The Irish, in Celtic style, have pulled a good one on the EU with their rejection of the Lisbon treaty. After many years of generous subsidies, the Euromasters expected the Irish to return the favour. But for those of us who follow unruly Celts on this side of the Atlantic, the results were predictable. The …
Charles Bennison: the 1970’s Were Different
Episcopal Bishop Charles Bennison, on trial in his own church, comes up with a novel defence of his brother's affair with a fifteen year old girl: On the last day of a very unusual trial, Episcopal Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr. continued to defend himself against charges that he concealed his brother's sexual abuse of …
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Open the Door
This week's podcast is Open the Door by the group Emmanuel, which lead worship for many years at the youth and leaders conferences put on by the Franciscan (and Charismatic) University of Steubenville. It's a nice "invitational" kind of song if you want something different from the ones that always get used. This post also …
Is an Airport a Public Forum for Freedom of Speech and Religious Expression?
The California Supreme Court, which didn't do much for its reputation in its recent same-sex civil marriage ruling, now must decide if an airport is a forum for free speech: The California Supreme Court was asked Monday by a federal appeals court to determine whether an airport is a "public forum" under state law. The …
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Construction Assistance Vehicle (CAV)
Every now and then, with all of the new technology available, it's good to stop and take a look back at some things made in the past, not only for nostalgia, but also for possible inspiration for the present. One of those is one that my family business' West Palm Beach, Florida, facility produced: the …
Obama, the Slackers Candidate
Spengler has an entertaining explanation as to why Barack Obama has so much support amongst younger voters: A profound sense of panic appears to have gripped American youth, which might explain why so many of them are seeking a messiah in Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barak Obama. But there isn't much that Obama or anyone …
Robert Kennedy’s Eulogy: Seeing Things as They Are Not
When you consider what great political speeches you have heard--the ones that impact your life--which ones come to mind? For the Boomers, obvious choices include John Kennedy's inaugural address, Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech (his last one in Memphis is also memorable,) and Ronald Reagan's speech in front of the Berlin Wall. …
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The End of Boomerism?
John Zogby puts it clearly: The Clintons are proto-typical Baby Boomers - committed to ideals of peace and justice but overwhelmed with themselves. They (we, because I was born in 1948) are consumed with being the center of attention, the bride and groom at every wedding, so much so, that the ends don't simply justify …
The Confederate Flag: Maybe They Wanted to Skip Graduation
There's more than one way to get a job done, as three Mobile students found out the hard way: They say they're just "good ol' boys" who, like the song goes, were "never meaning no harm." But three Bloomington Kennedy seniors were not allowed to attend their commencement Wednesday night after bringing a Confederate flag …
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Syria Moves the Goalposts
Syria shifts toward the Arabs, away from Iran and Hezbollah, and plays footsie with Israel: The strings pulled by Qatar, which helped end the stand-off in Lebanon last May, are now working to orchestrate a rapprochement between Syria, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who meet King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia last weekend …
Positive Infinity 