of the U.S.-based … Continue reading →
In my post on the unfortunate tendency of revolutions to devour their own, Elmondohummus made the following comment: Such movements, such revolutions, tend not to be the wonderfully exciting, meaningful, free places that participants imagine, but coldhearted, calculating monoliths of … Continue reading →
Iran may be about to revive an old custom. A law passed by the Iranian parliament needs only the approval of “Supreme Guide” Ali Khamenehi to become practice. It actually was passed two years ago, but languished until recently “revived … Continue reading →
In the Atlantic article I discussed yesterday, a name on the first page caught my eye: Sadegh Ghotbzadeh, the Iranian foreign minister at the time of the hostage crisis. Suddenly, although I hadn’t thought of him in decades, the memory … Continue reading →