Fearless Prognostications

Fearless Prognostications: "Well folks, it's hard to believe it's that time of year again. You know what I'm talkin about too - lots of grilled and fried food, not to mention a few pints of the good stuff to wash it down with. Last year this fearless prognosticator was takin a little tour of the B&Bs up the Appalachian trail, but we're back with a vengeance. Or something. On to this week's picks..." Check out Fearless Prognostications - a site run by a good Southron friend of mine. If you like your football southern fried and funny check this out. Don't count on accuracy, though, there is a distinct bias for Alabama. :) Here is how he describes the three games I care about: Georgia Tech at Notre Dame: The Bumble Bees travel to Catholic Country for a little excitement in the midwest. The Catholics have "disguised" the season opening quarterback to throw off the opponent. Yeah that works. Sounds like Weis doesn't know who to start. Fortunately for them, the Bees are still the Bees. Expect a valiant effort, and a strong bourbon. Catholics 22 Bees 16 Tennessee at California: It's a little bit country meets a little bit of rock and roll. Or more likely, it's Hillbillies and Techies meet in Berkeley. Talk about a gatherin. It's a bit like a wedding between ugly people. You're happy for them, but jeez, please don't have kids. The Golden Bears - and we're not talking about a six-pack of Jack Nicklaus - were spanked by the Davy Crockets last year in Knoxville. Don't expect a repeat. The nerds have been workin on this plan all summer. The Fulminator could slide right into the hot seat. Bears 20 Crockets 19 Idaho at Southern Cal: The Trojans are very good. The Potatoes are not. Pass the pepper, a glass of vino, and don't forget to get to your seat quickly before the reserves come in. Trojans 95 Spuds 10 Go ahead - check him out! Heck, add him to your side bar and rss feed. This guy is funny.

Celebrity And The God Shaped Hole

Two stories that caught my attention in the past 24 hours: Marinovich arrested in Newport - OCRegister.com: "NEWPORT BEACH - Onetime standout USC quarterback Todd Marinovich faces the latest in a long run of legal troubles after being charged with felony drug possession and resisting a police officer. Marinovich, 38, allegedly ran from police who tried to stop him about 1:15 a.m. Sunday for skateboarding near the Newport Pier boardwalk, where skateboarding is prohibited. He was found hiding in a carport about 1:30 a.m., police Sgt. Evan Sailor said. After searching Marinovich, police found about one gram of methamphetamine, a metal spoon and a hypodermic needle, Sailor said." Owen Wilson Was Hooked on Heroin, Cocaine - foxnews.com "Funnyman actor Owen Wilson was hooked on heroin and cocaine, struggling with depression and hanging out with the wrong crowd in the months before his attempted suicide, according to a bombshell new report. ... And his friends are placing the blame squarely on Wilson's newfound best buddy, British actor Steve Coogan.... " Here are two boys (I choose the term purposely) who are about my age (Owen is 38 as well as Marinovich). By the standards of the world, they have it all. They have fame. They have made money in amounts I can only imagine. And yet there is something terribly missing. These boys have yet to become genuine men. Oh certainly they are men in the physical sense, but they are behaving as unruly rebellious children. They are trying to fill a whole. But it is a God shaped whole that cannot be filled with drugs or fame or money. Only God will satisfy. Only when they turn to Him can they put aside their childish ways and become genuine men. Both of these reports call to mind the prodigal son who squandered the gifts of the father on having a good time before hitting bottom. I pray that like the prodigal son, these two will turn to God. Only He can fill the hole.

Mission San Fernando

Before moving on to the six new missions we visited over our vacation, I figured I should finish the set from Southern California. These pictures are from Mission San Fernando, just north of Los Angeles. Clicking on any of the pictures will take you to a larger version. Click here if you want to see all of the pictures from San Fernando (there are 16 in total). I also have photos for the following missions posted (click through to go to albums): San Diego San Luis Rey San Juan Capistrano San Gabriel San Fernando San Buenaventura Santa Barbara I'll soon be adding: Santa Cruz Santa Clara San Jose San Francisco de Assisi (aka Mission Delores) San Raphael San Francisco de Solano There are eight other missions that we will be visiting over the next year or so. All of the mission photo albums can be found by clicking here.

