Cue the violins, Maestro

The Finale is Here

A lot of movements have been played. The last notes are about to be played. 

The three of you who are left, and have not been thoroughly alienated, realise that most of these posts in this internet journal from the southern shores of Lake Erie have concerned the Catholic church about Cleveland, and the reality of politics (and yes, that means through the views of the Democracy), and have been accompanied by, often, fine photography and writing. I have taken a lot of fotos, some i still want to use to illustrate more points.

"Stop them damn pictures. I don't care what the papers write about me. My constituents can't read. But, damn it, they can see the pictures." — William Marcy Tweed

In the time span of this journal, we have suffered Richard Lennon as he has trod over many. The bishop is in clinical terms 'a sociopath'. He has done irreparable damage. Some of us, through the efforts of people whom have fought, have gotten some of our religious life back.

In government, we have seen capitalists and paranoids acting to rule us in like manner.* The federal elections saw the re-election of a legitimate president by the largest vote number yet in the popular vote, and in state wide (non-gerrymandered districts) senatorial elections 25 Democrats and allies won the 33 contests. The election of a mixed-race president, in 2008, saw the next day creation of the the so called "Tea Party Republicans". They flared into a great success in many states, won the US House, and in several states gerrymandered the map. They had the fortune of using the decade's census to sculpt territory. Much of their other desires met resistance by the public, which did not realise how extreme they were (e.g. Walker in Wisconsin, Kasich in Ohio); but wherever the Republican party held sway, they got what they wanted. They are not finished, but are greatly weakened. They, and demographics, will destroy the power of their party shortly. "Take no prisoners attitude" does not work when you are not in control of the majority. Republicans, and other economic royalists are relentless. They are still capable of great harm.

Have the people that have been gulled by them comprehend? Well no, if they still only listen to only Fox approved propaganda. I have been recently informed, Fox uses the term "NFN (Non-Fox News) information". I suspect some viewers may realise the tea has been poison, but not that many; others will want revenge.

It is no surprise to me that the Catholic bishops (Lennon's latest) have so thrown in with the Republicans. Both are manned by hypocrites who abuse power, and have little concern for people.

The foto supra is recent. I had another, similar one from the internet for the posting i was to make. Finally, i had the opportunity to snap a live foto of string musicians. They are City Music of Cleveland practicing the Bruch Violin Concerto, Saint Colman's Cleveland. I was going to use it with the departure of Lennon. It is not to be expected anytime soon, he is staying to age 75, if he lives that long. In mid-November (this year 12th-15th), the bishops meet in Baltimore. In late November there is Thanksgiving, and Advent begins either the first Sunday in December, or the last in November. In the past, i thought that late November was a good time for his going. I think, i will just have to avoid him for the next several years.

I am not a professional writer. This may be the last post. I should have taken a foto of a trumpeter.
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* “The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.” — John Kenneth Galbraith.  Interview with Rupert Cornwell. Toronto Globe and Mail. 6 July 2002. This was not his earliest formulation of words on the subject.

“We have always known that heedless self-interest was bad morals; we know now that it is bad economics.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt. Second Inaugural Address. 20 January 1937.

 "You know, the very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common, they don't alter their views to fit the facts, they alter the facts to fit the views, which can be uncomfortable, if you happen to be one of the facts that needs altering." —  Doctor Who (fourth Doctor, played by Tom Baker) episode: The Face of Evil. January 1977.

Short history St. Casimir-in-the-Street

History of the Prayer Vigil Faithful at St. Casimir

Despite its historic significance and importance to the Polish Community, St. Casimir was ordered closed by Bishop Lennon along with 56 other churches (and one other parish) in the Cleveland Diocese. The last Mass as many believed, at the time, took place on November 8, 2009 with Bishop Lennon presiding.

An important event occurred just before closing in that a Polish Priest (Father Wachala) came to St. Casimir, and dedicated the church to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Those that believe in the “Miracle of St. Casimir” believe this was an important event.

The Sunday after the Bishop closed St. Casimir, parishioners began their vigil. They braved winter's winds and snow, and the summer's heat and rain. Prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary were held in both the Polish and English language outside the locked doors of the church. This group and members of the St. Casimir Alumni appealed to the Vatican for help. A formal appeal was accepted by Rome, along with 10 other parishes in Cleveland.

