Culture

A young figure looks up the stairs in a shadowy building

Don’t allow the trans movement to undermine good parenting.

By Justin Katz | October 6, 2023 |

As public figures establish new norms in keeping with the fashionable ideology of the trans movement, parents have to recall their primary responsibility, even if it means the discomfort of suggesting other parents are wrong.

A water drop and ripples

There’s a great retro-80s movie plot in this.

By Justin Katz | October 2, 2023 |

Underdog sports team hires a beautiful and pop star with a surprising soft side to pretend to date one of its players to boost its ratings, and they wind up falling in love.

The Independent Man facepalms

Politics This Week: Looters in and out of Government

By Justin Katz | September 18, 2023 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz review the political talk of the week.

Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence march in Washington, D.C. in 1993

The Dodgers’ disinvitation of a queer anti-Catholic hate group clarifies the cultural stakes.

By Justin Katz | May 19, 2023 |

Presentation of an anti-Catholic hate group as a charity, sartorial evangelism after a school shooting, and taxpayer-funded abortions are warnings of a tightening totalitarian grip on the United States.

Crazy Eggs

We can pay attention now or find out how many bodies it takes to break a narrative.

By Justin Katz | May 17, 2023 |

An entirely plausible interpretation of events sounds crazy, suggesting we all have an interest in pushing back and enforcing accountability for those who’ve brought us to this point.

Digital eye made of numbers.

Catching Up with Rhode Island Misadventures

By John Loughlin | May 13, 2023 |

John Loughlin talks various Rhode Island controversies with his guests.

Arms hold an anchor above the water

“Pay equity” mandates are another weight dragging down the Ocean State.

By Justin Katz | May 9, 2023 |

Clearing out some old links reminded me that Rhode Island’s “pay equity” statute goes into effect this year, as Jack Kelly wrote in Forbes in late 2021.  While generally supportive of the legislation, Kelly did acknowledge the potential for “unintended consequences”: According to Joshua Nadreau, a partner in the Boston office of the labor and employment…

A sleeping giant as an island

Politics This Week: Fraud from Voting to Pandemics

By Justin Katz | May 8, 2023 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz explore the falsehood that govern Rhode Island politics.

Lighthouse on Goat Island at sunset with Newport Bridge in the background.

Newport’s character and cost is a matter of choice.

By Justin Katz | April 28, 2023 |

Artsy people’s complaining about gauche wealth-culture is nothing new, but something about this complaint by progressive podcaster and musician Bill Bartholomew struck me as oblivious of the obvious: Working late on Friday to frame out a roof on Ocean Drive 15 years ago, while watching BMWs roll by, I had similar thoughts.  But I also…

A water drop and ripples

Maybe Stephen King started it with his approach to villain-picking.

By Justin Katz | April 27, 2023 |

As an undergrad, back when the Internet was still brand new, I decompressed by reading through Stephen King books borrowed from the Carnegie Mellon library and noticed something.  One of his recurring techniques was to imagine the familiar as the monster.  Cujo was a dog.  Christine was a cool car.  Firestarter was a little girl.  The title…