SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2023Dershowitz shouts and yells: With apologies for repeating a phrase, we're going to ask the question again:Should Barack Obama be equipped with a new yard sign—with a yard sign which says, "Kill the Jews?"As we've been noting all week, that's what Batya … | Continue reading
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2023Vanessa Friedman gone wild: Has anybody actually watched the three GOP "debates?"At the New York Times, Vanessa Friedman apparently has! Yesterday morning, on page D4, she told readers how the debates have gone:FRIEDMAN (11/9/23): In a crowded field of Re … | Continue reading
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2023The facts we ignore during war: If you have the time today, we'll suggest that you give it a try:Stop a thousand people on the street. Ask them to explain the nature of the so-called "two-state solution."(By the way, does "the State of Palestine" currentl … | Continue reading
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023What Obama was talking about: Way back when, a news report in the New York Times raised an important question.Actually, the report appeared in print editions on November 1 of this year. Online, it appears beneath these dual headlines:How Posters of Kidna … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2023What's in a bunch of words? Yesterday, Rashida Tlaib was censured by the House.Along the way, she seems to have adjusted her language. Headline included, here are two excerpts from the New York Times report about the censure vote:House Censures Rashida … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2023But does anyone much really care? Rather plainly, former president Barack Obama had said a wide array of the darndest things.Yesterday, we transcribed his remarks. Speaking about the war in Gaza, he had said such things as this:He'd said that we should … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2023The dog which rarely barks: Perhaps and possibly to its credit, the New York Times seems to be expanding its coverage of public school issues.We'll admit that that's a subjective impression, but it sometimes seems that way to us. That said, we're not enti … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2023What Obama said: Sunday morning, in the 8 a.m. hour, viewers of a cable news program were alerted to Obama's misconduct.The day before, the former president had advanced an assessment which was "absolutely disgusting." Or at least, so said Batya Ungar-Sar … | Continue reading
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2023Obama denounced as disgusting: Batya Ungar-Sargon, age 42, holds a PhD from Berkeley.For the record, she doesn't hold just any PhD. from Berkeley. She holds a PhD in the 18th-century novel. Her dissertation was entitled "Coercive Pleasures: The Force and F … | Continue reading
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023Much heat, almost no light: As we noted yesterday, it seems to us that Harvard president Claudine Gay has offered some good, sound advice.Her advice came as part of a longer statement concerning events in Israel and the Gaza Strip. We'll show you her full … | Continue reading
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023Whose side are you on? On the evening of October 25, his son had been shot and killed as part of the latest mass shooting event, this time in Lewiston, Maine.On the morning of October 27, the grieving father was interviewed on CNN. He said he refused to ha … | Continue reading
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2023Scarborough doesn't listen: Not long ago, Harvard president Claudine Gay offered some good, sound advice.Ir was part of a longer statement about events in Israel and in the Gaza Strip. The good, sound advice went like this:"We will all be well served in … | Continue reading
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2023A warning from Nicholas Kristof: We sometimes think that Nicholas Kristof tends to get out over his skis on certain specialized issues.We sometimes think that he tends to accept the findings of the people who get described as "experts." In some of those … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023Goodbye, calabazas: We hated to see Halloween go. It takes with it the start of the end to the daily pleasure we've taken from our neighborhood's displays of winter squash.As we noted yesterday, we're especially indebted to those cultivars which are "e … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023"Diversity" comes to Maine: On October 25, a 40-year-old man named Robert Card shot and killed at least 18 people at two separate locations in Lewiston, Maine.It has been said that Card had been "hearing voices" in the months leading up to this brutal e … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2023Halloween delights: As we noted just last week, it's our favorite passage from Walden:This is a delicious evening, when the whole body is one sense, and imbibes delight through every pore. I go and come with a strange liberty in Nature, a part of herself. … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2023Back in 2021, his comments were even stranger: Days earlier, his son had been killed in the Lewiston mass shooting event.As we noted yesterday, he himself was an elected official in nearby Auburn, Maine. For us, his comments to CNN's Poppy Harloe struck u … | Continue reading
MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2023In part, from doctored edits like this: As you may know, Karine Jean-Pierre is the current White House press secretary.Last week, she was accused—she was rather widely accused—of antisemitism on various Fox News programs. Below, you see the full exchange w … | Continue reading
MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2023Auburn, Maine resident speaks: First, Lewiston replaced the Middle East. Then, Matthew Perry replaced Lewiston.So it tends to go within the culture of round-the-clock "cable news." In all instances, coverage tends toward the "human interest" perspective—to … | Continue reading
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2023Mike Johnson on marrying pets: We'll grant you, it was a long time ago. But way back when, the new speaker of the House was concerned with a troubling possibility.He was afraid that a certain slippery slope might allow us the people to start marrying our … | Continue reading
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023Judge says that isn't enough: Reports about the legalities of congressional redistricting have been quite prevalent lately. In general, these reports have involved Republican redistricting efforts in various Southern states. Indeed, two such news reports a … | Continue reading
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023It's hard to "see others," he said: We have dwelt, for the past several days, upon what may seem to be a bit of a throw-away comment.The comment was offered by David Brooks. It appears deep inside a lengthy essay in Sunday's New York Times. In that lengthy … | Continue reading
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2023The Times and the fog of war: In wartime, we have the fog of war. At times, we may also have a certain lack of candor.Within the past week, various people have said various things about the bomb blast at the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City. This very … | Continue reading
