Sunday, January 31, 2010

Catholic Superbowl Food

Are you ready for some football?

The Nodlings enjoy watching football with dear old Dad. My boy, Wynken, likes football; the toddlers, Nub and Nib, love to shout “Touchdown!” on every play; the older girls, Blynken and Nod-girl, just like hanging out and eating my snack food.

So with one hand on the remote to avoid the commercials and one eye on my snack plate, we are getting ready to enjoy the Game-That-Must-Not-Be-Named-Due-To-Litigious-Copyright-Holders.

A major part of The Game ™ of course is the football food. Catholics everywhere will be watching (and eating) along with the rest of the nation at the biggest football game of the year.

Everybody’s got their favorite football food; Catholics are no exception. So how will you know if you’re at a Catholic Football Fest? Let’s take a look at a sample menu:



  • Beer: choice of Don De Dieu (Gift of God) or Angel City Ale
  • Saints 7-Sacramental-layer dip
  • Hotter-than-Hades wings
  • Dante's Onion Rings of Hell
  • Immaculate Reception drink holder
  • St. Lawrence's Barbeque Wings
  • Jalepeno Popers
  • St. Stephen's Stoned Wheat Crackers and Cheese
  • Heavenly Hash ice Cream
  • B16 Burger and Fries
  • Crusader Chili Dogs
There have to be more! Your suggestions in the combox; let's have some fun.

The NFL And Abortion

Next Sunday we'll hear a lot about two things: the winner of the Superbowl and the Superbowl commercial featuring Tim Tebow, star quarterback of the Florida Gators and Heisman Trophy-winner.

The 30 second ad will be the heartwarming story of how Pam Tebow ignored doctor's advice to abort her baby when she contracted amoebic dysentery and delivered a healthy son who has grown up to be a star on and off the field. The ad, which hasn't been released, is being billed as more pro-life in the best sense of the word as opposed to anti-abortion.

Whether the ad ever sees the light of day is irrelevant at this point. The message has gone out far and wide thanks to the radical feminazis' paroxysms of outrage over at NOW and NARAL. The nation is talking, having that dialog that anti-science abortion groups have tried to prevent. The increased use of ultrasound technology makes clear that the subject of an abortion is a human baby and not an inert clump of cell with "heart tones".

Despite active attempts to hide the truth and a relentless barrage of "pro-choice" messages by almost every mainstream media outlet, a majority of the people in the country today consider themselves "pro-life", according to Gallup's annual Values and Beliefs survey. And increasing numbers of those people are the young, who will determine the future of the country. This is hardly surprising, since abortion advocates can't be expected to reproduce in appreciable numbers; they literally kill off their point of view.

Tim Tebow is not the first football star to come out in support of the pro-life cause. Giants co-owner Wellington Mara made a short video in 1989, "Champions For Life," in which members of the 1987 Superbowl Champion New York Giants spoke out against abortion.



That was twenty-two years ago. Now the next generation's turn to step up and speak out has come. That is exactly what twenty-two year old Tim Tebow is doing.

You can thank his mom.

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival #42

This week on Sunday Snippets, WBN presents: What are your kids doing?

A shake of the head, a cluck of the tongue. Finger wagging ensues. Everybody knows that kids today are up to no good, especially out of the watchful eyes of their parents.

Or are they?

A surprising number of them can be found at this month's March For Life (even if the mainstream media couldn't find 250,000 of them).

Oh, and that crazy trip to Chicago with the Catholic Underground? They were finding their freedom at the Eucharistic adoration.

Tsk. Kids today.

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Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival is a weekly opportunity to share your best posts with the wider Catholic blogging community. To participate, create a post highlighting posts that would be of interest to Catholics and link to the host blog at http://rannthisthat.blogspot.com. Go to the host blog and leave a comment giving a link to your post.

Art of Manliness: the Book

Not enough people talking about real manliness these days -- as opposed to machismo or sentimentality. Sites like Art of Manliness are a welcome addition on the scene. They even have a book you can get autographed.

Art of Manliness: Classic Skills and Manners for the Modern Man Is Available Once Again!

by Brett & Kate McKay on January 29, 2010 ·

As explained last month, our publisher was not prepared for the popularity of the our first book, The Art of Manliness: Classic Skills and Manners for the Modern Man. Two weeks before Christmas the first print run of books sold out.

It takes awhile for a publisher to print another run, but the second print run of the book is now out. This means the book is once again in stock and available on sites like Amazon.com. It is also means that you can once again buy autographed books directly through us.

We’re sorry for this delay-it’s been quite frustrating for us. If there was anything we could have done to expedite the reprinting process, we defintely would have, but it was unfortunately out of our hands. Thank you very much for supporting the book!

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Winter Weather Redux

The little dusting we weren't going to get has now swung north and dumped two or three inches.


It's a light, fluffy snow that's maddening to clear, because it won't stay on the shovel. Although it's not icy, there have been several spin-outs on the road.

I talked with several people today and almost every one of them said they went driving in the snow to do some errand. What is it about us that leads us to danger even when it isn't strictly necessary?

It's cold out there. Brrrr.

Hot Shave

Traditional barber shave with a straight razor.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Life In The Fast Lane

Ask any parent of a big family and they'll tell you that having a big family is like living in the fast lane.

There probably are the same amount of happenings as in any family, but there is just more of it to go around because, well, there are just more people. Hey, it's never dull.

Wynken is going to have his adenoids removed. In the x-ray work done for beginning his orthodontia, the orthodontist noted that his adenoids looked large. She was concerned about his breathing capacity and highly encouraged me to have him seen by an ENT (whose specialty this falls under). We saw the doctor.

Wynken was a real trooper; the doctor stuck a camera up his nose to look around. His adenoids are blocking 90% of his nose breathing capacity/airway. No wonder the kid sleeps with his mouth open; chews food with his mouth open; and is such a mouth-breather. And, it could be causing sleep apnea.

Ain't it grand?

Media Malpractice At March For Life

h/t luminousmiseries
Yes, it's about blatant news bias.


Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Killer App

Everyone's always trying to figure out what the next killer app is going to be: the iPhone, the iPad, Facebook, YouTube, whatever. I've come to realize those things aren't it.

I am.

I probably couldn't go back and show you much from my childhood or young adult days, because those things aren't there any more. Every once in a while I take a particular shine to something that I am willing to go out of my way to enjoy. This is almost certainly the kiss of death; it is soon to be outmoded, outdated, out of print, acquired, canceled, or recycled.

I've been present for the death of six professional companies, four restaurants, three food lines, two bands, and a partridge in a pear tree. Ok, maybe not the partridge. Got a favorite book series? Sorry that's now out of print. Like that podcast? They're off the Net. Cool TV series? Canceled. Getting into that band with the great sound? They've broken up.

