Devil = Green Beans

Right before going up to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, Marisa made a comment that had us in stitches while going up the aisle towards the altar. She said, "Jesus tastes good, I bet the Devil tastes like green beans!"

Humiliation

About 9 months ago we bought Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock for Wii. We were instantly hooked. We all played through the songs starting at the easy stage and we moved our way up to medium, then on to hard. This is where I hit a wall. I told Alex that if he ever scored 100% on an expert (highest level) song, I would bow down to him and kiss his feet.

I shouldn't have said that. I was certain that it would be impossible to do.

He scored a 100% on expert on the new Guitar Hero World Tourgame. At least he did it on a cool song. He played R.E.M.'s "The One I Love" to perfection. He seemed much too happy as I gave his feet a couple of pecks.

The lesson here is to not underestimate what seems impossible. I am not just talking about video games. I am talking about life, too. Hey, even Jesus washed other's feet to show His humility, among other things.

Tempered Rock

Since the in-laws are here visiting, we have built in sitters this week.

We were able to go see a cover band at a local bar and grill. The band is called Tempered. The guitarist, Bill, plays during our Mass. He warned us that this wouldn't be church music. What, no Alleluia or Great Amen?

They were very good. The keyboardist also plays in the church choir. I think I overheard that the drummer is only 16 years old. They played covers of Heart, Gretchen Wilson, Carrie Underwood, Loverboy, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Quarterflash, among others. We only stayed for their first set.

The only thing that Lisa wished for was for there to be a dance floor. She really wanted to get out there and dance. I really didn't want to subject the band and other patrons to my 'rhythm-less two left foot mambo'.

If you happen to be given a chance to see them (they only play about 4 times a year), go check them out.

Sign of Peace

I have heard that the Bishops and the Pope are thinking about moving the 'sign of peace' to a different part of the Mass because it tends to take away from the most important part of the Mass; the reception of the Eucharist. The question is where to place it.

Funny post at Creative Minority Report (read the comments section, too, they are hilarious), where the author really would prefer to change the 'sign of peace' to the 'barely perceptible nod of peace'.

"[M]y preference is that the SOP is moved to before the offertory and is changed into the barely perceptible nod of peace. That way, at weekday mass, I will no longer have to sit in a pew with a minimum 5 empty pews between me and another human to insure that nobody gets any funny ideas. At five pews distance, you typically get the nod or the muted wave of peace. That is more like it. However, if somebody looks overly friendly, I increase the minimum safe distance to 8 pews and try to sit in their blind spot or behind a column if available. No sense taking chances."

I would prefer that we did not have to shake every one's hand, not for any liturgical or anti-social reason. I tend to have very cold and clammy hands, especially when it is cold. I notice that A LOT of people reach for their pant leg or shirt immediately after shaking hands with me to get rid of that wet/sweaty feeling.

That Crazy English Language

I was discussing with Marisa's third grade teacher about grammar and how hard it must be for people of other languages to master the English language. I remembered this email I received awhile ago. I bet you can't read the following twenty sentences without making a mistake. Side note: If the English language is so hard, then can someone explain why Alex is currently getting a 'D' in Spanish, yet an 'A' in Language Arts and in Literature?

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out of his shoes.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell? Why do we park on a driveway, but drive on a parkway? Why doesn't 'Buick' rhyme with 'quick'. and why doesn't 'dough' rhyme with 'tough'?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

h/t Katie

The Two Americas by George Weigel

I have always enjoyed reading George Weigel. He says in his latest essay that the two Americas are the "culture of life and the culture of death." As a Catholic, I am taught to be on the side of life. I still cannot believe that 54% of Catholics voted for Obama. I have bolded the part of his article below that I believe is most important step that needs to be done (adult catechesis) to prevent this from happening in the future.


The Two Americas

By the dawn’s early light on November 5, two distinct Americas hove into view. The two Americas are not defined by conventional economic, ethnic or religious categories; it’s not rich America vs. poor America, black America vs. white America, or Catholic America vs. Protestant America. No, what this year’s election cycle clarified decisively is that the great public fissure in these United States is between the culture of life and the culture of death.

In 1995, when Pope John Paul II introduced the phrase “culture of death” in the encyclical Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life), more than a few commentators coughed politely and tried to suggest, if gently, that this terminology was a bit over-the-top—too dramatic, too confrontational, incapable of being heard by those it was intended to persuade. Thirteen years later, it is obvious that the critics were wrong and John Paul the Great was right. The Pope saw more clearly into the future, thanks to his insight into the forces at work beneath the surface of the present. Now those forces are plainly in view, and the results are clear for all with eyes to see:

--The people of the United States have elected the most radically pro-abortion presidential candidate in American history, and by the largest popular vote percentage garnered by a Democrat since Lyndon B. Johnson.

--The people of the State of Washington have adopted, in a landslide, an act permitting the euthanizing of the sick, elderly and burdensome under the Orwellian rubrics of “death with dignity” and “physician-assisted suicide.”

