Personal

7 Quick Takes Friday – Flights and Films

/ esteban / 2 Comments

 

I haven’t done one of these “7 Quick Takes Friday” posts in awhile.  I’m not sure I have the hang of it yet.  If you want to see the pros in action, go over to conversiondiary.com and check out the other posts there.

 

1.

It hasn’t really hit me yet that I have to get on a 7am flight tomorrow morning.  I am not prepared.  I used to do this all the time when I worked in corporate America, four years of commuting to either Boston or Houston.   I know what to expect and no amount of coffee will cure the morning fog I’m going to feel until I arrive in Baltimore tomorrow afternoon.  Oh sure, take a nap on the plane they say.  Yeah, right. That never happens for me.  And, I can’t read that early in the morning either, so I’m counting on my iPad to entertain me with some soothing music or a film that I’ve watched a dozen times already, just so I can put my brain in neutral for awhile.

2.

Baltimore, you say?  Yep! I’ll be attending the Bloggers Dialogue session that precedes the Fall meeting of the USCCB.  It’s been a long time since I hobnobbed with bishops.  I better go shine my shoes or something.

3.

It’s guy’s night tonight, which will probably be my undoing given tomorrow’s early flight.  But, how could I turn down trying out a new BBQ joint with my buddies, followed by seeing the new James Bond flick “Skyfall” at the Imax.  It’s a moral imperative.  (Does anyone but me ever get that reference from “Real Genius“?)

4.

It’s always the cables.  Anyone who spends much time working with computers or other electronics knows that if a problem crops up, the first thing you do is check the cables.  I know this from LONG experience of working on all kinds of equipment, from PCs to custom designed RTUs and PLCs.  I apparently forgot those important lessons earlier this week.  I installed one of those medial alert systems in the home of my elderly aunt.  You know, you push a button on your wristband if you’ve fallen and can’t get up.  I could not get the thing to work.  I even read the directions and looked at the diagrams, TWICE.  I know, right?  Should have worked.   It was only after calling technical support did I realize that I had the phone cable plugged into the wrong port.  I blame the diagram for inconsistent wording.  It’s not like I have a master’s degree in computer science or anything.

5.

The election is over.  Oklahoma is probably the reddest of red states.  There’s a palpable sense of anger and disappointment here.  Now would not be a good time to try and mess with us.

6.

I am not an accomplished movie reviewer, but I’m going to try.  Last Tuesday, instead of obsessing over the election returns, I went to a showing of the new film “Flight” with Denzel Washington.  I hope this isn’t a spoiler, but the film was not what I expected it to be.   First, it’s definitely not a family friendly movie.  The preponderance of drugs and alcohol and the mostly positive portrayal of it was not something I enjoyed.  The language was just as bad and gratuitous.  There’s some great acting in this film, particularly by Washington, John Goodman, Don Cheadle and Kelly Reilly.  However, having had to deal with the issue of alcohol addiction in my family, I did not enjoy this film, did not like its overall message,  and can not suggest it to others for that reason.  I know, if you’ve seen the movie, the end of it seeks to redeem the characters for their flaws.  That doesn’t mean that I enjoyed the film any more.

7.

On a happier note, for Battlestar Galactica fans, the first two episodes of BSG: Blood and Chrome are now available on Youtube, on the Machinima channel.  It’s a very light weight prequel of the previous Battlestar Galactica series.  From what I can tell from the first two episodes, it’s going to be action packed, but without all the deep philosophy and rich character development that we came to love.  But with just 12 minutes per episode, that’s fine with me.  Perhaps it will get some legs as a web series and have a chance at being extended into a real show on SyFy.

 

I had to resort to this …

/ esteban / 7 Comments

I’m incredulous that I had to resort to this.  I mean the note.

The office where I work is actually the living room of my home.  It has one of those quirks from the 60’s where instead of installing an overhead light fixture, the architect decided to wire the light switch to one of the wall outlets.  For a table lamp, I suppose.

As it works out, the best place to plug in my computer, printer, and podcasting equipment is this very same outlet.

For years, this was never a problem.  I knew not to flip that switch.  A piece of black electrical tape served as a reminder.

Six months ago, I discovered these much more attractive switch covers during a recent pilgrimage to Home Depot.  (Yay for hardware stores!)

The trouble began almost immediately after replacing the electrical tape with the switch cover. It’s like catnip apparently.

Three times in the last 6 months, visitors have determined that the cover must mean “insert your finger into the tiny slot in the side of the cover and flip the switch just to see what happens.”

