December Poker Winnings

As per the updated resolution that I made on my November 22nd post, I have withdrawn my goal of $400 from my poker bankroll this month. I have also taken out an extra $600. I had a great month boosted by my big Live Poker Tournament Win on the 3rd. YTD=+$4,800. My next withdrawal of $400 is due by January 31, 2006. Please continue to wish me luck and keep me accountable.

Merry Christmas

This is how it happened...I just finished the household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed, when I heard a noise in the front of the house. I opened the door to the front room and to my surprise, Santa himself stepped out from behind the Christmas tree. He placed his finger over his mouth so I would not cry out. "What are you doing?" I started to ask. The words choked up in my throat, and I saw he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manner was gone. Gone was the eager, boisterous soul we all know. He then answered me with a simple statement, "TEACH THE CHILDREN!"

I was puzzled; what did he mean? He anticipated my question, and with one quick movement brought forth a miniature toy bag from behind the tree. As I stood bewildered, Santa said, "Teach the children! Teach them the old meaning of Christmas. The meaning that now-a-days Christmas has forgotten."

Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a FIR TREE and placed it before the mantle. "Teach the children that the pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind, all the needles point heavenward, making it a symbol of man's thoughts turning toward heaven."

He again reached into his bag and pulled out a brilliant STAR. "Teach the children that the star was the heavenly sign of promises long ago. God promised a Savior for the world, and the star was the sign of fulfillment of His promise."

He then reached into his bag and pulled out a CANDLE. "Teach the children that the candle symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world, and when we see this great light we are reminded of He who displaces the darkness."

Once again he reached into his bag and removed a WREATH and placed it on the tree. "Teach the children that the wreath symbolizes the real nature of love. Real love never ceases. Love is one continuous round of affection."

He then pulled from his bag an ornament of himself, SANTA. "Teach the children that I, Santa symbolize the generosity and good will we feel during the month of December."

He then brought out a HOLLY LEAF. "Teach the children that the holly plant represents immortality. It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. The red holly represents the blood shed by Him."

Next he pulled from his bag a GIFT and said, "Teach the children that God so loved the world that HE gave HIS begotten SON...Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift. Teach the children that the wise men bowed before the Holy BABE and presented HIM with gold, frankincense and myrrh. We should always give gifts in the same spirit of the wise men."

Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a CANDY CANE and hung it on the tree. "Teach the children that the candy cane represents the shepherds' crook. The crook on the staff helps to bring back strayed sheep to the flock. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother's keeper."

He reached in again and pulled out an ANGEL. "Teach the children that it was the angels that heralded in the glorious news of the Savior's birth. The angels sang 'Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and good will toward men."

Suddenly I heard a soft twinkling sound, and from his bag he pulled out a BELL. "Teach the children that as the lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell, it should ring mankind to the fold. The bell symbolizes guidance and return."

Santa looked back and was pleased. He looked back at me and I saw that the twinkle was back in his eyes. He said, "Remember, teach the children the true meaning of Christmas and do not put me in the center, for I am but a humble servant of the One that is, and I bow down to worship HIM, our LORD, our GOD."

--Author Unknown

My Third Royal Flush

On Interpoker, I just hit my third royal flush at a .50/$1 limit hold 'em table. I was dealt KJ of hearts. Flopped the nut flush. The river card was the 10 of hearts. I thought that I'd be able to pull the hand history for the details, but for some reason I can't find the hand. I won about an $8 pot. In the very recent past, this site gave an immediate royal flush bonus of $125 (at these stakes). I thought I won it. But when I checked their site, they had taken this promotion away. How is that for luck?

6/22/05-My First Royal Flush
12/01/05-My Second Royal Flush

It's a Sin to Shop at Wal-Mart?

There is a ridiculously idiotic and one-sided article written in the Los Angeles Archdiocese newspaper, The Tidings, that is titled, Is it a sin to shop at Wal-Mart? I have long given up trying to expect a balanced report in any type of newspaper. Here is another example.

The article gives too much credibility to a Jesuit priest, Father John Coleman. It is obvious from his comments that he has never had the responsibility of owning a business. According to him, it seems that the only reason to own any business is for, "paying a living wage and allowing workers to engage in collective bargaining."

Here is a gem from the article on the omnipotent and evil Wal-Mart: When asked what Catholics trying to live a moral, ethical life should do about the super company, the priest didn't hesitate. "They can boycott it," he declared, "just as people have said they're going to try to buy coffee that supports fair labor practices. Why would you support it? Just because you can save a few dollars, a few cents?" Yes.

As I have written before, I Like Wal-Mart. I honestly cannot understand the hatred that there is out there for this company. Do people really believe that the world would be a better place if Wal-Mart had never existed?

Good Advice

I heard Alex tell Marisa today, "If you don't believe in Santa Claus, then you won't get any presents from him." True.

A Smart Business Decision

This story is from the WRAL: Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville, North Carolina website. More businesses would be wise to follow the lead of this McDonald's restaurant. The key of the article is the final highlighted paragraph.


"Everyone celebrates religion and holidays in their own individual ways, but currently there are questions about whether the two should be more connected. One of the latest places involved in the controversy is a McDonald's restaurant in Raleigh.

[The sign] reads: "Merry Christmas, Jesus is the Reason for the Season." It is a holiday message that Amanda Alpert thinks comes on a little too strongly. "It offends me because it specifically talks about Jesus. It doesn't give credit to anyone else," Alpert said.

Alpert called the McDonald's corporate office in Atlanta and requested that the sign be changed to the politically correct Happy Holidays. The response was the owner has the right to do what she wants with the sign.

None of the drivers WRAL spoke to were offended by the sign. "I've always known it to be Merry Christmas, and it is Jesus' birthday," said Tom David of Smithfield.

McDonald's managers say the sign has been good for business. They say church groups have stopped by to eat, and some people who usually don't eat food from McDonald's have stopped by because of the sign."

Writer's Block

I am having a terrible case of writer's block. I haven't posted anything here for one week. There goes my goal of trying to post at least one item per day. I have been sick the past week. I will use that as my official excuse.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Last night, we all watched the 40th anniversary showing of the Peanut's classic cartoon, A Charlie Brown Christmas. It is amazing to me how much the message of the show of 'what is the true meaning of Christmas in the midst of its over-commercialization in our society' still holds true today. Perhaps even more so.

When I watched the show when I was a kid, I didn't even recognize that there were religious overtones to the story. I honestly can't believe; based upon how references to Christmas are being removed from the holiday today, that the cartoon actually aired on network television. I guess that I have become hyper-sensitive to the fact that the anti-Christmas people have become so powerful. Even while their numbers are probably a lot less today than forty years ago.

Here is the text from Luke 2:8-14 (KJV) that Linus recited on stage as to the reason for the season:

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

Merry Christmas!

Republican Babe of the Week

OK, I admit that JerseyGOP.com's Republican Babe of the Week is a little silly. It is only interesting to me because you rarely see out-of-the-closet Republican/Conservative celebrity women getting any kind of publicity in the media for their political views. There is also a GOP Dude of the Week on the site. The one thing that I noticed while comparing the two, is that the average age of the men seem to be about 20-30 years older than their female counterparts. I wonder why this is the case? Hmmm...

Pope: Understand the "Evil of the Crime of Abortion"

(from LifeSiteNews.Com) - In a meeting Saturday, with the presidents of the Latin American Episcopal Commissions for the Family and Life, Pope Benedict XVI told the gathered bishops "it is necessary to help everyone to realize the intrinsic evil of the crime of abortion which, in attacking human life at its beginnings, is also an act of aggression against society itself."

Pope Benedict explained how, "also in the field of life, new attitudes are putting this fundamental right into question. ... The elimination of the embryo is being facilitated, as is its use in the name of scientific progress which, in not recognizing its own limits and not accepting all the moral principles that enable the dignity of the person to be protected, becomes a threat to human beings themselves."

The Pope observed how "in Latin America, as elsewhere, children have the right to be born and to grow up in the bosom of a family founded on marriage," and he emphasized how children are an expression of the wealth of a family. "Consequently," he said, "politicians and lawmakers, as servants of the social good, have the duty to defend the fundamental right to life, the fruit of God's love."

Addressing concerns such as artificial procreation and embryonic stem cell research, Benedict XVI continued, "Likewise, scientific and technological advances should always be evaluated according to sound ethical criteria, and nothing that threatens the inherent dignity of the human person should ever be tolerated. Only by faithful adherence to these unchanging truths can society create the conditions in which human beings may flourish and prosper."

Live Poker Tournament Win!

