Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Well I am happy now

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I am at Mom's house now with a bowl of lasagna and a glass full of Sprite. I got myself all purtied up, almost washed the car, but would be a little over the top, wouldn't it? I bought everybody a gift card to P.F. Chang's, the Chinese Bistro- er, what's a bistro, anyway? And I feel a lot better, ho, ho, ho, and a bottle of rum- hey! there's an idea! I could get snockered here at dear ole mum's. He he.

Everybody is late today cuz my ex-wife's daughter from her second marriage got married last night and they are prolly all partied out. Josh, my son, won't answer his phone, my daughter, Serenity, is dancing her Irish Step dancing stuff. My two older boys, who never answer their phone, are still away.

So, the Christmas music is playing in the background, the kids are calling about coming over and I'm happy.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Monday, December 18, 2006

Gonna do this Christmas meme

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? Eggnog, of course! Only for Christmas, though.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? No Santa around my place since my kids are grown.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? I prefer those white ones that hang down like icicles.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope, nobody to kiss, am thinking about getting a dog, though.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Geez, I don't know.
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child: When the Christmas tree fell....
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? What truth?
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Sometimes.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Don't usually get one.
11. Snow! Love it or dread it? Love it, but then again, I live in the desert.
14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? Christ's incarnation
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Hmmm, pumpkin pie.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Midnight Mass
17. What tops your tree? see above
18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? I am terrible, but it is receiving
19. What is your favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night
20. Candy canes: Nawww
21. Favorite Christmas movie? Scrooge with Albert Finney

Tag for anyone reading this: all four of you. Heh!

Enough of the Christmas blahs I just blogged about- now for something funny!


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You never know what goes on behind closed doors when you are away.

You think they are innocent creatures who just lolligag when you are not around, do you?

H/T to the Anchoress.

Blah- humbug!


Well, I got a serious case of the blahs....
Tomorrow is my family's Christmas celebration. Most of us work in the casinos and must work on the big day....
And I can't motivate myself to get one Christmas present! I'm a real dud. It's a symptom of my spiritual state, which really needs a lot of help, folks....
Money's sort of a hassle but it's not as bad as years past when I had none. I can get some up with some difficulty- I do have some savings....
Then there's my son who won't return my phone calls and all that emotional distance jazz. And his big brother who also won't return them but for different reasons. I just don't feel like being diplomatic when I see them tomorrow. You know, unselfish and kind and understanding and all. Blah!
What am I going to do? I just can't show up tomorrow with nary a gift. *Sigh....
Oh boy, don't know how I am going to get out of this one.

Sunday, December 17, 2006

And now for a look into my latest addiction (among others)

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Yep, I have played this game for years and I just started up again recently. I play literally for hours. Kinda wierd, I know....
Guess I'm easily entertained.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Can't resist this classic


From despair.com

H/T to Julie D at Happy Catholic

The Anchoress is at it again

She is at it again. Spinning a web of delightful words:

I’m sitting there, eating the banana, and the dog plants herself before me and says, “Ma,” (I swear, she says “Ma”) “Ma, what you eating?”

Border Collies are very smart dogs. They’re like having another teenager in the house, and once they get an idea in their head, they pester you. In the past this dog got after me for a burned-out lightbulb in the ceiling fan which bothered her because it messed with her light-and-shadows and kept making her jump. When I didn’t fix it fast enough to please her, she followed me around all day, saying, “I could fix that lightbulb for you…You’re going to fix it, right? Because if you’re not, I could probably do it…do you have a ladder? Please fix the light…”

Tonight, I got, “Ma, what you eating?”

“Go away,” I said. “You’ve had your supper and this is a banana. I know you don’t believe this, but you’re a dog; you don’t eat bananas.”

“I could eat bananas,” she said defensively, cocking her head. “You’ve never let me try.”

“It’s fruit.” I explained. “You won’t like it and you’ll spit it all over the floor and then I’ll have to clean it up.”

“I am quite certain that I will like it,” she argued, “you’re being mean and lazy. You always keep me from growing and learning because you don’t want to do a little cleaning…”

Because I am weak-willed, I broke off a bit of banana and tossed it her way. She grabbed it neatly and chewed it with determined expression on her face. The mushiness seemed to surprise her, but she swallowed and defiantly planted herself before me. “More, Ma.” She demanded.

“I can’t believe you ate that,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “You didn’t really like it, did you? You’re just trying to make a point.”

“The point being I love bananas,” she narrowed back. “They’re now my favorite food. Gimmee.”

I tossed her the last bit of my banana and she chewed it with that careful expression and then, finally, walked away - tossing one last look at me. “Told you,” she said.

Snot nose. Then Buster walks in. “Ma, you used to be a girl, right?”

With a sigh of long-suffering, I nodded. “Yes. I used to be a girl.”

“What does it mean, when you ask a girl to hand you a pencil, and when she hands it to you, her hand lingers on yours for a minute?”

“What, like this?” I demonstrated the way I used to do it, a wispy touch of fingers across the palm.

“No, more like this.” His demonstration seemed much more forward, to me - a definite full-palm lingering, with a pat.

“Ummm…she likes you a lot,” I explained.

“Well, what the hell? What is it with women, anyway?”

Turns out the pencil-lending-lingerer was his latest break-up - a girl he really likes, has liked since elementary school. They’ve been good friends for a while and started “dating” - briefly, it turned out - over the Thanksgiving holiday.

“I think she’s confused,” I said. “You were pals for a long time, then you got pretty hot pretty fast…I think she fears risking your friendship by being your g/f.”

“This crap sucks,” he announced. “Dating sucks and why can’t girls just say what they mean? Later this afternoon, in lab, I handed her her wristwatch so she wouldn’t forget it and she did it again.”

“Be patient,” I advised.

“Maybe offer her biscuit,” the dog panted with banana breath.

“And you shut up, also,” said Buster. “You’re no help.”

The dog, 9 years old and past caring about teenage angst, decided “chump don’t want good advice, chump don’t get good advice,” and went to sleep.

I miss when they were all little.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Saw a Vegas floor show last night


Went over to Mark's house to pick up some more parts for my new computer system (which STILL ain't working- but that's another drama...) and he invited me to see Plaid Tidings, the Christmas version of the longstanding show at the Rio of Forever Plaid, a group of 4 part harmonizers.
Folks, they were wonderful!!
It was a warm and charming musical display. And the Christmas song theme was just what my grinchy little soul needed. They can act and dance, too. A great display of heart-warming talent.
If you come to Vegas, ya gotta see this one. And tickets were only $43.00!

There's this little dog that hangs out in the neighborhood and it is so sweet. It is a naturally affectionate dog, it came up to me the other day and gave me the most personal greeting... Haven't been able to get that out of my mind.
I think I want a dog.

Friday, December 08, 2006

Sad Christmas songs...

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I am one of those kind of people- the kind that has somewhat of a hard time at Christmas. The holiday blues, you know? I must say that God seems to have healed me from bipolar disorder. A wonderful thing, that.
But it seems the holiday blues thing is still with me....
I am blogging about it because I have noticed something this year. I really enjoy those bluesy Christmas songs.... You know like, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas? Or Joni Mitchell's "River" (a.k.a. "Comin' On Christmas"), Elvis's "Blue Christmas," Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas," The Eagles' "Please Come Home For Christmas."
They appeal to my soul. They reflect my inner state yet have this wonderful hope in them and beauty that only Christmas can bring. You know what I mean?
Here's another blogger droning on about the same thing.
Any of you out there relate to what I am saying?

Here's Carrie to drive the point home:

Thomas Merton describes our "pointe vierge."

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The Anchoress quotes Thomas Merton in a beautiful treatise:
At the center of our being is a point of nothingness which is untouched by sin and by illusion, a point of pure truth, a point or spark which belongs entirely to God, which is never at our disposal, from which God disposes our lives, which is inaccessible to the fantasies of our own mind or the brutalities of our own will. This little point of nothingness and of absolute poverty is the pure glory of God in us. It is, so to speak, His name written in us…It is like a pure diamond, blazing with the invisible light of heaven. It is in everybody, and if we could see it we would see these billions of points of light coming together in the face and blaze of a sun that would make all the darkness and cruelty of life vanish completely.


