tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-308979882024-03-23T12:24:25.911-06:00Believe and ProfessI believe and profess all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God.Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-26234147818210702042009-02-22T23:01:00.005-06:002009-02-22T23:07:55.664-06:00Extraordinary Form Mass to be celebrated weekly at Sacred Heart in Robbinsdale, MNExcerpts from today's bulletin article by Fr. Bryan J.B. Pedersen, <a href="http://sacredheartrobbinsdale.org/">Sacred Heart Catholic Church</a> in Robbinsdale, MN:<br /><br /><blockquote>Over the last few months I have been praying a great deal about pastoral generosity. This is so because I have been receiving requests in written form and also verbally from some parishioners, and other Catholics who live in the western suburbs of Minneapolis, for me to celebrate a weekly Sunday Mass in Latin. ...<br /><br />Because of the requests made by our Holy Father to be generous to those who desire the older form of the Mass, and because I am one of the few priests in the Archdiocese capable of responding to such requests. Therefore for these reasons and in a spirit of generosity I have decided on an experimental basis to add a third Mass to our Sunday Schedule in the extraordinary form of the Mass. ... The additional Mass on Sunday will begin on March 1st, which is the first Sunday of Lent, and will ordinarily start at 11:30 am. The additional Mass will be in the extraordinary form using the Roman Missal in use in 1962 per the instruction of our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI. One of the reasons the additional mass will be on an experimental basis is due to the fact that I must determine if the requests I have been receiving do in fact constitute a stable group who will respond with generosity to our parish. The additional Sunday Mass will initially be celebrated at the Side Altar of St. Mary in the transept. If the number of people attending the older form of the Latin Mass is greater than initially expected then I will shift to using the main altar in the sanctuary. For the time being the Mass will be a low Mass, which means that it will be without music.</blockquote>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-84518678011438014392009-01-22T11:10:00.004-06:002009-01-22T11:16:24.832-06:00On this anniversary of Roe v. Wade a clarion call: "We shall not weary, we shall not rest!"<a href="http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/?p=1294">From Fr. Richard John Neuhaus</a>, July 2008:<br /><br /><blockquote><b>We contend, and we contend relentlessly, for the dignity of the human person, of every human person, created in the image and likeness of God, destined from eternity for eternity—every human person, no matter how weak or how strong, no matter how young or how old, no matter how productive or how burdensome, no matter how welcome or how inconvenient.</b> Nobody is a nobody; nobody is unwanted. All are wanted by God, and therefore to be respected, protected, and cherished by us.<br /><br /><b>We shall not weary, we shall not rest</b>, until every unborn child is protected in law and welcomed in life. <b>We shall not weary, we shall not rest</b>, until all the elderly who have run life’s course are protected against despair and abandonment, protected by the rule of law and the bonds of love. <b>We shall not weary, we shall not rest</b>, until every young woman is given the help she needs to recognize the problem of pregnancy as the gift of life. <b>We shall not weary, we shall not rest</b>, as we stand guard at the entrance gates and the exit gates of life, and at every step along way of life, bearing witness in word and deed to the dignity of the human person—of every human person. <br /><br />Against the encroaching shadows of the culture of death, against forces commanding immense power and wealth, against the perverse doctrine that a woman’s dignity depends upon her right to destroy her child, against what St. Paul calls the principalities and powers of the present time, this convention renews our resolve that <b>we shall not weary, we shall not rest</b>, until the culture of life is reflected in the rule of law and lived in the law of love. <br /><br />[...]<br /><br />The culture of death is an idea before it is a deed. I expect many of us here, perhaps most of us here, can remember when we were first encountered by the idea. For me, it was in the 1960s when I was pastor of a very poor, very black, inner city parish in Brooklyn, New York. I had read that week an article by Ashley Montagu of Princeton University on what he called “A Life Worth Living.” He listed the qualifications for a life worth living: good health, a stable family, economic security, educational opportunity, the prospect of a satisfying career to realize the fullness of one’s potential. These were among the measures of what was called “a life worth living.”<br /><br />And I remember vividly, as though it were yesterday, looking out the next Sunday morning at the congregation of St. John the Evangelist and seeing all those older faces creased by hardship endured and injustice afflicted, and yet radiating hope undimmed and love unconquered. And I saw that day the younger faces of children deprived of most, if not all, of those qualifications on Prof. Montagu’s list. And it struck me then, like a bolt of lightning, a bolt of lightning that illuminated our moral and cultural moment, that Prof. Montagu and those of like mind believed that the people of St. John the Evangelist—people whom I knew and had come to love as people of faith and kindness and endurance and, by the grace of God, hope unvanquished—it struck me then that, by the criteria of the privileged and enlightened, none of these my people had a life worth living. In that moment, I knew that a great evil was afoot. The culture of death is an idea before it is a deed. <br /><br />In that moment, I knew that I had been recruited to the cause of the culture of life. To be recruited to the cause of the culture of life is to be recruited for the duration; and there is no end in sight, except to the eyes of faith. <br /><br />[...]<br /><br />In the midst of the encroaching darkness of the culture of death, we have heard the voice of him who said, “In the world you will have trouble. But fear not, I have overcome the world.” Because he has overcome, we shall overcome. We do not know when; we do not know how. God knows, and that is enough. We know the justice of our cause, we trust in the faithfulness of his promise, and therefore <b>we shall not weary, we shall not rest</b>.</blockquote>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-69531772586765841902009-01-02T09:39:00.006-06:002009-01-02T10:25:57.448-06:00Eliminating the retardedTwo articles I've read in the past few days have coincided. Amy Julia Becker <a href="http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/?p=1267">writes</a> on the First Things blog a response to new prenatal genetic screening for Down Syndrome:<br /><br /><blockquote>In a letter to the editor of the New York Times, William Motley, a geneticist of Oxford University, writes, “Fighting Down syndrome with prenatal screening does not ‘border on eugenics.’ It is a ‘search-and-destroy mission’ on the disease, not on a category of citizens. . . . ” Similarly, a pediatric cardiologist writes about Down syndrome: “Tremendous social, medical and monetary burdens are inevitable parts of this disorder . . . these (prenatal) tests are invaluable, should be made available to all, and may help individuals possibly avoid a very significant life-changing illness.” Much as Mr. Motley might want to claim that prenatal screening is not about a category of citizens, the practical result of what he advises is indeed to eliminate an entire group of persons.<br /><br />In a recent collection of essays titled Theology, Disability, and the New Genetics, Hans Reinders states a countervailing claim: “Life is good as it is.” Life is good as it is. It sounds simple. Theologically, it rings true. And yet the vast majority of individuals in our culture choose to terminate a pregnancy if they learn that their baby will be born with a disability. Why? If life is good as it is, why is it considered good by many in our culture to ensure that children with disabilities are not born at all?<br /><br />As Reinders writes, “many people with disabilities resulting from genetic disorders experience their own lives as good.” I can certainly affirm this statement in the case of our daughter Penny, who has Down syndrome. Penny is nearing her third birthday, as she would proudly tell anyone who cares to ask. Her days consist of playing with blocks and balls and running to the playground, of reading books, of entertaining those around her with proclamations like, “Uh-oh spaghettios!” and “Okey-doke!” She loves her little brother “Wilwum.” She loves bagels and music and school. In general terms, we aren’t concerned about her health or development, and neither is she. Her current challenges include learning to swallow her drool instead of letting it dribble down her chin and learning to tell us before she needs to use the potty. In other words, there is very little that is “not good” about Penny’s life.<br /></blockquote>Today we hear that Guinness World Records has recognized Bert Holbrook, 80, of Waseca, MN as the world's oldest man with Down Syndrome.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.mankatofreepress.com/local/images_sizedimage_001000600/xl"><img style="float:center; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://www.mankatofreepress.com/local/images_sizedimage_001000600/xl" border="0" alt="" /></a><blockquote>“He understood the excitement” but not the specifics, [Bert's nurse] said.<br /><br />Foley said Holbrook’s health coincides with that of most 80-year-olds.<br /><br />“He’s definitely slowing down and tires easily but maintains his same daily routine.”<br /><br />That includes lunch twice a week at the Waseca Area Senior Citizens Center.<br /></blockquote>Amy Julia Becker admits the real difficulties and suffering that can accompany a severe disability, but also notices how often the person is viewed as a burden not because of a specific challenge but rather just because they exist in a certain way.<br /><br /><blockquote>Much of the alienation and stigma people with disabilities experience is a product of societal norms rather than of problems intrinsic to the disabilities themselves. Take the mainstream media. The New York Times reports: “The 5,500 children born with Down syndrome each year in the United States suffer from mild to moderate mental retardation, are at high risk for congenital heart defects and a variety of other medical problems, and have an average life expectancy of 49.” Suffer. High risk. Defects. Problems. This reporter goes on to write, “One doctor asked about studies suggesting there is a higher risk of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in people with Down syndrome, potentially saddling parents with another caretaking burden as they themselves age.” Again, the language is telling—saddling, another burden. [...]<br /><br />The medical establishment demonstrates a similar prejudice. Penny, according to technical language, was born with a birth “defect” or “abnormality.” And she was presumed to be unhealthy, even though we left the hospital on time, two days after she was born. She had scored an eight out of ten on her Apgar test, an echocardiogram indicated that her heart was sound, and she had no other medical issues. Nonetheless, we took with us a list of all the things that might go wrong, including leukemia, celiac disease, thyroid problems, crooked teeth, and spinal instability. <b>None of those, by the way, were even potential immediate concerns. If our social perceptions changed, much of the supposed suffering that comes from disability would be eliminated.</b> (emphasis added)<br /></blockquote><a href="http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/65500197/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0">Around 92%</a> of women who have their child diagnosed with Down syndrome through prenatal screening choose to abort the child. How many lives would be different today had Mr. Holbrook's mother had this option? Would the world be a better place without him, or without people like him? Is the compassion of Bert's caregivers misspent, better to have been given elsewhere to someone who "deserves it"?<br /><br />I know that it can be very difficult to care for a person with a lifelong disability. But is the solution to engage in a seek-and-destroy mission against those who are created different?Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-57501511839716185422008-12-30T00:41:00.002-06:002008-12-30T01:05:27.924-06:00Ring in the new year with Christ!And His mother, too, I should add!<br /><br />Hugh Henry has made available a <a href="http://www.fidelitybooks.com.au/Hugh/VespersNewYear%27sEve.pdf">booklet</a> for Vespers of New Year's Eve (1st Vespers for the Octave of the Nativity according to the extraordinary form) ending with Benediction and the singing of Laudes Regiae (Christus Vincit). But coolest of all is the <a href="http://www.fidelitybooks.com.au/Hugh/ChristusVincitJuventutem.mp3">recording of Christus Vincit</a> by Juventutem. The strength and energy of this hymn in praise of Christ Our Lord and King blew me away! Have a listen, and then sing along.<br /><blockquote><i>Christus vincit. Christus regnat. Christus imperat. Exaudi Christe.</i><br />Christ is victor, Christ is ruler, Christ is Emperor. O hear our prayer, Christ.</blockquote>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-64911231420058499522008-12-29T10:53:00.008-06:002008-12-29T12:14:20.147-06:00THIS JUST IN: December in the Twin Cities is SLIGHTLY above average!Wow! Stop the presses!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.startribune.com/local/36827434.