Borgablog

A New Life

2011-03-31T21:28:00.000-05:00

It has been some time since I posted last... so long that it seems that all that I post now starts out by commenting on how long it has been since my last post. Ah well! Such is life!

Regardless, much has changed since September of 2009. I returned to Kansas where I tried going back to school to become an x-ray tech. That didn't work out very well. It seems that you need money not only for school but also for the everyday necessities. Who would've thunk! I had to abandon that idea for the time being and go back to work full time.

Now I am working for the Onyx Collection, a local manufacturer of bathroom lavatories and showers, as one of their two traveling repair techs. I like it very much because it breaks the monotony of the daily grind of a manufacturing plant and gives me the opportunity to meet the actual customers who use our product on a daily basis. It is a challenge but a welcome one.

I am most happy to report that I married the joy of my life last November, the 13th to be exact. I feel whole, and wholly happy. She definitely brings out the best in me and helps me daily to be a better man.

We are also expecting our first child in August. It is an exciting time for us as we anxiously await our little whatever-it-will-be. I was insistent on Adeodatus, the name of St. Augustine's son, but she seems to not like it so much. I relented and we probably won't name the unfortunate child by that label if its a "he"... but I'm still holding out hope...

My travels take me all over the mid-west from Denver to St. Louis, from North Dakota to Dallas, and even to the nether regions of Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri (note that Iowa is a nether region). *Note to all Iowegians: Please forgive me but I am from Minnesota and have never recovered from this undeserved bias against your state. Your aromatic pig farms and notoriously low speed limits have been the joy of many a weary traveler from Wyoming (my wife's family) who have traversed the wastes of Nebraska and found an oasis beyond the wide Missouri. May your corn grow tall for ethanol and your bridges of Madison County never fall nor John Wayne's birthplace be vandalized.

Anyway, I love my job and I love my wife and family even more. I am very happy and glad to share it with anyone who cares to read. God bless!

AB

An Update

2009-09-01T09:55:00.002-05:00

I'm back in Kansas and "starting over". Unfortunately teaching didn't work out as I had hoped. I loved it but I need to make a living and don't have the credentials to do so in that blessed vocation.

What am I doing now? I am going back to school to be a Radiological Technologist, and X-ray Tech. This year I am taking care of some prerequisites before actually starting the program. I am enjoying being a student again.

An idea came to me this morning to start a new blog/journal about going back to college. I haven't set it up yet but I will update this blog when I do.

That's all for now.

AB

Godfather

2009-06-02T11:08:00.001-05:00

Hello, all! I know it’s been a while. I was sadly interrupted from forming an immature habit of blogging regularly by the sudden death of an aunt. She died suddenly of heart failure at the end of March, providentially, right before Spring Break. I say “providentially” because the time facilitated my capacity to attend the funeral. Please keep her in your prayers. R. I. P.

Regardless, with the funeral, a busy Spring Break and the demands of Holy Week immediately following, any habit of blogging regularly that I had formed ended up being thrown out the window. Hopefully, I will keep up on it better in the future.

Good news! My sister and brother-in-law just had their second child, a girl. They asked me to be her godfather, which I humbly accepted. Now I have an excuse to use the “Godfather” accent. When I get a picture, I’ll post it.

Now for some updates. I’m not going to be teaching next year. The school can’t afford to take on another teacher and, with my plans for the future, I can’t afford to live off of a teacher’s salary. What will I do? I plan on pursuing a career in the medical field as a radiological technician (i.e. x-ray guy). So for the next couple years I will be going to school in Kansas and hopefully settling down in the area.

The school year is almost over. It is finals week here and we have about two weeks left before I leave for Kansas. The rugby team had a down year losing quite a few games but finishing 4^th in the state playoffs. Next year looks more hopeful with only three seniors graduating and a number of good younger players making an impact. They will definitely be good next year.

I have a number of topics I would like to comment on and share with you so check back soon for new post. Thanks for reading.

Good Job, Your Excellency... Now What?

2009-03-11T10:09:00.004-05:00

Catholic Online ran a great article regarding the appointment of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sibelius to the cabinet spot of Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare. The article included a statement from Archbishop Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas which expresses both his objective criticism of the Governor and her accomplishments while in office. Moreover, he expresses deep pastoral concern for her soul and the affect her stance on abortion, coupled with her public office, has had and continues to have on the Church and Catholic teaching.

She is a Catholic, yet strives for the legalization of abortion. The Archbishop in very clear terms illustrates the obvious contradiction of Sibelius’ principles. He even publicly denounced her pro-abortion agenda back in May of last year and asked her to not present herself for Holy Communion. He lamented that so many Catholics—VP Joe Biden, House Speaker Pelosi, and a number of congressmen—who hold positions high up in the government have similar agendas.

I must commend the Archbishop’s open and bold statements in defense of the moral and natural laws and of the many children and mothers who are threatened by abortion. Yet I cannot help wonder when the next step will be taken. When will he and the other Catholic bishops step forward and publicly impose censures upon these public figures? These “Catholic” political leaders say they are Catholic; but in very grave aspects of their lives and public persona they are in no way Catholic. In fact, these figures are not Catholic, but Protestant. They interpret law and Scripture the way they want to see it and no authority has a “right” to tell them different.

If a Catholic—any Catholic but especially one in a high position of authority—not only permits but promotes ideas which are contrary to the laws and teachings of the Church—and in this case also the natural law—how can we call them Catholic? How can they be allowed to receive Communion and the other Sacraments? Certainly, if they amend their lives and wish to be brought back into “the Fold”, the Church is waiting with outstretched arms.

