To the list of less-than-savory individuals who support Ron Paul’s presidential campaign, you can now add a brothel owner. Since Paul’s libertarian political views allow for legalized prostitution, he has won the endorsement of Dennis Hof, owner of the (in)famous Bunny Ranch in Nevada. ...

This Sunday finds us celebrating the First Sunday of Advent, that liturgical season of preparation and penitential reflection inaugurating a new church year. We often times forget that Advent was historically a penitential season: Many churches have abandoned the drab blue vestments for the more regal...

The Insta-Man on Ron Paul: He’s just terrible, even when — which is often, once he’s off the subject of the war — I agree with him. His voice is too high, he can’t remember who the Kurds are, and he often comes off like a crazy old man in a bus station. But that’s...

Last week when I was home for Thanksgiving, I caught a report on the Philly CBS affiliate about what is apparently a new trend in holiday gift giving: gift registries. This hybrid of children’s Christmas lists and wedding registries, where adults register their holiday gift desires at places like...

Here are some pieces so interesting I’m at a loss for further commentary: The Amish and solar technology “Some Observations and Hypotheses on the Social Democracy-Secularism Connection.” Don’t miss this; it’s more interesting than the title implies. An exposé of the...

[Revised after initial posting.] One of the more troubling developments in the 2008 presidential election has been the assumption by ignorant media elites that Pat Robertson’s endorsement of Rudy Giuliani somehow means something. Here’s just a brief a sampling of big media reactions (emphasis...

Mark Halperin made waves this weekend with his New York Times op-ed: For most of my time covering presidential elections, I shared the view that there was a direct correlation between the skills needed to be a great candidate and a great president. The chaotic and demanding requirements of running for...

Few relationships in life are more important than marriage. And as I’ve written here before, it is precisely for that reason that I feel the state should stay away from marriage. For an institution so important (and so rooted in religious faiths) it should not be left to the whims of a secular...

Roughly 1.5 years ago, in response to the movie Kingdom of Heaven, I posted this article relating to the crusades. Yesterday I posted the exact same article in light of the first crusade’s anniversary. The varying responses are interesting, and lead me to wonder what effect prior comments within...

My friend Lem Vawter notes that Jimmy Carter installed solar panels on the roof of the White House. For reasons I cannot discern, President Reagan then removed them. Thankfully, though, solar power returned to the White House under President Bush in 2002. A grid of 167 solar panels sit on the roof of...