Nono's take on pajero

Here goes Nono's take on the "pajero" issue.  Speaks much of how media puts words in people's mouths (as Conrado writes on the same day)?  Maybe not. 

Only knew when they were on the way back

Apparently, the Catholic University of America has co-ed campus dormitories.  I would not have thought she had these dorms, but she does in fact.  Gone with the flow, I guess.

Strangely enough, I got to know about it only recenlty, when CUA is stepping back from that practice.  She will revert back to single-sex dorms.

Welcome back.

H/T:  Kathryn Jean Lopez

"Les moulins de mon cœur"

It isn't just the windmills, for sure, but alternative energy solutions need to be checked and balanced on an effective base load from conventional energy.  

We will thus be landed in the ludicrous position of having to spend an additional £10 billion on those 17 dedicated power stations, which will be kept running on "spinning reserve", 24 hours a day, just to make up for the fundamental problem of wind turbines. This is that their power continually fluctuates anywhere between full capacity to zero (where it often stood last winter, when national electricity demand was at a peak). So unless back-up power is instantly available to match any shortfall, the lights will go out.

Two things make this even more absurd. One, as the energy companies pointed out to DECC, is that it will be amazingly costly and wildly uneconomical, since the dedicated power plants will often have to run at a low rate of efficiency, burning gas but not producing electricity. This will add billions more to our fuel bills for no practical purpose. The other absurdity, as recent detailed studies have confirmed, is that gas-fired power stations running on "spinning reserve" chuck out much more CO2 than when they are running at full efficiency – thus negating any savings in CO2 emissions supposedly achieved by the windmills themselves.

Is there no longer anyone around at DECC who is familiar with these very basic practical points? The policy on which our national energy strategy is now centred is a ludicrously expensive, self-defeating joke, which will achieve no benefits whatever – even if you are among the diminishing number of people who still believe that man-made CO2 is causing catastrophic climate change.

Fr Luis+

Yesterday, they laid Fr. Luis to rest at Heritage.  The last time I saw him and spoke with him was after the get-together with Bishop Javier Echevarria at UA&P in July 2008.  I wanted to visit him last May or June when I was in Luzon, but I could not then.

I first met Fr. Luis in the summer of 1986.  That was in a seminar held at MFI's conference center in Talisay, Batangas.  It was great fun.  My first time up Mt. Batulao in Nasugbu was with him and maybe 10 others.  No more delay!  was one of his favorite cheers to us young people on that climb.

We had to hike up to Tagaytay from Talisay, continued to the rotonda and from there took a bus to Batulao resort, then hiked up to Mt. Batulao.  We arrived back inTalisay at about 9pm.

Over the years I had stayed with him also in our homes in Cebu City.  I remember him often pulling the leg of us CITE folks, especially after he celebrates Mass in school:  When are you organizing a choir?  

Thing is, we had, but you know how tech guys can generally be with respect to singing in a choir.  I don't think we ever fulfilled that "dream" of Fr. Luis for CITE.  We fulfilled other dreams he had for us, just not that one melodic dream.  Are we working on that one? Well...

Here's a photo with him, one Christmas Day.

A little more respect: How the Feast of the Sacred Heart started for me in Cagayan de Oro

Now I can write.  I am less annoyed (irritated, pissed?).

This morning, I wore a red shirt I have not worn for some time.  Because now it fits again. ;-)

I went to attend Holy Mass at the Sacred Heart Church in Cagayan de Oro.  I like to attend Mass there as the Blessed Sacrament fathers have a Eucharistic Adoration after the Mass, and we can pray afterwards with Our Lord in a big monstrance upon the altar.

Remember the red shirt?  Well, half of the Mass goers this time was in red.  I fit right in.  Of course, today is the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Church celebrates with the votive colors of red.  But I did not plan to wear red because of the feast, but because the red shirt fit.  Again.  A less worthy celebration, but a celebration nevertheless.

The Holy Mass went just fine.  Nearing the end of the Mass though, the noise level outside at the entrance was increasing.  Not yet disturbing.  At the Benediction and Adoration time after the Mass was a different story.  The noise was terrible.  Shouting, running about, etc.  The decibel level was nearing last night's Wimby Centre Court semi-finals.

Even as I had wanted to stay longer, I did not want since I would end up not praying at all, even probably angry, and anger does not make for good prayer and meditation.  It was bad enough that the morning traffic outside was increasing.

So who were causing the ruckus?  Kids.

Kids.  Don't get so worked up with kids.  No, I am not.  They are immature, less responsible, although I can say that there were probably high school students there as well.  

But they are kids.  I can let that pass.  But, WHERE ARE THE TEACHERS?  WHERE ARE THE ADULTS OF THIS SCHOOL?  

As I walked out, I saw a man who looked like he was an adult, a big man, in dress pants and long-sleeved shirt.  He looked like he would be responsible enough.

So I asked him if these were his students, and he affirmed that.  Then I let him really have it.

(Silly, not that way.)  I told him that Our Lord was there on the altar, at the same time pointing towards Our Lord.   I added that they could show a little more love, and at least reduce the noise, so that the others who wanted to pray can do so.  And I said thanks.  Bless that man for listening.

I walked away, thinking about Our Lord.  He is indeed Lord, having all the patience there on the altar.  A truly Sacred Heart.

Me?  I lost it, and rightly so, because I am far from holy.  Should I just have walked away without saying anything?  I doubt there was anyone else who spoke up, although there were those who looked back at what the noise was all about earlier. But then slowly turned their heads back to Our Lord on the altar.

I hope that man took something from what I told him.  I hope he gets to tell the adults in that school that they teach their students how to behave in Church, even as the Mass has not started.  Especially since Our Lord was on the altar for adoration.  I hope he gets to tell the adults in his school that they be more present so that the kids have better deportment in these similar circumstances.  

It is possible.  Come to Rosevale School and see for yourself.  How much love these kids and teachers have for Our Lord!  And they have regular Mass on the third floor of one of their buildings, not even a church.

I am at awe how students and teachers from two schools in the same city act in so contrasting fashion before Mass.  I sure hope they even out DURING Mass.

I do not know how that played out in the end as I walked away.  The noises from the kids were drowned by the sounds of the cars that whizzed by.

Disclosure:  I help out in Rosevale School in many ways.  This is why I know how they do things there.  Photo was taken some weeks back.