“There it is, the unicorn thought, feeling the first spidery touch of sorrow on the inside of her skin. That is how it will be to travel with a mortal, all the time. ‘No,’ she replied. ‘I cannot turn you into something you are not, no more than the witch could. I cannot turn you into a true magician.’ “‘I didn’t think so,’ Schmendrick said. ‘It’s all right. Don’t worry about it.’ “‘I’m not worrying about it,’ the unicorn said.”... Read more

“THE SAND GOES PIT-PAT IN THE GLASS”: Your Spenserian stanza for Poetry Wednesday. I have twenty minutes to finish this before Thursday rolls around! It was initially inspired by the reports of looting at the Iraqi National Museum and the Library, but its point is, I think, broader. Each year the sea chews further up the beach; The tide that never ebbs, the years that seize, Draw things unreachable more out of reach: The way the Romans really said their... Read more

“UNBREAKABLE“: Just saw this the other night. Good movie, not great-with-a-capital-G, but very fast-paced and engaging. I expect Maggie Gallagher would appreciate the statement about the lengths we’re willing to go to in order to find our role, our place in the world. I was really glad I rented this. Read more

IN THE FLESH: “There’s something very weird about a Christian simultaneously believing that his Lord fasted for 40 days in the wilderness and believing that self-mortification is a weird and alien thing imposed on Catholics by the Evil Church Hierarchy[TM]. Any stigma to beat a dogma, I guess.” Excellent comments-box discussion, as well. I need to read Mark Shea more often, I think. Read more

THE CONGO. Amygdala blogs on the atrocities there. Very much worth your time. Read more

VOLOKH VS. THE HARM PRINCIPLE, in re sex, and other stuff. A long way of giving the conventional wisdom; but might be very useful for people enamored of the h. p. For my part, I believe that the harm principle is harmful, thus it should be banned, or at least its use should be strictly regulated. Do it for the children. Read more

VAST “MATRIX RELOADED” POST FROM THE OLD OLIGARCH, with excellent discussion of the nature of freedom and will. I remain super-unsold on this movie but the post is definitely worth a read. Read more

ISRAELI ARABS TOUR AUSCHWITZ. Via Amy Welborn. Read more

“The unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone.” –Peter Beagle, The Last Unicorn Read more

MAN IS WOLF TO MAN: Horror shows in Saddam’s Iraq, and in Uzbekistan. Don’t read the first link, especially, if you are not sure you can handle graphic description of evil. As far as policy goes, I make zero claim to understand the reasons behind or possible justifications for US aid and friendly relations with the Uzbek dictator. It may, though I’m skeptical right now, be a necessary alliance (a la Stalin in WWII) and one in which we’re doing... Read more