Vitaliy called me from Russia today. Well, he called me, then I called him back thru Skype. Dont we love Skype? 7 cents/min to talk to him.
He is doing awesome, just finished  a 3- or 4-day trek up a mountain. Said they are acclimating to the altitude. Its snow/ice climbing there where he is. Says the base camp has a doctor and other emergency personnel. He is ecstatic about it all and doing an awesome job. Sheesh, he is so athletic. Hes in his element.
Fasting is going well. My mouth is so dry all day. I think I need to drink more water all the time. Im doing juices, too.
The main lesson of this fast so far: I am actually learning by experience something we know and hear. You have to be today who you want to be.
I have to be today the person I want to be. I have to make small choices all day today in order to be the person i want to be today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, next decade . . . .
OK, I want to be a thin, healthy person. I go throughout my day, and before this fast, I made lots of choices all day that were things I wanted in the momentlike to eat that chocolate, drink that cappuchino, eat that leftover banana bread, etc.choices that gratified me for a moment, but stole away the person I want to be.
I rob myself.
So today, for example, who am I? I want to be a healthy persons my goal. All throughout the day, small temptations come up to eat this bite, drink that thing. And i have to say, no, I will not, I will be right now the person that I desire to be.
Self-discipline.
Ouch.
But the end is pleasure, because in the end, and all throughout the day, I choose, by the grace and power of God, to be the person He wants me to be, that I want to be.
Wow. Its rewarding. Not the fleeting reward of a second, but a fuller satisfaction.

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London, Jul 1 (ANI): Late King of Pop Michael Jackson had reportedly revealed his desire to adopt children from around the world at the tender age of 12.
The Thriller hitmaker had been interviewed by Lisa Robinson, a reporter, on many occasions ever since the Jackson 5 rose to fame in the 1960s, and she remembers him having a sense of responsibility even at such a young age.

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There was an article recently about the high cost of poverty in the US. While I thought the author for that article could have come up with better examples, it was interesting and reframed some random thoughts Ive been having about Malawi. Its really expensive to have anything here. For one thing, Malawi (the country itself, not the people) hates technology. Some of that is because of lack of knowledgelike failure to use virus scans and the likebut some of it is beyond the control of the end user.
We start with the fact that technology is very expensive here. On average, new tech, whether that be computers or cars, costs about two times what it costs in America. And yet the average annual salary in Malawi is about $200 per year. One of the new Toyotas, the Prado, costs $40,000. Country directors of NGOs drive them, but thats about it. If technology doesnt decide to randomly implode just because it knows theres nowhere around to get it repaired, the heat and dust and moisture will get to it eventually.
The cars that the middle class can afford have gone through numerous hands, and tend to be worse for the wear. Roads here are amazingly bumpyeven the tarmacked roads are too bumpy to be able to text easily. Even in the cities, some of the roads, like mine, are dirt. It costs more to live on tarmacked roads. Cars parts get worn out by heat and humidity and rough roads and sudden stops and drained tanks . . .and . . . and . . . . I have only rarely seen a minibus with a sliding door that did not need to be wrestled into place, with exposed metal bits that peek through the padding and fractured vinyl. Parts are difficult to get and expensive when you can get them, so things dont get repaired, they get worked around or tied together with twine or muscled back on track.
It even extends to houses. I am beginning to believe that while land (if you can get permanent rights from your chief) is a good value, houses are not. The bones of the house I live in have existed for a while. In September of last year, my landlord finished a remodel that stripped the house down to almost nothing, and replaced almost all of the wood because of termite damage. He even had someone kill the damn termite mound along with the queen or super-giganto-termite in charge or whatever.
Apparently the super-giganto-termite in charge didnt realize it had been killed and also evicted, because a few months later the little brown appendages were growing out of my door jambs. Mr. Makato, my landlord, was on those mini horizontal termite projections like Malawian children on a new white person walking by. Whatever poison he used worked, because those termites ran and hid.
Holes for killing termitesInto my walls. A few months later they decided to come out and play again. And again. Every time, the time between poisoning the voracious eaters and them coming back for another meal got shorter and shorter. Mr. Makato has spent the last couple months saving up to treat the termites properly.
Last week, Mr. Makato spent a whole lot of money on a brand new poison. Then he paid some other guy to borrow his drill to make holes into the foundation outside and inside around all the doorways, dug up all the flowers that were fertilized by the termite refuse.
At the same time, Ive replaced the lightplates on 5 switches, some of them twice, and learned to live with broken switches when I cant be bothered replacing them again. The rubber on my cold water tap in the kitchen needs to be replaced for the third time in the last so that I can actually turn it off. The wiring on my geyser was just repaired because something happened to it after the heating element was replaced for the third or fourth time 2 months ago. Ive had to have people climb up into my crawlspace and strip out wiring shorted by faulty electrical devices.
One of the bases in my hotplate has rusted through, and while it still works, everything has to be cooked slantwise on that side. To be fair, the hotplate belonged to two other volunteers before it belonged to me, but one of them never used it, and it still isnt more than 4 years old.

Oh, and clothes. Handwashing is labour intensive and hard on clothes. Scrubbing to remove the dirt eventually puts holes in the clothes; the soap needed to really get those clothes clean takes away all the dirt and half the dye, too. So clothes fade and look old, fast. Also, the powder detergent we can use doesnt always completely dissolve in waterand then it bleaches little spots into the nice trousers or blouses.
I could keep going, but its getting boring. One thing though, is that I dont believe in saving money in the short-term and I dont buy the cheapest option. Neither does Mr. Makato. But we are limited by our possible budgets.
Everything breaks all the time. After two years here. I practically need to start over.

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I know it's not officially summer, but you wouldn't know that in my house! Today we played in the sprinkler. It was extra hot and there seemed an extra supply of mosquitos and ants in our yard! I stayed in my pj's all day. That's right, you read that correctly...even while playing outside! I have more to do than I can possibly imagine. Even when breaking it up into smaller sections, I still can't seem to get things done.

A great deal of the latter problem has to do with my nearly 4 yr old "M" who seems to be absolutely beside herself with cluelessness at not being able to go to school. It's like she's lost and doesn't have any idea what to do, so she wants my constant attention. This was cute for just shy of 3 days...I want you to hold me. But I don't just want you...as an excuse for not napping or wanting to nap. It's not just me though. Sometimes she says I want my daddy, where is my daddy? And twice today she has said that she wanted her brother.