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUs">December could be 8th snowiest of all time</a><br /><br />This is news? Not THE snowiest, but the COULD BE THE 8TH snowiest December "of all time," meaning in the short number of years we've been keeping records (since about 1884, ~125 years). Let's check the stats (image courtesy of <a href="http://home.att.net/~minn_climo/">Charles Fisk</a>):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://home.att.net/~minn_climo/mspsbox.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px;" src="http://home.att.net/~minn_climo/mspsbox.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />As of today the Twin Cities has 16" of snowfall for December. IF we get the possible 3.2" of snowfall in the next few days, then we'd have 19.2" for the month, a datum that falls well within the upper quartile for December. It's not even considered an outlier! So, about 25% of all Decembers could make the cut of newsworthiness for "above average" snowfall and similarly another 25% could be considered "below average" months. So, a full 50% of Decembers could have a news blurb talking breathlessly about how much snow (or lack of snow) we're getting.<br /><br />THIS JUST IN! MN snowy in winter! MN cold during the winter! Some measured quantity is not EXACTLY average!<br /><br />I hate these kind of "news" stories.<br /><hr>Edit: I suppose that being the 8th snowiest out of 124 years would make it about the 94th percentile. That is a bit more rare, but perhaps we should wait until the snow is actually on the ground before busting out the confetti.Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-53231419026637220552008-12-29T01:12:00.001-06:002008-12-29T01:15:39.184-06:00A tale of three clergyHmm...<br /><br />From <a href="http://www.thecatholicthing.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=978&Itemid=2">Robert Royal at The Catholic Thing</a>:<br /><blockquote>All deeply unfortunate, but a warning for serious clergy: beware now about the way you put anything before the public, unless you want to provide an occasion to make it seem you are saying the exact opposite of what you believe.<br /><br />Finally, our third clergyman, Pope Benedict XVI, also offered a Christmas message in which he yoked concern for the world’s ecology and what he calls the threatened human ecology that depends on marriage and family. Nowhere did he mention homosexuality, but some media were happy to extrapolate for him and to hold the coats for the fight. It didn’t work and the story soon died. But it was amazing how the initial reports all drew on the same circle of commentators from gay and lesbian organizations, who in virtually every story, referred to this mild and learned man as Papa Ratzi (which, you see, rhymes with Nazi).<br /><br />A faith whose Founder was crucified should not expect gentle treatment by the world. But when the very people who repeatedly tell you that “hate is not a family value” indulge in this degree of childish name-calling, you don’t expect it to be picked up in respectable journalism, any more than you’d expect professional journalists to indulge in angry partisanship or crude misrepresentation about the major faith of the West.<br /><br />Or do we now?</blockquote>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-26925228231613113442008-12-26T20:57:00.003-06:002008-12-26T21:01:37.680-06:00The unique contribution of Judaism to the dignity of women and family lifeMichael Novak at <a href="http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/?p=1246">First Things</a>:<br /><blockquote>In the temples of its neighbors near and far, Israel saw that ritual acts of prostitution and sacral couplings between religious leaders and women (or men) were routinely performed. Sexual activities were placed at the core of worship ceremonies in virtually all cultures, even including pre-mosaic Israel. Only in Israel did the prophets rail against these activities, and repeatedly drove them from the temple. The ancient world considered sexual “normality” to be fulfilled in the ungoverned sexuality of males, to which women were merely instrumental. In many of the cultures surrounding Israel, sexual acts between males were given equal or even superior value to those between males and females. In those cultures, little differentiation was made between homosexuality and heterosexuality. The important difference to people then lay in who did the penetrating and who was penetrated, not in which gender played which role.<br /><br />Against this common vision of sexual normalcy stood the towering Moses. He taught Israel, virtually alone, to embrace a new standard for human sexual life. This standard gave its blessing solely to sexual acts between a man and a woman in the covenanted relationship of monogamous marriage. What a great channeling of sexual energies this provision achieved. What a great concentration of energies it brought to the world. What great, non-instrumental dignity it gave to women.<br /><br />Many elites in other cultures continued to exhaust their energies in polymorphous sex. They expended whole days on the arts of pleasure—the smells, the scents, the music, the languorous bodies of dancers. And in this sexually saturated world, women remained mere instruments. As Norman Sussman wrote, “The woman was seen as serving but two roles. As a wife, she ran the home. As a courtesan, she satisfied male sexual desires.” When sensory pleasures are considered the highest aim of life—not study nor inquiry nor civic virtue—economic and cultural development is heavily retarded.<br /><br />Is sexual activity the highest end of life? For Moses and the people of Israel, it assuredly was not. It was of course a great good, and one essential to the perpetuation of the human race. Sexuality was not meant to be repressed. But it was meant to run—and to run deep—in only one channel.<br /><br />From this sublimation there arose two great social consequences. First, women achieved sexual equality with men in the holy union of marriage. “In His image [God] made them, male and female He made them” (Genesis 1:27). This text says clearly that the divine radiance in human life shines through the marital union of man and woman. Therein, each person finds completeness. Only together, fully one, does the married couple bear the image of the Creator.<br /><br />The second great consequence is to channel immense energy into society through its fundamental unit, the family—and not just energy, but also a continuity of consciousness, and the dream of a more perfect future. Thus Judaism gave birth to the idea of progress. Judaism introduced the ancient world to the reality of progress. Judaism sees itself as always unfinished, always unsatisfied. “Next year in Jerusalem,” when “the lion will lie down with the lamb” and the Messiah will at last appear. Each family, at the family table, carries these hopes forward into the future. Making progress is always, in time, an unfinished business. (<a href="http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/?p=1246">continue</a>)</blockquote>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-51558013200636626242008-12-20T21:57:00.002-06:002008-12-20T22:00:11.503-06:00Let my verses go!