Friday's of Lent

As a Catholic, I often get asked by my non-Catholic friends, "why do Catholics not eat meat on Friday and why is fish not considered a meat?" I'm going to try to answer these, and I know that at least one Catholic Deacon occasionally reads this blog, so he will surely correct me if I'm wrong. Remember, I'm still pretty new at this Catholic thing...closing in on 6 years.

The not eating meat and fasting during lent are the easier questions to answer. Lent is a season of penance. We are making sacrifices and making changes in our life to grow in our relationship with God. We should do this year around, but Lent is special and leads to an increased focus. By giving up meat on Fridays and fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, we are making a conscious effort to deny comforts to ourselves. To get through this denial, we rely on God to help us, thus strengthening the relationship.

Now, as for why fish aren't considered meat, I'm lost on that one. So, I did some searching, and here's a few ideas from http://forums.catholic.com/:

Idea #1: "I believe the distinction is in cold-bloodedness in addition to something about being aquatic. Frog legs, for example, are not considered "meat." These distinctions are not essentially biological. It wasn't until the 16th Century that the Jews decided that poultry was "meat." The rationale is that the closer an animal is to "human" the more festal it is to eat it --. So fish are down the line a bit. Shellfish are even further down the line. The Eastern Orthodox have a progression of Sundays leading up to Lent in which things are eliminated from the diet: Meat goes first, then fish, then shellfish, then cheese . . ."

Idea #2: "The ancient idea that FISH is not MEAT comes from the fact that when a freshly caught fish is sliced - it does not bleed blood.A warmblooded animal will bleed if sliced."

I think fish might bleed when cut, but I haven't caught one since I was 12, so I threw that in. That's the best I can do on why fish isn't considered a meat. If anyone knows, please let me know, because this question vexes me.

TV Series Review: Psych, Season 2

"Psych" is one of the most original series on TV, with by far the best opening theme on TV. "Psych" is so good, in fact, that it spawned a rip off on CBS called "The Mentalist". In season 2, our favorite (fake)psychic detective Shawn Spencer and his pal Gus are at it again. Season 2 is easily as good as Season 1, maybe even better. Season 2 is 5 stars, and I can't wait for Season 3.

In this season, the characters develop a lot more. I really enjoyed the development of Gus. He is a much bigger part of the show in Season 2 than he was in Season 1. The rest of the cast continues to grow in their roles on this mystery/comedy series.

The following quote was from one of the final episodes of the season and makes me laugh every time I say it:

"I'd rather shower with a bear."

That's all I got on this series. If you like a mystery and you like to laugh, then you will like "Psych."

What would Thomas Jefferson Say?

As I type this, our current President is attempting to make the Federal Government bigger and more powerful than every before, all in the name of fixing the economic crisis. From Government run Health Care to Government owned banks, they're considering it all.

As I pondered this, I thought back to a family trip to Philadelphia a few years ago. We visited the new Constitution Center and Independence Hall. At the Constitution Center, there is a room with life sized bronze statues of all the members on the Continental Congress. Conspicuous by his absence is Thomas Jefferson. Being a history novice (I was educated in public schools after all), I asked one of the employees about this, and got a lesson in history. I was informed that Jefferson was in France during the Continental Congress and that he hated the idea of the Constitution. Jefferson was a states' rights guy, and he felt the Constitution gave the Federal Government too much power. Eventually, our 3rd President found a voice in the Democratic-Republic party pushing for a limited federal government.

So, on a day like today, when I see our federal government increasing in power and size by leaps and bounds, I did some research to see just what Thomas Jefferson would have to say. Here are some quotes from Jefferson that address the very topics I struggle with today, followed by my own commentary on each.

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."

How often do we hear that the government is spending all this money and instituting new programs to make a better life for us? Remember, we pay taxes for all these programs...there's no free ride. What happened to people making the American dream for themselves?

"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government."

I don't really have much to add to this. Seems to speak for itself in the current climate.

"No government ought to be without censors; and where the press is free no one ever will."

Our press is still free, but they've chosen a side. With a few exceptions in the media, censorship exists, in that the media will report the stories that bolster their chosen side while suppressing stories that may hurt their chosen side.

Now, my personal favorite:

"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty."

