The weekend Financial Times carried a review of American Overthrow: Moscow’s Endgame in Its Long War with Washington by Keir Giles. “And the same driving principles of power in Russia,” Giles writes in the book, “of exploitation of the masses by a tiny elite at the top of a pyramid of corruption, are the dominant features of a new political system being forged in the United States.”
It is a succinct, accurate, and damning analysis, though Trump would probably be flattered by the comparison.
Monday was Ukrainian Independence Day, and a Ukrainian friend sent me a video of an art installation some of her compatriots presented two years ago at Burning Man. Called “I’m Fine,” it consisted of a DJ playing haunting music in front of large letters that spelled out the words “I’M FINE.” As the camera zoomed in on the letters, you saw that each was made up of road signs, all of them riddled with bullets. “I’m fine,” the narrator explained, is what Ukrainians now say when people ask them how they’re doing. Many people do this, of course, when they’re really struggling, or hurting, or suffering. But for Ukrainians it is not a lie, it is an act of defiance. Also, saying “I’m fine” is a way of becoming fine.
The headline in today's Miami Herald - "Less Space Coast launches in store as Space X pulls back on Falcon 9" - reminds me that I need to work on a cartoon in which "less" visits a cemetery and pays respects at the grave of "fewer."
For freelancers, the end of August is like the end of December. You can send things out, but you’re pretty sure no one’s going to be around to read them.
The New York Times ran a story, which the Miami Herald republished, about Key West and how it has gotten too expensive for writers to live there. I’m now waiting for the Herald to do a story on how Key West has gotten too expensive for writers to visit.
The biggest story in tennis this summer has been that of Alexandra Eala, the 21-year-old Filipina who has captivated fans and been enthusiastically embraced by her compatriots at every tournament she’s appeared in. Opponents have found themselves up against not only her talent and drive, which are considerable, but also boisterous crowds that are so passionate in their support that they seem almost hostile to the woman on the other side of the net (applauding, for instance, her double faults).
You’d think this would create resentment, friction, bad blood, and yet what we’ve witnessed this summer has been the opposite. Jessica Pegula, holding the runner-up trophy at the tournament in DC that Eala won, spoke appreciatively of the Filipino fans, and the way that tennis is making new inroads around the world. A few days later in Toronto, Caty McNally lost to Eala in a tough three-setter and then thanked the rising star at the net for “letting” her be a part of such an amazing atmosphere. Amanda Anisimova, who beat Eala this week in Cincinnati, acknowledged in her on-court interview after the match that she was not the crowd favorite, noting that Eala is extremely popular, then adding, “deservedly so.”
Three female athletes – two just moments from a disappointing loss – demonstrating graciousness and a remarkable generosity of spirit.