puptrax

the new Sherlock Holmes

2012-01-01T14:03:00.001-08:00

saw the latest Sherlock Holmes movie w/Kat last night. good movie, great acting, good writing, good plot. but how far the culture has taken us.

when we sat down the previews were running. since they are matched to the assumed demographic of the movie, they were astonishing if you haven't been to the movies much. not only was the level of violence very high, but the darkness of the themes was stunning.

then came the movie. first I was surprised (but should not have been) that SH now has a love interest. the bomb she is carrying is part of the plot but her death is mostly gratuitous - setting up the character of the new Moriarity.

The second LI is stunning - the gypsy sister of a person who will be an important pawn of M. Her presence is crucial to the second 2/3 of the movie.

The sub-theme of evil industrialists is de rigeur now but is getting tiresome. I guess the theory is when you can give a reason for evil, use pandering. shows a lack of imagination. but is consistent w/the high level of visual violence, even if it is toned down by slow/stop motion.

the overall appearance of the movie is of a triumph of a culture of death. of maybe we are so jaded we respond only to excess or as one of my favorite authors said in a different context:

The novelist with Christian concerns will find in modern life distortions which are repugnant to him, and his problem will be to make these appear as distortions to an audience which is used to seeing them as natural; and he may well be forced to take ever more violent means to get his vision across to this hostile audience. When you can assume that your audience holds the same beliefs you do, you can relax a little and use more normal ways of talking to it; when you have to assume that it does not, then you have to make your vision apparent by shock -- to the hard of hearing you shout, and for the almost blind you draw large and startling figures. ― Flannery O'Connor, Flannery O'Connor : Collected Works : Wise Blood / A Good Man Is Hard to Find / The Violent Bear It Away / Everything that Rises Must Converge / Essays & Letters

You know you're from Pennsylvania when:

2011-12-29T09:58:00.001-08:00

- You think the roads in any other state are smooth.

- Hearing horses clopping down a paved street doesn't bring you to the window to see what's going on outside.

- You can stop along the road to buy fruits, vegetables, or crafts on the "honor system."

- You consider Pittsburgh to be "out west," and you know the fastest way to Philly is the Turnpike.

- When it snows they put cinders on the roads instead of sand.

- You can give directions to Intercourse with a straight face.

- Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.

- You measure distance in minutes.

The 3 rules of tech support

2011-12-29T08:40:00.000-08:00

Easy does it.
If it hurts don't do it.
Always keep a backup.

Story one comes from supporting a mainframe software product called TPX owned at that time (late 1980s) by Duquesne Systems in Pgh. It is of the class "session manager" which can be thought of as "Windows for mainframes using a green screen interface". The product had only been in the field a few years and was wildly popular. It was #1 in its field in sales and installed base.

Customer tech support person calls our "help line" and says here system has crashed. The first question in cases like this is always "What changed? What did you change?"The answer was she increased a certain kind of system resource used by TPX (VTAM virtual terminals) by several orders of magnitude (in this case by several thousands). But she failed to make corresponding parameter adjustments. The manual does not tell you exactly what those adjustments are because they system is so complex and flexible, because it can be used in wildly different environments, it is difficult to predict what adjustments to make. So she was told "easy does it!" Make changes slowly. Observe what the results are, especially in storage usage, and adjust parameters (in this case slot pool percentages) accordingly. When system comes up and is usable, add more resources. Iterate until you have reached your goal.

Story two has same source and scenario. What was happening was that the system was slow and frustrated users at the customer site would repeatedly hit a certain key (the ATTN key) trying to disconnect. Instead the system crashed. Yes we had a bug. When we got the documentation of the bug (IBM mainframes have this wonderful thing called "a dump" which lets you perform a post-mortem autopsy on the system), we fixed the bug. But until then we told customers to tell their users: "If it hurts, don't do it!"

As for Story three, this is obvious. Always keep at least one backup. If some data is very important, keep more than one and keep them in different places.

For a computer solution when the data is stored in a physically secure location, see RAID.

Screwtape and Christmas

2011-12-25T08:05:00.000-08:00

I do think that some of the people who visit places of worship at great celebratory times do so for the spectacle.

On the other hand, in the "ScrewTape letters" CSLewis has a great chapter on this.

For those not knowing the book, it is the best humor as theology or is that theology as humor, I know of.

In the chapter I am thinking of, the little devil writes to the great devil that he has encouraged a woman to sin against pride by spending time and money dressing up to go to church. She sits in front to show off.The great devil replies angrily that the last place to encourage people to go to is the area closest to the altar. They might be affected by the presence of God there.

This link to an article entitled The Jingle Bell Mass A PASTORAL OPPORTUNITY LIKE NO OTHER makes the same point:

Almost every parish I know has a Jingle Bell Mass. It’s the one celebrated late in the afternoon on Christmas Eve. It might also be referred to as the Christmas Vigil, the Family Friendly Mass, or in some places, the Children’s Mass. However, I’ve called it the Jingle Bell Mass ever since the time I walked over to the church and caught a lady (whom I had never seen before) roping off two entire pews with festive red ribbon, all the while grinning and humming Jingle Bells. When I asked her what she was doing, she matter-of-factly explained that she was saving seats for her family. It was three hours before Mass time.

This is the Mass where you try to cram eight hundred people into a church that seats four hundred and pray that the Fire Department doesn’t close you down. This is the Mass where you politely ask people to finish their cups of hot chocolate and cans of Redbull outside. This is the Mass filled with children who are sugar-high with excitement and adults who are dazed from holiday prep work, where teens are text-ing their friends who are sitting on the other side of the church—while on their way to Communion. This is the Mass attended by the famous bi-annually faithful. Most of all, this is the Mass that presents a pastoral opportunity like no other all year.

On this occasion the church is like an untouched field of snow. We have a chance to make an impression at this liturgy, a chance to either offer a reason to come back, or (at the very least) not feed anyone’s determination to stay away. Presbyters, cut your homilies. This isn’t the time to break out your seminary-trained brilliance but a chance to make a simple, clear point with a minimum of words. Trust that people have watched enough Hallmark specials to understand symbol. And please address yourself to the adults, not the kids. If you’ve done your job, both will understand you, but only those carrying a valid driver’s license will make the choice to return to your parish some other Sunday. Be sensitive, too, to the many faiths embraced by those who are sitting in front of you. Remember that some folks are there out of love for their families, not the church. Finally, do not say how you wish attendance could be this good every Sunday. You don’t. Plus, it won’t be guilt that brings people back.

Liturgy committees, hold off on the schmaltz. Leave the “Happy Birthday Cakes for Jesus” in the second-grade religious-education classrooms. Be careful with secular symbols. A hundred years ago, I was in a parish where a certain “visual meditation” would set my teeth on edge. After Communion, in dead silence, Santa Claus would slowly walk down the main aisle, carrying a huge sack. He would stop at the crêche, kneel for a moment, and then walk out the side door of the church. No matter what you’re thinking right now, trust me: it’s creepier in person. Plus, it confuses the kids. “What’s he doing here? Why isn’t he delivering toys somewhere in the world? My iPhone app says that Norad is tracking him over Australia right now.”

Congregations, give welcome to the strangers. I know that you occupy Pew 35 Left Side every week of the year and, at this Mass, an entire family from outside the parish has taken up residence there. Be gracious with your real estate, generous with your hospitality. Look for a seat somewhere else or slip into the sacristy (no one ever thinks of sitting there). Also, refrain from casting dirty looks at the mother of the crying baby. That small act of asceticism will go a long way toward establishing world peace. Try to do your part. When Mass is over, if you should see a candy cane stuck to a hymnal or a bulletin folded into an origami hat, please help to put things back in order. That would be most appreciated and, after all, you’re a “regular.” You own the place.

