SEX IS DEATH. (Attack of the hooker dolls)

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

Be careful what you teach your daughters, kiddies. We'll need their help in turning boys into gentlemen.

USA Today: Dolls lose their innocence

Memo to holiday shoppers: As you roam the doll aisles in coming weeks, looking for the perfect gift for the little girl in your life, don't panic if you suddenly think you've wandered into Victoria's Secret - or, worse, a lap-dance bar. It happens to the best of us.

This month, doll shelves are brimming with sex and glitz, as the latest lineup of 10-inch tarts strut their stuff into the hearts of girls everywhere. Mattel's slinky "My Scene" collection has ramped up the glam for the holidays with its "Fab Faces" dolls, mini-minxes with pliable mugs (Make them pout!) that come with boas, tiaras and accessories "no diva can live without."

I am surprised their faces can't be warped into giving GI Joe a Clinton.

Play Along's coquettish Dream Dancer dolls (kid sisters to the hot-pantsed Sky Dancers) should also be a big hit on Christmas morning, flashing their long legs as they spin on their signature swivel bases. (Can you say pole dance?)

Cute.

And, of course, there's MGA Entertainment's notorious Bratz dolls, those high-heeled, dewy-eyed baby fashionistas of the preschool set. Looking for all the world like tiny hookers - exposed midriffs, painted faces - the Bratz line is doing the bling thing for Christmas with its "Diamondz" collection, adding 10-carat sparkle to an accessories cache that already includes mobile phones, glitter mini-skirts and (sigh) thonglike underwear.

WTF???

You've come a long way, Raggedy Ann.

Sex indeed sells, as anyone who's ever been seduced by a flesh-soaked Calvin Klein ad or undulating iPod commercial can tell you. That's to be expected by grown-up consumers. We're easy that way. But as toymakers continue to target increasingly younger audiences with the same come-hither come-on, we have to ask ourselves, what is all this doing to our kids?

"Children are sexual beings, but in an ideal world they grow into their sexuality gradually, and in an age-appropriate way," says Jean Kilbourne, author of the book Can't Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel. "Now, there is so much pressure on them at a young age to model an adult version of sex that is way beyond their comprehension."

To say the least.

As the father of two girls, I've seen firsthand the way sex has slithered into the dollhouse - and our lives - and like most parents, I find myself stuck between a rock and a hard sell.

When my youngest daughter, Audrey, for example, asked for her first Bratz doll at age 4, I cringed. (The one she wanted, Cloe, dressed like someone I dated in college. Trust me, that's not a good thing.) And yet before I knew it, I was caving in to that age-old entreaty - "But everyone else has one!" - and plunking down my 20 bucks.

Is it impossible to say no to a child? Candy instead of vegetables? A real doll as opposed to a tiny plastic whore?

What children need is discipline - and discipline means rules, not punishment.

My guess is that I'm not the only parent whose resolve evaporates in the aisles of Toys 'R' Us. Bratz is, after all, a $2.5 billion worldwide property. If not me, some other sucker.

Billion.

If I may digress for a moment...Think of the starving in Africa.

Even so, you don't have to be a social scientist to see how, for every plastic vamp we allow to sashay through our kids' bedrooms, we are only encouraging a larger sexual trend to take root in their culture. From the boy-crazy characters in tween movies to the barely there costumes on Dancing with the Stars, sex has become something our kids are growing up with rather than growing into, and this uninvited tutoring is often occurring below the radar.

There are ways to isolate kids from this sort of evil, but it is better to prepare them for it. May I suggest the Catholic Church's teachings on sexuality?

Fortunately, parents are beginning to fight back. Hasbro was planning to trot out a chorus line of figurines modeled after raunch rockers The Pussycat Girls (Don't Ya Wish Your Girlfriend Was Hot Like Me?) - that is, until a Brooklyn mom kick-started a letter-writing campaign complaining that the torrid troupe was "definitely not for kids." Hasbro eventually scrapped the idea.

The battle is also escalating among the competing manufacturers themselves. AG Properties, which markets the more "wholesome" Holly Hobbie characters (sweet-faced kids, furry pets - you get the picture), recently commissioned a survey of 1,010 mothers with preteen daughters to determine how they feel about the army of sultry chickies invading their kids' playrooms. The results were nearly unanimous: 90% expressed a desire for a wider selection of dolls that were positive role models for young girls, while 85% said they are fed up with the "sexpot" playthings available.

Uh-oh. "Role models"? Look for Leslie The Lesbian Lawyer doll by next Christmas.

So where does all of this leave Christmas shoppers?

Like everything else with parenting, we need to be discriminating. For my money (literally), I remain a big fan of the American Girl doll line, if only because it has the audacity to teach little girls U.S. history instead of fashion tips. And yes, I've even taken a shine to the legendary Barbie, who despite her tiny-waisted, ballistically busted notoriety, has in recent years been making efforts to give parents a choice. To be sure, Babs sports some pretty risqué ensembles in her "Bling Bling" collection, but she also stars as a Dancing Princess and Rapunzel in a separate fairy tales line. And in her storybooks, she volunteers at an animal shelter and raises money for starving kids. Not bad for a 50s-era airhead.

So, big breasts equal stupidity? It sounds like somebody has a problem with more than just dolls...

But whatever we do, let's be sure not to throw the baby doll out with the bathwater. Even at 7 and 11, my daughters still occasionally seek comfort from the old gang in the toy chest, proving that, every now and then, combing through a small head of hair is just what the doctored ordered.

To quote Cyndi Lauper - herself, something of a vamp - sometimes girls just want to have fun.

