Happy New Year!

What Do "Syndicate this Site" and "RSS" mean?

RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication" - for allowing people to view, via a 'newsreader' updates of information (usually news or updated blog information, for our purposes). For more history and information concerning RSS, read XML.com's article, "What is RSS?"

So, what does this mean for you and I? This means you don't have to visit a blog or news website to find out if it has updated news or a new blog entry; you can simply open up your newsreader program (list of a few at end of this entry), and it will tell you if there are new blog entries! Some websites even give you some or all of the blog entry or news article, so you can see if you're interested in reading the whole entry by going to the site.

NewsFire Logo

Here are some RSS newsreaders:

For Windows PCs:
Feedreader - Free
RssReader - Free

For Macintosh:
NewsFire - Free (What I use)
NetNewsWire Lite - Free

Catholic Mass: SOOOO BORING!

I invite all of you to read my latest CGC site Journal entry:

Mass is SOOOO Boring!

Note to my readers who might be offended by this title: read it - you won't be offended anymore.

Anti-Catholicism in the Media

"NBC was by far the worst network, leading the dishonor holl with a negative-to-positive ratio [derogative-to-respectful remarks] of 9.5 to 1. Fox was a distant runner-up at 2.4 to 1, followed by the WB, ABC, UPN and CBS."

"Specifically Catholic references fared worst o all. 'Catholicism is the bull's-eye of the the entertainment media... In the past, the fundamentalists were. It's a sign of the times."

"Catholics should take notice and not be afraid to complain about how religion -- particularly our Catholic Church, its members and leaders, its teachings and practices -- is treated in the media today. A simple phone call or brief letter to network executives and program producers should be sufficient to effect some change -- provided enough of us care enough to actually take that step."

After reading the last paragraph above, I have decided to post information on how to contact each of the above-mentioned networks to let them know what you think:

NBC - Contact Us
Fox - Ask Fox (scroll down to bottom of page, after FAQs)
ABC - FAQs
UPN - Home (click "Contact Us" on the bottom right of the page)
CBS - Home (click "Feedback" on the bottom of the page)
WB (couldn't find anything - let me know if you do)

Some resources:
Catholic League: "2003 Report on Anti-Catholicism"
The Washington Times: "Reality of TV: It Slams Religion"
Parents Television Council

Please Pray for the Souls of the Tsunami Victims

It is times like these when prayer is most needed. We must pray for the souls of all the dead and trust in Jesus' Divine Mercy to heal the souls and allow them into the Kingdom of God.

If you are interested in helping the disaster victims financially, there are a few ways that you may be able to do so:

• Catholic Relief Services
• How You Can Help Tsunami Victims
• How to Help the Tsunami Victims
• CCF Responds to Tsunami

Note: I do not guarantee or endorse any of the above charities. Please research whatever charity you donate your money to and make sure they are a good organization.

Thérese Movie Soundtrack - 5 Stars

I really loved the whole soundtrack. I give it 5 out of 5 stars, and recommend anyone who even remotely likes classical or sountrack music to purchase this soundtrack. While the movie contained a few technical errors (understandably - it was a low-budget film!) and the video production wasn't on par with multi-million dollar Hollywood films, the soundtrack is phenomenal!

I especially liked "Story of a Soul" (Track 1) and "Faraway Desert Place" (Track 4). Thes songs sound as good as any blockbuster-film soundtrack, which is pleasantly surprising because the soundtrack was composed by another Carmelite Sister, Marie Thérese Sokol (OCD).

Right now I'm listening to my sister's CD (she received it as a Christmas gift), but I hope to purchase the whole thing for myself if it ever makes it's way to the iTunes Music Store. Another soundtrack I recommend is The Incredibles Soundtrack (composed by Michael Giacchino).

When Awards Lose Power

The stupidity, distance from reality and inconsistencies in thought really throw me off when it comes to the mainstream media outlets. Today I read an article on USATODAY.com about the latest 'smash-hit success movie', Meet the ----ers. I'm not even going to mention the name because it is vulgar. The article (here) states:

Some Academy Awards hopefuls had strong weekend showings:

The Aviator, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as billionaire Howard Hughes, expanded into 1,796 screens and took in $9.4 million for fourth place.

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou played in 1,105 theaters with $4.9 million for No. 9.

The Phantom of the Opera wasNo. 10 with $4.2 million on 622 screens.

Now, I have no problem with movies getting a little money here, a little there... but why the heck are these three movies nominated for Academy Awards?

I use a general rule of them when considering if a movie ought to be even thought of being nominated for an award: I ask some people if they've ever heard of the movie. If they have, I might consider nominating it. If not, I won't even think of nominating a movie for any kind of prestigious award.

My point is this: If an award group nominates (or awards) a movie that few people have heard of, why does that award group expect to be prestigious? Why do they expect us to hail the movies they nominate and give awards to? If we do respect what these 'obscurity-awards' declare best, we are fooling ourselves.

