MILT'S
FILE
August
29, 2003:
THERE'S NO FORD IN OUR FUTURE, BUT HOW ABOUT ANOTHER
CLINTON? We kid you not and Richard Reeves, an old friend and
not infrequent guest on Extension 720, isn't kidding either. Here's
his column as printed around the country yesterday.
http://richardreeves.com/
AND
SPEAKING OF LATE ENTRANTS IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES...Yes, Virginia
there may be another Democratic contender from Arkansas. After
all Eisenhower went from Supreme Allied Commander of NATO to the
Presidency. So why not Wesley Clark? Amy Sullivan, in this article
from the current Washington Monthly thinks it might well
happen. Even if Madam Senator Clinton enters?
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/
WILL
MUSLIMS BECOME THE MAJORITY IN ITALY, FRANCE AND/OR SPAIN? Some
demographers predict just that. others disagree. But, either way,
they are becoming a major presence and that is having--and will
have--great consequences. The question is examined here in an
essay by Michael Vlahos, a leading academic security studies specialist.
http://www.techcentralstation.com/
OBVIOUSLY WE'RE IN THE WRONG BUSINESS. Now if the CEO of the New
York Stock Exchange were paid on a performance basis, would he
be getting a lump sum of $139,000,000? This curiously informative
article is from the Financial Times.
http://news.ft.com/
WILL
YOU STILL LAUGH ME WHEN YOU'RE SIXTY-THREE? In other words, does
the sense of humor decay with age? Here is some possibly relevant
research as reported yesterday in the U.K. Guardian.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
AND
SPEAKING OF AGE AND THE SENSE OF HUMOR....how well does Art Buchwald
hold up as a "funny guy" columnist? Here's his latest
as published in the Washington Post. Kicking a President
around is, after all, a standard routine for American comics.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
TIME
FOR ANOTHER POST-MODERNIST LITERARY ESSAY. This one explains Thomas
Pynchon, no less! And like all others in the series it ia absolute
nonsense and was generated by a Booleian program in a computer
at an Australian university.
http://www.elsewhere.org/
KEEPING
DIVERSTIY ALWAYS IN MIND! A truly sensitive artist gets it right!
Or does the fact that this is from The Onion leave you
a little doubtful?
http://www.theonion.com/
THE
ST.LOUIS BLUES PLAYED BY THE MAN WHO WROTE IT! W.C. Handy had
his own band in Memphis a long time ago. And here they are doing
his tune and three other vintage blues.
http://redhotjazz.com/
August 28, 2003:
ADD THIS TO LAST NIGHT'S DISCUSSION.
This op-ed piece from the English edition of the Israeli newspaper,
Ha'Aretz, covers the same ground as our discussants did
last night. But the overview is a bit more pragmatic and less
passionate.
http://www.haaretz.com/
AND
SPEAKING OF MIDDLE EAST PEACE. Could the road map be printed in
musical notation? And did you know what the conductor of the CSO
was up to? This rather heartening story is from the Reuters Agency.
http://reuters.com/
A HARDLINE ANALYSIS FROM A FORMER DEFENSE UNDERSECRETARY. This
fellow argues--not unpersuasively--that Syria, Iran and Saudi
Arabia are keeping the terrorism going in Iraq.
http://www.nationalreview.com/
GENIUSES
AND IDIOTS WORKING IN A SEMI-SECRET GROUP AT THE PENTAGON...and
often the geniuses and idiots are the same people. This fascinating
account from the Los Angeles Times will introduce you
to the works and ways of the folks at DARPA.
http://www.latimes.com/
THE
NEWLY-FREED TERRORIST. On Monday we linked to the news story about
Kathy Boudin's parole. Here is an article about her as published
two years ago in the New Yorker. Should this woman be
allowed out of prison?
http://www.newyorker.com/
ABOUT
THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH.
Tom Sowell, who counts as one of the leading black conservative
intellectuals reflects on what was wrong with the commemoration--and
on what's wrong with many black leaders today. Sowell is a resident
fellow at the Hoover Institution.
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/
WHAT
GEORGI DIMITROV REMEMBERED AND ULTIMATELY REVEALED. The Bulgarian
Communist dictator kept a diary! It had some great stories and
here are a few of them as reported by Robert Fulford in the Canadian
National Post.
http://www.nationalpost.com/
OWENS
ON KAGAN ON THE PELOPPONESIAN WAR. This very well-informed and
insightful review of the book by one of our favorite gursts has
just appeared. Owens is a staff member at the Naval War College
where Milt once served for a brief time long ago.
http://www.ashbrook.org/
WHAT'S
THE SAT REALLY WORTH? WHOSE RUNNING THE REVISIONIST FRAUD? These
and other questions relating to the institutional "life of
the mind" are covered at a great site run by the National
Association of Scholars. Here are the most current mini-essays.
http://nas.org/
RITE OF SPRING. Stravinsky's controversial
symphonic work caused a riot at its premiere and changed music
forever. Though it is not always pleasing to the ear, its power
is undeniable and surely does awake the primitive in all of us.
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/
August
27, 2003:
THE GENERATIONAL STRUGGLE AMONG THE IRAQI
SHIITES. This is a valuably informative article from the New
York Times--the sort of thing they do at their best. It points
up the danger of Iranian manipulation in the background, and it
suggests that we had better get to the Mullahs in Tehran and suggest
(strongly) that they "lay off." How do you see it? Publishable
e-mail is welcome at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.nytimes.com/
WERE SADDAM AND BIN LADEN CONNECTED? The Democrat candidates (except
for Lieberman) say "no." And so says much of the commentariat.
This article from the new issue of the Weekly Standard
puts it all in quite a different light. After you read this do
tell us what you think. E-mail to extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/
A
SOLDIER COMES HOME FROM IRAQ. L.T. Smash has been running a blog
while on duty in Iraq. He has just returned and yesterday he posted
this moving account of how he came back home.
http://www.lt-smash.us/
LOOKING
AT MARS. When you do that tonight, here's what you should be thinking
about. We found this column by Burt Constable of the Daily
Herald rather consoling. It is nice to know that there's
someplace else to go if we have to.
http://www.dailyherald.com/
MORE ON MARS. Here's a great article with some wonderful photographs
and valuable links. This, if you need it, will give you the basic
information about today's proximity event and about continuing
research concerning (and on!) Mars.
