Commemorating the Feast of a Namesake Saint

I will admit that, while living in Steubenville a few years ago, I experienced a bout of jealousy over the fact that so many of my friends shared names with prominent Catholic Saints, whereas the name Gerald did not appear to stand out in this regard. This led me to do some research to see if there were, in fact, Catholic Saints named Gerald. My search proved more fruitful than I imagined, as I found at least four St. Geralds among the Church Triumphant (not counting those that also went by the alternate spelling Gerard). There was St. Gerald of Mayo, noted as a holy abbot of one of the prominent Irish monasteries of the late 7th and early 8th centuries. There was St. Gerald of Braga, the Portuguese Bishop who died in 1109 and was known for being a vocal opponent of lay investiture (the process of lay nobility appointing hand-picked candidates to ecclessial posts). And there was St. Gerald of Sauve-Majeure, a noted 11th century Benedictine monk and reformer.

There was, however, one particular St. Gerald that caught my attention, and to whom I eventually developed a devotion. As I was remiss in failing to note his feast day this past Tuesday (October 13), I would like to make mention of him now. St. Gerald of Aurillac was a French nobleman who lived during the 10th century. He is unusual among the Saints of his day in many respects, most notably in the fact that he was a layman and lived an ascetic and pious life during a period of history specially noted for the immoral excesses of its nobility. The following biographical sketch, found here, briefly describes the Saint's life and notable accomplishments.

Gerald of Aurillac, Confessor

Born 855 at Saint-Cirgues; died 909. He was of noble birth and suffered lengthy illness in his youth. For this reason, he gave much time to meditation, study, and prayer instead of the martial pursuits that ordinarily would have been expected.

When he succeeded his father as count of Aurillac in Auvergne, and owner of considerable estates, he continued his life of devotion and became noted for his piety and generosity to the poor. He was distinguished for the justice and efficiency with which he discharged the duties of a wealthy nobleman.

His personal life was no less virtuous, and markedly well-ordered and religious. He dressed modestly, ate little, rose every morning at 2:00 a.m.--even when travelling--to say the first part of the Divine Office, and then he assisted at Mass.

But it is possible that he would not have become well-known had he not founded the monastery at Aurillac. After a pilgrimage to Rome, he built a church under the invocation of Saint Peter, and, c. 890, a Benedictine abbey at Aurillac, which was to become famous when it was taken over by the Cluniac order.

He led a life of great goodness for someone of his rank during this rather immoral period in history. He considered becoming a monk at his monastery but was persuaded against it by Gausbert, the bishop of Cahors, who counseled that he would be more useful acting as a layman who devoted himself to his neighbors and dependents. He gave a great part of his revenue to the poor and endowed the monastery generously.

He was blind for the last seven years of his life. He died at Cezenac, Quercy, and was buried at his abbey. He is the patron saint of Upper Auvergne.

Saint Odo of Cluny wrote a Life of Saint Gerald that made him celebrated in medieval France. A later member of Saint Gerald of Aurillac's family was Saint Robert of Chaise-Dieu (d. 1087; canonized c. 1095) who founded the great abbey of that name in Auvergne (Attwater, Encyclopedia, Sitwell, White).


For more information about St. Gerald of Aurillac, you can visit the following links:
- The Life of St. Gerald of Aurillac - by St. Odo of Cluny, a 10th century monk whose research into the life of St. Gerald provides us with most of our extant knowledge of the Saint. This link is to a preview, so some pages are missing, but still a lot of good information.
- Entry on St. Gerald from Butler's Lives of the Saints
- Wikipedia article


As a single man still discerning his vocation and someone who has for the past seven years struggled with recurring and occasionally debilitating bouts of sciatica, I am especially attracted to St. Gerald of Aurillac as an intercessor because he has been proclaimed the patron of bachelors and the disabled. He remains a wonderful model of holiness for laity, for men that are either called to live chaste single life or still discerning a vocation, for those who struggle with disabilities (or any other obstacles that stand in the way of the fulfillment of God's will in our lives) and for those who struggle with a tendency towards materialism. For those seeking a saintly devotion, and even for those are not, I recommend this holy Frenchman as an intercessor. St. Gerald of Aurillac, pray for us! God bless!


