The Corner on National Review Online:

"MOMSENSE RETURNS! [Jonah Goldberg]
The Baltimore Sun has the first indication that a particularly stupid media schtick is returning: The movement of the apolitical Moms. The headline should raise the hairs on the back of your neck:"

In a grassroots movement, moms of all political persuasions organize to oust Bush.

"The story flatly contradicts this, as does common sense. If moms of all political persuasions organized to oust Bush than there would be some moms who want Bush to be reelected organzing to oust him, which would make them stupid-but-interesting enough to mention in this article, which the author does not do. The million mom march should have put an end to this use of mom's as a 'non-partisan' Trojan Horse. Why are liberals so afraid of calling themselves liberals? Fine use your maternal status, but why maintain the fiction that you're not a liberal mom?"

New York Post Online Edition: seven:

"...the Senate is set to vote on a so-called 'anti-obscenity' bill that civil libertarians say is patently unconstitutional and will serve a severe blow to First Amendment rights.

"The bill has already passed in the House, and Howard Stern has vowed to stop broadcasting if it becomes law. "

This seems like a completely non-sensical method of protest.

Holy Cow, I gotta stop talking about desserts; It's killing me here.

ophelia207: NYC Restaurant Reviews #3: ZUCCHIERO E POMODORI

Dude! Triffle! Fruit desert! Apple Pie! and on and on, you're a fruit.

Happy B-day to Jeanetta.

(Ok, now I want cake; darn it!)

Salon.com Life | Letters:

"Gotta write this anonymously, sorry. I'm an NPR reporter, and I have to say that those of us inside the newsroom are dumbfounded by Bob Edwards' enduring popularity. He does the show in his sleep. When he does "two-ways" with us (i.e., interviews with correspondents about late-breaking news), he reads the questions we send to him verbatim. No follow-up questions, no engagement, nothing, because he's simply not listening. The whole show is scripted.

"It's like anyone else, in almost any kind of job: He's been doing it too long, and he's gone stale.

"Public radio "fans" are some of the most conservative people on earth when it comes to this stuff. Weird.

"-- Anonymous "

Well of course it's scripted. Every decent newscast is scripted, it makes it so that you can fit the most stuff in the most time.

Also, since 70% of public rado listeners actually are conservatives (Ann Coulter on Booknotes on C-Span), it's not that surprising that they are conservative.

I dunno, if he's stale in his work maybe he should go. What's sad is that we can't keep "the voice". It's so wonderful that begining of the broadcast where he says what's going on in the world today, like "so-and-so testifies before the x committee" and "the Arab League meets in Cairo", etc. I love that part and I love it at least party because of Bob.

I'm not completely persuaded, but I think it will be OK.

Two Is Enough - Why large families don't deserve tax breaks. By Dalton Conley

This author has obviously decided in the first place that big families are bad and gone looking for reasons. I think people don't generally have large families because of the tax break. If this author really cared about children, rather than making families smaller, he would advocate increasing tax breaks for larger families as they can use the extra help so that their kids achieve better.

No one is allowed to say "My Mom used to say" re: any political, policy, or ethical debate.

It's funny, lots of Demos are going "Blah Blah Blah, civil servant, non-partisan, why would he lie?" Re: Richard Clarke.

One might note that another famous non-partisan government man working in national security with long career service lied to congress, Ollie North.

eBay item 3282264046 (Ends Mar-29-04 12:43:09 PST) - NEW LARGE 4 CHAIN NICKEL CENSER THURIBLE:

"This is slightly DIFFERENT in shape and style from some of the other nickel censers we have offered recently which you will not find in our catalog. It is 9' tall, with a base of 5 1/2' diameter, rather rotund, as opposed to tall and slender. It all hand made and is also light weight. The ideal match for a short chubby sacerdote or deacon."

padrepuffin: Forty Days

An interesting discussion.

No wet look lip gloss on TV news for anyone over 14.

Say hello to our new moon

That's very cool.

HeraldNet: 2 jailed in cross blaze

You might in a cross-burning story want to mention the race of the victims before the 16th graph.

Godzilla, M.D.: Hospital Maintenance

This is crazy!

Christian Hippocratic Oath

University of Rochester

Their new page seems ugly to me.

Boy, it's one thing for TNT to show the same movie three nights in a row if it is something decent, but to show Swordfish (tomatometer=28%) three nights in a row is criminal.

Massachusetts Replaces Iraq in Axis of Evil

HUMAN EVENTS ONLINE :: Sen. Jon Kyl on Richard Clarke Allegations

Clarke. I don't think I should give my opinion of this man on a family blog. Read the article.

Gas Prices

This is all so silly. Inflation adjusted prices people! They're not at record levels.

