TWE

The festivities in France prompted me to take a few Belloc books onto the front porch with me this morning. I ran across this passage in The Great Heresies: > The missionary efforts made by great Catholic order which have been occupied in trying to turn Mohammedans into Christians for

In California, no less: > A federal judge denied on Friday a request from a group of Mendocino women who wanted to protest topless on the grounds of the state Capitol. > U.S. District Judge Garland Burrell said the group made no compelling argument that showing their breasts constitutes

> One of the greatest murder mysteries of all time - the identity of Jack the Ripper - may soon be revealed by DNA technology developed in Australia. > Scientist Ian Findlay will use the new test on saliva the notorious serial killer would have left behind if he licked

> A longtime Ripon pastor faces charges including embezzlement and forgery for allegedly selling his church, the land it sits on and other property totaling $525,000 and using the money for his own use, such as to buy a new BMW car. . . > Investigators learned Radic had sold the

Guy Fawkes Day, and I'm celebrating it sober. Which is fitting, since I'm Catholic. It's also the 400th anniverary of the infamous Gunpowder Plot. If you're interested in it, you may want to check out a good essay that Catholic Exchange ran

Just heard on Fox News: Coors is using beer byproducts to make ethanol, which is used in car gasoline.

It's all over the blogosphere, but in case you missed it: > Former President Jimmy Carter yesterday condemned all abortions and chastised his party for its intolerance of candidates and nominees who oppose abortion. Link [http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20051103-111740-7148r.htm].

> Tyra Banks has gone undercover as a 350-pound woman. Banks wore the fat suit to experience what it's like to be obese. > "It seemed like the last form of open discrimination that's OK, and I decided to put on a 350-pound suit myself

Maybe this is why Blanco didn't call FEMA promptly when Katrina hit [http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20051104/ts_usatoday/louisianacantpaykatrinaritabills] : > Flood-ravaged Louisiana can't pay the $3.7 billion that the U.S. government says is its share of hurricane relief, a spokeswoman for

I've disagreed with Michael Kinsley ever since I ate 25-cent microwaved burritos in my Ann Arbor apartment while watching Crossfire. He's a true liberal, but he's a good writer and I rarely find him disengenuous. His piece in today's WaPo [http://www.