Happy St. Jerome Feast Day and Happy Birthday to Christine Y.

I love St. Jerome. He's not one of those butter-wouldn't-melt-in-his-mouth saints. He was not known for suffering fools gladly. He's the patron Saint of Librarians, which Friend Christine is - and his day is also on her birthday.

Gretsy people of the world, unite!!!

More Indoctrination by Obama Hack "Educators"

This was from a school in Sand Hill, North Carolina. Creepy. Frightening. Even if your kids aren't in public school, are they picking up vibes from their indoctrinated little friends?

Creep Zero also said he wanted US schoolkids to have a longer schoolday.

No Zero, they need more time with their parents, not the state nanny who will only have more time to indoctriate them. Leni would have been proud. Also don't miss Glenn Beck's take on similar indoctrination. And ditto Sean Hannity's interview with some parents whose children were subjected.

And please watch THIS VIDEO -- it shows ARAB children singing Obama "the Kenyan's" Praises because "He will bring down "the Great Satan" From Within."

And This Video, shot almost a year to the day ago, has frightening similarities to how the Hitler Yungen were trained to sing to Hitler as their Saviour.

If you have kids, are they being sucked into this? Are your neighbor's kids?

Let's pray we have a way to go before this happens:

Senate Finance Commitee Rejects Public Optionall

Allegedly.

May the wheels finally drop off the obominator trainwreck once and for all.

Apparently, the "don't tread on me" folks made somewhat of an impression on the biggest congressional dullards.

I wouldn't put it pass them, however, to try and sneak something in in the middle of the night.

Stay vigilant.

Have Alb - Will Travel

For the second Sunday in a row I attended Mass at the exclusive Chez Pere Shipley. I realzied that it was the 2nd Sunday in a row in the last 18 months that I did not stress who was going to say the Mass and if it was a certain someone how far off the "red" and the "Black" it would be.

The Sainted Father S. just says the Mass - and that's enough. He has a nice antimension beneath the corporal too.

Forget Missal? No problem! New way to follow Latin Propers

Well, DUH. I was in a hurry this morning and forgot to stash my missal in my computer case as per usual. It was "Ember Friday" today, so that's why the purple. I knew I could borrow a Latin/English Sunday Mass common missal to follow the ordinary of the Mass, but I would have been dissapointed not to be able to follow the propers.



But hey, no worries. The Amazing Fr. G. didn't notice I'd found a newfangled way to read those ancient proper., even though he sailed by me after he'd heard confession to go vest for Mass.







So if you're ever stuck or want a reference, you can download the whole thing, here.

RJW - Has new blog "Accidental Blog"

RJW has been commenting for a long time on other people's blogs, and he was finally kick started into commencing his own blog, The Accidental Blog.

He lives in Ogden, Utah, and as his "about me" says "Who Am I? (Re)Tired old Dad, teacher, musician and Roman Catholic conservative"

Hop on over and say Howdy.

US Schoolchildren indoctrinated to sing praise to Barrack Hussein Obama

Any morons who voted for "BArrack Hussein Obama" better wake up soon. You kids will be wearing little Red Kerchiefs and turning you in if you express any doubts about "Barrack Hussein Obama."




This video was filmed (according to youtube) at the B. Bernice Young Elementary School in Burlington, NJ and uploaded on June 19, 2009.



They ought to fire the teachers and the principal for letting these young impressionable minds be poisoned. Is this supposed to be the next 3rd World hell hole with a tinpot dictator?

More info:
Burlington Township Board Of Education
1508 Mount Holly Rd
Burlington, NJ 08016-3738
(609) 387-3955

The B. Bernice Young Elementary School is located at 1203 Neck Road in Burlington, NJ. It serves grades PK-2 in the Burlington Township School District. Their phone number is listed as

(609)-386-3520.

