Sinead O'Connor ends fourth marriage after 16 days.

Back in August, 2010, when I wrote of Sinead O'Conner's third marriage, I said,
"I guess I'm out of it. I'm not up on all the latest news of marriages of all the celebrities that inhabit this planet. I'm only just now learning of Sinead O'Connor's third marriage."

Further evidence of my being out of the loop is that it was only today, when I learned of her fourth divorce that I learned that she got her third divorce after an eight month "marriage" to Steve Cooney.

I don't think it's even necessary for me to comment on this.

An Atheist Reacts to Nurses' Lawsuit Victory.

Like other pro-life advocates, I took the news that New Jersey Nurses Don’t Have to Assist in Abortions in a positive way. Nurses who object to abortion on religious grounds should not be forced or coerced into assisting in any part of the abortion procedure.

Some in the, so-called, "pro-choice" community weren't so pleased with the results of the court decision. Many commenting on the story as reported in the Washington Post spewed forth so much hatred toward the nurses that it's obvious that the issue is not simply about "choice".

One such commenter, calling herself galerouth19521 was especially vitriolic. She referred to the fetus as "a parasite because the classification of the biological relationship that is based on the behavior of one organism (the fetus) and how it relates to the woman's body". Her rationale for calling the pre-born child a parasite is because the fetus obtains it's nourishment from the "host" without providing any benefit. She goes on to say,"so i will kill any unwanted, parasitic life-form that needs my body to live---including your precious fetus...period, get over it."

According to galerouth19521, she should be allowed to kill a fetus because "pregnancy causes women harm". She linked to a website which gave a list of these "harmful effects". One such effect is the "curtailment of ability to participate in some sports and activities".

OK, let me get this straight; a woman can kill her unborn child if being pregnant interferes with the woman's ability to play in certain sports.

Not surprisingly, a later comment by galerouth19521 revealed her to be an atheist. So much for the idea that Atheists Aren't Assholes. She tells us that "the judeo-christian god is a myth and historical evidence proves it". Her proof ? A Youtube video, 3.3.3 Atheism: A History of God (Part 1) .

I suspect that galerouth19521 was an atheist before she ever came across this video "evidence". I watched the video and saw nothing in it that disproves the existence of God. (I even took a look at part 2 of the video and I find it hard to take seriously the arguments of an atheist who doesn't know how to pronounce the word "pantheism").

A Google search lead to more comments by the same person at Huffington Post.

A further search lead to a post by Gale Routh - "Is the human fetus a parasite?" . As I write this, the votes for the fetus NOT being a parasite hold a slim lead. I'd ask anyone reading this post to follow the link cast a vote.

Porky Pig sings "Blue Christmas".

One of my favorite "Holiday songs"......

Porky Pig - Blue Christmas download at emp3

Tornado Hits Near our Home.

Yesterday at around 5 PM, a tornado went through our area......actually less than 3/4 mile from our home. Two photos from from the Rome-News Tribune website show damage to buildings a couple of streets over from our house.
The screen shot from Mapquest shows how close it was to our home.

Thank God, as far as I know, no one living nearby was seriously injured. We were not at home when the storm hit. We learned of the tornado over the radio. We were uncertain what we'd find when we arrived home. Thankfully, there was absolutely no damage to our house and property. No trees were blown over.....it looked like it had only been a heavy rain.

Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy.

Being a parent of a six year old, I've been put in a position by "the culture" where I have to deal with three fantasy characters; the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus.

Even as a child, I could never quite understand the point of the Easter Bunny. The whole idea seemed too bizarre for me. I learned very early on that Easter was the celebration of Christ's resurrection and I couldn't figure out what bunnies and baskets and colored eggs had to do with the Holy Day. The "Easter Bunny" was certainly something I was not going to participate in.

Santa was a different matter. I didn't like the idea of tricking my son into believing something that was pure fantasy, but when he was in pre-K last year, all the children in his class were taught about Santa and he knew for a fact that Santa was real. He believes in Santa without my having told him so and there is no convincing him otherwise, so Santa leaves him gifts under the Christmas tree.

Now, in kindergarten, he has learned of the Tooth Fairy. How much of this he learned from classmates and how much from T.V. is anybody's guess.

His first baby tooth came out yesterday and naturally, he was very excited about leaving his tooth under his pillow. He carefully placed the tooth in a plastic sandwich bag so that the Tooth Fairy would have no problem finding it.

The problem was, however, that I had no coins. When I was his age, my parents the Tooth Fairy would leave a quarter in place of the tooth; thinking about it, with the decreased value of coins since the time when I was six, it seemed like leaving a coin wouldn't be the same today anyway.

So, I replaced the tooth with a dollar bill. I know, that seems a bit extravagant, but when I was seven or eight. my dad would send me to the corner store to buy his cigarettes (this was a long time ago) and in those days cigarettes were 25 cents a pack. Looking at it that way, a dollar didn't seem so much.

When J.P. woke up this morning, he said, "The Tooth Fairy left a dollar instead of a penny".

Hugo Chávez says Obama is 'a clown and an embarrassment'.

President Obama's former mentor, Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez now describes the US president as a "clown" and an "embarrassment".

I wonder where he could have gotten an idea like that.

