Archive for March, 2008
Friday, March 28th, 2008
Petition to Stop Federal Funding for Planned Parenthood
I received this e-mail this morning from the Family Research Council and want to share it:
“Would you invest in a company whose affiliates are complicit in sexual crimes against children?
Would you take your hard-earned money and pile it into a company whose fundraisers “get excited” when someone wishes to target African-American babies for extinction?
How secure [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Catholic Life, Faith and Reason, Politics by Katie
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008
Housing Market
The bad news: Housing prices on average are down across much of the nation due to the sub-prime mortgage mess and resultant fallout.
The good news: Austin, Texas housing prices remain strong!
The chart below shows the median house price and the increase or decrease from the year before:
2007
$168,806
(8.49%)
2006
$155,594
(14.17%)
2005
$136,277
(1.88%)
2004
$133,760
(1.98%)
2003
$131,164
(-3.00%)
2002
$135,215
(12.68%)
2001
$120,000
(18.77%)
Last year (2007) for many metro areas saw a [...]
1 Comment » - Posted in Technical by Devman
Monday, March 24th, 2008
Me and Jack Johnson
I think I need to re-evaluate my computer programming job, and perhaps think more about a musical career, especially after being sent this picture from my friend Dave:
I can imagine myself on stage, singing: “Saturday mornin’ and it’s time to go, been raining all night so everyone knows, going to the field for tackle football…” [...]
4 Comments » - Posted in Entertainment by Devman
Monday, March 24th, 2008
The Bees Are Even Meaner
Katie and I were minding our own business in the backyard on Good Friday when a bee came up without warning and stung her under her nose!
I was trying to usher her into the house in case more came when another bee (or perhaps two) stung me on the ring finger.
We applied baking soda and [...]
1 Comment » - Posted in Grapevines and Nature by Devman
Sunday, March 23rd, 2008
Just War Talk
By Professor Budziszewski, whose class Katie is auditing this year:
The Next Theology on Tap is Wednesday April 2nd at Mother Egan’s Irish Pub
Join us on Wednesday April 2nd at Mother Egan’s Irish Pub (715 W. 6th St.) for our next installment of Theology on Tap. Dinner will be at 6:30 p.m with [...]
1 Comment » - Posted in Faith and Reason, Love and War by Devman
Sunday, March 23rd, 2008
Easter
My Jesus makes ugliness beautiful. He makes sorrow joy. He makes darkness light. He makes death life. Not Buddha, not Mohammed, not Krishna or Vishnu or Brahma. Jesus. And, He loves me.
Which means that He makes my ugliness beautiful and my sorrow joy and my darkness light. He [...]
1 Comment » - Posted in Catholic Life, Faith and Reason, Saints and Angels by Katie
Sunday, March 23rd, 2008
Sorry I’m Tardy–Divine Mercy Novena, Day 3
There’s still time for you to join us in the Divine Mercy novena, in preparation for Divine Mercy Sunday next week. You can get the novena here. Please consider praying with us.
No Comments » - Posted in Catholic Life, Saints and Angels by Katie
Sunday, March 23rd, 2008
The Joy of the Resurrection Renews the Whole World!
Happy Easter dear friends and family! Christ is risen, hallelujah!
I receive the daily Gospel reflection emails from Legionary priests and consecrated (which anyone can sign up for), and here was part of today’s reflection that particularly struck me:
Imagine the Christian faith without the reality of the Resurrection of Christ. Good Friday would herald an [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Catholic Life by Devman
Sunday, March 23rd, 2008
New Pipe–the Nording
Katie and I went to Pipe World and bought a nice pipe, since I have taken such a liking toward pipe smoking: The Nording.
We have had several friends and family members express their concern for me taking up this new hobby, which I know comes from their love for us. I also do not [...]
1 Comment » - Posted in Grapevines and Nature, Masculine Spirituality by Devman
Thursday, March 20th, 2008
Birthday Gifts
Thank you all for wishing me a happy birthday yesterday!
