Where's Heaven?

I've just finished reading "The Courage to Give", a book of inspiring stories of people who triumphed over tragedy to make a difference in the world. The last story, a child's losing battle with a rare and aggressive for of Leukemia shows us how even in death there is life.
Her mother was quoted as saying, "A friend recently described my experience of the past few years as living through a kind of hell. But nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, having to give up a child is pure, searing, indescribable pain that will never go away. But in all honesty, I feel I have been granted a glimpse of heaven, not hell. Thanks to Alana, strangers have reached out to one another, willingly given of their time, energy, and imagination. Inspired by Alana, people from all walks of life reaffirm the best part of their humanity. That's what heaven is: giving of ourselves selflessly and lovingly to anyone in need."
I've gone back and read the last few sentences over and over and find that I've just discovered the true meaning of heaven. Heaven isn't a very distant place.
Heaven is giving of ourselves selflessly and lovingly to anyone in need.

On This Day 9/29

On This Day – 9/29

In 1547 Miguel De Cervantes was born in Madrid, Spain. He joined the Spanish Armada when he was 24 and fought in the sea battle of Lepanto where he was wounded (maimed left hand). After recuperating in Messina, Sicily, he continued with his military career. On his way back to Spain with his brother in 1575, the ship was captured by pirates and they were taken to Algiers. There Cervantes spent five years as a slave until his family could raise enough money (500 escudos) to pay his ransom.

Years later after a failed marriage and having a child out of wedlock, Cervantes was put in jail for fraud. It was while in jail that Cervantes wrote his masterpiece, Don Quixote, about a man who reads too many books and goes crazy and tries to restore heroism in the world. In one episode, he mistakes a group of windmills for monsters and attacks them.

One critic said, "Cervantes ranks with Shakespeare and Homer as a citizen of the world, a man of all times and countries, and Don Quixote, with Hamlet and the Iliad, belongs to universal literature.”

“Love not what you are, but what you may become." - Cervantes

Ed Sullivan

Today is the birthday of Ed Sullivan. He was known as the last television host who tried to appeal to everyone. His show the Ed Sullivan Show became a Sunday night institution on CBS. It was the longest running variety series in television history (1948 – 1971). Unless you’re in your forties, you wouldn’t know of Ed Sullivan.

His show on Sunday night was must see TV. In the hour that he was on, he presented a variety of acts that appealed to every age group. Although he had no performing ability (comedian Alan King quipped: "Ed does nothing, but he does it better that anyone else on television"), he understood showmanship and had a keen eye for emerging talent. He introduced more than 10,000 performers throughout his career.

It was on his show that I watched Elvis Presley doing his gyrations as he sang. His act was so scandalous for that time that the third time he appeared on the show he was shot only from the waist up. As a kid, I would look forward for Sunday night in anticipation of which performers were going to appear. In February of 1964, the Beatles appeared on his show and this received a 60 share, one of the biggest ratings in television history.

Known as “the great stone face”, Sullivan was a man of intense passion and was know to have feuded with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Walter Winchell and Jack Paar over his booking practices. He fought with sponsors about having black performers on his show. He had a fondness for African American culture and had many of the famous black performers (Louis Armstrong, Ethel Waters, Diana Ross and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson) on his show.

He would always include a comic act on each show. He would always point out famous people that were in the audience watching the show and on occasion he would invite them up to perform. Every week there would always be a famous sports person, such as Willie Mays or Sam Snead or Mickey Mantle. He would also make it a point to have some type of novelty act perform, whether it be a circus or animal act. He also would later interact with a lovable little puppet with an Italian accent, called Top Giggio and this attracted the little ones watching.

His show had something for grandpa all the way down to a toddler.

The Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York City is now the home of the David Letterman Show.

In the News

"We are in a global warming emergency state, and these storms are going
to become more frequent, more intense," Streisand urgently declares.

Take heed, Barbara Steisand has recently warned us about global warming. When did Barbara become an expert on atmospheric changes and their impact on our weather? Well Barbara, what are we to do about it? Tell us what you’re doing about it?
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"The storms have shown how fragile the balance is of supply and demand in America."
"We can all pitch in by being better conservers of energy -- people need to recognize the storm has caused disruption,"

I can see that President Bush is practicing for his next job after leaving the White House. He will be the oil expert that the Cable News Channels will call on anytime there is a breaking story on oil. I can see it now, Wolf Blitzer calling on President Bush to explain why gasoline prices are now at $7.50 a gallon and he will answer, “People need to recognize that they have to spend more CASH.” Thanks Mr. Bush, you can go back to the ranch now.
He will give me as much information as Joe Morgan provides baseball fans during the ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball telecast. I don’t need people telling me what my eyes have just seen, I’m not blind.
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Throughout 2001 and 2002, agencies from the Pentagon to local police bought vests from Second Chance, records show. The company now says more than 100,000 Zylon vests it sold are in question, and the government said it bought at least 40,000.
In summer 2002, company executives prepared a memo for their board of directors recommending two stark options.
"Solution 1: We continue to operate as though nothing is wrong until one of our customers is killed or wounded or Germany, Japan, DuPont or some other entity exposes the Zylon problem," the memo said.
Under possible "downfalls" for that option, the memo warned that an officer wearing one of the vests might be killed. "In the eyes of law enforcement, we will either be stupid for not knowing or greedy and uncaring for knowing and not doing anything about it," the memo said.
The second option recommended the company publish an ad "denouncing" the vests and "decline to make them" unless customers know of the problem and still want them.

Corporate America has absolutely no conscience. Even when their product is inferior and will knowingly kill someone, their focus is on profits. They don’t care about our safety and that is why they pay dearly when they are brought to court. I will never shed a tear for these criminals.

PS – It’s been reported that this was the vest that was supposedly protecting our President.

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Laura Bush to appear on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"

The White House is trying it’s best to show the country how the Bush’s truly care about their country by having the First Lady appear on the popular family TV show, Extreme Makeover. They’ve been so embarrassed by their initial pathetic response to the hurricane victims, that they will now sell even their souls that way Republicans don’t suffer a voter backlash in next year’s elections.

You’ll fool many of the people, but I won’t be duped by your damage control mak.

Random thoughts

Some random thoughts

Aren’t we lucky in the Northeast? While hundreds of thousands were evacuating their homes in Texas and Louisiana to get out of harms way, thousands from Red Sox Nation were making a pilgrimage to Camden Yards in Baltimore to follow St. Tito and his wealthy band of baseball players in their search for the Holy Pennant.

President Bush is starting to act more and more like John Kerry. He spent the good part of five years as the tough cowboy who never admitted to making a mistake, to now taking and accepting responsibility for many things including the great Chicago fire. He has become as wishy washy as the person he ridiculed for changing his mind during the presidential campaign.

I wonder how many people know that there is a preliminary municipal election in Boston this coming Tuesday, September 27.  I’d venture to say that more people know all about Britney’s Spears C-section.

