Thou shalt not steal
NEW YORK, Aug 12, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Detectives investigating Monsignor John Woolsey of New York for fraud have uncovered bank accounts with hundreds of thousands of dollars in his name.
Woolsey, who is now the subject of a criminal investigation, is also being sued by a parishioner who alleges the priest swindled him out of a half-million dollars, some of which he used to buy a luxury condo on the New Jersey shore.
Authorities recently discovered Woolsey maintains a $200,000 balance with Citibank and $450,000 with Smith Barney, the New York Post reported. In addition, a Queens contractor told the district attorney's office he billed Woolsey's church, St. John the Martyr, for $160,000 worth of construction and labor. Woolsey reported those bills as totaling $500,000.
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Tuesday, August 10
Kerry saved Green Beret's life
Presidential candidate Senator John Kerry saved Jim Rassmann's life in Vietnam and Rassmann is ticked off at those who deny Kerry's heroism. For the full details see Columns on this web site and read this fascinating tale of real-life heroism in the waters of Vietnam.
#208 (04-57)
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Presidential candidate Senator John Kerry saved Jim Rassmann's life in Vietnam and Rassmann is ticked off at those who deny Kerry's heroism. For the full details see Columns on this web site and read this fascinating tale of real-life heroism in the waters of Vietnam.
#208 (04-57)
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Sunday, August 1
Red Sox Nation Commentary
Well, the Red Sox traded Nomar to Chicago yesterday in a deal where they got two players I have never heard of before. That doesn't mean these two mystery (to me) men won't contribute, or they are not prime players. I am about to give up on the Sox' 2004 aspirations of a shot at the world title. It is again looking more like "some day in the next hundred years."
#207 (04-56)
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Well, the Red Sox traded Nomar to Chicago yesterday in a deal where they got two players I have never heard of before. That doesn't mean these two mystery (to me) men won't contribute, or they are not prime players. I am about to give up on the Sox' 2004 aspirations of a shot at the world title. It is again looking more like "some day in the next hundred years."
#207 (04-56)
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Friday, July 30
$445 billion deficit
Holy shit. I thought it was the Democrats who were the big spenders. Republicans control the White House and the Congress and have run up this deficit. Why is it when Democrats run a deficit the GOP screams that the end of the world is coming, but when they run the largest one-year deficit in the history of this country "it proves what they are trying to do is working."
#206 (04-55)
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Holy shit. I thought it was the Democrats who were the big spenders. Republicans control the White House and the Congress and have run up this deficit. Why is it when Democrats run a deficit the GOP screams that the end of the world is coming, but when they run the largest one-year deficit in the history of this country "it proves what they are trying to do is working."
#206 (04-55)
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Thursday, July 29
More on donuts
On July 26, (see below) I commented on the more than a 1,000 donut shops in Boston and asked how many were in other areas. Here are some edited replies I received:
Las Vegas – Thirty-one, enough for the locals and the 50,000 tourists here daily.
Virginia – I don’t drink coffee and I don’t eat donuts. Have to meet my friends on a park bench.
Boston – I visited Atlanta a few years ago and went out in the morning to fetch some donuts, a usual thing back home. An hour later, I returned to my worried friends empty-handed. No donut shops.
South Carolina - The South Strand Krispy Kreme has been here for years and a new Dunkin' opened this spring. Murrells Inlet remains the "Seafood Capitol of South Carolina" but I guess this makes Garden City Beach the "Donut Capitol."
South Carolina – I like a Starbucks in Hanahan…us yokels like good coffee too.
South Carolina – Do Bostonians enjoy Krispy Kreme as much as people in other parts of the country do?
South Carolina – Does Columbia still have a Dunkin’s shop? A favorite of mine years ago when traveling with the kids and the high school band.
South Carolina – I went to Myrtle Beach recently and noted many Krispy Kreme and Dunkin Donuts shops. I must have counted at least 20 and could not believe it.
South Carolina – Three in our area (North Charleston) closed…and you have to travel far to get a donut. BTW: The Krispy Kreme shop on Rivers across from the Naval hospital was where they made all the donuts that the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, schools and different organizations sold to raise money. It was a pretty good fund raiser!
#205 (04-54)
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On July 26, (see below) I commented on the more than a 1,000 donut shops in Boston and asked how many were in other areas. Here are some edited replies I received:
Las Vegas – Thirty-one, enough for the locals and the 50,000 tourists here daily.
