I also am looking forward to this book having read the cover article in NR. It prompted me to re-read Andrew Ferguson's "Land Of Lincoln" and I enjoyed it as much the second time as the first. There can never be too many posts/discussions about Lincoln for my liking.

Something to think about the next time you just click "AGREE" to blow past the terms and conditions screen. No?

This is why the guy who bought NEWSWEEK for a dollar got gypped.

I have reasonable faith in the national security apparatus to not be terribly concerned about the uses to which these capabilities are and will be put. But what's cares the bejeebers out of me is the knowledge that Barack and Michelle Obama, Valerie Jarrett and David Axelrod can also get access to this data. Do not think for a nanosecond that they could not or would not if the opportunity presented itself. Just sayin'.

Quickly off the top of my little head: "Shakespeare In Love", "Raising Arizona", and "Chariots of Fire". Also Werner Herzog's films are always marvelously scored. Sorry this post is so uglyly formatted, I'm using my iPad and can't be bothered with all the coding stuff.

Paul Johnson's 'Socrates' is great as is 'the Hemlock Cup' by Bettany Hughes, as much a fascinating biography of Athenian culture as it is of Socrates. Also, I strongly recommend VDH's " A War Like No Other". I tried for many years to read Thucydides, but always gave up in frustration until I found ' The Landmark Thucydides' edited by Robert Strassler - it's WONDERFUL !! Tacitus is always good - fascinating as hell and eminently readable ( I think Graves' ' I Claudius ' books are basically Tacitus with dialogue ). If you want some really good backgrounders on the west's adventures in Central Asia I'd recommend Hopkirk's 'The Great Game' and also 'Tournament of Shadows'. Also read Kipling's 'Kim' - you'll not be sorry.

Dark Star low budget, high concept.

This is not an accurate listing . An accurate list would have included Green Acres .

I've always wanted to be that guy in the circus who drives the little tiny car full of clowns. That or play triangle in a Cajun band.

I bet Obama is like the ant in the Simpsons space episode when Homer smashes the glass on the ant farm experiment.
Ant 1 [Obama]: Protect the Queen !
Ant 2 : Which one's the Queen?
Ant 1: I am !!!

Bureaucrats like justices are enjoined to administer and ensure compliance impartially. The problem arises when they do not or clearly appear not to do so with no real accountability or fear of meaningful sanction for failing to live up to that charge. Witness the IRS scandal or pick an instance of advocacy judicial ruling. I'm not sure I trust either of them implicitly.

You can't go wrong with Skynrd, Allman Bros, ZZ Top, or Edgar Winter. Bluegrass is also an especially rich vein to mine - check out Bill Munroe if you haven't.

I never take media reports of polls seriously, even when they validate my position on an issue.  There is a really good current history title called Those Angry Days, by Lynne Olson, which deals with the epic national debate over America's  intervention in WW II.  The book details both sides' efforts to sway ( read manipulate ) public opinion through media content and through construction, interpretation,  and presentation of the results of public opinion polls.  The only true poll is the ballot box.  Let Palin run and judge by the results how far her star has fallen.

I will look for this. I have several of VDH's histories. After the late John Keegan, he is my favorite historian. The Belisarius story is a great one if you don't know it. More people should. I first learned of him in Robert Graves historical novel " Count Belisarius ". If you can find it, it's a great read. There are also several non- fiction/history treatments of him worth reading if you can find them, too.

What folks forget is that Obama taught constitutional law at a prestigious University Law School, was editor of the Harvard Law Review ( Editor !! ), and that he WON a Nobel Peace Prize .

Not only is Valerie Jarrett real, she sitteth at the right hand of Barack Obama.