INTERESTING TIMES

Fascism
should rightly be called
Corporatism,
as it is the merger
of corporate
and government power.
~Benito Mussolini

Because Muslims, Hindus and African Animists are also made in the very likeness and image of God, to hate them is to hate God! To reject them to is to reject God and the Gospel of Christ. Whether we worship at a church, a synagogue, a mosque or a mandir, it does not matter. Whether we call God, Jesus, Adonai, Allah or Krishna, we all worship the same God of love. This truth is self-evident to all who have love and humility in their hearts!
--Pope Francis

The most astute diagnosticians I encounter on a regular (weekly) basis are "Click and Clack, the Tappitt brothers", on NPR. They are immediately assessing every variable for any possible cause the moment they begin talking to a person with a car problem. They are insightful and compassionate about the foibles of people. They know their shit about cars. And they are funny. Every time someone tells me that they just can't stand Car Talk, I start wondering what their issue is with Italians, or with automobiles, or WHAT?
( nothing )

According to Msgr. Gianfranco Girotti in the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Catholics now have some new instructions beyond avoiding the Seven Mortal Sins. A review for those of us not fully indoctrinated:

Seven Mortal Sins
pride
envy
gluttony
greed
lust
wrath
sloth

The new instructions are to avoid the Seven Modern Vices, which are based on violating the "basic rights of human nature". I didn't find an explanation of the rights, but here are the vices:
polluting
genetic engineering
being obscenely wealthy
taking drugs
abortion
pedophilia
causing social injustic