Seahawks Must Hit on New Coordinator Hire to Bridge Gap Between Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll

Opinion: A Trump Future Candidacy Isn’t What Democrats and RINOs Are Afraid Of

Points to Ponder:

Smoking cigars is like falling in love. First, you are attracted by its shape; you stay for its flavor, and you must always remember never, never to let the flame go out! [Winston Churchill]

Briefly on the 2020 and Presumptive 2021 Impeachments:

I had barely touched on the issue of the 2020 impeachment of President Donald Trump when it was occurring but to reiterate anew here: there were no viable grounds for the 2020 impeachment. It established a precedent that will bite the Democrats in the ass in 2023 when a Republican House will impeach Joe Biden or Kamala Harris on some similarly stupid premise. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes basically.

Where 2021 is concerned, it is different insofar as one can at least make an argument for impeachment this time materially. And as all you need is a simple majority for impeachment, it will happen. They were hoping for a 25th Amendment approach which would make a trial unnecessary but they are not going to get it; ergo, they will with all likelihood successfully impeach.

My position on the latest one is simple: it is all kabuki theatre without 67 Senate votes to actually confirm it which they will not get. The charges will struggle to withstand Supreme Court precedents on First Amendment speech as set down in Brandenburg v Ohio and the Brandenburg test.{1} That does not exonerate what Trump did, only that the bar on this issue is a lot higher than many presume and there will not be 67 votes in the Senate to clear it.

So with the 2021 impeachment drive in brief (i) yes, one at least materially has grounds for impeachment; however, (ii) the attempt to invalidate Donald Trump's eligibility for a future presidential run will fail in the Senate.

Note:

{1} Also known as the imminent lawless action test.

Points to Ponder:

I re-read Hannah Arendt's Origins of totalitarianism recently to confirm my sense that every action Democrats have taken since 2009 looks just like the rise of ghetto's and camps in Central Europe of the 30's...[T]he calls from many prominent Democrats to begin pogroms and purges with camps for (tsk, tsk) re-education are all over the airwaves and powerlines and it demonstrates sheer depravity. ["CosmoKat"]

Don't expect charges against Trump or allies for inciting DC riot, say DOJ officials

5 Qs, 5 As with Field Gulls: “Russell Wilson is great...but I’m concerned”

5 Qs and 5 As with Turf Show Times: Is John Wolford a better option than Jared Goff?

Points to Ponder:

Anecdotal Observation: My conservative friends are split regarding tonight's activities. However, during the 'BLM Summer', my liberal friends were unified in their approval. [Trish Cusack (circa January 6, 2021)]

 

2021

New year, attitude, focus

Cobra Kai beckons 

Miscellaneous Musings:

(On Political Kayfabe) 

We are almost to that changing season where the days get longer, a new Congress is sworn in, and Republicans start once again tut tutting about being guardians against all ye deficits with a Democrat in the White House. Of course they gave as much of a shit about it in 2017-2019 as they did during 2001-2007 when Bush 43 was president which was none. 

Meanwhile, the Democrats who nitpicked a few billion dollars for the silly wall and pretended to care about things like PayGo and all that under Trump will suddenly want to spend trillions with no shame whatsoever under Biden much as they did under Obama but whined incessantly about when it happened under Bush.

In wrestling parlance, this is called a double turn and it happens when the parties out of executive power change just like clockwork. And that many of those who would claim that wrestling is "fake" actually think any of this government posturing is real? It is as predetermined as any wrestling event and frankly far less real.

About to depart

2020: truly a

Year of drizzling shits

Enemy Reaction 2020: Los Angeles Rams

Cigar Thoughts, Game 15: HANG THE F***ING BANNER

Adeste fideles laeti triumphantes
Venite, venite in Bethlehem
Natum videte regem angelorum

Venite, adoremus,
Venite, adoremus,
Venite, adoremus, 

Dominum!

Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine,
Gestant puellae viscera
Deum verum, genitum non factum.

Venite, adoremus,
Venite, adoremus,
Venite, adoremus, 

Dominum!

Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Venite, adoremus,
Venite, adoremus,
Venite, adoremus, 

Dominum!

 

Points to Ponder:

Your entrance and your exit should be devastating, and everything in the middle is filler. [Keith Moon]

A Tale of Two Packages...

It was the worst of shipping times, it was the even worse still of shipping times...

Two packages were ordered and shipped recently. Package #1 was of a decent size and shipped standard FedEx, Package #2 was via standard USPS. 

Package #1 was originally to ship out of Shanghai on 12/10, a delay meant it did not actually ship until 12/13. It arrived in Anchorage, AK on 12/14 and shipped out same day to Memphis, TN where it arrived on 12/15 and had to clear customs. After a 5 day customs delay, it cleared customs on 12/20 and departed Memphis arriving in Jamaica, NY at 7:21pm. From there, it was a short turnaround to get to Stamford on 12/21 and finally to my residence at 5:00pm on 12/22. Halfway around the world in 9 days with a 5 day customs layover? Not too bad considering the circumstances with understaffing due to Covid and all.

Package #2 is in a very small box and was ordered on 12/14 at 11:00pm and shipped out of Philadelphia, PA on 12/15. It took four days to get out of Philadelphia and to Jersey City, NJ on 12/19. From there it departed Jersey City arriving in Stamford, CT on 12/20 whereupon for the past four evenings, I have been told it was "arriving late" only to not arrive. Fortunately on nights I am not home, my neighbour is available if said package were to arrive to retrieve it for me but now we are going on 5 days of "arriving late tonight" texts from USPS and no package. To recap:

Package #1:

-Big Package

-Shipped FedEx

-Shipped from 8,387 miles across the world

-Took 12 days to arrive but involved two separate delays including an unavoidable customs delay of 5 days

Package #2:

-Small Box weighing not even half a pound

-Shipped USPS

-Shipped from Philadelphia or 134 miles away

-Took 6 days to get to Stamford and did not have to clear customs 

-Has been in Stamford for 3 days with false promises of late delivery on 3 straight nights so far and it has not arrived as of this status

Exit Questions:

1) Which outfit would you prefer handling your parcels?

2) Why on earth should we give USPS any more money?

Points to Ponder:

Never take a full humidor for granted. In fact, never take anything for granted. 

Is it Morally Permissible to Use the Covid-19 Vaccine?

I am normally very hesitant to say much about the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) for a number of reasons. However, when the above article was brought to my attention shortly after its publication, I took some time to read it. I found myself very impressed by how the aforementioned article handled the issue of Covid and the issues of vaccines for Covid and their liceity (validity) thereof. 

