My, oh my...it's Melyssa Ford. (Part Two)

From the pages of The King Abdullah Gazette:

Here is Melyssa doing her Jessica Rabbit impersonation.

My, oh my...it's Melyssa Ford. (Part One)

From the pages of The King Abdullah Gazette:

The episcopal crackup continues apace.

The time is almost upon us, kiddies, when the few members of what is euphemistically known as the Church of England who retain even a limited grasp on reality will turn to Rome and begin their journey home.

We'll keep the Light on for you.

Washington's other newspaper: Episcopal Church Chooses First Female Leader

Episcopal Church leaders chose Nevada Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori as their leader yesterday, making her the first woman to head any denomination in the Anglican Communion worldwide.

Silly schismatics.

A Johns Hopkins education is an expensive but thorough one. For instance, you can see left-fascists trample the 1st Amendment with impunity.

From the Foundation For Individual Rights In Education (FIRE) comes this story of intolerant thugs who cannot stomach views contrary to their own and a university administration that has either been cowed or co-opted by the fascist left.

Student Newspaper Suffers Viewpoint Discrimination at Johns Hopkins University

June 13, 2006
FIRE Press Release

BALTIMORE, June 13, 2006—Johns Hopkins University (JHU) ended this school year by engaging in shameful viewpoint discrimination and denying its students freedom of the press. First, JHU turned a blind eye to the theft of a conservative student newspaper, The Carrollton Record (TCR), then stifled its right to distribute in dorms while allowing other papers to continue distributing there. TCR staff members contacted the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) soon after these administrative abuses began.

“Freedom of the press and the freedom to distribute literature are vital liberties that should not be denied to JHU students,” said FIRE President Greg Lukianoff. “Theft and confiscation of a newspaper threaten the very marketplace of ideas upon which a university depends and should be condemned, not accepted.”

TCR’s May issue contained an article objecting to a recent campus appearance by pornographic film director Chi Chi LaRue. The cover photo pictured LaRue along with members of JHU’s Diverse Sexuality and Gender Alliance (DSAGA) student group, which hosted the event. The pictured DSAGA members were apparently displeased to see their pictures on the newspaper’s front page, and some have filed harassment charges against TCR staffers.

On May 14, approximately 600 copies of TCR that had been distributed to the library the previous day went missing. TCR editor Jered Ede attempted to report the theft, but told FIRE that a security officer and the Dean of Student Life both said that the missing papers did not constitute theft. Ede then learned that TCR would no longer be allowed to distribute in dorms and that administrators had confiscated 300 copies. Previously, TCR and numerous other publications—including the liberal Hopkins Donkey­—had regularly been distributed in JHU dorms, some of which even have distribution racks expressly for this purpose.

TCR staffers contacted FIRE, which wrote in protest to JHU president William Brody on May 19. JHU counsel Frederick Savage defended JHU’s actions by saying that student publications are subject to the posting policy, which demands that posters and fliers be approved by the Office of Residential Life before being posted in dorms. Savage wrote to FIRE, “Although it is not explicitly stated in the policy, by long standing practice the Office of Residential Life has applied the [posting] policy to student publications.”

Instant translation: We made up this rule to appease the forces of Big Sodomy and Big Masturbation, who are on the side of History.

“This is a shocking and disturbing admission, if true,” commented Lukianoff. “Not only would such a policy subject student newspapers to prior official review, but it appears to have been selectively enforced to silence unpopular opinions. By granting its officials the unfettered power to ‘approve’ newspapers, JHU is giving them the power to arbitrarily censor.”

Savage’s letter to FIRE also stated that since TCR “is free of charge and there is no limitation on the number of copies one can take, any charge of theft would be difficult to sustain.” Newspaper theft, however, is a prevalent form of mob censorship, which should be anathema at any institution that values free speech. Furthermore, after a 1994 rash of newspaper thefts at colleges across Maryland —including JHU—the state passed a law making newspaper theft illegal.

Hmmm...Governor Ehrlich, call your office.

Newspaper theft is not the only threat to college and university student press freedom, which has increasingly come under attack by administrators. FIRE reported last year that Stetson University in Florida banned the distribution of the conservative student publication Common Sense because it contained a joke from the Tonight Show that administrators claimed “targeted” minority students. Stetson administrators even tried to jeopardize the paper’s financial stability by scaring off its advertisers. FIRE’s involvement, however, pressured Stetson to abandon its ban on Common Sense, securing the paper’s right to publish without administrative interference.

