Dream Like a Unicorn

Funniest thing I've seen this year while Christmas shopping: A nightshirt with an image proclaiming that the wearer should Dream Like A Unicorn.

Am I missing something?

Let's Support Laura's Magical Birth Canal!

The tireless Laura Klassen does amazing work to educate people about the misconceptions (pun intended) of abortion and why it is wrong.

Of course, she often has to fight against the Devil and his minions in the world, which oftentimes include Facebook, one of her social media outlets.

Facebook has recently blocked one of her videos, The Magical Birth Canal. I am posting the video below, and I would urge anyone who is pro-life to also post her video/link on their blog or website.

Thank you for supporting this wonderful lady.

Children's Advent Prayer

Children’s Advent Prayer

Come, Lord Jesus,

we pray.

Come, Lord Jesus,

into my heart, and stay.

Come, Lord Jesus,

today.

Kate Hudson's Gender Reveal Party and My Confusion

So, all the tabloids and newspapers (as if there's a difference) shouted the headline back in April: Kate Hudson Reveals Gender of her Third Child.

Well, now I'm confused, once again.

I thought that "gender" was something decided upon by the individual. How long will we stand by and put up with this matristic, not to mention maternal, exploitation of gender determination? What about the rights of that poor fetus (yes, it's a medical, scientific term that all pro-life people should use) to reveal their (see? I can be fad-ish, too) gender? How callous and thoughtless of Kate Hudson to dare to presume the gender of her baby before her child even has the opportunity to voice their decision on this matter! What damage has Kate Hudson unleashed upon this defenseless fetus' psyche? In what other ways will they have to face up to their parent's oppressive gender-expectations? I pray that Kate and her spouse will see the (politically correct LGBTQ rainbow) light before it's too late.

Or, wait, did Kate maybe reveal the sex of her child? Could it be that there's a difference between gender and sex? Apparently: yes, at least according to that storehouse of contemporary knowledge, Wikipedia:

The distinction between sex and gender differentiates a person's biological sex (the anatomy of an individual's reproductive system, and secondary sex characteristics) from that person's gender, which can refer to either social roles based on the sex of the person (gender role) or personal identification of one's own gender based on an internal awareness (gender identity).[1][2]

I'm sure the LGBTQ (I refuse to learn more letters) community has considered this, haven't they? And surely, if only to absolve such a Hollywood icon as Kate Hudson from her outdated sexist biases, the LGBTQ-ers (ever so scientific in their polemic and politics) would agree that it is, in fact, okay for Kate to reveal the sex of her child?

Free Read for Thanksgiving!

In honor of the American Thanksgiving, my spicy, football-themed novella, Down by Contact, is free at Smashwords this week.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/397910

You'll need the code to get it, though. And as always, I'm grateful for any reviews.

The code is: VC65R
Blessings,

~JT~

Confused, yet?

Huh?
Really, Al?

Al Roker:

"She [Megan Kelly] owes a big apology to people of color across the country." October 25, 2018

October 31 - Roker used his own social media account to respond to the people who don't get why his '80s theme outfit is not an example of whiteface.

"I’m going to say this one last time, but the folks who get it, understand and the ones who DON’T, won’t," the journalist began. "I can be Doc Brown, and I wear the outfit and wig and not change my skin color."

He continued: "If you’re white, you can be President Obama if you want. Just don’t color your skin!"
- USA Today

Ah, now I understand . . .

Halloween Tricks or Treats

I'm thinking of handing out brown scapulars and Rosaries for Halloween this year. Maybe I should just give them out to the "politically correct and perennially funny" trick-or-treaters dressed as pregnant nuns or pedophile priests?

        

Free Halloween Reads!

In the spirit of all that is scary, four of my stories are currently available for free until All Souls Day at Smashwords.

You will need coupons to redeem these free reads:

Blood Work: Dr. Farkas II
Coupon code: PC86M

King's Daughter: Dr. Farkas III
Coupon code: CY87W

Shadow the Ghost Dog: A Shadow the Black Lab Tale #1
Coupon code: ML86U

Chip: A Shadow the Black Lab Tale #4
Coupon code: DB39Q

Dr. Farkas (the first installment in the vampire series) is always free, no coupon required.

Enjoy.

The Other Marys

If I had any regular readers I would ask them at this point to indulge me in something I try to avoid doing: speculative theology.