Simply for your edification....

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

ugh... Kinda froze up

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Well, I am kind of out of it again. It's almost 5 pm and I don't even feel like going to RCIA. I haven't prayed in days and, and... well, you get the picture.

Pray for me, folks....

On the positive side, I have decided to build a new computer system so I don't have to go to WebJoy, the internet cafe, anymore.
I got some cash coming and am going to put together a new system with some old parts from my old computer that I haven't fired up in a year and a half.... I am anxiously waiting for the parts to arrive by UPS in the next couple of days.
Anybody out there work on their own computers?

How's that for a snapshot of my current spiritual state: I can't get motivated for RCIA and am all excited about a computer build.

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Thanksgiving update

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Well, I didn't see Ka last night. I picked up my darling daughter and zipped home to get the ticket vouchers and upon reading it I found out I had to pick up the tickets in advance.... So, we went out with her boyfriend, who I actually like, and had dinner. We'll see it next week.

I fed the poor with the Catholic Worker folks. We fed them a Turkey dinner for breakfast, actually. Mark showed up with 2 of his kids, his daughters. I am going to try to get my kids to help for Christmas day. That would be great to see them out there mingling with the downtrodden.

Then, since my family already celebrated the holiday, I went to Palace Station, a local casino that is rather local friendly, and watched the NFL football games until 5:30 pm and came here to the internet cafe to blog and check out some computer deals on Best Buy and other places.

So, folks, I hope the Lord touches your heart today as we give thanks for our many blessings. And many they are....

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

A night on the town

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Going to take my daughter out to, KA, a Las Vegas show tonight. I haven't been to a floor show for years. I got "comps" from work during Orientation, this should be fun.

I love going out with her....

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Blogging on


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Well, another blog post in so many days....

I got my car back after three weeks and too much money later. It sure runs good, though, it really needed a tune-up, which it got and now it accelerates like a charm.

I am at my folk's house, getting ready for an early Thanksgiving dinner, this we always due since we are a casino family and must work the holidays. I'm waiting for my two older boys to show and only have a half hour before I must leave for work. Those are the two who never return my phone calls, they also are pit clerks here in town. There's a prayer need- for my two older boys and I to begin relating to each other....

Well, looks like I'm going to build a budget computer and start blogging from home instead of the internet cafe.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!!!!!

Update: I had to leave for work before my boys got there. I only got to see my two younger kids and my dear sister.... sadness. Prayers for restoration of our relationship, please.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Tired feet...


Standing on my feet for about 8 hours a day is worse than walking door to door! I had to buy a pair of $80 Florshiem Comfortechs yesterday which cut the pain down my half.
Well, getting adjusted to my new work schedule has lead to light blogging. Thank you, guys, for still dropping by.
My car is STILL in the shop- aggravation, and I don't blog at home yet so I have to beg a ride to get to the internet cafe here to submit a post.
God bless you all, and have a great Thanksgiving.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Gratitude

I am grateful for confession (went yesterday) and wonderful friends who pray for me (especially you my dear blogger friends) and for God's sweet Holy Spirit who comforts me and speaks gently to me.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

The calm after the storm?

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Well, folks, it seems the storm is passing. I hope so, anyways.

I went to Mass this evening. It was refreshing. Just to hear the godly expressions once again touched my soul.

Saturday, November 11, 2006

I'm in an awful way...

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Well, folks, the Lonely Man ain't doing so good. I have managed to fall back into some of my obsessions lately and it is kicking my butt. Hence, the light blogging. I've been way distracted. Everything seems to be coming loose at the seams.
Please pray for me to have a completely repentant heart....
Also, my car is on the fritz! The bill is up to $1100 and they still haven't fixed it. Thank God for family....
But, I go through the company's orientation Wednesday and soon thereafter should be on a regular schedule, albeit not full time yet.

Friday, November 03, 2006

Breaking News- NY Times says Bush right about Iraq WMDs

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H/T to the Anchoress.

Well, well, well.... Let's see how the NY Time's spins this one.

They wrote an article that states that Iraq was within a year of developing a nuclear bomb. Oops!

All the hysterical flaming about Bush Lied, Kids Died!! seems to have been about as true as the Valerie Plame malarkey.

Well, stick that in your hat, you liberal liars, let's see how you squirm about this one. The blogosphere has you in their sights now....

Times Peon #1: HOLY CRAP, Mr. Keller, did we just validate everything Dick Cheney and Colin Powell and stupid evil George Bush said to the UN? When we’re spilling secrets, we’re not supposed to do that!

Keller: OMG, WE DID! We DID validate these scheming nazi theocon bastards!!!

Times Peon #2: And…and…and what about Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame and those sixteen words Bush said…you know, the impeachable 16 words about the Brit intelligence and the Yellowcake! Jim Geraghty at TKS says we might have freaking validated that story, too!

Keller: Ohhhhhh crap! And freaking bloggers! Okay, let’s spin this, baby, spin it! All hands on deck! Turn this ship around! Call Chris Matthews! Call MoDo - no, wait, don’t call her, she’ll make it worse by pretending to be Emma Peel, or something - call Bob Herbert! He’s a wiz at shifting the rudder! Spin, spin! Call Olbermann!


Go over there and read the rest!

Words of wisdom for me, I think...

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I just discovered a great blog by a Dominican priest, Father Philip N. Powell from Irving, Texas who is a preacher and professor at the University of Dallas.

In a post entitled, Only the rich go to heaven... he says some great things:

The public sign of our abundant riches is not the Lexus, the Gucci wardrobe, the Rolex, or the micro-mansion in Plano. The public sign of our wealth in Christ Jesus is our willingness to serve through good works, our eagerness to repent and to forgive, our excitement at the chance to witness to our trust in God, our ready obedience to one another, and our humility before the historic faith. And even with these the riches of God’s grace are immeasurable. What is prosperity? What is wealth? What is abundance? What is any of this held against the infinite progress of His gift of life and eternal life?


I have to keep my head on straight as I go through the lifestyle change of earning good money, if indeed this is the Lord's will for me. Words such as these are to be my guideposts. He goes on to say:

It is true: only the rich go to heaven. Only those greatly blessed with great wealth will see God face-to-face after death. In fact, there’s not much point in the poor struggling now for heaven later. If we will not take the treasures given freely by God now, there’s no hope of finding ourselves in the crowd around the throne later. Everything you need to live abundantly is freely given by the Father through His Son in the Holy Spirit. Your life is freely given. Your redemption is freely given. Your blessings are freely given. Your sins are freely forgiven. And you are brought to the Divine Life pristine, glorious, and free. Only the rich see God face-to-face. Only those rich in His mercy, only those freed as His possessions.


You have to do a search on his blog to find this post. Use the title I posted above in bold print for the rest of this great post by a great priest.

I got hired!

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Yee haw!!! I got the job! I'll be a pit clerk doing paperwork for gamblers at the tables. All I have to do now is get a gaming license and then I start orientation.

This is it, folks, the beginnings of a great career. Soon I'll be dealing and then I'll make a great income, thanks to my dear mother who is helping me like she never has before.

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Speaking about satire...

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Well, this is too excellent to pass up.

You guys just gotta take a look at these anti-motivational posters.

Friday, October 27, 2006

Scrappleface- a funny, satirical news blog. They got a doozy here.

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I just discovered a new site, Scrappleface, that has a bunch of tongue-in-cheek articles mostly on politics thanks to the Anchoress. They seem to be a great source of fresh, clever and witty commentary.

They have an article saying Bush announced that the Republicans in Congress will stand down and allow the Dems to take over once they demonstrate they are ready to govern our nation. Hah! That'll be the day.

The gem that I found though is titled, Democrats Offer To Let GOP Keep Some Seats.

This is where Rep. Pelosi says they will forgo the embarassment of counting the votes and allow the Republicans to keep some of its seats in Congress as a token. Hah!!

Go check it out!

