*Cough cough*

(My card for KAF TCG. )

NOOOOOO!!!!!

I just died quite a bit inside.

I hope, I really, really hope that they don't ruin any of the series. I can't see a company like Disney putting out something like, oh say, The Trial of Thor or Deadpool. I'll grant that they probably won't make major cuts or changes to storylines, but if they do go ahead with any of the movies that Marvel was going to make, they're going to bastardise them beyond recognition. ( Thor isn't exactly PG-rated, you know.) I can see all of Marvel's characters, or at least the more famous ones being pimped to death in one of Disney's many over-expensive, craptastic theme parks. Oh, and that above is'nt how I'm feeling about this.
What I'm feeling is more akin to THIS.

At least this reminded me what I can spend my birthday money on.

Happy Feast day!

This Raymund is commonly called Nonnatus, or Unborn, because his was one of the rare cases in which the child is not brought into the world in the course of nature, but by a surgical operation after the death of the mother. He was the son of godly and noble parents, at Portel in Catalonia. The tokens of his holy after-life appeared even in his childhood. The things that delight children, and the attractions of the world, had no charm for him. He was so earnest in godliness that all men marvelled at his habits of premature old age. As he grew older, he gave himself to the study of letters, but, at the command of his father, turned to farming. He went often to the Chapel of St. Nicholas, in the suburbs of Portel, to visit the sacred image of the Mother of God, which is still sought with great tenderness by the faithful. There he poured forth his soul in prayer, and earnestly entreated the Mother of God herself to be pleased to take him for her son, to shew him the way wherein it should be safe for him to walk, and to teach him the science of the Saints.

And the most gracious Maiden was not deaf to his prayers. From her he understood that it would please her right well, if he would join the Religious Order which had just been founded at her own inspiration, styled Of Ransom or Of Mercy, for buying up and freeing slaves. As soon as he had received this intimation from her, he went to Barcelona, and entered the Institute so nobly dedicated to love for our neighbour. Once enlisted in the Regular Army, he guarded unspotted for ever the virginity which he had already consecrated to the Blessed Virgin for ever. But he was a bright and shining light of all other good words and works, especially of tender compassion for Christians who were passing a life of grievous bondage in the possession of unbelieving masters. To free such he was sent into Africa, and delivered many. But his money ran short, and as there were still many in imminent danger of denying the faith, he pawned himself. He was enkindled with a most vehement longing for the salvation of souls, and by his exhortations brought divers Muslims to Christ. The Moors therefore threw him into close prison, and put him to divers tortures, at last making holes through his lips and locking them together with an iron padlock, which horrid cruelty he long endured.

On account of these, and other brave things that he did, he got the name of a Saint far and wide. Gregory IX was moved thereby to make Raymund a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, but in this place of honour the man of God shrank from all outward shew, and clung ever tightly to the lowliness that beseemeth a Religious man. He had started for Rome, but had only got as far as Cardona, when he was seized with his last illness, and earnestly called for the strengthening Sacraments of the Church. But his position became critical, and the Priest had not arrived. Then Angels came unto him, clad in the habit of his own Order, and ministered unto him the wholesome Provision for the last journey. When he had taken it, he gave God thanks, and departed hence to be ever with the Lord. It was the last Lord's Day in August 1240. After his death there was some dispute arose as to where his body should be buried ; so they shut it up in a box, and laid it upon a blind mule, and the beast was guided by God to carry it to the chapel of St. Nicholas, that he might be buried where he had laid the foundations of his nobler life. There was built there a Convent of his Order, and the faithful come together thither from all parts of Catalonia to honour him, and he is famous for divers signs and wonders.

Ant: Well done, good and faithful servant: * thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter into the joy of thy Lord.
V. The Lord guided the righteous in right paths.
R. And shewed him the kingdom of God.
Prayer:
O God, who didst endue thy blessed Confessor Saint Raymund with wondrous powers for the deliverance from the capitívity of the infidel: grant that, by his intercession ; we may be delivered from the bonds of all our iniquities, and perform those things that are acceptable unto thee with perfect freedom. Through.

