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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, January 12, 2007

Fyodor's Pro Football Playoff 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.



Saturday 1/13


Indianapolis (+3.5) at Baltimore
Everybody is picking the Ravens, so I'll take the Colts and the points.
FINAL: Colts 15 Ravens 6 - Fyodor wins! (Heehee!)


Philadelphia (+5) at New Orleans
The Eagles run ends here. (They will miss Lito mightily.) But they will keep it close. Take Philly and the points.
FINAL: Saints 27 Eagles 24 - Fyodor wins! (Eagle fans don't know it, but their team had one heck of a late run. It wasn't Coach Reid's fault alone. The Birds just ran out of gas and luck. The good news? Comcast Sports Philly viewers won't have to see and hear the arch-moron Slow Eddie Rendell pretend he knows something about football every week.)


Sunday 1/14


Seattle (+8.5) at Chicago
There is no way I would bet a Rex Grossman-led team covers an 8.5 point spread in a playoff game, even if it is in Chicago. Take the Seahawks and the points.
FINAL: Bears 27 Seahawks 24 - Fyodor wins! (The Bears must play much better to keep up with the Saints next week...Oh, yeah...Thanks to the refs, the Seahawks are now The Best Team To Lose To Rex Grossman Twice In One Season.)


New England (+5) at San Diego
I can't go against the Patriots here, even though I think LT will dominate the game. Pick the Pats and the points.
FINAL: Patriots 24 Chargers 21 - Fyodor wins! (The Chargers self-destructed, and it wasn't just Marty's fault, kiddies. Colts fans may regret wishing so hard for another home playoff game - San Diego looked much more vulnerable than New England. Next week's key matchup? Dwight Freeney versus Tom Brady.)

The Pelosi/Reid Era of Sunshine and Gumdrops continues apace.


When they kick at your front door
How you gonna come?
With your hands on your head
Or on the trigger of your gun?
When the law break in
How you gonna go?
Shot down on the pavement
Or waiting on death row?
(From
The Guns of Brixton by The Clash)


Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
ABOVE: Senatrix Stumblebum desperately tries to keep that ol' devil Reality from intruding upon her brain, which is still in its original packaging. Sadly for her, this does not make it more valuable.


New York Post Editorial: BOXER'S LOW BLOW
Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, an appalling scold from California, wasted no time yesterday in dragging the debate over Iraq about as low as it can go - attacking Secre tary of State Condoleezza Rice for being a childless woman.

Feminist, my eye. Where is the outrage from the professionally nulliparous? Are the left-fascist hags now saying it is wrong to be an unmarried and childless woman? Are such women to be barred from participation in politics? Will they be forbidden to have opinions on the pressing issues of the day?

Boxer was wholly in character for her party - New York's own two Democratic senators, Chuck Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton, were predictably opportunistic - but the Golden State lawmaker earned special attention for the tasteless jibes she aimed at Rice.

Rice appeared before the Senate in defense of President Bush's tactical change in Iraq, and quickly encountered Boxer.

"Who pays the price? I'm not going to pay a personal price," Boxer said. "My kids are too old, and my grandchild is too young."

Then, to Rice: "You're not going to pay a particular price, as I understand it, with an immediate family."

We are all going to pay a horrendous price, Babs, when the goat rapists realize you and the other cowards in your party are practically inviting them to murder more of your countrymen, you ignorant bitch.

If there is anything like karma in the universe, the first bus or Starbucks they blow up will be in your neighborhood, Senatrix.

Breathtaking.

This is nothing, kiddies. It is only the beginning. We have at least two more years of The Party of Blasphemy, Buggery, and 'Bortion wielding power in Washington and running roughshod over the rights of decent folks.

How could this happen in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave? Simple. Somebody out there (and you know who you are, you morons!) voted for these ghouls.

Simply breathtaking.

We scarcely know where to begin.

The junior senator from California apparently believes that an accomplished, seasoned diplomat, a renowned scholar and an adviser to two presidents like Condoleezza Rice is not fully qualified to make policy at the highest levels of the American government because she is a single, childless woman.

Let's not forget about the racial aspect of this, kiddies. How can a rich, fat, lily-white totalitarian cow like Senatrix Stumblebum dare to treat a black intellectual who grew up in the segregated south like she's an ignorant household servant?

It's hard to imagine the firestorm that similar comments would have ignited, coming from a Republican to a Democrat, or from a man to a woman, in the United States Senate. (Surely the Associated Press would have put the observation a bit higher than the 18th paragraph of a routine dispatch from Washington.)
But put that aside.

The vapidity - the sheer mindlessness - of Sen. Boxer's assertion makes it clear that the next two years are going to be a time of bitterness and rancor, marked by pettiness of spirit and political self-indulgence of a sort not seen in America for a very long time.

In contrast to Boxer, Sen. Clinton seemed almost statesmanlike - until one considers that she was undercutting the president of the United States in time of war: "The president simply has not gotten the message sent loudly and clearly by the American people, that we desperately need a new course."

Schumer, meanwhile, dismissed the president's speech as "a new surge without a new strategy."

Frankly, we're not surprised by Hillary Clinton's rush to judgment. With both eyes firmly set on 2008, her Iraq position flits like a tumbleweed in the political wind. Who knows where she'll wind up?

Heck, she admitted as much by citing November's midterm elections to justify her newfound opposition to the war. (And who needs a commander-in-chief who tailors war-fighting strategy to public opinion?)

Clinton would do well to consider the words of GOP Sen. John McCain, another White House hopeful, who frankly admits that his strong support for a troop surge in Iraq has cost him votes.
(Some Democrats, in fact, already are calling this "McCain's surge.")

Said McCain: "I'd rather lose a campaign than lose a war."

As for Schumer, we're profoundly disappointed by his remarks.

While he's always been a fiercely partisan Democrat (nothing to be ash amed of), time was when Schumer seemed to understand the existential threat posed by Islamic extremism.

Now he's been elevated to a top position in his party's Senate leadership - and he has bigger fish to fry.

Like electing Democrats.

And so, like Boxer, he cheers on Barack Obama, Chris Dodd, Joe Biden and John Edwards - with Clinton, presidential aspirants - as they trash Bush's plan.