Not every parish can turn Christmas Mass at Midnight into an exquisite production, featuring a choir singing carols in four-part harmony and five languages. Not every parish can highlight Christmas Day with a trio of strings playing Mendelssohn as people gather. But every parish can turn their Jingle Bell Mass into an extraordinary opportunity for hospitality, where there is room for everyone, even Jesus.

Festivus - humbug

2011-12-24T07:35:00.001-08:00

I learned of Festivus on facebook yesterday. so I looked it up on Wikipedia. How depressing!

It is said that satire does not look pretty on a tombstone. The same is true of sarcasm. Neither does either look good as a holiday.

People celebrate holidays because of history and tradition. They throw themselves in them as a method of fulfillment. Festivus appears to be a way of venting about how others celebrate.

Generating positive energy for one's self by trying to suck energy out of others does not seem to be in the spirit of being an American - or at least in the traditional spirit.

For Festivus the greeting should be shooting the bird.

prayer request

2011-08-06T19:52:00.000-07:00

these are accumulated posts from facebook gathered together

I will update this page as I find more posts

my daughter describing my son-in-law

I hate crying.. It makes your head hurt:(

Jason has become really sick... and in the long run.. he's not getting better.. The psoriatic arthritis has eaten a hole in the bone in his shoulder and will continue to do that all over his body. Every joint hurts, the herniated disc in his back ..... The meds have caused non cancerous tumors in his lungs about 5 mm. He wants to work so bad, but can't, he can't do much of anything with the girls. When he does anything around the apt he ends up being laid up in bed for days and sometimes weeks.

I could go on and on for hours about all of the things wrong with him.. To make matters worse, he can't get approved for SS disability. i mean damn, his doctors wrote up the paper work for a permanent handicap license plate. ***, he was crying...

Trying to get a hold of Dr. Kim for Jason.. He's having bad reactions to the Enbril.... I wish I worked for him as well as is supposedly worked for Phil Mickelson

Doctors are admitting Jason to the hospital. I have no idea why.... Except he was having seizures and loosing consciousness. The girls and I are hanging out in the family room.

I think he's having a reaction to the Enbril... Or it's the myositis or psoriatic arthritis attacking his body

He's having seizures and when he's out, he stops breathing.

They are sending him to ICU... We are at *** INOVA. His blood pressure is critically low.

I'm in his room right now... But I can't tell you anything bc I don't know anything. His biggest problem is they can't get his blood pressure up. And the monitor says no breath a lot... Everyones waiting for all of the cultures and test to come back. They won't give him pain medication bc his blood pressure is so low...

{her brother}, my assistant from last year, ***, came and took the girls. They may or may not stay there tonight. The girls do have school on Monday.

Forgot to mention, he cant pee so now they have to cath him... He is not happy

So what do you want to bet that I'm sick before he gets out of this place

He filled an entire bag and it was so dark... He said he feels like a new man and his blood pressure went up.., so he can get his pain meds now

Jason is stable for now... He gets an EEG on Monday.. They close the ICU for an hour so Tiffany offered to take us to dinner.

Thank you T for taking us to dinner

Sunday

I don't have anything new to report. I'm hoping they will let Jason sit in a wheel chair so he can be pushed right outside ICU to the family room.. THe girls are too young to go in.. :( We are just finishing up a late breakfast, going to clean up a little, shower, then go to the hospital.. Thank you for all of the prayers and keep them up. I will post more when I know more.. However, some results won't be available until after further testing on Monday.

They are moving him out of ICU so now they will be able to see him. He's immuno suppressed because of the Enbril so they want to keep him away from everything.

left-brain vs right-brain revisited

2011-07-18T17:58:00.000-07:00

I had posted this and didn't know enough to find comments.

so I am revisiting my answers - doesn't change the result - I am still terminally left-brained.

Are you better at math and science than art and literature? Yes but love both
Do you love playing sports outdoors over reading indoors? No but have done both
Do you prefer verbal communication over physical communication? Yes and it helps me to think
Would you rather draw pictures freehand instead of putting together a model airplane? neither - I don't draw but do handyman stuff around the house
Do you like being in groups more than being alone? lean to No but find a need for both in my life - I have been a leader of men's groups @ church
When given instructions, are lots of pictures easier to understand than lots of text? lean to No but I as I have gotten older I handle abstractions less well
Have you noticed that you're better at providing the details and necessary information for a project than coming up with the initial idea? lean to Yes
Do you need a quiet environment when you are working? absolutely yes
Would you enjoy helping someone solve a relationship problem more than a math problem? lean to No
Are you better at helping someone solve a relationship problem more than a math problem? absolutely No
If you were a writer, would you prefer to write nonfiction books instead of fiction? lean to Yes
If you were a writer, would you be better at writing nonfiction books instead of fiction? absolutely Yes - fiction never wants to leave my head - it's shy :-)

and the bottom line - my training is in physics but my career going back to college is in Information Technology

comments on comments

2011-07-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

My favorite blog http://www.patheos.com/community/deaconsbench/ has closed comments for a while. This post has comments on the closing.

Since I can't find his email address, I'm going to post here my thoughts.

First, though, as I typed the previous sentence, I started to use the word feelings instead of the word thoughts. That identifies part of the problem. This is a hot, immediate medium. Words go directly to the screen w/o passing through the brain for very long. Sometimes called blogorrhea.

Second, there is ignorance. Too many people pontificating without know what they are saying. Funny word pontificate - it has come a long way. It began life meaning a bridge builder from that fashioable language Latin: pons - bridge and facere - to make. Pontiff (or a member of the same word family) was a title for Roman leaders. With seven hills and many valleys, there was a need for bridges everywhere. Since the Pope has this title, it can be inferred that bridge-building is somewhere in his job description. Although it has secular roots, many would say it has a basis in faith. Cf the writing of Paul the Apostle.

The root cause of problems is the lack of consensus on what it means to be a Christian. For that matter, there are a number of terms that, as we say in information technology, are overloaded. They have been given multiple meanings. Computer languages have evolved ways of handling that situation. It does not appear humans have done so with human languages.

Try to come up with a commonly acceptable definition for Christian or Jew or Muslim, In the first case, wars were fought over the definition; in the last case, those wars are going on even as I write.

There have always been apologists. They were critical in the early church as people trained in Greek philosophy tried to get their heads around the Semite sayings and ideas of Jesus of Nazareth. They wrestled with the notion of who is God? who is Jesus? what are their relationship? those ideas that were boiled down to form the heady potion that is the Nicene Creed.

People like G K Chesterton and Hillaire Belloc were called controversalists. They seem to relish a verbal spat. But they did so with a flourish and good humor that belied the seriousness of their discourse.

What we have today are trolls. I am reminded of a scene from the movie "Good Morning Vietnam." The General at the radio station is telling the Sergeant Major why he is being banished to a backwater post from the front lines. "At first I thought you were tough, but now I know you are just plain mean."

Perhaps, a good start would be a conversation, if that is possible, on what it means to be Christian. Part of the root cause as regularly identified on the above mentioned blog, stem from a radical (from the Latin word radix for root) difference of opinion on that issue. While the study of that issue would be theology, the practice of the issue is just living as a committed Catholic Christian.

btw the technique could also be used as a party game - do those still exist? Gather the players into small groups and give them one or two related words for which they are to come up with a mutually agreed defintion. Then bring the groups together for sharing. Start with the pairs conservative/liberal and Democrat/Republican before moving on to the more tendentious Christian or Jew or Muslim.

Let the games begin!

Dear facebook

2011-07-17T06:59:00.000-07:00

I think you need to see a doctor. You have been looping lately a lot. My machine has to be rebooted. Not a pretty sight.

