Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Princess Diana & Mother Teresa - 19 Years Ago

Mother Teresa will be canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta on September 4.

Princess Diana first met Mother Teresa in her convent in Rome in 1992 and a friendship was formed.

Diana died August 31, 1997 at the age of 36. The only chaplain in the hospital she arrived at was a Roman Catholic Priest who ministered to her.

Princess Diana was buried with one of her most favorite possessions in her hand, a rosary given to her by Mother Teresa, 2 months earlier.


Mother Teresa died 5 days later.

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Don't Say "Infantryman" - That's Now Sexist!

Remember the saying, “Every Marine is a rifleman.”   No longer!
I recently saw a dweeb wearing a T-shirt that read “Gender does not define me!”    I wonder when the Marines will be ordered to wear those T-shirts.

From PatriotPost.us  . . .


The Marine Corps will begin using gender-neutral job titles and course names in October. Barack Obama's Navy Secretary, Ray Mabus, who recently announced that a new ship will be named for homosexual activist Harvey Milk, sent the following directive to Marine Commandant Gen. Robert Neller: "Please review the position titles throughout the Marine Corps and ensure that they are gender-integrated as well, removing 'man' from the titles." Among the changes, a former "Basic Infantryman" will now be a "Basic Infantry Marine," and a former "Tank Crewman" will now be an "Armor Marine."
The Marine Corps is proud to call all of its members, regardless of gender, Marines. So it would seem there is no harm done calling an "Infantryman" an "Infantry Marine." But the order is yet another waste of man person-power and taxpayer dollars to overhaul and reprint an untold number of doctrinal publications, administrative documents, signs and other such items in order to comply with Obama's puppet-secretary's order. The funds required for this policy directive would be much better invested in improving Marine fighting capabilities and morale. This type of waste does not go unnoticed by the Marines it affects.
Of note, the Marine Corps elected to retain the word "man" in several of its historically significant and fundamental terms, including "rifleman" and "mortarman." But after Defense Secretary Ash Carter refused the Marine Corps' attempts to protect its combat effectiveness by foregoing gender normalization, it's only a matter of time until those time-honored terms also collapse under PC pressure for "non-gendered pronouns." The Obama administration's highly publicized agenda betrays its commander in chief's priorities: political correctness over mission-effectiveness.




Don't Go There - Go Here And Save Money

The Roads Less Traveled
Money Magazine

Save money on your next vacation.

Instead of here:               Go here:
New York, NY                  London, UK
Austin, TX                        San Antonio, TX
Burlington, VT                  Portland, ME
Paris, France                    Montreal, Canada
Nashville                           Louisville
Santa Monica, CA             Santa Barbara, CA

Venice, Italy                       Rome, Italy                                          

Who is the patron saint of gardeners? It's not St. Francis.

St. Fiacre (also known as Fiachra; Fiachrach; Fiacrius; Fiaker and Fevre) was a hermit at Kilfiachra, Ireland. He left to go to France, and then lived as a solitary at Breuil, Brie, on land given him by St. Faro, bishop of Meaux. Fiacre built a hospice for travelers, attracted many disciples, was known for his charity and aid to the poor, and was consulted by many for his spiritual wisdom. His miracles of healing became legendary. He is the patron saint of gardeners and the cabdrivers of Paris, whose vehicles are called fiacres, since the first coach for hire in Paris was located near the Hotel Saint-Fiacre. He is mentioned in Roman Martyrology for this day.
Excerpted from Dictionary of Saints, John J. Delaney
Patron: Gardeners; herbalist; florists; potters; needlemakers; cab drivers; against hemorrhoids; against syphilis; barrenness; box makers; fistula; hosiers; pewterers; taxi drivers; sterility; tile makers; against venereal disease.

Symbols: Spade and open book; rosary; birds; spade.
Often Portrayed as: man carrying a spade and a basket of vegetables beside him surrounded by pilgrims and blessing the sick.

St. Fiacre's Curse - Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids were called "Saint Fiacre's illness" in the Middle Ages and he may have suffered from them himself. It is said that one day he sat sorrowfully on a stone and that stone softened providing him relief of the sort that can be obtained with remarkable hemzem.

