But the blogwatch caught up to me,Smashed me to smithereens… Amy Welborn: More on bad homilies. Colby Cosh: Today’s international news roundup seems even more fascinating than usual. Dappled Things: What to do (and what not to do!) when you’re “not feeling spiritual.” Must-read pick for the day. Disputed Mutability: Very honest, challenging blog from an ex-gay woman. Read more

It was the finest achievement of my life so far, arrived at with bluff, deceit, hypocrisy, manipulation, abuse of trust and a few exploitative elements of gimcrack wisdom and genuinely good advice. Good advice, like a secret, is easier to give away than to keep.–Stephen Fry, Moab Is My Washpot Read more

THE AGITATOR has an enormous amount of stuff about the problems with the increasing use of SWAT teams and no-knock raids in domestic policing. Read more

WHAT KIND OF FOOD ARE YOU? “You are Japanese Food. Strange yet delicious. Contrary to popular belief, you’re not always eaten raw.” Snerk. Via E-Pression, who is Italian food, and Ratty who is (of course) French. Read more

EMINENT DOMAIN AFTER KELO–a roundup from the Institute for Justice. Via The Corner. Read more

HOLYOFFICE STRIKES AGAIN!!!–How to Give a Bad Homily: …Popular culture, like all Western culture, is indeed filled with allusions and references–sometimes self-aware, sometimes not–to Christianity. Instead of going for the obvious ones, though, you’ll want to instead explain how Jesus is like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the vampires are sins and they’re not really being slain so much as forgiven, and of course Jesus is not a woman. you know you want more! Read more

TORTURE: Beating; punching with fists; use of truncheons; kicking; slamming against walls; stretching or suspension (to tear ligaments or muscles to cause asphyxia); external electric shocks; forcing prisoners to abase and to urinate on themselves; forced masturbation; forced renunciation of religion; false confessions or accusations; applying urine and feces to prisoners; making verbal threats to a prisoner and his family; denigration of a prisoner’s religion; force-feeding; induced hypothermia and exposure to extreme heat; dietary manipulation; use of sedatives; extreme sleep... Read more

ALSO FROM THE MAILBAG: A reader writes that he got the Weakerthans’ “Reconstruction Site” and it is, indeed, made out of awesome. See what happens when you listen to me? Read more

GIANT GAY MAILBAG OF DOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!: I’m sorry this took so long. These are roughly in reverse chronological order, most recent first. And I’m not posting all the emails I received, though I will post any critical ones (assuming the author gives permission). Where readers praise or criticize other groups or books, please assume that I have no knowledge of these groups/books. Thanks very much to everyone who read my NRO piece. From an anonyreader: I’ve enjoyed reading your posts and... Read more

“GHOST WARRIORS: What happens to a country when its elite won’t serve in the military?” Read more