I certainly don’t know—even though yesterday I visited the Vatican and did the tour thing. Nary a word was said about the current crisis facing the Pope. It was silence in the Sistine Chapel all the way. One thing about … Continue reading →
One of the places I’ve wanted to visit for quite some time is Siena. And yesterday, when I finally got there, I wasn’t disappointed. One of the nicest things about the city is the fact that its hilltop location can … Continue reading →
Hungary’s Viktor Orban is continually referred to as “far right.” And perhaps he is. For example, I saw this article describing how Orban has decided to ban gender studies programs in the two universities in Hungary that have offered them … Continue reading →
I noticed this phenomenon a while ago—in fact, it’s was one of the things that first caused me to start blogging. But in general it is my perception that it’s gotten worse over the years in terms of its degree … Continue reading →
I’ve had a little ongoing dialogue with commenter “DNW” on this previous thread about eastern Europe vs. western Europe and the “migrants.” You can find the start of our back-and-forth here; just start reading and scroll down if you want … Continue reading →
A church in Indianapolis has mounted the following protest: An Indianapolis church has placed statues of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus in a cage of fencing topped with barbed wired to protest the Trump administration’s zero tolerance immigration policy. … Continue reading →
…but it’s a narrow ruling: The verdict criticized the [Colorado’s] treatment of [baker] Jack Phillips’ religious objections to gay marriage, ruling that a civil rights commission was biased against him. As a result, the decision did not resolve whether other … Continue reading →
[NOTE: Today’s news is so depressing and appalling that I wanted a respite from it by going big. This is about as big as it gets.] Maria Popova writes: In our recent On Being conversation, NASA astrophysicist and exoplanet researcher … Continue reading →
Together again.
Continue reading →One of the better s***hole essays is this one by Roger Kimball, which explores a slightly different territory than most: But sometimes, outrage is but a patina of indignation whose chief motive is incontinent delight. Which is it for the … Continue reading →
There’s been a terrible terrorist attack in Egypt: Egyptian state news agency MENA is reporting that the death toll from an attack on a mosque in the volatile northern Sinai Peninsula has risen to 235 people killed. The attack appeared … Continue reading →
I was a strange child. When I was about ten or eleven years old I got hold of a book catalog for some mail-order house, right before Christmas. I’d never seen one before (this was way way before the internet … Continue reading →