The Tenth Avenue playground at Belmar.

I bundled them up but there wasn't any wind so they had their jackets off in short order.

We brought a picnic lunch of sandwiches, clam chowder in a thermos, pretzels and cookies.

They played for an hour, ate and played for another hour. We met many nice people, adults and children. Some were there for the week and others were finding their summer rental property.

I need to get my beach badge soon. The pavilion wasn't open.

But Strollo's was!

Kenny got lemon, Chris took cherry and Timmy had vanilla with rainbow sprinkles. The bridge was up when we got there. We watched a tall boat, the Golden Eagle, pass under. It was too cold for italian ice but lots of people were getting it.

I sat with Tim on one side and Chris on the other. Kenny was across the table and started jumping around as the sugar hit. His antics prompted Chris to bounce in his seat. But he was too tired to hold his own and he fell backwards off the backless wire-mesh bench. He scraped his elbow through three layers of clothing.

I popped up like a jack-in-the-box to rescue him and set him back on his perch, laughing all the way at his carelessness. I was keenly aware of the elderly couple seated across the street. They had been watching us and no doubt their thoughts ran from "Oh, what a delightful boy" to "Oh, what a thoughtless mother letting him sit there by himself. Why, he ought to be on her lap or caught up in her arms so nothing evil befalls him." It's enough to make you crazy. So I laughed.

Kenny and Timmy were having an eating contest and Kenny was winning ... until Timmy accidentally knocked over his cup and a good portion fell onto the table.

Instead of crying, Timmy announced with triumph, "Now I'm winning!" That's my kid; always looking on the bright side.

We wrap up Women's History Month with a look ahead to Holy Week via the Via Dolorosa's Eighth Station:

Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem.

"Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children."Luke 23:28

From the dark end of street
To the bright side of the road

"Got everything out that you need, hon? EZ Pass? Garage door opener?"

Yeah, yeah. Have you seen my garage doors lately? I'm serious!


"Can you save the inspection sticker?"

"We can't guarantee anything. Most folks drive straight from here to the inspection station for a replacement."

"But it will be closed by the time ... is my husband's car ready yet?"

"Um, no. Maybe Monday. Do you have a ride, hon?"

"Yeah, I'm alright. Jeff's on his way. I just gotta move the car seats ..."

---

It got done today as planned. And they saved the inspection sticker. As if I need to be driving around without one ... all at the end of the month!

Yeah, it's a hassle that only my car has enough spots for four car seats.

Yeah, it's tough driving to Red Bank during the morning rush which included an unexplained, police-enforced, 30-minute detour around Manalapan and Freehold. And they wanted the car for the entire day. And, well, shoot, I can't get in and out of a repair shop for less than $800 these days it seems.

I'll tell you how my windshield cracked when I've cooled down ... yeah, the cold and early spring storm seemed to have something to do with it. Actually, yeah, the weather had alot to do with it since the streets are typically cleaned in preparation ... start to see it now? Need I go on?

With the nursery's rocking chair in storage in the basement, I became quickly bored of the remaining seating options left me.

I shifted an oversized chair to an unused corner of the living room and set up another rocker next to the crib, a layout that affords me a great view through the front window without the sunny glare and line of sight to the radio/CD player. Funny, we bought this huge CD changer just before iPods came out. What a waste of money. But, whatever.

I've stashed the remote controls in my rocking chair's pocket. Nursing can be mind-numbing at times especially now that I'm getting enough sleep at night and starting to regain my cognitive abilities, little by little.

I have yet to load up the CD changer with anything but Christmas music.

However, I have an idea of which CDs I would put it when I get around to it.

The tuner is pre-set to only two stations, WMMR and WHYY. Since moving to the panhandle seven years ago, I never got around to learning the radio stations because I was burning my own CDs for the car's changer. As in UNIX, there's always more than one way to skin a cat(1), i.e., to listen to music.

Trouble is, I don't know how to operate the stereo system via the remotes. I gotta find the manual and learn. I don't think that my iPod came with a remote. It's such a handle-held gadget.

