Monday, May 17, 2004
Did the world end yet?: I’m still here. Reading stories like this and this. So I must be here. ... I’m with Joe: ‘To the rest of us - it’s Monday.’ ... The only regrets about today are: A.) It was court imposed and B.) we have to put up with the same type of photo shots of the exact same activists over and over again -- minus the horde of photo journalists taking the photos. ... Y’all remember this one, right? Now think about Cambridge City Hall last night.
FYI -- Now THIS is disturbing. It’s only mid-May and Casper the Friendly Shaughnessy is already in hyper Curse mode. He’s outdone himself. I didn’t think it was possible, but he did it. ...
FYI -- Now THIS is disturbing. It’s only mid-May and Casper the Friendly Shaughnessy is already in hyper Curse mode. He’s outdone himself. I didn’t think it was possible, but he did it. ...
Sunday, May 16, 2004
‘Interrogation and Counter-Resistance Policy, issued Oct. 12,’ Part II: No pity for the prison-guard grunts in Iraq. They were quite a crew. But, please, don’t tell me it was the actions of a ‘few.’ The NYT and Seymour Hersh weigh in today with Higher Up stories. But WaPo, which has another documented story today on a very specific case, pretty much established the higher-up link a week ago. The question is how higher up is higher up. ... Still say follow the photos. Private England apparently identified some military intelligence officers in photos. What were they doing there? Where were the photos and videos kept? In the grunts’ tents? In a flimsy box within a closet that investigators just happened to stumble upon? ... Those dismissing this scandal, ie the Armchair General Pundits, say that Americans’ revulsion and demand for justice mitigates, to a degree, the tragedy. They’re right. It does. But not if there’s kangaroo-court justice that covers up most of the truth. If that happens, we’ll suffer a double whammy propaganda setback. ...
‘Most Europeans themselves, or their parents and grandparents ...’: Re Europe’s alleged new ‘Iraq generation,’ Reader JL from Maine writes:
“Most Europeans themselves, or their parents and grandparents, collaborated and sometimes sympathized with the Nazis or the Communists, sometimes both, and they know very well that it was the US that often saved them from themselves -- as recently as in Kosovo. Having that knowledge about oneself must be demoralizing. One way to appease that guilt is to say, ‘well, others do it too, so we're not so bad.’ That explains why Europeans are so vehement in their opposition to Israel and so generous to the Palestinians. Just a couple of generations ago, many, maybe most, Europeans were complicit in the near extermination of Jews. What an opportunity it is, then, to regain one's moral stature by criticizing Jews for seeming to act the same way towards Palestinians.
“Never the less, the fact that critics are guilty hypocrites does not excuse the US or Israel or anyone from legitimate criticism of their actions. Indeed, the beheading of Nick Berg has saved Rumsfeld by exposing the nature of our adversaries.”
‘Most Europeans themselves, or their parents and grandparents ...’: Re Europe’s alleged new ‘Iraq generation,’ Reader JL from Maine writes:
“Most Europeans themselves, or their parents and grandparents, collaborated and sometimes sympathized with the Nazis or the Communists, sometimes both, and they know very well that it was the US that often saved them from themselves -- as recently as in Kosovo. Having that knowledge about oneself must be demoralizing. One way to appease that guilt is to say, ‘well, others do it too, so we're not so bad.’ That explains why Europeans are so vehement in their opposition to Israel and so generous to the Palestinians. Just a couple of generations ago, many, maybe most, Europeans were complicit in the near extermination of Jews. What an opportunity it is, then, to regain one's moral stature by criticizing Jews for seeming to act the same way towards Palestinians.
“Never the less, the fact that critics are guilty hypocrites does not excuse the US or Israel or anyone from legitimate criticism of their actions. Indeed, the beheading of Nick Berg has saved Rumsfeld by exposing the nature of our adversaries.”
The Charles Street and Cambridge Street contrasts: Hub Blog, your self-appointed Downtown Sidewalk Superintendent, has been closely following the big street project on Cambridge Street. Progress report: Very little. Moving at a snail’s pace. There are many/most days when workers aren’t visible. ... But, oh, the DNC is coming and major portions of Charles Street’s brick sidewalks were quickly ripped up a few weeks ago and have already been mostly replaced. The contrast between the two projects couldn’t be more stark.
FYI -- On one of the brick pallets on Charles Street, there was a sign touting them as ‘original’ Boston City Hall Pavers. Someone scribbled a note on the sign, saying that, no, they weren’t true classic Boston City Hall Pavers and that the ones recently plunked on Charles Street were cheapo versions. ... Only in Boston. ... I pointed out the dispute to a friend in the construction business and he gave me a long-winded explanation about the raging debate over the best City Hall Pavers. Google it and you’ll see there’s a whole City Hall Paver world out there.
FYI -- On one of the brick pallets on Charles Street, there was a sign touting them as ‘original’ Boston City Hall Pavers. Someone scribbled a note on the sign, saying that, no, they weren’t true classic Boston City Hall Pavers and that the ones recently plunked on Charles Street were cheapo versions. ... Only in Boston. ... I pointed out the dispute to a friend in the construction business and he gave me a long-winded explanation about the raging debate over the best City Hall Pavers. Google it and you’ll see there’s a whole City Hall Paver world out there.
Friday, May 14, 2004
‘Appealed for calm ...’: Maybe I live in a cocoon and don’t have a feel for the public mood on Monday’s big gay marriage day. Or maybe Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley lives in a cocoon and knows all the kooks who are about to fly off the handle on Monday. ... Otherwise, I haven’t heard a peep of angst about Monday, the day the world is supposed to end. ...
‘Not that the current US administration was very popular ...’: Oh please. The Euros are now saying a new “Iraq generation” is springing up like the “Vietnam generation.” As if they needed a catchy slogan and inglorious incident to justify anti-Americanism that existed well before 9/11 and Iraq. ... On the opposite end of the Iraq-debate spectrum, the tough-guy Armchair General Pundits have found a new rallying call: the rest of us are engaging in ‘moral panic.’ That’s the new beehive buzz you’ll be hearing a lot more of in coming weeks as the Bush fanatics regroup. ... Hub Blog thoroughly enjoyed hearing pro-war conservatives like Andrew Sullivan and David Brooks actually expressing doubt about some of their intellectual presumptions about the war, occupation and the previously infallible Bush administration. It was a long overdue and welcome bout of honesty. ... Enough on Iraq. ... Oooooops. Damn Blogger Pro!
