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Sunday, February 29, 2004GOD HATES SHRIMP Amazing. Had no idea. . . muchos thanks to Jay for the link. Mars a Water World? Sounds good to me: Levin points to Opportunity imagery that offers conclusive proof of standing liquid water and running water on a cold Mars. Saturday, February 28, 2004Chalk Drawings and Mother Teresa Enjoying the weather? I sure am! Jonathan and I went outside to do some chalk drawings, and as usual Daddy enjoyed it more than Jon. . .
And for a close up:
Great Moments in Swearing History 1969 -- Buzz Aldrin becomes the first man to swear on the moon “Bloody hell,” he tells Neil Armstrong, “I’ve just taken a shit in my space suit”It's Lent, and I'm sure many an Irishman has given up swearing (as opposed to drinking) for the next forty days. But in the spirit of all of the radio bans we have going on for indecent content, I offer you history's great moments in swearing! Israel Joins the Hunt For "Lord of the Jungle" A guy named Veerappan lives in the jungles of southern India, has killed 130 people and about 2000 elephants. A wanted criminal, the man has been surviving in the jungle for thirty years! Reports say that Veerappan has killed about 130 people, including security personnel and forest officials. He is believed to have slaughtered about 2,000 elephants for their tusks and plundered sandalwood and other forest wealth, but has so far survived on superior jungle survival skills that have made him into a Friday, February 27, 2004Two TONS of Pot?! Yep. A dump truck was stopped by DPS officials near Huachuca City, Arizona. Inside, an erratic 28 year old and 4,112 lbs of marijuana. As punishment, we ought to release the weed into general circulation: Stoner #1: "Here, try this!" Stoner #2: "AACK! This tastes like crap!" #1: "Yeah dude. . . " #2: "Heh heh. . . yeah. . . " 4.1% Doing better than the projected 3.8%, the Bush economy grew better than expected. One more way the Dems classify failure. Wednesday, February 25, 2004The Passion of the Christ - A Theological Overview Hope you don't mind if I start this out with a bit of Latin. O salutaris hostia, Quae caeli pandas ostium, Bella premunt hostilia, Da robur, fer auxilium. With the Passion being released this Ash Wednesday, I’ve been putting off giving a background on it for a couple of reasons. First, I wanted to keep my own mind clear in regards to my own expectations, and secondly I wanted to be able to have Gibson’s account come through clearly without my own background trying to re-interpret what he was trying to say with the film. Upon request, I have decided to give a little bit of background. But rather than focus on Christ (which hopefully will be the focus of the movie), I want to offer a bit of focus on those surrounding Christ at the time of his death. The context of those surrounding Christ is important for three distinct reasons. First, they tell a story that the Gospel writers clearly wanted to communicate. Second, the stories that are communicated have deep implications not only for our time but for human nature as well. Thirdly, those surrounding Christ at the time of his death reveal a theological implication concerning Christ and the tremendous suffering He must have experienced at during his Passion. I’ll begin with a contrast between two of the major characters among the followers of Christ; namely Judas and Peter. Judas and Peter In John 13, we read of the Last Supper where Christ explains to those around him that one of them will betray Christ. Peter leans back and asks Christ who this person will be. “The one to whom I give the bit of food I dip in the dish.” 27 Immediately after, Satan entered his heart. Jesus addressed himself to him, “Be quick about what you are to do.”If one reads John 13, verse 30 makes little sense to the English reader. Why did John add the last part, “It was night”? The role of light and dark in the book of John is very important. Earlier in the gospel of John, Nicodemus (John 3) approaches Jesus at night. Later in the book of John, Mary Magdalene approaches the Tomb of Christ “while it was still night.” (John 20:1) The contrasts shouldn’t be missed, because John is making two very clear points. Recall earlier in the Gospels when Jesus is being tempted by Satan. Three times Satan tries; three times Jesus rebukes Satan. (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13) In Luke, note the account he gives: 13 When the devil had finished all the tempting he left him, to wait another opportunity.With Satan entering Judas, and the stark contrast of night coming over John 13, we can see the spiritual night that is overcoming the text. This indeed is that second opportunity Satan was waiting for. The second parallel here is the play of light and dark. Just as this darkness is coming over the Passion of Christ, the juxtaposition of Christ as the light of the world can be seen. Truly a battle between the forces of light and dark can be seen. Christ as the light of the world is present, and as we will see at Gethsemane, Jesus’ human nature begins to fear the scourging his divine nature knows He must endure. I want to fast forward a bit concerning Judas, namely to the point where he sees the results of his actions. Judas can be defined accurately as a coward of sorts. At this point, he is afraid of Jesus, afraid of his own actions. Previously, he was willing to turn over Christ. One can see the compromiser in Judas – Judas as peacemaker. Judas as the one not to create waves. We can dwell forever as to why Judas turned Christ over to the authorities. Ultimately, Judas felt deep sorrow for betraying Christ. But there is another betrayer here in the Gospels that often times is not considered on the same par as Judas – and that is Peter. Peter also betrays Christ in his own way. After seeing Jesus taken away, after cutting off the ear of one of his captors, Jesus rebukes Peter (again) for his actions and watches as Jesus is led away. For Peter, any final remnants of the old Jewish idea of the Messiah as an earthly King was swept away. Peter wanted the legions of angels to come swooping down. Peter wanted the armies of God to appear. Peter didn’t understand why no one else was fighting for Christ! How frustrating it