The Greatest Athlete of All Time?

Who is the greatest athlete of all time? Think about speed, endurance, strength, balance and coordination. Think about all-around athletic ability. My vote goes to Boyanka Angelova. See the "undoctored" video below.

David Continues to Slay Goliath

Issues in Iraq

I have gotten the biggest kick out of the journalist that threw both of his shoes at President Bush during a press conference in Iraq. This marks the proudest I have been of our President. Not only did he deftly duck the first shoe, but he seemed to chuckle just before he ducked to avoid the second shoe.

The video raises questions? Where was the Secret Service? Not only did the journalist have the opportunity to throw one shoe - he then bent down, took off his other shoe and threw it at the President. Had the President not ducked, the shoes would have hit him squarely in the face. The thud of the shoes on the wall behind the podium leads me to believe that they were fairly heavy and were thrown with pretty good force.

Which leads me to my second question...Given that the Milwaukee Brewers lost pitching ace C.C. Sabathia to the money-flaunting New York Yankees, might this journalist be welcome in the Brew City? If he can throw a baseball like he threw the shoes, there might be hope for the Brewers.

The Greatest Christmas Gift Of All

Much to my surprise and joy, Sirius XM satellite radio is once again hosting a 24 station dedicated to ABBA. Unfortunately, the station will only be operating this week in conjunction with the U.S. release of the "Mamma Mia" DVD. Had I known this earlier, I would have taken the week off!

Jerusalem, My Destiny?

The Vatican remains silent about a report in an Italian newspaper that the Pope will visit Israel in May. For the past couple of months, there have been rumors that the visit was in the works. Such a trip would have major significance. After years of improving relations between the Vatican and Jewish leaders, there have been recent tensions related to the possible canonization of Pope Pius XII, the Pope during the war years. Some Jewish leaders condemn Pius for not actively and publicly denouncing Nazi policies and actions related to Jews. Other Jewish leaders claim Pius did more than nearly any leader to assist Jews and that public statements from Pius might have done more harm than good.

Benedict's visit could prove to be a pivot that leads to either improved or deteriorating relations between the Vatican and Jewish leaders.

To see a related article from Catholic News Service, go to: http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0806290.htm.

Throwing Stones

The last time Cardinal Jorge Medina Estevez of Chile said anything that people cared about, it included "Habemus Papam". He was the Cardinal that came onto the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica to announce that Cardinal Josef Raqtzinger had been elected Pope.

Last week, Cardinal Medina was complaining about Madonna. Not THE Madonna. He was compaining about the pop star Madonna and the effect that she has - rousing impure thoughts, etc. Madonna is making a concert appearance in Chile and people are lining up to buy tickets.

This is another example of Church leaders not quite getting it. I really don't have a problem with His Eminence's comment about Madonna. However, now that she is over 50, about the only thing Madonna can arouse is nostalgia. My gripe is with the environment in which Cardinal Medina made his comments. His comment about Madonna came during his homily at a Mass being celebrated to honor former Chilean dictator Pinochet - a leader that killed thousands of dissidents during his 17 year rule. Apparently, impure thoughts about a pop star trump thousands of murders, rapes and tortures.

To see a related article from the Guardian, go to:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/8157026.

The Kremlin's Pope

Patriarch Alexy II of the Holy Russian Orthodox Church passed away on Friday. The Russian Patriarch is usually seen as the #2 man in all of the Orthodox Church - Patriarch Barthomew of Constantinople is seen by most to be the prime leader of Orthodoxy. However, there has always been significant tension between Russia and Constantinople. Constantinople feels that the Russian Orthodox Church has become too cozy with the Putin regime.

Alexy became Patriarch as the Soviet Union was crumbling. He had the difficult task of resurrecting a Church that had been dominated and decimated by the Communist regime. As the Soviet Union fell, many other churches, including the Roman Catholic Church, began to make inroads in membership in many regions of the former Soviet Union. Alexy refused to allow any Pope to visit until the Roman Catholic Church got rid of the dioceses that had been established in the former Soviet Union after the fall of Communism. The dioceses are still there and no pope has made a visit. During Alexy's tenure, an increasing number of Russian citizens have claimed to be Russian Orthodox.

Archbishop Kirill has been named temporary administrator of the Holy Russian Orthodox Church until a permanent successor is named. For the past several years, Kirill has been the primary Russian Orthodox communicator to the Vatican. He has made several visits to the Vatican and numerous Vatican officials have visited him. He has helped build stronger relations between the East and the West. Should he become Patriarch, Kirill will likely work to build better relations between the Holy Russian Orthodox Church and the Vatican (and Constantinople, as well).

An Army Of One

A Salvation Army Captain in the midwest is being "drummed out of the corps" for conduct that is unbecoming for an officer. His misstep: he fell in love with a woman that is not an officer in the Salvation Army.

Salvation Army Capt. Johnny Harsh's first wife, also a Savlation Army captain, died of a heart attack this past summer. Capt. Harsh met a woman, whom he identifies only as Cia, through an online dating service. He fell in love with her and plans to marry her. Because she is not a Salvation Army officer, he will not be able to serve in the Salvation Army if he marries Cia. To see a related article from FOXNews, go to: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,462684,00.html.


This is a tough situation. I never knew that Salvation Army officers can only marry other Slavation Army officers. I wonder if people that are already married to non-officers can become an officer. Even if one disagrees with this marriage rule, Harsh made an oath to live by the rules of the Salvation Army. Still, this restriction seems pretty harsh.

My first instinct on hearing about this was to decide to not put any of my money into a Salvation Army kettle this year. However, to Harsh's credit, he is urging people that are upset about his situation to continue to support the Salvation Army. Given that he seems like a sensible person, I will follow his suggestion.

It is somewhat refreshing to hear about something like this that is not related to the Roman Catholic Church!

Systemic Abuse

Earlier today, I drove two hours to pick up Michael and bring him to a court hearing to contest his guardianship and protective placement. Michael is a 45 year old man with developmental disabilities resulting from a brain injury from a farm accident when he was a boy. He also suffers from mental illness.

For most of his adult life, Michael was able to get by on his own. He would clean taverns in exchange for room and board (often a cot in the storage area). Patrons thought he was cute and would buy him drinks. Michael became an alcoholic. Still, he had a circle of friends that loosely looked after him.

About 10 years ago, Michael found some new friends. They were drunk and had the idea that they should drive to another state. The catch: they did not have a car. Michael was the only sober one of the group. The others found a car with keys in it. They talked Michael into driving the car. They didn't get too far. The police pulled them over and Michael was arrested. He was brought back to the jail of his home county. Law enforcement officials insisted that Michael was incompetent and needed a guardian. The organization for which I work was appointed guardian and I have worked with Michael for nearly 8 years.

While his life prior to the arrest might not have been the greatest in the eyes of outsiders, Michael did enjoy independence at had a loose support network that kept things from really getting bad. While under guardianship and protective placement, Michael has done OK. However, he has always struggled with wanting the independence he previously enjoyed. In the 8 years of the court order for guardianship and protective placement, Michael has had no run-ins with the law or major health crises. Those looking at Michael's life from the outside see this as a success. Unfortunately, Michael no longer knows how to plan for and prepare a meal for himself. He no longer sees the need to keep himself or his environment clean. He no longer has the desire to work. In previous years, he actively made it known that he wanted to contest his guardianship and protective placement. Michael seems to have given up. Knowing him as well as I do, I had to contest his guardianship and protective placement for him this year (somewhat strange, since as his guardian, I had to petition the court to consider termination of guardianship).

The worst thing that happened to Michael was being ordered to be protected by "the system". Those of us that comprise "the system" have turned Michael into a dependent zombie. In our quest to ensure what we think is best for him, we have taken away his ability to live a life that he wants.

Hit and Miss

In an effort to knock the rust from my ability to speak and understand German, I have recently started renting German movies at the local video store. Thus far, I have rented and viewed two movies. The first movie I rented is called "Vitus". I had never heard of the movie. However, I was working from the end of the alphabet in the foreign movie section and this was the first German movie I came across. The movie may very well be one of the best movies ever produced in any language. The movie focuses on the struggles of a young boy with amazing talents and intellectual abilities to fit in with everyday life. Being a German movie, it is almost too complex to explain the various storylines and how they connect with each other. Amazingly, given that this is a German movie, nobody blows their brains out at the end of the movie (or any other time during the movie). Below is the trailer. One thing worth mentioning about the trailer. When you see the 12 year old Vitus playing the piano, there is no double. The young actor that portrays the 12 year old Vitus is a "wunderkind" when it comes to playing the piano. In fact, when you see him in the clip playing in a concert hall, that is an actual concert featuring the actor. Given that the film had a minimal budget, the producers could not afford to rent a concert hall to film the scene. So, they put on a concert and charged people to attend. They then filmed some scenes during the actual concert!



