Countrydiction

I am so relieved. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (see ratzingerfanclub.com/blog) is now Pope Benedict XVI. There has been a growing awareness by some of us for the need of a 'muscular Christianity.' In Pope Benedict we have our Arnold Schwarzenneger. Many have noted the speed or shortness of the conclave to elect the new pope, which was the result of the unanimity of the Cardinals to continue much of the legacy of John Paul the Great. Much of the mainstream media have lamented that Benedict XVI has gone on record condemning relativism in the modern world. It's going to take a strong man with indestructible belief in truth and faith to counter the tide of the secular world, particularly in western Europe and North America, and in Benedict XVI we have that man! I believe as the pope has said that the exclusivity of the Roman Catholic faith, the Church's teaching that there is an absolute truth and that the Church was instituted by Jesus Christ, will mean a leaner, more v...

After jumping through more hoops than a circus animal I can now consider myself a professional writer. I was hired by the Northwest Florida Daily News to be one of their three new 'citizen columnists.' In other words, I'm a local columnist and I can write about whatever subject my heart desires. Man, I wanted this writing gig! My first column will be published on Wednesday, 27th of April. Initially our column will run every other week. My goal is to run weekly. The newspaper website requires a subscription to read it, so I am going to contact the webmaster and get a link to my columns which will be available here, plus I intend to get authorized to have my columns available on this blog. Nothing like a part-time job where I can work at home, in my cut-offs and Mickey Mouse house slippers!

Words, for a person who enjoys reading and writing, are like the variety of plants in our world. Regardless of what language you consider you will find it uses words which are utilitarian, some that are sustaining, and others which are beautifully descriptive. Likewise, some plants are useful for building things, some for feeding us, and many others express inspirational beauty. For example, the word ‘do’ is a no-nonsense, useful verb. The word is used for many different meanings, such as produce, solve, and suffice. Colloquially, or conversationally, ‘do’ can mean visit, deceive, or swindle. The word is used as a base for phrases such as do over, do like, and do away with. Now, I see the word ‘do’ like I see the longleaf pine tree. It used to be more common throughout the southeast, but it was over-harvested for lumber. Other trees are used for lumber now. The tree is also useful for its pine needles and its bark, both of which make fine mulch for other plants. There are als...

After three or four weeks without hearing from the newspaper after I submitted a second commentary I had given up hope of getting a columnist position. Then while I was in Austin I received an email which notified me that I made the second cut! Originally, there were 50 plus people submitting a sample. Seven of us were selected from that group. I was one of three from that group to be interviewed, which took place yesterday with the editor and one of his staff. The editor said he will notify me by early next week whether I'm selected or not. This has been like an emotional roller coaster. I submitted a third piece unsolicited and hope that it helps the cause rather than sink it. My nature doesn't allow me to just sit and wait. Lord, I'm ready to go to work and use the tools you've given me!

The Pontiff,Oct 16, 1978 to Apr 2, 2005. 

The ESPN website really blows my coals. They asked what was the most memorable clutch, end-of-game shot so far in the NCAA tournament. They gave three options to choose from: Arizona 's Salim Stoudamire beats Oklahoma State , or Bucknell's Chris McNaughton beats Kansas , or West Virginia gets a stop and a breakaway dunk to beat Creighton. Welllllllllllllllll! Everyone knows that the biggest, baddest, Packer-smacker was the three-pointer at the end of regulation to tie the score during the Kentucky-Michigan State regional final in Austin. Here's the scene: with under a minute to go Patrick Sparks, Kentucky's shooting guard, misses the front end of a one-and-one free throw bonus situation. Usually, he's clutch. Two free throws would give the Cats a one point lead. Instead MSU goes down court and makes two to give them a three point lead with a few seconds left. Here we are, three points down, clock ticking to oblivion. Sparks launches a three and misses, ...

The more I think about it I get incensed at the sloppy work at Fox News and CNN. Today, they both announced that Pope John Paul II had died. Fox attributed their source to the 'Italian media' and I switched to CNN to hear them claim their source to be the Reuters newswire. Apparently, the Vatican quashed the rumors and the cable channels soon retracted. While hearing all the pundits and analysts speaking of John Paul in the past tense all day I can't help but note how uncomfortable the media are with the stubbornness of JPII to continue the fight. Having struggled to understand the fight in the Schindlers for the life of their daughter, Terri Shiavo, the media reflect the confusion and consternation of all those who shun the weak and spurn the helpless. John Paul has marked his legacy with his insistence on the dignity of all human life. Vis-a-vis the dire portent of the life and death of Terri Schiavo, the Holy Father no doubt is walking the walk.