Good thing Fairy Princess Dance Camp is next week! Hope they still have openings as I haven't signed her up yet. Then, 4th week in June is beach vacation, and the week following that is Backyardigans Camp in North Carolina. At some point in July we will likely make a trip to play with Gammy and Pawpaw and Cousin B in Alabama. Then in early Aug. M will go to an orientation camp at her new Montessori school! Probably the summer will go by faster than it seems at the moment.

W is nearly a year and in desperate need of a hair cut. He is cruisin all over the place and jabbering up a storm. He's not quite brave enough to take that first step, but he seems to be very near giving it a try. He doesn't sign much but seems to fully understand the use of the sign "get down?" when he wants to roam free. He is a chunk. Very easily into 24 month clothes and he's not quite a year.

I am on my way to being fine in 2009. I said it was the year for it and i have not shyed away from making that happen. I signed up at a gym and have been working out nearly everyday for about a month. I've lost at least 5 pounds so far. Hard to say as I don't own a scale. I have signed up for the summer at a tanning salon. Now I have mixed feelings about this, but for this year I'm letting it go. It has allowed me to build some relationships and minister in ways I never would have. I pray God continues to cultivate those relationships and allows me somehow to be a light to those I have met and am in constant contact with.

Speaking of relationships, I'm loving my best friend on this side of the country, B. Nice to have a friend nearby to relate to.

Things are moving along with both of hubs and my new businesses. My new business involves Princess Party Hosting and Appearances. I've gathered up almost all of the costume materials and wigs. In fact, I made an appearance this past weekend as the Under the Sea Princess at a Grand Opening. You can see the pics on facebook! I'm working with a gal to advertise in the upstate parent mag for July so I've got some pics to make rather quickly. But first, we have a yard sale this weekend! Saturday at 8am. So I've got to get prepared for that. It's nice really cause even though it's a lot of work, the result is much like a good Clean Spring Cleaning! Can't wait for this month to be over though and it has only just begun! So much to do and not enough time! So forgive me if I do not post much till after July 6th or so.

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When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. (Acts 2:1-2)

THROUGHOUT Salvation History, God has not only used the wind in His Divine Action, but He Himself comes like the wind (John 3:8). The Greek word pneuma as well as the Hebrew ruah means both "wind" and "spirit." God comes as a wind to empower, purify, or procure judgment.

I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind could blow on land or sea or against any tree... "Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."
(Revelation 7:1,3)

This past Pentecost morning, we prayed:
...send your Spirit into our lives with the power of a mighty wind...
__ Liturgy of the Hours, Morning Prayer, Vol II

SHAKEN BY THE WINDS

Whether they are the winds of a personal trial or the Great Storm gathering over the earth, many of you are afraid -- shaken by the circumstances in your own life, by the astounding decline in morals, or by what Our Lady has warned will come upon an unrepentant world. Discouragement is setting in, if not despair. As I prayed about this, a word came to me:

"Each moment -- and the Divine Will contained in it -- are the wind of the Holy Spirit. In order to sail forward toward your goal: union with God -- one must always raise the sail of faith mounted upon the mast of ones will. Dont be afraid to catch this Wind! Never be afraid where the winds of God will take you or the world. At each and every moment, trust the Holy Spirit who blows where He wills according to My plan. Even though these Divine Winds may carry you into a great tempest, they will always carry you safely where you need to go for the good and sanctification of your soul or the correction of the world."

This is a beautiful word of assurance! For one, the Spirit is in the wind, even if it bears chastisement. It is the will of God, for the present moment is where God is living, acting, guiding, dwelling, intersecting with the activity of men. Whatever it is, whether it is a great consolation or trial, good health or sickness, peace or temptation, living or dying, all is permitted by the hand of God and ordered to the sanctification of your soul. Each and every moment the Divine Will of God blows in your life within the present moment. All that is required of you is to simply raise the sails of trust into the Winds of the moment and, turning the rudder of obedience, do that which the moment requires, the duty of the moment. Just as the wind is invisible, so too, hidden within this moment is the Power of God to transform, sanctify, and make you holy -- yes, hidden behind the mundane, the ordinary, the unglamorous; behind crosses and consolations, the will of God is always there, always working, always active. The soul must pull up the anchor of rebellion, and this Holy wind will blow it towards the harbor for which it is destined.

Jesus said, "The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." (John 3:8)

The Divine Winds can suddenly change, blowing this way one moment, and that way the next. Today, I am sailing in sunshine, tomorrow, I am thrown into a terrible storm.

But whether the seas of your life are calm or whether great waves assail your from every side, the response for you is always the same: to keep your sail raised by an act of the will; to do the duty of the moment whether it is a gentle breeze or a harsh spray of sea salt passing over your soul. For within this divine action is the grace to transform you.

"My food is to do the will of the One Who sent Me and to finish His work." (John 4:34)

The Divine Wind is the necessary Force to move your life toward the Harbor of Holiness. What God asks of you is to be docile to this Will, with the trust of a child.

"Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3)

AND THE FRUIT WILL COME

Do you lack peace in these times? joy? love? kindness? I asked the Lord once,

"Why? Why have all my efforts in prayer, daily Mass, regular confession, spiritual reading, and incessant begging not born the fruit of conversion I so desire? I still struggle with the same sins, the same weaknesses!"

And He answered:

"Because you have not embraced Me in the distressing disguises of My Holy Will. You have embraced Me in My Word, in My Eucharistic Presence, and in My Mercy, but not in the disguise of trials, troubles, contradictions, and crosses. You do not bear the fruit of My Spirit, because you do not remain in My Commandments. Is this not what My Word says?"

"Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me." (John 15:4)

"How do you remain in Me?"

"If you keep My Commandments, you will remain in My Love... Whoever remains in Me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:10,5)

"My Commandments are My Holy Will for you hidden each day in the present moment. But when My Will is not agreeable to your flesh, you refuse to remain in it. Instead, you begin to look for Me in the more agreeable forms of My Presence, rather than remain in My Love, in My Commandments. You adore Me in one form, but you despise Me in the other. When I walked the earth, many followed Me when I presented Myself in the form which was agreeable to them: as healer, teacher, miracle-maker, and triumphant leader. But when they saw their Messiah in the disguise of His poverty, meekness, and gentleness, they walked away, looking instead for a powerful political leader. When they saw their Messiah presented to them as a sign of contradiction to their lifestyles, a sign of light and truth and conviction, they would not remain, and looked for one who would applaud their decadence. When they saw their Messiah in the distressing disguise of a sacrificial lamb, bloodied, bruised, scourged, and pierced through as the embodiment of a trial and a Cross, they not only refused to remain with Me, but many became angry, mocked and spit upon Me. They wanted the Man of Wonders, not the Man of Sorrows."

