Don’t really have time to concoct a tribute tonight; I just want to express my shock at James Gandolfini’s sudden death at 51: Actor James Gandolfini, 51, has died, HBO and other sources confirm. The former star of the HBO series The Sopranos was reportedly on holiday in Italy when he died. The cause of death is [...]
For all my readers from Columbia to Verona, here are the top stories at this hour: US to open direct Taliban talks (BBC) — Seems like our number-one demand in these talks should be that the Taliban stop being the Taliban. But I’m not terribly hopeful of getting a good response on that… Putin dashes G8 [...]
One of the more interesting aspects of Google Analytics is that it not only tells me how many people are on my blog at a given time, but where they are. A few minutes ago, I had a reader in Verona, Italy. Who could it have been? Romeo? Juliet? Mercutio? Friar Lawrence? Whoever it was, [...]
So I’m glad to see SC moving forward with this initiative, or at least taking a half-step in that direction: After hearing all the pros and cons during several months of public input, the state health department has recommended that South Carolina apply for a waiver to ban the use of food stamps for sugary [...]
Had a strange experience a little while ago. The photographs above and below were taken at 12:57 p.m. today inside the Gervais Street Starbucks. And no, they weren’t closed for renovations. In fact, there were a few customers in there — I just shot the empty parts. But… there are never empty parts in that [...]
A couple of days back, Phillip rightly chastised me for my giddy optimism regarding the election of Hassan Rouhani to be the new president of Iran. Hey, I was just eager for some good news. Now, I’ve been far more sharply checked from the opposite end of the political spectrum. Opposite from Phillip, I mean. [...]
Meant to post about this Friday night, but got too busy… NPR posted this Friday under the headline, “Why Partisans Can’t Kick The Hypocrisy Habit:” American politics has become like a big square dance. When the music stops after an election, people switch to the other side on a number of issues, depending on whether [...]
Not much local, but here’s the overview at this hour: Putin, at Summit, Gets Full-Court Press on Syria (WSJ) — According to the BBC, Obama and Putin have at least agreed to a summit over it. Which could be an effective delaying tactic for Russia, since their guy is winning at the moment. Putin gets the [...]
The thing that gets me about this silly story about Vladimir Putin and the Super Bowl ring… The Russian president has an eye for the bling: In 2005, he admired — and pocketed — a $25,000 Super Bowl ring with 124 diamonds owned by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Putin walked off with his [...]
Given the box office returns, it seems that I wasn’t the only one ignoring the critics over the weekend and going to see “Man of Steel” anyway. Good thing, too, because most of the warnings I’d read turned out to be wrong: It didn’t really take itself too seriously. Yes, the production was visually darker [...]
Well, I haven’t taken this much satisfaction in an election result in years: TEHRAN — Hassan Rouhani, a moderate Shiite cleric known as one of Iran’s leading foreign policy experts, has won the election to succeed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the Islamic Republic’s next president, Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar announced Saturday evening. With results from all [...]
Things are now moving pretty fast in Syria. A lot faster than I’m moving, since I’ve meant to write about this since yesterday morning. While we were gazing at our navels and talking about the NSA “scandal” revealed by Edward Snowden, Bashar Assad was winning the war against the rebels. He was doing so with [...]
A couple of years back, tired of getting tickets whenever I found myself without spare change for the meters (which was often, since I conduct few transactions with cash these days), I took the advice of one of y’all — I think it was Kathryn — and got myself a SmartCard. I carry it with [...]
But I intend to go see it anyway. Every interpretation of Superman has had its flaws. Nevertheless, my younger son and I go to all the new superhero movies (most recently, “Iron Man III”). Every sincere effort deserves its chance. Still, I go forewarned. Both reviews I read this morning — one by Joe Morgenstern [...]
Not only is Wesley Donehue shutting down Pub Politics, he’s giving up his paying gig over at the State House: Happy Friday - Effective June 30th, I will no longer be the spokesman for the SC Senate Republican Caucus. Please send all press inquires to Mark Harmon, caucus executive director. I’m leaving to concentrate 100% of my time [...]
In response to my praise of David Brooks’ column from earlier in the week, Cindi Scoppe Tweeted this: Cindi Ross Scoppe@CindiScoppe .@BradWarthen It’s a very good column, but if it’s the best you’ve seen in years, you obviously missed THIS one http://nyti.ms/QJ87fm Well, she knows what I like to read, which shouldn’t be surprising, since [...]
Last night, I was the very last guest on the very last show of Pub Politics. I was the big finale. And that was fitting, since it was my ninth appearance on the show, and no one else has even come close to that record. For those of you struggling with the math, that’s almost [...]
David Brooks’ Monday column in The New York Times (which The State ran today) is the best column of any kind, by anyone, that I have read in years. (People whose thoughtfulness I respect keep bringing it to my attention, and I say, yes, thanks; I saw it — and intend to say something about [...]
Tonight is the final episode of Pub Politics, and I plan to make an appearance of some sort, making me the first and last NINE-timer in the show’s history. I don’t know what role I’ll play. I just wrote to Wesley and said “The final episode, and I’m not making a guest appearance? How can [...]
Someone over at Slate seemed to be marveling over this “contradiction:” One big reason why Americans aren’t that outraged by the revelations that the U.S. government runs a massive online and cellphone spying operation: People already assume they’re being tracked all over the Internet by companies like Google and Facebook. Yesterday’s Washington Post/Pew poll showed [...]