Tom Faranda's Folly

"Drink lots of water" - how healthful?

There's no scientific backing for thinking that drinking lots of water (8 glasses a day!) is beneficial.

Another cherished myth down the rathole.

Perceptions: Go Ahead, Put the Water Bottle Down - New York Times

“Under normal circumstances,” said Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, a co-author and a professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, “drinking extra water is unnecessary. I want to relieve people of the burden of schlepping water bottles around all day long.”

Jim Caviezel has adopted two older, ill Chinese children

Caviezel playe Jesus in Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ."

The Intersection: TAKE A CHANCE ON FAITH

In fact, Jim and Kerri went on to adopt another orphan – this one a five-year-old girl also with a brain tumor. The couple originally planned to adopt a healthy newborn girl, but when they met the sick child they realized that the healthy baby would find a good home; the sick one wouldn’t. She was then welcomed into their family as well.

Is there any health issue that exercise can't help?

Evidently not. The NY Times consistently has the best health and fitness features ...

Benefits of Exercise - Medicine and Health - Jane Brody - New York Times

“The single thing that comes close to a magic bullet, in terms of its strong and universal benefits, is exercise,” Frank Hu, epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health, said in the Harvard Magazine.

I have written often about the protective roles of exercise. It can lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, dementia, osteoporosis, gallstones, diverticulitis, falls, erectile dysfunction, peripheral vascular disease and 12 kinds of cancer.

But what if you already have one of these conditions? Or an ailment like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, congestive heart failure or osteoarthritis? How can you exercise if you’re always tired or in pain or have trouble breathing? Can exercise really help?

You bet it can. ...

“The data show that regular moderate exercise increases your ability to battle the effects of disease,” Dr. Moffat said in an interview. “It has a positive effect on both physical and mental well-being. The goal is to do as much physical activity as your body lets you do, and rest when you need to rest.”

Cornell names a racing shell after my brother Paul

Paul was a coxswain of some note for four years on the Cornell rowing team. When he died in September, 2005 his crewmates decided to raise funds to have a shell named after him. Tom Faranda's Folly: Paul Faranda, 1958-2005

A month or so ago my brother Phil was contacted about dedicating the boat! The dedication was held this past Saturday in Westchester, prior to a race near the New York Athletic Club's (NYAC) grounds.

My whole immediate family (Brigid, Joe, Tim and myself), my mother, brothers Jim and Phil, and Phil's five year old son Luke were there. It was pretty cool and here are some pictures.

Here's an all-boys-with-grandma picture - sun in our eyes - taken by Brigid - while we were at the wrong location! (Nice job Phil). We went to the Columbia boathouse, while the race was nowhere near there.

After Phil's wife Ann straightened us out by going online and then calling us up, we got over to Pelham

Racing shells are long - over 60 feet - and thin. There are eight rowers, each with one oar. and the cox at the back steers the boat and does all the talking (ideal job for a Faranda...).

My brother Phil was a cox at Villanova, and he gave a little speech pep talk to the Cornell rowers -

Luke doesn't look too happy ...

but Phil's talk was well-received

The boat was rowed on Saturday by the junior varsity. They were photo'd with my mother (she turns 82 tomorrow), who got a big kick out of it ...

Oh, and they clobbered the opposition, beating the other two boats by two boat lengths. Watch the last 50 seconds right here - Phil video'd and posted on youtube.

A statement from Cardinal Egan regarding ex-Mayor Giuliani

UPDATE: I got an email saying this column by Robert Novak may have been the motivation for Cardinal Egan's press release Disobeying the Pope - HUMAN EVENTS

To quote Jeremiah Wright: "the chickens are comin' home to roost."

The text of a press release issued by the NY Archdiocese today:

“ The Catholic Church clearly teaches that abortion is a grave offense against the will of God.  Throughout my years as Archbishop of New York, I have repeated this teaching in sermons, articles, addresses, and interviews without hesitation or compromise of any kind.   Thus it was that I had an understanding with Mr. Rudolph Giuliani, when I became Archbishop of New York and he was serving as Mayor of New York, that he was not to receive the Eucharist because of his well-known support of abortion.  I deeply regret that Mr. Giuliani received the Eucharist during the Papal visit here in New York, and I will be seeking a meeting with him to insist that he abide by our understanding.”

Obama on FOX; Jeremiah Wright on CNN

I broke my usual rule to not watch politicians on the boob tube, and taped and then watched Barack Obama's 35 minute interivew with Chris Wallace last night. Here's a transcript -TRANSCRIPT: OBAMA ON ‘FNS’ - America’s Election HQ of the interview.

Wallace is a good interviewer - asks good questions, doesn't cut off the person and then has good follow-up questions.

Obama in many ways did quite well. He presented an engaging, reasonable, demeanor - quite attractive, the type of guy I could sit down and have a beer with. At times eloquent, although he did say "you know" a few too many times.

As far as issues go, he was his usual vague, insubstantial self. Wallace asked him what issues he agreed with Republicans on, and he mentioned over-regulation by the government.

He defended raising taxes, and his vote to not ban partial birth abortion. He also said that criticism of his relationship with his "former pastor" Jeremiah Wright "was legitimate."

After the interview, there was a round table discussion with Wallace and four of the FOX news pundits. They all seemed to feel Obama had put on a good show - "eloquent ... attentive ... attractive ...", but were critical of his (Obamam's) seeming dismissal of his poor performance in Pennsylvania with core Democratic constituencies, like blue collar whites.

And Juan Williams feels that Jeremiah Wright's re-sufacing in the past few days is really hurting Obama.

Go here for the latest from Obama's "spiritual advisor" - it's nutso stuff. Malkin also has a ten minute clip from his NAACP appearance. The Obama campaign people must be cringing.

Michelle Malkin » Liveblogging Wright at the National Press Club: The “black church” is under “attack;” “I am open to being v... 

Fund-raising season upon us

I guess spring is the season for schools and non-profit organizations to do fund-raising dinners, banquets, breakfasts et al.

I was at two different ones last week. Thursday I went to Birthright's dinner. Ruth Graham, daughter of Billy Graham was the keynote speaker. Below is a photo of part of the crowd as Executive Director Gail Davis addressed the dinner, and then a shot of Graham, speaking (asking for a show of hands as to who had seen the Pope in person!), and at her book-signing afterwards. Ruth Graham is a good speaker, as she discussed her own family situation, including her daughter having two children as a teenager.

And Friday Brigid and I were guests of our friend Bill Connolly at the scholarship dinner for Caldwell College, a Domincan school in Northern New Jersey.

We shared a fun-loving table, as you can see from this picture of four of our compatriots!

Here is Brigid with Noreen Connolly, Bill Connolly's sister. Noreen is a good friend of ours, and a 60's radical wanna-be, hence her nickname, "Tanya."

The Caoldweel silent acution had plenty of sports memoribilia up for grabs, expecially signed photographs. Here are a couple of pictures of two I really liked. The first one was just about the only one where someone actually bid, the price being $550. It's Brady on his Keister in the last Super Bowl!

And here's Phil McConkey and Mark Bavaro in the '86 Super Bowl, after McConkey caught his TD pass. Remember?

And here's a current folk hero, uhh Hanna Montana? In a class with Strahan and Bavaro, et al? YIKES

Blogger in Saudi Arabia jailed for four months without charges

Here's a real free speech violation.

Saudi Activist Blogger Freed After 4 Months in Jail Without Charge - washingtonpost.com

Fouad al-Farhan, 33, was detained Dec. 10 after authorities warned him about his online support of an activist group. At the time of his arrest, the Interior Ministry said only that his violations were not related to state security.

Farhan had used his blog to criticize corruption and call for political reform in Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy.

Sunday Politics III: Here's the North Carolina ad that McCain disowned and the NY Times says is "shameful and ugly."

