MUDGE’s Musings Driving earlier this evening to pick up take out for dinner, found myself listening to radio news. Never do that, if I can help it. But this story sprang out at me. It’s a crime story. Not usually a staple of this nanocorner of the ‘Sphere©. And it’s our next installment in a ever-lengthening series. “May you live in interesting times” mm380: The return of cheap gasoline mm370: How can you tell our president is lying? mm347: It’s official, we’re depressed — er... Read Full Story

MUDGE’s Musings …   Actually, it never left. That’s right, faithful reader, that $3.899/gallon gasoline is still amazingly cheap. That’s what yr (justifiably) humble svt paid yesterday to put 15 gallons of ExxonMobil’s 87 octane best into his mid-size sedan’s tank. Do the math. A Sunday paper less than $60. Amazingly cheap, right? Apparently so. “May you live in interesting times” mm370: How can you tell our president is lying? mm347: It’s official, we’re depressed — er, recessed... Read Full Story

MUDGE’s Musings Faithful reader (if s/he indeed is faithful) is probably disgusted with this nanocorner of the ‘Sphere© lately, as we’ve been rehashing good old stuff rather than creating good new stuff here. As I reflect on my lethargic approach to blogging this past week, my analysis finds that it’s partly due to the demands of the bill paying occupation, and partly my failure to extricate from the zillions of new pages popping up every day in said ‘Sphere a nugget of insight upon which... Read Full Story

MUDGE’s Musings There’s most read, and then there’s favorite. This is a post which yr (justifiably) humble svt is, regrettably, but not regretfully, not at all humble about. Blast from the Past! A post we really, really loved to write, and read, and re-read… From our early days, originally posted August 31, 2007. mm123: Classical music II — one more time, with wood MUDGE’S Musings Danger! Western Cultural Treasures Content! Run Away! So, I was cruising the blogs at BlogExplosion.com and... Read Full Story

MUDGE’s Musings There’s most read, and then there’s favorite. This is a post which yr (justifiably) humble svt is, regrettably, but not regretfully, not at all humble about. Blast from the Past! A post we really, really loved to write, and read, and re-read… From our early days, originally posted August 30, 2007. mm122: Simone Dinnerstein plays the Goldberg Variations MUDGE’S Musings Danger! Western Cultural Treasures Content! Run Away! Did you ever read a novel, a newspaper or magazine... Read Full Story

MUDGE’s Musings As I write this, it’s mid-afternoon on Sunday, May 11, 2008, Mother’s Day in the U.S. I believe that the important mothers in my life know what they mean to me, and how I feel about them: My own mother, failing rapidly, but with her chin up, due to her illness. Her family wonders whether there’s even one more Mother’s Day in her. My dear mother-in-law, about to be 87 years old, mostly healthy and ever very precious to us. My lovely Mrs. MUDGE, who certainly deserved... Read Full Story

MUDGE’s Musings Let’s be geopolitically strategic today. Our writers here make the point that, while we (manifestly!) weren’t paying attention, that superpower status we earned by being the last country standing after World War II, and defended so expensively during the ensuing Cold War, has quietly left the building. From a new addition to our blogroll, Tom Engelhardt’s  TomDispatch.com, comes this bracing wake-up call. Tomgram: Michael Klare, America Out of Gas TomDispatch.com | posted... Read Full Story

 MUDGE’s Musings   There’s most read, and then there’s favorite. This is a post which yr (justifiably) humble svt is, regrettably, but not regretfully, not at all humble about. Blast from the Past! A post we really, really loved to write, and read, and re-read… From our early days, originally posted August 27, 2007. mm119: Creating the sequitur Had this thought yesterday. Any of you regular reader of this nanocorner of the blogosphere are aware that MUDGE often is slightly link-crazy. I... Read Full Story

MUDGE’s Musings Three days after first published, this column by Thomas Friedman is still among the NYTimes’ most emailed stories. I’ve had it on my shelf since then, thought its time might have passed, but the fact that it’s still in such strong circulation made it the perfect candidate for yr (justifiably) humble svt’s post no. 400 at this nanocorner of the ‘Sphere©. In all the noise of an endless political season, Friedman discerns a message that obviously resonates with his audience... Read Full Story

MUDGE’s Musings Can’t help but notice that we’ve achieved a mini-milestone today: we began serious blogging one year ago, May 7, 2007. We actually registered Left-Handed Complement with WordPress.com about nine months earlier, dashed off a couple of quick posts and then once that initial burst of enthusiasm and curiosity had passed, stopped. We’ll consider that interregnum a gestation then, leading to the true birth of this site an entire year ago. Fortunately, unlike my children, for... Read Full Story