10 things I'd like to see in action

I was tagged by Kit on this one:

1. A certain "biology professor" in Minnesota and his entire family converted to the Catholic faith. Particularly his children, whom he has led astray.

2. To attended Fr. Ray Blake's installation as bishop.

3. An English Springer Spaniel springing into my future.

4. Phillip's Isle of Wight, just once before I die. Even though I gather he's been itching to get back to the mainland.

5. Obama admit he is a flaming socialist, Marxist wannabe. And this year may there be NO "blue states."

6. Fr. Erik vanquish those skateboard creeps that make his life a living hell. [Uh, Fr., you DID turn into that cranky "old man" next door. Don't ever change back from not being one.]

7. Jimmy Brennan in anything on stage. [Yo, Tinochky, how's your summer been going?]

8. A big-ass(TMDavidLetterman) winning lottery ticket in my hand, cashed in, and in the bank.

9. To serve Mass for the Sainted Fr. S. in the EF form. We can do it at his house so some of you people won't trip. I'm working on memorizing all the Latin responses. Though he's not a particularly big advocate of that form for Joe/Jane Sixpack (having said that style of Mass for 10 years and noticing that the average Joe/Jane Sixpack was clueless in really knowing/following the same) -- he is NOT exactly enamored of our wet behind the ears clueless bishop informing EVERYONE that they will have to be examined to see if they are "competent." [Uh, Bishop Sparky, I think the fact that you do have some priests in the diocese who said Mass this way for a number of years, would pretty well prove they are "competent."]

10. The return of regular Benediction in ALL Catholic churches. Ditto Corpus Christi processions, May Crownings, Holy Hours etc. "Centering prayer" and its cousins can take a hike.

And please, if you like this meme, consider yourself tagged.

Too bad Fr. Sean missed it....

There was a 5.4 earthquake in SoCal today in the Chino Hills area near LA. I really got cheated because I was in Old Town, in San Diego when it happened, and due to the loose soil in that area they don't feel it as much in this particular square mile or two. But my friend sitting over at MCRD, just a relatively short distance away felt it shake their building pretty good. I'd been sorry that we hadn't been able to lay out the "Earthquake Experience" for Fr. Sean when he was out here a few weeks ago. (Hey, Fr. Sean, a 5.4 would have felt roughly like the Sea World arctic ride we went on, probably less exciting.)

Digihairshirt related that a duck and cower cover was in order in her office, and in Cali fashion everyone guessed it was in the 5 pointer range. It was so.

Elsewhere in SoCal, Diane, et al were grooving to the experience....

St Tarcisius, the "professor," and me

It is seldom that I write a 100% serious post, but this one is. It's been in the news and all over the blogosphere re: the militant atheist "professor" in Minnesota who has been blaspheming the Eucharist and urging others to steal a consecrated Host so he could desecrate it.

I've known atheists before who simply could not intellectually believe in God. Many wanted to believe but couldn't. Those people I find easy to pray for and hope that in spite of everything they manage to develop a conscience and do their best to do good and avoid evil.

But what this militant atheist did was pure evil. I hope he can be fired and civil action may be taken re: his incitement of another to steal a Host for purposes not intended and infringement upon the Catholics 1st Amendment rights to practice our worship services without harassment.

Yesterday I assisted serving at Mass. As I was given Communion to hold in my hand just before the priest's Communion, I looked down at Almighty God resting in my hand and tears started to form in my eyes due to the fact that I simply am at a loss to understand how anyone could so hate the Saviour I held in my hand. It is seldom I cry, period. Much less at Mass. I held them back, so I did not draw "focus" but was grateful for once that I did not assist as EM yesterday.

I thought of St. Tarcisius, who as a young boy, died rather than give up the Host to his non-Christian companions. I do not know if the story of St. Tarcisius is much taught to young 1st and 2nd graders today as it was when I was small. But it made a deep impression on me then as it does now, that yes, some things ARE worth dying for, contrary to what this "professor" claims. I would hope that if I were ever put in a position where I had to give up my life or the Host, my choice would be my life. And I hope all my Catholic friends feel the same.

Need a good laugh?