Part 1: SEX IS DEATH. (Stories for boys) is here.
Part 2: SEX IS DEATH. (Distaff death) is here.
Part 3: SEX IS DEATH. (Joyously dispensing death) is here.
Part 4: SEX IS DEATH. (Sex is depression) is here.
Part 5: SEX IS DEATH. (When self-pleasuring becomes self-destruction) is here.
Part 6: SEX IS DEATH. (Sex is theft) is here.
Part 7: SEX IS DEATH. (A review of Bareback Mountain) is here.
Part 8: SEX IS DEATH. (What is the ultimate penalty?) is here.
Part 9: SEX IS DEATH. (Haven from reality) is here.
Part 10: SEX IS DEATH. (Sin-redemption-reasons-reason) is here.
Part 11: SEX IS DEATH. (Mommy loves you) is here.
Part 12: SEX IS DEATH. (George Gilder offers a clue) is here.
Part 13: SEX IS DEATH. (Post-killem depression) is here.
Part 14: SEX IS DEATH. (Whither womanhood) is here.
Part 15: SEX IS DEATH. (Saving psychology 1) is here.
Part 16: SEX IS DEATH. (Saving psychology 2) is here.
Part 17: SEX IS DEATH. (Fear of the boomers) is here.
Part 18: SEX IS DEATH. (The battle continues apace) is here.
Part 19: SEX IS DEATH. (Hot for teacher) is here.
Part 20: SEX IS DEATH. (Kids do the darndest things) is here.
Part 21: SEX IS DEATH. (Defects) is here.
Part 22: SEX IS DEATH. (Privates' privacy) is here.
Part 23: SEX IS DEATH. (National Condom Week) is here.
Part 24: SEX IS DEATH. (Wegenics) is here.
Part 25: SEX IS DEATH. (White wedding) is here.
Part 26: SEX IS DEATH. (Literally) is here.
Part 27: SEX IS DEATH. (Can't get me no satisfaction) is here.
Part 28: SEX IS DEATH. (Wrestle with mania) is here.
Part 29: SEX IS DEATH. (Press one for death/Presione uno para la muerte) is here.
Part 30: SEX IS DEATH. (Raunch culture) is here.
Part 31: SEX IS DEATH. (Gimme some of that sweet zombie lovin') is here.
Part 32: SEX IS DEATH. (The devil made me eat my baby) is here.
Part 33: SEX IS DEATH. (Mind control = womb control) is here.
Part 34: SEX IS DEATH. (The expense of playing with yourself) is here.
Part 35: SEX IS DEATH. (You can't always get what you want) is here.
Part 36: SEX IS DEATH. (Whom does a master serve?) is here.
Part 37: SEX IS DEATH. (Shootin' 5 for 8) is here.
Part 38: SEX IS DEATH. (Being a never-wed mom of four and an illegal alien is no picnic either) is here.
Part 39: SEX IS DEATH. (Duane indulges himself then goes out in a blaze of cowardice) is here.
Part 40: SEX IS DEATH. (The line is not fine at all) is here.
Part 41: SEX IS DEATH. (Worse than homelessness) is here.

Steelers Update.

From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Brown: Steelers rested, ready for Panthers
The Steelers visit Carolina on Sunday, and the game pits a pair of preseason Super Bowl favorites that find themselves at 6-7 and in must-win situations against one another.

Harris: Ike deals with 'growing pains'

Despite late run, Steelers might fall short of playoffs

Point, counterpoint: Playoffs for the Steelers?

Prisuta: Steelers' playoff chances slender, at best

Prisuta: Who wants it?

Steelers notebook

Penguins Update.

The Pens are 13-11-5, good for 31 points. They are in fourth place in the Atlantic Division, 2 points behind the Islanders and 5 points behind the Devils and Rangers, who are tied for first.

From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Pens storm back to claim win
Yes, those were rally caps -- or helmets, rather -- on the Penguins' bench on Monday night, and the fact that the players were wearing them at all was a miracle, considering the way the game started.

Down by four goals just 27 minutes into the game against the Washington Capitals, the Penguins (13-11-5) scored four unanswered goals to tie it before winning in a shootout, 5-4, to take five points out of six on their three-game road trip.

"I think it's the biggest comeback I've seen that team has made in the year that I've been here," coach Michel Therrien said.

The Penguins had to kill a penalty to start overtime, and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made four saves in the extra period to force the shootout. That's when Colby Armstrong turned his helmet backward on the bench, and his teammates quickly caught on.

"Nothing's been working, and I saw a team do that before, so I thought I'd change it up," Armstrong said. "I chucked the old helmet around, and the guys kinda thought it was stupid, but anything to get some luck, you know?"

Erik Christensen scored on the Penguins' first shot, and Mike Green missed for the Capitals. Sidney Crosby missed for the Penguins, then Alex Ovechkin went left, cut hard right and tucked the puck around Fleury's leg to tie it, 1-1. Evgeni Malkin scored on goaltender Olaf Kolzig for the lead, and Fleury stopped Chris Clark, who had two goals already on the night, for the win.

"It's nice to get a shootout win, but especially that one, the way we battled back," Crosby said. "We've had a little bit of trouble this year in shootouts, so it's nice to get the win."

It was the first game this year between the Penguins and Capitals, and the Crosby-Ovechkin matchup was at the forefront of the national telecast. Crosby, 19, finished with a goal and an assist, while Ovechkin, 21, finished with two assists. Malkin, 20, also had a goal and an assist.

Therrien put Crosby and Malkin together in the second period after the Penguins were already trailing, 4-0.

"When we're put together, we know the message, and that's to get some offense going," Crosby said. "But I don't think we want to take anything away from (Maxime) Talbot's line and (Dominic) Moore's line, because those guys made it a lot easier to get back. They really gave us the chance to win."

Talbot scored the Penguins' first goal at 6:49 of the second period with a shot from the right circle, and Christensen scored from the same spot with two minutes to go in the period to cut the Capitals' lead in half.

Thirty-five seconds later, Crosby scored from the hash marks, beating Kolzig over the glove, with a pass from Malkin to make it 4-3, and just over three minutes into the third period Malkin scored on a rebound from in front of the net to tie it.