For those too young to remember, or who've been indoctrinated by academic revisionists, these are the two men responsible for the victory over the hegemony of Communism. Truly giants among men, prophets from God, masters of their universe. God bless the Church, and God bless America...

During my motorcycle ride to Austin TX and back (1,500 miles) and in a drive to Gulf Shores AL in my truck I observed a plethora of character types on the road. Some mosey along like they are oblivious to the chaos around them. I've been semi-retired (jobless) for a year now and I don't have to be anywhere on time except church on Sunday. But, I still race to anywhere I go. Most of the drivers on the road are apparently chronically late because they drive as if nothing better get in their way. My mind-set is to get somewhere without lollygagging. When I left Austin I took a country road through the outback, the most direct route to Houston. It was a four lane highway with massive shoulders and beautiful purple, orange and pink wildflowers flanked the sides and filled the medians. I had my camera with me but I didn't stop to take one photo because I needed to stay on course without delay. What's wrong with that attitude? So, I was on I-12 in the Baton Rouge metro...

The thunderbolts are flying. We on the Gulf Coast have had six to seven inches of rain since yesterday, starting soon after the announcement of Terri Schiavo's death. Presently, we are hearing that the Holy Father, John Paul II, is in the throes of death. Choirs of angels are forming at Peter's Gate. Two saints have defied not only death, but all of those who would forego suffering in the rush to the choice to die. Already, two cable news channels which I have watched all morning have reported John Paul's death, based on Reuters, rumors, and the Italian press, and have had to retract and apologize for an incorrect diagnosis. As long as the windows remain open at the Papal apartments then we know that the pope is still with us. My prayers were for the relief of his suffering or for recovery to health. My prayers are now for the Church and its future. The Holy Spirit will insure that the Mother Church will prevail as a mystical body of Christ. It is the human institution whic...

People will talk about the Cats-Spartan game forever. I am horse from screaming at the referrees. There's a reason why the video screens at the games don't show replays like you are accustomed to seeing at home. It keeps the crowds from becoming even more incensed at the officials. This game was an extraordinary chess match between two masters, Tubby and Izzo. Too bad Tubby had to lose, because I love the job he's doing, but he is going to start catching more hell from the UK fans for his drought of Final Fours since '98. Morris had his game, as well as most everybody else, with the glaring exception of Kallena Azabuike. What a shame he didn't show up, our best scorer... The 17,000 seat arena filled up with lot's of non-UK and non-MSU basketball fans. The vast majority rooted for the underdog, Michigan State. Chuck, we're going to miss you, man.

What a country! I rode 750 miles last Thursday, but I'm still in the South. As a Blue-Blood Kentucky Wildcat fan able and willing to jump through hoops to follow our team, I deployed to Austin to stay with cuzin Darrell and attend the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight in one glorious weekend. Darrell and I staked a claim in a ticket line Friday morning to attempt to get two of a bundle of tickets released at the last minute by Michigan State. The rumors were that the amount of tickets to go on sale were 150 to 200. We waited from 7:00 till 10:00 a.m. when the ticket booth opened. The wait was a classic example of how ugly a situation can get when thes re is a line of true sports fans being infiltrated by professional broker/scalpers. Healthy optimism degraded into chaotic confrontation when we could not get event coordinators or campus police (the arena is the University of Texas property) to intervene. Without law and order (wild west?) you get unfettered human nature, and the ...

Ozzie had a playmate, a one year old mix mutt, that belonged to a neighbor. He got shot. Then there was the female rottweiler that came around, but a neighbor took it off to the pound. Another showed up, a blue heeler or some kind of herder dog with silver eyes and unbounding energy, but he got into another neighbor's chicken coop and they apparently snuffed him out because I found buzzards dining on the carcas. There is a golden retriever that has visited a couple times lately. I hope he survives because Oz needs playmates. Oslo has the run of the neighborhood but he behaves and is a sweetheart and is a handsome beast. I would not want to be fenced in, so I don't intend to fence in my dog. He made me laugh again. I was setting at the computer, my stomach growled...Oslo went wild. He didn't know what he heard but he jumped up and growled himself and rushed for the door, probably thinking 'Who dat?'