Virginia – I don’t drink coffee and I don’t eat donuts. Have to meet my friends on a park bench.
Boston – I visited Atlanta a few years ago and went out in the morning to fetch some donuts, a usual thing back home. An hour later, I returned to my worried friends empty-handed. No donut shops.
South Carolina - The South Strand Krispy Kreme has been here for years and a new Dunkin' opened this spring. Murrells Inlet remains the "Seafood Capitol of South Carolina" but I guess this makes Garden City Beach the "Donut Capitol."
South Carolina – I like a Starbucks in Hanahan…us yokels like good coffee too.
South Carolina – Do Bostonians enjoy Krispy Kreme as much as people in other parts of the country do?
South Carolina – Does Columbia still have a Dunkin’s shop? A favorite of mine years ago when traveling with the kids and the high school band.
South Carolina – I went to Myrtle Beach recently and noted many Krispy Kreme and Dunkin Donuts shops. I must have counted at least 20 and could not believe it.
South Carolina – Three in our area (North Charleston) closed…and you have to travel far to get a donut. BTW: The Krispy Kreme shop on Rivers across from the Naval hospital was where they made all the donuts that the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, schools and different organizations sold to raise money. It was a pretty good fund raiser!
#205 (04-54)
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Al Sharpton Impressive in DNC speech
Rev. Al Sharpton stirred up the crowd at the DNC Wednesday night with a spirited "our vote is not for sale" speech. Sharpton told the cheering crowd black Americans had been promised "40-acres and a mule" by Republicans and never got the 40-acres and never got the mule -"So we decided to ride this donkey (symbol of the Democratic Party) as far as it would take us."
#204 (04-53)
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Rev. Al Sharpton stirred up the crowd at the DNC Wednesday night with a spirited "our vote is not for sale" speech. Sharpton told the cheering crowd black Americans had been promised "40-acres and a mule" by Republicans and never got the 40-acres and never got the mule -"So we decided to ride this donkey (symbol of the Democratic Party) as far as it would take us."
#204 (04-53)
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Wednesday, July 28
Suicide in Russian Army
109 soldiers in the Russian Army have killed themselves in the first half of 2004, a rise of nearly 40% from last year. Every army suicide is investigated as a criminal case, since top brass themselves admit that a large portion of the suicides were driven to their drastic final step. Faced with violent hazing from their peers and indifference from their superiors, many young conscripts opt for suicide — the only choice they see when they feel their life has been destroyed.
#203 (04-52)
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109 soldiers in the Russian Army have killed themselves in the first half of 2004, a rise of nearly 40% from last year. Every army suicide is investigated as a criminal case, since top brass themselves admit that a large portion of the suicides were driven to their drastic final step. Faced with violent hazing from their peers and indifference from their superiors, many young conscripts opt for suicide — the only choice they see when they feel their life has been destroyed.
#203 (04-52)
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Monday, July 26
Eat your heart out
There are at least 1,050 doughnut shops in Boston, one for every 5,750 residents, eight times the national average, according to The Wall Street Journal, (page 1, July 26, 2004).
#202 (04-51)
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There are at least 1,050 doughnut shops in Boston, one for every 5,750 residents, eight times the national average, according to The Wall Street Journal, (page 1, July 26, 2004).
#202 (04-51)
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Thursday, July 22
World War II Memorial and other sites
Over the past weekend I visited the World War II Memorial on the Mall in Washington and was touched to tears at the moment. The site is splendidly done, simple and dignified. The columns representing each state allow visitors to pause and think about the men and women from that state who served in the great conflict. I and my wife were particularly surprised and pleased to find the columns for South Carolina and Massachusetts (my original state) were side by side. The four thousand stars, each representing 100 American men and women who died in the conflict are a sad reminder of the price of freedom.
I also visited the Library of Congress and saw the Bob Hope and Gershwin displays, as well as a selection of the cartoons of Ann Telnaes. In 2001, Ms. Telnaes became the second woman ever to win the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning. Another stop was The National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles airport. The center currently houses more than 80 aircraft and 60 space artifacts. This will grow to more than 200 aircraft and 100 space artifacts as the ten story high building is more than adequate. Two of the many exhibits that overwhelm the visitor are the SR71 Blackbird and the Enola Gay. Two of the great airplanes of the twentieth century.