Thursday, October 26, 2006

The Lonely Man's Dreams

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Well, folks, I go around town all day long knocking on doors asking for votes for my candidates and I see all these wonderful houses and get all kinds of ideas. Since it seems I may be able to earn a great income soon it's got me thinking about what I want for my house. *sigh* My house- what a concept. Ah well, this is what I want in my house.

Green, green grass in the front and back yards.

A willow tree in my front yard.

A wishing well.

Little statuettes of my dogs.

Two dogs.

Maybe a cat.

Little white statuettes of kids at play.

A copse with a statue of Mary or St. Joseph.

One of those suns with the face on it.

A hedge comprised of rosemary.

Rose bushes all over.

A 51" big screen TV.

Home theater system.

Self-built hot shot computer system.

A shaded front porch with a big table and maybe even a couch.

I'll add more as I remember what I dream about during the day. It would be so nice to have my own place. I am sick of moving and want to start a library.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Did Kennedy try to join up with communist Soviet Union in the 80s?



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Wow. Is Kennedy a traitor? Did he really try to undermine Reagan and conspire with the communist leader Yuri Andropov?
Hmmm, read on, gentle reader, and decide for yourself.

In his book, which came out this week, Kengor focuses on a KGB letter written at the height of the Cold War that shows that Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) offered to assist Soviet leaders in formulating a public relations strategy to counter President Reagan's foreign policy and to complicate his re-election efforts.

snip---

"Tunney told his contacts that Kennedy was very troubled about the decline in U.S -Soviet relations under Reagan," Kengor said. "But Kennedy attributed this decline to Reagan, not to the Soviets. In one of the most striking parts of this letter, Kennedy is said to be very impressed with Andropov and other Soviet leaders."

I think it is kind of par for the course for a liberal-near -socialist to reach out to a communist leader, don't you? Not that it is right.... It does smack of treason. Well, could Ann Coulter be right?

I haven't heard much about this in the Catholic blogosphere- but I daresay it pisses me off.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Progress...


Matthew 5:45
For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust..

Well, good news on two fronts.

They asked me back to work at my political campaigning job. Cool, I am back in the money! I was about to go take a position at a telemarketing firm that advertised immediate openings until the MGM hires me.

Earlier this morning the MGM Grand called me and told me to come in for a drug test. That's great! I just returned from having my hair snipped for the test. They can go back 90 days for drug usage.

This is hopeful. I need to clear the background investigation. There is potential trouble there. Gentle reader, I will let you in on some juicy stuff on the Lonely Man. About 5 years ago I got arrested and was jailed for nine days. This guy, a former employer of mine who got addicted to crack cocaine, stole my identity after he got busted for credit card forgery and failed to appear before drug court. He had my name, social security number and description, I presume he got that from my employment records- scary, huh? Well, it happened to me.

I have been almost arrested again a couple of times since then because he currently has a warrant for his arrest from the Probation department. That will show up on the criminal check these casinos do. I explained all that on my job application. I hope it doesn't send up a red flag that will disqualify me for the job. We're talking about a bright future here, folks.

So, there's more need for prayers for the Lonely Man. Once again, if any of you have a pressing need then, by all means, let me know, I will gladly lift you up in prayer, too. Now I have made this offer plenty of times but have had no takers. So... take me up on my offer! You hear? Email me if you don't feel comfortable leaving your prayer request in the combox.

Resisting confession

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Folks, I need prayer.

I am resisting confession and am falling to temptation. Need heaps of God's grace. Pray that God will gift me with perfect repentance.

Thanks in advance.

Friday, October 20, 2006


Well, folks, I got my first call from a casino about a job. The MGM Grand is freakin' huge! I got lost there when I went for the pre-interview at HR.

The dealers there get paid astronomical tips. I mean, out of this world. I am applying for Pit Clerk, the guy who handles the markers for players. My oldest son is one at Bellagio where my mom works. My second oldest son is one at- sheesh, I forgot which house but its also a great one.

If I get hired there I would try to get a second job dealing at a lesser house, they call them break-in houses to gain experience. I asked my mom this morning how long she thought it would take for the MGM to possibly hire me as a dealer and she said about a year. That is unbelievable, folks! Only a a year to work at one of the premier houses in Vegas, to earn a six-figure income?

Wow, maybe getting fired at my old job was a true blessing in disguise.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Time to lean into the Lord again

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Well, folks, the Lonely Man got laid off about 26 minutes ago. I got a call from one of the bosses. He said they'll call me next week if they need me for the Get Out The Vote portion of their campaign. *sigh*

I knew the position was temporary, I didn't see them needing me after the elections. So, it's a little earlier than I expected. Now I gotta start looking for another temporary job until I can get hired at a casino. This makes it harder to pay for gaming school...

Ok, folks, you know the drill... Prayers, please!

Thanks in advance.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Well, might as well let you in on the latest...

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No, that's not me in the pic. It's just a Google image.

I moved last week. The day after I was surprised to realize that it was the easiest move I ever experienced. I rented U-Haul's smallest box truck for $19.99 and moved a bunch of boxes into storage- that was only a short two mile round trip. I then loaded up the stuff from my small room and bathroom into the car and took it over to my new place.

Now this place, gentle reader, is very special. It used to be a Franciscan friary before it was sold to the Catholic Worker. It is three house sized buildings on one regular home sized lot. I live in the center house. I share the house with Pace-Bene, a Franciscan organization that uses half the house for an office. There is no central heat, instead there is a wood stove- rather quaint, eh? I suspect I'll be a little chilly in the winter, which are very mild here in Las Vegas in the desert.

But it is so peaceful! It is landscaped in desert style but it has a dignity that I find hard to put into words. My son came over last night for some beer and Texas Holdem and he loved the peaceful demeanor of the place. It has a whole wall of books which lends to the atmosphere and it has a wooden floor and a big dining table in the front room. It has a small chapel too.

I met Father Jerry today. He just flew in from Chicago area for some peace movement work. They are having a meeting at the house tonight. They invited me over for dinner and a service. He may be staying for about a month. He is a gentle soul.

Frank lives next door, he runs a ministry for some poor people across the street that Catholic Worker inherited from the Franciscans. Sister Meghan lives in the other house, she does a lot of work for Nevada Desert Experience, an anti-nuclear weapon group. I am surrounded by peace activists here. Heh. I don't discuss my politics with them- only with Mark because he and I have a complete understanding of each other and a covenant of complete support. I am a little uneasy to let my new friends know that I am conservative and orthodox and completely in agreement with the Magisterium. They are rather uh... progressive. But with very good hearts.

Should Harry Reid resign?

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....................................... I am not a crook......................................


The story begs the question. Should Reid stay in office as word of another ethics lapse reaches our ears?

Another question looms: What did he know and when did he know it?

How about some famous advice: Follow the money.

Well, the facts are coming to light. Reid failed to disclose land interests he had which were later benefited by legislation he passed in Congress. To the tune of $700,000. Hmmm, public office has its benefits.

Another question: What other Senators, especially Democrats, knew of his secret land deal and did they cover up for their leader?

Ed Morrissey, the blogger responsible for Captain's Quarters has an article in the New York Post online, says that Reid hid his interests in Clark County real estate that later benefited from federal legislation he passed. Here's a quote-
Normally, the government would have to sell this land at auction, as land swaps had lost the federal government millions in southern Nevada. But Reid insisted on suspending that rule in his Clark County act. The developers that hired his sons as lobbyists prospered with the lower-cost acquisitions of prime real estate through the uneven swaps. Also in the money were those - like Harry Reid himself - who'd already invested money in Clark County real estate.


This makes me wonder, if Reid doesn't resign over this land scandal shouldn't he at least return the $700,000 in profits he unethically obtained? And what other land deals has he participated in which he received ill-gotten gains?

Inquiring minds want to know.

H/T to the Anchoress.

Update: Harry Reid is my senator here in Nevada.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Had to blog about something

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Everybody's blogging these days....

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Okay, about RCIA

.Father Clarence was late so I had to stall for time. I was feeling bad that I hadn't really prepared anything about prayer this week, being rather busy due to my new job. But, I trusted to providence and my ability to ad-lib. So, as it turned out I had a chance to exercise creativity.

