Friday, May 15, 2009
Out and about!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Shirtless Biden Washes Trans Am In White House Driveway
WASHINGTON—Taking advantage of the warm spring weather Monday, Vice President Joe Biden parked his 1981 Trans Am in the White House driveway, removed his undershirt, and spent a leisurely afternoon washing the muscle car and drinking beer."This baby just needs a little scrub down," said Biden, addressing a tour group as he tucked the sweat-covered top into the belt loop of his cutoff jean shorts. "Gotta get her looking good so I can impress the chicks when I'm cruising down Pennsylvania [Avenue]."
White House aides said that Biden pulled into the driveway shortly before noon, the chorus of Night Ranger's "(You Can Still) Rock In America" blaring from his car's stereo. According to witnesses, Biden spent several minutes maneuvering the Trans Am into the perfect spot, and was observed drumming his fingers on the steering wheel until the song came to a close.
The shirtless 66-year-old then entered the executive residence and greeted employees with a round of high fives and a variety of nicknames.
"Hey, hot stuff, looking good," Biden told a passing aide. "Would you know where I could get a little bucket and sponge action? My mean machine needs to be cleaned."
After acquiring the necessary washing materials, the bare-chested second-in-command returned to the driveway, where he spent several moments staring in apparent awe at the firebird decal on the hood of his car.
Biden, who purchased the white Pontiac in 1983, has made an annual tradition of taking time off each spring to wash and tune-up his vehicle. In 2008 alone, the veteran politician reportedly missed two dozen Senate sessions in order to spend some quality time "taking care of [his] baby."
"He does this every year and it really seems to rejuvenate him," Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) said. "Back in 2001, the car was up on blocks in the National Mall, and he was so busy rotating those tires that he bailed on the confirmation hearings for secretary of state."
"What're you gonna do, though?" Dodd added. "That car rocks."
As Biden gently applied a sponge to the hood and moved it in small circular motions across the car's contours, a number of White House interns walked by and caught the vice president's attention.
"She's a real beaut, ain't she?" said Biden, popping open a wide-mouth can of Coors Light and tilting back his head to take a long drink. "Back when Smokey And The Bandit came out, everyone wanted the black paint job, but looking back now, I'm thankful the dealership didn't have it in stock."
"Oops, looks like I got a little brewha in the flavor-saver," added Biden, referring to his wispy, four-day-old mustache. "Any of you girls care to join me for another tallboy?"
Biden then spent the next 15 minutes boasting about the features on his Trans Am.
"They don't make kick-ass T-tops like this anymore, sweetheart," said Biden, shaking his head in exaggerated disappointment. "And check out these gold snowflake rims. They're a real bitch to clean, but they're totally worth it."
"Back in the day we used to call 'em panty-melters," Biden continued. "One babe caught a glimpse of those rims after a Cinderella concert in '86 and she couldn't get into that backseat fast enough. If any of you girls wanna take a ride, just let ol' Joe know."
For the remainder of the day, Biden occupied himself with hosing off his car, giving the side doors an extra coat of wax, and throwing out a variety of items from beneath its front seats, including crumpled-up fast food wrappers, a number of soft packs of Doral kings, an issue of Cheri magazine from 1991, and Senate bill S. 486.
According to White House officials, Biden was still hanging out in the driveway long after dusk, revving the engine at passersby and explaining the intricacies of a turbocharged V-8 motor to anyone within earshot.
As of press time, Biden had convinced Jennifer Britmore, a 41-year-old mother of four visiting from Indiana, to let him show her around D.C. 
"Evil is on the Offensive"
Thanks to Catholic Family News.On Friday May 8, Alan Keyes was arrested at Notre Dame protesting the university’s decision to honor President Obama with the commencement speech and an honorary law degree.
Obama is scheduled to be appear at Notre Dame on May 17.
Dr. Keyes arrived at Notre Dame with a sizable cadre of pro-lifers, many pushing strollers containing baby-dolls smeared red to indicate the blood of the unborn slain daily in abortion. Others held signs saying,“I regret my abortion”.
The protestors peacefully walked onto Notre Dame’s campus praying together the Rosary.
Upon entering the campus, Keyes was arrested for trespassing by
Keyes held his rosary as he was handcuffed from behind. About 15 others were handcuffed and arrested with him.
One woman, who was off to the side praying the Rosary, and not formally part of the protesting group, was thrown off the campus by University police.
Dr. Keyes states his intention is to witness to the truth, and urges many others to join the protest at Notre Dame “until the
I spoke with Mr. Keyes shortly before he entered the campus.
