THE LUXURIES–YOU KNOW, FOOD AND WATER. They’re killing her today. Keep on rockin’ in the free world. Read more

NEW JOB: I’m doing a day-to-day editor gig at MarriageDebate.com. Haven’t posted yet but will soon. You all should visit! Read more

ARE ALL THOSE YOUR GUITARS?: So I had one of those days. Here’s my soundtrack. You can take this as a same-sex marriage post if you like, since the whole self-dramatizing (hey, if I don’t dramatize myself who will?) angstfest was sparked by that “issue.” (I hate that word. So antiseptic.) This is just a passing phase, one of my bad days…. Anyway, better now, but I thought this list was funny in its intensity of sturm und drang, so... Read more

FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND: Hmmm, so I saw a lot of movies. But, uncharacteristically, I have little to say about them. In chronological order: “The Wicker Man”: The Old Oligarch must see this movie. Evil child-killing pagans. I kept thinking about the student of O.O.’s who said that it was OK to kill grandma because her life energy would nourish the broccoli. You think I could make this stuff up? (O.O. on “Christians stole Easter from pagans!” stuff.) This movie... Read more

“NOW AND AT THE HOUR”: New short story starts here. First sentence: “My finest death was two centuries ago now.” Enter a world where the drugs make you feel like you’re in West Berlin, and you can live forever if you accept that everything dies. Next installment Thursdayish. Read more

FEAR TO BLOG!: The search-engine requests that brought you to this fearless corner of cyberspace. In chronological order this time, most recent last. meth amphetamine patriot coffee affects statistics separation divorce inevitable geek sexy saudi dissolute black fraternities demonic jiggering machine (whoa! these are real!) vulcans republicans search brink riot fight mistake watch video power without glory catfight loa business email and contacts (just remember, possession is nine-tenths of the loa! wocka, wocka!) journalists kurd chalky consequences of heroism one... Read more

What if I were Romeo in blogwatch? What if I were Heathcliff, it’s no myth… Dear Raed is back from Jordan and has begun posting again. Mark Shea: Powerful letter about the death penalty, mercy, and a prison conversion. Rush Limbaugh and a kind of optimistic stoicism that besets some (mostly, but not exclusively, secular) conservatives. I’m not hyped on armchair psychoanalysis of Limbaugh himself, but thought Shea’s post was right-on about the larger “conservatism as self-actualization” worldview. Also, Muslims... Read more

“‘I’m pleased to meet you,’ the old woman said. ‘Name Lucynell Crater and daughter Lucynell Crater. What you doing around here, Mr. Shiftlet?’ “He judged the car to be about a 1928 or ’29 Ford. ‘Lady,’ he said, and turned and gave her his full attention, ‘lemme tell you something. There’s one of these doctors in Atlanta that’s taken a knife and cut the human heart–the human heart,’ he repeated, leaning forward, ‘out of a man’s chest and held it... Read more

IT’S SHANKTASTIC! IT’S SHANKALICIOUS! IT’S DEESHANKFUL! Did a ton of writing today, very psyched, but then did volunteer job, now crashing. Brain fried. Eyes rebelling against computer screen. Plan to post tomorrow, late, after viewing many movies (right now the rundown is “The Sixth Sense,” “The Wicker Man,” “Blood of a Poet,” “Beauty and the Beast” [Cocteau], and some IMAX thing about a sunken ship). You’ll get movie reviews, SSM stuff, and the first scene of the new short story.... Read more

“‘She would of been a good woman,’ The Misfit said, ‘if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life.'” –Flannery O’Connor, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” Read more