It's not all bad news - The web is "rescuing Western Civ."

I Love this article. In fact, let me shout it - I LOVE THIS ARTICLE! It's called Consolations in a Dark Age by James Lewis at American Thinker. The theme is that, while colleges have stopped teaching Western Civilization, substituting denial and hate for the roots of our cultural, it's more alive than ever on the Internet.

Here's what the author says: "This is absolutely unprecedented. Today more of us can more easily access the best of 20 centuries of Western Civilization -- the real thing, not the college course -- than ever before. And people are doing it all over the world."

Read this wonderful article and then visit these examples, some of my own favorites. Homeschoolers know about this already because they are independent learners filled with a love for learning.

The world is at our fingertips so keep those keyboards humming.

Some of my favorites:

Favorite piece of classical music:



Favorite artist. Do you recognize him from this painting?



Favorite ancient philosopher

Favorite sculpture:



Favorite style of architecture:

Monstrosity or masterpiece? Which of these cathedrals would more likely lift your mind and heart to God? (Incidentally, one of the few good things about Notre Dame is their architecture program.)




Favorite Catholic Historian



And finally, my favorite writer in English literature. If I were marooned on a desert island, along with the Bible this man's collected works could keep me happy forever.

I could go on forever, but I'll let you explore your favorites for yourself.

Coffee, tea, and nudity - will they franchise?

Another sign of the disintegrating American culture: a topless coffee shop opened about four months ago in a small town in Maine. It was burned to the ground a few days ago hours after the owner addressed the local planning board seeking permission to expand the business allowing waitresses to "dance around" the shop. I haven't seen anything in the articles I've read about what "waitresses" wear or don't wear on their bottom halves. The owner intends to rebuild. One local (a young man - could that explain his opinon?) said in this bad economy he's for anything that offers jobs. Wonder if that includes arsonists or assassins for hire.

How would you like to have one of these joints in your local town (with used condoms littering the parking lot)? Let's hope the old saying, "As Maine goes so goes the nation," doesn't hold true in this case. If it does - Bedford Falls, get ready for Pottersville.

Remind us again of how the stimulus was going to help

Barack Obama told us the economic "stimulus" plan was absolutely necessary to improve the economy and prevent unemployment from hitting double digits. So where are we? A Washington Times editorial reports on the Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers for May which shows the U.S. barrelling toward 10% with no end in sight.

"What is stunning is the speed at which the unemployment rate is increasing. Since January 1990, there have been just three months when unemployment has increased by 0.5 percentage points or more in a month. Two of those months - February and May of this year - have been under the Obama administration."

Three hundred forty-five thousand more jobs were lost in May. Those are real people with real families. That means more business failures, more foreclosures, and more poverty for the American people. So where are the indications that the liberals' economic fiasco is helping?

Arnold Ross and George Tiller: Two Child Killers

Arnold Ross, a 17-year-old teen from the west bank in New Orleans, is charged with raping and murdering his girlfriend's 8-month old baby boy. A news report described the situation saying, "The infant, Da-Von Lonzo, was taken to Ochsner Westbank where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, according to a release issued by Col. John Fortunato, a spokesman for the sheriff's office. The death was initially unclassified, but the Jefferson Parish coroner's office later reported it as a homicide after an autopsy of the child's body revealed multiple fractures consistent with a beating and tears in the anus." The comments following the story express horror over what happened to this poor little baby. But I imagine some of the same individuals calling for the blood of the killer would describe themselves as pro-choice and excuse a similar crime provided the baby was murdered nine months earlier at eight months in utero.

That's what George Tiller did every day: injected saline solution to scald babies and burn off their skin, stabbed them in the neck and sucked out their brains, thrust a needle full of digoxin into their hearts to stop its beating - his methods changed over the years, but all guaranteed delivery of a battered and dead baby. Yet Tiller is a hero to the pro-abortion mob while Ross, no doubt, they would consider a monster. Tiller didn't rape the babies; he performed a mechanical rape on their mothers using sterile instruments to violate the sanctuary of the uterus. But he, we are told, was a brave man wielding his murderous instruments against the little ones. He was eulogized at his funeral as a "passionate and generous man who repeatedly overcame difficult challenges." A friend described him as "Mr. Enthusiasm," which was certainly true of his attitude toward killing children.

Well, Mr. Enthusiasm, meet your philosophical twin, Arnold Ross, a young man raised in a culture that allows the dismembering of near term babies in utero. He never knew a time that pornography wasn't rampant, fornication wasn't encouraged, and child killing wasn't legal. He grew up in an age where liberal policies destroyed the black family driving fathers from the home, encouraging mothers to replace them with Uncle Sugar and his welfare checks.