Some people say that Milton was a genre killer; any style he wrote in dried up after he published his work. Maybe that's my superpower: I can kill popularity at a distance.

On the other hand, if something new comes out (mouse scroll wheels, social networking apps, Harry Potter, Dan Brown novels, wireless networking, Survivor) and I hate it -- it's gonna be big .

Bank on it.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Eucharistic Adoration - Catholic Underground Chicago

O'Keefe: Stupid Is As Stupid Does

According to the Washington Post, James O'Keefe has been arrested in conjunction with attempting to wiretap a Senator's phone.
The conservative young filmmaker whose undercover sting damaged a liberal activist group last year faces federal criminal charges in an alleged plot to bug the New Orleans office of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.).

O'Keefe, 25, became a conservative hero last year after he and fellow activist Hannah Giles secretly videotaped several regional offices of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) while posting as a pimp and a prostitute. O'Keefe's videos showed ACORN staffers appearing to offer them housing help and advice on concealing their purported prostitution business.
What this shows is that if you are stupid, and if you break the law, you deserve to go to jail. Period. Doesn't matter if you are a liberal or a conservative.

Of course, ACORN is gloating over the arrest. However, this doesn' t prove their innocence (I don't think anyone believes that). It does show that people are tempted by success.

In a joint interview given to CampusReform.org two weeks ago, O'Keefe and Basel were quoted about their frustration with the liberal bent of college media. O'Keefe urged young conservatives to think and act boldly to avoid complacency.

"The more bold you are, the more opportunities will be open to you," O'Keefe said. "The less bold you are, the less opportunities in life will be open to you."
Those "bold opportunities" may earn O'Keefe a felony conviction and a trip to the slammer. I hate to say it, but he brought it on himself.

Youth is both a wonderful and terrible thing; it gives you all of the potential to do something, and none of the wisdom to use it.


Sunday, January 24, 2010

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival #41

This week on Sunday Snippets, WBN presents the March For Life Edition.

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Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival is a weekly opportunity to share your best posts with the wider Catholic blogging community. To participate, create a post highlighting posts that would be of interest to Catholics and link to the host blog at http://rannthisthat.blogspot.com. Go to the host blog and leave a comment giving a link to your post.

WBN Joins In Non Nobis Domine

After the unlikely defeat (read butt-kicking) of Martha Coakley in Massachusetts by Republican Scott Brown, Democrats were forced to slow the freight train of the Senate health care bill to a virtual stop. The Senate version of the bill would have institutionalized taxpayer funded abortions nationwide.

Although the fight is not over, God has used the unlikeliest of instruments to gain this victory -- our own enemy, a pro-choice politician. Therefore, WBN joins Creative Minority Report and countless others in saying: Not to us, not to us, O Lord, but to Your Name give glory.

[CMR] In a way that seemed almost impossible, the entire battle has turned. I need not go into detail here, you all know the story. We understand that the war on life is far from over, but today, at least for a while, by the grace of God, we have avoided institutionalized and tax-payer funded abortion. There will be other battles and perhaps they will be very soon, but it is incumbent upon all of us to acknowledge the great miracle that we have witnessed and to thank God for delivering us from this evil.

So what I propose is that we Catholic, Christian, and pro-life bloggers everywhere give thanks to God by way publishing the Non Nobis in gratitude for this wondrous day.

Non nobis, non nobis, Domine
Sed nomini tuo da gloriam.

Not to us, not to us, o Lord,
But to your name give glory.

I Can See Your Bones

We live in a deceptively rocky area; so much so that there is actually a quarry a few miles down the road. There is about two inches of topsoil, two feet of Virginia red clay, and then nothing but basalt and diabase, a dense, igneous rock.

Every time I go by the place, I have to resist the urge to run over and look into that massive crater. The sheer size and depth of the hole makes you feel like it's pulling you down, down, down.

It may be lousy for growing plants and vegetables in the garden, but it's awesome for building highways, since the rock is so hard.

In fact, it's so hard that my brother in law broke his wrist trying to help me dig post holes in the yard. We tried the two-man gas powered auger, but gave up and had the man with the mini-backhoe do it.

Stone Bridge

We took an historical excursion with my brother's family this weekend down to the Stone Bridge in Manassass, VA. It was quite the outing with 7 kids under the age of nine and 3 adults.

They hiked their little feet off, but I think they enjoyed it thoroughly. The weather was cool, but not too chilly. A little recent rain made it a bit muddy in spots, but I've never known kids to complain about walking through mud, just the adults.
Stone Bridge is a bridge that crosses Bull Run in the Manassas National Battlefield Park in Manassas, Virginia. It was destroyed during the Battle of First Manassas on July 21, 1861, the first major land battle of the American Civil War. Some years later, a new bridge, apparently similar to the original design, was built on the site of the old bridge. Today, visitors to the Battlefield Park can see the structure at the eastern entrance to the park. Modern day U.S. Route 29 crosses Bull Run on a bridge built in the late 1960s downstream of this one. [Wikipedia]
These are photos that I took on our first trip in 2004. It looks much the same now except that it's winter.

After visiting the bridge proper we hiked along the elevated causeway through the flood plain, up to the Van Pelt house site, and then halfway to Farm Ford. Interestingly, they have rebuilt the elevated walk using composite boards rather than real wood. I guess it'll last longer, but I liked the old wood.

I also got to borrow my brother's jogging stroller for Nub; it is so much more awesome for uneven terrain with its 16" tires than the traditional stroller. With 5 Nodlings, I have no idea why we've never bought one. (Maybe because I don't jog, and we thought they were bulky. Although it's less bulky than our double stroller.)

Friday, January 22, 2010

News Skew As Usual On March For Life

It should hardly come as a surprise that the major news outlets have largely ignored - again - one of the largest (and recurrent) protests in Washington D.C.

A quick look at indexed news articles does not show any major news organization hits for the March For Life until near the bottom of the first page of hits (NBC Washington), and then only to note that traffic will be difficult as a result of tens of thousands of marchers. (Estimates from the actual event put it near 300,000.)

Surprised? Didn't think so.

The Washington Post had a link in the Local / Metro section that redirected to the Religion section. It definitely wasn't "above the fold". The article wasn't particularly biased when it correctly reported that
Few counter-demonstrators were visible along the route, but some gathered in front of the Supreme Court.
but the accompanying video was heavily skewed to give the impression of a lot more counter-demonstrators and show a "balanced" report. (Example: the still for the video shows a "Keep Abortion Legal" sign holder.) In keeping with the Post's political leanings, the article titles used the "anti-abortion" appellation vs. the "pro-life" language.

