Safe Haven

I feel the need to comment on this. This isn't some egg-headed Marxist blathering on about Critical Race Theory; we have a kid shot for carrying Skittles by a guy in the Neighborhood Watch. We must have a way to go if being black keeps you from exercising your right to life. This wasn't some tragic accident; some gated-community moron actually thought there's no way a black kid belonged there. I favor absolute 2nd Amendment rights; I think the state governments can prohibit us from owning Uzis if they like. That's about it. I like many gun rights conservatives and believe that they carry on a noble part of the American spirit. But do I believe that real racism and bigotry exists unexamined on the Right, broadly speaking? Yes. Real conservatives assert their rights and advocate for them in the face of the real harm that a lack of liberty can cause. In fact, the case for freedom and limited government gets even stronger through the eyes of the historically disadvantaged....

I wondered about my sanity when I looked back at my ESPN men's tournament bracket, realizing that I had placed Witchita State in the Elite Eight. Witchita State was dismissed in the (actual) first round by Colorado. Yikes!

My last post brought me to 750. That's interesting. Ups, downs, and everything in between. Right now as I type this, Mariah Carey and Luther Vandross are singing their remake-duet of "Endless Love." I love this song. I think the original song won an Oscar. That's not normal. As much as I love that original version, it is my view that this one is better. Luther=classy. You might say we have found the one singer who can leave Mariah Carey, the best-selling artist of the 1990s, awestruck with celebrity.

I've been away for much longer than I intend; today is waiting day. I'm waiting to hear about a job. Nothing big, just a part-time deal from home. We're all also waiting on the results of Republican primaries in Alabama, Mississippi, and Hawai'i. Romney is expected to win the Aloha State, so all attention turns to the South. I do not for a second believe any of the polls coming out of the two states. Gingrich will not win tonight, and neither will Romney. But Santorum MUST avoid 3rd place in both places, or he's done. If he doesn't, Romney will say that he did way better than anyone thought and that Gingrich is a regional irrelevance (which he is). Next week, (or the week after) IL is the huge prize. I had expected a huge Romney win in a liberal state, but Santorum is within the margin of error. A win would instantly reset the race. A close loss would push Santorum forward. We'll see.

Thank you, Marty Roe: "...I bless the day I met you/And I thank God that he let you/[st]ay beside me for a moment that lives on/And the good news is I'm better/For the time we spent together/And the bad news is/You're gone."

I want every one to know that despite a widening delegate lead for Governor Romney to the tune of about 200 delegates, Santorum ought not despair. He did very well tonight; the fact remains that the majority of Republicans do not support Romney. If Santorum-Gingrich voters supported one person, that man would win. After the southern primaries next week, Gingrich will not be in the race, in my opinion. The delegate race is indeed close if the two conservative candidates' support is combined. With due respect, Gingrich would not defeat Romney head-to-head. But I do believe that most if not all of Gingrich's supporters would back Santorum. At the risk of great offense, the second choice of a not insignificant portion of Romney supporters is President Obama. Romney will not beat Obama in November. Mr. Gingrich, sir, for the sake of a real choice in November, drop out now. 1144 is the only number that matters: the number of delegates needed to clinch the nomination. Romney can easil...

I saw a couple things on Facebook that got me thinking today: One of my friends noted that she will have been "with child" for about half the time she's been married. Wow. Someone give her a hand! I mean, help her out! How To Tell You're An Actual Catholic: Your first reaction to this story is, "No way they're artificially contracepting, and that's great!" (Her husband was my neighbor in college; they're quite devout Protestants.) I hope if I am called to marriage that I learn to put my wife's needs before my desires, because there is no selfish sex, properly speaking, and blessings definitely come! Both possible states fill me with unmitigated terror, but I would much prefer the terror shared with a mate than consecrated celibacy terror. Consecrated celibacy terror also comes with the, "I don't even like these people" terror, the "Dude, seriously, more school" terror, and the "Pretty robes, captive audience, and ...