Update -- Reader No. 1 makes a good catch on above Oooooops item: "Let voters judge"? Emphasis added.
‘Not that the current US administration was very popular ...’: Oh please. The Euros are now saying a new “Iraq generation” is springing up like the “Vietnam generation.” As if they needed a catchy slogan and inglorious incident to justify anti-Americanism that existed well before 9/11 and Iraq. ... On the opposite end of the Iraq-debate spectrum, the tough-guy Armchair General Pundits have found a new rallying call: the rest of us are engaging in ‘moral panic.’ That’s the new beehive buzz you’ll be hearing a lot more of in coming weeks as the Bush fanatics regroup. ... Hub Blog thoroughly enjoyed hearing pro-war conservatives like Andrew Sullivan and David Brooks actually expressing doubt about some of their intellectual presumptions about the war, occupation and the previously infallible Bush administration. It was a long overdue and welcome bout of honesty. ... Enough on Iraq. ... Oooooops. Damn Blogger Pro!
Update -- Reader No. 1 makes a good catch on above Oooooops item: "Let voters judge"? Emphasis added.
Thursday, May 13, 2004
‘That is not the values of America’: Rummy needed to go to Iraq and say the obvious. Despite the recent efforts of tough-guy Armchair General Pundits to dismiss the Abu Ghraib debacle, Rumsfeld is too smart not to understand the propaganda defeat we -- and especially he -- suffered. ... Jim Hoagland doesn’t strike me as an overly fancy and off-the-handle pundit, but he has a good column today giving a deserved shellacking to all the right people, Bush, Kerry, etc. ... He’s right: The stakes are too high to get bogged down in trivial presidential politics. Move on. Enough with Iraq. ...
Oooooops. Damn Blogger Pro. Accidently linked to something. .... Oooooops. Damn! ... Oooooops. ... Oooooops.
Oooooops. Damn Blogger Pro. Accidently linked to something. .... Oooooops. Damn! ... Oooooops. ... Oooooops.
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
‘How do you expect the M.P.'s to get it straight ...’: Two good quotes from Ted. The first came during a prison-abuse hearing in which a general and Pentagon civilian gave conflicting statements about command at Abu Ghraib. Ted: "How do you expect the M.P.'s to get it straight if we have a difference between the two of you?" ... The second is in reaction to the beheading of Nick Berg. Ted: “This vicious attack is a painful new reminder that al-Qaeda is determined to strike and kill Americans.'' ... Now I know Ted has said some damn silly things lately, i.e. war plots hatched in Texas etc. I also know the Bushies will come at anyone and everyone who dares to quote Ted favorably. But anyone want to dispute the substance of the above quotes? Not that they’re overly profound. ...
What did the president say last year about terrorists concentrating their efforts in Iraq? ‘Bring ‘em on’? No, that’s Kerry line. But it was something like that. Well, we now have a top al-Qaeda murderer, who used to be cornered in Afghanistan/Pakistan, beheading Americans in Iraq instead of Afghanistan/Pakistan. This is called ‘success.’ ...
The Catholic church is condemning abuses and cover ups. The Catholic church. ... FYI: WaPo continues its top-notch coverage of Abu Ghraib: A general is pointing the finger in the direction of two other Army generals in Iraq.
What did the president say last year about terrorists concentrating their efforts in Iraq? ‘Bring ‘em on’? No, that’s Kerry line. But it was something like that. Well, we now have a top al-Qaeda murderer, who used to be cornered in Afghanistan/Pakistan, beheading Americans in Iraq instead of Afghanistan/Pakistan. This is called ‘success.’ ...
The Catholic church is condemning abuses and cover ups. The Catholic church. ... FYI: WaPo continues its top-notch coverage of Abu Ghraib: A general is pointing the finger in the direction of two other Army generals in Iraq.
Tuesday, May 11, 2004
‘It's that very contrast that inspired leaders of Lexington ...’: Sometimes I wonder about the CSM. They’re based in Boston, but sometimes don’t seem to know Boston. This article on METCO is a case in point. It brings up Lexington’s pioneering efforts with METCO, a truly good-intentioned program worthy of support, but doesn’t mention the full context of METCO’s creation in regards to school desegragation and bussing. ... For that full context, one has to read ‘Common Ground’ to discover some interesting tales about Lexington of the ‘60s. It ain’t pretty. J. Anthony Lukas covers Lexington’s not-so-welcoming response to blacks attempting to buy homes in Lexington at the very time they were creating METCO. Suburban guilt and hypocrisy were also at play, as Lukas notes.
Iraq: ‘Right war, wrong time, wrong way’: That was said to me by a close Hub Blog friend this weekend. ... Chalk up David Brooks as another conservative war backer with second thoughts, albeit somewhat condescending second thoughts, i.e. “They resent us for our power ...” etc. Nice line: “We went into Iraq with what, in retrospect, seems like a childish fantasy.” But, again, it’s written in a condescending way that places much emphasis on “irony.” Well, maybe it’s “irony” to a person who expected a different outcome. It’s not “irony” to those who repeatedly warned about the realistic outcome. ... FYI: Hub Blog was a wobbly supporter going into Iraq, kicking and screaming about the wrong time and wrong way etc. I’m still proudly wobbly. But we have work to do in Iraq, Afghanistan (where we should have concentrated a bit more) and the ‘new Afghanistan.’ Just hope there’s enough credibility left to finish the jobs. ...
Monday, May 10, 2004
‘Blogs colliding with traditional media’: So it wasn’t a Russkie web hoax. The Dems really are inviting bloggers to apply for semi-press credentials for the 2004 DNC in Boston. Interesting. ... I decided not to conduct a crack investigation into the offer as mentioned last week. The idea of staying cooped up during summer evenings within the FleetCenter security zone didn’t sound appealing, particularly without extended bar hours afterward.
‘Interrogation and Counter-Resistance Policy, issued Oct. 12': If you’re going to read one story about Abu Ghraib today, make it this WaPo story. It’s all here: The long-term impact of dismantling the Iraqi army and intelligence services, the growing insurgency, the lack of troops, the lack of guard training and ... a visit by one Maj. Gen. Geoffrey D. Miller from Guantanamo Bay. Here’s the buried money graf: “The prison system's new ‘Interrogation and Counter-Resistance Policy,’ issued Oct. 12, came in the wake of Miller's recommendations. According to the Taguba report, the ‘numerous photos and videos portraying detainee abuse by Military Police personnel’ were dated soon after the policy was adopted, sometime between October and December.” ... Follow the photos. ... An accused soldier’s dad: “Apparently, he was told to take a picture and he did what he was told. ... He was just following instructions.” ... Who ordered the photos? Who were they given to? Why? When? ... Follow the photos.
