35th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus

opens today? Fr. Z links to a website for the meeting. Will we get reform of the order?

GC 35
The Society of Jesus in the United States.
Jesuits of the California Province - California, Arizona, Nevada ...
New England Jesuits
Superiors General of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
The Legacy of the Society of Jesus

St. Ignatius, pray for us!

Doug Nolad, Tumult Ahead

Tumult Ahead

THE MOGAMBO GURU
Well worth the 20 bucks
The total US national debt is over $9,120,000,000,000.00 and the nation's financial statements are such a torrid mess that the top auditor balks at giving an opinion. Inflation-stoking idiocy means we're all doomed, but the people with gold - and the bunkers - will be the last to go. (Jan 3, '08)

Thomas Palley, Subprime disease a traded infection

Subprime disease a traded infection
By Thomas Palley

Michael Shedlock, Unemployment Soars as Private Sector Jobs Contract

Unemployment Soars as Private Sector Jobs Contract

DollarCollapse.com

website

With news and updates about... you know what.

Update on the HK45

here at the HK USA Forums (not so helpful, doesn't say why the product is no longer listed at the official site.) 5 days ago someone claimed that the 45 and 45c have been restored, but I don't see the listings.

Hrm some have purchased one for $900 or so...

Check out the HK calendar.

Online Prayer Requests

Prayer Requests, Catholic Events Announcements; EWTN
Holy Transfiguration Monastery (The Monks of Mount Tabor)
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist

St. Anthony Shrine (Ohio): request page
St. Joseph Catholic Community (MD)
Prayer and Prayer Requests - Catholic Prayer Requests
Catholic Prayer Request Page :: Post Your Prayer Requests & Pray ...
Prayer Requests
Archdiocese of Los Angeles
catholic ireland prayer requests
Canticle of Chiara: Nuns/Sisters Who Accept Online Prayer Requests
Prayer Requests Roman Catholic NYC
Submit a Prayer Request - Saint Helen Catholic Church - Georgetown, TX

Prayer Request Site Welcomes you!
Post a Prayer

Catholic Charismatic Renewal -- San Francisco

What a wretched world.

Sheriff: Tyler murder suspect said he cooked victim's ear
via Crunchy Con

There's also this: Body of missing Georgia hiker is found

Prayer request

If you could, please pray for a friend to get out of an abusive relationship. Thanks.

What's the cause of this?

I just got off the phone with a rep from Chicago Distribution Center, and she was telling me that the weather outside was 66 degrees and humid. What's going on here...

I've heard similar reports about warm weather in Ohio and a couple of other states...

The VF25 from Macross F

From the official website.


The fighter looks a lot like the original VF1 from the first Macross. Intentional? (The thing at the bottom is the new enemy that the humans face. I can't tell if the alien mecha are organic or artificial. Will the Zentrans and Meltrans who have integrated into human society make an appearance? I don't think there is a Zentran/Meltran character in the series, but I could be wrong. I don't see officers or bridge crew being main secondary characters, but who knows.)

VF-25

The animation of the first episode seems to be as good as Macross Zero--there is plenty of computer animation for the action/mecha sequences, just like in Macross Zero. (I don't know anything about the animation cell count per second and other fine details.) HCK thought the personal glider/jetpackt was ludicrous. I can't dispute that. I'm not sure which characters will be involved in the love triangle (if there is to be one). As for the music, it has mostly a contemporary sound, which makes sense, since that is what all of the other Macross stories have done, projecting music from the contemporary JPop scene into the future (with the exception perhaps of Macross Zero). Since Yoko Kanno is involved, much of the music sounds similar to what we heard in Macross Plus.

Though my impressions are from just one episode I think it should be better than Macross 7. But anime series have been known to stumble and falter and even crash and burn as they approach their conclusion. A seemingly undefeatable enemey with more advanced technology... how will the humans survive this time? At least there's no nonsense about spirita and music weapons.

There are a lot of parallels between the first episode of Macross F and the first episode of Macross.

Hrm... the standard fighter for the human fleet looks like a successor to the YF21 and VF22 -- or is it actually the VF22? It's definitely not the VF17 (which is based on the design of contemporary stealth fighters), though the cockpit is similar to both that of the VF17 and the VF22.

Ah... According to the wiki entry for Macross F, it is a sequel to Macross 7. So the reconaissance valkyrie we see in the first episode is in deed a modified VF17--it looks much better here than in Macross 7. But nothing on the identity of the fleet's standard fighter.

