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About this blog…
“This blog is like a fusion of the Baroque ‘salon’ with its well-tuned harpsichord around which polite society gathered for entertainment and edification and, on the other hand, a Wild West “saloon” with its out-of-tune piano and swinging doors, where everyone has a gun and something to say. Nevertheless, we try to point our discussions back to what it is to be Catholic in this increasingly difficult age, to love God, and how to get to heaven.” – Fr. Z
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651-447-6265YOUR RECENT COMMENTS
maternalView on VIDEO PILGRIMAGE to the Holy Land: Day 6: “I’m enjoying these. As I said in another post somehow I missed these. But now I think it might have…”
maternalView on VIDEO PILGRIMAGE to the Holy Land: Day 6: “I’m enjoying these. As I said in another post somehow I missed these. But now I think it might have…”
Ron Van Wegen on ASK FATHER: At Mass ‘ad orientem’ why doesn’t the priest turn around for the Preface dialogue?: “While we’re at it! When the priest says, “Dominus Vobiscum” etc. for a coming prayer, we usually stand EXCEPT at…”
mibethda on ASK FATHER: “If a priest blesses something without following the ritual, is it really blessed? (BAD NEWS!): “Even the Latin forms in the Weller volumes can be problematic. Pope Pius XII approved a revision of the Rituale…”
APX on ASK FATHER: At Mass ‘ad orientem’ why doesn’t the priest turn around for the Preface dialogue?: “Weirdly enough, in Mass offered ad orientem according to the Order of Divine Worship (Anglican Use), the priest does turn…”
NB on ASK FATHER: At Mass ‘ad orientem’ why doesn’t the priest turn around for the Preface dialogue?: “This is a great post.”
Magdalen Ross on Rome Shot 88: “Saint Joseph altar, Basilica of Saint Peter, the Vatican (typically used for Masses on weekdays).”
Zavodny Margarett RBC on ASK FATHER: At Mass ‘ad orientem’ why doesn’t the priest turn around for the Preface dialogue?: “The Preface is, after all, addressed to God….”
hwriggles4 on Priest weeps at irreverence for Eucharist, tells people to receive on the tongue. Wherein Fr. Z rants.: “Years ago (mid 1980s) I was an EMHC at my Catholic college chapel. Within the past 15 years I have…”
mrjaype on ASK FATHER: At Mass ‘ad orientem’ why doesn’t the priest turn around for the Preface dialogue?: “Father, you crack me up. That was the best summary of the Preface I have ever seen! Thank you for…”
Fr. John Zuhlsdorf on LENTCAzT 2021: 11 – Ember Saturday 1st Week of Lent: Why fast and abstain?: “Motecta Trium Vocum. US HERE”
Rod Halvorsen on Priest weeps at irreverence for Eucharist, tells people to receive on the tongue. Wherein Fr. Z rants.: “For some reason this piece strikes me as one demanding to be printed, laminated and taped to the refrigerator door.…”
Anita Moore, O.P.(lay) on LENTCAzT 2021: 11 – Ember Saturday 1st Week of Lent: Why fast and abstain?: “Thank you Father! Can you please give us the name of the artist and the CD that the closing music…”
ThePapalCount on LENTCAzT 2021: 11 – Ember Saturday 1st Week of Lent: Why fast and abstain?: “This takes back inside St Peter’s Basilica to the chapel of Sts Simon and Jude whose images you can see…”
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Don’t rely on popes, bishops and priests.
“Who is going to save our Church? Not our bishops, not our priests and religious. It is up to you, the people. You have the minds, the eyes, and the ears to save the Church. Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests, your bishops act like bishops.”
- Fulton Sheen
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Fr John Zuhlsdorf
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- “The modern habit of doing ceremonial things unceremoniously is no proof of humility; rather it proves the offender's inability to forget himself in the rite, and his readiness to spoil for every one else the proper pleasure of ritual.”