Draw your own conclusions. McCain dissed the ad without seeing it.

I agree with Ann Althouse Althouse: "Manipulative. Shameful. Race-baiting."

You can agree or disagree about whether Obama has a real problem on this score. But how is it racism? Is it racism simply because Jeremiah Wright and Obama are black? It would make more sense to accuse the NYT of racism for thinking that that anything that black people say or do is about their race. ...

... Come on. There is a serious question here about whether Obama is too left wing. We damned well get to talk about it. If you're going to push us back and call us racists for trying to address an overwhelmingly important political problem with a black candidate for President, then what you are essentially saying is that America is not ready for a black President. And that would be racist. Either we can talk about him vigorously or we can't. And if we can't, he shouldn't be President.

The full NY Times editorial is here: A Shameful, Ugly Ad - New York Times

Sunday Politics II WSJ op ed - Obama has it sewn up

Daniel Henininger writes a Friday column for the Journal

The Democrats have a Nominee Wonder Land - WSJ.com

I believe the cement set around the Clinton coffin last Friday. The Obama campaign announced it had received the support of former Sens. Sam Nunn of Georgia and David Boren of Oklahoma.

Both are what some of us nostalgically call Serious Democrats. They represent what the party was, but is no more: sensible on national security, spending and middle-class values. Obama receiving their imprimatur is like hands reaching out from the graves of FDR, JFK and LBJ to announce: "Enough is enough. This man is your nominee. Go forth and fight with the Republicans." Make no mistake: Superdelegates with sway took notice.

Former Sen. Nunn is sometimes mentioned as a possible running mate for Sen. Obama. In a better world, Sam Nunn (or a David Boren) would have been the party's candidate for president. Such candidacies remain impossible under the iron law of Democratic primary politics: No centrist can secure the party's nomination in a primary system dominated by left-liberal activists. ...

>>>>>>

The biggest event was the Clinton Abandonment. In a campaign of surprises, none has been more breathtaking than the falling away of Clinton supporters, loyalists . . . and friends. Why?

Money. Barack Obama's mystical pull on people is nice, but nice in modern politics comes after money. Once Barack proved conclusively that he could raise big-time cash, the Clintons' strongest tie to their machine began to unravel. Today he's got $42 million banked. She's got a few million north of nothing.

Sunday Politics I: Rove on the Democratic battle

This is a really good op ed by someone you may either love or hate, but whom everyone says is pretty astute about politics. I excerpted the section about Obama and "bitter" Americans, but the whole feature is a good (and quick) read.

Is Obama Ready for Prime Time? - WSJ.com

The Democratic Party has two weakened candidates. Mrs. Clinton started as a deeply flawed candidate: the palpable and unpleasant sense of entitlement, the absence of a clear and optimistic message, the grating personality impatient to be done with the little people and overly eager for a return to power, real power, the phoniness and the exaggerations. These problems have not diminished over the long months of the contest. They have grown. She started out with the highest negatives of any major candidate in an open race for the presidency and things have only gotten worse.

And what of the reborn Adlai Stevenson? Mr. Obama is befuddled and angry about the national reaction to what are clearly accepted, even commonplace truths in San Francisco and Hyde Park. How could anyone take offense at the observation that people in small-town and rural American are "bitter" and therefore "cling" to their guns and their faith, as well as their xenophobia? Why would anyone raise questions about a public figure who, for only 20 years, attended a church and developed a close personal relationship with its preacher who says AIDS was created by our government as a genocidal tool to be used against people of color, who declared America's chickens came home to roost on 9/11, and wants God to damn America? Mr. Obama has a weakness among blue-collar working class voters for a reason.

Senator Clinton challenges Obama to a "Lincoln-Douglas" style debate

This is a good idea, especially for Mrs. Clinton, since she's the underdog right now. I think it's likely to expose Obama's ignorance on certain issues like healthcare and the economy.

Clinton proposes no-moderator debate with Obama

"So here is my proposal: I'm offering Senator Obama the chance to debate me one-on-one, no moderators. Just the two of us going for 90 minutes asking and answering questions. We'll set whatever rules seem fair," Clinton said.

"I think it would give the people of Indiana -- and I assume a few Americans will tune in because nearly 11 million watched the Philadelphia debate, and I think they would like seeing that discussion."

Clinton's campaign manager Maggie Williams pointed out in a letter to Obama's campaign manager that Obama had declined two debate invitations for the coming week and a third invitation to a debate in Oregon.

The shark attack near San Diego

Here's the story from the San Diego press

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > North County -- Beaches closed after fatal shark attack in North County

Dave Martin, 66, was attacked as he was swimming about 150 yards offshore shortly after 7 a.m., officials said.

A helicopter initially was sent to take Martin to a hospital, but he was pronounced dead at a lifeguard station.

Witnesses told lifeguards that a “big gray shark” attacked Martin, biting both his legs, said Solana Beach Marine Safety Capt. Craig Miller.

Martin was swimming with a group of about 10 others, heading north from Fletcher Cove, near Tide Park, when the attack occurred. The group regularly swims in the area. All the swimmers were wearing wet suits.

Miller said two of the swimmers were about 20 yards ahead of the victim when he was attacked. They heard him screaming, went to his aid and brought him to shore, he said.

>>>>>>

Chapman said that seals and sea lions have been beaching themselves in the area – he said a crew from Sea World was on its way to rescue one as he spoke. Such beachings are a possible sign of a large predator in the coastal waters.

“Those are signs that say this isn't the place to go,” Chapman said. “We have one person fatally wounded and we have sea life exiting the water. It's better to say out of the water and give it time.”

And another link where they state the attack was by a great white shark

Click here: My Way News - San Diego beaches remain closed after fatal shark attack

The Democratic Party and the primary battle

Could be heading for the rocks

Party Fears Racial Divide - washingtonpost.com

The protracted and increasingly acrimonious fight for the Democratic presidential nomination is unnerving core constituencies -- African Americans and wealthy liberals -- who are becoming convinced that the party could suffer irreversible harm if Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton maintains her sharp line of attack against Sen. Barack Obama.

Clinton's solid win in the Pennsylvania primary exposed a quandary for the party. Her backers may be convinced that only she can win the white, working-class voters that the Democratic nominee will need in the general election, but many African American leaders say a Clinton nomination -- handed to her by superdelegates -- would result in a disastrous breach with black voters.

"If this party is perceived by people as having gone into a back room somewhere and brokered a nominee, that would not be good for our party," House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (S.C.), the highest ranking African American in Congress, warned yesterday. "I'm telling you, if this continues on its current course, [the damage] is going to be irreparable."

That fear, plus a more general sense that Clinton's only route to victory would be through tearing down her opponent, has led even some black Democrats who are officially neutral in the race, such as Clyburn, to speak out.

Clinton's camp has a vastly different interpretation, arguing that the most recent primary demonstrated that Democrats remain very interested in seeing the contest continue.

My second hand plan to bring the country together

This sent to me by my correspondent Maria

There are less than eight months until the election, an election that will decide the next President of the

United States

. The person elected will be the president of all Americans, not just the Democrats or the Republicans.

To show our solidarity as Americans, let's all get together and show each other our support for the candidate of our choice.  It's time that we all came together, Democrats and Republicans alike.

If you support the policies and character of John McCain, please drive with your headlights on during the day.

If you support Obama or Hillary, please drive with your headlights off at night.

The Job Market - cute

NY Times journalists on the chopping block

Whew. Things are tough at the former paper of record.

THE WORST OF TIMES - New York Post

The word from inside is that approximately 50 unionized journalists have accepted the buyout proposal, and only another 20 non-union editorial employees have gotten on board.

That means the ax could fall on as many as 30 editorial people in the company's first-ever mass firing of journalists in its 156-year history.

Executive Editor William Keller had said originally that he was looking to cut 100 people from the Times staff in response to the dismal newspaper advertising environment.