Start of the Prayer Vigils

Dr. Michael Klymiuk-Wieczerski, a parishioner at St. Casimir called fellow members about a dream that he had the night after the church was closed. He said the Virgin Mary appeared in his dream and said, "Don't leave me", which he took to mean the church. This event led to the assembly of many faithful from not only St. Casimir, but visitors from even other states to form a prayer vigil each and every Sunday in the rain, snow, and cold led by Mr. Joe Feckanin, Stan Zadnik, and Wojtek Fleszar. Soon other closed churches under appeal began their own prayer vigils at St. Patrick, St. Wendelin, St. Emeric, and St. James. Letters poured into Rome, and the Bishop’s office; articles appeared in publications across the world including the Los Angeles Times, New York radio host Rita Cosby hosted Mr. Feckanin, and many wondered why and how this tiny group of Poles were so dedicated to this cause.

Aside from the criticism, the vigils went on at St. Casimir outside the closed gates. The group’s motto that gave each of them strength was, and still is, "NIE BOJCIE SIE" (in English: "DO NOT BE AFRAID”). Pope John Paul II on his first visit to Poland as the Vicar of Christ quoted these words. These same words ignited a nation to throw off the chains of tyranny.

In May 2010, St. Casimir vigil organizers met with Endangered Catholics supporters to conduct a public event on the steps of the Cleveland City Hall. City Council members came, and spoke, to show their support for the closed churches. In January, 2012, another massive letter writing campaign was mounted by the faithful; but this time targeting Cardinals and the Pope himself in Rome. Signatures were gathered from the Cleveland Community and sent to Rome urging the churches to be reopened.

After two and an half years on the streets, supporters continued their tireless efforts but certainly many grew weary. On a warm evening on March 7, 2012 on the week of the feast day of St. Casimir, a formal announcement went across the news channels in Cleveland — “Cleveland Churches to reopen!!” A decree was issued from the Vatican which listed the names of parishioners declaring the closing of St. Casimir as invalid, and calling for its reopening was made public that day. Members of the prayer vigils from churches slated to reopen came down to St. Casimir's to rejoice in the streets on that evening. Monika Socheka’s mother, Helene, ill from cancer came to celebrate with us. Please remember Helene as she passed away a few days later, but at least found rest with the “joyous news.”

On July 15, the church and neighborhood was full of cars and people from across the city and state. Over 1200 people came to see what many now feel is why Dr. Klymiuk stated “the miracle has happened.”

*Please note that only a few of the names appear in this history. Many of the faithful that contributed so much are not listed above. A photo with names of the prayer vigil faithful is now available.

— compiled by John Niedzialek
This along with a Polish translation should soon be available at the church. 

To-day, the pre-noon Mass at St.Casimir was an anniversary recognition, and celebration of the time in exile wherein the parish continued to meet, and work for re-entry and restoration.  Also, being Armistice Day (now called Veterans' Day in the US), and Polish Independence Day, and November is the month of remembrance of all dead souls, a Wypominki observance was held at the end of Mass with Exposition of the Sacrament, and Benediction. Wypominki is a remembrance of the dead (most appropriately, but not limited to) on the Octave of All Saints, sometimes held in cemeteries.

 group photograph by Gus Chan of the last meeting of St. Casimir outside the fence 8 July 2012

What now GOP? Republicans reflecting

Wow, i can not watch Fox (or so i thought), as Jon Stewart calls it 'Bullshit Mountain', but offensive bullshit; but this is something else. On youtube there are video segments straight from their national broadcast on election night. Fox has to convince, repeatedly, Karl Rove that their shared Republican fantasies do not exist. Another point that they miss, they bring up Ohio in 2004; which they buttress against the polls accuracy, well some still believe the polls were right and tabulation chicanery was done by Rove and Company. Stewart quotes Fox's Megyn Kelly by “By the way, ‘Math You Do As A Republican To Make Yourself Feel Better’ is a much better slogan for Fox than the one they have now”.

If you have visited youtube before, you will notice on the right edge of your screen, there are offered other videos. Here in this case, they should be of similar stuff, just different in length, and at different points of the evening broadcast. But the specificity of some of the comments (the particular areas concerning Cleveland/Cuyahoga county are devastating).

One of the segments is listed as:
Fox News' Megyn Kelly Marches To The Network's Decision Desk in Search of Answers
At about one minute fifty, Fox's staff explains to her that Karl Rove's contention is thoroughly wrong. Before that she says, “We didn't plan on doing this...when we rehearsed this we lost audio in our ears”.

Another segment:
Karl Rove Questions Ohio Call for Obama, Electoral Victory
He blithers away quoting numbers that have little significance to the picture.