There is also a somewhat different version of how St. Fiacre became the patron saint of hemorrhoids and how hemorrhoids were known as St. Fiacre's Curse. When St. Fiacre first arrived in Meaux, it is said, Bishop Faro decided to give him land but didn't much care for him. So he gave St. Fiacre a particularly small shovel and told him he could have all the land he could clear in a single day. St. Fiacre went to work and toiled so hard to maximize his holding that he developed a severe case of prolapsed hemorrhoids. He then sat on a stone and prayed, seeking guidance, and a resolution to his situation. Miraculously his hemorrhoids vanished and legend has it that the imprint of his hemorrhoids remain on the stone to this day.

Legend also has it that any hemorrhoid sufferer who sits on the stone and prays today will be cured.

St. Fiacre lived in Breuil until his death in 670 and his relics are installed in Meaux cathedral.

Patron Saint of Hemorrhoids & Herbs - St. Fiacre

St. Fiacre

St. Fiacre (d. 670) was raised in an Irish monastery and became known for his holiness, which caused others to flock to him. Desiring solitude, he left for France. He established a hermitage and asked for land to grow a garden and healing herbs, a science which he studied in the monastery. The local bishop gave him as much land as he could entrench, so Fiacre walked around the perimeter of a plot of land, dragging his shovel behind him. The land was miraculously cleared and the soil entrenched wherever the spade touched.

He lived a life of great mortification in prayer, fasting, keeping vigils, and the manual labor of the garden. Disciples gathered around him and soon formed a monastery.

St. Fiacre built an oratory in honor of the Virgin Mary, a hospice in which he received strangers, and a cell to live in.

His fame for performing miracles became widespread, and his garden in San-Fiacre in France became a place of pilgrimage for centuries for those seeking healing.  He was especially effective against a tumor once called le fic de S. Fiacre and which we now call hemorrhoids.

St. Fiacre is best known as the patron of gardeners and florists.

His feast day is August 30th.

Pilot Rant

Several folks over here who know the commercial pilot
gig so they may have some input. 

“I’m a senior Captain  and pilot with (a major airline). 
On Wednesday June 8, 2016, I was flying into JFK from Asia. Over Montana, 
we were told by the company to expect a small delay in landing since Air
Force One was landing at 3:00 pm. Looking at the FMS (computer), 
we were scheduled to touchdown at 3:23. Luckily,
we were ahead on gas by 6000 pounds. About the time we
passed over Green Bay, they changed our route to go further
north over Toronto and to the Kingston 1 Arrival. The closer
we got to New York the more vectors i.e. heading changes we
received. ATC gives vectors instead of holding patterns
because they are graded on efficiency, and holding patterns
i.e. delays are not rated as “efficient.”
Alas, it became unavoidable, and we were put in holding over Kingston
VOR. This was around 3:10, and we were given an Expected
Further Clearance time of 3:45, or about 35 minutes of
flying ovals in the sky. Long story short, we landed at
4:23. Originally, we were going to be 30 minutes early, 
but due to Air Force One’s priority handling, we were 30
minutes late, and very close to having to divert to
Philadelphia. 

Understand that late afternoon/early evening
is prime time for international flights arriving in JFK, and
we heard several flights having to divert because of low
fuel. This was just in our sector, and not including all 
the  diverts in all the other sectors. No telling how many
airplanes diverted.  So why am I passing this  along? Just 
think of the number of passengers that were inconvenienced, by being 
late and  missing their connections. Think about how much fuel 
was wasted by the many planes diverted or rerouted, and what was
the cost to the airlines? How much extra did the airlines
have to spend for employee pay? I get paid by the minute.
How much did this Air Force One flight and all its ancillary
expenditures (for a second plane, armored cars, personnel,
security, etc.) cost the American people? All because His
Highness was going to be on a late night talk show. I
don’t know where he flew in from, but if it was DC, he
could probably have gotten there just as fast on his Marine
One helicopter. 

