Does anyone here have a recipe for a sweet Bacon Cake, with onions? I am not a baker, andI would like such a thing,so if you have one, please post it!
If you don't have one, but can invent one, I'll try it too.
A Sweet Bacon Cake with caramelized onions sound so good, if only i could figure out how to do it!
TRIUMPHALIST--YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT?
Saturday, February 12, 2011
WOW!
It's a beautiful,sunny, not cold day. If you think I'm going to sit in front of the 'puter, you have some rethinking to do! I"m off for a pleasant walk and some slow-mo erranding to enjoy the day!
If you are similarly blessed--go outside, and stop reading 'puter stuff!
If you are similarly blessed--go outside, and stop reading 'puter stuff!
Friday, February 11, 2011
I Have a Sore Stomach
Daughter #1 and Daughter #2 went to the store for a while this evening, they took Eldest Granddaughter with them, leaving the two three year olds with Poppo and Daddy.
I have laughed so much, and so hard, that my stomach muscles are sore.
The high point was when my Son-in-Law and I went on the porch to smoke--we don't smoke in the house--and the two littles accidentally knocked down the baby gate to the kitchen. They looked around--we were watching them through the picture window--put the gate back into place and tried frantically to get the fastener lever to close, which they were not strong enough to do. I cant be described without acting it out, but these two little girls are better than a night at the movies, for entertainment value.
I have laughed so much, and so hard, that my stomach muscles are sore.
The high point was when my Son-in-Law and I went on the porch to smoke--we don't smoke in the house--and the two littles accidentally knocked down the baby gate to the kitchen. They looked around--we were watching them through the picture window--put the gate back into place and tried frantically to get the fastener lever to close, which they were not strong enough to do. I cant be described without acting it out, but these two little girls are better than a night at the movies, for entertainment value.
SEND MONEY! Or prayers!
Our Parish is very active in pro-Life causes, and one of our social outreaches is an outgrowth of this. Reasoning that if we want womento avoid abortion, we should help those most targeted by abortionist, we have The Golden Arrow Center. It serves mothers, infants, children under 3 and expectant mothers. Here are the numbers from 2010:
Mothers--1936
Kids--2613
Layettes distributed--269
Maternity--200
The Golden Arrow Center takes an integrated approach, teaching financial skills, helping find job training, teaching child care and basic health skills,as well as other programs and services. It addresses a wide range of problems women with "untimely' pregnancies experience.
Donations are tax deductible.
Golden Arrow Center for Mothers and Children
626 S. Shelby St.
Louisville, KY 40202
502-589-3537
The Director is Rebecca Rhodes. Nice lady, she is.
Mothers--1936
Kids--2613
Layettes distributed--269
Maternity--200
The Golden Arrow Center takes an integrated approach, teaching financial skills, helping find job training, teaching child care and basic health skills,as well as other programs and services. It addresses a wide range of problems women with "untimely' pregnancies experience.
Donations are tax deductible.
Golden Arrow Center for Mothers and Children
626 S. Shelby St.
Louisville, KY 40202
502-589-3537
The Director is Rebecca Rhodes. Nice lady, she is.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Reforming the Renewal: Where we stand now: Liturgy
I have read somethings, here and there, that in essence ask "Do we even need to reform the renewal?" The answer to that is an unequivocal yes. This particular post is to show this, in direct ways. Leaving aside the sex scandal among the clergy--the bulk of which occurred between 1960 and 1985--we can simply look at ourselves as a Church and see that reform--deep, thorough and substantial reform--is desperately needed. We can break it down into any number of areas, and point to concrete examples of a Church gone badly off the rails. I decided to make a short, incomplete list, with examples to show this. The problem wasn't finding things, it was thinning them out. So here are some areas where the need for reform is glaringly obvious.
I am deliberately not including examples of misconduct involving personal peccadilloes. As long as the Church includes living humans on earth, these things will happen. Instead, I'm going to use examples of widespread and systemic problems.
Liturgy: The liturgy is the place where more Catholics encounter their faith than any other. That has been true since apostolic times. The Liturgies of the Church are not set in stone--the Tradition Latin Mass isn't identical with the first liturgies of Rome, at all, and is known as the "Gregorian Liturgy" in the East. yet this liturgy dates from the late sixth or early seventh century. The missal of St. Pius is simply the Gregorian liturgy with much of it's medieval accretions removed. The original Roman Liturgy was in Greek, and the later, Pre-Gregorian liturgy much more like that of the Ambrosian Rite. Gregory rearranged the Liturgy, changing the location of the Our Father, rewriting the Roman Canon, reduced the liturgical role of deacons, installed the kyrie as a vestigial remnant of a penitential litany. So it's clear from history, even disregarding the Gallican Rite and the Mozaribic Rite, that liturgy develops and changes over time.
