August 31, 2015

CathCon Daily - 831/2015 (Extra)

The concept of building a country of “equals” is in violation to the laws of nature. Man is a product of nature, and by following the laws of the physical world about us, man has become the greatest and most powerful force on Earth. As I have stated on occasion, “Social equality is against nature. Economic equality is against nature. The idea of equality is subversive of order." - Edmund Burke

Is Catholicism Compatible with the American Experiment? - Samuel Gregg, The Stream

The Border Hoppers Liberals Don’t Love - Joy Pullmann, The Federalist

Wal-Mart Cuts Some Workers’ Hours - Shannon Pettypiece, Bloomberg

The Unreal, Unhealthy World Kids Can See Online - Denyse O'Leary, Stream

The Unexpected Conservative: Henry David Thoreau - John Inzero, Intercollegiate Review

George Will's Cultural Death Wish - Wesley J. Smith, NRO

What Natalie Portman Gets Right And Wrong About Jews - Melissa Braunstein, The Federalist

Marco Rubio vs. Aristotle? - Peter Augustine Lawler, Liberty Law Blog

What The Left And Right Don’t Get About Campus Rape - Mona Charen, The Federalist

The Great Job-Creating Machine - Chelsea German, Cato

Varieties of Atheism - Erasmus, The Economist

How Democrats Stifle Labor Markets - Richard Epstein, Hoover

Doctors Will Be the Scapegoats - Justin Haskins, Human Events

Trump, Taxes and the G.O.P. - Ross Douthat, NYT

The Democratic Dearth of Competence - Leon Wolf, Red State

Opposing Sentencing Reform - William Otis, NRO


CathCon Daily - 8/31/2015

Equality in the sight of God, equality before the law, security in the possession of what is properly one’s own, participation in the common activities and consolations of society—these are the true natural rights. The presumptuous demands of Rousseau, Condorcet, Helvetius, and Paine for absolute liberties and prerogatives which no state in history ever has been able to accord are the very reverse of natural justice; they are unnatural because impious, “the result of a selfish temper, and confined views.” In the political sphere, these claims are absurd, for the exercise of any right must be circumscribed and modified to suit particular conditions. - Russell Kirk

Restoring Religious Liberty, Reviving Political Liberty - James Stoner, Nomocracy in Politics

Senators Set to Announce Deal to Reduce Prison Population - Josh Siegel, Daily Signal

What’s Driving the Marriage Divide? - Rachel Sheffield, Public Discourse

A Brief Note to Pope Francis on America - Robert Royal, Catholic Thing

The Virtues of Arrogance - Bruce Frohnen, Imaginative Conservative

‘Et tu, Brute?’ - James V. Schall, University Bookman

I'll Write 'Til I'm Right with God - O. Alan Noble, First Things

Economic Progress is More Effective than Protests - Joel Kotkin, New Geography

Donald Trump, Traitor to His Class - Ross Douthat, NYT

The Beginning of the End - Erick Erickson, Red State

A Court Smacks Down Obama’s DOJ - Adams & Spakovsky, NRO

There is No Equivalence - Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, Crisis

How Much Should the US Spend on Defense? - Justin Johnson, Daily Signal

The Joy of the Gospel and the Gospel of Life - Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, First Things


August 30, 2015

August 29, 2015

CathCon Daily - 8/29/2015 (Weekend Edition)

Transhumanism, the Imago Dei and Hollywood - Steven Greydanus, N.C. Register

Catacomb Time? - George Weigel, Catholic World Report

We Need a New Republican Party - Conrad Close, Red State

Resetting New York’s Economy - Aaron M. Renn, City Journal

John Goldberg on Helmholz, Natural Law in Court - Michael Moreland, Mirror of Justice

The Bipartisan Support for Prohibition - Andrew Syrios, Mises

Gore Vidal: The Man and the Writer - Ron Capshaw, NRO

Uber: I Have Seen the Future and It Works - Mike Rappaport, Liberty Law Blog

The Unreasonableness of Secular Public Reason - Matthew J. Franck, Public Discourse

God and the American Experiment - David Paul Deavel, Real Clear Books

On Health Care, Walker and Rubio Offer ObamaCare-Lite - Michael Cannon, Cato

Seized - Justin Torres, City Journal

Should NSA Be Immune from Constitutional Scrutiny? - Julian Sanchez, Cato

No Excuse for Sanctuary Cities - Hans von Spakovsky, Daily Signal

No More Double Standards for Women in the Military - Amber Smith, Daily Signal

Obergefell Decision...Triumph of the Therapeutic - Thaddeus Kozinski, Imaginative Conservative

Irving Babbitt: Against Romanticism - Milton Hindus, Imaginative Conservative

When Stocks Drop, California Suffers - Bill Watkins, New Geography

A Misleading Story About Justice Thomas - Orin Kerr, Volokh

Comedian on Political Correctness - Oliver Darcy, The Blaze


August 28, 2015

CathCon Daily - 8/28/2015 (Extra)

