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It seems Pope Francis needs to brush up on his Tertullian!

It has been reported (in The ChristLast Media, I must note) that the current Pope does not like the phrase "lead us not into temptation...

"Let no freedom be allowed to novelty, because it is not fitting that any addition should be made to antiquity. Let not the clear faith and belief of our forefathers be fouled by any muddy admixture." -- Pope Sixtus III

Friday, September 29, 2006

BUSH! LIMBAUGH! VAST YOU-KNOW-WHAT! GREMLINS! BIGFOOT! TINFOIL HATS!


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ABOVE: E. J. hunkers down for the last two years of Bush the Younger's regime.

From the fetid paranoid fantasyland located between the ears of the third most famous crackpot on the staff of Washington's other newspaper comes The Adventures of Gooberman: If Only He Had Killed Those Right Wing Bastards!



Why Bill Clinton Pushed Back
by E. J. Dionne Jr.

Bill Clinton's eruption on "Fox News Sunday" last weekend over questions about his administration's handling of terrorism was a long time coming and has political implications that go beyond this fall's elections.

By choosing to intervene in the terror debate in a way that no one could miss, Clinton forced an argument about the past that had up to now been largely a one-sided propaganda war waged by the right. The conservative movement understands the political value of controlling the interpretation of history. Now its control is finally being contested.

How long have Clinton's resentments been simmering? We remember the period immediately after Sept. 11 as a time when partisanship melted away. That is largely true, especially because Democrats rallied behind President Bush. For months after the attacks, Democrats did not raise questions about why they had happened on Bush's watch.

But not everyone was nonpartisan. On Oct. 4, 2001, a mere three weeks and a couple of days after the twin towers fell and the Pentagon was hit, there was Rush Limbaugh arguing on the Wall Street Journal's op-ed page: "If we're serious about avoiding past mistakes and improving national security, we can't duck some serious questions about Mr. Clinton's presidency."

To this day I remain astonished at Limbaugh's gall -- and at his shrewdness. Republicans were arguing simultaneously that it was treasonous finger-pointing to question what Bush did or failed to do to prevent the attacks, but patriotic to go after Clinton. Thus did they build up a mythology that cast Bush as the tough hero in confronting the terrorist threat and Clinton as the shirker. Bad history. Smart politics.

Moreover, when Democrats, notably former House minority leader Richard Gephardt, finally put their heads up in the late spring of 2002 to ask questions about that Aug. 6, 2001, memo warning of the possibility of terrorist attacks, the Republican pushback was furious.

Vice President Cheney, addressing his Democratic "friends" in Congress, said on May 16, 2002, that "they need to be very cautious not to seek political advantage by making incendiary suggestions, as were made by some today, that the White House had advance information that would have prevented the tragic attacks of 9/11. Such commentary is thoroughly irresponsible and totally unworthy of national leaders in a time of war."

Boy, that was defensive, wasn't it? Funny that Cheney didn't respond that way when Limbaugh made his incendiary attack on Clinton. Opportunistic and inconsistent? Sure, but again, smart politics.

This is just a fragment of a long history of evasion and blame-shifting by the administration and its supporters. And the polemical distortions of history came roaring back earlier this month in ABC's fictionalized account of the Sept. 11 events that butchered the Clinton record.

This history-as-attack-ad approach won praise from none other than Limbaugh, who described the film's screenwriter as a friend. Limbaugh was pleased that the film was "just devastating to the Clinton administration" and attacked its critics as "just a bunch of thin-skinned bullies." Pot-and-kettle metaphors don't begin to do justice to the hilarity of Limbaugh's saying such a thing.

And so Clinton exploded. My canvassing of Clinton insiders suggests two things about his outburst on "Fox News Sunday." First, he did not go into the studio knowing he would do it. There was, they say, a spontaneity to his anger. But, second, he had thought long and hard about comparisons between his record on terrorism and Bush's. He had his lines down pat from private musing about how he had been turned into a punching bag by the right. Something like this, one adviser said, was bound to happen eventually.

Sober, moderate opinion will say what sober, moderate opinion always says about an episode of this sort: Tut tut, Clinton looked unpresidential, we should worry about the future, not the past, blah, blah, blah.

But sober, moderate opinion was largely silent as the right wing slashed and distorted Clinton's record on terrorism. It largely stood by as the Bush administration tried to intimidate its own critics into silence. As a result, the day-to-day political conversation was tilted toward a distorted view of the past. All the sins of omission and commission were piled onto Clinton while Bush was cast as the nation's angelic avenger. And as conservatives understand, our view of the past greatly influences what we do in the present.

A genuinely sober and moderate view would recognize that it's time the scales of history were righted. Propagandistic accounts need to be challenged, systematically and consistently. The debate needed a very hard shove. Clinton delivered it.

Memo To E. J.: The world is round, loser.

DAY 37: PLUTO HELD HOSTAGE

The NCAA's Mascot Nazis strike again!

Lock Haven Express: IUP teams to be without nickname after ‘Indians’ nixed

Indiana University of Pennsylvania will be without a nickname for its sports teams for several months because the university’s board of trustees has decided to stop using ‘‘Indians,’’ a university spokeswoman said.

In case you hadn't noticed, we're also at war with the Slave China regime.

Daily Telegraph: Beijing secretly fires lasers to disable US satellites

China has secretly fired powerful laser weapons designed to disable American spy satellites by "blinding" their sensitive surveillance devices, it was reported yesterday.

The hitherto unreported attacks have been kept secret by the Bush administration for fear that it would damage attempts to co-opt China in diplomatic offensives against North Korea and Iran.

If any Democrass pussies want to impeach ol' CowardlyCuriousGeorge FlyingGlobalistBushMonkey for this, I'm with you all the way to the firing squad!

Sources told the military affairs publication Defense News that there had been a fierce internal battle within Washington over whether to make the attacks public. In the end, the Pentagon's annual assessment of the growing Chinese military build-up barely mentioned the threat.

"After a contentious debate, the White House directed the Pentagon to limit its concern to one line," Defense News said.

The document said that China could blind American satellites with a ground-based laser firing a beam of light to prevent spy photography as they pass over China.

According to senior American officials: "China not only has the capability, but has exercised it." American satellites like the giant Keyhole craft have come under attack "several times" in recent years.

Although the Chinese tests do not aim to destroy American satellites, the laser attacks could make them useless over Chinese territory.

The American military has been so alarmed by the Chinese activity that it has begun test attacks against its own satellites to determine the severity of the threat.

Satellites are especially vulnerable to attack because they have predetermined orbits, allowing an enemy to know where they will appear.

"The Chinese are very strategically minded and are extremely active in this arena. They really believe all the stuff written in the 1980s about the high frontier," said one senior former Pentagon official.

There has been increasing alarm in parts of the American military establishment over China's growing military ambitions.

Military experts have already noted that Chinese military expenditure is increasingly designed to challenge American military pre-eminence by investing in weaponry that can attack key systems such as aircraft carriers and satellites.

At the same time, China is engaged in a large-scale espionage effort against American high-tech firms working on projects such as the multibillion-pound DD(X) destroyer programme.

Several spy rings have been cracked and the FBI is increasing the number of counter-intelligence staff tracking the Chinese effort.

