So, that was mind-numbing

Today was my first day of week, hoooorah. Mother dropped us off and we initially went into the wrong building. Eventually we figured out where we were supposed to go, which was a real plus, ha ha ha. The building is very nice; they took us on a tour, and it has a cafeteria, a dining hall, a gift shop and an ATM machine. Tres chic.

The people seemed quite friendly, and the work is really easy. It's just typing numbers into this little box on the computer screen. Blah. But oh hooray it's boring enough to make you want to rip your brains out. The same two keys on the keyboard get pressed over and over again. I'm gonna get carpal tunnel. Auuuuugh. But at least it's $8.50 an hour ...

I don't wanna work

Kelly services called today, I have to go to work tomorrow! Arrrrrgh! I hope it's not too hard and the people aren't nasty. It's so easy for the "perms" to be nasty to the "temps."

Maybe there will be other temps there besides me and Betsy. We temps hafta stick togetha, ya know! ;)

Yah, Betsy's working with me, so that'll help. We have to be there at seven, though, so that means we've got to get up early. Sick, sick, sick.

Great Society

No, not Johnson's sorry excuse for a policy initiative.





"Society for a Moratorium on the Music

of Marty Haugen and David Haas"


Oooo. I think I have heard one or two songs from this duo that I enjoyed. The state of the liturgy being what it is in many places, there are things I would "theologically speaking" hope to have corrected before the music - but oh, God, the &#*$ "music!!"

Wonderful Day

Today we went to the Indult Tridentine Mass at Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Cleveland, OH. Mam wouldn't come, I think she was feeling a bit shy. It was my first Latin mass, and it was lovely. The choir sang very beautifully, and there were a bunch of huuuuuge families there. Lots of the women were in veils. I wore a white one Betsy gave to me; it was my first time wearing one and she has about six, some black ones and some white ones. It kept slipping off though, so I'm going to have to look for a hatpin or something. Paging Jo Ann Fabrics, paging...

The homily was on Purgatory and was very well done. I was a bit nervous going up to the Communion rail - like I said I've never done it that way before - but I didn't fall over while kneeling or anything. Maggie didn't make an ass (by that I mean, mule) of herself! That's a first! :)

It was a gorgeous church. Dripping walls gorgeous. They had a high altar and ancient, wooden kneeelers and the most glorious stained glass I've ever seen. There were two side altars - St. Mary and what looked like St. Joseph - and lots of little shrines. I'd like to register there, I think. The priest seems great and the church looks great and the people seem nice. Check check check!

I didn't burn!

That's right! I think I may be cured of my "she-goes-into-the-sun-and-comes-back-as-a-lobster" disorder. My mother, my father, my little brother Arthur and I went to Lake Erie for a couple hours today. I sat on the beach towel watching the waves - I was not about to show off my oh so hot hot (vomit) body in a swimsuit, LOL. There was not a cloud in the sky, although it was relatively cool - in the high 60s, I would say. Anyway, I did not put on sunscreen, but I did not burn. Or if I did, the horrible result has not shown itself yet. Probably will in time for Mass tomorrow, ha ha ha.

PS We're taking Mother Darling to the Tridentine Mass at noon tomorrow, say a prayer it all goes wellllll.... :)

Heresy of the Week

The folks who ascribed to this heresy seem to be have been of the "mean, loveless Christian" variety:

Iconoclasm (7th and 8th Centuries)
This heresy arose when a group of people known as iconoclasts (literally,
"icon smashers") appeared, who claimed that it was sinful to make pictures and
statues of Christ and the saints, despite the fact that in the Bible, God had
commanded the making of religious statues (Ex. 25:18–20; 1 Chr. 28:18–19),
including symbolic representations of Christ (cf. Num. 21:8–9 with John 3:14).
From Catholic Answers.

Bible Maaaadness

So, according to this article from the BBC, there's another whopper of a new Bible "translation" which retro-fits Holy Writ to better match our modern-day predilections. This is a major trend, and a big business too, I think: There are special Bibles for new mothers, special Bibles for teenagers, special Bibles for joggers, blah blah blah. Often the "translation" process involves copying an earlier work and rewriting the words to fit a niche - or agenda, as is often the case with the inclusive language folks.

This "Good as New" Version appears to be a real doozy. For example, our super-nice family Bible - the Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition - has Chapter Seven, Verses 8-9 of the First Letter to the Corinthians as the following:

8.To the unmarried and the widowers I say that it is well for them to remain single as I do. 9. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion.

The New American Bible, to my tastes a rather uninspiring translation which I nevertheless believe is the standard current Bible for Catholics, relates the same passage as:

8.Now to the unmarried and to widows, I say: It is a good thing for them to remain as they are, as I do, 9.but if they cannot exercise self-control they should marry, for it is better to marry than to be on fire.

This is how John Benson, the former Baptist minister who wrote the new version, renders the above:

"There's nothing wrong with remaining single, like me. But if you know you have strong needs, get yourself a partner. Better than being frustrated."