Kim Jong Il looking at a Wreath.

Ever the humourist, the guy at Kim Jong Il Looking at Things has the now, late dictator, looking at a wreath.

I don't if it's his wreath, but it is a nice photo.

Cargo Vessel runs Aground in Dumaguete, Philippines.

My wife comes from Sibulan, Negros Oriental in Philiipines, not for from the city of Dumaguete. I have been to the city many times and consider it my "home away from home". My wife's family still lives there, as do many of our friends.

Yesterday, December, 17th a ".....cargo vessel anchored of off Dumaguete ran aground and capsized after it was battered by big waves spawned by Tropical Storm Sendong about 4 a.m., the Philippine Coast Guard said." Thankfully, all on board were rescued.

Hundreds of people died in Philippines.

Thank God, all of my wife's family is safe, though there was some property damage.

Let Them Eat Horse Meat.

On Nov. 10, 2005 President Bush signed the 2006 Agricultural Appropriations bill. Bush being an evil Republican who hates animals, the environment and anything having to do with "nature", this bill contained an amendment which prohibited the use of Federal funds for horse meat inspection. Because of this lack of funding, the availability of horse meat for human consumption in the United States vanished.

Now, thanks to President Obama - lover of the environment and friend to animals and animal lovers everywhere - anyone in the U.S. wishing to do so can soon eat horse meat to their heart's content.

A spending bill signed into law on Nov. 18 by President Obama will allow for USDA inspections of slaughterhouses which choose to slaughter horses for human food. Those supporting the change believe slaughterhouses could open before long and eventually slaughter as many as 200,000 horses a year. Most of the meat would be shipped to Asia and Europe where horse flesh is considered a delicacy.

Never having eaten horse meat, I don't have a dog in this fight. If someone wants to eat horse (or dog, for that matter) who am I to say they shouldn't? There are plenty of folks out there who say I shouldn't be eating beef, pork or poultry. One man's meat is another man's poison, as they say.

No, I don't have a problem with the USDA inspecting horse slaughterhouses. I just find it ironic that the U.S. President the animal rights folks detested most effectively banned the slaughter of horses for human consumption, while the Left's favorite President signed a bill that will bring it back.

I'm not sure how this fits with Mrs. Obama's effort to fight obesity. Horse meat is, reportedly low in fat and cholesterol. A recipe for Horse Roast can be found here.

Bon Appétit

2015 Update:Horsemeat Post Update.

A Bit of Good News for a Change.

As chronicled in a post from this past October, 28 [Thanks, Mr. President.] the company I work for will be closing down the location where I've worked for nearly 17 years. The plant's last day of operation will be Dec.27.

At the time of that post, I was unsure as to what was going to happen. We were told that transfers were available, but at that time I didn't know where I stood. Now, today, I know for a fact where I'll be working after the current location shuts down. I've been transferred to the distribution center 30 minutes from my house. OK, the drive is a bit longer than the 6 minute drive I've been going, but I'm really happy about it. (I might even get an increase in pay).

We're winding things down at my present location. I don't know if I'll be making the transfer next Monday or if I'll have to wait until the final day here. I'm hoping it's Monday.

The only downside is that I'll have to go to night shift. I'll be on a probationary period for 90 days; after that, my seniority is reinstated and who knows how long before there's a first shift opening. We'll just have to wait and see.

All in all, good news.

Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Growing up - a child of the 1950's - I loved to watch The Twilight Zone. However, for reasons I never quite understood, we were never able to watch the program at home, but could watch it whenever we visited my cousins.

One of the scarier episodes, from my perspective, was the one entitled Time Enough at Last, starring Burgess Meredith as a bookworm who finally has the time to read all the books he wants after an "H-Bomb Capable of Total Destruction" leaves him the sole survivor of a nuclear war.

His character,Henry Bemis winds up at a public library with enough books to last a life time. While sorting the books, his glasses fall from his face, completely shattering, and leaving him virtually blind and unable to read.

I suppose, if I were to find myself the sole survivor after an Apocalypse, I'd make make my home in a public library......so I understand the frustration of Henry Bemis.

For me, the closest think to living in a public library is my being able to access more than 36,000 free ebooks from Project Gutenberg. The ebooks are available as mobi, so I can download them to my PC and transfer the books to my Kindle at my convenience.


I've just finished reading Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe; I'm currently reading Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass.

Next on the list is The Narrative of William W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave by William Wells Brown .


I can see why Uncle Tom's Cabin was the best-selling novel of the 19th century. It's an extremely powerful work - a bit "sentimental" in sections, but it's theme extolling the power of Christian love brought tears to my eyes.

The book is one that I've known about nearly my entire life but was never encouraged to read.
Why?
Perhaps the answer to that question has something to do with my having grown up in the southern United States - an area of the country that didn't take kindly to the novel when it was published in 1852. The novel gives an accurate portrait of slave owners in the antebellum South, and we all know that the truth very often hurts.

Today, being called an "Uncle Tom" is considered an insult to most in the black community. It wasn't always that way. Frederick Douglas was a friend of Stowe's and spoke highly of the book.

