Friday, August 29, 2008

"Shake'n things up" down Brackettville way!!

The Brackett News photo caption, Thursday, August 28, 2008, by Ms. Leigh Volcsko says and shows it all.

"Pura Fernandez,
at right, and Rene Luna, of Brackettville, recently purchased the Burger & Shake restaurant from the Aubrey and Xaviera Haynes [family] of Uvalde.

"The young couple have already made a few exciting changes to the menu to include selling slices of their grandmother's homemade cakes.

"The Burger & Shake has been a mainstay of Brackettville since 1976."

"Cae mujer policía por plagios en Nuevo León"

"Sonia Virginia Bastida Morales fue detenida con dos de sus cómplices."

Adaptada de esta fuente original: El Zócalo / Monterrey / República Méxicana, Lunes 25 de Agosto de 2008.

¿Un éxito más del Gobierno de la Gente?


"Una agente de la Agencia Federal de Investigación (AFI) -- agente C -- [anteriormente] encontraba asignada al destacamento de Escobedo - - fue detenida hoy como la líder de una banda de secuestradores que cobraron como rescate de dos camionetas modelo 2005 por dos comerciantes madereros.

"[La entonces agente C] fue señalada por las autoridades como La Comandante, que elegía a las víctimas y dirigía las operaciones del grupo..."

UTEP's Sam Mata on "BOOK BILLS!"

Sam + Alejandro Corona + Fernie Castillo kick - off Fall 2008 to a good start!!

¡Adelante, DESTINO!

¡Ora, MEChA!

¡Ora, UTEP!


"Shopping trends ... may lower textbook prices for students"



Adapted from this original source: The UTEP Prospector, Tuesday, August 26, 2008 www . utepprospector . com .


"For many years the beginning of a new semester has come with jaw - dropping receipts from the University Bookstore.

"However, recently passed laws and current shopping trends are challenging the high - priced textbooks market.

"For the new semester, students will have a variety of options to get their textbooks.

"From used books, to books online and renting books, new options are available.


"UTEP's bookstore is trying to keep textbooks prices down by asking professors to attempt to use textbooks for a longer period of time.

"Although the university uses the standard industry markup of 25 percent on its new books, it says that used books will always cost less than new books."

And now comes this quote from Mr. Victor Pacheco, UTEP Assistant Vice President for Business Affairs:


"The way we try to lower the cost of textbooks is to make more used books available to students, and what drives our ability to hold used books is faculty adoption.

"We're trying to work with the faculty so that they use the same book over and over, from semester to semester.."


Enter Chegg.com! ♪


"Chegg.com rents thousands of books per day, and works in a pragmatic way.

"Not only is Chegg.com a low - priced and ocnvenient way to obtain textbooks, but it's also environmentally friendly.

"According to the Web site, Chegg.com plants a tree for every textbook that it rents, sells or buy back..."

A good read!!

Thursday, August 28, 2008

"Los caminos que mi abuelo recorrió"

"Preparan Cabalgata de San Carlos"

Adaptada de esta fuente original: un comentario escrito por el señor licenciado Enrique González Correa, El Zócalo de Ciudad Acuña, México.

"El comité organizador de la tradicional Cabalgata de San Carlos, Coahuila, se reunió con el preidente municipal el señor licenciado Evaristo Lenin Pérez Rivera, para determinar la fecha y el recorrido de la onceava edición.

"El presidente del comité organizador, el ex diputado, el señor licenciado Miguel Lozano Arispe, expresó que se tuvo una reunió con el presidente municipal a fin de invitarlo, para que encabece este tradicional evento en que se esperan más de 6 mil cabalgantes del estado de Texas y de Coahuila, así como de otros estados de la República Mexicana.

"Se espera que en este evento participen las familias de los cabalgantes y se supere la cifra que se registró en el 2007, en la que se tuvo un aparticipación de 2 mil 700 cabalgantes, más 64 carretas, sobre todo porque en este año se habrá de tener la participación de las escuelas de diferentes niveles educativos.

"Asmismo, hizo ver que se invitó a los gobernadores de Coahuila, Tamaulipas y de Nuevo León, así como a los alcaldes de los 38 municipios."

¡Guau! ¡Allá nos vemos!

"Job would be a powerball loser ... a poster child for all hell breaking loose.."

Adapted from pages 38 - 39 of: Seven Things You Better Have Nailed Down Before All Hell Breaks Loose. By Robert Wolgemuth.

