As if you really needed more, right?, since Queen is pretty much one of the most kick-ass bands of all time. Yet, from Letters of Note (follow it, you’ll thank me later), come to find out that Freddy Mercury was the type of gentleman who actually wrote thank-you letters: In 1973, just as Queen finished recording their second album, 27-year-old Freddie Mercury, ever the gentleman, politely wrote the following letter of thanks to Jac Holzman, founder of their U.S. label, Elektra Records; Holzman had fought hard to bring the band to his label in 1971, and his faith in them hadn\’t gone unnoticed by Mercury....
Continue reading...September 2010
New York Times Columnist Line of the Day
If you’re one of the four-or-so frequent readers of this here blog, chances are you also occasionally check out the New York Times op-ed page. You may even know the names: Thomas “Friedman’s Just Another Word For Nothing Left to Lose” Friedman, Gail “The Colander” Collins, Nicholas “The Dark Crystal” Kristof, &c. This is a daily feature dedicated to these folks: one line that is either awesome, funny, insightful, intelligent, ridiculous, or utterly divorced from reality. I hope you enjoy. Today\’s is from Nicholas \”The Dark Crystal\” Kristof, who in his column \”Cleaning the Henhouse,\” takes on...
Continue reading...Morning Constitutional – Thursday, 2 September 2010
Good morning, folks. Tiger\’s getting a new place. Now, your morning constitutional: President Obama urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders to not let the opportunity for a permanent peace deal slip away on the eve of new direct talks between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. According to a new report, the recession and tougher border security have resulted in fewer illegal immigrants entering the U.S. On the other hand, over the last two decades, the number of children born to immigrants has doubled, while the number of children born to native-born Americans has...
Continue reading...Vanity Fair has a new piece on Sarah Palin, and it's somehow way more awesome than you'd expect
Seriously, this thing is amazing. Here are some choice parts On Sarah the Hunter: This whole hunter thing, for Sarah? That is the biggest fallacy,” says one longtime friend of the family. “That woman has never hunted. The picture of her with the caribou she says she shot? She got out of the R.V. to pose for a picture. She never helps with the fishing either. It’s all a joke.” On rumors that their marriage was rocky: One person who has been a frequent houseguest of the Palins’ says that the couple began many mornings with screaming...
Continue reading...Why did Murkowski lose?
David Weigel offers a post-mortem, as well as how it was her ability and willingness to work across the aisle that brought her down: The post-election gloating over Murkowski’s problems revealed the problems conservatives had with her. She voted for the Troubled Asset Relief Program in 2008. In October 2009 she said she was “open” to compromise on cap-and-trade legislation if it expanded drilling and nuclear power. She had a moderate record on abortion, siding with liberals on some matters of federal funding for the procedure. And she occasionally spoke dismissively of Sarah Palin. Tell me if I’m missing...
Continue reading...An Iraq vet reacts to the end of combat in Iraq
Ryan Gallucci, an Iraq veteran and the editor at American Veteran Magazine, says it best: Tonight, President Barack Obama announced that combat operations in Iraq have ended for the United States, to which I say, as a veteran of the conflict, it’s about time. I was happy to hear the President acknowledge that through the hard work of America’s military men and women, our nation succeeded in its missions, affording Iraq the opportunity to pursue a prosperous future. The President was also clear to note that the American commitment will continue in a variety of ways. When...
Continue reading...Morning Constitutional – Wednesday, 1 September 2010
Good morning, folks. Conan\’s going to tell us the name of his new show today. Now, your morning constitutional: Vice President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Robert Gates presided over a ceremony this morning to mark the transition of military operations in Iraq. President Obama is looking to make progress on the three \”big\” tasks in the Middle East—Iraq, Iran and Israel—a task that eluded his predecessors. Inheriting Iraq: Haunting images from the war Obama didn\’t want. Senator Lisa Murkowski has conceded her race for reelection against primary opponent Joe Miller, who narrowly beat her. Fidel Castro...
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