“FIRE will continue to fight until student press freedom is safe from administrators who encourage or permit censorship to take place. JHU’s indifference to freedom of the press is disgraceful. JHU students deserve better,” concluded Lukianoff.

FIRE is a nonprofit educational foundation that unites civil rights and civil liberties leaders, scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals from across the political and ideological spectrum on behalf of individual rights, due process, freedom of expression, academic freedom, and rights of conscience at our nation’s colleges and universities. FIRE’s efforts to preserve liberty at Johns Hopkins University can be viewed at thefire.org/jhu.


CONTACT:
Greg Lukianoff, President, FIRE: 215-717-3473; greg_lukianoff@thefire.org

William Brody, President, Johns Hopkins University: 410-516-8068; wrbrody@jhu.edu

Susan Boswell, Dean of Student Life, Johns Hopkins University: 410-516-8208; sboswell@jhu.edu

Smelly commie pinko hippies and 'celebrities' with sub-normal IQ's risk everything (except their wealth and property) to steal somebody's land.

From the Arizona Republic: Daryl Hannah's arrested development

Daryl Hannah remains committed to saving a Los Angeles garden, despite her recent arrest.

Wow. I didn't know she was still alive.

The 'Splash' actress - who was arrested on Tuesday during a protest to save a public garden in Los Angeles - said she spent three weeks living in a walnut tree to show her belief in the cause.

She said: "I'm not thrilled about being arrested but I felt it was important to sustain my commitment."

Hannah said her time in jail had been "a lot like going to pay a gas bill" and she took the whole experience in her stride.

She joked: "The cops offered some of the girls bologna sandwiches - but I'm a vegetarian."

The actress revealed the police and fireman had forcibly removed her from the tree and arrested 40 other people.

She said: "They came in with riot gear and batons and smoke-grenade launchers. They were ready for something big."

'Titanic' actor Leonardo DiCaprio, Charlie Sheen and 'The Rock' star Ed Harris have all given their support to the fight to save the project.

Meanwhile, Hannah is flying to Italy this weekend to start shooting new movie 'Ole'.

Golly. That "news story" didn't tell us a darn thing, kiddies. I wonder how that happened?


Here's the Los Angeles Times' Steve Lopez with a bit less celebrity slurping, a generous helping of cynicism, and an actual fact or three:

Former mermaid Daryl Hannah said recently she didn't know there was a farm in South-Central Los Angeles until she got a phone call from a woman named Butterfly. This was back when Joan Baez was living up a tree on the same farm and singing folk songs, and I'd like to thank all of them for their contribution to the first paragraph of this column.

Heehee.

Hannah was being plucked from what may have been that same tree Tuesday as I arrived on the scene. Helicopters hovered overhead and there were enough police on hand to invade Mexico.

But not enough police to stop the Mexican invasion of the US. (Sorry, this is supposed to be a human interest story.)

It was the final drama in a long-running soap opera based on the fact that a guy named Ralph Horowitz wants a warehouse or something to rise on his 14-acre property, where cactus and fruit trees now bloom.

Hannah's arrest, along with those of a few dozen other protesters, was a Hollywood moment if ever there was one. The farm story has been beaten to death for years, but Hannah only heard about it a few weeks ago. And then suddenly she was Mother Teresa among the poor, laying her head down in a cabbage patch each night.

When I got to the show, protesters were behind the barricades at 41st Street and Long Beach Avenue, singing and dancing and yelling at cops in riot gear as the last squatters were evicted.

"What are you here to protect?" one foaming protester shouted at the cops, calling them slaves of the system. "Fascism?"

Heehee.

It was like being at a Mumia Abu Jamal rally. I liked the spirit of the young Che wannabes and gray-haired greens, but Mumia killed the cop in question, and Ralph Horowitz owns the farm in question. Which means he can do with it as he pleases, as the courts have ruled more than once.

Sure, it's a little more complicated than that. The city bought the land from Horowitz in the 1980s to build a trash incinerator, then dropped the plans after citizen protests. In 1992, the city leased the land to a food bank, which opened it up to urban farmers. But then, after a court battle, the city agreed to sell the land back to Horowitz in 2003 for $5 million.