BIG BABYKILLING (Pennsylvania Division) Update.

Pennsylvania's left-fascist devotees of Big Babykilling are trying to outlaw informed conscience in the Commonwealth.

Harriburg Patriot-News: Contraceptive pill bill snags in state House

Rape victims will likely not win the right to obtain emergency contraception from Pennsylvania hospitals this year.

While opponents are close to a compromise in the state Senate, the Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies act has languished in the state House of Representatives.

No matter how hard you try to dress your fascism in new clothes and drench it in perfume, it is still the same old child murder, you ghouls.

Democrats in the House blame the GOP leadership, while Republicans say there's just not enough time to get it done before the end of the session on Nov. 30.

If nothing is passed, the legislation would have to be reintroduced next year.

Advocates of the bill say half of Pennsylvania's hospitals have policies for providing emergency contraception to rape victims.

That does not make it right, you murderers.

In July, a Lebanon County woman who was raped sought emergency treatment at Lebanon's Good Samaritan Hospital.

An emergency room doctor refused to prescribe the morning-after pill, saying it violated his Mennonite beliefs.

"Although the bill has not yet reached the governor's desk, the governor supports this kind of legislation," said Chuck Ardo, a spokesman for Gov. Ed Rendell.

Yet another reason to vote ol' Slow Eddie out of office in November! Lynn Swann won't use the law to coerce good Christians and other folks of good will (moderate mohammedans come to mind) to murder children.

Mike Manzo, chief of staff to House Minority Leader H. William DeWeese, D-Greene, said the GOP is standing in the way.

They damn well better!

"The Republicans who control the [state House] chamber have indicated pretty much zero interest in the issue," Manzo said.

Yippee!

Pennsylvania Catholic Bishops' position:

The Catholic Bishops of Pennsylvania issued this statement detailing their position on proposed legislation that would require hospitals to provide emergency contraception to rape victims:

"The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference (PCC) and the Pennsylvania Catholic Health Association (PCHA) have had concerns about the legislation and have candidly shared those concerns. They are working with leaders to refine it to respect a religious health care provider's right to treat patients in accordance with its moral and ethical teachings. A religious exemption in the bill would give religious health care providers the freedom to provide appropriate and compassionate care to victims of sexual assault without a government mandate which would burden religious freedom and conscience.

"Catholic hospitals are committed to treating persons who have been sexually assaulted with compassion, sensitivity and respect. Catholic teaching explains that a woman who has been raped should be able to defend herself from a potential conception and receive treatments to suppress ovulation and prevent fertilization.





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"This care will be provided; however, if medical tests suggest that conception may have occurred, a Catholic hospital in Pennsylvania will not dispense drugs to interfere with implantation of a newly conceived human embryo."

They call this analysis!

Doy. Double doy, even...

WE ARE AT WAR! I KNOW IT DOES NOT SEEM LIKE IT AT TIMES, BUT WE ARE AT WAR!

Washington's other newspaper: Many Rights in U.S. Legal System Absent in New Bill
By R. Jeffrey Smith

The military trials bill approved by Congress lends legislative support for the first time to broad rules for the detention, interrogation, prosecution and trials of terrorism suspects far different from those in the familiar American criminal justice system.

President Bush's argument that the government requires extraordinary power to respond to the unusual threat of terrorism helped him win final support for a system of military trials with highly truncated defendant's rights. The United States used similar trials on just four occasions: during the country's revolution, the Mexican-American War, the Civil War and World War II.

This legislation is perfectly reasonable for a country at war.

Terrorism does work, you know.

The Party of Blasphemy, Buggery, and 'Bortion is terrorized and paralyzed. Of course, it has been this way since JFK bugged out of the Bay of Pigs and left the brave Cuban freedom fighters to die.

The Washington Times: Bush scolds 'party of cut and run'

President Bush yesterday said Democrats have ditched the tradition of the great war-fighting presidents of the 20th century to become "the party of cut and run," and accused them of using leaked excerpts of a recent intelligence estimate to mislead voters before midterm elections.

In his most politically biting speech yet in this campaign, Mr. Bush slammed his political opponents for not having an Iraq policy, then warned against embracing the conclusions of some top members of their party who say Iraq is a distraction from the war on terror.

"Five years after 9/11, the worst attack on American homeland in our history, the Democrats offer nothing but criticism and obstruction, and endless second-guessing," Mr. Bush said while campaigning for Alabama Gov. Bob Riley in Birmingham. "The party of FDR and the party of Harry Truman has become the party of cut and run."

Mr. Bush also spoke at length about the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), leaked portions of which were published over the weekend, prompting the president on Tuesday to release a longer declassified version that painted a mixed picture of the war.

"Truth is, the Democrats are using the NIE to mislead the American people and justify their policy of withdrawal from Iraq," he said.

Fyodor's Pro Football Picks of the Week.

1) The guys who set the lines are professionals. Their job is to make each game look as attractive as possible to everyone. That way they even out the amount of money bet on each side.

Instant translation: The house wins no matter who wins. That's why people get into the gambling business.

2) I am just a fan. I won't even keep track of these picks week to week if it gets too embarrassing.

3) There is no such thing as "inside information". Especially in the pros.

4) If those idiot touts on tv and in the paper were any good, they wouldn't go public with their genius. They'd sit at Harrah's sports book from open to close and then go out and buy $2,000 an hour hookers who dress like high school girls.

5) Gambling is stupid. You cannot win.

That being said, here are my NFL picks for this week.


Sunday 10/1


Arizona (+7.5) at Atlanta
The Falcons bounce back and beat the spread at home.
FINAL: Falcons 32 Cardinals 10 - Fyodor wins!


Dallas (-9.5) at Tennessee
The Cowboys ignore the T.O. soap opera and pound the Titans. Pick Dallas. FINAL: Cowboys 45 Titans 14 - Fyodor wins! (Yep.)


Indianapolis (-9) at N.Y. Jets
I'm taking the Jets and the points! (Remember, I'm an idiot!)
FINAL: Colts 31 Jets 28 - Fyodor wins! (Heehee.)


Miami (-3.5) at Houston
The Texans will make the Dolphins look good. Pick Miami.
FINAL: Texans 17 Dolphins 15 - Fyodor loses! (Miami stinks!)


Minnesota (+1) at Buffalo
This should be a good game. I want the Bills to win, therefore they will.
FINAL: Bills 17 Vikings 12 - Fyodor wins! (Yippee!)


New Orleans (+7) at Carolina
I'm betting there is some residual magic left in New Orleans. Take the Saints and the points.
FINAL: Panthers 21 Saints 18 - Fyodor wins!


San Diego (-2.5) at Baltimore
I'm picking the road favorite because the Ravens got lucky last week. Let's see how good Rivers is.
FINAL: Ravens 16 Chargers 13 - Fyodor loses! (#*&!!#@##$%^&!!!!!*! Marty Ball!)


San Francisco (+7) at Kansas City
The Chiefs owe us a good game. Take Kansas City.
FINAL: Chiefs 41 49ers 0 - Fyodor wins!


Detroit (+5.5) at St. Louis
The Rams are inconsistent, but the Lions stink out loud. Pick the Rams.
FINAL: Rams 41 Lions 34 - Fyodor wins!


