The Seventh Age

I am going to make some sweeping generalizations with this post, but bear with me. I think the election will be decided by two major cultural groups, and the result will show which group is stronger and more on the rise. It also could mean that one of the two parties has a more successful GOTV effort, but I think that people's willingness to vote still is based upon which of these two categories they fit into. I think these two categories of voters represent the middle 50 percent of the electorate, and not the party activists or conservate/liberal ideologues. Because they are the "swing voters," they say a lot about the broader culture and where it is headed.

The first category of people votes in the here and now. This is their frame of reference. They vote for what is good for their pocketbook (short and long term), their immediate security, and which candidate will least interfere with their chosen way of life or that of their immediate family and friends. This group will vote overwhelmingly for Kerry. George Bush's agenda for reform and moral clairity is perceived as a real threat to the short-term good of these groups. The bloc comprises seniors worried about the vitality of their health care and social security benefits, college students worried about rising tuition, folks that have lost their jobs recently, minorities and women who are beholden to a system that institutionalizes a theory of racial and gender oppression, people that live non-traditional lifestyles and believe that truth comes from within and is theirs to make and validate, government bureaucrats who are threatened by ANY sort of spending cuts. What is good for them is good for America. They love Kerry's moral agnosticism. His foreign policy resonates because while it appears to focus on immediate threats, it avoids any sort of moral confrontation and eschews costly endeavors that are not guaranteed to have some large-scale effect on the global terror phenomenon. Kerry's many spending plans appeal to the entitlement culture that these folks represent and are designed to ease their fears of doing without for any sort of time. On a cultural level, that includes the validation of their personal lifestyle choices and autonomy. I am not trying to totally write off this bloc of Kerry voters as moral degenerates, and I am sure these folks are capable of sacrifice and virtue, my point is that when it comes to politics and voting, these median voters vote "me first." This is not a totally unfathomable result, but just a fact. One could argue it is a natural and good impulse. I am skeptical. While the Bush camp has done its part to appeal to naked self-interest, it is clear that two visions are at stake here. The MSM has said that there are stark differences in this election. I agree, and now seek to describe the other class of median voters.

The second category of median voters bases its selection on the long-term. They operate under a moral code that exists outside of their own personal points of reference and believe that upholding this code and creating a society that conforms to it is the long-term goal that should be pursued. Furthermore, they understand that the War on Terror is a long-term struggle that will have its costs and that everyone will have to sacrifice. Bush's economic policies resonate with these "Long-Term" voters because (with the exception of tax cuts) they present a coherent vision of what is deemed "The Ownership Society," a more participatory economy. Without reform, entitlements will be exhausted. Admittedly, there may be short-term costs to reform along with the transformation of the economy and globalization which causes jobs to leave our shores. But the vision the president is offering allows for transformation and the creation of a culture of economic opportunity in a dynamic economic system. The incumbent president, ironically, is the candidate of reform and vision, while his challenger is the reactionary ("let's return to the Clinton days") and status quo candidate. This is only possible when a candidate has staked his candidacy on the idea that Americans are still a visionary people. President Bush still has faith in America. John Kerry does not. That is the difference. I would love someone like David Brooks to come in and nuance these points, but in my little bit of time here this morning, this will have to do.

One final caveat, while I have noted that each of these categories swings largely to one candidate, it by no means implies that one candidate will not have any of the other type of voter. Bush will certainly pick-up some of the "Here and Now" voter, especially with his tax cutting record, and Kerry will certainly pick up those voters whose values are at the top of their concerns. These value voters, however, will be of the cultural Left.

To back up my analysis, I have provided a link to what I think is the most authoritative of the polls: the Mason-Dixon. The poll asks voters a number of questions on why voters vote for and prefer the candidates do on a whole range of questions from the economy and values to health care and terrorism. Compare what I have said with these results.