BOYS
WILL BE BOYS...despite the efforts of sensitivity trainers. So
says our old friend and rather frequent program guest, Christina
Hoff Sommers, in this amusing but also assertive essay from The
American Enterprise Online.
http://www.theamericanenterprise.org/
THE
GREAT TRAVELLER PASSES. If you have never heard of him or read
any of his books, you will want to after you read this obituary
of Sir Wilfred Thesiger. He died a few days ago in his nineties--and
this fine memorial appeared today in the U.K. Telegraph.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
LA
FRANCE SE DETRUIT! Despite the rather reflexive light leftism
of the author, this article from the current issue of the New
Yorker is further evidence of a true "malaise national
de confiance perdu" in contemporary France. Surely worth
a long visit, but would you now want to live there?
http://newyorker.com/
SINCE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT...of Americans in Paris, who better
to set the mood than Gershwin? Here is his great work "An
American in Paris," brilliantly arranged for two pianos.
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/
August
26, 2003:
THE ANSWER IN IRAQ MAY NOT BE MORE TROOPS! Then
what is needed? The answer given here by a professor at the Naval
Graduate School makes sense and, we think, IS applicable in the
present situation. What do you think? E-mail us at: extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.ashbrook.org/
CALLING
ALL ALLIES! Charles Krauthammer doesn't pull his punches, and--in
this op-ed from the current issue of Time--he recommends
that we send this message: Help us in the policing of Iraq or
we will pull out of Kosovo and Bosnia. Is this a ploy worth playing?
Your opinion is welcome at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.time.com/
WHAT
WILL MATTER IN THE NEXT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION? Maggie Gallagher,
a sometime guest on the program, gives her opinion on why the
Democrats probably can't win. Universal Press Syndicate sends
this column around the country. By the way, do you think her analysis
makes sense? Send your publishable e-mail to extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.townhall.com/
JUDGE
MOORE MAKES HIS CASE. The suspended Chief Justice of the Alabama
Supreme Court argued yesterday, in the Wall Street Journal,
for the legitimacy of the Ten Commandments monument staying where
it is. After you have read this op-ed piece, do tell us whether
you do or do not find it reasonable. Just send your publishable
e-mail to extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/
DALLEK
ON KENNEDY, REVIEWED BY HITCHENS. Both these worthy observers
and authors have been guests on our program. Here, Hitchens uses
the book to be reviewed as a platform for an insightful essay
on the Kennedy career and presidency. The article is from the
current issue of the Times Literary Supplement.
http://www.the-tls.co.uk/
PREDICTING
THE SCIENCE OF THE FUTURE. This attempt was made seventeen years
ago. As president of the science fraternity Sigma Xi, Branscom
made some quite incorrect and some correct predictions. Fascinating
reading! The article has just been published in American Scientist
magazine.
http://www.americanscientist.org/
WHAT
HATH GOOGLE WROUGHT? Can you believe that only five years ago
they were two young guys in a rented room? Now their brainchild
handles 75% of all internet searches--and there is much more to
come. This fascinating overview of the history of Google is from
USA Today.
http://www.usatoday.com/
HE DOTH BESTRIDE THE MEDIA WORLD LIKE A COLOSSUS. The man in question
is, of course, Rupert Murdoch. This insightful and informative
profile is by an old friend of ours, Jim Fallows, and has just
been published in The Atlantic magazine.
http://www.theatlantic.com/
AND
NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. A bunch of brass virtuosos
(virtuosi?) do a wonderful version of The Carnival In Venice.
Enjoy!
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/
August 25, 2003:
TWO TAKES ON ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALIST FANATICISM.
This review from the current issue of Commentary magazine
compares the "discoveries" of an American leftist (post
9/11) with the analysis of fanatical Islam put forward by Bernard
Lewis, who discussed these issues on our program about a year
ago.
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/
IS
THIS JUSTICE OR MADNESS? You must read this account, from today's
issue of Front Page magazine, of the parole of Kathy
Boudin. And do note the reference, toward the end of the article,
to her former Weather Underground colleagues, Bernadette Dohrn
(of the Northwestern Law School faculty) and William Ayers (professor
of education at UIC). Your opinions and thoughts in response to
this article and the news it conveys are earnestly solicited.
E-mail to: extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/
MARK
STEYN IS BACK ON TRACK. After the rather weird piece last week
confessing his affection for the recently deceased widow of the
founder of the British Union of Fascists, this international journalist
reacts brilliantly to the bad joke of the Syrian chairman of the
Security Council "condemning" the bombing of UN headquarters
in Baghdad.
http://www.suntimes.com/
A
"TRADITIONALIST" LEADING A UNIVERSITY THROUGH THE P.C.
THICKETS. That's one way to look at the presidency of Summers
at Harvard. There are other ways..and this inevitably interesting
article from yesterday's New York Times provides many
of the clues.
http://www.nytimes.com/
THE
CURRENT E-MAIL VIRUS...and those to come. Have you been getting
multiple messages headed "Thank You," "Re:Details,"
"Approved," etc? Here's how it happened and why it will
go on happening in waves. What ideas do you have about how to
stop such blights and/or to outlaw "spam?" Your thoughts
are welcome in the form of publishable e-mail sent to extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
THE
MEDICAL TRUTH THAT DARE NOT SPEAK ITS NAME. If Elizabeth Whelan,
president of the American Council on Science and Health, is right
then the FDA has been depriving us of important, health-bolstering
information. This column is from the current issue of the National
Review.
http://www.nationalreview.com/
THE
REAL COWBOYS. They are still out there and their lives are a bit
more complex than in the movies. This sounds like a fine new book
about them if this review is to be believed. And why not? It is
from the July issue of January magazine.
http://www.janmag.com/
THEY
DON'T MAKE MUSES LIKE THIS ANYMORE. The unlikely career of Bettina
Brentano involved Goethe, Beethoven and Napoleon...and she seems
to have inspired at least two of them. If they made this into
a movie who should play her? E-mail suggestions welcomed at extension720@tribune.com.
http://books.guardian.co.uk/
THE
GREAT SAINT-SAENS SEPTET. That means, of course, for seven instruments.
Hear what this fine French composer did in anticipation of the
chromaticism of "Les Six."
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/
Extension
720 Reader Responses:
Here is one response from Peter Wlodarski
to this
article about acupuncture:
The "skeptic" author, like others of his ilk, is unable
to understand the distinction between practice and theory. Yes,
the theory is "archaic", but the practice works. If
it was up to the author, acupuncture would never have come into
practice. Fortunately for all the patients who have been helped
by it over the centuries, the author was not around to impede
the advancement of knowledge, imperfect though it may be.
