Friday, February 6, 2004

Becoming A Benedictine Monk

A blog detailing one man's journey into a monastery. Very interesting site and well designed besides.



Becoming A Benedictine Monk

The Passion of the Christ on the Hood of NASCAR Car

Bobby Labonte's #18, for the Daytona 500 a week from this Sunday.



From Churches flock to see controversial film on Jesus:



"Norm Miller, chairman of Dallas-based Interstate Batteries, replaced his own company's hood-sized logo with an ad for 'The Passion' on NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte's No. 18 Chevrolet. The car will carry the ad during the Daytona 500 race Feb. 15.



Miller said he feels 'privileged' to offer the giveaway publicity.



Miller is yet another volunteer in an effort to turn 'The Passion' into a success of biblical proportions. Many think a successful opening will encourage more Christian-themed movies — and win more souls. 'We need this film to have the biggest opening on record,' said the Web site catholicexchange.com."

State Department Dictates use of Times New Roman 14

No more Courier New 12 for you...



From Yahoo! News - US bans timed-honored typeface from diplomatic correspondence:



"In an internal memorandum distributed on Wednesday, the department declared 'Courier New 12' -- the font and size decreed for US diplomatic documents for years -- to be obsolete and unacceptable after February 1.



'In response to many requests and with a view to making our written work easier to read, we are moving to a new standard font: 'Times New Roman 14',' said the memorandum, a copy of which was obtained by AFP on Thursday.



The new font 'takes up almost exactly the same area on the page as Courier New 12, while offering a crisper, cleaner, more modern look,' it said, adding that after February 1 'only Times New Roman 14 will be accepted.'



'This applies to diplomatic notes,' the memorandum said tersely.



There are only three exceptions to the draconian new typographical rules: telegrams, treaty materials prepared by the State Department's legal affairs office and documents drawn up for the president's signature, it said. "

"I Have Never Had Sexual Relations with Anyone."

If he has, we're sure to hear about it in the coming days. One Catholic watchdog group, Roman Catholic Faithful, have had their spotlight on him for some years and if they have anything they are sure to release it.



The fact that he is not stepping down, shows a flaw in the system. If he were just a priest, he'd be removed while they investigated this. I find the reaction of the priests, giving him a standing ovation, a little tasteless. They do not know what the truth is, anymore than I do, but gravity should be the tone when a serious charge has been raised not elation.



And I'm not sure, if I was the Bishop, I would use a phrase that sounds very Clintonian.



From Albany, N.Y. -- timesunion.com:



"During an extraordinary news conference in which the spiritual leader of the region's 400,000 Catholics was asked detailed questions about his sex life, Hubbard said the allegations, made the day before by the dead man's brother, were 'completely and utterly false.'



The 64-year-old Hubbard added, 'I have never had sexual relations with anyone.'



Hubbard cut short a vacation in Florida to answer charges made Wednesday by Andrew Zalay, a 56-year-old electrical engineer who now lives in Laguna Nigel, Calif. Zalay released what he said was an unsigned, typewritten suicide note from his brother, Thomas N. Zalay, that described a homosexual affair with Hubbard.



Both Andrew Zalay and his attorney, John Aretakis, said they don't know how or when Thomas Zalay and Hubbard could have met.

Thomas Zalay died April 19, 1978, at age 25, after he set himself ablaze in the bedroom of his family's home on Myrtle Avenue in Albany. Andrew Zalay said he found the note among his late mother's possessions when he was cleaning out the home for sale last August.



In a second, handwritten suicide note, Thomas Zalay described himself as deeply troubled, saying he was plagued by thoughts of murder, incest and child molesting, and called himself a 'dangerous monster.' The note does not mention Hubbard.



Thomas Zalay had been an altar boy at St. Vincent de Paul Church on Madison Avenue. He attended Boston's Northeastern University and worked as a computer technician for the General Electric Co. in Pittsfield, Mass."

Sad News-- Body of Missing Girl Found Dead

Evil.



The strangest thing about this incident was that she didn't seem to put up a fight when she was abducted.



From New York City - Body of Missing Girl Found Dead:



"The body of an 11-year-old girl whose abduction was captured by a surveillance camera has been found and a mechanic has been charged with her murder, officials said Friday.



Sarasota County Sheriff Bill Balkwill refused to say where Carlie Brucia was found, saying it is an active crime scene.



He said Joseph P. Smith, 37, has been charged with her murder. He is believed to be the tattooed man in a mechanic's shirt who was seen in a car wash surveillance video leading Carlie away by the arm Sunday evening, authorities said.



He has been held without bail since Tuesday on an alleged probation violation."

Zook Demotes Zaunbrecher at UF

Offense was already sputtering, makes me wonder why you wouldn't bring someone in with a proven track record.



From Gatorsports.com:



"Zook demoted offensive coordinator Ed Zaunbrecher and promoted outside receivers coach Larry Fedora to the position.



'Larry's going to run the offense,' Zook said. 'They are both great coaches, and the system's not going to change. I just wanted a little more tempo, a little more upbeat, and I think Larry will do that.'



Already with one opening on his staff after defensive backs coach Mike Woodford was fired Jan. 3, Zook could have another one today. He said he was unsure whether Zaunbrecher would remain on the staff as quarterbacks coach.



'It's up to Ed,' Zook said. 'I told Ed and I left and told him we'd talk again in the morning. I hope he stays on to coach the quarterbacks.'"

Thursday, February 5, 2004

'Great Number' Dead Near Beijing

From what? We'll have to wait to know...



From ABCNEWS.com : Report: 'Great Number' Dead Near Beijing:



" A 'great number of people' were killed and many others injured Thursday at a holiday gathering outside the Chinese capital, the official Xinhua News Agency said.



The agency's brief report quoted police sources and gave no details. It said the accident whose nature it didn't specify occurred in Miyun County, a suburb of Beijing."