On the road to visit my parents ... with limited internet access.
Emails and comments will be answered, just not very quickly.
Emails and comments will be answered, just not very quickly.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Superhero Highlight: The Drossinator
Continuing the stories of superheroes devised by Hannah and Jenny (more about that can be found here as well as the first description).
Power: Has the power to transport the contents of ANY garbage can into ANY other garbage can
Back-story: The Drossinator, an avid stamp collector, had been perusing his stamp collection until the wee hours of the morning. He had become so enveloped in this hobby that he had completely forgotten to take the trash out that night. At next dawn, he realized his grievous error and tried to make amends as quickly as possible. Even with the sky darkened by clouds, then lit up by bolts of electricity, The Drossinator was determined to finish his chores; for otherwise, he would not be allowed to attend the cotillion. Dragging the garbage can, more than half way to the curb, disaster struck… in the form of LIGHTNING! The can was burnt to bits, and The Drossinator thrown to the ground. When he arose he discovered the most peculiar of talents. Somehow, the electricity surging through his body enabled him to teleport objects from a garbage can, to another garbage can. He used his newfound power to play pranks on his fourth-form chums: having them hold trashcans in front of their faces while he threw banana cream pies into other trashcans. His schoolmates, however, were a bit daft and never caught on; thus, this lark of his remained hilarious for many years, without ever getting old. Sadly, he spent his school days on tomfoolery, meaning that he was unprepared for university. Instead, he became a garbage man, realizing that he was the best man for the job.
Cover: Mild-mannered garbage man (and a handsome garbage man at that).
Cover name: Gomer Grasscutter
Partner: Hunky McDreamboat
Introduction to partner: The Drossinator began the morning like any other, collecting garbage from the local neighborhoods. It all seemed quite mundane, when suddenly The Drossinator spied a golden Adonis in his rearview mirror, running after his truck. Taken aback with this young man’s extraordinary good looks and charm, The Drossinator slowed his vehicle. Realizing that the princely young man had been chasing him with a garbage can, The Drossinator seized this opportunity to do good as well as impress this noble lad and used his powers to transport the garbage into his truck. Afterwards, the two went jogging and became firm friends. Realizing that their powers were basically complimentary (the transportation of garbage and extraordinary charm), they had no choice but to join forces and move into a flat together. The Drossinator and Hunky McDreamboat have been inseparable ever since.
Archnemesis: Hoborella, because she is always setting his trash cans on fire.
==========
Next superhero feature coming: Hoborella.
The Drossinator
Power: Has the power to transport the contents of ANY garbage can into ANY other garbage canBack-story: The Drossinator, an avid stamp collector, had been perusing his stamp collection until the wee hours of the morning. He had become so enveloped in this hobby that he had completely forgotten to take the trash out that night. At next dawn, he realized his grievous error and tried to make amends as quickly as possible. Even with the sky darkened by clouds, then lit up by bolts of electricity, The Drossinator was determined to finish his chores; for otherwise, he would not be allowed to attend the cotillion. Dragging the garbage can, more than half way to the curb, disaster struck… in the form of LIGHTNING! The can was burnt to bits, and The Drossinator thrown to the ground. When he arose he discovered the most peculiar of talents. Somehow, the electricity surging through his body enabled him to teleport objects from a garbage can, to another garbage can. He used his newfound power to play pranks on his fourth-form chums: having them hold trashcans in front of their faces while he threw banana cream pies into other trashcans. His schoolmates, however, were a bit daft and never caught on; thus, this lark of his remained hilarious for many years, without ever getting old. Sadly, he spent his school days on tomfoolery, meaning that he was unprepared for university. Instead, he became a garbage man, realizing that he was the best man for the job.
Cover: Mild-mannered garbage man (and a handsome garbage man at that).
Cover name: Gomer Grasscutter
Partner: Hunky McDreamboat
Introduction to partner: The Drossinator began the morning like any other, collecting garbage from the local neighborhoods. It all seemed quite mundane, when suddenly The Drossinator spied a golden Adonis in his rearview mirror, running after his truck. Taken aback with this young man’s extraordinary good looks and charm, The Drossinator slowed his vehicle. Realizing that the princely young man had been chasing him with a garbage can, The Drossinator seized this opportunity to do good as well as impress this noble lad and used his powers to transport the garbage into his truck. Afterwards, the two went jogging and became firm friends. Realizing that their powers were basically complimentary (the transportation of garbage and extraordinary charm), they had no choice but to join forces and move into a flat together. The Drossinator and Hunky McDreamboat have been inseparable ever since.
