Good Economic News

My business has made the paper as an industry likely to weather the economic crisis. I'm hoping to be able to help people with their finances, as well as with their health. It's good to know that my support network is as healthy as I feel on these products.

Freedom of Irony

Obviously, I'm strongly opinionated about a lot of things which is why this blog has gone rapidly astray from my original intent. However, this story is so ironic that I laughed out loud even as I checked to see if my civil liberties were intact. It's refreshing to see the AFA continue to push back, even though it would be easy to crawl into a hole after the countless attacks that they have endured. And I feel sympathy for the TV station, since it should be able to choose to air or not air whatever it wants.

If only people were more tolerant or something.

God, Family, Business

I have been contemplating the difference between the corporate world and entrepreneurship. Corporate guy drops into office to go through e-mail before Sunday school. Corporate guy works 50-60 hours per week and commutes another 4-8 hours for maybe 60 waking hours with the kids. If he climbs the ladder, he earns the privilege of working more hours and traveling further from home.

Home-based network marketer lists God, Family, business as priorities. He gets home after doing his paid job in 40 -45 hours per week and reduces his commute to 1 hour per week with smart house buying and works his business from home for 1-2 hours per week, for maybe 75 waking hours with the kids. If he works his business, he earns the privilege of working from home all the time.

As I frequently pray, may God bless my business and all home-based businesses.

Calling Dr. Frankenstein

Two interesting articles, one referencing the Austrian creator of the pill and other which is his response. Although Mr. Djerassi has complaints about associating the population problem with the pill, he seems to have no complaints with his final quote in the first article. This quote is, "...natural methods of regulating fertility are the ones that are effective and that respect the nature of the person..." He also makes no retraction of his statement that the pill is a horrendously damaging environmental pollutant. It seems to me that many scientists now live to see their inventions abused and to see the damage that immoral technology can wreak. I have a much better appreciation of Frankenstein's Monster, now.

Incidentally, the comments on the first article are great, and the comments on the second article verge on the incomprehensible.

Whining for Authority

In a surreal moment last month, I was asking my Mom not to give in to my daughter because she was going through the usual histrionics. I said something to the effect of, "But Mom, you can't give in to her just because she's whining." So I whined to my mother in an attempt to convince her that parents should ignore the whining of their children.

Catch-22.

Margaret Sanger's Minions

Finally, a chance to write about NFP and the news. It seems our President has decided that the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives should busy itself with family planning. I was dumbfounded to hear this news since every blurb about this office before January 20, 2009 also included the words "separation of church and state." Apparently the ACLU is okay with this office as long as its mandate is to reduce the unwanted poor children. This is exactly the tactic which Margaret Sanger, foundress of Planned Parenthood, advocated to eliminate the poor and minorities. In light of the Speaker of the House saying that contraception provides financial stimulus through reducing the number of kids on government health insurance, it seems that Margaret Sanger is required at the DNC.

I pray that one day this illusion of "caring for the poor" by preventing their births will be publicly mocked and ridiculed so that we can get back to the scriptural command of feeding the poor (personally, instead of through a giant bureaucracy).

In Case You Still Need a Reason to be Pro-life

From a good friend comes this horrendous story. A warning that the immense evil will probably make you queasy. How come a "clinic" that cares for women would charge a woman $1200 when she doesn't have the means to even support a child? $1200 would easily pay for a child's expense to the age of 6 months. I love the maturity line as well since it reflects society so well and it is completely backwards. To paraphrase G.K. Chesterton, the best thing about children is that they make adults.

At least there are organizations that help people for free. You could almost say that they actually care about women.

Almost Aesop

A book review of "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" by J.K. Rowling

I am surprised by how well the fairy tales of this book stand on their own, not just as small bits in the massive Harry Potter universe. I was expecting a lot of inside jokes and lore pertaining to the world of the boy with the lightning scar but each story made a satisfactory fable all by itself. Since no one other than Dumbledore himself writes the analysis of each fable, all the Potter trivia is still in the book, just not in the stories. This construct works amazingly well with the only hiccup being the forward, where the author has the annoying habit of writing as if she and her charity live in the world of Harry Potter and converse with the characters. Fortunately this small error, like the typo of an unmatched parenthesis on p. 85, are easy to overlook and I only found myself hoping that the book could continue beyond the far too brief hundred pages.

We Bad, We Bad!

Check out our council, all the way at the bottom of this page.

False Idols and Network Marketing

I feel that I've blogged on this before and it seems like quite the stumbling block to people who are otherwise interested in home-based business that I must comment on it.

Basically, the faith spreads like network marketing. Even though there have been some recent, excellent advertising campaigns about the Church and the faith. They are basically a rearguard effort where people who have fallen away return to the Church, which is glorious, but they don't seem to win new converts. The converts that I know either sell themselves into the Church by reading or they meet exceedingly kind and knowledgeable Catholics who listen and answer questions.

It is my sincere hope that network marketing will teach me how to listen to people and answer their questions so that I can transfer that skill to my faith life. Of course, I hope that it can do this without becoming a false idol or I will have to jettison it faster than a lifeboat on the Titanic. I have read accounts of people and even met some who acted as though their business was their God. I firmly believe that this is such a turn-off that these businesses will fail and businesses which know their proper place behind God and family will quietly grow and outlast the misguided ones. That is how good triumphs, a firm foundation and steady growth.

May the Church and my business be so blessed.

PNFPN Conference

Philadelphia Natural Family Planning Network

&

Philadelphia Catholic Medical Association

&

St. Mary Medical Center

Present

THE THRILL OF THE CHASTE

DO ABSTINENCE PROGRAMS REALLY WORK?

Saturday MARCH 7, 2009

8:00 AM- 3:00 PM

OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL TRINITY PARISH CENTER

611 KNOWLES AVE

SOUTHAMPTON, PA 18966

Additional information available at www.pnfpn.org

Dear Jon

I admit that I liked the idea of the Daily Show but it seemed to immediately degenerate into the same ol' political humor. I'm glad that humor is still in.

Free Wisdom

I was going to pay for Berkshire Hathaway's shareholder letters and here they are, free and reproduced with permission. Posting may be light for the next year, while I try to read all this good stuff.

Week of Irony

God bless my pastor for calling last week the most ironic week ever in American history. "The dream was fulfilled" and a black man became president the day after a national holiday honoring the founder of the civil rights cause. Consequently, that newly elected president reversed the Mexico City policy and doomed millions of foreign children to death at an abortionist's hands on the day after such barbarism was made the law of the land in this country. In other words, when the oppressed take charge, the first thing they do is find someone else to oppress.

