Yesterday I heard that J.D. Salinger finally died, and was told by a radio announcer once again that all adolescents identify with Salinger’s creation, Holden Caulfield. You could probably find dozens of writers today claiming the same thing. I can’t think of a single teenager I’ve known who reminds me of that self-absorbed, vulgar whiner. Apparently, though, journalism is teeming such people. When we were assigned the book in high school, I remember mostly mocking all around of the character and his oh-so-authentic speech patterns.

Maggie Gallagher tells me that this study shows that married biological parents blow all other parent categories out of the water when it comes to not burning the little tykes with cigarettes. (more…)

“Instead, the relative difference between partners’ levels of attractiveness appeared to be most important in predicting marital behavior, such that both spouses behaved more positively in relationships in which wives were more attractive than their husbands, but they behaved more negatively in relationships in which husbands were more attractive than their wives.”

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Goldurn it, that were MY secret!

Steve Sailer informs us that Pat Buchannan very pointedly doesn’t exist at the Google prompts. I tried the exercise Sailer went through, and found that he is correct. In Google’s defense, I would rather spend a half hour watching a Green Acres rerun than one of those newsy shows with Buchannan and his pals.

Republicans, Tea Partiers, and ornery citizens everywhere are celebrating the amazing Scott Brown victory. They have every right to. But they may wish to consider the wisdom of J.R.R. Tolkien. (more…)

Be glad you didn’t have to walk a mile in his shoes.

and empathetic zombie salmon.

An idea whose time has come.

Matsby is always first in our hearts, but the new Snarkernackle’s Rejected Mormon Image series is pretty funny.

Poul Anderson was a good and very prolific writer of science fiction who occasionally was great. (more…)

Sowell contrasts modern boxing with golden age boxing.

If there’s a Mormon mission out there with a mission rule against impersonating FBI agents, this is why.

President Maxwell taught us that we really only have our will to give. He’s right, but we’ve started giving a gift each year to Christ during the Christmas season, some small devotion usually. It lights up the season for us.

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 he may casually admit to wearing women’s cosmetics.