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As for Latin…
"But if, in any layman who is indeed imbued with literature, ignorance of the Latin language, which we can truly call the 'catholic' language, indicates a certain sluggishness in his love toward the Church, how much more fitting it is that each and every cleric should be adequately practiced and skilled in that language!" - Pius XI
"Let us realize that this remark of Cicero (Brutus 37, 140) can be in a certain way referred to [young lay people]: 'It is not so much a matter of distinction to know Latin as it is disgraceful not to know it.'" - St. John Paul II
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Recent Posts
- VIDEO PILGRIMAGE to the Holy Land: Day 7
- ASK FATHER: At Mass ‘ad orientem’ why doesn’t the priest turn around for the Preface dialogue?
- LENTCAzT 2021: 11 – Ember Saturday 1st Week of Lent: Why fast and abstain?
- Rome Shot 88
- VIDEO PILGRIMAGE to the Holy Land: Day 6
- STATIONS OF THE CROSS – Audio from Fr. Z
- ASK FATHER: “If a priest blesses something without following the ritual, is it really blessed? (BAD NEWS!)
- ASK FATHER: Can we Catholics observe Jewish feasts like Purim?
- LENTCAzT 2021: 10 – Ember Friday 1st Week of Lent: Patience in suffering
- Priest weeps at irreverence for Eucharist, tells people to receive on the tongue. Wherein Fr. Z rants.
- Rome Shot 87
- VIDEO PILGRIMAGE to the Holy Land: Day 5
- Rome Shot 86
- ASK FATHER: “Any tips about a Last Rites “kit”?”
- LENTCAzT 2021: 09 – Thursday 1st Week of Lent: “The only choice is between fervor and sin.”
- VIDEO PILGRIMAGE to the Holy Land: Day 4
- LENTCAzT 2021: 08 – Ember Wednesday 1st Week of Lent: “A prayer on the way to Mass”
- Rome Shot 85
- Rome Shot 84
- VIDEO PILGRIMAGE to the Holy Land: Day 3
- LENTCAzT 2021: 07 – Tuesday 1st Week of Lent: “Lord, Jesus teach to pray better in all circumstances”
- WDTPRS 22 Feb – Feast of the Cathedra of Peter (2002MR): Antioch or Rome or… somewhere else?
- LIVE VIDEO – 22 Feb 2021 – 1200 NOON CST – Traditional Latin Mass – Cathedra of Peter
- “Gregorian Mass” match ups: available priests with people who have requests
- VIDEO PILGRIMAGE to the Holy Land: Day 2
- LENTCAzT 2021: 06 – Monday 1st Week of Lent: “It had to happen to me!”
- VIDEO PILGRIMAGE to the Holy Land: Day 1
- Your Sunday Sermon Notes – 1st Sunday of Lent 2021
- LENTCAzT 2021: 05 – 1st Sunday of Lent: “Our Sire God being first served.”
- Rome Shot 83
Let us pray…
Grant unto thy Church, we beseech Thee, O merciful God, that She, being gathered together by the Holy Ghost, may be in no wise troubled by attack from her foes. O God, who by sin art offended and by penance pacified, mercifully regard the prayers of Thy people making supplication unto Thee,and turn away the scourges of Thine anger which we deserve for our sins. Almighty and Everlasting God, in whose Hand are the power and the government of every realm: look down upon and help the Christian people that the heathen nations who trust in the fierceness of their own might may be crushed by the power of thine Arm. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. R. Amen.
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I regularly buy Oxi Clean but from Sam’s not through TV ads.
Yes. Ten years ago I ordered a set of flashlights. I spent most of my time on the phone trying to avoid all the special enhanced and unrelated product offers that were being made by the automated sales robot, including avoiding the pitfall of reverse-worded questions where “no…I don’t want any” actually means “yes…send me a thousand”!
Nope. As a contrarian, I never do/buy/participate in anything that madison ave or the media says I should.
Or answer emails to claim my million dollar inheritance from my long-lost {british|nigerian|russian|south african|ukranian|urdu| relatives, that winning lottery ticket that’s waiting for me, or anything else.