Continuing my tradition from last year, I gathered photos of the various faiths who joined us in the March for Life. In honor of the great Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King:

Jews

Gentiles

Protestants

Catholics
will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

And I will keep marching until justice is served and equality is extended to all members of the human family. I will be a voice for the voiceless.

Because I Hate Bad Science

I forward a brilliant compilation of the various and voluminous refutations of man-made global warming.

No doubt, our educated and erudite government will take these voices into account before issuing destructive carbon emission rules for vehicles.

Direct Growth

Here is a FOX Business segment on direct selling. I think the vice president of the DSA does a good job of dispelling myths and explaining things in the 3 minutes that she has. I was also amazingly relieved to find that the hosts were not presenting bias against the idea in their questions.

But who is the Fuller Brush Salesman?

Rise of the Female Engineers

Tinkerbell is a female engineer heroine. So the first competent Disney engineer is a fairy. I'm glad that Disney has finally honored us engineers with a lead character considering that up until now, Disney engineers were abysmal. We had Belle's father, "crazy, old Maurice" whose wood-chopper nearly decapitates his daughter with flying logs. For civil engineers, there was the beaver in "Lady and the Tramp" who seems competent, since he nearly finishes a dam, but is vulnerable to charlatans who pass off a muzzle as a log-hauler and is so uncoordinated that he almost brains himself in his own backyard. Not a sterling selection.

Actually, I did forget one competent engineer though he has no lines and dies in the first ten minutes of the movie, Tarzan's dad is an engineer to admire. He builds a treehouse with pieces of a shipwrecked boat and keep his family alive for weeks in a hostile land, ultimately giving his life to save his son. We need more engineers like that.

Natural, Naturally

I've been thinking that I should actually define some of my terms, namely, "natural," "family," and, "life." It seems that many of the arguments held in the public square often ignore this first step and consequently, no one learns anything. This is the power of the media when they define something a "right" or a "choice" but refuse to explain the term. So here is my dictionary:

Natural - I'm not a trained philosopher, but I believe I use this term in the correct philosophical sense of the nature of an object. This is amazingly similar to the Object Oriented software use of the term object. That is to say, an object has certain attributes and should behave in a certain way.

Family - By this term, I refer to the usual nuclear family of husband, wife, and children who came from their union. As John Paul II has stated, the family is the building block of society so I believe that all learning and decisions should revolve around this nucleus.

Life - By this word, I am trying to indicate an integration of everything. My intellect, my will, my emotions, my conscience, my enjoyment of video game, my love of books should all result in a more rounded person. If something is out of proportion, the whole edifice can collapse. In short, an integration of myself with the universe and, ultimately, God. You could call it small "c" catholicism.

Glory and Wonderment

The day has finally arrived! Check out this great news! I love this organization and I am thrilled that this has come to pass. Attend the PNFPN conference and meet Dawn Eden! More information to follow.

What Will You Tell Your Children?

I am so honored to have the chance to participate in the greatest civil rights movement in the history of the United States. I love the feel of leaving my family for the day, safe in the home that I provide, and marching on D.C. to provide witness to the millions who have died on the altar of abortion. I'm blessed to live in a country where I can protest the political establishment and come home to my job, my house, my freedom, and my family.

God bless the U.S.A.

What are you trying to catch?

Should any woman wear fishnet stockings to work? Apparently, fishnets are the latest attempt by fashion designers to take something 'edgy' and mainstream it. Within a week of picking up a magazine for women who are professionals (not to be confused with professional women) and reading that fishnets are a fashion necessity, I saw a co-worker wearing them at work. The magazine set the 'standard' as holes smaller than half an inch so that the stockings are still classy and my co-worker's stockings meet this standard. Now, I greatly appreciate when women dress like women in any situation, but modesty would seem a necessity at work. I'm hoping that my co-workers don't see the recent campaign by Bebe and start showing up to work with handcuffs.

I Love These Guys

I know I should have watched this by now, but I had to post it before I forgot about it. I love this apostolate and I hope to see it grow and succeed beyond its founders dreams. I'm proud that these guys are part of my generation.

And I'll watch it soon. I swear.

I Can't Say it Enough

Those fellows at Creative Minority Report have repeated my favorite news story. They have also re-designed the entire website. Check them out.

Have Babies!

I know this has been floating around for a billion years, but I finally watched it at the urging of a good friend. It is a great compilation of some of the things I've been thinking for years. This rapid population implosion is disastrous for society on every level, and things are only beginning to get worse.

Most interestingly, it backs the conclusion that a strict Darwinist is forced to admit that Religion and Faith are proven to be evolutionarily selected. Darwinism states that traits which are better adapted for survival will lead to more offspring from those members of the species who contain those traits. Therefore, since more offspring come from people of faith, faith is better adapted to survival than secular humanism or atheism or any other worldview.

I think I read something like that in a book. Something like, "The meek shall inherit the earth."

Better Friends through NFP

I had the great fortune recently to join up with the Knights of Columbus and meet many men who are trying to live out the faith. It is always a blessing to start new friendships and grow closer to those who help us on our narrow road.

It is especially a blessing to discover real Catholics who try to adhere to all of the Lord's teachings, like NFP. Not only is it great to have conversations about mucus, or about the spiritual benefits of love-making beyond the fertile years, but there is a palpable sense of understanding and mutual connection that is deeper than the words exchanged. An intimacy that could only be wrought of materials far beyond my comprehension.

NFP - Health, Love, and Friendship.

Searching for Sasha

I have not entered the Mall in a long time, consequently, I had mostly enjoyable shopping experiences this Advent. The greatest shopping experience was definitely related to the true meaning of Christmas. As we were finishing dinner in the Food Court, I noticed a dad walking, carrying one kiddie, with two trailing along behind. As we left the Food Court, I saw the dad frantically run up to a clerk and ask, "Do you know where my keys are?" I saw myself doing the same thing, but as we started to move along the concourse, I was stopped by the man's frantic running up and down the entrance to the Food Court, that's when I realized that he had lost something far more precious than his keys. Of course, he was also constantly repeating his daughter's name, Sasha.

By the grace of God I had seen them together so I had some idea of what Sasha looked like. Since he had canvassed the area around the court thoroughly, I went to look where he hadn't. Upon entering the nearby stores, I found a little girl touching everything that she could. I asked Jen to watch over her and I flagged down the frantic dad. Guiding him to the store, he picked up Sasha immediately and then called for his son, who emerged from behind another rack of touchable items. He started reprimanding them both in a foreign language, perhaps German.

