Caption: St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans, LA
Historical figures like Constantine and later European monarchs institutionalized Christianity, transforming it from a movement centered on the teachings of a poor carpenter—who advocated for humility, love, and non-materialism—into a hierarchical structure aligned with political power.
This distance between humanity and the divine creates a convenient space for projecting personal desires, societal norms, or political agendas onto the deity, effectively putting words in their mouth and constructing a version of the divine that aligns with the believer’s beliefs and objectives. In this way, a “dead” god becomes a blank slate, a tool for cultural, moral, or ideological validation.”
Reconciling original intent and the historically obvious deviations is a continuing struggle.
Bullet Points:
** About 20% of Canada’s oil production is conventional light oil, around 850,000 barrels out of 4.5 million barrels daily. Western Canadian Select (WCS) is a heavy sour blend of crude oil that is one of North America’s largest heavy crude oil streams and, historically, its cheapest. It is composed mainly of bitumen blended with sweet synthetic and condensate diluents. Over a million barrels of tar sands oil (blended) is refined in the USA every day.
** Seattle used to be a liveable city. I liked the place enough from “the old days” that I seriously considered relocating there. I dodged that bullet.
** VM welcomes son-in-law DevinH to the readership. If he reads the blog, he’ll be the only one in my family who does – such is the profound nature of these utterings.
** Low birthrates in Vietnam – they join a long list of nations that are not replacing themselves. Japan is also staring down a demographic cliff. The population has shrunk for 15 straight years, with births hitting a record low of 730,000 last year and deaths a record high of 1.58 million.
It now stands at around 125 million, but projections warn of a staggering drop to just 87 million by 2070. Japan’s fertility rate hit a low of 1.20 births expected per woman’s lifetime last year, well below the replacement rate of 2.1. Meanwhile, the proportion of seniors aged 65 or older is forecast to rise from 30 to 40 percent by that year.
This has lit a fire under policymakers, who have warned the country only has until around 2030 to reverse the trend.
Japan’s demographic crisis is a warning sign for much of East Asia. Neighboring countries like South Korea and China are also grappling with plunging fertility rates and a greying labor force. Analysts say the challenge lies in more policies and reexamining family roles and the workplace.
** Starting in 2016 with former President Obama’s re-election run, Democrats replaced dissent with accusations of racism, hatred, and harmful bias and used those accusations to shut down opposition to a radical shift in their policies. The outcome of that change in both governance and social cohesion has been devastating. Opposition on the left could no longer be tolerated as honest opinion. It needed to be punished as heresy – an attitude that turned everyday political differences into culture wars. Meanwhile, programs and policies formulated by the left in this environment made government less efficient and more invasive. It led to regime change in the US – elections have consequences. Can the Republicans stop arguing among themselves and unify to undo the damage? Sit there with your popcorn and watch with me.
** AP reported, “FBI releases new video of a suspect planting a pipe bomb near DNC offices on the eve of the Capitol riot.” Right after two terrorist attacks, the FBI suddenly finds a new video. It’s as if the Bureau holds information until it wants to change subjects in the news.
** (Financial Times) “Poland aims to complete a border wall and seal off its border with Belarus by next summer, to stop an influx of migrants Warsaw describes as Russia’s hybrid war. The additional infrastructure works along its 400-kilometer eastern border, which the government of Donald Tusk announced earlier this year, are on track to be completed by mid-2025, said Maciej Duszczyk, Poland’s deputy minister for migration. Once the reinforcements are complete, “this will be as close to 100 percent [border] security as is possible,” he said. Poland started building a border wall in late 2021 when the Belarus regime of President Alexander Lukashenko first facilitated the arrival of thousands of migrants to enter Poland and neighboring Baltic states. Many migrants received sponsored flights and visas to fly from the Middle East and Africa to Moscow or Minsk before being bussed to the Polish border.”
** (h/t Claudio) VDH on Devin Nunes’ Reemergence – worth reading.
2024 was the year of the reemergence of many once and unfairly pilloried public figures.
Elon Musk weathered nonstop attacks on his X social media platform. Furor escalated over his newfound 2024 Trump advocacy—even as he ended 2024 with his iconic Tesla brand, which is still the best-selling car in six states and the most popular electric vehicle in the entire nation.
