July 2001 Archive
07.27.01
1315
A group of Catholic leaders is starting a petition to ask the Vatican to formally excommunicate a list of 50 pro-abortion Catholic politicians. What amazes me is the reaction of some Catholics to this. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge is one of the politicians and Bishop Donald Trautman is his bishop in Erie and his friend. But, in this article, he calls Ridge "a fine individual" and says, "I have a lot of respect for him, but we differ on one issue." Trautman won't support the petition. "The Church believes in the medicine of mercy," he says. Ridge is welcome to celebrate Mass and participate in church sacraments, says Trautman. "These events are highly personal matters between the governor and God," says the bishop.

Actually, excommunication is "the medicine of mercy" designed to tell someone that they are in danger of hell by their actions.

Then there's this priest: "I don't know if it is clear that anyone who has pro-choice beliefs should be excommunicated," says the Rev. Ray Collins, pastor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Ephrata.

Well, Father, it looks clear to me. It's written in black and white in the Catechism and canon law. He goes on to say that since some are pro-abortion but anti-death penalty, it makes it better. So if I'm for killing babies but against killing cold-blooded murderers that's okay. Is this rocket science? Am I the one who's too dense to understand this?

Two stem cell items today: Why doesn't anybody ask the radical-left anti-bioengineered-corn eco-terrorists why they aren't rabidly protesting genetic experimentation on human beings, but are blowing up labs because they think improving carrots to prevent cancer will destroy the world? Check out the article here.

Also, the media was saying that when Pope John Paul and President Bush met today, they wouldn't tread upon the awkward ground of the stem cell research debate. Since when has the Pope ever shied away from speaking out on a vital moral issue? You guess what he said today.

07.23.01
1805
07.22.01
2100
Two more new picture galleries (see below): Evy's baby shower and my nephew Domenic's baptism.
Saturday night, Pete, Evy and I took a taxi boat out into Salem harbor to the floating restaurant, the Rockmore. The night was warm, but a little cool with a slight breeze. The wait for a table was almost two hours, but who cares when you're sitting on a boat in the middle of the harbor? We finally came back in at about 9:30, in the pitch dark with a canopy of stars overhead and gently rocking sailboats all around us in the water. This is what summer nights are all about.
07.22.01
2020
07.22.01
2000
Okay, I didn't spend this whole beautiful day inside making a new web page (I have a program to do it automatically), but I do have a new gallery of pictures of the family trip to Disney World in June. It was a lot of fun and the pictures show that. Check it out.
07.21.01
1515
Here's a picture gallery I just started. I'll be putting family and fun photos there on occasion.
07.20.01
2100
I uploaded a new "about me" page. It's way more than you wanted to know about me, along with a few photos. Have fun!!

Spain Desperate For Children As Pension System Headed For Collapse

MADRID, Jul 19, 01 (CWNews.com/LSN.ca) - Spain finds itself in dire circumstances as its birth rate of 1.2 per woman (the world's lowest) threatens to crash the country's social-welfare system. Canada's National Post newspaper reported this week that Spanish politicians are taking to the airwaves to pitch patriotism to women, urging them to have more children.

Demographer Dr. Juan Antonio Fernandez of Spain's Superior Council for Scientific Research predicts that with the current state of affairs, the country's population of 40 million will begin shrinking in as few as four years. "The problem is not the volume of the population. We could get by with as little as 30 million people," Fernandez says. "It's the age structure." The Post reports that with fewer babies born each year, the population is aging rapidly. Generally, a country requires four people in the work force for every retiree drawing pension benefits. However, Spain will require at least four times its current population by 2050 to support its retirees, says Fernandez.

Fernandez doubts women can be convinced to have more children and thus looks to massive immigration as the only hope. He says Spain needs to accept immigrants at a rate "about 10 times more each year than we are currently receiving." He concluded, "It would mean a real change in Spain, and I'm not sure we are ready to face it."

Dom comments: I have several solutions for Spain. First, make abortion illegal again. With a birth rate of 1.2 per woman (well below the 2.1 minimum necessary just for replacement), way too many children are dying in their mothers' wombs. And, of course, making contraception illegal would do wonders--forcing singles to practice abstinence and married couples to consider bigger families. They could also give families tax incentives for more children, like some other countries such as Sri Lanka.
Finally, they could dismantle their Socialist government, relying on themselves, their families, and their churches to help them instead of waiting for government handouts garnered from huge tax payments by the young. Americans watch out! This is where we're headed if we follow the liberal's political plans for us.
Big government gets its money from somewhere. Just ask our Canadian neighbors who pay more than half their income to the government in taxes.

