Author Archives: Jim Fair

It isn’t often that I pry myself from bed at 2:45 a.m.  At that hour, I want to be sleeping, dreaming pleasant dreams of, perhaps, catching a 10-pound bass or the Blackhawks bring home the Stanley Cup (again). I have … Continue reading →

Two of the men who had the most influence on my life were part of what many call “The Greatest Generation.” The attack on Pearl Harbor changed their live in ways most people today can barely imagine.  Shortly after the … Continue reading →

Hampshire College is probably a lovely little place for the intellectual manipulation of young minds.  They have a fancy website and their location in Amherst, Ma looks quite attractive. However, these days they don’t have an American flag – or … Continue reading →

“Dear Future Mom” is among the most powerful little videos ever produced. Fifteen young people with Down syndrome give a message of joy and hope in several languages.  The simply goal is to assure women expecting a baby with Down … Continue reading →

For you know how one must imitate us. For we did not act in a disorderly way among you, nor did we eat food received free from anyone. On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, … Continue reading →

Many Americans are trying to hold two seemingly incompatible truths in their minds at the same moment:  The sun came up this morning and Donald Trump will be the 45th President of the United States. It must be true, because … Continue reading →

Tomorrow, probably mid-morning, I’ll take a walk for a few blocks to my polling place.  I’ll pray the rosary on the way. Like many – perhaps most – Americans, I’ll be making the best choices I can, consistent with my … Continue reading →

I’m grateful to be in Rome this week.  It isn’t that I like being away from home (and especially away from my wife), but if I have to go on a business trip, this is the ideal week. In fact, … Continue reading →

Dear Grandpa Diff, Remember the Kennedy-Nixon debate?  It was the first on television and, naturally, the first I watched.  You were pretty old then; I believe it was the first and last televised debate you witnessed before going to you … Continue reading →

The Catholic Church has faced many crises over the centuries. Persecution by unfriendly Roman emperors like Nero. The Crusades. The Inquisition. The Reformation Post-Vatican II confusion The sex abuse scandal. Through these and many other challenges, the Church has persevered.  … Continue reading →