Similar stuff, with a succinct title:
Karl Rove's election night melt-down over Ohio results on Fox News 
After the 16 minute mark, professional Republican Michael Barone tells Rove,  “...I don't think there is reason to believe that huge Republican territory is waiting to come in there, even if the Republicans carry Parma the famous place with all the bowling alleys and stuff...”

Somehow the live facts over rode Fox Tuesday night. This does not happen when there is nothing to rein in their mouthfoamers, management and other personnel. It was rather amazing, they were forced to confront reality; and they did not like it. 
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postscriptum a few hours later: Every once in a while a question comes up? Do the professional Republicans actually believe the bullshit they tell? Of course they want the plurality of people to do so. They don't require a majority, quite often to get their way.

Reports have been written that say Mittens expected to win. Only in a fixed game system would i understand that confidence. This is why Turdblossom Rove's performance was so captivating. After Ohio, more states came in for the Democracy. Ohio was superfluous. The Fox gang went out of the way to entertain his palaver.

I expect dishonesty from this tribe. I am not aware of one Republican, at the end, predicting the obvious honest outcome; although months before, when a not Romney was offered, losing forty plus states was a spoken possibility. Did the alternate and fictive reality they create for public consumption...did they also believe?  A smart dope dealer does not use his own junk, when he addicts himself, his world falls apart.

Then there is Donald Trump. He is another that shows why so many millionaires/billionaires have to have had fathers that were millionaires/billionaires. What a tribe.

2012 Election Night

 President Barack Obama  332 Electoral Votes. Willard Romney 206 Electoral Votes

 Professor Josh Putnam. Davidson College. Frontloading HQ.

The pollster aggregators, Josh Putnam, Nate Silver, Drew Linzer, and Sam Wang were right. The professional bloviators, and reporters who opined were not so right. In the last few days, some were nasty towards Silver (who does a web journal, 538, in the New York Times).

While local news was on several stations in the eastern time zone, the presidential race was called at 11.14 pm. PBS had Chicago's McCormick Place, in the background, cheering the news. Fox [Faux News] was trying to deny the news. Turdblossom (Karl Rove) was spouting fiction concerning Ohio. Romney took a long time to concede. When you surround yourselves with lies, it is difficult to reconcile with reality.

I miss Dan Rather, i really miss Dan Rather. The talking heads were attempting to make this a close, tight contest. There was rubbish about Obama losing the popular vote, then how 'sliver thin' his lead was. Eventually it will be a few million votes, unlike gwbjr's 'win' in the negative difference in 2000.

United States Senate.   Blue = Democratic 25.  Red = Republican  8.

Vermont and Maine were won by independents, whom will caucus with the Democracy

The Senate will return with a greater Democratic majority. Massachusetts will be sending Professor Elizabeth Warren to Congress to reclaim Edward Kennedy's seat from a former nude male model, and shifting prevaricator (scott brown). Ohio will retain Sherrod Brown, who survived through a massive capitalist spending attack that was non stop over two years. He ran against a very young, and dishonest josh mandel. Indiana and Missouri were states the Republicans expected victories, but they chose repugnant idiots and lost. Connecticut had a side show Republican candidate, that spent another some $50 million of her family's money to lose again. George 'Macaca' Allen failed again to reclaim his Virginian seat. 

Heidi Heitkamp won a very close contest in her small state of North Dakota. She survived the meddling of a Catholic bishop. The candidates of the bishopry did not do so well. The public intimidation that attempted to make Masses Republican prayer rallies was not very successful.

Two of the rubber room Republicans went down in defeat in the House. The freshman Joe Walsh lost in Illinois. Allen West, who collected millions nationwide, lost in Florida. The veteran loon Steve King (Iowa) won, the wacko Bachmann, who also collected millions, barely survived. The House through carefully drawn district lines did not change much.  

Ohio lost Betty Sutton to Jim Renacci, where both congressman were in the same district. Ohio was reduced two seats in the congressional delegation. The Republicans controlling the state house and state offices gerrymandered the new districts. They had the two most liberal Democrats (Marcy Kaptur, Dennis Kucinich) primary each other in a new district which contained parts of Toledo and Cleveland on the southern Lake Erie shore. A state issue [#2] to set up a board to design fair districts was trounced; one piece of anti-abortion literature i received was against this measure.

Yankee New England does not have one Republican member in the U.S. House of Representatives. Finding a white Democrat in the South is not a quick exercise.

Remember the Guy

 Remember remember on the fifth of November

 Romney: Full of Bullshit

from Kolob to Wall Street and beyond

public Guy Fawkes persona for internet activists
 "We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us."

