My Parish

A video of my Parish. Enjoy!

"Then Lend the Eye a Terrible Aspect"

This is one great video. It is not my intention to glorify war or the warrior by this post. I wish to make this very clear at the outset. War is a scourge; it is sorrowful and wasteful. Strong steps should always be taken to avoid it, if at all possible. We would say this about anything that brings about suffering. Still, we can not avoid suffering entirely.

The video may sound gruesome but it illustrates the essential mindset of the warrior; it is necessary for the warrior to “lend the eye a terrible aspect” because warriors of a good a decent people are, by their nature, peace loving; this does not necessarily make them cowards though. Without this “aspect,” this “summoning of blood,” the warrior has no chance for survival or victory over evil because of his peaceful nature. Therefore, this summoning emerges not from lust but from love. Sad as it is, and condition of our fallen nature, we have to respect those who stand in the fire and fight to keep evil at bay. This is the point of this post and nothing more.  We Americans tend to be plain spoken and blunt. Nevertheless, I still see some of the classical ideas for summoning courage in this piece. I hear Shakespeare in this video. Here are just a few quick comparisons.

From The Warrior Song:

"I'm a one of kind....Stand with me, you'll never stand alone."

“come to the nightmare, come to me….the shadow of death is the one I cast.”

“aim with the hand, shoot with the mind, kill with a heart like arctic ice.”

From Shakespeare's Henry V:
"But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,"

From Shakespeare's Julius Caesar:

"Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war!"

From Shakespeare's Henry V:
“In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;”

Also, if you listen to the video carefully I think you can hear R. Lee Ermey singing one of the choruses.

The video and lyrics can be found together at this link.

Google Everything…And, I MEAN Everything

These are some very useful services offered by Google that you may or may not know about. You might find some of them interesting. I am never astonished enough when I consider the sheer volume of information now available at our fingertips. It is at the same time wonderful and frightening too. Like so many things of this nature, we should pause and reflect on the proper use of raw information. It brings to mind some thoughts and quotes from several great thinkers:

“Information is Not Knowledge.” -Albert Einstein
“Knowledge is Power (scientia potentia est.)” -Sir Francis Bacon from Meditationes Sacrae 1597
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." – Lord Acton.
“With enlightenment, comes mission.” – a lesson from the allegory of the cave in Plato’s “Republic.”
 "To whom much is given, much is expected.” - Luke 12:48

The source story can be read by clicking on the link below. One should read the article so you can learn, in more detail, on the capabilities and limitations of these services.

FOXNews.com - The Undiscovered Google: 7 Services You Need to Try

I have taken the liberty to list some of the links to these services below. Enjoy.

Google Books. An attempt to digitize vast tomes of books and magazines.
Fast Flip. An online news source and compiles currents news from multiple sources.
Life Images. Millions of images from Life Magazine and many other sources.
Goog 411. A free 411 service. Interesting.
Product Search. Formerly Froogle, search for millions of products, prices, comparisons, etc.

Gone Fishing....Nyet!

Another "What the Spank" salute for our current government.

The Obamunists are considering banning recreational fishing at sea shores and inland water ways, all done by government decree. Just when you thought you could take your kid fishing.
Click HERE for the full story.

"Do I hope that those people die screaming of rectal cancer? Yeah! - Sean Penn

Speaking Out on the First Amendment Issues…well sort of, Sean Penn believes journalists who call Hugo Chavez a "dictator" should be jailed.

This guy never ceases to surprise me with the level of intellectual dishonesty that his own ego will take him to. Put in jail, really? The incarceration statement erupted during an active week of interviews where he parlayed his powerful influence and asserted his own constitutionally protected right to speak his mind. But he had more to say about those who disagree with him and he used his constitutionally protected rights to express his own heart-felt sentiment. When he was solicited for a response on the fact that some people question his motivations in his Haitian humanitarian efforts, he cut loose with a curse of sorts. Here is a quote from him on his response to those who question his motives,

"Do I hope that those people die screaming of rectal cancer? Yeah. You know, but I'm not going to spend a lot of energy on it."

Thank God he is not going to spend any energy on wishing some of us rectal cancer. Whew, I feel so relieved. Still, it’s the thought that counts as they say. Wishing those who disagree with him a painful death? He considers himself a great humanitarian? Well, I pray that when his time comes (as it will for all of us) that he passes on peacefully and at a time when God chooses.

There was a time in my life that I really liked Sean Penn. Unfortunately he has turned into such a wing nut that I can only now feel pity for this man. I pray that he one day finds some level of balance and that he learns to leave his ego on the mantle with the rest of his acting achievements where it belongs. Maybe when he is able to achieve that, he will be a great humanitarian. God Bless.

Click HERE or on the image for the full story.

An Owl Swooping On Vole

This is a great series of pictures. I love this stuff. Take a look.


Click HERE for the images.

Tributes paid to 'selfless bravery' of World War II heroine Andree Peel, who has died aged 105

Least we forget people like this. 

Click HERE for the full story.

This is Not Your Cat’s Meow Mix

This is a legal substance being used as a drug by children in the UK. They call it, Meow, Meow. It’s a fertilizer that produces a high similar to ecstasy.

I post this as it could be an emerging trend. Please be aware and pass this around so we can protect our children.

Click HERE for the full story.

Window Smashes in Clayton/Concord Continues

Somebody knows something and needs to step forward to stop this stupidity that is giving so many decent people a lot of unnecessary heartache.

Click HERE for the full story.

Wash. man electrocuted by urinating on power line

Yikes!  You get in a wreck and are able to walk away from it.  Your car is now in a ditch so you call for help.  The whole expericnce leaves you a bit stressed and while waiting for help to arrive you understandably feel a need to relieve yourself.  So, you step over to the ditch and then....

Click on the link below for the full story if you don't believe me.

Wash. man electrocuted by urinating on power line

Coming to American Shores Soon – The Thought Police

UK schools are now starting a data base to keep track of children who use language considered hateful or bullying.


Click HERE for the full story.