As some friends and I have discussed the above matter in various and sundry private social media platforms in the past few weeks, it dawned on me this morning{1} that I had not publicly said anything about it. Considering the seriousness of the issues touched upon, I feel in the interest of ethics and charity compelled to do so now. I therefore give the material at the above thread my full endorsement.

Note:

{1} While posting other material to this site.

Seahawks have three weeks to keep this franchise streak alive 

Never Trumpers Play the Moral Authority Card on Anti-Lockdown Conservatives, Get the Responses They Deserve

It would be less than honest if I did not admit that I was #NeverTrump back in 2015-2016 including supporting Gary Johnson in that election. (Not a chance in hell was I going to vote for #Hildabeast.) But over time, my views of President Trump changed insofar as I both liked many of his policies but did not like him personally. In some areas, he governed a lot better than I thought he would. And I am unaware of any president who was treated as unfairly as he has been by the loathesome media industrial complex so that factor brings about a certain degree of sympathy from me for what he has gone through -even if some of it was self inflicted by not knowing when the hell to shut up. But that is neither here nor there.

Despite all of that and much more, I grew over time to dislike and eventually loathe Never Trumpers for the skeevy grifting pieces of trash most of them are. The above article is just one example of countless ones I could post showing the depths of mental and other sickness prevalent on these most disgusting of people. And may they never be given relevance again by anyone with a normal intact functioning brain.

Apostolic Letter Patris Corde of Pope Francis on the 150th Anniversary of St. Joseph Being Made Patron Saint of the Universal Church 

As someone with a personal devotion to St. Joseph, I am looking forward to reading this apostolic letter in full and reflecting on its contents.

Cigar Thoughts, Game 13: Seahawks steal parachute, push New York out of the jet

 More on the End of the Road For 2020:

This was brought to my attention after my most recent election musings were put up on social media the other day. My response to it is to follow. 

All the states have been certified.

Almost all lower courts are rejecting these cases on procedural grounds and the ones that are not are being appealed to courts that likely will. 

SCOTUS is rejecting election cases that come before it on standing.

The electoral college meets [tomorrow] to vote and they will vote as the certified states indicate.

The new Congress on January 6th will not fail to certify the electoral college results. From there, nothing stops #SkeevyAndTheHo from being sworn in at noon on 1/20/21.

The train has run out of track.

More on the End of the Road For 2020:

This was a response to my most recent election musings were put up on social media the other day. My response to it is to follow. 

2022 might be too late

For what? Secure the Senate January 5th and Biden is about to be the most ineffective president since Jimmy Carter and that is even before the 2022 bloodbath to come. And I am not even counting the about to be bigly gerrymandered district map which will lock Dems out of holding the House for about ten years. Whether it is Skeevy or the Ho after 2022, they will face opposite party control in both chambers and about half the country viewing them as illegitimate: not exactly a good recipe for effective governance.

On the End of the Road For 2020, Etc:

The path forward is clear now with no election cases even getting heard on merits; namely, pivot to Georgia. Win there, solidify the Senate, and prepare for 2022.

Remember, fraud makes a difference only in very close races. The way to fight it is by winning the governorships of MI, WI, PA: all of which are up in 2022. From there, there can be a push of Republican state lawmakers to clean up their state election system. The emphasis above all needs to be on vote security. 

And those thinking any other cases are getting past procedural rejections are only fooling themselves.

Today was our first trip to the mausoleum where my wife's parents are buried since they finished engraving the names. The latter was done a few months back but my wife was not able to visit again after the internment until today. 

Please pray for the eternal repose of the souls of Raffaelina Illiano Barone and Frank Diego Barone.

Eternal rest grant unto their souls oh Lord and may thy perpetual light shine upon them...May their souls and all the souls of the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

O God of our Fathers, we guard in our hearts today the sacred memory of those who gave their lives on that day which will live in infamy. Bless us, O Lord, as we humble ourselves in Thy presence to remember our shipmates and friends who served our country so valiantly. Let us not disgrace those who still lie in the quiet places through our indifference or forgetfulness. Rather, help us to always remember Pearl Harbor and help us to keep America alert. May we never forget that more than 2,000 of our sons, fathers, brothers, and friends were killed and more than 1,000 citizens of our land were wounded on December 7, 1941. Their sacrifices were not in vain. They defended America’s freedom and demonstrated America’s goodness. Heavenly Father, we give thanks for the brave men who embodied your love by making this ultimate sacrifice. You have declared “greater love hath no man than this, than to lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). May we be willing to follow their example when duty calls. We also give thanks for those who survived the attack on our country and who went on with their lives in a way that portrayed honor to a watching world. They carried on with life even as they bore deep within them the haunting memories of what they witnessed, heard, and felt. Bless them with continued grace and mercy from your holy hand. Guide us and direct us in all that we do. Let us live to bring glory and honor to Thee. This we pray in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

On Dogmatic Facts and Pope Francis' Election as Pope:

This is in response to the following poll which was sent to me from social media.

A few musings come to mind when reading the above; namely:

1) Those people saying Benedict XVI are still Pope are schmucks.  

2) Dogmatic facts are "any fact connected with a dogma and on which the application of a dogma to a particular case depends." [Catholic Encyclopedia: Article on Dogmatic Facts (circa 1913)]  

3) The Church is infallible in dogmatic facts:

"According to Catholic doctrine, the  infallibility of the Church's Magisterium extends not only to the deposit of faith but also to those matters without which that deposit cannot be rightly preserved and expounded." [CDF: Instruction Mysterium Ecclesiae 3 (circa 1973) referencing Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium 25 (circa 1964)]

"With regard to those truths connected to revelation by historical necessity and which are to be held definitively, but are not able to be declared as divinely revealed, the following examples can be given: the legitimacy of the election of the Supreme Pontiff or of the celebration of an ecumenical council, the canonizations of saints (dogmatic facts)." [CDF: Doctrinal Commentary on the Profession of Faith (circa 1998)]

4) Pope Benedict XVI abdicated the papacy by his own free choice in February of 2013.

5) The College of Cardinals elected Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina as Pope in March of 2013. He chose the name of Francis.

6) Pope Francis is the lawfully elected Pope of the Catholic Church.

7) As the Church could not err in a matter of dogmatic facts and the selection of Pope involves dogmatic facts, upon the man selected accepting the election, he becomes at that moment Pope.

8) The identity of Pope Francis as Pope as a dogmatic fact falls under the secondary realm of truths connected to revelation by logical necessity. Ergo, the fact that Pope Francis is Pope is considered infallible.