Seriously?  You really came to that conclusion?

In all fairness, I do take a little pleasure when the person sheepishly confesses to the crime. There is obviously some psychology involved in this that I just don’t understand.

I added the note above the switch yesterday, after the latest incident.

Please, resist the catnip next time.

 

 

 

 

Strange and Wonderful

/ esteban / 1 Comment

This week I’ve been traveling through Indiana, making my way to South Bend for a wedding tomorrow morning.

I’ve been doing a little sightseeing along the way, visiting family grave sites and other points of interest.  I’ll write more about that later, but today’s visit to the Kosciusko County Museum and Research Library deserves special mention.

My g-g-grandparents Charles F. and Mary R. Nelson lived in Kosciusko County 150 years ago, so I made a special effort to visit Warsaw, Indiana, the county seat.

The museum is housed in the old county jail, which in itself is a fun visit, but it also contains a research library for genealogical purposes.

A portion of the Nelson related materials

I never expected to find hundreds of pages of research – charts, letters, newspaper clippings, obituaries, marriage and birth notices for the Nelsons of the area going back almost 200 years.

Over a couple of hours, I had a great time looking through the materials and talking with the museum staff.

If you follow my “Civil War Diary of Charles F. Nelson” blog, you may remember that it’s based on my g-g-grandfather’s war diaries.  At one point, we went on a hunt of the museum’s war collection for the original diaries, of which I have a copy.    A reference in one of their catalogs lead us to believe that they are there at the museum, although we could not find them.  It would have been awesome to actually have held them.

 

 

A letter from my grandfather!

Among the files, I found a handwritten letter from my own grandfather – a correspondence with the distantly-related Iva Nelson, who collected most of the research and donated it to the museum.

This letter mentions my parents, my cousins,  my siblings and me!    Who would have thought?

 

It’s a strange and wonderful feeling to visit an ancestral hometown and find yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7 Quick Takes Friday – Taking Out the Garbage

/ esteban

1.

I’m taking a few days next week to drive to South Bend for a friend’s wedding.  I’m going to take the opportunity to explore central Indiana and visit the graves of two Civil War veterans that I’m related to.    I’ve gone a bit blog happy and created a special one to publish the war diary of my great-great-grandfather C. F. Nelson.   If you’re into history, feel free to peruse http://cfnelson.everythingesteban.com .  His diary is not enormously compelling, at least not in the early months of his diary, but he’s a great almanac for 19th century weather reports!

 

2.

I hate to mention the upcoming presidential election, but since I live in perhaps the reddest of red states, I feel compelled to tell you how ignorant we are of the media blitz being unleashed on the rest of the country.  We have almost no political ads on TV.  We see the occasional ad on some of the national programs, but those are, so far, few and far between.  I feel for those of you in battleground states, but I can’t say that I’m disappointed in the least.

 

3.

My parish does a fantastic job with its annual parish festival.  “MaryFair” brings the whole parish together like no other social event of the year.  This week, they are conducting an online auction.  Saturday evening will be a sold-out benefit dinner with a great live auction.  Sunday will bring everyone together again for a very large parish picnic.   My job has been to make some powerpoint/keynote presentations for the auction on Saturday.  Should be a fun time as long as the weather holds.  What am I saying?  It’s Oklahoma!  We’re doomed now.

 

4.

Several months ago, I committed to an hour of Eucharistic Adoration at 1am every Tuesday morning.  I am forced to admit defeat.  This hour of the night is just never going to work for me.  The 4am hour I had before was much more manageable sleep-wise.   I’ve tried napping before the 1am slot and I’ve tried staying awake.  Either way my schedule on Tuesday gets totally out of whack and I’m a zombie the entire day.  I think I’m just going to have to trade with someone who’s more of a night owl than I am.

 

5.

I just received stickers from the City of Tulsa (where I live) for garbage collection. The city is beginning a new garbage collection system which includes two new large wheeled trash carts, one for household garbage and one for recyclables. The stickers are for bags of household trash that won’t fit into the bin. Other stickers are for yard waste. No sticker, to takee. At 50 cents a bag, this is going to be oh so annoying.

One man was apparently so upset at not having the room necessary to store the new recycling cart that he used his chain saw to chop it into little bits and sent it back to the city.

Oh, this will be a fun transition for folks.

 

6.

Oklahoma has two state fairs each fall.  The State Fair of Oklahoma is in our capital city, Oklahoma City.  Tulsa, my fair city, has the Tulsa State Fair.  No one has ever been able to tell me how we get to have our own, but I do say it’s much better than the one in OKC.