Photo Hunters #72 Happy

Click on picture for larger image Happiness is going to your first baseball game! In going through some of my pictures I came across this one I took a few years back. I think it fits perfect. It was helmet day, and we got there early - have to teach 'em young that you have to show up for batting practice. :) Have a great weekend! PhotoHunt

Parent's Prayer

We had to arrange our schedule to make sure we were back for orientation at our kid's school. It was one of the best orientations I've been too. Well, each parent is given a handbook, and on the first page is a prayer that I'd like to share. O Father of humankind, Who has given me these, my children, And committed them to my charge to bring them up for You, And to prepare them for life everlasting; Assist me with Your heavenly grace, That I may be able to fulfill my sacred duty and stewardship. Teach me both what to give and what to withhold, When to reprove and when to praise. Make me gentle, yet firm, considerate and watchful, And deliver me equally from the weakness of indulgence And the excess of severity. Grant that both by work and example, I may be careful to lead them in the way of wisdom And true piety; so that at last I may, With them, be admitted to the joys of our true home in heaven. Amen

Excursion By The Bay

Click on picture for larger image The reason for the lack of posts is that we have been on vacation for the past week or so. Thanks, for the prayers well wishes, especially from Amber. It is nice to know that someone noticed - sometimes you wonder if people actually read what you write. We continued our California Mission pilgrimage with visits to 6 missions in the San Francisco Bay area - San Francisco Solano, San Francisco de Asisi (Mission Dolores), San Raphael, San Jose (which is not in the city of San Jose), Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz. I hope to have pictures up soon, but am well behind on that front. I should get back in the posting groove again, but it is not easy. I did not miss remaining in constant contact with technology on my trip. The laptop was used just to store pictures once the memory cards were full. Email went unread, and the web went unexplored. It was refreshing. Kind of makes it tough to get back into the groove of things. Expect to see more here once I get things sorted out on this end.

Feast of the Assumption

Today is the feast of the Assumption. Let us praise God for the boast of the human race, our Blessed Mother! Without her "yes" at the annunciation, we would still be in darkness. How wonderful she is! May we imitate her when God calls on us. Let us praise Christ and thank him for the gift of his Mother to us through St. John! Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our Life, our Sweetness and our Hope. To the do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To Thee do we send up our sighs mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, Thine Eyes of Mercy toward us, and after this our exile show us the Blessed Fruit of thy Womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us O Holy Mother of God That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Previous posts: 2006 Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Amnesty International claims to be godless

Our friends at Amnesty International are at it again. They want to tell the world they support abortion. So here we go again. United Press International - NewsTrack - Top News - Rights group at odds with Vatican: 'Our purpose invokes the law and the state, not God.' While it is important that people of faith remember that Amnesty International is happy to tell you they are godless, it is entirely beside the point. Hey, AI, here is the logic: 1. Killing innocent life is wrong, evil, bad. 2. Life starts at conception. At conception a new individual with a DNA profile different from the mother or father is created. At that point we have an unborn child. 3. Abortion kills the unborn child. It is wrong, evil, bad. Therefore, abortion is wrong, evil, immoral, and the violation of the most fundamental human right there is - THE RIGHT TO LIFE!!!!! Note - I did not refer to the existence of God in this argument. I only referred to the natural law truth that killing is wrong. Also note when the new human being is created (the only rational point for specifying the start to life). Because there are some radical feminists who want to say that their right to kill is more important than the unborn child's right to life, AI was neutral on the abortion issue. That allowed them to focus on doing good without doing harm. It would have been better to stand for the rights of the innocent, but those with radical feminist agendas hold much sway here. Alas, they are neutral no longer - and I'm going to help them out by letting you know that they want you to know that they stand with the godless who do not value all human life. No, they place other goods before the most fundamental good. So if you believe in the most fundamental right of all, the right to life, do not support Amnesty International. Instead, support groups like the organizations below: Human Rights First 333 Seventh Avenue, 13th Floor New York, NY 10001-5108 Phone: (212) 845 5200 www.humanrightsfirst.org feedback@humanrightsfirst.org Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International (TASSC) 4121 Harewood Road NE ~ Suite B Washington, DC 20017 Phone: (202) 529-2991 www.tassc.org info@tassc.org National Religious Campaign Against Torture c/o CCTPP 4500 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20016 Phone: (202) 885-8648 www.nrcat.org campaign@nrcat.org

