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
Monday, December 23, 2024
Trump's American Empire
Saturday, December 21, 2024
Report: Biden's decline started much earlier and staff hid it
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Report: Number of civilians killed in Gaza ‘inflated to vilify Israel’
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
The woke left and religion
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Monday, December 09, 2024
On a happier note...
For decades, Yankees fans scoffed at Mets fans, mocking them just for loving their little team in Flushing. The big, corporate Yankees sucked up most of the oxygen in New York, and if there was any left over, only then were the scrappy Mets allowed to breathe in the exhaust.
Coincidence?
Thursday, December 05, 2024
Tuesday, December 03, 2024
NY Post: Young men converting to Orthodoxy in droves
Not sure what to make of this. Always good news when people are converting of course. But the article sounds like it is heavily based on anecdotal evidence. FWIW, I've also noticed an uptick in converts.
HT: Dr. Tighe
Ross Douthat and David French on the Hunter Biden Pardon
Something that struck me as I was reading this, was the realization that Hunter's troubles may not be over. If the GOP (soon to be in full control of the government) decides to hold more hearings on his activities he cannot refuse to testify. Having been granted a full pardon, he no longer can invoke the 5th amendment. Which means he can be grilled under oath about pretty much any subject since 2014 with no recourse. That could get very ugly, very fast.
South Korea Declares Martial law
Monday, December 02, 2024
Biden Pardons His Son
Saturday, November 30, 2024
Realism vs Fatalism
Friday, November 29, 2024
A letter from Syracuse New York
Syracuse, Nov, 25, 1847
Friend Greeley,
This is the day designated by some twenty of the States of our Union as a day of thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father for the many blessings and privileges that we have enjoyed during the past year. It is a good and wholesome custom, and will, probably, within five years, become general in all the states. It is not only due to the Author of our being, but its tendency to stop us in our mad haste to amass wealth and gain renown, to review our conduct as accountable and Immortal beings.
Most of our churches have been open for religious services. Drs. ADAMS and GREGORY (Presbyterian and Episcopal) and Mr. MAY (Unitarian) have spoken boldly and justly of the evils of the times- the Mexican War, Slavery, Intemperance, &c. I have never heard Dr. ADAMS, who is generally considered rather conservative, speak so plainly as he did to-day on the wickedness and injustice of the present War and the abominable system of American Slavery. And yet in a congregation composed of all classes and callings, all seemed to acquiesce and in and approve what was said. Is not this provoking? The country was warned in '44 of this War, its cruelties and hardships. Why cannot people see and hear and believe, and vote to avoid such shameful results?
The joy created by the result of the recent election is giving way to the agitation and inquiry, "Who will be the Whig candidate for the Presidency next Fall?" The answer appears to be almost unanimous, "Who can it be but Henry Clay!" The resolutions and telegraphic report of the Lexington Meeting were well received here, though there is much anxiety expressed to read the Speech of the occasion, written out by its author. It is expected here by this evening's train, when it will be immediately issued from the Journal Office.
The weather this year has been rather unseasonable. Yesterday morning it commenced raining and it poured down all day, and almost all night. This morning, the sun shown out in all its glory, and we have had a pleasant Thanksgiving. Last year the canals closed on the 25th, but now there is no telling when they will freeze up.
Our town continues to grow and prosper, and there is no stopping its advancement. Several hundred buildings have been erected this season- some very beautiful ones. A long southern wing has been added to the "Globe" Hotel- a capital temperance house- the Malcom estate have built a splendid block of stores immediately east of the Empire House, the 2nd Presbyterian Society are now finishing a beautiful house of worship on the Park (the prettiest in town)- and Mr. TOMLINSON, the owner of the Empire, is now making arrangements to put up a block of dwellings, early in the spring, on Church St. next street north of the Empire block. But enough to-day.
F.
Thursday, November 28, 2024
Study: Half of states running business on debt
Read the full report here (pdf).
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
When Leniency Is the Goal, a Justice System Breaks Easily
Sunday, November 24, 2024
New York: No bail + no mental health care = 3 murders
Trump’s Theory of Power
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
Can the President "Adjourn" Congress?
“…in Case of Disagreement between [the House and Senate], with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, [the President] may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper.” — Article II, Section 3
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Our Next Secretary of Defense
Here's Donald Trump's new defense secretary, Fox News' Pete Hegseth, hawking grenade soap so you can join the "well-groomed militia."
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) November 13, 2024
JFC.
Are all these people total grifters? pic.twitter.com/PyKHOn0SCu
Words fail.
Quote of the day...
Monday, November 11, 2024
Saturday, November 09, 2024
One of the few upsides to Trump's (re) election
Gasoline on a fire
Wednesday, November 06, 2024
Sunday, November 03, 2024
Ross Douthat, David French and Bret Stephens discuss conservatism in 2024 and beyond
Friday, November 01, 2024
The Paths to 270 for Trump & Harris
A good examination of how each side could win in 19 maps.
(Spoiler: The math and the maps favor Trump, but not by a huge margin.)
A few quick observations.
* The undecided vote is still(!) believed to be around 4-6%. How they break could be decisive.
* Disaffected voters could swing the election either way. But the risk is greater for Harris given the extreme rancor in the political left over Israel and Gaza. There are also a lot of Muslim Americans in Michigan. Right now, I'd say that Jill Stein is a dagger pointed at the heart of the Harris campaign.
* The most likely path for a Harris victory (MI, WI and PA), especially if she wins them by very slim margins, could see her elected while losing the popular vote nationally. That would be flipping the usual script as Republicans generally believe the Electoral College gives them an edge in elections. It's how Trump won in 2016. But if this happens for Harris, expect MAGA world to erupt.
Thursday, October 31, 2024
Why the Right Thinks Trump Is Running Away With the Race
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Monday, October 28, 2024
Sunday, October 27, 2024
Saturday, October 26, 2024
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
Study on treatment of gender dysphoria goes unpublished over political concerns
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
Paul Tudor Jones sees fast approaching reckoning over US debt levels
Monday, October 21, 2024
Trump tax plans could exempt 93 million from income taxes
Sunday, October 20, 2024
Is gold safer than U.S. Treasury bonds as federal debt keeps soaring?
Thursday, October 17, 2024
Wishful thinking
Monday, October 14, 2024
Saturday, October 12, 2024
Cremation and the Church... maybe?
To my considerable surprise, it appears that cracks have begun to appear in the Orthodox Church's longstanding prohibition of cremating the dead. The above image is from the website of the Serbian Orthodox cemetery in Colma California, where the faithful can be interred in columbarium.
Thursday, October 10, 2024
A quick update on Milton
Tuesday, October 08, 2024
Monday, October 07, 2024
The Pope's New Cardinals
Sunday, October 06, 2024
Israel's Silent Departure: Why some Jews are leaving
Thursday, October 03, 2024
Colorado Election Denier Sentenced to 9 Years
Wednesday, October 02, 2024
Anti-Semitic violence is rising on and near college campuses
Monday, September 30, 2024
Election Lies: Trump is preparing to deny another loss
Sunday, September 29, 2024
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church
I found this to be an excellent primer on a subject I am not much familiar with.
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
A day in the life of a dictator
One of Vladimir Putin's role models. He has gone to great lengths to rehabilitate Stalin in the official version of history now taught in Russia.