According to My Campaign Manager ...

... if you don't kiss da egg now, mon, you're kissing my chances goodbye!

Just a half hour left and then I'll quit flogging the vote. Now that's something to be grateful for, right? In your joy and gratitude, go vote, and then I'll shaddup!

We Have a Prime Opportunity Here

Look what Rick Lugari's been driven to.

Can we afford to let this blogging genius waste away for lack of attention?

I say to you all, "NO!" We cannot.

Here I have been flogging the vote for my own selfish purposes when there are those far more worthy and who I would like to see blog far more (yes, Rick, that's a plea for continued blogging). I hang my head in shame and point you to one whose need cries out to us.

The hour is late and the need is dire. Go vote for Rick in Best Presentation and Best Design. I pass the egg to him in his hour of need. Go kiss the egg. Do it for Rick!

(Oh and all the others worthy bloggers he mentions at the bottom of his post. Voting ends at noon. Aren't y'all glad?)

UPDATE: EASY COME, EASY GO
Yikes ... Amy mentioned the awards and so the Best Blog by a Woman levels are beginning to achieve their normal state as her percentage points rise. C'est la vie!

Unless, of course, y'all go vote your little hearts out. :-D

You Know It's One Thing to Flog Books on Your Blog...

... but it really must be sweet to have the Dallas Morning News editorial section do it for you.

You have to have opened the actual newspaper to get the true effect. One page of the editorial section, entirely filled with voting recommendations for upcoming primaries. The opposite side with the top two-thirds filled with Rod Dreher's article musing about that crazy, in-your-face, unpredictable lifestyle of being a conservative who buys organic and wears Birkenstocks ... in his new book, Crunchy Cons. Woah, dude! For real?

If only I didn't know a lot of people like him already (or wasn't one myself ... minus the Birkenstocks) I'd rush right out and buy that book.

The bottom third of the page? Reactions to the book by another (conservative) of the editorial staff who struggled mightily to find anything bad to say. (I mighta been interested in what a liberal had to say about the book but too bad.)

Most people have to pay for that sort of prime newspaper advertising coverage.

Like I said. Sweet.

UPDATE
This is not to say that I don't think the book will be good or that I won't read it (when it gets to our public library) ... it is really to protest giving an entire page of the two available in the newspaper's editorial section to promote his book.

For commentary not done by Dreher himself or co-workers:

• Here is the WSJ's review. They liked it. They really liked it.
• Rachel at Testosterhome also really liked it.

I'm still dying to see a review from someone who is liberal about this. If y'all see one, let me know. Because all the friendly stuff is fine but not telling me anything I don't already know. I wanna see what someone else has to say as well.

Why I Am Going to Read Uncle Tom's Cabin

Because Rose keeps reading me excerpts ... and they all seem so very familiar, so modern, and can be applied far beyond Stowe's concern with slavery. Certainly, they go far beyond my previous exposure to the book which was the play that is put on in The King and I.

"I'm not going to have any of your horrid New England directness, cousin," said St. Claire, gayly. "If I answer that question, I know you'll be at me with half a dozen others, each one harder than the last; and I'm not a going to define my position. I am one of the sort that lives by throwing stones at other people's glass houses, but I never mean to put up one for them to stone."

"That's just the way he's always talking," said Marie; "you can't get any satisfaction out of him. I believe it's just because he don't like religion, that he's always running out in this way he's been doing."

"Religion!" said St. Clare, in a tone that made both ladies look at him. "Religion! Is what you hear at church religion? Is that which can bend and turn, and descend and ascend, to fit every crooked phase of selfish, worldly society, religion? Is that religion which is less scrupulous, less generous, less just, less considerate for man, than even my own ungodly, worldly, blinded nature? No! When I look for a religion, I must look for something above me, and not something beneath."

-----------------

Who does not know how our great men are outdoing themselves, in declaiming against the foreign slave-trade? There are a perfect host of Clarksons and Wilberforces risen up among us on that subject, most edifying to hear and behold. Trading Negroes from Africa, dear reader, is so horrid. It is not to be though of! But trading them from Kentucky — that's quite another thing!

-----------------

"... It's pretty generally understood that men don't aspire after the absolute right, but only to do about as well as the rest of the world. Now, when any one speaks up, like a man, and says slavery is necessary to us, we can't get along without it, we should be beggared if we give it up, and, of course, we mean to hold on to it — this is strong, clear, well-defined language; it has the respectability of truth to it; and if we may judge by their practice, the majority of the world will bear us out in it. But when he begins to put on a long face, and snuffle, and quote Scripture, I incline to think he isn't much better than he should be."