Denver Corruptocrats' Chick-fil-A Smokescreen - Michelle Malkin, Human Events

Thomas is Similar to his Colleagues - Charles C.W. Cooke, NRO

A New Academic Year Brings... - John Rosenberg, NRO

Hillary is Deleting Herself - Mark Steyn, Steyn Online

Democrats Launch Attack on Crisis Pregnancy Centers - Jeryl Bier, Weekly Standard

Brad Thor Hits Trump with $100k Debate Challenge - Jason Howerton, The Blaze

MSNBC Panel Excoriates Hillary - Jason Howerton, The Blaze

Defund Progressivism - Laura Hollis, Townhall.com

Rain on EPA’s Parade - Andrew Grossman, Cato

Obama Administration Declares War on Franchisors and Subcontractors - Walter Olson, Cato

Clinton Grows Increasingly Shrill - Noah Rothman, Commentary

Why Colleges Churn Out Poor Writers - George Leef, Pope Center

U.S. Euthanasia Steams Towards 'Anything Goes' - Wesley J. Smith, NRO

The Hypocrisy of the 'Culture Kills Crowd' - Charles C.W. Cooke, NRO

Shock Video of Beating for Being in the Wrong 'Hood' - Jason Howerton, The Blaze


CathCon Daily - 8/28/2015

This Pope Does Not “Do” Doctrine - Dr. William Oddie, Crisis

Imperfect Goodbyes and the Hope of Resurrection - Wesley Hill, First Things

Our Lady of Reality - Anthony Esolen, The Catholic Thing

The Late, Great Stephen Colbert - Joel Lovell, GQ

"Agape, Gift, and Intellectual Property" - Thomas Berg, Mirror of Justice

Our Workers Don’t Deserve Higher Wages - Jason Richwine, NRO

There Is No Such Thing as "Settled Public Policy" - Ryan McMaken, Mises

Why did the Virginia Shooter Do It? - Jim Geraghty, NRO

Without God, Everything is Permissible - Donald McClarey, American Catholic

Ben Carson, Marriage Champion - Maggie Gallagher, NRO

Republican Party, R.I.P. (1854 – 2016) - Erick Erickson, Red State

The Next War on Religious Freedom - David Harsanyi, NRO

St. Theodore the Studite, and the “Synod of Adultery” - Roberto de Mattei, Rorate Caeli

The College Orientation Talk You'll Never Hear - Daniel McInerny, The Catholic Thing

The Nation's Worst Attorney Generals - Hans Bader, CEI

Stop Targeting Immigrants To Gain Cheap Political Points - Garza & Meacham, The Federalist

Want To Save The Arts? Support Capitalism - Joseph Sunde, The Federalist

The Hugo Awards and the Nihilism of the Cultural Left - Robert Tracinski, The Federalist

The Best Translation of "The Confessions?" - Fr. Z


August 27, 2015

CathCon Daily - 8/27/2015 (Extra)

A Time to Kill - Tyler Blanski, Crisis

The Pointless Campaign to Save Marriage - Stephen Baskerville, Crisis

New York Time's Sleight of Hand - Charles C.W. Cooke, NRO

The Police and Deadly Force - Jason Lee Steorts, NRO

Every Regime Gets the Lie it Deserves - Michael Greve, Liberty Law Blog

Risk, Liberty, Drugs - Patrick Lynch, Liberty Law Blog

10 Key Ways to Break the Mass Delusion Machine - Stella Morabito, The Federalist

What Malcolm Gladwell Gets Wrong About Poverty - Robert Doar, The Federalist

Sister-Wives Invoke Gay Marriage Ruling in Polygamy Fight - Billy Hallowell, The Blaze

Gun Control Advocates Need Better Arguments - David Harsanyi, The Federalist

The GOP Field that Failed - Rich Lowry, Politico

Epileptic Woman's Dog Warns of Seizures - Liz Klimas, The Blaze

When Society Isn't to Blame - Noah Rothman, Commentary

Catholic Exceptions and Catholic Rules - Ross Douthat, NYT

Forgiveness in the Age of Selfie Murder - Ben Domenech, The Federalist


CathCon Daily - 8/27/2015

Obama's Political 2 for 1 - David French, NRO

The Government's Affordable Housing Game - John Ligon, Daily Signal

The Feminist War on Family Science - Scott Yenor, Daily Signal

We Will Not Legislate Away Evil - Erick Erickson, Red State

The Fall of Mann - Mark Steyn, SteynOnline

More Ominous Statistics for Higher Ed Industry - American Interest

Good Faith and Justice Toward All Nations - Anthony William Hay, Nomocracy in Politics

Secret Admiration for Trump - James Lileks, NRO

What Is Obama’s Top Population-Control Freak Hiding? - Michelle Malkin, Human Events

The Socialist Dream Will Never Die - Stephen Hayward, Powerline

Adoption, Abortion, and Hope - J.D. Flynn, First Things

Dieting - Russell Saltzman, First Things

A Scandal-Plagued Administration - Noah Rothman, Commentary

Donald Trump’s Assault on Reason - Peter Wehner, Commentary

Fewer Taxes, More Scientists - Steven Malanga, City Journal

Extreme Poverty's End in Sight - Chelsea German, Cato

Briefly Leaving Kid Alone In Car May Not Constitute Abuse - Walter Olson, Cato


August 26, 2015

CathCon Daily - 8/26/2015 (Extra)