And there is the lesson of the Incarnation, the mystery of our place as Children of God. God so loves us that He will keep searching for us, as He would search for His only begotten Son. (And once He has us, He will teach us the error of our ways)

Colds that Reproduce

I love my humble magyar. There are so few men who would take the time to report on the state of their mucus. Wouldn't it be a better world if we could all self-diagnose through monitoring our various secretions?

Great Jimmys Think Alike

Jimmy Akin has a great post on nutrition. He discusses many of the issues which I see surrounding nutrition. I would love to see a company do double-blind, placebo-controlled studies on excellent nutritional products without having to be goaded by the government to do so. Oh wait, Reliv has done that on its newest product, as well as a few others, without spending millions of taxpayer dollars for the FDA to watch over them.

Eschatological Cake

Song: Cool Blue Reason
Band: Cake
Lyric: "...I'm just talking to myself. I'm just rearranging Hell..."

I suppose Cake has been a guilty pleasure for years. Isn't that always the case? Ever since their hit, "Going the Distance," I've been intrigued by their lyrics. The above lyric struck me upon my most recent listening as a particular apt description of Hell in two sentences. Although the whole Fire and Brimstone imagery is still common in the arts, the recent elaborations of Hell have focused on the idea of singularity. That is to say, Hell is being completely and totally self-absorbed much like the image from "The Passion" where Satan is on a floating rock in a vast dark emptiness, screaming. The Cake Eschaton has a nice fussiness to it. When a consummate consumerist goes to Hell, I imagine him spending a lot of time rearranging it; moving things around in a knowingly futile attempt to make things better and looking at all his things as they eternally condemn him, like a millstone around his neck.

I imagine Hellish furniture to be expensive and modern, whereas Heavenly furniture is from Ikea.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, I had another great thanksgiving, including my best week ever as a blogger (79 unique hits and 149 total page views). For that I am grateful. Speaking of my natural family life, family life is truly great for the peaceful times to play some strategy board games as well as for the hectic times of trying to get my daughter to eat some turkey before she eats the turkey-shaped cookies. I love that a natural life is orchestrated to balance the small requirements for personal time with the large necessities of self-sacrifice to grow a family.

And I have time to blog about it. God bless the U.S.A.

Heisenberg Well Visit

I tend to generally distrust doctors, though my opinion is increasing as I realize the amazing stress they are under with uninformed patients, outrageous insurance premiums, heavy drug marketing, and lawyer sharks constantly circling.

But I detest well child visits. What is the point of taking all the healthy kids and having them sit in the same room, breath the same air, and play with the same toys that all the sicks kids touch? The dark and cynical part says that the point is to stay in business; the kind part says that they can see more patients if the patients come to them, than if they go to the patients.

In the end, I've decided that the Heisenberg Uncertainty principle applies. You can not measure the health of the child without affecting the result.

What the Free Market teaches about the Faith

My dear Magyar has a post recording an excellent homily which he recently heard at Mass. A suggested interpretation of the parable of the three servants who were responsible for the Master's talents while He was away. In brief, we aren't merely to use the talents we are given; we are to trade those talents that we have to get newer, more valuable ones. This type of trading is the basis of the free market system, as the humble Magyar points out.

Suddenly I feel much better about risking advancement in my corporate career to start a new business. I pray the Lord deems these talents more valuable.

This is a test....

Me to pregnant belly: "This is a test of the intrauterine broadcast system. This is only a test. 'Hello? Swim! Do cartwheels! Dance on the bladder!'... Had this been an actually emergency, you would have heard, 'Get me an epidural! You did this to me!'"

What a Play for the Knights, and what a Night for a Play.

I have just recently received my Third Degree as a Knight of Columbus and I am doing what every good Knight does. No, I am not hosting a pancake breakfast, not running a Bingo Night, not organizing a fifty-fifty, but advertising for the theatrical efforts of Todd Cardin, a fellow Knight and playwright.

MDP will be hosting a Christmas Play written exclusively for MDP on December 12, 13, and 14. This will be your only chance to see this play as executed by the uniquely talented thespians of MDP along with special performances by local actors. The Athletic Association and the MDP Knights are hosting the event so ticket competition should be fierce, get yours today!

See how the buzz is already spreading:

"Is the show heartwarming or quirky? Is it sentimental or goofy? I was going to wait for the reviews to find out...Please put two tickets on the side for me." - Brother Knight via e-mail

"Good prevails, evil is vanquished." - A recently minted Third Degree Knight, rumored to have a significant inside track

See you at the show!

If you don't get the title, see here.

Help Yourself

I have discovered a trait which ties us network marketers together and begins to explain the seemingly endless supply or pastor's wives that I have run into while learning the business. In one of our recent conference calls, the speaker was discussing the current economic situation and he said that the most dreaded words in the English language are, "I'm from the government and I'm hear to help." Us network marketers know that we have to do it ourselves. The government or a corporation can't replace our need to work for what is best.

Personal responsibility, gotta love it.

Absolutely sickening

I really try to keep it light here. I know there are heavy, important issues which weigh on the minds of all well-intentioned people. I also know that too much brooding on the darkness in this world can lead one to a place that is difficult to come back from.

But this is evil.

I praise the Lord for the solace that he provides in trying times. "Jesus wept."

Super Nerdism

Pregnant wife: "ACHOOOO!"

Me: "You're Bajoran!"

Click here if you are a normal person and want to get the joke.

Wrestling as a Christian

My dad recently got a chance to meet a professional wrestler who he watched intently as a youth, much to his delight. At the dinner, the wrestler gave a speech decrying the current state of professional wrestling with drugs, scantily-clad women, and no positive role models. This gave me the chance to remember the wrestling of my youth, especially when I knew it was "real."

I loved watching wrestling on the weekends, though I could never have said why. In retrospect, I think I loved the morality play which it represented. The bad guys like Nikoli Volkoff and the Iron Sheik, always lost the match. The good guys, like Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior, always won. The only exception was treachery, when the bad guys would sneak in brass knuckles or some other weapon, like a bazooka, without the referee noticing. I never understood why they didn't hire referees with better eyesight. The morality play even included redemption stories, with Rowdy Roddy Piper and Macho Man Randy Savage switching from mortal enemy to tag team partner united against evil. The egotists were always ridiculed, even when they had a perfect record, like Mr. Perfect. If only WWF (sorry, WWE) wrestling could get back to its roots, it could participate in the formation of real men who fight external and internal evils, and who know that goodness ultimately wins.

Not a Complete Idiot, but Tending that Way

"The Complete Idiot's Guide to American History" by Alan Axelrod

I have been wanting to bone up on my American history and since I have had such great luck with the "... for Dummies" series of books, I thought I would try the "Idiot's Guide to ..." series. My brother credits this Idiot's Guide to getting him through high school history so I grabbed it when he was tossing it.