Last night I went to a friend's brother's home to play in a very friendly poker tournament. It was a no-limit hold 'em tournament. 31 men paid $50 and received 2500 in chips. There was one rebuy/add-on within the first hour to get an additional 1000 chips for $20. I was the last one standing after about 6 hours of play and won $930. $850 for first place and an additional $80 in bounties. We were given a $10 bounty for each player that we knocked out of the game.

I hardly played any hands for the first 4 hours or so. When we reached the final 12 players, I only had about 6000 chips (there was over 90,000 in play). I was able to get more involved in pots because I finally started receiving some decent starting hands. I can honestly say that I did not lose one 'race' situation all night. On one hand, I was almost all-in with pocket 8's. My noble opponent showed pocket J's. I hit the set on the flop. A few hands later with AJ, I put someone all-in. He flipped over pocket 5's. I spiked a J on the flop. On another hand, I had KQ on a flop of J-10-5. Opponent (the host) went all-in with A6. I called because I had the proper pot odds (I assumed that he had a pair) and caught a K on the river. Another knockout occured when I had AQ vs KQ on a Q high flop.

When it was heads-up, I had about a 3 to 1 chip lead. It was about a dozen hands later that I won the thing! This is my biggest win ever. I think that I am still in a daze. I know that winning a tournament like this involves a lot of luck, but it is still a great confidence booster for me. I learned a lot about how to play in a live game. Hopefully I can build on this experience.

A funny side note - I didn't get back home until about 4:00 AM. We still went to our regular 9:45 Mass. Friends were coming up to congratulate me on my win before Mass, during the 'sign of peace', and as we were leaving our seats to receive Communion. My priest, Fr. Gary even made it a point to see me after Mass to congratulate me. I had just gotten home 6 hours ago! Boy, word travels fast around here.

Eucharistic Minister = Police?

I went to a Eucharistic Minister training today at our parish. Lisa and I have decided that we would like to be available to help distribute the Precious Body and Blood of Christ during our regular Mass time. We are already on the schedule for the 18th of this month.

The one thing that I came away with during the training was how important it is to make sure that people coming up for Communion actually consume the Host in my presence. I need to make sure that this is done. If someone starts to walk back to their seat with the Eucharist still in their hands, I must follow them and politely ask them to consume. We spent a lot of time talking about how to deal with these types of situations. We also talked about how to deal with situations when people come up to receive and they do things that are out of the 'normal' or correct way to receive Communion.

I hope that I will be able to deal with these situations if they should occur during my duty as an EM. At this time, it feels that I will be more like a policeman than a eucharistic minister.

2008 Presidential Election Odds

I was looking at a site that had the odds of winning the next Presidential Election. I listed the favorites, and a few of the long shots that you could bet on. Some of the names are pretty funny to see on the list. Do people actually bet on the long shots? It's kind of scary that Hillary is the favorite. Also, the fact that the top three are pro-abortion.

Hillary Clinton 3-1
Rudy Giuliani 10-1
John McCain 12-1
George Allen Jr. 20-1
Dick Cheney 20-1
Condoleezza Rice 25-1
Colin Powell 25-1
Bill Frist 30-1
John Edwards 30-1
Jeb Bush 35-1
George W. Bush 200-1
Jesse Jackson 200-1
Arnold Schwarzeneggar 250-1
Bill Clinton 300-1
Clint Eastwood 750-1
Laura Bush 1000-1
James Carville 1000-1
Bill Maher 2500-1
Donald Trump 2500-1
Michael Moore 7500-1

My Second Royal Flush

I hit my second ever royal flush at Absolute Poker today.

It was at a short-handed .5/$1 table. There were five players at the time. I was in the big blind, everyone folded preflop except the small blind. I was dealt [Qh 10h]. The flop came [Jh Ah 3h]. Check, check. Turn [Kh]. Check, bet $1, call. River [5h]. Check, bet $1, fold. I won the enormous $2.85 pot! I get a free 'Royal Flush Club' t-shirt though.

This was even less exciting than My First Royal Flush.

Alex's Top Ten List

Here is an unsolicited favorite things list that Alex wrote.

1. God
2. Mom and Dad and Marisa
3. Church
4. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (the book)
5. Books
6. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (the movie)
7. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (the book)
8. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (the book)
9. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (the movie)
10. Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix (the book)

Tooth Fairy: We Need You Here

Marisa lost her first tooth today. Message to the Tooth Fairy: Please do not forget (like you may have done in the past) to make a stop here tonight.

New Orange Belts

It is now official. Alex and Marisa have received their orange belts in Hapkido Karate. See the test results at Master Kwon's site.

November Poker Winnings

As per the updated resolution that I made on my June 27th post, I have withdrawn my goal of $300 from my poker winnings this month. I have also taken out an extra $200. YTD=+$3,800. I have been fairly consistent for a few months now. I am going to confidently increase my monthly goal to $400 per month. My next withdrawal of $400 is due by December 31st. Please continue to keep me accountable.

God Said No

I asked God to take away my habit.
God said, No.
It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, No.
His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No.
Patience is a byproduct of tribulations; it isn't granted, it is learned.

I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No.
I give you blessings; Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No.
Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No.
You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, No.
I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things.

I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.
God said...Ahhhh, finally you have the idea.

Don't Drive In The Carpool Lane...

...if you cannot keep up with the car ahead of you. Probably my biggest pet peeve while driving is when people go into the carpool lane just because they have enough people in the vehicle to drive there. Then they will drive at a slower pace than the regular lanes. If you find yourself going slower than the more crowded regular freeway lanes, do not hold up the rest of the 200 or so cars that are behind you by lagging 2 miles from the car ahead of you! Thank you very much.

This Explains My Problem

I was reading over the shoulder of Alex tonight. It was one of the Hardy Boys books. He turned the page to a new chapter. So I decided to start reading the page just to get an idea how fast he reads. When I finished the page, I stopped and asked (seven-year-old) Alex where he was on the page. He looked up at me and then pointed to about halfway down ...THE NEXT PAGE!

This probably explains why I really do not like to read as much as he does. If I was able to read 50% faster, I'm sure I'd be reading a lot more. Thank you so much Alex, for showing up your Dad once again.

Shorthanded Ring Games

I have recently 'discovered' the shorthanded tables. These are poker tables that have a maximum of 5 or 6 players versus full ring games that have a max of 9 or 10 players.

I am doing considerably better at these hold 'em tables. Looking at my stats, I find that after about 65 table-hours played (a relatively small sample), I am winning more than twice as much per hour over the full/longhanded tables. Here are some of my theories as to why there is such a big discrepancy:

--You are able to see more flops, as you do not have to wait around for premium starting hands. This is advantageous for the better player.
--Some players like to raise pre-flop with almost anything. This will thin the field and your chances of winning heads-up (or so) are higher.
--When you do catch a good hand post-flop, players are less likely to give you credit for that hand and they will call you down.
--The quality of the players seems to be a lot weaker.
--Players tend to bluff a lot more at these tables. You can use this to your advantage by playing a little bit more aggressively.
--You are able to 'steal' the pot more often with a bet from late position when you are first to bet into the pot post-flop.

I'll probably be playing these shorthanded tables a majority of the time from now on.

Imponderables

-Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting weak?
-Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when they know there is not enough?
-Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?
-Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection?
-Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?
-Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?
-Why did Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
-Whose idea was it to put an "S" in the word "lisp"?
-Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?
-Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?
-Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?
-Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?
-In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?
-How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?

Operation Rescue

I came across a nicely organized pro-life website/blog. It is called Operation Rescue. Seems to be a great site for pro-life news and resources.

Orange Belt Test

Alex and Marisa took their orange belt promotion test today. They did a great job. Official results will be posted shortly.

Veteran's Day

I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease...
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.
I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still,
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin.
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.

--Unknown Author

Enjoy Your Freedom & God Bless Our Troops!

Chaplain Lewis' Last Post

Captain Brad Lewis' final entry on his military blog begins:

"I recently saw a poster from WWII of a paratrooper jumping into combat and slumping over as he hit the ground. The caption on the poster said, “Someone Talked”. The implication is that what someone said cost that soldier his life.

We are a nation at war. Our enemy is both tenacious and intelligent. He will do whatever he can to defeat us and will exploit every possible bit of information to inflict damage on the US and our allies. Even the most seemingly innocuous comments can be used by the enemy to harm us or our interests. Operational Security continues to be an issue for our Armed Forces. Therefore, it is with a heavy heart that I must back away from the blogging community for an indefinite period, perhaps permanently. It would be easy to point a finger and blame someone or something but I won’t do that. It would also be easy to kick and scream about my rights or my desires, but that would be inappropriate. I love my soldiers and want to do what is best for them; even if it means not doing something that I love doing, like writing."