(You know, seeing how totally un-PC he is, im not surprised his feast was removed from the general calendar. Anyway, due to a loophole in the General instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours, I'll be able to sing vespers tonight.)

Apologetics Fail.

LULZ.

You know, proving the validity of one of your opponents two sources of evidence (Which evidence is sometimes used as evidence of the validity of their first source of evidence) is Probably Not a good way to try to support your own arguments.
I'm just sayin'....

I Nearly Forgot.

It's S.Augustine's feast day.

Happy feast day to all those in the Augustinian family!

Well, it's certainly true, right.

Left Coast Rebel observes how most conservatives are Old, White, Southern, Republican males who are racists and not too smart. It's true! I mean, look at your scribe, He's, um, well, actually....
Well, I'm male. That part applies.
See! I fit the stereotype!!111!One!!!!!Eleventy-Two!!!!!

On a more serious note, I can't see how insulting your opponents and painting them with a wide brush of generalisations could in any way further intelligent debate. Not that the conduct of angry screaming people in town halls has helped the debate or our image. I think it's needs to be said that honest criticism or not, that kind of conduct is plaiting the rope to hang ourselves with.
Despite that, the Dems have only shown themselves to be what they despise when they applied braod-brush fallacies, simply dismissing their opponents on terms that don't make or break a logical argument whatever. Even if conservatives were bunch of angry, gun toting white rednecks, it does'nt invalidate their claims. I can't accept that anyone got a college education without learning of logical no-noes like personal attacks. So I guess I'll have to come up with another reason.

I had another muder dream.

So, in this week's installment of dreams-where-someone-kills-Joe, My mom sends me downtown to get some things form the store, and I don't feel like walking, so I takes the trolley. The trolley makes a sudden turn on a street that I heretofore did not know existed, called Nguyen Avenue. So the lady is calling out stops, and I ask what happenned to Market street (The street the trolley usual runs on.)She ignores me and tells me to get off the next stop, so I do.
When I get off, there's a crowd and some guy yelling at a cop. I decide to get away from them, and I see the guy put a gun against the cop's head. She gets free and tries to restrain him, but he gets free and runs over to me to put me in a headlock with the gun against my head. I try to act calm, but he's still arguing with the cop, and eventually, BOOM. Dead. Brains splattered about the sidewalk. Some lady yells "OH MY GOD!" and then I woke up.
It was so real. I even remember arguing with myself whether or not I should take the trolley, and then complaining that this was all because some people I had to have a specific brand of soda that they only sell halfway across the city so I have to get it.

*Does something slightly illegal*

Click to read the music!

Please, please spread the word about this. I have about six more of these chant-based mass settings for the new, soon to come translations for the mass. I'll only have them long enough to scan them and hopefully someday, print a copy for my private use. They'll all be gone on September 8th, so after that, You'll have to contact me by e-mail to get a copy of any of these settings. I'm also going to put up Lodewidjk de Vocht's Missa in Honerem S.Ioseph, probably on Wednesday. So yeah, copy and download these scans for the time being, 'cause I can't give the originals, and I've never found these anywhere else.
*Hides from the Government.*

S-l-o-o-o-w...

That's how my composing is going. At today's hour-and-a-half of organ practice, I got exactly three measures written. And I take back what I said about the style. While the first part of the kyrie is polyphony-influenced, from there it turns into a Rheinberger/Widor-esque choral work. I Finished the kyrie eleison, now I'm moving onto the Christe Eleison. This is where you get the neccesary dratic touch. I'm going to do the choral parts forte and unaccompanied, with organo pleno chords between the choir's singing. At the end of the Christe, I might go down to flutes and strings with unison choir for the second Kyrie eleison, then something contrapunctal .
But this it planning ahead. At this rate, this mass will take me months to a year, seeing as how it takes one hour per measure. D:
Maybe when I get a USB chord, I'll make a video so that you all can see what it sounds like and tell me what you think.

Im swamped.

