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Temps Perdu, Newspaper Dept.
For those pondering the future of the press, a dispatch from George Plank, a theatre specialist at West Point (and long ago a student of mine in a writing course at Camp Zama, in Japan): At a...
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From the Email Inbox (Security Dept)
An otherwise-unexplained message from the FAA yesterday to pilots who have signed up for regular safety announcements. Click for larger: TFR's are the no-fly (or pretty-much-don't-fly) zones that pop...
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Why I'm Seeing Ads for Giant Salamanders (and Carly F)
I mentioned yesterday my surprise at seeing an ad for the California Senate race -- specifically, an attack ad on Barbara Boxer from a "Protect Life" group -- when I was checking out a...
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Our Tattered Infrastructure, Part 2108
A friend who has lived in Europe for many years sent this picture, taken out the window of the American Airlines Admiral's Club at Miami airport. More images of the same plane after the jump. Of course...
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Items in the News: Tyson, Targeted Ads, MEOW
1) I agree entirely with the case made just now by my Atlantic colleague Joshua Green. Laura Tyson, of Berkeley, has again demonstrated the ability to explain big economic issues in clear, simple...
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I Try to be Open Minded About Security Theater, But.... (updated)
(see update at bottom) .... something preposterous happened over the weekend in Santa Barbara. I've resisted mentioning it, because it involves one of my hobby-horse subjects (general aviation)....
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Our Tattered Infrastructure, Updated and Corrected
I mentioned yesterday a friend's sighting of a mismatched American Airlines airplane at the Miami airport. Most of plane painted one way; nosecone painted another way. Read John Shepley writes to say,...
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A Ride in the Beijing Countryside: America Squabbles, China Builds
I spend a lot of my time urging outsiders not to believe everything they hear about China's "unstoppable" rise, its perfect coordination, its flawless concentration on the challenges that matter, and...
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A Note about Nick Hornby...
... who just happens to be performing with Pomplamoose (which I've promised not to mention any more) and Ben Folds, in a new video song here. It's perfectly respectable and hip to mention Hornby, so I...
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Omens for Tonight's Speech
This evening President Obama delivers his second televised address from the Oval Office. The first was on efforts to contain the BP disaster in the Gulf; this one is on the end of official combat...
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A Great Interview Just Now on 'All Things Considered'
Melissa Block was part of the NPR team that happened to be in Chengdu for pre-Olympic China coverage when the devastating Sichuan earthquake occurred in May, 2008. She has done a number of China...
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A Much Better Oval Office Speech Than the First One
Back in June, I thought that President Obama's first speech from the Oval Office, about the BP oil spill, was his first significant under-performance as an orator. Content not up to the occasion; stage...
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"Impressions of Afghanistan"
Back in 1958, the Atlantic published "The Lesson of Iraq," by a young Harvard professor named William R. Polk. The breaking Iraqi news that then required explanation was the military coup that...
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The Glamorous Life of a Journalist, Continued...
Previously in the series, here, here, here etc. Today in the email inbox, another sign that -- just as I predicted! -- the internet is creating new business opportunities for journalists even as it is...
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In Honor of the US Open: Security Theater + Roger Federer
I actually would love to find out that the TSA co-sponsored this one. (No policy point here: just charming, to the very end.)Thanks to Matt Wells Roger Federer - US Open - Chocolate - Tennis - Shopping
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Wikileaks, Assange, and the Strange Swedish Accusations
I am generally wary of mentioning a news development that I don't have any particular connection to, or angle on, or opportunity to offer new reporting about. The exception in this case is because the...
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More on Christina Romer's Anti-Recession Fight
My colleague Joshua Green has a good item today about Christina Romer's reported fight inside the Administration to make the stimulus efforts bigger and faster and more sustained, and to worry less...
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Software Week #1: SugarSync and 'Bundled' Files
Now for Something Completely Different. It's a new month and a new season and a new theme. Ready for a series of stored up "interesting software" thoughts. I have mentioned many times my enthusiasm for...
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More Polk on Afghanistan: What Should We Do Next?
Two days ago I mentioned a dispatch by William R. Polk, who first visited Afghanistan in 1962 (and first wrote about Iraq for the Atlantic in 1958), on his most recent visit to Afghanistan this summer....
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A Correction and Update from William Polk
As mentioned here and here, in the past few days we have run William R. Polk's "Impressions" from his recent visit to Afghanistan, and then his recommendations for the way ahead.Just now he has written...
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