Then there are the active truth twisters like Newsweek who assert that there are no young women attending the March for Life. No, I'm not linking to them.

They can skew all they like or try to create news blackouts by not covering it, but still - somehow - hundreds of thousands of people show up every year to protest abortion.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Letters From The Senator

Senator Warner (D-VA) sent me an email about his Op-Ed in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. I honestly don't know how I feel about this. Needs more thought.

[Sen. Warner] joined a bipartisan group of senators and representatives, including Virginia Rep. Frank Wolf [a Republican], in co-sponsoring legislation to create a commission on federal budget and entitlement reform.

We are calling for creation of a bipartisan task force that will make sweeping budget and revenue recommendations to be presented to Congress, with no amendments allowed, for a simple up-or-down vote. [I don't like "sweeping" recommendations; I do like simple up-or-down vote without amendments.]

As we've seen in the current health care debate, legislative deal-making too often allows parochial and political considerations to trump the national interest. [Parochial as in "religious", or as in "narrow, local"? How do we determine the "national interest" exactly?]

That's why I believe this Bipartisan Task Force for Responsible Fiscal Action could serve as the basis for a new process to tackle this fiscal challenge.

Everything would be on the table, including spending and revenues. We can't solve this challenge by looking at only one side of the ledger. [Ya think?]

The task force recommendations would be considered by Congress under expedited procedures with a "yes" or "no" vote required. [Okay ...]

Most important, the task force approach would ensure a bipartisan outcome. A supermajority of the task force members would have to agree to adopt the recommendations, and congressional approval would require supermajorities in both the Senate and House. [How is a task force membership any different than sitting on a House or Senate Committee? How do you decide who gets to be on the task force?]

This is the only way needed changes are going to be adopted and maintained over time.

No one party can or will do this on its own. Both parties must be invested in the outcome and committed to its success.

Today, our nation's economic strength and vitality is at stake. Leaders on both sides of the aisle in Congress need to join in this effort to demonstrate they are serious about solving the problem together so that we can once again return our nation to a responsible fiscal path. [We could have used a little fiscal restraint during TARP, the stimulus, and the health care bill. No use talking about being wise about the borrowed 5 bucks that the nation has left, once the entire Treasury has been spent.]

Virtual March For Life

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Wynken Wish List

Every parent has ups and downs with their kids.

It's called life -- it happens; God made us because he thought we'd like it. And in general, we do. Still every parent wonders sometimes how they're doing raising their kids. This month Wynken turns 11 years old. Eleven! Where does the time go?

So it's probably illustrative of how we're doing to see what the boy wants for his birthday.
  • First, Star Wars stuff or Legos - okay, pretty typical for his age.
  • Next, a memory card for his new DSi - again, typical.
  • His own adult Bible (not a kid's version).
Wait. Did he say his own Bible? Okaaay.

That's an encouraging sign that he would actually ask for his own. Granted, the boy will literally read anything you put in front of him -- newspapers, encyclopedias, dictionaries -- but those are targets of opportunity, boredom, curiosity, whatever. He asked for his own Bible. I guess they do listen, they just pretend like they don't hear you.

So here it is: the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition by Ignatius. Bonded leather with the symbols of the four Evangelists and an icon of Christ embossed on the cover.
The RSV Second Catholic Edition made some changes and added footnotes according to Liturgiam Authenticam, and features new typesetting and maps. The main difference between the RSV-CE and the Second Catholic Edition is the updating of some of the more archaic language. [source]
Apparently this is the translation that we will be using in the near future; he may as well get used to it.

For fun, I picked up a Vulgate copy of the New Testament in the bookstore to see if I could still read and understand the Latin. Yup. Still works; now back to the English.

Wailing And Gnashing

There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth ... oh, wait, Wynken and Nod-girl just have a stomach bug.

Ewww.

Wailing = Wynken
Gnashing = me

Seriously, has this kid ever heard of a proportional response?!

Exploding Wine In A Box

h/t Joel

There's really nothing else to say; watch past the commercial.



EMBED-Microwave Box Of Wine - Watch more free videos

Adventures In Metro: Barrels

A strange sight greeted me this week at the McPherson Square Metro station in D.C. Looks like oil barrels.



The palette is clearly some homeless man's bed in the evening, but the barrels are a mystery. What can they be?

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Scott Brown Delivers Royal Butt Kicking To Coakley

In the upset election victory of the decade in Massachusetts, Republican Scott Brown has defeated the once heavily favored Democrat, Martha Coakley.
[Boston.com]


Unofficially, Brown garnered about 100,000 more votes in the Senate race to replace the late Edward Kennedy (D-MA). The race was especially upsetting to Democrats in what was considered the bluest of the blue states. Other people are dancing a jig.

Many pro-life and other groups opposed to the Democrats health care reform bill in Congress are hailing Scott Brown's election as a way to break the filibuster-proof margin in the Senate. Both candidates are pro-abortion, but Brown campaigned on the cornerstone of opposing the Democrats' health care bill.

It remains to be seen whether the Republican victory is a pyrrhic one, as Speaker of the House Pelosi has vowed to push through the bill "no matter what".

Also, today's savior could be tomorrow's goat. Remember Specter? In the meantime: "Face!"

Monday, January 18, 2010

Overheard In My House

As Nod-girl left her cousins' house she called out over her shoulder:
"Thanks for the happiness!"

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival #40

This week on Sunday Snippets, WBN presents: In Times of Trouble.
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Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival is a weekly opportunity to share your best posts with the wider Catholic blogging community. To participate, create a post highlighting posts that would be of interest to Catholics and link to the host blog at http://rannthisthat.blogspot.com. Go to the host blog and leave a comment giving a link to your post.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Order And Aid In Haiti

There is a side to helping out the poor and needy that doesn't get talked about much, and that is the practicalities. It's one thing to want to help, one thing to send aid, one thing to volunteer. It's quite another to get it done.

My heart goes out to those devastated by the earthquake in Haiti. Many groups have mobilized to rush to their aid, whether with money, supplies, or manpower. The effort is hamstrung because the roads and the infrastructure are in shambles; supplies can't get off the dock or runway.

As in any desperate situation, lawlessness abounds. People who are normally mild may claw and scratch to get what they need to survive. Others may take more than what they need with the strong taking advantage of the weak. Bands of roving people wielding machetes.

Even those who come with material aid may be putting their own life and limb in danger, much like a drowning man may sink his rescuer with his wild flailing. On the news, I watched a truck in Haiti drive slowly down the street distributing water bottles. Crowds of people ran alongside, jumping on it, snatching anything inside the truck bed. Angry, violent, desperate. The truck did not dare stop for fear of being overwhelmed.

