Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there, and especially to mine!

I have not forgotten about this blog! I have been travelling. Last weekend I was in Las Vegas to meet a girl that I met on the Internet. We have really hit it off! It's very encouraging. She will be coming to Tucson soon, which will be awesome.

Monday to Thursday I was on an Opus Dei retreat. It was a good experience, as they always are. This one was at Thomas Aquinas College, which is an amazing place. The weather was great, and it was a lightly attended retreat so it was more intimate than if we'd had a larger contingent present. Friday was a frantic day at work, trying to catch up on a zillion things that were going on before I left.

I've been pricing portable AC units for my bedroom -- I've decided my swamp cooler just won't cut it for another Tucson monsoon season. For those not from around here, evaporative coolers don't work well once the relative humidity climbs, which is exactly what happens in monsoon season. I found an 8000 BTU unit for $300 at Home Despot, and a 10000 BTU unit for $380 at Best Buy. 10000 BTU is kind of overkill for the bedroom (it's not THAT large) but it seems like a good deal so I'm considering the larger unit. Plus, the larger one is a Whirlpool and the smaller one is not a name brand I recognize. They both have 5 year warranties though.

I'm also considering chucking Qwest+Dakotacom for Cox, mostly because for about $35 over what I'm paying now I can get faster Internet, phone with 60 minutes free long distance, and digital cable so I could actually watch UA football AND ISU figure skating competitions. Something to think about! Also they have a promotion where there's a rebate for the cable modem.

I've always maintained that President Bush, whatever his failings, is not dumb. One of the themes of the 2004 campaign seemed to be "Kerry smart, Bush dumb." Yet now that Kerry has finally (!) released his records, it turns out his college grades at Yale were about the same as Bush's! Hmmm.

A nice editorial in today's Star by the founder of Humane Borders. HB is a group that puts water stations in the desert to help keep border crossers from dying of dehydration. Why is it that such humanitarian aid is controversial? Hundreds die every year trying to cross our border!

Sorry I have not been posting much. Life has been pretty hectic lately and I'm not getting to write as much as I'd like.

The subject of gnosticism came up in a conversation I had recently, and I was rolling it around in my head a bit. Generally speaking gnosticism seems to come from the perspective that you have to have special knowledge, not available (or perhaps not comprehensible) to the average man. In thinking about this, I wonder if gnosticism is not inherently elitist. I don't know how you can get away from that; but I'm not an expert in gnosticism. Catholicism is pretty much the opposite of elitism since it says that God loves us all equally, king no more/less than pauper, and that we are all called to holiness and have hope of salvation. The Church is sent to all (thus the name "Catholic"!) regardless of their gender, race, class, or intellectual ability.

Discuss!

As probably everyone knows by now, the identity of "Deep Throat" (Woodward & Bernstein's source on the Watergate coverup) has been revealed. Check out this cool article by Woodward about it.

At rehearsal yesterday we came up with some altered lyrics that are more suitable:

Lord, give new life
To this chosen
By the grace of ordination
O Jesus, Son of the Living God
Send your Spirit
In its fullness
On your son here present
Who believes and professes you.

Simplistic but it will do.

Weird weather here in Tucson! It rained cats and dogs yesterday, which almost NEVER happens in May. It's just strange. Wound up going to 5:30 p.m. Mass and was rewarded by getting to see my youngest goddaughter and her family. Aubrey is getting so big! She's 10 months old now. She's a very happy, smiley baby.

On June 4th the Diocesan Chorale is singing for the ordination of our newest priest, and we are singing the Becker "Litany of the Saints." I'm wondering if we need to change one of the verses, though, as it seems too oriented toward baptism:

Lord, give new life
To these chosen
By the grace of baptism
O Jesus, Son of the Living God
Send your Spirit
In its fullness
On your sons and daughters
Who believe and profess you.

Suggestions? Maybe we should just omit that verse entirely.

I went up to Tempe last night to attend my nephew Geoff's graduation from high school. Congratulations Geoff!

Saturday afternoon I met with one of my former committee members to discuss my thesis research and how it might be applied to some problems they are researching. It was a very cool meeting. It's a very heady experience to feel like your work is appreciated and interesting to others and to see how others find it helpful and might want to work with it. It really inclined me to try to work with it some more and extend/revise what I'd done.

I saw the new Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith on Friday with a bunch of my fellow geeks (in this case, former coworkers from NewMonics). We had a great time -- it's a good movie, much better than its predecessor, and thoroughly enjoyable.

If you are using Firefox (and geez, if you aren't, you should be! Click on the link on the right and go get it already, it's free and it rocks!), you should check out the cool FTP client plugin, FireFTP. It's truly awesome!

