Kesher Talk

"I observed all the happenings beneath the sun, and I found that all is vanity and pursuit of wind," says Kohelet. Our weekly blogosphere digest Carnival of the Vanities may be an ephemeral pffft of vapor, but 27 posts on subjects ranging from boycotts to hockey to Texas affirm that there is a season set for everything and a time for every experience under heaven. (In an email Mike Finley sees me and raises me in the etymology game, pointing out that "carnival" is an ancient word for "meatfest." Meatfest. I have a mental image of buffed glistening gore-streaked gladiator types throwing huge slabs of beef at each other in the dead of night by a roaring campfire. Um, thanks, Mike.)

Next week's host is Gut Rumbles, and here is a list of hosts through May 7th.

This week's entries are arranged alphabetically by Blog Name, using the author's blurb wherever possible. No Favoritism Here.

Alisa in Wonderland is tired of psychoanalyzing the French. And the Germans, the Belgians, and the English.

Arguing with Signposts sez: "If the Canadians do nothing else in their existence, if they continue as third in the north american hemisphere, they can take distinct pride in the fact that they have given the world the best team sport." Some observations about why hockey is "the game."

Attaboy provides some travel advice for reporters, WMD inspectors and human shields heading to Iraq.

Even if BloggerRabbit doesn't get any emails (I mean zilch, nada, zero, not a one) they can still act as if they do, answering questions no one posed to them.

If I were listing these submissions by wonderfulness, But How's the Coffee? would be number two, right under Solonor's State-of-the-Union shout out. Finally, a post on feminism by someone who actually knows what it is!

Clubbeaux reads political meaning into Joe Millionaire's choice of women.

Dean's World asks: "Was there ever a more solid proof of the artistic potential of the electric guitar? Was there ever a more perfect marriage between two guitar players, or a rock'n'roll fivesome? Was there ever a musical work, save perhaps Billie Holiday's Lady In Satin, that was more emotionally raw, powerful, and genuine?"

Discriminations argues that the real issue in the Michigan affirmative action cases is not, as is commonly stated, whether diversity is a compelling enough interest to justify racial preferences. It is whether maintaining the traditional, meritocratic standards (grades, test scores) for whites and Asians is compelling enough to justify judging blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans by a different, lower standard.

Dissecting Leftism says that most of what we think we know about Nazi Germany is wrong.

Eleven Day Empire fisks Amos Oz.

Everything Must Go sez: It's not a boycott, it's the Italian Beer Festival! Or, how to boycott some European products without being unfair to people.

Head Heeb slices through Israel's demographic Gordian knot in The National-Minority Solution.

Heretical Ideas has some thoughts on the McCain-Feingold Bill.

Over at IMAO, Rumsfeld assaults a French stronghold; Condi has excess headless monkeys. Hmmmm.

In Context traces the history of political boycotts.

Kesher Talk (Judith Weiss flavor) has a homesick ode to Austin, TX wrapped around a juicy Fisk fisking inspired by his recent visit there, including some ethnographic intuitions about Cameraman Number Two.

You have to scroll down a bit for Martin Kimel's entry, where he takes issue with David Adesnik of Oxblog over a Muslim backlash if we invade Iraq.

Over at The People's Republic of Seabrook (last week's gracious Carnival host): "Chapter 7 Moral Bankruptcy: A good, God-fearing Liberal takes the clueless, anti-war Left to task. This just in- Saddam is a bad man; film at 11."

Ravenwood's Universe says that recent scientific studies have shown that the Kyoto treaty is suffocating plants to death. Hmmmm.

Reflections in D Minor tells us about a little-known side of classical music in In Honor of Black History Month #4: More Than Just Dead Europeans.

Revealed Truth on how a libertarian Yankee can support the supporters of the Confederate Flag.

If you haven't already tendered your congratulations to the blogosphere's first newlyweds to meet via their blogs, get on over to the Round Table and wish a long life of wedded bliss to Sasha and Andrew.

If I wasn't listing these in alphabetical order, Solonor's What's Not to Like? would be at the top. Go here immediately, read about your favorite state, and add your comments. Vote early, vote often!

Useful Fools proposes a map of post-war Iraq, divided into several "stans."

Viking Pundit is noting Saddam's nyah nyah nyah.

The World According to Pete gives us '(DE)PRESSING FOR WAR', a collection of three shorts which include:
* "Iraqi War Death Pool" gamble on when the first American casualty will occur during the War in Iraq.
* "Song & Dance" a meditation on U.S. citizens who plan to leave the country in the wake of impending war.
* "A (Geopolitical) Suicide Note" an old friend writes; a nation mourns.

World Gone Wrong gives us a woeful 1986 meditation on the Mercedes-Benz assembly line in Germany, and how the world made room for those slow-gliding monsters.

Over to you, Gut Rumbles.

posted by Judith @ 2/26/2003 01:10:13 AM