Time to repent.
Blogger Madness
Have you noticed it lately?A few seem to be going all Howard Beale - George and Martha on their blogs.
(I wonder if some people may not be blogging from a mental hospital or something?)
Breaking News! St. Paul Librarian Under Investigation!
Stats, lies, and the Internet.An as yet unnamed St. Paul librarian is under investigation by Library Security, the FCC, and FBI for unauthorized use of Library computers with the intention to defraud the public. It is rumored that she has worked in tandem with a former female police officer from the Northern Suburbs in a scam to defraud Internet users.
Details are sketchy, but a source revealed these two hatched an online scam to "cook the books" when it came to blog stats, the number of hits, comments, etc., to possibly increase readership and popularity. The investigation is focused solely upon Internet misuse using Library equipment, although one source suggested there may be an implication of monetary gain, or perhaps a deal for an online (U-Tube) or TV reality show. A Library Administrator said he could make no comment concerning the investigation except to say, "This is just the tip of the iceberg I'm afraid - every computer in the five county area - the entire system - has been employed in this scam."
An investigative computer analyst remarked that these women, if the allegations are true, are quite possibly the masterminds behind one of the most ingenious cyber scams ever devised, explaining to this reporter, "They devised a way to reroute comments and user stats from countless blogs and feed them into their own sites. They were also able to hack into every single Library computer in the 5 county area, even college and university computers, to manipulate hits on their own websites."
The suspects investigators are looking at have been described by one frightened Library coworker as "the typical "Thelma and Louise" types, they hate men - they want all men off the Internet. She (name withheld) is a psychopath!" Another, obviously traumatized Library worker, who claims he worked for the suspect, tearfully whispered through the Kleenex he held, "She's the Kathy Bates of library science - did you ever see "Misery"?" The poor man then broke down, sobbing.
Sad.
Thursday Poetry Corner: #2 in a series.
Two Women...
Meet Cathy, who's lived most everywhere,
From any bar to Baker's Square.
But Julie's only seen the sight
A girl can see from Columbia Heights -- What a crazy pair!
...
But they're like cousins,
Identical cousins all the way.
One pair of matching bookends,
Different as night and day.
...
Where Cathy adores a minuet,
The Ballet Russes, and crepe suzette,
Our Julie loves to rock and roll,
A hot dog makes her lose control -- What a wild duet!
...
Still, they're like cousins,
Identical cousins and you'll find,
They laugh alike, they walk alike,
At times they even drink alike -- You can lose your mind,
When cousins are two of a kind.
- Anonymous
BUI blogs...
My next series will be entitled, "Blogging while drunk" - I think some bloggers need an intervention.(Question: If you go to Kinkos, or the library, can you go to different computers and keep logging in - then go to your blog - creating multiple hits to make your stats go up? Yeah! I think so, and there is going to be an investigation by the FCC into this!)
Blogged out!
Internet addiction - it can kill you!
(Thanks to JS for this photo - I don't know where he finds 'em!)
Latin Mass
Has anyone heard if the Machu Picchu has been signed yet? I've kinda been waiting.
Photo: Father Capote.
Who is in Heaven?
Sinners. (Repentant of course.) I think it is the proud and self-righteous who go to hell.
(Art: Madonna of Loreto, Caravaggio)
Free! Free at last!
Paris is out of jail - doesn't she look cute? That wasn't so bad now was it? (She reminds me of Jen in this picture. Oooooooo! A tear.)
More from The Poetry Corner...
Virtual Insanity
Oh yeah, what we're living in (let me tell ya)
It's a wonder man can eat at all
When things are big that should be small
Who can tell what magic spells we'll be doing for us
And I'm giving all my love to this world
Only to be told
I can't see
I can't breathe
No more will we be
And nothing's going to change the way we live
Cos' we can always take but never give
And now that things are changing for the worse,
See, its a crazy world we're living in
And I just can't see that half of us immersed in sin
Is all we have to give these -
Futures made of virtual insanity now
Always seem to, be govern'd by this love we have
For useless, twisting, our new technology
Oh, now there is no sound - for we all live underground...
-Jamiroquai
...
Art: From: art of the insane - artist unknown.
Despair
The end of these other poor wretches who are in great misery.
"How terrible and dark is their death! Because in the moment of death, as I told you, the Devil accuses them with great terror and darkness, showing his face, which you know is so horrible that the creature would rather choose any pain that can be suffered in this world than see it; and so greatly does he freshen the sting of conscience that it gnaws him horribly. The inordinate delights and sensuality of which he made lords over his reason, accuse him miserably, because then he knows the truth of that which at first he knew not, and his error brings him to great confusion.
"In his life he lived unfaithfully to Me -- self-love having veiled the pupil of the most holy faith -- wherefore the Devil torments him with infidelity in order to bring him to despair. Oh! how hard for them is this battle, because it finds them disarmed, without the armor of affection and charity; because, as members of the Devil, they have been deprived of it all. Wherefore they have not the supernatural light, neither the light of science, because they did not understand it, the horns of their pride not letting them understand the sweetness of its marrow. Wherefore now in the great battle they know not what to do. They are not nourished in hope, because they have not hoped in Me, neither in the Blood of which I made them ministers, but in themselves alone, and in the dignities and delights of the world. And the incarnate wretch did not see that all was counted to him with interest, and that as a debtor he would have to render an account to Me; now he finds himself denuded and without any virtue, and on whichever side he turns he hears nothing but reproaches with great confusion. His injustice which he practiced in his life accuses him to his conscience, wherefore he dares not ask other than justice.
