Poor, poor Jimmy Eggkin

Alas, poor Jimmy! I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy. He hath borne me on his back a thousand times, and now how abhorr’d in my imagination it is! My gorge rises at it.

Sometimes, getting your own way isn’t a good thing

I can think of more than a few times in my own life when I pushed to get my own way in some situation or other. Sometimes, if it’s for a good and necessary cause, doing so can be legitimate. But sometimes, as you’ll see in this bizarre video, forcing things to get your way can be a really bad idea — especially when having just a little patience will get you what you want anyway. (Memo to self: Have patience.)

World Youth Day Madrid 2011 officially disavows any connection with Michael Voris

This is quite unusual, perhaps even unprecedented, in the 27-year history of the Vatican-sponsored World Youth Day (WYD) events held every three years in a major city around the world. The official WYD website contains the following announcement in which it takes the remarkable step of publicly spurning American Catholic Internet commentator Michael Voris. 

It has come to our attention that Michael Voris, a US based media producer, is scheduled to offer independent catechesis sessions out of a hotel in Madrid during World Youth Day 2011. There has been some confusion regarding his affiliation with World Youth Day. Michael Voris, the clergy and the laity associated with him, and their media efforts “Real Catholic TV” and “No Bull in Madrid” are not in any way recognized or approved by World Youth Day 2011.

Catechesis at World Youth Day is offered by Bishops of the Catholic Church in union with Pope Benedict XVI, who has invited the young people of the world to join him in Madrid for this celebration of faith and life. The Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Laity selects and invites Bishops, and only Bishops, from around the world to conduct Catechesis sessions at WYD in various languages. 

Participants in the World Youth Day 2011 Cultural Program must be recognized and endorsed by the Bishops and Episcopal Conferences of their respective countries. Participants were selected for Cultural program by the World Youth Day organization in close collaboration with the Pontifical Council for the Laity. Those groups participating in the World Youth Day 2011 Cultural Festival have been selected because, through their various activities, they promote the authentic teaching and unity of the Roman Catholic Church and have been endorsed by their local Bishop and Espiscopal conference. Michael Voris, “Real Catholic TV” and “No Bull in Madrid” did not receive such endorsement from their Bishop or Episcopal Conference.

Michael Voris, “Real Catholic TV” and the program “No Bull in Madrid” are not accredited to or recognized by World Youth Day 2011. . . . (continue reading)

How to bring your friends into (or back into) the Catholic Church

I had an opportunity this spring to go into the studio with my dear friend Martha Fernández-Sardina (the director of evangelization for the Archdiocese of San Antonio) to discuss a series of apologetics subjects. In this first of four half-hour discussions Martha and I discuss some of the key aspects of what’s necessary to help bring fallen-away Catholics back to the Church. I hope you find it helpful.

Dude on a flaming scooter

What’s your read on this? For example, what’s going through the scooter guy’s mind as he burns rubber and peels out of the parking lot, leaving everyone in his dust? What do you think his spectators are thinking and saying as they watch him? Personally, I’d say that the expression on the guy with the black jacket  answers the second question pretty well.

Death by heat: here’s how it happens

As you know, those of us in the Mid-West and on the East Coast have been enduring some sweltering, record-setting high temperatures the last few days. Not surprisingly, the phenomenon of brutally hot weather has been on my mind today because I’m seeing headlines about how all this heat has been killing people. The death toll thus far stands at 13, but if the scorching weather continues (please, Lord, no), that number will rise a good deal. But how exactly, you may have asked yourself (as I have) does heat actually kill someone? Well, it’s quick but not painless.

The University of Maryland Medical Center’s website explains the process and also lists symptoms and the recommended treatment:

Heat exhaustion occurs when your body gets too hot. The hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls thirst and hunger, also controls the body’s core temperature. Normally, the body cools itself by sweating. But if you are exposed to high temperatures for a long time (working outdoors in the summer, for example) and don’t replace the fluids you lose, the body systems that regulate temperature become overwhelmed. As a result, your body produces more heat than it can release. Heat exhaustion requires immediate attention because it can progress to heat stroke, a life threatening illness.

A 1999 CNN report reminds that “Heatstroke Can Sneak Up and Kill”:

If the symptoms are ignored, the victim can develop potentially lethal heat stroke. The warning signs include an extremely high body temperature 103 degrees or higher hot and dry skin; a rapid, strong pulse; throbbing headache; dizziness; nausea or vomiting; confusion and unconsciousness. Heat stroke can happen within 10 to 15 minutes of the first symptoms. If victims don’t get emergency treatment immediately to bring down their body temperature, they can suffer permanent damage to their internal organs or even die.

