It costs the two parishes $3,450 per pupil to run their schools, but that figure is so far beyond the reach of most surrounding families that they charge just $2,500 - and then give scholarships to 55 percent of their youngsters.

Our Mother of Sorrows, at 48th Street and Lancaster Avenue, was once the largest parish in the archdiocese, Okonski said.

cornpone harry

Mike Huckabee's 3:1 win over John McCain in Kansas this weekend sends a loud warning to the Arizona senator – and allows the glib Arkansan to justify remaining in the presidential race. As the sole remaining credible competitor to McCain in the primaries, Huckabee is likely to continue to win delegates, as the vessel through which disgruntled Republicans can send a message about their discontent with the party's likely nominee.

Speaking as he does of “miracles," Mike Huckabee must understand that it would require one for him to win the 2008 nomination – he would have to secure 93% of the remaining delegates. So clearly, he's remaining in the race for another reason. By raising his delegate count above Mitt Romney's, second only to McCain's, Huckabee may well hope that he is establishing himself as the putative frontrunner the next time a Republican presidential field assembles.

Headed to CES? Don’t pack your extra Li-Ion batteries!

First it was the nail clippers, then the liquids, now it's rechargeable Lithium batteries. As of January 1, the US Department of Transportation is limiting loose Lithium-Ion batteries in your carry-on luggage, and restricting them altogether in checked luggage. I bet that's been a bummer for the hordes of people flying out for the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. And forget about packing an extra battery for your laptop, cell phone, and camera–you're limited to only two loose batteries in your carry-on. At least the restriction isn't a terrorist threat this time around–according to the DOT press release, the reason for the new restrictions is to reduce the risk of Lithium battery fires (who knew there was such a threat?). It's a drag for folks with big DSLRs who want to pack spare batteries in checked luggage so they don't have to lug them around in their camera bags.

Qtrax's Jackass Move, Mideast Net Blackout, VMware's Hangover

Egypt and India were hit with massive Internet and phone outages when undersea cables were severed just off the coast of Alexandria. The accident knocked out about 70 percent of Egypt's available bandwidth and cut international phone access by 30 percent. About half of India's capacity was knocked out, though it was able to reroute its traffic through a backup system.

Marriage processions on main roads banned

He asked the marriage palace owners to inform the police if the hosts of marriage parties did not comply with the orders otherwise they would themselves be booked for the violation.

The SSP held a meeting with owners of 65 marriage palaces in and around the city. He said his major concern behind holding the meeting was traffic and security reasons.

He also asked them to put close-circuit cameras in the parking, main hall, at the entrance and exit points. They were also directed to install metal detectors at the entrance. The hosts would be required to identify their guests so that no unwanted person got inside the marriage palace and create trouble.

The SSP also asked the owners to get the police verification done of the staff working in the palace. The owners should have all past records of the worker along with his photograph and permanent address.