You know the Japanese style of frying vegetables and seafood, lightly battered, known as Tempura? According to my dictionary the word is derived fron the Portuguese tempêro (seasoning). Sounds a bit dubious, I mean to batter and fry something isn't to season it, and it's not like the Portuguese language lacks for words describing various methods of preparing foodstuffs, is it?
As usual, the real story is much more interesting. Portuguese and Spanish missionaries in the mid-Sixteenth Century introduced this style of cooking meatless meals on days of fast and abstinence. Apparently the locals loved it and it caught-on bigtime. It took its name from a Latin name for the Ember Days, Quatour Tempora, i.e. "Four Times". How's that for a little inculturation?
So you can tell that story to your friends next time you enjoy some shrimp or vegetable tempura at your favorite Asian restaurant and they'll marvel at your mastery of odd knowedge!
I meant to include this little tidbit in Wednesday's post but completely forgot. Fortunately Fr. Z. had a mention of it today so I'm posting it now while it's still timely.
26 February 2010
24 February 2010
Ember Wednesday
Most Catholics under fifty don't know what Ember Days are. Even those who follow the traditional calendar seem to get confused by them. The Council didn't abolish them. I'd always thought that Paul VI had done so in his decree on fasting and abstinence (Pænitimini) but it only removes the obligation to fast and (semi)-abstain. In an Orwellian twist they were prominently mentioned in the norms issued for the revised calendar - they even got their own section - but were omitted from the calendar itself! Of course the instruction that "the conferences of bishops should arrange the time and plan for their celebration" has carried about as much weight in the post-Conciliar Church as the prescriptions in Sacrosanctum Concilium that Latin be "retained" and Gregorian Chant be given "pride of place".
There are some good sources on the Internet to assist in understanding and observing the Ember Days: I'd recommend the website - still extant - of the late and lamented Holy Trinity Parish in Boston for a good, quick overview of their purpose, significance, and practice. Also, Fisheaters has some additional material on customs and traditions. Finally, an excellent article by Dr. Michael Foley which contains some of the same material as the Holy Trinity website (he may have originally compiled it) and a good deal more.
It's always interesting to me that right in the midst of Lent, while we're already likely to be fasting and abstaining, we have three days on which in which we're expected to... fast and abstain! Nowadays, with the greatly relaxed rules of Fast and Abstinence, they may in fact be an occasion for the temporary escalation of one's Lenten mortifications. But in the "bad old days" when adult Catholics were bound to fast throughout all of Lent - not just on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday - and abstain on all of the Fridays of the year, it's difficult to see what more one could do in that regard. But in the other seasons of the year they served a useful role as a sort or quarterly spiritual tune-up, I like to think of them as "mini-Lents". Seems like we could use some of that sort of thing these days.
The other thing about the Ember Days that has always piqued my interest is the liturgical oddities which mark the Masses celebrated on those days. Frequently there are extra readings - the Ember Wednesday in Lent has an Old Testament lesson, an Epistle, and the Gospel. The Ember Saturdays are even wilder, with as many as seven readings, complete with Graduals and prayers interspersed, and genuflections not unlike those of Good Friday. In fact the Ember Days share with the liturgies of Holy Week the deviation from the usual liturgical schema and the addition of extra readings and prayers.
(So, after writing this I went off to Mass at noontime, but to my surprise Father appeared in RED vestments! Seems it was the feast of St. Matthias, which according to the Ordo trumps the Ember Day although it does get a commemoration. I learn something new every day...)
There are some good sources on the Internet to assist in understanding and observing the Ember Days: I'd recommend the website - still extant - of the late and lamented Holy Trinity Parish in Boston for a good, quick overview of their purpose, significance, and practice. Also, Fisheaters has some additional material on customs and traditions. Finally, an excellent article by Dr. Michael Foley which contains some of the same material as the Holy Trinity website (he may have originally compiled it) and a good deal more.
It's always interesting to me that right in the midst of Lent, while we're already likely to be fasting and abstaining, we have three days on which in which we're expected to... fast and abstain! Nowadays, with the greatly relaxed rules of Fast and Abstinence, they may in fact be an occasion for the temporary escalation of one's Lenten mortifications. But in the "bad old days" when adult Catholics were bound to fast throughout all of Lent - not just on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday - and abstain on all of the Fridays of the year, it's difficult to see what more one could do in that regard. But in the other seasons of the year they served a useful role as a sort or quarterly spiritual tune-up, I like to think of them as "mini-Lents". Seems like we could use some of that sort of thing these days.
The other thing about the Ember Days that has always piqued my interest is the liturgical oddities which mark the Masses celebrated on those days. Frequently there are extra readings - the Ember Wednesday in Lent has an Old Testament lesson, an Epistle, and the Gospel. The Ember Saturdays are even wilder, with as many as seven readings, complete with Graduals and prayers interspersed, and genuflections not unlike those of Good Friday. In fact the Ember Days share with the liturgies of Holy Week the deviation from the usual liturgical schema and the addition of extra readings and prayers.
(So, after writing this I went off to Mass at noontime, but to my surprise Father appeared in RED vestments! Seems it was the feast of St. Matthias, which according to the Ordo trumps the Ember Day although it does get a commemoration. I learn something new every day...)
21 February 2010
Identity Theft - Part II
The reign of the experts came upon us in the wake of the Council and it has lasted for over forty years. Their influence has waned considerably, and indeed it's taken a big hit since the election of Pope Benedict; but there are still far too many of them left in positions of authority or influence, and they're still trying to re-invent Catholicism and force us into a new way of " being church".
So even today, we have various "experts" telling us that our traditions are merely simplistic and superficial piety which limit us to mindlessly "doing church" rather than "being church". But then, in the very next breath they tell us, "active participation" demands that we be doing something at Mass rather than just being there. Why? To what end? It's very strange to me that they've been striving for years to get us to "join in" but at the same time they've been Hell-bent on destroying all of the signs of our Catholic identity they can get their hands on. Again, one could rightly ask: exactly what, then, is it they want us to be a part of?
There are two* passages in the New Testament which are rather illustrative. If I may make bold to say so, Our Lord doesn't seem to have been a big fan of the sort of "active participation" so beloved of the liturgists:
Traditionally the Church has seen the Mass first as an unbloody re-presentation of the Sacrifice of Calvary and secondly as a re-enactment of the Last Supper. Even though post-Conciliar theology has attempted to reverse these two emphases, the foregoing should aptly demonstrate that - either way - the ethos of true Christian worship does not require or even favor congregational activity over silent prayer and adoration. The perpetrators of the liturgical revolution - and its latter-day adherents - have turned their back on nineteen centuries of tradition in favor of trendiness.
When an identity thief assumes the persona of another, he is not simply engaging in a harmless masquerade; he's seeking to use the victim's good name and reputation to advance his own ends. Consider, for a moment, what would have happened if the "experts" who gained control of the post-Conciliar reforms had not been able to proceed under the auspices of the Pope and the bishops? What if they had started their own sect, let's call it the "Reformed Catholic Church", and sailed forth to peddle their theoretical theology and lackluster liturgy under this flag? Would their ideas have gained currency, or their sect gained converts? I doubt it! For my money it's a toss-up whether they'd have been clapped into mental institutions or simply ignored!
Does the name "Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter" mean anything to you? If not, perhaps it will refresh your memory if I reveal his alias: "Clark Rockefeller"! Now do you remember him? By presenting himself as something he was not - a member of the famous and wealthy Rockefeller family - Gerhartsreiter was able to gain the trust of numerous unsuspecting individuals and perpetrate a hoax that unraveled only when he began to believe his own fabrications. A penniless unknown would never have been able to become a member of the Algonquin Club - let alone a member of it's Board of Directors - or marry a high-earning female exective, but the "Clark Rockefeller" identity gave him credibility.
By the way, his attorneys used an insanity defense. Do you suppose that sort of thing will fly when the thieves who tried to steal our Church and our Catholic Identity finally appear before the Seat of Judgment?
So even today, we have various "experts" telling us that our traditions are merely simplistic and superficial piety which limit us to mindlessly "doing church" rather than "being church". But then, in the very next breath they tell us, "active participation" demands that we be doing something at Mass rather than just being there. Why? To what end? It's very strange to me that they've been striving for years to get us to "join in" but at the same time they've been Hell-bent on destroying all of the signs of our Catholic identity they can get their hands on. Again, one could rightly ask: exactly what, then, is it they want us to be a part of?
