Perhaps because I’ve worked at newspapers most of my adult life, I always roll my eyes at the obligatory pope story on Christmas Day. There’s rarely anything else going on, so news that the pope has once again come out solidly in favor of peace, love and understanding often as not ends up on Page One.
It’s like running a story that nights can be chilly at the South Pole. It’s not news. It would be news if he advocated the use of tactical nuclear weapons to clean up certain of the world’s trouble spots, or pointed out that brutal dictators do cut down on street crime, or wondered aloud why the oppressed of Darfur don’t just move to Switzerland. But all this boilerplate about ending poverty, injustice and war … yeah, OK. We’ll get right on that, your Holiness.
If the pope really wanted to make news — and make a difference — he’d set up a Dunk-the-Prelate booth in St. Peter’s Square, three softballs for a dollar. See a bishop take a bath. Proceeds go straight to Darfur.
Haven’t they suffered enough? Not really
It’s your identity. Sort of.
Merry Christmas, you godless humanist. Next thing, you’ll expect newspapers in the Northeast to stop thinking it’s news when snow falls in the winter.
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Detectives Beyond Borders
“Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home”
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Merry Christmas right back to you, Peter. By “snow,” I assume you’re referring to “the white stuff,” or “old man winter.” No reporter on the planet ever called it snow.
Any resolutions? Mine is to do a new blog post at least every month or so.
I’ll have to trust you on that. It’s been years since I read a weather story.
I’ll make no resolutions this or any other year, though I hope you stick to yours.
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Detectives Beyond Borders
“Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home”
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
And tell me, with all your newspaper experience, IS the Pope, in fact, Catholic? 😉
Happy Christmas to you — your blog has been quiet for a while so I was hoping you hadn’t given up on it. Please keep the posts coming in 2008, you are such a good read. I promise to let you be rude about JKR and not contradict you, even!
My best to you
Maxine.
Here’s a nice selection of what Dr Johnson had to say about resolutions.
Thanks, Dave — I particularly liked his first one (the prayer). I’ve spent nearly as long making resolutions, too, but I seem to have given them up latterly (for Lent, maybe?).
I like that first one too. In fact, I recently sent it to a friend, with a comment to the effect that I wish I had done as much by my fifty-fifth year as Dr Johnson had, by having “done nothing.” I don’t make resolutions at the beginning of the year. But when I think of what Dr Johnson accomplished because of his struggle to “resolve aright, and to keep to [his] resolutions,” I think maybe I should– and not, of course, just at the beginning of a year.