#201 (04-50)
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Over the past weekend I visited the World War II Memorial on the Mall in Washington and was touched to tears at the moment. The site is splendidly done, simple and dignified. The columns representing each state allow visitors to pause and think about the men and women from that state who served in the great conflict. I and my wife were particularly surprised and pleased to find the columns for South Carolina and Massachusetts (my original state) were side by side. The four thousand stars, each representing 100 American men and women who died in the conflict are a sad reminder of the price of freedom.
I also visited the Library of Congress and saw the Bob Hope and Gershwin displays, as well as a selection of the cartoons of Ann Telnaes. In 2001, Ms. Telnaes became the second woman ever to win the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning. Another stop was The National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles airport. The center currently houses more than 80 aircraft and 60 space artifacts. This will grow to more than 200 aircraft and 100 space artifacts as the ten story high building is more than adequate. Two of the many exhibits that overwhelm the visitor are the SR71 Blackbird and the Enola Gay. Two of the great airplanes of the twentieth century.
#201 (04-50)
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Friday, July 9
The Twentieth Train
The spring of 1943 was a desperate time for Jews all over Europe. In Belgium, as elsewhere, the trains were carrying Jews to Auschwitz. This is a story told with simplicity of the courage of three men who, at the risk of their own lives, sought to rescue some of the victims. It is also the story of ordinary Belgium families - facing concentration camps and even death - who also rose to the occasion to prove once again that there are good people in this world. (The Twentieth Train, Marion Schreiber, Grove Press, New York, 2002, 308 pages, $25.00)
#200 (04-49)
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The spring of 1943 was a desperate time for Jews all over Europe. In Belgium, as elsewhere, the trains were carrying Jews to Auschwitz. This is a story told with simplicity of the courage of three men who, at the risk of their own lives, sought to rescue some of the victims. It is also the story of ordinary Belgium families - facing concentration camps and even death - who also rose to the occasion to prove once again that there are good people in this world. (The Twentieth Train, Marion Schreiber, Grove Press, New York, 2002, 308 pages, $25.00)
#200 (04-49)
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Thursday, July 8
Cheney's intelligence
Either Vice-President Dick Cheney is not as smart as some people think he is or he covered up for his drug-addicted doctor for years. According to reports in The Washington Post today, Cheney knew his internist was addicted to drugs yet continued to use him as part of his medical team. Is this a double standard, stupidity or what?
#199 (04-48)
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Either Vice-President Dick Cheney is not as smart as some people think he is or he covered up for his drug-addicted doctor for years. According to reports in The Washington Post today, Cheney knew his internist was addicted to drugs yet continued to use him as part of his medical team. Is this a double standard, stupidity or what?
#199 (04-48)
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Tuesday, July 6
It's Edwards
At 8:27 this morning Presidential candidate John Kerry e-mailed me and said he had selected John Edwards as his running mate. The e-mail message was sent in advance of the public announcement to approximately one million supporters and contributors on the Kerry mail list. Onward to victory in November.
#198 (04-47)
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At 8:27 this morning Presidential candidate John Kerry e-mailed me and said he had selected John Edwards as his running mate. The e-mail message was sent in advance of the public announcement to approximately one million supporters and contributors on the Kerry mail list. Onward to victory in November.
#198 (04-47)
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Sunday, June 27
Independence Day, 2004
A fresh flag flies at our home in Hanahan, SC, to celebrate our country's 228th anniversary, Independence Day, Sunday, July 4, 2004. Fifty percent of the 20 homes on our street regularly fly the American flag. Some 68% of Americans said they owned a flag, according to a recent study by the National Retail Foundation. Have a pleasant holiday!
#197 (04-46)
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A fresh flag flies at our home in Hanahan, SC, to celebrate our country's 228th anniversary, Independence Day, Sunday, July 4, 2004. Fifty percent of the 20 homes on our street regularly fly the American flag. Some 68% of Americans said they owned a flag, according to a recent study by the National Retail Foundation. Have a pleasant holiday!
#197 (04-46)
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Friday, June 25
Good Morning Lowcountry
Column enlightening (Letter to the Editor, The Post & Courier, Charleston, SC, June 25, 2004)
Kudos to the writers of Good Morning Lowcountry. Their daily offering is frequently hilarious and sometimes insightful and enlightening.
Sunday's collection of wit and witticisms about fathers was outstanding. I clipped, copied and mailed it to each of my five children who have the good sense and taste to not live in my Zip Code.
