Tom Faranda's Folly

in 36 seconds - how to defend your girlfriend...

YIKES! Done in 36 seconds...

VA. Governor tries to out-do Cuomo with post-birth abortion

Formerly called infanticide - the ancient Romans were big promoters of it.  Hard to believe this is being discussed, but it makes sense given the presupposition that the child is disposable. See the video below the article.

Infant Could Be Delivered and Then ‘Physicians and the Mother’ Could Decide If It Lives

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D.) commented Wednesday about a controversial 40-week abortion bill and in so doing said the law allows an abortion to take place after the infant's birth.

"If a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother," Northam said, alluding to the physician and mother discussing whether the born infant should live or die.

Hit the link for the entire short article. Here's the last sentence -

Northam said. "These decisions shouldn't be taken lightly.

Here's a revealing video. You have to listen to a little prattling from Tucker first. Or skip ahead a minute.

Great little story: "Baby saved during Korean War"

A nice - what used to be called - "human interest" story.

 

Here are the nine Democrats who voted against the Governor's 9 month abortion bill

Thanks to our great friend Carol - an original founder of the Seamless Garment Network - for the list. Of course there were plenty of other anti-women features in the bill. Any health care provider can do it (like a dentist?) if a woman is assaulted and has a miscarriage the child doesn't count .... And more. So here's Carol's email with the brave souls who went against their party and the Governor.

Dear Pro-life Democrat,

You will be as pleased as I am to know that there were 9 Democratic NYS legislators who stood up to Cuomo and voted against the Reproductive Health Act.  And they are already getting heat for their courageous vote from abortion rights supporters.   It is essential that we call or write to each one, thanking them for their outstanding courage.  They are listed below.  Also below is an optional script for your use when calling or writing.

Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr. addabbo@nysenate.gov; (Rockaways, Glendale)

518-455-2322 / 718-738-1111

 

Senator Simcha Felder felder@nysenate.gov;  (Brooklyn)

518-455-2754 / 718-253-2015

 

Assemblyman Brian Barnwell barnwellb@nyassembly.gov; (Maspeth)

518-455-4755  /  718-651-3185

 

Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon buttenschonm@nyassembly.gov; (Utica)

518-455-4545  /  315-732-1655

 

Assemblyman William Colton  coltonw@nyassembly.gov; (Brooklyn)

518-455-5828 / 718-236-1598

 

Assemblyman Marcos Crespo crespom@nyassembly.gov; (Bronx)

518-455-5514 / 718-893-0202

 

Assemblyman Michael cusickm@nyassembly.gov; (Staten island)                                                                                                                                                                                                                    518-455-5526 / 718-370-1384

Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein eichensteins@nyassembly.gov; (Brooklyn)

 518-455-5721 / 718-853-0616     

Assemblyman Michael Miller millermg@nyassembly.gov (Woodhaven)

518-455-4621  /  718-805-0950

 

(The following 2 legislators were absent from voting, but are pro-life democrats)

 

Assemblyman Robin Schimminger  schimmr@nyassembly.gov (Buffalo)

518-455-4767 / 716-873-2540

Assemblyman Albert Taylor taylora@nyassembly.gov  (Upper Manhattan)

518-455-5491  /  212-234-1430

           

Suggested Telephone script

I am calling Assemblyman ………….. I am (Choose one: a Democrat / a Democrat in his District/ a voter who voted for him / a contributor to his campaign)  

I want to express my gratitude to the (Choose one: Assemblywoman / Assemblyman / Senator) for voting no on the Reproductive Health Act.  This took courage to go against our Party and against Cuomo, considering the vulnerable lives of children and their mothers who are at stake.  Thank you.

 

Cardinal Dolan's pathetic TV interview

His response to Governor Cuomo's abortion-through-all-9-months-no-regulation celebration. I don't know the group that posted this, but what a stumbling, bumbling effort. His big concern seems to be not to get criticized on the editorial page of the NY Times. "Go Along to Get Along" must be his motto. Dolan's tenth anniversary as NY Cardinal is this April 9th. My parish was the first he actually visited - but what a disappointment he's been since.

Great! 45 second baby elephant video

Woke itself up with snoring?

Elephant Khun-Seuk sweetly snores and makes funny noises as he naps at a sanctuary in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. ... His mahout said: 'He's just like a human, he loves to sleep. But he makes the strangest noises I've ever heard.'

When Stephen Colbert had Donald Trump on The Late Show! Who knew?

 

Hahaha. Not sure what the date of this is - I guess when he first announced he was running for President.

Pope at World Youth Day in Panama; concluding Mass

Life, he said, is not “a salvation up ‘in the cloud,’ and waiting to be downloaded, a new ‘app’ to be discovered, or a technique of mental self-improvement,” he said. It’s not a “tutorial” for the latest news either. “The salvation the Lord offers us is an invitation to be part of a love story interwoven with our personal stories; it is alive and wants to be born in our midst so that we can bear fruit just as we are, wherever we are and with everyone all around us,” Francis said.

During his talk, the pope mostly read from his prepared remarks, something he’s been doing more as his pontificate progresses, conscious of the fact that if he goes full-on off-the-cuff, his core message might be lost in a soundbite.

