respublica

Easter moon

Taken from our backyard last night as the moon rose over the Dorchester apartments on Skinker.

 

This one shows up better when clicked

A bacon placemat?

Who'd do this?

From the Post-Dispatch food section

It seems a serious waste of time and money.

The annual belittling of Easter begins

If we're approaching Easter you can be sure a major publication will carry a story written by a skeptic.  This year it's Newsweek with a story by Lisa Miller questioning the credibility of Jesus' resurrection.

"This rising—the Resurrection—remains at the center of the Christian faith, the narrative climax of every creed. Jesus died and rose again so that all his followers could, eventually, do the same. This story has strained the credulity of even the most devoted believer. For, truly, it's unbelievable."

Miller also gives us the results of polling data on the subject.

"Despite the insistence of the most conservative branches of all three Western religions on resurrection as an incontrovertible fact, most of us are circumspect. The number of Americans who say they believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ has dropped 10 points since 2003 to 70 percent, according to the most recent Harris poll; only 26 percent of Americans think that they'll have bodies in heaven, according to a 1997 Time/CNN poll."

Oh boy, polls.  Get that first line?  

Seems Miller and "most of us" are not so gullible while the 'most conservative branches of western religions swallow anything.

We do swallow this.  Every week during the sacrament of Holy Communion, the body and blood of the resurrected Jesus, together with the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven.  Without the resurrection there would be no Easter.

Especially at Easter I find this story offensive not only because it denigrates my faith at the most holy time of the year, but it uses current political terms to pit us one against the other.  Another reason why so many have turned away from the mainstream media.

EGO mos servo vos

Updated:  The school board will be holding a special meeting Thursday April first at 2:30 for the purpose of "taking action on items of personnel."  This action will be discussed in a closed session which will follow a public forum.  Meeting at 2:30 in the afternoon does not make it easy for the public to attend.

The Belleville paper has a story headline which reads, "I hate this job", quoting the president of the Belleville school board after 50 cuts in personnel were made.

The emotion reminded me of the huge outpouring of shock and opposition to the possibility that the Latin program may be cut at Collinsville high school.  A Facebook page was created when the news broke that the premiere, and largest, Latin program in the state of Illinois may be facing elimination due to budget issues.

Our first reaction was the same as the hundreds of Collinsville students who studied Latin over the years:  "This can't be true, not Latin."  Latin at Collinsville is an academic jewel, renowned throughout Illinois, taken by so many students each year that it is possible to claim that not only is Latin not a dead language, but one which makes classical knowledge come alive.

I hope, I hope, the end of Latin is just a rumor, for the sake of current and future students and for the academic reputation of Collinsville High School.  

It is our plea that the board remember one of their responsibilities is to guard and protect the most basic of purposes:  quality academic education.  Latin at CHS is quality.

EGO mos servo vos-I will protect you

Compliments at last

Finally, a Collinsville story in the Belleville News-Democrat which ends with positive reader comments.

A rarity.  And welcome.

A little one on one

The best line of the weekend came from Haley Barbour, governor of Mississippi.  Talking to ABC News' Jake Tapper, Barbour said this about the media's reaction to Obama after the health care bill passed:

"We've been seeing the longest wet kiss in political history."

The kiss will continue next Thursday as Obama will do a court-side "one on one" interview with CBS' Harry Smith and then play a little "one on one" basketball on the White House court with CBS basketball analyst, Clark Kellogg.  This will be a lead in to the coming weekend's Final Four.

Softball season continues.

Should be trucks be allowed to put on weight?

New legislation is circulating through Congress that would allow freight trucks to be 17,000 pounds heavier than they are now.

I'd like to know which members of congress thought this was a good enough idea to sponsor this legislation.

A most frightening idea.

Wait.  The bill is sponsored by an Idaho republican congressman with the perfect name for this proposition

Mike Crapo

Fence in those icons

Why is it some mornings I turn on the computer and find my desktop icons have moved from the left side to straight down the middle, or, have changed positions willy nilly all over the place?

Things that go bump in the night.  It's almost like they decide to play games with me.

There is a free software program called Fences which keeps those icons corralled.  This may be the day I put a stop to all that middle of the night game playing by my icons.

All Glory Laud and Honor

Palm Sunday

A look at Women's NCAA basketball

Locally, the Washington University St. Louis women won the NCAA Division III championship last weekend.  This is the 5th national championship since 1998 for the Lady Bears.

Photo from Wash U's website

The Emporia State University Lady Hornets won the NCAA Division II championship Friday night.

Photo for the Emporia Gazette by Michael K. Dakota

Baylor women.  The Baylor men's BB team are not the only ones winning tournament games, the Lady Bears beat Tennessee yesterday to advance to the Regional final Monday night.  The men's team will play in their Regional final this afternoon.  A win will put both Baylor teams in their respective Final Four.  Oddly, both teams will be playing Duke.