There are two* passages in the New Testament which are rather illustrative. If I may make bold to say so, Our Lord doesn't seem to have been a big fan of the sort of "active participation" so beloved of the liturgists:
- Luke 10, 38-42: Now it came to pass as they went, that he entered into a certain town: and a certain woman named Martha, received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sitting also at the Lord's feet, heard his word. But Martha was busy about much serving. Who stood and said: Lord, hast thou no care that my sister hath left me alone to serve? speak to her therefore, that she help me. And the Lord answering, said to her: Martha, Martha, thou art careful, and art troubled about many things: But one thing is necessary. Mary hath chosen the best part, which shall not be taken away from her.
- John 13, 6-9: He cometh therefore to Simon Peter. And Peter saith to him: Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered, and said to him: What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith to him: Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him: If I wash thee not, thou shalt have no part with me. Simon Peter saith to him: Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.
Traditionally the Church has seen the Mass first as an unbloody re-presentation of the Sacrifice of Calvary and secondly as a re-enactment of the Last Supper. Even though post-Conciliar theology has attempted to reverse these two emphases, the foregoing should aptly demonstrate that - either way - the ethos of true Christian worship does not require or even favor congregational activity over silent prayer and adoration. The perpetrators of the liturgical revolution - and its latter-day adherents - have turned their back on nineteen centuries of tradition in favor of trendiness.
When an identity thief assumes the persona of another, he is not simply engaging in a harmless masquerade; he's seeking to use the victim's good name and reputation to advance his own ends. Consider, for a moment, what would have happened if the "experts" who gained control of the post-Conciliar reforms had not been able to proceed under the auspices of the Pope and the bishops? What if they had started their own sect, let's call it the "Reformed Catholic Church", and sailed forth to peddle their theoretical theology and lackluster liturgy under this flag? Would their ideas have gained currency, or their sect gained converts? I doubt it! For my money it's a toss-up whether they'd have been clapped into mental institutions or simply ignored!
Does the name "Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter" mean anything to you? If not, perhaps it will refresh your memory if I reveal his alias: "Clark Rockefeller"! Now do you remember him? By presenting himself as something he was not - a member of the famous and wealthy Rockefeller family - Gerhartsreiter was able to gain the trust of numerous unsuspecting individuals and perpetrate a hoax that unraveled only when he began to believe his own fabrications. A penniless unknown would never have been able to become a member of the Algonquin Club - let alone a member of it's Board of Directors - or marry a high-earning female exective, but the "Clark Rockefeller" identity gave him credibility.
By the way, his attorneys used an insanity defense. Do you suppose that sort of thing will fly when the thieves who tried to steal our Church and our Catholic Identity finally appear before the Seat of Judgment?
* And there's lots of good stuff in the Old Testament about the importance of following the rubrics too!
19 February 2010
The importance of identity...
In addition to my oft-sounded theme of the importance of a "Catholic Identity" I would note that America has of late been suffering an "identity crisis". While multiculturalism has been pushed for years, and there have been efforts to make America subject to the World Court, this crisis (as have so many others) has deepened since the inaguration of our first "post-partisan", "post-racial", "post-American" president. (Did I miss any?)
Yesterday, in his comments at CPAC, Florida senatorial candidate Marco Rubio accused the Democrat party of "...use[ing] a severe economic downturn, a severe recession, as an excuse to implement the statist policies that they have longed for all this time. In essence, they are using this downturn as cover not to fix America, but to try to change America -- to fundamentally redefine the role of government in our lives and the role of America in the world." and stated that "2010 is a referendum on the very identity of our nation".
I think he's right.
And I think that a healthy and traditional "American Identity" grounded in our nation's history and founding principles is vital to the welfare of our nation in the 21st century.
Yesterday, in his comments at CPAC, Florida senatorial candidate Marco Rubio accused the Democrat party of "...use[ing] a severe economic downturn, a severe recession, as an excuse to implement the statist policies that they have longed for all this time. In essence, they are using this downturn as cover not to fix America, but to try to change America -- to fundamentally redefine the role of government in our lives and the role of America in the world." and stated that "2010 is a referendum on the very identity of our nation".
I think he's right.
And I think that a healthy and traditional "American Identity" grounded in our nation's history and founding principles is vital to the welfare of our nation in the 21st century.
18 February 2010
I coudn't have said it better myself...
Fr. Z. had a link to a good article over on Inside Catholic which does a wonderful job of explaining why traddies are... traddies.
A sample: The old Mass reminds me of what they used to say about the Catholic Church and the U.S. Navy: "It's a machine built by geniuses so it can be operated safely by idiots."
A sample: The old Mass reminds me of what they used to say about the Catholic Church and the U.S. Navy: "It's a machine built by geniuses so it can be operated safely by idiots."
Identity Theft - Part I
It came as a surprise to me, as it does to many Catholics, when I discovered a few years ago that Ash Wednesday isn’t a holy day of obligation. When I was growing-up, every Catholic went to Mass on Ash Wednesday, even the minority who didn’t practice the Faith regularly. And so for one day you’d see them in the street, on the bus, in school, in stores, at work – everywhere – brethren in the Faith identified by that black smudge on their foreheads.
Of course the purpose of the ashes isn’t to act as a membership badge (for some reason the Monty Python sketch about the “secret Masonic handshake” just popped-into my mind) but to signify a resolution to turn away from sin and the empty pursuit of pleasure. The tradition of ashes as a symbol of repentance predates Christianity, there are many such examples in the Old Testament.
It was quite sad, then, when I got to work yesterday to see how few others wearing ashes. Every year it seems like there are fewer and fewer, and so I felt strangely self-conscious for “advertising” my penitence: “look who thinks he’s holier-than-thou”*
Now before anyone says “judge not lest ye be judged”, that’s not what I’m saying here. Certainly many of my Catholic colleagues were planning on going to Mass in the evening, I’ve been in that situation myself. And one doesn’t need ashes on the skin to be truly penitent in the heart. What I found most lamentable was the reminder, once again, of the total and utter loss of Catholic identity we’ve suffered.
We Catholics have been victims of a serious crime carried-out in the decades following the Second Vatican Council: the term “identity theft” had yet to be coined but that’s exactly what happened to us. One need only read the memoirs of the perpetrators to learn that this is true. Can one really look at the liturgical changes and affirm that “the good of the Church genuinely and certainly requires them” as mandated by Sacrosanctum Concillium? We have plenty of testimony - direct from the mouths and pens of so many of the architects and participants of this program of destruction - that these changes were motivated by another factor - ecumenism.
And thus so much of what made us recognizably Catholic was jettisoned with unseemly haste in the service of the ecumenical agenda, brought to us by the ‘experts’ who knew better. Those who objected, however mildly, were ridiculed and marginalized by those entrusted with the care of souls. Catholicism, the fullness of Christianity, is a “sensual” religion –the phrase we often hear is “smells-n-bells” which is perhaps a less-provocative way of putting it. The externals and the sacramentals of the Faith were not the creations of the experts or committees of each generation; they developed organically from existing practices and were ratified by the piety of the faithful. A universal Church must appeal to all, but of course the reasoned piety of the intellectual is different from the emotional piety of the peasant and so Holy Mother Church in Her wisdom and experience developed different ways to appeal to each man’s sensibilities using each of man’s senses.
And so we had church buildings which weren’t merely “worship spaces” but “catechisms in stone” – and glass, and plaster, and wood. Stations of the Cross, Mysteries of the Rosary and the lives of the Saints, lit by sunlight filtered through stained-glass by day and flickering candles by night. Thus was the Faith taught to the young and illiterate without words, and so was our attention captured when our minds wandered during Mass. Daily we had early morning low Masses in simple silence and High Masses on high holy days, with heavenly chant and sweet incense and vestments that truly were our “Sunday best. Throughout the year we had processions and novenas and devotions that invited us to participation without demanding involvement; and of course we had disciplines like meatless Fridays and Holy Days of Obligation which gave structure to our practice of the Faith. And ashes, the outward sign of our inward disposition. How natural it all seemed, until the ‘experts’ came to power.
