Jane Austen in Scarsdale

This was book number two in the "two in two days" modern Jane Austen frenzy! I wanted to share a few quotes from the book that I liked.
"Life isn't a Jane Austen novel. I'ts one thing to be long-suffering in a story, where the author can make it worth you while, but in real life, who's going to make sure it ends happily? Just look at what happened with poor Jane Austen. She worked things out for that long-suffering ninny, Anne Elliot, in her last book, but who worked things out for her? Believe me, my dear, no man is a prince, except in the imagination."

"Regret is a useless emotion" murmured Winnie.
"It's a sad emotion, but it's not a useless one," said Anne resolutely. "You have to regret - even mourn - your mistakes if you're ever going to move on. I made a mistake when I gave up Ben Cutler, and I regret it. Which doesn't mean I can't go on living."

"He offered to pay me a stipend, which I declined. I am not Jane Eyre, just an impecunious gentlewoman with ties to the estate."

"Who are the ten greatest poets of all time?" demanded a spokeman for the class
"One' Shakespeare.
Two: Milton. He wrote Paradise Lost. The greatest action-adventure poem in Engling.
Three: John Donne.
Four: William Wordsworth. Big on nature, but there's more going on than just flowers and trees.
Five: Walt Whitman - great American poet.
Six: Emily Dickinson. A nutcase, but brilliant.
Seven: William Butler Yeats. An Irish poet.
Eight: Robert Frost. He wrote 'Stopping by Woods' but theres others that are also great.
Nine: Gwendolyn Brooks - a woman of color who didn't preach about it.
Ten: Don Riggs. You probably never heard of him. He lives in Philadelphia and writes for small literary journals and online magazines. Look him up on the Internet. He's a genius."

It's Official

I have gone off the deep end. Reached the point of no return. From this day forward all shall know of it.

I AM A HELPLESS, HOPELESS, ROMANTIC!

There, I said it. And I must confess that it feels a lot better getting that off my chest.

I finished my second modern day Jane Austen book last night.

And if I remember right...yep...that makes two in two days!

Like I said...hopeless...

Me & Mr. Darcy

While packing like a mad woman on Tuesday morning, I grabbed this book that was sitting in my "read these books someday" pile. I figured I would be at Grandma's house for two days, and it never hurt anyone to be prepared. Turns out I couldn't sleep for anything on Tuesday night, so I started reading this book, 'Me & Mr. Darcy". My mom picked it up at a bookstore a few months ago, and I figured if all else fails, it has a cute cover and can sit on my vanity!
I was surprised by how quickly I was drawn into the book. I couldn't put it down! Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that this is best fictional book that was ever written. As you know I am a big fan of the Twilight books, and this doesn't come close! But it was worth reading.

After a string of disastrous dates, Emily Albright decides she’s had it with modern-day love and would much rather curl up with Pride and Prejudice and spend her time with Mr. Darcy, the dashing, honorable, and passionate hero of Jane Austen’s classic. So when her best friend suggests a wild week of margaritas and men in Mexico with the girls, Emily abruptly flees to England on a guided tour of Jane Austen country instead. Far from inspiring romance, the company aboard the bus consists of a gaggle of little old ladies and one single man, Spike Hargreaves, a foul-tempered journalist writing an article on why the fictional Mr. Darcy has earned the title of Man Most Women Would Love to Date.
The last thing Emily expects to find on her excursion is a broodingly handsome man striding across a field, his damp shirt clinging to his chest. But that’s exactly what happens when she comes face-to-face with none other than Mr. Darcy himself. Suddenly, every woman’s fantasy becomes one woman’s reality. . . .

I think the reason I liked this book so much was because, in the end, she realizes that Mr. Darcy is not all that she thought he would be. He is stiff, and quiet, and awkward. Nothing like she thought, or maybe exactly what she thought...

Cinderella, the story of a blonde! (in a politically correct way!)

There once lived a young woman named Cinderella, whose natural birthmother had died when Cinderella was but a child. A few years after, her father married a widow with two older daughters. Cinderella's mother-of-step treater her very cruelly, and her sisters-of-step make her work very hard, as if she were their own personal unpaid laborer.
One day and invitation arrived at their house. The prince was celevrating his exploitation of the dispossessed and marginalized peasantry by throwing a fancy dress ball. Cinderella's sisters-of-step were very excited to be invited to the palace. They began to plan the expensive clothes they would use to alter and enslave their natural body images of emulate an unrealistic standard of feminine beauty. (It was especially unrealistic in their case, as they were differently visaged enough to stop a clock.) Her mother-of-step also planned to go to the ball, so Cinderella was working harder than a dog (an appropriate if unfortunately speciesist metaphor).When the day of the ball arrived, Cinderella helped her mother- and sisters-of-step into their ball gowns. A formidable task: It was like trying to force ten pounds of processed nonhuman animal carcasses into a five-pound skin. Next came immense cosmetic augmentation, which it would be best not to describe at all. As evening fell, her mother-and-sisters-of-step left Cinderella at home to finish her housework. Cinderella was sad, but she contented herself with her Holly Near records.
Suddenly there was a flash of light, and in front of Cinderella stood a man dressed in loose-fitting, all-cotton clothes and wearing a wide-brimmed hat. At first Cinderella thought he was a Southern lawyer or a bandleader, but he soon put her straight.
"Hello, Cinderella, I am your fairy godperson, or individual deity proxy, if you prefer. So, you want to go to the ball, eh? And bind yourself into the male concept of beauty? Squeeze into some tight-fitting dress that will cut off your circulation? Jam your feet into high-heeled shoes that will ruin your bone structure? Paint your face with chemicals and makeup that have been tested on nonhuman animals?"
"Oh yes, definitely," she said in an instant. Her fairy godperson heaved a great sigh and decided to put off her political education till another day. With his magic, he enveloped her in a beautiful, bright light and whisked her away to the palace.
Many, many carriages were lined up outside the palace that night; apparently, no one had thought of carpooling. Soon, in a heavy, gilded carriage painfully pulled by a team of horse-slaves, Cinderella arrived. She was dressed in a clinging gown woven of silk stolen from unsuspecting silkworms. Her hair was festooned with pearls plundered from hard-working, defenseless oysters. And on her feet, dangerous though it may seem, she wore slippers made of finely cut crystal.
Every head in the ballroom turned as Cinderella entered. The men stared at this woman who captured perfectly their Barbie-doll ideas of feminine desirability. The women, all trained at an early age to despise their own bodies, looked at Cinderella with envy and spite. Cinderella's own mother- and sisters-of-step, consumed with jealousy, failed to recognize her. Cinderella soon caught the roving eye of the prince, who was busy discussing jousting and dear-baiting with his cronies. Upon seeing her, the prince was struck with a fit of not being able to speak as well as the majority of the population. "Here" he thought, "is a woman that I could make my princess and impregnate with the progeny of our perfect genes, and thus make myself the envy of every other prince for miles around. And she's blonde, too!"
The prince began to cross the ballroom tward his intended prey. His cronies also began to walk toward Cinderella. So did every other male in the ballroom who was younger than 70 and not serving drinks.Cinderella was proud of the commotion she was causing. She walked with head high and carried herself like a woman of eminent social standing. But soon it became clear that the commotion was turning into something ugly, or at least socially dysfunctional. The prince had made it clear to his friends that he was intent of "possessing" the young woman. But the price's resolutness angered his pals, for they too wanted to own her. The men began to shout and push each other. The prince's best friend, who was a large if cerebrally constrained duke, stopped him halfway across the dance floor and insisted that HE was going to have Cinderella. The prince's response was a swift kick to the grion, which left the duke temporarily inactive. But the prince was quickly seized by other crazed males, and he disappeared into a pile of human animals. The women were appalled by this vicious display of testosterone, but try as they might, they were unable to separate the combatants. To the other women, it seemed that Cinderella was the cause of all the trouble, so they encircled her and began to display very unsisterly hostility. She tried to escape, but her impractival glass slippers made it nearly impossible. Fortunately for her, none of the other women were shod any better.
The noise grew so loud that no one heard the clock in the tower chime midnight. When the bell rang the twelfth time, Cinderella's beautiful gown and slippers disappeared, and she was dressed once again in her peasant's rags. Her mother- and sisters-of-step recognized her now, but kept quiet to aviod embarrassment.The women grew silent at this magical transformation. Freed from the cinfinements of her gown and slippers, Cinderella sighed and stretched and scratched her ribs. She smiled, closed her eyes and said, "Kill me now if you want, sisters, but at least I'll die in comfort."
The women around her again grew envious, but this time they took a different approach; Instead of exacting vengeance on her, they stripped off their bodices, corsets, shoes, and every other confining garment. They danced and jumped and screeched in sheer joy, comfortable at last in their shifts and bare feet.Had the men looked up from their macho dance of destruchion, they would have seen many desirable women dressed as if for the boudoir. But they never ceased pounding, punching, kicking, and clawing each other until, to the last man, they were dead.
The women clucked their tongues but felt no remorse. The palace and realm were theirs now. Their first official act was to dress the men in their discarded dresses and tell the media that the fight arose when someone threatened to expose the cross-dressing tendencies of the prince and his cronies. Their second act was to set up a clothing co-op that produced only comfortable, practical clothes for women. Then they hung a sign on the castle advertising CinderWear (for that was what the new clothing was called), and through self-determination and clever marketing, they all-- even the mother- and sisters-of-step--lived happily ever after.
-Politically Correct Bedtime Stories by James Finn Garner

