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MILT'S FILE
March 2002

March 29, 2002:
THE LATEST FROM RAMALLAH. This AP dispatch (at 3PM, our time) has the most detail we can find. We will, of course, be going after more news and opinion on this latest turn in the Israel-Palestine situation. We welcome your e-mails on these matters and will be posting some on this site: extension720@tribune.com.
http://news.independent.co.uk/

HA'ARETZ ON THE ISRAELI ACTION. This commentary is from one of the leading Israeli newspapers--and it came through only about an hour ago (i.e. at 2:45PM).

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/

A COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE BIBLE. We came upon this very interesting piece by a former, high-ranking member of the CIA. It has bearing not only on intelligence operations against terrorism networks but also on the nations that continue to spy on us.
http://www.cia.gov/

HERE'S SOMETHING TO TAKE YOUR MIND OFF PRESENT GLOBAL TROUBLES! Since things are as messy as ever between nations, what about possible ultimate relations between us and "extraterrestrials"? A fine, thought-provoking article raising the question of whether we are alone in the universe--and if not, what does God have to do with it.
http://www.firstthings.com/

FOUR OLD JAZZMEN FROM NEW ENGLAND! These veterans do fine performances of traditional jazz. "Closer Walk With Thee" is my favorite--but try them all.
http://www.libertyhall.com/sndalt.html

March 28, 2002:
AN ARAB CRITIQUE OF ARAFAT. Another opinion piece from a leading Arab journalist in the leading Saudi newspaper. The point appears to be Arafat should never have dealt with the Israelis until they were effectively destroyed!
http://www.arabnews.com/

AND WHAT ABOUT SADDAM? A former member of the National Security Council weighs in. This has just appeared in Foreign Affairs, the establishment journal in which policy perspectives are often signalled in advance.
http://www.foreignaffairs.org/

NEW WAYS OF WAGING WAR. Fallows is one of the best journalists the country has. Here he presents some surprising "inside dope" about how strategy and tactics changed during the Afghan war.
http://www.theatlantic.com/

MORE ON THE MODERN USE OF AIR POWER. This comes from the same new issue of The Atlantic as Fallows' article and it makes some closely related points. Taken together, these two articles teach us much about the changing face of war as we must fight it.
http://www.theatlantic.com/

A PURELY LITERARY PIECE. Here is an excellent essay that we found in the Hudson Review: a fine biographical and critical appreciation of Thackeray--a great writer not now read as often or as fully as he should be.
http://www.hudsonreview.com/

MOZART'S MUSICAL JOKE. Do you get it? Whether you do or not, you will get pleasure from this performance at the San Diego Mozart Festival.
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/

EMAIL OF THE DAY
We received this from a listener regarding our 3/26 program on the scandal in the Catholic Church:

One of the guests mentioned that the Church will someday undergo some sort of sea change once a new Pope is elected. That change is already happening, albeit slowly, under the current Pope. Let me explain.

Last May my brother, who is a married 'empty-nester,' was ordained as a Deacon along with 20 other men. Nineteen (19) were married men who were also 'empty nesters.' All of the new Deacons were from Chicago. The day before these Deacon ordinations, three seminarians were ordained as Priests. All three seminarians were from Third World countries. We rob the Third World of its future supply of Physicians, Engineers, and Scientists. Now we go after their supply of Priests.

The supply of Priests are there. They are the 'empty nesters' who are more than qualified by life experiences to minister quite well to a flock. Incidentally there is a married Priest already in the diocese of Joliet. He is a converted Lutheran minister who became a Priest. It is starting and once the ball gets rolling, it will gain speed and we will see a Priest shortage disappear.


