Bill's Blog
Let me start by saying I'm not really sure how a blog works or what it should look like. So if this doesn't meet your expectations, well, don't complain to me about it. This page will contain my opinions/comments/stories about things that concern all of us and often things that you've never thought about or care about. In other words, it will be the random ramblings of yours truly. I'll post guest commentaries that I like and your reactions to the opinions stated here, so start writing! But if all you're going to say is I should get my head examined, you won't see your name here. Of course, if you wax gloriously about my brilliant insight and wonderful writing style, I may have to reconsider. Any reactions or guest commentaries should be sent to me at woconnor@wi.rr.com. I reserve the right to edit your comments and your name will be included unless you give me a terrific reason for excluding it.
I know that when Hollywood actors and actresses and pop music stars get on stage or TV and start telling me how bad things are and what we should be doing to solve the media made problems, I switch the channel or walk out.. I've never understood why the opinions of people who memorize lines and lyrics for a living is somehow more significant than a teacher, a truck driver, or a chef. So I try to keep politics out of our performances and musical selections. I figure this page gives me the opportunity to upset you on your own turf rather than as a captive member of an audience. I emphasize that these are NOT necessarily the opinions of Larry or Lin. They'll have to submit their own material for this blog. All entries are written by me unless otherwise noted.
Psalm 119
(Posted July 27, 2008)
At Mass this morning, a musical interpretation of Psalm 119 was used between readings. The congregation's response was to sing the words "Lord, I love your commands." As we were singing this, it struck me that these very words are problematic in today's society. The free thinkers would argue that following God's commandments restrict our individual freedom and are themselves the cause of intolerance toward those who choose to engage in activities Christians believe are immoral. Yet I find it troublesome that these same people are the ones who embrace big government with its own rules and restrictions. Somehow, if the government wants to restrict our liberty, that's okay. In fact, that's the way it should be. These enlightened folks know what is good for us. They know what is healthy for us, how we should think, what we should say. Christianity is not supposed to be a democracy. If these people and groups with narrow interests continue to gain power, our republic will loose its democratic basis also.
Bret Favre
(Posted July 17, 2008)
You thought you could escape the Bret Favre controversy on the
T&O web site? Not a chance. While local talk shows have been beating up on poor
Bret, I have a simple question. Why wouldn't you want him back if you're a
Packer fan? He gives the Packers their best chance of getting to the Super
Bowl. Now I admit I was yelling at the TV last January that McCarthy should take
him out of the Giants game. But that's a coaching problem. When he's having a
really bad day or at the end of a blow out, sit him down and let Rogers play. If
you listen to or read reports from other cities, sports fans and writers are
drooling over the slim chance that Bret might play for their team. Favre
is the greatest player to wear a Packer uniform. If he wants to wear it for
another year (or more), I'd love to see it. We're all going to miss him when
he's gone. [Tosa Row asks if it's true that Aaron Rogers has been heard singing
the Kenny Rogers lyrics "You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
know when to walk away..."] I'll resist the temptation to quote the Joni Mitchell song,
Big Yellow Taxi.
The Saga Continues...(August 6). It would appear the Packers do
not want to put their best team on the field this season. Do the Packers
have a better chance to reach the playoffs with Favre at quarterback or Rogers?
History picks Favre. I've worked at and retired from a job where the powers that
be would be happier if you would go away than stay. In my humble opinion,
I think the Packer brass has wanted to get rid of Favre for at least a couple of
years. They just didn't know how to get rid of a legend. They still
don't. They have blundered through the past few months while spinning
things to make it look like they've done all they can to keep number 4 at
quarterback. This past weekend was a joke. Bret was kept from the practice
field because he first needed a physical where it was then discovered he had a
slight "abdominal strain". Oh, that's believable. Did anyone really think
he'd pass that physical? In the regular season he can play entire games with
broken bones and serious injuries, but now they put forth this lame excuse to
cover their own fear of having Favre out shine the heir apparent. Then it
took hours and hours of meetings to determine that Bret doesn't have the right
attitude. I recall from the 60s what an "attitude adjustment" meant.
And who in the NFL has a better attitude toward playing the game than Bret Favre?
I still don't see the consistency in the Packer brass holding the position that
he's not good enough to be the field general of the team, but they fear him
leading the offense of an opponent. Where's the logic or conviction of that
position? I sincerely hope the Packers do well this season. If they don't, it
will be one of the longest, miserable chapters in the history of a great
franchise.
Reader Response
(Posted June 19, 2008)
SM from Texas writes: You didn't wax too far out into left (or right) field. It must be intimidating to know that what you put on the internet never goes away. My only comment is that the word mass is spelled with a capital letter when referencing the liturgical event. [Bill: Ouch. You really know how to hurt a guy. If it's not clear what field I'm in, then I must be boring - not to mention a lousy writer! I think spell check is obviously an anti-Catholic program and we should initiate a class action law suit to redress our grievances. Its creator should pay us for our pain and suffering. Now do you know what field I play? Thanks for the input SM!]