But then a week ago Assistant Managing Editor William Schmidt issued a memo saying it was almost certain that the company would be forced to make involuntary cuts, and he urged more volunteers to come forward.

The plea apparently fell on deaf ears.

Darfur Update

From an email I got today. Representative Hall is my member of Congress.

Last week, the United Nations World Food Program announced that it will cut half its food supplies to the people of Darfur because of a lack of funds and relentless attacks on its convoys.

Millions of Darfuris depend on this food supply. Without it, they will be pushed even closer to the knife-sharp edge of starvation.

Inaction is not an option when so many lives are at stake.

Congress is preparing to vote on a bill that will significantly increase funding for humanitarian aid and peacekeeping in Darfur. Your representative needs to hear from you NOW because the men, women, and children of Darfur cannot afford any more delays.

Tell Representative Hall to support funding for security and humanitarian aid in Darfur.

Additional funding for Darfur can bring hope to the thousands who have weathered half a decade of genocide. It can provide peacekeepers with training and equipment to protect Darfuri civilians. It can deliver disaster and famine assistance to families desperately in need. And it can help the people of Sudan move towards democracy and determine their own path to peace.

We must meet our obligation to the people of Darfur. Congress has the purse strings. You have the voice. Make sure your voice – and the collective voice of hundreds of thousands of Darfuris – is heard.

Urge your representative to stand up for Darfur and fully fund peacekeeping and humanitarian aid.

With the United Nations World Food Program cutting its food aid to Darfur, the clock is ticking faster and louder than ever - we must act quickly to try to fill this crucial gap.

After you have sent a message to your representative, please click here to ask your friends and family to do the same.

Thank you for your tireless dedication to the people of Darfur.

If you, like me, got a flu shot and then got sick anyway, read this

A tough flu season

A Jump in Doctor Visits and Deaths in Flu Season - New York Times

The main reason for the increased severity this season is that a more virulent type of virus, called A(H3N2), has predominated, said Dr. Dan Jernigan, deputy director of the influenza division at the disease centers. There are many A(H3N2) variants, and this particular one was first identified in Brisbane, Australia, in 2007.

The virus caught vaccine makers off guard. Though the current vaccine does contain an A(H3N2) strain related to the Brisbane variant, it is not exactly the same, making the vaccine less effective than it might have been.

A study found that the vaccine reduced people’s risk of contracting any type of influenza A by 58 percent. But when vaccine strains are well matched to viruses, they can cut the risk by 70 percent to 90 percent in healthy adults. Generally, the vaccines do not work as well in the elderly or in small children.

Sunday's Papal Mass at Yankee Stadium

See my other two posts about the day here Tom Faranda's Folly: Local Croton priests upstage Holy Father at Yankee Stadium and here Tom Faranda's Folly: Some pictures from the "Concert for Hope" that preceded the Papal Mass .

I have been at two other Papal Masses - Denver in 1993 with about 400,000 people - and Central Park in 1995 with about 100,000. While nothing could surpass Denver, with John Paul the celebrant, the Stadium was also a happening. We were seated directly to the left of Benedict, about 100 yards away.

After the concert and before the Mass, there was a parade around the stage with performers carrying models of large doves, and a release of real doves. See if you can spot Fr. Mike in the lower right hand corner in the first picture

For a theology professor who supposedly lacks the charisma of John Paul, Benedict is able to elicit a tremendous response. Despite the Papal pomp, he comes across as a humble person. And I think that's how he connects with whatever audience or group he's in front of.

After coming in down the left field line and around the stage in the Popemobile (He received a thunderous welcome), he stepped into the Yankee dugout to vest (this from an insider - he changed in Joe Girardi's office). Check out all the clergy on the stage, rushing over with their cameras to take a picture of Benedict as he headed into the dugout. That is Regina Riely's arm in the foreground, waving her flag like mad.

Ten minutes later out he popped with his entourage and up onto the stage -

And to the altar

The layout of the stage and altar was like this, with the altar over second base. This was taken during the concert. I suppose I should have gone back up to the upper deck during the Mass, and the picture would have been stunning, but I didn't. Hey, it was a Mass!

Back to the altar

The Pope's homily was relatively short (and excellent) - 20 minutes in English and five minutes in Spanish.  My recollection of John Paul's homilies in 1993 and 1995 was that they were much longer.

How do you give communion to 55,000+ people in a stadium? As I mentioned in Monday's post, our pastor Fr. Mike was one of four priests in charge of organizing this. First, you get several hundred priests up surrounding the altar with ciboriums holding hosts. After the consecration, the priests scatter to their assigned stations throughout the stadium with the consecrated hosts. Each priest was escorted by either a 4th degree member of the Knights of Columbus, or a New York fireman or policeman, in their dress uniform.

There was a group of Dominican sisters from Michigan in the section next to ours -

Now the Pope says the concluding prayers and makes some closing remarks, and the crowd starts going crazy again, waving the white and yellow flags (Although Joe is cool. Both boys seemed to enjoy the day.).

The Pope heads back to the Yankee dugout,

and this is funny - again the clergy up on the stage looking to take his picture. Our associate pastor, Fr. Loyola is there very near the middle with his camera. He is to the left of the very big bearded priest. And see the priest to Fr. Loyola's left on his cell phone. He's probably saying "Mom you won't believe how close I am to the Pope!" They are waiting for Benedict to re-emerge from the dugout and get into the popemobile for the trip up the right field line and around the outfield, back into the left field bullpen area.

And here's Benedict!

As the Popemobile passed by one of the press booths I took a picture (not knowing it was a press booth until later). You can see what the Pope is doing on the diamondvision to the right. But all the press guys are taking photos! And who are the people in the black suits almost directly above the popemobile?

Why it's the FOX news commentators - Shepherd Smith with the light colored tie. And next to him is Catholic priest, Fr. Lisante, waving to Benedict, and another priest, Fr. Jonathan Smith, taking a picture, while a technical guy leans over behind him with his cell phone camera.

Aren't press people usually pretty jaded about this kind of stuff? I guess not when it's the Pope. Oh, and note Monument Park behind everything.

Here are a couple of pics of people we were with from Croton - names left out to protect the guilty.

And amazingly in the crowd as we were leaving, we ran into Mary Blake and Laurie Hurley. I'd mentioned/featured them in Tuesday's post about the concert. They had come down with a Boston contingent and were in the upper deck behind home plate - where I'd taken the panoramic picture above. here they are with Brigid and the boys -

Leaving the stadium was a madhouse. Joe and Brigid got separated from Tim and I, and we got back to the bus in different ways.

And then back to the bus and home around 8 o'clock.

Here are the last four pictures.  (I promise.) Of course Yankee Stadium is being replaced with a NEW Yankee Stadium and you can see it in the background of the first picture. Then a picture of a banner I shot from the stadium, then the stadium as we headed to the parking lot, and the last one needs no explanation. ...

The Everest Guide

If you watched any or all of the Discovery Channel series Everest: Beyond the Limit, you know who Russell Brice is. Brigid and I watched and enjoyed the whole of last year's series.

Brice runs about the most successful high mountain-climbing commercial operation, Himalayan Experience. he's never lost a client and gotten 300 people to the top of Everest.

An Excerpt from Nick Heil's Dark Summit, on Everest Guide Russell Brice | Outside Online

$164 million lottery winner has plans

Hillary Clinton theme song for this week

I have shamelessly ripped this off from Michelle Malkin -

UPDATE - Obama's Gloves Are Off -- And May Need to Stay Off - washingtonpost.com

But the candidate who rocketed to stardom as the embodiment of a new kind of politics -- hopeful, positive and inspiring -- saw his image tarnished in the bruising fight for Pennsylvania. Provoked by Clinton's repeated references to his remarks about the state's voters and her charges that he is an "elitist," Obama struck back in the closing days of the campaign.

