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Tribute to an odd person who was the world’s greatest chess player
One of my “sort-of-childhood-teen-years-heros” died yesterday in Iceland. If you’re a chess player, you must have heard of him and probably already heard about his death: International Grandmaster Former World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer. He was 64. His cause of death was not specified.
Fischer was a very complicated, strange sort of man who became very reclusive in recent years. For those of you who don’t know him, he became something of a national hero in the U.S. after whipping Soviet Grandmaster Boris Spassky for the title in 1972. He was defrocked of the title in 1975 when he refused to defend it in Manila. He came out of retirement to battle Spassky again in 1992 in a special match in Yugoslavia. That nation was under political sanctions at the time and Fischer disappeared after the match.
He made some extremely anti-American remarks from the Philippines following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S. He was allowed into Iceland (the site of his famous 1972 match with Spassky) in 2005 and became an Icelandic citizen.
Odd, perhaps even troubled, Fischer nonetheless has been hailed by many as perhaps the greatest chess player who ever lived. I’m not much of a chess player myself anymore, though I followed the game zealously in high school and college, I’m not qualified to say. But the few Fischer games I’ve played through seem absolutely brilliant.
Goodbye, Bobby, and I hope you’ve made peace with the emotions that were driving you to such a sad waste of your enormous gifts on the chessboard.
[tags]Bobby Fischer dies, chess champion, chess world, just a guy who reads the papers[/tags]
Bush Administration pulls a boneheaded move, angers NATO allies
I won’t even get started on how stupidly the U.S. has handled the war on terror by invading Iraq and sort of downplaying our efforts in Afghanistan for several years. We do, apparently, seem to have gotten started on a renewed effort in Afghanistan — you know, the nation where Taliban and Ben Laden seem to be?
But how idiotic of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who’s been around awhile and should know better, to make public remarks about our NATO allies being poorly prepared and poorly committed for the fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan. I’m not the only one who thinks so: Our NATO allies are angry at his comments. The Dutch even summoned the U.S. ambassador to explain Gates’ remarks.
I wonder whether the Bush Administration will ever get the knack of cooperating with the other nations of the world. I actually thought Bush and his people in recent years were patching up relationships with European allies. It’s good to eat “French fries” again instead of those silly “Freedom fries” conservatives felt compelled to invent following the Iraq invasion.
Have we now created a world where Dutch apple pie will vanish??
[tags]NATO, European anger, Robert Gates, just a guy who reads the papers[/tags]
Secret to world peace? Maybe we need some ‘Shut Up Zones’ in real life
I love to read the comics faithfully every day. Okay, I don’t always get the chance to do it, but I usually find a way to read my favorites. And one of my all-time favorites, “Non-Sequitur,” led to this blog post.
In today’s “Non-Sequitur,” the mischievous little girl character, Danae, runs into the living room, plots down a big sign, and settles on the couch. The sign says, “Shut Up Zone.” Her father watches her do this and asks what’s going on. “I’m promoting world peace,” Danae explains. As her father walks away he mutters: “I’ve GOT to get one of those for my desk at the office.”
Obviously, I’m not so naive as to think “Shut Up Zone” signs would promote world peace. In fact, standard wisdom holds that peace only comes about as enemies talk to each other, air their grievances, negotiate agreements, etc.
Yeah, that’s worked well, hasn’t it?
Perhaps there are times and places where “peace” or something resembling it might begin if the parties involved all took a step back from the fray and just “shut up,” at least for awhile, to really reflect on their situations. Perhaps after some of the nations and people leading them find a measure of stillness, they can renew their efforts toward peacefully resolving their differences.
Ah, well, what do I know? I’m just a guy who reads the papers.
[tags]comics page wisdom, “Non-Sequitur,” world peace, “Shut Up Zones,” just a guy who reads the papers[/tags]
Good luck with the Middle East mire, Mr. President
I wish any U.S. president, regardless of party affiliation and/or how I think they’re doing as president, nothing but good luck regarding Israel and the Palestinians. I feel that way as I read that President Bush is in Israel right now, his first trip there as president, to try to nudge on the “peace process” he got Israel and the Palestinians to launch at Annapolis last year.
But I have no real confidence Bush or any other American president will do anything significant to bring a lasting peace to the area. Because I cannot believe, based on several millenia of evidence to the contrary, that there will be any lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
Some things simply never will happen. Lasting peace in that region of the world with legitimate, separate states for the Palestinians and the Israelis, is one of those things.
I found it interesting, watching part of a CNN report on the president’s trip, that Bush commented to one of the Israeli leaders (I wasn’t paying close attention and my have part of this wrong) how surprised he (Bush) was to see that a river on his ranch in Texas was bigger than the Jordan River. Refreshing to capture that native “Why golly, shucks” cultural naivety by our president, isn’t it? No, really, I’m serious. I love it that the leader of the free world can still be an American tourist in Palestine. (Sounds soft of like the title of one of Mark Twain’s works. Hmm…)
[tags]Bush in Israel, Bush and the Palestinians, Israel, Palestine, just a guy who reads the papers[/tags]
Will the U.S. take its usual ‘too little too late’ steps in the crisis in Kenya?
I would be among the first to say that the U.S. cannot be the “world’s police force” and intervene militarily in every nation experiencing turmoil. I mean, we should never, for example, have done the war in Iraq. (Not going to go there right now, thank you.)
But we seem to have a knack for doing too little and doing it too late whenever there’s a crisis in Africa. In the case of this rioting in Kenya, our diplomats, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, have pleaded with the factions to halt the rioting. Which is absolutely a good thing. It may even be all we can do right now.