Archnemesis: Hoborella, because she is always setting his trash cans on fire.
==========
Next superhero feature coming: Hoborella.
Prayer Request
My father has been quite ill and is now in the cardiac area of the hospital. When he is released in the next couple of days he will be moved to a specialized care facility. If he gets better there he can go back home. Prayers for his health would be much appreciated.
Our family is very indebted to my parents' good friend, Jeannie, who was able to bully my father into going to the emergency room when none of us could prevail. Where would we be without good friends?
Our family is very indebted to my parents' good friend, Jeannie, who was able to bully my father into going to the emergency room when none of us could prevail. Where would we be without good friends?
In Their Own Words: Pope Benedict XVI and Padre Pio
Questions and Answers
by Pope Benedict XVI
by Pope Benedict XVI
The next question dedicated to the family was made by the parish priest of St. Sylvia. Here, I cannot but fully agree. Furthermore, during the ad limina visits I always speak to bishops about the family, threatened throughout the world in various ways.If you ever wanted to ask the pope a question about modern life and living your faith, the chances are that someone already has done it for you. In this book, edited by Michael Dubruiel, we have a collection of questions presented to the pope from 2005 to 2007 by such various groups ranging from children making their first communion and priests from around Italy. In addition to such interesting bits of information as unexpectedly surface in the excerpt above, we see Pope Benedict's considerable range of thinking and ability to link disparate topics into an informative whole.
The family is threatened in Africa because it is difficult to find the way from "traditional marriage" to "religious marriage," because there is a fear of finality.
Whereas in the West the fear of the child is caused by the fear of losing some part of life, in Africa it is the opposite. Until it is certain that the wife will also bear children, no on dares to enter marriage definitively. Therefore, the number of religious marriages remains relatively small, and even many "good" Christians with an excellent desire to be Christians do not take that final step....
We also are given food for thought should we care to consider it. For example, in the sample above it is likely that this African view of marriage is quite new to those of us who thought that we already knew all about how marriage was threatened around the world. We are reminded of the scope and range necessary for the universal Church to minister to all of us. We also may ponder the desire of people to control their lives and how it leads to limiting the lives of others, whether marriage partners in Africa or denying children life as happens in the Western world.
The answers are unglossed. When a very complicated question was posed which assumed that the answer was known to all, thereby essentially serving as a statement rather than a question, it filled me with glee to see Pope Benedict answer briefly that he didn't understand the question ... and then make a kindly general statement about the overall topic. Quite often he then goes on to answer the next question by someone else with a comprehensive answer that covers the previous question as well as the most recent one.
Highly recommended.
Words of Light
Inspiration from the letters of Padre Pio
Compiled and introduced by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa [preacher to the papal household]
Inspiration from the letters of Padre Pio
Compiled and introduced by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa [preacher to the papal household]
22 Besides the trial of Spiritual fears and agitations, with just a whiff of desolation, Jesus adds that long and varied trial of physical malaise, using to this end those horrible Cossaks.I actually had imagined that this book would be a series of complete letters. Instead, we have excerpts from letters. The above sampling is one of the lengthier sections. They are grouped by subject such as "I pray continually" and "I do not wish to ever offend God again." The sections are preceded by a brief commentary from Fr. Cantalamessa which helps put them in context for our contemplation. These excerpts are good for insight into Padre Pio's inner life and also as food for meditation. It is not quite the sort of book that I am attracted to yet I still got a great deal of good from it. It would certainly be a useful book for lectio divina or other contemplative prayer. If you are seeking a book that has concentrated samples of this mystic's life and experiences in Christ then it is definitely recommended.
Listen to what I had to suffer a few evenings ago from those impure apostates. The night was already advanced; they began their assault with a dreadful noise, and although I saw nothing at the beginning, I understood who was producing this very strange noise; and rather than becoming frightened I prepared myself for the fight by placing a mocking smile on my lips for them. then they appeared under the most abominable forms, and to entice me to lose my resolve they began to treat me courteously. But, thanks be to Heaven, I told them off good and proper, treating them for what they were. When they saw that their efforts were coming to nothing, they hurled themselves at me, they threw me on the ground and struck me again and again, launching pillows, books, chairs into the air, at the same time emitting desperate shrieks and uttering extremely dirty words. Luckily the rooms on either side of where I am, and also those below, are not being used.