If
you had cancer and the only hope was an ancient treatment couched
in archaic theory, but which was known to help, what would you
do? Would you wait until modern science explained it? This is
the test of a true "skeptic".
It
seems from this article and others, that the "skeptic"
does not make the distinction between reality and one's mental
model of it. One presumes that psychologists have a term for such
a condition.
August 22, 2003:
APPARENTLY KUWAIT WAS WORTH SAVING FROM
SADDAM! Religious freedom in the middle of the Islamic world is
a phenomenon worth description and commendation. Which is just
what this article from the current issue of the National Review
provides.
http://www.nationalreview.com/
ANOTHER
ESSAY ON THE PUTATIVE FATHER OF NEOCONSERVATISM. That's what leftist
critics have attributed to Leo Strauss who, a long time ago, was
professor of political philosophy at the University of Chicago.
Here is an interesting essay on the long-gone father of the "Straussians"
as published a few weeks ago in the German magazine, Der Spiegel.
http://www.spiegel.de/
SHOWBIZ
AND POLITICS. It happens not only in California and not only in
these latter days. Here is the saga of "Pass the Biscuits
Pappy" Lee O'Daniel, once the governor of Texas. This fine
article is from Reason magazine.
http://www.reason.com/
EVERYBODY
WANTS TO GET INTO THE ACT...as Jimmy Durante used to say. We thought
that we had recently done the definitive discussion on abstinence.
Then Al Franken decided to mock the idea by hustling the attorney
general with some cute lies...conveyed on Harvard University stationery!
Are you following all this? Either way, this fine column by Michelle
Malkin may straighten out Franken and will be of considerable
interest to you.
http://www.townhall.com/
THE
HUNTING OF THE QUARK. Nobody thought that it really existed, including
Murray Gell-Mann who dreamed it up, got the Nobel prize and--incidentally--appeared
on Extension 720. This account, by one of the junior men on the
project who is now a famous physicist, is from Physics Today.
http://www.physicstoday.org/
AND
YOU THOUGHT YOU LIKED POWER POINT! Not this fellow, who mounts
a pretty devastating critique. Do you use pp--or do you eschew
it completely? Why or why not? E-mail on the subject is welcome
at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.wired.com/
PREHISTORIC
ART AND THE EMERGENCE OF MODERN MAN. This fascinating review/essay
illuminates what happened in the Caves of Lascaux and at other
sites for "primitive" art. The thesis put forward is
exciting to say the least. The article is from the Japan Times,
Tokyo's main English-language newspaper.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/
PUNCTURING
ACUPUNCTURE? What is the proof that it works to reduce pain and,
more important, cure disease? This critical assesment is from
the Skeptical Inquirer, the journal of the Committee
for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal.
How does this evaluation square with your experience? E-mail welcome
at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.csicop.org/
TIME
FOR A BLUES FIX! Many of the modern masters of the blues are here.
Don't miss: John Lee Hooker's Boom Boom, B.B. King's The Thrill
Is Gone, Sonny Williamson's Help Me and Bobby Bland's Cry, Cry,
Cry.
http://www.beau-dacious.addr.com/
Extension
720 Reader Responses:
Here is a response
from Paul Wisner to this
article in the Economist urging a withdrawal of U.S.
troops from Iraq:
It
truly is a sad day when the Economist gets it this wrong.
That generally outstanding magazine (to which I subscribe) is
afterall British and seems to have an idee fixe on empire. If
a nation is fighting in that part of the world, as Great Britain
once did, it must be in pursuit of empire.
They
are right in recalling the President's characterization of our
effort as defensive. What they did not recall is that he also
described it as a WAR on terrorism, that would take a long time
to resolve. I don't recall since when war was easy, did not have
its ups and downs.
FDR
understood, and GWB understands, that if you do not fight your
sworn enemies "over there", you will have to fight them
"over here". Does the Economist really think
that Al Qaeda and others of their allies or sympathizers would
relent if the coalition forces withdrew to Fortress America and
Fortress England? Does it think that the American public would
rush to the aid of Europe again when its partners could not support
the coalition going into the war and after the initial campaign
was won? Tony Blair and his supporters understand that Europe
is a mop up operation for the forces of radical Islam, and whoever
else might later want to make mischief (Germany and Russia/ Belarus
come to mind), if the United States does not remain engaged. Nuclear
proliferation would expand geometrically. North Korea and guerrilla
forces in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Africa, would be emboldened.
The
real "quagmire" to be feared, in Iraq or anywhere else
in the world, is the morally opaque "leadership" of
the United Nations. Kofe Annan's comments today, evading responsibility
for the UN's naive appraisal of the risks of operation in a war
zone, is an example of same. The UN retains authority, but assigns
responsiblity elsewhere.
War
is war. Leaders have to predict victory. But the good guys don't
always win. The coalition is likely to win a difficult victory
in Iraq if its leadership and citizens persevere. It could lose
if its leadership is removed, or weakens with the threat of removal
by an irresolute citizenry. Should authority be assigned to the
UN, an historically disfunctional organization, loss on a grander
scale is assured.
It
is surprising that the Economist has forgotten the courage
of Churchill and the British nation in World War II. I am trying
to recall what position it took on the Falklands.
August 21, 2003:
IS THE ROAD MAP BLOCKED? Yesterday they
made a plea for the end of U.S. involvement in Iraq. Today, the
Economist takes on the latest troubles in Israel. Do
you agree with this assessment? Let us know at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.economist.com/
OR
CAN A DETOUR BE FOUND? In this op-ed from today's New York
Times, Martin Indyk--former U.S. ambassador to Israel--talks
about what should be done to save the Bush administration's "road
map" for peace between Israel and Palestine.