Ah. I'm sure that's a faithful translation of the Ancient Greek ;)

He also substitutes "God's new world" for the words, "Kingdom of God." Oh, the theological implications. I could go on and on, but I will not since I prefer to bore you at least one iota less than I otherwise would ;) I'm just this freak who gets worked up about this stuff :)

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, is very much lovey-dovey with Mr. Benson's nonsense. Among other things, he says that the Good as New translation is "fully earthed." Goody. If I knew what that meant, I'm sure I would be pleased as punch.

For once I'm quite glad the Church of England is separate from the Catholic Church - we haven't got this bad yet! :) Well, rather, I should say that the ill effects of England's 16th century disobedience have at long last come to fruition. By their fruits ye shall know them, etc, etc, you know the drill.

PS: Check out the photo of the Archbishop that comes alongside the article. I don't like to judge people's looks, but ... Whoa, he creeps me out. It's his eyebrows. Sorry.

Mission Impossible Accomplished At Last

Yar, I went and peed in the cup at the drug testing laboratory, so that's done. No doubt they will call the police when they discover all that heroin that has been coursing through my veins ;) You know, I never really had any objections to mandatory drug testing for employment purposes. And I still don't, except that I now realize how much of a pain in the derriere it is.

This evening KT and Kat and me and Betsy went to see The Notebook . It doesn't open until tomorrow, but KT won free passes to a preview showing. It was a pretty good movie! I usually don't go for the romantic schlock - at all - but even I wanted to at least sniffle a bit at the end. AOL Broadband gave out these little Kleenex dispensers in case we needed them. Very cute, although I didn't need to use mine. Before we went in the theatre we had to get past this lady with one of those metal-detector swiper thingys, like you see at the airport (not that I've ever been to an airport, sob sob). I guess they were worried about people carrying in video cameras and putting out bootlegged copies. Sheesh, it was a pretty good movie, but it's not LOTR or Harry Potter or anything!

afterward we went to Applebee's (I think that was it) for dessert. I had a brownie/ice cream dish. Yum! We paid exact change, using twenty four pennies. We split before the waiter came back - boy, he was probably mad!

All in all, a very good day. And any lengthy period of time spent watching Ryan Gosling on-screen makes the day a happy happy one, too, of course ...

I forgot - d'oh!

Yesterday was the Feast of two of my favorite saints - Thomas More and (Bishop) John Fisher. You'll forgive me if I put in two lengthy descriptions of their lives. Read them, I promise it's worth it!



St. Thomas More

St. Thomas More — Bearing Witness Long After His Death

by Mark Shea

June 22 is the Feast of one of our greatest saints: Thomas More. St. Thomas More (1478-1535) was one of the most gifted men of his day. He entered Oxford at about age 15, was a brilliant scholar, writer, and lawyer (thereby showing that lawyers can get to heaven) was fluent in Greek, Latin and French, was schooled in mathematics and was an accomplished musician.

More's Early Life
By his early 20's he was lecturing on St. Augustine's City of God to some of the foremost minds of his day as well as rising rapidly through the ranks of his profession to become a prominent figure in English society.

More was a man of enormous personal integrity. On one occasion, More opposed King Henry VII over his excessive taxation and won. A friend of the King's told More that his boldness would have cost him his head but for the fact that he had not attacked the king in person. Still, Henry was so enraged with More that he imprisoned his father till he had made him pay a hundred pounds fine.

More wrestled for some time as a young man with the question of his vocation to the priesthood. However, when it became clear to him that this was not his calling, he set earnestly to work on the vocation to which God was calling him: secular life and marriage. His first marriage was to Jane Colte, in 1505. Roper, his son-in-law, writes of his choice: "albeit his mind most served him to the second daughter, for that he thought her the fairest and best favoured, yet when he considered that it would be great grief and some shame also to the eldest to see her younger sister preferred before her in marriage, he then, of a certain pity, framed his fancy towards" the eldest of the three sisters. The union proved joyous; of it were born three daughters, Margaret, Elizabeth, and Cecilia, and a son, John.

Family Life
Of the More household, friends and relatives provide us a delightful portrait. Thomas was known all his life as a merry man. His friend, the great scholar Erasmus, writes:

His countenance is in harmony with his character, being always expressive of an amiable joyousness, and even an incipient laughter and, to speak candidly, it is better framed for gladness than for gravity or dignity, though without any approach to folly or buffoonery. . . He is full of jokes and banter. No one is less led by the opinions of the crowd, yet no one departs less from common sense.

Besides making a happy home, More made it a holy and well educated one. He himself wore "a sharp shirt of hair next his skin, which he never left off wholly" (Cresacre More), and practiced a life of prayer and penance. More was a faithful Catholic who was careful to pass his faith on to his children, He also passed on his enormous learning to his children, including his daughters (a revolutionary thing in 16th Century England).