I really like the following assertion by a certain blogger who has been posting half-assed "History" lessons of how the "evil" "US is run by Free Masons" (JFK? Why, by golly he was probably one of them too, "who knows" for sure!) -- He also rants on and on how the US has "stolen Mexican land." But his panties showed their true colors when he contended:

"Another fannciful[sic] allegory of the belief that civilisation moves westward and so it was the destiny of the USA to kick the Indians and the Spanish off their land illegally, violently and aggressively"

Well, gee, sparky. It's SPANISH land? Not MEXICAN land? How did the SPANISH "own" it? Didn't they rape, steal and plunder it? You claim the evil Yankee did all that to Mexico. Oh. Right. A pope said the Spanish could have it. Was it HIS land in the first place to give to the Spanish that he stole from the Indians?

Can't have your cake and eat it too. Mother Angelica sure has some nuts on EWTN sometimes. I shouldn't wonder why this guy wants to hide under the cloak of anonymity. It would be too embarrassing.

If you want to see a really sick mind in action check out this blog. Talk about a golden sombrero. I thought crack (other than plumber's crack) was illegal in the UK.

Yahoo! 1st year anniversary

This blog has now been alive and kicking for one year. I'd been reading the Catholic blogdom for about two months prior to my jumping into the fray. Special thanks to both Jackie and Mulier-Fortis who were the first to notice that I'd started blogging, because I wasn't going to mention it and wanted to see how long it would take for it to be noticed. Since then I've managed almost a post a day on average. Oh, and special thanks to Roman Christendom, I thought I'd missed having at least one good flame war in that first year, but he came through just under the wire! "Big up" to you, dude.

And Deo Gratias.

I still haven't conquered parallel parking in real life. I made a 52 point turn just the other day!

What are the odds of this reply by me appearing

in the combox of this post by Roman Christendom?

"Tell me, is it the Napoleon complex, or just the inadequate penis Freudian coming out in you that you hate Americans so much? I've seen your ilk since my first grand tour, and you're not even remotely up to the frothing Frenchmen who loath us for saving their asses from the Nazis. Whatever dude. Who has time to wade through your BS? BTW, good book out by Maria von Trapp re: living out the Catholic year. Your wife might be interested."

I'm betting next to zero.

He can take his anti-Americanism and shove it up alt.nuke.usa.

Uh, Fr. Pio, uh, yeah ... sure... who knew you had xray vision?

I read his herman-
euticalness's funny posting regards Saggy Trousers/Baggy Pants, and MaggieClitheroe mentioned in the combox that St. Padre Pio (1887 - 1968) apparently had it in for women going to him to confession with skirts/dresses shorter than 8 inches BELOW the knee. I wondered if it was a misquote -- but no, another website dedicated to the good man lent support, it quoted from a book by Dorothy Gaudiosi called Prophet of the People:

“Padre Pio wouldn't tolerate low-necked dresses or short, tight skirts, and he forbade his spiritual daughters to wear transparent stockings. Each year his severity increased. He stubbornly dismissed them from his confession, even before they set foot inside, if he judged them to be improperly dressed. On some mornings he drove away one after another, until he ended up hearing very few confessions. His brothers observed these drastic purges with a certain uneasiness and decided to fasten a sign on the church door”


Well, I guess for sure that would have left Jackie Kennedy out, plus most women (99 percent of them, most likely) not dressed all in black a la Sicilian Widow or Burqua queen style. Apparently women had also been changing dresses in church too...otherwise they wouldn't have forbidden it.
My question ... okay, I've been going to confession since I was 7. Behind a grill. When Padre Pio lived 99% of the time he'd have had confession with a grill too. Did he use X-Ray vision to know the women weren't properly dressed? Did he quiz them? How did this drill work?

Female Penitent: "Bless me father, for I have..."
Padre Pio: "Hold it right there, WHAT are you wearing?"
FP: "CHE COSA?"
Padre Pio: "I said what are you wearing? I want to make sure you're appropriately dressed."
FP: "Isn't that a little weird, you can't see me....I'm outta here."
PP: "NEXT"

Next female Penitent same stuff -- but this time she says:
FP: "A dress."
PP: "You're not some hot to trot vixen in capri pants with bare arms? Are you sure?"
FP: "NO, of course not. [beginning to think he's a bit nuts]
PP: "Does your dress go past your knees?"
FP: "Yes."
PP: "HOW FAR?"
FP: "*sigh* well, if you MUST know, I DON'T know."
PP: "Here, take this ruler. You measure and tell me."
FP: "Two inches below the bottom of my knees, I'm a respectable matron."
PP: "The HELL you are, OUT, OUT, OUT, I tell you....." [Now why Padre Pio, an Eye-Talian, would be measuring in inches, when he'd more likely be measuring in froggy style metric, I dunno.]