Part of his speech was a response to the witness shared by several people during the vigil, that included prayer, singing, and was set to close with eucharistic adoration.

For example, Erika and Rogelio, a married couple with four children, spoke about how less than three years ago, when she was in her 40s, they found out they were pregnant, and it was labeled high risk. On week 17 they learned that their baby girl, Inés, had Down Syndrome, and the doctors advised them to get an abortion.

Instead, they decided to go forth with the pregnancy and “abandon ourselves in the hands of God.”

During his remarks, the pontiff thanked the couple for their “yes,” and for sharing their challenges and difficulties, and for choosing to love their daughter with all their hearts.

“Presented with the life of your frail, helpless and needy daughter, your answer was ‘yes’, and so we have Inés,” Francis said. “You believed that the world is not only for the strong!”

Saying “yes” to God means being ready to embrace life as it comes, even with its fragility, simplicity and its conflicts and annoyances.

“It means embracing our country, our families and our friends as they are, with all their weak points and their flaws,” the pontiff told the crowd. “Embracing life is also seen in accepting things that are not perfect, pure or ‘distilled’, yet no less worthy of love.”

He then went on to ask if a disabled person, a foreigner, or someone who’s made a mistake and is in jail or those who are infirm are “not worthy of love?”

Amusing video: Apple smartwatch v. Rolex submariner

Neither of which will I ever own. The contest mentioned ended months ago.

CNN: "... diocese apologizes for condemning students in viral video with Native American"

Standard for Catholic bureaucrats - terrified of being criticized in the media.

A Catholic diocese in Kentucky said Friday it was "bullied and pressured" into a making a premature statement about a viral video showing a confrontation between a Native American elder and a Catholic school student, according to a letter the diocese's bishop wrote to parents. The Rev. Roger J. Foys said in the letter that the leadership of the Diocese of Covington was "being pressured from all sides to make a statement" about the video clip. "We are sorry that this situation has caused such disruption in the lives of so many," Foys wrote. "We apologize to anyone who has been offended in any way of our statements which were made with good will based on the information we had. We should not have allowed ourselves to be bullied and pressured into making a statement prematurely, and we take full responsibility for it."

 

Good commentary on the Navy SEAL style arrest of Roger Stone

I have no opinion on Roger Stone - I know nothing about him. Obviously some people (see the 5 minute video below) despise him. Here is the video of the military operation - 29 heavily armed people - to arrest him Who tipped off CNN that FBI military force would be arresting this guy Roger Stone , rather then just calling his attorney and telling him to come in ...

 

NYP: MAGA teen's family hires big time Libel attorney

Good. Never heard of this guy. L. Lin Wood Seems formidable. Presumably he'll be going after the media, not the "Native American activist."  Here's the Post article -

In 2011, the Washington Post described Wood as a trial attorney who has “carved out a successful career representing the high-profile and falsely accused, often seeking eye-popping damages for those he believes have been libeled or slandered in the press.”... Former CBS news anchor Dan Rather once dubbed Wood the “attorney for the damned.”

Who tipped off CNN that FBI military force would be arresting this guy Roger Stone

"Exclusive video." How did they know he was being arrested? They claimed it was just "reporter's instinct." Did the FBI expect Roger Stone to be heavily armed? Does he have some history of violence?

On the economy; here's one of the few talking heads worth a listen

Mohamed El-Erian - no BS. He's the former CEO of PIMCO.

Unemployment applications lowest since 1969

More good economic news - although possibly overstated since some states just handed in estimates.

“If you’re looking for good news on the economy, look no further than the labor market,” said Jim Baird, chief investment officer at Plante Moran Financial Advisors in Kalamazoo, Michigan. “Growth may be slowing, but the overall picture for workers and those seeking work remains quite positive.”

Here's what happened to Trump's airline - and how he treated his people

Good short video. The answer to the second question is at the end of the video.

Interview: "Mariano Rivera reacts to his historic Hall of Fame induction"

"Only by the grace of God." I posted this yesterday - Mariano Rivera - first ever unanimous selection to the Baseball Hall of Fame

In this interview he seems almost stunned. By all account a wonderful person who has done much for his own community in Panama.

A blow against toxic masculinity as man allows his wife to shovel driveway

Yes! This is how it is at my house. Although I'm told it will soon end ...

One man has taken the message of Gillette’s new “toxic masculinity” campaign to heart.

Tom Faranda Devin Camp saw the commercial and it caused him to perform an introspective look at his own motivations of behavior regarding manliness. One area of life he felt especially convicted was the task of snow removal.

“I’ve always just assumed that in our family, I would be the one to clear the driveway when we get snow,” Faranda Camp said. “But after seeing the video, I decided to start breaking down the stereotypes passed down from my father and his father before him. So, this weekend, when twelve inches of snow fell, I swallowed my pride, handed my wife the snow shovel, and told her I was going to let her do it.”

*****

Mr. Faranda Camp is expected to break down similar barriers regarding lawn mowing, household maintenance, and car repair.

Mariano Rivera - first ever unanimous selection to the Baseball Hall of Fame

Great! No one more deserving. And a funny coincidence!

Rivera was elected into the Hall of Fame on Tuesday by the voting members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. He is the first player in history to be voted in unanimously, a remarkable achievement that has long been seen as an impossibility. As Rivera receives the sport’s ultimate honor, it seems fitting that he will be joined in Cooperstown this summer by his greatest nemesis: Edgar Martínez—the only person ever to conquer the great Rivera.