"We have to play 60 minutes, and we didn't do that," Kolzig said. "We dominated the first period and part of the second, and then for some reason we stopped playing. They got some good players over there who will find ways to score."

Penguins notebook

LeClair not expected to report to Wilkes-Barre

Crosby vs. Ovechkin more meaningful

Malkin, Ovechkin reunite in D.C.

The Saga of David Stern and His Balls - Chapter 2.

AFP: NBA to dump new ball for old leather version
The National Basketball Association will return to using leather balls rather than the microfibre composite version that brought numerous complaints from players, NBA commissioner David Stern announced.

From The Justice Delayed Is Better Than No Justice Ever Department:

AP: Ex-Ethiopian dictator Mengistu convicted of genocide

Senator Token Update.

The AmericaLast media's infatuation with Senator Token is really an attempt to obscure his left-fascist record. They must not not be allowed to succeed.

NY Post: Barackground Info

ULTRA-LIB RECORD & LAND-BUY FLAP
by Ian Bishop

Barack Hussein Obama is a soaring political superstar right now - but he also sports one of the most liberal voting records in the Senate and has a shady land deal in his recent past.

Democratic activists are swooning over Obama as the party's presidential alternative to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, but critics say voters still have a lot to learn about the first-term Illinois Democrat.

Largely overlooked in the hubbub over the Democrats' election sweep last month was Obama's backpedaling over a questionable land deal he struck in 2005 with a tainted political fund-raiser, Tony Rezko, who has since been indicted by feds in an alleged pay-to-play scheme.

The seeds for the deal were planted in 2004, when Obama got a big-money book contract after winning his Senate seat. With the book cash, he bought a swanky Illinois mansion in June 2005 for $1.65 million. On the same day that Obama closed on the home, Rezko paid $625,000 for the adjacent vacant lot.

Six months later, Obama expanded the size of his yard by buying a strip of Rezko's land for only $105,000.

Obama insists the transaction was aboveboard, but he has been contrite about the appearance of impropriety.

"It was a mistake to have been engaged with him [Rezko] at all in this or any other personal business dealing that would allow him, or anyone else, to believe that he had done me a favor," Obama said in a statement distributed to Chicago reporters.
"For that reason, I consider this a mistake on my part, and I regret it."

In the Senate, Obama's liberal voting record belies the centrist themes he strikes on the stump.

The liberal lobbying group Americans for Democratic Action gives Obama a 100 percent voting rating - 5 points to the left of Sen. Ted Kennedy, who gets a 95 percent grade.

Obama backed a withdrawal of troops from Iraq, supported international funding for groups that provide abortion, and opposed reauthorization of the Patriot Act.

And a Congressional Quarterly review found Obama has a near-perfect partisan voting record, casting his lot with the Democratic Party line 97 percent of the time - higher than Clinton and dead even with Sen. John Kerry (Mass.).

Augusto Pinochet, Requiescat in pace.

Some day, when the totalitarian left no longer controls the writing of history texts, Mr. Pinochet may be remembered as the Franco of South America. (On that glorious day, that will be recognized as a very good thing, kiddies.)

OpinionJournal: The Pinochet Paradox
A Cold War dictator who paved the way for democracy.

Augusto Pinochet died on Sunday at the age of 91, more than 18 years after he agreed to a 1988 plebiscite that turned him out of power. The standard Pinochet narrative is to emphasize the loss of liberty during the 17 years he ruled the country as a military dictator. The real story is more complicated.

Though General Pinochet became a devil symbol of the international left, he was a far more complex figure and cannot be understood apart from the global Cold War conflict of which he and his country were a part. Pinochet's legacy is a paradox--a long string of them.

He took power in a coup in 1973, but ultimately he created an environment where democratic institutions would prevail. He is responsible for the death and torture that occurred on his watch, but had Salvador Allende succeeded in turning Chile into another Cuba, many more might have died.

Late in life it emerged that he had probably stashed millions in personal bank accounts. But he also supported the free-market reforms that have made Chile prosperous and the envy of its neighbors. Finally, his legacy includes a Chile that is democratic, that truly belongs to the Chilean people; it exists in stark contrast to the nearly five decades of personal (and soon to be fraternal) dictatorship that Fidel Castro is leaving in Cuba.

Pinochet proved the truth of Jeane Kirkpatrick's Cold War distinction between authoritarian and totalitarian regimes, with the former far more likely to evolve into freer places. That the international left still gives Castro higher marks is something for democrats everywhere to ponder. The popular notion that the U.S. sanctioned the coup or condoned Pinochet's torture also hasn't held up under historical scrutiny. In particular, his behavior can't be understood without considering the behavior of the Allende government he deposed.

Contrary to mythology, Allende was never a popular figure in Chile. He garnered only 36% of the vote in the 1970 election. His path to the presidency had to run through Chile's congress. Reluctantly, the Christian Democrats agreed to let him go forward only after he promised to accept a "Statute of Guarantees" supporting the rule of law. In office, he moved fast and hard to the left.

Government threats to jail journalists in 1972 brought condemnation from the Inter-American Press Association and the International Press Institute. That same year, shortages and spiraling inflation sent Chilean housewives to the streets banging pots and pans. In the first days of 1973, Allende proclaimed government rationing.

In March, he tried to further accelerate the state's unlawful assault on private property through expropriation. In May the 14 members of the Supreme Court denounced "an open and willful contempt of judicial decisions [by the executive]" that threatened an "imminent breakdown of legality." Throughout 1973 street violence escalated. The coup came in September.

The official death toll of the Pinochet dictatorship is some 3,197. An estimated 2,796 of those died in the first two weeks of fighting between the army and the Allende-armed militias. The balance died in the next 17 years. The Pinochet dictatorship was fraught with illegality. Civil liberties were lost and opponents tortured. But over time, with the return of private property, the rule of law and a freer economy, democratic institutions also returned. An economic crisis in 1982 led to even more economic liberalization.

