The Socratic Method compliments of Willie Wonka

Ear Candy

An unlikely duo sing this amazing piece to Our Holy Mother. Composed by Slow Hand after a particularly difficult substance abuse relapse, here we find our human condition that can be comforted only by Our Mother; the universal Mother of God of whom we are all her children.  These two gentlemen, well-acquainted with that plaintiff cry, remind us of this.

This is a special day for me.  Not only is it on the regular (non-Sunday) calendar as my patron's saint's feast day (St. Mary Magdalene), but it is also the day that I celebrate my son-saint in heaven's birthday...he would be 25.  Happy birthday, Michael.  I miss you so...

Holy Mother, where are you?

Tonight I feel broken in two.

I've seen the stars fall from the sky.

Holy mother, can't keep from crying.

Oh I need your help this time,

Get me through this lonely night.

Tell me please which way to turn

To find myself again.

Holy mother, hear my prayer,

Somehow I know you're still there.

Send me please some peace of mind;

Take away this pain.

Thanks Candida for this beautiful reminder. 

Best Feel-Good Video of the Week (Maybe the Whole Month)

Our government officials should take a lesson...

The Black Hole of Universal Coverage

This is what happens when healthcare becomes a free-for-all. John Stossel raises a good point.  When someone else is footing the bill, it matters less what something costs. I am less likely to bargain shop or clip coupons if I know the dime being spent is not mine. Let's be honest, if lunch is free, I'm going to order filet mignon instead of cube steak....

Chew on that as we consider the costs of universal healthcare. This is a black hole we may never get out of.

The Art of Manliness

I live with 3 males (4 if you count the English Bulldog). Of the humans, one is old. 2 are much younger. There is an imbalance of testosterone in my home.  You know you aren't in Kansas anymore when Pagani and Bugatti are not designer shoes; when the only thing on TV is the Golf Channel, Top Gear and ESPN; when every sock emerging from the dryer is a black Nike footie; when over half of all household cookbooks are about grilling; when the big green egg in the backyard takes up 40% of the patio space; when all things pink are prohibited. Welcome to my world.

I am used to this.  I grew up in a gender imbalanced home with 2 older brothers.  I could pitch a tent, a lawn dart and a fastball. Under pain of death I knew what a Phillips Head screwdriver was. I mowed the lawn.  I built cardboard forts in the basement. I rode dirt bikes and played football with boys. I wore my brothers hand-me-downs. (Yes I did). I have lived in a man's world all my life, in more ways than I can recount. Though I am not a man, nor ever wished to be one, I find the subject of manliness fascinating. Why are we women attracted to men?  Just what is it about them draws us??

Naturally, when I encountered this website Art of Manliness my curiosity was piqued.  It explains a lot of stuff.  It's an understatement to say that most of this is simply not taught anymore, but should be. It is a testament to a bygone era when men were known for things like...chivalry, for instance.  Ladies...if you want manly men (and I think we all do) then this is everything you want your men to know and then some.  In fact, it's so manly, I swear it's written by a woman :-)))   Don't get me wrong.  I'm not slamming my family members or just picking on men here, but I do think we, as a society have lost touch with what it means to be a gentleman (OR A GENTLEWOMAN for that matter!)  We have become less civilized, more abbreviated, and more or less, less than what our beautiful gender could ultimately blossom into if we gave it half a try.  And Ladies, we are not off the hook.  We have a role to play.  We simply must desire and demand more of our guys.  We want them in heaven with us, right? Besides, if we don't clue them into these nuggets of wisdom, who will? Charlie Sheen? Tiger Woods? Men's Health Magazine? Stop staring at me like that.

Oh, and after doing a little research, I found out that the authors are a lovely husband and wife team.  That's sweet. I like the site so much, I've added it on the sidebar to My Little Linkdom. Now you can get there easy like I do.  Here's a beautiful slice of the Art of Manliness for you:

HOW TO APOLOGIZE LIKE A MAN
by Brett and Kate McKay
“I’m sorry.” Two simple words and yet two of the hardest to say. We easily utter them in response to trivial matters like accidentally jostling a stranger on the subway or giving the cashier the wrong change. Yet in important matters and to those who mean the most to us, we can find ourselves practically choking on the words. But the inability to apologize can critically wound all of our relationships, from home to work. Learning how to properly apologize is a necessary step in moving from boy to man.  read more here: http://artofmanliness.com/2009/08/23/how-to-apologize-like-a-man/


So whether you are impeccably gentlemanly or rather roguish, I believe this site will help you trim your rough edges.  Or, maybe it will just help you trim your moustache. 

Contraceptives are Controversial. Period.

10 Facts Melinda Gates and All Persons should learn about Contraceptives
from Human Life International...

1.  Melinda Gates' favorite form of birth control is Depo Provera. But hormonal contraceptives, particularly injectable methods like Depo Provera, have been shown to increase the transmission rate of HIV/AIDS.


2.  At the UN's 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, Western elites' language of population control was officially changed to the language of "equality," "sustainability" and "reproductive health." The population control tactics, however, did not change.

3.  Melinda Gates' partners, Marie Stopes International and International Planned Parenthood Foundation, were founded by leaders in the early eugenics and population control movements, and who were very open about the fact that they did not like the idea of poor people of color having children.

4.  Several types of hormonal contraceptives have been labeled Group-1 Carcinogens - the same category as cigarettes and asbestos - by the World Health Organization.

5.  There are documented health problems caused by the pill and other hormonal contraceptives.


6.  Many nations continue to use coercive means to stop women from having children, most notoriously in China, India and Uzbekistan.

7.  The British government, co-sponsor of Melinda Gates' birth control project, was recently found to be funding a forced sterilization campaign in India.

8.  Hormonal contraceptives are associated with a significantly increased risk of breast cancer. In a 2012 study published in the Journal of Cancer Research, researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center looked specifically at DMPA (Depo Provera) and found that it doubled the risk of breast cancer.

9.  Melinda Gates claims she is against abortion, but her partner, Planned Parenthood, has publicly set a goal of increasing abortion services in Africa by 82% by 2015.

10.  The US Food and Drug Administration is responding to the growing body of scientific research that shows serious risks of deep vein blood clots associated with hormonal contraceptive use.
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Many people in our culture have been misinformed about the realities of contraception...I being one of them.  The problem is far more prolific than what most policy wonks want to attribute.  We must begin in earnest to educate the ignorant.  After all...it's a spiritual work of mercy to do so.  There's a great article right here: The Christian View of Sex that can help aid your understanding.

Could we not suggest to Melinda that her many millions might be best spent on NFP education rather than reproductive chemical warfare?

Regina Caeli

Ohhh, it's been way too long since my last post and I'm feeling, well, guilty.  So I'll start back simply, the best way I know how. Hiding behind our Queen of Heaven's apron strings :-)   Here is a majestic version of Regina Caeli which is one of my favorite chant antiphons. It is translated below for you non-latin types. (I can relate).  Listen to the reverb.  You can almost hear the natural harmonies bouncing off those ancient walls as the antiphon repeats. Glorious. If I ever make it to heaven, I think this is the music that accompanies us on the stairway.  (Thinking of you, Sheila as I know you love this as much as I do!)




Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia. 
For He whom you did merit to bear, alleluia. 
Has risen, as he said, alleluia. 
Pray for us to God, alleluia.