<a href="http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2008/12/grail-psalms-path-forward.html">Jeffrey Tucker at the NLM</a>:<br /><blockquote>From the instant that the USCCB announced that the Revised Grail Psalter would become the new standard for Psalms in the ordinary form of the Mass, musicians in the UK privately issued warnings along the lines of “welcome to our Hell.”<br /><br />The problem is not the translations of the Psalms, which are said to be an improvement over what is in use today in the U.S. The problem has to do with the law, copyright, permissions, expenses, enforcement—and the problems are so pervasive in the UK that one of the least spoken about aspects of liturgical life in the UK is the proliferation of samizdat Psalms.<br /><br />What are samizdat Psalms? These are Psalm settings written by composers attached to parishes and cathedrals, by composers and directors who are required to use the Grail text but cannot bear to sing the musical settings published by the mainstream publishers. They write their own, but understandably fail to jump through the copyright hoops and pay the exorbitant fees associated with the texts themselves. So they are copied, handed out, kept under wraps, delivered from parish to parish in brown envelopes, and spoken about in hushed tones. It’s like a sector of an underground Church.<br /><br />The same situation could happen in the U.S. when the Revised Grail becomes official here too. The Psalm that are currently made available online will be forced down. The settings made available by independent composers will have to go underground. The job of setting the Psalms to music will fall to the “Big Three” music publishers who provide the mainstream fare today. Incredibly, one of those publishers, a for-profit company, has actually been named as the literary agent to decide the terms and conditions under which people can publish the Psalms. (<a href="http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2008/12/grail-psalms-path-forward.html">more</a>)</blockquote>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-2396824911334461202008-12-19T22:10:00.005-06:002008-12-19T22:18:58.750-06:00This will be very funny for a very fewHappy Birthday Jeffrey Tucker of the <a href="http://www.musicasacra.com">CMAA</a>!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.musicasacra.com/images/happy-birthday-jt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 550px;" src="http://www.musicasacra.com/images/happy-birthday-jt.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://musicasacra.com/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=1239">Originally posted here.</a>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-54009145126691425162008-12-18T11:13:00.003-06:002008-12-18T11:16:55.465-06:00Bethlehem Down by Peter WarlockA beautiful Christmas carol sung by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yefnj5kvJTw&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yefnj5kvJTw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><blockquote>"When he is King we will give him the Kings’ gifts, <br />Myrrh for its sweetness, and gold for a crown, <br />Beautiful robes,” said the young girl to Joseph, <br />Fair with her first-born on Bethlehem Down. <br /><br />Bethlehem Down is full of the starlight — <br />Winds for the spices, and stars for the gold, <br />Mary for sleep, and for lullaby music <br />Songs of a shepherd by Bethlehem fold. <br /><br />When he is King they will clothe him in grave-sheets, <br />Myrrh for embalming, and wood for a crown, <br />He that lies now in the white arms of Mary, <br />Sleeping so lightly on Bethlehem Down. <br /><br />Here he has peace and a short while for dreaming, <br />Close-huddled oxen to keep him from cold, <br />Mary for love, and for lullaby music <br />Songs of a shepherd by Bethlehem fold.</blockquote>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-61591624987858576922008-12-05T13:50:00.004-06:002008-12-05T14:01:26.895-06:00Sights and sounds of sacred music courtesy of the CMAA Sacred Music Colloquium<i>It's been said that it is, "too hard," "no one wants this music," that "it is not possible for a regular parish," that "this music is completely outmoded." Yet, here were more than 270 musicians of all ages, from all over the country doing everthing that was presumed impossible.</i><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/D5emKd8ajSc&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/D5emKd8ajSc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://corpuschristiwatershed.org/">Corpus Christi Watershed</a> and Jeffrey Ostrowski (<a href="http://chabanelpsalms.org/">Chabanel Psalms</a>) did this with the help of Arlene-Oost Zinner.<br /><br />I'd love to head to the <a href="http://www.musicasacra.com/colloquium/">2009 Sacred Music Colloquium</a> should the funds become available.Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-68982742781159009152008-11-23T01:37:00.003-06:002008-11-23T01:56:29.707-06:00Sancta Cecilia, ora pro nobis<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/St_Cecilia%27s_Martyrdom.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/St_Cecilia%27s_Martyrdom.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Our quartet sang at a lovely mass this Saturday morning for the feast of St. Cecilia, patroness of musicians. We sang <i>A Hymn For St. Cecilia</i> by Herbert Howells as best we could. <a href="http://www.musicasacra.org.nz/mp3s/Howells_Hymn_to_St_Cecilia.mp3">Here</a> is an mp3 of the piece recorded by the Musica Sacra Choir of Auckland, New Zealand.Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-14983526937986616742008-11-22T22:09:00.002-06:002008-11-23T01:29:12.223-06:00The splendor of truth in liturgyShawn Tribe at <a href="http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2008/11/beauty-liturgy-and-liturgical-practice.html">The New Liturgical Movement</a> expresses what is becoming more apparent to me: liturgical worship is not about about entertainment, feel-good emotions, or personal preference. The liturgy has an objective quality that communicates the faith. How we pray will shape how we believe. He quotes the following:<br /><br /><blockquote>... people are instructed in the truths of faith, and brought to appreciate the inner joys of religion far more effectually by the annual celebration of our sacred mysteries than by any official pronouncement of the teaching of the Church. Such pronouncements usually reach only a few and the more learned among the faithful; feasts reach them all; the former speak but once, the latter speak every year - in fact, forever.