Sunday, May 09, 2004
‘Doing the Hokey Pokey’: Pokey: “You do the Hokey Pokey and you circle all around... that's what its all about.” ... Pokey Power.
‘A Republican resurgence in Massachusetts’?: I wouldn’t call it a ‘resurgence,’ but it’s good to see political competition in Massachusetts for a change. ... A Hub Blog friend, a very staunch and somewhat prominent Dem, made the exact same point to me yesterday. ... Keep in mind this is only the latest GOP ‘resurgence.’ The ‘90 election did lead to a veto-sustaining gain for the party and Weld. But the rest of the decade and early into the new century was one long, slow slide toward the compromising hack ineptness of bottom-of-the-barrel ex-legislators Paul Cellucci and Jane Swift ... The ultimate prize, almost impossible to imagine, is to get hold of the gerrymandering apparatus at the State House, not the corner office. The next best thing is to graduate legislators to district attorney posts, Congress, other statewide offices etc., giving future pols hope they can actually use the GOP as a legitimate party to advance their ambitions. Too many Dems today are closet Republicans who would have run as Republicans if the Republicans had their act together.
'Who is this parade for anyway?': One of those ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ type of stories. Charlie Sennott interviews Spanish troops returning from Iraq to staged welcome-home parades by the government. The troops aren’t too proud of their government's decision. "America's reason for going to war was cynical," said one soldier. "But when you are there on the ground, you see the poverty and people living in mud houses next to Saddam's palaces, [and] the work we were doing seems justified. It had valor."...
‘There are a lot more photographs and videos that exist’: It obviously wasn’t all valor. Jules Crittendon, Philip G. Zimbardo and the NYT all have pieces this morning on the prison tortures in Iraq, taking the there’s-depravity-everywhere and ill-trained angles. Agreed. But there’s something else at work here, to wit: The photos. Why were they taking them? Why would depraved people committing heinous crimes take incriminating photos of themselves? If we get answers to those questions, we’ll probably find out how far up this goes. I strongly suspect, as do others, the photos were taken for others (i.e. future prisoners) to see. This smacks of a deliberate, albeit ill thought out, interrogation strategy. ...
The Herald, yesterday, reported on more shocking evidence yet to come: “The unreleased images show American soldiers beating one prisoner almost to death, apparently raping a female prisoner, acting inappropriately with a dead body, and taping Iraqi guards raping young boys, according to NBC News.” ... Again: The photos. The videos. Why? ...
Update -- OK, here we go. WaPo now reports how the higher-ups at the Pentagon approved "a legal way to jack up the pressure'' during interrogations. No, they didn't approve Abu Ghraib-style torture. I doubt any evidence will emerge implicating those at the White House and Pentagon. This is not what they wanted. But there was a tone set that filtered down to the grunts. At what point did someone misconstrue/abuse the orders? ... The string to pull is the photos. Question to be asked of those snapping the photos: Who did you give these to?
‘There are a lot more photographs and videos that exist’: It obviously wasn’t all valor. Jules Crittendon, Philip G. Zimbardo and the NYT all have pieces this morning on the prison tortures in Iraq, taking the there’s-depravity-everywhere and ill-trained angles. Agreed. But there’s something else at work here, to wit: The photos. Why were they taking them? Why would depraved people committing heinous crimes take incriminating photos of themselves? If we get answers to those questions, we’ll probably find out how far up this goes. I strongly suspect, as do others, the photos were taken for others (i.e. future prisoners) to see. This smacks of a deliberate, albeit ill thought out, interrogation strategy. ...
The Herald, yesterday, reported on more shocking evidence yet to come: “The unreleased images show American soldiers beating one prisoner almost to death, apparently raping a female prisoner, acting inappropriately with a dead body, and taping Iraqi guards raping young boys, according to NBC News.” ... Again: The photos. The videos. Why? ...
Update -- OK, here we go. WaPo now reports how the higher-ups at the Pentagon approved "a legal way to jack up the pressure'' during interrogations. No, they didn't approve Abu Ghraib-style torture. I doubt any evidence will emerge implicating those at the White House and Pentagon. This is not what they wanted. But there was a tone set that filtered down to the grunts. At what point did someone misconstrue/abuse the orders? ... The string to pull is the photos. Question to be asked of those snapping the photos: Who did you give these to?
Saturday, May 08, 2004
‘Oh, brother. The travails of Bill Clinton’: John Farrell has a mini-Clinton gem on the writing of his memoirs: “I am literally hardly sleeping. I am working around the clock. I am killing myself because I want (my memoirs) done.” But ... read John.
Friday, May 07, 2004
The Boston Herald: The talk of the town: Good. Steve Bailey spelled all the names right. ... The Boston Herald: Available at newsstands and your local store. Or subscribe online here. Have you tried the Herald today? ... I love it. More attention, please. ... The badboys of the Hub.
Thursday, May 06, 2004
‘The Democratic National Convention Committee is pleased to announce’: Either I’m a sucker for Russian web scams or this is cool: the DNC is inviting bloggers to apply for press credentials for this summer’s convention in Boston. ... FYI: I’m checking into it a bit more before applying. You should too. The same invitation isn’t offered at another 2004 DNC web site. ... Those damn Russkie hackers. Gotta stay on your paranoid toes.
‘You don't need liquor to have a good time’: Oh come on, mayor. Lighten up. Open the spigots. Jeez. ... The extend-the-bar-hours idea was not a ‘rumor.’ It was a trial balloon. A few people whined. The mayor backed down. Typical. ... He’s still gloating over the smoking ban. His finest achievement: allowing a non-elected board to impose the ban through regulatory fiat, only after the mayor determined it was politically safe to do so, health-care issues being of secondary concern, of course.
‘Bush scolds Rumsfeld ...’: Yes, but for the right reason? The Herald: “Bush was unhappy he was not told about incriminating pictures before they were shown on television or about a 2-month-old Pentagon report on the abuses before it turned up in the news.” ... The NYT: "The president was not satisfied or happy about the way he was informed about the pictures, and he did talk to Secretary Rumsfeld about it." ... Joan Vennochi has a good perspective on the scandal.
