Everyone's Got An Excuse!
Especially that doofus from MSNBC

Sure Way To Ensure Liberal Heads Explode
Ba-bum-de-bum-bum-bum... BOOM!

Just show 'em this video.



Just knowing some Lib is losing his/her/its mind in seeing this, makes it all worth it.

Dominus Vobiscum, Y'all
I'm sure Ven. Pope Pius IX would approve

For the Southern-half of Christendom.



And for the seriously hard core Dixie-Papists.

The "Spirit" Of Luther Is Alive & Well...
And not just in The States

My Bestest Brit Buddy, good ol' Mac over at Mulier Fortis has been posting about her taking on England's premier group of Roman Protestants, better known as StandUp4Vatican2.

Other than being unable to spell, the gaggle over at StandUp4Vatican2 also link to such wonderful groups as CCC. Here's just a taste of what those whack-a-doos believe;

Catholics for a Changing Church, earlier known as the Catholic Renewal Movement, began as a protest movement against Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI’s encyclical in 1968, in which artificial means of contraception were banned.And yet another bag of fruits and nuts better known as We Are Church. Here's some of their nonsense;

Since his death [Cardinal Hume] in 1999 modern technology has made it possible for Rome to increasingly display 'Big Brother' characteristics in its quest for control.Anyone who looks into The Second Vatican Council with even a shred of objectivity will soon realize that we simply don't "have to believe in everything in Vatican II", as I've heard from the pulpit in two different diocese.

The Prayer To St. Michael Explained
And more...

Joyfully stolen from The German Egyptian via Let the Welking Ring; (Emphasis mine)
On October 13th, 1884, Pope Leo XIII had a remarkable vision. When the aged Pontiff had finished celebrating Mass in his private Vatican chapel, attended by a few Cardinals and members of the Vatican staff, he suddenly stopped at the foot of the altar. He stood there for about ten minutes, as if in a trance, his face ashen white. Then, going immediately from his chapel to his office, he composed the prayer to St Michael, with instructions it be said after all Low Masses everywhere. When asked what had happened, he explained that, as he was about to leave the foot of the altar, he suddenly heard voices – two voices, one kind and gentle, the other guttural and harsh. They seemed to come from near the tabernacle. As he listened, he heard the following conversation:


The guttural voice, the voice of Satan in his pride, boasted to Our Lord: “I can destroy your Church.”

The gentle voice of the Lord: “You can? Then go ahead and do so.”

Satan: "To do so, I need more time and more power.”

Our Lord: “How much time? How much power?”

Satan: 75 to 100 years, and a greater power over those who will give themselves over to my service.”

Our Lord: “You have the time, you will have the power. Do with them what you will.”
That was Pope Leo's vision in 1884. Satan said that he needed between 75 and 100 years. 75 years onto 1884 brings us to 1959 (incidentally, the year of my ordination!) and in the January of that year Pope John XXIII called the Second Vatican Council. Just about the first thing to come from the deliberations of the Council Fathers, which began in earnest in 1963, was the abandonment in 1964 of the Leonine Prayers, the prayers at the end of Mass which called St Michael to the aid of the Church on earth.

In the years from 1959 to 1984, judge for yourselves whether Satan has kept his promise to destroy the Lord’s Church. Of course, the Lord’s Church can never be destroyed altogether. But, ask yourself, if you are old enough to remember, were parish churches fuller in 1984 (and since) than in 1959? What happened to parish societies, like the SVP and the Legion of Mary, in that time? Has the Church been more united in worship? Are we more united in doctrine than ever before, or is everyman his own Pope now?

One particular loss of belief which we have suffered is the belief in Satan and his awful army of devils who seek to destroy our spiritual life with God. I love to say the Leonine Prayers whenever I can, and I hope and pray that some day they will be re-instated at the end of every Mass which is celebrated.And we've gone from this -


To this -

To this -

The ObaMessiah giving an alleged blessing at the once-Catholic University of Notre Dame.

Oh yeah... things have gotten soooo much better, haven't they?
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in the battle, be our safeguard and protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; may God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio; contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. Imperat illi Deus; supplices deprecamur: tuque, Princeps militiae coelestis, Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo, divina virtute in infernum detrude. Amen

Caveman To The Rescue
The time is now...

"Wouldn't It Be Nice?"
- Brian Wilson

Just to see Keith Olbermann hyper-ventilate would make this worth it.

Real Men Still Exist


Tim Tebow, the real deal. A truly courageous young man. May God grant him many years and may he have much success and years of influence in the NFL.

What A Gem
Helmet tip to Cliff over at Random Musings

Just So You Know Where Your Tax Dollars Are Going
Taxation without representation?

From WhiteHouse.gov;
In California, the first round of projects on lands managed by the forest service will include maintenance and construction on facilities, roads and trails totaling 70 jobs and $7.75 million. The jobs are estimated to last from four months up to a year.That's $110,714.28 per person to build nature trails? Ummm... and what happens at the end of the 4-12 month period?

But if you think 110 grand per person is utterly stupid to spend on a bunch of dirt paths in California, how about what's happening in the Greater Los Angeles area?

Check this out from 24Ahead.com;
$183,333 per person, for 3 people to improve the pedestrian crossings at El Dorado and Bromwich.

$180,000 per person, for 5 people to (yet again) improve the pedestrian crossings at Commerce Avenue.

$172,840 for 1 person to demolish trailers.

$166,667 per person, for 12 people to install new left turn improvements.Where do I get a piece of this action?

LIAR! Part II
Tell the lie twice, maybe twice as many people will believe you

Justice Alito mouths "not true" to yet another ObaLie. And to think The Zero was actually a Constitutional Law professor? One would think he's actually read the case before he commented.


Below are some excerpts from PolitiFact from the St. Petersburg Times (Fla). Here's what The Doofus-in-Chief said at the State of the Union - directly to the faces of the Justices themselves. (Emphasis mine.)
"it's time to put strict limits on the contributions that lobbyists give to candidates for federal office. Last week the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests –- including foreign corporations –- to spend without limit in our elections. Well I don't think American elections should be bankrolled by America's most powerful interests, and worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people, and that's why I'm urging Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to right this wrong."Now what the truth is; (Emphasis mine)
Current federal law -- legal eagles can find it at 2 U.S.C. 441e(b)(3) -- prevents "a partnership, association, corporation, organization, or other combination of persons organized under the laws of or having its principal place of business in a foreign country" from making "directly or indirectly" a donation or expenditure "in connection with a Federal, State, or local election," to a political party committee or "for an electioneering communication."