Spread the good news!

Everyone has inside them a piece of good news.
The good news is you don't know how great you can be!
How much you can love!
What you can accomplish!
And what your potential is!
-Anne Frank

You Are Being Robbed

The true meaning of Christmas?!?!

"It's the most wonderful time of the year!"
All the radio stations are playing the same Christmas songs over and over and over. And when you drive down the road ever business screams "come shop here" or "we have the best discounts" or "come save your self from spontaneously combusting because of all the "good cheer" that is being spread!" (ok maybe not...). All of it drives me insane! It makes me want to scream. But there is no getting around any of it. The mind set of our society has us all sucked in. We can't avoid it. You can't not buy the ones you love a present, but deep inside that is really what I want to do! You can't skip Christmas. I want to go rent a cabin somewhere far off in the distance and sleep for the next two weeks. (or at least until Walmart gets the "Christmas sent" out of their store). Now don't get me wrong...it's not that I hate Christmas, but I hate what the world has turned it into. This was never what Christ had in mind. And it wasn't what President Ulysses S. Grant wanted when he declared Christmas a legal holiday in 1870. So where did we go wrong? When did our world turn Christmas into a shopping frenzy where every women has a chance to find the best deals they will all year long? I don't know exactly when this happened, and I doubt it was an exact moment in time. More like a gradual downhill slope that has now gotten us where we are today.
So spread some real Christmas cheer. Don't get sucked in this year. It's less than two weeks until Christmas, and I have zip shopping done...but you know what? I don't care! Maybe a card will warm wishes will be all my friends get this year!

Thoughts for Sunday night....

Well the weather outside is fright full for anyone living in the sad state of Missouri/Kansas.
It's cold outside and my heart is just as cold. It seems like every time a holiday rolls around I end up feeling sorry for my self and getting depressed (in a stretch of the word). I forget what the purpose of my life is...
Why do people like me? Sometimes I wonder...
After watching You've God Mail last week I've been thinking a lot about my life.
"Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life. Well, not small, but valuable. And sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So good night, dear void."
This is exactly the way I feel about my life. It's hard to deal with the fact that people will let you down. Sooner or later, no matter how close they are to you, they will always let you down. It because we are a fallen race. It's not really our fault...but sometimes it's hard to see things this way.
Sometimes I wonder about love. It's this strange thing that God has placed in our world...and sometimes I wonder if He just put it here to get a good laugh out of the human race. No one fully understands how it works, why we feel empty without it, and why we love who we love.
Last week Becca and I, during our weekly "therapy session", we asked the question "if I died...what would happen?" No one goes around telling their friends "if you died, I would miss you, and so would all the human race". But that's what we think in our hearts. What true friend would you not feel this about? We just forget to tell them this. We take for granted all that we have been given. We don't realize how much we depend on those we love, until they are taken away from us. I don't know if my friends will read this, but I love you all, so much. Even if you do let me down, even if I never impact your life, I still love you, and I can't imagine my life with out any of you.

St. Joe Spike

The girls from the Club volleyball team I played for last year (Eclipse) all moved up to the 18's division this year, and so I was in search of a new team. My mom and I looked on the web at all the different clubs in the North Kansas City area, and decided that none of them were what we were looking for. So I decided to try out for St. Joe Spike. I knew a girl that played for them last year, and she had a pretty great experience. After going to the tryout at Central High school, Sarah (the coach) offered me a spot on her 17's team playing outside hitter. I accepted her offer and am now playing for her. We have had two practices so far, and I am loving it all. They are very organized, and all the girls are very nice. I already knew some of the players from past events, and so that is helping with my fitting in.
We will play 6 tournaments from now until April when the season ends. Our first one being in Topeka on January 3.

Facebook Fast

Today Becca convinced me to give up Facebook for one whole week. I have become too dependent on it, and should instead be talking to people face to face, or over the phone. I think too many things on Facebook can have two different meanings, and can be taken too many different ways. So, I am staying off of Facebook for one whole week. Becca thinks that this will break my "addiction", and that my life will be better off after this. We shall see!

Pacheblel Rant

You've Got Mail

There is nothing like a good movie that reminds you of your life. I have seen this movie so many times, that it is sad, but I still continue to watch it. Sad days, happy days, tired days...it works for all of them. Plus, Meg Ryan's Starbucks drink in this movie is a caramel macchiato! (and if you didn't know that was my drink...well....you shouldn't be reading this blog because you don't know me at all!

Quotes:
I like Patricia. I *love* Patricia. Patricia makes COFFEE nervous.

The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino.

Because we're going to sell them cheap books and legal addictive stimulants. In the meantime, we'll just put up a big sign: "Coming soon, a FoxBooks superstore and the end of civilization as you know it."

I think he's married. Married three kids.

She was the nanny?

I'm going to geteucalyptus candles cuz it makes my apartment smell Moss-a.

Nelson Fox: Perfect. Keep those West-Side liberal nuts, psudo-intellectuals...
Joe Fox: Readers, Dad. They're called readers.
Nelson Fox: Don't do that, son. Don't romanticize them.

Kathleen Kelly: [about "NY152"] He couldn't possibly be the Rooftop Killer!
Christina Plutzker: Remember when you thought Frank might be the Unibomber?
Kathleen Kelly: That was different

I'll Tell Me Ma

I'll tell me ma when I go home
The boys won't leave the girls alone
They pulled my hair and they stole my comb
Well that's alright till I go home

She is handsome, she is pretty
She is the belle of Belfast City
She is courting..one two three!
Please won't you tell me, who is she

Albert Mooney says he loves her
All the boys are fighting for her
They knock at the door and they ring at the bell
Sayin' "Oh my true love, are you well?"
Out she comes as white as snow
Rings on her fingers, bells on her toes
Old Johnny Murray says she'll die
If she doesn't get the fellow witth the rovin' eye

I'll tell me ma when I go home
The boys won't leave the girls alone
They pulled my hair and they stole my comb
Well that's alright till I go home

She is handsome, she is pretty
She is the belle of Belfast city
She is courting..one two three!
Please won't you tell me, who is she

Let the wind and the rain and the hail blow high
And the snow come tumblin' from the sky
She's as nice as apple pie,
She'll get her own lad by and by
When she gets a lad of her own
She won't tell her ma when she comes home
Let them all come as they will
For it's Albert Mooney she loves still

I'll tell me ma when I go home
The boys won't leave the girls alone
They pulled my hair and they stole my comb
Well that's all right till I go home

She is handsome, she is pretty
She is the belle of Belfast City
She is courting..one, two, three!
Please won't you tell me, who is she


We had to sing this song at Lit class last night. I thought the lyrics were funny, so I'm putting them up on here!