"And I tell you that so great is that shame and confusion that unless in their life they have taken the habit of hoping in My mercy, that is, have taken the milk of mercy (although on account of their sins this is great presumption, for you cannot truly say that he who strikes Me with the arm of My mercy has a hope in mercy, but rather has presumption), there is not one who would not despair, and with despair they would arrive with the Devil in eternal damnation." - The Dialogue of St. Catherine of Sienna
Yikes!
The dykes down the street are having a Pride party tonight. Theresa put up a tent in her yard, and her partner, who I thought was her brother, seems to be tending bar. Butch-o-rama!
I never go to parties anyway, but that doesn't mean I'm not ticked that I wasn't invited.
You know, you try so hard to be nice to dykes, but the butch ones tend to be kind of bitchy - I'm pretty sure most of them hate men. (Maybe it's just because this group happens to be Gen-Xers - naw, I really think it's a dyke thing.)
Whatever, I think I'll call the cops before I go to bed. LOL!
What a beautiful day in the neighborhood...
Quotes from Mr. Rogers:
"I feel the greatest gift we can give to anybody is the gift of our honest self."
"Of course, I get angry. Of course, I get sad. I have a full range of emotions. I also have a whole smorgasbord of ways of dealing with my feelings. That is what we should give children. Give them ... ways to express their rage without hurting themselves or somebody else. That's what the world needs."
"You know, you don't have to look like everybody else to be acceptable and to feel acceptable."
"I have a very modulated way of dealing with my anger. I have always tried to understand the other person and invariably I've discovered that somebody who rubs you the wrong way has been rubbed the wrong way many times."
Won't you be my neighbor?
Gen X,Y,Z
Younger people love to criticize the Boomer generation...the Woodstock, Haight-Ashbury crowd that grew up, got rich and dressed their kids in designer clothes, bought them Jettas, paid for their educations, while often continuing to "keep" them while they remain at home, well into adulthood.Here is a scene reminiscent of Woodstock that took place this weekend in the U.K. - go here for the story and pictures. ;-}
St. Thomas Moore
At the canonization of St.s Thomas Moore and John Fisher, Pius the XI had this to say regarding Moore:
"When he saw the doctrines of the Church were gravely endangered, he knew how to despise resolutely the flattery of human respect, how to resist, in accordance with his duty, the supreme head of the State when there was question of things commanded by God and the Church...It was for these motives that he was imprisoned, nor could the tears of his wife and children make him swerve from the path of truth and virtue. In that terrible hour of trial, he raised his eyes to heaven, and proved himself a bright example of Christian fortitude."
Ah! Christian fortitude in contempt of human respect...what a rare quality these days.
Principles of lust...
Mistaking lust for love.The principles of lust
are easy to understand
do what you feel
feel until the end
the principles of lust
are burned in your mind
do what you want
do it until you find
love...
- Enigma
These lyrics pretty much say it all as far as promiscuous behavior goes, whether one is straight or gay. Often, the underlying desire is to find love, to be loved. The reason acting upon lust is gravely sinful for anyone, is that sexual acts, separate from the procreative act are disordered, in so far as they endanger the preservation and propagation of the human race. (The same reason, BTW, contraception is evil.) Nevertheless, this is clearly revealed in the homosexual, as well as amongst heterosexuals who engage in disordered sexual practices.)
Today many people indulge their lust by the use of pornography, which is also a sin. The reason impure thoughts and sensual delight in pornography is disordered, is because these indulgences tend to unrestrained passion, leading to promiscuous behavior. It is often said by people with SSA that sexual expressions such as auto-eroticism, viewing or reading pornography, which is a form of voyeurism, is okay because it doesn't involve another person. That is untrue. Lust, of itself, when consented to, is a grave sin.
"The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be." - Matthew 6
This is just a follow up to the Fudge Packers post.
Art: "Love and Lust" - artist unknown.
That's all.
What's a Pooka?
I don't know, but someone by the name of Harvey is leaving comments all over the blogosphere!Thursday Poetry Corner
(Editor's note: Often, many of the more sophisticated and literary blogs, often referred to as highbrow blogs post beautiful poetry, and I want to try and emulate their good taste with my new series, Thursday Poetry Corner - I hope you enjoy.)
The Jewess
She was working in a bridal shop in Flushing, Queens,
'Til her boyfriend kicked her out in one of those crushing scenes.
What was she to do? Where was she to go? She was out on her fanny...
So over the bridge from Flushing to the Sheffield's door.
She was there to sell make-up, but the father saw more.
She had style! She had flair! She was there.
That's how she became the Nanny!
Who would have guessed that the girl we've described,
Was just exactly what the doctor prescribed?
Now the father finds her beguiling (watch out C.C.!).
And the kids are actually smiling (such joie de vivre!).
She's the lady in red when everybody else is wearing tan...
The flashy girl from Flushing, the Nanny named Fran!
The Jewess
She was working in a bridal shop in Flushing, Queens,
'Til her boyfriend kicked her out in one of those crushing scenes.
