When I was a child, Lincoln had a birthday all his own. Nowadays he’s lumped in with other presidents. And who knows where he’ll be in the future? When I was a child, Lincoln also fascinated me more than any … Continue reading →
RIP Colin Powell, who was 84 and reportedly died of “COVID complications” despite being “fully vaccinated.” I’ll leave others to discuss the ups and downs of his career, except to say that, to the best of my recollection, he was … Continue reading →
John Hinckley, who forty years ago attempted – and nearly accomplished – the assassination of President Reagan (and also wounded several others), is being released without conditions. The idea is that his mental illness is in remission and he is … Continue reading →
H. L. Mencken was a famous pundit in the first half of the 20th Century, known for caustic wit. I’ve never been a Mencken fan, and I don’t share his contempt for people in general and for Americans in particular. … Continue reading →
Rumsfeld died on June 29 at the age of 88. It seems like a long time ago that he was a mover and shaker on the world stage. A portrait of Rumsfeld by someone who knew him well: That’s the … Continue reading →
…is the headline of this NY Post article. Yes, of course he apologized to China. This sort of behavior from celebrities first became particularly notable with the NBA, and it’s now clear that many celebrities know where the money lies. … Continue reading →
Trump puts it succinctly: “I see that everybody is comparing Joe Biden to Jimmy Carter,” Trump noted. “It would seem to me that is very unfair to Jimmy Carter. Jimmy mishandled crisis after crisis, but Biden has CREATED crisis after … Continue reading →
[NOTE: Part I can be found here.] For the moment, we seem to have dodged the court-packing bullet, because the Democrats don’t quite have the votes to pass it. But I believe it’s only a temporary reprieve. The Democrats are … Continue reading →
I haven’t watched the Harry and Meghan interview, but I’ve read about it. Apparently, Meghan and Harry see racism even in a question about the possible skin color of her baby. Perhaps the person asking was merely curious? Maybe even … Continue reading →
I’m not that old, but pedagogical practices in my youth seem absolutely archaic compared to whatever passes for education these days. For starters, we had Washington’s Birthday and Lincoln’s Birthday, and they were on their actual real birthdays: Lincoln on … Continue reading →
ADDENDUM: Here’s a description of the premiere of Beethoven’s 9th: …[T]he Ninth Symphony was premiered on 7 May 1824 in the Theater am Kärntnertor in Vienna…This was the composer’s first onstage appearance in 12 years; the hall was packed with … Continue reading →