To the extent that such behavior encourages America's enemies - and of course it does - he, like they, stands to have innocent blood on his hands.

Yes, the party's bloggers will be happy.

So will al Qaeda.

True enough, Democrats don't hold a monopoly on appalling behavior.

Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, a Republican presidential candidate and favorite of some conservatives, has joined with Democrats in opposition to the troop surge - and he's not alone.

The president deserves better.

Indeed, the least these critics can do is suggest an alternative that leads to success in Iraq rather than simply criticize.

Or suggest that America simply wave the white flag.

As Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) said: "Now that the president has outlined a change in strategy, we should give his proposals an opportunity to work." Instead, Kyl rightly noted, "some declared the president's proposals unworkable even before they were announced."

No such nay-saying, however, was to be heard from two Capitol Hill stalwarts: McCain and Sen. Joe Lieberman, the independent Democrat from Connecticut.

"I applaud the president for rejecting the fatalism of failure and pursuing a new course to achieve success in Iraq," said Lieberman, who alone in his party genuinely comprehends what a U.S. defeat in Iraq would mean.

As for McCain, his support is tempered by the fact that he argued correctly, from the start, that the war was being fought with too few troops. Had the administration listened four years ago, this tactical shift might not be necessary now.

It would take a truly hard heart not to be touched, deeply, by the sacrifices made by the young men and women now wearing their country's uniform.

And one can only imagine the pain felt by the families of those killed and cruelly wounded in service to America. Just as it was hard to imagine the agony of the loved ones left behind on 9/11.

But even to suggest that Condoleezza Rice is not fit to serve her country because she is childless is beyond bizarre.

It is perverse.

Sen. Boxer needs to apologize.

Ha! Fat chance. Apologies are for losers. And the Democrass dumbasses know they are the winners. They know they are on the side of history.

And she needs to do it today.

Hank Aaron is STILL my home run champion.

Sodom-By-The-Bay Chronicle: If Giants keep Bonds, get ready for a weird year / Amphetamine test reports add to team's worries about slugger

Gwen Knapp proves you don't need to wear a jock to write about sports as she beats down Barroid Bonds.

The Giants have it easy this week.

Bruce Bochy doesn't have to do the daily manager's briefing with reporters. Mark Sweeney doesn't have to figure out a way to get to the field without answering questions about becoming baseball's latest designated drug-testing scapegoat. Barry Bonds can hide from scrutiny about reports that he tested positive for an amphetamine and then tried to pin the blame on a substance he sampled from Sweeney's locker.

We're about six weeks away from the grand ritual of pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training and equidistant from the start of utter mayhem for the Giants.

Just to be safe, let's put an asterisk next to that timeline. If the team somehow wriggles out of its as-yet-unsigned contract with Bonds, the prospect of mayhem, like the heist of Hank Aaron's home run record, might not come to pass.

"Heist"! Heehee.

Assuming that the deal gets done, though, the Giants' clubhouse should be a miserable place, filled with denial and forced camaraderie that eventually will become genuine camaraderie built on shared exasperation with the media.

The pursuit of Aaron, paralleling the Justice Department's pursuit of Bonds himself, will throw the team a whole new array of curveballs.

The amphetamine story should be just the starting point. As Bonds gets closer to his 21st home run of the season and a tie with Aaron at 755 for his career, the media and security contingents will become overwhelming. With the prospect of a perjury indictment, the widespread belief that he cheated and the strong possibility that personal trainer Greg Anderson will spend the summer behind bars for refusing to testify against his longtime client, the presence of Bonds on the 2007 Giants roster could be a real downer. If it doesn't take something out of the other players physically and mentally, they will be baseball's new Ironmen. Cal Ripken, under the same conditions, would have taken a week off.

Bonds' teammates always have a pat set of answers about him. They duck questions about BALCO by saying that they have no absolute proof that he has taken anything illicit. They fend off questions about his aloofness by gushing about his batting stroke and his place in history. They rave about his willingness to offer hitting tips to the mortals who wear the same uniform. Jason Schmidt, now an expatriate in Dodger blue, seemed especially appreciative of Bonds' empathy on the matter of losing a parent to cancer...

The rest of the article is just as good, kiddies. It is well worth your time.

Guess what happens when you murder your daughters?

AP: China facing major gender imbalance

As written, this headline is nonsensical. The word "gender" is used incorrectly and should be replaced by the word "sex". I expect nothing less than this level of ignorance from the AmericaLast media and the sheep who matriculated in government indoctrination centers.

Peking - China will have 30 million more men of marriageable age than women in less than 15 years as a gender imbalance resulting in part from the country's tough one-child policy becomes more pronounced, state media reported Friday.

Traditional preferences for sons has led to the widespread - but illegal - practice of women aborting babies if an early term sonogram shows it is a girl.

The tens of millions of men who will not be able to find a wife could also lead to social instability problems, the China Daily said in a front-page report.

Golly, you think so?

Perhaps a dearth of wives will wake the somnolent Chinese and cause them to throw off the shackles of their commie slavemasters.

An insult, Shakespeare style.

From the Shakespeare's Insults calendar:

...Having flown over many
knavish professions, he settled
only in rogue.
(The Winter's Tale 4.3.93-94)

The thief Autolycus, picking the clown's pocket while distracting him with a made-up story about just having been victimized by a thief.

Saint of the Day and daily Mass readings.

Today is the Feast of St. Anthony Mary Pucci , a Servite priest born on April 16, 1819 at Poggiole, Italy and christened Eustace. He entered the Servites about 1837, taking the name Anthony Mary, and he was ordained in 1843. Assigned to Viareggio, Italy, Anthony became pastor of the parish in 1847. His entire life was spent instructing children, caring for the sick and poor, and pioneering the Holy Childhood Society. He was heroic during the epidemics of 1854. Anthony Mary died on January 14, 1892, in Viareggio. He was canonized in 1962. Pray for us, all you angels and saints.


Today's reading is Hebrews 4:1-5, 11.
Today's Responsorial Psalm is
Psalms 78:3, 4, 6-7, 8.
Today's Gospel reading is
Mark 2:1-12.


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."


