Say not the struggle nought availeth, The labor and the wounds are vain, The enemy faints not, nor faileth, And as things have been they remain. If hopes were dupes, fears may be liars; It may be, in yon smoke concealed, Your comrades chase e'en now the fliers, And, but for you, possess the field. … Continue reading “Say Not the Struggle Nought Availeth”
Author: DBreitenbeck
“Sail On!”
Behind him lay the gray Azores, Behind, the Gates of Hercules; Before him not the ghost of shores; Before him only shoreless seas. The good mate said: “Now must we pray, For lo! the very stars are gone. Brave Adm’r’l, speak: what shall I say?” “Why say: ‘Sail on! sail on! and on!’” “My men … Continue reading “Sail On!”
Saint John Henry Newman
It's rare that we get good news from the Church these days, so cherish it when it comes! Cardinal Newman, the great English convert of the 19th century, whose return to Rome sparked something of a Catholic renaissance in that noble, yet obstinate island kingdom, is now declared a Saint. Cardinal Newman is one of … Continue reading Saint John Henry Newman
Thought of the Day 10 – 12: On Strange Spiritual Fears
I think most of us have strange, unconscious fears. These are things we would never argue or claim out loud, which we're barely even conscious of, but which guide our actions more than we realize. For instance, many people have the idea that if they say "I have never been stung by a wasp," it … Continue reading Thought of the Day 10 – 12: On Strange Spiritual Fears
Talking Climate Change at ‘The Federalist’
Another post is up at The Federalist: in this one I give some reasons why I'm skeptical of what is now called 'Climate Change:' You see, I can’t judge from what I don’t know (e.g., climate science), but I can judge from what I do know. I know something of history, something of philosophy, and something … Continue reading Talking Climate Change at ‘The Federalist’
Catholic Match Piece on Why Fighting is Good For You
My latest piece is up on Catholic Match, wherein I advise people to get into fights: Our Lord says, “Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” Unfortunately, we have a tendency to confuse ‘peace’ with simply the avoidance of conflict. But there are two ways people avoid conflict; the first is … Continue reading Catholic Match Piece on Why Fighting is Good For You
Realist Catholic Climate Declaration
WM Briggs, Statistician to the Stars, presents the second draft of what a Catholic Declaration on Climate ought to look like. Short, sweet, and to point: The Magisterium of the Catholic Church has no, and should not have, an official position on the earth’s optimal atmospheric mean temperature, nor on the best rate of change of … Continue reading Realist Catholic Climate Declaration
It Came From Rifftrax: ‘How to Keep a Job’
Since I've been preoccupied with job-hunting and related issues lately, I thought this week we'd take a look at Coronet's (yep, them again) film on How to Keep a Job. Meet Ed, an 'ambitious' young man who is laid off from his current job and sets about applying for another one. At his interview, he proceeds … Continue reading It Came From Rifftrax: ‘How to Keep a Job’
Talking Dying Franchises at ‘The Federalist’
First article in a while is up on The Federalist, talking about why dying franchises matter: The imaginative power of Star Wars’s IP has been systematically stripped away into a confused and contradictory mess loaded down with contemporary politics. The simple, yet rich story of the originals (and even of the prequels, for all their faults) … Continue reading Talking Dying Franchises at ‘The Federalist’
Thought of the Day: 10 – 2
I often hear people saying, in response to talk of how the world has deteriorated, that those who complain are nostalgic for a mythic 'Golden Age.' This is usually followed by comments on how [insert period here] was nothing of the kind. This, it seems to me, has it backwards. That a given time was … Continue reading Thought of the Day: 10 – 2
Serpent's Den 