9) Those voting for Benedict XVI as the current Pope in that poll are in dogmatic error which if willfully doubted or denied means they should not present themselves for communion and priests or deacons aware of said willful doubt or denial by said persons should refuse to give them communion.

10) Benedict recognizes Francis as the lawful Pope along with the rest of the Catholic faithful.

Life's a cigar: the wasting body glows.
The head turns white as Kosciusko's snows.
And, with the last soul-fragrance still in air,
The ashes slowly sink in soft repose. [George Gordon McCrae]

Seahawks defeat Eagles week 12 with good defense again

Cigar Thoughts, Game 11: DK slays Philadelphia as Seahawks pluck Eagles 23-17

Reasons why the 2020 presidential election is deeply puzzling

This article to a macro extent encapsulates my view as I have been thinking along similar lines in recent weeks.

Points to Ponder:

Worship and charity are the paths, embodying the love of God and love of neighbour.

5 Qs and 5 As with Bleeding Green Nation: Is it time to bench Carson Wentz?

Reports: Israel Assassinates “Father” Of Iranian Nuclear Bomb Program Mohsen Fakhrizadeh

A Thanksgiving Poem

The sun hath shed its kindly light,
Our harvesting is gladly o’er
Our fields have felt no killing blight,
Our bins are filled with goodly store.

From pestilence, fire, flood, and sword
We have been spared by thy decree,
And now with humble hearts, O Lord,
We come to pay our thanks to thee.

We feel that had our merits been
The measure of thy gifts to us,
We erring children, born of sin,
Might not now be rejoicing thus.

No deed of our hath brought us grace;
When thou were nigh our sight was dull,
We hid in trembling from thy face,
But thou, O God, wert merciful.

Thy mighty hand o’er all the land
Hath still been open to bestow
Those blessings which our wants demand
From heaven, whence all blessings flow.

Thou hast, with ever watchful eye,
Looked down on us with holy care,
And from thy storehouse in the sky
Hast scattered plenty everywhere.

Then lift we up our songs of praise
To thee, O Father, good and kind;
To thee we consecrate our days;
Be thine the temple of each mind.

With incense sweet our thanks ascend;
Before thy works our powers pall;
Though we should strive years without end,
We could not thank thee for them all.

[Paul Laurence Dunbar]

Points to Ponder:

Obedience is easy when you like what is asked of you, a lot harder when you do not. But the latter is actually more meritorious than the former according to the masters of the Catholic spiritual tradition.

Briefly on Non-Dogmatic Statements of Fact: 

My words will be in regular font.

No. when the Church rules that the conditions do not exist in these times, claiming that they do is disobedience.

You are ascribing to the Church a power beyond its competence. There is no special protection by the Holy Spirit when it comes to non dogmatic statements of fact. Period.

Pretending there is such a charism is basically is to fulfill William Gladstones nineteenth century caricature of Catholics as mind numbed robots completely dependent on Rome. The church is no more qualified to pronounce on the efficacy of modern penal systems than she is on the best way to build a dam, design a ship, conduct meteorological experiments, or prepare breakfast.

Prudential judgment helps us determine *how* to best obey Church teaching, not *whether* to obey  it.

Prudential judgement is subjective. It is also not free from possible errors as even the Vatican admits in Donum Veritatis.{1} It is certainly erroneous to automatically dismiss any and all prudential judgments of the Church the way many do. But it is no less erroneous to treat every prudential judgment as if it is carved on stone tablets from Mt. Sinai as you are in essence doing. The truth is between the Scylla of frequent and flagrant disobedience and the Charybdis of your kind of faith asphyxiating neo-ultramontanism.

Note:

{1} For further reading on this and other magisterial matters, see the following thread:

On the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, Obedience, and the Requirements of Faithful Catholics

Miscellaneous Musings on Neoscholasticism:

Whatever one wants to say about the Second Vatican Council, the intentions of the Fathers, of Pope St. John XXIII and all, one thing bears nothing. Namely, whatever fits and starts, whatever incomplete elucidation were involved in the process, one unquestionable good was the Second Vatican Council smashed neo-scholastic crap and more or less buried it. However good the intentions of its promoters were initially in wanting to recover authentic scholasticism, the actual result was a sham and at best a shell of authentic scholasticism. 

This increasingly fraudulent form of scholasticism was dominant in the Church in roughly the century prior to the Second Vatican Council. The Council to its great credit oriented the Church towards viewing the faith in a far more genuinely traditional way: incarnationally and a faith manifested through charitable service. What was so damaging about neoscholastic methodology is it asphyxiated the faith by making of it not a lived faith but instead a series of dogmatic theological propositions.{1} When the latter become the primary point of focus to the detriment of an incarnational understanding, it causes ones faith to become very sterile and unlifelike. 

We can all take issue with some of the things that came out of the Council, things that could have been said or expressed or formulated better. However, one undeniable benefit was the Second Vatican Council to its great credit smashed the sclerotic neoscholastic approach to the faith and set about expressing the faith more incarnationally as a faith that is lived through embodying the corporeal and spiritual works of mercy, not merely a jumble of verbal formularies.

Note:

{1} It was also based less on the original scholastic sources than on later commentators and various glosses they put on their commentaries on original sources which were often erroneous but confused with the thoughts of the schoolmen. 

Points to Ponder:

Do not ever forget or forgive those who sought to make 2020 as miserable as possible for the sake of playing politics!

 The Dogma Doesn't Live Loudly In Him

To take a bit of issue with the above article, pastoral theology presupposes dogmatic theology. What many of my fellow conservatives fail to grasp is repeating dogmatic formulations into a void accomplishes next to nothing in moving people towards the faith. Faith without works is dead. For his occasional stumbles Pope Francis understands this. It often seems many conservatives do not or at least beyond paying lip service to the concept at best.

Here is my dilemma: the same big media and big tech sources insisting all is well and there is nothing to see here viz potential widescale fraud and all have proven themselves repeatedly over the years to be a bunch of untrustworthy fucking liars and scum. 

So when proven untrustworthy fucking liars and scum march in lockstep trying to censor legitimate inquiries, I instinctively will support the latter because I have zero trust with the untrustworthy fucking liars and scum of big media and big tech. I would not piss on them if they were on fire and I will immediately distrust apriori everything they say about anything.

Vatican report reveals omissions in Archbishop Vigano’s ‘testimony’

I have been pretty clear from the get-go that I did not trust Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano the way not a few should have known better who frequently raised his name as some all-certified shibboleth in years past did. Rather than spell it out anew at this time, I will put in a footnote{1} links to prior postings where his material was touched on in varying degrees of detail.