If there’s one upside to the last two hurricanes is that it’s spotlighting the lingering weakness in emergency operations. While Menino goes around complaining about the LNG tankers coming through Boston harbor, we find that Boston has no viable emergency evacuation/response plan. We can’t rely on our government to take the responsibility to protect us. Our elected officials, bar some, are all in it for self aggrandizement. Always vote for reducing the size of government and you’ll be better off.

Why is my tax money being used to help the Red Sox ownership make more money? Thanks to Joan Vennocchi for having the stones to write about how Larry Lucchino is getting legislators such as DiMasi and Traviglini to sponsor bills that will be financially rewarding to the Red Sox ownership. When are my two compares going to sponsor anything that will help the poor working stiffs in the city? I hope they get acida from the free Fenway franks they’re getting in return.

Baseball's Frauds

How can a baseball purist continue to watch baseball games and have any credence into what the players are accomplishing? I can’t anymore. If someone hits 50 homers, I am very suspicious of how he is achieving this feat. Is the player using an illegal substance to enhance his hitting prowess? I have no credibility in any of the numbers and statistics being put up today.

Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, Juan Gonzalez, Pudge Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, and Gary Sheffield are some of baseball’s marquee players. As far as I’m concerned they are in a league of their own; the steroid and/or Human Growth Hormone League. Whatever numbers they have put up should be segregated from the likes of Aaron, Mays, DiMaggio, Mantle, Maris, Williams, Musial, Banks, Clemente, Killebrew and others, from the post 1990 era.

These so called stars of today have cast a long shadow of suspicion over all of baseball by their cheating. It’s unfortunate that the players that abide by the rules have to be grouped with these frauds.

They laughed at Jose Canseco when he said that 85% of the players today use steroids. The number might be somewhat exaggerated, but what is the true percentage? Is it 50%?
Whatever the number, only a handful will admit to using steroids.

Hey frauds, you’ll never match the old timers because they did it the old fashioned way, their God given abilities.

Red Sox TurbuNation

Red Sox Nation is reaching for the panic button this morning. After sixty – odd days of being in first place, our so called “athletic” millionaires have been overtaken by Gotham’s reviled rivals.

A few months ago, the fanatical fans were contemplating the pitching rotation for the playoffs. A few weeks ago they were pushing Ortiz for the AL MVP; everything was hunky dory. They even sent out invitations to a Yankee Elimination Party. Now they are ready to give  Francona, Foulke, Ramirez, Renteria or the next escape goat du jour, a ticket on the next Fung Wah bus to wherever.

Red Sox Nation, just like Dorothy and the gang, was skipping along the yellow brick road. They have just lost their way and have entered the forest (out of playoff contention). Now they are no longer skipping, they have to start running as fast as possible and get to the Wizard before the end of this month. They are singing, ‘Yankees and Indians and Angels, oh my!”

In the Red Sox version of the Wizard of Oz, Terry Francona plays the part of Dorothy. He encounters a Scarecrow (Manny) a nice guy with a knack for producing runs who lacks brains. Where the original scarecrow was afraid of a lighted match, Manny is afraid to hustle for fear of pulling his hammys.

The Tin Man (Johnny Damon) soon joined up with them. He was afraid of the rain and needed to carry an oil can in the event that he should get rusty. Damon has recently had the twenty-first century’s version of oil (Cortisone injection) twice administered to his rusty and ailing shoulder.

Tito has recently had to deal with his version of the cowardly Lion in the form of Keith Foulke. Foulke is the one who should be striking fear into the hearts of all the batters but he just doesn’t have it. He lacks the courage of being the team’s stopper.

In this story the munchkins are all ready to come out to Fenway Park, Red Sox Nation’s version of Emerald City. They are keeping an eye out for that Wicked Witch, played by George Steinbrenner, and are ready to root him out of existence.

Stay tuned as these four meet up with the likes of the Big Unit, leader of the Fighting Trees and an assortment of bad characters such as The Chef, The Moose, A-Rod and Matsui all led by Derek of the Jeter.

Will Dorothy and her friends reach the Wizard and get all things righted before their encounter with the Yankees? Hang in there YAHOOS. Let’s see how the story plays out.

Prayer to the Father

Oh Heavenly Father, who art always there,
Lead us to places that we wouldn’t dare.
Shine on our path whenever we trip and stumble.
For we want to do Your work, to serve, and be humble.

Let us always be ready, to answer Your call,
Even when it comes from a stable or a stall.
Let us reach out to those who have nothing,
And in so doing we’ll truly learn something.

We remember You saying how the last shall be first,
We will help feed the hungry and to also quench their thirst.
As You have provided for our daily bread,
So too shall we reach out to the spiritually dead.

We give thanks for all that You provide,
You have always been there walking by our side.
We thought we lost sight of You in our times of grief,
But it was You who lifted us, disguised as a thief.

It only takes a little flicker, or just a spark
To enlighten our path even in the dark.
Our love and our good deeds will brighten the way
And lead us closer to You each and every day.



- Lino Viola

Have Another Beer

OIL CHANGE INSTRUCTIONS - FOR WOMEN

1) Pull up to Jiffy Lube when the mileage reaches 3000 miles since the last oil change.
2) Drink a cup of coffee.
3) 15 minutes later write a check and leave with a properly maintained vehicle.