--The people of California have exercised their sovereign will to prevent the parents of minors from being notified if their daughter intends to have an abortion—although you may be quite certain that said parents would be consulted before said minor’s school nurse administered an aspirin tablet.

--And the people of Michigan have decided to authorize a wholesale slaughter of human embryos for research purposes—at precisely the moment that embryonic stem-cell research has lost much of its scientific luster, thanks to developments in the reprogramming of adult stem cells.

Culture of death, indeed.

What is to be done?

The first order of business at the national level is to prevent the new Congress from passing the federal Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), an explicit attempt to destroy every state-based pro-life legal achievement of the past three decades. If prevention is impossible and FOCA is enacted, then it must be vigorously challenged in the federal courts. The stakes are very, very high: in addition to facilitating a greater slaughter of the innocents, FOCA, by eliminating state conscience-clause protections for pro-life health care professionals, would create a situation in which the Catholic health care system as we know it would cease to exist, within a decade at most.

Then we come to adult catechesis. This year, the pro-abortion candidate carried every state in what Maggie Gallagher calls the “Decadent Catholic Corridor”—the Northeast and the older parts of the Midwest. Too many Catholics there are still voting the way their grandparents did, and because that’s what their grandparents did. This tribal voting has been described by some bishops as immoral; it is certainly stupid, and it must be challenged by adult education. That includes effective use of the pulpit to unsettle settled patterns of mindlessness. This year, a gratifying number of bishops began to accept the responsibilities of their teaching office; so, now, must parish pastors.

We need more persuasive ideas and language in the fight against euthanasia. Yes, the good guys were outspent in Washington State by orders of magnitude—and that should cause serious examinations of conscience among Catholic philanthropies and individuals of means. But, as in the debate over embryo-destructive stem-cell research, the culture of life has yet to develop a language that trumps the invocation of “compassion” when that’s misused by the culture of death.

And we need prayer—lots of it. Some demons require special powers to exorcize. As of November 5, it is clear that certain of them have taken up residence in the United States of America.

h/t Ric

How Obama Got Elected

I have always been a fan of John Ziegler. He had a show on KFI-AM 640 in Los Angeles that I listened to all the time until he was unceremoniously fired a couple of years ago. I did not always agree with him, but I always liked his passion and enthusiasm. He recently directed a documentary movie called, "Blocking The Path To 9/11-The Anatomy of a Smear", that I listened to in its entirety. This documentary sets the historical record straight with explosive new revelations. For all those who seek the truth about 9/11 and want to learn the real story behind this shocking saga. Ziegler is also the Pastor of the First Church of Tiger Woods.

His latest project is called, "Media Malpractice...How Obama Got Elected". He interviewed Obama voters on Election Day, and got answers that showed "Obama voters as ignorant, but [also that] the media as complicit in ensuring that they remained ignorant, at least in terms of Obama."

If you just watch the following video, you may get angry like I did while I watched it. But to make matters worse, there was a Zogby poll that shows that the ignorance of the voters (through mainstream media malpractice) in the video is prevalent throughout the country.

Zogby Poll

--512 Obama Voters 11/13/08-11/15/08 MOE +/- 4.4 points
--97.1% High School Graduate or higher, 55% College Graduates

Results to 12 simple Multiple Choice Questions

--57.4% could NOT correctly say which party controls congress (50/50 shot just by guessing)
--71.8% could NOT correctly say Joe Biden quit a previous campaign because of plagiarism (25% chance by guessing)
--82.6% could NOT correctly say that Barack Obama won his first election by getting opponents kicked off the ballot (25% chance by guessing)
--88.4% could NOT correctly say that Obama said his policies would likely bankrupt the coal industry and make energy rates skyrocket (25% chance by guessing)
--56.1% could NOT correctly say Obama started his political career at the home of two former members of the Weather Underground (25% chance by guessing).

And yet...

--Only 13.7% failed to identify Sarah Palin as the person on which their party spent $150,000 in clothes
--Only 6.2% failed to identify Palin as the one with a pregnant teenage daughter
--And 86.9 % thought that Palin said that she could see Russia from her "house," even though that was Tina Fey who said that!!

--Only 2.4% got at least 11 correct.
--Only 0.5% got all of them correct. (And we "gave" one answer that was technically not Palin, but actually Tina Fey)

$1.66

Paid $1.669 for gas today. The last time I filled up, I paid $2.0669. How low can we go? I said the last time, that I filled up for under $30 for the first time in a long time. Today, I filled up for under $20 for the first time in a very long time.

Found a nice site that shows the prices of the gas stations in the area as reported by users. It is called, Colorado Springs Gas Prices. You can probably find your own area at, GasBuddy.Com. Lots of great info on this site.