Cleveland (-2.5) at Oakland
This is the Who Cares? Game of the Week! Since the Browns showed some life last week, I'll pick them over the comatose Raiders.
FINAL: Browns 24 Oakland 21 - Fyodor wins!


Jacksonville (-3) at Washington
The Jaguars. Big time. Really big time.
FINAL: Redskins 36 Jaguars 30 - Fyodor loses! (Where did Washington get all those points?)


New England (+6) at Cincinnati
I know they are not the Patriots of yesteryear, but I'm getting 6 points!!! Pick the Patriots!
FINAL: Patriots 38 Bengals 13 - Fyodor wins! (HEEHEE!)


Seattle (+3.5) at Chicago
No Alexander means Chicago wins this one by 7. And the refs want the Seahawks to lose. Never forget that, kiddies.
FINAL: Bears 37 Seahawks 6 - Fyodor wins! (The refs steal another one from The Greatest Team Never To Win A Super Bowl.)


Monday 10/2


Green Bay (+11) at Philadelphia
Take the Eagles to cover the big number.
FINAL: Eagles 39 Packers 9 - Fyodor wins! (Thank goodness Favre retired and spared us the sight of him as a pathetic loser.)

Fyodor's College Football Picks of the Week.

1) The guys who set the lines are professionals. Their job is to make each game look as attractive as possible to everyone. That way they even out the amount of money bet on each side.

Instant translation: The house wins no matter who wins. That's why people get into the gambling business.

2) I am just a fan. I won't even keep track of these picks week to week if it gets too embarrassing.

3) There is no such thing as "inside information". Especially in the pros.

4) If those idiot touts on tv and in the paper were any good, they wouldn't go public with their genius. They'd sit at Harrah's sports book from open to close and then go out and buy $2,000 an hour hookers who dress like high school girls.

5) Gambling is stupid. You cannot win.

That being said, here are my college picks for this week.


Friday 9/29

Rutgers (-4) at South Florida
I'll roll the dice with Rutgers once again.
FINAL: Rutgers 22 South Florida 20 - Fyodor loses!


Saturday 9/30


Toledo (+16.5) at Pittsburgh
This number is too big for the Panthers erratic offense. Take the Rockets and the points.
FINAL: Pitt 45 Toledo 3 - Fyodor wins!



Tennessee (-13) at Memphis
Talk about erratic! Nonetheless, I'll take the Vols to cover on the road.
FINAL: Tennessee 41 Memphis 7 - Fyodor wins!


Mississippi State (+33.5) at Louisiana State
I am going with the Bulldogs because of the size of the spread only. LSU will win easily, but not that easily.
FINAL: LSU 48 MSU 17 - Fyodor wins!


Purdue (+14) at Notre Dame
I have no confidence in the Irish D. Pick Purdue and the points.
FINAL: Notre Dame 35 Purdue 21 - PUSH!



Oregon (+1) at Arizona State
These are two up and down teams. I'll go with the Sun Devils at home.
FINAL: Oregon 48 ASU 13 - Fyodor loses! (What?)


Alabama (+15.5) at Florida
The Gators will cover. (He said with little confidence.)
FINAL: Florida 28 Alabama 13 - Fyodor loses! (Stupid hook.)



Northwestern (+19.5) at Penn State
The Wildcats are truly awful. Pick Penn State.
FINAL: Penn State 33 Northwestern 7 - Fyodor wins!


Georgia Tech (+10) at Virginia Tech
The Hokies get their act together and cover easily at home.
FINAL: Georgia Tech 38 Virginia Tech 27 - Fyodor loses! (GT is now the official King of Revenge.)

Rice (+11) at Army
Army, again. No bets on grains, kiddies.
FINAL: Rice 48 Army 14 - Fyodor loses! (Rats!)



California (-9.5) at Oregon State
This is my Pick Of the Week! Take the Bears as the road favorite.
FINAL: California 41 Oregon State 13 - Fyodor wins!


Kansas (22.5) at Nebraska
Big bad Nebraska returned last week. Kansas is an even bigger cupcake. Pick the 'Huskers.
FINAL: Nebraska 39 Kansas 32 - Fyodor loses! (Nebraska decided to take the week off.)


Louisiana Tech (+33.5) at Clemson
Why not pick Clemson? No reason. The Tigers will cover the big number.
FINAL: Clemson 51 Louisiana Tech 0 - Fyodor wins!


USC (-17) at Washington State
I must go with the Trojans. Big time.
FINAL: USC 28 WSU 22 - Fyodor loses! (Ack!)


Michigan (-10) at Minnesota
Are the Wolverines ripe for an upset? Not this week. Take Michigan on the road.
FINAL: Michigan 28 Minnesota 14 - Fyodor wins!


Ohio State (-7) at Iowa
I'm picking the home dog and the points! Just try and stop me! Buckeyes win, but do not cover.
FINAL: OSU 38 Iowa 17 - Fyodor loses! (What was I thinking?)



Georgia (-18) at Mississippi
The Bulldogs will not cover this spread, kiddies. You can bet your lunch money on it. (But don't. Lunch is too important.)
FINAL: Georgia 14 Mississippi 9 - Fyodor loses!


Washington (+3.5) at Arizona
I'm hoping last week's Huskies' team doesn't show up. Pick Arizona.
FINAL: Washington 21 Arizona 10 - Fyodor loses! (What was I thinking?)


Stanford (+23.5) at UCLA
My Crummy College Game of the Week! I'll take Stanford and the points.
FINAL: UCLA 31 Stanford 0 - Fyodor loses! (Way to go, Walt Harris. Couldn't even score a lousy touchdown.)

















OC! It's Rachel Bilson! (The Last)

From the pages of The King Abdullah Gazette:


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Another message to all mohammedans (moderate and ignorantly non-moderate alike) from Pope Benedict XVI.

Actually, it is the same message. But that is his job, after all, to preach the Good News again and again so that all may hear it and believe.

Catholic News Service (via Catholic Online): Pope to Muslim leaders: Guide faithful from violence, to dialogue

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy – Pope Benedict XVI, in an anticipated meeting with Islamic ambassadors and representatives, expressed his deep respect for Muslims, pledged to continue dialogue, and said Islamic and Christian leaders should cooperate to curb violence.

"Faithful to the teachings of their own religious traditions, Christians and Muslims must learn to work together, as indeed they already do in many common undertakings, in order to guard against all forms of intolerance and to oppose all manifestations of violence," the pope said.

"As for us, religious authorities and political leaders, we must guide and encourage them in this direction," he said.

The unprecedented encounter at the pope's summer residence Sept. 25 was designed to soothe Muslim resentment over a recent papal speech that cited a historical criticism of Islam and the concept of holy war. The pope later distanced himself from the quoted material and said he was sorry Muslims had been offended.

Addressing the Islamic representatives at Castel Gandolfo, the pope alluded only briefly to the earlier speech. Instead, he focused on assuring Muslim communities that his papacy was not backtracking on the dialogue opened by the Second Vatican Council and developed in large part by his predecessor, Pope John Paul II.