I asked the folks there if they had prayed that week and everyone raised their hand. Aha- teacher's triumph! That felt good. I then asked for anyone to share about that prayer experience. One precious girl, who sometimes cries at Mass for desire for the Eucharist, said that due to her braces she experiences bad toothaches and was healed of one this last week after praying for relief. Others shared their experiences of prayer. I shared about my prayers of desperation when struck with the terrible pain Tuesday afternoon.

I shared about how the Psalms are the heart of the prayers of the Church, accessed through the Divine Office. Later Father Clarence mentioned this point as he taught about the Old Testament. That felt good.

I'm giving it all I got, folks, and it seems some seeds are being planted. This is the highlight of my public spiritual life. I love it.

Anyone got some references on prayer that I could publish to our RCIA group? I would appreciate it....

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

A call to enjoy and pray for Sinead O'Connor

This is exquisite beauty- the music and the video!


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But, boy is this girl screwed up.
Let me count the ways....
She rips up a photo of John Paul II on Saturday Night Live telling the audience to fight the real enemy.
Then she asks the pope's forgiveness, then years later says she would change nothing about that incident.
Rush Limbaugh reports that she tried to commit suicide later that night of the SNL live incident. Then she gets ordained as a Catholic Priest(ess) in a schismatic sect.
Then she announces she's a lesbian and goes on to retract it.
Then in 2002 she announces her retirement from public life and her desire to train to be a catechist and asks everyone who sees her in the future to pretend they don't notice her and let her be. She says she is incredibly shy.
She goes back, however, to the public stage and cuts another album.
Currently she is pregnant with her fourth child due Christmas Eve 2006 (my daughter's birthday), it seems each child has a different father.

Kinda sounds like me in another life (pre-Adoration).

Pray for her, folks, this wonderfully talented and misguided soul really needs it! But, man, can the gal sing!

Monday, October 09, 2006

Gosh, folks, I thought I was going to die today.

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There I was on the side of the road losing my cookies. And I had this terrible pain in my gut. I mean it's bad enough to be barfing in front of the whole neighborhood, but this pain in my abdomen was killing me!

I had to call my boss and tell him I couldn't work anymore and he came and picked me up. Then the pain really kicked in. I was there in the back seat holding onto the hand strap literally groaning in agony. I don't recall ever groaning out loud in pain before. I kept shifting in my seat to alleviate the pain but nothing helped.

I groaned for at least 30 minutes and was covered in sweat. Sheesh, I was making plans to go to the emergency room and then remembered I didn't have health insurance since I got fired.

Thank God the pain subsided. I prayed for my suffering to be united with the Lord's suffering. I recalled how St. Therese, in Story Of A Soul, discussed how she invited suffering. Well, I guess I am not very sanctified, cuz I was praying for relief. I just finished the notes on the last painful days of her life this morning. Hmmm, the poignancy wasn't lost on me.

I don't know why I got the attack. The only contributing factor I can think of was the five beers I drank last night. But that seems a little light to cause gastroenteritis. I am just glad that it went away. Being a typical male, I am not going to the doctor, I will just hope it is an isolated incident. Really, gentle reader, I thought I was experiencing what a woman in labor experiences.

NY Times article on front page- wrongful termination of a nun?

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In what is a huge article on their front page today, the NY Times reports on the differences religious organizations have for employees compared to secular organizations in Where Faith Abides, Employees Have Few Rights.

It seems a little hard for the nun who is first featured in this article, but then again, do we really want the courts to step in and interfere with out church related decisions?

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Uh oh, I've been tagged for another meme- and this time I'm actually gonna do it!

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I've been tagged twice before on memes, but for some reason or another I wasn't compelled to comply with them. But, tonight, I've had five beers while watching my Chargers beat the Super Bowl Champs and I'm just gonna go for it! I'll blame it on the beer buzz!

Catholic Mom In Hawaii tagged me for the Halloween/All Saints Day meme. So here it goes:

1. If you were invited to a Halloween/ All Saints Day Costume Party, which saint would you dress up as and why? (The Blessed Virgin Mary,the Mother of God, is not an option.)


Okay, uhhh, it would be St. Therese of Liseux!!!

Because I was led by Catholicity's, Bud Macfarlane, years ago to write an intention of my soul to her, and place it in my wallet, which I did before I even knew who she was. In fact, I wasn't even an official Catholic then! Just a neophyte.... So, I had an affinity for her in my heart before I even knew who she really was.

Then, just last week after reading Dawn Eden's post, I started reading St. Terese's Story Of A Soul. Such a profound reading, to read the intimate thoughts of an impassioned saint!

2. Which saint or other person would accompany you to the party?
Err, I really don't know.... Well, maybe St. Joseph, a favorite of mine. The foster father of Jesus and spouse of the Mother of God.


3. What famous quote would help others identify you?
I want to spend my heaven doing good on earth.


4. Describe your costume.
I guess I would be drag- heh! I'd be wearing a tight habit, black and white encircling my fat face, with flowing black robes covering my portly frame.


5. Which movie or film best depicts the life of this saint?
Well, I'm not sure. I saw, Therese, which was quaint and made me cry as I saw a young woman dying but it didn't reveal the spiritual treasures of the blessed saint. So, perhaps there were other depictions that were superior but I have no personal knowledge of them.


6. What is your favorite book written about this saint or that he or she has written?

Already answered that.


So, there you have it. I have an affinity for the wonderful St. Therese of Liseux. A profound saint of our modern times, actually she was also made a Doctor of the Church for her teachings on the "Little Way" of coming to God.

So, I now tag AdoreTeDevote, Happy Catholic, Domenico Bettinelli of Bettnett.com, ukok of Catholic Mum, and Dawn Eden of The Dawn Patrol, who helped start this whole thing!

There, that is the Lonely Man's first meme!

Saturday, October 07, 2006

Check this pic out


I did a google image search on the word, 'whimsy' and found this pic.

Isn't it sweet?

Friday, October 06, 2006

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Okay, about RCIA

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I opened up our prayer time this week talking about the first time I prayed. Do you remember the first time you prayed?

When I was about 5 we went to stay with my grandmother for a few weeks. During conversation she talked about praying to God. I took that to heart and that night started just talking with God. I did that for a few nights and brought it up to her one day and she said, "No, honey. We just can't pray like that. You have to pray the proper way."

So, my dear old grandma both started and killed my early prayer life. But, nonetheless, the experience stuck with me and today a lot of my prayers are simply "talking with God."

After all, prayer takes many forms and simple, childlike "talking" with God is a great way to pray. Now, as most of you know, I employ several ways of prayer. The Liturgy of the Hours, Adoration of the Lord before the Holy Eucharist, the Rosary, the Jesus Prayer, the Our Father and other vocal prayers and will soon start learning contemplative prayer.

Having read The Practice Of The Presence Of God I find simple conversative prayer a perfectly acceptable thing to do. Have you read this Christian classic? Do you just talk to God, too, gentle reader?

Another steal from Catholic Mom in Hawaii

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Yes! One of my favorite past times.

Don't tell me there are no Catholics in the NFL sports world!

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Ha! Let's hear it for the Catholic worldview expressed in sports.

Charles Robinson, of Yahoo! Sports, has written a cool article for fantasy footballers called, Guilty Of Sin.

In it he details seven teams he deems guilty of one of the seven deadly sins. Ha! I say- a treat in more ways than one.

Here's an excerpt:


They are the lessons of avoidance that are supposed to keep us on the path. Stay virtuous, live right and avoid the seven deadly sins: Lust, gluttony, greed, wrath, envy, pride and sloth.

Applied to the NFL landscape, they are merely seven vices that shape the league and fill the sports pages. And believe it or not, each year they shape the Super Bowl chase. So in honor of the vices that sort out the pretenders and contenders, we give you a list of teams that have committed sins that are bound to shape the postseason.

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Blogger beware- you can't just say anything you want.

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Some idiot blogged defamatory comments about his lawyer and got busted for libel to the tune of $50,000. It was in the USA Today.


Banks (the lawyer), saying the postings were false, sued Milum (the blogger). And last January, Milum became the first blogger in the USA to lose a libel suit, according to the Media Law Resource Center in New York, which tracks litigation involving bloggers. Milum was ordered to pay Banks $50,000.

