Eye Of Newt

My tweet just now @Al_in_SF:

After criticizing Romney for eliminating Kosher food for holocaust survivors, Gingrich then proposed food with eye of newt for old witches.

Foldable Electric Car

If you cannot afford a Ducati 1199 or a TreMoto Monstrosity 920, get a Tuk-tuk, all of which are classier than a fold-up car. [1]

[1] http://news.yahoo.com/photos/futuristic-fold-up-car-makes-its-debut-1327432043-slideshow/jose-manuel-barroso-l-jesus-echave-unveil-hiriko-photo-175638899.html

[Class] War & Peace

It is funny to me that those who cling to the concept of class warfare have never produced a real solution that achieves class parity other than taxing the rich, which does not work. [1] & [2] They have yet to articulate the point when parity is reached, when the relative "poor" will be satisfied with what they have in comparison to the rich and when the class war commander-in-chief will be able to raise a banner declaring "Mission Accomplished" and "Class Peace."

Although I am not a fan of history, but on this occasion I will use the example of Mao Tze Tung, a peasant who with his Red Guards ran around China taking away wealth from their owners and as a result, he was able to achieve equality by making everyone just like him - poor. Is that what the people of the United States want to be, equally poor?

[1] http://lemomentdepaix.blogspot.com/2011/12/tax-rich-sounds-good-but-does-it-really.html

[2] "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money." Margaret Thatcher. [2.1]

[2.1]See http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/198468.Margaret_Thatcher

Thoughts On God - Sunday, January 29th, 2012

Without God, there is nothing that I can love; without God, I have nothing that can be loved.

Herman Cain Endorses Newt Gingrich

My tweet: "Herman Cain endorses Newt Gingrich. Wonderful! They can both go on the campaign trail and espouse their opinions on marriage [in]fidelity." [1] See also [2].

[1] https://twitter.com/#!/Al_in_SF
[2] http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/28/10261353-herman-cain-endorses-gingrich-for-gop-presidential-nomination

Can Facts Be Copyrighted?

"Copyright does not protect facts ..." [1] For NBC to claim that Mitt Romney could possibly have violated copyright laws when one of his campaign ads featured a former news broadcaster saying that some of Gingrich's House colleagues in 1997 had questioned their Speaker's "future effectiveness" [2] is to admit that NBC and its broadcaster were not simply reiterating the facts but were instead indulging in something other than facts that could be subject to copyright, such as fiction. So were NBC and the broadcaster televising facts or fiction at the time?

NBC further claimed that "the extensive use of the broadcast 'inaccurately suggests that NBC News and Mr. Brokaw ... agree with the political position espoused by the videos[.]'" [3] Who in the right mind would reasonably believe that NBC and Brokaw would ever have partisan views? Were they not the pillars of objectivity and integrity in the news reporting business?

[1] http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-protect.html
[2] http://news.yahoo.com/nbc-asks-romney-remove-news-material-ad-185037892.html
[3] Ibid.

Mitt Romney's Star Shining In Jacksonville, FL

That's the star I was waiting to see in Mitt Romney and it was shining tonight during the debate in Jacksonville, FL.
Bravo!! Mitt Romney!!

Corruption At The Vatican

"VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican was shaken by a corruption scandal Thursday after an Italian television investigation said a former top official had been transferred against his will after complaining about irregularities in awarding contracts.

...

"As deputy governor of the Vatican City for two years from 2009 to 2011, [Carlo Maria] Vigano was the number two official in a department responsible for maintaining the tiny city-state's gardens, buildings, streets, museums and other infrastructure.

"Vigano, currently the Vatican's ambassador in Washington, said in the letters that when he took the job in 2009 he discovered a web of corruption, nepotism and cronyism linked to the awarding of contracts to outside companies at inflated prices." [1]

It can reasonably be assumed that this "web of corruption, nepotism and cronyism" has been on-going for decades, even during Pope John Paul II's papacy, and John Paul II is on a fast track to sainthood?

The church needs to be saved from these sinful, sinful popes.