The pope expressed his "esteem and profound respect" for Muslim believers and said he wanted to continue to build bridges, especially between Muslims and Christians. Productive dialogue, he said, will be based on mutual knowledge, which "with joy recognizes the religious values that we have in common and, with loyalty, respects the differences."
He said historical animosities should be left behind. The lessons of the past, he said, should help Christians and Muslims seek "paths of reconciliation" that lead to respect for individual identity and freedom.

In that regard, Pope Benedict cited Pope John Paul on the important issue of reciprocal respect for religious rights, quoting from a speech the late pope delivered to Muslims in Morocco: "Respect and dialogue require reciprocity in all spheres, especially in that which concerns basic freedoms, more particularly religious freedom."

The pope said that in the current world situation it was imperative that Christians and Muslims join to promote human dignity and the rights that flow from that dignity.

"When threats mount up against people and against peace, by recognizing the central character of the human person and by working with perseverance to see that human life is always respected, Christians and Muslims manifest their obedience to the Creator," he said.

The pope closed his talk by recalling that Muslims worldwide were about to begin the spiritual month of Ramadan, and he prayed that they be granted "serene and peaceful lives." When he finished, he was warmly applauded.

The meeting, arranged with unusual urgency by the Vatican, was a formal audience and not a closed-door exchange of opinions. In attendance were ambassadors from 22 predominantly Muslim countries and 19 other Islamic representatives based in Italy.

After words of welcome by the head of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, French Cardinal Paul Poupard, the pope delivered his talk in French; the Vatican immediately made available translations in Arabic, English and Italian. Afterward, the pope greeted those present individually, then posed for a photo and left the hall.

The papal talk was broadcast live on the Arab television network Al-Jazeera.

More from Catholic Online:

For Catholic pro-football players, faith more than a pre-game prayer

Rapping priest releases new CD, says the genre speaks to young

Top 10 Catholic parenting tips found in the 10 Commandments

At age 101, man still walks every day to Catholic church for Mass

This is the kind of little girl you want to chop up and throw in the trash. Silly rebels.

This is exactly the kind of story you deracinated CINOs and perturbed protestants really need. Behold the hand of God working among us and through us!

From the Catholic Herald (www.chnonline.org) and Catholic Online: Pope, Padre Pio credited for saving girl near death

MILWAUKEE, Wis. - Some 17 months ago, Pope John Paul II lay in a Roman hospital suffering septic shock and heart failure brought on by a urinary tract infection.

Half a world away, Sydney Claire Smith, 14 months, lay in Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin battling the identical illness. Her kidneys and liver shut down and her heart stopped twice for a total of 36 minutes, as the infection that began in her urinary tract ravaged her tiny body.

36 minutes? That is what the world calls dead, kiddies.

Her parents, Jillian and Shannon Smith, stood by helplessly as their once healthy infant was on the brink of death. As they prayed and kept vigil at their daughter’s side, the television news alternated coverage of the final hours of Terry Schiavo’s life after she was removed from a feeding tube and the pontiff whose body succumbed to the infection on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 2.

Shannon and Jillian wondered whether the television was offering glimpses of their daughter’s future. Doctors warned the young couple, members of Nativity of the Lord Parish, Cudahy, that the Sydney they knew was gone.

If she survived - and doctors couldn’t guarantee that - Sydney might not be able to sit up, feed herself or even be aware of her surroundings, recalled Jillian, 33, in an interview at the family’s south side home.

During their ordeal, the Smiths even sought counsel from their pastor, Father Phil Reifenberg, on what to do if Syndey faced a life connected to a feeding tube.

Sydney’s Angel Army forms

It was a decision they never had to make. That same girl, now 21⁄2, is a big Dora the Explorer fan who likes to playfully terrorize her 8-month-old sister, Zoe Kate, and squeals, “Daddy home,” as her ears perk up when she hears the car horn sound. She’s the Pledge Child for Briggs and Al’s Run & Walk to benefit Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.

Sydney’s Angel Army, comprised of the Smiths, Jillian’s parents, Janet and former Milwaukee County court commissioner, Tony Machi, and a host of family and friends, participated in the run through downtown Milwaukee.

Being involved in the event is a way of saying thanks for the Smiths who believe their daughter survived because of the persistence and skill of the medical team at Children’s Hospital, but also due to the thousands of prayers said by people around the country.

The Smiths feel an especially close bond to the late pontiff who lost his battle with the same type of infection.

Journey begins during Holy Week

Sydney’s saga began on Tuesday of Holy Week in 2005 when her concerned parents took her to Children’s Hospital after her fever, double ear infection and urinary tract infection weren’t improving.

At the hospital, her condition deteriorated rapidly. As doctors tried to determine the cause of the problems, the girl, whose only health concerns to that point were glaucoma, which was diagnosed at 8 months of age, and recurrent urinary tract infections, went into cardiogenic shock. Her heart stopped for 11 minutes, but doctors got it going. Later, it stopped for 25 minutes before the persistent medical team could bring it back.

A roomful of friends and relatives of the Smith family, including Sisters of St. Joan Antida Marie Louise Balistrieri and Betty Steiner, who ran Guardian Angel Day Care that Sydney attended, huddled in a nearby waiting room praying.

In a last-ditch effort to save the girl, doctors connected her to a heart-lung bypass machine, ECMO, (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation).

Initially, there was no improvement. Father Reifenberg was summoned and, using oils blessed in the Holy Land given to the Smiths by a family of another sick infant, conferred the sacrament of the anointing of the sick.

“At this point, we also became acquainted with Padre Pio,” recalled Jillian describing how a cousin gave her a biography of the 20th century Italian priest who bore the stigmata - the bleeding wounds of Christ - and who was canonized June 16, 2002. “He (and Pope John Paul II) became a sort of prayer focus for us.”

Pray for us, St. Pio of Pietrelcina. Pray for us, John Paul the Great.

More than coincidenceAt the end of the week, Sydney’s kidneys - which had been on dialysis - showed signs of working on their own.

The next day, Pope John Paul II died.

To the Smith family, it’s more than a coincidence.

“The pope died the next day. We have, in the months and year since, hypothesized on more than one occasion that maybe he did have a little something to do (with Sydney’s recovery),” said Jillian, a legal assistant at Mueller, Goss and Possi. “What killed him is what she had, a septic infection from a urinary tract infection. The timing of it is really a goose bump moment.”

Once Sydney began recovering, she progressed rapidly. In fact, the Smiths kept track of the “daily miracles” in a log book. It documents things like drinking from a cup, movement in her arms and legs and making sounds.

On April 8, Sydney’s grandmother, Janet Machi was the first to see perhaps the most exciting miracle for the family. As Machi recited a rhyme and tickled Sydney, Sydney smiled and responded for the first time.

About five weeks after her cardiac arrests, Sydney was able to go home.
While she could barely lift her head on her own, she could swallow. She had suffered a small stroke and massive brain damage because her brain was deprived of oxygen.

In the months that have followed - through extensive therapy three times a week - Sydney has learned to crawl and is starting to use a walker. She’s as bright as ever, noted her father, but her physical abilities are behind for a child her age.

She’s become a mini-celebrity in her parish, according to Jillian, and even was the inspiration for Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan’s Good Shepherd Sunday homily at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist last year.

The archbishop, after visiting Sydney at the hospital the day before Good Shepherd Sunday, described the little girl and how the people tending to her, including Jillian and Jillian’s cousin, Jeannine, shepherd each other on God’s behalf.