To be continued…
*the “look who thinks he’s holier-than-thou” bit stems from one of my favorite bits of Jewish humor, from a book called “Every Goy’s Guide to Common Jewish Expressions":
Shamus, n. [Yiddish]: A shamus is a guy who takes care of handyman tasks around the temple, and makes sure everything is in working order. A shamus is at the bottom of the pecking order of synagog functionaries, and there's a joke about that: A rabbi, to show his humility before God, cries out in the middle of a service, Oh, Lord, I am nobody! The cantor, not to be bested, also cries out, Oh, Lord, I am nobody! The shamus, deeply moved, follows suit and cries, Oh, Lord, I am nobody! The rabbi turns to the cantor and says, Look who thinks he's nobody!
Of course the purpose of the ashes isn’t to act as a membership badge (for some reason the Monty Python sketch about the “secret Masonic handshake” just popped-into my mind) but to signify a resolution to turn away from sin and the empty pursuit of pleasure. The tradition of ashes as a symbol of repentance predates Christianity, there are many such examples in the Old Testament.
It was quite sad, then, when I got to work yesterday to see how few others wearing ashes. Every year it seems like there are fewer and fewer, and so I felt strangely self-conscious for “advertising” my penitence: “look who thinks he’s holier-than-thou”*
Now before anyone says “judge not lest ye be judged”, that’s not what I’m saying here. Certainly many of my Catholic colleagues were planning on going to Mass in the evening, I’ve been in that situation myself. And one doesn’t need ashes on the skin to be truly penitent in the heart. What I found most lamentable was the reminder, once again, of the total and utter loss of Catholic identity we’ve suffered.
We Catholics have been victims of a serious crime carried-out in the decades following the Second Vatican Council: the term “identity theft” had yet to be coined but that’s exactly what happened to us. One need only read the memoirs of the perpetrators to learn that this is true. Can one really look at the liturgical changes and affirm that “the good of the Church genuinely and certainly requires them” as mandated by Sacrosanctum Concillium? We have plenty of testimony - direct from the mouths and pens of so many of the architects and participants of this program of destruction - that these changes were motivated by another factor - ecumenism.
And thus so much of what made us recognizably Catholic was jettisoned with unseemly haste in the service of the ecumenical agenda, brought to us by the ‘experts’ who knew better. Those who objected, however mildly, were ridiculed and marginalized by those entrusted with the care of souls. Catholicism, the fullness of Christianity, is a “sensual” religion –the phrase we often hear is “smells-n-bells” which is perhaps a less-provocative way of putting it. The externals and the sacramentals of the Faith were not the creations of the experts or committees of each generation; they developed organically from existing practices and were ratified by the piety of the faithful. A universal Church must appeal to all, but of course the reasoned piety of the intellectual is different from the emotional piety of the peasant and so Holy Mother Church in Her wisdom and experience developed different ways to appeal to each man’s sensibilities using each of man’s senses.
And so we had church buildings which weren’t merely “worship spaces” but “catechisms in stone” – and glass, and plaster, and wood. Stations of the Cross, Mysteries of the Rosary and the lives of the Saints, lit by sunlight filtered through stained-glass by day and flickering candles by night. Thus was the Faith taught to the young and illiterate without words, and so was our attention captured when our minds wandered during Mass. Daily we had early morning low Masses in simple silence and High Masses on high holy days, with heavenly chant and sweet incense and vestments that truly were our “Sunday best. Throughout the year we had processions and novenas and devotions that invited us to participation without demanding involvement; and of course we had disciplines like meatless Fridays and Holy Days of Obligation which gave structure to our practice of the Faith. And ashes, the outward sign of our inward disposition. How natural it all seemed, until the ‘experts’ came to power.
To be continued…
*the “look who thinks he’s holier-than-thou” bit stems from one of my favorite bits of Jewish humor, from a book called “Every Goy’s Guide to Common Jewish Expressions":
Shamus, n. [Yiddish]: A shamus is a guy who takes care of handyman tasks around the temple, and makes sure everything is in working order. A shamus is at the bottom of the pecking order of synagog functionaries, and there's a joke about that: A rabbi, to show his humility before God, cries out in the middle of a service, Oh, Lord, I am nobody! The cantor, not to be bested, also cries out, Oh, Lord, I am nobody! The shamus, deeply moved, follows suit and cries, Oh, Lord, I am nobody! The rabbi turns to the cantor and says, Look who thinks he's nobody!
16 February 2010
Giving it up for Lent...
One year about a dozen years ago my wife and I gave up television for Lent. A habit was well and truly broken, and to this day we watch very little t.v. About the only thing I watch nowadays is the Red Sox, who are an obession a enduring pastime no matter how I follow them.
On the other hand, every year I give up drinking for Lent. Of course I have a drink on Sunday, and a pint (or two) of Guinness on St. Patrick's Day - it's a feast day, for goodness sake - but nonetheless I look forward to a bottle of good wine with the Easter Lamb. And thereafter...
This blogging venture is still a new game to me, and I'm someone who annually tries to curtail my Internet usage during The Great Fast. So you can probably tell where I'm going here. Do I give this thing, this bloggin' thing, up until after Easter?
After some consideration I came to the decision that I will follow the same principles that I follow for other pleasures during Lent:
1.) Moderation is sometimes more realistic than unrealistic attempts at outright privation,
2.) Sundays are not really part of Lent (don't believe me? Count the days from Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday... forty-six! Now subtract the (six) Sundays to get... forty!)
3.) One shouldn't fast on a feast,
Thus, I shall limit my posting to matters spirtual and ecclesial, except on Sundays (Saturday night until Monday morning) and real feasts, e.g. St. Patrick, St. Joseph, The Annunciation... OTOH, it would probably be unseemly to post a rant about J. F. Kerry's botox treatments or Nancy Pelosi's windsurfing (or vice versa) on a solemn feast day in the midst of Lent, so I'll probably just save any meanderings regarding the Red Sox for those days.
My poor wife, the um, er, "Archduchess"? "Archlaywoman"? What does one call oneself, who is married to a man who has delusions of Archlaity? (Archlaicy?) Perhaps I should just refer to her as I do at home: "she-who-must-be-obeyed"! Anyway, poor girl, she'll have to deal with me for the next seven weeks without the mollifying influences of my Martini and the (full) outlet of my little blog. Do pray for her!
On the other hand, every year I give up drinking for Lent. Of course I have a drink on Sunday, and a pint (or two) of Guinness on St. Patrick's Day - it's a feast day, for goodness sake - but nonetheless I look forward to a bottle of good wine with the Easter Lamb. And thereafter...
This blogging venture is still a new game to me, and I'm someone who annually tries to curtail my Internet usage during The Great Fast. So you can probably tell where I'm going here. Do I give this thing, this bloggin' thing, up until after Easter?
After some consideration I came to the decision that I will follow the same principles that I follow for other pleasures during Lent:
1.) Moderation is sometimes more realistic than unrealistic attempts at outright privation,
2.) Sundays are not really part of Lent (don't believe me? Count the days from Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday... forty-six! Now subtract the (six) Sundays to get... forty!)
3.) One shouldn't fast on a feast,
Thus, I shall limit my posting to matters spirtual and ecclesial, except on Sundays (Saturday night until Monday morning) and real feasts, e.g. St. Patrick, St. Joseph, The Annunciation... OTOH, it would probably be unseemly to post a rant about J. F. Kerry's botox treatments or Nancy Pelosi's windsurfing (or vice versa) on a solemn feast day in the midst of Lent, so I'll probably just save any meanderings regarding the Red Sox for those days.
My poor wife, the um, er, "Archduchess"? "Archlaywoman"? What does one call oneself, who is married to a man who has delusions of Archlaity? (Archlaicy?) Perhaps I should just refer to her as I do at home: "she-who-must-be-obeyed"! Anyway, poor girl, she'll have to deal with me for the next seven weeks without the mollifying influences of my Martini and the (full) outlet of my little blog. Do pray for her!
14 February 2010
Parsing "Pravda"
It's been many years since I've given the Boston Globe, a.k.a. "Pravda", a.k.a. "The Boston Daily Worker" a dime (I think it's actually over a dollar now) for a copy of their rag. The local weekly is just as good for wrapping fish and it generally has some news I can use.
However, to give the devil his due, they've had an excellent sports page for many years. Fifteen or twenty years ago, when I traveled fairly often on business, I realized why it was considered one of the best in the country. I have no idea whether that is true any longer, but - ESPN and MLB.com and other Internet outlets notwithstanding - I still find their sports coverage worth reading... online!
