I’d rather be golfing

Or at least in a place warm enough to golf!

I'm looking out the window at the light snow blowing sideways. A bit is accumulating on the little pine trees we have sitting on the deck, but I don't see any on the grass. This is just nasty, wet, cold, blustery weather. And poor Cousin Shane is coming home from Arizona tonight! I already warned him in an email to be prepared for a rude awakening.

I hope none of the buds on the trees get nipped. Some trees are already starting to pop, and the forsythia is on the verge of blossoming all over. I'll be sad if anything freezes. This picture of the forsythia was from last year. There are only a few blossoms along the bottom so far. Hang in there, Mr. Forsythia!

After getting out early to take care of the kitties at Casa Shane, I've been puttering with a little laundry and stuff like that. I feel like I'm hunkering down and riding out the storm, although this is nothing compared to what they got in some of the plains states. That sounds awful! I think it's just a matter of getting a taste of warm weather, and then seeing the snow fly again. It's disheartening, although I still feel positive because I know that it's not far away at all. Just...can't...quite...get there yet! Tonight is definitely a comfort food night, and I'm making a skillet dinner with beef, beans, rice, and tomatoes. And CHEESE on top.

Some great basketball this weekend, most recently watching Michigan State beat Louisville. I don't hate Louisville at all, but I had to cheer for a Big 10 team. I know our friend Mark is happy, as well as Alaina, although as a Michigan grad, I know it is hard for her to admit it. Michigan State, bringing it back to Detroit for the Final Four! How cool is that?!

Now I've switched over to golf, where Tiger is trying to work his way back to win this one. It's all sunny and junk in Florida. [sigh] Tiger was either four or five behind the leader at the end of the day yesterday, and is now just one behind. I never thought I'd enjoy watching golf as much as I do, but he's just a blast to watch.

Remember I mentioned that Randall Terry is now in town, protesting Obama's speech at the Notre Dame commencement? He says he plans to protest in "a peaceful and very aggressive" way. He predicts that Father Jenkins will either resign or lose his job over this, and said that Jenkins has "lost his way." So he's psychic and judgemental. Lovely. You know what? If I were Father Jenkins, I'd be very careful and honestly, I think I'd consider a bodyguard, or at least be very careful about my public appearances. This jerk is not right in the head, and I can see him doing anything to protest this speech and to try to curry favor with his version of God. The guy is nothing less than abhorrent to me, and it disgusts me that he is in my town. Yeah, he's got the right to be here. That doesn't mean I have to like it.

On a happier note, the spokesman for Notre Dame, Dennis Brown, released a statement on Friday that said Notre Dame "has no interest in engaging with those who use tactics that are not conducive to positive collaboration." What did I say about not negotiating with terrorists? Boo-yah!

The Story That Wouldn’t Die

It's not me fueling the fire, either. This baby is sprouting legs and crawling out of the primordial ooze.

I'm talking about President Obama speaking at Notre Dame's commencement. The Notre Dame student paper published an excellent editorial on the subject, and it also appeared in our local paper this morning. It's worth a read, if you'd like to see the students' side of it. The seniors who will be graduating are overwhelmingly in support of the President speaking at their commencement.

A group called the Cardinal Newman Society calls for greater orthodoxy on Catholic college campuses and has set up a website and started a petition. The group isn't affiliated with Notre Dame, and none of its seven employees are Notre Dame alumni, but they've gone after Rev. Jenkins in the past for his decision to allow a student production of "The Vagina Monologues," and his decision to allow the Notre Dame Queer Film Festival to take place. Rev. Jenkins wrote a piece for the Wall Street Journal in 2008 and mentioned this group. He wrote, "The Newman Society has no ecclesiastical standing and no academic standing. For me, it resembles nothing more than a political action committee." I am really liking Father Jenkins—this guy kicks ass!--and I believe he's going to stand his ground on this one. There are a couple of other petitions circulating out there in support of his decision, and I was happy to sign them.

Oh, and that fine upstanding Christian, Newt Gingrich, even weighed in on it, on his Twitter page:

It is sad to see notre dame invite president obama to give the commencement address Since his policies are so anti catholic values 1:26 AM Mar 24th from TwitterBerry

Hey Newt, let's ask your first wife how she feels about it. Remember her? The one who you visited while she was in the hospital recovering from surgery for uterine cancer, still coming out of anesthesia, and you tried to get her to sign off on your divorce demands? Yeah, that one. Not the second one, who you also divorced. I guess all is forgiven, though, because Newt is getting ready to convert to Catholicism.

There are voices of reason, too. Rev. Thomas Reese, a Jesuit and senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University said, "The controversy over commencement speakers at Catholic universities pops up every spring along with the tulips," and called the brouhaha over the President giving the speech "absurd." He went on to say, "If Cardinal Edward Egan of New York can invite Obama to speak at the Al Smith dinner in October of 2008 when he was only a presidential candidate, then there is certainly nothing wrong with Notre Dame having the president speak at a commencement."

