Pond on the Ten Mile Road

This picture was taken on the Ten Mile Road in Allegany, New York with my Blackberry Pearl Camera.

Change

I'm moving my blogging to Wordpress.com. I set up an account there last fall and did some guest blogging for a Wordpress blogger. After reading Paula's post on Saturday I gave more thought to moving to Wordpress and did so over the weekend. I've named the new blog Country Contemplative. I'm not leaving because I don't like Blogger or I don't like the people here. I'm going there because it's time for a change. Lent is a time of renewal and this is part of my renewal. Peace.

Metanoia

One of the blogs that I read is called Friar at Large written by Fr. Dennis Tamburello, OFM. Fr. Dennis has a thoughtful article written last week with some very important links to official documents of the Catholic Church in the United States. Today as I listened to Dr. Robert Gates, Defense Secretary and our delusional President's Weekly Radio Address I was struck by just how far out of touch with reality both of these men are. I'll give both men the benefit of the doubt and not assume they are evil, but I will not assume that their policies are not inherently evil and misguided. Over four years ago President Bush received an authorization to use force to disarm Saddam Hussein. Saddam was incorrectly deemed to be in possession of weapons of mass destruction.

Fast forward four years, Saddam is removed from power and recently executed and Mr. Bush still hasn't had enough blood and gore. Only a very few wealthy individuals have benefited from the conflict. But, this is not enough to satiate Mr. Bush and his supporters. They have single handedly broken the back of our military. They have exposed thousands of our soldiers, sailors, marines, national guardsmena and their reserve elements to war and war preparation without adequate protection. Those who have been unfortunate to have been killed or wounded have received little if any thanks and/or rehabilitation. Until the recent congressional election tipped the legislative balance of power there was little oversight of this administration. Mr. Bush continues to play politics and blame the Democrats for endangering our army with their recently passed supplemental appropriation bill that fully funds the troops so they can continue to kill and be killed, maimed and wounded.

The damn Democrats have the audacity to introduce oversight even if somewhat minuscule. It ain't the Democrats who are playing politics Mr. Bush. It's you. You don't get it. In November, American voters went to the polls and removed Republican majorities from both houses of Congress because they've had enough of your misguided party's policies. Finally, we have congressional oversight of illegal activities that run counter to Christian and United States Constitutional principles. Thousands of Americans have been betrayed by their own country during your watch. Thousands of American voices are crying in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters. Millions of Americans have no health care because you sold out to special interests. Your war on terror is nothing but terror for most of the world including your own countrymen. In Iraq alone the spending has topped 400 billion dollars. Imagine how much good could have been wrought by that amount of money if spent of health care, food and good will. Click here for more details.

It isn't just the Democrats, a.k.a. the American people who've had enough of your war. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have issued a statement decrying the policy and calling for a quick end to the hostilities. The bishops contend that the time for shrill debate has ended. No less than ninety-five bishops from your own church have repented of their original endorsement of this tragedy. Lent is a time of renewal and reconciliation and I continue to hope and pray that President Bush and his policies experience a metanoia.

iraq war
peace
catholic bishops
President Bush

5 + 5 Movie Meme

Taking a cue from Jeff I'm taking up the movie meme. It's really difficult for me to take all my favorite movies and come up with just five but here goes.

Jesus of Nazareth-Franco Zeffirelli 1976. This is the most reasonable depiction of Jesus in any of the Jesus movies I've seen. There are certain scenes I just love and Paula posted one of them a week or so ago on her blog. I love the raising of Lazarus, the Last Supper scene, the Resurrection scene with Mary Magdalene and the final scene. It's a powerful movie for me.

Gandhi-I have literally watched this movie dozens of times and a teacher friend and fellow Gandhi devotee and I regularly greet each other by bowing, clasping hands and saying 'Namaste'. There are numerous powerful scenes in the movie for me.


The Scarlet and the Black-produced in the 1980's and featuring Gregory Peck and Christopher Plummer. I am a Greg Peck fan anyway, but this is a great movie. I love the depiction of this Irish Jesuit thumbing his nose at the Nazis in wartime Italy. It's a great story.

Schindler's List-Liam Neeson does a great job along with Ben Kingsley. This is a powerful film. It is depressing to watch in many spots, but it chronicles the conversion of a Nazi and the overpowering of oppression through love and compassion. I love the final scenes when Schindler is presented with the ring.


Antwone Fisher-I relate to this film on a couple of levels. This is a great film with great acting. It's about forgiveness and redemption which are important themes for me.


Guilty Pleasures

Patton-I'm an unabashed fan of George S. Patton. This seems a contradiction given my anti-war views. George C. Scott is fabulous and the movie is a classic.

