Archive for the ‘personal’ Category

…apparently he forwarded it to the college president Jack P. Calareso who wrote me a letter that I received yesterday disputing my impression of the college.

You might remember I promised to post the letter I sent, I’m going to hold off a bit until I get permission to post the president’s response at the same time. As his letter was a private letter I’d rather not post it without consulting him first. That way you can get my opinion and his rebuttal at the same time and make up your own mind.

Don’t settle

Posted: February 28, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news, personal
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I was thinking about the comments that Chris made in this post and it leads me to say something very important to the people who say: “Parties don’t matter nobody cares for you etc…”

The moment you decide that there is no reason to vote there is no reason to think, there is no reason to try to govern yourselves. Everyone might has well bend over and kiss themselves goodbye because we have no control over our lives.

That is a very cynical and atheistic view. Atheistic because it is a view without hope or purpose.

I don’t and I won’t subscribe to that view. I think we can and should make a difference, I think that people can be inspired to be better than they are and to aspire to achieve for themselves and for others. I think that an informed and active populace can choose representatives that can lead our cities, our states and our country to become even better than it is today, and in case you aren’t aware of it; despite all the trouble we are having now, despite all the hard times, despite all the lost jobs including mine we are still DAMN lucky to live in what still is not only the greatest country in the world but the greatest country that has ever existed in the history of the world!

And I believe a large amount of our liberal friends think the same, they just have different opinions on how to get there.

This is a small blog, I have a small readership and a small customer base, but I’m very proud and thankful for that and will do my best to grow the customer and the readership base.

And if I can advance positions that will make things better for my wife and sons I will do my best to do so. If my political opinion can change even a few minds or even just get someone thinking about it I’m going to do my best to do so. And If I can persuade even one or two people to Christ in general or the Catholic Church in particular then I will be able to die proud. I am an incurable optimist I think things can and will get better, we just have to be willing to do it.

But none of this is possible if I’m unwilling to bother, and even if your goals are exactly the opposite of mine but your passion is the same your goals can’t be achieved if you are cynical.

Don’t settle for cynicism. If you do then I don’t want to hear you complain, if there is nothing that can be done then why complain, why bother?

Some people may be willing to live that way, as far as I’m concerning that isn’t living, that’s existing and I want more than that in life, and so should you.

Sunday Random thoughts

Posted: February 22, 2009 by datechguy in baseball, employment, fun, gaming, personal
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I have a job interview tomorrow. The big grey beard is now gone so perhaps the extra 10 years it seems to add to me being shed will help.

Also got a letter from somewhere that I interviewed back in December. Was expecting a straight rejection but instead was informed the position was placed on hold. With endowments drying up I expect a lot more of this.

Today is Washington’s Birthday. Powerline reminds us of a person who actually deserved the amazing praise a nation gave him looks like.

Was at the dollar store day before yesterday picked up The Stark Truth a book on the most over and underrated players in Baseball history. It appears to be the best buck I’ve ever spent on a hardcover book.

Today’s sermon at Mass was one of the most solid I’ve heard in a while. It was on how Christianity is the religion of positive affirmation not waffling. You are obliged not to waffle on belief and morality. Christians and Catholics sometimes forget this.

Romano’s Market has finally entered the 21st century as their web site has gone up written by the young lady at the register who is majoring at Com Si at a local college.

Speaking of Romano’s they are getting ready for the annual St. Patrick’s day Corned Beef rush. That little place will go though thousands of pounds of corned beef and they work like dogs to get it all ready.

Next door to Romano’s is the Ole Time Luncheonette. I mentioned this place before, it actually opened it the middle of the power outages and the ice storms. The last three days they have been packed. The two ladies and their husband that run the place are there seven days. Drive 25 miles to get there and work hard. I sure hope this keeps up. They deserve it.

And their Fish and chips is the best in town. Just in time for Lent.

Speaking of Restaurants, one of my favorites the Boarder Bar and Grille in Leominster. I was informed by a friend that their appetizers (with minor exceptions) are half price weekdays between 3-6 p.m. and after 9 p.m. as well. As they are rather filling I think this will be the way we manage to hit the place every now and then with money tight.

Do you know the sound the plastic container of Hershey Syrup makes when my son is trying to squeeze the last bit out is exactly the same as the sound of my cat coughing up a hairball? We never had that problem with the old cans.

This story at Gateway Pundit about Witchcraft being the fastest growing religion in the country reminded me of this quote from the Screwtape letters:

I have high hopes that we shall learn in due time how to emotionalise and mythologise their science to such an extent that what is, in effect, belief in us, (though not under that name) will creep in while the human mind remains closed to the Enemy [God]. The “Life Force,” the worship of sex, and some aspects of Psychoanalysis may here prove useful. If once we can produce our perfect work–the Materialist Magician, the man, not using, but veritably worshipping, what he vaguely calls “Forces” while denying the existence of “spirits”–then the end of the war will be in sight.

My witch friends (and I mean that literally) might dispute this; but a lot of people are making large mistakes that they will regret for the rest of their deaths.

And if you like Screwtape and John Cleese you just have to find his reading of the Screwtape letters on tape. He is perfect in the role. We sampled it on this post. Four of them on youtube here.

Speaking of error not two days after my son decided on Fitchburg State College we were surprised to get a letter from the Bishop of Worcester recommending Anna Maria. In view of my visit I was astounded and have typed a response. I’ll post it in full after it is mailed and received. I will give you a taste:

We were very excited when Sam was accepted at Anna Maria and even more excited when they offered the largest (in dollars) scholarship of any of the nine colleges that have accepted and attempted to recruit him. We looked forward to the visit to the college and felt pleased that it would expand both his faith and his educational horizons.

Then we actually visited the college.

The rest they say is history.

We are coming closer and closer to the opening of the baseball season. We are also two weeks away from the World baseball classic. I think I must be the only guy who thinks the latter is worthwhile.

The Red Sox open against the Devil Rays. Two years ago that wouldn’t be much of a deal. Now this has a chance to grow to a mini-Sox Yankees as these teams just plain don’t like each other.

And wasn’t that series in the playoffs just first rate?

Played a game called In a Pickle. It was cute but I wouldn’t recommend it with 8 as it is rated for 6. It’s not a bad party game but I don’t think I’d buy it.

And I have a bigotry against games that de-emphasize winning in the rules.

I don’t think I will ever get sick of watching Ken Burns series “The Civil War.”

I don’t think I will ever not be sick of reality TV. If I wanted reality I get plenty of it every day.

And finally we’ve had days of the media nonsense attacking the New York Post on a cartoon that has absolutely nothing to do with race. Now the NAACP has gotten involved and are talking real nonsense. There was a time when the NAACP was the one of the most respected organizations in the US. Their hyperbole shows that those days are long gone.

Sick to my stomach…

Posted: February 18, 2009 by datechguy in doctor who, personal
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…and it has nothing to do with anything the administration or the Palestinian authority or anything anyone is saying about the church or even the job hunt which is going poorly.

Miracles happen, but this means blogging may be kinda light today.

But if you need a quick smile what appears to be the climax of Rich’s comic strip might help.

I sure hope it is available in book form sooner or later. It would make an awesome audio as well