This is yet another sacrifice that Chaplain Lewis must make for us. Thank you very much for your service to the United States of America.

Hopefully his archives will remain available.

Please take look at his excellently written blog: Training For Eternity

Time To Move

Seriously. What are we doing in this crazy state? I now know the feelings of the 'left' when President Bush won his second term. Florida sounds really nice right now even with all of their hurricanes. Here are the horrific results: California Special Election 2005

P.E. For Homeschoolers

We started the kids in a class at the 'Y' that is exclusively for homeschoolers. This session they are learning about all of the fundamentals of basketball. The hour long class is two times a week. It wasn't until the third class that they actually touched a ball. So far they learned about warming up, stretching, defense, terminology, and sportsmanship. It's a great class. They really get a good workout.

We are getting a lot of value out of our new YMCA membership.

A Good Looking Graph

Here is the graph of my poker winnings since I started keeping detailed records on April 1st of this year. It includes all of the bonuses that I received from the various sites where I play. I would estimate that bonuses account for between 25%-33% of the total winnings. Not too bad for playing mostly .50/$1 limit texas hold 'em.

Home School Family Day

Yesterday, Lisa took the day off and we spent the day at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Once a year they will close the park to the general public and will have a 'Home School Family Day'. This was the third year in a row that we have done this. It was once again a great experience, especially now that the kids are getting a little taller and older, so that they can ride on more of the attractions.

This is a great day to experience Six Flags. There are hardly any lines. Sometimes you are able to ride a couple of times before having to get off. We do not have to worry about any gang presence; I haven't heard about any homeschooling gangs roaming the streets causing havoc with their slide rules and spelling bee study books. Also, we do not have to worry about seeing the typical clothes that teens wear that are a little bit too revealing. Modesty seems to be something that these kids have been taught and learned well.

We all are looking forward for next year!

Interesting Stat

According to my web counter statistics, the two most popular individual posts that people enter this blog are: Yakudoshi and FunBrain. About 25% of people who come to my blog enter through one of these two posts. These posts were nothing special. I wish I understood better how all of those search engines work.

Touche

from (Life Site News): On the October 31 edition of the CNN show, "Larry King Live," CBS reporter Mike Wallace commented that the mother of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito said her son is "definitely against abortion." To which Wallace said: "He's a nice Catholic boy and he doesn't believe in abortions."

Catholic League president Bill Donohue responded to Wallace's remarks saying, "We at the Catholic League like nice Catholic boys who don't believe in abortion. For that matter, we even like not-so-nice non-Catholic girls who don't want to kill the kids. What we don't like are condescending octogenarians who don't know when to get out of the ring. Or when to shut up."

Proposition 73

To registered voters of California, don't forget to vote YES on Proposition 73 this coming Tuesday, November 8th. To me, it is a common sense issue. I've linked to the websites of both sides of the issue. I honestly do not understand the arguments on 'NO'. It seems that they feel that the rights of the teen are more important than the responsibility of her parents.

YES: Protect Our Daughters
NO: Campaign For Teen Safety

Judge Alito

By nominating Samuel Alito, President Bush is trying to take the Supreme Court back to a time when the Court did what is was supposed to do: Judge cases based upon the precedence of OUR Constitution and not by the precedence of court cases around the world.

See JudgeAlito.Com to see how you can support this nomination.

The Greatest Decade

The 1980's!

The Reason We Blog

One of the main reasons, I believe, that blogs are so popular is because you are getting news and information from people and places that would not be considered 'Main Stream'. It's true, that at times you may be getting information that is personal only to the blogger. But there are many times where you get a perspective that is fresh, insightful, and powerful.

Here is an example of what I mean. It is once again from Chaplain Lewis' blog. Thankfully he is blogging a lot more frequently lately. In this entry he gives a perspective from the Army in the Middle East that you will be hard-pressed to find on your six-o'clock news.

A few excerpts:
-First, 99 out of 100 soldiers I have spoken with understand that we are involved in something substantial and meaningful over here. They are not the mind numbed robots many make them out to be. They are well educated, highly trained, well equipped professional warriors who know their job and want to do it.

-Second, the men we are fighting here are evil, blood-sucking vermin. They kill indiscriminately and without remorse. Their goal is power, and they seek to gain it even if it costs the lives and spirits of all their fellow countrymen.

-Third, while we have lost 2000+ of our patriot sons and daughters, the number of terrorists who have assumed room temperature is estimated to be anywhere from 5 to 20 times that number (depending on who you talk to). We are taking the wood to the bad guys on a regular basis and in spectacular fashion. I never cease to be amazed at the warrior ethos that drives these great men and women or their willingness to fight and die for the freedom of people they will never meet.

-I'm not a political person. But my soldiers deserve to be heard and respected. They are a new generation of American and have earned the title 'great'.

The Politics of Greatness

It's Strange Isn't It

Isn't it strange how a twenty dollar bill seems like such a large amount when you donate it to church, but such a small amount when you go shopping?

Isn't it strange how two hours seem so long when you're at church, and how short they seem when you're watching a good movie?

Isn't it strange that you can't find a word to say when you're praying, but you have no trouble thinking what to talk about with a friend?

Isn't it strange how difficult and boring it is to read one chapter of the Bible, but how easy it is to read 100 pages of a popular novel or [poker] book?

Isn't it strange how everyone wants front-row-tickets to concerts or games, but they do whatever is possible to sit at the last row in Church?

Isn't it strange how we need to know about an event for Church two or three weeks before the day so we can include it in our schedule, but we can adjust it for other events at the last minute?

Isn't it strange how difficult it is to learn a fact about God to share it with others, but how easy it is to learn, understand, extend and repeat gossip?

Isn't it strange how everyone wants a place in heaven, but they don't want to believe, do, or say anything to get there?

Isn't it strange how we send jokes in e-mails [and blogs] and they are forwarded right away, but when we are going to pass along messages about God, we think about it twice before we share it with others?

It's strange isn't it?

--Author Unknown (hat tip to Robert K.)

Need A Tin Foil Hat?

To combat mind control and brain scanning.

"This site is dedicated to spreading the word about the Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie and how it can help the average human. Here you will find a description of AFDBs, how to make and use them, and general information about related subjects. I hope that you find the AFDB Homepage to be an important source of AFDB know-how and advocacy."

Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie

I Suppose It Could Be Worse

No, this is not a Halloween photo. Yes, today she went out of the home like this. Why does my pretty little girl want to dress like a boy? Instead of Marisa, she wants to be called Mark. This is a phase that I hope she gets over soon.

Update (10/27)-We went to the pharmacy today and the person at the counter asked Marisa her name. She answered, "I call myself Mark." Grrrrr.

UC Riverside Actively Recruits Homeschool Students

From the University of California at Riverside website:

--“Among the homeschool community, we find large numbers of students who are smart, mature, creative, independent and well-socialized people,” said Frank Vahid, a professor of computer science. “We want such excellent students in our classes. They have a lot to offer the university community.”

--The U.S. Department of Education reports that 1.1 million, or 2.2 percent of all students, are homeschooled in the nation. While some private colleges have recruited homeschooling families, UCR would be among the first public research universities to do so.

October Poker Winnings

As per the updated resolution that I made on my June 27th post, I have withdrawn my goal of $300 from my poker winnings this month. I have also taken out an extra $200. YTD=+$3,300. My next withdrawal of $300 is due on November 30th. Please continue to keep me accountable.

I Voted, Have You?

I voted by absentee ballot in the California Special Election. Since this election is basically happening because of the initiative of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to reform California for the better, I voted how he suggested on his Join Arnold website (except for Prop 78).

It is important that people know that he is endorsing Prop 73, parental notification for abortion of children under the age of 18. This is the most important and most common sense proposition on the ballot for me.

Also, see State Senator Tom McClintock's site for his positions and the latest surveys/polling done on these propositions.

A Lesson in Frugality

We went to King's Hawaiian Restaurant in Torrance tonight. This is one of our favorite places to eat. It reminds us of some of the food from Hawaii that we miss so much. They have a very good bakery, too.

Alex was contemplating what he would have from the keiki (child's) menu. He could have chosen spaghetti, mini hamburgers, chicken nuggets, teriyaki chicken or beef bowl, among other items. In a very loud voice, a volume so high that everyone in the restaurant could hear, he proclaimed, "I think that I'll have the grilled cheese, it's the cheapest!" Did he learn this from me or Lisa?

