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P.D.Q. Bach, Peter Schickele

And now for something completely different . . . If good music is a passion, then you probably already steer clear of this guy . However, if the deflating of stuffed shirts, aka top quality nonsense, is a penchant, then you no doubt are a fan of P.D.Q. Bach, also known as Peter Schickele. Here in . . . . Continue Reading »

Statue of Saint Therese

I was very glad to see this little page on the Notre Dame website . My friend Charley and I put up this statue of Saint Therese in the spring of 1948, and I am thrilled to see devotion before it still picking up. Charley Cingolani was a high school sophomore, and I a freshman, at the time. The . . . . Continue Reading »

Physics and “Bodies: The Exhibition”

I am not competent to get involved in the theological and philosophical discussions among Robert P. George, Patrick Lee , Robert T. Miller , and Claire V. McCusker on the relation between bodies and souls. However, as a physicist I am interested in one statement made here yesterday by Robert George . . . . Continue Reading »

The Rutherford Neighborhood Alliance

Wasn’t it Tip O’Neal who said that all politics are local? Well, we recently had our elections here in Rutherford County , and it’s humbling and sad all at the same time¯humbling to see the number of folks who give themselves selfishly to causes they believe in, humbling to . . . . Continue Reading »

Muslim terrorists in Europe

The British have arrested Muslim terrorists, and once again, soul-searching is very much in evidence. "Why," I hear asked, "are those born among us turning against us?" High unemployment, social isolation, anti-Muslim prejudice¯the standard explanations are canvassed. They . . . . Continue Reading »

Response to Prof. Miller on “Bodies”

I don’t mean to go on about death. After all, this is supposed to be First Things, not Last Things. But I wanted to add something to Prof. Miller’s post , with which, as far as the Catholic moral philosophy goes, I am in complete agreement. Unlike Miller, I am less worried that the . . . . Continue Reading »

Anglicanism, marriage and cohabitation

Further to my post about marriage and cohabitation , it is interesting that the subject was debated at length at a recent meeting of the Church of England’s General Synod. The bishop of Winchester, the Rt. Rev. Michael Scott-Joynt , complained that marriage was being "airbrushed" . . . . Continue Reading »

Commonweal magazine

Charlotte, you may like the Commonweal crowd, even while you were criticizing their pages . For that matter, I like them; the editor, Paul Baumann, in particular, has always seemed a great guy to go get a drink with. But you need to remember that they hate you¯and me and everybody associated . . . . Continue Reading »

The Abruzzi region of Italy

The New York Times ran a story Sunday about Abruzzi , the mountainous region east of Rome and as far north as you can go and still be in the South of Italy. Reading this brought back stories my father used to tell me, of growing up among those mountains, of working the family farm, of the . . . . Continue Reading »

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