must have been. . . When Peter has his chance, he is asked in John 18 by a servant girl, “Are you not one of this man’s followers?” A man indeed! Not the Messiah who was going to liberate Israel, but a man who barely fought for himself an hour ago, a man who was going to undergo unimaginable pain and suffering – and for what? You can see Peter thinking about his answer, warming his hands, pretending to stay calm. “Not I.” When both Judas and Peter realize what they have done, it is interesting to note where both go for forgiveness. Both feel genuine sorrow. Both understand in the depth of their hearts what they have done and to whom they have done it to. Judas goes back to the Sanhedrin and demands they take the money back. The reply of the chief priests? “What is that to us?” In despair, Judas hangs himself from a tree. Peter likewise is faced with his own betrayal of Christ. But note that his reaction is much different. Unlike Judas, who sought forgiveness under the Old Covenant, Peter seeks forgiveness in the New Covenant. The moment he remembers, he thinks of Christ and how Christ reminded him that he would deny Him three times. Instead of going out and doing even greater harm by killing himself, Peter “went out and wept bitterly.” (Matthew 26:75) Matthew interestingly enough places the two accounts side by side. Not a mere coincidence, as the accounts end with a fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy: They took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of a man with a price on his head, a price set out by the Israelites, and they paid it out for the potter’s field just as the Lord had commanded me. (Matthew 27:9-10, Jer 18:2f; 19:1f, 32:6-15, Zec 11:13)Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin Everyone recalls the controversy surrounding the high priest Caiaphas screaming out in the Passion “Let his blood be upon us and upon our children!” In Matthew, the words are attributed to the crowd instigated by the high priests, and are a fulfillment of Jeremiah 51:35: My torn flesh be upon Babylon, says the city of Zion;Now one might say this has nothing to do with anything, but take a better look at Jeremiah’s message. It was necessary for the Jews to crucify Jesus in order for the prophecy to come true concerning the Christ. If one has any doubts as to whether or not the early Christians considered this to be of great importance, check out Paul in Acts 18:5-6: When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was absorbed in preaching and giving evidence to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. When they opposed him and insulted him, he would shake out his garments and in protest say to them: “Your blood be on your won heads. I am not to blame! From now on, I will turn to the Gentiles.”Wow! Here is a frustrated Paul being cynical, condemning his fellow Jews with the authority of the prophet Jeremiah! Strong stuff, especially concerning the importance of Caiaphas’ remarks in Matthew 26. Now before anyone asks whether the Gospel writers are treating Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin too harshly, keep in mind the following account in Matthew and their treatment of Christ (similar to the treatment Jesus would receive at the hands of the Romans later in the day): Then they began to spit in his face and hit him. Others slapped him, saying: “Play the prophet for us, Messiah! Who struck you?”Pontius Pilate Here we have the one man who could have decided the whole thing. By his own admission, the power to let Jesus live, or let him die. At daybreak they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium. They did not enter the praetorium themselves, for they had to avoid ritual impurity if they were to eat the Passover supper. Pilate came out to them. “What accusation do you bring against this man?” he demanded.Just another day, just another criminal for Pilate. But as things move along, Pilate begins to question whether this is just another criminal. After Caiaphas and the priests make their accusations against Jesus, Pilate begins his interrogation. “Are you the king of the Jews?”Oh boy. Pilate and Jesus hit it off from the get-go. Interesting where the two are coming from though. To Jesus, to be able to admit that Jesus is the “King of the Jews” is an admission of faith. You could see his human nature perking up just a bit, that maybe Pilate is saying something here. But Jesus knows better, so it is a half-hearted remark. Pilate on the other hand is short with Jesus. “Do I look like a Jew to you?” King of the Jews, bah! Pilate at this point could care less. To him, this is one more nut claiming to be a Messiah – and certainly no Roman. After Jesus responds that his kingdom is not of this world, and that his kingdom is one of truth, Pilate spins quickly on Jesus: “Truth!” said Pilate. “What does that mean?”Appropriate for the times. Unfortunately for Jesus, this means that Pilate can neither condemn nor release him, so as a compromise he offers an exchange. We can either release Jesus, whom has done no wrong. Or we can release Barabbas, who is a murderer and an “insurrectionist” according to John. The Jews demand Barabbas and renew their cries for Jesus’ death. So Pilate sends Jesus to be scourged in order to mollify the Jews. After scourging Jesus, Pilate goes before the crowd and attempts to market his compromise (John 19:4): Pilate went out a second time and said to the crowd: “Observe what I do, I am going to bring him out ot you to make you realize that I find no case (against him).” When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak, Pilate said to them, “Look at the man! (Ecce homo!)”Here Pilate has Jesus beaten to a pulp. An innocent man in his regard, but to no avail. The crowd, now whipped into a frenzy by the chief priests, demand Jesus be crucified. “We have our law,” the Jews responded, “and according that law he must die because he made himself God’s Son.”Now this startled and stunned Pilate, and for good reason. He returned to Jesus and demanded more information. Jesus remained silent. Pilate, not knowing what he was dealing with, was eager to release this man at once. But the Jews insisted all the more, taunting Pilate with his reputation: In the end, Pilate the politician