WHAT IS THE MEXICAN FLYING WITCH?

The UFO enthusiasts have been going crazy over a story (collaborated with the usual blurry pictures) regarding law enforcement and others who witnessed a flying humanoid in Mexico. One poor policeman went into shock and spoke about it as a witch! I watched the footage and found it intriguing. If you can find footage with enhanced visuals it even seems at one point that the figure is walking and enters some sort of small scooter device. He tucks in his legs and then flies through the air, with hardly a pause. It is really quite amazing.

News Report About the Mexican Flying Humanoid:

The coverage, especially on YouTube seems to be overwhelmed now by occultists and fanatics, and yet their footage and presentations seem a little too professional for that of the nut cases. I have to wonder if it is an attempt by certain sources to ridicule the footage and the sightings?

What I discovered recently on YouTube seems to answer the flying humanoid mystery and yet it really does look like science fiction. The flying witch has been identified as the Williams X-Jet, nicknamed the Flying Pulpit.

What is a U.S. top secret device doing in Mexico? Do we routinely test such technology with our neighbors to the south or was someone taking a joyride? Is this the source of many UFO reports? It is really quite incredible and reminds me of transport devices in some of the old Dick Tracy comics.

See a post about THE RISE OF THE ROBOTS

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WHAT IF GOD WAS DUBYAH BUSH?

This funny song does make one think:

Editorials are one thing, but I cannot remember a news commentator speaking this harshly for a major television network:

Okay, he really hates Bush and believes that we have all been fooled. But when the nation had suffered that fateful September 11, we saw this president in a very different way:

President Bush has made some hard choices. I have heard that he weeps over the casualties in the war against terror. I sometimes wonder: presidents come and go, how much difference does it make? Do they really control the economy? Here is a song from a girl who is angry and yet concerned about the plight of things. And yet, while she thinks she sees, she, herself, is blind to the false right of murdering babies in the womb:

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KARL JENKINS: A FAVORITE CONTEMPORARY COMPOSER

In These Stones Horizons Sing (4th Movement)

In These Stones Horizons Sing (3rd Movement)

Palladio

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COMPUTERIZED AUTOMATED CONFESSIONALS?

Obviously, this tube video is a pretense. No one in the Church would allow such a thing, even as a trick:

It reminds me of the computer Jesus confessor in the movie, THX 1138:

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VOCATIONAL ASIDES: Do You Have A Story?

JIM: I studied to be a priest. But there was a special girl that haunted my day dreams and my night fantasies. The rector said to give it time and I did. But, after a few years I found it unbearable. I missed Sharon too much. I saw her during the summers and even that was forbidden. We tried not to call it dates even though we knew they were. She was my best friend. We prayed the rosary and even the breviary together. She missed me and yet tried her best to support me in a vocation I thought I had. Nevertheless, I never dreamed about saying Mass or hearing Confessions. All I thought about was holding Sharon’s hand and looking into her eyes.

One day I said I had endured enough. It was not for me. I raced over to Sharon’s house crying. I told her that if I had any vocation, it was with her and that I was leaving the seminary. She fell into my arms and we shared the first passionate kiss either of us had ever known.

BECKY: I loved Joe. I gave more to Joe than a single girl should ever do. He said he loved me but later I found him with another girl. Instead of saying he was sorry, he laughed at me. I was so hurt and angry. And yet, I was surprised when my world did not fall apart. I had thought about being a religious sister, but my relationship with Joe held me back. I went on a discernment retreat and while at prayer became convinced that there was another lover calling me, Jesus.

I cannot say that I have totally forgotten Joe, but I cry no more and know a joy beyond words.

THOMAS: The rector told us that when we heard our names called by the bishop at ordination, we could take for granted that we had a vocation. He said to brush aside all doubts. In any case, it was the 1960’s and rumors were flying that celibacy would very soon be made optional. We got ordained and then nothing changed. I tried to be patient but then classmates started leaving the priesthood and I felt increasingly alone. Then I met Shirley.