"What difference does God's Sovereignty Make?

"Is the claim that God, as Creator, continues to be heavily invested in what goes on each day a conundrum, or a comfort?

"Is His sovereignty the logical reason given by people of faith when good things happen and a rationalization when they don't?

"In a sense, God's sovereignty is all of the above.

"In all of recorded history, there may be no more graphic challenge to the sovereignty of God than the biblical account of the man named Job.

"You and I could view Job's story as a random and natural sequence of events that God may have observed but in which He had no direct involvement.

"This view brings us the inevitable conclusion that by pure chance, Job was one very, very unfortunate man.

"In a single afternoon, the following things happened to
Job: his cattle were stolen, his cattlemen murdered; fire dropped from heaven and burned up his sheep; his shepherds were also consumed; his camels were seized; the servants tending the camels were slain; and his house collapsed on his children, crushing them all.

"If folks who win the lottery are considered lucky,
Job would be a powerball loser: one in tens of millions who turns up unlucky.

"Job qualifies as the poster child for all hell breaking loose."

God is sovereign...

"But after careful examination,
Job's story is the account of a man whose conclusion after his heartbreak and loss can be summarized in three words: God is sovereign.

"Beginning with chapter 38 of the book of
Job -- after he, his wife, and his three friends have philosophized until they could philosophize no more about why these dreadful things had happened to him -- God speaks.

"As the next four chapters unfold,
God reveals to Job what He has done and what He continues to do.

"God begins His speech with reviews of His resplendent creation, the expanse of the celestial universe and the striking topography of the earth.

Then God reviews His involvement in the wonders of the plant and animal world, including their marvelous procreation and daily survival and sustenance all in the present tense.

"When God has finished, Job responds: I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You ... I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You."

In UTEP Humanities 3301, Did you catch it?

"Did you catch it?

"Job eventually naied down the sovereignty of God when he gained a rightful look at the unimaginable brilliance of the Creator.

"Only after that could Job reap a clearer perspective of his own suffering.

"There are only two alternatives - God's inability to be involved (or His mere apathy toward current events) or God's sovereignty.

"When hell broke loose for
Job, he gratefully chose to believe that God has knowledge of -- and involvement in -- everything that that [happens].

"He drew comfort from believing that nothing happens without God's permission.

"Bone - rattling trauma of unexpected tragedy usually draws us toward God.

"As it was for Job, choosing belief in God's sovereignty over mere randomness brings the most comfort when our pain is most severe."

But!

Remember this: your Humanities 3301 instructors aren't going to buy any of this.

When it comes to Job,
they have a vested interest, or act like they do, in wandering all over the map.

Whatever a student says is certainly going to be automatically classified by the bulk of any humanities faculty as plain a*s*sed wrong.

Period!


Wednesday, August 27, 2008

¡Otra vez!

El entonces
Salvador de las Masas regresa para rescatar a los PRI...

"Carlos Salinas ¿Gobernador?"

Adaptada de esta fuente: Zócalo / México. Domingo 24 de Agosto de 2008.

"¿Para qué buscaría un ex presidente de México su regreso a la política, sobre todo a una posición formal de menor rango que la que tuvo en Los Pinos?

"El ex - presidente es la mente maestra, la eminencia gris detrás de los conflictos y de las posteriores soluciones a esos conflictos.

"Una gubernatura como la de Nuevo León le daría a Salinas el derecho legítimo no sólo de opinar, sino de proponer políticas públicas.

"Para el ex presidente de México, instalarse en la gubernatura de Nuevo León sería la oportunidad de volver a emerger a la superflicie del primer plano político, dejando atrás las sombras desde donde hoy opera, guste o no, como el hombre más influyente de la política en México..."

Así lo es... :)

Victor J. F. Kulanday's The Paganization of the Church in India...


Adapted from his 1988 book.

The book, we're told, was "Printed at the Diocesan Press, Vepery, Madras - 7, India."

"Chapter VII Worship of Idols, Sun, Fire, Snake

"The gorgeous multi - colored picture on the cover of this book is of Lord Ganapathi, an important deity of the Hindu pantheon.

"He is a very popular God and Hindus of all castes worship him.

"In keeping with the present trend of imitating the Hindu in everything, Catholics are now being urged by priests to worship Ganapathi.