Macross 25th Anniversary and Macross F/Frontier news thread III (Shawn and Graham's Macross World)
Macross Compendium
Macross Compendium: Mecha
Egan Loo Interview - Macross World Forums
MACROSS MECHA DESIGNS

Perhaps the New Scot could speak about this

if he still had time to read this, that is...

This was posted by at the CFN comments section to JHK's post today:

You know those spot shortages you were talking about? The entire island of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia pretty much ran out of heating oil about a week before Christmas. That’s about 135,000 people with about 70 % of those living in what is sometimes called “Industrial Cape Breton” in the Sydney area; a once thriving coal and steel city. The population has been declining here for years now but seems to have accelerated more recently as industry after industry shuts down and people chase the energy production bucks raining down in and around Alberta. I’m sure there are lots of threadbare places like this in the US as well, where the scary reality is starting to show under our worn out coats of comfort. That we’ve been eating and sleeping in a nice cozy back eddy of energy flow; and that we’re about to enter the actual stream again.

I feel fortunate that we’ve been able to make the move to a small farm where we grow most of our own food and heat with our own wood. Some of the folks around us and most of those living in small towns around the island don’t have that ability any more. I think this problem may manifest at first in a way where the energy poor may be thought of in the same way as society now considers homeless people; that their situation is somehow their fault and that it’s really too bad and we feel sad about them, but we really don’t want to talk about it. Who knows how long it will take society at large to realize how pervasive energy dependence is and that the majority of us will no longer be able to afford as much of what it offers.

The two links below to the short CBC News stories tell of the day the island ran out and of how many people now have to cope with not being able to afford the minimum amounts of heating oil that the trucks will deliver.

http://www.blogger.com/You%20know%20those%20spot%20shortages%20you%20were%20talking%20about?

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2008/01/03/heating-ns.html

Some hanbok photos

A spread with 김경식and 정유정.


More contemporary wedding clothes can be found here, here, here, here.

무자년 새해 脫처녀-총각스타 결혼달력 들춰보니...

another

Zenit: B16 On the Epiphany

On the Epiphany


"The Power of the Holy Spirit That Moves Hearts and Minds"




VATICAN CITY, JAN. 6, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered today before reciting the midday Angelus with several thousand people gathered in St. Peter's Square, on the solemnity of the Epiphany.

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Today we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord, that is, his manifestation to the peoples of the whole world, represented by the Magi who came from the East to pay homage to the king of the Jews. Observing celestial phenomena, these mysterious persons saw a new star rise and, instructed as well by the ancient prophecies, recognized in it the sign of the birth of the Messiah, descendant of David (cf. 2:1-2). From its first appearance, then, the light of Christ began to draw to itself the men "whom God loves" (Luke 2:14), of every language, people and culture. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that moves hearts and minds to seek truth, beauty, justice, peace.

The Servant of God John Paul II affirmed this in his encyclical "Fides et Ratio": "[M]en and women are on a journey of discovery which is humanly unstoppable -- a search for the truth and a search for a person to whom they might entrust themselves" (No. 33): The magi found both of these realities in the child of Bethlehem.

Men and women of every generation, in this their pilgrimage, have need of direction: What star, then, can they follow? After coming to rest "above the place where the child was" (Matthew 2:9), the star that guided the Magi had completed its function, but its spiritual light is ever present in the word of the Gospel, which today too is capable of guiding every man to Jesus. That same word, which is nothing if not the reflection of Christ, true man and true God, is authoritatively echoed by the Church for every well-disposed soul. The Church too, for this reason, carries out for humanity the mission of the star. But something of this sort can be said of every Christian, called to help guide the steps of his brothers by word and the witness of his life.

How important it is, then, that we Christians are faithful to our vocation! Every authentic believer is always on a journey in his personal itinerary of faith and, at the same time, with the little light that he carries in himself, can and must be of help to those he finds at his side and who perhaps have difficulty finding the road that leads to Christ.

As we prepare to say the Angelus, I offer my most cordial greetings to the brothers and sisters of the Eastern Churches who, following the Julian calendar, celebrate holy Christmas tomorrow: It is a great joy to share in the celebration of the mysteries of faith, in the multiform riches of the rites that attest to the bi-millennial history of the Church.

Together with the Christian communities of the East, very devoted to the Holy Mother of God, we invoke Mary's protection of the universal Church, so that the Gospel of Christ spread throughout the whole world, "Lumen Gentium," light of all peoples.

[After the Angelus, the Pope greeted the people in several languages. In Italian, he said:]

Today the World Day of Missionary Childhood is celebrated. For more than 160 years, through the initiative of the French bishop Charles de Forbin Janson, the childhood of Jesus has become the icon for the commitment of Christian children who help the Church in her task of evangelization by prayer, sacrifice and gestures of solidarity.