I was reminded of a time as a child in Turkey, when our Church gathered food and clothing for the poor and distributed it at Easter to families living at the community dump. Once word got out, our vehicles were swarmed with people trying to get at it. Our priest was knocking on doors and handing out tickets for the bags of food, two per household.
"No ticket, no food! Go back to your house and bring your ticket. Everyone will get some.", the people swarming the cars were told.
Some angry young men threatened us: "Give us the bags or we will kill you!". We stood our ground and things ended peacefully -- especially after the police came. There were a few tense moments when we thought we would be arrested for creating a disturbance, but it ended peaceably.

Another time in Washington, D.C., I had food snatched from my hands as I tried to distribute it from one of the regular runs that Martha's Table makes downtown. Trying to ration it so that everybody got some was challenging as some people threatened there as well.

I realize that I'm no St. Francis, but it seems to me that one of the ways that Haitians will be helped best and quickest is if someone can stem the anarchy by establishing some kind of order. After that the food and medical aid can begin to heal the people. Right now, they have our love, our money, and our prayers.

Double Flat

In music there are sharps and flats. Each one will bring the target note a half step up or down. Therefore a double flat should bring a note a whole step down? Nope, not quite.
The double flat symbol alters the pitch of the note to which it is attached as well as any subsequent occurence of the same note (identical line or space) in the same measure.
In my personal symphony, this notation means that any tire that I touch on my car will result in a flat for the rest of the day.

On Friday, I drove home without incident and parked in the garage. On Saturday, I woke up to do some errands and got ten feet before I felt it. Walking three-quarters around the car, I found the flat on the driver's side front.

Thinking this was a teaching moment, I called Wynken, my eldest, outside to learn how to change a tire. When we had put the doughnut on, he said, "It looks a little flat." I replied, "No, no, it's just cold out." Backing up another ten feet revealed that he was right.

Flat as a pancake. I tried to manually inflate the doughnut, to no avail. Sidewall split.

Busted.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Uh Oh

We're in the midst of the worst cold snap we've had in a decade, and the electric hot water heater element shows signs of giving out. It's well over 10 years old and gets plenty of use.

Anybody got any ideas on what the best way to get a new water heater is? Any gotchas to look out for?

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Nib Endoscopy

Nib is my smart, cute, funny little two year old girl. She's also a pint sized munchkin.

Her growth chart is abysmal, with height and weight starting to fall off the bottom of the curve. So she's headed in to the specialist for an endoscopy to see if there are any upper-GI or digestive issues.

Prayers appreciated.

She nearly choked to death on a little rubber ball yesterday while in the car. --Yikes! That's going in the trash! It's hard to keep all that kind of stuff away from the toddlers in a big family. The older kids have toys with small parts that don't always get put out of reach. I finally had enough close calls with Blynken's bead making kit and threw it out.

Life with Nodlings is never dull. Did I mention that prayers are appreciated?

Haiti Reels Under Massive Quake

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti as they recover from a magnitude 7.0 earthquake, the worst that nation has ever seen.

Time Magnitude Location
Yesterday 7.0 Haiti region Map
2 days ago 4.3 Southern California Map
4 days ago 6.5 Offshore Northern California Map

The United States has started ramping up its disaster relief programs for Haiti. No matter how much certain countries may hate us, the US is still the most generous nation in the world. To whom more is given, more is expected.

Photo: AP

A woman stands in the rubble of her home the day after an earthquake hit Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 13 Jan. 2010 [source]

Many unscrupulous people will try to take advantage of this calamity to cheat well meaning people out of money or personal information by masquerading as aid to Haiti. Be forewarned.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

When You Don't Vote

When you don't vote, some carpetbagger comes into your District and wins the election by 317 votes. Dave Marsden doesn't live here. Now I'm pissed.

Senate District 37 (Fairfax County)

39 of 39 precincts reporting

Marsden 11,943 (50.62%)
Hunt 11,626 (49.28%)
Write-Ins 21 (0.08%)

The U.S. Census is coming up; based on population figures, district lines get redrawn. Does this district look like it got gerrymandered at some point?

DMC: In Their Own Words

Divine Mercy Care has provided our OB-GYN and baby needs since 1998. The doctors there are fantastic and show all of us how to bring our Catholic faith into everyday life.

Divine Mercy Care is a grass roots, community-based healthcare corporation that is at at the nexus between the culture wars and the healthcare crisis. Divine Mercy Care is not a series of programs. It is not social work. For healthcare workers, Divine Mercy Care is our vocation in medicine: caring for all stages of the human person; fighting illness and suffering yet recognizing their role in the mystery of life; and supporting our communities by seeing all people including the weakest and most vulnerable. Divine Mercy Care is how we love God and love neighbor in our practice of medicine. This is the foundation of our excellent care for all people.

These are true, committed Christian doctors who use the Theology of the Body in their everyday practice. They serve the poor, the under-insured, and the uninsured every day for free as part of their regular practice, as well as ordinary Joes and Janes like us.

Most of them haven't been saints their whole lives, but their conversion to the Gospel is real and tangible. We are blessed to have them as our doctors. If you've never had your doctor pray with you -- you're missing out on an amazing experience.

Pray for them and for like minded doctors everywhere; contribute if you can -- you are literally helping the most vulnerable and at-risk members of our society by doing so.

Read about them in their own words (emphasis mine):

Divine Mercy Care (DMC) is the Catholic tax-exempt health care organization for Northern Virginia. Recognizing that the health care system in the United States is broken, DMC answers the problem by bringing sound medical and moral principles into the business environment of health care at its most vital level—the individual and the community. Waiting for the government to legislate or for the economics to evolve is not acceptable. DMC is filling a moral and medical leadership void in the delivery of heath care. The key issues facing health care are: service to the under-insured, the anti-life bias, and the conversion of physicians into technicians. DMC answers these issues.

  1. DMC's commitment to serve the poor, not out of excess but out of our day-to-day work, is fundamental. Serving them within the community is a more effective model than government-directed health care.
  2. By not ignoring the spiritual aspect of medicine, DMC provides authentically holistic and comprehensive health care.
  3. DMC runs a value-based, consumer-driven business by retaining the sound medical practices of the profession while treating each patient with the dignity and respect they deserve.

