Jewish view on Catholics

Just got this in an email. Thanks, Sandy!

Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.
Jewish Sam Miller on Catholics

Excerpts of an article written by non-Catholic Sam Miller – a prominent Cleveland Jewish businessman:

“Why would newspapers carry on a vendetta on one of the most important institutions that we have today in the United States, namely the Catholic Church?

Do you know – the Catholic Church educates 2.6 million students every day at the cost to that Church of 10 billion dollars, and a savings on the other hand to the American taxpayer of 18 billion

dollars. The graduates go on to graduate studies at the rate of 92%.

The Church has 230 colleges and universities in the U.S. with an enrollment of 700,000 students.

The Catholic Church has a non-profit hospital system of 637 hospitals, which account for hospital treatment of 1 out of every 5 people – not just Catholics – in the United States today

But the press is vindictive and trying to totally denigrate in every way the Catholic Church in this country. They have blamed the disease of pedophilia on the Catholic Church, which is as irresponsible as
blaming adultery on the institution of marriage.

Let me give you some figures that Catholics should know and remember.

For example, 12% of the 300 Protestant clergy surveyed admitted to sexual intercourse with a parishioner; 38% acknowledged other inappropriate sexual contact in a study by the United Methodist Church , 41.8% of clergy women reported unwanted sexual behavior;
17% of laywomen have been sexually harassed.

Meanwhile, 1.7% of the Catholic clergy has been found guilty of pedophilia. 10% of the Protestant ministers have been found guilty of pedophilia. This is not a Catholic Problem.

A study of American priests showed that most are happy in the priesthood and find it even better than they had expected, and that most, if given the choice, would choose to be priests again in face of
all this obnoxious PR the church has been receiving.

The Catholic Church is bleeding from self-inflicted wounds. The agony that Catholics have felt and suffered is not necessarily the fault of the Church. You have been hurt by a small number of wayward priests that have probably been totally weeded out by now.

Walk with your shoulders high and you head higher. Be a proud member of the most important non-governmental agency in the United States .

Then remember what Jeremiah said: ‘Stand by the roads, and look and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is and walk in it, and find rest for your souls’. Be proud to speak up for your faith with
pride and reverence and learn what your Church does for all other religions.

Be proud that you’re a Catholic.”

Still Windy

But today from the south south west. The boys and Gramma went with me and the team to feed this morning/. then we went to Punkin Center so I could mail some packages and ate dinner there. As we were leaving Hope drove up. so we went to Cenex and I got some chains for my blade and the on home. Hope and I tried to figure out how to do a cake that looks like Sheridan style carving. I think we kind of got an idea and she will work on it. Cindy came and got us to look at the boys. They had the bouncy horse and a great big wooden rocking horse Hope got real cheap off Craig’slist and they had them setting side by side in front of the bench out here on the patio and they were “driving” their team! Pretty cute. I took some pictures, but not sure how they turned out. Delbert showed up this afternoon looking for a hole punch to cut a rubber washer/diaphragm for a float, so we got one cut for him and I sent an old one of mine I no longer use. Hope took the boys to Bret and Mellisa’s and will be back later to spend the night.

I worked on the breast collar for my saddle this evening.

Windy

But fairly warm. Up to 60 by this afternoon. The boys fed cows with me and the team and we almost lost our hats a couple times. Got quite a bit of carving done on the saddle today.
Here’s the latest up date on Brody from Horse Training 2.

