With all the recent discussions about spending a trillion on this and a trillion on that, it might be worth considering just what a trillion is.
Yes, its 1000 x 1000 x 1000 x 1000 or 1,000,000,000,000 but that doesn't tell the story.
Let's look at it another way.
If someone spent $1,000 the very minute Jesus Christ was born. I mean that's a lot of frankincense, myhr, and gold. But hey, God isn't born every minute either.
Oops, ok, enough of the sidetrack.
So then a minute passes and this someone says that was cool ... I'm going to spend another $1,000 this minute.
A minute later, he realizes this is fun ... and spends another $1,000.
So he does this every minute of that very first hour of Christ's earthly life.
And then he thinks of something else to spend on ... and continues to spend $1,000 every minute for the entire first day of Our Saviour's time on earth.
Thirty Three years later Our Lord and Saviour is Crucified.
Our little spender decides to keep spending $1,000 every minute to drown his sorrows.
A few decades later, still spending $1,000 every single minute, he finds the fountain of youth.
Oh, just in case you are keeping track ... after the first century, he had spent about $52 billion.
So, 20 centuries and change later ... having spent $1,000 a minute for every single minute since the birth of Christ ... our little spender would be up to $1.056 trillion.
10 February 2009
05 February 2009
Shanice's Story
18 year old woman goes to abortion clinic seeking their "service".
Doctor is late arriving.
She goes into labor and gives birth to a baby girl.
One of the clinic's owners (no medical license) puts the live baby girl in a plastic bag and throws it out.
---
Don't think this could really happen?
The baby girl was named Shanice. The mother was Sycloria Williams. The doctor was Pierre Jean-Jacque Renelique. The person who put the live baby girl in the trash was Belkis Gonzalez. It happened in Miami, Florida on 20 July 2006.
Other babies born at the same age (23 weeks or just under 6 months) have survived.
No charges have been filed.
AP story.
Thanks to American Papist for finding the story.
Doctor is late arriving.
She goes into labor and gives birth to a baby girl.
One of the clinic's owners (no medical license) puts the live baby girl in a plastic bag and throws it out.
---
Don't think this could really happen?
The baby girl was named Shanice. The mother was Sycloria Williams. The doctor was Pierre Jean-Jacque Renelique. The person who put the live baby girl in the trash was Belkis Gonzalez. It happened in Miami, Florida on 20 July 2006.
Other babies born at the same age (23 weeks or just under 6 months) have survived.
No charges have been filed.
AP story.
Thanks to American Papist for finding the story.
27 December 2008
A Look Ahead – 2009 in the USA Hierarchy
As another year wraps up, its time to once again look ahead at what changes in the Catholic Hierarchy of the USA might be anticipated for the upcoming year.
First, there are the Cardinals. Cardinal Maida (Archbishop of Detroit) turns 79 in March. It seems very likely that his retirement and the naming of a replacement will occur this year. In April, Cardinal Egan (Archbishop of New York) turns 77. His retirement and the naming of his replacement might also occur this year, or perhaps next. One other deserves a mention, Cardinal Stafford. Although he is not an ordinary, he is from the US (Baltimore) and also turns 77 in the coming year. He is also likely to retire as Major Penitentiary in the next year or two.
There are 9 other ordinaries already over 75 (marked with an * below) and another 8 that reach that age in the coming year. First, the archbishops:
First, there are the Cardinals. Cardinal Maida (Archbishop of Detroit) turns 79 in March. It seems very likely that his retirement and the naming of a replacement will occur this year. In April, Cardinal Egan (Archbishop of New York) turns 77. His retirement and the naming of his replacement might also occur this year, or perhaps next. One other deserves a mention, Cardinal Stafford. Although he is not an ordinary, he is from the US (Baltimore) and also turns 77 in the coming year. He is also likely to retire as Major Penitentiary in the next year or two.
