Much of what I write on this blog refers back to history, with the goal of trying to make connections between then and now. Many times after I’ve written a post of that sort (or any sort, actually), I read … Continue reading →
It’s the holiday season, and one of those rare years when Passover and Easter come close together, as they did during the original Easter. So I get a twofer when I wish my readers “Happy Holidays!” In recent years whenever … Continue reading →
When I was just a tiny child, there was a popular song called “It Takes Two to Tango.” A family story—perhaps apocryphal, perhaps true—is that when I was just a toddler, my parents took me to see the ice show … Continue reading →
I’ve been seeing these everywhere–bushes that feature branches with startlingly bright red bark, almost as though they’ve been dipped in paint (even brighter than in the photo). I’ve never noticed them before, although I can be fairly certain they’re not … Continue reading →
This blog isn’t really becoming an “all Iran, all the time” zone. But at the moment, the conundrum we face over Iran is particularly pressing, involving some very basic ethical and tactical questions that interest me. So, here we go … Continue reading →
This article by Stephen F. Hayes in the Weekly Standard discusses the links between Saddam Hussein’s regime and worldwide Islamicist terrorism revealed in some of the recently declassified Iraqi documents: The Saddam Fedayeen also took part in the regime’s domestic … Continue reading →
History (like life) must be lived forwards, but can only be understood backwards, if at all. That adage came to mind as I was reading this piece by the inimitable Mark Steyn. Assignment, class: compare and contrast the clarity of … Continue reading →
I see a trend here, although it’s not one I claim to understand: the Italian election is another cliff-hanger, too close to form a clear majority and give a clear mandate: Final results showed Prodi’s alliance taking control of the … Continue reading →
Seymour Hersh, who’s hardly ever met a source he was willing to name, has written an article about Iran, the nuclear threat it represents, and what Hersh alleges are the Bush Administration’s plans to bomb it with nuclear weapons. The … Continue reading →
Light blogging today. It’s Sunday, beautiful weather, and–among other things–I need to do a bunch of work on my mother’s taxes. But I just wanted to point out that, overnight, something seems to have eaten my tulip leaves (“Eats, Shoots … Continue reading →
[CORRECTION: It’s been pointed out by several commenters that the linked article appears to be by one Amit Ghate, not Wafa Sultan, although it appeared on the latter’s blog. The link was originally sent to me and identified as being … Continue reading →
Sorry to inconvenience everyone, but the spambots came back–rather, that is, one spambot came back. But one was enough for me; like mice or ants or other pests, where there’s one, more ordinarily follow. I’m actually surprised it took this … Continue reading →