Keith Burgess-Jackson

9-6-87 . . . The World Track and Field Championships are taking place in Rome. I watched part of the events on television this morning and was amazed (I always am) at the prowess of these athletes. On the whole, I’m more impressed by the track events than the field events. For example, today I watched Said Aouita of Morocco hold off an excellent field of runners to win the 5000-meter race. He stayed with the pack until the last lap, then broke away in a sprint for the finish. He won easily. I get shivers up my spine when athletes seem to rise above their physical abilities to win races. Earlier, I watched a marathon through the hot, steamy streets of Rome. Overall, the United States isn’t faring well. East Germany and the Soviet Union are way ahead in the number of medals won. This should take some of the luster off our showing in the 1984 Olympics, in which the Soviets didn’t participate. I thought at the time that it would be an unrepresentative Olympics, and now I know that’s true. It’ll be interesting to see how the athletes stack up next year, in Seoul, South Korea.

If homosexuals knew what was good for them, they’d stop abusing the institution of marriage. See here.

The Boston Red Sox won today. The New York Yankees didn’t play, so Boston’s magic number to eliminate New York is down to 16. Rooting for the Yankees is like rooting for Standard Oil.

Have you heard of the raw-milk movement? See here.

Here is a review of a new book about the so-called Israel lobby. It’s nice to know that the authors of the book believe that Israel has a moral and legal right to exist.

Addendum: Our own George Jochnowitz had a letter to the editor published on this topic.

Here is a New York Times review (by the annoying A. O. Scott) of the latest Hollywood Western, 3:10 to Yuma. I thoroughly enjoyed Unforgiven (1992) and Open Range (2003). The best Western ever made is Little Big Man (1970).

If this man’s story doesn’t make your eyes moist, you ain’t wired right. Not familiar with the story? Read this and this.

One of my friends from graduate school sent a link to this.

Here.

To the Editor:

I think it is time to move on from commemorating Sept. 11 so publicly. That day was certainly a tragedy, especially to the people who lost loved ones. But what has happened to this country since Sept. 11—the war in Iraq, domestic spying, the implicit sanctioning of torture and a complete lack of concern by the United States government for the average American—is the greater tragedy. How do we commemorate those losses?

Stephen D’Agostino
New York, Sept. 2, 2007

Note from KBJ: The measures the letter writer condemns protect even him. Perhaps one day he will appreciate it.

It’s official: Fred Thompson is running for president. See here.

Addendum: In case you missed it in the New York Times story, here is Fred’s website.

Addendum 2: Here is a Wall Street Journal editorial opinion about the Thompson candidacy.

Here.