In his General Audience of 4 July 1984, the Holy Father continued his catechesis on Theology of the Body. He returned to the fifth chapter of Ephesians to examine how the "language of the body" is elevated by the language of liturgy to a "great mystery," the Sacrament of Matrimony.
The Language of the Body: Actions and Duties Forming the Spirituality of Marriage
At the general audience in St Peter's Square on Wednesday morning, 4 July, Pope John Paul II continued his series of catechetical talks on the theology of human love, basing his reflections on the biblical reading from Ephesians 5:22, 24-25.
1. Today let us return to the classic text of the fifth chapter of the Letter to the Ephesians, which reveals the eternal sources of the covenant of the Father's love and at the same time the new and definitive institution of that covenant in Jesus Christ.
This text brings us to such a dimension of the language of the body that could be called mystical. It speaks of marriage as a great mystery—"This is a great mystery" (Eph 5:32). This mystery is fulfilled in the spousal union of Christ the Redeemer with the Church, and of the Church-Spouse with Christ ("I mean that it refers to Christ and the Church"— Eph 5:22), and it is definitively carried out in eschatological dimensions. Nevertheless the author of the Letter to the Ephesians does not hesitate to extend the analogy of Christ's union with the Church in spousal love, outlined in such an absolute and eschatological way, to the sacramental sign of the matrimonial pact between man and woman, who "defer to one another out of reverence for Christ" (Eph 5:21). He does not hesitate to extend that mystical analogy to the "language of the body," reread in the truth of the spousal love and the conjugal union of the two.
2. We must recognize the logic of this marvelous text which radically frees our way of thinking from elements of Manichaeism or from a non-personalistic consideration of the body. At the same time it brings the language of the body, contained in the sacramental sign of matrimony, nearer to the dimension of real sanctity.
The sacraments inject sanctity into the plan of man's humanity. They penetrate the soul and body, the femininity and the masculinity of the personal subject, with the power of sanctity. All of this is expressed in the language of the liturgy. It is expressed there and brought about there.
The liturgy, liturgical language, elevates the conjugal pact of man and woman, based on the language of the body reread in truth, to the dimensions of mystery. At the same time it enables that pact to be fulfilled in these dimensions through the language of the body.
It is precisely the sign of the sacrament of marriage that speaks of this. In liturgical language this sign expresses an interpersonal event, laden with intense personal content, assigned to the two "until death." The sacramental sign signifies not only the fieri (the "becoming")—the birth of the marriage—but builds its whole esse (its "being"), its duration, both the one and the other as a sacred and sacramental reality, rooted in the dimension of the covenant and grace—in the dimension of creation and redemption. In this way, the liturgical language assigns to both, to the man and to the woman, love, fidelity and conjugal honesty through the language of the body. It assigns them the unity and the indissolubility of marriage in the language of the body. It assigns them as a duty all the sacrum (holy) of the person and of the communion of persons, and likewise their femininity and masculinity—precisely in this language.
Profound experience of the holy
3. In this sense we affirm that liturgical language becomes the language of the body. This signifies a series of acts and duties which form the spirituality of marriage, its ethos. In the daily life of the spouses these acts become duties, and the duties become acts. These acts—as also the commitments—are of a spiritual nature. Nevertheless, they are expressed at the same time with the language of the body.
The author of the Letter to the Ephesians writes in this regard: "Husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies..." (Eph 5:28) ("as he loves himself"--Eph 5:33), and "the wife for her part showing respect for her husband" (Eph 5:33). Both, for that matter, are to "defer to one another out of reverence for Christ" (Eph 5:21).
The "language of the body," as an uninterrupted continuity of liturgical language, is expressed not only as the attraction and mutual pleasure of the Song of Songs, but also as a profound experience of the sacrum (the holy). This seems to be infused in the very masculinity and femininity through the dimension of the mysterium (mystery), the mysterium magnum of the Letter to the Ephesians. This mystery sinks its roots precisely in the beginning, that is, in the mystery of the creation of man, male and female, in the image of God, called from the beginning to be the visible sign of God's creative love.
4. So therefore that reverence for Christ and respect which the author of the Letter to the Ephesians speaks of, is none other than a spiritually mature form of that mutual attraction—man's attraction to femininity and woman's attraction to masculinity, which is revealed for the first time in Genesis (Gn 2:23-25). Consequently, the same attraction seems to flow like a wide stream through the verses of the Song of Songs to find, under entirely different circumstances, its concise and concentrated expression in the book of Tobit.
The spiritual maturity of this attraction is none other than the blossoming of the gift of fear—one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, which St. Paul speaks of in First Thessalonians (cf. 1 Thes 4:4-7).On the other hand, Paul's doctrine on chastity as "life according to the Spirit" (cf. Rom 8:5) allows us (especially on the basis of First Corinthians, chapter 6) to interpret that respect in a charismatic sense, that is, as a gift of the Holy Spirit.
A virtue and a gift
5. The Letter to the Ephesians, in exhorting spouses to defer to each other "out of reverence for Christ" (Eph 5:21), and in urging them, consequently, to show respect in their conjugal relationship, seems to point out—in keeping with Pauline tradition—chastity as a virtue and as a gift.
In this way, through the virtue and still more through the gift ("life according to the Spirit") the mutual attraction of masculinity and femininity spiritually matures. Both the man and woman, getting away from concupiscence, find the proper dimension of the freedom of the gift, united to femininity and masculinity in the true spousal significance of the body.
Thus liturgical language, that is, the language of the sacrament and of the mysterium, becomes in their life and in their living together the language of the body in a depth, simplicity and beauty hitherto altogether unknown.
Conjugal life becomes liturgical
6. This seems to be the integral significance of the sacramental sign of marriage. In that sign—through the language of the body—man and woman encounter the great mystery. This is in order to transfer the light of that mystery—the light of truth and beauty, expressed in liturgical language—to the language of the body, that is, to the language of the practice of love, fidelity, and conjugal honesty, to the ethos rooted in the redemption of the body (cf. Rom 8:23). In this way, conjugal life becomes in a certain sense liturgical.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
The Theology of the Body: 113. The Language of the Body: Actions and Duties Forming the Spirituality of Marriage
Laura Ingraham is getting it done.
Visit Laura's website to find these and other links:
THE SOUND OF TERROR:
A chilling videotape aired on Jordanian state television this week of a confession by one of the foot soldiers of Al Qaeda in Iraq should remind us once more of what we are up against. Read this compelling Washington Post account.
JIHAD'S ARCHITECT OF THE POST-9/11 ATTACK PLANS:
From The Washington Post: "From secret hideouts in South Asia, the Spanish-Syrian al-Qaeda strategist published thousands of pages of Internet tracts on how small teams of Islamic extremists could wage a decentralized global war against the United States and its allies."
Read more.
In need of moral clarity
By Mary Katharine Ham
Townhall.com
"I was aiming to follow in the footsteps of one of my role-models, Muhammad Atta."--Mohammad Taheri-azar
Do you remember Taheri-azar? The 25-year-old Iranian graduate of the University of North Carolina rented an SUV in March and drove it into The Pit, a campus gathering place for UNC students. He accelerated into the standard college crowd of preachers, smokers, gawkers, and cause-hawkers. He hit nine people and injured six. None died, much to Taheri-azar's chagrin.
SANITY IN THE HOUSE!