The Problem with Pews - Fr. George Rutler, Crisis

The Conservative Case Against Capitalism - Michael Brendan Dougherty, The Week

Further Thoughts on the Ramos Flap - Leon Wolf, Red State

The Right to Pay for Your Own Lawyer - Shapiro & Latner, Cato

Culture is in the Grits - John Horvat II, Intercollegiate Review

Who Said It? - Roger Clegg, NRO

America's First Social Media Murder - Charles C.W. Cooke, NRO

"Life" and "Pregnancy," Different Concepts - Wesley Smith, NRO

Can Virtue Heal the American Right? - Rachel Lu, Public Discourse

Culture Is in the Grits - John Horvat II, Intercollegiate Review




CathCon Daily - 8/26/2015

It will be found that every attack upon religion, or upon characteristic ideas inherited from religion, when its assumptions are laid bare, turns out to be an attack upon mind. - Richard Weaver

The International Catholic University Solution - Randall Smith, The Catholic Thing

Urbanists Missing Strategy Gene - Aaron M. Renn, New Geography

The Awesome, Terrible Majesty of a Donald Trump Press Conference - Leon Wolf, Red State

How Art Became Irrelevant - Michael J. Lewis, Commentary

Houston U’s President Cashes Million-Dollar Paycheck - Tori Richards, Human Events

The Struggle for Economic Liberty - Walter Williams, Human Events

Obesity and Health Care Costs Continue to Rise Under Obamacare - Justin Haskins, Human Events

Hypocrisy of Liberal Outrage - Jonah Goldberg, NRO

Trump was Right to Kick Ramos Out - Charles C.W. Cooke, NRO

Trump kicks Jorge Ramos Out - Allahpundit, Hot Air

Against Reform - Bruce Frohnen, Nomocracy in Politics

Less Dangerous Populists - John O. McGinnis, Liberty Law Blog

StemExpress: ‘Socially Liberal’ Sister’s Job With Boehner - Mollie Hemingway, Federalist

Our Collective Responsibility to Protect the Unborn - Matthew Hennessey, Crisis

Ramos Makes the Immigration Debate Angry and Bitter, Too - Jim Geraghty, NRO

Rich Man, Poor Man: No Insults Allowed - Theodore Dalrymple, Liberty Law Blog

Don’t Blame Tinder For Unsatisfying ‘Selfie Sex’ - Anna Sargent, The Federalist

Hey, Let’s Shut Down Businesses That Oppose Gay Marriage - David Harsanyi, The Federalist

Elizabeth Warren Is Totally Wrong About Planned Parenthood - Josiah Peterson, The Federalist

Humanism: The Corruption of a Word - Bradley Birzer, The Federalist

Income Inequality And Poverty Aren’t The Same Thing - Joe Carter, Acton

What Passes for Scholarship These Days - William Sousa, City Journal

Can Ashley Madison ‘Victims’ Sue? - Andrew Kloster, Daily Signal

Can we ask God to strike down enemies? - Fr. Z's Blog

American's United Misguided Attacks - Richard Garnett, Mirror of Justice

The Real Problem at St. Pauls - David French, NRO

Regnerus on Ashley Madison - Kathryn Lopez, NRO




August 25, 2015

CathCon Daily - 8/25/2015 (Extra)

NYT on Abortion and Down Syndrome - Rick Garnett, Mirror of Justice

Human Dignity in a World of Abortion Clinics - Russell Moore

Regulatory Incompetence (and King v. Burwell) Could Save the Nuns - Shapiro & Blackman, Cato

The 14th Amendment: Birthright For Whom? - Richard Samuelson, The Federalist

The Original Understanding Of The 14th Amendment - James Ho, The Federalist

Conservationism and Conservatives - Benjamin Harnwell, N.C. Register

Colbert, Tolkien, Newman, and the Providence of God - Fr. Robert Barron, N.C. Register

NYT Spins Racial Discord with Bad Evidence - American Interest

Is Polyamory Next? - Robert P. George, American Interest

North Dakota's Governor's Retirement... -  Moe Lane, Red State

Do We Want a Redeemed Constitution? - Richard Reinsch, Liberty Law Blog

Certification Instead of Regulation - Mike Rappaport, Liberty Law Blog

Child Beheading Teddy Bear? - Michael Rubin, AEI

Why Pro-Abortion Men Are Anti-Woman - Stella Morabito, The Federalist

Things Conservatives Should Know About the Stock Market Turmoil - Terry Miller, Daily Signal

How Much is Too Much? - George Leef, NRO


CathCon Daily - 8/25/2015

Equality as a moral or political imperative, pursued as an end in itself-Equality, with the capital “E”-is the antonym of every legitimate conservative principle. - M.E. Bradford

Shareholder Activists’ War on Science - Bruce Walter, Acton

What is the Moral Difference Between Taxation and Charity? - Joe Carter, Acton

Frightened by "Dignity" - Hadley Arkes, The Catholic Thing

The Hypocrisy of Denver’s War on Chick-fil-A - Katrina Trinko, Daily Signal

The BRICs Hit the Wall - Guy Sorman, City Journal

Obama Pushes Billions in Green Executives Actions - Fred Lucas, The Blaze

StemExpress CEO at Center of Planned Parenthood Scandal - Anne Hendershott, Crisis