But what will we do once the rioting is settled and the immediate bloodshed stemmed? Will we try to take an active role in aiding the country, in negotiating a lasting solution? Perhaps we will do more, perhaps not — and I’m not even sure how much we SHOULD or COULD do. It seems odd to me, however, that individual Americans (former Presidents Carter, Bush, and Clinton come to mind) seem to be able to help in crises sites around the world, yet our nation as a whole, as a governmental entity, keeps ignoring many, many problems. (Unless there’s oil at stake, of course.)
I truly hope we’ll do the right thing and rush any diplomatic and humanitarian aid we can to this sadly torn country just as soon as it’s possible.
[tags]Kenya rioting, U.S. aid to Kenya, Condoleezza Rice, just a guy who reads the papers[/tags]
Bhutto’s assassination leaves Pakistan in turmoil, sparking widespread riots
It’s hard to tell when all the news will come to light regarding the details of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Thursday. Certainly, from the standpoint of someone who has only secondary access to the horrible events, I (most of us, really) am in no position to analyze what happened, who was involved, what the future holds, etc. If you’ve turned on a television today, you’ll know that many other people more qualified than most of us have been doing that all day.
It is crucial, I’m sure, for someone to step in immediately to bring stability to the country in the midst of the chaos surrounding this woman’s tragic death. In case you’ve missed thinking about this so far today, let me be the first to point it out to you: We are talking about a country tossed between military dictatorship and terrorism which just happens to have nuclear weapons. Oh, and they have an ongoing warring relationship with their neighbors, India, who also have nuclear weapons.
Not to push the point, but this seems to me at least as volatile and dangerous as the U.S. v. U.S.S.R. face-offs of the old Cold War Days.
May the world work together at this frightening time to keep the insanity at bay.
[tags]Bhutto assassination, nuclear powers, Pakistan, India, terrorism, just a guy who reads the papers[/tags]
Queen Elizabeth’s 1957 Christmas message launches ‘Royal Channel’ at YouTube
Here’s a real kick for those of us who keep up somewhat with the royal crowd in England: Queen Elizabeth II and the British royalty have launched the Royal Channel on YouTube.
I’m a historian at heart — I actually finished all the course work for an M.A. in history but never did the comprehensive exams and seminar paper requirements. So I really love the idea of getting access to some historic videos.
But I’m NOT a “royals watcher” caught up in the tabloid mentality that keeps resurrecting Princess Diana’s death weekly for 10 years. I think much of the gossip mentality that shadows the British throne and everyone related to it is downright depressing.
But a “Royal Channel” on YouTube seems like it could be fun and fascinating. Go take a look for yourself.
[tags]British throne, British royalty, The Royal Channel on YouTube, just a guy who reads the papers[/tags]
Japan agrees to halt plans to hunt humpback whales
Under pressure from Australia and the U.S., the Japanese agreed not to hold their annual hunt for humpback whales near Antarctica.
I guess my question would be this: Why in the world are any nations still hunting animals which may be smarter than some of my neighbors?
All kidding aside, it’s hard to understand why whales are still being killed. In the case of Japan’s plans, they were going to kill 50 humpbacks. According to current treaties, they would be allowed to kill whales only in the interest of scientific research. Opponents of the hunt claim “research” is only a thinly veiled excuse, and that the whale meat end up in the marketplace.
I don’t understand all the customs and cultural ramifications of whale hunting by the Japanese or any other nation for that matter. I wouldn’t, therefore, presume to pronounce on the whole matter.
But I’m sure the average humpback whale ranks higher on the intelligence scale than a couple of people I know.
Ah, well, what do I know? I’m just a guy who reads the papers.
[tags]humpback whale hunting, Japanese whale hunting, international whaling, just a guy who reads the papers[/tags]
I’m almost ready to join the ‘Draft Al Gore’ for president movement
I watched an interview on CNN with President Al Gore — I mean VICE PRESIDENT! — regarding his Nobel Peace Prize, global warming issues, etc. As part of the interview, the CNN interviewer badgered Gore, of course, about running for the presidency. And as he has always, Gore again made it clear that he presently has no plans and is not interested in political office.
It may have been telling, though, that the interviewer asked Gore whether he would accept a post in the next Administration if a Democratic president were to ask/appoint him. At that point, Gore made it clear again he was not interested in politics — but that IF he chose to get back into politics it would not be as someone serving in a presidential administration; he would only be interested in running for president again.
So, perhaps. I certainly would vote for Gore if he ran again. I voted for him the first time he won the presidency in 2000 and I certainly would vote for him again. Maybe I’ll even join that “Draft Gore” movement.
Ah, well, what do I know? I’m just a guy who reads the papers.
[tags]Nobel Peace Prize, Al Gore, presidential politics, Draft Gore in 2008, just a guy who reads the papers[/tags]
Today was Pearl Harbor Day — honor our troops and our veterans
On December 8, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke these now-famous words to start his speech before a joint session of Congress:
“Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”
That was the beginning of American military action in World War II. It was an unmatched time of terror and glory in America — fear that the world and our nation was truly in danger; glory in the knowledge that we had been called to battle against worldwide tyranny.
Sadly, World War II failed to permanently vanquish worldwide evil and tyranny. One could argue that we are living in a world today even more hazardous than 1941, simply because the terrorists are more difficult to identify, are frequently suicidally determined to accomplish their goals, and have access to technology more dangerous and more devious than anything developed in the 1940s.
I hope you took time today to remember those brave men and women who were at Pearl Harbor, and all the brave men and women from America and other nations who rallied to the call and sacrificed their lives and well-being to defeat Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany. We owe them a lot. If you are fortunate enough to know a World War II veteran — and age is rapidly thinning their ranks — give him your thanks.
[tags]Pearl Harbor Day, World War II, veterans, day of infamy, just a guy who reads the papers[/tags]
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