March 27, 2002:
WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE! Bobby Burns said: "Would that God would give us the gift to see ourselves as others see us." The internet has given us that gift--and here is a leading Saudi journalist perceiving us through a sandstorm darkly.
http://www.arabview.com/

SECURITY VS. PRIVACY IN AN AGE OF TERRORISM. Should we or shouldn't we have a national identification system? We say "yes". What do you say? E-mail is welcome on this issue
: extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.foxnews.com/

BUT WHY DID JOHN NASH ACTUALLY GET THE NOBEL PRIZE? An old friend of ours, Simon Singh, in this article from The New Statesman, explains what the man with the "beautiful mind" actually did as a mathematician.
http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/

WHAT PRICE REALITY RADIO? This one is offered without further comment. But it does bear thinking about.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/

A FINE, ECLECTIC COLLECTION OF GREAT "POPULAR" MUSIC. Check out: 'Just a Closer Walk with Thee'; 'Bad, Bad Leroy Brown'; and Artie Shaw's 'Frenesi'.
http://www.trellis.net/

March 26, 2002:
IRAQI CONNECTION TO OKLAHOMA BOMBING? That is the thesis developed here in an important article from Insight magazine. Does this sound plausible to you? Let us know by e-mail to: extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.insightmag.com/

SALMAN RUSHDIE AND CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS UNDER LEFT ASSAULT. This piece by Rushdie, who visited Extension 720 just prior to 9/11, reveals a great deal about the persisting anti-Americanism of the European left. Rushdie remains a brave man and a special resource. (He is still targeted by "Fatwah".)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/

THE SECRET IS OUT! How do ordinary books get such enthusiastic blurbs? Bill Buckley reveals all--or almost all. One does wonder whether his frequent blurby enthusiasms are all based on actual reading.
http://www.nationalreview.com/

THE OSCARS: CORRUPTED BY RACIAL POLITICAL CORRECTNESS? That is the view taken in this strong piece from The Wall Street Journal. What do you think? We welcome your opinions. Just send them to:
extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/

BORIS GUDUNOV. A great performance by the Kirov company of Mussorgsky's masterpiece.
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/


March 25, 2002:
NEED SOMETHING TO WORRY ABOUT? Try this story from USA Today. As Casey Stengel plaintively asked: "Don't nobody here know how to play this game?"
http://www.usatoday.com/

KISSINGER ON THE TERRORIST THREAT: This speech was give to a British think tank some months ago. It remains avery important document and should be closely read by anyone who wants to understand our present situation. (requires Acrobat)
http://www.cps.org.uk/kissinger.pdf

DAVID HOROWITZ EVALUATES GEORGE W. BUSH. Horowitz, who has been on Extension 720 a number of times, is one of the country's most outspoken conservative commentators and he doesn't admire too many people. But his encomium for Bush, as given here, is unstinting.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/

READ WITH MANY GRAINS OF SALT. We have just discovered a rather intelligently amusing site. Here is one of their recent postings.
http://www.satirewire.com/

MENDELSSOHN'S PIANO TRIO NO. 2. As performed just last year at Bologna University.
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/


March 22, 2002:
THE VIEWS OF ONE AMERICAN-PALESTINIAN JOURNALIST. Hanania, once a presence on Chicago radio, has, to say the least, "interesting views". Here he urges that Arafat "should allow the fanatics their time to reek (sic: surely he means "wreak") havoc on Israel and bring the Israelis to their moral knees..."
http://palestinechronicle.com/

WHAT DO CICERO, BENEDICT ARNOLD, GRAHAM GREENE, KIM PHILBY AND JONATHAN POLLARD HAVE IN COMMON? An interesting article from the Israeli newspaper, Ha'Aretz about an important new study by a leading Israeli academic.
http://www.haaretz.co.il/

FREE SPEECH ON THE AMERICAN CAMPUS IS CONSTANTLY THREATENED. And FIRE, an organization on whose board I serve, is an active watchdog of campus violations of first amendment rights. Here is their web page. Do particularly check out the stories about West Virginia University and the University of California at Berkeley.
http://www.thefire.org/index.php3

JUDGE POSNER ON PLAGIARISM. With the two well-known historians accused of plagiarism in mind, Federal Judge Richard Posner, a rather frequent guest on Extension 720, here examines the historicity of plagiarism itself.
http://www.theatlantic.com/

