HEY LOOK, I’M IN THE WEEKLY STANDARD. Read more

“I’d like to take you out in a monster-free city.” “I’d like that.” –Discussion between man and woman as they look out a skyscraper window at a giant flying monster on its nest, “Gamera: Guardian of the Universe” Read more

SO PUT ANOTHER DIME IN THE JUKEBOX, BABY. I said I was gonna talk about “rock’n’roll conservatism.” And here it is. RNRC is the result of a five-way friendship and alliance: The Rat, Shamed, Russo, me, and a blogless law student. We’ve known each other for six years now: lots of vigorous debate (and french-fry theft) in pizza parlors, lots of common-room discussions lasting ’til the slate-grey hour of dawn. We started in very different places, both politically and philosophically:... Read more

FUN WITH KUDZU. Read more

TWO BIZARRE ITEMS FROM AZERBAIJAN: Via the Keston Institute (sign up for their e-newsletter! send them money!): AZERBAIJAN: THIRD TIME LUCKY FOR STALLED BOOK IMPORT? (27 Sept) The Baptist church in the capital Baku is hoping its third application to import 3,000 copies of the Book of Proverbs will be successful, but the State Committee in charge of compulsory censorship of all religious literature (see separate KNS article) – has only given permission for 500 copies to be released. It... Read more

Is this last goodbye? Do you know the reason why? I really don’t watch your double edged blog… Wow, Slant 6 lyrics look so teen-girl-angsty when you just write ’em out…. On the actual album they sound so hard-edged…. Amptoons: An “open letter blogburst” against war on Iraq. Frankly, I’m still not certain enough of my position to write to the Congressbeasts I don’t have. So I’m staying out of this for now. If I make up my mind (speaking... Read more

TAILGUNNER CHUCK SCHUMER: Are there any people over the age of four who could pass this kind of hostile, “We know you’re guilty, we just don’t know what you did yet” hyperscrutiny? Why not just say you won’t vote for any Bush nominees ever, nyah nyah nyah–why drag nominees through this excruciating public humiliation? Oh right–if Schumer said what he was really after, that might cost him votes. I hope voters see through him. More on Estrada here and here... Read more

“You used your own granddaughter to give birth to a race of army elves?” –Shocked department-store Santa to Nazi scientist, “Elves” Read more

BUH? SNUH?: Jonah Goldberg says something weird: “I think Dennis Kozlowski, the disgraced former CEO of Tyco, is simply a criminal and, when convicted, he should go to jail for a long time. Anyway, my absolute favorite tidbit from the tales of his looting spree hasn’t gotten much attention. At his now infamous birthday party for his wife in Sardinia. The party featured waiters in togas and faux gladiators. And, they had a full-size ice-sculpture version of Michelangelo’s ‘David’ which... Read more

“LIBERAL? WHAT IS LIBERAL?”: From the B-movie extravaganza, “Reagan Island.” (Scroll down for explanation…) I just finished writing a freelance piece (about the Middle East) in which I used the terms “liberalizing” and “liberal reform” rather, uh, liberally. I used these as shorthand for “Bill of Rights-type freedoms,” basically. Every now and then I’m reminded that this site could be more or less accurately described as “conservative” (the thing in the description box), “liberal” (as in “classical liberal”), or even,... Read more