Principal (Dr. Denise King): dking @ burltwpsch. org

Vice Principal (Carol Zulla): czulla @ burltwpsch. org

Update: Another link from Fox News -- parents interviewed -- say they were not notified

This one's for Fr. Mildew

IIRC Father Mildew really likes trains. I shot this video from the San Diego Trolley this afternoon. This section of track comes out of downtown and does a 180 turn around the Santa Fe Depot.




At least I was channeling the "Great one" instead of merely "the won" unless it was imagining him tied to the track.

Mac gave Me This cool Award

How 'bout that? I get to pass this on too.

The rules are as follows:

1. Copy the loyal picture above and post it on your blog.
2. Pass it on to those whom you think are deserving.
3. Leave a message for them.
4. Pass it on to as many people as you want.
5. Leave a comment with the person who originally gave you the award.

I'm tempted not to do #3, cuz if they regularly read your blog, then they should know they got it, but "whatever." :-D

I would like to pass on this award to:

1. mum6kids

2. packrat

3. Fr. Erik (he was on the "what's wrong with this picture" like white on Rice.)

4. E.P.

5. RJW

6. Stephen Farrow, because

I'll also give mention to Digi, Tara, Angela, Kit, Adrienne and Amy ... but I think the process of tagging just more than a few is gonna kill me because I am tired to the bone, having woken up at 5 o'clock this morning for no damn good reason! That, and it was hot and muggy and it's supposed to be hot and muggy again and this is a run on sentence but I just can't focus with all that I have going on right now so please forgive me and anyway I'm not afraid much of Sister Constance Fitzgerald anymore...much. Besides, she gave me an A in the stream of concious writing assignment in 12th grade. I think Proust is safe from any threat from me, but I never bothered to read him, because life is too short and I read Simone de Beauvoir just enough to have had my fill of French writers and it's not like Racine and all those guys could hold a candle to Shakespear anyway. So. There.

And I was on the choo-choo train's cousin today and I wanted to post a little goodie for Fr. Mildew in case he should drop by, which he would if I told him there was a nice trolley and Railway Station to have a look at on account of my effort at cinema verite and don't ask me to put those accents in because it's French and you should know they go in there, and you don't really expect me to look up the ascii code for that, do you? Well, DO you? Because I have to tag all those people I named. Did I say it was hot and I was also having hot flashes? I didn't say I was having hot flashes? You should have guessed.

[And as soon as I hit "publish post" I'm going to say "dammit, I should have tagged X too, because he/she always reads and then they'll think I don't appreciate them, but if I'm really quick I can add them too and cross my fingers that they didn't notice I didn't tag them in the first place and I hope they're not mad.]

In case you are all wondering....

...as no word from the pastor or the diocese, I'm off to attend a very exclusive Mass with The Sainted Fr. S and the Lord, Jesus Christ. And then afterwards, if I know the Sainted one we will be dining chez KFC, his absolute favorite repast.

He can fly, he can fly, he can fly!

...St. Joseph of Cupertino. One of the delights of the EF form of Mass is getting to celebrate in a formal way, all those saints that were shunted aside from the church calendar. Joseph, while saying Mass could levitate. So naturally, the powers that were wouldn't let him do a public Mass. He died in 1660, so it wasn't some "well, that was so far back is it like a St. George killing an actual dragon" thing.

Some genius decided he would be the perfect patron saint for Aviators. And I love having this unique saint be the one celebrated on my birthday.

Off to adoration and Mass shortly, where I can get some peace.

[Apologies to Peter Pan.]

The Run Around with the Diocese

One would think that after leaving the message I did in the chancery office on the phone line for the bishop Sunday night that someone from the diocese would have gotten back to me personally at the latest before the close of business Tuesday, seeing as how I had left the message within an hour of the incident happening.

Not so. Funny, I would have thought by day two SOMEONE would have called me first and apologized, unprompted. But. No. Not in THIS diocese. It would have been nice if at the end of Monday, someone would have called to say: "We're SORRY, the bishop is hearing Fr. Mark's side of the incident, etc." [In the left message I said I'd like to set up a meeting with the bishop .]

