Uncategorized 1270
The Silence of Authority
Sometimes speaking, or holding one’s tongue, can make the difference. All the difference. For life and death. Many in authority today are silent when they should not be. Through weakness.…
Rod Dreher at Cornerstone University Tonight
For readers in Western Michigan, Rod Dreher is speaking at Cornerstone University tonight at 7pm in the Matthews Auditorium. He is talking about Community and The Little Way of Ruthie…
Localist Roundup: Texting and Parenting
Pope Francis has recently been invited to address the U.S. Congress, according to this piece. Meanwhile this piece has a pessimistic projection of the fate of that institution (specifically the…
The Heart, in Suffering
“Some day, perhaps, remembering even this Will be a pleasure.” Virgil, The Aeneid, I Aeneas and his men have endured much since leaving Troy. And of course they left only…
Localist Roundup: Lent Selfies
The news has been abuzz recently with the story of a teen suing her parents to pay for her education. Meanwhile, this piece discusses the practice of Ash Wednesday "selfies."…
What Can Be Sweeter?
An Ash Wednesday Quotation and Reflection “And the Lord, seeking his workman among the multitudes to whom he thus crieth, saith again: ‘What man is he that desireth life and…
Localist Roundup: More Drones
The Food and Drug Administration has recently unveiled plans to revamp the nutrition labels on packaged food, as explained in this piece. Also, according to this article, the U.S. Department…
Localist Roundup: Escape from Google
This piece is an interesting interview about the importance of philosophy. The interviewee appears primarily concerned with the idea that philosophy is obsolete--she contends strongly against this notion. In other…
Zeus’ Plan for February
“Aegis-bearing Zeus has a design for each occasion, and mortals find this hard to comprehend.” Hesiod, Works and Days Hesiod was convinced that Zeus has a plan for every occasion.…
Localist Roundup: Trains and Drones and Farms
According to a recent study, loneliness is actually a cause of death. On a less macabre note, this article discusses the implications of local news agencies using camera-equipped drones. Meanwhile, this piece describes…
A Good Essayist is Hard to Find
Wiseblood Books is about to publish Dana Gioia's superb "The Catholic Writer Today" as the first in its series of "Wiseblood Essays in Contemporary Culture." Order now: Not for papists…
Localist Roundup: Bankers Are Miserable
This piece describes a new line of hotels designed with millennials in mind. It's interesting to see what the company sees as the preferences of their target generation. Meanwhile, this…
When Your Mother Grows Older
“For other animals have their natural ‘forethought’ which enables them to provide for themselves: whereas man lives by reason, which can attain to forethought only after long experience: so that…
Localist Roundup: Politics and Farms
Now that the congressional drama regarding the farm bill is over, this piece offers some less-than-optimistic thoughts on the process and results. According to this piece, Rand Paul is apparently…
New England Patriot
From The American Conservative, my appreciation of the decentralist Republican (yes, they do exist) John McClaughry of Vermont.
Localist Roundup: Amazon’s Empire
Apparently, physical activity combats depression. It's nice that we have studies to tell us these things. Meanwhile, this piece describes the downfall of corporeal toys. And this piece describes the…
Virgil and Valentines
“Duty-bound, Aeneas, though he struggled with desire To calm and comfort her in all her pain, To speak to her and turn her mind from grief, And though he sighed…
Room with Askew
Just finished reading a beautifully written, if unsettling, comic gem: The Disaster Artist, an account of the making of the cult movie The Room, by Room costar Greg Sestero and…
Come and Hear, or Read, “The Violent and the Fallen”
My second collection of poems, The Violent and the Fallen, is now available on amazon.com, and directly from the publisher. Those interested may also write directly to fourverseletters@gmail.com to order one of only seven signed sets…
Localist Roundup: Super Bowl
Apparently, small-scale chicken farms in Utah have been shut down by meat inspectors recently. The reason appears to be that multiple farms shared a single processing facility. Meanwhile, the author…
Cobbett on Fires
A good fire might even save a marriage... “Fire is a capital article. To have no fire, or a bad fire to sit by, is a most dismal thing. In…
Localist Roundup: American Exceptionalism
According to this piece, online grocery shopping is on the up and up. Meanwhile, this article describes something similar happening with book subscriptions. This article tries to delineate boundaries between…
Localist Roundup: Congress and Snow
A version of the long-expected farm bill has passed the House of Representatives. This piece sees the bill as an indicator of a good trend for Congress. Meanwhile, snow has…