Orwell Anniversary, of Sorts
"A Farthing Newspaper," the very first of George Orwell's articles to appear in
England, was published on December 29, 1928, in G.K.'s Weekly. [Michael Shelden,
Orwell, London, 1991, p. 127]
Eric Scheske
The Forsaken Stans
What are the most God-forsaken ares on earth?
I'm talking about barren areas. Relatively barren of natural beauty, of a beautiful cultural history, and of a beautiful contemporary culture.
And menacing: in its vastness, perhaps, or its brokenness.
There are plenty of contenders (western Australia, western China, northeastern
Seven Days Make One Weak
Yeah, I know: The weekly column is a day late.
But I also know: I told you not to expect another 7D1W column this year, yet
here I am.
I just returned from a whirlwind trip to Detroit to see the in-laws. Some of the
finest folk this side of
Random College Football Thoughts
Photo by David Morris on Pexels.com
[https://www.pexels.com/photo/american-football-playing-2190159/]Notre Dame will
apparently get the fourth spot, which makes me happy, but (i) I think Texas A&M
is a better choice, and (ii) it annoys me that the ACC will get two teams into
The Joseph Epstein/Jill Biden Affair
My man Joseph Epstein made a flash a few years ago with his suggestion that Jill Biden drop the "Dr." from her title while she serves as First Lady.
The uproar was pretty intense. I saw him referred to as a "misogynist," "bigot," and
From Johnson's Dictionary: Neckweed, Siren, Pudder
Neckweed: Hemp.
To pudder: to perplex, to disturb, to confound.
Couple-beggar: One that makes it his business to marry beggars to each other.
Siren: a mischievous enticer.
GKC on Waugh
Evelyn Waugh liked to send out satirical Christmas cards, and the apex (or nadir] of this practice was reached during the Christmas season of 1929. Waugh's card that year consisted of extracts reprinted from unfavorable reviews of his first novel, Decline and Fall. The harshest passage of all
Legislative Process, the Left Hemisphere, and Hayek
F.A. Hayek looking ahead 75 years to the world of COVID:
"[A] socialist government must not allow itself to be too much fettered by democratic procedure." F.A. Hayek, The Road to Serfdom
The parallel to the Hemisphere Hypothesis is stunning. The left hemisphere hates to be
St. John of the Cross Feast Day
He arguably wrote the most Zen-like passage in the Christian tradition
To reach satisfaction in all
desire its possession in nothing.
To come to possess all
desire the possession of nothing.
To come to the knowledge of all
desire the knowledge of nothing.
To come to the pleasure you have
Prohibiting Things with the Experts
Question: What do government COVID lockdowns and Prohibition have in common?
Answer: They were both advocated by “the science” and “the experts.”
That's Jeffrey Tucker's point in a great essay he just published: The “Expert
Consensus” Also Favored Alcohol Prohibition
[https://www.aier.org/article/the-expert-consensus-also-favored-alcohol-prohibition/