I complained to my Guardian Angel about this, who, after having preached a nice little homily to me, added, "Give thanks to Jesus, that he treats you as one chosen to follow him closely up the steep slope of Calvary. I see, soul entrusted to my care by Jesus, with joy and emotion inside me, Jesus' conduct towards you. Do you think that you would be so happy, if you weren't so worn out? I, who in holy charity greatly desire what is best for you, rejoice ever more deeply to see you in this state. Jesus permits the devil these assaults, so that your devotion might make you dear to him, and he wants you to become like him during the anguish in the desert, the garden and the cross. Defend yourself, always drive off these malign insinuations and scorn them; and where your strength is of no use, do not worry, delight of my heart, I am close to you!"From the section "Satan is a powerful enemy"
Monday, April 14, 2008
Worth a Thousand Words
Max Leibermann, Mein Haus in Wannsee, mit Garten, 1926Fouund at artnet Magazine; click through on the link for more.
Superhero Highlight: H2WHOA!
Continuing the stories of superheroes devised by Hannah and Jenny (more about that can be found here as well as the first description).
Power: Ability to make water taste bad, like seriously
Back-story: H2Whoa! spent his days waiting tables at a local delicatessen, and thoroughly enjoyed his work, with ONE exception. There was a rather rowdy crowd of ne’er-do-wells who frequented said establishment and ordered naught but water and complimentary bread sticks. H2Whoa! constantly searched for a means of retribution, but his efforts proved fruitless. But it turns out H2Whoa!’s parents were both superheroes, although his own powers had not yet surfaced. On the eve of his seventeenth birthday, however, when it seemed his powers would NEVER come, he picked up a glass of water, saw it start to bubble, but decided to drink it anyway. It tasted HORRIBLE, and he knew that he had a responsibility to use powers well. So H2Whoa! headed straight to the restaurant to exact revenge upon the crowd of cheapskates. It was 3am when he arrived, so he had to wait for several hours, but the payoff was sweet, or more like HORRIBLE TASTING! The no-good group of troublemakers were all served terrible water along with their still-delicious bread sticks. They left with the atrocious aftertaste of justice in their mouths, never to return. However, they also spread word around town of the sub-par service they received and the restaurant went out of business within the year. But it was so worth it. Now H2Whoa! uses his powers to poorly serve only the lowest of the low, the most dreadful of criminals.
Cover: Mild-mannered waiter (and a handsome waiter at that)
Cover name: Wilbur Walterson
Partner: The Klutz
Introduction to partner: While waiting tables one evening, he noticed with despair that some of this more rowdy patrons had left their tables, with no sign that they would return. They had been one of the rudest and demanding tables that H2Whoa! had ever served, and to now see them shirking their responsibilities as restaurant goers by sticking their server with the cost of their food was simply disheartening. “What has happened to the world today, is there nothing good and moral anymore?” he thought to himself. At that moment, he saw his rambunctious patrons fly through the air and lie squarely on the ground. H2Whoa wondered what had caused this fortuitous turn of events to find that the work was none other than that of The Klutz, the clumsiest and most ass-kickin’ superhero in the world (and a gorgeous superhero at that).She had stopped the “dine and ditch” attempt presented before her, and in doing so, helped H2Whoa immensely. In his gratitude and amazement, he proposed that the two join forces and fight crime together. The Klutz agreed, and they became a very powerful duo, until, of course, they added another hero to their team, this hero of course being Ramen Girl.
Archnemesis: H2No, his evil twin who makes water disappear
===============
Next up: The Drossinator
H2WHOA!
Power: Ability to make water taste bad, like seriouslyBack-story: H2Whoa! spent his days waiting tables at a local delicatessen, and thoroughly enjoyed his work, with ONE exception. There was a rather rowdy crowd of ne’er-do-wells who frequented said establishment and ordered naught but water and complimentary bread sticks. H2Whoa! constantly searched for a means of retribution, but his efforts proved fruitless. But it turns out H2Whoa!’s parents were both superheroes, although his own powers had not yet surfaced. On the eve of his seventeenth birthday, however, when it seemed his powers would NEVER come, he picked up a glass of water, saw it start to bubble, but decided to drink it anyway. It tasted HORRIBLE, and he knew that he had a responsibility to use powers well. So H2Whoa! headed straight to the restaurant to exact revenge upon the crowd of cheapskates. It was 3am when he arrived, so he had to wait for several hours, but the payoff was sweet, or more like HORRIBLE TASTING! The no-good group of troublemakers were all served terrible water along with their still-delicious bread sticks. They left with the atrocious aftertaste of justice in their mouths, never to return. However, they also spread word around town of the sub-par service they received and the restaurant went out of business within the year. But it was so worth it. Now H2Whoa! uses his powers to poorly serve only the lowest of the low, the most dreadful of criminals.
