trademarks

Sound of Music

My wife and I are sitting in the living room watching the movie the Sound of Music. We are by turns laughing and holding hands. I had forgotten how romantic the movie is. Or, perhaps it is simply that we now look at the movie through the lens of being grandparents. But, maybe it is that I am a Latino sentimentalist. Well, our daughters constantly tease me about having learned to like “chick flicks”... [Read more]

Memories of Perú

Right now, American Airlines is having a 15% off sale to Perú, as long as one books their flight by 27 October. My wife and I were looking at it and reminiscing over our years there. A flight from Miami to Lima would cost less than $1000. We would still have to make it to Arequipa, but there are multiple ways to do that. And so, we reminisced. We know that we cannot really afford to do it. We would... [Read more]

Barack’s speech

So, I am sitting here on the floor with my laptop, following Barack Obama’s speech. (Next week I will do the same for McCain). While the preliminaries were just-as-expected, there was one surprise. To have the granddaughter of President Eisenhower supporting Obama was certainly unexpected. But, the energy in the stadium, even through the “cool” medium of the television is incredible.... [Read more]

Rabbinical prayer

I listened to the invocation at the beginning of the Democratic national convention tonight. I was impressed by the rabbi’s prayer. Of course, it was the mandatory general prayer that would not offend. Nevertheless, he managed to slip one or two good phrases in there. My favorite was the one where he prayed for civility and a thorough discussion of the issues in this campaign. May Our Lord Jesus... [Read more]

Democratic convention

I am thoroughly enjoying watching parts of the Democratic convention. I do not have much free time to do it, but it is quite enjoyable. What a spectacle! People certainly look like they are enjoying themselves. I suspect that the same thing will be happening next week among the Republicans. It did make me reminisce. I have lived through two revolutions. As a young child in third grade, the country... [Read more]

Did you hear the one about . . . ?

I enjoy watching, laugh at, get annoyed by, are cheered by, those segments on TV news shows during which they point out some absurdity in people’s lives. So, did you hear the one from the high school on Monroe, Ohio that has forbidden the cheerleaders from wearing their outfits to school on game days? This news turned even weirder when we were informed that the school issued the uniforms and... [Read more]

USA loss of world moral influence

I have been keeping an eye on world reaction to the Russian invasion of Georgia and the the USA condemnation of Russia. I heartily recommend that you use your browser to look at sites such as the British Broadcasting Network, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, etc. It has been most interesting, and saddening, for me to read the almost universal catcalls that have been directed at the USA. If you... [Read more]

Some really odd news

Priest to hold nun beauty pageant An Italian priest says he is organising the world’s first beauty pageant for nuns to erase a stereotype of them as being old and dour. Antonio Rungi says The Miss Sister Italy online contest will start on his blog in September. “Nuns are above all women and beauty is a gift from God,” he told Italy’s Corriere della Sera newspaper. He is asking... [Read more]

A modern version of the Scopes trial

Recently the John Templeton Foundation published a booklet titled, “Does science make belief in God obsolete?” The full booklet can also be read online here. It features opinions by 13 well known people from the fields of science, philosophy, and religion. The answers are quite a mixture. Many show the gray areas in the debate. And some represent the extreme “no” and extreme... [Read more]

Pray for Peace in Georgia

In any conflict in this fallen world, it is our first duty to pray for those who are suffering, especially our fellow Orthodox brethren. His Grace, Bp. BASIL of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese has sent out this prayer: PRAYER FOR PEACE IN THE CAUCASUS: “O Master Who lovest mankind, King of the ages and Bestower of good things, Who hast destroyed enmity and givest peace to the human race:... [Read more]