I don’t go that often, but I do have all sorts of memories from my childhood.  One particular day when I spent an inordinate amount of money trying to win a bowie knife as part of some midway game.  I eventually won the knife (I still have it actually) but probably spent at least twice what it was worth.  I also remember one year when my mom went to the livestock barns to look at horses.  She came home with a Llasa Apso puppy.  Dad was not amused, although that dog continues to live in family lore.

I think I’ll go Sunday afternoon, in search of a funnel cake, or a corn dog.

 

7.

My brother is coming to visit this weekend.  I’m off to clean the guest room, arguably the best room in the house.  I’m always a bit jealous of those who get to use that room.  I would stay there myself, but then it wouldn’t be the guest room anymore, would it?

 

Bonus!

I love to take sunset photos.  I had to pull the car over at the top of a hill to take the fiery one you see at the top of the page.  Click here to see the whole image. AMDG!

 

Find other “7 Quick Takes Friday” posts over at ConversionDiary.com

Antietam + 150 Years

/ esteban

Today I’m reflecting on the Battle of Antietam which took place 150 years ago today.  Also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg, it remains the deadliest day of combat in American history.  Approximately 23,000 Americans, North and South died that day .

The armies of Confederate general Robert E. Lee and Union general George McClellan engaged more than 38,000 troops that day in a battle that could only be regarded as a strategic victory for the Union.

Calling it a victory, President Lincoln used the occasion to issue the momentous Emancipation Proclamation.

Confederate dead at Antietam

 

Such a terrible battle, but only a part of a much more terrible war.  As a student of history it bothers me that our nation takes so little notice of these important days of our history.   Those who fought there deserve to be remembered.

As our nation seems to be fraying again, I wonder if we are headed toward creating new terrible memories amongst our own people.  What a shame if the lessons learned from those who battled at places like Antietam are lost on the current and future generations.

Here are a link to one report on the observances taking place at the Antietam Battlefield today.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/150-years-later-battle-of-antietam-prompts-reflection-on-lives-lost-and-freedom-won/2012/09/17/fac313dc-00bd-11e2-bbf0-e33b4ee2f0e8_story.html

Update:

My friend William Newton told me about this NPR piece about modern day photos of the Antietam Battlefield, using the same type of equipment that Civil War photographer Alexander Gardner used.   It’s pretty fascinating …

http://www.npr.org/2012/09/17/161167847/re-tracing-the-steps-of-a-civil-war-photographer

7 Quick Takes Friday – “Daddy”

/ esteban / 2 Comments

And now for the news …

One

I’m very pensive about all the anti-American violence in the Middle East.  The death and destruction is deplorable and seems to be pushing the whole world closer to a precipice.  Part of what I feel is a real sadness for seemingly decent people who are being manipulated by evil radicals and terrorists.  They are being mislead and misinformed for political gain.

Two

Part of what I feel is a real sadness for the decent American people who are being manipulated by our political parties.  They are being mislead and misinformed for political gain.

Three

I found a new blog over at Patheos.com that I’m really digging.  Public Catholic is written by Rebecca Hamilton.  She’s an Oklahoman (yay!), a Catholic (yay!), and a pro-life Democrat (yay!  … what?).  Hamilton is a 16-year member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.   We will no doubt disagree about many political positions, but from what I’ve read so far, she and I are of like mind when it comes to our feelings for Oklahoma.

Four

This post by Rebecca Hamilton is what caught my attention:  “Where I’m From, We Call Our Fathers Daddy” .  I’ve been feeling nostalgic about the men I grew up around when I was a kid.  Read this post and substitute “oil men” where she refers to “ranchers” and you have a good framework of my upbringing.  My dad, his colleagues and friends, and the men of our neighborhoods in Midland, Texas and Hobbs, New Mexico, were solid guys.  Most were WWII veterans, knew how to work with their hands, and were people that could be counted on.  Rather than calling someone in to fix a problem with the house, my dad would first give it a try himself, perhaps asking the other ‘bubs’ down at Sears for advice.  What that man could do with some dowels and a piece string was amazing.

Five

Just like that, summer is over.  A cold front moved in a couple of days ago and the once 100 degree temps have been pushed down into the ’50s.  Rain has set in and I’m forced to admit that the lake is now too cold to swim.  Sigh.  In my book, fall and winter are seasons just to be endured until spring and summer return.    At least I can expect some pumpkin pie sometime soon.

