Month: July 2010

Words and Deeds

Posted on by bfaure 1 Comment
     Former President Clinton, eulogizing Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia at Senator Byrd’s funeral last week said the following:       “He once had a fleeting association with the Ku Klux Klan, what does that mean? I’ll tell you what it means. He was a country boy from  the hills and hollows from West Virginia. […]... Read More

That Texan Could Play

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     Every once in a while  the right combination of talent, charisma, looks, and showmanship elevate a performer above all the equally hard working and committed artists to become a star for the ages.  In 1958, a young classical pianist from Texas boldly took the musical prize that Russians considered their birthright, the Tchaikovsky International […]... Read More

The Spector of 1932

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     The beginning of the year 2010 saw a period of growth of GDP and increasing market confidence that suggested the world wide recession might be driven out of its doldrums, as in previous times, by the American economic engine.  The United States government in particular sought to fuel the recovery with public stimulus dollars […]... Read More

Happy 4th of July

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Happy 4th of July. Welcome to Ramparts of Civilization.             It is altogether fitting that on the 234th anniversary of the articulation of the principles of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” that a blog defending and celebrating those immortal words finds birth and, hopefully, a long and fruitful existence.             For some time […]... Read More