Reality TV vs. 3 billion $$$

We live in interesting times.

Old world

One more interesting piece by Phillip Longman on the demographics of global aging.

Reading material

Two new translations of works by Leopardi and Grossman. There is also a new extensive review of Life and Fate in Foreign Policy.

Veni Sancte Spiritus

Peter Steinfels on the state of US Catholicism. Whereas many reasonable steps should be taken, e.g. to improve cathechesis etc., the fact remains that, historically, what has brought about the rebirth of the Church has always been sanctity, and that sanctity requires conversion. Everything else is at best accessory, at worst a distraction.

People are human

It takes an extreme degree of ideological prejudice to deny that people's lives are largely shaped by cultural factors.

Just so you know

A report from Egypt. (Warning: some bad language)

Make room for the Mystery

An intervention by Vaclav Havel.

Somebody has to teach

School choice is just a starting point.

Moderation

Give me that old time bourgeois religiosity.

Healthy skepticism

One of the great myths of our time is the experimental method.

California dreaming

A whole new journalistic genre has developed: remembering the good old times in California. It is not clear what ideals drove the good old times, though. Just a better bourgeois life-style?

Human nonetheless

This movie sounds interesting.