Cover: Mild-mannered waiter (and a handsome waiter at that)
Cover name: Wilbur Walterson
Partner: The Klutz
Introduction to partner: While waiting tables one evening, he noticed with despair that some of this more rowdy patrons had left their tables, with no sign that they would return. They had been one of the rudest and demanding tables that H2Whoa! had ever served, and to now see them shirking their responsibilities as restaurant goers by sticking their server with the cost of their food was simply disheartening. “What has happened to the world today, is there nothing good and moral anymore?” he thought to himself. At that moment, he saw his rambunctious patrons fly through the air and lie squarely on the ground. H2Whoa wondered what had caused this fortuitous turn of events to find that the work was none other than that of The Klutz, the clumsiest and most ass-kickin’ superhero in the world (and a gorgeous superhero at that).She had stopped the “dine and ditch” attempt presented before her, and in doing so, helped H2Whoa immensely. In his gratitude and amazement, he proposed that the two join forces and fight crime together. The Klutz agreed, and they became a very powerful duo, until, of course, they added another hero to their team, this hero of course being Ramen Girl.
Archnemesis: H2No, his evil twin who makes water disappear
===============
Next up: The Drossinator
Why Do We Need Apologetics?
This weekend I was listening to a podcast where the speaker said that she wasn't a fan of C.S. Lewis' nonfiction writing because she didn't think apologetics were necessary.
Now, some of this can be explained by the fact that this person is a young woman who perhaps has not come across some of the obstacles that the rest of us have encountered in our search for Truth. Perhaps, as happens with many of us, she has encountered apologetics as an excuse to bludgeon the other person with your own beliefs, although her comment doesn't indicate that.
However, I think this is a common enough objection that I thought I'd just post a couple of my thoughts on it. First of all, just because something is true doesn't mean that we don't need someone to explain it. Mathematics, physics, and foreign languages are all true, but they are much easier to understand and apply when we are helped along by a good instructor.
We have a sterling example given to us in the Acts of the Apostles.
My own personal experience, as any regular readers will know, is that my siblings and I knew about Christianity and Jesus only as it was presented through secular culture, as we were raised by atheists. Our main exposure to faith came through Ben Hur, The Ten Commandments, and such movies shown at Easter on television. Had not we been exposed to more indepth explanations of Christianity on some level then we would have been left believing the misconceptions and outright lies that secular culture tells as truth.
As I am discovering, my father is probably not actually an atheist as much as he is a hater of Christians and disbeliever in Jesus Christ. That was made abundantly clear during a conversation I had with him recently. I had to practice apologetics in defending the idea of a personal God of love, especially as made manifest to us in the person of Jesus Christ, when he told me that it was supremely arrogant of people to think that the God who created the universe thought of us as anything more than ants. (I have to say that taking on Happy Catholic using The History Channel as your defense is not very wise ... though I was as loving about it as I could be, it still came down to having to talk about a "personal relationship with God." If you think that wasn't hard, well, think again.) This is simply one of many possible scenarios where one can see that a reasoned, and non-hostile, defense of one's faith can be quite necessary simply to give the Truth a chance to shine upon others.
My own policy is to wait until someone comes to me with a question unless I find that there is a misconception being passed along, usually innocently as was the case when a mention of Catholics "worshiping" saints came up during CraftLit's coverage of Frankenstein. (You find chances to enlighten in the oddest places sometimes!) Much of the time, as with Heather, the person is happy to receive the explanations.
The other use I can make of Lewis' books and one of which I hope this young woman will avail herself later in life when needed, is that his writing turns the mirror upon us when we read it. Every time I read one of his books I see another truth about something I should be considering in my own life of faith. He is supremely insightful in a very simple way that is not condescending.
Something that we all should remember when defending the faith is to do so in a spirit of charity and not to try to win. We personally can do nothing to move men's hearts if they will not let us and, ultimately, it is not us at all anyway. The increase is God's alone though we may be his instruments.
A book that I would highly recommend about apologetics is How Not to Share Your Faith: The Seven Deadly Sins of Catholic Apologetics and Evangelization. I thought I had posted a review, but actually see that I had a series of excerpts. You may read those here:
"I am against the idea of Christian apologetics anyway because if Christ is true then why do you have to explain him?"For those who haven't come across this term before, apologetics quite simply is a systematic defense of something.