I took too many commissions. I started and finished this one last night, and it was due today.I have another for someone who has one of those extremely cluttered avis. She also changed hers minutes after I took her commission, so I probably won't get all the details. My good friend is also having a contest for people who draw hers. There's a great prize, and I've entered, but I don't know if I'll be done in time.

What's up with Shonen Jump?

Seriously? I get a year subscription for Christmas, only to find out that the service is.....rather erratic.
I never got January's issue, and February's came in March along with March's issue. Since then, they've been coming late, until today when I got October's issue.
Yes.
October.
And it's August right now, right?
I wonder what will happen come September? Will I get September's along with August and November?
That's not all. They claim that your account gives you free access to the SJ Sub Club with free manga and wallpapers and all that stuff, only for me to find out upon trying to access my account that "Your account number is invalid. This account has been terminated." How can it be terminated? I'm still getting issues, and they still have my account number with the stupid "You can use dis for to go to special club lololololololo.lol!!!!11!!!!Twenty-four!!!1!!oNe!!1!"
If I was'nt addicted, you know I'd cut this in a flash.
You Know it.

It's an acquired taste.

It is.
One of Dupre's Toccatas, (Please fast-forward to 5:30 and onwards to hear the good part.) and his wonderful Prelude and Fugue in B. Here's a toccata by Durufle, played by.....Virgil Fox.* I don't listen much to is music, but his prelude, adagio and fugue on 'Veni Creator Spiritus' Is some really great stuff. Of course, Nothing whatever could be more of an acquired taste than Messien. Olivier Messien. Even Dieu Parmi Nous, the only ting he wrote that I could recomend people to listen to is full of all sorts of dissonance and seeming dead-ends. To scholastics, he's apprently some kind of genius. To casual listeners like me, the only coll (Get it? Coll? Cool? I'm sorry, it was a Nerd Moment) things are the reeds and flues.
And speaking of reeds, I really, really wanted to Die after I heard this.
Please turn your sound all the way up.
Please fast-foreward to 4:10 and listen all the way up to 4:50
Listen.
Repeat.
When I go to my eternal rest, I want those exact notes played the minute I get there.
Because it's totally awesome.
It's totally underutilized too . I don't think the shrine ever actually uses that 32'. D;

*I actually Like Virgil Fox.

It's me new sig!

For KAF.

...........................

.........................
I've Really got to get back to reading Reborn! Last I read, Shouichi was actually on their side, the whole plan was a clever ruse, but he was found out and they only have a week to save their future selves. Wow.
Anyway, I'm hoping that someone on KAF will make me a sig. I don't have one, you know.

I like this post.

READ IT. It's about the economics of Healthcare reform. What I do not like, however, is this comment:
"Terminally ill patients should not be given expensive and/or experimental care. It is estimated that nearly 30% of all healthcare dollars go to terminally ill cancer patients. This must stop. It’s a waste of money. We must also stop the excesses of care to the elderly. President Obama’s 88 year old grandmother, who was terminally ill, received a hip replacement. Utterly ridiculous. She died a few months later. There are drugs that can increase a terminaly ill patient’s life by 6 months, but at a cost of nearly $100,000. We must say no to these exhorbitant treatments. We must more wisely spend our healthcare dollars on proven, cost-effective treatments."No person should receive better access, better coverage or better treatment than another person.

Okay sir. Maybe you could say that in a way that's less acerbic/eugenic/discriminatory/flagrantly immoral? I think your tone makes it hard for people to accept your thought.