And the CDC website offers a comprehensive overview of not only the mechanics of death by heat and how to avoid such a fate, but it also breaks out the data showing how many people succumbed to heatstroke (during weather just like what we have right now) between 1999 and 2003.

The number? 3,442.

That’s not a club you want to join. So, stay cool. And if you can’t stay cool, if you detect any of the symptoms mentioned in these articles, get thee to a doctor immediately. Your life might well depend on it.

 

Among the many things on my to-do list

… is trying to find a way to get this lunch wagon to stop by my place of work very, very often. Daily, if possible. Oh wait. I work at home. No matter. I want that.

Here’s one of the more unusual calls to my “Open Line” radio show

Hosting the Thursday edition of EWTN’s “Open Line” broadcast (3-5 pm ET) is truly a highlight of my week. For two hours, I get to converse with callers from all over the world who call in with their questions and comments about the Catholic Faith. Virtually all the calls are interesting and stimulating though, occasionally, some can be rather peculiar, like this one you’re about hear from a man going by the pseudonym “Judas.” The bottom line is, he disapproves of the “fancy” clothing worn by the pope. Our conversation about that subject was . . . interesting. Take a listen and kindly let me know what you think.

What’s your opinion of the Hairy Potter phenomenon?

People everywhere are either fired up in favor of Hairy Potter or strongly against him — not much middle ground on this issue, it would seem. Some say the whole Hairy Potter phenomenon is a crock. Others glaze over at the mere mention of the subject. Many like throwing it out there just to provoke a reaction. Some insist that the casting would have been more effective had it been in China. Everyone’s got an opinion. What’s yours? Discuss amongst yourselves.

Check out this footage of yesterday’s weird Phoenix dust storm

Last night, as Nancy and I were watching the news and seeing the report of this hefty dust storm rolling over Phoenix, I started texting a few close Phoenix-area friends of mine to see what they were experiencing. One of them, a priest, said basically, “Myeh. Nothing unusual. Happens here a lot.” Today, he called me and said, “Well, it was somewhat bigger than what we’ve seen here before. Another friend told me that everything is “really dusty” today. I can only imagine.

An apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Africa? Or … something else?

Kindly watch this video all the way to the end. Something striking happened here, and I admit that (assuming the video isn’t a hoax, along the lines of the countless bogus UFO videos out there) whatever it is resembles in some ways the traditional Catholic image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It appears to have been recorded with a smartphone. There is no descriptive information associated with the video except for that it is purported to have been taken in April of 2011 somewhere in “Africa.” Not much to go on.

Whoever posted this on Youtube asks whether it’s really Our Lady appearing or a technology-driven light show courtesy of “Project Bluebeam” — something that I’d never known anything about till I Googled it just now. It’s possible, too, if this isn’t a hoax, that a demonic spirit could be masquerading as the Blessed Virgin Mary (see Galatians 1:8).

The people in this video are obviously quite agitated by whatever it is they are seeing in the sky. Occasionally, their excitement spikes with startled cries and what sound to me like prayers being shouted. What do you think it is? Do any of you have any info on where and when this happened? This could very well be a hoax. Although it could be possibly an actual apparition recorded on a smart phone in a way similar to how images of the Miracle of the Sun during Our Lady’s apparition in Fatima, Portugal, in October, 1917, were photographed.

The last part of the video shows what appears to be a hologram a cross in the sky somewhere over Russia. Whatever is going on here, it’s remarkable.

Vatican Reminder: SSPX ordinations are illegitimate

This tidbit was posted on the Vatican Radio website in early May, but I did not see it till recently:

The recent priestly ordinations celebrated by the Fraternity of Saint Pius X are to be considered “illegitimate”, confirmed Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican Press Office Director, responding to journalists’ questions on Tuesday.  Father Lombardi repeated what was affirmed by Pope Benedict XVI in his Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church of March 10, 2009:

“As long as the Society [of Saint Pius X] does not have a canonical status in the Church, its ministers do not exercise legitimate ministries in the Church (…). Until the doctrinal questions are clarified, the Society has no canonical status in the Church, and its ministers (…) do not legitimately exercise any ministry in the Church.”

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