http://www.nytimes.com/
SELLING
TERROR. Columnist Jim Hoagland of the Washington Post
gives this bleak account of the merchandising of destruction that
is an all-too-familiar occurrence in post-Saddam Iraq.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
HOW
TO KEEP A NATIONAL IDENTITY. Victor Davis Hanson, who has been
with us a few times on Extension 720, has a new book that is stirring
up a lot of concerned reaction. Here is a recent review. Hanson
will be with us on September to discuss these concerns and, as
the military historian that he is, the current situation in Iraq.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/
IF
MACHIAVELLI WERE ON THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL. Here's what
he might advise according to a reviewer of The Modern Prince,
the new book by Carnes Lord. We hope to get Lord on thre program
soon. Meanwhile this is worth pondering. Do give us your reactive
thoughts by publishable e-mail to extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/
THE
CRAFTINESS OF KHRUSCHEV. In this review from the London Review
of Books, Neal Ascherson praises William Taubman's biography
of Khruschev. Taubman was on the program in April discussing this
book; to listen to the full interview click
here.
http://www.lrb.co.uk/
MEANWHILE, IN ANOTHER UNIVERSE. Many scientists and sci-fi buffs
like to theorize about the existence of parallel universes. In
this article, Slate evaluates just how feasible such
musings are.
http://slate.msn.com/
IVES
ON AMERICA. Legendary American composer Charles Ives--who was
an insurance salesman by day--wrote these intricate and tongue-in-cheek
variations on the patriotic tune "America," a.k.a. "God
Save the Queen." Though Ives later arranged this piece for
orchestra, here it is performed on the organ at Oxford's Christ
Church College by David Goode. Let's hope the British have a sense
of humor!
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/
August 20, 2003:
GET OUT OF IRAQ AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
That's the advice from the Economist, the British person's
intelligent version of Time magazine. Read this closely
and do tell us whether you agree or disagree and why: e-mail to
extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.economist.com/
WHAT
TO DO ABOUT NORTH KOREA. Here are some strong policy prescriptions
put forward by an "area-expert" at the Hoover Institution.
Is he right about the threat? Is he right about the solution?
Your e-mail judgments are welcome: extension720@tribune.com.
http://www-hoover.stanford.edu/
FURTHER
REFLECTIONS ON IDI AMIN DADA AND OTHER AFRICAN TYRANTS. The article
is by Michael Radu of the Foreign Policy Institute and was published
yesterday in Front Page magazine.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/
A
GREAT HISTORIAN'S CHOICE OF GREAT HISTORICAL WORKS. Simon Schama
who has been a guest on our program, is one of the most celebrated
professors of history in the western world. Here is his list of
the top-ten in historical writing. What works would you want to
add to this list? E-mail us at: extension720@tribune.com.
http://books.guardian.co.uk/
A
STRANGE REMINISCENCE. Mark Steyn writes brilliantly (or, at least,
impertinently) about almost everything. All the more surprising
that he has a crush on the recently deceased widow of the founder
of the British League of Fascists and understands (sort of) her
admiration for Hitler. Or is this whole thing a "put on"?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
PLAYING
ROMANTICALLY. Terry Teachout writes wonderful essays on music.
Here he examines the nature of "romantic" performance
(as opposed to classical or formal performance) and illuminates
why one responds with love or loathing. The essay is from the
current issue of Commentary magazine.
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/
THE
BEST YEARS OF COUNTRY!
They were the 1970's and here are some of the great performances.
Don't miss: When You're Hot, You're Hot; Heartbreak Hotel; Do
You Remember and Luckenback, Texas.
http://www.beau-dacious.addr.com/
August 19, 2003:
THE BAGHDAD BOMBING. As we "go to
press" this is the most detailed account we have seen of
the bombing of the U.N. headquarters in Iraq. Tonight on the program,
we will be talking about this with some military and strategic
specialists.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
DE MELLO KILLED IN BAGHDAD. Here is a still later story from the
web site of BBC News. The head of the U.N. mission in Iraq is
now reported killed in the blast.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
A
BRAVE ISLAMIC DISSIDENT. A few years ago this fellow published
a book rejecting Islam. He remains shielded from public view but
recently gave this interesting interview to the Boston Globe.
http://www.boston.com/
THE
UNDERCOVER ARMS DEALERS. They make much trouble and make international
catastrophe possible--and sometimes inevitable. And here, in a
profile from last Sunday's New York Times, is the the
top man in this vile trade.
http://www.nytimes.com/
DID
YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS LOCAL BROUHAHA? We didn't until we found it
in the current issue of the Forward, the national Jewish
newspaper.
http://www.forward.com/
ONE
OF OUR FAVORITE WRITERS TAKES ON ONE OF OUR LEAST FAVORITE! This
is Chris Hitchens on Edward Said, the over-rewarded PLO apologist
from Columbia University. The article has just appeared in The
Atlantic magazine.
http://www.theatlantic.com/
A
JOURNALISTIC SOCIOPATH WRITES AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL "NOVEL."
And his friend and former colleague "reviews" it. The
piece is from the Washington Monthly and written by
the editor of the New Republic, where Steve Glass did
most of his professional lying.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/
THE
CULTURE OF DARKNESS. For most of human history the night was truly
dark. Then came Edison! The recent power failure and widespread
blackout prompted this article in the Canadian National Post
on the uses we have made of the darkness of night over the millenia.
http://www.nationalpost.com/
HIP-HOP
AND OTHER AFFLICTIONS IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE. The author
of this strong piece is a leading black academic who has appeared
on our program. The article is from the new issue of the City
Journal published by the Manhattan Institute. How does this
critique strike you? E-mail is welcome at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.city-journal.org/
A
GREAT SWING COLLECTION..in fact a veritable cornucopia of great
American band music. Be sure not to miss: Ellington's "A
Train," Basie's "Pennies From Heaven," Goodman's
"Crazy Rhythm" and Miller's "Kalamazoo."
http://www.hhbrandy.addr.com/
August
18, 2003:
THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE'S TAKE ON ARNOLD. This
curious article suggests a man far more complex than his movie-linked
persona. If you were living in California would you vote for him?
Why? Your publishable e-mail is welcome at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.sfgate.com/
THE DEATH OF A MONSTER. Idi Amin will surely not be missed, though
the regret must run deep and wide that he was never put on trial
for the three hundred thousand murders he directly caused. This
informative obituary is from yesterday's New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/
BUT
THE PERVERSITY OF MEMORY IS NOT TE BE GAINSAID! Here's how they
are reacting in Kampala to the death of Idi Amin. The story is
from the U.K. Telegraph.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
DON'T
PUSH THE WORLD INTO PREMATURE DEMOCRACY. That is the advice given
by Fareed Zakaria in his recent book which we discussed with him
a few months ago. Here is a thoughtful review of that book just
recently published in the Claremont Review.
http://www.claremont.org/
THE
VIEW FROM YEMEN. In this editorial from the country's one english-language
newspaper we have a call for democracy throughout the Arab world
combined with anti-Americanism. How do you judge what is going
on in the minds of these journalists? E-mail to extension720@tribune.com.
http://yementimes.com/
FROM THE "FATHER" OF NEOCONSERVATISM. In this essay
from the current issue of the Weekly Standard, Irving
Kristol ruminates and reports on what it is and how it arose.