What was she to do? Where was she to go? She was out on her fanny...
So over the bridge from Flushing to the Sheffield's door.
She was there to sell make-up, but the father saw more.
She had style! She had flair! She was there.
That's how she became the Nanny!
Who would have guessed that the girl we've described,
Was just exactly what the doctor prescribed?
Now the father finds her beguiling (watch out C.C.!).
And the kids are actually smiling (such joie de vivre!).
She's the lady in red when everybody else is wearing tan...
The flashy girl from Flushing, the Nanny named Fran!
...
I'm verklempft!
Gagged...LOL!
I saw a story - guess where - about a visionary being gagged by the Church. I imagined she had been physically gagged. How many wish the seers at Medjugorje could be gagged? ROFL! (Go here for the story - not much to it though.)
....
(Photo: Cathy of Alexandria.)
Sacred Heart Cathedral
After wreck-o-vation. Visit Abbey-Roads2 for the story. (I only posted the photo here to get a web address - I usually do this on Rome-ing Catholics, my old blog which has become my photo file.)
Fudge packers.
Par for the coarse.
Since I'm seriously pondering giving up blogging, I've decided to vent a little about subjects that frequently come up in the blogosphere. Since it is Gay Pride month, and if my memory serves me, the Pride parade should take place in the Twin Cities this weekend or next. (It often coincides with the Stonewall revolt, back in NYC in the late 60's I think. Strange declaration of independence day for gays; it pretty much started off with a few drag queen hookers being arrested and hauled off to jail. Gays, defending their rights to assemble in their own taverns, rioted against police harrassment.)
Anyway, I digress. There's been a little bit of a war going on with the Caveman and a couple of gay Catholic bloggers. The one blog, CourageMan is a faithful Catholic blog, written by a member of Courage. The Caveman uses coarse terms to describe homosexual sex, which even people with SSA, who are manfully changing their lives in conformity with Catholic teaching, find objectionable. Yet sometimes coarse terms need to be used, like it or not, to describe sexual practices which are an abomination to God, and a mockery of the procreative act and love between a married man and woman.
A conversion story...which describes gay sex.
A man I once worked with, who happened to be gay, told me what prompted his conversion and return to the Catholic Church. He explained that he had a change of heart while he was engaged in public sex at a gay beach along the Mississippi river. He was performing an act of sodomy, that is, anal intercourse. He was using a condom, and when he withdrew, he/it was covered in fecal matter. He told me he was immediately disgusted by the sight and suddenly felt he understood then and there that the act was an abomination to God. He said he understood that it mocked the marital act. It was an act that was hostile to God and man, prompted by lust and self-gratification, while the action itself was a sort of subjugation of his partner, symbolic of domination, humiliating the partner's manhood.
Disgusting isn't it? (And gay people have the audacity to call this making love.) Sorry I am being so graphic, but sometimes we need to be aware of what things really are. Gay sex is not simply an innocent kiss on Will and Grace. Of course, heterosexuals commit sodomy as well, and it is just as much an abomination. Nevertheless, it is important to make clear the nature of sin, in the same way we have to show people what an aborted fetus looks like, dismantled, scattered on an operating table before being thrown into the garbage.
False teachers.
The reason I'm writing this is because I've read comments on other blogs by a few militant gay people, claiming to be Catholic. The comments are not limited to those blogs that come off as offensive to gay sensibilities ether. One commenter on Salve Regina, Michael Bayly, a local gay activist has his own blog, The Wild Reed; a "Catholic" blog mind you, in support of the gay agenda. Reading some of his posts, I realized why faithful Catholic blogs can be so downright hostile and coarse in writing about so-called gay Catholics who eschew Catholic teaching.
The above photo is the kind of bull-shit Bayly has on his blog. A gay image of the torso of Christ. Why is it gay? Semi-erect penis - you tell me. The torso stands in arrogant contrast to Christian art, even the neo-classical Renaissance, and ancient Greek sculpture, which glorified the male body. In classical art, male genitals are never shown to be engorged save in erotic art, from the likes of ancient Pompei or in the earlier fertility cult art of ancient civilizations. This type of imagery is the property of gay artists, or the erotic artists from what I refer to as the arte bleu period extending back to the 17th century up until our day. Late 20th century gay erotica has become less outsider art and a bit more mainstream. (Straight people rarely purchase it.) Nevertheless, the focus of the piece shown above is not Christ, but a neo-pagan idolatry of the male physique and phallus.
Just being honest.
As I stated on my other blog, Abbey Roads2, the sin of the Gentiles, in this case militant gays, is they lack charity. Therefore, even though we find the sin of Sodom to be aborrent, we need to "love our enemies, and pray for those who persecute us." - Matthew 5. For they make themselves our enemies by promoting as normative, a sin that cries out to heaven for vengeance; and they persecute us by rebelling against the Church and her teachings, and those who oppose their lifestyle.
Though I do not like using coarse terms to describe what gay sex is, sometimes it is necessary for those so deluded as to think their non-productive sex acts are expressions of love. When the Caveman or others use such terms, I believe no one is violating the the rule, "hate the sin, love the sinner" - although others will object to the terms that some choose to use, the terms themselves merely express contempt for the sin. This does not mean however, that we are unconcerned for the salvation of the sinner, which is what charity is all about.