Six

In October I’m going to have the rare treat of attending a wedding at the Basilica at Notre Dame!  I love visiting that campus and the group of friends that will be there are some of the finest people I know.  A good time is expected.  It will also give me the chance to seek out the graves of my great-great-grandparents.   My gggf, Charles F. was a veteran of the 12th Indiana Volunteer regiment during the Civil War.  I have a copy of his diary but have never visited the cemetery where he, his wife Naomi, and other distant relatives are buried.  Seems fitting to visit since we are observing the 150th anniversary of that terrible conflict.

Seven

Prayers for Pope Benedict XVI as he visits Lebanon during this turbulent week.  Bishop Edward Slattery, of my home diocese, is on his way to join him there, so I’m equally concerned and prayerful.

 

Unexpected Inspiration

/ esteban / 1 Comment

 

It’s been awhile since something that I just happened to read has bounced around inside my head and tickled my innate sense of idealism.

A few minutes ago I read this:  An Unexpected Ass Kicking

And then, I read this follow up:  7 Things I Learned From My Encounter With Russell Kirsch

Reading this with my left-eyed Geek monocle, and my right-eyed Catholic monocle, has really allowed it to resonate with me.

  • Nothing is withheld from us which we have conceived to do.
  • Do things that have never been done.

For me, this is an essence of how we should honor our God-given time, talent and treasure.  Be brave, be humble, be generous and be creative.

I must think more on this.

7 Quick Takes Friday – Red Stapler Edition

/ esteban / 2 Comments

— 1 —

It happens every year.  The Catholic New Media Conference is coming up in 12 short days and as the main organizer it has really captivated my time.  So much so that this is the only blogging I’ve done in weeks.  It’s going to be a great event, but I’m looking forward to the after-party!

 

 

— 2 —

I miss the Olympics!  The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, but mostly the personal stories of people who work extremely hard, set lofty goals, take great risks, and don’t expect others to hand them a medal they didn’t earn.

I know that many of them are not particularly good role models, and some are ridiculously narcissistic, but how can you not love the unknown athlete from a country you’ve never visited, who is there just for the joy of competing and having a few minutes on the world stage.

 

— 3 —

Speaking of the Olympics, I was very pleased and surprised by the outward show of faith by many of the athletes.  In a world that increasingly shoves secularism at people, hearing so many people give credit to God for the talents, is comforting.

I hope I don’t forget the image of Ethiopian athlete Meseret Defar as she won the gold medal in the Women’s 5000 meter race.  Read about it here and see the fantastic photo as  Meseret, a devout Orthodox Christian, pulls a picture of the Blessed Mother from where she’d pinned it next to her heart.

— 4 —

Thank God for people who make me laugh!  My friend Jim always seems to pop up at the right time.  He knows I’ve been feeling stressed out lately, so he’s always around for a beer  when I’m ready to snap.  He’s got the cutest family too, which is always a fun diversion from the normal drudgery.

Let’s not forget Maria, who’s own 7 Takes Friday post, has had me thinking about red staplers all morning.

 

 

 

 

— 5 —

Monday was Left-Handers Day.  Yep, I’m a lefty, a southpaw, or “Kerr-handed” as my grandfather used to say.   Haven’t heard about the Kerr clan in Scotland?  Tradition states that so many of them were left-handed that they had a serious advantage in battle.  Some of their castles were built with spiral staircases going in the opposite-from-normal direction to make it harder for their right-handed foes.

I rather like being left-handed.  I’m the only one in my family for a couple of generations at least.  I’m actually mix-handed, doing some things with one hand and some with the other. Scissors have never been a problem for me, for example, and I can use hammers and screwdrivers in either hand, but damn those spiral notebooks!

— 6 —

For the Feast of the Assumption on Wednesday, I attended the 9am Mass at my parish.  As school has just started, it was also the first all-school Mass for the parish school.

I really enjoyed watching the various classes come into the Church.  The teachers patiently helped the younger ones find their places, but also firmly encouraged them to properly genuflect and cross themselves.

The Kindergartners were a little shell-shocked as this was their first time at a school Mass. Luckily, each was in the care of an 8th-grader who steered them from place to place and demonstrated the proper postures and gestures with the nonchalance and aplomb that only they can muster.