A couple months ago I heard about the Arizona Minuteman Project, an effort to gather 1,000 volunteer US citizens to spend one month, April 2005, near the Arizona/Mexico border. I found the website to get some information because it intrigued me and I wanted to see what the group meant to accomplish. The majority of volunteers at the time were veterans, especially retired military members. Right down my alley. The intent is for Minutemen to monitor the border around the clock for a month to guage the usefulness of our border control and to observe illegal aliens coming across the border and then report the illegal entry to the border patrol. There is to be no physical contact with the illegals. Volunteers must bear all individual expenses. Since I don't have adequate camping gear and dogs are not allowed I did not volunteer. Today, President Bush is meeting with the leaders of Canada and Mexico. Dubya stated that the Minutemen are vigilantes! President Fox loved it. Many U...

Sea level sucks! Kidding. I do love Colorado though...the whole west for that matter. So, I stumbled across a website for the Colorado Outward Bound Relay and found a team looking for runners and I signed up! If I was wealthier I would have a place in the Rockies and my place here near the coast and I would split my time between them. What also attracts me to this endeavor is that it gives me incentive to plug through the summer with my training. Usually, my running bogs down in the humidity and heat down here. I will just have to get it done by doing it at daybreak which will be somewhat bearable at around 75 degrees. I contacted a cousin in Colorado Springs to see if I could stay at her place. Even though she's going to be on vacation in Ireland at that time, she's offered her house for my use. Her daughter, Erin, will be nearby, and I have another cousin and her family in the Springs area, so I'm set. Been doing my research and I'll have to go out there a week ...

I haven't heard from the newspaper in awhile so I assume I am no longer under consideration for a columnist job. It was exciting to be in the running for awhile anyways. Thank heavens for this outlet for expressing myself with the written language and with graphics.

I'll never forget a conversation I had at the table one evening while I was in the seminary. It was in the fall of 2003, a few months after we entered Iraq. My 'heated' conversation was with a Benedictine monk, Fr. Patrick, who was an Air Force Reserve chaplain and had recently spent 30 days in Qatar where the US military placed its command and control center for conducting the ground war in Iraq. Two facets of our chat stand out clearly in my memory. One argument of Fr. Pat's was that democracy was not a realistic possibility in the Middle East. I had stated that freedom from tyranny was the over-riding justification for the US intervention in that region, and the removal of Hussein was the imperative, first step that had to be taken. Hussein was a thug who threatened and killed his own people and his neighbor's people. Take this monster down, then see if the Iraqis would thrive in freedom. Also, Fr. Pat insisted that the insurgents (terrorists) were, on th...

Ego, temperment, urges, self-control...these boys look a lot alike. Heck, I'm sure they are interchangeable in their job skills too!

The January 30th election day in Iraq can be equated to the hole in the dike. Let us reframe this children's tale in this way; the dike is the totalitarian and autocratic network of despots and dictators with their supporting cast of terrorists, insurgents, and nihilists; the sea being held back is the human desire for freedom. The plans for the Iraqi election caused a breach in the dike and this created a threat to the status quo. Non other than Hans, the would be hero, shows up to find a trickle passing through the hole in the dike. In this little analogy Hans represents the brotherhood or coterie comprised of the academic elitists, the left wing of the Democratic Party/Hollywood, the New York Times, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, CBS, and NPR. Like the mighty Mississippi River the oppressed people can only be contained for so long. The left wing naysayers said to delay the Iraqi elections because the people were not ready. Since the election the hole in the dike has opened to ...

I received a call I was hoping for yesterday. The editor of the local newspaper called to tell me that I made the final round of a half a dozen or so writers selected from 50 plus submissions. I was asked to provide another 550 word piece with a deadline of 5:00 p.m. Friday (tomorrow). If I get this break into the world of mainstream media I will seek to emulate my idols...Victor Davis Hanson, Mark Steyn, and Jonah Goldberg.