(To read Mr. Bayly's anti-Catholic stance upon homosexual issues, read his post concerning the Church approved group Courage, entitled "The real meaning of Courage".)
That's all.
Blogs I don't like...
" Are those pussy willows?" - Line from "Serial Mom"In an email to a friend, I referred to blogs I don't like as "pussy blogs" inspired by the character, Dottie Henkle from the movie "Serial Mom" - she is the woman Kathleen Turner's title character tormented. Today I suddenly remembered the term, "Puseyism" - of course I would know that - which happens to be another name for "Tractarianism", and I realized my reference wasn't all that crazy. (I do not mean this to reflect unfavorably upon the venerable Oxford Movement in the Anglican Church, which deserved high praise; after all, it led Cardinal Newman to communion with the Roman Church.) Here is the definition of Tractarianism:
"The religious opinions and principles of the founders of the Oxford movement, put forth in a series of 90 pamphlets entitled Tracts for the Times, published at Oxford, England (1833–1841)."
Of course my meaning is not remotely the same, but it's nice to know the term has been used before - even though it's the surname of a man and is spelled differently. Henceforth I will spell it as Pusey (American pronunciation).
Definition:
Pusey blogs /'pus-e/ n (2007) [derived from, Edward Bouverie Pusey] (Not to be confused with legitimate Puseyism) Weblogs that are officious, elitist, smug, arrogant, derivative, pompous, gossip based, querulous, omniscient, derisive, and so on.
Commandments for motorists...
Is this a joke from Steve Carell's new movie, 'Evan Almighty'? Nope, it's a Vatican thing; 10 Commandments for motorists. One of them:
"The document's Fifth Commandment reads: "Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin"." 10 Commandments for good motorists.
How's that going to go over with all the Lexus, Volvo, luxury car owners - and you big old SUV gas guzzlers, you?
Seriously, did you ever consider that your driving may be sinful, or at least an imperfection? Speeding down a side street - sin. Giving someone the finger while driving - sin. Rolling through stop signs - probably an imperfection. Driving drunk into a 7-11 Store (an Archbishop did that once) - big sin. Parking in the handicap zone without a permit - most likely a sin. Talking on your cell phone while driving - that's like a mortal sin. Combing your hair, putting on make-up, - sin. Tailgating - sin. Running red lights - sin. Eating and talking with your mouth full - driving or not - it's disgusting.
Gosh! That Vatican, now they are telling us how to drive.
My name is Beowulf Potter!
Well it feels like my name should be Potter. It seems my garden is a Beatrix Potter wonderland this year. I was in the garden today, praying my rosary, when three little chipmunks - I know, they are gophers, nearly ran across my feet. Shortly after a rabbit headed across the lawn into the hosta bed, soon followed by her baby rabbit. This morning I just witnessed a robin's brood of fledglings abandon their nest in the crab apple (3 in all), and I have never had so many house finch nests in the hedges before this year. I haven't seen my mice yet, nor the mole, but I'm sure they are here. I also have mourning doves and several pairs of cardinals. I can't forget the sparrows and goldfinch, nor Mr. Squirrel, and the night time visits of the raccoon family. It's very cool.The cats like the critters too - Agnes chases them, and Xena just likes to watch.
I feel like Mr. Rogers!
Another thing I don't miss...
Sick days.Now that I am no longer working, one thing I don't miss about my old job is the requirement to give updates on my health - or calling in sick. When you are a bit older, with not so good health, missing work and calling in to say so is one of the most humiliating things you have to do. Of course, you gotta tell them why you're not at work, which goes to show you illness in itself is just plain humiliating.
Nevertheless, I no longer write about my health problems, no need to, and it is nicer not to bore people with them. Although I want to write about a recent development - or the evolution of it. I have "vascular" problems - it's a kidney, lung, heart thing - I mean everything is related.
Without naming the problem, I can't remember what it is called anyway, it has to do with headaches in the temporal region, the veins swell in the temples and it is beginning to affect my eyesight. One of the Lectors at last evening's Mass, who happens to be blind, did the first reading - which caused me to imagine what it would be like if I were blind. Blind people always amaze me - and I have always felt genuine compassion for them - yet more so admiration for all they accomplish and achieve.
Tourettes blogger syndrome.
Not long ago, a commentator told me I didn't have to write everything I think - dah! no kidding! But that is what makes a blog. Anyway - now don't be offended by what I am going to say - because it makes me look more of a jerk than anything else. I have always secretly told myself things like, "They are blind, so they can't see how they look. They don't know how those clothes look, or how their hair is, etc.." (I know! That is mean!)
Yes, I am vain and superficial - so now you know. Nevertheless, it hit me, almost panicking me - as much as I was freaked in my early 20's - when I worried that if I lived a celibate life my - you know what - would shrivel up and fall off. Anyway, I thought, what if I'm blind and I go out in public, not knowing what I'm wearing, or everything is ill fitting or mis-matched, and my hair is standing straight up, or my sunglasses are smudged and crooked? I mean, what if I look really stupid but I don't know it? What if dried mucous is hanging from my nostril while I'm talking to someone?
You're not wearing that, are you!
