Commenter “Mrs Whatsit” notes that “We are witnessing a spectacle of incompetence on multiple levels of government not quite like anything I recall before,” and asks whether there are any competent adults left. A few, but I think they might … Continue reading →
Those of you who follow this blog know that I’ve said from the start that I don’t think Bernie Madoff’s sons were guilty, and that they were among Madoff’s biggest victims because he stole their good name from them as … Continue reading →
I remember reading some of Lee Harris’s essays post-9/11 and being impressed, but after that I lost track of him. So I missed his book Civilization and its Enemies: The Next Stage of History when it first came out in … Continue reading →
I wonder. It’s not that conservatives lack courage. But from the evidence I see around the blogosphere, many would rather throw up their hands and say that it’s already over, so let it all go to pot and wait for … Continue reading →
During the time James Foley was in captivity, he tried to write letters to his parents, but they were intercepted. Resourcefully, he came up with the solution of composing one and asking a fellow-hostage who was about to be released … Continue reading →
The suicide of Robin Williams has started a lengthy discussion of depression, with those who’ve suffered from it trying to describe its depths, and why depression could drive a man like Williams to do what he did. Depression is an … Continue reading →
A few weeks ago I was looking at some old comment threads to find some apropos quotes from commenter FredHJr for a post on the fifth anniversary of his death, and I came across a few extra ones that I … Continue reading →
This is one of the saddest articles I’ve ever read. It describes the genesis of the cheating behavior that was exposed in 2010 in a scandal in the Atlanta public school system, where administrators and teachers in predominantly black schools … Continue reading →
The Fermi Paradox is scary any way you look at it. Are we alone in the universe, and if so, why? And if not, why haven’t we heard a thing?: Continuing to speculate, if 1% of intelligent life survives long … Continue reading →
Richard Fernandez has written another great great article. Probably one of his best, and that’s saying something. Someone in the comments section there made reference to this 1902 Kipling poem which I’d never even seen before. I was impressed enough … Continue reading →
…a big box of Kleenex if you’re going to watch this one: I like country music because I really like lyrics, and country music songs often have schmaltzy but really fine lyrics, resembling short and accessible old-fashioned poems. A few … Continue reading →
A while back The Atlantic had an article by Hanna Rosin describing how it was that in just a couple of generations Americans became intolerant of exposing their children to what used to be considered normal risks. Some of it … Continue reading →