Is it this best or worst of times? Pessimism sells, but the reality of our daily lives makes a case for optimism today and hope for the future.
The preponderance of negativity and pessimism in the news makes it easy to believe that the world is at its worst, but my experience and yours can reveal that it may be the best of times. Continue Reading...
Latest Posts
May 01, 2024
The Church Is All Right
G.K. Chesterton once said that a stolen umbrella confirmed for him that the Catholic Church was where he belonged. As he explained, when attending different Christian churches, he often left his umbrella at the back door and collected it after the service. Continue Reading...
April 30, 2024
Shogun: A Refreshingly Unironic Historical Drama
Based on the 1975 novel of the same name (adapted before in 1980), Shogun is a 10-episode miniseries set in 1600s Japan and follows multiple characters from multiple points of view as they vie for power and pursue their personal agendas. Continue Reading...
April 26, 2024
Finding Contentment in the Chaos
In today’s ever-changing world, contentment seems like a forgotten virtue. The pace of our gig economy only seems to be speeding up, as institutions and organizations all struggle to adjust to new realities. Continue Reading...
April 25, 2024
Ripley and the Art of the Cruel
Patricia Highsmith’s novels have a long history in Hollywood. Her debut, Strangers on a Train, was adapted in 1951 by Hitchcock into a remarkable thriller about corruption among the wealthy and the weaknesses of aspiring to success, with D.C. Continue Reading...
April 24, 2024
Is J.D. Vance the Religious Populist We’ve Been Searching For?
The May issue of First Things includes an article by Matthew Schmitz titled, “JD Vance, Religious Populist,” in which Vance is portrayed as perhaps the last hope for the survival of Christianity in American politics and the public square. Continue Reading...
April 23, 2024
Brady, Jordan, or Hayek: Who’s the Real GOAT?
Trendy title aside, Tyler Cowen’s new book, GOAT: Who Is the Greatest Economist of All Time and Why Does It Matter?,is a mini masterpiece. Cowen takes the reader on a whirlwind tour of the life and works of the greatest economists of all time (Milton Friedman, John Maynard Keynes, Hayek, J.S. Continue Reading...
April 19, 2024
The Coming Education Dark Age and What to Do About It
A few weeks ago, cultural critic and jazz musician Ted Gioia wrote a must-read essay that lays out today’s dismal cultural situation. His thesis: “2024 may be the most fast-paced—and dangerous—time ever for the creative economy.” Continue Reading...
April 18, 2024
Civil War: A Shallow and Dangerous Fantasy
The new film Civil War may want to be edgy, timely, even thoughtful, but it has nothing to offer beyond surface-level thrills, which makes its grisly portrayal of war feel more like a romanticization of the worst in humans than a warning against it. Continue Reading...
April 17, 2024
Is Apple a Monopoly?
We all know that person who always seems to have the latest Apple gadget. In many ways, Apple products have become a status symbol. While there is a dedicated and loyal group of Apple fans who believe there are no other options and those who view these products as an external signal to the world that they are superior, most of us consider an array of factors when deciding which products to buy or streaming service to select. Continue Reading...