MOURNING BECOMES
SIX YEARS
February 20, 2005-February 20, 2011
R.I.P.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
DENG XIAOPING DIES, February 19, 1997
DENG XIAOPING
August 22, 1904-February 19, 1997
PAINTING OF THE LEADERSHIP OF
THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
BEING ACCLAIMED BY THE MASSES
AS THE LEADERS ASCEND THE STEPS
OF THE GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE
IN BEIJING
Mao Zedong is on the left
in a long tunic
Deng Xiaoping is on the right
the short figure in a short tunic
DENG WAS PARAMOUNT LEADER OF CHINA
LATE 1978 UNTIL HIS DEATH
Ultimately responsible for both
Reforms and Opening Up
and for "Tiananmen" (June 3-4, 1989)
BBC material on Deng's death can be found here;
the lengthy New York Times obituary, here
Friday, February 18, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
ALOHA! THE TOURISTS RETURN TO HAWAII
THE TOURISTS
RETURN TO
HAWAII
ALOHA!
(BEYOND THE WEATHER)
A "FILE PHOTO" OF THE
HAWAIIAN SCENE
It is official! The New York Times says so: "rotten weather in the rest of the country" is "good news" for Hawaii, and besides, people are tired of feeling guilty (Hawaii as a guilty pleasure?), and besides, and besides, and besides (the yen is up; Obama comes: you can read the rest of it yourself).
But there is also something in the air, and something of the spirit of: Aloha!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
"NEWT INC.": NEWT GINGRICH IN THE MONEY. IN THE RACE?
IN THE MONEY?
Check.
IN THE RACE?
Says he will announce a decision on
a Republican presidential run
this month.
WHY DOES ANYBODY CARE?
Because he is winning the money primary.
So far.
According to the Washington Post, Gingrich "has outraised Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin and every other potential GOP candidate with a political committee...." (More Newt)
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
PROMISES, PROMISES: OBAMA & THE WOUNDED WARRIORS' CAREGIVERS
PROMISES &
PRETTY SPEECHES.
OH, YES.
RESULTS?
OH, NO.
OBAMA & THE
WOUNDED WARRIORS'
CAREGIVERS
ROWS OF GRAVESITES
IN
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
WITH THE PENTAGON
IN THE BACKGROUND
Speaking as an Army brat, and a caregiver (not of one of the current Wounded Warriors; no direct personal "special interest"), I find this most unfortunate, even reprehensible, but as one who has seen Pentagon promises (and presidential promises) broken before, unfortunately not surprising.
Speaking as a political scientist and student of leadership in organizations, I can even "understand" it. There will always be another war, hot or cold, and its needs will be -- or seem -- more pressing than combat/missions five or ten or twenty or thirty or more years in the past. And then there is always the need for more military hardware just to keep up with (and surpass! even more) the Joneses or the Wangs....
But shame!
Monday, February 14, 2011
CHINA OVERTAKES JAPAN AS THE NUMBER TWO ECONOMY. OFFICIALLY.
CHINA
OVERTAKES JAPAN
AS
NUMBER TWO
ECONOMY.
OFFICIALLY.
THE FRONT GATE
("NEW CHINA GATE")
TO ZHONGNANHAI
SEAT OF THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES
BEIJING, CHINA
Behind these traditional trappings, in what is essentially a continuation of the "Forbidden City," lies the command center for the thirty-plus years of "reform" and "opening up" which have led to the People's Republic of China overtaking its World War II enemy (which started in China as the Sino-Japanese War). The photograph was taken about halfway through this period; a view close up and head-on of the Zhongnanhai "New China Gate" can be seen here.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
"AFTER MIDEAST, SHOULD RUSSIA AND CHINA WORRY?": THE QUESTION HAS BEEN RAISED. Part I
A LOOK BACK
AT THE PROTESTS
THAT HELPED BRING DOWN
THE OLD REGIME
IN MOSCOW
I
PROTESTERS DEMONSTRATING AGAINST
THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF
THE SOVIET UNION (CPSU)
IN MANEZH SQUARE
IN FRONT OF THE KREMLIN
MOSCOW, SUMMER 1990
Saturday, February 12, 2011
EGYPT, OBAMA, & THE TEAM OF RIVALS REVISITED
OBAMA
&
THE TEAM OF RIVALS
REVISITED
TRY TO CHART A COURSE TOGETHER
(TOGETHER, EXCEPT THAT
HE IS NOW THE BOSS, OF COURSE)
What do you get when you (Barack Obama) put on your team both the adviser (Samantha Power) who called your presidential rival (Hillary Clinton) a "monster," and the "monster"? You get a juicy article in the New York Times detailing the divisions in the foreign policy/national security team that has to help you come up with a policy for dealing with greased lightning: the revolution in Egypt.
And what does that say about you?
Friday, February 11, 2011
JULIA CHILD'S "THE FRENCH CHEF" IS LAUNCHED ON TV, February 11, 1963; A STAR IS BORN
"THE FRENCH CHEF"
PREMIERES
ON WGBH-TV
February 11, 1963
JULIA CHILD
SAMPLES HER COOKING
-- SEEMS TO APPROVE --
ON THE SET OF
"THE FRENCH CHEF"
WGBH-TV, BOSTON, 197x
Much more on Julia Child, here
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