Go see the doctor. Discuss your diet, meds and exercise pattern.

Have the doctor discuss the debilitating effects of stress. Have heard your growth patterns are slowing down. Yes you are not that old in calendar years, but in app years you are ancient. Take better care of yourself so you can take good care of us.

concerned user

Dear blogspot

2011-07-17T06:54:00.000-07:00

Have you been getting enough of the right things to eat? Are you taking your meds on time? Are you getting enough sleep? You seem to be sluggish lately.

concerned user

Lemon picker wanted

2011-07-10T10:25:00.000-07:00

The woman applying for a job in a Florida lemon grove seemed to be far too qualified for the job; given her liberal arts degree from the University of Michigan and her jobs as a social worker and school teacher. The foreman frowned and said,
I have to ask you this: Have you had any actual experience in picking lemons?
Well, as a matter of fact, I have! I've been divorced three times, owned 2 Chryslers, and I voted for Obama.

Wounded Warrior

2011-07-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

On Monday, I played the Disney, Lake Buena Vista course. As usual the starters matched me with three other players. After a few holes we began to get to know each other a bit. One fellow was rather young and had his wife riding along in the golf cart with him. I noticed that his golf bag had his name on it and after closer inspection, it also said "wounded war veterans". When I had my first chance to chat with him I asked him about the bag. His response was simply that it was a gift. I then asked if he was wounded and he said yes. When I asked more about his injury, his response was "I'd rather not talk about it, sir".

Over a few holes I learned that he had spent the last 15 months in an army rehabilitation hospital in San Antonio TX. His wife moved there to be with him and he was released from the hospital in September. He was a rather quiet fellow; however, he did say that he wanted to get good at golf. We had a nice round and as we became a bit more familiar I asked him about the a brand new set of Ping woods and irons he was playing. Some looked like they had never been hit. His response was simple. He said that this round was the first full round he had played with these clubs.

Later in the round he told me the following. As part of the discharge process from the rehabilitation hospital, Ping comes in and provides three days of golf instruction, followed by club fitting. Upon discharge from the hospital, Ping gives each of the discharged veterans, generally about 40 soldiers, a brand new set of custom fitted clubs along with the impressive golf bags.

The fellow I met was named Ben Woods and he looked me in the eye and said that being fitted for those clubs was one of the best things that ever happened to him and he was determined to learn to play golf well enough to deserve the gift Ping had given him. Ben is now out of the service, medically discharged just a month ago. He is as fine a young man as you would ever want to meet.

Ping has the good judgment not to advertise this program. God Bless America and the game of golf.

- q.Beliefnet - America in Uniform

today is not ordinary time

2011-05-01T05:43:00.000-07:00

Today is the second Sunday of Easter.

Today is the octave of the first Sunday of Easter, usually called itself, Easter.

In the past today has been called Low Sunday in contrast to the celebration of the first Sunday of Easter.

Is has also been called Missa in Albis, Mass in White. The neophytes would join the assembly in their baptismal garments, in remembrance of their baptism at the Vigil. In England, that was spoken as Whitsun, and the time as Whitsuntide.

bad theology

2011-04-19T20:31:00.000-07:00

Kennesaw First Baptist Church sent out classy-looking postcards announcing on the front, along with the traditional three crosses

He is Risen Indeed!

Please join us in celebrating the Resurrection of Our Lord

Easter
Sunday, April 24

Worship with us at 8:15am 9:30am 11:00am
Community sunrise service 6:45am

Sunday School during each service for ages 6 weeks-preK
Older children are encouraged to attend worship services with parents

Then on the back, along with the postal area, are 5 colored eggs in some stylized grass and the words

He's Alive!
Eggstravganza
Saturday, April 23
3:00-5:00pm
For ages 2yrs-6^th grade
Fun! Fun! Fun! & it's Free! Free! Free!
Egg hunts! Pony rides! Crafts! Inflatables!

First, what is the season?
What is the reason for the season?
He is Risen Indeed! on Sunday but He's Alive! on Saturday afternoon. Mixed message? End justifies the means?
Do crafts include "Roll away the stone"?
Is the pony left over from Palm Sunday?

An inquiring public wants to know!

communication

2011-04-09T18:55:00.001-07:00

My husband, an Army drill sergeant, was on a training exercise in the California desert. "The nights are cold and lonely," he wrote to me. "All I can think about is how much I miss you and how cold my feet are. Could you please send me something to make the nights more tolerable?" Determined to boost his morale, I sent him a picture of myself posing in a revealing negligee. Two weeks later, I received this note: "Honey, you look great! Now can you send me some wool socks?" - Genny Conley q._Humor In Uniform_

I am left-brained

2011-03-26T09:55:00.000-07:00

http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2009/01/26/are-you-a-right-or-left-brain-thinker/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl11%7Csec1_lnk3%7C207578

Are you better at math and science than art and literature? Yes
Do you love playing sports outdoors over reading indoors? No
Do you prefer verbal communication over physical communication? Yes
Would you rather draw pictures freehand instead of putting together a model airplane? neither
Do you like being in groups more than being alone? lean to No
When given instructions, are lots of pictures easier to understand than lots of text? lean to No
Have you noticed that you're better at providing the details and necessary information for a project than coming up with the initial idea? lean to Yes
Do you need a quiet environment when you are working? absolutely yes
Would you enjoy helping someone solve a relationship problem more than a math problem? lean to No
Are you better at helping someone solve a relationship problem more than a math problem? absolutely No
If you were a writer, would you prefer to write nonfiction books instead of fiction? lean to Yes
If you were a writer, would you be better at writing nonfiction books instead of fiction? absolutely Yes

CVG news

2011-03-12T07:48:00.001-08:00

always wondered if this ever happened

the literary pup

2011-02-12T11:49:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading the beautiful "Fitting Service" (Cw2011Jan28) for the third time. This time I picked up on the echo in Bp Zauner's comment "... tria millia hominum ..." translated very reasonably into English from the context as "... three thousand people...".

One of the most dramatic Latin phrases in the Vulgate account of Jesus' encounter w/Pontius Pilatus is "Ecce homo" translated into English as best as is possible "Behold the man".

In this time of concern of the translation of Latin into English appropriately, would that the lessons of the differences in the two above phrases and their translation were more widely appreciated. And their implications also. We will never know why Jerome did not write "Ecce vir". Perhaps someone with the Greek original in front of them might comment. Jerome might say to us what he has PP saying in re the inscription on the cross "Quod scriptsi, scriptsi." (What I have written, I have written.)

ego boost

2011-02-12T11:46:00.000-08:00

While doing one of those "projects from hell", I offered to resign.

They didn't take me up on the offer.

I am getting slightly less s... than before

Is this a sign of respect or indolence?

scientists w/balls

2011-02-12T11:29:00.000-08:00

from my brother, yet another wild and crazy physicist

history of vitriol in politics in US

2011-01-10T16:27:00.000-08:00

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/01/10/history-lesson-political-rhetoric/

and more

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703667904576071913818696964.html?mod=rss_opinion_main

and more

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703667904576072840602094576.html

when did the political stuff hit the fan

2011-01-09T16:32:00.000-08:00

The sheriff mentioned at the link seems to think political vitriol started recently. I think not. I remember the 1960s esp. the 1964 presidential campaign. I also remember the 1950s and the black list.

I just spreads faster due to the proliferation of channels of communication.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/09/pima-county-sheriff-sets-debate-price-free-speech/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fpolitics+%28Internal+-+Politics+-+Text%29

the digital story of the Nativity

2010-12-21T20:36:00.000-08:00

roflmao

Seasons greetings

2010-12-17T21:16:00.001-08:00

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all . . .

a n d a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2011, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great, (not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country or is the only "AMERICA" in the western hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, or choice of computer platform of the wishee.