From Slave narratives and Uncle Tom's Cabin :

"It is ironic that the book which contributed most to the anti-slavery cause should have gained the reputation it has today as a racist work. Uncle Tom, though he defies white authority to save his fellow slaves, is the model of Christian humility. He is forgiving in the face of absolute brutality and suffers countless indignities with patience. Though this endeared him to whites and helped them see the evils of slavery, it also encouraged the image of the submissive, childlike black man -- an idea exaggerated in theatrical productions of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Many of these showed Uncle Tom as a groveling, subservient character, and included blackface mistrel shows between scenes.

Like most white writers of her day, Harriet Beecher Stowe could not escape the racism of the time. Because of this, her work has some serious flaws, which in turn have helped perpetuate damaging images of African Americans. However, the book, within its genre of romance, was enormously complex in character and in its plots. The book outraged the South, and in the long run, that is its significance."

Many credit Uncle Tom's Cabin with fueling the abolitionist cause and help bring about the Civil War. Perhaps the pro-life movement today could use our own Harriet Beecher Stowe and our own Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Obama Celebrates Hanukkah at the White House.

I loved the headlines on Drudge Report:

Obama celebrates Hanukkah at White House...
TWO WEEKS EARLY?
LIGHTS ALL THE CANDLES...

'We Never Need an Excuse For a Good Party'...

Smoking Santas

In a recent post [3½ Time-Outs Tuesday (Vol. 2)] LarryD posted an old ad showing Santa Claus selling Pall Mall cigarettes.

I did a little web search and found a few more......not only Pall Mall but, Lucky Strike, Chesterfield and Camel as well.

Vive la Différence.

An article on CatholicHerald.co.uk [In 1960 Cardinal Siri urged women not to wear trousers. I think he may have had a point] does not seem to have sit well with "Puff the Magic Dragon" from over at Puff's Blog About Stuff ....... One might even go so far as to say she has her knickers in a twist over the article.

I can't say I blame her.

In the CatholicHerald piece, writer Francis Phillips makes reference to a document written in 1960 by the late Cardinal Giuseppe Siri of Genoa entitled “Notification Concerning Men’s Dress Worn by Women” wherein the Cardinal condemned the "wearing of men's dress by women". Cardinal Siri put forward a number of arguments, but he considered the gravest of all to be that "male dress changes the psychology of women". When women wear trousers, he argued, it "flattens out the natural distinction between the sexes".

My comment on Puff's blog was, "The Cardinal may have had a point in the 1960's but the idea that 'women wearing trousers flattens the difference between men and women' in this day and age is ridiculous."

After leaving that comment, it struck me that I may have given the Cardinal too much benefit of the doubt. His document was dated June 12, 1960; looking at a photo of 1960's movie star, Bridgett Bardot, it's difficult to put forth the argument that Bardot was flattening the natural distinction between the sexes by wearing slacks.

Christmas Wreath.

I had never noticed, until yesterday, when my six year old son pointed it out to me, just how much a Christmas wreath resembles a crown of thorns.

What's the Punchline? Part 3.

I'm not quite certain which color is more attractive.

What's the Punchline? Part 2.

Another photo in need of a punchline.

What's the Punchline?

Photo in need of a punchline.

System Fix Malware.

My wife's laptop has become infected with a particularly nasty bit of malware/virus called "System Fix".

As one website explains it:

"System Fix is another fake computer optimizer that tries to scare computer users into purchasing it's fake licence [sic]. As it's previous versions (System Restore, Data Restore, Data Repair...) this fake computer optimizer uses various ways to scare computer users into thinking that their computer hardware components has serious issues and that they could loose their stored information. System Fix is spread through misleading websites that are able to install this rogue program on users computer using security vulnerabilities. When System Fix installs itself on your computer it will flood your desktop with various warning messages stating that there are critical errors in your computers Ram memory, System drive, System registry. Furthermore System Fix will hide your desktop icons stating that there are bad blocks on your HDD surface. If you click "Fix Errors" button after the scan you will be asked to purchase a full version of System Fix in order to eliminate the found hardware issues. You shouldn't buy System Fix - it's a fake computer optimizer a totally useless program created by Internet criminals to trick unsuspecting computer users. All the computer scans and security messages stating about hardware malfunctions are fake".

Her anti-virus software did not stop it. We tried removing it with Spyware Doctor with no luck. We'll have to try professional help.

From what I've read, it's likely she picked up the bug on Facebook. I'll be clearing off Facebook today. I don't use all the apps and games like she does, but better safe than sorry.

SHOCK POLL IOWA.

The headline on Drudge was certainly provocative; "SHOCK POLL IOWA: GINGRICH 32% ROMNEY 19% CAIN 13% ."

The headline linked to a Rasmussen report which stated that today, November 17, 2011, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is leading among caucus-goers in Iowa.

The 2012 Iowa Caucuses are scheduled to take place on January 3; it's still much too early to predict who will eventually come out on top. Gingrich may be ahead now, but Cain was the top dog in October while Perry was the leader in September. It was just August when Michele Bachmann was tied with Romney for first place in Iowa. Has anybody even mentioned Michele Bachmann lately?