Divine Praises

Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
Blessed be His most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be His most Precious Blood.
Blessed be Jesus in the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His angels and in His saints.
May the Heart of Jesus in the most Blessed Sacrament
Be praised, adored and loved
With grateful affection at every moment
In all the tabernacles of the world
Even to the end of time. Amen.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

DAY 141: PLUTO HELD HOSTAGE

February 4, 2007 is International Save Pluto Day!

None dare call it treason...

...or, yet another sign the invasion of America has been successful.

Investor's Business Daily: Hasta La Vista, Social Security
Entitlements: About to become law is an agreement allowing illegal aliens to get Social Security benefits after only 18 months of employment in the U.S., further burdening a system on the brink of collapse.

Surveys have shown that more Americans believe in the existence of unidentified flying objects than in the promise that they'll ever get back what they've put into the Social Security system. It also is against current law for employers knowingly to hire individuals who are in this country illegally.

So it must be somewhat disconcerting for them to find out that about to become law is an agreement signed on June 29, 2004, between the U.S. Commissioner of Social Security and the director general of the Mexican Social Security Institute that allows illegal aliens to collect Social Security benefits if they have as little as 18 months of employment history. U.S. citizens must show 10 years, or 40 quarters of job history, to collect benefits.

The first public copy of the U.S.-Mexico Totalization Agreement has been obtained, and, no, it wasn't on the first page of the New York Times. It was obtained after three years of wrangling and a Freedom of Information Act request by the TREA Senior Citizens League (tscl.org) which represents more than 1 million seniors. And, as the saying goes, the devil is in the details.

The agreement, which awaits President Bush's signature, can take effect without Congress' approval. All the Democratic Congress has to do is nothing. It doesn't have to vote to approve it -- it has only 60 days to disapprove it, which isn't likely because they likely support allowing it to become law.

TREASON!

The agreement would drain more billions from a system with a $14 trillion liability and assets of only $3.5 trillion, according to a 2003 report by the Center for Immigration Studies. TREA notes, "Ominously, these assets include not only the trust's current reserves ($1.4 trillion), but also the present value of the taxes that current workers will pay for the rest of their working lives ($2.1 trillion).

TREASON!

Totalization agreements are common -- the U.S. has them with 20 countries. And their goal is legitimate -- to avoid double taxation when employers assign their employees to work temporarily in another country. Totalization was not designed or intended to cover millions of illegals sneaking past the U.S. Border Patrol from what is a borderline Third World country.

TREASON!

Workers from those 20 countries come here with employer documents verifying they are authorized to work here. Nearly all these countries are on an economic and industrial par with the U.S. And the numbers are limited. Our agreement with the U.K. covers just over 2,000 people.

Totalization agreements also assume rough equivalency in both country's retirement systems. TREA notes that in Mexico only 40% of nongovernment workers participate in their system, but 96% of our nongovernment workers do. Our system is progressive, meaning lower-income workers get more than they paid in. Mexican participants get back only what they pay in, plus interest.

In a review requested by Congress, the Government Accounting Office said the agreement with Mexico involves "highly uncertain" costs and would affect the long-term solvency of the Social Security Trust Fund if the SSA has underestimated the number of beneficiaries by more than 25%.

The review also notes that the SSA "assumes that the behavior of Mexican citizens would not change and does not recognize that an agreement would create an additional incentive for unauthorized workers to enter the United States."

Guest workers, yes, but invited guests, and benefits should follow only if they follow the same rules as American citizens, both in the requirements they must meet and in the contributions they must make, on both sides of the border.

The protestant crackup continues apace.

The National Council of Commies pushes their left-fascist political agenda while ignoring the salvation of souls.

CNSNews.com: NCC Speaks For Churches but Pushes Liberal Agenda, Study Says
A leading religious organization that "seeks to promote Christian unity" in the U.S. has yoked itself to liberal groups that now provide most of its funding and help it promote a liberal social and political agenda, a conservative group alleged Wednesday.

This has nothing to do with religion or theology, kiddies. The NCC is a socialist front organization with obviously materialist, not Christian goals.

Among the groups funding the National Council of the Churches (NCC) are the liberal People for the American Way, Tides Foundation and "U.S. Action, whose president spoke at the 2005 convention of the Communist Party USA.," according to a report released by the conservative Institute on Religion and Democracy.

The study is entitled "Strange Yokefellows," a combination of the saying that "politics makes strange bedfellows" and the biblical injunction that believers not be "unequally yoked" with those who don't believe (2 Corinthians 6:14), IRD Vice President Alan Wisdom told Cybercast News Service.

Wisdom, co-author of the document, noted that the NCC has 45 million members from 35 denominations.

While most active church members hold moderate to conservative views on social and political issues, the NCC had increasingly received funding from secular foundations and other non-church organizations, he charged.

During the 2004-2005 fiscal year, the NCC received $1.75 million from member communions and, for the first time, slightly more - $1.76 million - from other groups.

In addition, donations from member churches have declined 40 percent since the 2000-2001 fiscal year, Wisdom said.

Good for you, my protestant brothers and sisters.

The NCC "really depends now more on the likes of the Tides Foundation and the Sierra Club than on the Reformed Church in America or the African Methodist Episcopal Church," he said. It gets more funding "from the Ford Foundation than 32 of its 35 member denominations."

"We found numerous common themes among the dozens of non-church entities from which the church council has recently sought or received funding," said John Lomperis, co-author of the report.

"These groups have very little demonstrated interest in religion beyond recruiting faith communities to support their favored social and political causes," Lomperis noted. (Emphasis mine.)

"There's nothing wrong necessarily with accepting support from non-Christians if they understand what your mission is and support it and don't steer you away from it," Wisdom said. "The problem is when support from non-church organizations takes a Christian organization away from the gospel purposes for which it was established."

According to its website, the NCC defines itself as "a community of Christian communions, which, in response to the gospel as revealed in the Scriptures, confess Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God, as Savior and Lord."

Ha! Want some examples of the NCC's "faith" in action?

Over the 2004 Memorial Day weekend, the NCC held interfaith services for all who had died in the Iraq war "to encourage people in the faith community who supported the war and those who opposed it to pray, reflect and work for peace in this troubled time."

Later that year, the council ran an advertisement in newspapers in five states urging people of faith to "pray for a change of heart and direction" on environmental issues and encouraging political candidates to make "caring for creation" a priority.