Yet we have a faction in the Church that holds, if not explicitly at least implicitly, that anything other than the Missal of St. Pius V is tantamount to apostasy. And we have shed members who have entered into schism over this question.
At the very same time, there is a faction that holds a preference for the TLM to be prima fascia evidence of a wholesale rejection of the Second Vatican Council. With the publication of Summorum Pontificum in 2007, this faction has been placed into direct contradiction of the Pope. As a matter of law, the highest authority over the Roman Rite is the Bishop of Rome, and many, to include many bishops of the Roman Rite, are actively trying to undermine this authority.
We can dispense with the hand wringing over "clown masses", "hallow e'en masses", and other egregious abuses--everyone knows that they are abuses. But we are left with widespread liturgical abuses, ranging from priests changing the words of the Liturgy to match their personal theology, to things that verge on the profanation of the Eucharist like laymen breaking the host to share it with those who have been barred from or refused communion. We have a mindset in some places that leave the interpretation of the GIRM so open that there is no way you know what to expect at mass from one parish to the next. (Oddly enough, it's among these very places that resistance to Summorum Pontificum is the greatest, and most likely to be justified under the all encompassing rubric of "unity". )
With the issue of Liturgiam authenticam, a new dimension has been added. The Council did not abolish Latin, it affirmed Latin as the language of the Church, and all liturgical books are in Latin, in their typical editions. Yet the translations in use were of varying quality, with those in use in the Anglophone world being among the worst. If you would like examples of how bad the translation is, I suggest you go to "What Does the Prayer Really Say" and read the comparisons of translation. Many have found this particularly vexing, since the rationale behind vernacular liturgy was to expose the people to the theology of the prayers.
So with the new English translation of the Missal, we have this storm of dissent, largely--no, entirely,as far as I can tell--on the part of those who wish that traditional theology and teachings could be expunged from the life of the Church. From laity to bishops, those who outright oppose the translation oppose it because it makes the theology of the Mass, and much of the theology of the faith,explicit. There are those who say they object because of questions of euphony, which is laughable when you listen to the clunky, vapid phraseology we have now. And there are those who oppose it on the grounds that the people won't understand the words, which is worse, because it shows the low regard in which they hold the Faithful, and their own reluctance to execute their teaching office.
Perhaps one of the most telling set of objections are those voiced by the 'Association of Catholic Priests", from Ireland. This group represents roughly ten percent of the priests in Ireland, and has denounced the new translation as "Sexist, archaic, elitist and obscure". There is an implication here. The new translation is very close to the Missae Typica--the authentic expression of the Roman Rite liturgy from which the vernacular liturgical books are but a derivation. These priests are saying, in effect, that the Roman liturgy is sexist, and archaic-that the expression of Christian unity that is the Eucharist, as well as the real and continuing presence of Christ physically among us and the Sacrifice that is continually offered to the Father is sexist. And they think it is elitist and obscure. That last can be validly fisked as "WE don't want to teach the faith, or explain the hard parts to the people." Worse, these men go on to say "How can we the priests be asked to introduce this ...when...we haven't had any input to it?". They weren't asked--they were told. And they each and everyone made a promise of obedience, which in this action they are breaking, or undermining. The Catholic Church is not governed by presbyters. More than that, priests have a ministry that is an extension of that of their bishop--anything contrary to that isn't ministry, it's contumacy.
Liturgists, as well, are unhappy. The North American Academy of Liturgy and the Catholic Academy of Liturgy in San Francisco both had meetings in January, and both are unhappy with the fact that the new translation is going to happen. Remember, these are the people who have given us such confusion and misrepresentation of what our liturgical prayer is that most Catholics have no idea of what happens at Mass. Moreover, they seem to forget the most basic principle that The Roman Liturgy is the province of the Bishop of Rome! Not a group of factionalists who have done such things as promulgate a new liturgy of confession with nothing from the Vatican or the Pope to support it.
So we can see, just from evidence on the ground, that is not derived from egregious liturgical abuse, that reform of the Liturgical Renewal is needed. And that it is unpopular with the dissenters that have striven for the last generation to render our theological and liturgical traditions extinct. This will result in much controversy.
If the rumors of a new moto proprio that will see the Pontiff exercising his authority over the Roman Rite are true, we may even see the latent schism in the American Church come out into the open. To be honest, I would welcome that, because at least then, I would be able to know who to trust, and the Modernists would have to be honest with themselves, and everyone else, and admit that they are no longer catholic. It is not that I welcome division in the Body of Christ--I do not, no Catholic, or Christian of any stripe can. Rather, it's that these divisions exist, and are deeply embedded in the life of the Church in America. They should at least be open, for otherwise, wolves dressed as sheep will carry off the faithful like lambs in the spring.