I went to an information security conference a few weeks ago (which is my current career…); it was agreed that the greatest threat to your personal identity was not the snotty little creep working out of a dank basement in China somewhere, but all the other commercial vendors and search engines on the net, and Madison Ave. They’re all tied together….telemarketers, tv pitchmen, google/bing/yahoo/etc, and the dons that come up with new ways to entice you to part with your hard-earned ducats.
Just Say No.
What did you get, Father? And what was wrong with it?
I got a Windshield Wonder, actually 4 of them. I got the two for deal and accidentally ordered two sets of two (my fault). I have lots of neighbors with bad backs though so I gave two of them away. I have one in each car. It does work very well. It’s also good for reaching the top of windows on the house. And applying wax (with a dedicated “bonnet”) to that center stripe of the car roof that you can’t reach so well.
Husband bought ShamWow.
I’ve never ordered through the phone. I bought one kitchen gadget, which worked very well, until it broke three days later.
If something tempts you, I suggest going to Amazon.com , and checking out the reviews there, or search for “x product reviews” on your favorite search engine. Most of them are great in theory, but so cheaply made that they do not last.
Yes and No…I ordered a commemorative coin that was $29.95, but if you call within the next ten minutes, we’ll send you two for the price of one! This is your opportunity to own two of these extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime, highly-collectable coins…….But Wait, there’s more…
I never did get the coin, but I did start receiving a glossy men’s “lifestyle” magazine.
Have never gone that route, and will never buy anything from the qvc, but I will admit that there certainly have been other instances when I have been duped into assenting to all the promises of all varieties of glamorous hucksterism. It seems that is at this time in history unavoidable as the new American way. Daily I look for help in the resistance.
When I was a kid (30+ years ago) my brother badgered my mom into ordering a set of records called “The Best of Old Time Radio.” It had one with great speeches, one with radio shows, one with wacky songs, one that was all Spike Jones. I think wore out the latter two, we listened to them so many times.
I’ve bought things from QVC, but they were things I already knew I wanted anyway (like my Keurig) and which were at a good price.
When I didn’t have a job/life that required me to wake up at 5:30am, I used to be a major night owl and have watched many, many infomercials. I admit to being entertained by a certain sense of schadenfreude. Ahem.
ShamWow. Seems like the perfect product name for one of these TV ads. “It’s probably a sham, but wow I just gotta get it. ” Or maybe WowSham — “Wow that looks amazing.” But 6-8 weeks later, “Wow, what a sham!”
Don’t have TV but I’ll tell you something about QVC jewelry. On Broadway in the 20’s in Manhattan are the bargain jewelry dealers (fun place to shop!). I used to see ‘sold out’ QVC jewelry that was originally priced $20-30. It was in original packaging and marked $3 or 2 for $5. It is made out of worthless junk and it is worthless junk.
Complete set of Doo Wop videos from Time Warner. Lot’s of old time artists still able to rock.
Many moons ago I bought a hand-hammered wok. It actually is what they advertised, and while I don’t cook with it nearly as much as I would like to or should, it does work very well, and was worth the purchase.
I bought a ShamWow……and I’m not Velle Mere’s husband.
No, I figure if the product is so good, why isn’t it available at walmart, target or lowes?
I dislike sales very much. Pushy people hovering like vultures seeking to manipulate you into buying something you do not need are best avoided.
I take it even further, if a company’s ad is annoying or repeats often then I will avoid shopping there too.
Getting mad at the manipulative advertising really has helped my budget!
Yes. Sorta. I have purchased a “Today’s special value” item from QVC which was a good deal on a brand-name item that is rarely ever discounted at department stores (Clarisonic face-brush). QVC even graciously took my off their email list as I do not want daily or weekly emails about more things. Good customer service!
I have seen “As Seen On TV” storefronts in shopping malls and at road-side tourist attractions. They do sell some awesome looking things, like the upside-down tomato thing (which is also available at Home Depot-I think). There is even as seen on tv dot com website.
