Oh Substance, where have you been?

I can see your talking heads

On the television set

On the internet they said

The fact is fiction

Suspicion is the new religion

Substance, oh substance- where have you been?

You've been replaced by the masters of spin

Who make good looking books and write history in

We're selling the news

Twilight Movie Picture

In the tenth and eleventh stanzas of Switchfoot's insightful song "Selling the News,"  the corruption of the media and Internet "news sources" is discussed even further.  Due to extensive treatment of these issues in earlier posts within this series, I'm not going to write too much about this.  Basically, in this part of the song Jon Foreman (the lead singer) is trying to point out that the people on the news stations are simply pretty faces being paid to report bogus stories to please the liberal public.  These heads never stop talking, just like they never stop lying.  The Internet is even worse, because anyone can claim to be an "eyewitness" or an "expert" on a subject, write up an impressive paper with out-of-context quotes and politically correct ideas to fool anyone who doesn't take time to do additional research.  Our trusted resources are becoming less and less honest as money becomes more important than integrity. 

The second stanza posted above addresses a scary topic: the corruption of our world's literature.  How long has it been since a book of substance was sold on the store-front shelves?  This is incredibly obvious when one looks at the "teenage literature" section.  Thanks to the Twilight craze, the shelves are filled with lustful tales of gorgeous, blood-sucking bad guys engaging in impure (not to mention down-right wrong) relationships with scantily clad, lovely women.  The books are bound in enticing covers, and the stories are filled with the kind of junk that used to only be purchasable in sketchy, back-alley adult video stores.  And our history books, oh Lord help us!  They're filled with lies, and any Catholic familiar with the ways of the world can surely guess what the books are lying about.  That's right, Catholics.  Last year in one of my history classes, the textbook said that Queen Elizabeth I was the great peace-maker, pacifying the tortured English people and making all religions happy.  Do you know what Queen Elizabeth I really did?  She persecuted Catholics; she had them violently executed. 

Nothing is trustworthy anymore, because now "the fact is fiction."

Part 5 of the series "We're Selling the News"

Advent Begins!

So many wonderful new things are happening today!

First, Advent has begun.  This also means that this blog's background is going to be purple (and pink) for the next four weeks.  There aren't many purple choices, so I'll only be changing the background once a week.

Second, the new Mass translation was used for the first time in Mass today!  What are your thoughts?  There weren't as many changes as I had expected there to be, but overall I liked them.  As far as I'm concerned, the more reverent and close to the Latin translation we can get, the better.  Our priest gave a wonderful homily about the need to be respectful and how we, as a Church, need to re-awaken our awe and fear of God.

Third, with the beginning of Advent come the emergence of all sorts of new decorations (Advent wreaths, La Posada statues, Jesse trees, Advent calendars, etc.) and purple accessories (I have two scarves I save just for Advent, and wear them only during this time).  What kind of things do you all do during Advent?  I'm looking for new decorating ideas and different traditions to try.

I want to thank you all for your patience.  I plan to finish up this "We're Selling the News" series this week; I hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving and I wish you all a prayerful, joyful Advent!

God Bless

Image from http://www.faithclipart.com/image/christmas-clipart-christian-wreath.html

To the Beach!

Hello Everyone!

My family and I are going on our annual Thanksgiving trip, and I'm not going to have my computer with me.  I'll be back in about a week, and when I get back I'll wrap up the "We're Selling the News" series and move on to preparing for Advent!

May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Thanks be to God!

Seldom as it Appears

America listens the story is told

With an eye on the truth as the story unfolds

But the ratings determine if story was sold

We're selling the news

Begging the question mongering fears

Stroking the eyes and tickling ears

The truth is seldom just as it appears

We're selling the news



National Geographic



As Switchfoot's insightful song "Selling the News" continues, the first two lines written above make me think of the conscience we all have, whispering to us about what is right and what is wrong.  As Americans watch their TV screens, scanning the headlines and following the top stories, they listen with one foot planted in reality and the other in the TV.  They know what is real, what is true, what is right, and as they listen they decide whether the stories fit these parameters.  Yet, too many Americans have become unable to listen objectively.  They trust the news channels to bring them honest reports, and so when something doesn't sound quite right, they write off their gut feelings and adjust their perspective so that their mind will accept what the television is saying. 

