Doubt the Experts

Friday, February 20, 2026

Trump Flunked Out of Autocracy University

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In a newly-released document, which is thought to have originated in Russia on the dark web, it is claimed that Donald Trump took secret onl...
Friday, February 13, 2026

Éric Rohmer: A Biography V

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I did finish the book, though it does not quite live up to my biographical ideals. There is a great deal of information provided about Rohme...
Sunday, February 8, 2026

Éric Rohmer: A Biography IV

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Rohmer's filmmaking career was extremely long, with his first major film releasing in 1967 and his last in 2007. It is confusing to foll...
Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Diary

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I seem to have cut back on my "Diary" posts recently and decided that I should write another one. At times I thought that I may ha...
Saturday, January 31, 2026

Éric Rohmer: A Biography III

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I am finding that, although the French New Wave was a movement, it was not coherent compared to, say, Impressionism. The Impressionists exhi...
Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Theme Song of the Day

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John Prine  (from Bruised Orange)
Monday, January 26, 2026

Éric Rohmer: A Biography II

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At the time of his marriage, Rohmer was editor-in-chief of  Cahiers du cinéma , one of the leading film magazines in Paris, and this provide...
Monday, January 19, 2026

Éric Rohmer: A Biography I

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This book, by Antoine de Baecque and Noël Herpe, is my current reading project. I like most of the Rohmer films that I've seen and wante...
Wednesday, January 14, 2026

A Cautionary Note on Democracy

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As I've been saying, I think that  The Contrarian  has been doing an excellent job reporting on the abuses of the Trump administration, ...
Monday, January 5, 2026

Diary

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This is peak cabin fever season for me at the moment. It has been cold and snowy, and the main disadvantage to me is that I don't get en...
Saturday, January 3, 2026

Emerson: The Mind on Fire VI

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In 1855, Walt Whitman self-published  Leaves of Grass  and sent a copy to Emerson. Emerson read it immediately and liked it. He wrote back t...
Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Emerson: The Mind on Fire V

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I'm finally approaching the end of the book, and am looking forward to that, since I haven't become a convert to transcendentalism. ...
Wednesday, December 24, 2025

Emerson: The Mind on Fire IV

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I'm up to 1844, when Emerson reached the age of 41. His first child, Waldo, was born in 1836 but died in 1842. This had a devastating ef...
Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Emerson: The Mind on Fire III

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I'm at the middle of the book, and it seems to be getting more interesting at this point. The five surviving Emerson brothers are starti...
Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Emerson: The Mind on Fire II

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At the time of their marriage, Ellen was already showing signs of tuberculosis, and she died on February 8, 1831, at the age of nineteen. Th...
Sunday, November 30, 2025

Emerson: The Mind on Fire I

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I've started on this biography of Ralph Waldo Emerson, by Robert D. Richardson Jr. So far it seems to be well-written, but, because I...
Friday, November 21, 2025

Diary

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Although, as I've said repeatedly, I don't like thinking about or discussing Donald Trump, I thought that I should pass along my imp...
Saturday, November 15, 2025

The Origins of Consciousness: Thoughts of the Crooked-Headed Fly

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This new book, by Giorgio Vallortigara, continues his discussion of apparently complex neurological mechanisms in simple animals. He moves o...
Sunday, November 9, 2025

Diary

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One of my characteristics is that I like to be completely caught up on all responsibilities so that I don't have to worry about things t...
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Friday, October 31, 2025

Diary

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I have been preoccupied for a few days with a visitor and therefore have not spent much time thinking about this blog. I have also been casu...
Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Diary

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We are about at peak fall colors now. Some leaves have fallen, but there is still a long way to go. Technically we are still in a drought, b...
Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Before & after the night

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  after Antonella Anedda I At last, what must be done falls away undone          Darkness grows like headaches grow from a hard seed & g...
Saturday, October 11, 2025

My Wars Are Laid Away in Books: The Life of Emily Dickinson VI

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I've finally reached the end of this long biography, and here is the wrap-up.   Her 1862-to-1865 period, when she first corresponded wit...
Saturday, October 4, 2025

My Wars Are Laid Away in Books: The Life of Emily Dickinson V

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Emily Dickinson left behind three unsent drafts to a person who was addressed as "Master." This has caused a great deal of scholar...
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