Merry Christmas!

         

Email is so 2000

This NYT article is something I've been thinking, and practicing, for a while:  less and less email.  It's more time consuming, and dare I say arduous, than texting or blogging.  The main reason we started this blog was so that we could cut down on the mass emails to family and friends.  If you'd like to see/read what we're doing (and we'd like you to!), then check this common site.  It's too much trouble to put together emails.

Though I don't use it at home, I've started to use chat at work a lot more.  We just finally got it on our computers about three months ago.  Sad to say, I've even "chatted" people only 20 feet away from me.  It comes in very handy with people not in our building or in other cities.  Rather than have to look up a phone number, dial, put the card in, etc., you just pull the person's name up and type away.

I'm definitely not in the same league as the "Millenials," who text and facebook and twitter constantly, on everything.  We have a facebook account to see what Bobbins' friends and family are up to; I doubt we will ever start a twitter feed.  I'm sure ten years from now we'll be considered old fashioned and out of it for still blogging.  Who knows how quickly and effortlessly communication will move then.  MM and Josie will be "stuck" looking at their parents blog or sending them emails....

Say It Ain't So St. Joe's

Although not surprised, I was saddened to read that Bishop Olmsted had to remove the Mass and Eucharist, more or less to de-Catholicize, St. Joseph's Hospital.  It being Catholic was one of the best things we liked about it, and why our two daughters were delivered there.  Alas.

I suppose it was inevitable, like with many other "Catholic" hospitals around the US over the last 10-20 years, which are really no different than other hospitals, except in name and a few crosses and statues here and there.  Like those, St. Joe's had been providing voluntary sterilizations, contraception counseling, and in thankfully rare cases abortions.  What pushed the Bishop over the edge, what forced him to act, was the Hospital's blatant disregard for Church teaching in killing an unborn child and the ensuing scandal, which the Hospital seemed to flame.  Rather than quietly try to work out a compromise, the Hospital, led by a woman religious, led many people into a grievous error.  The murder of an unborn child is never right, which is how the Hospital portrayed it.

Of course the coverage of this incident has been biased.  I love how the Reuters article linked above said the bishop called the procedure "an abortion," making sure to put quotation marks.  I'm not sure what else you would call it.  All the reporting about what happened refer to saving the mother and protecting her health but never mentioning that there were two lives at stake and that one was prematurely ended.

I was heartened to see our OB, Dr. Chavira, on the news defending the bishop.  As a St. Joe's doctor, he had a little more authority to speak on the issue.  Even though his comments were edited to make it look like he flaunted American law, he made a nice point about God's law, the moral law, taking precedence over the actions of a misguided board of administrators.

St. Luke, patron saint of doctors, pray for the Hospital.

The Tree

Bobbins did a pretty good job -- one strand at a time! -- of applying the tinsel.

              

Decorating the Tree

Last Friday I cut out of work early to get our tree going.  As always, MM was a good helper, and Josie did her part as well.

                

        

        

              

          

Christmas...

I really liked the beginning of Ross Douthat's column of today:

Christmas is hard for everyone. But it’s particularly hard for people who actually believe in it.

In a sense, of course, there’s no better time to be a Christian than the first 25 days of December. But this is also the season when American Christians can feel most embattled. Their piety is overshadowed by materialist ticky-tack. Their great feast is compromised by Christmukkwanzaa multiculturalism. And the once-a-year churchgoers crowding the pews beside them are a reminder of how many Americans regard religion as just another form of midwinter entertainment, wedged in between “The Nutcracker” and “Miracle on 34th Street.”

These anxieties can be overdrawn, and they’re frequently turned to cynical purposes. (Think of the annual “war on Christmas” drumbeat, or last week’s complaints from Republican senators about the supposed “sacrilege” of keeping Congress in session through the holiday.) But they also reflect the peculiar and complicated status of Christian faith in American life. Depending on the angle you take, Christianity is either dominant or under siege, ubiquitous or marginal, the strongest religion in the country or a waning and increasingly archaic faith.


He then goes on to review two new books about the supposed decline of Christianity.  I won't comment on whether that's happening or not.  While sad on the surface, there may some silver lining in the decline of the Christian underpinning of Western culture.  Christianity, I think, thrives as a persecuted minority.  Look at how well, and fast, the religion seized the world in the first two centuries, going from near extinction to world domination.  Of course, that would subside, and Islam would nearly do the same thing several centuries later, but a de-Christianized culture could mean a more virile practice of the faith.

Hard day in the trenches

 

My circus princess

Aunt Katie found these ADORABLE jammies for Pheeny.

Little Bellies

I have never seen something so true

MM Dancing, Josie Laughing

After being apart all day Sunday, the girls couldn't wait to play with each other.

2 Comments

2 Quick Comments on news items of today:

First is the great news that a federal judge in Richmond ruled that Obamacare is unconstitutional.  You wouldn't think we need a lawsuit, court battle, and ruling to tell us what's common sense -- that the government can't force you to buy insurance.  No matter to Obama, Pelosi, and other liberals.  They want to take over the health care industry.  That would be a disaster for this country.  You like going to DMV now?  That's what going to the doctor will be like under Obamacare.  I thought we had this abomination stopped earlier this year in Congress, but they rammed it through.  The judge in Richmond has helped bring things around (although he didn't issue an injunction).  Let's get this thing to the Supreme Court where our last chance of stopping it lies.  Even then I'm not terribly confident it will be defeated.

