If you were wondering if John McCain could possibly win the presidency in the fall, the NYT's David Brooks explains how. And you know what? He's right. Obama cannot possibly compete with McCain on the platform of what I'll call "good governance." If that becomes the defining issue, Obama is completely hosed. Which means that if McCain takes ( Read more... )

"If she [Hillary] gave him [Obama] one of her cojones, they'd both have two."
-James Carville, Newsweek, May 2nd.

I can't make stuff like this up! Thank you The Economist!

As per this rumor Season 1 of Burn Notice should go on sale in DVD form sometime in June. Also, USA's other new drama In Plain Sight, which will be set in (and filmed in) Albuquerque, premiers June 1st. How do I get a gig as an extra? :)

Did anyone else who saw The Forbidden Kingdom think that it was a retelling of The Neverending Story with Kung Fu?

Also, anyone who's spent any time around academia will enjoy this. Thank you DPR Berkeley!

He is risen... He is risen indeed!

Interesting quote today from Josh Ruxin which expresses a lot of what my concerns AIDS-related aid in the world --- fundamentally we're solving the wrong problem. He says:

The fact is, between providing aid and encouraging business development, you can’t do either exclusively: you must do both. If you only provide ( Read more... )

From the NYT today:

When Christmas Morning Comes - Christmas as a reminder of hope.

St. Nick in the Big City - On the real St. Nicholas.

A Dessert with a Past - A history of fruitcake and Christmas pudding.

May your Christmas be a blessed one!

Peace,
Chris

Inspiration for this week comes from Tom Kendzia's white-boy-gospel-fest "Now is the Time":

Come to us, you who say,
"I will not forget you."
Be with us, you who say,
"Do not be afraid."
Take hold of us, our hearts,
our minds, our whole being.
Make us your own,
now is the time.To me, this is a very Advent-ish song. Here we are, like the 1st ( Read more... )

"An ox knows its owner, and an ass, its master's manger." - Is 1:3 ( Read more... )

From Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2007, by the Jesuit Communication Centre in Ireland:

When we call Christ the King, we have to unthink the trappings of royalty, and picture him as Pilate saw him when he asked: "Are you a king?" He was rejected, in pain, deserted by his followers. He had known fear; he had sweated blood and called on God three ( Read more... )