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Eric Scheske

Eric Scheske

Brews You Can Use

The first commercial Christmas card was produced in 1846. It "was condemned by temperance enthusiasts because members of the family group in the centre piece were cheerfully drinking wine." Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1999), p. 240.

Fleming on Pop Culture

Thomas Fleming at Chronicles excoriates pop culture [http://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/cgi-bin/hardright.cgi/2005/12/21/Stargazing]. I'm not sure I wholly agree with everything, but he's not wholly wrong about anything: > I have never understand why Richard Pryor or George Carlin–as

Two Faces of Islam

> Paradoxically, Muslims in the US and Great Britain are, today, far more dominated by Islamist extremism than their counterparts in various Muslim countries. In many lands where the majority follows Islam, a struggle is underway between mainstream moderates and radicals inspired by the ultra-Wahhabi preachers of Saudi Arabia,

Latin

Looking for some Latin reading material? Try The Latin Library [http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/].

Festivus is Real!

> Invented in 1966 by a Reader's Digest editor but made popular through a 1997 Seinfeld episode, the fictional celebration has been brought to life by fervent supporters across the country -- including Clarkston native Blake Coe. > According to the Seinfeld episode, Festivus is celebrated on Dec. 23

Cheaper by the Dozen II

My kids are pulling hard to see this one, which we'll probably do next week. I found this overview from the LA Times [http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-et-cheaper21dec21,0,5019930.story?coll=cl-home-more-channels] helpful: > Sam Harper's clever script

The Real Thing

I would've thought that inhaling soda through the nose stings: > Nasa Indians in southwestern Colombian have launched a soft drink made from coca leaves, a staple among indigenous Colombians for centuries and the main ingredient in cocaine. The amber-colored soda, its promoters say, offers a home-

The Naked Public Square

From a Washington Post editorial [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/21/AR2005122102055.html] , endorsing Judge Jones' opinion in the I.D. case: > If a school district adopts a policy of promoting a religious cosmology, however couched, in an effort to undermine science and

The New Santa

> Pope Benedict XVI resembled a clean-shaven Father Christmas when he donned a red velvet hat with white ermine trim to face a winter chill for his weekly general audience. As temperatures hovered around nine degrees celsius (48 degrees fahrenheit) thousands of pilgrims who gathered in the square were

Swinging is Protected

> Clubs that allow group sex and partner swapping do not harm Canadian society and should not be considered criminal, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled Wednesday. > The high court, which was ruling on two Quebec cases, said Canadian standards can tolerate the activities, even when they are done