Writes Dave, “With Trump’s acquiescence, Russia’s successful military intervention to rescue Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has made the Kremlin the new indispensable power in the region — simultaneously maintaining close relations with Israel, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.” Why, it’s almost as if none of these countries are really that…
Author: Alan Vanneman
Rowdy, partisan Democrats prevent Republicans from cutting out an FBI agent’s heart
Those Republicans and Democrats! Those Democrats and Republicans! They fight like cats and dogs! It makes you want to throw up your hands in disgust, amirite? That’s the way such reliable purveyors of “fake news” as the New York Times (“Hearing for FBI Agent Devolves Into Debacle”) and the Washington Post (“Shouting, bickering, and other…
Fred Hersch—“In Walked Bud”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw58HK3GYAg Fred Hersch is a pianist of outstanding intelligence and technique, but I’ve sometimes found his work too precious. Such is not the case with this performance, which treats Monk’s tune with impressive crispness and swagger. Posted by Scott Morgan Need more Monk? Yes, you do. Go to Mostly Monk and continue your education.
Jonah Goldberg, not much pleased to be called an old man
“There’s always a trade-off,” announces the National Review’s Jonah Goldberg—sounding a bit, to my ears at least, like Jane Austin remarking on the marital inclinations of single men in possession of good fortunes1—“in calling attention to trollish, attention-seeking writers who don’t deserve a response on the merits.” Well, with a throat clearing like that, you…
Anthony Kennedy: Wasn’t he the guy who appointed George Bush president of the United States?
Yes, he was. Anthony Kennedy was one of the unholy five justices so damned afraid Al Gore might have actually carried the state of Florida, as he carried the nation by a plurality of almost half a million votes, that they rammed through Curious George’s election the Constitution be damned. “Great cases, like hard cases,…
Donald Trump is sort of doing what Bill Clinton and Barack Obama should have done. Sort of.
Well, he is. Sort of. President Trump is recognizing that NATO has outlived its usefulness, seeing as the “Soviet Menace”, as we used to call it, disappeared, you know, almost thirty years ago, so we don’t have keep paying to defend Europe from a “threat” that doesn’t exist. Of course, cool, calm reflection and “reason’…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7BEAX0BLiw Francesco Cafiso Quartet—"In Walked Bud" Francesco Cafiso, sax; Marco Panascia, bass; Peter Van Nostrand, drums; Miki Yamanaka, piano. Posted by Luca’s Jazz Corner
Rod Rosenstein probably didn’t sign up for this. But what did he sign up for?
The New York Times has a long article, ”‘Shaken” Rosenstein Felt Used by White House in Comey Firing’”, by Michael Schmidt and Adam Goldman, that leaves me a little, you know, shaken but not stirred. Because what is the deal with Rod Rosenstein? Two weeks after being sworn in as deputy attorney general, Rosenstein writes…
George Will, a Conservative Who Actually Has a Conscience
I know I’m late with this, but nobility should never be ignored. George Will, whom I have almost endlessly berated in this blog for a good ten years, just hit one out of the park with a juicy little missive titled “Vote against the GOP this November”. So go read it.
Kim Zombik—“Ask Me Now”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wWVRbr6YRA Kim Zombik, vocal; Kate Wyatt, piano; Morgan Moore, bass; Martin Auguste, drums. Quartet: Off Jazz Festival 2014, Resonance Café, Montreal. Posted by Ted Strauss