So, you just say whatever you like. Here's a definition of libel:

A false publication, as in writing, print, signs, or pictures, that damages a person's reputation.
In other words you can't lie about someone. You can tell the truth and damage someone's reputation, but you can't lie about it.

So, gentle reader, let's be careful out there.

Career decision in the making

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Need prayer for guidance, folks.

I am considering making a career move. A month before I got fired my mother sort of challenged me, pointing out that this is a town with a great economy and job market and that I could be making a lot more money. She told me how much she was making as a casino dealer. I was flabbergasted!

I had no idea about the tips some of these casinos bring in. She owns three houses and is currently adding to her real estate holdings. I'm struggling to make rent.

Now, it will take years to make half the income she is making. But half of what she is taking in is almost twice what I was making before my demise. Now, I am at a crossroads. I could go back into the banking industry and be a collector in a call center. But I would still be living a crap shoot. I literally have to make bonus just to cover my monthly nut, and making bonus is not guaranteed.

Now, I have an opportunity to live at a place for about 6 months practically rent free, thanks to the Catholic Worker (btw, my landlady told me today that I could stay- it felt good to tell her that I may go anyways). You see, to get started in the dealing business you have to start at a break-in house where you earn squat in tips. I have dealt blackjack before. I figure in 6 months of dealing I could work myself into a casino that would pay $100 a night in tips. This would put me at the level where I was last month in collections. The rest would be working on my games and improving my skills and graduating to higher paying casinoes.

So, I want the Lord to check my motives and to keep me clearheaded so that I don't do anything foolish. Last time I dealt I loved working with the people. I was a natural entertainer. The spotlights are on me and everybody is facing me and well, I like to make people feel good and I am good at it. The moral climate, however, wore me down. The prevalance of pleasure seeking females, the proximity to gambling and my status with my bipolar and impulsivity served to bring me down. Nowadays I am happily celibate, no longer driven by inordinate desires, am steeped in prayer via Adoration and the Divine Office and it truly seems I have been healed of my bipolar symptoms- have I shared that miracle with you? There are many level headed dealers in this town who are making killer money and living responsibly, my mother and stepfather, for example.

I was rather anxious this morning when I thought that the way casinos dominate your schedule that I would have to give up my first Saturday of the month for the Carmelites until I called my mom and she pointed out that day shifts are hard to come by as a newbie and that I would most likely work a late swing shift which would leave me enough time for my Carmelite meetings. That was a relief. I didn't want to have to give up my spiritual growth for this new career. RCIA may be a problem, though. And that causes me to grieve.... Wednesdays are slow days for casinos so maybe I could get them off.

So, gentle readers, here I am at a crossroads leaning on your prayer support. Ask the Lord to give me wisdom as I discern my future here.

Thanks in advance.

Monday, October 02, 2006

I said something worth repeating.

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Jill

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Jill is a wonderful, valiant young woman who has suffered much. She has been called by our Lord to the cross of multiple miscarriages. I think they number at six- she has just suffered one in the past month or so. The poor dear- she is very brave and plods on through life.

Well, after a month of silence following her last miscarriage she started blogging again. And in this post she talks about how she feels overwhelmed about potential losses that are looming in her future. She talks about how she has gotten "rather flinchy" about the potential health problems several of her loved ones are currently experiencing. She is having problems enjoying the here and now with each of them because she is anticipating their potential demise and can't help but guard herself against the possible pain that will arise should the Lord call them home.

Here is an example:


On the surface, it was a pleasant mother/daughter moment, but for me it had a bittersweet flavor. My mom is 79 and has health problems. I couldn't prevent the thought from crossing my mind that my mom might not be here when those larkspur seeds bloom next summer.
Likewise, when my dad opened his birthday gifts from me during the same visit with a pleased look on his face, it was slightly bittersweet for me. The dread passed over me of eventually having to find that book and that shirt as I sort through his things one sad day.

So, I commented with some rather wise words to this post. Today she thanked me for that comment. I say that they are wise words because I got them from a source I highly respect.
There is this Holy Spirit inspired author, of course she is British, as are most of my favorite authors, Tolkien, Lewis and Chesterton, this author's name is Elizabeth Goudge. She wrote a trilogy about the Eliot family in England that I have read at least five times. Yes, folks, it's that good.

Well, in the first novel, Bird In The Tree, the protagonist, David, reflects on a passage of one of his favorite poems. In that musing he thinks about the concept of 'relinquishing.' He thinks about how much he likes the concept of relinquishing the things of life that we treasure as we age: our youth, health, good looks and other things. He envisions a god who takes these things that we relinquish and uses them as golden and silver building blocks to make a temple for us as we sacrifice them. A beautiful temple, which speaks of the justice of God who lets no thing we suffer over ever be wasted. He redeems every pain we experience and makes of it a beautiful thing that will benefit us throughout eternity.

Isn't God wonderful?

Well, so that is what inspired me to write words that were profitable to this dear soul and I think to all of us. So here is what I said:


As for the anticipatory feelings, I think that such experiences in life are really some of the crosses we must bear. Moses prayed in Psalm 90 that the Lord would teach us about the shortness of our lives that we gain a heart of wisdom.

As we age we must relinquish things we prize in life. Our health, beauty, loved ones, etc., they all pass on. But we have a God who takes these things as we relinquish them and uses them as building stones for our heavenly temple, creating gain, incredible, mind-boggling and beautiful gain for us amidst our losses.

Embrace the loss and the tarnish the anticipation puts on the "now" moments of your life, remembering that we have a just God who loves us and rewards us for all our losses.


So there you have it. Words of wisdom from a lonely man. Every loss and every experience of suffering is redeemed by our Lord who misses nothing and is the epitome of redemption. So let us rejoice in our losses and take comfort in our sufferings. We are the children of the Lord who loves us so thoroughly that we can never truly experience a complete loss. All is redeemed for all is covered by his incomprehensible love!

Sunday, October 01, 2006

Today is Respect Life Sunday

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A fitting thing to celebrate, the sanctity of life for the unborn.

So many of us love babies, they are little bundles of God's beauty, of innocence and delight. It only takes a little imagination to project the same value on pre-born babies.

I really don't know what to say about this day. Let us make our stand for the unborn in our culture today, looking forward to the day we rid our land of this horrendous plague.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us, a nation of sinners.

Time has slipped by.


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Wow, I haven't posted since Wednesday!

Been kind of busy at my new job. I've been reading other blogs just not posting any here.

Well, what's been going on in the Lonely Man's life? I am reading excerpts from Story Of A Soul, the autobiograpy of St. Therese of Lisieux. It is an absorbing read. Her first person descriptions of episodes of her life are compelling. I can relate to her as she describes her life. Right now I'm reading when she was around 15, the age she joined the Carmelite convent.

She describes her early time there as a time of suffering. And she embraces her suffering so well. She is not complaining about it or wishing it would soon go away. She is actually welcoming the suffering and praying that it doesn't stop. Oh, the stuff that the heart of a saint consists of! I am soooooo quick to pray for a release from my suffering it isn't funny. I feel chagrined at her attitude. She is so noble. Hmmm, I really, really don't want to start praying for more suffering in my life. I guess that means I'll never be canonized....

Oh- today is her feast day!

Lord, bless me as I ponder the life of St. Therese. Help me to aspire to noble heights such as is seen in her life.

St. Therese, pray for me that I may be pleasing to my Lord, that I may love my Lord as you loved him as a teenager. I am weak and dull of heart, seek the Lord's mercies for me, O little flower.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

RCIA blessings


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Well, it was a great night at RCIA.

Father George taught about the Holy Spirit and invited folks to come up front and share a testimony of how the Spirit worked in their lives. We heard some great stories of the providence of our wonderful God.

I got to encourage a couple people tonight. One young lady is very anxious to partake of the Eucharist and is worried she won't be accepted into full communion with Rome since her husband is not Catholic. He recently consented to have their marriage convalidated. I assured her she will be able to participate in the Eucharist come next Easter vigil. Another fellow has a moving deadline next week and is worried about being homeless. I told him about taking our anxieties and turning them into prayer requests a la Phillipians 4:6. I also told him about offering up our sufferings to Christ and how sufferings polish our souls and make us holy. He was visibly relieved.

