I loved the Everly Brothers. Their sound was so perfectly blended, with wistful heartache that was nevertheless upbeat rather than gloomy. How did they do it? Being brothers helped; siblings have a special harmony. They fought at one point and … Continue reading →
When I was young I came across this book of courtroom speeches by Clarence Darrow. Although I was only about eleven years old it enthralled me, and I think it was one of the reasons I ended up going to … Continue reading →
…which we were doing yesterday—there’s an article about her in yesterday’s WSJ. Paglia is a curious amalgam. She prides herself on being unique and iconoclastic, and she certainly defies categorization. She seems to ally with the right on Obamacare, global … Continue reading →
Leonard Cohen is a songwriter, and a very successful one at that. But he was a poet first. He’s old, too—if 79 can be called “old” these days. Accordingly, the style and content of his songs have changed over the … Continue reading →
Because it’s working out so well. It occurs to me that the category “health care reform,” which I created on this blog in 2009 and have since assigned to this post and to over three hundred others, seems more and … Continue reading →
Ace has a great article about the recent suspension of Phil Robertson and the firing of Justine Sacco because of non-PC speech: A&E has the right to fire or suspend Robertson. So what? The argument is not about what people … Continue reading →
[BUMPED UP] Commenter “Mrs Whatsit” observes: “In my lifetime I never thought I would see anything like this,” said [commenter] Mythx. Oh, me too. In the early 1980s one of my law professors (wish I could remember which one) cautioned … Continue reading →
Will Vegas and Atlantic City go the way of Detroit? With the proliferation of other, more convenient and less-centralized gambling venues, the two cities may be doomed. Already, more than half the homes in Las Vegas are under water—and I’m … Continue reading →
…that maybe this was what they were going for in the now-famous Obamacare ad with the nerdy guy in the onesie that was supposed to appeal to the sought-after millenials: The first is Obamacare’s Pajama Boy. The second is Johnny … Continue reading →
Who was the artist, and when?: It’s a drawing by Albrecht Dé¼rer, made in 1493 when he was 22 years old. It seems remarkably contemporary to me, considering. I guess pillows haven’t changed all that much—except for the invention of … Continue reading →
[NOTE: This is a slightly edited version of a previous post.] Chanukah began the night before Thanksgiving. But since it has eight days I still get a chance to wish you a happy one—tonight and for two more days, anyway. … Continue reading →
…become an instrument of torture? But these are supposedly the Big Five for that purpose: (1) “I Love You” by Barney the Dinosaur (2) “Panama” by Van Halen (3) “The Real Slim Shady” by Eminem (4) “Copacabana” by Barry Manilow … Continue reading →