While "Vitus" was a hit, "Sommersturm" was definitely a miss. This was the next German movie I found while working my way backwards through the alphabet. I won't inlcude a video of the trailer - it is not worth it. The basic story was about a coed rowing team that consisted of several members in their late teens. They were preparing for a mixed team regatta. There was one other coed team. The other teams in the "mixed" regatta included a team of lesbians from Berlin and a team of gay men from Saxony (apparently, while they were all of the same sex, the teams were eligible for a mixed regatta). Anyway, one of the young men on the coed team is struggling with his romantic feelings for another male member of the team. The object of his affections is not gay and is in a relationship with one of the female members of the team. They gay young man is being pursued by a female member of their team. Anyway, when the team of gay men shows up, all you-know-what busts loose.

So, this movie was a miss. However, I did learn some new German words! Here is another amazing connection that I must confess - although I stuggle with trying to figure out what it means! Near the end of the movie,while all the teams were training for the final regatta, there was some background music. Within about 2 seconds of hearing this music, I recognized it as a variation on the melody of the verse of a song made most famous by The Pet Shop Boys in the mid-90s. I mention that The Pet Shop Boys version is the most well-known. However, my recollection of the song relates to a version by........The Village People. I must admit that I recognized the song "Go West". The scary part of this is that "Go West" is an obscure Village People song. Could it be that the German movie hit "too close to home"?!?!

Below is a video clip of The Village People performing "Go West". Of course, I have to provide a few comments. The Village People endure because none of them took anything too seriously. The lead singer, Victor Willis, is the only heterosexual member of the group. If one listens objectively, one has to admit that he has a pretty good voice. The last thought I will leave is this. Please listen to a bit of the song. If you are from the older crowd, you may have a sense that there was something a generation before the Village People that had the same sound (although you need to substitute harmonicas and a march beat for horns and a disco beat). Listen to the sound when all of the Village People are singing. It sounds very much like Mitch Miller and the Gang!

Catching The Big One

Those Somali pirates are at it again. They recently siezed a huge oil-tanker from Saudi Arabia. The capture had an impact on oil prices and sent shockwaves around the maritime world. I still don't understand piracy. However, it must be effective - the pirates are capturing larger ships and more loot. For a related article from The Christian Science Monitor, go to: http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1119/p01s03-woaf.html.

It is a very uncomfortable feeling to know that, for the time being, there does not seem to be a way to stop the pirates. It is sort of like the feeling many of us might have had after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The increased level of piracy is indicative of the lack of stability in Somalia. Unfortunately, it seems like the instability is rapidly spreading throughout the region. We will soon clearly see that what happens on one side of the world has an impact on the opposite side of the world.

Age Spots

I am now a card carrying member of the AARP. I got in through a loophole. I have a few years to go until I hit 50 years of age. However, my wife recently hit the half-century mark on her life odometer. She wasn't happy about it. I am, since if one spouse is eligible for AARP membership, the younger spouse gets "grandfathered" in (no pun intended) for membership eligibility. While my lovely wife isn't too happy, I am a hppy camper. Now we can get the senior citizen specials at restaurants.

There is another sign of aging that emerged for millions of people a week ago. For the first time for many in the baby-boom generation, the President of the United States is going to be younger than they are. My wife is in that category. I barely missed it.

First The White House, Next The Vatican?

Now that the first black person has been elected President of the United States, Atlanta Archbishop Wilton Gregory (the first black bishop to serve as President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) thinks it is time for a black Pope. See a related story from Yahoo! News:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081106/ts_alt_afp/usvotepope_081106143630

When I first heard about Archbishop Gregory's comments, my first thought was that there must have been black Popes before. Indeed, there have been three - Victor I (he is the guy that required that Easter be on a Sunday), Militiades and Gelasius. However, all three Popes reigned during a time when race was not an issue.

Given the growth of the Roman Catholic Church in Africa (which is a continent, not a country), it becomes increasingly possible that, in the not-too-distant future, a black man could become Pope.

The Day After The Day After

Time heals all wounds.

One day after hearing that our nation is near the brink of destruction, many political and religious conservatives are coming to their senses. As I always do, I spent an hour or so listening to Catholic radio this morning. While callers to the program still think that the world is going to end very soon due to the result of the Presidential election, the hosts were the voices of reason. The hosts said that they initially felt the way many of the callers felt. However, after another day of thinking about the situation, the hosts said that all of us need to "play with the cards that we have been dealt". The hosts even went so far as to say that, like all Presidents, Barack Obama will do some very positive things and will also do some very negative things. They said that it is the duty of every Christian to keep pushing for pro-life causes (not just abortion). Christians must watch the Obama administration "like a hawk". The same hosts also said it is the duty of every of every Christian to work with the Administration - even though some of the major policies of the Administration may seem to be very "anti-life".

Is is too bad that more people do not have that same attitude all of the time.

The Day After

Earlier this morning, I visited several Catholic blogs. All of the blogs included comments about how America sold its soul by electing Barack Obama. Because we elected Obama, we have chosen death. Somehow, a "switched was turned" and now our country is on the highway to hell with no exits.

Where have these people been? Including the recent election, I can recall the past 10 presidential elections. The Republican candidate won 6 of those elections and the Democrat won 4. I really cannot remember any instance where there was a significant change in our nation's culture due to the outcome of any of those elections. I feel the same way this morning than I did on the morning after previous elections.

We don't change much by voting for one candidate over another every two years. We can do more to change things by becoming more engaged in the lives of the people we care about - family, co-workers, neighbors, etc.

It Is Always Negotiable

Here is why I love The Catholic Channel on Sirius Satellite Radio. Yesterday, I was listening to the program, Across the Nation, hosted by Bob Dunning. He was saying that he didn't know for whom he would vote for President. Of course, people were calling in to say that his soul would be in jeopardy if he voted for a pro-abortion candidate. One caller made reference to the supposed "five non-negotiable issues": abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning and homosexual marriage. Dunning reminded the caller that neither Obama nor McCain were on board with all five of these issues. Of course, the caller then said that voters must then pick the candidate that will do the least amount of damage related to the five issues. Dunning then approriately reminded the caller that doing so represents negotiation. If all five of the issues are truly non-negotiable, then we must vote for a candidate that is on board with all five of the issues. The caller's response was a dial tone.

Will He or Won't He?

Several rabbis recently met with Pope Benedict to urge the suspension of the cause for sainthood for Pope Pius XII. Pope Pius was Pope during the WWII years. Many people feel that he did not do enough to aid Jews during the Holocaust. For a related article from TIME, go to: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1848707,00.html.

My question is: Who did do enough for the Jews during the Holocaust? Pope Pius was caught in what could be the greatest diplomatic and moral dilemma in history. He could have actively and publicly denouced and fought against the Nazi policies. Had he have done that, the Nazi's would have likely sought retribution by torturing and killing many more Catholics, especially nuns and priests (including "underground" priests and seminarians like Karol Wojtila, the future Pope John Paul II). Evidence shows that many priests and nuns, including Pope Pius, went to great lengths to assist Jews that were fleeing from the Nazi atrocities. Even with hindsight, I don't know how anyone could argue that Pope Pius took the right course of action or that he took the wrong course of action.

Pope Benedict now faces another diplomatic dilemma. Does he go forward with the cause for sainthood for Pope Pius XII and alienate many Jewish leaders during a time when significant progress is being made in relationships beween Jewish and Roman Catholic leaders?

My hope is that Pope Pius XII's cause for sainthood continues on in "Vatican" time. That would leave plenty of time for discussions between Jewish and Roman Catholic leaders on the actions Pope Pius did and did not take to assist Jews during WWII.

OWNS WONS

Make that snow. As in the wintery version of precipation that I saw earlier today. A week ago, it was 70 and sunny. It is now about 35 and windy (with precipitation). Later in the week, we may come close to 70 again. Welcome to the change of seasons in the midwest!

The Good Old Days

Recently, comedian Louis C.K. (I had never heard of him until I came across this video) made an appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. This is one of the best commentaries on the state of our society and culture in the United States.

Yes, I figured out how to post a You Tube video on this blog. Along with the podcasts, Lunch Box Catechism is now multi-sensory!

The Landmark Case

In the 1970s, the U.S. Supreme Court decided a case that proved to be the inspiration to activate many people in the pro-life movement. We all know the case - Gregg v. Georgia.

Huh? Perhaps you have never heard of this case in which the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the consitutionality of Georgia's capital punishment law.

I bring this up for several reasons. Yesterday, while reading the conservative national Catholic weekly newspaper, I noticed a letter to the editor that expressed the idea that, in order to be pro-life, one has to oppose capital punishment. To my complete amazement, there was no editor's comment after the letter.

This morning, I was listening to a conservative radio talk show while the host argued that the election of candidate that is not pro-life will destroy our society. Given what I read yesterday, I didn't immediately know if the host was talking about Obama or McCain, since Obama is pro-choice and McCain is pro-capital punishment. Thus, neither falls into the pro-life category as defined by current culture.

Our chore is to look deeper into the positions of the candidates to determine whether or not they support policies that address people in need.

What's Up, Doc?

Last week, I received an e-mail from a young friend. He was lamenting the fact that, as a sophomore in college, he did not yet know exactly how his life would unfold - especially professionally.

After a light chuckle, I sent him a reply. I included the fact that, in span when I was about 20 to 25 years old, I had periods where I was in a novitiate, unemployed, a federal employee, a telemarketer and others that I have forgotten. I mentioned that none of these experiences were a waste of time. All of them helped, in some way, to lead me to where I am now - even if some of them helped me to know what I didn't want to do professionally.

