things I don’t get
One thing that continues to surprise me is the continued application of the belief that libertarians are some sort of neutral party when it comes to partisan politics. See, for example Megan McArdle, who...
Yearly Archive: 2009
Not Again
Breaking news of another shooting rampage. This (apparently) involved a disgruntled former worker. Just so awful.
The Struggle to Understand: Jihad, Going Postal, and Superempowerment
Scott’s quickie on Andy McCarthy’s take on the tragic Ft. Hood shooting (hands up – anyone whose surprised it was A Mac?) is timely and worth the read. There are some very excellent comments...
Honduras: Reclaiming the American Sphere of Influence
While I took much issue with the Obama Administration’s initial response to the Honduran crisis in July, and especially the severe sanctions imposed, which achieve little more than hurting an already desperately poor population, I must...
Lest we forget
David Frum has some images which should sober up any claims that somehow Muslims as a group are to blame for Thursday’s shooting. The acts of the few should not condemn the peaceful majority,...
Strange Bedfellows
Here’s an entertaining scoop from Mother Jones: Crackpot ex-KGB academic teams up with tea party radicals to predict the imminent break-up of the United States.
Yes, Google is making me stupid
Or at least less apt to struggle through difficult, rewarding books. You see, I was (belatedly) inspired by The American Scene’s “Fall of the U.S.A.” series to pick up John Dos Passos and give...
“The Pity of War”
Whatever you think of Hitchens, this an excellent, understated article. Highly recommended for anyone who contributed to the thread on First World War histories.
Shooting at Ft. Hood Army Base
The numbers of dead and wounded are different according to the source, but it looks like American soldiers opened fire on other soldiers at a Texas Army base. According to the New York Times:
Race, wealth, and homeownership
Reading Jason Kuznicki’s article in the latest issue of Cato Journal, I was struck by the similarities between his historical analysis and a post Jamelle wrote a few months ago. First, here’s Jamelle (emphasis...
Washington & The Emerald City
Gregory Maguire’s Wicked is an excellent read, and its sequels – Son of a Witch & A Lion Among Men – are as well. They should be on your to-read list, and not just...
Remain Calm. All Is Well!
We are in the process of upgrading our server. The site may be a bit, uhh, temperamental over the next 24-48 hours, although hopefully blogging will be able to continue relatively unabated. P.S. (Erik...
Because, as we all know, Military Spending Doesn’t Count
New York Times: The nation’s top military officer said Wednesday that he expected the Pentagon to ask Congress in the next few months for emergency financing to support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,...
Survey Says: 49% of Americans Don’t Much Like Homosexuality
This exchange between Rod Dreher and Ta-Nehisi Coates on the basis of opposition to same-sex marriage is interesting, if only because it provides another striking example of how ones identity has an incredible impact on how...
I’d like to associate myself with this screed
From John Judis: I have to admit that I didn’t think it was possible to have worse service than Comcast. It was like trying to imagine a more devastating hurricane than Katrina or a...
A Time to Kill
Sonny Bunch has written a long, impassioned defense of the death penalty. Here’s the crux of his argument: Every time I start to waver on my support for the death penalty — as I...
Public Service Announcement
Hulu has just added “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” “A Fistful of Dollars,” “Ronin,” and perhaps most importantly, “Spartacus.” God bless the Internet.
Why Christie’s Win Tells Us Even Less than McDonnell’s
Hopefully, I’ll have more on the New Jersey election results later, but I must say that I’m incredibly amused by the varied commentary on the “meaning” of the New Jersey elections by pundits who...
“deep thoughts” on television shows I watch or used to watch
1. Deadwood, aside from being far too foul-mouthed for my taste (and a bad influence on me) was pretty good the first season. After that it totally fell apart. I think this was because...