07.19.01
1915
A couple of thoughts: I'm watching the Red Sox play the Blue Jays and the other team's designated hitter, Brad Fullmer, comes up to the plate and he's dancing around, jiggling the bat while he waits for the pitch. Suddenly I notice there's something odd about his face: his right cheek is distended about three inches. Brad, you don't have to stuff the entire pouch of tobacco in your cheek at once. Then he runs all around the bases; if he runs into the catcher, how is he going to keep from swallowing it or spitting it all over the other guy?

Okay, this is a completely different thought. I'm sitting here finishing up the latest issue of the magazine, thinking how hungry I am for supper. I head downstairs to root about in the cabinets and Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston is sitting in the dining room (I rent a room in a church rectory). That strikes me as odd. Maybe not as odd as if, say, George Bush was there with him, but still odd. Weird.

07.18.01
1945
Still unconvinced about stem-cell research on unborn children? Read this editorial at National Review. It's one of the best summaries written on the controversy.

What is distressing is how many "pro-life" Congressmen are abandoning that principle to support research that kills innocent unborn children. I guess it's because so many "polls" show people support the research. Unfortunately, those polls don't tell those they survey where the cells come fron. The polls that do show people reject the research. Why am I not surprised when "principled" politicians waver in the winds of popular support?

07.18.01
1730
So all the web grocers are dropping like flies. In the Boston area, three out of four big services have gone belly-up. Why did they all fail? Some people are saying its because they overestimated the desire of people to spend time on a web site picking out groceries and then being home at a certain time to receive them--time they could have spent in the store anyway. That certainly sounds reasonable.
But I know the reason I haven't gone back is much more simple (seeing as I'm here to receive deliveries all day). They just don't have an adequate selection. I can go to my local Stop & Shop or Shaw's and buy avocados, cilantro, ginger root, canned Indian sauces, a dozen different kinds of olives, and on and on, but I can't get a lot of that online. Why? On the one hand, grocers are building ever larger stores with ever larger selections of once exotic goods for sale. On the other hand, their Internet counterparts (sometimes with the same parent company) have trimmed selection down below even what the old supermarkets had to offer. Why bother buying online if I'm going to have to run out to the store later anyway? Plus, it's a good excuse for me to get out of the house that I live and work in.
07.17.01
2245
I picked up two new items for my computer(s) today. The first was more memory for my desktop computer. Probably the easiest and most efficient initial upgrade for any computer is buying more RAM for it. More RAM speeds up the computer, allows you to run more programs, and runs them in more memory which makes them more efficient, less likely to crash.
So I went online and was astounded at how low prices had dropped. A year ago, 256MB of RAM would have cost $240. But I just picked up the same amount for $36! Of course, some RAM units are still way too expensive. Just 64 MB of RAM for a Power Mac 4400 costs $75.

I also bought a protective sleeve for my iBook. The sleeve is produced by Waterfield Designs. It is a padded neoprene and cordura envelope. It is not a computer bag, which is fine by me, since I already have a briefcase and didn't want another bag around. It will keep my iBook padded while I carry it in another bag that doesn't look like a computer bag, especially to thieves. It cost about $35 and I highly recommend it.

07.17.01
1120
Latest read: The book Star Wars: Cloak of Deception is a prequel to the movie Star Wars: Phantom Menace. It sets the stage for the movie, but because of that the ending is a foregone conclusion. There just wasn't enough suspense to sustain the story or to really advance the larger story. We know that Palpatine is the evil Darth Sidious, that Chancellor Valorum will be deposed, that Qui Gonn will die in the movie. I guess if you really want to know the background story that sets up the Phantom Menace, then it will be interesting.
Despite all the problems, I enjoyed the story enough to finish it (if I don't like a book I won't bother). I liked seeing the Jedi Knights at work as they were supposed to (not when Luke was the only one in the movies), and I could see why the Galactic Republic would fall from its own corruption even if Palpatine hadn't been pushing. My advice is pick up the paperback when it comes out if you're really interested.

A better, recent read was Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden. This is the non-fiction account of the battle in Somalia in 1993 that left 12 soldiers dead as told from the perspective of those who were there. I learned much about the conflict, e.g. I hadn't known that Delta Force was one of the primary forces involved. But I did see how political factors weighed against the soldiers in doing their duty, just as they did in Vietnam. It's also an excellent account of what the future of modern warfare will look like, with small units of soldiers fighting in urban environments against foes that are hard to distinguish from innocents. While painful to read, because here too we know the outcome, it was instructive and sobering. I saw the gung-ho, bloodthirsty attitude of the Rangers change to fear then determination and finally just a will to survive and to save their comrades. This is the face of courage and bravery. I recommend it.