It is imperative that you email and telephone your congressmen and tell them what you think about border enforcement. A number of U.S. House members are standing strong against enormous pressure to "compromise" and "moderate" their enforcement-first stance, and they and others on the fence need to be encouraged by us not to give in. Read the latest.
Attention serfs of Canusico!
Jerome R. Corsi (Human Events Online) reports on a conspiracy theory that sure would explain a heck of a lot. If your water bills are coming from Toronto in twenty years, remember that you heard it here first.
Without announcing his intentions to do so, President Bush has decided to support the creation of a North American Union through a process of governmental regulations, never having to bring the issue before the American people for a clear referendum or vote.
The Bush Administration has decided to "back-door" the creation of a North American Union political entity that would effectively erase our borders with Mexico and Canada and create several super-regional governing bodies that would have jurisdiction over the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court.
"Effectively"? That's been done. At least Justice Kennedy will be happy.
This analysis has been advanced by economist Miguel Pickard at the Center for Economic and Political Research for Community Action (CIEPAC) in Chiapas, Mexico. Writing for the International Relations Center in New Mexico, Pickard explains how what he calls "NAFTA Plus" is being put in place by political elites in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, largely without explanation to or understanding by the public in any of the three countries:
Contrary to NAFTA, whose tenets were laid out in a single negotiated treaty subjected to at least cursory review by the legislatures of the participating countries, NAFTA Plus is more the elites’ shared vision of what a merged future will look like. Their ideas are being implemented through the signing of
"regulations," not subject to citizens' review. The vision may initially have been labeled NAFTA Plus, but the name gives a mistaken impression of what is at hand, since there will be no single treaty text, no unique label to facilitate keeping tabs. Perhaps for this reason, some civil society groups are calling the phenomenon by another name, the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPPNA), an official sobriquet for the summits held by the three chief executives to agree on the future of "North America."
We have previously discussed the March 2005 summit in Waco, Tex., where President Bush, President Fox and Canadian Prime Minister Martin made their joint statement announcing the formation of "The Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America" (SPP). The Department of Commerce documents the extensive working agenda undertaken by the U.S. government to implement the SPP directive.
Miguel Packard goes on to note that Bush has signed onto the North American Union agenda:
After initially rejecting it, the idea of a "North American community" has come of age among U.S. government strategists and a convinced George W. Bush is now
vigorously pushing it forward.
We have also pointed to the Council on Foreign Relations' (CFR) task force report entitled "Building a North American Community" that contains the blueprint for creating a North American Union by 2010. The CFR task force report makes clear that a fundamental goal of the contemplated North American Union would be to redefine boundaries such that the primary immigration control will be around the three countries of the North American Union, not between the three countries.
OH NO! Not the CFR!
Packard argues that a driving reason Bush has embraced the idea of creating the North American Union is to secure natural resources -- Canadian water as well as oil and natural from both Canada and Mexico. Regarding water, Packard notes that "Bush declared that Canada’s water was part of the United States' energy security." As evidence, he cites "mega-projects" proposed by the U.S., such as a "Grand Canal" that would transport "plentiful water from Canadian rivers and lakes to the Great Lakes." Regarding oil and natural gas, Packard comments that a North American Union would "guarantee a relatively cheap flow of oil," making the idea of creating a single North American space suddenly "not so ludicrous."
From The Coming War With The Slave Chinese Regime Department:
Human Events doesn't trust the commie creeps.
Jed Babbin: China Building Military at Pace Last Seen in 1930s Germany
We won't be able to contain China as we did USSR
Human Events: New Book Claims China and U.S. Headed for War
Defense experts back up Pentagon warning
Elizabeth Kantor: Exclusive Interview: China Bent on War
Author Jed Babbin talks about his timely new book
Super Bowl XL Champion Steelers Update.
From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
Porter will undergo knee surgery today
Joey Porter can be removed from Pittsburgh's unsolved mystery list.
Keisel lines up for starting role
Long after most of his Steelers teammates had completed a voluntary workout on the South Side, Brett Keisel kept going ... and going ... and going. (2006-05-23)
Steelers sign guard Willie Colon
Continuing a recent practice of signing their draft choices early, the Steelers closed a deal with fourth-round selection Willie Colon, a guard from Hofstra, on Monday. (2006-05-23)
Friend: Cope 'stable and resting comfortably'
Retired Steelers broadcaster Myron Cope remained hospitalized Sunday with pneumonia, said Joe Gordon, his friend and a former Steelers public relations director. (2006-05-21)
'Burgh Brewing seeks Bus ridePittsburgh Brewing Co. is hopping on "The Bus" in hopes of selling more IC Light, the brewer's most popular brand. (2006-05-21)
Wilson likes depth at position
The way veteran Cedrick Wilson sees it, the new blood at wide receiver is only going to make the team better. (2006-05-21)
Prisuta: Steelers' roster still holds potential
They won the Super Bowl a season ago, and, in many respects, you just can't do any better than that. (2006-05-21)
Steelers give well-traveled Eugene Baker another look
If Eugene Baker worked as a traveling salesman, his suitcase would be covered from top to bottom with stickers representing the cities he's inhabited. (2006-05-21)
Notebook: Holmes can keep 10
Steelers rookie wideout Santonio Holmes wore No. 10 during his three days at minicamp, and, if he so chooses, he can continue to wear it for the regular season. (2006-05-20)
Steelers exude confidence, unity
It didn't take long for former Redskins safety Ryan Clark to see why the Steelers are the defending Super Bowl champions. (2006-05-18)
Crimmigrants Update: You bet your ass the past is prologue!
WorldNetDaily reports on the triumphant return of Ed Meese, one of my all-time favorite victims of the antique media. Ironically, Mr. Meese's indictment of "immigration reform" (impossible to type with a straight face) appears in an Old Gray Whore Op-Ed.
Noting "uncanny similarities" to the immigration situation 20 years ago, former Attorney General Edwin Meese says that despite President Bush's denials, the guest-worker proposal under consideration in the Senate amounts to "amnesty."
Meese, writing in an editorial published today by the New York Times, points out the bill passed by Congress in 1986 – which President Reagan called amnesty – has virtually the same provisions "cited by its supporters as proof that they have eschewed amnesty in favor of earned citizenship."
Bingo!
Under the 1986 legislation, most illegal immigrants who could establish they had resided in the United States continuously for five years were granted temporary resident status, which could be upgraded to permanent residency after 18 months and, after another five years, to citizenship.
"Note that this path to citizenship was not automatic," Meese points out.
"Indeed, the legislation stipulated several conditions: immigrants had to pay application fees, learn to speak English, understand American civics, pass a medical exam and register for military selective service. Those with convictions for a felony or three misdemeanors were ineligible. Sound familiar?"
The 1986 bill also strengthened border security and enforcement of immigration laws, in part through sanctions against employers who hired illegal immigrants.
The more things change, the more politics stays the same.
Meese, who served under President Reagan from 1985 to 1988, is now a fellow with the Heritage Foundation in Washington.
He explains that the 1986 legislation was pushed by the Democratic majority in the House and the Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy. President Reagan, he said, "considered it reasonable to adjust the status of what was then a relatively small population, and I supported his decision."
The difference between then and now, Meese says, "is that President Reagan called this what it was: amnesty."
Yep.