"This deity with an elephnat's head and large ears, an enormous paunch and four hands is the favorite of Fr. Michael Gonzalves, Our Lady of Fatima Church, Chulna, in the Archdiocese of Bombay -- the region administered by the President of the Bishops' Conference of India, Most Rev. Dr. Simon Pimenta."


... this elephant - head god [is] above Christ in all respects...


"For the past few years [as in prior to 1988!] Fr. Michael has done aggressive propaganda to brain - wash Catholics to worship Ganapathi.

"In the media he writes extolling Ganapathi and placing this elephant - head god above Christ in all respects.

"Writing in the Marathi mass - circulation journal, NAMRATA, Michael Jee, as he calls himself, this Catholic priest has the following ideas to propogate:

"1. Michael Jee states that If anyone wants to know the concepts of the Almighty, one must break all the barriers of various religions and study their deities and by doing this the knowledge of the Almighty will be increased and one can reach Him without having any recourse to any particular tutelar deity.

"2. Michael Jee Denigrates Christ

"He says Christ sacrificed his life on the cross for the salvation of mankind but this was the only aspect of his life.

He cannot be a faithful and ideal husband because he was not married.

And this is where Bhagwan Ramachandra comes in to prove as an ideal husband.

"He further states that though Christ pardoned his executiners yet Lord Krishna was Supreme because he slaughtered his relatives to fulfill his duty on the battle - field.

"3. Michael Jee Advocates Worship of Ganapathi

"He says With the aid of pictures, statues and symbols Catholics are allowed to worship God.

Then Catholics could also adopt [an] idol of Ganapati as one of the visual aids to reach the Almighty.. ."

So on and so forth!

A good, fascinating read, you better believe it!


Tuesday, August 26, 2008

"Arremeten contra el aborto"

Adaptada de esta fuente: EL UNIVERSAL Zócalo / México. Lunes 25 de Agosto de 2008.

"El cardenal Norberto Rivera Carrera consideró contradictorio que mientras se firma, con bombo y platillo, un acuerdo nacional contra la violencia, se amenace con declarar constitucional el aborto.

"EL UNIVERSAL informó este domingo que la Suprema Corte de la Nación no declarará inconstitucional la reforma mediante la cual se despenalizó el aborto en las primeras 12 semanas de embarazo en el Distrito Federal.

"Durante su mensaje dominical, y tras de varios meses de evitar hacer declaraciones ante la opinión pública, el también arzobispo primado de México consideró este domingo una contradicción que mientras se signan acuerdos en materia de seguridad pública nacional, se nos amenace con declarar constitucional la violencia contra las más inocentes, que son los que está en el vientre materno."


La vida ante la Corte, Inconstitucionalidad del aborto


"Rivera Carrera aseguró que la Iglesia católico no sólo aplaude, sino hará todo lo que esté a su alcance para apoyar el Acuerdo Nacional por la Seguridad, la Legalidad y la Justicia.

"El cardenal felicitó a quienes editaron y publicaron el libro La vida ante la Corte, Inconstitucionalidad del aborto, que reúne ponencias presentadas en los foros convocados por la Corte para nalizar ese tema."


¿Una obra más del Gobierno de la Gente?

"Pena de muerte a narcopolicías"

"La aplicará también a los traidores"


"Generales de amplia experiencia presentarán proyecto para reestructurar cuerpos policiacos"

Adaptada de esta fuente original: EL UNIVERSAL / Zócalo / México Lunes 25 de Agosto de 2008.

"Un proyecto militar para reestructurar a fondo los cuerpos policiacos del país plantea crear una Policía Nacional regida por medidas de control y de disciplina tipo castrense, que incluyan la pena de muerte para los elementos que se alíen a la delicuencia organizada.

"Desde hace una semana el secretario de la Defensa Nacional (Sedena), Guillermo Galván Galván, tiene en su despacho el proyecto para profesionalizar a las policías, el cual también busca que los militares regresen a sus cuarteles para cumplir con sus misiones originales..."

"Termina canícula con lluvia y 24 grados C."


El Zócalo de Ciudad Acuña, Domingo 24 de agosto de 2008. Por la licenciada Laura Estrada Lugo.

"La canícula cerró con 64 milímetros de lluvia y temperatura que osciló entre 36 y 24 grados centígrados, de acuerdo a reportes de la Comisión Nacional del Agua (CONAGUA), que registró el 12 de agosto como el día más caluroso de la temporada con 44 grados centígrados..."