Thousands of children meet the needs of other children, driven by the love that the Son of God, become a child, brought to the earth. I say thanks to these little ones and I pray that they will always be missionaries. I also thank those who assist them, who accompany them along the road of generosity, of fraternity, of joyous faith that generates hope.

[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]

[In English, he said:]

I am happy to greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present for this Angelus. Today we celebrate the Solemn Feast of the Epiphany when our Lord made himself known to the Gentiles. Christ continues to manifest himself to men and women of all nations inviting them to share in the inheritance of grace. Let us all cooperate in this task and bear joyful witness to Jesus our Saviour by following closely his teachings and example. I wish you all a pleasant stay in Rome and a happy Feast Day!

(c) Copyright 2007 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Zenit: B16 On Mary, Mother of God

On Mary, Mother of God


"This Woman Is Very Close to Us and Helps Us"




VATICAN CITY, JAN. 6, 2008 (Zenit.org)- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave at the general audience Jan. 2, held in Paul VI Hall.

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

A very ancient formula of benediction, reported in the Book of Numbers, says: “May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord make his countenance to shine upon you and be propitious to you. May the Lord turn his face to you and grant you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26). With these words that the liturgy offered for our hearing yesterday, the first day of the year, I would like to formulate cordial greetings to you, here present, and to those who in these Christmas holidays have sent me attestations of affectionate spiritual nearness.

Yesterday we celebrated the solemn feast of Mary, Mother of God. “Mother of God,” “Theotokos,” is the title officially attributed to Mary in the fifth century, exactly by the Council of Ephesus in 431, but affirmed in the devotion of the Christian people already since the third century, in the context of the discussions that arose in that period over the person of Christ. It is underscored, with that title, that Christ is God and he is truly born as man from Mary: thus his unity as true God and true man was preserved. In truth, although the debate seemed to focus on Mary, it essentially regarded the Son. Wanting to safeguard the humanity of Christ, some fathers suggested a more attenuated term: Instead of the title “Theotokos,” they proposed that of “Christotokos,” “Mother of Christ”: Rightly, however, that was seen as a threat to the doctrine of the complete unity of the divinity with the humanity of Christ. For this reason, after ample discussion in the Council of Ephesus of 431, there was solemnly affirmed on one hand, the unity of the two natures, the divine and the human, in the person of the Son of God (cf. DS, No. 250) and, on the other hand, the legitimacy of the attribution to the Virgin the title of “Theotokos,” Mother of God (DS, No. 251).

After this council there is recorded a true explosion of marian devotion and numerous churches were constructed that were dedicated to the Mother of God. Among these, there stands out with primacy the Basilica of Saint Mary Major here in Rome. The doctrine concerning Mary, Mother of God, found further confirmation in the Council of Chalcedon in 451 in which Christ was declared “true God and true man […] born for us and for our salvation from Mary, Virgin and Mother of God, in his humanity” (DS, No. 301). As is known, the Second Vatican Council gathered up the doctrine on Mary in Chapter 8 of the dogmatic constitution on the Church, “Lumen Gentium,” reaffirming her divine maternity. The chapter is entitled: “The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, in the Mystery of Christ and the Church.”

The title Mother of God, which is so profoundly linked to the Christmas celebrations, is for this reason the fundamental appellation with which the community of believers has, we might say, always honored the Holy Virgin. It expresses very well Mary’s mission in the history of salvation. All of the other titles attributed to the Madonna find their basis in her vocation to be the Mother of the Redeemer, the human creature elected by God to realize the plan of salvation, centered on the great mystery of the incarnation of the divine Word. In these festive days we have paused to contemplate the representation of the Nativity in the crèche. At the center of this scene we find the Virgin Mother who offers the child Jesus to the contemplation of those who come to adore the Savior: the shepherds, the poor folk of Bethlehem, the magi who have come from the East.

Later, on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, which we celebrate on Feb. 2, it will be the elderly Simeon and the prophetess Anna to receive into their arms from the Mother the little Child to adore him. The devotion of the Christian people has always considered the birth of Jesus and the divine maternity of Mary as two aspects of the same mystery of the incarnation of the divine Word and for this reason never considered the Nativity as something of the past. We are “contemporaries” of the shepherds, of the magi, of Simeon and Anna, and while we go with them we are full with joy, because God has desired to be the God with us and he has a mother, who is our mother.

