I thought this was insightful, and it reminded me of reading about the goal of watching gladiatorial combat. From Anthony Everitt's Rise of Rome:

"As violent death became an increasingly popular spectator sport, Romans offered a rational justification of its purpose. Gladiators were expected to act bravely and give up their lives with grace. They were an inspiring example of bravery, it was said, which citizens were to learn from and imitate. They were a metaphor for Rome's martial spirit -- in a word, for virtus."

I'm sure there was plenty of depraved blood-lust mixed in there too, but be that as it may, such spectacles are not unlike old-style public executions -- entertaining to some, but meant to be instructive to all. 

I think you are right that context is everything. I enjoy watching noble violence (like Hawkeye and Chingachgook rescuing Madeline Stowe from Magua while that awesome soundtrack swells in the background) , but the senseless gore of horror movies is extremely repulsive to me. 

As to whether it incites violence, I think we should consider Japan. The Japanese produce and consume some of the most violent entertainment available today. Yet their homicide rate is only 0.4. Compare that to our own 4.8. 

I always render unto Caesar, but waiting until the last minute allows me to flirt with the idea that this year I won't. It's perverse, I know. 

Maker's Mark or Crown just for easy neat drinking.  A cheaper version like Seagram's 7 Crown for mixing. 

Wild Turkey for something a little more acerbic. 

I try a small bottle of something a little more pricey every month or so. Angel's Envy is this month's selection. Not bad, but I generally like a little ice in mine, and ice seems to kill this one after a few sips. 

I'll work up to the Pappy Van Winkle stuff one of these days. Probably after I stop teaching, and start doing something that pays for the level of aggravation. 

The other premise of this article that I just don't buy is that the Left is by nature dovish. There is certainly a portion who are so, but Democrats in general are wretched hypocrites on the issue. The chorus of harpies shrieking holy hellfire about Bush's foreign and domestic policy shut-up and looked the other way when Obama doubled-down on everything. 

Additionally, I think we forget that neoconservatism came from the Left and has always been an awkward fit for the Right. Paul offers us a return to our natural roots. 

When I look at Paul, I see both the past and future of our party. When I look at Rubio, I see George W. Bush II. 

Rand rises. I'm also shocked that Santorum is even on the list, much less ahead of Ryan. 

Sorry Ms. Charen, but I agreed with Jay on Hummel, and I was horrified by your assessment of Chopin. You, however, are still tops in my book. 

Fabian Libertarianism is already at work in the party, and I think it will be our salvation.  

Even in translation, I'm in love with the prose of Yourcenar's Memoirs of Hadrian.

John Updike's prose is also extremely poetic. 

I appreciate your criticism of modern poetry as "vague and abstract." I'd venture even further to call most of it mean-spirited and crabbed, self-obsessed and small. (There are, of course, notable exceptions.)

I agree with those that believe that poetry has ossified in the halls of academia. What we consider poetry today is so limited compared to the understanding of the ancients, who realized that all expression has the potential to be poetry. 

No, you didn't make it up. Peter Shaffer did. That is a scene from the play "Amadeus." 

Paying attention to what? Because what I'm seeing is the left triumphing with the public in moments that should be the right's indisputable victories. 

I love Catan -- I've been cogitating over that game's economy as well. 

I really regret the death of vocational tracks in secondary education. However, I'm not sure that we have a dearth of skilled laborers. The housing market crash has hit this group hard - what we really have is a dearth of jobs for these individuals. 

I've enjoyed listening to Boortz from time to time, but I do regret his stance on abortion. His willingness to talk at length about the topic, but his refusal to take any calls on the subject has been particularly galling, and seems to defy his claim that only "liberals hide." 

Still, I'll miss his voice and wish him the best in his retirement. 

Better Valens than Valerian, just saying...

Same here (just in Georgia). But hey, I'm the subversive sort, so it suits me. 

Somewhere, Newt Gingrich is stroking out.