MONEY SPENT
Oil Change $20.00
Coffee 1.00
TOTAL $21.00


OIL CHANGE INSTRUCTIONS -FOR MEN

1) Wait until Saturday, drive to auto parts store and buy a case of oil, filter, kitty litter, hand cleaner and a scented tree, write a check for $50.00
2) Stop by 7-11 and buy a case of beer, write a check for $20.00, drive home.
3) Open a beer and drink it.
4) Jack car up. Spend 30 minutes looking for jack stands.
5) Find jack stands under kid's pedal car.
6) In frustration, open another beer and drink it.
7) Place drain pan under engine.
8) Look for 9/16 box end wrench.
9) Give up and use crescent wrench.
10) Unscrew drain plug.
11) Drop drain plug in pan of hot oil: splash hot oil on you in process.
12) Crawl out from under car to wipe hot oil off of face and arms. Throw kitty litter on spilled oil.
13) Have another beer while watching oil drain.
14) Spend 30 minutes looking for oil filter wrench.
15) Give up; crawl under car and hammer a screwdriver through oil filter and twist off.
16) Crawl out from under car with dripping oil filter splashing oil everywhere from holes. Cleverly hide old oil filter among trash in trashcan to avoid environmental penalties. Drink a beer.
17) Joe Beard shows up; finish case of beer with him. Decide to finish oil change tomorrow so you can go see his new garage door opener.
18) Sunday: Skip church because "I gotta finish the oil change." Don’t let Joe know that you missed church. Drag pan full of old oil out from underneath car cleverly dump oil in hole in backyard instead of taking it to be recycled!
19) Throw kitty litter on oil spilled during step 18.
20) Beer? No, drank it all yesterday.
21) Walk to 7-11; buy beer.
22) Install new oil filter making sure to apply a thin coat of oil to gasket surface.
23) Dump first quart of fresh oil into engine.
24) Remember drain plug from step 11.
25) Hurry to find drain plug in drain pan.
26) Remember that the used oil is buried in a hole in the back yard along with drain plug.
27) Drink beer.
28) Shovel out hole and sift oily mud for drain plug. Re-shovel oily dirt into hole. Steal sand from kid's sandbox to cleverly cover oily patch of ground and avoid environmental penalties. Wash drain plug in lawnmower gas.
29) Discover that first quart of fresh oil is now on the floor. Throw kitty litter on oil spill.
30) Drink beer.
31) Crawl under car getting kitty litter into eyes. Wipe eyes with oily rag used to clean drain plug. Slip with stupid crescent wrench tightening drain plug and bang knuckles on frame.
32) Bang head on floorboards in reaction to step 31.
33) Begin cussing fit.
34) Throw stupid crescent wrench.
35) Cuss for additional 10 minutes.
36) Beer.
37) Clean up hands and forehead and bandage as required to stop blood flow.
38) Beer.
39) Beer.
40) Dump in five fresh quarts of oil.
41) Beer.
42) Lower car from jack stands.
43) Accidentally crush remaining case of new motor oil.
44) Move car back to apply more kitty litter to fresh oil spilled during steps 23 - 43.
45) Beer.
46) Test drive car.
47) Get pulled over & arrested for driving under the influence.
48) Car gets impounded.
49) Call Sal for bail money.
50) 12 hours later, get car from impound yard.
51) Call Frankie, ask him to make you Frankie's gravy and meatballs
52) Forget the beer, take out some wine.
53) With Sal and Frankie, you celebrate and forget your troubles.
54) As you toast, a voice is heard saying, "It's a good day to get stiff."

MONEY SPENT:
Parts $50.00
DWI 2500.00
Impound fee 75.00
Bail 1500.00
Beer 40.00
TOTAL: $4165.00

Sharing your misery with good friends? Priceless

Life is like a ...........

Life is like a river. Every now and then I find myself walking along the Charles River. As I sit and quietly observe, I can hear the sound of the river as it pushes forward, exploring the surrounding banks of every little crevice, sometimes overflowing, but constantly moving on toward the harbor. It is never stagnant.

Life is like a tree. In the winter stripped of all its leaves it sits there majestically with its branches outstretched waiting for the spring to come when all the leaves will return. There’s nothing permanent about a tree, it changes with the seasons.

Life is like a bird. Have you ever watched a bird flying being taken by the wind to places unknown? Years ago, I purchased a wooden trellis like structure to place in the garden. It was useful for any climbing type of vine plant, especially pole beans. The upper portion of this trellis was enclosed and it had a little hole for a bird to enter and use as shelter or a nest, and right below the little hole was a piece of wood that protruded out maybe an inch that was useful as a perch.

I used the trellis for two years in my vegetable garden and never saw a bird enter the little nest on top. The third year was different. One day as I was getting the garden soil ready for planting season, I heard the shriek of a nearby bird as I approached and got nearer to the trellis. I looked around and tried to see where the noise was coming from and I could see two birds flying around nearby. I could readily see that they were directing their shrieking whistles at me. It was apparent that I had done something to them for I was constantly kept under their watchful eyes. It seemed as if they were scolding me. As I got nearer to them I could see that they were very small, much smaller than the sparrows that make my backyard their home.

My backyard is frequented by many species of birds of all sizes and shapes. They live harmoniously among us attracted by the many bird feeders that are out in the surrounding area. Some mornings I’m awakened by an ornithological symphony from an orchestra made up of blackbirds, blue jays, orioles, cardinals, sparrows and my two little ones who have recently joined the alto section. The other day I heard and saw a little woodpecker auditioning for the vacant percussion job. I think they’re going to hire him.

As I continued to walk around my garden, I was under the constant observation of the two little birds. I noticed that they were less vocal as I walked away from the trellis. As I walked back to my garage to get a rake, I noticed one of the birds approach the trellis and enter the hole on top. I decided not to go back into the garden and sat on a bench watching to see what they were up to. It was apparent that I had interrupted their busy work schedule. The two newly prospective parents were busily preparing their nest and I had upset their plans. I was amazed at how they both shared their tireless work load of flying back and forth bringing little twigs, or pieces of straw into their new home. I was amazed at the feverish pitch at which they worked flying back and forth. As I watched enter the hole, I could see that it was perfect for them. It provided great protection for their eggs since nothing bigger than them could fit into their doorway.

Seeing the intensity at which they worked, I decided not to go back into the garden that day. I somehow felt honored with their presence and by their choosing my backyard out of the many others they had to choose from to bring their little ones into the world. The next day I went out and looked in the direction of the nest. There was no activity. For a moment I thought that maybe they decided to move during the night. I went about my business as I tried to finish what I had started the day before. As I looked at the trellis my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to look in the hole. As I got about three feet from it, I suddenly heard a high pitched shrill. I could see that one of the little birds had flown back and was maybe ten feet away from me shrieking, almost as if saying, “Don’t you dare get any closer.” As I backed off the little bird calmed down.

I was taken aback. I didn’t know what to do. The trellis was right in the middle of my vegetable garden and if I let these homesteaders continue to reside there, I was about to lose about 25 square feet of planting area. That meant less produce for me and my family. How dare they do that? Maybe, I can move the trellis to the back corner space of the garden, I thought to myself. But then I envisioned a picture from the Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, Birds, where as I moved the trellis, I was attacked by the hundreds of birds in the area. Then I thought that I would go inside and cover myself, especially my head and face, and then move the trellis. Then I said to myself, why is a man, weighing 235 lbs., afraid of a little bird that soaking wet weighs no more than eight ounces. I spent more time thinking of a strategy of moving this stupid trellis than I spent in deciding which car to buy a few years ago.

My decision was made based on the safety of the unborn. The trellis would stay where it was for fear that moving it would cause harm to the eggs. I hoped that over the next few weeks, the little birds would get used to me and see that I wasn’t a danger to their nest. I adjusted my work routine to make sure I gave the birds their four foot radius of space. As much as they appeared to get used to me, they were forever vigilant and stayed nearby whenever I went into the garden. Fortunately, I found time between their little trips away for me to plant pole beans around the bottom of the trellis.

About three to four weeks later, I started to see a flurry of activity around the entrance to the nest. The birds were now flying back and forth at almost the same frequency when they were building the nest. I could not see what was going on inside and I couldn’t confirm if a blessed event took place or not. The next day as I was in the back of the garden, when I saw both birds fly away from the nest, I got closer and could hear little noises coming from within. The birds continued their frequent trips back and forth to the nest apparently bring food to the little one.