IN DEFENSE OF THE CELEBRITY ACADEMIC? An interesting piece from last week's Economist that, while acknowledging the shortcomings of "celebrity" professors, finds a few substantial virtues as well.
http://www.economist.com/

BOSTON MUSIC PROFESSORS GROOVE WELL. These fellows manage to swing with some standards. They all teach at the Berklee College of Music.
http://www.showgigs.com/

March 21, 2002:
TOLERANCE (AND INTOLERANCE) IN ISLAM. Here is an important article on that subject by an Islamic scholar. The original appeared in the Boston Review. It is followed by a number of other articles in response to the first. They are all worth reading and pondering and are linked below.
http://bostonreview.mit.edu/
Hashmi's response to El Fadl

Wadud's response to El Fadl
Esposito's response to El Fadl
El Fadl's response to the commentaries on his article

THE AMERICANS AND THE ARABS. A follow-up of sorts: this week's cover "leader" in The Economist addresses the crucial issue of U.S. relations with the Arab world.
http://www.economist.com/

SPOHR AT ST. JAMES CHURCH. A beautiful performance of Louis Spohr's Quintet in C-Minor, performed in London in the early '80s.
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/

March 20, 2002:
THE RACIAL MUSINGS OF CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS. The opening of this piece by one of our favorite leftists does rather tie back to the topic of our "Racial Profiling" converation of last Monday night.
http://www.thenation.com/

WHAD' HE SAY? The Postmodernism Generator is a site (at Monash University in Australia) that generates absolute nonsense articles in the postmodernist mode. This is NOT one of those; rather it is a real essay published in a "respectable" academic journal--though, to be sure, by a young philosophy graduate student in Australia. If you can derive meaning from it and advise us as to that meaning, we will happily publish your interpretation at:
extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.ul.ie/~philos/vol5/derrida.html

MUCH MORE THAN A BOOK REVIEW. In the form of an analysis of a recent book that has had a lot of "good press", Brian Anderson here levels an effective "j'accuse" at the American crypto-Marxist left.
http://www.firstthings.com/

THE PEDOPHILE SCANDAL. The Roman Catholic archdioceses of Boston, Bridgeport, Los Angeles and possibly New York and Chicago are caught up in this problem. Pete Hamill, an old friend of ours, is probably the leading columnist in New York and his views likely speak for multitudes. By the way, we will try to address this issue with a special program next week.
http://www.nydailynews.com/

THE PUTATIVE FATHER OF JAZZ. Jelly Roll Martin used to make that claim. He was, at any rate, one of the greatest jazz men--and here are some wonderful recordings done toward the end of his career. "Sweet Substitute" and "Big Lip Blues" feature wonderful vocals by him.
http://www.redhotjazz.com/jrmss.html


March 19, 2002:
TENET, DIRECTOR OF THE CIA, ON SADDAM HUSSEIN. It does look as if the administration is keeping its "oust-Hussein" plan on the front burner.
http://www.upi.com/

A STRONG ESSAY ON ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS. Gelernter is the Yale professor who was injured by the Unabomber. He is also a very serious student of international affairs. What do you think of his observations in this article? Send your evaluation to:
extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/

WHITHER THE HUNDRED DOLLAR LUNCH? Extortionist, affected restaurants are on the decline in San Francisco? Are there comparable developments in Chicago. Your opinion is welcome at:
extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.story.news.yahoo.com/

THE CHEAPENING OF THE PhD. This sounds pretty accurate to the host of Extension 720, "Dr." M. Rosenberg.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/

A FINE, YOUNG BLUEGRASS BAND. The lost Posse Band gives fine performances of some standards in a style influenced by Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley.
http://www.lostposse.com/RealAudio.html

March 18, 2002:
AL QUEDA'S NUCLEAR PLANS. An interesting story from Manila where FBI Chief Mueller has been visiting and scaring the natives.
http://www.reuters.com/