The Truth About Campaign Finance Reform - Richard Epstein, Hoover

Sorting the Candidates - Thomas Sowell, Human Events

The Democrats: Too Old and Too White? - VD Hanson, NRO

Hillary Clinton’s Sycophantic Inner Circle - Brendan Bordelon, NRO

The Stock Market Isn’t the Problem - Kevin D. Williamson, NRO

Black Lives Matter Cries Foul at Blue Lives Matter Ballpark Event - Rod Kackley, PJ Media

Guns Laws and Pokemon - Joe Cunningham, Red State

Liberal Education and American Democracy - George Thomas, American Interest

Is Our Curation Bad? - Gracy Olmstead, American Conservative

The Natural Law - J. Budziszewski, The Catholic Thing

Better Teachers and Student Performance - Jason Richwine, NRO

To the Lady Ashamed Having Her Fourth Child - Sylvia Bass, HuffPo

Philosophy Lives - John Haldane, First Things

What Keeps Us From Praying? - Dan Burke, N.C. Register


August 24, 2015

CathCon Daily - 8/24/2015 (Extra)

Americans Say America Is Not Divided into “Haves” and “Have Nots” - Emily Ekins, Cato

Americans Have More than They Realize - Chelsea German, Cato

Can You Defend Religious Liberty and Gay Rights? - Jonathan Tobin, Commentary

What Role Does Charity Have in the Workplace? - Stephen McLean, Intercollegiate Review

The Regulatory State: A Modest Reform Proposal - Michael Greve, Liberty Law Blog

Complementarity: Lessons from the Adams Family - Susan Hanssen, Public Discourse

Media Support for Forcing Doctors to Kill- Wesley Smith, NRO

The “Slaves of the State” - Randal John Meyer, Cato

The Market Crash and the Wounded Populist’s Moment - Noah Rothman, Commentary

Buckley vs. Vidal - David Bahr, Weekly Standard

How Google Can Rig Everything in Washington, D.C. - Seton Motley, Human Events

How Should Sexual Assault Be Managed on Campus? - Andrew Kloster, Human Events

Federal Agency Stopped...Football Players From Unionizing - Andrew Kloster, Human Events


CathCon Daily - 8/24/2015

What is the Vocation of the Language Teacher? - E. Christian Kopff, Imaginative Conservative

A Terrible Beauty - Michael Warren Davis, University Bookman

Dozens of North Korean Subs Have Left Their Bases - Jim Hoft, Gateway Pundit

Why Same-Sex Marriage Will Never Measure Up - Siggins & Flynn, The Federalist

Die Soon - Liberals Waiting for your Organs - Jim Hoft, Gateway Pundit

Millions Late on Student Loan Repayments - American Interest

Birthright Citizenship and the American Caste Temptation - Peter Spiliakos, NRO

The Presidential Race and in Higher Education - Peter Lawler, NRO

Opposition to Capitalism, Even From a Pope, Hurts the Poor - Michael Rubin, Commentary

Evidence Shortage for Teacher Shortage - Andrew Coulson, Cato

The Challenge of the Digital City - Charlie Stephens, New Geography

Introducing Drugstore Wine, A New Video Series - Editors, The Federalist

Resisting Delusions - John Lyon, University Bookman

Falling in Love with Social Democracy - Fred Baumann, Nomocracy in Politics

Federal Meddling in School Discipline - Paul Peterson, NRO

The Pope's Visit - William Doino, Jr., First Things

When a Man Calls Himself a Chicken - Sean Fitzpatrick, Crisis

Reflections Inspired by the Courage Conference in Detroit - Rachel Lu, Crisis

Why The #WaronNerds Is A War on Art - Mytheos Holt, The Federalist

I Wear Pants to the Office - Rich Cromwell, The Federalist


August 23, 2015

PSA: Correlation and Causation

      I have been musing on the terms "correlation" and "causation." These two are often confused (ignorantly or deliberately) during the use of statistics for political ends. Let's look at an example. The below is a chart illustrating statistics comparing "Employment Rate" and "Employment Subsidies," seeming to indicate that "the more money spent on employment subsidies (expenditures on child care, preschool, and elder care), the higher the employment rate in a given country."


      Now, the way the chart is set up, it seems to indicate that, if a country spends more on certain social welfare projects, it will experience a higher employment rate as a result. However, the chart itself notes that "spending on child care, preschool and elder care correlates with higher proportions of adults working" (emphasis added). However, it does not indicate that they are necessarily related in any way other than happening to experience similar trends

      Wikipedia has a decent illustration of the relationship between two events:
  1. A causes B; (direct causation)
  2. B causes A; (reverse causation)
  3. A and B are consequences of a common cause, but do not cause each other;
  4. A causes B and B causes A (bidirectional or cyclic causation);
  5. A causes C which causes B (indirect causation);
  6. There is no connection between A and B; the correlation is a coincidence.
      So, while some people take the chart above to be an example of 1, it may be an example of 2 (higher employment rates equal more public spending on social welfare), 3 (some other force in society drives up both employment rates and spending), 4 (increases in one causes increases in the other, and vice-versa), 5 (increased spending causes more need of workers in social welfare industries, driving up employment), or 6 (the two happen to rise together at this point in time, but are entirely unrelated). Obviously, there can be gradations here, such that small amounts of spending indicate large amounts of job creation, but that is a difference of degree of causation. 

