SMACKDOWN: JACQUES DERRIDA VS. MILDRED D. TAYLOR: Final thought on Derrida for the moment (although I did get some interesting mail about him). Derrida’s insistence on always privileging the fissures and gaps in community, privileging scattering rather than gathering, actually seems to distance him from the oppressed people he tries to fight for. If you privilege the things that make “community” a problematic concept, if you focus on the ways in which the black community (say) is not really a... Read more

JULIAN RIFFS ON METHOD (AND ME). I think we’ve come to the end of this trail, but I do have (a bit) more to say about his “mentalities” theory of personhood/moral worth, which I will deal with… later. Maybe Friday. Read more

GREAT-POWER STRATEGIZING–toward peaceful regime change in North Korea. Not sure what to say about this yet; more later. Read more

THE ROOTS OF TODAY’S BUDDHISM–the Protestantizing of Buddhism. Really interesting stuff. Via Touchstone’s blog. Read more

“It should interest you to know that I have visited hundreds of other worlds and your Earth seems most suitable.” “Swell!” –Bug-eyed alien and Earthman, “The Atomic Submarine” Read more

IRAQ BLOGWATCH: There’s even more worthwhile reading than usual at Where Is Raed, the blog comin’ at you live from Baghdad. Salam Pax, the Raedblogger, also pointed me to Shi’aPundit, a super-intriguing Islamic blog. Go! Read more

BUILDING A BETTER BIRTHDAY CAKE: A rambling reply to Julian about epistemology and ethics and stuff. I apologize in advance for the length and rambliness–there are a lot of issues here, and I hope to hit all the major ones and some interesting sidelights. 1) What am I arguing for? My basic claim here is: There will be times, in the course of doing philosophy (pursuing truth through reason), when you arrive at an ethical conclusion that appears repugnant to... Read more

AND TO YOUR LEFT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN (AND OTHERS)…: I’ve added some links to the blogroll (and removed Ginger Stampley, argh, gnash teeth, rend garments). They are all Catholics of various dispositions. Mark Shea is a tireless warrior for the right and true. Nordog is an occasional elbow in the ribs. Tenebrae offers lots of poetry, bizarre locutions, and Darkness. And Oblique House is the diary of a mad homeschooler. All are well worth your time. Read more

“Beware! Beware! Beware of the big green dragon that sits on your doorstep! He eats little boys! Puppy dog tails! Big fat snails! Beware! Take care! Beware!” –Bela Lugosi, “Glen or Glenda?” Read more

We’re only making plans for da da dirty dirty blogwatch We don’t like him so much cause he’s very ug ug ugly We’re only making plans for da da dark brown blogwatch He has a right to live though he’s ill ill ill-shaped He’s on his way to extinction We only want what’s best for him Bear up blogwatch never say die! The Agitator: Long post exploring his decision to oppose war on Iraq. I think he ignores some stuff... Read more