Sexual intimacy and marriage was something I often thought about and heard from others, but had never known. Now I could put a face on my desires as a man. Shirley and I did not mean to fall in love, it just happened. I did not want to abandon ministry and yet it looked more and more like the discipline about celibacy would never change. Shirley pressed me that if we waited too long, we could never have a family. But if I left the priesthood, it would break my mother’s heart. I just could not get myself to do it. Shirley never really forgave me and when she married someone else a few years later she sent me a picture of them. On the back she wrote, “This could have been you!” Another man holds her now. Another man shares kisses with her. I have to live with that and the price of my priesthood.

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DREAM WITH ME

This is Marie-Adele McArthur singing “Dream With Me” from Bernstein’s PETER PAN. It has some beautiful pieces and is well worth the purchase: Who Am I?, Build My House, Neverland, and this song, Dream With Me.

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PRO-LIFE MARCHERS BEWARE! BUSES NEED DC PERMITS!

Pass the word as quickly as possible…

WARNING!!!

March for Life: Important Information on Buses - If your parish or school plans to take a bus to the Rally & Mass, or March for Life, please note that the District of Columbia now requires that any charter bus (even a school bus not owned by your school) must obtain a Trip Permit to enter the city. The permit costs $50. The bus operator can obtain the permit online at http://dmv.dc.gov/info/trippermit.shtm (click on “Trip Permit”). Failure to do so may result in a $500 fine or 180-day jail sentence for the bus owner. We look forward to seeing you on January 22.

Processing Time: All requests will be processed within 24 to 48 hours upon the receipt of payment and application.

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ARCHDIOCESE OF WASHINGTON NOTICES

Archdiocesan Calendar 2008

January 19 – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Mass

January 22 – Rally for Life and Youth Mass

January 26 – Briefing for Lobby Night

February 1-3 – Men’s Vocations Retreat

February 2 – Briefing for Lobby Night

February 11 – 150th Anniversary of the Apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes

February 18 – Lobby Night in Annapolis

April 17 – Mass with Pope Benedict XVI

Rally for Life and Youth Mass – The Archdiocese of Washington will host the Rally for Life and Youth Mass on Tuesday, January 22, 8:45 a.m.-11:30 a.m. at the Verizon Center. Detailed information, including flyer and concelebrant RSVP form, has been sent to all priests and deacons and is available online at http://www.adw.org. For more information, call the Archdiocese of Washington Life Issues Department at 301-853-4555.

WARNING!

March for Life: Important Information on Buses - If your parish or school plans to take a bus to the Rally & Mass, or March for Life, please note that the District of Columbia now requires that any charter bus (even a school bus not owned by your school) must obtain a Trip Permit to enter the city. The permit costs $50. The bus operator can obtain the permit online at http://dmv.dc.gov/info/trippermit.shtm (click on “Trip Permit”). Failure to do so may result in a $500 fine or 180-day jail sentence for the bus owner. We look forward to seeing you on January 22.

The Light is On for You – Once More! – The Light is On for You, the popular Lenten initiative to promote participation in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, is back this year. This is a wonderful way for the faithful to prepare spiritually for the visit of the Holy Father in April. The confession times will be Wednesdays during Lent, starting February 13, from 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m. (please note the new time). We once again will promote the initiative with radio, billboard and transit advertisements, including ads on Metro cars, the sides of Metro buses and the St. Mary’s County transit system. Materials once again will be available online at www.the-light-is-on.org.

Lobby Night in Annapolis – The Maryland Catholic Conference’s (MCC) annual “Lobby Night in Annapolis” will be held on President’s Day, February 18. Catholics from across Maryland can meet with their state legislators to advocate for justice and life issues in light of Catholic Social Teaching. The Archdiocese will arrange bus transportation for Lobby Night for persons in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties and car-pooling for those in Southern Maryland.

Briefing sessions will be held at St. Camillus, Silver Spring, on Saturday, January 26 and St. Mary, Bryantown on February 2. MCC staff will discuss issues that will be considered by legislators in Annapolis during the coming session.

Please encourage parishioners to attend one of the pre-Lobby Night briefings and participate in Lobby Night. Questions? Contact Larry Couch, Legislative Policy Coordinator for the Archdiocesan Office of Social Concerns, at lcouch@adw.org or 301-853-5343.