"It's a real danger for Obama, and if you look at these recent ads, the messages they're delivering in all these conference calls, it's a far cry from last fall," when the theme of hope emerged amid calls for a more negative tone, said Democratic consultant Steve Elmendorf, a Clinton supporter.

Republican strategist John Feehery put it less charitably: "That's the danger of running as holier-than-thou. You have a lot farther to fall."

Some pictures from the "Concert for Hope" that preceded the Papal Mass

Still working my way through all the pictures we took Sunday at the Yankee Stadium Papal Mass.

But here are a few pictures from the concert that went from noontime to about 2 o'clock.

When we arrived, the West Point Cadet Catholic Choir was singing. The stage is set up on the infield, and the cadets are standing about where home plate is. The stadium was still filling up -

The Irish singer Dana performed -  the second picture is Dana on the Diamondvision screen in right field

Next up - the Irish tenor, Ronan Tynan. I will show my ignorance, by confessing I'd never heard of him. Wow! What a voice, and what a life story!

So after beautiful renditions of several tunes, Tynan says he's going to sing "God Bless America". I didn't know that he was famous for singing it, that he occasionally sang it at Yankee Stadium games, that he'd sung at Ronald Reagan's funeral... Nor did I know that Tynan was a double amputee, had won many gold medals in the paralympics, and was a physician. Ronan Tynan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia or RonanTynan.net - Biography

So he starts singing "God Bless America" and everyone stands up, and then everyone starts singing ... awesome ...

Around this point , I took off for the upper deck behind home plate, to try and locate two friends of ours, Laurie Hurley, and Mary Blake. They both had travelled down from Boston (Laurie lives in VT) and the Boston contingent were in the nosebleed scetion, but with a good frontal view of the podium and altar.

On the way up, I snapped this picture of the Young People's Choir of New York. Again, they are standing about on where home plate is.

As I was making my way up, the next performer was

Here he is on the stage, as seen from the upper deck, where the Boston people were. And the best view of the layout of the stage and altar -

And two more shots of the crowd in the upper deck on the left field side

And here's a pix of moi with Laurie and Mary. I ceaselessly pointed out that they were in the Cathedral of Baseball, in comparison to which Fenway Park is a hovel. Mary is a diehard (DIEHARD!!) Red Sox fan and I think had to take benadryl every three hours whilst in the stadium, to keep from breaking out in hives ...

As you can see, Mary likes Stadium food (peanuts). If you're wondering how I originally met these two young, attractive women (quite a few years ago now) - well that is a four beer story which someday I may post about.

In the meantime, I will try and get the Papal Mass posting up tonight.   

Obama-mania XVIII: Obamutopia

I got a few laughs reading this column this morning. David Limbaugh is Rush Limbaugh's brother.

David Limbaugh

Barack Obama, stubbornly clinging to his right to be charismatically shallow, at first complained that Hillary Clinton was unfairly criticizing him for being all flair and fluff with no substance. Now he's upset that Clinton and the media won't let him discuss substance. Based on some of his speeches lately, I'm thinking he ought to be grateful for the diversion because his policy proposals might not survive serious scrutiny.

Maybe it's unfair to interpret literally Obama's repeated stump speech assertion that we Americans aren't perfect but are "perfectible" and conclude he possesses a New Age or secular humanist worldview rather than a Christian one, which clearly rejects the notion of man's perfectibility.

Then again, his policy proposals do sound strikingly utopian -- almost as if he's saying we truly can achieve perfection, end poverty, eradicate health care problems, establish universal harmony, legislate away all corruption, and attain wholesale energy independence without, by the way, liberating ourselves from the shackles of enviro-policemen, who forbid us from exploiting our own resources.

Obama's pitch to fawning audiences is so hopelessly idealistic and his promises so painfully unrealistic that it's amazing he's taken as seriously as he is.

New Wall Street Journal columnists, including Thomas Frank

The WSJ is introducing some new op ed writers.

The New Opinion Pages - WSJ.com

The daily book review returns to the opinion pages in Section A, from Monday through Friday, after many years in Personal Journal. Book reviews by their nature have a point of view, and so fit comfortably in the opinion section. They also often tackle major economic and political disputes, much like the rest of the opinion section. The exception will be Saturday, where the book reviews will continue to occupy their own spread in the Weekend section.

With the additional space, we're also introducing new columnists. Today and every Monday, we'll feature L. Gordon Crovitz, the Journal's former publisher, who will write about the "Information Age." Drawing upon his experience managing the Journal's electronics business, Mr. Crovitz will focus on the many ways that digital technology is transforming business, politics and our society. On Tuesdays, William McGurn will write a column on politics and culture. Mr. McGurn was for many years a member of the Journal editorial board and was most recently chief speechwriter for President Bush.

We're also pleased that Thomas Frank will write a column each Wednesday, adding a prominent left-of-center voice to the pages. Mr. Frank is the author of three books, including the best-selling "What's the Matter with Kansas?", and today on the op-ed page he weighs in with typical verve on the dispute over Barack Obama's "bitter" comments on guns and religion. The Journal has often had a liberal column in the past, and Mr. Frank can help our readers understand what's on the mind of the American left as it bids to regain control of the federal government. His weekly column begins May 14.

Herei s Frank's column. I didn't read his book, which asks why many people vote their values and not their pocketbooks. 

Obama's Touch of Class - WSJ.com

Local Croton priests upstage Holy Father at Yankee Stadium

Well OK, that's an exaggeration. But those of us from Holy Name of Mary thought it was pretty cool that our Pastor, Fr. Michael Keane, was one of four priests charged with organizing the hundreds of priests who distributed communion.

And our associate pastor, Fr. Loyola, was up on the podium/altar for the entire Mass, with all the other mucky mucks. Of course he didn't have one of those tall hats...

Here are two pictures Brigid took of Fr. Mike, with cropping and blowing up of the original image after the raw photo. The wind appears to have blown up Fr.'s vestments, so he looks a bit like a vested up Friar Tuck, but he's actually quite fit!

Note security man keeping an eye on him -

Here's the second picture - security guy has lost interest.

Here's the blown up version

Now here's Father Loyola, toward the left hand end of the picture. Everyone is waiting for Benedict to come out of the Yankee dugout (this is where he vested and unvested before and after the Mass - maybe used Jeter's locker?) and get aboard the Popemobile. For those of you who know Fr. Loyola, can you see what he's trying to do?

Like at least half of the priests and Bishops up on the altar, Fr. Loyola had his camera! He must have gotten some pretty good pictures of the Pope. The blow up of the above photo is grainy, but good enough! That's him, just about dead center. Pretty funny.

Brigid and I both had cameras, and between us took 301 pictures (sounds like an absurd amount to some people, but if you have a digital camera, you know it's easy to just keep clicking away) so there's a lot to sort through. Won't be able to post more on the Papal mass until late tonight or tomorrow.

UPDATE - And here's Fr. Loyola even bigger - but lots grainier

Benedict XVI in New York

We (all of us; Brigid, Joe, Tim and I) were fortunate to be at Yankee Stadium yesterday afternoon for the Papal Mass. i will post some pictures later today I hope.

Here are excerpts from the Pope's homily Saturday at St. Patrick's Cathedral -

MOVING ST. PAT'S HOMILY - New York Post

I join you in praying that this will be a time of purification for each and every particular church and religious community, and a time for healing. May our Lord Jesus Christ grant the Church in America a renewed sense of unity and purpose, as all - bishops, clergy, religious and laity - move forward in hope, in love for the truth and for one another.

* The spires of St. Patrick's Cathedral are dwarfed by the skyscrapers of the Manhattan skyline, yet in the heart of this busy metropolis, they are a vivid reminder of the constant yearning of the human spirit to rise to God.

Are gun owners happy and contented?