And what prompted the scandalous indignant outrage regards a skirt 8 inches below the knee as opposed to a skirt 7 inches below the knee? Did he have a dream one night where in he was chased round his cell by some hoyden with skirts that length? Did his momma wear her skirts exactly 8 inches below and because it was his momma he figured that was "pure as the driven snow" but anything above that was scandal, pure scandal I tell ya.

Well, I took costume history....it's a good thing Mary didn't sin, because as far as I know, she didn't wear a bra because those things weren't invented until the 20th century.

And God help him had a man wearing a kilt entered the box.

PP: Get out of here you brazen plaid covered strumpet!!!
Male Penitent: Uh-HUM...I'm like, you know, a dude, Father....
PP: [eyes start to bleed too] WHAT ARE YOU DOING WEARING WOMEN'S CLOTHING?
MP: "I'm not wearing women's clothing. I'm a Scotsman. It's a kilt."
PP: "Oh. Well, tell me you're not going commando. Are you going commando?"
MP: Sure am, and I have a purse and a dagger too.
PP: OUT, geeeeeddddouttahere.....before I sic my donkey on you.

The whole thing gives me pause to wonder if perhaps another monk with different standards would have posted the following:


I always had reservations about the Franciscans...this just sort of adds to it. And you may have guessed I was never crazy about St. Paul. But then that tent maker probably wouldn't have liked me much either, so we're even.

Yes, yes, Fr. Groeschel not withstanding.... Modesty is one thing, but one has to wonder if perhaps Padre Pio's elevator wasn't getting to the top floor or if the jacks and sixes weren't missing out of the deck. My sixth and seventh grade nuns were MERCILESS with a ruler if they thought anyone was overdoing it. But in the mid 60s, when Padre Pio had this thing posted, even THEY gave us two inches ABOVE the mid knee. They did eventually want us to get asked out the senior prom so most of us would eventually raise good Catholic families and all that jazz, and even THEY knew that most boys are not exactly going to ask the girl with the burqua to homecoming. I'd have loved to have seen the exchange between our nuns and Padre Pio.

PP: Okay, I can barely see your face and hands but WHY do you let your girls go about like trollops?!

No wonder his confession line was short.

S & H Green Stamps - No rosaries in the catalog but...

Consider yourself a seasoned citizen these days if you know how S&H Green Stamps worked. I came across a small stash of them recently at the back of a desk drawer. I made a bet with myself that if I took them into work no one 35 and under would have a clue what they were or how they worked - and that everyone over the age of 35 would immediately know. I was right ... except for one clueless guy of 38, who *should* have been old enough to remember, but on second thought given who it was, he was most likely clueless then too.

Seems like you never saved enough books for the pool table, but your dad probably got some tools out of it, the family got dart boards and other sporting goods and camping equipment, mom got some really nice glassware, more than a few lamps and assorted house hold goodies and "extras." The kids saved books for anything from bikes to board games.

The gas station attendants are long gone (are there any hold out states left requiring someone to pump your gas -- and check water, oil, tire pressure and clean your windows?) -- and sometimes when talking to younger generations they look at you like you're from another world. "You mean there was a time where you walked right on a plane and they didn't frisk you and you could have carried a bazooka on and no one would have cared?" "Uh, yeah...pretty much."

Change is inevitable, but I hope it never gets to the point where older Catholics hold up a rosary or holy medal or card for a younger Catholic and have to seriously ask: "Johnny/Mary, $5 bucks if you can tell me what this is." Do what you can to pass on our heritage.

And now a word from Nancy Reagan

..
...just say NO ....

(H/T to www.freerepublic.com for the graphic.)

One Word Meme

(I agree with digihairshirt, who had me pegged to a tee - ONE word? C'mon, get real.)