"Indeed, look up the term 'amnesty' in Black's Law Dictionary, and you'll find it says, 'the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act provided amnesty for undocumented aliens already in the country.'"
Meese emphasizes the 1986 act "did not solve our illegal immigration problem."
No freakin' kidding.
"From the start, there was widespread document fraud by applicants," he says. "Unsurprisingly, the number of people applying for amnesty far exceeded projections. And there proved to be a failure of political will in enforcing new laws against employers."
Surprise, surprise...
Meese says illegal immigration, after a six-month slowdown following passage of the legislation, returned to normal levels and continued unabated.
...surprise.
"Ultimately, some 2.7 million people were granted amnesty, and many who were not stayed anyway, forming the nucleus of today's unauthorized population," he said.
"So here we are, 20 years later, having much the same debate and being offered much the same deal in exchange for promises largely dependent on the will of future Congresses and presidents."
And that is insane. President War Hero? President "I invented the internet"? Queen Hitlery I?
Meese says President Bush and Congress must start with securing the border and strengthening enforcement of existing immigration laws.
Those who are here illegally, he says, must return to their country of origin and get "in line with everyone else."
He concludes: "America welcomes more immigrants than any other country. But in keeping open that door of opportunity, we also must uphold the rule of law and enhance a fair immigration process, as Ronald Reagan said, to 'humanely regain control of our borders and thereby preserve the value of one of the most sacred possessions of our people: American citizenship.'"
Mfume: No kow-tow, no peace!
The Washington Times reports Professional Negroid Kweisi Mfume demands all Maryland Democrasses bow down before him and hand him the nomination for US Senate simply because the other babykilling left-fascist thug in the race is white.
Several black Maryland Democratic leaders agree with Kweisi Mfume that a lack of support for his U.S. Senate run by top Democrats will alienate black voters.
Delegate Obie Patterson lamented that his party's most prominent white leaders -- state Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. and U.S. Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, the House minority whip -- are backing the Senate bid of Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin, who is white.
"It has caused some people in my community, particularly the African-Americans, to wonder how they are going to vote, especially if Kweisi Mfume does not win in the primary," said Mr. Patterson, Prince George's Democrat and former chairman of the state legislature's black caucus. A Mfume loss in the September primary would burn state Democrats again, said former Prince George's County Executive Wayne K. Curry. He was referring to 2002 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Kathleen Kennedy Townsend's choice of a white, former Republican as her running mate.
"It would have profound implications. More salt in the wound can't help," said Mr. Curry, a Democrat.
Former state Democratic Party Chairman Isiah "Ike" Leggett, who many had hoped would be Mrs. Townsend's running mate, said her selection of retired Navy Adm. Charles R. Larson raised "lingering resentment."
"I was very disappointed that the party had missed an opportunity to expand and build on a very loyal group of voters," said Mr. Leggett, who is running for Montgomery County executive.
"We gave Republicans a chance to run around the state as a party of opportunity," he said. "The party got burned and I think rightfully so for that blunder. It was a huge blunder."
With the support of prominent white Democrats, Mr. Cardin has amassed a $3.9 million war chest to Mr. Mfume's $623,000.
Mr. Mfume, 57, a former congressman and former president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, last week told The Washington Times that black voters "will feel disaffected" if he is not nominated.
"I honestly believe that there is a core group in the leadership of the Democratic Party that understands [the importance of promoting black candidates], but I think there is an older group of political bosses who sort of control the [party's] direction," he said.
Golly, kiddies, I wonder if all those alienated black Maryland Democrasses will vote for Mr. Steele, (here and here) the R who only happens to be black, in November?
Ha! Silly me.
Senator War Hero unleashes his particularly nasty brand of fascism upon those who dare to oppose appeasing the crimmigrants.
The New York Observer (via Drudge): BORDER BATTLE: McCain Says Limbaugh, Dobbs and Savage 'fuel the problem'...
For all the national attention surrounding John McCain’s two highly anticipated, protest-ridden commencement speeches in New York last week, the Senator actually saved some of his best material for the crowd that gathered on Friday behind closed doors in the back of the Regency Hotel.
In a small, mirror-paneled room guarded by a Secret Service agent and packed with some of the city’s wealthiest and most influential political donors, Mr. McCain got right to the point.
“One of the things I would do if I were President would be to sit the Shiites and the Sunnis down and say, ‘Stop the bullshit,’” said Mr. McCain, according to Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi, an invitee, and two other guests.
Brilliant! Hand this übermensch the nomination immediately!
"What kind of a country do we want to be?” Mr. McCain asked his audience, walking around in the middle of a horseshoe-shaped table as he proceeded to answer his own question.
He cautioned against ghettoizing immigrants, which he noted has brought about disastrous results in France, and criticized elements in his own party as “nativist” before lambasting the punditry of Rush Limbaugh, Lou Dobbs and Michael Savage for helping to “fuel the problem,” according to two of the sources.
If a "nativist" is someone who recognizes John McCain as a power-mad thug who will do and say anything to get his paws on the reins of government, then I'm a proud nativist, kiddies.
From The Amphibians Are Getting Smarter Department:
Sun-Sentinel.com: Gator looks both ways, then crosses turnpike ramp
A 9-foot alligator on Tuesday appeared to have taken a swamp lesson in traffic safety.
The reptile, which spent the morning rush hour at the PGA Boulevard exit of Florida's Turnpike at Palm Beach Gardens, looked both ways before crossing the ramp, according to Florida Highway Patrol Trooper D. Sims.
"It cracked me up," Sims said later.
The Highway Patrol received a gator sighting call about 7:30 a.m. Driving to the turnpike's northbound lane PGA exit, Sims pulled over, looked around -- but didn't see anything.
So he monitored traffic, wrote a few citations and, some time after 8 a.m., noticed a gator's head pop out of the grass alongside the turnpike.
"He looked like a baby," Sims said, noting the top of the reptile's head and a back leg appeared injured. "I felt sorry for him."
A nine foot baby? We are in trouble.
Sims called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and, in the meantime, kept an eye on the gator to make sure it didn't head into traffic.
The gator lay there a few minutes, then moved toward the turnpike's exit ramp, Sims said.
The reptile slowly looked to the left, looked to the right and, when there was a break in traffic, crossed safely before entering high grass near the water on the ramp's far side, Sims reported.
Fish and Wildlife officers were unable to find the gator, according to spokesperson Dani Moschella.
Sharing the roads with alligators "doesn't happen every day, but it does happen," said Willie Puz of Fish and Wildlife.
Last week state wildlife officials said they will extend Florida's annual gator hunt from five to 11 weeks in an effort to curb the reptiles' numbers.
Beware of tall green guys with sunglasses and mustaches trying to buy hunting licenses.
In the past week, alligators have been responsible for the deaths of three people in Florida, officials said. Until then, there had been 17 alligator-related fatalities since 1948.
Democrat Governor Jim Doyle of Wisconsin crosses The Party of Blasphemy, Buggery, and 'Bortion. Hooray!
Sadly, this means he will never be allowed to run for a national office unless he submits to intense Democrass re-education like Bob Casey, Jr. of Pennsylvania will face if he defeats Rick Santorum.
From the Las Vegas Sun (via CNSNews.com): Wisconsin Governor Signs Abstinence Bill
Sex education teachers must present abstinence as the preferred behavior for unmarried people under a bill signed Tuesday by Gov. Jim Doyle.