I still haven't decided who'll get my vote in the March 6 Georgia primary. Matt Archbold of Creative Minority Report isn't a Gingrich fan, though I don't share Matt's opinion of Newt. Mark Shea wrote a convincing article praising Ron Paul. Unfortunately, Shea is so anti-Romney that he might as well vote for Obama - that will be the end result of his decision to vote for a third party candidate over Romney should Mitt become the Republican presidential candidate. (Mr. Shea isn't a fan of Newt, either, by the way.)

I had pretty much given up on Herman Cain until I read something Ann Coulter had to say about the "sexual harassment scandal". As this piece shows, Ann doesn't care much for Newt either.....she's more a Romney girl.

In an email I received today, HumanEvents asked "Which Candidate Can Beat Obama?" but their survey/poll gave only 3 choices: Mitt Romney, Rick Perry and Herman Cain. No mention of Gingrich. Is HumanEvents behind the times? (That particular survey/poll has Cain as the top pick......go figure.)



I can't see the Republicans picking anyone as horrible as their 2008 candidate, John McCain. I really can't believe they forced me to vote for that loser. While I can't say who will get my vote in the primary, we know my vote in November will be for anybody but Obama. Let's hope this time, the Republicans don't make me hold my nose when I cast my vote.

Bloggers Bake-off.

In a recent post [Creative Minority Report: Daddy Cooks] Patrick Archbold sought to impress his readers with his French Toast made from homemade pumpkin yeast bread.

La dee da.

Well, Pat isn't the only baking blogger, thank you very much !






To show what real baking is, I'm posting a photo of my Pumpkin Muffins along with the recipe :




1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup mashed cooked pumpkin

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

preheat oven to 350°F.
Put liners in muffin cups.

Mix both flours with baking powder

Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, sugars, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined.


Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about three-fourths full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture.(tsp cinnamon added to 1 tbsp sugar)


Bake until puffed and golden brown and wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Robert Redford - Another Hollywood Airhead.

Not being a regular reader of the Huffington Post, I was unaware of Robert Redford's opinion piece from September, Is the Obama Administration Putting Corporate Profits Above Public Health? until I came across a link to the article on a friend's Facebook page.

Redford had originally supported Obama because, as a candidate, Obama had said "we must protect clean air, water and lands". Now, much to Redford's dismay, "three administration decisions -- on Arctic drilling, the Keystone XL pipeline and the ozone that causes smog -- have all favored dirty industry over public health and a clean environment".

Redford appears to be shocked that a man who passionately supports abortion would care so little about birds and fish and cute little butterflies.

Anyone - like our President - who sees nothing immoral about the taking of innocent life, cannot be trusted. Obama's lack of moral character was on display for all to see when he was running for office. Now, Redford writes, "Like so many others, I'm beginning to wonder just where the man stands".

Really?

Mike's Dating Review.

Ever curious as to how and why folks come to this blog, I frequently check my stats on Google Analytics.

Earlier this morning, the blog was visited by someone from Sydney, Australia, who had found the blog by putting the phrase  lucy ricardo's dating scammer   into the Google search engine. It doesn't surprise me two of my posts came up as #2 and #3, though I'm a bit perplexed as to why anyone would enter that particular phrase into a search engine.

The #1 site listed when one googles lucy ricardo's dating scammer   is called mikesdatingreview.com ..... an interesting site, but I'm hard pressed to find anything about Lucy Ricardo there.

Mike has a wide and varied collection of names and photos of who he calls "Scammers in Adult Dating Communities".

Of course, anyone who reads my blog would be too intelligent to fall for one of these dating scams.

Thy Shall Not Covet ........

Writer Jeff Jacoby does a great job describing the difference between the "Occupiers" and the "Tea Partiers" in this piece from Townhall.com - Occupiers, Tea Partiers, and the Tenth Commandment:

"Economic envy may cloak itself in rhetoric about 'inequality' or 'egalitarianism' or 'redistribution of wealth,' but its oldest name is covetousness. That is the sin enjoined by the last of the Ten Commandments: 'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is thy neighbor's.' ""

The Catholic version of the ten commandment may read slightly different, but the point is still valid.

As Jacoby points out, the Tea Partiers are motivated by self respect while the Occupiers are motivated by envy and covetousness.

No matter how much the Left may want to convince you otherwise, the groups are not similar.

Jon2012girls Smokin' Ad.

In a recent post, [Creative Minority Report: Cain's Kinda' Freaking Me Out] Matthew Archbold posted a Youtube video of an ad for Herman Cain.

That video is below :




Now, according to a piece in the NY Daily News, the three daughters of former Utah governor and Republican presidential candidate, Jon Huntsman, have come up with their own video spoofing the Herman Cain ad.

The same article points out;

"While the Huntsman daughters have more than 6,300 followers on Twitter, it remains to be seen if their humor can boost their father's ratings. A CNN/ORC poll released this month shows Huntsman coming in dead last among the other seven candidates, garnering just 1% support."



Frankly, I don't know a heck of a lot about Huntsman. I went to his website and took a lot at his section on the issues. There, he gives his thoughts on "Jobs & the Economy" and "Foreign Policy". Important issues, of course but the issue of abortion is conspicuous by it's absence on Huntsman's website.

Searching Jon Huntsman abortion on Google, I came across an interesting article The Salt Lake Tribune that says Huntsman (on record as an abortion foe) "sheds moderate label on abortion" by favoring amending the U.S. Constitution to overturn the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade and outlaw abortion.

