Do You Know Where Your Children Are?

The Mullen Boys journeyed north today to attend the Northeast Regional NCAA Hockey Finals in Worcester. Boston College beat Miami of Ohio 4-3 in a thrilling overtime game. BC forward Joe Whitney scored the winning goal halfway through the extra period as he dove through the air to swat at the puck. Sports pubs in Chestnut Hill will be replacing their photo of an airborne Bobby Orr with the diving Joe Whitney tomorrow.

While the hockey was the highlight of the weekend, a close second was running into family friend, Justin Giuliano. A student at nearby Assumption College, he decided to set down the books and break for a hotly contested hockey game. Hey, Bob & Cath, at least it was a college hockey game. Justin, if you need me to vouch for your whereabouts, have your parents call me!

One final note on the weekend. Two of the games went into overtime. Both times the public announcer said the game would end with the first goal scored in overtime. If the game ends with the first goal, could there be another? I think the game ends with the only goal scored in overtime.

The Other Other Tournament

March Madness is on center stage with lots of upsets leading to the Elite 8, and a true Cinderella in the mix. Davidson College, you say? I suspect most readers (Joe, Marie and Google searchbot) won't remember the Wildcats 1968 team when All-American Mike Malloy was pumping in 25 points a game the old fashioned way - 2 at a time. Wait, 25 divided by 2 equals.... 2.5.

The women's version of basketball insanity is also underway. So far so good for our Lady Huskies. Hard to believe with all injuries they are still number one, but freshman sensation Maya Moore would be making headlines for the men's team.

But enough of the roundball already! We are a hockey family, and the real March Madness is being played out in Albany, Worcester, Madison and Colorado Springs. 16 of the nation's top hockey programs are vying for the rights to play in the Frozen Four.

We took in the Albany regionals on Friday. Michigan, the number one team in the country, dismantled Niagara 5-1, and it could have been worse. Remember Calvin Murphy? Oops that's b-ball again...damn. Local favorite Clarkson knocked off St Cloud State 2-1 in a great game. Today we will travel to Worcester to see the first round games of the Northeast bracket.

I know basketball is all the rage, but there are several key advantages to being attracted to the lesser sport:

1. The cost of the ticket. Sweet 16 hoop tickets print with a $160 price tag and get driven up about 200% by scalpers. It cost us $40 apiece to see a doubleheader yesterday. We sat at center ice.


2. Great parking. We were about to pull into a parking lot adjacent to the Pepsi Arena and pay our $6 when a spot on the street opened up for free. We walked the remaining 50 yards to the Arena.


3. You get to know everybody. The attendance for Friday was listed at 4,500, but that had to include security, maintenance, the referees and the players. We made a lot of friends.

We love it! Only regret is the UVM Hockey Cats are sitting at home. Drop the puck.

Ever Thankful

There are some great moments in everyone's life; April 19th will be one of my finest. Yesterday, I received notice that I am a credentialed media member for the Mass to be celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI at Saint Patrick's Cathedral, New York City.

More than 5,000 journalist and photographers applied to cover the week long visit to Washington D.C. and New York. Tickets to all events are sold out. Through the grace of God, and a sponsorship from the award winning Catholic Transcript, I am going.

Lord, I am not worthy...

Right Side of Brain in Bloom

Everyone loves the innocence of a toddler - unbridled energy, unrestrained love, absence of malice. The older you are the more adorable they are. The only way to describe being around them is abundant joy! That is until the mind matures enough to render judgement, the bane of the human soul.

Ayva is developing quite nicely, thank you. And on Easter Sunday, she participated in the table talk by expressing her opinion of Julie's coleslaw.

Hey Juls, I thought it was good!

Bringing in the Big Guns

Interesting story out of Colombia today. It seems as though the Virgin Mary may have had a hand in averting a border war between Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador. Early in March tensions rose between the neighboring countries when Colombia sent troops into Ecuador to hunt down a terrorist group. Ecuador and Venezuela both reacted to the border crossing with anger, and Hugo Chavez ordered a large deployment of troops to the Colombian border.