(By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.)

4 mothers everywhere

2010-12-17T20:54:00.000-08:00

When my wife quit work to take care of our new baby daughter, countless hours of peekaboo and other games slowly took their toll. One evening she smacked her bare toes on the corner of a dresser and, grabbing her foot, sank to the floor. I rushed to her side and asked where it hurt. She looked at me through tear-filled eyes and managed to moan, "It's the piggy that ate roast beef." - Andychap q.gcfl

Christmas 2010

2010-12-15T18:20:00.000-08:00

first some cards to choose from

and from the past (follow the links)

great Christmas story and a blast from the past

Christmas at Greccio

bloopers, boo-boos and errata (c)

2010-11-24T18:58:00.000-08:00

The below online story has a correction from the printed copy:

DEWEY BEACH, Del. — For the past five years, Marissa Filderman has adopted a turkey for Thanksgiving.

But she has never been interested in raising the feathered fellow.

The 24-year-old vegetarian is focused on saving that turkey from its inevitable holiday fate.

So each year, she adopts a foul from Farm Sanctuary, an organization that rescues abused farm animals and works to stop and expose cruel farming practices with shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, Calif.

...

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-11-21-turkey-sanctuary-program_N.htm

Austria/Australia - what's the difference?

2010-11-21T05:36:00.000-08:00

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/austrian-gillard-gets-a-makeover/story-e6freuzr-1225952747882

lots of good memories about this place

2010-11-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

and the football has improved a lot

http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/11/03/division-iii-qb-joey-baum-the-true-student-athlete-who-gives-ba/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl7%7Csec1_lnk3%7C182279

Case used to play WRU.

One year, WRU cheerleaders has this one:

Case once, Case twice
Holy jumping J.... C.....
Rivets and bolts
Rivets and bolts
Nuts nuts nuts
Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew Case

thrilla in Manila

2010-11-03T03:35:00.001-07:00

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/11/03/australia-terror-attack-manila-imminent/

a halloween note for my granddaughters

2010-10-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

Two vampire bats are going for their midnight feed. After an hour or so, one bat gets tired of looking and goes home with no blood. The other bat comes home with blood dripping from its mouth. The first bat says enviously,

Where did you get all that blood from?

The second bat replies,

Follow me. I'll show you.

After a while the second bat leads them to a cave. He says,

You see that wall over there?

The hungry bat excitedly says,

Yes!

Other bat says,

I didn't.

- Ollie Crumpler

let's get this straight

2010-10-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

I can't identify w/the guys on Big Bang Theory

but this is good, bigoted but good. And it has that amateurish 60s sound

always enlist another set of eyes

2010-10-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

http://blog.beliefnet.com/deaconsbench/2010/10/worth-a-thousand-words----or-at-least-three.html

I am a senior citizen and still inventing

2010-10-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

A college student at a recent football game challenged a senior citizen sitting next to him, saying it was impossible for their generation to understand his.

You grew up in a different world,

the student said loud enough for the whole crowd to hear.

Today we have television, jet planes, space travel, man has walked on the moon, our spaceships have visited Mars, we even have nuclear energy, electric and hydrogen cars, computers with light-speed processing ... and uh....

Taking advantage of a pause in the student's litany, the old geezer said,

You're right. We didn't have those things when we were young; so we invented them, you little twit! What are YOU doing for the next generation?

(I love senior citizens!) - Thomas Ellsworth q.gcfl

It's time to organize a Texas Navy

2010-10-02T18:12:00.000-07:00

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/10/01/search-teams-seek-man-shot-mexican-waters/

for my godfather

2010-09-30T20:48:00.000-07:00

A man goes to the confessional. "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned."

"What is your sin, my child?" the priest asks. "Well," the man starts, "I used some horrible language this week, and I feel absolutely terrible."

"When did you do use this awful language?" asks the priest. "I was golfing and hit an incredible drive that looked like it was going to go over 250 yards, but it struck a phone line that was hanging over the fairway and fell straight down to the ground after going only about 100 yards."

"Is that when you swore?"

"No, Father," replies the man. "After that, a squirrel ran out of the bushes and grabbed my ball in his mouth and began to run away."

"Is THAT when you swore?" asks the priest again. "Well, no," says the man. "You see, as the squirrel was running, an eagle came down out of the sky, grabbed the squirrel in his talons, and began to fly away!"

"Is THAT when you swore?" asks the amazed priest. "No, not yet," the man replies. "As the eagle carried the squirrel away in his claws, it flew toward the green. And as it passed over a bit of forest near the green, the squirrel dropped my ball."

"Did you swear THEN?" asks the now impatient priest. "No, because as the ball fell, it struck a tree, bounced through some bushes, careened off a big rock, and rolled through a sand trap onto the green and stopped within six inches of the hole."

"You missed the putt, didn't you?" sighs the priest. - ArcaMax Jokes

you can't make up stuff like this

2010-09-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

truth weirder than fiction

another blog on the coming changes in the Mass

2010-09-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

http://platytera.blogspot.com/2010/08/more-new-translation.html

My Friend Joe

2010-09-15T20:53:00.000-07:00

I had a friend named Joe,
to Iraq we had to go.
We fought together side by side,
until the day that my friend died.
We were in a town, the name unknown,
playing with some kids.
We gave them candy and MREs,
cause their lives had hit the skids.
When thru a window a gun got poked,
a finger on the trigger.
To kill an American GI,
would make the shooter bigger.
Joe had just given a little girl a hug,
when out of the gun there came a slug.
In Joes back a hole I could see,
the finger on the trigger moved...
then another round hit me.
The children ran off screaming,
as a second slug hit Joe.
My friend knew he was dying,
he didn't want to go.
The shooter he ran,
at the sight of a van,
a big red cross for a sign.
then a medic came by,
said you're gonna be fine,
I'm sorry your buddy's dead.

I had a friend named Joe,
now to Arlington I go,
to tell him of all the things in life,
that he no more will know.
I put a flag and a flower,
on the grave of a friend so dear,
and water his hallowed resting place,
with many a heartbroken tear.

- SSG Jack G. Simpson Jr US ARMY (RET) copyright 2008

Roger Staubach, Still Captain America

2010-09-15T20:47:00.000-07:00

Recently, my brother was sitting in first class on a flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Colorado Springs when a couple boarded and sat in front of him. He immediately recognized the man as Roger Staubach. They exchanged greetings, and Staubach said he was headed to Colorado Springs for the inaugural Warrior Games.

After 60 or 70 percent of the plane was boarded, a female Army soldier who had lost her leg boarded. Staubach insisted she sit in his seat; she said, "no, thanks," but he insisted. He took her place in a middle seat way in the back. After a few minutes, the young girl got tears in her eyes and said she wanted to go to her seat and have Staubach return to his. The flight attendant overheard, and, as the female soldier headed to retrieve Staubach, the attendant said she had a no-show and both could sit in first class.

The flight attendant returned with the female soldier, but Staubach sent a double amputee Army soldier to sit in his seat. Staubach remained in coach the entire flight and disembarked last. My brother waited and asked for an autograph for my birthday; Staubach said certainly. It's a great gift, but the greater gift is knowing Roger Staubach is still Captain America.

- Drew Werner, Addison TX q._Reader's Digest_America in Uniform_

a hissy fit as Ruby B would say

2010-09-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

Albino Python on Cocaine Confronts Police - AFP headline

the wedding guest

2010-09-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

guess why this guy is not married

response -- in re 9/11

2010-09-04T20:19:00.001-07:00

Putting aside politics, if that is possible in this location (pun intended) and at this time, his idea has merit, though not as he saw it.

