An interesting take from The Huffington Post on the inroads that have been made into civil liberties in recent years and their parallels in the past. I recall the passage of that 1978 act, not least because my father was so pissed off and made his displeasure clear during the nightly evening news. Echoes of England's Star Chamber, I've always ( Read more... )

A quote for you. Try to guess the speaker and approximate year before you sneak down to find the answer.

In this kind of complex and confusing world, you can't tell very much about the why of the news in broadcasts where only three minutes is available for news. The only man who could do that was Elmer Davis, and his kind aren't about any more. ( Read more... )

Generally a good weekend. I've had to postpone my Union Square shopping trip until next Saturday, but I compensated with some good discount poking around this past fin de semana. A few more things to do, but I feel that I've accomplished most of my gift-oriented goals.

One of my friends couldn't recall seeing my review of Fairport Convention's ( Read more... )

I spent most of yesterday working, but I found myself frequently occupied by thoughts about what my grandfather and father experienced on December 7, 1941. They were living in Manoa Valley (just outside of Honolulu) at the time, and from what I've been told my grandfather was carrying my father in his arms when they looked up to see Japanese ( Read more... )

Dungeness crab season! I was thrilled to finally get my first crustacean of the winter, though a bit late. Some Pugliese bread and a very large napkin accompanied my extremely messy yet delicious meal.

A quote from Morley Safer's CBS Evening News report from Cam Ne (a village that American troops essentially destroyed) in 1965:

The action ( Read more... )

My favorite part of the Thanksgiving cooking spree, as I've mentioned earlier. The soup came out very well and I'll be having it tomorrow night and saving some for a good friend.

Just a heads-up... Through December 31, Shadow 2 data backup software is being offered as a promotional special for 99 cents. There's more about the offer at the end ( Read more... )

As a collector of historical newspapers and a huge fan of Nicholson Baker's work, both his fiction and his efforts on behalf of preservation, I was heartened to see that he's donating his newspapers to a place that will cherish and maintain them for years to come. I am hoping I'll have children who will appreciate what I've collected, but if not I ( Read more... )

A fun little piece in this morning's Washington Post on Dubya impersonators.

I've collected quite a bit of stuff over the years, but I'm not yet ready for a mountain fortress. Looks like a delightfully camp place to visit, however.

I know that at least one of my regular readers will enjoy this article about a Jeff Buckley memorial tribute that's ( Read more... )

A nice Tom Shales piece on Ted Koppel's retirement. Another interesting perspective is here, courtesy of David Zurawik in the Baltimore Sun. I've been watching Nightline since the show first aired during the Iranian hostage crisis, and I've always been entertained and, more importantly, informed by it. I wish the best of luck to Mr. Koppel in ( Read more... )

It occurred to me tonight while watching "The News Hour with Jim Lehrer" that I'm entranced by political evasions and misstatements of fact. CIA director Porter Goss has claimed that the interrogations the agency carries out are not torture. From a Reuters wire report:

"This agency does not do torture. Torture does not work," Goss said. "We use ( Read more... )