Miracle Max isn't feeling so good.

Miracle Max has been losing weight for a while, and Thursday, he started having problems with labored breathing. I hate when any of our kids are not feeling so well. Max went to the vet on Friday. As it turns out, Max has bacterial pneumonia and an enlarged liver. He tested negative for feline leukemia on 3 occasions and is negative for feline immune deficiency. Those are the ailments that the veterinarians feel would be the obvious causes of his weight loss, but the DVMs have ruled out all of those. Its so much easier with humans… they can tell you what isn’t feeling right.

Visitors coming this weekend

Dave and Josh are coming up this weekend. The house is a bit of a disaster, but that is no news flash, I suppose. Heather is busy being a mom to Gabriel and taking care of things here. I am busy, between my job looking after casinos, being on call 24-7, with the predictable overtime, and my education. My niece, Christina, and a friend are stopping in to visit. They are in the lakes region, staying at one of the “old money” resorts like Craguns’ or Maddens’, for a student government conference or something like that. By the way, in this case, “old money” resorts are those that have been in business since way, way, way before the lakes country was the place to be on weekends, and before everyone and his brother owned a lake-front property. Those resorts have been in business here since the 1930s, and therefore, they are the old money resorts.

Juan Pablo II

I have a road trip of about 600 miles, starting early in the morning. My class schedule this week is heavy with assignments, dealing with APA form, grammatical context, and writing a persuasive essay. I want to wake by 4 in the morning, so I can return home at a reasonable time, especially since Gabriel is not feeling so good right now. I'm a Dad... I worry about my little guy. I wish I had the inspiration to write something great, but my mind is exhausted tonight. Instead, here is something full of meaning, from a brilliant conservative mind, and I give him full credit. Rich Galen, mullmeister extraordinaire, as always, way to go, weaving words, skillfully, into a masterpiece. If you want to read more from him, check out http://www.mullings.com.

From Rich Galen: Keith Olbermann, on MSNBC Saturday night, said he remembered the time in Los Angeles when Pope John Paul II was being fawned over by the LA crowd: the singers, the dancers, the actors.

I had forgotten about this incident, but Olbermann had not.

The Pope singled out a young man who had been born without arms, but who had learned to play the guitar with his feet and toes. The young man played for the Pope. Oscars, Grammies, Golden Globes meant nothing.

A boy who had, through no fault of his own, been visited with what should have been a devastating disability. The boy got to play for the Pope. The Pope chose that boy to perform.

In the first days of the 21st Century there are many things in classical Catholic teachings with which one might disagree. You can disagree with, but not fault, a person who - like John Paul II - speaks from his heart. And from his soul.

Before he was elected Pope, John Paul II was Karol Wojtyla of Poland. While he was the Cardinal of Poland, he gave strength and support to the Solidarity movement in Poland which foreshadowed the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe.

Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt defeated the Nazis; Ronald Reagan and Karol Wojtyla, arguably, defeated Communism.

Pretty good group.

Most of us go through life barely scanning what others write. Some are lucky enough to add commas and semi-colons and page-breaks to the daily discourse.

But men like John Paul II, and before him Churchill, Roosevelt and Reagan, fashion the great works of their times and leave the rest of us to ponder how, in some minute manner, we can be more like them.

Oseh shalom beem'roh'mahv, hoo ya'aseh shalom aleynu' v'eemru:

He who makes peace in His heights, may He make peace upon us... now say:
Amen.

Thanks, Mr. Galen, for helping me out tonight. Okay... it's my pathetic excuse for writing from here 'til the end of this entry.

It occurred to me that Terri Schindler was very possibly holding open the gate, waiting for Pope John Paul to come Home.

I am sure that Juan Pablo II is doing fine now, free of his physical ailments. The bigger question is, how will we do without him? Karol Wojtyla, Pope John Paul II, rest in peace.

Rest in peace, Terri Schindler

Today, i have no doubt that Terri Schindler lives on in a much better place. I am sure that she is looking down, wishing her family was in Paradise with her, as her parents and her siblings, who stood by her until the very end, and even in death, are trying to honor her memory with a proper Roman Catholic burial, while Michael Schiavo celebrates her death by tossing her ashes to the wind, and far from home. Did it ever occur to you that Terri's suffering and death was not in vain? If we learn something from this about the sanctity of life, maybe we can follow her example, knowing that she learned from the very paradigm of sacrifice, given about 2035 years ago.

I like this verse, and it says better than me that Terri is doing just fine, maybe even dancing in the presence of the Lord.

“O Death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 15: 54b-58)

Judicial Tyranny part 4

Terri Schindler has taught us all, she has spoken volumes without one audible word about the value and dignity of life. God has a place and a purpose for each life. We can learn from Terri, and from the least of our brethren. God gives life, and no one but God can rightfully take life away.

It is time to take America back. Terri Schindler did not have to die. Activist judges and an amoral, untrustworthy, treacherous court system are now espousing repugnance for the most basic of liberties, the right to life. Clearly, these lawyers murdered Terri Schindler. A bunch of wise guys once put pen to paper and declared they were creating a new nation, saying, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Note life is mentioned first. Life is the most basic of all human rights. What part of that is hard to comprehend, judge?

The elected officials who said, “My hands are tied” are accomplices in the death of Terri Schindler, as well. There is a significant difference between the established ‘facts of the case’ and what is the undeniable truth. The definition of truth, in the court’s eyes, is an elastic, amoral piece of trash that can be perverted or disregarded at any time to suit the needs of the oligarchy in their lust for unconstitutional supremacy. By judicial decree, thanks to these lawyers, it is legally acceptable to murder ‘pre-born’ children, since the legal description of an unborn child is as ambiguous as Michael Jackson’s gender. Lawyers bend words to suit their purposes, no matter how disreputable they may be. Remember this, George Felos is an Evangelical Christian. Maybe he needs to look down one time to see the people he is trampling, in his quest for power and influence at any cost. According to that CBS poll, 82 percent of Americans said that the feeding tube should go. Had they educated themselves to the truth, that Terri was not EVER on life support, maybe they would have pangs of guilt for a millisecond before they went back to their reality TV. The 82 percent of Americans who said, “Terri must die,” are wrong, but we all have blood on our hands.

It is time to take America back from this judicial tyranny. This is not the America where I want to raise my children, and yes, we do have a choice in the matter.

Judicial Tyranny part 3

Were you among those who sided with Michael Schiavo, urging the torture of his de facto murder victim? The undertones surrounding George Felos and the ‘right to die’ crowd say she was just a vegetable and not worth saving. Oh really? Who next? How about babies with cleft palates, minor birth defects or the wrong gender? Not in America, not yet, but soon, yes, post-birth terminations for defects. We must follow those who are intellectually gifted, like much of Europe, (NOTE SARCASM). They know so much better than those silly Americans who worship an unconstitutional god, and actually still had a modicum, no, just an infinitesimal shred of respect for life… at least, until Terri Schindler was murdered by judicial diktat with the support of 82 percent of Americans, according to polls. That statement alone, according to polls, requires a huge disclaimer, penitence, atonement, and a tetanus shot. The implications of the brainwashed masses being led to the slaughter by the major media, seeking the poll result they need, to further their indoctrination into the guidelines of death as duty. It is just so foul, I am ashamed to be an American today. For what it is worth, I did not abandon Terri. Did you?

Judicial tyranny part 2

The arguments saying that this is a private matter ring hollow to the intellectually honest. This is a test case for ‘the duty to die’ in America today. Playing devil’s advocate, then, let’s say that Michael Schiavo physically harmed Terri Schiavo, putting her into this so-called persistent vegetative state, and ultimately caused her death by his legal ministrations. How is that remarkably different from Scott Peterson, murdering his wife and unborn son, Connor? That story was splashed on every channel on TV and in every paper for over a year. Wasn’t that a private matter? Or was it enthusiastically sadistic voyeurism?


Speaking further about private matters where the Supremes overstepped their bounds, Terri Schindler and abortion, not related, right? There are bold-faced parallels, as well. After all, children under a few years old are unable to feed themselves. Should they be killed because they are not autonomous beings? Well, yeah, if you are a liberal, your party demands protections of the professed right to have a doctor violate the Hippocratic oath and chop up, then vacuum an innocent child out of the safety of the womb in which he has been sheltered.


Coming soon to America, the right to kill your baby after the birth, but only in the first few years of life. How accomodating. We are civilized, after all. Baby killing is a civil right, according to the likes of Whoopee Goldberg, the Hollywood crowd, and millions of others. After all, unwanted babies should be killed. They are just slugs of flesh anyway. This is insanity, guaranteed to infringe upon the right to life of the least of our brethren. As I said, may God have mercy on America.

