Yesterday was a schizophrenic day for news. On the one hand, there was the story, actually from Tuesday, about how Taliban gunmen had stormed a high school favored by the sons and daughters of the Pakistani military and had killed at least 141, most of them students.

Really, Taliban? A high school full of students?

There simply aren’t any words for an act like this. All I can say is, don’t expect to be greeted by 72 virgins, for those of you who precipitated this bloodbath.  (What is the thing about virgins by the way? That’s another one that I don’t understand.  But I digress.)

And then, on the other hand, came the completely unexpected news that the United States is re-establishing diplomatic relations with the island of Cuba. Given that President Obama is using his executive authority to engineer this turn-around, it’s sure to get the same warm reception that his recent executive action on immigration engendered. Apparently secret talks had been ongoing for more than a year, and we received the help and encouragement of Canada and Pope Francis, strange bedfellow though that be. The almost fifty-year embargo of Cuba, we must observe, did nothing to remove the Castro brothers from power. Or really do anything to improve Cuba’s human rights record.

Obama, freed from the need to be re-elected, or to pave the way for the re-election of Democratic Senators, seems to have found his groove again for the moment. I’ll be interested to see what other rabbits he pulls from his hat.