Then, in 1511, Jane More died. Thomas remarried, choosing a widow, Alice Middleton, who was a good, ordinary soul without beauty or education; but was devoted to the care of More's young children. They were not, by modern standards "compatible" personalities (she never understood his jokes). But theirs was a happy and holy marriage. And Thomas believed (as our Lord taught) that a valid marriage could not be dissolved.

Martyr for Christ
Trouble was brewing, however. For Henry VIII ascended the throne of England. Henry heaped many honors on More and, in 1529, More was made Chancellor of England. But More had no illusions about the one whose favor he enjoyed. "If my head should win him a castle in France," he said, "it should not fail to go."

The crisis came a few months later. Henry's wife of many years, Catherine of Aragon, had failed to produce an heir and Henry had fallen in love with Anne Boleyn. When Pope Clement VII, holding firm to Christ's teaching on the indissolubility of marriage, refused to annul their valid marriage, Henry broke all ties with Rome, declared himself Supreme Head of the Church in England, divorced Catherine, and married Anne.

More resigned the chancellorship and was reduced to an income of 100 pounds a year. Seeking to avoid a public conflict with Henry he stayed away from Anne's coronation. However, in March 1534, the Act of Succession was passed requiring an oath acknowledging the children of Henry and Anne as legitimate heirs to the throne, and repudiating "any foreign authority, prince or potentate." More refused the oath, was jailed and pressured for the next year to give in. More gave no answer beyond declaring himself a faithful subject. In July, 1535, More was tried by a kangaroo court, accused by false witnesses of treason, found guilty and on July 6, beheaded, declaring himself, "the King's good servant, but God's first."

More's only "crime" was that he bore witness to Christ's revelation that a valid marriage could not be dissolved and that the Church of Christ must not be divided. For this "treason" Henry beheaded, not only Thomas, but the truth about the Family and the English Church as well, inaugurating the culture of divorce which destroys so many families at this hour and the culture of revolt against Christ which has made such a spiritual desert of the postmodern world. Thomas More spoke truth to Henry's power and paid with his life rather than forfeit his soul. But he not only died for the Faith and for the Family, he lived for it as well, giving to his own family a strong faith and a solid foundation in the teaching of the Church and in the best of human learning. Through that family, as well as through his life and death, he continued to bear witness to the whole of European culture long after his death. That is why Pope John Paul II says, "To bear witness to the inestimable value of the indissolubility and fidelity of marriage. is one of the most precious and most urgent tasks of couples in our time."

St. Thomas More, pray for us.

Mark Shea is Senior Content Editor for Catholic Exchange. You may visit his new website at www.mark-shea.com.




St. John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, England

St. John Fisher, 1460-1535 - John Fisher, born at Beverley, Yorkshire, was the son of a prosperous mercer who died in 1477. About 1482 the boy's mother sent him to Cambridge University where he distinguished himself as a scholar. He was ordained in 1491 on the title of his Fellowship of Michaelhouse (now incorporated in Trinity College). After studying theology for ten years, he took his D.D. in 1501, and was later recognized as one of the leading theologians of Europe.

His university soon discovered his gifts as an administrator; he held in turn the offices of proctor, vice-chancellor and chancellor, and in 1514 he received the unique distinction of being elected chancellor for life. It was in the course of his university duties that, in 1494, he first met the Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII. He became her confessor and advised her on the charitable uses of her great wealth. It was at his suggestion that a preachership was endowed at Cambridge and Readerships in Divinity in both universities. He was largely responsible for her decision to refound and endow Godshouse as Christ's College, and, after her death in 1509, he carried out her wishes in founding St. John's College, to which he transferred lands given to him by the Lady Margaret.

He was made bishop of Rochester in 1504, and he ruled that poorest of sees for thirty years; he was a truly pastoral bishop, encouraging his priests by his manner of life and by his interest in their welfare. He was a noted and assiduous preacher, and he did all he could to provide well-instructed priests who could preach to the people.

It was due to his influence that Erasmus was brought to Cambridge as lecturer in Greek. He and Sir Thomas More became close friends of John Fisher, and there is a record of the three being together at Rochester in 1516. Sir Thomas More became High Steward of Cambridge University in 1525. He and John Fisher had been drawn closer together at this period by the call to combat the Lutheran heresy. The bishop wrote his Confutatio (1523) in Latin, a book for theologians by a theologian, which had a wide circulation on the continent; the layman wrote his Dialogue Concerning Heresies (1528) in English for the common reader. It may be noted that in his sermons and writings against heretics, John Fisher never used the abusive language of contemporary controversy; he relied on reason and persuasion to bring back the prodigals.

The year 1527 was fateful to England, for it was then that Henry VIII took the first steps towards seeking the annulment of his marriage with Catherine of Aragon. She had married his elder brother Arthur in 1501; he died six months later. Catherine always maintained that the marriage had not been consummated. A papal dispensation allowed Henry VIII to marry his brother's widow in 1509. The lack of a male heir turned his thoughts to the dissolution of his marriage; he argued that the papal dispensation had no validity. Cardinal Wosley was instructed to seek the opinion of John Fisher, whose prestige as a man of holy life and of great learning gave exceptional weight to his views. After studying the problem thoroughly he came to the conclusion that the papal dispensation was valid, and therefore that Henry and Catherine were man and wife in the eyes of the church. From that position he never moved in spite of the pressure brought to bear on him by king and cardinal. He was not content with passive opposition, but in the legatine court set up to try the issue, and from the pulpit, he defended the queen, although he knew that Henry regarded opposition to his will as a form of treason.