Martínez, the longtime Seattle Mariners designated hitter, owned Rivera in a way that almost doesn’t sound real. Including the playoffs, Martínez went 11-for-19 against him for a .579 batting average—by far the best of anybody who faced Rivera more than five times. Five of those hits went for extra bases, making Martínez the only player to accomplish that feat. Rivera even intentionally walked Martínez twice, proving that Martínez achieved the near-impossible: He scared the fearless.

“He had more than my number,” Rivera said in an interview with Charlie Rose after his retirement in 2013. “He had my breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

Before developing the cutter that he calls a “gift from God,” Rivera came up in 1995 as a conventional starting pitcher, and not a particularly good one. Martínez devoured him that year, going 6-for-7 with two home runs, a double and five RBIs. That includes a single in the American League Division Series, the same series that provided Martínez’s signature moment: a two-run double down the left-field line off Jack McDowell that scored Ken Griffey Jr. from first base and sent the Mariners to the next round.

But even after Rivera became Rivera, Martínez kept on hitting. He doubled in both of his matchups against him in 1996. The only time they faced each other in 1997, Rivera walked him intentionally, a strategy he famously loathed. Joe Torre, Rivera’s manager with the Yankees from 1996 through 2007, distinctly remembers instructing Rivera to intentionally walk Carlos Delgado against his will in a game against the New York Mets in 2006. The next batter, David Wright, won the game with a rocket into deep center field. Afterward, Rivera approached Torre and said, “Let’s not do that again.”

“The one thing about Mariano,” Torre said, “is when he’s out on the mound, he doesn’t think anybody can hit him.”

Except Martínez, despite his insistence that Rivera threw the best cutter he ever saw. The problem for Rivera, however, was that his cutter, the pitch that turned hundreds of bats into sawdust and dominated pretty much everybody, played directly into Martínez’s strengths.

To right-handed hitters like Martínez, Rivera’s cutter darted to the outside part of the plate, taking what looked on television like a sharp left turn. Martínez lived for pitches away, frequently looking to drive balls up the middle or to the opposite field, allowing him to neutralize Rivera’s primary weapon.

“His ball would cut away from you, so you could not try to pull it,” Martínez said. “You have to follow that pitch and go in that direction. I would tell myself that for a pitcher like Mariano, you just can’t over-swing.”

***************

In the ninth inning of Game 1 of the ALCS in 2001, Martínez stepped up to the plate against Rivera. Heading into the at-bat, Martínez was 10-for-13 against him. But this time, Rivera had something special he was saving for his toughest foe: a sinker, a fastball that resembled a cutter out of his hand, but broke in to righty hitters instead of away. Martínez swung and got jammed, fisting a weak ground ball to first base, ending the game and leaving him with nothing besides the handle of his bat.

Martínez was stunned. He had never seen Rivera throw that pitch and didn’t realize he had it in his arsenal. From that point on, Martínez went 1-for-5 against Rivera.

“That pitch became an incredible lethal weapon for Mariano,” Rodríguez said. “But it was started to defend against Edgar Martínez’s crazy hitting.”

****************

Rivera’s journey was preordained. He has the career record for saves with 652, to go along with his 2.21 ERA. He is regarded as arguably the best clutch performer ever, putting up an absurd 0.70 ERA in the playoffs, helping to power the Yankees to five championships in a 14-season span.

 

More on the smear campaign against Covington Catholic students.

UPDATE: Covington HS closed on account of death threats

Predictably the media jumped all over the initial story, based on a two minute video excerpt. Here's my original post which has some good links. There's more to the DC incident with the elderly Indian drum-beater & the MAGA hat kid  It was media malpractice but what else is new? the media viewed them as the Holy Trinity of haters. (1) Young Catholic men, (2) pro-life so hated women, and (3) wearing MAGA hats! Holy Trinity of haters - let's get 'em! It sure fits their narrative.

Other people, like Jeanne Mancini, head of the March for Life, Fr. James Martin, and Covington school's own administrators should have waited before saying anything via twitter or any other outlet. Now everyone's deleting their tweets or otherwise covering their asses. 

Below is a good article about the whole sorry event - thanks to my friend Maria for sending it to me. Nice that the author confesses she was also taken in ...

Thanks to hours of video and a torrent of witness testimonies, the greater story unfolded. Phillips, painted as the victim in the narrative, was actually the one who impinged on the Covington student's space, where they had been instructed to wait to be picked up following the anti-abortion march. Prior to Phillips encountering Sandmann, a group of "Black Israelites," a well-known hate group, had been barraging the Covington students with homophobic slurs and racially charged smears. Phillips then intervened — on behalf of the hate group! He got in Sandmann's face, banging his drum.

Phillips, whose been on a media blitz since the narrative went viral, has happily claimed the mantle of victimhood. He told the Detroit Free Press that he entered the situation because the Covington children "were in the process of attacking these four black individuals" and that he merely confronted Sandmann to de-escalate the situation. As video evidence now demonstrates, this was a lie. The Black Israelites had been verbally attacking the students for some significant amount of time, and the students had not attacked them.

