Quotations from Chairman Zero

Last night I had to run into Barnes and Noble to pick up one of those little bookmarks that's also a magnifier. As I was paying for my purchase, I noticed a little stack of hard bound blue backed copies of Zero's Inaugural Address with his face stamped on it.

One could argue that "oh, they always do this for a new administration and there are going to be X amount of people who'd want to buy them." BULL - I don't even remember seeing this for any other president, and that includes the bent one.

Have people gone insane?

I mentioned to the counterman - "I hope this isn't going to be like seeing those damn Chairman Mao books all over again like the 60s." The counterman, old enough to know better, obviously not tuned in to the dripping sarcasm said: "Oh, so many people liked the speech."

So I unloaded on the guy as I was walking out, I would have said more, but I didn't want to missa good parking spot for Ash Wednesday. He was lucky I only had verbal ammo. Wad cutter takes on a whole new meaning.

Nobama Bingo

Keep handy for your amusement....

Female Lexicon - a guide for men

In the interest of creating peace and harmony this lenten season - a few tips for men -

NINE WORDS WOMEN USE

(1) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

(2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

(3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

(4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

(5) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)

(6) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

(7) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say you're welcome, UNLESS she says 'Thanks a lot' - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say 'you're welcome'. That will bring on a 'whatever'.

(8) Whatever: Is a woman's way of saying F--- YOU! (And "Whatever, DUDE" -- means F--- YOU! AND the horse you rode up on.)

(9) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response, refer to # 3.

Happy REAL Birthday, Georgie!

You were DA MAN. For a fun read sometime look for "George Washington's Expense account." Printed some years ago.

The fun thing is that on small items, he can be incredibly detailed. 2 shillings for cost of one spool of red thread, bought from Paul P. Harrison of Yonkers for use of my servant William Lee, who used it to sew up the large tear in my Blue Greatcoat.

And incredibly vague on other items: Dinner for one army sometime back last November - 8 thousand smackers. No, I don't remember what they ate.

""A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government."~~ George Washington "

No, LM goers - you DON'T have to be dowdy

Really.

Jackie Kennedy, Easter Sunday, 1962 - that's as in going on close to 50 years ago.

Notice the length of Jackie's dress. Yes, right around the knee-cap. Where NORMAL Catholic women of the day wore their dresses. Notice how she is not wearing thin cotton trousers underneath for some weird-o sense of "modesty." Notice her dress is not mid-calf or longer. Notice she is not competing for the "Duggar dowdy" award and does not feel compelled to unite with the Pakistani "sisterhood."

Padre Pio allegedly would have fainted over the lack of sleeves, but most normal American women, even then, especially in warm climes, would not have.

So, please. Do yourselves a favor. Muslim men don't go to church, so you really don't have to worry about being leered at by Muslim men at a Catholic Mass.

For Latin Mass Priests, Especially Fr. Sean

This photo was taken this past Monday, on George Washington's Birthday. I went to Mass at St. Anne's in San Diego, which was given over to the Fraternity of St. Peter as personal parish. I thought Fr. Sean would like to see how they re-ordered it, since the half-way-there re-order he saw last July when he was out here. They still have a ways to go with the altar rail, you see a sort of intact rail, but the other side consisted hap hazard "stuff." [Cuz I can't spell prie-dieu right now for diddly.]

Is there some sort of Latin Mass Priest pact that the rest of us chumps are unaware of? When Fr. Sean was out here, I couldn't hear the canon. The most glorious canon written and I couldn't hear him for squat. Bah-humbug!!! I had my missal, but Father DUDES, if you're going to do this PLEASE SAY IT SO WE CAN HEAR IT. This priest -SAME THING. Otherwise you may as well say it in Sanskrit, or slaughter a pig. Can't tell the difference. I was discussing TLM with a friend of mine, and unprovoked she had similar thoughts. [She's in her early 60s. She said "it's too hard to try and figure out where Father is, even when you have a missal. I have to try and see his gestures, and try to find the right place in the missal, too hard without aural cues."]