It is a scandal that they are not publicly punished for their implicitly anti-Catholic agendas. Not only scandal, but it seems to me that this fear of making legitimate sanctions against these people is a form of murder, a murder of the truth.

The public sees these imposters, claiming Catholic affiliation, heedless of the reprimands of their religious leaders—that is, the few leaders that actually do perform their duty as pastors of the Church—and are given the impression that Catholic law is of no consequence to its members. Each Catholic can believe what they want regardless of the Church’s teachings, unhindered and without consequence. Why be a Catholic if not to bind oneself to the laws and disciplines of the Catholic Church, the Church founded by Christ?

May God have mercy on our Catholic hierarchy and may we all pray that they perform their duty before God dutifully and with the courage and love of true Charity.

History Bloopers

2009-03-10T14:27:00.001-05:00

I am not sure where I got this from but I found it while cleaning up an old external hard drive. It is a very entertaining narrative to American history. Enjoy!

Richard Lederet, St. Paul's School

Intro: One of the fringe benefits of being an English or History teacher is receiving the occasional jewel of a student blooper in an essay. I have pasted together the following "history" of the world from certifiably genuine student bloopers collected by teachers throughout the United States from eighth grade through college level. Read carefully, and you will learn a lot.

The inhabitants of ancient Egypt were called mummies. They lived in the Sarah Dessart and traveled by Camelot. The climate of the Sarah is such that the inhabitants had to live elsewhere, so certain areas of the dessert are cultivated by irritation. The Egyptians built the pyramids in the shape of a huge triangular cube. The Pyramids are a range of mountains between France and Spain.

The Bible is full of interesting caricatures. In the first book of the Bible, Guinesses, Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree. One of their children, Cain, once asked, "Am I my brother's son?" God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on mount Montezuma. Jacob, son of Isaac, stole his brother's birth mark. Jacob was a patriarch who brought up his twelve sons to be patriarchs, but they did not take to it. One of Jacob's sons, Joseph, gave refuse to the Israelites.

Pharaoh forced the Hebrew slaves to make bread without straw. Moses led them to the Red Sea where they made unleavened bread, which is bread made without any ingredients. Afterwards, Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the ten commandments. David was a hebrew king skilled at playing the liar. He fought with the Philatelists, a race of people who lived in Biblical times. Solomon, one of david's sons, had 500 wives and 500 porcupines.

Without the Greeks we wouldn't have history. The Greeks invented three kinds of columns - Corinthian, Doric, and Ironic. They also had myths. A myth is a female moth. One myth says that the mother of Achilles dipped him in the River Stynx until he became intollerable. Achilles appears in the Iliad, by Homer. Homer also wrote the Oddity, in which Penelope was the last hardship that Ulysses endured on his journey. Actually, Homer was not written by Homer, but by another man of that name. Socrates was a famous Greek teacher who went around giving people advise. They killed him. Socrates died from an overdose of wedlock. In the Olympic games, Granks ran races, jumped, hurled the biscuits, and threw the java. The reward to the victor was a coral wreath. The government of Athens was democratic because people took the law into their own hands. There were no wars in Greece as the mountains were so high that they couldn't climb over to see what their neighbors were doing. When they faught with the Persians, the Greeks were outnumbered because the Persians had more men. Eventually, the Romans conquered the Geeks. History calls people Romans because they never stayed in one place for very long. At Roman banquets the guests wore garlics in their hair. Julius Caeser extinguished himself on the battlefields of Gaul. The Ides of March murdered him because they thought he was going to be made king. Nero was a cruel tyrrany who would torture his poor subjects by playing the fiddle to them.

Then came the Middle Ages. King Alfred conquered the Dames. King Arthur lived in the Age of Shivery. King Harold mustarded his troops before the Battle of Hastings. Joan of Arc was cannonized by Bernard Shaw, and victims of the Black Death grew boobs on their necks. Finally, Magna Carta provided that no true man should be hanged twice for the same offense. In midevil times most of the people were alliterate. The greatest writer of the time was Chaucer, who wrote many poems and verses and also wrote literature. Another tale tells of William Tell, who shot an arrow through an apple while standing on his son's head. The renaissance was an age in which more individuals felt the value of their human being. Martin Luther was nailed to the Church door at Wittenberg for selling Papal indulgences. He died a horrible death, being excommunicated by a bull. It was the painter Donatello's interest in the female nude that made him the father of the Renaissance. It was an age of great inventions and discoveries. Gutenberg invented the Bible. Sir Walter Raleigh is a historical figure because he invented cigarettes. Another important inventior was the

circulation of blood. Sir Francis Drake circumsised the world with a 100-foot clipper. The government of England was a limited mockery. Henry VIII found walking difficult because he had an abbess on his knee. Queen Elizabeth was the "Virgin Queen." As a queen she was a success. When Elizabeth exposed herself before her troops, they all shouted, "Hurrah." Then her navy went out and defeated the Spanish Armadillo.

The greatest writer of the Renaissance was William Shakespear. Shakespear never made much money and is famous because of his plays. He lived in Windsor with his merry wives, writing tragedies, comedies, and errors. In one of Shakespear's famous plays, Hamlet rations out his situation by relieving himself in a long soliloquy. In another, Lady Macbeth tries to convince McBeth of a heroic couplet. Writing at the same time as Shakespear was Miguel Cervantes. He wrote Donkey Hole. The next great author was John Milton. Milton wrote Paradise Lost. Then his wife died and he wrote Paradise Regained.