That's when the current squabble started. Horowitz told the farmers to leave, but they wouldn't budge, so he called them squatters and they called him names right back.

The money spent on legal fees alone could probably feed the farm's 350 gardeners for years to come. But this isn't really about gardening at this point. The property is a symbol of many different things and everyone's got an agenda, with the plight of the farmers almost lost in the fray.

They're not farmers and they have no plight. If the city or the glitterati want poor folks to have free land on which they can plant vegetables, BUY IT FOR THEM!

They became pawns, says South-Central activist Mark Williams, for a small group of political opportunists and Westside environmentalists. The latter groups made up the bulk of the arrestees Tuesday, said Williams, who's with South-Central Concerned Citizens. Many of the real farmers, he said, long ago moved to other spots the city found them, including one seven-acre plot at 111th and Avalon, where they could grow food without endless political theater.

Ta-da!

"They speak a lot of progressive, Marxist rhetoric, but they're behaving like landed gentry," said Williams, who had water thrown in his face Tuesday by one of the so-called representatives of the farmers. "They didn't like hearing me speak the truth."

Surprise!

Williams, whose mother, Juanita Tate, was one of the original activists who fought the city's attempt to build an incinerator on the property, said he thought the activists were fools to vilify and alienate Horowitz, and thinks they sabotaged whatever deal might have been worked out to keep at least a portion of the land open to public use for gardening or soccer fields.

Meanwhile, demonstrators blasted Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for failing to save the farm, and supporters promised yet more legal challenges in the never-ending saga. At City Hall, the defeated mayor was pointing a finger at Horowitz, saying he had turned down a $16-million offer that included a $10-million pledge from the Annenberg Foundation.

The city lost "an oasis in a sea of industry and concrete," Villaraigosa said.

Sure, it's sad when a disputed patch of salad greens in central city gets crushed under the boots of City Hall bunglers and a developer who's about to turn fertilizer into gold. But who knows, maybe Joan Baez will get a new folk song out of the drama. And it did give a few Hollywood heroes a bit more time in the lights.

"I'm very confident this is the morally right thing to do, to take a principled stand in solidarity with the farmers," Hannah told the Associated Press moments before her arrest.

Call me a cynic, but I've got to wonder why she, Baez, Laura Dern, Martin Sheen, Danny Glover and other Hollywood supporters couldn't help raise the dough to back up their principles.

And if they believe poor folk ought to do their farming on private property, I'm wondering when they'll ask some of their Hollywood pals to open the security gates to their sprawling compounds. I'm just guessing, but there must be thousands of acres of fertile soil out there, ripe for planting.

Only in America, baby.

Saint of the Day and daily Mass readings.

Today is the Feast of St. Bagne, a Benedictine monk, abbot, and bishop. Pray for us, all you angels and saints.

Today's reading is 1 Kings 21:17-29.
Today's Responsorial Psalm is Psalms 51:3-4, 5-6, 11, 16.
Today's Gospel reading is Matthew 5:43-48.


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


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.


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.

Hmmm...A live-fire test of our ABM capabilities would be nice...

AP: Rice warns N. Korea against missile test

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned North Korea on Monday it will face consequences if it test-fires a missile thought to be powerful enough to reach the West Coast of the United States.

The Continuing Adventures of Kooky, the Billionaire Kook.

Cuban: I'd love Rather on my team
Dallas Morning News - He has certain other priorities at the moment. But Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban confirms that he wants Dan Rather on his HDNet team after The Finals and the newsman's CBS career come to an end.

Mavs owner Cuban holds court
Miami Herald - Though Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has pushed the envelope with some creative marketing ideas, he's apparently unimpressed with the Heat's decision to distribute David Hasselhoff placards for fans to wave when Dirk Nowitzki shoots free throws.

Notebook: Cuban wanted backcourt violation
Dallas Morning News - Mark Cuban wasn't that upset at a timeout the Mavericks didn't want. He was upset that he thought the referee's missed a backcourt violation on Dwyane Wade.

Back in black and better than ever: Yara.

From the pages of The King Abdullah Gazette:

Black is black and better than ever: Ki Toy Johnson.

From the pages of The King Abdullah Gazette:

Girls and motorcycles or girls and cars...

Remind me to start a Girls With Guns feature...

Steelers Update.

