Be sure to tune in tonight to catch my friend and friend of this site Matthew B. Crawford on the Colbert Report . He’ll be talking about surly men, the need for speed, and his great book, Shop Class as Soulcraft . Hopefully he’ll also refer to himself as “the anti-Michael . . . . Continue Reading »
A.O. Scott on the latest Woody Allen film: [ . . . ] Mr. Allens imagination has returned to Manhattan after that invigorating European sojourn afflicted by an extreme case of jet lag. In spite of a few up-to-date references to Barack Obama, red states and gay people, for instance . . . . Continue Reading »
As Terry McAuliffe’s lamprey-like campaign for Virginia Governor begins to — pinch me, I’m dreaming — detach from the host as actual politician Creigh Deeds pulls ahead, let the record show what a walking talking dirty $1 bill thinks high office is: As governor, I dont . . . . Continue Reading »
The skill in desire and aversion is knowing how to preserve the practical self from dissolution. OAKESHOTT As will one day be elaborated in a dissertation, Machiavelli’s eponymous Prince lived — and killed — by surfeit of this virtu ; Shakespeare’s Prince Hamlet . . . . Continue Reading »
At The University Bookman , Joseph P. Duggan offers an interesting read of Marshall McLuhan as a ‘postmodern grammarian.’ There’s too much at issue for me to cut into it adequately at the moment, but all manner of intriguing and controversial questions are raised in a pretty short . . . . Continue Reading »
A debate is shaping up between two visions of the way forward for the GOP. You could describe the battle as Nerds vs. Heroes. Unlike the world of comics, where heroes to nerds dominate, there is not much prospect for a synthesis between Republican Nerds and would-be Republican Heroes, although many . . . . Continue Reading »
I remember not long ago walking out of one of those beltway morning movement pressers with a fellow ingrate. I was lamenting the hidebound, blinkered establishmentarian attitude that, it appeared, was intended to serve the Republican party indefinitely. But in 2006 it was already clear that . . . . Continue Reading »
I can’t believe I’m having this conversation: Im actually 100 percent positive that were Oprah on the Supreme Court she would do a good job. In a lot of ways, its just not that difficult a job. You need a reasonably intelligent, public-spirited individual whos aware of . . . . Continue Reading »
Matt Frost tips me to Terry McAuliffe’s latest bit of campaign publicity — hamming it up with will.i.am, that musical posterdude of the campaign (Obama’s) which the Macker, not so long ago, was staying up nights trying to discredit into oblivion. Terry failed; but then again, he . . . . Continue Reading »
Richard Florida is blogging . Behold the intellectual firepower : While I find such lists informative and fun, in my book Who’s Your City, I say that there is really no such thing as a single best city: Invoking the old and somewhat cliched adage, “different strokes for . . . . Continue Reading »