Fearing an outbreak in hostility and possible war, Colombian President, Alvaro Uribe brought together his leadership team at the Presidential Palace. With the Minister of the Interior and Minister of War in the house, you probably guessed they were discussing public announcements and military tactics, right? Wrong.

President Uribe asked the leaders of Colombia to convene in the Palace Chapel to join him in praying the Rosary to Mary, patroness of Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador. She didn't tell him what to say, but she did tell him what to do - apologize.

The threat of war was big news for every major news outlet. I don't think anybody reported on the apology and prayers. Hey President Uribe, if you run into Mary again, tell her about a couple of the other hot spots in the world!

Turn Towards the East

Happy Easter!

At this hour, let us thank the Lord, because through the power of his word and of the holy Sacraments, he points us in the right direction and draws our heart upwards. Let us pray to him in these words: Yes, Lord, make us Easter people, men and women of light, filled with the fire of your love. Amen.

-HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI

Full Straight Ahead

During this Holy Week I was reminded that the devil really does exist. On Thursday, I had a travel day from hell.

Rising at 3:30 for a 5:30 flight, I left the house at 4:10. Arriving at the airport parking lot at 4:35, I took my ticket but the gate wouldn't open. I pressed the "Help" button - twice.

"Can I help you?" said a voice.

"Wow, that was predictable, I mean the help button and all...umh, yes you can help me. I took a ticket, but the gate won't open."

"Did you back up?"

"Yes, I did back up so I could call you on the help line."

"Well, that's the reason why the gate won't open. You can't back up!"

"I don't think that is really the problem because the gate didn't open after I took the ticket, but I just need someone to open the gate for now. If you need to blame me, go ahead, but could you open the gate?"

"I'll send maintenance down. Next time don't back up, sir."

Several moments later I parked and ran into the terminal to check in. I tried to use the self-service kiosk to get my boarding pass, but another guy with my name is on a security watch list so it wouldn't print. I was careful not to back up, but did shuffle to my left to visit with a ticket counter clerk.

After going through security, I was able to board the plane on time and put the anxiety of getting to my destination behind me. It was raining lightly outside, but no severe weather. First flight of the day would be taking off any minute now. 5:30 departure from Hartford, connection through Philadelphia at 8:10 and arrive in Minneapolis at 10:30 for a 1:00 p.m. appointment - wow, time to burn.

"Ah, this is your captain speaking, and it looks like we might have a slight delay in our departure. There appears to be a problem with the air traffic control system in Boston and all flights in the Northeast are grounded until the problem can be resolved."

2 hours and 15 minutes later we took off for Philadelphia. Little good it did me as my connecting flight was long gone by the time we landed, and there were no alternate flights to get me to Minneapolis by 1:00. Later in the morning I took a return flight to Hartford so I could join the meeting via conference call and the web. Arriving in Hartford at 12:15, I had just enough time to get my car and drive the 25 miles back to my house for the call.

On my way out of the parking garage, I drove to the "Credit Card" only line as it was empty.

"Please insert your ticket face up with the bar code to the right, and then insert your credit card in the same direction."

"Okay, here you go....and here you go!"

"Please insert your ticket face up with the bar code to the right, and then insert your credit card in the same direction."

"What the..? I just did that. I don't have a ticket anymore!" I pressed the "Help" button.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, I put my ticket in as instructed and it took the ticket, but it is asking me for another one."

"Someone will be right out to help you out."

"Hello, sir. Could you back up for me a few feet?"

"I don't know, the woman this morning said I shouldn't back up."

"Sir, if you don't back up, I can't get your ticket out of the box."

"Okay, but make sure everyone knows you told me to do it."

Doggone It

Lots of public figures getting into trouble these days with ex-New York governor, Eliot Spitzer being the most famous. The revelation of an illegal tryst led to his resigning from office, and thrust Lieutenant Governor Paterson into the limelight. Already grabbing center stage as the first blind black governor, Paterson went for full disclosure on inauguration day and confessed to adultery - both his and his wife's!