<br />-Pope Pius XI <span style="font-style:italic;">Quas Primas</span><br /><br /></blockquote>And later from <span style="font-style:italic;">Four Benefits of the Liturgy</span> by Dom Gerard Calvet:<br /><br /><blockquote>Take a group of Japanese tourists visiting Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. They look at the height of the stained-glass windows, the harmony of the proportions. Suppose that at that moment, sacred ministers dressed in orphried velvet copes enter in process for solemn Vespers. The visitors watch in silence; they are entranced: beauty has opened its doors to them. Now the Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas and Notre Dame in Paris are products of the same era. They say the same thing. But who among the visitors has read the Summa of St. Thomas? The same phenomenon is found at all levels. The tourists who visit the Acropolis in Athens are confronted with a civilisation of beauty. But who among them can understand Aristotle?<br /><br />And so it is with the beauty of the liturgy. More than anything else it deserves to be called the splendour of the truth. It opens to the small and the great alike the treasures of its magnificence: the beauty of psalmody, sacred chants and texts, candles, harmony of movement and dignity of bearing. With sovereign art the liturgy exercises a truly seductive influence on souls, who it touches directly, even before the spirit perceives its influence.<br /><br /></blockquote>Sacred liturgy is the body language of the Church - the people of God and the Body of Christ.Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-53454743061212819442008-08-19T22:56:00.003-06:002008-08-19T22:59:19.840-06:00How to help uninsured childrenThis is great! Our clinic is way across town, too far to drive since we moved.<br /><br /><embed src="http://www.theonion.com/content/themes/common/assets/videoplayer/flvplayer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="always" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="355" flashvars="file=http://www.theonion.com/content/xml/81451/video&autostart=false&image=http://www.theonion.com/content/files/images/CHILDRENS_HEALTHCARE_article.jpg&bufferlength=3&embedded=true&title=Study%3A%20Most%20Children%20Strongly%20Opposed%20To%20Children%E2%80%99s%20Healthcare"></embed><br/><a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/video/study_most_children_strongly?utm_source=embedded_video">Study: Most Children Strongly Opposed To Childrenâ��s Healthcare</a>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-48900199896595727312008-08-17T20:47:00.007-06:002008-08-17T23:33:32.245-06:00Congratulations! Elanor is born!Abecedarius Rex has welcomed the birth of his daughter <a href="http://scribblebibble.blogspot.com/2008/08/elanor.html">Elanor</a>! God bless you, Will! What a beautiful name:<br /><blockquote><i>When his eyes were in turn uncovered, Frodo looked up and caught his breath. They were standing in an open space. To the left stood a great mound, covered with a sward of grass as green as Spring-time in the Elder Days. Upon it, as a double crown, grew two circles of trees: the outer had bark of snowy white, and were leafless but beautiful in their shapely nakedness; the inner were mallorn-trees of great height, still arrayed in pale gold. High amid the branches of a towering tree that stood in the centre of all there gleamed a white flet. At the feet of the trees, and all about the green hillsides the grass was studded with small golden flowers shaped like stars. Among them, nodding in slender stalks, were other flowers, white and palest green: they glimmered as a mist amid the rich hue of the grass. Over all the sky was blue, and the sun of afternoon glowed upon the hill and cast long green shadoes beneath the trees.<br /><br />"Behold! You are come to Cerin Amroth," said Haldir. "For this is the heart of the ancient realm as it was long ago, and here is the mound of Amroth, where in happier days his high house was built. Here ever bloom the winter flowers in the unfading grass: the yellow </i>elanor<i>, and the pale </i> niphredil<i>. Here we will stay a while, and come to the city of the Galadhrim at dusk."</i></blockquote><blockquote><i>At the hill's foot Frodo found Aragorn, standing still and silent as a tree; but in his hand was a small golden bloom of </i>elanor<i>, and a light was in his eyes. He was wrapped in some fair memory: and as Frodo looked at him he knew that he beheld things as they once had been in this same place. For the grim years were removed from the face of Aragorn, and he seemed clothed in white, a young lord tall and fair; and he spoke in the Elvish tongue to one whom Frodo could not see. </i>Arwen vanimelda, namarië!<i> he said, and then he drew a breath, and returning out of his thought he looked at Frodo and smiled.<br /><br />"Here is the heart of Elvendom on earth," he said, "and here my heart dwells ever, unless there be a light beyond the dark roads that we still must tread, you and I. Come with me!" And taking Frodo's hand in his, he left the hill of Cerin Amroth and came there never again as living man.</i><br /></blockquote>These few pages, at a mere wayside for the Fellowship, evokes in me what C.S. Lewis called Joy, or the longing <i>Sensucht</i>. Lewis' Joy was an intense longing for the good, true and beautiful that could never be fully satisfied. But that longing was itself more wonderful than the fulfillment of any other lesser desire. It is a virtue of the high elves that they live at once in two states, Middle Earth and Aman, the Blessed Realm. The mere longing for the light of their true home across the sea provides the elves with all the refreshment they need in the twilight of Middle Earth. Hence even Legolas (who was not of the Noldor) can retreat into his mind and longing for lands far away, forgoing sleep. Cerin Amroth embodies that longing, as does Aragorn's day-dream of Arwen, even though we don't know exactly what he is remembering.<br /><blockquote><i>"Well, Fr. Frodo," he said. "I'm in a bit of a fix. Rose and me had settled to call him Frodo, with your leave; but it's not </i>him<i>, it's </i>her<i>. Though as pretty a maidchild as any one could hope for, taking after Rose more than me, luckily. So we don't know what to do."<br /><br />"Well, Sam," said Frodo, "what's wrong with the old customs? Choose a flower name like Rose. Half the maidchildren in the Shire are called by such names, and what could be better?"<br /><br />"I suppose you're right, Mr. Frodo," said Sam. "I've heard some beautiful names on my travels, but I suppose they're a bit too grand for daily wear and tear, as you might say. The Gaffer, he says: 'Make it short, and then you won't have to cut it short before you can use it.' But if it's to be a flower-name, then I don't trouble about the length: it must be a beautiful name, because, you see, I think she is very beautiful, and is going to be beautifuller still."<br /><br />Frodo thought for a moment. "Well, Sam, what about </i>elanor<i>, the sun-star, you remember the little golden flower in the grass of Lothlórien?"