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As per the updated resolution that I made on my June 27th post, I have withdrawn my goal of $300 from my poker winnings this month.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

Impulsive

Hello. My name is Donn. I am a Wal-Mart-aholic.

Today we went to my favorite store, Wal-Mart. I just went in to buy some flouride rinse and hair gel. Ended up spending over $50. I bought a padded vinyl toilet seat for $8.88. This actually doesn't sound like a very good thing to sit on, but Marisa really wanted it. I also purchased five bottles of Elmer's glue. We didn't need them, but they were only 20 cents each! I bought a couple bottles of cheapo $2 wine. I got carded. That's another reason why I like this store.

As I have stated in a previous post, it is probably a good time for you to buy some Wal-Mart stock.

Teen Chooses Life After Seeing Bumper Sticker

From LifeSiteNews.Com - A bumper sticker saved a baby’s life. Pro-lifers Dave and Mary Labun of Millinocket, Maine came out of the house to their parked car to find a handwritten note in a plastic baggy on the windshield thanking them for their “Abortion Stops a Beating Heart” bumper sticker. The note reads as follows:

Hello,
This might be very weird, but I wanted to thank you. I’m not sure what you believe in, but I’m a strong believer in God, and right now I am 17 and pregnant. And on my way to school one day, I was really wondering what to do – I was really thinking about abortion, because I was scared. As that thought came to mind, I walked past your car, and happened to look over and saw your bumper sticker, “Abortion Stops a Beating Heart.” My heart dropped. I believe God was talking to me, through that sticker, and I also believe I will never think about it again. I’m going to keep my baby, and I’m not that scared any more. Thank you so much for helping me make the best choice of my life. God bless – a very happy mother-to-be.

See the scan of the actual letter here.
Purchase the bumper sticker here.

I believe that this is a true story. I have not seen this story refuted on the Urban Legends and Folklore or Snopes.Com websites.

August 14

Significant Events in History on This Date:

1935- Social Security Act Signed Into Law
1941- Maximilian Kolbe Dies In Concentration Camp
1945- Japan Surrenders Ending World War II
1947- Pakistan Gains Independence From United Kingdom
1959- Earvin (Magic) Johnson Born in Lancing, Michigan
1993- The Marriage of Lisa and Donn in Honolulu, Hawaii
2005- Helios Airways #522 Crashes in Athens Killing All 121 Aboard

Thud!

That is the sound of the door closing on the Cubs' hope for post season play. Gee, it came later than usual this year.

Nope, Not Addicted

I am glad to say that while we were on our little vacation to Kansas, I did not even think about playing poker. Eight days without seeing one 'flop'. I have wondered if I was getting addicted to online poker. I suppose that this is a good sign. It was actually nice to take a break. Hopefully I will remember how to play.

Sonic

My new favorite fast food chain is Sonic - America's Drive-In. We've eaten here three times while in Topeka, Kansas. They are everywhere. There are probably just as many Sonics as there are McDonalds. It is a 'car-hop' restaurant. You order from your own stall in the parking lot (you can eat inside or drive-thru), and they bring the food out to your car, sometimes while on roller skates. They have the best milkshakes and malts I've ever had, period. Not like the ones at your typical fast food joint where the shakes are half air and half milk product. Sonic has very fast and friendly service.

I checked out their website, and for some strange reason, the nearest one to me is in Anaheim. Now I would need to travel 45 minutes to get my Sonic fix. You would think that in Southern California, where everything revolves around ones car, that there would be a lot more of these types of restaurants. I want to find about what it takes to become a franchisee.

I have a couple of theories why Sonic has not penetrated this area yet. Perhaps they need a bigger sized lot than your normal fast food place to accomodate the extra automobiles. And with land so scarce here it would probably be a little more cost prohibited. Another reason that came to me is their workers. It seemed that it was staffed by a very eager and energetic group of teenagers. I really don't believe that on the whole, the teens here would be as enthusiastic with their minimum wage job as those in the Heartland. A very different culture.

