Justin Katz

Friday Night on Sunday

By Justin Katz | July 27, 2008 |

I’ve been remiss in not noting that readers who missed Andrew’s appearance on Matt Allen’s Violent Round Table can download the hour here.

Checking in on Jobs

By Justin Katz | July 27, 2008 |

Just wanted to note my observation that the Providence Journal Sunday help-wanted section is now up to two-and-a-half pages. Gone are the days when the job seeker would be dizzy after scanning column upon column of inapplicable jobs.

The New Refrain That We’ve Heard So Many Times

By Justin Katz | July 27, 2008 |

Conservatives don’t seem to be “attacking” Obama so much as expressing a lack of surprise at his hollow recitation of trigger phrases. Consider the ending to a piece by Andrew Ferguson: To pump a little vigor into his limp sentiments, Obama attached them to a hypnotic refrain. “This is the moment,” he said in Berlin,…

Lessons to Be Drawn

By Justin Katz | July 26, 2008 |

In response to Mary Eberstadt’s thought-provoking piece about the accurate prognostications of Humanae Vitae, Todd Zywicki notes (and Glenn Reynolds seconds) the possibility of a cost-benefit analysis with respect to the sexual revolution. It’s difficult to draw a boundary around the topic; to put it in the form of a question that I posed a…

We Can Change What We Believe In

By Justin Katz | July 26, 2008 |

Catholic blogger Mark Shea has been keeping an eye on the messiahfication of Barack Obama, and I have to admit that there’s something foreboding about the fanaticism. The feel is not unlike that sparked by a piece, years back, reporting that Pat Buchanan’s young staffers referred to him reverently as The Candidate. Enthusiasm for a…

Sheesh.

By Justin Katz | July 25, 2008 |

I gotta say (as I live-blog Matt Allen’s Violent Round Table [in a sense]) that Andrew is really good at hitting the pith of the conservative perspective in a discussion. It’s interesting how we all approach discussions differently, with different strengths coming into play given the opposition, the topic, and even the specific point made.…

Telling Returns

By Justin Katz | July 25, 2008 |

Based on data that I posted back in February, I hypothesized in April that various financial and demographic trends in Rhode Island suggested that working and middle class families were selling their homes and leaving the state. Although the more demographically focused Census data won’t be updated for another month, the IRS has moved its…

Healthcare on the Radio

By Justin Katz | July 24, 2008 |

Andrew brought the healthcare conversation to the Matt Allen Show, last night; stream the discussion by clicking here or download it.

Waiting for the Lightning Flash

By Justin Katz | July 22, 2008 |

Personal stress and strain is always a factor, but I’ve had a vague sense that dialog is becoming more difficult and the tone of political/ideological debate is becoming more vicious of late. The disclaimer, here, is that I remain deliberately naive; heck, I’ve been surprised to gather first-hand experience of the extent to which the…

Legislative Leaders Should Be Very Concerned When the Opposition Starts to Throw in the Towel

By Justin Katz | July 21, 2008 |

Not that I’m happy to see any of these legislators go specifically or in general, but the brazen optimist in me hopes that this is the backdraft before some sort of explosion: The already lopsided balance of power in Rhode Island’s state legislature could tip even further left come November. Five of the Assembly’s 18…