"You are very uncharitable," said Marie.

"Well," said St. Clare, "suppose that something should bring down the price of cotton once and forever, and make the whole slave property a drug in the market, don't you think we should soon have another version of the Scripture doctrine? What a flood of light would pour into the church, all at once, and how immediately it would be discovered that everything in the Bible and reason went the other way!"

The Baltimore Catechism

Love is purified, increased and perfected by suffering. This means not only bodily pain, but crosses of all kinds. God sends everyone all the sufferings they need on earth to cleanse, strengthen, and perfect their love. But most people waste their sufferings. They do not want them, complain about them and try to escape them in every manner possible, even by committing sin. (Baltimore Catechism No. 2 p. 90)

Our priest quotes the Baltimore Catechism quite often, always saying that there "is a lot of good stuff in there." I have begun thinking that I need to lay my hands on a copy and start reading. Then, after seeing the above quote, in a very good post by mum2twelve (yes, go read it!) my desire was solidified into decision. This sort of thing is too good to miss or just have doled out by others. I must obtain a copy and mine these treasures for myself.

I didn't expect to see so many versions though. Any advice? This is the version that looks most likely to me: Baltimore Catechism and Mass No. 3: The Text of the Official Revised Edition 1949 with Summarizations of Doctrine and Study Helps.

Get Your Mensa Hats On

Here's one for the numbers people ...

Our corner grocery prices its food according to the owner's whim. An apple costs 41¢, squash costs 48¢, and a zucchini costs 65¢. According to this system, how much will a tomato cost?

INVISI-SCRIPT ANSWER

51¢ (consonants are worth 7¢; vowels are worth 10¢)

Are They Just Toying With Me?

Moseying back over to the Catholic Blog Awards to see how everyone was doing, I was astounded to see that the Best Blog by a Woman voting was back up ...

... and Y'ALL!

Amy Welborn ... 33.1%
Happy Catholic ... 30.3%

I'm pretty sure this is a dream and when I wake up it will all be back to corrupted data again. But what a nice dream.

Just in case I'm actually awake ... GO VOTE!

An Honor to be Nominated ...

... never had as much meaning as it does now that the Best Blog by a Woman category is closed because the data was corrupted.

I was already over the moon because of the nomination.

And flying even higher because I was within 10 percentage points of Amy Welborn on Saturday. Now that is a real miracle and a real testimony to y'all as dedicated voters which I appreciate so much you don't know.

Now, let me exhort all to vote in Most Informative Blog ... which I must admit I think is an odd category for me to be in but ... what the heck. Who am I to question the nomination? I'm just gonna kiss the egg and go vote!

UPDATE
For all those who had ideas about how to improve the blog awards, and I saw some good ones out there (yes, Elena, I'm talking to you!), Josh has opened a forum for ideas which I think is an excellent idea.

In other news, a forum for the Catholic blog awards has been opened so that we can figure out a way to make them better for next year. One of the rules, however, will be that all suggestions be given in a spirit of charity and good will.

Knit But Not Wit!

I go in and out of knitting frenzies and can tell that I just now am getting ready to launch another. Mostly because I am done knitting that darned poncho (after knitting it once at about triple the size needed!). It was pretty short when I got done but after a good dunking and wet blocking when I PULLED it into shape ... it now looks as if it is drying in an acceptable length. Because this one is GONNA WORK! Or else!

I have never knit socks and for some reason am just dying to knit a pair ... double pointed needles and all! Preferably a striped pair (but I am thinking that would make it way too difficult so will stick to just getting through a pair of them). I have to swing by the yarn store for the double pointed needles and to get advice on the best sort of yarn and then can embark on this new adventure.

Also, I just LOVE knitting cables and want something that won't blow my brain (as I am afraid that the socks will do) so am going to begin knitting a cable sampler scarf.

It is very exciting to be picking out new yarn and looking at patterns.

The problem is that I have knit for years but never anything that was too difficult. So I am starting to ramp up and find challenges which is easy because knitting is so popular now. Before you'd have to struggle just to find patterns sometimes. It's crazy to see how many publications, fun yarns, etc. are out now.

I remember the teacher of a knitting class that I took long, long ago, said that there are two sorts of knitters. Those who give it all away and those who keep it. I give it all away. Not sure why. I just do.

