A federal judge has ruled that a Massachusetts law banning almost all direct sales by out-of-state wineries to in-state consumers is unconstitutional. (Warning: PDF link)

This is great news for everyone except the big alcohol wholesalers who got exclusive government-mandated rights essentially to impose a tax on wine sales. What this means is that we will soon be able to buy those local wines from smaller wineries throughout the country. My first purchase will be some Bettinelli Vineyards wine, I think.

Then I wouldn’t stay ticked at my fellow residents for voting down beer and wine sales at supermarkets and convenience stores. At least ticked so much.

Photo credit: Flickr user Joe Pitz. Used under a Creative Commons license.

We all love memes, right? Well, even if you don’t (and I don’t love all of them), this one was kidn of fun. It’s the Band and Album meme.

 
1. Band Name: Random Wikipeda Link
 
2. Album Title: Random quote generator (take the last four words from the first quote on the page)
 
3. Album Art: Flickr Interesting Photo (pick one)

Here’s what I came up with for Band Name, Album Title (“It is hard to believe that a man is telling the truth when you know that you would lie if you were in his place.“ (H. L. Mencken). I cheated a little to make it fit), and Album Art.

And the album cover:

The meme comes from The Catholics Next Door

Because children aren’t a blessing, they’re a burden, those who make it their business to ensure there’re fewer kids to feed are offering free contraceptives to those feeling pinched by the economy:

With the economy spiraling downward, one nonprofit wants to make sure someone doesn’t accidentally have another mouth to feed.

[…] As an incentive not to skimp on protection, new patients who sign up before Dec. 30 will receive three free months of birth control. Existing patients can get the deal if they recommend a friend.

“Cutting back on contraception because of cost can lead to the high price of unintended pregnancy,” said Lianne Cook, executive director of Health Quarters.

With winter on the way and people struggling to buy food and heat their homes, Cook said birth control can often take a back seat to basic needs.

“We don’t like people to think of it as a luxury,” she said. “But it can be a fairly sizable expense each month.”

The article says that Health Quarters, located in Beverly, Mass., offers the full range of services including so-called emergency contraception, which is often just a form of very early chemical abortion. And it’s funded by your state and federal tax dollars.

Yes, that’s just what people need in a tough economy: birth control. Reminds me of Planned Parenthood’s reaction to the ethnic cleansing and rape camps in Bosnia: donations of vacuum-suction abortion machines. Or to the earthquake in Pakistan a couple of years ago: More contraceptives and abortion. One-track minds.

Photo credit: Ceridwen at Wikimedia Commons via a Creative Commons license.

My co-worker who’s in Rome this week sent me a message today that he went out to Chinese food for supper. Chinese food? In Rome? The home of the world’s greatest cuisine?

Yeah. He said he’s tired of pasta.

He’s been in Rome for half a week so far! How can he be tired of pasta already? And there’s a whole universe of Italian food beyond pasta.

Such an opportunity, wasted! Oh, my breaking heart.

Our new hometown of Holbrook is one of the smallest municipalities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in both population and land area. It’s a classic New England small town, with a representative town meeting, which sounds like fun. Maybe I’ll run.

There are lots of small-town changes to get used to, but one there’s one I want to point out. Trash disposal has become an expensive problem for cities and towns, large and small. Most just bite the bullet, pay exorbitant fees, and spread the pain among all property owners, large and small, however much trash they actually produce. But Holbrook has come up with a solution that—while it seemed initially to be a pain—is actually quite fair.

In this town, your trash will only be picked up if it’s in a special blue trash bag, marked “Town of Holbrook” that you can can buy in local stores. The bags cost about $3 each, which sounds like a lot for a trash bag, but is quite economical for trash disposal.

What we have here is, in fact, a consumption tax. If you’re someone who doesn’t recycle and who creates lots of trash, then you pay for the waste you produce, whereas people like the elderly folks who live around me who throw away maybe half a bag per week pay only for their consumption. And if you don’t like the systems at all, you can pay a private contractor to take it all away for you, no special bags required.