Monday, August 25, 2008

"That is the new cult of softness"

'Way back in 1971, the Rev. Kurt Koch, ThD., was telling us all about this supposedly radically new concept in his excellent booklet, The Strife of Tongues, pages 7 - 8. This is an adaptation of his original work.

"There are strange notions going about today concerning the character of love.

"For example, how can a theologian properly speak of the love of God when he rejects the atonement made by Jesus' death on the cross?


"[So - called moral] and humane attitudes are not love in the New Testament sense of the word.

"To love does not mean to keep quiet when people depart from the Word of God.

"In England today there exists a certain cult of softness.


"One must look for the best in everything.

"Whether the person is a spiritualist, someone who speaks in tongues, a Jesuit or a modernist, please, don't upset them by talking about controversial matters!

"That's the new cult of softness.


"Do the Scriptures teach us to have this attitude?

"It would behoove all who give way to others so easily, to read the seven letters to the churches thoroughly.

"The risen Lord reproves the church at Pergamos [Rev. 2:14]....


"And the Lord rebukes the church at Thyatira (Rev. 2:20)..."

Like the Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio today ??!!


Because in terms of typical reactions from the Saint Mary Magdalene's Catholic Parish Charismatic and Faith Sharing groups, the reaction is amazingly similar to that experienced by the good Reverend Kurt Koch in Europe 37 years ago! :)

Don't believe it?

Check out what comes next:

"Had a member of one of those churches at that time said anything against these false teachers, he would have been called unloving and intolerant.

"Yet Jesus would have been on his side.


"In Northern Hesse a dentist told me:


I can't read your books anymore because you criticize the Pentecostal movement so much
.


"I replied, If you consider a scriptural attitude to be merely spiteful criticism, then you can even burn my books...."

But spiteful criticism in not the issue...

"But spiteful criticism is not the issue.

"We are rather concerned with the command of the Holy Scrptures, Test the spirits to see whether they are of God (1 John 4:1).

"To test in this way can be done in the Spirit of love.

"Not everything that false theology [as is taught both from the pulpit and off at St. Mary Magdalene's Catholic Parish in Brackettville, Texas!] labels love [as in our local Parish Charismatics and Faith Sharing groups] is love, and it can be real love that constrains us to say no [as in ¡Ay, basta con este ca*r*ajo!] for the sake of the Church of Christ.

"One can therefore stand in the presence of the Spirit of God -- and we must do just that -- when one investigates the so -called gifts of the Spirit and test them in the light of the Holy Scriptures..."

Way to go, Reverend...!!! :)



"Born Again the Bible Way"

Loosely paraphrased and / or adapted from: Tim Staples, of "This Rock" magazine, September 2008 issue, who goes to the heart of this question:

"Have you been born again, my friend?"

"Have you been born again, my friend?

"Thousands of Catholics have been asked this question by well - meaning Fundamentalists or Evangelicals.

"Of course, by born again the Protestant actually means: Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior through the recitation of the sinner's prayer?

"How is a Catholic to respond?

"The simple response is:

Yes, I have been born again -- when I was baptized.

"In fact, Jesus' famous born discourse of John 3:3 -
5, which is where we find the words born again in Scripture, teaches us about the essential nature of baptism:

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

"When a Fundamentalist or Evangelical hears the Catholic position on the matter, the response is mostly predictable:

Baptism does not save you, brother; John 3:5 says we must be born of water and the Spirit.

"The Catholic will then be told the water of John 3:5 has nothing to do with baptism.

"Depending on the preference of the one to whom the Catholic is speaking, the water will either be interpreted as man's natural birth (the water being amniotic fluid), and the Spirit would then represent the new birth -- or the water would represent the word of God through which one is born again when he accepts Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior.


Amniotic Fluid vs. Baptismal Water...


"To claim that the water of John 3:5 is amniotic fluid is to stretch the context just a smidgen!

"When we consider the actual words and surrounding context of John 3, the waters of baptism seem to be a more reasonable interpretation of what it means to be born again."

O.K.! Why, then .....?! Because ...

"According to the Bible, baptism is not the mere removal of dirt from the body, but Christ's instrument in purging our conscience from sin.

"That is what being born again is all about!"


Right, on, Brother Tim !!


UTEP MINER PALOOZA 2008 !!

"This year, will MEChA get its homeboy float ready in time??" :)

Friday, September 5
, 2008 !!

¡Ora, UTEP!

¡Adelante, DESTINO!

¡Ora, MEChA!

¡Hey, familia !

Welcome back
, everybody!