The release of the long awaited McCarrick Report has no shortage of interesting material in it but among the most interesting is a signal failure of Archbishop Vigano in late 2012 to initiate an investigation as requested by Cardinal Marc Ouellet of the Congregation of Bishops.{2} This and other oversights by Archbishop Vigano listed in the McCarrick Report provide ample vindication of my prior enunciated positions on Vigano.

Notes:

{1} I went over in detail a couple of years ago the red flag that from the outset poisoned the well in my eyes where Vigano's credibility was concerned. Subsequent testimony installments of his or responses of other clerics to installments of his did not acquit him any better to put it nicely.

{2} See the McCarrick Report pgs 380-389 for details.

IN FLANDERS FIELDS

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

[Lt. Col. John McCrae (1872 – 1918)]

Vatican report tracks McCarrick’s rise despite allegations of abuse and misconduct

I may have more to say on this subject after familiarizing myself more with the contents of the report. 

Dear Democrats: Here's What You Can Do With Your Unity Candle

This article sums up a lot of what I am currently thinking{1}; ergo, I post it here as a reliable representation of my views on the issues it covers.

Note:

{1} To a macro extent anyway.

Drift Compatible Podcast: The Election. Yaaaaay.

Suppose They Stole An Election And Nobody Noticed

Purgatory Project Names 2020:

Richard Dunn McElhinney
Margaret Dianne McElhinney
Anna Maria McElhinney
Shawn McElhinney
Teresa Marie McElhinney
Frank D. Barone
Raffaelina Barone

Bobby Kanski

Silvana Barone

Sean Donovan

Harry Kanski
Mary Kanski
Paul McElhinney
Mildred McElhinney
Mark Usher
Virginia Usher

Joan Lucas

James Dunn McElhinney
David Kanski

Mark Cribbs

Ed Flynn
Cecilia Flynn
Hugh Dunn

Mel Denny
Hattie Denny

Sharon Colson

Ginny Riley

Steve Paul

Hugh Dunn

Don Hellstrom

Leta Allen
Steve Paul
Marlene Eiden

Natalie Holderness

Gail Kanski

Ann Ripplinger

Alice Romanick

Sharon Yotter
Lisa Yotter
Bob Kanski

Jessie Kanski

Brent McElhinney 

Denise Leese

Jody McElhinney

Judy Spence

Ann Spence 

Jack Spence 

Claudia McElhinney

Jerry Usher

Larry Usher

Pat Kane
Chris DiSomma
Mic Greubel
Jim Greubel
Cindy Greubel
Kathy Hanks
Shane Rasmussen
Tim Tull
Charles Tull
Daniel Tull

Bill Walkling

Pauley Perrette
Mike Mentzer
Ray Mentzer
Jack DeLisle
Larry Gonczy
Keith McDonald
Mona McDonald
Michelle Bigliatto

Melody Walkling

Yvonne Goodwin
Diana Louie Taylor
Marc Taylor
Beth Cleaver
Kender McGowan
Misha Lynn Nicastro
Miki Odendahl
Bob Klaus
Deborah Klaus
Art Sippo

Michael Lopez
F John Loughnan
Fr. Robert Taft SJ
Don Hale

Betty Hale
Linda Hale
Dave Altier
Vangie Altier
Fr. Augustine Hartmann
Fr. Christopher Hunter

Emilio Barone
Fr. Angel Sotelo
Kevin Tierney
Gwen Stefani
Fr. John Rizzo
Albert King
Albert Collins
Freddie King
Albert Cipriani
Rick Wright

The Rerum Novarum Miscellaneous site has been updated!!!

The above site is rarely updated but when it is, the material posted there is basically in a final form and I have no intention of revisiting the substance of those materials again. In this case, I have taken the unprecedented step of linking four Rerum Novarum expository musing threads to that site as these are subjects of no small importance. Those threads are as follows:

On Magisterial Interpretation (circa January 4, 2020)

On the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, Obedience, and the Requirements of Faithful Catholics (circa February 26, 2020)

On Clarifying and Retracting Some Prior Statements on the Magisterium (circa March 8, 2020)

More On Magisterial Interpretation (circa October 23, 2020)

I have said all I ever plan to say on the subjects contained therein. Ergo, it seems appropriate to post them there considering how much misunderstanding persists on the material covered in those threads.  

All things to the contrary notwithstanding. 

More On Magisterial Interpretation:

(Musings of your humble servant at Rerum Novarum)

One common mistake made in the area of magisterial interpretation is the texts are not considered in the totality of what they say. As a result, most folks who have recourse to said texts{1} usually miss important nuances in a text that they then presume say one thing when in actuality, they say something if not significantly differently then at least differently enough to undermine those citing said texts. In essence, words mean things and words matter. 

When seeking to correctly interpret a presumed magisterial statement{2}, it is important to consider every word in the text or statement because omitting even a mere word or two can change the manifested meaning. I wrote in detail on the subjects of the magisterium and the obedience required earlier in the year{3} and will reference from that work at this time a pertinent part of it for the point I am making here. To wit: 

It helps to remember at the outset of treating on this subject matter that "a simple sentence, even spoken by the Sovereign Pontiff, is not an act of the Magisterium; we know that all statements have different degrees of authority."[...] So those who conflate airplane interviews[...], purported statements of non-dogmatic fact[...], speeches on geopolitical matters[...], or musings on economics particulars[...] are going outside what the Church requires. This also applies to those who make too much out of statements about historical events,[...] personal opinions on various subject matters from papal exhortatory comments,[...] as well as papal empirical surmises.[...]{4}

There are a variety of possible mediums basically. And as not everything in an unquestionable magisterial source is ipso facto magisterial, one needs to be particularly careful with sources that are of a more questionable nature.

Hopefully this brief treatment on the subject of interpretation{5} can be of assistance for those of good will who strive honestly and humbly to properly understand and interpret various sources of varying degrees of potentially magisterial nature.

Notes:

{1} Usually in a critical or apologetical context. 

{2} I say "presumed magisterial statement" because there is a habit by most people to equate virtually anything said by the Pope, a bishop, or another cleric as automatically magisterial. It is of course not that simple. 

{3} On the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, Obedience, and the Requirements of Faithful Catholics (circa February 26, 2020)

{4} See the source in footnote three.

{5} For the first installment thread on this topic, see the following post:

On Magisterial Interpretation (circa January 4, 2020)

On Positive Arguments For Voting For Biden/Harris in 2020:

My words will be in regular font. Without further ado...

