“Stands the cross, still point of the turning world” (Carthusian motto) A while back, I wrote (twice, actually) of the advent of the Carthusians – the sudden appearance, in film and print of not one but two inspiring and popular pieces concerning the Carthusians, the least-reformed, most mysterious of all Catholic monastic orders. Well, Into the Great Silence, was well reviewed in the NY Times and even, surprisingly at Rotten Tomatoes, and won a prize at the 2006 Sundance film... Read more
From the NY Times, of course: Anti-Clinton Donor Reported as Donor to Giuliani. Not just a donor to Giuliani but – gasp – an anti-Clinton donor! The writer, the ever-obsequious Raymond Hernandez has had his head remarkably far up Mrs. Clinton’s backside for years. But this headline, and the story, just cracked me up. Have you ever read George Soros described as an “anti-Bush donor?” Nah. He was simply a donor! A concerned guy with money! And if he compared... Read more
Yesterday my son and I were flicking through television channels and we hit a stand-up comic from India who was trying to make a joke about “American culture” or the “lack” thereof. In his routine he was defending the Americans as “actually having culture” to his father, who could not see beyond hotdogs. The audience wasn’t laughing and Buster felt badly for the guy. “They’re not laughing,” he said. “No,” I answered… “he’s got an audience of white Americans sitting... Read more
Originally posted October 21, 2006 — Crossposted here There’s an art to good politics Peggy Noonan wrote a column in this week’s WSJ that touched on the artlessness of our current crop of politicos, none of whom seem to possess the deft and graceful footwork of presidents and legislators of the past. She wrote: The dance is where you see the joy of the joust. It’s a gifted pro making his moves. It’s a moment of humor, wit or merriness... Read more
Regular readers know that after much public trepidation about Katie Couric’s takeover of the CBS Evening News, I’ve made it a point to try to be even handed about the broadcast. I give Couric high marks for daring to allow all sorts of interesting (or, to some, maddening) voices in the FreeSpeech segment, and I like the Couric and Co blog a lot. She’s got the “fun Katie” thing going on with the Word of the Day and Quote for... Read more
I am not especially saddened to see the brouhaha that is gaining strength over Benedict’s speech. Whether he is “media savvy” or not, Benedict has managed – in his very scholarly fashion – to apply a very hot drawing poultice to the enormous and festering boils of both radical Islamism and rampant secularism. At the very least, it will cause some Muslims to insist that distinctions be made between them and their more extreme co-religionists, and it may rouse the... Read more
Repost from 9/15/05 33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; 34 and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined to be the rise and the fall of many in Israel, and a sign that is spoken against 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.” The Gospel According to Luke, Chapter 2 Today’s gospel... Read more
The child of a sibling, who calls me “Auntie,” asked to interview me for a grade-school project on journalism. Between giggles and some eye-rolling I thought the kid still did better than many “big-time professional journalists.” I’ve edited out all of the spelling portions. Ace Reporter: Okay, so, how old are you? Auntie: I’m not telling you. How old is your mother? Ace: Ummm…I don’t know. Auntieeee, you’re supposed to answer the questions! Auntie: I’m 47. Ace: Really? That’s what... Read more
A quick round up before I head out for yet another medical appointment. Did you know you can go to this site and enter your symptoms and it will suggest diagnoses? I did it the other night and was surprised to see it actually narrowing things down to the same stuff my doc was zeroing in on, just before he said, “if it’s not this or this or this we’ll have to look at your bone marrow…” (Screw that…I refuse... Read more
The fellas at Powerline Blog have graciously, unexpectedly and rather puzzlingly named this site as Powerline’s Blog of the Week, an honor which carries with it links at the newsite, mega-sitemeter-hits and all the attendant joys, lunacies and sorrows one would expect from increased exposure. Powerline is, of course, one of the big-kahunas of the blogosphere, and I a mere blip on screen (and rather content to be so), so it’s a very big deal for a little blog! Thanks,... Read more
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