Legal humor here “Mr. Outside says he wants to give Mr. Inside a hug. And I say Mr. Inside better let him do it.” “I’m just sayin’, an empty suit is lookin’ pretty good to me right about now.” “In this town, Harry, appearance is reality. And, in your case, that can be a good…
Author: Alan Vanneman
Bernie Sanders or Bernie Trump?
Is Bernie Sanders squishy on immigration by accident or is he squishy on purpose? I guess it depends on what your definition of “squishy” is. Elise Foley and Daniel Marans at the Huffington Post give a rundown on Bernie’s recent comments, in which he’s both pushed for a path to naturalization for the millions of…
Barack Obama ignorant of history, says George Will, ignorantly
George F.—“F for Fabulous!”—Will has his definitive take on the proposed nuclear agreement with Iran. Like 97% of George’s columns, the real point here is not to say anything substantial about anything, but rather to allow George to look down his presumably Georgian nose at his inferiors, said inferiors, of course, being just about everyone…
What I know about Donald Trump that no one else does
How do you stop the Donald? He’s bigger than Bush! So what’s the Donald’s secret? My theory is that he’s the first, and so far the only, Republican to go full xenophobe. Sure, everyone hates illegal immigrants, but, since Reagan, free trade has been a mantra among Republicans. Now the Donald has dared to change…
Fyodor Dostoyevsky: Diagnostician or Disease?
Pankaj Mishra, whom I’ve previously praised, has an excellent, excellent article up at theguardian, as it calls itself these days, “How to think about Islamic State”, though it might better be called “Civilization and its Discontents, Neo-Liberal Edition,” because it treats the really world-wide complaints of those who aren’t making a decent living in the…
Pseudo New Yorker
Legal humor here “Am I Bachelor No. 1? Honey, I think you’re going to make that Bachelor No. 1 in a million.” “Yes, as a matter of fact, this was your mother’s idea.” “I’ll be a sort of tour guide for the natural wonders you’re about to behold.” “I come with the room.” “Who am…
Dizzy Gillespie quintet – 1960
Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet), Leo Wright (alto saxophone, flute), Junior Mance (piano), Art Davis (bass), Teddy Stewart (drums) Posted by p3ximus
Yo, Larry! Is this what you mean?
Larry Summers is, I think, not the only Ivy League economist to moan about the condition of American airports, most specifically those in the neighborhood of New York, New York. In a review mostly devoted to an excellent put-down of the pretensions of Thomas Piketty, Larry let out with the following cri de cœur: “Look…
Edward Gibbon, Part VII
In Part I of this near-random collection of jottings, I remarked that Edward Gibbon, despite his near-obsessive concern with politeness and polish, tells you more about the sex lives of historical figures than virtually any modern historian. I also remarked that his modern-day fans, despite their frequently amazing levels of erudition and enthusiasm, studiously avoid…
Thomas Friedman, still wanting to blow things up
Poor Thomas! He’s supporting Obama’s Iran deal, because, because, I guess, because the guys at the water cooler at the Times wouldn’t speak to him if he didn’t. Damn that peer group pressure! But Tom isn’t a total pussy. No way, John! According to Tom, once we make the deal with Iran, we include this…