An attempt to implicate John Fisher in the fate of the Nun of Kent failed; she had prophesied against the king. A more certain weapon was provided by the Act of Succession of 1534. This declared the king's marriage to Catherine void, and his subsequent marriage to Anne Boleyn to be lawful; the succession was settled on her children. All had to take an oath accepting the whole Act. When the oath was tendered to John Fisher he refused to take it; so did Sir Thomas More. Both were prepared to accept the succession as determined by Parliament, but not that part of the Act which implied a denial of the pope's authority, inasmuch as it declared the papal dispensation invalid.

On April 17th, 1534 Bishop John Fisher and Sir Thomas More were committed to the Tower. They were kept apart.

John Fisher was sixty-five years of age when he was imprisoned; he was suffering from a wasting sickness and was clearly nearing his end. Nothing shows the king's vindictiveness more than his relentless persecution of this aged man stricken by a fatal illness. On May 20th, 1535, the pope created John Fisher Cardinal-priest of the title of St. Vitalis. This so infuriated the king that he hurried forward the proceedings against the new cardinal.

The Supremacy Act and a new Statute of Treason were passed while John Fisher and Sir Thomas More were in the Tower. Treason was now made to cover anything said against the king's titles, so that to refuse to recognize him as Supreme Head of the church of England became treason. Neither of the prisoners would give him that recognition, for to do so was to deny the authority of the pope. Each, however, was careful not to put that refusal in words that could be used against them; they begged to be excused. Many attempts were made to get them to say the fateful words. At length Richard Rich, the solicitor-general, visited John Fisher in the Tower and told him that the king 'for the satisfaction of his own conscience' wished to know the bishop's opinion on the Supremacy; Rich assured the prisoner that whatever he said would not be used against him but would remain private to the king. Thereupon John Fisher declared 'that the King was not, nor could be, by the law of God, Supreme Head of the church of England.' As a priest he could not refuse to answer a question of conscience, but he had fallen into a trap, and the words he had spoken were used against him at his trial on June 17th, 1535. In spite of his protest at this breach of trust, he was condemned as a traitor.

He was beheaded on Tower Hill on June 22nd, 1535. His naked corpse was left on the scaffold all day until it was hastily buried without ceremony in the nearby churchyard of All Hallows. His head was displayed on London Bridge until July 6th when it was thrown into the Thames to give place to the head of his fellow martyr. Sir Thomas More was buried within the church of St. Peter ad Vincula within the Tower; at the same time, the remains of John Fisher were removed to the same resting place.

John Fisher and Thomas More were beatified in 1886 and canonized in 1935. Their feast is kept jointly.

The Saints: A Concise Biographical Dictionary, ed. John Coulson

Mission Half Accomplished, Half Awful Failure

Today was only fifty percent successful. The first part of the day, go-to-Kelly-Office-and-do-job-paperwork, went very well. The lady, whose name I can not remember and probably never will, was very nice and friendly as usual. She got me and Betsy mixed up, as usual. Sigh. C'est d'accord, c'est la vie.

The second part of the day, which was go-to-drug-lab-and-pee-in-cup, was unsuccessful because the lab was closed. Rotters. I went to the bathroom at 9 AM, forgetting that I had to do this drug test thing "for purposes of employment" today; so the whole rest of the morning until 2 in the afternoon, I was chugging water and other liquids in an inspiring effort to fill up my bladder. By the time we went to the lab I was more than ready to pee a strong pee. And the doors turned out to be locked! Unfortunately, the lab is all the way across town and my sister drives exceptionally slow when she wants to. Augh.

So tomorrow it's back to the lab. Lots of liquids and no potty in the AM. How dull ...

Good article

On the Latin Mass, schism, and the importance of obedience even in the face of extraordinary liturgical loony-ness.

He's baaaaaaack

Washington disgraced mayor runs again

Run for your lives, long suffering Washingtonians! Marion Barry returneth! You thought you had closed that humiliating chapter in your history forever, didn't you? No, no. Soon, you (and we, the morbidly fascinated bystanders at the scene of this particular Violent Automobile Wreck) will be treated to lectures on economic strategy, discourses on political philosophy, and numerous bon mots all issuing from the same brilliant mind that gave his public the immortal line (I paraphrase): "The bleep set me up."

Hmmm, the grammar god in me finds the title of the article awkward - it's as though Washington did the disgracing. It's from The Scotsman, they probably know more about the particulars of the Rule of the English Tongue than me, 'specially since I know (ahem) next to nothing. I also like how they manage to use the word "shambolic" twice. Merriam-Webster Online says it's chiefly British, which makes sense then. Spiffy vocabulary, Jack - kudos, kudos!