Now, some of this can be explained by the fact that this person is a young woman who perhaps has not come across some of the obstacles that the rest of us have encountered in our search for Truth. Perhaps, as happens with many of us, she has encountered apologetics as an excuse to bludgeon the other person with your own beliefs, although her comment doesn't indicate that.
However, I think this is a common enough objection that I thought I'd just post a couple of my thoughts on it. First of all, just because something is true doesn't mean that we don't need someone to explain it. Mathematics, physics, and foreign languages are all true, but they are much easier to understand and apply when we are helped along by a good instructor.
We have a sterling example given to us in the Acts of the Apostles.
Then the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, "Get up and head south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route."That is a case which might not strictly fit in with apologetics as a defense but is definitely consistent with explaining the faith, which would be the ultimate point of a defense. Certainly, that is more the way that I see C.S. Lewis' books about Christianity. I realize they probably were written more with a point than the one I see, but as Lewis himself was brought to believe in Jesus as Truth thanks to his friends' spirited defense of their faith, then one can see why he would want to pass on the favor. I tend to see his books as springing from much the same point as this blog ... being made so joyful by that Truth that one wishes to share it with as many people as possible.
So he got up and set out. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, that is, the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury, who had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning home. Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
The Spirit said to Philip, "Go and join up with that chariot."
Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
He replied, "How can I, unless someone instructs me?" So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him.
This was the scripture passage he was reading: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
In (his) humiliation justice was denied him. Who will tell of his posterity? For his life is taken from the earth."
Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply, "I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?"
Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this scripture passage, he proclaimed Jesus to him.
As they traveled along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look, there is water. What is to prevent my being baptized?"
Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and he baptized him.
When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but continued on his way rejoicing.Acts 8:27-39, New American Bible
My own personal experience, as any regular readers will know, is that my siblings and I knew about Christianity and Jesus only as it was presented through secular culture, as we were raised by atheists. Our main exposure to faith came through Ben Hur, The Ten Commandments, and such movies shown at Easter on television. Had not we been exposed to more indepth explanations of Christianity on some level then we would have been left believing the misconceptions and outright lies that secular culture tells as truth.
As I am discovering, my father is probably not actually an atheist as much as he is a hater of Christians and disbeliever in Jesus Christ. That was made abundantly clear during a conversation I had with him recently. I had to practice apologetics in defending the idea of a personal God of love, especially as made manifest to us in the person of Jesus Christ, when he told me that it was supremely arrogant of people to think that the God who created the universe thought of us as anything more than ants. (I have to say that taking on Happy Catholic using The History Channel as your defense is not very wise ... though I was as loving about it as I could be, it still came down to having to talk about a "personal relationship with God." If you think that wasn't hard, well, think again.) This is simply one of many possible scenarios where one can see that a reasoned, and non-hostile, defense of one's faith can be quite necessary simply to give the Truth a chance to shine upon others.
My own policy is to wait until someone comes to me with a question unless I find that there is a misconception being passed along, usually innocently as was the case when a mention of Catholics "worshiping" saints came up during CraftLit's coverage of Frankenstein. (You find chances to enlighten in the oddest places sometimes!) Much of the time, as with Heather, the person is happy to receive the explanations.
The other use I can make of Lewis' books and one of which I hope this young woman will avail herself later in life when needed, is that his writing turns the mirror upon us when we read it. Every time I read one of his books I see another truth about something I should be considering in my own life of faith. He is supremely insightful in a very simple way that is not condescending.
Something that we all should remember when defending the faith is to do so in a spirit of charity and not to try to win. We personally can do nothing to move men's hearts if they will not let us and, ultimately, it is not us at all anyway. The increase is God's alone though we may be his instruments.
A book that I would highly recommend about apologetics is How Not to Share Your Faith: The Seven Deadly Sins of Catholic Apologetics and Evangelization. I thought I had posted a review, but actually see that I had a series of excerpts. You may read those here:
- Make Disciples of All Nations: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Finis
- Faith and Contentiousness: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV
- Defending the Faith: Ecumenism
- Defending the Faith: Instructing the Ignorant
- Defending the Faith: Friendly Fire
- Defending the Faith: Trying to Win
- Defending the Faith: Dialogue, More Dialogue
Friday, April 11, 2008
Pope's Message to America - Updated
I like that the Pope is talking to all of us, not just the Catholics. Here is the Vatican site with the complete text of his message to us.
