Today is the 230th anniversary of Paul Revere's Ride. When I was in 6th grade I had the whole poem memorized. I still remember most of it.

Fellow St.Blog's member and longtime e-buddy Rae has made the bigtime -- check out the picture and quotes in this article: Catholics hope for progressive pope. Rae has coined the term "homestyle Catholics" -- those who accept the teachings of the Church in their entirety (as opposed to "cafeteria" Catholics). I really like Rae's term, it makes the point that the Church is a family and like any family meal, some parts you might like better than others but (if you grew up in a family like mine, at least!) you eat what's set before you.

Today is the 35th anniversary of the successful recovery of Apollo 13 after an accident in space. Slashdot has a discussion about it, and a link to a cool article from IEEE Spectrum on the Apollo 13 mission. If you are at all interested in spaceflight you should really read this article!

Work has kept me busy of late, but I wanted to share this from Mark Shea's blog (he's quoting someone else, actually):

It was touching to reflect that the big obelisk in the middle of the piazza was also present when St. Peter died, and for his funeral, which was in the same place.

I'd not thought of this before, but of course it's true, and it is... moving.

Here's one of those classic cases of "what were they thinking?" in a story. In this story about the fingertip-in-the-Wendy's-chili incident, the reporter wrote (as of this writing):

Wendy's maintains the finger did not enter the food in its ingredients. It has offered a $50,000 reward in the case and was keeping open a hot line for tips, spokesman Denny Lynch said.

I suspect they'll re-write that soon.

The Arizona Daily Star's religion reporter, Stephanie Innes, is in Rome and has a weblog -- Rome Report. Check it out.

What the Heck is Going On Here?!?!?!

You might have thought Terri Schiavo's case was so unique that nothing like that could happen again. You'd be wrong. An elderly woman in Georgia is being starved to death DESPITE A LIVING WILL TO THE CONTRARY.

What is going on in our country?!

Addendum: An update here. The situation is still unclear though.

A story from Yahoo on conscience clauses for pharmacists. It's amusingly ironic that people who promote "choice" show no compunction at forcing people to violate their consciences.

Just in case you somehow forgot how stupid people can be -- Man arrested, cuffed after using $2 bills. I don't know who I'd be madder at, Best Buy or the police. How Stupid!

Another dumb idea -- Congress may extend daylight-saving time. Of course, living in a state that does not observe DST one might claim that I shouldn't voice an opinion, but DST affects me all the time -- every time I have to make a flight out of state or call someone outside Arizona.

I think DST in general is a stupid idea, but adding two more months makes it dumber still -- it means being on DST 9 months out of the year! If 75% of the time we're on an altered schedule, why not just change your freakin' schedule?! Have work start at 7 instead of 8, or whatever. Why mess around with the clock? It's just dumb.

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that even the Pope's funeral can be politicized -- China Won't Send Envoy to Pope's Funeral. The Chinese won't go because the Vatican has diplomatic relations with Taiwan. They're also in a snit because Italy is allowing Taiwan's president to land in Rome so as to attend the Pope's funeral. It's times like this that remind the world just how repressive the Chinese regime really is -- they try to cut off all contact with Taiwan entirely. Case in point -- it's alleged that they would consider diplomatic relations with the Vatican if the Holy See breaks them with Taiwan. Whatever happened to sitting down and talking?

In case you hadn't noticed, the Vatican website has been updated to show that the See of Peter is vacant.

*sigh*

Mark Shea has some interesting observations on the "coincidences" surrounding the Pope's death and funeral. Check it out.

Some good reading about Pope John Paul II and the conclave to come:

• Luther Uwe Siemon-Netto reflects, "He was my Pope, too."
• George Wiegel on The Next Pope...and Why He Matters to All of Us. A really good article.
• George Wiegel on Mourning and Remembrance.

Thanks to Mark Shea for the links.

I find this fascinating -- check out President Bush's statement on the death of the Pope. He has ordered flags flown at half-mast until the Pope's burial. I think that is unprecedented, but then pretty much everything about John Paul II was unprecedented, wasn't it?

Pope John Paul II Has Died

I'll write more on this later, but as if there is anyone who hasn't heard, the Pope has died.

It appears the Pope's health is deteriorating rapidly. Some Italian news agencies are reporting that he has died, but CNN and AP (at least) have not been able to confirm. It's hard to know what to pray for at this point -- he has suffered so much, and served so long and so faithfully. The selfish part of me wants him to recover and remain with us for a long time, but another part of me just wants him to receive a rich reward for his labors.

Terri Has Died

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace.

CNN's report --
Schiavo dies amid legal, ethical battle.

