Edwin Benson 
If there is a single symbol of how retailing has changed over the years, it is the self-service checkout terminal. Fortunately, this innovation may be fading from the scene. Great Expectations… A Kroger grocery store in Deerfield Beach, Florida, is credited with the first use of such a device in July 1986. … Read more
Imagination is one of God’s great gifts to humanity. It is essential to any good work. We would never begin any task without imagining that its completion will, somehow, either make life better for us or serve God and others. As children, we all imagined what our future would be. As we … Read more
Just before the end of the year, the State of California notified all those concerned with the welfare of children of a newly revised policy necessitated by the passage of Senate Bill 407 in 2023. To implement the new law, an “all county letter” from the California Health and Human Services Agency … Read more
According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, many successful young people feel old. The pressures of life weigh heavily upon them as their chaotic lifestyles take their toll. Middle Age in their Thirties? “‘Young people are feeling older and feeling pressure a lot sooner in their lives,’ says Tirrell De Gannes, … Read more
The environmentalists used to pretend that theirs was a vital grass-roots movement. However, today, the pseudo-popular movement is an arm of a massive bureaucracy full of contradictions. One such contradiction is the promotion of “degrowth” as a means of sustainability. Real growth is a natural development of all living beings—including humans. It … Read more
On December 12, 2024, The New York Times published a piece titled “It’s Time to Talk About Pornography, Scholars Say.” It cited a sobering 2023 survey showing that almost three-quarters of American adolescents under seventeen have viewed pornographic materials. Much of the piece talked about the harmful, misleading and unrealistic nature of … Read more
Articles about the decline of Christianity abound, most of them based on some form of public polling. For instance, in January 2024, the Pew Research Center posited that twenty-eight percent of American adults are “religiously unaffiliated,” up from sixteen percent in 2007. Why is the Bible Gaining Popularity? So, the recent news … Read more
As a priest, missionary, pastor and bishop, Saint John Nepomucene Neumann (1811-1860) frequently confronted anti-Catholic persecution. Catholic thinker and man of action Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira made many commentaries on this aspect of American history and the role of Saint John Neumann in fighting against this persecution. The Brazilian author of … Read more
A new clean energy source could be the single most significant news story of the century. Unfortunately, eco-activists are not interested. Three researchers at the University of Nebraska may have discovered enough energy to end the world’s dependence on oil. The critical element is hydrogen gas, and massive ready-to-use deposits may run … Read more
In the minds of many, Sam Walton was the epitome of “The American Dream.” He was born on March 29, 1918, in Kingfisher, Oklahoma, attained the rank of Eagle Scout, and served in World War II before he purchased a small Ben Franklin store in Arkansas. He opened the first Walmart in … Read more