Jerusalem Meets Anaheim

When 20 pilgrims from St. John's visit Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Nazareth in August -- whether bobbing in the Dead Sea, touching the rock of Golgotha, or walking streets Jesus Christ may well have known -- we'll be in the tender care of Canon Iyad Qumri, renowned Holy Land guide and interpreter. I caught up with Iyad today at the Episcopal Church's General Convention in Anaheim, where he's a guest along with his wife, Simone, a member of the staff of St. George's Episcopal Cathedral and College in East Jerusalem, where we'll be staying in August. And yes, that's Pastor Karen, our distinguished former associate vicar.

On Friday night, Kathy and I are taking the Qumris to President Nixon's favorite Mexican restaurant. Who knows what it's called?

Never Mind, Mordecai

Andrew Sullivan notices Gov. Palin's Esther quote from the Hebrew Testament, noted here Tuesday afternoon.

News From The Grassy Knoll

Andrew Sullivan is still yearning for scandal, preferably one that erases his shameful journalistic error.

We'll Always Have Paris

Sometimes A Wide Stance Makes Good Sense

If I were the President
I'd work on my body language
Putin's a smaller man
But the way he sits
He owns the room

Esther Rising

Palin has gained support.

One Day, Two Fixes

Having disputed Joe Biden's assertion that the Obama administration misjudged the economy, the President also says that Biden was wrong to have green-lighted an Israeli attack on Iran. Good thing Palin didn't get in, huh?

Fresh Popcorn By The Bushel

Farmer's market in front of Edwards 10, Brea, California

Politics Or Bible Study? You Decide

Conceding that stepping down as governor entails some risk, Gov. Palin said today, "If I die, I die. So be it."

Heard that before? Just ask Madonna. In Esther 5:16, Esther says as much to Mordecai as she promises to risk her life to save her people.

Came out okay for Esther, by the way.

It's My Job, And I'll Quit If I Want To

John Podhoretz:

[Nobody] accused, say, Govs. Kathleen Sibelius of Kansas or Janet Napolitano of Arizona of “abandoning their posts” when they resigned to take cabinet jobs in the Obama administration. Nobody accused Rahm Emanuel of dissing his Chicagoland voters when he quit Congress weeks after winning reelection in November to become White House chief of staff. That these elected officials took other jobs in public service is meaningless; they all ran for full terms and decided that they wanted to do something else, so they went ahead and did something else. That’s fine, and so is Palin quitting for whatever reason she chose to quit. Being elected is not a prison sentence; just ask Barack Obama, who didn’t let his promise to Illinois voters that he would serve out a full term impede him from running for office; same with Hillary Clinton, for that matter.