Whiskey flavored toothpaste? Come to papa.
As if Mad Men were not enough to persuade you that everything was cooler in 1961, here’s yet more proof: I understand they also make Shirley Temple toothpaste for the kids.
Ohio one of the worst states for human trafficking
I’ve picked on Ohio numerous times in the past, and I’m about to do it again. A new report by the Trafficking in Persons Study Commission (formed last year by Ohio Attorney General Richard Condray) found that Ohio is not only a destination place for foreign-born victims of human trafficking, but also a place of recruitment. In … Read more
Also, I would like a pony.
The Washington Post has published the findings of a recent poll showing that, when it comes to health care, Americans want it all. Over at the American Catholic blog, “DarwinCatholic” breaks down the numbers: Solid majorities think that the current HCR bills are too complex and too expensive, but majorities also approve of the main components: … Read more
Turning the classics into video games
Last June, Margaret told you about video game giant Electronic Arts’ newest action title — a loose adaptation of Dante’s Inferno. Very. Loose. Dante, the one in the game, is no poet. Instead, he’s a war-ravaged crusader with serious post-traumatic stress disorder. But he has his domestic side, too. In fact, the game opens with … Read more
Snow: Bringing out the dumb in people.
This is what my neighborhood here in Baltimore looked like after our storm over the weekend. And today we just got another 15 inches dumped on us. So, naturally, that must mean it’s time for idiots to try driving in it! It amazes me that anyone would consider heading out in this mess; the city … Read more
Sullivan’s Symphony
Earlier this morning, while drifting through the fantastic world of Naxos Music Library, I stumbled across something quite unexpected. As a long-time fan of Arthur Sullivan’s music — the Kevin Kline-headed Pirates of Penzance is a staple in the Susanka household — I have been aware of (if not quite familiar with) his “serious” music. Yet I … Read more
Free Lecture in Baltimore
People sometimes ridicule the Church’s teaching against artificial contraception, but frequently, they just don’t see why the Church teaches against it. To clearly explain Catholic doctrine in this frequently misunderstood area, Fr. John Baptist Ku, O.P., will present a FREE lecture, “Humanae Vitae? Are You Serious?” on Saturday, March 20, at 10:00 AM at Mt. … Read more
Damian Thompson: Traditional Anglicans must face reality
Damian Thompson has a few words for traditional Anglicans still agitating for concessions from Canterbury: The Anglican Church will eventually ordain women. Either accept that, or leave. I am not saying that if you are an Anglo-Catholic who opposes women’s ordination then you must now seek to join the Ordinariate that Pope Benedict has set … Read more
DHS and local police investigate pro-life group
Well this is unsettling: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security conducted a threat assessment of local pro- and anti-abortion rights activists before an expected rally last year, even though they did not pose a threat to national security. The DHS destroyed or deleted its copies of the assessment after an internal review found it … Read more
The Domincan Sisters Light Up Oprah’s Show
Brenda Steele watched the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist on The Oprah Show today. Her comments published at Catholic Advocate, I am sure, echo what all of us who were able to watch the show were thinking. Here Brenda hits the nail right on the head: It would have been impossible for … Read more
New York City’s Varmit Problem
When Roland Emmerich’s climate change film The Day After Tomorrow first came out, it was difficult to know exactly where to begin. I remember focusing my contemptuousattention on two story points that seemed particularly grievous members of the “Offence Against Credulity” category: the “superstorms,” and the wolves. WeatherUnderground had a fairly thorough debunking of the superstorm idea, recent (and … Read more
The real cause of the recession: not enough babies
A Vatican economist has a very different suggestion for stimulating the economy: have more babies. Ettore Gotti Tedeschi explains: “The true cause of the crisis is the decline in the birth rate,” Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, said in an interview on Vatican Television’s “Octava Dies.” He noted the Western world’s population growth rate is at … Read more
Those intelligent killer whales
Here’s something incredible: killer whales that have developed the ability to hunt seals and sea lions on the shoreline. National Geographic scientists spotted two orcas on the beaches of Argentina, riding waves onto the shore, grabbing seals, and then using their fins to “walk” back into deeper water. Apparently, the whales are teaching each other … Read more
The world’s oldest monastery has been restored
Apologies for my long blog silence. I spent most of last week serving on a jury, and the remainder battling off a life threatening Man Cold. But now I’m done with both, and ready to get back at it. Lucky you. First, here’s a little good news for Christians in the Middle East: The world’s … Read more
The USCCB’s Membership In a Pro-Abortion Civil Rights Group
Matt Smith has published more information on the USCCB’s problematic membership in the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Calling it LCCHR’s “Greatest Hits,” Smith juxtaposes the civil rights organization’s opposition to the Federal Marriage Marriage and support for CEDAW with the Catholic positions advocated by the USCCB. Why would the bishop’s conference be … Read more
A Catholic Candidate Who Will Not Compromise
Over at the Catholic Advocate, I have posted my interview with Marco Rubio, who is on track to be the GOP candidate for the Florida Senate seat vacated by Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL). Here is an excerpt: For Rubio, his pro-life convictions are the “cornerstone” of everything else. “A society that does not respect the … Read more
Real-Life ‘Last of the Mohicans’
Only last night, I was discussing James Fenimore Cooper’s classic, “The Last of the Mohicans,” (as well as the surprisingly tepid film adaption from Michael Mann). As a less-than-eager Cooper fan, I was waxing poetic about the validity of Mark Twain’s side-splittingly hilarious critique of Cooper’s works, particularly Cooper’s “high talent for inaccurate observation.” Demanding rigorous accuracy … Read more
The Religious Life — on Oprah
News has been spreading through the blogosphere that the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, will be appearing on Oprah tomorrow afternoon. The sisters explained how it all came to be in an e-mail update: Oprah was interested in doing a show on religious life as a hidden way of life which many people never … Read more
The Saints Went Marching In
I’m not much of a football fan, but I usually find myself watching the Superbowl every year. It provides an excuse for a party, after all, and that means snacks. This year I was rooting for the Saints, mainly because they were the underdogs and have never taken home the Lombardi trophy. (Plus, I like … Read more
Sunday Comics: Uncle Harry’s Gold Mine, Part 5
Don’t sign that contract, Uncle Harry! Those guys are up to no good!! (As always, these pages come from Catholic University’s online archive of Treasure Chest of Fun and Fact. This is part five of a 10-part series from 1960.) You just don’t see steam engines used in stories anymore…