IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM: Sorry for the delay. Here are a lot of scattered thoughts on why visiting the Imperial War Museum was, by far, the best thing the Rat and I did while we were in London. First of all, the IWM was the least condescending museum I’ve ever visited. Even the section on submarines, which was specifically designed for small children, was informative and engaging; there were lots of fun features, but they never served to hide the dangerous... Read more

I need a blogwatch! I’m holding out for a blogwatch ’til the morning light He’s gotta be sure And it’s gotta be soon And he’s gotta be larger than life… Amptoons: Lots and lots and lots of interesting links–a roundtable on Zimbabwe, sad and sickening news from Iran, lots more about Iran, sexual abuse at the UN, and much more. Amygdala: War with Iraq? This Doug Bandow column is really good. At first it seems like Bandow is, in part,... Read more

“Aw, man, you’re jivin’ me! Look, man, I don’t mind bein’ a vampire and shit, but this really ain’t hip!” –Newly-bitten vampire to Blacula, “Scream, Blacula, Scream!” Read more

MINI-MAILBAG: LONDON, HISTORY, TIME TRAVEL, SHARK-JUMPING: I know there are emails buried in my inbox that I have neither time nor energy to dig out. (That’s also why I haven’t posted contest results–so if you still feel like being funny about Elvis Costello and/or the 2004 election, feel free….) So these are the emails that are easy to find and deal with. Comments on my London post, from Lee Schwartz: “The houses were almost all white, with some dark houses;... Read more

DUBYA STANDARDS: The Sydney Morning Herald subhed (link via Amptoons): “A contract for atomic power plants is a breathtaking example of Bush’s double standards.” The story: In Iran, Russians want to build six nuclear power plants. The Bush administration wants the Russians to stop, to keep Iran from using the stuff to make weapons. But in North “Axis of Evil” Korea, “if all goes well, today [Pyongyang] will pour the concrete foundation for the first of two US-supplied nuclear reactors,... Read more

THE LAST OF THE FILM-NOIR QUOTES, at least for a while. I’ve got something else up my sleeve…: “Take it easy, Reese. Things are tough all over. Pretty soon a man won’t be able to sell his own mother.” –Michael O’Shea, “The Underworld Story” Read more

OFF COME THE THONGS FOR THE GAY SAMURAI REVUE. Link via The Rat. Read more

WHEN SHE WAS GOOD. Stayed up late (despite developing cold… sigh) to finish this Roth novel. It takes a long, long time to get off the ground–for a good chunk of the book, I was thinking, “OK, this is very vivid writing, and I’m picturing each scene and person clearly, but honestly, is this telling me anything new? It seems like just a standard portrait of the American 1950s.” In the end, though, the book is a deeply painful read,... Read more

BACK FROM NEW YORK, but I hab a code, so I’m really not firing on all pistons. Blogging will be light until I stop feeling like a dying sofa. For now: More on the giant squid!!! (link via Murtaugh.) Barlow on hunger and reporting. My take is in the comments box. Will reply to Sanchez when I stop feeling like a dying etc. For the moment I should point out that I don’t think his argument can be supported on... Read more

“Death’s at the bottom of everything, Martins. Leave death to the professionals.” “You mind if I use that line in my next Western?” –Trevor Howard and Joseph Cotton, “The Third Man” Read more