<br /><br />"You're right again, Mr. Frodo!" said Sam delighted. "That's what I wanted."</i></blockquote>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-36539728849807665392008-08-14T12:27:00.003-06:002008-08-14T12:30:42.389-06:00Email from U of M President Robert BruininksI received today this brief email from President Bruininks:<br /><br /><blockquote>Dear Mr. Fisher:<br /><br />Thank you for sharing your concerns. It is important to understand that<br />the views expressed by biology Professor Paul Myers were expressed on<br />his personal blog and do not reflect those of the University of<br />Minnesota, Morris, or the University of Minnesota system. Initially,<br />there was a link to that personal blog from a University Web site. This<br />link was inconsistent with University Web policy, and per that policy,<br />the link was deactivated.<br /><br />We pride ourselves on providing a nurturing environment for students of<br />diverse beliefs, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are firmly committed<br />to ensuring a respectful environment for discourse. I hope you will<br />continue to support the University of Minnesota.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br /><br />Robert H. Bruininks<br />President<br /><br /></blockquote>Here was my counter-reply:<br /><br /><blockquote>Dear President Bruininks:<br /><br />Thank you for your reply. As I said in my first letter, it is not the views expressed on Prof. Myers blog that I find worthy of discipline. I believe professors should continue in their freedom to express personal opinions when not representing the University. However, Prof. Myers actions are what I find to be unacceptable. He encouraged people to sneak into a Catholic Church and steal the Holy Eucharist. When a Sacred Host was sent to him he publicly defaced the Sacrament and bragged about how stupid people were to be offended by what he did. This hateful action is what merits condemnation from your institution and the dismissal of Prof. Myers.<br /><br />Students of the University of Minnesota deserve better teachers and mentors than Prof. Paul Myers.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br />Mr. Dan Fisher<br />B.S. Physics, 2002<br />Univ. of MN, Institute of Technology</blockquote>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-42068678192934755252008-08-11T13:30:00.003-06:002008-08-11T13:35:28.385-06:00"Sin" is breaking whose law again?Keith Pavlischek at <a href="http://www.firstthings.com/blog/2008/08/11/sin-boldly/">First Things</a>:<br /><blockquote>From the <a href="http://www.reformed.org/documents/WSC.html">Westminster Shorter Catechism</a>:<br />Q. 14. What is sin? A. Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.<br /><br />From the <a href="http://www.ourladyswarriors.org/faith/bc3-06.htm">Baltimore Catechism</a>:<br />Q. 278. What is actual sin? A. Actual sin is any willful thought, word, deed, or omission contrary to the law of God.<br /><br />From <a href="http://falsani.blogspot.com/2008/04/barack-obama-2004-god-factor-interview.html">Senator Obama</a>:<br />Q. Do you believe in sin? OBAMA: Yes. Q. What is sin? OBAMA: Being out of alignment with my values.<br /><br />Not that there is anything to the chatter about Senator Obama’s “Messiah complex,” mind you.</blockquote>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-71715869106469340002008-08-10T07:51:00.003-06:002008-08-10T07:57:15.878-06:00Report on Mpls Closing of Dunkin Donuts FROM THE FUTURE!HA! I love puns. Pun rule #1: Never apologize, never explain.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.startribune.com/local/26474324.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUJ">From Lileks</a>:<br /><blockquote>Perhaps you've read <a href="http://www.startribune.com/business/26379814.html?elr=KArksUUUU">rapturous stories</a> about the return of Dunkin' Donuts to the Twin Cities. Wow! Donuts? And coffee? Where do we queue?<br /><br />It's good news -- but on the other hand, our time-travel news-retrieval system has produced this dispatch from the future:<br /><br />(Mpls) Aug. 10, 2013: The last Dunkin' Donuts closed today, quietly closing out an era that began with great fanfare in 2008 when the company returned to the Twin Cities market after five years.<br /><br />"We see an opportunity," a company spokesman had said, citing the departure of Starbucks and Krispy Kreme, which "not only left a hole in the area's donut options but had sprinkled the area with empty stores. I'd give you some dry business reasons, but your eyes would glaze over," he said, adding "you understand those are donut puns, right? Because you're not smiling."<br /><br /></blockquote>Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-30424320320646029592008-08-09T20:08:00.003-06:002008-08-09T20:22:42.861-06:00Vespers Update - Assumption of the BVMYou can now access the chanted Sunday Vespers booklets for Ordinary Time and Advent in the "Liturgy of the Hours" links list at the left. These booklets include all the prayers for II Vespers on Sundays except the proper Magnificat antiphons and concluding prayers (too much to type). I also include in each booklet at the end the traditional Marian anthem usually sung after Night Prayer - <i>Alma Redemptoris Mater, Ave Regina Caelorum, Regina Caeli,</i> or <i>Salve Regina</i>.<br /><br />I'm still working on getting this prayer started in my parish, but that hasn't stopped me from putting together a booklet for the upcoming Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary! Feasts are missing from my other booklets, so I figured I'd arrange them individually as I go for future use. Here is my <a href="http://www2.informns.k12.mn.us/SchoolTIES/files/provacd/00001/danfisher/907313Assumption_II_Vespers.pdf">chanted Assumption booklet</a> for II Vespers. Summer is great. :)<br /><br />Happy praying!Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-86237791909737211272008-08-06T23:59:00.002-06:002008-08-07T00:01:55.834-06:00Catholic Carnival 184<a href="http://hokaipaulos.blogspot.com/2008/08/interesting-times-catholic-carnival.html">This week's Catholic Carnival</a> is hosted by Joe Wetterling of Ho Kai Paulos.Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-20550867084733075702008-08-05T21:39:00.002-06:002008-08-05T21:42:09.834-06:00Watch this video for warm fuzziesThen go to <a href="http://www.wherethehellismatt.com">Matt's site</a>. It's amusing.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="225"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1211060&server=www.vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /> <embed src="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1211060&server=www.vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://www.vimeo.com/1211060?pg=embed&sec=1211060">Where the Hell is Matt? (2008)</a> from <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/user484313?pg=embed&sec=1211060">Matthew Harding</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com?pg=embed&sec=1211060">Vimeo</a>.Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-61075403796510456652008-08-01T13:55:00.005-06:002008-08-07T14:27:34.843-06:00O God, come to my assistance - Sunday VespersPerhaps I mentioned at some point my ongoing project to set a simply chanted Sunday Vespers to sing weekly at my parish? I went about typing the texts and setting music in the hopes that the more I had done before pitching it to our pastor and choir director the more likely it'd be to get started. I stalled for a while, stuck on the strange canticle from Revelation. But thanks to a tip from <a href="http://musicasacra.com/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=745&page=1#Item_3">this discussion</a> on the Musica Sacra forums, I was able to move ahead and finish the main part of the project (minus readings and propers for Advent, Lent and Easter).<br /><br />Here is the result presented for review: (<b>See edited links at bottom</b>).<br /><br />If you are so inclined, could you offer feedback? Specifically regarding the pointing of the antiphons and psalms:<br /><br />1) Are any of the chant tones really ugly or awkward? <br /><br />2) I used the simple method employed by the editors of the <a href="http://www.vocations.org/liturgicalinstitute/projects/psalter/psalter%20home%202007.htm">Mundelein Psalter</a>. The italic syllable is where you first change pitch. Each note after the change corresponds to one syllable with any extras falling on the last note. And also the final note should correspond to the final accented syllable in the phrase. I had some difficulties following this last rule with the antiphons for Psalm 110. Making the final syllable line up with the last note over-emphasized an insignificant word or awkward syllable.<br /><br />3) I originally wanted to keep the "official" text for everything. For the Magnificat (Canticle of Mary) the traditional tone I used works poorly. I have a better arrangement from The Hymnal (1940) but it uses King James English. It's beautiful, but not "official." I'm leaning toward using the different translation unless someone can offer a way to fix my version.<br /><br />As a beneficial aside, I also set the English translations of two traditional hymns from the Divine Office in square notes. They look nice and are wonderful to sing. Feel free to use and distribute these as you like (all text and music is common domain):<br /><br /><a href="http://www2.informns.k12.mn.us/SchoolTIES/files/provacd/00001/danfisher/907029Lucis_Creator_optime_-_Sunday,_II_Vespers,_Odd_Weeks.pdf"><i>Lucis Creator optime</i></a> - Sunday, II Vespers, odd weeks<br /><a href="http://www2.informns.k12.mn.us/SchoolTIES/files/provacd/00001/danfisher/907030O_Lux,_beata_Trinitas_-_Sunday,_II_Vespers,_Even_Weeks.pdf"><i>O Lux, beata Trinitas</i></a> - Sunday, II Vespers, even weeks<br /><br />Head over to my friend Geometricus' blog <a href="http://hymnosdebitoscanamus.blogspot.com/">Hymnos Debitos Canamus</a> for helpful info about these and many other hymns of the Divine Office!<br /><br /><hr><br />EDIT: Here are the updated booklets in PDF files, the first combined, one for Ordinary Time and one for Advent:<br /><a href="http://www2.informns.k12.mn.us/SchoolTIES/files/provacd/00001/danfisher/907033Sunday_Vespers_Small.pdf">COMBINED</a> - This booklet has multiple antiphons for each psalm depending upon the season. I moved away from this, thinking instead to have different booklets for different seasons.<br /><a href="http://www2.informns.k12.mn.us/SchoolTIES/files/provacd/00001/danfisher/907238Sunday_Vespers_Small_OT.pdf">ORDINARY TIME</a> - Simplified layout with only the OT antiphons for each psalm.<br /><a href="http://www2.informns.k12.mn.us/SchoolTIES/files/provacd/00001/danfisher/907239Sunday_Vespers_Small_Advent.pdf">ADVENT</a> - Psalms have antiphons for advent only. Hymns are english translations of the the proper Advent hymns from Liturgiam Horarum, <i>Conditor alme siderum</i> and <i>Verbum salutis omnium</i>, set to a tune from the Liber Usualis. I also selected a different chant tone for the Advent Responsory and Magnificat. <br /><br />They are set in half-sheet size (5.5"x8.5") for printing as a booklet on 8.5"x11" letter paper. I decided to just use the latin Magnificat. The booklets have everything you need to pray Sunday II Vespers for Ordinary Time and Advent except the Magnificat antiphons and final prayer. It seemed too much work to try and type and included these in a section that you'd have to flip to anyways. I plan to just look them up from another psalter when praying.Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-1808881564673808412008-07-25T12:59:00.003-06:002008-07-25T13:26:20.284-06:00My response to Prof. Paul Z. Myers hateful acts against Catholics and MuslimsYou may or may not have heard of atheist biology professor Paul Myers of the University of MN, Morris in recent weeks. He made headlines after requesting on his personal blog for stolen consecrated hosts to be sent to him so that he could desecrate them. Of course, many Catholics were outraged and Dr. Myers has gotten an earful, ranging from prayers for his soul to violent threats. Mark Shea offers a good discussion of the situation <a href="http://insidecatholic.com/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4140&Itemid=48">here</a>.<br /><br />Well, yesterday <a href="http://www.catholicexchange.com/2008/07/24/113290/">the man followed through</a> on his twisted exercise in kindly showing the intolerant masses of superstitious idiots (a.k.a. anybody who believes in God) who's king of the universe. He desecrated a sacred host, defaced the Koran and tossed them in the garbage taking a picture to share on his blog. Somehow we're supposed to see now that that this little "cracker" has no power. Thanks man! Like I thought it would melt your eyeballs like the Nazis in <i>Raiders of the Lost Ark</i> or something!<br /><br />Anyways, as a Catholic and a graduate of the University of Minnesota, I don't think this guy should go on lecturing and doing research. What PZ Myers has done is analogous to calling for people to disrupt services at a synagogue to steal the Torah and send it to him so that he could spray paint swastikas all over it. To Catholics, it's that bad of a sacrilege. Surely if a professor were to publicly call for such an anti-Semitic act he would be justly fired. The same should go for a hateful act done against Catholics.<br /><br />Here is my letter I sent last night to all those people in the U of MN chain above Prof. Myers. If you feel so inclined, please write your own version and send it via the email addresses provided at the bottom (no threats, though!):<br /><br /><blockquote>To President Robert Bruininks, Chancellor Jacqueline Johnson, Dr. Roland Guyotte and Dr. Michael Korth of the University of Minnesota and U of MN, Morris:<br /><br />I am writing in regard to the recent actions taken by Prof. Paul Myers of the U of MN, Morris. As reported on his blog on July 24, 2008, he has taken pages from the Koran and consecrated hosts (presumably stolen from a Catholic Church), deliberately defaced them and publicly ridiculed in the most hateful manner those who hold these objects to be sacred symbols of their faith.