So far I've managed to detect only two positive arguments for Harris/Biden from left-leaning Catholics: he's "minimally rational," and he'd aim to raise taxes. All the other arguments are fulminations against Trump and/or against the ASP.  Not a bad endorsement of voting for somebody other than Harris/Biden.

I dealt with the American Solidarity Party (ASP) earlier in the year so I am not going to reinvent the wheel here. As for the rest, raising taxes is never a positive argument. It is instead the lazy politicians attempt to avoid exercising fiscal discipline. If Biden was to push for zero based budgeting coupled with sequestration automatically cutting 5% of all essential and unquestionably constitutional programs every year{1} until the budget was balanced then the creation of a sinking fund to pay down debt{2}, that would be a great combination of reasons. But raising taxes is both lazy as well as deceptive because "only the rich" is the camels nose in the tent to raise taxes on everyone and is always what happens. So point one is a highly negative reason not a positive one and ergo stands debunked.

So you only have one and if "minimally rational" is the argument, Trump meets that low threshold so it is a wash/push.

Notes:

{1} And 10% of all non essential or constitutionally controversial programs.

{2} See this thread for more details:

A Plan To Pay Off The National Debt (circa August 14, 2020)

Hunter biz partner confirms email, details Joe Biden’s push to make millions from China

This is confirmation of the claims made in previous exposes by the New York Post published to this humble site over the past seven days.

Sonnet XIX:

(Requiem For Summer Past)

Having another birthday today, this sonnet from Shakespeare came to mind. It is not just a requiem for summer past but for 47 summers past. Without further ado...

Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion's paws,

And make the earth devour her own sweet brood;

Pluck the keen teeth from the fierce tiger's jaws,

And burn the long-liv'd phoenix, in her blood;

Make glad and sorry seasons as thou fleet'st,

And do whate'er thou wilt, swift-footed Time,

To the wide world and all her fading sweets;

But I forbid thee one most heinous crime:

O! carve not with thy hours my love's fair brow,

Nor draw no lines there with thine antique pen;

Him in thy course untainted do allow

For beauty's pattern to succeeding men.

Yet, do thy worst old Time: despite thy wrong,

My love shall in my verse ever live young.

On the Modern Media Monolith:
(With Christopher Blosser)

This is in response to my recent musings published on social media as well as HERE. My words will be in regular font. Without further ado...

Fox News has been the mirror image of MNSBC/CNN for as long as I can remember. I suppose Twitter/FB’s leanings are a new thing.

At the same time, where and when, for example, a social media company has the technical capacity to identify clear instances of foreign actors influencing an election (ex. paid advertising, deletion of dummy/bot accounts, obvious “fake news” postings which have no basis in fact or overt propaganda campaigns) I’m not necessarily opposed to increasing vigilance or countermeasures (as when FB took active measures against the Russian disinformation campaigns in 2019 and more recently the Chinese this year). 

Ex. https://www.bloombergquint.com/technology/facebook-removes-fake-account-network-based-in-china

Though this is probably a separate issue altogether it is occasionally perceived as being “on behalf of” a specific candidate.

If we consider CNN and MSNBC a wash with Fox News{1}, that still leaves ABC, NBC, CBS, Reuters, almost all significant newspapers, Facebook, and Twitter very clearly and unmistakably backing a truck up on the scale for Biden.

Unlike in the old days when this stuff was usually more coy or at least not blatant, there is no pretence of evenhandedness.

This has all the hallmarks of an American Pravda network. I am extremely troubled by this, particularly the thought that a Biden win means it would only worsen.

Note:

{1} Which considering there are no Chris Wallace types on those stations shivving Biden so it is not apples to apples.

'Unverified' is a (false) excuse for ignoring The Post’s Hunter Biden scoops

This article is spot on. The same sources using the "inverified" excuse here have used a trove of anonymous sources to supposedly "verify" their stories in the past where President Trump is concerned. 

Considering that many of these have been exposed as false{1} you will have to pardon those of us who roll our eyes hard at the idea of the mainstream media having any credibility in this area. They have unambiguously shown their hands in recent years that it calls into question why they should be believed on anything at all.

Note:

{1} To give one such example, see this link.

Points to Ponder:

The fundamental principle is that no battle, combat, or skirmish is to be fought unless it will be won. [Ernesto "Che" Guevara]

Miscellaneous Musings:
(On the Increasingly Troubling Media Monoliths)

Apart from anything else in this election, I am particularly troubled by the way the mainstream media and big tech who run social media platforms are so obviously and evidently in the bag for one of the presidential candidates. The difference in how the two are treated cannot be more obvious and I am troubled by the fact that not only do the favoured candidates supporters generally not see it but of those that do, none of them seem to care.

Totalitarian regimes of the past got their starts in similar kinds of environs and a lot of folks who would criticize the public's complacency in those circumstances do not see how they are going along with or (in some cases) defending the very same thing themselves completely oblivious (it seems) to the irony involved.

Emails reveal how Hunter Biden tried to cash in big on behalf of family with Chinese firm

JOE BIDEN, GODFATHER

L.J. Collier Continues to Blossom in Second Season with Seahawks

WHAT COULD ACCOUNT FOR THIS? (Instapundit)

I concur completely with this analysis and the sources quoted therein.

Points to Ponder:

The purpose of human law is to lead men to virtue, not suddenly, but gradually. Wherefore it does not lay upon the multitude of imperfect men the burdens of those who are already virtuous, viz. that they should abstain from all evil. Otherwise these imperfect ones, being unable to bear such precepts, would break out into yet greater evils: thus it is written (Ps. 30:33): "He that violently bloweth his nose, bringeth out blood"; and (Mt. 9:17) that if "new wine," i.e. precepts of a perfect life, "is put into old bottles," i.e. into imperfect men, "the bottles break, and the wine runneth out," i.e. the precepts are despised, and those men, from contempt, break into evils worse still. [St. Thomas Aquinas]

Texts on the Sacrament of Penance:

The following was either composed or finished on May 30, 2018 for a Facebook discussion thread that got lost in the shuffle the way many of those things can. I decided since the material could be of some use to post it here in tract form sans the original names included in the text and the usual footnote format. Without further ado...

For all this talk about Scripture, as usual I see this passage is never brought up. I wonder why?

"On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained'." [John 20:19–23]

Catholics along with all Apostolic Christians believe that the Apostles as the first bishops sent others as they were sent, etc down to the present day.

I noticed some were counting opinions on this thread as if this is a matter to be settled democratically. If [the author] does not mind, I would gladly submit opinions from ten early Christians which do not countenance the prevailing view on this thread.