My question is: were there any other Marys, i.e., other women immaculately conceived and prepared by God the Father to give birth to Our Lord Jesus Christ before Mary, wife of Joseph, gave her fiat and conceived of the Holy Spirit?

It's possible, is it not, that other virtuous and immaculate women were asked bear God's child and, faced with the burden of what was to come to Him and her sorrows, did not have the faith or courage or whatever might have been lacking to give their fiat. Not that this would make them bad women, just that it was not meant to be for them to give birth to Jesus at that time, in that place.

I'm not looking to cast doubt or aspersions on our holy Queen Mother and her providential role in salvation history, I am merely speculating on the possibility that other women were asked to fulfill this role and did not do it. Christian history would have forgotten them in time, in favor of celebrating Mary's freely given Ave.

Is there any Biblical text reference that would support the claim that Mary was the only woman in history to have ever been asked to do this? I can't think of any, but if a reader knows, please leave a comment.

Happy World Teacher Day

How ironic that on World Teacher Day "Whose job is never finished..." that today is a PD day in our town!

On the Front Lines of the Battle for Life

This potential violence is why we pray to St. Michael for spiritual and physical protection when we go out to peacefully pray for the rights of the pre-born.

St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the 
wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him,
we humbly pray;
and do thou, O Prince of the 
heavenly host,
by the power of God,
cast into hell,
Satan, and all evil spirits
who prowl throughout the world,
seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.

Is Abortion Really Healthcare?

Yeah, they're all about offering care. "No matter what."

As I watched yet another television commercial promoting some medication, it occurred to me that if abortion was truly healthcare for women, they would be promoting that service everywhere!

Yet, when was the last time you saw a tv commercial promoting the health benefits of abortion? Or heard such a commercial on the radio?

No, advertising of this so-called "pro-women's" health care don't exist away from the internet or on billboards.

Maybe we should point this discrepancy out to our misguided brothers and sisters who believe Planned Parenthood (and the culture of death's) lie about this abominable procedure.

Kavanaugh, Truth and Relativism

The Kavanaugh supreme court nomination hearings (and subsequent character hearing with Professor Ford) are a sign of the times. They represent our culture of relativism's finest fruits: Two people who claim (under oath) to have different beliefs of the truth, i.e., different truths. And the obvious result, both are being vilified by their opponents as liars.

Our culture's biggest achievement is the unrelenting approach to celebrate each person's own truths, with people refusing to acknowledge the untenable and inherent contradiction in this position.

Enjoy: relativism has now reached the courts. Good luck finding anyone guilty.

New/Old Release

Fine Form Press has released one more story from the Guppy Soup collection!

This one is "Wanda's Appointment."

Blurb:
Wanda experiences a series of strange, unsettling events during her doctor's appointment.

Check it out. It's a short, free, read!

"Wanda's Appointment" is available from Smashwords and all e-book retailers, except Amazon.

What Were They Thinking?

I wouldn't even call myself a casual NHL hockey observer. I haven't been a fan for probably close to 20 years, not since one of the strikes drove me away. However, I do tune in occasionally during the playoffs, which is what I am doing as write this commentary.

I sat down to watch the fifth game between the Winnipeg Jets and Vegas Knights. Vegas is leading the series 3-1 and they can finish off the Jets and earn a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals with a win. So, let me set the pre-game scene for you: both teams are introduced to a sea of white-jerseyed Winnipeg fans eager to cheer on their Jets. I guess they do this every home game, so this is nothing new. Now, these fans are also furiously (fanatically) waving towels (a PR stunt started in the 1970s by the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers and their Terrible Towels). Unfortunately, these Jets towels are white. The last time I checked, if you want to show a sign of surrender, you wave a white towel at your opponent. Can you see where I'm going with this? 40,000 white-clad people waving white towels greeted the Vegas Knights as they skated onto the ice.

The final nail in this PR nightmare: because they are the opposing team, the Vegas Knights are dressed in their away color, which is . . .you guessed it: WHITE. So, it kinda looks like the whole arena is supporting the Knights, and if they aren't, then they're at least offering to surrender on behalf of their hometeam.

I know we Canadians have a reputation for exhibiting extravagant politeness, but this is an #EpicPRFail   

New release: When Two Souls Touch

My new release from Fine Form Press, When Two Souls Touch, is a time-travel romance novel featuring contemporary social themes.