There are 9 other ordinaries already over 75 (marked with an * below) and another 8 that reach that age in the coming year. First, the archbishops:
- Eusebius Joseph Beltran: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Alexander Joseph Brunett: Seattle, Washington
- Elden Francis Curtiss*: Omaha, Nebraska
- Alfred Clifton Hughes*: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Daniel Edward Pilarczyk: Cincinnati, Ohio
(Coadjutor: Dennis Marion Schnurr)
- Edmond Carmody: Corpus Christi, Texas
- Patrick Ronald Cooney: Gaylord, Michigan
- Edward Peter Cullen*: Allentown, Pennsylvania
- John Michael D'Arcy*: Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana
- Bernard Joseph Harrington*: Winona, Minnesota
(Coadjutor: John Michael Quinn) - William Leo Higi*: Lafayette in Indiana
- John Jeremiah McRaith: Owensboro, Kentucky
- James Michael Moynihan*: Syracuse, New York
- James Albert Murray*: Kalamazoo, Michigan
- Raymundo Joseph Peña: Brownsville, Texas
- William Stephen Skylstad: Spokane, Washington
- Arthur Nicholas Tafoya*: Pueblo, Colorado
- Biloxi, Mississippi
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Cheyenne, Wyoming
- Duluth, Minnesota
- Gallup, New Mexico
- Juneau, Alaska
- Knoxville, Tennessee
- Saint Louis, Missouri (archdiocese)
The Next Consistory to Create Cardinals (II)
Just over a year ago, I wrote a post on this topic, and my opinion is not substantially different today.
Today there are 116 Cardinal Electors and a total of 191 Cardinals overall. Assuming no one dies, 4 cardinal elector slots will open up over the next year. But that still leaves only 8 elector slots open at the end of 2009. If Pope Benedict XVI creates new cardinals in the coming year, he will almost certainly go past the 120 limit on cardinal electors.
In 2010, however, the situation changes – with 11 additional slots opening up. That would be a grand total of 19 open slots by the end of 2010.
In the end, my prediction remains the same: the next consistory to create cardinals will be held in 2010 after the end of March with mid-summer or fall being the most likely.
Today there are 116 Cardinal Electors and a total of 191 Cardinals overall. Assuming no one dies, 4 cardinal elector slots will open up over the next year. But that still leaves only 8 elector slots open at the end of 2009. If Pope Benedict XVI creates new cardinals in the coming year, he will almost certainly go past the 120 limit on cardinal electors.
In 2010, however, the situation changes – with 11 additional slots opening up. That would be a grand total of 19 open slots by the end of 2010.
In the end, my prediction remains the same: the next consistory to create cardinals will be held in 2010 after the end of March with mid-summer or fall being the most likely.
21 December 2008
Vacancy: Cardinal-Bishop of Palestrina
Within the inner circle of the Pope (the College of Cardinals) is another much smaller circle: the Cardinal-Bishops. This group of 6 includes the Dean and Vice-Dean (sometimes called Sub-Dean) of the College of Cardinals.1
These 6 are often quite well known and today is no exception. The current Cardinal-Bishops are: Cardinals Sodano, Etchegaray, Re, Arinze, and Bertone.
Cardinal Bertone was elevated in May taking the place left open by the death of Cardinal López Trujillo.
Pope Benedict XVI has only named one other Cardinal-Bishop and that was to replace himself as Cardinal-Bishop of Velletri-Segni after his election to the papacy. Cardinal Arinze was his selection. 2
Which leaves the curious case of the Cardinal-Bishop of Palestrina. In the two previous vacancies, the replacement was named within a month. But Cardinal Gantin (the last holder of this office) died more than 6 months ago.
There are, however, signs that it may soon be filled. Yesterday among the people who had audiences with the Pope two names stood out. First, Bishop Domenico Sigalini who is the Bishop of Palestrina. He is the ordinary of the diocese which goes with the vacant Cardinal-Bishop title.
The other name that I noticed was Agostino Cardinal Vallini, Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome. I do not mean to suggest that I have any inside information - I do not. But Cardinal Vallini, imo, would be an interesting choice for the vacancy.
In any event, because of the length of the vacancy and the audience with Bishop Sigalini, I suspect that the next fortnight will see this title filled.