I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of Sonic to the area. Or, we'll just have to take more trips to visit the in-laws.

Yes, Dorothy, We Are In Kansas

Heredity Is A Powerful Thing

It is amazing to me some of the things that come naturally to my children that I never have to teach them. I discovered one of these innocuous things recently.

Alex will not use a public urinal that does not have dividers between them. On our vacation, we have had to use a lot of public rest rooms. I found out about a dilemma that Alex had at the airport when we went to use the rest room before our flight. We went in, and saw that the urinals are lined up for 'miles'. However, they were not divided by any sort of partition between them. So for fear of having someone straddle up next to him, he went into one of the stalls to take care of his business, standing up.

This is what I naturally do. But I do not think that I have ever done this while he was with me. I have this fear and loathing of urinating in public. I can do it if there are dividers, otherwise I will use a stall or just wait until I can find a better place to pee. Even if I drank a super mega giant big gulp of Coke, I would have a strange type of stage fright and would just stand there without anything happening if someone came in and stood right next to me without a divider between us. The floodgates would open up as soon as he stepped away. Don't even get me started on those public rest rooms that just have a big tub that the male humans will gather around to relieve themselves. Dodger Stadium still has these primitive things. They lose concession sales from me because of this fact.

Isn't heredity is a funny thing?

Midwest Airlines

We traveled from LAX to Kansas City on Midwest Airlines. We ended up using this airline because when I booked the flight, it was the cheapest one out there. I actually had never heard of the airline before. We had a great flight. This was the first time that we ever traveled to Kansas without having to stop in another city. Total time in the air was just under three hours. In the past, when we had to stop in Salt Lake City or Denver, it would take about five hours from the time we left L.A. until touch down in Kansas City. Another great feature of the airlines was the wide leather seats. We had a big 8-10 inch arm rest between the seats which were only two on either side of the aisle. Even on this short flight, they served food. I really liked the idea of having to pay for your food on your flight. This gives the passenger the option to have food on the flight or to take care of meals on their own. For breakfast, we had the option of either a $5 or a $7 meal. Since you have to pay for it, the food was a lot better quality than your normal 'free' meal. And since soft drinks are complimentary, you probably end up paying a lot less than you would in the airport.

Midwest Airlines is based in Milwaukee and flies to many cities from coast to coast. I highly recommend this airline to you.

Stem Cells, Diabetes, and Iacocca

Lee Iacocca is determined to find a cure for diabetes, and has put up $1,000,000 to fund promising non-embryonic stem-cell research. He's asking America to pitch in the other $10 million needed to run a clinical trial. Iacocca said, "One of the researchers we have supported for over a decade cured type 1 diabetes in mice. I’m not going to wait for the government or the pharmaceutical industry to decide to get the human trials going."

From the grant guidelines---
The foundation does not make grants for:
1. Projects not on diabetes
2. Buildings or capital improvements
3. Embryonic stem cell research
4. Hospital and university general fund drives
5. General operating costs of hospitals, research institutes, buildings, clinical care clinics, etc.

The Iacocca Foundation was founded in 1984 by Lee Iacocca in memory of his late wife, Mary K. Iacocca, who died of diabetic complications in 1983. Our primary purpose is to fund innovative and promising diabetes research programs and projects that will lead to a cure for the disease and alleviate complications caused by it.

If you want to ethically contribute to finding a cure for diabetes, this looks like the place to do it.

Thanks to Papa-Lu for this catch.

I Agree With J-Lo

It is rare when I agree with celebrities on the issues of the day. Especially those issues that deal with the family. So when it does happen I suppose that I should give it some blog space.

