Author Archives: Brendan

Harlem Renaissance

      Comments Off on Harlem Renaissance

During my commute today, I listened to last weekend’s episode of This American Life (via the podcast, which I love). Act One, about Geoffrey Canada’s Harlem Children’s Zone, was absolutely fascinating. I highly recommend it. You can download the episode for free, or just subscribe to the podcast (iTunes link).

Our stimulative couch

      2 Comments on Our stimulative couch

Over the weekend, we made a pilgrimage to American Furniture Warehouse to check out the sectional couches they had on sale. We promptly fell in love with a beautiful sectional at a great price, and so, using a portion of our first-time homebuyers stimulus check, we bought it. Today, it was delivered. And it is awesome. Since our purchase of… Read more »

Cat. 3

      Comments Off on Cat. 3

Bill is now a Category 3 hurricane with 125 mph winds as of 11pm EDT, after undergoing some rapid intensification. Further strengthening is expected, and Bill could be a Category 4 by this time tomorrow.

Almost major

      Comments Off on Almost major

As of 5:00 PM EDT, Hurricane Bill is almost a major hurricane, with top sustained winds of 110 mph. One more upgrade, and he’ll be a Category 3. He certainly looks the part: The discussion notes that the forecast track has been nudged slightly to the left. This trend would seem to decrease the threat to Bermuda, while increasing the… Read more »

Big Bill

      Comments Off on Big Bill

Hurricane Bill is growing and strengthening — now a Category 2 storm as of 11pm EDT, with winds of 100 mph, and tropical-storm force winds extending out as much as 150 miles from the center. It’s expected to get bigger (200+ mile wind radius) and stronger (125 mph, Category 3) over the next several days, as it continues to churn… Read more »

About those “death panels,” and teapots orbiting Saturn

      Comments Off on About those “death panels,” and teapots orbiting Saturn

Conor Clarke, one of Andrew Sullivan’s guestbloggers during his August hiatus, has written a very funny post about the defense of Sarah Palin’s “death panels” nonsense by “resident National Review goofball Andy McCarthy,” who takes issue with the criticism of Palin leveled by that left-wing wacko nutroots site… National Review. McCarthy writes that “‘death panels’ caught on with the public… Read more »

Claudette approaching Florida; Bill almost a hurricane; Ana nearly dead

Just a quick update on our A-B-C trio, in reverse alphabetical order, before I go to bed. The center of Tropical Storm Claudette is approaching the Florida panhandle, and will make landfall in the next few hours. Heavy rains are already ashore, as the radar map shows. Claudette has not strengthened, and is basically out of time to do so…. Read more »

Ana struggles; Bill may miss land

      3 Comments on Ana struggles; Bill may miss land

Welcome, InstaPundit readers! I apologize for the relative dearth of updates on today’s tropical developments, at least as compared to my hyperactive weatherblogging of years past. Alas, “free time” isn’t a terribly viable concept when you have a 19-month-old and a 1-month-old. 🙂 Indeed, I’m only able to post this update because the previously crying 1-month-old has finally fallen asleep… Read more »