-----
1. I should note that technically Patriarchs that are Cardinals automatically have the rank of Cardinal-Bishop as well, but they rarely have the influence of the suburbican 6.
2. Again I should note that Cardinal Delly was named a Cardinal in the consistory of 2007 and became a Cardinal-Bishop by virtue of his being the Patriarch of Babylon (Chaldean).
These 6 are often quite well known and today is no exception. The current Cardinal-Bishops are: Cardinals Sodano, Etchegaray, Re, Arinze, and Bertone.
Cardinal Bertone was elevated in May taking the place left open by the death of Cardinal López Trujillo.
Pope Benedict XVI has only named one other Cardinal-Bishop and that was to replace himself as Cardinal-Bishop of Velletri-Segni after his election to the papacy. Cardinal Arinze was his selection. 2
Which leaves the curious case of the Cardinal-Bishop of Palestrina. In the two previous vacancies, the replacement was named within a month. But Cardinal Gantin (the last holder of this office) died more than 6 months ago.
There are, however, signs that it may soon be filled. Yesterday among the people who had audiences with the Pope two names stood out. First, Bishop Domenico Sigalini who is the Bishop of Palestrina. He is the ordinary of the diocese which goes with the vacant Cardinal-Bishop title.
The other name that I noticed was Agostino Cardinal Vallini, Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome. I do not mean to suggest that I have any inside information - I do not. But Cardinal Vallini, imo, would be an interesting choice for the vacancy.
In any event, because of the length of the vacancy and the audience with Bishop Sigalini, I suspect that the next fortnight will see this title filled.
-----
1. I should note that technically Patriarchs that are Cardinals automatically have the rank of Cardinal-Bishop as well, but they rarely have the influence of the suburbican 6.
2. Again I should note that Cardinal Delly was named a Cardinal in the consistory of 2007 and became a Cardinal-Bishop by virtue of his being the Patriarch of Babylon (Chaldean).
01 November 2008
Not a single person will vote for Obama or McCain this week
Think I'm kidding?
No.
I'm totally serious.
You will no doubt hear various folks in the news media talk for hours about voting in the next few days. You might even go somewhere and put your finger on a screen or mark a piece of paper with one of their names on it. But rest assured, you have will not have voted for either of them.
If you vote this week, you will really be casting a vote for a slate of delegates to the Electoral College. Only those delegates will actually cast votes for Obama or McCain - and not until next month. (Ok, there is a slim chance others might be able to vote, but only if the electoral college vote is tied and it goes to congress ... but lets not go there ;-)
No.
I'm totally serious.
You will no doubt hear various folks in the news media talk for hours about voting in the next few days. You might even go somewhere and put your finger on a screen or mark a piece of paper with one of their names on it. But rest assured, you have will not have voted for either of them.
If you vote this week, you will really be casting a vote for a slate of delegates to the Electoral College. Only those delegates will actually cast votes for Obama or McCain - and not until next month. (Ok, there is a slim chance others might be able to vote, but only if the electoral college vote is tied and it goes to congress ... but lets not go there ;-)
05 June 2008
No American under the age of 50...
...has ever voted in a presidential election without a Bush or Clinton on the ticket
1980 Bush for VP
1984 Bush for VP
1988 Bush for Pres
1992 Bush & Clinton for Pres
1996 Clinton for Pres
2000 Bush for Pres
2004 Bush for Pres
So the last election without a Bush or Clinton was 1976 (Ford/Dole vs Carter/Mondale) - and one had to be 18 to vote. Thus anyone born after 2 Nov 1958 has never voted in a US Presidential election without a Bush or Clinton on the ticket.
1980 Bush for VP
1984 Bush for VP
1988 Bush for Pres
1992 Bush & Clinton for Pres
1996 Clinton for Pres
2000 Bush for Pres
2004 Bush for Pres
So the last election without a Bush or Clinton was 1976 (Ford/Dole vs Carter/Mondale) - and one had to be 18 to vote. Thus anyone born after 2 Nov 1958 has never voted in a US Presidential election without a Bush or Clinton on the ticket.
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