Merry Tossmas

The message of this video is to support those companies that actually acknowledge the 'reason for the season'. Looks like it was produced by Focus on the Family, which is located here in Colorado Springs. Scenes are familiar. The blooper at the end is great.



h/t Creative Minority Report

The Spam Post

I have heard of some people who are stocking up on food and ammunition because of the election of Obama. That's probably not necessary, but there is an article in the New York Times titled, "Spam Turns Serious and Hormel Turns Out More". It shows that in this tough economic time period, people are purchasing more and more spam. It seems that the factory can't keep up with current demand.

An interesting tidbit from the article is that:

Spam developed a camp following in the 1970s, mainly because of Monty Python, the English comedy troupe. In a 1970 skit, a couple tried to order breakfast at a cafe featuring Spam in nearly every entree, like “Spam, Eggs, Sausage and Spam.” The diners were eventually drowned out by a group of Vikings singing, “Spam, lovely Spam, wonderful Spam.”

(Familiar with the skit, Internet pioneers labeled junk e-mail “spam” because it overwhelmed other dialogue, according to one theory.)

Here is the video of that famous Monty Python skit:

SCHOOL DAYS: 1948 vs. 2008

Scenario: Billy goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.

1948 - Principal comes over, looks at Billy's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Billy.
2008 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Billy hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.


Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.

1948 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up best friends.
2008 - Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Mark started it.


Scenario: Jeffrey won't be still in class, disrupts other students.

1948 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by the Principal. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2008 - Jeffrey given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. School gets extra money from state because Jeffrey has a disability.


Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.

1948 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2008 - Billy's Dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their Dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has affair with psychologist.


Scenario: Sheri gets a headache and takes aspirin to school.

1948 - Sheri shares an aspirin with a student.
2008 - Police called, Sheri expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.


Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.

1948 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college.
2008 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.


Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a red ant bed.

1948 - Ants die.
2008 - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Homeland Security and FBI called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, FBI investigates parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated, Johnny's Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.


Scenario: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Heather. Heather hugs him to comfort him.

1948- In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2008 - Heather is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in state prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.

h/t Mom

More Sarah Palin On Today Show

click here for parts 1&2
part 3:


Notice how she dodges the Senate question. I am not sure what would be best for the country in the long run. If she won the seat, she could have a job for life. She would gain valuable Washington D.C. experience just like Obama. If she lost, then her political career would be over, at least nationally. If she chose not to run, and stayed in Alaska, could she still be effective as a Washington outsider on the national ticket in 2012?

You Know You're a Coloradoan...

(We're not quite there, yet. It has been only two years since arrival.)

--98% of Americans scream before going into the ditch on a slippery road. The other 2% are from Colorado and they say, "Hold my soda and watch this."
--You're from Colorado if you'll eat ice cream in the winter.
--When the weather report says it's going to be 65 degrees, women shave their legs and wear a skirt.
--It snows 5 inches and you don't expect school to be canceled.
--You'll wear flip flops every day of the year, regardless of temperature.
--You have no accent at all, but can hear other people's. And then you make fun of them.
--'Humid' is over 25%.
--Your sense of direction is: Toward the mountains and Away from the mountains.
--You say 'the interstate' and everybody knows which one.
--You think that May is a totally normal month for a blizzard.
--You buy your flowers to set out on Mother's day, but try and hold off planting them until just before Father's day.
--You grew up planning your Halloween costumes around your coat.
--You know what the Continental Divide is.
--You don't think Coors beer is that big a deal.
--You went to Casa Bonita as a kid, and as an adult.
--You've gone off-roading in a vehicle that was never intended for such activities.
--You always know the elevation of where you are.
--You wake up to a beautiful, 80 degree day and you wonder if it's going to snow tomorrow.
--You don't care that some company renamed it, the Broncos still play at Mile High.
--Every movie theater has military and student discounts.
--Everybody wears jeans to church.
--You actually know that South Park is a real place not just a show on TV.
--You know what a 'trust fund hippy' is, and you know its natural habitat is Boulder.
--You know you're talking to a fellow Coloradoan when they call it Elitches, not Six Flags.
--A bear on your front porch doesn't bother you.
--Your two favorite teams are the Broncos and whoever is beating the crap out of the Raiders.
--When people out East tell you they have mountains in their state too, you just laugh.
--You go anywhere else on the planet and the air feels 'sticky' and you notice the sky is no longer blue.

h/t Katie

Quote O'Day

"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

--Oogway, Kung Fu Master in Kung Fu Panda.

School Pictures

Sarah Palin on Today Show

Sarah Palin was interviewed by Matt Lauer for the Today Show. I have to admit that I am mesmerized by her responses. Some might say that I am, "Hypmo-tized." I honestly do not understand how some people can have such a profound hatred toward this woman. I now can relate to how Obama supporters feel about their chosen one. Except that I have deep, philosophical reasons to support Mrs. Palin.

part 1:

part 2:

Joke O'Day

Two guys from Chicago die and wake up in hell.