This mentality causes them to forget many things, such as the fact that before any stories are even broad casted, Muslim princes and rich executives screen the information, the Muslims approve what is politically correct, and the executives then choose what is interesting and will continue to bring subscriptions.  Thus, the Americans hear what they're supposed to and remain ignorant of the true state of their country

And so the reporters raise questions without offering satisfactory answers, playing with the people's fears and always promising more information "right after this quick break," yet the greatly desired answers never come.  They "stroke the eyes" with attractive anchors, modern sets, and impressive photography while they reassure the Americans that the crisises occurring in other countries involving dictators and a loss of freedom could never happen here.  They hide the fact that our government is slowly taking control of more and more, creeping in and monitoring us much too carefully.  Things appear normal on the surface, but if one were to take the time to dig a little deeper, he would find many things amiss.

Despite all this, things go on seemingly as usual, and the stations continue to announce with plastic smilies "we're selling the news."

Part 4 of the series "We're Selling the News"

Salute to Our Veterans

This is an awesome song; say a prayer for our veterans today, living and dead.

God Bless the USA!!!

The Fact is Fiction

See all men are equal all is for sale

A powerful dog that's been chasing his tail

The lowest common denominator prevails

We're selling the news

I want to believe you

I want to believe

But everything is in between

The fact is fiction

Suspicion is the new religion



Occupy Wall Street in NYC



"All men are equal all is for sale" begins the fourth verse of Switchfoot's song, reminding me of the ominous words in George Orwell's Animal Farm, when the pigs claim that: "all animals are equal."  Of course, we all know how the book ends: the animals discover that what the pigs (symbolic of dictators) really believe is that "all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."

Let me remind all of you of something: men are certainly not equal in one sense of the word.  For example, I am not my brother's equal, for he can skateboard much better than I can; he is not my equal because I can bake much better than he can.  We are not, as far as being "evenly balanced," equal.  This is one of those words that are being seriously misused.  In the above Orwell quote, "equality" is being used to describe what rights animals (symbolic of men) can exercise.  Men, in the words of the Declaration of Independence are "Created equal, and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."  We are all "equal" in this sense.  But, we are not equal in the way the socialists would have us believe.  When "all men are equal," then (as the Occupy Wall Street people would have us believe) no one should be able to succeed, and all personal growth should be restricted.  Hence, everything is for sale because no one is allowed to hold on to personal convictions, to go against the crowd, to rise above what his culture defines as "normal and successful." 

The "powerful dog that's been chasing his tail" is our country. Our politicians have been so worried about political correctness that they've been too busy criticizing the patriots of this country- running after America's remaining heroes- and letting the terrorists go through security posts without a problem so they can prod and poke the normal white children who, of course, pose "such a threat" to society.

The Occupy Wall Street people are claiming they are the 99%; in all actuality they are the minority- a group of fanatics who are stirring up trouble.  Yet they're the ones with the news spots, threatening to change things.  More Americans are pro-life than pro-choice.  Yet their Planned Parenthoods continue operating and their representative is in office.  "The lowest common denominator prevails" because they're the ones doing the complaining, they're the ones stirring up trouble, and they're the ones the government is too worried about being polite towards, to the extent that they cannot control them, for fear of looking harsh.

This is why people are beginning to worry.  Suddenly, those who are informed do not know where to turn for truth because the media, government, and protesters are all lying to them.  "I want to believe you, but everything is in between," says the American who knows how far his country has deteriorated, because suddenly his been forced to be wary of all informants claiming to tell the truth.  The fact has become fiction, and our news stories (which so many people believe out of honest ignorance) are mostly opinion with a few twisted facts, when it should be the other way around.

And thus, suspicion becomes our new religion as we turn around in this deceptive world and try to find an honest voice amid the lies.

[Sorry this series is taking me so long to write/finish.  It's been busy around here! :)  Please be patient with me; I plan to post more regularly now.  God Bless!]

Part 3 of 9 in the series "We're Selling the News"