A few days later, I could see two little mouths at the entrance to the nest and I could hear them a little better. They were getting stronger and louder. I was amazed at how tirelessly both parents worked in feeding the little ones. They put my parenting skills to shame. It brought to mind my groaning whenever I had to change one of my boys’ diapers. They were totally committed to their young ones; they even had to take a leave of absence from singing with the orchestra.

Watching these birds taught a few lessons. As I watched the young ones crying noisily, I could see that when they heard the sound of their mother’s wings and felt her presence they cried all the more noisily and opened their beaks wide. After she fed them and flew away again, they were quiet. I could see that these birds had not yet opened their eyes but they had trust in their mother feeding them. They had no doubts about the presence and love of their mother. The lesson here is a confirmation of what the Lord said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

After a few weeks of feeding and caring from their parents the birds got bigger. One day as I putting laundry out on the clothes line to dry (yes, I still live in the ghetto – but I do own a clothes dryer) I noticed one of the little birds crying. The bird had flown out of the nest and was on the branch of a nearby tree. It sounded like it was scared and was attempting to try to fly again. It did eventually fly onto a tree in the next yard and I never saw that bird again. It was interesting to note that with all the help the parents provided early on, now they seemed to not interfere with the attempt at their first flight. They also had no problem in letting go; unlike some people have trouble in letting a daughter or son venture off on their own. They also did not come to the little bird’s aid when they heard the cry for help.

Now there was just one little baby bird left in the nest. The activity around had slowed down and I was watching with interest when the second would take his solo flight. Why didn’t he go when the other left? Was he weaker? Did he lack confidence? Maybe, he was afraid. I learned then that even in nature, everything is different. I would see the little baby bird come out at the edge of the nest opening and look around almost like he was testing the water before going in. There was no other bird behind him to push him nor did I hear a peep out of the parents who if they were humans would probably be whistling to him, “Go ahead, you can do it.”

I wish I had a camcorder with me the day he took flight because it happened right in front of my eyes. I was on the patio right next to a fruit tree which was about 14 feet from the nest when I saw the little one go airborne. I was silently rooting for him as he struggled, flapping his little weak wings. He was flying right toward me and I thought that I would have to come to his rescue. He flew upwardly for maybe six feet and then seemed to lose altitude and was struggling to stay in the air. He was heading downward as he came nearer. Everything appeared to be happening in slow motion. At that time I wished I had a catcher’s mitt thinking that it would have provided a good cushion for the bird when I caught him, but he somehow made it to the fruit tree. If there was an olympic event for sole flights for birds, this little one would get a ten for effort and a two for form. He was only about five feet off the ground and he was holding on to the trunk of the tree for dear life. I continued to stay nearby in case my services were required.

This time the bird was only a few feet from me but I never heard any admonition from either of his parents as they did when I was near the nest. It took a good twenty minutes of struggling and resting until he got himself about ten feet high on the tree. I was rooting for him much like I rooted for my sons when they played Little League baseball. Finally I could sense that he was getting his courage up. He had stretched himself up a little bit taller, almost like a diver readying himself to take the plunge, and all of a sudden flew right across a fifty foot patio and landed on the tree in the adjacent yard. I still watched from a distance. I was worried if he fell, he might fall prey to the cat next door. He waited a few minutes and flew off into another yard and I finally lost sight of him.

Watching these birds, I couldn’t help but think how my mother had somehow unintentionally clipped my wings when I was young. She was afraid that I was going to get hurt especially after having witnessed my first seizure and was overly protective. This was the way she learned about nurturing.

Humans are afraid. They seek to get themselves in a comfort zone. We cling to our children, to our traditions, to our society, to our names, and our own little virtues, because we want permanency. We are afraid to lose the things we know. We are afraid to die.

Do you think that bird was afraid of dying? That bird is much too occupied with living, with catching insects, building a nest, singing a song. They are concerned with living from moment to moment and if death comes, it is all right, they are finished. The fact is that death is an ending, and most of us are unwilling to face this fact. We don’t want to leave the known. So it’s in clinging to the known that makes us fear death.

How could that bird fly if it had to carry all the baggage that we, humans, carry around with us?

Giving

There are times when I reflect on things that were told to me many years ago. Today was one of those times. I remember being told a long time ago, whenever you give you will be rewarded many folds. Although it may not always be visible to your naked eye, I truly believe this to be true. Sometimes the reward is readily seen, but more often than not it isn’t, but just because it isn’t it doesn’t mean that the Lord isn’t taking care of you.

You might not realize it at that time, but it will be evident later on. Sometimes the Lord is waiting just for the right moment to reward you and answer your prayers. Only He knows when it’s best. It sort of reminds of the family sitcom from the fifties, “Father Knows Best.”

In my situation, I’ve had instances where I was immediately rewarded. Just recently, I went on line to make a donation to the hurricane victims. As soon as I finished the transaction, I was led to read a story that I would not have normally read. In the body of the story there was a link to a web site that aroused my curiosity. Not knowing what I would find I clicked on the link and went for a ride. It turned out to be a list of information for various major cities in the US. I continued surfing the site and saw a listing for employment opportunities. I kept going and found a listing for a part time van driver – this was something I enjoyed doing in the past.

I had been looking for a part time position and this seemed to be just what I wanted and to make it even better, the place that was looking for help was only two miles from my house. I immediately submitted my resume and I had an interview this morning. Once again, I sit back and marvel at the workings of the Lord. A nonbeliever could say that this is just a coincidence but this isn’t the only time that something similar has happened to me.

Approximately six months ago, after making a charitable contribution I was led to find a job for my middle boy. He had been knocking on many doors but they were always shut in his face. I was frustrated for him because no matter what he applied for, the answer was always you have to go on a waiting list or don’t call us will call you. He contacted a few politicians and had even made some contributions to their re-election coffers. No one was coming forward to give him a job.

The Lord was the only one who answered him when He deemed it the right time. It coincided with giving to the needy, not to a politician. He applied and eventually was given the job that he is at presently. These are only two examples out of the many that I have been a witness to in my lifetime. Over time I have learned to be patient and to have faith in the Lord. Have faith and He will come through for you ALWAYS.

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. - Sir Winston Churchill

Land of the Free?

