Monday, October 26, 2026
Starting the Lunacy
Forty years ago, there were no lawsuits over hot coffee. Such claims were tossed out long before a jury was selected because judges acted as gatekeepers. Today, judges are reluctant to take on this role; they act more like referees. Any claims that can make it over a low threshold of conceivability can go before a jury.
- Philip K. Howard, "Put the Judges Back in Justice, New York Times editorial page, 4/3/95.
What Would You Have Told Pontius Pilate?
On the surface, Pilate's Magician is about a Roman lawyer's review of the most famous trial in the history of the world.
In reality, it is about much more.
Check out the sample on Amazon.
First Paragraph
The grocery store on Uhuru Avenue (formerly Queensway) was owned by Sam Fong, a Chinese immigrant. They called him an immigrant; actually he had lived in East Africa longer than the Prime Minister, who was an African. But to be a Chinaman in a country of seven million Africans is not easy: you stand out; the East cannot save you; you remain a visible immigrant all your born days and so do your children, and so do theirs.
- From Fong and the Indians by Paul Theroux
Sunday, October 25, 2026
Saturday, October 24, 2026
"They shall not pass."
My Substack column: "France Is in an Early Battle for Western Civilization."
[Photo by Pierre-Louis Mièze at Unsplash]
Part of Last Night and This Morning
In addition to preparing several drafts of a Substack essay, there was the surprisingly enjoyable chore of going through several years of The New Criterion and ripping out articles I want to save.
There were quite a few.
It's a great publication.
Friday, October 23, 2026
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