‘Under-estimating Kerry’: Andrew Sullivan isn’t buying the conventional wisdom about Kerry either. ... Conventional wisdom: Bush had a horrible month and Kerry still hasn’t budged the numbers. Conventional wisdom forgets: Bush just dropped $50 million on ads and still hasn’t budged the numbers. ... Conventional wisdom: Kerry overreacted to the medals controversy. Non-conventional wisdom: He fought back, as he said he would. ... Still think Bush will win. But never count Kerry out, even when he’s in one of his infamous Hamlet funks.
‘You don't need liquor to have a good time’: Oh come on, mayor. Lighten up. Open the spigots. Jeez. ... The extend-the-bar-hours idea was not a ‘rumor.’ It was a trial balloon. A few people whined. The mayor backed down. Typical. ... He’s still gloating over the smoking ban. His finest achievement: allowing a non-elected board to impose the ban through regulatory fiat, only after the mayor determined it was politically safe to do so, health-care issues being of secondary concern, of course.
‘Bush scolds Rumsfeld ...’: Yes, but for the right reason? The Herald: “Bush was unhappy he was not told about incriminating pictures before they were shown on television or about a 2-month-old Pentagon report on the abuses before it turned up in the news.” ... The NYT: "The president was not satisfied or happy about the way he was informed about the pictures, and he did talk to Secretary Rumsfeld about it." ... Joan Vennochi has a good perspective on the scandal.
‘Under-estimating Kerry’: Andrew Sullivan isn’t buying the conventional wisdom about Kerry either. ... Conventional wisdom: Bush had a horrible month and Kerry still hasn’t budged the numbers. Conventional wisdom forgets: Bush just dropped $50 million on ads and still hasn’t budged the numbers. ... Conventional wisdom: Kerry overreacted to the medals controversy. Non-conventional wisdom: He fought back, as he said he would. ... Still think Bush will win. But never count Kerry out, even when he’s in one of his infamous Hamlet funks.
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
What is he up to?: Oppose gay marriages? Check. ... Support death penalty? Check. ... Propose tax cuts? Check. ... Systematic and relentless assault on hackerama such as taking on Pacheo law or Quinn perks, etc. etc.? Too local. ... What is Mitt up to? You figure it out.
Update -- Holbert is noting the same big-issue-of-the-day trend.
‘Let's beat up Khldoon’: No WMD. No utopian transformational democracy by the looks of it. No victory in Falluja. A Saddam loyalist put in charge. A sick torture-chamber PR debacle. ... But we still have the likes of Khldoon Abdullah Mahmood on our side. His types are dwindling. Fast. Read until the end for a ray of hope amidst one hell of a mess. ....
George Will, who has been parking them lately on Iraq, on Bush’s most recent Woodrowism: “Being steadfast in defense of carefully considered convictions is a virtue. Being blankly incapable of distinguishing cherished hopes from disappointing facts, or of reassessing comforting doctrines in face of contrary evidence, is a crippling political vice.”
Update -- Holbert is noting the same big-issue-of-the-day trend.
‘Let's beat up Khldoon’: No WMD. No utopian transformational democracy by the looks of it. No victory in Falluja. A Saddam loyalist put in charge. A sick torture-chamber PR debacle. ... But we still have the likes of Khldoon Abdullah Mahmood on our side. His types are dwindling. Fast. Read until the end for a ray of hope amidst one hell of a mess. ....
George Will, who has been parking them lately on Iraq, on Bush’s most recent Woodrowism: “Being steadfast in defense of carefully considered convictions is a virtue. Being blankly incapable of distinguishing cherished hopes from disappointing facts, or of reassessing comforting doctrines in face of contrary evidence, is a crippling political vice.”
Monday, May 03, 2004
Oliver Willis is off to the great capital: Boston blogger Oliver Willis is headed south to join up with David Brock’s ‘Media Matters for America.’ Glad for Oliver, assuming his past blogging has led to a paying gig from that $2 million Brock has allegedly raised. ... As for Brock, well, I cautiously drop the word ‘allegedly’ whenever he makes a claim. ... Oliver: Bite the proverbial coin come first pay day. ...
... Sorry for the light blogging of late. Under the weather a bit. Must be the shock of actually experiencing May weather in May.
... Sorry for the light blogging of late. Under the weather a bit. Must be the shock of actually experiencing May weather in May.
Friday, April 30, 2004
‘Disgusting, arrogant and intellectually immature’: The UMass president sums it up pretty well. ... Perhaps a non-journalism-professor journalist should have a gentle talk with the student editors about certain realities in life, i.e. it’s not nice to print/broadcast Jay Severin-like hate that celebrates/ condones/encourages killing. ... Speaking of sophomoric: Looks like National Guard Adjutant General George W. Keefe is struggling to graduate from second-rate potty humor to lame political jokes about Democrats. ...
FYI: It should go without saying there is such a thing as first-rate potty humor.
‘I am already gagging’: Steve Bailey beat me to the barf. ... Off on a tangent: Have you seen the obnoxious Microsoft ads where dorky employees celebrate their company’s latest quarterly numbers? There are just some people who can’t let go of the ‘90s. ... My greatest worry about the recovering tech economy: A widespread return to Forced Fun moments by high-tech CEOs who think they’re hip while the rest of us view our jobs as something out of Office Space hell.
FYI: It should go without saying there is such a thing as first-rate potty humor.
‘I am already gagging’: Steve Bailey beat me to the barf. ... Off on a tangent: Have you seen the obnoxious Microsoft ads where dorky employees celebrate their company’s latest quarterly numbers? There are just some people who can’t let go of the ‘90s. ... My greatest worry about the recovering tech economy: A widespread return to Forced Fun moments by high-tech CEOs who think they’re hip while the rest of us view our jobs as something out of Office Space hell.
Thursday, April 29, 2004
‘He got what was coming to him’: The student editors at the UMass Daily Collegian are learning their trade fast: how to talk down to readers, how to sound pompous, how to put halos over their heads, how to tout themselves as noble defenders of the First Amendment etc. etc. etc. ... They’re nobly reacting, of course, to a truly sophomoric op-ed by a UMass grad student who said Pat Tillman got what was coming to him. ... ‘The backbone of journalism: The First Amendment.’ ... Well, they are or recently were sophomores. ... Tillman op-ed via AS.
