So the Catholic Church is finally entering the 21st Century. The word from Vatican City is that Pope Benedict has got himself a Twitter handle—@pontifex—to spread the good news to the humble man on the street.
For a religion that is often criticized for clinging to the past tradition, it's a step in a modern direction. I wonder how long till Benedict surpasses all the Justin 'Beliebers' once he starts tweeting on December 12.
Obviously the 85-year-old pontiff won't be manning the account, but according to an article in the Sun, he will personally oversee and approve each tweet before it goes out.
“The handle is a good one," said senior media adviser to the Vatican, Greg Burke. "It means ‘pope’ and it also means ’bridge builder.’” Tweets will be multilingual, and said to include Spanish, English, Italian, Portuguese, German, Polish, Arabic and French.
Though he won't be commenting on soccer results or the weather in Rome, Burke insisted that "nobody is going to be putting words into [Benedict's] mouth.” He will of course touch upon natural disasters and other international affairs. Let's hope he never says something so steeped in ignorance, as this priest did.
Got a burning question for the papal head—i.e., why can't women become priests? Here's your hashtag: #askpontifex.
The Church is clearly hoping to reach a younger generation with its message. Launched in 2009, the Vatican's website included a Facebook app through which devotees could access the Pope's speeches and messages on iPhones and iPads.
Social media is not the be all, end all, but it's a start, and Lord knows, the Catholic Church needs it. Will you follow Benedict?
After months of fruitless speculation, the news is official: the much-loved Prince William and Duchess Catherine Middleton are expecting a mini Royal of their own in 2013. Yes, folks, Kate is with child.
According to an article in the Digital Journal, it hasn't been an easy few weeks for poor Kate, who has been admitted to Central London's King Edward VII Hospital with Hyperemesis Gravidarum—otherwise known as 'acute morning sickness.'
Though morning sickness is common during the first trimester, the Princess is less than 12 weeks pregnant and will therefore remain in hospital for a few days to rest.
The happy news is barely out of the bag, and already there is much speculation over what the 'royal infant' will be called. Directly in line after Prince William, either girl or boy can now succeed the throne, following a change that took place in 2011.
Already the unsolicited advice is coming thick and fast. Amol Rajan from the UK Independent had the following kernels of wisdom for Kate:
Here's wishing Kate a healthy and uneventful pregnancy going forward!
Coffee is a most precious commodity. I'll be the first to admit, I'm as addicted and addled as the best of them. But when Starbucks starts selling the so-called "Geisha" coffee—at $40 for a half-pound bag—even I draw the line. No matter that the Costa Rica Finca Palmilera bean is hard to come by. For that price I'd expect flecks of gold in it, maybe some truffles sprinkled on top, with a hint of beetle for good measure.
Repeat after me: no cup of java is worth $7 a pop. No cup.
Clearly Starbucks, which has recently been outed for cleverly avoiding tax in the UK, is trying to rake it in with the luxury bean, to pay one very pissed off Treasury. (According to the Sun, the 'bucks paid not a pence in tax for the past three years, despite raking in $3 billion since its first UK location opened back in 1988.)
Personally I see nothing wrong in paying a little more for a quality product. Within reason. For instance, I wouldn't pay more than $10 for a burger, just as I wouldn't pay more than $5 for a coffee. Yet I'm sure many others will. At least that's what Starbucks is banking on, since an article in TIME claims the bean is already available in 50 U.S. locations.
I'd jump at the chance to take a blind taste test, Jimmy Kimmel style, between the basic Americano and its fancier cousin.
Think the Geisha will be a hit here? Would you shell out that kind of money for a cup of joe, or revert to good old Timmies?
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