Father Reifenberg has also written about the Smiths in his parish bulletin.
“Now I don’t know how much of Sydney’s amazing comeback to attribute to the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, the use of oils blessed in the Holy Land, the persistence of the sisters from day care, the archbishop’s blessing, the power of family prayer, the indomitable love of her parents, or simply the grace of God in the guise of all these wonderful forms,” he wrote last year, describing her story as a “powerful testimony to the Easter mystery at work in our midst.”

With the help of Father Reifenberg, the Smiths raised more than $8,000 last year for Children’s Hospital - more than $2,000 of that from Nativity of the Lord parishioners - and hope to double their total this year.

Volunteering is way to say ‘thanks’

Thankful to have his daughter back, Shannon said the many charitable outreach efforts the family has made in the last year, including volunteer work at their parish, fund raising for Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House where his parents from North Carolina stayed at no cost last year, are a thank you for blessings they received. He and his brother-in-law, Paul Conigliaro, have produced a DVD that tells Sydney’s story. He is using it to raise funds for Children’s Hospital.

“Our actions are based on our faith … and maybe (Sydney’s) just a good excuse,” said Shannon, 36, a financial advisor for Morgan Stanley.

Raised a Baptist in North Carolina, Shannon joined the Catholic Church through the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) in 1999, shortly before he and Jillian were married at St. Robert Parish, Shorewood. The couple had met in Atlanta, moved to Texas and Phoenix before returning to Milwaukee, Jillian’s hometown, after Sept. 11.

Welcome home, Brother Smith.

Faith helped couple cope

While somewhat new to Catholicism, Shannon said he never experienced such crippling grief as he did when Sydney was ill.

“I had never struggled with that kind of grief and its spiritual implications. I’d been fortunate; my grandparents are all alive and I had never experienced death and its finality,” he said, noting his faith made the experience easier. “I credit my faith with my ability to cope with it as best as I could.”

Jillian, a lifelong Catholic, described her faith as “the crutch, shoulder to cry on - figuratively and literally - wailing wall, spiritual focus” through Syndey’s illness and recovery.

The Smiths know Sydney’s recovery is ongoing and that she’ll face more challenges. One way they are preparing her for them is by teaching their faith to their girls.

Hanging on Sydney’s bedroom wall is a cluster of holy cards they call “Sydney’s guys.” Pictured are Pope John Paul II, Padre Pio, Mother Teresa, St. Lucy, a guardian angel and a photo of Chase Carpenter, the son of the family who gave the Smiths the blessed oil. Chase died last November at age 8 months.

When looking to Sydney’s future, Shannon said he is reminded of a question one of his grandfathers asked the other, “Who are you to deny the boy hardship?”

AMEN to that, Brother! Who are we to judge whether a child's life will be worth living? Beware the Judge of all, kiddies. I do not know much, but I do know for a fact He does not tolerate babykillers in His Kingdom.

“I don’t have to deny Sydney hardship,” said Shannon. “She will have it. My job is to help her to find the strength to deal with it,” he said, adding his hope is to help her become anything she wants to be.

Bless and protect Sydney and her family, Lord. Give them the strength and peace that can only come from Thee.

And, on a more selfish note, Lord, please enable them to convert our hardended hearts.

When people empathize with Shannon, telling him how hard the family’s ordeal has been, he instead prefers not to look back.

“I have my daughter back; for all intents and purposes, I have my daughter back. I have her sitting in my lap when we go to church every Sunday and I just thank God, she’s there … and when Father Phil’s sermon goes on a little too long, she chimes in with an ‘amen.’

Jillian, too, refuses to dwell on what their daughter has lost through her illness. In an online journal last November, she wrote, “Leave it to Sydney to show us that the miracles are unending and that her recovery journey is nowhere near complete. As I pray to Padre Pio and Pope John Paul each night when I ask for their continued intercession on her behalf, we rest confident in the knowledge that Sydney will be fully restored and be a shining example of God’s miraculous healing power here on Earth.”

That's enough to make a grown cynic ball like a baby...

Senator Brain Damage can't get Judaism right, so I am not surprised when he slanders my religion for political purposes.

Catholic News Service (via Catholic Online): 13th-century pope and stem cells? U.S. senator misidentifies pontiff, ban during debate

WASHINGTON – What does a pope elected at the end of the 13th century have to do with the U.S. Senate debate about embryonic stem-cell research?

Pope Boniface VIII, best known for his efforts to exercise temporal power over the French monarchy, was cited – albeit misidentified – by Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., from the Senate floor July 18 to represent religious leaders who had slowed scientific progress over the centuries.

"Pope Boniface VII (sic) banned the practice of cadaver dissection in the 1200s," Specter said. "This stopped the practice for over 300 years and greatly slowed the accumulation of education regarding human anatomy."

Boniface VII, an antipope who held the papacy during three separate periods in the late 900s, is clearly not the pope to whom Specter was referring. Boniface VIII served from 1294 to 1303.

But neither of the Bonifaces, nor any other pope, was responsible for the type of ban cited by Specter, most historical sources agree.

The New Catholic Encyclopedia entry on Pope Boniface VIII makes no mention of any papal document related to dissection, but other sources cite the possible cause for confusion in "De Sepulturis," a papal bull issued in 1300.

"Persons cutting up the bodies of the dead, barbarously cooking them in order that the bones being separated from the flesh may be carried for burial into their own countries, are by the very fact excommunicated," says one translation of the document.

"The only possible explanation of the misunderstanding that the bull forbade dissection is that someone read only the first part of the title and considered that... one of the methods of preparing bodies for study in anatomy was by boiling them in order to be able to remove the flesh from them easily, (and) that this decree forbade such practices thereafter," the Catholic Encyclopedia said.

In his 1845 textbook The History of Medicine, German author Heinrich Haesar said dissection of cadavers continued without hindrance during the Middle Ages in European universities, run under the direction of church leaders.

The Catholic Encyclopedia, in its entry on anatomy, says that Guy de Chauliac, considered the father of modern surgery, encouraged the use of dissection in anatomical studies in the 14th century and insisted "on the necessity for the dissection of human bodies if any definite progress in surgery is to be made."

Since de Chauliac was the personal surgeon to three popes and encouraged dissection while a member of the papal household, "this fact alone would seem to decide definitely that there was no papal regulation, real or supposed, forbidding the practice of human dissection at this time," the encyclopedia says.

In his Senate speech, Specter said one of the victims of the papal ban was Spaniard Michael Servetus, who "used cadaver dissection to study blood circulation" in the 1500s and was "tried and imprisoned by the Catholic Church."

While it is true that Servetus is credited as the first to accurately describe the circulation of blood through the lungs and reportedly used cadavers in his science, that does not seem to have played any role in his 1553 arrest, trial and execution.

The Servetus International Society, founded to promote and preserve Servetus' legacy as an "intellectual giant, model of integrity and standard-bearer in the struggle for freedom of conscience," says the Spaniard ran into trouble with Catholic officials not for his medicine but for his theological questioning of the Trinity, infant baptism and original sin.

