When was the last time You visited....

...My deviantART account? Because you should do it. I've left off using colored pencils, and switched to markers. The above was done by me. (As was this and this.) I really wanted to post This work, my latest, on the page but people might get the wrong idea about me. Stil, it's my nicest so far, and my best when it comes to blending. (I really only used two shades of blue and one of violet for the skin.)
So do go there.
DO IT. DO IT NOW.

Let's apply this thinking to real life.

Just wondering how it would turn out. (I'm still working on thus analogy, so give me a break for the obvious holes.)

There's a man, let's call him Simon. Simon is a partner in a company that makes metal die-cast model cars, is known to be a spendthrift, but usually stays within his means. Simon soon becomes and avid collector of those model cars, and urged by the president of the company, he soon begins to spend more than he makes in order to collect them. In order to deal with his debt, takes out loans that he can't pay. Debt upon debt keeps piling on him, while at the same time, the value of his die-cast cars is dropping.
The value is dropping because due to protests made by concerned mothers, the cars are made out of cheaper materials that contain lead rather than the more expensive materials formerly used. Simon and other collectors threaten the company with lawsuits, boycotts, and reporting them to the government for using toxic materials. They go back to the former materials. Simon is not satisfied, however, and fights his way to the presidency of the company. Simon buys more and more cars, and his debt rises. he cuts paychecks to pay for his debt, and loses, workers. Production slows, the cars become more expensive to produce, and sell less.
Finally, Simon forces his two sons to mortgage their homes and dips into his daughter's college fund for a last minute shot of new cash into the company, which he plans to spend quickly on company-related pet-projects. After six months of no upturn, he plans to coerce his youngest nephew into mortgaging his home so that he can continue the same cycle he's been in for years: Spend more than he has, make debt, borrow money to pay debt, make more debt, threaten to put others into debt, take their money and spend it, causing more debt, followed by more borrowing, debt, borrow, debt, borrow, debt, etc, ad infinitum.
This seems to be Obamanomics.

The master at Work.

Willan playing Ye Watchers and Ye holy Ones at S.Mary Magdalene, Toronto, in 1966.
With the new translation of the missal, we Roman Catholics may soon be able to use his settings of the communion service. (Example.)

The State: Now with power over life and death!

Okay, I'm exaggerating, but if this is true, I'll fight it till I die. It was a policy like that that killed my grandmother. I'm serious. They stopped her cancer treatment and gave her high doses of morphine, which killed her. It's so insensitive, so pompous that I could rant for seventy paragraphs and never tell the full extent of how I feel about this.
But I do know one thing: If this does get considered as a law, and the media doesn't do their usual blackout of O's less popular policies and pronouncements, they'll lose my siblings and my mother. What those doctors did to my grandmother hurt my mom so much that she's still not over it.I'm still feeling it's effects. If that ever in my life becomes a law, I'll just call Unjust Law and hold myself responsible to disobey it, fight it, and encourage others to go and do likewise.



And on that note, I'll respond to an e-mail I got asking what all the political commentary is all about.
I don't think it's any secret that I'm a Catholic. Now, most of my political views came from my faith.
Just going by the Catechism of the Catholic church, I beleive that all citizens have a duty to respect and obey just laws given by the government, as a fulfillment of the fourth commandment. (C.C.C. No.2238) I also beleive, however, that a government has a duty to respect, protect, and promote the individual rights of all it's citizens . Citizens are not slaves of the state, but the state is given to serve it's citizens (C.C.C.No. 2235) It is the duty of the state to protect the rights of all human persons, and it may never infringe on them without just cause. They are not to set their personal interests and ambitions against the interests of the community they govern. (C.C.C. Nos. 2237 and 2236)
As a consequence of this, the state may never establish laws contrary to the natural law, and the dignity and rights of all persons. ( C.C.C.No. 2235) Governments and citizens ought to work together for the common good of all people, not just those within it's borders, therefore, the state ought never to contravene the natural rights which belong to every person, in their country and in others. Lastly, when the government exercises authority, it should do so with the object of promoting the freedom and personal responsibility of all people.(C.C.C. No. 2236) Not of promoting reliance on the state for everything, or "Nanny Statism."
Where and when the government is following this doctrine, if you will, of governing, all have a duty to submit to their government's authority, obey it's laws, and pay duties imposed on them. ( C.C.C.No. 2240)
But, where and when the state sets up unjust laws that contradict conscience, natural law, individual rights, and the common good of the nation and the world, citizens have a duty, not only to refuse obedience to those laws, but to work against those who promote them. (C.C.C.No. 2242)
These are the basic principles on which all my ideas rest, and most my critiques of the current administration have some basis on these, the most general being the good of the nation, which can be applied to almost any law or policy. If it's bad for the country, it fits under that principle. (At least in my poor thinking.)
And lastly, as this is quite important, I'll just quote it in full:

Catechism of the Catholic church No. 2239:
"Those subject to authority should regard those in authority as representatives of God, who has made them stewards of his gifts...... Their loyal collaboration includes the right, and at times the duty, to voice their just criticisms of that which seems harmful to the dignity of persons and to the good of the community."

Emphasis mine.

Feast of the Redeemer.

Which the Mercedarians celebrated (And still do) on July 9th. This is lauds and vespers of the office according to a mercedarian breviary printed in 1961. It differs from the Roman office for that feast only in the chapter at Lauds and vespers.

