When I first started my blog one of the main attractions was to click on my sitemeter. It was astounding for me to see that anyone was reading here at all, and to watch the numbers climb was satisfying. There … Continue reading →
For some it’s Black Friday–biggest shopping day of the year. For me, though, it’s the day of the leftovers. I’m taking the day off from blogging and just having fun with family, friends, and food. Not a bad combination. See … Continue reading →
I hope everyone is now safely ensconced with the relatives and friends of your choice, with the turkey about to be eaten, or roasting away merrily in the oven, right on schedule. In my family (I’m here in NY, by … Continue reading →
[The follow-up second part of yesterday’s post on Vietnamization and Iraqization is coming soon. It was postponed for this one.] Assassinations are a dime a dozen in the Middle East. Lebanon, in particular, has seen quite a spate of them … Continue reading →
Wars tend to be hard on Presidents as well as on nations. Lincoln barely survived the Civil War before he was assassinated. Wilson’s health permanently deteriorated in the immediate aftermath of WWI, when he undertook a grueling speaking tour in … Continue reading →
It seems to me that Representative Charles Rangel’s suggestion to reintroduce the draft should get some sort of prize for cynical ploys in Congress. Granted, he’s got a lot of competition, but this one is designed to offend almost everyone, … Continue reading →
I went to a Richard Thompson concert the other night. Who’s he? Just one of those old guys (in his fities!) still churning out the music and touring round the world. He’s never become a household word despite a career … Continue reading →
Nancy Pelosi may have gotten the kid-gloves treatment from the media during the election, but now the gloves are off. Her championing of Murtha for Majority leader (and her simultaneous abandonment of her former deputy, Hoyer) seems to have struck … Continue reading →
Amir Taheri was the executive editor-in-chief of the largest newspaper in Iran during the 1970s. Ever since, he’s been writing about the Middle East and Iran for a wide variety of Western papers, as well as the Arab News and … Continue reading →
Here.
Continue reading →It seems as though it must have been an awfully good life: a long one filled with accomplishments, a happy marriage, and countless friends. Milton Friedman, who died today, was the economist nearly everyone’s heard of, the architect of libertarian … Continue reading →
Pakistan has taken a step forward after taking several steps backward. Yesterday Pakistan’s legislature voted to end the sway of sharia in dealing with the crime of rape. Ah, sharia. That famous Muslim legal system, steeped in a religion that’s … Continue reading →