UTEP: Fall 2008 ...

UTEP MINERSROCK -- 2008 Homecoming!!

October 5 -- 11, 2008.

Be there.....

Saturday, August 23, 2008

BISD Varsity Volleyball Team in Dual Match with Crystal City and Leakey!!


Tigerettes:

Ms. Bianca Martinez,

Ms
. Bianca Terrazas,

Ms.
Nena Molinar

Played their best!!

In ACES, DIGS, KILLS and ASSISTS, these St. Mary Magdalene's young women helped their teammates on Tuesday, August 19, 2008!!

Info located in p. 3 of The Brackett News, Thursday, August 21, 2008.

"De este importantísimo documento arranca la historia de la Inquisicion en España..."



Adaptada de este fuente: Don Marceliino Menendez y Pelayo, Historia de los Heterodoxos Españoles, Tomo I, páginas 433 - 434.

"En Febrero de 1233 promulgó el rey D. Jáime las Constituciones siguientes en Tarragona, con asistencia y consejo de los Obispos de Gerona, Vich, Lérida, Zaragoza, Tortosa, del electo Tarraconense, de los Maestres del Temple y del Hospital, y de muchos abades y otros Prelados:

1. Que ningun lego disputase, pública ó privadamente, de la fé católica, só pena de excomunion y de ser tenido por sospechoso de herejía.

2. Que nadie tuviera en romance los libros del Antiguo ó del Nuevo Testamento, sino en el término de ocho dias los entregase al Obispo de su diócesis, para que fuesen quemados.


3. Que ningun hereje, convicto ó sospechoso, pudiese ejercer los cargos de baíle, vicario (veguér), ú otra jurisdiccion temporal.

4. Que las casas de los fautores de herejes, siendo alodiales, fuesen destruidas; siendo feudales ó censuales, se aplicasen á su señor (suo dominio applicentur).

5. Para que no pagasen inocentes por pecadores (consecuencia del edicto de D. Pedro), nadie podria decidir en causas de herejia sino el Obispo diocesano, ú otra persona eclesiástica que tenga potestad para ello (es decir, un inquisidor).

6. El que en sus tierras ó dominios, por interés de dinero ó por cualquiera otra razon, consintiese habitar herejes, pierda ipso facto, y para siempre, sus posesiones, aplicándose á su señor si fueren feudos, confiscándose para el real Erario si fueren alódios.

El báile ó veguér que pecase de consentimiento ó negligencia, seria privado in perpetuum de su oficio.


7. En los lugares sospechosos de herejía, un sacerdote ó clérigo nombrado por el Obispo, y dos ó tres láicos elegidos por el rey ó por sus veguéres y báiles, harian inquisicion de los herejes y fautores, con privilegio para entrar en toda casa y escudriñarlo todo, por secreto que fuese.

Estos inquisidores deberian poner inmediatamente sus averiguaciones en noticia del Arzobispo ú Obispo y del vicario ó báile del lugar, entregándoles los presos.

El clérigo que en esta inquisicion fuere negligente, seria castigado con privacion de beneficios; el lego con una pena pecuniaria."

Ni más ni ménos...



"De este importantísimo documento arranca la historia de la Inquisicion en España, y basta leerle para convencerse del carácter mixto que desde los principios aquel Tribunal.

"El clérigo declaraba el caso de herejía; los dos legos entregaban la persona del hereje al veguér ó al báile.

"El Obispo daba la sentecnia canónica; el brazo secular aplicaba al sectario la legislacion corriente.

"Ni más ni ménos.

"La prohibicion de libros sagrados en lengua vulgar era repeticion de la formulada por el Concilio de Tolosa in 1229, aunque en él se exceptuaron el Psalterio y las Horas de la Virgin.

"Estos libros se permitian á los legos, pero no en lengua vulgar.

"Ni tuvieran otro objeto estas providencias que contener los daños del espíritu privado, el laicismo de los Valdenses, y las falsificaciones que (como narra D. Lúcas de Tuy) introducian los Albigenses en los textos de la Sagrada Escritura y de los Padres.

"Las traducciones de la Biblia (hechas muchas de ellas por católicas) eran numerosas en Francia, y de la prohibicion de D. Jáime se infiere que no faltaban en Cataluña; pero este edicto debió contribuir á que desapareiesen..."

Friday, August 22, 2008

"Now Is The Time!"

¡O milagre de Fátima!


