September 23, 1779

On this date Captain John Paul Jones, commanding the USS Bonhomme Richard, famously told the British captain who demanded his surrender:

"I have not yet begun to fight!"

An interesting fact about this incident - the reason that the British (eventually) surrendered was not because they were outgunned. Rather, the HMS Serapis was forced to concede to the Americans because the ships were tied together.

Okay

My bracket is officially screwed. Thank you, St. Mary's. Appropriate, considering yesterday was St. Joseph's day.
If Northern Iowa hangs on to beat Kansas, my bracket will be really officially screwed. On the other hand, I'll be happy for my cousin who plays for UNI.

Just so y'all know, I picked OSU and Kentucky to play in the championship, so I could still squeeze some $$ out of this...

Something completely different

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid-air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill.

"A Prayer in Spring", by Robert Frost

A very apt poem for today, considering everything that is going on.

I should have stayed in Wisconsin

after I graduated from college. One of my roommates had family in Janesville, which is part of Rep. Paul Ryan's district.
I just finished watching him defend his own proposal on healthcare, while rightly pointing out that the Democrats don't seem to want to talk about theirs.

How in the HELL did Rep. Slaughter ever get elected to Congress? I'm sure she's a personable woman (it's impossible to be successful in politics without people skills, unless you're Rahm Emmanuel, but I digress) but I had no problem understanding Ryan. And I am not an expert on congressional-speak, nor do I find talking about "subsidies" and "taxing health insurance benefits" remotely interesting.
This is not quite 2 + 2 = 4, but it's not rocket science either.

I'm going to re-read the Constitution and find which amendment guarantees health care...

Pray

Pray in the name of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, for our country.
Pray that His will be done, and that we stay in it always.
Pray for repentance.
Pray that the Holy Spirit never leave us, and let us always be able to hear the "still, small voice" even through the din and noise and chaos of this world.
Pray that though we may not feel strong, that He remind us that He is strong enough to carry all of our burdens.
Pray that the Cross be kept ever before our eyes.
And on a personal note, please pray for a young member of my church. His name is Ryton, and he is five years old. He has been undergoing treatment for cancer for over a year.

We ask all these things in the name of our one Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen

This post's for Dad

Happy Pi Day! (March 14, circumference of a circle is 3.14............)

Better than tomorrow, when we come to bury Caesar (again), not to praise him.

"Money. I hate, loath, despise and abominate money!"

"You also spend it."

-a daughter's comment and her father's response, from the film Meet Me In St. Louis

"Pa, what's confiscate mean?"

"Steal."

-a son's question and his father's answer, from the film Shenandoah


Has anyone in the federal government ever seen either one of these movies?