07.16.01
1930
Okay, I don't spend all my time watching TV. That said, I saw another of my favorite movies last night, The Final Countdown. The premise is that the aircraft carrier Nimitz, in the year 1980, was somehow sent back in time to Dec. 6, 1941. Once the crew realizes that, they decide that being US sailors, it is their job to defend the US from attack, whatever era they are in. However, the phenomenon that sent them back in time, sends them home just as they were launching a strike to destroy the Japanese navy as it attacked Pearl Harbor.
If you want an accurate portrayal of how a carrier operates, how it launches and recovers aircraft, this is the movie to see. They had tons of actual footage of naval operations. It was also fun to consider what difference a single modern-day aircraft carrier would have had in World War II and how it would have changed the last 60 years of history. And Kirk Douglas was great as the ship's captain.
07.16.01
1830
So we had a successful test of the National Missile Defense System yesterday. I guess we'll see front page stories above the fold in newspaper on Monday, since they had stories there last time when it didn't work, right? Liberals like to attack missile defense as a new arms race, but the people it's intended to deter aren't the superpowers who can build enough missiles to overwhelm our system.
Right now, if Iraq or North Korea launch a nuclear missile at the United States, there is absolutely nothing we could do. As soon as the thing left the ground, the death of millions of Americans would be a foregone conclusion. And what's to prevent them from doing it; the threat that we'd kill some of their people? Come on, these are the same people who regularly kill their own people indiscriminately. And what if the missile is launched by terrorists like Osama bin Laden? Which million people do we vaporize then? No, the only moral choice for America in a world where nuclear weapons exist is to set up a system to protect our people from attack and innocents from counterattack.
07.15.01
2240
I got back my Tivo the other day after having sent it in for repair. It turns out they wiped the hard drive and I had to reprogram all my shows and preferences which was a little bit of a pain, but this time I was able to make it all more efficient. I was grateful to have it back because I like watching NASCAR races and today's race overlapped the 5 pm Mass and it went long to boot. Well, the Tivo took care of all that for me, and I was able to watch the whole race, sans commercials, tonight.
Still don't get the Tivo thing? Here's an article in today's Boston Globe that shows both why some of us like it so much and why others don't get it. (After Monday this link will probably be dead because the charges to read old stories.) P.S. Some of those guys sound a little too "rabid" about their Tivo.
Another cool part of this whole repair was that Sony actually provides a web page where you can enter your phone number and find out the progress on your repair. Now that's what the Internet's about.
07.15.01
2230
Cool Movies: I saw one of my favorite all-time action movies, Commando starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, the other night. Okay, some of the lines are obvious, the acting can be wooden, and a couple of the stunts pushed the boundaries of believablity. But this is an action movie, for crying out loud. It was funny, fast-paced, and action-packed.
How can you beat lines like: "I like you, Solly. That's why I'll kill you last." And later, "I thought you were going to kill me last!" "I lied." Alright, it is very violent and the language leaves a lot to be desired. In fact, I wouldn't want my kids to see it, but it was quite a thrill when I saw it as teen. And it's still one of the best Arnold movies ever.
07.15.01
1300
07.12.01
1415
The Catholic Church in eastern Russia (Siberia) was nearly wiped out after 75 years of Communism, but now a new order started by two American priests is reviving the Church there, starting with the Pacific coast city of Vladivostok. We ran a story in Catholic World Report about them last year. Here is their very fine web site. Check them out.
The Gary Condit/Chandra Levy story raises an interesting question once again that we, as a nation, seem to ignore every time it arises. Apart from the tragedy of the girl's disappearance and the shamefulness of adultery, there is the lingering fact that lawmakers act as if they are recipients of "royal privilege."
By that I mean, here is a congressman who, not two years ago, was castigating Bill Clinton for taking advantage of a young intern and here he is doing just that. And by many accounts, both public and private, he is not the only member of Congress who acts as though he is immune from civil and moral behavior and even legal behavior.
Did you know, for example, that there are at least two court cases that say Senators and Representatives are immune from almost all lawsuits because they are considered to be doing their jobs 24/7? So if Sen. X says in a speech that you are an adulterer and murderer, of which both charges are patently untrue, you can't sue him for slander or libel. Two court precedents have said exactly that. Scary, isn't it?
07.12.01
1350
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) -- In a story sent July 9-10 about the upcoming Summer of Mercy protests in Wichita by anti-abortion activists, The Associated Press erroneously reported that former Operation Rescue leader Randall Terry advocated killing abortion doctors.
Terry has urged that abortion doctors be prosecuted and given the death penalty, but has not advocated killings by private citizens.

