Hasty Ruminations

Now You’ve Gone Too Far

gregquill — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:26:39 +0000

(AP) “A 98-year-old woman was indicted Friday on a second-degree murder charge that alleges she strangled her 100-year-old nursing home roommate after making the victim’s life “a living hell” because she thought the woman was “taking over the room.”"

OK, now that’s too much. That’s abuse of the elderly. She picked on a 100 year old woman. Let’s take her to court, and make an example of her of what happens when younger people abuse the elderly. Throw the book at her, I say.

Wait. You say the defendant is 98?

Hmmmmm…

Better not waste any time…

Merry Christmas: Remembering the Holy Innocents

gregquill — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 06:09:38 +0000

It’s Christmas in Hawaii

gregquill — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:51:54 +0000

Sometimes grandfathers (and fathers in law) are able to make things a little better.

I started a little tradition last year at Christmas time. I figured my Irish daughter-in-law missed home in Mulhuddart, a suburb northwest of Dublin, particularly at the holidays. My son, her husband, is in the Navy and stationed in Hawaii. A paradise most times, but cruelly remote during family holidays, as I know so well. So I sent them a special present last year: a do-it-yourself box of a traditional Irish breakfast.

The Irish know how to make Guiness, and how to make a breakfast! Here is what was in the box:

Mc Namees Brown Bread 14.1oz
Barrys Tea Gold 40 Bags
Batchelors Baked Beans 420g (14.8oz)
Donnellys Irish Style Sausages 16/1lb
Donnellys Irish Style Rashers .5lb (Thickly sliced bacon)
Donnellys Black Pudding 8oz
Donnellys White Pudding 8oz
Kerrygold Irish Butter Block 8oz

I thought that the smell of all that food cooking in her kitchen would certainly take her back, and it did. Tearfully!

So I just sent them another breakfast for this Christmas, and it arrived yesterday. Since it’s perishable, the shipping from New York to Hawaii costs more than the food. But I think it is worth it.

Last year, I discouraged them from trying to cook it on Christmas morning, since that is a time of wonderful chaos for my two grandchildren. Have it the day before, I said, and they did. She told me it took up most of the morning. All they had to provide was the eggs, and the appetite, and apparently they had plenty of both! My son tucks right in, I’m told.

This year I added a surprise: Cadbury’s Winter Wonderland Selection Box. Chocolate for breakfast? Sure: it’s Christmas in Hawaii!

This Will Take Some Time…

gregquill — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:13:51 +0000

Fair warning: I am trying to take a new direction on the Tiger Woods story, and this could take some time. From FARK.com: “Tiger Woods’ fifth (and counting) mistress emerges from the rough, complains the golfer ‘used her for sex.’ Looks like someone doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘mistress’.”

I figure that there must be a young, blond, attractive white woman somewhere who has NOT been his mistress.

Remember Nellie singing this in South Pacific?

When the skies are a bright canary yellow
I forget ev’ry cloud I’ve ever seen,
So they called me a cockeyed optimist
Immature and incurably green.

Yeah, I know. I’ll just keep looking…

Carol of the Bells – 2008 – Christmas Lights – Chino, California

gregquill — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:45:56 +0000

The video for my 2006 post has been removed from You Tube. Yep, you’re right: communists!

Enjoy this! In memory of Clark W. Griswold.

About the Ships Returning Home

gregquill — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 07:35:24 +0000

Please click.

The “W” in Christmas

gregquill — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:23:12 +0000

I ran this post two years ago, and I offer it again for this Christmas season.

The ‘W’ in Christmas – Author Unknown

Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. I had cut back on nonessential obligations — extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six-year-old. For weeks, he’d been memorizing songs for his school’s ‘Winter Pageant.’

I didn’t have the heart to tell him I’d be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there’d be a dress rehear sal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.

So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.

Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as Christmas,’ I didn’t expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment – songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. So, when my son’s class rose to sing, ‘Christmas Love,’ I was slightly taken aback by its bold title.

Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads. Those in the front row-center stage — held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing ‘C is for Christmas,’ a child would hold up the letter C. Then, ‘H is for Happy,’ and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, ‘Christmas Love.’

The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter ‘M’ upside down — totally unaware her letter ‘M’ appeared as a ‘W.’

The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one’s mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her ‘W.’ Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to w iden. In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities.

For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear:

‘C H R I S T W A S L O V E’

And, I believe, He still is.
Amazed in His presence…
Humbled by His love.

Hope you all have a wonderful Christwaslove holiday season.

Archbishop Shredded Priest Pedophile Reports

gregquill — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:53:40 +0000

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Weakland shredded copies of sex abuse reports, documents say

By Bruce Vielmetti of the Journal Sentinel Posted: Dec. 3, 2009

Former Milwaukee Archbishop Rembert Weakland routinely shredded copies of weekly reports about sexual abuse by priests, according to formerly sealed testimony turned over to Milwaukee County’s district attorney on Thursday.

Weakland

“In a 1993 deposition, Weakland admitted destroying copies of the reports in his office, according to a partial transcript of the deposition released by Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

“Peter Isley, SNAP’s Midwest director, turned over the partial transcript, as well as portions of the logs to which Weakland was referring, to Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm and asked him to review them for any possible criminal violations. Chisholm accepted the records and promised a thorough review.

“The 16-year-old deposition documents have come to light during the discovery process in more than a dozen civil fraud lawsuits filed against the Milwaukee archdiocese.

“SNAP made the announcements at a news conference Thursday morning outside Chisholm’s office at the Milwaukee County courts complex.

“Julie Wolf, communications director for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, said Thursday she had not seen the documents SNAP released and could make no comment on them for the archdiocese.

“In the deposition, Weakland explains that he got copies of the weekly logs made by vicars in the archdiocese about ongoing problem priests. He said he would read them, then shred them because he didn’t want to keep them in his office. He would “try to remember anything that is quite serious and important,” and later discuss the matters with the vicar.

“SNAP also released portions of logs kept on two abusive priests, Siegfried Widera and Franklyn Becker. Widera killed himself in 2003 after police cornered him in Mexico; Becker has been removed from the priesthood. Isley said not all portions of all vicar logs have been released yet as part of the civil litigation.

“Isley said SNAP also will ask Archbishop-designate Jerome Listecki to censure and discipline Weakland and anyone else who may have been involved in covering up sex abuse by clergy. He said Listecki has refused to say whether he would review why the Diocese of La Crosse, where he is bishop, has cleared more clergy accused of abuse than most dioceses.

“Listecki told Wisconsin Public Radio that he did not have enough time left in his term as bishop in La Crosse and that, besides, it was the holiday season.”

Just the Facts, Barack

gregquill — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:07:21 +0000

The Muppets Play Queen (No, the OTHER Queen!)

gregquill — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:35:12 +0000