I have heard from some people who have complained that they can’t comment here at Secondhand Smoke. That is because to do so, one needs to be a registered user of Blogger. I have checked to see if there is a way around that requirement and have been told that to permit non Blogger users to comment would also mean permitting anonymous posting. I would prefer not to permit that as I have seen where it can lead. Indeed, I have been quite impressed with the general high level of comment, and believe that is partially due to people having to, in some measure, identify themselves. Thus, since it seems clear to me that the status quo helps to promote quality and civil discourse, and reduces my need to police the site, I have decided to maintain matters as they are.
If someone would like to comment but not register with Blogger, I can be e-mailed at the link on the page. I may or may not post the note here, but I will read it. Posted comments from private e-mailers will be anonymous and subject to my editing.
Thanks one and all for visiting Secondhand Smoke.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