So in terms of Liturgy--reform of the renewal is very needed.
I am deliberately not including examples of misconduct involving personal peccadilloes. As long as the Church includes living humans on earth, these things will happen. Instead, I'm going to use examples of widespread and systemic problems.
Liturgy: The liturgy is the place where more Catholics encounter their faith than any other. That has been true since apostolic times. The Liturgies of the Church are not set in stone--the Tradition Latin Mass isn't identical with the first liturgies of Rome, at all, and is known as the "Gregorian Liturgy" in the East. yet this liturgy dates from the late sixth or early seventh century. The missal of St. Pius is simply the Gregorian liturgy with much of it's medieval accretions removed. The original Roman Liturgy was in Greek, and the later, Pre-Gregorian liturgy much more like that of the Ambrosian Rite. Gregory rearranged the Liturgy, changing the location of the Our Father, rewriting the Roman Canon, reduced the liturgical role of deacons, installed the kyrie as a vestigial remnant of a penitential litany. So it's clear from history, even disregarding the Gallican Rite and the Mozaribic Rite, that liturgy develops and changes over time.
Yet we have a faction in the Church that holds, if not explicitly at least implicitly, that anything other than the Missal of St. Pius V is tantamount to apostasy. And we have shed members who have entered into schism over this question.
At the very same time, there is a faction that holds a preference for the TLM to be prima fascia evidence of a wholesale rejection of the Second Vatican Council. With the publication of Summorum Pontificum in 2007, this faction has been placed into direct contradiction of the Pope. As a matter of law, the highest authority over the Roman Rite is the Bishop of Rome, and many, to include many bishops of the Roman Rite, are actively trying to undermine this authority.
We can dispense with the hand wringing over "clown masses", "hallow e'en masses", and other egregious abuses--everyone knows that they are abuses. But we are left with widespread liturgical abuses, ranging from priests changing the words of the Liturgy to match their personal theology, to things that verge on the profanation of the Eucharist like laymen breaking the host to share it with those who have been barred from or refused communion. We have a mindset in some places that leave the interpretation of the GIRM so open that there is no way you know what to expect at mass from one parish to the next. (Oddly enough, it's among these very places that resistance to Summorum Pontificum is the greatest, and most likely to be justified under the all encompassing rubric of "unity". )
With the issue of Liturgiam authenticam, a new dimension has been added. The Council did not abolish Latin, it affirmed Latin as the language of the Church, and all liturgical books are in Latin, in their typical editions. Yet the translations in use were of varying quality, with those in use in the Anglophone world being among the worst. If you would like examples of how bad the translation is, I suggest you go to "What Does the Prayer Really Say" and read the comparisons of translation. Many have found this particularly vexing, since the rationale behind vernacular liturgy was to expose the people to the theology of the prayers.
So with the new English translation of the Missal, we have this storm of dissent, largely--no, entirely,as far as I can tell--on the part of those who wish that traditional theology and teachings could be expunged from the life of the Church. From laity to bishops, those who outright oppose the translation oppose it because it makes the theology of the Mass, and much of the theology of the faith,explicit. There are those who say they object because of questions of euphony, which is laughable when you listen to the clunky, vapid phraseology we have now. And there are those who oppose it on the grounds that the people won't understand the words, which is worse, because it shows the low regard in which they hold the Faithful, and their own reluctance to execute their teaching office.
Perhaps one of the most telling set of objections are those voiced by the 'Association of Catholic Priests", from Ireland. This group represents roughly ten percent of the priests in Ireland, and has denounced the new translation as "Sexist, archaic, elitist and obscure". There is an implication here. The new translation is very close to the Missae Typica--the authentic expression of the Roman Rite liturgy from which the vernacular liturgical books are but a derivation. These priests are saying, in effect, that the Roman liturgy is sexist, and archaic-that the expression of Christian unity that is the Eucharist, as well as the real and continuing presence of Christ physically among us and the Sacrifice that is continually offered to the Father is sexist. And they think it is elitist and obscure. That last can be validly fisked as "WE don't want to teach the faith, or explain the hard parts to the people." Worse, these men go on to say "How can we the priests be asked to introduce this ...when...we haven't had any input to it?". They weren't asked--they were told. And they each and everyone made a promise of obedience, which in this action they are breaking, or undermining. The Catholic Church is not governed by presbyters. More than that, priests have a ministry that is an extension of that of their bishop--anything contrary to that isn't ministry, it's contumacy.
Liturgists, as well, are unhappy. The North American Academy of Liturgy and the Catholic Academy of Liturgy in San Francisco both had meetings in January, and both are unhappy with the fact that the new translation is going to happen. Remember, these are the people who have given us such confusion and misrepresentation of what our liturgical prayer is that most Catholics have no idea of what happens at Mass. Moreover, they seem to forget the most basic principle that The Roman Liturgy is the province of the Bishop of Rome! Not a group of factionalists who have done such things as promulgate a new liturgy of confession with nothing from the Vatican or the Pope to support it.
