Andrew Sullivan's Blog, page 2598

An American in France

by Conor Friedersdorf

An amusing twist on the expat travelogue.

United States - Business - Recreation - Conservatism - Andrew Breitbart

Face Of The Day

A young Mardi Gras Indian joins others in a traditional second line parade along Tennessee Street in remembrance of Hurricane Katrina on the fifth anniversary of the historical hurricane, in the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans, Louisiana, August 29, 2010. Five years ago yesterday water from broken levees flooded approximately 80 percent of the city. Residents sing and pray and dance where once they were surrounded by raging flood water. By Rod Lamkey Jr./AFP/Getty Images

Hurr...

Beck's Obama Complex

by Chris Bodenner

Adele M. Stan highlights the hypocrisy of the Fox News host:

In the days leading up to [the rally:], Beck began to assume themantle of a near-messiah — promising "a miracle" on the Mall, andtelling reporters that he wasn't going to write out his speech in caseGod chose to speak through him. Yet it was Beck himself who originallyaccused Obama of assuming a messianic posture, mocking the candidate onhis radio show with "The Obama Soviet Anthem,"which opens with the line, "All...

Cool Ad Watch

by Chris Bodenner

The incredible story of Aron Ralston is being told by Trainspotting director Danny Boyle and James Franco - can't wait:

Danny Boyle - James Franco - Aron Ralston - Trainspotting - 127 Hours

"It's Self-Loathing"

by Chris Bodenner

An Orthodox Jewish mother anguishes over the circumcision of her son.

Judaism - Religion and Spirituality - Brit milah - Orthodox Judaism - Opposing Views

Ending Torture and Not Much Else

by Conor Friedersdorf

This interview has a concise summation of what I regard as the most accurate line on President Obama and civil liberties:

A lot of people on the left were hoping that Barack Obama would wipe away everything George W. Bush had done to restrict civil liberties. Obviously, that hasn't happened. But what would you say is the best thing the Obama administration has done in this area, and the most glaring omission in its policies?

I'd say the single best thing the president has...

Notes From The Stall

by Patrick Appel

A self-explanatory niche blog. My favorite:

Business - United States - United States dollar - Middle East - Israel

The Folly of Needless Alcohol Laws

by Conor Friedersdorf

In Orange County, California, as in many American communities, the approach planners take to bars is as follows: they're generally located in close proximity to one another, so that on a weekend night, bar goers congregate around Main Street in Huntington Beach, the pier in Newport Beach, the Irvine Spectrum, and Newport Boulevard and 17th Street in Costa Mesa, among other spots. This arrangement means that most neighborhoods are free of bars, something that a lot of...

The View From Your Window

Hull, Massachusetts, 11.58 am

Massachusetts - United States - Wall Street Journal - Rhode Island - New Hampshire

Press Think

by Conor Friedersdorf

In an interview with The Economist, Jay Rosen says a lot that's true.

Examples:

-- "I do not think journalists should "join the team". They bridle at that,
for good reason. Power-seeking and truth-seeking are different
behaviours, and this is how we distinguish politics from journalism."

-- "When both parties are closed to certain ideas, the news system becomes
closed to them, too. Not good."

-- "Victor Navasky, the former publisher of the Nation, likes to say that...