From the title “Mother of God” are drawn all the other titles with which the Church honors Mary, but this one is the fundamental title. We think of the privilege of the “Immaculate Conception,” of being, that is, immune from sin from the moment of her conception: Mary was preserved from every stain of sin because she had to be the Mother of the Redeemer. The same goes for the title “Assumed”: she who gave birth to the Savior could not be subjected to the corruption that comes from original sin. And we know that all these privileges are not given to distance Mary from us, but on the contrary to make her more near; in fact, being totally with God, this Woman is very close to us and helps us as mother and sister. Even the unique and unrepeatable place that Mary has in the community of believers derives from this fundamental vocation of being the Mother of the Redeemer. Precisely as such, Mary is also the Mother of the Mystical Body of Christ, which is the Church. Justly, then, during the Second Vatican Council, on November 21, 1964, Paul VI solemnly attributed to Mary the title of “Mother of the Church.”

Precisely because Mother of the Church, the Virgin is also Mother of each one of us, who are members of the Mystical Body of Christ. From the cross Jesus entrusted the Mother to each of his disciples and, at the same time, entrusted each of his disciples to the love his Mother. The evangelist John concludes his brief and suggestive account with the words: “And from that moment the disciple took her into his house” (John 19:27). That is how the Greek text is translated in Italian. The Greek says “eis tai dia,” he welcomed her into his own reality, into his being. In this way she is part of his life and the two lives interpenetrate; and this welcoming her (“eis tai dia”) in his own life is the testament of the Lord. Thus, in the supreme moment of the fulfillment of his messianic mission, Jesus leaves to each of his disciples, as a precious inheritance, his own Mother, the Virgin Mary.

Dear brothers and sisters, in these first days of the year we are invited to attentively consider the importance of the presence of Mary in the life of the Church and in our personal existence. Let us entrust ourselves to her that she may guide our steps in the his new period of time that the Lord has given to us to live, and that she may help us to be authentic friends of her Son and thus courageous builders of the his Kingdom in this world, Kingdom of light and of truth. Happy New Year to all! This is the greeting that I desire to address to you here present and to your loved ones in this first general audience of 2008. May the new year, begun under the sign of the Virgin Mary, make us feel her maternal presence with more vivacity, so that, sustained and comforted by the protection of the Virgin, we can contemplate the countenance of her Son Jesus with renewed eyes and walk in the paths of the good with greater vigor.

Once again, Happy New Year to all!


[At the end of the audience, Benedict XVI greeted pilgrims in several languages. In Italian, he said:]

I address a special greeting to the Community of the Legionaries of Christ, who come from different countries, in particular to the new priests and to the representatives of Regnum Christi. My dear friends, may the mystery of the Incarnation that we celebrate in this liturgical season enlighten you along the path of fidelity to Christ. Following the example of Mary, may you know how to bear, meditate and follow the Word that became flesh in Bethlehem and spread the message of salvation with enthusiasm.

Finally, I greet the young people, the sick and newlyweds. I wish for you young people that you will know how to consider every day as a gift of God, to be accepted with gratitude and to be lived with rectitude. For you dear ones who are sick may the new year bring consolation in body and spirit. And you, dear newlyweds, put yourselves into the school of the Holy Family of Nazareth, so that you will learn how to realize an authentic communion of life and love.

[Translated by Joseph G. Trabbic]

[In English, he said:]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

At the beginning of this New Year, I offer prayerful good wishes to all of you and to your families! Yesterday, the Church joyfully celebrated the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. This ancient title of Our Lady – Theotokos – reflects the truth that Jesus, her Son, is true God and true man. The confirmation of this title at the Council of Ephesus in the fifth century led to ever greater devotion to Mary and the dedication of numerous churches in her honour, including the Basilica of Saint Mary Major here in Rome. During this Christmas season, we can sense the close relationship between the Incarnation and our Lady’s dignity as the Mother of God. Indeed, the title “Mother of God” expresses Mary’s special mission in the history of salvation and her particular role in the mystery of Christ and the Church. Our Lady’s divine motherhood is in fact the basis of every other title by which the Church honours her. Mother of God and Mother of the Church, Mary was also entrusted by Christ to be the Mother of each of his disciples (cf. Jn 19:27). In this New Year, may we turn to her with confidence and, through her protection and prayers, be strengthened in our love for Jesus her Son and our service to the coming of his Kingdom.

I greet the English-speaking visitors present at today’s Audience, especially those from Ireland and the United States. I especially greet the various pilgrimages of priests and seminarians, and the many student groups in our midst. I also thank the choirs for their praise of God in song. May the New Year bring God’s richest blessings to you and your families!


© Copyright 2007 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Pete Takeshi has moved over to Wordpress

His new blog.