Too often when one is touched violence, the advice is “Forgive and get beyond it.” Many people find that difficult — witness the road side shrines maintained years after an event took place. On a small road in Cobb County GA, near Sope Creek, there is attached to a tree a memorial that is refreshed each season. I don’t know who or what happened there, but on the winding road in the hilly area of a well-to-do neighborhood, a reasonable assumption is an auto accident.

The politicization of 9/11 and the WTC may have been inevitable — it was a political act to begin with in a very political area/arena. But surely our faith background should direct us to examine the long-term affects of violence on victims, their loved ones and society as a whole.

As Catholics we should understand ritual — its purpose and place. Have we ritualized listening to the victims, their loved ones and society as a whole on the effects of violence on them?

As Catholics we should understand symbol — its purpose and place. Do we see the symbolic damage to the fabric of society by violence? Have we pondered how to remediate the tears in the warp and woof of that fabric by ritual action?

On 9/11/2001 I was the Grand Knight of a Knights of Columbus council. On 9/11/2006 I was the Navigator of a Knights of Columbus 4th degree assembly. I had meeting of each shortly after the events. I found myself at a loss for words to connect with my brothers on how I felt on these occasions. I have found clergy and laymen alike shrink from talking about these issues.

But like those shrines, the wounds are still there. We may question NG’s motive for his proposal. But I for one think he is on to something that will not go away.

stimulus -- in re 9/11

2010-09-04T20:02:00.000-07:00

Newt Gingrich proposes that the WTC site be declared a national battlefield memorial. If he had been paying attention,he would have known that for the last nine years it’s been a true New York battlefield between the developer, the insurance companies, and the Port Authority. What a stew pot to memorialize.

Gingrich: “I think the Congress has the ability to declare the area a national battlefield memorial because I think we should think of the World Trade Center as a battlefield site; this is a war,” he said, apparently thinking that if Ground Zero was a national park, Park51 would be restricted from building near it.”

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/09/gingrich_make_ground_zero_a_national_battlefield_t.php?ref=fpblg

- Margaret O'Brien Steinfels 2010Sep3 11:47 am dotCommonweal

my parish

2010-08-22T09:18:00.001-07:00

http://www.georgiabulletin.org/local/2010/08/19/spotlightstthomasapostle/

Frederick MD

2010-08-22T08:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/randy-white-fights-to-expose-cancer-cluster-near-frederick-maryland/19588039?icid=mainhtmlws-main-ndl1link4http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolnews.com%2Fnation%2Farticle%2Frandy-white-fights-to-expose-cancer-cluster-near-frederick-maryland%2F19588039

this person must be a physicist

2010-08-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

it takes that level of warped mind to do this

this is not miss manners

2010-08-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

http://www.aolnews.com/surge-desk/article/visitbritains-2012-olympics-etiquette-rules-explained/19592753?icid=mainhtmlws-main-ndl5link4http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolnews.com%2Fsurge-desk%2Farticle%2Fvisitbritains-2012-olympics-etiquette-rules-explained%2F19592753

acting

2010-08-13T20:54:00.000-07:00

To act with my clothes on is a performance. To act with my clothes off is a documentary. - Julia Roberts q.http://www.salon.com/life/broadsheet/2010/04/01/no_sex_scene_actor/index.html

don't mess with the elephant

2010-08-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

or reality depends on your point of view [as usual, assume "mess" is a macro]

A lion woke up one morning feeling really rowdy and mean. He went out and cornered a small monkey and roared

Who is mightiest of all jungle animals?

The trembling monkey answered

You are, mighty lion!

Later, the lion confronted an ox and fiercely bellowed

Who is the mightiest of all jungle animals?

The terrified ox stammered

Oh great lion, you are the mightiest animal in the jungle!

On a roll now, the lion swaggered up to an elephant and roared

Who is mightiest of all jungle animals?

Fast as lightning, the elephant snatched up the lion with his trunk and slammed him against a tree half a dozen times, leaving the lion feeling as if it had been run over by a safari wagon. The elephant then stomped on the lion until it looked like a corn tortilla and ambled away. The lion let out a moan of pain, lifted his head weakly, and hollered after the elephant

Just because you don't know the answer, you don't have to get so upset about it!

- ArcaMax Jokes q.gcfl

Florida seems interesting also

2010-07-31T20:34:00.000-07:00

My mother taught me not to like snakes either but I don't think I ...

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime/wacky-crimes-the-best-of-police-blotters-from-830478.html?cxntlid=cmg_cntnt_rss

I live in an interesting place

2010-07-31T20:33:00.000-07:00

but who is pookie?

http://mdjonline.com/view/full_story/8937814/article-Write-in-votes-show-funny--dissatisfied-sides-of-voters?instance=home_news_special_coverage

autism and Iraq

2010-07-30T20:33:00.001-07:00

http://rhemashope.wordpress.com/

diversity in Catholic Church

2010-07-28T19:59:00.001-07:00

stimulus local copy

response

While Fr Elizondo's original interview was in 1981, I was living in Houston. I had written a letter to the local Catholic newspaper about the difference between immigration when my ancestors came from Germany and immigration then. This is an update to that view.

When my ancestors came to the US late in the 19th century, it was of necessity a permanent move. They were poor and could not afford to go back. But also they came here in order to have a future away from the turmoil and poverty of Germany at that time. They brought their language, their religion and their culture.

Religion

The religious acceptance of immigrants at that time can be indicated by a story my mother told. She lived at the foot of a hill in Covington Ky. During one of the revivals of the Ku Klux Klan, crosses would be burnt on the hill above her house and overlooking the Ohio River. The other side was Cincinnati OH.

It was also true that Catholic churches in Covington when I grew up in the 1940s and 50s came in pairs - Irish and German -- the latter more numerous. Their is no indication they hated each other, just that the other was OTHER.

Language and Culture

The German language and culture were not there as I grew up. Later in life I was told by the family that all the signs -- business and public -- in German were removed the day WWI started. At the same time the use of the German language "in public" ended. It was never clear whether the first day of the war was meant or when the US entered the war.

This would indicate that German culture, at least in the Cincinnati area, ended more abruptly than any I have heard of under any circumstances short of invasion.

1980s

30 years ago Mexican immigration into the US and specifically TX was different. Because of the proximity of the two countries, any immigrant who had a job -- and there is no indication that then jobs were not plentiful -- could drive back to Mexico almost at will. The price of oil was up and the oil business was booming.

When my son was in his late elementary school years at St Jerome parish school in the early 1980s, the parish had three language groups -- English, Spanish and Vietnamese. There were trilingual Masses for moments, such as Holy Saturday, when a combined service made sense. There were separate vicars for Spanish and Vietnamese. The Vietnamese ran their own religious education program using Vietnamese nuns.

Interestingly enough, within the parish boundaries, there were two non-territorial parishes, one for Koreans and one for Polish.

My son had a friend in his class whose parents were born in Mexico. The father ran a successful sheet rock business. As the oil business hit a bump in the road in the middle 1980s, all business in Houston entered a slump. My son's friend's father's business seemed to be hanging in there.

Then his father got ill in Mexico. He went home for an extended stay. When his father rallied, he returned to Houston. This happened multiple times before the business failed and the family lost their home during a local housing crisis that included deflation and banks failing. The father moved to Chicago to find work. I left Houston about this time as I had lost my job and had found work in Pittsburgh. I don't know how the story ends.

Today

The Atlanta area and its churches have immigrants from just about every country on the globe. At work, I hear Spanish, Russian and multiple Asian languages, especially Indian.
I belong to a parish that has 2000 non-Spanish-speaking families (from 5 continents with multiple languages) and 4000 Spanish-speaking families. The dynamics of parish life seem the same as 30 years ago.