I mention this story because we recently celebrated the Feast of St. Luke. In addition to being an evangelist, Luke was a physician. Having come from a physician family and having worked for a medical association, I have a significant amount of experience interacting with physicians. Early on, I sensed that many physicians view events and situations differently than non-physicians. Many years ago, I asked my personal physician to explain to me his thought process in diagnosing an illness I had based on the symptoms I presented and what he saw. The very first thing that he did was to come up with broad categories of what my illness was not. When he did that, there were few remaining illness possibilities. Then, based on hunches formed from his experience and training, he asked me questions and had me do some physical movements in an effort to determine if his hunches were correct. They were - I actually had a case of shingles! My physician diagnosed this in about 3 minutes and was able to do so only because his first step was to figure out what my illness was not.

So often we want easy answers when we might be far better off going through the process of arriving at the answers through the process of elimination. Going through that process forces us to think. I truly believe that there are no stupid people in the world - just mentally lazy people. We no longer take the time to figure things out - even though we could.

When looking for the easy answers, think of St. Luke.

It's Hear!

As promised, Lunch Box Catechism enters a new dimension. While readers will continue to have the opportunity to read my musings on this blog, you now have the opportunity to listen to my rants and raves in podcast form. To listen to the inaugural Lunch Box Catechism podcast, go to: http://lunchboxcatechism.mypodcast.com/2008/10/Inaugural_Podcast-151389.html.

Happy listening!

If There's a Will, There's a Way

Many years ago, my physician suggested that I think about joining a local men's choir that sings in German. He knew that I could speak German and had a modicum of musical talent. I followed his suggestion and ended up singing in the choir for many years.

During my active years with the choir, Willy was the president. For several years, I was social chairman. That position is responsible for coordinating many of the choirs events, including a Christmas concert, a spring concert and a summer picnic. With him being 100% German and me being 50% German, Willy and I had numerous arguments about how best to coordinate the events. We argued over the type of brats to serve. We argued over how much beer and wine to buy.

During my time of activity in the choir, many things were going on in my life. I had a job that required at least 60 hours of my time each week. I was a member of my church choir and also served as substitute organist. I met my future wife and became engaged. With so much going on, I had to begin to scale back on my discretionary time commitments. I decided to no longer be an active member of the German choir.

Some people thought that my decision was because my arguements with Willy wore me down. Willy and I argued - we never fought. I had the opportunity to spend a fair amount of time with Willy. We often met for lunch or for a beer (or both). Willy was much more than president of the German choir. He saw the choir as a means to get some guys with a common interest together. He took the singing seriously and demanded the same of the choir members. However, his skill as president went far beyond singing. He fostered ongoing friendship among all of the members of the choir and their families. I had many "Papas", "Mamas", "Schwestern" and "Bruedern". Willy was the benevolent patriarch.

Willy was amazingly brilliant. He could talk about anything - how air conditioning works, how to improve education, how to make lemonade, etc. He really knew what he was talking about. His brilliance came from his challenging background. He was born in Germany during the same time that Hitler was slowly coming to power. Willy was forced to join the Hitler Youth. Somehow, he survived a dishonorable discharge from this group. He was drafted into the army and served in a Panzer tank division. He later brought his family to the United States because he didn't want his children to have to face the same challenges he faced as a young person.

There are two "Willy" events that I will always remember. After a choir practice, we all went to the local German pub. Some of the older German guys would recall their service during World War II. Many were very proud of their service. At one of these post-practice meetings, one of the younger members was in awe of the war stories being told. He asked Willy, "When did you know that the war was over for Germany?" Without a pause, Willy replied, "When they drafted me."

I had not been active in the German choir for a couple of years when my wife and I were married. I had lost touch with everyone in the choir, including Willy. Our wedding was not a huge affair - we had about 150 people at the reception. We didn't invite too many people outside of family and close friends. I was very nervous prior to our wedding ceremony. I wasn't worried about marrying my wife. I was nervous because I made the decision that I would play a difficult piece of organ music just prior to marching down the aisle. Once I made it through playing, I hade a huge sense of relief. The ceremony went fine. When my wife and I turned around at the end of the service to march out, the first person I saw was Willy - dressed "to the nines" and smiling. We didn't invite Willy. However, he made the effort to find out when and where our wedding ceremony would take place and he made the effort to be there. I was very touched that he came.

At the end of all of our concerts, the German choir would sing a song called "Wiedersehen". Before we sang that song, Willy always made it a point to remind the audience that "Auf Wiedersen" does not translate as "good bye". Willy broke it down: "auf" means "until", "wieder" means "again" and "sehen" means "to see". Willy said that "Auf Wiedersehen" means "until we see each other again".

After a lengthy illness, Willy passed away on Monday, October 13. Auf Wiedersehen, mein Freund!

Keeping Up with Technology

Joe Lunch Box is in the process of branching out. The readers of this blog will know the scope of this progress within a day or two. In addition to the regular posts on this blog, there will be regular links to other resources that are the result of Joe Lunch Box's incredible creativity. I sort of feel like Bob Dole when referring to myself in the third person.

Having made this announcement, the pressure is now on me to make sure this progress that involves some the use of some fairly new technology (I actually had to buy some new tech "doo dads") takes place within the next day or two. As with most of my forays into technology, I am working my way slowly through the muck (most of the muck being self-produced).

So, pray to St. Gabriel (this is a bit of a clue) in the hope that my efforts will result is some success!

The "Wig" Party

Those that know me understand that I am a person to neither establish nor follow a fashion trend. In spite of that, a recent report I heard on the radio caught my ear.

A fashion item that is growing tremendously in popularity is the Sarah Palin wig. This item is quite versatile - it can function as a Sarah Palin wig

or an Amy Winehouse wig.

It only makes sense that a politician inspire a wig. A wig is something that is not real that is usually used to cover something up and people are encouraged to buy it without asking too many questions. Sounds like the usual "inspiration" that comes from most politicians.

For more on the Sarah Palin wig go to: http://www.forward.com/articles/14333/.

The Pirates Make the Postseason

It is October and the Pittsburgh Pirates are nowhere to be seen. However, the Somali pirates are still playing. It seems somewhat strange to talk about pirates in 2008. A couple of weeks ago, Somali pirates seized a Ukrainian tanker with military cargo and are holding out for a $20 million ransom for the ship, crew and contents. Yesterday, Somali pirates captured a Greek tanker. We will see what they ask for the safe return of that vessel, contents and crew. Go to: http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2008/10/11/7053586-ap.html.

I always have some basic questions whenever I hear about piracy. If nobody pays the ransom for a ship, what do the pirates do with it? It would be tough to bring it to a pawn shop. If you tried to sell it on eBay, the shipping charges would be prohibitive - unless the buyer lives near a major port.

All kidding aside, this is a scary situation. Insurance can cover the loss of ships and their contents. The crews on the ships are made up of people that are loved by other people. Family and friends cannot be replaced. Let's hope for resolutions that have no loss of life or injuries.

This situation is a result of the chaotic political situation in Somalia. We should also pray for stabilty for the people of Somalia.

That Other Issue

In the past, I have commented that while I agree that abortion is a very critical and important moral issue, there are other critical and important moral issues. It seems that some people in the Vatican are beginning to recognize this, as well.

Archbishop Agostino Marchetto of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers recently gave a presentation in which he made the argument that capital punishment denies the recognition of God's willingness for forgive any sin and denies the opportunity for sinners to repent. I wish I could have come up with that argument years ago! It will be interesting to see how pro-capital punsihment Catholics respond to this argument. It is very clear and concise - executing a criminal takes away the opportunity for God to provide that person with forgiveness and repentence while that person is on earth.

To see an article from Catholic New Service about Archbishop Marchetto's comments, go to: http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0804956.htm.

Vulnerability

In preparation to head home from my workplace a couple of days ago, I stood up to close the blinds in my office. Shortly after standing up, I felt a bit dizzy, nauseous and week in the legs. It was as if someone threw a thick blanket over me. I was unable to remain standing. Fortunately, I sort of fell right back into my chair. I have had spells of lightheadedness before, but this was far more intense.

When I fell back into my chair, I had enough wits to get ready to call 911. I do recall a few moment where I teetered between the notions that this was just some type of episode that will pass and the possibility that I might be having a stroke or similar event. Then there are those terrible few seconds that pass by without having a sense of how things were going to go. Fortunately, things cleared up after about 30 seconds. I no longer felt dizzy or weak. The nausea remained. I waited about 15 minutes to make sure everything was OK and then drove home (in the right lane in the event that there were more episodes).

Events like these are reminders that a higher entity is really in control. Sure, I might be able to impact many things and people in my life. Ultimately, I have no control over whether or not I will live another day or die right now. This can be discomforting to some. However, people that recognize and embrace the fact that they are not really in control seem to be the happiest and healthiest people.

It Could Be Worse

Amid the floundering economy, many American citizens seem to be none too keen with either of the choices for President. The headlines are all about "doom and gloom".