You'd think the swinging politicians would likely come from California, but if the "threesome" story announced last week of ex-New Jersey Governor McGreevy is true, the action is on the East coast. I wonder if these people are all seeing the same marriage counselor?

In an odd story, a California public librarian was fired for ratting out a man who used the library computer to browse child porn sites. The woman was concerned the man was a threat to the children who frequented the library (they still exist?), and called the police to have him arrested. Her boss fired her for violating the patron's right to free speech.

I just want you to know I didn't make up the story of a former prostitution ring prosecutor paying $4,000 to a hooker. I also didn't make up the story of a lieutenant governor admitting to extra-marital escapades on the day he took over for the guy who got booted for chasing illegal booty. I wish I had thought up the story of the governor who went from straight to gay, but in-between tried to figure out what he was by having his chauffeur poon both him and his wife. I'd like not to believe a child porn addict has the right to sit next to my grandson in a public library looking at pencil dicks online, but it's true as well.

Finally, today in Bridgeport, CT a policeman was fired for stealing hot dogs from a vendor. Yikes, another public servant gone bad! If stealing weren't enough, he also tried to intimidate the witness who turned him in. I've got to make a trip down to Snappy Dogs in Bridgeport. Those must be some really good dogs.

Slainte from the Brothers McMullen

Greetings and Happy Saint Patrick's Day from the Mullen Boys. Actually, unless the patron saint of your parish is Patrick, the official feast day was this past Friday. There is a little known rule in the Catholic Church that prohibits any saint from drawing attention away from Jesus during Holy Week. I'm sure Patrick doesn't mind.

A bit of Irish trivia. Did you know ice hockey has its roots in Ireland? Come now, you don't think the boys wore the jerseys for nothing!

Wishing you a rainbow

For sunlight after showers

Miles and miles of Irish smiles

For golden happy hours

Shamrocks at your doorway

For luck and laughter too,

And a host of friends that never ends

Each day your whole life through!

-Irish Blessing

Living a Meaningful Life

In my own search for a meaningful life, I am always happy to meet people who have found the right path. It gives me encouragement in knowing that my own is somewhere in front of me waiting to be discovered.


Friday night we went to a one-man show titled, Afraid! The Gospel of Mark, starring Frank Runyeon. Using a setting of a darkened Catholic church, Mr. Runyeon took the audience through the life of Christ as the apostle, and storyteller, Mark.

Formerly a lead character opposite Meg Ryan on As the World Turns, Frank has been translating Biblical text to plays for the past 14 years. His rendition of Afraid! is based on the premise that the Gospel of Mark was intended to be heard, and not read.

As we pretended to be early Christ-tians meeting secretively below the streets of Rome, listening to the testimony of Mark was enlightening. I liked what I heard. I was thankful Frank Runyeon felt a calling to use his acting skills to bring the Good News to all.

Sunday at Mass, Archbishop Mansell highlighted the passing of Reverend Augustine Henry Giusani. A local Priest ordained in 1947, Father Giusani was known to be an extremely popular and kind man beloved by all.

Heavily involved in a variety of youth initiatives (CCD, CYO, PAL, CT DCYS), Father Auggie was also dedicated to the Priesthood. He had a tradition of hosting a breakfast on Holy Thursday for his fellow Priest. During the breakfast he would send a piece of paper around asking each attendee to write down their years in service to the Lord. At the end of the meal he would calculate the cumulative number of years, and announce the results with great pride. It was typical to have more than a 1,000 years of service present in the room.

Father Giusani was a retired Priest, which in today's vernacular means he only worked part-time. He died on Friday, February 29th, just before the scheduled Stations of the Cross. He was sitting in the pew holding his Rosary beads when he passed away. Hard to script a better ending.

Frank Runyeon and Augustine Giusani - blessed individuals. I was happy to hear their stories.

And One!

Julie and I took in the Connecticut High School Basketball Finals tonight at UConn's Gampel Pavilion. In the Class L match up, Maloney knocked off Lyman-Hall 54-46 before 5,200 spirited fans. Crosby-Waterbury outlasted Trinity Catholic 82-79 in the LL championship game.