The layout of the book was very like a textbook and had none of the interesting attributes of the "... for Dummies" books which I have read. The topics jumped around more than I would have liked, but this did make each section a good read individually. The author mostly kept the book entertaining and even succeeded in explaining the Native American issue with balance and tact. Unfortunately, the research and balance seemed to drop off as the modern era was approached especially anything since the New Deal. From FDR onward, there are blind assertions that socialist policies are good, while free market policies are bad. Clearly, it is difficult to write history while history is being written but that only underscores the need to provide good research to back up claims. All in all, I would recommend this book be treated like my American History class. I paid attention and learned good stuff but we ran out of time and stopped abruptly after the Industrial Revolution.

Big Announcement

This weekend will be a new product launch for Reliv. I'm really interested in what they come up with. Watch the news! Call me to find out more! I'm really glad they waited until after the election.

Now in a New Package!

As I have worked to develop my own small business, I have discovered that I really enjoy supporting other small businesses. Since I briefly considered marketing as an occupation during college, I suppose that I should not be surprised. Supporting small businesses naturally acts against the mass marketing approach which I now despise so I'm happy to help out a fledgling business in a targeted manner.

Dear reader, if you love the Church as much as I do and you own every Weird Al CD, like me. You will thoroughly enjoy Nick Alexander. Check out his new website. Also, if you want to buy me a present to celebrate Christ's birth, I'll take any of his CDs. For right now, you can check out some samples here.

The Next Big Tobacco

If there was a product that was unnecessary and completely avoidable, that caused blood clots and death in young people, the FDA would surely stop its release. Clearly, the government would never let an agenda color its opinions of a drug that was designed to damage a healthy, functioning body system. And doctors would always hold to the Hippocratic Oath and, "Do no harm."

Too many auto-dialers

Me (Picking up phone when Call Id shows unknown, expecting another recorded message from the party telling me to vote for the party): "Stop Calling Me!"

Lance Rogers: "uh... Hi... I'm Lance Rogers. I'm calling to talk to members of this district. I'm tired of those calls too. Are there any issues which I can talk to you about? Any questions you'd like to ask me?"

Me: (Aside to Jen) "It's actually Lance Rogers."

Me: "I'm sorry. I thought you would be another auto-dialer."

Well, Lance Rogers seemed like a nice guy. I'm not thrilled with him but he certainly did comport himself well, even with a belligerent caller like me. We didn't agree on everything, unfortunately, but it was refreshing to speak to a person.

My Friend ROI

I just recently calculated the return on investment (ROI) for my home-based business and I was stunned to find it was 21%! I imagine that it would have taken me far more work to get that kind of ROI on a real-estate deal. Yet another bonus for network marketing, small start-up costs yield better ROIs! Imagine how my ROI would look if I'd invested in the stock market in March.

It makes me thankful that I received a nice tax credit this year, so that I could direct the funds to a small business.

Note: This is not a promise that anyone can achieve results like this, I am merely telling my story.

David wins again

As always, when the Bible is proven to be true, no one seems to notice. Only when certain people with agendas try to prove that it is false by misinterpreting it, does the event make the news. The AFA (David) has defeated McDonald's (Goliath) in only a few short weeks with a boycott. Something you won't hear from major media outlets. However, when environmentalists boycotted McDonald's in the 80s because of polystyrene packaging, not even grade schoolers could escape the news.

Go Phils!

I hate to look to secular causes for hope, since I know true hope comes only from the Lord. But man, if the Phils can win the big one, anything is possible.

Buy-Buy-Buy!

You may hate me, but it ain't no lie, baby. Buy! Buy! Buy!

If there is anything I have learned in my investing studies so far, now is probably the best opportunity to buy American equities that will ever exist in my lifetime. I just wish I had started learning about investing, and socking away my cash, about a year earlier than I did. Now is the time to up your 401k payments, now is the time to fully fund your Roth IRA!

And the real estate market looks ripe for the buying too...

The Plunge

As you can see, I have taken the crazy plunge into... AdSense! With the loving support of my wife, I'm going to see if I can generate a little revenue from this publication. I'm planning to keep up the frequency of posting and maybe open an Amazon shop. Please consider clicking on the Ads if they offer something worthwhile and let me know if they offer offensive or inappropriate items. I'll eliminate the Ads if needed, but I'm hoping to learn how AdSense works and filter the content as needed.

Oh yeah, I've also taken the plunge into fatherhood again, too. I'm taking more plunges than the stock market.

I'm not very good at the subdued announcement.

H...I...J...Y!

I just noticed in my Men's blogroll that I had only reached the tenth letter of the alphabet, fortunately I have just added Yeoman Farmer to remedy that situation. I think he may be my hero: farmer, small businessman, author, and blogger. I guess one out of four is a good start.

I'm an Editorial

I find it highly ironic that I am thrilled to be listed as an editorial review of Passport. I usually detest editors as highly biased and overly educated but here I am, unpaid, among their ranks. As to bias, I swear to serve the Truth which is a bias in only the most reductionist sense of the word. I freely admit to the over-education which modern society has deemed necessary to get a J.O.B. At least I hope to break that shackle soon with my entrepreneurial ventures into actually learning how the world really is. Until that glorious day, I shall revel in small accomplishments.

This Way Seems Compatable with His Way

Book review of The Warren Buffett Way

As I have been exploring economics from a variety of perspectives, it seemed only natural to read a book about one of the greatest investors of our time. I was pleasantly surprised by this book to learn that investing well was a rational and intelligent process and not just random chance.

Obviously, there are those who dispute that statement but I believe that the weight of Mr. Buffett's success is a powerful argument against them. I also believe that his value investing strategy is highly compatible with the Christian life. As his recent buying spree proves, value investing helps out companies, and consequently keeps thousands of people employed, when they are down and it punishes investors that artificially raise stock prices by selling companies that get too expensive. This process of buying at undervalued points and selling at overvalued points moderates the growth of a company, consequently reducing instability and maintaining a rational environment for the securities market. Given the recent market plummet, I'd rather let billionaires keep the market afloat than my tax dollars.

Network Marketing and Subsidiarity

As I embark on this brave network marketing journey, I encounter repeated arguments against it but very few arguments in favor of it. I want to write some of my thoughts on these issues, both arguments in favor of network marketing and responses to some common arguments.