The legislation means teachers must emphasize that refraining from sex before marriage is the most effective way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. A spokesman for the governor, a Democrat, said most Wisconsin school districts already take that approach.
"The governor thinks that abstinence should be an important part of the message that kids hear from adults as part of their classes," spokesman Dan Leistikow said.
Republican Sen. Mary Lazich, a bill's sponsor, said sex education teachers can still teach about birth control, but must emphasize that abstinence is the only 100 percent effective method to avoid health risks.
Kelda Helen Roys, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin, called the bill, which takes effect July 1, shortsighted.
Ha!
"They ignored the overwhelming public testimony, support and expert information about the importance of comprehensive sex education that talks about abstinence as well as contraceptive use," she said. "Abstinence is an important part but it is not the only part."
But legalized murder is the most important part, isn't it, dearie?
The birth rate among Wisconsin teens ages 15-19 decreased by 27 percent between 1993 and 2004, from 41 to 30 births per 1,000 females, according to the most recent government survey.
But the overall infection rate of the four top sexually transmitted diseases increased by 3 percent among teens during that time.
Crimmigrant Update.
Activists Fired Up As Senate Advances on Immigration Bill
(CNSNews.com) - Voices on both sides of the immigration issue are making their final appeals to senators, as a final vote on the Senate immigration bill draws near. Full Story
It Takes A Village To Staff A Gestapo Unit Update.
Clinton Seeks 'Energy Revolution' Fueled by Higher Taxes
(CNSNews.com) - Senator Hitlery Shickelgruber (N-NY) Tuesday called for an "energy revolution" based on greater fuel efficiency as well as a $50 billion research fund financed largely through higher taxes on oil company profits.
Full Story
This story makes Fyodor's old brain conjure a few questions.
How did this guy get to be a cop? How does this guy stay a cop? How did this guy make lieutenant? What were these three idiots thinking?
KHOU: Fan claims HPD officer had sex with two women in Minute Maid bathroom
A Houston police lieutenant has been relieved of duty because of a misconduct allegation.
A fan claims he walked in on one man and two women having sex in a unisex bathroom at Minute Maid Park.
11 News confirmed that Lt. Jeffrey Olesen, of Southeast Patrol was relieved of duty Monday.
Olesen, an off-duty Houston police lieutenant, allegedly had sex with two women in a unisex bathroom at Minute Maid Park.
A fan with a young child told police he walked in and spotted the lieutenant’s firearm on the counter. Fearing the women were being attacked, he called for help.
It turns out, sources said, the women were the lieutenant’s wife and his wife’s female friend.
We have also learned that the 14-year veteran has four sustained IAD complaints for misconduct, improper police procedure and behavior issues.
Administratively, we’re told Olesen’s biggest blunder may be that he was instructed to speak with Internal Affairs after the incident, but did not.
He reportedly just left the ball park. That could prove to be an error.
HPD stresses there are no criminal charges at this time.
From Deadspin:
The officer, Jeffrey Olesen, was relieved from duty after a fan found him, his wife and one of his wife’s friends enjoying each other’s company in a Minute Maid Park unisex bathroom. The witness, to his credit, wasn’t just running out to narc on the bad man and his two ladies; he saw the policeman’s gun and thought an assault was taking place.
The Michael and Cathryn Borden Memorial Book of the Day.*
Everyone should learn how to read, write, and think. If you are under 75 years of age, chances are you didn't and this book is what you need.
The Trivium by Sister Miriam Joseph Rauh
The Trivium is a rigorous and utterly delightful presentation of the three areas that form the basis for all learning: logic, grammar, and rhetoric. Sister Miriam Joseph Rauh, a professor of English at St. Mary's College for thirty years, helps you see the unity and harmony of these three areas as she gives you solid and easily-grasped explanations of even their most abstruse elements: not just general grammar, but also propositions, syllogisms, enthymemes, fallacies, poetics, figurative language, and metrical discourse! Attractively laid out to maximize clarity, this book is also packed with lively examples, exercises, and illustrations drawn from the works of Shakespeare, Milton, Plato, and others. The examples are so rich that they're a literary education in themselves.
In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, students studied and mastered language in the integrated way taught by this book. Modern education, by contrast, suffers from separating the parts from the vision of the whole. That's why Sister Miriam Joseph designed and taught an introductory course on the classical trivium: to help students "acquire mastery over the tools of learning." This book is the fruit of that course.
Among the many things you'll learn in The Trivium:
- How to distinguish various types and moods (with examples drawn from Boswell's Life of Johnson, Euripides' Iphigenia, and the Bard's Henry V)
Help to tell the difference between an absolute and a qualified statement -- from the Bible!
- Stirring examples of figurative language from the Psalms, Shakespeare, Tennyson, and other masters
- Heroic couplets, heroic quatrains, Italian sonnets, English sonnets: how to make your way easily through all the confusing nomenclature -- and enjoy the poetry
- Seven important definitions that clarify the relationship between language and reality
- Aristotle's ten categories of being: still relevant to help you make sense of the world today
- Definitives, connectives, prepositions, conjunctions: general rules
- Simple, down-to-earth direction to help you navigate the thorniest thickets of abstract logic -- including Aristotelian and Goclenian sorites, epicheirema, mediated opposition, and more
- Syntactical analysis in general grammar: how it can help you think more clearly and express yourself more precisely
- Famous definitions from Arnold Bennett, Matthew Arnold, and St. Paul
- Three fallacies of the dilemma, and how to spot them
- You've probably heard of argumentum ad hominem, but what about argumentum ad populum? Ad misericordiam? Ad verecundiam? How to parse these popular politicians' tricks
- Onomatopoeia: illustrated from works by Pope, Tennyson, and John Updike
- "He was an Einstein at problem solving": can you name the figure of speech that this exemplifies?
- Help from Thomas More to cut through the bluff and bluster and come to the truth of a proposition
- Evaluating arguments: exercises from Homer, Marcus Aurelius, Aeschylus, Boethius, Shakespeare, and Cardinal Newman
In today's age of media manipulation, the precision and clarity of thought that this book gives you is essential to help you and your kids discern the truth behind all the bias and puffery of the daily news. Indispensable for homeschoolers, The Trivium: The Liberal Arts of Logic, Grammar, and Rhetoric is a terrific resource for students, teachers, and anyone -- no matter what your job or state in life -- who wants to become a better writer, speaker, and listener.
*Huh? Look here.
Nikolai Volkoff Update.
Not content with running for office in Maryland, Nikolai is still wrestling. The primary election in which Mr. Volkoff faces establishment Repansycan opposition is set for September 12, 2006.
Here is a report on his recent appearance in York, PA.
York Daily Record (May 6, 2006): Bad Guy No More
Muscle was his ticket out. Two hundred and sixty pounds of it. His ticket out of former Yugoslavia. His ticket out of the country where Communists killed his grandfather, then-reigning World Champion of Wrestling.
Muscle was the only reason authorities granted him permission to leave. Muscle was the means by which he could get a passport and never return.
A portrait of his grandfather hung on the wall of his boyhood home as inspiration. Relentless determination and six hours of daily training sculpted him into Yugoslavia's weight lifting champion. After a competition in Vienna, the 18-year-old fled Communist rule with just $60 and a single suit to embark on a professional wrestling career that would take him to America.
