Brown Upsets Coakley 52-47 For Massachusetts PEOPLE'S Senate Seat

Could it be?  Is this really happening?  Have the Democrats lost their 60-seat majority?  Was it just desserts after Frankin stole the MN election from Coleman?  Is it the start of a new wave of public revolt against Democrat elitism?

Do you think the fickle public has finally gotten fed up with silly Democrat man-teens, and wishes to return the grown-ups to power?  Will the Tea Party continue to push its influence on both old and new Republicans to keep them honest and fiscally responsible?

Massachusetts is the bluest of the blue states, and it has just elected a Republican for Senator.  Okay maybe not such a big deal considering they recently had Mitt Romney as governor; but the fact that President Obama tried to work his magic to save Coakley, but instead had an "Olympic moment" resulting in failure restores my faith in the American people (whom I thought had truly lost their minds upon electing Obama).

As far as the Health Care Bill goes,.... the Dems are already working on turning Voinovich against the Republicans.  It's still going to be a bumpy road ahead...

(pic from Getty Images)

Catholic Church Set Ablaze By Nigerian Muslims ---Latest In Anti-Christian Wave of Violence

It has been some time since I've posted on the Islamofascist threat spreading around the globe, as I've been otherwise diverted toward spiritual (Catholic) and/or domestic issues.  But a story that appeared in the New York Times (which I never read) that was brought to my attention by the very esteemed Robert Spencer, who got it from Loganswarning, looked like something on which I should shed some light.  Here it is:

Nigeria: Religious Violence Kills 27

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: January 18, 2010

Angry Muslim youths set fire to a church filled with worshipers, starting a riot that killed at least 27 people and wounded more than 300 in Jos, in northern Nigeria, officials said Monday. Sani Mudi, a spokesman for the local imam, said 22 people died in fighting between Christians and Muslims after rioters set fire to a Catholic church on Sunday. Five others died Monday from their wounds. More than 300 people were killed in inter-religious violence in Jos in 2008.

I hope, dear reader, that you noticed that the Catholic church in Jos, Nigeria was set ablaze during Mass, and it was done by members of the so-called "religion of peace" that is Islam.  Loganswarning has also reported on other recent church attacks by Islamofascists in Egypt, 3 in Malaysia,  and Algeria (Protestant church).  It's really not that big a deal to Muslims to commit these crimes.  They are comfortable with them and feel justified; in fact, the Koran tells them it's okay.

And don't expect much of a statement from the Pope.  Every time he addresses such issues it causes riots by Muslims in which nuns are set on fire.  Neither the Vatican, nor the rest of the world has the stomach to deal with this increasingly powerful threat to humanity.

Just in case you have forgotten how crazy violent these fanatics can be...

Fitna the movie
by holysjit

The 13th Day on DVD

The 13th Day has made it to DVD, so anyone can watch it without searching in vein for a movie theater bold enough to run it.

You can order it online from Aquinas & More by clicking on the ad link below (see picture), or by utilizing the links on the left column of the blog.  Why do I recommend Aquinas & More?  Several reasons:

1. None of their goods are made in China.  A&M is sensitive about the use of slave labor, forced abortions, and unfair trade practices and refuses to sell goods made there.  How refreshing.
2. Aquinas & More offers free standard shipping in some circumstances (depends on the dollar amount you order).
3. Aquinas & More has a "good faith guarantee" and sticks to it.  I have never been dissatisfied with their service.
4. Aquinas & More is NOT a corporate sponsor of Planned Parenthood, unlike some other large online retail outlets that sell books and DVD's.  Why would you shop at a place knowing that some of your spent money goes to pay for abortions? Wouldn't you avoid that if if meant paying a couple of dollars more?
5. I have never included a "tip jar" on my blog as I think they are tacky.  But entering Aquinas & More through the links on my blog and then making purchases does help me financially.  And you  do not pay extra for it!
6. Aquinas & More is the largest seller of Catholic Goods online. 
   

The 13th Day

"7 Quick Takes On A Friday" Finds Its Way Here Again...