It could be worse. Have you seen what has been unfolding in Thailand? Political antagonism has boiled over into terrible violence. Their economy is completely falling apart. For a related article from the Washington Post, go to: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/09/AR2008100901242.html?hpid=moreheadlines.

So, when we begin to feel sorry for ourselves as a nation, we only need to look to Thailand to realize how lucky we are. We are lucky not because our woes are not as bad as Thailand's woes, but because we, as a nation, are in a position to help them. Hopefully, the leadership of our nation will offer assistance.

Sign of Change

I live in an area that has four seasons. It gets in the 90s during July and August. It also gets into the -30s in February! Nevertheless, many people in this region, including me, enjoy the change in seasons. Autumn is a beautiful time. While the temperature can remain in the 70s, the colorful leaves on trees often form a terrestial rainbow. As beautiful as this scenery is, it is a sign that winter is not too far off.

While driving to work this morning, I saw another sign that winter is on its way. This sign is nowhere near as beautiful as colorful leaves. While driving on a highway, I noticed a pickup truck in the lane to my right. While pickup trucks are plentiful where I live (a couple of years ago, more pickup trucks than cars were sold in my state), something about this pickup truck caught my eye. This pickup truck had a snowplow attached to its front frame! Ugh!

Indian Summer

People in the midplain states usually look forward to Indian summer - even though the term is far from being politically correct. Indian summer is a period of several warm days that come after the first full moon of the fall. This is usually sometime during the last two weeks of October.

It has not been a good summer for people in the Orissa region of India. Orissa is on the eastern side of India, about halfway between the northern and southern points of India. It is considered northern India. After a Hindu leader was killed on August 24th by a Maoist group, the violence flared. Hindus blamed Christians for the murder and killed several Christians (including Catholics) in retaliation. Christians have responded against Hindus in a similar manner. There have been 47 confirmed deaths. Priests have been killed and nuns have been raped. Tens of thousands have been displaced. Thousands of homes and churches have been destroyed. This is a very precarious situation that could create widespread instablility. To see a recent Catholic News Service report, go to: http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0804995.htm.

Let's hope and pray for the return of a peaceful and bright Indian summer.

Why a Grandfather Will Never Be Pope

Shortly more than 30 years ago, Pope John Paul died. Not the Polish Pontiff, but the original John Paul. I have written in previous posts my memories of Pope John Paul. I remember four popes in my life. I was born in the early days of Pope Paul VI and was old enough to have many memories of this pope. He was very bright and and excellent diplomat, but he had a sense of being detached. Pope John Paul II was the Ronald Reagan of popes. He was the great communicator, almost a showman. We are all still trying to figure out Pope Benedict XVI.

I had the chance to view some short videos that were developed to remember Pope John Paul. He was the Pope that didn't seem like a Pope. In one video, he was brought into the audience hall on a chair that was carried by four men. He seemed very uncomfortable. However, when he got to his chair on the stage, he seemed very comfortable. He usually spoke without notes. He seemed like he was not being "handled" or "choreographed". He had a somewhat soft and high-pitched voice. He looked and acted like a congenial grandpa. Maybe the stress of not being able to continue to be that congenial grandpa led to a short reign as pontiff.

A CPR Refresher Course

I just completed the course on Faithful Citizenship. Many students in the course struggle with issues related to abortion. Is it the only issue to consider when voting? Is it the most important issue to consider when voting? Is it one of many issues to consider when voting?

After several weeks of communicating with other students and our instructor on this issue, the following analogy came to me:

Late at night, a man is driving down a country road. The road is a great distance from any village, town or city. The man comes across an overturned car. About 20 feet from the car is woman who is unconscious. The man checks for a pulse. There is none. The woman is not breathing. He calls 911. Since the man just completed a CPR course, he knows that he needs to get the woman's heart going AND get her breathing. He also knows that it is most important to get her heart going. He administers the compressions to the woman's chest. After several rounds of compressions, he feels a pulse. Knowing that he needs to get her breathing, he beings mouth-to-mouth resusciation. After several breaths, she begins to breathe.

It was most important for the man to get the woman's heart to beat. She would have died very soon if he did not get her heart going. However, if all he did was get her heart going, she still would have died if he did not get her to breathe.

If a person votes on the single issue of abortion, they would be like the man in the analogy that gets the heart beating, but ignores the woman's need to breathe. She would still die. While abortion may be the moral issue that has the greatest need to be addressed, ignoring other critical issues will lead to the complete moral demise of our society. What good is having a nation where there are no abortions when we constantly face the threat of war, poverty, corporate greed, etc.?

When we vote, we need to think about CPR!

Separation of Church and State

I have finally had enough. One of the religious radio networks that I had been listening to is Relevent Radio. I really didn't go out of my way to listen to the local AM station. However, while driving to or from work, I would sometimes listen to their programs.

Over the past several weeks, whenever I would tune into the local Relevant Radio station, the program hosts would be "singing the praises" of one of our candidates for President and lambasting the other candidate (I'll let you guess which is which). Now, I really don't know whom I am going to vote for in the upcoming election. This is different than knowing whom I am not going to vote for. It really doesn't matter to me whom the Relevant Radio hosts praise or scorn. However, if I wanted to hear such partisan political banter, I would listen to Rush Limbaugh or tune into Air America. One would not expect to hear such banter on Relevant Radio. I really question how Relevant Radio can maintain their IRS 501(c)3 exemption given their clear efforts to encourage listeners to support a particular candidate.

I will no longer listen to Relevant Radio. Fortunately, through the miracle of satellite radio, I have the opportunity to listen to The Catholic Channel. This station on Sirius Satellite Radio is run by the Archdiocese of New York. One might think that the programming is very conservative. I have found the programming to be very "middle of the road" (with an occasional leaning toward the conservative side). Mostly, I find the programming to be pretty funny and entertaining. Some of the hosts are very intelligent and humorous. This is a wonderful combination - thinking and laughing. They even poke fun at the Pope (in a non-scandalous manner, of course).

Open Secrets

As regular readers know, I am taking an online course called Faithful Citizenship. The course is intended to assist participants in understanding the duty and role as Catholics in participating in the political arena and encouraging others to do the same. The course also includes significant discussion about what issues Catholics should consider in deciding how to vote.

There are 17 students in the course. After a few weeks of getting to know them online, I would guess that about 7 are very conservative, 7 are very liberal and 3 are somewhere in between.

During the past week, there was a significant amount of online discussion about whether or not any issues, such as abortion, trump other issues. A couple of the women from the liberal camp posted several thoughtful items for discussion. Later in the week, in an post to all of the students in the class, one of the women said that she had an abortion not too long ago and provided some details about why she felt she had to have an abortion. In the post, she mentioned that she thought some of the other students might not think much of her. To my slight surprise, nearly all of the students, including the conservatives, replied to her post with support for her and offered any assistance to help her with her struggle - she expressed that she feared for the salvation of her soul and feared talking to her priest because she has a leadership position in her parish and she was worried that the priest would think less of her because she had an abortion. Many of the students, including me, encouraged her to talk with her priest and that he would likely think even more highly of her for her willingness to share her struggle with him and seek his assistance. After the seeing the support she received from people she had never met, she has decided to talk with her priest.

Amazingly, a few hours after her post, the other woman that shared some very thoughtful insights posted a message that said she had had 2 abortions many years ago and still struggles with related issues to this day. She also received many replies from the other students that offered support and encouragement.

I mention that I was only slightly surprised that the pro-life students offered support to these woman. I really think that most pro-lifers are pro-life because it is a Republican issue rather than being Republican because the party supports pro-life causes. The political partisanship comes before morality. So, when the conservative students were faced with learning that someone to whom they have a personal connection had an abortion, their morality trumped their partisanship. When they ignored the partisan box that normally surrounds their thinking, they did the right thing and offered support to others that are struggling.

Blackberry Season

I fell victim to a cheap marketing ploy. My cellular phone service provider has the ongoing promotion where you can upgrade your phone at little or no cost every two years if you agree to sign a contract for another two years. I went over three years with my previous phone.

I am now the proud and tired owner of a Blackberry device. It is a wonderful piece of technology. Wherever I am, I have instant access to the Internet and to all four of my e-mail addresses. Most of my contacts are now in the Blackberry.

The term "Crackberry" didn't come out of nowhere. Rather than have to go to a computer to check one e-mail account and then another and then another, I can now check them all within a few seconds on the Blackberry. It is very tempting just to check the Blackberry screen every few minutes to see if any e-mails came in. If there are new e-mails, it is very tempting to just check them. Then it is tempting to send a quick reply to some of them. My cellular service provider loves these temptations since checking and replying to e-mails requires air time. I'll have to see what the damage is when I get the next cellular phone bill.

I tend to be pretty savvy at technical things. However, one issue has befuddled me - but I will figure it out. Whenever a new e-mail comes to any one of the four accounts I have on the Blackberry, the phone vibrates. Unfortunately, I get well over 200 e-mails total per day on the four e-mail accounts on the Blackberry. Not only is it somewhat annoying to have the Blackberry vibrating every couple of minutes, that vibrating requires a fair amount of energy from the battery. So, I'll figure out how to turn of the vibrating notification for new e-mails.

Sometimes, technology can be overwhelming. And no, I am not writing this post from the Blackberry - even though that is possible.

