One of my pet peeves is how movies that draw on history often misrepresent it. The phenomenon is at its worst with Oliver Stone epics that purport to be biopics and are mainly a figment of the director’s imagination. It … Continue reading →
Here’s the face of the mullahs in charge of Iran, in case they hadn’t revealed it clearly enough already: Khatami, a member of the powerful Assembly of Experts, said the judiciary should charge the leading “rioters” as “mohareb” or one … Continue reading →
Despite Obama’s heroic efforts to remain uninvolved in the Iranian post-election protests, the Iranian government has accused him of doing so anyway. Fancy that. As I wrote yesterday [emphasis mine]: Obama has positioned himself as the un-Bush. This means that … Continue reading →
Several have pointed out that Obama’s use in last night’s press conference of an anti-torture quote by Winston Churchill is highly suspect, in that there’s a great deal of evidence that the British did exactly that—used torture—during World War II. … Continue reading →
When I was in graduate school, I lived in a house with four other women. It was a large and lovely place, with five airy bedrooms, a living room and parlor, a pantry and a little yard. The rent was … Continue reading →
It’s been ten years since the Columbine massacre, and here’s an interesting article about the shooters, the plans, their actions, and some of the misconceptions fostered in earlier pieces about them. One thing that is now clearer than before is … Continue reading →
In my youth, the word “pirate” had become somewhat of a joke, with overtones of operetta (“The Pirates of Penzance”) crossed with Disney’s version of Robert Louis Stevenson (Treasure Island) and Halloween costumes featuring funny hats and eyepatches. Lately, of … Continue reading →
Remember the discussion (here and here) about the ineffective cops who confronted the very effective terrorists in Mumbai? Not only were the terrorists probably well aware of the lack of training and poor equipment of the Mumbai forces. It seems … Continue reading →
No doubt you are aware that the title of this post is not a metaphor for a buying frenzy, but a description of something quite literal. At the Valley Stream, NY, Walmart, on the day after Thanksgiving, an employee was … Continue reading →
As far as the recent horrific killings at Northern Illinois University go, I’ve said most of what I want to say before, here. As I wrote earlier in connection with the shootings Virginia Tech: Yes, a gun was involved here, … Continue reading →
Donald Sensing notes that since 2000, the beginning of the Second Intifada (which followed the breakdown of Camp David, when Arafat failed to miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity), Palestinians have desired to escape from Gaza and the West … Continue reading →
Over two years ago I wrote a post about Mohammed Atta’s eyes. In it, I quoted an airline employee who waited on Mohammed Atta early on the morning of 9/11, and described him thusly: It was just the look on … Continue reading →