Joe Biden Over the Years

Since last Thursday's debate, there has been a flurry of pundits, media types, and Democratic officials saying they didn't know he had gotten that bad.

Seriously? Where have they been for the last four years?

The kindest thing I can say is that some of them were fooled. A less kind thing I could say is some of them knew and have been lying. Or as Joe might observe, they are lying, dog-faced pony soldiers. 

I'm not a Washington insider, and I've been out of the media (other than social media) for years, but I had concerns dating back to before the 2020 election. Those concerns have been stated in various forms in the four years since.

As a Catholic, I was concerned about his betrayal of the faith.

https://paxchristirochester.blogspot.com/2020/09/joe-biden-is-devout-catholic.html

https://paxchristirochester.blogspot.com/2020/10/joe-biden-and-communion.html

https://paxchristirochester.blogspot.com/2020/11/lord-of-rings-time.html

https://paxchristirochester.blogspot.com/2021/01/joe-biden-is-catholic.html 

https://paxchristirochester.blogspot.com/2020/12/hey-catholics-who-voted-for-biden.html

As a citizen and voter, I have been concerned about his "trouble with the truth."

https://paxchristirochester.blogspot.com/2023/06/true-stories-really.html

https://paxchristirochester.blogspot.com/2022/03/biden-lied-again.html

https://paxchristirochester.blogspot.com/2021/04/biden-gets-wapo-4-pinocchios-in-other.html 

https://paxchristirochester.blogspot.com/2021/02/federalist-tallies-lies-told-by-biden.html 

https://paxchristirochester.blogspot.com/2020/09/plagiarism-in-joe-bidens-1988.html

(And yes, there are more Biden-related posts about these two areas and more.)

As a poet and meme creator, I have repeatedly expressed what I've been seeing.

Joe Biden

lingers in his basement listening to Haydn.

But he's been seen in many a horror feature

in supporting roles as yet another swamp creature.

Former Vice President Joe Biden

avoids mention of the works of John Dryden. 

He fears voters thinking "it is all a cheat."  

and claims that certain "people favor this deceit."

The eyes of former Vice President Biden

suddenly began to widen.

"Wait, you mean now that they say I've won,

people actually expect me to get something done???"

The installation of Joe Biden
was greeted with laughter from Sauron.
Meanwhile, they giggled at Planned Parenthood,
"Our financial prospects are looking good!"

Former Vice President Joe Biden
is content to let gender definitions widen.
He has himself long used the trick
of identifying as a devout Roman Catholic.

Former Vice President Joe Biden

caused some Royal eyes to widen.

His press people sighed, for from the start,

they've been battling accusations he's just an old fart.

Former Vice President Joe Biden 

has aides loudly play the Farewell Symphony of Haydn 

whenever reporters threaten 

to ask a tough question.

Former Vice President Joe Biden

often causes listeners' eyes to widen.
His most recent verbal fail
was his cringe-worthy dead dog tall tale.

Former Vice President Joe Biden
watches Ukraine, the border, inflation, and his poll numbers slidin'.
With so much at stake
it's time for an ice cream break.

Pax et bonum

Lord Peter Wimsey

I had previously noted that I wanted to read more of Dorothy Sayers' Wimsey novels. In fact, I set a goal of reading five of them this year. My hope is to eventually read all 11 of the novels that she completed. I would also like to read the one that she had partly written, and which was finished by Jill Walsh.

The list - with the ones I've read so far bolded:

Whose Body? (1923)

Clouds of Witness (1926)
Unnatural Death (1927) (U.S. title originally The Dawson Pedigree)
The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (1928)
Strong Poison (1930)
The Five Red Herrings (1931)
Have His Carcase (1932)
Murder Must Advertise (1933)
The Nine Tailors (1934)
Gaudy Night (1935)
Busman's Honeymoon (1937)
Thrones, Dominations (1998) Unfinished Sayers manuscript completed by Jill Paton Walsh

In terms of my goal for this year, I've already read four:  Strong Poison, The Five Red Herrings, Murder Must Advertise, and The Nine Tailors. And I'm currently reading Busman's Honeymoon. So I will reach my goal for the year in the next few days. As for the unread novels, I will likely read one or two more this year. One factor is which books are available at our local libraries.

