Fr. Barron on the Pope as Time’s Person of the Year
I meant to post this a few days ago. Another excellent commentary, well worth investing the 11 minutes.
Happiness: men and women, liberals and conservatives compared
One of the bits of data from the NY Times weekend feature A Formula for Happiness which I posted about here. Good feature on happiness: genes, events, and values Results no surprise to me. Beneath these averages are some demographic differences. For many years, researchers found that women were happier than men, although recent studies … Read more
Interesting stat on income inequality
"… The 50 richest members of America's Congress are worth $1.6 billion in all. In China, the wealthiest 50 delegates to the National People's Congress, the rubber-stamp parliament, control $94.7 billion." From Jim Geraghy's "Morning Jolt" email – Here's the whole section: A gentle reminder for the next time some fan of Tom Friedman tells … Read more
Friday was anniversary: 5 years since Al Gore predicted an ice free North Pole in five years.
Friday was also the day it snowed in Cairo for the first time in 100 years. Here's the info: FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY— Al Gore predicted the North Polar Ice Cap would be completely ice free in five years. Gore made the prediction to a German audience in 2008. He told them that “the entire … Read more
Pope’s message to USA: America is called to be “a land prepared to accept life at every stage, from the mother’s womb to old age.”
In a message sent to the Americas on Dec. 12, a day the Catholic Church celebrates in honor of the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico, Pope Francis, who was named Person of the Year this week by Time magazine, said that America is called to be “a land prepared to accept life … Read more
Tim’s track season has begun!
With the “Big Chill” Relays this past Saturday, at Yorktown HS. The Big Chill is very aptly named, because it is an indoor event, but held outdoors! Don’t ask why … Tim had a good day, getting a new PR in the shot put as he twice went over 40′. His throw was the second … Read more
Tim indoor season begins; “Shot Put, how hard can it be?”
Here’s a neat 4 minute video off the Wall Street Journal channel. They put it out before the 2012 Olympics. For the record, Tim throws the HS 12 lb. shot put and currently uses the glide technique. I expect he’ll throw around 40′ tomorrow at the “Big Chill” event.
The accident: “Amazing Grace in the Bronx: Inside the … Train-Wreck Rescue”
Here is a fine article – with a birds-eye picture – on the rescue yesterday after the train derailment. I'm sure I've taken this route round trip at least 2,500 times, since I used to have a Manhattan office. I left Manhattan around 1,999. The article is short, but lovely, so hit the link. It's … Read more
Mom’s exercise can boost unborn baby’s brain
From the NY Times health section – If a woman is physically active during pregnancy, she may boost the development of her unborn child’s brain, according to a heart-tugging new study of expectant mothers and their newborns. The findings bolster a growing scientific consensus that the benefits of exercise can begin to accumulate even before … Read more
Thanksgiving, 1993 or ’94
My brother Jim sent me this picture today, which Brigid had to remind me she took, in our living room. We still have the same couch. That’s Jim to my left, Paul with his typical shut-eyes, and Phil wearing his left wing intellectual granny glasses. I do look hefty in this picture …