I picked up a copy of Knit.1 which the girls just love. Rose is getting ready to embark on a new knitting adventure because a black sweater with a skull and crossbones on it caught her eye ... and tickled her funny bone. It would be her first venture into knitting something other than scarves or hats so would be challenging. She also was tickled by the interview with a screamo musician who crochets all his own beanie hats. Once on tour it was very cold and when wandering through the nearby Walmart looking for blankets one of the band's guitarists saw yarn and said that they should just make stuff to keep them warm. The guitarist bought a how-to knitting book, needles, and yarn while the subject of the interview bought the same for crochet. And he still crochets to this day. A great story.

I also picked up a copy of Cast On magazine which is the publication of The Knitting Guild Association. The publication had some very good basic articles about several subjects and I liked more of the patterns than I usually would from a knitting magazine. Also the organization sounded interesting with correspondence courses available. Has anyone got any experience with this group?

Greatness of Soul

Greatness of soul proves itself also in a willingness to forgive, in matters large and small, whether it be people close to us in our lives or far from us. It is not Christian to go about the world with a list of grievances in one's heart, cherishing rancorous thoughts and memories that shrink the spirit and make us incapable of the human and divine ideals to which our Lord is calling us. In the same way that God is always ready to forgive everyone everything, our capacity to forgive must have no limits. The number of times does not matter. The seriousness of the wrongs done is irrelevant, as is the status of the persons who were supposedly guilty of the offences. Nothing makes us like unto God so much as being always ready to forgive (St. John Chrysostom). On the Cross, Jesus did what he had taught: Father, forgive them, he prayed. And immediately he added the mitigating reason: for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34). those words show the greatness of soul of Christ's sacred Humanity.

In Conversation with God: Ordinary Time, Weeks 13-23)

I inadvertently kept reading yesterday and wound up on the commentary for Year C which gave me a wonderful reminder of how I am to be.

And why is it that we must so constantly be reminded of this? Why is it so easy to forget? It occurs to me that this is one of those times when it is better to be like a little child, as Jesus told us. Little children forgive readily and then forget all. It is only later that they learn to remember, hold grudges, and count the number of offenses.

That must be why the saints are ... well ... saints. We have example after example of times when they do not even take offense in the first place. They have achieved that desired state of being like a little child. God grant that I may be able to do the same someday.

We Are Now a Four Cell Phone Family

And this is kinda freakin' out Tom and me.

We always looked at those television ads for family calling plans and scoffed at the people who had all those cell phones. One more time, "never say never."

I have a cell phone which I rarely turn on but we've had it for years since the days when Hannah and Rose were altar servers. We wouldn't know exactly when to pick them up from serving weddings or funerals and ... what the heck, we traveled enough to think it was a good idea to have a cell phone for emergencies. Right? So that was the family cell phone with minutes bought only as we needed them.

Then Tom got one because he was out of the office enough traveling with his father's illness, visiting his mother often after his dad's death, press checks, meetings, etc. Face it, when you're a three-person office, you have to be able to get in touch with the main guy sometimes. So there you go.

Hannah began driving about month and a half ago. 'Nuff said there. Now if we could only get her to remember to always leave it on and turn the ringer back on. But that is par for the course.

And Rose? Why does she have a cell phone?

We bought a phone for Hannah but for some reason the system kept saying that they didn't have any phone numbers to give out. After two days of that Tom got exasperated and went out and got a different phone that had proprietary phone numbers and was able to start right away.

So then we had that extra phone but it had only been about $20. We meant to return it but kept forgetting. And then this weekend, Rose spent most of the day with friends at the movies and the mall. She refused my phone saying that friends would have cell phones. Except that she wrote the number down illegibly. And a different friend's father called who needed to get in touch with his child whose phone battery had run down. And Hannah had dropped them off but we had never been to this mall ... and got lost on the way there. And so on and so forth.

Rose, who was the only person in the entire family who really cared if she had a cell phone ... is now thrilled. Enough time had gone by that phone numbers were plentiful and Tom gave her that little phone. Now all we have to do is call her on it to make her happiness complete.

And we are one of those families where everyone is connected ... as long as Hannah and I each remember to turn ours on.

The only consolation is that we still only have one television. Using the roof antenna for reception. In the back room of the house. Which is only on when someone is watching something.

We're not going to talk about the two VCRs and DVD player. The three computers. The three iPods and a Shuffle. The scanner. The wireless connection. Or the four cell phones.

4th Sunday of Saint Joseph

Presentation in the Temple

JOYS AND SORROWS - I

To think about the life of Saint Joseph is to discover a life full of joys and sorrows. the Lord teaches us through the life of the Holy Patriarch that true happiness is never far from the Cross. If we bear that suffering and trial with supernatural spirit, we will soon be rewarded with clarity and peace. With Christ at our side, sorrows turn into joys.

