Get Over It

Declaration Of Independence Is Illegal, Say British Lawyers

During the American bicentenary in 1976, British Airways ran some very funny commercials in which the late comic actor Robert Morley would implore us Yanks: "Do come home, all is forgiven!"

Get Over It

Declaration Of Independence Is Illegal, Say British Lawyers

During the American bicentenary in 1976, British Airways ran some very funny commercials in which the late comic actor Robert Morley would implore us Yanks: "Do come home, all is forgiven!"

Ah, Now I Understand

Thanks to John Beeler.

Ah, Now I Understand

Thanks to John Beeler.

Tell Me Once Again Why We Went Into Libya?

From the New York Daily News: Libya declares 'liberation' after Khadafy's death, transitional leader says Sharia law will rule

From a fascist dictatorship to a fascist theocracy: nice work.

Tell Me Once Again Why We Went Into Libya?

From the New York Daily News: Libya declares 'liberation' after Khadafy's death, transitional leader says Sharia law will rule

From a fascist dictatorship to a fascist theocracy: nice work.

OMG, He's a Bullfighter!!!!!

If Carmen were on Facebook, from the Seattle Opera Blog:

OMG, He's a Bullfighter!!!!!

If Carmen were on Facebook, from the Seattle Opera Blog:

Stretching His Imagination

From 1991, Herman Cain, then-chairman of Godfather's Pizza and probably not imagining at the time he'd be running for president twenty years later, imagines instead a world without pizza, courtesy of John Lennon. (Cain begins about two minutes in, after the commercial).



Bless my soul, a presidential candidate with a sense of humor; imagine that--and not a bad voice, either! I suspect a lot people, even those not totally sold on Cain, may give him serious consideration after seeing this; the ability to poke fun at yourself goes a long way with voters. I can't imagine Barack Obama, perhaps the most humor-challenged and thin-skinned president in the history of our republic, would relish running against this man.

Stretching His Imagination

From 1991, Herman Cain, then-chairman of Godfather's Pizza and probably not imagining at the time he'd be running for president twenty years later, imagines instead a world without pizza, courtesy of John Lennon. (Cain begins about two minutes in, after the commercial).



Bless my soul, a presidential candidate with a sense of humor; imagine that--and not a bad voice, either! I suspect a lot people, even those not totally sold on Cain, may give him serious consideration after seeing this; the ability to poke fun at yourself goes a long way with voters. I can't imagine Barack Obama, perhaps the most humor-challenged and thin-skinned president in the history of our republic, would relish running against this man.

Trying to Muster up the Tears...

Really and truly, I am, I am. Promise! From the New York Post:

Thieves preying on fellow protesters

It’s a den of thieves!

Occupy Wall Street protesters said yesterday that packs of brazen crooks within their ranks have been robbing their fellow demonstrators blind, making off with pricey cameras, phones and laptops -- and even a hefty bundle of donated cash and food.

“Stealing is our biggest problem at the moment,” said Nan Terrie, 18, a kitchen and legal-team volunteer from Fort Lauderdale.

“I had my Mac stolen -- that was like $5,500. Every night, something else is gone. Last night, our entire [kitchen] budget for the day was stolen, so the first thing I had to do was . . . get the message out to our supporters that we needed food!”

Not to worry, missy, no doubt your Mac was covered under mommy and daddy's homeowner's policy, although $5500 seems awfully high for a Mac. You wouldn't be tempted to claim it was worth more than they paid for it, would you? That'd be theft, dontcha know.

Photo stolen from courtesy of Wall Street Journal

Trying to Muster up the Tears...

Really and truly, I am, I am. Promise! From the New York Post:

Thieves preying on fellow protesters

It’s a den of thieves!

Occupy Wall Street protesters said yesterday that packs of brazen crooks within their ranks have been robbing their fellow demonstrators blind, making off with pricey cameras, phones and laptops -- and even a hefty bundle of donated cash and food.

“Stealing is our biggest problem at the moment,” said Nan Terrie, 18, a kitchen and legal-team volunteer from Fort Lauderdale.

“I had my Mac stolen -- that was like $5,500. Every night, something else is gone. Last night, our entire [kitchen] budget for the day was stolen, so the first thing I had to do was . . . get the message out to our supporters that we needed food!”

Not to worry, missy, no doubt your Mac was covered under mommy and daddy's homeowner's policy, although $5500 seems awfully high for a Mac. You wouldn't be tempted to claim it was worth more than they paid for it, would you? That'd be theft, dontcha know.

Photo stolen from courtesy of Wall Street Journal

We Had Such Hopes.

Disappointing news from Mickey Kaus: "If All Things Considered can’t kill hip hop, I guess nothing can.

We Had Such Hopes.

Disappointing news from Mickey Kaus: "If All Things Considered can’t kill hip hop, I guess nothing can.

All Hallows

This October 31st, if you happen to be in the New York area and are weary of the bloated excesses of our city's Halloween celebrations, consider attending the following instead:

Vespers

We will celebrate the ancient and beautiful liturgy of Solemn First Vespers for All Saints, officiated by our special guest, Fr. Uwe Michael Lang, C.O. Father Bruno Shah, OP from St. Vincent Ferrer, and Father Michael Barone from the archdiocese of Newark, will assist in the liturgical celebration. Gregorian chant and polyphonic settings for vespers will be provided by the Schola Cantorum of St. Vincent Ferrer, under the direction of Dr. Mark Bani.