It was nearing the end of the workday Tuesday, when I had to call the diocese to see if the janitor had erased the message or what. There hadn't even been the simple courtesy call from the diocese to acknowledge the message I left almost 48 hours previously. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Nichevo. BUPKIS.

So around 3:45 give or take on Tuesday, I called the diocese and got the bishop's secretary. I said "I'd like to speak with the bishop." I told her who I was, and it was clear SHE knew about what I'd said. on the macine "Sorry, he's on another line." "I'll hold." 5 minutes later: "He's still on line."

I asked what time the office closed and she told me 4:30. I called at 4:25 and he was "in a meeting." So I asked her to speak with whomever sets up the bishop's meetings. I was told he did that himself. Riiight. So I said "Please have the bishop call me. My job doesn't allow for calls during my work day, so please call during my lunch hour, or he may call at his leisure after 4:30."

Today, I got a call from the diocese. Bishop? Nope. The chancellor. A layman, with no power to tell the priests to do anything. I said that I'd like a meeting with the bishop. I said as I understood it, people had a right to request a meeting with the bishop - and that I wanted to bring a letter of formal complaint. He said he didn't know where I'd gotten that idea. He said that he'd recommend me meeting with the pastor first - as that's their "policy." I told him I didn't see what could be gained by that. I told him again what the incident entialed and said that I don't know why a bishop would not be concerned with preserving the sanctity of the Eucharist. And he said I was "putting words in his mouth."

They know the pastor has had a stroke in the past, and has been known to "go off" on people since the stroke. I am not the only one to have run into his temper. So they essentially want to throw me into a one on one private meeting with the pastor, where I have no "Friend at court" or have any power to discipline him to do the right thing. I.E. For him to stop instructing people not to stop people walking away to the pews with the Eucharist unconsummed. Frankly, what's to "discuss?" We're not having a "difference of opinion" if the hymns are any good or not. As regards protecting the Host, I feel perfectlly safe in saying I was 100% right in guarding it, and he was wrong.

I have no power to compel him to do ANYTHING. I believe correcting priests is the job of a bishop. Not a layperson. It's "above my paygrade." I thought that was the point of having bishops, in part - to see that the priests in the diocese were "With the program."

The chancellor said "nevertheless, we'd prefer you to meet with him first before requesting a meeting." I said "I'll *consider* it, and get back with you tomorrow." At that time I hadn't even thought that they MUST know of the pastor's tendency to temper when he's under stress. What were they thinking? Are they sitting there chortling and hoping this will go away?

I'd already been thinking of possibly writing to the appropirate dicastery for such things. Although, apparently these things tend to get kicked back to the diocese. But I think I will send a registered letter to the bishop, also requesting a meeting (if I don't get an apology, etc) and frankly if bishops aren't going to do their job of correcting the priests when they need to, then maybe things like this should be the nail in the coffin for Communion in the hand.

I think the ball is *supposed* to be in their court. If they HAVE spoken to the pastor, then they should have had the courtesy to tell me. But they seem to think the ball is in my court, and sadly, I think it is. I shouldn't have to do all the work. If they are being ostriches, they need to stop and wake up.

I expect people in Holy Orders to have enough sense to be on the same page on this, and it's appalling that they are not. Why should a laywoman have to do the bishop's job, frankly?

The irony of all this is that at times the pastor can be warm and generous. And I've known him for over 26 years. This PAINS me.

NO LAYPERSON should be put in this position!

[I probably ought to ALSO send a registered letter cc: directly to the diocesan archives.]

Last night I left the Sanctuary While Assisting with Communion

There was no film at 11, but I felt compelled to do what I did with good reason.

I have been attending my parish 37 years. For 34 of those years I have assisted at the 5:15 Sunday Mass as lector, EM, or server. Followers of this blog will know of the difficulties I've had since the supply priest who'd been at that Mass for most of the 34 years had been forced to retire last Easter.