If I had known it was going to be so cool, I would have taken pictures ... of the delivery truck with a hydraulic crane that lifted the pallet of roofing materials from the truck bed up, up, and over our heads to the top of the house.

Me and the able-bodied boys watched from the vacated nursery. The succession of thuds above us as the operator set down bundles, presumably in scattered work areas, caused me to fear a collapse. The young ones didn't like the noise either ... or were bored ... and quit the empty bedroom suddenly.

Roofing materials are heavy, no doubt about it. In the old days, folks like my father lugged stuff up by hand. Frankly I can't remember how he did it. His ladder had a rope and pulley but that was for full extension, not hoisting supplies. I just know that he did, by himself.

He only allowed me on the porch roofs, never higher. I think he fell off the ladder once. My mother would sometimes hold the ladder. (No, I don't think that's why he fell). I don't remember him breaking any bones in his fall. Shoot, I break bones every time I fall down the stairs. (I do think that my heel was somehow broken in my most recent fall from January but I never got around to getting an x-ray to confirm).

I hope to heaven none of these guys fall.

A deer ran into his car, I told you that, what, over a month ago.

He left it at the body shop on Saturday and the insurance co. provided a rental, a Ford Taurus (naturally).

This morning, he put a booster seat in the back of the rental and took Kenny to school.

He shared with me Kenny's reaction to the fabric on the Taurus's seats: "Oooh, so soft." He likes it better than the leather in our cars. Funny.

Actually, I like fabric better too, but it doesn't wear well. Leather lasts and even gets better with age.

Easter egg hunt at school today ... that Tim'll miss. It might even be held outdoors, up to only 65° F today.

There's always a mad dash just before an extended break.

A flurry of fliers ... that are piling up in Tim's cubby along with his homework.

But Kenny is bringing home copies:

• DVD drive for CHOP,
• RF goodies for EOW party to celebrate Easter/Spring/Vacation, and
• a parent survey for the school's Middle States accreditation review.

I had the best intentions on the DVD drive, not only because I appreciated having videos available during Timmy's hospital stay last spring. And not only because the classroom that brings in the most gets a party. You know me, I desired going to the bookstore to browse DVD titles. To satisfy that shopping impulse ... for a worthy cause. But Timmy's illness has me homebound, essentially.

On paper, the DVD drive runs through the 9^th but practically the items must be in by Friday. I selected two-day shipping on our Amazon Prime account but chances are the items will arrive after school's out for vacation.

I find it happening again, 'though I'm guilty of trying to ignore it.

For the first time during his five-day illness, I am carrying him everywhere. Upstairs, downstairs, to the car. The car, that necessary evil of driving, especially on Tuesdays.

It was different last spring ... and yet similar. I mean, different symptoms but same result: a lifeless kid.

The schoolmarm mentioned the "B" word to me this morning, bronchitis, which I thought only plagued middle-aged female smokers like my sister.

Hah, I don't believe it. I don't believe it's bronchitis. The symptoms don't match up. Schoolmarms often overreact. They mistake the common cold for some fancy disease.

However, if it is bronchitis, then must be some sick smoker teacher should have stayed home rather than report to work and infect her students. That's what I think. And I know which teachers smoke ... yes I do. Endangering the welfare of a child ...

Thoughtful:

"Girl Scouts: Don't dump in the Millstone River" - Examiner, 3/22/07

Since certain storm drains in town run directly into the river, a group of Junior Girl Scouts will paint a turtle along with the phrase "Don't Dump - Drains to Millstone River" on selected storm drains throughout town.

The girls will stencil the storm drains with a turtle representing the bog turtle, a species native to New Jersey that has become endangered primarily due to the high levels of pollutants in the state's waterways.

Overheard in a first grade homeroom this morning:

First student: I saw a live play this weekend.

Second student (my son): Well, I had ice cream!

Third student: I saw a play and had ice cream!


First student, again: I got to stay up really late at the play.

My son: Well, I always stay up really late.

Third student: Yeah, me too!

My son: Once I stayed up past midnight!

Oh, I remember that, on Christmas Eve.

Well, I don't really remember because I went to bed around 9 and left the kids with Jeff whose bedtime routine involves letting them fall asleep on the couch playing Xbox and carrying them to bed.