‘Arrived in Boston as a stowaway,’ Part III: Nothing here. Move on. . ... Wait. Now we learn from another federal agency that, well, maybe, OK, there might have been a link between stowaways on Algerian LNGs entering Boston Harbor and terrorists. They’re ‘investigating’ the matter. ... The crack Boston office of the FBI: They make me feel so secure. ... Nothing here. Move on. Nothing here.
My mommy gave me away on national TV: Oh baby, it’s indeed an outrage. Making desperate couples jump through media hoops. Allowing a young woman to make a public choice of new parents for her unwanted child. ... Can you imagine the playground chatter five years from now? ‘Your mommy gave you away on TV.’ ... Or worse: The kid viewing a video of the show 12 years from now, tears streaming down his face. ...
Margery Eagan (sub. req.) has more. ... Love the runner-up prize: a 2-year-old. ... Bob Barker: 'And tell Contestants No. 3 what they've won.' ... 'Well, Bob, they'll get a new 7-year-old foster child, complete with full polio and measels shots.' ...
Full Medal Ruckus: Jeff Jacoby has a good chronological summary of the medals ruckus. ... I think most people lost track of the varying accounts after Take 3. I know I did. ...
Margery Eagan (sub. req.) has more. ... Love the runner-up prize: a 2-year-old. ... Bob Barker: 'And tell Contestants No. 3 what they've won.' ... 'Well, Bob, they'll get a new 7-year-old foster child, complete with full polio and measels shots.' ...
Full Medal Ruckus: Jeff Jacoby has a good chronological summary of the medals ruckus. ... I think most people lost track of the varying accounts after Take 3. I know I did. ...
‘It's strange ....’: Disagree with Tom Keane about Mitt’s use of a law to bar non-resident gays from marrying in Massachusetts (see post the other day), but I absolutely agree with him on the larger issue of Mitt losing credibility as a result of the gay-marriage issue. Tom:
“It’s strange. You go on vacation for a week, return and find your governor a man obsessed. He once seemed such a reasonable guy: less a conservative than a square shooter, a smart businessman who rejected the casual moral squalor of the State House, an honest broker riding herd over the Democratic monopoly.”
Mitt’s greatest problems seem to arise when he stops thinking of how to be a good state governor and starts thinking what a whiz he is on the national stage. This is encouraging: He’s inevitably getting involved in the presidential race but not forgetting the local ties he needs in order to govern. It’ll probably end up a political disaster. ... One doesn’t give into the hackerama mentality by working with them. One does give into the hackerama mentality, as Weld did, when you start wheeling and dealing with them on their squalid level. Mitt hasn’t figured this out yet.
An explanation for Irish bachelorhood?: The NYT may have found it. ... I wept through the whole article. ... Can’t wait to tell the regulars at the bar tonight. ‘Hey, guys, we have Asperger's syndrome.’
“It’s strange. You go on vacation for a week, return and find your governor a man obsessed. He once seemed such a reasonable guy: less a conservative than a square shooter, a smart businessman who rejected the casual moral squalor of the State House, an honest broker riding herd over the Democratic monopoly.”
Mitt’s greatest problems seem to arise when he stops thinking of how to be a good state governor and starts thinking what a whiz he is on the national stage. This is encouraging: He’s inevitably getting involved in the presidential race but not forgetting the local ties he needs in order to govern. It’ll probably end up a political disaster. ... One doesn’t give into the hackerama mentality by working with them. One does give into the hackerama mentality, as Weld did, when you start wheeling and dealing with them on their squalid level. Mitt hasn’t figured this out yet.
An explanation for Irish bachelorhood?: The NYT may have found it. ... I wept through the whole article. ... Can’t wait to tell the regulars at the bar tonight. ‘Hey, guys, we have Asperger's syndrome.’
Wednesday, April 28, 2004
‘Don't much care what either of them did in their military service’: Re my post yesterday: A Brookline reader writes in with quickie explanations on ribbons vs. medals, George’s National Guard service, and how their military service ain’t the issue. Excerpts:
“When people talk about ribbons and medals being interchangeable, they are not referring to the pieces of cloth that suspend the metal part of the award. The ribbons in question are insignia that are worn on the dress uniform -- look at any senior officer or long serving soldier/sailor/airman/marine and you'll notice an expanse of colored ribbons on the left chest. This ‘fruit salad’ is comprised of ribbons representing battles and wars that the service member has participated in, as well as honors and awards - including medals. ...
“While I'm writing, I'd also like to take issue with the continued sneers (not necessarily by you) at Pres. Bush over his Guard service, as well as the ‘Mission Accomplished’ banner. While W's Guard service may not have been as risky as Bob (not John) Kerry's heroic service in combat, it was not risk free -- the F-102 was a notoriously difficult aircraft to fly. Even in peacetime we regularly lose pilots and aircraft, such as two of my college classmates, whose F-14 hit the water short of their carrier's flight deck back in the '80s.
“I don't much care what either of them did in their military service -- I'm much more interested in Kerry's tendency to tell clumsy lies whenever he thinks a new story would be more convenient, and his whining about ‘the Republican attack machine’ when someone accurately reports his voting record or shows a videotape of him making a campaign speech.
“The ‘Mission Accomplished’ banner has been similarly misinterpreted -- the carrier's crew and air wing had just completed a demanding mission requiring an extended cruise. It's pretty much standard to rig such a banner when returning to port. ...”
Hub Blog’s response -- I’ll stand corrected on the fruit-salad ribbons, which I was aware of while writing the post but obviously didn't think that's what people were referring to. Silly Hub Blog. ... Obviously doesn't change the ever shifting medal explanations by Kerry, though. ... He "forgot" the medals at home? ... As for George, I respect the NG dangers he endured but they weren’t the same as actual combat, which he was clearly trying to avoid, which we all know in our gut to be true. ...
“When people talk about ribbons and medals being interchangeable, they are not referring to the pieces of cloth that suspend the metal part of the award. The ribbons in question are insignia that are worn on the dress uniform -- look at any senior officer or long serving soldier/sailor/airman/marine and you'll notice an expanse of colored ribbons on the left chest. This ‘fruit salad’ is comprised of ribbons representing battles and wars that the service member has participated in, as well as honors and awards - including medals. ...