It was during just such a foray onto their website this morning that I chanced upon an article about the political outlook in Massachusetts, in particular the re-election prospects of my own congressman, the outwardly-respectable moonbat William Delahunt. Let me say at the outset that being represented by Delahunt for the past few years has been a step up - before we moved to North Carver we had the pwiviwedge of being wepresented by Bawney Fwank. So, things are not as bad as they could be...
Anyway, Pravda's worldview is clearly evidenced by the manner in which they treat a certain, um, controversial issue. Perhaps a wee bit of fisking might serve to bring some clarity and balance to the paragraphs in question:
Still, several Republicans see a chance to recapture one of the state’s conservative districts, where Brown received some of his highest margins of victory on Jan. 19. And they have seized on an unlikely issue: Venezuela. Unlikely to the editors of Pravda, who regard Chavez almost as highly as the Brothers Castro. Or, more specifically, Delahunt’s good relations with Hugo Chávez, president of Venezuela, who once called President Bush “the devil’’ in a speech at the United Nations. Which comports perfectly with their own opinion.
In 2005, Delahunt persuaded Chávez to agree to give deep discounts on home heating oil for more than 30,000 low-income residents in Massachusetts annually. Was there any quid-pro-quo? Delahunt has been rather closed-mouthed on the topic. When Citgo, an oil company controlled by Chávez, as in "'The Flamingo', a casino controlled by Meyer Lansky" already supplies about 13 percent of US crude oil imports.
Delahunt’s deal opened the door for low-income households in Massachusetts to receive 100 gallons of free heating oil - enough to last several weeks or more - through a program run by Citizens Energy, a nonprofit arm company run by Joseph P. Kennedy II, the former Massachusetts congressman. And why is Mr. Kennedy a "former" congressman? Has it got anything to do with not wanting to answer questions about his relationship with Hugo Chavez?
Joseph Malone, a Republican former state treasurer who is seen as Delahunt’s strongest potential challenger, has criticized the deal, calling Chávez “a dictator who has stripped his citizens of their rights.’’
“Everywhere I go, that is one of the major issues that is developing during this campaign,’’ Malone said.
“Whatever gains come from oil deals [Chávez] does with Bill Delahunt and his friends is far outweighed by the harm he does in the international community.’’
Republicans who have already thrown their hats into the race are state Representative Jeffrey Perry, Donald Hussey of Hingham, and Ray Kasperowicz of Cohasset.
Others in the GOP have also cited Delahunt’s connection to Chávez. At a recent party breakfast, the chairman of the Plymouth County GOP joked about Delahunt hugging Chávez. So, how many U.S. Congressmen wouldn't hug a man who numbers amongst his friends Fidel Castro, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and international terrorist "Carlos the Jackal"?
The strategy could prove risky for Republicans, so - this is simply a Republican attack strategy, eh? No Democrat or independent would have any problem with U.S. Congressmen and U.S. businesses making deals with an avowed enemy of America? since many voters have a positive view of the home heating oil program, which is advertised frequently by televised Citizens Energy commercials which is why "many" voters have such a positive view that tell needy families to “call Joe-4-oil,’’ a reference to Joseph Kennedy. Francis T. Manzelli, president of the Cape Cod Republican Club, acknowledges that the program itself is not the problem. “Obviously it is a good thing to give people in need assistance,’’ he said. But the tie between Delahunt and Chávez “does upset some people.’’
Chávez, elected in 1999, Just another average, democratically-elected politician, right? Except that he led a failed coup in 1992 in which 18 people were killed. He was pardoned two years later and was subsequently elected to office. Does this remind you of anyone? has a 58 percent approval rating in Venezuela, recent polls say. Polls taken by whom? The Chavez-controlled media in Venezuela? He has opened clinics and schools for the poor, just like Cuba financed by oil sales from Citgo. But, in the United States, he has become a favorite target of conservatives since he launched scathing verbal attacks on former president George W. Bush, nationalized the oil industry, and shut down TV stations that failed to air his speeches. Chávez has also called President Obama an “ignoramus.’’ So it's only "conservatives" who are upset by having Presidents Bush AND Obama denigrated, assets of American businesses seized and American executives muscled-out, and state control of the media? Granted, most of that may align with the agenda of the far left, but you'd think that anyone who dared to call Obama an "ignoramus" might arouse a few of his worshippers to at least a mild grumble...
Still, Jose Miguel Vivanco, a Human Rights Watch researcher who was expelled after criticizing Chávez’s human rights record, said “it’s a stretch to call him a brutal dictator.’’ Straw Man Alert - who called him a "brutal dictator"? Vivanco also said that Chávez’s actions were “hardly unique.’’ Compared to whom? Castro? Kim Jong Il?
But Paul Fitzpatrick Jr., a 43-year-old consultant from Marshfield who campaigned for Brown, has launched a word-of-mouth campaign i.e. "word-of-mouth" as in rumormongering, a whispering campaign to highlight Delahunt’s ties to Chávez. perhaps because Pravda et al have no interest in reporting this sort of thing...
“Chávez hates America. Delahunt has been trying to score political points by allying himself with someone who hates the United States,’’ Fitzpatrick said.
“The Chávez issue is going to be a huge issue in this campaign,’’ he said. “If we let a guy like Chávez fester . . . it’s going to be another Iraq.’’
In Marshfield, a town with a median income of $83,540, only 331 of 8,905 households qualified for federal heating assistance. And why is this relevant? But in Orleans, a Cape Cod town where the median income is $42,594, 10 percent of the 867 households received heating assistance last year. A-ha, now I see. The old "class warfare" card. There, Delahunt’s decision to seek discount oil from Chávez was seen as a no-brainer. "No-Brainer" is right, because it's far easier to take charity from criminals if you disengage your brain first!
“Take it wherever you can,’’ IOW, the end justifies the means said Bret Christopher, 46, who lost his cement-pouring business two years ago in the housing bust. Christopher once did well enough to build his own home, employ three people and vacation in Aruba. Now his home is slated for auction. He washes dishes at a local restaurant, but still needs food stamps to get by.
He was on his last five gallons of heating oil when Citizens Energy approved his oil shipment of 100 gallons free.
“Joe Kennedy whose salary from Citizens has been reported to exceed $500,000 and Mr. Delahunt, God bless them,’’ he said. God HAS richly blessed them, but how have they used those blessings?
Delahunt said that people like Christopher are the reason he got into politics in the first place. To give away other people's money and goods?
Some, Delahunt said, “would let people suffer through cold winters. That’s not who I am.’’ Then how much of your own money are you donating to local fuel-assitance programs?
He dared Republicans to openly criticize the program. “Do they want us to buy the expensive stuff, but say no to cheap oil?’’ So would he have take handouts from Hitler? Stalin? Mao? Meanwhile, speaking of the "expensive stuff" one wonders why the oil companies owned by the Kennedy family are not offering free oil to the poor.
Even as he considers retirement, he still sounded like a candidate: “They don’t have to bring it up, because I will.’’ If you believe that I have some free, no-strings attached oil for you...
Hey, that was fun, maybe I'll do more of this in the future.
However, to give the devil his due, they've had an excellent sports page for many years. Fifteen or twenty years ago, when I traveled fairly often on business, I realized why it was considered one of the best in the country. I have no idea whether that is true any longer, but - ESPN and MLB.com and other Internet outlets notwithstanding - I still find their sports coverage worth reading... online!
It was during just such a foray onto their website this morning that I chanced upon an article about the political outlook in Massachusetts, in particular the re-election prospects of my own congressman, the outwardly-respectable moonbat William Delahunt. Let me say at the outset that being represented by Delahunt for the past few years has been a step up - before we moved to North Carver we had the pwiviwedge of being wepresented by Bawney Fwank. So, things are not as bad as they could be...
Anyway, Pravda's worldview is clearly evidenced by the manner in which they treat a certain, um, controversial issue. Perhaps a wee bit of fisking might serve to bring some clarity and balance to the paragraphs in question:
Still, several Republicans see a chance to recapture one of the state’s conservative districts, where Brown received some of his highest margins of victory on Jan. 19. And they have seized on an unlikely issue: Venezuela. Unlikely to the editors of Pravda, who regard Chavez almost as highly as the Brothers Castro. Or, more specifically, Delahunt’s good relations with Hugo Chávez, president of Venezuela, who once called President Bush “the devil’’ in a speech at the United Nations. Which comports perfectly with their own opinion.
