9
POPSFortresses Of Solitude And Sanctuary
Many of us have seen photographs of the Buddhist monasteries in Asia, perched precariously among the clouds. But, did you know that Greece, like Asia, has a number of similar architectural wonders? Today's San Francisco Chronicle ran the first photograph I clipped below, which I founded stunning. This particular monastery is known as Roussanou Monastery in Meteora, Greece. The word "meteora" is typically translated as "suspended in the air," a reference to the lofty sandstone pillars on which the monasteries are built. Roussanou is not the only such monastery in the region; in fact, there are 6. I clipped some additonal photos from Meteora, which I hope you will enjoy. They are, in the order presented: Agios Nikoloas Anapafsa Monastery, Agias Triados (Holy Trinity) Monastery, and the Grand Meteron Monastery. My personal favorite, however, is the last picture. Though it shows the scaffolding of repair-work, it also shows off the beautiful hues of blue I associate
6
POPSPot Paradise "Jacqueline Patterson, 31, uses marijuana to treat her cerebral palsy and a severe stutter. She fears she would be booted from the program if she tried to grow dope at home or buy it from street dealers. The upshot, critics say, is that a law crafted to help sick people has morphed into a lucrative trade, one in which rural farms are supplying urban dispensaries that cater to mostly recreational users armed with doctors' recommendation"
0
POPSGoldman Can Spare You a Dime In particular, the tone-deaf Treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, never ceases to amaze. His daily calendars reveal that most of his contacts with the financial sector in the first seven months of 2009 were limited to the trinity of Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and JPMorgan. And last week Bloomberg News reported that his inner circle of “counselors” " key advisers who, conveniently enough, do not require Senate confirmation " are largely drawn from the same club. It’s hard to see how any public official can challenge a culture that he is marinating in, night and day.
7
POPS 'On "The Wealth of Nations"' P. J. O'Rourke Economic progress depends upon a trinity of individual prerogatives: pursuit of self-interest, division of labor, and freedom of trade. There is nothing inherently wrong with the pursuit of self-interest. That was Smith's best insight. To a twenty-first-century reader this hardly sounds like news. Or, rather, it sounds like everything that's in the news. These days, altruism itself is proclaimed at the top of the altruist's lungs. Certainly it's of interest to the self to be a celebrity. Bob Geldof has found a way to remain one. But for most of history, wisdom, beliefs, and mores demanded subjugation of ego, bridling of aspiration, and sacrifice of self (and, per Abraham with Isaac, of family members, if you could catch them). This meekness, like Adam Smith's production, had an end and purpose. Most people enjoyed no control over their material circumstances or even-if they were slaves or serfs-their material persons. In the doghouse of . . .
3
POPS..and One Rumour Obama Cannot Dispel "Fact: Obama is eighth cousin to Cheney, according to research by the vice-president's wife Lynne. The two men share a common ancestor in a 17th-century French immigrant." Crikey, I think I would shoot myself if I shared common ancestry with war monger Cheney.
3
POPSRA's Daily Russian News Blast
US to modify or jettison missile defense plans? NATO chief to meet with Russian envoy; Lukaschenko sends out mixed messages. South Ossetia denies book burning; think tank leader says Putin could be heading for Brehznev-style decades in power; Medvedev finds inspiration on blogosphere. Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko has suggested the traditional ally of Russia must 'move away from dependence on just one country, even one that is near and dear to us'. The Moscow Times reports that the authoritarian leader has emphasized ties with Russia, whilst on a rare visit to EU-member state Lithuania. The Russian Foreign Minstry has said that the criminal investigation into charges of forgery against RIA Novosti's Tbilisi bureau chief is politically motivated. South Ossetia has denied bonfire-style burning of Georgian books and other classic works at the state university. An op-ed contributor in the Moscow Times is disturbed by what makes it onto Russian bookshelves.
3
POPSIrish Colleges and Swine Flu
In the event of a mass swine flu epidemic, TCD is preparing to allow staff to work from home, limit access to the college and its halls of residence, and to set up isolation bays if required. It is also preparing to coordinate a mass vaccination programme, although this will depend upon when a vaccine becomes available. "Obviously, if a very large number of cases occurs in a short period of time, then the Public Health Department may well advise the temporary closure, or restriction of access to schools and colleges across the city or country," McGrath said. "We would hope that the vaccination programme will have a significant impact on the number of cases and therefore that fatalities will be few." He added that the college's student-counselling service has a plan in place to provide "the necessary supports to staff and students in the event of deaths from the virus". The state's largest university, UCD, has also compiled its own detailed flu-contingency plan, wh
6
POPSLutherans to Allow Sexually Active Gays as Clergy The same-gender couples I know live in love and faithfulness and are called to proclaim the word of God as are all of us. - Rev. Leslie Williamson, associate pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Des Plaines, Ill. Conservative congregations will not be forced to hire gay clergy.
0
POPSTribes Should Run Fort Humboldt It's time to end using a death camp as a logging exhibit. Fort Humboldt's only relation to logging was use of the soldiers who "protected" peaceful Native Americans from the violent white "settlers" who stole their land that had vast tracks of ancient redwoods on them.
3
POPS ix-nay that "Death to Israel" Already! One of the participants at the meeting asked the president to take a lower profile regarding the public differences between his administration and the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the United States’ demand that Israel freeze all settlement construction activity in the West Bank. “This situation is not helpful,” he told the president, who rejected the request, saying that during the eight years of the Bush administration, such disagreements were never made public but that such an approach was not helpful in advancing the peace process. Kind of sounds like a White House WTF moment to me. Also sounds like all of that pulpit-thumping Zionist-bashing the Rev. Wright did at the Trinity United Church of Christ wasn’t a complete waste of time, even if Obama said he wasn’t listening to those parts. But the Rev. Wright was wrong about at least one thing. It turns out Obama isn’t afraid of offending Jews and Israel at all.
5
POPSUnholy Trinity I'm not an atheist, but there is just too much truth to this cartoon to let it go by. Although, I'll bet there’s a photo somewhere of an atheist with a gun. :)
1
Pops
Newest Clips
Latest Comments
Most Pops
Print
Save
Turn on live update