Last night the deacon was not there, and in addition to serving the Mass, I assisted with giving the Host. About a 1/3 of the way through, some woman recieved from me, and did not put the Host in her mouth. I watched her for a few steps and as she got to the end of the aisle to turn, I was on her like white on rice and said to her that she MUST consume the Host right away. She looked at me blankly and consumed. This is not an everyweek occurence in the parish, but it is in a tourist area, and sad to say in recent years this sort of thing now happens several times a year.

As soon as I was back at the pastor's side, he turned on me and said in a sharp voice, "don't EVER do that again, you humiliated that woman, you do that again and you're through here." I "considered" for two seconds, and having already resolved from last year when he did the same thing to me, under a similar circumstance, I looked at him and said "I'm done."

I find it shocking and disgraceful that a priest would not want to put the care of the Eucharist as a paramount concern over someone's possible "humiliation." Either one believes in the Real Presence and acts like it, or one doesn't. If one believes, and is acting as EM or is a priest or deacon for that matter, it is shipshod at best, and I think a sin at worst not to follow through and do the right thing regardless of cost. What is the cost of NOT persuing a person like that? Scandal to the faith for the people who saw someone walk away with the Host and not consume and know that the party that gave it to them didn't seem to care either? Blatent indifference? Not on my watch. I either do the job right, or not at all. We have to ask why so many so-called "Catholics" no longer believe in the Real Presence.

So that's why I "quit" in 2 seconds rather than wait. With my luck some other person would have come up the same day and done the same. I put the ciborium on the Altar. Took the alb off, and put it over my arm. I didn't want people making up tales as to why I did what I did, so I went to the lectern and said "I care what happens to the Eucharist, and I hope you will too." and then I left.

Walked out of the sacristy, to my car, and went to the Sainted Fr. S's house to comisserate. I intend to take this to the bishop. And possibly, to the appropriate dicastery in Rome. I have no idea who served the rest of the Mass.

34 years, and that that was the endpoint. I believe the powers that be will try and make an issue that I announced what I did from the lectern, but I could not leave it as follows:

1) St Tarciscius: Martyred for protecting the Eucharist
2) St. Therese of Lisieux: Finds a morsel of the sacred species in the sacristy, and has the priest summoned while the sisters fall on their knees in adoration.
3) Pastor succeeds in forcing EM to not care about what happens to the Host.

I side with 1 & 2, and reject 3.

I have already sought the advise of another priest in addition to the sainted Fr. S.

I'll keep you posted how it comes out.

Hangar Queen Breviary Sets

This morning after Mass the talk had turned to Missals and the merits and deficiencies of same. A certain party had not done the credo, and certain other parties mentioned that it was in our missals. [The first "Certain party" said someone had taken the ordo, so he was off the hook!]

Then the talk turned to breviaries, and I mentioned to the Amazing Fr. G. that the EF breviaries must cost the earth. He allowed as same and said, "...and it's really hard to find complete used sets on E-bay [for the EF form], because in the past the custom was for priests have one book of their breviary set buried with them." Then he related how you'll find listings like "3 of 4 vols. available, vol # missing."

We were all surprised and delighted to hear of this custom.

Then I said: The priests should have used "hanger queen sets" for that, rather than wreck a set.

Fr. G. was bemused and said "hanger queens?"

I had to explain the term. He understood when I mentioned canabalizing VIC-20s for their parts. But I suppose that would have defeated the intent! Apparently his order, the FFSP, still does this. But in case you've been looking for used sets and are frustrated about missing volumes - now you know!

Victoria's Secret. Who Knew?

Somehow I'd missed this item in the Torygraph the other day.

My guess is she was ALWAYS "amused." She may as well have gone commando!

"Like other ladies of the late-Victorian era, the Queen wore open-crotch knickers whose separate legs were joined by a draw-string at the waist. "

Sheesh. According to the article her waist measurement was 50" and her bust 66." I think I'd have liked her. I think we can safely say she would NOT have been that woman in any all cackling female group, who ate a cookie and then announced to all her heavier "friends" "ooooooeeeee -- I feel so fat and bloated now. I'm going to have to diet now."