So we can see, just from evidence on the ground, that is not derived from egregious liturgical abuse, that reform of the Liturgical Renewal is needed. And that it is unpopular with the dissenters that have striven for the last generation to render our theological and liturgical traditions extinct. This will result in much controversy.
If the rumors of a new moto proprio that will see the Pontiff exercising his authority over the Roman Rite are true, we may even see the latent schism in the American Church come out into the open. To be honest, I would welcome that, because at least then, I would be able to know who to trust, and the Modernists would have to be honest with themselves, and everyone else, and admit that they are no longer catholic. It is not that I welcome division in the Body of Christ--I do not, no Catholic, or Christian of any stripe can. Rather, it's that these divisions exist, and are deeply embedded in the life of the Church in America. They should at least be open, for otherwise, wolves dressed as sheep will carry off the faithful like lambs in the spring.
So in terms of Liturgy--reform of the renewal is very needed.
"Lightning" Joe Collins
J. Lawton Collins was better nown as "Lightning Joe" Collins. he was the commander of the 25th "Tropic Lightning" Division when it fought on Guadalcanal. (Contrary to popular belief the marines did not secure the Island-which in no way detrcts from the gallantry and sacrifice they displayed there-it took two more divisions of US Army troops to finish the job.) He also commanded the division on New Georgia. These two island campaignswere fought under some of the most brutal conditions in American Military History.
He was considered too young by Gen. "Doug-out Doug" MacArthur to command a corps. instead, he was transferred to Europe, where he commanded VI corps, from Normandy until the end of WWII. He was later honored as the best corps commander of the war. Collins became Army Chief of Staff in 1949--which made him Mac Arthur's superior, even though Mac had five stars to Collin's four.
Among other things, he personally rewrote the Army's Close Order Drill, in the 30s simplifying it from the system then in use, which originated in the Civil War. He also stood tall on the Race Issue both prior to and during the Second World War--personally intervening to protect a black company of National Guard from harrasment by Louisiana State police and an armed mob.
He was well liked and respected by his troops, who were glad to see him get his third star, often going out of their way following his promotion to congratulate him. And although he commanded them through some of the roughest fighting in the ETO, to include the Battle of Hurtgen Forest and the Bulge, they neve rfelt that he used them recklessly. Of the Battle of Hurtgen Forest, he later said it wasn't a battle he wanted to fight, or a place he wanted to fight in, but that was the job he was given. (The battle was costly and brutal, and accomplished nothing. it has been judged by history as one of the mistakes of WWII.)
After the war, he held various positions, and in 1954 he went to Viet Nam to assess the situation for President Eisenhower. His recommendation was that we not get involved, that the Vietnamese Government was not going to be able to keep itself viable. he felt we should limit our activities to financial and material aid. he proved to be years ahead of the rest of the US Government in his assessment.
In 1956, while the world was distracted by the anti-communist uprising in Hungary and the Anglo-French seizure of the Suez Canal, he busied himself with humanitarian concerns, being involved in the resettlement of some 32,000 Hungarian Refugees from the Soviet Army that invaded Hungary to the US.
In 1957, he was named to the board of directors of the Pfizer corporation. (A major employer in the State of Indiana.) He accepted, but only after he made it clear that he would not lobby for the corporation with the Department of Defense.
A man of many accomplishments, he died on September 12, 1987. After a Mass of Christian Burial, he was interned at Arlington National Cemetery.
He was considered too young by Gen. "Doug-out Doug" MacArthur to command a corps. instead, he was transferred to Europe, where he commanded VI corps, from Normandy until the end of WWII. He was later honored as the best corps commander of the war. Collins became Army Chief of Staff in 1949--which made him Mac Arthur's superior, even though Mac had five stars to Collin's four.
Among other things, he personally rewrote the Army's Close Order Drill, in the 30s simplifying it from the system then in use, which originated in the Civil War. He also stood tall on the Race Issue both prior to and during the Second World War--personally intervening to protect a black company of National Guard from harrasment by Louisiana State police and an armed mob.
He was well liked and respected by his troops, who were glad to see him get his third star, often going out of their way following his promotion to congratulate him. And although he commanded them through some of the roughest fighting in the ETO, to include the Battle of Hurtgen Forest and the Bulge, they neve rfelt that he used them recklessly. Of the Battle of Hurtgen Forest, he later said it wasn't a battle he wanted to fight, or a place he wanted to fight in, but that was the job he was given. (The battle was costly and brutal, and accomplished nothing. it has been judged by history as one of the mistakes of WWII.)