The Prisoner of Zenda

Tonight, for the first time, I went to the homeschool literature class in Kansas City. It was really great, and I am plannning on attending in the future as well. I didn't have a chance to read the book, but this is the one that we were talking about this evening.
Everyone seemed to really like this book. It is such an anti-Disney book! In the end, the two lovers don't end up together. It is about putting your duty above love, and your own feelings. How life doesn't always end up the way we wish it would. That sometimes we find more pleasure in doing what is right, than in doing what we think is right. I am very much looking forward to reading this book. I think I should have time to read it over the Christmas break, so I will let you know what I think of it.

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

We just went to see this movie tonight. We all loved it! Especially since there were so many plane references. (we're kind of dorks)
I thought I'd post some of the quotes that I liked:
Kowalski:[the plane has crash landed and the penguins are looking at a clipboard] Only two passengers unaccounted for, Skipper.
Private: That's a number I can live with! Good landing, boys! Who says a penguin can't fly?

Melman: Listen Moto Moto. You better treat this lady like a queen because you my friend, you found yourself the perfect women. If I was ever so lucky to find the perfect women I would give her flowers everyday and not just any flowers, okay? Her favorites are orchids, white, and breakfast in bed... six loaves of wheat toast with butter on both sides, no crust. The way she likes it. I'd be her shoulder to cry on and her best friend and I'd spend everyday trying to think of how to make her laugh. She has the most, most amazing laugh. Well that's what I would do if were you.

Alex: I wanna prove to my dad that I'm a *real* lion.
Marty: As opposed to what, a *chocolate* lion?

Private: In case of a loss of oxygen, please place your masks over your faces to hide your terrified expressions from the other passengers.

Julien: [after Melman has announced he has only 48 hours to live] "If I had only two days to live, I would invade a neighboring country, and force my ideology on them, whether they wanted it or not."

Is this what it's come to?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZBHmS6ayIQ&feature=related

Please take the time to watch this video. I cried when I watched this.
This young man killed himself from overdosing at 3am. No one called the cops until 3 in the afternoon. Not a single person tried to stop him, although 10,000 people were commenting.
As some of you know, I am a big supporter of the LOVE Movement. People like this man are exactly the ones that need our help.
Pray for him, and for his family.

KCYC: Sex is not a dirty word

Last weekend some girls from my youth group went to KCYC (Kansas City Youth Conference).
There were lots of talks, but this was one of my favorites. I took lots of notes and wanted to share them with you all.

He started off his talk by asking everyone the question "what was the first commandment in the Bible?" Some said 'love God' others said 'love your neighbor', but he replied with:
GENESIS 1:28: "Be fruitful and multiply" GOD SAID HAVE SEX! Having sex is not wrong, it is only wrong outside of marriage.
He then showed us a camera. He said "now if my wife gave me this camera, its mine right? So I can do with it whatever I want to, right? So if I throw it on the floor, its ok because its mine...right? It might not work very well in the future when I need it, but its mine, so I can use it how I want. Well in the same way God gave us the gift of sex. But if we use it before marriage, then it won't work the correct way when we need it."

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that "sex is meant to be a joy and a pleasure". The Church is not against sex.

In the Bible Jesus calls us His sons and daughters. And if Christ is the King, then we are all princesses. How many times do girls today forget this? We think that we are not good enough, when really, no one else is good enough for us!

The world has two arguments with Chastity:
1. The Church is Old Fashioned.
Yes the Church might be old fashioned, but God invented sex. He could have made 10,000 different ways to create children. He could have said touch foreheads and rub your knees together, but He didn't.
2. There going to do it anyways.
Well no, everyone is not going it! And if more teens knew that not everyone was having sex, the abortion rate would be a lot less!

Chastity doesn't happen over night. When a man has image imprinted on his brain, it can stay there for over 30 years. How many of you want some random guy at the mall, whom you don't know, remembering what you look like for the next 30 years? I didn't think so. God made the brain this way, so that on a couples wedding night, that man would remember it for the rest of his life. That's why old people look so cute together, because she is still the love of his life.
(ok this wasn't from KCYC, it was from my cousin, but I really liked it!)

I will be posting things from the other talks at a later time. Enjoy!

A Thanksgiving Poem by Andrew Wallace

Everybody's lives are full of wants.
Everybody's lives are full of needs.
Nobody cares about what they've got.
Nobody can recognize their own greed.

Everybody knows somebody
who somebody has shown to love,
and somebody knows everybody
who somebody can't get enough of.

But today the world stops
to look at what they've got.
Today everybody stops
to thank God for what they've got.

Everybody knows somebody
who somebody needs to thank,
and God knows that everybody
owes somebody a great big thanks.

I'm happy I know you,
and I thank God that I do.
I've thanked God already,
and now it's time to thank you.

Thank you for helping
God deserve his thanks.
He gives us everything
and you help him make it great.

This day is the day
We give thanks to God above,
but why not every day?
why can't the world always love?

I want you to know
that, Thanksgiving or not,
I'm thankful you're in my life,
I'm glad about what I've got.

I never know when the last time
I'm gonna see you will be,
So I'll try to tell you all the time
that you're always special to me.

This is my first Thanksgiving poem,
I've never written one before,
and I've decided that every year,
I'll give this to the ones that I'm truly thankful for.

TWILIGHT

Ok for the record, Twilight was AMAZING!


It was everything that I wanted it to be, and so much more.


A friend through Koble wrote this about Twilight:

Alright so this is an adventure...I've never written a note before. Ever. Never ever never...until now. How dramatic.

Anyway, the reason I'm writing this is because I have something I'd like to tell the world. I am a Twilgiht fan. And no it's not because I think Edward is a hawtie, or because I want to be Bella so I get to be with Edward the hunky, hunky vampire. It's because it's a good book and people need to deal with that. It's not amazing as far as writing goes. There are better books out there. But the characters are interesting. They are realistic. You believe them when you read it. And for moments in time, I get to experience the a world of vampires. Even more than that,I experience a world were love exists in fantastical forms. The plot is pretty darn good, too.

If you don't like it. Fine. Cool. Whatever. But stop rolling your eyes at us who do. Not all of the Twilight fans are complete and utter fluffheads who only read the book, or see the movie because of Edward. I love the movie. I love the book. And I'd love it if people weren't all condecending about it. I'm not an idiot for being able to enjoy a good book.

So what if it's cheesy? Romeo and Juliet is cheesy. Tons of people try increadibly hard to avoid being cheesy. They think it's fake. The only reason it's fake is because the people in this world cannot bring themselves to love fully, truly, and unconditionally. If we all did that, the world would be full of cheesy kodac moments. Because sometimes what we as human beings feel is completely irrational...and just unrealistic....we feel larger than life...or full of love....and we're told that it's a fake feeling and what we need to feel should have a deep philisophical meaning if we want to be intelligent individuals. But not all of us do that...heck, most people can't feel like that. If you overthink a feeling, then it ceases to be a feeling...it becomes your impression of what you thought you felt at that particular moment in time. It becomes less of a feeling and more of a theory.

Ok. I'm done now. And frankly I feel increadibly silly for writing this whole thing. But I figure I should write one note-blog-thing at some point in my life. Why not now? So yeah. How does one end a note, anyway?

Hm. Well. Um. Bye.