Note to self: Must use "shambolic" at least once in coming twenty-four hour period. As in, "Mother Darling your method of deciding how to discipline the rotten little boys is utterly entirely completely inherently and really quite truly shambolic. Use the belt."

Fun links

La la la, let us begin this sojourn with:

Italy vs. Europe

This makes the typical cracks about Italian driving, etc. etc. However! The other Europeans are not that logical, to my way of thinking. This just reminds me of how much I like Italy and Italians. Te amo, Roma; te amo, Italia :) I think I said that right!

Now here's an interesting bit of fluff:

The Flash Mind Reader

This involves minor arithmetic and is actually kind of creepy. I'm sure there's some natural explanation. Hmmm, I seem to be quite thoroughly creeped out. I tried fooling it too, but it knew, dang it! I must find some way to kill it ...

And finally, in the pick-me-up news item of the day,

Dung Covered Virgin Mary "Art" Burns Burns Burns

All right, so that's not exactly the title of the article, but that's the author's sentiment, and mine too. I beg pardon from all the "transgressive" modern art folks out there who are deeply horrified by my transgressive refusal to grieve the loss of this piece which was, quite literally, made of crap.

Yanko Joke

I just had a happy happy flashback and remembered this Mr. Yanko joke, which I wish to preserve for all eternity:

Query: "What do you get when a heifer (a female cow that is) jumps over a barbed-wire fence?

Answer: "Udder destruction!"

Bwaa HAAAAAA!!!!

So bad, so good. I loved that class.

Sunday blah blah blah

Went to St. John's again. I don't want to go to the Cathedral very often or I'll get "used to it" if you can understand that. "The magic will be gone" or something. The priest, who happens to be the pastor, came out in front of the altar and walked around during his homily. Rather distracting, although it was a good homily.

Andy has to start summer school tomorrow. Poor kid, I remember what that was like. I had to do it twice, I hope this is his last time. At least it's at the High School - I had to get driven all over tarnation to this odd school for juvenile delinquents in order to pass Advanced Algebra. Yes, it was shy little me, my only crime being a nasty grade in mathematics, mixed in with hoodlum-and-none-too-demure girls and boys who had missed school on account of being up on assault charges, or similar. Or so I imagined. I do have a very active imagination ...

Ah well, he's a boy. He'll handle it better. Or worse. You never can tell with boys! ;) (See what an idiot I am)

Sick of peanut butter sandwiches

I am! Sick of them. That's all I get to eat around here except for chocolate chips (yar I spoke too soon about there being no chocolate). If Mom wants to complain about me getting heavyish, she can try to provide some other kind of grub! LOL that's right, heavyish, not quite "heavy" yet.

Jeez, do I sound whiney. Perhaps, at the moment, my writing voice sounds like one long and superfluous whiiiiine? I'm sure that's as pleasant to read as it is to type.

I went to Confession this week - two weeks in a row! What did I confess? Wouldn't you like to know? ;) I went to the young priest again, although the old one was hearing them too for once. My penance was to pray for the Pope and his intentions, so my rosary went to that. Sometimes His Holiness annoys me, he seems entirely too sweet with people - sometimes not firm enough, with his brother bishops, if you know what I mean. C'mon, oh Vicar of Christ, crack the old whip! :) At the end of the day he's a sweetheart and I love him to death. He'll probably outlive me. All this rest and relaxation is killing me.

Heresy of the Week

Nestorianism (5th Century)

This heresy about the person of Christ was initiated by Nestorius, bishop of Constantinople, who denied Mary the title of Theotokos (Greek: "God-bearer" or, less literally, "Mother of God"). Nestorius claimed that she only bore Christ’s human nature in her womb, and proposed the alternative title Christotokos ("Christ-bearer" or "Mother of Christ").

Orthodox Catholic theologians recognized that Nestorius’s theory would fracture Christ into two separate persons (one human and one divine, joined in a sort of loose unity), only one of whom was in her womb. The Church reacted in 431 with the Council of Ephesus, defining that Mary can be properly referred to as the Mother of God, not in the sense that she is older than God or the source of God, but in the sense that the person she carried in her womb was, in fact, God incarnate ("in the flesh").

There is some doubt whether Nestorius himself held the heresy his statements imply, and in this century, the Assyrian Church of the East, historically regarded as a Nestorian church, has signed a fully orthodox joint declaration on Christology with the Catholic Church and rejects Nestorianism. It is now in the process of coming into full ecclesial communion with the Catholic Church.

From Catholic Answers.

Hooray!

I will not be killed and have my body thrown into the woods where it will be devoured by animals!

That's right, I got all A's spring quarter, so I will live to annoy another day. My mother put the knife back in the drawer when she heard! I guess I will never find out exactly what I got on my Journalism final but oh well. It's not killing me, and mother would have ;)

It was really a very boring report card. No A pluses, but no A minuses either. Just A-A-A-A. Not that I'm complaining! Yes I am. But it's the only thing I do well....

