MAILBAG: Israel; monks. A good friend (who should get a blog!) writes: “1. From a pragmatic standpoint, one can argue that Israel should not have been founded. But from what little I know, I think the founding was legit. “2. A point about the settlements: many Israelis do not support them, and never have. They were encouraged by conservatives to prevent the Israeli government from ever ceding the land. “3. I agree, the U.S. shouldn’t be in the client state... Read more

MY FRIENDS ARE COOL: Sara Russo sent me this bit of news with the heading, “Kick-ass!” How true. Oh, and this link should get you to the actual decision. Read more

“Wait a minute, haven’t I seen you before? I know your face.” “Get out.” “You’re Norma Desmond. You used to be in silent pictures. You used to be big!” “I am still big. It’s the pictures that got small.” –William Holden and Gloria Swanson, “Sunset Boulevard” Read more

POETRY WEDNESDAY: With credit to Geistbear who came up with this PW idea. From John Donne: Batter my heart, three-personed God; for you As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend; That I may rise and stand, o’erthrow me, and bend Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new. I, like an usurped town, to another due, Labor to admit you, but O, to no end; Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend, but is... Read more

LABOR PAINS: Don’t have time to blog about this now. I have a lot to say here. Here’s a more in-depth story that gets at some of the particular weirdnesses, tragedies, and dramas of the situation–“devout” Catholic homosexual couple a) uh, is a homosexual couple; b) procures the services of a surrogate mother; c) with IVF; d) and then–asks for? allows? not totally clear–the abortion of one child when it turns out that the surrogate mother has become pregnant with... Read more

Take this blog and watch it– I ain’t workin’ here no more!!!… Actually, I love my job. But right now I’m up to my ears in work, and Blogger is flipping, so, uh, yeah. Here’s some stuff to read, assuming this post ever gets published. The Chickpea Eater has more bashing of Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand. I especially recommend the bit about redefining words. The Old Oligarch is reviewing books, rambling, ranting, etc. Don’t Be A Shamed: Get... Read more

“Do you think beer has food value, Miss Doyle?” –Robert Ryan to Barbara Stanwyck, “Clash By Night” Read more

FAUX EGALITARIANS: Another problem with trying to sustain an institution (even a small one) while promoting an egalitarian ideology: Real inequalities become hidden behind a screen of egalitarian rhetoric. Here is just one example of this phenomenon, which I saw a lot at college. For a brief period I hung out with a lefty group that supported the local labor unions. (Except for the police union, but that’s a different story.) I was quickly turned off by this group (before... Read more

Billie Jean is not my blogwatch She’s just a girl who claims that I am the one… Blogging will be light this week, like last week (and for the same reasons, argh)… Radley Balko: Straight update; letters debate on Bono and whether foreign aid can truly be made “transparent.” Dappled Things: Did Henry VIII delay the Industrial Revolution? Fans of A Canticle for Leibowitz (I’m one) will find this especially intriguing… The Knowledge Problem: Fascinating post on ceramics and economic... Read more

“Oh, Raymond, what is the matter with you? You look as if your head were going to grow to a point in the next thirteen seconds.” –Angela Lansbury to her son, “The Manchurian Candidate” Read more