[First Sorrow and Joy]

When Mary his mother had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. (Matt 1:18) Joseph ... loved Mary with a pure and deep human love. Yet he felt obliged by his upright conscience to follow the Mosaic law in this regrettable situation. In order to protect Mary from public shame, Joseph decided to put her aside privately. This was a most painful test for both Joseph and Mary.

Just as his sorrow was great, so was Joseph's joy immeasurable when at last he was shown the ways of God's Providence ...

We can learn from Joseph's first sorrow and joy that the Lord will always enlighten those who seek him with a clean heart. God's light can shine through the most perplexing situations imaginable.

[Second Sorrow and Joy]

And it came to pass while they were there, that the days for her to be delivered were fulfilled. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger... (Luke 2:6-7)

We can imagine Joseph going from door to door in search of shelter and hospitality for his pregnant wife ... What must this terrible experience have been like for Saint Joseph? What were his feelings at the sight of his weary wife, her clothing travel-stained and every feature proclaiming her utter exhaustion? ...

All of this anxiety and suffering was quickly forgotten from the moment Mary held the Son of God in her arms. Saint Joseph realized that the Son of God was now his son as well. He kissed and worshipped him...

This alternating sorrow and joy should teach us that serving God is worth the effort, even though we will encounter difficulties, and perhaps poverty and pain.

[Third Sorrow and Joy]

And when eight days were fulfilled for his circumcision, his name was called Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. (Luke 2:21) ... The actual ceremony was sometimes performed by the father.

... The name Jesus means Savior; it had been chosen by God himself and communicated through the message of the angel ... It was the desire of the Holy Trinity that the Son should commence his salvific mission on earth in suffering. It would seem fitting that Joseph was the one to inaugurate the mystery of the Redemption by shedding the first drops of his Son's holy blood. This blood would yield its full effect in the awful context of the Passion. The Child who cried upon the receipt of his name had thereupon begun his work of salvation.

Saint Joseph ... was well versed in the Scriptures and he knew, if only in an imperfect way, that there would come a day when his Son would have to shed his blood even to the last drop. Joseph was filled with joy to carry the child in his arms and call him Jesus ...

[Fourth Sorrow and Joy]

And when the days of her purification were fulfilled according to the Law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. (Luke 2:22) ... When Joseph heard the prophecy of Simeon, surely a sword must have pierced his heart as well.

On that day in the Temple Joseph and Mary were given a more profound insight into the mystery of the Redemption which their Son would bring to completion. Saint Joseph was now able to understand a little better. He made this suffering his own...

Alongside this pain there was, of course, the joy of the impending universal redemption.

In Conversation with God, Vol. 6: Special Feasts: January to June

Are We There Yet?

No, mon, not yet.

You still got to kiss the egg ...
vote for this little Jamaican bobsled in
Best Blog by a Woman and
Most Informative Blog categories.

You can vote once every 24 hours.

Let's show those Swiss what we're made of!

My All Time Favorite Super Bowl Commercial

Still as funny as when I first saw it. Via The View from the Foothills.

On the Flip Side: Another Top 5 List

Switching around from yesterday, this was a tougher category somehow.

Top 5 Movies with Dramatic Actors in Comedic Roles

1. Dustin Hoffman - Tootsie
2. Tommy Lee Jones - Men in Black
3. Sigorney Weaver - Galaxy Quest
4. Jack Nicholson - Mars Attack
5. Mel Gibson - What Women Want

So c'mon. Drop those lists in the comments box.

A Day (or Two) Late ...

... and probably more than a dollar short. But I couldn't get Blogger to work yesterday afternoon when I came into possession of these graphics. And I hate to see them go to waste.

The story is practically dead but these make me laugh anyway so here they are. (Click on photos for larger view.)

Seen all over the blogosphere.

Thanks to Bill for sending me this one!

Damn Straight!

If Catholic bloggers complain about their awards now, one can only imagine what it's gonna be like at the General Judgement. Sheesh, hope St. Peter's got big ear plugs. And, one is afraid to imagine what kind of witness they are providing in the mean time; mean being the byword.

luminous miseries

I see some people who are having fun with the Catholic Blog Awards ... and some who aren't, which is a crying shame considering that we are all Catholic. Perhaps these awards are good on a second level as a annual litmus test for our own humility.

Anyway, enough heavy thoughts about all that.