From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Police close Big Ben crash case
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be cited for not wearing a helmet and not having a motorcycle license for a traffic accident last week in which he collided with a car, police said Monday.

It looks like we drafted a first round loser, kiddies:
Steelers' Holmes charged with domestic violence

Junker: Big Ben's mishap has ironic twist

Game 7 in a hockey playoff series? Cool. Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Finals? Super cool...

Overtime in Game 7 of the Finals? Oh, Margaret!

NBC 17: Oilers Win 4-0; Game Seven Monday Night In Raleigh
Pack up that Stanley Cup trophy and put it back on the plane. There will be a seventh game to decide the Stanley Cup finals in Raleigh on Monday night.

Toward a more faithful translation of the Holy Mass into English. (Part Two)

Mass appeal – U.S. bishops’ OK of liturgy translations represents major change
Catholic Online (http://www.catholic.org/)

In what would be the most significant changes to the liturgy since American Catholics began worshipping in English instead of Latin following the Second Vatican Council, the U.S. bishops approved a new English translation for the Mass by a wide margin after a short, but lively debate.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ vote came on the first day of the June 15-17, 2006, bi-annual gathering here.

The final 173-29 vote, more than the required two-thirds of the U.S. Catholic conference’s 254 Latin-rite bishops, meant that the changes will be forwarded to the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments for final approval before they would be authorized for usage in liturgies at the parish level.

The consideration of the Order of the Mass was “the most significant liturgical action to come before this body for many years," Bishop Donald Trautman, chairman of the conference's Committee on Liturgy, was quoted as saying.

The changes were sought in response to Vatican calls to review English-language Mass translations based on church rules issued in a 2001 instruction that require closer adherence to the original Latin text.

Mass translations were adopted in May 2006 by the bishops' conferences of Australia and of England and Wales.

The new translation alters the wording of key texts spoken by Catholics during worship, including the “Nicene Creed,” the “Gloria,” the penitential rite, the “Sanctus” and Communion.

Minor changes to the wording affect many portions of the Mass, including:
- The repeated exchanges between priest and congregation of "The Lord be with you"/"And also with you" would become "The Lord be with you"/"And with your spirit."

- The prayer before Communion of "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you" would become "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof."

- In the penitential rite, the prayer "I have sinned through my own fault" would change to "I have sinned greatly... through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault."

- The “Nicene Creed” beginning “We believe” would become "I believe."

- The “Sanctus” prayer "Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might" would begin "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of hosts."

Bishop Arthur Roche of Leeds, England, the chairman of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy which works with and represents the bishops’ conference of 11 English-speaking countries, told the bishops June 15 that now "we are teaching ourselves and our people to speak Bible."

Amen to that.

“Scriptural catechesis is central to liturgical catechesis,” he said. “In using a translation that is more faithful to sacred scripture we are teaching ourselves and our people to speak 'bible.'”

Bishop Roche said the work in preparing an English-language translated Mass after the Second Vatican Council “was rushed.”

At the time, he said, “the chief preoccupation in many minds was, of course, that the liturgy be brought closer to the people. This aim could, and sometimes did, obscure the other aim, which was to preserve and transmit our inherited liturgical tradition and bring our people closer to that.”
He added that the church is “at a very important moment.”

“If the bishops of the English-speaking countries can agree on a single version of the Mass,” Bishop Roche said, “what a sign of catholicity that will be. But more than that, it will be a guarantee of catholicity for the future, not only in our own time, and not only in our own countries.”

Amen to that.

Toward a more faithful translation of the Holy Mass into English. (Part One)

Bishops to vote on new Order of Mass in English
Catholic News Service (www.catholicnews.com)

WASHINGTON – The U.S. bishops will be asked to approve a new translation of the Order of Mass when they meet in Los Angeles June 15-17.

If the new translation is adopted as proposed and subsequently approved by the Vatican, Catholics will have to learn a number of changes in their Mass prayers and responses. Among the more obvious will be:

- Whenever the priest says "The Lord be with you," the people will respond, "And with your spirit." The current response is "And also with you."

- In the first form of the penitential rite, the people will confess that "I have sinned greatly... through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault." In the current version, that part of the prayer is much shorter: "I have sinned through my own fault."

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. I was wondering where that went.

- The Nicene Creed will begin "I believe" instead of "We believe" – a translation of the Latin text instead of the original Greek text.