During the Renaissance America began. Chritsopher Columbus was a real navigator who discovered America while cursing about the Atlantic. His ships were called the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Fe. Later, the Pilgrims crossed the ocean, and this was known as Pilgrims Progress. When they landed at Plymouth Rock, they were greeted by the Indians, who came down the hill rolling their war hoops before them. The Indian squabs carried porpoises on their cabooses, which proved very fatal to them. The winter of 1620 was a hard one for the settlers. Many people died and many babies were born. Captain John Smith was responsible for all this.

One of the causes of the Revolutionary Wars was the English put tacks in their tea. Also, the colonists would send their parcels through the post without any stamps. During the way, the Red Coats and Paul Revere was throwing balls over stone walls. The dogs were barking and the peacocks crowing. Finally, the colonists won the war and no longer had to pay for taxis. Delegates from the original thirteen states formed the Contented Congress. Thomas Jefferson, a Virgin, and Benjamin Franklin were two singers of the Declaration of Independence. Franklin had gone to Boston carrying all his clothes in his pocket and a loaf of bread under each arm. He invented electricity by rubbing cats backwards and declared "A horse divided against itself cannot stand." Franklin died in 1790 and is still dead. George Washington married Martha Curtis and in due time became the Father of Our country. Then the Constitution of the United States was adopted to secure domestic hostility. Under the Constitution the people enjoyed the right to keep bare arms.

Abraham Lincoln became America's greatest Precedent. Lincoln's mother died in infancy, and he was born in a log cabin which he built with his own hands. When Lincoln was President, he wore only a tall silk hat. He said, "In onion there is strength." Abraham Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address while traveling from Washington to Gettysburg on the back of an envelope. He also freed the slaves by signing the Emasculation Proclomation, and the fourteenth amendment gave the ex-negroes citizenship. But the Clue Clux Clan would rather torcher and lynch the ex-negroes and other innocent victims. It claimed it represented law and oder. On the night of April 14, 1865, Lincoln went to the theater and got shot in his seat by one of the actors in a moving picture show. This ruined Booth's career.

Meanwhile in Europe the enlightenment was a reasonable time. Voltare invented electricity and also wrote a book called Candy. Gravity was invented by Isaac Walton. It is chiefly noticable in the Autumn when the apples are falling off trees. Bach was the most famous composer in the world, and so was Handel. Handel was half German, half Italian, and half English. He was very large. Bach died from 1750 to the present. Beetoven wrote music even though he was deaf. He was so deaf he wrote loud music. He took long walks in the forest even when everyone was calling for him. Beetoven expired in 1827 and later died for this.

France was in a very serious state. The French Revloution was accomplished before it happened. The Marseillaise was the theme song of the French Revolution, and it catapulted into Napoleon. During the Napoleonic Wars, the crowned heads of Europe were trembling in their shoes. Then the Spanish gorillas came down from the hills and nipped at Napoleon's flanks. Napoleon became ill with bladder problems, and was very tense and unrestrained. He wanted an heir to inherit his power, but since Josephine was a baroness, she couldn't bear children.

The sun never set on the British Empire because the British Empire is on the east and the sun sets in the west. Queen Victoria was the longest Queen. She sat on a thorn for 63 years. Her reclining years and finally the end of her life were exemplatory of a great personality. Her death was the final event which ended her reign. The nineteenth century was a time of many great inventions and thoughts. The invention of the steamboat caused a network of rivers to spring up. Cyrus McCormic invented the McCormick raper, which did the work of a hundred men. Samuel Morse invented a code of telepathy. Louis Pasteur discovered a cure for rabbis. Charles Darwin was a naturalist who wrote The Organ of the Species. Madman Curie discovered radium. And Karl Marx became one of the Marx Brothers. The First World War, caused by the assignation of the arch-Duck by a surf, ushered in a new error in the anals of human history.

On Humility

2009-03-09T12:28:00.003-05:00

How often do we read the lives of the saints, observe their virtues, especially their profound humility, and, at least in the secret shadows of our minds, consider them naive? Sadly, I for one have done that over and over again. I have read about the great deeds of the saints, founding schools, converting great sinners, perform revolting penances, and in the end, lament their own worthlessness before God. How many times I have laughed to myself, “Look at all you have done and the sanctity of your life. Certainly you can’t be all that bad.”

What I missed is my own pride. Why is it that I couldn’t see how worthless the saints are? I think that the fundamental problem is not a naïveté on the part of the saints but on my part.

I couldn’t see the humility of the saints because I secretly thought that I was good. I could not imagine, or maybe didn’t want to see, that I was so bad. Because if the saints did such great things, and were still worthless, then what am I who is nowhere near the level of these saints?

The root of this blindness is a widespread sickness that rages throughout the world, subjectivism. Subjectivism is the distortion of the intellect by which we measure everything in relation to “self”. The car I see appears to be blue. My friend says it looks green to him. My truth is that it is blue; his truth is that it is green. We are both right.

“Absurd,” you say, “the car cannot be both absolutely blue and at the same time absolutely green. It is one or the other.” And you are right. A thing has certain objective aspects that exist in a certain way regardless of our perception. In everyday life we acknowledge this to be true.

In fact we have to follow this basic rule or numerous dilemmas would occur in our lives. If this color is blue to me but green to the lady at the paint shop, I am going to be very unhappy with the color of my room. No matter how much I say to myself that the fire is not hot or does not burn, I am going to get burned if I put my hand to it. Consider how many occasions we depend upon a common understanding of things; then consider how intolerable life would be if our notions of those things were not universal among society.

It is the same in the realm of ideas. Only here, the practical aspects are not so apparent at first. We can lie and we can make mistakes in our judgments, both are illusions of truth. Walking in the desert I think I see a pool of water. Because I am deceived does not mean that I can never trust my knowledge of things; only that there can be a defect in the process of my knowing a thing. In the case of mirages, the bending of light through heat waves appears to my eyes to look like water on the horizon. It is not even a defect in my senses, just a phenomenon of physical laws in nature.