In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald

Unveiling The Latest Weapon In The War On Terror

Granted, the Obama administration isn't putting as much money into the military these days, but the brilliant minds in the White House war room have developed a new weapon that is both cost effective and sure to strike fear into the hearts of our enemies...




Sleep well tonight, my fellow Americans. We are in good hands :-)

Happy Feast Of St. Francis And Respect Life Sunday!

It is a happy yet fitting coincidence that the two should fall on the same day this year. St. Francis is widely and properly regarded as one of the greatest lovers of life (and especially of the Author of Life) that the Church has ever produced.

Let us remember St. Francis as a lover of life, but also as someone who recognized the pre-eminent value of human life above that of all other material creatures. Let us also remember that he had above all else a deep and abiding love for God and His Church, and dedicated every waking moment of every day to furthering the truths espoused by both. It is one of the great tragedies of modern times that a city named after him by well meaning Spanish missionaries has become a hotbed of hostility towards that which St. Francis loved most. Let us then, on this day, pray for that city, and for all others who set themselves against the truth, that they may experience a true conversion of heart and stand up for the inviolability of human life; and that they may devote their lives to serving the One who created all life and gave that life meaning. God bless!


In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald

Liturgical Abuse In Destin, FL: The Celebrant Priest Involves His Dog In the Procession

Here's the description of the video as it appears on its original Youtube page:

"After a promotion for a dog shampoo by the pastor, Fr. Thomas Guido, before Sunday Mass, this was the procession we witnessed while on our vacation in Destin, FL. The priest can be e-mailed at pastor@rcc-destin.org"

Here is the video. This really is sinking to a new low:




I'm willing to excuse abuses when the person committing the abuse is genuinely ignorant of what is being done. It is extremely difficult, however, to imagine that this pastor did not know that dogs have no place in Mass processions, or that dog shampoo has no place on an altar. Please e-mail this pastor at the address listed above, and if you are in the Tallahassee-Pensacola diocese please contact your bishop and make sure he cannot claim ignorance over this blatant disregard for liturgical norms. God bless!


In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald

Token Pro-Life Gesture From A Man Who Has Done Enormous Violence To The Pro-Life Cause

If Notre Dame President Father John Jenkins thinks this will succeed in whitewashing his past apostasy and allow him to curry favor with faithful Catholics, he is sorely mistaken.

That said, a journey of 10,000 miles begins with a single step, and we retain a moral obligation to pray that Fr. Jenkins will completely repudiate his past anti-Catholic behavior. God bless!


In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald

Announcing New Programming In EWTN's Fall Line-Up

I occasionally am sent press releases from the wonderful television apostolate EWTN to post on my blog so my readers can be advised of upcoming programs. The lineup listed below is quite an impressive one. If you don't make EWTN a part of your regular television viewing, I strongly encourage you to do so. If you do not have EWTN as part of your cable line-up, I strongly encourage you to write your cable company and ask them to add it. I would especially recommend it for those Catholics living near parishes where the Catholic faith is not being presented faithfully and accurately.

Anyway, please read the following press release, and enjoy the upcoming season of EWTN programming. God bless!


In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald




EWTN Unveils Season’s New Series

Irondale, AL (EWTN) – EWTN Global Catholic Network is proud to unveil a host of new series, which will debut in September. Start programming your DVR now so you preview the shows and find your new favorites. Here is a quick synopsis of what viewers will discover: (Editors: for high-resolution photos, please go to www.ewtn.com/media/Sept2009NewSeries)


NEW SERIES

Theater of the Word: If you love live plays, but hate the hefty price tag, join Kevin O’Brien and the actors of Theater of the Word as they bring a host of biblical and religious-themed stories to life. (Saturdays, 4 p.m. ET)