I found out the hard way, as we paid for it the next morning. Groggy heads the lot of 'em.

But, where do kids learn to brag? I mean, really.

Read the comments.

The brochure arrived in the mail last week.

I haven't a prayer of getting there this summer.

But this session interests me:

Jesus and Paul: Parallel Lives
with Rev. Jerome Murphy-O'Connor

Extracting information from a variety of sources - pagan, Jewish, and Christian - this course will interweave geographical, cultural, and historical elements into configurations that reveal important parallel trajectories in the lives of Jesus and Paul.

We will discuss the births, early years, and family settings of Jesus and Paul, and continue with an examination of their education, refugee status, social class, economic position, political circumstances, cultural influences, and conversion experiences.

The course will contextualize Jesus, the God-Man, alongside Paul, Man of God and Apostle to the Gentiles - leaving students with a greater appreciation for the missions of both.

I know that Fr. Murphy-O'Connor believes in the parallels; his substantiating material will be drawn from the Bk. of Acts. I'm glad that he's well enough to be teaching again. I attended his four-day lecture on St. Paul two summers ago, then that winter he fell ill for a spell.

tags technorati : college st. elizabeth jerome murphy-o'connor jesus paul

Our daily dose of anti-Catholicism from Mark Mossa:

"A Little Anti-Catholicism With Breakfast"

I could easily post one or two or twelve such tidbits a day but it gets old pretty quick, *yawn*.

Now I get what Mark says about the Orthodox striving to distinguish themselves, like Canadians from Americans, since most think of them as Catholics with beards.

Trouble is, in the US, so many are converts; they simply bring their prejudice along.

tags technorati : anti-catholicism mark mossa orthodox church

"Kids rescue runaway school bus", The Trentonian, 3/23/07:

Three Reynolds Middle School students were being hailed as heroes yesterday when they stopped their runaway school bus, after the driver suffered a seizure.

Sean Schreiber, 13, an 8th-grader, and his brother Chris, 12, a 6th grader, credited their quick response to riding quads, and playing soccer and track.

The proud father said with amazement, "I work with the county, and there were county trucks on Nottingham Way, and they were like, ‘Your son just passed us driving a school bus!’ I said, ‘What are you talking about?’"

Students get annual physicals for school, why can't bus drivers?

Uh! I am so not putting my kids on a school bus. Ever.

Three months old today, feast of the Annunciation¹, superseded by a Lenten Sunday.

Readings.

Serendipitously, a verse from today's first reading appeared in our Christmas card last year,
Isaiah 43:19 --

see, I am doing something new!
Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

Entre nous, I don't think many see it.

Discovered her hands, looks at them for minutes on end. Reaches for stuff. Holds onto soft stuff, blankets, dolls. Smiles constantly.

¹ the Orthodox do it better.

At this point, I feel I'm in danger of taking more pictures of the house than of the kids.

Timmy asked, with some gentle concern in his voice, "Why did they remove those windows?" Au contraire, Son.

He's probably still reeling from the removal of our wooden deck. I overheard him telling his teacher one morning, "They took our deck away!" Perhaps from his perspective, our house is getting smaller. It feels that way, with some upstairs furniture downstairs now. And, with rain dripping from the family room ceiling, we've pulled furniture in.

We had a mix-up with the windows order, since we want to replace all. Complete replacement costs extra. But the contractor counted incorrectly and won't provide an updated proposal before Monday. That delays the order a day or two. But, eventually, eventually, eventually those empty spaces will have windows.

This speaks for itself:



handels says:

love the photo - we used it on our NPR blog, Blog of the Nation!

"Kids in Capes" - Blog of the Nation, NPR

I was unaware until now ...

Died • Bruce Metzger, professor emeritus at Princeton Theological Seminary, of natural causes. He was 93. Internationally recognized for his scholarship, Metzger was an expert on Greek biblical texts. He worked extensively on the RSV Bible translation and led work on the NRSV.

Christianity Today

Related references:

Novum Testamentum Blog
The Trentonian obituary

I don't remember this passage in Chesterton's Orthodoxy, but it's useful these days, courtesy of Stuart Buck @ The Buck Stops Here:

If it comes to human testimony there is a choking cataract of human testimony in favour of the supernatural.

