Despite my interest in politics (or perhaps because of it?), there haven’t been many presidential candidates over the years who’ve roused much enthusiasm in me. In fact, the single exception might have been Paul Tsongas, who ran for (and lost) … Continue reading →
On the Fourth of July, I posted a short clip from the Steve McQueen movie, “The Great Escape.” It got me thinking about the actor, one of the huge crushes of my youth (and not really limited to my youth, … Continue reading →
Former First Lady Betty Ford has died at the age of 93. She was catapulted to fame through an unlikely and unique set of circumstances, her husband appointed VP by Nixon after the disgraced Agnew was forced to leave, and … Continue reading →
They’re both musical; Patinkin is a singer and Broadway actor and Zukerman a famous classical violinist. They’re both Jewish, although Patinkin was born in this country and Zukerman is the Israeli son of Holocaust survivors. But their marital history diverges, … Continue reading →
I’ve been doing some research about George Gershwin (this is an especially wonderful biography), and I’ve been surprised to learn that, in addition to his formidable musical talent, Gershwin was a major collector of modern art and a credible painter … Continue reading →
I thought you might like to read some quotes from philosopher of science Karl Popper: You can choose whatever name you like for the two types of government. I personally call the type of government which can be removed without … Continue reading →
I happened to catch about fifteen minutes of NJ Governor Christie’s address to the American Enterprise Institute this afternoon. I haven’t seen any articles reporting on it yet, just advance notice such as this, saying that the title of his … Continue reading →
Stephen F. Hayes calls Marco Rubio “the most important freshman senator” in this Weekly Standard article. Rubio not only won handily in Florida, he also gave a great and widely-admired acceptance speech. He’s one of the rising stars of the … Continue reading →
Did Michelle Obama really tell Carla Bruni that being First Lady is hell, and that she can’t stand it? Who knows? It makes a big splash, though, and that’s what Bruni is all about. But just in case it’s true, … Continue reading →
The late, great British dancer Stanley Holden was a dance teacher of mine. One doesn’t ordinarily think of comedy in connection with ballet dancers, but Holden was a master of it, best known for originating the en travesti character Widow … Continue reading →
Robert Byrd of West Virginia has died at the age of 92. Most of the articles about his death point out two of his most salient characteristics: he was the longest-serving senator in American history, and in his early days … Continue reading →
The recent news that the federal government is planning to mount a legal challenge to the state of Arizona’s new immigration law is just another outrage in a long series of outrages by the Obama administration. Even though the state … Continue reading →