Tesla’s rising stock prices ensured that by year’s end, Musk was by far the wealthiest man in the world, with a net worth of well over $400 billion. His recyclable SpaceX Super Heavy starship rocket booster mesmerized the nation as it returned to the launch pad, where a giant mechanical arm caught it.
After January 6, 2021, the media swore that Donald Trump was supposedly washed up. He left office with a 34 percent approval rating. Over the next four years, Trump would face 91 felony indictments and be liable for over $400 million in assorted fines.
Now, he is a reelected president. Former oppositional world leaders traipse to Mar-a-Lago to seek his approval before his tenure begins. His erstwhile critics at home are scurrying about in disarray.
The Trump-hating media who swore Joe Biden was “sharp as a tack” and “fit as a fiddle” are mostly discredited and are, for now, still bleeding audiences. And Trump’s chief political adversaries, Nancy Pelosi, Liz Cheney, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and the Obamas (Barack and his husband Big Mike), are increasingly either unpopular or irrelevant—or both.
Yet one unremarked-upon return is that of former Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), who, after 20 years of representing Central California in Congress, retired on January 1, 2022, from the House to become CEO of the newly formed Trump Media & Technology Group, tasked to oversee its social media platform, TruthSocial.
Nunes has regained public attention over the last two weeks after Trump appointed him chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, overseeing the conduct and performance of America’s intelligence agencies.
And once more, he too is the target of tired residual left-wing venom, as a “pugnacious Trump loyalist” in the words of the New York Times. (more at the article)
** The Search for Non-Binary Rocks at Ohio State University. “The Ohio State University Pours Millions Into DEI, Hosts Federally Funded ‘Nonbinary’ Rock Climbing Program.” Where do they find the nonbinary rocks to climb?
**Having been called a liar by Anthony Fauci for stating that “not one of the 72 vaccines mandated for children has ever been safety tested,” RFK Jr. sued Fauci. After a year of legal stalling, Fauci’s lawyers finally admitted that RFK Jr. had been correct. I used to ask, where did RFK Jr. attend medical school? Now I want to know which one Fauci went to.
It’s Sermonette Day
“Emperor Constantine I is associated with the Chi-Rho symbol (right)
during his military campaigns, particularly the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 CE. According to historical accounts, Constantine reportedly saw a vision of the Chi-Rho (a Christian symbol formed by the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ, ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ) in the sky, accompanied by the words “In this sign, you will conquer.”
In response to this vision, Constantine adopted the Chi-Rho as a standard for his army, often displayed on shields and banners. This symbol became a powerful and prominent emblem, marking the turning point in Constantine’s embrace of Christianity, and it was used during his military campaigns, including his conquest of Rome. It’s commonly believed that Constantine’s use of the Chi-Rho was both a sign of divine favor and a way to rally his troops, linking their military success to divine protection and support.
The Chi-Rho flag became one of the earliest Christian symbols used in a military context. It symbolized Constantine’s efforts to integrate Christianity with imperial power.”
In time, the papal flag was authorized to be flown by an army blessed by the Pope and associated with a papal bull. A papal bull is an official document issued by the Pope, usually written in Latin, bearing the Pope’s seal. The shape of the seal is what gives the document its name. The seal was made of lead and depicted the apostles Peter and Paul on the front. The back of the seal bore the name of the current Pope. In most cases, a monarch paid for the bull – the amount negotiated with the Pope’s agent assigned to that task.
The Russian Gold Trade
(Rand) This week, the UK Government appointed Baroness Margaret Hodge as the country’s new Anti-Corruption Champion, announced significant new funding for the National Crime Agency’s anti-corruption efforts, and introduced additional sanctions targeting the illicit gold trade.
In its press release, the Government stated: “Illicit gold is an assault on the legitimate trade of a valuable commodity, fueling corruption, undermining the rule of law, and entrenching human rights abuses such as child labor. Russia uses illicit gold to launder money and evade sanctions, thereby bolstering Putin’s war efforts.”
Recent research by RAND Europe, Gold Rush: How Russia is Using Gold in Wartime, produced for the Sanctions Directorate of the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, found that gold has become a vital resource for the Russian state since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Gold is now critical to Russia’s most crucial wartime trading relationships.
Gold has become a vital resource for the Russian state since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Since its invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has faced unprecedented economic pressure and shifted much of its international trade into the shadows. Russia’s key revenue-generating exports—oil and oil products—are now transported via a shadow fleet. The country has legalized the illicit (parallel) import of essential goods, instructed businesses on trade using barter systems, and accessed high-technology imports through international networks of middlemen and shell companies.