I did bag one of the two seats acceptable for viewing purposes, so that was okay. And I have to say I enjoyed how well the servers executed their tasks. So easy to do it WELL with a bit of effort. Thoroughly unlike the two boys to served the NO rite Mass I attended Sat. Like chalk and cheese. I have seen many well excuted NO Masses - St. John's the Evangelist's servers, San Diego, are uniformly excellent from what I've seen - they PERFECTLY have the "symmetry thing" down - so I don't want to hear "well, the EF servers are better, blah, blah." But it irritates when servers aren't held to a high standard.

Also, you know it would REALLY help if in the bulletin for an EF parish, they'd be print out in advance WHAT readings are done. If you insist on not doing them in English, there is NO WAY you can convince me the Mass goer staring into space at that time has a freakin' clue. One thing to know the unchangeable parts of the Mass - quite another to be able to get the Latin on the fly with no advance warning. [Also this particular priest did largely SILENT offertory prayers too. GRRRRR!!!!]

They have Mass with benediction Fri nights, so maybe I'll go down there - but the "silent" thing is a real barrier for me. Darn good thing the FIRST canon done wasn't a silent one, otherwise none of us would have ever had a clue.

Back from Near Death

Whatever was trying to kill me since Monday afternoon has stopped trying to kill me. I was fine Monday morning! So I have a few things to post from Washington's Birthday.

Jackie Parkes is Back

See here. (Thank goodness. And Jackie, if you need a little time off now and again we'll understand!)

Priests with Amnesia

...or maybe my confessions are just so facinating. Last two times now that I've gone I've had to prompt the priest for a penance! What up? Two different priests, two different parishes.

And Away We Go

For the last few days I've been particularly enjoying the CD "And Away We Go" - it has a lot of the songs used for the sketch background music from the Jackie Gleason show, plus also some lush arrangements of some classic songs like Shangrila. I'm glad I caught relatively early televisions shows, where the performers and artists had paid their dues and come up the hard way through talent and effort in many different types of entertainment. Nothing like honing skills in front of audiences for years to get timing, etc. "just so." My dad so loved Jackie Gleason, as did the rest of us. Jackie reminded me a little of my dad in sense of humor This album has a fabulous rendition of Jackie doing the classic "Casey at the Bat." Eat your heart out DeWolf Hopper. I think Jackie does it better.

Also on the CD was a new-to-me rendition of his recital of a poem "For I had but Fifty Cents." If you press the link above there are some great samples. I'd always liked the tune "la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la [*]" but never knew its name before!

I quote the version Jackie does of "I had but Fifty Cents" apparently it was originally published by Sam Devere in 1885, with slightly different words.

"I took my girl to a fancy ball;
It was a social hop.
We waited till the folks got out,
And the music it did stop.
Then to a restaurant we went,
The best one on the street.
She said she wasn't hungry
But this is what she ate.

A dozen raw, a plate of slaw,
A chicken and a roast,
Some applesauce and asparagus,
And soft-shell crabs on toast.
A big box stew, and crackers too;
Her appetite was immense!
When she called for pie,
I thought I'd die,
For I had but fifty cents.

She said she wasn't hungry
And didn't care to eat,
But I've money in my clothes
To bet she can't be beat.
She took it in so cozy,
She had an awful tank.

She said she wasn't thirsty
But this is what she drank.
A whisky skin, a glass of gin,
Which made me shake with fear,
A ginger pop, with rum on top,
A schooner then of beer,
A glass of ale, a gin cocktail.
She should have had more sense.
When she called for more
I fell on the floor
For I had but fifty cents.

Of course I wasn't hungry
And didn't care to eat,
Expecting every moment
To be kicked into the street.
She said she'd fetch her family round,
And some night we'd have fun
But I had but fifty cents.

When I gave the man the fifty cents,
This is what he done:
He tore my clothes,
He smashed my nose,
He hit me on the jaw,
He gave me a prize
Of a pair of black eyes
And with me swept the floor.
He took me where my pants hung loose,
And threw me over the fence.
Now take my advice, don't try it twice
If you've got but fifty cents."