To summarise: Anonymous has become a collective. Many people post and contribute comments and images onto chat boards in the ether electronique. Since they are personally unknown, and so wish to be, they are anonymous. 

Now, many have computer 'hacking' skills, and can do cyber-mischief. Politically, their chief goal is internet freedom, and access. The persona became evident with the release of a video, and statement on January 21, 2008. Anonymous broadcast their programme to the world in "Message to Scientology". Scientology is a fraud, in the guise of a religion. It is like a XXth century Mormonism. Scientology is litigious and extremely jealous of its operation. They come at all challengers. Scientology cries religious persecution always, over everything. A week before this debut of Anonymous, part of a video of the "church" with Tom Cruise was put on YouTube. Scientology demanded it removed. Anonymous introduced itself: "Hello, leaders of Scientology. We are Anonymous....Expect us."

The group adopted the use of a Guy Fawkes mask. In a series of comic books from 1982-9 written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd, the title character wore such a mask. The film version of V for Vendetta came out in 2006. The mask was worn by the protestors of  Scientology, and then by the Occupy Wall Street protestors.

Remember: Election day falls on the day after Guy Fawkes Day, this year. The Republicans are running their mask of Wall Street, Willard Mitt Romney, who was a bishop and stake president of his polytheistic fraudulent 'religion'. Remember.

Parish Saved from Oblivion

 

 incoming procession to a congregation overflowing with anticipation

Father Sandor Siklodi, past and present pastor of St. Emeric Cleveland read the Gospel, and gave an history of the last twenty-eight months. At times it was a bad dream. He, as all people present, were publicly grateful to Fr. Begin and Saint Colman's for saying so many Hungarian language Masses in the interim. All realised how much this helped the community to survive and thrive. Siklodi said words too kind concerning Bishop Lennon.

 a view at the Ave Maria window, and the press in the balcony

Of the eleven churches restored to public worship of God, in the Cleveland Catholic diocese, this church, Saint Emeric has physically the smallest nave, and sanctuary. Still they held six hundred people. Folding chairs were placed, everywhere they could fit, and some people stood.

 

 After the distribution of Communion, Jesus finally re-entered the tabernacle after a long absence. The tallest member of the congregation pulled down the tabernacle lamp, and lit it. The lamp was out for twenty-eight months. 

Before the Mass dismissal, the parish's procurator/organist presented an historical reflection on what has happened in the history, of the parish, the Hungarian nation, and the Catholic Church. To get to this Mass, in this church to-day, took the near moving of heaven and earth.

The time, noon 4 November echoed history. In 1456 a Christian force, led by Hungarians defeated the Turks at Nándorfehérvár (Beograd/Belgrade). Three years before, Constantinople (the Second Rome) fell. János Hunyadi is considered the top general of his generation, he had fought the Turks for more than a decade. This was his last battle. He soon died of contagious disease. His fame was so grand, that several nations claimed him. The next year, his son was elected king. The Hungarians believed the bells rang at noon by papal order after the victory.More recently, the short lived Hungarian independence revolt of 1956 was crushed on Sunday, 4 November.

But locally, this little parish became a cause célèbre for the world's Hungarians. The Hungarian government inveighed and cajoled diplomacy to the Vatican on the parish's behalf. The parish was opposed by a beyond remarkably recalcitrant bishop. They would not accept compromise, neither would he; but Rome did not relent. This the Mother of God, the parishioners, in various groupings (Templom Örzö, the street prayer vigils, the scouts), judicial and diplomatic actions, and justice all were on the same side. They found friends in Saint Colman's and other Catholics in town. The parish was "saved from oblivion". This was an historical moment in the church universal, and a great victory. It was the proper solution, to a falsely created problem.

Saint Colman's Honors Labor

  old workers' tools before the altar (notice stick rule)

The feast day of Saint Colmán of Cloyne is 24 November.  That day, here, is near Thanksgiving and the weather is often inclement. The parish in Cleveland, the one he is patron of, revived the celebration of his feast day in 2007, but moved it to an earlier Saturday in November. It was almost as if a Mass turned into a céilí. It was beautiful Mass with fine songs, fine music, and fine musicians. This year the building tradesmen were honored. It is near the one hundredth year of Cleveland's Council of the A.F.of L.'s Building and Trade Council.