Here’s something that all of us should be seriously thinking about in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina – How does a country with so much wealth and power get reduced into acting no better than a third world country in response to a natural disaster? We all have a part in it; we all have some blood on our hands, because of the people we vote into power. We are so wrapped up in labels in this country between liberals and conservatives that we have let innocent people die. How can we as a country send 140,000 troops to the Middle East to ‘Nation Build’, when we cannot even help ourselves?
I think the conservatives are finally getting it a few weeks too late and that’s only because they’re looking at the 2006 elections and the potential fallout that it might cause for them. I read today with amazement that President Bush is taking full responsibility for the bungled rescue efforts. That’s admirable and that will win you back some of the people you lost, but why do I always get the feeling that you’re not the one talking to us? Why do have to wait three days for you to address a nation looking for leadership? Why do we always have to wait for your staff to prepare a speech for you? Can’t you just speak to us from the heart?
Hurricane Katrina has given the world a glimpse at this country’s dirty laundry. We spend billions helping others, yet we hesitate to help our own. What a disgrace!
The following piece, taken from today’s New York Times’ op-ed column written by Tom Friedman, will give you a glimpse of what others think about this “Great” nation.
Speaking of Katrina, Sumiko Tan, a columnist for the Sunday edition of The Straits Times in Singapore, wrote: "We were shocked at what we saw. Death and destruction from natural disaster is par for the course. But the pictures of dead people left uncollected on the streets, armed looters ransacking shops, survivors desperate to be rescued, racial divisions - these were truly out of sync with what we'd imagined the land of the free to be, even if we had encountered homelessness and violence on visits there. ... If America becomes so unglued when bad things happen in its own backyard, how can it fulfill its role as leader of the world?"
America looks like a beautiful polished apple from the outside, however when you bite into it, you’ll find that it’s full of worms.

Addicted?

The Bible tells us not to pass judgment on others, but the story I’ve just finished reading in today’s paper has me baffled.

In at least a dozen interviews, New Orleans residents coping with the costliest hurricane in US history said they are hitting the casinos here. Some are hoping that with a roll of the dice, they will recover a bit of what they lost. Others just want to pass the time out of the heat, relieve stress, or escape the shelters where they are living.

Do these people have a gambling addiction or are they so distraught that they are risking whatever little they have for the minute chance that they will hit it big?

''Tuesday I went, and I lost $279," said June Williams, who has been at a Baton Rouge shelter after evacuating her flooded home near New Orleans. ''I went Wednesday and lost $300. I might go today."
Some of the money was not even hers: The $279 she lost on the first day belonged to her grandson, who had gotten a government check, she said.


I have heard of post traumatic stress, but these actions are unexplainable. The reason this woman went there was to relieve stress she said. Doesn’t she feel any stress when she realizes that she has no money left?

Henry Banks had been sitting on the same bench outside the shelter for six hours, when others from New Orleans urged him to go to the casino. But Banks declined, saying he is trying to save enough money for gas to drive home when the time comes.
''If they go over there with $25 and lose that, that's a loaf of bread, gas and food," he said.

I’m glad to see that not everyone has lost their mind.

Many evacuees said they went primarily for the free booze at the Argosy Casino. Wayne Allen, who is missing a leg and uses a wheelchair, said he gambled $30 so he could get free beers. He said other bars were too far away for him to go, and the shelter bans alcohol.

Well I hope Mr. Allen got his thirty dollars worth of beers.

Managers at the Argosy Casino, where the displaced residents were gambling, declined to comment and asked a reporter to leave, referring questions to a local marketing executive instead. She could not be reached for comment.

Does anybody at that Casino have any conscience? Is this where some of the money that’s been contributed going?

For some of those displaced by Katrina, the reason they gamble is simple: They enjoy it. Anthony ''Wolfman" Peterson, who lost $40 gambling and drinking the casino's beer, said: ''If they ain't got gambling in heaven, I'm going out by the other guy."

I feel bad for most of the people that are suffering, but I have a hard time feeling anything for people who want to continue to gamble especially after what they have just lived through. For the people like Mr. Peterson, I do feel sorry that they haven’t seen the light. Sorry, but my money is not going to go for “the other guy.”

I'm Only a Visitor Here

I have been trying very hard to simplify my life. As I mentioned before I find that I have too much ‘stuff’ that I’m holding on to for one stupid reason or another. In the past my attempts at discarding things would fail, and I would always find myself accumulating more. This stuff has a way of multiplying. So now I have made my Wednesdays, the day to find something that I’m holding on to needlessly. The reason I chose Wednesday is because that’s the day I put my garbage out. I could probably gather all this stuff to put aside and have a yard sale, but I find that unless I make a decision to part with them and do it, I never will. Plus I don't want to sell my junk to someone else.

Most times, the stuff that I discard is picked up by someone other than the garbage man. I just got rid of a TV that I had been holding on to for a year in the hopes that I would get around to fixing. I had a neighbor years ago in West Roxbury who would pick up all kinds of things and bring them home. He always had some glorious plan of what he would do with each item. One day his furnace needed to be serviced and I happened to be oustside when the repair man came. I noticed that the repairman left about five minutes after his arrival. I thought that he might have forgotten something and had gone back to get it. But shortly thereafter I could hear my neighbor's wife yelling at him. I couldn't help but overhearing their argument. She was mad at her husband because he had accumulated so much junk that the repairman refused to work in his basement until he made room.

If I didn’t discard that TV, I probably would have held on to it for another year. I wonder how much stuff has to be discarded in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I hope that the following little story from the book, “When Life Hurts”, by Rabbi Wayne Dosick will get you thinking about what's truly important in life.

In the last century, a tourist from America visited the famous Polish rabbi Chofetz Chaim. The tourist was amazed to see that the rabbi’s home was only a simple room filled with books. The only furniture was a narrow bed, small table, and one straight-backed chair.
“Rabbi, where is your furniture?” asked the tourist.
The Chofetz Chaim looked at him and asked, “where is yours?”
“Mine? But I’m only a visitor here.”
Said the rabbi, “so am I.”

I think that sometimes we forget that we’re only passing through. God has given us so many wonderful things that are free, yet we lose sight of all the natural beauty when we clutter our lives with unnecessary ‘stuff.’

A wise man once said, "Reduce the complexity of life by eliminating the needless wants of life, and the labors of life reduce themselves."

CRONYISM

CRONYISM

Look up this word in a dictionary and you’ll probably find a meaning similar to this one; special treatment and preference given to friends or colleagues, especially the giving of political posts to people because of friendship rather than their ability.

This word comes to light today because of the disgustingly poor response from FEMA during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The meaning of cronyism can be summed up in what I constantly heard as I was trying to get a promotion while working in the Post Office – it’s not what you know, but who you know. I can truly say that the Post Office was infested with cronyism. If you wanted to rid the Post Office of cronyism, it would take at least twenty Orkin men working night and day for at least a month and then they would have to return every week for a year to make sure they didn’t pop up again.

I don’t need to give you names, you know who they are. Even though they try to hide under their phony smiles and slick clothes, you will see them float to the top whenever they’re pressed into performing their job. Just like women who can’t seem to go to the bathroom on their own, you will find the cronies always walking in groups. Next time you’re in the hallway just watch and you will see what I mean, you’ll see them in groups of three or more.

The Washington Post recently reported that five of the eight top FEMA officials were simply Bush loyalists and political operatives who "came to their posts with virtually no experience in handling disasters." Just like the Post Office, FEMA has many competent and dedicated workers doing the job in spite of the incompetence at the top.

