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 →
Join me, Siggy, and Dr. Sanity, as the Sanity Squad discusses the killings at Virginia Tech. (Shrink was on vacation this week; he’s due back next time).
Continue reading →As more details emerge on the background of the Virginia Tech shooter, it turns out that his history was one long, loud warning sign that something extremely bad was about to happen. So how is it that this young man—who … Continue reading →
As more of the story emerges, we begin to learn something about the dead and their lives (see here and here for some heartbreaking photos, as well). Most were so young that their tales were cut off before they could … Continue reading →
Loser. Loner. Kept to himself. Set fires. Wrote disturbing papers that caught the eye of teachers and got him referred to counseling. On antidepressants. Woke up one day (yesterday) and blasted away thirty-two other people. Shooter Cho Seung-hui, a 23-year-old … Continue reading →
I don’t want to ignore the terrible news of the day, the shootings at Virginia Tech. But I’ll be brief until I know more. Details are extremely spotty, except to say that now the death toll has risen to thirty-two, … Continue reading →
It has been announced that Saddam Hussein was executed by hanging a few hours ago. I’m not a death penalty fan. But I’ve always realized that there are some situations in which execution seems only appropriate. A trial of Adolf … Continue reading →