Aloha free TV!

I have been sold. I just watched my first Hulu show, The Colbert Report. I do thoroughly enjoy that man. I only had to endure a few commercials, but it was definitely worth the investment. I never watched a whole episode before (terrible, I know). I love how Colbert uses The Word to point out how important subtext is in the current media environment. He rocks.

Tell everyone

Because I think the American Health Care system is about as good as it can ever get.

Birth and NFP

After chatting with a wonderful lady recently, I was reminded that birth is a critical part of NFP and found myself recommending The Bradley Method before it even fit the conversation. Though it often brands me as a nutcase amongst my friends, I think that natural fertility awareness fits perfectly with a natural birth. Giving birth is not a disease anymore than fertility is. Unfortunately, both require a significant investment in study to understand since current medical practice is to treat both as conditions which require intervention before trying to understand the basic operations. I believe this directly supports the pro-life movement since natural birth is awe-inspiring as compared to C-section. I pray that more children will enter this world through their God-given passage.

Doing my homework

My apologies to anyone who visited my site recently. I have removed AdSense pending my ability to correctly adjust it to prevent evil content from appearing. Lest there be any confusion, abortion is evil and I in no way support it or draw revenue from advertising for it.

Homesteading

Since everyone is trying to save money, Get Rich Slowly pulled out some great links to a homesteading magazine. If you want to be more financially secure, why not do it yourself? Even the Obamas have gotten around to gardening.

Fatherhood by the Movies

What else matters, anyway?

If only I didn't have 2 dozen T-shirts

Because I love making people think a little bit.

CHT to Ironic Catholic

Not about St. Patrick

I suppose that I should write about St. Patrick for today, but since apparently everyone believes him to be the patron of getting drunk and corned beef, I don't think I have the strength to correct hordes of inebriated gluttons. Instead, I'll point out an awesome connection from the most recent episode of CSI:NY. Gary Sinise quoted Michael Kelly when he advised one of the CSI crew that marriage and family helps you become, "the best version of yourself."

I suppose that watching some more television can be OK. Although I'm still torn that our new digitally-ready TV allows us to get 2 dozen crystal clear channels for free. I sorta miss the old days of 5 fuzzy networks with the rabbit ears.

Now I really want to watch Albino Alligator.

A Resounding Response

As a former embryo, I oppose the murder of my compatriots. But I particularly like this response at the Weekly Standard.

CHT to CMR.

More is not More

Here is an interesting article on the current state of food in the U.S. I have only recently learned about the agri-business farming practices through the great book "The Omnivore's Dilemma." Boy, do I want to be more like the Yeoman Farmer. At least I'm selling the type of nutritional supplements which can help compensate for these issues.

Dawn Appears in Philly

The chastity conference by the PNFPN was excellent once I found the parish. I think it would be great if churches had some type of large tower which was visible above the adjacent roofs. Maybe some type of universal symbol could be placed on top to distinguish it even further. That was my only gripe, and I am glad to get it out of the way.

Generation Life provided some great speakers, including a good friend. The King's Men had Mark Houck give a talk on male chastity which was spectacular. Of course, Dawn Eden stole the show. It is amazing that she can speak so engagingly when I have read her book and lurked on her blog for years. The woman sitting next to me actually leaned over at the end of Dawn's first talk and asked if I knew Dawn personally. That was quite a compliment. Dawn was charming and autographed my copy of "Thrill of the Chaste." She now joins my autograph collection: Dr. Greg Popcak, Ellen Hrkach, Donald Trump, Josephine Taylor, Weird Al, Trout Fishing in America, and Blackthorn.

It was a great day of networking too. It is always invigorating to have some pleasant conversation with people who get it. I even received compliments which confused me: "You're so young to be involved in this." If I'm not doing it, then who will?

Going Green Since Humanae Vitae

A great post from Feminine Genius which reports on women ditching the pill to be healthier. Clearly, they are not concerned with their moral health, but choosing the right path, even for a minor good is still spiritually beneficial. Hopefully, these women will continue to reject the unhealthy contraceptive culture and embrace the narrow road of holiness.

Natural Healing

Part of living my natural family life is maintaining the scientific position that the body heals itself and medicine should either help or get out of the way. This jibes excellently with the practice of many chiropractors. I am honored to know some great practitioners and have them help my wife be at her peak to birth our kids. I also adhere to the scientific position that our bodies are amazing and we know very little about how they really work.

Facebook or Small Town USA

Through various conversations with friends, I have been contemplating the place that Facebook should have in a Christian life. Although I admit I have no experience of Small Town, USA. I imagine that in a small town with less mobile societies, relationships with friends as well as enemies often last decades. I imagine walking to the market and bumping into an old flame and a high school buddy before getting past the milk case. I presume that such a lifestyle would be very beneficial for practicing the love of neighbors, especially enemies, since you couldn't get away from them. I also imagine a great benefit to bumping into old friends and having chats more frequently than in modern days, when old friends cover four different states and hundreds of miles.

Facebook captures some of this second benefit, since status updates are somewhat equivalent to bumping into someone at the store and chatting about life. But Facebook cannot capture that bumping into enemies effect, since I choose who I want to bump into. In short, Facebook "friends" are not people who force me to grow in the most challenging Christian path of loving my enemies. At least I can keep up with my friends.

Another Reason to Love CCL

Family Foundations recently had a great article about home-based businesses, reinforcing my opinion that these businesses are beneficial to families and can be run in a Christian manner. I have been coming to this opinion over the course of the last year since I interact, as a business owner, with primarily stay-at-home moms (SAHM) and pastor's wives who also do this business. This explains why there are tons of cosmetics, jewelry, and make-up businesses yet none for power tools or video games. The article profiles a few women who run their business while taking care of their little ones. They remind me of farmer's wives who have to run the homestead so that their husbands can be successful, except in this disjointed age the businesses are separate instead of unified. I'm thrilled that CCL took the time to offer support to these wonderful women who are working to support their families while being true to their vocation as mothers.

I pray that I may reverse this disjoining trend and return to the homestead to work my business and be with my family.

P.S.- The article was in the November/December 2008 issue, I believe, but you will need to join CCL to read the whole thing.

I think I'd rather have "Love Shack"

Your 80s Song is "Sweet Child O' Mine"

If you were transported back to the 80s, your life would be all about rock and roll. You love the free wheeling, wild atmosphere of the 80s - even if there were consequences later on. You think of the 80s as a time of partying hard and letting loose. Even if you find a lot of the 80s nostalgia to be a bit lame, you truly believe there was no better decade.

What's Your 80s Karaoke Song?