One of the many fond memories of my Anglo-Catholic days was the annual celebration of the Requiem Mass for All Souls (which the Holy Catholic Church seems to have abandoned but let us hope is on the way back). Particularly impressive, along with the Dies Irae Sequence was the catafalque that supported a black-draped coffin (representing the souls of the departed) at which the celebrant, in black vestments, would perform the absolution of the dead--most impressive and moving. I also recall the enormous and rather spooky candlesticks with yellowish-orange beeswax candles. I wonder now if the use of the color orange for Halloween decorations derives from the color of those candles rather then from pumpkins, which are native to North America after all. Anyone care to speculate?

All Hallows

This October 31st, if you happen to be in the New York area and are weary of the bloated excesses of our city's Halloween celebrations, consider attending the following instead:

Vespers

We will celebrate the ancient and beautiful liturgy of Solemn First Vespers for All Saints, officiated by our special guest, Fr. Uwe Michael Lang, C.O. Father Bruno Shah, OP from St. Vincent Ferrer, and Father Michael Barone from the archdiocese of Newark, will assist in the liturgical celebration. Gregorian chant and polyphonic settings for vespers will be provided by the Schola Cantorum of St. Vincent Ferrer, under the direction of Dr. Mark Bani.

One of the many fond memories of my Anglo-Catholic days was the annual celebration of the Requiem Mass for All Souls (which the Holy Catholic Church seems to have abandoned but let us hope is on the way back). Particularly impressive, along with the Dies Irae Sequence was the catafalque that supported a black-draped coffin (representing the souls of the departed) at which the celebrant, in black vestments, would perform the absolution of the dead--most impressive and moving. I also recall the enormous and rather spooky candlesticks with yellowish-orange beeswax candles. I wonder now if the use of the color orange for Halloween decorations derives from the color of those candles rather then from pumpkins, which are native to North America after all. Anyone care to speculate?

Cain-Ryan in 2012?

This was not entirely unexpected but the numbers are. From Mary Kate Carey in U.S. News & World Report:

Cain Jumps 20 Points Ahead of Romney in Poll

October 7. Today's Zogby poll of likely Republican primary voters is big news: Herman Cain has opened a 20-point lead over Mitt Romney and he now beats President Obama in a head-to-head matchup, 46 to 44 percent...

[snip]

First, he's an outsider, not a career politician, who has Main Street business experience. No one else in the race can say that, including the president.

Second, he's got a plan. His "9-9-9 Plan" would establish a flat business tax at 9 percent, individual taxes at 9 percent, and a national sales tax at 9 percent. Economist Stephen Moore wrote a great piece in the Wall Street Journal recently on the flat tax, saying that Cain's 9-9-9 plan "would be rocket fuel for the economy ... Cain has super-sized solutions to an economy with super-sized problems."

I would add that Cain is truly his own man, not beholden to any one or institution in the DC swamp. While he is, as he has admitted, not terribly knowledgeable on foreign affairs, he is bright and hard working; he'll learn. Being his own man might also, for once, give us a president who will remind the Department of State that it works for the president, not the other way around. I've always been astonished how so many of our presidents have allowed themselves to be cowed by the life-long bureaucrats embedded in that department.

Cain's nomination would also remove about the only tactic remaining for the democrats, playing the race card. Resorting, however, to insinuations of Cain being an Uncle Tom or the Republican's house-n***** , or not being "black enough" will backfire, big time.

My proposal to all the Republican movers and shakers who read this blog (there's bound to be someone somewhere who's stumbled across it, once by accident), as well as Mr. Cain, is in the he wins the nomination, he should pick Paul Ryan to be his running mate. His youth would be a nice counter to Cain's age and his deep knowledge of healthcare matters will prove invaluable. The fact Ryan is an observant Catholic doesn't hurt either.

Cain-Ryan in 2012?

This was not entirely unexpected but the numbers are. From Mary Kate Carey in U.S. News & World Report:

Cain Jumps 20 Points Ahead of Romney in Poll

October 7. Today's Zogby poll of likely Republican primary voters is big news: Herman Cain has opened a 20-point lead over Mitt Romney and he now beats President Obama in a head-to-head matchup, 46 to 44 percent...

[snip]

First, he's an outsider, not a career politician, who has Main Street business experience. No one else in the race can say that, including the president.

Second, he's got a plan. His "9-9-9 Plan" would establish a flat business tax at 9 percent, individual taxes at 9 percent, and a national sales tax at 9 percent. Economist Stephen Moore wrote a great piece in the Wall Street Journal recently on the flat tax, saying that Cain's 9-9-9 plan "would be rocket fuel for the economy ... Cain has super-sized solutions to an economy with super-sized problems."

I would add that Cain is truly his own man, not beholden to any one or institution in the DC swamp. While he is, as he has admitted, not terribly knowledgeable on foreign affairs, he is bright and hard working; he'll learn. Being his own man might also, for once, give us a president who will remind the Department of State that it works for the president, not the other way around. I've always been astonished how so many of our presidents have allowed themselves to be cowed by the life-long bureaucrats embedded in that department.

Cain's nomination would also remove about the only tactic remaining for the democrats, playing the race card. Resorting, however, to insinuations of Cain being an Uncle Tom or the Republican's house-n***** , or not being "black enough" will backfire, big time.

My proposal to all the Republican movers and shakers who read this blog (there's bound to be someone somewhere who's stumbled across it, once by accident), as well as Mr. Cain, is in the he wins the nomination, he should pick Paul Ryan to be his running mate. His youth would be a nice counter to Cain's age and his deep knowledge of healthcare matters will prove invaluable. The fact Ryan is an observant Catholic doesn't hurt either.