Unfortunately, I've seen this sort of cognitive dissonance all around. Complain that healthcare is discriminatory, then discriminate against the weak. Complain that no one should ever profit from health insurance, and then bring up the loss of profit from treating terminally ill patients as a reason to avoid doing so. Really now? "No person should receive better access, better coverage or better treatment than another person" Yeah, except old people, dying people, and whoever else's life I've decided isn't worth sustaining!The doctors at Cold Spring would be ever so proud of modern Americans. Unfortunately as well, I don't think I can totally agree that healthcare is a right. By that, I mean that I do not beleive that any person can claim an absolute moral right to anyone's goods or services. The care of the sick if a Work of Mercy, and certainly it is true that no one should ever be left uncared for or made to suffer. But that's a perfect society. We don't live in a perfect society. We don't have hordes of chariable people willing to care for the sick and the dying for their own sake, as they deserved to be cared for, just as we don't have hordes of people willing to dive their last cent for education. Those services which people are not willing to do freely can and should be done by people who are willing to do them for profession. Yet it's just that, profession.
To claim out of fairness that healthcare is a human right and that you are entitled to it's services no matter what is akin to walking into Shopright and stealing four carts of groceries for yourself. Tell the police that food is a human right and see how far you go. It's akin to walking into the University of Penn and demanding a roster, because education is a right. It's akin to walking into a random stranger's home and demanding that they give you a room for the night, because shelter is a human right.
If you follow my logic, what I say is that I don't beleive that your have a right to have something neccesarily means that you have the right to obtain it by any means whatever. To try and obtain something like schooling, or housing, or even healthcare by force is to claim the right to have use of someone elses's goods and services. Worse yet, there are even some who, pointing to the extravagancies of many in the healthcare industry, beleive that they ought to have use of such services without the payment of the people providing them!
If I recall correctly, did'nt the government at one time feel that everyone had a right to house. Because of that, they made it possible for banks throw around mortgages like free cosplay gear at Comicon?
How did that turn out by the way? I suspect it turned out quite well.Deus, qui humánae redemptiónis opus per Unigéniti tui paschále mystérium implevísti, concéde propítius, ut, qui Christi mortem et resurrectiónem in sacramentórum signis annuntiámus fidénter, salvatiónis tuae contínuum experiámur augméntum. Per Dóminum.

*Dies from several repeated heart attacks.*

*Inserts a reason for said several repeated heart attacks.*

Diversity has finally come to the Roman Rite!

I've started over.

Yes. Longtime readers will remeber how I used to gloat about that SATB mass setting with difficult organ accompaniment that I was writing. Well, I've scrapped it. I don't like it, it's rather trite, modern and not my style. I got all the way to the end of the gloria and started the sanctus before I quit it. I think I'll keep the agnus dei for another setting in the classical style, something I'll write in the future.
For now, I'm doing something in my own style. It's unaccompanied polyphony. Think early 15th century polyphony with some modern influences from late Vierne, Durufle and Langlais. Because I don't have much access to any kind of keyboard instrument, It's going to be very slow work. I spent my whole hour and 15 minutes of organ practice this Wednesday beginning it, and I only got the first part of the Kyrie done. Luckily, I came up with the Sanctus many months ago, some time last year, but never wrote it down. Also, the setting is a setting og the forthcoming English translation, it's not a Latin mass setting. There's plenty of great liturgical music in Latin, but at least for Roman Catholics, not much good music in English.
After it's done, I have plans to write some settings based on gregorian chants. (If I can manage it!)

*Dies repeatedly.*

Miyazaki has a new movie!
I'm not a recent bandwagon fan. No. I've seen most of Miyazaki's English-language movies. My first was Kiki's Delivery Service, which hooked me. It just went downhill from there:Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away (My favorite), Castle in the Sky, Steamboy(My third favorite), Howl's Moving Castle (My second favorite), I've seen all of those repeatedly. The only one I've never seen is My Friend Totoro.
So I'm really excited to see his new movie myself. I just hope that working so closely with Disney does'nt ruin it. All I've got to do now is beg for some money to go see it. I promise a review when I do!
Oh yeah, KAF is having Anime night again tonight. They're even showing Slayers 9-10.Mai Hime 9-8 is on too, but it's too late at night for me to watch.They're also showing Kimagure Orange Road, which I've never seen but want to see.

UGGH.

I don't like how this came out. Actually, it's not even close to being done yet, but still....... I've been working on it for five or six days, yet it looks so messy. Some of the lines are off, and the window is done wrong. The hair isn't blended, and I don't know what to do with the cabinets under the counter. (The plain white unfinished area.)
I'll try to smooth it out.
*Tries to find white pencil.*

Compare and contrast.