Nikolai Volkoff still has the suit and says he can still fit in it.
Notorious as a Cold War villain in the World Wide Wrestling Federation and its later versions, Volkoff helped fill Madison Square Garden and arenas across the country for decades. In 2005, the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame inducted Volkoff as a member with the likes of Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant.
But for Volkoff, the desire to entertain didn't end with the accolades.
LEFT: Volkoff covers 'Superstar Chuckie D' for a pin during their match. Before the night began, Volkoff encouraged his fellow wrestlers to entertain their fans at the Liberty Fire Company. 'Today, all they want is just fast-moving action,' he said. 'Zoom. Boom, boom! They never stop.'
On a recent Friday night, more than 100 people gathered inside the Liberty Fire Company station in North York to watch Volkoff and other World Wide Wrestling Alliance wrestlers battle it out. Before the match began, he stood before a crew of 20 to 30 wrestlers, ranging from first-timers to long-time veterans, and gave them a bit of advice.
"Tell the story," he says, reminding them that the times and their industry are changing.
"It's like the movie industry," he said later. "Today, all they want is just fast-moving action. Zoom. Boom, boom! They never stop."
LEFT: Wrestling superstar Nikolai Volkoff, 59, drags Mark Meyers, aka 'Mark Manson' of Philadelphia, across the ring by his hair during a World Wide Wrestling Alliance night at the Liberty Fire Company in North York recently.
"Wrestling used to have a good guy and a bad guy," he said. "Now it's just two guys fighting."
Volkoff spent the majority of his career as that bad guy. In fact, he was one of the most hated wrestlers. He has since shed that role, choosing to extend his support of the United States beyond wrestling and into government work. Volkoff, who is a code enforcement inspector for Baltimore County, is now running as a Republican for a state delegate seat in Maryland.
"Justice, honesty, and decency come very, very slow in wrestling. It is the same in politics," he said. After escaping Yugoslavia and achieving the American dream, Volkoff said he would now like to give something back.
To the wrestlers gathered in North York recently, Volkoff offered these final words - "Let's give the people what they've come to see!"
I know you think Nikolai's candidacy, like wrestling, is nothing but a joke. You could not be more wrong.
Nikolai's story is exactly what America used to be about. He fled tyranny, came here legally, worked hard, became a citizen, reared a family, and now wants to serve his community and country through elected office.
He's a better American than I am. He's a better American than the fat, ignorant, lazy, selfish clowns I run into every day who get to call themselves Americans because they had the good fortune to be born here. They have certainly done nothing to earn the title.
Maybe we should let the goat rapists, the crimmigrants, (Do you like that one, kiddies? I made it up myself.) and our homegrown left-fascist totalitarians win. The mohammedans would:
1. Forcibly convert the Mexicans, and kill the ones they couldn't convert.
2. Kill all the commie pinkos.
3. Kill everyone else who even looked at them funny.
And,
4. Kill a goodly number of whomever is left (chosen at random) just to keep everybody in line.
Several generations of that might teach us the value of freedom.
But I doubt it.
Ha! I've got your 'culture of corruption' right here.
When last we left Congressthing Jefferson, it was being eulogized by Washington's other newspaper, a sure sign of its political demise. Now even the CINO Nancy Pilates won't return its calls. That's what happens when the feds find 90k in your freezer after they videotaped you taking 100k from an informant.
New Orleans Times-Picayune: Jefferson says he won't resign key post
Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, said Tuesday he would not yield to pressure from top House Democrats to leave his seat on the House Ways and Means Committee while he deals with a federal bribery investigation.
"I will not give up a committee assignment that is so vital to New Orleans at this crucial time for any uncertain, long-term political strategy," Jefferson said in a statement.
Jefferson said he was responding to reports that senior Democrats are considering asking him to give up his position on the committee. "If asked, I would respectfully decline," he said.
According to several sources, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi met Tuesday with top congressional Democrats and came to the consensus that Jefferson should give up the position on the House tax-writing committee while the probe continues.
Democrats had hoped to make the 2006 midterm elections in part a referendum on what they call the Republican culture of corruption, but those efforts are being short-circuited by the Justice Department's investigation of what prosecutors say was a four-year scheme to funnel bribes to Jefferson and his family in exchange for his help in landing communications contracts for a small Kentucky company.
Jefferson has not been charged and has maintained his innocence.
Pelosi met behind closed doors Tuesday night with members of the Congressional Black Caucus, some of whose members have come to Jefferson's defense and suggested that he, like any other American, is entitled to a presumption of innocence.
Pelosi's office said late Tuesday that she would have no comment on Jefferson's situation.
Aides to Pelosi pointed out that she moved aggressively when questions were raised earlier this year about whether Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-W.Va., had steered federal spending to nonprofits in his district that are controlled by people with whom he has close financial ties. She asked Mollohan to step down as senior Democrat on the House Ethics Committee, and he did so.
Jefferson staffers, however, pointed out that Mollohan was able to continue his position on the House Appropriations Committee, where the questionable actions in an ethics complaint pertained.
Jefferson and Pelosi have had a strained relationship since she won the Democratic leadership post in 2002 and chose a fellow Californian over Jefferson to run the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Meanwhile, Drudge reports the Repansycans are backing the criminal:
Hastert tells President Bush FBI raid was unconstitutional...
Demands FBI Return Documents...
Saint of the Day and daily Mass readings.
Today is the Feast of St. Nicetas of Pereaslav, a Russian monk and wonder worker who was a pitiless tax collector until his conversion.
Today's reading us Acts 17:15, 22; 18:1.
Today's Responsorial Psalm is Psalms 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14.
Today's Gospel reading is John 16:12-15.
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.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
The Theology of the Body: 112. Love Is Victorious in the Struggle Between Good and Evil
In his General Audience of 27 June 1984, the Holy Father examined the Book of Tobit for the light it sheds on Theology of the Body. Here the devotion of the spouses is expressed not in words of loving transport, as in the Song of Songs, but in the "choices and the actions that take on all the weight of human existence in the union of the two.
Love Is Victorious in the Struggle Between Good and Evil
At the general audience in St Peter's Square on Wednesday morning, 27 June, Pope John Paul II resumed his catechesis on the theology of human love in the divine plan. Analysing passages from the Book of Tobit, the Holy Father spoke as follows:
1. During these past weeks, in commenting on the Song of Songs, I emphasized how the sacramental sign of matrimony is constituted on the basis of the language of the body, which man and woman express in the truth that is proper to it. Under this aspect, today I intend to analyze some passages from the book of Tobit.
In the account of the wedding of Tobiah with Sarah, besides the expression "sister"—through which there seems to be a fraternal character rooted in spousal love—another expression is also found, likewise analogous to those in the Song.
As you will recall, in the spouses' duet, the love which they declare to each other is "stern as death" (Sg 8:6). In the book of Tobit we find a phrase which, in saying that he fell deeply in love with Sarah and "his heart became set on her" (Tb 6:19), presents a situation confirming the truth of the words about love "stern as death."
2. For a better understanding, we must go back to some details that are explained against the background of the specific nature of the book of Tobit. We read there that Sarah, daughter of Raguel, had "already been married seven times" (Tb 6:14), but all her husbands had died before having intercourse with her. This had happened through the work of a demon, and young Tobiah too had reason to fear a similar death.