The winner of this election will have the opportunity to lead our country in a profoundly important direction with a clear governing vision and mandate. It will be because one vision of who we are and where we are going triumphed over another. If it is the group that will support Kerry, it will be a strong indicator that America represents little more than a nation of bio-tech consumerism and naked self-interest clothed in multilateralism and dialogue. It will confirm our enemies worst impressions, provide an administration that will further those impressions, and lead this nation deeper into nihilism and decline, the sort decried by Pope John Paul II in Centesimus Annus and Evangelium Vitae. I am not saying that President Bush is any sort of savior, but his administration gives a platform and a space through which those people of faith and long-term vision can work to restore the moral and cultural order of this nation. Despite his talk of being an altar boy, John Kerry is hostile to this vision and will grease the wheels of a moral agnosticism that is strongest threat to the long-term of health of Western civilization.

The Culture War is very real and there are still minds and hearts to wind. Neither group of median voters is static, which makes the battle more important. This election says a lot about where we are headed culturally. Let's watch the exit polls and post-election statistics to see if I am right.

Congratulations go out to Seventh Age blogger Jason Adkins and his family, who welcomed a new little boy, Dominic Michael Adkins, into the world on Saturday.

Last week we shared with you information on the Voices of Iraq documentary that was opening here in the U.S. Today, we have an update from a left leaner who was in attendance.

Unsuspectingly, I went to this 'Voices of Iraq' premiere - as did a few hundred other people (the theater was full). Things started well. The producer praised Mpls as a great city where people are "open" to independent film and non-mainstream ideas. He said - a little vaguely, I now think - that Michael Moore is a brilliant filmmaker who has developed a "new genre" of documentary. The predominantly Kerry-buttoned audience clapped enthusiastically and then we watched the movie...

Did other people know it was sponsored by the IAFA and the FDD (FDD members include Newt Gingrich, R. James Woolsey and Richard Perle)? Apparently, judging by this film (450 hours of footage, edited down to less than an hour and a half), the overwhelming majority of Iraqis are very happy and cheerful these days. They adore the police and they laugh about the Abu Ghraib abuse revelations. None of the so-called insurgents are Iraqis because Iraqis would never. When asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, one beaming little boy said, "American!"

Some members of the audience were infuriated with a sense of having been duped by the promos, which were clearly *aimed at liberals.* Here and there, extroverts stood up from their seats and shouted "Propaganda!" and "They're lying to you!" along with various epithets, marching out of the
theater in little clusters.

There was no Q & A afterward.

The film opens at the Lagoon (and in ten other can-you-say-Swing-State cities) tonight.

I must confess I haven't seen the film, but the discounting of it based solely on the content regardless of its veractity is chilling to say the least.

With election day just around the corner, polling data is flying everywhere. Normally, we like to say the numbers don't lie, but in the case of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, you have to wonder.

In a poll released today, the Star Tribune claims Kerry leads Bush in Minnesota 49% to 41%.

This is in sharp contrast to Minnesota Public Radio's poll that finds Bush ahead 48% to 47%.

Of course the bias of the Star Tribune polls is nothing new. They were shown to underrepresent Republican voters in 2002, a charge that has been renewed again this year, and will be easily confirmed in 48 hours.

Congratulations to the Star Tribune, for proving once again, that ideology is the tie that blinds!

I have heard a lot about sign stealing this election, but last evening it became a reality when my wife and I encounterd some Bush sign stealers.

It was about 11:00 P.M. and we were on our way home when my wife exclaimed she saw some people stealing a Bush sign. We did a quick U-turn and followed the vandals who had apparently replaced a Bush sign at 1818 Goodrich in St. Paul with a Kerry sign.

We trailed them for several blocks, and when they noticed us a high speed chase ensued. My wife was able to get their license plate number, a small blue car with MN plate LJU-636. After tailing them for 5 more minutes, we passed them, wagging our fingers at this group of four highschool students, and proceeded home to notify the authorities.

I think we definitely shook them up a bit, and hopefully discouraged further vandalism, but it serves as a stark reminder of how some will stop at nothing to win this election.

NY Times says, "new salvo fired in the mommy wars." Once the election is over, we'll get to muse on some actual policy questions. This new book by Mary Eberstadt is sure to make the vendors of the theory of male cultural hegemony mulitple shades of red in the face. Buy it and give it to all of your denim jumper wearing mother friends to validate them and the great work they do.