Onward!

   

Pax et bonum

Reading and Writing Tally at Midpoint of the Year

I began 2024 with a number of reading and writing goals. 

The reading goals were: 

60-70 books, 15,000 pages
More spiritual reading, 13-15 works, including at least 2 encyclicals
Reading the Bible daily, including finishing all the OT books I have not yet read
Read at least five Dorothy Sayers Wimsey mysteries
Read a couple of Agatha Christie mysteries
Read at least one Dickens novel that I haven't read before
Read at least one Chesterton novel that I haven't read before
Read all of Emily Dickinson's poetry
Read another Michael D. O'Brien novel
Read Winter's Child by Margaret Coel

The writing goals were:

Complete Santa's Diary - adding entries to fill the entire year. That's the major project.

Submit The Grumpy Shepherd to another publisher, and if rejected to search for another one. I will be sending a query letter to Our Sunday Visitor to start.

Continue to write haiku, senryu, and clerihews, and to submit them for publication. I hope to have at least 10 chosen for publication. 

So how did I do?

I'm up to 33 works, so right on target for that goal.

I've now read 7,333 pages, so I'm a bit behind schedule on that one.

I'm up to 9 spiritual works, including 3 encyclicals - so well on the way to that overall goal, and I've met my encyclical goal. 

I've read the Bible most days, but not every day, falling short. 

But I did finish all the Old Testament books that I had not yet read, so success on that one.

I've read 4 Dorothy Sayers Wimsey mysteries, so well on my way to my goal of 5 for the year.

I've read 2 Agatha Christie mysteries, meeting that goal.

I read a Dickens novel, meeting that goal.

I haven't read a Chesterton novel yet, so still have to meet that goal.

I finished reading all of Emily Dickinson's poetry, meeting that goal.

I read a Michael O'Brien novel, meeting that goal.  
I did read Winter's Child, meeting that goal.

I've done really well with my reading goals. I wish I could say the same of my writing goals.

I did some work on Santa's Diary - I'm up to over 33,000 words. But I have not written daily and I'm really behind on my entries. Well short of my goal.

I haven't done anything about The Grumpy Shepherd yet.

I have has 9 poems published or accepted, so I am close to meeting my goal of 10 for the year.

In the second half of the year I will easily meet and surpass all of my reading goals. The only one where I might have a problem is reaching 15,000 pages. And i need to be more consistent about reading the Bible.

I've already started my fifth Wimsey novel. And I'm about to start a book about St. Francis. I read some denser works earlier in the year; if I read more mysteries that might help me get my page count up there.

As for the writing, I really need to get more disciplined.   

By the way, some of the works read so far:

Veritatis Splendor (The Splendor of Truth) by Pope St. John Paul II

Rerum Novarum by Pope Leo XIII
Casti Connubii by Pope Pius XI
Cross-Examined: Catholic Responses to the World’s Questions by Fr. Carter Griffin
The Rocking Chair Prophet by Matthew Kelly
Jesuit at Large: Essays and Reviews by Paul V. Mankowski, S.J.
Heroes of the Catholic Reformation: Saints Who Renewed the Church by Joseph Pearce
Heretics by G. K. Chesterton
Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales

By the Rivers of Babylon by Michael D. O’Brien
The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry
The Violent Bear It Away by Flannery O’Connor
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Signs and Wonders by Philip Gulley
Seaside Journeys of Faith by Jay Diedreck

Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers
The Five Red Herrings by Dorothy Sayers
Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy Sayers
The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers
The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie
The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
Winter’s Child by Margaret Coel

