If there’s one thing that makes people happier than finding a forgotten bottle in the cupboard or a six pack in the fridge, it’s finding out that world events are dominated by an evil conspiracy. It’s hard to explain why such a discovery proves so consoling, but it does: Some 35 million people shelled out cold, hard cash to buy The … [Read More]

You’ve probably never heard of the hard-edged brand of low-priced bourbon called Jeremiah Weed, and for darn good reason: It is almost unavailable, except on Air Force bases. But U.S. fighter pilots go through the stuff like airplane fuel, and some concede it tastes pretty much the same. As one airman wrote online of the drink: “Weed is one of those … [Read More]

It wasn’t so long ago that Lent was a serious business. Catholics who marked the season before Vatican II will recall complex rules of fast and abstinence, which forbade meat on Wednesdays as well as Fridays, and on the eves of major holy days. Indeed, it was only in the 20th century, by special papal indult, that Catholics were reluctantly permitted … [Read More]

On this most festive day, we celebrate for a glorious mixture of Christian and pagan reasons: because the winter’s ending, because Christ is risen, and because that means each one of us gets a shot at joining Him. (Actually, in the end, we’ll have no choice. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, even the souls of the damned will regain their flesh … [Read More]

This is a big day in the Church calendar, packed with theological significance: On one night, Jesus held His last dinner with His apostles, washed their feet, said the first Mass, established the priesthood and episcopate, offered up His perfect obedience to His father in the garden of Gethsemane, rebuked His disciples for napping, and was betrayed by Judas and arrested. … [Read More]

(Adapted from The Bad Catholic’s Guide to Good Living) This year New York City is the scene of two competing St. Patrick’s Day parades. This in itself is not that surprising; many decades ago, the Italians who ran the Columbus Day Parade refused to accommodate the Puerto Ricans, El Salvadorans, and other Latin folk who wanted to take part in their … [Read More]

Check out this news report: “As a Louisiana state representative, David Duke supported sterilization of welfare mothers, and distributed copies of the white separatist novel The Turner Diaries from his legislative offices. “Yet in the early stages of the 2008 Republican presidential race, some social conservatives are adopting Duke, because he’s asking for their votes. “In his speech to CPAC [Conservative … [Read More]

It’s pretty darned frosty here in New York City, at last. It took so long for cold weather to kick in that I became even more paranoid about global warming than I already have been. (And no, I’m not reassured by the four or five scientists whom the coal industry has rounded up to reassure us “Keep moving, folks, nothing to … [Read More]

Dear Wordworm, I received your recent note, which was rife with glee as you reflected on the ongoing string of statements made by American Catholic bishops and lay politicians in support of unregulated immigration into that country. You positively gloated at the temporary alliance of the Enemy’s most short-sighted clerics with politicians who are so thoroughly in our pocket that at … [Read More]