Author: Kenneth Sutton

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Tony Blair’s defeatist attitude

The Guardian reports: Carry on flying, says Blair — science will save the planet

Tony Blair today wades into the growing controversy over how individuals can help to tackle global warming by declaring that he has no intention of abandoning long-haul holiday flights to reduce his carbon footprint.

Days after his environment minister branded Ryanair the “irresponsible face of capitalism” for opposing an EU carbon emissions scheme, the prime minister says it is impractical to expect people to make personal sacrifices by taking holidays closer to home.

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Retelling the Christmas story

Paul L. over at Showers of Blessings had the good fortune to be part of the Christmas story in La Navidad, and is eloquent as usual in describing the experience.

[M]y friend Greg (one of the wisest of the wise men) talked to me at a rehearsal about the importance of the Living Word, of the Word manifesting and incarnating itself anew all the time, addressing the concrete circumstances of real people, not storybook characters.

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Wow, an orderly transfer of power

With so many examples of disorderly and conflict-ridden transfers of political power (or refusal to transfer power), it was refreshing this morning to read this story on Al Jazeera: Bhutan king steps down.

The people of the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan have greeted the announcement of King Jigme Singye Wangchuck’s earlier-than-expected abdication with sadness and gratitude.

He’s 50 and has been ruling since he was 16. He had previously announced that he would abdicate in 2008.

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Christmas music

One of my favorite childhood Christmas memories is my mother’s albums of carols. You know, those compilation albums with some artists putting their own spin on the carol and others singing it pretty straight. Since the advent of CDs, I’ve built a small collection of Christmas music, ranging from the cheesy compilations I loved in childhood to early music recordings I’ve come to love.

There’s a fantastic new album available. Wynonna Judd’s A Classic Christmas is just that–a classic. She does familiar songs without tarting them up. Her Ave Maria is outstanding.