No, Alex, the cheapest thing would have been to have water and the free King's Hawaiian dinner rolls. That's what you can have next time.

The Ex-Cub Factor Strikes Again

Before the baseball playoffs began I posted an entry called The Ex-Cub Factor. This is a theory where the team with the least amount of players who previously played for the Chicago Cubs would win. The Houston Astros and the Chicago White Sox had the fewest number of ex-Cubs players on their roster with one each. In contrast, the Yankees had six ex-Cubs and the Cardinals had four.

As it turns out, the World Series will be a matchup of the Astros and the White Sox. I don't know how the Ex-Cub Factor works when the two teams have the same number. I guess we need to check their respective World Series rosters to see if they leave off their ex-Cubbies. It would seem to be the most prudent thing to do.

It's Official!

Lisa passed her yellow belt test. See Master Kwon's Hapkido Karate.

Prayer Police

Found this on the American Family Association website.

"The prayer police are on patrol again. This time they've nabbed a rogue high school football coach who's dared to lead his team in prayer before meals and games. Marcus Borden, a coach at East Brunswick High in New Jersey, resigned last week after being told by courageous administrators that he could no longer thank God in front of groups of impressionable teenagers. The parents of some of these kids complained about Borden's offensive prayers, saying it made their children 'uncomfortable,' as the Associated Press story put it. School officials said these students' discomfort should be treated with respect. But the damage may already be done; psychological counselors are being rushed in for all students who suffered emotionally from standing quietly while Borden uttered expletives like 'Thank you, God' and 'In Jesus' name.'"

Continue reading the story here.

Reminded me of this cartoon:

Grade 'D' Meat?

The newest post on Army Chaplain Lewis' blog is out. It's a short one. It is titled A True and Stirring Tale. Here is the punchline of the entry: "Grade 'D' Meat - Prisoners and Military Only!"

Prayers For Uncle Bill

About a year ago, Uncle Bill had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his brain. He had been recovering nicely. He even got back into waterski mode (one of his most favorite things to do).

Within the past week, he recently discovered that there is another tumor.

Here is an excerpt of an email I received from Auntie Mimi: "Tuesday, we had the appt. in the morning with the radiologist and in the afteroon with the oncologist. The radiologist said without the therapy, he might have 3 months and with it maybe a year. I know this is if the therapy works. I asked about brain damage from all the radiation (7 weeks), and he said it will not cause brain damage. However, he qualified it by saying he cannot know what the tumors will do.

His mind is still fine, but it's the right leg/foot that does not cooperate and is very weak and shaky.This, of course from that 2nd tumor affecting motor skills. There have been subtle personality changes too.

I can't say much more. Just that miracles do happen for some, and he certainly deserves to be one of them."

I believe in miracles and the power of prayer. We will be praying for you.

What About Zurple?

No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, and purple.

What Are They Thinking?

The new Harry Potter movie, The Goblet of Fire, comes out on November 18th. The previous three movies in the franchise have been rated PG. This one will be rated PG-13. Needless to say, Alex is very, very upset about this. Now he believes that he will not be able to see the film for another six years. If this new film was rated PG, we would have taken him see it in the theater. It would have been a great experience to see the words from the pages on the big screen. He's only seen the other movies at home.

Why do the producers of the movie want to alienate such a large segment of their fans? I guess that they do not like money.

New Chaplain Lewis Post

I just read the newest entry on Army Chaplain Lewis' blog. It is a great read. He tells about finding the perfect gift for his wife from the other side of the world for their anniversary. The title of this entry is called, Size Matters.

The World According To Alex

"How come 'W' is called double-U and not double-V?"

Angels Over Yankees

According to The Ex-Cub Factor, the Angels should beat the Yankees tonight in the deciding game of the American League Division Series. The Yankees have six ex-Cubs players on their roster versus one for the Angels. Go LA beat NY!

And Now There Are Three...

...members of the family who can officially beat me up.

Lisa took her karate yellow belt promotion test yesterday. I am sure that she passed. Alex and Marisa helped her out a lot in preparation for the test. Great job, Lisa!

Three More Bumper Stickers

On one car I saw these three bumper stickers: "No Fur", "A Hamburger Kills a Beating Heart", and "No, I Don't Have Any Spare-Ribs".

I am not knocking any of these sayings or beliefs. I am just wondering if it would be wrong for me to assume that the person driving this vehicle, who is so concerned with the lives of animals, is as strong and vocal in his views about human life issues?

24 Days To Go...

...And Counting!

Three Bumper Stickers

On our way home from the Y, I saw one bumper sticker on a car that read, "Improving Lives By Winning Better Contracts. Teamsters Union." I interpret this to mean, "You don't have to work hard to earn or merit yourself a better wage. We can get you more money, by intimidation, and it will be like winning the lottery."

On another car I saw a Chicago Cubs (yeah) and a Kerry/Edwards (hiss) bumper sticker right next to each other. I guess that I must be more of a political junkie than a Cubs fan, because it was like the Cubs' sticker was not even there. I vocalized a loud, "Uhhg" sound that I had to explain to Alex.

Special Election Propositions

I received an email from State Senator Tom McClintock (who I voted for in the recall election over the Governator). He has an easy to read and understand voter guide on the eight propositions on the November 8th California Special Election. The only one that he differs from Governor Schwarzenegger is Prop 78.

Proposition 73: Parental Notification for Abortion. If parental consent is required for a child to use a tanning booth or get her ears pierced, shouldn’t parents at least be notified if she’s getting an abortion? YES. Whether you’re pro-life or pro-choice, this should be the all-time no-brainer.

Proposition 74: Teacher Tenure. Do parents have a right to expect a higher level of competence before a teacher is granted life-time tenure? YES. This modest measure simply increases the teacher probation period from two years to five years.

Proposition 75: Public Employee Union Dues. Should public employees decide for themselves which candidates they will support with their own money? YES. This measure requires that before a public employee union can take money from that employee for political donations, it has to get the employee’s permission.

Proposition 76: State Spending. Should government live within its means? YES. This measure restores the authority that the governor of California had between 1939 and 1983 to make mid-year spending cuts whenever spending outpaces revenue without having to return to the legislature.

Proposition 77: Re-Districting. Should voters choose their representatives in legislative districts that are drawn without regard to partisan advantage? YES. The most obvious conflict of interest in government is when politicians choose which voters will get to vote for them by drawing their own legislative district lines. This measure puts a stop to it.

Propositions 78 and 79: Prescription Drug Discounts. Do you want the same people who run the DMV to run your pharmacy? NO. These are rival measures, one supported by drug companies and the other by liberal activists – both of which purport to lower drug prices. What they really do is assure that one group of patients gets to pay higher prices to provide subsidized prices for others. There’s no such thing as a free Levitra.

Proposition 80. Electricity Regulation. Do you want the same people who run the DMV to run your electricity company? NO. This measure locks in monopoly control of your electricity by the bureaucratized utilities and forbids you from ever being able to shop around for the lowest-priced electricity available.

The Ex-Cub Factor

I remember reading an article by Mike Royko in the early 1980's regarding the ex-cub factor. Thanks to the article on All-Baseball.Com titled The Ex-Cub Factor-Ignore It At Your Own Risk, I've learned that it was originally attributed to Ron Berler. You can read his original article here.

Berler, who wrote the article in 1981 stating that since the Yankees of that season had five ex-Cubs on their roster, they were doomed to lose the World Series if they got there. Berler's prediction turned out to be right, as the Yankees lost to the Dodgers in six games. Over the past two decades, I have been a strong believer in this theory.

Here is the list of this year's playoff teams and the number and names of Ex-Cubs on their roster:
NEW YORK YANKEES (6): Mark Bellhorn, Tom Gordon, Matt Lawton, Rey Sanchez, Tanyon Sturtze, Tony Womack
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (4): Mark Grudzielanek, Ray King, Mike Mahoney, Julian Tavarez
BOSTON RED SOX (3): Matt Clement, Jeremi Gonzalez, Bill Mueller
SAN DIEGO PADRES (3): Manny Alexander, Damian Jackson, Eric Young
ATLANTA BRAVES (2): Kyle Farnsworth, Todd Hollandsworth
CHICAGO WHITE SOX (1): Ross Gload
HOUSTON ASTROS (1): Jose Vizcaino
LOS ANGELES ANGELS (1): Josh Paul

So according to this theory, this bodes well for the two teams that I am rooting for this year: White Sox and Angels.