Let no one doubt that, for the peoples of many nations, the Cold War years were dark times. Like Spain's Franco, Pinochet was an authoritarian who resisted the Communists and created the foundation of what would become a democratic transition. What remains is a Chile that has the healthiest economy in Latin America, a free press and a competitive political system that has allowed Socialists to come to power.

Coming in 2007 from TheChurchMilitant!

Selections from the " Latin for the Illiterati " and " Shakespeare's Insults " 365-day calendars!

Stay tuned and learn, kiddies!

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.

The picture really constitutes Guadalupe. It makes the shrine: it occasions the devotion. It is taken as representing the Immaculate Conception, being the lone figure of the woman with the sun, moon, and star accompaniments of the great apocalyptic sign, and in addition a supporting angel under the crescent. Its tradition is, as the new Breviary lessons declare, "long-standing and constant". Oral and written, Indian and Spanish, the account is unwavering. To a neophyte, fifty five years old, named Juan Diego, who was hurrying down Tepeyac hill to hear Mass in Mexico City, on Saturday, 9 December, 1531, the Blessed Virgin appeared and sent him to Bishop Zumárraga to have a temple built where she stood. She was at the same place that evening and Sunday evening to get the bishop's answer. He had not immediately believed the messenger; having cross-questioned him and had him watched, he finally bade him ask a sign of the lady who said she was the mother of the true God. The neophyte agreed so readily to ask any sign desired, that the bishop was impressed and left the sign to the apparition. Juan was occupied all Monday with Bernardino, an uncle, who seemed dying of fever. Indian specifics failed; so at daybreak on Tuesday, 12 December, the grieved nephew was running to the St. James's convent for a priest. To avoid the apparition and untimely message to the bishop, he slipped round where the well chapel now stands. But the Blessed Virgin crossed down to meet him and said: "What road is this thou takest son?" A tender dialogue ensued. Reassuring Juan about his uncle whom at that instant she cured, appearing to him also and calling herself Holy Mary of Guadalupe she bade him go again to the bishop. Without hesitating he joyously asked the sign. She told him to go up to the rocks and gather roses. He knew it was neither the time nor the place for roses, but he went and found them. Gathering many into the lap of his tilma a long cloak or wrapper used by Mexican Indians he came back. The Holy Mother, rearranging the roses, bade him keep them untouched and unseen till he reached the bishop. Having got to the presence of Zumárraga, Juan offered the sign. As he unfolded his cloak the roses fell out, and he was startled to see the bishop and his attendants kneeling before him: the life size figure of the Virgin Mother, just as he had described her, was glowing on the poor tilma. A great mural decoration in the renovated basilica commemorates the scene. The picture was venerated, guarded in the bishop's chapel, and soon after carried processionally to the preliminary shrine.

The coarsely woven stuff which bears the picture is as thin and open as poor sacking. It is made of vegetable fibre, probably maguey. It consists of two strips, about seventy inches long by eighteen wide, held together by weak stitching. The seam is visible up the middle of the figure, turning aside from the face. Painters have not understood the laying on of the colours. They have deposed that the "canvas" was not only unfit but unprepared; and they have marvelled at apparent oil, water, distemper, etc. colouring in the same figure. They are left in equal admiration by the flower-like tints and the abundant gold. They and other artists find the proportions perfect for a maiden of fifteen. The figure and the attitude are of one advancing. There is flight and rest in the eager supporting angel. The chief colours are deep gold in the rays and stars, blue green in the mantle, and rose in the flowered tunic.

Saint of the Day and daily Mass readings.

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Pray for us, Blessed Mother.


Today's reading for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is Apocalypse 11:19; 12:1-6, 10.
Today's Responsorial is Judith 13:18,19.
Today's Gospel reading is Luke 1:39-47.


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.

DAY 110: PLUTO HELD HOSTAGE

Barack The Baby

Writing at FrontPageMagazine.com, Dick Morris and Eileen McGann rip Senator Token's juvenile crayon scribblings.

In reading Senator Barack Obama’s #1 bestseller, The Audacity of Hope, one begins to wonder whether he is another cynical politician or just a helplessly naïve neophyte.

Ouch!

After a few chapters, one actually has the audacity to hope that it is his inexperience — and nothing sinister — that accounts for his sometimes silly and often misleading narrative. Anyone who is that naive should not be a U.S. Senator, much less the president.

Ouch!

Obama is a uniquely charismatic candidate who has catapulted into second place among democratic primary voters, forcing Hillary Clinton to hastily abandon her coy pretense that she hasn’t made a decision about whether to run. He inspires people by his story, his demeanor and his message.

But if his book offers a window into the real Barack Obama, one thing is certain: He has a long way to go before he is ready for the presidency. He’s only been in the U.S. Senate for two years and before that, he was a state senator and a professor of constitutional law. He’s never been an administrator, met a payroll, developed a budget, or solved a crisis. It’s not only his greenness that sends out warnings; at times, he doesn’t seem to grasp the implications of all that he writes. At other times, his words have a distinct disconnect with his actions and legislative record.

Ouch!

Sometimes he sounds downright juvenile. Consider this missive, which opens chapter five: “One thing about being a U.S. Senator - you fly a lot.” Brilliant! It gets worse: “Most of the time I fly … in coach, hoping for an aisle or window seat” (But not always.) “ … there are times when … I fly on a private jet.” Then, “the flying experience is a good deal different.” Wow. Obama then describes the experience: “lounges that feature big soft couches and big screen TVs.” Hog heaven. “Restrooms are generally empty and spotless, and have those mechanical shoe-shine machines and mouthwash and mints in a bowl.” The planes? “Well, they’re nice.” The purpose of the trip was “fund raising” but the senator was thrilled when his staff “explained to him” that he could travel on “someone else’s jet” and only have to pay the comparatively minor cost of first class airfare.