That's a plus for me. The fact that Karrie Galloway, executive director of Planned Parenthood of Utah is disappointed in Huntsman doesn't hurt him either, in my view.

I still haven't decided who'll get my vote in the 2012 primary; there's no doubt, however, who won't be getting my vote in the general election.......(need I say?)

Thanks, Mr. President.

It was announced today that the company I work for will be closing down the location where I've worked for nearly 17 years. The plant's last day of operation will be Dec.27.......60 days from today.

There's always the possibility that I could be transferred to another location.....should an opening arise; but, even with 16 years seniority, there's still a few ahead of me and jobs won't be created out of thin air. It would be a matter of someone at another location quitting or getting fired. Not likely.

In this economy, I'm expecting to be collecting unemployment compensation for some time to come.

Secret of the Rosary.

The month of October is nearly over and I haven't written anything regarding the Rosary. To make up for the slight, I've decide to make available links to St. Louis De Montfort's "THE SECRET OF THE ROSARY FOR RENEWAL AND SALVATION" in both pdf and mobi for Kindle formats.

Nothing I could write could equal his writing.

Blog Post Update.

Too bad I don't understand Finnish........if I did, I'd know how I managed to get one of my posts onto a Finnish website.

A couple of days ago, someone in Finland, who had taken a liking to my story about Al Gore suing the owner of the Sun for damages caused by global warming, put a link to it on www.iltalehti.fi/etusivu/. Soon, the page was being visited by folks from Helsinki to Oulu to Espoo and back again.

The post in question is nearly a year old; the Finns are just now discussing it.
Oddly,none bothered to click on the "news source" link - Al Gore Sues Sun's Owner Over Global Warming.

As we can see on the right, this post is the most popular one on the blog........what you can't see is that, as of this writing, it's been viewed over 7,000 times, yet, not one of this 7000 visitors took one second to click on a Google ad.

Pink Ribbon? No, Thanks.

I had been forewarned, so I knew what to expect. Actually, I'm one of the few who pays attention during our little ten minute meeting before 7 o'clock at work.

Last week, our supervisor told us that the corporate office was a big supporter of the Susan G. Komen organization and she'd be providing pink ribbons for everyone to wear today. When she attempted to give one to me, I said, "No thank you". Of course, she wanted to know why I'd refuse to support such a "worthy cause".

Anyone who is seriously involved with the Pro-life movement already knows the answer; for those who are unaware of the connection between Susan G. Komen and Planned Parenthood, I've post two links.

According to this article at lifenews.com , "Komen’s ties to Planned Parenthood are well documented and figures from STOPP International show Komen chapters giving $711,485 from April 1, 2005 to March 31, 2006 to Planned Parenthood affiliates."

I explained to my supervisor that I could not support the Susan G. Komen organization because of it's ties with Planned Parenthood......she said that she didn't agree with the "political agenda" of Susan G. Komen either, but this was about breast cancer awareness. I stood my ground and refused to wear the pink ribbon.

The more I thought about "breast cancer awareness" the more I realized the absurdity of the idea of wearing a pink ribbon while being opposed to Komen. Let's suppose the company supported a program like, say, "AIDS awareness" or even "influenza awareness" we could discuss how AIDS could be prevented by not doing A,B,C, or D. Some folks need to learn about how influenza is not just a severe cold, but a dangerous disease that caused serious epidemics before flu vaccines where developed. With "breast cancer awareness", there is little the average Joe or Josephine can do....other than donate money. So, who's going to get the money? These pink ribbon folks want you to give it to Susan G. Komen which will, in turn, give a portion of your money to the largest abortion provider on the planet.

No, thanks.

Conspicuous By Their Absence.

I recently joined the pro-life committee at our parish; I attended my first "Life Chain" this past Oct 2nd and attended my first committee meeting last night.

I'm not going to attempt to relate everything we discussed at this meeting. However, I want to write about one particular discussion which took me completely by surprise. The idea came to me, shortly after the "Life Chain" demonstration, that as eventful as our demonstration was, it would have been truly remarkable had pro-life groups from other churches in our fair city participated as well.

I learned that my idea was not new; the pro-life committee had tried to bring other churches on board only to discover that, sadly none of the Protestant church in this area have pro-life committees/ministries nor were any interested in furthering the pro-life agenda.

It would appear that the abortion issue is too hot for these Protestants to handle.

Thinking about this, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the more liberal denominations would shy away from the subject of abortion, but it does surprise me that the more conservative denominations (Baptist - Church of God for example) aren't as actively pro-life as the Catholic church.

Of course, there's always the possibility that they're simply being anti-Catholic, but I don't think that's it. For one thing, all these churches (ours included) come together and actively support the Community Soup Kitchen. No,the truth is, the Protestant churches in our area don't "do" pro-life.

Sapientiae Christianae.

In a recent Vortex, host Michael Voris made mention of Pope Leo XIII's encyclical on Christians as Citizens, Sapientiae Christianae.

