Quality interweb mischief from Jared Bridges
National Review’s John Derbyshire is, how should I say it, “smokin!” in his latest NRO column: We have not, in fact, gone “beyond tolerance” at all, we have merely invented new kinds of intolerance. We have not swept away caste-feudalism and replaced it with a shining meritocratic egalitarianism; we have just traded in one style … Read more
I finished Notes from Underground tonight. After suffering through some maniacal ranting in the first third of the book, Dostoevsky emerges with force! A question posed by his Underground Man: And in fact I’m now asking an idle question of my own: which is better—cheap happiness, or lofty suffering? Well, which is better? Notes may … Read more
There’s a certain segment of the liberal population which feels that it doesn’t get its fair share of expression in the marketplace of ideas. You’ve seen them before. Because they are not adequately heard on just about every issue, they plaster the backs of their cars with bumper stickers. It’s not difficult to spot a … Read more
According to Brown, Driver, and Briggs’ Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, the term which is transliterated hamas means in Arabic “to be hard, strict, rigorous.” Not surprisingly, the Hebrew meaning is close: “act violently, treat violently.” It’s no doubt that Israel has been on the receiving end of the Hebrew meaning of … Read more
Here are some more observations from weekend travels: Yes, this is an actual sign I saw in a residential area in Chattanooga. I never saw any see-saws, so they must have been going well over 25 m.p.h. On the road we finished listening to the audiobook version of Grisham’s The Last Juror. All in all, … Read more
Now that young men have become “Wimps and Barbarians,” says Terrence O. Moore, women have had to compromise. In the follow-up to the former article, Moore now shows us what has happened to women in “Heather’s Compromise.” Moore has some keen cultural observations here, and you’d be remiss to pass them by. As I said … Read more
We did some traveling this weekend and I got to go to Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, TN with my father-in-law. The above photo was taken from Point Park, where the Confederate Army once oversaw the military movements in Chattanooga until they were overtaken in November 1863. It’s a breathtaking view and the weather was spectacular.
If you’ve ever tried to get rid of an old computer, you’ll know it can sometimes be a chore. Tunku Varadarajan has a hilarious article in the Wall Street Journal today chronicling his attempt to be dispose of his: We bought the machine in 1998. Six years ago. I do not know anyone who has … Read more
I’m not talking about Cocaine, either. There’s another type of Coke addict—the Diet Coke addict. I’ve noticed this trend for a few years now. People who drink Diet Coke are fanatical about the beverage. Eric Gillin’s article, “The Cult of Diet Coke,” recognizes this addiction: The high and mighty are addicted as well. Donald Trump … Read more
Two good articles this week on the arts: First, there’s Gene Edward Veith’s WORLD Magazine piece that contrasts the meaningless art of today with the capacity for beauty that’s inherent in a Christian view of art. Second, there’s this interview with Image Journal publisher Gregory Wolfe: Christians have been tempted to say, well, pop culture … Read more