— 7 —

 Lastly, I recently found my old copy of “1984” by George Orwell.  I haven’t read it for decades, and given the world today it seems a whole lot scarier than I remember.  It is not a fun read.  I may go in search of something more soothing.  At least until the CNMC is over!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Frosty & Edna’s

/ esteban / 5 Comments

Still feeling nostalgic, even after my trip to the Porter Peach Festival, I thought I would tell you about my trip to Langley, Oklahoma, a small town on the western side of Grand Lake.

Ketchum is the town closest to my family’s lake cabin, but Langley is the somewhat larger town just to the south.  It has the full size grocery, Sonic Drive-In, ubiquitous Subway sandwich shop, and the only Catholic parish on the west side of the lake.

Desperately seeking a place for dinner, rather than Sonic, I decided to stop in at Frosty & Edna’s Restaurant.  I think it’s been there for more than 30 years, but it was my first visit, and I’m very glad I went!

My feelings of nostalgia were assuaged as soon as I stepped through the doors.  This is one of those classic old diners that we should all experience before they fade away.

Booths and tables to the left and a dining counter to the right, complete with the circular bar stools covered in maroon vinyl.

The first person I saw was an elderly gentleman, ensconced in the corner booth, enjoying a late night piece of pie and coffee.  (I later learned that one of his neighbors picked up his check, as good small town neighbors are wont to do.)

He reminded me of the duffers I used to encounter in Hobbs, NM when I was in high school.  More of the farmer type, rather than the oilmen of Hobbs, he was dressed in bib overalls and farmer’s cap, just as I would have imagined him.

Frosty and Edna are apparently the husband and wife team that originally opened the cafe.  According to the photo on the menu, they must be well into retirement; the cafe being run now by the third generation of the family.  (Not too many of those around anymore, I’m sure).

I sat at the counter and felt at home there, remembering times spent with my father and grandfather in occasions past.

With a plate of chicken fried steak, baked potato, cole slaw and hot rolls, I could see all the usual accouterments of a classic diner.   Lined up against the far counter wall were those individual serving boxes of Fruit Loops, Corn Flakes, and Rice Krispies.  Next to them was a rack holding those small metal syrup pitchers and a syrup warming pot, ready for the next morning’s breakfast crowd.

Ceramic coffee cups, with ads for local businesses on the outside and spoons on the inside, were lined up like a platoon of soldiers, ready for all comers.

And of course, there was the cafe kitsch.  Signs welcomed fisherman to the lake, old calendars and faded photos adorned the walls, and of course,  an image of John Wayne gazed benevolently at the patrons.

The entryway even has one of those kid arcade games where you can win a plush toy if you have prowess with (ooooh) “THE CLAW”.

 

The only thing I didn’t see was the pie carousel, but that’s OK, I was still reveling in the peaches and ice cream from earlier in the day!

In case you forgot, this is what that looked like. I would really like some more!

So there you have it, a step back in time to a classic American, family-owned, diner.

 

 

I’ll give this a solid 3-napkins for the food and the atmosphere.

I think I’ll try breakfast next time!

 

Peachy!

/ esteban / 2 Comments

I was feeling nostalgic this Saturday morning so I headed over to the small town of Porter, Oklahoma for their annual peach festival.

Although I’ve never  been before, it was a favorite summer activity for my grandparents.    My brother mentioned going with them a time or two, so I was curious what it was like.

I’ve always liked small towns and Porter didn’t disappoint!  Main street was blocked off  for food vendors, live music, inflatable attractions for the kids, booths for political candidates and craft sales.

Best of all?  Free peaches and ice cream for everyone at 1pm.  Can you beat that?  Honestly, this was one of the best desserts I’ve ever had!

The peaches were of a tart variety that reminded me of oranges.  (I was so impressed, they let me have two servings!)

The 100+ degree temperature made it all the better as all the towns people and visitors crowded the local fire station for one of the best American treats.  A 4-Napkin experience that only would have been better if someone had gone with me.

After a week in the hot city, the movie theatre tragedy in Colorado, and political attack ads, this was just what I needed.  Unpretentious Americana.

[portfolio_slideshow timeout=3000]

God Bless America!

Fortnight for Freedom: Day 13 – DIGNITATIS HUMANAE

/ esteban

On December 7, 1965, Pope Paul VI issued the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration of Religious Freedom “Dignitatis Humanae”

If you’ve never heard of it, or never read it, you can find it on the Vatican website here.

As I read it, I pulled some statements from it that I found resonating under our current situation and see in it all the more encouragement needed for defending our religious freedom.

On their part, all men are bound to seek the truth, especially in what concerns God and His Church, and to embrace the truth they come to know, and to hold fast to it.