And then I realized how truly vain and superficial I am still. I saw how all my self-esteem is bound up with appearance - I'm just an empty, vacuous, male bimbo. All my life I've been like this. One of my earliest memories is tormenting my brother and sister by asking if my face was dirty. Once I was eating a fudgesicle and with each bite I asked my sister if I had chocolate on my face. I couldn't understand her screaming at me to shut up about it. In the monastery I asked my friend David if the habit made me look as if I had a pot belly. (I was anorexic!) So you see, even in religious life I didn't like the clothes. I remember telling a woman who wanted to enter the Sisters of Life not to do so because their habits are so ugly. (I can't help it.)
Several years ago, working hard on this problem, I decided, in a spirit of poverty and to mortify this tendency, I would no longer buy Polo. Thus I bought a couple of pairs of Dockers or something. I couldn't wear them until I finally forced myself to put them on when I painted or worked in the yard. I've pretty much gotten over all of that now - kind of. I now buy jeans at Target, whereas before I'd only buy Calvin Klein, Polo, Gap, Girbaud, Guess, or Abercrombie and Fitch. I finally go to a regular barber to have my haircut rather than an expensive salon. I'm getting more practical as I get older.
Although, last night, and more so this morning, I realized, evidently I am not over this vanity crap. My big concern over the prospect of losing my eyesight seems to be I won't know what I look like. I'm really ashamed of myself.
However, as I'm writing this, I realize the bigger problem will be the inability to watch TV. Sheesh! What was I thinking?
Big News Today!
The Motu Proprio has been signed - EVERYONE is talking about it!!!!! Even Amy - oh! I'm choking with excitement! I'm ecstatic! I'm verklempft!
In the words of my dear friend Jon Lovitz, "Well slap my butt and call me Gladys!"
I keep thinking, what if there have been other things actually going on besides waiting for the MP? After it is released, what will people post about? Oh yeah - the reactions. Ooooooo! Then the knives will come out.
Wow! I just got the strangest deja vu - like this has happened before - this entire post - everything!
Cathy is not at work today...
She's just at home, wait'n' for the photographer...then some weekend guests will be by...and it'll be a bumpy night from there.The Mask
I've always liked Joan Rivers - her comedy - kind of mean sometimes, but she was funny. I saw her on TV this morning. She looked as if she was wearing a mask. Her face appeared paralyzed, with little or no muscle movement, no expression except for what you see above, and she kind of spoke as if she may have had stroke. It was weird.
She's never hidden the fact that she has been a plastic-surgery junkie, which is fine when you have too much money I guess, not to diminish those souls who genuinely need cosmetic surgery however. In Joan's case, as with Michael Jackson, the end result is pretty freaky.
An interesting note however, she related how she loves the Catholic religion, grew up with Catholics and went to Mass with her girlfriends, feeling left out when she couldn't go into the confessional as they did.
Appropriate attire in Church
Well here is another one for the fashion police who insist upon proper clothing for Church. Now they are saying swimsuits cannot be worn into the Holy House at Ephesus in Turkey. Tourists have been visiting the sanctuary in swimsuits - I thought women had to be covered in Islamic countries anyway? The story here.
Geesh!
...
(Photo: Muslim women's swimwear. The article I reference refers to women in western swimwear.)
The new, practicing Catholic, Kate Millet
Photo above: No that is not Ms. Nicolosi at left, it is the feminist-author, Kate Millet. Ms. Nicolosi is in the lower photo.Barbara Nicolosi
It is no secret to people who know me that Barbara Nicolosi (Church of the Masses), at times, annoys the hell out of me. For several reasons that I do not need to go into here. However, one of the things that really bugs me about the woman is how she continually gets her jibes in about the baby-boomer generation - the generation without which, she would still be searching for a nunnery where she might fit in, or settling for a job, teaching physical education and drama at an all girls school. In other words, if it hadn't been for the feminists of the baby-boomer generation she wouldn't have a chance in hell of working in Hollywood. (Although she may have gotten a clerical position; proof reading, file clerk, secretary.)
Indeed, she reminds me of the '70's feminist, Kate Millet - in looks and attitude that is. Like it or not ladies, you are only where you are today because of the baby-boomer feminists - whom you so love to hate. Indeed, Hollywood women, pro-life Catholic or not, have to acknowledge women such as Kate Millett, author of Sexual Politics (1970).
Although not technically a baby-boomer (born in St. Paul, MN in 1934), Ms. Millet broke ground and criticised the power relationships and traditionally sexist roles which typified women in film. She lobbied for a more positive representation of women, along with promoting a sympathy towards women’s issues. Thus paving the way for baby-boomer women to experience a new freedom, approaching equality, in Hollywood, as elsewhere in politics, business, and public service. Her work became a proactive force to extend women’s involvement and contribution to art and politics. It was women like Kate Millet who paved the way for neo-con, arrogant Catholic women such as Ms. Nicolosi.
Oh, BTW, I wasn't a fan of Kate Millet either.
ROFLMAO! - Oh, she did!
Gerald has a very funny post on a recent German Lutheran Convention focused upon "Luve" as Oprah might pronounce it. You have to read it. (Actually, I don't think Gerald meant it to be a funny post.)Cafeteria is Closed has returned to what Gerald does best, reporting and commentary, he won me back with his wonderful photos from his European trip. I've noticed he is frequently picked up by other news agencies, most recently, a German news source.
There's a place for him, somewhere, a place for him.
President Bush and that approval rating thing.