1. As you might remember from the first time I did this, the 7 Quick Takes thing comes from Conversion Diary in which a bunch of bloggers with Catholicism in common write 7 things of interest about themselves or something in their lives.  But then I don't really know if you have to be Catholic to do this.  Probably not.  You simply have to be one of Jennifer's readers, I guess.
   
   
2. Work has been slow.  Very slow.  I drive a semi for a living, and back in the days of prosperity (when Republicans earned their congressional chairmanships by being fiscally responsible) I would be assigned a load with lots of miles and barely enough time to deliver.  Then within a few minutes of emptying the trailer, I would have to dash off to my re-load.  But things are different now.  My current load which was assigned to me at noon today isn't scheduled to pick up until 10pm tonight.  It's 542 miles long and delivers on Monday at 5am.  It was actually ready at 1pm so I went in early.  That's and average of 217 miles per day on this one, as opposed to my former average of 450 miles per day in the good ol' days.  Things do not seem to be improving much, except that I no longer have to wait 2 days from my delivery to my re-load assignment.  And in case you haven't guessed, I get paid by the mile.  *Ouch*
   
   
3. My cat does not like this weather at all.  It isn't the cold so much, as it is the lack of humidity.  With his fur all clumped up and everything made of paper or thread sticking to him, he looks kind of comical.  But the static electric shock he gets when I pet him does not help his feline disposition.  So each time I reach to pet him I have to lick my hand first to spare him the painful spark.  And I can only do that once, lest I get a tongue full of litter box dust.
   
   
4. Hard times means high anxiety.  And that usually leads to a recurring frequency of sin.  It's very hard to get to Mass on Sundays when you're driving long haul in a big rig.  But in spite of my priest's dispensation I make an attempt each week to get there, no matter where my load takes me.  But even harder than that is to get to Confession, as every church does it at unique times.  And most don't do it on Sundays just before Mass, though sometimes on Saturdays before Vigil.  These days it has been very difficult to do both since most Catholic churches don't have truck parking for semis.  I'll be going through Chicago tomorrow and staying until Sunday where a friend of mine will pick me up and take me to Mass.  I am unsure if Reconciliation will be offered.
   
   
5. In spite of rave reviews, 13th Day has already made it to DVD.  I'll have details on how to acquire a copy in my next blog post.
   
   
6. Last time I did the 7 Takes thing I mentioned my blood pressure issues and how hard it was to eat properly on the road, and that I found a great salsa that isn't too unhealthy.  I want to add Wholly Guacamole to the list of things in which I can indulge.  It comes in small packets and only has 150mgs of sodium per serving.  One packet is considered a serving, though I use half of one in a sandwich wrap so only 75mgs sodium, really.  And it has only 8 grams of fat (1g sat. fat) per packet (4g per wrap for me).  Not bad considering 2,000mgs of sodium and 60g fat are considered the healthy limit for daily intake.
   
   
7. Since I don't have cable TV in the truck (or at home), my Mother likes to introduce me to TV shows I've never seen by sending me DVD's of them for Christmas and birthdays.  Years ago she got me hooked on Cadfael and then later, The Closer.  Now she seems bent on getting me interested in Nero Wolfe.  And I like it okay.  It's a bit more of a circus than a simple mystery, and looks to be more about Timothy Hutton's character than the title suggests.
   

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

The year 2009 was a lousy year economically for many, including myself.  And although I didn't lose my job (thank God!), the size of my wallet has shrunk considerably due to the overall economic slowdown in all major facets of the marketplace.  However, in spite of that and the increase in vulnerability of our nation to its foes,... it has been the best year of my life, spiritually speaking.

At Easter Vigil this past year I joined the Catholic Church and had true Communion with God for the first time in my life.  At Pentecost I was Confirmed by my Bishop and sealed in my faith.  It was a true gift for which I feel grateful each day, and look forward to the coming years and the spiritual blessings they may bring.  Read about my passage into the faith HERE, HERE, and HERE (if you haven't already).

