Tag Archives: politics

“Silence is necessary to tyrants and occupiers, who take pains to have their actions accompanied by quiet.” — Ryszard Kapuściński

Posted on March 4, 2025 by sheila

It’s the birthday today of one of my favorite writers, Polish journalist and author Ryszard Kapuściński. His death in 2007 was devastating to me. I went to the memorial tribute at the New York Public Library, hosted by his close … Continue reading →

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Eleanor Roosevelt, the D.A.R., and Marian Andersen

Posted on February 26, 2025 by sheila

86 years ago today, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt publicly resigned from the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) after the organization barred famous contralto Marian Anderson from singing at Constitution Hall. Howard University had invited Anderson to sing in Washington … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, On This Day | Tagged | 3 Comments

“And the world Is gonna know your name. What’s your name, man?” “Alexander Hamilton.”

Posted on January 11, 2025 by sheila

Except for the opening paragraph, this post was (mostly – there are some updates) written in 2008, years before “Hamilton” mania overtook the world. I almost can’t believe it’s happened. To all of you newcomers to Hamiltonia, I say, Welcome … Continue reading →

Posted in Founding Fathers, On This Day | Tagged , , , , | 20 Comments

“I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat or a prostitute.” — Rebecca West

Posted on December 21, 2024 by sheila

It’s her birthday today. It is hard to talk about her without referencing the generations of writers she inspired, all of whom admit their debt. Robert Kaplan is the most open about it (in Balkan Ghosts, which launched his career, … Continue reading →

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“A mind which really lays hold of a subject is not easily detached from it.” — journalist Ida Tarbell

Posted on November 5, 2024 by sheila

It’s a good day to think about unchecked power. Power needs people out there to check it. It’s a good day to acknowledge that the world – its money and resources – is dominated by a multi-national cadre of fat … Continue reading →

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Today, the Sheila Variations turns 22. wtf.

Posted on October 18, 2024 by sheila

The above pic of me – taken by Michael – graced the top of my original blog, when I set it up 22 years ago today. I never should have put my picture up on my site – it led … Continue reading →

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Review: Kneecap (2024)

Posted on August 2, 2024 by sheila

I reviewed Kneecap for Ebert, a fun interesting fictionalized-ish movie about the formation/rise of Kneecap, the Irish-language-only hiphop trio from Belfast. The trio play themselves!

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“Free Enterprise. The American Dream. Horatio Alger gone mad on drugs in Las Vegas. Do it now. Pure Gonzo journalism.” — Hunter S. Thompson

Posted on July 18, 2024 by sheila

One of my favorite writers of all time. It’s his birthday today. Here he is on his favorite meal of the day: “I like to eat breakfast alone, and almost never before noon; anybody with a terminally jangled lifestyle needs … Continue reading →

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“The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.” –Robert Conquest

Posted on July 15, 2024 by sheila

“I think once you accept that you have the answer to everything, you can do anything to bring it about because your enemies are trying to stop you, are enemies of reason, of truth of everything – enemies of the … Continue reading →

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“They are holding every Jew in Germany as a hostage. Therefore, we who are not Jews must speak, speak our sorrow and indignation and disgust in so many voices that they will be heard.” — journalist Dorothy Thompson, radio broadcast, 1938

Posted on July 9, 2024 by sheila

Dorothy Thompson, 1939: testifying in Congress to repeal the Neutrality Act. American journalist Dorothy Thompson, whose birthday it is today, wangled and manipulated her way into an interview with Adolf Hitler in 1931. Before he even became Chancellor. Thompson had … Continue reading →

Posted in On This Day, writers | Tagged , , , | 20 Comments