I don't think what immigrants experience is any worse what the immigrants experienced 100-150 years ago. In many ways the experience is much better in terms of access to public services without discrimination.

What has changed is that immigrants without exception can go home every so often. A friend at Delta Airlines tells me that the profit motive for flights to the south is cargo. They never overbook flights there because even with less than a full load, cargo requirements may mean passengers may have to be bumped. "Load and balance" they call it.

One last story

When I went to Pittsburgh, my family did not go at first. I was lonely and went to the Carnegie library in my work complex. One day I found a history book about something I had never heard of -- the Polish National Catholic Church.

It seems that in the late 19th century large groups of people were coming to the US from central and Eastern Europe. They had a tendency to stay in locales that centered around a church. One group of Polish immigrants became angry at their German [Catholic] bishop for not providing a pastor who spoke Polish. So like Protestants they found a priest who did speak their language and would minister to them.

The schismatic group exists to this day. I am told they are even now back in Poland.

goats!

2010-07-27T17:50:00.001-07:00

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/07/27/government-outsourcing-goats-save-money/?test=latestnews

you can never have too much of

2010-07-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

Flannery O'Connor

The ant philosophy

2010-07-25T08:40:00.001-07:00

Over the years I've been teaching children about a simple but powerful concept - the ant philosophy. I think everybody should study ants. They have an amazing four-part philosophy, and here is the first part: ants never quit. That's a good philosophy. If they're headed somewhere and you try to stop them; they'll look for another way. They'll climb over, they'll climb under, and they'll climb around. They keep looking for another way. What a neat philosophy, to never quit looking for a way to get where you're supposed to go.

Second, ants think winter all summer. That's an important perspective. You can't be so naive as to think summer will last forever. So ants are gathering in their winter food in the middle of summer.

An ancient story says, "Don't build your house on the sand in the summer." Why do we need that advice? Because it is important to be realistic. In the summer, you've got to think storm. You've got to think rocks as you enjoy the sand and sun. Think ahead.

The third part of the ant philosophy is that ants think summer all winter. That is so important. During the winter, ants remind themselves, "This won't last long; we'll soon be out of here." And the first warm day, the ants are out. If it turns cold again, they'll dive back down, but then they come out the first warm day. They can't wait to get out.

And here's the last part of the ant philosophy. How much will an ant gather during the summer to prepare for the winter? All he possibly can. What an incredible philosophy, the "all-you-possibly-can" philosophy.

Wow, what a great seminar to attend - the ant seminar. Never give up, look ahead, stay positive and do all you can.

- Jim Rohn

an exaggeration "Catholic laypeople did not read scripture"

2010-07-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

stimulus

Seventy-five years ago, when this magazine was first published, the Mass was in Latin, and laypeople did not read from scripture or distribute communion. "Religious education" consisted of classes in Catholic schools taught primarily by sisters wearing habits.

my response

I started Catholic elementary school in 1949. At that time we were using a format of the Baltimore Catechism, at least in the upper grades, which had scripture with the Q&A.
I started Catholic high school in 1955. One of the required texts was a New Testament. We had periodic "days of reflection". We were expected to read the NT during that day, especially when we were assembled in study hall. We also had 4 intense yrs of Latin and 4 less intense yrs of Greek. In college I bought a Greek NT so I could keep up with my Greek - not very successfully.
I started Catholic college in 1959. We were required to take 8 theology and 6 philosophy courses as part of the core. 3 of those courses were scripture.

This was not a raving liberal place. Several decades later I was at a party in Houston talking to my former pastor John McCarthy, then the Aux Bp of Houston and later Bp of Austin, now retired. I told him I was from Covington Ky. At first he couldn't place it. After I pointed out that it was just across the river from Cincinnati, his eyes lite up. Oh yes he said. That is where the Cincinnati airport is. He then brought up a piece of trivia I will always remember. During Vatican II, the Covington bishop, Bp Ackerman was considered one of the most conservative bishops at the council.

I find it hard to beliee that a backwater like CVG would be ahead of the rest of the world.

unclear of the concept

2010-07-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

or just sloppy?

this man has clarity and accuracy

2010-07-17T22:28:00.001-07:00

which makes this hot

http://ncronline.org/blogs/all-things-catholic/seven-days-shook-vatican

life

2010-06-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a week since dental surgery, the antibiotic has run out, and my mouth still hurts. Sometimes my teeth hurt.

I'm still eating liquid and very soft food. I have headaches. I am tired and grumpy. I am hoping to be eating and chewing food by July 4th.

The golden years continue unabated.

shy but persistently insane

2010-06-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

Truck driver Yuuki Oshima, 22, was arrested in Chiba, Japan, in December after allegedly urinating through the mail slot of a woman's apartment door on more than one occasion. Oshima told police that he was frustrated, apparently too shy to approach the woman and admit that he was "crazy" about her. [Japan Today, 12-12-09]

http://www.newsoftheweird.com/archive/nw100124.html

important research

2010-06-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

A December National Public Radio report noted that fake houseflies have begun appearing in urinals around the world based apparently on research showing that men are more likely to aim at the flies, thus leaving the area surrounding the urinal cleaner. Another commentator wondered how such "research" was conducted (other than by the obvious method of paper-wiping floors around urinals and then comparing the wipes). [KPCC Radio (Pasadena, Calif.), 12-25-09]

http://www.newsoftheweird.com/archive/nw100124.html

science is racist

2010-06-26T12:08:00.000-07:00

In January, the Berkeley (CA) School Board began consideration of a near-unanimous recommendation of Berkeley High School's Governance Council to eliminate science labs from its curriculum, reasoning that the classes mostly serve white students, leaving less money for programs for underperforming minorities. Berkeley High's white students do far better academically than the state average; black and Latino students do worse than average. Five science teachers would be dismissed. [East Bay Express, 12-23-09]

http://www.newsoftheweird.com/archive/nw100124.html

apple pie

2010-06-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

To make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe. - Carl Sagan

To make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe. - the pup

better blogging

2010-06-11T20:50:00.001-07:00

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/16_ways_to_be_a_better_and_holier_blog_commenter?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NCRegisterDailyBlog+%2540The+Daily+Register%2541#When:19:21:13Z

I don't think I represent this remark, do I?

2010-06-11T20:33:00.001-07:00

http://www.gocomics.com/freerange/2010/06/09/

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad news

2010-06-11T20:08:00.000-07:00

Police Find 14 Sheep Crammed into Car - New Zealand Press
Association headline

this person is trying to fix the Gulf of Mexico

2010-06-05T06:08:00.000-07:00

but this is who we need

this person can fix the Gulf of Mexico

2010-06-05T06:05:00.001-07:00

saving the planet - NOT

2010-05-22T12:32:00.000-07:00

Myth: we have to save the earth. Frankly, the earth doesn't need to be saved. Nature doesn't give a hoot if human beings are here or not. The planet has survived cataclysmic and catastrophic changes for millions upon millions of years. Over that time, it is widely believed, 99 percent of all species have come and gone while the planet has remained. Saving the environment is really about saving our environment - making it safe for ourselves, our children, and the world as we know it. If more people saw the issue as one of saving themselves, we would probably see increased motivation and commitment to actually do so. - Robert M. Lilienfeld (1953-) management consultant and author and William L. Rathje (1945-) archaeologist and author

on law

2010-05-22T06:14:00.000-07:00

Good men must not obey the laws too well. - Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) _
Essays_ writer and philosopher q.awad
Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws. - Plato q.awad
In a democracy, laws are the agreed upon boundaries between each person's rights and a formal expression of each person's responsibilities. - pup
Law will be simplified [over the next century]. Lawyers will have diminished, and their fees will have been vastly curtailed. - Junius Henri Browne, 1893, journalist q.Laura Lee _The Futurist_
Laws are the spider's webs which, if anything small falls into them they ensnare it, but large things break through and escape. - Solon q.awad
One law for the lion and ox is oppression. - William Blake (1757-1827) poet, engraver, and painter
We all know here that the law is the most powerful of schools for the imagination. - Jean Giraudoux (1882-1944) q.marsha1945@AUSTIN.RR.COM
When men are pure, laws are useless; when men are corrupt, laws are broken. - Benjamin Disraeli (1804Dec21-1881) q.marsha1945@AUSTIN.RR.COM uga2009Dec21
Laws are society's common sense, written down for the stupid.
The stupid refuse to read. Thank you for choosing to read.
- q.Chagatai Khan

for my son

2010-05-21T20:38:00.000-07:00

While we were on field-training exercises at Fort Hood TX, our unit was inspected by a very critical senior officer. At the end of the training cycle, we were asked to submit a written evaluation of the inspector. One buddy's statement perfectly summed up our sentiments:

