Saturday Song Share: Faith No More - Epic

One of the weirder videos from the 90's.  A rocking song that has aged well.

The video?  Eh, not so much...

Last 9/11 Search Dog Laid to Rest

Nearly 15 years after the horrific attack in New York, the last surviving search dog was put down in June.  

Dogs truly are amazing.

This has some creepy audio, but is a nice story nonetheless - 

Advice for My Niece on Her Sweet 16

Today marks the birthday of my beautiful, smart, talented niece.  It's a big one, too, as she turns sixteen.

I remember that age well.  It was tough, and given changes in our society, it's even more tough for today's kids.  Social media has put them on display and up for criticism 24/7.  Frankly, I have no idea how they get through it.

Based on years of learning the hard way, I'd like to impart some advice to her on her entry to adulthood:

• We've been blessed in this family with a good gut.  Trust it.  It is going to be right most of the time, and most of the time you'll be very happy you did.
• Know that you matter to so many people, and not just a little bit.  You matter a ton.  You may not feel that way, but you really, really do.  We care about you, we want to you to be a part of our lives, and we want to be a part of yours.  Please make time for it and we promise to do the same.
• A sincere "I love you" simply cannot be said enough.  Ditto a sincere "I'm sorry."
• The biggest choice you'll make in life is who you choose to love.  It matters on SO many levels, and is SO important.  Be choosy.  
• Bacon rocks.  Leave plenty of room in your life for it.
• The world is hard.  Damned hard.  There are way too many things that can pop up in which making the wrong choice can end in catastrophe.  This is real life, and there aren't any do-overs.  Be smart, even when all other signs are telling you not to be.
• Your family loves you more that you can even begin to know.  If you think they don't, know you're wrong.  That goes doubly true for your parents.  Triply true for God.
• Don't tolerate.  Life is way shorter than it feels like right now, and it is way too short to put up with dysfunction.  Moving on from crappy circumstances (at work, in relationships, etc.) always, always, always leads to better things.
• If you're not really laughing, you're not really living.
• Find reasons to go outside.  Walk, run, play sports, fish, ride bikes or horses, anything.  God's creation will fill your soul if you let it.
• Be a passionate fan of something.  Anything.  It's fun, and you'll always have something fun to share.
• A good nap is better than money.
• While the world might be telling you you're an idiot for thinking so, know that God is real.  He truly is.  He also listens.  Talk to Him - a lot.

Happy birthday, Kitty Cat.  I love you more than I can say.

What a Friend We Have in Muslims

This was the homepage of Sunday's StarTribune website:

Story after story.  And this from an entity that bends over backwards to not shine a light on Islamic extremism (ala Mayor de Blasio in the article above).

What is happening in my home state?

Hillary Low Energy

Seriously, what the hell is wrong with Hillary?  She looks, at worst, sick, and at best, in dire need of a long nap.

Her leadership optics are horrible:

Vikings Chant

I turned down a chance to go the game tonight.  Work reasons kept me from it, but if not for work I would not have had the opportunity in the first place, so there you go.

I so, so, so wish I could be there to see the Vikings Chant in person

SKOL!

We are all warriors of the North.#VikingsChant begins Sunday. pic.twitter.com/9nlJVrFmm8

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 16, 2016

Saturday Song Share: Paul Westerberg - Dyslexic Heart

One from the great Paul Westerberg.

Do I date you?
Do I hate you?
I got a dyslexic heart

The Power of the Meaning of the Cross

From Fr. Don yesterday:

The cross is everywhere today. We see it on walls and in paintings, of course, hanging in churches and homes but also from the ears and necks of rock stars. We see it so often that it loses its impact. In Christianity we celebrate it, too, at every Eucharist and in special feasts and seasons. It's also present more concretely, even emotionally, in the ills and pains of human life. John says in his Gospel that Jesus had to be lifted up on the cross "that all who believe may have eternal life in him" (John 3:13-14). Not simply that we will have eternal life but we may have it now. Eternal life begins now, it is not only for the world to come. It shows itself in healing, renewal of our spirit, in hope and joy. The cross of Christ saves us from death and also helps us now.

If we take the time in our next sorrow, bad mood, disappointment, discouragement, anxiety, bitterness even, to look at the Lord on the cross, we can find it says a lot to us. It tells us, whether we are crushed by our own sorrow or that of others, that God's own son has shared human sorrow. Not only has He shared it, He is still with us in every pain and danger, assuring us that through the cross we come finally to victory and joy. The cross tells us that the poor, the suffering, the homeless and ill, the abandoned, have a brother, a fellow sufferer in the Lord. In a most special way the Lord is with us and we are close to Him when we must suffer or undergo any of the difficulties and pains we call the cross. Our sharing in the remembrance of the Lord's passion at His supper goes on outside the church building in the unavoidable pains of daily life. So that we have even now eternal life.

Sage words to remember when we are suffering, regardless if our woes are small or massive.