Random stuff I find interesting and you may not.
Dec 04, 2025 – Jan 04, 2026 Celebrate the season at Oglebay’s Festival of Lights—one of the best seasonal shows in West Virginia. Experience the wonder across millions of lights, festive displays, and unforgettable holiday magic for guests of all ages to enjoy. Drive Through Experience Nightly | Nov 6 – Jan 4 The dazzling … Read more
The saying goes, “like a child in a candy store,” but “like a raccoon in a liquor store” might be a new phrase to try. Raccoons are known for being naturally mischievous, but this one might be the king. It’s not often a burglary suspect is found passed out in the bathroom, but that’s exactly … Read more
The Catholic parish geographically closest to our home is huge, with more than 13,000 parishioners, according to the diocesan website. It has confession once a week for half an hour. Let’s say (very generously) that because of age or other reasons only 3,000 of those parishioners are able to participate in the sacrament of penance … Read more
On the menu today: President Trump issues another pardon that is just about impossible to defend on the merits; the New York Times belatedly discovers fraud and mismanagement in the Minnesota state government; and an offer you won’t want to miss. Also, for the first time in a long time, it’s a lot of fun … Read more
The ancient rot at the heart of anti-Israel activism. . . . The surge of anti-Jewish hostility is particularly concerning in light of what sparked it: meticulously planned pogroms in Southern Israel on October 7, 2023, followed by the abduction of hundreds of innocents. The hostages were condemned to terrorist captivity, where they endured physical … Read more
AT A wedding reception I attended recently, the mother of the bride, tired but happy, rose to offer a toast. I was struck by one point she went out of her way to emphasize — namely, how overjoyed she was that the guests who had flown in from out of town included not just her … Read more
The portion that Americans spend on food has fallen steeply over the last century. Let’s set aside the controversy over what Walmart’s shrinkflation of its annual Thanksgiving feast bundle might suggest for the recent trajectory of grocery prices. The good news for which we can be thankful is that the share of their incomes that … Read more
Over the weekend, The Lepanto Institute received a tip that the Joseph and Mary Home, a project of the Sisters of Charity Health System, hired an “abortion rights” activist to be the new executive director of the organization. The person who submitted the tip also emailed the Sisters of Charity, Marisa Rohn (the interim executive … Read more
Senator Ted Cruz is trying to wake people up to what he sees as a growing crisis on the right. He has taken to saying that if he were to post “Good morning” on the social media platform X, within minutes he would be deluged by hundreds of blatantly antisemitic replies. It’s not much of … Read more
On college campuses and on the liberal side of the political nexus, support for non-violent opposition to Israel gave way to support for Oct 7 and the violent mass murder of Jews. After being initially greeted with polite revulsion, the terrorist side, including Zohran Mamdani, won the argument with the moral pragmatism of genocide lies. … Read more
… you rarely (if ever) hear the following phrases. “Party like it’s A.D. 1570!” “We should sing more plainchant at this parish.” “I’d like to thank the choir for their sublime rendition of the Mass For Five Voices by William Byrd.” “I just love the way the four torchbearers process in with such dignity.” “People … Read more
I Left Catholicism Because of Church Scandals… Also see “Letter to a Suffering Church: A Bishop Speaks on the Sexual Abuse Crisis,” by Bishop Robert Barron (161-page PDF) Related PostsWhy Did St. Paul Get Arrested at Philippi? Love How a Kansas humanities program shaped a generation of Catholic leaders These 60-Somethings Unexpectedly Found … Read more
Let’s look at the bishops’ statement on US immigration policy from a completely different angle. Forget the arguments for and against unrestricted immigration, for and against the Trump administration’s crackdown. Instead ask this question: Why are the bishops making any statement at all? We can all agree, regardless of our political perspectives, that the immigration … Read more
If only they had been illegal aliens in Mexico. Pope Leo has no problem speaking forthrightly when it’s an issue that he really cares about, like global warming or illegal aliens. “We must pray for the conversion of many people, inside and outside of the church, who still do not recognize the urgency of caring … Read more
There I was last week, standing on the rooftop of the AISH Institute for Women’s Education, flour dusting my blue apron, watching dozens of young women with their hands kneading dough. The Jerusalem skyline stretched out behind us like God’s own backdrop for our first-ever challah bake at the new seminary in the heart of … Read more
For many Americans, the issue of greatest salience has nothing to do with the Middle East, the groyper menace, or Jeffrey Epstein. Rather, it has to do with the reasonable concern that they soon won’t be able to afford the life they’re currently living. The University of Michigan’s Index of Consumer Sentiment is at its … Read more
It wasn’t 1985 anymore, and he wasn’t in Bedford Falls. It was 2016: Barack Obama sat in the White House as the most pro-abortion president in history, and same-sex marriage had become legal in every state. In just three years as pontiff, Pope Francis had unsettled the hearts of millions of faithful Catholics with a … Read more
Average family health insurance premiums rose 6% in 2025, nearing $27,000, underscoring consistent increases and warning of more hikes ahead. Higher healthcare spending, including increased hospital and drug prices, is driving up the cost of coverage, according to an annual survey from the nonprofit KFF. For most American families, $27,000 is a lot of money. … Read more
A gold bar and a Rolex—where have I heard that story before? Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey accepted bribes in the form of gold bars and received photos of watches he might fancy from his benefactors: “How about one of those?” one message read. Subtle! Rolex watches are a particularly popular currency of bribery: … Read more
The much-discussed Tucker Carlson interview of the Holocaust-denying, Hitler-admiring, white-nationalist, anti-liberal MAGA influencer Nick Fuentes has brought some of the online cesspool into mainstream discussion, exposing a potential fault line in the project to build the political right’s post-Trump future. For the right, the only way out of the awful ugliness in some of its … Read more
Giving to a charity can be a rewarding experience for all involved. But before you open your wallet, you need to do your due diligence on the charity you plan to support. One thing the best charities all have in common is that they make it easy for you to see where your contributions are … Read more
In the last few years, the number of cigarettes sold in the United States plummeted by roughly one-third, from almost 204 billion in 2020 to 138 billion in 2024. The share of American adults who smoke has been falling for decades and is at or near an all-time low. And yet the tobacco industry is … Read more
When Should You Drop Full Coverage? There are many factors to consider before dropping coverage other than liability from your auto insurance. For one, if you’re leasing or still paying on a car you financed, then you’ll likely be required to have full coverage. Another thing to consider is how much financial protection you want … Read more
After years of extensive research, designers were finally able to come up with a way to make vehicle headlights so bright that they would cause permanent, radioactive damage to the eyes of oncoming drivers. “These babies will blast you right straight in your retinas,” spokesperson Dale McMillan said. “You’ll be seeing them when you blink … Read more
Money expert Clark Howard believes in protecting consumers, educating people on practical financial matters and repeating himself to make key points memorable. If you listen to his podcast, you’ve heard him rail against Zelle. You may have heard him discuss why he generally doesn’t like payment apps. Some apps do a better job of protecting … Read more