Never mind that these were basically blow-off courses (except for Philosophy, which was kind of tricky. Tricky Tad, you're tricky, aren't you?). In other words, next quarter, when I have to do real work, I will be over-confident and fail miserably. My sliced and diced remains will be found in the ditch outside our home, since parental units would probably not be bothered to hide the evidence of the axe-murder. You heard it here first! ;)

He he ho ho

For all my fellow Harry Potter friends, some mindless but very amusing ... amusement:

Bothering Snape

The only trouble is it's rather mean to Dumbledore. Oh well. I didn't like the new one very much, anyway! You know the Church is very clear about the moral implications of cloning and all but couldn't they make an exception for Richard Harris? Just once, pretty please? Just kidding ... pout ... ;)

Ohhh work I love you

Well, I haven't started yet, and I don't start until June 27th - but still, I'm sure I'll adooooore working for ... drum roll please ... Allstate Insurance Company. It's filing work and Betsy's going to be working with me. Cathy at Kelly said it would probably last a couple weeks, possibly a bit more - $8.50 an hour. It starts at 7:30 in the morning! La, I'm a real early riser anyway. And it'll be over at 3 o'clock so the whole day won't be wasted.

The only trouble is I'll have strange days off - Tuesday and Sunday. Betsy has off Tuesday and Saturday. She was real annoyed with me, I got to choose the days I wanted because I was the one who was on the phone. Finders keepers, nah nah nah!

I should probably try to get a job

Or something like that. Hmmm, my motivational level really bodes well for my employment possibilities, doesn't it?

I'm going to call Kelly tomorrow. That's right, I'm going to be a Kelly Girl again - although I guess they don't call us "Kelly Girls" anymore. That would be sexist, dontcha know. Also they employ a goodly number of "Kelly Guys."

It'll be clerical work again, probably. Ohhhh I always enjoy those paper cuts!

There's nooo chocolate!

There's no candy around here! Or chocolate! Sob! I think I might actually lose weight at home. What a horrible prospect. All I had to tide me over were the Reese's Cups Lyndsey was so sweet to give me. Unfortunately Betsy saw me take them out and helped herself to three or four of them. The only way to protect the rest of my stash was to quickly eat it. "We must destroy the village in order to save it!" It was a very very yummy village (I mean, pack of peanut butter cups).

We went to Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. It was the Feast of Corpus Christi (They moved it to Sunday again! It was supposed to be Thursday! Arrrrrgh!).

The celebrant was the foreign priest and I can never understand a word of his homilies. The same was true today - it was something about food? Being life-sustaining? Well that would fit in with the Body-and-Blood.

Betsy seemed to be able to understand better, maybe I'll ask her. Or maybe I'll just go to bed. Yes, bed...

N.B. - Today is June 13th, which is the Feast of Saint Anthony, which isn't celebrated this year since it falls on a Sunday. We lit a candle at his shrine, anyway. It was a dollar and we had to use quarters, how humiliating! ;) The prayers were for my bad little brother Andy, whose real name is Anthony. He was named after the Saint. I hope it does some goooood....

Home at last

Well, I'm home. Mom was at work, so she wasn't there to greet me, but everyone else was "thrilled" to see me, LOL. I'm going to Confession at 4 at St. Mary's, I don't have time to drive all the way to Cleveland. Betsy's not going with me, gasp! She's falling off the horse! Just kidding. I myself haven't been in 5 weeks which isn't too hot, especially with my propensity to ... sin. Yah, ya know it's true! :)

Wish me luck. I hope I get the young priest, who's 29. The old priest is really nice but a little weird (yes, sometimes I think he's "that way") and he always leaves out the Act of Contrition and changes the words of absolution. The young priest does what he's supposed to do. Much better!

One more night

It sounds like the title of a very bad "boy band" song (aren't they all bad though).

Almost done with school! Well, I technically am done but I've got to wait on papa and Eliza to come pick me up. Real sweet of Eliza to come! Yesterday was a big cleaning day. I felt badly because Mrs. Rowland was doing so much work and I was just kind of standing there like a bump on a log ... Nevertheless, I will leave the room in spit spot condition when I leave! I will get at the dust under the television! :)

I got 100.5% as my final grade in my Philosophy class. That means I have two A's guaranteed ... I'm still waiting to "clinch" my Anthropology. I have about an 89%, but she has yet to add in participation points! I only missed one class where Dr. Swatrz or whatever her name is took attendance. I think. You better not stiff me, Swartz, you rotter! Just kidding, she's not a rotter. Unless and until she stiffs me.

Isn't it awful how I can't even really remember her name? Disgusting.

My journalism went quite well today (cross your fingers). I think I wish I hope. I took my journalism book uptown to sell and was told they're going to have out a new edition next year so my text was worthless. Out of four books I managed to sell one back. So that means, I spent more than 200 hundred-odd and I got twenty-six dollars returned. Rats.