The majority opinion, authored by Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy, maintained that the court was not specifically overturning this barrier to foreign campaign spending, essentially saying that it was outside the scope of the opinion.And in all fairness, this isn't the first time The South-Side Stooge lied about this.
The 5-4 decision in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission has drawn fire from President Barack Obama twice -- first in a weekly radio address and, now, during his State of the Union address.I'm quite sure most of you already know about Nazi Propaganda Minister, Josef Goebbels and his Big Lie.

Should I even do a post on the additional ObaLie in regards to "no lobbyists in his administration"?

LIAR!
I can only imagine the spin the ObaZombies will but on this

From the State of the Union Address;

"...we all have a responsibility to support them when they come home. (Applause.) That’s why we made the largest increase in investments for veterans in decades — last year. (Applause.) That’s why we’re building a 21st century VA. And that’s why Michelle has joined with Jill Biden to forge a national commitment to support military families. (Applause.) …"From the Federal Times --

Military and federal retirees, disabled veterans and others receiving inflation-adjusted federal benefits should not expect to see any increase this year, according to a new Congressional Budget Office estimate.

The projection that there will be no Dec. 1 cost-of-living adjustment in federal benefits came from the nonpartisan CBO in a June 2 statement, publicly released late June 3, that no increase is expected late this year in payments under Social Security, which is the basis for annual increases in military and federal civilian retirement pay, veterans' disability compensation and survivor benefits.

OK, Leningrad Cowboys, They Ain't...
Music and images to stir the soul

From one of my all time favorite movies.

If this doesn't get your Germanic blood stirred up, nothing will.

Sure beats the hell out of 'On Eagles's Wings', doesn't it?

Yet Another Reason Why The Novus Ordo Mass Is Dangerous
Legitimized ambiguity

So many weird things are added to the Novus Ordo that are considered 'correct'. The below article gives perfect example of such.

Another thought-provoking article from The California Catholic Daily;
Lord, Please Don't Hear This Prayer
The Down Side of Liturgical Aids

This is from a January 22 George Weigel column published in the Tidings, LA archdiocese.
This past Dec. 28, I was jolted out of my morning fog at 8 a.m. Mass when the deacon offered this petition: "For those who are considering abortion: may our prayers and the intercession of the Holy Innocents whom we honor today help them choose life as the best option, let us pray to the Lord."

I can't remember whether I blurted "What?" loud enough to be noticed by my faithful companions at daily Mass - many of whom wear hearing aids - but I know I certainly didn't answer with the prescribed "Lord, hear our prayer."

The best option? Oh, so the decision whether to carry a child to term is a pragmatic calculation, and we're to pray that those concerned get the calculation, er, right? How did this morally degrading nonsense get written? How did it get past an editor with any theological grain of sense?

It happened because the parish I was attending, like many others, uses canned general intercessions for weekday Masses, bought from a "liturgical aids" service: the daily intercessions come with a tacky binder in a tear-'em-out-after-you-use-'em format, they fit neatly inside the ambo - so why not?

Well, Dec. 28 illustrated why not: because more often than we'd like to admit, these intercessions are thoughtlessly written, reflecting the ambient cultural smog rather than the truth of Catholic faith. Moreover, they're typically organized to suggest that the world of politics is, somehow, the real world: after a brief intercessory nod to the pope, the bishops or both, we're immediately invited to pray for sundry social and political causes, never identified as such but wrapped in the gauziness of Feel Good Prayer.It's simply impossible for drivel like this to be inserted into the Traditional Latin Mass. Yet another reason as to why any serious, discerning Catholic should turn their back, if not run screaming from, the Protestant-inspired Novus Ordo Missae.

After all, the TLM is built on a foundatin of rock. The Novus Ordo, of quicksand. Anyone ever actuall read the rubrics for the N.O.? Way too many loopholes big enough to drive a Mac truck through. And it's all perfectly legit.

Ahhhh... The Fruits Of Vatican II
And bitter fruits they are

The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University has some interesting numbers. Here's just a taste;
Total number of priests in the US in 1965 - 58,632.
Total number of priests in the US in 2009 - 40,666.

Total number of nuns in the US in 1965 - 179,954.
Total number of nuns in the US in 2009 - 59,601.

Parishes without a resident priest pastor in the US in 1965 - 549.
Parishes without a resident priest pastor in the US in 2009 - 3,400.

Take The Koran Challenge
In a blinded then beheaded taste-test

Get louder with Crowder! This guy is too much! And a special helmet tip to Portavoz.

There's Mean-Spirited...
Then there's just plain ol' bitchy



"He could have easily been a pedophile rapist"? But she didn't. And that sword cuts both ways... the possibility exists that Joy Behar's mother could have given birth to a decent human being.

Judas Amongst Us
Heed the warnings of Our Lady of Akita

Bishop Malcolm McMahon, a member of the English Catholic Bishops conference, and the head of the Catholic Education Service, has just given authorization/legitimization to the Sin of Sodom in England and Wales.

And he wants them teaching British children.



And here is the reference to the medical perils of the homosexual act itself.

I Sure Hope His Theology Is Better Than His History
Helmet tip to Earnest

Interesting bit of info from the Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas. According to their bishop, Bp. Anthony B. Taylor, this is the place in history for General Robert E. Lee; (Emphasis mine) "General Lee may have had many good qualities and can only be judged in the context of the world he lived in, but the bottom line is that his efforts served to promote the culture of death..."And that's a shot fired directly at the Confederacy. The very same Confederacy that had it's president receiving solace and support not only from Catholics here in the United States, but from Venerable Pope Pius IX.

The same Confederacy that formally exchanged ambassadors with one other nation on earth -- The Papal States (AKA, The Vatican).

The same Confederacy that was the first American Administration to ever have a Catholic serving (Secretary of the Navy, Stephen Mallory).

