Miscellaneous

A New Jersey man who was released last week after 15 years in prison for robbing a shoe store was arrested the next day for robbing the exact same store. He learned a valuable lesson. Next time, steal both shoes at the same time.

In a speech, Pope Francis criticized the Mafia and urged its members to repent. Which is why now every morning the Pope makes his assistant start the Popemobile.

H.I.F. From Reddit's "Today I Learned" sub-Reddit: "TIL that German used to be the second most widely spoken language in the US, before it was forcibly repressed during WWI. Many local governments, schools and newspapers would operate in German." And not only

I've never read Joseph Conrad. I consider it one of my greatest intellectual shames (and there are many). Theodore Dalrymple recently reminded (as Joseph Epstein and H.L. Mencken often do) that I need to start reading him soon [http://www.city-journal.org/2014/24_1_joseph-conrad.html]

Three elephants escaped from a circus in suburban St. Louis on Saturday, and before they were captured they damaged two vehicles, injuring over 50 clowns.

March Madness brackets are like children. Nobody wants to hear about yours.

Customs officials in Europe recently seized a shipment of cocaine that was addressed to the Vatican. Which can only mean that Toronto Mayor Rob Ford just received a giant box of communion wafers.

H.I.F. Okay, this might be one of the oddest history pieces I've ever read: 10 Strange And Obscure Secret Societies [http://listverse.com/2014/03/16/10-strange-obscue-secret-societies/]. This cult description, though probably not the most interesting, really cracked me up: > The Order Of The Occult

Possibly the best literary piece of 2014 so far: 50 best cult books: Albert Camus, Joseph Heller, JD Salinger and Thomas Pynchon are among the authors chosen by our critics for the 50 best cult books [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/10432344/50-best-cult-books.html] . Erudite and pithy.

My good friend Joseph Pearce is interviewed about the situation in the Ukraine [http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/the-issue-of-ukraine-and-crimea-is-complex/] . He offers some great insight, and for people like me ("Small is Beautiful"), this disconcerting observation: > Putin is despised by the left because he has spoken out against