In 2005, Delahunt persuaded Chávez to agree to give deep discounts on home heating oil for more than 30,000 low-income residents in Massachusetts annually. Was there any quid-pro-quo? Delahunt has been rather closed-mouthed on the topic. When Citgo, an oil company controlled by Chávez, as in "'The Flamingo', a casino controlled by Meyer Lansky" already supplies about 13 percent of US crude oil imports.
Delahunt’s deal opened the door for low-income households in Massachusetts to receive 100 gallons of free heating oil - enough to last several weeks or more - through a program run by Citizens Energy, a nonprofit arm company run by Joseph P. Kennedy II, the former Massachusetts congressman. And why is Mr. Kennedy a "former" congressman? Has it got anything to do with not wanting to answer questions about his relationship with Hugo Chavez?
Joseph Malone, a Republican former state treasurer who is seen as Delahunt’s strongest potential challenger, has criticized the deal, calling Chávez “a dictator who has stripped his citizens of their rights.’’
“Everywhere I go, that is one of the major issues that is developing during this campaign,’’ Malone said.
“Whatever gains come from oil deals [Chávez] does with Bill Delahunt and his friends is far outweighed by the harm he does in the international community.’’
Republicans who have already thrown their hats into the race are state Representative Jeffrey Perry, Donald Hussey of Hingham, and Ray Kasperowicz of Cohasset.
Others in the GOP have also cited Delahunt’s connection to Chávez. At a recent party breakfast, the chairman of the Plymouth County GOP joked about Delahunt hugging Chávez. So, how many U.S. Congressmen wouldn't hug a man who numbers amongst his friends Fidel Castro, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and international terrorist "Carlos the Jackal"?
The strategy could prove risky for Republicans, so - this is simply a Republican attack strategy, eh? No Democrat or independent would have any problem with U.S. Congressmen and U.S. businesses making deals with an avowed enemy of America? since many voters have a positive view of the home heating oil program, which is advertised frequently by televised Citizens Energy commercials which is why "many" voters have such a positive view that tell needy families to “call Joe-4-oil,’’ a reference to Joseph Kennedy. Francis T. Manzelli, president of the Cape Cod Republican Club, acknowledges that the program itself is not the problem. “Obviously it is a good thing to give people in need assistance,’’ he said. But the tie between Delahunt and Chávez “does upset some people.’’
Chávez, elected in 1999, Just another average, democratically-elected politician, right? Except that he led a failed coup in 1992 in which 18 people were killed. He was pardoned two years later and was subsequently elected to office. Does this remind you of anyone? has a 58 percent approval rating in Venezuela, recent polls say. Polls taken by whom? The Chavez-controlled media in Venezuela? He has opened clinics and schools for the poor, just like Cuba financed by oil sales from Citgo. But, in the United States, he has become a favorite target of conservatives since he launched scathing verbal attacks on former president George W. Bush, nationalized the oil industry, and shut down TV stations that failed to air his speeches. Chávez has also called President Obama an “ignoramus.’’ So it's only "conservatives" who are upset by having Presidents Bush AND Obama denigrated, assets of American businesses seized and American executives muscled-out, and state control of the media? Granted, most of that may align with the agenda of the far left, but you'd think that anyone who dared to call Obama an "ignoramus" might arouse a few of his worshippers to at least a mild grumble...
Still, Jose Miguel Vivanco, a Human Rights Watch researcher who was expelled after criticizing Chávez’s human rights record, said “it’s a stretch to call him a brutal dictator.’’ Straw Man Alert - who called him a "brutal dictator"? Vivanco also said that Chávez’s actions were “hardly unique.’’ Compared to whom? Castro? Kim Jong Il?
But Paul Fitzpatrick Jr., a 43-year-old consultant from Marshfield who campaigned for Brown, has launched a word-of-mouth campaign i.e. "word-of-mouth" as in rumormongering, a whispering campaign to highlight Delahunt’s ties to Chávez. perhaps because Pravda et al have no interest in reporting this sort of thing...
“Chávez hates America. Delahunt has been trying to score political points by allying himself with someone who hates the United States,’’ Fitzpatrick said.
“The Chávez issue is going to be a huge issue in this campaign,’’ he said. “If we let a guy like Chávez fester . . . it’s going to be another Iraq.’’
In Marshfield, a town with a median income of $83,540, only 331 of 8,905 households qualified for federal heating assistance. And why is this relevant? But in Orleans, a Cape Cod town where the median income is $42,594, 10 percent of the 867 households received heating assistance last year. A-ha, now I see. The old "class warfare" card. There, Delahunt’s decision to seek discount oil from Chávez was seen as a no-brainer. "No-Brainer" is right, because it's far easier to take charity from criminals if you disengage your brain first!
“Take it wherever you can,’’ IOW, the end justifies the means said Bret Christopher, 46, who lost his cement-pouring business two years ago in the housing bust. Christopher once did well enough to build his own home, employ three people and vacation in Aruba. Now his home is slated for auction. He washes dishes at a local restaurant, but still needs food stamps to get by.
He was on his last five gallons of heating oil when Citizens Energy approved his oil shipment of 100 gallons free.
“Joe Kennedy whose salary from Citizens has been reported to exceed $500,000 and Mr. Delahunt, God bless them,’’ he said. God HAS richly blessed them, but how have they used those blessings?
Delahunt said that people like Christopher are the reason he got into politics in the first place. To give away other people's money and goods?
Some, Delahunt said, “would let people suffer through cold winters. That’s not who I am.’’ Then how much of your own money are you donating to local fuel-assitance programs?
He dared Republicans to openly criticize the program. “Do they want us to buy the expensive stuff, but say no to cheap oil?’’ So would he have take handouts from Hitler? Stalin? Mao? Meanwhile, speaking of the "expensive stuff" one wonders why the oil companies owned by the Kennedy family are not offering free oil to the poor.
Even as he considers retirement, he still sounded like a candidate: “They don’t have to bring it up, because I will.’’ If you believe that I have some free, no-strings attached oil for you...
Hey, that was fun, maybe I'll do more of this in the future.
12 February 2010
Get Well, Bubba!
Not everything is relative, but some things are.
By 2000 the nation seemd to have Clinton fatigue. Enough of Bill's lip-biting and infinitely-parseable sentences, enough of Hillary's smartest-woman-in-the-world schtick. After eight years of the whole honky-tonk show, it was a breath of fresh air to have a plain-talking, straight-shooting man in the Oval Office, even if he sometimes seemed to be taking public speaking lessons from Dan Quayle.
Everyone has their own opinion of the presidency of G.W. Bush, and it may be impossible to look objectively at the man and his administration until a few years have passed. I, for one, think that history will be much kinder to him than the pundits and the editorial pages have been. But I digress.
During his presidency a fascinating phenomenon occurrred when he tapped his predecessor and his (own) father, Clinton's predecessor, to lead fundraising efforts after the tsunami which devastated regions of Asia and Africa in late 2004. A funny thing happenned: the two ex-presidents, as different in background and temperament as possible, and who had said some not-very-nice things about each other during the 1992 presidential campaign, hit it off. So much so that for months afterward the pair were practically ubiquitous, appearing together on television many times. The pair reprised their efforts after Hurricane Katrina, and now we have a further Bush-Clinton collaboration in the cause of relief for Haiti (although it seems as though the younger Bush has supplanted his father on this one)
Thanks to efforts like this, and due in no small part to the fading memories of 'Slick Willy', Clinton's image has been largely rehabilitated, and some people seem moved to sympathy for him by reason of his marital attachment to Lady Hillary(!)
I must confess that the passage of time has indeed dulled some of my personal distaste for the perjurious former philanderer-in-chief, but it wasn't until recently, as "Year One" of the new era of hopeychange came to an end, that I found myself experiencing an emotional response I'd never expected: I'm nostalgic for Clinton! Bring back the Arkansas snake oil, and the bimbo erruptions, and the now-you-see-em-now-you-don't billing records from the Rose Law Firm. Compared to the present administration ol' Billy Blythe looks pretty good right about now.
