dominicanjedi

I almost sent this guy a message via myspace simply because his name is John David. I’m up late, learning a bit more about twitter, so I think, “I wonder who has twitter.com/johndavid.” So I check it out, right? And it’s this guy with my name. So, instead of going to bed like I should, I go to his Web page with myspace.

I read a couple of his blogs on the page. He seems pretty bright, definitely a philosophical thinker and everything… hey, that’s kinda like me! So I read some more.

Ah, well, he thinks religion is crap… hmm, that’s not me at all, is it? No, I’m Mister Catholic man. He also made some reference to smoking copious amounts of marijuana. No, not me either.

Then it strikes me, this John David is Bizarro John David (or, I am Bizarro John David (but I’m older)). So I thought I’d blog on it, you know, because I didn’t write him anything. I was just going to comment on one of his blogs, but then I found out you have to be “friends” to comment. So I signed up for a myspace page (which I won’t touch, I don’t think) to see if I could contact him….

Anyway, it just got too weird I guess. If I were that John David, I don’t think I’d like to be contacted by the original, non-bizarro John David (which I here claim to be). That just wouldn’t be following Star Trek protocol, you know what I mean?

Anyway, who wants to get into some escalated debate with an religion-hating atheist, who’s obviously bright, simply because he has the same name as you do? Not me. At least not tonight.

Musings blogging, john david, twitter

Trying to get this thing to look like I want it to, well, it’s not the fun part anyway. Wordpress is certainly more complicated that blogger. I’ve been blogging over there this week, http://dominicanjedi.blogspot.com/

Uncategorized Blog update

Just posted this on blogtcs.com :

Honor Your Mother

The Catholic Sun

It’s time to tidy my desk, my sacred place of work.

I’m wondering if the same rules of layout apply to desk organization. The rule that’s been my major focus of late (and in general, to be honest) is “one dominant element.” I figure, in my desk space, it’s the monitor. Or me. I’m bigger than my monitor.

Does the layout of my workspace work without my presence in it? Does a tree falling in the woods make a sound? It’s the same question, is it not?

Blogs are another good way to procrastinate cleaning. Blessed be blogs.

Layout

I think that post revealed my own ignorance on something — most Catholics are pro-abortion. I was working on a post at www.blogtcs.com earlier this week, and it dawned on me — the abortion issue isn’t a big deal for a majority of Catholics. So this whole question, “What is pushing Catholics toward Obama?” has as its supposition the abortion issue. And least that’s what I was thinking.

(I knew that Catholics were fairly divided on the abortion issue, but I tend to forget. Church leadership is so outspoken on this that I just keep expecting more Catholics to be of the same mindset. But automatons Catholics are not.)

Catholics have traditionally been Democrats. So, throwing the abortion issue to one side, they (we) would naturally vote Democratic. Anyway, I’ll be a political commentator in my next life.

Not sure I like the design of this blog anymore.

Musings abortion, catholics, obama

I’m up really late editing stories.

Once again, the old adage rings true: if your lead sucks, no one will read your story. I’d like to write a book on leads (ledes) one day, but I just don’t know how to explain the difference between a good lead and a poor one. Is this something that can be taught?

I had a layout teacher, if you call them that, that said you can’t teach good layout. You can either layout a page or you can’t. I mean, you can practice and become better at it. But some people have an innate ability to know what looks good. Others just don’t. They don’t have that visual gift. I wonder if it isn’t the same with leads.

I suppose I’m thinking about it now because I’m reading too many who, what, when, where, why leads. That’s fine, of course, if the wwwww is actually interesting. But if it isn’t, well, see the adage above.

I wrote one of those leads myself for this issue.

More than 1,000 Catholics crowded Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral Nov. 5 for a Mass welcoming newcomers to the Phoenix Diocese.

Ho hum, huh?
OK, so let me try to work something better out here… I’ll scan the story… OK, not seeing anything. My first impulse now is:

Despite fading from the national debate, immigration is still a pressing issue.

Backing in… Paula LaRoque would kill me. (I’ve never met her, but I’d attribute anything I know about writing to her books.) So I back in and it’s still not interesting…

Just because the politicians aren’t talking about it doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter.

Hmm… not getting anywhere…. OK.

Without a means to effectuate change, immigrants are turning to prayer.

Effectuate, huh JD? Yeah, nice one.
Can I say wake here? In the wake of immigration reform…? Immigrants are turning to prayer in the wake of immigration reform. Amidst escalating hostility, immigrants are turning to prayer. Sensational… and it’d be amid, dummy. OK…

Facing an uncertain future, immigrants are finding hope in prayer.

That’s still backing in, but I think it might work.

Immigrants from across the Phoenix Diocese finding hope in prayer and community.
More than 1,000 Catholics crowded Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral Nov. 5 for a Mass welcoming newcomers to the Phoenix Diocese.

OK, not great. But it’ll have to do for now. See what I mean, though? I think sometimes it’s just a matter of getting some perspective. Situate it. I am myself and my circumstance (JOyG)… applies to leads? Maybe.

On Writing

Different sources are reporting an increasing number of Catholics supporting Barrack Obama for president, despite his support of abortion. U.S. bishops across the country have made the their support of life clear false claims by Catholic politicians that the abortion issue is debatable in Church teaching.

I came across an article on insidecatholic.com and blogged about it on www.blogtcs.com.

It’s a constant question for me — what impact does the the bishops’ teaching have on the life of Catholics? Not to come across as pious, but it certainly has a lot to do with my life. When bishops speak, I listen. But what about everyone else? It sure doesn’t seem like the bishops’ teaching carries as much weight as it should. The teaching against contraception, in my experience, is generally laughed off as arcane. But it really is well thought out. Likewise the bishops position on immigration.
I suppose there’s no good way to measure it, but I think the country would be better off in general if we gave more of a listen to our Church’s leaders.

Musings bishops authority, election

I’m starting a “Diary of the Middle East” on the blogtcs.com Web site. It’s a very different style of writing, but it somehow feels more natural. My goal is to have daily updates to the blog until I cover the entire trip, which ran from Sept. 30-Oct. 13.

Middle East, The Catholic Sun