August 25 is the feast of Saint Louis, King of France, a model of Catholic statesmen, who participated in two crusades. Dom Prosper Guéranger (1805-1875), the famous Abbot of Solesmes, makes some excellent commentaries about Saint Louis. From the pen of this great Catholic writer, one of the most important churchmen of his time, we … Read more
They say a rising tide lifts all boats. The same might be said for many things in life. When standards are raised high, everyone benefits. The contrary is also true: Lower standards pull everyone down. A curious example of this doctrine is the sorry state of domestic air travel these days. Traveling by plane isn’t … Read more
Once again, a traditional symbol has become a target of those who attack private property rights and the American way of life. In this case, the symbol is the lawn – those closely-cropped grassy areas that surround most single-family homes. The basis for the attack is very typically environmentalism and racism. The messenger is an … Read more
There have always been Americans who have prepared themselves for apocalypses, revolutions or major disasters. Some have taken reasonable measures to stockpile essentials. Others have indulged in elaborate concrete bunkers with every material comfort. Hardcore “doomsday prepping” or the significant stockpiling of food, weapons, medicine and other supplies used to be reserved for people on … Read more
On August 15–17, 1969, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair was held on a 600-acre dairy farm near Bethel, New York. Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of this monumental cultural event that marked an epoch. Woodstock changed America. It helped usher in a period of moral devastation. The event enshrined free love as acceptable in … Read more
Recent shootings serve to highlight how we live in times that are violent and lonely. Young shooters are breaking the precarious rhythms of our daily lives with tragedy. We know little about them. However, one thing they all have in common is loneliness. The Loner as Ideal Revolutionary In times past, subversives would seek strength … Read more
Tempus Fugit. Memento Mori. Four Latin words describe the traditional attitude toward death, especially our own. Our less economical English language translates the adage as “Time passes quickly. Remember, one day, you will die.” The phrase recalls a comment I once read about a pious woman. “She died every day that she lived.” She weighed … Read more
The Thomas B. Fordham Institute is an education-oriented think tank that is usually on the conservative side of the spectrum. They favor the charter school movement and oppose the more radical aspects of the Common Core. Their recent report “Discipline Reform Through the Eyes of Teachers” is unusual because it asks actual teachers, not administrators … Read more
Of the rock festivals of the sixties, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair was by far the most famous. Held on a 600-acre dairy farm near Bethel, N.Y. on August 15–17, 1969, the festival is the iconic representation of the drug-addled culture and sexual revolution that upended American life. This August marks the fiftieth anniversary … Read more
Eighty-eight percent of Americans are zombie eaters, according to a survey commissioned by Snyder Lance, the manufacturers of “Pretzel Crisps.” Zombie eating means eating while staring at a screen. We find zombie eaters everywhere. Few restaurants are without groups or families, in which each person is staring at a smartphone screen. There is something pitiful … Read more