FRANCIS X. ARCHIBALD
1128 John Rutledge Ave.
Hanahan
#196 (04-45)
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Column enlightening (Letter to the Editor, The Post & Courier, Charleston, SC, June 25, 2004)
Kudos to the writers of Good Morning Lowcountry. Their daily offering is frequently hilarious and sometimes insightful and enlightening.
Sunday's collection of wit and witticisms about fathers was outstanding. I clipped, copied and mailed it to each of my five children who have the good sense and taste to not live in my Zip Code.
FRANCIS X. ARCHIBALD
1128 John Rutledge Ave.
Hanahan
#196 (04-45)
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Thursday, June 24
No. 1
In a Wall Street Journal article June 24, 2004, (pg B5), Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg, said that first day sales of former President Bill Clinton's "My Life" were so strong the publisher printed another 750,000 copies bringing the total number of copies in print to 2.25 million...Barnes & Noble and Borders Group said first day sales were the highest of any nonfiction book in their history...a Borders store in New York's financial district hosted Mr. Clinton on Wednesday (June 23) and attracted a crowd estimated at 2,000..."My Life" ranked No. 1 in sales on the Amazon.com web site.
#195 (04-44)
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In a Wall Street Journal article June 24, 2004, (pg B5), Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg, said that first day sales of former President Bill Clinton's "My Life" were so strong the publisher printed another 750,000 copies bringing the total number of copies in print to 2.25 million...Barnes & Noble and Borders Group said first day sales were the highest of any nonfiction book in their history...a Borders store in New York's financial district hosted Mr. Clinton on Wednesday (June 23) and attracted a crowd estimated at 2,000..."My Life" ranked No. 1 in sales on the Amazon.com web site.
#195 (04-44)
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Tuesday, June 22
Reading List
Today I picked up my copy of "My Life" by Bill Clinton at Books-a-Million in North Charleston. It is third in line to be read. At present I am reading "The First Billion" by Christopher Reich and John LeCarre's "Absolute Friends" is next on the list. These two books are checkouts from the local library.
#194 (04-43)
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Today I picked up my copy of "My Life" by Bill Clinton at Books-a-Million in North Charleston. It is third in line to be read. At present I am reading "The First Billion" by Christopher Reich and John LeCarre's "Absolute Friends" is next on the list. These two books are checkouts from the local library.
#194 (04-43)
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Sunday, June 13
On the home front
This spring I added a shed (12 x 12 x 8) at the side of my garage to house lawn and garden equipment. During the past week re-painting of the entire structure was completed. I cut a door opening between the side of the garage and back of the shed. This is a convenience that also promotes the passage of air to help cool the workshop in the garage.
#193 (04-42)
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This spring I added a shed (12 x 12 x 8) at the side of my garage to house lawn and garden equipment. During the past week re-painting of the entire structure was completed. I cut a door opening between the side of the garage and back of the shed. This is a convenience that also promotes the passage of air to help cool the workshop in the garage.
#193 (04-42)
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Saturday, June 12
Time and the dead - some responses
While I wait to hear from Time about their policy change (preceding article) here are some responses I received after posting the article:
Maybe because he was so well loved by millions of American people and because of his optimism and "proud to be an American" outlook! One person on NSMBC stated when he became president, it was like sunshine came to the United States. That's my view! (Source: a woman in Hanahan, SC)
I don't know why or when Time changed their policy but they should put Ray Charles, may he rest in peace, on the cover of their next issue. (A man in goose Creek, SC)
I doubt if you get a reply. If you do, please let me know what they say.
Reagan was such a pleasant. Really nice guy and everyone really liked him. I would guess that is why his picture was on the front. A most popular man. Time, like all magazines, is out to sell copies and whatever they think will sell copies - well, that goes on the cover. (A woman in Goose Creek, SC)
I think they used the same picture as one of the other major weekly's ... may have been Newsweek or U.S. News & World Report. (A woman in Hanahan, SC) (It was Newsweek.)
You keep the world intact! Stay on the bastards.