Check out this story from John Allen which looks at the pope's previous comments about America in different books and talks. Very interesting.
I am beginning to get emails with links to places keeping up with the Holy Father on his visit ... I'll list them below and update as info comes in:
- Pope 2008, being run by Tim Drake.
- Papal Visit 2008 News and Views, from Our Sunday Visitor, being run by John Norton, Russell Shaw, and Mary Deturris Poust
- Pope Benedict in the US, being run by BeliefNet.
- Benedictions, David Gibson's blog covering the Papal visit.
- Pope Benedict - USA - 2008, Marcel LeJeune's clearinghouse of links to info about the Papal visit. This is one big list!
- Papal Visit Coverage, a list from The Curt Jester
Reading Suggestions Requested
Now this is something that I know y'all can help with. A reader asks:
Ideas and suggestions?
I’m needing some suggestions for books for my 13-year-old son. He’s gone through Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, and now all of Tolkien. He really needs to get out of the fantasy genre and I’m not exactly willing to trust his English teacher on choices. I’ve found some of her suggestions contain language and situations that I don’t approve. I’m sure there must be other parents out there with the same problem.I am going to think about this question and have suggested that she check Semicolon's place for ideas as she is a dedicated reader and reviewer for younger readers.
My son is an advanced reader, but not an enthusiastic one. I did have him read “Night” by Elie Wiesel and he was quite moved by it. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Ideas and suggestions?
Superhero Highlight: Queen Bee
Continuing the stories of superheroes devised by Hannah and Jenny (more about that can be found here as well as the first description).
Power: Having bees follow her
Back-story: One morning, as the Queen Bee was walking to work, she decided to take the scenic route, as it was such a lovely day. Little did she suspect, however, that the field of wildflowers was no ordinary field of wildflowers. THIS field of wildflowers sat above an ancient INDIAN BURIAL GROUND! Naturally, the flowers it produced were extremely evil and magical. The unknowing bees fell victim to the flowers’ treachery, and upon harvesting the evil nectar, became EVIL THEMSELVES. Had the Queen Bee known this, she might have taken a different path, but as fate would have it, she walked through the wildflower field and was stung by a +2 queen bee! And as we all know, +2 queen bees transfer their life force to the recipient of their stings upon their deaths. Verily, The Queen Bee was endowed with the essence of queen beedom and was thereafter presumed by the bee colony to be their illustrious leader. Of course, The Queen Bee is not actually a bee and did not know how to communicate with her new unsolicited army of unholy minions. But despite the lack of communication between themselves and their supposed leader, the malevolent bees loyally followed their new master, awaiting instructions that they will not understand or receive.
Cover: Mild-mannered scrapbook store owner (and a gorgeous scrapbook store owner at that)
Cover name: Stephanie Snellson
Partner: Backwards Man
Introduction to partner: As a result of her new following, The Queen Bee was no longer able to traipse backwards, for fear of the dense cloud of wicked bees behind her. So when she saw Backwards Man involved in high-speed running of the backwards variety, her heart pounded, and she knew this must be her soul-mate. For weeks she observed him from afar and instructed her bees to follow him, which they did not do since they can’t understand her. Finally an opportunity to meet Backwards Man arose when, attempting in vain to walk forwards, he tripped. The Queen Bee gave him her hand to help him up, and her hand in marriage the very next day. The two have fought crime together as an unstoppable duo ever since.
Archnemesis: Karen Krousworth, a crotchety old scrapbooker who visited The Queen Bee’s establishment and was stung by a bee. They are now involved in a lengthy lawsuit.
===============
Next up: H2WHOA!
The Queen Bee
Power: Having bees follow herBack-story: One morning, as the Queen Bee was walking to work, she decided to take the scenic route, as it was such a lovely day. Little did she suspect, however, that the field of wildflowers was no ordinary field of wildflowers. THIS field of wildflowers sat above an ancient INDIAN BURIAL GROUND! Naturally, the flowers it produced were extremely evil and magical. The unknowing bees fell victim to the flowers’ treachery, and upon harvesting the evil nectar, became EVIL THEMSELVES. Had the Queen Bee known this, she might have taken a different path, but as fate would have it, she walked through the wildflower field and was stung by a +2 queen bee! And as we all know, +2 queen bees transfer their life force to the recipient of their stings upon their deaths. Verily, The Queen Bee was endowed with the essence of queen beedom and was thereafter presumed by the bee colony to be their illustrious leader. Of course, The Queen Bee is not actually a bee and did not know how to communicate with her new unsolicited army of unholy minions. But despite the lack of communication between themselves and their supposed leader, the malevolent bees loyally followed their new master, awaiting instructions that they will not understand or receive.