Back in the Saddle

After a hellacious week of work responsibilities, I am back to posting. I have plenty of issues to address in the next few days.

In a previous post, I mentioned that I was taking an online course through the University of Notre Dame on Faithful Citizenship, a document that is put out by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This document provides guidelines about what Catholics should think about when deciding whom to vote for. The document is updated every four years - in the year of a Presidential election.

Here a a few of my initial thoughts after reading Faithful Citizenship:

• I am amazed by the quality of the most of the documents developed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Faithful Citizenship is well-written. I wonder how the same group of elderly celibates can botch up the priest sexual assault issue AND put out such a thought provoking document;
• The document does NOT instruct people how to vote. The document provides some idea of what Catholics should consider when deciding how to vote.
• Although the document states that abortion is the big "non-negotiable issue", it does not state that it is a sin to vote for a candidate that is "pro-abortion". Although subtle, the document makes a distinction between voting for a candidate because of his/her support for abortion and voting for a candidate in spite of his/her support for abortion.

So, don't listen to people that claim this documents says it is a sin to vote one way or another. People on both sides of the party line and both sides of the abortion issue are using misinterpretations of the document to justify their positions. My advice would be to read the document for yourself. It can be found at: http://www.usccb.org/faithfulcitizenship/FCStatement.pdf

Family Responsibilities

I have known a fairly large number of priests over the years. Yesterday, I attended the funeral Mass of a woman. Her son presided at the Mass. This was the first time I have ever attended a funeral Mass at which the celebrant was an immediate family member of the deceased. I don't know how the priest, who is my friend, was able to preside at the Mass for his mother. In the various rites for a funeral, there are many instances where the celebrant mentions the deceased by name. Rather than use his mother's name, the priest simply used "Mom".

While driving back home from the funeral, I wonder whether priests think about what they might say during a funeral homily for a close family member - even if that homily won't likely be delivered for many years.

Citizenship 101

I am currently enrolled in my fifth STEP course from The University of Notre Dame. STEP stand for the Satellite Theological Education Program. STEP offers many courses, all of which are completed online.

The course I am taking is called Faithful Citizenship. It is very timely, given that the primary election is next week and the general election is on two months. While we haven't had our first online chat session yet, several of the course participants have posted background information about themselves. It should be an interesting course given the mix of backgrounds. Some are very liberal and some are very conservative. A couple are experts on immigration issues. One is a permanent deacon and another is studying for the permanent diaconate.

Hopefully, I will get some good post fodder from my course mates.

The document Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship can be downloaded from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website at: http://www.usccb.org/faithfulcitizenship/FCStatement.pdf.

Youthful Indiscretions

I remember during the craziness of the Bill Clinton impeachment. One of the Congressmen leading the impeachment cause was Henry Hyde of Illinois. When it came to light that he might have not been completely faithful to his spouse many years ago, Hyde made reference to "youthful indiscretions".

A few minutes ago, I heard an early report that the teenage daughter of Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin is pregnant. She intends to have the baby and marry the father. While I doubt this will be the case, I hope that the press will leave her alone. It has to be difficult just dealing with the issues related to being a teenage mother-to-be, let alone deal with those issues in a public fishbowl. If there is anything to be publicly questioned, it is the vetting process that the McCain campaign went through prior to picking Governor Palin as a running mate.

Yes, Bristol Palin may have done something that she now regrets. Haven't we all? That doesn't mean that she is a bad person or that her life is now ruined. Hopefully, she and her family will have the chance to work through the situation with some level of privacy.

Missing an Important Birthday

Yesterday, I went back through the archive of posts to this blog and discovered that the first post was on August 3, 2007. Happy Belated Birthday to Lunch Box Catechism!

I orginally started the blog as an experiment to see if I could regularly contribute some thoughts to current events. Looking back over a year of posts, I recalled that some posts were really good and some were somewhat of a waste of words. In terms of the content and regularity of the postings, there were dry spells and periods of abundance. Some of the posts have been very "edgy" and some have been pretty bland.

My sources for inspiration are many. I get ideas from newspapers, TV news, radio news, websites and other blogs. However, my best source of inspiration for my best posts have been recollections of people - some whom have gone on to their eternal reward and some who still roam the earth. Like everyone, I have had to endure difficult times in my life. However, I have truly led a charmed life thanks to many of the people that have been the subjects of some of my posts. At some point, I hope to write some type of manuscript that includes many of these people and the impact that they have had on my life. They are truly saints - especially given that, in some manner, they had to put up with me.

Thank you for putting up with me in the "blogosphere".

Serving as Bishop: A Balancing Act

On August 28th, The Feast of Saint Augustine, Bishop David Ricken was installed as Bishop of The Diocese of Green Bay. It was in this diocese where I spent my formative years. While the last several leaders of this diocese were good men, they never seemed to really "click" with the priests and the people of northeastern Wisconsin. From first appearances, Bishop Ricken seems to have made an initial connection with his flock. During the homily at his installation Mass, he sang some songs, including "Drop Kick Me Jesus Through The Goalpost of Life" - very appropriate in Green Bay given that the Packers were to play their final exhibition game a few hours after the Mass and even fewer miles away from St. Francis Xavier Cathedral.

Perhaps the best sign that Bishop Ricken is one of us came when people from the community greeted him during the Mass. One woman tripped and fell immediately after greeting Bishop Ricken. She fell onto his shepherd's crosier, causing him to lose his balance and fall. Not one to be flustered, he later mentioned that "My people are falling for me already and I am falling for them." May Bishop Ricken bring some fresh and humble air to the flock of shepherds in Wisconsin.

To see a video clip from Fox 11 news that includes Bishop Ricken's singing and falling, go to: http://www.myfoxnewisconsin.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=CC174EB1626759AF6D2E65DBA0B1D5FE?contentId=7311495&version=4&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1

Candidate's Version of Trigonometry

In a post last week, I made mention of Sen. Joe Biden, Sen. Barack Obama's choice to be his running mate. Since I claim to be independent when it comes to political partisanship, I had better give equal time to Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, Sen. John McCain's choice to be his running mate.

When I hear earlier today that McCain selected Palin, I knew that I had heard her name before in a manner that is not related to the upcoming election. After spending a few minutes struggling with my middle-aged moment of trying to remember why the name struck me, I enjoyed the relief of an "ah ha" moment.

A few months ago while listening to a religious radio station, I recall hearing a news report about Governor Palin. The report stated that Governor Palin gave birth to a boy with Down Syndrome in April. In December, her physician informed her that tests showed positively that the baby she would give birth to a few months later had Down Syndrome. The medical professionals even mentioned that many parents-to-be make the difficult decision of terminating the pregnancy after hearing such news. Although they had four children at home and the responsibility of her position as Governor of Alaska, the Palins never considered anything other than welcoming the child into their lives. This is a remarkable story of seeing the person rather than the person's condition - even before that person is born.

For an article on this story from WorldNetDaily, go to: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=64876

Conventional Wisdom

On the eve of the Democratic National Convention, Barack Obama has selected Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate. The Obama campaign likely had a list of several potential running mates that they "vetted" to make sure there were no "surprises in the closet" that could harm Obama's chance in the November election. Although John McCain has yet to announce his running mate, be assured that the McCain campaigin is also "vetting" a list of potential choices.

I am old enough to remember when the national pary conventions meant something. Platforms were developed. Difference making speaches were delivered. Unfortunately, the national conventions have evolved from being proactive to being reactive. The conventions no longer put our best candidates forward. The goal of the Democratice National Convention is not to put forth the reasons to vote for Obama and the Democratic platform. The goal is to make John McCain and the Republican platform look as poor as possible so that the undecided voters will, by default, vote for Obama. The same goals, with the parties reversed, will apply to the Rebublican National Convention.

The millions of readers of this blog know that I pay a fair amount of attention to Catholic media. I just finished reading a "conservative" Catholic weekly newspaper that had many letters to the editor stating that the only Catholic option is to vote for McCain over Obama. These arguments seem to be an attempt to put a small bandage on a severed limb. Perhaps we should focus on the reasons why so many well-qualified candidates cannot run for major public office because they are not willing to bow to the wishes of well-funded special interest groups. The successful candidates are the ones that have learned how to play the special interest money game. As individual citizens, our choices for President are determined by the special interests. Thus, there are increasing numbers of citizens like me that are rarely pleased with the choices that we have. So, we have become accustomed to voting for the candidate we feel will do the least amount of damage. The political conventions feed into this.

A Whale of a Tale

Imagine if Saints Peter and Andews would have used Barbie fishing poles intead of boats and nets. Perhaps they did use Barbie fishing poles - that would help explain the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

What am I talking about? Recently, a man caught a record channel catfish in North Carolina. His means of landing this behemoth of a fish was a Barbie fishing pole. While fishing with his young granddaughter, she mentioned that she needed to use the restroom. The man took over his granddaughter's Barbie fishing pole while she was away. He noticed that there was a fish on her line. After a fierce battle, he was able to pull in the record fish. For details, go to the related article in the Raleigh-Durham News & Observer at: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1186067.html.

The analogy? Just as a small Barbie fishing pole can bring in the largest of fish, so can a meek son of a carpenter be the ultimate fisher of men and their souls.