 

This Vatican Council declares that the human person has a right to religious freedom. This freedom means that all men are to be immune from coercion on the part of individuals or of social groups and of any human power, in such wise that no one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his own beliefs, whether privately or publicly, whether alone or in association with others, within due limits.

 

On his part, man perceives and acknowledges the imperatives of the divine law through the mediation of conscience. In all his activity a man is bound to follow his conscience in order that he may come to God, the end and purpose of life. It follows that he is not to be forced to act in manner contrary to his conscience. Nor, on the other hand, is he to be restrained from acting in accordance with his conscience, especially in matters religious.

 

The social nature of man, however, itself requires that he should give external expression to his internal acts of religion: that he should share with others in matters religious; that he should profess his religion in community. Injury therefore is done to the human person and to the very order established by God for human life, if the free exercise of religion is denied in society, provided just public order is observed.

 

The freedom or immunity from coercion in matters religious which is the endowment of persons as individuals is also to be recognized as their right when they act in community. Religious communities are a requirement of the social nature both of man and of religion itself.

 

Government is also to help create conditions favorable to the fostering of religious life, in order that the people may be truly enabled to exercise their religious rights and to fulfill their religious duties, and also in order that society itself may profit by the moral qualities of justice and peace which have their origin in men’s faithfulness to God and to His holy will.

 

The fact is that men of the present day want to be able freely to profess their religion in private and in public. Indeed, religious freedom has already been declared to be a civil right in most constitutions, and it is solemnly recognized in international documents.(38) The further fact is that forms of government still exist under which, even though freedom of religious worship receives constitutional recognition, the powers of government are engaged in the effort to deter citizens from the profession of religion and to make life very difficult and dangerous for religious communities.

 

These are some of the phrases that stood out to me, but it doesn’t necessarily portray the whole thought or intent of the document.  I urge you to read it and form your own impressions, lest I be accused of trying to reframe the intention of the Council in writing this document.

 

When a house becomes a home

/ esteban

[portfolio_slideshow timeout=4000]

Most of the time my house feels like just a house.  It’s where I work, sleep and eat.

Occasionally though, someone will show up and breathe a new sense of life into the old place.  Such was last weekend when my very good friends John and Nadine White came into town for our diocese’s priestly ordinations.

One of my former students and their classmate John Grant was ordained for our diocese by Bishop Edward Slattery.  If I can find some good photos of that, I’ll share my thoughts in another post.

With John and Nadine came their daughter Sophie (4yrs old and my goddaughter), and Dominic (2 1/2 yrs old).

Suddenly my house became a home, with all that comes with having small children.  Poopy diapers, pee puddles on the hardwood floor, broomsticks that became horsies, late night struggles to get the kids “down”, toast with the crust cut off, reverse psychology, and general pandemonium.

The photos above are just a small sample of the energy and excitement that now makes my house seem so quiet now that they’ve gone home.

Most of the above are photos the kids made themselves when they found out that my iPad has Photobooth on it.

Art from Chaos and Frivolity.

Thank God for children and good friends who share theirs with me.

Fortnight for Freedom: Day 10 – “We didn’t pick the time, nor did we pick the fight”

/ esteban

I had the pleasure to meet Archbishop Joseph Naumann briefly during the 2011 Catholic New Media Conference in Kansas City, KS.

This interview with him, published in the Catholic World Report, has some very interesting comments about the fight for religious liberty, social justice, the principle of subsidiarity and personal virtue.

Social justice doesn’t mean the state taking care of everybody, but empowering people so they can take care of themselves and their families. That’s the real dignity we want to help people achieve.

 

I so agree with this.  We have so many problems to address in our society, but in my belief, very very few of them must be solved by the government, the least effective means of solving any problem.

Does the state have some role to play with the poor? Absolutely, I think, in terms of a safety net. But that doesn’t mean that we keep increasing the number of people who are dependent on the state in some way. That, to me, is the direction we’ve been going for the last 50 years.

When the government purposely strives to have the majority of its people dependent on it for food, health care, etc., it is subverting the true meaning of that wonderful phrase from the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

 

 

Baseball & Aliens

/ esteban / 3 Comments

I spent two days last week in Dallas working on arrangements for the upcoming Catholic New Media Conference.    

While there, I had the opportunity to attend a Texas Rangers baseball game at the stadium next door.  I’m not the most knowledgeable baseball fan, but I do look forward to at least one professional baseball game each summer.

It was a nice evening and an enjoyable start to the game.  Texas Rangers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks.  Neither are my team, but this is baseball, so who cares?