caves because his honor and reputation are threatened. Not with the life of an innocent man on his conscience, nor with the thought of doing justice when justice demanded it. Rather, Pilate does what is politically convenient. He compromises. He washes his hands of Jesus’ blood and orders Christ to be crucified amid cries of “We have no king but Caesar.” (John 19:15) Simon of Cyrene One of the more powerful moments during the Via Dolorosa is when Christ falls a second time and the Romans are concerned that Jesus may not make it to Golgotha if he has to carry the Cross alone. So the Romans pull out a nobody from the crowd and tell him to help (Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26). Simon is the Rodney Dangerfield of the Passion. He gets no respect – the poor fella gets three lines (and John doesn’t mention him at all!) and only Mark mentions what he did for a living. A farmer coming in from the fields after a long day’s work, and he has to carry a cross up a hill with some bloody guy. And not by choice. . . no no no. . . by force! Not a dime for his trouble. So what’s the importance of this? Simon is a Gentile. Simon was an unbeliever. He wasn’t even a Jew. He didn’t know what he was getting himself into. He was barely aware of how he was participating in our salvation. Yet participate he did. Tradition holds that his sons, mentioned again by Mark, did in fact become Christian, and eventually became saints; Alexander being mentioned in Acts 19:33-34, and Rufus being mentioned in Romans 26:13. Mary At the wedding feast at Cana, the party runs out of wine. One of the hosts approaches Mary, who in turn approaches Jesus and says, “They have no wine.” Jesus responds with an answer that today seems almost sexist and abrasive. “Woman,” Jesus says, “how does this concern of yours involve me?” Mary’s response isn’t to backhand her son, but rather she turns with complete confidence and says, “Do whatever it is he tells you.” Sure enough, Jesus turns the water into wine, as we all know how the story goes. (John 2) There is only one other occasion in Scripture where Jesus calls Mary “woman” again (John 19:26 Seeing his mother there with the disciple (John) whom he loved, Jesus said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son.” In turn he said to the disciple, “Son, behold your mother.” From that hour onward, the disciple took her into his heart.The disciple took her into his heart. Mary’s role in Christian theology is central to an understanding of Jesus’ crucifixion. It must have been heart wrenching to see the very same son she held in a manger in Bethlehem, whom she took to Egypt, whom she scoured the Temple for when Jesus was twelve, whom she rocked to sleep, kissed, held, nurtured, and raised, to see her son fall on the hard stone of Jerusalem three times and be powerless to help. When Christ looks upon his mother and utters the words “Woman, behold your son. Son, behold your mother,” it is a powerful scene. Among those four people at the foot of the Cross were literally the first Christians. Mary is very literally being made a mother to the Church present to Christ, and the Church is asked to accept Mary as their mother. “Do whatever he tells you to.” What a powerful message the Mother of Christ has in today’s world. Mary Magdalene It’s interesting that there is a lot of controversy over Mary Magdalene, not only because of her status, but because there are three different accounts. Were there three Mary Magdalenes? One person, but three different accounts of her? Traditionally, the three accounts are regarded as the same person and a testament to the power of conversion and forgiveness of sin. What is most remarkable about Mary Magdalene is that she remained with Christ until the very end. Notice the four people who remain with Christ; his mother, a widower, the converted Magdalene, and the young John. Not the Apostles, not Peter, not any of the disciples. These four. Mary Magdalene is a perfect illustration of a very old saying, that converts are usually the most fanatic believers in Christianity. That Mary Magdalene was able to stay there at the foot of the Cross bears powerful testimony towards mercy and redemptive power of forgiveness. Furthermore, it is Mary Magdalene who is the first to see the Risen Christ (John 20:11-18) If you want to read something really humorous, check out John 20:17. After Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene and gives a rather lengthy and noble discourse concerning where his body is (as Mary doesn’t quite get the idea that Jesus is right there in front of her), Jesus pauses and says “Do not cling to me,” or more literally, “Quit touching me!” In Matthew 28:9, the women had a habit of touching Jesus’ feet. An annoyed Jesus? For some reason, this just makes me smile a bit. IN THE END, we are presented with a very rich and diverse series of images concerning the final hours of Christ’s life before the crucifixion. It is a very painful and emotional death with deep imagery and significance. The Gospel writers are keen to demonstrate how Christ’s death on the Cross fulfilled the prophecies of the prophets in every way. There is no question to the early Christians that Jesus was indeed the Christ. I hope that this overview (and even though it is this long, yet it is an overview) helps some folks understand some of the imagery and theology behind the Passion of the Christ. If there is anything else that I can help clarify, I will most certainly give it my best shot. In Christ, Sunday, February 22, 2004Logic Puzzles to Piss You Off The object here is to get all of the boxes in the down position. Good luck! I FEEL GREAT! I don't know whether to think this is good, or completely stupid. "Mars is Red" Is Open To Interpretation I keep saying this, but no one believes me. . . that Mars really isn't red, but rather it is a dirty brown with a blue sky that only turns red thanks to dust storms. Now I have PROOF!!! Pancam can't take photographs in "true color"; like any digital camera, it can only approximate what the human eye sees. For the most realistic images, Pancam scientists combine images taken through three filters — red, green and blue — into a simulation of what a person might see.That last sentence is all the vindication