Left Unsaid..

Now that I'm writing again.. [evil laugh] I do think that I'll also mention those snippets of Mass readings that get skipped over in the Missal. Sometimes, it's really valuable stuff, though might end up being those 'hard sayings' that many pastors try to avoid.

For instance; This Sunday's first reading from Samuel, chapter 3 uses verses 3-10 and then skips out to 19. Here's what we missed:

11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 For I have told him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God,[b] and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever.”

15 Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” He said, “Here I am.” 17 Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, “It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.”

So, here we read that God will severely punish those who have profaned the priesthood. This has been painfully relevant these past 17 years, and now, lately, since Cardinal Bernard Law's passing. Law, like ancient priest Eli, knew what his "sons" were doing, but did not restrain them. He shuffled abusive priests to other parishes and diocese without care for the laity. "But, but, but the psychiatrist said.." is a flimsy excuse.


But, in reality, this reading is what we did NOT hear this Sunday. Most folk probably went on to sing "Here I Am, Lord' during the offertory, later, and went about with their day..

Things I Will Miss After the Peakalypse, #5

Chinese Take-out.

I don't know about you, but we like to call up our local Chinese restaurant, and order take-out occasionally. A steaming collection of General Tso's Chicken, some Pork Lo Mein, egg rolls, Wonton soup, and the ever-present fortune cookies are a Friday night favorite. Exotic food prepared by someone else is a luxury of our times.

In the future, we'll all be on the blacklist at Hop Sing's. Not for naming names, but because Mr. Sing is too busy farming and cooking for his own family to worry about whipping up Mu Shu pork for yours.

[found this idling as a draft.. ha.. makes me hungry now..]

Prodigal

 Wow, where DOES the time go? If I were to write my memoir, I'd have to title it 'Of All the Stupid Things..', because, well, of all the stupid things I find myself doing.

 Let's see, in the last six years, what did I do.. I quit blogging because I felt it was difficult to examine the political and cultural tempo of the times without exuding contempt.

 So, I decided to just focus on venial matters. I was moderator of a cigar-themed Internet forum, until it was essential killed by Facebook. Moving on, I did a cigar blog for a couple years, sold it for a little cash, then started playing a Dungeons & Dragons themed MMO game. When the game, itself, lost some magnetism, I joined a guild, and quickly ended up a guild leader.

 If I've learned anything from the last couple years, it's this; coupling something stupid with a sense of responsibility, an obligation to keep the stupidity rolling, will hook me every time. That will end up a chapter in the memoir for sure, titled something like 'Ruthless Tamagotchi'.

 I've also been working full+ time, moonlighting in creative arts here and there, and doing my best to stay as close to sane as possible (but without ACTUALLY being sane). I put on a good show, but often, I just feel like screaming. Don't want to set a bad example for the kids, so I just keep the screams inside.

 Anywho, I'm going to start writing again. Just for me. Since everyone that might have followed this blog years ago has likely grown up and moved on, it'll be more for the purposes of talking to myself. Maybe it will somehow tamp down the urges to scream.

Seeing with the Heart

"The beginning of life is so small, it can only be seen with the naked heart."

This thought came to me while I was helping my daughters on a pro-life poster contest. We were discussing how small a fertilized ova was, and I told them that you couldn't see it with the naked eye.

Some people, even armed with the most powerful microscopes couldn't see it as life. It takes a heart, open to life, to call a fertilized ova 'life'.

Surrender is Easier Than Resistance

Pat Robertson is being trumpeted by the Mainstream Media for now supporting the legalization of marijuana:

“I just think it's shocking how many of these young people wind up in prison and they get turned into hard-core criminals because they had a possession of a very small amount of controlled substance,” he said on his show. “The whole thing is crazy.”

So, instead of condemning a few people to prison for drug possession, Pat's now advocating condemning even more people to the prison of substance abuse. I have often wondered what blend of Orwell (1982) and Huxley (Brave New World)our culture would become, and we're skewing Huxley at the moment, with our Malthusian Drill, gratification culture, and enthusiasm for escapist substance abuse.

I've indicated before that Pat's open mic is not helping Christians anymore. It's truly time for him to retire.

Logical Fallacy of Expertise vs. Authority

In recent weeks, I've heard from people that dissent from Catholic teaching on contraception and Human Sexuality in general. One justification for dissent that keeps popping up is "The Bishops are all men, and celibate at that, so who are they to tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body?"

Okay, well, let us telescope that reasoning out a bit:

"The Bishops are all priests, and unprofitable at that, so who are they to tell a corporation what it can and cannot do with its money?"

"The Bishops are all humans, and pro-population at that, so who are they to tell a corporation what it can and cannot do with the environment?"

"The Bishops are all citizens, and free at that, so who are they to tell a government what it can and cannot do with its prisoners?"

"The Bishops are all civilians, and pacifists at that, so who are they to tell a Government what it can and cannot do with its military?"

The bishops do not need to have personal experience in every possible field to articulate God's plan for creation, and the guidelines that Catholics should observe. A bishop's expertise should be the Word of God, and they should never hesitate to instruct the ignorant. Catholics need to heed the Church's teachings.

Doomer Porn

I haven't written much lately, because I've been busy doing things.

Anyway, last night, the wife and I watched 'Collapse', a lengthy, jeremiad interview with Michael Ruppert. Peak Oil, Peak Money, Peak Population. A lot of stuff there I already had heard before (likely sourced originally from Ruppert and similar doomcrows). Ruppert has both a blog and a website, Collapse.net

One issue he raises, I believe in error, is the need to invest in gold. I know that gold is hot right now in both conservative and doomer circles. If there is a complete collapse of socio-economic systems, I do believe that gold will not avail you anything.

What will the currency of post-collapse society be? Ability. What abilities? Not networking, not web design, and all the MSCEs will probably starve. The abilities that will be critical in post-collapse society will be:

1) Agriculture - We'll need food, textiles, etc. (Farm Ville experience doesn't count here)
2) Metalsmithing - We'll need tools, especially for agriculture
3) Engineering - We'll need houses, plows, and the Wheel would be nice as well

So, make sure to send your kids to the nearest A&M, eh. And perhaps join the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism), as they'll teach you Iron Age skills of weaving and metalworking. There will be a scavenger/recycler class that will help post-collapse transition by taking discarded tech and repurposing it. But, most metals will have rusted away within two generations of the Peakalypse. The quicker we get back to at least the Iron Age, the better.

Like I've said before, I'm not worried. Just doing due diligence.

China Now Butt of the Joke

"Liu Xiaobo is a convicted criminal sentenced to jail by Chinese justice. His acts are in complete contradiction to the purpose of the Nobel Peace Prize."

- China, reacting to the Nobel committee's selection of Liu Xiaobo as recipient of the 2010 Nobel Peace prize.

I'll wipe the tears of laughter from my eyes, and congratulate Liu Xiaobo on his heroic dissent from his oppressive government. Xiaobo has done much more towards earning his Nobel Peace prize than the previous recipient, who was awarded his prize for talking about sunshine and puppies, hope and change, and for getting elected President of the United States of America.

I guess that now, finally, China gets the joke that is the Nobel Peace Prize: Do something that resonates with liberal European sensibilities, and you're in there like swimwear. Just ask Al Gore, or Paul Krugman.

Superiority, Truly

"Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples" - Chief U.S District Judge Vaughn Walker

Opposite-sex couples are superior, when looking at the State's interests, as only opposite-sex couples are capable of generating and rearing children, which are desperately needed for the continuance of our society (not to mention paying off the national debt). Any policy should reflect reality.