Like Spiderman, Batman is ubiquitous. And, like the web-slinger, he has been victimized by uneven, and sometimes dreadful, attempts to squeeze another coin from the comic book cow. Yet both characters, when placed in the right hands, can yield compelling stories. Spiderman 2 and The Dark Knight are among the best of their genre. The […]
Archives
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The Batman
09 Mar 2022
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Consider these observations from President Biden’s State of the Union Address last night. The setting was historic, and it gave the Biden Administration an opportunity to redefine itself, at least in the short term. Similar to President Bush’s transition into a war-time administration, President Biden is now confronting a significant crisis. This is why Ukraine […]
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Stephen Breyer Steps Down
26 Jan 2022
Stephen Breyer, 83, appears to be stepping off the United States Supreme Court. The oldest member,* Breyer said recently he did not intend to “die on the Court,” though it was not clear he would retire so soon. Breyer was nominated by Bill Clinton and got 87 Senate votes for confirmation, a result that seems […]
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The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization on Wednesday. The case stems from a Mississippi law that bans abortions after 15 weeks except for cases of medical emergency or severe fetal abnormality. The law has no exceptions for rape or incest. Given the current composition of the Court, […]
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Partisan polarization feels like a fact of life. Media outlets and social media algorithms alike gravitate toward the extremes, so much of what we hear and see confirm this perception. Our political leaders, on both sides of the aisle, appeal to the most radical parts of their base to avoid primary challengers. Common ground is […]
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Dune (2021)
26 Oct 2021
Dune is the most immersive and ambitious science fiction film since Blade Runner. Dune is long (2 hours and 35 minutes) and demanding, dropping the viewer into an information desert, crawling to find a voice-over oasis or searching the scorched horizon for an explanatory character to reveal the backstory. Wisely, Denis Villeneuve (who directed and […]
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Joe Biden’s Big Move
10 Sep 2021
On Thursday, Joe Biden gave a historic presidential address. Part peevish lecture and part decree, the speech tried to justify an executive action we will study for years to come. The President warned that “our patience is running thin” with unvaccinated Americans, and this theme dominated both his address and his looming actions. The President […]
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Texas, Roe, & the Constitution
02 Sep 2021
Yesterday, a unique Texas law went into effect. The statute bans abortion if a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is generally around six weeks in a pregnancy. A smattering of heartbeat bills have made it through state legislatures, and they have mostly been struck down by federal courts. What makes the Texas law different is […]
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We were told by the White House the president did not have the authority to extend the moratorium on evictions. Instead, it would take a change in the law. Congress, that bastion of limpness, always hoping to be relieved from the burden of legislating, begged the White House to act on its own. Now, like […]
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The Dog in the Window
05 Jul 2021
Two weeks ago, our beloved dog, Luna, left us too soon. One day, she was prancing to greet new or old friends that entered the house. The next, we had to say cruel goodbyes. Our small house, always full, now sits empty. Luna’s preferred place was in the living room, atop a couch that rests […]
Bert Wheeler
Jeff Haymond
Marc Clauson
Mark Caleb Smith
Tom Mach