One of the issues this election raised by the democrats has been the call to let people vote at any precinct in their state rather than only in the precint where they are registered. Republicans have opposed this on the grounds that it opens the doors for tremendous voter fraud.

Yesterday evening, I learned why the democrats are so inclined. When I got home, in addition to a message from President Bush asking me to vote for him, there was also a message from a democrat volunteer encouraging me to vote for Kerry.

The ironic thing, my polling place, as identified by the democratic volunteer in the message, was incorrect.

We reported here a few days ago about the biased polling practices of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Now that the election is just about over, we have more hard data to back up our claims.

In their final poll before the elction, the Star Tribune claimed Kerry led Bush in Minnesota 49% to 41%, or an 8 point spread.

With 98% of MN precincts reporting, the results are Kerry 51% and Bush 48%.

This means the Star Tribune was within 2% for their Kerry prediction, well within the poll's 3.7 margin of error, but was off by 7% for their Bush prediction, a goof well outside the poll's margin of error on the Republican side, and proof yet again, that ideology is the tie that blinds.

Bill Bennett (unknowingly) responds to my post from Monday about the cultural implications of this election at National Review Online. I think my analysis was surprisingly correct, and the majority of Americans and swing voters are more of the visionary type than the "me-first" voter. Now begins the conversation about what ideals America stands for, culturally and on the foreign policy level.

While terrorism and the economy dominated mass media framing of the presidential election, a sleeping issue ended up costing Kerry the election, the big R.

Already pundits are warning the nation about the rise of religious conservatives (I can't help but wonder what a religious liberal would look like) and the tremendous wealth and power that they wielded to win the election.

As the democrats do their post mortem on the election, they are realizing they may need to extend an olive branch to those "religious conservatives" if they ever hope to recapture the whitehouse. Interestingly enough, union leaders are already trying to figure out how they can bridge this gap. The only problem, they don't know any "religious conservatives."

As the article notes:

"We have to have that dialogue, but first we have to identify and locate those people," said Burga. "We have stayed away from their issues until now. Now, it's come to the point where the Democratic Party is going to have to have that dialogue."

In an angry editorial in today's New York Times, Garry Wills laments that perhaps the Enlightenment has died in the USA with the 2004 election, for "[c]an a people that believes more fervently in the Virgin Birth than in evolution still be called an Enlightened nation?" It's a good question to ask. Though he seems to overlook the 49% or so of America that is still on his side.

And in a striking moment of clarity that sheds more light on the US, the international community, and the war in Iraq than anything else I've seen in the Times, or heard from the Kerry campaign, he notes:

The secular states of modern Europe do not understand the fundamentalism of the American electorate. It is not what they had experienced from this country in the past. In fact, we now resemble those nations less than we do our putative enemies.

Where else do we find fundamentalist zeal, a rage at secularity, religious intolerance, fear of and hatred for modernity? Not in France or Britain or Germany or Italy or Spain. We find it in the Muslim world, in Al Qaeda, in Saddam Hussein's Sunni loyalists. Americans wonder that the rest of the world thinks us so dangerous, so single-minded, so impervious to international appeals. They fear jihad, no matter whose zeal is being expressed.

If you thought Michael Moore has an agenda, you haven't seen anything yet.

Still reeling from an across-the-board sweep of gay marriage bans this election, the left is back at it again with Kinsey, a movie of the famous 1940's sex researcher whose flawed findings laid the foundation for the sexual revolution and the normalization of homosexuality.

To give you a feel for the film, here is an excerpt from the article referenced above:

To the disappointment of the director and cast of the film, the Institute could not release the massive amount of sex questionnaires and tapes collected by Kinsey and his staff, including video tapes of volunteers having sex in the attic of his research lab at Indiana University.

As Kinsey began to explore America's sexuality, he came to the difficult discovery that he was bisexual, which led to an affair with a young male researcher, Clyde Martin, played convincingly by Peter Sarsgaard.