The second is the sketch copy, which is supposed to be my bad copy. The first was done on manga paper, and it's supposed to be my good copy. You can see that the manga paper makes colors look brighter, but the sketch book paper absorbs colors better so skin tones blend better.I've been working on this one piece of art for five days, longer than any other thing I've done, and I have more pages like this to do. D;
I promise, you'll not see of these two again till I start writing the actual pages.

A modern hymn.

Sung to the tune Thaxted, written by Holst. It's one of my favorite hymn tunes, but we American Catholics have a rather trite hymn text for the same tune. (Actually, it's good as far as modern hymns go.) Whether appropriate or not, here's a different text.
I'm sure some smart person will realise where the text is taken from.

THOU art God, we praise thee,
we acknowledge thee the Lord.
Thou the Father everlasting,
by all the earth adored!
To thee doth cry the angels,
the heav'ns and pow'rs therein.
To thy laud do cry the cherabim,
and six-winged seraphim.
Crying "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth
Of thy glory are filled the heavens
and earth doth raise the post."

Thy Princes, the Apostles,
the Prophets of thy word,
the army of thy martyrs,
All to thy praise do yearn.
And through the world thy Church
her Lord doth ever own:
Father of infinite majesty
Thy true and only Son
The Holy Ghost the Comforter
Thou, God, who ever reigns:
Immortal, invisible
Ever wise, ever the same!

(Insert choral verse here:)

Thou Christ, Thou King of Glory,
Thou everlasting Son
Who for man's deliverance
Spurned not the Virgin's womb.
And Death's sharpness overcoming
heaven's gates did open wide
to all thy faithful christian sons
who by thy Love abide.
Thou sittest at God's right hand
In the glory of the Lord
Thou shalt come, and judging all men
Shall give them faith's reward.

(Insert full organ and choir+congregation:)

Pray we therefore, Help thy servants,
Whom thy precious blood redeemed.
With thy Saints, we pray thee, number them,
The great souls and the least.
O Lord, save thy people,
Thine heritage do bless,
In thy mercy do uplift them ,
who doth thy name confess.
Day by day, we magnify thee,
Worship thee world without end.
Vouchsafe, O Lord to keep us
this day without sin.

(Insert treble descant:)

O Lord, we beg thy mercy,
let it lighten upon us,
let us never be counfounded
for in thee we put our trust!
Benediction, praise, and power,
ever to the be addressed,
One Majesty, One Deity,
Co-equal three confessed!
To thee, God Unbegotten
And Sole-Begotten Son,
Blessed Spirit from them proceeding!
To God all praise be done!

(Insert wonderful ten-minute long improvised organ postlude with 8' Tuba Magnas and 32' Contre-Bombardes.)

I like it. I think it has some bad ryme here and there, and some imperfect grammar, but I like it. [/Grammar Nazi.]

Evolution of a drawing. (Continuing.)

Sketch.

Ink the sketch.

Color the peoplez with marker.

Color the Background.

This of course, isn't my good copy of this drawing. Actually, it might end up to be my good copy. I forgot that the colors look different on the paper I use for my sketch book and manga paper, so I tried to start coloring my good copy, using light peach as a base color.
Well, he came out Orange.
Orange.
Orange?
Orange.
Orange?!
Orange!!
Actually, when it's scanned, it doesn't look quite as orange as in real life. Anyway, the one guy has a best friend named Betty (Not my choice of name, by the way) who secretly does some work in ballistics for a drug lord. Yes, a drug lord. With drugs. You should get where this series is going.

A musical Offering.

In honor of the Assumption: Bach's fugue on the Magnificat, BWV 733.

After hearing it, I recognise it as the unidentified piece played by my parish's organist last year on Sept 24th.

Picture.

Like I said on my deviantART account, I'm going to draw a manga. I'm drawing the character pages now. ( I've only come up with three characters so far, two of which are pictured above.) That, of course, Is'nt my original. I never ink or color my originals until after I've made a copy. I ink and color that one first, as a practice. I'll give you names, plotlines, and more character pages by Tuesday at the earliest.