Last February, the NCC released a report outlining ways to work with the United Nations' Millennium Project. The conservative organization Concerned Women for America responded by warning the council not to become an advocate for the U.N. and its "misguided attempts to eradicate global poverty."

Wisdom said that such activities are "extremely divisive to the Christian community, do not represent the NCC's own constituency and certainly alienate a lot of other Christians. The council is becoming less and less a body of Christian unity and more and more a political action committee."

What do these totalitarians in Christian clothing have to say in their own defense?

'Jesus would not be happy with that'

Bob Edgar, general secretary of the NCC, told Cybercast News Service the IRD report is "a very interesting document, and I'm very pleased that they validated the fact that we've raised a lot of money over the past few years."

Oooh! That is so clever.

"They're trying to make the case that we were bad because we were taking money from the AARP to deal with issues of Social Security and seniors, and we were bad for taking money from the Ford Foundation to work on global issues, and we were bad for taking money from the Knight Foundation to work on poverty," Edgar said.

"They're playing semantics when they say that we're not talking about baptisms and funerals and theological questions," Edgar said. "We have a very active faith and order commission that works on those issues, and that's the first priority of the funding we receive from our member churches.

"Yes, we are about Christian unity, and that's why we've said since May of 2000 that the unifying advocacy issues we're working on are ending poverty that kills, and stewardship of the planet," Edgar added.

People working for a minimum wage have been kept in poverty, Edgar said. "Jesus would not be happy with that. God would not be happy with that."

What? Don't you believe Jesus is God, Mr. Edgar? Or are you just trying to dazzle the rubes with your knowledge of the Holy Trinity?

Edgar said the NCC's fund-raising "is no different than the IRD's fund-raising. A significant chunk of their money comes from donors and foundations, and a significant amount of our funds comes from donors and foundations."

While agreeing that both the NCC and the IRD do fund-raising, Wisdom said the two organizations were very different.

Individual members of churches belonging to the NCC "would not support its one-sided political focus," he said. "The IRD receives most of its funding from church members who know and support its theological and political positions."

"And in its lobbying, the NCC claims to speak for 'the churches,'" Wisdom added. "The IRD has never claimed to speak for anyone other than its own friends and supporters."

Your union dues hard at work.

CNSNews.com: Union Dues Case About 'Protecting Elections,' Lawyer Says
The Supreme Court on Wednesday heard oral arguments in a case examining the way labor unions use non-members' dues, prompting one of the lawyers arguing the case to urge the justices to "protect the integrity of our election system."

Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna said that allowing the union to use non-members' money for political purposes without affirmative consent tarnishes the election system, because it funnels money to a campaign that the dues-payer may not support.

Under the current system in Washington, teachers who are not members of the Washington Education Association are still required to pay dues to the union to help pay for the union's activities that benefit non-members, such as collective bargaining.

Non-members may petition the union for a refund of the amount of their dues that are spent on political activity. The statute under review would reverse the current system and require the union automatically to refund that amount unless the non-member approves its use for political advocacy.

Another reason why the invasion of America is succeeding.

Lawmakers Demand Gov't Action as Border Patrolmen Prepare for Jail
(CNSNews.com) - Two U.S. Border Patrol agents who were prosecuted for doing their job in the view of many members of Congress, will begin long jail terms next week unless President Bush or the Department of Justice intervenes. Full Story

The war this time.

Expect Long War Against 'Irreconcilable Wing of Islam,' Gingrich Says
(CNSNews.com) - Americans must steel themselves for a long and arduous war against the "irreconcilable wing of Islam," which could last anywhere from 30 to 70 years, according to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Full Story

CNSNews.com: Author Sees Potential for 'New Dark Ages'
Worldwide demographic shifts are working to the advantage of Islamic extremists, according to author and commentator Mark Steyn.

Speaking at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, Steyn, author of "America Alone," said foreign policy "realists" in the U.S. and Europe who seek to accommodate rather than confront Muslim radicals have bought into an "illusion of stability."

At a time when much of the western world is experiencing "civilizational exhaustion," Steyn said, the Muslim world is benefiting from significant population growth.

The G-8 nations, he said, have "given up on having children" while they acquiesce to a large influx of Muslim immigrants.

As a result of the demographic changes in Europe and parts of Asia, Steyn anticipates the Muslim world will have three reliable votes on the U.N. Security Council in the not too distant future. Furthermore, by 2050, Russia well may be a majority Muslim nation, he added.

In 1970, Steyn said, the developed world represented nearly 30 percent of the global population, in comparison to the Muslim world, which accounted for 15 percent.

By 2000, the developed world's share of the global population had fallen to about 20 percent, and the Muslim world had increased to 20 percent, he said.

The demographic shifts are important, because although most Muslims dissociate themselves from terrorist acts, many share many of the objectives of extremists, including the desire to live under shari'a (Islamic law) in Europe, Canada and eventually the U.S., Steyn said.

While America currently "stands apart" from the demographic challenges facing much of the international community, its superpower status presents a special set of challenges, he said.

"A new Dark Ages" could take hold, unless the U.S. acts.

Steyn called for a more concerted effort to export genuine American values - those linked to economic strength and greater freedom - rather than simply promoting elements of American popular culture.

Steyn said the war in Iraq was just "one front in a larger struggle" and identified neighboring Iran as a major source of terrorist activity, claiming Tehran was funding both Sunni and Shia elements in Iraq.

"The mullahs do not fret about Iran not having an exit strategy from Iraq. It's something American legislators do, not Iranian ones," he said.

Steyn said he wrote his book in part as a rejoinder to what he terms "The Larry King School of Foreign Policy" which he described as "distinguished old people reminiscing about other distinguished old people."

The panel discussions on the CNN talk program, which often feature a mix of U.S. senators and former secretaries of state, frequently yield foreign policy prescriptions that are ill-suited to the challenges of the present age, he said.

Sodom-By-The-Bay Update.

New York Post: YALE SONG BIRDS ARE PUMMELED
An all-male a cappella group from Yale University got a brutal beating from some San Francisco thugs after singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at a house party, authorities said yesterday.

One victim - the son of a prominent New York banker - had to have his jaw wired shut after titanium plates were inserted into his face following the attack.