Last night all the girls got together for Becca's 16th Birthday!
She decided that soup, dictionary games, and a scary movie would make an ideal day!
(We are a tad bit strange!)
Over all I thought that The Village was very good. I can't say too much about it without giving the whole thing away. But it was a good love story, with a scary twist. It had me on the edge on my seat the whole entire time, and I only screamed once!
It was a good way to show that there will always be sorrow in the world. No matter how hard we try to run from it, we never can. An ideal world doesn't exist. People will never be perfect. It was a good eye opener and it really made me think about my life and the way I live it. I think sometimes we forget that it could all be gone in only a matter of minutes. Cherish what you have. Live every day to the fullest.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BECCA!

A groundbreaking study of Catholic college students and recent alumni found:
Morality:
60% say abortion should be legal.
60% say premarital sex is not a sin.
57% say same-sex "marriage" should be legal.
39% saw officials or staff encouraging contraceptive use.
31% saw officials or staff encouraging acceptance of homosexual activity.
Men vs. Women:
%50 of college women engage in mremarital sex.
41% of college men engage in premarital sex.
23% of college women are drawn to the sacraments.
40% of college men are drawn to the sacraments.

Source: Center for the Study of Higher Education

Rights and Responsibiblites

Freedom of Worship ~ If we stop worshipping, this will no longer be possible.

Freedom of Speech ~ If none of us stand up for what we believe, this will soon not be an option.

Freedom of Press ~ Start printing the truth!

Freedom to Vote ~ If we don't start voting, soon others will do it for us.

Freedom to Own Property ~ If we don't respect others property, how can we ever expect them to do the same to us?

Freedom to Earn a Living in One's chosen vocation ~ We need to start taking advantage of our educational opportunities, develop good work habits, and be responsible employees

Freedom of Assembly ~ Share your idea's with other. Say what you mean and mean what you say!

Sickness and the Weekend!

I'm very sorry it's been such a long time since I've posted anything!

First there was the election...then post-election crying!

Then I got sick -- all weekend! Ugh!

GET OUT AND VOTE!!!

Todays the election!

Make sure you make time to get out and vote!

(your life depends on it!!!)

The lies they feed you...

Using an undercover camera, Students for Life of America (SFLA) has produced new evidence that infanticide "does happen" at Planned Parenthood abortion clinics. When asked by a pregnant mother if her baby could be born alive at a New Jersey clinic, the nurse responded, "It does happen, but it wouldn't be able to survive on its own so eventually the baby does die." The tape,one in a long line of incriminating videos released to the media, was posted on YouTube to show Planned Parenthood's refusal to comply with the federal Born-Alive Infants Protection Act. Just days later, YouTube removed the post, saying it "violated the web site's terms of use." YouTube may turn blind eye to these injustices, but the U.S. Congress should not. Time after time, the leadership on Capitol Hill has refused to investigate Planned Parenthood, one of the biggest beneficiaries of your taxpayer dollars.Instead of freezing its funds, liberals are seeking ways to increase them!Before you vote for the next class of congressmen, make sure you know where your candidates stand on taxpayer-funded abortion.

Andrew Wallace's Poem

I've written 'most everything
in all my stories;
I've written tragedies,
and I've written glories.
I've made up fables
and put them in my poems.
I've sung my songs out loud,
and I'm sure you all know 'em.
I've told fairy tales,
I've written about real life,
I've given examples,
of failures and triumph,
glory and strife.
I've got my story,
as all of us do,
I've got stories of love,
just like all of you.
I've been through
what no one else has;
you know that thing, that same,
different story we all have.
Many of our friends have disappeared into thin air.
But if the air's so thin, why's breathing so hard
without them there?
There are so many stories,
and we all share them in a way
we've all been through the same things,
we've all had struggles from day to day.
the stories we've all written
whether invented and put on paper
or the stories that we've written
with our real lives full of labor
none of them are as great
as the story of a lonely man
none of them shine more
than that of an empty hand
our hands have never been empty
there's always been someone there
maybe they've just been hiding
in the thickness of the air
any man who feels alone
doesn't realize what he can have
if he looks around at the rest of the world
and reaches out his own hand.
because you're never the only one who feels lonely
there's always someone else
reach out and pull them up
because shared loneliness is never loneliness in itself.
but now that we know about loneliness
and we realize the forgotten have a story
there's still one that's greater
one lost in our search for glory.
the story that no one tells,
or at least no one can get quite right
because in this story there's no morning
and in this story, there's no night.
this is the story of the air
the air we all share together
it's where all our friends are
when we can't find each other.
it's the story i don't quite know
the one i can't get a hold of
it's the one i haven't even grasped
and for some reason I feel like
it's the one I can't let go of
our friends are always there
though we always search for them
somewhere in this air
the story will always support them

My Bucket List

What they said...and what we did

According to the story, after every Quantas Airlines flight the pilots complete a 'gripe sheet' report, which conveys to the ground crew engineers any mechanical problems on the aircraft during the flight. The engineer reads the form, corrects the problem, and then writes details of action taken on the lower section of the form for the pilot to review before the next flight. It is clear from the examples below that ground crew engineers have a keen sense of humor - these are supposedly real extracts from gripe forms completed by pilots with the solution responses by the engineers. Incidentally, Quantas has the best safety record of all the world's major airlines.
(1 = The problem logged by the pilot.) (2 = The solution and action taken by the mechanics.)
1) Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
2) Almost replaced left inside main tire.
1) Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
2) Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.
1) Something loose in cockpit.
2) Something tightened in cockpit.
1) Dead bugs on windshield.
2) Live bugs on back-order.
1) Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
2) Cannot reproduce problem on ground.
1) Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
2) Evidence removed.
1) DME volume unbelievably loud.
2) DME volume set to more believable level.
1) Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
2) That's what they're there for.
1) IFF inoperative.
2) IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.
1) Suspected crack in windshield.
2) Suspect you're right.
1) Number 3 engine missing.
2) Engine found on right wing after brief search.
1) Aircraft handles funny.
2) Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.
1) Target radar hums.
2) Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.
1) Mouse in cockpit.
2) Cat installed.

The Wisdom of Albert Einstein

All these are his quotes:
"Imagination is more important than knowledge."

"Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love."
"I want to know God's thoughts; the rest are details."
"I never think of the future. It comes soon enough."
"The eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility."
"Sometimes one pays most for the things one gets for nothing."
"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."
"Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from weak minds."
"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."
"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen."
"Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one's living at it."
"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."
"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school."
"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."
"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts."
And my favorite:"Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind."

Trick or Treat!

COUNTDOWN TO TWILIGHT!!!

50 DAYS, 13 HOURS, 34 MINUTES, AND 47 SECONDS TILL TWILIGHT!!!

Pretty Piano Music

Fall Festival, Oct. 25, 2008 - Megan performed two pieces by memory: "Album Leaf" and "La Petite Negre," both by Debussy.

Story of my life...of her life...however that works.

Gov Sarah Palin was invited to meet with the Pope while he is vacationing south of Rome in Venice.
The liberal press reluctantly watches the semi-private audience, hoping they will be able to allot minimal coverage, if any.
The Pope asks Governor Palin to join him on a Gondola ride through the canals of Venice . They're admiring the sights and agreeing on moral issues when, all of a sudden, the Pope's hat (zucchetto) blows off his head and out into the water.
The gondolier starts to reach for the Pontiff's cap with his pole, but this move threatens to overturn the floating craft. Sarah waves the tour guide off, saying,
'Wait, wait. I'll take care of this. Don't worry.'
She steps off the gondola onto the surface of the water and walks out to the Pope's hat, bends over and picks it up.
She walks back across the water to the gondola and steps aboard.
She hands the hat to the Pope amid stunned silence.
The next morning the topic of conversation among Democrats in Congress, CBS News, NBC News, ABC News, CNN, the New York Times, Hollywood celebrities, and in France and Germany is:
'Palin Can't Swim.'