<br /><br />I am an alumnus of the University of MN Institute of Technology and currently teach high school physics in Plymouth, MN. I am also a Catholic who is deeply insulted and pained by these hateful acts of bigotry accomplished by Dr. Myers. I am ashamed that such a man is tarnishing the name of my alma mater. I will not donate to your esteemed institution unless and until Dr. Meyers is disciplined. I am also disinclined to recommend the science programs at UMN, Morris to our seniors. It seems to me that a man so filled with distain toward people of faith would be incapable of treating my students with respect.<br /><br />To clarify, I do not think that Dr. Myers should be punished for his atheistic beliefs, but rather for his public incitement of theft and hatred toward people who believe in God. This despicable conduct reveals a man unworthy of our public trust to educate young minds who are interested in the pursuit of scientific knowledge.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br />Mr. Dan Fisher<br />B.S. Physics, 2002<br />Univ. of MN, Institute of Technology<br /><br /></blockquote>President Robert H. Bruininks, upres@umn.edu<br />Chancellor Jacqueline Johnson, grussing@morris.umn.edu<br />Dr. Roland Guyotte, Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean, petersdk@morris.umn.edu<br />Dr. Michael Korth, Chair of the Division of Science & Mathematics, korthms@morris.umn.edu<br />Professor Paul Zachary Myers, myersp@morris.umn.eduDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-48739552614774044782008-07-24T12:55:00.003-06:002008-07-24T13:18:54.644-06:00NASA Satellites Discover What Powers Northern Lights<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/262353main_reconnect_226.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px;" src="http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/262353main_reconnect_226.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/jul/HQ_08185_THEMIS.html">This press release</a> from NASA touches upon a topic of personal interest.<br /><br /><blockquote>Researchers using a fleet of five NASA satellites have discovered that explosions of magnetic energy a third of the way to the moon power substorms that cause sudden brightenings and rapid movements of the aurora borealis, called the Northern Lights.<br /><br />The culprit turns out to be magnetic reconnection, a common process that occurs throughout the universe when stressed magnetic field lines suddenly snap to a new shape, like a rubber band that's been stretched too far.<br /><br />"We discovered what makes the Northern Lights dance," said Dr. Vassilis Angelopoulos of the University of California, Los Angeles. Angelopoulos is the principal investigator for the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms mission, or THEMIS. <br /><br />Substorms produce dynamic changes in the auroral displays seen near Earth's northern and southern magnetic poles, causing a burst of light and movement in the Northern and Southern Lights.<br /><br /></blockquote><a href="http://www.physics.umn.edu/research/Auroraweb.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 216px;" src="http://www.physics.umn.edu/research/Auroraweb.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>One of my two brief stints in research as an undergrad was in the <a href="http://www.physics.umn.edu/research/space.html">space physics department at the U of MN</a> looking at auroral substorms. This was back in 2000 before the launch of the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/themis">THEMIS</a> satellites. I was looking for a good conjunction of the <a href="http://sprg.ssl.berkeley.edu/fast/">FAST</a> and <a href="http://pwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/polar/">POLAR</a> satellites at the outset of a substorm over the north polar region. I was unsuccessful, but it was interesting looking at lots of substorm images. These storms engulf a ring surrounding the entire polar region. A lot of energy being released and now we know how!Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897988.post-75887146958853532022008-07-23T20:14:00.002-06:002008-07-23T21:25:10.392-06:00Front row seatsToday seemed like a good day. I didn't have work to do, so both this morning and afternoon I was with the boys while Amy worked. "All day with boys" does not always equal "a good day" but things went smoothly.<br /><br />This morning we had extended playtime in our basement family room which included the usual trucks, trains, and LEGOs. Lunch fell together as spaghetti with a tasty mixture of leftover homemade pizza sauce and toppings (getting to leftover scraps before they rot is always good). But the REAL fun came during lunch when the CONCRETE MIXING TRUCK pulled up in front of our next-door neighbors. This is a big deal in our house of boys! Our neighbor have been removing their front sidewalk for three days and we were expecting concrete. It seemed like too much to mix one wheelbarrow full at a time so truck seemed likely. We ditched the remainder of lunch to go sit in the shade about 10 meters from the chute as concrete was poured. We've read at least TWO books lately describing the process, including Tonka's "Working Hard with the Mighty Cement Mixer."<br /><br />The truck's concrete drum was slowly spinning clockwise as the truck pulled up. We watched the truck operator assemble the chute by unfolding one section and hooking on another by hand. He then sped up the drum to mix the concrete really well (~.5 rot/sec, which is fast for a big heavy drum). Then he stopped the drum an spun it slowly counterclockwise until the concrete oozed out and slid down the chute. We've recently learned how spiral paddles mix the concrete when the drum spins one way and pushes it out when spinning the other. The concrete was unloaded one wheelbarrow at a time near the street and walked all the way to the top of the sidewalk to be dumped, about 5 or 6 meters. Every so often to operator took about 30 seconds to switch the direction of spin and mix the concrete some more to prevent it from setting up. It took much longer than expected and we were outside for over an hour. Finally the truck driver thoroughly washed down the chute and drum with a sprayer and drove off.<br /><br />It was great fun! The man who was working with the concrete spent another 3-4 hours finishing the sidewalk. I was surprised that you could work with concrete for this long. I suspect it's like plaster, with different mixtures and working times, and the finishing pass needing to occur at just the right time. Tomorrow, a new sidewalk!Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10829574522791907940noreply@blogger.com2