It was a long road that included encounters with many different people who influenced the final decision.  One I have failed to mention in much detail was an amusing little incident at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan with a very old and tiny nun.

In one of my infrequent visits to New York City in 2006, out of curiosity, I stopped at the Cathedral on 5th Avenue just to see what it looked like on the inside.  I was still nondenominational, but Christian, and not without an interest in the path I refused to take as a child, that of the Catholic faith.  So I entered on a Friday afternoon and was knocked over by the beauty of the interior of this great church.  And while I sat and stared at the pillars, statues and paintings, the museum ropes were undone and a seemingly spontaneous Mass started.

I decided to stay in my seat and sit through it, and then figured on taking Communion with the rest of them, thinking that since I had already taken it in Episcopal, Baptist, and Methodist churches it might be okay.  And if I wasn't sure I could always ask, right?  But in order not to break the solemnity of the occasion I made sure I was last in line so as not to disrupt the order of things with my questions.

A priest and two nuns were giving out the Eucharist that day.  I approached the one that looked the easiest-- a tiny old nun with glasses and a large head.  When I got to her she picked up the Blessed Host  in the species of a bread disc with her swollen, arthritic hand  and raised it as high as she could  (I am  6'5", she was about 4'6"), as I explained my situation and asked her if it was okay for me to take Communion.

She leaned toward me and answered, "WHAT?"

I repeated my question, but half way through she interrupted me with "Never had first?.....NO" and shook her head as she looked down and returned the Eucharist to its chalice.  Being slightly OCD, I bent down toward her to finish my question, thinking she might change her mind if she heard me out.  But while still looking down, she raised up her hand as I bent down and accidentally, loudly smacked her fist against my forehead, stunning us both.

Then she gazed up at me with a huge smile and laughed as she gently patted my forehead and said "God bless you!"  I thanked her and returned to my seat, glowing from the blessing.  She could have reacted in so many different ways much less pleasant, but didn't.  The nun had Grace and it showed, but more importantly, she also had a strong devotion to the sanctity of the rules of her faith.  And the impression this encounter made on me was remembered when I finally decided to sign up for RCIA classes to join the church.

I think of her and the other nuns on this day, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God and the strong roles that women play in the Catholic Church, and feel gratitude for them all.

And by the way, have yourselves a very happy and blessed new year!

Do I Blame iPhone Or AT&T?

Got an iPhone?  I do.  Having trouble with it in the past year with interrupted service and dropped calls?  Me too.  Seems lots have been complaining.  Is it any better at Verizon?  Read part of the article below and follow the link for the rest of it.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Consumer outrage about AT&T's 3G service for iPhones is boiling over, but the dropped calls and spotty service reflect a greater lack of foresight in the wireless industry.

Analysts say AT&T's problems would have happened on any network that carried Apple's (AAPL, Fortune 500) iPhone because of the overwhelming amount of data downloaded by iPhone users. Over the past three years, AT&T's data traffic increased 5,000% because of the iPhone.

"The challenges that AT&T has are being faced by a lot of operators around the world: Very rapidly growing usage coupled with dense populations," said Daniel Hays, wireless expert and partner at consultancy PRTM. "Would it have been different on Verizon? Probably not."

AT&T accurately states that it has the nation's fastest 3G network but it "probably bit off more than it could chew," said Doug Helmreich, program director at consultancy CFI Group. "Now some of their customers are paying the price."

(Click HERE for the original article)

(h/t:  Lucianne)

Christ Is Born This Day! (The Reason For The Season)

Although I do not usually gravitate toward paintings of Jesus with blonde hair and blue eyes, there is something about La Vierge Au Lys by William Bouguereau that draws me in and captivates my imagination.

Bouguereau's depiction of Mary holding Jesus (Pieta) after being lowered from the cross (same Mary, same outfit, only looking older) inspired Mel Gibson to search for an actress with the same intense look to play Mary in The Passion.

Anyway, Merry Christmas to all!

Below is an excerpt from A Christmas Sermon by St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 A.D.):

“Awake, mankind! For your sake God has become man.  Awake, you who sleep, rise up from the dead, and Christ will enlighten you. I tell you again: for your sake, God became man.