PIPES ON KNOCKING OVER SADDAM. Dan Pipes, a rather frequent guest on Extension 720, is a Middle-East expert with strong, clear views. Here he expresses himself on the Iraq question in no uncertain terms. Do you agree or disagree? Send an opinionated e-mail to us at
: extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.nypost.com/


BRITISH ANTI-AMERICANISM. A leading writer for the London Times examines the phenomenon and explains why it is not only wrong but dangerous for the UK and for Europe.
http://www.spectator.co.uk/


TRUTH AT A PREMIUM...because lying seems now to be so common. This piece, by the editor of The Wall Street Journal, spares neither church nor university. Have moral standards in public performance really declined or are we merely paying closer attention since Clinton? Opinions would be welcome at: extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/

AND SPEAKING OF PLAGIARISM. This article gives the definitive word on the subject by borrowing many words.
http://www.sciam.com/

A BEAUTIFUL VIOLIN SONATA. Arnold Bax was an early 20th century composer and was unaffected by serialism and other anti-melodic innovations. This is one of his best compositons and here it is very movingly performed.
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/


March 15, 2002:
THE FUTURE OF CULTURAL RELATIVISM. Here's an interesting thought: some cultures may be better than others--and ours may be better than "theirs". Read this interesting article and give us your reactions in e-mail to extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0314/p15s02-ussc.htm

INSIDE NORTH KOREA. The official news agency of the last Stalinist nation on earth reads a bit like a satire of the reports that Pravda used to put out 40 years ago. Particularly impressive is Kim Jong Il's inspection of the noodles eaten by his crack troops. The paramount leader is, as was Stalin, a loving father to his loyal people.
http://www.kcna.co.jp/contents/14.htm#1

ISLAM IN AMERICA. This is a cultish, and possibly dangerous, branch of Islam of which most Americans are unaware. The article bears reading and pondering.
http://www.weeklystandard.com

JOHN LEO ON MEDIA BIAS. Taking off on Bernard Goldberg's surprise best-seller, Leo--always a sharp commentator--points up just how one-sided the American press (both print and electronic) can be these days.
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/020318/opinion/18john.htm

MENDELSSOHN'S PIANO TRIO, NUMBER 2: A great chamber work performed here by musicians from the Orchestra of the Teatro Comunale in Bologna.
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/classical/work.asp?id=1985&cmp=

March 14, 2002:
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE AMERICAN LEFT? Walzer is one of the best of the contemporary "public intellectuals" and in this forthcoming article he offers a very well-ponted analysis of the decline of the left.
http://www.dissentmagazine.org/wwwboard/wwwboard.shtml

IS BJORN LOMBERG RIGHT? His name came up in our conversation about climate and ecology on Monday night. Here is a former Green Peace activist who now, on the basis of his statistical analysis, thinks that the environment is improving!
http://www.sfgate.com/

A CURIOUS APPEAL FROM ISRAEL. In the old days says this Jerusalem Post columnist, even American gangsters supported Israel. Now where is the help from our brethren abroad, he asks, in our time of ultimate endangerment. How do you feel about this sort of appeal? Express yourself through e-mail to extension720@tribune.com.
http://cgis.jpost.com/

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS IN THE BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL. The author, Theodore Dalrymple, has been a guest on Extension 720 and is always good for an indignation-rousing story in his frequent articles in City Journal.
http://www.city-journal.org/html/eon_2_25_02td.html

BENNY GOODMAN LEADS A BAND AT AGE 19! A fine jazz man at the beginning of his recording career. Among thew players is another great Chicago musician, Bud Freeman.
http://www.redhotjazz.com/bgb.html

March 13, 2002:
IS THIS THE WAY SADDAM ENDS? This story from a leading British newspaper is, to say the least, interesting--if reliable.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/

PRESIDENTS: DO JOURNALISTS EVER GET IT RIGHT? Here's an interesting book review from the leftoid--but intelligent--Village Voice.
http://www.villagevoice.com/