Unfortunately, there's a whole other level of crazy that has latched onto this like a tick onto a dog. Randall Terry has made his way to town. This is the guy who founded Operation Rescue, the anti-abortion group, back in the 80's. He spent some time in jail because he sent a fetus in a jar to then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton. I've got no problem with people using civil disobedience to forward their causes, but this guy is and always has been about hatred and intolerance. In 1993, he was quoted in the Fort Wayne, Indiana newspaper as saying this:

I want you to just let a wave of intolerance wash over you. I want you to let a wave of hatred wash over you. Yes, hate is good.... Our goal is a Christian nation. We have a Biblical duty, we are called by God, to conquer this country. We don't want equal time. We don't want pluralism.

After his jail time and his divorce, he was ousted from Operation Rescue, and the new head of the organization released a statement saying, "...he has completely disqualified himself from any leadership position in the Christian community through his unwillingness to be held accountable for his adultery, theft, lies, deceptions, misrepresentations, perjury, failing to provide for his first wife and children, and evasion of church discipline." Terry was also censured by his church at the time, Landmark, for several reasons, one of which was "a pattern of repeated and sinful relationships and conversations with both single and married women."

Both of his adopted daughters became pregnant outside of marriage and one converted to Islam.

In 2004, his adopted son Jamiel revealed that he was homosexual. Terry disowned him.

In 2005, he converted to Catholicism. I guess when one religion doesn't want you, you try another one.

"Hate is good."

This A-hole is not a good person. He is not a nice person. And he's camping out in my town. He has vowed to stay here, and is setting up a base of operations, until the invitation to the President is withdrawn or the President says he will not attend. Stand tall, Notre Dame, hang tough, Father Jenkins, and do not negotiate with terrorists. This creep is a terrorist and as far as I'm concerned, he can get the hell out of Dodge South Bend.

Catholic Campus Controversy Continues

Dan (AKA Milwaukee Dan #3) over at Slapinions commented on my entry yesterday about President Obama speaking at Notre Dame's commencement, Bishop D'Arcy's refusal to attend, and Rev. Jenkins' defense of the invitation:

ND is a Catholic University and while of course it's open to anyone it should still stand on its principles. That it doesn't is no real shock and serves as another signal that it is moving to the left (and risking many of its traditionally conservative alumni $ in the process)

Quite aside from religous issues, I wish the yahoo in charge of ND would just be honest. He thought it'd be nifty to have Obama speak, get a little face time for ND that doesn't involve the failure of the football TV ratings, yada yada.

"we see his visit as a basis for further positive engagement." Yeah. It's ALLLLL about the chance to open a dialouge with him about abortion and stell cell research. Please.

Dan, you know I like ya, man, but...Jiminy Christmas, dude. First off, was it really necessary to call Father Jenkins a "yahoo," and to get a dig in against the football team?

Actually, I think Father Jenkins realizes that while Notre Dame was founded as a Catholic university, it is an institute of higher learning, not a church. (Although they have a lovely one on campus, the Basilica.) A while back, there was another controversy when there was to be a production of "The Vagina Monologues" on campus, and some protested. (I guess the V-word is a no-no for some.) Father Jenkins stuck by that, too, and defended the students' rights to put on that production. I supported him in that, and I support him in his decision about the commencement and wrote to him to tell him so. I think Father Jenkins is progressive, and trying to bring the university into at least the 20th century. Maybe he can shoot for the 21st century, and really rile up the powers-that-be!

So this is nothing new for Rev. Jenkins.

The Vatican also opposes birth control, as they recently confirmed when telling the Catholics in AIDS-riddled Africa that using condoms still was not kosher (so to speak). I'm sure that plenty of those good Catholic kids attending Notre Dame kind of ignore that rule. Unless, of course, as good Catholic kids, they know that it's wrong to have sex outside of marriage. [snort] I don't care if it was founded on Catholic principles, it's a college campus. Sex is happening there, people, and I haven't noticed a higher-than-average rate of unplanned pregnancies or births in South Bend.

Bishop D'Arcy's statement said that while the President has promised to separate politics and science, what he has really done is separate science and ethics. You know, I really don't think the Vatican wants to get into a discussion about "ethics." The vast majority of Catholics that I know are very kind and wonderful (and ethical) people, but the Vatican has done some pretty iffy things, in my opinion, over the years. And since when are they the sole arbiters of ethics? Personally, I think it's unethical to let a person infect even one other person with AIDS on their way to their own death, because they feel they'll go to hell if they use a condom.