Such blessings to serve the body of Christ.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Follow-up on the job front

Dog tired.



Man, this walking door to door is hard work. It's not too bad, actually. Today is the first day I've felt really tired. Got real thirsty, too. It was a bit warmer than yesterday.

I almost hit my interview quota today. Not bad for my first day going solo.

It's interesting to get varied opinions from the voters I contact throughout the day. Some people are real positive and a joy to talk to. Now, if only my co-workers weren't so vulgar. At my last job they had a policy of keeping conversation 'G' rated. I can feel the difference these days. Man, all they talk about is genitalia, homosexuality and other varied perversities.... Sheesh!

I am caught in the tension of not joining in and not being a prudish wet blanket. It does give me opportunity to interject quick prayers.

I got a call from a collections agency yesterday. They are interviewing all this week. I'm off Thursday and Friday so I'll go in then.

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Some progress on the job front.


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Thanks for your prayers, folks. I'm starting a temporary job today- yes on a Sunday-hrrumph!.

I will be conducting political polls door to door starting tomorrow. It puts money on the table while I secure a better paying collections job. I'll be able to attend RCIA Wednesday eves and am hoping to secure my Carmelite first Saturday off the month off.

I am working with my Jewish friend, Judy, who has been going to Adoration with me lately. She told me about the job.

Pray for us, as we go forth and prosper. We need to find permanent jobs, maybe the Post Office (if the rumor is true that they start at $20/hr- I'm having my doubts). Leave your prayer requests in the comments and I'll pray for you, too.

speaking about Morning Prayer...

For your love is better than life,
my lips will speak your praise.

-May I be so in love with you that I lose all attachment to the things of this world and regard only you. May I hold all other things in their rightful place, in subjection to your wonderfulness and all surpassing glory. May my mouth utter glory to you as I rightfully see you in your proper place.


On my bed I remember you.
On you I muse through the night
for you have been my help.

-When I awake in the middle of the night, surrounded by darkness and dark thoughts, I call upon you and recall your acts of love to me, all your saving graces and your deeds of compassion. I call out to you with my many requests, none of which overwhelms you. I rely on you in my weakest of moments.


My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast.

-I have clung to lesser things, carnal desire, words of men, false hopes... none can save me but you, I fasten my soul upon you, who are the source of all life and goodness. You kindly hold on to my wavering soul.

Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord.
You heavens, bless the Lord.
All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord.
All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Stars of heaven, bless the Lord.

-Yes, let all creation bless the Lord! Everything I can think of and can see and all that has not entered my mind, all that has escaped my eye, give glory to the One who made us all, give glory forever.


For the Lord takes delight in his people.
He crowns the poor with salvation.
Let the faithful rejoice in their glory,
shout for joy and take their rest.

-You have made me one of your people, you have included this waif, this orphan of sin and child of despair into the family of holiness and blessedness and light. You have saved this poor soul from hell, corruption and cursedness. You have gifted me with faith and cause me to celebrate in glory, lifting me from my shame. I can't help but exclaim my happiness, you cause me to cease toiling for my own gain- a blessed relief.


Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us.
Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us.


Each Sunday give us the joy of gathering as your people,
-around the table of your word and your body.
From our hearts we thank you,
-for your countless blessings.

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Ahhh- another lovely Saturday


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Woke up early and went to the Catholic Worker this morning. Mark was there fixing up the grub in the kitchen. He had spent all last week at a contemplative prayer retreat with a bunch of Carmelites given by Fr. Datius and had only gotten into town last night at 1:30 am. Then showed up at the kitchen to cook at 4:00 am this morning! A tired but happy man.

He was running the show today cuz all the other Catholic Worker leaders were out of town at some special meeting. He was a little nervous. Don't know why, it is a pretty simple operation. We drove the SUV with the trailer hitched to the back that carried the big pots of Ramen Soup and iced tea over to the feeding site and all went well. The folks ate up every bit of it! We were surprised since there didn't seem to be that many people.

Then we went to Starbucks for about an hour and caught up with each other. I told him about having to move next month and about my job interviews. He told me about the prayer retreat and gave me some practical advice from Fr. Datius's teachings about how to get started with a meditation that leads to contemplation when I told him that I was feeling intimidated about contemplative prayer.

Then we agreed to meet for evening prayer and parted ways. I went home to read and rest up. I got up around noon, took a shower and went to apply for this job conducting political polls for the elections coming up. It seems to be an easy job that will put money on the table and it gives me time to pick a premium collections job.

So now I am waiting for the recruiting manager to call me back for an interview.

The weather is delightful, it's a sunny day with a pleasant cool breeze. There is a feeling of fresh newness in the air. I'm going to confession today to seek reconciliation with the Lord and grace to overcome a certain sin that is bugging me lately. I might go to vigil Mass.

Friday, September 22, 2006

Breaking News- Madonna crucifix scene cancelled

From NewsMax come this:


American Family Association Chairman Donald E. Wildmon says NBC will not air the scene showing Madonna being crucified in the upcoming November special.
"NBC does not want a fight with AFA and the Christian community," said Wildmon. "NBC may wiggle and wobble, but in the final analysis, they will not show that scene. We expect a public announcement from NBC canceling the scene within two weeks."


It seems NBC is coming to its senses.

The Battle of Prayer or Hey, we all struggle with it!

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Did you know the Catechism talks about the battle of prayer?

Yes, gentle reader, it recognizes the struggle we all face in reaching out to God. Read this:


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Prayer is both a gift of grace and a determined response on our part. It always presupposes effort. The great figures of prayer of the Old Covenant before Christ, as well as the Mother of God, the saints, and he himself, all teach us this: prayer is a battle. Against whom? Against ourselves and against the wiles of the tempter who does all he can to turn man away from prayer, away from union with God. We pray as we live, because we live as we pray. If we do not want to act habitually according to the Spirit of Christ, neither can we pray habitually in his name. The "spiritual battle" of the Christian's new life is inseparable from the battle of prayer.
(emphasis mine)

So, realize this, gentle reader, your struggle to pray as you ought is not unusual or unknown! It is common to man. You must see your struggle as something the greatest and the least saint has and does wrestle with. Your difficulty in prayer can be overcome. Just follow the same efforts made previously by all human flesh as illustrated in the Cathechism.

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We must also face the fact that certain attitudes deriving from the mentality of "this present world" can penetrate our lives if we are not vigilant. For example, some would have it that only that is true which can be verified by reason and science; yet prayer is a mystery that overflows both our conscious and unconscious lives. Others overly prize production and profit; thus prayer, being unproductive, is useless. Still others exalt sensuality and comfort as the criteria of the true, the good, and the beautiful; whereas prayer, the "love of beauty" (philokalia), is caught up in the glory of the living and true God. Finally, some see prayer as a flight from the world in reaction against activism; but in fact, Christian prayer is neither an escape from reality nor a divorce from life.
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Finally, our battle has to confront what we experience as failure in prayer: discouragement during periods of dryness; sadness that, because we have "great possessions,"15 we have not given all to the Lord; disappointment over not being heard according to our own will; wounded pride, stiffened by the indignity that is ours as sinners; our resistance to the idea that prayer is a free and unmerited gift; and so forth. The conclusion is always the same: what good does it do to pray? To overcome these obstacles, we must battle to gain humility, trust, and perseverance.


It's all right there, folks. I just recently discovered the practical value of the Cathechism. Frankly, it used to intimidate me. But having a hunger to pray well and learn more I cracked the tome open and have found a treasure trove.

In this part of the Catechism you will read about distraction, the need for diligence, the problem of dryness, temptations like lack of faith and acedia among other human struggles. It will discuss solutions and describe how to win out over these problems. So look it up here and read up on how to improve your prayer life.

speaking about Daytime Prayer...

Though princes oppress me without cause
I stand in awe of your word.
I take delight in your promise
like one who finds a treasure.

-The enemy, the prince of the power of the air, oppresses me- save me, O God, from those who are much more powerful than I, for I have none to help me but you.
I will place my hope in your word, your promises, which are a treasure to me.


