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
100 Years Ago: Remembering Warren Harding's trip to Alaska
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
Niall Ferguson Sounds a Warning
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
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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?
For the record...
Saturday, November 11, 2023
The strange story and rumors surrounding St. Feodor Kuzmich
News from Rome
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
Good News for the Oriental (non-Chalcedonian) Orthodox
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.
Sunday, October 08, 2023
The House GOP Is a Failed State
Wednesday, October 04, 2023
Two on the Catholic's Big Synod
Tuesday, October 03, 2023
Video of ultra-Orthodox Jews Spitting at Christians Sparks Controversy
Pope Francis Hints at Homosexual "Blessings" and Openness to Female Ordination
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Thousands of Armenian Christians flee Azerbaijan rule
James II/VII
Sunday, September 24, 2023
ABC News/Washington Post Poll Gives Trump Big Lead Over Biden
Both ABC and the Post moved quickly to cast doubt on their own poll.
In mass protest, some British police are refusing to carry firearms.
Most UK police do not carry lethal weapons. This is a longstanding national tradition that enjoys widespread support both from the public and within the police itself. Great Britain has some of the strictest gun laws in the world with private ownership of handguns more or less illegal and rifles and shotguns subject to stringent regulation. Firearms related violence is rare in Britain and the overall homicide rate (per capita) is a fraction of that in the US.
That said, around one in ten police are selected following a rigorous vetting process for specialized training in weapons that is generally much more intensive than what American police receive. It includes not only training in the use of guns and other weapons, but also comes with a heavy emphasis on de-escalation of confrontations, and critically, when not to use lethal force. Upon completion of their training these officers are given special certificates allowing them to carry firearms on duty. Many are assigned to routine mobile patrol where they can be called in quickly if needed to handle potentially dangerous situations. Others are assigned to elite counter-terrorism units while some handle security at important locations such as the Houses of Parliament. Still others are assigned to plain clothes duty as close protection officers for members of the Royal Family or senior government officials and visiting VIPs where they perform duties similar to the US Secret Service but with a reputation for being a bit more discreet.
As a result of all this, police involved shootings are incredibly rare in the UK. But even so, they do happen. A few years ago, an unarmed young man of African descent was fatally shot by a police officer under circumstances that provoked a great deal of controversy. Last week that officer was charged with murder and the police are up in arms. (Pun intended.)
Within the ranks of London's Metropolitan Police, that's Scotland Yard to us Americans, large numbers of firearms certified officers have handed in their permits and weapons and are refusing to carry out armed police duties. They are protesting not only what many perceive as unjustified charges against a fellow officer, but what they see as the extreme legal hazard this is signaling for armed police in general. In a very high-pressure job where officers may be required to make life and death decisions in a split second, they are not prepared to risk being criminally prosecuted for making the wrong decision in the minds of uninvolved parties second guessing their actions. So many have in fact walked off the job, or at least this aspect of the job, that the government is considering calling out the military for situations that would normally be handled by specialized police services.
Read the latest details here.
China Continues Aggressive Militarization of South China Sea Alarming Neighbors
Saturday, September 23, 2023
A face of hope for a post Trump GOP?
Thursday, September 21, 2023
Catholic ecclesiology and a heretical Pope
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
And now for something a bit... morbid.
Tuesday, September 19, 2023
2024: How old is too old?
Sunday, September 17, 2023
The UAW Strike: How wide is the pay gap between the boardroom and the assembly line?
Sunday, September 10, 2023
Orthodoxy in America by the numbers
This is one of the better analysis of the current state of Orthodoxy in America that I have seen. I would also note that the channel is one of the best I have come across for discussions of religion in general, being consistently informative and neutral in its discussion of beliefs and practices for different denominations and groups.
Saturday, September 09, 2023
Who Are Russia’s Old Believers? The Raskol in Russian History
Thursday, September 07, 2023
New York Says they have an immigration problem
Sunday, September 03, 2023
Saturday, September 02, 2023
Rod Dreher: Wokery verging on authoritarianism
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Yevgeny Prigozhin dies in plane "crash"
I guess all the food tasters weren't enough. Putin is such a gangster. The man has left a trail of bodies all over the world and everybody knows who gave the orders. He has reached the point where he doesn't even care about plausible deniability. It's like a mafia don has taken over an entire country (and its de-facto state church). Not that I'm shedding any tears for Prigozhin. He was a stone cold killer in his own right.
The Russian government is effectively an organized crime syndicate, and the Russian Orthodox Church is fronting for it.
ANAXIOS!
Thursday, August 17, 2023
Nicaraguan government seizes Catholic university
Monday, August 14, 2023
Vigil for Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos
Is Donald Trump the world's greatest con-man? Probably
Friday, August 11, 2023
Thursday, August 10, 2023
Conservative Jurists Argue Trump is Disqualified from Office
Wednesday, August 09, 2023
Paris in the Twilight of the Second Empire
Excellent images of Paris from the 1860s. I found the choice of background music somewhat distracting, but the mute button proved an easy remedy.
Monday, August 07, 2023
Defund the Police
Wednesday, August 02, 2023
Two worth reading
Tuesday, August 01, 2023
US Credit Rating Downgraded
Monday, July 31, 2023
The latest crypto-con
Friday, July 28, 2023
New bishop responds to charge of reciting the Creed with the filioque
A book recommendation
If you own crypto, or are thinking of dabbling in it; I strongly reccomend reading this book.
Tuesday, July 11, 2023
Cracking down on eco-vandals
Sunday, July 09, 2023
Francis names 21 new cardinals
Friday, July 07, 2023
Archbishop of York: Our Father is problematic
Pope Francis (again)
HT: Dr. Tighe
Thursday, July 06, 2023
One in five United Methodist congregations in the US have left the denomination
Monday, July 03, 2023
Pope Francis Appoints a Liberal Protestant as Guardian of Doctrine
Saturday, July 01, 2023
Trivia
On this date in 1921 William H. Taft became Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court. He was the first, and to date, only former president to hold the top job in both the executive and judicial branches of government.
Thursday, June 29, 2023
News from the Roman Church
HT: Dr. Tighe
Wednesday, June 28, 2023
Saturday, June 17, 2023
What if...
Wednesday, June 14, 2023
Russian Orthodox Church labels pacifism as "heresy"
Tuesday, June 13, 2023
Lock Him Up
Friday, June 09, 2023
This is it
Wednesday, June 07, 2023
Trump likely facing Federal indictment
The Feds don't typically say that you are a target unless they have the charge sheet already typed up. Unlike the nickel dime case in New York, which I expect Trump to either beat, or at worst go down for a misdemeanor, the Feds have a serious and very solid case. Trump had about a dozen opportunities to diffuse this bomb, but at every turn he has behaved with manifest bad faith. If he is in fact indicted for documentgate, he is going to be in really deep trouble. The evidence is pretty close to what prosecutors sometimes call a "slam dunk." I think his only hope is that the AG will decide for political reasons not to indict him. Pretty much anyone other than a former US president would probably have already been charged.
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
I am totally stealing this title because, well, I can't top it. Story here.
Sunday, June 04, 2023
New drug dramatically improves survival rates for lung cancer
This is definitely good news of the sort we could use more of.