An Ode to Laner

I had a mission, so simple, so clear . . .
Just make fun of Lane, whom I hold so dear.

I sat at my desk, and I thought and I thought,
But to razz my friend Lane, well it all came to naught.

I have plenty of fodder from the good times we've had,
Or maybe a one-liner about Laner's Dad.

Should I write about things that Lane liked that I found?
Like a pretty blue egg that fell to the ground?

Perhaps I should tell of the hilarity
When we ran through the halls with a stick and a bee?

Now those were the days of unrestrained humor,
The making of jokes and starting of rumors.

Lane must be wondering what's wrong with me now,
As he's currently reading with dark, furrowed brow.

But 'though this poem is very weak . . .
You're the one living on "Gaylord Street!"

Love ya' Laner!

Tagged Again!

The rules of this Meme are:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

I was tagged by Dawn from A Helping Hand.

1. I like telling people that I'm a quarter Jewish, just like Harrison Ford.
2. I weighed 165 lbs. one year after I graduated from college.
3. I weighed 118 lbs. my first semester of Law School.
4. I now weigh 135 lbs. :(
5. I only have one pair of pants that fits (not including sweatpants).
6. I really enjoy sweets.

I'm going to tag Ignorant Redneck of Redneck Catholic and that's it, because everyone that I would link to is already linked! IR, help yourself to the mos excellent award in the next post!

A Helping Hand

Dawn from A Helping Hand has given me an award!


This award acknowledges the values that every blogger shows in his/her effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary and personal values every day.

The rules to follow are :
1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person that has granted the award and his or her blog link.
2) Pass the award to other 15 blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgment.
Remember to contact each of them to let them know they have been chosen for this award.


I've always been just a wee bit jealous of all the other bloggers with their fancy awards and such . . . so now I have one of my own. Thanks Dawn. I'll post a list of who I would like to award this to shortly, but right now, I'm on the clock!

Homosexual Agenda

Our local newspaper has an editorial today about Prop 8 in California, which is an attempt by the people of California to keep marriage as marriage and not redefine it to include other types of relationships. Since our local newspaper is pretty lefty, the editorial throws in the necessary references to "theocratic bullies" and "homophobic bigots." (Read the whole thing here.) But the main gist of the opinion piece questions the ad campaign of the Prop 8 supporters, which has brought up protection of children as an ancillary issue to this vote.

The author dismisses this tactic, but are the Prop 8 supporters so off base? In Massachusetts, so-called homosexual marriage was also "legalized" by judicial fiat. Have the kids there been affected, and are Californians right to be concerned about their children's safety if they don't stop the redefinition of marriage in their own state? Based on the information contained at this website the answer is emphatically "Yes!" Warning, the information contained at this site is extremely disturbing and I advise you to "click" with caution.

In Massachusetts, parents are not allowed to "opt out" of pro-homosexuality lessons, children in kindergarten are being indoctrinated, instructions about how to perform various sex acts that are really obscene have been disseminated, and teenage boys have been given information sheets about where the gay bars are so they can be picked up by adult predators. Absolutely disgusting. Is there any real doubt that the educrats in California won't be pulling these same stunts if Prop 8 doesn't pass?

Ultimately, the writer of the opinion piece is right. Who wouldn't vote for protecting children?

Sarah Palin in Indiana

I went to the Palin rally tonight, but when 8:00 p.m. came my husband, my mom, my sister and her roommate and I were still inching along in traffic. There were cars parked all along the edge of the road and we started seeing people walking back to their cars, which made us nervous . . . finally, a young woman let us know that they were turning people away.



Let me tell you though, the line of cars heading to the rally was LONG! Any estimate of numbers you hear, just add another 10,000 or so for those of us who couldn't make it!

Okay, okay, last video . . .

This is hilarious!

Uneducated Voters . . .surprised?

This is an excerpt from Howard Stern, whom I CANNOT stand, but this bit is pretty funny.



Hat tip:RedState via Thoughts of a Regular Guy

Damning Evidence

Click on picture to enlarge . . .

Mea culpa, but I don't have the link to where I got this from, so I'm sending apologies into the blogosphere. If you think I swiped this from your site, let me know and I'll link back!

UPDATE: Dawn from A Helping Hand has a link to the Memo.

This Guy is Awesome!

Hat Tip: The Anchoress

Yesterday . . .

I was telling people regarding my BAR Exam results: If I don't tell you I passed, please don't ask!

