Books · Observations · Society
In 2005, Kurt Vonnegut wrote that Susan Sontag, when asked about the Holocaust, said the following:. 10% of any population are cruel, whatever the circumstances, and 10% are merciful, whatever the circumstances, and the remaining 80% can be swayed in either direction.
Cinema · Observations · Society · Humour
In a Netflix documentary on the Second World War, the Greek resistance to Italy is called "weak", although in fact Greece drove the Italians back into Albania, liberating Northern Epirus. Yes, the worst army of the Second World War attacked the second-worst army and suffered such a
Geography · Observations · Society
And so we find that hostility towards Greece flourishes not only in Turkey but in Albania too. What is more, the anti-Greek discourse in these countries reaches the point of absurdity: one hears time and again the claim, for instance, that Greece never existed at all and was invented
Books · Observations · Society · Pop Culture
I wanted to write about this rather pointless exhibition in Hollywood titled Barbi to Anna Karenina, arguing that Barbie and Anna Karenina could only ever have met in Hollywood. But then I thought: it is only at first glance that Barbie and Anna Karenina have nothing in common. Anna Karenina
Observations · Society · Humour
We have seen flats seized, corporations swallowed and oilfields taken, foreign territories annexed and even presidents abducted, but to my mind the handing of the Nobel Peace Prize to Trump is the most flagrant raider takeover in history. Common sense loses to the new reality by two goals to nil
Observations · Society
A Nobel Laureate Cannot Officially Transfer the Medal or the Status of Laureate to Another Person. Precisely so: under the official rules of the Nobel Prize and the practice of the Nobel Foundation, a laureate has no right to transfer his or her Nobel medal, or the Prize itself, to
Geography · Maps · Observations · Society
In fact, Greenland, which on the map looks commensurate with America, has an area 12 times smaller than that of North America and almost 5 times smaller than that of the United States. The habitable parts of Greenland are the narrow coastal strips free of ice, which make up about
Books · Observations
"A Shroud for Harlots"!!! Or, thanks to a charming stranger for the tip-off for my book club! You know where to sign up
Cinema · Observations · Humour
Well, Happy New Year, officially this time! And enough of lounging about. Neither I nor Vittorio Gassman, in the role of the despotic Captain Ahab in “Moby Dick”, will tolerate any further holidays in the near future.
NB! · Art · Observations
Faith · Observations · People
Heavenly Father, merciful Creator, I thank Thee! … A wondrous gift has come from across the sea: I cannot win it otherwise than by fighting. The valiant hero of Spain offered up prayers of thanksgiving before a desperate battle, and not merely after the victory. Nearly a thousand years have passed,
NB! · Art · Observations