I miss everyone! It's so lonely here! The room has an echo. Really very creepy. There were nasty storms here today and I got soaked walking back from Scripps. Wouldn't I finish the exam just as the clouds opened. Double rats! I got back to the room and it was even more depressing, I had left Reagan's funeral on, and they were just putting him onto the plane to California; so I was soaking wet standing in this dark empty room watching the end of the funeral. Glad and happy days, hmmm?

Life sucks

Not generally, just at the moment. I really need to learn how to maintain perspective.

I got a 100% on my Philosophy final - shock shock shock! Did I deserve that? No. I'm preeetty sure I got an A in that class. Hurray!!!

That's not why I'm in a foul mood, obviously. My father just informed me that he wouldn't be picking me up from school until SATURDAY. As opposed to Friday at 2 o'clock, like he said he would. Boy, am I mad. It's a stupid, petty, bratty thing to be mad about but as you all know, I'm very good at being a stupid, petty brat ;)

Oh well, I'll get over it. It doesn't make it better to stew. I think I was a bit mean on the phone with him and with my sister, and I'm sorry about that.

Ave Maria gratia plena,
Dominus tecum ...

Ha ha, that usually makes me feel better! And it helps to laugh, too.

Click here for The Shining In 30 seconds (and Re-Enacted By Bunnies).

PS: I got the "You Suck" off the wall! Leslie, oh brilliant one, suggested nail polish remover and it worked. And you can't tell at all that some of the paint came off, yay!

Well isn't this interesting

So I'm really "Avoidant." Which apparently means I'm depressed all the time (you can click on the disorder names to get more information). At least I'm not schizotypal, which is a form of schizophrenia. You thought I was, didn't you. Didn't YOU!?? ;) ... wait, that's paranoia.....

Disorder	Rating
Paranoid:	Low
Schizoid:	Low
Schizotypal:	Moderate
Antisocial:	Low
Borderline:	Moderate
Histrionic:	High
Narcissistic:	Low
Avoidant:	Very High
Dependent:	High
Obsessive-Compulsive:	High
-- Personality Disorder Test - Take It! --

The USS Jimmy Carter

Via The Curt Jester.

Don't get me wrong, Carter's done a lot of good work since he was mercifully booted from the White House. Still, ha ha :)

Two down, one to go

All I have left before I blow this popsicle stand is my Journalism exam. On Friday! Ohhhhh how I hate being the last to leave. In cleaning news, I can't seem to get the "You Suck" written on the wall next to my bed to come off. Hmmmm, maybe I'll have to buy white-out ... Do these inspectors really have eagle eyes? Shooorely they'll let a little slide. Especially for charming lil' ole' me.

I think my Philosophy went pretty well, which can only mean I failed miserably, and that Zawidski is presently disposing of my exam in the furnace of his Lair. The heat and flames will restore right reason to the doddering world of materialist theorists as my blasphemous errors are burned awaaaaay.

Click here for an interesting little movie thing. Very hypnotic, after awhile I felt like falling over, asleep. Of course, that could be just because of the stress of finals week. Blah.

Heresy of the Week

Pelagianism (5th Century)

Pelagius, a Welsh monk, began this teaching that bears his name. He denied that we inherit original sin from Adam’s sin in the Garden and claimed that we become sinful only through the bad example of the sinful community into which we are born. Conversely, he denied that we inherit righteousness as a result of Christ’s death on the cross and said that we become personally righteous by instruction and imitation in the Christian community, following the example of Christ. Pelagius stated that man is born morally neutral and can achieve heaven under his own powers. According to him, God’s grace is not truly necessary, but merely makes easier an otherwise difficult task.

From Catholic Answers.

The Exorcist In 30 Seconds (And Re-Enacted by Bunnies)

Well, the weekend's over, I guess, I gotta get studying, LOL. The only traumatic thing that happened was that I went to give blood (and waited in the line for about half an hour!) before being told that my blood level or some such was too low - at 36 instead of 38. What does that mean? I am probably dying. Give me candy.

Click for mad mad bunny fun.

Funny Ha Ha

Nothing new going on around here, except that it is the last week of school, which means Finals of Death. I spent most of today studying for my first one, the 7 pm exam for the Anthropology Class of Death. I think I'll do O.K. but probably not as well as I need to. The next one I need to worry about is my Philosophy class. Of Death.

(Fudgetacular, I forgot to do my laundry! How lovely for all you people who have to live around me and who retain your sense of smell.)

Hmmm, these people are funny, as in both funny ha ha and funny weird. They have numerous interesting photos illustrating the horrible devastation that occurs "When Office Supplies Attack."

Oldie But Goodie (In Other Words, a Classic)

PANGE LINGUA

Pange lingua gloriosi
Corporis mysterium,
Sanguinisque pretiosi,
Quem in mundi pretium
Fructus ventris generosi
Rex effudit Gentium.