Judicial tyranny part 1

I heard that the Congress and the President intervening to save Terri Schindler were overstepping their authority. Oh really? Gee, all you constitutional geniuses who know so much better can answer this, “Whatever happened to ‘separate but equal’ and the ‘balance of power?’ Congress and the judiciary balance the President. The President and the judiciary balance the legislative branch. Who balances out the judiciary? In today’s America, nobody does.


In defense of the Constitution of these United States of America, the judicial branch was not intended to be the final arbiter of all decisions without any recourse. The legislative branch has the constitutional right, and the express written duty, to overrule the judiciary and to constrain the judiciary from acting on specific issues. This is constitutionally written and guaranteed as a balace of the powers of the three branches of federal government.

What we are seeing here is the opening salvo in the battle of the constitutional protections of America, versus the unelected and unaccountable judicial oligarchy. These lawyers in black dresses are completely out of control. They facilitated the murder of Terri Schiavo, and they are as guilty of negligence as George Felos and Michael Schiavo are of murder.


If the idea that a judge can order your death, though you have committed no crime, doesn’t scare the hell out of you, then you scare me more than a little bit.

Judicial Murder

Terri Schindler died today at the age of 41. She did not die a natural death, however. She was tortured in a sick and inhumane way and then, she was killed in a manner that should never be allowed in America. We used to be civilized; today I am not so sure about that. What was her crime? Perhaps, marrying a man who has a heart of stone, who was strongly influenced by George Felos, an insignificant little 'Angel of Death' who truly appears to be one of the minions of evil. Bobby Schindler was right when he said, "I think Mr. Felos has some infatuation with death." Thank goodness for 'soul speak' so that Felos could psychically connect with Terri and hear her trapped and tortured soul cry out, "Somebody, kill me please!"

We treat terrorists better than this. Terrorists are never starved or deprived of water, by virtue of the Geneva Convention, even though terrorists aren't even subject to its rules. It is amazing how Terri Schiavo’s inalienable right to life was not protected by the constitution of America of 2005. Oh, how far we have come, and not in the right direction. If this is progress, we are stuck in reverse and gaining speed. May God have mercy on America.

“Mishkaawiisinidah”

I worked at Red Lake today. It was a surreal day, working in close proximity to the school buildings, with parking lots virtually deserted, with the exception of a larger police presence than I have ever seen in Red Lake. Police cars barricaded the entrances to each school building and police officers stood watch. The high school is next door to the casino, and the middle school is about four blocks west of the casino, but both are on the main street of Red Lake. Both are heavily guarded and off limits to all but the police, until schools re-open, possibly next week.

As it should be, every flag is at half-staff, out of reverence for the dead. There are ten white crosses along the chain link fence in front of the high school, each standing about five feet tall and with the name of one of the victims of the violence of last Monday. For about fifty yards, the fence is completely covered with flowers, signs and posters with messages of support, thoughts and prayers, and there are stuffed animals, teddy bears and other mementos. No one is speaking about the deaths openly, as the tribal customs require the names of the victims to remain unstated during this time of remembrance. The people I worked with were speaking in muted tones and the names remain unspoken, in deference to the customs among the Chippewa regarding mourning.

I did hear that part of the grieving process for the Chippewa Indians, who have a close-knit, family-based culture, is to have a two-day wake. Part of that includes prayers by a holy man, and a fire is built that is kept burning day and night until the wake is over. The logs for the fire are stacked to allow the wind to travel under them and aid in the deceased Chippewa’s journey to the afterlife. After two days, a traditional Christian funeral follows.

All seems to be calm now, but it is surreal, and I am sure that the closeness of the community has been severely shaken. From an outsider’s perspective looking in on a close-knit community, all I can say is, God bless them, and help them to be strong.

“Mishkaawiisinidah” is Ojibwe for “Let’s be strong.”

First Rain/ Thunderstorm

Gabriel slept through his first thunderstorm this morning. It stopped thundering after awhile and continued raining. He did see a bit of that. Being that he was a winter baby like me, this was the first rain he has seen. I credit us making noise while Gabriel sleeps for his ability to sleep through the thunder. I'll like that later when I don't have to share our bed with a scared kid who woke up during a storm. I'm not saying that it will never happen, just that it is less likely. By the way, the rain did more than just entertain Gabriel. It proved to me that the dripping from the skylight that Doug experienced the other day was not leaking. It was just condensation from our inadequately ventilated house.

The hand basket

The political handling of Terri Schindler has come into view as a defining moment in the relentless march toward euthanasia in America. If I were a fervent advocate of "the right to die," I would not be at ease with the legalized murder of Terri Schindler. I say “Terri Schindler” because her so-called husband has forced her into a de facto divorce… either that, or he is a bigamist. Take your pick. Extra-marital affairs are unlawful in Florida, just FYI.

Sometimes, the point in time at which a ventilator should be disengaged is not a clear-cut singular moment, and it is tricky to know if a dearly loved family member should be permitted to depart this life peacefully through choices we make involving their beneficial care, or the lack thereof. This is not such a case in the least.

Terri Schiavo was not going to die, at least not until her so-called husband, his parasitical lawyer, George Felos, and their not at all honorable judicial gangster, Judge Greer, got their demands met and her feeding tube was removed. She was not being kept alive by extraordinary methods. She was not "brain dead" by any characterization of that slick terminology. Her death would be caused not by the termination of medical treatment, but by dehydration and starvation.

From a non-medical standpoint, it was quite obvious that Michael Schiavo had great impetus in his egocentric quest of his wife's premature demise. He stood to collect a considerable fiscal inheritance, and liberty to walk down the aisle with the polluted woman with whom he has carried out a protracted extra-marital affair. He had the cash, until he took the money awarded him to provide for Terri’s therapy and paid his legal team to assure an innocent woman was sentenced to die. What we have here is legally mandated murder. What manner of a woman would covet a man like Michael Schiavo, knowing how unfeeling and despicable he acts toward his suffering in-laws? Doesn’t his common law wife understand that a man who has cheated on his wife has a tendency to do to same thing to the woman who has replaced his wife? Michael Schiavo’s callous antagonism toward his wife's parents shows unmistakably that he is on a vulgar individual drive to terminate Terri Schindler. Her parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, were sincere and forthright, honestly expressing their unrelenting declaration that Terri wanted to live. She lives on, but not for long.

Isn’t it blatantly obvious that, after 12 days without food, she has the will to live? IF she wanted to die, she would have given up and died. Terri Schindler wants to live, and no willful, legal murder of one so innocent will go unpunished. If we stand by and let this happen, we will rue the day that it comes back to haunt us, and I am speaking to America’s future, to anyone who listens.

This is a dangerous and slippery slope we are trampling, on, what, the road to Nazism and the duty to die? I saw a bumper sticker on the rear bumper of a rice burning four-banger today, driven by some Marxist-Leninist wannabe (judging by the rancorously anti-American slogans and hippy-chick pro-United Nations bumper stickers). While she had her cell phone glued to the side of her head in a semi-permanent and likely carcinogenic position, it occurred to me that here was another stooge who doesn’t understand what she is wishing for. After all, the human race has such malevolent avarice and egotistical deficiencies that collectivism is plainly preposterous and idiotic. The flip side, hard work pays off for those who give it their all. This ‘Blame America’ joker wasn’t an American I can be proud of. It seems ironic she had one bumper sticker that seems absolutely fitting, for some reason.

It said: “Where are you taking me, and why am I in this hand basket?”

Gabriel update

A faithful reader asked for more posts about Gabriel, so here it goes. Gabriel was recently the hit of the family Easter celebration. He got passed around all day. Many commented on how much he has grown. He has, in fact, grown a considerable amount since Doug's family saw him last. They saw him shortly after he was born. The Thursday before Easter Gabriel turned two months old. He went to the doctor for a check-up and vaccinations (my poor baby!). Gabriel weighed in at 12 lbs, 12 ozs and measured 23 1/4 inches. Of all the people who held him on Sunday, Gabriel seemed to particularly fall asleep in the arms of Liz, Doug's niece. Liz seemed slightly hurt by this, especially since her sister, Chris, teased that Liz bored Gabriel to sleep. As I told Doug, you should take it as a compliment if a baby falls asleep in your arms. That baby felt safe enough with that he or she fell asleep. I don't know about you, Liz, but the first time I fell in love was the first time a baby fell asleep in my arms.

"Supporters of Michael Schiavo's effort to end his wife's life have asked how conservatives, who claim to believe in the sanctity of marriage, can fail to respect his husbandly authority. The most obvious answer is that a man's authority as a husband does not supersede his wife's rights as a human being -- a principle we never thought we'd see liberals question." --James Taranto

You have got to stand for something or you’ll… be an amoral liberal (same thing, amoral EQUALS liberal). Whichever way the pollster wind blows, so goes the belief system of the Socialist Democratic Nazi Party of America (a more accurate name for the Democrap party, since that is basically what they stand for: death to the innocent, absolute taxation without tangible representation, confiscation of the wealth of the hard-working and giving that money to the slothful, idle, and those unlawfully in the United States). Of course, the Democrap Party also stands up for your civil rights, except, of course, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Oh, and the right to defend yourself, to pray anywhere you want, to do just about anything that would cause you to be a reflection on the life that God would want you to live.

