Category: Uncategorized
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The Ghosts of Movies Past–Manhattan Melodrama
I first saw “Manhattan Melodrama” years ago, how many years I’m uncertain, but it’s been a long time. I remembered it as a good film. I was right about that, to the extent that I was right about the movie but it is more than just good. It strives for being a great film and…
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He’s leading us–but where?
My immediate response to the new administration was to be critical and I was in the one blog I’ve done on the subject so far. But I thought it might be a good idea to wait a bit longer before going forward with such blogs. After all people do change(but seldom), and I am always…
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Should We Pardon These Pardons?
I was disappointed when I heard on inauguration day that President Biden had issued a number of pardons just a few minutes before leaving office. This seemed to me to be bad timing and likely a bad idea.. When he pardoned Hunter I stated that I thought it was a mistake and that he shouldn’t…
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Ambiguity, Passion, Excellence and Secrets
“The Martyred” by Richard Kim, published by George Braziller, 1964 “The Amen Corner” by James Baldwin, 1954 I am not sure why I chose to begin reading Richard Kim’s “The Martyred” a few weeks ago. I guess it was partly because my wife has a paperback of his later book, “The Innocent” which I see…
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Panama, Canada, Greenland and Donald
As Trump gets closer and closer actually to being President anxieties are, I think, increasing among his non-fans about what he plans to do. The obvious split in his supporters between MAGA types and Musk types is to me not a cause for great joy in that it’s almost one of those contests where you…
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New Author and Terrific Book
Meg Wolitzer-“Belzhar,” copyright 2014 by Penguin Random House 264 pgs Well, OK, Meg Wolitizer is not exactly a new author. But she’s new to me as I’m not really conversant with all the latest stuff in the literary world. But I’d like to be. I might have found this book through such a connection. As…
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The Republicans Go To the Bathroom
With the historically brief exception of 1792-1815, the House of Bourbon ruled France from the Middle Ages until 1830. This latter date was the end of the Bourbons, as rulers, largely because of Charles X, last Bourbon (reigning)King who ruled 1824-1830. Their fall came through a revolution brought on largely by Charles’s misrule, trying to…
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Racing and Guessing toThe End
This is Wednesday-the election is Tuesday. It’s coming, folks and while many have already voted. many others, perhaps the majority, have not. So campaigning is still important and we’re getting as much as you’d expect and maybe a bit more. And there are significantly important things happening now, mostly in the US and the campaign,…
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Story Tellers Change but Spenser Stories Stay the Same–Mostly At Least
“Robert B Parker’s Someone to Watch Over Me,” by Ace Atkins G P Putnam’s Sons, copyright 2020 306 pp Robert B Parker was the leader of American mystery/detective fiction writing for a generation or more. Born in 1932, he began to publish in the 1970’s and he died in January, 2010. There were competitors, but…
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