Stuck in Quicksand

This morning, I heard numerous news reports on the comments made by John McCain and Barack Obama during their joint appearance at a "megachurch" over the weekend. Most of the news reports focused on the candidates' perspectives on abortion. I heard one report on a local religious station blasting Barack Obama for not immediately wanting to ban all abortions (they even recognized his statement that he wants to work to reduce the number of abortions). Last week, this same station had a news report blasting Barack Obama for wanting to withdraw troops from Iraq very very quickly. The program hosts argued that such a quick withdrawal would be dangerous to the stability and safety of Iraq.

Here is my problem with the "news" reports described above. As usual, it comes down to consistency. Barack Obama is blasted because he wants to remove troops from Iraq fairly quickly. The religious radio hosts recognize that it was a mistake to attack Iraq and force the need to maintain a military presence. The hosts argue that chaos would erupt if the troops left too quickly. The hosts share Obama's goal of achieving a position in Iraq that does not require a military presence by an outside entity. They just differ in the timeline to achieve that goal.

It seems to me that these radio hosts and Obama also share the same goal when it comes to eliminating abortion. Obama has stated that he would like to see they day when there are no abortions. However, he doesn't feel that simply outlawing abortion will achieve that goal and that society needs to address the reasons why women choose or are forced to choose to have an abortion. He also argues that outlawing abortion would lead to "back street" abortions that are often lethal. He argues that trying to eliminate abortions quickly will create chaos.

Why is it that the religious radio hosts chide Obama for wanting to get out of Iraq quickly and argue that doing so will lead to chaos but do not chide themselves for wanting to eliminate abortion quickly when doing so will also lead to chaos?

A Rose By Any Other Name

The movie "Tropic Thunder" opens tomorrow. There is a fair amount of controversy surrounding the film. One of the storylines is that an actor, played by Ben Stiller, is known primarily for his portrayal of Simple Jack, a man with developmental disabilities that has a "soup bowl" haircut, large front teeth and is referred to as "Retard". The disability advocacy community, of which I am part, plans to boycott the film in an effort to educate the general public about the appropriate words used to refer to people with disabilities. (Hint to Hollywood: "Retard" isn't one of those words).

It would be a stretch to say that I am offended by the movie. However, the portrayal of people with disabilities makes me uncomfortable. I think it was somewhat foolish for the producers of the movie to think that nobody would be offended by their portrayal of people with disabilities. Maybe that is their hope as part of an effort to generate publicity. However, rather than trying to offend people that are oppressed by society, I would hope that Hollywood would put forth more effort to offend people that oppress others.

I have often heard young people use the phrase "that's so retarded" to describe what they consider to be an unusual/unacceptable behavior or event. Part of the problem is that we fail to recognize that words are not offensive - they way we use the words are. Not too many years ago, retarded was simply a medical term used to describe a low IQ. Our society has taken the term and used it to describe much more. The term "mental retardation" has been replaced by "developmental disability" and/or "intellectual disability". My guess is that, ten years from now, young people that now use the term "that's so retarded" will be using the terms "that's so DD" or "that's so ID".

It might be true that sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will never hurt us. However, the way in which we use words certainly can be hurtful to others.

The Second Great Schism

While some might have hoped that Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers could stay together for the sake of the kids, the divorce is final. Brett Favre was traded to the New York Jets and the Packers are moving onto the "post-Favre" era.

As a Packer fan, I am glad that the saga is over. I was sick of hearing something about the Favre-Packer divorce whenever I turned on the radio or television for the past month. For the next several weeks, we will have to endure the pundits discussing and arguing about who bears the most blame for the divorce.

I see many analogies to the real Great Schism. Through no fault of either entity, the Favre-Packer divorce seemed to be inevitable. Things seem to be falling together in a manner that made it difficult for the relationship between Favre and the Packers to continue as it has. Yes, both parties of the divorce likely initiated some questionable actions. There could have been far better communication. Things were really messy.

Once the divorce became final - when Favre was traded to the New York Jets - it seemed that everyone could finally breathe a sigh of relief. The Packers can move on and so can Favre. The situation seems to have had an "OK" resolution with both sides, while a bit wounded, being able to sincerely wish the other side well.

I'll keep cheering for the Packers and for Brett Favre (except for when the Packers play the Jets).

Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word

There are two sets of three letter phases that are very difficult for many people to say with sincerity: "I love you" and "I am sorry". Pope Benedict XVI has had no problem proclaiming the former. In a discussion of the priest sexual assault scandals, he finally proclaimed the latter during the World Youth Day celebrations in Australia.

Many psychology experts have said that healing in any wounded relationship cannot effectively take place until one or more of the parties in the relationship offer a sincere apology for harming the other(s). Pope Benedict XVI, on behalf of the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church, apologized for the harm caused by priests that sexually assaulted people - children and adults. Legal settlements can only do so much. Perhaps the healing can finally begin.

For a full report of the Pope's apology World News Australia, go to: http://news.sbs.com.au/worldnewsaustralia/full_text_of_pope39s_sex_abuse_apology_552205.

A Crack in the Wall

Last week, Barack Obama placed a note with a personal prayer in a crack in the Western Wall. A student took the note and turned it over to some Israeli media outlets. Some of the outlets publicized the note.

This truly raises the question: Is nothing sacred? Many people will place their political spin on this situation. The Obama handlers will express outrage that a personal and private act was stolen and placed into the public arena. They will argue that the sacredness of Obama's prayerful act was hijacked. Of course, others will express that they believe that Obama leaked the note in an effort to gain some publicity. If that is the case, the sacredness of Obama's prayerful act was hijacked - by him rather than others.

To see a related article on this from the New York Post, go to: http://www.nypost.com/seven/07252008/news/worldnews/israeli_newspaper_publishes_obamas_weste_121564.htm

It Takes a Family to Raise a Priest

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee has a new priest. He is married and he has children. The priest is a convert from Lutheranism. He had been a Lutheran minister, converted to Roman Catholicism and was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in New Jersey in 1988. His wife recently accepted a position in the Milwaukee area and Archbishop Timothy Dolan has accepted him into the archdiocese.

I have HUGE questions about this situation. I should state that I really feel sorry for this priest. He will continue to be a "lightning rod" for many people, including some church leaders, that believe that the Roman Catholic priesthood should be reserved to single males that practice celibacy. My problem is that, by allowing these exceptional cases where priests can be married, the Vatican is undermining their own doctrinal positions. It is kind of like being "a little bit pregnant". Either the Vatican allows married priests or it doesn't. By allowing for a few priests to be married, the Vatican is obviously stating that marriage is not an impediment to the priesthood. Past arguments included that priests must be celibate so that they can offer their entire lives to God. A practical argument was that a priest could not serve both his family and a parish. Well, the Vatican seems to be practicing the "cafeteria Catholicism" that it claims to disdain - "those things apply in only certain cases and we determine what those cases are".

If the Vatican is going to allow for one married priest, then it should allow for all married priests. Current priests should be allowed to marry. Married men should be accepted into seminaries. There should be no exceptions.

For an article on the married priest in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, go to: http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=776571.

He Should Have Checked the Spark Plug First

How often have we been frustrated with a mechanical device that just doesn't work? The car won't start or the sound won't work on the computer.

Well, the recent actions of a Wisconsin man will ensure his enshrinement in the "Mr. Fix It Hall of Fame (or Shame)". When his lawn mower would not start, he took out a shotgun and blew it to smithereens. Unfortunately, discharging a weapon without authorization within the limits of a municipality is sometimes considered a serious offense. I think it is quite safe to assume that the lawn mower might not have been the only player in this situation that was "oiled up".

A response from PETLE, People for the Ethical Treament of Lawn Equipment, should be forthcoming.

For a FOX news report on the incident, go to: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,391522,00.html.

They Are All Alike

I have an enquiring mind. Yes, I subscribe to the National Enquirer. Several years ago, I gave my wife a subscription as a gift (and not a gag gift). She spends more time reading it than I do. However, since the subscription is in my name and I do read it, I am guilty of all charges.

The question is: How guilty is former U.S. Senator and Presidential/Vice-Presidential candidate John Edwards? The National Enquirer alleges that he has had an ongoing affair with a mistress and has a child from the relationship. If this allegation is true, he has been carrying on while his wife is engaged in a battle with inoperable cancer.

I, of course, am not one to spread gossip, but here is a link to an article: http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/07/national_enquirer_still_chasin.html.

Actually, I will be very disappointed if the allegations are true. I thought John Edwards was a decent candidate. While I was not real happy with any of the potential candidates for President, Edwards was my early favorite. I am not just disappointed in Edwards. I really do question if all big-time politicians are all unethical. I don't want to believe this. It is becoming increasingly difficult not to think along these lines.

Opening Day

Although I didn't make it this year, I often attend the home opening game for the Milwaukee Brewers. I usually make it to the home opener of the Green Bay Packers, as well.