The wacko oligarchic blood-sucking lawyers in black dresses who call themselves our judiciary have declared that the hypocrite phony named Michael Shiavo can execute his wife with the support of a judicial diktat, even though hearsay is inadmissible in Florida courts. So, the word of the Schindlers doesn’t count for a thing, but the lying word of Michael Shiavo, wife-abuse enthusiast, is the gospel truth… the gospel of death, and a license to kill, that is. Hearsay is useless in Florida, unless you want to kill your wife, and you have had a common law wife for the last ten years. Not only is that adultery and abandonment, both of which are taboo, but having two wives at the same time is, Michael Shiavo, homicidal megalomaniac that you are, polygamy, which is unlawful in every one of the 50 states of this once-great union. I have got to tell you, that George Felos, "Right to murder your wife" advocate, is one scary little man. He speaks with a forked tongue, just like his master. It is not for me to judge, but i find it hard to imagine that these two will be anywhere but in Hades one day soon. You know the arrogant monsters I am talking about.

If Terri Shiavo dies, after suffering these next few days for critical nourishment, those who have taken Jesus Christ as their savior will go to Golgotha. We will see Terri passing from this mortal subsistence to her great reward, while we who are left behind in this decaying world will see a startling transformation. Maria Esperanza, the distinguished Catholic seer, foretold that the death of an innocent childlike individual would be the harbinger of a long-anticipated swell welcoming God’s purifying Grace.

It is starting to happen. It is in evidence in the natural world. There is chaos and darkness. For now, it seems that Satan is triumphant. He has put the scales of evil blindness before the moral sight of America and the human race. We are consoled in knowing that no matter how sinister it becomes, the anguish and the gloom will be followed by renewal. I would be surprised if Michael Shiavo and his purely malevolent lawyer, George Felos, will allow Terri Schiavo-Schindler to live until Easter Sunday. Somehow, that seems appropriate, should God take her home on Good Friday at 3:00 p.m., by Easter morning, Jesus Christ will roll back the stone from the tomb, taking Terri in the radiance of his Love.

I have no doubt that soon she will be rejoicing in paradise before God in Heaven. My simple prediction, Terri is going home soon, as heartbreaking as that is to those left behind. Terri has an unalienable right to life, something that her so-called husband has no legal or moral right to steal from her, but he already has. Soon, Terri will be whole again. How very appropriate that reward will be.

Recall...and an expert opinion

Yesterday a Sears repairman came to replace a thing on the inside ceiling of the microwave. A recall put out by the company said that the plate thingy trapped grease up there and caused fires. We were more concerned about the state of the cord. The insulation seemed to be melting on its own and exposing the wires. Additionally, the control pad was constantly malfunctioning, the microwave not always heating, and the microwave randomly starting. We kept it unplugged. I told the repairman that if it was left plugged in it might randomly say "PAD". He told me that this meant that the control pad needed to be replaced along with the computer behind it, all to the tune of $150. He followed that up with the revelation that a new microwave like the one we have costs around $300. Do the math. I told him we'd most likely be getting a new one soon because the cord made it unsafe to use. He didn't put the recall repair kit in because he knew that we would throw the microwave away.

I called Doug and told him the news while he was on his way home. He stopped at Best Buy and looked at microwaves before he came home. Doug took me to see them, and we came home with one. The fun of installation commenced and did not end until midnight. I had been hungry since 5pm, so I was the first one to use the microwave. It's nice. I don't have to worry about starting the house on fire now. I like that.

To all my loved ones, family and friends, get a living will or health care proxy in order today! Our government is no longer “of the people, by the people, and for the people,” but in the hands of special interests and lawyers. They cannot handle our money, they are bankrupting our economy and the ideals that made America the greatest nation in the history of the world, and what next? They surely cannot be counted on to defend our liberties or err on the side of life. Trust no one with your life but God. These evil people can not be trusted!

I left just in time

Talk about something that makes a person think. Did anyone watch the news tonight and hear about that school shooting in Red Lake, MN? I was working there today, and I left one hour before the shootings. What is wrong with people these days, especially kids killing kids, and kids with guns? What is that all about? It sounds like eight people have been killed and 15 or so injured, by a student who is probably dead now, too. Apparently, the suspect killed his grandparents first and then headed for the school. It just really makes a person reflect, question and worry.

One of the executive directors for the Red Lake Band gave me what was, in his words, "a bit of friendly advice" to "get off the reservation before the sun goes down." I read an article about the Indian gang that is virulently active in Red Lake and Cass Lake. I can tell you from visiting the casinos on a regular basis that in these communities, hostility and murders aren't even a big deal any longer, as violence is an everyday occurrence. But when people get killed in a school, the news organizations take note. This really got my attention after I heard about it, particularly because I was the only non-Native American I saw in the city of Red Lake and at the casino the entire time I was there, which was about two hours. An hour later... all hell breaks loose.

There are countless news stories to support this thought: the whole world has gone crazy. This is madness. Can the hand of God's justice be far behind?

Today's News

I was happy to wake up and discover that Congress got its act together and passed the same version of Terri's Law so that President Bush could sign it at 1AM this morning. I hope the federal judge will find in favor of Terri. She deserves the right to live and should have had therapy a long time ago. Unfortunately, the randomly picked judge was appointed by Clinton. He may not be as persuaded to err on the side of life. After all, Clinton would never have appointed someone who was pro-life. We'll have to see what happens. Die with dignity, my foot! Being dehydrated and starved to death is not dignified!

On another note, it is obvious what the media thinks America wants to see when you turn on the TV and one of the top stories with as much importance as Terri's murder is Michael Jackson walking into court acting like he is in worse shape than Chief Justice Rehnquist. Who cares? He's a wiener! He's only doing it to get publicity. Quit giving him what he wants!

There is confirmation that innumerable Americans still appreciate our nation's Founding code: "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness...." What else could account for the sorrowful awareness concerning the case of Terri Schindler-Schiavo, who was ordered put to death by dehydration and starvation, beginning Friday under court order?

Within our nation's matchless founding deed, The Declaration of Independence, as upheld by its consequent regulation, The Constitution, there is a momentous idiom, "unalienable." It's a word that delineates certain of our constitutional rights as powerless to be alienated, estranged, surrendered, or reassigned... not even under judicial decree. Life itself is one such unalienable right, and no good administration can reassign the right to life for a category of people into the control of another class of people.

Thomas Jefferson trembled for this nation, in reflecting that God's righteousness cannot slumber without end, presaged, "The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time; the hand of force may destroy, but cannot disjoin them." For all the prosaic speeches about life's giving way to advance liberty, these unalienable civil liberties will either prosper as one, or perish as one.

WARNING: THIS BLOG ENTRY IS NOT PLEASANT AND MAY BE OFFENSIVE. SO BE IT. READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

For the last time, Terri Schiavo is NOT in a persistent vegetative state, no matter what the hypocrite lairs on CBS and the rest of the propaganda machine tell you. Watch the videos! Investigate the truth! Read the Schindler’s website. I have come to the conclusion that this is all part of a well-orchestrated plan to change "right to die" to "duty to die.” These iniquitous groups might as well be sitting in a clandestine assembly, saying “Hey, how are we going to get the ball rolling to get rid of some of these gimps and cripples?” Then, one of their fanatic automatons will say, “How about starting with a precedent? An example? How about a public execution? Even funnier, we can make it court-ordered! But who would be the perfect example to show others how important it is for useless people to die? How about that Terri Schiavo? She is just lying there, half-dead anyway. She can be the prototype that lets us kill ‘em all.”

Don't believe me?

Watch what comes to pass in future years as egocentric lawyers who call themselves congressmen take away your right to live if you are handicapped or in poor health. If you aren't one of their ilk, you are taking up breathing space better exploited by one of their radical cronies. This is eerily reminiscent of the Nazi fascist Germany of the 1930s and ‘40s, though no disrespect is intended to the horrific price paid by the Jews. The scary part? The people who claim to represent the downtrodden, the noninterventionist “freethinkers,” (but I jest, saying they think? Ha!) along the lines of Hillary Rodham Criminal, Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer, Ted ‘Hiccup’ Kennedy and Hanoi Jane Kerry, these are the people who will be bringing the Zyklon B. Does your baby have a cleft palate? A birth defect? How inconvenient… die, baby, die! One less defective human to exterminate, one less cripple to eradicate.

The last shred of respect for life is burning in a lake of fire. Coming soon to an American neighborhood near you... fire and brimstone. God help us all. Terri Schiavo deserves to live!