A few innings into the game, this storm showed up.  It was a bit angry at not being invited to play.  It decided to rain off and on for awhile, dropping some lightning and hail just to concern the stadium folks.

This crazy tarp showed up all of a sudden, so it was a sign to go in search of dollar hot dogs.  You see, it was Dollar Hot Dog Night.  Five was the limit, which was five too many when it comes to dollar hot dogs.

Play resumed after the angry storm moved off.  Everyone was glad, except for the grounds crew which had to spread all that fresh dirt in the infield so it wasn’t muddy for the players.

That was when the alien ship from “Independence Day” showed up.  They had the best seat in the house and were much talked about by the fans.

The aliens stuck around for awhile but when the Air Force didn’t come and attack, they got bored.  From what I hear, they moved over to Grapevine, Texas and dropped big chunks of ice on people’s houses.  Not what I call fun, but I’m not an alien.

The game continued, the Rangers eventually won the game in the last 2 innings, which was nice.  If you look closely, though, you can see that the pitcher was a little bit sad that the aliens left.

Eventually, all the people wearing red, white or blue shirts were told to go home.  The bright yellow people didn’t know quite what they were supposed to do, so they walked up stream just to be different.

Where did the week go?

/ esteban / 1 Comment

Does this happen to you?  Do you get to the end of the week and wonder where it went?

I’m not much of a blogger obviously, so I’m going to resist the shame of having two consecutive posts called “7 Quick Takes.”  So, pretend that this is something else.  (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

A.

I have a boarder.  My “godson” Alex is staying with me for a few months as he transitions into the next phase of his life.  He’s not technically my godson, but I did sponsor him when he joined the Church five years ago.   It’s fun having him here and he’s promised to do all the mowing.  Deal!

B.

The mail just arrived with an invitation to the priestly ordination of one of my former students from the Univ. of Tulsa Newman Center.   Rev. Mr. John Grant will be ordained on June 30th by Bishop Edward Slattery at Tulsa’s Holy Family Cathedral.  You should check out his website:  frjohngrant.com.  His “wishlist” on Amazon.com is also interesting!  Just what do you get a newly ordained priest?

This is very exciting and I hope to go. He’s going to be such a blessed asset for our diocese.  Unfortunately, it’s also the wedding day in Denver for a very close friend.  I’m conflicted.

C.

I recently re-committed to an hour each week at our perpetual adoration chapel.  Tuesday morning at 1am.  I’m finding it difficult to adjust to this new timeslot.   A few years ago, I  had a 4am Thursday morning slot, which I found much easier to manage from a sleep perspective.

This week, rather than taking a nap beforehand, I just stayed up for it.  It worked out much better and I was more focused and alert.

I like having this commitment and would encourage anyone to give it some consideration.

D.

I’ve signed up for a retreat.  I’ve worked many, many retreats for college students, but this is the first personal one for so long that I can’t remember the last one.   It’s a two day drive to get there, but I’ve never been one to turn down a roadtrip.  Besides, I’m a proponent of having time before and after retreats as transition periods.

E.

I had the best time last Sunday afternoon.  For Mother’s Day, another “godson”, if I can still use that term, asked me to take some photos of his wife and kids at Tulsa’s Woodward Park.  The kids were great, so darn cute, and I really like spending time with them.   I’m definitely not a professional photographer, but I do think some of the shots came out well.  I really need to practice more with my camera.

F.

Most of the week’s work was focused on the upcoming Catholic New Media Conference.  We announced the speakers for the International Catholic Bloggers’ Summit, which is the theme for the final day of the 3-day conference.  It’s going to be great fun and so many good things are happening with it.  Another big announcement is coming, so keep an eye out for it.

G.

I rediscovered the blog of another former Newman Center student.  Her name is Sarah and she’s got a great sense of humor and a quick wit.  If you like perusing other people’s blogs, check out Just a Brown-Eyed Girl.

That’s it!  I’ll really try to find something interesting to write about next week.  Heaven forbid that I have to resort to politics.  We both really don’t want that to happen!

 

7 Quick Takes Friday

/ esteban / 1 Comment

Uno – Sunsets & Super Moon

I spent last Saturday evening on the east side of Grand Lake in NE Oklahoma.  For 60 years my family has had a cabin on the west side of the same lake, and for some unknown reason, I’ve never spent much time on the east side.   Grand Lake is a very large lake (~65 miles long and 1-2 miles wide), so getting from one side to the other is quite a drive since there are no convenient bridges.

