A spaceship lands at San Francisco Airport

According to Forbes:

Virgin America is opening a brand-new, high-tech, green terminal at San Francisco International airport today. To mark the occasion, a jet full of VIPs and members of the press left SFO’s international terminal, flew north along the Pacific, and made an in-flight rendezvous with Virgin Galactic’s White Knight Two and SpaceShipOne. They flew wing-to-wing back to SFO and landed in tandem.

Now THIS is winning: “The Sheening”

All work and no pray makes Dawkins a dull boy. All work and no pray makes Dawkins a dull boy. All work and no pray makes Dawkins a dull boy. All work and no pray makes Dawkins a dull boy. All work and no pray makes Dawkins a dull boy. All work and no pray makes Dawkins a dull boy. All work and no pray makes Dawkins a dull boy. All work and no pray makes Dawkins a dull boy. All work and no pray makes Dawkins a dull boy. All work and no pray makes Dawkins a dull boy.

An update on California’s severe real-estate woes

I was born in Southern California and lived most of my life there. And because California is in many ways still “home” to me, as well as the fact that so many dear friends and family members still live there, it’s hard to watch what’s happening to that once great state. The real estate implosion is eviscerating everything. Looking back on my our decision to move from San Diego to Central Ohio back in 1997, it’s clear that my wife and I providentially avoided a great deal of economic pain that our friends and family who still live there have endured. I hope things can get back on track again soon. But based on this grim report, I just don’t know if that’s in the cards.

“Young people do not want a Mass the reflects the world, but a Mass that reflects heaven”

A Catholic priest just posted a particularly insightful comment on my Facebook page in response to my earlier post about Dale Fushek, the founder of Life Teen.  That post sparked a lively conversation there about the merits and demerits of Life Teen, especially its (in my view, deeply misguided) style of celebrating the Mass.  I’d like to share the good Father’s observation with you.

Personally, I think he nails it, bang on the bull’s eye. What do you think?

“From my experience as a pastor, I can say with great confidence that what youth yearn for is not praise and worship, guitars and drums, but reverence, mystery, silence, and fidelity to the 2000 year tradition of the Church. When parishes start using incense, Latin, chant, more silence, the organ instead of guitars and drums, the young people start showing up more and more, and vocations blossom from within the community. Young people do not want a Mass the reflects the world, but a Mass that reflects heaven, which is other worldly and mysterious. Drums, guitars, clapping, etc., do not reflect heaven, they reflect a rock concert.”

Life Teen founder, ex-priest, Dale Fushek, writes “tell all” book

Dale Fushek, a notorious former priest of the Diocese of Phoenix, has had a tumultuous life of late. Perhaps best known as the founder of Life Teen, his notoriety stems not only from his legal troubles over accusations of immoral behavior with young men, but also from the fact that, since his dismissal from the priesthood and subsequent laicization, followed in 2008 by his excommunication from the Catholic Church.  That last episode in Mr. Fushek’s strange saga was prompted by the fact that the former priest started his own Church — the Praise and Worship Center — which he envisioned as a “non-judgmental community of faith.” Needless to say, he has been a source of many a migraine headache for his former bishop, Most Rev. Thomas Olmsted, and for the clergy and faithful of the Diocese of Phoenix.

As you might expect, Mr. Fushek wants to tell his side of the story and has done so in his new book, The Unexpected Life, which has just been released. Not having read the book, I can’t comment on its contents. But even so, just based on statements like the following, I can draw some pretty clear conclusions about what tack its author takes in trying to justify and exculpate himself.

“I feel I never left the Catholic Church,” Fushek said. “They left me.”

Yeah. Right.

P.S. Please note that I am not promoting this book. Far from it. But because this man has caused a lot of problems for a lot of people, most notably for Bishop Olmsted, I want people to be aware of the latest chapter in Mr. Fushek’s strange post-Catholic career.

Sometimes, a well-placed photon torpedo is the only answer

I posted this last year, but since it’s Lent and you need a little more penance to help burnish your soul (who doesn’t?), I’m bumping this gem up to the top for awhile. Think of it as a humorous alternative to a hair shirt.

(Courtesy of Patrick Coffin)

Report: Archbishop Dolan to recommend closing Ireland’s Maynooth Seminary

The Irish Catholic newspaper reports that 216-year old Maynooth College (the Ireland’s largest Catholic seminary) may be shut down because of serious academic deficiencies and other formation-related problems:

Maynooth College may soon cease to function as a Catholic seminary marking the end of a 200-year-tradition, The Irish Catholic has learned.

The national seminary, which has educated Irishmen for the priesthood since 1795, may be set for closure after the recent Apostolic Visitation by New York’s Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan. It is expected the report will recommend that Pope Benedict XVI move all Irish seminarians to a reformed and restructured Pontifical Irish College in Rome.