In the film, Sarsgaard is the seducer and the two lock in a passionate, semi-nude kiss after interviewing homosexuals about their sex lives.

You can learn more from Kinsey's greatest critic, Dr. Judith Reisman. And if you want to get a feel for Kinsey's legacy, check out the Kinsey Institute.

A proposed law to ban anti-gay speech that is winding its way through the French political system is causing some serious concerns for Catholics in France. The primary issue is the law is vague and, "could prevent clerics from expressing their opposition to legalising gay marriage."

Just when you thought Bush won the election fair and square, some Kerry supporters are whining that Bush stole the election again this year.

Apparently the reasoning goes something like this. Exit polls are more accurate than actual votes, and this proves the election was stolen because Kerry was ahead in many of the exit polls.

Hmmm. Why do we bother to count actual votes again?

As you may have heard, Rev. Joseph W. Hughes was accused today of embezzling $500,00 from his New Jersey church over the course of the last few years.

The case is quite similar to that of Rev. Charles Betts, who was also accused of embezzling about $494,000 from a New York church about a month ago.

Despite many similarities, there are two notable differences in these cases.

First, the case of Rev. Joseph W. Hughes has become an AP wire story appearing in over 50 media outlets in the first day, while the story of Rev. Charles Betts was only covered in 5 or so New York media outlets.

The other difference? Rev. Joseph W. Hughes is a Catholic priest, Rev. Charles Betts is not.

Hmmmmm. Makes you wonder doesn't it.

For those of you keeping tabs on our Muslim friends, here is the full text (in English) of Osama bin Laden's pre-election advice for us.

The period of self-introspection has begun for the Democrats. A number of plausible theories have been argued as to why they soundly defeated, but none of these have come from the lips of Democratic leaders or the glitterati that support them.

My favorite comment has been how the Democrats need to "get religion." This amounts to letting people know that they go to church and care about families. Once they hold their nose and do this, then they will win all of those votes back. Nevermind that Christian voters are smart enough to figure out that you can talk about faith and religion all you want, but if you assault the very things you claim to cherish, you will be a hypocrite and no more. Ironically, John Kerry talked about how faith without works was dead. He claimed that the proposition life begins at conception was an article of faith. For some reason, his faith motivated him on other issues, but his faith led to no works on the abortion question. Democrats cannot really believe that all it will take is to pay some lip service to religious themes and all of a sudden they will be able to make inroads into the "values voter" populace. Or do they?

Furthermore, their ignorance of religion will handicap them. It is as though they believe that the totality of religious or moral arguments, or arguments made by known religious believers, are simply random quotations from Scripture (which everybody knows are totally contradictory) and then simply yelling them loud enough and intimidating people with them. For the substance of this argument, see Nicholas Kristof's article in yesterday's NY Times. Democrats just need to fill their rhetorical suitcase with some Scripture quotations and problem solved! The ignorance and the arrogance are astounding. The Left can talk about faith and family all it wants, but if it nominates judges who feel it is their role to be social engineers and at the same time limiting the expressive outlets for people of faith, and subsumes the responsibilities of families, churches and local communities into the federal government, then it will continue to lose because people of faith are not as dumb as they think.

Maureen Dowd's column in today's NY Times is the perfect example as to why this current breed of Democrat will utterly fail win the hearts and minds of the average American voter. It is because they really hate the average American voter. It is amazing that someone who claims to represent the ideals of "civilization" can't stand to live with someone who may think differently from her, or may have valid reasons besides bigotry and other deep-seated pscyhological issues for thinking or voting the way they do. People are so funny when they kick and scream hysterially like little children. Savor this one.

As we reported here a few weeks ago, the latest Rainbow Sash confrontation happened this weekend at the St. Paul Cathedral. Read all about it in today's St. Paul Pioneer Press.

According to someone who was in attendance:

The three miracles that appeared to have happened yesterday were:
1. Father Tablot pleaded with the Rainbow Sashes to remove them before presenting themselves to recieve the Eucharist.
2. 50% of the Rainbow Sashes followed the instructions of the Father Ralph Talbot.
3. With Archdiocese and Cathedral approval, but not sponsorship, 500 Courage Ministry flyers were distributed after the 10:00 and 12:00 masses.