Preliminary thoughts on how men and women relate

Dr. Laura talks about men who want to rescue the damsel in distress--I believe in her book 10 Stupid Things Men Do to Mess Up Their Lives. This desire can be problematic as they seek a spouse. What is one of the most problematic attitudes of women, that correspond to the knight in shining armor complex (or the more extreme savior complex)? Perhaps a woman's belief that she (or her love, etc.) can inspire a man to change for the better. What sort of name should we give to this?

Ron Paul Town Hall Meeting, NH

to counter the Fox debate, to which he wasn't invited...

Part 1

Part 2

He is appearing on Leno Monday night.

Of interest from SFTT

Well, everything is... but these two links stood out:
German Robocop-Style Army Gear Flops With Soldiers
Editor's Note: The American Grunt is not the only one getting the short end of the acquisition stick. Our NATO brothers in the German Army have their own version of the "Natick/PEO-SOLDIER" bureaucratic morons to deal with... This would be funny, if the consequences were not so potentially lethal.The German army has been raving about its new state-of-the-art €20,000-per-soldier infantry equipment called "Infantryman of the Future." But the soldiers who have been trying it out in the field say it's too bulky, too heavy and unreliable. Full Story

M4 Carbine Fairs Poorly in Dust Test
The primary weapon carried by most soldiers into battle in Iraq and Afghanistan performed the worst in a recent series of tests designed to see how it stacked up against three other top carbines in sandy environments... "It's time to stop making excuses and just conduct a competition for a new weapon," the congressional staffer said. Full Story

Plus this response:
Infantry Commander Responds to Criticism About Threat to NCO Corps

Tips on buying DVDs

DVDs are a big way for the studios to make cash, especially when they are initially released--then the retail price is usually high, perhaps $20 or higher. But after a year or so, the prices will drop for most titles (some exceptions would be the special editions/extended cuts/director's cut, but even some of these will drop). Of course you will have to shop around, but at most retailers, both big box stores and online, there will be a price decrease...

Wish I had been paying attention to this before. I would have saved $$...

Ubuntu Linux

Ubuntu Linux

Some more enka vids

First, Yoko Nagayama:

長山洋子：關東春雨傘



NAGAYAMA YOKO -SADAME YUKI

香西かおりー恋草紙　Kouzai Kaori - Rensoushi


梅は咲いたか（俗曲）·真室川音


上杉　香織里　越後獅子の唄


I think I've already posted these by Natsuko Godai:
伍代夏子車屋さん ; 香西かおり 越後獅子の唄


伍代夏子《雪中花》

滿月(伍代夏子)

Emotions

What can one do when they are so overwhelming that they cripple? Dr. Laura likes to claim that men are hard-wired to be stoic. Others will claim that it is a result of social and cultural conditioning. As men seem to be geared more towards action, it would make sense that they would be designed to feel less emotion, lest they be inhibited. Emotions can also inhibit deliberation, or dominate it in one direction. (Partiality can interfere with deliberations involving justice, and thereby become improper if one is influenced to act against justice.)

Would it be controversial to say that such "stoicism" comes easier for men, but nonetheless is achievable by women, and in such cases would be laudable, not destructive of femininity? We have an image of how Christ experienced sadness. What is our image of the blessed Mother's suffering at the foot of the cross?

It cannot be said that men do not feel pain or sadness; but they don't vocalize it, and in some cultures (the infamous British stiff upper lip) it is hidden as much as possible. So the qustion for the individual to ask is this: is this continence gained through the application of reason, or the repression of emotion? One may be good, the certainly not. While anger is something I have repressed, I don't think the same is true for sadness. With time the need for expression has lessened, and only becomes present when the impact is great or there is great emotional attachment.

I don't think I can watch a disaster in the making and be asked to have this sort of knowledge while being powerless to do any about it. It's like dying a thousand little deaths. Would it be better to sever ties and then focus on what I can do through prayer?

PSALMUS 6
1 Magistro chori. Fidibus. Super octavam. PSALMUS. David.
2 Domine, ne in furore tuo arguas me
neque in ira tua corripias me.
3 Miserere mei, Domine, quoniam infirmus sum;
sana me, Domine, quoniam conturbata sunt ossa mea.
4 Et anima mea turbata est valde,
sed tu, Domine, usquequo?
5 Convertere, Domine, eripe animam meam;
salvum me fac propter misericordiam tuam.
6 Quoniam non est in morte, qui memor sit tui;
in inferno autem quis confitebitur tibi?
7 Laboravi in gemitu meo,
lavabam per singulas noctes lectum meum;
lacrimis meis stratum meum rigabam.
8 Turbatus est a maerore oculus meus,
inveteravi inter omnes inimicos meos.
9 Discedite a me, omnes, qui operamini iniquitatem,
quoniam exaudivit Dominus vocem fletus mei.
10 Exaudivit Dominus deprecationem meam,
Dominus orationem meam suscepit.
11 Erubescant et conturbentur vehementer omnes inimici mei;
convertantur et erubescant valde velociter.