Though written in 1890, the encyclical is relevant today. From the first paragraph:

"From day to day it becomes more and more evident how needful it is that the principles of Christian wisdom should ever be borne in mind, and that the life, the morals, and the institutions of nations should be wholly conformed to them. For, when these principles have been disregarded, evils so vast have accrued that no right-minded man can face the trials of the time being without grave anxiety or consider the future without alarm. Progress, not inconsiderable indeed, has been made towards securing the well-being of the body and of material things, but the material world, with the possession of wealth, power, and resources, although it may well procure comforts and increase the enjoyment of life, is incapable of satisfying our soul created for higher and more glorious things. To contemplate God, and to tend to Him, is the supreme law of the life of man. For we were created in the divine image and likeness, and are impelled, by our very nature, to the enjoyment of our Creator. But not by bodily motion or effort do we make advance toward God, but through acts of the soul, that is, through knowledge and love. For, indeed, God is the first and supreme truth, and the mind alone feeds on truth. God is perfect holiness and the sovereign good, to which only the will can desire and attain, when virtue is its guide."


The encyclical can be read online at a number of sites, including the Vatican website and here.

I don't particularly like reading documents online, so I've put the encyclical into pdf format and mobi for Kindle and made both available for downloading.

99% B.S.

From Christian Science Monitor:
99% Wall Street protesters boo CEOs, but mourn Steve Jobs.

"He’s this weird, omnipresent, benevolent figure. It’s like losing the pope or something.”

RespectLife Sunday - 2011.

Yesterday, Oct.2 was Respect Life Sunday. Members from our parish participated in the "Life Chain" demonstration. You can't tell from this photo (taken from the Rome News-Tribune website) but I'd estimate that there were about 75 people there.

The newspaper has this:

"Dylan Bryant (from left), Mary Kate Bagwell and Ellen Tomlin hold signs on Broad Street as part of the National Life Chain. The annual event takes place across the country on the first Sunday in October in more than 1,500 cities. Participants stood on the sidewalk silently in prayer holding anti-abortion signs. 'We are celebrating life,' said participant Charles Betz. 'We’re celebrating all aspects of life and praying for those whose lives were lost. We’re hoping the culture of life will overcome the culture of death.'
Several people took part in the event with participants lining the intersection of Turner McCall Boulevard and Broad Street."

We met at the parish hall at 2:30 Sunday, before walking down to the intersection. Those of us participating were advised ahead of time that there might be some harassment and we should not confront anyone who might not appreciate our being so visible.

During the "silent prayer" one woman passerby who was stopped for a traffic light began yelling at me......nothing horrible....she simply rolled down the car window and began yelling "Hey Man" at me several times. I ignored her, yet she continued to yell at me until the light changed.

About 3:30, a young man began walking among the group, trying to draw someone out, but none of us would speak to him. At one point, he stood very close to one of the teen aged girls, trying to intimidate her, I suppose. He didn't succeed, He finally gave up and walked away.

About 15 minutes before our scheduled hour was up, a middle aged woman started doing the same as the young man had done earlier. However, she would really get in peoples' faces. She had information on how to prevent unwanted pregnancies, if any of us were interested. I'm sure it was information on condoms and /or birth control pills. No one had much to say to her either. She followed us back to the church, but stopped to talked to the policeman parked outside.

So, all in all, the harassment was minimal. No one was arrested or beat up. I'm pretty certain that the anti-abortion folks went away happier than the "pro-choice" folks did.

Capt. Eddie Shields.......Nigerian Scammer. Epilogue.

Part 15 of the Capt. Eddie Shields story chronicles the last email exchanges between the Nigerian scammer(s) and Wanda & Lucy.

It was obvious from Eddie's final email, that he had discovered my blog. In his email, he made references to Fred and Lamont Sanford........I hadn't used those two against Eddie, though I mentioned the pair in Part 1.

Stats from Google Analytics show that the Nigerians first came upon my blog on Sept.25. They had been reading and rereading the story of Misty's accident since Sept. 20.

Once they had discovered the blog, there was no point in continuing the masquerade.

It was inevitable that, sooner of later, the scammer would have realized he was being made a fool of. It's unclear how far along the story would have gone if I had waited until it played out before posting the story online. The blog can be accessed via the phony news site containing the story of the Misty being run over by a police car chasing a Krispy Kreme donut truck.

Did the guy sending the emails discover it on his own? Probably not. The fact that he believed the news report to be true shows that this particular scammer isn't too intelligent. I suspect that someone he knows came upon the blog and let him in on the reverse scam.

Google Analytics show that visitors from Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt continue to visit both this blog and the website hosting Misty's accident story. Why?
It could be that the Nigerian Scammer's School is using the experience with me as a lesson in what to avoid. There is also the possibility that scammers are going to the sites to get a good laugh on their doofussonian compatriot.

What have I learned from this?

I'll probably have to retire Wanda Tuinphro, Lucy Ricardo, Misty Meaner, Fred and Lamont Sanford. That doesn't mean that I'll never respond to another obviously phony email. I created Wanda et al, and I can create more. I'm a virtual Victor Frankenstein in that regard.

I've also learned that, no matter how tempting it may be to do otherwise, I should wait until the final email before posting the story. Who knows where the events between Lucy and the "Reverend Eddie Shields" would have lead had they continued on their natural course.

Other than the Nigerians and a fan in Toronto, the Eddie Shields saga hasn't been popular with my regular visitors. It's possible that this story may be like the Kelvin Williams adventure and continue to attract visitors well into the future.