Heehee!

There’s no mention of the special interests that pay for those corporate jets for senators or about the lobbyists that usually accompany them, using the down time to fill their heads with information and arguments for their client’s legislative priorities. All we learn from Obama is how la dolce vita prevails at private airports.

Ouch!

Obama actually took 23 separate trips on corporate jets during his first year in the Senate, until he was appointed as the democratic point man on ethics legislation last year, following the Jack Abramoff scandal involving lobbyists paying for Congressional travel. Given the political atmosphere and the intense probe of Congressional travel, it would not have been good politics for him to continue to avail himself of the lobbyist largesse. So, that’s when he stopped taking the free rides. Cushy sofas or not.

Ouch!

Obama is a political infant, a babe in the woods. He’s a Jimmy Carter, running for president based on his personal moral outlook, his background and history, and making a virtue out of his limited knowledge of how American government works. One thing is sure - in the age of terrorism, we don’t need a president who can’t find the men’s room.

Heehee! Weewee.

Obama’s book is replete with paeans to non-partisanship and rising above the bitterness of the blue/red divide. He sees the virtues in his political opponents. “I find it possible,” he declares, “to understand their motives, and to recognize in them the values I share.”

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

But, in reality, Obama is no "third way” politician. He is a party line Democrat, according to the National Journal, the 18th most liberal member of the Senate, which puts him ahead of (or behind) 60% of his fellow Democrats in the Senate. The gospel according to Planned Parenthood? He gets 100%. Right to life? Zero. The AFL-CIO celebrates his vote with them on nine out of ten issues and the ACLU agrees.

Eek! A left-fascist totalitarian in moderate clothing! What'll they think of next?

He talks like a moderate, but he votes like a liberal.

This deception, which he shares in common with Hillary, (Wow. Could that really be a coincidence? - F.G.) would be par for the Washington course. But it is the sound bites that festoon his book that lead one to suspect that he really doesn’t understand the facts or the issues.

For example, he writes, “we say we value the legacy we leave the next generation and then saddle that generation with mountains of debt.” Really? Has the senator noticed that the deficit is now down to only a bit more than 2% of our GDP, or is that sound bite too precious to lose in the face of the facts?

Ouch!

Or - he accuses us of tolerating “schools that don’t teach, that are chronically underfunded and understaffed and underinspired.” We hate to get in the way of his speechwriter’s momentum, but how about the central issues: teacher incompetence, the need for merit pay and the importance of waiving tenure to get rid of bad instructors?

Ha! Don't hold your breath.

He speaks of an increasingly wealthy “knowledge class” of Americans able to purchase “whatever they want on the marketplace — private schools, private health care, private security and private jets.” But then he opposes the voucher system designed to give the poor parity in purchasing power for private education.

And then he says that voters are tired of “sound bite solutions to complicated problems.” So are his readers.

HEEHEE!

Senator Barack Obama could indeed represent something new in our politics instead of something old and simply repackaged. He could step up and truly develop a third way, carrying on where Bill Clinton left off on issues of poverty, race, standards, education and global competitiveness. But Bill Clinton worked hard at grappling with our problems and designing real solutions. He immersed himself in the data and worked hard to learn how to be president.

Great. Obama is the first black Clinton.

Oy vey! Dick, does ol' King Goober II still have photos of you in flagrante delicto ?

But Obama is taking the easy way out - skimming the surface, sloganeering and hiding behind Democratic orthodoxy while pretending to be something else.

The saving grace is that he is young and just starting out. If he pays the same attention to substance that he appears to have spent acquiring a profound understanding of constitutional law — which he used to teach — then he has the potential to be a great figure.

But he’s not there yet.

Ack! We have to hope he's going to magically change from a Leninist-Leninist statist to a real live boy with a conscience that has not been quashed by ideology?

No thanks, Dick. We'll look elsewhere.

'Livestock's Long Shadow'*

Memo To Chick-Fil-A's Ad Agency: Below find your new campaign, created for you gratis by the One Worlders. The copy practically writes itself.

Evening Standard: Cows 'do more harm than cars', says UN
Cows generate more greenhouse gases than all forms of transport combined, a United Nations report has revealed.

The methane and carbon dioxide they produce is killing off vast tracts of forest and coral reefs, contributing to acid rain and destroying fragile ecosystems.

The study, called *Livestock's Long Shadow, warns that drastic action is needed.

Its author, Henning Steinfeld, said: "Livestock are one of the most significant contributors to today's most serious environmental problems.

"Urgent action is needed to remedy the situation. The environmental costs per unit of livestock production must be cut by half just to avoid the level of damage worsening beyond its present level."

I can see it now...Blue helmeted child-rapists charging across the globe to bravely gun down every Angus, Blonde d'Aquitaine, Nellore, and Romagnola they can find.

Behold the genius of Robert Gates!

Roto-Reuters: Israelis piqued by Gates nuclear "confirmation"

Robert Gates, the incoming U.S. secretary of defense, won plaudits in Washington this week for his candor on the Iraq war.

Some Israelis were less pleased, however, to hear Gates mention with equal frankness what U.S. administrations have long avoided uttering in public -- that the Jewish state has the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal.

To be fair, it was pretty oblique.

During his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Gates speculated on why Iran might be seeking the means to build an atomic bomb. "They are surrounded by powers with nuclear weapons: Pakistan to their east, the Russians to the north, the Israelis to the west and us in the Persian Gulf," he said.

The statement led Israeli news bulletins, with some pundits suggesting that former CIA chief Gates may have breached a U.S. "don't ask, don't tell" policy dating back to the late 1960s.

"I haven't a clue why Gates made those remarks," Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, a member of Israel's security cabinet, said in a radio interview.

