is the blog of an Orthodox Christian and is published under the spiritual patronage of St. John of San Francisco. Topics likely to be discussed include matters relating to Orthodoxy as well as other religious confessions, politics, economics, social issues, current events or anything else which interests me. © 2006-2024
Saturday, December 30, 2023
Sudan: Christians under attack
Friday, December 29, 2023
SSPX contemplating new bishops?
Nikki Haley just lost any chance of getting my vote
Thursday, December 28, 2023
Alabama to try nitrogen gas after botched execution
Wednesday, December 27, 2023
An increasingly secular Scotland is losing its churches
Tuesday, December 26, 2023
Putin aims to leave nothing to chance in Russia’s 2024 election
Monday, December 25, 2023
Thursday, December 21, 2023
Pope asks Vatican staff to avoid 'rigid ideologies'
Wednesday, December 20, 2023
On the Catholic blessing of same sex couples
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
One of Putin's fiercest critics has vanished and the Russian government is not talking
Monday, December 18, 2023
Roman Catholic Church OKs Gay Blessings
Sunday, December 17, 2023
Saturday, December 16, 2023
On this day 100 years ago
Trump takes significant polling lead over Biden in presidential race
A Major Anti-Trump Argument in the GOP is Fading
Will the Georgia election workers see any of the $148 million award from Rudy Giuliani?
Thursday, December 14, 2023
James Bennet: The New York Times has lost its way
Monday, December 11, 2023
The latest from Constantinople
Sunday, December 10, 2023
Javier Milei is sworn in as president of Argentina amidst grave economic crisis
Friday, December 08, 2023
RIP: Ryan O'Neal
Stanley Kubrick's visual love letter to the 18th century. One of the best movies that most people have never seen. The cinematography is possibly the finest ever for a period drama. Seriously. This movie should be hanging in the Louvre.
Wednesday, December 06, 2023
Jamie Dimon on Crypto
Quote of the day...
Tuesday, December 05, 2023
Monday, December 04, 2023
A preview of the second Trump Administration.
Sunday, December 03, 2023
Saturday, December 02, 2023
Russia to expand military draft
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
RIP Henry Kissinger
One of the most extraordinary, and controversial men of his time, he was a colossal figure on the world stage and his death likely marks the passing of the last great figure from the Cold War era. I am old enough to remember when almost every single night when dad tuned into watch Walter Cronkite there would be some mention of "Secretary of State Kissinger" on the evening news.
Ross Douthat: Pope Francis tries to settle accounts
Tourists visiting Russia will be required to sign no-criticism agreement
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Pope Francis cancels trip to Dubai amid health concerns
Monday, November 27, 2023
Milei to Send ‘Shock’ Package to Argentina’s Congress on Day One
From draining the swamp to reviving the "spoils system"
Sunday, November 26, 2023
Catholic Priest Disciplined for Allowing Sacrilegious Music Video Shoot in Church
Pope Francis is ill, but still plans to travel to Dubai
Saturday, November 25, 2023
The Gen Z Rising Star in Conservative Reporting
Thursday, November 23, 2023
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Oswald did it, and he did it alone.
This video presents a good summary of the facts (as opposed to conjecture and mythology) surrounding one of the most tragic events in American history. Polls continue to show that most people believe there was some kind of elaborate conspiracy at the heart of Kennedy's murder. The only problem is that there is not a shred of credible evidence that supports that. Belief in a conspiracy can only be sustained by ignoring the mountains of actual hard evidence, all of which points to Oswald.
Two books do an excellent job debunking the myths, misinformation, and outright lies that are pervasive among conspiracy theorists. There are others, but IMO these are the best.
Monday, November 20, 2023
Rome: The synodal Church will be guided by the spirit of the age
Napoleon's hat sells for $2 million
Sunday, November 19, 2023
Another 261 churches leave the United Methodists
The exodus has been going on for a while. But here I must give a polite nod to the liberals who are running the UMC. Rather than adopt the scorched earth approach that the leadership of the Episcopal Organization chose in response to its own defections, the Methodists handled this in a fairly civilized way. The national congregation granted a generous period of time for reflection by individual churches during which they were given the opportunity to disaffiliate on terms that might be described as the ecclesial version of a "no-fault divorce."
Story here.
Franklin Pierce (Strictly for history lovers)
Who?
Friday, November 17, 2023
Elon Musk and Henry Ford
Liberals vs Progressives: The deepening divide in the American left
Ray Dalio is worried about the US debt
Thursday, November 16, 2023
Quote of the day...
‘Tons of Crazy’: The Inside Story of How Fox Fell for the ‘Big Lie’
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
Are billionaires turning charity into a tax dodge?
Saturday, November 11, 2023
The strange story and rumors surrounding St. Feodor Kuzmich
Tuesday, November 07, 2023
Report: Pope Francis Planning Radical Changes to Papal Elections
Monday, November 06, 2023
High Mass for XXII Sunday After Pentecost (Orthodox Western Rite)
St. Patrick's Orthodox Church Bealeton, VA.
Sunday, November 05, 2023
Friday, November 03, 2023
Catholic bishop asks pastors to bless same-sex couples
Gall Effrontery Temerity
Thursday, November 02, 2023
Pope Francis calls for ‘paradigm shift’ in theology for world of today
Sunday, October 29, 2023
The Return of the Bond Vigilantes
The bond market is sending a message to Washington; get your act together.
It looks like Wall Street is no longer willing to look the other way at the habitual dysfunction and fiscal profligacy in the nation's capital. With the national debt now exceeding $33 trillion (not including unfunded future obligations) and Congress paralyzed by partisan bickering, investors are no longer prepared to lend the US Government their money at dirt cheap interest rates. The yield on the benchmark 10-year US Treasury bond has been flirting with 5% for most of the last week. That's the highest it's been since 2007. As the route in the bond market continues, with its potential to spook stock investors, the threat may go beyond the much steeper costs of borrowing by the Federal government. It is starting to effect interest rates for mortgages, car loans, credit card debt and borrowing money by businesses and state/local governments. In other words, if DC doesn't take steps to calm the bond market, it could start to affect the broader economy.
On the other side of the debate, Warren Buffet disagrees. He thinks US government debt remains relatively risk free and current yields are attractive, especially for longer term investors.
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Casual state dinners?
The US hosted the Prime Minister of Australia at a state dinner last night and President Biden showed up dressed like an undertaker. You would think somebody in the White House would have a clue about protocol.
Monday, October 23, 2023
A reflection on the Roman Catholic Church’s liturgical reforms in an ecumenical perspective
Sunday, October 22, 2023
What is the difference between Roman Catholicism and liberal Protestantism?
Saturday, October 21, 2023
Quote of the day
Friday, October 20, 2023
Bibi Netanyahu
Monday, October 16, 2023
On forgiveness and the state
Sunday, October 15, 2023
Israel
Saturday, October 14, 2023
Putin arrests Alexei Navalny's lawyers
Fascist dictators doing what dictators do.
A reminder that freedom is under attack all over the world, not just in Israel.