Bigfoot Lives!
(Posted June 10, 2008)
The EPA has produced at least two commercials featuring a dim witted but happy Sasquatch. In one of them the voice over states "Some scientists predict that as many as 20% of all animal species will become extinct because of global warming." This statement is so full of holes that analyzing it would be a waste of your valuable time. It is interesting that the EPA would produce these messages based upon the opinion of "some scientists." While the Judeo-Christian foundation of our culture is under attack, it's obvious that the folks at the EPA have found a new religion and are worshipping at the altar of misinformation and deceit. However I do think it's appropriate they've chosen Bigfoot as their mascot. After all, Bigfoot and man-made global warming have about the same scientific credence. [Follow up note: Since posting this entry, I have not seen any of these ads. It could be that even the EPA realized how silly they were.- July 17]
GREED!
(Submitted by "Tosa Row" - June 4, 2008)
Commish Bud Selig got the toilet flushing award from a local talk show host (Charile Sykes/WTMJ radio—5/30/08). Seems the Majestic uniform © company has a contract making it the sole authorized dealer of MLB baseball uniforms. As such, youth baseball (Little League, Pony League) will have to ante up, which means a royalty to the company if the team uniform jersey has Braves, Cubs, Indians, Yankees, Dodgers, etc. inscribed on it. Hey kids, the Major League Shop (buy on line) has a sale on an AUTHENTIC Milwaukee Brewers jersey for $189.95 and you can fork over $244.95 for an AUTHENTIC Prince Fielder shirt. It’s not a jersey he actually wore, but it’s GENUINE. Genuine what? Real fabric? Made by real Malaysians!
Uncle Frank
(Posted May 27, 2008)
Theiss & O'Connor lost one of their long long time fans last week. Frank Hennessy, my uncle, passed away at the age of 91. His love of our music dates back to the early '70s when he offered to finance a recording of us. Fortunately for his financial well being, we turned him down. But on occasions when the group out numbered the audience, I remembered his confidence in our music. An Illinois native who took up residence in Florida, Frank made it a point to come to every Irish Fest for the past 22 years. And since 1997, he never missed one of our performances at the fest. You may have seen him in the crowd and I know many of you have met him. Friends and family alike came to call him Uncle Frank because of his great spirit and friendliness. He loved to sing. We will never forget the afternoon in 2006 when, at age 89, we coaxed him to come on stage to join us in an Irish lullaby. His legs were shaking so much, we made a quick decision to shorten the song. But that was part of Frank's inspiration to us all. He never let his age get in the way of experiencing and enjoying life. Uncle Frank's chair will be empty at Irish Fest this year. But his place in our hearts will remain warm with love. Uncle Frank, "May the road rise to meet you..."
Seat Belts
(Posted May 18, 2008)
The ads about law enforcement cracking down on those who don't wear seat belts are interesting. It's a massive campaign on TV and radio which says something to the effect that if you don't click it you'll get a ticket. Very clever! It's wonderful to know that this is going to be THE major thrust of law enforcement officers across the country because that means that drunk driving, road rage, and speeding are apparently things of the past and are not a top priority any more. I have a few pet peeves which I'd rather they concentrate on. Making a U-turn at traffic lights (yes, that is illegal in Wisconsin, though you'd never know it) and people going less than the speed limit in the left lane are two things which I thought might rank above seat belt wearing on my list of traffic concerns. All of these items seem to be more of a danger to public safety than not wearing your seat belt. It makes me wonder what a government run health care system would look like. Forget about cancer, heart disease, or diabetes. Lets focus on acne. But it's nice to see tax money being well spent to warn us about such a major problem and such an obvious danger to us all. Hey, maybe here in Wisconsin we can extend the mandatory car seat age. That might be a different posting. For now when I get in a car, I'll just do what I've been doing for years without the ads. Click!
Obama's 57
(Posted May 16, 2008)
By now you're undoubtedly tired of the huge media reaction to Obama's simple mistake about how many states there are in our country. Oh, wait. There was no media up roar. In a speech in Beaverton, OR, Obama stated that in his tough campaign he'd visited "57 states, with one left to go beside Alaska and Hawaii." There was no huge media reaction. That's probably because his mistake wasn't as important as Dan Quayle's misspelling of "potato". Besides, there are some simple possible explanations. Since he is a politician and prone to saying whatever is necessary to win, it's possible he hiding a foreign policy plan and let it slip out of the bag. He may be wanting to do more than talk to heads of terrorist states. He may want to annex them. Not a bad idea. Or perhaps he's been considering having John Kerry as a running mate and was trying to make Mrs. Kerry happy with a subtle reference to Heinz 57 varieties. Or maybe he's a Paul Simon fan and figured out a few more ways to leave your lover. The possibilities are endless and we shouldn't hold the man who would be president to a standard higher than we expect of a fifth grade public school student. So he may not know how many states there are, but I'm sure he can spell "potato". Now how do you spell "phony"?
