John Updike has died at seventy-six. In the last decade or two, his work had increasingly grappled with issues of aging and death, so perhaps his actual death should come as no surprise. But somehow it does—as it may have … Continue reading →
The universally acknowledged hero of yesterday, who made the Flight 1549 story one of a controlled landing rather than a plane crash, is US Air pilot Chesley Sullenberger No one who knew Sullenberger (known as “Sully”) was the least bit … Continue reading →
In yesterday’s post about the results of the “most admired man and woman” Gallup poll, I was intrigued by the fact that two commenters mentioned Norman Borlaug as their most admired man. I admit it; I’d never even heard of … Continue reading →
I suppose it should come as no great surprise that, according to a recent Gallup poll, Barack Obama is Americans’ most admired living man in the world. Yep, that’s right—in the world. And Hillary Clinton is the most admired woman. … Continue reading →
This is tragic and bitter news. Tragic because Dean was so young and full of life, and fought so hard against cystic fibrosis, and had so much left to do. Bitter because he was a friend.
Continue reading →Okay, so I watched it. So sue me; I couldn’t resist. And I am here to declare that, in the Todd Palin interview with Greta Van Susteren on Fox, it has been conclusively determined that Todd Palin, First Dude of … Continue reading →
It’s an odd fact that in recent decades a startling proportion of Presidents have been left-handed, and no one really has a clue why, although guesses abound. The list includes Truman, Ford, Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, and Bush II—as well … Continue reading →
Richard Landes has put up a preliminary translation of the appeals court decision in the France2/Karsenty case. Enderlin certainly can’t be happy about this one. Good.
Continue reading →In National Journal, Linda Douglass offers us a glimpse into a phase of McCain’s career I hadn’t previously known about. In the late 70s, he was the Navy’s liaison to the Senate, and it turns out to have been one … Continue reading →
Obama sneered in response to Hillary’s claim to fond memories of being taught to shoot by her father at her grandfather’s cottage (near Scranton, PA, no less!), and of duck-hunting: Shame on her….She, how she values the second amendment, she’s … Continue reading →
Founding father and renaissance man Thomas Jefferson amassed a huge collection of books that became the basis for one of our early Libraries of Congress. Unfortunately, much of the collection was destroyed in a mid-nineteenth century fire, but intrepid librarians … Continue reading →
How old do you think this woman is? Or this one (hint: it’s the same woman, around the same time)? Or how about this one? All three are pictures of Russian ballerina Maya Plisetskaya. She’s eighty years old in the … Continue reading →