OBAMA IN KANSAS CITY!

OBAMA WILL BE IN KANSAS CITY AT THE PLAZA THIS SATURDAY!
THE GATES WILL OPEN AT 4 BUT THE ARRIVAL TIME IS NOT KNOWN.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME PROTEST, MY FAMILY AND I WILL BE THERE!
BRING YOUR SIGNS!!!

Sam Graves and Kay Barnes Debate

Tonight MWSU hosted Sam Graves and Kay Barnes for a political debate at 7pm. There seemed to be more support for Sam Graves, but the attendance level was very close. It was very disheartening to see all the News Press reporters talking to Kay Barnes after the debate...but I guess that's St. Joe for you.

The first opening remark and question were given to/done by Kay Barnes, as decided by a coin toss. Kay opened up by bashing Sam Graves. Saying "you Sam have been in congress every day for the last eight years, and look where that got us today". Well Miss (not Mrs. since she has been married three times!) Kay, one month ago, Sam Graves was at the Loves Gas Station in Gower MO talking to people about the price of gas. On that day gas prices were $3.69. Today if you go to the pump, gas is $2.69 per gallon. I see exactly where Sam has gotten us.

Sam, however, opened up with stating that he is pro-life, believes that marriage is intended for a man and a women, and that he cares about small business' and farmers. Sam, on the other hand, didn't make any comments against Kay in his opening remarks.

After the debate, my mother commented that in her college journalism class, they were taught that people best remember the name that they have heard the most. So when people get to the polls, they will remember the name they have heard the most. Every time Kay was given a chance to talk, she said Sam's name at least three times. Sam on the other hand would say "my opponent" when referring to Kay.

I can't recall Kay answering a single question directly. She would simply bash Sam, and list off every single thing that she thought he was doing wrong. Sam, however, was very down to earth. He would explain to the people the "political lingo" that the questions used.

When remarking on the Bailout Bill that was passed, Kay made the comment that Sam was not suffering, as proven by the fact that he owns eight airplanes. Sam burst out laughing (along with the crowd). Everyone who knows Sam knows that every single piece of airplane parts that are in his barn are all junk! He pays taxes on ONE of those airplanes, because it is the only one of the "eight airplanes" that actually flies!!!

The only thing Sam ever said against Kay was to question her on the fact that she "bailed out" her chief of staff when he failed to pay the loans. She paid him $200,000! (which was money taken out of our tax dollars!!!) (The News Press reporter said that he would have to look into this remark).

I have many more thoughts, but it's late. If you have any questions I would LOVE to talk more about the debate! Enjoy guys!

Love...

Explain the wedding garment to us, you will say. There is no doubt at all that it is a garment which only the good have, those who are to be left at the banquet, preserved for the banquet to which no bad person has access, to be brought through to it by the grace of the Lord. These are the ones who have on the wedding garment.

So what is that wedding garment? This is the wedding garment: "But the goal of the commandment," says the apostle, "is love from a pure heart, and from a good conscience and from an unfeigned faith." That is the wedding garment. Not any sort of love; even people after all, who are companions in a bad conscience are often enough seen to love each other. Those who commit armed robberies together, who engage together in witchcraft, who share their devotion to play-actors, who yell encouragement to their favorite charioteers and huntsmen, they all, very often, love each other. But you don't find in them "love from a pure heart, and from a good conscience and from an unfeigned faith." It's only such love that is the wedding garment.

-Saint Augustine (concerning Matthew 22:1-10)

Alright, lets put this in 21st century English. Love from a pure heart is the only kind of "true love". Yes, lots of people are able to love. I'm not saying that they don't love each other. But the only true love comes from those who have a pure heart.

"In so many millennia, the humans never did figure love out. How much is physical, how much in the mind? How much accident and how much fate? Why did perfect matches crumble and impossible couples thrive? I don't know the answers any better than they did. Love simply is where it is." (from the book 'The Host')

Pumpkin Fest!!!

It's that time again! (wow, has it already been a year???)
The Pony Express Museum hosts PumpkinFest every year. Great food, wonderful entertainment, and lots of CR!
I was very thankful that Miss Hannah came to see The Fiddlers Three preform, and stuck around to hang out with me.
This is the new statue that will be placed in the museum as soon as we can find space for it!

Joe Biden

JOE BIDEN WILL BE IN ST. JOSEPH TOMORROW AT MWSU!
IF YOU WISH TO COME PROTEST, WE WILL BE MEETING AT THE CLOCK TOWER BETWEEN 7:15 AND 7:30. WE WILL HAVE SIGNS TO HOLD UP!

Letter to the Editor

I was feeling inspired after my last government class. So, I decided to write a Letter to the Editor. This is just the first draft, but I wanted to see what you all thought and if you had any changes that you think I should make. Thanks a bunch!


Our country was founded on the Puritan Work Ethic. Which means that our Founding Fathers worked for work's sake, not for the money. We are raising a culture that tells our young people to get the best job they can, so that they can make the most money they can. We’re teaching them to live for Fridays, instead of living for Mondays. We’re choosing jobs that will give us the most glory, instead of doing the most good. Our beliefs determine our character. Our char actor determines our behavior. If we believe that being lazy is OK, then we will form a lazy character. If we form a lazy character, our society will in turn become lazy. In 1933, Adolf Hitler was sworn in as the Chancellor of Germany. The German people didn’t think their vote mattered. They didn’t think that letting one man have a little extra power would effect them. We are becoming that people. A nation of people that don’t think our votes matter. The young people of this nation must rise to the occasion of voting this November if we don’t want to see a serious fall in our society.

Edward Cullen vs. Normal Boys

A normal guy would say: “I love you Baby!”
Edward Cullen would say: “You are my life now.”

Normal Guy would say: “I think I am falling for you.”
Edward Cullen would say: “The Lion fell in Love with the Lamb”

Normal Guy would say: “You hair looks like a haystack; go brush it!”
Edward Cullen would say: “Your hair looks like a haystack but I like it.”

A normal guy would pick a random song from a random artist and dedicate it to you.
Edward Cullen would sing you a song he wrote for you while playing the piano.

If you die, a normal guy would find another.
If you die, Edward would kill himself cause life without you isn’t worth living.“Well, I wasn’t going to live without you..” He rolled his eyes as if that fact were childishly obvious. “..but I wasn’t sure how to do it. I knew Emmet and Jasper would never help so I was thinking maybe I would go to Italy and do something to provoke the Volturi.”

As you leave the house, a normal guy would say: “Bye, see ya!”
As you leave the house Edward Cullen would say: “Come back to me, love.”
He smiled my favorite smile. “Hurry back to me.”“Always.”

As you come back to the house, a normal guy would be watching TV and wouldn’t even notice.
As you come back to the house, Edward Cullen would be welcoming you by playing the piano with a song just for you.
“I heard the music before I was out of the car. Edward hadn’t touched his piano since the night Alice left. Now, as I shut the door, I heard the song morph through a bridge and change into my lullaby. Edward was welcoming me home.’

A normal guy would wait for you to make him breakfast.
Edward Cullen would make you breakfast everyday.
While you are both out for dinner, a normal guy wouldn’t keep his eyes off the hot waitress.
Edward Cullen wouldn’t even notice the waitress was a female.

A normal guy, while driving, would keep one hand on the wheel and one hand on the radio.
Edward Cullen, while driving, would keep one hand on the wheel and the other attached to yours.

While far apart in different places, a normal guy would say: “I miss you.”
While far apart in different places, Edward Cullen would say: “It’s like you’ve taken half myself with you.”

A normal guy wouldn’t care or notice if you had nightmares.
Edward Cullen would sing until your nightmares went away.
“Do you want me to sing to you? I’ll sing all night if it will keep the bad dreams away.”

A normal guy buys you flowers and chocolates.
Edward Cullen buys you a car.

