Open thread 12/30/2025
She did as well with the assignment as anyone could have. But it’s still too narrow:
Continue reading →neo
It’s another roundup
(1) Is the Ukraine War finally nearing the end? I’ll cut to the chase and say that I don’t think so, although I’d be more than happy to be pleasantly surprised. But here’s the story: Donald Trump said security guarantees … Continue reading →
The right: “live not by lies”
Solzhenitsyn famously said: “live not by lies.” How many politicians follow that maxim? Vanishingly few. And I wouldn’t expect them to; politics is a dirty, compromised business. And yet, not all lies are created equal. Some lies are minor: “I … Continue reading →
Open thread 12/29/2025
From “Always On My Mind” to “The Letter”
I have long been very partial to Willie Nelson’s version of this beautiful song. I find it to be understated rather than overdone, with a bittersweet and mature tone of regret. Here it is: I had a vague memory – … Continue reading →
Honduras elects a new leader …
… and he’s on the right, and backed by Trump. The election was exceedingly close, however.
Continue reading →J. D. Vance tries to thread the needle
Melanie Phillips is not pleased: Bad as all this is, the really shocking thing has been the refusal by certain mainstream conservatives to denounce [growing anti-Semitism on the right] and shut it down, appearing instead to nod along to it. … Continue reading →
Modern dilemmas: what to do with those empty churches
The number of Christian believers in Germany has been falling rapidly, and this presents a problem: what to do with all those empty churches? Maybe it’s time to re-purpose them as mosques – it’s certainly happened before; just ask the … Continue reading →
Open thread 12/27/2025
It wouldn’t be my first choice for a pet. But apparently embedding has been disabled for the video I chose for today’s open thread. To watch it, please click here.
Continue reading →Israel is determined to become militarily independent
An excellent idea, if they can pull it off: “I approved, along with the defense minister and finance minister, a sum of NIS 350 billion [$108 billion] over the next decade to build an independent Israeli munitions industry,” Netanyahu said … Continue reading →
Another golden oldie: the day after
Hope your Christmas was good. Mine was: a great meal, seeing my grandchildren, and even a couple of presents for me. The following is an effort of mine from the past. That’s one of the advantages of having been a … Continue reading →
Trump sends a message to ISIS in Nigeria
Trump put it this way, in characteristic fashion: “Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, … Continue reading →