Wes Phillips

David Halberstam remembers an era when the press wasn't the administration's lapdog. What a great piece of writing.

I got a new cell phone recently and have been learning how to take pictures with the camera that's (almost) always with me. No, a phone isn't a very good camera, but the pictures can be surprisingly good if you work within your tool's limitations.

Thanks for the kind birthday messages, everybody. I had a great day. Joan & I went to the Frick">http://www.frick.org/">Frick Collection to gaze at our favorite Vermeers, Franz Hals, and J.M.W. Turners, not to mention checking out a comprehensive display of the New Testament drawings of Domenico">http://www.frick.org/exhibitions/tiepolo/">Domenico Tiepolo, which were completely new to me.

Bagheera, in basic black, always looks ready for a party, but for my birthday, she got all dolled up.

Huckleberry serenaded me for my birthday. Figures that a showboat like him would play a Les Paul.

Really, don't bother.

Language Log offers some good advice on protecting yourself from&#151'wait for it—good advice on writing.