From Brietbart.com:
Throngs of people grasped Bush's hands, arms and fingers on the streets of Fushe Kruje, a small town near the airport where he stopped to chat in a cafe with business owners. Unused to such adoring crowds in America, Bush reveled in the attention. He kissed women on the cheek, posed for pictures and signed autographs. Someone reached out and rubbed his gray hair, crying, "Bushie! Bushie!"
At home, Bush's job approval rating stands at its all-time low. But here, Prime Minister Sali Berisha said Bush was Albania's "greatest and most distinguished guest we have ever had in all times." - Bush receives hero's welcome in Albania.
That's nice.
#1 in a series: Women Who Paved the Way!
Photo: The late Hollywood actress Sandra Dee, while in Rome studying at the Angelicum.Ms. Dee's breakout role in movies had been playing the title role of "Gidget" and "Tammy" in "Tammy And The Doctor" - a role she beat out Debbie Reynolds for. She was one of the first women ever to study at the Angelicum in Rome. Afterwards, returning to Hollywood she starred with Troy Donahue in the sizzler, "A Summer Place".
In an early 1970's interview with Barbara Walters, Ms. Dee was asked why she took time out from her film career to study at the Angelicum. Sandra Dee stated, "I wanted to be taken seriously by priests."
In her memory I reprint here the complicated lyrics from "Tammy" - the movie's theme song:
I hear the cottonwoods whisp'rin' above
Tammy! Tammy! Tammy's in love!
The ole hootie owl hootie-hoo's to the dove
Tammy! Tammy! Tammy's in love!
Does my darling feel what I feel
When he comes near?
My heart beats so joyfully
You'd think that he could hear!
Wish I knew if he knew what I'm dreaming of!
Tammy! Tammy! Tammy's in love!
Popular music from the 1950's was so intense!
End notes...it's about a blogger.
Laurie MetcalfI looked for a funny picture of Laurie Metcalf but couldn't find one. She played Roseanne Barr's sister in "Roseanne", as well as an English teacher in that great reality show, "Third Rock From The Sun". She is very funny and doesn't have to say anything to look nuts - she is just one of those actresses who have great facial expression.
Anyway - I think of Laurie Metcalf, especially her character on "Third Rock" - who liked to speak in rhyme, whenever I come across this one blogger/commentator who leaves all of her comments in poetry. I laugh thinking, what if she talked like this? Like if you were engaged in a conversation with her, would she respond in poetry?
Personality wise, I think she is more like Laurie's character in "Desperate Housewives" who ended up shooting people at a grocery store - the uber-Catholic poetry lady also has a lot of anger. I would love it if she looked like Laurie.
We really reveal our personalities when we blog, don't we? It's kind of scary.
Paris in the springtime
Paris in the springtime of her youth - heading back to jail...you just have to feel sorry for her. She is obviously a spoiled little rich-girl brat. She was never raised correctly in the first place. I mean what mother allows their daughter to go around in public without underwear and to do half the things this little girl has done? (Answer: A lot of parents allow this.)Today she left the courtroom screaming and crying, plaintively calling out. "Mom!" Although her negligent mother cannot help her now. I think the mom should go to jail too - for raising such a spoiled bitc-I mean witch!
See parents what you do to your kids when you give them everything, protect them from real life, allow them to grow up with little or no responsibility, as well as a feigned morality, and teach them to love money, success and glamour? See what happens to your little air-heads?
[Whatever happened with Mike Hatch's daughters after that Chicago police scuffle anyway?]
Read the story on Paris - if you are interested, "Screaming Paris goes back to jail."
Truth in media.
Bishops meet on gay issues.
Has anyone else heard of this? That bishops were meeting in Baltimore on June 5th to discuss issues concerning gays? (I've been sitting on this to see if anyone else picked it up, or to hear if there may have been some clandestine meeting.) I checked the schedule at the USCCB website and there was nothing posted about this. So why would a major British gay news service publish something that was false? Don't all news sources check their facts and only report the truth? Here is a snippet from Pink News:
5th June 2007 11:42
PinkNews.co.uk writer
American Roman Catholic bishops may give the green light to new guidelines this week, which would mean gay Catholics would not have to try to change their sexual orientation.
Bishops convene today in Baltimore for their annual meeting. The guidelines will also encourage clergy to baptise the children of same-sex couples who agree to raise them in the Catholic faith.
The Roman Catholic Church will continue to stress that they believe same-sex relationships are immoral. Cardinal Francis George, vice president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops told The Chicago Tribune: "We are trying to find a language that does not betray the teaching of the church, but will perhaps express it in ways that are not so offensive." - Pink News
It should be understood the Catholic Church does not require a person with Same Sex Attraction to seek therapy to change their orientation. The Church simply asks that they live chastely and celibate in accord with Church teaching. Just like they ask any un-chaste person to do - straight or gay.
What is this, feel good news for Gay Pride month? Where did they get this story? And why do they care? The militant faction disagrees with what the Church teaches on divorce and remarriage, contraception, abortion, condoms, papal authority, etc., anyway - so why not forget about it?
I know I shouldn't laugh...BUT!