- The Sanctus will start, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of hosts." The current version says, "Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might."

Approving a new text of the Order of Mass is only the first step in a long process of considering and approving a new translation of the entire book of prayers said at Mass. In the United States that book has been called the Sacramentary since 1970, but the Vatican wishes to restore the name Roman Missal, since it is an English translation, with minor adaptations, of the normative Latin "Missale Romanum."

Viva la revolución contraria!

Officials of the bishops' Secretariat for the Liturgy told Catholic News Service May 23 that it is uncertain whether the bishops will seek to publish the new Order of Mass for U.S. use as soon as possible or wait until they have the new English translation of the entire Roman Missal completed. Completing the entire Roman Missal is likely to take at least two more years.

Now! Now! NOW!

Once the bishops adopt new liturgical texts, they must also be confirmed by the Vatican before they can be authorized for use.

In general, people will find many of the Mass prayers in the new version slightly longer and fuller, as the new translation is based on rules for liturgical translations issued by the Vatican in a 2001 instruction. Unlike the previous Vatican rules – which encouraged freer translations more adapted to the language into which one was translating – the new rules require closer adherence to the normative Latin text.

Hot diggity!

In a recent letter Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, told the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that if a current text does not conform to the new translation norms it must be changed.

"It is not acceptable to maintain that people have become accustomed to a certain translation for the past 30 or 40 years, and therefore that it is pastorally advisable to make no changes.... The revised text should make the needed changes," he wrote.

He said his congregation is open to dialogue about "difficulties regarding the translation of a particular text," but the 2001 instruction calling for translations more faithful to the Latin text "remains the guiding norm."

His letter, dated May 2 and addressed to Bishop William S. Skylstad of Spokane, Wash., USCCB president, was posted on the Catholic World News Web site in late May.

In response to a query from CNS, Bishop Donald W. Trautman of Erie, Pa., chairman of the USCCB Committee on the Liturgy, said Bishop Skylstad sent the letter to all Latin-rite bishops in advance of the June meeting.

"I see this letter as a clarification and further restatement of criteria for translation previously authored by the congregation," Bishop Trautman said. He said it "offers additional input for the deliberation of the bishops."
The Order of Mass, found at the center of the Roman Missal, consists of the prayers recited every day at Mass, as distinct from the Scripture readings and prayers that are proper to the day's feast.

Thus what the bishops are to vote on in June are new versions of the prayers that Massgoers are most familiar with because they hear or say them so regularly.

Within the Order of Mass are some prayers for which there are a limited number of alternatives, such as the forms of the penitential rite, the four different eucharistic prayers or the various acclamations following the consecration.

The text the bishops are to vote on in June does not include the prefaces, solemn blessings, prayers over the people or elements found in the appendix that also form part of the Order of Mass.

The International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL), which prepared the text to be voted on, is still consulting with English-speaking bishops' conferences around the world on the translation of the prefaces and other elements and does not have a final version of them yet.

Churchgoers will have to learn a different version of the Gloria when the new texts are put into use because part of the current prayer in English does not follow the structure of the Latin version.

In the Nicene Creed, where the current version refers to Christ as "one in being with the father," the new ICEL translation says, "consubstantial with the father." In the documentation sent to the bishops before the meeting, however, the Committee on the Liturgy has recommended keeping the "one in being" translation in the United States.

We want big words! Give us consubstantial! It might spark some curiosity in the faithful.

The new ICEL text for the people's prayer before Communion says, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed."

YES!

The committee proposed that the bishops seek to keep the current shorter version of the beginning of that prayer, "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you." The committee did not, however, propose a change from the ICEL translation at the end, where the people currently pray, "but only say the word and I shall be healed."

The bishops will also vote on several American adaptations in the Order of Mass, such as adding the acclamation, used in the United States since 1970 but not found in the Roman Missal in Latin, "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again."

One Roman Missal, One Holy Roman Catholic Mass, One True Church! Heed the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and reconcile your will to the will of Almighty God!

Fat, dumb,and stupid is no way to go through life, Natalie.

There used to be a show on the National Geographic channel that took ordinary American families and dropped them into the lives of ordinary third world families for a week. The ignorance and childness of the Americans was shameful. Everything from rudeness in the face of unfamiliar customs to hysterics in the face of eating food slaughtered out back made me laugh and cringe throughout each episode.