With abstract notions I may make presumptions on which I build my argument that are false. My whole argument is now false even if my conclusion is true. For example, I like the sound of my own voice. Everyone I know likes me. Therefore, everyone I know likes the sound of my voice. I am presupposing that just because everyone likes me, they like everything about me.

Now you are asking what this has to do with the virtue of humility. The point that I am trying to make is that we tend to judge things as if our perspective is the objective truth. I did this when considering the humility of the saints. But the saints measured themselves against the ultimate Truth, God. By stepping outside of themselves, they saw through the eyes of God and saw that we truly are nothing. Let us all make an effort to see things more objectively.

Rugby Pictures

2009-03-08T11:31:00.005-05:00

As promised, here are some pictures from the rugby game yesterday.

The "A" team lining up for pre-game stretches.

The teams lining up for the kick-off.

St. Ignatius charging, La Salette defending.

Rugby Season is Here

2009-03-07T17:13:00.000-06:00

Well, rugby season has officially started. We played St. Ignatius from Chicago today. Both A and B teams played. The combined score was 54-0, La Salette. The A team won 13-0. It could have been higher but for a high tackle penalty by Ignatius that saved a try score. Also, a number of stupid mistakes--forward passes (which is illegal in rugby) and "diving into the ruck", which is dangerous--slowed our momentum. We probably could have had two more tries. B side looked really good. Two freshmen actually scored two tries apiece. They ended up winning 41-0.

After the games, as is tradition in rugby, we hosted a meal for the visiting team. The St. Ignatius boys are a good bunch of kids. They play a good game and were very appreciative of the meal. Hopefully both teams can meet again at Regionals.

For some reason I can't get Blogger to upload the pictures. When it starts working again, I will include them.

AB

My Top 10 List of...

2009-03-06T10:39:00.003-06:00

Favorite Foods:

10) Frescetta's Frozen Pizza, especially meat-lover and cheese, great crust

9) A medium rare steak; MR is the only way to cook a steak, everything else is just an imitation

8) The Ultimate Omelet; discovered by a friend of mine, the secret is cottage cheese

7) Lamb in mint sauce; try it some day, but make sure it is made by a good chef

6) Spaghetti la Carbonara; served at the restaurant, La Carbonara, in Rome, truly fantastic

5) Mom's Shepherd's Pie; a childhood favorite, it would be now too if I was at home more often

4) Doc's Awesome Ribs; sorry folks, only Doc makes 'em and he doesn't own a restaurant or have a recipe

3) Italian Quesadillas; this is my own invention and here is the recipe

2) Monnie's homemade pizza; everything else is just cardboard with sauce, even Frescetta's

1) And my favorite meal is... Doc's Awesome Steak Fajitas; again, only Doc makes 'em and he still hasn't opened up that restaurant

What are your top ten favorite foods?

Also check out nwi-tech's top ten lists.

7 Quick Takes Friday

2009-03-06T09:33:00.002-06:00

---1---

I found out this last week that I won’t be teaching at La Salette next year. Unfortunately, the economic situation has had some very adverse effects on the school and they can’t afford to pay me what I need. But it is not only private schools that are affected. My mother works as a substitute teacher in Atlanta. She said that they announced that a number of positions would be eliminated and pay would be cut. It is really sad when we can spend billions, if not trillions, of dollars on researching whether or not there was ever life on Mars but not invest in our schools. Well, time to go job hunting.

---2---

I have been writing a story which I post on my other blog, Fictional Corner. I have been reading it to some of the boys and they have really enjoyed it which makes me happy. Fortunately, they are not grammarians and focus more on the idea than the flow of the text. It is very encouraging. As for the grammar, I have the great privilege of an editor to make the grammar flow better. She is still working on the pieces I have already posted but has been a great help. The boys will definitely appreciate the story more when she is finished with it. Thanks, Monnie!

---3---

In two weeks I am heading down to Atlanta to visit my parents with the woman I love and her mother. This will be the first time my parents will meet her. She may be a bit nervous but I know that they will get along. I can’t wait!

---4---

Starting tomorrow rugby season officially starts. We play against another Catholic school, St. Ignatius. From what I hear we should beat them. The game is really just an exhibition game. The actual season starts next week. Everyone is excited for this season. Last year we went to the national tournament and lost in a hard fought championship game. To be 2^nd in the nation is quite a feat for a school of only 60 boys. Who knows what will happen this season.

---5---

The third trimester is winding down and I am behind in my Philosophy class. We spent the better part of 6 weeks concentrating on Plato. We should be on St. Thomas by now but are only a week into Aristotle. I suppose it isn’t something to be too concerned about. In general, the boys are participating in class and really starting to think. That is much of the goal of the class, to form thinkers not just memorizers.

---6---

Well, a week and a half into Lent and I have been faithful to my resolutions. I know, it’s only been a week and a half, but a good start leads to a good end.

---7---

So ends my first “7 Quick Takes Friday”. I hope you enjoyed reading. (I know, this really shouldn’t count as my seventh point but I’m running out of ideas)

Head over to the Conversion Diary to read more 7 Quick Takes.

Wordless Wednesday... well, almost

2009-03-04T08:47:00.007-06:00

A view of the basilica of San Domenico in Sienna where the head and thumb of St. Catherine of Sienna are housed in a small chapel dedicated to her.

After having visited the basilica, I set off in search of the Duomo (cathedral). While in Europe, I preferred to walk through the side streets rather than follow the beaten path. In this way one can see so much more of the city than just the touristy side, not to mention the great photo ops. Just behind me there is another street that turns right to the convent where St. Catherine died. Sienna really is a very beautiful city.