Life From Where I Stand

In atheist Sam Harris' book, "Letter to a Christian Nation," he talks about what he calls "Real Morality." He claims that anything that is not a direct result of suffering, and that gives you joy for the present time, is moral. Therefore, Abortion, Adultery, and same-sex marriages, are all moral. I wonder if Sam Harris is married and has kids. Because if so, I wonder how his wife stomachs the fact that her husband thinks sleeping around is OK? And I wonder how he punishes his kids, since putting them in time out causes them suffering; it is therefore immoral.

Why do we strive to do good in the eyes of the good? But yet at the same time, love doing bad in the eyes of the bad? Is this instinct? Is it just human nature? Was it brought about through Adam and Eve's sin? And can we ever get rid of it?

I think we have lost sight of the fact that Jesus said "Seek first the Kingdom". We spend more and more time worrying about the things of this world. And less and less time about getting to heaven.


Do It Anyway
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

-Kent M. Keith

Sarah Palin's Husband

“Until recently, he earned hourly wages as a production operator in a BP-run facility that separates oil from gas and water. Palin was making between $100,000 and $120,000 a year before he went on leave in December to make more time for his family and avoid potential conflicts of interest. London-based BP is heavily involved in the gas pipeline negotiations with his wife’s administration.”

See... some people still believe in family life!

College Lessons to Learn Now

From Monsignor James M. McDonald
Dear Friends:
There will be a lot of high school graduations this weekend and many of our Catholic High Schools have already conducted theirs. Now there is that last summer at home and the preparation for the big move in late August or early September. I thought in this letter I would like to talk realistically to our new graduates and soon-to-be freshmen. You have serious responsibilities to yourself and your parents and certainly to Christ.
Those of you who are going away will be entering a far different world. You will have to make adjustments and compromises with roommates; in short you will have to learn to live with people other than members of your own family. Some of these people may be great but others can be annoying and definitely unpleasant. I'm hoping that you get a roommate who is a decent, considerate human being. And by the way, be that kind of roommate yourself. You represent your family and all the values you have been taught in your home.
That very different world of college has very definite moral problems. Often enough, the atmosphere is poisoned by immorality. Practically every school considers itself a big drinking school and there is enormous pressure to fit in with an established pattern of drinking that is a considered a part of college life. Don't! Any dope can be a drunk in college - it takes no ability and is an indication of a lack of moral backbone.
Drunkenness kills and if it doesn't do that immediately, it destroys lives through the tragedy of alcoholism. You are a follower of Jesus Christ and not a follower of the world. Be different! You will find others who share your same point of view.
The sixth commandment, which forbids all sexual activity outside of marriage, is not suspended by God during the four years of college. No matter how lonely you may feel or romantically inclined you may be, you are expected to be a living image of Christ at all times. Your parents brought you up with distinct and definite moral values. Please don't disappoint them! Happy marriages do not begin with college immorality.
You have a definite responsibility to go to Mass each and every Sunday or Saturday evening. I'm counting on you to go even if an awful lot of others don't. I urge you to participate in the campus ministry program and make yourself known to the chaplain. Help prepare for Mass if you are fortunate enough to have Mass on campus. Try to participate in the ministry programs. You should meet some wonderful people there.
Finally, you are in college to study. Do it! And, oh yes, use that cell phone to call mom and dad very, very frequently. They will be missing you more than you'll ever know.
In Jesus and Mary, Monsignor James M. McDonald

Quote for the Day

"Joy is often found behind little things and is reached by followingone's proper daily duty with a spirit of devotion." -Pope Benedict XVI

Trails West!!!

Trails West is the biggest thing to hit St. Joseph since the Pony Express...which is pretty sad. But we always have a really great time. Blooming Onions (me and Mom) and Root Beer (Rachel, Caroline, me, and Katie) are two of the best reasons to go.

Lovely

The word of the day is lovely!

Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. She openeth her mouth with wisdom: and in her tongue is the law of kindness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. ~Proverbs 31:10, 26, 28, 30

The painting above features the four cardinal virtues: Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice.

Being a women is hard work. We always have to be on our guard. But how does this relate to lovely? With so many celebrities showing us what "beauty" is, its hard to know what real beauty is. Be strong in the Lord. Know that He loves you just the way you are. Don't ever change who you are to become what the world wants you to be. Be lovely!

10 Questions Every Christian Must Answer

This is a video that Timothy found on You tube. I wanted to share the questions with you and post my answers. Here is the link for the video if you want to watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDHJ4ztnldQ
Question #1: Why Won't God Heal Amputees?
Maybe God is using these people, and has a special plan for their life. Maybe he is teaching them patience.
Question #2: Why Are There So Many Starving People In Our World?
This man goes on to say "why would God answer your prayers about getting a raise and not answer these starving children's prayers". Who said He wasn't answering these children's prayers. Just because their dying doesn't mean God doesn't love them. He is a just God. Everyone suffers. Christians and non-Christians. It is a part of every humans life.
Question #3: Why does God demand the death of so many innocent people in the Bible? This is the bible verse he quotes:
21:18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:
21:19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
21:20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
21:21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
How does that turn into "God demands that we kill teenagers"???
This was the old covenant, God came and gave us the new covenant! Plus, no Christian is doing this. So why would this be a question we need to answer? I work on Sundays at the Pony Express Museum, should I be worried that the Bible police are going to come find me?!?!
Question #4: Why does the Bible contain so much anti-scientific nonsense?
Why couldn't God create Adam from a handful of dust? He's God! If you believe that He is God then you don't have to question that He could do something like that! He has the power to create our whole world out of nothing in 6 days.
Question #5: Why is God such a huge proponent of slavery in the Bible?
Slavery was not abolished until 1865! Is he saying that George Washington was crazy because he had slaves?!?!
Question #6: Why do bad things happen to good people?
To put them in their place. Our God is a just God. Sin helps us keep our mind on heaven, and always striving to get there.
Question #7: Why didn't any of Jesus' miracles leave behind any evidence?
Are you kidding!!! Hello, the Shroud of Turin!!! They didn't have computers to write things down. They did the best they could. And that is the evidence.
Question #8: How do you explain the face that Jesus has never appeared to you?
It's called faith! Believing without seeing.
Question #9: Why would Jesus want you to eat His body and drink His blood?
"I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you" (John 6:53) In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained. (CC para 1374)
Question #10: Why do Christians get divorced at the same rate as non-Christians?
Because we have free will. We choose to get divorced. God does not choose this for us.
Next he asks you to answer all questions with the answer: God is imaginary.
So I put in these questions: Why are we here? Why am I sitting down? What is the point to life? How do things grow? Why do I have feelings?
After that he asks why should we care. He then says that it matters because people that believe in God are delusional. Remember in the beginning when he said that 3 out of 4 doctors believe that God is working miracles? So is he saying that 3 out of 4 doctors are delusional??? Wow, that's such a great comfort!

Faith, Hope, and Love

Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes always perseveres. Love never fails.

But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will come to pass away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.

When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

Now we see but a poor reflection; then we shall see face to face.

Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am full known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
(I CORINTHIANS 13: 4-13)

I read a quote once that said "You can't fully love a person until you have stopped hating the rest of the world."

Hate is so easy to feel. It can come upon you faster than you know how to stop it.

Which do you think is more powerful, hate or love? If Hitler could cause so much uproar with his hate, how much uproar do you think Christians could cause with their love?

Show someone your love for them today. It doesn't have to be a big thing. But show it. See how much better your day will go when you spread the love!