A Light for All Nations: Do you frequently wish you understood all the fuss about Vatican II? One of its most important documents was Lumen Gentium. That’s where you’ll find all the talk about the role of the laity, the “universal call to holiness,” and a lot more. If you want to “get it,” tape this new series with Fr. Brian Mullady. (Sundays at 5:30 a.m. ET and Thursdays at 11 p.m. ET)


St. Josemaria Escriva and Opus Dei: You’ve heard all the dis-information in “The DaVinci Code.” Now get the facts about the life, mission and apostolate of this great modern saint with Damon Owen and John Coverdale. (Sundays, 5 p.m. ET and Fridays at 10:30 p.m. ET)


Forgotten Heritage: Europe and the Eucharist: Learn how belief in the Eucharist actually shaped Western Culture in this exciting new series with Father Owen Gorman and Fr. John Hogan. (Sundays, 5:30 p.m. ET and Wednesdays, 11:30 p.m. ET)



CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING

The Roamin’ Catholic: With a loveable wackiness all his own, Rob Wahl, the Roamin’ Catholic, and a penguin who lives in a freezer, traverse the globe on exciting missions of discovery that bring kids an entertaining look at the Faith (Mondays, 4:30 p.m. ET).



The Divine Mercy Chaplet for Kids: Your chidren will be enchanted with this animated special, which features St. Faustina teaching her young friends about the Divine Mercy Devotion and how to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Adults may learn something too! (Fridays at 5 p.m. ET)



RETURNING TO EWTN

EWTN Cinema: Gather around the television set for a series of classic and inspiring Catholic films such as “The Road to Lourdes,” “A Time to Remember,” “Karol: the Pope, the Man,” “The Passion of Bernadette,” “The Great Mr. Handel,” and many others. (Saturdays, 8 p.m. ET)


Apostolate for Family Consecration: In this wide-ranging new series, you’ll learn about the mysteries of the Church, Sacred Scripture, papal documents and Vatican II. (Sundays at 11 a.m. ET)



NEW EPISODES

Christ In The City: How do you live a Christian life amidst the hustle and bustle of contemporary life? Gain insights from New York City Pastor Father George Rutler, STD. (Tuesdays, 11 p.m. ET).



G.K. Chesterton: Apostle of Common Sense: The President of the American Chesterton Society, Dale Ahlquist, takes viewers inside the unparalleled wit and wisdom of this popular 20th Century thinker and writer. (Sundays, 9 p.m. ET and Wednesdays, 11 a.m. ET).



Defending Life XV: Fr. Frank Pavone and Janet Morana take an up-close look at the contemporary pro-life movement in America, exploring events and activities, talking to experts, and more (Fridays, 10 p.m. ET).



EWTN Global Catholic Network, in its 28th year, is available in over 150 million television households in more than 140 countries and territories. With its direct broadcast satellite television and radio services, AM & FM radio networks, worldwide short-wave radio station, Internet website www.ewtn.com and publishing arm, EWTN, is the largest religious media network in the world.

Thoughts On The Passing Of Ted Kennedy

As you are no doubt aware, 77 year-old Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy succumbed to brain cancer today; and as expected, news programs have consisted largely of wall-to-wall coverage paying tribute to his career.

I am going to refrain from speaking ill of the dead - especially on the day of the deceased's passing - and will therefore not delve into the many reasons why I do not agree with all the praise that has been heaped upon the late Senator. The fact is, a human life was lost today, one that, like all other human lives, is unique and irreplaceable. I sincerely lament the many personal tragedies that he endured throughout his life - from seeing all three of his older brothers cut down in the prime of life (the oldest during World War II, the others by way of assassins' bullets) to the tragic deaths of numerous younger members of the family to the many scandals that plagued the Kennedy family - and also offer prayers for the repose of his soul and for the consolation of his family.

Those who have read my blog or spoken with me personally can well imagine my opinion of Ted Kennedy as a person and as a politician. Suffice it to say, I do not think that his political career is one worth celebrating. Throughout his life, Kennedy engaged in personal and political behavior that was a source of tragedy in the lives of others. To those who have been affected in such a way, I can only ask that you also offer prayers for the repose of his soul and the consolation of his family, and recall the value of forgiveness, which is not only a source of spiritual healing, but also (and more importantly) the course of action that is most pleasing to God.