Ol’ Brode is one broncy, cold backed scoundrel! I decided to re-do what I did yesterday, but this time, use a big, huge, rattly plastic bag I get grain in. They are like a huge sack. 4 feet by 4 feet by about 4 or 5 feet tall with flaps that go in the inside. Did I mention they are rattly? 😉

I drug one into the round pen then went and saddle the Brodmiester up, led him in there and he was all inquisitive about it. Walked over on his own pretty much and went to sniffing and pawing at it. I had it a ways away from the fence and he still walked over part of it. So I sent him back the other way. Again, more sniffing and trying to get it in his mouth. Might of helped that it smelled like soybean that they have been getting every day. I moved it up right next to the fence and then tried to get him to cross it. Not a problem for either side, so then I tried to get him to trot across it. He’d slow down and mince across, but eventually at the lope he would slow to a trot and cross it, from either side. So I got my rope down and put it around the sack, and hooked the rope over the horn with me holding the loose end and let him pull it from the horn. He was pretty watchy of it, but in no time I had it dragging right at his heels and his heel would clip it about every other stride. At first that would startle him slightly, but not too much. In a little while I was dragging it right at his flank and he’d watch it, but plumb trusted me. So I swapped sides and did the same and got the same results only maybe a little quicker. I also let him stand and drag it towards him from the front. He wanted to back p a little when it touched his front legs, but soon stood for it. So I took the rope off and wadded the sack up and set it on his back. Again he was watchy, but allowed me to do it and then pretty soon I had it draped over his neck and clear up almost over his ears. Wish I’d a had my camera. I took it off and then set it up from the other side and the same thing. Let him walk around while I lead him with it draped over him and hanging off his butt. If nothing else he would make a great pack horse!
Seeing as I had trouble moving his hind quarters over yesterday, I had my spurs and while standing beside him I would use the spur with my hand where it will hit while I am on him and got him to understand to yield from that. Never had to get to hard on him. Then I did it from the other side. When he was good about it I put my chaps and spurs on and stepped on and we worked on that. Eventually he got it figured out not to walk forward, but to just move his hip over one step. He is like all horses and better on one side than the other. He will back off slight pressure, one step at a time and also now yield to the pressure of my leg reinforced with the spur. Good place to quit so I did. Another great session!

Oofda, I sveat!

Got up in the 70’s again today! Wow! Skipped spring and went to summer. 😉

I fed the cows out north two bales and got them to follow me. then hauled the mineral barrels and some more bean out for them. I let the horses go east and the team wanted out with them so I let them Hopefully they will show up for grain tomorrow. If not, I still have Woody handy, I can gather them with him.

Worked a a new breast collar to match the saddle this afternoon until Cindy called then went out and had a good session with Brody. When I got done with him, Cindy was here and brought out Gus and Sam. They had kites, but wonder of wonders not enough wind to fly them! I am not sure what all I did today but I am pooped out! Riding them colts is a lot of work for an old fat man!

Warm!

Got up to or over 70 today! I feed with the team and then hooked on to a blade I have fixed up to get grabbed by the arms of the bale unroller and then went out and scraped up cow pies. It pulled pretty good and the team got up a real good sweat before we quit. That will teach them to act fat and sassy. I left them in the barn until I went back out after dinner, then unharnessed them and turned them loose to drink and roll. Then I went and rode Brody.
Me and the dogs drove up north and shut gates in preparation for moving the cows just north of the house tomorrow when I feed. I want to feed on some poor doing ground and get some fertilizer on it. I will put them back where they are now and the pasture north of it when we get started calving in about a month. Can’t calve up north because of all the water in the creek. Sides are pretty straight and they spit one out over the bank and they get frozen or drowned. So I calve where there is little natural water and then can turn them up on the creek after they calve.
Also finished up on a part of the saddle I had been tooling on. Not too much left to do. If I did nothing else for a day I believe it could be done.

Ahhhh

Here you go, a good joke on a Friday of the Lenten season….care of Lee.