[1] http://news.yahoo.com/corruption-scandal-shakes-vatican-internal-letters-leaked-160055276.html

The Obama Administration Just Crumbled

Obama administration's biggest asset, Hillary Clinton, will not serve another term as Secretary of State. [1]



[1] http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/envoy/hillary-clinton-says-she-done-high-wire-american-175721782.html

Hillary's Resigning!

"Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told State Department employees Thursday that she will not stay on in the job if President Obama wins re-election, saying that she is ready to step off 'the high wire of American politics,' according to the AP.

"A State Department official confirmed Clinton's comment, writing to Yahoo News: 'Yes, she did [say that]. She said she would stay on until Obama nominates another Secretary of State.' " [1]

Has she just elected the eventual Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, to be the next United States president? Her vote is like the equivalent of all the swing states.

[1] http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/envoy/hillary-clinton-says-she-done-high-wire-american-175721782.html

Obama "Condescending"

"In the book [Scorpians For Breakfast, Arizona Governor Jan] Brewer describe[d] two meetings she had with Obama, including one where she describes Obama as being 'condescending' and trying to lecture her on immigration." [1]

Is it not true that a prerequisite for constitutional law professors is to be condescending, especially one with a Harvard law degree? I had heard that these people think that they have the brightest minds for miles.

Icy intellect can be a heady experience when it is on fire and like fire, it can burn both ways.

My antonyms for condescending: inspirational; humble.

[1] http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/arizona-gov-jan-brewer-exchange-president-obama-phoenix-airport-thin-skinned-article-1.1012426?localLinksEnabled=false

Definition Of "Thin-skinned"

Dictionary.com defines thin-skinned as "sensitive to criticism, reproach, or rebuff; easily offended; touchy." [1]

This is how I would use it in a sentence: The more confident one is in one's capabilities and the more comfortable one is with one's status in society, the less thin-skinned one is.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said President Obama was "thin-skinned." [2] Was she right?

[1] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/thin-skinned

[2] http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/arizona-gov-jan-brewer-exchange-president-obama-phoenix-airport-thin-skinned-article-1.1012426?localLinksEnabled=false

Geithner's Prediction

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner predicted that Obama will have a second term. [1]

Is that really a prediction or an insider's hint that he will further depreciate the value of the dollar to temporary plump up the US economy and prop up the Euro before both of them deflate like a blown-up balloon without a knot? Bernanke already said the Fed will artificially hold down interest rate until late 2014. [2]

Working in tandem, the most powerful money guys in the world plan to ensure that the US economy will hold up before Obama's re-election unless something unexpected happens that is beyond their control, like the rapid disintegration of the Euro and the immediate insolvency of certain European nations and/or financial institutions causing fear and uncertainty in the US financial markets and a severe global recession.

I agree with Geithner that Obama is likely going to have a second term but only on the assumption that human beings are completely in charge of the unfolding of events but they are not. There are things called "coincidences," "luck" and "divine intervention." I could be very, very wrong, but I am confident that Mitt Romney will become president in January 2013 and Tom Brady will win the Superbowl against the NY Giants. With respect to the latter, I am on the side of Rapper Birdman who placed a $5 million bet on the Patriots winning Superbowl 46. [3]

[1] http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-26/geithner-says-obama-won-t-ask-him-to-remain-past-first-term.html

[2] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/business/economy/fed-to-maintain-rates-near-zero-through-late-2014.html

[3] http://thisbeatgoes.com/hip-hop-news/birdman-bets-5-million-on-new-england-patriots-for-super-bowl-46-game/

Obama On Taxes

Obama said the rich should pay more taxes. He's wrong.

I say the not-so-rich should not have to pay any taxes.

Poor Dad & Poor Dad

Barack Obama's dad grew up poor. Barack Obama became a community organizer. He is not a rich man. Does he knows how to make you rich? I do not think so but he knows how to transform America into a welfare state.

Mitt Romney's dad grew up poor. Mitt Romney became a multimillionaire. He knows something about making money. Can he make you rich like him? Not likely, but he can sure tell you what he had done and maybe someone out there can inspired to become an entrepreneur and create opportunities and jobs and not become a community organizer feeding off the productivity of society.