He expressed to me his belief that we are now in a great winnowing where the wheat will be separated from the chaff. “Evil is on the offensive,” he said, “and when that moment comes, we are called upon to make a choice.”
He gave the example of Obama’s aggressive plan to remove conscience-protection from health-care workers who oppose abortion, so that those who object to abortion on moral grounds will either have to participate in these procedures or leave the profession.
“If he is able to fulfill that intention”, said Keyes, “then every single person in the medical community will have to make a choice to stand with Christ or against Him.”
“At the end of the day”, said Keyes, “I think Obama is just part of the truth that the law of God and the truth of Jesus Christ is as a sword. It divides.”
He noted many modern Christians, Church leaders and academies are “living a lie”, in that “they pretend the Christian does not have to choose. But Christ said you are either with Him or against him. There is no middle ground.”
Local resident Michael Chabot explained his reason for taking part in the protest.
“As long as Our Lady is on the dome at Notre Dame, she is being publicly dishonored.” said Mr. Chabot. “And as long as Notre Dame tries to hide under the veneer of a Catholic identity or character, then I join these protests to do what Pope Leo XIII said we should do, tear the mask off and expose them.”
Last week, Keyes issued a statement giving his reasons for traveling to Notre Dame.
He noted that Notre Dame “will welcome to the university campus a man who represents the most abominable and extreme commitment ever known in US politics to destroying the God-given right to life of innocent human offspring.”
“With their actions and the ‘honor’ they confer upon Obama,” said Keyes, “they will actively promote the lie that it is possible to dishonor God blatantly and unashamedly, yet be somehow ‘honorable’ in the eyes of those who profess faith in Jesus Christ.”
Noting pro-life leader Randal Terry’s recent arrest at Notre Dame, Keyes said the university has “declared it an offense to peacefully demonstrate the evil of abortion. They have declared it an offense, prayerfully to bear witness to truth on a campus supposedly guided by and subordinate to that truth.”
He then declared his intention to protest.
“I will go to
Urging others to join him, he said, “If this be trespass, then forgive us our trespasses and join us in trespassing until the South Bend jail is filled to overflowing with witnesses to truth; filled beyond capacity; filled until we break the most onerous shackles of all the ones that bind the heart and mind to evil and our nation to the path of its destruction.”
The protests at Notre Dame have being going on for the past three weeks, and continue to escalate as we file this report.
To date, 71 Bishops have spoken out against Notre Dame’s invitation to President Obama.
To learn more, go www.stopobamanotredame.com
Friday, May 8, 2009
More closings
As regular readers know I have been overly supportive during these times of school and now church closings.
But.
Enough is enough.
Let's worry about the spiritual health of our Diocese, can we please? I know plenty of sad excuses for Catholics who do not know the faith, do not follow it's laws, think confession is "old fashioned and unnecessary" and who always receive Communion on the odd occasions they do venture inside a Church.
Someone might say I'm being short-sighted now. The salvation of souls is supposed to be the mission of the Church.
Education of our youth is paramount if we are teach the faith and have them pass it on. Perhaps we Catholics should start their own charter school thingy, and bypass the skeletal diocesan school system that remains. If the Diocese won't teach our children, we'll have to. I hear the Seton Homeschool program is very good.
Thoughts?
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Well lookey here!
Show the Traddy you love him and get over to the Crescat and vote!
News from the Homestead
Blogging not only allows one to share unsolicited opinions on the happenings of the day, it also allows us to share happy news with you.
Mrs. Traddy and I announce to all of you, that our second child will arrive in mid-January!
God be praised, and please pray for the health of mom and baby!
I will keep you posted on how things are doing.
Supposed "Swine Flu" in my town!
I am waiting anxiously to see what sort of panic they create as the story invariably gets worse as the kiddies become achey, feverish, and can't sleep.
Perhaps some Alka-Seltzer Flu in is order instead of pandemonium?
In today's Citizen's Voice:
The state Department of Health is investigating a probable case of swine flu, also known as H1N1, in a student at Holy Redeemer High School in Wilkes-Barre.
Holy Redeemer is not being closed at this time, said Principal James Redington on Monday. Redington said the student had not been to Mexico recently, but had been absent from school since last week. The issue was brought to the school’s attention Friday.
“We have been in contact with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and they are working with us,” he said. “At this time it is strictly a probable situation and we are doing everything to ensure students will be safe.”
In a letter to parents, the school administration explained the reasoning for keeping the school open.
“First, this student became ill a week ago, and according to PADOH, the period of concern is seven days. The student only came to school before becoming ill, and then was at home until the symptoms had gone away. The diagnosis of influenza was made only late in the course of the student’s illness by the doctor.