We went to see Duquense bound forward B.J. Montiero, Crosby's all-time leading scorer. He didn't disappoint, but Trinity Catholic's Tevin Baskin was the evening's highlight reel. A 6' 6" wing man, Baskin had 4 thunderous dunks and several acrobatic shots on his way to a 35 point performance. Only a junior, Baskin is ranked among the nation's top 50 players for the Class of 2009. No doubt, Trinity Catholic will be back in the State Finals next year.

Enjoyable evening and great tune-up for the NCAA's March Madness. Jump ball!

I'll Bring the Coffee & Bagels

A good friend of mine started working from home this week. After 20 years at Company Headquarters, her employer opened a branch office in her dining room. I've been working at home for 8 years now, and I'm still not sure if I like it. For the benefit of my pal, I dug up my diary detailing the experience of my first week at home.

Day 1
Got up at 6:00 a.m., brushed my teeth, shaved, dressed and made coffee - it's a beautiful morning. Walked down hallway to office and logged in early; caught up on overdue projects. 8:20 a.m. got out of chair to say "good morning" to Julie, but she was already gone to work, oh well. Made sandwich at noon and ate at desk by myself waiting for phone to ring. Took a bathroom break mid-afternoon, and while on the john heard the phone ring - only call of the day. Probably think I am out goofing off. Better call back right away (Sorry, just missed you) and send an email, cc boss. Called back and left voicemail. Signed off at 5:30 p.m. Interesting day, but quiet. 10 p.m. went down hallway to check for new email. Saw note from co-worker saying they tried to call me at 3 today, but just rang through to voicemail. Couldn't sleep, kept thinking about email. Note to self: don't check email after hours.

Day 2
Woke at 6:30, brushed my teeth and dressed. Couldn't find shoes or matching socks so went to work barefoot - what fun! Made coffee, read the paper. Checked calendar for meeting schedule and set a reminder to call boss at 9. Overheard "breaking news" announcement coming from TV in other room, so left my desk to see what was going on. Phone rang and I sprinted towards office to pick up, but got there too late. Listened to voicemail and called back but got boss' voicemail. 11:45 a.m. went into kitchen for lunch. Put on Led Zeppelin CD and cranked up the volume on Stairway to Heaven. 11:58 thought I heard phone ring again, but wasn't sure - music was too loud. So what's wrong with taking off for lunch a couple of minutes early? Got back to desk and saw series of 3 emails about a 12:30 conference call. Holy shit, not even on my calendar. When I worked at headquarters, Jane would always remind me of weekly staff meeting, but no Jane here. Logged off at 6, time for dinner. Woke up at 2 a.m. and on way back from bathroom, checked email - 2 penis enlargement advertisements and a request from customer to "call me tomorrow afternoon". Got to go back to sleep and stop worrying; there's nothing wrong with my penis size.

Day 3
Forgot to set alarm and didn't wake up until 7:45. Ran down the hallway to the bathroom, urinated, and sat down in office chair to do quick check on calendar. Phone rang and talked with angry client for an hour. Back-to-back conference calls interrupted by door bell at 10:35. UPS truck outside the house. Fumbled to put on my pants and hopped to the door. Driver was just pulling out and left note on the door, "Tried to deliver package, but you must be at work. I'll try again tomorrow." Phone ringing in my office. Run back to office in time to hear boss leaving voicemail, "Hoping to talk to you, but keep getting your voicemail. Call me back." Get a hold of boss, tell him about UPS delivery, ask what they delivered, and told him don't know because I didn't get to the door in time. "Hmmn?" Don't think boss believes me. Hang up and pretend the dog is my customer and walk Truffle through justification for price increase. She doesn't object. Talk to customer later in the day and we don't get to price discussion because they are having performance problems. Very angry. Call into Headquarter for assistance, but can't reach anyone by phone or email. Promised customer I'd have an answer within the hour thinking I'd just walk down to Customer Support Help Desk, but forgot I don't work in the office anymore. 6:40 p.m. still staring at computer screen waiting for email update from the team. Probably have an answer by the morning. Time to sign off.