CAN THE EXPORT OF VULGARITY SAVE THE WEST? This article from Reason, a libertarian journal, suggests that offensive, mass culture--particularly of the musical variety--brings down authoritarian and fanatic regimes. Does Freund seem to be on to something here?
http://www.reason.com/

WHO DESERVES RESIDENCE AND CITIZENSHIP? Certain observers (Peter Brimelow and Pat Buchanan among others) are very concerned over the flooding of the country by unassimilated immigrants. This bill would probably assist that pattern of social change. Read this important story and give us your views by e-mail so that we may post them here.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/

GREAT GOSPEL MUSIC. Performed by Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Alison Krauss and the Staples Singers. This site is the find of the month, so far.
http://dapatchy.com/gospel/

March 12, 2002:
THE LEFT AND THE WAR. Why are leftists like the editors of the New Statesman surprised to find that intelligent but independent leftists support the war against terrorism? Here is an intersesting piece along those lines from Britain's leading left-oriented journal of opinion.
http://www.consider.net/

A WONDERFUL ARTICLE: This is one I am really enthusiastic about and I urge you to read it. I know of no better analysis and vindication of western culture as compared to the other varieties.
http://www.newcriterion.com/

TIT FOR TAT. As for the Arab nations' opinions of the U.S.--it seems to work both ways. Here are the summary results of a survey of American opinion toward the Arab world and its denizens.
http://www.usatoday.com/

ARE YOU UP ON YOUR ISLAMIC THEOLOGY? Here is a primer from an American Islamic site. It will acquaint you with the severities and final truths of Islam as interpreted by modern fundamentalists.
http://www.ummah.com/pillars/

THE ROAD TO SALVATION. From the same source as the previous message--here is a guide to the achievement of everlasting glory--wahabbi style.
http://www.ummah.com/sunnah/

THE DOMESTIC LIFE OF OSAMA. If we are to believe that this woman is one of his four wives, the following account is of inevitable interest.
http://www11.cnn.com/

ARGENTINIAN TANGO. And, again, now for something completely different--Argentinian tango!
http://www.geocities.com/Baja/3061/realzone.html

March 11, 2002:
ON THE GROUND. A gripping account here of the unexpectedly fierce battle of Shah-i-Kot, six months to the day after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Though the al-Queda body count continues to rise, its fanaticism against a clearly superior force is troubling and shows just what kind of enemy we are facing.
http://www.time.com/

IRAQ: A STRANGE SIDEBAR. Might there be an American P.O.W. alive in Iraq, over 11 years since the end of the Gulf War? If so, Lt. Cmdr. Michael Scott Spiecher has been imprisoned far longer than any P.O.W. in Vietnam--and another curveball has entered into our 'dealings' with the Iraqis.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/
http://webcenter.newssearch.netscape.com/

BALANCING (ACADEMIC) FREEDOM AND SECURITY. In these times of clear and present danger, how much should any liberties within the academic community be curtailed for the sake of security? Especially within the fields of biological and chemical science, the question has an immediate urgency.
http://www.economist.com/

STRAUSS: FOUR LAST SONGS. Richard Strauss' 'Vier letzte Leider', as performed in St. Petersburg by the Kirov Orchestra, 1998.
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/


March 8, 2002:
IRAQ AND THE ALLIES. Though the decision to strike Iraq may not yet have been made, it is clear that the Bush administration is feeling out the allies for support (or at least tacit approval) in the event of military action. These two pieces analyze what is being done and how successfully.
http://www.economist.com/
http://www.brookings.edu/

THE BLOODIEST DAY. A horrific day in the Middle East. Will the bloody trail end with all-out war?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/

NIXON REVELATIONS. Richard Nixon accomplished some great things in the White House, but was doomed by his obsessions. Several new tapes were released this week, with yet more juicy tidbits about the 37th President of the United States. Hear some of these tapes (along with those of JFK, LBJ, and more) tonight as we look at the Presidential Recordings Project with its director Tim Naftali.
http://www.nytimes.com/