My first argument in favor of network marketing is that it meets the principle of subsidiarity as I understand it. The bulk of profits goes to the people who do the bulk of the work, people at the lowest level. There is a tremendous culture of support of those at the lowest level since each person up the chain depends upon the success of the newbies. There is a small contingent of people "at the top" and they can be a problem if the compensation package is not structured properly, just like Enron or Fannie Mae. I particularly appreciate the minimal overhead, such as the lack of a gigantic marketing group that generates "buzz" by flooding the media with pictures of scantily-clad women and/or celebrities getting paid millions of dollars to pretend they use the product in question. Paid endorsements just give more money to rich people. I much prefer an organization that lets normal people work for a normal profit.

Why I want small government

I really don't want this to become a political blog. So I will do my darndest to keep to economics which is the topic that makes me interested in the current financial hullabaloo. Here is a great article from 10 years ago that describes exactly how we got into this subprime fiasco. In short, when you lower the requirements to get a mortgage, you get more bad loans. I think it is atrocious that the government forced this situation through well-intended legislation. Lenders have every right to discriminate against people with poor credit scores.

Passport to Truth

I am always flattered when someone asks for my opinion and I was particularly flattered to receive an autographed copy of Passport by Christopher Blunt at the CCL Convention.

Christopher Blunt has written a novel demonstrating nearly the entirety of the Church's teachings on marriage and sexuality. I am stunned by how well everything hangs together without being forced. The plot involves fornication, abortion, contraception, personalism, NFP, annulments, and marital chastity. The story is gripping and believable with a main character, Stan, who appeals to me, a Simpsons-loving entrepreneur. Stan is also a Catholic like me, who takes the Truth for granted and needs to re-learn the Faith constantly.

As Stan re-learns the Faith, a variety of events occur in his life which succeed in being surprising while not being unexpected. Stan's life is not a common one, yet it appeals to the common man. His is a truly Catholic life, where small things can teach great lessons and where an average man is prepared for great gifts.

New content soon

Here is another good link which I have been reading while I get back into the saddle.

Out of Commission

Dear reader, I have been barely upright for the last two days so I apologize for the light posting until this sinus infection and/or nasal detoxification passes. I hope to write another post tonight but staring at the computer is not beneficial to my predicament.

Until then, give this blog a try.

Jack of All Trades

Your result for The Who Would You Be in 1400 AD Test...

The Harlequin

You are a mystery, a jack-of-all-trades. You have the king's ear, but also listen to murmurings of the common folk. You believe in the value of force and also literature. Truly you are the puzzlement of the age.

Take The Who Would You Be in 1400 AD Test at HelloQuizzy

Investigating Life

Here is an interesting article on nutrition from the Washington Post. It captures many of my concerns with current state of nutritional research. First and foremost is the lack of a starting point. After all, how do we know what the human body looks like when it has complete nutrition if we don't know what complete nutrition is? Secondly, research funding invariably causes biases. The government has its own biases just like corporations. And finally, though not mentioned in the article, how do you determine the amount of nutrients in our food when it is so affected by soil quality and farming practices?

Visitors Welcome

I am completely awed by my SiteMeter stats. This blog has had 4800 unique visits and just broke the 10,000 mark for page views. Dear reader, I hope you get a little joy from visiting here, if not some humor and wit.

Running for Life

And its not an election post!

A Baby's Breath is having a Run for Life on Sunday September 14. They have a great, Catholic crisis pregnancy center (with an amazingly competent director) and this is their main fundraiser for their Main Line office. Please support them if you are free and need a good 5K run or a simple one mile walk. The race marshals are especially courteous and well-trained!

Oh! And please support the businesses who support the unborn!

Linkfest

Some great links:

The pill is an environmental pollutant, so the Left is against them, right?

Catholic doctors, being Catholic!

Babies in Guyland

Here is an interesting take on the post-college, "I won't grow up" life. I'm glad Jen puts up with me. She just might have saved my life.

VP Pick

Since everyone is talking about the Vice Presidential pick, I thought I would give my two cents. I like the governor of Alaska as McCain's veep. All the other candidates pale-in comparison!

A Tastefully Simple Fundraiser

As part of my recent, low budget birthday extravaganza, I hosted a Tastefully Simple party as a fundraiser for the PNFPN. It was a blast. Elena Perri was a wonderful hostess and the food was delicious, especially the beer bread and the spinach dip. It was great to help someone else succeed with their business and I pray that her customer base may grow faster and deeper than mine.

From the horse's mouth

Here is a chance to listen to the founder of Planned Parenthood in her own words. She actually claimed that the Church has a celibate position when it said that marriage should produce children. Right, and contraception leads to parenthood. It is great to hear an interviewer, Mike Wallace, actually quote Church documents and construct a logical argument. It is just as amusing to hear flat denials from Mrs. Sanger when confronted with her own contradictions. I thought that Oprah was a good interviewer until I heard Mr. Wallace.

Oh, woe is she

Here is a damsel in distress, awaiting her knight in no-fault armor to save her from a life of reality. I was going to fisk the whole thing, since a dear reader actually e-mailed to ask what I have to say, but the article is not worth repeating any more than I would repeat what I found upon staring at my navel for three hours.

After denigrating her husband for a few paragraphs, she mentions how women of all ages can look sizzlingly hot and therefore attract a new future ex-husband. Maybe this isn't the best way to find a good man since that attitude got her to where she is now, middle aged and dreaming of divorce. Perhaps she could try something different, like prayer and self-sacrifice, just to mix things up a bit. Also, getting off hormonal contraception is a good idea, since many of her issues can be related to its side effects as explained in Contraception:Why Not by Dr. Janet Smith.

Then, after a few paragraphs of trying to summarize the feminist revolution, she cites examples of other women: a high-powered high-earner, a mogul's wife, a clothing designer, and a doctor. Do I even need to mention that she lives in New York? Maybe she should get out more. I bet Wife Swap would take her.

Her final hypothesis is that marriage will wither away like a vestigial organ. I can only pray that she actually try to use her organ before it withers away, she may discover that it isn't so vestigial after all.

Cold Markets with Warm People

I worked my first table for Reliv at the CCL Convention and it was a blast. I thought that I would be far more intimidated by talking about a business to strangers but I have found it to be amazingly easy. I really just talked to whoever walked by my table, which is exactly what I enjoy doing at CCL Conventions. I met some great people. I heard some interesting stories about other home-based businesses and about Reliv. I got a few people who wanted more information and I followed up with them, which was excellent. I'm still playing phone tag with them so I don't know how successful the convention was from a monetary category but it was a personal success. It's good to learn first hand that business can be personal and quality, now I just hope my low pressure, personalistic model can succeed so I can do this full-time. How sweet would that be!

