Over at “Reason” magazine, Brian Doherty has the word (a long word) on the decision of software tycoon John McAfee to seek nomination for president on the Libertarian Party ticket in 2016. McAfee, who hasn’t been seen running armed and naked for a couple of years, had this to say, among other things: “I’m 70…
That perfidious Mr. Putin! Oh, wait, we’re doing it too!
The Washington Post, which seems to have it knickers permanently in a knot these days, is up in arms over a nasty little device the Russians have cooked up, an underwater nuclear drone, which might be used to do the following: “Russia appears to be creating a tactical nuclear weapon that could be slipped into…
Han versus Hoppy—Who was cooler?
I recently alluded to the fact that Hopalong Cassidy played a larger role in shaping my psyche than Han Solo. Well, that’s chronology, not coolness. Hoppy had Topper, a beautiful white horse that could do everything but sing, while Han had the Millennium Falcon. I’d call that a draw. Han had a Wookie, Chewbacca, for…
Cognitive Dissonance at the Washington Post
Last week, the Washington Post bitterly, and correctly, chastised the entire flock of Republican presidential candidates for their conduct at their most recent debate for remaining very largely mute while Donald Trump went on his now-standard war dance against folks who ain’t like us, and the Constitution, not to mention simple common human decency, be…
Too Old for Star Wars? You’re entitled.
I was in my early thirties when the original Star Wars was released. I thought it was a lot of fun, with a couple of major caveats. First, I thought R2D2 was waaay too derivative of Herbie the Love Bug. A garbage can that farts! Funny! And I thought I would have enjoyed the shoot…
Casual Christmas
I’ll be posting over the holidays, but not necessarily every day, unless I’m feeling exceptionally splenetic. To warm you, and myself, up, I’m posting “Hard Rock, Coco, and Joe,” a 1951 video that I watched as a kid. I’ve learned from the YouTube posting that this was developed by the “Garfield Goose” TV show in…
Jurassic Parks: Stevie and the Dinosaurs, Part 9
(NOTE: Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park series is one of the best franchises on film, particularly if you like dinosaurs. For the past several months I’ve been running a strikingly unbalanced review of the four films, because I’m a big fan of parts 1 & 3, while distinctly unenthusiastic over parts 2 & 4. Today’s chapter…
The “genius” of Paul Ryan: He gave Congress back its credit card!
Hey, that Paul Ryan is some operator, huh? The combined tax and spending package now careening through Congress–$1.1 trillion in spending and $600 billion in tax cuts, not a penny of them paid for–is passing with scarcely a whimper, much less a bang. Right-wingers who, a month or two before, were promising to fight to…
The foreign policy debate: Wouldn’t it be nice if we had one?
I realize that the recent terrorist attack in San Bernardino may forbid rational discussion of any topic for the next six months, or even longer. Still, wouldn’t be nice to have foreign policy discussion that consisted of more than a choice between Tweedle-Dick and Tweedle-Hillary? I mean, I’m not asking for six degrees of separation,…
Pseudo New Yorker
Legal humor here. “Two thumbs up? Sailor, in this man’s Navy brevity is still a virtue.” “Sailors don’t smile. They salute.” “Where’s his damn gob hat, sailor? If you are one.” “Old Iron Butt thinks you’re not giving it the right snap.” “Losing the wink was definitely a step in the right…