The next day the devil stops in to check on them and sees them dressed in parkas, mittens and bomber hats warming themselves around the fire. The devil asks them, "What are you doing? Isn't it hot enough for you?" The two guys reply, "Well, you know, we're from Chicago, the land of snow and ice and cold. We're just happy for a chance to warm up a little bit, you know."

The devil decides that these two aren't miserable enough and turns up the heat.

The next morning he stops in again and there they are, still dressed in parkas, hats and mittens. The devil asks them again, "It's awfully hot down here. Can't you guys feel that?" Again the two guys reply, "Well, like we told you yesterday, we're from Chicago, the land of snow and ice and cold. We're just happy for a chance to warm up a little bit, you know."

This gets the devil a little steamed up and he decides to fix the two guys. He cranks the heat up as high as it will go.

People are wailing and screaming every where. He stops by the room with the two guys from Chicago and finds them in light jackets and hats, grilling sausage and drinking beer. The devil is astonished. "Everyone down here is in abject misery, and you two seem to be enjoying yourself." The two Chicagoans reply, "Well, you know, we don't get too much warm weather up there in Chicago, we've just got to have a cook out when the weather's this nice."

The devil is absolutely furious, he can hardly see straight.

Finally he comes up with the answer. The two guys love the heat because they have been cold all their lives. The devil decides to turn all the heat off in hell.

The next morning, the temperature is below zero, icicles are hanging everywhere. People are shivering so bad that they are unable to wail, moan and gnash their teeth.

The devil smiles and heads for the room with the two Chicagoans. He gets there and finds them back in their parkas, bomber hats, and mittens. They are jumping up and down, cheering, yelling and screaming like mad men. The devil is dumbfounded, "I don't understand, when I turn up the heat you're happy. Now its freezing cold and you're still happy. What is wrong with you two?" The Chicagoans look at the devil in surprise.

"Well, don't you know, if hell froze over, that must mean the Cubs won the World Series!"

$1.96

I just saw gasoline selling at $1.969 today. I should have waited.

Obama Ready to "Rule"

this post from NewsBusters:

The co-chair of Barack Obama's Transition Team, Valerie Jarrett, appeared on Meet the Press this weekend and used, shall we say, an interesting word to described what she thinks Barack Obama will be doing in January when he's officially sworn into office. She told Tom Brokaw that Obama will be ready to "rule" on day one. It's a word that reflects the worst fears that people have for Obama the "arrogant," the "messiah," that imagines he's here to "rule" instead of govern.

Jarret told Brokaw that "given the daunting challenges that we face, it's important that president elect Obama is prepared to really take power and begin to rule day one."

Bishop John Ricard to Joseph Biden

There is an open letter written by Bishop John Ricard of Pensacola-Tallahassee, that was written after Vice President-elect Joe Biden visited and received Holy Communion in his diocese last week. We need to see more of this type of teaching to Catholics. It was sad to see that 54% of self proclaimed Catholics voted for the Obama-Biden ticket. I would presume that the majority of these voters were not weekly-Mass-attending-practicing Catholics. It seems that more of the church leaders are speaking out on the issue of life as the most important issue. I pray that the trend continues.

Here are a couple of excerpts from the Bishop's letter:

--Our worship of God during Sunday Mass, which culminates in the reception of Holy Communion, is precisely the moment when we are nourished and strengthened by the Holy Spirit’s gift of courage to stand up in fortitude to protect the weakest among us. The Eucharist, as the real presence of Christ, is also the sign of our unity as a Church, which is built on sharing in the mission of Christ to protect the defenseless....I...observe, by your support for laws that fail to protect the unborn, a profound disconnection from your human and personal obligation to protect the weakest and most innocent among us: the child in the womb.

--I pray that the Catholic faith you have been raised in, the faith by which you pray, and the life of virtue which flows from both may strengthen you so that you may have the strength needed to witness Jesus, even as the martyrs did, and live by the virtue of fortitude as you proclaim your support to the Person of Christ in the most vulnerable of his members: the pre-born child.

Read the full text of his letter here.

Ronald Reagan Quotes

Ever since I posted Ronald Reagan's speech, "A Time for Choosing", he has been on my mind. I miss him. I found a few of his great one-liner quotes.

--Here's my strategy on the Cold War: We win, they lose.

--The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

--The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.

--Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.

--I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress.

--The taxpayer: That's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination.

--Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.

--The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program.

--It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first.

--Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.

--Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed, there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book.

--No arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.

--If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.

Piper Palin Radio Interview

Perhaps Piper will be the first Palin to win the Presidency. She's already got my vote. She'll have candy for dinner and order her brothers and sisters around. Awesome! Too cute.

Remember her at the Republican Convention during her Mom's big speech?



Radio interview is here.

An Interesting Coincidence

I am just stating facts. Draw your own conclusions.

On the day after the general election when Barack Obama was voted President-Elect, 11/05, the results of the Illinois State Lottery evening pick 3 were: 6-6-6.

