She’s out. Sara, now 77, was one of the two women who tried to shoot President Ford on separate occasions in September 1975. Moore tried it on September 22, 1975; Squeaky Fromme tried it earlier on September 5. Fromme, a Charles Manson devotee (unlike Moore, who had her own reasons), is still in prison. Moore’s shot missed Ford of course. … Read More
How About Them Red Sox Patriots Celtics?
Not a big basketball fan, but it is worth noting that the Celtics are off to a great seasonal start. An historical one, if trends continue. Right now, their winning percentage outpaces that of the 1995-96 Bulls, largely considered to be the best professional basketball team ever. I don’t know. The Red Sox took the World Series. The Patriots are … Read More
Recommended Reading
Slate’s Top Ten Bush Administration’s Dumbest Legal Arguments of the Year. It’s a doozy. Number one: 1. The United States does not torture. First there was the 2002 torture memo. That was withdrawn. Then there was the December 2004 statement that declared torture "abhorrent." But then there was the new secret 2005 torture memo. But members of Congress were fully … Read More
I Am Not Nostradamus
My 2007 predictions from last year (see this earlier post, dated December 26, 2006): The Red Sox will not win the World Series. This may not be a startling prediction, but it does serve a function: to prevent me from getting my hopes up. Wrong. Happily, wrong. The Patriots will not win the Super Bowl. I was right (I was … Read More
2008 Predictions
From Safire’s annual column. The rules: for each item, choose one, all or none.: 1. The business headline of the year will be: (a) Big Bounce to 15,000 Dow After Soft Landing (b) Recession Has Brokers Selling Apples for Five Euros on Wall Street (c) Subprime Mess Was Greatly Exaggerated (d) China Buys Boeing My guess: (a) 2. The Academy … Read More
Don’t Let The Bed Bugs Bite
According to the Daily News, there is an epidemic in New York: A bedbug epidemic has exploded in every corner of New York City – striking even upper East Side luxury apartments owned by Gov. Spitzer’s father, the Daily News has learned. The blood-sucking nocturnal creatures have infested a Park Ave. penthouse, an artist’s colony in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a $25 … Read More
Plays Well With Others
Nice article in the New York Times about the crop of Broadway shows this past year. The thrust is that star vehicles seem to have been decidely duds this year, while plays featuring ensemble acting are acquiring critical and box office success. Examples of the former include "Young Frankenstein". Example of the latter include "The Homcoming", "The Seafarer", "August: Osage … Read More
The Ten Most Anticipated Movies Of 2008
And — with the possible exception of Cloverfield — there’s not a single one I’m the slightest bit interested in seeing. Meanwhile, they omitted this movie, which I am interested in seeing: By the way, I largely agree with Heather about Sweeney Todd, although I have to say that Helena Bonham Carter was atrocious. I understand that she went a … Read More
A North Carolinian Canvasser Experiences New Hampshire
Yes, I know: If you’ve never seen New England blanketed with two feet of snow, you have missed out on one of life’s glories. The already picturesque towns and even the cities take on a Christmas card/gingerbread village look that, combined with the crisp coolness and fresh air, way surpasses the two-dimensional Currier and Ives. And when the snow is … Read More
Squandering America’s Leadership
Today’s New York Times editorial says everything that needs to be said in these four simple paragraphs: There are too many moments these days when we cannot recognize our country. Sunday was one of them, as we read the account in The Times of how men in some of the most trusted posts in the nation plotted to cover up … Read More
Forget Dropping Balls
The best New Year’s I’ve ever had was in Madrid Spain. In the Nocheviela ("Old Night") festivities, people gathered in the town plaza and, by tradition, ate a grape for each of the 12 bell tolls. You’re supposed to wear red underwear too — for good luck in the coming year — but I didn’t. A few days later my … Read More
About Time
They’re finally making the Fred Astaire-Cyd Charrise movie musical The Bandwagon (which features the song "That’s Entertainment") into a stage musical. Best of all, it looks like some of the film’s weakest moments were those which were added by the studio after Comden and Green left the project. The stage musical will be more faithful to the original movie that … Read More
Worst Cliches Of 2007
Michigan’s Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie compiled a list of overused and tiresome phrases and cliches after receiving thousands of submissions. It is suggested that we retire this phrases. They are as follows (in order from worst to not-as-worse): PERFECT STORM — a phrase used to describe any event that comes together as a result of other … Read More
Anything Happen When I Was Away?
Political assassinations? Tigers on the loose? Stuff like that? UPDATE: In case you missed, Channel 4 obtained new footage of the Bhutto assassination, showing that — contrary to the official government statement — she was struck by an assassin’s bullet before the bomb went off.
Sunday Night Propaganda
"Good Eating Habits"