Servetus also challenged the teachings of French Protestant reformer John Calvin, whose followers controlled the secular government of Switzerland at the time. Arrested at a church service in Geneva, Servetus was convicted of heresy and sentenced to death.

See, Arlen? Protestants bad. Catholics good. (Sorry, but that is the only way he can understand it.)

Calvin reportedly asked that Servetus receive the "merciful" punishment of beheading, but he was instead burned at the stake, along with his books.

"Calvin himself never expressed the slightest regret for it; but Catholics did not forget, and for generations afterward whenever Protestants complained of Catholic treatment of Protestant heretics, they retorted by pointing to Calvin's treatment of Servetus," the society said in its biography of Servetus.

The Catholic Inquisition in France later joined in the condemnation of Servetus by burning him in effigy.

Advice so good, it is bound to be ignored by those who need it most.

The Vatican tries to teach American Catholic "education professionals" how to be Catholic.

Good luck with that.

Catholic News Service (via Catholic Online): U.S. Catholic colleges need to focus on faith’s identity, Vatican official says

BRIGHTON, Mass. (CNS) – One of the greatest contributions Catholic institutions of higher learning can offer society is their "uncompromising Catholicity," the secretary of the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education told an audience that included presidents and faculty members from several Boston-area Catholic colleges.

Archbishop J. Michael Miller stressed the importance the Vatican places on America's Catholic colleges and universities in an address Sept. 11 at Jesuit-run Boston College in Brighton.

"Not unaware of this country's superpower status and despite the fact that only 6 percent of the world's Catholics are American, the Holy See recognizes the unique role of the United States in the globalized world of higher education," he said.

"The health of the American institutions matters a great deal to the Vatican," he said.

The address was sponsored by Boston College's Church in the 21st Century Center. The center describes itself as "a resource for the renewal of the Catholic Church in the United States, engaging in critical issues facing the Catholic community and advancing contemporary reflection on the Catholic intellectual tradition."

Archbishop Miller focused on the need for U.S. Catholic universities to embrace their Catholic identity and to foster an integral humanism, counterbalancing those institutions that he said fragment knowledge and leave out any reference to the faith.

He challenged Catholic colleges and universities to be the leaven of academic renewal in this country.

He stressed that history shows the importance of religion and faith in the formation of culture, and criticized any view that would ignore or deny the relationship between faith and culture, calling that an "error of perspective."

Catholic colleges and universities must ensure the role of faith is addressed in academia and "in society at large," he said.

The archbishop devoted about half of his presentation to the need for these Catholic institutions to stress their Catholic identity, saying it must be an integral part of their mission.

According to the archbishop, the Vatican began to realize the importance of emphasizing this Catholic identity after 1968, when Pope Paul VI's encyclical, "Humanae Vitae" ("Of Human Life") on married love and procreation, met with widespread opposition among many Catholics in academia over its reaffirmation of church teaching prohibiting artificial contraception.

Quoting extensively from documents and speeches by Pope John Paul II as well as Pope Benedict XVI, the archbishop said the greatest challenge facing Catholic higher education in the United States is strengthening its Catholic identity and ensuring that identity plays an important role in all aspects of a school, including decision-making.

The Catholic witness must be institutional, he added.

Quoting from a recent speech by Pope Benedict, Archbishop Miller said that "a Catholic identity is in no way reductive but rather exalts the university."

The archbishop also urged Catholic colleges and universities to be like good Samaritans, becoming "academic Samaritans" who share resources with their counterparts in the developing world in need of such assistance.
Archbishop Miller reminded his audience gathered at a Jesuit institution of the purpose of Catholic education as understood by the Jesuits' founder, St. Ignatius: Catholic education aims to "help make God our creator and lord better known and served."

"It is only by the fidelity to the Ignatius vision that Boston College will be able to save its place among the best Catholic universities in America and in the world," Archbishop Miller said.

A couple of days later in Omaha, Neb., at Creighton University, which is also run by the Jesuits, Archbishop Miller focused on the importance of the Jesuit role in higher education. There are more than 177 Jesuit institutions in the world; 28 of them are in the United States.

"It is hard, perhaps impossible, to imagine a flourishing church in America without this network of higher education institutions for which the Society of Jesus is responsible," Archbishop Miller said Sept. 13. "Catholics around the globe owe the society an enormous debt of gratitude."

He called on Jesuit colleges and universities to embrace the original Ignatian spirit and remember their Catholicity.

"The church wants, indeed, it needs you to be distinctively Jesuit," he said. "Institutions born from the heart of the church, like Jesuit institutions, must continue to be attentive to their specific Catholic identity."

Archbishop Miller also talked about the importance of a good working relationship between universities and the local church.

"The local bishop is not an external agent, but he is a participant of the university's life," he said. "It is the bishop's responsibility to remain vigilant while respecting the university's autonomy as an institution with its own statutes."

He also said that "every Catholic university ought to reflect and to teach justice. A passion for justice should be enshrined at the heart of what every university values most – curriculum."

SEX IS DEATH. (Duane indulges himself then goes out in a blaze of cowardice)

I came to Carthage, where I found myself in the midst of a hissing cauldron of lusts. I had not yet fallen in love, but I was in love with the idea of it, and this feeling that something was missing made me despise myself for not being more anxious to satisfy the need. I began to look around for some object for my love, since I badly wanted to love something. —St. Augustine, Confessions


AFP: Gunman in Colorado siege sexually assaulted hostages: police

The gunman at the centre of a Colorado school siege sexually assaulted his hostages before fatally wounding one of the captives and killing himself, police said.

The gunman, 54-year-old Duane Morrison, took six female hostages at Platte Canyon High School in Bailey, around 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Denver, after entering the building around lunchtime on Wednesday.

Four hostages were released before the bloody end to the siege, which took place after police SWAT teams decided to storm the second-floor classroom where Morrison was barricaded inside.

Park County Sheriff Fred Wegener said police were still looking at possible motives but revealed that Morrison, described as a loner who had been living out of his car, had sexually assaulted an unspecified number of his captives.

"We have confirmed that he did traumatize and assault our children," Wegener told reporters. "The assaults were sexual," he added.

Local media reported that a backpack in which Morrison had claimed to have been holding a bomb contained various sex toys.

Memo To The Media Whores: Not exactly another Columbine, was it? Nice try.

Wegener, who had been close to tears while speaking to reporters on Wednesday, said that he had taken the decision to storm the school after learning that hostages were being assaulted from captives who had been freed.

"This is why I made the decision I did," he said.

Morrison, armed with a semi-automatic pistol and a revolver, fired at police before shooting his victim and turning his gun on himself, Wegener said.

"The sequence was awful fast," he said. "As they burst through the door he fired at the SWAT team, shot the female hostage and then shot himself."

The schoolgirl, identified by police as 16-year-old Emily Keyes, was airlifted to St Anthony Central Hospital in Denver but died of her injuries late Wednesday.

Wegener said Morrison had a "very minor" criminal history but did not say if he had any previous convictions for sexual offences.


A local paper delves into Mr. Morrison's public life:

Rocky Mountain News: Shooter was living out of Jeep

Guns and mountains. In the end, Duane Roger Morrison would combine both his passions - with horrific results...

What about his passion for little girls? It seemed to be quite important to ol' Duane. It is the one that got Miss Keyes killed.

