if Peter Doocy is our great white hope at the press conferences, I’d say we have no hope. Fox keeps showing a clip of him asking Psaki whether, in light of the video showing toddlers being thrown over the border wall, the Biden admin has any plans to “beef up border security”. She responded with … Continue reading Psaki 1, Doocy 0 →

The “core”of the Big Apple, that is. I’m here to tell you: it’s alive!! Of course we haven’t been in New York City since February 2020. It’s only about 1hr 40 minutes away from us, but for the past year it might as well have been Timbuktu. The bright lights of the big city were … Continue reading Esprit de Core →

We have a plethora of vernal pools this year, limpid little ponds formed by rain and snowmelt,opportunistically forming wherever there’s a hollow in a meadow or the forest floor. In spring, all the world’s a swamp! As Frost wrote: “The water for which we may have to look/In summertime with a witching wand/In every wheelrut’s … Continue reading “Those Dying Generations at Their Song..” →

Well, he did it—yesterday Unca Joe proved that he sure can...read. In spite of the fawning, innocuous character of the questions, his staff wasn’t willing to take any chances. He had a set of easy-to-read cards, as well as a briefing book, like the press secretary (but never before a president) relies on. The press … Continue reading Biden’s Open Book Exam →

Been there! And it all came flooding back this morning when I herd a spot on the news, talking about how parents should begin educating their children about racism, as early as 3 months, lest the sin take root in their souls. I can’t say I have many memories going back to 3 months, but … Continue reading Salvation Anxiety →

That’s a line by Patrick Kavanaugh. For St. Patrick’s Day, of course I wanted to share something by Yeats, my fave! And my IPad obligingly threw me some pictures of his tombstone at Drumcliff Churchyard from my last visit there, with his self-composed epitaph: “Cast a cold eye/On life, on death./Horseman, pass by!” This morning … Continue reading “Among Your Earthiest Words The Angels Stray” →

This is for St. Patrick’s Day. Yes, i know it isn’t here yet, but....you gotta have a bit of anticipation, and I’ll be celebrating this weekend , so I’m going to tell you the story of Yeats’ dramatic poem The Wanderings of Oisin. And—I hope our host won’t mind, this makes me think of him. … Continue reading The Wanderings of Si—I mean, Oisin →

Years, probably decades ago, I read that a large influx of refugees into a country is one of the most reliable predictors of civil war. To people to whom ‘The Civil War” means only our own internecine 19th century conflict, this may seem puzzling. But ours was an unusually clear cut, two sided conflict. Yes … Continue reading Meditation in Time of Civil War →

I just read something sooooo interesting (to me, anyway🤓) having to do with the subject- matter of my article Fines and Portents, which Simon so graciously serialized on our site here a few months ago. There is an article up by Johannes Dillinger in the online magazine Aeon, entitled Rich Witches. The author links witchcraft … Continue reading Dig It! →

As I pass through life, I think about what may parents were like at the age I’ve reached. How they looked, was their handsomeness/ beauty still visible? Oh God, what must they have thought of me? (Sorry about last, but my parents were Titans, ok?) Anyway, I’m sure this will accelerate until I reach the … Continue reading For Mom ‘n’ Dad →