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2023David Brooks focused on others: As we noted in Tuesday's report, the newly inaugurated President Lincoln had a better idea."We must not be enemies," he said in March 1861, at the very end of his inaugural address. "We are not enemies, but friends." Natio … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2023Today, it's the gender wage gap: Way back on October 19, Kevin Drum offered a post which included some information about the gender wage gap.Actually, his post reported some information about the gender earning gap. He offered a graphic which showed, am … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2023...by his reference to "national survival?" We've lost a chunk of time this morning, with a bit more time loss to come.For that reason, we'll offer only a very brief post concerning what Brooks has now said.As we noted yesterday, David Brooks has writte … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2023The Times makes a small deletion: Adam Grant is a good, decent person. According to the New York Times, he's "an organizational psychologist at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania." Also, he's the author of “Hidden Potential: The Science … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2023...once made by President Lincoln: President Lincoln said it first. His statement came at the very end of his first inaugural address:LINCOLN (3/4/61): I am loath to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have s … | Continue reading
MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2023...it's all anthropology now: In this report for The Atlantic, Graeme Wood describes scenes from the carnage which Hamas created on October 7.The footage was shown to the press by the IDF. In this passage, Wood describes a part of the 43-minute showing whi … | Continue reading
MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2023The lives of others: The New York Times' Sunday Review was unusually meaty this weekend.Several of the newspaper's regular columnists stated views concerning events in Israel. We started with Michelle Goldberg's warning concerning the difficulty—and the im … | Continue reading
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2023News alert from the Fox Crime Family: Last evening, as the end of his hour neared, Jesse Watters reported the latest bombshell.Watters has long been the smarmy, lower-IQ face of the next generation of primetime hosts at the Fox News Channel. Today, he ho … | Continue reading
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2023The lives of many children: "This war, this terrible war."So read headline on a column in the Missouri Ruralist. The date was August 1917. The column was written in reaction to the United States' entry into the so-called "Great War."In this morning's New Y … | Continue reading
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2023Things we may not know: We Americans! Even (or especially) within our blue tribe, we may sometimes overestimate the things we know and care about.It's been a while since we were asked to think about the Gaza Strip. The leading authority on the Strip offe … | Continue reading
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2023Vice Provost, heal thyself: Professor Emanuel was shocked, just shocked, by something that happened last week. We refer to Ezekiel Emanuel, a good and decent person. According to the New York Times, he's also "a physician and the vice provost for global … | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2023...made by an unnamed group: After the recent murderous attacks—after the hostage-taking was over—various people and various organizations offered various quick assessments.As we noted yesterday, it's hard to offer a perfect moral formulation in the fac … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2023Differently stated, Who didn't?: Who killed the hundreds of people at the hospital in Gaza? At present, opinions differ. This is the current state of play as reported by the New York Times:Israel and Hamas Blame Each Other for Blast at Gaza Hospital That … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2023Levitz said the same thing: In the beginning, it was Art Linkletter who discovered the basic fact.Kids say the darndest things, he reported, on live TV, back in the 1950s. He would even bring kids on his TV show to establish this basic finding.As it turns … | Continue reading
MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2023...by the lack of human discernment: Long ago, in war-torn Casablanca, Captain Renault was shocked to learn that gambling had been going on inside Rick's cafe.Renault gave voice to his astonishment twice; he said he was "shocked, shocked." This produced on … | Continue reading
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2023We humans attempt to reason: In our view, college football is always better when Stanford is good.Stanford was quite good in the recent past. It may be hard to recall at this point, but the Cardinal finished fourth in the nation in the A.P. poll after th … | Continue reading
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2023Also, what Hillary said: Is Steve Bannon tired of all the winning? Consider what the gent once said, way back in the early days:Bannon vows a daily fight for ‘deconstruction of the administrative state’The reclusive mastermind behind President Trump’s nati … | Continue reading
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023With apologies: With apologies, we remain appalled by the week's events. A bit too appalled to comment.We're inclined to say that the Bronze Age is back—the Bronze Age, and its sense of morality. | Continue reading
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2023...as the New World Order totters: The leading authority on the Iliad shares such insights as these:The Iliad, "a poem about Ilium (Troy)", is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literat … | Continue reading
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2023...and perhaps of dismay: We're afraid we've taken a day of mourning, and perhaps of dismay. | Continue reading
MONDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2023Why we can't have a sane world: Rhonda Garelick went to the finest schools, as this thumbnail makes plain:She received her doctorate, masters, and bachelor's degrees in French and comparative literature from Yale University, doing graduate work at the Unive … | Continue reading
MONDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2023Norman Brown's secret revealed: The episode seems to have started with an award to Christiane Amanpour. It was a thoroughly standard D.C. award. You can read about it in this public announcement, an announcement bearing this headline:Georgetown, Hillary Cli … | Continue reading
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2023Major meritocratic elite considers President Biden: According to Walter Isaacson, "There are a lot of reasons to be upset at the old meritocratic elite."In this submission at The Atlantic, three members of one such elite conduct a discussion of President … | Continue reading
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2023On balance, we pretty much don't: Could Joe Biden be re-elected next year?Needless to say, he could be!In a lengthy new column for the New York Times, David Brooks is trying to convince himself that President Biden will win. Again and again and again and ag … | Continue reading
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2023Scarborough briefly agrees: Scanning the playing field today, does anyone doubt that Norman O. Brown, crazed visionary that he was, may have had it right?Way back in 1960, he said it sometimes seemed to him that American civilization, such as it was, may b … | Continue reading