Sandmann, whose serenely smirking face has gone viral as a poster child for hate — celebrities from Chris Evans to Alyssa Milano have tried to shame the minor, and the hashtag, #ExposeChristianSchools began trending shortly thereafter — emerged on Sunday with a statement issued by a public relations firm. His family has been doxxed, his school publicly smeared, and his very identity turned into a crime itself.

"I never interacted with this protestor. I did not speak to him. I did not make any hand gestures or other aggressive moves. To be honest, I was startled and confused as to why he has approached me. We had already been yelled at by another group of protestors, and when the second group approached I was worried that a situation was getting out of control where adults were attempting to provoke teenagers," wrote Sandmann. "I believed that by remaining motionless and calm, I was helping to diffuse the situation."

Sandmann committed the crime of not being ashamed of his own existence. Without facts, a progressive lynch mob pounced on a single image based on its biases about perceived power in America. Now we know that Sandmann was accosted. But to be clear: He was supposed to submit.

The trick of social justice is to eradicate individual justice — real justice. Because white men spent the better part of a century killing Native Americans out of existence with guns and germs, an innocent child being provoked by adults — both in his face and online — must now pay, hundreds of years later. He wasn't supposed to smile. He was supposed to confess to his original sin of whiteness.

The Left has equated Sandmann with Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The comparison is largely correct. Both were accused, without any credible evidence, of something terrible, with no room for gray area or misunderstanding.

******

I retweeted the initial narrative. I had no evidence, just an image that fit a story I've been told a thousand times before. So I shared it and baselessly smeared a child. I now know that I was wrong. I am sorry. I apologize to Nick Sandmann, and I hope that those so quick to share the initial images will now learn the truth and make their own apologies if need be.

But make no mistake. For a disquieting portion of the American mob, the facts won't matter, even once they are aware of them. For them, Sandmann, standing with that godforsaken smirk, was crime enough.

 

 

BB: CNN reporter "Absolutely nothing happening in DC today" as she gestures at huge March for Life crowd

Haha - The fact is, CNN gave the March all of 11 seconds of coverage. No wonder they were in a rush to trash the Covington students. 

WASHINGTON, D.C.—"There is absolutely nothing happening today here in Washington, D.C.," said CNN reporter Mandy Peyton in a live special from the nation's capital this afternoon as she gestured toward a swelling crowd of pro-life demonstrators marching on the National Mall to fight for the rights of unborn children.

"As you can see," she continued, "it's a rare quiet day in Washington: no marches, no demonstrations, just a tranquil scene here. It's so nice to finally have a day where there is absolutely nothing left to cover." Peyton then turned and looked up and down the street where tens of thousands of protestors marched past to show their support for ending abortion once and for all. She took a deep breath. "Just drink in these peaceful, idyllic surroundings while you can, Washington. Before you know it, the Women's March will be here ...

"We now return to our 24/7 coverage of Trump's eating habits," she concluded as she passed the broadcast back to the anchors in the studio.

Today - Feast of St. Agnes

Certainly a famous saint & martyr with many legends surrounding her -

Agnes of Rome (c.  291 – c.  304) is a virgin martyr, venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, and Lutheranism. She is one of seven women who, along with the Blessed Virgin, are commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mass.

There's more to the DC incident with the elderly Indian drum-beater & the MAGA hat kid

After having an incendiary extremely edited video played on CBS - CNN - et al, here's a video that puts the incident in context. Sent to me by my son - it's 18 minutes long and I watched the entire thing. If you're interested and/or heard about this, start watching a few minutes and see what you think. At no time have any of the major media outlets bothered to ask any of the students, or the homophobic Black group that was spouting slurs, what happened.  About 14 minutes into it there's a statement by one of the students who was there.

The Truth About "MAGA Kids" And The Native Americans

UPDATE: Here's another shorter video. I Never heard of Philip DeFranco. - Philip DeFranco lied about the MAGA Catholic students (Native American incident)

At the March for Life - my friend Fr. Fidelis

Who was soon to be ordained when he was at my son Joe's baptism 25 plus years ago. . Fidelis is a canon lawyer - and he's been in the news lately. 

 

At Friday's March for Life in DC - a message

Yes - MLK. 

Researchers swimming with super-huge great white shark - 80 second vid

A brief AP story. Pretty amazing - "need a healthy level of respect for them..." Yup.

Column from Fr. Rutler

The noted author and speaker. Seven paragraphs long, the key ones being the third and last two. Rutler is the pastor of The Church of St. Michael the Archangel in NYC.

"His Good News is not “fake news.'”

   The nineteenth-century churchman John Henry Newman has shaped many of my views and how to apply them. With the credit of a second miracle to his intercession, it is likely that he will be canonized in short order.

   Our culture as a whole is conflicted about the course of events and moral failing in dealing with them, and this is glaringly so in the Church, which is made by God to be a beacon and ballast for all people. Newman reminds us in one of his letters (Vol. XXV, p. 204) not to be surprised by this, as it fits the predictable strategy of the Anti-Christ: “Where you have power, you will have the abuse of power—and the more absolute, the stronger, the more sacred the power, the greater and more certain will be its abuse.”

