Powerless Pledges?

The latest attack on abstinence education comes in the form of a new study that says people who made “virginity pledges” until marriage are just as likely to have STD’s as those who did not make them. The New York Times report on the story makes it sound almost dangerous to make such a pledge: … Read more

Nazis at the Oscars, Redux

Last week I posted regarding the Academy Award tribute given to Leni Riefenstahl, who made Hitler’s documentary/propoganda piece Triumph of the Will. Not all were happy with my post. Reader Jonah commented: Leni Reifenstahl was neither an anti-Semite nor a supporter of Hitler (any more than you were required to be a supporter of Hitler … Read more

A Hidden Shame?

Pia de Solenni’s article in NRO today had a startling statistic of which I was heretofore unware: “Approximately 40 percent of American women under 45 have had at least one abortion.” Does anyone know if this is really true? I’ve heard numbers of this kind for the former Soviet Union, but I didn’t realize it … Read more

Teenage Adults

On the heels of Terrence O. Moore’s superb article, “Wimps and Barbarians,” is Joseph Epstein’s piece in the latest Weekly Standard entitled “The Perpetual Adolescent,” which examines the disappearance of adulthood in America. The article is quite eye-opening: The old hunger for life, the eagerness to get into the fray, has been replaced by an … Read more

A Betrayal of Stupidity

I tried to watch ABC’s Judas tonight. I tried. After about five minutes, I felt the need to surf the internet. I turned it on in the background, to hear qotes like this: JUDAS: We need to fight for what is rightfully ours! JESUS: Nothing is rightfully ours except the unconditional love of my father. … Read more

Violence & the Movies

Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems like movies that contain graphic violence get much more scrutiny in the press than films with graphic sexuality. The Passion of the Christ has received its fair share of criticism, as did films like Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down, Lord of the Rings, and a host of other … Read more

Band of Brothers

A friend lent us the DVD set of the HBO miniseries, Band of Brothers, based on the Stephen Ambrose book by the same name. We just finished with the 10th and final episode this weekend. Excellent stuff—if you liked Saving Private Ryan, you’ll love it. It makes one really appreciate what our soldiers go through. … Read more

Diet Mania

The recent diet craze has reached epic proportions, and it is really having an effect on the culture. The other day I saw a local pizza chain advertising lo-carb pizzas. Subway restaurants (no, that’s another Jared) are now offering “subs” that look more like fajitas because they’re wrapped in a tortilla rather than a hoagie. … Read more

Postmodernism and the Marriage Amendment

The proposed Federal Marriage Amendment reads like this: “Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this constitution or the constitution of any state, nor state or federal law, shall be construed to require that marital status or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon … Read more

The World’s Oldest Person Dies, Again

Cary Clack of the San Antonio Express-News shares my previous concerns about an alarming new trend: the world’s oldest people are dying off at an alarming rate: Consider the facts. In March 2002, a 115-year-old Michigan woman named Maude Farris-Luse, whose longevity was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records — died. In November … Read more