Look at the example we have in Mr. Brown who was put in charge of FEMA. I don’t think he was solely responsible for the poor response in providing help for the hurricane victims, but he is being used as the sacrificial lamb. When his boss, Mr. Bush visited the Gulf Coast, he stood with him and, before the cameras, cheerfully said, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." Does this scenario sound familiar? How many times have you seen your boss give an accolade or award to the biggest stiff in your office? I’ve seen this in Business Meetings where the Area Vice President has come and presented an award to one of the cronies. Do you think that was a morale booster?

When I first came to work in the Post Office I was told that as soon as I completed my ninety-day probationary period, I was golden – I more or less had a job for life. I was told, “they’ll never be able to fire you, unless you get caught stealing.” Profound words then, profound words now. With all the political pressure coming down on the President, he finally unleashed his secret weapon, Dick Cheney, his hatchet man. Mr. Cheney came back with a progress report that was critical of Mr. Brown's management. What did they do? We find the Homeland Security Secretary, Mr. Chertoff, in a press conference saying, Mr. Brown, had "done everything he possibly could to coordinate the federal response to this unprecedented challenge," and would retain his job as director of the agency. Wow! The guy at the Post Office back in 1968 was right, you won’t get fired unless you get caught stealing.
Isn’t this what happens in the PO? Problem -The manager of Malden is incompetent and screws up. Solution - upper management moves them to another office. They won’t fire you unless you get caught stealing.

If I’m Mr. Brown and a crony, I’m not embarrassed one bit. In fact, I’m relieved. You did me a favor. I couldn’t do the job, so you took me away from all the pressure and gave me a nice cushy position where I don’t have to do much of anything. If you don’t think he’s relieved listen to what he had to say, "I'm going to go home and walk my dog and hug my wife, and maybe get a good Mexican meal and a stiff margarita and a full night's sleep. And then I'm going to go right back to FEMA and continue to do all I can to help these victims." How could President Bush not like this guy? He fits the Right Wing criteria to a T = he’s a family man who loves his wife and dog, likes a good meal with a stiff drink and still has thoughts of helping the downtrodden.
That reminds me of a Senior Manager who was running a critical operation on the third shift. His performance was abysmal. They provided him with all kinds of manpower and assistance and he still couldn’t get the job done. Nothing fazed him. H e just sat in his office reading novels. The man should have been fired. I could never figure out who this person knew, because when they took him out of his job they put him in charge of overseeing and coordinating the startup of a new facility. This person finally transferred out of state to a more lucrative job. Good luck to the people that got him.
If you think the story of cronyism ends with Mr. Brown, you haven’t seen anything yet. I ask you this question, Who do you think is going to get some of the bigger contracting jobs in rebuilding the Gulf Coast area?
Remember, it’s not what you know, but who you know!

We're Number One

The City of Boston has been dubbed, the number one city for sports. It’s the city of champions, with the Patriots winning three Super Bowls and the Red Sox winning the World Series. Today we hear that Boston is number one on another front; it’s now the most expensive metropolitan area in the country, outpacing Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and even New York City. I think it’s time to celebrate this grand achievement! We beat the Yankees and now we beat New York City in being the most expensive city.

Do people really want to be number one? It’s very costly to maintain such a lofty position in anything unless you’re on the ownership end of the spectrum. As a sports fan how much more are you paying this year for the team’s success? Keep paying the steep prices because next year they will be even higher. How about getting one of those bargain houses for $1million? I just hope that when it’s time to sell, the market will still be as lucrative. You would think that being number one would be an attraction for people, but I see that the statistics show that Massachusetts was the only state to lose population last year.

We’re losing population because we’re number one. And some people thought that being number one was good. It’s not good if even with an income of over $100,000 you can’t afford a house in Canton or Dedham. It’s not good when many renters are spending more than 50 percent of their monthly income to pay the rent. It’s not good when there were only 27 Boston-area communities in which a household whose members made the median income could afford the median-priced home in that city or town. By comparison in 1998 there were 148.
Being number one is not good when it means a loss of critical young workers and families due to high housing costs. This also means a higher dependence on immigrants for future workforce skills. Being number one contributed to the cost of living outpacing average earnings in 2004 - more than 40% of Boston families had incomes below Self-Sufficiency Standard
Being number one is affecting family life. Family working hours are becoming longer, with families at each successive income level needing to work longer hours to maintain their standard of living. Today, it is no longer possible for most single-earners to provide income sufficient to support a middle-class standard of living. Take solace in learning what my grandparents used to say, “Work never killed anyone.”
I think it’s time to become a Cubs fan and move to Chicago where it’s still fairly reasonable to live. I don’t want to be around when Boston becomes number one in energy and health care costs later this year. Can’t take the rarified air of being number one.


 

Volunteering

Since I lost a part time job which I truly enjoyed doing, I found myself with some time on my hands. I would have continued driving cancer patients for the American Cancer Society but some new executive in the Boston area decided to stop funding the program, thus eliminating two part time positions. That must have looked good on her list of accomplishments for the year and it probably earned her a bonus which would have gone to serve a needier person. What they eliminated was a service that provided rides to people who had no means of getting back and forth to their treatments.

Many of the people I drove, along with a woman in the North Shore that did the same, were going for radiation treatments, that meant going to a hospital or clinic for an average of six weeks straight (30 – 33) days. For others it meant going to chemotherapy treatments that left them very weak and rendered them useless to drive even if they had a car.

These people came from all walks of life, elderly, young, some on fixed incomes, others who were professional people – I even provided this service to a doctor. For me the decision was definitely one that would fall under the “Penny wise, pound foolish” category. That’s what happens when you have executives making decisions that are totally removed from the realities of the world. They are called executives because they EXECUTE.

My need to give of some of my time would not go away until I found a flyer at church asking for volunteers. I must say the priest scandal situation had shaken my trust in the clergy but it never shattered my faith. I decided to attend another church where I felt comfortable, The St. Anthony Shrine on Arch Street. For some reason, I always connected better with the Franciscans than the Jesuits even though I’ve been around Jesuits since I was small. Maybe it’s because I like St. Francis of Assisi better than St. Ignatius of Loyola the respective founders of both orders, or maybe I like the outward appearance of a Franciscan friar or brother dressed in their simple garb.

Whatever the reason, I decided to take the step to do some volunteer work and it’s proved to be very rewarding and fulfilling. The church is only a building and has very little significance without the people that run it and attend it. It’s even better when the people that attend have a lot of say in the way it’s run. There are approximately 150 volunteers who help out in the various ministries of the church. Many including myself are lectors, Eucharistic ministers, and acolytes.

Unlike many of the parish churches, St. Anthony Shrine is open all day long and very accessible to all since it’s in the heart of downtown Boston. For a schedule of daily and weekend masses and confessions go to http://www.stanthonyshrine.org/.

I have volunteered for a number of things, such as signing up people for a blood drive, as a greeter for the various functions that take place in conjunction with various holidays and feast days, to work at the front desk, and to help with the seniors program.