A punter was at the horse races playing the ponies and all but losing his shirt.
He noticed a Priest step out onto the track and blessed the forehead of one of the horses lining up for the 4th race.
Lo and behold, that horse – a very long shot – won the race..
Next race, as the horses lined up, the Priest stepped onto the track. Sure enough, he blessed one of the horses.
The punter made a beeline for a betting window and placed a small bet on the horse. Again, even though it was another long shot, the horse won the race.
He collected his winnings, and anxiously waited to see which horse the Priest would bless next.
He bet big on it, and it won. As the races continued the Priest kept blessing long shots, and each one ended up winning.
The punter was elated. He made a quick dash to the ATM, withdrew all his savings, and awaited for the Priest’s blessing that would tell him which horse to bet on.
True to his pattern, the Priest stepped onto the track for the last race and blessed the forehead of an old nag that was the longest shot of the day.
This time the priest blessed the eyes, ears, and hooves of the old nag. The punter knew he had a winner and bet every cent he owned on the old nag.
He watched dumbfounded as the old nag come in dead last. In a state of shock, he went to the track area where the Priest was.
Confronting Him, he demanded, ‘Father! What happened?
All day long you blessed horses and they all won. Then in the last race, the horse you blessed lost by a Kentucky mile. Now, thanks to you I’ve lost every cent of my savings!’.
The Priest nodded wisely and with sympathy.

Son,’ he said, ‘that’s the problem with you Protestants, you can’t tell the difference between a simple blessing and last rites.’

Fun training

Here is my post for the day under the training heading.

10th session
Went up to Dean and Brad’s today and we worked their cattle. I took the colt and Mijo both. I gathered on the colt and then swapped over to Mijo for the rest of the day.
The colt, now renamed Brody, cuz he’s such a mellow kind a guy, like a surfer dude (Think of the character Patrick Swayze played in the film with Keanu Reeves, about bank robbing surfers)!
Anyway’s Me and Brody get started of tentatively but we followed Brad and his horse and managed to stay out of the way while we penned some bulls and cows. Then we ( Dean, Brad, Rick and I ) sorted the cows off. I don’t think me and Brody helped a whole lot, but we did have several quick side trips! 😉
When we got that done we rode east and gathered the cows. At one point Brody got troubled about Dean over across from some trees in a windbreak and I had to bend him pretty good to control things. As we moved them I trotted up to the front where Dean was and then on to the house where I swapped him for Mijo. He spent the rest of the day in the trailer saddled, which I am sure did him good also. All in =all, it was great for him. His ears came up and he really seemed to enj7 it. Never did try to do anything other than spook and run and that was pretty easy to control. I think now I will be able to just get on and go outside the corral. I never warmed him up any when I got on or longed him or nothing. Just got on and went. I sure appreciate them guys helping me and allowing me to do this with him. Brad was a big help with lots of patient advice. Even tho’ at times I seemed to ignore him, I am sure, he thought. 😉

It was warmish and windy, but we had a pretty good windbreak up at Brad and Bec’s where we worked the cattle. Rick and I pushed the cattle down the chute for Brad and Dean to vaccinate and put tags in any who had lost or were never tagged. We worked two bunches and ate a real good dinner Bec cooked for us, in between the bunches. I got home about 4. Sure had fun with their little man Coy. He is at the age where he is a lot of fun and funny.

Quick long trip

Chance and Hope and family came out Sunday evening. In the morning real early Chance and Hope and I took off about 4 Am and headed west. We got to Sheridan about 8 and ate a bit then on to do some shopping. Then on to Billings where we dropped off some hats to get worked on and measured so if I want to order a new one or ship one to get worked on, he will have the measurements. Chance also ordered one. We ate lunch and then heeded south east. We pulled into the Custer Battlefield monument. so Hope could see it, turned around and came back to Ashland where we turned north for a bit, up to a boot and shoe makers house. An Amish man. He was gone, but I got his nice wife to take the measurements of my feet so in the future if I want to order a set I can. Neat looking place back up in a narrow canyon. Then we headed for home. Stopped in Sturgis and got a bite to eat and then fuel and home. Got back here about 9:30. Gramma had played and fought with the grandkids and had a great time. I could hardly talk from laffing at all of Hope and Chances stories. A tiring but great day. Weather was real nice, tho’ we did run in to some wind.