Day 4
Wake up early and hit the off button instead of snooze and fall back asleep. Hear phone ringing in my dream and jump out of bed naked. Run down the hallway to my office. Neighbor out for a morning jog. Speeds up when he sees me in the window, but waves to be friendly. Got to the phone in time but out of breath and sound like a frog. Wondering if I am sick. "Nah, feel great, just haven't had the first sip of java...hahaha!" Need me on a conference call with pissed off client in 10 minutes, hoping I got answer to problem from Linda. Explained I tried but couldn't get a hold of her. Strange, boss says he saw her in office all day. Should have cc'd him on the email I sent. 1:15 p.m. still sitting in office without any pants on. Haven't showered, starving and need to get something to eat. Have another call at 1:30, so should I put on my pants, brush my teeth or get something to eat? What do you think, Truffle? Bark once for food, twice for the teeth and leave the room if you think I need to put on some pants. Put on sweatpants and microwaved yesterday's coffee for 30 seconds. Scurried back to office and noticed a car driving slowly in front of the house. Think I saw the same car yesterday. Guy looks like he is doing surveillance work - odd! UPS truck comes up the road, so car moves on. Driver stops at our house for 2nd attempt at delivery and as he reaches for the door bell, my phone rings. Truffle won't stop barking at the UPS driver and I can't hear what boss and customer are confirming I'll do for them once we get off the phone. Missed UPS delivery again, but car back out in front of the house. Closed the blinds.

Day 5
Fresh start to the day with early rising. Raining outside and a little gloomy but not going to let it get me down. While flossing, noticed beard is starting to fill in. Logged in at 7:03 a.m. to outline a schedule for next week. Set a task to outline proper protocol for working at home. Need more structure. Did some research on Google looking for references on telecommuting and found article discussing the psychological impact of working at home including loneliness, irritability, worry and guilt. What, no paranoia? Quiet day, it's a Friday. No car in front of the house today. Opened the blinds. Clouds break and warm afternoon sun comes through western windows, fell asleep in chair. Julie woke me with a kiss on the cheek at 5:00. Logged off for the weekend. "See you on Monday, every....ah, hell, I'll see you in the other room, Truffle."

Go to the Hoop

Spring is in the air, or at least in the forecast, meaning March Madness is upon us once again. With so many post Winter traditions - Ides of March, St Patrick's Day, Easter, Opening Day, taxes, The Masters (gals, what do you think?), Cinco de Mayo - it's hard to fit them all into the schedule.

A couple of practical tips for those with limited time, Easter is a must do, but taxes can wait. I've postponed my tax return a couple of times, and amazingly, the IRS reschedules the event for you. They even send you a separate invitation by registered mail!

Unless you remembered to get your toga dry cleaned after last year's celebration, beware the Ides of March. Actually, the last time I saw myself in the mirror wearing Roman garb, I looked more like Homer Simpsicus than Fabius Maximus. Goodbye, Julius Caesar.

Wow, this is a long introduction just to tell you to get ready to fill out your NCAA Hoops bracket on Sunday. So, get ready to fill out your NCAA Hoops bracket on Sunday. We've got a family fantasy tournament lined up - Mullen Clan Madness. What else would you expect?

Last year I tried making this a spiritual journey and picked all Catholic teams. That was about as effective as praying to God for the winning lottery numbers. This year I am going to try to be a bit more scientific and follow the advice of the accountant types from the Wall Street Journal.

They studied the tournament results from the past 23 years (odd number) to look for patterns, and one that stood out was the distance a team had to travel to play their game. This could be a conspiracy to get us all to use Google Maps, but I'm going to check it out. Good luck in your tournament.

Mary, Queen of Victory, pray for us!

Dusting Off the Schwinn

With gas prices on the rise I need to tune up my bike. Actually, I'm not sure if I even own a bicycle anymore. Looks like it's time to clean out the garage. Ah, the upside of the $4 gallon.

