Sailing the Last Voyage with Newton and Pascal
The Amherst Estate was, after the Royal one, the single largest holding in the Kingdom of Serelia, especially since those of their rivals the Cavitts and Masters had brutally passed into the Crown’s holdings. The nerve centre of the estate was the family mansion, situated at the end of a spur off of the Old …
Continue reading "The Ten Weeks, 16 December, At the “Plantation”"
The laughter and good times drowned out the gentle ocean surf in the background at the Serelian royal palace, situated as it was on the seashore. Evening had come and so had the time to put aside affairs of state and enjoy good times with old friends. Around the table at the end of dinner …
The Ten Weeks is at its simplest a story about several teenagers—and their parents—who are forced to deal with change, not only from within but from the world around them. To get some idea of what they went through, and what their response meant, we need to look at the political situation of the nation …
Now that we're off, below is a "preview" series that I did ten years ago (for the fortieth anniversary of the novel's setting): Week One (13-19 December): In the Clutches of Nationalised Health Care Weeks Two and Three (14 December-2 January): A Lovely Catholic Confession, An Ugly Secularist Rejoinder Week Four (3-9 January): Dinner with …
Continue reading "The Ten Weeks, A Preview of What’s to Come"
Today is the beginning of many things. It's the First Sunday in Advent, the beginning of a new liturgical year for Anglicans, Catholics and others who follow such things. It's also the eve of St. Andrew's Day, which is appropriate because my experience at the prep school named after it was in part the inspiration …
Continue reading "After What We’ve Been Through, It’s Time for “The Ten Weeks”"
We're being told that the "healing" of our country will begin with the triumph of the Democrat party, but that hasn't happened where they have a monopoly, as evidenced by this, from 2017: One of the pipe dreams the left tells us that, “if we could get rid of these conservatives, we’d have harmony and …
Continue reading "The Party of “Healing” Needs to Start With Itself"
At the beginning of Augustine's City of God we have this opening: My dear Marcellinus: This work which I have begun makes good my promise to you. In it I am undertaking nothing less than the task of defending the glorious City of God against those who prefer their own gods to its Founder. Flavius …
Continue reading "The Tough Lesson of Augustine’s “Dear Marcellinus”"
Alex Pareene at the New Republic wonders, in view of Florida voters going for Trump and approving a $15/hr minimum wage: The Democratic Party, unlike most of its left-of-center brethren in the developed world, has never been a true labor party, but it seems plausible that many voters view it as a party representing a …
Continue reading "Maybe They’ve Figured Out the American Left’s Core Problem"
I've been debating with myself about what to write before our momentous general election next week. (Debating with oneself is dangerous; one always loses.) There's a lot going on, and much of it has been squelched by the media, especially the Hunter Biden influence-peddling story. My fellow South Floridian Glenn Greenwald is the latest victim …
Positive Infinity 