Whenever I volunteer my time, I find that I receive at least twice in return. Where could you invest and get double in return? I’m not talking about money but the intangibles of life, feeling good about helping someone in much greater need than you, the satisfaction felt when you know you made a positive contribution to a total stranger. I need it most when I’m most vulnerable and start feeling sorry for myself. In just 10 minutes working at the front desk, I forget all my supposed troubles, as I interact with people that are carrying such a heavy cross. Just looking at the pain and suffering on some of the faces makes you want to reach out and help them with their load thereby realizing how light you load is.

At the front desk, I can see everything. I watch people that come to Mass or just to drop in the chapel to pray or light a candle or to go to confession. I can see people going by me heading for the various programs that are available. I’m amazed at the number of people from all walks of life that attend the AA program; as you look at their faces you could almost tell at what stage they are. I have a lot of admiration and respect for anyone that’s trying hard to free themselves from the chains of addiction. I see people that avail themselves of the Wellness Center and the various services they provide for free.

The Wellness Center is staffed by nurses who volunteer their time in order to provide some basic health screenings that might save someone’s life who simply can’t afford to see a doctor. They are constantly expanding their services and recently have conducted a Dental Screening.

I have also recently assisted Sr. Margaret who runs the Senior’s Program. Every Wednesday, she along with Gary Convertino put together a program that starts off with Mass at 10 AM followed by a presentation of some sorts which includes a hot meal around noon time. You can tell by the looks on the faces of the seniors that they appreciate the time spent with others and to have the opportunity to talk and have someone listen to them. This past week they watched the movie The Robe and I found it interesting that at the end they all clapped. I couldn’t help but think that I was with seniors but they were children at heart. It reminded me of the passage in the Bible where Jesus said "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

I enjoy giving a few hours a week, serving lunch to a group of mothers and fathers and grandmothers and grandfathers who have served others throughout their life. I receive so much knowledge and wisdom from people who have seen and experienced a lot more than me. I recently met a sweet old man, who spoke seven languages and I was able to practice my Italian on him.

I’ve only touched on a couple of the many programs that are ongoing at the Shrine. If you want additional information you can access the web site up above.

Keep in mind of what we are reminded in Matthew 25: 40, 'To the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'

On Vacation

Recently I wrote about how I would not go to Italy in August because this is the month when most of the country goes on vacation. Well as I read about the blame game that’s going on over the sad response in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, I find that part of the problem was that most everyone in government in Washington was away on vacation and whoever they left in charge was there but working in vacation mode.

I’m not begrudging people taking a vacation, but one should plan a little better and make sure that they leave someone of competence in charge.  What would happen if your whole family went on vacation and left the house unlocked and unattended? If you’re lucky, nothing will happen, but aren’t you leaving yourself wide open for someone to come in and clean you out of you prized material possessions?

Material goods can be replaced, but how do you replace a life?

The Washington Post recently reported: One reason for the slow White House response, said a Republican who has been in contact with several officials, is that so many high-level officials and aides were on vacation. Why are both the President and Vice-President on vacation at the same time? Where the hell has Cheney been since the elections? It seems that they bring him out of the closet and prop him up like the scarecrow that some people put out each Halloween.

The same article tells us: The White House is moving on several fronts to repair Bush's image and streamline its response effort. You see it’s just like the nursery rhyme where Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall. Now all of the ding-a-lings are trying to put Humpty Dumpty back again. What a bunch of dummies! Focus on putting the devastated Gulf Coast region back together, not your boss. It’s going to take more time to put your bosses’ image back together than it’s going to take in straightening out the mess in the Gulf.

So the White House is on ‘image damage control’ mode. I’d love to be a fly on the wall in some of those meeting rooms, wouldn’t you? I’d love to see those ’kiss ass manly men’ scrambling to come up with ways to make Bush look like Winston Churchill. Bush you should have hired Giuliani, he would have saved your face in moments like these. Yet you chose to dump all the dead-weight people from your political machine into FEMA. You know you should have had more sense than putting a former driver for your brother Jeb, in charge of FEMA – he performed accordingly.

Yesterday’s New York Times details the Rove-Bartlett plan for damage control. Never accept responsibility and always shift the blame is the theme that this administration has excelled at. I’ve never seen more flip-flopping since Sen. Kerry’s presidential campaign. And by the way where the hell is Sen. Kerry? Answer – On Vacation. Only they call it on recess just like when Bill O’Reilly is not on the radio, the replacement host always says that Bill is on assignment. That’s because he’s always looking out for you, America.

As I said at the beginning about avoiding visiting Italy in August, based on the performance that’s been unfolding in front of our eyes, I will put this country on the same do not visit list in August. I just hope that Al-Qaeda is not paying attention and that they too vacation in August.

Are We Living Our Motto?

“They worship me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” These were Jesus’ words in describing the Pharisees. How many of us are like the Pharisees of Jesus’ time? The Pharisees thought they knew it all but in essence they knew absolutely nothing.

In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, our present day Pharisees’ only or main concern is materialistic, a worry for the economic impact. When will the price of gas start coming down, they ask. The people that were personally devastated by the hurricane are not asking about the price of gas, but are dealing with surviving day to day. They don’t have to worry about the price of gas, because they don’t have a car, for that matter they don’t have anything. I shouldn’t say anything because they have the nearness of God and I pray that during their trying time they find this nearness.

This nearness lies within all of us, if only we choose to act “not with our lips, but with our hearts.” As we go on with our lives on this Labor Day Holiday weekend, pause and think what it would be like if Boston or Cambridge were all of sudden submerged in 5 to 20 feet of water and you were being bussed to Foxboro stadium to live with 25,000 other people for the next who knows what period of time. We complain when we lose power for a few hours, what if we lost our homes and everything in them.

When nature strikes, it doesn’t discriminate, even though this time it seems to have picked on the poorest of the poor in this country. I never thought this country would ever resemble a third world country. We supposedly have everything. We have money, an abundance of resources, people, technology, infrastructure, and plenty of food, yet we are just as vulnerable as the poorest countries on earth when it comes to natural disasters. We are witnessing and living through tragedies that many people thought couldn’t happen to us. Next weekend we will be commemorating the four year anniversary of 9/11 for which many people are still trying to close the wounds which that created.
I was reading an article written by Johann Christoph Arnold in which he says, “We have made an idol of our invincibility and our status as an economic giant and a military superpower. We have made an idol of our high standard of living, our religion, and our supposed closeness to God” which made me think about the spiritual meaning of what’s happened. If you read the Book of Revelation in the Bible, these events pale in comparison to what’s going to come. It’s not science fiction as some people believe.
Spiritually, this is a sign that’s telling us to change our hearts. As a nation we need to look at the motto that’s on our coins, “In God We Trust”, and see if it still has the same meaning now as it did when it was first put there. Let me refresh your memory as to how this motto came to be and see for yourself if anything has changed since then.
The motto IN GOD WE TRUST was placed on United States coins largely because of the increased religious sentiment existing during the Civil War. Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase received many appeals from devout persons throughout the country, urging that the United States recognize the Deity on United States coins.
As a result, Secretary Chase instructed James Pollock, Director of the Mint at Philadelphia, to prepare a motto, in a letter dated November 20, 1861:

Dear Sir: No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins.
You will cause a device to be prepared without unnecessary delay with a motto expressing in the fewest and tersest words possible this national recognition.