A retired Israeli diplomat, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, called the testimony "quite unprecedented" and added: "I can only assume he (Gates) has yet to get to grips with the understandings that exist between us and the Americans.

I think everybody, including the Israelis, should be upset with the apparent moral relativism of Gates' statement. Iran is not just another country. Heck, Pakistan with the bomb is bad enough (When their current Generalismo goes, we are going to need India's help. Big time.) but the crazed, bloodthirsty goat rapists who run Iran are dangerous now and will be very dangerous tomorrow.

From The Power of Women Department:

KRLA radio in Los Angeles has a traffic reporter named Lucy Hill who delivers the hideous road conditions in a delightful British (?) accent. Having bad news borne to me by Lucy's dulcet voice just might make the soul-crushing LA traffic a bit more bearable.

Governor Mormon's campaign has run aground upon the rocks (sorry) of sodomite appeasement.

AP: Gov. Romney's record on homosexuals questioned

Boston - Gov. Mitt Romney's beliefs on gay issues are under scrutiny after the re-emergence of a letter he wrote during his 1994 run for U.S. Senate in which he promised a gay Republicans group he would be a stronger advocate for gays than Sen. Edward Kennedy.

That is physically and morally impossible.

Romney's views in the letter contrast with recent statements by the Massachusetts governor, who has emphasized his opposition to gay marriage as he positions himself as a committed conservative in preparation for an expected 2008 run for the Republican presidential nomination.

He's a typical politician. He wants to be all things to all perverts.

News Item: KKK hosts 'Myth of Slavery' conference.

AFP: Iran hosts forum to question Holocaust
Iran has defied an international outcry as it held a conference that questioned the truth of the Holocaust and was attended by a number of controversial Western "revisionist" historians.

Oh, yeah...These guys are rational enough to be allowed to have nuclear weapons.

Unsurprising Headline of the Day.

AP: Annan criticizes U.S. in farewell speech
Independence, Missouri - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi "Alack and" Annan, in his farewell address, criticized the Bush administration, warning that America must not sacrifice its Democratic ideals while waging war against terrorism.

As if a third world kleptocrat has any idea what democracy is!

Good riddance, you thieving bastard.

If you don't get paid, blame the squirrels...

Cincinnati's magical season continues apace.

There must be something in the booze they serve in the city that is soooooo proud it's not Cleveland...

AP: Bengals' Deltha O'Neal charged with DWI

...'cause Number 8 followed closely on the heels of Number 7.

DAMN! Isn't it about time we execute this racist cop-killer?

The Morning Call: 300 rally for Mumia Abu-Jamal
About 300 people rallied Saturday in support of Mumia Abu-Jamal, 25 years to the day after the murder for which he was sentenced to death.

Since I know you are just dying to know how the French are reporting this story...

Independent Media Center: 25 ans plus tard.Dernière chance pour Mumia Abu-Jamal. Soutien en France inculpé
Le prisonier noir condamné à mort et journaliste mondialement réputé Mumia Abu-Jamal fut condamné pour l'assassinat du policier blanc de Philadelphie Daniel Faulkner lors d'un procès en 1982 qu'Amnesty International qualifie d'inéquitable.

BTW, Mumia is a journalist like the French are warriors.

The crackup of my idiot Italian cousins continues apace.

Roto-Reuters.co.uk: Vatican criticises Italy plans on gay, unwed couples
Rome - The Vatican said on Saturday Italy's left sought to "eradicate" the traditional family by adding to its Christmas wish-list legislation that would give legal rights to unwed couples, including homosexual ones.

The Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, said in an editorial that politicians in the ruling centre-left coalition were embarking on a "senseless battle". They aim to put forward a bill by the end of January.

"Fifteen days to Christmas. And there are those making other calculations, thinking of other deadlines," it wrote in its weekend edition.

The headline read: "Christmas 2006: To eradicate the family is the priority of Italian politics."

Prime Minister Romano Prodi was elected in April on a campaign platform that included some sort of legal recognition of unwed couples. But he has so far stopped short of openly supporting gay marriage, a divisive issue in Catholic Italy.

He greeted a Senate motion on Thursday urging some recognition of heterosexual and homosexual couples as a "step forward".

Equal Opportunity Minister Barbara Pollastrini said she would start working on a draft law in the coming days so it would be ready by the Senate's requested January deadline.

This outraged centre-right politicians. But the motion, partly a compromise after lawmakers dropped a measure about unwed couples' inheritance, has also stirred up controversy within Prodi's cabinet.

Justice Minister Clemente Mastella, who is also a senator, said in comments published by Italia media on Saturday that he was ready to cast his first vote against the ruling majority unless the traditional family was fully protected. Continued...

Vatican Backs Bishop Bruskewitz.

KETV: Vatican Upholds 'Call To Action' Excommunications
Lincoln, Nebraska - The Vatican has upheld the 1996 excommunications of several Lincoln area members of Call to Action, a Catholic reform (Ha! Guess what religious denomination the AmericaLast media hates most! - F.G.) group. A Nov. 24 letter to Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of the Lincoln Diocese said his decision was "properly taken within your competence as pastor of that diocese."

Ironic Sports Injury of the Day.

***UPDATE ***

From ESPN.com: Johnson, riding on golf cart's roof, fractures wrist

***UPDATE***

ESPN.com: Johnson sidelined with fractured wrist
Nextel Cup champ Jimmie Johnson was involved in an accident this week -- a golf cart accident. Johnson, who was not at the wheel, was at a charity tournament when he fell out of the cart.

Ron Jeremy, (sorry) call your office.

AP: Scottish school says fountain pens boost performance

Fyodor's Headlinks...

...or, Huh?

The Washington Times: Britain expects aliens to conform People wanting to settle in Britain must conform to its tolerant values or stay away, Prime Minister Tony Blair said yesterday.