I went to the doctor today about a nagging sore throat I've had since Thursday. He doesn't see anything worrisome. He did set me up to check my cholesterol again though. Stats: BP 120/82, weight 223 (up 3 lbs since October, hmmph.!).

More signs that Germany is imploding -- Germany's population will plummet by 12 million in the next 45 years. There's no hope for the German economy with numbers like that.

And people wonder why so many are upset at judges lately -- a federal judge has struck down Nebraska's ban on gay marriage. I guess it doesn't matter that 70% of Nebraskans voted for this.

Aaarrrggghh!

Never talk on the phone and be on EBay at the same time. I was INTENDING to bid on an item, similar to one which had just sold for $16. Instead, because I was distracted, I hit "Buy It Now" *and* "Confirm", with the result that I just bought it for $69 instead. Of course, EBay does NOT let you retract "Buy It Now" bids.

I sent the seller a note explaining what happened and begging for mercy, but it's up to him. Legally I am bound. Crud!

I am so stupid. On the positive side, it could have been a lot worse, I guess. Sheesh.

Three words: Aaron Copland rules!

Sorry, was just listening once more to "Fanfare for the Common Man". It's amazing how such a simple piece can be so inspiring.

Happy Mother's Day!

My sister and I went to the cemetery this morning to visit my mother's grave, and leave some flowers. Afterward we went and had some breakfast and a nice visit. It was nice.

A Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!

Fun with numbers. Today is 05/05/05! I love little numerical coincidences like that. I still remember how tickled I was when it was 7/7/77. And of course who could forget 01/01/01?

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Okay, this is the part where we remind everyone that Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexican Independence Day. It commemorates the Battle of Puebla in 1862, when a small force of Mexicans defeated a much larger French (yes, French) army.

Today's Star has a story on a Cinco de Mayo veteran who is buried in Arizona --
Soldier in Battle of Puebla to be honored.

It's amazing how the web can work sometimes. I recently had an email from an old associate, one of the members of my committee for my thesis defense. He's interested in my thesis research. In thinking about that I decided to google my thesis research and found my work mentioned here. (the actual reference is here) Cool stuff!

Tucson is a small place sometimes. My skating buddy Nicole has convinced me to sign my life away er, let her fix me up with her hair stylist for an "image makeover" so to speak. So I go out to the salon with her today to meet her hair stylist and sign up for an appointment etc. As it turns out, one of the owners of the salon is an old friend I'd not seen in a while; we've known each other since 7th grade. How bizarre! But very, very cool!

Incidentally, my appointment is for next Tuesday. I'll blog about it. After that I think Nicole wants to go for new glasses. I'm like her living barbie doll or something! Still, I'll take fashion advice from any reputable source, and I know Nicole would never steer me wrong. Besides, she's having so much fun! It's cute.

More fun stuff:

Your Linguistic Profile:

65% General American English

15% Dixie

15% Upper Midwestern

5% Yankee

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Thanks to the lovely Jeanetta for the link!

I took the afternoon off to go see Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with a bunch of my fellow geeks -- guys I have worked with and work with now. I really enjoyed it, but I suspect for those who have never read the books it will be more than a bit confusing. It's not "great cinema", but then the books were not Literature. It's fun and if you take it for what it is, I think you'll enjoy it. Check it out.

Miscellaneous reflections... I've been thinking about my life lately, a number of different elements and how they interplay to make "me". One thing that struck me is how differently I am perceived by different people, both online and in person -- perhaps, especially, I should say how differently people on line perceive me than people I know in person. Here's a case in point -- my friend/skating buddy Nicole was teasing me the other day about having a dirty mind, saying something like "yeah, under that oh-so-nice exterior you're pretty freaky" or some such. At the same time, you have online people like CharmingButSingle -- she posted something about baring her cleavage at work and I responded with "we want a picture!" or some such and she said, "I read your blog and I don't think the pope would like you thinking about my rack, as we are not married. Rules are rules, my Catholic friend. Sorry! ;)" Now, granted, she had a :) there -- but the whole thing makes me question a) my integrity, and b) the way I present myself on this blog.

I am not a prude, and I think most of the people that I know in person would agree. I do love God, and the Church, and I try to be a follower of Christ. Of course, I fail often. Perhaps, though, I present too "good" an image of myself on this blog so that people online think I am something other than myself. On the other hand, maybe I'm making too much of this... Dunno. It's just bothering me a bit. It shouldn't bother me if people think I'm "holy", should it? We should all strive for holiness, right? Except that I'm not, at least not yet. I'm quite flawed in many ways, but probably not in ways that are obvious to online folks.