I need! A great big "see-I-told-you-so" to all the naysayers! Saturday, February 21, 2004THE SHAKY STATE OF FAMILIES Some Signs of Hope, but Many Problems Remain (Copied in it's entirety from the Zenit Weekly News Analysis) NEW YORK, FEB. 21, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Many defenders of traditional marriage fear that giving formal legal recognition to homosexual couples would only further weaken an institution already debilitated by several decades of anti-family tendencies. The annual report on the state of marriage in the United States, released last June by the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University, provided a mix of good and bad news. The central theme examined in the report was the state of marriage as a child-rearing institution. The report had some positive news on the state of families. The percentage of children in households with married parents showed a marginal increase, to 69% from 68%. Importantly, this was the first reversal in such figures for decades. For black children, the percentage living with married parents increased to 39% from 34% in the period 1996-2002. The proportion of unwed births among black women declined, from 70.4% in 1994 to 68.5% in 2001. The report, authored by Barbara Dafoe Whitehead and David Popenoe, commented on the importance of this change: "A robust body of social science evidence indicates that children do best when they grow up with both married biological parents who are in a low-conflict relationship." They said the improvement showed that the four-decade decline in marriage can change for the better. But they cautioned: "It is too early to say whether this turnaround is here to stay." Parental ties On the negative side, the report observed a weakening of the connection between marriage as a relationship between couples, and marriage as a parental union. These two elements were traditionally united. Yet now, "the couple relationship is increasingly independent of the procreative and parental partnership." One consequence of seeing personal happiness as the principal function of marriage is, ironically, an increase in divorce. In the past, couples would often stay together for the sake of the children. Today, notes the report, only 15% of the population agree that "when there are children in the family, parents should stay together even if they don't get along." The data back up these observations: -- About a third of all children and more than two-thirds of black children are born out of wedlock. -- An estimated 40% of all children today are expected to spend some time in a cohabiting couple household during their growing-up years. -- Roughly a million children each year experience parental divorce and its aftermath. Turning this situation around will not be easy, notes the report. The authors cite evidence demonstrating that for many single young adults the connection between marriage and parenthood is fading. In fact, while marriage used to come before parenthood in the sequence of events, today, in many cases, the sequence is reversed. Another cause for concern is that men are "increasingly disengaged from daily tasks of nurturing and providing for their children." In general, men are staying single for longer before marrying, having more children out of wedlock, cohabiting rather than marrying, and divorcing in large numbers. No fewer than 18% of men aged 35 to 44 today have never married, compared with 7% in 1970. In the midst of these changes, children have suffered disproportionately, concludes the report. When no-fault divorce was introduced, little thought was given to the consequences on children. Moreover, social welfare measures are no substitute for a stable two-parent family, affirms the report. Among the many studies cited by the authors to show how children have suffered is a review of social indicators between 1975 and 1998. This study found that the indices for social relationships and emotional/spiritual well-being "show long-term declines across the three decades studied." The study concludes that improvements in other areas of children's lives have been offset by declining levels of emotional well-being. Aging brides The United States is not alone in its problems with marriage. A press release Nov. 20 by Statistics Canada revealed that the number of couples who got married in Canada declined sharply in 2001. A total of 146,618 couples tied the knot, down 6.8% from 157,395 in 2000. The number of marriages had risen in 1999 and 2000, but the figures for 2001 saw a return to the decline experienced in previous years. The average age at marriage continued to rise. On average, brides were 31.9 years old in 2001, up 2.6 years from 1991 and 5.7 years from 1981. The average age of grooms was 34.4 in 2001, an increase of 2.6 years from 1991 and 5.6 years from 1981. Three-quarters (76.4%) of the marriages performed in 2001 were presided over by clergy. This number rose to 81% when it was a first marriage for both the bride and groom. Meanwhile, statistics for England and Wales showed an increase of 2%, to 291,800, in the number of marriages in 2002, the London daily Times reported Feb. 13. However, the number was boosted by the number of remarriages. In 2002, just under a fifth of the ceremonies (46,700) were remarriages for both parties. In its report on the data, the Telegraph on Jan. 30 drew attention to the long-term decline in marriage. Numbers have steadily declined since the 1972 peak, at 480,000. Marriage has increasingly been supplanted by cohabitation. The proportion of women under 60 cohabiting has more than doubled, from 13% in 1986 to 28% in 2001. Spain, where marriage is better off than in the United States or the United Kingdom, is also facing a deteriorating situation. Cohabitation now accounts for more than 10% of the couples under age 50, the daily El País reported Feb. 2. According to a study carried out by the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas, cohabitation is now considered by young people to be a normal steppingstone to marriage. 