And, of course, he argues that it has special value for contemporary
America.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/
ARE
THE LITTLE GREEN MEN COMING? No, but the red planet will be making
a visit! Here is a well-detaild story about the coming date (August
27th) when Mars will be as close as it has ever been. The story
is from the Madison Times and thus quotes various University
of Wisconsin astronomers.
http://www.madison.com/
ALMOST
A RENAISSANCE MAN..and a very amusing one as well. The fellow
in question was our guest on Extension 720 many years ago. A member
of the "Beyond the Fringe" group of Cambridge wits,
a physician-neurologist, a theater and opera director and television
"presenter," here he is interviewed for the Paris
Review.
http://www.theparisreview.com/
RINGO,
JOHN AND GEORGE AFTER THE BEATLES. Much wonderful music here--our
particular favorite is the haunting My Sweet Lord, the adaptation
of the Hare Krishna chant done by George Harrison.
http://www.hhstarr.addr.com/
August 15, 2003:
THE
POWER FAILURE: HOW DID IT HAPPEN? From today's New York Times,
here is an informative overview of what the experts say about
the deep defects in the present power-supply network--and about
what will be required to avoid another catastrophe like the one
that hit yesterday from Toronto to Boston to New York to Cleveland
to Detroit.
http://www.nytimes.com/
THE
"GREENS" AND THE BLACKOUTS OF THE FUTURE. This worrying
article from a policy researcher concerned with energy needs is
more relevant today than it would have been two days ago. Read
it and see why; and do, by all means, give us your thoughts on
this matter by e-mailing to extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.nationalcenter.org/
KRAUTHAMMER
PIPES UP. Here's more on the outrageous attempt to squelch one
of the best-informed critics of militant Islam. The column is
by Charles Krauthammer as published in today's Washington
Post.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
IT'S
UNPLEASANT BUT SOMEONE'S GOT TO DO IT! We refer both to the waging
of war and the thinking about it. Max Boot, author of the recent
book, Small Wars (and a rather frequent guest on our
program) is one of the most influential contemporary "war
thinkers." This important essay by him, "The New American
Way of War," has just appeared in Foreign Affairs
magazine.
http://www.foreignaffairs.org/
TRYING
TO SET AMERICAN HIGHER EDUCATION BACK ON TRACK. That is the mission
of the National Association of Scholars
on whose board of advisors I serve. Recently they have started
an "Online Forum." It contains important and informative
brief essays about the misuse and abuse of the universities and
their students. And here it is.
http://www.nas.org/
BILLY
COLLINS IS ACCESIBLE! AND ENJOYABLE! That is the message in this
delightful review/essay about the former Poet Laureate of the
United States. Also enjoyable is the e-zine from which this selection
comes, The Yale Review of Books, all of whose contributors
are, apparently, college students. http://www.yalereviewofbooks.com/
WHAT
A SURPRISE! We thought that The Onion was just a satirical
publication that went for laughs and yuks. But today's discovery
is that they do some strong, if rather informal, movie reviews.
Here are a few of their recent ones. The review of Kevin Costner's
new Western has prompted an urge to go see it this weekend.
http://www.theonionavclub.com/
RACHMANINOV'S
SECOND. A great, late-romantic piano concerto is beautifully performed
here in a great Russian recording.
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/
August 14, 2003:
BUSH, KENNEDY AND PIPES. Dan Pipes is an old friend
of ours and a fairly frequent guest on Extension 720. The President
wants to appoint him to the board of the U.S. Institutre for Peace
but some Senate Democrats see him as "anti-Muslim."
According to this news story the President will push the appontment
through. The details are most telling. Check out the linked sites
made available here by Fox News.
http://www.foxnews.com/
HOW DO WE SQUARE OURSELVES WITH THE WORLD? Robert Kagan, a major
theorist of international relations and a recent guest on Extension
720, has written a wise piece about how our undertakings in Iraq
and beyond can be made palatable to those nations that now view
us with disdain and/or alarm. This quite important essay has just
appeared in Foreign Policy magazine.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/
IS
ANY ONE OF THESE PEOPLE A RELATIVE, FORMER ROOMATE OR LONG LOST
FRIEND? Here are ALL of the candidates for the governorship of
California. The name that apppeals to us most is Daniel Whitecloud
Walton. Does anyone know who he is? Which is your favorite candidate
name and why? E-mail us at extension720@tribune.com.
This link requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.
http://www.ss.ca.gov/
THE
ANGLICAN WORLD COMMUNITY AND THE AMERICAN EPISCOPALS. Maggie Gallagher,
the author of this column, has been an occasional guest on our
program. She ranks as one pf the leading students of marriage
and family sociology.
http://www.townhall.com/
THE
VERY MODEL OF A MODERN MEDIA MOGUL. That's Rupert Murdoch, of
course. Why, he doth bestride the communications world like a
colosus, and--in this informative and brisk article from the new
issue of The Atlantic magazine--James Fallows (another
occasional guest on Extension 720) explains how and why and with
what consequences.
http://www.theatlantic.com/
CALLING
DR. KASS! If this report from the Washington Post is
to be believed (and we think it is!) they are cloning a human/rabbit
hybrid in China. Leon Kass,
who was recently with us on the program again, is the Chairman
of the President's Council on Bioethics. We are forwarding this
article to him. Does it seem to you that, in molecular biology,
we are now entering forbidden territory? Your e-mail response
would be welcome at: extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
THE
CHANGING AMERICAN UNIVERSITY. A young professor imagines, in this
bitter satirical piece, what might be said to the students at
the orientation session as the new academic year begins. And,
in fact and in somewhat more disguised terms, this is the sort
of thing that is now conveyed to students at many of the academic
p.c. palaces.
http://www.townhall.com/
GOOD
EVENING MR. YAKEBELIAN. MY NAME IS SAM TAKEBELIAN. That would
be a good way to make a sale, or borrow a cup of sugar according
to this interesting bit of socio-psychological research. The report
is from the British magazine, Nature.
http://www.nature.com/
FROM
THE OTHER HAYDN. That's Michael rather than Joseph. This spirited
Divertimento in C Major is performed by the Piccolo Concerto Wien
(i.e. the Viennese Small Chamber Orchestra).