The same Confederacy whose last Medal of Honor recipient was Father Emmeran Bliemel, who also was the first Catholic Chaplain, North or South, ever to be killed in action. Fr. Bliemel also has a Knights of Columbus Council in Georgia dedicated for him.

Anyhow, the good Bishop of Little Rock needs to be reminded that not only was secession legal in 1861, but slavery was also legal in the North until the end of The War Between the States.

So much for those nasty Southerners being all about 'the culture of death'. And like I said at the beginning of this post, I sure hope this particular bishop knows his theology better than his history. No great mystery as to why so many Catholics are woefully ignorant of even the basics of their Faith.

But then again, by Bp. Taylor's reckoning, Ven. Pope Pius IX was complicite in the 'Culture of Death'.

How Do You Say "Biotch" In Chinese?
Helmet tip to Bonum, Verum, Pulchrum

This goes back about a month, but still gives an excellent picture of where our Dear Leader stands in the eyes of the world.

Take a gander at this from The American Thinker;
And twice yesterday, Obama was kept waiting in public by China's premier. This is scary stuff.

Obviously, the rest of the world has taken measure of Barack Obama -- and decided he's a pushover. On the merits, not unfairly.

Scroll Back!!
Please!

It's been a bloggerific week-end, and an extra long week-end for me. There are well over a dozen posts from the last handful of days... so please scroll down and check 'em out!

If I say so myself, I'd like you to take a peek at "The Spartacus" post.

Thanks!

The Check Is In The Mail, I'll Respect You In The Morning...
And it's all Bush's fault

Much like Chinese-made drinking glasses, DingleBarry's promises are cheap, easily broken, and the maker of such doesn't really give a damn if they're broken or not.

Case in point from Enduring Sense;
11 Obama Broken Promises

1.Promise: The unemployment rate would not go past 8% with passage of his $787 billion Stimulus Package. Reality: The unemployment exceeded 10%. Unfulfilled promise.

2.Promise: Obama will bring bipartisanship to government. Reality: None occurred and he did not even bring in liberal Republicans like Olympia Snow of Maine. Broken promise.

3.Promise: A new way for Washington politics. Reality: The opposite occurred. To get Healthcare through the Senate, the Obama team “bribed” Senators Landrieu and Nelson with multi-hundred million dollar perks for their states to get their votes for a bill their constituents did not want. Broken promise.

4.Promise: The President promised he “will not sign any non-emergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House website for five days.” Reality: Bills were delivered to Congress hours prior to their votes without public review. Broken promise.

5.Promise: Bring transparency to Washington, stating: “But what we will do is, we’ll have the negotiations televised on C-SPAN, so that people can see who is making arguments on behalf of their constituents, and who are making arguments on behalf of the drug companies or the insurance companies.” Reality: Never occurred. Broken promise.

6.Promise: To close Guantanamo prison. Reality: Prison still open. Broken promise.

7.Promise: America will be safer with more international cooperation. Reality: We had more terrorist attacks in America in Obama’s first year than in Bush’s last seven. Unfulfilled promise.

8. Promise: The President promised in a January 6, 2009 press conference that: “We are going to ban all earmarks.” Reality: First spending bill Obama signed in March 2009 had over 9,000 earmarks. Broken promise.

9.Promise: Cut government spending. In the second presidential debate Obama said: “Actually, I am cutting more than I’m spending. So it will be a net spending cut.” In the third debate he stated: “What I’ve done throughout this campaign is to propose a net spending cut.” Reality: Obama has outspent all. Under Bush, the US debt increase in 8 years by an unacceptable $3 trillion. Obama exceeding that figure in his first year ($3.3 trillion). Broken promise.

10.Promise: No tax increase on families making less than $250,000, stating at a September 2008 town hall meeting in Dover, Delaware: “Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase – not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes.” Reality: Obama has proposed Cap and Trade, which would be a fat tax on everyone, increased the cigarette tax by 159 percent, and others. Broken promise.

11.Promise: He would not force Americans to buy health insurance. In the January 2008debate he stated about Hilary Clinton’s plan: “She believes we have to force people who don’t have insurance.” In a February 2008 CNN interview, he stated: “If a mandate was the solution, we could try that to solve homelessness by mandating that everybody buy a house.” Reality: After the election, Obama stated: “Under my plan, individuals will be required to carry basic health insurance.” Broken promise.But remember, if whatever woe Doofus has, it's either the fault of Bush (who's been out of office for over a year now), or the "Party of NO!" Republicans (who've been kept out of most, if not all, nuts and bolts meetings on Capitol Hill.)

Is Mahoney Retiring Early?
If so, praise God!

I just saw a link over at California Catholic to a blog by a Brooklyn deacon quoting Thomas Peters of the Catholic Voters Action blog in which it is reported that Los Angeles Archbishop, Roger Cardinal Mahoney, has put in his papers and may retire sooner than mandatory retirement age.

Could loyal Catholics be so blessed? I subscribe to Prevat2's theory that one-twelfth of the bishops are successors of Judas Iscariot and certainly rank Mahoney in that number. (No, I am not violating Matt 7:1, just offering my opinion based on objective evidence.)

Not surprising that Mahoney would surround himself with birds of a feather, but rumor has it that faculty members at the diocesan seminary have said they will retire or resign if a more "conservative" bishop is appointed. (Oh, please Holy Father, send someone of the same spine as Leo I.)

I wonder if Bishop Chaput from Denver was considered? Or Bishop Vassa from Baker, Oregon.

Reportedly, Mahony has approved a coadjutor bishop recently selected for him by the Vatican.

What does that mean? That Mahoney was recognizing what the Vatican already did? Or does it mean Roger the Dodger, the notorious protector of homosexual priests, had some say in who the Holy See named as his successor? Let's hope not. (Actually, I think it's pretty unlikey.)

Well, stay tuned. An official announcement may be coming from Rome soon.

"Transparent As Mud" Moment #561
Or possibly "Just How Stupid Does He Think We Are?" moment #906

I just heard former Senator Fred Thompson remind us;
Obama keeps saying that 'what elected Scott Brown is the same thing that got me elected.'