Year Of The Dragon

The Lunar calender marks today as the start of the Year of the Water Dragon. It is also Monday, the first day of a work week in America and nothing is particularly special about this day but it is a second and more festive new year celebration for billions in China and a second chance for them to make good on their January 1st resolution.

As a child growing up, I loved having a second new year because I was never able to start on my new year's resolutions January 1st, not that I have ever been successful in carrying them out on a second try.

Warren Buffet Is Bitter

Warren Buffet is bitter because God has given him the talent to amass wealth and he blames Congress for the amount of money he has accumulated: "Billionaire investor Warren Buffett said he doesn't blame Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney for paying only about 15% of his income in taxes, saying it was misguided federal law that allowed very wealthy people who make a living "shoving around money" to pay a lower rate than average Americans." [1]

Just for you, Mr. Buffet, the United States should pass a law that taxes 90% of the total wealth of all United States citizens over 80 years old and whose net worth exceeds 1 billion dollars. The rationale for this is that the value of money for billionaires over 80 is only pennies on the dollar based on the universal truth of the value of money: the closer you are to your death, the less your dollar is worth to you.

However, my recommendation is for you to use your pre-death billions to stimulate the economy by constructing a pyramid in Omaha at least five times the size of Giza to house a million life-size terra-cotta Wall Street executives to stand around your sarcophagus.

[1] http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-mo-buffett-romney-20120123,0,1875317.story

Definition Of Socialism

Ask not what you want do with your money, ask your country to do what it wants with it.

It's Official - And The Real Loser Is ...

IOWA!

Iowa came up with a different count with Mitt Romney coming in second except that there are still votes missing from several counties that have not been found and will not be tabulated. The odd number of Iowa delegates will be split evenly between the first and second place holders leaving one that will not be allocated to any of the candidates.

Dirty politics is everywhere: Iowa, Moscow, and the Middle East.

Political Slogan for 2012

I saw this on Huffpost Community Moderator Dallas Don's header: "Four More For Forty-Four!" [1]

This is my answer: Survive And Vote For Forty-Five!


[1] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/16/gop-debate-south-carolina-primary_n_1209545.html?ref=politics&icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl1|sec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D128024

Tim Tebow Lost To Tom Brady

It is not that God does not love Tim Tebow anymore which caused the Denver Broncos to lose to the New England Patriots 45-10 yesterday, it is Tom Brady's humility that God loves more, 35 football points more. In an interview, Tom Brady said, "Look at the attention I get: It’s because I throw a football. But that’s what society values. That’s not what God values. He didn’t invent the game. We did. I have some eye-hand coordination, and I can throw the ball. I don’t think that matters to God." [1]

In my opinion, God matters to him and he matters to God and God gave him a lot more gifts than just eye-hand coordination. I hope he gets to play in Superbowl 46 on February 5th and win his 4th Superbowl ring. [2]



[1] http://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/mcevoy/tom-brady-god-doesnt-value-qb-skills-11580241.html
[2] http://www.ask.com/questions-about/How-Many-Super-Bowl-Rings-Does-Tom-Brady-Have

The Apple From Eden - A Philosophy

Earlier this evening I received a call from a marketing research firm hired by an agency of the State of California, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission ("MTC"), to conduct a survey. The MTC is "the transportation planning, coordinating and financing agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area," see http://www.mtc.ca.gov/about_mtc/about.htm

I was happy to take the call and answer the questions, and to learn that the government cared enough about public opinion to spend the money to conduct a survey. However, I thought that many of the questions were worded in a way to elicit responses that favored big government and socialism rather than individual freedoms and capitalism, which prompted me to comment beyond simply indicating where on the continuum between 1 and 5 was my preference for a certain policy.

At one point, I was mildly frustrated by the questions and I shared my philosophy with the questioner. It is based on the story of Adam and Eve and the Apple from the Tree of Knowledge.

In my version of the Garden of Eden that God created, there was this apple hanging from the Tree of Knowledge. After God created Adam and Eve, they were told not eat that apple from that tree. It was not that there were no other apples in the garden, there were, and they could pluck and eat those but just not that one apple on that one particular tree. There were no other laws in the Garden of Eden except that one, and Adam and Eve broke that one law.

