Archive for August, 2005
Wednesday, August 31st, 2005
Texas A&M Is a Great School
I just finished reading an article in the magazine A&M sends to former students, written by the president of Texas A&m, Robert Gates. It made me realize all the more what a great school A&M is, for so many different reasons.
Just to name one: At the end of the article, Mr. Gates recounted [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Catholic Life by Devman
Tuesday, August 30th, 2005
Perpetual Adoration Difficulties
I met today with our pastor about setting up a tabernacle in the perpetual adoration chapel that is being built and was perplexed about several things. He told me that we could only have one tabernacle in the entire church, and that was in the main sanctuary, so the adoration chapel could not have [...]
4 Comments » - Posted in Adoration by Devman
Monday, August 29th, 2005
The Greatest Oversight of the Lord of the Rings Movies
I am a big fan of The Lord of the Rings (LOTR, rhymes with “boater’). The books are the best fantasy written, bar none. The Peter Jackson movies were excellent, too, and I own the extended editions of them all (thanks Mom!).
However, there was one exchange in the books that would have been [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Technical by Devman
Sunday, August 28th, 2005
The G Rides Again
The G got back from Laredo today and brought home a riding lawnmower! It took us a little bit of doing to get it off the truck, but thanks to our angels, we managed the task unscathed. The lawn has bested both G and I in several mowing contests due to its crazy [...]
4 Comments » - Posted in Catholic Life by Devman
Sunday, August 28th, 2005
Father Thai: Kickin’ Like Jackie Chan
Our new associate priest at St. Elizabeth’s name is Father Thai. He is an older Asian man, but he has the passion and energy of a man half his age!
I have heard about 3 of his homilies so far, and he speaks the truth of God right from his heart–it is just so awesome [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Catholic Life by Devman
Saturday, August 27th, 2005
George Weigel Letter to Senator Leahy
CatholicExchange.com has a great article by George Weigel that he has written as an open letter to Senator Patrick Leahy about Judge John Roberts’ evaluation process.
Weigel succintly points out the glaring double-standard and illogic in the abortionists’ position:
In late July, you told a Vermont radio show that you wouldn’t vote to confirm a nominee who [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Catholic Life by Devman
Saturday, August 27th, 2005
Evil in Dreams
Sometimes I have dreams that contain very evil things, whether done by me or by someone else, and when I wake up I remember them and feel bad. I have had conversations with other Christians about such dreams and have received different responses, so I was really happy to read this passage in “Through [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Catholic Life, Saints and Angels by Devman
Friday, August 26th, 2005
Collaboration’s Benefits
I met with my two friends tonight about our game (Crescendo). It was very cool because I had trepidation about showing them what I had done and opening up the ideas I have already begun working on up for criticism and revision, but it was surprisingly easy. I think God has helped me [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Love and War, Technical by Devman
Thursday, August 25th, 2005
Perpetual Adoration
I was blessed tonight to meet with a very faithful and talented married couple from my hometown (Georgetown, Texas) about them creating a custom tabernacle for the adoration chapel that we are building at our parish in Austin. They took me to see the cemetery that God inspired them to build, a very beautiful [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Adoration by Devman
Wednesday, August 24th, 2005
Collaboration
I met with some friends today, and I am going to form a team with them to collaborate on developing Crescendo, my first commercial video game. I’ve only been working on it for a month or two now, off and on, but it is a huge project and I think the chance of me [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Technical by Devman
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2005
The G’s Ice Cream Weakness
The G is notorious for not eating the ice cream I buy. I have bought probably hundreds of pints of ice cream while living with the G, and yet he barely has a bowl. When he does ask for some, I will give him about half of what I eat, and he complains [...]
2 Comments » - Posted in Love and War by Devman
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2005
My Cups of Tea
I believe I have captured a new world record today:
The first 27 year old man to hold two copies of Danielle Bean’s book, My Cup of Tea, in his hands!
Each of these copies is bound for a different Catholic woman, and I am sure I will be buying more in the future for other Catholic [...]
2 Comments » - Posted in Best Of, Catholic Life by Devman
Monday, August 22nd, 2005
10 Year High School Reunion
My 10 year reunion is still a year off, but I have already heard that my class officers from high school are calling around and planning the reunion. When I thought about whether I would go or not, I felt some anxiety but also thought it would be fun to see many of my [...]
2 Comments » - Posted in Catholic Life, Love and War by Devman
Sunday, August 21st, 2005
Movie Review: The Great Raid
The G and I went and watched “The Great Raid” last night at the movie theater. G loves war movies, and I usually find them interesting, too.
The movie is based on a true story of a rescue mission in the Philipines at the end of World War II, where over 500 U.S. prisoners of [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Catholic Life by Devman
Sunday, August 21st, 2005
Warhammer 40k
I went over to my friend’s house today, and he has recently gotten into the war-game Warhammer 40k. It is basically G.I. Joe for grown men, with more complex rules to get around the “I killed your guy/No but I killed your guy first” problem.
There are many different “races” you can play, most of [...]