“While I'm writing, I'd also like to take issue with the continued sneers (not necessarily by you) at Pres. Bush over his Guard service, as well as the ‘Mission Accomplished’ banner. While W's Guard service may not have been as risky as Bob (not John) Kerry's heroic service in combat, it was not risk free -- the F-102 was a notoriously difficult aircraft to fly. Even in peacetime we regularly lose pilots and aircraft, such as two of my college classmates, whose F-14 hit the water short of their carrier's flight deck back in the '80s.
“I don't much care what either of them did in their military service -- I'm much more interested in Kerry's tendency to tell clumsy lies whenever he thinks a new story would be more convenient, and his whining about ‘the Republican attack machine’ when someone accurately reports his voting record or shows a videotape of him making a campaign speech.
“The ‘Mission Accomplished’ banner has been similarly misinterpreted -- the carrier's crew and air wing had just completed a demanding mission requiring an extended cruise. It's pretty much standard to rig such a banner when returning to port. ...”
Hub Blog’s response -- I’ll stand corrected on the fruit-salad ribbons, which I was aware of while writing the post but obviously didn't think that's what people were referring to. Silly Hub Blog. ... Obviously doesn't change the ever shifting medal explanations by Kerry, though. ... He "forgot" the medals at home? ... As for George, I respect the NG dangers he endured but they weren’t the same as actual combat, which he was clearly trying to avoid, which we all know in our gut to be true. ...
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
‘Back then ribbons, medals were absolutely interchangeable’: They were? Hub Blog’s question: If there was no difference, then why didn’t he lob the medals with the ribbons? Hub Blog’s answer: Because he was trying to have it both ways. ... Who the hell detaches ribbons from medals? Did he pin the ribbons to a wall and forget the medals were in a shoe box? ... Attention past Olympian winners: Please send Hub Blog the non-ribbon part of your gold medals. I’d like to pawn ‘em off to pay my cable bills for life. Please feel free to keep the ribbons. They’re the precious memory, after all. ... Tom Oliphant remembers ribbons, even though he used the word medals at the time. But fear not: Ribbons and medals are interchangeable! ... Joan Vennochi has the entire tired issue pretty much sized up.
FYI -- Had you heard of the ribbons vs. medals distinction before? I hadn’t. Whenever I brought up the 'Full medal ruckus' subject, I was always admonished by Kerry backers for getting the facts wrong. He threw other people’s medals over the fence, I was sternly told. Now we know: He did both!
FYI II -- If Kerry’s medals are an issue, Bush and Cheney’s non-war records are fair game, too. That issue was opened up last year, in my mind, when Bush landed on the aircraft carrier, playing warrior pilot, with ‘Mission Accomplished’ plastered across the conning tower. At least Kerry has/had some battlefield ribbons/medals to non-throw throw away. It matters, right?
Update -- JJDaley has some thoughts on the issue. Not sure I agree with Oliphant having the 'definitive say.' But there's little doubt how Kerry has 'optimized the events of that day in different ways in different times to different advantage.' ...
... Isn't it amazing how the Full Medal Ruckus has come roaring back? We, in the great Bay State, have been chuckling and arguing over this issue for decades now. Fun to see the national media and non-Hub bloggers jumping into the fray.
FYI -- Had you heard of the ribbons vs. medals distinction before? I hadn’t. Whenever I brought up the 'Full medal ruckus' subject, I was always admonished by Kerry backers for getting the facts wrong. He threw other people’s medals over the fence, I was sternly told. Now we know: He did both!
FYI II -- If Kerry’s medals are an issue, Bush and Cheney’s non-war records are fair game, too. That issue was opened up last year, in my mind, when Bush landed on the aircraft carrier, playing warrior pilot, with ‘Mission Accomplished’ plastered across the conning tower. At least Kerry has/had some battlefield ribbons/medals to non-throw throw away. It matters, right?
Update -- JJDaley has some thoughts on the issue. Not sure I agree with Oliphant having the 'definitive say.' But there's little doubt how Kerry has 'optimized the events of that day in different ways in different times to different advantage.' ...
... Isn't it amazing how the Full Medal Ruckus has come roaring back? We, in the great Bay State, have been chuckling and arguing over this issue for decades now. Fun to see the national media and non-Hub bloggers jumping into the fray.
Monday, April 26, 2004
‘It would have been nice to see an offensive lineman’: Kevin Mannix is now a little more skeptical about the Pats' weekend draft. Ron Borges is now less skeptical. They’re converging to a consensus: Pretty darn good weekend with puzzling caveats. ...
‘The `Las Vegas' of gay marriage’: Carp all you want about the motives for Romney’s new edicts on gay marriages, but his reasoning is sound and balanced. He’s: A.) told justices of the peace to abide by the rule of law by marrying gay couples later this month, following the law-of-the-land ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and B.) he’s ordered no out-of-staters shall be married here if their marriage would be void in their home state, also based on a law-of-the-land ruling of the Legislature that the MSJ court didn’t address -- and shouldn’t have addressed. ... I’m most fascinated with the carping on point B.). What did gay-marriage proponents expect? They sought a state court ruling. The state court ruled in their favor as it applied to the state of Massachusetts. But now they want to extend the state ruling by judicial fiat to other non-residents from other states? ... If proponents think the only-Massachusetts-residents clause is unconstitutional, they should prepare a separate lawsuit or, as the Herald suggests, actually seek a vote of the Legislature to overturn it. ... FYI: I favor gay marriage and abortion rights. But exclusively relying on court rulings to advance social causes often results in marches like yesterday’s over a 31-year-old judicial decision that’s now only one justice away from being overturned. ... Hub Blog has often thought that if Democrats really wanted to make political mischief, they’d allow Republicans to get their precious last anti-abortion vote on the U.S. Supreme Court. The result, in the next election, would be an overwhelming Democratic landslide. Guaranteed.
... As for Mitt showing off on the national stage, I think that the charge is true and that it’s hurting him. Bad. There are a lot of people -- both pro- and anti-gay marriage -- who have the ability to file away displays of political opportunism and cynicism. His weekend edicts are fine. Probably the first time he’s shown balanced statesmanship on the issue. But his play-to-the-national-audience antics leading up to this weekend were not based on the political and legal realities on the ground in Massachusetts. ... File it away.