Chocolat-great movie with a Lenten theme.

A Few Good Men-Great movie with very good acting. You can probably tell that I like Jack Nicholson

The Last Detail-A great film about real U.S. Navy life. It reminds me of what it was like for me as a sailor and navy life in general. I love Jack Nicholson.

One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest-A great film with great acting. I love R.P. McMurphy. I love the line early on in the movie when the doctor asks Mr. McMurphy why he is locked up.


Thanks to Jeff and Crystal for the challenge. I have not felt much like writing this week. This got me off my butt and back in the race. Peace.

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For my sake

Whenever feeling downcast, each person should vitally remember, "For my sake, the entire world was created." Baal Shem Tov

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Bal Shem Tov, wisdom

Time for Reform

I get a regular email from Every Church a Peace Church and through that I've become familiar with Karen Horst Cobb. I didn't know until tonight that she has her own blog. I've added her to my links and I'm recommending this recent post, It's Time for Reform.

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karen horst cobb, every church a peace church, reform

Irack

This parody came to me by way of one of my favorite blogs, Crooks and Liars. I am originally indebted to Jim Wallis at Sojourners for a link a couple of years ago to Crooks and Liars. It's been one way of staying sane after listening to all the talking heads on network and cable news with their unabashed endorsement of the status quo. I hope this makes you chuckle as it did me.



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parody, humor, madtv

Lenten Humor

Each Friday night after work, Jimmy would fire up his outdoor grill
And cook a venison steak. But all of Jimmy's neighbors were
Catholic....and since it was Lent, they were forbidden from eating meat on Friday.

The delicious aroma from the grilled venison steaks was
causing such a problem for the Catholic faithful that they finally
talked to their priest. The Priest came to visit Jimmy and suggested
that he become a Catholic. After several classes and much study,
Jimmy attended Mass.....and as the priest sprinkled holy water over him, he said, "You were born a Baptist, and raised a Baptist, but now you are a Catholic."

Jimmy's neighbors were greatly relieved, until Friday
Night arrived, and the wonderful aroma of grilled venison again
filled the neighborhood. The Priest was called immediately by the
neighbors and as he rushed into Jimmy's yard clutching a rosary preparing to scold him, he stopped and watched in amazement.

There stood Jimmy, clutching a small bottle of holy water which he
carefully sprinkled over the grilling meat and chanted: "You wuz
born a deer, you wuz raised a deer, but now you are a catfish."

We need ambulance drivers

"There is nothing wrong with a traffic law which says you have to stop for a red light. But when a fire is raging, the fire truck goes right through that red light... Or when a [person] is bleeding to death, the ambulance goes through those red lights at top speed...

Disinherited people all over the world are bleeding to death from deep social and economic wounds. They need brigades of ambulance drivers who will have to ignore the red lights of the present system until the emergency is solved. Massive civil disobedience is a strategy for social change which is at least as forceful as an ambulance with its siren on full."

- Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., The Trumpet of Conscience

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Christian Peace Witness, peace, Iraq

Top of the mornin'

Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone Irish or not. This is a day almost as sacred as Christmas for the Irish. My earliest recollections of the day was being dressed in green and topped with a green hat and taken to the St. Patrick's Day celebration at D'Youville College in Buffalo, New York, my Mom's alma mater. I was definitely a pre-schooler then. The memories are fuzzy but I still remember the lovely Grey Nuns who surrounded us and the big celebration at the college. My Mom's roots are from Jackson Heights in the borough of Queens, New York. She is a 100% Irish and proud of it. So deep is the ethnocentrism of her Irish family that one of my great aunts thought that Jesus was Irish. She was shocked to learn of his Jewish roots. I've never been to Ireland and I hope that someday soon I can go. It's a dream that I've been postponing for years.

I'm proud of my Irish roots and of our family through the years. Mom is getting older now, but in a few minutes I'll give her a call and wish her a Happy St. Patrick's Day. The Irish like all Americans came to this country with the dream of a better life. A dream of religious freedom. Thousands of Irishmen helped to build the Erie Canal. They became policemen, firemen, priests, nuns and one of them even became President of the United States. The Irish have a long history of rebellion and fighting against oppression. There are more Irish in the United States today than there are in Ireland. I found this list of famous Irish Americans at Wikipedia.

As I was sitting here writing this post, my daughter sent me a text message. She said, "Top of the morning to you." I returned, "the rest of the day to you!" I've passed on what was given to me as a little boy. I'll close with my favorite Irish Blessing.

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.


Peace.

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st. patrick's day, irish american, blessing

Word for the Day

As irrigators lead water where they want, as archers make their arrows straight, as carpenters carve wood, the wise shape their minds.

The Buddha

For more of these go to Gratefulness.org