Diane Keaton, I Say No!

Diane Keaton graces the screen so rarely that when she makes an appearance of any kind, attention must be paid. But it’s a sure sign of how desperate the current state of movies has become when you pack up your hope and anticipation, head for a brand-new Diane Keaton vehicle called Because I Said So, Read More

If the Nazis Did It…

To the Editor:

I just finished reading Ron Rosenbaum’s column in The New York Observer about the seminar held in Tehran to “assess [the] Holocaust” [“The Iranian ‘Scholars’: Times Bends Backwards for Holocaust Deniers,” the Edgy Enthusiast, Dec. 18]. I think it’s always important to hear both sides of an issue where the debate merits Read More

A Terrorist Attack on the City, 85 Years Before Sept. 11

It can happen here. And according to Chad Millman’s The Detonators, it did—85 years before 9/11. After war broke out in Europe in 1914, the German government sought to prevent the United States, a neutral country, from delivering ammunition to the Allies. On Jan. 26, 1915, the Foreign Office sent a cable to German attachés Read More

Why I Hate Soccer

Germany-Argentina. Two great teams, playing a great competition. And what does it come down to in the end, the farce of penalty kicks! And one of the best players in the stadium, Lionel Messif, has never taken the field. I hate this game.

In a great sport, the ending is marked by the greatest achievement—Maxi Read More

Memo to Sports Editors

On C-Span today, an executive for Amnesty International warns that 1 million men will enter Germany next month for the World Cup, likely resulting in an increase in trafficking of women. The Amnesty International web site speaks of the likelihood of “forced prostitution” surrounding the games.

Greens on the Margins

One of the curiousities of American politics is the utter failure of the Green Party to make an impact, despite its strong presence in countries like Germany and the poll-tested appeal of environmental issues. (Ralph Nader is kind of the exception that proves this rule.)

The Web site of one of the Green candidates Read More

Superdogs Star In Eight Below

Animal lovers to the alert! Forget about the penguins: A whole new gang of four-legged love makers have arrived to establish squatters’ rights on your hearts. Eight Below, a surprise hit inspired by a true story with the kind of charm, action, adventure and humanity for which I was totally unprepared, is about eight of Read More

Police-State Powers Are Our Biggest Threat

What has happened in this country?

The Pentagon has a secret court created by the Foreign Intelligence Services Act (FISA). The courtroom is in a windowless room on the top floor of the Department of Justice. There are seven rotating judges. The court meets in secret, with no published opinions or public records. No one, Read More