If you reject it, you can only mean one of two things. You reject the peasant's story about the ghost either because the man is a peasant or because the story is a ghost story. That is, you either deny the main principle of democracy, or you affirm the main principle of materialism -- the abstract impossibility of miracle.

You have a perfect right to do so; but in that case you are the dogmatist.

It is we Christians who accept all actual evidence -- it is you rationalists who refuse actual evidence being constrained to do so by your creed.

But I am not constrained by any creed in the matter, and looking impartially into certain miracles of mediaeval and modern times, I have come to the conclusion that they occurred. All argument against these plain facts is always argument in a circle.

If I say, "Mediaeval documents attest certain miracles as much as they attest certain battles," they answer, "But mediaevals were superstitious"; if I want to know in what they were superstitious, the only ultimate answer is that they believed in the miracles. If I say "a peasant saw a ghost," I am told, "But peasants are so credulous." If I ask, "Why credulous?" the only answer is -- that they see ghosts.

Every new moon or so, Brian posts an overtly religious article at our high school alumni web site. Tonight, I saw his posting, a sermon by George Whitefield ("wit-field"). It's here and it's long.

There is a good part in the sermon that I hope to connect with Brian on at a later time.

But what leapt out at me was the mention of "communion tokens". I have never heard of such a thing.

Whitefield is speaking of the sin of unbelief:

Can it be supposed that any of you are unbelievers here in this church-yard, that are born in Scotland, in a reformed country, that go to church every Sabbath? Can any of you that receive the sacrament once a year -- Oh that it were administered more often! -- can it be supposed that you who had tokens for the sacrament, that you who keep up family prayer, that any of you do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?

An answer to his rhetorical question might be a timid "yes". The tokens attempted to safeguard against unbelievers receiving communion. One can still purchase them, as gifts for young people making their "first" communion or confirmation, nowadays sans genuine currency. Ugh, what a pun.

From the Library of Congress:

The sacrament of Holy Communion was precious to colonial Presbyterians (and to members of other Christian churches). Presbyterians followed the Church of Scotland practice of "fencing the table"--of permitting members to take communion only after being examined by a minister who vouched for their spiritual soundness by issuing them a token that admitted them to the celebration of the sacrament. The custom continued in some Presbyterian churches until early in this century.

Now, I had read up on "closed communion" a few years ago and I did blog my conclusions. My conclusions suck; don't read them. I was mad about Catholics being singled out, again, when we aren't the only ones.

"Fencing the table", reminds me of my study of the Talmud last fall:

"A gezeirah is a law instituted by the rabbis to prevent people from accidentally violating a Torah mitzvah. We commonly speak of a gezeirah as a 'fence' around the Torah."

I caught a glimpse, only a fleeting glimpse, mind you, of how freeing Law can be. It was beautiful but I couldn't sustain the image. I mean, it's nebulous for someone who didn't grow up in it. It's hard to make it one's way of life unless it's always been, simply.

"On My Own" - Les Miserables



I prefer the recorded CD version. But this is Jeff's favorite song from the show. He's got a tender spot for female angst and unrequited love.

This could have been my theme song this week, as Jeff had planned on VON.

But there's just too much going on at work and at home. So, I'm relieved (for myself) and sad for him.

My favorite song from the show uses the same melody, "Finale".

"Winter - it ain't over till it's over" - Asbury Park Press, 3/18/07:

"As for Friday's storm, Gorse said it was spawned by a storm system moving through the southern states. He said today should be sunny, though still cool.

However, the weather was expected to improve this week."

I'm glad I got the driveway shoveled yesterday. It was mostly slush but getting as much of it cleared as possible allowed the warm sun to do its work.

And the bits that I didn't shovel froze solid overnight and are impassable.

Maybe it'll warm up enough this afternoon and I'll get the rest done.

A good post about, what else, a good funeral. "Is there any other kind?" she asks in her best Irish brogue.

Courtesy of Deb @ Abiding:

"to truly experience the 'fullness of life' we must experience hard times. A life without pain and disappointment would not be a full life."