When Two Souls Touch can be purchased from  Amazon, Smashwords, B&N,  itunes or your favorite e-book retailer.

As a special month-long thank you for reading this blog, you can get the novel for free using this Smashwords code NT95W- Coupon expires May 27, 2018. Enjoy!

Book Review: A Letter to the Friends of the Cross

The Letter to the Friends Of The Cross by St. Louis de Montfort
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was truly a Lenten surprise! I previously read St. Louis Marie de Montfort's True Devotion to Mary, and although I found it quite enriching, it proved to be one of the most difficult books I had ever attempted to read - this coming from someone who has studied Phenomenology! So, my expectations were quite low, and even though this booklet was a gift to my wife by a Monseigneur friend of ours, I did not rush to open it and read it.

One of the things that attracted me to this book was its length. It comes in at under 40 pages, the main text is actually 25 pages long, and then there's an eight page ode to the Cross at the end.

The impetus of the book is Christ's admonition to us: "If any one wishes to come after Me let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me." (Luke 8-23)

De Montfort takes this message to heart and shows us that we cannot be followers of Christ (who was not spared His Passion), and expect not to suffer along with Him. If He, God's perfect Son, suffered, then we, imperfect beings that we are, should expect as much.

This is not a book for every Catholic. Those who embrace de Kempis' Imitation of Christ (one of my favorite Lenten spiritual readings) will also embrace the spirituality contained in this booklet. In fact, de Montfort cites The Imitation in one passage.

If you are looking for a short spiritual work to help you contemplate the Cross, this is it.

View all my reviews

Say what, now?

Laughing at Liberty Mutual Insurance's commercial:

Um, no. Maybe you should've taken driving lessons, self-righteous commercial lady. Since most trees aren't found in the middle of road, I'm guessing you drove your car off the road and hit that tree. So, don't blame your car insurance company for your bad driving. Just be thankful they still want to insure you!

Mystery Novel Ending

This scene would end a murder mystery by exonerating a left-handed suspect or helping to prove the guilt of a right-handed suspect.

Detective Knowitall stroked his beard and asked, his tone almost bored, "And can you show me the murder weapon again, Inspector Head Upbutt."

The inspector shook his head as he reached for the cast-iron frying pan. Clearly the old boy had finally lost it. Did he want breakfast served to him? He offered the heavy pan to the detective. "Careful, sir. It's quite heavy."

The detective grasped the pan with both of his hands. "Oof! That is heavy!" He grinned as he turned it over. "Hmm, yes. I see now. Thank you, Inspector Upbutt. Please take it back before my arms break off."

The Inspector reached for the frying pan and gently placed it down on the stove. "Well? Why the sudden urge to drag us out here to crime scene, Detective?"

"I merely wanted to confirm a hunch. Please remind me again, was the victim killed with a blow to the left or the right side of his head?"

"The left side, as you well know! We've been over this again and again!"

"Exactly! Don't you see?"

Inspector Upbutt sighed. "See what, dear man? That the victim's last meal was fried eggs?"

The detective pointed up to heaven as he exclaimed, "Yes!"

"Huh?"

"It's as clear as anything Inspector Upbutt. The left side of the victim's head was bashed in, which means that the killer was right handed. Yet one of our suspects is left handed, isn't he?"

"Um . . . yes?"

"Yes! Now, look. The eggs fried on the outside of the pan, the left side, where he cracked them open before dropping them in the pan to fry. If he was left-handed, he never would've picked up and swung that heavy pan with his weak hand."

The inspector looked stunned. "So, we now have proof that our second suspect, the right-handed one, is the killer!"

"Unless you killed him!" the detective offered. A loud cat-like meowl escaped his parted lips as he laughed.

The inspector held up his left hand, in which he held a pen. "Not me, detective! Not me!"

March for Life 2018

Morning Prayer

Thank you, God for this day,

and for the graces you have given me.
May I use them to proclaim your kingdom.

Thank you for the sacrifice of your only begotten Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the forgiveness of my sins,
and the redemption of my soul.

Thank you God for the gift of Mary, ever virgin, our Mother,
and thank you for my gardian angel.
May he guide my thoughts, words and actions today,
so that I may do your will.

Thank you for [name favorite saints],
May they and the Communion of Saints intercede on my behalf,
so that I may do your will.

Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.

Amen.