In any case, there could have been a better
way than flying a massive Boeing 747 (VC-25A) for an hour to
JFK. So the next time Obama talks  about carbon emissions or 
cutting expenses, just know that it’s YOUR carbon footprint he’s
talking about and NOT HIS. And now that he’s announced he’s going to support
and stump for Crooked Hillary, the American public will also
have to pay millions for his travel to present a
totally-biased, liberal, anti-American philosophy that
hasn’t worked in the entire 7+ years he’s been President. 

That just really pisses me off even more.   


Senior Humor

Q:Where can single men over the age of 60 find younger women who are interested in them?

A:Try a bookstore, under Fiction.

Q:What can a man do while his wife is going through menopause?

A:Keep busy. If you're handy with tools, you can finish the basement. When you're done, you will have a place to live.

Q:Someone has told me that menopause is mentioned in the bible... Is that true? Where can it be found?

A:Yes. Matthew 14:92: "And Mary rode Joseph's ass all the way to Egypt..."

Q:How can you increase the heart rate of your over-60 year-old husband?

A:Tell him you're pregnant.

Q:How can you avoid that terrible curse of the elderly wrinkles?

A:Take off your glasses.

Q:Seriously! What can I do for these crow's feet and all those wrinkles on my face?

A:Go braless. It will usually pull them out..

Q:Why should 60 plus year old people use valet parking?

A:Valets don't forget where they park your car.

Q:Is it common for 60-plus year olds to have problems with short term memory storage?

A:Storing memory is not a problem, Retrieving it is the problem.

Q:As people age, do they sleep more soundly?

A:Yes, but usually in the afternoon.

Q:Where should 60-plus year olds look for eye glasses?

A:On their foreheads.

Q:What is the most common remark made by 60-plus year olds when they enter antique stores?

A:"Gosh, I remember these!"


SMILE, You've still got your sense of humor!


It Was A Set Up - Did You Fall For It?

YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP!  But the Democrats sure try and sure fool most Americans. 

THE DEMOCRATS GET MORE "DIRTY" EVERY DAY...

So, the Dems had to pay actors to fill up seats at their convention
, and now we learn they paid Khan??
– Khan was paid $25,000 by the Clinton campaign to speak at the DNC.
The speech was not written by Mr. Khan, but by two campaign staffers.
– the copy of the US Constitution that Mr. Khan held up was bought only two HOURS before his speech by a female staffer, to be used solely as a prop and Khan returned the book after speaking.
– 5 Gold Star families turned down the opportunity to speak before Khan was contacted by the Clinton campaign.
– All five families were paid $5,000 and signed a non disclosure.
– Khan’s immigration law firm is in debt $1.7M and owes back taxes of upward $850,000 plus penalties.
– CNN paid Khan over $100,000 to tell his “story” and repeated interviews across networks.
– Khan was given a bonus of $175k by the DNC for his effort in the media.
– The IRS has since put Khan’s tax file on a “hold” status.
  Is this guy going to claim this on his taxes??

Also, Khan is not a constitutional lawyer.  He received a master’s degree from Harvard but not a law degree and is not licensed to practice US law.
He is a Sharia Lawyer with a degree from a phony school in Saudi Arabia led by a radical Iman who advocates Sharia law for the world.
And doesn't this disgrace the memory of his son?? Talk about soulless.

John Young



10 Reasons You Must Vote DEMOCRAT This Year

Ten Reasons To Vote Democrat
 
#10. I vote Democrat because I love the fact that I can now marry whatever I want. I've decided to marry my German Shepherd.
 
#9. I vote Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene, but the government taxing the same gallon at 15% isn't
 
#8. I vote Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.
 
#7. I vote Democrat because Freedom of Speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it.
 
#6. I vote Democrat because I'm way too irresponsible to own a gun, and I know that my local police are all I need to protect me from murderers and thieves. I am also thankful that we have a 911 service that gets police to your home in order to identify your body after a home invasion.
 
#5. I vote Democrat because I'm not concerned about millions of babies being aborted so long as we keep all death row inmates alive and comfy.
 
#4. I vote Democrat because I think illegal aliens have a right to free health care, education, and Social Security benefits, and we should take away Social Security from those who paid into it.
 
#3. I vote Democrat because I believe that businesses should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as the Democrat Party sees fit.
 
#2. I vote Democrat because I believe liberal judges need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit fringe kooks who would never get their agendas past the voters.
 
