We need to figure out how to win California.

It's as simple as that. Do you realize that that California has 55 electoral college votes!? That's a 110 point swing right there. California is worth more than: Oklahoma (7), Kansas (6), Nebraska (5), South Dakota (3), North Dakota (3), Montana (3), Whyoming (3), Colorado (9), New Mexico (5), Utah (5), and Idaho (4) combined! (54)

Wow.

Or God can just send her into the sea...

Another Good Bishop.

I found this story on Steve Ray's blog; praising the action of his Bishop in Michigan:

Bishop Responds to Governor

The Most Reverend Earl Boyea, Bishop of Lansing, issued the following statement on October 27, 2008 in response to recent comments by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm:

In a Sunday address in Grand Rapids, Governor Jennifer Granholm incredibly said
of Proposal 2 "As a Catholic, I can say to be pro-cure is to be pro-life." Of
course, Catholics and all other responsible citizens will continue to seek cures
for disease and injury. But to imply that Proposal 2 is a valid expression of
Catholic principles is shocking. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Proposal 2, which goes before Michigan voters in a week, would give an
unrestricted license to those who perform destructive experiments on human
embryos. While the Catholic Church strongly supports legitimate forms of stem
cell research and all other proper forms of scientific inquiry, the Church also
teaches that is it is always immoral to destroy a human embryo. For that reason,
the Catholic Bishops of Michigan have taken a strong position in opposition to
this well-funded assault on human life.
Saint Paul reminds us that we must
preach the Truth in season and out of season. The Truth will never go unspoken.
To be in favor of Proposal 2 is not to be pro-life. A well-formed Catholic
conscience would never lead a person to support Proposal 2 "as a Catholic."

Pretty Simple Stuff.

From Father Corapi:

"This is Bishop Rene H. Gracida, reminding all Catholics that they must vote in this election with an informed conscience. A Catholic cannot be said to have voted in this election with a good conscience if they have voted for a pro-abortion candidate. Barack Hussein Obama is a pro-abortion candidate."

Men and Emotions

I'm working through a series and workbook about Men and Emotions; and came across this general perspective of the author:

Traditional Male Traits- Positive and Negative

Traits Men Consider Worth Preserving
-Willingness to work hard and sacrifice to provide for family
-Withstanding hardship and pain to protect others
-Showing affection through action-doing for others
-Integrity and Loyalty
-Persistence in solving difficult problems
-Ability to take risks and stay calm in dangerous situations

Problem Traits
-Emotional numbness-difficulty in feeling, identifying, and expressing emotions
-Inability to feel and respond to emotions of others
-Overindulgence in anger and violence
-Simultaneous dependence on, and distance from, female partners
-Fear and shame of failure to "be a man."
-Exaggerated investment in work
-Disregard for health risks
-Substituting unconnected lust for sexual intimacy

Life is all about parenting.

A friend sent me this interesting article on marriages (an answer to a frustrated- aging- woman who couldn't understand what men are looking for and fed up with them not taking action); and the meaning of the marital vocation.

I don't agree with everything he has to say (but with many points I do agree); but one line that caught my attention was when he that the whole purpose of life is parenting.

I hadn't thought of it so bluntly- but I totally agree. We image God so much in our passing on of physical, emotional, and spiritual life to others. We are meant to become holy (aka "Like God") by bringing forth new life. Not all parenting is biological- not even the most important (though it's VERY important)- but if you do not grow up to be a parent- you are missing out on God's call to you to be holy.

Here's the article link.

Palin' On...

Here are some numbers from Glen Beck's website about the impact Sarah has been having in the race:

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Sifting through a bunch of the numbers, including a Survey USA poll, looking back at the Palin speech. I’ve had a few of my friends/acquaintances/arch enemies say they think she came off as “catty”. They were apparently in the minority.

Some also have said, she helps Obama because they raised a few million bucks. Well, McCain did as well, and now we’re seeing double digit swings (from -7 to +4 in a USA Today poll—an 11 point swing, McCain is now +10 among likely voters.) Who knows what happens from here, but it’s safe to say the Palin introduction exceeded anyone’s expectations (just like the surge did for Barack Obama apparently).

Here are some stats:

- Grading the speech: 60% gave it an A, only 8% an F.

- Above/below average grades 71%-17%.

- Men: 69-19, Women 73-16.

- Ages 18-34 : 62-27

- Ages 35-49 : 79-13 !

- White: 64% gave it an A, 6% an F.

- African-American: 38% gave it an A, 17% an F. I think the last time a republican gave a speech that African-Americans gave a love/hate ratio of over 2 to 1 was by Abraham Lincoln.

- How about this for a stat? 62% of Hispanic voters gave Palin an A. ZERO percent gave her an F. 62 to ZERO. - (By the way, let me remind you that Telemundo and Univision didn’t carry the speech—so ALL of these people had to watch on English speaking networks. Thanks guys.)

- Republicans graded her positively by a 92-6 ratio.

-Independents 68-17.

-EVEN DEMOCRATS 43-35.

- Conservatives graded her positively by a 88-10 ratio.

-Moderates 65-19.

-EVEN LIBERALS WERE SPLIT 39% positive, 40% negative.

- Over 40k income: 75-15 positive. Under 40k, 62-23 positive.