We alerted you a few weeks ago to the bankruptcy proceedings against the Catholic diocese of Portland, OR. The same situation is now unfolding in Tuscon, AZ.

Apparently, similar questions are being raised:

Parish property is believed to be worth at least $50 million, far more than the $16.6 million in assets the diocese listed in its bankruptcy filing.

James A. Hayes Jr., assistant professor at Western State University College of Law in Fullerton, Calif., says the decision on whether to include parish assets as part of the diocese "may forever change the legal rights of all churches" by giving civil authorities power over church property.

"If these assets are liquidated to satisfy the claims of abuse claimants, parishioners may literally be left without a house in which to worship," said Hayes, who has closely observed the case and a similar filing in Portland, Ore.

Hayes argues that without specific civil law governing parishes, church law takes over. Under church law, he argues, parishes are independent of the diocese, even though decisions such as church closures, pastor assignments and large expenditures are approved by a bishop.

Marci Hamilton, professor at Yeshiva University's Cardozo School of Law in New York, says that just the opposite applies. Without laws on how parishes should operate, the courts should turn to other documents, such as deeds that show ownership in diocesan hands, she said.

Evolution's stranglehold on science curriculums is starting to weaken, as evidenced by a recent decision in Wisconsin to allow other accounts of creation to be taught.

Perhaps one of the most striking aspects of this development is the fear it is generating. As soon as evolution is dethroned as the sole acceptable account for our creation, people scream creationism, and make doomesday predictions of a new Scopes Monkey Trial.

Such fear mongering in the face of what amounts to nothing more than permission to raise questions about evolutionary theory, and discuss alternatives (a practice common in just about every other area of scientific inquiry) makes me wonder if the foundations of evolution are starting to give way. No doubt the strong showing of "religious conservatives" in the recent election is fuel on the fire.

I hope creationism doesn't assert itself with the same ideological force that evolution has, but some discussions of competing theories and world views in the classroom would be a welcome change. Who knows, kids might actually learn something!

So, yesterday, I tried to say something intelligent about the bigotry and ranting that the NY Times was publishing. Jonah Goldberg does an absolute smackdown on the hysteria of the Left. And brilliantly written I might add. Check it out.

In yet another example of a Christian Europe that has lost its way, the United Nations is going after Poland, this time for their restrictive abortion law.

Reading straight from the NARAL play book:

The U.N.'s Human Rights Committee said in a review of Poland's civil and political rights that even women who were legally allowed abortions did not seem to be able to find hospitals willing to carry them out.

"The Committee reiterated its deep concern about restrictive laws in Poland, which might incite women to seek unsafe, illegal abortions, with attendant risks to their life and health," last week's report said.

If you thought high crude prices were going to be the Grinch who stole this Christmas, you haven't been following developments in the Ivory Coast.

Civil unrest in the producer of 40% of the world's cocoa has sent cocoa futures to a five year high, raising concerns about chocolate prices as the holiday season approaches.

"With the new tensions, we suspect that buyers will be forced into paying a premium to extricate the main crop supply from the Ivory Coast," wrote analysts at the Hightower Report in Chicago

I can handle paying more at the pump, but don't take away my chocolate!

One of the items on the agenda for the U.S. Bishops at their upcoming meeting is the approval of a new catechism for use in the United States.

It will be interesting to see how the bishops have adapted the universal catechism to the Church in America. According to a press release from the U.S. Bishops:

The text follows the four-part general structure of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, starting with the creed and then treating the sacraments, moral life and finally prayer.

At times, the text addresses specific issues, concerns and questions arising from the social and cultural context in which U.S. Catholics live. Examples of issues addressed include various approaches to understanding the truth of Scripture, the relationship between science and faith, linking faith to everyday life and various pertinent medical moral issues.