Oh, so the people of Massachusetts elected Scott Brown because they're mad at Bush?"Must be, Fred.

Did Dennis The Menace Just Threaten Fox News?
I think so... how 'bout you?

Who Knew John 8:12 Was "A Vile National Security Threat"?
"Again therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying: I am the light of the world: he that followeth me, walketh not in darkness, but shall have the light of life."


Here's some of the article from CNSNews.com; (Emphasis and comments mine)
Group That Alerted Media to Biblical Markings on Rifle Sights Wants Congress to Investigate 'Military Religious Extremism’

(CNSNews.com) – The advocacy group that brought worldwide attention to the fact that an American company has been stamping biblical references on combat rifle sights used by the U.S. military said Thursday it hoped the damage done was not “beyond repair.”

Trijicon’s “outrageous practice” of stamping Christian references on rifle scopes used by the U.S. military “was an unconstitutional disgrace of the highest magnitude to our military and an action that clearly gave additional incentive and emboldenment to recruiters for our nation’s enemies,” (Yeah... right. Al-Qaeda doesn't need a reason, just an excuse.) Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) head Mikey Weinstein said, after Trijicon Inc. announced it would now stop the practice.

“It is nothing short of a vile national security threat that, despite our nation’s efforts to convince the Muslim world we are not pursuing a holy war against them, our military and its contractors time again resort to unlawful fundamentalist evangelical Christian practices, even on the battlefield,” Weinstein said in a message posted on the MRFF Web site. (I guess those red crosses on our field ambulances are also examples of "vile national security threats" and "unlawful evangelical Christian practices".)

“The codes on the scopes are contrary to U.S. Central Command guidance,” CentCom commander Gen. David Petraeus said Thursday. (And what guidance is that? Are Chaplains giving invocations and benedictions also 'contrary to U.S. Central Command guidance'? Should I even ask about Catholic Chaplains giving Last Rites on the battlefield?)
“Our mission is to protect the population we’re serving and establish conditions for security, stability, and development, and we strive to do that while remaining sensitive to the cultural and religious norms of the populace we are supporting. “We deeply respect the cultures of the host nations and our coalition partners in the Central Command Area of Responsibility,” he said. (So much for respecting the culture of our nation.)And while we're on the topic, I wonder if these gutless wonders over at MRFF are going to go after this Warrior for wearing the Navy CROSS? For those who don't know, that particular medal is second only to the Congressional Medal of Honor. Hey, and how about those wearing the Distinguished Service CROSS or the Distinguished Flying CROSS? Better yet, how about all those CROSSES at Arlington National Cemetery?

Also, when I was in the war, many of my boys (even some of the Protestants!) followed the example of the Crusaders, and we affixed Holy Medals to our weapons. Peaceniks will never understand that, but those who have ever been in a combat zone certainly do.

Michael Savage Rips Into A Silly Savage
Helmet tip to Hail3N1

A Win For The First Amendment
A loss for McCain-Feingold

As most of us know by now, the Supreme Court has upheld freedom of speech by essentially dumping much of the gag order that the McCain-Feingold Act did to keeping unions, citizens groups, and corporations from financing political campaigns.

As The Zero commented;
"a green light to a new stampede of special interest money in our politics."I don't care if it's SEIU or the Young America's Foundation bombarding me with commercials. I'm a big boy. I can discern between the truth and the lies. I can make up my own mind, without the government 'watching out for me' by gagging anyone who they deem inappropriate. No Nanny State, if you please.

By the way, McCain-Feingold was co-authored by.... wait for it... John McCain. You know, the guy who was the latest Republican(?) Presidential Candidate.

But I've already commented on the McCain Regression Syndrome.

BTW, In case you were wondering which Justices voted to uphold the First Amendment, they were Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito, Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. All Catholics, but Kennedy makes us wonder sometimes.

And for those that didn't know, Justice Scalia's son is a Traditioanl Latin Mass priest, and both Justices Scalia and Thomas regularly attend the TLM at Old St. Mary's in DC.

Don't Be a Dick
McBrien

Helmet tip to LarryD.

Larry points out on his blog that the coat & tie clad University of Notre Dame theology professor/quasi-Catholic priest, Dick McBrien gushes on and on in regards to Comrade Nelson Mandela of South Africa. Or as Larry summed up the thoughts of Dick, "The Church Needs Its Own Mandela".

Dickie writes in the National Catholic Distorter;

...too many of our bishops -- although certainly not the majority -- function in ways that are directly opposed to Mandela's example.

The names of these high-profile bishops are known to anyone who is more than casually aware of Catholic developments.

These bishops trade in recrimination and self-righteous moralizing, looking upon Catholics, especially those in public office, who don't agree 100 percent with their particular approach to pastoral issues as "bad Catholics," who should not receive Communion and who should even think seriously of leaving the church. As if the third of Catholics who have already left the church isn't enough.

Unfortunately, the Vatican itself has also exercised a form of leadership that is directly opposed to Mandela's. The current "visitation" (read: "investigation") of communities of religious women in the United States, and the "doctrinal assessment" (read: "harassment") of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which represents 95 percent of these communities, are the most dramatic cases in point.

If Mandela had followed the example of the Vatican or that of many of our bishops, South Africa would still be a divided nation today, with blacks and whites at each others' throats.There's a phrase for folks like Dick McBrien... they're called liberal Protestants. But don't hold your breath if you want any type of disciplinary action against this guy.

And as far as Catholicism 'needing a Mandela', we already have PLENTY of Nelson Madela's in The Catholic Church. Mandela showed his true colors on more than one occasion. Case in point;

ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA ON THE OCCASION OF THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTYCape Town, 28 July 1996I feel really honoured to be part of this celebration of a historic day in South Africa's political calendar. The 75th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party is a special occasion for South Africa.

It is special because of the critical role the Party has played in our country's history, because of its relevance to today's politics; and because it is bound to make an impact on the future of our society.

On behalf of the African National Congress, bring you warm fraternal greetings; and we join others in proclaiming; many happy returns.

Pro Pitcher to Become Priest
Drafted by God

Grant Desme, 23, an Oakland A's prospect, is leaving professional baseball to enter the seminary. A cradle Catholic, Desme said he has been considering the priesthood for over a year.