I don't think we fear our government yet, but it's getting closer. As more people become dependent on government assistance to live, fear of losing that government assistance leads to fear of the government, and eventually a form of tyranny.

I believe Thomas Jefferson would be ashamed of what direction our country is taking these days. Jefferson was a brilliant man and a great President. After all, he's on Mt. Rushmore, so he must have done something right. Perhaps in this troublesome time, we should look to the wisdom of those great minds in our history for guidance rather than relying on hope that a relative novice will bring about the change we need.

Book Review: Ender's Game

After my recent string of "kids" books that I have enjoyed, from the Ranger's Apprentice Series to The Seems, a friend of mine recommended that I read "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card. My neighbor had also recommended this book to me a while ago, so I gave it a shot.

It's difficult to describe "Ender's Game" because it's an unusual story, to say the least. The story is set in the distant future after earth has been attacked, twice, by aliens. In order to not only survive, but win the next war, Earth's military has taken to training a generation of military geniuses. The hero of the story, and the most brilliant of all is Ender Wiggin, who was taken from his family at age 6 to study at Battle School. Ender's brilliance distinguishes him almost immediately, but also causes trouble. "Ender's Game" follows Ender through the next 6 years of his life, through his ups and downs.

Ender is a likable kid, with his own set of demons. In a lot of ways, he's sort of like Harry Potter, maybe a little darker and definitely more complex. The other characters we meet along the way all have an agenda, and they all touch Ender's life in one was or another (both good and bad).

Fair warning on this book. There are some pages that are hard to get through (it took me about 100 pages to decide I liked it), and I would say this book is questionable for anyone under about 14-15 years of age.

"Ender's Game" may not be my favorite book ever, but it's really good. It's one of the better Science Fiction books I've ever read. I look forward to reading more of the "Ender" books and "Shadow" books by Orson Scott Card. I can see that Card could quickly become one of my favorite authors.

Major Bummer Dude

I'm in Huntsville, AL right now. Don't ask why I'm in Huntsville, I just am. I will be leaving tomorrow. Today, I learned that Huntsville isn't part of the south, but if you drive 1 mile out of town you are in the south.

What is Huntsville famous for? For those my age, you'll all remember the Space Camp commercials when you were a kid. Yes, Space Camp! There's a bunch of NASA and space related things here, including a 360+ ft. mock-up of the Saturn V rocket, the largest rocket ever produced. At least that's what the sign said.

So, now you're asking why is this blog titled "Major Bummer Dude". Because, I got all excited about getting to go to the "Space" museums while I was here. However, once I got here, I quickly realized that there hours are 9-5, which wouldn't work for me. I then found out that they were closed on Mondays and Tuesdays through this week. ARGH!!! I was so looking forward to that. I've always been fascinated by the space program. I guess I'll have to come back again sometime.

This did lead me to a question. Why are museums usually only open during the day? Art Museums, Science Museums, etc. all usually close at 5. Wouldn't it make financial sense to stay open past 5 so people with regular jobs can go to museums on weekdays? This may be one of those questions that will never be answered.

What's the deal with the Oscars?

Today is Oscar Sunday. Starting at 7:30 Central Time, ABC will broadcast the 81st Academy Awards. Even now, some networks are showing the red carpet. I just don't get it! Why the fascination with this event?

Here's the top 5 things about the Oscars that bug me:

5 - The red carpet. We're supposed to watch rich people walk by cameras wearing clothes and jewelry they got for free so designers we can't afford can get publicity? Huh?

4 - The movies. I haven't seen any of the movies nominated for Best Picture this year. I would watch it if movies like "The Dark Knight" were nominated. I guess that's why we have the People's Choice Awards.

3 - Politics. I don't want to listen to George Clooney, Susan Sarandon and every other nutjob liberal in Hollywood get on stage and tell me why they love Barack Obama.

2 - Joan and Melissa Rivers. These 2 have made a career with this event. Neither of them has any talent, yet they get to cover this every year. Meanwhile, Americans with real skills are being laid off every day. It just doesn't seem right to me.

1 - The premise of the whole thing. A bunch of movie people get together and give each other awards. It just seems a little seedy to me.

So, while a bunch of Americans are tuned into the Oscars tonight, I'll be hanging with my kids, then watching a real classic...Iron Chef America!