Although gold has long been significant to Russia, its role has grown substantially since 2022. Gold is now considered a strategic resource for the state and plays a key role in Russia’s developing shadow trade. For instance, it has reportedly been used to facilitate payments with Chinese partners, as a medium of exchange for hard currency in Turkey (PDF), and even as payment for drones in Iran. One recent report suggests that Russia continues to export billions of dollars worth of gold through the Eurasian Economic Union, masking its country of origin.
Global demand for gold is at an all-time high, particularly in China, Moscow’s wartime patron, which has become the world’s leading sovereign buyer of gold since 2022. Russia aims to capitalize on this demand by becoming the world’s top gold producer.
However, Russia’s influence over international gold production extends beyond its borders. Russian interests hold significant stakes in the gold industries of several former Soviet Union countries and parts of Africa. The Wagner Group alone reportedly (PDF) oversaw the production of several dozen tonnes of gold annually in Africa.
Russian business has traditionally operated between formal and informal spheres, with corruption, criminality, and arbitrary law enforcement deeply embedded in Russian business culture. This has an international dimension, as wealthy Russians have long sought to protect and launder their assets overseas—most notably in the UK, which has faced persistent challenges from Russian illicit finance.
Russian business has traditionally operated between formal and informal spheres. Corruption, criminality, and arbitrary law enforcement are deeply embedded in Russian business culture.
Russia’s governance system is built on rent extraction at all levels. Rather than fostering economic growth, the system prioritizes revenue redistribution, with key assets allocated to those closest to Putin. In this system, corruption is not incidental but intrinsic. The most important businesses are state-controlled or managed by Putin’s associates, while private entrepreneurs operate under constant threat, keeping a low profile to avoid scrutiny.
However, wartime has altered this dynamic. According to Russian scholar Alexandr Prokhorov, periods of crisis often spark greater entrepreneurial activity in Russia as extraordinary circumstances demand innovative approaches. During the current crisis, Russia’s extensive expertise in operating within the shadows is harnessed for state purposes. Putin, now heavily reliant on entrepreneurs, encourages them to acquire critical goods by any means necessary.
As a result, the illicit trade in precious commodities like gold has become central to Russia’s war strategy. Disrupting these international networks is vital for the United Kingdom and its allies as they seek to maintain pressure on Moscow.
Map Section
Number of Buddhists in Canada by province
Say What?
Interesting – They’re enjoying the weapons we left behind.
State Atheism
Identify the Mini-Sub
1
Identify the Aircraft
2
3
No hints. You’ll figure it out.
Identify the Armor
4
Parting Shot
End
Birth rates-
I read an article in the last few weeks that claims China is over reporting their population and it is considerably smaller than official statistics.
It was based on city populations and that the numbers didn’t match. No idea how accurate this is.
China has no firm grip on the Floating Population (homeless). At best guess about 300 million. Their births and deaths are not recorded. You can internet search Floating Population for more up to date information but they exist in China and under the government, but they’re a completely unregulated group – which is odd since it’s a communist country – but it is the case.
300 million? That’s about what we have here… Those BIG population numbers in the part of the world make me stop & think…
The Chinese have about as many homeless as there are people in the US
Poland; I remember watching Glen Beck stand up in front of his colorful chalkboard back in 2020 when the migrant trains were flowing north to our border. He described a strategy, true or not, that if China wanted to win a war with Russia they could just herd a couple million or more unarmed civilians north into the Rueskies care. 2 things about the illegal O’Biden invasion of circa 15 million to USA. No one that I know of talks about replacing the 68 million aborted children that would be filling the labor market and contributing to S.S. funds. No one that I know of has describes the work force needs that the illegals are (not?) filling. Currently, as a construction contractor and every trade is short on skilled help. We were cleaning service contractors for a wide variety of businesses for 14 yrs. I saw the turnover and heard of the staffing shortages. I’m not against legal immigration and hope to God Congress can get off their butts and iron out DACA and the 2 Visa’s now emerging in the news! We lived on both sides of the border for 7 yrs in Sonora and 2 in Baja. I knew the plight of the wetbacks that left and returned. It was dangerous and often didn’t end well. The Father’s that had green cards and went to work north through legal brokers ect… provided well and returned grateful. Working along side paranoid illegals in Tucson on a subdivision and some 2nd generation Chicano’s with an attitude revealed a broad contrast of culture. If the Muslim lambs ( when a minority) turning into Lions ( when becoming a majority) is an ingredient with immigration, what comes out of the boiling pot?