11 Comments » - Posted in Technical by Devman
Sunday, August 21st, 2005
Today’s Heroes
Almost everyday you hear the latest number of American casualties from Iraq and Afghanistan, but you rarely hear anything about who the men and women are. It becomes just another number, a piece of news no different than the price of gas going up another ten cents. Overlooked are the stories of those killed in [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Love and War by Devman
Saturday, August 20th, 2005
Squirrel Gets Acorn
In my Crescendo game, I have programmed the squirrel to find the nearest acorn and to go and get it, to be eaten or planted later (note that the Utopia terrain square is golden (oh okay, yellow), since The Root can only live on Utopia):
A squirrel doesn’t ask for a lot in life–give it a [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Technical by Devman
Saturday, August 20th, 2005
The Treasure Trove
George Weigel has written a short article at CatholicExchange.com about two books written by young faithful Catholic men. I have read neither of the books, though I have browsed by Matthew Lickona’s blog a few times, but I really like the way that Weigel ends the article:
Growing up in the intensely Catholic culture of [...]
1 Comment » - Posted in Catholic Life by Devman
Saturday, August 20th, 2005
There’s Still a War Going On
A month ago I ran into Michael Yon’s online magazine. Yon is a reporter who is embedded with an Army unit in Mosul, Iraq. He writes dispatches that describe in great detail how the US and Iraqi forces are fighting the terrorists. Additionally, Yon gives a lot of background as far as who the enemy [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Love and War by Devman
Saturday, August 20th, 2005
Adoration Article Draft
I wrote the first draft of an article promoting Eucharistic Adoration at my parish, St. Louis. I would be grateful if you read it and gave me your feedback.
Jesus Starring in Special Worship at St. Louis: Don’t Miss Out!
Jesus is going to be in town at St. Louis next week for five special appearances, [...]
2 Comments » - Posted in Adoration by Devman
Friday, August 19th, 2005
Only Fools…
I no longer see, things controlling me,
You have spoken; I have listened.
– from Crystal Lewis’ song Only Fools
And I’ll become,
what you became to me.
– Goo Goo Dolls’ Black Balloon
I wanna be the one to tell you…I hope…
I wanna be the one to lead you…I hope…
To see the day when you let Him in, and make [...]
No Comments » - Posted in La Musica by Devman
Friday, August 19th, 2005
St. Jane Frances de Chantal
Yesterday was the feastday of St. Jane Frances de Chantal. My Magnificat had the meditation of the day from her:
Ah! God has brought many among us to his house, without having asked him, but we have sometimes resisted his gentle inspirations. Still his goodness has continued to hold us by the hand [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Saints and Angels by Devman
Thursday, August 18th, 2005
Whoa, Jesus Really IS Here in Adoration
I went to my adoration hour today, knelt down to double-genuflect before the Blessed Sacrament, and was already going through my standard mental prayers (which usually begin with “Jesus, thank you for coming to meet with me here”) when God brought me up short. All of sudden, I looked up and realized that Jesus [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Adoration by Devman
Wednesday, August 17th, 2005
Thoughts on Competition
I recently purchased Danielle Bean’s book, My Cup of Tea to give to one of my middle-aged Catholic mom friends for her upcoming birthday. There is a chapter on the different way that her and her husband Dan view competition which reminded me of the first big misunderstanding and argument that I had with [...]
2 Comments » - Posted in Catholic Life by Devman
Wednesday, August 17th, 2005
Little Soles
I read a pro-life article in the National Catholic Register today about some people who have created a display of 4,000 baby shoes, representing the approximate number of babies aborted every single day in the United States alone.
Even though I already “knew” that 4,000 babies were aborted everyday in this country, even imagining myself seeing [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Catholic Life by Devman
Tuesday, August 16th, 2005
Images of My Future Wife
I am blessed to know many middle-aged Catholic wives and mothers. These women have children between the ages of three and nineteen or so, are devoted wives and mothers, and are faithful Catholics.
The reason I am so blessed to know them is that I see in them the qualities that I want in my [...]
2 Comments » - Posted in Best Of, Love and War by Devman
Monday, August 15th, 2005
Mary’s Assumption
Today is the Solemnity of Mary’s Assumption into Heaven. I think the most compelling argument in explanation of this doctrine that I have heard goes like this: “If you were God, wouldn’t you bring your mother into Heaven at the moment of her death and crown her with honor forever?”
And I would add: [...]
1 Comment » - Posted in Love and War, Saints and Angels by Devman
Monday, August 15th, 2005
Technical Issues Hopefully Solved
The Vanguard was down for about a day due to some kind of problem on the server that hosts my website. Hopefully, everything will work correctly as I ended up just hacking at it myself until it was fixed.
Crazy computers!
1 Comment » - Posted in Technical by Devman
Sunday, August 14th, 2005
Great Theology of the Body Article
I came across this article about the Theology of the Body, NFP, contraception, etc. via the Curt Jester. Here are some passages that I really liked:
Women who use Natural Family Planning have an amazing sense of self-respect and well being. They think that their fertility is revered by their husbands, and they think that [...]
2 Comments » - Posted in Love and War by Devman
Sunday, August 14th, 2005
Humanity in Heaven
I read this passage in my magnificat recently in an article by Fr. Richard Veras where he talks about Heaven:
We will be with angels, but we will not be angels. We will be ourselves. We will be amazed at the greatness of ourselves and the infinitely lofty Goal of our most deeply human [...]