And, the
#1 reason I vote Democrat is because I think it's better to pay $billions$ for oil to people who hate us, but not drill our own because it might upset some endangered beetle, gopher, or fish here in America. We don't care about the beetles, gophers, or fish in those other countries.
 
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits". Albert Einstein
 
I know you all will appreciate this definition. The best description of Obamacare so far:   Remember when Nancy Pelosi said: "We have to pass it, to find out what's in it."
A physician called into a radio show and said: "That's the definition of a stool sample."
 




Volvo's New Commercial - What is going on?

Volvo: Wedding – Extended Commercial
June 21, 2016 7:21 pm
“Wedding” is a new commercial from Volvo USA. The advert celebrates Father’s Day, but it is very confusing. A few days ago Volvo unveiled three short spots (“Twin Engine Plug-in Hybrid”, “Flowers with 2 Passengers”, and “A Place To Collect Your Thoughts”) and in the end published the extended video of Wedding commercial.
The ad promotes 2016 Volvo XC90 with the tagline “Our Idea of Luxury”.
The father staying in the back is played by Ron Jack Foley.
The songs are Every Time the Sun Comes Up – Sharon Van Etten and Lil Fighters – Emily’s song.
Because it is so provoking, the Volvo commercial obviously gets people talking about it. And those endless discussions creates engagement. And people engagement should be good for Volvo as for any company.
What is the explanation of Volvo Wedding commercial? Some people think that they were coming from a Funeral, others think that is a gay wedding. The camera from the spot, a Hasselblad H Series medium format DSLR, creates even more fuss… All agree that it is a very confusing situation.
One of the best explanations is made by Tibirius Toll on youtube: “Guy with the beard is the father. His wife and the bride’s mother is driving the car. The young guy in the back is his son and Groomsman. Guy with the Camera (Tony) is son’s friend and fellow Groomsman. The car scene is after the wedding. Father is melancholic as most fathers are after the wedding, and is sitting in the backseat because he was drinking. Wife plays melancholy music on the cool stereo.”




Stop Being So Naive! Pacifism Distorts Peace

This article has gone viral on the Internet and is a must read about Islam and how we are submitting to its threat . . .

A Catholic Priest Tells Christians to Stop Being So Naïve — Wake up to the Threat of Islamic Domination
In Islam, peace does not mean co-existence; it means the West’s submission.

Father George Rutler is sounding the wake-up call to Christians and Western civilization to the threat of Islamic domination.  We must respond to terrorist attacks with more than the balloons and flowers of the grieving.
Citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church (#2265), he writes that defending against the evil of Islam is not only a right but a Christian duty.  He cites several instances throughout history when saints and soldiers rode into battle to successfully defend their nations against the Islamic hordes, thus saving Western civilization.

According to Father Rutler, the danger today, however, is that Western civilization “has grown flaccid in virtue and ignorant of its own moral foundations.”

Father Rutler's commentary, reproduced in its entirety below, is worth reading to understand the threat posed by Islam devoid of political correctness.
 