AD I Vesperas:

Ant.1 Virgam virtútis suae emítet Dóminus ex Sion , et regnabit in saeculum seculi.
ant.2. Redemptiónem misit Dóminus pópulo suo ; mandávit in aetérnum testaméntum suum.
ant.3 Misericordia mea , et refúgium meum Dóminus, suscéptor meus, et liberator meus.
ant.4.Apud Dóminum misericordia , et copiosa apiid eum redémptio.
ant.5.In quacúmque die invocávero te, exáudies me : multiplicabis in ánima mea virtútem

Capitulum. 1.Petr.1:18
Scientes quod non corruptibilibus, auro vel argento, redempti estis de vana vestra conversatione paternæ traditionis: sed pretioso sanguine quasi agni immaculati Christi.

Creator alme síderum,
Eterna lux credéntium ,
Jesu , Redémptor ómnium ,
Inténde volis súpplicum.

Commune qui miindi nefas
Ut expiares, ad crucera
E Vírginis sacrário
Intacta prodis víctima.

Cujus potéstas glóriae ,
Noménque cum primum sonat
Et cœlites et ínferi
Tremente curvántur gemí.

Qui daemonis ne fráudibus
Períret orbis, ímpetu
Amóris actus , lánguidi
Mundi medéla factus es.

Te deprecámur últimae
Magnum diei Júdicem ,
Armis supernae grátiae
Défende nos ab hóstibus.

Iesu, tibi sit gloria,
Qui natus es de Vírgine ,
Cum Pâtre , et almo Spíritu ,
In sempiterna saecula. Amen.

V. Redemisti nos, Domine , in sanguine tuo.
R. Et fecisti nos Deo nostro regnum.
Ad Mag. ant.: Salus autem mea in sempiternum erit, et justítia mea in generatiónes generatiónum, alleluia.
Oratio:

DEUS , qui Unigénitum Tui mundi Redemptorem constituisti, el per eum, devicto morte, nos misericorditer ad vitam reparasti : concede;ut ac beneficia recoléntes tibi perpetua cáritate adhaerére, et ejúsdem redemptiónis fructum percípere mereámur. Per eúmdem.

Ad Laudes:
Ant.1.Cántate Domino , quóniam magnífice fecit : annuntiáte hoc in universa terra.
ant.2.Ecce Deus Salvátor meus , fiduciáliler agam ; quia faclus est mihi in salútem, alleluia.
ant.3.Haurietis aquas in gaudió de fóntibus Salvatóris , et dicétis : Confitémini Dómino , et invocate nomen ejus.
ant.4.Facta est salus , et virtus regnum Dei nostri , et potestas Christi eius.
ant.5.Exulta, et lauda, habitatio Sion : quia magnus in medió tui sanctus Israel.

Capitulum. 1.Petr.1:18
Scientes quod non corruptibilibus, auro vel argento, redempti estis de vana vestra conversatione paternæ traditionis: sed pretioso sanguine quasi agni immaculati Christi.

Salutis humánae Sator,
Jesu, voluptas córdium.
Orbis redempti Conditor,
Et casta lux amántium.

Qua victus es clementia,
Ut nostra ferres crimina
Mortem subíres ínnocens,
A morte nos ut tolleres.'

Te cogat indulgéntia
Ut damna nostra sarcias .
Tuíque vultus compotes
Dites beato lúmine.

Iesu , tibi sit gloria ,
Qui natus es de Virgine .
Cum Patre, et almo Spiritu,
In sempiterna saecula.
Amen
V.Domine , refugium factus es nobis.
R. A generatione et progénie.

Ad Bened. Ant: Ecce Deus noster iste ; espectávimus eum , et salvábit nos sustinuimus eum, exultabimus et laetábimur in salulári eius alléluia.

DEUS , qui Unigénitum Tui mundi Redemptorem constituisti, el per eum, devicto morte, nos misericorditer ad vitam reparasti : concede;ut ac beneficia recoléntes tibi perpetua cáritate adhaerére, et ejúsdem redemptiónis fructum percípere mereámur. Per eúmdem.

Ad II Vesperas:
Ad Magnif. Ant: Regnum tuum regnum omnium saeculórum, et dominátio tua in omni generatióne et generatiónem , alleluia.

I'm stealing this.

From here.
Kind of an addendum to my last post on Cap and Tax.
You know what's weird? One of those dark states is Pennsylvania. Wait, I live in Pennsylvania. And my uncles live in coal country. That's odd. It's almost as if we're going to lose money due to wealth-throwing-away- I mean, Redistribution.
But that's not possible. The government is here to save us, right? That's why they're taking all our money and bankrupting our most lucrative industry. It's only seemingly negative. But don't let your eyes deceive you, just listen to the government. Good, I needed that reassurance.

Colin Mawby

I'd literally kill to study under him. Man is a genius, real genius. Proof? his popular setting of the Ave Verum Corpus. (Another version here.) I first heard of him when the aforesaid motet was sung at my parish two years ago on a Sunday in ordinary time. The parish choir sings other works of his, (I beleive we got this on Mary, Mother of God, this past Christmastide) and I'm happy about that. Another link, Easter music. I would love this at the easter vigil. God willing, someday I can write modern sacred music like he has.