John McCain Ad Responds to Biden Attack on Sarah Palin on Stem Cell Research

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The campaign of presidential candidate John McCain has responded to attacks on his running mate Sarah Palin with a new ad touting his support for stem cell research. Palin came under attack from pro-abortion vice-presidential candidate Joe Biden claiming she doesn't support the science.
Biden questioned Palin's commitment to special needs children by attacking Palin's stance on the issue of embryonic stem cell research, which has never helped a single patient.
"Well guess what folks? If you care about it, why don't you support stem cell research?" Biden asked.
Today, the McCain campaign released its latest radio ad, entitled "Stem Cell" that highlights a McCain administration's support for stem cell research to advance medical discovery and treatment.
The ad will air in key battleground states, the campaign told LifeNews.com Friday.
"John McCain will lead his Congressional allies to improve America's health," the ad says.
"Stem cell research to unlock the mystery of cancer, diabetes, heart disease; stem cell research to help free families from the fear and devastation of illness; stem cell research to help doctors repair spinal cord damage, knee injuries, serious burns; stem cell research to help stroke victims," it explains.
"And, John McCain and his Congressional allies will invest millions more in new NIH medical research to prevent disease," the ad continues. "Medical breakthroughs to help you get better, faster. Change is coming."
After the Biden attacks, the McCain campaign released a statement to LifeNews.com saying his comments were "offensive."
And Marjorie Dannenfelser, the head of the Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life women's group, also took strong exception to Biden's "caustic" comments."Biden outrageously implied that Americans who refuse to sacrifice innocent human life in the name of unproven, desperate attempts to cure our nation’s ills through embryo-destructive research somehow don't really care about children," she told LifeNews.com.
"I am a mother of five children, one with a mental disability. The fact that Joe Biden questioned the compassion of parents like me – Governor Sarah Palin, among them – makes me sputter in disbelief," she added.
Related web sites:Listen to the ad - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-2ayFo3BXs

Jane Austen and Mastering the Fine Art of Flirting

Jane Austen's novels are frequently called courtship novels because they trace one or more young woman's courtship experience Courting followed various rules and protocols that made getting to know each other far more difficult for young couples than it is today. Just spending too much time together led to gossip and speculation. But what is especially intriguing about reading an Austen novel is seeing how the author, while completely aware of the etiquette of courting, also respects the common sense and good morals of her characters as they deal with society's strict and often unreasonable, even hypocritical, notions about male-female relationships. Despite the difficulties involved, though, young couples met, married, and lived happily ever after - or not.

"Oh Lizzy! Do anything rather than marry without affection." (Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 59)

Abortion: Protecting the Womans Rights???

The main argument of abortion is that we are protecting the woman's rights. Her right to decide what is done to her body. We are giving her a chance to speak up for what she believes, and then act on that.

But who decides for the child? The mother? Do you honestly think that if you have that child a choice it would choose death? No, of course not!

Where do the people of our world get off deciding that child's fate? No one ever gave him or her a chance. We are humans, are taking on the role of God.

The parents of a child only give the body. God is the one who gives the soul! If we kill the body, we are murders. If we kill the soul, we are putting our selves about God.

People of this world: stop acting like you know more than God!

Every person is special. God has a plan for every single one of those children. Let them fulfill that plan.

Here are 10 Arguments Against Abortion:

1. Cost of Abortions: The Ministry of Health claimed that the 45 000 women treated in public hospitals for incomplete abortions each year is costing the state R19 million.

2. Backstreet Abortions Increase: Dr Christopher Tietze, an abortion advocate, concedes: "Although one of the major goals of the liberalisation of abortion laws in Scandinavia was to reduce the incidence of illegal abortion, this was not accomplished. Rather as we know from a variety of sources, both criminal and total abortions increased."

3. Parallels between Abortion & Slavery: Slavery in centuries past and abortions in this century were defended and promoted by the same arguments.

4. Indisputable Medical Evidence: The Unborn baby is a Human Being

5. Abortion Aggravates Child Abuse: If children are viewed as expendable before birth, they will be viewed as expendable after birth.

6. Even Legal Abortions are Unsafe: There are many complications that may arise from an abortion. It is not a 'quick fix' at all. The complications include: Ectopic pregnancies, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (reported in up to 30% of all cases), subsequent infertility and miscarriages, future premature births (often because of a cervix that was damaged during the previous abortion), small-for-dates babies and placenta previa, which is 7-15 times more common among women who have had abortions than among those who have not.

7. Increase in Breast Cancer: "Every study of induced abortions performed before the first live birth is consistent with an initial increase in risk of at least 50 percent," reports Dr Joel Brind.

8. Most South Africans Oppose Abortion: A professional survey done by the MarkData arm of Human Sciences Research Council in September and October 1995 shows that the public were strongly opposed to abortion.

9. The Overpopulation Argument: However, is the world really overpopulated? Can we not feed ourselves? In his book "Exploding Population Myths" Jim Peron conclusively proves that the population is not the problem:"In most of the world, food production is easily outstripping population growth, and on a world-wide basis the problem of overpopulation no longer exists."

10. The Bible Declares the Sanctity of Human Life:

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves...defend the rights of the poor and needy." Proverbs 31:8-9
"For you created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother's womb....Your eyes say my unformed body." Psalm 139:13-16

(Taken from ChristianAction.org)

Directions for Cultivating One's Mind

1. Furnish yourselves with a rich variety of ideas.

-Teach your self to weigh and judge things, discern things into an order, better arrange your ideas and thoughts, obtain a rich store of thoughts and arguments for all occasions.

2. Use the most proper methods to retain that treasure of ideas which you have acquired.

-Recollect every day things you have seen, or heard, or read which may have made any addition to your understanding.

-Talk over these things, this will make a fresh impression on your memory.

There is a vast difference between reading and understanding. Write down your thoughts. Put them in order, and decide what you think.

"Alas! how many hours, and days, and months, have I lost in pursuing some parts of learning, and in reading some authors, which have turned to no other account but to inform me that they were not worthy of my labor and pursuit! Happy the man who has a wise tutor to conduct him through all the sciences in the first years of his study, and who has a prudent friend always at hand to point out to him, from experience, how much of every science is worthy his pursuit; and happy the student that is so wise as to follow such advice!"

(Isaac Watts' General Directions)

So Where Do We Stand? Part 2

Timothy wrote this about Objective Beauty and I thought I would share it with all of you.

God existed for eternity before creation of anything took place. In that time, only God existed and therefore only "good". With the creation of the angels, God fashioned something that possessed a nature of "free will" as opposed to God's which is limited by his nature of immaculate holiness. With the creation of a "free will" or "free nature", evil came to exist. As soon as a choice is given in any situation, there exists at least two possibilities. I would define evil as any choice against God whether thought or action. The "Pure Evil" argument stems from the fact that no ENTITY is completely evil based on this:
God created all things Good is a reflection of God's intentions. Therefore, all things in some way reflect God's intentions for them (even if it is at the most basic levels like the design of their bodies or the ability to reason.)
God could not have created evil for it is (by my definition) the very opposite of His design. I like Joe's model of light and dark. God said "let there be light" and there was light. However, men constantly try to run and hide in the dark. Darkness does not exist. It is only the absence of light.

So Where Do We Stand?

As most of you know, I have been reading St. Augustine's "Confessions." At first I found his writings tiresome, but now I am enjoying it very much. You also know that I have been attending a logic class, and the thoughts of St. Augustine go very well with this. A few weeks ago we were talking about objective beauty. Deciding what is beautiful, and how you decide or reason your conclusion.
There are many abroad who talk of their own fantasies and lead men's minds astray. They assert that because they have observed that there are two wills at odds with each other when we try to reach a decision, we must therefore have two minds of different natures, one good, the other evil. Let them vanish at God's presence as the smoke vanishes. As long as they hold these evil beliefs they are evil themselves, but even they will be good if they see the truth and accept it, so that your apostle may say to them 'Once you were all darkness; now, in the Lord, you are all daylight.'(Eph. 5:8) These people want to be light, not in the Lord, but in themselves, because they think that the nature of the soul is the same as God. In this way their darkness becomes denser still, because in their abominable arrogance they have separated themselves still further from you, who are the true Light which enlightens every soul born into the world. I say to them 'Take care what you say, and blush for shame. Enter God's presence, and find there enlightenment; here is no room for downcast looks.' (Ps. 33:6)

I think this is a big problem with the world today. We want to be the light, not in the Lord, but in ourselves. Movie stars give credit to their talent, but not to the one who gave it to them. We our proud of what we have accomplished with our lives, but how many times do we forget to thank God for helping us get there?

