‘Fog of war” is a notorious euphemism for the unanticipated consequences of armed conflict. As active-duty and retired officers have attested during the first weeks of the Iraqi war, the battle plan changes the moment armed forces go into combat. As Iraqi Fedayeen have disguised themselv
Whenever I hear someone say, “Offer it up,” I remember Sally. Sally had a fondness for sweets, but they weren’t good for her. Every time she spied me sneaking a cookie or candy bar, she would stare intently at me, hoping I would feel guilty and share. “Offer it up,” I w
Not long ago I heard several chaplains of a major U S children rsquo s hospital speak on ldquo spirituality and medicine rdquo After a review of recent scientific studies linking prayer faith and physical health one of the speakers gasped ldquo When I hear such exciting news all I can say
In 1970 at the age of 56 Alec Guinness by then one of the best-known character actors in the world sat for a formal portrait Michael Noakes the artist recognized the overwhelming challenge of the task ldquo How does one paint what lies beneath the surface of the skin rdquo asks biographer
Yann Martel won Britain rsquo s most prestigious literary award the Man Booker Prize for Life of Pi a book that reinvents the lost-at-sea novel in quite striking terms Martel himself has been storm-tossed in a controversy about whether he inappropriately employed the premise of a 1981 story by M
One of the most impressive scenes in the movie ldquo The Wizard of Oz rdquo is Dorothy rsquo s entrance into the Land of Oz At that moment the original sepia tones of the film become brilliant Technicolor Tornado-beaten earth gives way to a boldly colorful magical land where everything is stra
Charity Groups Protest Military Oversight of Iraqi AidThe Catholic Church’s top charity officials are protesting coalition military plans to oversee humanitarian aid distribution in Iraq, seeing it as part of a worrying trend in recent years toward militarizing aid. Two weeks into the U.S.-led