Vol.101.4: ELECTILE DYSFUNCTION a reprise of 5.20.2010

2016-10-31 Leave a Comment Written by James A. Clapp

Preamble: Less than two weeks before a Clinton or a Trump presidency I went back to take a look at how I was feeling about American politics and the electoral system in the first Obama administration

Vol.101.3: HONG KONG IN WWII, a review essay

2016-10-20 4 Comments Written by James A. Clapp

Japanese troops parade in Queen’s Road, Victoria, Hong Kong , December 1941

CONCERTO, a novel by Elizabeth Darrell (1993);

THE PIANO TEACHER, A NOVEL, by Janice

Vol.101.2: THE LOST PAINTING, by Jonathan Harr (2006) BR

2016-09-05 4 Comments Written by James A. Clapp

Caravaggio, The Taking of Christ (1602) oil on canvas (52.6 in × 66.7 in) National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin Owing to my concentration

BOOK REVIEWS

Vol.101.1: Ban the Burqa! Interdisez the Runway!

2016-08-27 Leave a Comment Written by James A. Clapp

The French are into their current version of l’affaire Dreyfus, having recently come up with a law banning the “burkina,” or the bathing costume designed for Muslim women to

Vol.100.7: SYNCH or SWIM: My Olympic Dream

2016-08-02 5 Comments Written by James A. Clapp

This essay reprises the story of Jim’s bid to represent his country in the 2004 Olympics. He is now considering selling his collection of Wayne Newton albums to finance a bid to join the Chinese team at the games in Rio.

Standing on that podium, hearing the refrains of the National Anthem, Old Glory rising up in the middle – the Gold Medal position – this has long been Jim’s dream. A chance to compete, to excel

Vol.100.6: VIRAL FASCISM

2016-07-27 4 Comments Written by James A. Clapp

Over a decade ago I wrote in these pages at the beginning of the second George W. Bush administration a posting that I titled “Slouching

POLITICS, GOVERNMENT & INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Vol.100.5: Willing Suspension of Disbelief, Part 1

2016-07-04 Leave a Comment Written by James A. Clapp

Mel Gibson directing Jim Caviezel in The Passion of the Christ (Icon, 2004)

It should be evident to any readers of these pages over the years that two of my abiding interests are religion and

Vol.100.4: REVEILLE FOR HYPOCRITES

2016-06-26 2 Comments Written by James A. Clapp

Among the rallying cries and slogans for the so-called “Brexit” of the United Kingdom from the European Union this past week was a familiar motto: “Take our country back.” We all know this