On the date when "Weird Al" Yankovic was born, 10/23, the results of the Illinois State Lottery midday pick 3 were: 6-6-6.

hmmmm...

$2.06

I just filled up the van for under $30 for the first time in a long time. $2.069/gal. A little more than three months ago, I paid $3.859/gal. I wish that I could have waited a few more days to see if I could get it at under two bucks. #@%*! greedy oil companies...

History, Hyperbole, and Horror

Here is a link to a very powerful and thought provoking post from my current favorite Catholic blog called Creative Minority Report.

An excerpt from the post:

In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;
And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
And then...they came for me...And by that time there was no one left to speak up.

When Obama came for the executives making $250,000, I remained silent; I did not earn $250,000.
When Obama came for the babies, I remained silent; I was not a baby...anymore.
When Obama came for conservative talk show hosts, I did not speak out; I didn't have a talk show.
When Obama came for the plumber, I remained silent; I was not a public figure.
When Obama came for me, there was no one left to speak out.

Please take the time to read full post: History, Hyperbole, and Horror

The Speech

Heard this on the Mark Levin Radio Show today. It was a speech delivered by Ronald Reagan on October 27, 1964. It was an address that endorsed Barry Goldwater for President against Lyndon B. Johnson. It also shows the differences between Republican vs. Democrat, right vs. left, conservative vs. liberal (socialist), personal responsibility vs. big government. Forty-four years later, we are still fighting the same battles.

What a speech! Reagan is known as the 'Great Communicator' and this is proof of that apt nickname. The content of this speech is exactly what is going on today. The numbers are in 1964 dollars, but the points are well taken. One line from the speech:

"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so."

Where, oh where is the Reagan of our time? Huck? Sarah? Mitt? Rush?

This is arguably one of the best Reagan speeches ever:
"A Time For Choosing" aka The Speech (video, audio-only, and text versions are available)

The Return of the Conservative

I have been on a nine month hiatus. I had lost a little enthusiasm trying to keep up with this blog. I am back.

Yesterday was Election Day. We will have a new President, Barack Obama in January. He is probably the most liberal mainstream politician in my lifetime. I must work to bring back conservative (both politically and religiously) ideals into people's way of thinking.

After the election was called for Obama, it felt to me that someone had died. I was saddened and wondered if there was anything else that I could have done to save the deceased. There were regrets that I could have and should have done more. Well, I will try not to let it happen again.

Altar Girl

Marisa was an altar server for the first time today. We were a little worried that she wouldn't know what to do when. She did fine. Alex was scheduled as one of the servers, I assume, to be a familiar helper. As 'luck' would have it, Lisa and I were scheduled as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. I must say that it was neat to have all four of us around the altar at the same time helping out with the liturgy.

I Forgot?

I told you in the previous post that Alex and Marisa gave up the Wii for Lent. They ended up at a neighbor's house and they were playing. Their response, "I forgot!" Three days is not too bad. Luckily, God gives us mulligans.

Ash Wednesday Mass Reflection

The Gospel reading for today is from Mt 6:1-6, 16-18. Today is the start of Lent. I went to the school Mass to receive my ashes. I had given some thought about what I want to change about myself during this time. I seem to get angry at Alex too quickly. He is the only one that I do this. Perhaps it is because he is the most like me. I see a lot of myself in him, both positive and negative.

So my mission for this Lenten season is to be more patient with Alex. Don't let the first response to his actions be one coming from anger. Pray for me.

Alex and Marisa have said that they will give up the Wii for the entire 40 days! Good luck with that...

Super Tuesday Dilemma

Colorado did not have a primary election today. We had caucuses. Our precinct caucus was scheduled for 7:00PM. Unfortunately for me, this conflicted with a 6:30PM basketball game that Alex played. So far, I have never missed a game (soccer and basketball) that Alex has ever played in. Also, I have never missed one of his karate belt promotion tests. It was important to me that I keep this streak alive. I really want to be one of those Dads that can say (after college is done) that I never missed a game or competition in which my children participated.

With that said, I looked at the pre-caucus polls and I saw that Romney was a huge favorite over McCain and my guy Huckabee here in Colorado. I did not feel that my participation would have an effect on anything. Lisa decided that she wanted to attend the caucus instead of the game. She caucused for Romney. She thought that the caucus was very interesting in that you raised your hand to vote. People had an opportunity to speak for each candidate. She seemed to think that it was much more personal than just marking a paper ballot. She also thought it was really neat to be in a room full of people who were just like her politically. Lisa reports that in our precinct the vote went this way:
Mitt Romney - 53 votes (actual Colorado result 60%)
John McCain - 15 votes (19%)
Mike Huckabee - 6 votes (13%)
Ron Paul - 6 votes (8%)

Oh, by the way we won the 5th grade basketball game in a big scoring game:
Divine Redeemer - 15
Immanuel Lutheran - 7

Today's Mass Reflection

Today's Gospel reading was all about The Beatitudes (Mt 5:1-12).