Stolen from Eric Ewanco's blog:

Top Ten Excuses Given By the Guards At the Empty Tomb

10. "I thought he was the pizza delivery guy leaving. No wondered he smiled when I tried to give him a tip!"
9. "I was putting another denarius in the chariot meter!"
8. "With the earth shakin' and all the bright lights, we figgered we was abducted by aliens!"
7. "Since the tomb was already empty when the stone was rolled away, I'm afraid you're speaking to the wrong department. Let me give you a BR#245-A-Res form and direct you to Burial Services."
6. "As we've already stated several times before, according to the legal definition of "escape", we emphatically deny any wrongdoing in this matter!"
5. "We was HYPNO-TIZED! Centurion Bobicus is still clucking like a chicken!"
4. "You told us to secure the tomb as best as we know how (Mat. 27:65). We did! May I suggest an assessment of our current training program?
3. "All I know is, this better not mess up my early retirement package!
2. "Hey! What'd you expect? Did you tell us we were guarding the Son of God?--NOOOOOOOOO!"
And the number one excuse given by the guards at the empty tomb is:
1. "What's the big deal? He said He'd be back!"

Happy Birthday Jeanetta!

It's the lovely Jeanetta's birthday. Go visit her blog!

Schiavo Appeal To Be Filed

Good news, apparently the Federal district court has agreed to hear an appeal.

Let's pray that they actually hear something before it's too late.

[Correction: I had a too-optimistic headline for this post initially. It's not that the appeal has been granted, it's that it's at least allowed to be filed.]

Happy Easter!

I sang at the Easter Vigil last night. Since my voice has been rather iffy I gave up my solos for Good Friday and Easter Vigil, and just did my best in the choir. I'll try to post the music for those later.

Last night's celebration was a joyous one. We welcomed the 5 member of our RCIA into the Church, along with 12 children. The Vigil is the time when we as instructors/team members can really see the result of our efforts in a tangible way. It's a wonderful thing to watch.

The fight for Terri Schiavo continues. I spent a good chunk of time during the Good Friday service (and at Stations tonight) thinking about her and praying for her. How can you contemplate the suffering of Christ and not think of her suffering? How can you see Mrs. Schindler crying on national television, begging anyone who will listen to save her daughter, and not think of our Blessed Mother?

Cathy wrote in a comment yesterday:

I also learned about myself. I questioned who I was and how I reacted. Did I pray enough - no. Did I actively preach to my friends and family over the past two years - no - I instead shared only when asked. What was I afraid of? Did I financially support the Schindlers - yes; should it have been more - yes; could it have been more - absolutely. Even though I'm on the "right" side of this issue, my actions have been highly inadequate.

I have to agree. Lord, forgive me for my sins of omission. Have mercy on our nation that has brought us to this point, and deliver us from the Culture of Death.

After Mass I went to grab some dinner, then came back and prayed before the Blessed Sacrament for a while. The main focus of my prayer was Terri Schiavo. I begged the Lord, I pleaded. I cried. Finally after a while I came to a grim conclusion... the Lord who "spared not His only Son" isn't going to spare Terri. There, I said it. It's grim. I think it's true. So now I have to ask myself, Why? What good can come of this? How can God allow this? How can he allow her to suffer so? How can he break the Schindlers' hearts so, who have already suffered so much? So many people, most of whom have never met Terri or her parents, have worked so hard to try to save her life, to be frustrated by an evil, adulterous husband and an evil judge. Why?

And yet... there is good that can come of this horrible tragedy.

• I firmly believe that after all the suffering she has endured, Terri is going to Heaven.
• I firmly believe that Terri will spend her Heaven praying for others in such circumstances -- a patron saint for those in danger of euthanasia.
• Her case has stirred up the consciences of so many that, I pray, change will come.

I hope and pray that it is so.

On a personal note... while I don't usually ask for prayers, please pray for me. I'm supposed to be singing a lot tomorrow and Saturday, and I've had really bad allergies and have lost my high notes. Please pray that if it be His will, I recover enough to be able to serve the Lord in this way.

Thanks.

Barb Nicolosi writes eloquently about the rhetoric of the culture of death.

We are not supposed to WANT to live this way! It's a world wracked by sin. But we trudge on, "making up with our sufferings what is lacking in the suffering of Christ." We suffer and we offer, and we believe that nothing offered to God with a pure heart is a waste.

Thanks to the lovely Jeanetta for the link.