Divine Mercy Care's original, nationally respected and regarded entity is the Tepeyac Family Center (TFC), an Obstetrics and Gynecological medical facility founded in 1994 by Dr. John Bruchalski. Reading the economic realities of medicine, TFC was reorganized as a tax-exempt entity in 2005. Today, the team of six physicians and one nurse practitioner provides services to women regardless of their race, creed, culture, or ability to pay. At TFC over the last three years, 25% of the babies were born to mothers with no commercial health insurance. It is the only practice in the country that provides full obstetrical care for patients from Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs), and it is the only practice in the area that serves charity patients on a routine basis.

DMC Pharmacy, LLC, a pro-life pharmacy located at a major crossroads in Chantilly, VA, opened in October 2008 and is operated by Mr. Robert Semler who has operated pharmacies for over 30 years. For the past 12 years he was the manager/owner of one of [only!] seven pro-life pharmacies in the country.

Winter Means Grilling


In the middle of winter my thoughts turn naturally to barbecues.
What? Don't yours?

A little over ten years ago I bought a smallish Weber gas grill to accommodate a largish backyard party I was throwing at our new house.

It is small (350 square inches of primary cooking area) and only sports 26,000 BTUs from the two main stainless steel burners.

But it heats evenly and is made of sturdy construction.

I have treated it roughly, and in return it has served me well.

Well, after failing to clean out the slide out bottom grease catcher one last time, closing the lid, walking away, and allowing the temperature to get over 500 degrees F, I set the whole thing on fire. A grease fire is an amazing thing: hot, violent, and completely unmanageable.

I unloaded my entire portable fire extinguisher into the grill and tamed the beast. By taming it, I mean I poisoned the grill beyond any hope of future use. That, and I managed to scratch the porcelain laminate off the grilling surface and the flavorizer drip bars had rusted completely through.

Hey, I said I was rough with it.

Well, with half a cow in my freezer, not having a grill is definitely a Bad Thing (tm). Even in the dead of winter you can grill if you've got a propane grill. So I went ahead and ordered new grill parts as part of my mother's Christmas present to me: thanks, Mom! We'll be back in the charbroil end of things very soon. Now we're cookin' with gas!

How do you like your steak done?

Sunday, January 10, 2010

The Quiet Light

THE QUIET LIGHT, by Louis De Wohl, is quite possibly my favorite book.

I purchased it on a whim because I had $5 left over on a gift certificate to a Catholic book store. I even bought it again after I thought I had lost it several years later.

It has everything a guy could ask for: knights errant, Crusades, the towering intellect of Thomas Aquinas, romantic love, self sacrifice, philosophy, history, drama, and Truth.

Louis De Wohl books are as addictive as crack -- and they're about Saints!

Only another writer can describe it well (emphases mine):
De Wohl's narrative, character development, and spellbinding prose made THE QUIET LIGHT much more than the fictionalized biography of Thomas Aquinas I had expected. It was nothing less than a staggering example of compelling storytelling which, by the sheer enormity of talent displayed, should have intimidated any aspiring/wanna-be writer.


Be advised: you will come away from THE QUIET LIGHT with more than the pleasure of having read a masterly crafted novel of the Middle Ages. Rather, you will find yourself informed and educated on everything from the Crusades to the philosopical infighting then being waged throughout both Europe and the Saracen worlds to the intrigues of the Italian nobility and their Germanic, decidedly unholy Holy Roman Emperor. You will marvel at how De Wohl weaves all this into a story that is filled with richly drawn characters, both historical and fictional.

By the end of THE QUIET LIGHT, you may even discover you have learned something about how to tell a story in a way that makes the reader mourn that he or she has reached the end of the book.

THE QUIET LIGHT is that good. So is Louis De Wohl.

--Earl Merkel
(Author of FLU SEASON and LIKE DISTANT CITIES BURNING)

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival #39

This week on Sunday Snippets, WBN presents: It's personal: Christian Instructions for Life.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival is a weekly opportunity to share your best posts with the wider Catholic blogging community. To participate, create a post highlighting posts that would be of interest to Catholics and link to the host blog at http://rannthisthat.blogspot.com. Go to the host blog and leave a comment giving a link to your post.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

The Earth Moved Under Our Feet

On Thursday, I was on the phone with a guy in California, when he suddenly starts shouting, "Hang on, hang on! I think we just had an earthquake!" and throws down the phone. Turns out he's right: Magnitude 4.1 San Francisco Bay Area, CA January 07, 2010. I felt my own pulse quicken, and I was 300 miles away.


Now the news is all abuzz about another 6.5 magnitude earthquake in California on Saturday. In fact, the hits just keep on coming: 4.5, 4.2.


Time Magnitude Location
13 minutes ago 4.2 Offshore Northern California Map
59 minutes ago 4.5 Offshore Northern California Map
2 hours ago 6.5 Offshore Northern California Map

Now I know one reason why we don't live there anymore. We always joked about "the Big One" and how we should buy future beach-front property in Arizona.

It seems something is always moving somewhere in the world. Check out these fault lines and recent earthquakes map.

Entire Butt


No, really, it's a beer: Salopian Entire Butt English Porter.

As part of my Tour de Beer, I couldn't resist a serious beer with a silly name.
Historically the term used to describe a Porter blended from a variety of ales, “Entire Butt,” means essentially “the whole barrel.” Entire Butt uses 14 different malts and 3 hops to recreate this forgotten style of Porter. The beer is black/brown with a crisp white head and is distinctly vinous. It has little hop character as essentially the flavour is derived from the malts.

For a porter with so many malts, this beer had decidedly lighter body than expected -- vinous (wine-like) like the label says. The malt flavor expanded a bit as the ale warmed and sounded dark chocolate notes on the back of the tongue and a delicious dry finish. It reminded me of Guiness Extra Stout at one point. Very dark, very smooth, easy drinking. Not as "wow" as I had hoped based on the ingredients and the hype.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Idiot Speak

Scientists say dolphins should be treated as "non-human persons" since they are the world’s second most intelligent creatures after humans.

Scientists making the discovery have been determined to be the third ...

After Death, There's Taxes

This has been bugging me for a while, but I haven't found time to talk about it. I still don't have time to talk about it, but let's just forge ahead anyway.

So many things that might seem disconnected or trifling are really more connected and of greater import than they first seem. This is because they stem from foundational principles, philosophies, and underlying value systems. We are at war about ideas, because ideas have consequences. That is why oppressors of every stripe move to silence opinions that differ from theirs -- schools, churches, media. These are things that are worth fighting for and about, and sometimes even dying for.

Since death is assured and well taken care of by Christ, that leaves taxes to talk about.

There are a few main ideas about taxes and the role of government in society. Two of the biggest and opposing schools of thought can be stereotyped as
  1. More taxes so that government can take care of more things for more people, and
  2. Less taxes so that individuals can take personal responsibility for themselves and their society.

The ideal probably lies somewhere in between.

