The Pope

     The Pope is resigning. He was the first to do so in 598 years. Was his decision right, or justified? I think that it is. It doesn't make sense that such an important position as the Pope should be a life long position. It only makes sense that as one gets older they may not be able to perform the job as well. If Pope Benedict XVI believes that he can't perform adequately then he is doing what is right for the church. This is likely a difficult position to take. He obviously knew that people could look down on him for doing such an unorthodox thing, but he did the right thing regardless.
     The cardinals looking for a replacement say they are looking for someone who can govern, has a devout prayer life, has a good personality, and cares for the poor. Seeing as a monumental resignation has occurred what if something else monumental happened? They say they want a Pope that cares for the poor, but the majority of the candidates are probably upper class clergy that have never spent any actual time among the poor. Jesus said himself that it is easier for a canal to fit through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. Therefore, what would it look like for someone to take the position that actually lived their life like Jesus did? Perhaps a nonprofit worker who lives with the poor on a daily basis, or a missionary living in a third world country, what would the church begin to look like then? Could it finally become the hands and feet of Christ serving the discouraged and outcasts of society? I would love to know the answer to that question, but if I had to guess I would say we won't get one.

Valentine's Day According to a Cynical Single Man

     Every year it seems like more and more people dread this holiday. Single people don't like being reminded of their singleness, and people in relationships secretly don't like having to buy another unneeded present for their significant other and being forced to perform for a day. So this makes me ask the question, "How does Valentine's Day still exist?". Having started out as a day where naked men encourage fertility by whipping the behinds of women, and then transforming into a holiday to remember a martyr of the Christian faith, it doesn't even resemble either of those today.
    The only answer is that jewelers, candy makers, Hallmark, and Charlie Brown keep reminding everyone about the day. This way, to use Pavlov's terminology, people become conditioned to buying presents or else they will receive a negative stimulus. Perhaps it's easier for husbands and boyfriends to only express their love one day instead of all 365. To be honest I don't really know, but as long as Valentine's day is as commercialized as it is people will be reminded to celebrate the day. Of course there will always be that girl who gains affirmation from getting presents that she doesn't really need, and makes her boyfriend/husband take part in the holiday. Therefore, I'm going to go out on a limb and say it is here to stay for a while.

The Superb Owl

     Owls really are incredible creatures. Why else would they be given the task of carrying all of Hogwart's mail. But really, there are more than 150 species of owls in the world! They can be found in just about every kind of environment. They even have different shaped and positioned ears so that they can hear better and let them know where their prey is. Also, in order to assist their hearing, the owl's facial disk funnels sounds to their ears. When owls are together, they are called a parliament; however, they are extremely solitary animals. It is also worth mentioning that they are very competitive and carnivorous animals eating rodents, small or medium sized mammals, nocturnal insects, fish, and even other birds! One could even compare owls to capitalists, much of their life is spent competing independently of other animals to advance their status, or merely survive. Conversely, there are "cooperative" or "communal" birds such as the the acorn woodpecker. Communal birds are much more social, and two adult birds take part in raising the young. Only 3% of the birds in the world are communal. So, while owls and acorn woodpeckers live different lives, they have both managed to survive. There are pros and cons to both ways of living based on what environment they live in. Likewise, there are pros and cons to capitalist and socialst societies. While Socialism is not very popular, like the 3% of communal birds, it still has its benefits. People need to look to our avian friends and realize there are multiple ways of living life, and there is no one right answer to how things should work.

Sources:
http://birding.about.com/od/birdprofiles/a/20-Fun-Facts-About-Owls.htm
http://www.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Cooperative_Breeding.html