Declaration Point

2009-10-12T13:06:00.002-05:00

What am I supposed to say?

2009-02-24T21:05:00.007-06:00

FOX News' Politics had a nice headliner:

"Obama's Reputation for Exemplary Oratory Open to Debate. While some admire President Obama's speaking skills, others mock them, saying he's only comfortable with teleprompters."

I find myself pining for days gone by (well before my time) when presidents - well, leaders of any kind - were able to voice their thoughts without...well...any help whatsoever.

"From the 2004 Democratic convention speech that launched him onto the national stage to his acceptance of his party's nomination four years later, Barack Obama's public speaking skills have been considered one of his strongest assets.

But while the president's ability is admired -- and at least one Web site promises to teach it to you -- Obama also is mocked by critics who say he's only comfortable with teleprompters.

One web site has compiled clips of him stumbling verbally without them. [OK, so the video montage is a little extreme - I really don't think Obama smokes crack.] For example: "And if they just gave him treatment early, and, uh, they got some treatment," he misspoke at a campaign stop. "And a breathalyzer..uh a inhalator.""

You've got to love this: Bush was repeatedly lambasted for his Texan ignoramus and now we see that Obama has carried the torch of "bad impromptu speak" in honor of W.

Sure...if one isn't allowed a few misspeaks now and then, then talking of...um...speaking really shouldn't be allowed. I mean...uh...we live in an age where families need the support of technology to manage their...to get by...and to have hhoope for their American dreams.

OK, really... I have three fool-proof techniques for Obama and for anyone else struggling to communicate with other people WITHOUT anyone or anything helping them along. I mean come on, a teleprompter at a town-hall meeting? I suppose he uses one when he's saying goodnight to his children as well.

1) Know something about what you are talking about.

2) Don't make something up (words...for example) to cover for a comment you made about something you didn't know anything about.

3) If you rely on a teleprompter or a scriptwriter so that you don't say something naturally evil, stupid, or moronic and therefore embarrassing, don't just practice reading the teleprompter more and don't fire your scriptwriter, try a little character study, examination of conscience, and research first...then try public speaking again.

Rene Athanasius * Born at Rest - February 17, 2009 *

2009-02-23T16:31:00.007-06:00

René Goupil

Jesuit missionary; born 1607, in Anjou; martyred in New York State, 23 September, 1642. Health preventing him from joining the Society regularly, he volunteered to serve it gratis in Canada, as a donné. After working two years as a surgeon in the hospitals of Quebec, he started (1642) for the Huron mission with Father Jogues, whose constant companion and disciple he remained until death. Captured by the Iroquois near Lake St. Peter, he resignedly accepted his fate. Like the other captives, he was beaten, his nails torn out, and his finger-joints cut off. On the thirteen days' journey to the Iroquois country, he suffered from heat, hunger, and blows, his wounds festering and swarming with worms. Meeting half way a band of two hundred warriors, he was forced to march between their double ranks and almost beaten to death. Goupil might have escaped, but he stayed withJogues. At Ossernenon, on the Mohawk, he was greeted with jeers, threats, and blows, and Goupil's face was so scarred that Jogues applied to him the words of Isaias (53:2) prophesying the disfigurement of Christ. He survived the fresh tortures inflicted on him at Andagaron, a neighbouring village, and, unable to instruct his captors in the faith, he taught the children the sign of the cross. This was the cause of his death. Returning one evening to the village with Jogues, he was felled to the ground by a hatchet-blow from an Indian, and he expired invoking the name of Jesus. He was the first of the order in the Canadian missions to suffer martyrdom. He had previously bound himself to the Society by the religious vows pronounced in the presence of Father Jogues, who calls him in his letters "an angel of innocence and a martyr of Jesus Christ."

Ath`a`na´si`a

The quality of being deathless; immortality.

Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 293 – May 2, 373), also known as St Athanasius the Great, Pope Athanasius I of Alexandria, and St Athanasius the Apostolic, (Greek: Ἀθανάσιος, Athanásios) was a theologian, Bishop of Alexandria, Church Father, and a noted Egyptian leader of the fourth century. He is best remembered for his role in the conflict with Arius and Arianism. At the first Council of Nicaea (325), Athanasius argued against Arius and his doctrine that Christ is of a distinct substance from the Father.^[1]

Saint Athanasius is chronologically the first Doctor of the Church as designated by the Roman Catholic Church, and he is counted as one of the four Great Doctors of the Eastern Church. St Athanasius' feast day is May 2 in Western Christianity, May 15 in the Coptic Orthodox Church, and January 18 in the Eastern Orthodox Churches.

2009-02-23T14:39:00.007-06:00

I am henceforth resolved to behave like this at work...all of the time...without shame or unease. I shall, from this day forward, be as lazy as possible and stick my gum and perhaps other gross objects in inappropriate places.

Po-tay-toe / Po-tah-toe

2009-02-23T13:17:00.008-06:00

Last evening, my wife and I met our good priest friend for dinner at The Parthenon. I decided it was time to set the record straight on the pronunciation of the oft-mispronounced dessert, Baklava. Indeed, for the last several years I have adamantly believed the pronunciation of Baklava to be Bahk-LAH-va and not the more common BAHK-la-va. I asked the dude (aka: the waiter) to ask the chef or kitchen staff who are true Greeks what the "correct" pronunciation was.

To my dismay - but not to my surprise - they use the more common of pronunciations with the location of the accent falling on the first syllable. As Fr. expected me to do - I double checked this with the wisdom of the Google - and found that it was/is acceptable to accent either of the three syllables.

It really doesn't matter. I'll humbly accept that I was wrong...anything to make my wife happy. Better than calling the whole thing off!

KING FEDERER'S FEROCITY

2009-01-25T14:32:00.007-06:00

MELBOURNE, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- World number two Roger Federer fought impressively from two sets down to win a dramatic thriller against Czech Tomas Berdych on Sunday to keep his hopes alive of winning a 14th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.

I've always loved a good tennis match - playing and watching - and there's nothing more beautiful than man pouring his soul all over the court to pull off a two-sets-down come-from-behind win.

Life doesn't get much better than that! Tennis -after all - is the game of kings!

The Simple Sanctity of Life

2009-01-24T14:47:00.007-06:00

I really like this video. It is succinct and powerful.

To those of you that don't consider yourself pro-life and have stumbled across this blog, please prayerfully and thoughtfully consider this message. It doesn't tell the whole story, or offer towering scientific, policy, or religious arguments, but it is well done none-the-less.

(YouTube: Clips from WorshipHouseMedia.com. Music by John Frizzell.)

For a few tough thoughts on this matter read:

Good news for Cubbies!

2009-01-24T10:37:00.001-06:00

Yes, my friends...something good, decent, and promising CAN come from Chicago!

RICKETTS FAMILY TO BUY CUBS FOR ABOUT $900 MILLION

"My family and I are Cubs fans," said Tom Ricketts, the family's point person in the Cubs purchase. "We share the goal of Cubs fans everywhere to win a World Series and build the consistent championship tradition that the fans deserve."

Pete Ricketts - brother to Tom - who remains active in Republican politics as a national committeeman, ran an unsuccessful race for the U.S. Senate against Democratic incumbent Sen. Ben Nelson in November 2006. The two combined for the most expensive race in Nebraska history, at $20 million.

I had the privilege to introduce Pete Ricketts during a campaign stop in Southeast Nebraska. Nice guy. Go CUBS!

Advice to the Listening Public...

2009-01-24T09:58:00.003-06:00

President OBAMA: Be Advised...listening to Limbaugh...bad for America

Classic!...I assume next he'll advise us to turn off jazz music because it can be occasionally discordant...and thus bad for our American psyche...

It really is a shame. I believe in the Presidency and I believe in America and I don't believe that success will be had from partaking in such childish triviality. Besides, is it not our unique diversity of thought that makes us better Americans in the first place?