73% cohabiting In fact, the number of couples cohabitating has more than doubled since 1995. This is reflected in the numbers of children born outside marriage -- 19.5% of children born in 2001, versus 9.6% in 1990 -- according to government statistics. Divorce is also a growing problem in Spain. Since divorce was allowed in a 1981 law, some 4 million, about 10% of the total population, have been affected by divorce, the Madrid daily ABC reported Oct. 29. Of those affected, more than 1 million are children. In Australia, the situation is also worrying. Data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that the trend toward couples living together was continuing, with 73% cohabiting before marrying, compared with 30% in 1982, the Age newspaper reported Nov. 26. Of the population aged 15 years and over, 8.4 million were married, 4.9 million never married, 940,000 widowed and 1.1 million divorced. The largest proportional increase over the past 20 years was in the divorced population, increasing by 172% between 1981 and 2001. There were also about 760,000 single parents in 2002, up from around 670,000 in 1996, the Australian data show. Marriage is worthy of support, commented John Paul II in his Jan. 29 address to the Roman Rota, because "of the objective good that every conjugal union and every family represents." Right now it needs all the help it can get. ZE04022101 email this article: http://www.zenit.org/english/send_friend/index.phtml?sid=49410 Finally, a Reality TV Show I Can Watch! NBC is going to air a show where boxing contenders go at it for a yet-to-be determined crown. The organizers? Mark Burnett of Survivor fame, Dreamworks co-founder Jeffery Katzenberg, and none other than Rocky himself: Sources close to the bidding said NBC agreed to pay $2 million an episode for the 16-part series, a higher license fee than many first-year scripted dramas and sitcoms fetch, but that the deal was structured to allow the network to recover much of the fees.There's even talk of Stallone et al. creating their own independent boxing federation. Cool! Friday, February 20, 2004Chalabi: "The Ends Justify the Means" During an interview, Mr. Chalabi, by far the most effective anti-Saddam lobbyist in Washington, shrugged off charges that he had deliberately misled U.S. intelligence.I really hate reading articles like this. If this is even remotely correct that the Iraqi National Congress fed us hyped information, then Mr. Chalabi and his supporters can (and should) expect a backseat in the new Iraqi government. Yes, we had a legitimate reason to go to war in Iraq, but the truth need not be exaggerated. Thursday, February 19, 2004Scotus' Libertarian Ethics Wanna read what I'm reading? Click here. SB 428 fails 17-23 SB 428 was a bill that would have prohibited localities from enforcing living wage laws. Living wage laws - as opposed to minimum wage laws - are designed to index a person's income working in such a way that will allow that person to live off of 40 hours a week. Currently, the national living wage index is about $8.85/hr for a family of four, and $7.52/hr for a familiy of three. The current minimum wage is $5.15/hr. Summary of SB 428 as introduced: Minimum wage. Provides that no public body may require the payment of a minimum wage that exceeds the federal minimum wage to the employees of an employer, or his subcontractor, contracting to provide goods or services to the public body. YEAS--Bell, Blevins, Bolling, Cuccinelli, Devolites, Martin, Mims, Newman, Obenshain, O'Brien, Rerras, Ruff, Stolle, Stosch, Wagner, Watkins, Williams--17. NAYS--Chichester, Colgan, Deeds, Edwards, Hanger, Hawkins, Houck, Howell, Lambert, Locke, Lucas, Marsh, Miller, Norment, Potts, Puckett, Puller, Quayle, Reynolds, Saslaw, Ticer, Wampler, Whipple--23. Thomistic Libertarianism Here we go: ABSTRACT: This paper addresses the inherent libertarianism within the Summa Theologicae of St. Thomas Aquinas. Thomistic libertarianism is the very essence of Fulton Sheen’s admonishment that freedom is indeed the ability to do not as one might wish, but as one ought to do. Aquinas is often borrowed by modern, secular philosophical theories without much regard to Aquinas’ own ideas of how a government should function. Specifically criticizing Russell Kirk’s treatment of conservativism and the role of government, this paper defends the idea that freedom is the epitome of both Catholic governance and libertarian thought, and Thomistic libertarianism indeed possesses a rich tradition and strong foundational support that stands in stark contrast to the more Calvinistic conservativism espoused by Kirk and the free-for-all Libertinism advocated by more objectivist and otherwise secular libertarians.Of course, this is the roughest of rough drafts and a work in process since January, but it is coming along and close to completion. More to come later. Wednesday, February 18, 2004Phat Mass Of course, the orthodox Catholic in me reviles at the name the word phat being used to describe Mass, but I have to admit this website is indeed phat - most especially the desktop backgrounds that are offered here. I already downloaded one with Pope John Paul II as a background. Cool stuff! My Presidential Election 2004 Prediction - February 2004 Subject to much change of course: George Bush will be the next president, winning AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, GA, ID, IN, IA, KS, KY, ME, MI, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TX, UT, VA, WY (321 votes) Countries I Have Visited Or at least stopped by in an airport on my way to visit other countries. . . create your own visited countries map or check out these Google Hacks. Dean Quits; Possible Endorsement of Edwards to Follow After a dismal third place showing, Dean decided to suspend his campaign. Of course, thanks to Edwards' strong showing in Wisconsin, the media will be more than happy to prop him up as the challenger in order to keep the story alive. Tuesday, February 17, 2004Reflections on Mount 2000 I apologize for the lack of a post for the last couple of days. The retreat was a teriffic experience that had a trememdous impact on me spiritually - despite some of the peripherals. One of the things that impacted me the most was the graces (yes literally, graces) poured out. I know, some of you are rather skeptical that such a thing happens or exists. Mass hysteria (pun unintended), psychology, going with the crowd. . . anything other than divine