Relatively, at least...
By 2000 the nation seemd to have Clinton fatigue. Enough of Bill's lip-biting and infinitely-parseable sentences, enough of Hillary's smartest-woman-in-the-world schtick. After eight years of the whole honky-tonk show, it was a breath of fresh air to have a plain-talking, straight-shooting man in the Oval Office, even if he sometimes seemed to be taking public speaking lessons from Dan Quayle.
Everyone has their own opinion of the presidency of G.W. Bush, and it may be impossible to look objectively at the man and his administration until a few years have passed. I, for one, think that history will be much kinder to him than the pundits and the editorial pages have been. But I digress.
During his presidency a fascinating phenomenon occurrred when he tapped his predecessor and his (own) father, Clinton's predecessor, to lead fundraising efforts after the tsunami which devastated regions of Asia and Africa in late 2004. A funny thing happenned: the two ex-presidents, as different in background and temperament as possible, and who had said some not-very-nice things about each other during the 1992 presidential campaign, hit it off. So much so that for months afterward the pair were practically ubiquitous, appearing together on television many times. The pair reprised their efforts after Hurricane Katrina, and now we have a further Bush-Clinton collaboration in the cause of relief for Haiti (although it seems as though the younger Bush has supplanted his father on this one)
Thanks to efforts like this, and due in no small part to the fading memories of 'Slick Willy', Clinton's image has been largely rehabilitated, and some people seem moved to sympathy for him by reason of his marital attachment to Lady Hillary(!)
I must confess that the passage of time has indeed dulled some of my personal distaste for the perjurious former philanderer-in-chief, but it wasn't until recently, as "Year One" of the new era of hopeychange came to an end, that I found myself experiencing an emotional response I'd never expected: I'm nostalgic for Clinton! Bring back the Arkansas snake oil, and the bimbo erruptions, and the now-you-see-em-now-you-don't billing records from the Rose Law Firm. Compared to the present administration ol' Billy Blythe looks pretty good right about now.
Relatively, at least...
They say he's dumb, but...
... apparently he can read the writing on the wall - 'Patches' Kennedy bows out!
I suspect I'll have a comment or two later on...
I suspect I'll have a comment or two later on...
10 February 2010
Coming up - Crazy Season in the Church
Those of us who attend the traditional Mass don't have to worry about this for the most part, nor do those fortunate few who attend a parish with a sane, Catholic, priest and without an entrenched cadre of amateur liturgists. My guess is that, combined, these two groups are less than 10% of the Catholic population of the U.S. From what I hear it's even less in Canada.
What it is about Lent and Holy Week that brings out the worst in the lefty litniks? Growing up in the 1960's and '70's I was exposed to my fair share of unauthorized innovations and novelties, but the weirdest were always saved for Lent and Holy Week, especially the Triduum. From what I can tell, the madness hasn't abated. So, were I to venture out from my querencia to attend the "Ordinary Form" in a random parish starting on Ash Wednesday, here is a sample of what I'd expect to find:
What it is about Lent and Holy Week that brings out the worst in the lefty litniks? Growing up in the 1960's and '70's I was exposed to my fair share of unauthorized innovations and novelties, but the weirdest were always saved for Lent and Holy Week, especially the Triduum. From what I can tell, the madness hasn't abated. So, were I to venture out from my querencia to attend the "Ordinary Form" in a random parish starting on Ash Wednesday, here is a sample of what I'd expect to find:
- That dreadful song "Ashes"
- Ashes imposed by a layperson (OK, this is permitted but it just feels terribly wrong)
- Holy Water stoups filled with sand (or emptied for the duration of Lent)
- "Communal" Penance services with general absolution
- "Crucifixion" of "sins of the community" by hanging placards with things written on them (usually p.c. stuff like "sexism") on a large cross
- Writing one sin on a piece of paper, then bringing it forward to be burned (Can't remember if this was on Ash Wednesday or at one of those Penance services)
- Interactive/"Experiental" Stations of the Cross
- Statues remaining in place and unveiled during Passion Week and Holy Week
- Washing the feet of women and young children in the Holy Thursday Mandatum
- Allowing someone other than the priest to wash feet
- Passing out "Wash-n-Dri" packets and instructing the congregation to wash each other's hands
- ANYTHING which unnecessarily deviates from the rubrics on Good Friday
- "Wade in the Water" during Baptisms at the Easter Vigil
- Happy, clappy music at Easter Mass. For one Sunday a year, stick to the real thing!
This list is hardly inclusive, it only represents the liturgical gimcrackery I can recall experiencing in years past.
I've always wondered, "why?" Why do these liturgical pirates feel compelled to concoct something new, something avant garde, anything other than what's in the Missal?
A couple of years ago Cardinal Virgilio Noè, Pope Paul VI's Master of Ceremonies and certainly no traditionalist, asserted that Paul's famous statement about "the smoke of Satan" referred specifically to liturgical innovation and abuses: "He spoke of the smoke of Satan because he maintained that those priests who turned Holy Mass into dry straw in the name of creativity, in reality were possessed of the vainglory and the pride of the Evil One. so, the smoke of Satan was nothing other than the mentality which wanted to distort the traditional and liturgical canons of the Eucharistic ceremony"
A heartfelt plea to all of those well-meaning folks who think they can do it better than the Church: "Do the Red, Say the Black", as Fr. Z. always says! This year, lets "do liturgy" as Holy Mother Church gives it to us - now that's an innovation!
08 February 2010
Enough to make you miss...
This billboard has the NPR folks in Minnesota in a tizzy.
And I wonder who this one is referring to?
I'll bet we see more...
And I wonder who this one is referring to?
I'll bet we see more...
07 February 2010
Is this cool or what?
I hate the Yankees, it's in my blood. But even with some of the sour memories I have of Yankee Stadium it was still a real thrill to have been to a half-dozen games there over the years. In addition to the amazing atmosphere it was actually a pretty good place to watch a ball game. I'm speaking of course in terms of sightlines and so forth, not less-important factors like creature comforts, courteous ballpark employees, tasty food, personal safety (all were lacking!)
Anyway, this guy in New Jersey is hand-building a 1/120 scale model of Yankee Stadium as it was in 1973, prior to the renovation that prolonged its life for thirty-something years. (depends whether you count from 1973 or when The Stadium re-opened in '76.
Looks like a pretty nice piece of work.
Anyway, this guy in New Jersey is hand-building a 1/120 scale model of Yankee Stadium as it was in 1973, prior to the renovation that prolonged its life for thirty-something years. (depends whether you count from 1973 or when The Stadium re-opened in '76.
Looks like a pretty nice piece of work.
You're nobody 'til somebody loves you
So, President Obama won't speak in public - even to a grade school class - without his security blanket teleprompter. But according to the MSM, still enraptured even after a year of his failed presidency, he's "eloquent".
But Sarah Palin, who recently got caught by a photographer with a "handful" of bullet points (literally, written on the palm of her hand) for a speech she gave extemporaneously, is "inarticulate".
The whole MSM script continues unchanged. Did you hear about Obama's mispronounciation of "corpsman" as "corpse-man" - twice - on the evening news? Neither did I, thank Heaven for the "alternative media". (Hey, don't blame The Messiah, he was only reading what was on his teleprompter. Perhaps that particular unit was left over from... the Bush Administration!)
Where would this guy be without the long, warm, wet kiss he's gotten from the MSM over the past two years?
People are starting to wake-up in this country, and they're not liking what they see.
UPDATE - 7 Feb - Mrs Palin gets the last laugh
UPDATE II - 8 Feb - Just heard Mrs. Palin's handscratchings referred to as a "Redneck Teleprompter" - priceless!
But Sarah Palin, who recently got caught by a photographer with a "handful" of bullet points (literally, written on the palm of her hand) for a speech she gave extemporaneously, is "inarticulate".
The whole MSM script continues unchanged. Did you hear about Obama's mispronounciation of "corpsman" as "corpse-man" - twice - on the evening news? Neither did I, thank Heaven for the "alternative media". (Hey, don't blame The Messiah, he was only reading what was on his teleprompter. Perhaps that particular unit was left over from... the Bush Administration!)
Where would this guy be without the long, warm, wet kiss he's gotten from the MSM over the past two years?
People are starting to wake-up in this country, and they're not liking what they see.