This story reminds me of National Lampoon's Family Vacation. A 21 year old man was unnoticed attached to the grill of a semi, barreling down a 4 mile stretch of highway at 50mph. He was okay when troopers found him, but he had spilled his pop. I am laughing so hard I'm crying!"It was quite a ride," the man reportedly told police."The man spilled his soda pop, but he wasn't upset," Sgt. Kathy Morton of the Michigan State Police said.
Go here for the story.
Hit me with your best shot!
Someone delighted me in a comment by calling me a "pompous ass" - and to think I have called others that so often in the past! What goes around comes around.Nevertheless, it did me so much good that I'm declaring open season on Terry! Please submit all of your negative opinions on me in the comment box. Blast me out of the water! Tell me what I need to hear. Remember, it is an act of mercy to, "instruct the ignorant" so don't be shy.
Blast away! (I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve!)
The Clio Awards...
Awards for advertisingNot many average people know there are Academy Awards for advertisers - they are known as the Clio Awards. They are great - especially if you work in marketing or visual merchandising. They pick the best of the best. Yes - I watch commercials and really look at ads - there is a lot of art to be had in them, and many are entertaining. Often times, television ads can be better than the programming they sponsor.
Anyway - I got my Leaflet Missal Book catalog in the mail today. I thought I'd do a little review on it, since I was never that honest about it when I worked on it in the past. Now since it is a public thing, I can critique it - and I guarantee you, it won't win any awards. Except maybe for merit - I know how hard everyone works on the catalog, and despite the fact they do not want to spend money on photography, styling, and decent paper, they do a pretty good job for what it is. The thing makes money.
The Cover
What did Tracy Nelson's character used to say in "Square Pegs"? Oh yeah - "Gag me with a spoon!"
It is pretty bad. I had always said it would be neat to have a hologram cover, where the objects moved, or a Harry Potter cover that would be animated. They missed. The product is multiplied across the page and it looks like a run of stamps. The shadows and fade outs are so not - what? Art? Not at all. And of course, the cover is so loaded with unrelated product it just looks schlocky. It is a poor adaptation of Andy Warhol's art - another concept I had - but not like this! (Oh, and lest I forget, the resolution of photography is atrocious - although it is no better on the website.)
The Books
It is the standard Ignatius catalog format, can't miss. Except categories. They don't know how to categorize product. Subjects and titles are typically all over the place - which always comes off as if they threw it together. They don't know how to paginate for customer interest or by authors and topics. And adjacency of product? They never understood what that meant.
The Book
Confusing at best. Pages display little or no categorization, devoid of any point of focus. Bracelets, medals, statues, and anything else, looks like it has been dropped - no crammed, onto the page. It is like a garage sale in book form. Sadly, the new catalog resembles their so-called "Gift Catalogs" and therefore there is nothing special about those "special" gift catalogs. When they keep repeating the format - they all end up looking pretty much like sale catalogs.
What they need:
Professional help, and maybe an editor/art director - and throw in a decent book buyer too. But, like I said, it makes them money, so why bother with image? Customer Grams and Gramps won't notice.
(Disclaimer, I was not paid by Leaflet Missal nor any other entity to do this review.)
The Renovation of Winona's Cathedral
Looks pretty ugly to me.They moved the sanctuary to accommodate for a "Gathering Space" and made the front door be the side door for people to use, since most enter from the parking lot. Not having seen it in person, I suppose I shouldn't judge - but from the pictures, the beige walls in the sanctuary look rather incongruous with the rest of the architecture. I wonder where the piano will go.
A spokesman for the Cathedral said that the use of fixed pews and chairs allow for multi-use purposes, such as civic events as well as diocesan gatherings:
"The Cathedral will have a new seating arrangement that will provide individual seating and will include attached kneelers. We will use a combination of pews and chairs to provide maximum flexibility in our seating. This will allow us to create a wide range of seating options for both parish and diocesan events. It will also provide possibilities for other cultural or civic events for the Winona community." - Cathedral FAQ sheet on the renovation.
Nice.
The consecration takes place this afternoon:
"Sixty priests, 20 bishops (three of them archbishops), one cardinal (Cardinal Adam Maida of Detroit) and more than 650 people will come together at 2 p.m. today to rededicate the renovated Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, the spiritual center of the Diocese of Winona." - Winona Daily News
...
The Fetus Feels Stress...Really?
From LIFENEWS.COM:
"New research conducted by doctors in England shows that unborn children can face emotional stress during a pregnancy as the baby's mother faces stress herself. Pro-life advocates say the study has implications for abortion as society learns more about the amazing development of children before birth.
The British Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists released the results of the study on Thursday and says that unborn babies as early as 17 weeks into pregnancy suffer from stress.
The stress results when hormones transferred from anxious mothers reach the baby through the placenta." - "Unborn babies face emotional stress during pregnancy"
Makes sense to me!
I'll bet that is what happened to me! (Why I am so nuts, that is.) My mother was kind of nuts, divorced-remarried-to-my-wife-beater-dad, she had been a Roman Catholic nun-wanna be in her youth, laden with guilt and fear that she was going straight to hell because of getting married outside the Church and giving birth to a bastard. Fighting and drinking was a growing problem in that marriage, thus it must have been rather stressful.
Of course, after birth - that's a good name for me! - things did not get much better. My dad's mother, grandma - as we liked to call her (she was nuts too), tried to kidnap me out of my mother's arms, in a big scene in downtown New Richmond, Wisconsin. (My mother won.) Nevertheless, as years went on, her depression and drinking got worse, as did my dad's, and there were a lot more fights.