Vicky would have helped me stomp her to death!!!

Wake up, America - And don't let that Muslim in the White House say this is Subbotnik day

I despise school systems which refuse to teach history, and even moreso those members of the public who can't remember what happened 10 minutes before the last American Idol show they watched.



I'm sorry, but it's PATRIOT DAY. Not "give up your time to volunteer because some freak of nature Muslim was voted in the White House by blind gullible fools Day." I don't need some Muslim to tell me to do some public work project to "help the collective." And he IS a Muslim. Where's his baptismal certificate? Non-existant. You don't slip and say things like "My Muslim faith" if you aren't one, do you? [Youtube link of video.]

The liar in the White House claims that no illegal aliens will be covered by his Health Care bill. But the dupes working on the bill have twice rejected explicit provisions to keep them out. Wake up, stupid people. If the high handed way which Queen Pelosi and her minions have been smearing you for challenging them, hasn't shown you that they think we are fools, then you deserve to be a slave to the state. If Zero lecturing you and your children like simple fools who can't make it through the day without their guidance and protection, then you deserve to be a slave. You deserve to crawl on your bellies to an unchecked state who wants to control every moment of how you live. IT's not about lowering cost. If it was about that, they'd make it so insurance was portable across state lines. You can't do that. IT would be about tort reform. Can't have the trial lawyers pissed off, so, no. It's not about that. IT's about forcing you into THEIR system, and getting to decide if they think you are worthy of the rationed care they will dole out.

Zero wants to be able to "shut down the internet" in an emergency too. Just like the Chinese government. Zero thinks you are too stupid to know that networks vital to the national defense aren't already physically separate from the public internet. I've worked in the defense industry. I know. Zero thinks you're as stupid as the people who voted for him. It's all about controlling free speech.



WHO THE HELL DO THESE PEOPLE THINK THEY ARE?

Wake up before we are all serfs. Keep your guns and ammo, and don't let the Muslim and his hordes overrun our country.

NEVER FORGET THIS DAY and what happened. NEVER.

AND THROW THESE BASTARD POLITICIANS OUT.

And above all REMEMBER THE DEAD. Remember those who went to work, just like you do, with not an ounce of malice in the bodies.


Remember those who went to work to put food on the table for their families and were killed by Muslim fanatics who hate us because they are envious of the freedom we have. And most of all DO go to work, and about your daily business. That's what these Muslims freaks wanted to prevent. Including the one in the White House who wants to erase memory of the day.

Old Missals Made New (or is that Anew?)

I don't know about you, but I love to use things that are "old." Or relatively so. If I have a choice of using my grandmother's coffee mug instead of a big plastic tumbler, I'd use the mug. I'm that kind of a person. A bit of a packrat, but I'm sentimental.

For quite a long time (at least since the early 90s) I've had a small, 99% Latin Roman Missal, published in Belgium, 1925. I like historical things. And I like Latin. So when a former pastor mentioned that they were getting rid of boxes of books that had been hanging around the rectory and he'd invited me to pick out anything I wanted, I snapped this up.

But this last year, particularly the last two months, I've been getting a chance to actually use this missal. A lot. The leather cover is kind of fragile around the edges, and the original owner resorted to a little cellophane tape here and there, but pages overall are quite servicable. (Though the front endpapers were badly damaged and I had to resort to some more tape myself to prevent further rips!)

Although I did buy a 1962 brand new Baronius Press missal, which has all the latin and the translations, I find for actually USING the missal at Mass, this little '25 hand missal is usually my "best choice" for "real time" use. The type is quite small...so bets are off if the lighting is poor that day, or if there's a smudge on one of my contact lenses. But I like this missal precisely because it is so much less "flippy."