Finally, Rev. Jenkins thought it would be nifty to have Obama speak? Well, sheah. The President is one of the most powerful leaders on the planet, arguably the most powerful. He’s also an excellent speaker. Of course, it's a coup to have our sitting President speak at the commencement, and several--of all parties and philosophies--have done so over the years.

I doubt if I'll be able to actually go to the commencement, but I look forward to watching the address. It's an honor for South Bend, and it's an honor for Notre Dame.

As Prince said, “Controversy!”

Before I get to that, an answer to a question, and revisiting one of my pet peeves.

Mark of Stars Like Grains of Sand in My Pocket asked, based on my writing about how internships for MT's have gotten so much shorter:

I have to wonder if the MT's of today are as good as the MT's of the past ... what would you say to that, Beth?

Yes, I think so. I worked with a lot of students over the years, and there were plenty who really understood the theory behind everything and showed a great aptitude for the work in general, and for Microbiology in particular. As with any new graduate, they need to gain experience. Someone just getting out of school isn't going to work as well or have as large a knowledge base as someone who has been doing it for a couple of decades (or more). That's why it's important that newer techs work with and learn from experienced techs--you can't develop that experience overnight.

A while back, a decision was made by a couple of people to move a tech in training down the hall, so that they didn't "ask questions" and get the wrong answers from other techs. We were all like, "WTF?? Hold up!" We got the VP of the lab up there and said that one of our most invaluable resources was the experience of the people in our department. We started adding it up--Mary with over 20 years, me with over 20 years, Pat the same, Marsha with over 30 years as a Med Tech and probably half of that number in Microbiology, etc., etc. Our outraged plea was impassioned and heartfelt, and the decision was immediately reversed. I think of the people who trained me as I was coming up, and they had that kind of experience. That's how the younger techs learn, and when you put the younger ones and the more experienced ones together, they make an excellent team.

To sum up, while the internships may be shorter now, the real training begins when the job starts. As long as they've got the knowledge and understand the job, including the fact that behind every number there is a patient, they'll do well.

After I got home from taking care of Shane's cats, it was sprinkling, but it cleared up and we had a beautiful day! I was able to get out and pick up trash along the road. Ken ran the mower out there to mulch some remaining leaves, and said that there was some junk that needed to be picked up. For the life of me, I will never understand why anyone would be driving down a country road and just throw their trash out the window! (And yes, we're to the pet peeve part!) Gaaaah, you nasty, littering A-holes, you make me SICK! I walked along the road and picked up Starbucks cups, plastic bags, cans, and several beer bottles. It's bad enough that these dumbasses are drinking and driving, but they're litterbugs, too! And can someone please explain how a coffee mug from the Excalibur in Las Vegas ended up in our woods?

Now for the controversy bits. Do you remember when I wrote about the breaking news that President Obama would be delivering the commencement speech at Notre Dame in May? Pretty exciting, right? Well, not for everyone. Remember that Notre Dame is a Catholic university, and Bishop D'Arcy of the Archdiocese that oversees the Fort Wayne-South Bend area has said that he will not attend this year's commencement because of the President's stance on reproductive rights and stem cell research. There are some devoutly Catholic student groups that are also protesting his invitation to speak. The thing is that Notre Dame isn't an exclusively Catholic university. It's not like if you're not Catholic, you don't get in. The president of Notre Dame, Rev. John Jenkins, issued this statement:

Presidents from both parties have come to Notre Dame for decades to speak to our graduates – and to our nation and world – about a wide range of pressing issues – from foreign policy to poverty, from societal transformation to social service. We are delighted that President Obama will follow in this long tradition of speaking from Notre Dame on issues of substance and significance.

We will honor Mr. Obama as an inspiring leader who faces many challenges – the economy, two wars, and health care, immigration and education reform – and is addressing them with intelligence, courage and honesty. It is of special significance that we will hear from our first African-American president, a person who has spoken eloquently and movingly about race in this nation. Racial prejudice has been a deep wound in America, and Mr. Obama has been a healer.

Of course, this does not mean we support all of his positions. The invitation to President Obama to be our Commencement speaker should not be taken as condoning or endorsing his positions on specific issues regarding the protection of human life, including abortion and embryonic stem cell research. Yet, we see his visit as a basis for further positive engagement.

Bravo, Rev. Jenkins! While Notre Dame may be a primarily Catholic university, and was founded by a Catholic order, it has obviously become more inclusive. Rev. Jenkins is not condoning the President's stance on some issues, but he realizes that it would be an honor for the university to have another sitting President give the commencement address. Our local news says that it is unlikely that the offer will be withdrawn. The President has already accepted, and obviously, the president of the university stands by and welcomes his appearance.

And Bishop D'Arcy? If you're not going, could I have your ticket? 'Kay? Thanks!