God could have prevented Adam and Eve from eating that apple if that were the intended outcome but it was not. Instead, God intended Adam and Eve to have free will and free choice. Whether their choice is turning out to be the right or the wrong one is a separate matter to be addressed at a later time, and whether that apple was even ripe to eat is another.

In this case, the MTC should be more like God, limiting its laws and giving its people the freedom and the choice that both natural law and the United States constitution provide.

A New Political Dynasty - The Romneys

Mitt Romney won New Hampshire today and I predict that he will win the rest of the states in the primary.

This is the beginning of a new political dynasty. I am truly excited to see a new America being run by a family with intellect and morals and has excelled in the private sector on their own merits without favors or corruption.

Below is article introducing the next First Family's sons [1]:

FOUR of Mitt Romney’s five sons — Tagg, 41; Matt, 40; Josh, 36; and Craig, 30 — were sitting in a hotel room in Des Moines on the eve of the Iowa caucuses last week, debating which of them was most likely to carry the Romney mantle of politics and public service. The verdict was Mr. Romney’s oldest son, Tagg, or maybe Josh. But that’s where things got tricky.

“Someone needs to run for leader of the brothers,” Matt joked.

“Arm-wrestle for it,” Craig suggested.

The banter was playful, but it hinted at a larger truth about their place in the campaign. Even in a year when the brothers were supposed to have receded from public view, particularly when compared with their father’s campaign four years ago, they have become an essential part of what sells the Mitt Romney story.

They stump for him across the country as surrogates; they offer a square-jawed, Christmas-card-ready backdrop for him onstage; and they telling humanizing “Dad” stories, as well as recite his basic talking points. The Romney boys: charming, amusing and relentlessly on message.

“I think one thing we offer is a perspective on his character,” Matt said.

Four years ago, Mr. Romney’s sons were a major presence on the campaign trail. They crisscrossed Iowa in an RV nicknamed the Mitt Mobile and chronicled their G-rated escapades on their Five Brothers blog.

Tagg quit his job to hit the trail full time, and Josh made it to each of Iowa’s 99 counties.

But in an age when complicated, messy families increasingly seem like the new normal, there was a sense four years ago that the Romney brothers were too strapping, too wholesome and too perfect somehow.

“I wish that were true,” Tagg said. (In a teenage act that counts as rebellion in the Romney family, Tagg once borrowed his father’s car without his permission after a church dance to get ice cream with some friends, and promptly nicked another car in the parking lot. It was an expensive dent that he worked all summer to pay off).

But is there a difference this time around?

“We’ve put on a lot of weight since 2008,” Craig joked.

Turning serious, Josh talked about when their mother, Ann, was found to have multiple sclerosis in 1999.

“We have our struggles like everyone else,” he said. “We’ve been through some tough family things.”

The brothers are four years older now — all are married and have children — and Mr. Romney urged them to focus on their own lives rather than campaign for him. “So we kind of took his advice and decided that we’d go against it,” Matt said.

Though only Tagg was there when Mr. Romney declared his candidacy last June in Stratham, N.H., by the time their father had squeezed out an eight-vote victory Tuesday night in Iowa, four of the Republican candidate’s five sons stood onstage behind him, a striking image of a beaming nuclear family that was picked up by Web sites and newspapers across the country.

Of course, the ability to show off good genes is not limited to the Romney family. One more difference from the 2008 campaign is that the Romney brothers now have a rival of sorts: the Huntsman girls and their playful, flirty Twitter feed, which has been prominent enough to spark profiles in The New York Times, The New Yorker and GQ.

Jon M. Huntsman Jr.’s three oldest daughters (Liddy, Mary Anne and Abby) have used their Twitter account, which is glamorous and lighthearted, as a launching pad for viral videos and even to try to bait Mr. Romney’s sons into some mischievous banter. (They abstained.)

WHEN he was considering a second presidential run, the analytical and data-driven Mr. Romney polled his sons for their input. They all saw the downsides — the way it would thrust them and their families into the spotlight, the limited time they’d have with their father — but they rallied around him once the decision was made.

