Winter 2023 • Vol. 18, No. 4

It would be hard to name an artist whose influence has been as ubiquitous as Frank Lloyd Wright’s. Yet he achieved his status not by lowering his standards but through a devoted pursuit of his ideals—ideals that gave voice to the principles of individuality and aspiration at the center of the American consciousness.

The October 7 jihad against Israel woke the West from its evasive slumber. Or did it?

Here are ten quality science fiction television shows that advocate life-serving ideas, particularly respect for reason, individualism, and liberty—the values that will enable us “to boldly go” into a better future.

Practicing what Rand advocated requires not only having (and, when appropriate, providing) valid reasons for one’s views and values, but also raising one’s standards of evaluation and refraining from “unprovoked moral denunciations or debates.”

In one way or another, Hannah Frankman has spent most of her life in the alternative education sphere: She was homeschooled, then worked for the college-alternative bootstrapping program Praxis before starting her own alternative education company, Rebel Educator. Here’s how and why she’s helping parents take their children out of government schools.

When I heard that two friends and highly successful businessmen—Tim Chermak and Mitchell Broderick—had launched a new venture called John Galt Mortgage Company, I immediately thought, Brilliant! But I didn’t realize then how brilliant their idea really is.

If American culture is to survive the onslaught of identity politics, it will only be through the efforts of such reasonable and courageous thinkers as Ronald Lindsay.

I recently discovered that the review of the Barbie movie published in TOS in September 2023 was largely plagiarized from a video by YouTuber Will Jordan (aka "The Critical Drinker").

Ahsoka's compelling setup makes it far more interesting than many of the recent Star Wars shows. Virtually every character has clear motivation, and the main story is supported by interesting subplots. Although it is not without flaws, it is, on the whole, compelling and exciting.

Killers of the Flower Moon is a bloated film with a malevolent sense of life. Despite its enormous runtime, it misses the opportunity to depict both the rights abuses to which the Osage were subjected and the good entrepreneurship they and others engaged in.

Instead of dealing with serious and timely issues in a thought-provoking manner, The Creator rehashes familiar tropes and common fears to convey a shallow anti-America story that ignores the moral issues it raises.

The Great Escaper is a touching tribute to important aspects of a life well-lived: honoring your friends, cherishing your spouse, doing the things you want to do even when no one thinks you can, and celebrating the pleasure of being alive.

Welcome to “Noteworthy,” a periodic update on new music and related news. This week’s noteworthy picks span the musical universe.

Two widely celebrated guitarists recently released new records. They represent not merely different musical approaches appropriate to their different genres, but two divergent worldviews.

Robbie Robertson comes around full circle, The Rolling Stones show some new colors, Glen Hansard stares melancholy firmly in the face, and Dave Barnes wields old tricks for new delights.

Hear the Beatles' last song, Tom Bukovac's Plexi Soul (now on vinyl), a new Van Morrison record that makes sitting still impossible, and more.

Much jazz revels in the obscure, eschewing the pleasing consonances of more popular music. But in Lage’s hands, the genre’s extended harmonic palette is instead used to milk maximum expressiveness from more familiar sonic territory.