Cover: Mild-mannered scrapbook store owner (and a gorgeous scrapbook store owner at that)
Cover name: Stephanie Snellson
Partner: Backwards Man
Introduction to partner: As a result of her new following, The Queen Bee was no longer able to traipse backwards, for fear of the dense cloud of wicked bees behind her. So when she saw Backwards Man involved in high-speed running of the backwards variety, her heart pounded, and she knew this must be her soul-mate. For weeks she observed him from afar and instructed her bees to follow him, which they did not do since they can’t understand her. Finally an opportunity to meet Backwards Man arose when, attempting in vain to walk forwards, he tripped. The Queen Bee gave him her hand to help him up, and her hand in marriage the very next day. The two have fought crime together as an unstoppable duo ever since.
Archnemesis: Karen Krousworth, a crotchety old scrapbooker who visited The Queen Bee’s establishment and was stung by a bee. They are now involved in a lengthy lawsuit.
===============
Next up: H2WHOA!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Resume Makeovers for Job Hunters Over 50
Like other job hunters over 50, Ms. Diaforli figured she was running into the misconceptions that older workers are unproductive, set in their ways and likely to quit after a few years.This article seemed like a good idea and very useful with some resources listed at the end ... so I am passing it along. It may require free registration.
Then a friend suggested a makeover – or, more precisely, a résumé makeover.
Ms. Diaforli turned to the Senior Source's employment program, which helps workers 50 and older with job searches.
A counselor at the Dallas nonprofit agency helped make her résumé pop, throwing out wordy explanations of Ms. Diaforli's jobs and replacing them with snappy summaries of her accomplishments.
"The makeover worked wonders," she said. "I got an interview and then my receptionist's job."
Superhero Highlight: The Klutz
Hannah and her friend Jenny conceived of a sort of scavenger hunt where each person was a superhero. They then made up each of the superheroes' back stories, set up the hunt each had to go on to defeat their archnemesis, and oversaw the evening. People were showing up in superhero costumes ... it sounds like a lot of fun.
I enjoyed each of the heroes' descriptions so much that I'm going to share them with you a day at a time.
Power: Ability to fall over A LOT
Back-story: The Klutz, despite being a rather successful movie star (and a gorgeous movie star at that), continued to be a very foolish dresser. She often (always, actually) went out wearing a mismatched pair of shoes. This proved problematic to her balance, as The Klutz frequently wore one pump with one flat, or some such ridiculous pairing. Her downfall came when one of her plainer-looking understudies was overcome with the green-eyed monster of jealousy. Realizing that she could not rely on her looks to get anything but a role as an evil old woman, this understudy wisely invested her time in the study of witchcraft. First, she picked up four copies of Harry Potter, but upon the realization that these were not instructional books, returned them for the more informative series: Lord of the Rings. After many a movie marathon, she found a book that actually told her how to cast many various spells, but she could not concentrate very well because she was so distraught over Dumbledore’s fate. So the only spell she could master was one that would cement The Klutz’s mismatched shoes to her feet FOREVER. However, the understudy’s evil scheme backfired when The Klutz’s newfound prowess at falling proved useful in the world of crime-fighting: she tripped many a criminal on the run and thwarted many an evil plot in such a manner. Yes, The Klutz leads a blessed life.
Cover: Mild-mannered movie star
Cover name: Mildred McEntire
Partners: H2Whoa, Ramen Girl
Introduction to partner: The Klutz was ready to relax after a hard day’s film shoot by dining out one fine evening, when she spied CRIME AFOOT. Two no-good-niks at the next table clearly intended to skip out on their check, leaving their bill FULLY UNPAID. Unable to turn a blind eye to the injustices around her, The Klutz quickly leapt up and immediately face-planted squarely in the would-be criminals’ path, foiling their reprehensible scheme. Unwittingly, The Klutz had also fallen in the path of a handsome young waiter searching for his erstwhile customers. H2Whoa!, as she learned he was called, was extremely grateful to The Klutz for preventing his cheapskate diners from running out the bill. H2Whoa! revealed that he had long been searching for a superhero partner with whom to protect the city, and The Klutz immediately agreed to form a crime-fighting duo with him, the likes which had never been seen. They have been fighting crime together ever since.