Finally, my husband bought me a “free” Stauer necklace-only pay for shipping and handling! Even small grandchildren will know enough not to fight over this particular family heirloom some day. I don’t know if Stauer has ads on TV but they are in the same vein.
Yep, hubby gave in to a late night tv watching prompt to buy kitchen knives. They are pretty good, but not great. It’s probably best to just avoid those late night cravings.
We have the GTExpress, the Betty Crocker Bake-n-Fill, the Ninja, and the 6-second abs thing. My husband actually purchased all of these products, but I am shamelessly addicted to kitchen gadget infomercials.
I can honestly say I have not. I find the products for kitchens are often an insult to my intelligence (ie: that egg cracker thing).
I will admit to being one if those sly door-to-door salespersons.
I never have, although I have to say the Shamwow/Slapchop guy slays me. His commericials are more entertaining than alot of the TV shows that he advertises on.
Yes, I ordered some gizmos from late night TV once.
It was a horrible idea. After I ordered, they called me the next day to “confirm” my order. As it turns out, it was just them trying to sell me more stuff. I told them no several times, then after 10 minutes I had to just hang up on them. It was never ending.
This continued for WEEKS. Even though I am on the “do not call list,” I think this gives them permission to call you as much as they want. They just wouldn’t quit. Sometimes they called me 3 or 4 days in a row even after me telling them “No, leave me alone and stop calling” every single time. Even worse – it wasn’t the same number poping up on caller ID, so I kept getting duped into answering it. I just stopped answering the phone and they gave up, but it literally took at least a month for them to leave me alone.
Late night infomercials are terrible. My family ordered a bunch of exercise equipment that has never been used for their intended purpose. AB rollers work wonders as a guitar stand for multiple guitars. Those exercise balls make great nintendo chairs, and “The Stimulator” that’s supposed to get rid of various forms of joint pain via electrical shock, it’s more fun to shock your friends with it.
Yes, a few years ago, one time only, I decided that it would be useful to have some microfiber cloths for cleaning up liquids, etc. So I called the number to place an order for Sham-Wow. I was quite satisfied with the products received and with the price.
That having been said, I will not ever likely do so again, because of the experience of attempting to get off of the phone after completing the order, which was complicated by the multitude of offers through which one must navigate using what Mike Morrow at the top comment above refers to as the automated sales robot. I spent more time on the phone trying to get to the end of the list to ensure that I didn’t get stuck with something additional, than I had placing the order itself. Most annoying, and not something I would voluntarily do again.
Now, instead of ordering by phone, I look to see if I can order via the web, or look for the specific product at the “As Seen on TV” retail store.
Pax et bonum,
Keith Töpfer
I understand it is popular but I would still be unable to get over the name of any product called, Sham Wow.
before the age of the do not call list, someone always called selling light bulbs etc.
after going through every excuse in the world(none of them worked), I finally said:
“I don’t use light bulbs” (It worked!)
centristian, the guy’s name is Vince Offer.
Another funny story, I recently bought a Happy Feet foot washer in the “as seen on TV” section of CVS. But I am so ticklish I can hardly use it! My feet really are happy, they are screaming with laughter, and not at the Slap Chop commercial.
Most grocery chains also have a “as seen on TV” section.
I don’t know about the do not call list cuz nobody ever calls me but there is a web site you can go to that shuts off your junk mail. I now only have to go to my mailbox every couple of days because it’s not full of catalogs I don’t want. The only catalogs you will get are the ones you are currently ordering from. You can find the web site with the search terms “junk mail” and “opt out.”
Might as well contribute the thirtieth story. I purchased an infrared oven last year. It’s been working well and I’m quite pleased with it. I can’t say the same about the jewelry / loose gemstones vendor who wore down my resistance with the soft Southern accents of the TV hosts and the sparkling colors of their 50-carat gemstone kit. Gacck! The great majority of the stones were chipped, carried inclusions, lacked strong color, or were so tiny I could have inhaled them if I wasn’t careful. Never again.