Here’s the context: Back in November, I wrote a post on the Works of Mercy, and how, in the year 2015 (because that was last year), it seemed that to a large degree the traditional Works have been supplemented, if not replaced, by Work of Mercy #8, “just write the d*** check already!” Especially for those of us who don’t earn a fixed amount of money but have some control over our work hours, we can generally do more good,... Read more
In a 2015 Pew comparison of OECD countries, the United States ranked 4th from bottom among 34 developed-world countries, with 53.6% of the voting-age population having voted in 2012. Wikipedia reports this as 54.9% (I can’t identify any particular reason for the discrepancy), a modest up-tick from the modern-day record low of 49% in 1996, but lower than the low-60s of the 60s. Of note, these metrics don’t differentiate between the population by voting eligibility, but lump together citizens and non-citizens... Read more
So, look, I know you’re all getting tired of my blog posts on Rubio, but please put up with one more, before I move on to New and Exciting Non-Election Blog Content, coming your way shortly. (Though this weekend is pretty full with family commitments.) Here’s the trouble: if you look at current immigration policy positions — without evaluating the credibility of the candidates espousing them — I line up with Rubio’s enforcement-first, legalization-second approach, at least more in broad... Read more
Yes! I’m having another go at live-blogging! Stay tuned for updates! Carson’s opening statement: “we will not solve our problems by attacking each other.” Kasich: warm and fuzzy statement about America Rubio: are we a the Party of Reagan, or do we prey on peoples’ anger and fears? Trump: same statement of “we don’t win anymore as a country.” Borders are Swiss cheese. We are going to start winning again, believe me, it’s going to be a big, big difference.... Read more
Yes, the Pope last week suggested that women in Zika-affected areas might appropriately, and morally, choose to use contraception. Earlier this week, theologian Janet Smith responded with “Contraception, Congo Nuns, Choosing the Lesser Evil, and Conflict of Commandments,” which laid out the theological basis for objecting to contraception, and reasons why the case of the Congo nuns is not the same as Zika-fearing women now. Today, an article in the National Catholic Reporter, of all places, links the Congo nuns... Read more
Some time ago, I wrote a little blog post about “Little Dresses for Africa,” in which I did little more than express my surprise that, for as unpromising a charity as LDA appears to be — church groups making “pillowcase” dresses to deliver to African villages, when simply donating the cash used to purchase supplies and ship the items, would likely help more, and potentially support local industry instead, and give girls clothing which is more culturally appropriate — there’s... Read more
And by “nutty,” I mean unsustainable, worrisome, a train wreck waiting to happen. In the end, I suppose, having aging parents is like training, for the next life stage of having young adult children. Not so much in terms of how to manage their infirmaties — that’s yet to come, for the most part — but the need to suck it up and accept that they’ll make their own decisions, as wrong as you think they are. What’s the latest?... Read more
Yes, I’ve repeatedly lamented the fact that Rubio seems to be unable to make the case to mass legalization skeptics that he’s reformed, that he isn’t going to recklessly open the doors to unrestricted immigration, etc. “Marco,” I’ve said, “you need to reach out to your skeptics more directly, and give them reasons to believe you.” (Well, OK, really I just tweeted the above, and links to my blog posts, to @marcorubio where, admittedly, at best, some low-level staffer may or... Read more
I am, as it happens, relatively new to twitter, having started only in 2014, a year or so after I started blogging. It’s a very useful tool, both for staying informed with headlines and links from news outlets and bloggers alike, and for promoting one’s own material. And the fact that you can follow anyone you like means that I do, in fact, follow a few lefties as well as the usual crowd of conservatives. One of the “tricks of... Read more
So last weekend, we were visiting my parents, having last been there at Thanksgiving. And Sunday morning, for church, we paid a visit to Christ Our Light! Catholic Church (yes, you need the exclamation point there just as much as when writing about Jeb! Bush). Here’s the story behind this church: Up until 2013, this was St. Alan’s Church — but in that year, at the command of the Archdiocese of Detroit, this parish merged with St. Columban of Birmingham,... Read more
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