Rethink.

I live in a country that wants to negotiate with the Taliban.  (primary source here, if you need it) – Well, at least Superman stands for something. – In Pakistan, a female suicide bomber blew herself up on a bus carrying other female students. Then the same group that blew up the bus attacked the …

Two graduation speeches of note. First one I’d like to which I’d like to call your attention is this gem by Ben Bernanke; the quote about meritocracy has gone viral, but is worth repeating in full: We have been taught that meritocratic institutions and societies are fair. Putting aside the reality that no system, including …

Thank you to Pam for bringing this to my attention: “Deep reading” — as opposed to the often superficial reading we do on the Web — is an endangered practice, one we ought to take steps to preserve as we would a historic building or a significant work of art. Its disappearance would imperil the …

Some amazing, powerful reads lately that I cannot do justice to. And some necessary reads: “My Husband’s Other Wife” – I can’t believe I’m only seeing this now. I don’t understand why it isn’t required reading. Donald Hall, “One Road” – from the essay: Divorce was miserable, as it always is, and we divorce for …

Before working on dissertation, I’ve been in the routine of cleaning up old blog entries. Some of those reworked: Emily Dickinson, “If I can stop one heart from breaking;” William Carlos Williams, “Complete Destruction;” Hopkins, “Heaven-Haven.” These should be a lot clearer, though of necessity they get dense in places. If you get a chance, …

Two just – well, “amazing” wouldn’t do them justice – stories about the bombing. Carlos Arredondo & this one couple that understands something I can only hope to understand. George Szirtes sums up the situation in Hungary. To say the least, “not good.” Left-liberal rant about equality is very good: “Over the past 40 years—the …

A few of these links are really dense: Weigel on Kermit Gosnell is priceless – from the article: “If you’re pro-choice, say, and you worry that the Gosnell story is being promoted only to weaken your cause, you really should read that grand jury report. “DOH could and should have closed down Gosnell’s clinic years …

Alison Croggon: “For me writing remains, at a profound level, significantly about not having a career. In the older sense of the word, it is a vocation, a calling.” “He [Nabokov] said we did not need to know anything about their historical context, and that we should under no circumstance identify with any of the …

“Meet the men who spy on women through their webcams” (h/t Josh) – sometimes it’s hard to understand the way women are treated in certain gaming/tech circles. I get the feeling this explains far too much. Animal Control in Amarillo, TX might have done something wrong – I wonder if pit bulls do face more …

Wright Thompson, “Michael Jordan Has Not Left the Building” – just amazing: another reminder to keep working on my writing. Yes, Jordan dissects LeBron’s game. But the larger themes of getting to the top with rage, competing over everything imaginable to push yourself, watching your bid for immortality slip away simply because you’re alive – …