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The Vatican, the 109-acre inter-national headquarters of Roman Catholicism, works at the leisurely pace of an institution that has seen it all over 2,000 years of history. This is a place that closes shop every day at 1 p.m., where decisions that might take weeks in other organizations can be "studied" for years, awaiting an "opportune" moment to be announced. It is not accustomed to working under pressure of tight deadlines, as it showed in late April, when all 13 American cardinals were summoned for a meeting with John Paul II and top Vatican officials to discuss the sexual-abuse crisis...

Two years ago this summer, my wife and I lost a baby. I say "lost," as if we had misplaced it. There is nothing like abortion to make you appreciate the solace of euphemism. Lord knows the zealots who have occupied the field and mined it with moral explosives have left little room for comfort. Let's begin with what happened. At 17 weeks, we went to Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City to view ultrasound pictures of our future child and have amniotic fluid drawn for testing. The ultrasound image showed that the fetus was not growing as fast...

BELFAST -- RUC Special Branch officers and British military intelligence used the UDA as an assassination squad to murder people suspected of republican activity, according to a BBC documentary on collusion. "License to Murder," a two-part program said to be based on 10 years of research by a BBC team of reporters, at least partially lifted the lid on one of the darkest corners of the violence of the last 35 years in Northern Ireland. It has resulted in growing pressure for a full public inquiry into the story of how the British state allegedly corrupted its own laws and...

I have meet with an interesting dilemma...I had a U-Haul rental truck reserved (with a confirmation number) for a month. Today, I received a telephone and told that I could not get a truck; that there were none available, even though I had a confirmation number guaranteeing me a truck for use on Saturday. The long and short of the matter is that I scrambled to find another truck. Well, it came as a shock to find there was not a single truck for rent in a 50 mile radius of my location. In fact, I check numerous places throughout...

RALEIGH, N.C., June 28 — Dick Cheney was called a curious pick as George W. Bush's running mate even by many Republicans during the 2000 election because — despite his stature in government — he was never known as impressive on the stump. But Mr. Cheney has demonstrated once again that vice presidents are star attractions on the campaign trail. At event after event, Mr. Cheney is drawing packed crowds and raking in millions of dollars for Republican candidates. Today, just a few days after lending a critical hand in shaping President Bush's speech on the Middle East, Mr. Cheney...

Reports, Flash, about 20-25 minutes ago in Japanese, to the effect that shooting has broken out at sea between North Korea and South Korea military. Initial reports of five wounded on South Korea side. Location is Western Coast of S. Korea, in the Yellow Sea. Two intruding ships from DPRK side, into South Korean waters. Fired upon by ROK military. Fled apparantly after 30 minute fight into DPRK territory. Not clear yet how serious, could be a short little 'fist fight' or something larger, Breaking........

Michael Rose: Hanging Judge? By Stephen Hand When Culture Wars magazine, published a critique of Michael Rose’s well publicized book, Good Bye! Good Men, Rose responded behind the scenes like a lover scorned. He didn’t seem to get that when one is making such a sweeping indictment against virtually the whole American seminary system one had better have the facts straight, include copious detailed documentation, and certainly not rely on any hearsay, innuendo, and the like. Conspiracy theorists tend to broadbrush and turn real and serious problems into dark, gloomy, overreaching melodrama, which sells books. Sort of like the...

The Nuge speaks out on the Pledge of Allegiance on Steve and DC. (Requires RealPlayer.)

Employee files charges with EEOC against Democratic Party The Associated Press 6/28/02 MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- A black employee of the Alabama Democratic Party has filed charges with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claiming she was discriminated against at work because of her race. In the written EEOC complaint, Gwendolyn Grayson claims that "whites employed with the Democratic Party receive higher pay and more benefits that I do." Democratic Party Chairman Redding Pitt said the claim is politically motivated and has no merit. Grayson worked at the Democratic Party headquarters as a receptionist for four months before resigning Friday....