Music for Mass
SSPP Combined Choirs
Holy Thursday

Gathering Song: Lift High the Cross(CRUCIFER)
Penitential Rite: spoken
Gloria: Ss. Peter and Paul Gloria (Schiavone)
Responsorial Psalm: Our Blessing Cup (Joncas)
Gospel Acclamation: Lenten Gospel Acclamation (Walker)
Washing of the Feet: Love One Another (Dufford)
Preparation of the Gifts: Jesus, You Are Bread For Us (Walker)
Holy,Holy: Mass of Creation (Haugen)
Memorial Acclamation: Mass of Creation (Haugen)
Great Amen: Mass of Creation (Haugen)
Our Father: (Traditional Chant)
Lamb of God: Mass of Creation (Haugen)
Communion: The Supper of the Lord (Rosania)
Procession of the Eucharist: Pange Lingua/Tantum Ergo (Traditional)

In other news... WooHoo! The Wildcats beat OK State in a nailbiter of a game, 79-78, to advance to the Elite 8! Wow. I only caught the last 5 minutes and it was pretty hairy. Eeep!

Peggy Noonan writes eloquently on In Love With Death: The bizarre passion of the pull-the-tube people. She's spot on:

Once you "know" that--that human life is not so special after all--then
everything is possible, and none of it is good. When a society comes to believe
that human life is not inherently worth living, it is a slippery slope to the
gas chamber. You wind up on a low road that twists past Columbine and leads
toward Auschwitz. Today that road runs through Pinellas Park, Fla.

Thanks to the lovely Jeanetta for the link.

Disturbing evidence that Michael Schiavo is indeed a scum -- one of Terri's former nurses is now speaking out. She says that Michael injected Terri with insulin in hopes of inducing a coma, and that he deliberately withheld rehabilitation from her.

This man must not win.

I've been doing a lot of thinking, obviously, about Terri Schiavo, and trying to understand what is going on. I don't mean with Terri, or the actual situation (although of course I've thought about that a lot); I mean with public reaction and the reaction by so many in our country.

First, the most obvious thing is that Terri's plight has garnered a huge amount of interest and attention. People everywhere are talking about it. Most amazing has been the incredible response by the executive and legislative branches at the Federal and state level. So many legislators seem to recognize that there's something fundamentally wrong here; others are just going along perhaps. Most heartening has been the pro-life community recognizing what an incredible challenge this is. Unlike 1973 when so many were caught sleeping by Roe v. Wade, there's been an outpouring of concern and action, much of it galvanized by the Internet. The Terri's Fight website has been able to bypass the media's constant misrepresentation of the case as being a "right to die" case and take the facts straight to the people. The same Internet has been used by pro-lifers to organize into groups like Blogs For Terri.

Second, it's made abundantly clear the depth and breadth of the Culture of Death in our country. When an opinion poll shows something like 55% of Americans think it's okay to starve Terri to death, that's a problem. When the media consistently misrepresents the situation and repeats lies and half-truths about Terri, her husband and her parents, that's a problem. And of course when unelected judges consistently ignore facts and rule in ways that defy both common sense and reason, that's a problem.

If Terri is saved it will be a miracle; but it will almost assuredly be a miracle of the spirit emboldening those with power, strength, or ingenuity to find ways to circumvent the death-dealers (mostly in black robes) who seem intent on her death.

Pray.

This is an inspiring story -- Former POW Jessica Lynch honors fallen comrade. It's two years today since Lori Piestewa died -- may she rest in peace. She served her country well.

Jessica Lynch put the money from her book deal into a foundation to help Piestewa's children. I really admire that.

As I feared... Appeals panel refuses to order Schiavo feeding. God have mercy on their souls.

Please continue to pray for Terri Schiavo. It's looking more and more like despite an amazing effort by the executive and legislative branches (unprecedented and, really, inspiring), the judicial branch is determined to kill her.

I've had an intuition for several days now that she will die on Good Friday, or Holy Saturday. I pray that I am wrong.

Update on Diocese of Tucson Chapter 11. The Star reports that some of the claimants are objecting to the Diocese's claim that the parishes are separate entities. This classifies as "the other shoe dropping." Appropriately enough the next hearing is on Good Friday.

Thanks Be To God!

CNN is reporting that the House has just passed Terri's bill. President Bush has promised to sign it immediately.

After all the ups and downs (and believe me, I know it's not over) I find it very, very inspiring that so many lawmakers worked so hard to make this happen. If this were Europe she'd be dead already.

Happy Feast of St. Joseph!

We had our RCIA retreat today, and then later I went to a dinner of the local Opus Dei cooperators and supernumerary to celebrate the feast day. I encourage you to check out St. Josemaria's excellent homily on St. Joseph, In Joseph's Workshop. Here's a sample:

Work is part and parcel of man's life on earth. It involves effort, weariness, exhaustion: signs of the suffering and struggle which accompany human existence and which point to the reality of sin and the need for redemption. But in itself work is not a penalty or a curse or a punishment: those who speak of it that way have not understood sacred Scripture properly.