After the war, he held various positions, and in 1954 he went to Viet Nam to assess the situation for President Eisenhower. His recommendation was that we not get involved, that the Vietnamese Government was not going to be able to keep itself viable. he felt we should limit our activities to financial and material aid. he proved to be years ahead of the rest of the US Government in his assessment.
In 1956, while the world was distracted by the anti-communist uprising in Hungary and the Anglo-French seizure of the Suez Canal, he busied himself with humanitarian concerns, being involved in the resettlement of some 32,000 Hungarian Refugees from the Soviet Army that invaded Hungary to the US.
In 1957, he was named to the board of directors of the Pfizer corporation. (A major employer in the State of Indiana.) He accepted, but only after he made it clear that he would not lobby for the corporation with the Department of Defense.
A man of many accomplishments, he died on September 12, 1987. After a Mass of Christian Burial, he was interned at Arlington National Cemetery.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Random Stuff That Makes the Flowers Grow
Chicken Kills Man: A man attending a cock fight in Tulare County CA on 30 Jan. one of the roosters used the knife like spurs attached to is feet on on him, and he bled to death. There is a sort of perverse symmetry here, somehow.
Diversity and Tolerance: Melanie Phillips is a columnist in the UK. Recently she published a column criticizing a plan to insert pro homosexual materials into all items in the UK school curriculum-including mathematics and science. She has been inundated with attacks on her column to include a multitude of death threats. She says "Indeed, the total inability of those who subjected me to such abuse to realize that they are, in fact, spewing out the very hatred, intolerance and incitement to violence of which they are accusing others would be hilarious were it not so terrifying."
Civil Discourse: I wrote before about the Palm Springs demonstration by "progressives" at a conservative gathering, and the arrest of people who tried to break in and disrupt it. But there is another dimension to this--and I wonder why this wasn't reported in the MSM--the mob of about 1000 people called for the death of supreme court justice Clarence Thomas, on video one person said "..string him up and his wife too...". I always thought calling for the death of judges and threatening to lynch outspoken black people was the purview of the KKK.
If only teachers could marry: Stacy Schuler, a high school gym and health teacher from Mason Oh was charged with 16 counts of felony sexual battery and three misdemeanors involving juveniles. She had sexual contact with students on five occasions, with members of the high school football team. On her application she said she wanted to educate teens about safe sex and risk factors for STDs and pregnancy.
Of course we Christians are over sensitive: Even though the UN reports that 90% of persons persecuted for their religion are Christian, we are just over sensitive. Not to mention that 95% of attacks against religious structures in Franc were determined to have occurred against Christian place, and the French Government says it will do everything to investigate anti-Semitic and racist attacks, but doesn't mention churches, we're over sensitive. Even though for the past two years crimes against churches the people in them in the us have risen --including arson, theft, sexual offenses, vandalism and burglary--we're over sensitive. Even though Italy had to take the step of blocking the EU statement on Religious persecution because it made no mention of Christians, we are being over sensitive. Well, I'm supposed to be meek and accept persecution for His Name's sake, but right now, I'd like to give someone some oversensitive.
Certain members of Congress are Wondering: Why the current administration, which keeps talking about transparency, has chosen to deep six the CDC statistics for abortions in the US. I'm wondering about that too.
Really Stupid "Journalists": Linking through from a news aggregator, a site called Gossip Cop is debunking a report by Us Weekly that has reported as fact an "interview" of Sarah Palin by Sean Hannity concerning Christina Aguilera in which Mrs. Palin said some really stupid things. Unfortunately, it was originated on the satire site supertuesdaynews.com . Whoa, even for a gossip tabloid, that's a new low.
Check your medications thoroughly: A young woman in Ft Lupton CO went to the pharmacy for antibiotics. She then went home and took them. She became nauseated, and looked again, to find she had been given the wrong meds. She had been given a drug used in chemotherapy, and that is also used to terminate early pregnancies. In other words, murder the unborn child through chemical abortion. She may lose the child, even though she went to the hospital and received emergency treatment. The Child may also have severe birth defects if it survives. The meds were intended for a woman with the same last name. The Safeway pharmacy where purchased her meds admitted to giving her the wrong meds. Check your meds. mistakes happen.
Free Pass: The City of Chicago has an ordinance against protesting at houses of worship. it has enforced them. Yet one group gets a free pass--Gays. The Gay Liberation Network has organized a protest at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago, on Valentine's Day, timed to be in full swing when worshipers arrive for the 11:00 Mass to be celebrated by Cardinal George. The city has said it will not enforce the ordinance in this case.