Second, it is only a matter of time, probably within the next year, that we have a suicide bomber like this in the United States.  We've had our fair share of home-grown extremists this past year, but none committed enough to strap on a bomb laden with nails and ball bearings in a martyrdom mission.  That will surely change.  That the guy in Sweden was Iraqi-born and lived in the UK for years, raising a family, doesn't seem to really stand out as it once would have.  Other than the fact that we've allowed thousands of Iraqi refugees into this country over the last two years.  But the nationality doesn't really matter (Pakistani, Nigerian, Iraqi, American): any could be a radical Muslim.

Senator Coburn

Ross Douthat had a pretty good column on Senator Tom Coburn. One other positive quality of Coburn's Douthat might've mentioned in the column but didn't was the Senator's sticking to his self-imposed term limits.  He pledged to serve only three terms in the House of Representatives and stepped down after his sixth year in 2001.  Hopefully he stays in the Senate for three terms, a solid 18 years.  He was re-elected this last November.

A medical doctor, Coburn is staunchly pro-life.  But his best quality, as Douthat identifies, is his steadfast small-government conservatism.  He realizes the real bind this country is in and isn't afraid to make the tough choices to right the ship.

Thanks for your example and leadership Sen. Coburn.

MM Gets Her Groove

With a little help (or hindrance?) from her dad, she rocks out to Pandora's Weezer station streamed through our blu-ray player and TV.

Start 'em Young

How long before she's teaching us things on the computer?

"Dad, we really need a new external HD"

Me and Dad

Josie's getting some QT with dad today.  Mom and sis are in Yuma visiting mom's brother.  We had a nice walk with Olden this morning and are about to go visit AK and grocery shop.

              

Mom left very strict instructions for dad.

2010 Tree

Friday afternoon we also got our Christmas tree, from Home Depot, a 6.5' Noble.

              

               

Work Party

Friday night was my work Christmas party, this year at the fancy Biltmore.  The setting was great but the food (except for the popsicle brownies and rolls) was actually a tad disappointing.  They did have a good DJ and this was one of the largest turnouts since I've been going to these things.  Bobbins was in full effect and we had fun dancing to the Black Eyed Peas now ubiquitous dance tune "Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night."  [Thanks a million to MH for babysitting for us.]

       

Dinner Tonight

MM's pretty much feeding herself and Josie's eating veggies (and having solid poops now).

       

How to Teach the Civil War and Emancipation

giddy up partnr'

As it has sometimes been called the compound, we had a great time at my parents house. Margaret was able to enjoy the horse and get her little hands dirty. Many a good and not so good conversations have happened out at the bunkhouse when I was growing up. So, I enjoyed playing with Marcelly here as it was a big part of my life. And if I must say, she darn cute in her boots!

Pulling her weight

No Pity for the Kitty

I have been savoring our victory over the mildcats the last few days, waiting to blog about it.  There was a fair amount of trash talking Wednesday before the game from our Tucson office.  Thanks to my colleague Craig for fighting the fight.  There was the taunt about no bowl or the toilet bowl for the Devils, to which the easy reply is that until it holds a rose in its teeth, a mildcat can never talk about bowls.  It's also fitting for North Nogales State to be going to the Alamo Bowl this year -- schools from Mexico know all too well about that place.

Probably the sweetest thing about the win was the redemption in the kicking game, both with Tom Weber re-gaining his foot from two years ago and us benefitting from two blocked PATs.  I admit, I was one of the fans calling for Weber to be benched, but as a wise old Devil pointed out to me recently, that's just kickers.  You can't do anything about it, other than hope they get their head squared away.  Well, Weber did, and he was money, going 5 for 5 including a 52 yarder to put the Devils up first, 3-0.  After suffering two losses because of PAT issues (Wisconsin, USC), it definitely felt nice to be on the receiving end.

All the more better that the UofA kicker was Alex Zendejas, whose father Max was enemy #1 in the 80s and who kicked the game winner last year in Tempe.  After he booted that winner, he ran around the field taunting the stadium and whipping up the mildcat supporters.  He really has no problem boasting.  So he deserved to lose that way.  And the second block was his fault, as it was too low and bounced off his own man before being deflected wide right.

I had higher expectations for ASU QB Brock Osweiler.  Yeah, he hasn't played much all season and is still young, but he started on the road at Oregon last year and had some decent playing time the last two years.  His youth and inexperience showed, painfully, as he went 3-15 in the first half.  Most of his throws were over his receivers' heads, and at least two or three should've been mildcat interceptions.  Still, he didn't lose the game, with no turnovers, and some clutch throws at the end, as in the second overtime.  I have always preferred Os over Threet -- better throwing arm downfield, and a quicker release.  I vote Os as the starter next year.

Definitely some high expectations for next season.  The only key player we lost to graduation this year was the kicker; otherwise, everyone's back.  The defense should be even more solid and the offense should be more experienced in the scheme.  The talent is clearly there.  The big question is if Erickson can mold the team into a winner.  I have not been terribly impressed with his tenure at Arizona State.  The program has seemed to go downhill since he took over.  If he hadn't won these last two to finish 6-6, especially a big win over UofA, he might have even been chopped (although I doubt the school could afford to fire him early).  I thought this coming year was his last, but apparently he has two years left.  He did recruit all of the talent we have now, so I'm not ready to dump him, but I'm certainly not ready to renew him, either.  The penalties and lack of discipline with the team is extremely frustrating.  Next season there's no excuses.  I'm predicting 8-4, in this crazy, unnecessary Pac-12.  I'll be there with my good buddy Featha.  Go Devils!

Josie

Like a typical younger sister, Josie sometimes gets the shaft, so here's a post for her.  We just started putting her in the high chair and giving her rice cereal, which she seems to lap up (in between pushing it out with her tongue).

          

          

MM wanted to share this video of how much she loves her sis.