Which is not to say that it has all been smooth sailing. Stumping for his father in New Hampshire, Matt repeated a joke about President Obama’s birth certificate and promptly had to post an apology via Twitter. “Definitely in the back of my mind I thought, ‘I don’t want to own that joke,’ ” Matt said.

They see their role as supporting their father, whether that means offering encouragement backstage during debates or sharing personal anecdotes about him to counter the image that Mr. Romney is stiff and wooden.

“Everyone in the country gives him advice,” Matt said of his father. “We’d like to give him advice, too, but we just have to bite our tongue.” Instead, Matt added, he and his brothers’ “most important role is showing him funny YouTube videos before debates.” (Mr. Romney is partial to clips of the comedian Chris Farley, as well as an ’80s video-dating montage.)

According to the brothers, who each tried to offer their own, more humble and self-deprecating moniker, Tagg is the “smart one,” Matt is the “cool one,” Josh is the “dreamy one” and Craig is the “funny one.”

“I don’t know how I got the funny one,” Craig said.

“No, you’re a funny little guy,” Josh said with a nod, prompting Eric Fehrnstrom, an adviser to Mitt Romney who was monitoring the interview from the wings, to crack up.

(Ben Romney, 33, was the absent son, at least for this trip. A medical resident in radiology, Ben is also the most un-Romney Romney. He’s the only brother with blond hair and is described as quiet and focused.)

Though the brothers frequently profess reluctance to speak with reporters, their stance seems somewhat feigned. “I don’t know how I ended up in a news conference here,” Josh said as seven reporters surrounded him last week after a rally for his father in Des Moines. He then spent the next 10 minutes parrying questions, his hands clasped behind his back.

When an Italian television reporter asked if he could explain “who your father is and why he should be president,” Josh politely asked, “In English or Italian?” before mentioning Mr. Romney’s private-sector experience and how that makes him best equipped to turn around the economy.

They have developed a set of habits and rituals to tolerate life on the campaign trail. The ultrafit brothers work out together, sometimes swimming in the hotel pool. On primary nights or after debates, they often split chocolate shakes with their parents as they await the returns.

The gold standard, Tagg said, is “a chocolate malted shake from Dairy Queen.” (When Tagg — a Mormon who, like his parents and brothers, does not drink alcohol — was asked on the afternoon of the Iowa caucuses about the family’s Election Day traditions, he joked, “We’re going to all go get totally wasted,” before adding, “Uh, I probably shouldn’t have said that.”)

Pranks are another favorite of Mr. Romney’s sons. Traveling through Iowa on the campaign bus, Josh recently tried to duct-tape Tagg inside the bathroom. “I was onto him quickly,” said Tagg, who managed to elbow his way out before the door was sealed.

“Everyone is afraid to fall asleep on the bus right now, because everyone knows Josh has smelling salts, just waiting for someone to doze off,” Craig said.

The brothers reject the notion that they’re attractive, but evidence suggests otherwise. After a gaggle of girls who had called him a “superstar” walked away from Josh, he grinned. “If only I were 17, this would be great,” he said.

Though the sons say that they’re only focused on helping their father win the presidency, politics may be in their future. In 2008, Josh considered a Congressional run in his home state, Utah, and Mr. Romney introduced him at his campaign headquarters in December by saying, “He really should be the politician in the family, not me.”

Friends and aides, as well as Mr. Romney himself, say that Tagg, who now manages a hedge fund, also has the interest and the talent for public office.

When asked, Tagg and Josh played down their political prospects — sounding an awful lot like true politicians.

[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/fashion/the-romney-brothers-advance-fathers-iowa-campaign.html?pagewanted=all

Tim Tebow & The Gospel of St. John

The following is quoted from http://www.11alive.com/rss/article/221270/5/Tim-Tebow-racks-up-some-miraculous-316-stats

"DENVER (USA Today) -- Denver Broncos QB Tim Tebow and the biblical verse John 3:16 have long been entwined. So why is it now trending on Google?

"Turns out that the evangelical Christian -- whose dramatic sideline praying on one knee has even spawned the phrase 'tebowing' -- churned out some timely 3-16s in his team's big playoff win over Pittsburgh on Sunday night.