The proposed catechism for adults includes 36 chapters. Each opens with a story or lesson of faith, many of them biographical sketches of American saints and other outstanding Catholics to “give us glimpses of how Catholics participated in the unfolding of American culture from Colonial days to the present.”

One of the great legal battles on the horizon is right of conscience litigation. In particular, this situation arises when professionals are forced to participate in activities that they find to be in contradiction to their religious faith. This is a First Amendment freedom of expression issue.

One important case is that of Neal Noeson, a local pharmacist whom I've had the pleasure of meeting and is being represented by the Alliance Defense Fund, among other groups. What was once a local story has become national news. Neal refused to fill a prescription for the pill which got him into a bit of trouble when an indignant customer complained that he exists to simply fill her pharmaceutical desires, not regulate them.

Keep following these right of conscience cases as they work their way through the courts. As we "slouch toward Gomorrah" more and more folks will be affected by these issues in their place of work.

Gay bishops, Druidic worship, and now this?

I know I shouldn't be surprised by this behavior -- and I'm not, but these two particularly egregious outbursts of fascist intimidation from the Left are just shocking. Yes, I know, College Republicans can be annoying, but seriously angry mobs and baseball bats against a bunch of kids that are REALLY in favor of tax cuts? This later incident, ironically, took place in my hometown of Apple Valley, MN. Interestingly enough, the Pioneer Press has removed the story from any noticeable place on its Web site (I couldn't find it after a cursory browse). Would it be the same if the victim were a Kerry supporter?

I'm not ready to call the curtains on Europe quite yet, but the recent purging of Rocco Buttiglione, philosopher and papal confidant, from the European Commission clearly because of his "unorthodox" views, is an ominous sign. Today, in the WSJ, Buttiglione has a nice essay on the differences between Europe and America in how each treats religion.

It will also be interesting to see how "tolerant" Europe responds to violent Islamic extremism. So far, it has been an opportunity for nationalist extremists to burn mosques themselves. This article in the International Herald Tribune describes the situation in Holland following the murder of a popular poet by Islamic extremists. It seems the violence on both sides is escalating, and the cultured bureaucrats don't know how to respond. This is the whole problem with "secular" Europe. In its abandonment of Christianity, it has lost the resources to both dialogue and effectively respond with threats to its civilization. In this vacuum, they will either lie down and perish (as they did when they cleaned a 'thou shalt not kill' sign off a wall not to offend Muslims) or the more grisly elements in their society will rise up and react in uber-violent ways, triggering a broader conflict. Pray for Europe.

Are Christians beginning to penetrate the commanding heights of the culture? This development at Yale University is a positive sign of changing times, maybe even a "seventh age"?

Joining the ranks of Portland and Tuscon, the Spokane diocese has decided to file for bankruptcy.

I realize that in many cases these diocese seem to have no choice, but with the status of individual parish properties relative to their (arch)diocese still up in the air, there may be a lot of Catholic parishes on the market soon.

Another issue looming on the horizon is whether these bankruptcy declarations are in good faith. According to an article by Marci Hamilton (not exactly a fan of the Church's handling of clergy abuse) "The purpose of Chapter 11 is not to permit defendants to avoid lawsuits, but rather to permit reorganization of an entity in actual or potential financial trouble. If the sole purpose is the former, the bankruptcy filing is not in good faith."

It will be interesting to see how all this plays out.

I heard an astute commentator on Minnesota Public Radio mention this morning that one thing nearly all of the blue states on the election map have in common is they are near water. The Pacific, the Atlantic, and the Great Lakes touch just about all of the blue states.



Maybe it's something in the water? Definitely merits further research!

Here is a fun look at the recently uncovered writings of our good friend Gilbert.

Open Book chronicles the intra-premillenial post-dispensationalist (or whatever you call them) fracas about competing series of eschatological fiction "thrillers" that have come out from the same publisher. The author of the 'Left Behind' series feels betrayed that his publisher would have the indecency to publish a competing set of (fiction, mind you) books that challenges the veracity of the so-called Rapture, after LaHaye and co. made the publishing house all sorts of money. How dare Tyndale House challenge his corporate Rapture monopoly?