You would have suffered eternal death, had he not been born in time. Never would you have been freed from sinful flesh, had he not taken on himself the likeness of sinful flesh. You would have suffered everlasting unhappiness, had it not been for this mercy. You would never have returned to life, had he not shared your death. You would have been lost if he had not hastened ‘to your aid. You would have perished, had he not come.

Let us then joyfully celebrate the coming of our salvation and redemption. Let us celebrate the festive day on which he who is the great and eternal day came from the great and endless day of eternity into our own short day of time.

He has become our justice, our sanctification, our redemption, so that, as it is written: Let him who glories glory in the Lord.

Truth, then, has arisen from the earth: Christ who said, I am the Truth, was born of the Virgin. And justice looked down from heaven: because believing in this new-born child, man is justified not by himself but by God.

Truth has arisen from the earth: because the Word was made flesh. And justice looked down from heaven: because every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.

Truth has arisen from the earth: flesh from Mary. And justice looked down from heaven: for man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.

Justified by faith, let us be at peace with God: for justice and peace have embraced one another. Through our Lord Jesus Christ: for Truth has arisen from the earth. Through whom we have access to that grace in which we stand, and our boast is in our hope of God’s glory. He does not say: “of our glory”, but of God’s glory: for justice has not come out of us but has looked down from heaven. Therefore he who glories, let him glory, not in himself, but in the Lord.

For this reason, when our Lord was born of the Virgin, the message of the angelic voices was: Glory to God in the highest, and peace to men of good will.

For how could there be peace on earth unless Truth has arisen from the earth, that is, unless Christ were born of our flesh? And he is our peace who made the two into one: that we might be men of good will, sweetly linked by the bond of unity.

Let us then rejoice in this grace, so that our glorying may bear witness to our good conscience by which we glory, not in ourselves, but in the Lord. That is why Scripture says: He is my glory, the one who lifts up my head. For what greater grace could God have made to dawn on us than to make his only Son become the son of man, so that a son of man might in his turn become son of God?

Ask if this were merited; ask for its reason, for its justification, and see whether you will find any other answer but sheer grace."

Senator Nelson "Throws (The Unborn) Under The Bus"

Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) has betrayed the unborn as well as 61% of our nation (61% are against this bill) by becoming the magical 60th vote in favor of Obamacare, after previously claiming he would vote against it.  It is clear that Democrats are easily bought and paid for by TARP funds, as Nelson joins the ranks of others like Landrieu.

Read the details HERE.  I wish I had time to go into all the gruesome details...  but I have a snow storm to drive through.

Senator Casey, We're Calling You Out!

Catholic Vote Action has released this ad today in the state of Pennsylvania to pressure our so-called, pro-life Democrat Senator, Bob Casey, into voting his alleged conscience and not support a health care bill that funds abortion.

Aside from NE Senator Ben Nelson, is there really such a thing as a pro-life Democrat?  NV Senator Harry Reid, a Democrat, has always run as a pro-lifer.  But by now his constituents must realize that he is not what he claims to be, and NV polls reflect that.  Senator Casey, up for re-election in '12 in PA would be wise to follow Reid's re-election bid in '10 closely.

The ad attack against Senator Casey is two-pronged, as can be seen by this other ad presented by the Susan B. Anthony List, showing a then and now comparison between strong pro-life positions taken by Governor Robert Casey Sr. and the potential sell-out-of-the-unborn by his Senator son, Robert Jr..

I discovered both of these ads on Jill Stanek's blog, along with a link to a personal letter by the head of the Susan B. Anthony List to Senator Casey.  Go to her blog and find the link for the letter by clicking HERE.

Senator Casey is claiming that faith leaders are supporting his alternative amendment to the latest health care bill fiasco (after the Nelson-Hatch-Casey Amendment failed), and cites the Catholic Health Association as one of its supporters.  It should be noted that as of this posting, Sr. Carol Keehan of the CHA has not seen the text of Casey's amendment, but only his outline of it.  In spite of this she claims to be confident that his amendment will insure no abortion funding.  Not so, says Senator Ben Nelson and other pro-life groups, including the USCCB who said the language will not stop funding for abortions.  Read the full story by clicking HERE.