After another devastating ISIS attack in France, this time against a priest in his 80s while he was saying Mass, the answer isn’t just, “Do nothing.” As racism distorts race and sexism corrupts sex — so does pacifism affront peace.
Turning the other cheek is the counsel Christ gave in the instance of an individual when morally insulted: Humility conquers pride. It has nothing to do with self-defense.
The Catholic Church has always maintained that the defiance of an evil force is not only a right but an obligation. Its Catechism (cf. #2265) cites St. Thomas Aquinas: “Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for someone responsible for another’s life, the common good of the family or of the State.”
A father is culpable if he does not protect his family. A bishop has the same duty as a spiritual father of his sons and daughters in the church, just as the civil state has as its first responsibility the maintenance of the “tranquility of order” through self-defense.
Christ warned the apostles, as shepherds, to beware of wolves. This requires both the "shrewdness of serpents and the innocence of doves." To shrink from the moral duty to protect peace by not using force when needed is to be innocent as a serpent and shrewd as a dove.
That is not innocence — it is naiveté.
Saint John Capistrano led an army against the Moors in 1456 to protect Belgrade. In 1601, Saint Lawrence of Brindisi did the same in defense of Hungary. As Franciscans, they carried no sword and charged on horseback into battle carrying a crucifix. They inspired the shrewd generals and soldiers, whom they had assembled through artful diplomacy, with their brave innocence.
This is not obscure trivia: Were it not for Charles Martel at Tours in 732 and Jan Sobieski at the gates of Vienna in 1683 — and most certainly had Pope Saint Pius V not enlisted Andrea Doria and Don Juan at Lepanto in 1571 — we would not be here now.  No Western nations as we know them — no universities, no modern science, no human rights — would exist.
In the ninth century, the long line of martyrs of Cordoba told the Spanish Umayyad Caliph Abd Ar-Rahman II that his denial of Christ was infernal, and that they would rather die than surrender. Saint Juan de Ribera (d. 1611) and St. Alfonsus Liguori (d. 1787) repeated the admonition that the concept of peace in Islam requires not co-existence but submission.
The dormancy of Islam until recent times, however, has obscured the threat that this poses — especially to a Western civilization that has grown flaccid in virtue and ignorant of its own moral foundations.
The shortcut to handling the crisis is to deny that it exists.
On the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, there were over 60 speeches, and yet not one of them mentioned ISIS.
Vice has destroyed countless individual souls, but in the decline of civilizations, weakness has done more harm than vice. "Peace for our time" is as empty now as it was when Chamberlain went to Munich and honor was bartered in Vichy.
Hilaire Belloc, who knew Normandy and all of Europe well, said in 1929: "We shall almost certainly have to reckon with Islam in the near future. Perhaps, if we lose our faith, it will rise. For after this subjugation of the Islamic culture by the nominally Christian had already been achieved, the political conquerors of that culture began to notice two disquieting features about it. The first was that its spiritual foundation proved immovable; the second, that its area of occupation did not recede, but on the contrary slowly expanded."
The priest in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvrary in Normandy, France, was not the first to die at the altar — and he will not be the last.
In his old age, the priest embodied a civilization that has been betrayed by a generation whose hymn was John Lennon's "Imagine" — that there was neither heaven nor hell but "above us only sky" and "all the people living for today." When reality intrudes, they can only leave teddy bears and balloons at the site of a carnage they call "inexplicable."
Fr. George William Rutler is a Catholic priest and the pastor of the Church of St. Michael in Manhattan.


Why Trump Will Win!

Trump may be an egomaniac, but he has been consistent about fundamental issues.
Trump has been consistent about nominating constitutional conservatives to the Supreme Court.
Trump has been consistent about securing our borders, building a wall, screening people coming into the country.
Trump has been consistent about enforcing law and order.
Trump has been consistent about destroying ISIS.
Trump has been consistent about cutting taxes and improving the economy.
Trump has been consistent about replacing Obamacare.
Trump has been consistent about not cutting social security.

Why does Trump draw such large crowds to his rallies?
Trump is not a typical Republican candidate like milquetoast moderates Romney and McCain. 
He is leading a movement of white collar workers and Reagan Democrats who are fed up with the Democrats drift to socialism.
He is not afraid to call people out and ridicule them including the news media.

Will Trump win the debates?
Yes, if he stays on the attack and calls out Hillary for her criminal behavior, shreds her record, and does not let the moderators control him.

Will you vote for Trump?
Yes, we must vote for Trump to keep Hillary & Bill out of the White House.
Rumor has it that Trump is considering Josh Bolton for Secretary of State and Jim Talent for Secretary of Defense – two strong reasons to vote for Trump.