Earlier today, I participated in another opening day event. I managed to cut a work meeting short and took in an afternoon matinee showing of Mamma Mia, the highly-touted movie that is based on the music of ABBA (but is NOT the story of ABBA). Here are my initial impressions:

• even if one hates the music of ABBA, they still might enjoy this movie. In a very creative and comical way, the movie-makers incorporate the music of ABBA into the story line. The "heart" of the movie is the storyline. The "blood" that keeps it going is the music of ABBA.
• No aspect of the movie takes itself too seriously. This makes it very enjoyable.
• While there are no moments in the movie that will bring about raucous belly laughs, the movie somehow maintains a fairly high level of "funniness" throughout.
• Nearly all of the actors sing in the movie. Although they do a fair job of singing, they would do better to stick to acting - with the exception of Amanda Seyfried, the young actress that plays Sophie - this movie will propel her to stardom.
• The scenery is beautiful - set on a small Greek island.
• Bjorn and Benny from ABBA make cameo appearances in the movie.
• As a musical, Mamma Mia is certainly no Singing in the Rain or The Sound of Music, but I would rank it higher than Chicago or Moulin Rouge.
• The movie is worth seeing. I can see how some people might like it more than others. I don't see how many people could hate it.
• There will likely be some Oscar nominees from the movie - Meryl Streep might have a chance for best actress, the screenplay is very strong and the music, of course, might be recognized. My dark horse for Oscar recognition would be Colin Firth for best supporting actor. He is an excellent actor and a decent singer - he was understatedly very funny in the movie.

Of course, Mamma Mia has a website. Go to: http://www.mammamiamovie.com/.

He Should Act His Age!

Most people in their 80s are happy to be alive and able to head to Olde Country Buffet or Denny's once a month. Imagine if they had to spend 20 hours on a plane, take a couple of days off to deal with jet lag and then have several days of wall-to-wall public appearances.

Poor Pope Benedict. He just wanted to retire and return to Bavaria to enjoy his final years. Now he is dealing with a schedule that puts shame to the touring schedules of The Grateful Dead or The Rolling Stones.

One has to give the Pope some credit. It has to be tough for anyone, let alone someone in his 80s, to be the main gig at World Youth Day and try to connect with a couple hundred thousand young people. I am in my 40s and have problems connecting with any young people (some of whom have never heard of ABBA). I know I wouldn't travel to the other side of the world to try to connect with hundreds of thousands of them.

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

Oh why can't Brett Favre make up his mind? He announced his retirement from football and the Green Back Packers in early March. Less than two weeks later, he had second thoughts. He called Green Bay Packers management and said he might want to unretire. They were open to the idea and made plans to charter a plan to meet in person with him. A few days later, he called to tell them that he wanted to remain retired. The Packers moved ahead with plans for a post-Brett Favre team. They named a new starting quarterback and drafted two additional quaterbacks in April.

Then in July, things got ugly. The situation became public with Brett Favre's handlers claiming that the Packers didn't want him back and didn't treat him well. The Packer mouthpieces responded by saying that Favre's indecision was a problem.

Where do the fans fall in relation to the line that has been "drawn in the sand"? I think I am in the majority of fans in hoping that this situation will have a quiet death. Both Favre's handlers and the Packer mouthpieces should withhold any comments. The fans no longer care about who is right and who is wrong. They want the situation to go away. Unfortunately, neither Favre nor the Packers want what is best - whatever that may be. They simply want to publicly humiliate the other. We should not expect anymore from people that are involved in playing a game for a living. It is difficult for them to recognize that life is not a game.

Additional Proof That God Exists!

A few posts ago, I mentioned that I spend several hours a day listening to the radio, especially satellite radio - I subscribe to Sirius. Sirius has several channels devoted to specific singers and groups. Icons such as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and Bruce Springsteen have channels devoted to their music. There is now a "new kid on the icon block". Sirus channel #3 is now devoted to the music of the best pop music group of all time, ABBA. Now, I cannot promise that this station will be around forever. It is a means to promote the release of "Mama Mia", a movie that is based on the songs of ABBA, not the story of the group ABBA.

I may be one of ABBA's biggest fans, but I am amazed by how much music they put out. I have heard "Dancing Queen" in three languages. I have heard ABBA sing "On Top of Old Smokey". The station has played several interviews with Bjorn Ulveaus and Benny Andersson, the two males of ABBA. Benny wrote most of the music and Bjorn came up with most of the lyrics. I am amazed that they have never taken ABBA too seriously. They thought the ABBA name was pretty lame, but no more lame than The Beatles or The Monkees. They wrote many melodies and lyrics after several glasses of whiskey. My favorite tale is: Bjorn and Agnetha lived in a large house on an island near Stockholm. Benny and Ani-Frid lived in a nearby house. Several hundred yards up a steep hill from their homes, Bjorn and Benny had a very small cabin. All that was in the cabin was a piano. It was in this cabin where they wrote most of ABBAs music. One night in the middle of the winter, they were in the cabin drinking whiskey and trying to write some music. The cabin did not have heat. They decided to move the piano down to Benny's house by themselves. The temperature was wll below freezing. There was about a foot of snow on the ground. It was about 3:00 am. All they had to work with was a muddy dirt path on a steep hill. Somehow, the piano, Bjorn and Benny all made it down to Benny's house in one piece. When they got the piano situated, the wrote the music and lyrics for "Fernando", one of their bigger hits, in about an hour.

How do the atheists reply to that?

Make an Appointment, Please!

And that is just what Pope Benedict has been doing. In the first half of July, Pope Benedict named new bishops for four of the several dioceses in the U.S. awaiting a new bishop (I think there had been about 11 at the beginning of the month). One of the criticisms of Pope John Paul II was that he had a pretty 'hands-off" approach in appointing bishops. He let the various Curia leaders decide who would lead dioceses and archdioceses around the world. I have read that Pope Benedict is playing a much more active role in the appointments of bishops. As Cardinal Ratzinger of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, there is a good chance that Pope Benedict has had some knowledge of many of the priests he is appointing as bishops. Many of them served in the Vatican. Time will only tell if these appointments will be an improvement over past appointments.

Four More Years!

No, George W. Bush cannot be re-elected. It is a good thing for him - and for the rest of the world, too.

Thousands of people in the Netherlands are making preparations to survive the end of the world in 2012. These people are following a Mayan calendar that will "click to zero" on December 21, 2012. They are buying batteries, canned food, life rafts and other equipment. I don't really know what good those things will do if the world does indeed end.

To see an article from The Telegraph, go to:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/netherlands/2187871/Dutch-prepare-for-Maya-apocalypse.html.

Defensive Medicine

Comedian George Carlin passed away a couple of weeks ago. A cradle Catholic that drifted away from organized religion, he may be best known for his monologue on the seven words that cannot be said on television. It seems people that knew of his comedy either loved it or hated it. As usual, I am an outlyer. I could take him or leave him.

However, one of the most creative things I ever heard from him (I hesitate to use the term "funny" due to the nature of the subject) was a short question that forces one to really think about an issue in a philosophical manner. The question is: Why do medical personnel swab an inmate's arm with alcohol prior to administering a lethal injection?

The "A" Game Shows Up

On July 4th, the movie Mama Mia premiered in Stockholm, Sweden. Everyone knew that Benny and Bjorn would be there. It was likely that Anni-frid would be there, too. However, it seemed unlikely that the reclusive Agnetha would show up.

For the first time in 22 years, the four members of the popular music group, ABBA, made a public appearance. Nobody knew if Agnetha, the sultry blonde, would participate in the premier. She arrived as she lives - somewhat reclusively. However, as word spread that she had arrived, there was a HUGE buzz among the participants of the crowd. The buzz was not for Agnetha, but for the fact that, for a brief moment, ABBA was back together again. Although Anni-frid, Benny, Bjorn and Agnetha are all very accomplished individual musicians, ABBA is far greater than the sum of its parts.

Sadly, Bjorn told reporters that the group would never perform again onstage. He asked that people remember ABBA for what they were - young musicians with much energy. Benny mentioned that they never thought their music would last as it has.

When a Server Crashes

While at Mass yesterday morning (my fifth Mass in less than 48 hours!), I noticed some commotion near the altar during the Our Father. When I looked up, our pastor was holding one of his flock in his arms! I learned after Mass that one of the servers fainted during the Our Father. Since I play keyboards at church, I get to quite a few Masses. I usually see a "server crash" once a year. Fortunately, in the most recent incident, the server was holding hands with the pastor and a Eucharistic minister during the Our Father. When he began to wobble, Monsignor Terry caught him. Another Eucharistic minister that is a retired physician carried the server to a chair. After a drink of water, the server was fine. There was no need to bring in the Geek Squad.

Rome Must Be South of St. Louis

Raymond Burke, the Archbishop of St. Louis, is moving to Rome to be the top Vatican canon lawyer. Burke served as the Bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin for several years prior to his tenure in St. Louis. While in La Crosse, Burke made a name for himself by threatening to withhold communion from U.S. Representative David Obey, a Catholic who heads the powerful House Appropriations Committee, due to Obey's positions that were not anti-abortion enough. People in the Diocese of La Crosse figured that Burke was making waves so that he would be noticed by senior Vatican officials. It worked. He was appointed to St. Louis where he has probably excommunicated as many people as he has ordained. Now, he is moving on to the Vatican.