There's a facet of dispensationalism geared towards satisfying the rationalist, those who might otherwise be skeptical of theology.

Grant Jeffrey is among these teachers, demonstrating the authenticity of the Bible through fulfilled prophecy. The establishment of the state of Israel is the crowning moment, to which significant biblical prophecy points, almost to the exclusion of Christ's First Advent. Prior to 1948, had Christians any assurance that their Bible is the word of God? But I digress ...

I watched Dr. Jeffrey's program on TV last week and I had a problem from the get-go: his fixing of Israel's national "birthday" on 5/15 and declaring God's word precise to the very day.

Everyone knows it's 5/14, a special day to me for other reasons.

Grant handles the discrepancy by saying that their declaration of independence took effect the following day. Close enough, right?

Here are some of his teachings online:

"A Mathematical Error with the Bible?"
"Ezekiel Prophesied the 1967 Recapture of Jerusalem"

We're talking about not only 100's of years but also juggling ancient Judaism's sacred calendar of 360 days and second Adars with the modern West's secular calendar of 365.25 days, translating Nisan into April, and, if you bring Daniel into it (as must be done to rescue Jeremiah's predictions, at least in part), Babylonian conventions of marking time. So what's a day or two here and there? Who am I to quibble?

For the sake of argument, let's agree on mid-May.

How likely is it that Jeremiah predicted the establishment of the state of Israel¹ with greater precision than an event closer to his own time, the duration of the Captivity? This has always puzzled me. Read the commentaries on Jeremiah 25, even the mainline conservative ones admit that the numbers don't add up:

New Jerome Biblical Commentary: "This prediction has been the subject of ample and frequent discussions. If we remember that 70 is often a symbol of 'many', then we would think that Jeremiah only intended a long period without any specification of time." (page 286)

NAB: "This Jeremiah intends as a round number, to signify that the present generation must die out."

Scofield's notes: "The seventy years are considered by some to be a round number. Others find the number to be exact, counting from about 604 B.C. (the first deportation being in Jehoiakim's reign, whereas the second was in 597 B.C. in Jehoiachin's reign, and the last in Zedekiah's reign in 586 B.C.) to about 535 B.C. when the exiles returned to the land after the decree of Cyrus."

Sproul's Reformation Study Bible: "This period may be counted in round figures from 605 B.C. to 538 B.C., when the exiles began to return home following Cyrus's decree."

Reformed: "Seventy years was a standard formula in ancient Near Eastern cultures to describe the duration of a god's displeasure with his people. It could be lengthened or shortened, depending on how the people reacted to the judgment. The number 70 roughly corresponds to the number of years between the first deportation in 605 B.C. and 538 B.C. ..."

Jewish Study Bible: "The significance of the period is uncertain, though it likely reflects the human life span."

¹ "10 Bible prophecies fulfilled in 1948" - 100prophecies.org

¿Agua, por favor? they asked.

Thank God, I had several icy cold bottles in the basement fridge.

I dutifully made sure that everybody got one, all the while reflexively chastising myself bitterly - yet inaudibly - for failing to recognize their thirst that late afternoon.

Then I came to my senses with all indignation and excuses ...

"Who'd expect such warm weather in March? Where are their coolers?! Why should I be expected to ...?"

"And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple--amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."

Is this the reason that rainwater is dripping into my kitchen?

This was unexpected:

"Child victims of Bronx fire laid to rest in Millstone", Examiner, 3/15/07:

Five young children were laid to rest in the Makbarat as-Salaam cemetery in Millstone, a Muslim cemetery located on Conover Road near Route 33.

I never travel Conover but Jeff does. He was on it tonight when I told him the news.

He was as surprised as I, 'though he had noted the curious cemetery there previously.

I'm not upset, really. Well, a little, I guess. But I've got wisdom on my side - "play to your strengths" and "beggars can't be choosers." C'est ne fait rien, apparently. Here's the deal:

Student council holds a bake sale at school. I offer to bake my pièce de résistance, peanut butter cookies. Couldn't I make something else?