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/
August
13, 2003:
HOW THE SAUDIS MAKE TERRORISTS. These very strong
opinions were offered two days ago by a retired military officer
writing in the New York Post. Is he right? Is a serious
policy change required? Your publishable e-mail should go to:
extension720@tribune.com.
http://nypost.com/
THINGS
WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT BUSTAMANTE. If this portrait of the leading
Democratic contender in California is accurate--it all seems stranger
and stranger. The article is from Monday's edition of Front
Page.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/
CAUTIONARY STING OPERATION. This time "we" were the
terrorists aquiring the surface-to-air missile. But what about
next time? This scary report is from the BBC.
http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/
DID
YOU KNOW THAT SPAIN HAS REPLACED FRANCE? In cuisine, at any rate.
That is the opinion of the author of this engaging article from
the New York Times. And almost "he doth persuade
us."
http://www.nytimes.com/
DARK
ENERGY? WE DONT NEED YOUR DARK ENERGY! So says our good friend
and frequent guest Michael Turner, one of the big guys in cosmology.
This account of his recent theoretical work contrasts two radically
different explanations of why the expansion of the universe is
speeding up. The article is from Nature magazine. If
you really understand it do e-mail and explain it to us at: extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.nature.com/
A
BACHELOR CONTEMPLATES THE UTILITY OF MARRIAGE. This confessional
essay from a bachelor who doesn't want to get married YET, turns
out to be a thoughtful contribution to the gay marriage debate.
Your reactions and further thoughts? Do send your e-mail to: extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.enterstageright.com/
CAN
YOU REACH MDEBELE ADEBONAJO OF BOTSWANA THROUGH SIX HUMAN LINKS?
The problem, as you recognize, is "degrees of separation."
And here is some fascinating socio-psychological research that
clarifies how such social networks are constructed and activated.
The report is from Nature magazine.
http://www.nature.com/
SISTER
CARRIE COMES TO CHICAGO. Carl Smith, professor of history at Northwestern,
unfolds Chicago in the last decade of the 19th century as seen
by the heroine of Dreisser's great novel. This fine article appeared
recently in Common-Place magazine.
http://www.common-place.org/
THE
CAUSTIC CRITIC STRIKES AGAIN! John Simon reviews plays, movies,
novels and opera--and he dislikes almost everything. BUT he always
has good and plausible reasons. After this review of the performances
in New York by Russia's major opera company, they may well never
return. All the same, the fun here is to watch a brilliant (and
funny) misanthrope at work. The review is from the current issue
of New Criterion magazine.
http://www.newcriterion.com/
A
FINE FLAMENCO COLLECTION. Five different moods of flamenco are
represented. All are musically stirring, but our favorite is the
Guajiras performed by Pepe de Lucia and J.A. Rodriquez--a flamenco
treatment of a Cuban musical form.
http://www.flamenco-world.com/
August 12, 2003:
CAN ARNOLD MAKE IT? IF SO, HOW? Our old
friend--and fairly frequent program guest--John Fund is reporting
for the Wall Street Journal from California. He posted
this informative account in today's edition.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/
HOW
"POLITICAL CORRECTNESS" FACILITATED 9/11. This strong
article by Victor
Davis Hanson lays the blame on our unjustifiable avoidance of
the reality of Islamic terrorism--both abroad and at home in the
United States. Hanson has been a guest on our program a few times
recently. How do you react to his analysis as given here? Do send
your publishable e-mail to us: extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.nationalreview.com/
PLANNING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BY AMERICANS TOWARD AMERICANS. This
account of a new terrorist organization is, to say the least,
startling. It is from toaday's edition of Front Page
magazine.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/
ONE-WAY
"ACADEMIC FREEDOM" AT BERKELEY. This interesting account
of judeophobia in the classroom (and endorsed by the University
administration) is from a fine blog site called Critical Mass.
http://www.erinoconnor.org/
OH
KING, LIVE (ALMOST) FOREVER. As Leon Kass told us, there are serious
prospects for genetic manipulation that will produce a dramatic
increase in longevity. Here, in a column from today's New
York Times, Nicholas Kristof examines some of the present
research on life extension and the possibilities suggested thereby.
http://www.nytimes.com/
SPEAKING
OF POLITICAL LEADERS! Here's one from long ago who seemed really
to inspire his constituency. None other than the great Pericles
who led Athens into full democracy and dreadful war. Plutarch,
the author of this "profile," is one of the most interesting
of the "dead white male" writers of classical antiquity.
http://bartelby.com/
A
GREAT ARTICLE FROM THE HARVARD MAGAZINE! This one, a speculative
reconstruction of ancient Egyptian society based upon archeological
evidence, is not to be missed.
http://www.harvard-magazine.com/
PILATES
ANYONE? Even though Madonna and other glitterati do it, you had
better think twice. So says the apparently well-informed author
of this article from today's U.K. Independent.
http://news.independent.co.uk/
MORE
GREAT JAZZ FROM LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND HIS FRIENDS. These recordings
with Earl Hines, Eddie Condon, Pops Foster and others were done
in the late twenties in New York and Chicago. Perfect traditional
jazz!
http://redhotjazz.com/
August 11, 2003:
WHAT'S
JOE LIEBERMAN UP TO? Is he merely trying to position himself as
the alternative to Dean? Or is he truly distressed at the "radicalization"
of his party? This fascinating interview occured yesterday on
Fox News.
http://www.foxnews.com/
"PSYCHOLOGY"
PUTS CONSERVATISM IN ITS PLACE. The article discussed here by
George Will was written by four left-wing (as most of them are)
psychologists--one of whom has appeared on our program a few years
ago. George Will's riposte of yesterday is delicious, though it
could be more condemning of the practice of doing political partisan
argument under the false cover of scholarship.
http://www.townhall.com/
THE
"GAY MARRIAGE" DEBATE RENEWED. The recent Texas decision
by the Supreme Court and the President's assertion that marriage
is "between one man and one woman" are both signs and
causes of the renewal of the debate. This op-ed from yesterday's
Wall Street Journal is a strongly stated contribution
to the discussion. How do you react to the author"s arguments.