Photo Hunters #70 - In a Row

Click on picture for larger image How about 4 palm trees in a row in front of rows of orange trees? With a beautiful So Cal sky behind it? Hmm? Wish you were here. ;) Have a great weekend! PhotoHunt

Where have all the men gone?

I'm feelin' a little on fire tonight. It could be that I've been over-worked and am fighting a summer cold. Or it could be the Holy Spirit. Either way, I've got something to say. First, h/t to Fr. Stephanos at Me Monk, Me Meander for pointing to the article at Crisis Magazine (Crisis Magazine: The New Catholic Manliness). This is definitely required reading for Catholic men, and prompts my post. So where have all the men gone in our Church? Well if you mix an over-correction to errors from a previous generation with radical feminism in the midst of a tumultuous period you have a perfect storm. A storm that left us with soft, touchy-feely "Faith Communities" that all but suppressed authentic Catholic masculinity and feminized the Church in the industrialized First World. But there is good news - We're back! We men needed a bit of time to figure out what to do. But with leaders like JP2 and B16 it was only a matter of time before we would figure it out. Oh yeah, we figured it out. We figured out that we need strong men, who will stand up for what they believe. Men who will take the difficult path. Who will act with courage, justice, and compassion. Men ready to be rocks for building His Church. Men who want the challenge of Christ. This is no easy challenge. It means fasting, praying, and giving for your family and your Church. It's rejecting temptation. It is fighting the Devil. It is witnessing to the faith. It is living our faith and challenging others to do the same. It means following the full Catholic faith. We want the whole thing with all the implications. The love Christ showed us, the love B16 writes about in Deus Caritas Est, is not easy. It isn't "hold my hand, play nice-nice and everything will be all right" love. Christ's love is HARD. It means humility and sacrifice. It means commitment.and discipline. It means struggle and perseverance. It means training and study. It means repentance and obedience. It means duty and service. It means leadership and taking responsibility for our Church. It means instructing our children about how to be a faithful Catholic; a follower of Christ in the the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. It means living that faith. It means stepping up and being counted as a follower of the Christ. Because the world is hostile to the message of Christ and those who follow him, it means you can expect hardship. It means being ridiculed, and despised and hated. It means having others judge you wrongly. It means being unpopular. It may cost you friends. Or jobs. Or lifestyle. It will certainly cost you something and it will not always be easy. In fact, this is so hard, that without Christ we cannot do it. But if we open our hearts. Say "yes" like our Blessed Mother did when asked by the archangel Gabriel, then His grace will transform us and the world through us. If we say "yes" and, with His help, LIVE that "yes" through our actions then it means ultimate victory. And peace. And joy. And REAL love. It's the Church Militant, baby. You ready to step up?

That Catholic Show - Water, Water Everywhere

You gotta see That Catholic Show!

Abortion Raises Crime Rates, Economist Says -- 08/09/2007

Liberals like to claim all kinds of societal benefits from the ongoing holocaust. One problem - it's not true. The impact of legalized abortion may in fact increase crime by further breaking down family structures. Check out this link: Abortion Raises Crime Rates, Economist Says -- 08/09/2007: "Legalized abortion has led to increased crime, according to a recently published study of people born before and after the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision."

