Sometimes writing for a weekly newsmagazine means being willing to ask a dumb question. Writing Time‘s cover story this week on the sexual trespasses of Arnold Schwarzeneggar, Dominique Strauss-Kahn and other powerful who did not happen to specifically get into trouble this week, Nancy Gibbs, one of the best to ever write in this format, …
Rep. Paul Ryan‘s plan to replace Medicare with a voucher plan was killed by the Senate the otehr day when five GOP Senators voted against Ryan’s idea. On most political occasions, this blow would put an end to Ryan’s fifteen minutes of political fame, except for two things: one, the Democrats will now want to …
“What are we fighting for?” Country Joe and the Fish memorably queried. The question we need to ask today is “What are spending for?” In Slate, Fred Kaplan writes about Robert Gates, the departing Secretary of Defense, and a man who deserves his country’s gratitude for the thoughtful and professional way he has conducted his …
The American economy remains listless, unemployment remains appallingly high, our wars–wars!–meander on their bloody way, and a significant portion of the electorate doesn’t like the president and is angry about his leadership. At eighteen months away from an election, these elements would usually provide more than enough parts for the opposition party to think feel …
It feels odd to say, but it may well turn out to be the case that the major literary figure of my generation (or the one right after me, depending how thinly you’d like to slice the generational lines) is Aaron Sorkin. No one seems to have done a better job of capturing the underpinnings …
The US Marshals Service and the General Services Administration has begun the process of auctioning off some of the personal effects of Theodore Kaczynski, the infamous Unabomber. There are 58 lots in the auction, which ends June 2; the bidding can be followed (and entered) here. The lots include banal items like a hatchet and …
Donald Trump‘s presidential publicity stunt reached its natural and entirely predictable denouement yesterday when, boosted by press coverage generated by yet another pretend flirtation with a political campaign, his reality television show was renewed by a hit-starved NBC. For a good example of the news media’s maddeningly narcissistic role in our national political life, see …
At a Paul Simon concert in Toronto last week, a Newfoundland woman named Rayna Ford called out for Simon to play “Duncan,” saying that it was the song on which she learned to play guitar. Perhaps feeling groovey, in any event feeling light-hearted, Simon promptly invited Ford onstage to pay the song. The video records …
Yesterday was a beautiful day for predicting the end of the world. Apparently life as we know it will come to an abrupt halt a week from tomorrow. That, at least, is the opinion of Harold Camping, a preacher from Oakland, California. At about 6pm (PST, I’m assuming), he is predicting that about two percent …
SEVENTH AVENUE & 33RD STREET, MAY 12th, 12:35 PM Read More »