Uncategorized 1161
Ralph Nader to Host Hometown Book Festival
The tireless consumer advocate and presidential candidate will be hosting the "Booming Winsted" book festival on July 30-31 in his hometown of Winsted, Connecticut. From the press release: “This is…
Ten Theses on Our Populist Moment
[Cross-posted to In Medias Res] Tomorrow, with the California Democratic primary, the populist developments that so many have observed in this electoral cycle will definitively change. Either Sanders will prevail…
Regional Cities and the Curse of “Glocality”
[Cross-posted to In Medias Res] One of the essential themes in my continuing study of and reflection upon the character and dilemmas of mid-sized cities is their "regional" character, and…
What I’ve Learned, and David Brooks (Perhaps) Still Hasn’t
[Cross-posted to In Medias Res] Among all the major right-wing voices of America's mainstream journalistic establishment, David Brooks is perhaps the most difficult to pin down. Ross Douthat is a…
Two Plus Cheers For Small Houses
In the past two generations, the average house size has nearly doubled, while family sizes have decreased. Chris Wiley, a frequent contributor here, tells us of the virtues of smaller…
The Deep and Discomforting Point of Populism (and Socialism, and Certain Sorts of Conservatism Too)
[Cross-posted to In Medias Res] Over the weekend, a friend of mine shared an article which had joined in the Hillary Clinton-Bernie Sanders fight, a fight which may come to…
In the Pilsen Snow
My wife and I were married at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, on the near west side of South Bend, Indiana. I’ve written about her before, that Church, fashioned nearly two…
Sustainability in Cities that Hold Steady
[Cross-posted to In Medias Res] Wichita, KS, is a large city, a regional center for manufacturing, medicine, finance, and the arts. It's also a politically conservative place, which means that…
If I Were a Carpenter/And You Lived in Cadiz….
From the New Oxford Review, Will Hoyt on his move from Berkeley to eastern Ohio.
Dispatch from Paris
From Stephen Heiner, a Porcher in Paris: https://fleming.foundation/2015/11/paris-the-day-after/
Staying in Your Hometown
A wonderful (porchy) piece over at The Imaginative Conservative: http://www.theimaginativeconservative.org/2015/11/why-you-should-stay-in-your-hometown.html
Surfing into Forgetfulness
“And wicked men seek for people with whom to spend their days, and shun themselves; for they remember many a grievous deed when they are by themselves, but when they…
From St. Augustine’s Porch
Bk IV, ch. 3: But let us suppose a case of two men; for each individual man, like one letter in a language, is as it were the element of…
Jacobin Notices Anti-Capitalist Right
FPR gets a mention over in this Jacobin article by Lyle Jeremy Rubin, a PhD candidate at Rochester. He notices two things but doesn't do a very good job of distinguishing them:…
TAC Foreign Policy Conference in DC, November 4
Our friends at the American Conservative are having a conference in a few weeks in DC, about a new, less hawkish foreign policy direction for the United States. Have a look…
You, Child, are Our Bond
“And children seem to be a bond of union.” Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics Moved by these words of Aristotle, I write here... An Open Letter to My Child Even your father can…
Invest Local
An interesting article on why local investing is not just good, but smart: As the movement for socially responsible investing (SRI) matures, a growing number of its movers and shakers…
Living with Former Friends
“Surely he should keep a remembrance of their former intimacy…” Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics Sometimes it feels like Aristotle foresaw all the vicissitudes of my life. He muses regarding the issue…
Leisure Starts at Home
If leisure is the basis of culture, it must first be the basis of home life. So I argue over at Ethika Politika: Leisure as the Basis of Home Life
FPR Conference Program. A Preview.
Here is the program for the upcoming FPR conference in Geneseo, NY on October 3. If you have not already done so, register here. You won't want to miss this…
The Decline of the Tory, A Continuing Saga
In a recent broadside against the teachings of what Damon Linker correctly notes today as the world's "politically inconvenient pontiff," George F. Will--with unsurprising dogmatism, unfortunately--lays bare the liberal roots…
FPR Conference. Register Now!
FRONT PORCH REPUBLIC CONFERENCE COMES TO SUNY GENESEO OCTOBER 3 “Sustainable Localism: Sages, Prophets, and Jesters,” the fifth annual Front Porch Republic conference, will be held on Saturday, October 3…
The Festivity of the Just
“Men whose justice is straight know neither hunger nor ruin, but amid feasts enjoy the yield of their labors.” Hesiod, Works and Days Festivity. The word brings longing to the…
When Children Resemble Their Fathers
“Fleecy sheep are weighed down with wool, and women bear children who resemble their fathers.” Hesiod, Works and Days In describing “a city that prospers,” Hesiod points to something rather…