So from the very first moment Tobiah's love had to face the test of life and death. The words about love "stern as death," spoken by the spouses in the Song of Songs in the transport of the heart, assume here the nature of a real test. If love is demonstrated as stern as death, this happens above all in the sense that Tobiah and, together with him, Sarah, unhesitatingly face this test. But in this test of life and death, life wins because, during the test on the wedding night, love, supported by prayer, is revealed as more stern than death.
3. This test of life and death also has another significance that enables us to understand the love and the marriage of the newlyweds. Becoming one as husband and wife, they find themselves in the situation in which the powers of good and evil fight and compete against each other. The spouses' duet in the Song of Songs seems not to perceive completely this dimension of reality. The spouses of the Song live and express themselves in an ideal or abstract world, in which it is as though the struggle of the objective forces between good and evil did not exist. Is it not precisely the power and the interior truth of love that subdues the struggle that goes on in man and around him?
The fullness of this truth and this power proper to love seems nevertheless to be different. It seems to tend rather to where the experience in the book of Tobit leads us. The truth and the power of love are shown in the ability to place oneself between the forces of good and evil which are fighting in man and around him, because love is confident in the victory of good and is ready to do everything so that good may conquer. As a result, the love of the spouses in the book of Tobit is not confirmed by the words expressed by the language of loving transport as in the Song of Songs, but by the choices and the actions that take on all the weight of human existence in the union of the two. The language of the body here seems to use the words of the choices and the acts stemming from the love that is victorious because it prays.
4. Tobiah's prayer (Tb 8:5-8), which is above all a prayer of praise and thanksgiving, then one of supplication, situates the language of the body on the level of the essential terms of the theology of the body. It is an "objectivized" language, pervaded not so much by the emotive power of the experience as by the depth and gravity of the truth of the experience.
The spouses profess this truth together, in unison before the God of the covenant: "God of our fathers." We can say that under this aspect the language of the body becomes the language of the ministers of the sacrament, aware that in the conjugal pact the mystery that has its origin in God himself is expressed and realized. Their conjugal pact is the image—and the original sacrament of the covenant of God with man, with the human race—of that covenant which took its origin from eternal Love.
Tobiah and Sarah end their prayer with the following words: "Call down your mercy on me and on her, and allow us to live together to a happy old age" (Tb 8:7).
We can admit (on the basis of the context) that they have before their eyes the prospect of persevering in their union to the end of their days—a prospect that opens up before them with the trial of life and death, already during their wedding night. At the same time, they see with the glance of faith the sanctity of this vocation in which—through the unity of the two, built upon the mutual truth of the language of the body—they must respond to the call of God himself which is contained in the mystery of the Beginning. This is why they ask: "Call down your mercy on me and on her."
The spouses in the Song of Songs, with ardent words, declare to each other their human love. The newlyweds in the book of Tobit ask God that they be able to respond to love. Both the one and the other find their place in what constitutes the sacramental sign of marriage. Both the one and the other share in forming this sign.
We can say that through the one and the other the "language of the body," reread in the subjective dimension of the truth of human hearts and in the "objective" dimension of the truth of living in union, becomes the language of the liturgy.
The prayer of the newlyweds in the book of Tobit certainly seems to confirm this differently from the Song of Songs, and even in a way that is undoubtedly more deeply moving.
Kiddies, would you like to know the dirty little secret of the protestant non-kerfuffle over "The DaVinci Code"?
The non-Catholics have been saying pretty much the same thing about The Church for hundreds of years. That's why they aren't really that upset.
Look at it this way. How big a leap is there from "Bread and wine cannot be turned into the Body and Blood of Christ" to "Jesus had a wife and kids"?
Interestingly, a few of the neo-Christians have been making some anti-"Code" noise. My guess is somewhere deep inside them they vaguely recognize the fact that without Holy Mother Church, they would not be. Their heresies and schisms are rebellions against what, exactly?
I look at the neo-Christians in exactly the same way I look at Citizen Brown and his moronic romance novel for chicks with a major league death wish.
"We do not negotiate with terrorists."
"Nous ne sommes pas en pourparlers avec des terroristes."
"Wir keine nicht mit Terroristen vermitteln."
"Non negoziamo con i terroristi."
Daily Times: ‘France, Germany and Italy paid ransoms for Iraq hostages’
France, Germany and Italy paid some 45 million dollars (35 million euros) to obtain the release of hostages kidnapped in Iraq, despite denying it in public, The Times newspaper reported Monday.
Mrs. Ciccone-Penn-Ritchie continues her inexorable (and execrable) march toward The Coprophilia Tour.*
WTF??? Does this cow think she's running for Whore of Babylon or something?
ABC News: Madonna Blasted for Concert Crucifixion
Catholic League Criticizes Madonna After She Crucified Herself at 'Confessions' Tour Opener
Less than 12 hours after Madonna crucified herself on a mirrored cross, the Catholic League expressed its discontent with the concert stunt.
The controversial diva wore a crown of thorns and sang while hanging from a cross during Sunday night's opener of her "Confessions" world tour at The Forum in Inglewood.
"Knock off the Christ-bashing," Catholic League president Bill Donohue said in a statement Monday. "It's just pathetic."
Though Donohue said that Madonna "has been spicing up her act with misappropriated Christian imagery for a long time," he thought that her faith in Kabbalah might inspire new respect for religion.
"I guess you really can't teach an old pop star new tricks," he said. "Poor Madonna keeps trying to shock. But all she succeeds in doing is coming across as a boring bigot."
A message left with Madonna's spokeswoman was not immediately returned.
The "Confessions" tour continues through Sept. 4 with dates throughout North America and Europe.
* Look here.
First, we discovered those GOOGLE boys were the bitches of the Chinese commies,...
...now they've been spotted in a New Jersey rest stop with the goat rapists...
Google dumps news sites that criticize radical Islam
Search giant axes another news page,calls terrorism discussion 'hate content' --WND
...and I can't say I'm surprised.
Search engine giant Google has cut off its news relationship with a number of online news publications that include frank discussions of radical Islam – the New Media Journal becoming the latest termination, as its owner just discovered.
Frank Salvato, who began the agreement with Google News last September, said he received a reply from the company's help desk Friday indicating there had been complaints of "hate speech" on his site, as first reported by media watchdog Newsbusters.org.
The e-mail, which cited three articles that dealt with radical Islam and its relationship to terrorism, read:
Hi Frank,
Thanks for writing. We received numerous reports about hate content on your site, and after reviewing these reports, decided to remove your site fromGoogle News. We do not allow articles and sources expressly promoting hate speech viewpoints in Google News (although referencing hate speech for
commentary and analysis is acceptable).
For example, a number of the complaints we looked at on your site were found to be hate content:
http://www.newmediajournal.us/staff/peck/05102006.htm
http://www.newmediajournal.us/staff/stock/05082006.htm
http://www.newmediajournal.us/guest/imani/04222006.htm
We hope this helps you understand our position.
Regards, The Google Team
Newsbusters says it has observed a pattern of intolerance toward conservative sites that deal with radical Islam and terrorism.
Rusty Shackleford, owner of The Jawa Report, received a similar e-mail message March 29 informing him: "Upon recent review, we've found that your site contains hate speech, and we will no longer be including it in Google News."
Two weeks later, Jim Sesi's MichNews.com was cut off, with Google providing three examples of "hate speech" by conservative writer J. Grant Swank, Jr.