Burdens of Providing

I've been having an existential quandary for most of this year and I think I can finally phrase the question. Work has been feeling particularly toilsome for this year but the pay is actually a family wage and the prospects for a career there are good. But, basically, I only go because I need to pay the bills. This toiling has been an excellent motivator to get me to learn about money management and investing, as well as starting my own home-based business. However, I am torn over the spiritual dimension: should I be happy at the career that God has currently laid before me and ignore the desire to do things differently and potentially better? Or, should I assume that this entrepreneurial spirit which I have always had is a gift from the Lord and pursue it more diligently?

It is amazing how many difficult situations in life can be summed up by the word discernment.

Apologies to the Smurfs

So, I was watching the Michael Phelps last night with my beautiful Michael Phelps and I couldn't Michael Phelps the scores that were Michael Phelpsed in for the women's Michael Phelps bars. I was also Michael Phelpsed at the men's Michael Phelpses in the Michael Phelps . I'm glad that my Michael Phelps has gotten me Michael Phelpsed in the Michael Phelps. I have Michael Phelpsed some stunning Michael Phelpses as well as some Michael Phelps sportsmanship by the Michael Phelpsest Michael Phelps to win Olympic Michael Phelps.
Go team U.S.A.!

A Regular DeVil

I have been a fan of Disney since birth, and it is with heavy heart that I have seen some of their choices as a business. However, I just recently "got" a character name and I felt like a total maroon. While reading 101 Dalmatians, I realized that Cruella DeVil's last name is actually devil. I can't believe it took me so long to notice. I also can't believe how much I enjoyed those moves as a kid and how far they have dropped in quality. It is quite sad to read, "This is where the path of hatred leads us" as the moral of Pocahontas. Even 101 Dalmatians with its simple plot has a deeper story or parental dedication to children. A formula which leads to tremendous value and success. Long live Pixar!

A Newspaper to Trust

The Bulletin "Philadelphia's Family Newspaper" just ran an article on A Baby's Breath. Hehe, ran, I crack me up.
Read the article to get the joke.

Future famous cinematographer

I met some great people at the CCL Convention, especially vendors and their soon-to-be-famous children.

Couple to Couple League’s Convention 2008

Asheville, North Carolina — (August 5, 2008) — Over 150 families gathered at the Lifeway Ridgecrest Conference Center near Asheville, NC from July 29 – August 2, 2008, and were re-energized in their dedication to the Natural Family Planning (NFP) lifestyle. The occasion of their meeting was the biennial convention of The Couple to Couple League International (CCL), one of the nation’s largest providers of NFP education to couples. Attendees had traveled from 32 states (including Hawaii), Canada, India, and Hong Kong to be part of what has become a very popular event for the families associated with CCL.

The convention, themed “Advancing the Culture of Life Through NFP,” provided a mix of national and international speakers who presented a combination of main talks and workshops that were inspiring and practical in their support of marriage, Church teaching on sexuality, parenting, nutrition and natural family planning.

Nationally-known speakers included Bishop Samuel J. Aquila of the Diocese of Fargo, North Dakota; marriage counselor Greg Popcak, MSW, Ph.D. and his radio co-host wife, Lisa; professor of moral theology Christopher Thompson of the Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity; biological anthropologist and researcher Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D.; John Bruchalski, M.D., Ob/Gyn, founder of the Tepeyac Family Center in Fairfax, Virginia; Damon Clarke Owens, M.S., founder of Joy-Filled Marriage NJ and the New Jersey NFP Association; and Tami Kiser, founder of the Smart Martha seminars. International flavor was provided by German NFP effectiveness researcher Petra Frank-Herrmann, M.D., Ob/Gyn, and CCL-affliated speakers included Executive Director Andrew Alderson; Board Chairman Linda Kracht; Board Members Tom Bengtson, Erik Tozzi, Jack Burnham, M.D., and Fr. Erik Pohlmeier; Project Managers Ann Gundlach, Vicki Braun, and Silvia Schmidt; author of Fertility, Cycles & Nutrition, Marilyn Shannon; and CCL Teaching Couples Mike and Ann Green, and Adrian and Stacey Nagle.

Most convention attendees were certified Teaching Couples, Promoters, or members of CCL. The Couple to Couple League has been providing instruction on the highly effective Sympto-Thermal Method of natural family planning (NFP), clarification on the moral issues surrounding the use of NFP, and support for breastfeeding since its founding in 1971. The convention is an opportunity for volunteers to recharge their batteries, sharpen their teaching skills, and share strategic ideas and successes with volunteers from other parts of the country, and for other attendees to fellowship with like-minded families.

“I thought this was the best convention ever,” said Chairman of the Board Linda Kracht. “All of the speakers were smart, engaging, funny, and timely in their message. Also, the Ridgecrest staff was wonderful, and the facilities were very well laid out in a beautiful setting. I heard from many attendees that they were enjoying themselves.”

The families who attended brought with them over 350 children who participated in age-appropriate activities including outdoor play, crafts, music and games. In addition to various group activities, teens also received one age-appropriate talk per day and had opportunities to participate in a high ropes course, outdoor laser tag, and a rock-climbing wall. In addition, all convention attendees were treated to a family concert by Catholic wife, mother and recording artist Marie Bellet.

To learn more about the CCL organization and the Sympto-Thermal Method of Natural Family Planning, visit www.ccli.org.

If only doctors were engineers...

This article shows that the "fertility treatments" commonly offered actually do nothing to treat fertility. If only there were some way to actually understand a couple's fertility and diagnose any problems. Hmmm....

NFP Class

We have a new NFP class starting in one hour. Feel free to call and let us know if you want to come. We hope to plan future classes further out but we are always happy to teach an interested couple.

NFP links

NFP was in the news while I was away at the CCL Convention.

John Allen Jr. has an op-ed in the NYT. Wow! (Warning: Evil registration requirement)

California Catholic Daily has an article by Cardinal James Francis Stafford. Shouldn't that be James Cardinal Stafford? (I haven't read by I mean to!)

Inside Catholic has an article by former blogger Simcha. A firestorm in the comments.

Curious Movie

As an involved parent, I preview movies and shows before the kids see them, though I don't do it nearly as often as I should. My most recent preview was Curious George and I approved the movie for viewing by my little ones even while dismayed at what a G rated movie says about modern society.

I vividly remember the reel-to-reel Curious George films from my grade school library days. I didn't spontaneously pray much as a little kid, but I came close during the walk to the library, hoping that we would watch a Curious George "book" in library class. Since I don't own a projector, my girls have received and inherited many Curious George books and they request frequent readings. The movie did an excellent job of capturing the art of H. A. and Margaret Rey while updating it with current technology and excellent voice talent. However, the movie missed the relationship between the Man in the Yellow Hat and George and came off as a buddy film instead of retaining the father-son relationship which the books portrayed. So I sadly approved the film which was acceptable but reflects the failings of modern society, adults who want to be buddies instead of parents.