State-ordered execution

Terri Schiavo ought to be cared for by her parents. Clearly, they love her best. "The measure of a society is how they treat the least of us," says Kate Adamson, a former "vegetative state" patient who reports that the eight-day removal of her feeding tube caused her excruciating pain. "Life is sacred or meaningless," she says. "There is nothing in between."

By the way, Kate Adamson, while she was in an alleged vegetative condition, could hear her family and visitors talking around her hospital bed and can remember the things that were said about her, to her, and the exact words that they used. Persistent vegetative state, my foot.

If this insanity is allowed to persist, it will set a standard that doesn’t have a thing to do with “the right to die.” What it is becomes a court-endorsed “duty to die!” Who will be next? Even having a directive in place may not matter, though, as the courts will certainly overturn it in their greater wisdom. Those buffoons are just self-important, corrupt lawyers in black robes. Duh.

If Terri Shiavo dies, it is murder. M-U-R-D-E-R. The murderous three? Michael Shiavo, his sadistic anti-life attorney, and Judge Greer. Amazing, his lawyer said Terri Shiavo is in her “dying process.” Is that what they call court-ordered murder now? Out of curiosity, did you know that Judge Greer is on the board of directors of the hospice facility where Terri Shiavo is now starving to death? Can you say “conflict of interest?”

Furthermore, I find it alarming that the ACLU has strongly sanctioned the court-ordered execution of Terri Shiavo. Isn’t life a civil liberty? Isn’t it about time that the ACLU was considered a for-profit organization, along with Planned “Proudly Had an Abortion” Parenthood? By the way, both get an allocation from America’s confiscated tax dollars, yours and mine. This has got to stop! These sick people do not represent me and they have no right to my money for such malevolent objectives. I am embarrassed and ashamed to be an American with this psychosis in our midst. These evil people do not represent my America. When are we going to take America back? And how?

This isn’t just about Terri Shiavo. She is a victim of a warped America that has turned its back on God and the little bit that he asks of us. This reeks of the decadent selfishness of a people who think that they no longer need God, a people who, in fact, are playing God and taking lives when they so choose. I have no idea what Sodom and Gomorrah were like, but all I have to do to imagine the iniquity is to read the paper, watch that reality TV trash or walk through the mall and see the half-naked pre-teens who shouldn’t even be out on the town without adult supervision. To tell the truth, I can almost smell the brimstone.

confronting fears

Remember the Cathy cartoon in the comics in the Sunday newspaper? Remember how she was always dealing with women's issues like shopping, our weigh, and our relationships with friends, men, and our mothers? I finally got around to taking my maternity clothes out of my closet today. With the reduction of the number of items in my closet, I was able to find my pre-pregnancy jeans. I finally bit the bullet and tried them. I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that they didn't fit, and I didn't want to acknowledge it. I felt like Cathy as I did it. I want to get back into those size 8 jeans. I can't stand that they don't fit. I know everyone gains weight during pregnancy. I just don't want it leftover afterwards.

Free Heroin in Canada

Do any people other than legislators think that giving free Heroin to addicts is actually going to help them turn their lives around? I agree with the Vancouver police chief who said that it will decrease crime and prostitution, but I don't agree that the move away from crime for the addicts is the first step to recovery. I think it will just result in the taxpayers shelling out lots of money for very harmful drugs for a bunch of addicts who don't want to get straightened out. The question then becomes : do taxpayers think it is worth it to them to pay to dope up addicts to reduce the crime rate? What do you think? I think the Canucks are crazy.

Day Two

I have survived two days as an undergrad student. One helpful aspect of distance education is that I am not studying with my student peers, face-to-face, and realizing, “Gosh, I am older than dirt!” One bad thing about distance education is that you do not get that personal interaction. However, the method in which we are interacting is well thought out and it seems to work well, even without that “in person” contact. I have made contact with the members of my classes, just the same. The good news tonight is that I have completed my first three (minor) assignments and started on the fourth, which is due tomorrow.

Today, I drove to the office to drop off the non-working machine parts and related service paperwork that were filling my truck to the back doors. Heather and Gabriel came along to keep me company. One thing that is beneficial to the way our lives are mutually supportive is that Heather reads my assigned texts to me while I drive. We then debate the topics she or I take issue with, or the ideas we agree with. It helps me to retain the content better and it saves time reading the material when we get home. I figure that if we continue to do this, it may even be a bonus to Gabriel, since he hears his Mom reading aloud almost every day. At home, we both read aloud from newspapers, books, or whatever we find on the Internet that is of interest or worth debating.

Heather isn’t just my wife. She is my closest friend, confidant, my equal and my learning partner, coach and cheerleader. While Heather is a stay-at-home mom and I am the employed wage earner in this family, working on my AA/BA degree program is, in reality, a team effort. This is advantageous for every member of our family, Mom and Dad, and baby Gabriel, too. We are all in this together, and we are doing just fine.

Hey, our family is going to watch “The Incredibles” before this old man goes off to bed. 10-4. Over and out.

School daze (again)

Today was my first day as a college undergrad. It wasn’t unpleasant, not too harsh. At first, while I was setting up the newsgroups that will be a key component of my educational experience, it seemed a bit overwhelming. After reading the newsgroup threads from my instructors and fellow students, and once I created my replies, it didn’t seem so overpowering. Of course, I haven’t started writing my persuasive thesis yet. Then, all bets may be off, at least for a while until I 'hit my stride' again.

This shouldn’t surprise me, mainly because of the type of people this program is aiming to educate, but it does strike me how the other students come from every walk of life and every level of accomplishment. Most are parents who expressed how they want to make an impression on their children, to set an example of the path they hope their children will follow. There are grandmothers and moms, dads and one or two singles. One or two have held some remarkable leadership positions without the benefit of higher education. These are people who want to cause a change in their lives and they see education as the answer. As for myself, I am looking at the picture of where I want to be in ten years and this is an essential part of the future I am forming in my mind. This is day one of a long-term mission, and something I have wanted to do for years. It is going to take hard work but I can do it, and I will.

Doug's first assignment

Doug's first assignment was to write an autobiography. As usual, it was informative yet entertaining. It cracks me up to see him edit it five times. This is typical of Doug, but it makes me smirk every time. I would only bother to edit twice, at the most. I keep telling him that he would make a great newspaper editor, English professor or high school English teacher. The local newspaper could certainly use better editing than it is getting, and both high school and college students could benefit from his writing and grammar skills. right about now is where Doug would pipe up and say, "Quit talking about my Grammer!" (Grandma, get it?) Needless to say, I like to watch Doug work.

Is it morning already?

I am getting an early start this morning. It seems that a certain tech, who shall remain anonymous, and who is on-call today, is unavailable by telephone to take his calls. Gee, it must be nice to be paid to be on-call and yet, not have to take any calls. Isn’t that like free money? Therefore, I have three service calls to take care of this morning. The first is two hours from home and the rest are in Wisconsin. At times like this, I keep it in the center of my mind that I have a good life, and it doesn’t come free. Long before the sun comes up, I will be on my way to the land of cheese. One thing, that makes me feel fine? Some people get by on silly little things like merit, dependability and experience. The rest kiss ass. You can't fall back on that. Ahhh… I have skills. Whoohoo!

We have visitors this weekend. My brother, Dave, and his son, Josh, are staying with us. Alas, they will have to hang out here without me today. It isn’t a problem, since Heather and Gabriel will be here. This road trip is too long for them to come with me. I imagine they will be heading back before I get home from work, which is too bad, but at least we had Saturday to visit. Dave and Josh have both met Gabriel, so most members of my family have met our son. See? Life is pretty good, even at 4 in the morning. Grumble, grumble… it is time for me to hit the road.

Let our soldiers do their jobs

How can our soldiers get their jobs done and improve life in Iraq if their actions are being second-guessed by authorities here? Specifically, I'm thinking of 2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano and any other soldier in the same situation. Lt. Pantano was working in the Sunni Triangle, th most dangerous place to be in Iraq. If he felt that he and his men were in danger, who am I to second-guess his decision to eventually use lethal force to defend himself? I'm not the one putting my butt on the line. Maybe the people responsible for his charges and those involved in his trial should think about that. Also, if we keep the hands of our troops tied, we'll never get the job done. We need to let our troops use the force deemed necessary to send a message to the insurgents/terrorists/bad-guys. Telling the military how to do its job only prolongs the war and creates more casualties. They know what needs to be done and how to do it, so we should all leave President Bush and our fine fighting forces do what they deem necessary. Stop charging our soldiers with murder! Death happens as a matter of course in war, and we are at war against terrorism. Stop giving enemy combatants rights they do not deserve. They are not fighting in a country's uniform, for a country, so the Geneva Convention doesn't apply to them. Finally, tell the UN, and certain members of the media, to go to hell!