KhaleejTimes.com: Britain starts to drop US term “war on terror”
Britain’s Foreign Office is urging government officials to stop using the US term “war on terror” amid concerns it angers British Muslims and...
(Thanks to Michael Savage for the heads up.)

Religion of Peace and Mall Bombing and Jew Stabbing and Judge Killing and Perpetual Outrage, Et Cetera, Update.

Mr. Derrick Shareef, noted American convert to mohammedism, wanted to stab a few Jews to death outside their temples as well as blow up Christians doing their Christmas shopping. Can you guess why you didn't see that in the AmericaLast media, kiddies?

Thank goodness for TheSmokingGun:

Shopping Mall Terror Plot Foiled
FBI: Man planned "to disrupt Christmas" with "acts of jihad"

DECEMBER 8--An Illinois man plotted to set off hand grenades at a Chicago-area shopping mall in a holiday season terror campaign that was thwarted by federal investigators. According to an FBI affidavit, Derrick Shareef, 22, told a confidential source that he wanted to "commit violent acts of jihad," and spoke of killing judges and blowing up public buildings. A copy of the affidavit can be found below. Shareef told the snitch that he sought "to disrupt Christmas," adding that, "I swear by Allah man, I'm down for it too, I'm down for the cause, I'm down to live for the cause and die for the cause, man." The document does not further describe the supposed cause of Shareef, who was named today in a federal felony complaint. Shareef is quoted telling the FBI source, "I probably would have eventually ended up stabbing the shit outta some Jews or something. Just stabbing them niggers with a steak knife...Because during that war with Hezbollah, man, I had already started to look at synagogues out here...I was doing MapQuest." In advance of a planned attack on a Rockford mall, Shareef prepared a martyr's videotape in which he let the "enemies of Islam" know that "the time for jihad is now." He added, "This is a warning to those who disbelieve, that we are here for you, and I am ready to give my life...May Allah protect me on this mission we conduct." Shareef was arrested Wednesday afternoon, moments after trading a set of stereo speakers for four nonfunctioning grenades provided to him by an undercover agent.

The entire eleven page affidavit is available at the link above. It makes for some interesting reading.

News item: Well intentioned rabbi underestimates the mendacity and perfidy of the politically correct mob.

CNN.com: Seattle airport removes Christmas trees to avoid lawsuit
All nine Christmas trees have been removed from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport instead of adding a giant Jewish menorah to the holiday display as a rabbi had requested.

Maintenance workers boxed up the trees during the graveyard shift early Saturday, when airport bosses believed few people would notice.

"We decided to take the trees down because we didn't want to be exclusive," said airport spokeswoman Terri-Ann Betancourt.
"We're trying to be thoughtful and respectful, and will review policies after the first of the year."

Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky, who made his request weeks ago, said he was appalled by the decision. He had hired a lawyer and threatened to sue if the Port of Seattle didn't add the menorah next to the trees, which had been festooned with red ribbons and bows.

"Everyone should have their spirit of the holiday. For many people the trees are the spirit of the holidays, and adding a menorah adds light to the season," said Bogomilsky, who works in Seattle at the regional headquarters for Chabad Lubavitch, a Jewish education foundation.

After consulting with lawyers, port staff believed that adding the menorah would have required adding symbols for other religions and cultures in the Northwest. The holidays are the busiest season at the airport, Betancourt said, and staff didn't have time to play cultural anthropologists.

Cute, you moron.

Hanukkah begins this Friday at sundown.

"They've darkened the hall instead of turning the lights up," said Bogomilsky's lawyer, Harvey Grad. "There is a concern here that the Jewish community will be portrayed as the Grinch."

Of course, Michael Savage has a slightly different take:

"Christmas trees removed from airport because of threats by idiotic rabbi" (JEWS AWAKEN! THIS TYPE OF ACT TURNS YOUR BEST FRIENDS AGAINST YOU!)

As a gentile, I can't really say that sort of thing, but it does make sense...

Food For The Poor

Food For The Poor, Inc.

Food For The Poor (FFP) ministers to spiritually renew impoverished people throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Established in 1982 as a 501(c)(3)corporation, our goals are to improve the health, economic, social and spiritual conditions of the men, women and children we serve.

Food For The Poor raises funds and provides direct relief assistance to the poor, usually by purchasing specifically requested materials and distributing them through the churches and charity organizations already operating in areas of need. In this way, the organization serves the poor with dignity and ensures the most appropriate use of donors' funds.

Since its founding in 1982, Food For The Poor (FFP), a Christian international aid organization, distributed more than $2.3 billion in food, medical, educational, building and small business supplies to 16 countries in the Caribbean and Central America. The organization maintains an average administrative overhead of 4 percent -- ensuring the poor receive 96 percent of all donations.

Food For The Poor follows the principle that education and self-help must fortify charity work so recipients learn to break the cycle of poverty. FFP supports programs to teach recipients how to raise livestock, develop small businesses and provides agricultural assistance to independent farmers.


DONATION OPTIONS

Featured Projects

Gift Catalog
On special occasions, give friends and loved ones something that will be cherished and touch their hearts.

You can save a life
For about the price of a cup of coffee, you can feed a child for a month.
Read More
Donate Now

Haiti Housing
Your gift for housing will not only help build homes, it will provide much-needed jobs.
Read More
Donate Now

General Fund
Use my donation where it is most needed.


Monthly Giving Clubs

Angels Of Hope
For about a dollar a day, you can help support a child in our Angels Of Hope program.
Read More
Sponsor A Child

Angels Of The Poor
Express your ongoing concern for the most disadvantaged of Gods children.
Read More
Join Now


In Memorium / In Honor Of

Tribute Gifts
Make a financial gift in honor of a loved one.

Bethany Village
Sponsor a home for a poor family in honor of someone special.
Read More
Sponsor A Home


Donate By Mail

Print the form and mail the donation to:

Food For The Poor
550 SW 12th Avenue, Dept. 9662
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

Those folks on the Gulf Coast are our neighbors. You know what to do.

