Justin Katz

Out of Our Blog

By Justin Katz | July 7, 2007 |

Upon the first mention of the notion that I’m about to put forward, Mac provided the humorous, self-deflating title of “Anchor Reclining.” The basic idea is that the contributors to Anchor Rising — including commenters — ought to do more than transform pixels into arguments. We ought to meet. Converse. And we should probably do…

What’s in a Catch Phrase?

By Justin Katz | July 3, 2007 |

Kiersten Marek offers a rare opportunity to highlight — in productive, conversational terms — what liberals and conservatives see differently in one of the topics over which they wrangle: I know some at Anchorrising.com and the head of the Rhode Island Republican party, Giovanni Cicione, complain of the strong poverty advocacy lobby in the state,…

Talking About Wealth and Wedges

By Justin Katz | July 1, 2007 |

Partly as an excuse to fiddle with the technology, I’ve recorded an MP3 reading of some musings about being a carpenter on the Bellevue/Ocean Drive beat (available as a stream or a download).

Taking the Bishop’s Cue

By Justin Katz | July 1, 2007 |

For those who might have missed it (whether by accident or by design), I’ve got a piece in today’s Providence Journal that considers some of the discussion that Bishop Tobin’s reflections on Rudy Giuliani inspired.

Truth: An Antidote to Sicko

By Justin Katz | June 29, 2007 |

Having watched Michael Moore’s latest bit of propaganda — Sicko, about the evil of American healthcare in comparison to saintly socialism — a bit more closely than is probably healthy, David Gratzer felt compelled to offer another view: Consider, for instance, Mr. Moore’s claim that ERs don’t overcrowd in Canada. A Canadian government study recently…

A Rooftop Doggycar to the White House

By Justin Katz | June 28, 2007 |

There can’t be any serious dispute that this is, well, odd: Before beginning the [twelve-hour] drive, Mitt Romney put Seamus, the family’s hulking Irish setter, in a dog carrier and attached it to the station wagon’s roof rack. He’d built a windshield for the carrier, to make the ride more comfortable for the dog. Then…

The Root of Liberal Humor?

By Justin Katz | June 27, 2007 |

This bit in Jay Nordlinger’s latest Impromptus brought to mind Marc’s recent comment that liberals do better at comedy: And I am reminded of one of the reasons I fled the Left, many years ago: Personally, they were so mean — so nasty, so indecent. So full of mockery, ridicule, and scorn. I had to…

That’s All I Gots to Say ‘Bout That

By Justin Katz | June 27, 2007 |

Oddly, regarding the President’s visit to Newport tomorrow, I find myself scowling not unlike a Democrat (Bushitler-types excluded). I’m relieved that I’ll likely be working on the other side of town, but except for that consideration, I’ll be just as happy to have him come and go, and I find that I mean from the…

Re: Speculation

By Justin Katz | June 26, 2007 |

It looks as if Andrew’s speculation might have been correct: Lynch, who must approve such bonding authorizations, complained that he is being rushed. The problem: the tobacco money comes with strings attached. “It’s dramatically different from other bonds that I sign,” he said. “This is the first time I’ve had to look at a bond…

Re: Rampant Tobacco Speculation

By Justin Katz | June 25, 2007 |

A few minutes ago, one of the local TV news anchors teased a segment on the tobacco money issue with the question, “How would the General Assembly balance the budget?” Because Lynch didn’t emphasize potential, and because he could have examined the documents without a declaration about doing so, here’s my speculation: Whether it was…