1. Where is your cell phone? Nightstand

2. Your significant other? Jesus. Sometimes I can get His attention.

3. Your hair? Slightly past shoulder length, golden brown and wavy.

4. Your mother? Deceased ('95) - miss her more than I can say.

5. Your father? Deceased ('01) - I only "understood him" after I was older.

6. Your favorite things? Dogs, books, music, theatre

7. Your dream last night? Don't remember.

8. Your favorite drink? Non-alcoholic - A-Treat Birch Beer - Alcoholic: highball

9. Your dream/goal? Crawl through the gates of heaven

10. The room you’re in? Bedroom

11. Your church? The Catholic church in Old Town, San Diego, named after the patron saint of the United States. And if that sounds unnecessarily cryptic, it's *because* I like the freedom of being under the radar as I'm not overly enamored of a certain person who couldn't do the red and say the black to save his soul. That and the fact he was mean and unjust to his supply priest of the last 30 years. But let me not "go there." [ask me sometime when I need to elevate my blood pressure to a gratifying apoplectic level.]

12. Your fear? Committing a mortal sin, particularly one I wouldn't be sorry for. Oh, that's right, in a word "hell."

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? San Diego.

14. Where were you last night? San Diego. Friend's house.

15. What you’re not? Placid.

16. Muffins? NO.

17. One of your wish list items? Oil Refinery

18. Where you grew up? Pennsylvania, Roanoke, Va., Nashua, NH, California

19. The last thing you did? Answered the above question. Duh.

20. What are you wearing? Nightie

21. Your TV? Usually off.

22. Your pets? Doggie heaven. Maggie the Wonderdog(springer spaniel), Brian the Setter, gorgeous but dumber than a box of rocks, Taffy the Heinz 57, Mr. Mike the beagle. I harbored no cats, had a few blue parakeets when I was small (they die too quickly!) and watched a few goldfish - but you can't pet those - not and have them live, anyway.

23. Your computer? HP Pavillion Notebook.

24. Your life? Could stand improvement.

25. Your mood? Could use a jolt of energy.

26. Missing someone? Mom, always mom.

27. Your car? Honda CRV SUV, mercifully paid for.

28. Something you’re not wearing? Hosiery. I think it was invented by gay men to torture women.

29. Favorite store? Bookstore

30. Your Summer? Seen better

31. Like (love) someone? What day of the week is this?

32. Your favorite color? Red

33. Last time you laughed? Last night. I'm still sleepy.

34. Last time you cried? Can't remember.

35. Who will re-post this? Mulier Fortis, Monica, and possibly Esther, if they see it.

Jack Brown Appeal

Possibly my British readers will be familiar, from stories in the Daily Telegraph and elsewhere of the story of a young English boy who is currently in Vermont undergoing treatment for neuroblastoma - a particularly aggressive form of cancer. There has been some success treating children with this disease and it is very expensive to fight. Jack is a courageous little boy who just recently had his 7th birthday.

I have been following Jack and his family's story now for well over a year when I first became aware of it. I link here to a website for Jack. His family are grateful for any donations however large or small you can make. The website can handle donations from the UK and the US. Even if you can't donate, please keep this little boy and his family in your prayers - and all such children and their families.

Harbor Cruise

I took a Harbor Cruise on Friday. Fr. Sean and his friend from Oxford were going to go too, but last minute got pressed into service at an unexpected singing rehearsal for the wedding he went to on Saturday. But I went anyway, tix having been "comped." It was pretty overcast, and the sun only finally broke free late afternoon.

The dayboat cruise ship "Lord Hornblower" is below.


The skyline of downtown San Diego has certainly changed a lot since I moved here in 1971. Back then there were a handful of really high rise buildings downtown. You could clearly see the El Cortez hotel from the Harbor, which was the first building to ever have an elevator on the *outside* of a building. Below is a picture taken of the downtown skyline from on board.


As you pull out of the slip, you can see the USS Midway CV-41 off the starboard bow. Tourists may now go onboard. I'd recommend setting aside a half day, and wear comfy shoes. You'll do a LOT of walking!


Also in the harbor were the USS George Washington CVN-73(left), which for the time being is in port undergoing repairs due to a recent fire aboard. On the right is the USS Nimitz CVN-68 undergoing routine maintenance, having returned from a long deployment. The Nimitz's "sail" is masked, because it is undergoing paint striping and the wrap is to prevent all the chips, etc. going in the bay. It is hard to tell from the picture below but the flight decks of these carriers are close to 1100 feet long and if one stood them on end would be 2.5 times as tall as the tallest building on the San Diego downtown skyline!