I can only pray that the Senator died in a state of grace, and that by the grace and mercy of God we may one day have the opportunity to meet Senator Kennedy in the eternal Beatific Vision. God bless!


In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald

The Mystery Of Faith Vs. The Illusion Of Control

The likes of Bill Maher, Christopher Hitchens, and Richard Dawkins constantly assure us that faith is nothing more than a form of intellectual bondage, a false illusion of something unattainable that prevents man from reaching his true intellectual potential. Faith, according to them, is something that man is supposed to outgrow as he matures.

If Maher, Hitchens, and Dawkins are what pass for mature, intellectually liberated minds, then I'm afraid the human race never really stood a chance.

There is a method to the the madness of these so-called "militant atheists." The motivation is really rather simple, in every sense of the word: since they can't discern the existence of a higher power through their senses, nor conclude that there is such an existence through their use of reason (emphasis being on their use of reason, as opposed to man's use of reason), then such an existence cannot be possible.

At least, this is what they tell themselves. That they devote so much of their lives to disproving the existence of such an entity is not indicative of a lack of believe in such an entity. Rather, it is indicative of a desire that such an entity not exist.

That's their dirty little secret: Maher, Hitchens, Dawkins, and those who think like them aren't so much convinced that God doesn't exist as they are in the process of attempting to convince themselves that He does not even as they desperately try to convince others. Why they are trying to convince themselves of this is anyone's guess. It could be that they are unsatisfied with their experience of having believed in a higher power. It could be that they don't like the idea of having to acknowledge a power greater than themselves. It could be that they don't like the thought of having to accept things on faith, which would require an acknowledgment of the limits of their imagined intellectual prowess. It could be any of these things, or it could be all these things, and many other things besides.

What is painfully clear, however, is that self-professed atheists - whether they truly do not believe in the existence of God or simply wished that God did not exist - are left with a void in their lives and in their ideology that they are constantly trying to fill. And in the process of refusing to acknowledge the existence of a higher power that asks us to surrender to His will as a condition for attaining the greatest treasure man can attain (i.e. eternal life in the presence of the Lord), then they refuse to acknowledge the need to surrender to the will of another. This leads to an obsession with controlling one's own life, because as much as man might like to think that life is a series of random events with no greater meaning, human nature still requires that we acknowledge that someone is in charge. In the absence of a higher power than ourselves, then, logic would dictate that we are in charge of ourselves. Holding this mentality, however, requires a great deal of self-deception. Given the inextricable bond between the existence of a higher power and the need for faith, it almost invariably follows that the man who refuses to acknowledge the existence of a higher power will refuse to acknowledge the need to have faith in anybody but one's self.

And yet, faith makes demands of all men, not just those who believe in a higher power. It requires us to trust to things that we simply cannot predict or control (whether we wish to acknowledge such a lack of control or not). Without faith, we'd never turn our backs to anyone, for fear of being betrayed by everyone. Without faith, we would never cross an intersection, because we could never trust that the drivers of other cars will obey the traffic laws that govern safe driving. Without faith, we could never eat food we did not prepare personally, because we would not trust others not to contaminate the food, whether by accident or design. We take so many things for granted, assuming that they will happen in a certain way because they always have happened in a certain way, such as a light always turning on when you flick the switch or a dog who knows you never biting you when you reach to pet its head. And yet, if we really stopped to think about it, as some poor souls unfortunately do, we realize that past experience is no guarantee of future performance, and we would be in a state of constant paranoia about things going constantly awry. Yet, even the paranoid person is forced to accept on faith that certain things, such as the beating of his own heart, will continue to happen, or else he would not be able to function at all.

Among many other things, faith is an acceptance of the fact that there are things beyond the grasp of both our reason and our control, and that we must entrust such things to the providence of beings who can grasp them. Otherwise, society itself would never materialize, as the cooperation between men that is so essential to the proper function of a society would be obliterated by a lack of trust between men. Like it as not, trust is a form of faith.