Speaking of Free Passes: Ever wonder why Planned Parenthood gets caught repeatedly breaking the law in a widespread and systematic way, yet the MSM either doesn't report it,or downplays it? Well, the flack who runs PR for Planned Parenthood, worked for CNN, PBS and NBC. He has ties to them, and knows their people. So maybe, when you can smell it, there's a pile of crap somewhere. Journalistic integrity--what a joke.
Not only in contempt, but contemptible: A federal judge in Louisiana found the Department of the Interior in contempt for not issuing permits to drill offshore. In may he found the interior Department's ban to be groundless and arbitrary. He used the words "arbitrary, capricious and...unlawful".The Department filed an appeal, which was denied. So they stalled. They rewrote the ban, keeping all of it's provisions in different words. Essentially, they changed it's name and reissued it. Then the interior Department inspector general found and publicized the e-mails where Ken Salazar and Ex-Environmental Czar Carol Browner collaborated on evading the law. Michael Bromwich, the oil spill czar said the new ban was "..congruent with the original moratorium." It's worth noting that Salazar had said that all seven of the scientists who peer reviewed the moratorium supported it, when in fact eight scientists who were consulted said that it was hokum. (All seven? When eight disagreed? in the words of a much maligned congressional member 'You Lie!") It has also been pointed out that statements by the administration are mutually contradictory, and contradict facts. But what can we expect from an administration whose chief executive said that "..we need to get passed constitutional limits..." Not since Andrew Jackson have we had a President who is so prepared to ignore federal courts and law.
Diversity and Tolerance: Melanie Phillips is a columnist in the UK. Recently she published a column criticizing a plan to insert pro homosexual materials into all items in the UK school curriculum-including mathematics and science. She has been inundated with attacks on her column to include a multitude of death threats. She says "Indeed, the total inability of those who subjected me to such abuse to realize that they are, in fact, spewing out the very hatred, intolerance and incitement to violence of which they are accusing others would be hilarious were it not so terrifying."
Civil Discourse: I wrote before about the Palm Springs demonstration by "progressives" at a conservative gathering, and the arrest of people who tried to break in and disrupt it. But there is another dimension to this--and I wonder why this wasn't reported in the MSM--the mob of about 1000 people called for the death of supreme court justice Clarence Thomas, on video one person said "..string him up and his wife too...". I always thought calling for the death of judges and threatening to lynch outspoken black people was the purview of the KKK.
If only teachers could marry: Stacy Schuler, a high school gym and health teacher from Mason Oh was charged with 16 counts of felony sexual battery and three misdemeanors involving juveniles. She had sexual contact with students on five occasions, with members of the high school football team. On her application she said she wanted to educate teens about safe sex and risk factors for STDs and pregnancy.
Of course we Christians are over sensitive: Even though the UN reports that 90% of persons persecuted for their religion are Christian, we are just over sensitive. Not to mention that 95% of attacks against religious structures in Franc were determined to have occurred against Christian place, and the French Government says it will do everything to investigate anti-Semitic and racist attacks, but doesn't mention churches, we're over sensitive. Even though for the past two years crimes against churches the people in them in the us have risen --including arson, theft, sexual offenses, vandalism and burglary--we're over sensitive. Even though Italy had to take the step of blocking the EU statement on Religious persecution because it made no mention of Christians, we are being over sensitive. Well, I'm supposed to be meek and accept persecution for His Name's sake, but right now, I'd like to give someone some oversensitive.
Certain members of Congress are Wondering: Why the current administration, which keeps talking about transparency, has chosen to deep six the CDC statistics for abortions in the US. I'm wondering about that too.
Really Stupid "Journalists": Linking through from a news aggregator, a site called Gossip Cop is debunking a report by Us Weekly that has reported as fact an "interview" of Sarah Palin by Sean Hannity concerning Christina Aguilera in which Mrs. Palin said some really stupid things. Unfortunately, it was originated on the satire site supertuesdaynews.com . Whoa, even for a gossip tabloid, that's a new low.
Check your medications thoroughly: A young woman in Ft Lupton CO went to the pharmacy for antibiotics. She then went home and took them. She became nauseated, and looked again, to find she had been given the wrong meds. She had been given a drug used in chemotherapy, and that is also used to terminate early pregnancies. In other words, murder the unborn child through chemical abortion. She may lose the child, even though she went to the hospital and received emergency treatment. The Child may also have severe birth defects if it survives. The meds were intended for a woman with the same last name. The Safeway pharmacy where purchased her meds admitted to giving her the wrong meds. Check your meds. mistakes happen.
Free Pass: The City of Chicago has an ordinance against protesting at houses of worship. it has enforced them. Yet one group gets a free pass--Gays. The Gay Liberation Network has organized a protest at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago, on Valentine's Day, timed to be in full swing when worshipers arrive for the 11:00 Mass to be celebrated by Cardinal George. The city has said it will not enforce the ordinance in this case.