Italian Quesadillas

2009-03-03T17:22:00.005-06:00

Inspired by Russell’s post about making a pasta salad I thought I would share with you one of my favorite meals, Italian Quesadillas.

Here is what you will need to serve four:

- two one pound boneless chicken breasts,

- half of a white onion,

- a whole bell pepper (you can use a combination of red, green or yellow peppers if you like, I do),

- a small can of sliced black olives,

- a small can of mushrooms ends and pieces or you can slice your own if you like larger pieces,

- a full bottle of Italian dressing (this is for marinade so you can use some other marinade if you want),

- olive oil,

- cooking wine,

- garlic salt or granulated garlic,

- oregano,

- Italian seasoning,

- shredded mozzarella cheese,

- a fresh tomato (I prefer Roma tomatoes),

- a package of large tortillas,

- one lemon or orange.

Start out by cutting the chicken breasts length wise into about ¾ to one inch strips. Put the chicken strips into a bowl and pour in the Italian dressing, some cooking wine, some olive oil, oregano, garlic salt, and Italian seasoning all to your taste. Make sure the meat is well covered in the marinade. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours (overnight is best).

When you are ready to cook, slice up the onion and peppers. I like to cut the peppers in long thin slices. For the onion, I cut it in half the long way then cut it in such a way as to make onion petals (cutting from the outside towards the center of the onion). I usually make four cuts. In this way I have larger pieces of vegetable. Have all your ingredients at hand. Drain the juice from the olives and mushrooms (if any). The tomato should be diced and set aside in a small bowl.

Heat up a skillet or shallow pan. When the skillet is hot, pour in enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Sauté the peppers and onions (I prefer to cook vegetables until they are flimsy but cook them to your tastes). When they are to your preferred texture, add the olives and mushrooms. Continue to stir the vegetables for about 4 minutes.

Add your chicken. Do not just pour the whole bowl in. Take the chicken out of the marinade and place it in the pan. Pour a small amount of the marinade into the pan so that it covers the bottom of the pan but not completely covering the chicken and vegetables. Squeeze both halves of the lemon into the pan and leave on half open side down in the pan. I usually also add some of the spices again at this point.

Continue stirring the quesadilla filling until the chicken is well cooked. You may need to add some of the marinade now and then if it starts to cook off.

"spinning" the tortillas

When it is finished, turn the heat off and pull out another skillet or flat griddle. Pour a small amount of oil on the surface and put a tortilla on it. Spin the tortilla so that the griddle side is well covered in oil. Cover the tortilla with some shredded mozzarella cheese. Now add the filling to the quesadilla. Cover this in mozzarella cheese and add a second tortilla.

When the bottom tortilla is crisp (golden in color), flip it over. This can be tricky so be careful. When the other side is finished, remove it from the griddle onto your plate. You can also just use one tortilla in which case you would cover the tortilla with cheese and only put filling on one side. Then fold the tortilla over before it is done to give the cheese time to melt.

My girlfriend and I. No, she is not short, I'm just that tall.

Sprinkle the top with the chopped tomato and serve alone or with sour cream, salsa, etc. I also like mixing the tomato with olive oil and basil before putting it on the quesadilla.

Enjoy with your favorite beverage. Mine for this meal is a Negro Modelo. Mmmm!

Wordless Day-before-Wednesday

2009-03-03T10:28:00.003-06:00

This is the inner courtyard of the Benedictine monastery of Subiaco founded by St. Benedict. It was built over the cave where St. Benedict spent a number of years living a hermetic life.

God had other plans for him however. Report of his holiness spread through the surrounding areas and many sought him out to learn from him the secrets of his holy life.

For a short period he was convinced to become the head of monastic community in Vicovaro to replace the deceased abbot. But when Benedict's reforms were not to the liking of the monks they sought to kill him. Miraculously he was saved after which he rebuked his would be assasains and returned to his cave.

Others sought him out and begged him to teach them. It was becoming clear to him that God did not want him to lead a solitary life of prayer. Soon a community formed around him for which he wrote a rule of life. This was the first Benedictine community.

He went on to found the monastary of Monte Casino where he later went to his eternal reward. For more detailed information on the life and rule of St. Benedict here is a link to the Catholic Encyclopedia's entry.

Bishop Williamson and the Holocaust

2009-02-28T11:49:00.002-06:00

Over the past month the world has been in an uproar over the opinion expressed by a Catholic bishop on subject of the Holocaust. In an interview back in November a Swiss reporter asked him about his opinion regarding the Nazi massacres during WWII in the concentration camps. Having watched the interview—I’m referring to the complete interview, not the edited one that was aired—it is apparent that His Excellency was not trying to avoid the question and trying to be as clear as possible in his answer. Based upon the research of an American who built gas chambers for a living and who studied the gas chambers in the German concentration camps, His Excellency said that he did not believe that those who died in the “gas” chambers died from poisonous gas and that the numbers were closer to 300,000 rather than the 6 millions that contemporary historians accept. This is a personal opinion regarding certain details of the Holocaust, not whether or not there was a Holocaust.

His Excellency has a reputation for being straightforward when expressing the truth and what he is convinced is the truth. Many of his opinions on the more controversial subjects are, to put it lightly, politically incorrect. Here in the states this reputation is not so well known; but in Europe it is well known. Anyone broaching such a question is “asking for it”, so to speak.