He's the only officer I have ever known who can strut while sitting down.

- Col. Ralph Sims (Ret.) q._Reader's Digest_Humor In Uniform_

for jason the builder, tweeter and the grandkids

2010-05-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

a bit of local history

for andrea

2010-05-11T19:41:00.000-07:00

see no.5

complementarity

2010-05-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

the more philosophical version of the quantum mechanics uncertainty principle

During a lecture on his principle of complementarity, Neils Bohr said that, for every measurable quantity, there is a complementary measurable quantity such that the more precisely one knows one of the quantities, the less precisely they know the other. He was asked from the audience, "Then what is complementary to Truth?" His immediate response was, "Clarity."

for all mothers

2010-05-07T20:34:00.000-07:00

Before I was a Mom,

I made and ate hot meals.

I had unstained clothing.

I had quiet conversations on the phone.

Before I was a Mom,

I slept as late as I wanted.

I never worried about how late I got into bed.

I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom,

I cleaned my house each day.

I never tripped over toys.

I never forgot words to lullabies.

Before I was a Mom,

I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom, I had never been . . .

puked on

pooped on

spit on

chewed on

peed on

or pinched by tiny fingers.

Before I was a Mom,

I had complete control of my mind, thoughts and body.

I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,

I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,

I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.

I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know that bond between a Mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.

Before I was a Mom, I had never known . . .

the warmth

the joy

the love

the heartache

the wonderment

or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much . . . before I was a Mom.

She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed. (Prv 31:27-28a)

May God's richest blessings be with each of you mothers.

response - what is holy/sacred

2010-05-01T06:05:00.000-07:00

The face of Francis is holy, not sacred. An unfortunate perpetuation of the dichotomy between the sacred and the profane continues to be used in art criticism (and many other places as well) when dealing with Christianity.... But what “sacred” means, in contrast to “profane” (that which lies outside the temple and is purely of this world), is “something set apart” in relation to the divine. It is separate, by some form of consecration, for religious usage. - stimulus - Dimensions of the Holy

I am trying to get my head around the distinction he makes between holy and sacred.

I do not find my grandchildren to be holy, but I do think of them as being sacred - creations of God bearing the finger prints of God. I say the same of the trees surrounding my house.

Merriam-Webster does not appear to support me in this: holy sacred

stimulus - Dimensions of the Holy

2010-05-01T05:56:00.000-07:00

Sacred Spanish art at the National Gallery

Describing Jesus and his disciples as they go up to Jerusalem, Mark the Evangelist writes: “Jesus was walking ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid” (10:32). That coupling of amazement and fear, according to Rudolf Otto in his classic The Idea of the Holy (1919), is the essence of human experience of the divine or numinous. When God appears to human beings, it is, in Otto’s memorable phrase, as mysterium tremendum et fascinans, a holy mystery that awakens both fear and fascination. There are, of course, a variety of ways the experience can be expressed—as humbling and exalting, as awe and embrace, as deepened desire yet remorseful recoil. The experience can lead to tears of consolation or the desert of immense distance, both beyond words.

Such an experience of mingled awe and enchantment arises as one enters “The Sacred Made Real,” an exhibition of 17th-century Spanish painting and sculpture currently at the National Gallery of Art in Washington. Somewhat abbreviated from an earlier installation in London’s National Gallery, the show offers stellar examples of two types of art, one two-dimensional, the other three-dimensional, which are generally shown separately but here enter into revealing conversation.

During the Catholic Reformation, the artists of Spain’s Golden Age developed an intense realism to stir and even shock viewers with stark, emotional and often anguished presentations of Christ, the Virgin and the saints. Several of the era’s greatest painters are represented in the current exhibition, including Francisco de Zurbarán and Diego Velázquez. They are matched by less well-known sculptors like Juan Martínez Montañés and Pedro de Mena.

No pairing of works more vividly represents the interaction of painterly and sculptural interests than two versions of the Immaculate Conception (see pg. 17), one a sculpture attributed to Montañés (c. 1620), the other an early painting by Velázquez (1618-19). Both depict the Virgin slightly larger than life-size, according to the Book of Revelation’s description of “a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars” (12:1-2). Together they exemplify a typology developed by Baroque artists in 17th-century Seville: a naturalistic young girl takes all her dignity from her clothing and surroundings.

Velázquez places his Mary, with her broad face and full cheeks, against an inky night sky, whose billowing white clouds give cosmic dimension to her swirling blue mantle. (She may have been modeled on Juana Pacheco, the daughter of Velázquez’s master, Francisco Pacheco, whom the painter married.) At her feet are symbols suggesting her purity—a temple, a fountain, a palm tree. The sculptural effect is striking, and Velázquez may well have studied an earlier Immaculate Conception by Montañés.

The Montañés Virgin evokes a similar serenity. But additional majesty at-taches to the figure through the tunic decorated with pale flowers under a black cloak enriched with effulgent golden arabesques. Delightfully, the angels at her feet and on the pedestal seem neither awestruck nor prayerful but simply happy to be there.

You can stand before these two wondrous works, beguiled by the lovely faces, imagining the inner grace of each figure, drawn into the mystery of innocence enduring all experience, transported to another time and still sensing a deeper root in your own.

Art that enthralls begets other art that enthralls, and nearby are three interpretations of St. Francis of Assisi that could define the word. Zurbarán’s mid-career masterpiece, “Saint Francis Standing in Ecstasy” (c. 1640), from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, shows the saint anachronistically in the habit of the reformed branch of his order, the Capuchins, his hands folded in sleeves and his face looking heavenward, the whole figure lit by a suggestion of candlelight. (Legend has it that when his tomb was opened before Pope Nicholas V in 1449, the saint’s body was found in exactly this position, miraculously preserved.) Next to the larger-than-life-size painting is the half-life-size, polychromed statue of “Saint Francis Standing in Ecstasy” (1663) by Mena, which may have been inspired by the Zurbarán. A celebrated object of veneration by pilgrims, the piece has never before left the Cathedral of Toledo.

Next to it is one of the greatest of all representations of prayer: Zurbarán’s “Saint Francis Kneeling in Meditation” (1635-39), from London’s National Gallery. You can enter the darkness with Francis as he kneels silent and enraptured, a skull cradled in his exquisitely painted hands. Light falls over your left shoulder onto his right shoulder. Looking up toward his face, you realize that you do not see his eyes, deep in the shadow of his cowl, but only his handsome nose and parted lips. No words come, to him or you, no motion, no desire to be anywhere but here. The presence of God suffuses this image of the poorest and perhaps most beloved of all the followers of Christ.

