Idle idyll on the asphalt
Two days ago I got a flat tire. I was in a hurry, as usual, racing to meet a friend for dinner, and as I pulled out of my driveway I immediately heard the sickening “flub” and felt that pulling … Continue reading →
neo
What do you get when you cross Jeremiah with Cassandra? Solzhenitsyn
Richard Fernandez of Belmont Club has posted the entire text of Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s 1978 Harvard Commencement speech, in which the then-exiled Russian warned the Western world that its time might be up soon if it didn’t get religion. That’s a … Continue reading →
Trolls and comments
Periodically I get an infestation of trolls here. It’s always interesting to me to note that trolls tend to proliferate any time Israel is being discussed. Those of you who’ve been following this blog know what I’m referring to when … Continue reading →
The opportunities presented by the failed state
Ah those helpful young men of Hezbollah! See this. For those of you without access to the NY Times, here’s the gist of the article: Hezbollah’s reputation as an efficient grass-roots social service network ”” as opposed to the Lebanese … Continue reading →
The passive voice in the news: anything but passive
Commenter Tatterdemalian calls my attention to this AP news item. Take a look. Take a good look. It’s a well-known fact that many newspaper readers only peruse the headlines, and this one–“Rockets hit Lebanon despite cease fire”–would lead one to … Continue reading →
The Sanity Squad: we’re baaack!
The second podcast of the illustrious Sanity Squad is now up at the new and redesigned Pajamas Media site. My “s” and “f” sounds aren’t really as hissy as they sound; I’m still trying to find a good mic position … Continue reading →
Israel’s broken heart
A piece by Israeli journalist Yossi Klein Halevi entitled “Israel’s Broken Heart,” in the current New Republic (subscription only), places the blame squarely on the Olmert administration for mishandling the opportunities of the last month. Israeli public opinion was united … Continue reading →
The ultimate in piercings
This is beyond description. So I won’t bother to describe it. I’ll just add this commentary: what hath the Sixties wrought? And this caveat: please, readers, DO NOT try this in your home! Or anywhere else, for that matter.
Continue reading →Tet Two, Brute?
Here’s what Powerline has to say about the war against Hezbollah in Lebanon so far, and the present ceasefire: So Hezbollah goes out on top. My guess is that the IDF has had quite a bit of success in killing … Continue reading →
Lebanese army receives its marching orders: from Hezbollah
The Lebanese army received its marching orders today. Actually, it received two sets of marching orders: one from its own commanders, and then another from Hezbollah, superceding the original command. Though we hardly needed any more clarity on the impotence … Continue reading →
Crafts, mountains, friends
Yesterday I made one of favorite my annual treks to get away from it all, driving a few hours to the western part of New Hampshire to the Sunapee Crafts Fair. That website doesn’t even begin to do it justice, … Continue reading →
Insider tip, eavesdropped phone call
As some of the details of the airplane attack case are revealed, it seems clear that the investigation proceeded slowly and painstakingly over a period of months. But several interesting facts stand out so far. The first is that breaking … Continue reading →