Granted, expressing his opinions on television was imprudent considering the current situation between the SSPX and Rome—as he later stated himself. Regardless, it is still his OPINION on a matter of DETAILS of an HISTORICAL event! He didn’t make some doctrinal statement or declare that some race or religion was damned. He didn’t steal from some poor, undernourished people. He didn’t graffiti a billboard or public building.

He did express an opinion he formed over a period of time after studying the subject. Where is our American sense of free speech now? As soon as someone says something against what we believe we ostracize and crucify them? Excuse my language, but we are a bunch of whining bitches. “As long as you say what I want to hear then you are free to say anything you want.” What a load of crap!

And again, how many times do we form an opinion on something without research. We read some article on the internet or in the local newspaper or see some news report and it is now “Gospel truth.” Ooooo! That’s a sign of intelligent life… yeah right, dumbass.

What do we say about the conspiracy theories that some nut job expressed on late night radio? “Oh they are just weird but it’s a free country and they have the right to say what they think no matter how screwy it is.” That’s right, we disregard them and categorize them as the fringe group of society, abnormal but still a part of society.

So what’s the difference in this case? Is it because his opinion was expressed in the open light of day? He didn’t even initiate the subject, it was brought up by the interviewer!

How would we like to be on the receiving end of these kinds of attacks for some opinion we are convinced is true? Wouldn’t be too nice would it. We would probably backtrack and try to make it sound not as bad as it seemed, that we actually didn’t say it that way, as a matter of fact we didn’t even mean to say it at all…

His apologies are being picked apart as insincere and purely political. Certainly politics is a factor. He shouldn’t have made those statements in such a public forum seeing the effects on relations between the SSPX and Rome—hindsight is 20/20. The demand that he retract absolutely his opinion de facto and immediately is far too much to demand.

He stated that he formed this opinion after much study. How can he be honest with himself or his accusers if he changes his opinion, not based on conviction, but upon public opinion? If he based his retraction on public opinion it WOULD be insincere. If this occurred to us it would be considered a violation of our “inalienable” right of freedom of conscience and speech. Yet we are persecuting him because he holds an opinion contrary to public opinion and the conviction of modern historians.

Wow! We are a pathetic and shallow people.

Wordless Wednesday... well, almost

2009-02-18T08:31:00.003-06:00

For your enjoyment I thought I would post a series of pictures from my two trips to Europe. This one was taken in Pompeii. We were walking through the ruins of some wealthy home situated just off of the main forum. In the back wall, one of the only walls still standing in this home, I noticed this opening and peered through. The scene above inspired me to attempt to capture it. The camera does not do it justice (does it ever?).

A Weekend in St. Mary's

2009-02-17T10:15:00.002-06:00

We are back from our trip to Kansas and our varsity basketball team was victorious! The JV squad didn’t fare so well only shooting 8 for 58! Three of our starters shot 0 for 35! Only two players actually scored in the game and one of them was a freshman coming off the bench. That was an embarrassing game.

Not to take away from the St. Mary’s JV team. They played very well. One of the parents told me that we shut down their offense. Even then we still had great difficulty containing them. This win gave them an undefeated JV season. Congratulations to the St. Mary’s JV squad! The St. Mary’s basketball team is going to be great the next three years, at least.

The varsity game was intense. The atmosphere was the best I have ever experienced at any level due in large part to the fantastic St. Mary’s fans. One of the most memorable parts of the game was in the third quarter when St. Mary’s scored about four baskets in quick succession off of turnovers. With every made basket the stands erupted getting louder and louder each time. It was truly awesome. Sitting on the opposing bench it was intimidating. If it was the fourth quarter rather than the third I don’t think that we could have come back for the win.

Unfortunately, I don’t think that the officiating was very good. The refs weren’t calling a lot of contact fouls the first three quarters. Then in the fourth they started calling them. St. Mary’s plays a physical game so they were getting called for fouls that hadn’t been called early in the game. This drove them into foul trouble and put us on the free throw line where we made about 17 free throws. That was how we won the game. If the refs had been consistent throughout the game I think that it would have been a much closer game and maybe a different outcome.

After the game the players from both teams ate together and afterwards they participated in some competitions together. It was organized in such a way that the competition was between the graduating years with the schools mixed together. It was a great success. Our boys loved it and had a great time as I am sure the St. Mary’s boys did as well.

The priests, staff, parents, students and players at St. Mary’s did a great job preparing the weekend. It was a very welcoming atmosphere and their hospitality was exceptional. They are to be commended. I think any semblance of “prejudice” or bad blood that may have existed between the schools in the past has been wiped away thanks to the efforts of St. Mary’s. We are looking forward to the opportunity to try to match their hospitality next year.

Thank you St. Mary’s for a great weekend. Be assured of our prayers for you as we ask for yours for us.

I was also able to visit a little with M. It seemed like only a few moments but it was refreshing to see her again. Sadly, it won’t be until the end of March that we see each other again. Oh well, this is a good lesson in patience and resignation to God’s will.

Feast of the Apparition of Our Lady at Lourdes

2009-02-11T08:27:00.005-06:00

Today marks the feast of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lourdes, France in 1858. Happy feast day and may Our Lady look kindly on us especially on her feast.

It has been really busy around here lately. We are preparing to head out to Kansas to play our sister school in a basketball game on Saturday and it is very time consuming. I am in charge of the logistics of the trip. With all my other duties as well I have been a bit overwhelmed. Unfortunately, that means that I won't be able to post for a few days.

This past weekend we had 3 games within a 4 day period. Add that to preparing the choir for Sung Masses on Sunday and this morning, as well as class prep, the trip, and miscellaneous tasks, I haven't even had time to do my laundry. If anyone out there has a used cloning machine for sale give me a call.