It is time for us Christians to shout from the rooftops that work is a gift from God and that it makes no sense to classify men differently, according to their occupation, as if some jobs were nobler than others. Work, all work, bears witness to the dignity of man, to his dominion over creation. It is an opportunity to develop one's personality. It is a bond of union with others, the way to support one's family, a means of aiding in the improvement of the society in which we live and in the progress of all humanity. (47)

Here's the text of an email I just sent my congressman. I don't have high hopes that he will listen, but at least he will know people are watching.

To the Honorable Raul M. Grijalva:

I'm writing in regards to Terri Schiavo and the Incapacitated Persons Legal Protection Act. I urge you to support this act and protect the life of Terri Schiavo and others like her.

Terri Schiavo's situation has been horribly misrepresented in the press and by her husband. She is not terminally ill, yet is being cared for in a hospice. She is healthy but needs to be fed via a tube -- a situation that happens to many people at times in their lives, e.g. stroke victims and others. She is brain damaged, yes, but she is aware of her surroundings and can feel pain. Her husband said on Tuesday (3/15) night's "Nightline" that "she has no cortex" -- untrue.

Most appalling of all about this issue is that the person who should care most for her, her husband, has a clear conflict of interest -- he is in an adulterous relationship and stands to gain financially by her death. He is hardly an objective guardian of Terri's best interests.

As a lifelong Democrat, I've always believed that if the Democratic Party stood for anything, it stood for protecting the weak against the strong, being a voice for those who have no voice. Terri Schiavo is a prime example of the weak in our society being oppressed by the strong.

People being starved to death by court order because their lives are deemed "not worth living" is behavior I associate with the Nazi Third Reich, not with the United States of America. If we can't stand up for the rights of someone like Terri, how can we hope to protect our elderly, the poor, the disenfranchised?

Please suppor this bill, and please help to save an innocent woman's life.

Sincerely,

Gordon Zaft

Good News! Congress has apparently resolved their differences enough to be able to pass a bill to save Terri Schiavo's life, at least long enough for a federal judge to hear the case.

It's really sad that apparently no (or almost no) Democrats are willing to help in this effort. When I was growing up I thought the Democratic party was about standing up for the weak and defenseless, but apparently the culture of death so thoroughly rules the Democratic party now that they can't even prevent an innocent woman from being starved to death.

I had an entry in the Arizona Daily Star's "NewsTalk" section on the issue:

Terri Schiavo should be fed! Food and water are not "extraordinary" care; they are the normal requirements of any living being. I never thought I'd live to see the day an American citizen would be starved to death by court order. It's a sad day for our country.

Gordon Zaft

Engineer

Sadly, few others seemed willing to stand up for Terri.

NRO has an article on Torturing Terri Schiavo. Ironically, she'd have more protection if she were a terrorist.

Apparently I spoke/wrote too soon. CNN is now reporting that Terri's feeding tube has been removed. In the flurry of paper going on between Washington and Florida (and, apparently, dueling judges in FL) it's not surprising things are confusing.

Good news -- A House committee has subpoena'd Terri Schiavo to appear before them. And apparently a Florida judge has issued a stay -- no word yet on which judge or the circumstances.

Heartbreaking news -- the US Supreme Court won't hear the Schindlers' appeal. I just don't understand how this woman can be starved to death by judicial fiat and no one seems to be able to do anything! God bless Jeb Bush, he's been fighting for her but there's not a lot he can do now it seems.

I can't help but think it's no coincidence that this is happening as Holy Week is upon us, and that Terri's suffering will be joined to Christ's suffering on the cross. What are we to make of this juxtaposition? Will Terri experience her own Good Friday?

Pray!

Efforts are under way on numerous fronts to save Terri Schiavo from being starved to death. Interesting how an innocent person can be sentenced to death in America, isn't it? President Bush's statement:

The case raises complex issues. And the President believes our goal, as a
nation, should be to build a culture of life. Those who live at the mercy of
others deserve our special care and attention. And the President believes a
society that is built on a culture of life ought to welcome, protect and value
all individuals.

Meanwhile, CNN reports that efforts continue in the US House to pass a bill to allow federal habeas corpus review of such cases.

Please continue to pray for Terri, her parents, Michael Schiavo, Judge Greer, and all those in similar situations.

