A Hierarchy of Hells

 Writing in Commentary, Irina Velitskaya examines the depravity of Russian aggression in Ukraine and terrorist evil in Gaza. An excerpt:

The point being, of course, that while Russia treats its own soldiers as “cannon meat” and doesn’t particularly care whether they live or die, they don’t deliberately put their own civilians at risk and encourage and facilitate their deaths in hopes of ginning up sympathetic media coverage and wringing tears and donations out of credulous sympathizers in the West.

First Paragraph

In May 2025, the internet briefly chose a new, unfortunate main character: Marco Buscaglia, a Chicago-based freelance writer behind a syndicated summer reading list. Though the list was credited to him, he wasn't its principal author.  Rather, the list was written by a chatbot.

- From The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI: How to Think About Artificial Intelligence - Before It's Too Late by Cory Doctorow

Films About Totalitarianism: A Series

 

Scribbling with Scars

[Photo by Nick La Rovere at Unsplash]

I am almost done with the dermatologist diversion [stitches out/freezing to come] and we're having a strange weather condition here in Phoenix known as rain.

In other words, I'm being driven in-doors.

Where the files and the banker's boxes play.

And there's also the issue of writer's sloth.

Yesterday began a detailed review of the draft of my second novel. 

Many months ago, I placed it on the shelf in order to complete Pilate's Magician.

My biggest "novel" chore right now involves reacquainting myself with the characters and deciding upon the correct tone.

The first part is easy. The second one is crucial.

And then, unless there is a mega-surprise, the book will go through multiple drafts.

I am more of a re-writer than a writer.

Nicholas Bate has been a major inspiration. The man is truly amazing. If you haven't read any of his novels, I recommend beginning with Pierre Lambert, Detective.

Marco Rubio on Far-Left Terrorism

 

So Bad It's Good

 

A 1930s Perspective

If you think that our times are strange, curl up with these books and make some comparisons.

Holy Man/Iranian Gandhi/Man of the Year in 1979

 Giscard d'Estaing admitted years later that President Carter had asked him to take in and protect Ayatollah Khomeini, whom the president described as a "holy man," while the newspaper Le Monde referred to him as the "Iranian Gandhi." Khomeini had been designated Time's "Man of the Year" in 1979, after being able to organize the downfall of his sworn enemy, the Shah of Iran, from his gilded retreat at Neauphle-le-Château. The abandonment of their friend and ally did not bring good fortune to the two Western heads of state. 

- From The Suicide of France: The Quiet Revolution That Destroyed a Nation by Éric Zemmour

Motivation

"The first time I walked into a trophy shop, I looked around and thought to myself, 'This guy is good!'"

- Fred Wolf

Films About Totalitarianism: A Series