His next training camp will be at St. Michael's Abbey in Orange County, Califronia, run by the Norbertine order. (Good news: the Norbertines are trained to celebrate the traditional Latin Mass as well as the New Order.)

Desme was a second-round pick in the 2007 draft after being selected as Big West Player of the Year at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He was the MVP in the 2009 Arizona Fall League and considered one of the top prospects for the Athletics.

Desme said his 2008 injuries, which kept him out of most the season, were a blessing in disguise. “My injuries, I would say, have been the biggest blessing God’s ever given me. For my entire life, I’ve defined myself as a baseball player, and in a way it’s been an idol. When it was taken, it was an eye-opener."

UPDATE!
I just saw the following over that Fr. Zulsdorf's "What Does The Prayer Really Say" blog. I guess we can assume the future (we pray) Father Desme will be a proponent of the Extraordinary Form (funny how the Latin Mass has this ability to generate vocations!).

I had this note from a priest friend and sometime poster
here at WDTPRS who knows him:
What you may not know is that the young man, Grant Desme,
is from the Latin Mass community of San Clemente in Bakersfield. What you also may not know is that he served Latin Mass for you and for me (he would have been 7th-8th grade when you were in Bakersfield, and was a high schooler during my time there).

DingleBarry Misses The Obvious
And you're surprised... how?

The Doofus-in-Chief recently attended some BS "Jobs Town Hall Meeting" in Ohio, where the stellar example of American Industrial Might that he repeatedly pointed out, was a wind turbine plant.

That's right, a wind turbine plant.

According to Fox News economic guru, Stuart Varney, the Wind Power Industry employs -- both directly and indirectly -- less than 85,000 people nationwide. I can't but wonder why The Zero didn't tour a shut-down steel plant? Didn't the Steel Industry use to employ millions and millions?

Oh, wait... I know why. After reading the below, you'll know why, too. Here's some of the article from KGO (San Francisco);
Steel for new Bay Bridge span arrives from China

OAKLAND, CA (KGO) -- There was a long delay, but the first shipment of steel for the new Bay Bridge suspension span arrived from China Thursday and soon the work will begin.

Can't piss off the Chinese Masters, huh?

Time For Us Conservatives To Come Back To Earth
End of the best week ever

OK, gang... The Kennedy Throne has been flipped ass-over-tea kettle; to the chagrin of Lefties everywhere, the Supreme Court decides to uphold the 1st Amendment; and Air America shuts down

Michelle Malkin is playing Jiminy Cricket for those of us on the Right... and he sure as hell need to heed her warning. Here's some of it from her website, MichelleMalkin.com; (Emphasis mine)

Conservatives: Beware of McCain Regression Syndrome
By Michelle Malkin • January 22, 2010 09:10 AM

The question isn’t why Sarah Palin is helping John McCain. The question is: What are you doing to stop him from cementing his Big Government Republican legacy?

Pay attention: In the afterglow of the Massachusetts Miracle, there are flickers of peril for The Right. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but like Paul Revere’s midnight-message, consider this warning “a cry of defiance, and not of fear.” Conservatives have worked hard over the past year to rebuild after Big Government Republican John McCain’s defeat. But McCain isn’t going gently into that good night.

Red Flag Number One: A reader from Arizona informed me the day after the Bay State Bombshell that he had received a robo-call from Massachusetts GOP Sen.-elect Scott Brown. “He basically wanted me to vote for John McCain in November,” the reader said in his description of the automated campaign call supporting the four-term Sen. McCain’s re-election bid. “No wonder [Brown] said he hadn’t had any sleep…he was busy recording phone messages!”

Red Flag Number Two: Also in the wake of the Massachusetts special election, the nation’s most popular conservative political figure, Sarah Palin, announced she would be campaigning for her former running mate in Arizona in March. Palin told Facebook followers that she’s going to “ride the tide with commonsense candidates” and help “heroes and statesmen” like McCain. Facing mounting conservative opposition in his home state and polls showing him virtually tied with possible GOP challenger and former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, McCain welcomed the boost: “Sarah energized our nation and remains a leading voice in the Republican Party.”

Savor the irony: After a career spent bashing the right flank of the party, Sen. McCain is now clinging to its coattails to save his incumbent hide.

Tea Party activists are rightly outraged by Sarah Palin’s decision to campaign for McCain, whose entrenched incumbency and progressive views are anathema to the movement. At least she has an excuse: She’s caught between a loyalty rock and a partisan hard place. The conservative base has no such obligations – and it is imperative that they get in the game (as they did in Massachusetts) before it’s too late. The movement to restore limited government in Washington has come too far, against all odds, to succumb to McCain Regression Syndrome now.

So This Is The Smartest Guy In The Room, Huh?
His excuses are getting really old

Warning! Harsh Language Alert

DingleBarry sounds more like a whiny 5-yr-old who doesn't want to put on her big girl panties.

First off, this constant bitching and moaning about how everything is Bush's fault is wearing thin.

Mary Katherine Ham recently reminded the world that not only did this bucket-head want the job of President of the United States, he fought for the job of President of the United States. Like I said, his non-stop complaining is getting pretty old.

Secondly, here's some of the article from the Jerusalem Post;

Obama: Our expectations of Mideast progress were 'too high'

Getting the Israelis and Palestinians to agree to negotiate, or even to agree to the framework in which negotiations will take place, "is just really hard," US President Barack Obama said in an interview with Time magazine published Thursday, as the president was completing his first year in office."Is just really hard"? In the words of my dear departed father - you gotta be shittin' me.

I think Truman said it best -- "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."

Today’s Photo of Individual Sacrifice…
Michelle Obama in $2,763 Coat

Helmet tip to Papa Mike.
Back in January 2009, before he signed his failed $787 billion stimulus bill into law, Barack Obama told America that everyone must sacrifice for the greater good. Everyone must have “some skin in the game.”

What he meant, of course, was that everyone would have to sacrifice to lift American out of the worst recession since the Great Depression… except for Barack and Michelle Obama.