Personally, the whole Reagan thing has been a bit overdone for me. I was into it at first but please, not burying a white man for a week! Poor Ray Charles, he barely got any press on his passing. (A woman in Myrtle Beach, SC)
My only thought is that the whole week has seemed to be a rather carefully orchestrated attempt by the right-leaning media to canonize the late President and, at the same time, to have us forget Lebanon, the Iran-Contra matter and the pathetic so-called "investigation" which followed, the comic opera invasion of Grenada, the homophobic snide comments and indifference as the aids crisis took off and the bail-out of the savings and loans. Yes, Reagan did make many Americans "feel good" about themselves again. But I suspect the same could have been said by Germans of Hitler, at least by those who were not Jews, Gays, Gypsies or the old aristocracy who opposed him. Perhaps the greater measure of a President is the ability to challenge Americans, as Kennedy surely did, and Carter earnestly tried to. (A man in Garden City Beach, SC)
Tell us if you get a reason. (A woman in Massachusetts)
#192 (04-41)
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While I wait to hear from Time about their policy change (preceding article) here are some responses I received after posting the article:
Maybe because he was so well loved by millions of American people and because of his optimism and "proud to be an American" outlook! One person on NSMBC stated when he became president, it was like sunshine came to the United States. That's my view! (Source: a woman in Hanahan, SC)
I don't know why or when Time changed their policy but they should put Ray Charles, may he rest in peace, on the cover of their next issue. (A man in goose Creek, SC)
I doubt if you get a reply. If you do, please let me know what they say.
Reagan was such a pleasant. Really nice guy and everyone really liked him. I would guess that is why his picture was on the front. A most popular man. Time, like all magazines, is out to sell copies and whatever they think will sell copies - well, that goes on the cover. (A woman in Goose Creek, SC)
I think they used the same picture as one of the other major weekly's ... may have been Newsweek or U.S. News & World Report. (A woman in Hanahan, SC) (It was Newsweek.)
You keep the world intact! Stay on the bastards.
Personally, the whole Reagan thing has been a bit overdone for me. I was into it at first but please, not burying a white man for a week! Poor Ray Charles, he barely got any press on his passing. (A woman in Myrtle Beach, SC)
My only thought is that the whole week has seemed to be a rather carefully orchestrated attempt by the right-leaning media to canonize the late President and, at the same time, to have us forget Lebanon, the Iran-Contra matter and the pathetic so-called "investigation" which followed, the comic opera invasion of Grenada, the homophobic snide comments and indifference as the aids crisis took off and the bail-out of the savings and loans. Yes, Reagan did make many Americans "feel good" about themselves again. But I suspect the same could have been said by Germans of Hitler, at least by those who were not Jews, Gays, Gypsies or the old aristocracy who opposed him. Perhaps the greater measure of a President is the ability to challenge Americans, as Kennedy surely did, and Carter earnestly tried to. (A man in Garden City Beach, SC)
Tell us if you get a reason. (A woman in Massachusetts)
#192 (04-41)
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Thursday, June 10
Time and the dead
This week Time magazine put the late President Ronald Reagan on its cover. This is a departure from custom which dictated, at Time, that dead men do not make the cover. When President Kennedy was assassinated, the new President Lyndon Johnson was on the cover the following week. Does anyone know when and why Time changed its policy? I have written to the editors and asked. No reply, yet.
#191 (04-40)
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This week Time magazine put the late President Ronald Reagan on its cover. This is a departure from custom which dictated, at Time, that dead men do not make the cover. When President Kennedy was assassinated, the new President Lyndon Johnson was on the cover the following week. Does anyone know when and why Time changed its policy? I have written to the editors and asked. No reply, yet.
#191 (04-40)
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Thursday, June 3
George Tenet's resignation
President Bush caught everyone by surprise today with his out-of-the-blue announcement that CIA director George Tenet had submitted a letter of resignation, with effective date of July 11, for "personal reasons." Tenet is very popular at the agency and his leaving will have an adverse impact on morale there. Something the public doesn't know is at play here. The timing of the resignation is strange to say the least. Given that the country is in the midst of a Presidential election (and Bush's re-election is in doubt)it is unlikely any permanent director will be nominated before the end of the year. Deputy CIA director John McLaughlin will be acting director until a new director is confirmed. Tenet was expected to leave after the election, whether Bush or Kerry wins in November.
#190 (04-39)
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President Bush caught everyone by surprise today with his out-of-the-blue announcement that CIA director George Tenet had submitted a letter of resignation, with effective date of July 11, for "personal reasons." Tenet is very popular at the agency and his leaving will have an adverse impact on morale there. Something the public doesn't know is at play here. The timing of the resignation is strange to say the least. Given that the country is in the midst of a Presidential election (and Bush's re-election is in doubt)it is unlikely any permanent director will be nominated before the end of the year. Deputy CIA director John McLaughlin will be acting director until a new director is confirmed. Tenet was expected to leave after the election, whether Bush or Kerry wins in November.
#190 (04-39)
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