How many newspapers do you think ran this after the original story? And what about the other lies (i.e. "distortions of fact") in the story that demonized pro-lifers? They may as well run the following "correction":

07.10.01
1725

"Domenic has said that steak is yummy. He did not urge that all cows be hunted down by crazed, pitchfork-wielding rednecks and slaughtered on the spot."

Interesting sites of the day: NASA's Human Spaceflight page includes information on shuttle launches and the International Space Station. Having just been to the Kennedy Space Center a couple of weeks ago, my interest in spaceflight is piqued. Unfortunately, I have found out that funding for the space station is being cut back. Instead of a seven-person crew, only a three-person crew will be maintained for the time being. That means that the amount of science done on the station will be minimal, thus bringing into question the whole point of having the station. I hope the Powers That Be realize their error soon, and maybe we should nudge our legislators to let them know what we think. See this article at Space.com for more info.

Also, I spent a good amount of time this past weekend scanning in photos from my vacation and uploading them to Ofoto.com. If you have a digital camera, Ofoto is a must, and if you just have a regular old camera it's something to consider. In the past, I was always ordering double prints of film, just in case anyone wanted a copy of one of my pictures, leaving me to pay for prints I often end up throwing away as extras. But with Ofoto, I scan my photos, upload them using a free tool in my web browser, and then send a link to everyone who might be interested so they can order prints for themselves if they like. If I didn't have a scanner, I could send my undeveloped film and they would do the developing and scanning, and I could order just the prints I want, even ordering enlargements and framing at the same time. And with a digital camera, you just upload what you want and order the prints. It's really a great example of the convenience of the Internet.

07.09.01
1207
Hollywood would have rejected the script as formulaic, but the NASCAR win by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. on Saturday night in Daytona was something special. Dale, Sr. died in a crash on the last lap of the last race in Daytona, blocking for his son, Dale, Jr., and his driver, Michael Waltrip, who went on to win. Five months later, Dale, Jr. dominates the race at the same track and comes from seventh place with just a few laps to go to first place with Waltrip now blocking for him in second place. After the win, the two men drive their cars onto the infield grass, recalling Dale, Sr.'s actions following his first win at Daytona, exactly 11 years earlier to the day.
The drivers have tried to move on after grieving the loss of their friend, but fans have held on to their loss longer. Perhaps with this storybook ending, the grieving period will come to a close and we can now concentrate on watching one of the most fun sports out there, letting Dale Earnhardt become a fond remembrance of a great driver.
07.08.01
1430
I had to take my TiVo in for repair yesterday after the modem was fried in a thunderstorm last weekend. I hadn't realized how much it had changed my TV viewing habits over the past seven months. With it, I was no longer tied to whatever happened to be on cable right now, but could watch whatever it had picked up for me over the past couple of days based on my preferences. I actually watched less TV because I was surfing less and watching only what I wanted. It's going to be a long two weeks. At least it's summer rerun season.
07.06.01
1400
07.06.01
1345
An interesting article at National Review Online on how the liberal media tends to be more "pro-abortion", than "pro-choice." Read "Pity Pages".
This week, a California court ruled that Catholic Charities must provide contraception and abortion coverage to its employees even though that violates the Church's moral teachings. The implications are enormous. Catholic Charities throughout this country is one of the biggest providers of government-funded social services and is probably the most visible part of the Church in the daily lives of non-Catholics, after Catholic hospitals.
So what should be the response of the Catholic Church to this intrusion upon our consciences? The bishops in California should tell the state that since doing evil in order to accomplish good is out of the question, they would immediately shut down Catholic Charities, and now California could figure out a way to provide for the millions of people and millions of dollars of social services that the Church used to manage.
Is that harsh? Yes, but it's the right thing to do. (Cardinal O'Connor did something similar in New York when the city threatened the autonomy of Catholic hospitals. The city backed down when it realized how many health services were provided by the Church.) Will today's bishops take this courageous step? Unfortunately, I doubt it.
For another take on the issue, including the implications for President Bush's faith-based initiative, check out this National Review item.
07.06.01
1100
07.04.01 Happy Independence Day! Everybody and his brother has an opinion about today. Let me just quickly say that this is one of my favorite holidays. It is still relatively pure, mostly untainted from commercialism, and dedicated to family and the spirit of America and remembering the sacrifices of our Founding Fathers and those since then who have fought and died to protect our freedom and the values this country was founded on. If that sounds too nationalistic or idealistic, well, so be it. It's the Fourth of July!
It's an all new redesign. I was getting bored of the old, too-plain design and thought I'd try something different, albeit within my limited graphics ability. I'll also try to provide regular news and thoughts on things that interest me on a regular basis here.
07.03.01