Fatima controversy reignited once again, this time around by:

"Inside the Vatican" magazine, August / September 2008. By Cathy Pearson. Adapted from the above - mentioned article.


"In mid- 2007, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexi II predicted a positive effect on relations between the Catholic and Orthodox churches from the issuance of Benedict XVI's Motu Proprio on the old liturgy, Summorum Pontificum :

We strongly adhere to tradition.

The recovery and honoring of an ancient liturgical tradition is a development that we can welcome.

"So much for fears that liberalizing access to the Traditional Latin Mass might impede reconciliations with other Churches.

"It is time to call the bluff of those who similarly maintain that a key request of Our Lady of Fatima -- consecration of Russia by name to the Immaculate Heart ofMary by the Pope together with all the bishops of the Church -- cannot be fulfilled literally because doing so might offend the Russian Orthodox.

"Of all the reasons put forward over the past 60 years to explain why a succession of Popes shouldn't, couldn't, or didn't perform the consecration of Russia as such, this is surely the least persuasive.

"On the contrary, Fatima offers perhaps the best key in our time for breaking the impasse in Catholic - Orthodox reconciliation.

"Despite strenous Vatican efforts to declare the Fatima story a closed book, persistent and legitimate questions remain, one of which is whether Our Lady's request for the consecration of Russia has been fulfilled by a series of papal consecrations of the world, and if not, whether a Russia - specific consecration should now be attempted..."

A good read....! :)


"Dead man can vote, but can he engineer?"

¡Ora, UTEP!

¡Adelante, DESTINO!

¡Ora, MEChA!

¡Ora UTEP's Engineering Department's Materials Handling faculty and University Studies 2350!

While in UTEP's University Studies 2350 (or whatever it's called) classes there really is no limit to pedagogical fraud and just plain 'ole tuition money - grabbing monkey - shines, outside the UTEP campus, in the real world of professional architects and engineers, yes!

There is!

Even in South Texas there's a limit
, and an intrepid reporter named Rick Casey found it, over nine years ago...!!

As Rick gives us in this succinct sound bite:

"It is considered common practice in South Texas for dead people to vote, but it would be a breakthrough for them to design jails"

Adapted from: The San Antonio EXPRESS - NEWS, Wednesday, May 19, 1999.

"The Somerset [School District] board Tuesday voted 4 - 2 to formalize the hiring of López and López Architects Inc. to be the district's architects.

"Board president Jimmy Casias pressed for the election even after the board was notified that the state Board of Architectural Examiners last June [1998] took the extraordinary step of placing the firm on probation for one year and fining it $15,000.

"What did López and López do do to earn such punishment?

"According to an agreed order, firm principal José López admitted to some serious misrepresentations in seeking a contract to design a jail for Hidalgo County."

Forged the name of Forest A. Phillips, PE...

"In his statement of qualifications, López forged on the cover letter the name of Forest A. Phillips, PE.

"Those initials stand for professional engineer, and usually means that the person is a licensed engineer in Texas.

"Forest Phillips is not a licensed engineer in Texas.

"Thre's another problem.

"Forest Phillips is dead.

"At the time the letter was written, Forest Phillips had been dead at least two years.

"It is considered common practice in South Texas for dead people to vote, but it would be considered a breakthrough for them to design jails.

"José López, incidentally, referred questions to his lawyer, Roy McClanahan.

"McClanahan stressed López is authorized to practice while on probation.

"He said López just fell in with a bad group of people and made mistakes.

"Like forging the signature of a dead man?

"McClanahan said with a chuckle, I guess that was carelessness.

"If I were choosing an architect to design schools for my children, I would want one who would pay a little more attention to detail"

Right on, Brother Rick! :)

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Fr. Julius Nieuwland: "He successfully polymerized acetylene into divinylacetylene"


Adapted from "This Rock" magazine, September 2008.

"The Holy Cross priest Julius Nieuwland [1878 - 1936] was concerned with practical solutions in his field of chemistry.

"In the quiet halls of scientific study, he successfully polymerized acetylene into divinylacetylene.

"Elmer Bolton, the director of research at Du Pont, used this basic research to achieve the development of neoprene.


"Embraced by the Du Pont Company, the invention had a major impact on many industries and our daily lives.

"For example, neoprene is used for electrical cable insulation, telephone wiring, rug backings, and roofing."

But not so sucessful with Knute Rockne!!


