Oh Cecilia, you’re watchin’ my blog,

You’re shakin’ my confidence daily….

Bruce Baugh: More praise for Uzumaki, the killer-spiral Japanese comic: “Ito never lectures on this point, but he shows by contrast with the alternative how much a meaningful life depends on a society and a world in which actions have consequences, choices exist, and there is both a knowable past and a comprehensible future. That’s all gone by the time Kirie and her friend and almost-lover Shuichi see the power behind the spirals and lose the last of what they’ve managed to cling to.

“…There are some classic scenes and views here, but there are many more profoundly original — and very deeply unsettling — visions. From the coiled man to the poor lovers to the first person in town to become a giant snail to the peeping tom to the town’s last configuration, I kept thinking, ‘Wow! I never imagined that!’

“This is also a deeply humane book. …The carnival of destruction is freaky and glorious, but it’s also constantly saddening. It matters.”

Eve again: I just got vols. 2 and 3 and am really looking forward to reading them.

Cacciaguida: Saints with a prominent role in his life.

Ninomania: Report from a conference on same-sex marriage. I thought Prof. Wagner’s description of his own speech was the most interesting bit, but there are nuggets throughout: “More interesting, among the morning panels, were the presentations by European law profs who have recently been active in various forms of SSM/civil union legislation in Western Europe. Overall, I sense that Europeans are less passionate about this, on both sides. It seems France, the Netherlands, the Nordic countries have all created some form of civil union for same-sex couples; some benefits traditionally associated with marriage go with these, others are still reserved for marriage. Good old European urbanity: not much principle, but not much venom-spewing either. …

“And so we come to my panel, on SSM and the Constitution. This one was graced by Prof. Mark Strasser, a gay scholar who is consistently knowledgeable and collegial. Ideological screeds and rehashing of oral arguments aren’t his style: careful analysis of applicable precedent is, and he did it again.

“…Mark and I both derived mirth from the ‘Scalia role-reversal,’ whereby gay advocates are urging the interpretation of Lawrence that Scalia offered in dissent, while Ninomaniacs are disagreeing, ever so respectfully, with our Main Man on this issue. …

“Then I expatiated a bit on the role of marriage in harnessing destructive male sexuality to the requirements of female patterns, which include helping in childrearing. I cited a Harvard-educated (but otherwise reliable!) inner-city minister in Boston – Rev. Dr. Ray Hammond, MD – to the effect that tying men to the children they father is a vital need served by marriage. This need is going unmet, and this causes grave problems among people who don’t look like the lily-white assembly at the Boston Radisson.” And more.

Sean Collins: Halloweenery postmortem. Do you take requests? If so, do “Night of the Hunter” and “Jacob’s Ladder” later!

Stephan Kinsella: The Fantastic Four reveal their inner Hayeks! Fun. Forget where I found this.