Newsbusters commented: "At first blush, one can easily ignore such business decisions by the most powerful company on the Internet as being routine. However, on closer examination, such behavior could give one relatively small technological corporation (when measured by the size of its workforce) a degree of political might that frankly dwarfs its current financial prowess."
The media watchdog noted columnist and blogger Michelle Malkin wrote in February 2005 her difficulties in becoming part of Google News. Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs had a similar complaint.
When Google News launched its beta site in April 2002, it said its mission was to construct an unbiased news engine free of human intervention using new methods of aggregating news from sources worldwide.
According to the April Nielsen/NetRatings report, 49 percent of all searches conducted in the U.S. in March 2006 were carried out on Google.
Along with the dropping of conservative news providers, Google has received other complaints of liberal bias.
Last June, a conservative book publisher said Google rejected his ad for a book critical of Bill and Hillary Clinton while continuing to accept anti-Bush themes.
Eric Jackson, CEO of World Ahead, said his ads for "Their Lives: The Women Targeted by the Clinton Machine" were rejected, without further explanation, due to "unacceptable content."
As WND reported, 98 percent of all political donations by Google employees went to support Democrats.
CEO Eric Schmidt gave the maximum legal limit of donations to Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry and to primary candidate Howard Dean.
Schmidt also contributed the maximum amount to Sen. Clinton, whose role in helping her husband intimidate his female accusers is addressed in the new book.
In May 2005, Google rejected an attempt by the conservative activist group RightMarch.com to run ads critical of Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., while continuing to run attack ads against besieged House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas.
Also, Google agreed to allow the communist Chinese government to have the search engine block "objectionable" search terms such as "democracy."
In addition, the company came under fire for an editorial decision to rank news articles in search results by "quality," giving preferential placement to large and predominately liberal media outlets such as CNN and the BBC over conservative news sources, even if they are more recent or pertinent.
Please support the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund.
100% of the money donated to the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund goes to the children of our troops killed or disabled in action to further their education.
The Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund honors the bravery and dedication exhibited by Americans in our armed forces who have sacrificed life and limb by providing educational scholarships to their children.
Students are eligible if they are the dependent child of an active duty service member who died or was permanently disabled (100% rating) in the line of duty, or who is currently certified as POW or MIA. The applicant must also be a senior in high school, a high school graduate, or enrolled in an institution of higher learning, including colleges, universities, or vocational schools.
24's Body Count Update: The day is done.
From Right Wing Nuthouse:
BODY COUNT
This year’s body count for the show is surprisingly close to last year’s totals. We don’t know how many died in the submarine nor do we know a few other loose ends like Evelyn and her 8 year old daughter left by Henderson’s men in the motel room as well as a few others. But Jack’s total of 42 from last year is close to this year’s butcher’s bill.
Petty Officer accounted for one terrorist while Jack, using a tremendous variety of weapons (including his thunder thighs) took care of 5 bad guys. Poor Agent McCullough should have called in sick.
JACK: 35
SHOW: 200
MARTHA: 1
Thanks to Jack, Chloe, her ex-husband (!!! Who reminds me of Alexei Sayle) Lady MacDeath, the bleeding Secret Service dude, and Mike Novick, (based loosely, I believe, on Pat Buchanan) Amerikkka has been made safe until next season, even though the omnipotent Men With Phones In Their Ears are still at large and unidentified. If soon-to-be-ex-President Hilter is going to cut a deal to save himself from the hangman's noose (Ha!) it seems natural that he would roll over on the MWPITE and live out his days in a minimum security federal country club.
Kudos to Lady MacDeath for keeping all the booze and pills down while doing the nasty with Hilter. If he's supposed to be nixonian, then he's a quaker. One can only imagine the ickiness involved in the pale quakerish imitation of conjugal relations.
Kudos to Jack for whacking Buckaroo Banzai with absolutely no pretense of bourgeois legalism. Hugo Chavez is in heat.
Why couldn't Audrey have died?
Chloe was too broken up over Edgar's death to hook up with Curtis. And her limey ex looks like a dead end. My guess is Chloe will console herself during the terrorist offseason by watching old tapes of Family Feud starring Louie Anderson.
Loose ends:Kim Bauer and her therapist-cum-molester.
SecDef William Devane.
Lady MacDeath's lady-in-wating and her daughter.
Wayne Palmer, Curtis, and every other black guy on the show. Ever.
Buckaroo Banzai's wife.
The guy Chloe tasered twice in the bar.
The vampire cop from Toronto. (There's no way a couple dozen rounds of automatic weapons fire is going to keep him down.)
It's going to be a long six months, kiddies. I can't wait to see how Jack will defeat the Chinese commies and their robot/slave army of two billion.
Those folks on the Gulf Coast are our neighbors. You know what to do.
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.
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
News
5/22/2006 — Catholic Charities Volunteer Returns $20,000 in Cash Found While Gutting Home of Hurricane Katrina Victim
5/19/2006 — Operation Helping Hands Gets a Hand from New Orleans Fine Hotels’ Rooms for Revitalization Program
4/27/2006 — President Bush Visits Catholic Charities of New Orleans’s Operation Helping Hands Rebuilding Site, Encourages Volunteers to Help Out in the Gulf Coast
More news...
FAQs
FAQ - Donations
FAQ - Hurricane Relief
Agencies Impacted:
Catholic Charities of Miami
Catholic Charities of New Orleans
Catholic Community Services of Baton Rouge
Catholic Social Services of Houma-Thibodaux
Catholic Social and Community Services of Biloxi, MS
Catholic Charities of Jackson, MS
Catholic Social Services of Mobile, AL
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.
George Steinbrenner is one of the men who killed baseball, but this is still sad.
From Phil Mushnick of the New York Post:
He has been the New York media's go-to guy for more than 30 years. He's the back-page man, the front-page man. On TV and radio we hear, "More about the five-alarm blaze in Queens and other top stories, but first, The Boss is at it again . . ."
He has faithfully served as a slow-news-day, give-him-a-call guy and a fellow who will not go unheard even on busy news days.
And now it's time for the media, if they can possibly overcome their addiction to George Steinbrenner, to cut it out.
Steinbrenner, nearly 76 years old, has grown chronically and increasingly forgetful. He forgets names and faces. And almost everyone he regularly deals with, especially Yankee business intimates, knows it.
Several of those intimates regard the continued quoting of Steinbrenner - and continued pursuit of quotes from him - as "cruel" and "unfair."
"He just can't be held accountable for what he says these days," said one. "And anyone who quotes him on any issue or tries to read things into what he says is not playing fair, not applying common sense. That A-Rod thing the other night was a perfect example."
Last week, Steinbrenner was quoted as mocking Alex Rodriguez for an open-the-doors error against the Red Sox. By referring to Rodriguez as, "the third baseman," Steinbrenner was widely portrayed as being sarcastic, attaching a generic label to his star third baseman as a means of tweaking him.
"George simply forgot his name," said one of Steinbrenner's charges, a fellow who has both covered and worked for Steinbrenner.
And even had Steinbrenner been looking to take a shot at Rodriguez - even had he called the media to the owner's box to do so - he should not, at this stage, be quoted.