Today I am telling people regarding my BAR Exam results: I passed! I passed! I passed! I passed! I passed! ad nauseum ad infinitum . . .

Coat Hanger Abortion

Lately, I've been seeing the ever-ready-to-be-dusted-off-argument-for-legalized-abortion being taken out of the basement, primarily as a reaction to Gov. Palin. It is the dreaded "rusty coat-hanger" argument.

From now on, here is how that line of "reasoning" will be rebutted by yours truly:

Pro-Abort: "You are such a horrible person! If abortion isn't legal, women will be forced to jeopardize their health with a rusty coat-hanger!"


Me: "You're right. Getting stabbed to death with a rusty coat-hanger would be awful. That will be illegal, too."

Great video!

From Catholic Vote.

Sarah Palin

I gotta say it! I love, Love, LOVE Sarah Palin! I love that she's authentically pro-life, and I really love the way she's got the uber-lib types scrambling! This is fantastic!

One of the best lines? Hugh Hewitt said something to the effect that after failing to diminish her appeal, the media and the Dems have gone back to Mordor to regroup.

On a side note, my hubby said that I look like her . . . now if that's not the sweetest compliment, I don't know what is.

Ten things I'd like to see in action meme . . .

Courtesy of Redneck Catholic (formerly Ignorant Redneck Rants):

10. Kentucky State licensing of me to practice the Law.
9. Derek Jeeter. (I'm not really a baseball/Yankees fan, but . . .Hello, Mr. Jeeter!)
8. A steam cleaner on the area rug in the front room.
7. My honey playing soccer. (He's got skills! Even better than Jeeter!)
6. The end of abortion.
5. Renewal and revitilization of convents.
4. My pregnancy. (Don't get excited! I'm not preggers yet, but it IS on my wish list. Hey, maybe it will help with number 5 . . .)
3. It would be nice if the Republican party could return to it's conservative roots.
2. The kids playing.
And . . .
1. Fr. Klotter bustin' out in the Extraordinary Form!

Long Time No Post Round-up

I haven't posted in a long time, so I thought I'd do a round-up of everything I've been up to in the past few weeks . . .

First and foremost, of course, I got married. The wedding was awesome. We used the Extraordinary Form and it really was beautiful! I wish I had a recording so I could re-listen to it. But of course, I have to put up some pictures.

Here is one where we are saying our vows . . .



And here is a funny one of the wedding party, and one of my nephews, whose presence we were very perturbed by . . .




I also attended The Church Teaches Forum, and was fortunate enough to get a photo with Cardinal Arinze!




When I was introduced to His Eminence by Mom, and appropriately kissed his ring (ahem, IR, or should I say RC?)I asked for a picture and he said, "Okay, but not by yourself." Which was fine by me, but I wasn't sure what the caveat was for . . . Mom said that it could be scandalous for the Cardinal to have a picture with a young woman by herself, or it could be used for scandalous purposes, which I think is pretty respectable. The man in the picture is Pat Monaghan, who practices International Law with the ACLJ, I think, so not bad company!


Some of you may be thinking to yourselves, "Isn't this girl supposed to be studying for the Bar Exam?" The answer is "Yes!" The following is a little overview of what I have been doing instead . . .

putting up pot racks . . .


painting . . .



and hanging pictures . . .


Emphatically NOT studying. Heaven help me! Please say a prayer that I will be dedicated to memorizing the Rule of Law over the next few days, and maybe that the rules I memorize are the ones we're tested on!

June 14, 2008

I'm getting married at 10:00 a.m. I wonder if I'll sleep tonight?

I've been tagged!

IR at Ignorant Redneck Rants has tagged me with a meme:

Rules:
Answer the questions.
Tag 3.5 other blogs.

!-- Would you rather give up ice cream, or Pizza? I'm sorry, I didn't hear you . . .
@--Which season would you eliminate? The end of Fall, all of Winter, and the beginning of Spring.
#--You're stuck on a desert island, would you rather have your best friend with you, or cable television? Is this a redundant question?
$--would you rather be a bird, or a fish? Cardinal Bird
%--Which song would you ban from wedding receptions? Any song with words.
^--You have 5,000 dollars to spend in one store, where do you go? Home Depot. I'm in the process of making my fiance's house less of a bachelor pad!
&--You get to have one president of the US as a drinking buddy. Who do you pick? Hmmm. Tough one. I'd have to go with Reagan. He'd bring jelly beans!

