Extremely thin posting ahead

OK. It's official. California is nuts. They put me on jury duty. The judge asked that we (jurors) refrain from blogging and similar online discussion activities for the duration of the trial. With some luck this will be over by late February. On a side note I have placed comments on moderation due to some issues with SPAM and the fact that I was already having trouble keeping a close watch on the comboxes. I apologize for the inconvenience.

The Supreme Court says corporations and unions may contribute to political campaigns

This is simply the latest chapter of bad jurisprudence resulting from the absurd ruling in Santa Clara County v Southern Pacific Railroad (1886) that said corporations were people under the 14th amendment. My position is very simple. No person or entity that is not eligible for the franchise should be allowed to spend a dime on political campaigns or propaganda.

Speaking of rain...

It's pretty damp here on the left coast (5th day of rain). I have completed my move and am reporting back on Monday to find out if I am needed for jury duty. I failed to get out of it but still think the odds of my actually landing on the jury for what I have been told is a major criminal trial are slim. I am slowly working on the computer problem. Being limited to the library is, to put it politely, a pain in the...

Sadly posting will remain thin for a little while longer.

It never rains...

It pours. Moving week + jury duty= no posting likely this week.

Memory Eternal

Fellow Orthodox blogger the RightWingProf (Clay Bond) reposed in the Lord early this morning after a battle with lung cancer. His often pointed commentary will be greatly missed. Please keep him and his family in your prayers.

May his memory be eternal.

Christ is born!

Merry Christmas and many happy wishes to those celebrating the Feast of the Nativity on the traditional calendar!

Turkey hints at calling for repatriation of the relics of St. Nicholas

The Turkish Minister of Culture has strong suggested he will call for the "return" of the relics of St. Nicholas to Myra (modern day Demre) in Turkey. The relics are currently kept in Bari (Italy) where they have been since the 11th century AD. The minister suggested the body of "Father Christmas" should be displayed in a Turkish museum that is being proposed for construction.

As I noted in a comment at Rorate Caeli; there is no national government in existence which has any legal or moral claim to the relics of St. Nicholas. Once the Emperor reclaims his throne in Constantinople and the cross is again raised over Hagia Sophia this topic can be revisited. Given the precarious position of the Ecumenical Patriarch in a country with a well established track record of persecuting religious minorities (especially the Greek Orthodox Church) I believe it better that the relics remain where they are as long as they are accessible to all for veneration.

Hat tip to Carlos Antonio Palad of Rorate Caeli.

Prayers for an Orthodox blogger

I have mentioned before Orthodox blogger RightWingProf who is battling advanced lung cancer. He has not posted since the day after the Feast of the Nativity. Recent comments on that post report that he is extremely weak and has not been eating much. The Prof has essentially been in hospice care for a while now. With the caveat that I am not familiar with his immediate condition, comments posted on his blog by friends seem to suggest that his condition is deteriorating.

Please lift him (and those who love him) in your prayers as he prepares to enter the next room and stand before the judgment seat.

A quick update

There is a lot gong on in my life right now. I am preparing for a move and am still dealing with computer issues. The employment situation remains grim although I have some hopes for a state job south of where I am, but the paperwork for that is moving at a snail's pace. Posting is likely to remain a bit thin for a while.

May the new year be better than the last.

In ICXC
John