Yes, there are inconveniences. Making sure that everything you throw out ends up in the blue bag can be tiresome. We’re still using regular kitchen trash bags for everyday use and then putting two of those in one of the big town bags. And I understand that just before we moved in the price of the bags doubled from $1.50 to $3. That could be a bit of sticker shock.

But the idea is itself a fairly conservative, small government way of doing things. You often find that on the local level, even in a very liberal area like eastern Massachusetts.

Photo credit: Flickr user feministjulie via a Creative Commons license.

A co-worker is in Rome this week and we’ve been keeping touch over IM. He told me today that, gosh, there’s a transit strike this Friday and he hopes it doesn’t put a crimp in his plans. I told him that Italians have transit strikes every few weeks, mostly when they want a long weekend.

As bad as American unions are, they could be a lot worse. They could be like European unions.

When everyone else was blowing sunshine about the economy, Peter Schiff saw exactly what was coming. And he was saying it 2 years ago! Just as amazing is completely wrong everyone else was. Not just slightly wrong, but picking Washington Mutual and Merill Lynch and Bear Stearns to be big stocks and predicting the Dow at 16,000 by the end of 2008 and so on. They were all laughing at Schiff, but he’s got the last laugh now.

[Link via Signal v. Noise.]

I just noticed it’s been nine days since I’ve blogged anything. Busy moving and unpacking. Lots to say soon. Stay tuned.

In the midst of all the moving in and the election excitement, I missed this endorsement of Barack Obama by editors of The Tartan, the student newspaper of Gordon College, a strongly Evangelical college in Massachusetts. The endorsement was reprinted in full on “Articles of Faith,” the blog of Boston Globe religion writer Michael Paulson.

It’s striking that a newspaper representing such a normally conservative Evangelical institution would take such a stance in favor of the most radically pro-abortion presidential candidate (and now president-elect) in history. (It’s important to recall, however, that the endorsement represents only the opinions on the newspaper’s editors, not the whole college community.)

What I find interesting and amusing is the rejection of Gov. Sarah Palin as a serious candidate, especially since she was the strongly Evangelical candidate in the race.

It has become very clear over the past few weeks that Governor Palin is grossly unfit for the job she is running for - much less, the job she would resume should something happen to Senator McCain. As recently as last week she was quoted as saying the role of vice-president was to “be in charge of the Senate.” This, in addition to her comments about the role of the vice president being left intentionally vague by the framers of the Constitution, reflect a lack of understanding of basic tenants of the position for which she is running. And in light of the secrecy and abuse of power in the last administration, Governor Palin’s “mix-ups” should be met with much harsher criticism. [Emphasis added]

First, the role of the vice-president is indeed to be president of the Senate. And to be ready to become acting president in case the president is incapacitated or unable to continue in office. The rest of the vice-president’s duties are, indeed, left unenumerated by the framers of the Constitution. So who is really ignorant of the basic tenets of the position for which she is running?

Second, it’s “assume”, not “resume” and “tenet”, not “tenant”, and I’m not sure “tenet” is even the correct word choice in that sentence. This reflects a lack of understanding by the editors of The Tartan of the basic “tenants” of English grammar and usage.

Third, Governor Palin was cleared of the so-called abuse of power by an ethics probe, a judgment that came conveniently at the last minute before the election and was roundly ignored by the media, at least in comparison to the coverage that the allegations got. To say that she did not receive adequate criticism for these allegations is to have your head buried in the sand.

This is the type of muddled thinking even among those who should have been the most vocal opponents of a candidate who so completely represents the culture of death that gave us the results we have today.

Photo credit: Celtus via Wikimedia Commons. Used under a Creative Commons license.

One thing is for certain. All those “pro-life” Catholics who insisted that an Obama presidency would be better for the unborn and would reduce abortion are going to be held accountable if, as I am firmly convinced, that was a load of hogwash. In four years, it will be their responsibility to prove to the rest of us that their faith in Obama was not misplaced. We need to make ensure we don’t forget to hold them to it.

So the election is over. Does anyone know when the Ascension to the right hand of the Father is scheduled?

Sorry, couldn’t resist.