*EDIT*
Darn. The two brothers are supposed be giving each other a fist-bump, but it looks like they're
holding hands. Why do I have to be so terrible at drawing hands?`And feet? I can draw hands that look like feet, but I can't draw feet. Even If I try to draw hands, expecting them to look like feet. Sometimes I think that God gave people fingers to show artists their limits.

Someone gets it.

"You see, "instruction," according to the mind of the Council, is the essential key to "participation;" one cannot possibly hope to penetrate the sacred Mysteries in such way as to actively participate in them without first comprehending, to the extent that it is possible, what is taking place. "

And:

"To the Council Fathers, fostering active participation among the laity meant providing the "liturgical instruction" necessary in order for the "faithful to take part in the sacred liturgy fully aware of what they are doing." (cf SC 11)'

There's a lot of work to be done. Pastors of souls, do your job! Go write or find an explanation of the mass and leave it in the parish bulletin!

Whole article.

And could someone tell me what it is with progressives and their language? Do they take some sort of sick pleasure in gang-raping rules of grammar to death? I mean, they don't use any articles. ( "Being church", "Being Eucharist"). In fact, that's still not right, because I don't think you can use all adjectives as stand-alone nouns. Like S.Thomas Aquinas says, adjectives like "red" are descriptive qualities. You can't see, or touch, or experience "red' by itself. They're trying to use "Red" like they could. Not to mention, I've noticed that David Haas has a problem with splitting infinitives. (i.e. , he does it.)
[/Grammar Nazi]

Vigil of the Assumption

The Dormition of the Holy Theotokos , attributed To S.John the apostle, but probably 5th century devotional literature.

And I found all the chant I needed. Also, my little home altar is decorated rather elaborately with flowers and candles. Maybe I'll put a pic up later.

So which one of you nice people with a car....

...Is going to give me a ride to this? The one in Merchanville? Hmm? If you give me ride, I'll let you borrow my copy of Lodewidck de Vocht's Missa in Honerem Sancti Ioseph. ( A hard to find, yet wonderful piece of early twentieth century choral music for double choir.) Or I'll make you a free piece of art. I'm back to doing hand illuminations.

Stupid Computer!

I've been trying for days to read the actual health care bill, because you can't always trust what you hear your opponents or even those on your side say about it. (Misinformation and hyperbole abound on both sides.) First I had to find it online. I did, and it was in a PDF. No problem. Or so I thought. Literally every time I've tried to read it, Firefox crashes. It seems as if there's some sort of trouble with Adobe right now.
That said, Nickie Goomba Has a synopsis of what's in it with a link to the bill. After reading it, it makes you really want to read the bill even more so that I could have context-quoted proof of everything listed, to dispel the false truths that the government is't trying to take over, or at least regulate health care. Rather, they claim that they're just trying to offer an alternative for those who need it. A simple option for the public. It is'nt so, and some of them must know it.

Assumpta est Maria in Caelum...

I have plans to sing the office of the Assumption this Saturday, meaning that as usual, I'll have to go around and do a search to find the various antiphons for the offices. Second vespers has everything from the 62' breviary, and both lauds and vespers have parts of said breviary in their offices. At least the hymns at lauds and vespers have the same tune. It shouldn't take me long , as I've finished writing out first vespers. The only problem I'll have is that the first antiphon of lauds isn't exactly anywhere in the old breviary, and there's nothing like the last.

*Dies repeatedly.*

Those who know me that my two all time favoutite composeres are Bach and Charles Marie Widor.
Well, imagine my surprise when looking for a recording of Widor's Marche Pontificale, I found a user who's uploaded nearly 80 vidoes of various movements of Widor's symphonies, played on Cavaille-Coll organs. Anyone in the know knows that most organist, myself included*, would have no qualms with killing a couple of people for a few hours free time on a Cavaille-Coll.( I'm lucky though, as the parish closest to mine has an organ built in 1894 with several ranks purportedly made by Cavaille-Coll. I don't know if it's true, but the 8' and 4' flutes have his characteristic sound, as do the 8' principals, and 8' Trompette.)
That said, I'll give you the pick of the litter.