Legal and orderly immigration has always been good for America. What Biden did created a chaotic situation for those who wanted to come here, work, pay taxes and join the nation. I have seen the same thing that you have with migrant workers and the situation that they found themselves in over the years. The US could have fixed the problem but chose not to. The whole DEI movement further compounded the difficulty we find ourselves in.
Reconciling original intent – something required for each generation, as each generation creates people with great talents, and even greater egos. I would not want to stand up and claim I know more about a certain subject than God, and yet we keep seeing people who act on that impulse. I guess this is one of those fruits we’re supposed to know them by :)
It was asked in Sunday School today how Jesus would be received if He walked the earth today.
I mentioned that the Jews in the 00’s mostly referred to what the rabbis said, And they often referred to earlier rabbinical teaching. Thus when Jesus spoke, and did not refer to others, He spoke as “One with authority”.
Many “Christians” today would be shocked to find out what the bible really says.
I taught on Matthew once and remember going through a stretch of oft misused bumper sticker quotes.
In context, they meant the opposite of what the current usage was. Everybody was amused.
Jesus was known to knock over banker’s tables, dis authority, hang out with whores, produce alcoholic beverages, and suggest the ownership and use of weapons of war. Most Christians I’ve met would reject Christ if He came in person; for a supposedly Christian nation, our system certainly sides with Barabbas more often than not. Most would never think of inviting the carpenters on a construction site into their homes (not that I suggest carpenters on a construction site represent the Second Coming). Most Christians I’ve met prefer the laws of the Old Testament to the New …
But one may read into the Bible anything one wishes; a quite contradictory document. Properly harvested, the Bible can be used to justify most any position one wishes to defend. I suspect the same for most religious texts, including – maybe most certainly – the Quran.
Reemergence: Hopefully, the demolition party will go extinct. May it self-destruct and never Reemerge. Long ago, Joe, the puppet, mentioned the initial briefing he and Uncle Barry were in on with the Pentagon (2004?).
One of the concerns was ” migration ” and, of course, due to
“Climate change ”
I thought, really? There is no way military leaders would be predicting that! So, after these last 4 years, we’ve seen exactly what those 2 snakes in the room set out to do. “Migration warfare” is it real?
Just as real as the recent ” lawfare” ? I hope to God all the Bioweapons labs in Ukraine and who knows where all else are prevented from malicious use.
“Hopefully, the demolition party will go extinct. ”
We have won the war.
November 5th 2024 was Midway.
Now we have some island hopping to do.
Identify the Mini-Sub:
1. Type XXVIIB Seehund
Identify the Aircraft:
2. Vultee Vengeance
3. Northrop P-61 Black Widow seen from the rear looking at the radar operator compartment.
Identify the Armor:
4. M46
The Fouch went to the Dunning-Kruger Skool of Medicine, obviously.
I appreciate the sarcasm, but it’s much worse than the Dunning-Kruger thing in the case of Fauci. He’s either deliberately wicked, or a True Believer who wants to Repair Our World whether the rest of us want it or not. The True Believers are more dangerous, because they can’t be bribed or satiated. It’s like the CS Lewis quote: Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive [… because …] those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.
—
Now there are a lot of MDs who are pretty narrowly focused and don’t even think of looking beyond Medical Establishment Orthodoxy [1,2], but I don’t think Fauci can be excused by that. He knows what he is about. But I wonder if his motivation is wickedness for its own sake or his being a True Believer. My guess is something along the lines of 15%/85%. (I’d be shocked if Fauci is not burdened by resentment and Little Man Syndrome. Resentment and high IQ is a terrible combination that festers into wickedness. But it doesn’t matter. The man needs to go. Better humans will have literal generations of work to undo his wicked actions.
[1] I’d say that well over 80% of the academic physicians I know and work with were (and most still are) pro mRNA vaxx, for example. We’re not talking about some random hack with a foreign medical degree working in say Victorville, CA either. We’re talking professors at top-10 US medical schools, advisors to Industry and FDA, and editors of major scientific journals. IOW the people who functionally run Medicine (apart from the government/CMS side, which are also pro-vaxx of course).