I somewhat inadvertently checked in on my adopted Lady Vols basketball team last night, playing for an SEC tournament title. That would make 16, by the way. To go with 8 national championships and nearly 1100 wins. It didn't really feel like they were in any threat of losing, though it was close. You're darn right the whole thing was bittersweet. Coach Summitt is the greatest basketball coach on Earth, (arguably) but little by little, she's being deprived of herself. It's early-onset dementia. We don't know if this season is her last. We don't know how fast it's progressing. It's very likely that Tennessee will remain one of the top programs in women's college basketball, but as soon as Summitt leaves, they will decline. They are like a veritable Death Star on most days; like most dominant schools in college sports, they beat opponents on pure intimidation. Even the teams that challenge them define themselves in opposition. Geno Auriemma of Connectic...

5 Thoughts For Today 5. Until today, I had only heard of Miles Davis. I love you, Spotify. 4. If Romney wins Ohio, it's over. Please wake me up in 2016. We can't win with this Massachussetts Communist as our nominee. 3. I'm not voting for this guy. Just so you know. 2. Newt, drop out. You can't win. It's Santorum or doom. 1. I shall drink a fizzy beverage, and like it.

My family was watching 'The Bachelor' the other evening; I could get judgmental about it and talk about the culture going to Hell in a handbasket, but in truth, I watched the whole season last time. Brad & Emily. You could see it coming a mile away. It was adorable! She had lost her fiance in a tragic plane crash while pregnant with her now 5 year old daughter. Well, naturally, it didn't work out and Emily will be the next 'Bachelorette.' If you've never seen either of these two shows, our protagonist is presented with 25 members of the opposite sex, whittling them down a few at a time until the final show, whereupon the protagonist proposes. Anyway, one of the things that makes me uncomfortable (other that dating and proposing on national TV) is that right before the finale, the contestants are invited in turn to spend the evening alone with our star in the 'Fantasy Suite.' One aspect of this is that it's away from the cameras for the first time...

To certain enthusiastic Lutherans: This is the substance of what I was trying to say today. Have we indeed reached a point when--irrespective of doubts about doctrinal development--the principal doctrinal dispute at the time of the Reformation has been resolved...in favor of the Catholic Church? I beg pardon if my manner of expression lacks a certain nicety common to the diplomats. Nevertheless, the point holds.

5 Sweet Santorum Slogans 5. Santorum. Because it sounds like a semi-obscure European ski town. 4. Santorum. Because we haven't had a Rick this cool since "Jessie's Girl." 3. Santorum. Sorry, Newt. The jokes are too easy. 2. Santorum. Because if I wanted a nice-looking guy to spout meaningless slogans, I'd vote for Obama. 1. Santorum. He's wrong on trade, but he's right about not killing people for no good reason.

Among other things, I am a total Fanilow. There's just something about the frankness, the undiluted emotion, that appeals to me. When we get to Heaven, God won't take our Love and say, "Too sappy." I suppose when feeling gets too much, it's misdirected or unmoored from reality. That said, rock on, Barry! I am a huge Fantorum, too, if you hadn't noticed. Even if they hadn't told us he was Italian, you can figure it out. That's a masculine genitive plural (Latin) run amok. What do you figure the family name was in Italy? I say, 'Santore.' I love your sweaters, your ill-informed economic policies, (sort of) your snark, and your faith. It kills me. I haven't been this enthusiastic since Bush-Gore. This is how you do 'establishment,' GOP. I went from, "He's better than Romney" to, "Show me the wall, and I'll run through it" Mode. We're going toward Easter, and the supreme demonstration (and vindication) of...

5 Thoughts Before The Arizona Republican Debate 5. Ari Fleischer is a smart dude. 4. James Carville is likable at least on TV, despite his belief in all sorts of progressive lunacy. 3. I hate CNN, but Erin Burnett could make me switch networks. Ahem. 2. It's your time, Rick. Don't screw it up. 1. Go Santorum!

