What a name she had: Tallulah Bankhead. What a voice she had. Even among the many dramatic and flamboyant personalities who used to populate Hollywood and the theater in the 30s and 40s, Bankhead was more unpredictable than most as … Continue reading →
This clip from a recent interview with Henry Kissinger is interesting on several levels. One of them is that Kissinger is still alive. But actually, he’s “only” 93. I would have thought him to be 193, since he seemed old … Continue reading →
The headlines practically write themselves: “American hero.” Quintessential American hero. When I read that Glenn had died at 95 my first reaction was surprise that he was still alive. After all, he was named an astronaut in my youth, and … Continue reading →
Harry Reid is leaving the Senate, and in this interview with Politico he evaluates his tenure and makes predictions. He thinks he did just fine, and that the future for the Democrats looks just fine, too: “They have Trump, I … Continue reading →
And, since he’s Leonard Cohen, he explains it very, very well: And what about the charge that his singing causes people to feel suicidal? Exactly. As for me, I happen to think that Leonard Cohen’s renditions of his own songs … Continue reading →
Yes, Neil Sedaka. Why not? As for the why, I was listening to the song “Breaking Up is Hard to Do” the other day. I hadn’t heard it in a gazillion years, and I got curious about him. So I … Continue reading →
The news comes as something of a shock—not because Castro has died, but because he was still alive till now and only 90 years old. After all, this was a man who came to power during the Eisenhower presidency, and … Continue reading →
I confess that I haven’t had time to read this presentation from 2014 by Steve Bannon, which was sent me by a reader. But I thought it might be good to mention it, since it at least gives us some … Continue reading →
[NOTE: This is a post in which I continue to explore the more extremist wing of the alt-right, because I think it bears watching and comprehending. That doesn’t mean I think it’s an enormous group. Nor do I think Donald … Continue reading →
By now you’ve probably heard that president-elect Trump has announced some appointments: The president-elect announced Sunday that he has selected Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus to serve as chief of staff in his incoming administration. In the same announcement, … Continue reading →
Almost as soon as the Trump win had occurred, I began noticing that, among former Trump opposers left and right, it was shaking down into two camps: the optimists and the pessimists. The optimists were saying some version of “wait … Continue reading →
After giving us the gift of his music for nearly fifty years, Leonard Cohen has finally gone home: His son issued this statement on his father’s death: “My father passed away peacefully at his home in Los Angeles with the … Continue reading →