Sunday, August 28, 2016

Drink of the Day: Chocolate Monk

From Drinking With The Saints:
In honor of Moses the Black Monk from Ethiopia, you should end the day with a Chocolate Monk:
            1 oz. Frangelico
            1 oz. Kahlua
            1 oz. Bailey’s Irish Cream
From Wikipedia:
Saint Moses the Black (330–405), (also known as Abba Moses the Robberthe Abyssinianthe Ethiopian and the Strong) was an ascetic monk and priest in Egypt in the fourth century AD, and a notable Desert Father.
Moses was a servant of a government official in Egypt who dismissed him for theft and suspected murder He became the leader of a gang of bandits who roamed the Nile Valley spreading terror and violence. He was a large, imposing figure.
On one occasion, a barking dog prevented Moses from carrying out a robbery, so he swore vengeance on the owner. Weapons in his mouth, Moses swam the river toward the owner's hut. The owner, again alerted, hid, and the frustrated Moses took some of his sheep to slaughter. Attempting to hide from local authorities, he took shelter with some monks in a colony in the desert of Wadi El Natrun, then called Sketes, near Alexandria. The dedication of their lives, as well as their peace and contentment, influenced Moses deeply. He soon gave up his old way of life, became a Christian, was baptized and joined the monastic community at Scetes.
Moses had a rather difficult time adjusting to regular monastic discipline. His flair for adventure remained with him. Attacked by a group of robbers in his desert cell, Moses fought back, overpowered the intruders, and dragged them to the chapel where the other monks were at prayer. He told the brothers that he didn't think it Christian to hurt the robbers and asked what he should do with them. The overwhelmed robbers repented, were converted, and themselves joined the community.
Moses was zealous in all he did, but became discouraged when he concluded he was not perfect enough. Early one morning, Saint Isidore, abbot of the monastery, took Moses to the roof and together they watched the first rays of dawn come over the horizon. Isidore told Moses, "Only slowly do the rays of the sun drive away the night and usher in a new day, and thus, only slowly does one become a perfect contemplative."
Moses proved to be effective as a prophetic spiritual leader. The abbot ordered the brothers to fast during a particular week. Some brothers came to Moses, and he prepared a meal for them. Neighboring monks reported to the abbot that Moses was breaking the fast. When they came to confront Moses, they changed their minds, saying "You did not keep a human commandment, but it was so that you might keep the divine commandment of hospitality." Some see in this account one of the earliest allusions to the Paschal fast, which developed at this time.
When a brother committed a fault and Moses was invited to a meeting to discuss an appropriate penance, Moses refused to attend. When he was again called to the meeting, Moses took a leaking jug filled with water and carried it on his shoulder. Another version of the story has him carrying a basket filled with sand. When he arrived at the meeting place, the others asked why he was carrying the jug. He replied, "My sins run out behind me and I do not see them, but today I am coming to judge the errors of another." On hearing this, the assembled brothers forgave the erring monk.
Moses became the spiritual leader of a colony of hermits in the Western Desert. Later, he was ordained a priest.
At about age 75, about the year 405 AD, word came that a group of Berbers planned to attack the monastery. The brothers wanted to defend themselves, but Moses forbade it. He told them to retreat, rather than take up weapons. He and seven others remained behind and greeted the invaders with open arms, but all eight were martyred by the bandits on 24 Paoni (July 1).




Friday, August 26, 2016

Marriott in Ventura, CA

Aug 26:  Marriott in Ventura, CA

I checked into the Marriott near the beach.  
Of course, it is a no smoking property.   The designated smoking area is next to the front door valet desk, and has only four chairs.
The Marriott is not right on the beach nor right next to the Ventura Pier.
It is also not near the foot bridge that connects the beach to downtown Ventura.

There is a Crowne Plaza that is right on the beach and next to the pier.   That would be a better place to stay.

The Marriott is next to the state beach which is huge, but it costs $10 to drive in.   So, I walked in and smoked cigars in the dark and cold.
There were lots of bikers and joggers running on the state beach park paved trail.
After the sun sets, it gets pretty cool near the beach.



Franciscan Mission in Ventura

Aug 26:   Buenaventura Mission in Ventura, CA

Did you know that Ventura is an abbreviation of Buenaventura who is a saint.
The Mission San Buenaventura was established by Padre Junipero Serra on the Feast of St. Buenaventura.  
I paid $4 to tour the St. Buenaventura Mission which is on Main Street in Ventura.
The museum is rather simple.
The gardens are nice but don’t have much.
The church is very historic with very old statues and a classic Latin altar.   I may return here on Sunday for Mass with the Franciscan friars.



Ventura, CA

Aug 26:  Ventura, CA

I checked out of the Embassy Suites in Oxnard and drove up to Ventura. 