FULL DISCLOSURE - While I am pro-choice on gun ownership, I don't own one, doubt if i ever will, and wouldn't know how to use a gun if someone handed me one. If I tucked it in my waistband I'd probably end up shooting off my private parts.

Are gun owners "bitter " people, or are they contented? Well, there is data on this (if you can believe polls and statistical analysis, and maybe you can't).

Here's info from an op ed in the weekend Wall Street Journal.

Trigger Happy - WSJ.com

According to the 2006 General Social Survey, which has tracked gun ownership since 1973, 34% of American homes have guns in them. This statistic is sure to surprise many people in cities like San Francisco – as it did me when I first encountered it. (Growing up in Seattle, I knew nobody who owned a gun.)

Who are all these gun owners? Are they the uneducated poor, left behind? It turns out they have the same level of formal education as nongun owners, on average. Furthermore, they earn 32% more per year than nonowners. Americans with guns are neither a small nor downtrodden group.

Nor are they "bitter." In 2006, 36% of gun owners said they were "very happy," while 9% were "not too happy." Meanwhile, only 30% of people without guns were very happy, and 16% were not too happy.

In 1996, gun owners spent about 15% less of their time than nonowners feeling "outraged at something somebody had done." It's easy enough in certain precincts to caricature armed Americans as an angry and miserable fringe group. But it just isn't true. The data say that the people in the approximately 40 million American households with guns are generally happier than those people in households that don't have guns.

The gun-owning happiness gap exists on both sides of the political aisle. Gun-owning Republicans are more likely than nonowning Republicans to be very happy (46% to 37%). Democrats with guns are slightly likelier than Democrats without guns to be very happy as well (32% to 29%). Similarly, holding income constant, one still finds that gun owners are happiest.

Hit the link above to read the whole feature, which has lots of other interesting stats, and offers a hypothesis as to why gun owners as a group are more contented and happier then non-owners.

The Pope at the UN

i listened to Benedict's address on the radio. He laid out broad themes without any specifics, or mentioning any countries. A little bit difficult to follow while listening and working, because of his accented English. It will be interesting to read the whole text. Here's coverage in the WaPo and NYT.

Pope Stresses Human Rights, Ethical Science - washingtonpost.com

Human rights, he said, "are based on the natural law inscribed on human hearts," adding that "when presented purely in terms of legality, rights risk becoming weak propositions divorced from the ethical and rational dimension which is their foundation and their goal."

Wearing his traditional white cassock, Benedict received an unusually warm reception from the delegates, including Mary Ann Glendon, U.S. ambassador to the Holy See. The delegates began to applaud as the pope entered, and within seconds they rose to give him a standing ovation, with many snapping photos of him with regular and cellphone cameras. Benedict smiled and spread his arms wide in acknowledgment.

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon introduced the pontiff, noting that many of those gathered to hear him do not share Benedict's Catholic faith.

"Whether we worship one god, many or not, we at the United Nations have to strengthen our faith every day," the secretary general said. "We need more and more of this precious commodity. I am profoundly grateful to his holiness Pope Benedict XVI for bestowing some of his faith upon us, and putting his trust in us. May we be strengthened by his visit."

Vigorous Defense of Human Rights Is Urged by Pope in U.N. Address - New York Times

“The promotion of human rights remains the most effective strategy for eliminating inequalities between countries and social groups, and for increasing security,” Benedict told the United Nations General Assembly.

“Indeed, the victims of hardship and despair, whose human dignity is violated with impunity, become easy prey to the call to violence, and they can then become violators of peace,” he said.

He made no explicit reference to a nation or conflict in particular, and he laid no specific blame in the half-hour speech, which was densely packed with philosophy and theology. But he did mention briefly some specific priorities for the Vatican, like protecting the environment, and making sure that poor nations, especially in Africa, also reap the benefits of globalization.

And in a passage that will have particular resonance for the current United Nations leadership, which is trying to establish the right of the outside world to intervene in situations where nations fail to shield their own citizens from atrocities, the pope said that “every state has the primary duty to protect its own population from grave and sustained violations of human rights.”

The concept, known as “responsibility to protect,” is one that Ban Ki-moon, the secretary general, has backed as a way for international institutions to take action in regions like Darfur.

“If states are unable to guarantee such protection,” the pope said, “the international community must intervene with the juridical means provided in the United Nations charter and in other international instruments.” In an apparent allusion to countries that claim such international actions constitute intervention in their national affairs, he said they “should never be interpreted as an unwarranted imposition or a limitation of sovereignty.”

He added, “On the contrary, it is indifference or failure to intervene that do the real damage.”

In his speech, Benedict touched on themes important both to his three-year-old papacy and his decades of writing as a cardinal and one of the church’s leading intellectuals.

At base, the pope presented the idea that there are universal values that transcend the diversity — cultural, ethnic or ideological — embodied in an institution like the United Nations, founded to help prevent the ruin of another world war. Those values are at the base of human rights, he said, as they are for religion. Thus religion, he said, cannot be shut out of a body like the United Nations, which he said aims at “a social order respectful of the dignity and rights of the person.”

“A vision of life firmly anchored in the religious dimension can help achieve this,” he said. “Recognition of the transcendent value of every man and woman favors conversion of heart, which then leads to a commitment to resist violence, terrorism, war and to promote justice and peace.

Benedict XVI gives a positive message to Catholic educators

As i mentioned here, Tom Faranda's Folly: The Washington Post on Catholic schools and the papal visit this is an important topic to the Faranda's.

Pope: Re-commit to Catholic schools | lohud.com | The Journal News

Benedict is a veteran university professor and committed scholar, so his speech about education was eagerly anticipated. Some observers thought he would use the opportunity to chastise Catholic colleges for not being orthodox enough.

The pope did say that Catholic colleges must maintain academic freedom without appearing to endorse views that oppose Catholic teachings. But he did not imply that Catholic colleges are failing.

"Any appeal to the principle of academic freedom in order to justify positions that contradict the faith and the teaching of the Church would obstruct or even betray the university's identity and mission," he said.

Review of "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed"

This is Ben Stein's movie, which seems to be somewhat controversial. One of the main premises of the movie is that politically incorrect professors get denied tenure or otherwise harassed if they dispute the accepted scientific dogma - think Intelligent Design (of Global Warming?).

The review (3 stars out of 4) is from Christianity Today. I'll probably see it when it comes out on DVD.

Reviews: Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed | Christianity Today Movies

The pre-release controversy surrounding Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed didn't quite reach the fever pitch that preceded The Passion of the Christ, but it has nonetheless "bought" the filmmakers more free publicity than they ever could have afforded.

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There's yet another comparison to the pre-Passion hype: While critics accused director Mel Gibson and his film of anti-Semitism, the filmmakers behind Expelled—and movie host Ben Stein, who is Jewish—argue that Darwin and evolutionist theory paved the way for Hitler and the Holocaust (but Scientific American begs to differ). Perhaps it's no coincidence that Motive Marketing, which is spearheading publicity for Expelled, was also in charge of PR for The Passion.

Now that the movie has hit theaters, does it live up to all the pre-game hype? Well, sort of.

Senator Obama gives Senator Clinton a one fingered salute?

Here's some commentary from the LA Times, which seems to think it was deliberate.

Barack Obama makes a one-fingered gesture while speaking of Hillary Clinton : Top of the Ticket : Los Angeles Times

He's talking critically about his opponent, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, and the kind of distasteful gotcha politics that occur in Washington. And he says, "That's all right. Sen. Clinton looked in her element."

Watch the video right then. The presidential candidate raises his right hand to seemingly scratch his cheek

He pauses. He smiles slyly as the crowd begins to mumble and then he tries, somewhat distracted, to continue his remarks, smiling as the buzz spreads through the crowd.

He'll no doubt deny it later, but that mischievous smile seems to confirm plenty. And the crowd sure sees something.

