“I mean by the phrase “the unbought grace of life” those intricate and subtle and delicate elements in the culture of the mind and in the constitution of society which are produced by a continuing tradition of prescriptive establishments, reflective leisure, and political order. I mean also the sense of duty, the feeling of honor, the concept of ordination and subordination, and the adherence to the classical definition of justice which grow out of the spirit of a gentleman. I mean all those super added ideas furnished from the wardrobe of a moral imagination. I mean the wife of imagination, harmony and generosity which sometimes flourishes in those societies commonly called “aristocratic.” More than this, I can hardly express lucidly, except by describing particular examples of this high grace, the meaning of “the unbought grace of life.” I do not say that this complex of sentiments and traditions, which Burke calls the spirit of a gentleman, is the only pillar of civilization. As Burke himself declares, the spirit of religion is the other great source and support of our social establishments and our culture. But the spirit of religion still retains many able defenders, and the spirit of a gentleman has few; therefore I am confining my remarks here to the unbought grace of life, as distinguished from that elevation of spirit which is the effect of religious belief. I do not think that the on bot grace of life, or the spirit of a gentleman, could subsist indefinitely without the animating power of religion; but, with Burke, I do not think that religious establishments, as we have known them for 1000 years and more, could endure along in a society which had discarded the last traces of the unbought grace of life.… Where ever the unbought grace of life withers, the church as a living force is much diminished, if not extirpated; and were ever religious establishments are broken or derided, the spirit of the gentleman has short shrift.”

–Russell Amos Kirk, “The Unbought Grace of Life,” Northern Review 7 (October-November 1954): 9-22.

The end result will be a Mac that, in the 2020s, will be a bit more like the Mac of the 1980s—running Apple-only software on a processor architecture nobody else is using. The difference between now and the 1980s is the mobile revolution that has made developing for Apple’s devices more popular than ever and has also discouraged the creation of software and services that can only run on a single platform like Windows back in the day. In the 2020s, Apple can go it alone—and still play nice with others. You couldn’t write a better recipe for Apple, and the Mac, to succeed.
— Read on www.macworld.com/article/3403344/the-mac-no-longer-needs-compatibility-to-thrive.html

While in print, Babbitt might appear stuffy to those who did not know him, even a few moments in his company would dismiss the pervasive criticisms as ludicrous. A huge bear of a man, Babbitt, the son of an infamous New-Age shyster (he sold crystals to be used as determinants of a baby’s sex while in utero), had lived with a somewhat tame gang in New York as well as in Wyoming as a ranch hand and cowboy. At the same time that Theodore Roosevelt and Owen Wister were falling in love with the American West, Babbitt found himself smitten with rattlesnake hunting. As a friend remembered, Babbitt would amuse “himself by pulling a retiring rattlesnake out of its hole by the tail and whirling it around his head.”[4] A health fanatic, Babbitt once found himself tackled by the Paris police late at night. He had gone for a run, but the Paris police assumed him a criminal. Who else would dash through the streets of that fair city at midnight? Further, he often held office hours with his Harvard students while taking his daily walks and runs. “One who wished to talk with him extensively had to walk with him extensively; thus he economized his time, killing two birds with one stone. Often I felt like one bird killed with two stones: physically and mentally exhausted I would totter home after parting from him, wondering whether I should be able three or four days later to keep our appointment for what he termed, euphemistically, ‘another little walk together.’ “[5] Babbitt usually walked or ran—at any time of day or night—two to three hours daily.[6]
— Read on theimaginativeconservative.org/2019/06/remembering-irving-babbitt-bradley-birzer.html

 “For the last half century David Gilmour’s guitar work has become part of the sound track in our collected popular culture,” said Keane. “His solos, both lyrical and layered with color, are immediately identifiable to critics and pop music fans as readily as the brushstrokes of Monet’s water lilies are to art historians. These instruments are unique in that they are the physical embodiment of David Gilmour’s signature sound throughout his over 50-year career. Like palette and brush, they are the tools of the trade for an iconic rock guitarist.”
— Read on www.forbes.com/