Transcript for the Republican debate in NH last night

at NY Times

Sarah Connors Chronicles pilot

Just watched it on Yahoo; it's was a bit cheap and groan-inducing during the first half, but the ending got interesting, and should be enough to keep viewers watching for another episode at least...

徐小鳳 Paula Tsui - Flowing In The Natural Direction 順流逆流

Paz Vega photos

More at Hollywood Tuna.

AICN update on the Trek reboot

here

Sounds worse and worse...

Mise en Scene CF

Jo In Sung & Ha Ji Won - Mise en Scene CF Making


Jo In Sung & Ha Ji Won - Mise en Scene CF (30sec)


Plus:
Kwon Sang Woo & Ha Ji Won Bang Bang CF

Fr. Keenan, S.J. coming to USF

From California Catholic Daily:

Dissident-in-residence?
Jesuit who told Massachusetts legislature that banning same-sex marriage would be immoral invited to spend summer at USF

AN: Bishop of Shanghai's pastoral letter thanks pope

Bishop of Shanghai: with thanks to the Pope in 2008 we will celebrate 400 years of Catholic faith
by Justin Qiang
In his pastoral letter Msgr . Jin Luxian, thanks missionaries for their religious and cultural commitment to China and asks the faithful to be evangelisers of the city and not “to let the Pope down”: in fact on May 24th, as set out by the pontiff, a Day of Prayer for the Church and China will be celebrated, centred on the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sheshan, a short distance from the metropolis.

Resource Wars in the future?

Debating Disaster: The World Is Not Enough
Thomas Homer-Dixon, Michael T. Klare, Sherri W. Goodman, Paul J. Kern and David G. Victor, The National Interest In the last issue of The National Interest, David Victor argued that the threat of resource wars is overplayed and overblown. To recap:

RISING ENERGY prices and mounting concerns about environmental depletion have animated fears that the world may be headed for a spate of “resource wars”-hot conflicts triggered by a struggle to grab valuable resources. Such fears come in many stripes, but the threat industry has sounded the alarm bells especially loudly in three areas. First is the rise of China ...

Now we hear from Victor’s critics, Thomas Homer-Dixon, Michael Klare, Sherri Goodman and Paul Kern. they tackle him on everything, from climate change to the impact of oil shortages and the mass spread of disease. Victor has the last word.

Shepherd Bliss, Survival tools

Survival tools — farming, stories, poetry, writing, and leaning
Shepherd Bliss, Energy Bulletin
I sense that we are approaching a tipping point, so I decided to re-embed myself within institutions to have more contact with people and resources to help make a transition to whatever we can create to thrive during the changing times.

Bednarz and Bradford, Medicine at the crossroads of energy and climate change

Medicine at the crossroads of energy and climate change
Dan Bednarz, Ph.D. and Kristin Bradford, M.D., M.P.H., Energy Bulletin
If medicine would regard peak oil as likely to occur within 12 years, in line with most predictions, then it will choose strategies which automatically address climate change as well. If the health care industry fails to lead, it will suffer the draconian consequences of having ignored the driving forces of the opening decades of the 21st century.

New blog

started by rebeccat from the Crunchy Con com boxes.

Capella Romana has a new cd

Byzantium in Rome

Capella Romana homepage

Can we still get his first Mass DVD?

Apparently Fr. Smith is no longer at St Mary's, but at St. Peter's. Some homilies from St. Mary's are available in podcast. I just sent an email inquiring about the DVD to St. Mary's. I'll let you know what the response is.

Something for the feast of St. Francis de Sales

Via NLM:

ICRSS Novena for their Patronal Feast

"On January 29th, 2008 the Church celebrates the feast of St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Universal Church, Bishop, founder of the Visitation Order (of which St. Margaret Mary was a member), patron of Journalists, co-patron of the Diocese of Oakland and of the Institute of Christ the King. In preparation for this joyful event we will pray a novena, starting on the 20th of January and ending on January 28th, after the Mass celebrated in the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite. During the Masses we will receive guest homilists who will teach us about the "Doctor of Charity", who led so many souls to sanctity, so that we may be well prepared for this beautiful feast of our patron. We are especially grateful and honored that His Excellency, Bishop Vigneron, will be with us during Mass on the 23rd of January 2008 at 6:00 pm to preach about ³St. Francis de Sales as co-patron of the Diocese of Oakland². Other priests who will talk in the homilies about St. Francis during this important novena are Fr. R. Schenk O.P., Fr. A. Ramelow O.P., Fr. L. Goode, Fr. W. Young and the Vice-Provincial of the Institute of Christ the King in the United States, Fr. K. Lenhardt. Please come and pray with us to our beloved patron!