Does everyone now see the futility of government action?

No, of course not.

After more than a year of vote-buying and blame-assignment, at least $110 billion US taxpayer dollars (We have got off light - so far. See below.) have been spent and the region is still a mess. That is no surprise to TheChurchMilitant.

People are the most important resource in the world, and not only cannot government EVER meet the needs of ANYONE, ANYWHERE, at ANYTIME its actions are ALWAYS destructive and corrupting.

For the past year I have given you an opportunity to TRULY help our brothers and sisters in Christ who have suffered from the effects of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita through Catholic Charities USA.

While not perfect (What endeavor of man is?) Catholic Charities USA is infinitely better than the vile slavery offered to the poor and forgotten by our moral and intellectual superiors.

I would like to request another prayer from you, Gentle Reader, as the second year of recovery continues. Please pray to Almighty God that all men may throw off the shackles of ignorance and servitude that demean them and stifle their immortal souls.


First, last, and always, PRAY. Pray for the survivors. Pray for the repose of the souls of those who were killed. Pray for the families and friends. Pray for the relief workers, the cops, the firemen, the troops, and the technicians. Pray for the volunteers.

It is time to step up once again, kiddies. "Do unto others", "I was naked and you clothed me", et cetera.

As time passes, the memory of these disasters will fade for those of us fortunate enough to live outside the devastated areas, but recovery and restoration will take years.

Please, whatever you do, don't become a cynic. (I know, I know. But I just play one on the computer.) Of course there will be more horror stories like the abuse of the debit cards and that $250-odd billion federal package will produce insane amounts of corruption, but our fellow Americans will be suffering from Katrina for a long time.

True charity, (News Flash! Taxes ARE NOT charity.) like the money you donate to Catholic Charities will help the truly needy and will not foster dependency.


Providing Help. Creating Hope.
Catholic Charities Continues to Minister to Hurricane Victims

The presence of our Lord is clearly seen in the loving and caring disaster response efforts of Catholic Charities. Over the past year, we have been providing help and creating hope for the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in every corner of the Gulf Coast region and beyond. Yet our work is not done. Thousands remain in desperate need. But they will not walk the long road to recovery alone. For as long as the need remains, Catholic Charities is committed to rebuilding better communities, helping families become self sufficient, and helping victims to overcome their grief and trauma.

Read the one year report here.



Thanks to Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities assisted an evacuee by installing a stair glide. The family lived in a one-story home with a ground level entry in New Orleans. When they were relocated to the Pittsburgh area they moved into a ranch home with an attached garage. When they requested help, Mr. A fell trying to navigate the steps from the basement to the first floor and became depressed as he was basically home bound. He was referred for counseling and a stair glide was provided for his safety. Once the stair glide was provided, there was a significant improvement with Mr. A. He no longer feared leaving his home. The stair glide was installed several days before Christmas and the family stated, “Our Christmas was a little better thanks to Catholic Charities.” Catholic Charities, Diocese of Pittsburgh

Read more stories of how Catholic Charities have made a difference

Click here to learn about volunteer opportunities with Catholic Charities to help Gulf Coast families rebuild.


Catholic Charities USA is collecting financial donations to Catholic Charities agencies’ emergency and long-term recovery efforts in the wake of both Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. Catholic Charities USA is consistently ranked among the highest and most efficient organizations across the country. Approximately 96 percent of contributions made to the 2005 Hurricane Relief Fund will be used for emergency response and recovery efforts.


Mail Checks To:

Catholic Charities USA
2005 Hurricane Relief Fund
PO Box 25168
Alexandria, VA 22313-9788

Call: (800) 919-9338

Contribute Now Online


FAQs
FAQ - Donations
FAQ - Hurricane Relief


How you can help:
Unfortunately, Catholic Charities USA is unable to accept contributions of food, clothing, blankets and other relief supplies. Monetary donations will be used to provide for the emergency relief and long-term recovery of Katrina's and Rita's victims.
Catholic Charities USA is consistently ranked among the highest and most efficient organizations across the country.

Approximately 96 percent of contributions made to the 2005 Hurricane Relief Fund will be used for emergency response and recovery efforts.

About the Disaster Response Office
Catholic Charities USA, which has been commissioned by the U.S. Catholic Bishops to represent the Catholic community in times of domestic disaster, responds with emergency and long-term assistance as needed. Its Disaster Response Office connects the Church's social service agencies and disaster planning offices across the nation.

And, as always, give generously to the special collections for hurricance disaster relief in your local parish.

More sad news: New Orleans is back to 'normal'.

Crosswalk.com: Louisiana Voters Send William Jefferson Back to Washington
(CNSNews.com) - Even a liberal group is calling it "sad" that voters in Louisiana's 2\super nd\nosupersub Congressional District have re-elected Rep. William Jefferson to a ninth term.

The Democrat - who's being investigated for bribery - defeated Democratic State Rep. Karen Carter, 57-43 percent, in Saturday's runoff election.

Carter was quoted as saying that she guesses the people of Louisiana "are happy with the status quo."

Results of this weekend's football picks.

Sadly, I tried to pick NFL games on Thursday 12/7, Sunday 12/10, and Monday 12/11. Once again, I produced a sub-par 7 and 9 record. I may have to go with the opposite picks from here on out...

Saint of the Day and daily Mass readings.

Today is the Feast of Pope St. Damasus I, who commissioned St. Jerome to translate the Scriptures into Latin and changed the liturgical language of the Church from Greek to Latin. Pray for us, all you angels and saints.


Today's reading forthe Feast of Pope St. Damasus I is Acts 20:17-18, 28-32, 36.
Today's Responsorial Psalm is Psalms 110:1, 2, 3, 4.
Today's Gospel reading is John 15:9-17.


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.