   For Catholics, present problems are weightier than at any time since the sixteenth century, with its political and theological upheavals. Even the assurance of a stable and centrifugal reference in Rome itself is being tested. It is helpful to recall what Newman said in another of his letters (Vol. XXVII, p. 256): “In the times of Arianism the great men of the Church thought things too bad to last. So did Pope Gregory at the end of the 7th century, St. Romuald in the 11th, afterwards St. Vincent Ferrer, and I think Savonarola—and so on to our time.”

   It would be falsely pious to sweep the scandals of our day under the rug. And it is stunningly evident that, in cases of moral abuse, bureaucratic attempts to buy silence have been a very bad investment.

   In the Historical Sketches, Newman refers to “the endemic perennial fidget which possesses us about giving scandal; facts are omitted in great histories, or glosses are put upon memorable acts, because they are thought not edifying, whereas of all scandals such omissions, such glosses, are the greatest.”

   Present experience attests to what Newman wrote in his book Via Media: “The whole course of Christianity from the first . . . is but one series of troubles and disorders. Every century is like every other, and to those who live in it seems worse than all times before it. The Church is ever ailing . . . Religion seems ever expiring, schisms dominant, the light of truth dim, its adherents scattered. The cause of Christ is ever in its last agony.”

   Scandal is “an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil” and it “takes on a particular gravity by reason of the authority of those who cause it or the weakness of those who are scandalized” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #2284-2285). Our Lord, who faulted the scribes and Pharisees for giving scandal, is the author and head of the Church, and the good news is that, despite the vicissitudes and dissembling of the Church’s mortal members, His Good News is not “fake news.”

 

Donkey out ... new Democrat Party symbol is

Thanks to whoever updated me on this - I know it's "going around."

 A condom ... allows for inflation, halts production, destroys the next generation, protects a bunch of dicks, and gives you a sense of security while you're actually being screwed .

Damn, it just doesn't get more accurate than that!

 

"How a dice can show that God exists"

From a British Evangelical youtube channel. This is a common demonstration that the argument the universe just popped into existence is an irrational argument.

 

Tim Tebow engaged; Miss Universe 2017 is the one

South African - Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters

During her reign as Miss Universe 2017, Nel-Peters began dating Tim Tebow, a former professional American football quarterback and current professional baseball outfielder for New York Mets minor league affiliates. She celebrated her first American Thanksgiving with his family at their home.^[23] During her farewell at Miss Universe 2018, Nel-Peters thanked Tebow for his support.^[24] Nel-Peters and Tebow became engaged on 9 January 2019 at Tebow's family farm in Jacksonville, Florida.

 

WSJ: "The U.S. Economy and "Neighbor Envy"

Good article.

This could get awkward. Former Obama economic advisers who claimed tax reform wouldn’t work have been miserable enough watching U.S. growth defy their predictions. Now they may have to watch other countries repeat the U.S. success as governments overseas consider lowering their corporate income tax rates.

“We expect to see a wave of global fiscal policy in 2019,” writes Dan Clifton of Strategas Research in a note to clients. “There is a global race for capital taking place and with non-US growth slowing, voters are unhappy. Politicians will need to deliver growth in 2019.”

Foreign politicians are under particular pressure because the tax law enacted by a certain U.S. politician is making them look bad. “US growth accelerated in 2018 while other regions slowed. This creates neighbor envy and more countries are looking to cut taxes,” adds Mr. Clifton.

This column does not know if the American Psychological Association has rigorously analyzed the phenomenon of neighbor envy. It seems to be associated with a healthy desire to attain the same freedom and opportunity currently enjoyed by both masculine and feminine Americans.

Many journalists of both genders may find it shocking to imagine that a signature policy of the current U.S. administration could be embraced rather than shunned in foreign capitals. But even the old-fashioned communist now running the Chinese government seems driven to consider the need to compete. Michael Smith writes today in the Australian Financial Review:

China has put private sector tax cuts at the frontline of president Xi Jinping’s battle to combat a slowdown in the world’s second-largest economy with a package of rebates for millions of small companies economists say is worth 2 trillion yuan ($410 billion)... China also outlined tax rebates targeting the manufacturing sector and higher tax deductions for research and development spending by companies.

... Mr Xi flagged tax cuts and financial aid for struggling private companies in November after telling a group of the country’s top entrepreneurs worried that the ruling Communist Party was abandoning capitalism in favour of more government control over private companies and advantages for state-run enterprises.

Obviously broad-based tax reform with a big rate cut for everybody would be preferable to rebates for particular types of businesses, but Marxist central planners should perhaps be graded on a curve. And they might consider taking a whack at the country’s overall 25% corporate tax rate. Yang Zhiyong of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences writes in Beijing Review:

Bearing in mind global competition, the corporate income tax rate could be cut to 20 percent, or even 15 percent, for enterprises in specific sectors.

Beijing isn’t the only place in Asia where pro-growth reform is on the table. Last weekend Bloomberg reported:

Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto is proposing deep tax cuts to stimulate Southeast Asia’s largest economy, copying the playbook successfully used by U.S. President Donald Trump.

... “Our corporate tax is one of the most expensive in the region,” Rizal Ramli, a former finance minister, told reporters in Jakarta on Friday. ‘‘Lower tax rates will make Indonesia more competitive.”