The lovers of your law have great peace;
they never stumble.
I will await your saving help, O Lord,
I fulfill your commands.


- I love your law, O Lord, but I stumble and disturb my own peace. I am wayward and distraught, a leaf blown in the wind, you must save me from myself, put a new spirit within me, making me careful to obey your every precept.


How good and pleasant it is,
when brothers live in unity!

Pour out over your Church, Lord, the spirit of brotherly love and a longing for your peace. May this precious oil of the Holy Spirit flow over us to fill us with your gracious benediction.


I have said to the Lord: "You are my God."
Lord, hear the cry of my appeal!
Lord my God, my mighty help,
you shield my head in the battle.
Do not grant the wicked their desire
nor let their plots succeed.

-O save me in my distress, for I am surrounded by trouble and only you can help me. Hear my weakend voice calling out to you, save me from myself, my weaknesses and blindnesses and from my enemies, let the plots of the wicked spirits who seek my destruction, fail and may they be utterly dismayed. Only you, Creator of all, can possibly help me- come, O gentle Lord, to your child's aid.

OH! I forgot about St. Joseph being patron saint of workers!

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Thanks to Sister Mary Martha (who I stated was a hoax, a very clever hoax, a few weeks ago, but I am having my doubts) who posted about Sister Mary Fiacre taking St. Joseph aspirin today and mentioned the good saint's patronages.

Well, I remember him being called St. Joseph, the Worker.

Well, this worker needs the good Saint's intercession. So I hereby declare St. Joseph to be the patron saint of my job search!

St. Joseph, pray for us.

I'm so glad I'm a Catholic!

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Just had to show off the newest addition to the blogs

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Yep folks, we have ourselves a new blogger in the Catholic blogosphere!

A Cardinal, even!!



He's Cardinal O'Malley of the Boston diocese. Hey, you just gotta go check him out. This is no staff produced publication, this looks like a true blue blogging endeavor!

H/T toAmericanPapist: Not Your Average Catholic!: Cardinal O'Malley really is a blogging cardinal!

In this time of trouble these words comforts me

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Thanks to Sarah of Just Another Day Of Catholic Pondering:


It is possible, in facing the turmoil, to forget that God is holding me.


When things are at their worst, I am not standing on my two legs. I am not fighting off the evil or solving any problems, unless it is by the grace of the One who made me in the first place. I am embraced in His arms, comforted by His mother, rooted by faith in Him.

---Snip


It is possible to look around, and wonder where God is, to blind myself to the still small voice and the many blessings in my life. It is tempting to stomp my feet and ask why things are so hard, to stop praying because it doesn’t do any good that I see, to talk to a thousand different people about my problems but never the One who is waiting so patiently.

It is possible to ask where God is, where God was, where God will be.

Looking around, I have my answer. God is right here. Waiting. Watching. With me. Acting in ways I may never know…and that’s OK. It is not often for me to know. It is for me to keep riding along in the car, praying my day away, enjoying the blessings that shower down.



You can find it under Wednesday, September 20, titled, Where’s God?

Hmm, a snag in the job search

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Dejection Alley


My second job interview, once I filled out the application, didn't last very long.

She took one look at the part of the application that listed my exceptions for the work schedule: Sundays off for Church, Wednesday eves off for RCIA and the first Saturday of the month off for Carmelites and told me they just don't do that and ended the interview.

Now, it seems I might lose out on much of my Catholic life activities....

Aaargh! That didn't occur to me before. I'm, uhh, stunned.

I can't give up the Carmelites, can I? Wow, this sucks. And working on Sundays? Ugh!

I think I can convince an employer to let me have Wednesday nights off, though. But, still....

Shoot, Folks! I need a miracle job!

Job interview update- "Ve have vays of finding out..."

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Well, I went to my first interview yesterday and I turned them down. They only offered me 50 cents more per hour than what I got hired at 6 1/2 years ago at my old job. Felt good to be the one turning something down.

I'm learning that this is indeed a small town in some ways. A former department manager was working there. He came out and met with me briefly. The hiring interviewer told me to tell him exactly why I was fired at my last job, because he could find out due to this guy's former connection with the same place. Hmmm. So much for confidentiality.

So, time to review my resume after a friend's input on it and then submit it some more to other places.

Speaking about Morning Prayer and friendship with God

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Early this morning as I was waking up I spontaneously thanked the Holy Spirit for transforming me so that I can experience friendship with God. I used to be so far from that state and now it is the greatest blessing in my life.

How wonderful is the transformative power of God's Spirit of love. Love is not satisfied with us remaining in a broken state. His Spirit continuously works on us taking us from strength to strength, from glory to glory, to redeem and restore us.

Just think, gentle reader, we used to be enemies of God! And now we come close to him and share the intimate movings of our hearts. Or we should, if you aren't, then write me and I'll tell you how.


On to Morning Prayer:

You are my friends, says the Lord, if you do what I command you. Alleluia.


You are strangers and aliens no longer. No, you are fellow citizens of the saints and members of the household of God.


Praise be to you, Lord, for the cleansing power of baptism and penance that you have entrusted to your apostles,
-through which we are cleansed of our sins.


God of mercy,
you chose a tax collector, Saint Matthew,
to share the dignity of the apostles.
By his example and prayers
help us to follow Christ
and remain faithful in your service.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

He hits the nail on the head

Flos Carmeli explains exactly the problem I have with traditionalists and others who bemoan the current state of affairs in Catholicdom, moaning and groaning about this and that in modern day Church life.

Do check it out by going here and finding his search box and typing in Stealing Joy and then hit enter. He has such a good attitude in the way he points out this folly.

So I say enough with criticizing my Church. Love it or leave it!

RCIA again tonite

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Well, it's that time again and in a few short minutes I will be at our RCIA meeting. Tonite I think we cover the Trinity.

I want to plant some seeds about forming a prayer life. I read the Catholic Catechism this week on prayer and, man, was it a treasure trove!

Hmmm, maybe I should quote some of it.

Anchoress reveals a reason why she left liberalism

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The Anchoress used to be a lib, folks. She lets us in on one of the reasons she left the Democratic party- taxes:

See, this is one of the reasons I HAD to leave the Democrats. There is a disconnect, a fundamental refusal to engage in reality; to look at a thing and say, “gee…maybe we should rethink our old taxing habits,” seems not to be in their make-up. Unemployment is incredibly low - lower than it was in the “full employment” 1990’s. Tax receipts are incredibly high. But tax cuts are bad.


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Yeah, the Dems are showing their true colors. Tax anybody anywhere for any reason. Let's not forget this come November, folks.

A clear explanation of the wrong-headedness of the liberal viewpoint on terrorism

A delightful blogger who calls herself SmartBlkWoman posted an essay by author Sam Harris illustrating the foolishness of the liberals view of terrorism.

Key excerpts:
And yet, despite abundant evidence to the contrary, liberals continue to imagine that Muslim terrorism springs from economic despair, lack of education and American militarism.

...the debilitating dogma that lurks at the heart of liberalism: Western power is utterly malevolent, while the powerless people of the Earth can be counted on to embrace reason and tolerance, if only given sufficient economic opportunities.




Do check it out. The article is very clear and easy to read.

I Jus' Wanna Sing......: Head-in-the-Sand Liberals

An excellent speech by President Bush

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President Bush has spoken clearly and forcefully to the United Nations yesterday. Here's an excerpt:



To the people of Iran: The United States respects you; we respect your country. We admire your rich history, your vibrant culture, and your many contributions to civilization. You deserve an opportunity to determine your own future, an economy that rewards your intelligence and your talents, and a society that allows you to fulfill your tremendous potential. The greatest obstacle to this future is that your rulers have chosen to deny you liberty and to use your nation's resources to fund terrorism, and fuel extremism, and pursue nuclear weapons.

*snip

Freedom, by its nature, cannot be imposed -- it must be chosen. From Beirut to Baghdad, people are making the choice for freedom. And the nations gathered in this chamber must make a choice, as well: Will we support the moderates and reformers who are working for change across the Middle East -- or will we yield the future to the terrorists and extremists? America has made its choice: We will stand with the moderates and reformers.



