This weekend on the Dish, Andrew spotlighted Romney's panic over last week's anti-Bain ads, argued against a reader worried about blowback from the ads, ran two emails dissenting from that dissent, showcased a new and perhaps the most brutal ad yet from the Obama campaign, and concluded that the press won't be able to handle Romney's "post-truth" campaign.
In literary coverage, Nabokov's psychological acuity was celebrated, Hemingway's rewrites explored, Proust's grasp of memory commended, and the biting humor of Flannery's youthful cartoons recognized. We also dissected the moral of Cinderella stories, the trouble with killing off heroes, the process behind the Pulitzer Prize, and the congruity between Proust and Louis CK. Saturday's poem can be read here; Sunday's here.
In assorted commentary, William James reminded us that science can't solve the mystery of religious belief, Carl McColman upheld contemplative spirituality as a form of resistance, and Alex Rosenberg recommended anti-depressants to cope with a Godless world (and if the meds don't work, there's always life after death online). An Irish priest turned out to be behind Kenya's great runners and a young Orthodox Jew learned how to talk to girls. The Universe (surprise!) is worth exploring, as is the lives we mortals share with each other – a sentiment Martha Nussbaum seconded.
Meanwhile, the search for hangover cures continued and the animal side of our sexuality remained – something that JKF didn't need to be told and that debates over whether pole-dancing should be a sport confirmed. Michael Cobb defended the single life. The C-word is still taboo. MHBs here and here, FOTDs here and here, VFYWs here and here, and the latest window contest here. And if you're down about the fate of the American Dream after watching Breaking Bad, daunted by the heat wave, or realize the error of taking legal advice from Jay-Z, well, don't be so cynical!
-M.S.
(Image via Flickr user Keoni Cabral)
The Dish 