I grew up in a lefty leaning Catholic diocese that took a hard shift towards baby saving, hard line doctrine during Pope Benedict’s term. I wonder if we will see a shift as the Church hierarchy adjusts to the priorities of Pope Francis?

Great video, I especially like the line: “Christianity is helping the stranger, even if it carries some personal risk, that is the parable of the Good Samaritan”.

I think this is a really good point (and a totally bullshit way to run to country). Trump’s chaotic campaign kept everyone in constant turmoil that actually deadened responses to his outrageous policies and lack of qualifications. It is hard for me to see a good path for the economy under this kind of uncertainty, a…

The way Trump, Obama, and Bush have used executive orders is not normal-they have each pushed orders farther than their predecessor. Even though I usually agreed with Obama’s objectives and understood he kind of had to with a congress that would fight him if he said the sky is blue, it was, to me, the biggest…

I’m wondering how much experience they have working with scientists? A misunderstood aspect of science is that it is a very social process. EPA scientists are in collaboration with people at hundreds of other institutions, are they going to demand publishing control over all of them as well? Scientists also talk to…

Yeah, this type of child support case just sucks, especially in a few years when the poor kid can read and find all these stories. It totally sucks to imagine a kid reading about a parent trying to disclaim him or her.

Yep, it is amazing to me how shows that were groundbreaking for featuring LG (but no B or T) characters in the late nineties/early aughts are almost hard to watch and crazy stereotypes by today’s cultural standard. Will and Grace, Queer as Folk, the Ellen show, all of them seem like time capsules from way longer than…

Yeah, I think people are too quick to forget how bad it really was back then. My Dad is a waste systems (water, trash, recycling, kind of all of it) engineer and I remember him bringing home as a souvenir a bottle of Lake Erie water that had been labeled like bottled drinking water, but included warnings of all the…

Agreed. I think she, as well as all those who acted as surrogates for Trump, deserve disapproval and blame for his victory, but the gendered insults are terrible. No one deserves that type of name calling, especially when we can go for reasonable ones:

True crime entertainment does seem to be having a moment, with the people vs ok, making a murderer, etc. I really hate all of it. Serial and making a murderer had some points about injustice in our legal system, but both were largely enjoyed for the drama and mystery. It just makes me uncomfortable. There was a piece…

I saw a B2 flyover at the rose parade this year and I have to say, it was awesome. I can see wanting one of those, especially for our 14 yr old in a 70 yr old body.

Def. I used to think W. Bush was the asking embodiment of this saying, but he is starting to look like a gentleman and a scholar relative to Ms Devos.

One of two nominees usually go down for something like this that pops up in the vetting, I really thought this would bring her down.

She is a true believer. I agree it is strange that she is so invested in a system with which she has had so little direct contact. The only thing I can imagine is that it doesn’t really take that much effort to be politically active via bank draft. I wonder what will happen at DoEd? As far as I can tell, she has never…

There are some cases where people deserve the benefit of the doubt and to be given a chance. Devos as secretary of education does not. She infuriates me, and the basic dishonesty and balls out gall of saying she would be in that chair without sprinkling hundreds of millions of dollars on Republicans is unbelievable.…

Yep, I mixed up my Dakota’s.

THis press junket must be truly awful. There is a reason there are so many quotes of Dornan saying he isn’t into BDSM, he has been asked to discuss his sexual preferences hundreds of times by strangers. I think he could be much cooler about it, and not be quite so contemptuous of theculture he is profiting handsomely…

I think I heard this story too, if I recall correctly it was from the editor of Spy magazine who coined the name “short fingered vulgarian” for Trump. Trumpwould send picture she of his huge hand for years after that, with note she or signed in gold sharpie. You know, to make it classy.

YEAh, someone called on this for the first time at seventy has probably been doing this for a looong time.

Yes, they have not been impressive thus far. I think there are moments in the past where they have joined together in opposition to excessive control by administrations, including during the Obama administration. Dan Rather pointed out that the current condition, with an administration that is actively hostile towards…