      One statistician (and soon to be lawyer?), Tyler Vigen, created a website - Spurious Correlations - that indicates the problems with automatically substituting causation for correlation. Some of his more interesting creations include:

      U.S. Spending on Science, Space, and Technology correlates with Suicides by Hanging, Strangling, and Suffocation:


or more fun: Sunlight in Indiana correlates with Visits to Universal Orlando Universal Studios:


      Mr. Vigen includes a generator (wherein I created the lower chart) where you can make your own correlative comparisons...such as the following, which is a nearly perfect correlation...but who among you will claim the two are causally related?



      So, when viewing claims by politicians, interest groups, neighbors, friends, random statisticians, economists, etc., it is always wise to read the chart carefully, and to read the description of the chart and the language of the proponent and ensure that you ask how and why the two correlate. If the answer is, "The data does not lie," without more, then you are being asked to fill in the causal mechanism using your own preferences and prejudices, replacing the work of science and mathematics that must go on to prove true causation.

CathCon Daily - 8/23/2015 (Weekend Extra)

Donald Trump and Eminent Domain - Leon Wolf, Red State

At the Movies with Bobby J. - Jay Nordlinger, NRO

Denver Council Takes Aim at Chick-Fil-A - Amy Miller, Legal Insurrection

Pro-Abortion Website Tries Intimidating Whistleblower - Joe Cunningham, Red State

Our Newest Climate Change Weapon: Nanofiber? - American Interest

Infertile Couples vs. Gay Marriage - Ryan Anderson, Daily Signal

Trump and Oreos - Kaitlyn Schallhorn, The Blaze

Smithsonian and the Bust of Sanger - Kaitlyn Schallhorn, The Blaze

Majority of Food Stamp Recipients Are Now Working Age Adults - Maura Corrigan, Daily Signal

Fr. Z on Ham Radio - Fr. Z's Blog

Au Revoir, Mes Amis, Au revoir… - Fr. Araujo, Mirror of Justice

Trump in the Party of Law and Liberty - George Will, NRO

In Defense of Scalia’s Style - John O. McGinnis, Liberty Law Blog

Cardinal George's Final Gift - Robert Royal, The Catholic Thing

Pope Francis and the Rebirth of Liberal Learning - Shaun Rieley, Imaginative Conservative

HS Marching Band Barred From Playing Halftime Hymn - Dave Urbanski, The Blaze

Bernie Sanders Takes Aim at ‘Greedy’ Koch Brothers - Dave Urbanski, The Blaze


August 22, 2015

CathCon Daily - 8/22/2015

CEO Joking About WHOLE BABIES - Jim Hoft, Gateway Pundit

The Way We Live Now - Irwin Stelzer, Weekly Standard

The Promise and Failure of Democracy - Patrick Bracy Bersnak, Imaginative Conservative

Environmental Waste - John Seiler, City Journal

Scary Signs from the Korean Peninsula - American Interest

Sadness and Hilarity - Stefan Kanfer, City Journal

Humanae Vitae - Peter M.J. Stravinskas, First Things

Warming-Assisted Rapid Evolution of a Parasitic Host - Craig Idso, Cato

What Kind of Liberalism Won the Culture Wars? - American Interest

Obama Plans Post-Presidency - Matthew Continetti, NRO

What Lies Beneath? Contraception. - Howard Kainz, The Catholic Thing

Fiorina Rallies Small Town Crowd With Reform Message - Paul Rowan Bryan, The Federalist

The Scarlet Letter and Ashley Madison - Gracy Olmstead, American Conservative

Economics Is Dead, and It Is Being Killed Again - Per Bylund, Mises

Trump and the Establishment - David Paul Kuhn, NRO


August 21, 2015

CathCon Daily - 8/21/2015 (Extra)