But I can't tag 3.5 other blogs . . .I can't count that high! ;)

Is this funny . . .or one of the scariest videos ever . . .?

It's official!

I have successfully graduated from law school.

On to the Bar Exam . . .

Don't you hate it when . . .

you think of the perfect response, oh, about two weeks later?

After my trip to NY to see Papa Benedict one of my classmates made the comment, which I've seen on left-wing blogs about a hundred times, that the Pope has "sooo much money" and "it just seems like he should give it to the poor and live more like Jesus." Generally when I've seen those types of comments on blogs I kind of do an eye roll and dismiss, but when someone says it to you in person you have to respond. So I squinched my eyebrows together at my classmate and mumbled that most of the Pope's "stuff" was gifts and that it didn't really belong to him, it belonged to the Church, so he can't just give it away.

Not a very satisfying response. Or persuasive.

So I was stewing about this interchange until it suddenly hit me:

Matthew 26:7-13

7There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. 8 But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? 9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. 10 When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. 11 For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. 12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. 13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.


Why, oh why, didn't I say something pithy, clever, and thought provoking like, "The disciples asked that same question of Jesus when the woman annointed him with expensive oils."

GRRRRRR!

Pope Benedict XVI

I am lucky enough to have a ticket for the Papal Mass this weekend in New York. I can't wait to see Papa Benedict!



Love the shoes.

I've been tagged!

Well, this is the first time I've been tagged with a meme (courtesy of Ignorant Redneck, http://reneckcatholic.blogspot.com) so I'll give it a shot. It's a nice distraction from my Administrative Law final exam that is due at 4:30!

Here goes:

1. When tagged, place the name and URL on your blog.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write 7 non-important things/quirks/habits about yourself.
4. Name 7 of your favorite blogs.

7 non-important things/quirks/habits about myself:

1. I have a footnote in a Georgetown Law Review article.
2. I have thirteen nieces and nephews, courtesy of two of my sisters.
3. I would like to win the procreation race in my family. So far the high scorer has eight.
4. If I need to control a laugh, I hold my nose.
5. My fiance and I met on Ash Wednesday last year while volunteering at an income tax clinic. He says he was attracted to the ashes.
6. I am a major procrastinator. Hey, I need the pressure!

and last but not least . . .
7. My blog is named after my cat, who was named after the Mines of Moria in LOTR. My cat disappeared about six years ago. She's not dead, she's on the incredible journey. Mom thinks she made it to Hollywood.

My seven favorite blogs? This is a tough one, since there are so many good ones, but here are the seven I read most regularly:

1. Ignorant Redneck
2. Pro Ecclesia * Pro Familia * Pro Civitatis
3. Thoughts of a Regular Guy
4. The Curt Jester
5. Et Tu, Jen?
6. Catholic Caveman
7. And last but not least, this is my brother-in-law's blog . . .Seeking Justice

Thought I'd throw on some pictures from the Barrister's Ball

Here's my honey. He is very handsome!



Notice that I have no feet in this picture! Someone should have caught that . . .

Christendom College

Well I'll be! Pope Benedict mentioned my alma mater!

Here's what he said:

To special groups

I offer a warm welcome to all the English-speaking visitors and pilgrims attending today's Audience, including the groups from England, Denmark, Sweden, Indonesia, Canada and the United States. I extend particular greetings to the visitors from Christendom College and to the many student groups present. May this Lenten Season purify your hearts and renew your faith and your hope in the mystery of Christ our Redeemer. God bless you all!

Even though I wasn't with the group . . .I think the blessing applies to me too! ;)

Wedding Update

I went to my bridal shower this weekend in Virginia. It was really interesting to see the ladies I know from different walks of life interacting with each other.

We played the toilet paper wedding dress game that I love. That's my only complaint as far as the shower went . . . I didn't get to play any of the games!

On the Anniversary of Roe. . .

Planned Parenthood loves having access to high school students. They claim that they are interested in the "health" of these young people, and also have a goal of reducing "unplanned" pregnancies. Yeah right. Check out this consumer report, which rated the condoms distributed by PP as "poor"! Considering that the majority of people seeking an abortion claim a "contraceptive failure" we shouldn't be surprised that PP is quite willing to up those numbers. More money in the bank!

Another interesting tidbit amidst all the media yowling about abstinence only education, is that in California, the first state to reject federal funding tied to abstinence programs, the STD rate among teenagers is skyrocketing. Mmmmm . . .chlamydia, now that's healthy! To view charts of California's STD rates and teen pregnancy, go here and here. And of course, here is a report concerning abortions funded by Medi-Cal in 2001.