The hope in some parts of Wisconsin is that a pattern will be followed. Burke moved from being a bishop in a Wisconsin diocese to St. Louis. Some have already speculated that Robert Morlino, the controversial leader of the Diocese of Madison will be considered for St. Louis - a step up from leading a diocese to leading an archdiocese.

The recent floods in the midwest have shown that Wisconsin's mess moves down the Mississippi to St. Louis. Perhaps there is an analogy in the movement of bishops between Wisconsin and Missouri.

I Smell a Rat!

Just when we thought dry weather might help alleviate some of the continued flooding in the midwest, the best efforts are thwarted by a muskrat. The poor people of Winthrop, Missouri have been busy battling floods for many days. Hundreds of people did all they could to keep the mighty Mississippi at bay. However, one little muskrat dug a hole in a levee, which allowed enough water through to bring down a flood wall. For an article from the Dallas Morning News, go to: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/nationworld/stories/062808dnnatfloods.40ddd7f.html

One of the residents commented that it seemed strange that, with all the guns around, nobody could shoot one little muskrat. (Members of the U.S. Supreme Court likely expressed similar comments during recent deliberations on the constitutionality of Washington, D.C.'s handgun ban.) Editorial comments aside, the situation in Winthrop reminds us that, in spite the high esteem in which we hold human intellect and capability, we are no match for the most simple elements of nature - water and muskrats.

Take Me Out to the Paul Game

Pope Benedict XVI will soon kick-off the Pauline Year. The year is dedicated to St. Paul, the great evangelist. This year marks another Pauline celebration. 2008 marks the 150th anniversary of the founding of The Paulist Fathers by Father Isaac Hecker.

When I was discerning a vocation to the priesthood, I was attracted to community life. Thus, I looked at life as a religious priest rather than a diocesan priest. I got a ton of information from various orders. The only two I gave strong consideration to were the Norbertines and the Paulists. I ended up entering the Norbertine novitiate. They had a definite advantage in that I was educated by Norbertines and the novitiate was close to my home community. As I have written in earlier posts, my decisions to enter and leave the novitiate were among the best decisions I have made.

Twenty years after my discernment, I remain very impressed with the Paulists. My life has been blessed directly and indirectly by members of the order. The vocation director for the Paulists at the time of my discernment is the current President of the community. We have maintained contact with each other for all of these years. A few days after my father passed away, he was remembered in a Mass in Rome - thanks to my Paulist friend. A few posts ago, I mentioned that I listen to satellite radio for several hours a day. One of my favorite programs is The Busted Halo Show hosted by Paulist Father Dave Dwyer. The show is geared to the twenty and thirty-somethings and is a perfect example of the Paulist charism. Father Dwyer does a remarkable job of sharing theological and spiritual issues in a manner that is very attractive to young adults (and people like me that pretend to be young adults). This is active evangelization in the modern world using modern means - a Paulist trademark. One of the most beautiful liturgical songs of modern times is an arrangement of Pange Lingua by Paulist Father Ricky Manalo. (Hear a sample at: http://www.ocp.org/songs/31118.) Several years ago, I was really looking forward to playing it on the organ surrounded by my parish choir on Holy Thursday. On the way to church, I was in a head-on collision. While both cars were total losses, nobody was hurt. My main concern was that I missed my chance to play Pange Lingua.

Thank God for St. Paul and The Paulist Fathers. I don't know that St. Paul had the opportunity to develop a website prior to his martydom. However, the Paulists do have a website. Go to: http://www.paulist.org/.

Endangered Species

As I was walking down the main corridor of a large state office building, something off to the side caught my eye. This is something that, in the past, one could find on nearly every block of any city and in nearly every larger building. However, in recent years, this thing has become virtually extinct. If you were to ask a young child about this thing, he or she might not know what you are talking about. At a minimum, they might think this thing is something to be found in a museum - for display and not function.

The thing that caught my eye was a pay phone. I got to thinking how easy it is to contact virtually anyone by e-mail or cell-phone or that wonderful hybrid, text messaging. While the number of contacts seem to to up, the quality seems to go down. In the days of pay phones, one had to make the effort to have somebody's telephone number. One had to make sure they had some change to pay for the call. In short, one had to have the desire and willingness to put forth some effort to call someone. Technology has eliminated the requirements of desire and effort. The results? Telemarketing and e-mail spam.

Bring back pay phones!

Catch a Wave

On a fairly regular basis, I come across news reports that include survey results related to people's television viewing patterns. I am amazed that so many people, especially children, watch so many hours of television. When I was a kid, I watched several hours of television a day. I now might average 30 minutes of television viewing on a daily basis. The majority of that consists of live sporting events.

As I have grown older (not necessarily matured), I find myself listening to radio. On an average day, I listen to at least 3 hours of radio. Usually, I listen to live talk radio. One of the greatest technological developments in recent years has been satellite radio. With cable television, there might be 2 or 3 stations that I couldn't live without. With satellite radio, I regularly listen to nearly 10 stations - primarily to hear different perspectives on world news events. Satellite radio is like public radio, only the hosts aren't pompous and they don't speak like they (and their listeners) have narcolepsy.

Even His Holiness Benedict XVI has gotten caught up in the radio wave. For a report of his presentation to Catholic radio broadcasters from Catholic News Service, go to: http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0803292.htm.

Also, consider giving satellite radio a try. You can get a free three day trial from Sirius radio (you can listen on your computer). For details, go to: http://www.sirius.com/siriusinternetradio.

Inherent Values

When I first began working as an advocate for people with developmental disabilities many years ago, I had a discussion with the medical director of a very large state-run facility where hundreds of people reside. Our discussion was pretty blunt. I mentioned that it seemed to me that far too many people lived at the facility and I argued that many of the residents could be better served in community-based facilities (and at less costs than at an insitution). To my surprise, the medical director whole-heartedly agreed. We also discussed how to best serve people with profound disabilities. We agreed that the same insitution has residents that can do little more than blink and cough. Not too long before I had this conversation with the medical director, the top administrator of the state's main social services department toured the facility at which the medical director served. That official commented to the medical that it seemed to be major waste of money to keep people that can do little more than blink and cough in a state institution.

After the medical director shared that with me, he brough me into a room where a girl with profound developmental disabilities stayed. She really could do little else than blink and cough. When we entered the room, her rate of blinking and coughing increased dramatically. I was somewhat worried. The medical director assured me that the increased blinking and coughing was her way of letting us know that she knew we were there and that she did this whenever someone entered the room when she was awake.

I was reminded of all of this when I read a Zenit artricle on the presentation that Jean Vanier, the founder of L'Arche, a community that serves the needs (especially the spiritual needs) of people with developmental disabilities, gave to the International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec. Since I cannot add anything to Vanier's comments, please go to the Zenit article at: http://www.zenit.org/article-22965?l=english.

A Shepherd Gone Awry?

In my blog, I try not to reveal too much information that would provide some clues about my background - where I live, where I work, etc. My hope is that the millions of people that read this blog do not read a post and try to figure out who writes it - some readers know my identity. Who I am or what I do doesn't matter. What I write in this blog matters. My hope as that some of my musings will serve as seeds for ongoing thoughts for readers. A current situation demands my thoughts. Sharing those thoughts will provide some idea of where I live.

I live in the Diocese of Madison, WI. For several years, I have been frustrated by the lack of commitment of diocesan leadership to the development of permanent deacons to serve in the diocese. After reading a regional newspaper this morning, I am now disgusted with the leadership of the Diocese of Madison.

Here is the situation in a nutshell. A couple of years ago, St. Raphael Cathedral, the seat of the Diocese of Madison, burned down due to arson. Bishop Robert Morlino began to develop plans related to building a new cathedral. The Diocese of Madison signed a contract with a fund raising firm to assist in the development of a capital campaign for a new cathedral. The diocese and the firm announced that they would be conducting interviews with thousands of parishioners and numerous priests in the diocese to guage their thoughts and potential to support a new cathedral. It was assured that the responses would be confidential. The firm conducted the interviews and developed a summary that was presented to Bishop Morlino during a meeting. At that meeting, Bishop Morlino demanded that the firm provide him with the names of interview participants that expressed something negative about him. To the firm's credit, they refused to release the confidential information to Bishop Morlino. Bishop Morlino was visibly agitated and refused to pay the firm. The firm had no choice but to file a lawsuit. Some details of the lawsuit are now being made public - including the details about the bishop's demand for the confidential information. To see a related article from the Wisconsin State Journal, go to: http://www.madison.com/wsj/topstories/292448.

In response to growing concerns about Bishop Morlino's leadership style, a significant number of priests in the Diocese of Madison have formed a priest's coalition that is independent of diocesan administration. Who can blame them? If the details of the lawsuit are accurate, it is difficult for anyone in the diocese, especially priests, to have confidence in Bishop Morlino. He is now a huge target. People will now be looking for missteps in his leadership. It may be unfair to put him under the microscope. However, perception is "9/10ths of the law". Bishop Morlino has created the environment for such perceptions to develop. It will become increasingly difficult for him to effectively lead the diocese.

In spite of my frustration and disgust, I wish Bishop Morlino well. It is incredibly difficult to serve as a bishop. However, I wish him well somewhere else.