In a very irrational world, then, there is nothing more irrational than a conscious lack of faith, or its logical extension, which is a conscious refusal to acknowledge that we lack control over every facet of our life.

The only thing we can control is our own behavior (but not its consequences), and the irony is that the people who are most obsessed with the notion of control and who scream the loudest about being allowed to do as they please are the ones least inclined to exercise self-control. Not coincidentally, they are also the most likely to profess a lack of faith. They mistake freedom for licentiousness, and in the process they fall into the most insidious form of bondage imaginable: they become slaves to their own passions, all the while basking in the illusion that they are fully in control of themselves and experiencing true freedom.

Faith, then, is a surrender to the ultimate reality that man has only limited control over the circumstances of his life. In a world obsessed with controlling its own destiny, such surrender is seen as an action of the weak-minded and unenlightened. And that particular illusion is advanced by the likes of Bill Maher, Christopher Hitchens, and Richard Dawkins, men whose disillusionment with the concept of faith and belief in a higher power has led to delusions of the worst sort in other facets of their lives.

It's their loss. One can only hope that they will seek what they have lost before it is lost to them forever.

To paraphrase Hilaire Belloc, the mysteries of faith begin where human reason finds its limit. When seeking to understand the importance of having faith in our lives, acknowledging that fact - and understanding its implications for the level of control we can truly exercise over our own lives - is not a bad place to start. God bless!


In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald

Musings On The Assumption Of Our Blessed Mother, Revisited

I shared my thoughts regarding this feast in a blog post dated exactly one year ago today. Please revisit that post for my thoughts. Happy Feast of the Assumption! God bless!


In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald

The Usual "Catholic" Suspects Line Up In Support Of Obamacare

Courtesy of the always excellent Catholic Key blog.

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?
So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit.
A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Thus you will know them by their fruits."

- Matthew 7: 15-20


The rotted fruit continues its mad scramble to defend all of Obama's works while chanting "Lord, Lord" to appease those well-meaning souls who do not know any better. Do not be taken in by their deception. God bless!


In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald

This Pretty Well Sums Up One Of The Silliest News Stories Of Modern Times...

The Battle For Life In Health Care Reform: Catholics United Vs. Family Research Council

Link, courtesy of Catholic.org (Catholic Online).

A snippet of the above-linked article:


Chris Korzen, the Executive Director of “Catholics United” lambasted an Ad currently being aired by the "Family Research Council’s" Action arm. He accused the predominantly evangelical Pro-Life and Pro-Family group of “using abortion scare tactics to turn pro-life voters against health reform.” He added that “If the Family Research Council was truly committed to human life it would focus its efforts on ensuring that the tens of millions of Americans who currently lack heath insurance can get the care they need. This attack ad is unhelpful, untruthful, and not at all pro-life.”

Tom McClusky, a Catholic and the Senior Vice President for “FRC Action” would have none of it. He told the Catholic News Agency that “Catholics United” was either deceived or participating in deception on this critical issue, “On the issue of where in the health care legislation is abortion, Family Research Council Action agrees with Cardinal Justin Rigali, Chairman of the Pro-life Office of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops,” He cited the letter dated July 29th, 2009, from Justin Cardinal Rigali which insisted that “much needed reform must not become a vehicle for promoting an ‘abortion rights’ agenda or reversing longstanding current policies against federal abortion mandates and funding.”


There is no doubt in my mind, at least, that Catholics United is participating in the deception willingly. Their entire existence has been dedicated to deceiving faithful Catholics into supporting a decidedly un-Catholic political agenda, and to silencing those who dare to call attention to their willful deception. Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot stress this enough: Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good/Catholics United is little more than an outgrowth of the same tired movement of extreme left-wing apostasy that has plagued the Catholic Church for the last four decades, attempting to turn people away from the truth while acting under the guise of faithful Catholicism (the very definition of which they and their relativistic ideological comrades have long worked to obscure). In that sense, there is nothing truly special about them. However, they have warranted more attention of late because of their close ties to the Obama administration - four of their members now work either in Congress or within the administration itself - and the fact that their Marxist message reaches wider audiences courtesy of funding from left-wing zealots like George Soros.