Obama: Mr. Abortion

Obama Is the Most Pro-Abortion Candidate Ever
By Terence P. Jeffrey
CNSNews.com Editor in Chief
January 09, 2008

Barack Obama is the most pro-abortion presidential candidate ever.

He is so pro-abortion that he refused as an Illinois state senator to support legislation to protect babies who survived late-term abortions because he did not want to concede -- as he explained in a cold-blooded speech on the Illinois Senate floor -- that these babies, fully outside their mothers' wombs, with their hearts beating and lungs heaving, were in fact "persons."

"Persons," of course, are guaranteed equal protection of the law under the 14th Amendment.

In 2004, U.S. Senate-candidate Obama mischaracterized his opposition to this legislation. Now, as a presidential frontrunner, he should be held accountable for what he actually said and did about the Born Alive Infants Bill.

State and federal versions of this bill became an issue earlier this decade because of "induced labor abortion." This is usually performed on a baby with Down's Syndrome or another problem discovered on the cusp of viability. A doctor medicates the mother to cause premature labor. Babies surviving labor are left untreated to die.

Jill Stanek, who was a nurse at Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, Ill., testified in the U.S. Congress in 2000 and 2001 about how "induced labor abortions" were handled at her hospital.

"One night," she said in testimony entered into the Congressional Record, "a nursing co-worker was taking an aborted Down's Syndrome baby who was born alive to our Soiled Utility Room because his parents did not want to hold him, and she did not have the time to hold him. I couldn't bear the thought of this suffering child lying alone in a Soiled Utility Room, so I cradled and rocked him for the 45 minutes that he lived."

In 2001, Illinois state Sen. Patrick O'Malley introduced three bills to help such babies. One required a second physician to be present at the abortion to determine if a surviving baby was viable. Another gave the parents or a public guardian the right to sue to protect the baby's rights. A third, almost identical to the federal Born Alive Infant Protection Act President Bush signed in 2002, simply said a "homo sapiens" wholly emerged from his mother with a "beating heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord or definite movement of voluntary muscles" should be treated as a "'person,' 'human being,' 'child' and 'individual.'"

Stanek testified about these bills in the Illinois Senate Judiciary Committee, where Obama served. She told me this week he was "unfazed" by her story of holding the baby who survived an induced labor abortion.

On the Illinois Senate floor, Obama was the only senator to speak against the baby-protecting bills. He voted "present" on each, effectively the same as a "no."

"Number one," said Obama, explaining his reluctance to protect born infants, "whenever we define a pre-viable fetus as a person that is protected by the Equal Protection Clause or the other elements in the Constitution, what we're really saying is, in fact, that they are persons that are entitled to the kinds of protections that would be provided to a -- a child, a 9-month old -- child that was delivered to term. That determination then, essentially, if it was accepted by a court, would forbid abortions to take place. I mean, it -- it would essentially bar abortions, because the Equal Protection Clause does not allow somebody to kill a child, and if this is a child, then this would be an anti-abortion statute."

That June, the U.S. Senate voted 98-0 in favor of the Born Alive Infants Protection Act (although it failed to become law that year). Pro-abortion Democrats supported it because this language was added: "Nothing in this section shall be construed to affirm, deny, expand or contract any legal status or legal right applicable to any member of the species homo sapiens at any point prior to being born alive as defined in this section."

Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer explained that with this language the "amendment certainly does not attack Roe v. Wade."

On July 18, 2002, Democratic Sen. Harry Reid called for the bill to be approved by unanimous consent. It was.

That same year, the Illinois version of the bill came up again. Obama voted "no."

In 2003, Democrats took control of the Illinois Senate. Obama became chairman of the Health and Human Services committee. The Born Alive Infant bill, now sponsored by Sen. Richard Winkel, was referred to this committee. Winkel also sponsored an amendment to make the Illinois bill identical to the federal law, adding -- word for word -- the language Barbara Boxer said protected Roe v. Wade. Obama still held the bill hostage in his committee, never calling a vote so it could be sent to the full senate.

A year later, when Republican U.S. senate candidate Alan Keyes challenged Obama in a debate for his opposition to the Born Alive Infant Bill, Obama said: "At the federal level there was a similar bill that passed because it had an amendment saying this does not encroach on Roe v. Wade. I would have voted for that bill."

In fact, Obama had personally killed exactly that bill.