Sic Semper Tyrannis 2008

Birthday Salutation

On the occasion of my birthday I send you all greetings.  To quote my father, "if I had thought that I would live this long, I would have taken better care of myself..."  pl

Cat-fights

I was on a "road trip" until yesterday evening and did not have the time to deal with the personal dispute that erupted ove several days among two of our commmenters.

A reminder - conflicts that descend into personal attacks will lead to disciplinary action by the curmudgeon who runs this rodeo.  pl

Absence

I am in the midwest teaching this week.  I will try to post something this afternoon.  pl

Number of Visits

The "stats" page of this little blog now records over two million visits to SST.  That is nothing in comparison to the news blogs, but for this "committee of correspondence," I think it is not too bad.  pl

Gone again

Doing the lord's work.  Hopefully will be back the 6th and will post from the road as possible.  pl

Gone until the 14th.

""Oh, uh, there won't be any money. But when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness." So I've got that going for me..."

Cold War Zoomie provided this gem from the lines of the "little Cinderella Boy" in ""Caddyshack."  Thanks.  pl

Agitprop not done here.

Just a reminder, there will be no "Ad Hominem" attacks published here whether they are against me or someone else.  Civility rules.  If I break the rule, remind me.

Lately we have had a wave of such attacks delivered by a new group of the Harpies of the left, (seemingly a "task group" made up for Obamian defense of the "future").  These, apparently were attracted by my criticism of their "friend."  Since the Harpies of the right also dislke me, I am feeling pretty good about myself.

I particularly relished (frissons everywhere) the little catlike remarks about my; age, fossilization (interestingly I have always thought of myself as a paleoconservative libertarian so that is acceptable), "background" (code maybe)?

If I missed one of these remarks and published it let me know and I will add you to the list.  pl

Too much work

I must say that I am sorry that the press of my commitments have prevented me from posting as often as I would have wished.  I thank my friends for their contributions.  pl

"There and Back Again"

For those interested, my wife, a friend and I voyaged to Jerusalem, Bethlehem and various parts of the West Bank of Palestine. We stayed in Jerusalem at my favorite hotel in all the world.  This is the "American Colony."  We went to the religious sites in the city, The Holy Sepulcher, St. Anne's church, etc.  More importantly we were on a fact finding trip for the church group to which we belong. The group financially supports schools for Arab children and young people in Israel, Palestine and Jordan and from time to time someone must go and "have a look."  Bethlehem University continues to be a marvelous institution, admirably run by the Christian Brothers.  (See website)  They now have about 60% Muslim students and are educating a new generation of leaders for the Palestinian people.  In the far northwest of the West Bank at Zebabdeh, we visited a parish school set in a beautiful, mostly Christian, village.  The school is grades 1-12 and is immaculate in its maintenance and cleanliness. It has several hundred students taught under a largely lay faculty of whom some are Christian and some Muslim.  A very hard Working East Bank Jordanian priest supervises this and his parish with the help of three Arab nuns.  The students are about 20% Muslim.  In the nearby town of Jenin, there is a university (The Arab-American University of Jenin?)  The graduates of the Zebabdeh school are much sought after by the admissions office at this university.  The school is in need of money for a new physics and biology lab as well as a lot more books for the library, but it is altogether an admirable institution.  We drove to Jordan and visited a school located in a poor district of Amman that is now filled with Iraqi refugees, many of whom are Chaldean Christians.  This school was in very bad condition.  The building was inadequate and in poor repair.  There was not enough of anything and many of the children are, of course, quite poor because they have, at least for now, lost their country.

We went on to Rome to reoprt on findings and then came home.  By the time of our return we were all suffering from a nasty chest flu bug.

I would recommend to you any or all of the institutions mentioned above.

The easiest thing for those who wish to contribute money to these schools would be the following:

pl

"Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem
P.O. Box 29260
Washington, DC 20017-0260

The Order is a 501 (C)(3)  organization under the I.R.S. Code.

Gifts to the Order should be made payable to: Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem

Donors may direct their gifts to a particular project."

Guest Posts

All

I am still on the road for a few more days.  I will welcome submissions that I could post from out here in the mysterious East.  pl