Here’s today’s photo of individual sacrifice…
Michelle Obama in a $2,763 coat:

I'm Scott Brown
No, I'm Scott Brown

Who knew Scott Brown was such a hit in Ancient Rome?

If it wasn't bad enough that the DoofusCrat Governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, is trying to paint himself as being just like Scott Brown;
He told reporters Wednesday that Brown’s “outsider’’ campaign reminded him of his own in 2006.We also have DingleBarry essentially saying the same thing;
"...the same thing that swept Scott Brown into office swept me into office."Hey guys, it's been done before.

Now That They've Pointed Out The Obvious...
When will something of substance happen?

Don't tell me about Vatican III, I'm ready for Trent II. These quotes are simply stunning. Please read them.

Here's some of Matt Abbot's article from RenewAmerica.com; (Emphasis mine)

What hath 'the spirit of Vatican II' wrought?

The following is a reprint of a chapter (minus endnotes) from Catholic attorney/scholar Peter B. Kelly's book Cleansing Fire.

Chapter 38
A Statistical Analysis

"The message (of the Third Secret of Fatima) was not to be opened before 1960. I asked Lucy: 'Why this date?' And she answered me: 'Because then it will be clearer (mais claro).' This made me think that the message was prophetic in tone, precisely because the prophesies, as we see in Sacred Scripture, are covered with a veil of mystery. ... In 1960, she said, the message would be clearer."
— Cardinal Ottaviani (speaking about the Third Secret of Fatima at the great hall of the Antonianum, Pontifical Marian Academy, February 11, 1967)
"The devil is in the process of engaging in a decisive battle with the Virgin. And the devil knows what it is that most offends God and which in a short space of time will gain for him the greatest number of souls. Thus the devil does everything to overcome souls consecrated to God because in this way, the devil will succeed in leaving the souls of the faithful abandoned by their leaders, and thereby the more easily will he seize them."
— Sister Lucy's disclosures to Father Fuentes
"What some refer to as a 'vocations crisis' is, rather, one of the many fruits of the Second Vatican Council, a sign of God's deep love for the Church, and an invitation to a more creative and effective ordering of gifts and energy in the Body of Christ."
— Cardinal Roger Mahony of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Holy Thursday, April 20, 2000.
"Without priests the sacramental nature of the Church will disappear. We'll become a Protestant church without the sacraments."
— Cardinal Godfried Daneels, London Catholic Times, May, 2000.
"Certainly the results (of Vatican II) seem cruelly opposed to the expectations of everyone, beginning with those of Pope John XXIII and then of Pope Paul VI: expected was a new Catholic unity and instead we have been exposed to dissension which, to use the words of Pope Paul VI, seems to have gone from self-criticism to self-destruction. Expected was a new enthusiasm, and many wound up discouraged and bored. Expected was a great step forward, instead we find ourselves faced with a progressive process of decadence which has developed for the most part under the sign of a calling back to the Council, and has therefore contributed to discrediting it for many. The net result therefore seems negative. I am repeating here what I said ten years after the conclusion of the work: it is incontrovertible that this period has definitely been unfavorable for the Catholic Church."
— Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, 1984.
"It's chic to declare yourself a Protestant in France these days. In intellectual circles, it is also chic to reveal yourself as a Jew. But if you admit to being a Roman Catholic, you'll trigger howls of derisive laughter."
— Sociologist Daniele Hervieu-Leger, UPI, March 13, 2001.
"And will not God revenge His elect who cry to Him day and night? And will He have patience in their regard? I say to you that He will quickly revenge them. But yet the Son of man, when He cometh, shall he find, think you, faith on earth?"
— Luke 18:7-8
"The dechristianization of Europe is a reality."
— Cardinal Paul Poupard, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Le Spectacle du Monde, January, 2000.

Marines Turn Over Iraq To Army And The Iraqis
'bout time

This Saturday, The United States Marine Corps will officially be done with Iraq and turning it all over to the Army, as they should. Occupation Duty has never been the job of The Corps. Killing bad guys is.

Here's a bit of the article from Fox News;
First Wave of U.S. Forces Leave Iraq
Saturday, January 16, 2010

AL-ASAD, Iraq — The base loudspeaker no longer wakes them up with calls for blood donors; armored trucks sit idle in neat rows. The U.S. Marines who stood at some of the bloodiest turning points of the Iraq war are packing up and leaving.

"The security and stability that exists here is well within the means of the Iraqi security forces to maintain," Maj. Gen. Rick Tryon, the Marine commander in Iraq, said in a recent interview. "You don't need United States Marines to do this at this point. So it's time, and it's timely."

Besides, he added: "Afghanistan is calling."And from talking to many young Marines up in Lejeune, I can assure the American people that these Warriors just can't wait to get to Afghanistan and dispatch the enemy to their oh-so-well-deserved incendiary eternal reward.

The Deadliest Weapons on the Face of the Earth.
"You talkin' to me?"
The Few, The Proud, The Marines.

Well, Well, Well...
Democrats call for extension of Bush tax cuts

Abso-freakin-lutely amazing. When the wheels fall off the ObaBus, they fall off! Here's some of the article from Nasdaq.com;
Among Democrats, Calls To Extend Bush Tax Cuts

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- Some Capitol Hill Democrats want President Barack Obama to extend tax cuts for wealthy Americans (I've already pointed out that my taxes have just gone up over $300 a year, and I'm far from 'wealthy') now scheduled to expire at the end of 2010, arguing that a tax increase could hinder economic recovery.

"I think there is a certain logic to leaving well-enough alone for now, given the fragility of the economic recovery," said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D., Va.). " It's a question of prudent judgment and timing."

Ahhh... It Was Fox News That Was Behind 9-11!
Silly me

Leftie talk-show goon, former news writer for CNN and all around nut-job, Mike Malloy, enlightens us lowly ignorant scum as to who exactly was behind the attack on September 11th.

Who knew!?


"You crazy sons-of-bitches, you right-wingers. Do you not understand that the people you hold up as heroes bombed your goddamn country? Do you not understand that Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly are as complicit of the September 11, 2001 terror attack as any one of those dumb-ass fifteen who came from Saudi Arabia? Don’t you get that?"But we shouldn't be all that surprised at Malloy's accusations. He's the same loon that stated that the Christmas Airline Attack was not al-Qaeda's doing, but the Republicans. All a GOP plot just to embarrass The Zero.