FOCCUS trainings – The Archdiocese of Washington will host FOCCUS trainings from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on February 23 at St. Peter, Waldorf, and on March 1 at St. Michael the Archangel, Silver Spring, for clergy, religious and laity interested in learning to administer this pre-marital assessment tool. Cost is $75 per individual (or couple if being trained together). For more information or to register, contact Peter Murphy, director for the Office of Family Life, at 301-853-4546 or pmurphy@adw.org. Please register before Feb. 11, 2008. For more information about FOCCUS, visit www.foccusinc.com.

Coming to a Bus Near You – New Catholic Schools Marketing Campaign – As part of the new Catholic schools marketing campaign, “Shaping their Future through Faith,” ads will run on the exteriors of more than 120 buses in the District of Columbia and Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s counties throughout January to gear up for Catholic Schools Week, January 27-February 2.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Mass – The annual Archdiocesan Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Mass will be held Saturday, January, 19, 2008, 5:00 p.m. at St. Augustine, 15th and V Streets, NW, Washington, DC. The prelude begins at 4:00 p.m.; a reception follows Mass. All are welcome. For more information, contact the Archdiocesan Office of Black Catholics at 301-853-4579 or obc@adw.org.

Rally for Life and Youth Mass – The Archdiocese of Washington will host the annual Rally for Life and Youth Mass on Tuesday, January 22, 8:45 a.m.-11:30 a.m. at the Verizon Center. Doors open at 7:00 a.m.; opportunities for Confession begin at 8:00 a.m. and a rally featuring popular Catholic recording artists is at 8:45 a.m. Mass begins at 10:00 a.m. Admission is free. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please allow extra time for security (only small backpacks are allowed inside). The program will end in time for the March for Life. For more information, call the Archdiocese of Washington Life Issues Department at 301-853-4555.

Men’s Vocation Retreat: February 1-3, 2008 – Archbishop Wuerl is sponsoring a retreat for men in their 20′s-40′s who are considering a call to the priesthood at Theological College, Friday evening, February 1 to noon on Sunday, February 3. The retreat will allow men time away from the daily grind and provide an opportunity for prayer and reflection to examine God’s call. If you feel Jesus may be calling you, why not give Him a weekend? It will cost you nothing more than your time. To register or for more information, contact Msgr. Rob Panke, Director of Priest Vocations, at 301-853-4580 or vocations@adw.org

Day of Recollection: St. Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church-Her Life and the Art of Prayer – The Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Vocation Society invites you to a Day of Recollection, Saturday, January 26, 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Church of the Annunciation, 3810 Massachusetts Avenue, NW. Reflections offered by Monsignor Robert J. Panke, Archdiocesan Director of Priest Vocations and Formation. Free lunch. To register, contact Maris Moriarty at moriartym@adw.org or 301-853-4580.

Mount 2008: Seek the Face of Christ – Retreat Opportunity for High School Boys – The Vocations Office of the Archdiocese of Washington is offering an opportunity for high school boys to attend the Mount 2008 retreat at Mount Saint Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, MD, February 8-10. Cost is $55 and registrations must be received by January 10. Mount 2008 is an annual Eucharistic-centered retreat designed for high school- and college-age Catholics. With the theme, “Seek the Face of Christ,” Mount 2008 will encourage participants to come to know Jesus as a friend, and to encounter His love and mercy in prayer, the Word of God, and the Holy Sacraments of the Catholic Church. The speakers for this year’s retreat include Fr. Peter Mitchell and Todd Lemieux. The Mount 2008 website is http://mount2008.com/. For more information and to register, contact Father Mark Smith, Associate Director of Vocations, at msmith@adwparish.org.

Lenten Retreat Day – Start your Lent in prayer and reflection. Msgr. Michael Fisher, Archdiocesan Vicar for Clergy, will serve as retreat master for a one-day Lenten retreat on Saturday, February 9, 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center. Enjoy prayer, talks, Adoration, rosary, an opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Mass. The $35 registration ($40 at the door) includes morning coffee and lunch. To register, send check payable to CAPP-USA, c/o David Brown, 5000 Millwood Lane, NW, Washington, DC 20016 or send an e-mail to CAPPDC_3@msn.com. Sponsored by Centesimus Annus Pro-Pontifice of the Archdiocese of Washington. CAPP is a lay-led pontifical organization founded by Pope John Paul II. For more information on the organization, visit www.CAPP-USA.org.