Harriet Miers Led Bid to Reconsider ABA's Pro-Abortion Stance

from BREITBART.COM by ANNE GEARAN, Associated Press

As president of the Texas State Bar in 1993, Harriet Miers urged the national American Bar Association to put the abortion issue to a referendum of the group's full membership. She questioned at the time whether the ABA should "be trying to speak for the entire legal community" on an issue that she said "has brought on tremendous divisiveness" within the ABA.

Miers was among a group of lawyers from the Texas bar and elsewhere who had argued that the ABA should have a neutral stance on abortion.

The ABA's policy-making body overwhelmingly rejected the Texas lawyers' group's 1993 proposal to put the issue to a referendum by mail of the ABA's then-roster of about 360,000 members.

"Our current position (in favor of abortion rights) has no meaning unless it is endorsed in fact by the membership," Miers said at the time.

The ABA's position, adopted in 1992, endorses the basic outlines of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling that women may choose to have an abortion without state interference prior to the point at which a fetus could live outside the womb, and after that point if the woman's life or health were threatened by the pregnancy.

Although Miers' personal view of abortion was not explicit in 1993, Leonard Leo, a White House adviser on Supreme Court nominations highlighted her efforts as part of the reason that "conservatives should be very happy with this selection."

"As a leader of the bar, Harriet Miers was a fearless and very strong proponent of conservative legal views. She led a campaign to have the American Bar Association end its practice of supporting abortion-on- demand and taxpayer-funded abortions," Leo said a memo on the Miers nomination.

3000 Hits!

I just had my 3000th hit to my blog. Thanks for visiting. Please come again.

(Imagine that I superimposed my face in place of Bernie Mac's. That is what I would have liked to have done, if I had Photoshop and the time to do it.)

Harriet Miers

This is my first immediate reaction. I just saw the nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court by President Bush about ten minutes ago. The one thing that stuck out to me from her background was the fact that she has an undergraduate degree in mathematics.

In my opinion, this means that she will be less likely to be using her feelings when making judicial rulings. As a math major, she will probably be using the more logical part of her brain. This is what I want in a judge.

Commitment

Commitment comes before anything else in a leader's life. Because Nehemiah (Nehemiah 6:15, 16) had it and drew it out of others, the people finished the wall in 52 days, despite many adversities. Their great accomplishment so thrilled Nehemiah that he wrote, "When all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things...they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God" (Neh. 6:16).

Leaders who complete a task possess at least four characteristics:
1. A compelling purpose: They make a great commitment to a great cause.
2. A clear perspective: They don't let fear cloud their view of the future.
3. A continual prayer: They pray about everything and gain God's favor.
4. A courageous persistence: They move ahead despite the odds.

From: The Maxwell Leadership Bible

Four Aces

I was playing a litle texas hold 'em with Alex. No money involved. I consider it good practice for when I finally play live at a casino or card room. I'll try to work on eliminating tells, watching for tells, handling the chips, etc. There was one hand that we played where I was impressed with how Alex handled the loss.

I was dealt pocket aces. I bet out 2 chips. I wanted him to stay in. He called. The flop came out A-Q-3 rainbow. I flopped a set and bet 1 chip. Turn card was the final ace giving me four-of-a-kind. I bet 1 chip again. River was a 6. I bet 1 and Alex called and flipped over pocket 8's for two-pair aces and eights. I believe that he thought he won until I showed my pocket rockets. "Ahhhhhhh, ahhhhhhh, ahhhhhhh, ahhhhhhh, ahhhhhhh," was all that could come out of his mouth. He was speechless. He had a big smile on his face as he looked at all four aces and said, "Nice hand, Dad!"

He didn't have a tantrum like I would expect many immature poker players to have. Good job handling the loss, Alex. "That's poker."

Father Dennis on The Da Vinci Code

"At some point in the not too distant future, Hollywood is going to release one of the most evil, anti-christian films ever made. It's based on the equally evil anti-christian book "The Da Vinci Code" which maintains that the person who reached out to the world in love and selflessly gave his life for its salvation couldn't have lived 33 years without having sex. It's amazing that this "impossibility" has never been a concern for the world in the first 2000 years since Jesus' death. Thank goodness that Dan Brown figured it all out."

Read Father Dennis' complete blog entry here.
See my blog entries: Cracking The Da Vinci Code and Nun Protests on Da Vinci Code Set

Russian Named Patron Saint of Nuclear Bomber Force

I have to admit that this story gave me a chuckle.

excerpt: Historic Russian admiral Fyodor Ushakov was designated the patron saint of nuclear-armed, long-distance Russian bombers by the Orthodox Church.

Russian Patriarch Alexei II, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, carried a reliquary and an icon of the admiral, who was canonised in 2004, into the Moscow chapel of the Russian Air Force's 37th Air Army in Moscow.

"I am sure he will become your intermediary as you fulfil your responsible duties to the fatherland in the long-range air force," the patriarch said.

September Poker Winnings

As per the updated resolution that I made on my June 27th post, I have withdrawn my goal of $300 from my poker winnings this month. I have also taken out an extra $100. YTD=+$2,800. My next withdrawal of $300 is due on October 31st. Please continue to keep me accountable.

A Positive Car Repair Experience

Do you ever get the feeling that automobile mechanics are out to scam you? I get this feeling every time that I have to get service on our vehicles. Over the past few months I've had to have a new timing belt, new brakes, new tires, and a new radiator put into my 11 year old van. I have had to have new tires, a new battery, and the clutch replaced on our 7 year old car. It seems to be a never ending cycle. Hey, at least we don't have any car payments!

Today, I took the car into Pep Boys because there was a horrible scratching sound that was coming from under the car. It sounded like the whole bottom was going to fall out. I felt really lucky that I was able to get it to their garage. I could see dollar signs in the sales mechanic's eyes as I was describing the problem. I left the car with them and we walked home. I was really in a bad mood on the walk home and for the couple of hours following, waiting to hear the verdict and the monetary damage.

I received 'the call', and hesitantly picked up the phone. The mechanic said that the car was fixed. They had to take something apart and found a small rock between the rotor (whatever that is) and some other thingamajiggy. I didn't even ask how much it would be. I was just glad that it was repaired and it didn't sound like it was a major job. When I received my car keys, I asked how much I owed them. "No charge," he said.

I must say that I left very happy and with a little bit of a guilty complex because of all of the negative thoughts I had earlier in the day. I will definitely go back to see Manny, Moe, and Jack the next time I need something done.

Group Offers Free Abortions For Hurricane Survivors

(from American Life League) - Compounding Human Suffering in the Wake of Tragedy

"The National Abortion Federation is currently exhibiting a most disgusting twist on charitable giving," said Judie Brown, president of American Life League. "In an expression of 'deepest sympathy' for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, this organization of abortion providers is seeking funding to offer free or reduced-cost abortions to women forced from their homes by Hurricane Katrina. How can anyone possibly suggest that a mother in distress could benefit by killing her preborn child?"

The National Abortion Federation is providing a list of abortion facilities in the nation that have offered free abortions — and asking for contributions to its referral hotline to defray costs for storm victims "who lack the resources to pay for the abortion care they need."

"The nation is watching as the victims of Katrina continue to experience sadness, discouragement, despondency and displacement," said Mrs. Brown. "It boggles my mind to consider the possibility that anyone would want to compound the horror by advocating the death of a family member. Too many families have already lost children as a result of the storm. Why does the abortion industry seem so willing — and eager — to increase the already horrific death count?"

Mrs. Brown said there is a genuine need for assistance for pro-life pregnancy counseling in the hurricane-ravaged areas of the Gulf Coast, not for abortion. "The centers that provide this counseling are the ones who could really use help. I've heard from several that have lost their entire operations as a result of Katrina. They are unable to provide critical assistance that mothers should be receiving in the wake of the devastation — and unable to share the truth that no one ever 'needs' an abortion."

Christian Family Movement

We have been members of this ministry at our parish for the past 4 years or so. This year, Lisa has 'volunteered' to be the Leader. By default, as the dutiful spouse, this responsibility falls upon me too. We will try to make this ministry a more visible entity within the parish. One way that we think that we can do this is to focus more of the group's attention on service to the community. Hopefully, we can be a better influence on others outside the group. In addition to arousing more interest and possible membership to this ministry.

Visit the Christian Family Movement website.

FunBrain.Com

I found a great kids learning site. It is for students, teachers, and homeschoolers. It is a great way for kids to have fun online, not knowing that they are really learning stuff. There is a section for parents and another for teachers. Click here to go to the site.