Here's the video. I think it's a 50/50 call. He may have just been scratching himself and then realized how it looked, as the crowd started buzzing.

UPDATE - Ann Althouse, blogging here, Althouse: Slate's anti-Obama ad.  says yes he is:

Based on the way he laughs when they get it, I'd have to say yes. Especially ironic, since he's pushing the line about how he's the one taking politics to a higher level.

Of course, this will make him even more popular with some ...

Nice article on yesterday's Papal Mass in Washington

In the Washington Post -

For Crowd, Miraculous Moments - washingtonpost.com

The crowd that mobbed Nationals Park to see, or just be near, Pope Benedict XVI yesterday was a joyous, kaleidoscopic tableau of Catholics and non-Catholics from across the country who said they were drawn by faith, hope and a sense of the history of the moment.

"It's a once-in-life experience," said Kevin Schoonmaker of Moline, Ill., who made the trip to Washington with his wife and five children even though they had only two tickets for the Mass. "The grace of being around such an event is well worth it." His wife, Maggie, and daughter Lexi, 13, used the tickets.

Prince George's County Sheriff Michael Jackson was there, bearing palm fronds. "Often times, we get wrapped up in the things that we do," he said, "and it is just great to be out here with other believers."

There were men in suits and women in fancy Sunday hats. But there were also people wearing fleeces and baseball caps and Catholic-school students in plaid skirts and embroidered polos.

There were priests in cassocks of black or habits of brown and white, and nuns in blue and in white.

Obama and taxes

The Wall Street Journal had an excellent dissection this morning of the Obama tax plan. I posted about his inconsistencies earlier this morning Tom Faranda's Folly: Obama-mania XVII: Clueless on economics but of course the Journal has a lot bigger readership then I do!

I recognize that for the Obama-mania promoters policy does not matter. What matters are three things: (1) he's a mixed race person (2) he speaks well and (3) he was against the Iraqi war/liberation.

But for the rest of us mostly middle class people, there's this -

Obama's Tax Evasion - WSJ.com

Time and again, the rookie Senator has said he would not raise taxes on middle-class earners, whom he describes as people with annual income lower than between $200,000 and $250,000. On Wednesday night, he repeated the vow. "I not only have pledged not to raise their taxes," said the Senator, "I've been the first candidate in this race to specifically say I would cut their taxes."

But Mr. Obama has also said he's open to raising – indeed, nearly doubling to 28% – the current top capital gains tax rate of 15%, which would in fact be a tax hike on some 100 million Americans who own stock, including millions of people who fit Mr. Obama's definition of middle class.

Mr. Gibson dared to point out this inconsistency, which regularly goes unmentioned in Mr. Obama's fawning press coverage. But Mr. Gibson also probed a little deeper, asking the candidate why he wants to increase the capital gains tax when history shows that a higher rate brings in less revenue.

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Mr. Obama answered by citing rich hedge fund managers. Raising the capital gains tax is necessary, he said, "to make sure . . . that our tax system is fair and that we are able to finance health care for Americans who currently don't have it and that we're able to invest in our infrastructure and invest in our schools. And you can't do that for free."

But Mr. Gibson had noted that higher rates yield less revenue. So the news anchor tried again: "But history shows that when you drop the capital gains tax, the revenues go up?" Mr. Obama responded that this "might happen or it might not. It depends on what's happening on Wall Street and how business is going." And then he went on a riff about John McCain and the housing market.

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This is instructive. ... when the tax rate has risen over the past half century, capital gains realizations have fallen and along with them tax revenue. The most recent such episode was in the early 1990s, when Mr. Obama was old enough to be paying attention.

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Either the young Illinois Senator is ignorant of this revenue data, or he doesn't really care because he's a true income redistributionist who prefers high tax rates as a matter of ideological dogma regardless of the revenue consequences. Neither one is a recommendation for President.

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By the way, a higher capital gains tax rate isn't the only middle-class tax increase that Mr. Obama is proposing. He also wants to lift the cap on wages subject to the payroll tax. That cap was $97,500 in 2007 and is $102,000 this year. "Those are a heck of a lot of people between $97,000 and $200[,000] and $250,000," said Mr. Gibson. "If you raise the payroll taxes, that's going to raise taxes on them." Ignoring the no-tax pledge he had made five minutes earlier, Mr. Obama explained that such a tax increase was nevertheless necessary.

In other words he dodged the question, as he so often does with impunity. But thanks to Mr. Gibson's persistence, for 90 minutes Wednesday night Mr. Obama didn't get away with it. The voters learned a lot about Mr. Obama, who needs to learn a lot more about taxes and revenue.

Barack Obama needs to take a weekend off and huddle with a few Harvard undergrad economics majors, and get himself sorted out.

Jesuit Cardinal Avery Dulles retires

Avery Dulles is the son of former Secretary of State John Foster Dulles. He graduated from Harvard in 1940, the same year he converted from agnosticism to Catholicism. He joined the Jesuits in 1946 and was ordained a priest in 1956.

A fine theologian and prolific writer, he was named a Cardinal in 2001 by John Paul II, as a kind of honor for his fine theological work. This is a rarity, since Dulles was not a bishop.

I have not read any of Dulles books, but I love reading his essays in America and First Things.

But now, at age ninety, ill health has caught up with him. He will no longer be giving the semi-annual McGinley Lecture at Fordham University. Here is his last one, given April 1st. The link below has a link to the lecture, and I left a comment. Under the link below I excerpted the last two paragraphs of his lecture.

America | The National Catholic Weekly - The Legacy of Avery Dulles, S.J.

As I approach the termination of my active life, I gratefully acknowledge that a benign providence has governed my days. The persons I have met, the places I have been, the things I have been asked to do, have all coalesced into a pattern, so that each stage of my life has prepared me for the next. My 20 years on the McGinley Chair have been a kind of climax, at least from my personal point of view. I often feel that there is no one on earth with whom I would want to exchange places. It has been a special privilege to serve in the Society of Jesus, a religious community specially dedicated to the Savior of the world.

The good life does not have to be an easy one, as our blessed Lord and the saints have taught us. Pope John Paul II in his later years used to say, “The Pope must suffer.” Suffering and diminishment are not the greatest of evils, but are normal ingredients in life, especially in old age. They are to be accepted as elements of a full human existence. Well into my 90th year I have been able to work productively. As I become increasingly paralyzed and unable to speak, I can identify with the many paralytics and mute persons in the Gospels, grateful for the loving and skillful care I receive and for the hope of everlasting life in Christ. If the Lord now calls me to a period of weakness, I know well that his power can be made perfect in infirmity. “Blessed be the name of the Lord!”

Letterman and Romney on why Romney dropped out of the race

Who's funnier?

Here's Letterman

And here's Romney

Obama-mania XVII: Clueless on economics

I didn't see the Obama-Clinton debate Wednesday night, but I gather the Obama-Messiah didn't do too well. I base this on the fact that the conservative, right wingers were all saying he bombed, while the left wingers were mad at moderaters Gibson and Stephanopoulus for actually asking him serious questions, rather then throwing him puffballs.

Picture courtesy of my humor correspondent Ellen. Read below for further evidence of cluelessness.

Isn't it amusing that McCain gets criticized because economics is not his strong suit, while Obama gives answers like the following regarding raising the capital gains tax rate - it's almost embarrassing to read:

GIBSON: You said on CNBC, and I quote, "I certainly would not go above what existed under Bill Clinton, which was 28%." It's now 15%. That's almost a doubling, if you went to 28%. But actually Bill Clinton in 1997 signed legislation that dropped the capital gains tax to 20%. And in each instance, when the rate dropped, revenues from the tax increased. The government took in more money. And in the 1980s, when the tax was increased to 28%, the revenues went down. So why raise it at all, especially given the fact that a hundred million people in this country own stock and would be affected?

