random thoughts for a Saturday night

1. I think Peggy Noonan (whom I respect as a writer) is secretly pissed that George Bush didn't hire her to write his speeches like his dad did.
   
   
2. New Oxford Review doesn't seem to like Amy Welborn very much.
   
   
3. John Derbyshire is a terrible grouch and he doesn't seem to like Catholics much but everytime I see this I can't help but laugh.
   
   
4. I love the new dragonslayer United Airlines commercial.
   
   
5. Pray for your parish priest. It's not easy counseling the doubtful, correcting the wicked and loving the manifestly unlovable. Father listens to people whine about their gouty toes. He gently tells prodigal daughters to wear a longer skirt to Mass next time. He prepares the dying for their big moment before Judgement. He has to put up with eucharistic ministers, musicians who think they're rock stars, and the crazy lady who does the flower arrangements. He deals with the bishop so you don't have to and he stands before the altar of God and offers Him the body, blood, soul and divinity of His dearly beloved son in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. Awesome vocation, that.
   
   
6. The pope is taking a good look at some well known but suspect private revlations and is of a mind to smack them down. Excuse while do this backflip for joy.
   
   
7. I still can't figure him out but Fr. Jim Tucker of Dappled Things has a terrific blog and a fascinating collection of church pictures.
   
   
8. If you've been discerning your vocation so long that everyone around you wishes you'd just s--- or get off the pot then read this book. It's published by Tan Books so you know it's good.
   
   
9. Go out and buy the newly released Therese movie DVD. Most of the big time blogs either panned it or ignored it completely but they were wrong.
   
   
10. I think people ought to lay off Mel Gibson's old man. Faced with freak shows like this it's no surprise when some people lose heart and leave the church.
    
    
11. Americorps is a worthless program. I came to this conclusion shortly after I started reading A Little Flower Garden a blog by a very sweet young thing who's been sent to the crummiest part of Washington DC to help out.
    
12. Gospel music died with the late, great Mahalia Jackson. The stuff they put out now isn't worthy of the name.
    
    
13. Everytime someone says "This is in the spirit of Vatican II," I want to snarl, "The 60s are over, dude. Give IT UP!"
    
14. Has poor old Willie Nelson lost his mind?