“Pirates off the coast of Somalia will now have to contend with an EU naval force mandated on Friday by EU member states to launch attacks on its inner coastal territory.” Two French warships have now joined the four existing EU ships in order to add strength and versatility (EU Observer, March 26, 2012).

Sometimes, colloquial expressions—those well-worn, time-honored phrases that have come into common use—are passed from generation to generation as a part of the culture. Hokey? Yes, they can be, but these pithy expressions can convey some wisdom if one actually listens and gives them some thought.

“Four [U.S.] Navy minesweepers will soon be on their way to the Persian Gulf… as part of an effort to boost American military capability in the region amid rising tensions with Iran, a Navy official says.”  In March, the U.S. Navy moved four airborne mine countermeasure helicopters to the area to assist the British who are already there.  The idea is “to beef up the American military presence in the region in the face of Iranian threats to shut down the Strait of Hormuz,” according to a plan set out by General James Mattis, head of the U.S. Central Command.  The U.S.

Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky at morning, sailors take warning. For millennia, people have recognized that it would be beneficial to be able to read the signs of the times to predict future events. Sometimes the signs can be wide open for all to see, but only those who are able to put them into the right context can understand what they mean for the future!

The Pope will turn 85 this month.  His health issues and comments he has made in the past have some expecting his resignation.  In early March, two different reports appeared in Italian newspapers (Il Foglio, March 10; and Libero, March 11), “…advancing the hypothesis that Benedict XVI might resign, in part for the sake of influencing the choice of his successor.”