The USS Reagan CV-76 is normally home ported here too, but it, along with its battle group, is currently on deployment to the middle east. Normally about 41 ships are home ported here, San Diego is the largest port in the US after Norfolk, Va. These ships are tied up off the north end of NAS (Naval Air Station) North Island (which is technically a peninsula,. Don't ask.) Want a tour? See your naval recruiting office!

Below is a google earth shot of San Diego Bay. It is considered one of the finest natural harbors in the world.


The Bay is home to many critters, not the least of which are Sea Lions and Harbor Seals. Fr. Sean had a hard time telling them apart. But it's easy. The dark ones are the Sea Lions, and the brownish ones are the Harbor Seals. One of them can climb on the red buoys in the bay and the other one can't.


These fellas can be pretty inert, because they have their lazy carcasses hanging out where the fishing boats pull up and load up on anchovies and other bait. They don't have the "weight problem" the 1800 pound manatees have who eat 300 pounds of lettuce a day and the occasional apple or carrot. Talk about sitting around the house, getting high and watching the tube. The original "couch potatoes."



By chance we also saw the USS New Orleans (LPD-18) - an amphibious transport dock - one of the newest ships in the fleet, just commissioned last year. Its profile was designed to make it appear much smaller on radar. It's well over 600 feet in length and the nearby sailboat gives good perspective. It's also covered with "stuff" (highly technical term -- actually it's "Ram") which confuses enemy radar. We later turned and came back up the harbor and followed it...giving it a WIDE berth and sole occupancy (except for the idiots in sail boats who didn't "notice" a 600+ foot ship bearing down on them) of the deepest part of the channel.


When I got home and blew up the pictures I noticed the signal flags on the New Orleans. The letters spell out "NOLA" which is the radio "call sign" of this vessel. You can see the close up below.


Here is a picture I took this past Memorial Day weekend of the bay from the vantage point of Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery, which I wrote about before. The sub base is in the closest part of the bay. You can see the protective ring.


The hangars below are on North Island, not far from the Aircraft Carriers. When we were out we were treated to an F-18 practicing a "touch and go" on North Island. (It has two run ways not far from San Diego's commercial Lindbergh field. Named for Charles Lindbergh. Spirit of St. Louis was built in San Diego.

File photo below of one of the Navy's hottest toys. The Navy, IMO, has the neatest toys.



For those not in the know, a "touch and go" is what a pilot has to do if his tail hook has missed one of the arresting cables on the carrier. You miss? Throttle like hell and hope you have enough oomph to get you back up off that carrier and not off the side. Every landing is a "controlled crash." Somewhere I read where one pilot described it "like having sex in a car crash." I'll take his word for it.

Early parachute test from aircraft were also conducted on North Island, and a lady, Georgia Broadwick, was the first user to jump from a military plane into the water...the men apparently being too chicken. That or "ladies first." Whatever.

A little more of the San Diego Skyline is below. Seaport village and the embarcadero is in front. Lots of little shops and restaurants. There are often concerts by the bay in the summertime.


This nifty bridge, The Coronado Bridge, links San Diego to Coronado, which is at the southern end of North "Island." It has an 80 degree bend in it, because when it was built back in the 60s a bridge needed to be at least 2 miles long to have the feds kick in some funding. Your tax dollars at work. The modern carriers can't pass beneath it, but then they don't "live" on the southeast side of the bay and have no need to go under it. There's a whole bunch of ships that are normally home ported down at the 32nd street Naval Station south of this bridge, but few were in port Friday, many of them having gone off with the Reagan Battle group.


We also saw some Navy teams in the harbor training dolphins (they also train sea lions) in mine detection and "other stuff." I swiped the picture below with the one immediately above from wiki. (We weren't quite close enough for a picture to come out, but we could see them from 1/2 mile away.) Interesting article here about the program.


I know. Long post, but I haven't done a San Diego one in a while. BTW, the first European sighting of the harbor was done by Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo in the mid 1500s, a Portugese flying under the Spanish flag.

Sea World Clips

I put a few of these together. We could have sat in the "splash zone" but an inner voice said "are you nuts?!" AND YOU PROBABLY WANT TO TURN YOUR VOLUME DOWN UNLESS YOU ARE DEAF.



I must say for all my camera complained about "low battery" it had just enough to get me through Sea World and a Harbor Cruise. Oh, and someone got some outstanding video here. It's well worth clicking on a few of the vids that come up when this one is over.

Meme: Quick - what's your computer "wallpaper"

I tag everyone who wants to play.


No cheating!