Doctor: “Is this how time normally passes? Really slowly, and in the proper order?” “Vincent and the Doctor” was a lovely episode, full of great moments, and the tone felt appropriate after last week’s loss of Rory. Amy is in mourning though she doesn’t even realize it, and she finally makes a human connection with Vincent that I think has been lacking for her all season. As the Doctor joked, a child produced by Amy and Vincent would have been the ultimate ginger…
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Kagan Changes Her Mind on Hearings
Back when Elena Kagan was first nominated for the Supreme Court, I mentioned her 1995 critique of confirmation hearings– she said they had become “a vapid and hollow charade, in which repetition of platitudes has replaced discussion of viewpoints and personal anecdotes have supplanted legal analysis.” I was optimistic that Kagan would adhere to that viewpoint and approach her own hearing with more candor, but it doesn’t appear that that will be the case. In fact, during Kagan’s confirmation for Solicitor General last year, she took a step towards disavowing her earlier analysis: ““I am . ....
Continue reading...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. Well, I’ve decided to devote a daily feature to these folks, by daily pointing out one line that is either awesome, funny, insightful, intelligent, ridiculous, or utterly divorced from reality. I hope you enjoy. Today’s is from Paul “The Little Professor” Krugman, who in his...
Continue reading...Morning Constitutional – Monday, 28 June 2010
Good morning, everybody. The U.S. and England are out. Now, your morning constitutional: Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, the longest-serving senator in history, is dead at 92. FiveThirtyEight looks at how the W.V. senate seat will be filled. Elana Kagan’s confirmation hearings begin today. How Republicans are struggling for a line of attack. Slate wonders: How many votes will Elena Kagan get? A new study shows that Supreme Court hearings do address real substance; also, women and minority nominees are more closely questioned than white males. The people of Kyrgyzstan voted to approve a new constitution...
Continue reading...Poem of the Week
A friend suggested this week’s poetry pick, telling me that a) it is her favorite and b) she has it memorized. So did I! Said friend also offered me homemade baked goods today, so obviously I would have been obliged to post her favorite poem even if I did not also like it. Which I do. Point being, if anyone else would like to share a poem with the many, many readers of V&V, please note that I take well to bribery, especially when it involves food. If Rudyard Kipling If you can keep your head when...
Continue reading...Morning Constitutional – Thursday, 24 June 2010
Good morning, everyone. Eliot Spitzer and Kathleen Parker are going to bring you the news on CNN this fall. Now, your morning constitutional: Kevin Rudd has stepped down as Prime Minister of Australia after his deputy Julia Gillard secured enough votes to overthrow him. FiveThirtyEight looks into the downfall of Rudd, who was very recently Australia’s most popular PM. Gillard becomes Australia’s first female prime minister. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is in Washington today to discuss the global economy with President Obama. Russia plans to resume supplying Belarus with natural gas after Belarus paid its debt to...
Continue reading...Morning Constitutional – Wednesday, 23 June 2010
Good morning, everybody. Jerry Seinfeld thinks Lady Gaga is a jerk. Now, your morning constitutional: Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s fate, now unknown, will likely be determined today in his meeting with President Obama today. Some inside the White House may be suggesting he might be on his way out, which would not make Afghan leaders particularly happy. And how the debacle highlights, yet again, the split over Afghanistan between Gen. McChrystal and Vice President Biden. Regardless of what happens, the president is still stuck with the same counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan McChrystal put into place. Shady: U.S. District...
Continue reading...New York Time 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. Well, I’ve decided to devote a daily feature to these folks, by daily pointing out one line that is either awesome, funny, insightful, intelligent, ridiculous, or utterly divorced from reality. I hope you enjoy. Today’s is from David “Yawny-Pants” Brooks, who in his column “Fastus...
Continue reading...Doctor Who, "Cold Blood"
Doctor, to Ambrose: “You are so much less than the best of humanity!” While I enjoyed “Cold Blood” much more than part one, “The Hungry Earth,” I don’t have much to say about it save for the final scene. After Ambrose kills Alaya, negotiations between the Silurians and the humans fall apart. The Doctor forces the Silurians to go back into hibernation for another 1,000 years and hopes that when they wake, the humans will be ready to make peace. The Doctor, Amy, and Rory rush back to the surface to escape in the TARDIS, but when...
Continue reading...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. Well, I’ve decided to devote a daily feature to these folks, by daily pointing out one line that is either awesome, funny, insightful, intelligent, ridiculous, or utterly divorced from reality. I hope you enjoy. Today’s is from Ross “Do That Thing” Douthat, who in his...
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