So this was a treat!  No only did I get to spend time with some old and dear friends, but I got to see a sunset on the lake (hard to do on the west side, but you get awesome sunrises).  It was also the night of the “super moon”, which was cool.  Here are some shots:

[portfolio_slideshow include=”1789, 1788, 1791, 1790″ timeout=4000]

 

Dos – Closing Down McNellie’s Pub House

Sunday evening was a bit of a first.  I attended Mass at the Univ. of Tulsa Newman Center, where I was campus minister for more than 8 years.  As often happens, I ran into several of my former students.  It was decided that we would go out to Tulsa’s McNellie’s Pub House for a late night dinner.    We ended up with two tables of people, including two priests, various alumni and students.  It was a very nice time, but we ended up being the last group to leave, a bit past closing time and the staff ready to flee.    Felt like college again!

Tres – Hazing

I saw this story on ESPN.com this morning which concerns the terrible hazing incidents within the band at Florida A&M University.  I spent many years as a member of the Kappa Kappa Psi band fraternity and worked as an officer of their national leadership.  Hazing has always been a big topic of concern and many resources have been focused on it to do all that can be done to stamp it out.  Even after so many years, I still have trouble understanding why it seems so pervasive and so hard to eradicate.

I agree wholeheartedly with the suggestion that the band remain off the field for the foreseeable future.  I think the only remedy is to completely start from scratch – no current members allowed to participate, all new staff, no revived traditions, and never ever any involvement with former members and alumni.   That’s the only hope I see for having a clean organization in the future and preventing any other deaths.   Those who are musicians and truly love music and performing music know that hazing has no beneficial part of that.  (I know these are supposed to be quick takes, but the soapbox jumped up and bit me.)

Cuatro – Attic

Yesterday I was changing lightbulbs at my aunt’s house.  I apparently got a bit overzealous with one of her recessed kitchen lights and managed to push the fixture out of it’s bracket and into the ceiling.  This required a trip up into her scary attic – not an easy space for someone as tall as me.  I managed to fix things up pretty quickly, but even on a cool overcast day, it was 100+ degrees up there and I came down dripping with sweat.    The things we have to do sometimes.

Cinco – Tulsa Drillers

Last night I had the pleasure of attending a Tulsa Drillers baseball game at Oneok Field in downtown Tulsa.  This is a gem of a park and I was with a good friend that I hadn’t spent any time with for quite awhile.  Perfect night for a game!

Seis – Serenbe

HGTV is giving away a “green” home in Serenbe – a little community outside of Atlanta.  I’m not suggesting you join the contest, because I’m going to win it.  No, really.

I’ve been to Serenbe a couple of times.  There’s a great little cafe/coffeeshop there that has the best cheesy grits.  I’m not a fan of grits in general, but these are mighty tasty!  I want to win the house just so I’ll have ready access.

Siete – Mowing

I mentioned our cabin on Grand Lake.  This weekend I’m faced with one of my most dreaded summer tasks – mowing the lake property.    This includes not only the lawn around the cabin, but the 75 yards of steeply pitched unpaved road leading to it.    I would dearly love a riding mower for this, but I don’t have one, so this chore becomes a royal CHORE.  Another chance to get all sweaty, but with the added benefits of ticks and chiggers.

 

Hey!  If you’re a blogger, podcaster, webmaster, etc. and involved with Catholic media, you should check out this summer’s Catholic New Media Conference.  Hope to see you there!

Check out other “7 Quick Takes Friday” posts here.

Walkabout: Downtown Tulsa

/ esteban

That little switch flipped inside my head this morning.
You know … the one that tells you that you had better step away from the computer before some other more serious circuit breaker pops.
Yeah, that one.

So, to get away from the house totally, I grabbed my camera and decided to just go on a walkabout somewhere and take whatever photos appealed to me in a given moment.

OK, I stopped for Asian food first, but then I found myself in downtown Tulsa.  My last corporate job was downtown (you’ll see the building, it’s a scaled down version of the World Trade Center towers.  Seriously), so I know the area very well.

Many of its buildings date from the heydays of the oil era when all sorts of tycoons worked downtown and built classical art deco buildings.  Other buildings are more modern, and others are showing the decay that comes from having outlived more prosperous times.

I didn’t nearly cover all of downtown, just parts of the south, east, and north sides.  There are other gems in the western part for another time.

So, here are my random shots.  If any of them pique your interest and you’d like to know more about them, just leave me a comment.

Cheers!