And you didn't think there was a political bone in my body! FOOLED YOU!

Ode to Brian: My own personal Geek Squad

Who needs Best Buy when all I have to do is call up my cousin/godfather? Yes, the dual role makes him special. The computer genius makes him even more special. Brian, once again, saved my butt by solving my computer problems. This one was actually Doug's problem, since networking and wireless routers are way over my head, but Brian rescued me. The man has forgotten more about computers than I'll ever know. Of course, that isn't too difficult. I feel like such a dunce when it comes to technology. Anyway, this is a public thank you to the man who spent three hours on the phone long distance to help us when he could have been sleeping or spending quality time with his wife and child, who, by the way, are pretty stellar people. I wonder if he remembers talking me through a computer problem on a long distance phone call to Ireland, where I was in a college study abroad program? Anyway, I just had to mention how great my godfather is. Thanks, Brain...I mean, Brian.

Bored, bored, bored... Not me, not now!

Now that I have relocated Heather’s computer and the network is operating smoothly, I have a deadline to meet, more or less, with regard to my computer. Today, I received the 2005 edition of my operating system with all its annoyingly bloated new features. Microsoft calls it innovation. I call it “software obesity.” As always, there are numerous added services that I will never use. I ultimately disable much of what Microsoft considers essential, but which my computer does not.


Friday morning is my online orientation as a new student of WIU. I will have to use online software as a big part of the virtual classroom, and I need to have my PC “rehabilitated” first. Before Friday, I need to restore my computer, completely wiping the hard drive for a clean start with that new OS software. I have lots to do before Friday, and still haven’t finished my autobiography for Monday’s class. I will get it together before then, though, no worries about that. At least I’m not bored to tears, with nothing to do!

School daze

This weekend, we got our wireless network up and running. I moved Heather's computer into the living room, so that she can get online while Gabriel is sleeping. She hasn't been able to email her family much since Gabriel was born. Of course, that is to be expected, but I wanted to make it more convenient for her to at least send an email now and then. It does help me out, too. With classes starting on Monday, I will be able to study, "attend classes," and enjoy my family, all at the same time, as opposed to playing the hermit, hiding out in my little closet, er, office.

My first assignment is to write an autobiography introducing myself to my virtual class. In a way, I guess it isn't a virtual class, since we will be viewing each other's posted comments and sharing ideas in near-real time. Okay, since I will probably never meet my classmates, it is still a virtual class. Anyway, duty calls. I have a lot of work at the Lights today. Later.

Admissions (If she was? Nope. If she were... )

I "met" my admissions counselor last week. Her name is Andrea. She is feisty, pleasant and has just enough zing to make the process of preparing for years of study (again) seem less painful than it otherwise might be. Even though she is in Arizona, it seems strangely familiar, in this small world, how she has visited many of the casinos I helped set up with new games or get ready to open. She told me that she is a transplant from the Midwest, so that helps. If she were from California, on the other hand, I might be thinking, “Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!” Nah, not really. She is nice. I wonder... if I say enough kind things about her, will it get me any brownie points with my admissions counselor?

I ordered books for the first classes today. It looks like this is really happening, almost as simple and smooth as glass. Andrea told me today that if I wimp out, she is going to kick my, uh... Hi, Counselor. What’s up?

Hey... it was 54 degrees and sunny yesterday. It seems that spring is tipping the scales in the mêlée that is the transition from winter to spring. You know how it is, mild one day, snowing and sub-zero the next. Incidentally, it was snowing when I left on a service call this morning. My seasonal passion for winter is fading, and gardening fever is winning me over.

Sunday, Boring Sunday

Is it just me, or are Sundays really boring when football season ends? I like the ritual of planting on the couch or bed and watching two groups of big, burly guys beat each other up over a ball. I suppose I'll have to replace it with a movie, but it just isn't the same. I can't even say that I'd be satisfied with a Sunday baseball game, because half of the fun is watching the game with Doug. Anyone who knows Doug will tell you that he thinks that baseball ranks right up there with golf and tennis as the most boring sport. I ask you, what is a woman to do? Doug, pick a movie!

How many children will have to die?

The only good things to come out of that tragic story in the last blog? Two things i can think of. One, that the father of the those twins will face capital murder chargers for killing them, born or unborn. And two, that with this law, the fact that unborn children are receiving a modicum of legal protection and recognition is a glimmer of hope in this world gone completely insane.

How many children have died because of abortions? Nobody knows for sure, but a conservative estimate, as of today, in the whole world, including developing countries, is that about 188,182,000 children have been murdered by abortion. Check this link for the source of the numbers. The main thing is, though, abortion should not be used for birth control. Finally, people need to take responsibility for their actions! No whining. If you do the deed, take responsibility for it. As I like to say, build a bridge and get over it!

Just me, ranting again.

Another needless heartbreak comes out of a miracle of life, created through irresponsibility, another moral defeat snatched from an undeserved victorious blessing. Yet again, I ask myself, “What happened to a respect for life?” You know you can count on me to clarify until this is unambiguous.

A Texas man is facing a capital murder charge after his 4-month-pregnant girlfriend convinced him to forcefully step on her stomach in order to kill the unborn twins she was carrying. Authorities believed 16-year-old Erica Basoria had been abused by her boyfriend, 18-year-old Gerardo "Jerry" Flores, indicting him under the Texas Prenatal Protection Act.

This law was passed to protect unborn children in cases where the purpose was to cause a miscarriage through deliberate violence against the mother. The regulation defined the lawful term ‘individual’ as, “a human being who is alive, including an unborn child at every stage of gestation from fertilization until birth.” Praise God for small miracles! Nevertheless, the law included language that makes it irrelevant in either a criminal prosecution or a civil action to the behavior of the unborn child's mother so that the law would not pertain to a woman having an abortion.

Anyone familiar with Heather and me knows that we don’t just believe half-heartedly, we vociferously maintain the uncomplicated mandate: “Thou shall not kill.” God didn’t say, “Don’t kill anybody, as long as they have been born.” He made it clear, “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren, that you do unto me.” That is from Colossians 3:17, for sinners like me to read again. Let me be unequivocal. Abortion is the murder of innocent children. Period. That we stand by this principle isn’t news to my family, or to Heather’s family. What is news in all of this?

The manipulative, coldhearted mother of these unborn twins will not be held accountable for her actions. How can two people consciously do something like this and only one of them be prosecuted? This woman overtly attempted to cause a miscarriage. Let me define that: this woman willfully planned the premeditated murder of her two unborn children. Two precious children are dead, and their mom isn’t going to have to answer for it.

I cannot state this as efficiently as could the homicidal maniac who is the mother of these two dead children. In her words, “About two weeks before the miscarriage, I started hitting myself in the stomach. I would do this every day and I would use both of my fists when I did this. I would hit myself 10 or more times.”

Her parents, too, should be held accountable. Basoria’s sworn statement stated that her parents pled with her for more than two weeks to have an abortion. Therefore, they are guilty as well. The “grandparents” didn’t murder the twins. Erica, Mommy Dearest, convinced her boyfriend, the babies’ father, to kill them. Without question, their mother permitted it, appealed to her cooperative partner. She conspired with dad, and thus, he killed their children. Those prospective grandparents wanted their grandchildren dead. Guilty. As a parent myself, this is heart-breaking.

Whatever happened to respect for life? What happened to taking responsibility for one’s actions? It's like this: if you don't want children, if you are a teen and not married, you aren't prepared to be a parent, and you aren't ready for sexual relations, so knock it off already! Abstinence works every single time it is tried. Period. When God becomes weary of our collective iniquity, we are all accountable for tolerating a civilization that has devolved into madness. God help us. This world certainly needs a mountain of divine intercession, and I pray that we get the guidance we need.

By the way, Mom, Dad... and God, thanks for giving me life!

The Joys of Homeownership

I see Doug already posted about the momentary malfunction of our heating system, but I must tell you my thoughts on it. I sleep under a blanket and sheet and like to be toasty warm when I sleep. So when I wake up to nurse Gabriel in the middle of the night, sometimes I shiver. I didn't really think anything of this particular shivering session until I picked up Gabriel and noticed his hands were cooler than usual, bordering on cold. Then I looked at Doug. Mister sheet-around-the-waist had the sheet pulled up to his neck. I put a second, warmer blanket around Gabriel as I held him to me and went to investigate the thermometer/clock we have in the kitchen. My jaw dropped when I noticed that it said61 degrees. I checked to see if the thermostat had been bumped and found it set on 68 degrees. I went over to the register along the wall and it felt cold. That was when I woke up Doug. I knew it was in the teens or something like that outside, and the temperature in the house would fall fast if we didn't do anything. My first thought after keeping my baby warm was that the birds need it to be 70 degrees in here. I was glad Doug was home for this little problem. I would have been panicking if I had to try to figure out how to make the boiler kick on while trying to nurse Gabriel. I'm no good at that fix-it stuff anyway. I probably would have run over to our neighbor across the street and pleaded for help. I'm incredibly clueless when it comes to this stuff. The ironic thing is that I just finished checking the boiler and thermostat again because it is now 78 degrees in here. I'm roasting! I've concluded that it is only the sun pouring in that is heating up the house. We'll pretend it is summer for a few hours.