Yes they will. And if much of the world follows the U.S. toward pro-growth economics, it wouldn’t be the first time. Mr. Clifton observes:

When the US slashed its corporate tax rate in 1986, other countries quickly followed suit, largely because they had no choice. The after-tax rate of return in the US is now on par with the rest of the world and other countries need to adjust.

Economies in Europe may be most in need of adjustment. A Monday report in the Financial Times suggests that the successor to Angela Merkel is off to a promising start:

The new leader of Germany’s Christian Democrats has called for tax cuts to head off an economic slowdown, in a move that could trigger renewed tensions in the country’s governing grand coalition.

The call from Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer comes at a time of growing concern about the state of the German economy...

Politicians around the world have a growing concern about the competitiveness of the U.S. economy. Fortunately some of them understand that a great way to get over their feelings of envy is to compete just as hard as their American neighbors.

BB: "Trump Refuses To Let Jesus Into His Heart After Learning He's From Nazareth"

“Can anything good come from there?” Trump reportedly asked, after his aides informed him that the Lord Jesus, God in the flesh, chose to spend the majority of his life on earth residing in the impoverished, first-century town located in the region of Galilee. “Why would I welcome anybody from that war-torn, crime-ridden hole of a place?” he asked his team of advisers, during a meeting in the Oval Office.

According to reports, Trump has transferred his religious allegiance to the Norse god Odin, tweeting that he wants to align himself with a god from a “winner country.”

Beto O'Rourke's Washington Post interview - not the sharpest knife in the drawer

The Savior. Here's the link.

In a digital ad that recently went viral, Beto O’Rourke tore into President Trump’s desired border wall with soaring footage of the Rio Grande Valley and an explanation of what the wall would do: cut off access to the river, shrink the size of the United States and force the seizure of privately held land. It noted that most undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States in the past decade came not over the border but on visas that then expired. So what should be done to address visa overstays? “I don’t know,” O’Rourke said, pausing in a lengthy interview.

Jesuits go public - their list of members with credible abuse allegations

The list was promulgated simultaneously by Northeast Jesuit organizations. Beside the one below, I also received emails from Fairfield and Fordham Universities, both of which I attended. To get directly to the list you just hit the link in the article below. More to follow.

This is from America Magazine. -

           A message from Matt Malone, S.J. on the Northeast Province Jesuits credibly accused of sexual abuse

On January 15, 2019, the USA Northeast Province of the Society of Jesus released a list of all Jesuits in that ecclesiastical jurisdiction, living and deceased, as well as any former Jesuits of the Northeast Province, who have been the subject of one or more credible allegations of abuse of a minor. The list includes all such allegations received by the Northeast Province since 1950.

As of today, every Jesuit province in the United States has released such a list. The public disclosure of this information is a necessary step toward justice and reconciliation for the victims and survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of clergy.

In light of this public disclosure, it is my sad duty to report to you the following: On Jan. 9, 2019 Northeast Province officials contacted me in my capacity as president of America Media. I learned then for the first time that the list released today would include the name of John T. Ryan, S.J., who was an employee of America Media (then America Press) from 1989 to 1994. During those years, Father Ryan was listed on the masthead of America magazine as “Associate Editor for Development.”

Father Ryan is the only Jesuit on any of the provincial lists of credibly accused Jesuits who was an employee of America Media.

Also on Jan. 9, I was informed by Northeast Province officials that Father Ryan was dismissed from the Society of Jesus in 2002 and that, according to their records, the allegations against Father Ryan were received by the Northeast Province in 2003 and 2014.

In light of the grave nature of this matter, I asked the current staff of America Media to review our files and to report to me any information regarding Father Ryan. I also spoke with the few members of our staff who might have known Father Ryan during his five years at America Media, some 25 years ago. I can report to you that I have received no information that indicates that any member of the America Media staff, then or now, had any knowledge of Father Ryan’s alleged misconduct with minors.

This is the extent of the information in my possession regarding Father Ryan.

From 1962 to 2017, America Media owned a building located at 106 West 56th Street in New York City. The building housed the editorial and business offices of America Media, as well as a community of Jesuits. The community included both Jesuits who were employed by America Media and other Jesuits who were not employees of America Media. Starting in 1984, the Jesuit community at 106 West 56th Street, its membership and activities, were the exclusive responsibility of the religious superior of the New York Province (now part of the Northeast Province) and were not under the direction of the editors and staff of America Media. Province officials have requested that all questions unrelated to the employment history of the men on these lists be directed to their respective province office.

Links to all of the lists of credibly accused Jesuits that have been released by the Society of Jesus in the United States are provided with this statement on our website. Contact information is available at each link.

At this time, the editors and staff of America Media are most mindful of the victims and survivors of these crimes. We continue to pray for them and for the healing of the American church. You can access America’s ongoing coverage of this story here.

 

 

Carol Channing

My parents were crazy about her. Was 97 when she died yesterday. "Hello Dolly." And here she is in 1957, "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend".

 

Tappan Zee Bridge demolition - 34 second video from different angles.

The east end. Presumably the other parts will get the same treatment.

Paris' 1st. nudist restaurant closes after 15 months; lack of business

If you hit the link, the photos accompanying the article are a reminder that 99.44% of us look better with our clothes on...

