I’M BACK and I have about 14 things to blog, but I also have no time, so I’m not sure how long it will take me to get it all said. We’ll see. Read more

CRUNCH: Last night Shamed, Russo and I went to one of those AFF deals (free food! fun people!), where Rod Dreher talked about “crunchy conservatism.” I have to say that I am not very sold on the importance or coolness of this particular accumulation of preferences and beliefs–I’m not into communitarianism, for one thing. But there are two aspects of “crunchy conservatism” that I do find interesting and worthy of notice: First, Jon Adler pointed out that in large part... Read more

ITINERARY: I’m going to NYC tomorrow for a friend’s wedding. (Congratulations!!!!) I’ll be in New York until Wednesday. It’s possible I’ll post before I get back, but it’s also possible that I won’t. Regardless, I should come back with a knapsack full of stuff to blog about, so do check in Wednesday to see what’s up. Later tonight I’ll have the much-promised credo posts, a quickie movie review, and more on rocknroll conservatism. Read more

DC: Various neighborhood links–the Historical Society of Washington, DC; Washington Post short takes on a bunch of different neighborhoods; Post article on the neighborhood where I grew up. I can verify the key-swapping and kids running in and out of one another’s houses, at least when I was in elementary school. Strongly disagree with the description of Georgia Avenue as “a commercial blight on a beautiful neighborhood”–I mean, I know what the guy is getting at (Shepherd Park is not... Read more

“Then, too, certain things which apply to all sailors, do more pointedly operate here and there, upon the junior one. Every sailor, too, is accustomed to obey orders without debating them; his life afloat is externally ruled for him; he is not brought into that promiscuous commerce with mankind where unobstructed free agency on equal terms–equal superficially, at least–soon teaches one that unless upon occasion he exercise a distrust keen in proportion to the fairness of the appearance, some foul... Read more

LATER TONIGHT, capsule book/movie reviews, and my credo. Really, I promise this time. For now, your capsule movie review is: If you ever get a chance to see the b&w; psychological thriller “The Red House,” starring Edward G. Robinson, walk, do not run, to do something different. It would be more subtle if it were filmed in Smell-O-Vision. Even Robinson is reduced to a Captain Kirk-esque heavy breather and hammerer home of eerie atmosphere. OTOH the leading gamine is very... Read more

OK, FINE… MORE TORTURE LINKS. Reason’s blog. Volokhic response. But I thought the necessity defense is specifically prohibited for torture, by treaty. I learned this today, from Jim Henley. Lynn Gazis-Sax. Powerful historically-oriented post, lots of quotes from victims of torture; she addresses many of the attempts to limit torture that I dissed in my big slippery-slope post, but she comes at it from a less utilitarian stance than I did. (I stuck all my practical concerns in that post... Read more

POETRY WEDNESDAY: From Christopher Smart, “My Cat Jeoffry,” found, yet again, in that Bloom children’s anthology that you should get. I figure this is a change of pace from sticking bamboo shoots under people’s fingernails. For I will consider my Cat Jeoffry. For he is the servant of the Living God, duly and daily serving him. For at the first glance on the glory of God in the East he worships in his way. For is this done by wreathing... Read more

TORTURE MAIL II: And, I hope, the last one. More from Radley Balko. Jim Henley notes that it’s illegal. Martin Kimel. No permalinks (lame); scroll to 3/11. Lynn Gazis-Sax says she has a post up but I can’t see it–maybe you can. Mark L. Shanks: I certainly recognize your (and many other’s) thoughtful concerns about torture. And even the less thoughtful ones, like “because we are America, DAMN IT!…” (…a personal favorite…) That being said, I think that it may... Read more

THE NIETZSCHE CHANNEL. Includes full texts and a search engine. Very, very cool. Read more