E-mail to: extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/
THE
DEMOGRAPHY BEHIND THE NEWS. Much that happens in the flow of political
news has deeper sources in major population shifts. An example:
French opposition to the Iraq war may have been strongly influenced
by the fact that its Islamic population is now over 10%. What
will the consequences be for the U.K. as its major city undergoes
the sort of change reported in this story from the current issue
of the Economist?
http://economist.com/
A
GREAT COUNTER-FACTUAL SPECULATION. What if Hitler had been killed
in WWI? Would WWII never have happened? That counter-factual puzzle
is a favorite among modern historians. But, what if the real plot
to kill Hitler had succeeded in 1938? A new book on that failed
plot is reviewed her by Terry Parssinen in the Washington
Post. What's your favorite counter-factual? Share it with
our readers at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
ARE
WE FREE OR IS IT JUST AN ILLUSION? The question is an ancient
one in philosophy and philosophers are still pondering it. Here,
in an article from American Scientist, one philosopher
(Blackburn) ponders another philosopher's (Dennett) ponderings.
The essay is sharp, readable and enlightening (sort of).
http://www.americanscientist.org/
HOW
TO MAKE "WAITING" PAY BETTER. Here's a curious and rather
charming bit of behavioral research from Holland. If you or one
of your kids is---or will be--a "wait-person" this is
valuable knowledge. And if you are a variable tipper, this may
explain why.
http://www.nature.com/
A
GREAT CHAMBER WORK BY BRAHMS. This Piano Quartet is as "dark"
as this rather moody master ever got. It is beautifully performed
here by Mihae Lee and three fine string players.
http://classicalplus.gmn.com/
Extension
720 Reader Responses:
Here is an e-mail response from Robert
Kulzick to this
op-ed by Kenneth L. Cain:
Mr. Cain's main argument, that Nigerian troops are unsuitable
for peacekeeping, seems indisputable. What Mr. Cain doesn't provide
is any hope for a resolution to the conflict. There doesn't seem
to be any faction in Liberia with its hands clean enough to lead.
Despite Mr. Cain's assertions of Liberian good will, we saw Somalis
support American involvement initially as well, but it became
all to easy for factional leaders to turn people against U.S.
forces. Mr. Cain seems to suggest that U.S. forces should act
as policemen, but it seems unlikely that rebel armies that are
so incredibly debauched will submit easily to U.S. authority.
Our involvement in Liberia may well be justified, but the limited
involvement that the U.N. champions has been so roundly unsuccessful
that it would be inappropriate to send troops to attempt these
same failed policies yet again. In any case, the use of Nigerians
instead of South Africans as peacekeepers seems to indicate that
the President has no interest in a heavy commitment to Liberia.
Given our Muppet-haired friend leading N. Korea, that decision
might well prove to be prudent.
August 8 2003:
MORE
VIOLENCE IN BAGHDAD. In the deadliest attack in the Iraqi capital,
a car bomb today killed 11 and injured at least 50. Plus, another
U.S. soldier was shot and killed. Here is all the latest news
from Iraq in today's Washington Post. Be sure to check
out the other linked articles.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
A
PLEA FOR U.S. TROOPS IN LIBERIA. Kenneth L. Cain--a former U.N.
peacekeeper--calls for increased U.S. involvement in that war-torn
country in this op-ed from today's New York Times. Is
it possible that someone from the U.N. wants America to be the
policeman of the world? And do you agree with his argument? Tell
us what you think at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.nytimes.com/
WHAT
THE BRITISH THINK OF AH-NOLD. We always enjoy getting the British
perspective on the developments in their former colony, and here
is an interesting assessment of Arnold Schwarzenegger's candidacy
for the California recall election. Has he singlehandedly electrified
American politics? Give us your publishable prose at extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.economist.com/
RECALL?
WHAT RECALL? If you don't exactly understand why every celebrity
from Gary Coleman to Gallagher has suddenly become a politician,
here are all of your recall questions answered by Slate,
the ever-helpful e-zine.
http://slate.msn.com/
BUT
I DON'T WANT TO GROW UP. Here is a fascinating deconstruction
of "Peterpandemonium." Not quite sure what that is?
Well, according to Spiked, it's the recent trend of people
in their 20s and 30s to become nostalgic for everything from their
past, even if "past" only means five years ago. Adults
who watch Teletubbies? School-themed discos? The resurgence
of Hello Kitty? Has it truly come to this?
http://www.spiked-online.com/
WHO KNEW COMMAS COULD BE SO EXCITING?
Here is the New York Times' review of the 15th edition
of the Chicago Manual of Style. If you want to hear more
about Anita Samen's enthusiasm about dashes, be sure to listen
to the program on August 14th.
http://nytimes.com/
DVORAK
GOES INTERACTIVE. Carnegie Hall has a new "listening adventures"
portion of its website that meshes classical music and computer
technology. Currently, it features an in-depth look at Dvorak's
great New World Symphony. Despite the cheesy animation, it is
an excellent recording by the New York Philharmonic, as well as
a great way to explore the history behind this great symphony.
http://www.listeningadventures.org/
Extension 720 Reader Responses:
Here are two more responses from our
readers. The first references this
article about the Democratic presidential candidates, and
the second responds to Newt
Gingrich's critique of the State Department.
From Paul Wisner:
The Dean candidacy seems to me more amusing
than Sharpton's, and I hope it continues to be only amusing. Dr.
Dean strikes me as the Democrats' Pat Buchanan, with anger as
his reflexive, default emotion. But Buchanan has a sense of humor
to accompany his rage, and he is experienced and knowledgable.
He served at the very center of the national government, and I
remember Arthur Schlesinger saying he knew a lot about history.
That said, who would want Buchanan as a president, even a candidate?
Yet great numbers of Democrats have raised a clamor for Dean.
There are also memories of other angry candidacies. Will Dean
adopt the slogan "A choice not an echo"?
At
a distance, Dean appears to me to be a wilful Park Avenue/Hamptons
brat, who probably learned to use anger early to get his way.
If he continues to be popular, an insatiable media will turn on
him and probe his yet unexamined background.
It
is ironic that the Dean supporters, who first joined his ranks
over his opposition to the Iraq campaign, like a fellow who received
the highest rating from the NRA and are motivated by, join in
his universal anger. You are the psychologist Milt, is not anger
the prelude to violence, and very often based on frustrated ignorance?