--The message that I got today was to do more for the Church. I don't mean a little bit. I keep hearing a message to do A LOT more. My excuse for not doing A LOT is that I am a very uncomfortable speaking in front of people and I am a socially inept goofball. One of the beatitudes is, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land." It doesn't matter that I consider myself meek, God does not. I cannot let my 'meekness' keep me from doing what God is calling me to do. I can and should do more because I have been blessed with a loving and understanding wife. I can do more because I have been blessed with two inspirational and healthy children. I can do more because I have been blessed with a beautiful home in a beautiful city and State. I can do more because I have been blessed, in the age of the two income family, to be able to be the stay-at-home parent. I am blessed. I can do more...

Forum on Faith and Politics

For those of you who are interested (and have about 30 minutes), please go to crosswalk.com to watch a thought provoking forum on the intersection of religious faith and politics. Especially topical at this time before the Super Tuesday primaries/caucuses.

The forum was moderated by Dennis Prager. Members taking part of this forum were: Frank Pastore, Ken Blackwell, George Barna, and Mike Huckabee (with a videotaped guest question by Ben Stein).

click here>>>Americans of Faith - Forum on Faith and Politics

Today's Mass Reflection

I attended today's school Mass. Here are my reflections:

--The Gospel today was from Mk 4:21-25. Jesus asks, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand?

--Fr. Jim Klein demonstrated this reading to the students (I love visuals) by shining a flashlight he held against his chest and shined it throughout the church. He told us that this light represented Christ's love. We are to show off this light to all that we come in contact with. What good is it if we turned the flashlight on but placed the light under a basket (he demonstrated this too).

--I also reflected that when we are shining the light onto others, those that are around us can easily see the light that we are shining onto the other. This says to me that while we are trying to be Christ to someone, others (like our children) can see what we are doing and how we are affecting another. The light shines brightly for all to see.

Braces Off!

After over three years having braces, I finally got them off today. What a weird feeling. I never thought teeth felt that good. What a big difference now compared to pre-braces. Not self conscious at all about smiling. Now comes the next phase of having to wear retainers. Will this ever end?

An After Mass Exercise

As a parish (Holy Trinity), we have been reading Rediscovering Catholicismby Mathew Kelly. It is a very good book. One of the things the author asks of us is to, after attending a Mass, write down (journal) what you 'got' out of the Mass that day. Be honest. If you did not receive anything from attending Mass, then write that fact down. Take some time during the week to reflect and meditate on what you have written in your journal.

Here is what I wrote after today's Mass:

--In today's Gospel reading (Mt 4:12-23), Jesus asks what we will give up to follow Him. What will I give up (or leave behind)?
--In the video presentation on "Returning God's Gifts", the annual ministries appeal of the Diocese of Colorado Springs, one of the two main speakers was a St. Mary's High School senior whose father is a Deacon at another parish.
--The presence of Jesus in the Eucharist seemed especially strong today.
--To me, all of the above are related to each other (a message to me).

In the future, I'll try to post what I personally get out of each Mass I attend.

It's All Relative

Today it is a very nice day. Temperatures in the mid 50s. We are all outside enjoying the day without a jacket or a coat. I have seen people around town in shorts and a t-shirt. There is still a little bit of snow on the ground. So much for Lisa's aversion to cold weather. We love Colorado!

If we were still in SoCal, and it was in the 50s, we would all have on thick winter coats or we would stay indoors because we would consider it was too cold to do anything outdoors.

You Know That You Are Getting Old...

...when the hair in your ears grows faster than any other hair on your body.

OK...I know, TMI. Sorry.

35th Anniversary of Roe v Wade

from my Pastor, Fr. Mark Zacker's weekly message:

On this anniversary of the Supreme Court decision, "Roe vs. Wade", please keep this day as a day of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion. Pray the Rosary! Pray the Stations of the Cross! Pray for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the "right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"!

In the book, "The Rise of Christianity," a leading social scientist and a self-professed athiest, Rodney Stark, set out to study the reasons for the success of Christianity. He concluded that the Church conquered the Roman Empire by the force of her beliefs and teachings. People living out their faith had revolutionary consequences. The most radical Christian belief, Stark said, was the belief in God's love and the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. Stark puts it this way: "The simple phrase, 'For God so loved the world...' would have puzzled an educated pagan. And the notion that the gods care how we treat one another would have been dismissed as patently absurd." Never before had a religion taught that God LOVED PEOPLE PERSONALLY and that God's love began before the person was even born. Abortion and birth control were rampant in the Roman Empire. Christians rejected it all from the beginning. Why? Athenagoras, a Christian layman, explained why in an open letter he addressed to Emperor Marcus Aurelius. He said, "For we regard the very fetus in the womb as a created being, and therefore an object of God's care." He wrote that in the year 176! Can anyone doubt what he might write to our lawmakers today regarding abortion? Can anyone have any doubt about what YOU should write to our lawmakers today? And how you should vote in November!

