Russellarbenfox
MY BLOGS
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In Medias Res
http://inmedias.blogspot.com/
Essays, notes, and fragments--personal, political, and philosophical--from the midst of things
LATEST ARTICLES ( 588 )
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Moyer's Worlds
Via Lawyers, Guns Money, I see that Bill Moyers, one of the absolute icons of progressive liberal journalism in America, is at long last retiring. Read more
Posted on 30 September 2014 SOCIETY -
Mid-Sized Meditations #3: Seeing Our (Non-Cosmopolitan) Selves
[Cross-posted to Front Porch Republic] Some years ago, some of the folks behind F5, an alternative weekly newspaper here in Wichita, started a different (and, a... Read more
Posted on 29 September 2014 SOCIETY -
Mid-Size Meditations #2: The Range of the Mittelpolitan
So, following up on my initial posting on Friday, I've received some good feedback (particularly from Doug Merrill of Fistful of Euros, Matt Lister, and my old... Read more
Posted on 22 September 2014 SOCIETY -
Mid-Size Meditations #1: The Mittelpolitan Possibility
When I first expressed an interest in studying, and hopefully writing a book about, a theory of mid-sized cities for my sabbatical, I had all sorts of random... Read more
Posted on 18 September 2014 SOCIETY -
Happy Constitution Day! Now Go and Read This
When I was an undergraduate studying international relations and political philosophy back in the early, circa 1990-1993, Francis Fukuyama was huge. Read more
Posted on 17 September 2014 SOCIETY -
What Would the Father of Nationalism Say About Scottish Independence?
[Cross-posted to Front Porch Republic] On Thursday, voters in Scotland will go to the polls and either choose "Yes," meaning that they want Scotland to become a... Read more
Posted on 16 September 2014 SOCIETY -
Saturday Night Live Music: "Bloody Mary Morning"
Via Erik Loomis of Lawyers, Guns Money comes a link to not only this fine, long profile of Willie Nelson, but also this little-seen gem: Willie from almost... Read more
Posted on 07 September 2014 SOCIETY -
Saturday Night Live Music: "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)"
It's very easy--and entirely justified--to write A Flock of Seagulls off has a band who only manged to break out in the early days of MTV because of singer... Read more
Posted on 31 August 2014 SOCIETY -
I'm Pretty Certain Week Two is Actually the Name of a Band
Stolen without apology from the Twitter feed of Kieran Healy, one of the greatest (and wisest) academic wits of the whole blogosphere. Read more
Posted on 25 August 2014 SOCIETY -
My Five Favorite Stories from the Life of Jim Henson
I received a copy of Brian Jay Jones's wonderful, if somewhat workman like, biography of Jim Henson for my birthday last December, and I've only just finally... Read more
Posted on 20 August 2014 SOCIETY -
Saturday Night Live Music: "Any Dream Will Do"
I've embarked on a project to read the entire Old Testament (using the Revised English Bible and Robert Alter's translations and commentary, if you must know),... Read more
Posted on 17 August 2014 SOCIETY -
Libertarianism, Paternalism, and Pot
[Cross-posted to Front Porch Republic] From 2003 to 2005, we lived in Craighead County, Arkansas, while I taught at Arkansas State University. Read more
Posted on 14 August 2014 SOCIETY -
Two Comments on Last Night In Ferguson, Missouri
Last night my wife's Twitter feed went nuts, and we ended up--like thousands of other Americans, I'm sure--opening up the laptop and watching, stunned, the... Read more
Posted on 14 August 2014 SOCIETY -
"The Other Times You're Just a Stinker."
I don't remember when I first saw To Have and To Have Not, but I suppose it was probably during my frustrated early college years--which might explain why, to... Read more
Posted on 13 August 2014 SOCIETY -
Five Favorite Comedy Concerts
Last night, Melissa and I went back and (like probably many thousands of people) watched again Robin Williams's classic comedy concert, "A Night at the Met"... Read more
Posted on 12 August 2014 SOCIETY -
Robin William's Five Best (Live) Film Performances
Damn, damn, damn, damn. Depression. Suicide. What a terrible, terrible loss.Of course, I can be critical. Robin Williams manic, surreal, free-associating,... Read more
Posted on 12 August 2014 SOCIETY -
Saturday Night Live Music: "Line 'Em Up"
I remember Richard Nixon back in '74 / and the final scene at the White House doorand the staff lined up to say good-bye / tiny tear in his shifty little... Read more
Posted on 10 August 2014 SOCIETY -
What Happens When Parties and Elections Change, and Constitutions Don't
[Cross-posted to Political Context] Yesterday, Ezra Klein summed up the Obama presidency thusly: "Obama [has] pushed more change through the political system... Read more
Posted on 07 August 2014 SOCIETY -
What Kansas Republicans Should Learn From Yesterday
[A quick follow-up from yesterday:]Primary contests don't necessarily tell you much about general elections. The number of people who show up to vote is so... Read more
Posted on 06 August 2014 SOCIETY -
Happy Birthday, Mr. Berry
[Cross-posted to Front Porch Republic] Today, Wendell Berry turns 80. There is much which could and perhaps should be said in honor of him on the occasion of hi... Read more
Posted on 05 August 2014 SOCIETY