Just as these three questions hung over Dickinson’s initial draft, three things must be noted about the final version. First, as to each question asked, state sovereignty won. The delegates from each state even went so far as to refer to the delegates from another state as an “embassy.” Second, while the states had individually argued over the power given to each state in each state’s own constitutional convention, almost no one argued for the federal government to have much power during the debates over the Articles. As historian Gordon Wood has explained: “Yet in marked contrast to the rich and exciting public explorations of political theory accompanying the formation of the state constitutions, there was little discussion of the plans for a central government. Whatever feelings of American nationalism existed in 1776, they paled before people’s loyalties to their separate states.”*  Third, the signers of the Articles represented an incredibly impressive array of revolutionary talent, including Sam Adams, Daniel Carroll, Elbridge Gerry, John Hancock, Henry Laurens, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas McKean, Gouverneur Morris, Robert Morris, Roger Sherman, and John Witherspoon.
— Read on theimaginativeconservative.org/2019/06/three-cheers-articles-confederation-bradley-birzer-timeless.html

McGoohan hated guns and was demanded that Drake would seduce no one. This could seem fuddy-duddy (McGoohan was quite Catholic), but maybe he was reaching for something more thoughtful, less escapist. On The Prisoner, when he walks away from his spy agency, it could also be a retirement from cheap escapism, an attempt to leave the binary world of Us Vs. Them. Fifty years later, seemingly every Bond movie is about Bond going rogue, though only a violent-sexy kind of rogue, kiss kiss bang bang.
— Read on ew.com/tv/2017/09/29/the-prisoner-50/

The second edition of the game will feature all new art, as well as stunning new maps created by renowned cartographer Jared Blando. Players can choose from 11 Cultures and 6 Callings from across Middle-earth to create their Company and their journeys will see them play a crucial role in the events leading up to The War of the Ring. This edition also features a set of updated and streamlined rules, developed from years of players’ feedback and design development, and implemented by renowned designer Francesco Nepitello.

Those who have been with us since the beginning will be happy to learn that all previously released material for The One Ring will be usable with the second edition, with only minor adjustments.
— Read on www.cubicle7games.com/cubicle-7-announces-the-one-ring-second-edition/

Our standard textbooks, sadly, tell a false story. Not only do they claim “religious freedom” from the beginning of colonial settlement, but they also attempt to do so by identifying each colony as a place of refuge for a particular denomination. New England for the Puritans (Calvinists), Pennsylvania for the Quakers, Maryland for the Catholics, Virginia for the Anglicans, etc. What our textbooks fail to note, however, is that these colonies which might very well offer complete religious freedom to one denomination rarely do the same for competitor denominations. Virginia, for example, encouraged the members of the Church of England to the nth degree, but they persecuted Calvinists, Baptists, and any other dissenters. New England despised Catholics, but they hated the Baptists even more.
— Read on theimaginativeconservative.org/2019/06/americas-uneven-legacy-religious-freedom-bradley-birzer.html

Two things in particular surprised me about this movie, striking me in different ways.  First, it is genuinely funny.  There were several times where I had to stop myself from laughing at the shenanigans in the film, especially when the Turtles find their way into the Batcave.  Some of the best gags from the comic make their way over to the movie (my personal favorite being Mikey’s wipe-board presentation on why Batman may and may not be a cool dude), and there are tons of little throwaway lines that have a great payoff.  Have you ever wondered why Gotham has so many blimps flying around?  Rest assured, the Turtles do too, and they find out their purpose in one of the movie’s best jokes.

Batman also has some fun in the movie, as he’s presented as terse and gruff, but not without a sense of humor.  It’s refreshing to see a Batman who isn’t a jerk and lets the sillier personalities of the Turtles win him over.  Sure, he’s not cracking wise alongside them, but he doesn’t treat them like they’re idiots for being goofballs either.  In fact, he shows each of his allies great respect in different ways, from Batgirl to Robin to each of the four Turtles.  Like I said, it’s nice to see Batman value and cherish the presence of others in his war on crime, and even more to see him relate to them on a personal level.
— Read on batman-news.com/2019/06/07/batman-vs-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-review/

THIS MONTH MOJO EMBARKS on a voyage of rediscovery among THE 50 GREATEST PINK FLOYD SONGS – a celebration of their works from Walk With Me Sydney to The Endless River and all points between. Meanwhile, we have an exclusive interview with Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets, the Floyd drummer’s unexpected live reincarnation of the Syd Barrett-era band.
— Read on www.mojo4music.com/articles/mojo-296-july-2018-pink-floyd-50