(Click on picture to enlarge)

For instance, from the "Te Igitur" (the start of the Canon) to the "Hanc Igitur" there's only ONE page. The new Missal requires THREE pages. The '62 missal has a lot of print I have to skip over (explanations, etc.) and I'm constantly flip, flip, flipping every 30 seconds or so. But with THIS 1925 beauty, there are relatively few pages to flip. [Granted this one canon page is a bit of a cheat, because for some times of the year, I have to look at the preface section that had a special communicantes and possibly special Hanc Igitur, depending on the season.

The book is short on illustrations, the above crucifiction scene, besides the title page, is about the only one. It's got a few drawbacks (like I DO have to use the newer missal to make sure I understand all the Latin, but that's not ITS fault!) the main one being that a few of the Mass propers have changed or a feast has occasionally moved, and a few masses aren't there at all (notably the Immaculate Heart of Mary -- because it hadn't even been written yet) and people who weren't saints yet, or on the calendar just yet (like Therese of Lisieux and Thomas More) aren't there.

But I DO love that whomever laid out the propers was a genius. Other than the preface two places, at most to mark. I read the '62 model first before Mass to make sure I "get it." Then smile smugly during some Masses because I only have to at most turn the page over once to be able to see all the propers, while in the '62 model there've been times I had to mark 5 separate places. I get to ENJOY the Mass, rather than shuffle pages. [I can hear those around me, mentally screaming "if you're going to lay out the propers like this the Secret can REMAIN a Secret...."]

I like to think, too, about the original owner. He's signed his name in beautiful copperplate. on the page before the title page: "James Houlihan Jan 12th, 1926."

And beneath it, he added this "Deus Benedicat Datorem Nunc et In Saecula Saculorem, Amen." ["God bless the donor, now and forever, amen"] I usually say a little prayer for him and his unnamed "donor." They're both (along with the priest who offered this missal to me!) MY "donors." I bet James is glad someone is using his missal rather than have it consigned to a garbage dump somewhere!

But one makes the old "new." The ribbons gave up the ghost long ago. So I use my own holy cards.

I use my "St. Francis" one given to me Aug 4th, 1963. It was my mother's 33rd birthday, coincidently, and the summer before I started second grade. Our new church, St. Francis of Assisi in Allentown, Pa. was dedicated. I was just short of 7. JFK was still president, to put that in perspective. And the Mass was still in Latin all the time. So this last year I have been learning the Latin Mass in much greater understanding than I had when I was young. [And couldn't see JACKSQUAT, I might add.]

I can remember that our first grade classroom was right next to the new church, and we kids had an EXCELLENT view of when the men were working on the roof. We had a wise nun who knew her 6 year olds. When the men were out there, once a day she gave us 10 minutes "watching" time. I can remember her having to stiffle a laugh, when earlier that year the parish had little forms in the pew of the school chapel (which we used before the new church was built) with checkoff boxes for people to help with various trades/abilities. One kid said "my dad was sore because after he marked off that he would help with "X" hours he didn't want to do as many but he was stuck because the pencils had no erasers." :-D I'm sure he "offered it up."

I don't know if "new" churches even think to do up holy cards, but I've kept this one all these years. I figured it would go well with this book! Something of mine with something eternal!

I sometimes wonder who will read this missal after I am gone. I do hope it won't be consigned to the fire. But perhaps it will lie fallow for a number of years, before some other, as of yet unborn hands, picks it up and discovers it anew.

8th Anniversary today of My Dad's Death

I marked the day by attendance at Mass. It's a comfort to me that of all the days he could have died on, it was Sept. 8h - the day we commemorate the Blessed Mother's birthday. It has been a relief to me to be able to commend my earthly father to my heavenly Mother.

"Hail Mary, full of Grace,

the Lord is with thee,

Blessed art thou among women,

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen"

0ero commits an "own goal" by referring to a child his health care will kill

Hoof in mouth again. The White House, on its website (which I won't link to here, given the enemies list they are prone to gathering) has a link to the remarks he will make to K-12 students in the US public school system tomorrow. (Well, the ones who haven't already opted out, anyway.)

