I see Katrina vanden Heuvel’s blog over at The Nation has linked to my Arthur Schlesinger page. Well, if you’ve made it over here from there, welcome…the book pages are nice and all, but this is where the action is.
Author: KcM
Hired Guns.
Free agent signing began in the NBA today, and it’s already dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria. As per usual, talented ballers are fleeing en masse from the Clippers, with Elton Brand signing in Miami, Corey Maggette going for Utah, and Andre Miller heading for Denver. (The Clips can possibly stave off the defection by matching the new contracts.) Elsewhere, Juwan went to Orlando, Nesterovic to San Antonio, and Kandi Man to the Wolves. (So far, as New Yorkers feared, the Knicks haven’t picked up anybody.) And, of course, the Mailman and the Glove’s Faustian bargain with the Lake Show has now been signed, sealed, and delivered…
The signs of war advance.
No king of England if not of France. Alas, the NY Times didn’t think much of Henry V in the park. I caught it a few weeks ago and enjoyed it better than this reviewer, for sure. Given recent events, I do wish they’d turned up the satire a notch (“We doubt not of a fair and lucky war,” as the posters proclaim) and Bronson Pinchot’s Balki-esque schtick as Pistol seemed wildly out of place. But all in all, I thought the show made for a lively summer evening. And as a fan of the McKellen Richard III, I enjoyed the WWI motif Liev Schreiber & co. were aiming for.
Agree to Disagree.
Via the LA Times, White House Doesn’t Share Outsiders’ Concerns Over Deficit. Yeah, I’d say that’s an understatement.
Harvey Returns?
Has Moya been rescued from oblivion? IGN reports that a 4-hour Farscape miniseries is in the works to tie up the loose ends left in the wake of Season 4. The Save Farscape headquarters has heard nothing, but there might be news at this weekend’s Comicon in San Diego, ground zero for the fanboyverse. (Speaking of which, I found one of the favorite multi-part stories of my comic book days, the Teen Titans Trigon Saga, in graphic novel format at Barnes and Noble today. A happy surprise.)
Pile On.
Weaponsgate fallout continues, with Ted Kennedy decrying Dubya’s foreign policy, John Kerry lambasting Homeland (in)Security under Bush, and Dean and Lieberman calling for Tenet’s head. Whether or not Tenet continues to fall on his sword for the Bushies, the buck stops with the White House, and the GOP Senate can only play defense for so long. What did Dubya know, and when did he know it?
Packing Heat.
Via my friend Mark, Orrin Hatch is trying to lift the handgun ban in DC. Aren’t Republicans supposed to be for home rule? “District officials, including Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D), Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Council Chairman Linda W. Cropp (D) and police chief Charles H. Ramsey opposed the legislation.” If you want to kowtow to campaign-contributing gun nuts, Senator, then hand out free semis to Salt Lake City residents or something…don’t take out your frustrations on the District.
Cleaved.
Hmmm…the rumor’s been around for a few weeks, but it’s finally been confirmed: Tarantino’s Kill Bill is being split in two. Something smells fishy to me. Even as a QT fan back in the day, I thought the first trailer for this (excuse me, these) film(s) was really blah. Is Harvey Weinstein forcing a return on what’s starting to look like a dodgy property? I guess we’ll have to spend twice as much to find out.
Grounded.
Space policy analyst Mark Whittington laments the squandered opportunity of Apollo in the LA Times.
Untruth and Consequences.
Try as they might to contain it, Dubya’s role in the Iraq-Niger component of Weaponsgate continues to leak under scrutiny. Worse still for the White House, many irate columnists are examining the larger pattern of deceit that has characterized this administration. Whatsmore, the I-word is now getting thrown around. How, I wonder, will the Bushies manage to lie their way out of this one?