Speaking of Free Passes: Ever wonder why Planned Parenthood gets caught repeatedly breaking the law in a widespread and systematic way, yet the MSM either doesn't report it,or downplays it? Well, the flack who runs PR for Planned Parenthood, worked for CNN, PBS and NBC. He has ties to them, and knows their people. So maybe, when you can smell it, there's a pile of crap somewhere. Journalistic integrity--what a joke.
Not only in contempt, but contemptible: A federal judge in Louisiana found the Department of the Interior in contempt for not issuing permits to drill offshore. In may he found the interior Department's ban to be groundless and arbitrary. He used the words "arbitrary, capricious and...unlawful".The Department filed an appeal, which was denied. So they stalled. They rewrote the ban, keeping all of it's provisions in different words. Essentially, they changed it's name and reissued it. Then the interior Department inspector general found and publicized the e-mails where Ken Salazar and Ex-Environmental Czar Carol Browner collaborated on evading the law. Michael Bromwich, the oil spill czar said the new ban was "..congruent with the original moratorium." It's worth noting that Salazar had said that all seven of the scientists who peer reviewed the moratorium supported it, when in fact eight scientists who were consulted said that it was hokum. (All seven? When eight disagreed? in the words of a much maligned congressional member 'You Lie!") It has also been pointed out that statements by the administration are mutually contradictory, and contradict facts. But what can we expect from an administration whose chief executive said that "..we need to get passed constitutional limits..." Not since Andrew Jackson have we had a President who is so prepared to ignore federal courts and law.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Just a Note About Live Action and Planned Parenthood.
Planned parenthood has fired the manger of the Perth Amboy NJ facility who was caught on video tape working with people she thought were pimps and sex traffickers. Fair enough.
But P.P. has denounced the practice of videotaping their employees who are violating the law as "an astoundingly cynical form of political activity."
I nipped over to The Free Dictionary. ( www.thefreedictionary.com ) and looked up cynical. Two definitions stood out to me. The first read: "Believing or showing the belief that people are motivated by base or selfish concerns: skeptical of the motives of others." The second read: Selfishly or callously calculating."
Both of these definitions do not apply to Live Action, but do apply to Planned Parenthood. Abby Johnson, who used to be a clinic director for P.P. has written a book in which she chronicles P.P. stressing and pushing abortion, due to it's profitability. That fits the second definition quite will. And the statement issued by P.P. denouncing Live Action as "cynical" fits the first.
Live Action is not a way to get rich, or powerful. It's not even particularly safe for it's participants--Ms. Rose has received threats and attempts at intimidation. Rather, it's an altruistic response to the free pass on criminal behavior that Planned Parenthood receives from the press, the regulatory bodies of the several states, and from liberals concerning their racial policies and preference for aborting the poor.
While P.P. was right to fire Amy Woodruff--any group has the right and duty to fire an employee that engages in criminal conduct or brings disrepute on it--their real message is that they think it's horrible that they should be required to practice any transparency vis a vis their compliance with laws meant to protect minors or the exploited and vulnerable. And their message to their employees isn't comply with the law, it's don't get caught.
By the way--Mrs. Johnson and her family are converting to Catholicism, in large part because her Episcopalian church was pro-abortion, and vocally rejected her change of heart to pro-life. it has cost her her job, and her faith community. So I can't really say she's cynical, either.
But P.P. has denounced the practice of videotaping their employees who are violating the law as "an astoundingly cynical form of political activity."
I nipped over to The Free Dictionary. ( www.thefreedictionary.com ) and looked up cynical. Two definitions stood out to me. The first read: "Believing or showing the belief that people are motivated by base or selfish concerns: skeptical of the motives of others." The second read: Selfishly or callously calculating."
Both of these definitions do not apply to Live Action, but do apply to Planned Parenthood. Abby Johnson, who used to be a clinic director for P.P. has written a book in which she chronicles P.P. stressing and pushing abortion, due to it's profitability. That fits the second definition quite will. And the statement issued by P.P. denouncing Live Action as "cynical" fits the first.
Live Action is not a way to get rich, or powerful. It's not even particularly safe for it's participants--Ms. Rose has received threats and attempts at intimidation. Rather, it's an altruistic response to the free pass on criminal behavior that Planned Parenthood receives from the press, the regulatory bodies of the several states, and from liberals concerning their racial policies and preference for aborting the poor.
While P.P. was right to fire Amy Woodruff--any group has the right and duty to fire an employee that engages in criminal conduct or brings disrepute on it--their real message is that they think it's horrible that they should be required to practice any transparency vis a vis their compliance with laws meant to protect minors or the exploited and vulnerable. And their message to their employees isn't comply with the law, it's don't get caught.