Nobis datus, nobis natus
Ex inacta Virgine,
Et in mundo conversatus,
Sparso verbi semine,
Sui moras incolatus
Miro clausit ordine.

In suprema nocte coenae
Recumbus cum fratribus
Observata lege plene
Cibis in legalibus,
Cibum turbae duodenae
Se dat suis manibus.

Verbum caro, panem verum
Verbo carnem efficit:
Fitque sanguis Christi merum,
Et si sensus deficit,
Ad firmandum cor sincerum
Sola fides sufficit.

Tantum ergo Sacramentum
Veneremur cernui:
Et antiquum documentum
Novo cedat ritui:
Praestet fides supplementum
Sensuum defectui.

Genitori, Genitoque
Laus et jubilatio,
Salus, honor, virtus quoque
Sit et benedictio:
Procedenti ab utroque
Compar sit laudatio.

Amen. Alleluia.


By St. Thomas Aquinas, of course. Here's a pretty accurate (or at least traditional) English translation, oh my Latin neophytes. The last two verses are the famous Tantum Ergo. I love love love it when it's used with this melody ("St. Thomas") by John F. Wade.

Requiescat In Pace

RONALD WILSON REAGAN

1911-2004

I saw Harry Potter, and yoouuu didn't!

Well, maybe you did. But let me have my moment in the sun!
It was a pretty good movie. It's been so long since I read the books - my friends said they left out a big part of the plot and that this totally ruined it. Or mostly, anyway. It seemed like a pretty funny flick. On a scale of one to ten, I would give it ... an 8. Worth the money, for sure! Speaking of which, I need to cut my spending. Good Republican that I am, I love to cut cut cut. My budget, not my wrists, you sicko.

Yay Monty Python

And the Lord spoke, saying, "First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin. Then, shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shalt be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out! Once the number three, being the third number be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thou foe, who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it."

Ahhhhh what a relief. I got my final grade for COMT: 95%. Apparently I got a 92 on that awful mid-term. Deo gratias! So, I don't have to take the final. That leaves Monday open ... another four day weekend, har har. I can get some studying/packing done. I brought an extra suitcase from home, but I'm still not sure I'll have enough room for all the miscellaneous stuff I have here. The cleaning will take up most of my time, I'm sure.

Here's some lovely nuttiness from that guy who was convicted of stalking Nicole Kidman. Remember him? Apparently he's become a frothing-at-the-mouth-anti-Zionist. He wants to be President, among other things - Matt Hooker.com

Filthy Jerks!

Apparently they're going to destroy Brideshead Revisited in the movie version. The lousy ... this is why I hate screen adaptions! Blaaaastards! This ruins my day :(

Click here for all the dirty details

Just about a week to go!

And then we're through with the school year. I managed to get both my papers done, and I think I did okay on the test. Maybe not "A" quality however. Which disturbs me ...

I figured out my schedule for next year, but I need to get pink slipped into a class first. What a pain in the neck. Sooner I do it, the sooner the torture ceases! So I better get on it. Ahhhhhhhhgh!
.................................
Well, that went well. I had to hop over from the library to Scripps to Chubb, but it's done. I get to take another two hour course on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Hooray ;)

Here's my schedule for next quarter:

Intermediate French: 9-10 AM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday

Statistics for Behavioral Sciences: 10-11 AM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Precision Language: 12-2 PM on Tuesday and Thursday

Principles of Reasoning: 3-4 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

I have classes on Friday, sob. Just one on Wednesday. I guess with the Much Feared Semester Schedule Change looming over us even the option of no-Friday classes might be on the way out. 17 credit hours, and it all fulfills requirements - and I have to work next year, so I'll probably be all tuckered out even with just 17 :)

A Useful and Timely Definition

"Living in a State of Denial": Believing, in spite of all evidence to the contrary, that it is possible to write a journalism paper, an anthropology paper, AND study for a COMT midterm all in one day. And acting throughout the day as though this were true.

From the New Oxford Dictionary of American Maggles English, College Edition

Ouch

Hmmmm. I said to myself, "Gee, self, not only do you have Memorial Day off, but you don't have classes on Fridays because you're such a clever, clever scheduler! That means you only have three days of class! Yippee skippee hooray!" Naif? Moi? Alas, the heavens parted, and a boatload (in my distress I was about to say, a buttload - which would not be in keeping with the spirit of the title of this blog, now would it?) of work. I just got done with my journalism pile of whatever descriptive term you wish to use, although I still have to write a bibliography. Yes, I still use that ancient-classical-linguistically-rooted word. I will use that nasty mechanized phrase "Works Cited" only at the point of death! Or the point of potentially lost grading points! Or whatever!

What makes the evening quite lovely is I just found out about my Anthropology final paper, due tomorrow - well, "found out" is not quite accurate since I've known about it since two weeks ago. And the prof told us it would be in our future when the course began. It is a good thing Lauren came in and asked me if it was due tomorrow (it was. Is.) I have four of the questions done, the rest of them will have to wait until tomorrow. Six left. I can do it!