San Francisco police have made no arrests in the New Year's Eve attack.

It began shortly after The Baker's Dozen, dressed in preppy blue sports jackets, arrived at a house party held in their honor during their West Coast tour.

The group, which dates to 1947, began to belt out the national anthem - but a couple of youths didn't like the song selection.
"[The hecklers] called them all kinds of names - homos and fags," said banker Sharyar Aziz Sr., whose son, Sharyar Jr., had his jaw broken.

This is obviously a fabrication. Nobody in SF would ever use the words "homo" and "fag" except as terms of endearment.

As the party grew tense, the host told everyone to leave. But minutes later, the 16 crooners were jumped on their way out by more than a dozen hooligans in a van who were apparently brought in as "backup" by the catcallers.

The Ivy Leaguers were surrounded and pummeled.

"My son was on the ground as these guys were kicking his face," Aziz said.

Freshman Evan Gogel, 18, suffered two black eyes, a "severe" concussion and "bruises all over his body," his mom, Georgia, told The Post.

Here's your problem. You have a police chief named Heather.

Sodom-By-The-Bay Chronicle: Fong defends handling of Yale singers' beating case
Police Chief Heather Fong defended the San Francisco police officers Wednesday who broke up a street beating of members of a Yale singing group on New Year's Eve, saying they made no arrests because they were unable to find anyone who could substantiate any...

Rats!

We'll get 'em next time.

AP: Top Al-Qaida suspects in Somalia survive strike
Mogadishu, Somalia - A top U.S. official in the region said Thursday that none of the al-Qaida suspects believed to be hiding in Somalia died in a U.S. airstrike this week, but Somalis with close ties to the terrorist group were killed.

A day earlier, a Somali official said a U.S. intelligence report had referred to the death of Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, one of the three senior al-Qaida members blamed for the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

But the U.S. official in Kenya, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said that Ethiopian troops and U.S. special forces were still pursuing the three suspects in southern Somalia.

U.S. and Somali officials said Wednesday that a small team of U.S. special operations forces are in Somalia hunting suspected al-Qaida fighters and providing military advice to Ethiopian and Somali forces on the ground.

Presenting Ariadne Artiles, who is beloved by bikinis everywhere.

From the pages of The King Abdullah Gazette:



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Momofuku Ando, Requiescat in pace.

We once thought of the Japanese as bloodthirsty barbarians. Indeed, many of them were.

They were also seen as mentally inferior.

But when her people were forced to be responsible politically and economically, a nation greater than any warlord or political thug could ever have imagined emerged from the rubble created by our bombs.

Ando-san, while extraordinary, was also typical.

The life of Momofuku Ando, the inventor of instant noodles who passed away Friday at 96, followed a parallel path toward success with Japan in the years after World War II.

Ando, who founded the precursor to Nissin Food Products Co. in 1958, was born in 1910 in Japan-occupied Taiwan. Blessed with a knack for business, he made his first fortune running a clothing company in Osaka and also operated a trading business in the aftermath of the war.

But his arrest by the General Headquarters of the Allied occupation forces on suspicion of tax evasion in the postwar years and other misfortunes left him penniless. He was forced to start over.

In 1957, Ando began developing an instant noodle in a kitchen he built in his backyard. He said that scenes of impoverished Japanese thronging ramen stalls in the postwar years was deeply etched in his memory.

He turned to the food business, recalling later his belief the world would find peace if everyone had enough to eat.

About a year later, he introduced Chicken Ramen, the chicken-flavored dried noodle that is ready to serve in minutes after being immersed in a bowl of hot water. He was 48--a late bloomer.

"I had to wait until then to come up with the idea of Chicken Ramen," he said.

It was the year that saw the debut of the 10,000 yen bill, baseball slugger Shigeo Nagashima, Tokyo Tower and when then Crown Prince Akihito became engaged to Michiko Shoda, now empress.

Chicken Ramen was an instant hit among the ranks of workers who downed the noodles at their desks, students studying into the night for entrance exams, husbands forced by job transfers to live away from their families and children whose parents both worked outside the home.

In 1971, he introduced the styrofoam-packed Cup Noodle, now sold globally and even easier to prepare. Youths everywhere were soon to be seen gobbling Cup Noodles.

Ando had his shares of failures. An instant rice he introduced proved disastrous. With a mountain of returns, he yanked the rice off the market, but the misstep cost 3 billion yen, another hard lesson.

Ando's crowning glory came in 2005, when Nissin created Space Ram, a vacuum-packed instant noodle created for astronaut Soichi Noguchi, who consumed it aboard the U.S. space shuttle Discovery. (Thanks to Asahi.com for this obituary.)

Iwao Takamoto, Requiescat in pace.

La Ciudad de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles - In a career that spanned more than six decades, Iwao Takamoto assisted in the designs of some of the biggest animated features and television shows, including "Cinderella," "Peter Pan," "Lady and the Tramp" and "The Flintstones."

But it was Takamoto's creation of Scooby-Doo, the cowardly dog with an adventurous heart, that captivated audiences and endured for generations.

Takamoto died Monday of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Warner Bros. spokesman Gary Miereanu said. He was 81.
Born in Los Angeles to parents who had emigrated from Japan, Takamoto graduated high school when World War II began. He and his family were sent to the Manzanar internment camp in the California desert, where he learned the art of illustration from fellow internees.

Despite a lack of formal training, he landed an interview with Walt Disney Studios when he returned to Los Angeles and was hired as an apprentice.

Takamoto worked under the tutelage of Disney's "nine old men," the studio's team of legendary animators responsible for its biggest full-length films, before moving to Hanna-Barbera Studios in 1961. There he worked on cartoons for television, including "Josie and the Pussy Cats," "The Great Grape Ape Show," "Harlem Globe Trotters" and "The Secret Squirrel Show."

I loved all of them!

Takamoto said he created Scooby-Doo after talking with a Great Dane breeder, and named him after Frank Sinatra's final phrase in "Strangers in the Night."

The breeder "showed me some pictures and talked about the important points of a Great Dane, like a straight back, straight legs, small chin and such," Takamoto said in a recent talk at Cartoon Network Studios.

"I decided to go the opposite and gave him a hump back, bowed legs, big chin and such. Even his color is wrong."

