Nancy Pelosi’s notorious “I never said I didn’t know the CIA was waterboarding I only said I didn’t know about it when they said I knew about it” press conference wasn’t quite as bad as lot of people are saying. (You can view it here.) Unfortunately, Nancy’s been lapped by Harry “Yes, I am a…
Author: Alan Vanneman
Richard Posner fools me again
I guess that should be Richard A. Posner, because that’s how Dick likes to bill himself on his book jackets. If you read this blog assiduously, you’re probably aware that no one gets my goat quite so often as the learned judge. I never liked his snooty, know-it-all attitude, but it was his little book,…
That Jew!
No, it isn’t a new sitcom starring Sarah Silverman channeling Marlo Thomas. It’s a term that Arkansas State Senator, and potential U.S. Senate candidate, Kim Hendren used when referring to Sen. Chuck Schumer: “At the meeting I was attempting to explain that unlike Sen. Schumer, I believe in traditional values, like we used to see…
Thoughts on Chairman Bill
‘Pup was once asked in a published interview if he were aware that roughly 10 percent of the U.S. male population is homosexual. “If that’s the case then I’ve met them all.”’ That’s perhaps the sweetest meat from Christopher’s memoir Losing Mum and Pup, which recounts the death of his parents William F. and Patricia…
Richard Cohen, conflicted
Richard Cohen is conflicted. On the one hand, torture seems like a bad thing. On the other hand, this Cheney fellow, he says it works. “He says he knows of two CIA memos that support his contention that the harsh interrogation methods worked and that many lives were saved.” “Cheney says he once had the…
Dizzy Gillespie—“Tin Tin Deo”
Dizzy Gillespie, trumpet, & Christopher White, bass, and that’s all.
Fred, Fred, n’ Scat
The May issue of Bright Lights Film Journal is now available. I have a review of one of Fred Astaire’s worst pictures, Let’s Dance, co-starring the resistible Betty Hutton, along with a pan of a short book on Fred by Joseph Epstein. In addition, I take a look at Busby Berkeley’s strange Hollywood Hotel, which…
Coleman Hawkins and Charlie Parker
https://youtu.be/mZ5eGEest0g Very rare clip showing Coleman Hawkins and Charlie Parker pretending to play tunes they’ve already recorded. Worth seeing Parker in particular, because there’s almost no film of him. Predictably, he’s eager to show his disgust at having to follow a used-up has-been like the Hawk. According to Ken James, who definitely seems to know…
Christopher Hitchens, one for seven, but this one cleared the fences
It’s a little late in the game to ask what is the deal with Christopher Hitchens. About one in seven columns is about how he was right about Iraq, or at least that anyone who disagreed with him was wrong. Another seventh are about the joys of drinking on the job—the old “hot type” days…
Scalia to Britney: Drop Dead!
The Supreme Court issues a ruling affirming, sort of, the right of the FCC to punish “fleeting obscenities.” Justice Scalia, writing for a 5-4 majority, took a whack at the “foul-mouthed glitteratae from Hollywood.” For those not up on their Latin, the “ae” ending indicates that the good Justice was directing his ire at trash-talking…