Uncategorized 1266
Ratification Debate, Part II
Tonight, September 19, FPR's own Bill Kauffman will gird up to re-make the case of the Anti-federalists at the Tocqueville Forum's annual Constitution Day event. He will be debating Professor…
Carl Oglesby, RIP
Carl Oglesby, former president of Students for a Democratic Society and folk-singing prophet of Middle American anti-imperialism, died Tuesday. Herewith an interview I conducted with Carl for Reason magazine and a…
Watching Walker Percy
The author of The Moviegoer would make a fascinating subject for a movie, or at least a documentary. So reasoned filmmaker Win Riley. His Walker Percy: A Documentary Film, which…
Symposium on Place and FPR’s Role in the “New Right.”
The spring issue of The New Atlantis features a symposium on place. Check it out. Of special interest is a piece by Brian Brown titled "The Rise of Localist Politics."…
What Are Buildings For?
James Kalb has recently interviewed mathematician and architectural theorist Nikos Salingaros. As someone who has always been irritated when people mistakenly think it the job of "science" to invent more…
Rod’s Back
Dreher, that is, with a new blog at The American Conservative website. Congratulations to both, and especially all of us, who have missed his voice over the past year. We'll…
The Dangers of Professional Philanthropy
Maybe you are the kind of donor who supports nonprofits in your community. Like many Americans, you give or tithe through your church or temple. You support local human-service organizations…
The Cynic by the Bay
From today's Wall Street Journal, my review of the Library of America's Ambrose Bierce omnibus:
FPR Conference Program
You won't want to miss this. Register here. Session 1: Mobility and the Crisis of Community Patrick Deneen: The Liberal Self and Mobility Allan Carlson: Why the Modern Family Keeps…
A Human Education
From Pope Benedict XVI's Address to Young University Professors: "Where will young people encounter those reference points in a society which is increasingly confused and unstable? At times one has…
Fair and Balanced?
Say what you will about Ron Paul, Fox News' failure to say anything about the candidate is curious and gives Jon Stewart a big target. The Daily Show - Indecision…
Easter and Economics
Robert T. Miller and I discuss two opposed views of Catholic Social Teaching as it relates to economics in this month's issue of Dappled Things. Robert defends that "... for…
Pure Michigan
"Good Morning America" has named Sleeping Bear Dunes, along the Lake Michigan shore, its "most beautiful place" in America. I can think of at least two other Porchers who could…
Keeping you Safe from Homemade Ice Cream
A story from the Chicago Tribune tells of an enterprising mother named Kris Swanberg, who runs a wildly successful ice cream business. Of course, where food is concerned, the State…
Place. Limits. Grottos. FPR at Notre Dame
Devon, PA. I am pleased to report that FPR will once again hold a roundtable discussion at the Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture's 2011 Conference ,which runs 10-12…
Symbol of the Age
Looting as the psycho-spiritual symbol of the welfare age: "But it’s more than childish destructiveness motivating the rioters. At a more fundamental level, these are youngsters who are uniquely alienated…
What Economic Crisis?
I'm not even sure how to comment on this story. I have written previously on how modern golf course design takes a backseat to that of the "Golden Age" of…
Republicanism and Virtue in Seattle
Peter has already mentioned the short-course being offered on Confederational Political Thought. Porchers and fellow-travelers might also be interested in checking out the morning course of "Republicanism and Virtue," also…
The Seeds of Civil War?
While I do not regard myself as a "tea-partier" (indeed, I'm not even sure I know what one is), my own sense is that the House Republicans have operated throughout…
Fleming On Liberalism
If Pico and the alchemists are read carefully, one begins to understand the modern obsession with space exploration, cloning, and the creation of life.
The New Geeks
"The Geek Squad" has put out a back-to-school advertisement which argues that technology will "make school easier" - mostly by making sure you are always entertained and don't have to…
Get Rich! Become a Farmer.
This “summer of Hell,” to borrow Peters’ phrase, has had me in too many hospital/doctor waiting rooms. But as I was recently counting up co-pays and deductibles in my head…
A Left Turn Worth Considering
If only such voices as that of Lord Maurice Glasman received a hearing in today's Democratic Party. According to this remarkable article in the Guardian, Glasman has the ear of…
Students Abroad
Caitlin Flanagan has weighed in on the phenomenon of students studying abroad, and the organizations which profit from them doing so. While these students will all discuss how they are…