Takamoto also created other famous cartoon dogs such as Astro from "The Jetsons" and Muttley, the mixed-breed that appeared in several Hanna-Barbera animations.

He also directed the 1973 feature "Charlotte's Web."

Takamoto was survived by his wife, Barbara, son Michael and stepdaughter Leslie.

Funeral arrangements were pending. (Thanks to the Southeast Missourian for this obituary.)

Where will we find more priests?

Try looking in the offices of millionaire lawyers!

The Springfield News-Leader: 'Hunger' led millionaire to become a priest
During most Wednesday morning Masses at Sacred Heart Church, the pews are lightly peppered with people.
But Wednesday, attendance swelled.

Some missed work and others dragged themselves out of bed for an 8 a.m. service to honor Father Frank Iacona, who congregants say has turned around this parish.

"I don't do mornings, so for me to do this is a sacrifice," laughed Sandy James, who has been a member here for 37 years.

The parishioners credit Iacona with stitching together a sense of community among the Anglo and Hispanic members, organizing the church, being a dynamic speaker and bringing a new level of compassion. Above all, he has been a friend to many.

They surprised him with a party for the fifth anniversary of his priesthood.

"He arrived exactly when we needed him," said Rolanda Avila, 42.

The 59-year-old priest helped oversee construction of a church expansion. Also a former lawyer, Iacona is admired for the millionaire lifestyle he gave up to become a priest and shepherd a north-side church.

"I had it all, but I felt a hunger," Iacona said.

Amen to that, Father.

That hunger led him to volunteer, get more involved with the Catholic church and eventually decide to follow a more spiritual life. This is his fourth parish.

Bishop John Leibrecht said it is not unusual to celebrate a priest's anniversary, but the 25th and 50th are usually milestones.

"I'm really delighted they are celebrating Father Frank's fifth anniversary," Leibrecht said. "No use waiting."

Iacona is said to be a dynamite speaker — likely because of his legal background.

"He has a thing we call a 'presence,'" said the Rev. Frank C. Palermo, a retired priest from Holy Trinity Catholic Church.

Avila described each Mass as "a feast" because of his sermons.
Morning light streamed through stained-glass windows and cast pastel shadows on the walls of the church.

Iacona's voice echoed off the cathedral ceiling.

When he asked what people were praying for, members called out. One woman said she was praying for "Joe and Mary." There is no need for last names here; everyone knows Joe and Mary, and they know their plight.

Joe and Mary Bridges live in Brighton, and both have cancer.

Bless and protect them, Lord.

"Me and my wife have both been ill, and he's been down here twice to see us. He's a terrific guy," Joe said over the phone.

Iacona visits the sick, elderly and homebound every Wednesday.

"He has, oh boy, how can I say it, he has more than just a call, he has a gift from God," said Estera Enciu, who organized the party. "He's so much more than a priest. I was sick in September and he came every day for a week."

You're right. He's a good priest. And a faithful one.

Iacona sweeps the floors, takes out the trash and cleans wherever it's needed.

Margarita Gagliardi says he understands "the lay people."

Last summer Gagliardi invited the priest over for a barbecue at her house. He arrived early and spotted her husband painting the house.

"He took off his shirt, took off his shoes and said 'Give me a brush. I'm here to help,'" Gagliardi said.

Not only has he connected with church members, he encourages them to connect with their community.

"He's always encouraging us to go and help people, meet them, know them," Gagliardi said. "Don't just give money, but get involved."

Amen to that.

Iacona united the Anglo and Hispanic populations in the church, said Karen Sinderman.

He's always saying "we're not separate. We are all one," Sinderman said.

To do this, he holds occasional bilingual Mass (there was already English and Spanish mass), encourages both sides to go to Mass in other languages and encourages everyone to socialize.

To build a community, you should throw a party, Iacona says, because people should celebrate together as well as pray together.
"That (unity) can be a challenge sometimes. We tend to see what separates us more than what unites us," he said. "But we are blessed to have both the older Anglos that have made this place what it is and the new generation of Hispanics that are adding so much to the church."

Madison Strain, 7, said Father Frank is very kind to him. When asked how, Madison put his hand on his chin, looked up like he was pondering and then said: "He gives me nice things like a big blessing."

Later, Madison handed Iacona a card handmade out of green construction paper.

After members feasted on everything from fresh blackberries to desserts to homemade breads, they cut his cake and thanked him for his service.

You have this backward, he responded.

"The thing I learned a long time ago is whatever is said about us, good or bad, has more to do with the person saying it than it does us," Iacona said.

Pray that more good men like Father Iacona will answer God's call to the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

A slap in the face to one of Our Boys...

Denver Post: Soldier returns from Iraq, finds all he owned was sold
After serving a year in Iraq, Army Reserve Spec. Patrick Rogalin came home and found that everything he had put in a storage locker - essentially everything he owned - had been sold.

...and real American patriots step up to make things right...

The Springfield News-Leader: Soldier flooded with offers of aid
Patrick Rogalin's story has struck a nerve with America. Rogalin returned from Iraq in October, only to find his belongings had been auctioned by a storage unit business. Now people from across the country are flooding the News-Leader with offers of help...

...Now people from across the country are flooding the News-Leader with offers of help.

Their comments arrived in more than 50 e-mails and phone calls, all wanting to do something to help the 20-year-old Army Reserve specialist.

One man offered to send Rogalin $1,000 anonymously.

Lawyers are lining up to represent him for free.

That is a major league wow.

A local woman wants to pay for his textbooks while he's at Missouri State University.

Those offers have been forwarded to Rogalin, who doesn't yet know how he'll handle them.

Still, his ordeal inspired many to call or write.

"At the very least, upon hearing the circumstances they should have been very apologetic, completely refunded his storage fees, and paid him twice what he lost just to show their gratitude for his service to his country," said Brian Waln of Springfield.

"Instead, they offer a couple thousand bucks, probably tainting his credit, and push him aside."

"If I owned a storage place like that, I would have kept it until I knew what had happened to him," said Jan Hathcock of Republic. "When I read that, it made me very sad he was going through something like that. All of America should step up and help this guy out."

"I can't imagine any business doing this to a guy who's been in Iraq over a couple thousand bucks," said David Holt of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. "If it was my business, I would have paid it. What's a couple thousand dollars for all the bad publicity they're going to get?"