At least the Masses turned out well. This morning's Mass was at 7 AM. For those who do not or have not sung in a choir, voices are a bit scratchy at 7 in the morning. In spite of that we sung fairly well.

The basketball games didn't turn out as well though. The varsity team went 1 for 2 on the weekend playing poorly in both losses. It is going to be a tough game on Saturday. St. Mary's has a lot of talented players and they will be ready to play this game.

The JV did better. We went 2 for 1 and the loss was a close game. The team we played on Monday beat us the first time we played by 5 points. We won this one by 15. I hope the varsity can take something positive from the JV.

I have to sign off now and get back to work. Hopefully I will be able to post something before I leave. Thanks for reading.

AB

The Hello Quizzy Personality Test

2009-02-09T11:55:00.003-06:00

I saw this personality test on Silence is Foo so I thought I would check it out. I took the test and here are my results. The results seem to be fairly accurate. Here is the link if you want to try for yourself.

Your result for The Perception Personality Image Test...

NBDC - The Illusionist

Nature, Background, Detail, and Color

You perceive the world with particular attention to nature. You focus on the hidden treasures of life (the background) and how that is affected by the details of life. You are also particularly drawn towards the colors around you. Because of the value you place on nature, you tend to find comfort in more subdued settings and find energy in solitude. You like to ponder ideas and imagine the many possibilities of your life without worrying about the details or specifics. You are highly focused on specific goals or tasks and find meaning in life by pursuing those goals. You are a down-to-earth person who enjoys going with the flow.

The Perception Personality Types:

Take The Perception Personality Image Test at HelloQuizzy

Divorce, the Legalized Death of the Family

2009-02-08T15:06:00.004-06:00

I read a very interesting post today by A Majority of Two. She seemed to make the observation that the absence of a father can be detrimental to a child’s life. She herself was a single mother, her husband having died early in their marriage (God rest his soul), and how difficult it was for her to bring up her daughter.

She also mentioned the sad occasions in a divorce when the one parent with custody often uses that custody as a kind of weapon to inflict pain on the other parent. Very accurately she says that not only does this harm the other parent but also themselves and the children.

Her insightful remarks made me reflect upon the nature of marriage and the importance of both parents in a family. I am a Catholic and as such believe in the indissolubility of marriage, i.e. marriage is until death (you know, that vow that is made during the marriage ceremony).

Since her inception over 2000 years ago, the Catholic Church, following the words of Our Lord and upholding the sacred institution of the Sacrament of Marriage made by Him, has taught that marriage is indissoluble. Nature itself gives us a rational argument for the necessity of the family. In brief, just as the natural process of procreation requires both man and woman for its perfection, so also the proper formation and development—physical, intellectual and to a degree spiritual—requires both parents.

Our friend illustrated a few examples of life struggling through divorce and the effects of it upon the family. My family has been fortunate—or unfortunate depending upon how you look at it—to have had only two divorces from among 15 marriages. Both divorces were a result of infidelity. I have also known the personal stories behind a number of other divorce cases, all of which were a result of selfish motives.

I have seen the difficulties these families have had to go through—strained relationships among parents and their children, damaged self esteem especially on the part of the children, a sense of insecurity, etc. I have seen nothing healthy or good result from a divorce or broken family. Certainly there have been instances of achievement and occasions for joy; but nothing of that has been a fruit of the divorce.

However, I have also known cases when separation is necessary—note that I say separation here and not divorce. Even the Church allows for separation in some cases where the husband and wife may have personal difficulties or desire to seek a life of higher perfection. There are also cases where separation is necessary for the well being of the children and/or one of the parents, such as an abusive husband/father.

The guiding principle behind these exceptions is the welfare of the family. Even when one of the parents wants to seek a higher way of life (e.g. to live a religious life), the family must be provided for and the spouse must give consent. In any of these cases a civil divorce is merely a technicality alleviating some of the difficulties and legal dilemmas that arise from a separation.

I appeal to your common sense. Look at the world around you, the history of the human race and the evolution of society. Reflect upon the events and decisions that have brought you here today, that bring you to read this insignificant post on an insignificant blog. Tell me that individuals do not need society, that society does not need families.

For myself I am convinced, confirmed by authors such as John Donne and Chesterton, philosophers and theologians such as Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas, by the ancient authority of the Catholic Church, and from my own God-given powers of reasoning, that society needs the family. I am also convinced that the corruption of and attack upon the family in our society will be its own downfall. Let us do what we can to preserve the family.

Two Games in Two Days

2009-02-07T21:50:00.000-06:00

Last night we played Arthur Christian at home. Both JV and varsity lost by playing very poorly. The only real bright side was that our offense was actually playing more patiently than it has in a while. It is really frustrating when we continue to make fundamental mistakes. So be it.

We just got back from playing a Catholic school in Terra Haute, Indiana, John Paul II Academy. We won both games easily. As a matter of fact, for most of the second half and the entire fourth quarter of the JV game I played all freshmen players. It was good for the boys to get some experience. The freshmen have much to work on to be competitive but I think that a number of them will make an impact within the next two years. Father even played the freshmen in the varsity game for a bit.

The weather here has been beautiful. We had three inches of snow covering the ground yesterday. Now there is very little if any snow left. Unfortunately, everything is extremely muddy. I am looking forward to Spring.

This Guy Has Class

2009-02-06T15:13:00.002-06:00

Here is a video from ESPN.com about Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning. He writes a letter to select opponents after they retire, players whom he was impressed by and loved to play against. I find it inspirational to see someone with such a professional character and class in the public spotlight. Granted it is only sports and far less important than many of the more mundane aspects of our daily lives. But when the majority of our politicians and leaders, those who are supposed to be the best of our society, seem to only be interested in doing what they need to do to keep their positions rather than doing what is right and what is best for this country, it is refreshing to find nobility even if only on a football field.