‘The `Las Vegas' of gay marriage’: Carp all you want about the motives for Romney’s new edicts on gay marriages, but his reasoning is sound and balanced. He’s: A.) told justices of the peace to abide by the rule of law by marrying gay couples later this month, following the law-of-the-land ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and B.) he’s ordered no out-of-staters shall be married here if their marriage would be void in their home state, also based on a law-of-the-land ruling of the Legislature that the MSJ court didn’t address -- and shouldn’t have addressed. ... I’m most fascinated with the carping on point B.). What did gay-marriage proponents expect? They sought a state court ruling. The state court ruled in their favor as it applied to the state of Massachusetts. But now they want to extend the state ruling by judicial fiat to other non-residents from other states? ... If proponents think the only-Massachusetts-residents clause is unconstitutional, they should prepare a separate lawsuit or, as the Herald suggests, actually seek a vote of the Legislature to overturn it. ... FYI: I favor gay marriage and abortion rights. But exclusively relying on court rulings to advance social causes often results in marches like yesterday’s over a 31-year-old judicial decision that’s now only one justice away from being overturned. ... Hub Blog has often thought that if Democrats really wanted to make political mischief, they’d allow Republicans to get their precious last anti-abortion vote on the U.S. Supreme Court. The result, in the next election, would be an overwhelming Democratic landslide. Guaranteed.
... As for Mitt showing off on the national stage, I think that the charge is true and that it’s hurting him. Bad. There are a lot of people -- both pro- and anti-gay marriage -- who have the ability to file away displays of political opportunism and cynicism. His weekend edicts are fine. Probably the first time he’s shown balanced statesmanship on the issue. But his play-to-the-national-audience antics leading up to this weekend were not based on the political and legal realities on the ground in Massachusetts. ... File it away.
Sunday, April 25, 2004
‘I wouldn't have dismantled the team’: By all accounts, the Celts are going down in flames, stealing the too-few parachutes on board and elbowing each other out the hatch. Here’s the Globe account and the Herald account. ... Robert Parish wants to get back into the NBA, but he ain’t going to do it, unfortunately, with the Celts, considering these comments on Trader Dan’s moves this season: “Personally, I would have just added to the foundation. ... You had Antoine (Walker) and (Paul) Pierce. They needed a center, they needed a power forward and they needed a point guard. I would have addressed those issues had I been in Danny's position. I wouldn't have dismantled the team.”
I know the build-on-the-foundation argument is now moot and, yes, I grudgingly sort of get where Danny is taking the team. But, damn, the build-on-the-foundation route was indeed logical, as Parish notes. ... I’ve come around, though, to the argument that O’Brien’s defense-at-all-costs coaching style probably would have cramped even Parish’s vision.
FYI: The Pats took DT Vince Wilfork yesterday. Kevin Mannix thinks he was a steal. Ron Borges appears to be still trying to take Bill down for trading Drew. ... Must admit: The heavy emphasis on defense miffs. But it’s Almighty Bill’s style. So ...
I know the build-on-the-foundation argument is now moot and, yes, I grudgingly sort of get where Danny is taking the team. But, damn, the build-on-the-foundation route was indeed logical, as Parish notes. ... I’ve come around, though, to the argument that O’Brien’s defense-at-all-costs coaching style probably would have cramped even Parish’s vision.
FYI: The Pats took DT Vince Wilfork yesterday. Kevin Mannix thinks he was a steal. Ron Borges appears to be still trying to take Bill down for trading Drew. ... Must admit: The heavy emphasis on defense miffs. But it’s Almighty Bill’s style. So ...
Saturday, April 24, 2004
‘The future of tourism in Massachusetts is now in the Legislature's hands’: The very future of tourism in Massachusetts is at stake? What should we do? Yes, give the industry group some public money! The very future of tourism in Massachusetts is at stake! ... This must be a holdover people-will-die op-ed from last year’s budget battles. No other explanation. ...
‘I've had it up to here...’: Boston blogger John Farrell Coppola, director of the locally produced Richard the Second, makes swift mincemeat of the slow motion trend within the film industry. ... I hadn’t really noticed the slow-motion aspects of the final episode of Lord of the Rings. Perhaps because I was nodding off by the end of the overly long, overly sentimental finale. The battle scenes were good, though. Loved the Non-Wooly But Mammoth elephant assaults. ...
That ‘slam dunk’ thing: Hub Blog has been avoiding all things Iraq and Kerry lately. Why? I’m pacing myself. ... But the now famous/infamous George ‘Slam Dunk’ Tenet scene in Bob Woodward’s latest media-hyped book cries out for a slam dunk Hub Blog analysis. ... First, Andrew Sullivan is absolutely right that Tenet should be fired. Second, Scot Lehigh takes the logic (and the scene in the book) a few steps farther and rightly draws not-so-flattering conclusions about the man at the top. ...
Now here’s my slam dunk Hub Blog analysis in the form of a question: Will you fully believe this administration the next time they marshal the focus groups and PR machine to rev us up on a critical and complicated national-security issue? I don't think so. You see, there’s this thing called ‘trust’ and ... Slam dunk! ...
Don’t look now, but the WMD/Democracy in the Middle East crowd is now warning us that, well, maybe we won’t get the back-up/retroactive Democracy in the Middle East scenario either. ... Iraq is definitely not another Vietnam. Iraq is just Iraq. ...
‘I've had it up to here...’: Boston blogger John Farrell Coppola, director of the locally produced Richard the Second, makes swift mincemeat of the slow motion trend within the film industry. ... I hadn’t really noticed the slow-motion aspects of the final episode of Lord of the Rings. Perhaps because I was nodding off by the end of the overly long, overly sentimental finale. The battle scenes were good, though. Loved the Non-Wooly But Mammoth elephant assaults. ...
That ‘slam dunk’ thing: Hub Blog has been avoiding all things Iraq and Kerry lately. Why? I’m pacing myself. ... But the now famous/infamous George ‘Slam Dunk’ Tenet scene in Bob Woodward’s latest media-hyped book cries out for a slam dunk Hub Blog analysis. ... First, Andrew Sullivan is absolutely right that Tenet should be fired. Second, Scot Lehigh takes the logic (and the scene in the book) a few steps farther and rightly draws not-so-flattering conclusions about the man at the top. ...
Now here’s my slam dunk Hub Blog analysis in the form of a question: Will you fully believe this administration the next time they marshal the focus groups and PR machine to rev us up on a critical and complicated national-security issue? I don't think so. You see, there’s this thing called ‘trust’ and ... Slam dunk! ...
Don’t look now, but the WMD/Democracy in the Middle East crowd is now warning us that, well, maybe we won’t get the back-up/retroactive Democracy in the Middle East scenario either. ... Iraq is definitely not another Vietnam. Iraq is just Iraq. ...
