Memed! By the trophy wife, no less!

Heather was tagged with the Birthday Meme, so she became a carrier.

The Rules:

1) Go to Wikipedia.
2) In the search box, type your birth month and day but not the year.
3) List three events that happened on your birthday.
4) List two important birthdays and one death.
5) One holiday or observance (if any).

Three Events

1831 - James Clark Ross discovers the North Magnetic Pole.
1925 - Lou Gehrig plays the first game in his record streak of 2,130 consecutive games.
1962 - Adolf Eichmann hanged in Israel.


Two Birthdays and a Death
Birthdays
1780 - Carl von Clausewitz, Prussian general (d. 1831)
1937 - Morgan Freeman, American actor

Death

1571 - Bl. John Story, English Catholic Martyr

Holiday/Observance

Samoan Independence Day (1962)
Memorial of St. Justin Martyr (OK, two observances)

TAG:

Rich, Melanie B., and Pansy and Peony.

Recent random thoughts.

You know, Mater and the Ghostlight is almost as much fun the 83rd time you've seen it as the 78th.

Please, please, dear Lord don't let them come up with a hemorrhoid treatment.

I'd like to take this moment to welcome Rod Dreher to our ranks.

He, too, has acquired a righteous and holy hatred for the hellish marketing empire that is Bratz.

[Which must be immediately distinguished from the unalloyed goodness that are brats.]

Hey, Torquemada, whaddaya say?/
How's everything at the auto de fe?

People interested in my previous considered opinions on the subject are directed here and here.

Whee.

According to the mechanics, the engine canna take no more, Captain.

Looks like we are going to take a trip to Beater City and dredge up a suitable lemon.

The Buick is dead. Long live the....Mongo not sure.

Blue Monday.

Let's see:

1. Yesterday Heather and I went to the emergency room. Her main problem is that she married a klutz.

I dropped our Christmas tree box on her. It slipped from my hand as I was lowering it from our attic and smacked her in the head. No concussion, thank God, but she is on antivert for the dizzy spells. Good wishes and such appreciated.

2. The Buick may be done. It overheated on me this morning and shows every sign of wanting to get the mercy bullet. Good thing we have scads of cash to get a replacement.

Oh, wait...

3. If it takes a conference championship to make the BCS, then make it explicit. (And a 13 game schedule if you're a 1-loss team). And as far as that "strength of schedule" crap goes--Michigan hasn't played a I-AA team in...forever. [Coughcoughcough.] Watching the media Florgasm build in favor of the Gators develop over the weekend was dismaying but predictable.

And notice that Sweatervest abstained, helping to ensure that he got the matchup he wanted. Which means his second national championship by a minimum of two touchdowns on January 8.

Here's the Turkish TV feed.

Posted at YouTube. The prayer occurs starting at 6:58. Interestingly, Pope Benedict keeps praying long after the Mufti has finished his devotions.

And, say what you will about Turkish Islam, it certainly has great architectural taste. The Sultanahmet ("Blue") Mosque is truly a beautiful place.

Kasatka also apologized on Letterman and checked into rehab.

Killer whale rejoins Sea World show after attacking trainer.

Disappointing.

The problem is that he was facing Mecca. Moreso because it comes from the man who recognized--and curbed--the excesses of the Assisi gatherings.

I'm not hopping on board the sede bandwagon. It's simply a little disheartening.

(1) It's going to encourage ecumaniacs--"Why can't I sacrifice a chicken with the Unitarians? The Pope prayed facing Mecca...." And a credible rebuttal is....?

(2) The only reciprocal gesture that will be received is a pat to the head, possibly with a "Good dhimmi!" thrown in.

[Update: OK, a little better--the Holy Father is holding his pectoral cross as he prays--and the event was carried live on Turkish TV. That changes my perspective some.

Clarification: No, I am NOT accusing PBXVI of dhimmitude. I just think that it is an ambiguous-to-dubious gesture that will avail us nothing.]

Well, well, well...

A certain dogged propagandist for a south Texas professional basketball franchise has been at great pains to assert that the team's starting point guard is only "half French." Nevermind that the team's own website lists him as hailing from the Fifth Republic. In the face of such inconvenient facts, the apologist persevered in a Ziegleresque display of tenacity.

Alas, the campaign has taken a torpedo amidships with yesterday's announcement that Mr. Parker will be marrying the fetching Eva Longoria in an elaborate wedding ceremony.

IN FRANCE.

No doubt as part of a sinister Gaullist plot to spirit our women away from our shores.

I eagerly await your reply, Victor.

Victor Morton, attempting to explain away the Frenchness of Monseiur Parker.

Free advice: Do NOT anger Kathy Shaidle.

Break out the asbestos jumpsuit for this one. As per usual, the flamethrowing is deserved.

Prayer request for Lily Siekierski.

Matt posted an update here. Things are gradually improving, but she is going in for scheduled abdominal surgery at noon today to determine/resolve the source of the blockage.

Prayers/whatever you can manage continue to be welcome, as Matt indicates.