By the way--Mrs. Johnson and her family are converting to Catholicism, in large part because her Episcopalian church was pro-abortion, and vocally rejected her change of heart to pro-life. it has cost her her job, and her faith community. So I can't really say she's cynical, either.
I Take Exception to That!
An important rebuttal is included in the comments on the post "Concerning the Poll".
And I mean every word.
And I mean every word.
The Reform of the Renewal--Excursus
Sunday our Pastor spoke to us about a couple of things. One of them was the new translation of the Missal. He pointed out that the texts of the Mass had NOT been changed, but that the translation had, to bring what we say and sing into closer alignment with what the Mass actually says.
This was in the context of explaining a new initiative-or maybe the word I'm looking for is program--by the Archdiocese called "Why Catholic". This program is something that I am exited about. It is intended to explain the faith to Catholics. It seems to me to be an attempt to bring adult religious education into line with the Magisterial Teachings of the Church, and is based firmly in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. if we are ever to effectively evangelize our society, we need first to remedy the misconceptions and blatant ignorance of the faith that is so widespread in the pews of so many parishes. And this is an attempt to do just that.
Father also said that none of us live the teachings of the Faith one hundred percent--and if we did, then confession would be unnecessary. That's right-he managed to get a plug in for the Sacrament of Penance.
One of the things I like about this program is that it is attempting to integrate catechises on the Liturgy as well as the teaching of doctrine and morality. This is something that we are sorely in need of. I will go out on a limb and say that our last Archbishop didn't do a very good job of teaching.
This is what is needed, and what we must screw up our courage to do--reform ourselves, reform our liturgical practice, and evangelize the evangelists, if i can use that phrase. It's important to remember that the Reform of the Renewal will occur--because we have Christ's promise that his Church is founded upon rock, and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.
We are living in a time in the history of the Church that bears close resemblance to the 16th century, and like then, it seems as if we are under siege. We are not. Just as the Israelites managed to overcome great odds in battle because the lord was on their side, and no matter how scary it seemed victory was not in doubt, we to are assured of success in this battle. The renewal shall be reformed. The only question is shall we, as individuals, participate in the reform, and thus be not only reformed but renewed ourselves, or shall we not. If we do not, as individuals, participate and be renewed and reformed in ourselves, we have that disturbing gospel passage about outer darkness with wailing and gnashing of teeth. And as groups of special interests, well, we also have that Gospel passage about whips and money changers, and the cleansing of the Temple.
This time, and in my locality, this program, is both exciting and intimidating. I am reminded of the Chinese ideogram for 'Crisis'--the symbol for danger and opportunity combined. I can see how this program can miscarry. However, we must try, for if we try, and only succeed in 50% of the cases, that's many more successes than we will have if we make no attempt.
This was in the context of explaining a new initiative-or maybe the word I'm looking for is program--by the Archdiocese called "Why Catholic". This program is something that I am exited about. It is intended to explain the faith to Catholics. It seems to me to be an attempt to bring adult religious education into line with the Magisterial Teachings of the Church, and is based firmly in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. if we are ever to effectively evangelize our society, we need first to remedy the misconceptions and blatant ignorance of the faith that is so widespread in the pews of so many parishes. And this is an attempt to do just that.
Father also said that none of us live the teachings of the Faith one hundred percent--and if we did, then confession would be unnecessary. That's right-he managed to get a plug in for the Sacrament of Penance.
One of the things I like about this program is that it is attempting to integrate catechises on the Liturgy as well as the teaching of doctrine and morality. This is something that we are sorely in need of. I will go out on a limb and say that our last Archbishop didn't do a very good job of teaching.
This is what is needed, and what we must screw up our courage to do--reform ourselves, reform our liturgical practice, and evangelize the evangelists, if i can use that phrase. It's important to remember that the Reform of the Renewal will occur--because we have Christ's promise that his Church is founded upon rock, and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.
We are living in a time in the history of the Church that bears close resemblance to the 16th century, and like then, it seems as if we are under siege. We are not. Just as the Israelites managed to overcome great odds in battle because the lord was on their side, and no matter how scary it seemed victory was not in doubt, we to are assured of success in this battle. The renewal shall be reformed. The only question is shall we, as individuals, participate in the reform, and thus be not only reformed but renewed ourselves, or shall we not. If we do not, as individuals, participate and be renewed and reformed in ourselves, we have that disturbing gospel passage about outer darkness with wailing and gnashing of teeth. And as groups of special interests, well, we also have that Gospel passage about whips and money changers, and the cleansing of the Temple.
This time, and in my locality, this program, is both exciting and intimidating. I am reminded of the Chinese ideogram for 'Crisis'--the symbol for danger and opportunity combined. I can see how this program can miscarry. However, we must try, for if we try, and only succeed in 50% of the cases, that's many more successes than we will have if we make no attempt.
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