So what now? We ask. We have the most pro-abortion president in history coming into the White House. At least Clinton was an opportunist who tried to govern according to the shifting political winds. In Barack Obama we have a true believer.

Nevertheless, there are some bright spots. Barring unforeseen tragedies he will appoint maybe one or two Supreme court justices, replacing members of the liberal wing of the court and maintaining the current balance. It is also my belief that in 2016, Hilary will be too old to run for president. In 2012, Sarah Palin could be hitting her stride. And let’s not forget Proposition 8 passed in California.

I will ask my conservative friends to avoid descending into Obama Derangement Syndrome. I’ve seen the ugly effects the parallel condition of Bush Derangement Syndrome has had on liberals over the past eight years. It’s not pretty.

So let’s just make it clear from the outset that Obama was elected by a majority of Americans and that he has won the electoral college, fair and square. While I disagree nearly diametrically with many of his policies, I do not hate the man. Nor am I racist for disagreeing with him. That disagreement has nothing to do with the color of his skin, but with the content of his ideology.

Hey, here’s more bright spots I just thought of: John Kerry and Deval Patrick will probably be leaving their respective positions representing the people of Massachusetts for an Obama administration.

On the whole, though, the sun rose this morning, the Lord is still sovereign, and I have a minivan to get fixed ($800 in repairs, by the way) and a house to unpack. Life goes on.

Photo credit: Flickr.com user bloom-hussein-gal. Used under a Creative Commons license.

If you’re buying a house or looking to sell, I want to recommend my friend Paul Goyette to represent you as a buyer’s or seller’s real estate agent. Paul is a good friend, a very generous and devout Catholic, and a very patient real estate agent. Week after week, he took us to house after house—more than 30 by my count—until we found the right house at the right price.

So Paul and his business partner are making an offer that for anyone who seeks out his agency for either buying or selling, based on a referral from this blog, upon completion of your transaction, they will make a $500 donation to your parish in your name. That’s a pretty good deal.

If you’re interested, please email Paul at paul@stelmachrealty.com.

Yeah, I’m up and running! I know I haven’t posted in about a week now—and on the eve of a national election!—but we’re finally settling in to our new house in Holbrook, Massachusetts. I think I’m going to like it here. McCain/Palin yard signs outnumber the Obama/Biden signs about 10-1.

I won’t go into all the details of the last week, but here’s a brief rundown. On Wednesday, we were supposed to have our closing at 11am. But the time came and went without a finished closing package from the mortgage underwriter. Instead they kept asking me for paperwork and documentation of items they either had already received or should have asked for weeks ago. Apparently, they were calling my employer and former employers (and sometimes people who they mistakenly thought were former employers) while making me jump through hoops to get tax returns and explanatory letters to them. Finally, at about 4pm we got the call to head down, we hopped in the car and drove to the house to make sure it was still there, and then drove to the seller’s agent’s office where—at 7pm—we began signing a three-inch stack of papers that asked me to verify things like the fact that eating lead paint is bad for you.

On Thursday and Friday we made trips to the house bringing fragile and important items while Melanie’s father-in-law helped us pack. He has been a real godsend. Without him, I don’t think we’d have got everything done. Also on Thursday, we had our new appliances delivered—washer, dryer, and refrigerator—as well as had the cable installed (Internet!) and had a plumber out for an estimate. My father-in-law and I also took a trip to Lowe’s for what is sure to be the first of many visits there and to Home Depot.

On Saturday morning, the movers arrived bright and early. We filled Melanie’s and my mom’s cars with a s much as we could and sent them on their way, while my father-in-law and I hung around to supervise. (I took the time to meander next door to Treadwell’s Ice Cream for the last time to say goodbye to the owner, Tom. He’s a good guy and a good neighbor and he gave me a last orange sherbet freeze, on the house.) The hardest part of this element of the move is the sitting around waiting. And since the computer equipment was already packed, I couldn’t even go online. (I need an iPhone.)

The great part about the movers is that, even despite getting a little lost on the way to the house such that I had to drive out and guide them in, they still managed to come in $600 under their estimate. I’d recommend T.E. Andresen to anyone looking to move in eastern Massachusetts and beyond.

