THUS BLOGGED ZARATHUSTRA: My senior essay is online. It’s about Nietzsche’s rejection of eros and loyalty. I haven’t read the thing in about a year, but I haven’t seen these arguments made elsewhere (not that I’ve necessarily been looking). It’s part of an ongoing project of describing how love and loyalty ground metaphysics and therefore ethics. It also includes an excerpt from a completely rockin’ Judah Halevi poem. So you should read it. Criticism very, very welcome. And I apologize... Read more

OUTSIDE OVER THERE: OK, just read the six excerpts (only excerpts! and only six! lame…) on “What we think of America.” Good stuff, well worth your time. Ivan Klima’s piece is probably the most accurate, though it’s a bit self-congratulatory to cite him since he praises Americans’ willingness to help strangers. John Gray’s take on New Orleans and American art-‘n’-lit is probably the most insightful–the comparison of American and Russian literature is right on, as I’ve (sort of) said before.... Read more

KINENWATCH: Blogland’s Other Glenn links to an intriguing (can’t say more, haven’t read yet, blogging at work, sorry sorry!) round-up of 24 furriners on “What we think of America.” The points about American art from the British dude sound esp. cool, and I will revisit them at more length presently. Kinen also gets my goat (betcha didn’t know I had a goat! Shows what you know…) though, by identifying the Left with “people who talk about the poor.” Boy will... Read more

YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE?: Read this good post from The Edge of England’s Sword. Iain argues that economic freedoms need to be grounded in “a decision by the people to champion liberty, not wealth.” I would also add that a society that can only agree to protect material goods (health, wealth, safety, pleasure) has lost sight of everything higher than the self: honor, liberty, life (even painful or “unproductive” life) and love, to name only four. This division arises... Read more

Why aren’t the paragraph-breaks working? Will try to fix, but bear with me, folks… Edited: Fixed. Ignore this post. Read more

TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY: So The Nation is taking on the new Star Trek series. I haven’t seen the dratted thing (loved concept, couldn’t deal with theme music, read some descriptions of first episode and decided life’s too short, plus I don’t have a TV), and for me, Star Trek means nothing but The Original Series. So the following commentary should not be taken as an endorsement of “Enterprise.” (What a cool, cool name, though–reminding us that the first ship’s name... Read more

HAPPY, FUN RUSSO RELAPSE: So many new blogs! First, Sara Russo has a blog! And not just a blog–it’s a Republic. Check out the bright, cheerful colors, very Russo-like. I have no idea what she will post, but I bet she would cook you pasta if you asked nicely. Second, I’ve just been spending some time poking around Relapsed Catholic, and strongly recommend it. (And not just because she links to me, either.) Good stuff. Your basic tough-minded Catholic link-o-rama.... Read more

“What do you know about scenery? Or beauty? Or any of the things that really make life worth living? You’re just an animal–coarse, muscled, barbaric.” “You keep right on talking, honey. I like the way you run me down like that.” –Barrie Chase and Robert Mitchum, “Cape Fear” Read more

ALIENS ARE ABDUCTING OUR PANTS. Read more

CONSERVATIVE PUSSYCAT?: Public Interest argues (semi-seriously) that the works of Russ “Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” Meyer should be added to the growing Conservative Movie Canon. He notes that vice is punished and virtue rewarded in most of the director’s many babelicious films. For the record, it’s been several years since I took in a Meyer flick, but I’d like to state that a) Plot isn’t everything, and b) Movies that intend to evoke any of the Seven Deadly are, at... Read more