The most likely time that this student would have spread the virus is on the day before illness onset, which again was a week ago. In addition, the student is a teenager, and in general the concerns about spread of respiratory viruses in the school setting is higher for younger children rather than in this age group.”
The letter further explains that Holy Redeemer has not experienced an unusually high number of incidences of respiratory illness or student absences. School officials will continue to monitor the situation. Whether this is a confirmed case of H1N1 will not be known for several days as the sample have to be sent to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta for confirmation.
“We have been working with cleaning staff maintenance staff all along to ensure all the cleanliness factors are up to grade,” Redington said.
A probable case of swine flu is one in which a patient tests positive for Influenza A, but is negative for the common, seasonal strains. Samples are then sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laboratory in Atlanta, which tests for the Influenza A strain H1N1, or swine flu.
There have been 340 confirmed cases in 36 states, according to CDC figures published Monday. At that time, there was one confirmed case in Pennsylvania, and nine probable cases spread across Bucks, Luzerne, Lycoming, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.
Nicholas Sohr, staff writer, contributed to this report.
One for our side
SANTA ANA, Calif. — A federal judge ruled that a public high school history teacher violated the First Amendment when he called creationism "superstitious nonsense" during a classroom lecture. U.S. District Judge James Selna issued the ruling Friday after a 16-month legal battle between student Chad Farnan and his former teacher, James Corbett.
Farnan sued in U.S. District Court in 2007, alleging that Corbett violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment by making repeated comments in class that were hostile to Christian beliefs.
The lawsuit cited more than 20 statements made by Corbett during one day of class, all of which were recorded by Farnan, to support allegations of a broader teaching method that "favors irreligion over religion" and made Christian students feel uncomfortable.
During the course of the litigation, the judge found that most of the statements cited in the court papers did not violate the First Amendment because they did not refer directly to religion or were appropriate in the context of the classroom lecture.
But Selna ruled Friday that one comment, where Corbett referred to creationism as "religious, superstitious nonsense," did violate Farnan's constitutional rights. (read more)
Monday, May 4, 2009
Farm Update
Yesterday I got working at getting the extra wide 4 foot wide raised beds put in, the walkways were newspapered and mulched with straw. Also got in the carrots, onions, potatoes, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage.
It is raining today so nothing else got done.
Next up is a row of spinach, beets, peas, and the lettuces. Then we start building the trellises for the beans, peas, and cukes.
My problem is, I planned to show the stages of the field, but never have in my mind to bring the camera when I go to work there.
Sigh.
I will get some pics up soon and let you see how the thing is progressing. I hope to get over there tomorrow or Wednesday depending on the rain.
Bishop Martino Rocks - Again!
Because he has spoken out against Kings College - another "Catholic" College that has asked a pro-death politician to speak at their commencement -I decree to all Christendom that Bishop Martino ROCKS!From the Diocesan website:
Bishop Joseph F. Martino said today that the decision by King’s College to have Sen. Robert Casey serve as commencement speaker on May 17 is, in view of his affirmative vote for Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Services, an affront to all who value the sanctity of life. Previously, the Bishop had asked Sen. Casey to reflect on his oft-stated pro-life beliefs and oppose the nomination of Gov. Sebelius who as a Catholic has been a committed advocate of abortion while she served as governor of Kansas. It is the Bishop’s position that his vote on April 28 demonstrates that Sen. Casey is a reliable vote for President Barack Obama’s aggressive pro-abortion agenda, one which pro-life advocates claim is promoting the “culture of death” in the United States.“Sen. Casey’s appearance at King’s graduation ceremony is sad and disappointing in view of his recent alignment with anti-life forces in the Senate and the highest offices of our government,” Bishop Martino said. “I do not believe he has the moral stature to stand before the graduates of a Catholic college to address them about their futures and the challenges they will face when on the most important issue of the day—the sanctity of human life—he cannot muster the courage to oppose the pro-abortion agenda which is currently being promoted in Washington.”
Bishop Martino acknowledges that the decision to invite Sen. Casey was made by King’s College prior to the vote on Gov. Sebelius and prior to his vote to rescind the Mexico City Policy which allows taxpayer funds to be used abroad by Planned Parenthood and other organizations to promote abortion and contraception. At the time of the Senator’s selection to deliver the commencement address, he had no objection to the invitation. “Now, however,” the Bishop said, “it is truly unfortunate that this Catholic institution will be seen as providing a forum for a politician who is steadily distancing himself from pro-life principles and, sadly, from his father’s legacy as a statesman who championed the rights of the unborn. As Bishop, I will continue to challenge Sen. Casey whenever he fails to cast a vote or advance a position that will protect the most vulnerable in our society.”