"In church confess your sins, and do not come to your prayer with a guilt conscience. Such is the Way of Life...On the Lord's own day,assemble in common to break bread and offer thanks; but first confess your sins,so that your sacrifice may be pure.” [Didache, 4:14,14:1 (circa 70 AD),in ACW, 6:18,23]

The Didache is quite possibly the oldest Christian non-New Testament writing and is even older than some of the books of the Bible. It was used as a catechesis text from very early on. It speaks of confessing one’s sins which implies they were confessed to someone.

"For as many as are of God and of Jesus Christ are also with the bishop. And as many as shall, in the exercise of penance, return into the unity of the Church, these, too, shall belong to God, that they may live according to Jesus Christ." [St. Ignatius of Antioch: Letter to the Philadelphians 3 (circa 110)]

How were they to know what penance was assigned to them? Through confession to a bishop or priest of course. Ignatius of Antioch was the third Bishop of Antioch and a student of the Apostle John. Obviously, Ignatius took the Gospel of John at face value on this matter.

"O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Father of mercies and God of all comfort, Who dwellest on high yet hast respect unto the lowly, who knowest all things before they come to pass; Who didst give ordinances unto Thy church by the Word of thy grace; Who didst foreordain from the beginning the race of the righteous from Abraham, instituting princes and priests and leaving not Thy sanctuary without ministers; Who from the foundation of the world hast been pleased to be glorified in them whom Thou hast chosen; And now pour forth that Power which is from Thee, of the princely Spirit which Thou didst deliver to Thy Beloved Child Jesus Christ, which He bestowed on Thy holy Apostles who established the Church which hallows Thee in every place to the endless glory and praise of Thy Name. Father who knowest the hearts of all grant upon this Thy servant whom Thou hast chosen for the episcopate to feed Thy holy flock and serve as Thine high priest,that he may minister blamelessly by night and day,that he may unceasingly behold and propriate Thy countenance and offer to Thee the gifts of Thy holy Church. And that by the high priestly Spirit he may have authority to forgive sins..." [Hippolytus of Rome: Apostolic Tradition,3 From Prayer for the Consecration of a Bishop (circa 215 AD), in AT, 4-5]

The prayer for the consecration of a bishop as recorded by Hippolytus of Rome specifically mentions the grant of authority by the Holy Spirit to the bishop being consecrated to forgive sins.

"The Pontifex Maximus--that is, the bishop of bishops--issues an edict: 'I remit, to such as have discharged (the requirements of) repentance, the sins both of adultery and of fornication.' " [Tertullian of Carthage: Modesty,1 (circa 220 AD), in ANF, IV:74]

The issue that Tertullian had was not the Pontifex Maximus (Pope Callistus I) forgiving sins but the specific sins involved. (A topic for another time perhaps.) Tertullian’s witness from Africa (specifically the region of Carthage) is more of a hostile one but it still shows how widespread the practice of confession to bishops and priests was back in the early third century.

"There is also yet a seventh, although hard and laborious, the remission of sins through penitence, when the sinner 'washeth his bed with tears, and his tears become his bread day and night', and when he is not ashamed to declare his sin to the priest of the Lord, and to seek a remedy; according to him who says: 'I said, I will confess against myself mine injustice to the Lord, and Thou hast forgiven the wickedness of my heart.' (Psalm 31:5) In which that also is fulfilled, which the Apostle James says: 'But if any one is sick amongst you, let him call the priests of the Church.' (St. James 5:14). [Origen of Alexandria: Homilies on Leviticus,2:4 (circa 248 AD), in JUR, I:207]

The above text is self explanatory and is a witness from the region of Alexandria in Egypt.

"God cannot be mocked, nor deceived, nor deluded by any deceptive cunning. Yea, he sins the more, who, thinking that God is like man, believes that he evades the penalty of his crime if he has not openly admitted his crime. Christ says in His precepts, 'Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed.' And does he think that he is a Christian, who is either ashamed or afraid to be a Christian? How can he be one with Christ, who either blushes or fears to belong to Christ? He will certainly have sinned less, by not seeing the idols, and not profaning the sanctity of the faith under the eyes of a people standing round and insulting, and not polluting his hands by the deadly sacrifices, nor defiling his lips with the wicked food. This is advantageous to this extent, that the fault is less, not that the conscience is guiltless. He can more easily attain to pardon of his crime, yet he is not free from crime; and let him not cease to carry out his repentance, and to entreat the Lord's mercy, lest what seems to be less in the quality of his fault, should be increased by his neglect of atonement. I entreat you, beloved brethren, that each one should confess his own sin, while he who has sinned is still in this world, while his confession may be received, while the satisfaction and remission made by the priests are pleasing to the Lord." [Cyprian of Carthage: To the Lapsed, 28-29 (circa 251 AD), in ANF, IV:445]

The above text is a second witness from the Carthage region in Africa of confession of one’s sins and remission of sins being made by a priest of the Lord.

"This (forgiving sins), you say, only God can do. Quite true: but what He does through His priests is the doing of His own power." [Pacian of Barcelona: Ep. I ad Sympron., 6 (approx 365 AD) in P.L., XIII, 1057.]

The witness above is from Barcelona in Spain and again speaks of the priest mediating forgiveness of sins through his priests.

“Just as a man is enlightened by the Holy Spirit when he is baptized by a priest, so he who confesses his sins with a repentant heart obtains their remission from the priest. [Athanasius of Alexandria: On the Gospel of Luke 19 (circa 373 AD)]

A second witness from Alexandria, this time Bishop Athanasius one of the champions of orthodoxy against the Arian heretics of the fourth century. He speaks of confession of sins to a priest and receiving remission of sins from a priest.

"It is necessary to confess our sins to those whom the dispensation of God's mysteries is entrusted." [Basil of Caesaria: Rule Briefly Treated, 288 (circa 374 AD), in JUR,II:26]

This witness comes from Bishop Basil of the region of Caesaria in modern day Turkey. He speaks of the necessity of confessing sins to those who God has entrusted to dispense forgiveness of sins. (In short, to a priest of the Lord.)

“Priests have received a power which God has given neither to angels nor to archangels. It was said to them: ‘Whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose, shall be loosed.’ Temporal rulers have indeed the power of binding; but they can only bind the body. Priests, in contrast, can bind with a bond which pertains to the soul itself and transcends the very heavens. Did [God] not give them all the powers of heaven? ‘Whose sins you shall forgive,’ he says, ‘they are forgiven them; whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.’ What greater power is there than this? The Father has given all judgment to the Son. And now I see the Son placing all this power in the hands of men [Matt. 10:40; John 20:21–23]. They are raised to this dignity as if they were already gathered up to heaven” [John Chrysostrom of Constantinople: The Priesthood 3:5 (circa 387 AD)]

The above witness is from the region of Constantinople in modern day Turkey. Like all the prior examples,John Chrysostrom of Constantinople takes the Gospel of John and Jesus’ words on these matters literally.