Too few bums in seats: First nudist restaurant in Paris forced to shut down

Customers could only dine by reservation and were asked to leave their clothes, phones and cameras in the restaurant’s cloakroom. Men were given slippers to wear while women could opt to wear their own heels.

Black seat covers adorned the chairs and were changed between sittings. A large white curtain hung over the windows blocked any street views into the restaurant.

Here's an amusing paragraph -

The restaurant may be the French capital’s first foray into eating in the buff but certainly not the first in the world. London opened its first pop-up nudist restaurant, Bunyadi, in 2016 but according to The Guardian, had to fundraise in 2017 to stay open. Innato, a cosy candlelight rendezvous in Tenerife, Spain, serves up aphrodisiac items on their waiters’ bodies.

Farandaville: Chinchilla/rodent recent doings

Brigid being Brigid took these three pictures a few days ago -

First - The darker chin with backside to us is Spiderman. His significant other is Rylai (named for a Dota character - go here) and she is crunched in, next to him, with their daughter Buffy (very pink ear) kind of on top of her mother. You can just see one of Buffy's eyes.

Then seconds later they've twisted around, and now Buffy is closest to the camera, with Rylai's cute feet showing on top of Buffy. Still good view of Spiderman's backside.

The other cage - yes we have five chinchillas - oh please - the darker one to the left is Dusty, and leaning on her, is her daughter Toby, whose brother is Spiderman. All five reside in what used to be a very nice room at the back of our house, where we used to entertain the British Royalty.  Quiz tomorrow!

Fr. Richard John Neuhaus - 10th anniversary of his death

Below is a nice tribute to Fr. Neuhaus, who was a Lutheran convert to Catholicism and noted writer and speaker. It's by Kathryn Jean Lopez. I've read several of Neuhaus' books including one she mentions, Death on a Friday Afternoon. And Farandaville was a charter subscriber to the Journal he established, First Things. 

Father Richard John Neuhaus, Ten Years On

There are two pieces of his I break out every year, one around this time of year, with the March for Life this upcoming Friday. The second, on Good Friday. Come to think of it, they are both good reflections on his life, and a good way to focus on the fact that we are not on earth very long and have a purpose. Be about that work, always, and definitely now.

The first of the pieces is the text of a speech Father Neuhaus delivered to the National Right to Life Convention in 2008, and the second is a reflection of his from the book Death on a Friday Afternoon.

Hitthe link for the rest of her piece, with the quotes from Neuhaus.

 

More from De Blasio "State of the City" - classic quote

More zany De Blasio - can't make this stuff up - "Brothers and sisters, there's plenty of money in the world. "Plenty of money in this city. It's just in the wrong hands." ??? You mean - the people who earned it? I'd posted this yesterday - Mayor de Blasio, creating Heaven on Earth in NY City!

If you think I'm making it up go here: NBC covering State of the City

Amazon CEO: "How Jeff Bezos Makes And Spends His Billions"

Short video from the Business Insider (published before his divorce announcement) - First person with a net worth over $100 billion - way over.

Mayor de Blasio, creating Heaven on Earth in NY City!

This is amazing! What a man. His "State of the City" address. Meanwhile - record # on homeless in NYC. Not his fault - but perhaps he should work on that issue first - and a little humility.

Fact checking the President

Always false. Hit the link. 

'Good Evening,' Says President Trump, Drawing Immediate Flurry Of Fact Checks

CNN, meanwhile, fact-checked the concept of "good" altogether. "Hold it right there," one anchor said, pausing the broadcast to interject his comments. "What is this hateful, absolute, objective idea of good that Trump's talking about here? Correct me if I'm wrong, Brian, but it seems to me that Trump is advocating for a national religion and the execution of all Muslims with this statement."

"This is a very grave day in America," he added solemnly. "We rate this statement 'Pants on Fire.'"

BB: Sarah Sanders claims entire army of Orcs caught crossing Mexico/US border

Fact checking -

Journalists from both sides of the aisle pointed out the farfetched nature of Sanders' claim, citing the fact that Orcs typically march from Mordor rather than Mexico, and that they are fictional creatures. Queries with the State Department revealed that zero beings twisted to do Sauron's bidding have been apprehended while trying to enter the country. One man was thought to be an Orc based on his yellow teeth and bad breath but was later revealed to be an Englishman and released.

"Frankly, it seems implausible," one Fox News host said in a rare fact-check of a claim made by the White House. "I could see them maybe capturing a few goblin stragglers or felling one Nazgul steed with a lucky shot, but a whole army? Doubtful."

CNN also criticized Sander's claim, though hosts admitted they simply declared it false before listening to the specifics. "We just default to calling anything she says a lie. We got lucky this time."

Sanders has backpedaled on her claim, now stating the Border Patrol only captured a small raiding Uruk-hai raiding party near El Paso.

Divorced are expensive; this will be a whopper...

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife - they have four children (including an adopted daughter) - been married 25 years. He's worth roughly $140 billion.

The amicable tenor of the divorce announcement makes it highly likely that the couple has already reached an agreement on how to divide their assets, Jennifer Payseno, a family lawyer at the firm McKinley Irvin in Seattle, said The bulk of those assets include nearly 79 million shares of Amazon stock, which is currently worth about $130 billion, along with Rocket ship maker Blue Origin and The Washington Post.