Baby, it's cold... inside.

Heather woke me at 4:30 this morning and told me that the house was chilly. It wasn’t an icebox, but it was 61 degrees, definitely colder than it should have been. It turned out to be a minor issue, though that is a bit cool for the birds. We turned on the electric registers while we waited for the boiler to heat the hot water registers. Come to think of it, the cost of electricity has actually gone down in the last ten years, while the rate for natural gas continues to rise. Would it make more sense to heat the house with the electric heaters? We aren't sure, but it is something we are considering.

We decided to use “dual heat” for now, turning the registers up to a few degrees less than the optimal temperature, with the thought that it would help moderate the temperature and maybe save us a buck or two. If the hot water boiler doesn’t kick in, the electric registers will keep the house from getting icy cold. Oh… the problem with the boiler? I have no idea. I turned off the breakers for five minutes and turned the power back on. Apparently I had to reset an electrical relay or something. The house is toasty warm again.

After much deliberation and procrastination, my conclusion is that I need to think about where my career might lead. I decided I should do what I can now, while my kids are still young, so that I have more education. In this case, only one of my kids has been born so far, but you already knew that. With that in mind, there is no time like the present.

Heather can tell you, I have always planned to get more education. I just never took the initiative to get started. With my irregular schedule and on-call status 24 hours a day, every day, I assumed that I couldn’t make the time to get edumacated. That is the reason why some genius came up with distance education, I imagine. I submitted the truckload of paperwork to get started. Other than tying up the loose ends, and getting the books, materials, etcetera, most everything is in place. I will start college (again, and feeling old in doing so) on March 14th. I will take a full-time credit load (think in terms of semesters) but only take 2 classes at a time, for 9 weeks each, instead of 4 classes for 18 weeks. The classes will be comprehensive but for a shorter period than in a typical college environment.

The school I chose has a high level of accreditation, which makes me feel comfortable with it, obviously. I wondered if an AA/BA could be equivalent to a traditionally earned degree at a ‘brick-and-mortar’ university. Would it be as genuine if you never made an appearance at the school, in the flesh, so to speak? After researching this matter, I found that it doesn’t make one bit of difference. The powerful equalizer is the accreditation, the reputation of the school and the quality of the education. I really want to do this. In four years, with God to give me strength and my family’s support, I will have a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management. When I graduate, my kids will still be young. I don’t want to miss the big games and concerts being on the road, after all.

I love what I do and couldn’t imagine wanting to quit. Not only that, but also I have years of experience, self-confidence and I do my job well. But in ten years, will I want to travel 1,000 to 2,000 miles a week for my job, and work up to seven days a week? What kind of advancement opportunity is there for me? With that in mind, I am planning for the future. I am excited about the possibilities. I know I have plenty of hard work ahead of me. Speaking of that, I need to get to work. I have a road trip of 500 miles ahead of me today. See what I mean? I will probably put close to 2,000 miles on the odometer this week. Job security is nice. I want an education to back it up.

On Friday, a judge in Florida extended a court order to keep Terri Schiavo's feeding tube in place until March 18, allowing her parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, an opportunity to get medical tests that might demonstrate Terri has greater cerebral function than previously thought. This momentary reprieve from what may be their daughter's vindictive and inhumane death sentence – death by starvation – is at least temporary good news. Why on earth should they have to prove such a thing? They love Terri and value her life as she is.

Deuteronomy says: "I have set before thee life and death … therefore choose life." The Schindlers have chosen life for their daughter! Should a court do anything less?

This is insanity. What a chilling precedent it would set for Florida, and conceivably for the United States, this ostensible “right to die.” In the case of Terri Schiavo, it seems apparent that her determined breathing is a nuisance to her wretched excuse for a husband, and in his eyes, it is obviously a “duty to die.” God help us all.

T. G. I. F.

As soon as I post this, Heather and I are heading for the service center. I have a collection of junk to pick up for upcoming service calls. Junk, in this case, either figurative or literal, I would be hard-pressed to differentiate. We will try to make this a brief stop of an hour or so, and then head home again, with any luck. Keep in mind, it is Friday, and casinos tend to call for service on Fridays regarding problems they have been letting slide all week, or longer.

Josh, as in, Uncle Josh, not nephew Josh, will be visiting this weekend. That is another reason we hope to head home in a judicious manner. That is the theory, in any case. My cell could ring at any minute and then all bets are off.

To follow up the last post, the major media have picked up on the story that Randy Moss is on his way to the Raiders. Do I think this is a reckless move for the Vikings? Does a bear crap in the woods? Oh yeah. The universal response I get when asking "casino people" about the loss of Moss is that each and every person thinks this is stupid with a capital "S." There is a lot of anger and frustration and people are wondering, basically, 'What are they smoking at Winter Park?' Moss wants to be with a team he feels can make it to the Big Game, and for him, that isn't the Vikings. Hopefully, the new Viking, Napoleon Harris, has a blatant Napoleonic complex with results to back it up, or this trade will surely come back to haunt us. Okay, I am absotively posolutely convinced that it will.

Randy Moss has left the building?

Rumor has it that the Vikings and the Oakland Raiders have agreed to a trade that will send Randy Moss to Oakland in exchange for the Raider's first-round pick this year, a seventh-round choice and linebacker Napoleon Harris, who was once a first-round pick himself.

I should be worried about this impending hole in the Vikings line and the Minnesota Moving Company's offense. When these guys play up to their potential, they are formidable! This year, though, with his hamstring injury, Randy Moss wasn't the performer he was in past years. True, he did have 13 TD catches and over 750 yards, which is excellent, but he wasn't the All-Pro he was in his first six seasons, with over 1,000 yards every year of his professional career until this year. Injuries will do that to the best of 'em.

So far, this is just a rumor, but once the new NFL fiscal year starts at the end of next week, we will see if this is true or not. I hate to see Moss go, if he does. But in the last minute of that Washington game, when he walked off the field before the game was over, talk about a morale crusher for the other Vikings who were playing their hearts out and didn't give up. Maybe Randy Moss and his colorful antics aren't what we need in Minnesota, not if it will cost the team its cohesive strength on offense. In any case, this is just a rumor so there is no need for panic. Or celebration. Take your pick.

The topic came to me while I was reading

I was reading a few articles from a website that I enjoy. That website is Spirit Daily. Check it out here. The article that made me decide what to write about today was about the visions and the death of Sister Lucia de Jesus dos Santos. She recently passed away at the age of 97, the last survivor among the three people who had visions of Mary at Fatima, along with her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto.

What I write about, though, is a personal experience of my own. I remember when I was an elementary school student at Saint Raphael School in the second grade. I don’t remember what the assignment was, in particular, but I do remember what I wrote about, my mother’s work with a few other people, organizing people to make a sort of pilgrimage to Necedah, Wisconsin to a site where a woman named Mary Ann (Hirt) Hoof was purported to have had visions of Mary appearing to her, claimed to have stigmata and was told future events. I hadn’t yet gone to see the site in Wisconsin, though some members of my family had.

Being a youngster at the time, of course, I didn’t understand that the Catholic Church doesn’t recognize that location as having been the site of a valid apparition. When I wrote about it, my essay was posted on the bulletin board along with every other second grader’s work. When I brought that assignment home, mom told me that I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone, because of the implications for some of the believers who had gone with mom to the site. There weren’t one or two local people who went, but dozens. One person who I mentioned in particular, I wasn’t supposed to reveal. She has since passed on, so there isn’t any risk of her being ostracized, and I can now say that she was Sister Marina, one of my favorite nuns at the school. She was an elderly woman but so full of life. I recall how entertained I was each time I spoke with her. Thinking back, I wonder if she wasn’t younger than I remember. Being seven years old, almost everyone seems elderly to you.

As I said, I wrote this assigned composition before I went to Necedah. I don’t remember how old I was when I actually went to the site, but my visit was within a year or two after the essay. I suppose I was 8 or 9 at the time. Mom worked with some others, though I don’t remember their names, and they arranged motor coaches that would take many people at a time to the site of the visions. The coach we traveled on was full to capacity. I had to stay in my seat. I remember that, because I was a kid, and I wanted to roam around the bus.