The Liars' Club, There's more to the Stephen Glass and Jayson Blair scandals than anyone--Including Glass and Blair--has yet to admit. In their first joint interview, the disgraced journalists come clean, compare notes, and attempt to set their stories straight., by Christopher Frizzelle (03/18/04)

This is an amazing story!

The New York Review of Books: God in the Hands of Angry Sinners:

"Saint Dominic, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Ignatius Loyola were mature men when they established their orders."

Yes, but Benedict was 19.

Bah! There are so many errors in this article I'm just going to have to write a letter to the editor.

The New York Review of Books: God in the Hands of Angry Sinners:

"Escriva was and Maciel is a very 'preconciliar' man. Pope John Paul II has already canonized, on the fastest of imaginable fast tracks, Escriva. Maciel is still alive at eighty-three, but his followers expect his canonization too. (His uncle has already been beatified by John Paul.)"

Unmentioned is that his Uncle was a Bishop during the persecution of the Christeros and the outlawing of the Catholic church in Mexico. Also, Maciel, who Wills previously notes was often criticized by church leaders for being too progressive before the Council.

The New York Review of Books: God in the Hands of Angry Sinners:

"In this, the Legion resembles its elder brother in orthodoxy, Opus Dei—it was an Opus priest who conducted Franco's annual spiritual retreat."

Opus Dei members also went into exile in France because of their oposition to the Franco regime.

The New York Review of Books: God in the Hands of Angry Sinners:

"The Legion of Christ, an international religious order, is one of several very conservative Catholic groups on which the current pope has showered favors, allowing its members to operate outside the normal structures of dioceses or traditional religious orders (to the dismay of some authorities in both realms)."

That's not true. Only Opus Dei has been made a personal prelature. The Legion of Christ is simply a religious congregation of pontifical right, just like many others.

The New York Review of Books: God in the Hands of Angry Sinners

"Gibson gives us "God in the hands of angry sinners." Behind both these minatory visions stands a bloodthirsty Father, damning and punishing. It can be said in Gibson's defense that he was not narrowly anti-Semitic when he wanted to include the verse from Matthew 27.25. He sees vast hordes becoming subject to God's vengeance, to be carried off to hell. He offers equal opportunity damnation. Saint Augustine came to see that this view of a vengeful father was unworthy of God, and abandoned the "ransom" theory of Christ's death,[9] the notion that the death of Christ was a price paid to God in order to bring about the redemption of humanity."

"Not many thinkers have followed Augustine's lead in this, although the philosopher René Girard has done so brilliantly.[10] But without formal theological reasoning, most Christians have quietly realized that God the inflicter of eternal torture is not a concept they can live with. The recent and rapid fading of belief in hell is one of the things that conservatives deplore."

Actually, Augustine was one of the proposers of this theory. The place to look for its abolition is in Anselm. This is really egregious history.

The New York Review of Books: God in the Hands of Angry Sinners:

"The alliances formed around the movie are interesting. Gibson has been supported not only by Legionaries of Christ but by members of Opus Dei, an equally conservative Catholic group."

Of course, he was also helped out by the Jesuits.

Health Beat: U.S. ethicists counter Vatican view

Things like this really are useful; they tell you which ethicists to ignore.

I've registered for Summer classes, one on Christology and one on St. John of the Cross. This will catch me up and put me 3 ahead in credits. It will also mean that I will finish the requirements for a Masters when I pass (God willing) the history comps in August and not when I finish classes in December. It will, however, not change my graduation date, as the comps are too late to graduate in August. So I will (God willing) get my MA in January.

Salon.com Life | Balancing act

"How much time should you spend with your kids? The author of a provocative new book, "Maternal Desire," argues that motherhood is an essential part of female identity."

Huh? In what way is that provocative?

This concludes post vacation updating...we now return you to the regularly scheduled blog...

Non curo. Si metrum non habet, non est poema.
"I don't care. If it doesn't rhyme, it isn't
a poem."
You are a type A personality. You like bright
things, you don't call in sick to work, and you
have devastating opinions about art.


Which Weird Latin Phrase Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Actually, I'm not at all opposed to free verse, but if the final words are all the same it is NOT a sestina!

which art movement are you?

this quiz was made by Caitlin

There's been a "modernizing" trend in the British legal system under the current government. For instance, the "Crown Prosectution Service" has become the "Prosecution Service". Also there have been changes in traditional judicial dress.

Hence this Specator cartoon:

‘At least they let us keep the wigs.’

Wow! I just completely rocked Netters with my superior Beastie Boys knowledge!

Some days it's good that I'm not in charge. Today I would have banned shoes that clomp when people walk. There might have been repurcussions for wearers too.