Seriously... click here.

The Hidden State Of The Union Address
With deepest affection to the Senate Majority Leader

Headline, Dec. 8, 1941 - Thousands Of Sailors Wet!
Oh... and the Japanese attacked, too

Helmet tip to Former Alter Boy.

God love the Honolulu Star Bulletin. Check out the headline, then the article proper. Here's some of it; (Emphasis mine.)
Scores attend civil-union rally
By Rob Shikina

Thousands opposed to same-sex marriage rallied at the state Capitol to send a message to lawmakers who support a civil-unions bill in this election year. "Your one vote is just as powerful as their one vote," Dennis Arakaki, an organizer, told the crowd. "Use that power to elect people who are righteous."

Arakaki estimated about 15,000 people dressed in white went to the Capitol yesterday, some on their own and many others bused in with church groups. The turnout was more than last year's traditional-marriage rally that brought 10,000 to 12,000 attendees dressed in red, Arakaki said.
A handful of civil-union supporters stood across the street amid traditional-marriage proponents. Some opponents engaged in debates about homosexuality, but deputy sheriffs reported no major problems. "They're promoting social inequality," said Dave McCaskey, 18, a University of Hawaii student who is not gay. He carried a sign that read, "You can't outlaw LOVE."

"They're defining who we are by depriving us of our rights," said Kealoha Kelekolio, 63, of Manoa. Kamuela Kaahanui, 60, a UH professor, said he was disappointed that they would hold the rally on the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and on the anniversary of the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani. "If the queen were here, she would ask this question," he said, pointing to a sign reading, "Where's the aloha?"Actually, under Queen Liliuokalani's reign, the penalty for homosexuality was as follows;
...a fine of up to $1,000 and confinement at hard labor for up to 20 years.Even the Queen back then knew that guys shouldn't be leiing each other.

Fricasseed Fetus, Anyone?
Let them eat dead babies

This is satanic. I can't think of a better way to put it.

The people of Haiti are in need to the very basics of life, and the International Planned Parenthood Federation has the audacity to ask for money for THIS!?

Here's some of their HELP HAITI NOW donation website; (Emphasis and comments mine.)

HELP HAITI NOW

Help Haiti Now: Donate to PROFAMIL

100% of donations collected will go directly to PROFAMIL's operations, so they can get their clinics and mobile health units up and working as soon as possible.

Since 1984 PROFAMIL has provided low-cost, quality sexual and reproductive healthcare. As a leader in the field, PROFAMIL meets regularly with the Minister of Health to develop strategies for increasing access to sexual and reproductive healthcare.

Programs that Profamil offers include:

* Sexual & Reproductive Health Services: PROFAMIL clinics provide family planning, early detection of breast and cervical cancers, high-quality sexual and reproductive health clinical services for men and women, and pre-and-post natal services. (Besides being a Christian act, how about burying the dead? That is more of a critical 'health service' in Haiti right now than passing out rubbers.)

* Mobile Health Clinics: PROFAMIL brings health providers directly to the rural communities where the people are totally isolated. Approximately 200 men, women and children are provided with basic health care services at each visit. (And then again, they consider ripping an unborn child out of the womb as 'basic health care'.)

* HIV/AIDS Prevention: PROFAMIL conducts voluntary testing and counseling for HIV/AIDS, educates the public about prevention and ensures widespread access to condoms. (A sandwich and a bottle of water would be nice.)

* PROFAMIL Youth Program: PROFAMIL provides youth-friendly clinical and educational services to young people aged 10-25. (Again, couldn't you just drop off a sandwich and a bottle of water instead of handing out abortion pamphlets?)

* Health Education: PROFAMIL covers issues such as promoting family planning and presenting various methods; cervical cancer and the need for routine pap smears; relationships; gender issues; domestic violence; HIV/AIDS prevention with regular condom demonstrations. In 2006, PROFAMIL educated over 225,000 people. (And murdered 305,000 unborn children last year alone.)

DON'T BLAME OBAMA!!
That would be heresy

Just a handful of news snippets concerning the recent Dem losses. Of course, there is no voters remose or a rejection of The Zero and his policies.

The reason why Corzine lost the governorship of New Jersey;
MSNBC's Howard Fineman - "The White House thought accurately that Corzine was a very weak candidate, no people skills, didn't follow through on tax cuts..."The reason why William Thompson lost the mayoral race in New York City;
"It was a sleeper race. No one thought it was going to be a close race, especially Bloomberg," a source told the Daily News.The reason why Creigh Deeds lost the governoship of Virginia;
David Plouffe, President Obama’s chief campaign manager, attributed Democratic losses election night primarily to the economy and local factors, saying he did not think the GOP had shown any particularly new strength or Obama any particularly new weakness.And for Scott Brown -- win or lose, here's an interesting bit o' info that you just may find illuminating;
As voters head to the polls in Massachusetts, nervous Democrats have already begun to blame one another for putting at risk the Senate seat Ted Kennedy held for more than 40 years.

And in private conversations, Hill sources say White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel has blamed Coakley, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Democratic pollster Celinda Lake for failing to see Brown’s surge in time to stop it.

STAND BY FOR A FIGHTER PILOT!!
And may God rest both of their souls

I've just read the eulogy said at the funeral of the late Colonel Donald "The Great Santini" Conroy USMC (Ret), written by his son, the author Pat Conroy. I strongly suggest you read it, as well. It's classic.

Here's a bit concerning the matriarch of the clan;

During the Cuban Missile Crisis, my mother took me out to the air station where we watched Dad's squadron scramble on the runway on their bases at Roosevelt Road and Guantanamo.

In the car as we watched the A-4's take off, my mother began to say the rosary. "You praying for Dad and his men, Mom?" I asked her. "No, son. I'm praying for the repose of the souls of the Cuban pilots they're going to kill."