Poker Hand Odds You Must Know

To have a reasonable chance at beating your next Texas Hold 'Em game, I believe that you must memorize the following table. It shows the probability of catching an 'out' on the turn/4th street (47 unseen cards), the river/5th street (46 unseen cards), and the turn or river (after the flop; turn and river combined). 'Outs' are the number of cards that can 'make' your hand. For example, if you are looking for that flush on the river, there are 9 cards/outs that can help you at a probability of almost 1 in 5 (13 clubs in the deck minus 4 clubs in your hand or on the board equals 9 clubs remaining).

Probability of Catching an Out:
Outs - Turn(%) - River(%) - Turn or River(%)
-- 20 ---- 42.6 -------- 43.5 ------------- 67.5
-- 19 ---- 40.4 -------- 41.3 ------------- 65.0
-- 18 ---- 38.3 -------- 39.1 ------------- 62.4
-- 17 ---- 36.2 -------- 37.0 ------------- 59.8
-- 16 ---- 34.0 -------- 34.8 ------------- 57.0
-- 15 ---- 31.9 -------- 32.6 ------------- 54.1
-- 14 ---- 29.8 -------- 30.4 ------------- 51.2
-- 13 ---- 27.7 -------- 28.3 ------------- 48.1
-- 12 ---- 25.5 -------- 26.1 ------------- 45.0
-- 11 ---- 23.4 -------- 23.9 ------------- 41.7
-- 10 ---- 21.3 -------- 21.7 ------------- 38.4
--- 9 ---- 19.1 --------- 19.6 ------------- 35.0
--- 8 ---- 17.0 --------- 17.4 ------------- 31.5
--- 7 ---- 14.9 --------- 15.2 ------------- 27.8
--- 6 ---- 12.8 --------- 13.0 ------------- 24.1
--- 5 ---- 10.6 --------- 10.9 ------------- 20.4
--- 4 ----- 8.5 ----------- 8.7 -------------- 16.5
--- 3 ----- 6.4 ----------- 6.5 -------------- 12.5
--- 2 ----- 4.3 ----------- 4.3 ---------------- 8.4
--- 1 ----- 2.1 ----------- 2.2 ---------------- 4.3

Kansas Photos Posted

Some photographs from our vacation to Kansas in August are posted in the My Photo Albums section of the sidebar.

Forsaken Roots

Did you know that 52 of the 55 signers of The Declaration of Independence were orthodox, deeply committed Christians? The other three all believed in the Bible as the divine truth, the God of scripture, and His personal intervention.

It is the same congress that formed the American Bible Society. Immediately after creating the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress voted to purchase and import 20,000 copies of scripture for the people of this nation.

Patrick Henry, who is called the firebrand of the American Revolution, is still remembered for his words, "Give me liberty or give me death." But in current textbooks the context of these words is deleted. Here is what he said: "An appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is left us. But we shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God that presides over the destinies of nations. The battle sir, is not of the strong alone. Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death."

Continue reading Forsaken Roots.

Yakudoshi

A good friend from Hawaii just had a surprise yakudoshi party. While I am familiar with the term, I have never really understood the meaning or significance of it. Thanks to Darin, he showed me a link titled Japanese Traditions on the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i website that explains certain Japanese traditions. I wonder if I have anything to fear as my 41st birthday rapidly approaches?

Yakudoshi - Bad luck ages are referred to as yakudoshi, with yaku meaning “calamity” or “calamitous” and doshi signifying “year(s).” These years are considered critical or dangerous because they are believed to bring bad luck or disaster. For men, the ages 24 and 41 (or 25 and 42 in Japan) are deemed critical years, with 41 being especially critical. It is customary in these unlucky years to visit temples and shrines to provide divine protection from harm. In Hawaii, it has become a widespread tradition among men of Japanese ancestry to celebrate the 41st birthday with a festive yakudoshi party or gathering to ward off the bad luck or disaster that may strike. The birthday person should wear red to bring good health, vitality and long life.

Congratulations Colm and Rita

Colmcille Francis Coffey and Rita Marie Courville received the Sacrament of Marriage at Our Savior Catholic Center, on the University of Southern California campus today. The celebrants were Father Lawrence Seyer and Colm's Father, Deacon John Coffey.

During the ceremony, the marriage vows of Deacon John and Anne Marie from Brooklyn, New York, were renewed on the day of their 42nd wedding anniversary.

See the photo album in the My Photo Albums section of the sidebar.

Cardinal Mahoney Honors Pro-Abortion 'Catholic'

I am not exaggerating when I say that I do not know one catholic who likes and admires Cardinal Mahoney. The following article probably gives some of the reasons why this is the case. Personally, I think that he is a good celebrant/homilist.

(from Life Site News) - The annual service award for the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles is billed as rewards for “long and distinguished records of service,” according to the Los Angeles diocesan newspaper, the Tidings. Roger Cardinal Mahoney, the Archbishop of Los Angeles, chose to include among this year’s recipients attorney William M. Wardlaw, “a parishioner of Holy Family Church in South Pasadena.”

Wardlaw, according to the diocesan newspaper, is a “business executive who has served on numerous school and organization boards in the archdiocese including Catholic Charities.” What is not mentioned is that Wardlaw is also a major power broker in the state Democratic Party and distinguished himself as President Clinton’s California point man during the 1992 and 1996 campaigns.

Wardlaw’s wife, the Honorable Kim McLane Wardlaw, was appointed judge to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals by Clinton and served on the Clinton-Gore Presidential Transition Team. Mrs. Wardlaw has also been the recipient of prestigious awards including one from the rabidly pro-abortion anti-family organization National Organization of Women.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Wardlaw are members of the elite “F.O.B.,” club (Friends of Bill [Clinton]), and have been guests of the Clintons in the Lincoln bedroom. William Wardlaw was appointed by Mahoney in 1999 to the committee raising funds to pay for the diocese’s massive new concrete Cathedral, mocked by Catholic commentators as the “Taj Mahoney.”

Clinton will be remembered as the Abortion President and his administration as one of the most scandal-plagued periods of US presidential history. During Bill Clinton’s presidency, the Democratic Party became synonymous with abortion advocacy, both domestically and in overseas eugenic population control programs. Bill and Hillary Clinton are seen as heroes by the abortion movement.

Anglican scholar and historian, Philip Jenkins, in his 2003 book, The New Anti-Catholicism, identifies the close connection between the US Catholic hierarchy and the Democratic Party as a source of what he calls, “liberal anti-Catholicism,” which he says has in many cases created an insoluble conflict of interest pitting the bishops against their Church. As the Democrats become more and more the “party of abortion” and gay “rights,” the Catholic bishops who continue to support them, says Jenkins, since Roosevelt’s leftist “New Deal,” are more and more at odds with the moral and social tenets of the Catholic Church.

This conflict became blatant during the Bush/Kerry presidential race when few US bishops were willing to speak out against John Kerry’s militantly pro-abortion policies.

Mahoney’s decision to grant awards to one of Clinton’s most intimate supporters flies directly in the face of a declaration to which he was signatory - 2004’s “Catholics in Political Life.” That document states, “The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”

Mahoney’s record as Archbishop of Los Angeles is itself a litany of financial, sexual and political scandals that has raised a clamour from pro-life organizations and Catholic groups demanding his resignation.

Los Angeles County Fair

The Los Angeles County Fair is taking place from September 9-October 2 at the Fairplex in Pomona. I have never been to this Fair, but I really enjoy all of the commercials for it. There are all high production (Hollywood is here) pieces that pokes fun at all of the stereotypes of L.A. living. See the commercials here.

Teacher (holding picture to class): Who knows what comes from cows?
Student: Non-fat half-caf cappuccinos?

Teacher: What do we get from sheep?
Student: Gucci sweaters?

Left Behind Series - False Profit

False Profit - Money, Prejudice, and Bad Theology is a very good article with references on Karl Keating's Catholic Answers website written by Jimmy Akin that is about the Left Behind series written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. I have been curious about the success of the series, but have never really looked into it before. This article helps me to see one side of the issue. As a practicing Catholic, it definitely makes me wary of reading any of the books.

Here is the thesis of the article: "Left Behind leaves many Catholics scratching their heads. They may know that it has something to do with the end of the world. Some Catholics have even had Evangelical friends try to get them to read the books as a subtle (or not so subtle) attempt to evangelize them. But few have a clear idea of what the books are about, who is behind them, and how they relate to the Catholic faith. This is a problem. There is nothing wrong with having a successful publishing franchise, but when that franchise contains anti-Catholic prejudice and bad theology, that is a problem. Matters are worse when the franchise is so profit-driven that it puts making a buck over the spiritual and psychological well-being of children."

