The news comes today that Robert McNamara, famous as Kennedy and then Johnson’s Secretary of Defense during the Vietnam War, has died at the age of 93. Those of us who are of a certain age remember him well, as … Continue reading →
[NOTE: For those who may have missed my original tribute to Fred, please see this.] Here’s the link to Fred’s obituary, with links to other related pages. And here’s the text and a photo. Rest in peace, Fred: ROCHESTER – … Continue reading →
I have some extremely sad news to report: I received an email from a relative of commenter FredHjr saying that he died suddenly and unexpectedly on Friday, June 26, from a concussion sustained in a fall. Even though none of … Continue reading →
Unless you’ve been on another planet recently, you are probably aware of the current brouhaha over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; what she knew about waterboarding and when, and just who’s the biggest liar. I’d call Pelosi a polarizing figure, except … Continue reading →
Miep Gies, who was responsible for helping the Frank family hide in Amsterdam during World War II, turned one hundred years old on Sunday. It couldn’t happen to a nicer person. To know the mettle of this woman, you must … Continue reading →
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 →