"So too, you love Me when My Will is agreeable to you, but when My Will appears in the disguise of the Cross, you abandon Me. Listen carefully again to My Word if you wish to unlock the fruit of holiness in your life":

Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance... Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life... (James 1:2-3,12)

"Just as the Lily of Life sprung from the Tomb, so too, the fruit of My Spirit, the Crown of Life, will spring from the soul who embraces My Holy Will in all its disguises."

Do not be afraid, my dear brother! Do not be anxious, dear sister! The Will of God is blowing this very moment in your life and in the world, and it carries within it all that you need. His Holy Will is your sacred refuge. It is your hiding place. It is the wellspring of grace, the tomb of transformation, and the rock upon which your life will stand when the Storms, which are here and coming, plunge the world into its hour of purification.

At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.

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The film grossed over R1.1 million at the Box Office this past weekend when it released on circuit in South-Africa. These results are in line with the opening weekend performance of the smash hit SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE ’s gross earnings on its opening weekend in March this year. WHITE WEDDING has garnered 48 000 attendances since its release on Wednesday 29 April, and outperformed X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE at sites like Ster-Kinekor Maponya Mall, Sterland, Savannah Mall, Southgate and The Wheel amongst others.
‘We’ve watched every kind of local audience watching our movie, and what every screening has had in common are the smiles on people’s faces when they leave the theatre. I am elated with the way SA audiences have received the film.’ said director Jann Turner in response to the unprecedented performance of the film to date.
Writer-producer-actor, Kenneth Nkosi concurs: ‘South Africans are sending us a message, they want to see themselves and laugh at themselves on the big screen.’
WHITE WEDDING sold three times more tickets than the hit gangster movie JERUSALEMA did on its opening weekend, and twice as many tickets as Academy Award Winner TSOTSI did at the time of its release.  WHITE WEDDING’s opening weekend gross is comparable to the Martin Lawrence in COLLEGE ROAD TRIP. The film also sold 3% more tickets than Tyler Perry’s WHY DID I GET MARRIED sold on opening weekend.

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Uhh, actually, we'd be more likely to win it if we *did*, in the sense that God favors those who take the moral high ground . That's not to say we shouldn't fight, but by taking the moral high ground, we'll get Divine Protection on our side. Taking the easy out will only lead to destruction.

I am reminded of Thomas Merton's contention that monks, far from being sheltered from the world, were crucial to the world's survival. Or Fr. James Gould's daily Mass homily I heard a few years ago, where he said, "There's a misconception that priests are the focus of the Church and the laity serve the priests. It's just the opposite. I am celibate because I am here to support *you*. You do the real work of the Church, and we priests and religious are here to spiritually support you."

It always strikes me how God's providence works in my reading. On 9/10/01, I read two things: looking up somethiing for my MA thesis, I reread the section on patriotism in C. S. Lewis's _The Four Loves_, and, in that section, Lewis addresses Just War theory, saying that we have a right to defend our homes; we do not have a right to vigilantism; similarly, we have a right to defend our countries but not to hunt down the invading country.

The other was an article in the Arlington Catholic Herald that had been sitting there for some time, since shortly before the execution of Timothy McVeigh. The article quoted Cardinals Mahony and McCarrick (even a broken heretic can be right twice a day) warning that the execution of McVeigh, responsible for the then-worst act of terrorism on US Soil, would only create a spiritual rift that perpetuated the cycle of violence .

The next morning was 9/11.

If I live to be 81, I will remember the image of those two readings in that apartment that night.

So, that's one thing: even if it's justifiable, it's still better to take the moral high ground.

Here's another: a common argument is, "If it's torture, and it's wrong, why do we do it to our own soldiers?" The rather lopsided logic of torture proponents in this instance is that the very training we give our soldiers to *resist* torture is somehow evidence that these practices don't constitute torture. Uh, no. It's evidence that the US obviously thinks they constitute torture. The difference is that the soldiers are voluntarily allowing themselves to be conditoined to harsh circumstances (more on this a bit later).

Another standard I go by, speaking of Fr. Gould, is the priest who was Fr. Gould's assistant pastor during the time when I'd attend daily masses offered by his parish. This priest, Fr. Joseph, was from Sudan, and he normally said the evening Mass I attended. One time, he said, "Do not wish for martyrdom. Martyrdom is indeed a blessing, but it is a horrible experience. I was ordained in a class of [I forget how many] men, and, of them, only two of us are still in service as priests. The rest are either dead, or in prison, or in mental hospitals." He then proceeded to explain, in great detail, the practices the Muslims use on Catholic priests.

When I hear Republicans describing these very same practices, and calling them "enhanced interrogation," I cringe. As many have said, the United States must necessarily attend a higher standard.

It is amazing how quickly Republicans adopt a "penumbral shadow" mentality when it comes to constitutional and human rights in war time. If such-and-such a reason is worth violating the Bill of Rights or violating the Natural Law, when do we determine another reason?

Again, Rush Limbaugh warned that a stricter post-Janet Jackson FCC could just as easily be turned by a Democratic President to silence conservative speech. The basic principle of conservatism is to keep power out of the hands of the government, because Lord Acton was right.

If they can wiretap suspected terrorists, they can wiretap anyone they accuse of being a suspected terrorists. This is *exactly* why the Bill of Rights exists: the British would do horrible things to anyone they suspected of sympathizing with the Revolutionary cause.

Advocates of torture immediately throw this one out: "What if there's going to be a bomb going off, and you have a suspect who knows where it is, and he won't talk?"
What ever happened to truth drugs? What good does beating the guy do? Does beating anyone ever make them talk, at least truthfully? No. It makes them obstinate and angry.
The whole reason they try to justify this is the staunch moral convictoins of Islamists, and how they are immune to most other forms of coercion. Yes, and they're ready to be martyrs.

We exalt our Catholic martyrs, who refused to bow to Roman pressures to deny Christ in the face of horrible tortures. How can any Catholic say that torture makes an effective tool for extracting information?

If there's going to be a terrorist act, and you do everything possible--within moral boundaries--to prevent it, then you've done everything morally possible. If the terrorist act happens, you don't want that evil compounded by the evil you've committed trying to stop it? And why not have faith in God to reward your actions by intervening to prevent the act from happening?

That said, I do agree with those who question the boundaries between torture and "coercion." I mean, if having to listen to loud rap music is torture (not that I don't think it is), can I have certain drivers arrested for violating UN human rights treaties?

What about a slap on the face?

It parallels the whole question of corporal punishment and parenting, as well as corporal punishments of prisoners, and self-mortification in the spiritual life. Getting back to Chris's piece, this is where he leaves off, insisting that we need to reform the level of the dialogue on this issue so we can intelligently discuss these grey areas.