Seamless Garments & Brainless Bishops - Tony M., What's Wrong with the World

Wealth Redistribution and Global Poverty - Joe Carter, Acton

Who Could Have Seen That Coming? - David Boaz, Cato

Another EPA Disaster in Rural Georgia - Tori Richards, Human Events

Liberal Double Standards and Planned Parenthood - David Limbaugh, Human Events

Amy Apfel Kass, 1940 - 2015 - What So Proudly We Hail

California: "Land of Poverty" - Wendell Cox, New Geography

Go Ahead and Pile Up Those Student Loans…. - George Leef, NRO

No Chicken for You! - John Fund, NRO

Teen Girls Plead Not Guilty to Stabbing Classmate 19 Times - AP, The Blaze




CathCon Daily - 8/21/2015

Community-Based Chaos - James Panero, City Journal

Perils of Unexamined Political Rage - Forfare Davis, NRO

Rating the Top 8 GOP Contenders - Repairman Jack, Redstate

Posner’s Dubious Prescription - Ed Whelan, NRO

Red-Light Cameras Hit Road Bump - Natalie Johnson, Daily Signal

Widely Held Misconceptions About the Tax Code - David Allen, Daily Signal

Drunk Driving Is Down in California - Greg Ferenstein, Daily Signal

Folly of Antidumping Laws - K. William Watson, Cato

Can Great Books Brace Us Against Trump? - Peter Lawler, Imaginative Conservative

Can the States Seize Control of Federal Lands? - Ryan McMaken, Mises

Purdue Looking at Income Share Financing - George Leef, NRO

Hillary: Nominee or Indictee? - Patrick J. Buchanan, Human Events

Progressives Are Wrong to Revere Margaret Sanger - Paul Kengor, Daily Signal

Amy Kass: Lover of Truth, Defender of Dignity - Robert George, Public Discourse

Are Republicans For Freedom Or White Identity Politics? - Ben Domenech, The Federalist

Trump Isn't Conservative - Peter Wehner, Commentary

Here Comes $30 Oil - Editors, American Interest

On Court-Mandated Brainwashing - James V. Schall, Crisis

The First Postmodern Political Machine - Walter Russell Mead, American Interest

Grotesque Prosecution of Scott Lively - Austin Ruse, Crisis


August 20, 2015

CathCon Daily - 8/20/2015 (Extra)

Real Presence - Chad Pecknold, Pope in D.C.

Putting "Redemption" Before Integrity - Lydia McGrew, What's Wrong with the World

The Record...on...Fetal Tissue Research - Lydia McGrew, What's Wrong with the World

Nothing Is More “Conservative” Than Birthright Citizenship - Robert Tracinski, The Federalist

Faith-Based Physicists - Rod Dreher, American Conservative

Physicists and Strange Notions - Alexander Masters, The Spectator

Inspector Gotcha - Walter Olson, City Journal

Children Press-Ganged into EcoService - Bruce Walker, Acton

EPA Deflates Climate Impacts, Inflates Significance - Knappenberger & Michaels, Cato




CathCon Daily - 8/20/2015

Unreal Nation - Anthony Esolen, Crisis

I’m Sick Of Your Moral Relativism - Nicole Russell, The Federalist

The Breasted Gent And What to Call Him - Maureen Mullarkey, The Federalist

This is What Bad Parenting Looks Like - Cheryl Magness, The Federalist

Why We Need Police Reform - Daniel Payne, The Federalist

What’s Conservative about Radical Traditionalism? - Nathan Gill, Public Discourse

Puritans Would’ve Listened to NPR If They Were Around Today - Paul Seaton, Nomocracy

Did Religious Fanaticism Cause the Civil War? - Stephen Klugewicz, Imaginative Conservative

Practical Responses to the Planned Parenthood Revelations - Amy McInerny, The Catholic Thing

Doctors and Abortion - Jonathan B. Imber, First Things

Trump, Hubris, Nemesis - Pete Spiliakos, First Things

Don’t Be Fooled By Our Current Price Stability - Frank Shostak, Mises

What Is the Source of This Darkness of Our Times? - Charles Pope, N.C. Register

Ann Coulter Is a Human Being - Mitchell Sunderland, Broadly

Man v. Drone v. Law - Eugene Volokh, Volokh

Is Birthright Citizenship Constitutionally Required? - Ilya Shapiro, Cato

Common Core: How Much Do People Know About Its Real Impact? - Paul Peterson, EducationNext


August 19, 2015

CathCon Daily - 8/19/2015 (Extra)

Stop Universities From Hoarding Money - Victor Fleischer, NYT

Pathetic Spin from Goldman Sachs - Ike Brannon, Weekly Standard

Medical Technician Reveals Shocking Details in Latest Abortion Video - Leah Jessen, Daily Signal

Climate Regulations Will Hit Low-Income Minority Families Hardest - Nicolas Loris, Daily Signal

Five Questions for Candidates on Education - Kelly & James, AEI

Union Extracts Funds From Nonmember Teacher - Kate Scanlon, Daily Signal

How the Value of $100 Varies Across the Different States - Diana Stancy, Daily Signal

The Hero with a Thousand Faces - David Bahr, Weekly Standard

Is Hillary Above the Law? - Brian Darling, Human Events

TNC, Tolstoy, Dante - Rod Dreher, American Conservative

State Department Clamps Down on Speaking to Congress or Press - Sheryl Attkisson, Daily Signal