NFP on Holiday

I have been fond of Green Day for a long time, despite the fact that my opinions on every subject under the sun have shifted radically since I was introduced to the band in high school. I was recently listening to Holiday and I realized that I truly agree with the lyric, "I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies..." but probably not in the way that Billie Joe intended.

Despite my radical changes in opinion, I have almost constantly defined myself as a rebel, in true American style. My first chosen philosophical opinion was to be a true rebel. While the majority of my grade school classmates were disrespectful, 90210-watching, football-playing, cool-kid idolators (pseudo-rebels). I decided to be a respectful, cartoon-watching, video-gaming, cool-kid agnostic (true rebel). This led to some good spiritual development such as actually singing at school Masses when no one else did, but it also made me an outcast in general.

Being an outcast had its own benefits such as being able to choose my own path in life without the burden of appearances. I have chosen the counter-cultural path of an orthodox Catholic: trying to follow the Natural Law, getting married without co-habiting, having kids before establishing my career, running a single income family, and teaching natural family planning. Considering Billie Joe's comments about hoping to win a Grammy for American Idiot (and the praise that goes with it), perhaps I have stayed truer to his message of rebellion than he has. In the End, I don't think I'm a Walking Contradiction, just a Basket Case.

Hidden Adventures

This article best explains the restlessness which I feel every day, the restlessness which drives me to start a business and perform my own home repairs. The song/speech Sunscreen sums it up well, "Do one thing every day that scares you."

There is a Brain in that Skull

Now that I am the proud father of little ones, I only get to the movies once or twice a year. As a Father's day treat from my father, this year's movie was Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Since my father is the one who gave me his love of movies, especially epic adventures like Indiana Jones and Star Wars, I was thrilled to see this installment with him and happy that it lived up to its predecessors.


The movie definitely beat Temple of Doom, keeping it out of the bottom spot in the Indiana Jones collection. Interestingly, the adventure took place in South America, an area of archaeological history which is often overlooked. Conveniently, child sacrifices were glossed over but I can agree to that conceit since contemplating the murder of children is too deep for an action/adventure film. The moral of the story was not as powerfully depicted as in The Last Crusade, but it was pertinent to modern life. Finally, Harrison Ford did pull off the action star role despite his age while the car chases and fight sequences were all of Raiders quality. Crystal Skull also made the required slights against Indy's age, as well as references to the previous movies. I don't think this movie will win over anyone who wasn't an Indy fan, but as a guy who owns a fedora, I'm thrilled the series ended well.

Not Groucho or Cheeko but...

Harpo!

I admit that I'm not sure what to think of Oprah. She is an excellent interviewer and TV producer and all of her failings seem to be the common ones. She is "Christian" but mostly supports New Age belief so her definition of Christian is off. She is a feminist, helping African girls as a way to improve the continent instead of exposing the vast governmental incompetence and/or corruption. She acts as if racism is still the rampant social malady it was in 1968 despite the fact that we've had a black woman as Secretary of State for years. I suppose the best thing that I can say for her is that she is a normal human with the misfortune of international fame so that crackpots like me can form an opinion about her.

However, her network has given my company its TV debut. (Click on the More... link under the Oh! Oxygen banner on the left of the page)

Father as Teacher

As I spent more time contemplating my direct selling dream of working from home, I realized that it meshed with my goal of being a great father.

I believe that a father should be a teacher, passing on many things: the Faith, family traditions, the history of video games, what-life-was-like-when-I-was-a-kid, and such. The task of teaching requires the dad's presence, for teaching by example is the best way. As I stated in my previous post on fatherhood, since I wanted my children to be helpful around the house; I took on chores such as the dishes and the laundry.

As I contemplated how we have arrived at this state in our society, I realized that working outside of the farm/home was a result of the industrial revolution. It seems, to me, that prominent paternal presence for the children was a casualty of the rise of the factory, along with handcrafted goods and quality food.

Makes me wish I knew how to run a farm.

Can Only God Make a Man?

As I pursue my financial freedom, I start to learn about the variety of laws which affect personal finance. I seem to grasp that corporations are taxed on money left over after investing, while individuals are taxed on everything. This gives corporations a huge advantage, since they have up to 35% more money to invest by their very nature. As I pay more attention to the way in which the terms are used, I realize that corporations are effectively legal people. This really bothers me, on a philosophical level. Though it doesn't seem actually immoral, I am disturbed by the concept of the State creating legal people. Maybe that mindset is what disturbed Alduous Huxley. If the State can already create legal people, why not create actual people. Creepy.

Worthwhile News

A Baby's Breath will be featured in an upcoming edition of The Bulletin, a local Philly paper. I generally distrust newspapers, but this one seem worth a trial.

Eggs on Film

No doubt many of you were eagerly waiting the moment when ovulation would be caught on film, wait no longer.

I am stunned by the resolution of this picture, considering that the ovum is one cell. I had no idea that there were any cameras capable of capturing such an image. I hope such technology can be applied toward noble ends.

Man of the House

I had some ruminations pertaining to the actual intent of this blog over my relaxing birthday vacation.

I have read in multiple places recently that the primary assistance which fathers provide in the home is not help with what was previously termed, "woman's work" but is something else. I don't know to whom these authors are responding but I will write a response anyway. Since the laundry, dishes, and other "woman's work" are not objectively assigned by the Lord; I assert that they are up for grabs around the house. It seems natural that they mostly fall upon whoever is home the most. In the majority of households, this is the mother as biology dictates that she has difficulty working outside of the home during pregnancy and early breastfeeding. However, if the father is to pass on the virtue of selfless service to his children, he should help out when necessary, during pregnancy for example but also in times of general familial chaos.

I get the feeling I said this before. Thanks for humoring me, dear reader.

God Bless America!

I am looking forward to a nice holiday to celebrate our nation's birth. It is a blessing beyond compare that an average joe like me can participate in running my country and exercise a variety of basic freedoms, including religion, speech, assembly, ownership, and self-defense. I often contemplate the sad state of affairs in our world and I often read about the abuse of power in our own country; however, this Fourth of July, I shall remember the honor of men who founded this Great Experiment. I don't believe they thought democracy would led us to perfection; I believe they thought democracy would engender responsibility and maturity. As a nation, we may have let them down but I hope that my life may be one that they smile upon.

Jen Made Me Do It

144 As a 1930s husband, I am Very Superior Take the test!

Tectonic Sleeping

Useful co-sleeping tip #8: Introduce change slowly.