Big recommendation!

[And the Library of Congress has a copy of the orginal words and sheet music which you can see here. How cool!]

Happy 200th Abe Lincoln

I've always admired this particular piece of prose by Mr. Lincoln:

"Executive Mansion,

Washington, Nov. 21, 1864.

Dear Madam,--

I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle.

I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.

I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,

A. Lincoln"

The Trainwreck Continues

Wonder if the most read Catholic blogger still thinks the Williamson apology was "pretty good?" Thank God I don't have to worry about being invited to the "right" cocktail parties at the Vatican.

Will we see any heads roll at the Vatican? Nah, probably not.

According to an interview with Der Spiegle, Oberst Williamson puts all the blame on someone else. "I am only the tool here, so that action can be taken against the SSPX and the pope. Apparently Germany's leftist Catholicism has not yet forgiven Ratzinger for becoming pope." I suppose we're supposed to give snaps for him not whining "blame it on the boogie." He still needs "to study" the gas chamber issue - though he's personally too chicken to go to Auschwitz.

I'd say he's an F minus "student." Should have been left out in the cold. Any way to yank "faculties" for bishops? Oh, right, excommunication. I'm told by reliable sources he's still under one.

Any side bets if the pope will say: "That's it Charlie, now you're under double excommunication again?" Probably the Vatican cheese and brie crowd will advise against.

Fowl weather

It's finally cleared up today and yesterday afternoon wasn't bad, but all weekend and Monday it was horrid weather. I took this pic. Monday night and it looked like something from the opening credits of "The Birds." Look out, Tippy, they're coming ta getcha.

More pain in the rear weather rolling in soon to ruin another weekend.

No matter how bad life can get...

At least I can wake up glad that I was not born a citizen of India. Where else would some businessman wake up one fine day and say: "I MUST figure out a way to come up with a product better than Coca-Cola" and then reach the conclusion: "A-HA, I can beat these yankeerunningdogCapitalists at their own game. I'll manufacture a soft drink from cow's urine. A SURE winner!!! I'll be rich, RICH, ***FABULOUSLY RICH!!!!****!!!"

Sheesh. What's in the water over there? NEVERMIND.

There ya go, Sparky, ya kultz

Hussein bumped his head today on Marine One. Odds of late night comedians interrupting their mental obamasturbation fantasies long enough to yuk it up about what an incompetent klutz he is like they did continually with Gerry Ford? ZERO. NADA, ZILCH. BUPKIS

People you just want to stop!!

I had just pulled in to the gas station yester-
day, and I decided to wait for the nice older man getting in his car to pull out, so I could pull up to that pump, me not being a jerk, thereby allowing someone else to pull up behind me and pump their gas the same time I'd be getting mine. Usually I am impatient, but not with old people.

Then after he got in his car, I took a closer look....



COOL!!! There is another fellow in San Diego who lived in my neighborhood who had one of these plates, but I never had my camera with me before. His particular plate had a Purple Heart on it too.[Come to think of it, it was usually near the local VFW. Duh, what a surprise living in a Navy town!]

At any rate, I always feel like collaring these people and asking them to tell me their story. It saddens me very much now that the WWII generation is passing. So please, if you know elderly people, please get them talking and sharing their memories before they're gone. Even if the story isn't dramatic, but perhaps just what day-to-day life was growing up when they were a kid or young adult makes an interesting story. I don't think there's such a thing as a boring person.

Ten years ago a good friend of mine's father, Paul Reioux, still living, had received a belated Distinguished Flying Cross for services rendered in WWII. He'd been a US Army Pilot, stationed in England. He'd been coming back from a bombing run with his crew and was quite close to base, after having received heavy flak. Suddenly an oxygen tank in the nose of the plane exploded and fire quickly spread. The crew was going to have to bail out. He stayed on, while the crew bailed (except for one poor guy who'd taken his parachute off early, because he'd had a hot date that night.) He held the plane level, so they could do this. Then he got out himself and was badly burned in the process.

