Please Continue The Prayers For Roseann

Just now, I talked to Gary, Roseann's husband. He said that Roseann was scheduled to go home today, but that she coughed quite a bit last night, and the doctors heard a rattle in her lungs that they did not like, so now they want to keep her in the hospital until that is cleared up.

Needless to say, Roseann was quite disappointed about not going home. It was good to hear Gary's voice, as I feel that I already know him a little. He can't be with Roseann as much as he'd like, because he must work. Pray for both Roseann and Gary. They've had more than their share of trouble.

Mass of Reparation - Part 2

From the Orlando Sentinel:

Upset by an honorary degree being bestowed upon President Barack Obama by the University of Notre Dame, Bishop Thomas Wenski presided over a "Mass of Reparation" Sunday to draw attention to the Catholic Church's opposition to abortion.
....

Wenski, the bishop of the Orlando Diocese, said Notre Dame's embrace of Obama undercuts the efforts of the bishops. Giving Obama an honorary degree from a Catholic university symbolizes support of his policies that run counter to the Church's teachings, Wenski said Sunday before the Mass.

"That's what it implies," he said. "He's [Obama] one of the most radical pro-abortion presidents we've ever had."

From the Washington Post:

There is a vocal and influential constituency of American Catholics who disapprove of the University of Notre Dame's decision to invite President Obama to speak at the Catholic university and receive an honorary degree in mid-May. But almost twice as many Catholics approve of the invite -- not a total shock since the majority of American Catholic voters cast ballots for the president.

(My emphasis)

MadPriest's Prayer List

The Rev. MadPriest posted a long prayer list. Please go over there and pray for the folks on the list. Mixed in with the bad news are bits of good news, for which you may give thanks.

Good News - Bad news

Here in our fair city, we are presently experiencing bad weather, much rain, lightning, and thunder. We were under a tornado alert, but I don't know if we still are. It looks bad enough still out there.

Some months ago, we bought two rather expensive battery-powered lanterns for the hurricane season. At the time we bought them, I suggested that we buy the batteries for them, but Grandpère decided that he was spending enough money on the lanterns, and that he would not buy eight D-batteries right then.

Several months later, we had a power outage which lasted about two hours, during which time we could have used the lanterns, but - alas! - no batteries, which was as much my fault as GP's by then. We finally bought the batteries, and today, we lost power again, but we were able to load the batteries into the lanterns, and - voila! - they worked. Power returned quickly, so we didn't need them, but we are ready for the next time. And it only took about nine months.

That's the good news. The bad news is that swine flu is nearby, and almost certain to be here in our area quite soon. There are confirmed cases in New Orleans and in Lafayette, Louisiana. Returning to good news, most folks in the US seem to be recovering, most without needing hospitalization. Thanks be to God.

Note: We bought green lanterns, not the camouflage version.

Dogs Do It, Too

Another in a series from Lapin.

The Truth About Torture

From the Times Online:

Torture is morally abhorrent, self-perpetuating, and illegal. But the most important argument against torture is that it doesn’t work.

No, no, no, no, no! The most important argument against torture is that it is morally abhorrent, self-perpetuating, and illegal! Once you permit the discussion to go in the direction of utility, or, "Does it work?", you yield the moral ground. Moral people, civilized people do not torture, whether it works or does not work. It is shameful that we even have discussions in the media about whether torture is justified. It is never justified.

And now that I've had my little rant, I'll move on to Robin Stephens, the man pictured above and the subject of article in the Times.

Colonel Robin “Tin Eye” Stephens was the commander of the wartime spy prison and interrogation centre codenamed Camp 020, an ugly Victorian mansion surrounded by barbed wire on the edge of Ham Common. In the course of the war, some 500 enemy spies from 44 countries passed through Camp 020; most were interrogated, at some point, by Stephens; all but a tiny handful crumbled.

Stephens was a bristling, xenophobic martinet; in appearance, with his glinting monocle and cigarette holder, he looked exactly like the caricature Gestapo interrogator who has “vays of making you talk”.

When Stephens questioned suspects, he was not Mr Nice Guy. But here's what he said about physical violence:

Stephens did not eschew torture out of mercy. This was no squishy liberal: the eye was made of tin, and the rest of him out of tungsten. (Indeed, he was disappointed that only 16 spies were executed during the war.) His motives were strictly practical. “Never strike a man. It is unintelligent, for the spy will give an answer to please, an answer to escape punishment. And having given a false answer, all else depends upon the false premise.”

Confessions extracted by inflicting pain are most likely to be whatever the victim believes the torturer desires to hear, whatever is necessary to stop the agony.

Yes. Anyone with a functioning brain should now know that torture does not provide useful information, but I doubt that the pro and con discussions will cease. The talking heads on the tee vee and radio will continue to provide "balance" by giving national exposure to advocates of torture, including Darth Cheney.

And those amongst us who believe torture is acceptable may find food for thought in the words of Jean-Paul Sartre:

“You cannot make your young people practise torture 24 hours a day and not expect to pay a price for it.”

Paul the BB and I have discussed the subject of including utility in the discussion of torture more than once in his comments threads, and I thank him for the link to MeMeMeMeMe at Daily Kos, who references the Times piece.

While you're at Paul's place, look at the pictures of his gorgeous roses and the other plants that grow in his garden. He worked hard in his garden today, but he did not go to church. Just sayin'.

On The Mass Of Reparation Today

From David Gibson at dotCommonweal:

Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando is going to lead a Mass of Reparation linked to Notre Dame’s invitation to Obama. This whole thing has truly gone into an alternate universe. The mass is May 3 at 6:00 p.m. in the Cathedral of St. James in downtown Orlando. The announcement says:

As Catholics we are aware of the many shortcomings and transgressions committed against the dignity and sacredness of human life in our world. That is why it is inconceivable that Notre Dame University, a Catholic institution of higher learning, should receive and honor anyone who promotes policies that are contradictory to who we are as a people of faith.