- Independent voters nationwide were split on whether Palin was an asset or a liability to McCain's campaign. Today, by a 2:1 margin, independents say Palin is an asset. Overnight, the percentage calling the Alaska governor an asset to the campaign climbed 13 points; the percentage calling her a liability fell 17 points. The numbers are similar among moderates, who 24 hours ago viewed Palin as a liability by an 11 point margin; today, Palin is seen as an asset by an 18 point margin.

- By a 2:1 ratio, voters believe Palin is an asset to the ticket, and that it reflects positively on McCain that he chose her. - And on a related Palin note, considering her media coverage: Who is the media rooting for? People correctly recognize they’re rooting for Obama by about a 7 TO 1 RATIO. 54% to 8%.

7 Keys to the Spiritual Life from Father Corapi

This week on his weekly online "weekly wisdom" segment; Father Corapi gave what he feels are seven foundational keys to growing in the spiritual life:

1. Humility
2. Detachment
3. Simplicity
4. Trust
5. Silence
6. A relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit which then brings forth oneness with the Lord Jesus Christ
7. Love of the Cross of Christ.

Fantastic! Job well done Your Eminence!!!!!!

I'm glad to see such a clear and SPECIFIC reaction towards the public scandal of Nancy Pelosi's comments on being Catholic and Pro-Abortion. Now all we need is a public decree for her publicly recant of be publicly excommunicated. Although, if she has knowledge of the Canon Law; she has already ipso facto excommunicated herself for her support of abortion.

Statement on Remarks by Speaker Pelosi
August 26, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 26, 2008

STATEMENT OF HIS EMINENCE, EDWARD CARDINAL EGAN CONCERNING REMARKS MADE BY THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Like many other citizens of this nation, I was shocked to learn that the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States of America would make the kind of statements that were made to Mr. Tom Brokaw of NBC-TV on Sunday, August 24, 2008. What the Speaker had to say about theologians and their positions regarding abortion was not only misinformed; it was also, and especially, utterly incredible in this day and age.
We are blessed in the 21st century with crystal-clear photographs and action films of the living realities within their pregnant mothers. No one with the slightest measure of integrity or honor could fail to know what these marvelous beings manifestly, clearly, and obviously are, as they smile and wave into the world outside the womb. In simplest terms, they are human beings with an inalienable right to live, a right that the Speaker of the House of Representatives is bound to defend at all costs for the most basic of ethical reasons. They are not parts of their mothers, and what they are depends not at all upon the opinions of theologians of any faith. Anyone who dares to defend that they may be legitimately killed because another human being “chooses” to do so or for any other equally ridiculous reason should not be providing leadership in a civilized democracy worthy of the name.

Edward Cardinal Egan
Archbishop of New York

August 26, 2008

Democrats are idiots.

In a wonderfully performed speech last night at the Democratic National Convention- Hilary Clinton toed the party line and supported Barack Obama; along with pointing out all the issues they (the democrats) hold dear and why it's crucial that ANY democrat (including Barack it seems) is better than a republican.

In the course of her talk she forcefully proclaimed how every child has the right to fulfill their "God-given potential." Democrats love using the word God. I think they get a tinglign sensation- like they've just said something naughty...but funny.

Anyway, it gave me pause (which is my general reaction to a liberal using "God" in their speech- it's a dead giveaway that their up to no good); and the logical thought that came to my mind was:

"Well Hilary, at what MOMENT does God give that child potential?" Surely when he gives that child life. A life can't have potential unless it has life; and once a child has life- then it has potential! Hilary's full support of abortion is a complete flip-flop from her statements on wanting to work to fulfill the "God-given potential of every child."

Hell, she's made it law that we could lawfully destroy the potential of every child conceived from this point on for the rest of our nations history.

Talk about illogical morons. I hope she gets a heart...but before she can do that she has to get a head.

Mum's the word.

In my spiritual reading lately; the author has been emphasizing the need for developing the habit of an interior silence in order to develop a habitual intimacy with God. One of the most powerful ways of developing interior silence- says the author- is times of exterior silence. Conversation is a very good and wonderful thing; it's one of the main ways we show love and communicate with eachother; but we need to do two things:

1. Examine our conversation and eliminate conversation that is sinful or fruitless. Some "unimportant" conversation is still fruitful- like talking with babies or joking with friends: it establishes bonds even though the content is not intrinsically exceptional (although it is still free from disorder).

2. Examine the amount of time we give to silence. Even in our prayer we often push silence aside; and we need to make sure that we cultivate a spirit of attentive silence in our lives with God. God has important things to make known to us; but we must first "be still and know that I am God"

Many people find silence VERY hard...and I think that the reason is that being with God can BE VERY HARD; especially when we are very I-centered and He is convicting and calling us away from that.

So take a little time for exterior silence- and let it quiet your heart!

Tragedy at Franciscan.

For those of my readers who have not heard yet; tuesday afternoon a carload of FUS cross-country runners crashed on US 22 coming back from a training session. Six were injured and one young lady- Kelly- was tragically killed.

I knew Kelly only slightly- having met her a few times...but she was good friends to a friend of mine- and she seemed to be a lovely person; full of pepper and zest as they say.

May she be with God and may God be with all the loved ones she leaves behind!

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/17235842/detail.html

Interesting Art.