In the rapid turnover of war, with changing units, etc. he never got recognized for his efforts at the time, but his crewmates never forgot him saving their lives, and eventually, decades later got "the powers that be" to recognize him in the last 10 years or so. The day came, and he and his wife were living in Hawaii at the time, and a nearby base arranged for him to receive his medal at Hickam AF Base with all the attendant pomp and circumstance. His family, which included his wife and most of his 7 grown kids, attended, and at first he wondered "where everyone else is, that all this is for." [ The commanding officer of the base told him "no, it's all for you!" She was thrilled to meet him, as he was living history for her.

It was THEN, and ONLY then that he learned the complete circumstances of his mission that night so many years ago. The commanding officer had done some research and told him that him that Dec. 28, 1944 his bombing group's target was rail yards in Koblenz, Germany, being used to resupply troops in the Battle of the Bulge.

So ask away, before it's too late!

What kind of Kid were you?

It's Sunday, and I haven't checked out blogspot in ages, so please don't mind the self-indulgence.

You Were an Outgoing Kid

When you were a kid, you had no problem expressing yourself. There's a good chance you started talking early - and never stopped! You had a lot of friends, and unlike most kids, you weren't shy around adults. You were well adjusted and confident. You enjoyed speaking up and participating.

What Kind of Kid Were You?

Which office Supply are you?

I can't resist stuff like this.

You Are a Calculator

No matter what someone tells you, you're likely to focus on facts and data. You're a highly analytic person. You are only concerned with what you can know for sure. You look at situations objectively, and you have no problem approaching problems from multiple angles. You would make a good analyst or investment banker. You are confident enough to make tough calls and hard decisions.

What Office Supply Are You?

H/T to Mulier-Fortis

Happy 98th, Ronnie

Got this in just under the wire. I will always consider Jan 20, 1981-Jan 20, 1989 some of the best years of my life - in all likelihood I will never see a president again as good as Reagan in my lifetime. He had a bold vision that Eastern Europe should be free of the shackles of Godless communism, and he lived to see it. It was both a personal privilege and an honor for me to have gotten to play a small part in that effort during those years. Some of his children were surprised by the outpouring of affection shown for him at the time of his death, including by many who weren't even born yet, or small children at the time he was in office. I wasn't the least surprised.

Getting away with Murder, Florida Style

These quotes are from the Buffalo News.

"Eighteen and pregnant, Sycloria Williams went to an abortion clinic outside Miami and paid $1,200 for Dr. Pierre Jean-Jacque Renelique to terminate her 23-week pregnancy.
Three days later, she sat in a reclining chair, medicated to dilate her cervix and otherwise get her ready for the procedure.

Only Renelique didn't arrive in time. According to Williams and the Florida Department of Health, she went into labor and delivered a live baby girl.

What Williams and the Health Department say happened next has shocked people on both sides of the abortion debate: One of the clinic's owners, who has no medical license, cut the infant's umbilical cord. Williams says the woman placed the baby in a plastic biohazard bag and threw it out."

Chalk another one up for stupid

This sign is on a big rubbish bin outside my workplace. Are there actually people out there who think it would be a great idea to put "valuables" along with recyclable paper into a bin, the contents of which are intended to be incinerated? Do the signs come this way (and some bozo had to think that up....) or did this require upper management?

I *LOVE* February

Always have - for all it's small little celebrations to help get you through the winter. Granted, winter in San Diego isn't exactly tough sledding, but it often is elsewhere. A cousin of mine once wrote a note to my grandmother in a Valentine's Day card that he'd always wondered why such a celebration was in the cold of the winter, but then thought perhaps it was so in order to look for the warmth to come from the heart.

So bring it on: Candlemas, Groundhog's day, St. Blaise, Lincoln's Birthday, Valentine's Day, George Washington's Birthday, and sometimes Leap Day. I love them all! Was under the weather today, but will try and make it to Mass tomorrow to get the throat blessed.

And the pitchers get called to spring training at the end of the month and hope springs eternal.