I'm working on a presentation on the Creed for RCIA tonight. I came across some great quotes. The first is from Dorothy Sayers (not a Catholic, but her heart was in the right place):

Christ, in His Divine innocence, said to the Woman of Samaria, "Ye worship ye
know not what" — being apparently under the impression that it might be
desirable, on the whole, to know what one was worshipping. He thus showed
Himself sadly out of touch with the twentieth-century mind, for the cry today
is: "Away with the tendentious complexities of dogma — let us have the simple
spirit of worship; just worship, no matter of what!" The only drawback to this
demand for a generalized and undirected worship is the practical difficulty of
arousing any sort of enthusiasm for the worship of nothing in particular. (Creed
or Chaos?, 19)

The second is from Peter Kreeft in his excellent book, Fundamentals of the Faith:

Faith is not the relation between an intellect and an idea, but the relation
between an I and a Thou. That is why faith makes the difference between
heaven and hell. God does not send you to hell for flunking his theology
exam but for willingly divorcing from him (109).

Excellent stuff!

Here's a cool site at LMU that has the Order of the Mass with lots of nifty info. Check it out!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

As far as I know, I have no Irish blood in me -- more's the pity!

This is cool -- believe it or not, apparently St. Paul's tomb is exactly where it should be.

Something you can do. Check on the NRLC's page and Urge the US Senate to pass "Terri's Law". Do it NOW. Time is urgent!

Beware the ides of March! At least, if your name is Julius Caesar...

Wow. I got to watch the last 10 minutes or so of the Nightline interview. Michael Schiavo is either very evil, or very deceived. He told some outright lies in the interview. I was yelling at the TV, that's how upsetting it was! Among the lies:

• "Terri has no cortex."
• "She can't feel pain."
• Dying by withdrawal of nutritition and hydration is not painful (how would HE know?)

He also tried to say that withdrawal of the feeding tube wasn't causing her death. Good God! This is where our society has gone.

ABC's Nightline will carry an interview with Michael Schiavo tonight. Let's hope that they ask some of the hard questions, like, why don't you let her live? Why won't you let her parents care for her? And how can you be a fit guardian for your wife when you are shacking up with a woman and have 2 kids with her?

Okay, this is just sad. Apparently large numbers of Americans don't even know the lyrics to the national anthem. That's just absurd! How can people not know this stuff? What are they teaching these days, anyway? Sheesh!

More Diocese of Tucson bankruptcy news -- Diocese to sell off 85 properties. It's necessary, but it's unfortunate since it means the diocese is going to have a hard time establishing new parishes where they are needed most.

If you love literature, you have to check out Open Source Shakespeare. This is a project of Eric Johnson, who is a blogger on Catholic Light. Very cool, Eric!

Check this out -- how to build your own PBX! If you've got a junker PC sitting around this might be the perfect application for it.

Here's an interesting Slashdot discussion of a Slate article on Warner Brothers DVD mastering. Although the article reads like a puff piece for WB there's some interesting info in there.

Fr. Rob Johansen has strong words on the latest statement of the Florida bishops about Terri Schiavo's plight. Why aren't the bishops out there at the nursing home? At least ONE of them?

If you are tired of reading about Terri Schiavo, imagine how her parents feel.

Wow! Here's a great article -- Wrestling with the Angel of Strangeness: The Passion One Year Later. Check it out.

Thanks to Rae for the link!

Fr. Rob Johansen is in Florida with Terri Schiavo's parents. Check out his blog, and send some $ his way (there's a Paypal link here) to help with the expenses of his trip. Most importantly, pray for Terri Schiavo, her parents, and her husband and his lawyers and Judge Greer.

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?' And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?' He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.' And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Mt. 25:31-46)

If we don't stand up now, when? If we can't stand up for Terri, will we ever have a chance again? What are we waiting for?

Bwahahahaha! Check out this LotR parody. I laughed my ... butt off!

Thanks to Lizzy for the link.

Here's a bit of a sticky wicket -- Canada won't join missile defense shield. Actually it's a great deal for Canada -- they don't have to pay for anything, they get to appear like they are not participating, and yet they can probably count on the US to defend them anyway. What are we supposed to do if we see a missile heading for Canada? Just let it go? Not too likely.

If you want to see how "the other half" thinks, check out this Slashdot discussion on Stem Cell Injections Pioneering Step Forward? Obviously even though most Slashdot readers are geeks, many of them still can't reason from point a to point b, and they don't value human life. It's sad, but not surprising.

A few weeks ago I blogged about the Cookie Samaritans. Now apparently the girls are minor celebrities and the Couple says life is 'horrible' after winning cookie ruling

Good news. Judge orders continued feeding for Florida woman. Don't slack off praying though!

