James Elliott "Willie" Williams, the most decorated enlisted man in U.S. Navy history

The most decorated enlisted man in U.S. Navy history: James Elliott "Willie" Williams.

WILLIAMS-JAMES | The United States Navy Memorial

what has happened to Jesus' church?

From the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) we learn that Jesus:

• spoke to people in their, and His, native language
• didn't dress differently from ordinary people
• physically, didn't appear to be different from ordinary people
• prayed, sometimes in synagogues, but often alone
• said that He came for "sinners"
• criticized "scribes and pharisees" for adding to the burdens of people
• said "render to Cesar what is Cesar's, and to God what is God's".

Jesus impressed ordinary people (sinners) by His words and by His example. A commander in the occupying army in Jesus' country said to Jesus "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof; but, only say the word, and my servant will be healed." 

Jesus was relevant in His time on earth; and Jesus is still relevant today.

Today the "ordained" in Jesus' church:

• celebrate masses in Latin, a dead language that Jesus' people today neither speak nor understand
• dress differently 
• tell Jesus' people how to vote

What has happened to Jesus' church?

It's a sad day for the U.S.

http://peretiredgoodbadugly.blogspot.com/2016/10/american-fall.html

Hope is fading.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

http://peretiredgoodbadugly.blogspot.com/2016/10/end.html

James Comey: "between a rock and a hard place"

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/clinton-emails-give-fbis-comey-a-second-chance-to-influence-a-presidential-election-2016-10-30

classic "being between a rock and a hard place"; or, as my grandfather used to say, "damned if you do, and damned if you don't". 

If Comey wasn't motivated by politics, then it'll be a Washington first. 

Personally, I don't think that he was.

Who's the biggest embarrassment in this election?

WikiLeaks Reveals Clinton Foundation Links To Bill Clinton Business Efforts : NPR

‘Very wealthy’ New Yorker offers ‘extravagant amount’ of money to Weiner for his computer, cell phone | TheBlaze.com

Hope is fading...

http://peretiredgoodbadugly.blogspot.com/2016/10/american-fall.html

precursor to election day? who can blame the no-shows?

WOW! Tim Kaine Holds Rally and ONLY 30 PEOPLE Show Up!

precursor to election day???

Who can blame the no-shows?

Hope is fading...

http://peretiredgoodbadugly.blogspot.com/2016/10/american-fall.html

federal government idiots

On the one hand, Amtrak Reaches $265 Million Settlement Over Deadly Philadelphia Crash : The Two-Way : NPR

and on the other, U.S. Soldiers Told To Repay Thousands In Signing Bonuses From Height Of War Effort : The Two-Way : NPR

WTH!!! 

Does the federal government actively recruit idiots?!?

Fire them all!!!

Villanova players, and the coolest people they met as national champs

Villanova players, and the coolest people they met as national champs

Villanova's NCAA championship basketball team has made Villanova (students, faculty, alumni, friends) proud. They are fine young men who have represented Villanova well!

American Fall

Who do you want to represent you in government?

a person who

• is a political extremist
• puts party loyalty and political ideology first
• is financed by special interest donors 
• speaks harshly of those who oppose them
• is dishonest
• disrespects the law
• unlike you, doesn't struggle to make ends meet
• unlike you, doesn't pay taxes

or a person who 

• is honest
• works hard
• pays taxes
• is patriotic
• respects the law
• is fair
• respects ordinary people more than political parties or ideologies
• will unify our country 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election_debates#Debate_sponsorship

It's time!

http://peretiredgoodbadugly.blogspot.com/2016/10/end.html

Hope is fading...

Who do you want to represent you in government?

a person who

• is a political extremist
• puts party loyalty and political ideology first
• is financed by special interest donors 
• speaks harshly of those who oppose them
• is dishonest
• disrespects the law
• unlike you, doesn't struggle to make ends meet
• unlike you, doesn't pay taxes

or a person who 

• is honest
• works hard
• pays taxes
• is patriotic
• respects the law
• is fair
• respects ordinary people more than political parties or ideologies
• will unify our country 

http://peretiredgoodbadugly.blogspot.com/2016/10/end.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election_debates#Debate_sponsorship

Hope is fading...

Laws of Physics Can’t Trump the Bonds of Love

watch the video

youtube link: 
Wright's Law: A Unique Teacher Imparts Real Life Lessons | The New York Times - YouTube

NY Times link: 
Laws of Physics Can't Trump the Bonds of Love - The New York Times

authority

The gospel reading for Sunday October 23, 2016 is from Luke, chapter 18, verses 9 to 14:

USCCB » Bible » Daily Readings

October 23, 2016

Gospel
LK 18:9-14
Jesus addressed this parable
to those who were convinced of their own righteousness
and despised everyone else.
“Two people went up to the temple area to pray;
one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself,
‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity --
greedy, dishonest, adulterous -- or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’
But the tax collector stood off at a distance
and would not even raise his eyes to heaven
but beat his breast and prayed,
‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’
I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former;
for whoever exalts himself will be humbled,
and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
http://usccb.org/bible/readings/102316.cfm

Flying back to Rome from Azerbaijan Oct. 2, Pope Francis was asked by a reporter what U.S. Catholics should do in a presidential election where both candidates hold some positions contrary to church teaching. http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2016/when-political-choice-is-tough-pray-and-vote-your-conscience-pope-says.cfm In short, what Pope Francis said was "When political choice is tough, pray and vote your conscience".