Exactly.

Due to time constraints, we now move to further action.

Rogalin said he doesn't know what to make of all the attention.
But his mother does.

"They took advantage of him," said Susan Molina, of Whitman, Mass. "He feels tricked. He feels bullied, like he was backed into a corner. I'm furious."

Molina has another son, Henry, serving as a medic in Iraq. She worries that he and other soldiers serving overseas may come home to the same kind of problem her son Patrick discovered.

"There are some things you just don't do, and you don't crap on a soldier that's been serving his country in Iraq," she said.

Amen to that. We had enough of that vile nonsense after the Vietnam War...hey, wait a minute! Do you think that could be more than mere coincidence?

More good news from Iraq, but you'd never know it if you took the AmericaLast media seriously.

If only the AP could produce headlines like this...

Good guys storm Iranian consulate; Nab 6 goat rapists
Baghdad - Iraqi officials said Thursday that multinational forces detained as many as six Iranians in an overnight raid on Tehran's diplomatic mission in the northern city of Irbil, just hours after President Bush gave details about his new military plan for Iraq.

The forces stormed the Iranian mission at about 3 a.m., detaining the five staffers and confiscating computers and documents, two senior local Kurdish officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information. Irbil is a city in the Kurdish-controlled north, 220 miles from Baghdad.

The action came as President Bush on Wednesday night accused
Iran and Syria of "allowing terrorists and insurgents to use their territory to move in and out of Iraq" during his speech announcing he would send 21,500 additional U.S. forces to Iraq.

"We will interrupt the flow of support from Iran and Syria," he said. "And we will seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq."

Due to time constraints, we now move to further action.

On Thursday, An Iraqi official said the government is waiting for more facts about the raid on the Iranian consulate before commenting.

"There are reports that six people were detained, but now we want clarification from the American side and from the Iranian side about these people and what they were doing there and whether they were employees," government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said during a news conference.

He added that Iraq's Foreign Ministry is contacting concerned sides "and then we can take an official stance on the matter."

In Tehran, Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned the Iraqi and Swiss ambassadors and "demanded an explanation" about the incident. Switzerland represents American interests in Iran, where there is no U.S. Embassy.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told state-run radio that the raid was "against a diplomatic mission" since the "presence of Iranian staffers in Irbil was legal."

Hosseini claimed the action by the U.S.-led coalition reflected "continuation of pressure" on Iran, aiming to "create tension" between Iraq and its neighbors.

A resident living near the mission said the foreign force used stun bombs in the raid and brought down an Iranian flag that was on the roof of the two-story yellow house. As the operation went on, two helicopters flew overhead, said the resident on condition of anonymity because he feared retribution.

"They took five Iranians with them and at about seven in the morning they handed over the house to Kurdish peshmergas," he said.

In the early afternoon, a number of Kurdish guerrillas could be seen around the building preventing people from getting close to the house and not allowing cameramen and photographers to take pictures.

The report, which first appeared on Iraq state television, also was confirmed by a Shiite official in the capital, who declined to be named for the same reason.

The U.S. military issued a statement saying it had taken six people into custody in the Irbil region but made no mention of a raid on the Iranian consulate. It declined further comment on the raid.

The motive for the raid was not known...

WTF??? Why can't the AP be honest for once? They know the motives are American imperialism and Christian fanaticism.

Hank Aaron is STILL my home run champion...

...or, Bonds is no longer a speed merchant. He's a consumer now.

...or, How stupid must Barry be?

Sodom-By-The-Bay Chronicle: Report: Barry Bonds failed amphetamine test
Barry Bonds failed a test for amphetamines last season and originally blamed it on a teammate, the Daily News reported Thursday. When first informed of the positive test, Bonds attributed it to a substance he had taken from teammate Mark Sweeney's...

How noble...blaming the journeyman...

Please pray for Bobby Mercer.

WCBS: Yankee Great Bobby Mercer Battling Brain Tumor
(December 28) According to an article in today's New York Daily News, the former outfielder is undergoing surgery today for a brain tumor.

Yesterday it was announced the tumor was malignant.

I have never been a Yankee fan, but they were harder to hate before King George took over. As a player, Mr. Mercer was always fun to watch.

Now this is just silly.

Even taking into account the pathetic lineup of Democrass presidential wannabes, this clown is a nonentity. His greatest claim to fame is an alleged three-way with Senator Murder and some waitress.

AP: Dodd declares '08 presidential candidacy
Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd announced Thursday he will run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, saying problems at home and abroad meant it was time for him to "get out of the bleachers and onto the arena floor."

Fyodor lays some Latin on you.

From the Latin for the Illiterati calendar:

suaviter et fortiter - gently and firmly

proelium justum - a pitched battle

Insults, Shakespeare style.

From the Shakespeare's Insults calendar:

He's a very dog to the commonalty.
(Coriolanus 1.1.25-26)

A citizen, of Caius Marcius (later Coriolanus).


...We think him over-proud
And under-honest, in self-
assumption greater
Than in the note of judgement...
(The History of Troilus and Cressida 2.3.119-121)

Agamemnon, of Achilles, Greece's greatest warrior, whose attitude has become entitled, lazy, and sullen.

Saint of the Day and daily Mass readings.

Today is the Feast of St. Ethenea and St. Fidelmia, Two of the first con­verts of St. Patrick, the daughters of King Laoghaire. Pray for us, all you angels and saints.


Today's reading is
Hebrews 3:7-14.
Today's Responsorial Psalm is
Psalms 95:6-7, 8-9, 10-11.
Today's Gospel reading is
Mark 1:40-45.


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."


Divine Praises

Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
Blessed be His most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be His most Precious Blood.
Blessed be Jesus in the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His angels and in His saints.
May the Heart of Jesus in the most Blessed Sacrament
Be praised, adored and loved
With grateful affection at every moment
In all the tabernacles of the world
Even to the end of time. Amen.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Yvonne De Carlo, Requiescat in pace.

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She was a stunning beauty in her day, but you probably remember her as Lillian Munster.


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Los Angeles -Yvonne De Carlo, the beautiful star who played Moses' wife in "The Ten Commandments" but achieved her greatest popularity on TV's "The Munsters," has died. She was 84.