How can anyone be surprised when the young treat life as cheap and expendable. They've learned the lessons of the culture too well, perhaps. One can do whatever he likes and eliminate the consequences. The young find out too late that some killing is more equal than others.

There's precious little difference between little Da-Von Lonzo and the babies killed at Tiller's abortuary - about ten pounds, in fact. But Tiller performed respectible murders that left him awash in money that he shared with liberal politicians. His politically correct killing filled Kathleen Sebelius' campaign chest and those of other liberal politicians. As the Bible says, "Love of money is the root of all evils" and it can buy a lot of approval from those who lust after it.

As for me, I can't see much difference between George Tiller, mass child killer, and Arnold Ross, killer of one. They were philosophical twins. The pro-abortion "martyr" and the child abusing "monster" had more in common than our society is likely to admit.

We are the lambs of His flock

Trinity Sunday is a good day to remember how dependent we are on God. The Father called us into life through His Son, the Word, and loves and blesses us with the Holy Spirit. We are His people, the flock He shepherds. Yes we are His lambs. You can sing it: "I am a lamb in God's hands." Click on the hotlink and watch the video, preferably with one of God's little lambs sitting on your lap. They'll love it! And if you're a baby boomer say a prayer for the Beach Boys whose Barbara Ann was the inspiration.

We need to elect solid conservatives to Congress

I first "met" Christina Jeffrey when we were both fighting to protect Terri Schiavo from being starved and dehydrated to death in Florida. Christina is a true conservative and a pro-lifer who will defend constitutional rights: the right to life, the right to bear arms, the right to work, and all the other rights guaranteed under our Constitution. Christina is running in the fourth district of South Carolina in a Republican primary against a big-government moderate. He has a pro-life voting record, but also voted against a bill prohibiting mandatory mental health screening in the schools, a violation of parental rights. He supports the global warming scam and has moved more and more toward the left in the last ten years.

If we are going to take back the government from left-wing liberals, we can't do it with left-wing Republicans. We need true constitutionalists who will fight to uphold the values and principles upon which the nation was founded. After you "meet" Christina, I hope you'll send her a donation ASAP. Visit her website and help to take back America. Whatever state you live in, you win when another pro-life, constitutional conservative goes to Washington. Please help Christina, a Ph.D. political science college professor, take her wisdom to Washington.

Of Elites and Wage Slaves

What do you think about Barack Obama preaching to the American people about tightening their belts and sacrificing while he and Michelle fly to New York for dinner and a show and take the family to Paris for a weekend sightseeing trip? I've lived in the Washington, D.C. area my entire married life and I can testify to the abundance of professional theatre right here in town. The Kennedy Center, the Folger, the Arena Stage, the Warner, the Shakespeare Theatre, and a whole panoply of semi-professional theatre is available. For heaven's sake, the president has his own box at the Kennedy Center! As for the Paris jaunt, what can one say? Sacrifice is for other people, not the leftist elite. The people can't afford Paris? let them visit London. But Barack is an egalitarian monarch. He didn't wear a tie on the outing to New York.

The journalistic pool, of course, accompanied the first couple on the little NY trip. Here's one report. It gives you an idea of the magnitude of such productions. How many helicopters, planes, limos, Secret Service agents, military support personnel, and police officers from the NYPD, etc. were involved in the outing? How much did it cost the taxpayers who are already in hock for trillions in increasing debt since Obama took over? And what did the Paris trip cost? Who knows? Will we get an itemized bill?

Part of the anger of people over the Obamas' extravagance isn't so much the trip; presidents have always traveled on the taxpayer's dollar. It's the sanctimonious hypocrisy. When GM CEOs came to Washington in their private (already paid for) jets, they were excoriated for their extravagance because of the financial crisis. Obama and other liberals, however, think nothing of using the taxpayers' money to fund their own extravagance despite a severe recession and mounting unemployment. Greed is greed is greed except when you're a liberal and see it as your divine right. (Or should that be divine left?)

I wonder what all the out-of-work GM workers think about the Obamas' trips. Maybe the first family should visit Detroit. Not nearly as much to see as in Paris, of course. And somehow I doubt the streets would be lined with cheering folks. But maybe I'm wrong. The capacity for people to deceive themselves is limitless. (Look at the Notre Dame commencement - those folks are Catholic?) Many probably still believe the Messiah of Washington will save them. They can send their mortgages to the White House or their foreclosure notices.