"Most notable, Tebow threw for a season-high 316 yards and set an NFL record with 31.6 yards per completion.

"The QB, who sent fans into a frenzy after he capped off his work on the Lord's day by tossing the winning TD on the first play in overtime, routinely wrote the numbers "3:16" in black under his eyes during his collegiate years. The NFL, however, banned the practice of daubing such personal messages.

"For the record, John 3:16 reads:

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

"Tebow didn't appear to note any 3:16 connection, at least not immediately, although he did hew to his practice of praising the Lord in opening remarks to the media after the game: 'First and foremost, I just want to thank my lord and savior, Jesus Christ. He's done so much in my life.'

"As John 3:16 trended and #faith posting referenced the event, one Tweet, seizing the moment, also observed: "It's a little crazy that Tebows' favorite verse is John 3:16 and he threw for 316 yards & a couple of his bosses are named John. #faith."

"The reference was to Broncos' coach John Fox and the teams executive vice president and former QB John Elway.

"Amid the John 3:16 hysteria on Google and elsewhere, comes this observation from CBS News Sports blog:

"Of course there were many detractors fed up with divine connection: 'The fact that Tebow threw for 316 yards means only one thing. He threw for 316 yards. Come on, people!'"

There will always be detractors when it comes to God and His angels. What I want to know if Tim Tebow had visions or visitations.

Revisiting My Acedia, God's Will, Good Works And God's Truth

On December 30, 2010, I asked God for the vision and the voice, the courage and the confidence, the strength and the stamina to do His will. Nothing happened. A few days ago, I read the last of Saint Bonaventure of Bagnoregio's evening sermons preached at Paris on October 4, 1267. It was difficult to read and over my head because it was full of quotes from the Bible and I am not a biblical scholar. However, one sentence that I did get stood out from the 6 1/2-page sermon:

"If we are ready to do what pleases God He will make His will known to us." [1]

I suppose I am not ready for my mind goes blank with fear and I freeze in place whenever I think of any good that I might be capable of doing. After all the reading, thinking and analysis that I have done in the hope that I would be able to make a difference have proven to be futile. [2]

I am back to an ordinary life, in my mind only, for I have not stepped out of it in reality.

[1] Armstrong, Regis J. O.F.M. Cap. et.al. Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, Volume II, The Founder. Page 760. New York: New York City Press, 2000. [1.1]

[1.1] The sentence quoted above began a paragraph. This sentence ended it: "God, who is Creator, Sanctifier, and Glorifier, wills only what is good." Ibid at [1]

[2] See blog entries Parts 1 through 7 under "Making A Difference" in October and November of 2011.

One Issue Election?

Forget about a nuclear Iran, tens of millions of illegal aliens and unemployed Americans, a deficit in the trillions and Barack Obama's birth certificate, the deciding factor in the next general election, I predict, could be the sexual orientation of President Obama. Even if President Obama is bisexual or homosexual, I do not think he is the first to occupy the White House.

On-line chatter about Barack Obama's sexual orientation [1], [2] is just beginning but my opinion of the President's sexual orientation had already firmed up some time ago. It, however, will not affect my vote in November when I plan to cast mine for Mitt Romney, the candidate who has inspired the ABM movement (Anybody But Romney) in the republican primary (I stayed up to watch the Iowa count and am thrilled that he won the country first 2012 primary even though he came in ahead of the loser by as few as four votes and as many as just eight).

I cannot explain why I like Mitt Romney for pretty much the same reasons that I did not like him in 2008, but it is not because I do not like Barack Obama (I actually like Barack Obama but not his politics). I think Mitt Romney's time to be president has come or rather his stars are ready for him to be president and America's fortune is set to improve with his guidance. That is my prediction. Of course, there is a chance that I may grow to dislike Mitt Romney should he become the 45th president in 2013 but I am hoping (almost confident) that I would like him more and more as President of the United States as he ushers in peace and prosperity for the world during his eight amazing years.

Saying that I would like Mitt Romney does not mean that I think he is an easy-going guy. He is not. Mitt Romney is tough, but what leader who is smart, focused and determined not a tough individual? Three women and one man still alive come to mind: Nancy Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Queen Elizabeth II and Vladimir Putin. Mitt Romney is part of that elite group.

