Food for the Spirit and the Soul

We Have Much To Fear – And Even More To Loathe

Robert Neralich — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:45:57 +0000

‎”I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence or insanity to anyone, but they’ve always worked for me.” – Hunter S. Thompson, the most influential American journalist of the 20th century, who died 20 February 2005.   While this is perhaps the most famous – or infamous – of Thompson quotes, it will mislead those who take [...]

Disqualified

Robert Neralich — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 16:34:10 +0000

“It’s not the most intellectual job in the world, but I do have to know the letters.” – Vanna White, born 18 February 1957, American model, game show hostess, and champion of literacy, discussing the rigors of her work on “Wheel of Fortune.” “Knowing the letters” is symptomatic of both cultural elitism and liberal tendencies, [...]

A Valentine’s Day Suggestion For Men

Robert Neralich — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:44:41 +0000

Let’s be honest, gentlemen: After the flowers, the chocolate, and the exchange of sweet nothings with old what’s-her-name over a romantic dinner, you’re going to be ready for some reality-based relief, and I have the perfect suggestion: rent a good movie and watch it with your current girlfriend/concubine/wife. I’m not referring to any film in [...]

The Heroine And The Hypocrites

Robert Neralich — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:30:05 +0000

“If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament.” – Florynce Kennedy, American lawyer, civil rights advocate, and feminist, born 11 February 1916. Below: Rick “No Abortion Under Any Circumstances” Santorum and Mike “We’re All Catholics Now” Huckabee

Brave, Indeed!

Robert Neralich — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:15:30 +0000

Oh brave new Internet world! That has such people in it! “Every improvement in communication makes the bore more terrible.” – Frank Moore Colby, American encyclopedia editor and essayist, born 10 February 1865. Of course, today “bore” would have to include the semi-literate and poorly educated racists, homophobes, religious crackpots, pathetic narcissists, and political ideologues [...]

A Political Giant

Robert Neralich — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:56:24 +0000

Died 9 February 1995 – J. William Fulbright, former United States Senator from Arkansas and the longest serving chairman in the history of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Fulbright was a brilliant and principled man with a global vision, and in consequence he was nearly always on the right side of history in his judgments. [...]

IT’S ALREADY HAPPENING HERE

Robert Neralich — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:15:37 +0000

“When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” – Sinclair Lewis, American novelist, short story writer, playwright, and the first writer from the United States to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, born 7 February 1885. It is instructive to consider “Babbit” (1922), “Elmer Gantry” (1927), [...]

Ladies And Gentlemen . . . Step Right Up.

Robert Neralich — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:47:46 +0000

3 February 1882 – Circus owner P.T. Barnum buys his world-famous elephant Jumbo, and thereby garnered enormous profits. Were he alive today, the enterprising Barnum could realize an even greater return on his investment by skipping the symbolic elephant and instead purchasing a Republican congressman – by which I mean, of course, by creating a [...]

Heroes Both Human And Canine

Robert Neralich — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:54:55 +0000

“Nome calling . . . Nome calling . . .” On 20 January 1925, that message flashed over the airwaves with special urgency, since an outbreak of diphtheria threatened to devastate the population of the isolated and blizzard-bound city. Shortly thereafter, in one of the most heroic episodes in the history of the Arctic, 20 [...]

Boobs and Idiots: There’s No Difference

Robert Neralich — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:43:35 +0000

“The cynics are right nine times out of ten.” – H. L. Mencken, American journalist, essayist, satirist, and scathing critic of American life and culture, who died on 29 January 1956. If you have seen the movie “Idiocracy,” then you know the view of the United States that informs much of Mencken’s work (Mencken coined [...]