Giuliani Separation of Faith and Actions

Check out the parody of Giuliani on the role of his faith at The Curt Jester. I'm not sure parody is correct, as I think it is a more coherent statement of Rudy's position than he could make. Funny ... and sad. The Curt Jester: Separation of Faith and Actions: "I have built a wall of separation between my actions and my faith. As a mayor and a presidential nominee I know that you are part of the state 24/7 and so all of my actions must be separated from my faith."

Christians held in Egypt

Christians held in Egypt for work on Web site: "CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian police have detained two Egyptian Christians for their work on the Web site of a Christian Arab group based in Canada, police sources said on Thursday." Again we see how Muslim governments tramples the human rights of Christians living under their oppressive rule. And Egypt is one of the better of the bunch. They were working on a WEB SITE - not terrorists working on bombs to fly into buildings - a WEB SITE. Because it was Christian, it was deemed insulting to Islam. How can the Muslim world expect to be treated as civilized when they do not grant the most basic human rights?

Planned Parenthood Boycott Update - Allstate Off List

Life Decisions International sent an email out about their list of companies to boycott because of their support of Planned Parenthood. The message is below. I am glad that Allstate is making the right moves! The quote is from the email (emphasis mine). The Boycott List and Checkbook List were sent via Bulk Mail the last week of July. We had planned to mail them no later than July 15, but sometimes (okay, almost all the time) things take longer than we anticipate. (One cannot reasonably predict how long it will take corporations to respond.) Please be extra patient as Bulk Mail can take a while to get to its destination. We already have some good news to report regarding the new Boycott List. When the new edition arrives, please delete Allstate as it is no longer a boycott target. Keep up the pressure folks. A lot of times it is about letting the right executives at these companies know what a maverick VP, director, or even a lower level employee is up to. If you want information on the boycott list, click here for information on how to order. Previous post on topic: Boycott Companies that Support Planned Parenthood

Birds & Truth - Sirach 9:27

Click on picture for larger image I had intended to do these quote image combos more frequently - but time sure does fly, even if you aren't having fun. :) Enjoy.

Dangerous Cures

Creative Minority Report - Pro-Death Groups Warn About Dangerous Cures: "Naral Pro Choice America spokesperson said they too were shocked to learn of the treatment that could immeasurably improve thousands of lives. NARAL said in a press release that it's a misconception that they're just interested in killing little babies. 'We're also interested in the death of big people now too,' said the release." Creative Minority Report is one of those sites that I can't miss. Their humor is not the least of reasons for visiting on my list. Check out the article linked to above. A satire well worth the read.

Photo Hunters #69 Funky

Click on picture for larger image What could be more funky than lava lamps! It actually took me a while to get the darn things going. I had to go get a light bulb for one of them. Have a great weekend! PhotoHunt

16th Wedding Anniversary

My better half and our youngest We were married 16 years ago. They have been 16 joy filled years. God has blessed me in so many ways, not least of which is my loving spouse. I don't know where I would be without her, but it doubt it would be very good. To my dearest wife: Thank you for giving me all of you these 16 years! May the Lord bless us with at least 50 more. May our life together be holy in the eyes of God. May our family grow in size and in faith. May our love fill us and overflow into the world. Thoughts from last year: 15 Year Wedding Anniversary