Liberals make a big deal about the "violence" in the Old Testament, but the point of the wars in the Old Testament is not the violence: it's the importance of trusting God. If Israel had followed worldly wisdom the way that "Christian" Americans do when it comes to wartime and other crises, then God would've wiped them out centuries before Jesus.

And, to the extent that God *did* wipe them out, it was because they adopted worldly accomodations to their moral laws.

When Israel did it God's way--even if it seemed foolish from worldly eyes--they won.

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get to know her and you can supply an endless description about her as a person. I love her blogs because what she blogged about has a zest in it. We exchange thoughts using comments and because of that personal communication, I came to know her. Talking about our Mother is as often as we drink water. Exchanging info's about their health status was just normal. UNTIL, the feared moment came. She lost her mom. It was Niko, Dhemz and Rose that informed me about it, thanks to them. Condolence. Just be brave girl! I know you are.

Let me share this poem to you, from a grieving unknown author who lost a precious Mother:

In tears we saw you sinking,
And watched you pass away.
Our hearts were almost broken,
We wanted you to stay.
But when we saw you sleeping,
So peaceful, free from pain,
How could we wish you back with us,
To suffer that again.
It broke our hearts to lose you,
But you did not go alone,
For part of us went with you,
The day God took you home.

If Roses grow in Heaven,
Lord please pick a bunch for me,
Place them in my Mother's arms
and tell her they're from me.
Tell her I love her and miss her,
and when she turns to smile,
place a kiss upon her cheek
and hold her for awhile.
Because remembering her is easy,
I do it every day,
but there's an ache within my heart
that will never go away.


Don't think of her as gone away
Her journey's just begun
Life holds so many facets
This earth is only one
Just think of her as resting
From the sorrows and the tears
In a place of warmth and comfort
Where there are no days and years
Think how she must be wishing
That we could know, today
Now nothing but our sadness
Can really pass away
And think of her as living
In the hearts of those she touched
For nothing loved is ever lost
And she is loved so very much.

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(Special thanks to Jay Kirkpatrick and Rick Naugle for additions and corrections) What is an immunocontraceptive?
Immunocontraception is non-hormonal form of contraception, based on the same principles as disease prevention through vaccination. An immunocontraceptive causes the production of antibodies against some essential element of the reproductive process, thus preventing pregnancy.

Is PZP the only kind of immunocontraceptive?
There are a variety of immunocontraceptive vaccines under development including vaccines against brain reproductive hormones such as gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH); pituitary hormones such as luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormones (FSH); and vaccines against steroid reproductive hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. Thus far PZP has had the widest application to wildlife.

What are the advantages of PZP?
PZP fulfills the requirements of an ideal contraceptive (J. Kirkpatrick, Ph.D.) . Such an ideal would have:
Contraceptive effectiveness of at least 90%
The ability for remote delivery with no handling of animals (thus reducing stress)
Reversibility of contraceptive effects (more important for some species than others)
No harmful effects in pregnant animals, i.e., it would be safe for use in pregnant animals
Absence of either short or long-term significant health side-effects
No passage of the contraceptive agent through the food chain
Low cost
In short, PZP is effective, cheap, presents no danger to humans, and is not harmful to animals.

How does PZP work?
The zona pellucida is the membrane that surrounds all mammalian eggs. When the PZP immunocontraceptive is injected, the animal produces the antibodies that produced by the animal block the sperm receptors on the egg, making fertilization and thus pregnancy impossible. Jay Kirkpatrick. Ph.D. likens it to putting superglue in a lock.

How is PZP delivered?
PZP can be delivered remotely by dart, making it unnecessary to restrain an animal and thus greatly reducing stress.

Isn't darting a deer the same thing as shooting it with an arrow?
The darts used to deliver PZP vaccine are very small, approximately 3 inches long, and have a needle like a syringe, while arrows are razor tipped to cut through flesh and sinew and cause bleeding: they wound and kill. Darts do not: they hit, inject and pop out.

How many injections are needed to contracept a deer?
A new one-shot vaccine has shown effectiveness in blocking fertilization in horses for one year and is being developed for deer. Until that one-shot form of the vaccine has been perfected in deer, two shots are necessary the first year and a single annual booster thereafter unless one takes the approach in which as many deer as possible are darted the first year without looking for any significant results for that year and then given a booster the second year. This latter approach produces effective fertility control.

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DES MOINESGay marriage opponents descended on the Statehouse, holding a rally and then jamming the House chamber as legislators try to begin the process of amending the Constitution. About 300 people attended the rally Thursday. They then packed the House to watch as legislators tried to force a vote on a resolution starting the process of amending the state constitution to ban gay marriage. The effort failed, prompted some of those watching to chant, Let us vote. Danny Carroll, who heads a group opposed to same-sex marriage, says legislators will pay a price in November 2010 for not beginning the process of amending the constitution. Thats the only way to overcome a Supreme Court ruling that a ban on gay marriage violates Iowas constitution. Republicans took up the issue again in the afternoon. Sioux City Rep. Christopher Rants offered an amendment striking a $1.25 billion measure paying for health and human services programs and replacing it with .a resolution calling for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. That was ruled out of order, and a procedural effort to force debate was rejected on a 44-54 vote.

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The Mercy Foundation is interested in communicating more effectively with you, our constituents, our friends. To that end, we have decided we want to utilize social media more effectively to communicate with you and for you to communicate with us.



So, this is our first blog. The Mercy Foundation staff is made up of me, Lea Clausen. I am the Executive Director. Jim Wharton, the Director of Development and Public Policy. And, Sherri Rossiter, Foundation Coordinator. Our purpose is to raise private support for the furtherance of the mission of Mercy Medical Center.



From time to time, each of us will post information that we think will be meaningful and relevant to you. We hope that you will let us know what you think of this information as well as ask us for information that you would like to see us post.



For those of you who are employees at Mercy Medical Center, and support our 50/50 Payday Payout, I am happy to announce today that we will be back up and operational with that program on Friday, April 17. This is a great program that supports our Spirit of Mercy Fund. The Spirit of Mercy Fund provides emergency financial assitance to employees in need. To date, we have awarded nearly $175,000 to staff using this program.



We are also planning a Spirit of Mercy Employee campaign to ask for additional assistance to the Spirit of Mercy Fund for May. Keep an eye out for more information regarding that opprotunity. Our own manager of Radiology, Maureen Hughes will chair that effort.