We went to the site in the spring. I remember that the grounds were muddy so I am assuming this was early spring, before planting time for the farmers. There was a house standing there, where the woman who witnessed the apparitions lived. Nearby was a circle of stones around a tree, the tree above which Mary is said to have appeared. After we toured the site, Mom bought a rosary with a silver chain for me. When the afternoon arrived, we all knelt down at the appointed time to recite the rosary. I remember this part clearly. Being a kid, it was difficult for my to be still for so long. I truly wanted to be part of this whole experience, so I tried very hard to focus on the prayers with my new rosary. I recall stories of how people went there to pray and purportedly, their rosaries would occasionally turn to a gold color (not actual gold as far as I know). We prayed the rosary and when we were done, I put the rosary in my pocket and ultimately, we got on the coach to return to Minnesota.

During the trip home, mom stood at the front of the coach to talk to everyone and to lead everyone in a prayer. She said that every so often a rosary would turn gold during the visit. Well, I took out my own rosary and, guess what? It didn’t have a silver chain any longer. The chain was gold.

You would suppose that I would be one of the most saintly, faithful people after that incident. I count myself among the faithful but I have struggled with living the way that Jesus lived and still wants us to live. As I get older, I have become more conscientious and mature, thank God for that. I have thought about that experience, looking for an explanation. The color of the rosary chain changed that day, and it wasn’t simple tarnishing of the chain. I say that with conviction because I got the rosary during the noon hour, and by 3 p.m., it had changed to a gold color. Can tarnishing happen that quickly? Everyone knows that inexpensive jewelry can turn your skin green, right? I suppose everyone has seen that at some point in time or heard of somebody who had that happen. In the course of three hours, the chain turned from a silver color to gold, not various shades or irregularly as tarnishing would. It was a solid color of gold. This is something that I cannot explain to this day, other than what I have just stated, which is God’s honest truth.

In researching the stories that this woman has told, I don’t know what to believe. Many say that she was a devout Christian who sought God in prayer. Others say that Mary Ann Hoof was a fraud and led a life that would make a sailor blush, that she came up with peculiar stories. Apparently, some of those who believed her elevated her to cult-like status. I was too young to base anything solidly upon my own insights at that time.

I do not know what I should read into what happened from my viewpoint, other than to say two things. One, my rosary did actually change. It can be argued, I suppose, that maybe it was Satan’s influence to bring another soul to venerate a false representation of God’s image. Alternatively, it could be something to demonstrate the splendor and supremacy of God. I choose to believe in the infinite power of God, gently nudging me in the right direction.

Secondly, Mary, the mother of God, when she has appeared, as acknowledged by the Church, has had few requests, other than to say, fundamentally, “People, you need to pray, live righteously and believe in God.” Some people elevate Mary to a place so near God that it is dangerously simple to worship Mary, from our flawed human view. Losing a perspective on what I will call the hierarchy of Heaven is fraught with peril. Mary was Jesus’ Earthly mother, and the Bible states clearly she was chosen to be “the hand-maiden of the Lord.” As such, she was born without sin and raised Jesus knowing it wouldn’t be a bed of roses, but a crown of thorns, literally and figuratively. She knew that he would suffer and die to save those who accept him and believe. Of course, she was grief-stricken, as any mother would be, and yet, she fulfilled her obligation to the Father.

I feel that praying to God through Mary is fine, as long as we bear in mind that Mary is not a god, but one of the deservedly honored people through which God is working his great eternal plan. God unquestionably knows our intentions, no matter how we might try to conceal our human failings.

Regarding the whole Necedah experience from my perspective, this is my conclusion: Discernment of reports of miraculous occurrences needs to be carefully and prayerfully done. Anyone willing to place their beliefs and actions solely at the mercy of a particular "visionary" is courting disaster. Before making a decision as far-reaching as this, any sensible person will examine and evaluate all the evidence for the claims being made, find out what the local medical and religious authorities believe is occurring and then prayerfully consider the possibilities.

When impostors misrepresent His message for their acclaim and attention and are exposed as being self-interested hypocrites, it denigrates the messenger while it muddies the message. The Catholic Church has condemned this woman’s message and her claims. About one third to one half of the research I have read seems to indicate that she was a phony who was seeking attention and recognition. A group formed around her, most likely not at her behest, to collect donations from those who believed or wanted to believe. Sadly, it seems possible that she was out of her mind or purposefully acting in her own interest. Her early “vision days” drew tens of thousands of people, the curious and the earnest crowds that wanted to believe. Years later, Van Hoof said she still talked regularly with the Virgin Mary, but few listened. And fewer believed. It seems she probably was telling the truth, at least in the beginning. I wonder, though, if she deviated from that truth, when her claims grew to be fantastic in detail. Assuming that is a true statement, whether she intentionally misled or was just a sick woman, it is very regrettable and it detracts from God and his message.

Maybe you disagree with me on some parts of this. Maybe you think I am a raving lunatic. So be it. I feel the power of God in my heart, and I try to live my life for his glory and not my own. I have accepted Him into my life as my personal savior. I have a long way to go to be even a little bit like Him. No matter… God loved me enough to sacrifice his own son, paying a penalty in Jesus’ blood that I can scarcely comprehend. I know one thing. My God is an awesome God.

If only we had leaders like this today.

"First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in humble and enduring scenes of private life. Pious, just, humane, temperate, and sincere; uniform, dignified, and commanding; his example was as edifying to all around him as were the effects of that example lasting.... Correct throughout, vice shuddered in his presence and virtue always felt his fostering hand. The purity of his private character gave effulgence to his public virtues.... Such was the man for whom our nation mourns." --Official eulogy of Washington, written by John Marshall and delivered by Representative Richard Henry Lee, December 26, 1799

If only we had leaders like this today. Our forefathers were loyal to the ideals of liberty, not available to be bought and sold by lobbying groups. These men loved America and risked their lives for future generations. Our country's fathers knew that they could be executed when they fought for our liberty, and yet they placed a value on freedom for future generations which exceeded their personal interests. These men did what was right for America. This is so unlike the luxurious lifestyle our modern leaders are basking in, with their unearned and egocentric celebrity not born of a desire to protect the American legacy of freedom. Sadly, the question of "Is our Congress really protecting our American interests?" today doesn't have a clear and resolute answer.

Of course, our children will understand the history of George Washington's birthday (which is tomorrow). Today, for the history of President's Day, check out this page.

God bless America, freedom, family, and you. Happy President's Day.

Visiting the old neighborhood

I worked on a Wheel of Fortune Special Edition game Saturday, with Heather and Gabriel along for the ride. It seems the malfunction is an intermittent problem, but fairly inconsequential. After that casino crisis was remedied, we stopped at the store where Dave works and he walked by on his way to clock in after lunch. We had a good conversation and then he had to work.

We spent the afternoon visiting with our former neighbors, Janet and Paul. They wanted to meet Gabriel but since he is a cute kid, who wouldn’t want to meet him? True, I am a bit partial, but aren't all dads?

Visiting our former neighborhood brought back memories. There were no police cars or street brawls, and that was encouraging. Snow was falling so that may have kept the delinquents indoors. After having dinner with Janet and Dave Saturday evening, with much conversation and catching up on things, we headed home in the snow. Whoohoo! My excitement is not about driving home in a snowstorm. That part reeks, primarily due to drivers who don’t slow down in poor driving conditions. The snowstorm itself is cause for enthusiasm. We both love snowstorms. Did I ever tell you that?

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Heather and I are holding off the spring fever but we did browse the garden center this weekend. Clearly, our gardening mania will kick in before long. Our love of winter still holds sway, but soon, the balance will tip the other way and we will wish we could be playing in the garden.

Trippin' Hippies in Foam Rubber Costumes

I have gotta tell you, our kids are going to grow up watching some of the 60s and 70s classics, like H.R. Puffenstuff, Sigmund and the Seamonsters, Doctor Shrinker, and the Land of the Lost. I have no solid information here, but it seems evident that it took the influence of some mighty potent hallucinogenic mushrooms or an exotic psychotropic substance to inspire Sid and Marty Krofft when they created this stuff. Still, in a very cheesy way, these programs are wholesome entertainment compared to the garbage on TV these days. If you disagree with me, too bad... you're wrong. Right, Heather? The Magic 8-Ball says... "Without a doubt."

A succinct summary of a great book

I borrowed this summary from a site offering this great book. The link is here, too, if you want to check it out. From the Faith and Family Bookstore:

Michael Reagan’s life is much more than just an interesting story. It is a testimony of how Christ allowed him to find healing from many of the issues that confront our culture today, such as sexual abuse, divorce, loneliness, the feeling of rejection, and the belief that God does not care about us. Michael Reagan’s first adoption gave him an identity, but he did not find his true identity until he found Christ. In this book, Mike Reagan shows how others can meet a God who loves them, and who wants to embrace them and bring them healing, salvation, and meaning to life.