"The Church holds fast its obedience on either side, by both retaining and remitting sin; heresy is on the one side cruel, and on the other disobedient; wishes to bind what it will not loosen, and will not loosen what it has bound, whereby it condemns itself by its. own sentence. For the Lord willed that the power of binding and of loosing should be alike, and sanctioned each by a similar condition. So he who has not the power to loose has not the power to bind. For as, according to the Lord's word, he who has the power to bind has also the power to loose, their teaching destroys itself, inasmuch as they who deny that they have the power of loosing ought also to deny that of binding. For how can the one be allowed and the other disallowed? It is plain and evident that either each is allowed or each is disallowed in the case of those to whom each has been given. Each is allowed to the Church, neither to heresy, for this power has been entrusted to priests alone. Rightly, therefore, does the Church claim it, which has true priests; heresy, which has not the priests of God, cannot claim it. And by not claiming this power heresy pronounces its own sentence, that not possessing priests it cannot claim priestly power. And so in their shameless obstinacy a shamefaced acknowledgment meets our view. Consider, too, the point that he who has received the Holy Ghost has also received the power of forgiving and of retaining sin. For thus it is written: 'Receive the Holy Spirit: whosesoever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them, and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained.' So, then, he who has not received power to forgive sins has not received the Holy Spirit. The office of the priest is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and His right it is specially to forgive and to retain sins. How, then, can they claim His gift who distrust His power and His right?" [Ambrose of Milan: Concerning Repentance, I:7-8 (circa 388 AD), in NPNF2, X:330]

The above witness is from Bishop Ambrose of Milan in modern day Italy. He also speaks of the office of the priest being one gifted by the Holy Spirit with the right and power to forgive and retain sins.

"All mortal sins are to be submitted to the keys of the Church and all can be forgiven; but recourse to these keys is the only, the necessary, and the certain way to forgiveness. Unless those who are guilty of grevious sin have recourse to the power of the keys, they cannot hope for eternal salvation. Open your lips, them, and confess your sins to the priest. Confession alone is the true gate to Heaven." [Augustine of Hippo: Christian Combat (circa 397 AD)]

Bishop Augustine of the Hippo region of Africa continues with the early church witnesses of the importance of confession of sins to the bishops and priests who possess the keys of binding and loosing sins.

"Just as in the Old Testament the priest makes the leper clean or unclean, so in the New Testament the bishop and presbyter binds or looses not those who are innocent or guilty,but by reason of their office, when they have heard various kinds of sins, they know who is to be bound and who loosed." [Jerome of Dalmatia: Commentary on Matthew, 3:16,19 (circa 398), in JUR, II:202]

Jerome had spent time in Rome and also in Bethlehem but was from the region of Dalmatia in modern day Albania. He makes it eminently clear that the New Testament enjoins bishops and priests with the authority to forgive and regain sins.

In short, the early witness of the Church Fathers is universal on this matter and thus, it is those who would deny this truth who are the ones who are both unbiblical as well as inauthentically Christian.

Signs Saudis are edging towards historic Israel peace

I commented on earlier peace treaties between Israel and the United Arab Emerites and Bahrain HERE. I speculated that Oman would be next but that has not happened yet. But we are seeing a historical process play out in the Middle East right now. 

Briefly...

I propose the definition of a new argumentation fallacy to explain something that has become more prevalent in recent years; namely, the attempted dismissal in a discussion of something said by a man to or about a woman without rational justification metely to distract from the issue at hand. 

Or if you prefer Latin: Argumentum ad Homo Explicate!

Briefly...

I propose the definition of a new argumentation fallacy to explain something that has become more prevalent in recent years; namely, the appeal to race in a discussion to distract from the issue at hand. 

Or if you prefer Latin: Argumentum ad Genus!

Fratelli Tutti

I have not read Pope Francis' latest encyclical letter but I intend to before the year is out. While many documents of varying authority come from the Vatican, encyclical letters in general are among the most authoritative. However, that being noted, there is still usually a diversity of statements of varying magisterial weight in an encyclical latter much as with any document issued either by the pope or in his name. 

I went over the subject of the magisterium in detail earlier this year{1} both in scope{2} as well as the matter of proper interpretation thereof{3} so I see no need to reinvent that wheel. However, I do want to point out at least in passing that there will inevitably be no shortage of pundits, agenda provocateurs, and apologists who will treat this text as if each part of it is of equal weight.{4}

Too often documents issued by the Vatican are treated as a pretext by self-proclaimed More Moral Than Thou sorts for beating others over the head with parts that appear to support their preconceived presuppositions while ignoring or downplaying parts that appear to oppose said presuppositions thereof. Then there will be those who claim to be a faithful Catholic who will dismiss this encyclical wholesale lest they have to acknowledge something that is contrary to their particular worldview. Neither approach is correct for a faithful Catholic to take.

Having noted these things briefly, one final point: since most folks do not actually read Vatican documents except to prooftext them, be wary of those who seek to make too much or too little of the contents of the new encyclical letter. The truth on these matters is usually more nuanced than most folks either know or care to admit.

Notes:

{1} On the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, Obedience, and the Requirements of Faithful Catholics (circa February 26, 2020)

{2} See footnote one and also this thread:

On Clarifying and Retracting Some Prior Statements on the Magisterium (circa March 8, 2020)

{3} On Magisterial Interpretation (circa January 4, 2020)

{4} This is of course wrong but since when has that stopped those more interested in conflict than in genuine dialogue.

Briefly...

Since I cannot find a balanced and responsible article on President Donald Trump's catching of Covid 19, I will simply note here that (i) I am praying for him and everyone afflicted by this virus and (ii) I have zero respect for anyone who wishes this sort of thing on anyone else for reasons of political disagreement. Sadly, there are some disgusting people out there who do these things and I want nothing to do with them no matter whom they are.

In perusing an old expository musing for use in a recent posting, I happened to spot this in one of the paragraphs:

Her site is worth reading even if only for the summary of other articles on the matter from Rerum Novarum recommended sources such as Little Green Footballs

Though we have soured some on Michelle Malkin{1} over the years, that is not the purpose of this posting.