I am also excited about beginning the planning stage of our Gala 2009. Dr. Ray and Susan Sherman will chair the event this year. Our theme is "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."
How fun! Not to mention, that great event has contributed over $250,000 to Mercy projects and improvements.

Thank you all for reading our blog. Please come back soon.

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Sometimes I wonder if Im turning into one of those people. You know the ones; the parents who in the company of non-parents INSIST on talking about the HUGE, ASTOUNDING poop that their baby recently shocked them with? Only talk about how their baby rolls all over the place and puts everything in her mouth and its just the cutest thing? When Im thinking up something to write about here I have to internally chant: t write about poop today, dont do it. I try to conjure up my thoughts on politics, my theories about LOST, a crazy story about something I did in high school ...
BUT (and yes, there is a BIG BUT), then again, yesterday happens and I MUST TELL YOU ABOUT THE POOP.
Monday I couldnt put it off any longer and had to saddle up and go to Target. Now that Im with child I can only manage (at the most) a weekly run. Diapers and other essentials were running low and so Sydney and I set out to be the errand warriors we are. We hit Babies Us and got her a sweet new bath seat since she is now ALL ABOUT playing with her toys in the bathtub and then went to Target. She was asleep until I got her out of the car seat and into her carrier, but usually shell drift back off while were walking so I didnt worry about it. For an hour I wandered in Target, got all our stuff, made it out to the car, unloaded the cart, etc. She was awake - albeit pleasant but yawning her head off - the whole time. When I was finally ready to put her back into her car seat, you guessed it, POOP. It was getting dark and I thought Id do a quick change and get home. Wrong, wrong, WRONG. I got her pants off and THEY WERE FULL O POOP. The bottom of her onsie was soaked. Awesome. It actually made me a little scared of what I might find when I actually got to the diaper portion of the nightmare.
And heres where our story turns.
I opened her diaper and ... NO POOP. Somehow my daughter managed to magically poop ONLY OUTSIDE HER DIAPER. The diaper was on correctly! I have no idea what happened. I was so in shock about it that I ended up with poop all over both of us and left her naked (I was thankful for So Cal weather yesterday) on the back seat juuuuust long enough for her to PEE ON IT. My car hates me now.
As a fun bonus, a few hours later, when I was taking her little naked butt into the bathroom for her bath SHE PEED ON ME. Thanks kid. As if I didnt already smell like a dirty diaper.

And now onto the adult portion of our blog.
This week ... drum roll please ... I LOST SIX POUNDS. Believe me, I weighed myself like nine times yesterday (it was my weekly weigh-in day) and it was the right number. If my scale is broken I will never, ever get rid of it because I LOVE YOU, SCALE!! This is not to say that I didnt try, because I did. I obeyed the WW rules and tracked every dang thing I put in my mouth. I actually TRIED to earn activity points when I went into the negative for the week ... I walked a few days and even did the 30 Day Shred on Saturday while Sydney napped (I know only doing it one day defeats the purpose but at least I did SOMETHING!!). This is also not to say that I still dont have a long way to go, because I do. In order to get to a healthy weight, I have a total of 33.5 pounds to lose.
Sadly - because of the six pounds - I am now only allowed 28 points for the week, but Im pretty sure I can make it since I havent eaten any 25-point burritos (yet). I still have my 35 extra splurge points. It feels like I have a gift card or something ... Im plotting what Im going to my points on! Sushi is a front-runner right now. I have to admit that my energy level is WAY up. I actually look forward to being active because (WOO!) I get extra points!! Also (and this is for those of you who are familiar with the online checklist thingie) I get really excited to check off that I drank my water, ate vegetables and fruit, and took my multivitamin ... because you get a smiley face. There has to be some kind of psychological implication there but WHATEVER, I GOT A SMILEY FACE!
My goal is to be under my max B.M.I. by Sydneys first birthday in August. That gives me six months to lose another 25-ish pounds. I have no idea if Ill make it, but to give you a reference point I was 22 pounds heavier than my max recommended B.M.I. at the start of my pregnancy with Sydney. Then I proceeded to gain nearly 40 pounds, 20 of which I lost (and I ONLY had a 10 pound, 7 ounce baby, REMEMBER?). What Im trying to say is that its been a LONG time since Ive been at a healthy weight.
I hate saying that word by the way, but its the measurement of choice right now. When I say I really mean it in terms of how Ive taken care of myself and the general state of my health. I dont want to get bogged down by the actual number of pounds that I weigh, and thats why I havent ever actually written it on the blog. Im sure you could probably figure it out if youre a math whiz and you know my height, but the point is that Im doing whats healthy for me, and the number on the scale is pretty irrelevant other than a point of reference. I have OTHER points of reference ... my energy level, for instance (which is really irritating my track team right now ... I kinda sound like Jillian when were doing drills lately), the way my clothes fit, what my husband thinks about the state of my caboose (he likes big butts and he cannot lie, by the way), etc, etc. I fully expect to have a disappointing WW week, and youd better believe Ill whine and complain about it here and youll be all, But what about the OTHER POINTS OF REFERENCE, MANDA? HUH? It is nice, however, to be rewarded by the work Ive put in so soon. Its as if God knows I NEED the smiley face sticker right now. Ill freaking take it, thankyouverymuch.

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I have just concluded a month's worth of reading from R J Rushdoony's Thy Kingdom Come: Studies in Daniel and Revelation. In the concluding chapter of this most interesting and useful book, Rushdoony draws attention to Psalm 149: THE CALLING IS TO VICTORY. He notes that there are two forms of praise required of believers. The first is to exuberant worship, of joy and beauty. With this, few Christians would quibbleeveryone enjoys worship which is enthusiastic (God-breathed, as per the words Greek origin), lively and vibrant. But the second form of praise, taken from vss 5-9, is one that is more likely to stick in the craw of the modern worshipper. It is required praise by means of battle unto victory. Here I quote Rushdoonys conclusion at length (p. 249):

The introduction to this is verse 5, which calls upon the saiants to be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. What verses 6-9 have in mind is actual battle and physical destruction of the enemies of God. These verse cannot be away. They speak of the literal destruction of s enemies as a means of praising God, a God-ordained means and a God-ordained victory. It is this trumph (sic: triumph/trump???) which causes them to sing aloud on their beds, unable to sleep for very joy. It is Gods calling for His people.