Both extremes are subject to abuse. Unrestricted government leads to mass oppression and stifling economy. Unfettered individuality leads to greed and huge inequities of goods and services.

We have a way in America and it's democracy and capitalism; Europe has its way and it's parlimentarianism and soft socialism. There are those in each who prefer the way of the other, but it behooves one to look under the hood before buying. Some say that the current administration wants America to be more like Europe.

What's Europe offering? Let's see what the first EU Council President, Herman Van Rompuy, thinks in his book Vernieuwing in hoofd en hart : een tegendraadse visie (Renovation in Head and Heart: a contrary vision, 1998):

If we don’t want to let the global level of taxation sink away, we will have to consciously levy certain new taxes at the European level or harmonise some of these, for example in the field of environment, mobility, income from capital... Every time it will be a movement upwards." [source]

Sorry, not my cup of tea.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

FOCUS: It's Personal

Here's the point and no mistake: the Gospel is personal.

God made us personally. Jesus suffered and died most horribly and personally. He redeems us personally. No amount of theology or facts or laws or media blitz can take the place of a one-on-one encounter. That is why I'm big on FOCUS.

FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, is a national campus outreach that meets college students where they are and invites them to examine the meaning and purpose of their lives. Through large group outreach, Bible studies and one on one mentoring.

This is where people's hearts and minds are won or lost: in the one-on-one. And especially in college is where young people are most vulnerable to outside influences. For example, college aged women have the most abortions. Colleges have traditionally been hotbeds for radicalization. Kids are experimenting, trying new things, testing limits, rebelling against the known, etc.

But college kids also have the most potential; they have all the physical capabilities of adults but have not yet developed the mental or emotional maturity to fully control those powers. This is where they need a mentor most; where they can benefit from a good influence and do amazing things. This is also where they can be won for Jesus. But it takes the personal touch.

.- More than 3,500 students attended the Fellowship of Catholic University Student's (FOCUS) biannual conference last week in Orlando, Florida. The success of the event caused the group's president, Curtis Martin, to describe it as “packed with memorable moments.”

The five day 'Made for More' conference took place Dec 30 through Jan 3 and included a wide range of speakers such as Fr. Benedict Groschel, Matthew Kelly and Dr. Ted Sri, as well as performers Matt Maher, Matthew West and Tim Hawkins. Students also had the opportunity to celebrate the New Year together and participate in Mass and Confession.

“Each year one of the most dramatic events is our time of Eucharistic Adoration and Confession,” Martin told CNA. “If you have never seen thousands of young people fall to their knees (and some completely prostrate themselves) before Jesus Christ veiled under the appearance of mere bread, it is an amazing experience.”

“For several hours the students sat in silent prayer,” Martin recounted. “During the event, lines began to form so that these young leaders could make a Sacramental Confession, some for the first time since their First Confession.”

Recalling past FOCUS conferences, Martin said, “Two years ago after a similar experience in Grapevine, Texas, a priest that I had never met asked me how things were going and I responded, 'They seem to be going really well.' To which he replied, 'You will never know how well things are going, because you can not hear Confessions, this is the single most impressive experience of my priesthood!'”

In describing the work of FOCUS, Martin explained that “The basic message is this: The Catholic faith works. We are not doing anything special, we are simply inviting young people to know Christ personally and to follow Him in the Church He founded, where they find the fullness of truth and grace.”

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Eighth Beer Of Christmas

Happy Epiphany! The Magi brought Christ gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, gifts befitting a king.

Gouden Carolus, named after the gold coins of the Emperor Charles V, is brewed by the Anker brewery, established in Mechelen since 1369 and one of the classic Belgian breweries.

This very special Belgian ale is brewed using traditional methods and a recipe with top fermentation. Its high gravity gives this ale its warmth and body. It improves with age and will charm you with its warm, coppery colour and its rich bouquet.

Through the combination of caramel and aromatic malts, and with the traditional high fermentation we get a special beer that combines the warmness of wine and the freshness of beer.

When you hear words like "high fermentation" and "high gravity", these are beer terms meaning "high alcohol content". Unlike lesser fare, a traditional Belgian brown ale is one place where high gravity is not out of place. Gouden Carolus' 8.5% ABV is no exception.

To properly appreciate a complex and malty ale, it is important that your beer not be too cold. That's right, you need to let your beer warm a little. This releases more of the aromatics and lets the true flavor come out. (Don't try this with pilsners and American lagers -- that's just nasty.)

Although the official color listed for Gouden Carolus is ruby red, it really pours a cola brown with just a hint of ruby. The head is a finger's width and dissolves quickly with minimal lacing on the glass (although this may have been a result of being too cold when poured).

The caramel malts are clearly on display and can be tasted readily along with the characteristic concentrated sweetness of Belgian dubbel ale and with notes of dark fruits and spices; quite complex. The relative high gravity allows this beer to be warming but without seeming overly hot. Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth with good body.

This is a classic Belgian brown ale from one of the oldest Belgian breweries (since 1369). Well worth a long, slow, tasting for discriminating paletes.

What A MAN Does

Monsignor Pope gives men a good talking to about marriage.

Msgr. Charles Pope is the pastor of Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian, a vibrant parish community in Washington, DC. He has a warm, engaging style that will appeal to men: straight, no chaser. The blog entry is good, but the audio is what sells it. Do yourself a favor and listen to it. (h/t Rob Kaiser via Catholic Dads)



Among the measures of mature manhood that God Himself sets forth is faithful, stable, committed marriage. After observing, It is not good for the man to be alone (Gen 2:18) God says ….A man shall leave his father and mother and cling to his wife and the two of them shall become one flesh. Thus God indicates an essential description of manhood.

This is what a MAN does. Three things are taught here:

  1. A mature man recognizes that it is not good, not healthy, for him to remain alone and unattached.
  2. Having properly sought a wife he marries her and leaves his parents to establish a home.
  3. A man clings to his wife.
So here is what a God says a real man does. How say you?

Something I really like about his style is that he is teaching directly from Scripture, and it is clear he is teaching, and without apology.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Two Bit Happiness

The Nodlings are back in school, and everyone is the happier for it.

Nod-girl earned a trip to the "Treasure Box" and came away with a Snow White toy mirror. A lot of the "treasures" appear to have been used or donated, but when you're in first grade you don't notice or care. The magic mirror's button batteries had died, though, and Nod-girl wanted them replaced in order to make whatever obnoxious sound magic mirrors are supposed to make.

"Daddy, will you please fix it?"

How can I say no? The first hurdle to overcome was the non-standard screws holding it together. Triangle-shaped screw slots -- are you kidding me? This was NOT intended to be field serviced. In the end, a pair of needle nosed pliers doubled as a triangle-shaped allen wrench.