Feast of the Holy Family

Well, since I drew a picture of the Holy Family, I decided to let anyone who wishes to see it. This picture is based on a picture I recently took of our family's nativity scene. It was done with #2 pencil on white printer paper. I will probably use the picture on my Christmas 'Thank You' cards.

Jingle Bells. A Dog and a Snowman. Videos.

First there was the Talking Christmas Tree (Howard Dean and Expedia.com). Today a new chapter in Christmas-themed crazyness has been added!

I give you "SnowDog: Jingle Bells!".

Merry Seasonings!

Hmm...

AHA!

Merry Christmas!

PROLIFE Wristbands in the News

I will continue to update the 'PROLIFE Wristbands in the News' page as more stories/mentions come in. My sister and I are relying entirely on word-of-mouth for the spread of these wristbands, and it is encouraging to hear a kind word or two.

Have a Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas Eve...

Why? Well, that question can be answered a lot of different ways:

1. I will be opening presents tommorrow (greed).
2. I will be celebrating the birth of my redeemer tommorrow (joy).
3. I will be able to talk to my brother and some of my other relatives who I don't see too often tommorrow (socialization).
4. I will get to sleep in (first time in 4 1/2 months!) as long as I want tommorrow - I'm going to midnight Mass (in my cassock and surplice, nonetheless!) (relaxation).
5. I will have one less day of Christmas break, one less day of my Earthly life (bittersweet sorrow).

A Few Small Changes

Besides that, I've also cleaned up the HTML on this site a little bit, and am now going to a Christmas party. Perhaps a picture or two will find it's way here soon ;-) .

Good Night and Open Mic

A note about the comments. I will be moderating them, and if anything ever gets out of hand, or if a comment is inappropriate, it will get the immediate axe (i.e. it will be outta here!). Farewell!

World's Smallest Baby (Updated)

World's Smallest Baby Survives Birth in Illinois

She was born the size of a cell phone, weighing just 8.6 ounces, but Rumaisa Rahman now holds the new world record for the smallest baby ever to survive, according to her very proud doctors at Loyola University Medical Center.

That's where Rumaisa (pronounced roo-may-sa) and twin sister Hiba, who weighed just 1 pound, 4 ounces, were born on Sept. 19.

Today the world will get to meet both girls, now 3 months, along with their parents and medical team, at a news conference at the medical center in west suburban Maywood...

Hiba, which means "gift from God" in India, could be home by Christmas, while Rumaisa, whose name means "white as milk," could be home in January, doctors said.

Truly amazing, isn't it? We have proof, time and again, that the 'fetus' inside a mother's uterus is a living human child, and yet Planned Parenthood would have you believe otherwise (in fact, they say fetuses might not even feel pain!)! What a sickening world we live in! A society's respect for life must begin at the moment of conception. It is wrong to kill a baby inside a mother's uterus. Let us pray and hope for a day without abortion.

Comments and Trackback (Updated)

If you have any input, let me know :-) .

The Name of My Blog

I really like this Bible quote, for it keeps my writing (to a certain extent) centered on what really matters in my life; God. Even when my posts don't have direct reference to God or to religious content, I must always be mindful of what I write, for in writing I express myself to the world. If I express myself in an improper or inadequate way, I am not being mindful of what Jesus says in the Bible passage above!

I have always set a goal to make everything I write interesting and insightful (see my 'philo-blog' on my Seminary Website), but I have tried most of all to write for God, and to follow in Jesus Christ's footsteps by making sure all my words are good.

Anywho, this blog is now underway, and I'll probably post a littlemore often to it than my old Xanga blog, because I like the setup of this blog much more (thanks to Thingamablog!). Pax Christi :-) .

PROLIFE Wristbands

These wristbands are made of durable silicone rubber, are waterproof, can fit most any wrist (they stretch) and, most importantly, they proclaim to the world that you are a PRO-LIFE Person! Click on the above link to find out how to purchase one (for only a dollar!).

Music: Profanity, Addiction, Piracy

Check out my new philo-blog entry on my Seminary Website:

Music: Profanity, Addiction, Piracy

I basically outline my views on the three subtopics related to music. I hope you find it intriguing, and, if you would like to discuss it with me, I hope you will tell me what you think!

Welcome to My Blog

Well, everyone, here it is.

I am fed up with Xanga, and don't quite like it's 'uncustomizability'. Plus, I can't access it from home. So, lo and behold, I have my own spiffy new blog. I will continue on this blog what I have been doing on my old Xanga blog, but with more pizzaz and style :-).

Please feel free to email me at any time (click on my name below), and I'll get back to you as soon as I possibly can. This blog allows much more customizability, and I'm very happy to now be using it instead of my old one.

I wish all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

-Jeff