I’M OFF GIVING THANKS. Will return to real blogging tomorrow, which may turn into Answer Arthur Silber Day–aesthetics and reason, homosexuality and politics, and some stuff about religion and the free market that I’ll probably post on Q’s for O’s. And, of course, whatever else wafts across the transom. For now, have a blogwatch. It’s all I can do on too much turkey and too little caffeine.

The Agitator: Miss Manners, friend of freedom.

The Cranky Professor: Seminaries: How did they start? Are there better alternatives?

Dappled Things: Typically good sermon on Saint Andrew the Apostle; and Confucius links.

The Edge of England’s Sword: Interesting post, with typically informative and argumentative comments box, on crime in NYC as vs. London–causes, solutions, and whatnot.

Electrolite: Michael Crichton does not write science fiction.

El Sur: If you read InstaPundit you already know this guy is all over the action in Venezuela.

Noli Irritare Leones: Catholic Workers and Dorothy Day’s autobiography. I volunteered with the Catholic Workers here in DC a handful of times–including my first-ever babysitting gig, taking care of I think five kids; Play-Doh + carpets = bad–and found it a mixed experience. Some of the work they did was amazing, especially the way the house took in needy families. I wanted more vivid or obvious Catholicism and more DC natives (or at least people who seemed at home in the city, rather than kind of tourist-y, always ready to exoticize others’ everyday lives) and less p.c. punk attitude. Everything I wanted, I think, was found in the CWs’ mainstays, the people who kept the house running; but some of the younger volunteers reminded me too much of the reasons I’d soured on the punk scene. Anyway, the point is, the house did a lot of terrific things, and still does. A friend gave me Day’s autobiography when I was Confirmed. It’s been a big influence, I think. Very much worth your time. “Read the Catholic Worker! Romance on every page!”

Oxblog: Cease-fire in Colombia; and this column by one of the gay Arabic language specialists dismissed from the military.

Stuart Buck: How fair was the “Fairness Doctrine“? “The former head of CBS, Fred Friendly, describes the real effects of the fairness doctrine in his excellent book The Good Guys, the Bad Guys, and the First Amendment (1975). Friendly recalls an extensive monitoring scheme set up by the Democratic National Committee for the very purpose of stifling right-wing broadcasters by issuing fairness doctrine demands. …Something else Krugman ignores — the empirical evidence shows that while the fairness doctrine was in effect, it actually resulted in less diversity of opinion, not more. The reason is fairly obvious. If by expressing an opinion of any stripe on the air you open up the floodgates for other people to demand ‘equal time,’ you become wary of taking on political issues at all.” And Matt Evans, a Buck co-blogger, says abortion-rights groups are much better at getting the word out about political “action alerts” than pro-life groups; that’s why he subscribes to NARAL lists.

The Volokh Conspiracy: Two non-Volokh conspirators are discussing how civil libertarians should regard Total Information Awareness. Scroll around for posts from “Philippe de Croy” and Orin Kerr.

And: Evil things Catholics did (via Body and Soul).

A “second revolution” in Iran? (via InstaPundit)