Stop the Palin Panic

Many people are worried about Palin -- is she the Republican magic-bullet for McCain? Is she just what the disappointed Clinton supporters needed to defect to the Republican side? She could not be further from Clinton.

1. She is a lifetime NRA member.

2. She opposes abortion even for rape and incest cases.

3. She opposes gay marriage.

4. She supported Pat Buchanan's bid for the presidency while she was mayor of Wasilia, Alaska.

5. She has only been governor for 1.5 years.

6. According to Wikipedia "In May 2008, Palin objected to the decision of Dirk Kempthorne, the Republican United States Secretary of the Interior, to list polar bears as an endangered species. She filed a lawsuit to stop the listing amid fears that it would hurt oil and gas development in the bears' habitat off Alaska's northern and northwestern coasts. She said the move to list the bears was premature and was not the appropriate management tool for their welfare"

7. When interviewed by newsmax.com:
What is your take on global warming and how is it affecting our country?

A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I'm not one though who would attribute it to being man-made.

Michael Franti

Ok gang -- listen to this fine tune and watch the video. It is Michael Franti.

Hey I'll be gone today
But I'll be back from around the way
It seems like everywhere I go
The more I see
The less I know
But I know -- one thing -- that I love you
I love you
I love you
I love you.

I love the joy in this tune - the simple happiness. In a world of pain and suffering and war and uncertainty, maybe it's time we remembered that what really matters are the moments when we say "I love you -- I love you -- I love you."

Yes, indeed

beautiful beautiful beautiful

There is a site that I have just read on the net --- called "Days With My Father" by Phillip Toledano. Toledano is a photographer whose 81 year old mother died recently, leaving him the only relative of his 98 year old father.I could describe the site, but I so much want you to see it, to experience its tenderness and sweetness that I will merely implore you to Click Here Please


(Once there, click on each image to advance to the next.)

Real Live Preacher is my new hero

OK I think Real Live Preacher has a verrrrrry fine blog -- I and about a zillion other folks. He is now my hero for a task he has taken on. He is challenging conventional and conservative notions about Hell, and is inviting people to disagree with him. Check it out!

He speaks of the belief in Hell as unending torment and adds

Now let’s make a turn and talk about something else. One thing is for sure - you wouldn’t believe in hell unless the Bible was so clear about it that you were left with no choice. No one really WANTS there to be a hell, right? Please tell me no one wants hell to be real. Because if you are the sort of person who likes the idea of hell, you might be the devil yourself. While conservative seminarians discuss whether or not the devil exists, liberal seminarians are discussing whether or not you really exist.

If you ask me, a person would have to be pretty sure of himself before he would tell people they were going to hell. If you say that hell exists, and it is for non-Christians, and it is fire, and it is forever, you better be sure of yourself. Because I can’t imagine a worse blasphemy if it’s not true. That would really make God angry, wouldn’t you think? You running around and ruining God’s reputation like that.

It’s funny - hell Christians always act like we who don’t think everyone is going to burn in hell are the ones taking a chance. “Uh oh, you’re getting liberal. Aren’t you afraid God is going to be really mad at you for not believing in hell?” Well, maybe. But if you’re wrong, you and people like you have trashed God’s reputation for 2,000 years.

I think I’ll take my chances with the liberals.

He issues a serious challenge for email discussions on the topica nd sets some serious ground rules. THIS is worth a read!!!

He closes by saying:

The last rule is for me. Serious responses will be treated with respect. I have no desire to laugh at anyone or poke fun. I’m in earnest. I want to know how you justify your beliefs. I will feel free to post anything that is sent to me, but I won’t use your name if you don’t want me to. If I’m not satisfied that you made a good case, I simply won’t post it. You’ll have to trust me on this.

Bring me your scriptures. I want to know the truth. I’ve been reading the New Testament, looking for the truth about hell. I’m still doing my study, but maybe you can help me. Serious cases made by a serious students of the New Testament will be posted here. And I’ll invite you to come by and converse with us in the comments if you like. Or if you wish to remain anonymous, that’s okay too.

I have my reasons for doing this. I think it’s high time we got this whole thing out in the open.

(and a tip of the mouse to Jayne at Journey Through Grace for telling me about this! Thanks!)

Maximillian Kolbe died 41 years ago (Thursday)

Maximillian Kolbe was a Franciscan priest from Poland.

