The conviction of Ahmed Omar Sheikh for the kidnapping and murder of Daniel Pearl reminds me of an interview I conducted in Karachi in May with the police investigator who led the manhunt for Sheikh. As the police closed ...
Category: Blog
War? What war?
Michael Kinsley has a point: “It was amazing to read the Pentagon’s detailed plans for an invasion of Iraq in the New York Times last week. The general reaction of Americans to this news was even more amazing: Basically, there was no reaction. ...
“If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.”
That’s a quote from the legendary Robert Capa, and it appears at the beginning of “War Photographer,” which is a documentary about Jim Nachtwey, whose life and ideas are no less stunning than the beautifully grim pictures ...
Journalists And War Crimes
My newest story, an opinion piece in today’s New York Times, can be found here.
Shakespeare Vs. Cellphones
One of the pleasures of summer in New York is the Shakespeare festival at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, where the plays are performed outdoors, free of charge. A few nights ago I went with a friend to see “Twelfth ...
The Writers’ World Cup
If the World Cup final had been played between the nations with the best soccer writers, England would have faced Brazil. I haven’t been reading the Brazilian press, but I assume the scribes from Rio are as entertaining as their players and fans. There’s no doubt about the quality ...
A Yoga Story, Only In New York
I occasionally practice Bikram yoga, which is done in a studio heated to 100 degrees. Yes, it sounds insane, but it’s not, as long as you don’t mind the heat. Yoga studios strive to be peaceful places, with everyone pretending to be kind and gentle, and saying, at the end of class, “Namaste,” ...
Why India And Pakistan Did Not Go Nuclear
War between the two rivals was avoided when Gen. Musharraf promised to stop, permanently, the infiltration of Pakistani-sponsored guerrillas into Kashmir. As The Washington Post explains, Musharraf made his vow in a June 6 meeting with Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage:
A veteran diplomat ...
Third World Vs. First World–In Soccer
It was nearly 4:00 a.m. and the English soccer fan standing next to me at the Coffee Shop in Union Square knew the final score, even though ten minutes or so remained in the World Cup match between Brazil and England, which Brazil was leading 2-1. “England always break your heart,” she ...
Sudden Death In Korea
A fantastic soccer match is underway between South Korea and Italy. The score is tied 1-1, the second half of overtime is about to begin; Italy just lost a player to a red card on a horrible call by the referee. World Cup at its best. Watch it if you can.
UPDATE: South Korea wins 2-1. Amazing.