The location of this event is St. Margaret Mary Church in Oakland, California, 1219
Excelsior Ave. For further information contact father.wiener@institute-christ-king.org or telephone 510-482-2053.

Want to see the first episode of the new Terminator TV series?

From AICN:

TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES will debut one week early...tonight...via a streaming presentation at Yahoo Television.
CLICK HERE TO JUMP TO THE SITE!!!
Click "TERMINATOR SNEAK PEEK" on the sidebar, and it'll tell you what you need to know to watch the show.

Of course this would happen at BC

Impact on Interreligious Relations of the Wider Use of the Latin 1962 Catholic Missal

Ha Ji Won

CEN071105 Ha Ji Won


Ha Ji Won - Photoshoot Interview (Entertainment Relay)


Vianni Photoshoot - Ha Ji Won


Ha Ji Won VOV Castledew


VOV cf


Arirang clip


JiWon Ha Special-Korea movie making film


Ha Ji-Won - Miracle on 1st Street 2007



Some cfs

Natsuko Godai

GODAI NATSUKO - GASU TOU

The following are available on youtube thanks to cesio1002000.

Godai Natsuko - Senchiuka


Godai Natsuko - Inochi azukemasu

Xristos Gennatai

Part 1


Part 2

Patrick Deneen talks about consumption

Consumption

"What he said."

From the Fall 2007 Issue of The New Atlantis

GHOSTS IN THE EVOLUTIONARY MACHINERY
by Steve Talbott
Some biologists believe they can learn fundamental truths about life by creating computerized models that supposedly “compete for resources” and even “evolve.” But what kind of lessons about living things can we really learn from these abstractions, disembodied as they are and devoid of all context? Steve Talbott considers the limitations of digital organisms.

THE EVANGELICAL ECOLOGIST
by S. M. Hutchens
In his book The Creation, E. O. Wilson attempts to persuade evangelical Christians that they have a religious obligation to preserve the diversity of life on Earth. But, as S. M. Hutchens points out, Wilson downplays the fundamental differences between the Christian understanding of the natural world and that of the Earth-worshipping environmentalists.

Vanity Fair article on Indy IV

Thanks to AICN.

The article. Online content also includes:

"Web exclusive: Video from the photo sessions. Also: Q&As with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas."

Sarge, here's a photo of your actress:

"Set in 1957, the new film pits Indy against Russian Cold Warriors, including Cate Blanchett, whose character, Agent Spalko, looks like the toughest Soviet customer since Lotte Lenya’s Rosa Klebb took on Sean Connery in From Russia with Love."

Baek Ji-Young, YangPa, Lee Soo-Young @ 2007 SBS Music Awards

Lee Soo Young looks really pretty here... (Baek Ji Young too) mmm as for their live singing... some of it barely surpassed karaoke level...

Music Bank (122807) Yangpa + Lee Soo Young + Baek Ji Young

Gene Logsdon, Snow Pastures

Snow pastures
Gene Logsdon, Organic To Be
For many years I have had an impossible dream for which I give credit to both my now deceased friend, Bob Evans, who made a fortune with a chain of restaurants, and to the American Plains buffalo. Both believed fervently that animals could thrive on year-round grazing, come hell, high water or snow, without any soil cultivation for grains at all. published January 2, 2008.

Dave Cohen, What's near at the tar sands?

What's new at the tar sands?
Dave Cohen, ASPO-USA / Energy Bulletin
It behooves us to keep track of what's going on at the tar sands in so far as the "official" story now states that well-being of the world's most voracious oil consumer depends on steadily rising synthetic crude output. A close look reveals that all is not well along the Athabasca River.

Zenit: B16 On the Holy Family

On the Holy Family


"It Is Worth It to Work for the Family and Marriage"




VATICAN CITY, JAN. 1, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered Sunday, the feast of the Holy Family, before reciting the midday Angelus with several thousand people gathered in St. Peter's Square.

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family. Following the narration of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, we stop to look at Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we look with adoration on the mystery of a God that chose to be born of a woman, the holy Virgin, and to enter this world by a path common to all men. In this way he sanctified the reality of the family, filling it with divine grace and fully revealing his vocation and mission.