[2] Poul Anderson joke: Nicholas Van Rijn says he wants a woman who can think on her own, apart from the madding herd. “I want a hetero-doxy!”
Mr DevinH,
WELCOME!!!
you have a wonderful mentor and can gain much insight from those in this “circle”.
I owe you a round of Welcome drinks.
If ever,
Enjoy the rodeo!
🤠
Juan
x2
X3
>>into a hierarchical structure aligned with political power<>the UK Government appointed Baroness Margaret Hodge as the country’s new Anti-Corruption Champion,<>AI Overview
In 2024, Ukraine’s birth rate is estimated to be:
Births per 1,000 people: 6 births per 1,000 people
Total fertility rate: 1.22 children born per woman
Ukraine’s birth rate has been declining since 2014, when Russia attacked the country. The full-scale invasion in 2022 made the situation even worse: <<
Wait a minute, wasn't 2014 the year the US coup d'état got rid of the Russia friendly govt in the Ukraine and replaced it with one friendly with the US? Little changes in reality reporting, kind of like boiling a frog.
That came out all screwed up… sorry about that Chief…
I’ll quit… Have a good Sunday!
Seattle weather… one morning in June of 2012 I was in the garage puttering (40 miles from Seattle) and the radio started talking about how it was going to hit 70 degrees (f) in Seattle today, the first time that had happened in eight months … That’s when I decided that living somewhere else might be better!
Portland weather (some thirty miles east) was not all that different, ‘cept most days we had low humidity mizzle. summer, all ten days of it was beautiful: temp 90s, humidity approaching zero. constitutionally, emotionally very depressing.
finally gave up and decided to emigrate to the west coast of FL – much better outlook (and tax situation), in all respects
** “…European monarchs institutionalized Christianity…” IMHO power hungries can institutionalize/(use) anything from “a poor carpenter” hoisted upon his own material (lumber) to the vagaries of the climate or the unreasoning fear of sub-microscopic entities to lead the great unwashed (typically with blinders) around by the nose (this could be a very long multi-page rant – I could be stirred to start/open my own blog: just too damn lazy)
** St. Louis Cathedral – the maintenance could be far, far better
** Seattle (and many other cities in our once great nation. sorry ’bout that, but I’ve removed the rosy-coloreds) once we let our conscience/sympathy overtake our good sense this is what happens; we allow the the lowest (not necessarily the poorest) segment of society to do whatever they wish, saying “Oh! the poor things/(darlings), we can’t punish them; they know not what they do” while gazing at them (with secret delight) as though they were behind bars like monkeys at the zoo (they’re not! they’re human beings). they’re free to urinate, defecate, copulate, and assault the onlookers/(watchers) with no fear of punishment/retribution
** Low birthrates: the real question is why have the fertile, (high-earning) population stopped copulating(? perhaps); has the government made the cost of raising children that expensive; the sociologists are telling us that this population has become more interested in (spending their earnings on) themselves – sorry! I just don’t believe it.
enough! I’m gonna spend some time with my (6 year old) grandson
Why have the fertile, (high-earning) population stopped copulating?
They haven’t. They’ve stopped producing.
Children crimp the lifestyle.
They cost money.
And it’s been hammered into the culture that “They are a burden on the ecology!”.
Family dynamics. Likely all, or most, of your family do read your blog. For whatever reason, they don’t admit it. Perhaps not daily, but they skim it from time to time.
My blog gets read just so they can see what the crazy old coot is up to now – purely defensive.
I think that they’re indifferent. They don’t read it.
Nothing embarrassing herebouts on a daily basis, so anyone from the family dropping in should gain some humorous insight and perspective on the matters at hand, especially how much AI has enhanced our everyday existence (well, maybe not so much that last part since a lot of us are reasonably well-enough seasoned on life).
***
Sermonette…reminded me of Galatians 1:10 (the entire chapter as well, and could include 1 Corinthians, same deal). In short order even Paul had to admonish the church to return to the one true gospel, not the one they decided was better for them…which is typical human behavior trying to refit God’s requirements to their lives and not the other way around.
***
Finally got some much needed snow overnight, been dry this year as that type of weather pattern seems to be cycling thru our area. Could change tomorrow. In the meantime, permission to hang out by the camp stove has been granted (by myself of course), need to decompress every once in a while, and a quick plow-age and shovel job afforded said permission to chill…and forage for snacks, gotta have snacks on a snowy day.
Congratulations on Devin H.