Reductionism and Spirituality

Mount Carmel Catholic Bloggers has a post called Science against God? about examining the correlates of brain functioning and spirituality. They have legitimate concerns about how science may get used. Both scientists and non-scientists alike must be careful of reductionism. Reductionism is a belief that all phenomena of a higher order realm, can be fully explained using a more basic realm. For example, all biology can be explained only by looking at chemistry. While few would deny that there are connections between levels of explanation (physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, spirituality), there are more than a few reductionists who believe that all higher order phenomena can be reduced to the most elementary levels. Of course there are relations between higher and lower levels of understanding, but understanding that there are relations does not reduce s phenomenon to a more basic level. For example, many scientists believe that psychological phenomena can be reduced to mere biology. However, this provides an unsatisfactory explanation of human psychology and cannot fully account for psychology. But a biological understanding does enhance our understanding of psychology and can guide our understanding of how our psychology is dependent upon and our biology. Still, there are those who believe that a reduction of psychology to biology is inevitable. The illogical conclusion of reductionism is that all phenomenon can be explained using physics. Imagine trying to explain the biodiversity in the animal kingdom using merely the laws of phsyics - no chemistry, no biology, no evolution, no theology, just physics. You can't. This is true at higher orders as well. Imagine understanding the love a grandson has for his grandmother merely by biological processes. Again, you can't. Just as spiritual experience cannot be reduced to mere brain functioning. Chemistry cannot merely be reduced to physics. Biology cannot merely be reduced to chemistry. Psychology cannot merely be reduced to biology. Spirituality cannot merely be reduced to psychology. Each of these connects to the lower level of explanation, but none can be simply reduced to it. There is a point, however to studying phenomena at multiple levels, and we should not be afraid to look at the connection between physics, biology, psychology and spirituality. Science is a gift that can give us greater understanding and appreciation of the divine. Science is merely a method of gathering facts and observation. It is the interpretation of the facts which can build our understanding or pervert it. It is the quality of the argument that can build up our understanding or serve a more nefarious purpose. What we must guard against is the materialistic reductionist philosophy to which many scientists adhere. Because that siren song leads to spiritual shipwreck. It warps science and makes claims that are not true. It is not science itself. Rather, it is a perverse faith that has seduced too many scientists.

Love Our Patrimony

Rejoice in our Catholic Church! God has blessed us for nearly two thousands years. Much has come against the Church, and yet she remains. The fullness of Christ’s truth resides in the Catholic Church. May we remain faithful to her because it is right to do so. May we remain faithful so we may share in her glory when Christ the bridegroom embraces his bride at the end of ages. There is a strong mentality among many leaders in our parishes to reject our past. This antipathy to our patrimony is disheartening. We stand on the faith of those who came before us, saints and martyrs loyal to the Church from the apostles forward. We need to embrace the richness of our history of our tradition - not reject it for a faddish modernism. I have heard those who are parish leaders, who are entrusted with teaching our faith, speak with condescension about our past. Because the Church is made of humans, there has been scandal, just as we are suffering through scandal now. May we have the strength to address these problems as they occur in the future - as they certainly will in our fallen world. But far greater than the human weakness within the Church is the richness of our faith. The fruit of the Church has been bountiful and immeasurable. This is where we should point our faithful. To focus on the failings is to stand in judgment. To be in such a place is to tempt us with pride. The pride that we are somehow better than our forefathers, that our judgment is somehow superior. I have heard those in there late 50s and early 60s complain about nuns they had in school. These nuns taught them the faith. Yet they blame these nuns for giving them guilt and a fear of God's judgment. I feel sorry for these people. They do not recognize the great contribution to their own lives that these nuns made. These people do not see where the seeds were planted and nourished. They do not see the eternal truths that they were taught. Faith is not easy. One must guard against the snares of the Devil. Many from this generation want to leave out the parts they don't like, and then blame it on those who gave their lives to impart the wisdom of ages because deep down, they know that they cannot and should not let it go. I lament the loss of our religious. While decline in priestly vocations increases our appreciation for the former abundance in sacramental life, the loss of our nuns has made me appreciate our former abundance in community life. For the nuns were the glue in our parishes. Their teaching, and humility, examples of obedience, and faithfulness are sorely missed. May the numbers of faithful religious again increase so that the Church may benefit from the sweet fruit of their holiness. Let us remember who we are and how we got there. Let us listen to those in the Body of Christ who have come before us. Let us look to our heritage for grounding. Let us also remember in our prayers those who were part of the cultural turmoil of the 1960's and 1970's and are stuck with the lens of struggle and revolution. May they find Christ's peace that has always been here, waiting for them in His Church.