Congrats to former SA blogger Adam J. White, who is now blogging at “Convictions,” Slate’s new blawg.

Various and sundry blogger reactions to Barack Obama’s assertion that an out-of-wedlock baby is a “punishment” to the mother:

Michelle Malkin:

I wonder how pro-life Catholic Democrats will react to Barack Obama’s pregnancy-as-punitive and pregnancy-as-inconvenience-on-par-with STDs rhetoric? There’s a careless callousness in Obama’s phrasing yesterday that’s definitely not going to sit well with the staunch Pennsylvania pro-life voting bloc.

Stop the ACLU:

Regardless of your feelings on sexual education, this statement oozes with animosity. It also reveals the true heart of Barack Obama. Despite his so-called “understanding” of both sides of the abortion issue, any person that could utter such cold, abhorrence when discussing a fellow human being has no intention of displaying any goodwill to pro-lifers.

Sister Toldja:

His squarely leftist view of abortion isn’t surprising, but the phraseology is interesting coming from a supposedly ‘mainstream Democrat,’ and like MM, I’m wondering how this will play with the pro-life Democrats in PA … and beyond. What’s next? Him calling an unborn child a “parasite“? (more…)

Congrats, Tim!

Congrats to former SA blogger Adam White, who has resumed blogging at Slate’s new blawg, “Convictions.”

COA Review.  A promising new appellate blawg.

Check it out.

Then go vote for SA here.

But is SA really dead? Or is it merely asleep?

Only time will tell.

Update: Gracias.

I realize that this will come as a shock to SA readers, but for professional and personal reasons I have decided it is time for Southern Appeal to call it quits. In doing so, I cannot even begin to express how much I appreciate the contributions of my co-bloggers and many loyal readers/commenters over the past four years. I have learned so much from each of you, and you have all enriched my life in incalculable ways. Thank you so much for everything.

When I started SA, I never dreamed it would amount to anything. It was just a means for me to vent about political matters during the two years I lived the monastic life of a federal appellate law clerk.  But with my extensive commentary/coverage on Judge William H. Pryor Jr.’s nomination to the Eleventh Circuit, SA’s traffic went up dramatically (thanks in large part to Howard Bashman and NRO), and things have never been the same since then. Indeed, SA’s popularity provided me with a special gift: a soapbox to air my views on issues I care about deeply (e.g., abortion, Darfur). I have not always been the most eloquent or able spokesman, and I have often let my passion/temper get the best of me. But our readers have been gracious in forgiving me for my many shortcomings, and I can only hope and pray that I have done more good than harm over the years.  To those who I have offended, or been less than charitable with in my posts, please forgive me.  I am a work-in-progress; and I pray daily that God with shape me into the person I need to be.

There is much more that I could and probably should say, but right now I just don’t have the words. I know this all “sounds” a little too melodramatic, but as I write this post I am coming to terms with just how much of me is wrapped up in this blog (perhaps too much methinks). In any event, it has been a great run. Thanks for the memories, folks. And God Bless.

Oh, and please have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Administrative note: SA will stay up on the web for the foreseeable future. If there is a kind soul who would be willing to offer free webhosting, so that SA’s archives can remain on the web for an extended period of time, please contact me via email. Also, I will update this post in the near future with a list of my co-bloggers’ other blogging homes, so that you can continue to enjoy their respective talents.

Update: Thank you all for the gracious comments. As promised, here is a list of my co-bloggers’ other blogging quarters and/or websites. I have also established a personal blog that will not contain any commentary, but will instead merely make note of my speaking engagements, radio/television appearances, publications, and the like. I won’t be posting at this blog on a regular basis, so it is probably best to simply subscribe to the feed if you’re interested in getting updates.

Steve Dillard: Steve Dillard

Professor Mike DeBow: Links, Point of Law, Division of Labour

Quin Hillyer: AmSpec Blog

William Watkins: South Carolina Appellate Law Blog 

Patrick Carver: Southron Views

Nathan Hallford: Confirm Them

Major Joel Leggett: Grim’s Hall

Proximo: Dallas Sidebar

Portia: De Novo

Zach Brissett: In Toon With the World

Hunter Baker: AmSpec Blog

Professor Francis Beckwith: FrancisBeckwith.com and Right Reason

Jim Dunn: Do What Now?

Update II: Muchas gracias to Joshua LeBlanc of CyberCatholics for agreeing to host SA’s archives free o’ charge. If you have any webhosting needs, please consider using CyberCatholics.

If any of SA’s readers are interested in participating, you can do so here.

A cool new Catholic blog. Here’s a taste of the “sister’s” writing style:

St. Rose of Lima was aware that if her beauty caused boys to have…bad thoughts…she was causing them to sin, which by the way, is a sin on her. Somebody needs to explain this to Brittany Spears, post haste

. . . .

Next point: a penitent is anyone who is doing penance, anyone who is sorry for their sins. Me, for example. All practicing Catholics. Probably Michael Richards. Obviously not Britney Spears.

(LvRWatMW)

Who continues to mock and denigrate core teachings of the Church he professes to be a member of and love.

That is, when he isn’t mocking and denigrating the religious practices of Mormons.

