Caught that baton
Norm Geras tossed me the “10 things I’ve never done before” baton, and so I’ll catch. Norm has sometimes told me I should break down and write shorter posts (he knows I do have a very slight tendency to go … Continue reading →
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Taking the cake
While we’re on a Van Der Leun roll, see this (otherwise, the following may not make a whole lot of sense). Gerard, I envy you. Not only did my mother not bake the Holy Cookies, she didn’t even bake. But … Continue reading →
Psychological history of WWII
I recently came across this essay by Lee Sandlin, entitled “Losing the War.” It was recommended to me by the inimitable Gerard Van Der Leun, who is certainly no slouch in the essay department himself. Sandlin’s article is well-written and … Continue reading →
The power (and the staying power) of the myth of desecration
Ever since I heard about the violent reaction to the Newsweek Koran story, a little bell has been going off in the back of my head. One of those things that says, “This is familiar. This reminds me of something. … Continue reading →
The lethal narcissism of the press
I found the following comment by blogging psychoanalyst Shrinkwrapped on this post by Roger Simon about the Newsweek Koran-flushing fiasco. I was so taken with what Shrinkwrapped wrote that I reproduce it here in full: I have written before about … Continue reading →
The press plays Truth or Consequences–or neither
Austin Bay has some excellent commentary on the story of the Newsweek article alleging that a Koran was flushed down a Guantanamo toilet. The report has sparked outrage and deaths in Afghanistan, and may cause more before this is through. … Continue reading →
On the cuteness of ladybugs
Ladybugs? Yes, ladybugs. I found one yesterday on my bathroom floor and immediately thought, “Oh, how cute!” But that thought was immediately followed by a second one: what’s so cute about a ladybug? Is there any other insect we generally … Continue reading →
I’m just a cog in the old blog slog
Blogging’s harder than it looks, writes history professor and author David Greenberg in today’s NY Times piece entitled “Blogging, as in slogging.” Well, I could have told him that, if he’d ever asked me. I found that out when I … Continue reading →
The blog of the Ancient Mariner
Whenever I finish writing a section of the “A mind is a difficult thing to change” series, I’m amazed at how much I have to say, and how long it takes me to say it. My guess is that there … Continue reading →
Breathing a sigh of relief
Well, as you may have noticed, I have finally posted Part 4C in the “Mind is a difficult thing to change” series. The experience was somewhat like a boa constricter swallowing a large elephant–at least, what I imagine that experience … Continue reading →
A mind is a difficult thing to change: Part 4C (Vietnam–change and betrayal)
(NOTE: Links to previous posts in the series can be found on the right sidebar, under “A mind is a difficult thing to change.”) When I try to think of the psychological/political effects of Vietnam, two things come to mind … Continue reading →
Calling a killer a killer
Today, as on so many days in the past, the murderers of the Iraqi people set about to blow a bunch of them to bits, and have succeeded. Sixty is today’s number. The killers must be so very proud. And … Continue reading →