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When Facebook is a Threat To National Security

Three years ago, the U.S. Army instituted stringent new regulations for online communications to prevent violations of operations security (OPSEC). As the Army regulation explained, “the OPSEC process identifies the critical information of military plans, operations, and supporting activities . . . . Continue Reading »

Guest Post: Formula for the Evangelical Mess

To sort it all out in a godly way, cutting a straight path through the wreckage of evangelicalism, several old-fashioned, Christlike virtues are absolutely essential: biblical discernment, wisdom, fortitude, determination, endurance, skill in handling Scripture, strong convictions, the ability to speak candidly without waffling, and a willingness to enter into conflict.

Let’s be honest: those are not qualities the contemporary evangelical movement has cultivated. Continue Reading »

When Animals Sue

I have a piece in today’s NRO that tees off on Switzerland’s upcoming vote to give animals a legal right to a lawyer in abuse cases.  But as I point out in A Rat is a Pig,etc., granting animals standing may be the most desired goal of the animal rights movement.  From my . . . . Continue Reading »

Why is there no Jewish Narnia?

That’s the question Michael Weingrad asks in the inaugural issue of The Jewish Review of Books. The article has taken heat from fans of the many Jewish fantasy authors . But most of them have missed the point. Weingrad isn’t asking whether Jews write fantasy or enjoy reading it. . . . . Continue Reading »

Lie Detectors for Paintings

Imagine if art historians could determine the authenticity of a work by asking a painting whether it was real or fake? While paintings can’t answer directly, two new techniques for discovering forgeries act as “lie detectors” for works of art. The first, developed by a team of . . . . Continue Reading »

The Obligation of Museums

Micah makes an excellent point that a renewed emphasis on craft would benefit art. In a smilier vein, Jed Perl argues in The New Republic that museums should provide a renewed emphasis on excellence: A few months ago the National Endowment for the Arts released a rather bleak “Survey of Public . . . . Continue Reading »

Plagiarism and Art

Speaking of art and reproduction, having probably just read Guillaume Apollinaire’s The Cubist Painters or one of André Breton’s surrealist manifestos, eighteen-year-old German Helene Hegemann has written a book on “Berlin’s club scene” incorporating large . . . . Continue Reading »

So You Want to Be An Author? (Part II)

A few months ago I listed four things to consider if you wanted to become an author. My post was rather pessimistic but it was downright sunny compared to this passage from a recent article by Jeffrey Tayler : Aspiring writers and journalists eager to quit their day jobs and freelance for a living . . . . Continue Reading »

What Shall I Read?

I have a very weird Lenten practice which I’ve attempted to hold to over the last few years. I’m a reader. I’ve always read books. It is the thing I am most likely to do given more than a few minutes free time. Somehow a few years back at the start of Lent, a rhyme that brides use . . . . Continue Reading »

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