Cosa Nostalgia
How Hyman Roth’s quip in “The Godfather: Part II” picks up on a cinematic pastime, and exposits layer upon layer of information about his character.
Archive
A collection of 14232 issues
September 1, 2011: Afternoon
* South Africa's ANC, long cozy with Gadhafi, says West showed Africa disrespect in Libya. * Photos from inside Libya's Internal Security (aka domestic spying) Unit center in Tripoli. * South African politics summary: Disciplining Malema is Zuma's greatest challenge so far. * World's biggest khat
Ghostride the Wake
For the Eurozone, a good week is when it isn’t afflicted by breaking news. We just had one of those weeks. It’s important to note the good ones with as much vehemence as when we discuss the bad ones, and Nobel economists are so optimistic right now. First
September 1, 2011: Morning
* New York, Arizona investigate charities that may have spent millions intended for Sept. 11 causes. * Alex Ross fills in the background on his piece on an opera about an Auschwitz guard that took 40 years to stage. * Opera group refuses to perform The Mute Girl of Portici in Belgium for
August 31, 2011: Afternoon
* Ten events since 9/11 that have been more significant—e.g., America's response. * If the U.S. continues to "lead from behind," NATO will become more regional, less global. * Jerusalem Post fires columnist for saying Palestinians "justified" in attacking Israelis, their occupiers. * Bonn,
Hobby Lobby
I’ve gone through many hobbies in my short life: poetry, whittling, hot-gluing. But none can really hold my interest like internet navigation.
Tempest in an Inkpot
Don’t be fooled by the hand-lettering trend in movie posters and book covers—cursive is dead. Who cares? A million angry commenters around the web who extol the virtues of loops and curls. But the traditional form has a history that’s less than precious.
August 31, 2011: Morning
* Citing burden on doctors, judge blocks Texas abortion law requiring women to view sonograms. * Former 9/11 Commission heads report airports are still unlikely to detect explosives on passengers. * Hunters do their part to stop the spread of wild pigs by releasing pigs into the wild to later hunt. * Zabar&
August 30, 2011: Afternoon
* Comparing violence in Iraq and Chicago, Kanye forgets civilian casualties (though Chicago's still dangerous). * BBC News debunks five Sept. 11 conspiracy theories. * California mulls banning Styrofoam containers starting in 2016. * Windows's iconic "bliss" wallpaper is a real photo, taken by Charles O’Rear in
This Is My Problem
Being Jewish prepares you to be an awesome advice-giver. After all, only 1.7 percent of Americans are Jewish, but 100 percent of Ann Landers, Dear Abby, Miss Manners, and Dr. Ruth are. Emily Yoffe, author of Slate’s thoroughly enjoyable “Dear Prudence,” summed it up nicely: “Judaism is