Several years ago, I read William and Elizebeth Friedman's The Shakespeare Ciphers Examined and had a blast. Two crypto experts, in their spare time from beating the Nazis, wrote a witty, elegant guide to why most conspiracy theories about Shakespeare's true identity are wrong (and they teach you a lot of the logic of crypto along… Read More
Month: November 2017
The Dangers of Keeping Sorrow Secret
Douthat’s column suggest that it’s a mistake to assume that misery is always an imposition, something that can’t be “anything but terrifying.” If nothing else, he writes, sharing misery is a kind of truth-telling. The more pressure we feel to keep it private, the more warped our view of the world becomes. [...] Sharing sorrow… Read More
Destroying Marriage, a Diptych
From the New York Times, a feature on the new Argentine trend of throwing fake weddings to enjoy the spectacle and the celebration. In case there was any doubt, as the couple (hired actors) left the stage, colored lights flashed, the disc jockey started the music pumping, and the announcement was made to the paying guests:… Read More
Speaking in St Paul on my conversion and better fights
I'm in St. Paul, Minnesota this weekend, to speak to the Cathedral of St. Paul's class of RCIA students, and to give two talks open to the public as part of the First Saturdays program. The Cathedral offers the First Saturday gatherings as "mini-retreats in accord with Our Lady’s instruction at Fatima, designed to foster… Read More