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.