Liturgical Stew
(Posted May 14, 2008)
At the part of the mass we now call the Presentation of Gifts (formerly called the Offertory), it is normal for the choir or cantor to lead the congregation in song or for the liturgical musician to play an inspirational instrumental piece. At our parish, the latter is usually done. As I sat down in our pew to reflect on God’s blessings and what I could offer to God, I was surprised to hear the choir begin singing. I listened closely, but I couldn’t quite understand the words to the song. At about the time I realized that the lyrics were in Spanish, the piano accompaniment was joined by two trumpets, a single stand up African-style drum and maracas. (It is truly amazing how loud one drum can be when played by an enthusiastic teenager!) I happened to be seated in what used to be the choir loft, and I looked over the congregation to see where our Hispanic guests were seated. Of course, there were none. As the song proceeded to get louder and more up beat, I began checking the door way entrances and the aisles to see if perhaps a matador in full regalia might come parading toward the altar. I half expected to hear shouts of “Ole” at any moment. It was quite exciting until I realized that for almost four minutes, instead of reflecting upon God’s goodness I had been completely distracted with a song that meant absolutely nothing to me and the rest of the congregation. I couldn’t help but think back to the 1960s when the nuns told us of the changes that would come as a result of Vatican Council II. No longer would Catholics have to come to mass carrying missals which contained all the Latin scripture readings and prayers translated into English. Mass would now be said in the vernacular. Now we would hear everything in English and our Sunday and daily worship would be much more meaningful to us all. I also thought of the Pope’s recent visit to the U.S. and the mass at Washington Nationals Stadium. It was there that the mass was transformed into a religious multicultural, multilinguistic version of American Idol. No melting pot in America today. No, instead we have a stew where, instead of blending together as part of the whole, all the ingredients must stand out and insist upon their own special place in the pot and on the plate. Much like our public school students who come to school unprepared and without textbooks, Catholics come to mass without scripture in hand or head. And if a song or a prayer is uttered in a language we don’t understand, that’s okay because the liturgists know what is acceptable and prayerful. As long as it isn’t in Latin, it’s liturgically correct. (Now if we could just do something about the Ave Maria...) In fact, for putting these ideas into words, I should ask their forgiveness. Mea culpa.
Adventures in Barbering
(Posted on May 12, 2008)
Another in the series “Adventures in Barbering”. When this
becomes a TV soap it will open with the narrator speaking the following:
Time waits for no one. Our lives continue to be shaped by people, events,
and the passage of each minute. And as each moment passes like sand in an hour
glass, so grows...The Hair on Our Heads! The names have been changed to
protect the innocent.
After years of procrastination, I made the dreaded phone call to Dick the barber and set up an appointment for 1:00 pm. I arrived in the parking lot, faintly remembering past experiences with barbers and felt a slight shiver as I debated whether to get out or quickly drive on. But duty to my friend compelled me to get out and I walked into the barber shop at exactly 12:56 pm. At my second step inside the shop, I was stopped cold by an over whelming feeling of deja vu.
The spirits of the past were strong here and I heard the cries of those whose lives were cut far too short. In deed, my hair had been among the spirits of these victims and it all came back to me in the heavy cloud of hair tonic. There were five people in the shop. Their eyes were glazed and they seemed not to notice my entrance. As I stared in fear at an empty chair and the bald headed barber tending the tools of his trade behind it, a white haired man asked, “Are you Mr. O’Connor? Come with me.”
What choice did I have? I followed this man into a room which on my first visit I had presumed to be the lavatory. But today I found that the throne inside this tiny closet was the barber chair. I sat down and Dick went through the prescribed ritual of covering me with a sheet from my neck down and asking just what I wanted. The words which came out in reply, “A haircut”, did not satisfy Dick and he pummeled me with questions until he finally gave up and said, “I’ll take care of it.” Now I had been warned about Dick’s political leanings and his rather colorful vocabulary and I was determined not to tell him anything. I merely nodded in agreement when he opened with, “Boy, that John is sure conservative” (Note: the exact words uttered here are not printable under the code of decency.) But as he maneuvered and cut he asked more and more about me and I found I was indeed giving him information. Then he slipped it in again, “Boy that John is sure conservative.” I merely replied, “He is indeed”. I was determined not to let a man with a scissors know my political views. The conversation and cut continued with only two phone interruptions. When it was over, there was no inquiry as to my satisfaction, no complementary hand held mirror check. The sheet came off and $15 went up on the cash register. Here was a man confident in his abilities. He gave a good hair cut and there was no need for formalities. The conversation continued (Boy, that John is sure conservative) as he grabbed a cigarette and walked me out of the shop, providing safe passage from the razor clutching professionals in the next room. We stood on the porch and leaned against the railing, talking for at least ten minutes.
Casual observers would have guessed we were old friends catching up on past news. But alas, we were but two strangers united in the common quest for a good haircut.