Der Tomissar is totally hilarious with this whole thing.

College Catholic weighs in on the whole Catholic blog awards subject with great wit.

And Rick Lugari came back from his blogging hiatus to make me laugh out loud with his endorsements. I was especially touched by our Holy Father's endorsement of Happy Catholic. Go check it out, y'all!

Let's not forget that this is taking up precious bandwidth for cybercatholics.com. If you feel so moved, please note the Paypal link at the top of the awards page where you can help with the costs.

Now, don't go have so much fun that everyone forgets to kiss the egg! C'mon. You can vote once every 24 hours ... so what are you waiting for? Help this little Jamaican bobsled make a decent showing in the Best Blog by a Woman and Most Informative Blog categories. Go vote!

Are We Brave Enough to Ask for Humility?

If we want to build up our Christian life we must have a great desire of developing in ourselves the virtue of humility, pleading with Our Lord for it and facing up to our subterfuges and failings in this area while trying by our actions to root our self-love. Humility produces countless fruits and is linked with all the other virtues. It is associated in a special way with cheerfulness, fortitude, chastity, sincerity, simplicity, affability, and magnamity. A humble person has a special gift for friendship and, because of this, for being apostolic. Without humility there is no chance of living a life full of charity, the theological virtue prerequisite for being an apostle and a friend.

To become more humble, we have to be ready to accept the humiliation of finding victory elusive in our struggle to conquer our defects, and of being reminded of our weaknesses day by day. Often when we examine our conscience, especially on those occasions when we can do it more thoroughly, we can ask questions like these: have I managed to offer Our Lord in expiation the very sorrow I feel for having offended him so many times? Have I offered him the shame of all my inner embarrassment and humiliation at seeing how little progress I make along the path of virtue? (J. Escriva, The Forge) Then there are the humiliations inflicted on us by others — the ones we were not expecting or the ones that seem unfair or downright unjust. Do we bear these well for Our Lord's sake?

If we are searching for the firm rock of Our Lord's own humility in order to build on it, we are bound to find countless opportunities every day. We can try talking about ourselves only when it is really necessary — and not so much even then. We can be grateful for the little good turns people do for us. Keeping in mind that we deserve nothing, we can thank God for the countless benefits we receive. We can decide to make the world a more pleasant place for those who come in contact with us throughout the day. And what about those useless thoughts that revolve around ourselves? They can be cut off at the start. We should not miss any chance of lending a hand at home with the family, or at work, or anywhere else we may be. Instead of trying to be too independent we can allow ourselves to be helped, or we can ask for advice. If we are very sincere with ourselves we shall ask Our Lord to stop us finding excuses to explain away our sins and failings, those things that humiliate us and for which we sometimes have to ask other people's forgiveness. All of this is done with God's help and with the help of spiritual direction, which is only another way of coming into contact with him.

Fixing our gaze on Christ, we can have enough humility to admit our mistakes and set about putting them right...

In Conversation with God: Ordinary Time, Weeks 13-23)

Guilty as charged.

Part of my problem is that when I ask for humility, knowing that it is so very good for me, the Lord answers practically instantly. And humility is not easy to bear. It hurts. It stings. It cuts deep and can be hard to forget.

Of course, the goal is to get to where we can offer it to God and not mind at all. I am quite a long way away from achieving that goal which means that I have to ask for humility all the more. But because it hurts, that calls for courage ... or, as I often must do, for asking God to forgive my fear of the very thing I am asking for. The only thing that makes it possible for me to want such a thing is that I have been there before and seen the fruit it bears and the good it does me. Which helps make me brave.

Lord, keep us close to you. Make us humble. Amen.

Comic Actors in Dramatic Roles

Listening to the most recent installment of a favorite movie review podcast (occasional bad language warning for those who care ), I loved their Top 5 list idea this week. So I'm stealing it.

Top 5 Movies with Comedic Actors in Dramatic Roles

1. Bill Murray - Lost In Translation
2. Tom Hanks - Apollo 13
   
3. Jim Carrey - The Truman Show
4. Adam Sandler - Spanglish
5. Robin Williams - Good Morning, Vietnam

Honorable Mentions

1. Steve Martin - The Spanish Prisoner
2. Michael Keaton - Batman

A Couple of Good Causes

FUNDRAISING FOR POOR CLARES
Get the scoop at To Jesus Through Mary. Via Moneybags.

BRING CATHOLIC RADIO TO NORTH TEXAS
Answer the poll in the top right hand corner at Guadalupe Radio Network.