This calling to victory involves first, the praise of God from the heart and mouth. Second, it requires warfare, total warfare, against the enemies of God, against evil. The people of God must be ready to war, a two-edged sword in their hand (v. 6). Third, God calls His people to exercise power in every area, in church and state, and to serve God by bringing justice to bear against evil-doers, To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people'(v. 7). Fourth, the nature of this vengeance is specified. Not all evil can be eliminated from the world. But godly law and order can down evil and impose fetters of iron and restraint upon all who violate the law. Fifth, To execute upon them the judgment written. is not only the duty of the saints, but it is their or glory to do so. As Alexander wrote, To act as Gods instruments in this great judicial process, so far from being a disgrace or hardship, is an honour reserved for all the objects of his mercy and subjects of his grace.

What does Christ have to say about the timing of this exercise of power? In Matthew 22:41-46, we read this,

41While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42"What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied. 43He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him 'Lord'? For he says, 44" 'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."' 45If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?" 46No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Many Christians believe that the enemies of God will not be suppressed and brought to divine justice until after the return of Christ and at the begin of His millenial reigh. Therefore, our duty is to make the best of it and be faithful at our task of spreading the Good News, with little chance or expectation of overall success this side of glory. We often hear prayers asking God to extend His Kingdom, but we don't really expect it to happen before Christ returns. We thus view the matter passively. But have we not been deputised by Christ Himself?

Note the little word 'until' as Jesus quoted from the Psalms. God the Father explicitly instructs the Son to ascend to His throne and reign at the right of God, which Christ did when He rose from the grave and ascended on high. While Christ so reigns on high, we His people are to reign and rule here on earth, because God will not send Christ back until He, the Father, has put Christ's enemies under His (Christ's) feet. How precisely will God accomplish this? Through the Church here and now and on earth. Does this not put our current situation and overall mission in a somewhat different perspective?

Praise God Almighty.

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Hello Sweetheart,

Just now I read Psalm 119:81-96. These verses, it seems, written in the context of men in affliction because of persecution by the enemies. Yet, the principle is the same no matter what we experience in life - external (from others) or internal (within ourselves, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual) God and His Word is to be our delight.

"My soul languishes for Your salvation; I wait for Your word" (v 81) and "If Your law had not been my delight, Then I would have perished in my affliction" (v 92)

These are two wonderful verses for you and me to meditate upon. Today you got news of a cyst in your ovary. Fear not. Assume not. Tremble not. God, the Sovereign One, the Omniscient One, the Rock, the Salvation is with you. May you, like the Psalmist say, "O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day" (v 97). Your affliction, whether spiritual, emotional, or physical (as now) is not beyond the scope of His providential hand.

I love you.

These words came just at the right time for me. They really got me thinking, "Do I love God and His Word that much? Am I absolutely enthralled about the Scriptures? Do they excite me so much that I prioritize my whole life around them?" I need to! That's what is making life so seemingly unbearable right now. All I am thinking about is how much I would rather be in different circumstances rather than thinking about the glories of God and His Word. When I listened to my husband's counsel and began to seek God more and more everyday, the burdens began to lighten up. Joy has slowly but surely begun to creep steadily back in to my blood, and helps to fuel my delight and passion for the Lord and His Word.
I can honestly say that I am thankful, so thankful for all that the Lord is allowing to happen in my life. He is removing the dross, and reminding me of what is most important...ETERNITY! I am remembering that my life is a mere breath, I am not indispensable, He doesn't 'need' me to do anything. He has provided good works for me to walk in them to give Him the glory that He will not share with anyone. I am humbled that the Lord would have looked upon me with compassion and sprinkle me clean with His blood and adopt me into His family. I have a God that can be absolutely trusted beyond a shadow of a doubt. I shouldn't lose heart as though God has forgotten me or hasn't gotten around to my problems yet. He is right there with me, helping me, guiding me, loving me, carrying me. He is all around me, because of what Jesus did for my soul.

My soul cleaves to the dust;
Revive me according to Your Word.
I have told of my ways, and You have answered me;
Teach me Your statutes.
Make me understand the way of Your precepts,
So I will meditate on Your wonders.
My soul weeps because of grief;
Strengthen me according to Your Word.
Remove the false way from me,
And graciously grant me Your law.
I have chosen the faithful way;
I have placed Your ordinances before me.
I cling to Your testimonies;
O Lord, do not put me to shame!
I shall run the way of Your commandments,
For You will enlarge my heart.
Psalm 119:25-32

It is amazing to me just how often I waste time thinking thoughts and having attitudes, speaking words and doing things that are not driven and compelled by the glorious gospel of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It's so easy to get caught up with the things on the earth. I have been very convicted lately about this, about just how much I am not conscious of the glorious gospel that transformed my life and the person that I have become.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel,for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,
to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith;
as it is written, 'But the righteous man shall live by faith'. -Rom.1:16, 17

Lately I have been waking up and reminding myself of the gospel. I won't get up out of bed until I have really truly reminded my heart of the reality of my existence. The purpose of my life is the glory of God which was accomplished for me by the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. No trial, nothing can separate me from this precious truth. May the Lord continue to revive me according to his Word.

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For at least the past decade, methamphetamine has been the most widely abused illegal drug both across California and in Merced County. Locally, more people enter treatment programs for help kicking meth than any other drug, including alcohol. Law enforcement officials and social service providers say it is among the most serious and costly problems facing Merced. In short, methamphetamine use is an epidemic here.

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Good evening. Im Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana.

Tonight, we witnessed a great moment in the history of our Republic. In the very chamber where Congress once voted to abolish slavery, our first African-American President stepped forward to address the state of our union. With his speech tonight, the President completed a redemptive journey that took our nation from Independence Hall . to Gettysburg . to the lunch counter . and now, finally, the Oval Office.

Regardless of party, all Americans are moved by the Presidents personal story the son of an American mother and a Kenyan father, who grew up to become leader of the free world. Like the Presidents father, my parents came to this country from a distant land. When they arrived in Baton Rouge, my mother was already 4 months pregnant. I was what folks in the insurance industry now call a pre-existing condition.

To find work, my dad picked up the yellow pages and started calling local businesses. Even after landing a job, he could still not afford to pay for my delivery so he worked out an installment plan with the doctor. Fortunately for me, he never missed a payment.

As I grew up, my mom and dad taught me the values that attracted them to this country and they instilled in me an immigrants wonder at the greatness of America. As a child, I remember going to the grocery store with my dad. Growing up in India, he had seen extreme poverty. And as we walked through the aisles, looking at the endless variety on the shelves, he would tell me: Bobby, Americans can do anything.

I still believe that to this day. Americans can do anything. When we pull together, there is no challenge we cannot overcome.

As the President made clear this evening, we are now in a time of challenge. Many of you listening tonight have lost jobs. Others have seen your college and retirement savings dwindle. Many of you are worried about losing your health care and your homes.

And you are looking to your elected leaders in Washington for solutions.

