Monthly Archives: November 2007

A few weeks ago we commented on a proposed new “civil rights” law that the New Paltz village board was being urged to pass. The law would locally outlaw discrimination on the basis of “gender identity” and “gender expression.” We … Continue reading →

I managed, in bits and pieces, to hear most of the recent New Paltz school board discussion of their plan to ram a new school building down the throats of local taxpayers. They’re going through the pretense of determining whether … Continue reading →

A middle-aged couple are in their living room. He’s stretched out on the sofa intently firing away with the TV remote. She’s in an easy chair holding a copy of The New Yorker in front of her. “I don’t think … Continue reading →

And I mean that, sincerely. Farmer, classicist, military historian and the best of the first class of American public intellectuals. The most important writer in America. Here’s a long excerpt from his latest at NRO: The war in Iraq — … Continue reading →

We’re approaching the 450 post mark at New Paltz Journal, and while 500 would seem the rounder figure at which to look back at our favorite posts, we’ve decided to do it now. Here’s a list of twelve that we … Continue reading →

That rancid little commie nut down in Venezuela is looking to become Fidel II: “There is a perverse subversion of our existing Constitution under way,” said Gen. Raúl Isaías Baduel, a retired defense minister and former confidant of Mr. Chávez … Continue reading →

Well, his “I hate Bush” so “we have to get Kerry elected” interview with (gulp!) Amy Goodman did sort of throw a turd into the punchbowl at my little cyber memorial service for Mailer. But I’m going to show some … Continue reading →

Barry Bonds has been indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice. It’s a federal prosecution, and I think it’s just totally out of hand. Later: The New York Times report on the Bonds indictment suggests that one needs to squint … Continue reading →

Bob Tyrrell is the longtime editor of the conservative magazine The American Spectator. He recounts how he came to appreciate Norman Mailer and eventually develop an amiable acquaintance with him: I, at first, did not share [Malcolm] Muggeridge’s esteem for … Continue reading →

I don’t know why I feel drawn to events like this one last night. Jeff Cohen, headlined as a “media critic,” came down from his home in Woodstock on the sponsorship of the SUNY New Paltz journalism program to tell … Continue reading →

Walter Williams on the “Residence Life Diversity Facilitation Training” at the University of Delaware: Students living in the University’s housing, roughly 7,000, are taught: “A racist: A racist is one who is both privileged and socialized on the basis of … Continue reading →

If a business owner went to the New Paltz village planning board with this, do you think that it would be approved? I don’t. Drive downtown from Manheim. Take in the streetscape. Savor the mountain backdrop. And watch for the … Continue reading →

Predictably, conservative critics are filing past Norman Mailer’s bier and throwing black roses onto his literary corpse, thorns first. I can’t say that from their point of view he doesn’t deserve it, but despite my own conservative views I liked … Continue reading →

Today is Veterans Day. Thank a veteran for having stood watch over our freedom and being ready to fight to protect the United States of America. God bless America.

Mailer’s now empty seat at the head table of living American writers will leave enough room for all of the graduates of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop from the past four decades.

The one thing I could never figure out about Norman was what it is that possesses a man to get married six times: …counting a quickie with Carol Stevens, whom he married and divorced within a couple of days in … Continue reading →