Glenn Reynolds was struck by the same phrase that struck me too. He called it “Orwellian” and it is. But it’s faster to just say “Fascist.” “This is not an act of censorship; it’s an act of sensitivity!” Yeah…the “shushing tyranny of ‘be nice.'” Over-interpreting a thing or elasticizing its meaning into Utter Stupidityland (as was done in this case) is how fascists gain power and hold on to it in order to suppress the rest. No wonder bloggers and... Read more
My First Things column today is one of those odd ones that began at about 3AM as I was lying sleepless after a busy Christmas Day. I was all keyed up — I suspect I’d had too much coffee, too — and part of the Midnight Mass was racing through my head, and then a moment from a favorite film slipped in there. You know the brain skips from one reference to another. And the title came to me, so... Read more
With my full-hearted good wishes and thanks to all! Read more
I’m up to my elbows in baking stuff, but three quick reads for you: The Definition of Chutzpah Obama Administrations move against religions is recognized for what it is Another big fight in our future The guy in the White House has boundless energy for these fights, and the press is behind him. Gonna be an interesting year, in terms of our freedoms. Read more
This morning, on Facebook I noticed that The Christopher’s Tony Rossi had posted something from their “Three Minutes A Day feature — quick inspirational reads that can put a day into perspective. You can get the Three Minutes a Day Book, too and Tony quoted for the latest volume (#47) which is for 2012. As it turns out, that entry uses something from a piece I wrote a long time ago. It was from an open letter, written to Maureen... Read more
I love Frank La Rocca’s beautiful setting to this moment and exclamation of wonder. And the images are just stirring with it. Very effective — prayerful and settling! Enjoy. Read more
O Amazon, At Christmastime indeed I pledge my gratitude Your canny stock and shipping speed vastly improves my attitude Of Almond Paste the local shops had a most plundered inventory Rainbow cookies without the stuff would bring this cook no glory You shipped it (overnight no less) and for a mere three dollars Thus insuring a dessert met with gustatory hollers O Amazon, your service doth set fine new precedents True service we do sorely need Would you run for... Read more
Wyoming Catholic College likes to conduct some of its classes in the great outdoors. In Wyoming. And it seems to be exactly the sort of row-against-the-tide school I would have loved to have sent my kids to, if they were at that point in their lives. The school is making a huge commitment to bringing Latin back to life, as students read and discuss classical and Christian authors entirely in Latin: While Patrick Owens, a Latin instructor at Wyoming Catholic... Read more
A few folks registered surprise that I am a fan of Sly and the Family Stone. Well, you can blame Glenn Reynolds for my running Sly — he slapped the band up on his Facebook page, first — but the truth is I’ve always been a fan of funk. Really, who isn’t? All you squares, go out! The other day I pulled up to the house with windows open and the CD player blasting “I Want You Back” by the... Read more
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