Here is the conclusion of the article: "Two motives are at war in the pages of the Left Behind franchise. The first is a sincere desire to advance people's knowledge of God's prophetic words, what we may call a "prophet motive." The second is the simple desire to make a buck - plain, old, ordinary profit motive. Tim LaHaye may be credited with a genuine desire to help people better understand the prophetic aspect of the Bible. The trouble is that his understanding of Bible prophecy is seriously defective. As a result, he spreads more error than knowledge. He leads people to needlessly obsess about and fear the future. And, however sincerely, he leads people away from true Christian faith. What about the second motive? There is nothing wrong with financial success, but when the means by which one achieves it involves spreading error and fear, it is shameful. Worse, the profit motive of the series sometimes seems to be the stronger of the two. This is illustrated by the hack writing quality of the novels. (Would God really send an angel to pilot an airplane for the heroes, as happens in The Remnant? Would the United Nations turn over power to the Antichrist just because he gives a speech in which he affectingly reads the names of its member countries, as happens in Left Behind?) The profit motive is also on display in the slap-dash nature of its non-fiction add-ons, but it most clearly comes out in Tyndale House's suggestion of (and the authors' acquiescence to) the Left Behind: The Kids series, which will disturb the spiritual and psychological well-being of countless children."

Poker Quiz

I am in the middle of reading at great poker book. The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King: Inside the Richest Poker Game of All Time tells of the biggest cash game in the history of poker. I find it interesting because it vividly tells the story about some of the professional poker players that we see on television all the time. I will review it soon. I am about half done.

There is an interesting quiz that Andy Beal (the banker), wanted answered. So he ran computer tests to find the results. The following are the questions and answers. They are very enlightening things to know when playing heads-up texas hold 'em.

1. What is the lowest card you could have in your hand and expect to win more than half the time regardless of second card? King. K-2 wins more than half the time.
2. What is the unpaired, unsuited hand with the lowest high card that would win more than half the time? 10-8 offsuit wins more than half the time.
3. What is the lowest suited hand that would win more than half the time? 9-6 suited.
4. What are the highest suited hand that would not win more than half the time? J-2 suited wins 50% of the time.
5. What are the worst hands that would win more than half the time? Q-3 offsuit, J-4 suited, 2-2, J-3 suited, Q-4 offsuit, all hover right above the 50% mark.

Derrek Lee Triple Crown Watch

Batting Average: .338 - 1st in MLB
Home Runs: 41 - 2nd in NL
Runs Batted In: 99 - 7th in NL

Nice try, Derrek. This will be my last Derrek Lee update. Is there anything Cubs fans have left to cheer for? Even Greg Maddux' 15-wins streak looks like it will end this season. Help.

September 11

We Must Never Forget

Photo Albums

I added a couple of photo albums to the blog. They are located down within the sidebar. I will be adding more when I get the time. Enjoy.

Planned Parenthood's Katrina Relief?

American Life League's STOPP International emphasized that Planned Parenthood is “undeserving of any public support” as evidenced by its callous exploitation of the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina for its own financial gain.

“America is in the grips of what could be the worst natural disaster in its history, and all Planned Parenthood can think of is how to get its hands on the money pouring in for rescue operations,” said Jim Sedlak, STOPP International’s executive director. On its national web site, Planned Parenthood urges people to donate to Planned Parenthood's Hurricane Katrina Relief. The fine print on the web page then explains that all money raised will simply be used to support its own clinics and offices, not to support any of the rescue efforts or critical services needed by storm victims in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast.

“The audacity of this organization, which has received more than $3.6 billion in taxpayer funds since 1987 and has current assets in excess of half a billion dollars, trying to siphon off hurricane relief dollars for its own coffers, is beyond belief,” Sedlak said.

STOPP is calling on all public officials in this country “to immediately turn off the spigot of tax dollars to Planned Parenthood. No more Title X. No more Medicaid reimbursements. No more dollars through the myriad of taxpayer programs Planned Parenthood taps into every year. And, perhaps most importantly, no government programs to support the rebuilding or refurbishing of any of its storm-damaged clinics.”

(taken from Life Site News)

Summer Is Officially Over

Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer. We have been taking a little break from homeschooling. This is actually the first time that I've done this. In the previous summers, we just kept right on working. They didn't know that most other students have the summer off. I think that I needed the break more than the kids this time. Now it is time to get organized and start the school year. Welcome to the third grade, Alex. Welcome to Kindergarten, Marisa.

Best Poker Room Win Rates

I have been keeping track of specific sites where I play poker since April of this year. It seems that the only place that I have lost money at is PokerRoom.Com. I feel bad about this because I suggested to some friends that they sign up at that site. I need to recommend some of the other sites. My cumulative win rate is about $5.50 per hour since April.

New Orleans Pictures

You can see the devastation that Hurricane Katrina put on the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. More aerial photos can be found at the NBC affiliate of New Orleans' WWL-TV website. Horrible.

Reno

On our little trip to visit family in the Sacramento area, Lisa and I were able to have an overnight getaway to Reno. I believe that this was the first time that we have been to this city since the time that I asked Lisa to marry me there. Being there brought back all kinds of memories that I had forgotten about.

We were able to see a comedy show at the Improv in Harrah's. I had a 2-for-1 show ticket coupon. The show was so good, I would have paid double the face value. It looked to me that the showroom was only about 1/3 full. I think that the high gasoline prices really kept people from travelling this weekend. The comics were great. I think they took it as a challenge to entertain the small audience. I hope that they get paid a flat rate and not a percentage.

The headline act was Heath Hyche. He had a lot of visual humor. He had way too much energy. By the end of his act, I was crying/laughing. I believe that he plays a lot at the Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach. We need to try to check him out again. If he is going to play in your area, drop everything that you are doing, and go see him!

Most For Gasoline

$3.299 per gallon. This is the most that I have ever paid for gas in my life. Hopefully it will be a record that will not be broken for a very long time.

What To Do?

As more news comes out from the disaster of Hurricane Katrina, I feel that I want to do something to help out. I cannot imagine what it would be like to lose all of my physical possessions. Or worse.

For now, all I can do is pray for the victims and their families.

I am going to make a donation to the Red Cross and Feed the Children.

I know that I would like to do more. I'm sure I'll figure it out.

Training For Eternity (new entry)

There is finally a new entry in Army Chaplain Lewis' blog Training For Eternity. It is a post titled NSDQ. Since I am not a military person, I do not know what those initials stands for. In this entry, Chaplain Lewis talks about the notification of the deaths of soldiers to their loved ones back home.

Here is his concluding paragraph:

"We are at war, and people die. It is a sad reality. But I can say without hesitation that as the details of the actions of those lost that day come to my attention, I clearly understand that they willingly gave everything so that someday others would not have to do the same. They lived to fight, and they fought to win."

God Bless Our Troops.

Newsweek Cover: Spirituality in America

The September 5th issue of Newsweek's cover story focuses on Spirituality in America. From what I have read so far, it seems like a very good issue. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a small mention about Cursillo. This is the main ministry that I am involved with. The article got it a little wrong when they described the Cursillo Weekend as a three-day retreat of silent contemplation. There is a bit of silence on the first night, but there is a whole lot more involved.

I also enjoyed the article, Roman Catholicism: 'Hail Mary' Is More Than a Football Play. More than anything else, I really hope that when my children get to college, they will be like those students described in the article. Kids with a rich, vibrant, and visible faith.

August Poker Winnings

As per the updated resolution that I made on my June 27th post, I have withdrawn my goal of $300 from my poker winnings this month. YTD=+$2,400. My next withdrawal of $300 is due on September 30th. Please continue to keep me accountable.

CA: Prop 73-Parental Notification

A California Special Election is set for Tuesday, November 8, 2005. One of the measures on the ballot is proposition 73, a proposed constitutional amendment for parental notification and a 48 hour wait before an abortion is performed on a minor. If passed, the California State Constitution will be amended to require that an abortionist notify at least one parent or guardian, of a minor girl under the age of 18, not less than 48 hours in advance of any abortion procedure (including the "Morning After Pill" RU486). If Prop 73 is rejected, the California abortion law will remain unchanged. Current law allows abortions on girls as young as 12 years old with no parental notification whatsoever.

Derrek Lee Triple Crown Watch

Batting Average: .353 - 1st in MLB
Home Runs: 37 - 2nd(tied) in MLB
Runs Batted In: 91 - 6th in NL

Nice try, Derrek. I think that Dusty needs to switch you in the batting order with Aramis so you can pick up a few more RBI's. Even though it is probably better the way it is with you batting 3rd in the lineup because of your higher OB%.

