Sign in Subscribe

Eric Scheske

Orwell Was Right

From free speech to "spheres of influence" to our passion for endless war, we've become the doublethinkers 1984 predicted. Matt Taibbi Photo by Markus Spiske on Pexels.com [https://www.pexels.com/photo/poster-of-1984-is-now-paste-on-street-post-3671145/] This weekend I re-read 1984, a book I tend to reach for

The Vertical Farming Bubble is Finally Popping

Adele Peters at Fast Company

The Plague of Thoughtlessness

Photo by Vishnu R Nair on Pexels.com [https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-at-concert-1105666/]Sometimes modern perplexities call for ancient wisdom. Today, St. Thomas Aquinas’ warning about the vice of “thoughtlessness” may shine a light on contemporary discourse—if trite prattle even qualifies as discourse. More to the point, we

Hope in Human Nature Springs Eternal

Photo by Yaroslav Danylchenko on Pexels.com [https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-brown-dress-holding-white-plastic-bottle-painting-4113084/] In our school parents’ WhatsApp group last month, a petition was making the rounds to do away with masking our children. Some of the supporters were parents who, just a few months ago, aggressively backed any and

Spiraling Violence in Chicago: Causes and Solutions

There’s violent crime aplenty in Chicago. But punishment? Not so much. Photo by Chait Goli on Pexels.com [https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-buildings-1823681/]Murders nationwide in 2020 rose a stunning 29.4 percent over the previous year, the largest annual increase since the FBI began tracking that data

Therese Lisieux's Little Way is Exquisitely Post-Modernist

Another postmodernist existentialist revolt against the left hemisphere and its suffocating emphasis on essence

Neo-Prohibitionists Now to Turn to Science

The Anti-Neo-ProhibitionistsActually, I don't believe my own title, but the entire flip-floppy nature of scientific research regarding the effects of alcohol should discredit science in general. One study says a little alcohol helps; another says it hurts. One says small amounts help the heart; others say that'

Don’t Crowd Me?

SenecaA few years ago, I went to the local high school’s first home football game, which, like most home openers, was well-attended. Afterward, I was exhausted. I mean, absolutely exhausted, like I had lead around my shoulders. I’d had a hard week at work, but the level of

Mystics and Zen Masters, by Thomas Merton

A Micro-Review/Essay

Many Predicted NATO Expansion Would Lead to War.

Photo by Jakson Martins on Pexels.com [https://www.pexels.com/photo/soldier-holding-gun-2230885/]I'm not a huge fan of the Cato Institute, but this is a good piece: Russia's military offensive against Ukraine is an act of aggression [https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/02/russia-war-on-ukraine-what-does-putin-hope-to-achieve/] that