Reverse Scam

From First Thoughts

“Vengeance is mine”, saith the Lord—but this does not prevent His working through fully conscious secondary causes. One inspired avenging angel tricked would-be scammers in Nigeria into re-enacting the Monty Python “Dead Parrot” sketch. The result is a hilarious object . . . . Continue Reading »

Great Minds

From First Thoughts

Thomas Jefferson and I apparently think alike. A couple of weeks ago I argued that Sarah Palin was offering a much-needed challenge to the over-educated “wonks” who think themselves entitled to rule. In the Weekly Standard , the great Reagan biographer Steven Hayward writes that . . . . Continue Reading »

Secular Thomism

From First Thoughts

In my experience, the modern elite university is an intellectual wasteland. Most students are just trying to get job security, and insofar as they can be said to have ethical or philosophical views, they are uncritical “preference” utilitarians of a decidedly scientistic cast of mind. . . . . Continue Reading »

Let’s Stay Together

From First Thoughts

Rev. Hot Pants is only one sign that the Anglican communion is in a bit of trouble. Even casual readers will know that Anglicans have spent the past several years trying to avert an all-too-possible schism between the moral and theological “liberals” and the “conservatives.” . . . . Continue Reading »

Pitbull-Teacher Association

From First Thoughts

Last week I said that politics was a practical affair, for which people with ordinary practical experience were usually better qualified than theoreticians. The upshot was that Sarah Palin’s past as a mother and PTA member was nothing to sniff at. This Mail Online article on the PTA suggests . . . . Continue Reading »

Against Politics

From First Thoughts

If Barack Obama loses the presidential election, some say , the youth will never get over it. They will lose faith in politics. This prediction is meant to be grim, but I think it among the better reasons to hope Barack Obama loses. Not to trade in tired truisms, but I must repeat what seems to me . . . . Continue Reading »

Aurel Fixation

From First Thoughts

While I’m recommending philosophers , I should make a particularly enthusiastic plug for Aurel Kolnai . Kolnai was a Hungarian-Jewish Wunderkind who converted to Catholicism under the influence of G.K. Chesterton. He then proceeded to hop erratically around the western world, publishing . . . . Continue Reading »

The Novel, Again and Again

From First Thoughts

It seems that people really like talking about novels. My unremarkable comments last Friday have not just generated two derivative posts , but also far more email responses than I was expecting. Now even a blogger from Australia has weighed in . . . and at some length. Thanks to everyone for the . . . . Continue Reading »