January 30, 2015 Vol. 119 No. 5
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VOL. 119 - NO. 5 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, JANUARY 30, 2015 $.35 A COPY “Juno” — One for the Record Book Gassy Park along Prince Street with the Boston skyline. (Photos courtesy of Matt Conti, northendwaterfront.com) Just when it looked as though the winter and sixth heaviest snow total in history. of 2014-2015 would be a mild and rather With ferocious winds howling down, virtu- snowless season, a typical New England ally every street of the city was turned into nor’easter ripped through the East Coast a giant wind tunnel. The City of Worcester like a warm knife sliding through butter. was pounded with 34.5 inches, equaling that The arrival of the fluffy stuff was similar to city’s largest total on record. that of an unwelcome guest at a Super The state now begins the process of Bowl party. The City of Boston was com- digging out and hoping we have seen the Corner of Prince and Salem Streets during Blizzard Juno pletely immobilized under 24.6 inches last of this wintry mess until next winter. of snow, making the Blizzard of 2015 the Not a very practical expectation here in New city’s largest January storm in 123 years England. News Briefs by Sal Giarratani Patriots Send-off to Super Bowl XLIX Going for #4 Quote to Note “I’ll always be an outsider. That’s how I under- stand the world. There’s a real benefit to being clear about this. I know why I’m here.” — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren I don’t know about you, but I am not too sure I understand what she just said above, how about you? All I can think of is President Nixon proclaiming, “Let me make this perfectly clear.” When it comes to politics, none of these characters are ever clear about anything except keeping and growing their power. It is rarely about the country and always more about themselves. Obama Hardly Churchillian Last week, the world stopped to remember the 50th anniversary of Winston Churchill’s death, a world leader never to be forgotten. His kind is no longer with us. He was a leader who never gave On Monday morning, January 26th thousands upon thousands gathered at City Hall in to evil or overpowering force. He took both on Plaza to cheer on their beloved Patriots before they headed off to Glendale, Arizona with relish, once saying, “Never give in, never where they will attempt to dethrone the 2014 champion Seattle Seahawks in Super give in, never, never, never in nothing great Bowl XLIX. (Photo by Rosario Scabin, Ross Photography) or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.” “We really appreciate all your support; We’ll be back soon, and we hope to you’ve been here all year for us, we’re see many of you there with us. We love you (Continued on Page 11) excited to represent the AFC in Arizona. Boston.” — Bill Belichick Be safe through these next couple days of snow, we’ll be thinking about you. (Super Bowl section on Page 6) THE POST-GAZETTE SATELLITE OFFICE IS NOW OPEN AT 35 BENNINGTON STREET, EAST BOSTON This office is open on Tuesdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM and Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PMPM, for the convenience of our East Boston and North Shore clients and contributors Call 617-227-8929 for more information Page 2 POST-GAZETTE, JANUARY 30, 2015 Res Publica by David Trumbull Judge Obama by the Company He Keeps In this State of the Union Address, President Obama called MORE ABOUT THE VESTALS on Congress to give him Trade Promotion Authority in or- der to complete his ambitious negotiations toward a free Evidence of the The selected candi- trade agreement with several Asian nations. The deal, luxurious lifestyle date was immedi- which will grant special privileges to the beneficiary coun- of the Vestal Virgins ately taken to the tries, is called the Trans-Pacific Partnership (“TPP”). You has been gained Atrium Vestai, her probably haven’t seen or read much in the news (outside of from the remains new home, properly this column) about TPP because, the elite in Washington of the “Atrium attired, and shorn and in the media know that if Americans knew about this Vestae” (House of of her hair. Her deal they would overwhelmingly oppose it. the Vestal Virgins), time of service was Let’s look at three of the nations that Obama has picked with its spacious set by law at thirty out for special favorable treatment in TPP. court, splendid deco- years; ten for learn- Malaysia, an Islamic state, where earlier this month the rations, baths, and ing, ten for per- highest court in the land affirmed a ban on a Catholic pub- hot air flues. They forming and ten for lication using the word “Allah.” Christian Bibles have been were granted the teaching. confiscated, also due to the use of the word Allah. Allah, is privilege of keeping A reconstruction of the House of the Vestals There was always the common word in the Malay language for God, and has horses and car- by Christian Huelsen (1905) a variety of ages in been used by Christians and other non-Muslim groups for riages, and when in the household of centuries. public they were preceded by offense was to violate her the Vestals. There was the Brunei, which has been under martial law since 1962, is a lector who cleared their vow of chastity. Those found little girl with close-cropped an Islamic state where most criminal activity is defined way. Their presence was guilty of this act were car- head, running around the and punished according to draconian Islamic sharia law. expected where no other ried on a bier to the Cam- garden or up and down According to the U.S. Department of State— women, as a rule, might pus Sceleratus, near the stairs, learning her duties The [Brunei] Ministry of Education requires courses on Islam go; such as places of pub- Collins Gate, beaten with in bits and pieces, for she and prohibits the teaching of other religions. Private Christian lic amusement, the Circus, rods, and buried alive. Her had a long time to learn schools were not allowed to give Christian instruction to the theatre, and even the seducer was also rewarded them. Then there were Christian or Muslim students but could offer voluntary, Islamic amphitheater where the by being scourged to death. those in their twenties, by instruction to Muslim students. During the year the government best seats were perma- Vacancies in the ranks of now well acquainted with all warned Christian schools that they or their personnel could be nently at their command. the Vestals were always of this luxury, social conse- fined or imprisoned for teaching non-Muslim religious subjects The only superior whom filled by girls under ten years quence, political influence, That same State Department report says of Vietnam they acknowledged was the of age, and each in turn and freedom of action. Lastly The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is an authoritarian state “Pontifex Maximus” who rep- retired at the age of forty. of course, there was the ruled by the Communist Party of Vietna. During the year the resenting the kind of the Every girl possessing the oldest of the group, with all government increased its suppression of dissent, arresting ancient village, had a paren- necessary qualifications of the years of accumulated several political activists. Several editors and reporters from tal authority over them and was liable to be called on honor and the distinctive prominent newspapers were fired for reporting on official cor- who alone was responsible to undertake the duty, and title of “Vestalis Maxima”. ruption. Police commonly mistreated suspects during arrest or to administer corporal chas- no exception was granted, At the end of their thirty detention. Individuals were arbitrarily detained for political tisement if any Vestal except upon very strict con- years of service, leave was activities and denied the right to fair and expeditious trials. neglected her duties. ditions. The age limit to granted to lay aside their The government continued to limit citizens’ privacy rights and There were only two of- qualify for selection was not priesthood, return to private tightened controls over the press and freedom of speech, fenses which could normally less than six and not more life, and marry if they de- assembly, movement, and association. Violence and discrimi- be brought against them, than ten years of age, with- sired. What else can be said, nation against women as well as trafficking in persons contin- and these were most rare. out personal blemish, of free, other than “Figlio maschile ued to be significant problems … The first offense was to ne- respectable family whose e cento anni” (May you have There are nearly 200 nations in the world. The U.S. cur- glect the sacred fire, so that parents were still alive and lots of male children and live rently has free trade agreements in effect with 20 of them. it became extinguished. For residing in Italy. Twenty to be a hundred years old). Of all the places in the world the President could pick for a this kind of carelessness, girls were nominated by new free trade agreement, wouldn’t you know he would pick the Vestal was scourged by the Pontifex, and the final NEXT ISSUE: a repressive communist regime and two intolerant Islamic the Pontifex. The second selection was made by lot. Demeter & Ceres states.