This is one sad ER episode and only one person has died. Sheesh...

You are Homer! An epic poet circa 800 B.C., Homer
is the expression of the ancient Greek ideal.
His characters embark upon long and wordy
quests and engage in battles of heroic length.
Monsters are slain and cities are razed. Fun
and glory all around!


Which famous poet are you? (pictures and many outcomes)
brought to you by Quizilla

TCS: Tech Central Station - On Hearing that Spain Has Capitulated to the Terrorists

A poem, carrying on a great rhetorical tradition

'Special skills draft' on drawing board / Computer experts, foreign language specialists lead list of military's needs

Alysse and Thomas might find themselves in the Army.

I've also added Orgulous Philouzopher to the list of "Blogs I Read Regularly"

I moved the archives to the bottom of the sidebar. I realized that they are of course pushing down everything bellow them, and that this will only get more pronounced as the list gets longer.

Law and Order: Criminal Intent and Crossing Jordan back-to-back tonight were both about criminal priests. Sure does make one wonder about NBC's biases.

Reuters AlertNet - John Paul II becomes third-longest-serving pope:

"Last week, he caused a stir by appointing Harvard University law professor Mary Ann Glendon to head the Vatican academy that advises him on modern ethical issues. It is the first time a woman has chaired such an important group within the church."

Sheesh, I guess it doesn't take much to cause a stir then....

Helen Hull Hitchcock - Roman Missal Translation Update - Bishops Receive ICEL Missal

This is SO AWESOME!!!!!

NYTimes.com Review ON WRITERS AND WRITING; Harvard's Working Poor:

"These first-person narratives were copied and passed around by hand in the midst of a three-year struggle between the richest nonprofit institution in the world (excepting the Roman Catholic Church) and the employees who feed and serve its people or clean and guard its property."

Except that the Catholic Church isn't that rich. Unlike Harvard University, there is no armed force to enforce the Vatican's directives to its Bishops. So the Harvard endowment far exceeds the economic force that the Vatican can bring to bear.

Atlas F Missle Silo

Looking for some great real estate in the 'Dacks?

I'm guessing the AAUP won't get their hands dirty with this case. It's a bit personally worrying I must say.

From the New Yorker:
"Emerson String Quartet

"Before Mel Gibson came along, other artists contributed their reflections on the Crucifixion. In the first of three rather serious spring concerts, the world's reigning string quartet pairs Haydn's "Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross" with Beethoven's Quartet in A Minor, Op. 132. (Church of St. Ignatius Loyola, Park Ave. at 84th St. 212-721-6500. March 14 at 4.)"

People living in or around NYC will get (or at least deserve) a severe beating if they don't go to this concert.

Travel Update:

I've been in Virginia the last few days. I'll be back in Indiana tommorow morning, inshaa Allah.

You are Franklin!


Which Peanuts Character are You?

From the Pew -- Commentary: Reviving a parish culture:

"Of course, no good deed or good intention goes unpunished. While the majority of the parishioners have applauded him for his innovations and openness, critical letters have been have been written to diocesan officials. Speakers who are obviously not Catholic enough for some tastes, portions of his sermons with which the doctrinal police take issue, his handling of personnel matters, an alleged “takeover” by newlinflameded lay people have all been duly reported."

Ha! VOTF people have it right back at you, these letters are lay involvement. Thpersonnelll and "takeover" issues sound bogus, but there is no excuse for the other two. Exciting people doesn't excuse doctrinal softness, because if you inflame people but send them off in the wrong direction it was likely better you were never there in the first place. Progress has to be progress towards the good, the true and the holy to be profitable, not just progress towards excitement. There are plenty of great speakers out there who arcertifiablelyly Catholic, and to manage to inflame questions of heterodoxy in one's sermons one most try pretty hard or be completely unschooled in what orthodoxy is.

NPR : Driveway Moment: Soldier's Mom

If you can listen to this and not tear up you may just have no heart.

Belfast Telegraph

Who opposes The Passion? Anti-catholics in Northern Ireland of course!

Pointed shoes...eviillll.

Bearing Right

Someone should buy this book for Jeanetta, mwhahahahahahah.

Andrew Leigh on John Rhys-Davies on National Review Online

Yes! He is awesome!

Thoughts by the Wayside: A look into university's disclosures, rules

This's my Irish Rover article. Check it out!

I'm probably going to go to Chicago from April 22-25 for the APA Central Meeting. I don't know if that interests anyone or not.

Good for you!! You are probably going to be the
president one day! With a brain larger than
life and major potential, you stand proud. You
may have been considered geeky, but you will
show them once you take over the world.


A Deeper Look Inside Yourself (with pics)
brought to you by Quizilla