As the political pundits sort out the sweeping success of gay marriage bans this election cycle, one theme that has been emerging is that ignorant bigoted red state dwellers voted for these bans because they don't know enough homosexuals to appreciate the value of solemnizing homosexual romantic relationships.

Of course the problem with this line of thought is that it assumes the bans are more about gays than they are about marriage. This sort of thinking makes sense to some extent. If you have already written off marriage (as most costal dwelling blue state political pundits have) as merely a legal contractual arrangement between consenting adults, there would be no reason to pass a ban in defense of marriage, there is really nothing to defend from this perspective. Thus the logical conclusion is that these bans are necessarily an expression of intolerance towards gays.

If, one the other hand, you still believe that marriage does have some intrinsic worth, and thus still has meaning as a social institution, its preservation is not so much a reflection of hatred of homosexuals as it is a move to preserve an institution that has already been severely eroded by realities like no-fault divorce.

How quickly the pundits forget that it was pressure from gay rights groups and judicial activism in Massachusetts that necessitated these bans in the first place.

There has been a lot of talk lately about how we can reconcile our differences after the election, but in the case of gay marriage, I see no room for reconciliation. Contrary to the beliefs of political pundits that education is the answer, the opposition to gay marriage is not born of ignorance, but rather out of a respect for an institution they have dismissed that is under heavy attack. No amount of homosexual sensitivity training will turn the red states blue.

I went into the grocery store today to buy some ice cream, and came out with a striking realization. Thanksgiving is no longer profitable.

In the past, the consumer powers that be tried to squeeze another buying season between Halloween and Christmas, Turkey Day, but not so this year. When I entered the store I was greeted by Christmas trees covered with fake snow (we haven't even had one REAL snowfall here in Minnesota) ornaments, wrapping paper, the whole package. There wasn't a turkey, in sight.

I guess the reasoning must be that it is cheaper to change the displays once for Christmas and extend the season, rather than going through the trouble of changing them twice. Plus, it makes the famous holiday shopping season even longer.

Maybe one day soon the consuming powers that be will catch up with the Church, and have the New Years noise makers and bubbly out for the first week of advent. Until then, may Thanksgiving, and the souls of all the faithfully departed holidays rest in peace.

Today's WSJ has a great column on the comeback of the family dinner. It seems this movement is based right here in Minnesota.

The studies show that having family meal time increases children's health and academic performance. I suppose it has some other important benefits as well. While it shouldn't take a scientific study to prove what has always been common sense, having data like this will continue to help the pro-family movement. The forces of cultural degeneration can only butt up against reality for so long. Dan Quayle was right!

A buddy of mine from Memphis whom I lived with in Rome introduced me to the concept of turducken. This is a Southern/Cajun delicacy that might make a great holiday treat as a substitute for plain old turkey. It might be a great Red State meal option in this time of celebration as opposed to plain old Plymouth Rock Blue State poultry. Chicken, turkey, duck, and slice of crawfish. Oh my! I have linked to a story that supplies all of your turducken needs.

In an ironic move, pro-choice groups find themselves opposing healthcare choice because it isn't pro-choice. I know it sounds complicated, but let me explain.

The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis are rolling out a new healthcare plan, a faith-based health insurance program for federal workers in Illinois.

The only problem? "The plan specifically will prohibit payment for contraceptives, abortions, sterilization or artificial insemination."

Never mind the fact that federal workers already have nearly 250 plans to choose from across the country, or that several federal plans already place limitations on contraceptive coverage. The abortion advocates are already riled up claiming that religion is taking over the state, and this is a backdoor move to erradicate contraceptive coverage all together. Is someone scared? I don't think it's the Franciscan Sisters.

Archbishop Charles Chaput, the current shepherd of the archdiocese of Denver, is one of ten bishops in the running to take over as head of U.S. Conference of Bishops when they elect a new president at their meeting next week.

Odds are stacked against him, as the vice-president, currently Bishop William Skylstad, almost always takes over the presidency. But Skylstad is currently the bishop of Spo