Better not make the connection

So it turns out Strom Thurmond's ancestors owned some of Al Sharpton's ancestors. No doubt we'll be hearing soon from Sharpton how he's the victim in all of this, despite the fact that he's a fabulously wealthy man who's never been oppressed by anyone.

Note, however, in the AP story that they often talk about Thurmond's racist background, being a segregationist and filibustering a civil rights bill in 1957. Of course, this is to show how bad the mean, racist Republicans are. However, I'm surprised that they had the journalistic integrity to include this at the very end of the story:

The longest-serving senator in history, he was originally a Democrat but became a Republican in 1964.

So he wasn't a Republican when he was pushing for segregation and racism -- he was a Democrat. He "softened" on his positions later in life (i.e. he stopped being a racist), which is when he was a Republican.

It just goes to show that the media is pretty forgiving of the Democrats for their incredibly racist past (one of the highest ranking Democrats, Robert Byrd (D-WV) was once a Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, but you don't see anyone hounding him for that), but attacks any Republican for any thought or action that they think could be labeled by their definition as "racism."

But, I guess if the media talked about how racist the Democrats actually are (who appointed the first black Supreme Court justice, and who opposed him fanatically? Who appointed blacks to their highest ever government positions? I'll give you a hint on that one: it wasn't "the first black president", Bill Clinton), no one would vote for them, and we know the media couldn't stand for that. So they have to hide it with slanted news stories and fake history.

Man, I love revisionist history.

So, what would you say if I told you a Muslim couldn't get a degree because of his religion? That even though his work was impeccable, he would be barred from academia for his religious beliefs?

You would rightfully say that's ridiculous, and a very clear example of religious bigotry.

What's that? It's only Christians who might get their degrees withheld? Oh, good. I thought there might be bigotry going on.

Ouch

Kinda sucks to be this guy. In the words of Strong Bad,

"Oh man, right in the face..."

This must have been in malice. I mean, how could someone shoot another person in the face by accident?

Right, lefties? It must have been on purpose. If Dick Cheney does it, it has to be malicious. And if it is impossible for him to mistake someone for an animal, it must be impossible for anyone else.

Still, that sucks.

Birthday Present

According the Fr. Z at WDTPRS, the pope loves me most, because he's going to give me a nice present for my birthday:

Rumors fly. I am not entirely sure that this is well-informed, and it is more than second hand. However, it was reported in another entry:

Robert Moynihan of Inside the Vatican, currently in Naples, Florida, confirmed last night at a Legatus meeting that his sources say that the Motu Proprio will be issued on the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, Feb. 22.

I knew that there was going to be a Legatus meeting in Florida because Bill Bennett mentioned on his radio program that he was going to be speaking.

As far as the "sources" are concerned….well… okay. I am not hearing much right now. 22 February seems to be an appropriate date.

But we have seen this before. Right?

My birthday is February 22nd.

As Fr. Z notes, this is only legend. So I guess we'll see.

I hope he does that though. Best birthday ever (if it happens). I'll drink some German beer in his honor.

Bishop with Balls

Look what this guy found: A rarity indeed.

Salzburg's outspoken auxiliary Bishop Andreas Laun said that the owner of the Viennese mall in which an abortion clinic just opened its doors was excommunicated due to his formal cooperation. This made headlines in Austrian newspapers and on tv. A Viennese canon law professor said the bishop was wrong since the Catechism and Encyclical Evangelium Vitae was "irrelevant" for excommunication. The mall owner, Richard Lugner, reacted by saying that the Church should rather worry about all the women it had burned in the past - while emphasizing that he's a good Catholic. In addition, he stated that he intends to sue the bishop. He added that his daughter attends a Catholic school and that "it must not happen that she gets dirty looks from the headmistress because her father is excommunicated."

Kudos to a bishop that knows what's what. The guy has the option of rejecting an abortion mill, but chooses to let them stay (they pay big rent, you know). Sovereign bishop excommunicates him for formal cooperation with evil. Does the guy repent? Does he (metaphorically) put on sack cloth and sit in ashes and upon the dung heap? Nope. He brings in the big guns: his lawyers. How dare the bishop say anything that will come between him and his pursuit of Mammon! He's a Good Catholic^TM! Also note the eagerness of the canon lawyer to jump to his defense saying that the canons don't apply to him. Just a guess, but I think that a bishop would know when and how the proper canon law applies for him to excommunicate an unabashed and scandalous sinner. And of course the guy brings up his poor daughter who will get "dirty looks" because her father is excommunicated. You know how to fix that? Kick out the abortion mill, and get back in union with the Church! Pretty simple. But I guess that doesn't result in him becoming enriched on the blood of the innocent.

I would like to know on what grounds this guy thinks he has a case to sue a bishop. I could see an appeals process through the Church, but at least in the US (or how it should be in the US) a judge would throw this case out in a heartbeat, because the civil system has no say in how the Church governs her own.

Three cheers for the Bishop!

[Hat tip: Amy]

A New Eucharistic Miracle?

I came across this at Bettnet the other day. It's an interesting video of a potential Eucharistic miracle at a church I think in Italy. Anyway, the site is in Italian. I guess it was also like a thousand years ago too (1999). It shows a host levitating about an inch or so above the paten during the Eucharistic prayers. See it yourself here. [Warning: zip file is kind of large.]

I'm not sure what to think of this yet, but it certainly appears genuine. The priests either don't notice the phenomenon, or are so awestruck by it they don't know what to do about it except continue with their prayers.

I hope this is confirmed by the Vatican folks. I think that often, we are like those who always ask Jesus for a miracle to prove that He's real, and that He is really present in the Eucharist. We never see things like this, and perhaps that's why so few people don't believe in the Real Presence (like almost all Protestants, and a great number of poorly catechized Catholics). But why do we need a miracle to believe? O we of little faith.

Anyway, it goes to show that even though I am a traditional Catholic, I certainly believe in the validity of the Novus Ordo, and apparently, so does Jesus.

[Hat tip to Dom Bettinelli]

Ceiling Cat

Here is my initial post.

It's about Ceiling Cat.

That was pretty much the only name I could come up with. It is in reference to this picture, which Andrew showed me the other day at work. It's also a reference to a conversation that only we know, and so shall it remain; only to be mentioned in veiled terms such as Ceiling Cat.

Anyway, I'll use this blog to write about things that I think are either interesting, annoying, important, or any other category upon which I feel like expounding.

So look back here if you feel like reading about my thoughts about things.



Ceiling cat is watching.