Justin Katz

I’ve Had It… With What? or
I’ve Always Been a Troublemaker, so Why Stop Now? or
Learning the Laffey Lesson

By Justin Katz | June 4, 2007 |

After a bit of consideration, I’m not so sure I’ve the resources to up and leave Rhode Island. There’s an ire that rises when one feels trapped, but at the same time, brawling has its attractions, and a couple of community items have recently led me to believe that there’s another path to take than…

Maintaining a Light Hand Now to Avoid a Heavy Hand Later

By Justin Katz | June 1, 2007 |

Before the paragraph devolves into raving, commenter Greg asks a valid question worthy of an answer: How can we be for a small, non-intrusive government when we tell people that we won’t acknowledge their relationships because they don’t insert Tab A into Slot B like the rest of us do? And what does it matter…

See, Here’s the Thing About Evolutionary Argumentation

By Justin Katz | June 1, 2007 |

It is not my intention, herewith, to offer a supporting addendum to Sam Brownback’s New York Times piece about evolution, although I think his gist is surpassingly reasonable. Rather, in reading the discussion of that piece in the Corner — which I’m sure is, or might as well be, playing out in various venues across…

Watch What (Rudy) You Wish For

By Justin Katz | May 31, 2007 |

I’ve certainly been puzzled and somewhat distressed at some social conservatives’ arguably impulsive support for Rudy Giuliani, but the Cato Institute’s David Boaz thinks libertarians ought to be wary of that particular cult of personality, as well: … Throughout his career, Giuliani has displayed an authoritarian streak that would be all the more problematic in…

The Privileging of Elderly Unemployment

By Justin Katz | May 30, 2007 |

The very first time I lost a critical portion of my income, I did look into the possibility of catching the edge of Rhode Island’s safety net to keep my family from sinking further into the debt that continues to prevent our eyes from turning to the financial future. Now, I haven’t even bothered to…

Huh? No, let me rephrase: What?

By Justin Katz | May 30, 2007 |

So Froma Harrop knows a “church-going… conventional housewife” from Houston who, reflecting on a picture of Dick Cheney with his two-mommies grandchild, thinks that — although she “is happy that her two young sons and baby girl have a daddy” — it would be nice to have a Mommy No. 2 to keep an eye…

And Never the Two Shall Meet

By Justin Katz | May 29, 2007 |

If you missed it last week, Daniel Henninger’s Thursday column makes some interesting points: It has been argued in this column before that the origins of our European-like polarization can be found in the Florida legal contest at the end of the 2000 Bush-Gore presidential campaign. That was a mini civil war. With the popular…

City Ethos in the Country

By Justin Katz | May 27, 2007 |

From the Around Town section of The Sakonnet Times (emphasis added): Theater Direct and Friends of the Arts in Tiverton (FAIT) are looking for singers and musicians to perform in a sultry, swinging cabaret to benefit arts enrichment programs in Tiverton. There are a few slots left for anyone wanting to perform with some of…

Which Will We Salvage?

By Justin Katz | May 27, 2007 |

This is likely to be a very uncomfortable topic — prone to personal hostilities. Still, if my assessment has some basis in truth, it can only be for the best to put it out there in the light, rather than to endure a multiyear campaign season in which it is unmentionable. As entry, here’s a…

A Lesson in Web Stats (Because Nobody Else Will)

By Justin Katz | May 26, 2007 |

We could legitimately declare that Anchor Rising has had 94,250,358 hits, or 101,009 per day, over the life of the site, but that would be deceptive. I mention this because from time to time you’ll see a site parading the fact that it’s had x number of hits, and if that’s all the information you’re…