The daily article at “On the Square” over at First Things today is by Yours Truly, and it’s on the new Johnny Cash album, titled Ain’t No Grave.

Even by itself, “I Corinthians 15:55” will make most listeners grateful for the album’s existence. With months left to live, and in the shadow of the death of his wife, June, this sweetly melodic composition, played like a chamber-piece from the hills, is simultaneously his faithful testament and urgent prayer, and so asserts a spirit that was never very far from his work during his half-century in show business.

Show business? Yes, it was that. We may forget, because of his tremendous presence, both on stage and in the arena of memory, that he was a man practicing a profession. If anyone ever seemed like the proverbial force of nature, it was Johnny Cash. Yet his thunderous sound with voice and guitar, his imposing manner and profile, and all the elements of what you could fairly call his shtick were in the end tools to a purpose beyond the mere acquisition of attention. While lesser performers employ their shtick only to that end, Cash directed his gifts towards expressing the sentiments of the song which he was singing at any given time. Whether performing his own classic tune like “I Walk The Line” or “I Still Miss Someone,” or a gospel number like “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?” Cash would put it across with a clarity and an honesty that left a listener no room for doubt. Cash’s delivery was always unmistakable; the song, in his hands, was unmissable.

Click here to read the rest.

From section: Music Reviews, Reviews by Sean Curnyn
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The story is from the Irish new service, RTE: Limerick pubs to open on Good Friday.

Limerick publicans have been granted a special exemption to open for business on Good Friday.

They had sought the exemption to accommodate over 26,000 people who will attend the Munster and Leinster rugby match at Thomond Park. [Read more →]

From section: Shorts by Sean Curnyn
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A poll out today: 79% Say U.S. Economy Could Collapse.

Most American voters believe it’s possible the nation’s economy could collapse, and majorities don’t think elected officials in Washington have ideas for fixing it.

The latest Fox News poll finds that 79 percent of voters think it’s possible the economy could collapse, including large majorities of Democrats (72 percent), Republicans (84 percent) and independents (80 percent).

Just 18 percent think the economy is “so big and strong it could never collapse.”

Moreover, 78 percent of voters believe the federal government is “larger and more costly” than it has ever been before, and by nearly three-to-one more voters think the national debt (65 percent) is a greater potential threat to the country’s future than terrorism (23 percent).

The concerns of this large majority of Americans, as reflected in this poll, are precisely on target. It is quite cheering to see that commonsense is alive and well out there, especially in the light of everything else that’s going on.

From section: Shorts by Sean Curnyn
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The following is a passage from Miles: The Autobiography.

Shooting heroin changed my whole personality from being a nice, quiet, honest, caring person into someone who was the complete opposite. It was the drive to get the heroin that made me that way. I’d do anything not to get sick, which meant getting and shooting heroin all the time, all day and all night. [Read more →]

From section: Shorts by Sean Curnyn
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There are those, certainly not me, who are very qualified to handicap the voting scheduled for this Sunday on the health care bill, like John McCormack at this link. All I know is that they don’t have the votes now in the House of Representatives, and that it’s not passed until and unless it actually is passed. There is still a mountain to climb and the real hope, from my point of view, that some rocks will fall down on those clambering their way up. [Read more →]

From section: Commentary, Politics by Sean Curnyn
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Health care is absolutely the greatest political drama of the moment, and the drama of greatest moment, but at the American Spectator Jeffery Lord provides a superb summary-to-date of what is known of the events and facts related to what might well be the first major Obama “gate” scandal (he christens it “Jobsgate” — I think that the singular form, “Jobgate”, is more apt, myself).

I recommend reading his whole article, if you haven’t yet, as its implications are very weighty indeed: Specter Opens Door on White House Felonies.

That title refers to none other than Arlen Specter (and a very good riddance in November to that utterly unprincipled senator from Pennsylvania).

From section: Shorts by Sean Curnyn
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From the WSJ:

We have entered a political wonderland, where the rules are whatever Democrats say they are. Mrs. Pelosi and the White House are resorting to these abuses because their bill is so unpopular that a majority even of their own party doesn’t want to vote for it. Fence-sitting Members are being threatened with primary challengers, a withdrawal of union support and of course ostracism. Michigan’s Bart Stupak is being pounded nightly by MSNBC for the high crime of refusing to vote for a bill that he believes will subsidize insurance for abortions. [Read more →]

From section: Shorts by Sean Curnyn
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In the Boston Globe, Jeff Jacoby responds to Al Gore’s recent opinion piece in the New York Times, where he continued his warnings of “unimaginable calamity” if we don’t take drastic steps to reduce human-based sources of “global-warming pollution.” (Gore himself happens to have invested enormously in carbon-offset schemes and other “green” ventures that are likely to thrive only with the kinds of government mandates he promotes.) [Read more →]

From section: Shorts by Sean Curnyn
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Why does the story of vitamin D interest me so? I swear, I’m not one of those vitamin-popping freaks. I’ve never been a vitamin C zealot, nor a loud advocate of ginseng, royal jelly or even wheat germ. Yet, the continuing story of how vitamin D levels have been massively overlooked by the scientific and medical communities as a vital factor in human health fascinates and compels me because it is a singular example which illuminates a much bigger picture.

Science is wonderful. Medical science has saved so many lives and every day works what would have been considered miracles not very long ago. It is to be greatly valued and scientists and doctors are to be admired and encouraged to continue in the same vein. All of that is true, and yet, it is even more important not to forget one underlying fact: Everything that scientists and doctors think they know could actually be wrong. Everything. [Read more →]

From section: Commentary, Health and Living by Sean Curnyn
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Mosab Hassan Yousef is the son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founder and leader of the terrorist group Hamas. He has recently told his story of both embracing Christianity and serving as a spy for Israel. He now lives in San Diego, California, and has been disowned by his father. He was interviewed for the Wall Street Journal by Matthew Kaminski.

Do you consider your father a fanatic? “He’s not a fanatic,” says Mr. Yousef. “He’s a very moderate, logical person. What matters is not whether my father is a fanatic or not, he’s doing the will of a fanatic God. It doesn’t matter if he’s a terrorist or a traditional Muslim. At the end of the day a traditional Muslim is doing the will of a fanatic, fundamentalist, terrorist God. I know this is harsh to say. Most governments avoid this subject. They don’t want to admit this is an ideological war.

“The problem is not in Muslims,” he continues. “The problem is with their God. They need to be liberated from their God. He is their biggest enemy. It has been 1,400 years they have been lied to.”

Yousef has written his story in a book titled Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices.

From section: Shorts by Sean Curnyn
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