James Lileks is to the New York Times and chic PoMo Gen-X as Popeye is to Bluto. The next analogy matches blogging to downing entire cans of spinach; you can take it from there.
James Lileks is talking about Star Trek's "Doomsday Machine" again. But this reprise focuses on the lost art of television musical scoring, and Lileks' treatment of the episode almost makes me embarrassed for having laughed, hysterically, with my sister, at seeing actor William Windom as Commodore Matthew Decker writhing in delirious fear before he and his shuttlecraft were eaten by a humongous, intergalactic wind sock. Yes, a wind sock.
Craig Brett has some good news from Afghanistan, a charming couple of family photos and another selfless, biweekly gesture to read the other side directly so you don't have to. Start and the top, read and scroll.
Good writers don't mind competition: the fortnightly column of Cleveland Plain Dealer Editorial Page Deputy Editor Kevin O'Brien has officially become blog-friendly.
WITH BELLS AND WHISTLES: The first link is simply a list of weblogs. O'Brien's column, in all of its de-Kleining glory, is here.
Yes, I've been fiddling with the masthead. Space tomatoes? Probably. Only they know for certain. In any case, it's a start.
Craig Brett's house-shopping experience may be a little spooky — and a lot more serious — but most would have to agree that there are at least two guitar folk songs in there. Let's hope Grant Bell returns to sell the house himself.
Jim Treacher considered Dan Rather.
More Treacher, on the left:
By the standards they're holding Bush up to, we wouldn't have gone to war with Hitler until he broke into the White House and rolled FDR down a flight of stairs.
And for the encore, a classic.
Craig Brett, back to blogging before we knew it, is on a roll. Start at the top and read your way down.
Brian Wilson, sitting in for Brit Hume on Special Report with Brit Hume: "On Thursday Fox News pulled in a whopping 7 million viewers, trouncing — you guessed it — what used to be known as 'the Big Three.'"
Steven Den Beste has put USS Clueless into mothballs. He'll be missed, though he ought to be admired for the wisdom and discipline to end a project when the work is done. So long until next, Steven: for just a few fish, it was quite an inspiration.