Roe I.Q. Test

How much do you know about the 1973 Roe v Wade decision to allow abortions? I found a site that tests your knowledge. From the Roe IQ Test site:

"We have created the Roe IQ Test to measure the current awareness of Roe and its effects, as well as to provide detailed information about the ruling. It only takes a few minutes to complete the test. Your answers and results will remain 100% confidential."

--I only got 5 out of 12 questions correct.

A New Look

Time for a change. Change is good.

I have changed the look of my blog. I was getting a little tired looking at the other one. There was too much orange. I like the symbolism of the lighthouse.

This also gives me an excuse to clean up the outdated items in the sidebar. Please be patient while I work on the updates and bring in new things to see.

Student of the Month - Marisa

This morning, immediately after the school Mass, Marisa was awarded the Student of the Month for January. After her name was called, she jumped up, ran up the aisle of the church, shook the Principal's hand, accepted a small trophy and certificate (to thunderous applause), and ran back to her pew. The whole time she had the biggest grin on her face. Too cute. Another part of the prize is that she gets to eat lunch with the Principal, Mr. Jim Rigg (his treat!). I am not sure how the process works. I believe that the teachers nominate students from their classroom and then the Principal picks from the lot. Congratulations Marisa!

Here is what her teacher, Mrs. Janet Anderson, wrote about Marisa in the nomination letter:

Marisa is truly an exceptional girl. She is well grounded in her faith and this is evident in her actions. She is kind and friendly to everyone she meets. Marisa is concerned with the well being of her classmates and makes a great effort in including everyone. As a student, she is thorough and accurate in her work. She takes responsibility in her own learning. Marisa truly shows that she is an asset to the Divine Redeemer Community.

Year of the Lord vs. Common Era

I have not been aware of a movement to change B.C./A.D. to B.C.E./C.E. It looks like it is something to watch out for in the future.

from Karl Keating's e-Letter, November 13, 2007:

Dear Friend of Catholic Answers:

The night before last I finished a little book titled "The History of Time." The author is Leofranc Holford-Strevens, and the book is part of the "Very Short Introduction" series published by Oxford University Press.

"The History of Time" discusses how our notions of hours, days, and years developed....

In more and more publications we're seeing the traditional terms A.D. (Anno Domini = Year of the Lord) and B.C. (Before Christ) being dropped in favor of C.E. (Common Era) and B.C.E. (Before the Common Era).

A.D. and B.C. are being dropped by some Christians, for two reasons. Some are concerned that by insisting on the traditional usage, they might be perceived as proselytizing, and they think everyone should use a "neutral" designation for years. This strikes me as misplaced courtesy.

If the Incarnation really happened, then it was the most momentous event of all time, far more important than any emperor's reign, the establishment of any polity, or the occurrence of any battle. Ontologically, nothing else could come close to the Incarnation in importance for the human race. Such an event would be a worthy--in fact, the most worthy--demarcation of human history: Before Incarnation, After Incarnation.

This would be true whether or not most people living today believed it to have occurred. Even if Christians were an infinitesimal minority of the world's population, rather than a quarter or so of it, the Incarnation would be the most important event that ever happened. To say so publicly is not proselytizing.

So I think the concern about proselytizing is misplaced. So too for the concern about whether ancient calculations were spot on or not.

Most scholars say that Christ was born probably not at the end of 1 B.C. but around 6B.C. I won't discuss now the reasons for that conclusion, but, if true, it would mean that our dating system is off by about five years and that A.D. 2007 really ought to be A.D. 2012.

But so what? In this matter, an approximation is sufficient. We cannot know with certainty the year of Christ's birth, since ancient records are sparse. Should we therefore say that we can't construct our calendar around his birth? This would be taking Heisenberg's uncertainty principle to a ludicrous point.

In the preface to "The History of Time," Holford-Strevens explains that "the traditional terms A.D. and B.C. have been retained, in preference to C.E. and B.C.E., for two reasons: adopting the latter causes the maximally distinguished 1 B.C. and A.D. 1 to become the minimally distinguished 1 B.C.E. and C.E. 1; and although, as a date for the birth of Jesus Christ the epoch is almost certainly wrong, it remains a commemoration of that event, and no other event of the same year can be proposed as an alternative of world significance. Attractive, especially in a globalized age, as a purely secular era may appear, the Christian era cannot be made secular by denying its origin."

I don't know Holford-Strevens' religion, but I can't think of many Catholic leaders who could phrase the argument so well.

Until next time,
Karl

January Poker Winnings

As per the updated resolution that I made in January 2007, I have withdrawn $200 from my poker bankroll this month. I have also taken out an extra $200. It is also good to note that I met and surpassed my goal early this month.

'08-YTD=+$400
'07-YTD=+$400
'06-YTD=+$800

I seem to be playing better with more consistent results. My favorite game right now is the 6-player no-limit hold 'em sit-n-go turbo (blinds go up every 3 minutes) tournaments. Effective next month, I will raise my monthly withdrawal goal from $200 to $300. My next withdrawal of $300 from my poker winnings is due by February 29, 2008. Please continue to wish me luck and keep me accountable.