Natalie Maines is obviously this kind of ugly American. She is an ignorant ingrate and a fool. At the very least, she should love the country that enables a no-talent cow like her become rich and famous.

I wonder how long she'd last if she was shipped off to North Korea...

WENN: Maines attacks American patriotism

Dixie Chicks star Natalie Maines can't keep her mouth shut in London, it seems, after making another controversial statement in a UK newspaper.
The Wide Open Spaces singer became a target for American patriots in 2003 after she criticised President George W Bush during a London concert.

Maines' life was threatened and Dixie Chicks tracks were banned from country music radio stations after the outspoken singer declared she was "ashamed" to come from the same state as Bush (Texas).

Wait for it...

And now Maines is testing Americans again by questioning patriotism in The Daily Telegraph.

She says, "The entire country (US) may disagree with me, but I don't understand the necessity for patriotism. Why do you have to be a patriot? About what? This land is our land? Why?

"You can like where you live and like your life, but, as for loving the whole country... I don't see why people care about patriotism."

Thar she blows!

The comment appeared in the newspaper on Thursday, just before the trio took to the Shepherd's Bush Empire stage - the same London venue where Maines made her infamous remarks about President Bush.

Dilbert illustrates a point made by Father G. in yesterday's sermon.

Well, sort of.

As we celebrated the Feast of Corpus Christi yesterday, Father G. challenged all of us good Catholics in his sermon. It wasn't one of those stemwinder sermons for which the Redemptorists are renowned, but it was memorable.

Do you believe in the True Presence? What do you believe you receive in Holy Communion? How do you receive the Blessed Sacrament? Is your soul prepared? Do you approach the Body of Christ with the reverence it is due? After Holy Communion, what is your attitude? Do you behave as if God is in you?

Serious questions. For all our sakes, I hope it didn't go in one ear and out the other.

Black is back and better than ever: Esther Baxter (The Last).

From the pages of The King Abdullah Gazette:

Black is back and better than ever: Esther Baxter (Part Two).

From the pages of The King Abdullah Gazette:

Wallowing In Our Own Filth Update.

Frat houses across the country are filled with the sound of "nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah"!

The Olympian: Study: Sewer rats are healthier than lab rats

Gritty rats and mice living in sewers and farms seem to have healthier immune systems than their squeaky clean cousins that frolic in cushy antiseptic labs, two studies indicate. The lesson for humans: Clean living may make us sick.

Len Bias was killed by cocaine twenty years ago today.

Dr. Lonise Bias, mother of Leonard K. Bias, (1963-1986) has taken her talented son's tragic death and given it meaning by using it to educate others.

From Jerry Brewer in the May 29, 2006 edition of the Louisville Courier-Journal:

The tragedy of Len Bias inspires, thanks to mom

In less than a month, 20 years will have passed since Len Bias' shocking, cocaine-laced death. For most of us, time has done little to restrain the great what-if fascination.

Bias could be at the end of his second or third comeback right now. Or he could be retired and happy, having altered the way we viewed Michael Jordan, because Bias could have been a true rival. Or maybe he could be on television alongside Charles Barkley. He was a most congenial basketball star, remember?

"If Len would have lived, he would have entertained you," said his mother, Lonise Bias. "But in death, he brought life."

Forget what if. Ponder what now.

That is how Lonise has survived the bulk of the past 20 years. She chucked the time machine and opted to preach about drug awareness. And preach is the proper word.

You have to listen to her sermon. There is no time to waste searching for other opinions. This is too important. This is too real. This is how a piece of Len Bias – no matter how dark and sorrowful – lives. A star's light snuffed out

Cocaine killed Lonise's 6-foot-8 highlight reel of a son on June 19, 1986. The University of Maryland forward's death came two days after the Boston Celtics had selected him No. 2 overall in the NBA draft. He was 22. He was already a legend. And then his heart stopped.

What now? You teach.

"We have to go in like we're in warfare, and you're fighting to save the life of your child," Lonise said.

Since 1986, she has traveled the world as a motivational speaker, trainer and consultant, educating adults and children to rebel against drugs. Her specialty embodies her pain: empowering parents to save their children. Last week, she participated in a media conference call with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and took it over with her passion.

"Twenty years ago, someone said to me, 'Take lemons and make lemonade,'" Lonise said. "I didn't understand it. I was thinking, 'How can you say that to me? I'm supposed to take this and make lemonade out of lemons?'