Archnemesis: Her understudy
===========================
Tomorrow's superhero highlight: The Queen Bee
I enjoyed each of the heroes' descriptions so much that I'm going to share them with you a day at a time.
The Klutz
Power: Ability to fall over A LOTBack-story: The Klutz, despite being a rather successful movie star (and a gorgeous movie star at that), continued to be a very foolish dresser. She often (always, actually) went out wearing a mismatched pair of shoes. This proved problematic to her balance, as The Klutz frequently wore one pump with one flat, or some such ridiculous pairing. Her downfall came when one of her plainer-looking understudies was overcome with the green-eyed monster of jealousy. Realizing that she could not rely on her looks to get anything but a role as an evil old woman, this understudy wisely invested her time in the study of witchcraft. First, she picked up four copies of Harry Potter, but upon the realization that these were not instructional books, returned them for the more informative series: Lord of the Rings. After many a movie marathon, she found a book that actually told her how to cast many various spells, but she could not concentrate very well because she was so distraught over Dumbledore’s fate. So the only spell she could master was one that would cement The Klutz’s mismatched shoes to her feet FOREVER. However, the understudy’s evil scheme backfired when The Klutz’s newfound prowess at falling proved useful in the world of crime-fighting: she tripped many a criminal on the run and thwarted many an evil plot in such a manner. Yes, The Klutz leads a blessed life.
Cover: Mild-mannered movie star
Cover name: Mildred McEntire
Partners: H2Whoa, Ramen Girl
Introduction to partner: The Klutz was ready to relax after a hard day’s film shoot by dining out one fine evening, when she spied CRIME AFOOT. Two no-good-niks at the next table clearly intended to skip out on their check, leaving their bill FULLY UNPAID. Unable to turn a blind eye to the injustices around her, The Klutz quickly leapt up and immediately face-planted squarely in the would-be criminals’ path, foiling their reprehensible scheme. Unwittingly, The Klutz had also fallen in the path of a handsome young waiter searching for his erstwhile customers. H2Whoa!, as she learned he was called, was extremely grateful to The Klutz for preventing his cheapskate diners from running out the bill. H2Whoa! revealed that he had long been searching for a superhero partner with whom to protect the city, and The Klutz immediately agreed to form a crime-fighting duo with him, the likes which had never been seen. They have been fighting crime together ever since.
Archnemesis: Her understudy
===========================
Tomorrow's superhero highlight: The Queen Bee
Picky, Picky, Picky
I agree with The Curt Jester about this ad which was pulled at the request of the Washington D.C. Archdiocese:
My own opinion is that it is a somewhat clever ad (quality more YouTubish than polished) that certainly was not meant to be disrespectful and a good way to advertise the Papal Mass. I did like the Pontiff and Driver magazine the man was reading. With so much media that actually engages in Catholic bashing it seems silly to me to get upset over an ad such as this.
Worth a Thousand Words
Watercolor: Dog Bed Squatter by Belinda Del Pesco. Click through on the link to see more of her wonderful art.
Qu'est-ce que?
For those missing Lost, Rose and I still haven't caught up on the last few episodes and now have a new deadline as it will be coming back in a couple of weeks ...
In the meantime, let's take a look at this which helps remind us just what they are trying to figure out. Via Jeffrey Overstreet.
In the meantime, let's take a look at this which helps remind us just what they are trying to figure out. Via Jeffrey Overstreet.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Oh me! She swallowed a bee!
Except in this case it wasn't an old frog, it was our boxer, Daffy.Rose glanced up in time to see her curiously trying to eat a bee. Daffy didn't eat the bee but she must have stepped on it because shortly thereafter she was limping pitifully, holding one paw off the ground, and then lying down to lick frantically at it. We couldn't see the stinger but later I found the bee on the kitchen windowsill in its death throes.
Daffy was fine within the hour and it gave us a bit of excitement.
Now, that I think of it, there has been a bee theme to my last few days. My mom has a birdbath near her patio door. Every day when the sun has warmed things up a bit we could watch dozens of bees coming to have a drink and then leaving for the hive again. It was almost hypnotizing ...
$3.99 for These Earbuds?
With a good rating on Amazon. Ok, I'm a risk taker (and the price is not so great that it is a real risk) ... I have some coming my way ...
Any Recommendations for This Request?
A reader writes:
I am wondering if you know of a parish around the Arlington, Texas, area with a reputation for having an outstanding high school youth group.I don't but do y'all have any recommendations?
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