The trail has come to an end... The NYC Medical Examiner has announced that identification of 9/11 victims' remains has ended. Sadly, only 58% of remains were able to be identified.

May they all rest in peace.

I've finally added my friend Rae's blog, Confessions of a Pauline Cooperator, to my list of St. Blog's virtual parishioners. I don't know if she's actually in the St. Blog's webring but if she isn't she ought to be!

Latest news -- New ruling keeps Schiavo feeding tube in place.

The fight for Terri Schiavo's life continues. BlogsforTerri has some up to the minute info on her situation, and it's not good. They are trying to put together an advertisement to help get the word out. Check it out, it's more important than anything else I blog about.

Pete Vere from Catholic Light has suggested we pray for the intercession of Sr. Lucia of Fatima for Terri Schiavo. The suggested prayer:

Merciful Father, you blessed Sr. Lucia of Fatima as a child with a vision of the Virgin Mary, and granted her the grace to live a life of holiness and heroic obedience to Holy Mother Church. By her life she bore witness to the glory of God. Grant, in this hour of need for your daughter Terri Schiavo, that by Sr. Lucia's intercession, those souls hardened by the culture of death may come to believe in the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and be moved to revere and protect her life and all innocent human life. Amen.

Sr. Lucia dies. I just saw that Sister Lucia, the last of the Fatima visionaries, passed away yesterday (Feb. 13th). I'm sure there are many who will conclude all sorts of horrible things are going to happen now. Who knows?

Happy Valentine's Day!

and

Happy Birthday Arizona!

Arizona became a state on February 14, 1912.

Check out Cringely's take on the firing of Carly Fiorina. He thinks it was a smart move to let her go.

Time Magazine reports that the Church is growing in the South. Not only is it growing by leaps and bounds, but it's more orthodox than the Midwest and Northeast. Thanks be to God!

Thanks to Catholic Light for the link.

Happy Lent! I know, what a strange expression. I was out sick yesterday (*bleah*) but dragged myself to 5:30 p.m. Mass to get my ashes. Alas, I got "minimalist" ashes that were barely noticeable later.

I decided to go with getting up an hour earlier on weekdays. It's enough to make me a little uncomfortable, and benefits others (like my employees and boss) so it's a good thing, I think.

Choosing a fast.

With Ash Wednesday only 4 days away I'm still trying to decide on a Lenten fast. In the past I've given up things like soda pop, french fries, and (last year) hamburgers. I've also given up time by going to Mass every day.

I had originally planned on giving up hamburgers again, but in truth I don't eat them nearly as much as I used to; so I'm not sure how challenging that would be. It's occurred to me the last couple of days that I should give up sleeping late, and start getting my butt to work at a more normal time. In some ways this would be quite challenging, and of course probably a good discipline overall.

Comments, readers?

Wow. In the No Good Deed Goes Unpunished file -- Girls sued for delivering cookies . That's just wrong. What kind of society do we live in these days?

Slashdot discusses (yet again) the mythic, long-awaited Knuth's Art of Computer Programming Vol. 4. I really think this book is to computer scientists what the Holy Grail or (perhaps) the message of Fatima were, with one important difference -- we now know the message of Fatima!

Here's the transcript of President Bush's State of the Union speech last night. He's sounding pretty Catholic these days:

Because a society is measured by how it treats the weak and vulnerable, we must strive to build a culture of life. Medical research can help us reach that goal, by developing treatments and cures that save lives and help people overcome disabilities - and I thank Congress for doubling the funding of the National Institutes of Health. To build a culture of life, we must also ensure that scientific advances always serve human dignity, not take advantage of some lives for the benefit of others. We should all be able to agree on some clear standards. I will work with Congress to ensure that human embryos are not created for experimentation or grown for body parts, and that human life is never bought and sold as a commodity. America will continue to lead the world in medical research that is ambitious, aggressive, and always ethical.

Thanks be to God! Vatican: Pope's condition stable.

It's official -- UPN Cancels 'Star Trek: Enterprise'. Another hour a week I'll get back.

Like many people, I suspect, I sometimes get a particular song (or even a whole album) stuck in my head for days at a time. I went through this with Evanescence's album, for example. The latest song to infest my head is Michelle Branch's song Here With Me:

It's been a long, long time since I looked into the mirror
I guess that I was blind
Now my reflection's getting clearer
Now that you're gone things will never be the same again

There's not a minute that goes by every hour of every day
You're such a part of me
But I just pulled away
Well, I'm not the same girl
you used to know
I wish I said the words I never showed

I know you had to go away
I died just a little, and I feel it now
You're the one I need
I believe that I would cry just a little
Just to have you back now
Here with me
Here with me

You know that silence is loud when all you hear is your heart
And I wanted so badly just to be a part of something strong and true
But I was scared and left it all behind

I know you had to go away
I died just a little, and I feel it now
You're the one I need
I believe that I would cry just a little
Just to have you back now
Here with me
Here with me

And I'm asking
And I'm wanting you to come back to me
Please?