In it, in addition to urging the little urchins to wash their hands, he says:

"I’m thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who’s fought brain cancer since he was three. He’s endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer – hundreds of extra hours – to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he’s headed to college this fall. "

But be aware his creepy "Health Advisor" Eziekiel Emmanuel, the thug brother of his thug chief-of-staff Rahm Emmanuel said in the British Lancet earlier this year:

"When implemented, the [']complete lives system['] produces a priority curve on which individuals aged roughly 15 and 40 years get the most substantial chance, whereas the youngest and oldest people get changes that are attenuated...Adolescents have received substantial education and parental care, investments that will be wasted without a complete life. Infants, by contrast, have not yet received these investments. . . . ." You'll have to register to see the article, (free), but you can see the complete article here.

But what do I know? I'm just some useless, soon-to-be 53 year old.

H/T to Economic Policy Journal

Planned Obsolescence

The other day I needed a new cell phone battery. Okay, fair enough. These things eventually die, and I'd had the same battery for two years. I happen to have two cell phones (don't ask) and the screen for the other of them died at the same time. (Neither battery was compatible. So I was going to replace the one phone, and buy a battery for the other. [The dead phone was one I'd been meaning to replace to a slimmer, more compact model anyway.]

So to replace the "dead one" I got the Virgin Mobile USA phone - "the Marbl" - inexpensive, cheap, reasonably servicable. I don't need "fancy" - just something simple. Price? 15 bucks. Then I needed to replace the battery for the other. (At least now the batteries will be interchangeable between the two phones.)

So, I priced them. Batteries plus wanted $37.99. And Arnie and the city would have wanted another 8 percent something tax. I thought "are they ****ing serious?" Other places wanted $19.95 retail. On line I found a few for 6-8 bucks. But for some things I can't STAND mail order. This sort of thing would be one. But, WTH, I can get a new battery, AND another charger (in case I lose the one) and ANOTHER phone as backup in case one of them dies, or gets eaten by bear, whatever. Might as well get the whole shebang for 15 bucks.

What's wrong with this picture?

[No wonder the few times I've been in "Batteries Plus" the store is always empty. The only people who buy stuff from there must be morons, or really desparate people with a lot of money who need something "NOW!!!!"]

Conga Drums do NOT belong in church

...particularly mine. I don't care if Ricky Ricarrrrrdo is playing them. I don't know what possessed the pastor to think a "folk Mass" should be in order for a 5:15 on a Sunday. Ever since he retired the former supply priest (of 30+ serving years) he has been trying to "remake" this Mass over. About two months ago he decided that once a month we would have the Cursillo people do a folk Mass. We normally have a cantor and an organist. Last we we had a beautiful rendition of Panis Angelicus. Sometimes we get lucky like that.

This Sunday NO ONE SANG the entrance song. [He pastor suddenly decided we "need" a folk Mass on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the Month.] Right at the top of Mass, Father decided it would be a good idea to castigate the congregation for not singing after he'd gone through "all the trouble to arrange for a folk Mass." Then he whined that people had opened all the doors after we'd cranked up the AC. Then he said "Well, I'm off to a great start." People laughed nervously.

Afterwards, the head cantor told me that they were so busy setting up everything, she did not have a chance to change the song numbers. Duh. I sometimes think the Holy Spirit has to do His work under duress.

There wasn't one song that wasn't in a sappy, treacely setting. "Sun Dresses" do not belong in the sanctuary either.

Carrrrrumba.

(update: Dear Stephen sent me a link to this video on Facebook. Have to include it here, because I can TOTALLY see this being used for the recessional next hootenany Mass. It would be a vast improvement!]



(Stephen, you DO realize that every 1st and 3rd Sunday, I will be thinking "conga" whenever I hear the beat-beat-beat of the Tom-tom, regardless of jungle shadows falling or not.)

AP and Gibbs Clueless why Zero's planned speech to the young goes over like a turd in a punchbowl

Here's a clue: innocuous speeches don't come with "lesson plans" or "follow ups" or "write a letter how you are going to pledge to help 'dear leader'." IF zero comes to your house for Thanksgiving Dinner (you shouldn't invite him anyway!) count the silverware afterwards. Twice.