UPDATE - 7 Feb - Mrs Palin gets the last laugh
UPDATE II - 8 Feb - Just heard Mrs. Palin's handscratchings referred to as a "Redneck Teleprompter" - priceless!
06 February 2010
The Catching Molinas...
Remember "The Flying Wallendas"? They were a famous circus and stunt act when I was growing up, probably best remembered for their patriarch's death in a fall from the high wire in the 1970's
Several years ago I was at a Sox-Angels game when the catcher forLos Angeles California Anaheim Los Angeles of Anaheim, noted slowpoke Bengie Molina, was removed for a pinch runner. After the side was retired, another Molina - younger brother Jose - popped out of the dugout and entered the game to catch.
"I wonder", I said to the friend with whom I was attending the game, "how many more of those Molinas they've got in the dugout?"
"Don't laugh", he replied, "there's another brother in the minors, and he's a catcher too!"
"Hmm, 'The Catching Molinas', eh? Sounds like a vaudeville act or something at the circus. Like 'The Flying Wallendas'"
Thus piqued, my interest has endured and so I have followed the careers of the "Catching Molinas", now joined in the bigs by the aforementioned 3rd brother, Yadier (wouldn't he have been perfect for an episode of Seinfeld?) They've all had pretty good careers and each one has a World Series ring, so you could say that it's not a bad thing to have a "Catching Molina" on your team. So naturally I was happy to hear last week that the Sox had signed... minor league catcher Gustavo Molina!
Wait a minute, Gustavo? A fourth brother? Never heard of him, so I looked him up. Turns out that despite his surname and shinguards he's not a member of the "real" Molina tribe. In fact he's not even from the same country. Quel dommage! But hey, he must be a cousin or something, right? One imagines a grizzled scout spotting the line "Molina C" in a high school box score and thinking "gotta check that guy out!"
While atempthing to vet Gustavo's lineage I ran across an interesting fact: There have been only six men with the surname 'Molina' who've played major league baseball, and five of them have been catchers. I remembered ol' Izzy Molina from the 90's but I don't think I'd ever heard of Gabe Molina, the only non-catching Molina, who pitched briefly and ineffectively for the Orioles, Braves, and Cardinals.
Just one of those odd bits of baseball knowledge that fans seem to enjoy. Even in the bleak mid-Winter, baseball holds our attention like no other game.
[A colleague told me that there are also three boxing Molina brothers who are, alas, unrelated to the Catching Molinas. Seems to me that three beefy catchers plus three boxers might be the foundation for a pretty good hockey team...]
Several years ago I was at a Sox-Angels game when the catcher for
"I wonder", I said to the friend with whom I was attending the game, "how many more of those Molinas they've got in the dugout?"
"Don't laugh", he replied, "there's another brother in the minors, and he's a catcher too!"
"Hmm, 'The Catching Molinas', eh? Sounds like a vaudeville act or something at the circus. Like 'The Flying Wallendas'"
Thus piqued, my interest has endured and so I have followed the careers of the "Catching Molinas", now joined in the bigs by the aforementioned 3rd brother, Yadier (wouldn't he have been perfect for an episode of Seinfeld?) They've all had pretty good careers and each one has a World Series ring, so you could say that it's not a bad thing to have a "Catching Molina" on your team. So naturally I was happy to hear last week that the Sox had signed... minor league catcher Gustavo Molina!
Wait a minute, Gustavo? A fourth brother? Never heard of him, so I looked him up. Turns out that despite his surname and shinguards he's not a member of the "real" Molina tribe. In fact he's not even from the same country. Quel dommage! But hey, he must be a cousin or something, right? One imagines a grizzled scout spotting the line "Molina C" in a high school box score and thinking "gotta check that guy out!"
While atempthing to vet Gustavo's lineage I ran across an interesting fact: There have been only six men with the surname 'Molina' who've played major league baseball, and five of them have been catchers. I remembered ol' Izzy Molina from the 90's but I don't think I'd ever heard of Gabe Molina, the only non-catching Molina, who pitched briefly and ineffectively for the Orioles, Braves, and Cardinals.
Just one of those odd bits of baseball knowledge that fans seem to enjoy. Even in the bleak mid-Winter, baseball holds our attention like no other game.
[A colleague told me that there are also three boxing Molina brothers who are, alas, unrelated to the Catching Molinas. Seems to me that three beefy catchers plus three boxers might be the foundation for a pretty good hockey team...]
05 February 2010
To quote J.F.K...
(...and I don't mean John Forbes Kerry...)
John F. Kennedy famously dismissed Richard Nixon in 1960 with the remark: "no class". His late little (well, younger) brother's support for Barack H. Obama notwithstanding, does anyone have a doubt that he'd pass a similar judgment on our 44th president?
Earlier this week, at the National Prayer Breakfast, the President mispronounced the word 'corpsman' as "corpse-man" - not once, but twice. (according to some sources he's done it more than twice, but that's all I saw on t.v.) My five-year-old makes mistakes like this when reading unfamiliar words, but my eight- and eleven-year olds manage to handle the word "corps" - as in "Marine Corps" or "Peace Corps"without breaking a sweat.
Question: What kind of adult (reading something relating to the freakin' military for heaven's sake) mispronounces that word?
Answer: Someone who is far too ignorant to be President of the United States and Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces. Exclamation point.
Question: Where were you people when he was running for president in 2008?
Answer: Bush lied, people died. BusHitlerChimpy is stupid, and he's an evil genius. And Cheney too. And the Halliburton hurricane machine blew away New Orleans. And we needed to have a black president. And he went to Harvard. And he's way cool. Etc.
Right.
I remember how many of my friends in the military were agonizing about re-enlisting during the Clinton years. They are - and I am - thoroughly nostalgic for the Clinton presidency these days! And if you feel the same way the foregoing will only make you even more nostalgic for the salad days of "Slick Willy":
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Obama-She-insisted-shes-going-to-be-buried-in-an-Obama-t-shirt-83645132.html
Again - no class. What kind of man talks like this, never mind the President of the United States? As an American I'm just plain ashamed. And for those amongst my friends who invested so much of their own emotion in the idea that this guy was either one of them, or someone who transcended politics, race, and everything else that invariably divides us, or was just a superior candidate to that grumpy old maverick-moderate sorta-kinda-conservative war hero; my condolences.
And I hate to say it, but I told you so!
John F. Kennedy famously dismissed Richard Nixon in 1960 with the remark: "no class". His late little (well, younger) brother's support for Barack H. Obama notwithstanding, does anyone have a doubt that he'd pass a similar judgment on our 44th president?
Earlier this week, at the National Prayer Breakfast, the President mispronounced the word 'corpsman' as "corpse-man" - not once, but twice. (according to some sources he's done it more than twice, but that's all I saw on t.v.) My five-year-old makes mistakes like this when reading unfamiliar words, but my eight- and eleven-year olds manage to handle the word "corps" - as in "Marine Corps" or "Peace Corps"without breaking a sweat.
Question: What kind of adult (reading something relating to the freakin' military for heaven's sake) mispronounces that word?
Answer: Someone who is far too ignorant to be President of the United States and Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces. Exclamation point.
Question: Where were you people when he was running for president in 2008?
Answer: Bush lied, people died. BusHitlerChimpy is stupid, and he's an evil genius. And Cheney too. And the Halliburton hurricane machine blew away New Orleans. And we needed to have a black president. And he went to Harvard. And he's way cool. Etc.
Right.
I remember how many of my friends in the military were agonizing about re-enlisting during the Clinton years. They are - and I am - thoroughly nostalgic for the Clinton presidency these days! And if you feel the same way the foregoing will only make you even more nostalgic for the salad days of "Slick Willy":
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Obama-She-insisted-shes-going-to-be-buried-in-an-Obama-t-shirt-83645132.html
Again - no class. What kind of man talks like this, never mind the President of the United States? As an American I'm just plain ashamed. And for those amongst my friends who invested so much of their own emotion in the idea that this guy was either one of them, or someone who transcended politics, race, and everything else that invariably divides us, or was just a superior candidate to that grumpy old maverick-moderate sorta-kinda-conservative war hero; my condolences.
And I hate to say it, but I told you so!
It takes one to know one...
Representative Patrick 'Patches' Kennedy yesterday called Scott Brown's candidacy "a joke".