Believe me, I'm not insensitive to allergies. But genuine concern ought reach beyond peanuts to include eggs and butter and gluten. Am I right? But those aren't banned - there'd be no bake sale if they were.

Moreover, no enrolled student is actually known to be allergic to peanuts.

My kids like my peanut butter cookies. I bake them the best. I want to offer something with confidence, my best.

But, instead, in deference, I made oatmeal and they turned out terrible. Horrid little hard things. I told Jeff that he'll have to bake next time. He was fine with that.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I could not be a kid these days. It's just no fun at all. Too many bloody rules.

Humph, I listened to (a very loud) Moving Pictures as I baked:

"Those who know what's best for us
Must rise and save us from ourselves."

Oh, I learned it all too young.

Kenny enjoyed his field trip yesterday to a play in Spanish and English at Rider University. His Spanish teacher planned the trip.

And, unlike previous field trips, this one wasn't postponed due to weather or the school principal being fired.

Checking over last year's credit card summary, I shocked even myself. I mean, the number of bookstore purchases.

I frequent bookstores - that's probably no secret. I have some recollection of the more unusual vendors, St. E's bookstore and J.S. Paluch. I mean, what I bought there. The rest is a blur.

Hey, michele, I probably bought more from WTS Books than you ... without ever setting foot inside their door.

The grouping of transactions on the annual summary, as you know, means that gasoline purchases appear on another page. Many listings in that category, as well. I don't always buy online. Sometimes I must drive to these places!

This advertisement made me chuckle.

Not that a publisher would promote a Bible translation - that's commonplace.

Or even an "old" translation, published in 1989.

But rather, the placing of an ad for a translation that is largely rejected by conservative evangelicals in Christianity Today.

Not that only conservatives ... or evangelicals ... read CT.

Of course, the hawker's a Quaker ... he's got my number.

It's the translation we used in school. What's not to trust?

Simcha Jacobovici, in The Lost Tomb of Jesus: A Critical Look,

"You know, even the statistics, 600 to 1. You know what if it's only 100 to 1. What if it's only 10 to 1 that this is the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth? What if it's 50/50 ..."

And all Catholic ears perk up.

Cleaning out closets, I was shocked at how many different versions of Trivial Pursuit¹ we have stashed away, including a Star Wars edition.

The task of packing up is like moving ... without going anywhere.

It seems likely that we'll forfeit all rooms upstairs but a bedroom and a full bath, and all rooms downstairs except two and a half bath until the fall.

Maybe we should consider renting a trailer.

Pictures here at flickr, friends & family only.

¹"The decline of Trivial Pursuit" - Slate Magazine, 4/13/05

"Let There Be More 'Daylight'"¹ - CBS News, 7/22/05

"The beauty of daylight-saving time is that it just makes everyone feel sunnier."

... the extension means daylight-saving time will continue through Halloween, adding to safety.

“Kids across the nation will soon rejoice because they'll have another hour of daylight trick-or-treating."

"Daylight-saving glitch threatens mini-Y2K", Tech News & Reviews - MSNBC.com, 3/9/07

---

He shall speak words against the Most High,
and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
and shall think to change the times and the law;
and they shall be given into his hand
for a time, times, and half a time.

Daniel 7:25 - Daniel's prophetic vision of the fourth beast which represents the fourth kingdom on earth that shall be different from all the kingdoms and shall devour the whole earth.

¹ - a parody on Genesis 1:3

"Bullet found at Allentown High School" - Examiner, 3/8/07.

And then I turned the page and saw this headline:

"Bullets found in Millstone middle school" - Examiner, 3/8/07:

"The police questioned the boys in the group but no one admitted to bringing them in," Donahue said.

"The administration held assemblies for kids and went over the handbook and what is appropriate and not appropriate to bring to school."

Donahue said parents and guardians should further review the information in the school planner with their children.

The cops think the incidents are unrelated.

When I recall the news about that security guard who was caught setting fires at the new middle school, I gotta think that the adults shouldn't be ruled out as suspects.

March is National Women's History Month and, so far, the news is cooperating with stories about women.