Roughing It

We will be going camping for the first time this weekend. I have no idea what to expect. We will be with a bunch of 'veteran' campers, so we shouldn't have any major problems. There are rest rooms and showers. I was checking out the campground website and found out that Wi-Fi internet access is available. It says that "Park visitors will be able to gain Wi-Fi access when they use a wireless device within about 150 to 200 feet of a SBC hot spot located in the park."

What! Access only within 150'-200' of a hot spot? Yes, we really are roughing it!

Some Not Happy About Non-Embryonic Stem Cell Breakthroughs

Aren't scientists supposed to cheer advances in their field? They promised the moon when embryonic stem cell research is involved. But when the breakthroughs come in skin cells, umbilical cord cells, placental cells, and bone marrow cells--even the scientists who discovered the benefits are urging caution.

See the full Washington Post column here.

Thanks to Laura Ingraham for the heads up on this one.

Bicycle Reflection

The other day we went to the park so that Alex and Marisa could ride their bicycles. I observed some interesting things that correlates the way my kids ride their bikes with the way many of us live our lives.

Alex tends to ride carefully. He will focus very hard on what he is doing and what is going on no more than ten feet around him. He wants to remain in control of his bike. He will never go too fast. He stays on the path. He will occasionally sacrifice himself for the sake of others less fortunate (see Kamikaze Squirrel that tells how he crashed his bike so that he would not hurt the squirrel that ran out in front of him). While concentrating so much on his task at hand, though, he may be missing the chance to discover things and places that are further away than what is immediately around him. What would happen if he went down a strange new path for a little while?

When Marisa rides her bike, she rides fast. At times it looks like she is not in control of her bike. She will be the one who ventures off the path and rides the furthest away from me. She watches things that are going on far away from her. She looks at the sky. She looks at the dog running in the distance. She takes a lot more chances with her riding, which causes a lot more scrapes and bruises. However, she is never discouraged by these small setbacks. She will yell, "I'm OK!" and hop right back on her bike and go along her merry way.

I think that many of us may be living our lives too much like how Alex rides his bike. We will focus on the tasks that are immediately around us, which is not necessarily a bad thing. We should be focused. We just don't like to take too many chances. We are comfortable going around on our little path, never straying too far from it. We may be missing out on some of life's adventures or lessons by not looking more outside our comfort zones. We need to try to be more like Marisa on her bike. Look at the things that are far away in the future. Take a look at what different paths may bring us. Don't be so afraid to fail. If we do, get back on and try it again. Have fun. Dream a little now and then.

One Million

WOW!
This is what one million people look like during the World Youth Day Mass held at Marienfeld near Cologne, Germany yesterday.

More photos from WYD 2005 here from Yahoo! News.

World Youth Day Coverage

Where is the coverage of this momentous event where more than 1,000,000 youths from around the world are gathered for a religious event? (That's a rhetorical question.)

For news and observations you can check out these sites:
Official XX WYD 2005 Cologne website
EWTN
Vatican WYD page

From Pope Benedict's homily on August 21, he calls upon the youth to participate regularly in Sunday Mass. “You will realize that this is what gives a proper focus to your free time”, the Pontiff said during the Mass held at Marienfeld near Cologne. He called on the one million youths in attendance to follow the faith of the Church. “Religion constructed on a ‘do-it-yourself- basis cannot ultimately help us. It may be comfortable, but at times of crisis we are left to ourselves”, according to the Pope. The youth should also “form communities based on faith”. As examples, he cited the spiritual movements and communities that have developed in recent decades.

Though these words were spoken for the youth, they are inspiring words for the rest of us to focus, reflect, and pray about, too.

I Knew I Liked Kansas

(from ProLifeBlogs.com) - Kansas Seeks to Block Abortion Funding
"All men are possessed of equal and inalienable natural rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." - Kansas State Constitution

Some government officials in Kansas are acting on the principles of their state’s constitution by asking for a ruling that would stop tax dollars from funding abortion. The request came in a lawsuit filed last Tuesday by Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline seeking to block the state’s ability to finance abortions through Medicaid.

"At the very moment of fertilization, a new, unique and genetically distinct human being is formed, distinct from its host while dependent upon her," said the petition. By allowing the abortions, the petition says, "the expenditure of Kansas funds as reimbursement for elective pregnancy terminations involve the state of Kansas in the destruction of the lives of ‘men’ without due process."

See Lawrence Journal-World article for more details.

0.05/0.10 NL Experiment

I received a $10 free bonus from one of the poker sites that I haven't played on in a while. It was a 'please come back and play on our site' gift. Instead of depositing more money so that I could play at my normal stakes, I decided to try to play at low-stakes no-limit hold 'em tables. At .05/.10 NL stakes, I am not risking too much. The maximum buy-in at these tables is $5. I play even tighter than normal, because when I hit a hand, I know I will get paid off. I will try to get all-in pre-flop with AA, KK, or AKs. I will limp-in with pocket pairs to try to hit a set, then go all-in, otherwise fold. I may occasionally limp-in to see a flop, then fold if I don't hit something really big. So far, after about 3 hours of just goofing around, waiting only for these situations, I've turned the $10 into $45. I wonder how high I can get?

Father Richard McBrien, Ugh

I knew it all along. Now I have confirmation from the Cardinal Newman Society that Fr. Richard McBrien, a theology professor at the University of Notre Dame, "is a notorious dissenter from basic Catholic doctrines regarding the nature of God and the sacraments." See the Action Alert (.pdf) from their website.

The Southern California Catholic Weekly paper, The Tidings, prints McBrien's columns almost every week. Here is his column from August 5, 2005 where he says that the removal of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube, "...was entirely consistent with traditional Catholic moral principles." Yikes!

I wrote a letter to the editor that was published in The Tidings a few years ago where I expressed reasons why they should not print his articles. I am not against publishing opposing points of views. My main point was that as a priest, Fr. Richard carries a lot more weight and authority when he expresses an opinion. Some may think that he speaks for the Church.

I think that it may be time to send off another letter to express my feelings.

Why We Homeschool

I found a very inspiring Op-Ed written by Michael Farris, chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association, in the Washington Times from November 4, 1997. To me, it is common sense. Of course, one can achieve the goals given within the piece with their children in a traditional school setting. We believe that it is a lot easier to do through homeschooling. If you'd like to understand why we homeschool, please read this article.

Here are a few excerpts:
--At one time or another, every home-schooler feels the strain of swimming against the tide of society. It is sometimes lonely to be pursuing not only a different educational method, but a different set of goals for our families and, yes, a different lifestyle.

--We want our children to be content with ordinary means. We want our children to fear God and to show equal respect to every person regardless of race or class. We want our homes to be filled with “probity, piety, and patriotism.”

--We want our children to know what is going on in the world and to take a part eagerly in the movement to bring America back to a lifestyle that can more honestly be called civilization. The barbarism and pagan shamelessness that dominates our airwaves and streets calls into serious question our right to call ourselves a civilized nation.

--We want our children to have a sense of destiny and to value high achievement. The modern gurus of self-esteem have addicted our children to the acceptance of mediocrity in the guise of accepting themselves.

--Sometimes home-schoolers are classified as “extremists” because we aspire to these values and this lifestyle. Let them call us names. We are pursuing goals that produce greatness and methods that turn boys into men and girls into ladies.

Nun Protests on 'Da Vinci Code' Set

(from Yahoo! News) - A Roman Catholic nun staged a protest outside an English cathedral where "The Da Vinci Code" is being made into a movie. Sister Mary Michael, 61, prayed for 12 hours on Monday outside Lincoln Cathedral in the east of England where scenes from the forthcoming Tom Hanks blockbuster, directed by Ron Howard, are being shot this week. "It matters to me what God thinks, not what the film crew think," said Michael.

"When I face Almighty God, at my final judgment, as we all will, I can say, I did try my best, I did try my best to protest."

Michael said a controversial claim in "The Da Vinci Code" -- that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had children by her -- was based on a gnostic heresy, "an old error, derived from the mystery faiths of the east". Michael also accused the Anglican cathedral, which is standing in for Westminster Cathedral in London, of committing the sin of simony -- conducting financial transactions involving spiritual goods. The dean of Lincoln Cathedral, while slamming the book as "a load of old tosh", has reportedly let in the cameras after a donation of 100,000 pounds ($181,000) from the producers.

See my previous post: Cracking The Da Vinci Code