What Have You Done For Your Marriage Today? – Married or considering it? Visit http://www.foryourmarriage.org, a website by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The site offers daily marriage tips, recommended books, the facts about Church teaching on marriage and more to help couples build strong marriages. Also watch the TV spots, “What Have You Done for Your Marriage Today?” online.

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PUT MONKEES IN ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME!

The Monkees, were nominated to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on their 40th Anniversary. They were blocked by the editor of Rolling Stone Magazine, Jann Wenner.

Sign the petition letting them know that we want the Monkees to take their rightful place in music history!

http://www.petitiononline.com/Kretch07/petition.html

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USING LANGUAGE TO DECEIVE & MISDIRECT

It is amazing how politicians can talk so much and yet say so little. Communication is also a bit distorted by the labels we use. As much as I loved President Reagan, I have always thought it outrageous that we would name a nuclear submarine CORPUS CHRISTI (Body of Christ) while it had missiles capable of destroying much of the planet. It was later renamed THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI to qualm crititics. Similarly, there was the nuke missile tagged as PEACE KEEPER. It helped to keep the free world free, but still it is a bit irksome.

Here is a funny speech about what we knew and when we knew it. After only a few words I was already utterly confused. It is really quite funny.

The British have become quite concerned about the matter of Newspeak, and how it can change the way that people think:

There is also the concern that big business and the media now has as much or even more power over communication than goverment. Listeners to conservative radio commentators seem to fall over each other to receive their accolades while adding scorn upon those attacked or criticized. Liberal voices in the media also seem to have many brainless disciples.

Words can be given contrary meanings and certain speeches possess a vast vagueness, where questions are not answered and there is a failure to take stands or to offer real solutions to our problems.

Greenspan is a remarkable figure because he admits his success at using language to further confuse an already lost congress. This makes him a honest man in my book, and a hero for giving congress back something of their own medicine.

Inconsistency, saying one thing when you mean another and later saying something else is also prevalent today. Politicians are timid about taking clear positions and alienating voters.

The pro-abortion forces often use deceptive language. Is an unborn baby just a BLOB or a ZYGOTE or an EMBRYO or a FETUS? Is it not a person throughout this development? Are not divisions rather arbitrary? Note that those who support the murder of children brush aside the title pro-abortion and prefer pro-choice instead. Note that instead of calling the opposition, pro-life, they call them anti-choice or anti-abortion. Because most people find the prospect of killing infants to be a tad obscene, the truth of the matter is hidden behind semantics and slogans. The Vatican even put out a glossary to help see through the fog of deception. For instance the “voluntary interruption of pregnancy” is just a lot of words for abortion and “reproductive health” is a codeword for contraception.

LINKS:

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Doublespeak

http://jagger.me.berkeley.edu/~lawton/1984.htm

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/newspeak

http://cul.detmich.com/glossary.html

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THE POPE IS COMING TO WASHINGTON, DC

The Pope will be coming to Washington, DC in April.

The papal schedule is rather limited:

• A visit to the White House (April 16)
• Meet with the U.S. Bishops at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (April 26)
• Mass at Nationals Baseball Park (April 17)
• Address Catholic Educators at Catholic University (April 17)
• Meet with Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh and Jewish leaders at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center (April 17)

April 26 will be the Pope’s birthday!  The Archdiocese of Washington is concerned that tickets for the papal Mass (which are free) might be scalped or auctioned on EBAY. 

My only worry is with the Pope JP II Cultural Center event.  The last time there was an interfaith activity there, it was not without some scandal.  

False Worship at John Paul II Cultural Center

I hope the Pope’s handlers are careful. 

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A HOUSE NEXT TO A SAINT, CARDINAL NEWMAN

Usually when a realtor tries to sell a house, he will talk about the neighborhood school, the access to mass transit, convenient stores, and the nearby parks, playgrounds, and churches. He will talk about what a nice and safe neighborhood it is and how the property can only go up in value. However, the video below takes an entirely different approach.

It is really a bit funny. The chief selling point is that the property is next to the oratory where Cardinal Newman lived and worked and finally, was buried. Given the anticipation of his canonization in 2008, the seller suggests that here is your chance to live next to a saint, or at least to the saint’s grave! It really is quite historical. I guess it is best to say nothing about the prospect of moving his body to the cathedral after he is declared a saint. Oops!

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