Dean's followers might worry about where he might take them, and
worry about themselves if they so enjoy their own self-indulgence
in the politics of anger.
From Adam Roth:
As potent as the US military is, our
country's greatest strengths are our ideas: private property,
separation of powers, and freedom of speech and religion.It is
therefore heartening to hear a prominent US politician like Gingrich
write the following:
"We
should not confuse respect for others with acceptance of their
values if they violate these principles."
Years
of multiculturalism and moral relativism may have undermined our
universties and cultural "elites," but I have to believe
Americans still believe in good and evil. Certainly our president
does. Gingrich is absolutely correct to argue that coherent communication
of our core values is vital to our security. After all, some nations
might fear our strength, and others will follow the carrot of
aid and arms sales. But the "global street" will only
support us to the degree they view us as a beacon of freedom.
August 7, 2003:
THE LATEST TERRORIST BLOW. The attack
in Jakarta shows the implacable anti-governmental madness of Al
Quaida and similar organizations. As usual the devil is in the
details. In this case that includes the prior attack in Bali,
the Marriot in Jakarta and the trial of Abu Bakar Basyir. This
well-detailed account is from the new issue of the Economist
magazine.
http://economist.com/
ARE THEY GANGING UP ON COLIN POWELL? When Newt Gingrich (a member
of the Defense Policy Board and a close associate of Donald Rumsfeld)
heaves this broadside at the State Department one knows that the
State-Defense competition is reaching a critical level. Couple
that with the planted rumor that Powell will resign after the
election and it becomes all the more obvious that this article
by Gingrich is not his alone. Still, the critique laid out here
needs to be considered. When you do consider it how do you react?
Your e-mail response is welcome: extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/
SPRINGER
MAY BE OUT, BUT CHEER UP--THE TERMINATOR IS IN! In fact, just
about everyone seems to be announcing their candidacy for the
coming California recall and primary. This story from the Washington
Post will fill you in on the California Follies.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
A
EUROPEAN METAJOURNALIST EVALUATES AMERICA AS "HEGEMON."
In this lecture given in Australia, Josef Joffe, publisher of
the German equivalent of Time magazine, evaluates the
U.S. in its role as the leading power in the world. For a European
he is surprisingly friendly and admiring--and, actually, quite
wise. Do tell us what you think of his analysis. E-mail to: extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.cis.org.au/
A
MODERN TYPE: THE HUSBAND OF THE WOMAN MORE IMPORTANT THAN HE.
How do really important women court, marry and treat their husbands?
What sort of men do they require? How do their husbands handle
their comparative insignificance? This article from the Financial
Times is by a former British diplomat whose wife apparently
outranks him.
http://news.ft.com/
IS
THE PLACEBO EFFECT A MERE MEDICAL MYTH? There are those who think
it is--and those (physicians mostly) who are sure that a bit of
sugar disguised as "a pill" can relieve symptoms and
sometimes even reverse real disease. The issue is being put to
test in a major study at Harvard. Read all about it in this interesting
story from the Boston Globe.
http://www.boston.com/
A
CHARMING AND COMPLETELY ACCESSIBLE POET. That's Arthur Guiterman.
He was often comic and sometimes reflective and his verse alweays
had graceful meter and rhyme. "Pershing At The Front"
is still wonderfully funny and "On the Vanity of Earthly
Greatness" is gently chastening. Do tell us if you like this
stuff: extension720@tribune.com.
http://poetryarchive.bravepages.com/
THE
BIRD INVENTS BEBOP. That's what the author of this site attributes
to Charlie Parker. And he's not totally wrong. Just click on the
three quarter-note signs to hear this great musician at three
stages of his far-too-brief career.
http://www.umkc.edu/
August
6, 2003:
MONROVIA
SOUNDS A BIT LIKE HELL. Whatever their troubles with some of their
reporters, the New York Times does this sort of on-the-scene
"backgrounder" better than any other American paper.
A valuable but chilling account of a country in chaos and ruin.
http://www.nytimes.com/
AND
SPEAKING OF LIBERIA. The nation founded by former American slaves
has had a conflict-laden history. This fine article from the current
Atlantic magazine reviews that history and links to a
number of earlier--and equally informative--articles.
http://www.theatlantic.com/
SPRINGER
WON'T RUN! That's the news today from Ohio. But while he was testing
the political waters--and spending a few million of the dollars
earned through his highbrow TV program--he got into a brouhaha
with Jonah Goldberg of the National Review. Even though
the senatorial run is off, this column by Goldberg is too scathingly
funny to miss.
http://www.nationalreview.com/
SHARPTON
IS STILL RUNNING..BUT FOR WHAT? This interesting piece about the
Rev who wants to replace the Reverend Jackson has just appeared
in the New York Observer. Sharply reported and well worth
reading. And what are your views on Sharpton and the eight other
Democratic candidates? Your publishable e-mail is welcome: extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.observer.com/
ILLEGAL
ALIENS AND THE ROCKEFELLERS. Michelle Malkin, who seems always
to be "on the case" and who has been a guest on our
program has turned up an interesting inconsistency. The larger
issue, of course, is whether we are ever going to control illegal
immigration into the U.S.
http://www.townhall.com/
THE
ISLAMIC JESUS. Jesus, as most westerners understand, does figure
in the Koran. He is also prominent in certain other Islamic texts.
But, of course, his significance is of a different order than
in the New Testament. Here is an academic review of a scholarly
work on the Jesus of the Muslims.
http://www.h-net.msu.edu/
WILL
TIME-LIMITED, PLURAL SEX CONTRACTS REPLACE MONOGAMY? While we
are focussed on "gay marriage" the real action (pushed
by radicalized family law professors) is toward ending marriage
as we know it. So says Stanley Kurtz in this disturbing article
from the current Weekly Standard. It may be painful but
you have to read this--and then, if you are so inclined, do please
give us your reactions and further thoughts by e-mail to extension720@tribune.com.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/
HOW'S
YOUR HINGLISH? That's the variant of English spoken by educated
East Indians. This article from the U.K. Spectator is
a charming introduction to some of the turns the language has
taken on the sub-continent.
http://www.spectator.co.uk/
A
GREAT BUT NEGLECTED ROMANTIC SYMPHONY. Schumann's second is quite
"dark" but ultimately "triumphant." Here are
two contrasting orchestral performances. Our preference is the
one conducted by Dohnanyi, unless it is the one conducted by Norrington.
http://classicalplu