"Twenty years later, I have lemonade. I've put sugar in it. That was the toughest thing, taking something so bitter and making it sweet."

That is not a cliche, kiddies. It is a profound philosophy of life. Not only does it help the survivor deal with the seemingly meaningless vicissitudes of existence, it may actually make the world a better place. That is impressive to me.

Evidence of change

It is a little sweeter because Lonise has seen change. Even the great Len Bias' story cannot keep everyone off drugs, but his death has had a small impact. Lonise knows because she hears often from people who say her son's death made them re-evaluate their lives.

Most recently, she boarded a plane, and a flight attendant quietly told Lonise that Len Bias made her stop using drugs.

Of course, these victories are only making a small dent.

Even one life is a major dent.

"Twenty years later, there are still too many kids who think using drugs, even once, have no consequences," said Scott Burns, the deputy director for state and local affairs for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

We will never know for sure, but many believe Bias died after experimenting with cocaine just that one night. Simply considering the possibility should be enough to thwart any youthful assumptions of immortality.

It will not, however. And so Lonise must continue her campaign.

"I am keenly aware of the fact that I should be out of my mind," Lonise said. "If I stayed back in 1986, with all those thoughts and emotions, I would be in a local mental hospital, taking prescription drugs or standing over Len's grave crying. I couldn't go on. I would just say, 'Why? Why? Why? Why?'"

Instead, Lonise asks, "What now?" Unfortunately, there is so much more work left. Thankfully, she has the right motivation.

Jerry Brewer can be reached at (502) 582-4373 or jebrewer@courier-journal.com.

I think Mr. Brewer deserves to be congratulated on these two stories.


From Jerry Brewer in today's Louisville Courier-Journal:

Len Bias, part 2: Make his legacy make a difference

Last month, in anticipation of this day, I wrote about how Len Bias' mother continues to salvage some good out of her son's death. The column stirred my grandmother's curiosity.

"What do you know about Len Bias?" she asked in jest.

I was only 8 when he died on June 19, 1986, exactly 20 years ago. I only remember that his cocaine overdose stunned my parents. I only cared because they cared. But somehow, 20 years later, Len Bias stays with me.

He stays with everyone who remembers him, vaguely or vividly, and with anyone who appreciates history enough to learn about him. We have this thing about unfulfilled greatness, don't we? It's far easier to watch an unbelievable talent succumb to mortality after he's had his time than to witness one fall while the clock's still ticking.

So here we are, frozen with Bias.

Can you still see the jump shot I've heard about all these years? And the hops? And the length? All the traits that made him seem like a lab-invented basketball player?

Do you believe Bias could've taken his Atlantic Coast Conference rivalry with Michael Jordan to the NBA? Do you ever think that, maybe, Bias could've carried Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics franchise once Bird's back started to weaken?

Do you ever want those memories and feelings and hopes to thaw?

His mother's fight

Maybe they don't have to.

"I believe that Len died so that others could live," said his mother, Lonise.

That is Dr. Lonise Baxter to you and me, kiddies.

We've been over her story already. She has dedicated her life to fighting drug abuse, remember? Now we must help her. We must save the next Len Bias from becoming Len Bias. Or how about just helping some young John or Jane Smith make it?

"As long as there is breath in that child's body, there is still hope," Lonise said.

She continued: "Children, they yearn for motivation and for affirmation. We have to buy into the idea that we are the medicine for our young people."

And continued: "What child wants a parent who is flippant and not responsible for them?"

Lonise is raging against something that she didn't know to rage against 20 years ago. We'll never know for sure, but there's a belief that her son didn't have a drug problem, that a one-night experimentation turned tragic.

"I had no idea at that time," Lonise said. "If he did have a problem, the only thing I would've done is work with him."

Moved to action

Here is an eloquent and highly educated woman who lost one son to a cocaine overdose and then, nearly four years later, had another (Jay) murdered in a drive-by shooting. The Bias family story isn't some common street tale filled with inevitable plot twists. It's further proof that violence and drugs can strike any family at any time.

May God have mercy on their souls.

We don't have absolute immunity. We don't. And we can't be so selfish that we refuse to help battle this plague in some manner.

We have to hound others about the dangers of drug abuse. We have to be overprotective of youths. We have to stop glorifying the lifestyles of hustlers. We have to stay ahead of the curve. We cannot relent. We must be like Lonise Bias.