I received some wonderful gifts, including The Dangerous Book for Boys from the Garcias, a Borders gift certificate from my mom, and The Hive and the Honeybee from Katie.
Katie got me one other, very surprising gift, also:
A pipe plus pipe tobacco!
I am now a pipe smoker [...]
3 Comments » - Posted in Grapevines and Nature, Masculine Spirituality by Devman
Wednesday, March 19th, 2008
Devin’s Birthday
Hey everybody,
Today is Devin’s 30th birthday. He’s relieved that I’ve not planned a surprise party, but, truth be told, I dropped the ball on any party at all. Poor Devin. So, why don’t you leave a comment to make him feel better.
He’s going to receive some very fun gifts today, and I hope he knows [...]
14 Comments » - Posted in Catholic Life by Katie
Monday, March 17th, 2008
Garden’s Growing
Yesterday, I baked Irish soda bread in honor of St. Pat’s day, which we aren’t really celebrating–I promise. In the bread, I used Rose chicken eggs and Rose bee honey, and it was a great feeling. Devin and I have borrowed a phrase from our friend, Dave Thies: we’re not just living, we’re [...]
3 Comments » - Posted in Catholic Life, Grapevines and Nature by Katie
Monday, March 17th, 2008
Pure Fashion Show in Austin
If you’re interested in being inspired. If you want to teach your young daughter to value modesty. If you want to help evangelize the fashion industry, I have an event for you.
Sunday, April 6th at the Austin Country Club, 30 brave models of virtue and loveliness will walk the runway. Let’s pack [...]
1 Comment » - Posted in Catholic Life, Entertainment, Theology of the Body by Katie
Saturday, March 15th, 2008
Terror of Demons
St. Joseph’s feast day is today, moved up from March 19th because next week is Holy Week!
I started this blog under St. Joseph’s patronage, and the tagline under his picture used to read: “St. Joseph, terrorizing demons since 30 B.C.”
God the Father entrusted St. Joseph with His Only Son, Jesus Christ, and so we can [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Masculine Spirituality, Saints and Angels by Devman
Saturday, March 15th, 2008
Obama and His Pastor’s Devastatingly Wrong Theology
My friend and I spoke recently about whether having correct theology is important.
Examples: “Does it really matter if Jesus and the Father are ‘one in being’?” “Does it really matter if God inspired 73 books or only 66 books that make up our Bible?” “Does it really matter if God forgives original sin [...]
5 Comments » - Posted in Faith and Reason, Politics by Devman
Friday, March 14th, 2008
Obama Finally Distances Himself From His Pastor
Senator Obama, in the face of his pastor and spiritual advisor’s most recent tirades, has finally come out and distanced himself from the pastor.
Two months ago I posted about some of his pastor’s racist and un-Christian remarks here.
Via Sheila’s blog.
If you want to see for yourself what his pastor preaches, you can watch this clip:
WPvideo [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Faith and Reason, Politics by Devman
Friday, March 14th, 2008
The Bees Have Turned Against Us
What did we ever do to them?
To be specific, the new hive, Augustine, has turned against us: Katie was minding her own business in the garden a few days ago, and an Augustine bee came up and stung her in the eyebrow area!
Then I went out to grill and one came after me; I had [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Grapevines and Nature by Devman
Tuesday, March 11th, 2008
Let He Who Is Without Sin…
…cast the first stone.
You have probably heard about the allegations that New York Governor Eliot Spitzer fornicated with a prostitute, and it seems that the allegations are probably true.
One Republican political consultant called him a “hypocrite”, and many persons are calling for his resignation. He was a rising star in the Democratic party, but [...]
