I think I was in college when I first heard a little jingle about plagiarism — "Plagiarize! Plagiarize! Let no one's work evade your eyes!"As a journalism major, I was constantly being warned by my instructors not to plagiarize anyone. It became an article of faith with me. So I guess that accounts for my appreciation for that little snippet, which bubbles to the surface in my brain from time to time — sometimes because I really am confronted with a clear case of plagiarism, other times for reasons that aren't altogether certain at the time.Today,...
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
I overlooked a cautionary tale from the Pacific coast a couple of weeks ago.Dr. Frank Ryan, 50, a famous plastic surgeon, drove his vehicle off a California cliff and was killed.One of his patients revealed to ABC News that he had been sending a Twitter message about his dog while he was driving.This ought to be a warning to everyone who has tempted fate by texting from behind the wheel — or even talking on the phone while driving.And I don't mean a subtle warning, like the ones you used to see on cigarette packages.I mean a blunt warning, perhaps...
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Does the name Donald Luskin ring any bells?Just to briefly identify him for those of you who are unfamiliar with him ...Luskin is the chief investment officer for Trend Macrolytics. Politically, he is a libertarian. He is also a contributing editor and columnist for National Review Online and SmartMoney.com.And he's in his mid–50s.Anyway, if you've been following recent economic discussions — and, I suppose, most of us have been doing so, even if...
Friday, August 27, 2010
"You used to laugh aboutEverybody that was hangin' outNow you don't talk so loudNow you don't seem so proudAbout having to be scroungingFor your next meal."How does it feelHow does it feelTo be without a homeLike a complete unknownLike a rolling stone?"Bob DylanLike a Rolling StoneIn less than a year, Bob Dylan will be 70 years old.That's probably hard to comprehend for a lot of folks who can remember the lanky twenty–something fellow who burst onto...
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
William Saxbe died yesterday at the age of 94.If you aren't old enough to remember the Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford presidencies, you might not recognize that name. But Saxbe was Nixon's attorney general during the final year of the Watergate scandal, and he remained in the Cabinet to serve as the attorney general under Ford — at least for the first six months of the Ford presidency.Now, I'm old enough to remember much of the Nixon administration. And I can tell you that, for many reasons, Cabinet members seemed to be cheap and plentiful when...
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
NPR's Linton Weeks reports that guns are very big with politicians in both parties this year.I find that stunning, and I'm not really sure why. I mean, I know that conservatism is enjoying something of a revival in America. Poll after poll, after all, has suggested that there is considerable backlash against Democrats/liberals/progressives — and that seems likely to be confirmed when the votes are counted in November.But guns aren't political props for Republicans only.Some Democrats, as Weeks observes, are using guns to make the case that they...
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Did you ever see the original film version of "Carrie," the one starring Sissy Spacek?If you did, you could never forget the ending. Amy Irving, whose character was the sole survivor of the bloody prom night, has a peaceful, reverent dream in which she takes flowers to the land where Carrie's house once stood. As she is placing the flowers beneath a For Sale sign on the property, a bloody hand reaches up through the rubble and grabs her wrist. She...
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
And pronto.Sometimes I think Barack Obama and the Democrats would rather not talk much about the 2008 campaign — unless it means an easy opening for bashing George W. Bush some more.But that "hope" and "change" rhetoric is going to ring rather hollow in the ears of the vanishing middle class, especially those who have been out of work for awhile.I have no doubt that Obama's diehard supporters will insist that he has delivered change in his first 19 months in office.The validity of that position, I suppose — to borrow another president's words —...
Monday, August 16, 2010
This morning, in my hometown of Conway, Ark., people are gathering to honor my friend Phyllis, of whom I have written much — and thought even more — in the last 10 days.I have no doubt that there have been many private conversations about Phyllis and the influence she had on everyone she knew.But this morning the first public notes of Phyllis' opus will be played for the world, almost certainly through some tears because this is a loss for all who...
Sunday, August 15, 2010
"[O]ne of the great goals of this nation's war is to restore public confidence in the airline industry. It's to tell the traveling public: Get on board. Do your business around the country. Fly and enjoy America's great destination spots. Get down to Disney World in Florida."George W. BushSept. 21, 2001O'Hare Airport, ChicagoI guess it's official now. Presidents don't lead anymore. They shill.Do you remember, a little more than a week after the September...
Friday, August 13, 2010
I've been reading a fascinating piece by Steve Kornacki at Salon.com in which he offers both "a hopeful example and a cautionary tale" to Democrats.If you've been reading my blog, you have undoubtedly noticed that I, long ago, grew tired of the tendency of Democrats to blame George W. Bush for the problems they can't resolve.That does not mean that I am a defender of Bush in any way. And if you've been reading my blog, you should know that as well....
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
A couple of years ago, I wrote a lot about former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens — his unsuccessful fight against ethics charges, his last election campaign and the protracted ballot counting in Alaska that left the outcome up in the air for a couple of weeks.Stevens, of course, lost the 2008 election by nearly 4,000 votes and returned to Alaska, presumably to live out his days in retirement after serving in the Senate longer than any other Republican....
Monday, August 9, 2010
I guess there is not much to be said of Richard Nixon's farewell to his White House staff 36 years ago today.I didn't have anything to say about it last year, on the 35th anniversary, which was probably a more appropriate time to do it.I mean, I wrote about his address to the nation the night before in which he announced his intention to resign. And then, a year ago today, I wrote about the inauguration of his successor, Gerald Ford — and the national sense of relief that followed and persisted for a month, until Ford announced his pardon of Nixon.But...
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