M. Jackson doctor convicted in star’s 2009 drug death

I would have been surprised if the doctor had not been convicted. By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson’s doctor was convicted Monday of involuntary manslaughter after a trial that painted him as a reckless caregiver who administered a lethal dose of a powerful anesthetic that killed the pop star. The verdict against Dr. image [Read More]

Contagion—Nothing spreads like fear

Nothing spreads like fear is a great subtitle. Unfortunately, the film is a disappointment. After living through September 11, SARS, and most recently the Fukushima nuclear disaster, we all have a pretty good sense that our world could suddenly be turned upside down. Many of us might die because of a natural or manmade disaster. image [Read More]

The Last Days of a Dictator

The last days of a dictator are not particularly fun. Hitler committed suicide in 1945 when the Russians were close to his underground bunker in Berlin. Saddam Hussein loved life too much and come out of a hole in the ground when guns had surrounded him.  I am not sure about Qaddafi’s attitude toward his image image [Read More]

A Story that you will not forget

Even for someone who reads a lot this story will stand out and stay burned in your memory if you have children or consider having them in the future Notes From a Dragon Mom   By EMILY RAPP (NT Times) MY son, Ronan, looks at me and raises one eyebrow. His eyes are bright and focused. Ronan image [Read More]

The Sound of Music

To get in the spirit of Octoberfest, I watched the iconic romantic musical for a second time in my life. The mountains around Salzburg are still amazing but the film has aged less well than My Fair Lady. Too often you notice that the scene is shot in a Hollywood rather than on location in image [Read More]