Sir John Glubb had an unfortunate name, but he seemed to have been an extraordinary man, and wrote a much-discussed essay called, “The Fate of Empires and the Search for Survival.” It lays out seven stages in the rise and fall of great nations. Now, I'm not much interested in the fall of great nations because I prefer that they rise and rise again, if possible.

Those who edited books once prided themselves on accuracy.  Sure, some editors may have worked from a corrupt copy of the book without realizing it; they might even have been hasty (especially if they were pirating a book written in one country to rush it out in another); or the printer and typesetter may have been sheerly careless.  But overall, they tried.  Those were the days.

At this moment, everyone is absorbed in trying to fathom what happened in the election of 2024.  How can it be that our cultural elites, of media, governance, education, professions and 65 voters were shocked into disbelief at the outcome?

Irrational obedience has been the mark of the Communist and of the Nazi citizen as historically emerged.

What is the first word that comes to mind when we think of Lent?

Hundreds of local houses remain decorated for Christmas this year, long after the traditional end point of the Christmas Season.

To start, let’s say what it is not.  It is not about teaching Latin for its own sake, or reading classical Greek and Roman texts for historical interest.