Sick of corked bats and sausage attacks? The NY Times delves into the return of base ball, circa 1866. I wonder if the Knickerbockers are doing any better in that century…
Month: July 2003
Walk the Plank.
If you’re looking for a matinee with which to beat the heat, avast what you’re doing and check out Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – It’s a solid two hours of mindless summer fun. It runs a bit longish, sure, but Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush keep it light as Captain Jack “Keef S. Thompson” Sparrow and the eeeevil Barbarossa respectively. (Of course, neither Orlando Bloom nor Keira Knightley are harsh on the eyes either, depending on your fancy.) And it’s always good to see Sam Lowry out and about in these trying times. All in all, easily as fun as Finding Nemo, if in the end a little more flawed.
Northbound.
Smoking Gun?
As the Bushies finally admit the Iraq-Niger link was bogus, the Dems call for an investigation into what the White House knew and when. I think it might just be independent counsel time.
Welcome to the Panopticon.
“This is coming whether we like it or not…It’s not how do we stop the tidal wave. It’s how do we manage it.” The Village Voice laments the creation of Combat Zones That See, or CTS. Smile, you’ll be on camera.
Ghosts of the Past.
Historian Richard Rubin pieces together the racialized local history surrounding the Colfax riot, the bloodiest single episode of Reconstruction. While I found the article intriguing, I’m not sure which history professors he was consulting. Eric Foner‘s Reconstruction: America’s Unfinished Revolution — the first place one should go for Reconstruction-related queries — touches on the Colfax riot (albeit briefly), and I seem to remember it receiving more treatment in William Gillette’s Retreat from Reconstruction. At any rate, an interesting and somewhat perturbing read.
A Dixie Chick’s Revenge.
Clear Channel is sued by Roxanne Cordonier, a South Carolina DJ and the 2002 state Radio Personality of the Year, for firing her for her anti-war stance. The suit also alleges that Cordonier “was forced to participate in a pro-war rally.” I’ll have to keep an eye on this one.
Paging Judge Danforth.
“Two senators – one a conservative Republican, the other a moderate Democrat – who spoke with Ashcroft…were surprised at his lack of command of the basic issues. Whether it was lack of interest or lack of intellectual firepower, the Attorney General seemed not to appreciate the complexities of the constitutional issues he was dealing with.” Nat Hentoff cites Stephen Brill’s After to depict amateur hour in the Ashcroft Justice Department.
War Games.
“He should turn it in to his professor, get his grade — and then they both should burn it.” A GMU grad student finds his infrastructure research may be groundbreaking…and dangerous.
Loquacious Wookie.
Peter Mayhew had best be careful. If he keeps dropping Episode III spoilers like this, Lucas might recast Chewbacca as CGI.