A former priest of the parish, Fr. James O'Donnell (supra, statue of Colmán behind him) spoke of the 'Workingman's Pope', Leo XIII. Pope Leo in 1891 issued Rerum Novarum, speaking to the dignity of the workingman. And contrary to much propaganda, this has been the position of his successors, of course the pharisees in the American church ignore this, and contradict it. Fr. O'Donnell did not mention that, he did recall when he, and his father worked the hand shovel in construction. He did mention the unity and progression of the work of tradesmen, whom built this church edifice, and so many more.

 happy kid at Mass

recessional procession

 

The cover of both programmes'  borrow Fritz Eichenberg's Labor Cross. An hundred years ago, fifty years ago, such a Mass could have happened all over the United States. To-day, this is one of the few parishes that could have done so. I seriously doubt, that another parish in the Cleveland Diocese would have even considered such a Mass. Father Robert Begin concluded Mass saying, unions have made it possible for the working man to receive the wages he deserves. Jesus makes similar statements, in regards to the worker deserving his pay, in the Gospels; but to-day's American priest does not emphasise such words. Alas, many American Catholics reject both Labor and the Gospel for capital (Mammon).

the Portersharks playing before the Magdalen

After Mass, the local folk group, the Portersharks played a concert for those on the main floor. The fiddler, Francis Quinn is a journeyman wireman (construction electrician). They had a broad repertoire of Irish dance tunes, and both modern American folk songs, and traditional Irish and Irish American ones. They played a rousing Mary Ellen Carter. In the social hall below, a long party took place.

last electoral update

There will be a Republican landslide in Utah. But their rapture fantasy is supposedly to be in Missouri.

Outside of that, in neighboring Arizona it should be tight. For what reason, i know not, the Democrats did not contest there much. That was a lost opportunity.

Nationally, the change from the electoral college map looks like: Obama will lose the one Nebraskan vote, and Indiana. We will might never know who received which votes in Florida, and fraud is very possible in Ohio. North Carolina could re-enter the Confederacy. Still, even with all those setbacks, the Democracy should prevail.

The Senate will have an increase of members sitting with the Democracy. The Republicans may only win 5 of 33 Senate races.

from Lincoln to Romney

 "Every time you have an occasion to take something from the federal government and send it back to the states, that's the right direction. And if you can go even further and send it back to the private sector, that's even better." — Willard Mitt Romney

For the two or three people, who read here regularly, know my political leanings; and it has chased two or three others away, sense that i have a high degree of disgust, and ridicule for the Republican party. If they could just run on a naked 'positive' programme, and by 'positive' i mean without all the dirty tricks they constantly employ, they do have a consistent bedrock argument they fight for, and that is one of unfettered pursuit for the financial 'entrepreneur'. A simple concept, with simple, hydra-headed corollaries which they always push. Now, say that is their programme (and it is). This is why they have been in love with Adam Smith, and then Ayn Rand.

The problem is they have tried it, and it always has failed; and their new plan is always the same plan. Franklin Roosevelt showed them they were wrong, and saved them. Did they change? No, they have not stopped attempting to remove everything the New Deal accomplished. Even worse, for those who have intellectual honesty, they lie continuously and there is no shortage of propagandists for those dishonest propositions. The Great Depression, brought to us by Mellon and Hoover, was brought to us by these ideas. The Great Recession, brought to us by georgebushjr, was brought to us by these ideas.

For moral people, those who truly believe, or at least respect, the teachings of Jesus: their [Republican, Libertarian] positive programme* is nothing more than the worship of Mammon. That bronze bull on Wall Street is just a larger, cheaper version of a golden calf.

Abraham Lincoln finished his Gettysburg Address with "government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth".  Many of us were taught this to believe. It is just another formulation of the social contract theory of government. Lincoln was once a Republican, the first president elected as a Republican. His ideas are the anti-theses of that successor party bearing that name.

What became of that party? They enjoyed the benefits of the winning of the War for the Union — profits (and increased manufacturing base, and with an expansion of railroads to come, more money); and the declared position that they were the American political party.

Lincoln's "government of the people" became the government of the robber barons. Progressivism of both Democrats and Republicans modified this. World War I came under Wilson, a Democrat and a progressive, and that period was succeeded by the Republicans' Harding's message of "a return to normalcy". The 1920s brought in the power of conservative Republicans which led to the Great Depression. And there has been no positive change in the Republican party since.

Small Government ideal—Ted Rall

That is a lot of history in a few sentences. A certain logic would have the Republican party never see a victory after 1929. By 1938 that failed ideology became vibrant, as in the movie Frankenstein, "the monster lives". It plods along and continues to destroy.
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  *“The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.”  — John Kenneth Galbraith.  Interview with Rupert Cornwell. Toronto Globe and Mail. 6 July 2002.