When moving kids from one sleeping location to another, we did everything gradually. We started to talk to our eldest about moving into her own room months before we officially did it. She slept in there a couple times before the official switch but she still preferred the toddler bed so we didn't make a fuss. Everyone was sleeping well in our bedroom Pangaea. Suddenly, our eldest was playing with her dolls and talking about how the big kid doll was ready to sleep in her own room, so we struck while the iron was hot and she moved into her own room that night. The princess sheets which my forward-thinking wife had purchased made the change special. There have been no complaints so far, except from us.

While the eldest was ready for the change, the little one was not quite ready for the toddler bed so the change was made even more gradual for her. First, she dozed next to me in our bed. Then I placed her in the toddler bed and she cuddle against my arm. I extracted my arm to whimpering which was calmed by a hand on her tummy. Finally I snuck out of the room, as slowly as a tectonic plate, so that I could avoid the squeaky floorboards.

I am so Smrt

TV Reviews

Not that Kind of Sublime

"...it ain't hard to understand, this ain't Hitler's master plan, what it takes to be a man..."
lyric from Same in the End by Sublime

I admit to rabidly enjoying Sublime in my adolescent years, despite the knowledge that the lead singer overdosed shortly after cutting their best seller. As I've listened occassionally throughout the years, I skip over more and more tracks because of profanity and general vulgarity. However, this lyric struck home upon my last listening. Perhaps even as a worldly teen, I was subconsciously aware that manhood was important and Sublime conveyed the sense of frustration. Every man should know how to be a man, it seems so basic. Yet even the lead singer couldn't find the manhood he needed and sought refuge in fleeting pleasure.

God rest his soul.

14 Weeks with Reliv

Health: So far, my allergies are mild. My nose often leaks like a sieve by the time I finish mowing the lawn. Granted, it is early in the season so I am curious about what the future holds.

Business: My first week completely off. Things have been crazy with home improvements and the shift to summer scheduling so I haven't done much else. I had my first technical trouble when the website was out of commission for a few days and a customer needed to re-order.

I am starting to see how word-of-mouth actually works. Friends are asking how business is, and family is mentioning it to other friends. Business is teaching me patience and persistence. I won't necessarily see fruits for a while, or ever, but the longer I keep at it, the better my chances get.

Can I Be a Witness up in Here?

A co-worker that I barely know approached me today and asked if I had a Bible. Unfortunately, I did not have one at work. However, he said if I didn't have one that he was going to call his wife and ask her to look up the quote that he couldn't remember. I was initially flattered and somewhat proud of being known for my faith and approachable about the topic. Then I realized that there were at least two dozen people in my room, and he didn't want to ask anyone else for The Good Book. That was a sad realization.

I pray the Lord will make me (and my pride) diminish more, so that He may work more fully through me.

Welcome Available Lighters

Welcome to my little home on the web, fair travelers from Available Light and all long-time readers. My main concern on this blog is figuring out authentic manhood in this crazy world, especially a father's place in family life. I try to approach my other interests from this direction, but my interests vary widely so cohesion is not obvious. Feel free to peruse my labels to learn more about Natural Family Life.

I have noticed that many other bloggers occassionally do a "Hello World" post and ask their readers to leave a comment. Please leave a comment and introduce yourself, I love meeting people. As an incentive, I am running my first blog contest ever. I will pick one random commentor to receive a copy of My Grandfather's Son, the book which I recently reviewed at Available Light. If you don't want to be in the contest, please say so in your comment.

Embarassing Parenthood

I just read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein for the first time. Now, I do remember having the book read to me at the public library when I was little, and I am pretty sure it was featured in Reading Rainbow, so the story is not new to me. However, since this is the first time I ever read the story on the other side of parenthood, I was surprised by my overwhelming emotional reaction to the book. I read it as a bedtime story to my two lovely girls and I wept for the brief interval of time where I can help form them as young Christian ladies.

More surprising to me than my emotional response, was how I understand the Tree much better now. As a child, I guess I pitied the tree and sympathized with the boy. I simply expected that the Tree enjoyed helping the boy so the Tree was happy. Now I know that the Tree did enjoy helping the boy, but that the Tree suffered as the boy grew since the boy grew further away. I guess The Giving Tree taught me the lesson of love which I only absorb intellectually from the tree of the cross. Successful love, like successful parenting, involves suffering. The better I do my job of raising my daughters into mature, independent ladies, the more I will miss these years of providing everything for them.

Trying for a Boy

I was finally asked the dread question by an old neighbor who I hadn't spoken to in years, "Are you going to try for a boy?" He didn't listen to my response beyond the word, "Yes" so I don't know what he thinks about, "At least three or four times." I think I handled the first test well. I hope I can develop more eloquent answers in the future. Perhaps I should avoid answering all together if I want to get into real conversations. Maybe I'll go all Socratic and respond with a question, "Why is that important?"

Cubed Off

Available Light has a link to an excellent piece explaining the rise of cubicles. As someone who has worked almost exclusively in cubicles, I found it interesting to learn their history. I was dumbfounded to hear that someone thought they would improve information sharing. I am always amazed at the contradictions of modern corporations. How does anyone expect to have sharing of information when moving from job to job within the company is encouraged? Who is around long enough to learn any information when even the walls of your office space are not permanent?

More Voices

I am always intrigued by Great NFP Battles when they arise. They are often a chance for me to practice charity and, sometimes, to find differing opinions within the sphere of faithful Catholicism. I hope I can learn from the two new additions to my Women's Blogs: And Sometimes Tea & Building Cathedrals.

I Wish I Wrote This

David Warren succeeded in writing the piece that I wish I had written on oil prices. The soaring prices make me so thankful that God directing my home-buying such that I nearly eliminated my dependency on oil back when it was merely $2.19 per gallon or so. I forget the exact price because, quite frankly, I have more important things to think about than the price at the pump.

Reading Thomas

Although I don't often read autobiographies, a dear friend gave me her copy of "My Grandfather's Son" and suggested that I would enjoy it. Though I am old enough to remember the general facts of Clarence Thomas's appointment to the bench, I never really had an interest in the politics or the man embroiled in them. However, his story is both interesting and educational.


Clarence Thomas has a clear recollection of his tumultuous life from living in a shack near a swamp through college activism to political intrigues. He not only narrates the details of his own life; he realizes that his life is a whole. He illustrates the connections between incidents in his life with an understanding light. Though racism was a formative part of his life, he demonstrates the strength that comes from meeting the challenge. As politics continues to be more dominated by whining, I am thankful for the story of a man facing the challenge of integrity, failing, and learning to be a better man by incorporating the difficult lessons taught by life and by a loving grandfather.