From the look of things, I'll be a hit with the Nigerians for quite some time.

Capt. Eddie Shields.......Nigerian Scammer. Part 15.

Re: the writing
FROM: Capt.eddie Shields
TO: Wanda Tuinphro
Saturday, September 24, 2011 5:56 PM

Hello Wanda,
I got your mail, and that is a very nice write up, I have sent her the mail, but the problem now is that she might want to send the payment in Nigeria, and that would be a problem, though I have a friend there that works in Nigeria, he may be able to help pick up the funds and send them down, Or what if she decides to speak with me on phone? How do you think we could go about this ? I also sent my passport Id as a prove of who I am. Get back to me, and update me, I would also let you nkow as soon as I hear back from her.

God Bless
Eddie


Re: the writing
FROM: Wanda Tuinphro
TO: Capt.eddie Shields
Saturday, September 24, 2011 6:13 PM

we will have to wait and she how she replies.
Wanda


From Rev.Eddie Shields
Saturday, September 24, 2011 5:23 PM
From: "Rev. Eddie Shields" (rev.eddieshields@yahoo.com)
To: Lucy Ricardo


My Dear Mrs. Ricardo,

First, I realize it is necessary that I should introduce myself. My name is Reverend Eddie Shields.

I am writing to give my deepest sympathy because of the recent passing of your dearest niece - and my good friend - Misty. I know that she is resting in God's arms, yet still I cried when I first learned that she had died due to the terrible accident.

I first met Misty in 2009 when she was in Denver Colorado ( the home base of my church ). We have communicated very often by email and phone since our first meeting. She spoke very highly of you and I know your were a great influence on her.

I am currently doing missionary work in Nigeria. I am struggling to build a new church in the city of Abuja. When Misty learned of my work here, she promised to donate $4000 to help me in my work here.

I know this is a difficult time for you, but I am hoping you can see to help fulfill Misty's wish. I am prepared to set aside a portion of the church building as a memorial for the dear girl.
I wish that I was in Nashville now so that I could attend her funeral, but God has willed that I be here ....... doing His work.
Again, please accept my condolences. I hope to hear from you soon, I have attach my Id in this mail.

Yours in Christ's name,
Reverend Eddie Shields


Re: From Rev.Eddie Shields
Sunday, September 25, 2011 6:19 AM
From: Lucy Ricardo
To: "Rev. Eddie Shields" (rev.eddieshields@yahoo.com)

My dear brother in Christ,
Thank you so much for your recent email. Your words mean more to me than you can ever know. For many years, my niece Misty lead a sinful life. I am happy to know that she had a friendship with a man of God.

I wish that you could be here Monday for the poor girl's funeral service, but I know your missionary work in Nigeria is extremely important. I have been to that country on missionary work many times. The people there are in desperate need for God's word. I know for a fact that almost all children born of Nigerian women have fathers from Chad, Benin or Cameroon. As I am sure you know, the Nigerian men are overwhelmingly homosexual. The Nigerian male would rather have sexual relations with a goat than a woman. While it's true that the Nigerian women are the ugliest women in Africa, it is a sin for the men there to prefer other men or animals over their wives.

I will be happy to send the money you need to complete your church. Let me know how much you need and where I can send it.

Again, thank you for your kind words concerning Misty. I'd like to believe that she is resting in God's arms.

Lucy Ricardo.


Have you heard?
FROM: Wanda Tuinphro
TO: Capt.eddie Shields
Sunday, September 25, 2011 9:55 AM

Capt. Eddie,
Have you received a reply from Lucy?
Will she give you the money?

Wanda

Re: Have you heard?
FROM: Capt.eddie Shields
TO: Wanda Tuinphro
Sunday, September 25, 2011 10:42 AM

Hello, How do you do today ?

Yes she said she was going to help me, But my problem now is where she would be sending this to because we need to close this deal by Tuesday lattest. Please do you know any Fred and Lamont Sanford ?? I would keep you posted

Eddie


Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8
Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part14 Part15

Capt. Eddie Shields.......Nigerian Scammer. Part 14.

Re: concerning Misty Meaner
FROM: Wanda Tuinphro
TO: Capt.eddie Shields
Saturday, September 24, 2011 1:55 AM

Dear Eddie,
I have had very little sleep. I do not know what to do. I have no income. It was Misty's money that we lived on.

Because Tennessee does not recognize our marriage, I cannot get access to the money in Misty's account. I am totally without funds. I desperately need the $40million. I cannot raise any money to pay the government.....you and I will lose this money.

I know the money can be gotten from Misty's aunt Lucy, but she will not give it to me. You can get the $4000 from her if you follow my plan. I could help you with any vital information you might have to give Lucy.

If we do not get this money, I will be forced to join Misty.
Wanda


Re: concerning Misty Meaner
FROM: Capt.eddie Shields
TO: Wanda Tuinphro
Saturday, September 24, 2011 8:08 AM

Ok Wanda, I agree to your plans, But now talking about Misty's aunt, is she single? and if you think she would help us out, I need you to give me an exact write up that I would send to her. I would also need to open a new e-mail address as a Rev, so please, Just send me an exact write up that i would send to Misty's aunt, also give me her house address, and maybe a phone number too.
Will be waiting for your response
Capt.Shields


Re: concerning Misty Meaner
FROM: Wanda Tuinphro
TO: Capt.eddie Shields
Saturday, September 24, 2011 11:44 AM

Dear Eddie,
Here are a few facts about Misty's aunt Lucy.