OBAMA: I would look at raising the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness. We saw an article today which showed that the top, uh, 50 hedge fund managers made $29 billion last year, $29 billion for 50 individuals. And part of what has happened, uh, is that those who are able to work the stock market and amass huge fortunes on capital gains are paying a lower tax rate than their secretaries. That's not fair. GIBSON: But history shows that when you drop the capital gains tax, the revenues go up. OBAMA: Well, uh, uh, uh, that might happen, or it might not. It depends on what's happening on Wall Street and how business is going. This commentary from Donald Luskin's blog: In other words, even if it costs the US Treasury money in lost revenues, Obama would raise the capgains tax to punish people who make too much money, or make it the wrong way. Obama claimed in the same debate, "how we're going to be able to deliver on middle-class tax relief is to change how business is done in Washington." How does reducing revenue in the name of Obama's personal notion of "fairness" achieve middle-class tax relief? And how is using the tax-code to reward and punish particular constituencies changing how business is done in Washington?

The NY Times, losing money

The bleeding continues. As reported in their own flagship newspaper.

New York Times Company Posts Loss - New York Times

The Times Company’s declining fortunes have sowed shareholder discontent, and the weak first-quarter results could intensify calls for a shift in strategy. A pair of hedge funds, Harbinger Capital Partners and Firebrand Partners, acquired a large stake in the company early this year, demanding that it sell assets and invest aggressively in Internet operations.Rather than endure a proxy fight, the hedge funds and the Times Company struck a deal, agreeing to expand the board to 15 seats from 13, with the two extra seats going to the funds. That agreement is expected to win approval at a shareholders’ meeting on April 22.

Carter and Hamas - the Washington Post is not impressed.

Mr. Zahar and Mr. Carter - washingtonpost.com

ON THE OPPOSITE page today we publish an article by the "foreign minister" of Hamas, Mahmoud al-Zahar, that drips with hatred for Israel, and with praise for former president Jimmy Carter. We believe Mr. Zahar's words are worth publishing because they provide some clarity about the group he helps to lead, a group that Mr. Carter contends is worthy of being included in the Middle East peace process. ... (Here is Zahar's article Mahmoud al-Zahar - No Peace Without Hamas - washingtonpost.com )

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... In fact, as Mr. Zahar makes clear, Hamas is not at all interested in a negotiated peace with the Jewish state, whose existence it refuses to accept: "Our fight to redress the material crimes of 1948 is scarcely begun," he concludes.

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Mr. Carter justifies his meetings with familiar arguments about the value of dialogue with enemies. But he misses the point. Contacts between enemies can be useful: Israel is legendary for such negotiations, and even now it is engaged in back-channel bargaining with Hamas through Egypt. But it is one thing to communicate pragmatically, and quite another to publicly and unconditionally grant recognition and political sanction to a leader or a group that advocates terrorism, mass murder or the extinction of another state. That is what Mr. Carter is doing by lending what is left of his prestige to an avowed terrorist such as Khaled Meshal -- or Mahmoud al-Zahar.

Here's a prior posting - Tom Faranda's Folly: (Jimmy) Carter speaks

A bittersweet story about a young man with T-cell lymphoma

When I was in Sloan for my high dose chemo and stem cell transplant I met a guy in his early twenties with a T-cell lymphoma. I have often wondered how he's made out.

A Lifetime of Undying Devotion To a Life Tragically Cut Short - washingtonpost.com

Former mayor of Newark Sharpe James finally gets nailed

Being found guilty on these charges is only the tip of the iceberg. But it's a good start.

Former Mayor Guilty of Fraud in Newark Sales - New York Times

He was found guilty on all five of the charges he faced, including fraud and conspiracy. Ms. Riley was found guilty of those charges plus eight others for tax violations.

Under federal guidelines, prosecutors say, Mr. James and Ms. Riley each face at least eight years in prison, though a judge could sentence them to as much as 20 years on some counts. For now, they are both free on bail and will face sentencing on July 29. Mr. James’s lead lawyer, Thomas Ashley, said he intended to appeal the verdict, which a jury had wrestled with since April 9.

From City Hall to the city streets, the conviction of Mr. James disappointed some, vindicated others, and left some observers hopeful that it could end this city’s reputation as a trough for opportunistic public officials.

It is a reputation that has been well-earned. Mr. James’s predecessor, Kenneth A. Gibson, who was mayor from 1970 to 1986, pleaded guilty to tax fraud in 2002 but did not go to prison. Hugh J. Addonizio, who was mayor from 1962 to 1970, served five years in federal prison after being convicted in a scheme to take $1.4 million in kickbacks from city contractors.

The President and the Pope at the White House yesterday.

Here is the end of President Bush's welcoming remarks to the Pope.

Most of all, Holy Father, you will find in America people whose hearts are open to your message of hope. And America and the world need this message. In a world where some invoke the name of God to justify acts of terror and murder and hate, we need your message that "God is love." And embracing this love is the surest way to save men from "falling prey to the teaching of fanaticism and terrorism."

In a world where some treat life as something to be debased and discarded, we need your message that all human life is sacred, and that "each of us is willed, each of us is loved" -- (applause) -- and your message that "each of us is willed, each of us is loved, and each of us is necessary."

In a world where some no longer believe that we can distinguish between simple right and wrong, we need your message to reject this "dictatorship of relativism," and embrace a culture of justice and truth. (Applause.)

In a world where some see freedom as simply the right to do as they wish, we need your message that true liberty requires us to live our freedom not just for ourselves, but "in a spirit of mutual support."

Holy Father, thank you for making this journey to America. Our nation welcomes you. We appreciate the example you set for the world, and we ask that you always keep us in your prayers. (Applause.)

The text of the Pope's speech at the White House is here Text of pope at White House « CNS Blog and below are excerpts:

From the dawn of the Republic, America’s quest for freedom has been guided by the conviction that the principles governing political and social life are intimately linked to a moral order based on the dominion of God the Creator. The framers of this nation’s founding documents drew upon this conviction when they proclaimed the “self-evident truth” that all men are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights grounded in the laws of nature and of nature’s God. The course of American history demonstrates the difficulties, the struggles, and the great intellectual and moral resolve which were demanded to shape a society which faithfully embodied these noble principles. In that process, which forged the soul of the nation, religious beliefs were a constant inspiration and driving force, as for example in the struggle against slavery and in the civil rights movement. In our time too, particularly in moments of crisis, Americans continue to find their strength in a commitment to this patrimony of shared ideals and aspirations.

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Freedom is not only a gift, but also a summons to personal responsibility. Americans know this from experience – almost every town in this country has its monuments honoring those who sacrificed their lives in defense of freedom, both at home and abroad. The preservation of freedom calls for the cultivation of virtue, self-discipline, sacrifice for the common good and a sense of responsibility towards the less fortunate. It also demands the courage to engage in civic life and to bring one’s deepest beliefs and values to reasoned public debate. In a word, freedom is ever new. It is a challenge held out to each generation, and it must constantly be won over for the cause of good (cf. Spe Salvi, 24). Few have understood this as clearly as the late Pope John Paul II. In reflecting on the spiritual victory of freedom over totalitarianism in his native Poland and in eastern Europe, he reminded us that history shows, time and again, that “in a world without truth, freedom loses its foundation”, and a democracy without values can lose its very soul (cf. Centesimus Annus, 46). Those prophetic words in some sense echo the conviction of President Washington, expressed in his Farewell Address, that religion and morality represent “indispensable supports” of political prosperity.

The Church, for her part, wishes to contribute to building a world ever more worthy of the human person, created in the image and likeness of God (cf. Gen 1:26-27). She is convinced that faith sheds new light on all things, and that the Gospel reveals the noble vocation and sublime destiny of every man and woman (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 10). Faith also gives us the strength to respond to our high calling, and the hope that inspires us to work for an ever more just and fraternal society. Democracy can only flourish, as your founding fathers realized, when political leaders and those whom they represent are guided by truth and bring the wisdom born of firm moral principle to decisions affecting the life and future of the nation.