Scott Walker: Down But Not Out - Michael Warren, Weekly Standard

The Republican Campaign and Citizenship - Peter Lawler, NRO

Transgender Regret Is Real - Walt Heyer, The Federalist

24 Questions for Jack Phillips - Ken McIntyre, Daily Signal




CathCon Daily - 8/19/2015

Weil on Attention and Grace - Maria Popova, Brain Pickings

Democrats Have A Bernie Sanders Problem - Mitchell Blatt, The Federalist

Shock Videos Expose Moral Blind Spots - Steven Greenhut, Human Events

Loving Animals, Loving People - Andrew Klavan, Pajamas Media

A Doomsaying Primer - Sven Wilson, Nomocracy in Politics

NY Has No "Apartheid" Schools - Seth Barron, City Journal

Planned Parenthood’s Big Lie - Dominic Lynch, The Federalist

Keeping the Bubble-Boom Going - Thorsten Polleit, Mises

Mental Imagery - Eva Brann, Imaginative Conservative

How Will History Judge Us - Fr. Mark Pilon, The Catholic Thing

Preparing for Driverless Cars - Tory Gattis, New Geography

Why ‘Black Lives Matter’ Isn’t Going To Fix Our Problems - Rachel Lu, The Federalist

The First Progressive? - Greg Weiner, Liberty Law Blog

Why the "Catholic" "Pro-Life" Case for the Bomb Fails - Christopher Tollefsen, Public Discourse

ISIS’ Clearly Definable Genocide in Iraq - Virginia Davison, The Federalist

Lawrence Lessig Wants to Be Your President (?!) - Bruce Frohnen, Nomocracy in Politics

Closing Argument on the Drug Issue - Theodore Dalrymple, Liberty Law Blog

Misunderstanding Donald Trump Supporters - Warren Henry, The Federalist

Francisnomics - Donald McClarey, Liberty Law Blog

Reinforcing Failure - Richard Fernandez, Pajamas Media

Planned Inhumanities: From Roe to Obergefell - Roberto Oscar Lopez, Public Discourse

Academic Fascism II - Walter Williams, Human Events




August 18, 2015

CathCon Daily - 8/18/2015 (Extra)

Luckiest American Generation in History - Mark Perry, AEI

State Still Releasing Water to Save a Few Fish - Stephen Greenhut, Human Events

Scott Walker Takes Dead Aim at Obamacare - Jeffrey Anderson, The Federalist

Jindal: Walker’s Healthcare Plan Is ‘Obamacare Lite’ - Federalist Staff

Immigration — Issue of the Century - Patrick Buchanan, Human Events

Unrepresented Majority Finally Reached Its Boiling Point? - David Limbaugh, Human Events

Profit from the Cable-Cutting Mega-Trend - Nicholas Vardy, Human Events

Clean Power Plan Comes Under Fire - Knappenberger & Michaels, Cato

Operation Choke Point is Government Run Amuck - Matt Schuck, Human Events

Stay on Gay Marriages for Kentucky Clerk - Kate Scanlon, Human Events

What the Left Misunderstands About Cuba’s History - Mike Gonzalez, Daily Signal

Fuel for the Movement to Reform Sex Offender Laws - David Post, Volokh


CathCon Daily - 8/18/2015

Is ‘Diversity’ the Ultimate ‘Microaggression’? - John Rosenberg, NRO

Congo and the Catholic Church - John Allen, Jr., Crux

Liberal Humility? - Elizabeth Schiltz, Mirror of Justice

Trump and Elitism - Rod Dreher, American Conservative

Hamilton and Constitutional Statesmanship - Carson Holloway, Daily Signal

Donald Trump: A Moderate’s Secret Best Friend - Mytheos Holt, The Federalist

Arkansas, Utah...Latest States to Defund Planned Parenthood - Kate Scanlon, Daily Signal

Trump Declares War on Mexico - Robert Tracinski, The Federalist

Clean Up “Trial by Formula” Class Actions - Andrew Grossman, Cato

Christina’s World - S.M. Hutchens, Touchstone

Tocqueville on Equality and Social Discontent - Marc DeGirolami, Mirror of Justice

Does Contraception Really Prevent Abortions? - Scott Lloyd, The Federalist

How Should We Fight the Culture War? - John Goerke, Imaginative Conservative

The Republican Marriage Advantage - W. Bradford Wilcox, AEI

The French-German Disconnect - Theodore Dalrymple, Liberty Law Blog

The Strange Death of the Center-Left - Michael Barone, Human Events

Group Behind The Planned Parenthood Videos Was Right To Deceive - Hans Fiene, The Federalist

The Geography Of Tolerance - Greg Jones, The Federalist

Hugh Hefner’s Son Rebels - Melissa Braunstein, The Federalist

The Life of a New Human Being Begins at Conception - Lee, Tollefsen, & George, Public Discourse

The Problem of Military Intervention - Karl Walling, Nomocracy in Politics

The Courtesy of Taking Immigration Opponents Seriously - Jeffrey S., What's Wrong with the World

On the Fate of Jesuit Donkeys - James V. Schall, The Catholic Thing


August 17, 2015

CathCon Daily - 8/17/2015 (Extra)

When Bureaucrats Do Good - Richard Epstein, Hoover

What Six Students Asked an ISI Professor - Wilfred McClay, Intercollegiate Review

Donald Trump’s Clown Immigration Plan - Ben Domenech, The Federalist

Same Anti-Immigration Ideas, New Salesman - Alex Nowrasteh, Cato

Is the Libertarian Moment Over? - David Boaz, Cato

No Continuance of Pretrial Injunction? - Eugene Volokh, Volokh

Chaplains...Forced to Conduct Same Sex Weddings? - Greg Davis, Daily Signal

Women's Wages and the 77 Cents Myth - James Pethokoukis, AEI

Couple Sues Because They Had A Beautiful Daughter - Michael Avramovich, Touchstone