De Carlo died of natural causes Monday at the Motion Picture & Television facility in suburban Los Angeles, longtime friend and television producer Kevin Burns said Wednesday.

De Carlo, whose shapely figure helped launch her career in B-movie desert adventures and Westerns, rose to more important roles in the 1950s. Later, she had a key role in a landmark Broadway musical, Stephen Sondheim's "Follies."

But for TV viewers, she will always be known as Lily Munster in the 1964-1966 slapstick horror-movie spoof "The Munsters." The series (the name allegedly derived from "fun-monsters") offered a gallery of Universal Pictures grotesques, including Dracula and Frankenstein's monster, in a cobwebbed gothic setting.

Lily, vampire-like in a black gown, presided over the faux scary household and was a rock for her gentle but often bumbling husband, Herman, played by 6-foot-5-inch character actor Fred Gwynne (decked out as the Frankenstein monster).

While it lasted only two years, the series had a long life in syndication and resulted in two feature movies, "Munster Go Home!" (1966) and "The Munsters' Revenge." (1981, for TV).

At the series' end, De Carlo commented: "It meant security. It gave me a new, young audience I wouldn't have had otherwise. It made me `hot' again, which I wasn't for a while."

"I think she will best remembered as the definitive Lily Munster. She was the vampire mom to millions of baby boomers. In that sense, she's iconic," Burns said Wednesday.

"But it would be a shame if that's the only way she is remembered. She was also one of the biggest beauty queens of the `40s and `50s, one of the most beautiful women in the world. This was one of the great glamour queens of Hollywood, one of the last ones."

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De Carlo was able to sustain a long career by repeatedly reinventing herself. A longtime student of voice, she sang opera at the Hollywood Bowl. When movie roles became scarce, she ventured into stage musicals.

Her greatest stage triumph came on Broadway in 1971 with "Follies," which won the 1972 Tony award for best original musical score. She belted out Sondheim's showstopping number, "I'm Still Here," a former star's defiant recounting of the highs and lows of her life and career.

Over the years, De Carlo augmented her stardom by shrewd use of publicity. Gossip columnists reported her dates with famous men. In her 1987 book, "Yvonne: An Autobiography," she listed 22 of her lovers, who included Howard Hughes, Burt Lancaster, Robert Stack, Robert Taylor, Billy Wilder, Aly Khan and an Iranian prince.

The Canadian-born De Carlo began her career with a parade of bit parts in films of the early 1940s, then emerged as a star in 1945 with "Salome — Where She Danced," a routine movie about a dancer from Vienna who becomes a spy in the wild West.

She recalled her entrance in the film: "I came through these beaded curtains, wearing a Japanese kimono and a Japanese headpiece, and then performed a Siamese dance. Nobody seemed to know quite why."

Universal Pictures exploited her slightly exotic looks and a shape that looked ideal in a harem dress in such "sex-and-sand" programmers as "Song of Scheherazade," "Slave Girl," "Casbah" and "Desert Hawk."

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The studio also employed her to add zest to Westerns, usually as a dance-hall girl or a gun-toting sharpshooter. Among the titles: "Frontier Gal," "Black Bart" (as Lola Montez), "River Lady," "Calamity Jane and Sam Bass" (as Calamity Jane) and "The Gal Who Took the West."

In 1956 she veered from her former image when Cecil B. DeMille chose her to play Sephora, wife to Charlton Heston's Moses in "The Ten Commandments." The following year she co-starred with Clark Gable and Sidney Poitier in "Band of Angels" as Gable's upper-class sweetheart who learns of her black forebears.

Among her later films: "McClintock" (starring John Wayne), "A Global Affair" (Bob Hope), "Hostile Guns" (George Montgomery), "The Power" (George Hamilton), "American Gothic" (Rod Steiger) and "Oscar" (Sylvester Stallone).

De Carlo was born Peggy Yvonne Middleton in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Sept. 1, 1922, (some sources say 1924).

Abandoned by her father, she was raised by her mother in poor circumstances. The girl took dancing lessons and dropped out of high school to work in night clubs and local theaters. She continued dancing in clubs when she and her mother moved to Los Angeles.

Paramount Pictures signed her to a contract in 1942, and she adopted her middle name and her mother's middle name.

Dropped by Paramount after 20 minor roles, she landed at Universal, which cast her as the B-picture version of the studio's sultry star Maria Montez.

In 1955, De Carlo married Bob Morgan, a topflight stunt man, and the marriage produced two sons, Bruce and Michael, as well as much-publicized separations and reconciliations.

During a stunt aboard a moving log train for "How the West Was Won," Morgan was thrown underneath the wheels. The accident cost him a leg, and for a time De Carlo abandoned her career to care for him. They later divorced.

In her late years, De Carlo lived in semiretirement near Solvang, north of Santa Barbara. Her son Michael died in 1997, and she suffered a stroke the following year. (Thanks to AP for this obituary.)

Pitt Hoops Update.

The Panthers take on the DePaul Blue Demons tonight in Chicago.

From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

DePaul star Mejia almost played for Panthers
DePaul senior Sammy Mejia considered Pitt among his finalists as a coveted recruit coming out of Roosevelt High School and Storm King (N.Y.) Prep four years ago.

Pitt needs 7-footer Gray to play bigger role in offense
Aaron Gray, the Big East Conference preseason player of the year, hasn't scored in double figures in his last four games.

Starkey: Benjamin on the rebound
The most amazing thing happened Monday afternoon. I encountered an athlete who accepts full responsibility for his lack of playing time.

Gray's scoring dip stirs little concern

Pitt climbs three spots to No. 7

Pitt wins ugly against USF

Steelers Update.

From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Brown, Harris: Candidates make their cases
At roughly the same time Ken Whisenhunt left Heinz Field following his interview for the position that Bill Cowher vacated on Friday, Russ Grimm provided some insight into what kind of head coach he would make.

Whisenhunt meets with Steelers for three hours

Grimm last candidate to get Arizona interview

Brown: Tomlin meeting with Steelers today

Prisuta: Steelers have eye for coaches

Bai Ling, baby. Nothing but Bai Ling.

From the pages of The King Abdullah Gazette:



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About Me

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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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