I just updated my Edwin Diamond tribute with some corrected information about the job Edwin was screwed out of in 1969.
I like a good dry Chenin Blanc wine. My wife V and my daughter M found one at a restaurant. L'Ecole No. 41 2013 Chenin Blanc. Its 0.5% sugar looks pretty dry to me. I learned years ago from my friend Clark Smith, who was winemaker for a dry Chenin Blanc from R.H. Phillips, and from the winery that made Chard-No-Way (I rue they day they stopped making it) that a Chenin Blanc, fermented dry, is better than a chardonnay. Dry Riesling is better than regular Riesling too, I must say.
I really enjoy Slate's podcasts, so much that I joined Slate Plus so I could get them without commercials. I recommend all of them except the sports podcast; you can find them on iTunes. Last week something unusual happened; both the Double X (feminist) and Political Gabfests (as slate calls their podcasts) dealt with Valerie Jarret, the president's closest adviser. I suggest you listen to both podcasts for the details, but here are the links from the Slate Political Gabfest show page:
- Noam Scheiber recently wrote a lengthy piece in the New Republic that detailed Valerie Jarrett’s rise to power within the Obama administration.
- A few days before the New Republic published Scheiber’s in-depth piece, Carol Felthensal opined in Politico about Jarrett’s weakness and how she is responsible for some of Obama’s worst governing decisions.
- Thomas “Mack” Mclarty played a similar role to Jarrett in the Clinton administration, serving as the president’s alter ego and sounding board.
- Matt Yglesias argues that Washington insiders don’t like Jarrett because she wields an enormous amount of influence over the president without being a part of any party establishment.
Now that I have restarted
this blog, albeit irregularly, my old friend and contributor Dan
Grobstein kicks in a few items:
*Interesting post about bloggers from Charlie Pierce in Esquire's blog.
* I just saw John McCain interviewed by Bob Schieffer at the 92nd St Y. McCain had a critical comment about bloggers. David Brooks at the same venue had a critical comment about bloggers and I've heard similar comments at other interviews that I've seen there. They're all the same: the blogger is a junior high school kid who blogs from his mother's basement before going to school. The implication is that they are influencing the news narrative in the wrong way.
There are some great bloggers out there who talk about issues with links so you can check on what they're discussing. (Kinda miss your stuff). Then there's Drudge and Breitbart and Redstate. Since you aren't allowed to criticize only one side maybe that's their way of criticizing the right wing stuff.
Schieffer said McCain has been on Face the Nation more than any other guest (previous record holder was Bob Dole). He likes McCain because he's always willing to be interviewed whether the news is good or the news is bad.
McCain hopes that the new Congress will be able to debate and vote on bills and get something done now that the Republicans will be in control. A real newsman would have asked a follow up question about what's been happening in the Senate since President Obama was elected, but oh well.
McCain has a new book with a co-author. I'm not sure he's read it. He had notes and rambled and repeated himself when talking about it.
*Interesting post about bloggers from Charlie Pierce in Esquire's blog.
* I just saw John McCain interviewed by Bob Schieffer at the 92nd St Y. McCain had a critical comment about bloggers. David Brooks at the same venue had a critical comment about bloggers and I've heard similar comments at other interviews that I've seen there. They're all the same: the blogger is a junior high school kid who blogs from his mother's basement before going to school. The implication is that they are influencing the news narrative in the wrong way.
There are some great bloggers out there who talk about issues with links so you can check on what they're discussing. (Kinda miss your stuff). Then there's Drudge and Breitbart and Redstate. Since you aren't allowed to criticize only one side maybe that's their way of criticizing the right wing stuff.
Schieffer said McCain has been on Face the Nation more than any other guest (previous record holder was Bob Dole). He likes McCain because he's always willing to be interviewed whether the news is good or the news is bad.
McCain hopes that the new Congress will be able to debate and vote on bills and get something done now that the Republicans will be in control. A real newsman would have asked a follow up question about what's been happening in the Senate since President Obama was elected, but oh well.
McCain has a new book with a co-author. I'm not sure he's read it. He had notes and rambled and repeated himself when talking about it.
