Little Indulgences

Jonathan David Price

Coffee is all that matters to Mr. Johnson at this hour. One cup at eight. Only in the morning. He has only missed his coffee twice, the day he had to leave his wife and kids, and the day his mother died. He was bitter both days. Mr. Johnson likes his coffee bitter—two squirts of milk and … Read more

A Dove Descending: Part I of III

Roger Scruton The first installment of the novella A Dove Descending about a Greek girl who falls from too great a height. She lives in London with her pious mother, her recently-deceased father's continuing presence, and the lure of the modern life that books and a progressive professor have offered her. Now she must choose between the ancient culture she was born into and the freedoms offered by England.

Pass de Botton: An atheist’s appraisal of religion misses the cue

Brian Lapsa A review of Alain de Botton's Religion for Atheists.
Not long ago Starbucks sandwich boards advised us to “Take comfort in ritual”—in this case the diurnal rites of lattés and Frappucinos. It’s clear enough that the Giant of Joe benefits from regular patronage, but less clear is why recommending ritual might not be off-putting to a clientele whose apple of wisdom is to “think different.” Ritual is religious (or is thought to be) and is therefore considered wholly personal. Most Westerners tend to regard its presence in public space with suspicion.

‘Asking for it’

Why the SlutWalk Critique of Rape Culture Doesn’t Go Far Enough:

Respect, Consent, and the Problem of Shame

Mikolaj Slawkowski-Rode
What’s wrong with rape? As soon as we scratch the surface of the problem we encounter the deep complexity of human relations. It is important to recognize this complexity, particularly when the discussion of sexuality – arguably the most intimate form of human relations – is played out in exultant parades in which triumphantly brandished signs defend “slut pride” by proclaiming things like “my short skirt has nothing to do with you”, “we’re taking ‘slut’ back”, and “I’m a human not a sandwich”.