Name: Lucy Ricardo
age: about 65 or so.
was once married.......husband dead.
very religious. goes to Africa often to do missionary work.
very, very rich.

I do not know her phone number.
I will send a write up for you later.
Wanda

the writing
FROM: Wanda Tuinphro
TO: Capt.eddie Shields
Saturday, September 24, 2011 3:39 PM

My Dear Mrs. Ricardo,
First, I realize it is necessary that I should introduce myself. My name is Reverend Eddie Shields.

I am writing to give my deepest sympathy because of the recent passing of your dearest niece - and my good friend - Misty. I know that she is resting in God's arms, yet still I cried when I first learned that she had died due to the terrible accident.

I first met Misty in 2009 when she was in Denver Colorado ( the home base of my church ). We have communicated very often by email and phone since our first meeting. She spoke very highly of you and I know your were a great influence on her.

I am currently doing missionary work in Nigeria. I am struggling to build a new church in the city of Abuja. When Misty learned of my work here, she promised to donate $4000 to help me in my work here.

I know this is a difficult time for you, but I am hoping you can see to help fulfill Misty's wish. I am prepared to set aside a portion of the church building as a memorial for the dear girl.
I wish that I was in Nashville now so that I could attend her funeral, but God has willed that I be here ....... doing His work.

Again, please accept my condolences. I hope to hear from you soon.
Yours in Christ's name,
Reverend Eddie Shields


Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8
Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part14 Part15

Capt. Eddie Shields.......Nigerian Scammer. Part 13.

Re: concerning Misty Meaner
FROM: Wanda Tuinphro
TO: Capt.eddie Shields
Thursday, September 22, 2011 5:37 PM

Dear Capt Eddie,
As I told you, the bank here does not recognize my marriage to Misty and I do not have access to her money that's in the bank....I have no money of my own.
We will have to figure out another way of getting the money. I will contact you soon.
Wanda


the money
FROM: Wanda Tuinphro
TO: eddie shields (d-usmilbase@blumail.org)
Friday, September 23, 2011 2:38 AM

Dear Eddie,
I believe we can get the money from Misty's Aunt Lucy.
I have a plan. I will sent you an email later when I have more time.
Write back soon.
Wanda

Failure Notice
FROM: MAILER-DAEMON@yahoo.com
TO: wanda_tuinphro
Friday, September 23, 2011 2:38 AM

Sorry, we were unable to deliver your message to the following address.
(d-usmilbase@blumail.org):
Remote host said: 550 5.2.1 The email account that you tried to reach is disabled. h6si11441380pbf.48 [RCPT_TO]


From: Capt.eddie Shields (capt.eddieshields@yahoo.com)
To: Wanda Tuinphro
Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 4:30 AM
Subject: Re: concerning Misty Meaner

Please contact me and let me know the update concerning Misty's Health,
Capt.Eddie


Re: concerning Misty Meaner
FROM: Wanda Tuinphro
TO: Capt.eddie Shields
Friday, September 23, 2011 3:31 PM

Dear Capt Eddie,
I tried to send an email to you earlier, but it was returned. It said the account was discontinued. I am so glad you wrote to me.

I have horrible news. Our dear Misty died this morning. I am heart broken.

Of course, now that my dearest Misty is gone, I will need the $40Million more than ever. I do not have the $4000 but I have a plan. I am certain you can get the money from Misty's aunt Lucy.

If you contact Aunt Lucy, under no circumstances are you to tell her about the $40million. Also, you must not tell her that you are in the army. She was once raped by a soldier and she hates all military men now as a result.

She is very religious; she is always going to Africa to do missionary work. If you email her and tell her you are Reverend Eddie (not Capt. Eddie) and tell her her niece promised to give your the $4000 to rebuild your church, I am sure she will give you the $4000 and maybe more.

I know this is not honest, but we need to go through with this deal for dear Misty.
Her email is xxxxxxxxxx
You friend,
Wanda


Re: concerning Misty Meaner
FROM: Capt.eddie Shields
TO: Wanda Tuinphro
Friday, September 23, 2011 5:40 PM

Hello Dear Wanda,

With great sorrows and pain in my heart I write you at this moment, It is so unfortunate that she couldnt make it, AND i PRAY THAT HER SOULD REST IN PERFECT PEACE WITH THE LORD.

Now concerning what you told me, I am not sure I could do that because it would lead to a lot of questionings, some pictures and other vital information may be needed from me, which would not work out well. I know that money is a big sum, but it is better this is just between us two. How much do you think you can come up withj, we can both make up the fee needed, even if it means you borrowing from someone, or selling something, this money means a lot, and if more time is waisted, we may end up loosing it to the wicked Government people which I do not want to happen, I have gone through a lot for this deal, and we just have to try, see how much you think you can come up with and let me know asap. May the soul of our Dear Misty rest in perfect peace. Amen
Capt.Eddie


Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8
Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part14 Part15