Brian Prosser's wife, Shawna, stands next to her husbands stepfather, Al Solhaug, on Fort Huachuca Thursday. Prosser was killed in Afghanistan on Dec. 5. Shawna is here from Clarksville, Tenn., to be on hand for honors that are being bestowed to her husband.(Mark Levy-Herald/Review) FORT HUACHUCA -- Shawna Prosser was teaching her fourth-grade class fractions when a knock came on her classroom door. She had an uneasy feeling that fifth day of December when she heard the news that a bomb from a U.S. Air Force plane had gone off course and killed and wounded a number of Army...

Msgr. Bernard Fellay, superior general of the Saint Pius X Society, declared in an interview that there is a two way rapproachment of the Holy See in regard to theSociety. He indeed received a letter of March 18 from Cardinal Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, where the Cardinal proposes a working group where theologists of the Vatican and Society will study the problem of the Mass. Another letter, April 5 and signed by Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, proposes to make contact with Mgr Fellay. This last he is...

This week in Houston, TX, The Latin American Group (LULAC) had their national convention. Among the types of things they support, amnesty for nine million people currently in this country illegally, affirmative action, and bi-lingual education. Fortunately, there are some people living in Houston who are against such nonsense. The group "Texans for Immigration Reform" organized a press conference at the LULAC convention site. A group of fifteen concerned conservative citizens, including eight members of the H.A.T. FR Chapter, joined in flag waving, sign carrying, marching around the building, and making statements to the press. Cameramen from the Houston ABC...

This is a video. Click the link above to see it.

BERLIN (Reuters) - A number of Berlin taverns are planning to offer patrons free beer if Germany beats Brazil in the World Cup final on Sunday. Berlin newspapers are filled with lists of local bars planning to open the kegs if three-time champions Germany beat heavily favoured Brazil. "Beer, men, football -- they just fit together perfectly," Marlen Thiem of "Malibu Dream" told Reuters on Friday. She said a free round of beer for all of the 200 expected fans will be tapped every time Germany shoots a goal. Judy Barton of "Schiefe Ebene" said she planned to give away...

Tell me, is there any functional difference between the average black leader and David Duke? Any difference, I mean, besides candor? Do they not produce the same practical results--i.e., precisely nothing? Duke says straightforwardly that he thinks blacks are stupid and shiftless. The black leaders act exactly as if they thought the same thing, though they don't say it. Why is one better than the other? Think about it. What blacks need if they are going to have the slightest chance in this country is education. We're a high--tech society and getting more so by the week. Either you get...

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In response to a good many threads (and some rather large ones) on the subject of the matter of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court's ruling that the Pledge of Allegiance is unconsitutional; or more specifically, for those I've noticed who've taken to debate the intentions of the phrase "under God", and the meaning of the relavant section of the First Amendment's clause that states Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..., I offer this thread as a central point of discussion relating to this subject (if a simular thread doesn't already...

Click on Chelvis

National Jewish Democratic Council press release: Washington, DC: According to the Associated Press and CNN.com’s Internet site, Representative Benjamin Gilman – a former chairman of the House International Relations Committee, and one of only two Jewish Republicans in the House of Representatives – is considering a switch to the Democratic Party. Under the leading New York redistricting plan currently under consideration by the GOP leadership in Albany, Rep. Gilman may be thrown into the same congressional district as Republican Rep. Sue Kelly. To pass, such a plan would ultimately require the support of the Republican State Senate and Republican Governor...

Dust bin Osama bin Laden is dead, says Mark Steyn, but it suits the Bush administration for the Eurosophists to believe he is alive New Hampshire He’s back! Or he will be. Any day now. Just you wait. ‘I want to assure Muslims,’ said bigshot Islamofascist Suleiman Abu Ghaith the other day, ‘that Sheikh Osama bin Laden ...is in good and prosperous health and all what is being rumoured about his illness and injury in Tora Bora has no truth.’ He’s tanned, rested, and ready to rumble. ‘America,’ warned Suleiman, ‘must prepare itself and fasten its seatbelt.’ ‘They should stop...