Make no mistake: Planned Parenthood, NARAL, NOW, the so-called "Catholics for Choice," and other agents of the culture of death have endorsed this health care bill. Bear in mind that these groups exist solely to keep abortion legal and to expand the scope of its practice. You can bet that neither they nor any other avowed enemy of the pro-life movement - such as the aforementioned Catholics United - will ever support a political initiative that fails to do exactly that. Continue to contact your Senators and Representative, and make sure they know of the moral opposition to this legislative atrocity. God bless!


In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald

Fraudulent Catholic Group NETWORK Supports Massive Health Care Package, Asks Faithful Catholics To Disregard "Insignificant Details"

Excellent overview of the situation, courtesy of The Catholic Key. If this blog is not part of your regular reading, it should be.

When fraudulent Catholic groups try to distract you from the "insignificant details," it is a sure sign that the devil lurks in those details. God bless!


In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald

So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish!

Without going into too much detail or finger pointing, tragedy struck my household on Sunday. While giving a long-overdue cleaning to my 10 gallon aquarium, the tank's 8 occupants - 3 Eastern Australian Rainbowfish, 2 Black Phantom Tetras, 2 Black Neon Tetras, and a lone Red Serpa Tetra - were placed in a medium sized wash basin. Some water from the aquarium was placed in the basin, but was mixed in with some tap water that was not properly treated; and I have reason to believe that the residue of a certain Procter and Gamble product had not been completely rinsed from the wash basin itself.

As soon as they were put in, the largest of the rainbowfish began thrashing about; within minutes it was floating on its side, still clinging to life. It thrashed about some more, and in the process it apparently caught one of the Black Neons and sent it flying through the air into the opposite side wall of the basin. Whether it was injured by the thrashing or was already feeling the ill effects of whatever had obviously contaminated the water I could not say, but when the Black Neon landed in the water it immediately went belly up. By the time the rainbowfish stopped moving shortly thereafter, the other two rainbowfish were also thrashing about on their sides. These died less than 5 minutes later. By then the second Black Neon and the lone Red Serpa were floating upside down, having died without my even noticing it. That left the two Black Phantoms; but by the time I had prepared another container for them with treated water, one of them was floating on its side, just seconds from death. The lone surviving Black Phantom - the first fish I ever bought for the tank more than fifteen months ago - still looked healthy. I immediately put it in the new container, where it seemed to be doing alright; but when I returned a few minutes later, it too was dead.

I am not the type to treat the loss of pets on the same level as the loss of friends and family, not by a long shot. Still, these were among God's creatures, and had been living in community together for well over a year. They were very hardy fish, as I only lost two others (a second Red Serpa and a third Black Phantom) during the course of the last year. Losing all eight of them was truly unfortunate.

The lesson has been learned, as far as aquarium maintenance has been concerned. We finished cleaning the aquarium, draining it of all the old water, and refilled it and treated the new water. I let the filter run for two days, and went out to buy new fish for the tank today.

I have decided not to buy tetras again. They are beautiful fish, but they tend not to be very lively and often leave a lot food behind to pollute the tank (a problem I most definitely do not have with my goldfish aquarium). I am also not buying rainbowfish. Again, they are exceptionally beautiful fish, reflecting the full spectrum of the rainbow when properly cared for and under the proper lighting (hence their name). They are also hardy, quite lively, and are healthy eaters. Unfortunately, they grew to larger lengths than I expected, and are not good fish to buy for a 10 gallon tank. Besides that, they are arguably as messy as the goldfish; and I had tremendous difficulty keeping the aquarium clean and the water clear after introducing them to the tank.

It really boiled down to four choices for me, as far as finding fish that were aesthetically pleasing, small enough to be kept in larger numbers in a 10 gallon tank, and affordable: platies, guppies, danios, and barbs.