That position has been fully supported by others who closely follow the Yanks and Steinbrenner. Said one, a longtime Steinbrenner friend and business associate who, over a year ago, told us that Steinbrenner's thoughts had become clouded by age:
"He forgets my name; he forgets lots of names. He gets that blank, gray look. Other times, he's fine. But it's just not right to pretend that he's the George Steinbrenner of the past, the guy whose words make headlines.
"We'd all excuse a member of our family for growing forgetful. It's a sad but natural part of aging, one you treat with understanding. You don't hold that person to what he says or the way you think he says something.
"It doesn't matter what you think of him or anything he did or said in the past. To go looking for newsy quotes from him these days, well, that's just not right."
The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist.
Visit this vibrant community's website here.
Our Community was formed in response to the call of Pope John Paul II in the Post-Synodal Exhortation, Vita Consecrata, regarding his belief that today it is opportune to establish new foundations which "bear witness to the constant attraction which the total gift of self to the Lord ... continues to exert even on the present generation." (VC, 12)
We are celebrating our 8th year together as a community. The Lord blessed us abundantly in this endeavor. Click here to read a letter from our Bishop. You can learn about our Community by exploring our spiritual formation, daily spiritual life, and our apostolic works.
New! Click here for a tour of our community! (Best viewed using Internet Explorer)
Pope John Paul II has said, "The consecrated life is at the very heart of the Church as a decisive element of her mission." (VC, 3)
Eucharistic Adoration is at the heart of our contemplative life.
Through the profession of the evangelical counsels, our community seeks to embody the graces of the New Evangelization which Pope John Paul II announced as "the prelude to a new springtime in the Church." The spiritual identity of our fraternal life lived in community is shaped by Dominican spirituality with an emphasis on Eucharistic adoration and Marian devotion.
To examine the elements of our religious formation and spiritual life, click here
The apostolic dimension of the new institute takes it bearing from the Holy Father's call for a New Evangelization. We initially plan to engage in the work of Catholic education, but remain open to embrace other means of evangelization. Click here to read about our schools.
We also engage in offering spiritual retreats for women. These include special times, focused on the Eucharist and Marian devotion, for students, and for married and single women. This gives them the time away from their daily concerns, to reflect on their special vocations in life and their relationship with God.
A third area of activity is our participation in spreading the Truth through evangelization and teaching. We conduct religious instruction for homeschooled high-school teenagers. Also, we engage college students and others to discuss and consider the Faith.
To learn more about our active apostolates, click here.
Bucky, I tried using Russian literature on the ladies. It doesn't work.
BTW, I wouldn't rescue Bucky or Satchel either.
From The Death Of The West Department:
It's over, kiddies. It's official. Put a fork in us because we're done.
Chicago Tribune: House OKs bill requiring consideration of pets in disaster plans
A televised image of a little boy losing his dog during Katrina rescue operations was the catalyst for House passage Monday of legislation requiring pets to be considered in future emergency-preparedness plans.
I do not care how much you love your pet, I would not risk my life and the lives of other PEOPLE to save IT.
Get it?
Saint of the Day and daily Mass readings.
Today is the Feast of St. Michael of Synnada, bishop and defender of The Church against the Iconoclast heresy. Pray for us, all you angels and saints.
Today's reading is Acts 16:22-34.
Today's Responsorial Psalm is Psalms 138:1-2, 2-3, 7-8.
Today's Gospel reading is John 16:5-11.
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.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Sometimes, there really are commies...
...and Mayor Jim Naugle of Fort Lauderdale knows how to spot 'em.
Sun-Sentinel: Taxing developers green for cheap homes looks red to mayor
FORT LAUDERDALE · Mega-developers and the city's mayor are shooting down a proposed affordable housing law, calling it unfair, communistic and doomed to failure. People could afford a place to live, the mayor said, if they were willing to work harder.
Mayor Jim Naugle, a conservative and brash politician serving his final term, said people mistakenly think they're entitled to an affordable single-family house on a 40-hour work routine. They need to work more hours, and even then settle for a condo or townhouse, Naugle said.
See what happens when politicians don't have to run again? Term limits, baby, term limits.
"I'm supposed to subsidize some schlock sitting on the sofa and drinking a beer, who won't work more than 40 hours a week?'' he asked. "I deny that there is a problem. You can buy condos all day for $160,000.''
I think Hizzoner meant "schlub", not "schlock".
Naugle's comments may be contested by the working-class citizens who've told the city they want a home but can't afford it. But his ideas might hit home in other circles, where a city proposal to make developers slash prices or pay a fee was met with skepticism.
So, the working class is automatically socialist? That is so nineteenth century.
"We ought to let the free market work,'' said Bill Scherer, a lawyer-developer on the city's Downtown Development Authority.
The proposal asks developers to give up big money -- $1.5 million on a 100-condo complex, for example -- for the theoretical good of the community. The city's law, as drafted, would make residential developers pay for affordable housing, either by providing it within their housing complexes, or paying fees into a trust fund to subsidize housing for the middle class. Families making up to $69,720 -- which is 20 percent more than the area's median family income -- would be eligible for a government boost.
New York has rent control. The federal government has Section 8 housing aid. So, this isn't the first time government has gotten involved in the real estate market to help people afford a place to live.
Due to time constraints, we now move to further action.
"The concept of this ordinance is from each according to his ability, to each according to need, which is the Communist Manifesto,'' said Naugle, who calls the proposed law a "luxury housing tax.''
"One person is working two or three jobs to get ahead and one person isn't. Should we tax the person that's working hard to get ahead, to pay for the one who isn't?'' he said.
Amen to that, Brother. But you're spitting into the wind.
Jim Carras, head of the private, nonprofit Broward Housing Partnership, countered the mayor's Karl Marx rhetoric with a paraphrase from President Truman."
`A decent place to live is the right of every American.' We have maybe stepped away from how we fund it, but even the most conservative Republicans in Congress and the state legislature see a role for government," said Carras.
That would be the noted economist and philosopher Harry Truman.
Housing prices in Broward continue to shock some buyers. The median home price in Broward County in March -- the price at which half the homes sell for more and half the homes sell for less -- was $368,100 for a house and $202,600 for a condo.
Still, according to a recent study by Strategic Planning Group Inc., that means most condos are within financial reach of most buyers, though it might not be the size or location a buyer is seeking.
Welcome to the real world.
A debate about Fort Lauderdale's proposed law might have been expected, considering what's at stake.
"Gas is unaffordable. Now, do gas station owners need to go out and supply affordable gas?'' said Doug Eagon, president of Stiles Corp., which built many of downtown's big towers.
Ssshhhh...don't give them any ideas.
Developers said they would pass the costs to other buyers, leading to increased housing prices overall.
Major developers on the Downtown Development Authority originally supported the concept of an affordable housing regulation. But they don't like the results. They want it rewritten to offer incentives to developers, and to spread the cost across the general public, by using tax dollars, for example.
How can the free market survive when the ostensible friends of the market are in favor of screwing with it as much as the left-fascists are?
About Me
- TheChurchMilitant
- First of all, the word is SEX, not GENDER. If you are ever tempted to use the word GENDER, don't. The word is SEX! SEX! SEX! SEX! For example: "My sex is male." is correct. "My gender is male." means nothing. Look it up. What kind of sick neo-Puritan nonsense is this? Idiot left-fascists, get your blood-soaked paws off the English language. Hence I am choosing "male" under protest.