grace. But that is exactly what was felt. Despite my goings and comings, despite my focus on things other than God, despite even my own shortcomings, I walked away with the knowledge that God loves. And not just in a distant, unconcerned way - God loves in a very personal, intensive, and compassionate way. My only regret was not making use of the Sacrament of Confession earlier, because one point was made very clear to me; sin - my sin - interferes with my relationship with God. If I had gone to Confession on Friday when I arrived (or earlier) rather than Sunday, would I have experienced three times the grace? Probably not, but that just tells you the depth, intensity, and longing God has for souls. There were also a good number of humbling moments as well. On Saturday morning, I was surrounded with my small group during Adoration continuing a conversation on the way to the ARCC (an athletic complex) concerning Biblical references to Catholic teaching. So there I was, teaching from the Bible. Along came a tap on the shoulder. Now imagine yourself teaching in front of the Blessed Sacrament - Jesus Himself - surrounded by several other conversations not necessarily about God, and being stopped by a participant (40+ years old) and asked to stop. Of all the conversations to stop, the one about Scripture? The brief conversation ended with her storming off and balling up in prayer, while we continued. I discussed it later with my group and those around me, and I thought about it in prayer later on that evening. There I was, surrounded by several groups of people in Adoration, and there were many that were talking about things other than God. Then there were several groups that were counseling one another, talking about what they were getting from the Eucharistic Retreat in a prayerful fashion, and other quiet conversations that were worthwhile. I thought to myself, would Christ want to stop this? I recalled (and I hesitate to say 'recalled', I prefer to say 'was shown') Christ on the Sea of Galillee during a storm, walking on the water towards the Apostles in the boat. Peter climbs out, and so long as he is focused on Christ, he walks on water. But the moment he pays attention to the world around him, he sinks. Peter cries out to Jesus, and Jesus pulls him out of the water. Now there is a parable here that was important to me. If that lady was focused on Christ, then all of the peripherals wouldn't have mattered. That's powerful to me, because I've been there spiritually where you just want to throttle people who were not focused, who were indeed irreverent to the Blessed Sacrament, people who did not care. But the moment you take your eyes of Christ and remove your focus, then you've lost the game. That message stuck with me the rest of the retreat, because it teaches me something about patience and charity that I needed to hear. Arlington is a conservative diocese, and things that are different are regularly shunned. Teaching Scripture in front of the Eucharist; that's different. But irreverent? Not in the slightest. Just because it is different, does not mean that it is irreverent. And things that are irreverent don't necessarily have to be different. I'm sure that lady thought she was doing something very pious, but unfortunately she took her eyes off of Christ and turned her attention to the world. She lashed out at what was closest. Teaching Scripture in front of Christ was different for her, and therefore irreverent. Not her fault necessarily - I admire her tenacity. But there is a scope and a propriety to it all that must be recognized. An important lesson for both her and myself. Beyond this, there is of course the Eucharist. You realize immediately that Christ is present in the midst of the assembly, not in some ethereal or philosophical sense, but tangible. Real. Physically present. That is powerful, and something that with my experience in Baptist or evangelical houses of worship simply is not there. Sure they have Scripture, but where is the Eucharist? If you truly believe that the Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, how could you not bow? How could you not kneel? How could you not make Him a focus of your life? His flesh given up for the life of the world. . . and He is right there. There were humorous moments - and a few that were truly sad. The Eucharist was placed on a platform in the middle of the assembly for Adoration, so naturally everyone gathered in a circle to pray. Typically, the teenagers gathered around, extended their arms (a foreign practice to we conservatives in Arlington, but again difference v. irreverence), cried and prayed. When it was time for Mass, the priest would carry the Eucharist back to the altar along the back wall. Exactly half of these kids - eyes open and knowing full well what was going on - did not move. They didn't turn around at all - they stayed focused on the center. The MC had to remind everyone to "turn and face Jesus," at which point the collective "oh yeah" popped into their minds and the kids turned around. All you could do was groan. Another occasion (still concerning the orientation of the Eucharist to the assembly) was when Cardinal Keeler asked where representatives from the different diocese were located in the audience. Keeping in mind the previous example of people not turning to face Jesus, when asked where the Arlington Diocese was, hands were raised along the back wall in a half circle - all of them facing both the platform where the Eucharist was exposed and the altar. Not one straggler. . . and I had to laugh. Of course, the decorum of the Arlington contingent was markedly different than that of other diocese. Arlington merely raised their hands; other diocese whooped and screamed when their diocese was named. Another opportunity for a slight smirk. All in all, a good retreat that I would recommend again. The seminarians were outstanding, the food could have been better - but it was adequate and in the end reminded you that one should be happy to eat at all. Many opportunities for introspection, and many more to find Christ. Sunday, February 15, 2004Mount 2000 Praise Jesus Christ, Now and Forever. Now and Forever, Praise Jesus Christ!