I drove around Ventura and discovered:
            A hill overlooks the city and has a cross in honor of Padre Junipero Serra who founded missions along the El Camino Real.   
There were sailors at the cross who had reenlisted, but I got there too late to officiate.
It is an impressive view from that hill.
            There is a trail from Main Street that goes up switchbacks to the cross on the hill, but I didn’t hike it as others were doing.
            The Post Office has murals that are highly rated.
            Did you know that the writer of the Perry Mason stories, Raymond Chandler, was a practicing lawyer in Ventura?  I took pictures of his building. 
            There are a lot of druggies and mental cases laying around the parks and streets.
            There is more to see and do here compared to Oxnard.
            There is no free parking near the beaches.   It costs $4/day to park in surfer lots near the beach, and it cost $10 to go into the state beach parks.  
            There are limited free parking lots near main street.  



The Lady of Czestochowa

Feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa
August 26

Special Feast Day Mass
at the
Redemptor Hominis Church in the Saint John Paull II National Shrine

Our Lady of Czestochowa is revered as the “Queen of Poland” for her miraculous healing
and protection of the Polish people since her arrival at Czestochowa in 1382.
Her icon is at her Shrine at the Jasna Gora (“Bright Hill”) Monastery in Poland.

“I entrust our Homeland, the whole Church, and myself to her maternal protection.”
~ Pope John Paul II (JPII made four pilgrimages to the Shrine during his pontificate. )

Prayer to Our Lady of Czestochowa
Holy Mother of Czestochowa, Thou art full of grace, goodness, and mercy.
I consecrate to Thee all my thoughts, words, and actions, my soul and body.
I beseech Thy blessings and especially prayers for my salvation.
Today, I consecrate myself to Thee, Good Mother, totally, with body and soul amid joy and suffering
to obtain for myself and others Thy blessings on this earth and eternal life in Heaven.  Amen


Saint John Paul II National Shrine
Washington, DC


St. Anthony Novena @ Capuchins

Novena of Masses to St. Anthony
August 26 – September 3

“Charity is the soul of faith; it gives it life.
Without love, faith dies.”
~ St. Anthony of Padua

You and your family will be included in the daily prayers and Masses offered during this novena.

Capuchin Franciscans
Province of St. Mary
New York, NY


Thursday, August 25, 2016

Ronald Reagan Library

Aug 25:  Ronald Reagan Library and Museum

I drove from my hotel in Oxnard back to Simi Valley to visit Ron and Nancy.   They are entombed with a nice view of the area.   However, there are warning signs about rattlesnakes down the hillsides, and the entire states is in a drought and high fire condition. 

The place was overflowing with families and senior citizens.   I had my Reagan Foundation membership card which got me to the front of the line with free access to the Reagan exhibits, but I had to pay the reduced rate of $10 (vice $20) to also see the Treasures of the Vatican Exhibit.   They guy at the front desk said that the Vatican exhibit closes on Sunday and that is why it is so crowded.  I even saw two priests standing in line with their friends in the long line to get into the Vatican Exhibit, but I got to get in the front of the line!   It pays to be a member!

The Vatican Exhibit took two hours to walk through as there was much to read and slow moving crowds.  There were several original art works, papal vestments, documents, chalices, and Gregorian Chants playing in the background.

The Reagan exhibits are well done.   I didn’t find any pictures of myself in any of the numerous photos.   There were pictures of that night Princess Diana danced with John Travolta, and I was somewhere in the crowd watching them.   That was the night Travolta dumped his date and took off with Diana. 

It was cute watching kids and babies standing behind the presidential podium.  

That was a shame that the Oval Office was roped off with no entry allowed.   I think they just didn’t want it open with so many people there.

The Air Force One area is very large.   I walked through the jet and also the helicopter.   I had pictures taken by the helicopter but didn’t bother looking at much less buying the prints they were selling.   I went out to the observation deck to look at the surrounding hills, and I observed an old guy playing kissing face with his boy toy.   How romantic!  However, the boy toy seemed embarrassed, and I think he is just in it for the money. 

I completed the tour after 4 hours of walking around.  There were cars parked along the winding road all the way down to the main road.  The lower level parking lot was also packed.  


Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Mandalay Bay in Oxnard, CA

Aug 24:   Mandalay Bay in Oxnard, CA.

The beach was not very busy.
There were a few people biking on the wide paved path. 
It got windy and cool in the evenings as the sun set.  
I could not smoke on the beach, bike path, or paved trail.  
So, I walked the sidewalks of the nearby condos (The Colony at Mandalay Bay) and other beach houses and condos. 



Embassy Suites @ Mandalay Bay in Oxnard, CA

I flew from Denver to the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, CA.   That airport used to be a Lockheed Martin plant in WWII where the P-38 Lightning fighter planes were produced.   There is a history display in the lobby of this little airport.  Geez, I had to walk over a half mile to get from the terminal to the rental car area.   My car was not ready.  Then I got in the wrong car that was in the assigned space and had to go back from the exit gate to get the right one.   The doofus on duty had to go look for my car and found it in the wrong row.     

I drove past the Ronald Reagan Library to my hotel in Oxnard, CA.  I was not overly impressed driving around the area of Oxnard. 

I took a lot of pictures of the Embassy Suites at Mandalay Bay in Oxnard.  
It is mostly a family place with lots of kids in the pools. 
The place needs a rehab. 
I had a black blob growing on my window hardware. 
The damn Mexicans were out every morning at 8am with the leaf blowers.  
At least, breakfast and evening cocktails and munchies were included in the price. 
Of course, the hotel was a no smoking property as is the beach and adjacent public park.  So, I had to walk the sidewalks of the nearby housing areas for my evening cigar.
The hotel is rather isolated.   I would not hurry back here.





How to Celebrate St. Bart's Day

The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre (Massacre de la Saint-Barthélemy in French) in 1572 was a targeted group of assassinations. and a wave of Catholic mob violence, directed against the Huguenots (French Calvinist Protestants) during the French Wars of Religion.

Traditionally believed to have been instigated by Catherine de' Medici, the mother of King Charles IX, the massacre took place five days after the wedding of the king's sister Margaret to the ProtestantHenry III of Navarre (the future Henry IV of France). This marriage was an occasion for which many of the most wealthy and prominent Huguenots had gathered in largely Catholic Paris.

The massacre began in the night of 23–24 August 1572 (the eve of the feast of Bartholomew the Apostle), two days after the attempted assassination of Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, the military and political leader of the Huguenots. The king ordered the killing of a group of Huguenot leaders, including Coligny, and the slaughter spread throughout Paris.

Lasting several weeks, the massacre expanded outward to other urban centres and the countryside. Modern estimates for the number of dead across France vary widely, from 5,000 to 30,000.

The massacre also marked a turning point in the French Wars of Religion. The Huguenot political movement was crippled by the loss of many of its prominent aristocratic leaders, as well as many re-conversions by the rank and file, and those who remained were increasingly radicalized.


Though by no means unique, it "was the worst of the century's religious massacres."[2] Throughout Europe, it "printed on Protestant minds the indelible conviction that Catholicism was a bloody and treacherous religion"

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

13 Tuesdays With Anthony

Thirteen Special Tuesday Masses
Invoking the Intercession of St. Anthony of Padua

“Give all of yourself, and God will give all of Himself.”
~ St. Anthony of Padua

“Jesus should always be at the center of every heart.”
~ St. Anthony

You and your family will be included in the prayers and Masses offered on these 13 Tuesdays.

Unfailing Prayer to St. Anthony
"Blessed be God in His angels and in His saints."
O Holy St. Anthony, gentlest of Saints, you love for God and Charity for His creatures, made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers.
Miracles waited on your word, which you were ever ready to speak for those in trouble or anxiety.
Encouraged by this thought, I implore of you to obtain for me (state request here). 
The answer to my prayer may require a miracle, even so, you are the Saint of Miracles.
O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the Sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms;
and the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours. Amen.
(Then say the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be)
“We have been called to heal wounds, to unite what has fallen apart,
and to bring home those who have lost their way.”
~ St. Anthony of Padua

Franciscan Friars of the Atonement
Graymoor
Garrison, NY
www.AtonementFriars.org