[1] http://hillbuzz.org/is-barack-obama-gay
[2] http://www.thedcpost.com/?p=7913

Epiphany 2012

Wide awake around 1:15 a.m. I was going to draft a comment on the republican primary but decided to check out channel 229, EWTN, and again use it as a sleep aid.

A mass is going on at the Vatican. It is the Solemnity of the Epiphany. Being an uneducated Catholic, I want to find out more about the Epiphany.

"Question: When Is Epiphany 2012?

"Epiphany, the 12th day after Christmas, celebrates the visit of the three kings or wise men to the Christ Child, signifying the extension of salvation to the Gentiles.

"What is the date of Epiphany 2012?

"Answer: Epiphany falls on Friday, January 6, 2012. In most countries, including the United States, the celebration of Epiphany in 2012 is transferred to Sunday, January 8." See http://catholicism.about.com/od/2012calendar/f/2012_Epiphany.htm

Another website had this to say: "Observed on January 6th, the Epiphany celebration remembers the three miracles that manifest the divinity of Christ. The name 'Epiphany' comes from the Greek word Epiphania, and means 'to show, make known, or reveal.' The celebration originated in the Eastern Church in AD 361, beginning as a commemoration of the birth of Christ. Later, additional meanings were added - the visit of the three Magi, Christ's baptism in the Jordan River, and his first miracle at the wedding in Cana. These three events are central to the definition of Epiphany, and its meaning is drawn from these occurrences." http://www.faithclipart.com/guide/Christian-Holidays/definition-of-epiphany.html

A third website came up with these words: "During Advent, the world was in darkness, and we prayed and waited in the spirit of the Jewish nation which lived in expectation of the Coming Light during thousands of years. At Christmas the Light shone forth, but dimly, seen only by a few around the crib: Mary and Joseph and the shepherds. But at Epiphany the Light bursts forth to all nations and the prophecy is fulfilled: 'The Gentiles shall walk in Thy light, and kings in the brightness of Thy rising.'" http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=442

Interesting.

This reminds me of the words from the morning of January 1: "Do not curse the darkness but bring to it light."

I will comment on the republican primary later.

Positive Political Commentary

"President Obama signed a defense authorization bill over the weekend that includes a measure that would penalize foreign companies and countries that work with the Iranian financial institution. The ban would potentially choke off a chief source of Iranian revenues for its oil exports. However, the legislation includes an exemption permitting the president to waive the penalty if he determines that it would cause a spike in energy prices or pose a national security threat." http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/envoy/pentagon-pushes-back-iranian-warnings-u-aircraft-carrier-165850384.html (posted approximately 3 hours ago) Or, if he determines that it will derail his re-election chances :)

Do Not Curse The Darkness

The sirens started long after the fireworks rung in the New Year. One would think that the city streets were crowded with rioters or that people’s houses were set ablaze by an arsonist as had happened in Hollywood a few nights ago. Perhaps a patrol car or two had an electronic malfunction; perhaps the sirens were just a continuation of the New Year’s celebration by those in uniform. None of that mattered except I was unable to fall asleep, but that was probably a result of the coffee I drank after the champagne.

I turned on the television and pressed 229, the EWTN channel, short for Eternal Word Television Network, started by Mother Angelica, thinking that watching whatever program that would be on would quickly put me to sleep. On the screen was a prayer. It was a nice prayer but I do not remember any of it except a few words to this effect: Do not curse the darkness but bring to it light. Then the bishop of Birmingham, Alabama came on and said some things. All I heard was something about darkness and light, probably because I was not really concentrating and the volume was on low.

Recalling my last blog of 2011 in which I expressed hope that I would not harp on negativity, I was startled by the idea conveyed by those words. Then I thought, you need a lot of light to light up the dark, I do not have that ability. That did not seem to matter. I turned off the television and drifted off.

What matter is whether seeing those words in that prayer was a coincidence or an affirmation that I am to avoid negativity. I have no idea but my gut tells me that it is the right thing to do. It will be a challenge.