I also like the remarks about how much it means to receive a written letter as opposed to a text message.

The Jon Stewart Economic Stimulus Plan

2009-02-06T13:56:00.004-06:00

It must be a sign of the times. Arguably the nation’s most popular political comedian, Jon Stewart, has come up with what I think is the best stimulus package to date. Instead of bailing out the banks, bail out the consumer who owes the banks. The consumer pays off his debt thereby putting money back into the banks. Not only do we bail out the banks but we bail out the consumer as well.

Of course one may argue that there is no guarantee that the individuals would use the stimulus to pay off their debt. Consider this scenario. After determining how much money each individual is entitled to, send that amount to the debtor bank against the individual’s debt. For example, let’s say that I owe Bank A $1000. According to the calculations of the gurus in Washington I am entitled to $800 from the stimulus plan. The government would then send $800 to Bank A against my $1000 debt. The bank has been paid back $800 of the $1000 that it lent and I am $800 less in debt than I was yesterday. What if I only owe $600? The government only pays the $600 and the other $200 is dispersed elsewhere. It seems a logical solution to me.

Not that I think that a stimulus package is what the economy needs. How the leaders of our country determined that the solution to our current economic crisis is to print more money and give it to banks to lend to consumers who are already overburdened with debt is beyond me.

“Everyone is in debt and can’t afford to buy things. Let’s give more money to the banks so that they can continue to lend.” Yeah, that makes sense.

I am not very savvy as far as how economics works, so tell me if I’m wrong, wouldn’t printing money out of thin air just dilute the value of the dollar? If that’s the case, won’t that actually hurt the economy by making everything more expensive?

We used to have a standard which backed the dollar, some precious metal. We could only print as much money as corresponded to how much gold we had. Now what is the standard? The paper the dollar is printed on? Or is it our nation’s reputation, the value foreign investors see in our country? We are depending upon foreign investors to fuel our economy. The less popular we become in the eyes of investors the less likely it seems that those investors will be spending their money on us. If that is the case it is no wonder that our economy is in the tank.

I think that I will vote for Jon Stewart in the next election.

Remote People

2009-02-04T08:22:00.001-06:00

People sadden me. I walk through a Walmart, a mall, any public place really, and see people completely detached from the world around them. Whether it’s an ear bud attached to an iPod or a Bluetooth head-set linked to their phone, there seems to always be some gadget keeping people in some place other than where they are. If someone steps out of their electronic bubble, it is only out of necessity. Only by reason of necessity do I have to speak to the woman behind the counter or the man at the toll booth. But even now we are getting away from that. Now there are self check outs and you can pay at the pump. Not that these things are bad but they are not always healthy.

Try saying “hello” to a fellow shopper. If you try and make eye contact they become uncomfortable and avoid your glance or they are annoyed and sometimes even angry. They act like you are invading their own little country. Thank God for electronic doors so that we don’t have to hold them open for anyone!

Even in the home families don’t even eat together anymore. Dad and mom have to rush out to work while the kids head off to school. Breakfast foods are produced to be simple meals for “people on the go” and we have a plethora of easy meal options for lunch and supper. Now you can eat when you want and you don’t have to wait for the rest of the family and vice versa.

If a family does sit down together there is constant distraction from our electronic friends. Ipods, video games, cell phones all find their way to the table. Now you are not “forced” to talk to each other. Think about it, can you really call something like that a family?

Not that I am starved for attention. The problem I have with it is that this de-socialization of individuals is destructive of society in general. Aristotle defined man as a “social animal.” Nowhere else in nature but with man are the young so dependent upon the parents for survival for so long. Throughout our whole lives we need other men to survive and fulfill their full potential.

It has been said that a man who lives alone is either a saint or insane. Looking at the moral depravity in society I think that it would be safe to say that people are losing their sanity rather than becoming holy.

Retraction

2009-02-03T12:59:00.001-06:00

A good friend of mine brought to my attention some statements which I made which were scandalous and insulting to St. Mary’s and the boys on the basketball team. The statement, which has been removed from the post, seemed to marginalize the existence of certain petty prejudices to the actions and words of the high school boys.

My friend was rightly outraged at such an accusation. It was certainly my lack of clarity in expressing an issue which I perceived existed between my alma mater and La Salette that is the cause of such a misunderstanding. I sincerely apologize for any misunderstanding and mistreatment of the problem as I see it. If any prejudice exists between the schools it originates from false impressions, generalizations, and lack of clarity (and charity)—of which, ironically, I am guilty in this case.

I would also like to clarify that I am not making accusations or to imply that one school is better than the other, or some similar conclusion. I was expressing—obviously not very clearly—my opinion that certain prejudices exist between some affiliated with both schools (including some students) and lamenting their existence. It was not on account of the actions or words of high school boys, who have tendency to marginalize and generalize, that I saw any prejudice but the observations of adults. None of these would be considered official representatives of either school but most have affiliation with one or the other. From these observations and opinions I saw legitimate criticism—no one is perfect—and, sadly, the prejudicial sentiment which I was lamenting. It is not one sided and where it started I don’t know and it does not matter. Regrettably, I think that my statement may have only added to the problem.

This prejudicial mentality is something that is un-Catholic and repulsive and I have been trying to do what I can to eradicate it from among those over whom I have influence. I have great deal of respect and affection, as do all the priests and faculty here in La Salette, for St. Mary’s. I am ashamed that my words have been the cause of division between the schools and those affiliated with the schools. Again, if I have scandalized anyone over this issue please accept my apology.