Current national and global events.
Over in sunny old England — after my morning tea, the fog cleared in me ‘ead and I could focus on the telly — cattle disease has broken out once again. The wire services are calling this foot-and-mouth disease. Surely this is the sickness hoof-and-mouth disease, because these cud-chewers have hooves, not feet. People have […]
It’s all over the media this morning, after weeks of semi-substantiated rumor. The Bancroft family has sold Dow Jones. For us news hounds, that means The Wall Street Journal is changing hands. The Journal offered an irresistible offer to college students when I was in grad school. For more than four years we’ve gotten the […]
Relaxation tip: Ignore the presidential campaigns because it’s 15 months before November 2008. It’s six months before any primaries that matter. Why get worked up? A good part of the chaff will be be blown away by either luck or strong campaigners so you won’t get your hopes up for some goofus. Entertainment advice: Enjoy […]
The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday, following a Senate committee endorsing a similar measure (so that whole body likely will follow), overwhelmingly (379-45) approved a 17-month delay in mandating U.S. citizens showing their passports when flying back from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. (“Congress passports” as key words for your news search will focus […]
By which is meant, when you withdraw the rapier to prepare to strike again, as parry means to deflect and thrust is thrust. Crossing swords naturally refers to former President Carter’s blunt criticism over the weekend of current President Bush, particularly his foreign policy. Can’t get harsher than say “the worst,” which is the quote. […]
I don’t know about you, but when I was growing up during the first administration of the second Bush, I was taught that John Ashcroft was the anti-attorney general. Both his foes and his supporters seemed to agree that he was a proud religious-right zealot in terms of God-first, Constitution-maybe, and the remaining job description […]