The thing that bothers me the most about William Placher's "Readings in the History of Christian Theology" (volume 1 of 2) is that his ecclesiology (Protestant, invisible) leads him to say dangerous things about Christology that, at best, are confusing. I guess when you don't/can't construe determinations of a valid Ecumenical Council (with no clear definition or necessity to define what that actually means, see paragraph 884 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church) as true as such, you end up with 'gems' like this: "'Monophysite' Christians still survive in the Coptic Church of Egypt, and 'Nestorian' Christians spread throughout much of Asia, but the Chalcedonian compromise set the terms of orthodoxy for most Christians." (49) Are you trying to be equivocal on the meaning of the word "Christian"? It's not by accident that monophysitism is a heresy . Good grief. Look, I get it; not even all 'Nestorians' are a...

I'm sitting here on Ash Wednesday. I'm not going to be able to go to Mass, but I am refraining from meat today. I wonder how serious No Meat Fridays are in Lent? Is it more important than other Fridays? I don't usually keep that custom/discipline. Quite frankly, I'll probably need some sort of edict from the Archbishop to start, because not eating meat is so unnatural to me. One time, I went an entire meal without eating meat, because it all was suffused with cheese/onions/something gross, but that was not a willing choice. Anyway, I didn't come here to tell you that. I should probably piously comment on this , but I didn't come here to tell you that, either. Oh, fine. I don't think Catholic apologists and other leaders should tease Catholics about the penances they impose on themselves. Sure, they might seem weak from the outside, but not to the person who chose it. The good I have chosen to lay aside has been a gateway to anger and frustration at times, an...

5 Thoughts While Reading St. Irenaeus 5. He may be irenic, but he doesn't put up with heresy. 4. He says there would still be a rule of faith even if the Apostles had not written anything. 3. Seriously, I think he had a dog named 'Paradosis.' 2. On the other hand, he says you can refute the heretics with the Scriptures. 1. I have no idea what these heretics are talking about, but it sounds like they made a mean fruit salad.

Before I take an exam laughably called, "Fundamental Theology," (we'll get to that shortly) let me reach out as the slightly older brother to the RCIA class at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. It's February now, getting toward Easter, and the night you will (God willing) be received into the loving arms of Mother Church. I don't know most of you, and you don't know me, but my name is Jason, and I sat right where you sit each Monday night. I have been bribed with the same cookies, allegedly read the same books, prayed the same prayers, and sported the same befuddled look as you do about 56% percent of the time. You need to know that I pray for you often. Some of you have oddball reasons for being where you are, and that's OK. There's nothing they haven't heard. Some of you may be currently Protestant, and wondering what sort of funny joke this might be. Some of you want to become Catholic, but are not sure you can. I understand. I really do. In ...

Well, it sure looks like the regular folks in the GOP are lining up behind Rick Santorum. We know that I'm totally sold out on Santorum. I love him. No, seriously. You may be saying to yourself, "What would make an anti-authoritarian libertarian ideologue who couldn't even stomach McCain vote for Mr. Big Government Santorum?" I'm glad you asked. This is the best I can do, so here goes: There are two kinds of "establishment" candidates; the first kind rankles any normal person who can lay legitimate claim to having a conservative thought. He's the kind of candidate whose version of balance and electability is to capitulate to Democratic/socialist/progressive ideology only in part and in completely random fashion, such that one's own supporters want to strangle one. (McCain fits here, but in his defense, 2000 McCain was 1000 times worse than the 2008 version.) Think Nixon or Ford. People that provoke rightist third parties, and cause barely literat...

5 Thoughts For Today 5. Good idea to reverse yourself on adding Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin to the NBA All-Star festivities. Everybody wants to see what the kid can do. 4. I'm not terribly surprised he's doing so well. He played for Tommy Amaker at Harvard--Duke alumnus and awesome coach--so it's not completely preposterous. 3. Spring training for Major League Baseball is about to get under way...Go Cards! 2. The Democrats and their media allies (we'll keep saying that until you close the revolving door between Democratic campaigns and TV news, and oh, I don't know, report the news fairly) are starting to get their knives out for Rick Santorum. Buckle up, sir. 1. MMMM, bacon!