Friday, February 13, 2004Mount 2000  I'll be off shortly for Emmittsburg for the Mount 2000 Youth Retreat at Mount Saint Mary's all weekend. Hold the fort down folks. . .
A Very Cool Personality Test Pretty darn accurate too. I had my results posted here, but the tags weren't working properly and started to skew the entire site. So I promptly refrained. . . needless to say, the link remains! Take Free Advanced Big 30 Personality Test Thursday, February 12, 2004SIX NATIONS! France v Ireland this weekend! Download come cool Rugby backgrounds here. Talking to Generation X Print this out and read. A good article from a past First Things issue. Our stumbling block is Christianity presented as panacea. You're right that we are looking for healing, and usually in all the wrong places. When we're at our worst, we turn to drugs to numb the pain, cure the boredom, and escape the nothingness that haunts our lives. At our best we try alternative medicine, psychology, meditation, yoga, diets and exercise, successful careers, or falling in love. We invest ourselves in these things, and they inevitably fail. Which is what we expected anyway. We have learned that nothing can be trusted, so we've given up on trust altogether. Don't tell us that the Church can be trusted because, frankly, we doubt it. Don't tell us Christianity is the answer to our problems, because nothing but death will take them away. (Ever wonder why our suicide rate is so high?) DRUDGE: Kerry's infidelity may turn campaign on its head Matt Drudge exclusive here folks: A close friend of the woman first approached a reporter late last year claiming fantastic stories -- stories that now threaten to turn the race for the presidency on its head!Now personally I could give a damn. However, just like with Clinton, if someone uses their public power for the purposes of his private life, then that person should not be trusted with public office until they make amends. Forcing an intern to leave the country in order to fend of criticism? That's pretty bad folks. . . Town Battles 'Demonic' Mystery Blazes Weird. From the friendly folks at Yahoo! Since mid-January dozens of electrical goods and pieces of furniture have spontaneously gone up in flames, causing huge damage in Canneto di Caronia, a small town perched on the Mediterranean island's rocky coast. Wednesday, February 11, 2004Your Computer is Outdated Intel has developed a new type of computer processor that uses fiberoptics as opposed to silicon chips Intel said the technical advance, in which the researchers use a component made from pure silicon to send data at speeds as much as 50 times faster than the previous switching record, is the first step toward building low-cost networks that will move data seamlessly between computers and within large computer systems. Papal envoy highlights "new paradigm" challenge for bioethics Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers President Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragán has warned that a "new paradigm" is being imposed on debate on bioethics.Interesting article, and quite consistent with much of the bioethics we are seeing coming out of the more secular universities. It is worthwhile mentioning that Catholic universities and scholars are leading the charge for responsible bioethics as opposed to other denominations if for no other reason than Catholicism is the best and most able defender of a truly ethical response to the problems we face today. Archbishop Fulton Sheen Here you go. . . a great website on Fulton Sheen, arguably one of the greatest defenders of the Catholic faith we Americans have ever known. Tuesday, February 10, 2004Your Tax Dollars at Work. . . For something pretty darn cool for a change! Check out the movies - those are very cool: Experimenters burst water balloons in the low-gravity environment produced aboard a NASA Glenn DC-9 aircraft. The Terror Alert Banana Here you go. A dancing banana that changes colors according to the terror threat level warning. I feel safer already. . . Monday, February 09, 2004George Will on George Bush I like it. Muchos thanks to swampthing for sending this along: Republicans are swiftly forfeiting the perception that they are especially responsible stewards of government finances. It is surreal for a Republican president to submit a budget to a Republican-controlled Congress and have Republican legislators vow to remove the "waste" that he has included and that they have hitherto funded. Democrat Kerry Opens Huge Lead in Tennessee It appears as if Kerry is going to take Tennessee tomorrow, with a closer yet similar opening in Virginia as well. Dean is going for broke in Wisconsin, but tomorrow's primaries are looking to be make-or-break for both Edwards and Clark. Should be interesting. . . Of course, Republicans should be getting warm fuzzies about slam dunking John Kerry. The New York Times is reporting that the Democrat base is eager and ready to do the same to George Bush. Unfortunately for us conservatives, if the utter lack of conservative legislation from the White House is any indicator, I'm not so sure that I could say that conservatives are riled up to go after Kerry either. Sure we'll vote, but work as hard as anti-Bush Dems who are still hurting from 2000? Unless Bush does something fantastically conservative in the next few months, Bush could be in big trouble. The Unintended Consequences of Mifepristone: Evidence from the Clinical Trials Dr. Paul Sullins is an Episcopalian priest turned Catholic teaching at the Life Cycle Institute of the Catholic University of America. I must admit that I am a bit of a fan ever since I used his paper concerning the so-called vocations crisis to illustrate its lack of presence concerning calls for change in the Catholic priesthood. The following is an article in draft form concerning the use of milfepristone (commonly known as RU-486) and it's effects on mothers who take the abortion pill: To many who already oppose on religious or cultural grounds the prevalence of abortions in America the new method’s convenience represents but a further trivialization of unborn life. In prospect at least, mifepristone appears to reduce the awesome responsibility of bearing human life to the level of an inconvenient, even minor, malady. Got a headache? Take aspirin. Pregnant? Take