Singer/actress Jennifer Lopez is considering quitting her music and movie career to become a full-time mother. She is (rumored to be) two months pregnant with her third husband, Marc Anthony. She believes you can't be a successful traditional mother and wife and have a full-time job. So she's prepared to give up work to devote herself to her family. J-Lo eloquently explains, "Either you are going to be a bad mom and be a really good career woman and wife, or a good mom and career woman and bad wife, or a good mom and a good wife and your career is going to suck."

Not exactly Shakespeare, but I think you get the point.

Do Or Die Time For Cubbies

The Cubs' record right now is 54-54 with 54 games left. The time is now for them to start making a move. Winning the division has been out of the question for quite a long time now as the Cardinals are 28 games above .500. Their biggest wildcard competition comes from the Nationals and the Astros who are 8 and 10 games above .500 respectively. The Cubs probably need to go 36-18 (.667) the rest of the way in to have a chance at making the playoffs. This basically means that they have to win every series the rest of the way in. As hard as that may sound, it is possible now that a healthy(?) Nomar is back and with Kerry Wood coming back soon, possibly in a role coming out of the bullpen. Let's go Cubbies. I believe!

Pope Benedict XVI on Respect for Life

"[The Pope] must not proclaim his own ideas, but rather constantly bind himself and the Church to obedience to God's Word, in the face of every attempt to adapt it or water it down, and every form of opportunism. Pope John Paul II did this when, in front of all attempts, apparently benevolent to the human person, and in the face of erroneous interpretations of freedom, he unequivocally stressed the inviolability of the human being and of human life from the moment of conception until natural death. The freedom to kill is not true freedom, but a tyranny that reduces the human being to slavery."

--from the homily of Pope Benedict XVI at the Mass of Possession of the Chair of the Bishop of Rome, Basilica of St. John Lateran, Saturday, May 7, 2005.

It's Official: I'm No Longer A Daddy

Well, it's over. Marisa announced today that she is too big to call me 'Daddy'. She will now address me as Dad. This follows the devastating pronouncement by Alex a little while ago about his desire to stop calling me Daddy.

I told her that she would not get a Happy Meal from McDonalds today if she called me Dad. She called my bluff and said, "You're just kidding, Dad." She was right, we went anyway. I really need to work on my poker face.

I have a funny feeling, though, that she will pull the 'Daddy card' some time in the future when she wants something from me.

Democrats and Pro-Abortion Groups Ready for a Change of Rhetoric

(from LifeSiteNews.com) - Since the crushing defeat of the Democrats in the last election, the party’s spin doctors have been crafting a new approach to abortion without making any moves to abandon their basic premise that babies can be killed at will.

Democratic think tank, the Third Way, billing itself as a “strategy center for progressives” attempting to reverse the social tide in the US towards traditional values, says that the Democrat party and abortion groups need to change their rhetoric.

The think tank is focusing on abortion with “a series of briefing papers on abortion, with policy and messaging that will help progressives win the war of ideas.” Newsweek has obtained a brief from the Third Way that shows the country is locked into polarized positions but that most of the public falls into the undecided category which the brief calls, 'grays'. “We've now gotten locked in a frame and policies for 30 years that speak to the polars but don't speak to the grays,” says Third Way president Jon Cowan.

With the retirement of the key swing voter on the US Supreme Court, Sandra Day O’Connor, the aging forces of abortion support in the US are gearing up for a new fight. This stage will be one in which the subtleties of linguistic manipulation will be a key weapon.

Even Planned Parenthood is attempting to move away from its militant image. “We've gotten a little far away from talking with people very much from the heart,” admits Karen Pearl, interim president of Planned Parenthood.

Last month, Party chairman Howard Dean met with the group, Democrats for Life, an organization of Democrats attempting to move the party away from its support of abortion while returning it to its pre-1960’s roots. Dean told the party's national finance board that though he did not want to change the party’s position that abortion should always remain available. He did, however, want to “reframe” the issue to make it more palatable. Former DNC head Steve Grossman said, “He said he wanted to take 'abortion' out of the political lexicon.”

Read the Newsweek report here.