World Clock

This is an interesting little World Clock. The clock seems to imply that we are wasting the resources of the Earth, killing animals, going to war, causing global warming, and clear cutting forests. What is really profound, to me, is the number of abortions it shows taking place in the world. That is the real tragedy of mankind.

A Different Kind of Drug Problem

The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a methamphetamine lab had been found in an old farm house in the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question, ”Why didn’t we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?”

I replied: But I did have a drug problem when I wuz a kid growing up. I had a drug problem when I was young: I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather.

I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults. I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher. Or if I didn’t put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me. I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profane four letter word. I was drug out to pull weeds in mom’s garden and flower beds and cockleburs out of dad’s fields.

I was drug to the homes of family, friends, and neighbors to help out some poor soul who had no one to mow the yard, repair the clothesline or chop some fire wood. And if my mother had ever known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the woodshed.

Those drugs are still in my veins; and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say, and think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin, and if today’s children had this kind of drug problem, America might be a better place today.

God bless the parents who drugged us.
--author unknown

Match-O-Matic

from the ABC News website: Match-O-Matic

Take this eleven question quiz to match you with the Presidential candidate most aligned with your views. Keep in mind that most of the candidates have already dropped out or are irrelevent. When you get to the page that tells you your matches, be sure to roll-over the check marks and the Xs (on the left) to see what the candidate said about that particular issue.

My results:
1) Huckabee
2) Romney
3) Giuliani

When I took the quiz a second time, picking the most outrageous (in my opinion) answers available, my results were:
1) Kucinich
2) Gravel
3) Edwards

Mike Huckabee

At this time, my favorite candidate for President is Mike Huckabee. I would still vote for any of the other major Republican candidates (in order: Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney, John McCain, Rudy Guiliani) over Obama or Clinton, but I like Huck (fyi-Lisa doesn't like him).

I am getting a little tired of all of the anti-Huckabee sentiment that is going around, especially from Rush Limbaugh, Hugh Hewitt, and other 'conservative' commentators. So here is the link to the Truth Squad on Huckabee's official site that hopefully shoots down some of the negative things being said about him.

Happy Holidays

I am one who purposely buy things during the Christmas season that say, "Merry Christmas" over things with the "Happy Holidays" sentiment. I received a different perspective on the use of Happy Holidays vs. Merry Christmas from a homily that I heard at Mass a few weeks ago.

The priest said that as Catholics, we really are celebrating a lot of holidays during this time. There are the four weeks of Advent, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the solemnity of the Virgin Mary on New Years Day, the twelve days of Christmas, and the Epiphany of the Lord. So when someone says, "Happy Holidays" to us, we have an opportunity to reflect on all of the holidays that come at this time of year.

Something to think about.

Annual Christmas Letter

We have fallen behind on sending out Christmas cards this year. Here is the copy of our annual Christmas letter.

Dear Family and Friends,
Merry Christmas from beautiful Colorado Springs! What a year of changes it has been for us. We arrived here with all of our belongings in tow on Christmas Day of last year. It seems like such a long time ago.

We visited Colorado Springs for three days in August of last year and decided at that time that we needed to move here. Lisa found a job almost immediately after our decision. We purchased an awesome house here in March after our California home closed. It is like Heaven on Earth. According to Lisa, we are dying in this house (hopefully not soon).

Alex and Marisa started school for the first time this fall after a lifetime of home schooling. They are going to Divine Redeemer Catholic School and they love it! They have adjusted well and are both thriving in their new environments. Alex is in fifth grade and Marisa is in second. We are so fortunate to have found such a great and challenging school.

Alex played soccer competitively for the first time this fall on the DR 5th grade team. Although their record was 6 losses and 1 win (the last game!), they all had a blast playing. He altar served for the first time last month. Marisa received the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time this month.

Alex and Marisa are still taking karate. We found a really great Mixed Martial Arts Karate school here. They are up to high purple now. Perhaps in a few more years they will earn their black belts.

Lisa is enjoying her job at Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind. She’s trying to learn American Sign Language, which is hard to do at her age (which we will not mention).

Donn is still getting adjusted to life without the kids at home. He is volunteering at school and is doing a bunch of ‘projects’ at home like taking down wallpaper and painting. He is on the RCIA team (helping adults in becoming Catholic) at our parish, Holy Trinity.

We miss you all! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love and God’s Blessings to you,
Donn, Lisa, Alex, and Marisa

New Year, New Posts

My New Year's Resolution: After many, many requests about the lack of recent posts this blog, I will have new entries coming soon. I am thinking about starting over with a brand new blog/hosting site. At the very least, I need to clean up some of the outdated sidebar links. And I will probably pre-date a few of my entries (for keepsake purposes). Stay tuned.