I really have so many different interests, I find it difficult to start writing. Stream of conscience is hard. I always want to know why. I always need to know what the effects of my words will be before I say them. I'm a careful, tight man. Why "On the South Side of Saint Louis"? Because my neighborhood is a part of me. I am it and it is me. Like my father and his father. If I'm not at work or at home, you'll find me at the church around the corner. That's where I was baptized, and that's where I plan and dream about making life better for those who live around me. I thought I might ramble a bit as to how I arrived at this spot. Zillions of ideas flying through my brain at the same time as to how best to put borders on the one idea. Maybe I shouldn't try. Maybe that's what blogging is all about. I don't know.

Popular posts from this blog

Palm Sunday and a day at the Palm House

So my step-brother Pete, who I introduced to the wonderful world of restaurants almost ten years ago, is now sous-chef for Butler's Pantry Catering here in St. Louis. He works with a couple of people that I worked with at the 9th Street Abbey. He calls up Emily last week and asks her if she would like to work "this Sunday and next Sunday at 9:00 am?" She says OK not realizing that it's Palm Sunday and Easter! Not only would she miss Church both days, but confirmation class which follows. I was not happy. I could have solved the whole problem for her, but instead I asked her if she would like me to solve the whole problem for her. She said no. So, I just told her that I wasn't happy and let it go at that. She worked busing tables at the Palm House in Tower Grove Park (they do a brunch there). I picked her up about 2:30; she was bushed. She was on her feet the whole time. Her confirmation teacher was very understanding. He told us that he'd have no problem wi...
Read more

Religion vs. Anti-Religion

Make no mistake, folks who want to see the Ten Commandments taken out of every civil building in the country are not non-religious ; they are anti-religious . And, there's a big difference between the two. Non-religious people do not believe in God. God doesn't exist, He/She/It didn't create the world, nor do they, or have they, ever interceded in history. Obviously not, if they don't exist. But, if people really believe this, then they can be said to have a belief system. We call these belief systems Religion. So, really, they are religious, just not in the way that I am. That's great. Then there are the anti-religious people. These are folks who think that religion is bad and should be destroyed; wiped away from history once and for all. These people, I believe, are, in fact, very religious. We might call them fundamentalist. They believe so strongly in their system that all other systems need to be done away with. Like a Crusade or a Jihad you might say. Well I...
Read more

Condi speaks

In case you haven't noticed, I'm a big fan of Condoleeza Rice. She made the news the other day when she wouldn't rule out a bid for the Republican nomination for president in 2008 and when she described herself as "mildy pro-choice." Here's an excerpt from the interview: Miss Rice said abortion should be "as rare a circumstance as possible," although without excessive government intervention. "We should not have the federal government in a position where it is forcing its views on one side or the other. So, for instance, I've tended to agree with those who do not favor federal funding for abortion, because I believe that those who hold a strong moral view on the other side should not be forced to fund it." Describing pro-lifers as "the other side" is one of the ways Miss Rice articulates her position as a "mildly pro-choice" Republican. She explained that she is "in effect kind of libertarian on this issue,...
Read more