For while we pride ourselves in our general and overall consistency over the years, we also try to address issues where our mind has changed and perhaps retractions of prior enunciated points are in order.{2} That is our intention with the present posting where the subject of Little Green Footballs is concerned.

Sometime in 2009, Little Green Footballs (LGF) made a radical swing to the far left. Not long afterwards, this site was suspended indefinitely{3} -a status that remained in effect until April of 2017.{4} As a result, the recommendation of LGF that we expressed in 2005 has not applied for a long time. And as we were reminded of our prior endorsement, we want to at this time formally, unambiguously, and irrevocably retract it.

All things to the contrary notwithstanding.

Notes:

{1} Michelle Malkin was the her referred to in the paragraph above. (I suppose this can be considered an additional minor clarification of sorts while not a full blown retraction.)

{2} To note a few such examples in recent years:

On Clarifying and Retracting Some Prior Statements on the Magisterium (circa March 8, 2020)

Briefly (circa July 19, 2019)

On the Changing of One's Positions (circa January 31, 2018)

{3} Notification of Suspension (circa December 19, 2009)

{4} Notification of An Intended Return to Website Publishing (circa April 4, 2017) 

 

Briefly...

I have been remiss in not welcoming Kevin Tierney back to the wasteland. 

Points to Ponder:

While one should never be rash and should always strive towards both ethics and prudence; at the same time, if someone can never define a hill on which they are willing to die, they do not really understand what it means to live. [Circa 9/23/20]

Alex the Chick on Stare Decisis

Dulce Et Decorum Est:

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of disappointed shells that dropped behind.

GAS! Gas! Quick, boys!-- An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And floundering like a man in fire or lime.--
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,--
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori. [Wilfred Owen]

The News as We Once Knew It Is Dead

Well, it is not as if this sort of thing is new{1} but it really has reached previously unfathomable depths the past few years. I do not see how it can possibly get any worse than it is now but then again, I thought that when writing the post in the footnote below and look where we are now.

Note:

{1} To note one example from our archives in years past:

On the Subject of "Deep Throat", the Correlative Ramifications Thereof, Etc (circa 

June 1, 2005)

Points to Ponder:

Silence is argument carried on by other means. [Ernesto "Che" Guevara]

Supreme Court says Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died of metastatic pancreatic cancer at age 87

The Band’s Robbie Robertson: “If there was anything wrong with ‘The Last Waltz’ it was that the cocaine wasn’t very good”

Responding to critics, Vatican clarifies Pope Francis’ new encyclical is addressed to both men and women

You’ll die at sea.
Your head rocked by the roaring waves,
your body swaying in the water,
like a perforated boat.
In the prime of youth you’ll go,
shy of your 30th birthday.

Departing early is not a bad idea;
but it surely is if you die alone,
with no woman calling you to her embrace:
“Let me hold you to my breast,
I have plenty of room.
Let me wash the dirt of misery off your soul.” [Abdel Wahab Yousif]

Cigars International Opens Second Texas Location

Cigars International has been my main go to source in recent years for premium cigars. 

Cigar Thoughts, Week 1: Russell Wilson cooks the Falcons

Briefly...

Whatever else one thinks about him, President Donald Trump has now had more success by far in Middle East peace than Barack Obama or George W. Bush ever did. Israel has signed peace treaties with the United Arab Emirates (August) and now Bahrain (September). Oman is apparently next up. If that deal is inked say in October, that would be three Middle East peace treaties in three months. It would make not giving him a Nobel Peace Prize look pretty damn foolish since they gave one to Obama just for winning a presidential election and before he basically did to the Middle East what Antifa has been doing to Portland in recent months.

Points to Ponder:

For those who want to talk about prayer in the absence of doing something themselves, I have these ancient words of wisdom for you: "work as if everything depends on you, and pray as if everything depends on God." Note which of the two is listed first in the sequence. Prayer is fine of course but if you do nothing, you will get nothing: if memory serves that is the pattern of events in the Bible too. [Me (circa September 13, 2009)]

Points to Ponder:

Lord, take me where You want me to go; let me meet who You want me to meet; tell me what You want me to say, and keep me out of Your way. [Fr. Mychal Judge (d. 9/11/01)]

"None Dare Call It A Volokh Conspiracy" Dept.

To revisit an old segment once run on this humble website at sundry times and in divers manners, we have the this recent piece on the latest list of Supreme Court justice candidates announced by President Trump. Just a snippet to whet the appetite, click on the above link for the rest...

In May 2016, President Trump released his first short list for the Supreme Court. At the time, I was cautiously optimistic about the eleven names on the list. There were two names missing from that list: Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. At the time, those omissions did not bother me. But it surely bothered these two judges, and their boosters. In September 2016, Trump added ten more names to the list, bringing the total to twenty-one. Neil Gorsuch was added to the list. Brett Kavanaugh was not. In January 2017, Trump nominated Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Fast forward to November 25, 2017, President Trump added five new names to the list. Now, Kavanaugh was added to the list. At this point, it was obvious why the five other names were added: to bring Kavanaugh into the fold. And after Justice Kennedy retired in June 2018, Kavanaugh was tapped to the Supreme Court...

Jadeveon Clowney back isn’t a big blow 

Let’s be honest — the Seahawks failed their off-season test

Seahawks’ quest to improve pass rush severely underwhelms

Points to Ponder:
(On the Far Left and the Far Right)

It is like the far left and the far right both ignore exactly half of the old "sins crying to God for vengeance", most specifically the half that is inconvenient to them.

The far right is all righteous about abortion and sodomy but does not give a shit about oppression of the poor or defrauding labourers of just wages.

The far left is all righteous about the latter two but do not give a shit about the former two.

Both are 50% wrong while prancing around as More Moral Than Thou presuming to pronounce on the eternal damnation of those who disagree with them.

Points to Ponder:

It is always easier to deal with people who are physically ill or deranged or even those who are spiritually bereft rather than when a derangement is a mental one. For as long as their mental faculties are sound, you can potentially get them to see what the problems in the other areas are. But if they have no concept of how to use logic or of reality, you may as well be banging your head against a brick wall. [Me (circa September 2, 2009)]

Will Rioting Sway the Election Picture?

Sean Trende's election analyses are always worth a read.

BLM exploits a society that equates symbolism with substance.

2016 all over again

It is starting to in the words of that great western philosopher Yogi Berra "look like de ja vu all over again."

Riot-Riddled Cities Aren't 'Donald Trump's America'

Resting on the bed
Typing up a quick haiku
For posting right now

Report: Seahawks bringing Paul Richardson back