I just finished delivering my holiday cards. Well, most of them. I've received very few this year. I think most people send holiday greetings online now and since I'm a techie, I wholeheartedly support that. I have to admit, though, that I miss receiving cards. They make very pretty decorations, and I like hanging them on my fridge with magnets.

I'll be off to my parents for the traditional seafood dinner later and then Midnight Mass. Dad doing ok. He actually walked a few blocks to the doctor's office last week for an appointment using his walker of course.

Enjoy your Christmas, folks, and the rest of the holidays!

Geez, what a dour movie but it's a dour subject. This was made before Oliver Stone toned down some of his conspiracy-mindedness so it's full of innuendo and speculation, especially regarding Nixon's possible ties to the JFK assassination. It all feels muddled.

I like his biopic of Bush better, but I like that Stone tried to portray Nixon as a complex human being. I even felt moments of sympathy for him, particularly in his obvious difficulty connecting with people. One scene that stuck in my mind was the depiction of Nixon's visit to the Lincoln Memorial. You could see him longing for the adulation that Lincoln receives but uncomprehending about how to attain it.

I'm crossposting from Dreamwidth again.

I'm also looking for another technical writing assignment again. I completed the one I posted about earlier this year. It ran for eight weeks. It was at a tech start-up and it reminded me of how screwy and ridiculous tech start-ups were. I worked at two of them, and they were just as goofy. At this latest one, I also had the dubious pleasure of working with one of the biggest jerkasses I have ever met in my life.

He was a "senior VP" at the company. That's far less impressive than it sounds. Since this was a start-up, they had a grand total of about 30 people working there, and the group he was VP of had about 10 people, all of whom had very little work experience. This didn't stop his inflated title from inflating his ego.

Anyway, I completed the project and got paid so I'm on the hunt for my next assignment.

...concord grapes. Good tip to remember. In the future, I won't mistakenly pick up concord grapes from my farmer's market and bake them into a pie - complete with seeds!

Happy Feast Day, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha! She's the patron of ecology but doesn't that belong to St. Francis? He's a patron of many things, though, so I guess he doesn't mind. He's still the animal dude.

Speaking of animals, today marks my first full year of a dog-less household since Shannon went into the care of Blessed Kateri and St. Francis on this day last year. I've had at least one dog in the house since I was about 12 or 13 so it took a long time to get used to not having one around. I decided last year not to get another do since I have two cats now, and it's the right decision. Dogs are great, but I can't make the commitment to one at the moment, and I think the cats are enjoying their reign right now. I have to admit that, although I'm tempted by the occasional cute pup, I don't miss the work involved with having a dog and am not anxious to take it on again.

I sprinkled some of Shannon's ashes in my new flowerbed in front of my Mary statute in remembrance of her. It's blossoming with pink zinnias and has some morning glory and moon flower vines happily climbing. I'm still waiting on the daisies do something more than grow at a snail's pace.

In other news, my application has been accepted for the BTMI secular institute and formally began the process as an aspirant today. I met with institute's custodian at the Mother Boniface Center and have much reading and prayer exercises to do over the next six months. That's how long the aspirant phase takes. After that, I will begin the two year candidacy and then take temporary vows.

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, and hilarious! I like this writer. This made my morning.

http://www.paradigmjournal.com/holden/McCoy_Bullshit%20Is%20One%20Word,%20Performance%20Review%20Two.html

And thanks to Elizabeth Scalia for drawing my attention to it. Gotta love her opening paragraph.

The very funny and insightful essay and link I am about to present to you contains a variation of the “S” word and several renderings of the “F” word. If you cannot handle the “F” word in any context, please do not follow this link. Go write me a letter about how scandalized you are that any Catholic site would dare to suggest that you read something that contains the “F” word, and then, rather than tempting yourself away from charity, tear it up and pray for me, instead. You are formally warned.

http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/theanchoress/2010/05/18/the-wussification-of-the-workplace/

"The greatest persecution of the church doesn't come from enemies on the outside but is born from the sins within the church," says Pope Benedict.

Yes, I couldn't agree more.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/20100512_Church_s_biggest_troubles_come_from_within__pope_says.html

The resident pair of hawks at the Franklin Institute have three chicks in their nest right now. The museum has a camera on them so people can while away the hours with some hawk-watching. Pretty cool.

http://www2.fi.edu/hawks/

I attended the Mass of the Lord's Supper at St. John's. I have my Holy Thursday meal ready to prepare. Last year, I did a Passover theme and had roasted lamb (way more than I needed), endive (bitter herbs), matzo and red wine. I was pleased, even though I had to find creative ways to deal with the leftover lamb. It's nice to have lamb once in a while and I'm doing it again.

I have lamb chops this year, the endive, water crackers instead of matzo, and a Yellow Tail shiraz. I'm thinking of pan broiling the chops. The last time I used the oven broiler for lamb chops, they ignited thanks to the fat in the lamb.

I will finish watching my "Jesus of Nazareth" DVD. Let the Sacred Triduum begin.

I'm watching this for the first time on Hulu. How did I ever miss it till now? It's great.