ETC

Neither by force of arms nor by brute strength would the people be saved. (Zech: 4:6)

Zion cannot be built in bloodshed; Jerusalem in iniquity. (Micah 3:10)

worst of the worst

the price of war

Any president who gets up in the middle of the night to honor dead soldiers as they return to the homeland knows the price of war.

More photos here.

Cardinal Rode photos

[Note: Cardinal Rode is the man in charge of investigating the American nuns. They don't stand a chance in hell of meeting his dress code!]

My collection of the "Hats of Benedict" has been outdone by these photos and meditation of Cardinal Rode in the NCR:


Oh my.

See more photos here: S. E. R. le Cardinal Franc Rodé ordonne six diacres

the Obamas

I just had to add this photo to my q&m collection of stuff. I remember back before Obama was elected, thinking how radical it would be to have an African American first family. How at the state dinners, where, like in a Southern mansion the only color around had been with the staff, now a black woman would be the mistress!

Well, here they are, and how proud I am of America.

Capitalism, a love story

Before I forget ... I saw the movie, Capitalism, A Love Story, last week. I probably would not have ventured to the movie theater (I was waiting for the DVD) unless a friend had invited me to go with her. Something about seeing a movie in a theater that makes me focus better, anyway.

This is what I thought: Michael Moore is a brilliant film-maker as well as a natural teacher and a national treasure. I learned some things. I had never before heard of FDR's 2nd Bill of Rights. I came away with renewed hope for the Peasants awakening to the powers that they hold. The election of Barack Obama was just the beginning. This next generation coming up - the one that I so often haven't had a clue as to what was going on with them - are the ones who do not carry the baggage and insecurities that so paralyzes the Boomers.

Where the Wild Things Are

David Brooks had a really good column in yesterday's NY Times about the movie/book, "Where the Wild Things Are". David starts out explaining the philosopher/psychologist approaches to character traits and behavior and ends up discussing the movie.

This is all interesting to me because my friend, Sandy, and I have been recently musing over how horrified we are with these less than admirable aspects of ourselves that keep surfacing, and how out of control we are with all this dark swirling energy. The Wild Things.

The best part - or at least the most hopeful - of David's column is the next to last paragraph:

But it is possible to achieve momentary harmony through creative work. Max has all his Wild Things at peace when he is immersed in building a fort or when he is giving another his complete attention. This isn’t the good life through heroic self-analysis but through mundane, self-forgetting effort, and through everyday routines.

I think I'm going to have to see the movie ...