As our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI stated in his visit to the U.S. last year in reference to Catholic university presidents, “to justify positions that contradict the faith and teaching of the church would obstruct or even betray the university’s identity and mission.” …

Come and pray with Bishop Wenski for all of our transgressions against the Gospel of Life.

Reparation is the making amends for a wrong done or for an offense against God. By his death on the cross, the Son of God offered his life out of love for the Father to make reparation for our sinful disobedience (CCC #614).

We are obliged to make reparation for personal sins against justice and truth (CCC #2412 and #2487).

So…what are they making reparation for? Or are they using a mass to point the finger of blame? Amy Welborn tries to put a positive spin on it:

If this were, indeed (as some might read it), a Mass in Reparation for the Sins of Notre Dame..that would be inappropriate and kind of strange. But it seems (seems - I’m just guessing) as if what has happened here is an examination of conscience of sorts.

I’d guess it’s more than that, more like what the announcement says, and indeed kind of strange. As Amy notes, Bishop Wenski is no Burkean Romanist, by any stretch. It also seems clear that there are any number of moments to hold a mass of this sort. And I of course also wonder whether such a mass has been held regarding the abuse crisis.

Apart from the politics of this, ecclesial and political, perhaps others can illuminate the use and rationale of a Mass of Reparation. This does seem inadvisable, to say the least, as it feeds divisions when there is no clear judgment that Notre Dame has committed such serious sin.

(My emphasis)

I hope that David does not mind that I copied his entire post. Commonweal is a Roman Catholic periodical.

Since I view the Mass of Reparation as a rather bizarre idea, and I promised myself that I would not be a bitter ex-Catholic, I thought I'd use the commentary from a person inside the church.

Mine That Bird - A Spectacular Win!

A $9,500 gelding, a 50 to 1 longshot, ridden by Cajun jockey, Calvin H. Borel, wins the Kentucky Derby. Watch the video.

Sire: Birdstone, Dam: Mining My Own. Read all about Mine That Bird.

And the jockey Calvin Borel:

Borel lives in Louisville, Kentucky with his fiancee, Lisa Funk. Calvin Borel hails from south Louisiana, the heart of Cajun Country famous for its production of many top jockeys during the last twenty years. Like Randy Romero, Kent Desormeaux, and Shane Sellers, Borel began racing horses in the bush tracks near his hometown of Catahoula. One such track was Evangeline Downs in Carencro, Louisiana, where Borel began riding in match races at the age of eight.[citation needed] Calvin is known for his Cajun accent and bubbly personality, both of which were on full display during his post-victory interview after 2009's Kentucky Derby.

Well, of course! All us Cajuns have bubbly personalities. Just think. Borel's hometown is Catahoula, home of what some call the ugliest dog in the world, the Catahoula Hound, but I'd never call them that. Wiki says that the breed is not a hound, but a cur.

Today's win was Borel's second in the Derby. Yay Cajun!



The winnahs!

UPDATE: As soon as Mine That Bird crossed the finish line six and a quarter lengths ahead of 18 others, Borel’s tears flowed with the warmth and power of Niagara Falls. He patted, hugged, hollered and dripped tears on the gelding he met for the first time Monday. Finally, Borel kissed a rose and lofted it toward the heavens in honor of his late mother and father.

From the New York Times.

All The Way With Silly Saturday

THE TALKING CENTIPEDE

A single guy decided life would be more fun if he had a pet.

So he went to the pet store and told the owner that he wanted to buy an unusual pet.

After some discussion, he finally bought a talking centipede, (100-legged bug), which came in a little white box to use for his house.

He took the box back home, found a good spot for the box, and decided he would start off by taking his new pet to church with him.

So he asked the centipede in the box, "Would you like to go to church with me today? We will have a good time."

But there was no answer from his new pet.

This bothered him a bit, but he waited a few minutes and then asked again, "How about going to church with me and receive blessings?"

But again, there was no answer from his new friend and pet. So he waited a few minutes more, thinking about the situation.

The guy decided to invite the centipede one last time.

This time he put his face up against the centipede's house and shouted, "Hey, in there! Would you like to go to church with me and learn about God?"

... YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE THIS ...

This time, a little voice came out of the box,

"I heard you the first time!
I'm putting on my shoes!"

Thanks to Ann.

May Day Fun - "Royal Romp"

From the Washington Post:

A couple were arrested Sunday for stripping off their clothes and having sex on the lawn of Windsor Castle, one of the country's most popular tourist attractions, said Anamika Madar, a spokeswoman for the Thames Valley Police.

The arrest became top news in Britain on Friday when details of it were leaked to the press. Madar said "more than one person" had called to alert police to the naked spectacle, which took place in full view of busy hotels and shops and sightseers who gathered to videotape this particular sight.

The couple were jailed overnight for "outraging public decency," Madar said.

And the Queen was right there in the castle while this indecency was happening! I know that I am thoroughly outraged by reading about such a public spectacle of nudity and lewdity on the lawn of Windsor Castle. Surely, had I been there, I would have called in after I watched for just a minute or two.

According the the Sun newspaper, "the woman was an American Internet expert and her partner was a British manager of a recruiting firm". One American and one Brit. One wonders if the internet expert has a specialty and for what specific jobs the manager recruits. Ah, but other news reports say that they were "respectable people with with respectable jobs".

British news accounts suggested the couple had been drinking a lot of champagne and appeared not to realize how many people were watching, or exactly where they were.

Dennis!!!!

Champagne. Lovely spring weather. Nice lawn. Surely an irresistible combination.

But how could they miss the "Keep Off the Grass" sign?