Thursday, April 22, 2004
‘I'm a nut for fountains’: Now I know why most city fountains don’t work -- and why there are not more of them. ... But a question: Why do the Frog Pond and Post Office Square fountains work every year? Just asking. ...
‘A very strong New England brand’: Hub Blog, a quart-at-a-time Briggies fan, wishes the new Brighams owners well. It truly is a ‘strong New England brand.’ But if they try to turn it into an obnoxiously cute Ben & Jerry’s or screw it up like Friendly’s due to overexpansion, they should be run out of town. ... NO CUTE FLAVOR NAMES, PLEASE. ...
‘New Mitt agency a haven for hacks’: Never thought I’d see those words strung together in that order. Or at least not so soon. ... Kind of undercuts his latest reform push, right?
Update -- PoliticaObscura has comments on both Brighams and Hacks, i.e. he likes the former and disagrees with the latter.
‘A very strong New England brand’: Hub Blog, a quart-at-a-time Briggies fan, wishes the new Brighams owners well. It truly is a ‘strong New England brand.’ But if they try to turn it into an obnoxiously cute Ben & Jerry’s or screw it up like Friendly’s due to overexpansion, they should be run out of town. ... NO CUTE FLAVOR NAMES, PLEASE. ...
‘New Mitt agency a haven for hacks’: Never thought I’d see those words strung together in that order. Or at least not so soon. ... Kind of undercuts his latest reform push, right?
Update -- PoliticaObscura has comments on both Brighams and Hacks, i.e. he likes the former and disagrees with the latter.
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
'It’s great to have the Montreal hate back,’ The End: I know, I should have posted this yesterday. The Bruins loss was truly a ‘complete collapse.’ But I wanted to give my friend time to grieve and compose himself. Here’s his final missive on the subject:
“Part of me laughed when that final empty net goal went in. I almost threw a tantrum like I did when I was little boy in the late 70's and early 80s but then I just laughed. More than any other sport, hockey is flawed. You play an 80 games season, a seven game playoff and a guy throws it off the side of the net and it bounces to his teammate and they win and the Bruins lose. Why do I care? Well I don't anymore. .... For God's sake the Bruins' coaches game plan was to ‘throw the puck at the net and get some traffic in front of the net’ another words ‘I hope the puck finds its way in the net somehow.’ That's like Bill Belicheck saying ‘Alright boys, lets send all I receivers deep, Tom you throw it up as high and as long as you can, we are bound to come down with a few touchdowns sooner of later.’ The Bruins of the 70s and 80s will always be a part of who I am, they taught me to work hard and never take any shit from anyone, but the sport itself is the equivalent of pinball on ice. Whoever gets the bounce wins the game. I'm done with it.”
“Part of me laughed when that final empty net goal went in. I almost threw a tantrum like I did when I was little boy in the late 70's and early 80s but then I just laughed. More than any other sport, hockey is flawed. You play an 80 games season, a seven game playoff and a guy throws it off the side of the net and it bounces to his teammate and they win and the Bruins lose. Why do I care? Well I don't anymore. .... For God's sake the Bruins' coaches game plan was to ‘throw the puck at the net and get some traffic in front of the net’ another words ‘I hope the puck finds its way in the net somehow.’ That's like Bill Belicheck saying ‘Alright boys, lets send all I receivers deep, Tom you throw it up as high and as long as you can, we are bound to come down with a few touchdowns sooner of later.’ The Bruins of the 70s and 80s will always be a part of who I am, they taught me to work hard and never take any shit from anyone, but the sport itself is the equivalent of pinball on ice. Whoever gets the bounce wins the game. I'm done with it.”
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
Microsoft and blogs?: When you hear the words 'Microsoft' and 'blogs' and 'build relations' and 'software developers,' the blogosphere should go on high Defcon-4 alert.
Monday, April 19, 2004
'It's getting hot in here': The Herald has a marathon blog.
Sunday, April 18, 2004
‘It’s great to have the Montreal hate back,’ Part III: Oh dear. The suicide watch has been upgraded from ‘precautionary’ to ‘likely.’ ... This is getting serious. Bruins fans will be jumping off ledges tomorrow if they don’t win. ...
Is this a great sports weekend in Boston or what? Celts fans expected nothing more. Sox fans expected nothing less. Marathon fans can expect another awesome Kenyan performance.
Is this a great sports weekend in Boston or what? Celts fans expected nothing more. Sox fans expected nothing less. Marathon fans can expect another awesome Kenyan performance.
‘This time we're the Redcoats’: Must be something subconscious about Patriots Day weekend, but lots of mentions of Redcoats in yesterday’s post below and now in this brief about how we’re the Redcoats in the way we’re responding to terrorism. ... Speaking of Redcoats, David Hackett Fischer, the Brandeis professor and author of the local classic ‘Paul Revere’s Ride,’ has a new book out, ‘Washington’s Crossing.’ What I like about Fischer’s work, besides focusing on cool subjects, is how he debunks the revisionist debunkers. Haven’t read ‘Washington’s Crossing,’ but he did a great job in ‘Paul Revere’s Ride’ showing how Revere truly was a hero, despite silly and spurious comparisons to William Dawes. ... Instapundit has more on Fischer’s latest anti-debunking debunking. ...
Ah, what the heck. The subject of George and Redcoats is obviously related to muskets, which is related to news that Cape Cod writer Bernard Cornwell’s latest Sharpe book is out, ‘Sharpe’s Escape.’ Bought the book yesterday, along with last year’s ‘Sharpe’s Havoc,’ released this month in paperback. Cornwell is a writing machine. ... Might as well remention Eve LaPlante’s ‘American Jezebel,’ yet another new book of local interest.
Ah, but here’s one book I think I’ll pass up. Love the Herald headline: ‘Welch confident about book with Suzy.’
Ah, what the heck. The subject of George and Redcoats is obviously related to muskets, which is related to news that Cape Cod writer Bernard Cornwell’s latest Sharpe book is out, ‘Sharpe’s Escape.’ Bought the book yesterday, along with last year’s ‘Sharpe’s Havoc,’ released this month in paperback. Cornwell is a writing machine. ... Might as well remention Eve LaPlante’s ‘American Jezebel,’ yet another new book of local interest.
Ah, but here’s one book I think I’ll pass up. Love the Herald headline: ‘Welch confident about book with Suzy.’