Finale from Symphony no.8

Marche from symphony no. 3

Prelude from symphony no.2

Marche Pontificale (From symphony no.1)

Prelude from symphony no.8

Adagio from symphony no.5

Allegro vivace from symphony no.5

Look through their channel for more good music!

I did'nt hear that , right?

Watching Nanci Pelosi talking about how the Dems expect to finance their health care reform bill. She said that they would try to squeeze (emphasis hers) as much money out of savings as possible, and the difference could be gotten by taxing private insurance companies, and if that was'nt enough, levying another tax on on what will be deemed to be surplus income. (What is is now, $100.000 a year now?)
Now, do you see what I think there should be serious discussion as to whether or not the Liberal Dems are honestly trying to get rid of private insurance? Not only does their bill make provision to severely limit it's application, but now they want to tax private insurance companies as punishment (And, yes, speaker Pelosi stressed that it was a punishment imposed on them for screwing Americans over) for the simple fact that they exist?It's almost as if the current administration wants to tax their enemies out of existence. When are these people going to get it through their heads that restrictions and taxation does not encourage competition? They're all but scaring companies out of the market. When are they going to get it through their heads that it's not proper to punish people for doing their jobs?
It appears to me that their whole economic theory is based on the premises that no one person should ever make large amounts of money, and that if anyone does, it is the State's right to forcibly take their money from them and apply it to whatever the State wants money for. The State right now wants, no , rather, it needs your money. And if you are'nt going to give freely, then they've decided that that have a right to your property, and they'll take it from you as they need it.
Pelosi and her crew seem to see all their enemies, whether they be private companies that might compete with their State Care, or people who disagre with their philosophy of life by making money, they see them all as cash-cows for the government to milk and take from to fund all it's pet projects, whether be benificial to the American people or not.
This sounds so ridiculous, that I can only assume that in the rush to clean up for my father's visit, I missed two or so paragraphs on her speech .
I certainly did'nt really hear Speaker Pelosi suggest that.
If so, I have a second reason not to like her.

Thanks Mom, thanks a lot.

I was trying to watch Cspan on Thursday evening, watching what I suppose was a Republican senator from Iowa speaking at length about the proposed Public Option* I say trying, becasue my mother was with me and found it unspeakably boring. So much so, that every 20 seconds like clockwork, she cried "Joey! This is BORING! Turn the channel! I want to watch House of Payne!" I, however, found it quite exciting to say the least, which should show how much my interest in politics has grown in leaps and bounds. ( A year ago, watching two hours of C-SPAN would've been a parent-imposed punishment.) The man, whose name exscapes me** Brought out quite a few goood points. He gave some good charts and projections, but what really would've caught anyone's, and I do mean anyone's attention were his stories and anecdotes.
Hearing document cases about places using similar or somewhat similar single-payer healthcare systems, that getting surgeries for things such as hip replacements, knee replaces, and other reconstructive surgery could take months to a year is scary. When I heard his story about the man who literally tore up his knee playing sports, and did'nt get any kind of surgery until nearly a year to the day after the event (six months to get permission from the government to get the surgery, and then six months after he finally got permission waiting on a list) I could'nt help but fell a chill.
It's no secret that I'm Extremely accident prone***. In 2007, I made a visit to the emergency room for a serious injury at least once a month. Last year I did better, going only once every two months, but could it be possible that someone like me could be waiting in a long queque after a third-degree burn to the foot, or an infected wound, or something of the sort? Would my injuries begin to pile up? Will I be waiting in several lines for several injuries gotten over several months, just waiting to get a procedure approved by the government?
How about, Instead of waiting in America's line, I'll go get my surgery done in another country, Like the senator said many Canadians do? What about invasive surgeries? Will you be in line for eight months for a new liver while yours is failing or completely failed, while you wait for the state to give you permission to get a transplant? The cynic in me wonders is women will have to wait for months to get their abortions approved, while the state bureaucrats stall and a baby is born alive? (But considering the Obama cabinet's obvious support for abortion, I would'nt be surprised if all abortions were given the go-ahead. This is assuming that the state recognizes abortion and contraception as healthcare.)
If I'm lucky enough to have private insurance, assuming that there are'nt too many regulations on whether or not the state says I can have it, these could be dealt with. Assuming that you get to live. There's a highly unlikely rumour that provision is given for older and terminally ill patients to be asked about how they want to be euthanised. Yup, state-sanctioned euthenasia, just like in the good ol' days.
I hope this is scaring you. I really do. I hope you're scared witless****. Because these situations are at least possible, if not likely, in the light of other countries' experiences.
We thought we were just overreacting when we said that the state wanted to control your life. Turns out, that part may not be a rumour, but a real posibility.
Unfortunately, I did'nt get to see the end of the debate. I'm such a momma's boy that I gave into my mother's pleading and turned the channel. So instead of watching an exciting debate about a bill that could change our country for good, I watched re-run's of a somewhat boring sitcom.