End-Less War???

While driving down the highway yesterday, we passed a car with a bumper sticker that read: "End-Less War" What in the world does that mean? We are not fighting in a war! We are there to keep the peace, not fight an enemy! How can people see it that way? I know that our nation is suffering because of the war that is happening. I just don't view it in those eyes.
The other thing is gas prices. Obama said that he would tax the oil and gas companies to help lower taxes for the people. Does he realize that it will be the direct cause of the prices going through the roof? The oil and gas companies would make that money back in less than a week! Gas prices are $3, which is the same price as Monsters, or Starbucks coffee drinks. If people gave up one drink a day, they could afford gas!

Don't you just love it when Catholics are funny?!

We have been talking about the Presidential Election.

While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old PA farmer, whose hand was caught in a gate while working the garden , the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Obama and his bid to be our President.
The old farmer said, 'Well, ya know, Obama is a 'post turtle'.' Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a 'post turtle' was. The old rancher said, 'When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a 'post turtle'.'
The old farmer saw a puzzled look on the doctor's face, so he continued to explain. 'You know he didn't get up there by himself, he doesn't belong up there, he doesn't know what to do while he is up there, and you just wonder what kind of a dumb ass put him up there!.'

Fallacy: Appeal to Emotion

I am happy to report that the Tuesday Night Bible Study finally finished discussing fallacies!!!

Three weeks (and 42 Fallacies) later, I think everybody is ready to move on!

You really don't realize how many fallacies you use in your daily speech until you have to read through (with examples) all of them. Appeal to Pity, Straw Man, Genetic Fallacy, Red Herring, Appeal to Flattery, Appeal to Popularity...but I must confess that my favorite was the Bandwagon! (oh Dearest Becca!)

Be careful how you talk, and listen carefully to what others say. Know when someone is committing a fallacy, because it might be your only way out of a very hard situation. (such as someone questioning your beliefs).

Today my mother brought out a book with the title "Eats, Shoots and Leaves." On the first page it tells the story of a Panda who goes into a restaurant, eats his food, pulls out a gun and fires it into the air, and then proceeds to walk out the door. The waitress stands there dumbfounded. But when she looks at the table she sees a pamphlet concerning Pandas. On the front of it are the words "Pandas: Eats, shoots and leaves."

The whole point of the books is how important punctuation is. (I know, this lady had WAY to much time on her hands!) But the books is very interesting and has some funny things to say along the way. For instance, did you know the movie "Two Weeks Notice" should instead say "Two Week's Notice"? A famous movie, and it is missing the punctuation! My mother was appalled! But then again, she is appalled whenever we are driving down the Belt and Green Hills has spelled something wrong! I guess that's what you get when you have employees who make minimum wage.

St. Augustine- Confessions

"Is this what you prescribed when from the heights of heaven to the depths of earth, from the first beginnings to the end of time, from the angel to the worm, from the first movement to the last, you allotted a proper place and a proper time to good things of every kind and to all your just works? How can I hope to understand the height and the depth of you, from the greatest to the most lowly of your works? You never depart from us, yet it is hard for us to return to you."

(St. Augustine's Confessions pg.167)

Why is it so hard to come back to God after we have sinned? Luke 15:7 says "I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."

Why then is it so hard to come back. We know God loves us. And that he will always receive us with open arms. But we still find it hard to turn away from sin and come back to God.

The truth is, that deep inside us we have a yearning to do what is good. It's true that sin causes that yearning to not be as strong. But it is always there. We just have to find it.

Call upon the Holy Spirit in times of need. He will help you obtain the graces needed to come back to God.

I have been praying about this question a lot lately, and thinking about what it means to have true repentance. God's love is so great, that He loves us even when we sin. Even when we don't choose Him, He still chooses us!

Come Holy Spirit
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.

V. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created.

R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Lady in Waiting

My wonderful friend Alyx has decided to start a Bible study! I am so very excited! We will be reading and discussing the book "Lady in Waiting" (the book she based her speech on). The date is not set yet, but I believe that we will be meeting on Sunday nights. The book is all about accepting single-hood with open arms, and believing that you don't need a guy to complete your life. It is all Bible based and yes, it is a courtship book. :)

Its a good chance to have a girls night out filled with good conversation and lots of laughs. If you are interested in coming please email me at pinkdancer92@gmail.com or call my cell.

New Library...and other such adventures with Reid

Well, today was the first day of our new weekly trend. My piano lessons (in Kansas City) are from 2:30-3:30, and Reid has hockey practice at 8. So the parentals have decided that we will stay in Kansas City during the in-between time. So today Reid and I located the nearest public library and signed up for our "new" cards! (I must say that so far it has been the highlight of my day!) I guess it will end up being good because I will have a set time every week that I can check my email and Facebook at a very slow rate!

The Young Riders

I can not believe that I am actually blogging this, but oh well, I suppose it will give me good graces with my mother!

Last night we finished the final episode of The Young Riders. The single season TV series based on one of the Pony Express Mail Stations. It has now taken up a month of our Netflix rentals (which I am less than pleased about), but I must confess that I did learn something from it. And that I will be better at my job because of it.

The boys are head over heals for it. Watching every episode three times.

The romantic parts did draw me in. And the "shoot em up" scenes had me on the edge of my seat. Although, with that said, I do not think that I will be watching them again!

Henry Pool Is Here

Two weeks ago, my wonderful mother set up a evening for some friends from youth group to go see this movie together.
After the movie, I was talking to Hannah, Hannah, and Nicole about what we would say if someone asked us what the movie was about. Yes, I liked it. Yes, it was good. Yes, you should go see it. But there is not a whole lot more I can say. So I decided that I would reach out for this one. I looked up the review on Plugged In Online, and this is what I found:
What's eating Henry Poole?
No one knows, and he'd rather not say. He'd rather not talk to anyone if he can help it. He buys a nice little house in the Los Angeles suburbs, telling his real estate agent to not dicker over price. When she says she could at least get the owners to slap on a new coat of stucco, he cryptically says he won't live there long enough to care.
His diet consists of pizza, doughnuts and vodka. He spends his days sprawled on his couch, all the curtains drawn. If he's feeling really adventurous, he lounges on a plastic lawn chair in his bare backyard, his only entertainment listening to his beard grow.
"So, where are you from?" asks neighbor Esperanza, after taking him a plate of welcome-to-the-neighborhood tamales. "Not here," he says, closing the door.
Yeah, Henry is Eeyore without a tail, a morose sad sack who just wants to be left alone.
Too bad, then, that Henry's Realtor ignores his wishes and has the house restuccoed. Too bad the stucco guy botches the job and leaves behind a curious discoloration on one wall. Henry, naturally, thinks it's a water stain. Esperanza thinks it's a miracle—the face of Christ stamped on the side of Henry's nondescript dwelling. Soon, folks start making pilgrimages to Henry's home to touch the face and pay their respects.
And then the miracles begin. The mute talk. The blind (or, at least, the visually impaired) see (better). It's a wonder neighbors don't dig up dead loved ones and cart them to Henry's house in wheelbarrows.
Henry's not having any of it, though.
"I don't see anything," he tells Esperanza, peering at the wall.
"You're not looking," she answers.

Very good movie. Only PG so you can take all the "little" kids of the family. I found at the end a great need and desire to go out and do something good with my life. Or at least give a granola bar to the homeless man in Kansas City.