I never will forget that look upon
your face
How you turned away and left
without a trace
But I understand that you did what you had to do
And I thank you

I know you had to go away
I died just a little, and I feel it now
You're the one I need
I believe that I would cry just a little
Just to have you back now
Here with me
Here with me

Okay, the latest Slashdot Poll is making me feel VERY old. In response to the question, "Where were you when the Challenger exploded?", 39% of respondents are answering "Elementary school". Eeep!

I had justed started my first job out of college, working for the US Naval Ship Weapon Systems Engineering Station. The explosion was 19 years ago today. May they rest in peace!

For our RCIA class tonight we devoted the session to prayer and questions. We do this a few times during the course of the program so that we remember that we need to pray together, and have a chance to ask/answer questions.

For the Q&A, after some time for questions from the class we devoted about an hour almost to picking a few points from the sessions we've already had and seeing how our class answered them. I was very impressed! The class is clearly getting what we are teaching them, which is very gratifying. Not only do they know the difference between such things as the Immaculate Conception and the Virgin Birth, they even understand what the Church is teaching about the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. All in all it was very satisfying.

After our Q&A we did Evening Prayer from the Universalis site. If you have never checked out their site, it's very cool. We shared one reading from the Office of Readings for today. It's too good not to share:

From a sermon by John the Serene, bishop
Love the Lord and walk in his ways
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? How great was that servant who knew how he was given light, whence it came, and what sort of man he was when he was favoured by that light. The light he saw was not that which fades at dusk, but the light which no eye has seen. Souls brightened by this light do not fall into sin or stumble on vice. Our Lord said: Walk while you have the light in you. What other light did he mean but himself? For it was he who said. I came as a light into the world, so that those who have eyes may not see and the blind may receive the light. The Lord then is our light the sun of justice and righteousness, who has shone on his Catholic Church spread throughout the world. The prophet spoke as a figure of the Church when he cried: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The spiritual man who has been thus illumined does not limp or leave the path, but bears all things. Glimpsing our true country from afar, he puts up with adversities; he is not saddened by the things of time, but finds his strength in God. He lowers his pride and endures, possessing patience through humility. That true light which enlightens every man who comes into the world bestows itself on those who reverence it, shining where it wills, on whom it wills, and revealing itself according to the will of God the Son. When this light begins to shine upon the man who sat in darkness and the shadow of death, in the darkness of evil and the shadow of sin, he is shocked, he calls himself to account, repents of his misdeeds in shame, and says: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Great is this salvation, my brethren, which fears neither sickness nor lethargy and disregards pain. We should then in the fullest sense not only with our voice but with our very soul cry out, The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? If he enlightens and saves me, whom shall I fear? Even though the dark shadows of evil suggestions crowd about, The Lord is my light. They can approach, but cannot prevail; they can lay siege to our heart, but cannot conquer it. Though the blindness of concupiscence assails us, again we say: The Lord is my light. For he is our strength; he gives himself to us and we give ourselves to him. Hasten to this physician while you can, or you may not be able to find him when you want him.

It's the end of an era -- UA is cutting its nuclear engineering program. UA still has a research reactor. It's pretty trippy to look at. Things like this do make you wonder what will happen when we realize we really do need nuclear energy in some form.

Here's a cool review from AnandTech -- Apple's Mac mini - Tempting PC Users Everywhere. Check it out.

Here's wishing a Happy Birthday to my buddy ElfGirl! Hope it's great Bren!

Here's a kind of neat essay on What You'll Wish You'd Known. Some good advice that I agree with for the most part. And of course a long Slashdot discussion of the article.

Here's a pretty cool article on the new coadjutor bishop of Kansas City -- A time to learn. I especially liked this quote:

"I think that primarily the vocation of the laity is to transform the world, nothing less. And I think the most significant way that they do that is through their everyday work."

I couldn't agree more.

Here's a story that really resonated with me -- When free ride of youth ends: "For the youngest boomers, those who just turned 40, this year marks what Lodge calls 'the end of the free ride of youth.'

He explains, 'Every year after 40, your metabolism slows a little more and you have to work a little harder just to stay in place.' "

I have to say that's really true. I'm glad I started making changes in my lifestyle when I did, but I wish I'd done them earlier. And of course there is still more I can and should do.