Republicans are ready to work with the new President to provide those solutions. Here in my state of Louisiana, we dont care what party you belong to if you have good ideas to make life better for our people. We need more of that attitude from both Democrats and Republicans in our nations capital.

All of us want our economy to recover and our nation to prosper. So where we agree, Republicans must be the Presidents strongest partners. And where we disagree, Republicans have a responsibility to be candid and offer better ideas for a path forward.

Today in Washington, some are promising that government will rescue us from the economic storms raging all around us. Those of us who lived through Hurricane Katrina, we have our doubts.
Let me tell you a story.

During Katrina, I visited Sheriff Harry Lee, a Democrat and a good friend of mine. When I walked into his makeshift office Id never seen him so angry. He was yelling into the phone: Well, Im the Sheriff and if you dont like it you can come and arrest me! I asked him: Sheriff, whats got you so mad? He told me that he had put out a call for volunteers to come with their boats to rescue people who were trapped on their rooftops by the floodwaters.

The boats were all lined up ready to go when some bureaucrat showed up and told them they couldnt go out on the water unless they had proof of insurance and registration. I told him, Sheriff, thats ridiculous. And before I knew it, he was yelling into the phone: Congressman Jindal is here, and he says you can come and arrest him too! Harry just told the boaters to ignore the bureaucrats and start rescuing people.

There is a lesson in this experience: The strength of America is not found in our government. It is found in the compassionate hearts and enterprising spirit of our citizens.

We are grateful for the support we have received from across the nation for the ongoing recovery efforts. This spirit got Louisiana through the hurricanes and this spirit will get our nation through the storms we face today.

To solve our current problems, Washington must lead. But the way to lead is not to raise taxes and put more money and power in hands of Washington politicians. The way to lead is by empowering you the American people. Because we believe that Americans can do anything.

That is why Republicans put forward plans to create jobs by lowering income tax rates for working families, cutting taxes for small businesses, strengthening incentives for businesses to invest in new equipment and hire new workers, and stabilizing home values by creating a new tax credit for home-buyers.

These plans would cost less and create more jobs.

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On March 4, Sudan's government revoked the registration of several aid agencies, including Mercy Corps.
We plan to appeal the decision, but this is an overwhelming blow to the 200,000 displaced people we serve every day in Darfur as well as the committed staff that are helping them every day. Mercy Corps is dedicated to finding a way to continue our lifesaving work.

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The MetroWest Daily News article of Dec. 10, HMO rates up for town employees, states that employees will pay an additional 1 percent toward their medical insurance coverage, with the town paying 89 percent. I find this negotiated agreement to be insulting and a slap in the face of Framingham taxpayers.
Allow me to review how this agreement became part of Framinghams legacy. In 1993, every city and town in Massachusetts was offered the opportunity to join a program entitled Public Employee Bargaining Committee, which provided health benefits for that town. Of the 351 eligible Massachusetts communities offered this program, Framingham was one of only two which accepted the program. Reading Chapter 32B: Section 19 of the General Laws of Massachusetts, our contract allows one to understand why it was rejected by over 99 percent of other communities.
The town bargaining committee, represented by 10 or so employee members, must agree by 70 percent vote to permit a change in the existing health care program. This provision alone would suggest that town government would be giving up the right to make changes in the health benefit program leading to a decision by most not to participate. But there is more bad news in the following sentence within the same article, In the absence of a successor agreement approved under this section, the prior agreement of the public employee committee and the appropriate public authority regarding the provision of health insurance shall remain in effect. That means that the contract is in perpetuity, forever and ever.
Framingham town leaders at the time did agree to participate in this program and now we are in a lose, lose situation. A most devastating decision for Framingham taxpayers. Our current budget expense for employee health insurance is nearly $30 million for this fiscal year. If insurance rates increase by 9 percent per year, this figure will escalate to $60 million in eight years.
Currently, the majority of employees pay 10 percent of cost, increasing to 11 percent and the following year to 13 percent. Even with these concessions, our employee health benefit would be in one of the lowest employee contribution brackets for all towns and cities in the state. Town employees have been receiving this costly benefit for the last 15 years.
Within industry, many employees are paying 25 percent or more for their health insurance coverage. This is my sixth attempt to remedy this injustice. I have been told so many times that there is nothing the town can do about this overly generous program. I am beginning to believe it. However, I will not go down without a fight.
Since the town bargaining committee is not likely to agree to anything greater than a token compromise of 1 percent and an additional 2 percent the following year, the only other action that could ultimately occur would be to withhold funding at Town Meeting, which must approve budget requests. This would be a drastic move and would put Meeting members under enormous pressure. Hopefully my fellow Town Meeting members would be courageous enough to vote to support withholding funds.
I estimate that the amount of money saved with a fair 25 percent employee participation in health insurance contributions would result in a $4 million savings each year. When I made my recommendations to Selectman Chairman Jason Smith, I suggested an increase of 5 percent per year for three years until employees share of costs were 25 percent.
These additional millions of dollars could be used to support schools, fire and police departments. Did employees give up increases in salary over the years to continue with their extraordinary health benefits?
No, they did not. According to an extensive study performed by the Framingham Taxpayers Association, published in February 2004, salary increases to Framingham employees since 1981 exceeded the increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) by more than 14 percentage points on a cumulative basis. The cumulative dollar value of the amount by which COLAs (Cost Of Living Adjustments) have exceeded the increase in CPI since 1981 is on the order of tens of millions of dollars.
The FTA report says it appears the town placed undue emphasis on how much money happened to be available and insufficient emphasis on how much was justified by actual changes in the cost of living and what was sustainable given the up and down nature of the economy.
On May 21, the Boston Globe in part reported that public employees in eastern Massachusetts earn 15 percent more than their private sector counterparts who perform comparable work, and that number is exclusive of more generous government benefit packages.
Two other budget concerns which lend support to a more equitable split in employee health costs are the shortfall of the town stabilization fund (rainy day fund), which should be 5 percent of the towns budget of $202 million. It should have a balance of $10 million but is short $5 million. Framingham has an unfunded liability of over $80 million which must be paid in less than 20 years along with additional annual unfunded amounts.
We certainly want to treat town employees fairly, but we also want to treat the taxpayers fairly. The town has been overly generous to its employees, and when you look at total compensation, including health insurance benefits, you will find that our generosity has been clearly overdone. It is time for the pendulum to swing back the other way.
Enzo Rotatori of Framingham is a Town Meeting member.

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Lets imagine. Lets imagine that Sen. Barack Obama is as bad as many conservative Evangelicals say he is. And lets further imagine that Obama handily wins the Presidency of the United States.