Twice Adopted

Heather and I gave her Dad a book on CD for Christmas and it has come back to revisit me. Now I say this in a very positive way. The book I am talking about is “Twice Adopted” by Michael Reagan. I now have the audio recording from Heather’s dad, so I can check it out, too. Michael Reagan does speak through the first hour of the recorded version of the book. Then, another narrator takes over. On the long road trip to Thief River Falls and back today, I listened to the first 7 hours of the book. It is exceptionally well written and at times, the story of Michael Reagan’s childhood takes you on a roller coaster from tears to hope and even an occasional chuckle. When you are in a truck a hundred miles from nowhere, you don’t have to worry too much about other drivers wondering why you are looking like a sappy, emotional doorknob, all because an audio book has your heart in knots. As a sidenote, whoever heard of an emotional doorknob anyway? Maybe Sid and Marty Krofft and their H.R. Puffenstuff world of foam rubber-costumed characters has a few doorknobs that aren't just inanimate objects. But I digress.

“Twice Adopted” is the true story of many things. One part in particular is the story of Michael Reagan and his relationship with his father, Ronald Wilson Reagan. At least as enlightening is Michael Reagan's childhood experiences from self-loathing to accepting Jesus Christ in his life. It was a journey that began with his adoption by Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman, parents in a setting that his peers assumed was the idyllic life. The behind-the-scenes story of his life is remarkable and painfully familiar. That is, he was the son of the 1950’s version of Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, and yet, he is just like you and me in so many ways. Michael Reagan has many anecdotes that anyone can relate to, with insight and candor that came from surviving a mixed-up childhood. His “wonderful life” began to unravel when he struggles with the divorce of his celebrity parents, and seeking the reasons why his biological mom “didn’t want him”, feeling worthless and unloved. He finds a verse in Deuteronomy that seems to state that a de facto fatherless son and the ten generations following him are condemned and banned from Heaven forever (in the mind of a child, incorrectly understood to say he was doomed). Thus, he turns his back on God for thirty years, after concluding that God has forsaken him. He leads the listener through his victimization at the hands of a man he trusted, when a trusted camp counselor molested him when he was 7 years old. The story continues with his bitter adolescence and his misguided attempts to shield his parents from his shameful secret by acting so disruptive that he hoped to ultimately force them to forsake him. Michael tells the story of finding comfort in his middle-aged years after a lifetime of hating himself and hating God, blaming both for the sexual abuse he experienced as a child.

This isn’t a story about being a “woe-is-me” victim. It is a story of survival, faith and praise to God for peace and understanding, through the dark days, and from the dreadful past into a hopeful future. It is a story about the end of innocence for one child, which concludes with hope and joyfulness, knowing that God never turns from anyone who trusts in Him. The story moved me, and maybe it will move you, too. Check it out sometime.

Cure #3

The Friday before Valentine's Day I called the clinic and the nurse suggested straight vaseline for Gabriel's diaper rash. That wasn't working so Doug and I took him to the doctor and got prescription #2: "1:1:1 butt cream". I called the doctor back yesterday, though, because every where that I was putting the stuff (a wider path than the existing rash) was getting irritated. So, cure #3 is Bacitracin 4 times a day and A & D Ointment at every diaper change.

You can imagine that having a sore butt is making Gabriel a bit cranky. Keeping that in mind, the two of us decided to stay home instead of accompanying Doug on a road trip to Thief River Falls. I would have liked to go, but I didn't think Gabriel could handle 3 hours straight without being fed and held. That only works during long naps, which are completely unpredictable. So Gabriel and I are hanging out.

Gaining weight isn't a bad thing

We took Gabriel to his pediatrician. I needed a pause from the work I was doing so it worked out well in that regard. I try to be at the doctor’s visits when it is possible. Gabriel is only 3-weeks old and the reason for a visit is evident, to make sure everything is going fine. The thought of taking your child to the doctor frequently when there is no sickness or concern, i.e. “well child visits” seems a bit wasteful once your kids are old enough to have a healthy history with no evident concerns. At any rate, that wasn’t the situation yesterday.

Gabriel has that wicked rash that Heather mentioned. It looks very uncomfortable and hasn’t improved enough to reassure this Mom and Dad. Gabriel’s doctor agreed and wrote a prescription for some mysterious concoction that should aid in the healing process. The good news is that Gabriel has a healthy weight gain. He has gained 28 ounces in 19 days. Actually, the pediatrician asked if we have been feeding him turkey and mashed potatoes and said that his weight gain is unbelievable, so that sounds like an affirmative doctor’s opinion. When we can get this rash to clear up, Gabriel will be a happy little guy.

How could something be so painful?

No, I'm not talking about childbirth. I'm wondering aloud how something on my baby's body could be so painful to me. Gabriel has some really wicked diaper rash. Since I'm always putting stuff on him when I change his diaper, and I change his diaper every time I feed him (about every 1.5 to 2 hours), I wonder how he got such a bad case of diaper rash. Mom tells me that it could be something I ate, since I'm breastfeeding. Anyway, my point was that I see how painful it is to him when I change him. It is not the tangible pain of being pinched. It is looking at his raw little butt and cringing from the pain that I imagine he is feeling. I'm normally very empathetic, but I suppose this is the empathy of motherhood. I can't stand to see my baby in pain, and I would do anything to bear that pain in his place. It has started looking a little better, but if it doesn't clear up in a couple days, I'm calling the doctor.

We have a full house this weekend. Heather’s parents and her brother are spending a few days with us. Josh has been here a few times since Gabriel was born, but for Laura and Dennis, this is the first opportunity to get acquainted with their grandson. Heather and I always look forward to their visits, particularly because it is a long drive from Indiana. The absences and time commitments required to visit make the efforts very meaningful.

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Gabriel isn’t a happy camper with the rash he has, but otherwise, he is satisfied with his feeding and sleeping. Ah, the life of a child is nice, isn’t it? How ironic that when we were children, the benefits of maturity are “obvious” and we long to magically leap into adulthood without delay. (What autonomy adults have, right?) Then adulthood arrives, with career, mortgage and responsibility weighing profoundly on the mind. How fantastic it would be to revisit the age of innocence.

The call center gave me a call last night, though my cell phone never rang, which is very normal. Eventually, that, ummm... wonderful piece of... technology, started beeping, to indicate once again I didn't answer the call when the phone never rang. Understand one thing, that cell phone almost never rings; messages just show up from time to time. Anyway, I have to a service call to attend to this morning at Fortune Bay, near Ely. I am not thrilled about leaving during this weekend, since Heather's parents arrived last night from Indiana. However, that is how it goes sometimes. I am on-call and it is part of the job responsibilities. Heather and I, long ago, learned to deal with the unpredictability that comes with the job. The benefits of my job far outweigh the occasional interruptions.

Since my in-laws are only here for the weekend, I want to come home as early as possible. Therefore, I am leaving at 6 a.m., a few hours before they wake up. With any luck, I will return from the service call by 2 p.m. Wish me luck.

I am not at home tonight, but instead am staying at the Wingate Hotel in Oakdale. I was in the middle of a Fort Knox progressive system install at one of the Lakes-area casinos, when I got called to the office. Since the manager said it was urgent, I left within minutes and stopped at home long enough to pick up a change of clothes and paperwork to be turned in during the inventory process. Some of the Rapid City personnel are in Minnesota to inventory the service vehicles, and they want to head home Friday and as early as possible. Admittedly, a bit more notice that I would be traveling would be helpful, but that is how my job works now and then. It goes with the territory and both Heather and I are used to unpredictable schedules with this job. We deal with it as it comes. I will be in the hotel one night and should be home by tomorrow afternoon.

Heather’s parents will be traveling to Minnesota, leaving before morning. They are coming to meet their grandson for the first time. I am sure that they are as excited as we are about our son and their first grandchild. Work has been a lot busier this week for me, keeping me away into the evenings. While I am absent, Heather keeps busy being a stay-at-home Mom. Gabriel is doing quite well, with the usual things a 16-day old baby does, sleeping, eating and, well, polluting, so to speak. Gabriel is an adorable kid, but of course I am inclined to say that since he is the most perfect baby I have ever seen. =) As he becomes a bit more energetic, his random smiles are enough to make my day brighter than ever.

I don’t mind traveling, mostly because I truly enjoy my job and I like the variety that comes with this work. Nonetheless, a hotel room will never measure up to the warmth of having your family nearby. This hotel stay is a necessary situation, being away from work, and though it is essential, it makes me appreciate the comforts of home. When I travel, coming home to my family makes the inconvenience that much more meaningful.

I had my annual review today. I am not going to go into the details of it, but I am pleased with the outcome of the evaluation. I am committed to the demands of the job and it is nice to be recognized. There are days the job drives me nuts, but in the big picture, this is an extraordinary company to work for and I wouldn’t change jobs for anything. Tomorrow, I am going home to my Heather, and our beautiful son, Gabriel. As ever, I am exceptionally blessed. Life is good, very good indeed.