I have also been thinking about my toys. I have too many of them -- computers, mostly. Way more than any one person should have. It's my hobby. Some people collect cars, some guitars or shoes or clothes. For me it's computers. I am picking up a Sun Sparc Ultra 5 today from a guy in town for $70. I'm excited, but of course I already have way too much of this stuff already. I suspect I'm probably too attached to such things, and I need to really look at this. Of course, if I had a love interest I'd probably have no time/interest/inclination/money! for such things. Hmm.

So there you have it; no great thoughts, more just a miscellaneous whine. Anyway, that's what's on my mind -- feel free to comment if you wish (or send email).

A very neat article in National Review Online by Ned Rice -- The Pope Is Still Catholic. I especially loved this:

So if you think this or any other pope is just plain wrong on celibacy or homosexuality or anything else big, and this upsets you so much it interferes with your spiritual life, you’d be well advised to find yourself another church. Otherwise you’re like the orthodox Jew who, in light of recent developments, has taken it upon himself to decide that it’s all right for him to eat pork. You can be an orthodox Jew, and you can eat pork. You’re free to do either one. But folks, you just can’t do both. There are names for Catholics who don’t accept that they can’t do certain things and still receive the sacraments, and one of those names is Senator John Kerry.

Classic!

Check out the Holy Father's homily from his installation Mass. It's quite moving.

How alone we all felt after the passing of John Paul II – the Pope who for over twenty-six years had been our shepherd and guide on our journey through life! He crossed the threshold of the next life, entering into the mystery of God. But he did not take this step alone. Those who believe are never alone – neither in life nor in death.

Sunday was the first time I heard, "... Benedict our Pope" in the Eucharistic prayer. It was a little jolting, in a way (just as not hearing a prayer for the pope was a little jarring the weeks before). I'd gotten so used to "John Paul, our Pope" that it's still a bit hard to realize he's gone.

Here's a cool story from the Arizona Daily Star on the Vatican Observatory. The Vatican Observatory has a Tucson office and conducts research using the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT) on Mt. Graham near Tucson.

Today was a long day. Schola rehearsal from 9-10, and then from 10-12 was a mandatory presentation at the parish on child safety and child abuse prevention. I learned a couple of useful things. Just last week I received a letter from the director of the Diocesan Chorale stating that the Cathedral rector has asked her to verify that all members of the Chorale have been cleared through the child safety office; we have to get a letter from our parish stating this and have it sent to her.

While I'm all for safety, asking choir members to do this seems a bit much to me. As it is, practically every volunteer in our parish has to be cleared -- all the school volunteers, obviously, but also lectors, eucharistic ministers, usher, RCIA volunteers, and of course all the actual employees. Our pastor has said he doesn't intend (at this time, at least) to make all the choir members go through the process.

I hope that this doesn't discourage people from singing with the Diocesan Chorale. While some of them will have had to go through the process anyway, not all of them will and some of them will undoubtedly decide it's just too much hassle. It's too bad.

Wow. What an amazing evening. Tonight my choir, the Collegium Musicum, sang in the UAPresents production of Bach's St. Matthew Passion, along with UA's Arizona Choir and Symphonic Choir, Arizona Symphony, and the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus. Here's a feature by the Arizona Daily Star on it.

The St. Matthew Passion is a huge, huge piece -- the concert was 3 hours. I was personally very pleased with our performance of this demanding and inspiring work, and I'm so glad to have had the chance to perform it. Collegium sang the Choir II part, and we had worked on this music since November! So a lot of work, a lot of music to learn. It was rewarding to see our hard work pay off in a good performance.

My friend Rae is going to have to watch out for the paparazzi following her around :-). Some good publicity for St. Blog's here -- Faithful gather at St. Blog's Parish.

Wow. That's all I can say. I just got home from a duo piano concert by Liza and Lena Beriyeva. These sisters have both accompanied our Schola at SSPP, and they are both amazingly talented. They arrived with their family from the Republic of Georgia a few years ago; Lena is graduating in May from The University of Arizona® Liza is a junior. Here's what they played:

• Brahms -- Variations on a theme by Haydn, Op. 56
• Rachmaninov -- Suite #1, Op. 5 -- "Fantasy"
• Chopin -- Rondo, Op. 73
• Gershwin -- Fantasy on the themes from "Porgy and Bess"

It was an amazing concert.

Habemus Papam!

CNN reports German cardinal elected new pope. It's Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. He will be called Benedict XVI. A wise choice, I think -- who wants to be John Paul III?

God bless our new pope!

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.