Unemployment here in the U.S. is reportedly 9.4%, higher than it's been in 25 years. One article I cited below says the "real" rate is 15.8% because of all the discouraged, no-longer-looking folks - and that's from an ultra liberal group that's still blaming the Republicans as they claim "the worst is behind us." What a pipe dream! As if spending three trillion more dollars you don't have can get you out of already massive debt. The solution for them is the money tree. Out of dollars? Get the presses rolling and "stimulate" the economy. Reminds me of my kids when they were little - "Just write a check, Mom." They didn't get the concept of needing money in the bank before you can write a check.

Liberals don't seem to get it either. But neither did the neo-conservatives in the Bush White House who worked for bigger, more intrusive government. Unless the Republicans return to their conservative roots, the U.S. of the Founding Fathers is finished. The American dream is already nearly dead - except for politicians who are becoming more and more the elite nobility instead of the servants of the people and, obviously, the ultra wealthy. Unless the middle class rises up in protest there soon won't be one. We'll see only the politicians, financiers, and entertainment elites at the top, and the wage slaves at the bottom.

For Christians there's always a note of hope, however. Today's Gospel passage tells the story of the poor widow who drops her two small coins in the Temple treasury while the rich contribute large sums. Jesus honors her for giving from her poverty, from all she had to live on, while the rich gave from their surplus. What does it mean in a spiritual sense to give from our poverty? I'm meditating on that question today. If things keep going the way they are, many of us will know first hand what real poverty is, not just poverty of spirit.

And a few articles for those interested:

Obamas' trip to Paris raises some eyebrows

Real Unemployment at 15.8%: Highest Level Since ADA Began Tracking

‘Great Recession’ Will Redefine Full Employment as Jobs Vanish

GOP takes aim at Barack and Michelle Obama's NYC trip

Two sick babies: one killed, one loved

George Tiller's demonic business can hardly be imagined. Here are photos of parents who paid to have their little girl killed because she had cystic fibrosis. The poor mother later repented and shared these with a sidewalk counselor who befriended her. Pray for all mothers who are convinced that killing their sick child is the best thing they can do. Can you imagine a parent killing a sick newborn, or toddler? The demonic abortion industry takes advantage of frightened and grieving parents who find out their child has a serious disability. During that vulnerable time they are often talked into making the irrevocable and terrible decision to kill their sick baby.

Here's Michael Voris' description of the macabre practices at Tiller's abortuary. If this isn't demonic I don't know what is. When you hear the pro-abortion movement making this evil man a martyr remember what you hear in this story. George Tiller was created in the image and likeness of God. "Choices" made him into a monster. The fact that he could dress up this evil in baptismal garments is grotesque.



And here's a mother who made the decision for life for her little girl with Trisomy 18. What a difference! Please pray for parents who get the news their little one has a serious health problem.

Is the Homosexual Priest Problem Really Behind Us?

You would think homosexual priests would be cautious these days about abusing kids in view of the risks inherent since the massive exposure. But homosexuals tend to be risk takers who enjoy the thrill of danger. Perhaps that explains the recent case of Fr. Antonio Cortes. Homosexual men simply cannot be ordained to the priesthood. It is too great a danger - not only to the children and the men involved, but to Holy Mother Church. Consider the damage done by Archbishop Weakland who, even in retirement, is continuing to scandalize and damage the faith.

And who among his brother bishops will call him to account?

It is clear that the laity must rise up against these evils because apparently our shepherds will not.

May God have mercy on us.

Krispy Kreme Doughnut Day

Some days are better than others. Today is Krispy Kreme Doughnut Day (actually National Doughnut Day, but are there any other kind?) and most Krispy Kreme outlest are giving away free doughnuts, one per customer. Our nearest participating shop is almost 70 miles away so we'll have to miss out. Darn! But we used to live only a few miles from one and it was a regular stopping spot after church or whenever the "hot doughnuts" light was lit. As a matter of fact, Krispy Kreme was part of our kids' childhood. The KK store had a big window where you could watch the doughtnuts travel up and down on racks rising as they moved toward the hot oil. Then they plopped in for a ride down the oil river to the flipper. Yum, one golden side up as they moved toward the frosting falls. After the falls they slid onto the conveyor hill and at the end of the line the doughnut-boxer used a little gadget to pick them up and line them up in the box. My mouth waters just to remember it.

Krispy Kreme doughnuts may be 50% fat, but as an occasional indulgence they are just a little bit of heaven on earth. Hopefully the fat police are off duty today and you won't be arrested (or harrassed) for claiming your free doughnut. My advice? ENJOY! It's one of life's innocent pleasures not to be missed.

So check out the KK website and see if there's an outlet near you. Then hit the road before the end of the big doughnut giveaway.