I love this AP report. The reporter is completely transfixed by zero and is startled zero is getting "surprising kickback." Really? Zero wanted to start a "Civilian corps as strong as the US military." How do you do that without garnering "recruits?" Particularly the impressionable youth?

Not unlike Hitler, Stalin, Lenin, Castro, Ortega. He wants 9/11 to be a "volunteer" day. Starting the subbotniks already, I see.

Yes, I've written about this before. No, I didnt' have this picture the last time, which is why I needed to write about this again. Keep your kids out of public school. (or liberal catholic schools, for that matter.) REGARDLESS if your school is showing it or not. IT's the BEST way to get it through their thick skulls. They can't hide the figures. Schools don't get money when students don't show. Send a message that zer0 will NOT get ahold of the young impressionable minds.

Don't Miss Fr. John's 9/11 tribute post

He and his brother are visiting NYC and they went down to see the memorials at the twin towers. It's always interesting to see what foreigners note about their experiences in the US, and particularly something like this. He's got quite a few wonderful pictures and observations.

Definition of catatonic

A friend's cat. I rest my case. There are two other cats in the house, but Rionna is taking "pride of place."

(Mac this one's for you!)

Sentenced to Death on the NHS

This is the upshot of socialized government health care. Other people decide they get to stop your food and water if they think you're better off dead.

Full story is here, but some salient paragraphs below:

“Forecasting death is an inexact science,”they say. Patients are being diagnosed as being close to death “without regard to the fact that the diagnosis could be wrong.

As a result a national wave of discontent is building up, as family and friends witness the denial of fluids and food to patients.

The warning comes just a week after a report by the Patients Association estimated that up to one million patients had received poor or cruel care on the NHS.

The scheme, called the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP), was designed to reduce patient suffering in their final hours.

Developed by Marie Curie, the cancer charity, in a Liverpool hospice it was initially developed for cancer patients but now includes other life threatening conditions.

It was recommended as a model by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice), the Government’s health scrutiny body, in 2004.

It has been gradually adopted nationwide and more than 300 hospitals, 130 hospices and 560 care homes in England currently use the system. "


Get it through your heads, people. You can't cover more people, for less money, without rationing. Do NOT let the government decide who gets what.

Update:

I found the following comment to the Telegraph re: the above article. I think this person should be reported to the Arizona Authorities. It's shocking.

"Oh, come on! I worked in the ICU of an Arizona hospital years ago, and I recall one staff physician who rather routinely ordered massive doses of potassium chloride to hasten the deaths of "hopelessly terminal" patients. I supported that practice then, and I support it now, and if I'm ever a "gork" (as such patients were referred to), I hope someone's around to do the same for me. You religious zealots simply have no faith!

Kate Javanbakht
on September 03, 2009
at 06:42 PM
Report this comment"

Death "care" -- euthanasia, whether you want it or not. Tara, or anybody else out there know how to report this? I'd think people in Arizona would want to know the physicial and the hospital, and frankly I wouldn't want Nurse Kate (or whatever she is) anywhere near me.

Keep your K-6 kids at home Sept 8

...the Obamination is planning to address all young school kids in a nation wide address to their classrooms. UNPRESCEDENTED. What's next, the little red kerchiefs? Does he want them marching off to the potato fields with their little shovels all ready to put in a subbotnik? Keep this socialist away from your young impressionable kid's minds.

If Bush had pulled this the libs would have been wetting their underpants.

JFK's Granddaughter flips off the crowd

Doncha just love the class and grace and sense of entitlement the media installed "American royalty" have?



More like "royal pains in the ass." I have to give her a big up for actually demonstrating what a lot of the Kennedy Klan really think of the "peasants." Can you immagine REAL royalty like Queen Elizabeth doing something like this? Even if they were having a "Bad hair day?"

As for me I can't wait until the last media dinosaur who "installed" these people is dead and gone.