I considered getting platies, but I've pretty much decided that if I ever buy a smaller display tank that I would put a few platies in it, so I decided not to get any yet. Besides that, some species of platy are notorious jumpers, and my 10 gallon tank has an area back by the filter that can be exploited by suicidal fish.

I love guppies. They are playful, colorful, and you can fit quite a few of them into a 10 gallon tank safely. The problem is that "safely" is a relative term. I prefer my fish to be hardy, and guppies will die if you look at them the wrong way. I have never been able to keep any alive for more than a few months. Granted, I'm no expert - and anyone who's lived with me knows that I haven't always been the most diligent person when it comes to keeping aquariums clean (you know who you are: shut up! :-) - but even the most diligent aquarium maintainers I know tell me not to grow too attached to guppies. They are extremely fragile.

Fragile is not a term you can apply to danios. There are two species of danios I've had in the past: Zebra Danios (not the GloFish variety) and Giant Danios. If I was a betting man, I would bet on these guys surviving nuclear winter. As a child, I once had a tank with three zebras and three giants. The tank was 10 gallons and was too small for such a set up; while zebras never get bigger than an inch and a half, Giant Danios can grow to as large as 6 inches and are recommended for 20+ gallon tanks. Despite this, all six fish were still alive after two years, which was more than could be said of their ever-changing tankmates (yeah, I know, we had way too many fish in the tank; we had no clue what we were doing, which makes the danios' survivability all the more impressive). Eventually, the three zebras died within a day of each other, due to some sickness that only affected their particular species. All three Giant Danios survived for at least another year, and were still in the tank when we gave it away to relatives. Danios are great fish for a starter tank. Ultimately, though, I wanted more colorful fish, and they just didn't fit the bill.

In the end, I ended up buying 3 male Cherry Barbs. The name gives a pretty good indication of their color pattern, which occurs only among the males. They grow up to 2 inches; the three I bought are still young, and nowhere near that size. In keeping with traditional start-up rules, I'll introduce the fish into the aquarium a few at a time. In a few days, I will go back and buy 3 more. I thought about getting females, but this species breeds pretty quickly and I simply don't have enough space to house all the small fry. Once I get the next batch, I'll stop for the foreseeable future. Eventually (read: when I can afford it), I'll buy a larger tank that can support various species of schools. It would be nice to have something like that to display. For now, I'll keep the 12 gallon goldfish tank and the 10 gallon barb tank and see how they do.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, pretty much describes what I've been doing these past few days. On a related note, any job leads (especially Church-related job leads) in the greater Jacksonville area would be most appreciated :-) God bless!


In Jesus and Mary,
Gerald

Once Again: This, Ladies And Gentlemen, Is Who Represents My Home District - Now With Subtitles!

I posted this once before, but I believe the subtitles make the point more vividly. A few reminders are in order:

- This is not a guest speaker. This is the duly-elected United States Representative of what is arguably the most heavily gerrymandered district in the country. Her votes actually make a difference when it comes to determining the extent of government intervention in health care and private industry. Not surprisingly, she is squarely in the Obama camp on virtually every issue.

- She has both a bachelor's and master's degree from Florida A&M University, a specialty certificate from the University of Florida (which does not technically make her a UF alum, but that does not stop her from making that claim), and was on the faculty at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville. Keep that in mind when you watch the video and see the extent of her grasp of the English language.

- The woman loves to claim the moral high ground when she takes a public stance on any issue, especially with regards to matters of race and alleged Republican voter fraud (though she is certainly not above being racially insensitive towards others, and has remained conspicuously silent regarding the many lawsuits filed against former Obama employer ACORN for voter fraud in at least 13 states). Despite her frequent and embarrassing displays of righteous indignation, she has been investigated by the House Ethics Committee enough times to make John Gotti blush. More information is available here and here.

That's enough to establish a consistent pattern of embarrassing behavior for the time being. Now on to the main event, an encore performance of her speech "gradulating" the "Florida Gatas" for their "gusty" play and their "BS-BCS" title in football. Now enhanced with subtitles. If you are in a silly mood, enjoy! If you are not, have some Ibuprofen ready. This is going to be painful to watch!