SCHUBERT'S UNFINISHED 8TH. Some of the greatest musical works are "unfinished". One need go no further than Schubert's 8th, here performed at the Royal Festival Hall in London, to justify this comment.
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/

March 7, 2002:
HALF A YEAR LATER. The Economist described September 11 as, simply, "the day the world changed." What is that publication's take on the war against terrorism after six months? Read on...
http://www.economist.com/

ANALYZING THE ISRAELI ARMY. John Keegan is renowned as one of the premier military historians in the world. Less well-known, but equally distinguished, is Martin van Creveld of Hebrew University in Jerusalem. In this opinion piece from the UK Telegraph, Keegan analyzes, with much sympathy, van Creveld's recent commentary on the deficiencies of the IDF.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

A FALSE ALARM. Apparently, the intelligence "source" that warned of a missing Russian nuclear weapon in terrorist hands was a complete fraud. Nevertheless, even the possibility of such a nightmare scenario should make us eternally vigilant.
http://www.cnn.com/

CAMPAIGN FINANCE: THE DEBATE CONTINUES. This column from the Brookings Institute appeared in the latest issue of Roll Call. A well-reasoned look at the less than earth-shattering impact of recent legislation.
http://www.brookings.edu/

MORE BRAHMS. Here's his Piano Concerto #2, beautifully performed at a recent concert in Hong Kong.
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/

March 6, 2002:
THE BATTLE CONTINUES... Recent events have shown that the bloodshed in Afghanistan will continue for some time. These three reports detail the unfinished campaign and why we may need to send more troops to finish the job.
http://www.economist.com/
http://www.nytimes.com/
http://www.thisislondon.com/

A 'DIRTY BOMB': WHAT KIND OF THREAT? A growing concern amongst U.S. officials is the possibility that terrorist groups could acquire or build a so-called 'dirty bomb'--essentially, any conventional device able to disperse radiological material. However, as this column points out, the effects of such a weapon would probably prove more psychological than physical.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/

SECURING THE HOMELAND. Last night, we discussed homeland security and counterterrorism. How is the new executive office faring? Here are the President's proposed strategy and budget initiatives for homeland security.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/

CLAPTON'S GREATEST. A real find! Here's an outstanding selection of Eric Clapton's best, including 'Layla', 'Bellbottom Blues', and 'Sunshine of Your Love'.

http://www.geocities.com/slowhand_mh/real.html

March 5, 2002:
DO YOU READ ARABIC? If not this article from The Weekly Standard will fill you in on some important material.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/

THE PUBLIC OPINION DIMENSION OF THE WAR. Here's what they think of us and what we think of them. Civilizational conflict, anyone?
http://www.gallup.com/

IS SHARON UP TO THE CRISIS? Tom Rose, publisher of the Jerusalem Post, and a former guest on Extension 720, thinks not. Here is an interesting piece from the current Weekly Standard.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/

AN OPERA FEST! Sponsored by Placido Domingo and featuring wonderful young singers. This one is available only till March, 22nd.
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/

March 4, 2002:
THE PRESENT DANGER AS VIEWED BY TIME. This article, from the coming issue of Time magazine, adds further perspective on the dangers we may be facing.
http://www.time.com/


THE PRESENT NUCLEAR DANGER: ANOTHER VIEW. Some signs are very troubling and suggest that Al Queda and other terrorist groups may be planning a nuclear assault. This is crucial reading.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/

THE SAUDI PROPOSAL: A CRITICAL APPRAISAL. Events in the Middle East over the last few days may have already rendered the Saudi peace proposal irrelevant. But if not, this piece offers a skeptical view of the Crown Prince's true motives.
http://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/

BACK TO BEETHOVEN. You can't go wrong with Beethoven's 1st Symphony. Here's a wonderful rendition from one of our favorite sites.
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/


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