Now it looks like Senator Reid is shifting his focus toward pressuring ME Senator Olympia Snowe.  Read that HERE.

Rosa Acuna Project Exposes Planned Parenthood's "Abortion-First Mentality"

Lila Rose has created some very indicting undercover videos of various Planned Parenthood locations around the country showing several statutory rape cover-ups by complicit PP staff members.  Now, starting with Planned Parenthood of Appleton, WI, Lila Rose has put together the Rosa Acuna Project, which documents Planned Parenthood's manipulative counseling and medical lies told in order to convince women in need that killing their unborn babies is their best option.  See below:

EVIDENCE OF COUNSELING ABUSE AT PLANNED PARENTHOOD CONTINUES TO SURFACE IN UNDERCOVER STUDENT VIDEO

Contact: Lila Rose, media@liveaction.org , (323)454-3304

Appleton, December 9 -- New undercover footage from an Appleton, WI Planned Parenthood abortion clinic shows clinic staff, including the abortion doctor, lying to two young women about fetal development and encouraging the one who is pregnant to obtain an abortion because "women die having babies."

In the undercover video, when the two women ask a Planned Parenthood counselor if the pregnant woman's 10-week-old unborn child has a heartbeat, the counselor emphasizes "heart tones," and answers, "Heart beat is when the fetus is active in the uterus--can survive--which is about seventeen or eighteen weeks." On the contrary, embryologists agree that the heartbeat begins around 3 weeks. Wisconsin informed consent law requires that women receive medically accurate information before undergoing an abortion.

(Read more by clicking -->HERE)

 

Slow Down, Take A Breath....It's Advent

How easily we get caught up in Stressmas and lose track of the real meaning of the Christmas Season we call Advent.  Nothing should matter more than the birth of the Christ Child at Christmas.  All other traditions and celebrations, however important, are secondary.

(H/T:  Brutally Honest)

Linkfest

Well, it's that time of year again....  The time when I'm so busy with life's trials and tribulations, I don't have time to research anything good to post.  So I resort to a linkfest.  It's not the only reason, of course.  I owe a few people who also happen to be doing some excellent work out there in the blogosphere for the links they have given me.  Here are some excellent blogs and the great work they are doing:

Professor Donald Douglas of American Power, located in our nation's former ally, California (I hope that like France, they return to our side someday), is a beacon of freedom there.  Click HERE for the first installment of his field work at a local Tea Party resulting in a wonderful collection of pictures of the event.  Click HERE for the second installment.  The professor's blog has become a major driving force for freedom after its creation less than 2 years ago.

When something happens in New York City that is worth viewing, look no further than Urban Infidel for her magnificent photo essays.  Yesterday she bore the nasty weather to report first-hand the protest in Foley Square of the Khalid Sheikh Mohammed 9-11 Terror Trial that any other president, in his right mind, would conduct as a military tribunal at Gitmo.  Click HERE for her posting of the events.

Chicago Ray has found yet another example of a fractional minority of Muslims having a Christmas tree (dubbed Holiday Tree) removed because it was deemed "too religious" for these narrow-minded sociopaths.  Click HERE for the story.

T. Paine at Saving Common Sense brings to light the quest of Lt. Col. Allen West for a Congressional seat in Florida's 22nd district.  Lt. Col. West is an African-American, decorated war hero and champions the Constitution.  In other words he is what Mr. Paine refers to as "a breath of fresh air."  Click HERE for the full story.

And Lisa Graas has written a book review on Sarah Palin's Going Rogue, well worth reading.  Click HERE for that.

PS.  I just had to include a recent posting by R.S. McCain (The Other McCain) in which he calls Episcopalian the "gay religion," and that it has "more lesbians than the LPGA and more gay men than the first five rows of a Bette Midler concert."  Click HERE for his post to find out why.