Your eye moves across the canvas, from the strong hands with the slight indication of the stigmata on his right hand, to the tattered robe, down the plumb-line of the cord falling from his waist, over to the folds that cover his feet and knees, up again to the holy face. The figure is almost entirely on the right side of the painting, yet it balances because the coarse white of the habit at Francis’s right arm pulls the figure to the left and gives it a pulsing stasis, an insistent silent presence. You wish the gallery were empty so that you could kneel.

The face of Francis is holy, not sacred. An unfortunate perpetuation of the dichotomy between the sacred and the profane continues to be used in art criticism (and many other places as well) when dealing with Christianity. It was, for example, the cause of considerable conceptual confusion at a major exhibition on religion in art two years ago at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, “Les traces du sacré.” But what “sacred” means, in contrast to “profane” (that which lies outside the temple and is purely of this world), is “something set apart” in relation to the divine. It is separate, by some form of consecration, for religious usage.

But for a faith that confesses God’s living among us and enduring for us death itself in Christ, our human world is no longer a realm apart but, rather, radically God’s own. Its story and ours have come to be because the holy mystery of God graciously chooses to create a story that will be God’s own, the story of God’s holiness enfleshed in human holiness and suffering for it. Of all the words that might speak less deficiently of the God beyond all language, it is “holiness” that best accompanies “love.” And so the representations of Christ and Mary and the saints that are magnificently brought together at the National Gallery might be said to be sacred, as art or music or dance in a church might be said to be. But the human beings represented by the art are holy, because the God of holiness has dwelt in them through God’s own Spirit—and always will.

- Leo J. O’Donovan SJ (president emeritus of Georgetown University)

http://www.americamagazine.org/

my favorite guru

2010-04-30T21:12:00.000-07:00

http://www.infoworld.com/t/it-management/the-real-secret-it-success-088

hacker in context

2010-04-30T21:11:00.000-07:00

http://www.infoworld.com/t/misadventures/waiting-the-terry-childs-verdict-811

delaware

2010-04-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

for Kat's kitten

Nor were losses equally spread around the country. State by state figures for 2008 - the latest available - showed the number of tech jobs actually increased in 41 states. California gained 15,800 technology jobs, while Delaware saw the largest percentage growth with a 12.8 per cent increase. - http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/04/29/us_tech_jobs/

for my son and all those who have served in the Middle East

2010-04-28T20:05:00.000-07:00

Brig. Gen. H. R. McMaster, who banned PowerPoint presentations when he led the successful effort to secure the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar in 2005, followed up at the same conference by likening PowerPoint to an internal threat.

"It’s dangerous because it can create the illusion of understanding and the illusion of control," General McMaster said in a telephone interview afterward. "Some problems in the world are not bullet-izable."

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/world/27powerpoint.html?src=me&ref=general

is a seat really cheaper than baggage?

2010-04-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

reuters

bloopers, boo-boos and errata

2010-04-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

the slippery double negative

Because he does have those days to appeal, certainly we don't want to put ourselves in an uncompromising position,
Crowder-Eagle said.

But again, he has delayed us so much, and the judge has spoken and the voters have spoken, so we want to move forward on that.

- mdjonline

the New York way?

2010-04-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

Suffolk officials said workers will be culled from local construction
companies.

source

or is it just [sic]

Eh?

2010-03-26T20:36:00.001-07:00

hoser history

spell check failure?

2010-03-26T20:28:00.000-07:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8511910.stm

pittsburgh skyline

2010-03-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

p'burg skyline

fuer die Kaetze

2010-03-26T19:04:00.000-07:00

Today in the Arthritis Pool Exercise Class, a 90-year-old lady said,
I'm flying to Chicago for Thanksgiving, and they probably will charge me extra for being an 'old bag'!
- Jean Wilcox

bano nano

2010-03-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

link

not a pretty site

2010-03-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

David Marshall-Martin was delighted to read the AAP wire service report on 28 February about the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras:

Many were disappointed they couldn't penetrate the thong of onlookers.

In an article by Michelle Hanson in the Guardian on 5 March:

If the government are considering competency tests for dog owners, I say go for it - and compulsory microchipping, neutering, third-party insurance.

All very good, but what about the dogs?

Lessons From a Blue-Collar Millionaire

2010-03-18T18:57:00.000-07:00

doing it right - culture without a Petri dish

tweeter may be right

2010-03-18T07:55:00.000-07:00

I seem to fit Asperger's syndrome

publish or perish

2010-03-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

and use caution at all times

signs of the times

2010-03-15T17:14:00.000-07:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/11/the-13-funniest-help-want_n_493654.html?alacarte=1#slide_image

modern departure in style

2010-03-12T20:28:00.000-08:00

AUTO: yyyyy xxxxxxx/UK/IBM is out of the office FOREVER (returning 01/01/2015)

I am out of the office until 01/01/2015.

I have taken early retirement from IBM so you won't get a reply to your e-mail. xxxxxxx@googlemail.com is my private e-mail if it's a non IBM related e-mail please get in touch...

yyyyy signing off from IBM...
　
Note: This is an automated response to your message "zzzzzzzzz" sent on 5/3/10 18:03:48.

This is the only notification you will receive while this person is away.

obviously machines have a different view of forever than we do

Thank God for Warm Blankets

2010-03-12T20:18:00.000-08:00

When a doctor looks you straight in the eye and says,"You have cancer," time stops. In that instant you know that things will never again be the same. From then on there will be the "before" and the "now".

In my "now" there have been many changes, among them a heightened awareness of the little things I am thankful for on a daily basis. Today I am thankful for warm blankets!

This phase of my treatment is called "stem cell collection" and entails about four hours a day on a blood machine. It's totally painless, you just lie on a bed all plumbed up and watch tv, read, or nap. The machine pumps all of the blood in your body through it three times during the treatment, and in the process the blood going back in your body is cooler so you tend to get cold. Hence the wonderful, warm blankets they bring you.

You can have as many as you want, and they feel indescribably good.

I guess blankets must be some sort of natural comfort in life. My four-year-old grandson has a great blanket called his "Elmo" after the character printed on the fabric. Well, actually, he has several Elmos, because when we saw how attached he was to it, doting grandparents bought three or four of them and stashed them around so he would never be without one. Elmo is a fixture in the extended family, and I realize now how important our Elmos are.

The warm blankets at the hospital are certainly nice, but what is more important is the statement they made when offered the first time without my asking.

It said to me, "We understand what you're going through. We really do, and we want to do everything we can to make you as comfortable as possible."

Which led me to think about the other blankets I comfort myself with, and wrapped in which I feel secure: the love of family and friends, the encouragement of co-workers, the well-wishes that come by phone and internet each day, and the smiles of understanding from those you encounter at the hospital.

I will never again take for granted the phrases "I'm thinking about you" or "I'm praying for you." People really mean it when they say it. You can feel it when it's your time of need, the positive force field around you that helps you through the next step of the journey. An invisible cloak, which despite being unseen is far from unfelt and shelters you from the coldness life sometimes brings.

Thank God for warm blankets. Of every type. At every age. - Jim Berry [is fighting the good fight against the big C. 2010Mar13 3pm he goes 'out with the old' in getting rid of the remaining cancer cells and 'in with the new' (actually harvested stem cells) at 1pm Mar15.

more on names

2010-02-24T19:43:00.000-08:00

http://www.livescience.com/health/080708-baby-names.html

one family scores three names in current top ten

my grandchildren score two in current top ten

and my generation scores three in the 1950 list, one of those a double, plus one if you count ex's

previous post

no comment needed

2010-02-19T18:06:00.000-08:00

http://smilepanic.com/index.php/fun/34-crazy/404-three-is-a-crowd.html