Morrison's four hours of sudden and seemingly random violence (Emphasis mine.) ended his life, which had been devoid of a significant criminal history, although he was accused two years ago of threatening to settle a score with an assault rifle.

You can bet your mortgage this killer will be described as a "loner" and a "survivalist" and a "gun nut". But remember, kiddies, his backpack bomb was filled with dildoes.

"I was very shocked and surprised" to learn of Morrison's rampage, former neighbor Keith Hoagland said Thursday.

"He was kind of a quiet guy, and he pretty much kept to himself."

That is how a pervert is, until he finds a victim. Then he becomes a "people person".
Hoagland was Morrison's neighbor for about five years in a southeast Denver apartment complex in the 1300 block of South Birch Street.

Hoagland also used phrases such as "a little strange," "a little bit difficult," and "not overly friendly" to describe his former neighbor.

Morrison spent all the free time that he could in the mountains, camping and firing his guns, Hoagland said...

Here is one more interesting tidbit concerning Duane Roger Morrison: He made money off one of the primary American SEX IS DEATH party days, Halloween.

You remember Halloween, don't you? The "one" night when you can be anyone or anything you want to be. The "one" night you can discard your inhibitions and indulge your fantasies while hiding behind a King Goober II mask...

Of course, for good Catholics it is All Hallows Eve, the night before All Saints Day.

Morrison was interviewed briefly by the Rocky Mountain News in October 2004 for a story concerning commercial haunted houses.

In a story that appeared Oct. 22, Morrison spoke about the difficulties of entering the spooking business.

"You should plan not to make any profit for the first three or four years," he said.

He identified himself at that time as co-owner of Commerce City-based Primitive Fear and the Realm of Terror, consistently rated as two of the metro area's scariest commercial haunts.

There also is mention of Morrison in another article about haunted houses that appeared in October-November 2000 of online publication Go-Go Magazine.

That story identified Duane Morrison as one of the designers of haunted houses for Primitive Fear, and quoted him as saying, "We encourage the actors to take the initiative to come up with skits on their own, decide what would be scariest for the room they're in."

Morrison also said, "We don't want people to walk through it in a straight line or an S-shape. We lay it out so it's confusing. We try to cross it up, go back and forth and crisscross."

Morrison's involvement in haunted houses came as news to some in the commercial spook world.

Chris Reinke, who, along with his brother Greg, owns Haunted Mansion, said, "The guy you mentioned? He's never been to any of the meetings that I know of. I've never met the man."

But a 1999 biennial report for Primitive Fear Inc. filed with the Colorado secretary of state lists Morrison as a corporate officer, along with Dale Ervin Sr. and Dale Ervin Jr.

I wonder how many pretty little girls like Emily Keyes had some innocent fun at Morrison's house of horror...

Part 1: SEX IS DEATH. (Stories for boys) is here.
Part 2: SEX IS DEATH. (Distaff death) is here.
Part 3: SEX IS DEATH. (Joyously dispensing death) is here.
Part 4: SEX IS DEATH. (Sex is depression) is here.
Part 5: SEX IS DEATH. (When self-pleasuring becomes self-destruction) is here.
Part 6: SEX IS DEATH. (Sex is theft) is
here.
Part 7: SEX IS DEATH. (A review of Bareback Mountain) is
here.
Part 8: SEX IS DEATH. (What is the ultimate penalty?) is
here.
Part 9: SEX IS DEATH. (Haven from reality) is
here.
Part 10: SEX IS DEATH. (Sin-redemption-reasons-reason) is
here.
Part 11: SEX IS DEATH. (Mommy loves you) is
here.
Part 12: SEX IS DEATH. (George Gilder offers a clue) is
here.
Part 13: SEX IS DEATH. (Post-killem depression) is
here.
Part 14: SEX IS DEATH. (Whither womanhood) is
here.
Part 15: SEX IS DEATH. (Saving psychology 1) is
here.
Part 16: SEX IS DEATH. (Saving psychology 2) is
here.
Part 17: SEX IS DEATH. (Fear of the boomers) is
here.
Part 18: SEX IS DEATH. (The battle continues apace) is
here.
Part 19: SEX IS DEATH. (Hot for teacher) is
here.
Part 20: SEX IS DEATH. (Kids do the darndest things) is
here.
Part 21: SEX IS DEATH. (Defects) is
here.
Part 22: SEX IS DEATH. (Privates' privacy) is
here.
Part 23: SEX IS DEATH. (National Condom Week) is
here.
Part 24: SEX IS DEATH. (Wegenics) is
here.
Part 25: SEX IS DEATH. (White wedding) is
here.
Part 26: SEX IS DEATH. (Literally) is
here.
Part 27: SEX IS DEATH. (Can't get me no satisfaction) is
here.
Part 28: SEX IS DEATH. (Wrestle with mania) is
here.
Part 29: SEX IS DEATH. (Press one for death/Presione uno para la muerte) is
here.
Part 30: SEX IS DEATH. (Raunch culture) is
here.
Part 31: SEX IS DEATH. (Gimme some of that sweet zombie lovin') is
here.
Part 32: SEX IS DEATH. (The devil made me eat my baby) is
here.
Part 33: SEX IS DEATH. (Mind control = womb control) is
here.
Part 34: SEX IS DEATH. (The expense of playing with yourself) is
here.
Part 35: SEX IS DEATH. (You can't always get what you want) is
here.
Part 36: SEX IS DEATH. (Whom does a master serve?) is
here.
Part 37: SEX IS DEATH. (Shootin' 5 for 8) is
here.

Part 38: SEX IS DEATH. (Being a never-wed mom of four and an illegal alien is no picnic either) is here.

Iva Toguri D'Aquino, Requiescat in pace.

This poor woman was convicted of treason on flimsy evidence and yet those traitorous clowns at The Old Gray Whore get fat and rich from their perfidy.

Of course, Mrs. D'Aquino now knows perfect Justice...

Iva Toguri D'Aquino, who was convicted and later pardoned of being World War II propagandist "Tokyo Rose," died Tuesday of natural causes, said her nephew, William Toguri. She was 90.

Tokyo Rose was the name given by soldiers to a female radio broadcaster responsible for anti-American transmissions intended to demoralize soldiers fighting in the Pacific theater. D'Aquino was the only U.S. citizen identified among the potential suspects.

In 1949, she became the seventh person to be convicted of treason in American history and served six years in prison. But doubts about her possible role as Tokyo Rose later surfaced and she was pardoned by President Gerald Ford in 1977.

D'Aquino was born in Los Angeles on July 4, 1916, to Japanese immigrant parents. She began to use the first name Iva during her school years.

D'Aquino had recently graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, and was visiting relatives in Japan when she became trapped in the country at the beginning of World War II, according to a statement Tuesday from a Toguri family spokeswoman, Barbara Trembley.

D'Aquino began working odd jobs to support herself while trying to find a way out of the country. That led to her work on a Japanese propaganda radio show manned by Allied prisoners called "Zero Hour," the statement said.

Using the name "Orphan Ann," D'Aquino performed comedy skits and introduced newscasts.

On April 19, 1945, D'Aquino married a Portuguese citizen of Japanese-Portuguese ancestry.

