Author: Jonathan Rowe

I can’t make predictions but my Italian relatives inside the Sistine Chapel might be able to answer (though they go silent during Papal elections). If you are interested in the history of how Popes are chosen, I recommend the book The conclave: a sometimes secret and occasionally bloody history of papal elections (https://bit.ly/bcl-the-conclave) in our library catalog. Major news sources like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal have good coverage of the Vatican, and there are also solid Catholic publications like America (the Jesuit Review) and the National Catholic Reporter to watch for developments.

My cousin the magic 8-ball is better at prognosticating. All I can offer is a good source: bit.ly/bleacher-nba-2025. The Knicks will know tonight whether they face Boston or Orlando if they knock out Detroit. Question: would you prefer the Knicks face potential injuries with the dirty play of lower-ranked Orlando, or lose to the clean play of higher-ranked Boston?a

The thing with friends is they’re your friends even when they’re being dumb, or when you disagree with them. Be there for them. It’s OK to comment once or twice when their partner does something disrespectful. But your friend’s only going to change their mind about the relationship when they decide they want to.

IDK. But in Italian, that would be dov’è mia moglie? One of my assistants had to dredge that phrase from memory (before the days of Google Translate) to get sympathy from a gun-wielding member of the carabinieri while parked in Rome where he shouldn’t have parked. A great example of the value of learning a foreign language!

NorCal sounds better for me as a wall. The weather is more variable, so people are indoors more. I love people watching. 

Tough call! It depends on how you define “best.” Paul & Ringo have had the longest, and Paul’s been the most productive & done the most concerts, and Ringo seems the happiest, but John is often credited with the most meaningful and lasting influence with Imagine, and George’s work is heralded for creatively blending many musical styles. It’s important to remember that the arts aren’t sports, so superlatives are necessarily subjective.

No idea, but good luck!