Check out James Glassman’s new venture for AEI, which launched last week.  Here’s the mission statement:

The American is a magazine of ideas for business leaders. Modeled on Henry Luce’s original vision for Fortune Magazine, it surveys the full scope of American life through the lens of business and economics. The magazine is published six times a year–our first issue came out on November 15, 2006. Our web site, American.com, takes the same editorial mission to the web, with original writing every day and a selection of thought-provoking links from around the web. The American is a project of The American Enterprise Institute.

Yessiree, Mr. Andrew, we’re just a bunch of racist, freedom-hating rednecks. 

Yep, you’ve got us pegged.

Todd is a native southerner and a news anchor for Fox News Radio in [gasp!] New York. You can check out his blog, Todd’s Journal here. Stop by and pay him a visit, folks. It looks like a promising read. 

Oh, and you gotta love the introduction he penned for his blog:

I’ve left my beloved South to find my fortune north of the Mason-Dixon line. It’s a barren land — void of the blessings that make the South the promised land. The people are nice enough, but there’s no Waffle House, no Cracker Barrel, and for some reason, I can’t seem to get a glass of sweet iced tea to save my life. So enjoy the ruminations on my journey as a Tennessee Volunteer in New York City.

A nice profile on my buddy, David Lat.

File this under the no good deed goes unpunished file:

[Instapundit] Reader Greg Marquez emails: “The two letters on the site you linked re Bill Moyers contain what have to be to be the two most pretentious lawyer signatures of all time.”

From the SA mailbag: “My immediate reaction, having read both letters:  You have a lame signature, dude!” and “And what is up with that signature?  It is not apparent to me that it says anything.  It looks a lot like Justice Breyer’s, which, until today, was the worst I’d seen.”

[JA reader Mark]: “What’s with the Supersized signatures these attorneys are using? Is that an intimidation tactic or some way of indicating virility? It almost seems as if JA’s lawyer made a point to demonstrate that his signature was bigger and even more outlandish than Bill’s”

[JA reader Mumblix Grumph]: “What the hell is up with Dillard’s signature? Who does he think he is, Zorro?“

Ouch!

Look, I realize that my signature isn’t much to behold, and Lord knows that I have an ego, but I honestly have never put any thought whatsoever into what my signature looks like. It’s just the mark of a country lawyer who never cared much for cursive.

Thanks, y’all!

Linked without comment.

Revamps his blog.*

*For obvious reasons, I am not a big fan of the word “reconstruction.”

You know, I remember not so long ago when Joe’s highest blogging goal wasn’t to be a “mortal human” in the TTLB, but was instead to simply make SA’s “First Brigade.”

Seriously Joe, TEO is one of my very favorite blogs. Keep up the good work, bro.

Daniel Nairn’s struggle with blogging responsibly is one that I share, and I am confident many other Christian bloggers do as well:

I purposely seek out viewpoints that I strongly disagree with in order to feel some sort of righteous indignation. The more extreme the better.

I flip from one sensational topic to another, without pausing for enough time to prayerfully reflect on anything and pursue any degree of depth. This habit has tainted the way I read and think in general. 

I have grown more entrenched in my own opinions and reflexively defensive when they are confronted.

I read the Bible less than I used to. 

I secretly wonder how many people are reading what I have to say, even though I’ve tried hard to convince myself that I don’t care.

I was planning on spending a serious amount of time in prayer this morning, but I have not prayed once.  

Well said, Daniel. It is all too easy to get caught up in the goings on of the blogosphere, and to forget that words written in haste have the power to harm both the author and his subject. Blogging also makes it all too easy to think more highly of oneself than one should. I have to constantly remind myself that I am the “chief among sinnners.” The heart curved inward really is an ugly thing, folks, and I am as guilty of that as anyone else.

is my former co-clerk, Elizabeth (Rhea) Kirk.

Congrats, Top Shelf. I am sure that you will represent the Manion Chambers in fine fashion over at MOJ.

Ends the solo blog experiment.

Has been launched!

Enjoy!

Details here.

Update: Turnabout is fair play.

Who are y’all putting on notice?

…and a VLOG to prove it. I guess you could put this in the category of things to do in seminary when you’re bored. These are not your parents’ Bible stories and you need not be a theology student to get a chuckle out of this site. One of the creative contributors to the VLOG, Paul Hannum, died this month at age 45 from surgical complications. If you’re new to The Real Old Testament, drop in here for an overview.

This is pretty cool. Muchas gracias to the kind soul who penned the entry.

And no, it wasn’t me.

This is too funny.

Hard to believe.

Thanks to all of our readers, who make it all worthwhile.

….lots of them. At a rate of an estimated 18 posts per second the blogosphere is buzzing with synapse-firing activity. According to Technorati founder Dave Sifry, number of blogs are doubling every 6 months. What a tower of Cyber Babel! NPR’s Scott Simon interviewed Sifry this morning about these and other interesting blogosphere facts. Blogging fascinates me as a social phenomena. I can’t help but think that our sense of community is somehow diminished by so many disembodied conversations. However, I confess to enjoying the immediate access to a treasure trove of interesting banter.

Check ‘em out.