The Second Vatican Council paid special attention to the family. The spouses, it affirmed, are for each other and their children witnesses of the faith and love of Christ (cf. "Lumen Gentium," No. 35). The Christian family participates in this way in the prophetic vocation of the Church: With its manner of living, "The Christian family loudly proclaims both the present virtues of the kingdom of God and the hope of a blessed life to come" (ibid.).

As my venerable predecessor Pope John Paul II repeated untiringly, the good of the person and of society is intimately linked to the "good health" of the family (cf. "Gaudium et Spes," No. 47). Because they are words of the council, the Church is committed to the defense and promotion of the "the natural dignity of the married state and the superlative value" of marriage and the family (ibid.).

With this end in mind, an important initiative is being celebrated today in Madrid. I will address those participants now in Spanish.

Greetings to the participants in the family encounter that is taking place this Sunday in Madrid, as well as to those cardinals, bishops and priests that accompany them.

Upon contemplating the mystery of the Son of God that came into the world surrounded by the affection of Mary and Joseph, I invite all Christian families to experience the loving presence of the Lord in their lives. I encourage them, inspired by love of Christ for all mankind, to give witness before the world of the beauty of human love, marriage and family. This, founded in the dissoluble union between a man and a woman, constitutes the privileged environment in which human life is welcomed and protected, from its beginning until its natural end.

For this, parents have the right and fundamental obligation to educate their children, in the faith and in the values that dignify human existence. It is worth it to work for the family and marriage because it is worth it to work for the human being, the most valuable being created by God.

I direct myself in a special way to the children, so that they love and pray for their parents and brothers and sisters; to the young people, so that stimulated by the love of their parents, they follow with generosity their own vocation to marriage, the priesthood or religious life; to the elderly and the sick, so that they find the help and understanding they need. And to you, beloved spouses, count on the grace of God always, so that your love will be always more and more fruitful and faithful.

In the hands of Mary, "who with her 'yes' opened the door of our world to God" ("Spe Salvi"), I place the results of this celebration. Thank you very much and happy holidays.

[Translation by Karna Swanson]

[After the Angelus, the Pope greeted the people in several languages. In English, he said:]

I offer a warm welcome to the English-speaking visitors gathered for this Angelus prayer. Today, in the heart of the Christmas season, the Church celebrates the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. May the mystery of God's love, made incarnate in the Child Jesus and reflected in the home of Mary and Joseph in Nazareth, dwell in your hearts and in your families throughout the coming year. Upon all of you I invoke an abundance of Christmas joy and peace!

(c) Copyright 2007 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Tango Down

website

Hrm... I wrote down the Sig Sauer P226 for some reason... well. What do you think of the P250?

CI: Baek Ji-young Smiles Again Six Years After Sex Scandal

Baek Ji-young Smiles Again Six Years After Sex Scandal

Macross F, episode 1

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3

Vltor.com

Welcome to Vltor Weapons Systems

Smithsonian mag: Keepers of the Lost Ark

article

Imperial Ethiopia - Ethiopia's Religions

10-8 Consulting

Homepage

Surefire lights

KOR

This archive is still up. I'm a bit surprised. I thought it would have disappeared by now.

Supposedly an otaku favorite for a long time--Ayukawa Madoka:





I guess somewhere alone the way she got displaced. Probably by some character like Ayanami Rei of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Kimagure Orange Road
Kimagure Orange Road - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kimagure Orange Road (TV) - Anime News Network
Kimagure Orange Road - Anime Products - AnimEigo (Japanese Animation)
Rob's Super Kimagure Orange Road (KOR) Anime Esper Portal Entry Page
A Whimsical Trip on Kimagure Orange Road
Kimagure Orange * Road - Music Hall

Kimagure Orange Road -Night of Summer Side (Kimagure Orange Road Opening 01)


alt

[1987]Kimagure_Orange_Road[ED1]


Kimagure Orange Road OP 2 Full


Kimagure Orange Road Ending 03

alt

Kimagure Orange Road ED 1 TV Performance (by Kanako Wada, voice actress for Madoka) [Just love the 80s!!! haha]


想い出の九十九里浜

宇徳敬子 - Live 2006.12.07 -

Some behind the scenes footage for Last of the Mohicans

In case you haven't already seen this Sarge.


You can see Captain Dale Dye, USMC (Ret) in the vid.

CE vs AD

Liberals may think that they are being enlightened and non-sectarian when they change from AD (Anno Domini) to CE (Common Era), but aren't isn't this sort of change another instance of Western post-Christian cultural imperialism? At least with Christ at the reference it is universal. But CE is common only because of fiat, accepted and used only because of the economic and cultural power of the West. If we abandon Christ as the universal reference point for all peoples, then why should non-Westerns continue to follow the "new" Western dating of years?