[This is the first installment of a two-, three-, or possibly even four-part series. I plan to publish the posts in the series on consecutive days.] The story of the CIA detention centers leak raises issues far bigger than the … Continue reading →
Dr. Sanity has written here about our current desire for a perfect, error-free war. No, not our desire; our demand. It often does seem as though the prosecution of this war is being held to an impossible standard, quite unlike … Continue reading →
Much of what I write on this blog refers back to history, with the goal of trying to make connections between then and now. Many times after I’ve written a post of that sort (or any sort, actually), I read … Continue reading →
Part of an interesting piece by Dr. Horsefeathers on the subject of Kipling, posted some time ago (ignore the spambot dump that the comments section of that post has managed to become) , is the following observation on Kipling and … Continue reading →
While I was researching something or other a while back (I think it may have been this post about the causes of war), I came across a brief reference to dueling. It struck me that dueling seems related to the … Continue reading →
Not too long after 9/11, I read an interview with Mohammad Atta’s father in which he said his son could not possibly have committed the attack. I would have written this off as the typical and understandable reaction of a … Continue reading →
The other day I happened to be catch part of the Powerball winners’ interview on TV. I missed the beginning, so I didn’t hear all them speak. But I thought those I did hear were very impressive. There were eight … Continue reading →
Dr. Sanity has a post that’s well worth reading, on the topic of identification with the aggressor–how it begins as a normal process in childhood, enabling a child to manage threats and anxiety, and how it sometimes morphs into the … Continue reading →
As promised, I’ve got more to say about Moby Dick. Just think of it as that essay I struggled with in high school, redux (and, by the way, I’m still struggling). I prefer to state the question about the symbolism … Continue reading →
In yesterday’s post about “The Road Not Taken,” the first commenter, “anonymous,” related the poem to the second-guessing of political and military decisions. Anonymous writes: Frost’s poem reminds me once again why I get so annoyed with those who demand … Continue reading →
I’ve been asked by Shrinkwrapped to come up with my suggestions for the “Top Ten Things New Yorkers Can Do to Stay Sane in ’06.” I’m not ordinarily one for giving advice (I don’t think people usually take it), nor … Continue reading →
No, it wasn’t technically the first snow. We’d had a few flurries earlier this fall. Once, a tiny bit had even remained on the ground for a few hours, before melting. But yesterday was the first true snowstorm, signalling the … Continue reading →