(Jimmy) Carter speaks

"In a democracy, I realize you don't need to talk to the top leader to know how the country feels," he said over the weekend, responding to a question from an Israeli journalist who noted that Mr. Carter had been snubbed by most of Israel's top leadership and reprimanded by its president, Shimon Peres. "When I go to a dictatorship, I only have to talk to one person and that's the dictator, because he speaks for all the people."

Huh?

Global View - WSJ.com

UPDATE -  Tom Faranda's Folly: Carter and Hamas - the Washington Post is not impressed. 

So this guy parks his bike above a seedling and leaves it there for 75 years...

Senator Specter's lymphoma returns

Sen. Specter of Pennsylvania was treated for Hodgkin's disease in 2005. Hodgkins is usually completely curable, so it's surprising that it's back. The Senator is 78 years old.

A reminder - which I really didn't need - that lymphomas recur.

Pa. Sen. Arlen Specter diagnosed again with cancer - washingtonpost.com

Specter's oncologist, John H. Glick of the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, said in the statement released by the senator's office that Specter has an excellent chance of fighting the disease. The early diagnosis of his recurrent Hodgkin's disease has a five-year survival rate of 60 percent, the doctor said.

Specter, Pennsylvania's longest-serving senator, said he would continue his normal duties _ just as he did three years ago. He's already announced he will run for re-election in 2010, and he said the cancer won't stop him from that.

The senator was bald from his cancer treatments as he was playing a very public role chairing the committee that confirmed John Roberts as chief justice of the United States. During the long hearings, he drank Gatorade and frequently wiped his face with tissue. At the time, he underwent six months of chemotherapy.

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The lymphoma recurrence was described as less advanced, and the statement said he will undergo three months of chemotherapy.

Specter had successful surgery for a brain tumor in 1993. It recurred three years later but was successfully treated. In 1998, he underwent bypass surgery and later suffered cardiac arrest.

I don't like Specter's politics, but he certainly is tough.

Global warming update #32 - Global warming or global hunger?

I am somewhat (to say the least!) skeptical of the whole global warming thing. Ok the temperature rose 1 degree over the last 100 years. And maybe it's going to rise one or two more degrees in the next 100 years. But we can't really be sure of the causes (like maybe it's the sun?) or even of all the effects of a warming trend.

But most of all: the whole trendy Global Warming fear-mongering detracts us from working on more pressing problems, of which the world has plenty.

And here's one that has just recently come into the public eye: food shortages. The following article from the Telegram (UK) is a bit all over the place, but sounds a warning and makes some valid points.

Global warming rage lets global hunger grow - Telegraph

We drive, they starve. The mass diversion of the North American grain harvest into ethanol plants for fuel is reaching its political and moral limits.

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The UN says it takes 232kg of corn to fill a 50-litre car tank with ethanol. That is enough to feed a child for a year. Last week, the UN predicted "massacres" unless the biofuel policy is halted.

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Mr Diouf says world grain stocks have fallen to a quarter-century low of 5m tonnes, rations for eight to 12 weeks. America - the world's food superpower - will divert 18pc of its grain output for ethanol this year, chiefly to break dependency on oil imports. It has a 45pc biofuel target for corn by 2015.

Argentina, Canada, and Eastern Europe are joining the race.

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Haiti's government fell over the weekend following rice and bean riots. Five died.

The global food bill has risen 57pc in the last year. Soaring freight rates make it worse. The cost of food "on the table" has jumped by 74pc in poor countries that rely on imports, according to the FAO.

Roughly 100m people are tipping over the survival line. The import ratio for grains is: Eritrea (88pc), Sierra Leone (85pc), Niger (81pc), Liberia (75pc), Botswana (72pc), Haiti (67pc), and Bangladesh (65pc).

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Whatever the arguments, politics is intruding. Food export controls have been imposed by Russia, China, India, Vietnam, Argentina, and Serbia. We are disturbingly close to a chain reaction that could shatter our assumptions about food security.

The Philippines - a country with ample foreign reserves of $36bn (Britain has $27bn) - last week had to enlist its embassies to hunt for grain supplies after China withheld shipments. Washington stepped in, pledging "absolutely" to cover Philippine grain needs. A new Cold War is taking shape, around energy and food.

The world intelligentsia has been asleep at the wheel. While we rage over global warming, global hunger has swept in under the radar screen.

What was the #1 song on your birthday?

Don't know? Well you can go here to find out. And also download and buy it...

#1 Song on This Date in History

YIKES! Mine was "Come on-a my House" by Rosemary Clooney! Man am I old... I won't be buying it, but here it is on youtube.

New men's room mural

From my humor correspondent Ellen. According to Ellen's email, this was designed by Edge Designs, an all-women's company that specializes in interior office space.

The Washington Post on Catholic schools and the papal visit

The Washington Post had an interesting editorial yesterday on the plight of Catholic school education in the U.S., pointing out that 1,300 schools have closed since 1990. They rightly view this as a big loss for our society.

Beside the fact that Joe attends Fordham Prep and Tim goes to St. Augustine's grammar school, I am on the "Board of Advisors" at St. Ann's school in Ossining. And I'm very familiar with some other Catholic schools; for example St. Benedict's Prep in Newark, NJ.

Catholic grammar and high school education is very expensive, and plenty of people are priced out of it. When you count in Joe's transportation costs and fees that we have to pay in addition to the boys tuition, next year we'll be laying out close to $17,000. That's a lot of after-tax money.

The Post editorial doesn't mention one of the solutions to the financial crunch, which is to allow for a tax credit to parents who send their children to parochial schools - or any other type of private school, for that matter. This actually results in a net savings to the tax system, since it takes the student out of the public school system. And of course that's why it's strongly - fanatically - opposed by groups with a vested interest in maintaining the public school status quo. Like the teacher's unions. The argument is that it violates the "separation of church and state", but that's a phony smoke screen.

Papal Opportunity - washingtonpost.com

... We hope, though, that Pope Benedict finds time to address another crisis -- that of the nation's Catholic schools. Dramatic action is needed if these valuable institutions of learning are to survive.

The plight of urban Catholic schools was highlighted by the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation in a report timed to coincide with the papal visits to Washington and New York. More than 1,300 Catholic schools have closed since 1990, victims of changing demographics and economics. The result has been some 300,000 students displaced at an estimated cost to taxpayers of more than $20 billion. The more critical issue is that vast numbers of these children -- mainly poor and minority -- have been forced into troubled public schools; their chances for success have been compromised. The foundation's Michael J. Petrilli is right to call it a tragedy. "At the very time when all of us are struggling with how to create good schools in the inner city," he told Education Week, "we have good schools in the inner city that are closing down."

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... The District is the perfect setting for this discourse as its parochial schools present a good picture of the problems as well as glimpses of possible solutions. Because of enormous financial losses, the Washington archdiocese said it could no longer operate eight schools. That the schools stayed open for as long as they did is a credit to the church's commitment to disadvantaged students, many of whom are not Catholic. Indeed, it is because of concern for these children that the church is trying to convert seven of them to public charter schools, rather than shutting them down. The schools, of course, will have to be stripped of their core Catholic identity, but parents in overwhelming numbers prefer conversion over closure because they know the schools do a good job educating their children.

Washington's ongoing experiment is one of the ideas cited by Fordham researchers in their call to action to save Catholic schools. There are others, such as an effort to encourage tithing in Wichita, Kan., that has made the schools free to all Catholics and the growth of independent school networks such as the Chicago-based Cristo Rey high schools. The experiences of these places show the problems are solvable when there is leadership from on high.