Read it here.

Ok- unemployment update

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Well, it's been a week since my rude demise from the call center where I worked.

I did have to endure some brief moments of intermittent misery throughout the week. Guess that's just par for the course.

I felt uplifted this morning when I got called for an interview. That will be tomorrow at 3 pm. A collections job. Got another interview lined up for today in a couple of hours with another collections company.

That feels good. Prospects are lining up. Now, for discernment to pick the one that will serve me best.

Prayers, please, gentle reader, prayers, please.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Fox Filmed Entertainment makes a pull for the Christian market

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This is a direct copy of The World... IMHO's post on this issue.



FoxFaith Plans Christian Movies

News Corp.’s Fox Filmed Entertainment is unveiling plans to go after the Christian audience that made "The Passion of the Christ” a blockbuster hit.

In what the Los Angeles Times calls the biggest commitment of its sort by a Hollywood studio, Rupert Murdoch’s company plans to produce up to a dozen movies a year under the banner FoxFaith. At least six of the films will be released in theaters in a pact with two large chains, AMC Theaters and Carmike Cinemas.

FoxFaith will reportedly target evangelical Christians who have often shunned popular entertainment.

"A segment of the market is starving for this type of content,” Simon Swart, general manager of Fox’s U.S. home entertainment unit, told the Times.

FoxFaith films will be based on Christian best-sellers and have small budgets of less than $5 million, compared with the $60 million average for mainstream movies.

Fox executives were spurred to launch FoxFaith by the surprising success of Mel Gibson’s "The Passion,” which grossed $612 million worldwide.

Fox obtained the domestic home video rights to the movie, and has sold more than 15 million units on DVD.

Another spiritual film, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” grossed $745 million worldwide.

The Times reports: "Fox might seen an unlikely studio to pioneer a religious label, given its history as a purveyor of salacious TV programming. Yet people in the Christian community say the company has gained credibility as the voice for conservative America through its Fox News Channel.”



Lonelyman's comments:
I don't think their budget per movie, a mere $5 million, is the best idea. They need to make it $10-30 million to have an impact on the market. But it is a step in the right direction. A great step.

An end to UVA's deplorable anti-Catholic cartoons in the Daily Cavalier

Another H/T to Pro Ecclesia * Pro Familia * Pro Civitate who published this news.

I delved into the issue and wrote a letter to the editor of said publication. This is what I said:

I have been hearing of the cartoons that besmirched the Catholic Church's beliefs through the Catholic blogosphere.
I thought it in poor taste and generally stupid to print such valueless material. I thought it terrible that you refused to pull them or apologize for offending millions of Catholics.
I want to take the time to commend you for exercising the good judgement in removing the cartoons and for at least stating some semblance of regret for the affair. Although it would be more respectable to admit you were wrong and regretted that you acted offensively, rather than regretting that we were offended. An important difference, that.

Great political ad for a great candidate

I been hearing about this man for a long time. He is a great conservative Catholic candidate for congress and is showing good political sense with this pre-emptive ad.

Check it out.



H/T to Jay Anderson, former mayor of Pro Ecclesia * Pro Familia * Pro Civitate.

Prayer and other support needed for the unborn in South Dakota

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There's a battle brewing- let's join in!

Folks, we gotta pray (at least) for our fellow pro-lifers in South Dakota. Planned Parenthood is planning an all-out offensive against the abortion ban going on over there.

Read about it here.

H/T to Father Tharp at Catholic Ragemonkey.

Pic of a happy place


Donna, of Quiet Life, asks us to post a pic of a happy place.

Well, Red Rock Canyon, here just outside of Vegas is a place where I have had many a happy hike. I have come here for decades and for about a year Mark, my best friend, and I were going out there couple times a month.

*Sigh* More trouble for Tim...

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Looks like I have to move again....

Last night my son came over to play some Texas Holdem. He went outside to smoke a cigarette and forgot to close the sliding glass window. My landlady came by later and smelled smoke in the house and accused us of smoking inside. Explanations were of no avail.

She came by this morning and told me to move out. I got until October 17th.

I feel heavy laden and weighed down.... I hate moving. I hate being falsely accused. So now I am looking for a place to stay as I look for a new job. Not to mention the financial strain a move causes....

On my fear list is that the car will be next or my health or one of my children or my friends. But that is just a natural fear. God is in control of my life and he will not allow anything that is too heavy for me to bear.

I will offer up this suffering also to the Lord. What else can I do?

So, gentle reader, pray for this lonely man. I will greatly appreciate it. Thank you. And leave me your prayer needs in my comments and I will lift you up in prayer, too. Deal?

I've been reading Job lately and I agree with him:

The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Monday, September 18, 2006

Another Catholic video

Litany Of The Saints

Check out this blog

Joel, of On The Other Foot, has added me to his blogroll.

Go check him out. He obviously has good taste. Heh!

Need advice from you, gentle reader, about applying for new job.

My employer's HR department told me that they will give out no information about my job except bare necessities like the dates I worked there and stuff.
So, that leaves the question, what do I reveal about the demise of my position there?
What is honest and what is for my best interest?
How much do I reveal and what do I say during the job interview? Hmmm?

Please let me know your thoughts.

Thank you, gentle reader.

Lonely Man's first detractor- about being fired.

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Of course, he chose to remain anonymous, don't they all?
But, praise God, I am no longer a virgin blogger. I got my first critic! Let's see if he is a troll.
Here's his comment and my response.

Anonymous said...
First of all, you worked for a collections agency, people who are notorious for being lying, bullying, thieving, threatening pigs. I fail to see the loss. Maybe this is God telling you that your job was pretty sleazy to begin with.

I know what these people are capable of even when they're wrong. I was harrassed physically, verbally and financially and my family members were, as well, all over something that was never mine to begin with. Even after proving this debt was some other woman's, living several states away, I was STILL harrassed, because the agency in question just sold the debt to someone else.

Sorry if I don't weep for your loss. If you had the kind of job a grown-up, decent, honorable person has, I might feel bad, but I don't because you worked for pond scum and probably did some pretty scummy things yourself along the way.

Secondly, forty year old men who are dicking around discussing "lonleygirl15" while someone else is paying them for their time ARE being age-inappropriate.

Blogging and reading your personal interest blogs while being paid to work for someone is age-inappropriate, no matter what that personal interest is. If you want to read Catholic blogs 24/7, then go on welfare and sit at home and read Catholic blogs 24/7. No less honorable than working for a collections agency and at least you wouldn't be harrassing decent, hard-working, good, honest people for a living.

So, um, whatever. Get a clue, get a life, get a real job, and lay off your personal interests on the 'net while you're at work.

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Congratulations, Anonymous, you are my first detractor on this blog.

Of course, I think it interesting that you did not post your name. My respect for you would be higher if you had.

Ok, first of all, I won't delete your comments. You make some points that give me an opportunity to describe myself more to my gentle readers.

Let's address them.


I never lied, bullied, thieved, or threatened anyone, let alone one of my customers. I am a Christian and a professional. My job was a God-given blessing.

You seem to have had a bad experience with bill collectors. I am sorry that happened to you, you did not deserve that.

I still fail to understand what age-inappropiateness means. Honestly, I think my dept mgr was a little nervous and at a loss for words when she said that. She seemed to be trying to say there was something lewd about my discussing lonelygirl15. She’s British and maybe just couldn’t come out and accuse me of some sort of sexual wrongdoing. You have a point when you say I was doing all this on company time. I was. But, I wasn’t taking any time off calling my customers, it was all done in between calls, as I said, I was the only one on my collections team that was meeting the time requirement of actually manning the phone line to be available to call our customers. Furthermore, I earned a fat bonus last month when I was doing all this blogging on company time, which shows that it didn’t effect my effectivity in collecting debts.

I thank you for your input. It has proved quite illuminating and may even help me in the future. I hope you come back to respond, but since I am not set up like Bettnet where you can get notified when someone responds on the comment section then I doubt you will. You may be one of the trolls who just leave an inflammatory post and never return.

God bless you, sir and thanks for sharing.