2 Comments » - Posted in Love and War, Masculine Spirituality, Politics, Theology of the Body by Devman
Tuesday, March 11th, 2008
Fr. Maciel on Confession and Secularism
This excerpt is part of a letter Fr. Maciel, founder of the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi, wrote to a businessman in 1991:
Regnum Christi recommends to its members the assiduous use of this sacrament [Confession] as a magnificent way to cultivate the life of grace….Going to Confession regularly (for example, every two weeks) is [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Faith and Reason by Devman
Tuesday, March 11th, 2008
The Obligations of the State With Regard to Marriage
From the encyclical Casti Conubii, (or Christian Marriage) by Pope Pius XI in 1930:
But not only in regard to temporal goods, Venerable Brethren, is it the concern of the public authority to make proper provision for matrimony and the family, but also in other things which concern the good of souls.
Just laws must be made [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Faith and Reason, Love and War by Devman
Monday, March 10th, 2008
Abortionist Tossing Babies’ Body Parts Into Dumpster
Warning: graphic wording.
It is another very disgusting story of a very disgusting industry: this abortion mill has been throwing away aborted babies’ body parts, among other things, into their trash, and they were found in the dumpster.
From the police report (via CPLC):
On our third trash investigation we also found bloody canulas and human tissue distinguishably [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Politics, Theology of the Body by Devman
Monday, March 10th, 2008
More Evidence of Hormones in Our Drinking Water
CNN reports on a study that the AP has done an investigation into drinking water, and the results have been what many have claimed for some time:Â There are pharmaceuticals, drugs of all kinds, and hormones in the water (probably from contraceptive pills and fertilizers).
1 Comment » - Posted in Grapevines and Nature by Devman
Sunday, March 9th, 2008
Honey and Bees
We had another bee weekend, and Katie and I are just about tired of seeing bees, wax, and honey.
We harvested most of the honey that we collected from the cut-out; it was quite thick and dark. We did crush and strain but because it wasn’t very warm here, the honey was filtering very slowly [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Grapevines and Nature by Devman
Friday, March 7th, 2008
Triduum Traditions, Ladies?
Dear readers, I am currently planning an event at my parish titled “Celebrating the Triduum in Your Domestic Church”. It will be an afternoon event for mothers focused on spiritually deepening their familys’ participation in the Triduum and offering practical suggestions regarding how to do so–foods to make, ways to decorate the home, etc.
With that [...]
3 Comments » - Posted in Catholic Life by Katie
Thursday, March 6th, 2008
Huckabee Bows Out, McCain Clinches Nomination
As you no doubt heard, Mike Huckabee graciously bowed out of the Republican race after losing Texas and Ohio earlier this week.
As I mentioned previously, we supported his campaign, and I think he has influenced Senator McCain and others positively with his firm stance supporting life, especially the most vulnerable life of the unborn baby.
Senator [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Faith and Reason, Politics by Devman
Thursday, March 6th, 2008
Catholic Blog Awards
To my knowledge, this humble blog, St. Joseph’s Vanguard and Our Lady’s Train, has never been nominated for any blog awards, but our friends Amy and Chris have pointed out to us that someone nominated us for the Catholic Blog Awards!
To whomever nominated us, thank you a ton! We are very honored.
It looks like [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Catholic Life by Devman
Wednesday, March 5th, 2008
Where Is THAT In the Bible?
I would like to ask that question to Senator Obama over his recent claim that Jesus justified same-sex unions in the Sermon on the Mount.
Unfortunately, from what I read of his statements he didn’t actually mention the specific chapter and verse that he was referring to, so we don’t actually know which words of Christ [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Faith and Reason, Politics by Devman
Wednesday, March 5th, 2008
The Caucus
2 Comments » - Posted in Entertainment, Politics by Devman
Wednesday, March 5th, 2008
Beehive Cutout Update
Whew! A lot has happened in the past few days, but I have not had time to write about it.
On Sunday, I went back to my mom’s house and found a goodly-sized cluster of bees up where we had cut the bees out of the house: Either the queen was in there among them, [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Grapevines and Nature by Devman
Saturday, March 1st, 2008
Beehive Cutout
My friend Doug came over to my mom’s house this morning, and we found the beehive under the eave and cut them out!
I used my digital camera for taking the video and captured a fair amount of the process. My mom stayed inside and fought the bees that found their way in the house [...]