Since then we’ve been unpacking like crazy. The kitchen is smaller, so we’re dedicating some of the utility room to pantry space. We also don’t have a basement (we’re on a slab) so the shed out back will suffice for stuff that can survive the cold.

But the best part is the office/library. We’ve put almost all of our bookcases in here (9 of them) and filled them with our books (about 40 moving boxes, although they don’t all fit). It looks like a real library! Melanie and I have always wanted a real library and I think this qualifies. Although someday I want floor-to-ceiling built-in bookcases. That goes on my to-do list.

And now I’ve finally got my desk setup, although it’s only temporary. The old desk I’m using is a bit flimsy and already got a bit abused in the move so we’ll need a new one. I’m thinking this one. But until then, I’m happy to be back online.

You may have noticed that postings here have been somewhat sparser than usual lately. Of course, as I mentioned earlier this month, we are buying our first home and that has consumed much of my non-work time, attention, and energy. We are finally in the home stretch (pun intended) as our closing is set for this Wednesday and our move date is Saturday.

As you can imagine our apartment is now full of boxes. Melanie’s dad flew into town on Friday to help us move and by the end of Saturday he had nearly everything boxed that could be boxed. He’s so enthusiastic, we’ve actually had to unpack some things, including the book that was on my nightstand that I’m currently reading!

We’ve also been able to get rid of some unnecessary items. Even after our purge last year when we moved into this apartment, we were able to whittle down our closets even more. Well, I was. I managed to get rid of a bunch of clothes are after about 15 minutes of shuffling, but I left Melanie reminiscing over every blouse and skirt that she used to wear before having kids, where she bought them, how much she paid, and where she wore them. But I’m the weird one for remembering football stats and the complete product lineup of Apple Computer. Oh well, vive la difference.

I was also able to pawn off give away our three window air conditioners to my sister and a co-worker. Our new place has central air and odd-shaped windows so these would do us no good. I think this week we’ll get rid of our old broken-down couch on Craigslist to some college kids. I was also able to give away an old Power Mac 4400 on Freecycle. (Unfortunately the woman sent a cranky email because she’s unhappy it’s old and doesn’t have USB ports. If she’d asked I would have told her that. I think it was up to her to do some research before leaping at the thing. We did have three other interested emails so she isn’t stuck with it.)

So for the rest of the week, on Wednesday we pass papers; on Thursday, I get to wait in the new house for the delivery of our new refrigerator and washing machine (the dryer comes on Monday); the plumber to give an estimate on a few odds and ends; the cable guy to install TV and Internet (especially Internet!); and whatever else I can manage to squeeze in. Then Saturday, we move! After that, is unpacking and a number of improvements: insulation in attic, work on the furnace, installing shelves, etc. I’m going to become very familiar with Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Ikea, I think.

Anyway I can’t wait, especially for my 1-1/2 to 2-hour each-way daily commute to shorten to 15 minutes. That’s an extra 3 to 4 hours per day I can spend with my family!

On a final note, our landlord—who is really a great guy; I’d recommend our apartment to anyone looking for a place in Peabody—is having the old house insulated today. They’re blowing insulation in through the walls. Would have been nice to have that last winter because these old buildings are expensive to heat, especially when the furnace is so old too. Oh well, so much the better for the next tenant.

Photo credit: Flickr.com user TheMuuj. Used under a Creative Commons license.

A soldier from the next town over in Beverly, Mass., died in battle in Afghanistan last week and his funeral was celebrated on Friday. The homily from Spc. Stephen Fortunato’s funeral Mass by Father David Barnes, pastor of St. Mary Star of the Sea parish, is beautiful and moving.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

At the very founding of this Nation, our forefathers recognized and acknowledged what was — in their words — self-evident. Namely, that every human life is sacred. And, that these inalienable rights — of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — are given not by an act of law or by man made decree, but rather are given as a gift from the Creator. The Founders declared that it is the role of government to secure and protect these inalienable and self-evident rights. Today — at home and abroad — the sacredness of human life is everywhere under attack. Today, what was self-evident to those who came before us is often obscured by ideology, by a culture of death and by evil.

