U.S. Wants UN to Declare That Abortion Is Not a Right

Back in the election season, there were a number of pro-lifers who made claims that Bush would be just the same as Kerry on abortion. Well, here's the proof that they were wrong.

Who honestly thinks that Kerry would not have taken the same stance that the Clinton administration took -- pushing for more abortions throughout the world and tying UN aid to them while at the same time trying to muzzle the Vatican.

It's good to see Ellen Sauerbrey is the US delegate to the UN Commission on the Status of Women. She narrowly lost the Maryland governship race to Paris Glendening a while back.

Judge orders feeding for Terri Schiavo

Keep praying.

Fear and Loathing. Let's Hope Not.

I was always ambivalent about Hunter S Thompson. I wanted him to say "Obviously, my drug use is exaggerated or I would be long since dead" long before he ever said it. His writing was laugh-out-loud funny and obviously structured in its gonzo-ness. I could not believe that he really would get blasted and just let the keys rip on the typewriter. Frankly, if he was half as stoned as claimed to be, he wouldn't be able to find the typewriter.

But, then he had a speaking engagement at the University of Maryland circa 1986 and it was a depressing, disappointing, incoherent rant without even a flicker of the brilliance of his writing.

I pray that he knew not what he was doing.

Good to the Last Drop

John Paul II will give everything until there is nothing left to give. This is the scandal of the cross that the world does not understand. Talk of resignation is based on erroneous thinking that the papacy is about religious political power. The papacy is about power -- the power of Love that was given to us through suffering.

Vatican Defrocks Four Priests in Boston

Amen.

Fat Tuesday

This what I'd like to be doing this Fat Tuesday.

Macca at the Super Bowl

I don't know about "Wows Millions". Macca's set seemed rushed and the choice of material was not exactly inspired. I heard someone say that he lip-synced it and my reply was that if he did he should have used a backing tape where he did not sound so hoarse.

I still have to give the performance an overall thumbs up because a) Sir Paul is still playing and not doing the extended medley gig that so many oldies acts (think Chuck Berry) having been doing for so long, b) the current incarnation of his band rocks, c) you can tell that he still really loves to entertain people, and d) he isn't the sister of his "Say, Say, Say" duet partner.

The 2005 Catholic Blog Awards -- Maybe Next Year :-)

I love Mark Shea's blog (and voted for it in the two categories where it appears), but am glad that it did not dominate the competition like it did last year. I've noticed that the participation in other worthwhile blogs seems to have picked up quite a bit since he went on hiatus to finish a book. Let's hope that these sites continue to be visited once Mark returns.

I'm disappointed that two of my favorite blogs, Down to the Pireaus and Cacciaguida did not make the cut, but very happy to see that another favorite, Old Oligarch's Painted Stoa, did.

Cool, but Scary

The bottom photo is not a separate zoom of the same scene, but an enlargement of a segment of the top photo. In the full-size photo, you can hardly tell that there are any people in the lower left, but the zoom reveals details like watch, sunglasses, sneakers, and even cigarette.

This is truly astounding. The scary part is that if this is available commercially, you can only imagine the resolution of spy cameras. If there isn't a satellite exceeding this resolution, there will be very soon.

Toy maker suspects hostage soldier claim is hoax

This has to be the strangest thing in the War on Terror since Osama moved to Sesame Street.

Lord, Increase My Faith

Faith is a very strange thing. We presume that we have it until the chips are down or at least seem to be. Then we can't believe that things will get better even though they have endless times before. I've had many, many incredible prayers answered, and yet, again and again I'll find myself praying for something and at the same time find myself thinking that even this pitiful request is out of reach.

So, thank You, yet again, Lord, and I'm sorry.

I believe that You will give me Faith.

I dare to hope that You will give me hope.

I love You, Love.