mifepristone. That something profound and irreplaceable is lost by the latter action becomes less than apparent, perhaps forgotten. As one prospective medical abortion user explained her understanding of how the drug worked, "If you miss your period and you think that you’re pregnant, you can take a pill in your medicine cabinet and your period will come." Sunday, February 08, 2004Pope, Ratzinger shake hands on War against Relativism Pope John Paul II has urged Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to be more proactive in fostering a courageous proclamation of truth in a world "marked by both a widespread relativism and the tendency to a facile pragmaticism".Pragmatism (you're looking at the British spelling of the word) is a peculiarly American philosophy that views the highest good as that which is most useful, so the calculated slap at pragmatism by Pope John Paul II should not go unnoticed, nor should the emphasis placed on Ratzinger go without mention. Cardinal Ratzinger is seen by many as the voice of conservative reason in the Vatican, and his leadership and responsiveness towards Catholics crying out for a return to Catholic culture and orthodoxy has not gone unnoticed. In addition, he urged the Congregation to focus on the teaching of natural law, which underlies traditional moral theology. He said this should be accomplished in a manner that seeks "convergence with representatives of different denominations, religions and cultures".Very good and about time. I wonder if this beer is any good?  Not that I would try ordering this at a bar. . . for obvious phonetic reasons. To check out the "Bier Bitzch" commercial, click here or go to the Downloads link on the company website:Legend has it, In the late 1800's, Josef a Czechoslovakian trained brewmaster, left his native Czechoslovakia in pursuit of the most pristine water on Earth to make his Golden Pilsner.Of course, the website claims to have this Icelandic beer. But where is the beer actually sold? California. Go figure on that one. . . I'd bet some business students with a penchant for beer scoured the world for some German brewer with a funny last name. What a winner. Bumper Stickers and Driving Deaniacs Its one of the common jokes on the road. Get cut off on I-95, and most of the time the person who did it had one of those Jesus Fish on their car. Well, at least here the joke gets turned back: Frankly, this Dean driver was no worse than most. What I witnessed Thursday was just routine, run-of-the-mill rotten driving. The kind you see 50 times a day on the snarled roads of Hampton Roads. You can’t go a mile around here without encountering some chucklehead who refuses to use a turn signal. It’s as if they believe blinking lights bring bad luck. Friday, February 06, 2004Welcome to the Kerry Administration! Spend a cool G, get a plush government job. . . If someone donated money to a specific senator's campaign warchest, and that same senator just happened to nominate you for a government commission days later, would you call that coincidence? Or the definition of special interest politics? John Kerry calls it circumstance: "John Kerry is grateful for their support, and we should be thanking them for their service, not questioning it," she added. "The timing of the contributions was completely circumstantial."I'd bet he's grateful for their support! Thursday, February 05, 2004Looking Smooth at JasonKenney.net Give this another look. My brother Jason is adopting a similar website where his collected works are going to be showcased and warehoused. The only difference is that mine consists of books, reviews, articles, and papers - his consists of comics, web programming, music, and more importantly his relatively sucessful Bush43 fanfic, where you can find archived here. Very, very cool. Funny though. . . it seems that the younger the Kenney brothers get, the less technically inclined they are (although Jay knows more about web programming than I do). But the other two - phht. No dice there. . . one uses AOL, the other's most advance interaction with a computer consists of a GameCube. Ah well. . . Dean Says He Must Win Wisconsin or Be 'Out of Race' Former Democratic front runner Howard Dean is pinning all of his hopes on Wisconsin in order to be viable for 02 March: "We must win Wisconsin," the former Vermont governor said in a memo to supporters. "A win there will carry us to the big states on March 2 -- and narrow the field to two candidates. Anything else will put us out of the race."Now I expected Dean to stick around until 02 March, but thanks to his campaign spending, it seems as if he may not last the week. Besides, if this is how he spends money on the campaign trail, why should I trust him with my money in Washington? Wednesday, February 04, 2004"I Love You" Call me crazy, but this doesn't sound like a bad idea at all: Looking for a Valentine's Day gift that says "I dig you, baby?"They need to start something like this in D.C. Tuesday, February 03, 2004Lieberman Said Conceding if Winless Tuesday Thanks to exit polls, it appears as if Edwards and Kerry are going to be duking it out for the Democratic Party nomination. Liberman was hammered, Dean was non-existent, while Sharpton polled well in South Carolina Democrat Joe Lieberman, facing an uncertain showing in his must-win state of Delaware, was making contingency plans Tuesday to withdraw from the presidential race, according to sources close to the campaign.Not unexpected, but I must say that I am relatively pleased to see Edwards take up the #2 spot as predicted. The question is whether or not Edwards can pull ahead of Kerry. Possible, but not altogether probable at this point - although if he does make it a race, don't be surprised to see Clark do well in Virginia. . . Sunday, February 01, 2004Super Bowl XXXVIII My call? Patriots 24, Panthers 10.
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JEFFERSONIAD POLL: Whom do you support for Virginia Attorney General?1) John Brownlee2) Ken Cuccinelli AboutShaunKenney.com is one of Virginia's oldest political blogs, focusing on the role of religion and politics in public life. Shaun Kenney, 30, lives in Fluvanna County, Virginia.ContactThe Jeffersoniad
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