Today we mourn the death of Stephen Fortunato. Stephen was a soldier. The soldier does not primarily exist to take human life, but to protect human life. What inspired Stephen to enlist in the Army was when he saw the inalienable rights of his fellow Americans threatened in the terrorist attacks of September 11th. In order to defend and to protect the life, liberty and happiness of others, Stephen voluntarily surrendered his own freedoms. He gave up the right to be with his own family and friends so that others could enjoy that right. He gave up the warmth of home and familiarity, so that others could enjoy such things. He gave up the right to come and go as he pleased so that others could enjoy that right. And last week, on a roadside in Afghanistan, he made the supreme sacrifice and surrendered his own right to life in order to secure and to protect the lives of his countrymen. Our Lord tells us that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s own life for a friend.

On an October morning in 1983, it was actually October 2nd — the Feast of the Guardian Angels — a baby boy was carried by his family into this church and he was baptized. In that moment, Stephen Fortunato was given the promise of immortality; the promise of eternal life. From that moment on, he belonged to Christ. Christ, the Good Shepherd, was forever at the side of Stephen.

Today, we — who live half a world away — cannot help but wonder what the last moments of Stephen’s life were like. Perhaps you wish that you could have been there with him as he breathed his last; with him to comfort and console him; with him to express your love and affection; with him to say goodbye. But this was not possible. In this way, Stephen’s sacrifice is also your sacrifice. You have given a husband, a son, a brother, a grandson, a friend to a grateful nation. That nation and its citizens owe you and Stephen a debt of gratitude. Stephen was rightly outraged when others attempted to steal the God given rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness from his countrymen. Stephen’s response to that outrage was to sacrifice his own rights to protect and defend the rights of others. All of us who are gathered here today might well learn from his example. Imagine how much our nation would benefit if there were more persons who — like Stephen — were dedicated to protecting the inalienable rights of others — the right to life, to liberty and to the pursuit of happiness.

Although you are undoubtedly consoled by the military honors that Stephen deservedly receives today, our gathering here in this church reminds us that when the volleys have all been fired and the sound of the bugle has faded, there is something that lasts forever — something that remains.

When Stephen entered into the valley of the shadow of death on a roadside in a faraway land, he was not alone. You — his family — made sure of that. You gave him something that lasts forever. When you carried him into this church 25 years ago, you introduced Stephen to the Good Shepherd. And Christ has never left the side of Stephen. “Even though I should walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. With thy rod and thy staff, thou givest me comfort.” Christ, the Good Shepherd, has led the way through the valley of death and in his resurrection, he has conquered man’s greatest enemy — death itself. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, went ahead of Stephen to prepare a place for him in the Father’s house. When Stephen closed his eyes to this world, Christ was beside him. And it is our Christian hope that when Stephen opened his eyes again, the Good Shepherd welcomed him to life eternal.

On an October morning 25 years ago, you carried your son into this church, and entrusted him to Christ the Good Shepherd. You trusted that Christ, the Good Shepherd would stay forever at his side and guide him beside restful waters and would refresh his soul. This morning, your family, your community, your parish, your country, carries your son again into this church. We ask God to have mercy on the soul of Stephen and to purify him. We give thanks to Almighty God for Stephen’s life and for his devoted and complete service. We also ask God to give to each one of us a deep and abiding friendship with Jesus Christ — for he is the way to the Father’s House. And apart him we can do nothing.

Stephen began his journey to eternal life here in this church — dedicated to Mary, Star of the Sea. Today marks the end of Stephen’s mission; of his journey. May Mary, Star of the Sea, now guide him from the troubled waters of Earth to the safe harbors of heaven. May Christ, the Good Shepherd, now open to Stephen the doors of the Father’s House, and may Stephen discover within its halls what he so willingly and valiantly sacrificed for others — true life, true liberty and everlasting happiness. Amen.

Photo credit: Flickr.com user underbunny. Used under a Creative Commons license.