Once open, I note the three tiny button batteries which I don't have. Undaunted, I remember a Hallmark greeting card I recieved had a larger version powering it. After disassembling the card and cannibalizing the battery and speaker wire and some scotch tape, I McGyver'ed together a working version of the magic mirror. It's not perfect and it won't last, but it does make that "magic mirror" sound.

Now why in the world did I spend two and a half hours trying to fix a two dollar toy?

Maybe I'm running for World's Best Dad; or maybe because it'll bring a little two-bit happiness to a little girl who deserves some.

Seventh Beer Of Christmas

Samuel Adams Imperial White is a standout beer. Technically it's a witbier (white beer; a Belgian style wheat beer brewed with spices), but it's like no witbier you've ever tried.
[Samuel Adams] Imperial White pushes out the boundaries of a witbier. While the brew delivers orange and coriander notes typical of witbiers, it has a bigger mouthfeel and body. It's a truly unique brew.

This beer has a lot going on. Brewed with 50% malted wheat and two-row Harrington and Metcalfe malted barley, this beer has a bigger body and mouthfeel than a traditional witbier. We’ve added a number of spices into this brew, not only during brewing for depth, but also during fermentation. The rest of the flavors come from the yeast and the alcohol.

As this beer warms and opens up, you start to get flavors of complex flavors of dry fruits, exotic spices, and floral blossoms. These are flavors typically associated with wine and spirits, but they are showcased in Imperial White as a bouquet of flavors.

When you think Imperial beer, you normally think porter or stout. Putting "imperial" in front of witbier is an apt description of this brew. The color is a hazy gold; excellent head with aromas of coriander and orange. The flavors are concentrated with a sweet syrupy tendency, but not obnoxiously so.

The mouthfeel is incredible - rich, full body with lots of tiny bubbles to please the palate - and oh, so creamy. It kind of leaves you thinking: how'd they do that?

It carries quite a load at 10.3% ABV, but shoulders it well with its rich savory flavors. I normally eschew the big, commercial brewers, but this is one beer that is a style unto itself.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Sixth Beer Of Christmas

The guys came over and shared their Christmas Ale for the sixth beer of Christmas. The lucky candidate was Belhaven's Scottish Ale.

Scottish Ale - 3.9% and 5.2%

Malty and hoppy, we at Belhaven love the classic Scottish Ale and we've been brewing it longer than any of the other beers we produce. Delivering a sweet, smooth and creamy finish, Scottish Ale has a stunning ruby colour in the glass. Magic.

The classic and characteristic malty and nutty flavour.




I thought I knew what Scottish Ale was all about: a stiff drink that was just this side of a barley wine. However, Belhaven Scottish Ale was a pleasant contradiction.

Belhaven pours a beautiful copper color with very low esters. The head was small but lacy on the glass. Bel Haven Scottish Ale has a slightly understated but distinct sweetness in which the malt is shown to best advantage. Lest it become too cloying, it adds just the right amount of hops to create a balanced and full bodied beer. Its low ABV won't hurt your head one bit.

Drinking it made me think of several Colorado coppers I've enjoyed; in a blind taste test, I would never have said "Scottish Ale". Crisp finish, minimal aftertaste. Smooth and Superb.

Those Crazy Christians

It is said that Jesus must have been either crazy or what he said he was: the Son of God.

It also takes a crazy kind of strength to forgive one's attackers. Although the charism of infallibility doesn't extend to the Pope's personal sanctity, we have been blessed to have great exemplars of the faith in both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.

John Paul II forgave his attacker, Mehmet Ali Agca, the man who shot him during an assassination attempt. Now, in a lesser event, Pope Benedict has shown his "benevolence" towards a mentally disturbed woman, Susanna Maiolo, who knocked him down during Christmas Mass at St Peter's Basilica on Christmas Eve (her 2nd attempt!)

[Guardian] The pope's personal aide has visited the woman who jumped over a barrier and knocked the pontiff down in St Peter's Basilica on Christmas Eve, a Vatican spokesman said.

Benedict XVI asked his secretary, Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, to call on 25-year-old Susanna Maiolo "to show his interest and benevolence", the Reverend Federico Lombardi said.

Our Lord taught us to pray "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us". If that's crazy like a Christian, then the world needs more of it.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Out of Whack

The Christmas interlude is thankfully over and the Nodlings are headed back to school tomorrow. Since they attend a Catholic school, they actually get "Christmas vacation" and not some generic "Winter break".

We've had a good time, but the downsides are starting to show. The kids' schedule is seriously off-kilter. Too many late nights, special treats, candy and desserts, sleep overs, and celebrations have started to take their toll. Although we settled them down early, sleep does not come easy for the Nodlings.

We've noticed that the kids do best with a regular schedule, regular meals, regular expectations. It's almost too much for them to handle so much freedom. There is a direct correlation between their attitudes and their adherence to schedule.

Although they may grumble in the morning, I'll bet the Nodlings are secretly relieved to be going back to school. Their parents are not-so-secretly relieved.

Fifth Beer Of Christmas

After the super-heavy barley wine experience of last time, we zipped across to the other end of the spectrum for the Fifth Beer of Christmas. This time the offering was Tommyknocker's Jack Whacker Wheat Ale.
This American-style wheat ale is a light, unfiltered brew with a citrus aroma and flavor imparted by a late addition of lemon grass. This unfiltered beer retains all of its protein, flavor, and some of its yeast, resulting in a traditionally cloudy appearance. It's the perfect refreshment for a thirsty, trail weary, ale lover.

Tommyknockers were mischievous elves who slipped into mining camps with the Cornish miners in the 1800's. The Jack Whacker's role was to whip the last mule to keep the supply train moving along.
The Jack Whacker is a pleasant light-bodied wheat ale. It sports a delicate citrus bouquet and a subtle lemony aftertaste that is imparted from the lemon grass. It has a cloudy appearance that is characteristic of unfiltered wheat beers. The simple wheat taste is understated in the Jack Whacker. It provides a delicious counterpoint to a hearty bowl of chili.

As Mrs. Nod noted, "it smells more like real beer".

Fourth Beer of Christmas

On the Fourth Beer of Christmas we went all the way to the right of the spectrum and sampled Bell's Brewery Third Coast Old Ale described as:
A barley wine with deep amber color. The brandy of ales, this beer has vintage character and will mature in the bottle at cellar temperature for years.
The brew poured a toasty brown color with a good foamy head, but the taste is overwhelmingly hot, or alcoholic. The flavors are extremely concentrated, almost molasses-like. Heavy malt character which tends towards the syrupy.

