I found it hard to believe that such a goofy film as “Gladiator” could be nominated for so many Academy Awards. Or that anybody thought that what Russell Crowe was doing in the film was “acting.” But the movie did have one great virtue for me: it made me look up the real history of Emperor Commodus, Lucilla and the gladiators. (From Themestream, March 24, 2001)

Fidel Castro just turned 90 two days ago — no longer as we remember him, ever youthful, ever vigorous. What did he have that fascinated so many of us for so long, that let him dominate Cuba and from that small base to shake the whole world? And threatening to do more than just shake it, in October 1962. Like him or hate him, you have to acknowledge that his was a personality hard to resist, even by those among us who should have known better.