WSJ: "Just how many unnecessary employees does the federal government employ?"

I've been wondering this myself and glad the Journal is asking the question. If they are not essential, why are they on the federal payroll? Try that in the private sector.

Various media reports have noted that the temporary closure of 25% of the government has forced roughly 420,000 federal workers deemed essential to continue working while some 380,000 who are not deemed essential stay home. If it were a business, this non-essential portion of just a quarter of our government would be among the largest private employers in the country. Does this mean that non-essentials approach 1.5 million across the entire government? As American businesses scour their communities for talent during an historic worker shortage, taxpayers seem to be paying to maintain the world’s largest reserve force of bureaucrats.

An incurious press corps seems largely uninterested in the appropriate size of the federal workforce. Numerous recent reports have covered the shutdown story largely as a tale of a villainous President inflicting uncertainty on civil servants who wonder when they will be able to pay their mortgages.

“As thousands of furloughed federal employees worry about when their next paycheck will arrive, their bills are piling up,” writes Renata Birkenbuel in a recent Newsweek story.

“Government Shutdown Leaves Workers Reeling,” reads a New York Times headline from January 3.

Government Executive magazine reported the next day on legislative efforts to ensure that federal shutdowns never again threaten federal paychecks:

Maryland’s Senate delegation on Thursday reintroduced a bill to ensure that federal workers furloughed during the partial government shutdown, and any potential future shutdowns, will be promptly given back pay once federal agencies reopen.

 

Paid furloughs are nice. Depending on the individual employee, getting tagged non-essential can be either insulting and discouraging or a cause to celebrate an unexpected stay-cation. Still, there’s no upside for people who have to wait for paychecks. Such delays can create problems with creditors—though perhaps not as many as one would think. “Servicers treating government shutdown like a natural disaster,” reads the headline on a Friday report from American Banker. The trade publication notes:

As the government shutdown enters its third week, mortgage servicers are activating the response plans they normally use during hurricanes and wildfires to assist federal workers who may have trouble paying their mortgages.

...During the shutdown in 2013, the FHA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac all called for temporary postponement on mortgage payments for furloughed workers. Lenders are offering paycheck loan assistance programs this time around.

Credit unions like Navy Federal and PenFed, are providing 0% APR loans for impacted members who have established direct deposit accounts with them.

...Mortgage servicers offer forbearance to bridge the gap.

This column doesn’t wish for anyone to miss an earned paycheck. But the people who support the federal payroll deserve an explanation for why their political leaders seem to be buying almost twice as much bureaucracy as even official Washington deems necessary.

Tide gets rolled; last night's college football national championship game

I saw the last quarter which was scoreless, unlike the first three. Alabama in red, Clemson orange. The Clemson QB is 19 years old. As is their running back Etienne.

EVEN more proof for God! Chocolate fights coughs better than codeine!!!

And this news after this - Further proof there is a God: Alcohol & coffee can help you live past 90

From my friend Dan -

Chocolate Fights Coughs Better Than Codeine, Says Science

Professor Alyn Morice, a respected authority on all things related to coughs and respiratory medicine, wrote in the Daily Mail that chocolate can soothe coughs better than codeine syrup by forming a sticky coating that protects the nerve endings in your throat that cause you to cough.

The viscosity of the melted chocolate coating also allows cough-suppressing ingredients naturally present in cocoa to come into contact with your ravaged throat nerves and calm them down, says Professor Morice.

Smother your cough with yummy chocolate without the sleepy side-effects of codeine? It's almost enough to make you welcome winter.

Further proof there is a God: Alcohol & coffee can help you live past 90

Yup. Here you go.Obviously Pope Emeritus Benedict agrees - he'll be 92 in April.

... A study out of the University of California-Irvine has revealed that consumption of moderate amounts of alcohol and coffee is linked to living a longer life. Re-read that last sentence. The key word is "moderate," of course.

The study, called "The 90+ Study," started in 2003 and examined "the oldest-old" age group — about 1,700 nonagenarians — to determine what is key to living to your 90th birthday and beyond.

The study has found, among other things, that people "who drank moderate amounts of alcohol or coffee lived longer than those who abstained," and that "people who were overweight in their 70s lived longer than normal or underweight people did."

“I have no explanation for it, but I do firmly believe that modest drinking improves longevity,” Dr. Claudia Kawas, a key researcher for the study, recently said at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Austin, according to the Independent.

The research found that subjects who drank two glasses of beer or wine every day decreased their chances at a premature death by 18%, and those who drank two cups of coffee a day decreased their chances by 10%.

For Croton people; Gazette letter re: the Gouveia property

I never quite understood why the village purchased this property. This was in the local Gazette newspaper a few days ago - thanks to Maria for sending it to me. It certainly seems an inconvenient place for what they are contemplating.

Prior to the holidays, the village board began consideration of moving the Recreation Department offices to Gouveia Park. This is a deeply flawed proposal. Its negatives far outweigh its benefits. In recommending the shift, the Recreation Advisory Committee cites “upgrading the park with possible playground equipment and improve/extend trails within the property” as reasons to move forward. Both of these objectives can be readily accomplished without having the Rec Dept. offices on site.

Plenty more if you hit the link.