—
>** Low birthrates in Vietnam
I guess that settles the question of whether the Viets are Fancy Asians or Jungle Asians. (The Koreans are Fancy Asians too, not just Chinese and Japanese.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCmINg7t4B8
—
Chi Rho: so Constantinian Rome was the original “land of the big PX”? Okay, XP, but go with me here. I went to public skool (US meaning) and a state-school university. We didn’t learn Greek or anything, so I’m doing the best I can.
—
Russian gold. I wonder how much of this concern is anti-Russianism, and how much is the desire to demonize gold itself. “Only Putler and other terrorists need gold!” Good obedient debt-peon consumers know that fiatbux run by a private enterprise calling itself “Federal” are what is best for everyone. What kind of fascist Nazi homophobe would want a hard currency? “Trust us, we’re the smartest people in the world.” Who wants a free society when you could let the Company Store own not just your soul but also those of your posterity? “Hmmm. If it comes with a free iPhone 16 then sign me up, yewbetcha! Maybe if I run hard enough on the hamster wheel then one day I can also ‘own’ a Tesla or something!” It’s important to have lofty aspirations. Thus the soul of a nation is atomized into covetousness and greed.
Princess of Wales: Peace is made in such ways.
William Wallace: SLAVES are made in such ways!
[yes, Braveheart was utter shite when it came to actual history, but a great movie nonetheless]
—
> replacing the 68 million aborted children that would be filling the labor market and contributing
Fair enough, GFW2, but I’d note that the racial demographics of abortion in the US are not the same as the demographics of the living. Which suggests to Hate Thinkers that the proportion of noncontributors (my polite way of saying net wealth-sinks) would be markedly higher among that 68 million. Not that I personally think that of course. I solemnly affirm that: All humans are equal in intellect and impulse control. All sexes and genders are equal in physical strength and speed. It’s not just common sense, it’s Science. I am a loyal adherent of the cult of Scientism.
Gold:
if Vladomir Vladomirovich is using (a very large amount of) the material for barter, then why isn’t more of it floating around at a lower price – or is it being (unnaturally) inflated?
Dunning-Kruger:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hTMkS1cWAhE
used to watch this (super) version every Christmas AM, then they switched it to Thanksgiving, now I can’t find it anywhere
We bought it.
we gave away a whole drawerful of VHS cassette tapes to SA/Goodwill some years back, now we have a drawerful of discs;
I’d like to purchase my favorites on/in an iteration 3 generations removed; they don’t get any better resolution, they just get more expensive
More to the point, “hard copy is real.”
PKG used to laugh at me for wanting physical media. “Practically everything is on-line these days! Why do you want disks?” Now I admit that hardware that can read the media may become a problem, but I want stuff that hasn’t been “updated for modern audiences”.
—
In a world where Huck Finn must be eviscerated, where The Lord of the Rings (of all things) is “far right” and “white supremacist” you just KNOW that those on-line texts will be changed (and without “track changes”). Frodo and Sam were always homosexuals. Galadriel liked to pull orc trains (blonde girls taking multiple BOC always the favorite of the pornographers). Helm Hammerhand was always a negro from Khand. And so forth.
—
And that’s just fiction. Imagine the liberties they will (further) take with history. And philosophy. I’ve started buying old reference texts. Not because I think I can be Saint Leibowitz, just because I’m interested in comparing what was taught then vs now.
Let your subscription lapse and lose your library.
Mike_C
maybe at a library,
on a really slow day,
find an 1850 or earlier copy of
Black’s Law Dictionary.
Kind of like Daniel Webster’s Dictionary from I believe 1833…
Juan
Wife and I have been building our DVD library.
The Alastair Sims version is 100% the best version of that noted work. In the original black and white please.
I have an Air Force buddy that went back to the Seattle area to help run his parent’s apple farm. He stays away from Seattle as much as possible. His biggest complaint is the seasonal workers that show up for work stoned.
I, like everyone else, enjoyed this popular and informative homily. But question: What happened to the LABARUM?
Did it move East to Constantinople, only to be looted and/or sold off in pieces to fund the Byzantine effort against the Moslems? Or does it still exist, perhaps in fragments? On topic, elements of Maxentius’ imperial regalia were recovered on the Palatine(?) not that long ago, an orb and scepter. That said, we don’t have, I think, an intact Roman Standard.
Speaking of which, great gold briefing. Precious metal has a certain… weight.