INTRODUCTION This is the 15th episode of “James Thurber, A Reader’s Guide,” a rambling consideration of Thurber’s works, examining his life and work in some detail. Generally, these appear every Friday. The links to the first part and the most recent part are given below. Part 15 concludes my discussion of Thurber’s The Middle-Aged Man…
Liberals and the war in Iraq: still not getting it
Frank Rich has an article in New York that pivots off the publication of The Last Magazine, the posthumous novel of deceased journalist Michael Hastings that, as Rich tells it, chastises those liberals who supported the Bush Administration’s invasion of Iraq in 2003: It’s the default position of liberals to lay the blame for this…
Is Obama a realist? Well, that depends on what your definition of “reality” is
Over at the American Conservative, Daniel Larison struggles manfully, as is his wont, over the minutiae of American foreign policy, in particular whether President Obama is a “realist.” Quite reasonably, he concludes that he isn’t. Realists don’t start pointless wars, as President Obama did by launching an air assault on a harmless country (Libya) because,…
Pseudo New Yorker
Legal humor here. “I guess I need about ten bucks in really tiny quarters.” “Send up a left hand, because this kid hasn’t got one.” “If I hear Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody one more time I’m going to puke.” “He says he won’t play ‘Feelings’ because it always makes him cry. So, basically, I want my…
James Thurber, A Reader’s Guide, Part 14
INTRODUCTION This is the 14th episode of “James Thurber, A Reader’s Guide,” a rambling consideration of Thurber’s works, examining his life and work in some detail. Generally, these appear every Friday. The links to the first part and the most recent part are given below. Part 14 continues my discussion of Thurber’s The Middle-Aged Man…
Charles Krauthammer amazes me
I thought Charle was without scruple when it came to attacking President Obama. Well, I was wrong. Krautbammer has backed the Bergdahl deal when all the other attack dogs on the right were in full cry. Charlies surely didn’t have to do this, but he did. The K-Man has class! I’m impressed!
“As my paranoia deepened, I became convinced that I had died and no one was telling me”—Maureen Dowd
Freddie Hubbard and Johnny Griffin: “Well You Needn’t”
Freddie Hubbard Johnny Griffin at the Blue Note Mt.Fuji Jazz Festival in 1986. Posted by cminor7add9th All jazz videos here
Obama bad, Republicans good!
Yes, I am trying to drive traffic these days. Why do you ask? I can’t help beating up on the president, thanks to his new proclamation on “carbon pollution”—that is to say, pollution that is not pollution—because the new regs the president is pushing are intended to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide, which does…
Pseudo New Yorker
Legal humor here. “Listen up, Walter! It’s the Future talking!” “Mr. Yin, meet Mr. Yang. There, I’ve done my job.” “See? He’s really sorry and he wants to make up.” “I know that if you shake hands you’ll both disappear. That’s kind of the deal.” “It’s not just a talking suit, Walter. It’s a talking…