The FBI and the Army conducted an extensive investigation to determine whether D'Aquino had committed crimes against the United States Authorities decided that the evidence then known did not merit prosecution, and she was released.

A subsequent public furor convinced the Justice Department that the matter should be re-examined and D'Aquino was arrested in Yokohama in 1945 and tried.

D'Aquino spent the years following her release from prison living a quiet life on Chicago's North Side. Ron Yates, dean of the College of Communications at the University of Illinois, is credited with helping win the pardon. As a reporter at the Chicago Tribune, Yates found D'Aquino's accusers who said they were pressured by prosecutors to lie. (Thanks to CBS News for this obituary.)

The Two Worst Catholic Priests of the Day.

If these allegations are true, these men better partake of the Sacrament of Penance immediately to avoid that particularly nasty portion of Hell reserved for priests who abuse their position.

Contra Costa Times: Police: 2 priests stole millions from their Palm Beach parish; 1 arrested, other sought

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. - Two Roman Catholic priests stole millions in offerings and gifts made to their parish over several years, authorities said Thursday.

Monsignor John Skehan, who was pastor at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church for four decades, was arrested Wednesday night on charges that he stole $8.6 million from the church, using the money to buy property and other assets, investigators said.

This is an excellent reason why all priests should be rotated from parish to parish every few years.

The 79-year-old priest was arrested at Palm Beach International Airport as he returned from Ireland and was being held on $400,000 bond on grand theft charges.

The Rev. Francis Guinan, who succeeded Skehan three years ago, has disappeared and was being sought, authorities said. He is alleged to have stolen an unspecified amount of money to take gambling trips to Las Vegas and the Bahamas.

Guinan had an "intimate relationship" with a former bookkeeper at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, where he'd previously worked, according to a police report. Denis Hamel, the chief financial officer for the Diocese of Palm Beach, told police Guinan had paid the woman's American Express bills and her child's school tuition with funds from St. Vincent's that were not recorded on the church books.

All sins are related, kiddies. One kind of sin leads to others, and makes their commission easier.

"Millions of dollars that should have gone to helping the homeless folks or the school itself" didn't, said Amos Rojas Jr., a special agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

An anonymous tip in June 2005 led police and the church to launch the investigation.

An audit of church books detected the theft and the investigation continues to find possible misappropriation, said Preston Mighdoll, assistant state attorney in Palm Beach County.

Investigators say Skehan created several "slush" accounts, and instructed church workers to funneled there to hide it from the Palm Beach Diocese. The thefts began in 2001, police said.

Skehan is charged with grand theft of $100,000 or more between September 2001 and January 2006, while Guinan faces the same charge for activity from September 2003 to April 2005.

Specifics about where most of the $8.6 million went or precisely how it was taken were not included in court records.

Skehan's attorney, Ken Johnson, said he thought the multimillion dollar figure was "over sensationalized."

"My reading of the probable cause affidavit indicates that the amount of money he's actually accused of misappropriating amounts to about $325,000, which is a far cry from $8.6 million," Johnson said.

Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito of the Diocese of Palm Beach said the two priests were placed on administrative leave and will not have permission "to exercise publicly their priestly ministry" until the criminal matter is resolved.

Parishioners reacted with surprise to the news Thursday. Joan Kopins was among a small group of parishioners leaving afternoon Mass at St. Vincent Ferrer Church, which she has attended for more than 20 years. She wiped away tears as she got into her car.

"You can't judge because you haven't walked in their shoes," Kopins said.

What in the world happened, Father?

Sun-Sentinel: Parish blossomed under Skehan's 40-year tenure

St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church started small a half-century ago in Delray Beach. Retired Monsignor John Skehan and a few Irish nuns used to sell homemade soda bread and Irish newspapers to raise money to run the church and its school in the 1960s.

Saint of the Day and daily Mass readings.

Today is the Feast of St. Raphael, St. Gabriel, and St. Michael, the Archangels. Pray for us, all you angels and saints.

Today's reading for the Feast of the Archangels is
Daniel 7: 9-10, 13-14.
Today's Responsorial Psalm is
Psalms 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5.
Today's Gospel reading is
John 1:47-51.


Everyday links:

The Blessed Virgin Mary
The Rosary
Our Mother of Perpetual Help
Prayers from EWTN
National Coalition of Clergy and Laity (dedicated to action for a genuine Catholic Restoration)
The Catholic Calendar Page for Today
ZENIT - The World Seen From Rome


Just in case you are wondering what exactly Catholics believe, here is

The Apostles Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.


Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that any one who fled to thy protection, implored thy help or sought thy intercession,was left unaided.Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins my Mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful; O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy clemency hear and answer me. Amen.


St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse, pray for us.


Anima Christi

Soul of Christ, sanctify me; Body of Christ, save me; Blood of Christ, inebriate me; Water from Christ's side, wash me; Passion of Christ, strengthen me; O good Jesus, hear me; Within Thy wounds hide me; Suffer me not to be separated from Thee; From the malicious enemy defend me; In the hour of my death call me; And bid me come unto Thee; That I may praise Thee with Thy saints and with Thy angels Forever and ever. Amen.


Prayer to St. Anthony, Martyr of Desire

Dear St. Anthony, you became a Franciscan with the hope of shedding your blood for Christ. In God's plan for you, your thirst for martyrdom was never to be satisfied. St. Anthony, Martyr of Desire, pray that I may become less afraid to stand up and be counted as a follower of the Lord Jesus. Intercede also for my other intentions. (Name them.)


Prayer To Saint Michael The Archangel

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil; may God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the divine power, thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.


Prayer to End Abortion

Lord God, I thank You today for the gift of my life, and for the lives of all my brothers and sisters. I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion, yet I rejoice that you have conquered death by the resurrection of Your Son. I am ready to do my part to end abortion. Today I commit myself never to be silent, never to be passive, and never to be forgetful of the unborn. I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement, and never stop defending life until all my brothers and sisters are protected and our nation once again becomes a nation with liberty and justice, not just for some, but for all. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.


Prayer For Vocations

Send forth your Spirit, Lord, into the hearts of your faithful people, that we may be conscious of our vocation to holiness and sevice to others. Grant that many of us may dedicate ourselves to You through the priesthood and the religious life.We pray especially for the needs of our own parish and diocese. Grant that we may always have sufficient good and holy priests, and dedicated Sisters to serve our commumities.We pray, too, for religious orders; that generous men may join them to become zealous missionaries in preaching the Gospel in word and action, especially to the poor and abandoned.We make this prayer through Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Redeemer. Amen.


Prayer Before The Crucifix

Behold, O kind and gentle Jesus, I kneel before Thee and pray that Thou would impress upon my heart the virtues of faith, hope, and charity, with true repentance for my sins and a firm purpose of amendment. At the same time, with sorrow I meditate on Thy five precious wounds, having in mind the words which David spoke in prophecy: "They have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones."

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First of all, the word is SEX, not GENDER. If you are ever tempted to use the word GENDER, don't. The word is SEX! SEX! SEX! SEX! For example: "My sex is male." is correct. "My gender is male." means nothing. Look it up. What kind of sick neo-Puritan nonsense is this? Idiot left-fascists, get your blood-soaked paws off the English language. Hence I am choosing "male" under protest.

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