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.