And just for the helluvit, here's a bit more;
Here is how my father appeared to me as a boy. He came from a race of giants and demi-gods from a mythical land known as Chicago. He married the most beautiful girl ever to come out of the poor and lowborn south, and there were times when I thought we were being raised by Zeus and Athena. After Happy Hour my father would drive his car home at a hundred miles an hour to see his wife and seven children. He would get out of his car, a strapping flight jacketed matinee idol, and walk toward his house, his knuckles dragging along the ground, his shoes stepping on and killing small animals in his slouching amble toward the home place. My sister, Carol, stationed at the door, would call out, "Godzilla's home!" and we seven children would scamper toward the door to watch his entry. The door would be flung open and the strongest Marine aviator on earth would shout, "Stand by for a fighter pilot!" He would then line his seven kids up against the wall and say, "Who's the greatest of them all?" "You are, O Great Santini, you are." "Who knows all, sees all, and hears all?" "You do, O Great Santini, you do." We were not in the middle of a normal childhood, yet none of us were sure since it was the only childhood we would ever have. For all we knew other men were coming home and shouting to their families, "Stand by for a pharmacist," or "Stand by for a chiropractor".

Let me give you my father the warrior in full battle array. The Great Santini is catapulted off the deck of the aircraft carrier, [the USS] Sicily. His Black Sheep squadron is the first to reach the Korean Theater and American ground troops had been getting torn up by North Korean regulars. Let me do it in his voice: "We didn't even have a map of Korea. Not zip. We just headed toward the sound of artillery firing along the Naktong River. They told us to keep the North Koreans on their side of the Naktong. Air power hadn't been a factor until we got there that day. I radioed to Bill Lundin, I was his wingman. 'There they are. Let's go get'em.' So we did."

I was interviewing Dad so I asked, "how do you know you got them?" "Easy," The Great Santini said. "They were running - it's a good sign when you see the enemy running. There was another good sign." "What was that, Dad?" "They were on fire."

"I'd Cheat To Keep Those Bastards Out"
- Ed Schultz. The pride and joy of MSNBC

Helmet tip to BMP over at Christus Vincit.

"I tell you what, if I lived in Massachusetts I'd try to vote 10 times. I don't know if they'd let me or not, but I'd try to. Yeah, that's right. I'd cheat to keep these bastards out. I would. 'Cause that's exactly what they are."

iLove
You'll love, too

Once In A Great While, Obama Gets It Right
This is one of those times

According to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette;
Ms. Coakley, 56, a Western Massachusetts native who lives in Medford, is a career prosecutor and former Middlesex district attorney who three years ago was elected attorney general in her first statewide bid for office. She is married to a retired Cambridge police official.I'd agree with The Zero. The Cambridge police acted stupidly.

What A Difference A Year Makes
Voters remorse sinks in

Interesting numbers coming out of the New York Times concerning The Zero's visit to Boston;
Mr. Obama spoke to a crowd of 1,500 people on the Solomon Court on the campus. More than 2,500 people listened in an overflow room.This, coming from the same guy who effortlessly drew 75,000 to Denver's Invesco Field? Now he struggles to pull in a measly 4,000 on Sunday afternoon?

I love it.

By the way, anyone else notice that just yesterday The Zero was shaking Dubya's hand at The White House, but today, he's talking trash about him in Boston?

That Obama... what a classless jerk.

The Making Of Marie Oboinette
But what if I don't like cake?

What REALLY Matters To The Good People Of Massachusetts
War on Terror, illegal immigration, creeping Communism in DC? Nahhh...

If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that Martha "Cokehead" Coakley (D-The Moon) is purposefully trying to lose this election.


And then we have Schilling's erudite retort on his website, 38Pitches.com; (Emphasis mine)
I’ve been called a LOT of things…
By Curt Schilling
But never, and I mean never, could anyone ever make the mistake of calling me a Yankee fan. Well, check that, if you didn’t know what the hell is going on in your own state maybe you could…

And Tony Gwynn is a Dodgers fan.

Sometimes It's Nice Just To Have Something Nice...
And this is nice

Helmet tip to Former Altar Boy


UPDATED - American Idol: 9th Child of 12, Daughter of Pro-Life Blogger Advances to Next Round

BOSTON, Massachusetts, January 15, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Maddy Curtis of Bluemont, Virginia, the 16-year-old daughter of an award-winning pro-life blogger, impressed American Idol judges on the show this week, who unanimously advanced her to the next round.

The opening segment featured a powerful testimony about her family of 12 children, and her brothers with Down syndrome - one biological (Jonathan) and three adopted (Jesse, Daniel, and Justin).

Katrina Vs Haiti
Bush vs Obama

Who exactly was slow on the trigger? I'm sure we all recall the beating Bush took during Katrina.

I've purposefully left out how the Mayor of New Orleans and the Governor of Louisiana basically sat on their hands and did little to nothing leading up to and immediately after Katrina struck.

I'd also like to point out that during the Katrina Catastrophe, overland traffic was nil. Just like Haiti, sea and air transport is the only real way of getting there.

Friday, August 26, 2005 - The National Hurricane Center predicted for the first time that Katrina would become a Category 4 storm, and thus exceed the design limits of the New Orleans levees.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010 -Earthquake strikes Haiti without warning.

Saturday,August 27, 2005 - (two days before Katrina even made landfall) - President Bush declared a state of emergency under the authority of the Stafford Act for the inland parishes of Louisiana.

Monday, August 29, 2005 - At 6:10 am local time, Katrina made landfall.

Thursday, January 14, 2010 - (two days after the earthquake) - Obama announced relief efforts on behalf of the US Government.

Tuesday, August 30, 2005 - (The day after landfall) Thousands of US Marines and sailors, along with Federalized National Guard troops conduct relief operations on and around New Orleans.

Friday, January 15, 2010 - (Three days after the earthquake struck) The USS Carl Vinson and US Army (82d Abn.) troops begin relief operations in Haiti.

Thursday, September 8, 2005 - (10 days after landfall) The Navy Hospital Ship USNS Comfort arrives in New Orleans from it's homeport of Baltimore, MD.

Saturday, January 16, 2010 -(4 days after the earthquake struck) The USNS Comfort departs Baltimore harbor, and isn't expected to arrive in Haiti, at best, until January 21, 2010 (9 days after the earthquake struck).