Campuses Increasingly Humorless and Intolerant - George Leef, NRO

Part I: The Supermajoritarian Features of the Constitution - Mike Rappaport, Liberty Law Blog

Competence at Amazon - Peter Lawler, NRO

Obama and Trump: Playing to Party Strengths - Ken Masugi, Liberty Law Blog


CathCon Daily - 8/17/2015

Paul Elmer More: The Virgin and the Dynamo - Brian Domitrovic, Imaginative Conservative

Planned Parenthood And The Left’s War On Truth - Tamer Abouras, The Federalist

Pharmaceutical Prices, Patents, and the FDA - Timothy Terrell, Mises

Nietzsche Transhumanism’s “Patron Saint” - Wesley J. Smith, NRO

Republicans Do Marriage Better - Rachel Lu, The Federalist

Planning for Beauty - Joel Morehouse, First Things

Twenty Books Essential for Sustaining Human Civilization - Maria Popova, Brain Pickings

The ‘Chilling’ Laura Kipnis Allegation - Mytheos Holt, The Federalist

Animal Trials in the Middle Ages - Eric Grundhauser, Atlas Obscura

Where is the Church on Planned Parenthood? - Robert Royal, The Catholic Thing

The Left's Abandonment of Jefferson and Jackson - Arthur Milikh, Daily Signal

College Plan Won’t Reduce Student Debt - Nicole Russell, The Federalist

Should We Stop Dumb People from Voting? - Stephen Masty, Imaginative Conservative

Constitutional Powers of War and Peace - Paulsen & Paulsen, Public Discourse


August 16, 2015

CathCon Daily - 8/16/2015 (Weekend Extra)

100 Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Novels - NPR (2011)

Can Trump Build Political Support? - Paul Dykewicz, Human Events

Fiorina on EPA Regulations - Leah Jessen, Daily Signal

Underpayment of Women as Market Failure - Mark Perry, AEI

Saint George Rides Again - Dwight Longenecker, Imaginative Conservative

Let the Killer Robots Live (For Now) - James Carafano, Daily Signal

Nuclear Industry Should Handle Waste - Katie Tubb, Daily Signal

The Myth of Market Deregulation - Norbert Michel, Daily Signal

And Now...Idiots - Midwest Conservative Journal

Trump's Immigration Police State - Rich Cromwell, The Federalist

Learning What We Don't Know - Allen Mendenhall, University Bookman

Trump the Clown Genius - Rod Dreher, American Conservative

Hillary Being Investigated, Not Her Server - Jonah Goldberg, NRO

Gone Today, Hair Tomorrow - Mark Steyn, SteynOnline

Hillary Clinton's Got This - Ross Douthat, NYT

Why We All Love Falstaff - Theodore Dalrymple, City Journal

Fund for Christian Baker - Ken McIntyre, Daily Signal





August 15, 2015

CathCon Daily - 8/15/2015 (Weekend Edition)

The Left Versus the Poor - Lydia McGrew, What's Wrong with the World

Economics 101: That Didn't Take Long - Donald McClarey, American Catholic

WHO's Ebola Response - Brett Schaefer, Daily Signal

Rapid Growth of Welfare Spending - Paul Winfree, Daily Signal

John Rhys-Davies on Moral Compass - Adam Carolla

Tinder and the Dawn of the “Dating Apocalypse” - Nancy Jo Sales, Vanity Fair

Love, Sex, Tinder - Damon Linker, The Week

Sexual Revolution Sans la Terreur - Rod Dreher, American Conservative

The Latest on the Kasper Proposal - Fr. Gerald Murray, The Catholic Thing

Reading Ta-Nehisi Coates - Rod Dreher, American Conservative

StemExpress Severs Ties with PP - Sean Davis, The Federalist

CO2-induced Greening of the Earth - Craig D. Idso, Cato

ISIS Enshrines a Theology of Rape - Rukmini Callimachi, NYT

War on Humans: An ‘Ecosystem’ Sues - Wesley J. Smith, NRO

GOP Elites Call for Purge of Trump - Patrick Buchanan, Human Events

Obergefell and the New Nullification - Greg Weiner, Liberty Law Blog

Hey Christians, Say Goodbye To Religious Freedom - David Harsanyi, The Federalist

The Way We Speak Now - Gracy Olmstead, American Conservative

John Kasich Is The Liberal Media’s Darling - Dennis Saffran, The Federalist

The Countercultural Practice of Virtue - Daniel McInerny, The Catholic Thing

Millennial Addicts Need to Cool It With the Instagram - Philip Wegmann, The Federalist

Why Instagram Is Awesome For Millennial Women - Bre Payton, The Federalist

The School Choice Myth That Just Won’t Die - Jason Bedrick, Cato

How Keynes Almost Prevented the Keynesian Revolution - Mark Tovey, Mises

The Benedict Option & the Barbarians at the Gate - John Horvat, Imaginative Conservative