My question: Is it right for a priest, after reading the gospel for Sunday, October 23, 2016, and presumably knowing what Pope Francis said about U.S. Catholics voting in a presidential election, to strongly suggest in his homily that we should vote for the other guy because of Hillary Clinton's view on abortion?

My answer: I think not. My answer isn't because of my personal view on abortion. My own personal conscience tells me that abortion is murder--whether it's in the first week or the last week of pregnancy. My answer has to do with a priest strongly suggesting that we should vote for the other guy, and my personal belief that I, a priest, or anyone else for that matter, shouldn't try to impose our personal beliefs on others publicly in a matter of conscience. These matters of conscience are between God and each individual only.

"I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former..."

The Pharisee prayed as a "moral authority"; he condemned the tax collector and exalted himself. 

How did the tax collector know that he was a sinner? Because someone told him that he was a sinner? If someone had told the Pharisee that he was a sinner, would the Pharisee have believed him? 

I believe that the tax collector knew that he was a sinner because his conscience told him so.

God is the only true "moral authority". I personally believe that God tells us, through our prayers, via our conscience, what is right and what is wrong. I also believe that it isn't up to me, or anyone else for that matter, to tell others what they should or shouldn't do in a matter of conscience. This is for God alone.

"Play it again, Sam."

http://peretiredgoodbadugly.blogspot.com/2016/10/end.html

Voters Express Disgust Over U.S. Politics in New Times/CBS Poll - The New York Times

Hope is fading...

Don't vote for either one

• one ignores US law as Secretary of State, playing fast and loose with classified government material on her own private computer server, all the while executing a disastrous foreign policy.
• the other has engaged in a campaign of insults and hateful rhetoric unbefitting the office of POTUS. 

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/2016-race-al-smith-dinner-hillary-clinton-donald-trump-booed/

Here's why we shouldn't waste our vote on either one:

http://peretiredgoodbadugly.blogspot.com/2016/10/vote.html

Hope is fading...

go to hell, Duterte

winners and losers.

There are no winners. just losers.

US foreign policy loses again.
Duterte and the Philippines lose.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2614715/Obama-signs-security-deal-Philippines-aimed-greater-cooperation-angry-protesters-say-step-BACK-country.html

Behind Duterte’s Bluster, a Philippine Shift Away From the U.S. - The New York Times

Philippines' Duterte tells Obama to 'go to hell'

Go to hell, Duterte.

By NIB-MALACANANG (Malacañang Photo Bureau) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

It's almost over... until the next time

• dirty politics
• scandals
• lies
• namecalling
• lack of serious discussion and solutions to our country's problems
• etc.

It's almost over...  until the next time.

Democratic and Republican party control over our elections have brought us to this.

28 years ago the League of Women Voters had enough.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election_debates#Debate_sponsorship

I've had enough.

How about you?

http://peretiredgoodbadugly.blogspot.com/2016/10/solution.html

It's not too early to report who won the third debate

Rumor has it that reporters for several major media outlets are on leave.

not to worry.

They recorded their stories "Clinton wins third debate" before they left.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Logo_of_The_Washington_Post_Newspaper.svg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_York_Times_logo_variation.jpg

October 17, 2016 Antares rocket launch

Will you be able to see the NASA Wallops rocket launch Monday night? Check this map. | Science & Technology | pilotonline.com

an exercise in orienteering... 

Step 1. Find the direction (azimuth) to look. Use Google maps to find the latitude and longitude of your location and the location that you're looking towards. e.g., Wallops Island VA: 37.854885, -75.4812.42. Use https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/distance-and-azimuths to find the azimuth between your location and the location that you're looking towards.

Step 2. In Google maps zoom in on the place that you're looking from. Find a street, building, or other features that you can see and get the latitude and longitude for two points on your "reference line" (e.g., property or fence line, street, building or line between buildings, etc.) Use https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/distance-and-azimuths to find the azimuth of your "reference line". Subtract the azimuth in step 1 from the azimuth in step 2 for the angle between your reference line and the direction that you're looking towards.

Step 3. Watch the launch livestream on NASA TV and look in the direction that you determined from the two steps above. 

Bottom line: when the direction in which you're looking contains air traffic from Manassas Regional Airport, Reagan National and Dulles, and the object that you're trying to see is a 130 ft. high rocket 100+ miles away, it's hard to say definitively that you saw it--but, I'm saying that I did!  

it was a red light--it looked like an airplane light. however, it disappeared for a minute or so, and then reappearred, seemingly farther away. since it was a clear night w/o any clouds, perhaps the disappearance and reappearance was the end of one rocket stage and the beginning of the next.

Orbital ATK's Antares Rocket Returns to Flight with Gorgeous Night Cargo Launch

APA Survey Reveals 2016 Presidential Election Source of Significant Stress for More Than Half of Americans

APA Survey Reveals 2016 Presidential Election Source of Significant Stress for More Than Half of Americans

an excellent article--particularly the recommendations.