I tend to like strong ale and strong flavors, but this time we might want to leave it in the cellar for a few more years -- or permanently. Pass on this one.

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival #38

This week on Sunday Snippets, WBN presents: Whats and Whys.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival is a weekly opportunity to share your best posts with the wider Catholic blogging community. To participate, create a post highlighting posts that would be of interest to Catholics and link to the host blog at http://rannthisthat.blogspot.com. Go to the host blog and leave a comment giving a link to your post.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Third Beer Of Christmas

Continuing my Christmas beer tour, we come to a seasonal favorite. A local restaurant and brewhouse, Sweetwater Tavern, makes a great beer called St. Nick's Weizenbock.

Strong, dark wheat beers. Weizenbocks typically have a high ester profile, with more malt and alcohol than is typically associated with a wheat beer.
This dark wheat beer has an incredible banana fragrance when you first open the growler. The beer itself is like a slice of bread mixed with spicy clove. Slightly more malty sweetness than you'd expect.

This is the second year I've tried St. Nick's Weizenbock. Last year the recipe came out with more definite wheat bread flavor; this year the brewmaster went a little heavy on the clove. The banana nose is really outstanding though. The mouthfeel is full and creamy. Definitely something to warm your insides on cold winter nights.

Second Beer Of Christmas

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me: 2 Turtle Doves from the Bruery.


2 Turtle Doves is the second in the 12 Days/Years of Christmas Services. We decided to take our inspiration from the name and base the beer on the "turtle" candy, brewing it with cocoa nibs, toasted pecans, caramelized sugar and a lot of caramel malts. Somewhere between a Belgian-style Dark Strong Ale and an Imperial Porter, this beer is designed to take the journey through time until 12 Drummers Drumming.

ABV: 12%, IBU: 25, SRM: 30, Release: Winter 2009/2010

I enjoyed this beer with my two brothers over a festive pesto chicken dinner. This one is dark, dark, dark with lots of caramel malts that have been roasted until they produce a black brew. No chance of seeing through this beer. Strong and almost syrupy with a ton of chocolate and coffee notes.

The initial taste showed off the toasted pecans and really brought the turtle candies to mind that this beer is named after. Then the cocoa savor dominated as it lingered on the back of the tongue and roof of the palette.

A roasty, toasty, taste extravaganza, but at 12% ABV, not for the faint of heart.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Auld Lang Syne

Lyrics to that old faithful tune: Auld Lang Syne. And we’ll tak a right gude-willy waught,
for auld lang syne.

Complete lyrics
Old Long Syne, by James Watson (1711) Burns’ original Scots verse[3] English translation
(minimalist)
Scots pronunciation guide
(as Scots speakers would sound)
IPA pronunciation guide

Should Old Acquaintance be forgot,
and never thought upon;
The flames of Love extinguished,
and fully past and gone:
Is thy sweet Heart now grown so cold,
that loving Breast of thine;
That thou canst never once reflect
on Old long syne.

CHORUS:
On Old long syne my Jo,
in Old long syne,
That thou canst never once reflect,
on Old long syne.

My Heart is ravisht with delight,
when thee I think upon;
All Grief and Sorrow takes the flight,
and speedily is gone;
The bright resemblance of thy Face,
so fills this, Heart of mine;
That Force nor Fate can me displease,
for Old long syne.

CHORUS:

Since thoughts of thee doth banish grief,
when from thee I am gone;
will not thy presence yield relief,
to this sad Heart of mine:
Why doth thy presence me defeat,
with excellence divine?
Especially when I reflect
on Old long syne

CHORUS:

(several further stanzas)

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne ?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my jo,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp !
and surely I’ll be mine !
And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We twa hae run about the braes,
and pu’d the gowans fine ;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary foot,
sin auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We twa hae paidl’d i' the burn,
frae morning sun till dine ;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
sin auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere !
and gie's a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll tak a right gude-willy waught,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old lang syne ?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup !
and surely I’ll buy mine !
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine ;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine ;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand my trusty friend !
And give us a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

Shid ald akwentans bee firgot,
an nivir brocht ti mynd?
Shid ald akwentans bee firgot,
an ald lang syn?

CHORUS:
Fir ald lang syn, ma jo,
fir ald lang syn,
wil tak a cup o kyndnes yet,
fir ald lang syn.

An sheerly yil bee yur pynt-staup!
an sheerly al bee myn!
An will tak a cup o kyndnes yet,
fir ald lang syn.

CHORUS

We twa hay rin aboot the braes,
an pood the gowans fyn;
Bit weev wandert monae a weery fet,
sin ald lang syn.

CHORUS

We twa hay pedilt in the burn,
fray mornin sun til dyn;
But seas between us bred hay roard
sin ald lang syn.

CHORUS

An thers a han, my trustee feer!
an gees a han o thyn!
And we’ll tak a richt gude-willie-waucht,
fir ald lang syn.

CHORUS

ʃɪd o̜ːld ə.kwɛn.təns bi fəɾ.ɡot,
ən nɪ.vəɾ brɔxt tɪ məin ?
ʃɪd o̜ːld ə.kwɛn.təns bi fəɾ.ɡot,
ən o̜ːl lɑŋ səin ?

CHORUS:
fəɾ o̜ːl lɑŋ səin, mɑ diːɾ,
fəɾ o̜ːl lɑŋ səin,
wiːl tɑk ə kʌp ə kəin.nəs jɛt,
fəɾ o̜ːl lɑŋ səin.

ən ʃeːr.li jiːl bi juːɾ pəin.stʌup !
ən ʃeːr.li ɑːl bi məin !
ən wiːl tɑk ə kʌp ə kəin.nəs jɛt,
fəɾ o̜ːl lɑŋ səin.

CHORUS

wi two̜̜ː heː rɪn ə.but ðə breːz,
ən puːd ðə ɡʌu.ənz fəin ;
bʌt wiːv wɑn.əɾt mʌ.ne ə wiːɾɪ fɪt,
sɪn o̜ːl laŋ səin.

CHORUS

wi two̜̜ː heː pe.dlt ɪn ðə bʌɾn,
freː moːɾ.nɪn sɪn tɪl dəin ;
bʌt siːz ə.twin ʌs bred heː roːrd
sɪn o̜lː laŋ səin.

CHORUS

ən ðeːrz ə ho̜ːn, mɑ trʌs.tɪ fiːɾ !
ən ɡiːz ə ho̜ːn ə ðəin !
ən wiːl tak ə rɪxt ɡɪd wʌ.lɪ wo̜ːxt,
fəɾ o̜lː laŋ səin.

CHORUS

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