We Already Knew That

It is a source of mild amusement and occasional exasperation that the newspapers, that over my nearly fifty-five years of this life (forty-three or so of which I've been reading the news)the transparently obvious gets announced, and re-announced with bugles blaring and red ink a flowing. Headlines along the lines of "Men And Women Really Are Different! Science Proves It" and "Fruit and Vegetables Are Very Good For You To Eat" and "If We Continue To Blow Through Resources Like A Sailor On Leave Spends His Paycheck, The Earth Will Not Do Well" and "If You Kick Your Wife/Husband, She/He Will Leave You For Good" all have been seen lately.

Here's one for today, basically "If You Touch a Frightened Sick Person In a Caring Manner They Will Feel Better". Well, duh.

How stupid are we, anyhow? Who thinks humanity in the bone doesn't already know ALL this stuff? Why can't we get past this level of idiocy? Who profits from the blaring of news that is intuitively obvious to the most casual observer, at least one in possession of his or her faculties?

Hooeeie boy.

WALL-E and the Ancient Eschaton

I have the habit of going to kid's movies that look promising, a sometime touching and rewarding adventure or oft a misspent, trite bit of froofroo. I do look forward to this one, and hope it lives up to this review from The CedarRoom. Be sure and click on over & read the rest.

QUOTE The same might be said of some people I know, as well. If only they had nothing, no money and no influence and nobody to listen to them, well, then they might bloom into white orchids. There's something about having lots of money and lots of power that makes even good men slow to speak Jesus Christ to you. Imagining the end of the world, hoping for it, is like imagining everyone stripped of all those things that hold them back from God; we all become the rich young ruler, and God helps us to part with our things, and we give all our profit to the Poor, Who is Christ, and then We follow Him unencumbered. We are already mad, Lord. If you would just make our nails grow long and put us out in the pasture to eat grass for seven years, maybe we could hear You when it was all finished. UNQUOTE

Laughter & Good Red Wine

Greek wedding dance >

Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine
There's always laughter and good red wine;
At least I've always found it so
Benedicamus Domino.
- Hilaire Belloc

Sore feet today: I danced quite a lot at a Greek wedding yesterday, what fun. Two hours in the church, on our feet for the most part, then food and dancing. Opa! And congratulations once again to Angela & George. (And yes, I heard from a wedding party member that George had Angela view My Big Fat Greek Wedding to help prepare her. Because it really is exactly like that!)

If you have a yen for some good bloggage, check these fine sites out, Rome sweet Rome and friends ~ by no means an exhaustive list, just some cool spots to visit...

Coo-ees From The Cloister

The Incorruptibles

Spiritual Friendship

Carmelite Spirituality

Shrine Of the Holy Whapping

G.K. Chesterton

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Free As a Bird

Of all the extreme sports this one looks by far the most fun. Flying like a bird in the wide wide sky, catapulting through the sweet summer air.

Happy 4th Of July ~

The person who to me most matches the description of a true patriot, whose life was a a real "profile in courage", is founding father of the American republic John Adams of Massachusetts. He was well spoken, humorous, radical when necessary, sensible and prudent when required, brave, honorable and dogged in his pursuit of truth.

I haven't yet seen the HBO miniseries on the august gentleman's life and times, but it is on my summer DVD list, and I strongly recommend it on the strength of all the great reviews it received, to any and all history buffs and anyone interestedin learning more about this great American patriot. Also this biography by David McCullough for the in depth account. McCullough writes that John Adams was "not a man of the world" and not fond of politics; it strikes me that perhaps if more of our leaders displayed these most admirable qualities we should have more of them of Adam's caliber.

Quotes from Adams:

"In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress."

"There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty."

"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."

" There is something very unnatural and odious in a government a thousand leagues off. A whole government of our own choice, managed by persons whom we love, revere, and can confide in, has charms in it for which men will fight."

"There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution. "

"As to the history of the revolution, my ideas may be peculiar, perhaps singular. What do we mean by the Revolution? The war? That was no part of the revolution; it was only an effect and consequence of it. The revolution was in the minds of the people, and this was effected from 1760 - 1775, in the course of fifteen years, before a drop of blood was shed at Lexington."

"Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people, who have a right, from the frame of their nature, to knowledge, as their great Creator, who does nothing in vain, has given them understandings, and a desire to know; but besides this, they have a right, an indisputable, unalienable, indefeasible, divine right to that most dreaded and envied kind of knowledge, I mean, of the characters and conduct of their rulers. "

"Fear is the foundation of most governments; but it is so sordid and brutal a passion, and renders men in whose breasts it predominates so stupid and miserable, that Americans will not be likely to approve of any political institution which is founded on it. "

Happy Independence Day!

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