Tag Archives: Papa Ratzi

Way Down in the Hole

And now we find ourselves on A Saturday. Still quite cold out.41 degrees. Last week it was in the 70’s. 35 years ago I was in the 70’s. Now here I am a bit nippy, high beams and all. Watched Doubt this afternoon.

Reminded me of my first visit to St. Francis de Sales before I started school. The first time I saw a nun, probably the principal Sister Antonia Marie, was terrifying. Who were these things dressed head to toe all in black, looking like they were hovering above the floor like ghosts?

All that was visible was their faces and hands. This must have been the first half of 1967. The smell of Father Lennon’s cigars wafting through the corridors.

I’ve written before about Sister Mary Octavian who used to spank me and make me stand behind the television set until the kindergarten teacher, Mrs Burson arrived. Sister Mary Octavian had problems with my brother Brian and I’m sure she took out her frustrations with him out on me.

No it was not an environment for me. I’m sure public school wouldn’t have been the answer and any way that was out of the question.

Great acting by all in Doubt though. Of course Meryl Streep is compelling as the old school nun, my doppelganger Philip Seymour Hoffman conveys the right mix of sympathy and compassion. Amy Adams and Viola Davis were quite good as well.

Most of these catechisms were discarded after 1968’s Vatican II conference, a way of bringing the Catholic crutch up to date, relatively speaking.

And nowadays we have the head of the crutch implicated in a child molestation scandal. I say child molestation since that is basically what has been going on throughout the world and is only being reported lately.

The crutch tried to say a few years ago that it was only an American phenomenon but as things are coming to light the phenomenon has been occurring in Ireland and Germany and Brazil for decades and covered up by the crutch so that the police wouldn’t find out, though in Ireland it’s been reported that the government had a hand in the cover up.

In Germany the head of the crutch and his brother have their fingerprints on memos designed to hide the truth and merely move the pedophile priest from one parish to another despite the warnings and alarms brought up by psychologists.

Now the Vatican is claiming that this is all an attempt to smear the pope.

A predator priest in Wisconsin has been reported of molesting over 200 deaf boys and though there had been warning about this monster priest, he was still allowed to be buried in his magical frocks and vestments.

And once again Herr Ratzinger was informed of these crimes and his response was to protect the crutch, not the children.

I don’t see how anyone can still believe in these charlatans, these child molesting men and their systems which are designed to protect and enable these beasts to continue performing such heinous acts.

Oh there I go again, slandering Papa Ratzi.

I’m just staying in this afternoon, avoiding the crutch and killing time before I head out to see Pecong, the play that Bill has been stage managing. The show is at 8:00 and Bill has a comped pass for me and a plus one but I can’t think of anyone who might want to go.

Just went through my phone book on my cellphone but came up empty handed and empty headed. Just as well and just as I planned on going. I only found out about the plus one this morning and that’s too late for anyone I know to make plans to join me.

I just have to get up to Fifth Avenue and 125th Street by 7:45, and it’s almost 4:00 now.

Goof

Goof

Purple Snowflakes

Well I hope this finds this in good health and safe wherever you you are. I’m pretty lazy right now, but here am, writing this on the birthday of Jesus of Nazareth. Possibly a good guy, just getting through the people around him would be a chore.

In any event, on this day of Solstice celebration and what have you, I found myself wondering, was Jesus delivered by a midwife? I mean when you look at, where any of the other participants qualified or even able to deliver a baby?

And with living under Hebraic law, would the messy parts of a woman’s vagina, even Mary’s, be an abomination in their god’s eyes?Yes that was one of the thoughts that floated through my over stuffed mind and belly.

No shame in going back for seconds, or eating just about everything on the table. Last night and this afternoon I ate least had seconds of most everything. Not a gavone but the potential was there. Bill and I arrived in Hillsdale where we promptly sat down and had dinner.

Brian and Karen and Cassie with Hillary and her beau Chris were quite hungry and caution was thrown to the wind regarding the Garfield contingent having had dinner. I hadn’t had homemade lasagne in a while and it was quite good. Even though I rarely eat sausage I indulged myself much to my liking.

That’s where the second helpings came in. Gifts exchanged, everyone satisfied and happy. Ride back to Hoboken where Bill and I exchanged gifts. A few ties and cufflinks from me collected over the year and an excellent electric pickup for my Fender acoustic.

All very nice and pleasant. Bedtime for both of us and I woke up first this morning to see if there were any presents under the tree from Santa, but then I realized we don’t have a tree. No room for it anyway. No tree, no gifts, but that was OK.

Went in the kitchen to make some coffee, and turned on the heater. No heater again. It went out last month on the 25th and now it’s out again. I made an online appointment for the PSE&G maintenance for tomorrow morning between 8AM and 12PM.

That’s fine with me, they’re generally show up in that time frame. Like around 11:55AM.I hope they won’t charge. Last month it took about 5 minutes and there was no charge, so I hope it will be the same situation.

Right now, we got a big pot of water on the stove, getting things warm and damp, but it beats being cold.

This afternoon we had the trip to Garfield to Frank and Elaine’s house. Nice and mellow there, Elaine’s dad on the couch watching everyone have a turn playing Wii which they got for a Christmas present. Corinne, Meg & Rob and I tried my hand at boxing and bowling as did everyone else. More food and gifts and then we were back on the road to Hoboken since the Zipcar needed to be returned by 5PM.

We are now watching the Stephen Colbert Christmas Special. It was originally broadcast last year but I remarkably had some foresight to check it out at the library a week or so ago. Hey, you snooze you lose.

We just watched Iron Man which Bill hadn’t seen. After catching bits and pieces of A Christmas Story, it was fun to point Peter Billingsley in his cameo in Iron Man. So that about sums up Christmas 2009. See ya tomorrow. Happy Crimble!

Me, Frank & Brian

Me, Frank & Brian