Sophisticated, Smart and Down to Earth!--Write that Down!

Athena


?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
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Now here's another good quiz to take if you have aspirations of godhood.

Do I Look Like Athena?

How depressing: All dressed up for a Toga Party and no place to go 

The Passion of the Gene

I was doing a little research today. I subscribe to The Daily Gospel, which gives you the daily Catholic readings. I saw in the first reading today (Acts of the Apostles 18,9-18) a
reference to Gallio, proconsul of Achaia. I decided I would find out more about this historical character. I found out his appointment was in the year 51 AD.

As a historian, I guess this is just a part of life-to check on historical accuracy. I finally got around to seeing the Mel Gibson movie, The Passion of the Christ. I was a bit overwhelmed by the movie, but did find the punishment scenes to be very believable. I think that punishment and especially crucifixion recreations were probably pretty close to what happened. Of course this information has long been available for many years. Medical analysis of the crucifixion can be found on the web, too.

I liked the way the Passion portrayed Pilate, and the role of his wife. According to the New Advent Catholic Enclycopedia entry on Pilate, some believe he and his wife became Christians, and in some circles they are considered Saints. I think Gibson's movie was especially sympathetic to Pilate's position and I liked his guard's attitude toward Jesus. I found it believable that Pilate's closest guard would have seen Pilate's wife's concern and understood that Pilate did not consider execution a just punishment, so his attempts to protect Jesus from brutality were not off-character. I found that this more sympathetic view of Pilate originated in one of the Apocryphal Gospel, the Gospel of Nicodemus. I read it (it's pretty brief) and discovered much of the trial of Jesus, as it appears that the movie Passion of the Christ, was based upon the Nicodemus text.

If you're interested, check it out HERE

Do You Remember Where You Were When You Last Saw the King?

This is where I saw Elvis 

Check it Out!!!

Ok, This is probably wrong, but check out this blog.....an alter ego!

New Saints!

Pope John Paul II cannonized six new saints in May 2004.

1. Gianna Beretta Molla (1922-1962), an Italian doctor who chose not to have an abortion that would have saved her life.

2. Josep Manyanet y Vives (1833-1901), a Catalan priest who founded two religious orders and was known as the “prophet of the family.”

3. Father Luigi Orione (1872-1940), Italian founder of Little Work of Divine Providence to assist the poor and disabled.

4. Father Annibale Maria Di Francia (1851-1927), Italian founder of Rogationist Fathers of the Heart of Jesus, and the Daughters of Divine Zeal.

5. Nimatullah Kassab Al-Hardini (1808-1858), a priest of the Lebanese Maronite Order

6. Paola Elisabetta Cerioli (1816-1865), an Italian widow and founder of two religious congregations for women dedicated to helping families.

The Liberal Controlled Media?

THANK GOODNESS!

 

I've been forced to listen to more and more conservative talk radio lately.  The talk radio stations in Houston have realigned their schedules to concentrate more conservative shows at the same drive time slot.  So, instead of listening to someone with some credibility and sense, like Sam Donaldson who I really liked, I now hear Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, or local prank-monkey Chris Baker.  Here's a puzzle for the right-wingers, Riddle Me This: If Liberals Control the Media, why are Conservative Talk-Shows the only ones on the radio?

 

I will admit sometime I think these guys have legitimate concerns and thoughts....after all a broken clock is correct twice a day....but for the most part they are parrots and limp-minded runny butts.  They all ape Rush Limbaugh, who is really the undisputed king of conservative talk radio.  I actually used to enjoy Rush, and despite the fact that he is full of bloviation  the sounds of his borborygmus rants sometimes cause me to laugh uproariously (a hazard when I am in traffic).  I actually think Rush is more entertaining and doesn't really take himself seriously...I sure don't.

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NOW! a new website published by former conservative mouthpiece David Brock and others, is a welcome relief from the verbal diarrhea free-flowing from their mouths.  Consider Media Matters for America, a watch-dog group that lists the libel, slander, and unsubstantiated vituperation from the right-wing.  Check out the site!

 

Back to Rush.  You know, I was looking over his list of drugs....of course he smokes cigars, and thus I feel a sort of brotherhood with the man and will not disparage him for this...Hydrocodone, Lorcet, and OxyContin, all of them narcotic analgesics that can affect the central nervous system causing lightheadedness and a false sense of well-being.  How seriously can you take a man who sat in a chair behind a microphone and criticized people like Ted Kennedy for his alcohol abuse, Bill Clinton for his sexual tomfoolery, and any number of other so-called liberals for any of their weaknesses?  I remember something once said by Jesus:

 

"Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,' while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye."

 

I found that in Matthew 7 of my bible, of course, it may not be in the Conservative Bible

 

Here's another cool word for the women

Ok, here's a new word for the women-folk to consider:

 

If I said, "My, you're looking callipygous today," you should reply, "Why, thank you."

 

The word callipygian comes from the Greek kallipygos, and means having shapely buttocks, so it is a compliment.  Of course, if you consider it came from the Greeks, it was something men usually said to one another.

 

http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=callipygian

 

In a Tux?

I clean up real nice 

Wow! This Looks New!

Oh, yes, my friends! The fine folks at Blogger have redesigned their site, and extended this option to their users.....namely...me!

That's really fantastic, because for some time now Blogger has been under the iron thumb of Google and has been promising changes--improvements, if you will--but they have not been forthcoming.

UNTIL NOW, MY FRIENDS!

Now the layout has changed, apparently you can make silly comments, and send notes of love. Ain't it grand?