Imagine that the ban on Partial-Birth Abortion is overturned by President Obama, and unrestricted access to abortion is codified into law through his authorization of a Freedom of Choice Act.

Imagine that the balance of the Supreme Court settles significantly to the Left with President Obamas appointment of one or two liberal justices.

Imagine that gay marriage gets official recognition at the Federal level, upheld by a now-liberal Supreme Court.

Imagine that preaching against homosexuality gets branded as hate speech by the courts of the land.

Imagine that all the moral and family values that we Evangelicals hold dear are undermined and abandoned by liberal President Obama and the liberal Supreme Court justices that he appoints.

Does that sound like an awful scenario? It is! What would we Evangelicals do if this imaginary scenario became a reality?

Maybe wed have to trust God.

We certainly dont do that now. The Evangelical movement in the U.S. has become little more than an arm of the Republican Party. The Apostle Paul told the church at Corinth to earnestly desire the spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1), but American Evangelicals earnestly desire political power instead. We believe more in political might than in mighty prayer. Maybe its because we have become spiritually impotent that we turn to carnal weapons like political power so as to force the heathen to do what our prayers have so far failed to accomplish.

It certainly doesnt seem that the U.S. is in any danger of another Great Awakening. The fact that gay could seriously be considered as a legitimate alternative says a lot about how far we as an American people have fallen morally and spiritually. But, if this country is going down morally and spiritually, whose fault is that? Maybe the reason this country has gone down morally and spiritually is because Evangelicals have failed to preach and live the gospel. Certainly, the fact that Open Theism, annihilationism, universalism and the rejection of penal substitutionary atonement have gained ground in some Evangelical circles says a lot about how far Evangelicalism has strayed.

For the record: I dont believe for one moment that Sen. Obama is as bad as his Republican and Evangelical detractors say. Do I agree with all his positions? No, of course not. But I do know Obama cannot be the personification of evil that some of his critics portray him to be. After all, hes not the devil. Cant we disagree with anothers positions without having to resort to lying, slander and exaggeration? Strident verbal attacks, like some of those made against Obama by his critics, quite frankly, make me suspect racism is as much a factor in their criticism as is Obamas political positions.

Personally, I could live with an Obama Presidency. After all, I lived through eight years of Ronald Reagan and eight years of Bill Clinton. I was no better or worse off under either President. After all, my life is not in the hands of the occupant of the White House. My life is in the hands of the Lord.

I am beginning to think that maybe the best thing that could happen is that we Evangelicals lose the culture war. We have become intoxicated with political power and have abandoned trust in the Lord in order to pursue fidelity to the Republican Party. Perhaps what we need is for society to turn against us to the degree that we become a truly despised minority in this country. Maybe then we will stop trying to fight spiritual battles (the so-called culture war) with carnal weapons (Republican Party politics) and learn to trust God again.

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The Barack Obama presidential transition office today finally released its own report on its own internal investigation of its own contacts with legally challenged Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. And you'll be comforted to know the Obama folks found no impropriety whatsoever by Obama folks.

So go back to wrapping holiday presents or pretending you're working at your dIllinois Democrats governor Rod Blagojevich, then-senator Barack Obama and still-mayor Richard M. Daley in happier pre-criminal complaint timesesk and checking out Obama's important abs. All is well with the coming World of Change.

Speaking of tidy packages, the five-page report was not released in the morning as things are when public attention is desired.

It was released at 4:30 Eastern time to provide minimal exam time before the network news. But that's probably a coincidence.

According to the report by Greg Craig, an incoming White House attorney, Obama personnel had numerous contacts with the governor's office but no one ever suspected that Blagojevich, who's been under federal investigation for three years now, was doing anything wrong.

Craig said the feds have interviewed Obama's new chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, who inherited Blagojevich's 5th District House seat, and Valerie Jarrett, a newly named White House aide, as part of the governor's investigation. Emanuel did suggest some names but there was never any bargaining.

None of these Obama-Blagojevich contacts is a shock. It would be surprising if an exiting senator's office was not in touch with a nominating governor's office of the same party on his/her successor, although Obama promised immediately after Nov. 4 he would not be involved.

But given the *#$%# excerpts read aloud two weeks ago by Chicago U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald apparently showing the governor demanding money for state business, aid and the "golden" revenue opportunity of peddling a Senate nomination, the media world was curious to know what did Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, a longtime political pal of Blagojevich, say on those wiretaps.

Fitzgerald has said Obama is not involved in the investigation.

Pulling together all of the Obama contacts apparently took longer than expected because days passed. Then out of the blue Obama's team said that Fitzgerald's team had provided perfect cover by asking them to hold off a week so as not to threaten interviews in the the federal investigation of the governor. Why? Because Blagojevich still didn't know he was bugged?

On Friday, Fitzgerald's offWhite House Chief of Staff designate Rahm Emanuel who's gone on vacation to Africa and his boss president-elect Barack Obamaice reportedly asked Obama's team to push the report release day back to Tuesday from Monday.

At the time we suggested politicians prefer to release not positive news when people aren't paying attention, like John Edwards doing his TV affair confession on a summer Friday night when 14 people are watching the tube.

Oh, look, here we are 24 hours from Christmas Eve. Few are paying attention. The world has moved on. Looks like Mark Teixeira has been bought by the Yankees for $180 million.

Obama is in Hawaii working out in a Secret Service bubble, so he certainly won't be talking. He'll leave the political world to watch wannabe senator Caroline Kennedy pull a Sarah Palin with the media.

Emanuel, the transition team told Huffington Post today, has just a little bit ago -- in fact, we just missed him -- left for a long-planned family vacation in that place that every North Side Chicago family dreams of visiting for the year-end holidays, somewhere in Africa. We're not told the area code. Likely on a safari. With no cell coverage, of course. So he's not around to talk.

So, amazingly, there won't be any Obama person on news video to run in endless tube loops over the slow holiday. Just the five report pages, which makes for poor TV video.

There may, however, be some future amendments. The Obama team did not keep phone logs, so their contact list was developed from memory, which may or may not match the federal wiretap chronology if it's ever released.

Fitzgerald, who so helpfully asked Obama to hush up his internal report when people were most interested, is busy doing his job as the only really investigative arm perusing Illinois politics. Now that his hand was forced by the alleged impending sale of Obama's vacant Senate seat, the clock is running on an indictment of Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris.

Oh, and did we mention, four weeks from today a little before noon Eastern time, Obama becomes boss of Fitzgerald and all the other U.S. attorneys? What do you want to bet that despite the Democratic Cook County clamoring Fitzgerald stays on a while.

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