*As the man said, for some reason, the incumbents won't let us call it State-run insurance. That's being considered a profane word.

**If you watched it, or know who it was, please tell me. I'd like to know more, possibly watch the rest.

*** So much so, that my school's guidance counselor thought that I was a Cutter and wanted to know why I was self-mutilating. Seriously. Dude thought I was crazy or something.

****In lieu of another, more Profane word.

Aside, I highly reccomend Mr. Black's book on the American Eugenics movement. Well researched, light on polemics, good logic. I used it as the primary source of my information for my term paper last year. (Which I got an extremely high grade on.)

August is the month...

....Of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in the older Roman Calendar celebrated on August 22nd. In the Modern Roman kalendar, It's celebrated on a much older date (the Saturday after the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.)
From S.Joseph's Manual of prayers:

AS the adorable Heart of Jesus was formed in the chaste womb of the Blessed Virgin and of her blood and substance, so we cannot in a more proper and agreeable manner show our devotion to the Sacred Heart of the Son, than by dedicating some part of the said devotion to the Immaculate Heart of the Mother. For you have two hearts here united, in the most strict alliance, and tender conformity of sentiments, so that it is not in nature to please the one, without making yourself agreeable to the other, and pleasing to both. Go then, devout client, to the Heart of Jesus, but let your way be through the Heart of Mary. The sword of grief which pierced her soul opens you a passage ; enter by the wound which love has made; advance to the Heart of Jesus, and rest there even to death itself. Presume not to separate and divide two objects so intimately one, or united together; but ask in all your exigencies from the Heart of Jesus, and ask this redress through the Heart of Mary.

This form and method of devotion is the doctrine and the very spirit of God's Church ; it is what she teaches us in the unanimous voice and practice of the faithful, who will by no means that Jesus and Mary should be separated from each other in our prayers,praises, and affections.This consideration has engaged the sovereign pontiffs and head pastors of the Church to give the selfsame sanction to the pious practices instituted in honor of the sacred Heart of Mary as they give to those of the adorable Heart of Jesus, both within their proper limits. They both have equally their feasts and solemnities, both their associations, and those, too, equally enriched with the treasures of the Church, under the liberal dispensation of its governors. Many are the pious and virtuous souls who have drawn most signal fruit and advantages from these devotions.

Let us love and honor these two hearts so intimately united ; let us go to the Father through the Heart of Jesus; let us go to the Son through the Heart of Mary. Let us render to God the Father, through the Heart of Jesus, what we owe to his infinite goodness and justice ; and let us render to God the Son, through the Heart of Mary, what we owe to his mercy, and for all his beneftts to us. We shall obtain everything from the Father and the Holy Ghost through the Heart of Jesus, and we shall obtain every thing from the Son through the Heart of Mary. It is customary with many pious persons to dedicate the first Saturday in the month to the particular honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as the first Friday is devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. To this end they hear Mass, and make a spiritual communion, if they cannot communicate sacramentally, to thank God for all the graces he has bestowed upon Mary, and for the tender affection with which he has filled her heart towards us. In the evening they visit some church or altar dedicated to the blessed Virgin ; or, if that be impossible, they pay a visit to her image in their own house, or elsewhere.

(Who types Google Books' plaintext books? a three month old retarded monkey on crack? So many errors!)