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw

Twas the Evening of Christmas by Glenys Nellist
Sparks from Rainbows by Julia A. Blodgett
Words with Wings: A Treasury of African-American Poetry and Art selected by Belinda Rochelle
The Dream Keeper and Other Poems by Langston Hughes
Voices by Lucille Clifton
The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson, Edited by Thomas H. Johnson

Pax et bonum

Rachel Holt - I Was Gonna Be (Official Lyric Video)

Proclaim to the nations

Scenes from the Rochester Men's March

On June 22, more than 200 men, women, and children took part in the Rochester Men's March. The event began with a Rosary, prayers, and songs in front of Planned Parenthood, then participants marched to Washington Square Park for a rally where they heard from a number of local and national speakers.

Pax et bonum

Casti Connubii on Abortion - Pope Pius XI

On abortion (Casti Connubii, Pope Pius XI)

63. But another very grave crime is to be noted, Venerable Brethren, which regards the taking of the life of the offspring hidden in the mother's womb. Some wish it to be allowed and left to the will of the father or the mother; others say it is unlawful unless there are weighty reasons which they call by the name of medical, social, or eugenic "indication." Because this matter falls under the penal laws of the state by which the destruction of the offspring begotten but unborn is forbidden, these people demand that the "indication," which in one form or another they defend, be recognized as such by the public law and in no way penalized. There are those, moreover, who ask that the public authorities provide aid for these death-dealing operations, a thing, which, sad to say, everyone knows is of very frequent occurrence in some places.

64. As to the "medical and therapeutic indication" to which, using their own words, we have made reference, Venerable Brethren, however much we may pity the mother whose health and even life is gravely imperiled in the performance of the duty allotted to her by nature, nevertheless what could ever be a sufficient reason for excusing in any way the direct murder of the innocent? This is precisely what we are dealing with here. Whether inflicted upon the mother or upon the child, it is against the precept of God and the law of nature: "Thou shalt not kill:" The life of each is equally sacred, and no one has the power, not even the public authority, to destroy it. It is of no use to appeal to the right of taking away life for here it is a question of the innocent, whereas that right has regard only to the guilty; nor is there here question of defense by bloodshed against an unjust aggressor (for who would call an innocent child an unjust aggressor?); again there is not question here of what is called the "law of extreme necessity" which could even extend to the direct killing of the innocent. Upright and skillful doctors strive most praiseworthily to guard and preserve the lives of both mother and child; on the contrary, those show themselves most unworthy of the noble medical profession who encompass the death of one or the other, through a pretense at practicing medicine or through motives of misguided pity.

65. All of which agrees with the stern words of the Bishop of Hippo in denouncing those wicked parents who seek to remain childless, and failing in this, are not ashamed to put their offspring to death: "Sometimes this lustful cruelty or cruel lust goes so far as to seek to procure a baneful sterility, and if this fails the fetus conceived in the womb is in one way or another smothered or evacuated, in the desire to destroy the offspring before it has life, or if it already lives in the womb, to kill it before it is born. If both man and woman are party to such practices they are not spouses at all; and if from the first they have carried on thus they have come together not for honest wedlock, but for impure gratification; if both are not party to these deeds, I make bold to say that either the one makes herself a mistress of the husband, or the other simply the paramour of his wife."

66. What is asserted in favor of the social and eugenic "indication" may and must be accepted, provided lawful and upright methods are employed within the proper limits; but to wish to put forward reasons based upon them for the killing of the innocent is unthinkable and contrary to the divine precept promulgated in the words of the Apostle: Evil is not to be done that good may come of it.

67. Those who hold the reins of government should not forget that it is the duty of public authority by appropriate laws and sanctions to defend the lives of the innocent, and this all the more so since those whose lives are endangered and assailed cannot defend themselves. Among whom we must mention in the first place infants hidden in the mother's womb. And if the public magistrates not only do not defend them, but by their laws and ordinances betray them to death at the hands of doctors or of others, let them remember that God is the Judge and Avenger of innocent blood which cried from earth to Heaven.

Pax et bonum