The historic shift would bring an end to concerns about falling academic standards at Maynooth and claims by some that the college in no longer ‘fit for mission’. One senior academic told The Irish Catholic that the Apostolic Visitors were ”appalled” by some of the standards in Maynooth. Rome would give access to heavyweight universities under direct scrutiny from the Vatican.

It is understood the plan would include the Irish College in Rome dramatically reducing the number of non-Irish students enrolled in the seminary to make way for the seminarians from Maynooth.

The Irish college would also have to be reformed to take account of an expected raft of recommendations from Archbishop Dolan’s report.

During his visitation to Maynooth, Archbishop Dolan requested from moral theology lectures copies of class notes and presentations to students to assess the suitability of the content. A wholesale move to Rome would address concerns that some of the theology taught at Maynooth is not sufficiently orthodox for future priests. . . . (continued)

 

I thank You, Lord, for the gift of sons

Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight; for I give you good precepts: do not forsake my teaching. 

When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,  he taught me, and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; “keep my commandments, and live;  do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Get wisdom; get insight. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. 

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.  Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a fair garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered; and if you run, you will not stumble. Keep hold of instruction, do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil men. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made some one stumble. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.

The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to him who finds them, and healing to all his flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance; for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Take heed to the path of your feet, then all your ways will be sure.  Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. (Proverbs 4)

P.S. I just as heartily thank the Lord for His gift of my five lovely daughters.

P.P.S. FYI: My youngest son isn’t smoking a cigar. He’s mimicking that with one of his sisters’ hairbrushes.

EWTN Releases New Statement Regarding Fr. Corapi’s Programs

This announcement was just sent out from EWTN and is published here with their permission:

To all EWTN Radio programming partners and hosts:

We are aware that many of our supporters are disappointed in EWTN’s decision to remove Father John Corapi’s programs from the Network during his administrative leave.  We too are greatly disappointed that EWTN had to make this difficult decision. We can  assure you that it was made with much prayer and careful discernment.

The fact is that Father John’s own religious community has placed him on administrative leave and his capacity to function publicly as a priest has been suspended during the investigation of the charges against him.  This was officially communicated to all of the bishops of the country in a statement saying that, “…Fr. Corapi has been placed on administrative leave and has had all of his priestly faculties removed.”

In EWTN’s thirty years of existence, the Network has never knowingly aired programming featuring any priest whose priestly faculties have been suspended. The Network has always responded consistently and immediately in such situations by removing such programs from the air.  We are obliged to do so in obedience to the discipline of the Church.

Father John has long been a friend of EWTN and many of us have worked closely with him throughout the years.  He is a tremendously gifted preacher who has led many souls to Christ.  We are doing exactly as he has asked and supporting him and everyone involved in the situation in the best way possible, through our prayers.

It is also our prayer that this matter will be brought to a speedy resolution so that Father John’s programs can be returned to the airwaves.

Thank you for your understanding.  May God bless you.

EWTN Global Catholic Network

Wife Says “No,” but Apple Says “Yes”

Someone posted the following, apparently true, story on the Macrumors.com site. I like. I like.

“Apple is paying close attention to all iPad 2 returns during the first few weeks to make sure there are no major production defects. This policy has led to an amusing story that we thought was entertaining enough to share. The story comes by way of an individual close to Apple:”

[Apple’s] focus this week has been to troubleshoot all the iPad 2s that customers are returning to the stores. One iPad came back with a post it note on it that said “Wife said no.” It was escalated as something funny, and two of the VPs got wind of it. They sent the guy an iPad 2 with a note on it that said “Apple said yes.”

We’re guessing a free iPad satisfied any objection the customer’s wife might have had.

 

A disconcerting quake prediction

I really dislike the prediction made in this news report. Watch the video, and I predict you’ll dislike it, too. Sure, I suppose it’s possible this guy is a quack or someone trying to manipulate something for some kind of gain, but I doubt it. He acts and sounds legit, and his track-record of accurately predicting earlier quakes, such as the San Francisco temblor in 1989, is unsettling. All the recent animal, bird, and fish mass die-offs have been perplexing. I’d hate to think that his explanation for why they have been happening might be true. Anyway, I guess we’ll know, one way or the other, in the next few days or weeks. Like Cavuto said, “I hope he’s wrong.”

Why do virtually no animals die in tsunamis?

I was born and raised in Southern California, a place where earthquakes are common. And for as long as I can remember, people have sworn by the belief that animals can sense a quake coming before human beings can feel them. This theory rings true with me, in part because, just prior to some of the earthquakes I’ve been in, I’ve witnessed dogs become agitated and start barking nervously. My guess is that dogs, like most other animals, can hear and feel minute vibrations we humans can’t detect. So they instinctively sense that something bad is about to happen. This, of course, is the time-tested theory behind having a “canary in a coal mine” (which happens to be a good song by The Police, by the way). The following videos explore this theory and can help us understand why virtually no animals died in the South East Asian tsunami of 2004 or in the recent Japan tsunami. What do you think of this?

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