"Len was my pride and joy and is deeply missed," she said.

If you love basketball and have either a memory or a respect for history, you miss Bias, too. But is it deep enough to honor him properly?

We can only answer that question through action. Bias became a legendary basketball player at the University of Maryland by playing the game as gracefully as anyone. He was a jump-out-of-your-seat talent.

It's only appropriate that his legacy create a similar reaction.

Black is back and better than ever: Esther Baxter (Part One).

From the pages of The King Abdullah Gazette:

There is something about those bracelets around the upper arms...

Why can't all Hollyweird leftists be like Cher?

I never thought I'd type that!

Fox News: Cher's Hill Appearance Draws Eyes ... to Helmet Safety Issue

The subject was whether to modify helmets for soldiers in Iraq, but all eyes were on Cher.

As photographers clicked away, the singer and actress entered a Capitol Hill hearing room through a back door 20 minutes after the session was scheduled to start. The hearing soon got under way.

Cher has donated more than $130,000 to the group Operation Helmet, which pays about $100 to modify the inside of soldiers' helmets to make them better able to absorb shock from a bomb blast.

Cher, wearing a white lace top under a black pant suit, looked solemn as she sat behind the group's founder, Dr. Bob Meaders, while he testified. Meaders said she didn't want to cause a distraction by testifying herself.

Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa., chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, noted that Cher's ex-husband, the late Rep. Sonny Bono, had served on the subcommittee. He called it a "special irony and really great tribute" to have her there.

The Army now equips its soldiers with padded helmets designed to be shock absorbent. The Marine Corps has commissioned a study to determine whether to change its helmets but has said the ones Marines use now are effective.

Even the US Marines can't avoid becoming entangled in political foolery.

Once again, I feel we are obligated to give our troops the benefit of the doubt.

American troops in shackles
Forsyth County News Front Page - Did you know there are seven young Marines and a Navy corpsman sitting in a military brig right now in leg and wrist shackles -- despite the fact that they've not been charged with any crime?

Lawyer: Pentagon Threatened Marines
CBS News - Pentagon investigators threatened the death penalty and used other coercive techniques to obtain statements from some of the seven Marines and a Navy corpsman jailed for the shooting death of an Iraqi civilian, two defense lawyers say.

Marine Corps unshackles troops under investigation
North County Times - Seven Marines and a Navy corpsman in the brig for the alleged murder of an Iraqi civilian will no longer be forced to wear shackles when visiting with relatives, meeting with attorneys or using the exercise yard, base officials announced Friday.

Marines accused in Iraq murder coerced by investigators: lawyers
CNews - Pentagon investigators threatened the death penalty and used other coercive techniques to obtain statements from some of seven U.S. marines and a navy corpsman jailed for the shooting death of an Iraqi civilian, two defence lawyers said.

Camp Pendleton: America's Gitmo?
Investor's Business Daily - Military Justice: America has in custody eight prisoners of war charged with murdering innocent civilians. They are kept in shackles. They have not been officially charged with a crime. They are United States Marines.

Thankfully, Phil Mickelson put that 'best golfer in the world' nonsense to rest yesterday.

Bloomberg.com: Mickelson, With Loss at U.S. Open, Apologizes as Golf `Idiot'

Phil Mickelson had golf history in his grasp and smacked it into a tree.

Finally! Something we Americans can relate to in the World Cup: Bad refs.

Houston Chronicle: Italy, U.S. tie in wild World Cup game
The U.S. tied 1-1 with Italy in a wild match at the World Cup Saturday which included three red cards, including two for the Americans.


Contra Costa Times: Dallas miffed at NBA over Howard's TO
With 1.9 seconds left in overtime, the Dallas Mavericks needed their last timeout to set up a potential game-winning play. Instead, they took it too early, and when they ended up losing 101-100 to the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA finals, they unleashed their anger.

Saint of the Day and daily Mass readings.

Today is the Feast of St. Romuald, founder of monasteries and the Order of Camaldoli in Tuscany. Pray for us, all you angels and saints.

Today's reading for the Feast of St. Romuald is Philippians 3:8-14.
Today's Responsorial Psalm is Psalms 131:1, 2, 3.
Today's Gospel reading is Luke 14:25-33.


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


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.


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.