Here's the transcript of the President's inauguration speech -- Bush: 'No justice without freedom' - Jan 20, 2005. I think it's a good speech.

David Morrison says that Recent Developments Among The Lutherans and Episcopalians are "morally incoherent." And that's the nice way of putting it.

This is very cool -- apparently OpenVMS is still alive and kicking. Check out An Interview With Mr. OpenVMS Himself .

Okay, I'm really curious what this guy actually said... Spain Church OKs condoms for AIDS. You gotta know there's more to the story than we are seeing.

Update: More discussion on Catholic World News. Thanks to Amy Welborn for the link. Also some updated info on Jimmy Akins's blog. As usual, things aren't what they seem at first glance.

CNN reports a Four-week wait for iPod Shuffle. What is more interesting to me is this little blurb at the end of the article: "Ipod sales accounted for 35 percent ... of Apple's total revenue" for the last quarter. 35%! What this says to me is that Apple has pretty much made the transition from being a "computer company" to being a "media company". Apple's strength, in my mind, has always been in its design, especially consumer design. The new Shuffle is a case in point. It's not necessarily any more flexible than any of the other flash-based players on the market, but it looks nicer, and from what I can see, is easier to use. It's the design.

Viva Las Vegas! I just got back from a company meeting in Las Vegas. Had a good time for the most part. We stayed at the Treasure Island, and my room on the 33rd floor had a stunning view of the Strip. It was pretty cool. Las Vegas is a strange place though. I spent a little time Thursday driving around -- wow! The traffic was really terrible, and I'm not just talking about the Strip. The freeways and surface streets were majorly crowded. Yuck.

One of the fun parts of the trip was driving over Hoover Dam. I had not been that way in quite a long time. Now in this post-9/11 world, there is a security check before you get anywhere near the dam, and they are hard at work building the bypass road. There are several huge bridges already in place for the bypass, standing in isolation high in the mountains. It's kind of eerie. The dam itself looks the same, of course, except that the water level in Lake Mead is down quite a bit so there's a definite "bathtub ring" around the lake. Still, the dam itself is of course impressive. Maybe it's the engineer in me, but I've always found it a thing of beauty.

I'm alive, really I am. Just very busy!

Apple announced a couple of interesting things today. First, a $99 iPod that is flash-based. It's tempting, but I already have a 256MB flash player that works great. If I didn't have that I'd be sorely tempted since it the new iPod will play mp3s and my iTunes as well.

The second is the Mac mini. This is really tempting since it's actually reasonably priced. I already have a USB-based KVM at work (my personal property), so I could take this puppy in to work if I wanted and use it there. Something to think about. I usually allow myself one "splurge" from my income tax refund. It was going to be a digital camera but now I'm thinking maybe it will be a Mac. Of course the sensible side of me says the last thing I really need is yet another computer...

USC Stomps Oklahoma!

I'm not a USC fan, but I couldn't help but smile to see that USC had stomped Oklahoma in Orange Bowl. 55-19! Maybe now the PAC-10 will start getting some respect from the East Coast.

Terry Mattingly reports on Passionate news in 2004. His top 10 religion stories of 2004:

1. Re-election of George W. Bush
2. Release of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ"
3. Gay marriages in Massachusetts
4. Controversy over John Kerry's Catholicism
5. "Anglican sex wars"
6. Church-state conflicts in US -- Pledge of Allegiance etc.
7. Religious groups conflicted over war in Iraq
8. UMC's struggles on homosexuality
9. Catholic sex abuse scandal and bankruptcy for Portland and Tucson
10. PCUSA dis-investing in Israel

Check it out.

Happy New Year!

Happy Feast of Mary, Mother of God!

Best wishes for a healthy, happy and prosperous 2005!

The Virgin

Mother! whose virgin bosom was uncrost
With the least shade of thought to sin allied;
Woman! above all women glorified,
Our tainted nature's solitary boast;
Purer than foam on central ocean tost;
Brighter than eastern skies at daybreak strewn
With fancied roses, than the unblemished moon
Before her wane begins on heaven's blue coast;
Thy Image falls to earth. Yet some, I ween,
Not unforgiven the suppliant knee might bend,
As to a visible Power, in which did blend
All that was mixed and reconciled in Thee
Of mother's love with maiden purity,
Of high with low, celestial with terrene!

-- William Wordsworth

I've looked over my New Year's resolutions for the last couple of years, only to discover I've failed miserably at most of them. Still, I have to say that despite a broken wrist, two surgeries, and some other issues, 2004 was a darn good year, and I have high hopes that 2005 will be even better. So -- no New Year's resolutions here (although I'm sure I'll have some on my skating blog)!