So yeah, stress probably does affect the unborn child, maybe prepares him for a stressful life. This new, groundbreaking study, similar to those which say that fetus thing can feel pain too, is maybe going to affect the abortion mentality - so the pro-life advocates and researchers claim. I'm wondering if Planned Parenthood will simply turn this around and and use it as another excuse to abort, fearing that infants with emotional damage will not make very good prospects as adults.
Sometimes, when I grow impatient with the abortion thing, I'm tempted to agree with the views of Nathan Lane's character in the "Birdcage", playing the role of Albert, dressed up as Mrs. Coleman. When discussing abortion with Senator Keeley, he/she replied, "Well, why not just kill the mothers? - Oh, I know what you're going to say. 'If you kill the mother, the fetus dies too.' But the fetus is going to be aborted anyway, so why not let it go down with the ship? "
Have a nice day!
Blogger's block
Once again I am blocked from accessing Abbey-Roads2. I don't know what happens that this occurs - is it the update on my firewall that does it? I don't know. It is annoying nevertheless. Last time it happened, it lasted the weekend and suddenly I had access again, twice before that, I had a tech in to fix the problem. Don't know why, don't know how, don't really care. If this keeps happening, this blog, Abbey1 will most likely become my default blog once again - I don't know - we'll see what happens.
I'm kind of tired of being online so much anyway.
I'm kind of tired of being online so much anyway.
Breaking News! Blogger admits to dressing like a slob for Mass!
News Bulletin:(St. Paul, MN 6/3/07)
Today, fashion conservative, Cathy of Alexandria revealed that she hasn't always dressed like Jackie Kennedy when she attended Mass in the past. The local blogosphere has been reeling ever since the announcement, prompting Adoro te Devote to scream; "I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!" (She had to be sedated.)
Ms. Cathy broke the news in a poignant editorial entitled, "Does blogging make you better?" Reprinted here is what she had to say for herself:
"I have been known, on more than one occasion, to go to Mass in jeans or shorts and a t-shirt. I've worn flip-flops to Mass before." - Cathy of Alexandria
(Shocking as the admission may be, all in all it is a thoughtful, if not provocative post, so be sure and check it out.)
Many in the blogging world are now speculating if Cathy may have started a new trend of "true confessions" in blog posts. Who will be next to "tell all"? Will Ray finally respond to the suspicions that he is a spy for a certain local Diocesan newspaper, commissioned to infiltrate the underworld of bloggers? Will the elusive Hadleys finally reveal that they spend hours watching re-runs of "Cheers" and "Will and Grace" and have never been to an opera in their entire lives? Will a certain Catholic blogger in Hollywood finally reveal she isn't an ex-nun but really Roger Ebert in drag? (He hasn't been on "Ebert and Roeper" for a long time you know.)
It will be interesting to see what develops from the ground breaking revelation made by Cathy of Alexandria today. (Oh, and she is not from Alexandria, Minnesota either...which is another misconception some people had - I doubt it was intentional on her part however.)
The truth comes out!
(Sorry Cathy, I couldn't help myself.)
American paranoia.
In the United States, it seems pretty darn obvious many of us live in dread of getting sick - or living with an illness. Have you ever noticed all the healthcare commercials, and drug ads that run on television? Of course you have, you Advil popping hypochondriac you.We are so scared to death of the next plague or epidemic, we can barely sleep. The infectious-TB-globe-trotting-Romeo story certainly betrays some one's hysterical fears. If you didn't see Dianne Sawyer's interview on ABC's Good Morning America with the guy, here is a snippet from the print story:
"In an exclusive interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer, tuberculosis patient Andrew Speaker said he never thought others were at risk for catching his deadly disease.
"I'm very sorry for any grief or pain that I have caused anyone," Speaker said from his isolation room in the National Jewish Hospital in Denver. "I think if people look at my life, that's not … not how I live my life.'" - ABC News
Don't get me wrong, Andrew Speaker, knowingly or unknowingly, probably acted irresponsibly. Yet so did the authorities involved. So maybe blame "fate".
Some day, the world is sure to encounter a pandemic, probably spread by airline travel. However, this TB story just seems to highlight the richest country in the world's neurosis over health and mortality. This, in a country where over a million abortions a year are performed. (Does anyone else see the irony here?)
Oh! The humanity!
Mass today...
I attended Mass today at Assumption in St. Paul, expecting they would have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, but they have dicontinued it. (They used to have it every Friday, all day.) I hadn't been there since they refurbished the interior, it was beautiful. I saw many familiar faces there from years ago, the same people, sitting in the same place, albeit a bit older, it was edifying. What constancy these people have - how faithful they have been over the years.However, listen to this!
What with the recent posts on appropriate attire for Mass, I must say I was a bit embarrassed to have worn corduroys after Memorial Day. Indeed, I was asked to leave by the usher, who was wearing a nice pair of neatly pressed Bermuda shorts.
.
Photo: Patty Hearst attacked by Kathleen Turner for wearing white after Labor Day in their roles for the movie "Serial Mom". In this scene, Ms. Hearst is desperately trying to convince Ms. Turner's character that it is now okay to wear white after Labor Day. (Don't tell Cathy that!)
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