Mark Steyn's Passing Parade: Obituaries And Appreciations

Synopsis

...on Bob Hope: He was the first comedian to run himself as a business, and he succeeded brilliantly. Time magazine reported in 1967 that he was worth half a billion dollars. Asked about the figure, Hope said, "Anyone can do it. All you have to do is save a million dollars a year for 500 years." ...on Amin: His Excellency was borne aloft in a sedan chair balanced with some difficulty on the shoulders of four spindly Englishmen from Kampala's business community, while another humbled honky walked behind holding the parasol. When it came to the white man's burden, the British could talk the talk. But that night the 3001b Amin made them walk the walk. ...on Strom Thurmond: Strom had just cast an appreciative bipartisan eye over the petite brunette liberal extremist. Senator Boxer gave an involuntary shudder. Glancing down, I was horrified to see an unusually large lizard slithering up and down my arm. On closer inspection, it proved to be Strom's hand. Presumably he'd mistaken my dainty elbow for Barbara's, but who knows? In how many other national legislatures can a guy just wander in off the street and find himself being petted by a 97-year-old Senator? ...on the Princess of Wales: August is the "silly season" in the British press, and this year the Princess had done her bit for her media chums, embarking on a dizzying summer romance that brought an extravagant array of her lover's ex-girlfriends tumbling out of the cupboard. A good time was had by all. On the very last day of the silly season, when the Queen's subjects woke to the news that Diana was dead, it seemed in some strange way the best plot twist of all. On Katherine Graham judging from the tone of the drooling eulogies, most commentators are apparently assuming that The Washington Post's proprietress will be continuing her salons in the unseen world and that, come their own demise, they want to make sure they're at the top table with Kay, the Kennedys, Pam Harriman, and not down the declasse end near the powder room with God, Christ, St Peter and the other losers. And for This Ole House: I was wandering way up in the mountains and came across this dilapidated cabin." He was hunting in the high Sierras and had noticed a mangy, starving old hound dog hanging around an otherwise abandoned cabin. "Inside, I found an old prospector lying dead. I saw curtains, so that meant a woman had been there. I saw kids' things lin' around. And they were all gone now. The old man was alone." Most of us would just get out, some perhaps would go to the cops, but Hamblen sat down and, with the corpse lying next to him for inspiration, began to rough out a song.

Copyright:

2006

Book Details

Book Quality:

Excellent

Book Size:

330 Pages

ISBN-13:

9780973157017

Publisher:

Stockade Books

Date of Addition:

01/13/15

Copyrighted By:

Mark Steyn

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

Nonfiction, Language Arts, Communication

Submitted By:

Duane Iverson

Proofread By:

Shirley Koda

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.