SQPN a Catholic Media site says this:

Arrested with several of his brothers on 19 September 1939 following the Nazi invasion of Poland. Others at the monastery were briefly exiled, but the prisoners were released on 8 December 1939, and the men returned to their work. Back at Niepokalanow he continued his priestly ministry, The brothers housed 3,000 Polish refugees, two-thirds of whom were Jewish, and continued their publication work, including materials considered anti-Nazi. For this work the presses were shut down, the congregation suppressed, the brothers dispersed, and Maximilian was imprisoned in Pawiak prison, Warsaw, Poland on 17 February 1941.

On 28 May 1941 he was transferred to Auschwitz and branded as prisoner 16670. He was assigned to a special work group staffed by priests and supervised by especially vicious and abusive guards. His calm dedication to the faith brought him the worst jobs available, and more beatings than anyone else. At one point he was beaten, lashed, and left for dead. The prisoners managed to smuggle him into the camp hospital where he spent his recovery time hearing confessions. When he returned to the camp, Maximilian ministered to other prisoners, including conducting Mass and delivering communion using smuggled bread and wine.

In July 1941 there was an escape from the camp. Camp protocol, designed to make the prisoners guard each other, required that ten men be slaughtered in retribution for each escaped prisoner. Francis Gajowniczek, a married man with young children was chosen to die for the escape. Maximilian volunteered to take his place, and died as he had always wished - in service.

Duck eggs

Well, as I have said before, I have started a list of "things I have not done but want to because they will be fun". One was to play BINGO. Done. Another was to try duck eggs. I have no idea what the fascination with duck eggs was about, but I tried them this morning for breakfast. They are a bit larger and about 25% heavier than a chicken egg. The yolks are larger and denser. I cooked 2 "over easy" and they were tasty -- a bit more "eggy" in flavor, probably because of the larger yolk. They would make dndy deviled eggs, I think. I'll try that next.

Next on the list -- finding a pottery class. I have always anted to try my hand at the wheel.

An important quote

I have now heard the best quote on forgiveness that I have heard to date.


Brace yourself.


"The essence of true forgiveness is the giving up of all hope of having a better past." - Gerald Jampolsky.

I want that embroidered on my soul somewhere.

Mata H plays Bingo

Friday I went to St Stanislaus Church and, along with 337 other people, mostly women over 60, I played Bingo for the first time in my adult life.

It was a fun evening --- we sat at a long table next to Esther, a 75 year old woman who "showed us the ropes", as none of the three of us friends knew what to do. Bingo isn't the childhood game it used to be. There are games with special patterns, "the telephone pole", "The layer cake", the "big kite", "the butterfly", and so on. There are wild card numbers, games called "progressive" or "bonanza". There are pads of cards, strips of cards and a zilion different colors of special Bingo card dotters to cover your numbers -- kind of like a soupy magic marker in a dot shape.

Some people had dozens of different markers in front of them...some had little good luck charms, like the lady with about 8 tiny elephant statues in front of her.

Then there are the regulars. We made the mistake of sitting in a regular's spot. We were shoo'd away like dust bunnies. The spot was unmarked but this group of 4 sits there every week. End of story. We vamoosed.

The games start at 6.20, but the crowds start arriving at 3.30. They get the pick of seats, and time to chat - for once the games get going, all is focused on the games. The early arrivals play cards, have dinner (either with food sold at the concession stand, or with their own picnic sort of food). Having been warned, we got there at 5.30, in ample time to set up and start figuring out what we were doing.

It was a long night -- bingo didn't get out until 10.30 --

Basically it costs about $18 to get in, tho you can get in for $15 (with enough bingo sheets --9 cards a sheet) to play every game that night, The extra $3 is for bonanza kind of games -- special high reward games. Prizes were usually $100/game, with 2 games at $500, 2 gaes at $1,00, and one game between $2,000-$3,000. It is the fattest prize money in that town.

I had expected a tough crowd in a grubby spot -- instead it was a hall full of cheerful old people getting together to chat and maybe win money. I did see a couple of people for whom this seemed like an intense and driven experience, but mostly it was just a night out for folks for only $15.

There are two venues in my town, one at the Grange, one at the Elk's club.I may try one of those. It is such an odd phenomenon -- not at all what I thought.