DOING ZOMBIE RHUMBA: I’ve had extremely bad insomnia for almost a week now. Am operating on approx. three hours of sleep. Apologies if I get punchy or discombobulated. Anyway, on with the show…. Read more

“The trademark [John] Adams style might be described as ‘enlightened perversity,’ which actually sought out occasions to display, often in conspicuous fashion, his capacity for self-sacrifice. He had defended the British troops accused of the Boston Massacre, insisted upon American independence in the Continental Congress a full year before it was fashionable, argued for a more exalted conception of the presidency despite charges of monarchical tendencies. It was all part of the Adams pattern, an iconoclastic and contrarian temperament that... Read more

“IN HIS FINAL DAYS, FORGIVENESS.” Wow. Via E-Pression. Read more

HERE IN DC, it was just your basic fierce summer storm. The sky turned light purple with rain for a while. Wind whipped the lampposts around. The streets went white with rain, then dark and wet. Then it stopped. Now everything is gray and the Metro is open again. So much for Isabel. UPDATE: Well, apparently Iz did some serious huffin’ and puffin’ here after all–I saw a big uprooted tree on Capitol Hill, and Russo reported seeing a tree... Read more

THOUGHTS ON THE A.F.F. SAME-SEX MARRIAGE DEBATE: Scattered impressions, of course–what, you expected concise paragraphs in military formation? The panelists were Pia de Solenni, Robert Knight, Patrick Guerrerro, and Jonathan Rauch. Rauch was by far the best speaker, as I’d expected. He kicked off the panel with a strong defense of two things that may or may not be the same thing: marriage, and “long-term caring relationships,” “someone to come home to,” someone to provide stability in one’s life. He... Read more

CONFESSIONS OF A FAILED SOUTHERN LADY: Recently finished Florence King’s autobiography. I’d told myself that I would be good, and stick to my reading list, but King was just too tempting! This is definitely the kind of book you devour–engrossing and a fast read. It takes you through King’s childhood (caught between Granny’s fevered discourse on “woman troubles” and Mama’s fierce tomboyisms), college, brief stint as a lady Marine, grad school at Ole Miss (easily the best part of the... Read more

IN WHICH BODY AND SOUL WRITES A NAZI ROMANCE NOVEL. You think I’m joking, don’t you? Read more

RODENT OF UNUSUAL SIZE. Holy mackerel! Via Mark Shea. Read more

TOMORROW: Florence King, marriage-debate report, fun with hurricanes, finally-updated fiction, and more. Unlike the federal government, this blog will be open for business. Uh, unless we lose power. Read more

TERRI SCHIAVO UPDATE: JUDGE REFUSES TO ALLOW FAMILY TO TRY SPOON FEEDING. Read more