Among other thoughts... candidacy? Isn't he a bit late? Brown's candidacy would seem to have ended with... his election! You'd think "Patches" might have noticed that part, inasmuch as three of Brown's top campaign strategists immediately went to work for his opponent, John Loughlin, the Rhode Island state rep who will be challenging 'Son of Camelot' this November. But this is the same genius who repeatedly referred to the Kennedy Clan's last, best hope to hold the late Duke of Chappaquiddick's seat as "Marcia" instead of Martha.
How can anyone, anywhere, take this guy seriously?
Whatever you think of Brown, despite some foibles in his youth he's displayed a seriousess of purpose, some actual core beliefs, and a personal record of accomplishment. 'Patches' will never be accused of any of those things; except perhaps the "youthful foibles" bit, and that act is growing a bit stale.
No matter why people voted for Brown - or what he does over the next 2-1/2 years - his election was quite significant; and one of the things it may well signify is the end of Patrick Kennedy's joyride - speaking of jokes - as a Congressman. I wonder if the MSM will refer to the 1st Congressional District in Rhode Island as the "Kennedy Seat" this Fall?
Among other thoughts... candidacy? Isn't he a bit late? Brown's candidacy would seem to have ended with... his election! You'd think "Patches" might have noticed that part, inasmuch as three of Brown's top campaign strategists immediately went to work for his opponent, John Loughlin, the Rhode Island state rep who will be challenging 'Son of Camelot' this November. But this is the same genius who repeatedly referred to the Kennedy Clan's last, best hope to hold the late Duke of Chappaquiddick's seat as "Marcia" instead of Martha.
How can anyone, anywhere, take this guy seriously?
Whatever you think of Brown, despite some foibles in his youth he's displayed a seriousess of purpose, some actual core beliefs, and a personal record of accomplishment. 'Patches' will never be accused of any of those things; except perhaps the "youthful foibles" bit, and that act is growing a bit stale.
No matter why people voted for Brown - or what he does over the next 2-1/2 years - his election was quite significant; and one of the things it may well signify is the end of Patrick Kennedy's joyride - speaking of jokes - as a Congressman. I wonder if the MSM will refer to the 1st Congressional District in Rhode Island as the "Kennedy Seat" this Fall?
03 February 2010
Priorities...
Here in The People's Republic of Massachusetts the state budget deficit for fiscal 2009 was $1.1B. "B" as in "billion". That's $1,100,000,000.00, in case it helps to see the zeroes. The deficit for 2010 is expected to be $1.4B, and projections for 2011 indicate that we may face a $3B deficit in fiscal 2011.
"What must we do?" said Tweedldee to Tweedledum,
"I have a wonderful plan" replied Tweedledum,
"Please do tell!" exclaimed Tweedledee,
"We need", said Tweedledum in his most serious tone, "a new public law school!"
"What must we do?" said Tweedldee to Tweedledum,
"I have a wonderful plan" replied Tweedledum,
"Please do tell!" exclaimed Tweedledee,
"We need", said Tweedledum in his most serious tone, "a new public law school!"
"Marvelous idea, Tweedledum. What will it cost?"
"Oh, not much. Fifty, a hundred million or so. But that's over a few years" replied Tweedledum airily,
"Splendid! The people are indeed fortunate to have such dedicated public servants looking out for their interests!" smiled Tweedledee. And off they went to lunch at Locke-Ober...
Honestly. You can't make this stuff up. There are many ills currently afflicting the comrades and citizens of The People's Republic but a shortage of lawyers isn't one of them. Next to New York and DC, I'll bet we've got more lawyers than anyone, anywhere.
Now I'm not saying I have anything against lawyers. Some of my best friends are lawyers. Well, OK, perhaps that's a teeny exaggeration. But anyway - maybe it's just me - but I can easily think of a dozen people I've known over the past few years who've earned a J.D. and even passed the bar exam, but were working in other fields. A couple of cops, a couple of teachers, a salesman, a small-business owner, and a few others.
Do you know anyone with an M.D. who isn't working in the medical field? Or, say, anyone with a doctorate in education who's never held a job in that field? Not very common, is it? But shake a tree around these parts and you'll be inundated under an avalanche of lawyers. We have plenty, thanks. And for those considering law school I can think of at least a half dozen. BC and BU have well-regarded law schools. There's that place with the bricks and ivy over in Cantabrigia if you've got a few bucks and you're looking for a little extra prestige. For the hoi polloi, Northeastern and Suffolk will give you a decent legal education for considerably less. And there's NE Law downtown. And probably more which don't come readily to mind.
Christopher Buckley remarked a few years ago that it was getting increaingly difficult to write satire. He's right. We really are in the post-satirical age. But it's not very funny.
UPDATE - You really can find anything on the Internet. Massachusetts ranks fourth nationwide, with 14.5 lawyers per 10,000 residents (clients?) Seems I forgot Delaware, which was third behind... yep, D.C. and N.Y.
02 February 2010
A little Chesterton with one's coffee...
...isn't a bad way to start the day:
They have given us into the hand of new unhappy lords,
Lords without anger or honour, who dare not carry their swords.
They fight by shuffling papers; they have bright dead alien eyes;
They look at our labour and laughter as a tired man looks at flies.
And the load of their loveless pity is worse than the ancient wrongs,
Their doors are shut in the evening; and they know no songs.
Lords without anger or honour, who dare not carry their swords.
They fight by shuffling papers; they have bright dead alien eyes;
They look at our labour and laughter as a tired man looks at flies.
And the load of their loveless pity is worse than the ancient wrongs,
Their doors are shut in the evening; and they know no songs.
Apropos, no?
01 February 2010
The rest of my Scott Brown post...
As I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted...
4.) Senator Brown will do some very puzzling things in the next thirty-two months - As with any new and relatively unknown celebrity/politician, we're already seeing many pundits project their own opinions and desires on the new junior senator. But don't forget, he has to stand for re-election in a bit over 2-1/2 years (assuming he chooses to run) and he will not be facing "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" Coakley again. Nor will he have the advantage of insurgency while an anti-incumbent tide is surging. However, as a Republican in the Peoples' Republic and an incumbent himself, he may well be the underdog in 2012 as well.
So - in the age of the perpetual campaign, he's already running for re-election. What does that mean?
4.) Senator Brown will do some very puzzling things in the next thirty-two months - As with any new and relatively unknown celebrity/politician, we're already seeing many pundits project their own opinions and desires on the new junior senator. But don't forget, he has to stand for re-election in a bit over 2-1/2 years (assuming he chooses to run) and he will not be facing "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" Coakley again. Nor will he have the advantage of insurgency while an anti-incumbent tide is surging. However, as a Republican in the Peoples' Republic and an incumbent himself, he may well be the underdog in 2012 as well.
So - in the age of the perpetual campaign, he's already running for re-election. What does that mean?
- On the issues which elected him, he'll be the guy we elected. I expect Senator Brown to vigorously oppose further treatment of terrorists as civilian criminals rather than enemy combatants. He's not going to be the 60th vote for any flavor of socialized medicine, and the Democrat party knows it. Etc.
- His last name is "Brown", not "Quixote" - he's already dreamt the impossible dream once this year, don't look for him to join any filibusters against a Supreme Court nominee prior to November 2012, in fact expect him to be an easy "yea" vote for an Obama nominee - unless said nominee makes Sonia Sotomayer look like Robert Bork.
- Expect a few "huh?" moments on issues of lesser importance, where his vote is not pivotal or where the style outranks the substance. As Whittaker Chambers said, "to live is to manuever" and Senator Brown will need a bipartisan (and not-too-conservative) voting record and a reputation for independence come 2012. When (if) Obama proposes something sensible, Senator Brown will be among the first to support him publicly. With qualifications. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it'll give him credibility, and he'll still have plenty of freedom to distance himself from the Administration when they revert to (statist) form.
This whole thing is fascinating, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the drama plays out. Right now, between his comments on the socialized medicine bill and his new budget it looks like the President is going for broke. (At any rate we'll be broke!) It's almost as though he's daring Brown and the G.O.P. to stop him. That's where the rubber meets the road - that's why we elected Scott Brown. I think what happens between now and November is what the voters will remember in 2012.
Bumper Sticker Wisdom
"Obama - as competent as Carter, as trustworthy as Nixon!"
Further comment would be superfluous...
Further comment would be superfluous...
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