"Edith Stein Project looks at feminism from Catholic perspective" - Catholic News Service, 3/6/07:

Pia DeSolenni, a theologian who writes and lectures on issues such as feminism, culture and society, spoke on "Renewing the Feminine Image" during the student-organized Edith Stein Project held Feb. 23-24 at the University of Notre Dame.

Edith Stein, aka Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, - Wiki

Three things of importance: percentage of women, percentage of laity, and degree of penetration across departments.

Of course I'm all for seeing more of each. This article gives a sense of how vast is the Vatican's bureaucracy.

"Women chip Vatican's glass ceiling with increased numbers, influence" - Catholic News Service, 3/2/07:

Pope Benedict said that women need to "make their own space" in the church and that the hierarchy shouldn't stand in their way.

The pope expressed satisfaction that women today were "very present in the departments of the Holy See."

"When I came here, there were not only fewer women but they were also more closely monitored, in terms of behavior, dress and mentality. Today it's much more open and women are more accepted," Filomena D'Antoni said.

Others who work in these offices, however, pointed out that most women are in support staff positions and have little decision-making input.

I am so not looking forward to ...

"THE DREADED 'M' WORD!"

"Hamlets keep identities despite ZIP code changes" - The Examiner, 3/1/07:

Last year, the U.S. Postal Service started consolidating its post offices in Millstone because the township was being served by 10 different ZIP codes.

I understand how this mess happened.

Wonderful, we don't have to change anything.

Our friendly, little post office won't be closing, even better. They know me there.

"First Woman Named Winner Of Prestigious Computing Award" - Technology News by InformationWeek, 2/22/07:

Frances Allen, an IBM Fellow Emerita at the T.J. Watson Research Center who started her career as a computer scientist in the 1950s, was honored for her significant contributions in compiler design and program optimization.

"There's Still A Shortage Of Women In Tech, First Female Turing Award Winner Warns" - Technology News by InformationWeek.

"Computing award goes to female for first time" - CNN.com

List of Turing Award Recipients - Association for Computing Machinery ... many familiar names, I'm sure.
Turing Award - Wiki

Jeff calls this "Ella @ 55". Days, I guess.

But she is cute, take my word for it.

Very cute, posted in the Commonweal comments of this article, not a bad article in itself:

Posted by Patrick Molloy on March 2, 2007, 10:44 am

The results of the latest market research on the American newspaper audience (original source unknown):

1. The Wall Street Journal is read by the people who run the country.

2. The Washington Post is read by people who think they run the country.

3. The New York Times is read by people who think they should run the country and who are very good at crossword puzzles.

4. USA Today is read by people who think they ought to run the country but don't really understand The New York Times. They do, however, like the statistics shown in pie charts.

5. The Los Angeles Times is read by people who wouldn't mind running the country -- if they could find the time -- and if they didn't have to leave Southern California to do it.

6. The Boston Globe is read by people whose parents used to run the country and did a far superior job of it, thank you.

7. The New York Daily News is read by people who aren't too sure who's running the country and don't really care as long as they can get a seat on the train.

8. The New York Post is read by people who don't care who's running the country as long as they do something really scandalous, preferably while intoxicated.

9. The Miami Herald is read by people who are running another country but need the baseball scores.

10. The San Francisco Chronicle is read by people who aren't sure there is a country ... or that anyone is running it; but if so, they oppose all that they stand for.

11. The National Enquirer is read by people trapped in line at the grocery store.

Next step: an equally rigorous analysis of Catholic periodicals and websites.

"'Times' Gets Faked Out on 'Diary' Entry" - National Public Radio, 3/2/07:

Day to Day, March 2, 2007 · The New York Times unwittingly put a phony story in their "Metropolitan Diary" feature recently. The feature collects vignettes from ordinary people about their experiences of everyday life in New York.

I don't know what's weirder, the incident itself, NPR reporting it or me blogging it.

Nobody comes out clean in this one.

"C" as in "culprit",

as in "clue",

as in "Chris"!



Somebody shoved a slew of magnet letters under the stove while I showered this morning. Hmmm.

At least the little rascal helped me pull them out again, aided by a flashlight and broom handle. He delighted in pronouncing the sound(s) associated with each letter.