"Fr. Nieuwland also nearly had a major impact on the history of college football when he tried -- unsuccesfully -- to convince the future coahcing legend of Notre Dame, Knute Rockne, to be a chemist instead of a football coach.


Father kept up with his botany, too!


"Not to neglect his botany, Nieuwland roamed throughout swamps and woods looking for suitable specimens for study, and he was famed for using a pistol to shoot them down from high branches.


"For his work in chemistry, not marksmanship, he was given the Morehead Medal for research in acetylene, the American Institute Medal, and the Nichols Medal, the highest honor of the American Chemical Society."

"The long - run beneficiary of all this is Japan"


Adapted from ABC News Correspondent
Bob Zelnick's book, Backfire, chapter 13, pages 259 - 260.

We learn that in a certain New York state high school, located in Ithaca, to be exact, there was a move in the summer of 1995 "to discontinue the honors program for academically gifted students."

Since not all students are honors material in the first place, however, there was also "a substantially less difficult series of academic courses offered for students planning to attend less selective colleges, while those unlikely to pursue higher education usually enroll in local level courses.

"The school's superintendent, Dr. James E. Lothridge, described by the New York Times as a black educator who grew up in the segregated South and has a strong interest in promoting diversity, sought to end the honors program as a first step in what he hoped would be the total elimination of all forms of tracking."

In Dr. Lothridge's view...when Daddy's car rattles...



"In Dr. Lothridge's view, putting high schools seniors capable of understanding college - level science in the same class as those who would have a hard time explaining why Newton's apple didn't fall up, has its charm.

"As the Times explained, students would be exposed to a richer spectrum of humanity and those with, say, good mechnaical intuition could help those more adept at abstract theory and vice versa.

"In other words, Joey - talented in the sciences -- may now come home from physics class knowing less about the theory of relativity than had the class been composed of uniformily good science students, but when Daddy's car rattles, the good mechanical intuition Joey developed by associating with Herb -- a future Exxon station proprietor - may lead him to suggest a visit to the Midas shop.

"The long - run beneficiary of all this, of course, is neither Joey nor Herb, but Japan.

"Shortly after initiating the controversy at Ithaca High School, Dr. Lothridge moved to Long Island and another superintendent's job.

"Ithaca retained its tracking system."

That's a good point, professor! If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Yet, as a Donna High School Redskin's fan and graduate of the Donna Legendary Class of 1966, myself, I'm afraid that the bad 'ole Green Eyed Monster of Envy still sometimes catches me unaware when I recall those fine mechanics and do - it - your - selfers we had among our fellow students!

Guys like Wheaties, Van Hutchins, Ronnie Gelker, etc... Ronnie really could talk both cars and girls, if I remember correctly.

"I have heard that there are so many relics of the Virgin Mary's body..."


Adapted from "This Rock," magazine, September 2008, by Michelle Arnold, Quick Questions section.

QUESTION:

"I have heard that there are so many relics of the Virgin Mary's body that, put together, there would be enough bones for more than one person!

"Is this true?"


MICHELLE'S ANSWER:

"No.

"The Catholic Church has solemnly defined that the Virgin Mary was assumed into heaven, body and soul, which means that there are no bones from her body available to be distributed as relics.


"The Church does believe in the value of relics though, and for reasons based on Sacred Scripture.

"A tract out - lining the Church's understanding of relics can be found on Catholic Answers' Web site ( www . catholic . com )."

Today's feast day: Pope St. Pius X

Not to be confused with the episcopal losers in the so -called Society of St. Pius X! :)

We use the word "episcopal" here inasmuch as there are thoroughly decent priests to be found among the clerical ranks of this society, but they are powerless to do anything but to go along to get along with some incredibly perverse albeit validly ordained losers.

And, in point of fact. it is only the bishops themselves of the Society of St. Pius X who have been ex-communicated by the Vatican.

In spite of his halting, limited - proficiency English, a local member of the American Catholic Church actually did an otherwise credible job of giving us a summary of this pope's life and achievements at this morning's mass..

Pope St. Pius X reigned from 1903 to 1914.


In retrospect, he seems to have been well aware of of the perverse spirit of a rampant homosexuality that had already infiltrated the Church's liturgical music sphere.

This same perverse spirit of of an aggressively militant homosexuality is encountered even today in the so - called "Peter - pansy liturgies" of the Society of St. Pius X here in America, some of which yours truly has witnessed first hand, at least at the Jesus and Mary Chapel in El Paso, Texas 2002 - 2003.