"If you receive a little child, you receive Me."

At 13:24, Mother Teresa makes Bill and Hilary squirm a bit.

No More Art Class

Art classes, music programs, police service, fire stations; they always seem to get cut first. The fat lady behind the desk in the diversity office never seems to be on the chopping block. This is an amazing piece from 1976. The State of California and its verious school districts and municipalities have mastered this genre of political cynicism.

Il Sancarlone

Ironic that Roger Mahony, the soft-faced creep, lives in a Church rectory named after one of the strictest and most austere figures of the counter-reformation. You can brighten the memory of Carlo Borromeo by sighning this petition.

"It's hard!"

This guy should have a television show. There is something very comforting about his voice and his demeanor. He is the reason I went out and bought a Gunsite Scout. I read somewhere that he is a school teacher in the suburbs of Nashville.

Curio Box

Today I read a great essay by Chabon about Wes Anderson (via Sullivan). Then today I received a quarterly fundraising newsletter in the mail from my elementary school alma mater. It's all "culinary farm projects," chicken coops, iPads in the classrooms, and benefit evenings for "indexed tuition." I went to the website and found that the Christmas Concert is now called the Winter Solstice Celebration. In third grade we sang Adeste Fideles and played The Little Drummer Boy on the recorder. There was a creche. My childhood is behind glass and collecting dust.

This is Happening

"Howard Beach!"

Apparently, Tawana Brawley is a nurse living in Virginia under an assumed name.  The guy she accused of rape just yesterday served her with a court order to pay damages for defamation.  The Rev. Al has lost weight.  Good for him.

Gather Us In? Please Don't.

Los Angeles is the largest Catholic diocese in the United States.  You would think you would find parishes to suit every liturgical preference. Orthodox Catholics talk most about the lack of a parish dedicated to the Traditional Latin Mass.  A few months ago a petition went around--allegedly to be presented to Archbishop Gomez--requesting that the FSSP be allowed to open a chapter in L.A.  The Una Voce Los Angeles website posted a message that promised an announcement about the results of their meeting with the Archbishop.  Then . . . nothing.

Archbishop Gomez is strangely MIA on many fronts.

An Israeli 10/22

At the moment I'm obsessed with getting my hands on a new  Ruger 10/22.  I want the carbine with a wood stock.  I already have the carbine with the synthetic stock, but I have an unpleasant vision of that stock growing grey and brittle like the molding around an old Jetta.  Plus I saw a photo of an Israeli special forces soldier shooting one.  Who doesn't want the same gun as an awesome Israeli special forces soldier?

Of course, you have to pay about $100 above retail for this rifle right now because everyone is hoarding guns and ammo.  Plus, I already have too many guns.