Billy Paultz Reconsidered

Perhaps the most important and influential space on the Internet is the “front page’’ of the Drudge Report. About two weeks ago, the lead item on that page was the following (typically blazing) headline: “2001 OBAMA: TRAGEDY THAT ‘REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH’ NOT PURSUED BY SUPREME COURT.”
The reference is to an interview Obama did with […]

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My favorite kind of punditry is the kind that relentlessly, mercilessly, logically dissects bull ****. Here’s a prime example, from the New Yorker’s wonderful Hendrik Hertzberg, on the ACORN crappola McCain/Palin and the Fox News simps have had such a field day with: 
During this election cycle, the Times reported today, ACORN has deployed thirteen thousand mostly paid […]

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Two of my favorite journalists are Michael Kinsley and Christopher Hitchens, Kinsley because of his calm, relentlessly logical parsing of bullcrap, and Hitchens because he’s almost always either brilliant or hilariously insane or both.
Anyway, each of them has a fine dissection of campaign nonsense currently on Slate. Kinsley on John McCain making lack of experience […]

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I seem to remember, as a child, being sort of fascinated by the political conventions.
Now I find them sad and embarrassing. Part of that is the proliferation of media removing the novelty from all things. Part of it is your correspondent getting old. But the most important part is the endlessly depressing fact that politics […]

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The best book I’ve read about show business (not that there’s a lot of competition) is “Cavett,” by the former late-night talk-show host Dick Cavett (duh) with his college pal, journalist Christopher Porterfield, published in 1974. I recently found the book in my attic, beyond dog-eared, after assuming it had been long, long gone.
There […]

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The Phils and Blue Jays are evidently in serious talks about A.J. Burnett. I’ll be looking for Blue Jays scouts (Jim Fregosi?) when I go to Reading to watch Brett Myers pitch Saturday. Reading has some legit prospects, but since the Big Club’s catchers are a 35 year-old and Carlos Ruiz, I’d strongly advise against […]

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It’s another long Saturday night in the office. Random observations, etc. …
Two posts down is a reprint of a column I did for the Sunday News’ Living section about my kid and his interest in politics and him so looking forward to voting in the primary. Which reminds me: When we actually did walk down […]

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This column ran in the Sunday News Living Section March 30. It is posted here in honor of my kid’s high-school graduation.
I’d like you to meet my son.
That’s him over there, all feet and legs and contrarian hair, with the Jimi Hendrix T-shirt and the floor-sweeping pants.
Something of a free spirit, this […]

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Evidently a Denver sports bar held some sort of contest Monday night and the winner got to write the lede of the AP Rockies-Phillies game story:
“Now that there’s no playoff pressure, the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Colorado Rockies with relative ease.”
Oh sure, NOW you win in Colorado, you choking pieces of sewage…
On second thought, maybe a […]

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In a doctor’s waiting room today I read a piece in Time magazine praising the President for his work in African aid by rocker/activist Bob Geldof of Live Aid fame. The praise is much deserved. It’s by far the best thing Bush has done, and represents his best (only?) chance to positively impact history. He has […]

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