A third party candidate will not guarantee Obama's victory

A third party candidate will not guarantee Obama's victory because Obama is also at odds with Democrats. While the Conservatives will definitely be split between the GOP and a third decent party, the Democrats can also be split between Obama and the third party guy. If the GOP candidate is a "health-care regulating, pro-abortion, flip-flopping, liberal, phony, RINO stiff", Conservatives will be hard pressed to vote for him in good conscience and conscientious Democrats will see no difference between him and Obama.

Apparitions of Spiritual Mother. Easy Catholicism in the World's Capital.

My daughter's first Holy Communion yesterday was pure joy. Although I cannot but think of Christians around the world who cannot do this as easily because of Muslim persecution.

Smoothies & trimonoes on eve of Mother's day. My reflection was when Jesus told Mother Mary to "Behold thy son", she adopted us all ever since. That is why she has appeared so many times e.g. Lourdes, Fatima, etc... to console and guide us like a mother would. Happy Mother's day!

On Hanging On To Life vs. Saving Money.

When my dad died, we found that he had Leukemia.  None of us knew - not even my youngest brother who visited him weekly.  Knowing how thifty he is, I suspect that he might have known - formally or informally and opted to let the disease take it's toll.  He might thought of sparing us the financial burden for his medical treatments.    At hindsight, I was thinking that if he languished on through chemo, then it may be troublesome but it would have brought out the best from us all.  I know that my other brother, the middle, loves him because he comes to join us whenever I set up a get together for my dad.  But when my dad died, he got into drugs and is now a biker.  So, when making end of life decisions, old people should consider that their worth goes beyond becoming a burden.  That burden may actually do good.

How Bro. Joe helped me join the seminary

Bro. Joe Ferrer is a coadjutor brother with the Salesians of St. John Bosco.  He is a "monk" but not a priest.  He was the head of the Electronics department in the technical high school where I went.  Back in the 60's, electronics was leading edge technology.

By the end of my senior year, I didn't know where to go.  Like everyone else, I got an application to the state university but my heart was not in it.  I remember attending meetings of those who wanted to enter the seminary and being the only senior there.

I must have confided to Bro. Joe because after graduation, I worked at the electronics lab during the summer.  We sorted donated electronic components from Germany courtesy of Miserior.  During this time, Bro. Joe drove me to the seminary and arranged a meeting with the provincial superior of the order.  I was asking for an academic scholarship.  That was going to be my ruse to enter the college / seminary because, when I asked back in grade school, my mom wouldn't let me saying that I was too young.

In the meeting, Fr. Provincial opposed the idea saying that I would need to tell my mom sooner or later.  And that is what I did. My mom allowed me this time.

In this post, I want to highlight the effort of this brother in fostering and working for vocations and thank him for doing so.

Knowing Divine love without the basis of human love.

Is it possible to comprehend the love of God if one has not experienced love as a child?  Can one who was deprived even learn or be capable of loving others?  The principle behind this is, "Nothing goes into the intellect, mind, without passing through the senses".  So, is one doomed to a vicious cycle of unloving, loneliness and pain because of an unhappy childhood, a dysfunctional family and alike?

A professor of mine back in college, Fr. Danny Torres SDB, affirmed that dire consequence.  But somehow, I didn't want to believe it so - as I myself came from a dysfunctional family.  So I tried to find a real life example to disprove this and encourage others that they can break out of a vicious cycle.

I was going to cite the most popular child abuse case of David Pelzer and in his best-selling autobiography "A Child Called It:  One Child's Courage To Survive".  But if we click on the link, we'll see that he wasn't devoid of love because his mom did nurture him early on and his brothers supported him as well even during the tough times.

So if you know a saint who was totally neglected or unloved since infancy, but turned out to be a charitable believer, then let me know.  For now, Fr. Torres' response seems to hold because I cannot find an example to disprove his assertion.  Even Remus and Romulus were nurtured by wolves.

So, the only ones who were totally uncared for did not survive infancy - like the victims of abortion.  Anyone who survived would have had someone or something aid them as an infant cannot make it by himself. 

Isn't it wonderful then, that God has naturally necessitated an experience of love so that we can know, understand and believe in Him as Love?

Understanding that led to friendship between my sons.

 A friend invited my son Billy, 7,  to a birthday party at Dave and Busters - an amusement center.

 Besides food and drink, all the kids got a $25 card to use at the games there.

At the end of the celebration, Billy collected a small bucket full of tickets.

He redeemed them for 2 water pistols, instead of getting a bigger prize for himself.

When he got home, he gave one of the guns to Bob, 11, his older brother.

At first they were enjoying a friendly game then things got out of hand.  Bob overpowered Billy in the shoot out, cornered him and emptied the magazine.  It turned ugly.

Billy ended up crying miserably.  He went to his dad and told him how deeply grieved he was that Bob used his very gift to torture him mercilessly.

The wise old father called Bob over and said words that would make the two brothers, the best of friends.  "You must understand Bob", the father started, "that Billy owned nothing in this world all his life.  The tickets that he won at Dave and Busters were the only things that he truly owns.  And rather than getting himself a nice toy, he thought of you and the fun times that you two would spend playing together.  That is why he got two water pistols.  He wanted to enjoy your company.  What hurt his feelings was that you went beyond playing and tortured him with it - specially when he was cornered and unable to shoot back or run.  It was neither fun nor friendly anymore.  And I guess he felt sad that you did that to him despite his gift.

Bob understood how Billy looked up to him and enjoyed his company.  From then on, he was no longer mean to Billy.

SOTU address, another pep rally for Obama. Don't make it so.

If video fails click here or go to http://divine-ripples.blogspot.com/2011/01/gop-tea-senators-and-congressmen-should.html

If he lies, shout it out.

If the Democrats rise and applaud, don't be carried by their fake enthusiasm. Remember how they disregarded the people's will.

He will talk about jobs but his policies caused businesses to leave or fold. He should own up to his faults in their loss instead.

He and his Democrats won't support the repeal. So, I do hope people simply stand and walk out of his speech. He has nothing to tell us but lies. He deserves not our audience.

Is it OK to be uncivil if someone pees on your leg and tells you it's rain?

It's about the Democrats in the Senate and the White House who keep disrespecting the will of the people. We voted them out primarily to repeal Obamacare. I think they know what the people want but decide to pursue their own agenda instead. So, they're saying that even if the repeal passes the House, they're not even taking it up in the Senate - just because it is going against their law. Aren't they supposed to serve the people. In this case, they're blocking the people's will. Then they're telling us to calm down, to be sane, to not use inflamatory rhetoric. And some people believe them. I am going to be a tad crude here but, when someone pees on my leg and tells me it's rain then I reserve the right to assert my human dignity - whatever is left of it.

I think Conservatives are too rational, too religious. What I mean is that the Lord did not redeem us with His Innocent Blood so that some Liberal jerk can mess with us. And if we let him do it, then we are not being our brother's keeper as we let him sin, become unjust, corrupt and negligent.

Conservatives need to storm the Capitol and demand that the Senators vote the people's will. Playing party politics is not acceptable. We need to get mad because they're robbing us blind and making a mockery of the Democratic process.

Cartoon by Robert Ariail