Leah Libresco's Blog, page 38

My Year-End Book Recommendations in TAC and NRO

I’ve already shared with you guys the ten best books that I read (for the first time) this year, but in case you’re still finishing up shopping for others, I’ve also added my suggestions to both The American Conservative and National Review‘s gift guides for the end of the year.   And my recommendations there are a [Read More...]

7QT: Building Imaginary Bridges, Destroying Phantom Boats

— 1 — I’m totally delighted by these mischievous bridges.  Euro notes apparently each feature a picture of a bridge, drawn in different architectural styles, but none modelled on a real bridge, so that the nations of the EU wouldn’t be divided into “included in/excluded from currency” factions.  But the Netherlands has scuppered that compromise — they’ve built [Read More...]

Your religion… is it bigger than a breadbox?

I’ve been meaning for a while to highlight an interesting project that Christian H has been carrying out on his blog: coming up with taxonomies for religions. And I’m a big fan of the reason he started this project: While trying to find ways to frame my understanding of different religions, and different individuals’ religion, is a worthwhile [Read More...]

Tell Your College Women Friends About Arete!

The Arete Seminar has opened applications for it’s Summer 2015 program, and it seems pretty likely to me that I’ve either got readers who are interested or who know people who would be interested.  Here’s the basics: The Arete Seminar provides an educational program for college-aged women that emphasizes democratic participation and leadership, sustainability, personal and [Read More...]

Filing Down the Sharp Edges of Failure [Pope Francis Bookclub]

In 2014, I’m reading and blogging through Pope Francis/Cardinal Bergoglio’s Open Mind, Faithful Heart: Reflections on Following Jesus.  Every Monday, I’ll be writing about the next meditation in the book, so you’re welcome to peruse them all and/or read along. There are two paragraphs in particular from this week’s chapter that give a pretty good impression of what [Read More...]

A Rosary App from One of Our Regulars

Following right on the heels of my guest post for Beeminder (on using that website’s commitment contracts in spiritual life), Pedro Paulo Oliveira Jr., a frequent commenter here has taken a turn guest posting there, too.  He’s outlining a Rosary app he’s built, and the way he integrated it with Beeminder, so it can update [Read More...]

7QT: Beautifully Built Things

— 1 — I always take pleasure in thinking about made things, so I especially enjoyed this article from the Kickstarter team on why so many Kickstarter projects have been focused on making a better wallet.  Apparently, they’re a common starter project — if you can manage to produce and ship wallets, you probably have the skills [Read More...]

“I like to ask: What is my opponent in love with?”

Back when I was in Ireland, giving a talk on ways to have better fights about religion, I did a short interview with a local news outlet, and I’ve just found the video.  In our conversation, I talk a little about my own conversion, and why my approach to argument resembles Ender’s empathetic approach to [Read More...]

Trapped by Torture in Enmity with the World

Reading over more details about the Torture Report, I was reminded of a passage I’d just read in Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character, in which Jonathan Shay tries to put his finger on just what it is that makes torture an abomination, rather than ordinary roughness or ill use: American soldiers [Read More...]

Torture Report Details Wounds to Prisoners and Guards

The torture report (well, the unclassified executive summary) came out today, and the news is grim and gruesome.  The Daily Beast has aggregated some initial lowlights: In Nov. 2002, a detainee who had been held partially nude and chained to the floor died, apparently from hypothermia. This case appears similar to the that of Gul Rahman, [Read More...]