Islam Meets Green Bay

You can't make this up, and from our local NCB affiliate here in Green Bay:

GREEN BAY - The Islamic Society of Wisconsin's Mosque, 1512 Velp Ave., was damaged when it was broken into on Monday by a 60-year-old Green Bay man.

John Michael Wescott, who had recently been released from jail prior to the incident, has been charged with criminal damage to property and trespassing.

Green Bay Police Chief Andrew Smith says it's not a hate crime.


Wescott was intoxicated when he broke into the mosque with ribs, beer and cigarettes.

Given that pork, alcohol, and tobacco are most clearly haram in Islam, this guy was batting 1.000 in inappropriate in his drunken search for a place to party.

This can only happen in Green Bay...

Today's Reading - Matthew 6:24-34

A very appropriate Gospel from today's mass:

Jesus said to his disciples:
"No one can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink,
or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky;
they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,
yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are not you more important than they?
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes?
Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.
They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was clothed like one of them.
If God so clothes the grass of the field,
which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,
will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?'
or 'What are we to drink?'or 'What are we to wear?'
All these things the pagans seek.
Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.

Sufficient for a day is its own evil."

Saturday Song Share: Re-Flex - The Politics of Dancing

This is the best post on politics that you'll read all week:

Christian Slater as The Wolf

A top-named actor in a quite effective ad:

Tuesday Night Mass

Tuesdays are my worst days.  At work, it represents the cumulation of two days of stress, panic, horrible time management, accusations, and drama.  

Monday is bad.  Really bad.  Tuesday is worse.

Because it is so crappy, I've been going to mass Tuesday nights.  I can't do daily mass in the mornings as I'm expected to have my butt in my seat by 7:00AM every work day, however one day per week we have a mass at night, and at 6:30PM it is just late enough for me to make it there if I protect my schedule enough at work.

What a salve it has been.  Many times, mired in the garbage that is my standard Tuesday, I think hard about the fact that I'll force things to leave on time, and will be able to partake of the Eucharist later if I can just muddle through.

It is a small mass in our chapel and is usually presided by my favorite priest, Fr. Scott.  A good-looking 20 something, Fr. Scott is as hilarious as he is passionate about our Lord.  He's quick with the one-liners as well as connecting his homily to the gospel.  I'll likely be writing of the best lines he's used in some future post (here's a taste - in closing mass last month, he stated, "Please let us pray for Fr. John on his trip to Florida.  Let us pray for his safe travels and that he returns to us refreshed.  Amen.  Since Fr. John is leaving, and I'll be there alone, and that means there will be a major rager in the rectory all week long, so stop on by, but BYOB.")

It is just what I need at the end of what has usually been two crappy days.  And you know what?  The rest of the week is pretty darned good as a result.

I don't think that's a coincidence.

Randy Wants Me Dead

A couple of months ago a guy called me up at work and wanted me to basically pay him money for him to ride around and advertise our business.  I listened to his pitch, told him I'd get back to him, then completely forgot about it.

Turns out he didn't forget about it.  Not in the least.  Here's the voicemail he left me:

I'm not sure that I've ever had someone threaten to kill me before.  

Fun times.

Happy Birthday, Mom

75 years ago today my Mom was born.  My siblings and I were able to spend a long weekend with her in Chicago celebrating that incredible milestone.  Our agenda was a full one:

• We had an incredible lunch a Eataly
• Took an architectural boat tour up the Chicago river
• Saw a production of Hamilton that has all of us still completely blown away
• Breakfasted at Trump's restaurant (Michelin 2-Star) at his shiny, new tower
• Walked much of the city - logging over 10 miles hiking on Saturday alone (and Mom not only kept up, but led much of the charge)
• Relished a fantastic dinner at Blackbird (Michelin 1-Star) where we toasted Mom over Dom Perignon, a 100 point Cab, and a desert wine that was casked in the year of her birth - 1942.
• Ate the best pancakes I've ever had in my life
• All done in the splendor of 60 degree weather in Chicago in mid-February

Though it all we enjoyed the unique opportunity to just be a core family.  All of this was achieved despite my sister fighting through a terrible cold, but absolutely gutting it out for the entire event.

I think Mom loved it.  I know I did, and it will be one of those trips that we'll talk about every time we gather for the rest of our lives.   

In looking back, we did a lot.  However, compared to all Mom has done for all of us, the ledger didn't even tilt.  We could do weekends like this for decades and still not repay the debt that we all owe her.  She is truly that incredible, and is truly that influential on our lives, both past and present.

Happy birthday, Mom.  You are loved more than you could ever know. 

Saturday Song Share: Grimes - Oblivion

I just love her voice: