I happened to catch David Remnick on television the other day pluggng his new biography of President Obama, The Bridge. It was the first time I’d ever seen New Yorker editor Remnick, and I was transfixed by the hushed and … Continue reading →
In both ballet and ice skating, the best jumpers tend to be more compact. Jumping not only takes extreme athleticism and coordination, it also requires exceptionally strong legs—particularly the thigh and butt muscles. Conversely, the more elongated the torso and … Continue reading →
The Anchoress ponders a new sculpture by Antony Gormley called “Event Horizon,” which has appeared as street art in New York City. It features: …a naked fiberglass-and-metal naked man at random spots in the city. From March 26 to August … Continue reading →
Mark Twain time travels: …Rome’s liberties were not auctioned off in a day, but were bought slowly, gradually, furtively, little by little; first with a little corn and oil for the exceedingly poor and wretched, later with corn and oil … Continue reading →
[NOTE: If you don’t know what the Milgram experiment was, please see this.] Well, I guess it had to happen. The Milgram experiments repeat themselves, the first time as tragedy and later as farce. And is it any surprise that, … Continue reading →
As controversial sextuplet mother (her sextuplets are not controversial; the mother is) Kate Gosselin and most recent Bachelor Jake Pavelka graduate from their respective shows to appearances on the newest “Dancing With the Stars,” (are you still with me, guys … Continue reading →
I seem to have stumbled on the phenomenon of literal videos relatively late in the game. A bunch of them went viral at You Tube last spring, and somehow I missed them. But if you, like me, weren’t familiar with … Continue reading →
Twitter has never held any appeal for me. 140 characters? C’mon, that’s barely enough to get me started. And have you ever noticed how nearly everyone who tweets ends up sounding like a Valley Girl? But blogging attracted me right … Continue reading →
Commenter Wolla Dalbo writes: I think that a lot of commenters here are basing their analysis on a false assumption, and that false assumption is that the Democrats care at all about the rule of law, parliamentary procedure, Democracy, our … Continue reading →
What is White House jello? No, it doesn’t refer to Obama’s spine. It refers to this work of jello art, constructed by Liz Hickok, and sent to me by a thoughtful reader:
Continue reading →Ice dancing is a funny sport. Even more than other types of ice skating, it accentuates the showbiz aspects and plays down the athleticism—although just try it yourself for a moment and you’ll see how much of the latter is … Continue reading →
If you weren’t around during the fifties and sixties, perhaps you’ve never heard of Julie London. But she was one of the most beautiful—and sexiest—singers ever. So here, since we all need a little relief from the cares of the … Continue reading →