Our forefathers gave this great country a very strong foundation and it seems that we are constantly chipping away at it until everything comes crashing down on us. The signs are everywhere you look. The greatest disaster is when we as a nation start disowning God.

Here Today Gone Tomorrow

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

O K, it’s almost time to move on from the Hurricane Katrina story. We’ve had enough, plus everything seems to be going a lot smoother now. NEXT     

News stories are consumed much like the high caloric, high fat containing fast foods of today. Witness what we have been offered the past year: the Lacy Peterson murder trial, the trial of Robert Blake and Michael Jackson, the search for missing girl in Aruba, the Tsunami, subway bombings in London, the steroid scandal in baseball, etc, etc.. We are bounced from one sensational item to the next. We are whisked around the world in seconds to peek in on the next horrible event.

We just don’t have nor take the time to savor what has just been put on our plate. Gee, sorry, don’t have time, got to get back to my rat race. We strive to be more efficient and more productive. I ask you for what? Where are you running to? Look at how efficient we were in this latest disastrous event that occurred in New Orleans, Mississippi and Alabama. It took three days to communicate from the local level to the state level what was needed to help the poor souls that were left behind. “Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink”

We have seen some fast food establishments come up with “Service within 5 minutes, or we’ll refund your money.” Even the Post Office a few years ago came up with something similar because one of the main gripes from customers was the long wait in line. The only difference with them was that they could not offer to give you your money back. Everything is hurry up, let’s go, NEXT.

I think the whole country should take a long pause, take a deep breath and seriously contemplate what has just occurred. We need to take care of all the displaced people to give them some hope for tomorrow. While we’re doing this, we need to start asking questions as to why the breakdown in communications in an age where we can communicate with someone out in space in a matter of seconds but couldn’t do it within the confines of a state.

As we proceed to bury the dead, we need to ask what’s needed in order to avoid this from ever happening again. And as we find answers, I think we’re going to need to ask the people that failed to do their job or were not qualified to do their job to step down. This should cover the leaders at all levels of government.

Keep in mind that where the tsunami victims had very little time to try and save themselves, the victims of this hurricane had ample warning time to leave. Think about establishing what worked for the colonists in this country back in 1775. We need a communicating system much like Paul Revere’s ride. He warned them that the British were coming. The modern day Paul Reveres could warn them of the hurricane is coming and also round up the poor and sick and elderly and take them to a secure shelter.

Lastly, as we reach the stage of rebuilding, we need to take a good long look and see if it’s feasible to build a much better system of levees to protect this area in the future.

In the interim, contribute whatever you can and let’s all pray that this area is spared of any further upheavals whether they be by the weather or by the small percentage of thugs that live in the area.

Don't Wait for the Pols

Streamline the government. Let’s get rid of some of these bozos that have been elected to office that have no semblance of reality. They really don’t care about the common citizen; they are more concerned about stuffing their pockets and the pockets of their affluent friends. They constantly talk out of both sides of their mouths and will do and say anything to get your votes.

The Governor and Attorney General have recently come out publicly and stated that they are going to be on the watch for price gougers and/or anyone that is taking advantage of the disaster to profit from it. Sounds good, makes for a great sound bite, but these are all insincere promises.

We have many so called experts speaking out criticizing and pointing fingers and finding fault with the poor response, but what good does this do? This country has spent so much money to establish an additional layer of government in the name of Homeland Security and we now see how effective they are. One of their spokesmen has told us that we are not prepared for worst case scenarios and that we should all do a better job of having an emergency supply of food and water. Thanks very much jackass!! That’s good, if the only thing that happens is a loss of power but what is that going to do when your house gets wiped out? Where do they get these people?

The only answer lies with each and every one of us. We have the power to change many things much like our forefathers were able to do. If you see a station selling gas above the average price, DON’T BUY IT. Go somewhere else.  

I just heard of a family from Erie, PA, who have recently moved into a new house and have their old house vacant, taking the initiative to drive to Louisiana to offer the use of their vacant old house to some less unfortunate family. Maybe their example will stir other people or churches to adopt other families that were left homeless by the Hurricane.

At www.craigslist.com there are many offers of housing such as the following;

We have a small house in an upscale neighborhood (West Univ. Place). Our 3 kids recently left for college, so we have 3 empty bedrooms. One is mid-sized, on the ground floor, which could sleep 3 people with beds included. The second is small, also on the ground floor, which has no beds but could sleep 2 people with floor mats. The third is also small, on the second floor, which has one bed and could sleep another on a floor mat. We also have a weekend farm property 40 miles NW of Houston where we could sleep an additional 13 people in beds with indoor plumbing. We have no professional employment to offer, but we have a list of odd jobs both in Houston and at the farm for which we would be happy to pay minimum wage.Pets OK: YES    Smoking OK: YES    Handicapped accessible: no    Near public transit:
YES

These are examples of individuals taking the initiative to help. We don’t need the government involved – they just screw things up.

Matthew 25, 34 – 36

Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.

Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.

El Presidente

I don’t know about you, but I just can’t warm up to our president. I keep hearing that he is a nice guy, the type of person that everyone would like to have as a neighbor and one who loves baseball, but every time he gets in front of a microphone he loses my feeble attempt at warming up to him. He makes our mayor, “mumbles”, look like Demosthenes, the legendary Greek orator.

Here’s a guy that graduated from Yale, one of the elite schools in the country, and he can’t put two sentences together. It seems like everything has to be written for him and put on cue cards or a teleprompter. Even when he is trying his best, his poor delivery and stumbles always has a way of making what he is talking about sound insincere. At times he seems like a third grader trying to read his one paragraph book report in front of his class for the first time.

Sometimes it appears that the man lacks any feelings, or just has hard time expressing them. Why would you need a speech to be written for you in addressing the victims of the latest disaster? Can’t this guy come up with anything from the heart? He must have some feeling for what happened. Verbalize your feeling and you'll sound like a real person, not one who seems be removed from reality. I could take the same third grader mentioned above, put him in a similar circumstance and he would do a better job of coming up with something on his own that made sense and would also give the people some sense of hope.

The flip side to this is that whoever is writing his speeches is not looking out for his best interest. But then I say to myself that he is foolish enough to read that mush. He doesn't have any sense to know and say that he is being made to look like an idiot. In the press conference he had the other day concerning the hurricane disaster, he ended it by saying that when this is all and done, the people of New Orleans and America would be better off. Was this supposed to be a Yogi-ism?

Please Mr.El Presidente have your wife do your talking for you and just go on your bike ride with your little dog.