Can the Consultants

10 years ago Bill Clinton changed the landscape of America with his famous statement, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." With deep conviction, Slick Willy made lying under oath permissible, and lowered oral sex to an infidelity misdemeanor.

Yesterday when I heard the news of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer's rendezvous with a hooker, I thought he'd step up to resign from his position. After all, in his role as New York's Attorney General he prosecuted individuals known to traffic in prostitution. Hey, what's good for the pimp is good for the pimpled. But, so far he's holding the fort.

Last night I heard former Clinton aide, James Carville weigh in with his opinion and it reminded me of why I need to campaign for Barack Obama. I'm paraphrasing here, but in essence Carville said Spitzer should hold on to his seat, especially if it's only about sex! I'm not paraphrasing here when I say, what a jerk!

It's not about sex; it wasn't about sex in 1998. It's about truth. It's about virtue. It's about abiding by the same laws your were sworn to uphold. Violation of the public trust is not akin to a parking ticket.

The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. (Luke 16:10)

Kill Me First

One of the benefits to turning 50 is AARP will find you. Membership benefits include 10% off hotel room rates, car insurance discounts, cash back credit cards, attorney referral network, and more.

I like the discounts. In my first year alone, I've saved enough through the travel services and shopping discounts to pay the membership fees for the next 10 years. It's the "more" stuff I'm not too sure about.

AARP loves to keep you up-to-date on issues important to the aging. Monthly I get a slick magazine, AARP the Magazine, and a "did you know" newsletter, AARP Bulletin. Both are filled with informative features on ways to maximize your health, wealth and living standards.

But I'm too young for some of the stories. In this month's Bulletin, AARP makes reference to a cellphone friendly website (www.mizpee.com) for travelers concerned with finding a clean toilet. So if you find yourself squirming on a street corner in New York, you can quickly locate a commode featuring 2-ply toilet paper. Superman has the telephone booth, super seniors have the public john.

I still have enough bladder control to stroll from one disgusting restroom to another. I also am not interested in Medicare Part B, Social Security, or Tempurpedic beds. Reading the Bulletin makes me feel old. Reading the Bulletin makes me think old.

I'm still a young man.

SIDENOTE: I don't think AARP really understands their membership. Mizpee requires a user who can both use a cellphone AND access the Internet. Sound like most of the seniors you know? I'm going to give my Mom the test next week.

No Movie for Old Men

Friday night we went out for a meatless bite to eat at The Oriental Cafe. Chowing down on sushi for Lent hardly seems like a sacrifice, but it was in harmony with Church doctrine. While dining, Julie, Jessica and I started discussing our favorite movies - Gone with the Wind, Forrest Gump, Terminator 2 Judgement Day. After some playful debate we agreed we should go see the Oscar winning film, No Country for Old Men, for a nightcap.

A month ago we had a similar date and took in the movie, Juno. The theatre was filled to capacity. On this rainy Friday night, about 20 other people had the urge for big-screen entertainment, including a couple we saw drinking Mai Tai's in the restaurant. Coincidence? More on that later, but for now, on to the critique.

The movie was dark. Not the movie theatre, but the movie itself. In essence, a drug deal along the Tex-Mex border goes bad, all parties to the contract "off" each other, and, while out hunting, a local yokel stumbles upon the remains and $2,000,000. Unfortunately for him, the satchel containing the cash also has an embedded tracking device. A ruthless assassin holds the recording device in his hands. The assassin is a very grim reaper, and enjoys the fear he invokes in people. A lot of people get killed, some brutally so. The local sheriff is a mature man looking forward to his retirement, and in the end, no one comes to justice. There's probably more to the Picture of the Year than that, but no one lived to tell about it.

No Country for Old Men is handsomely filmed in the mountainous deserts of southwest Texas (never going camping there again!). The acting is both believable and flawless, and the film is filled with stomach churning suspense. That being said, I didn't think the movie was all that original as it reminded me of another Coen brothers movie, Fargo. Both involve a distracted law enforcement officer, a huge sum of money, and a psychotic murderer. There must be 50 ways to kill your lover...if not, someone else.

The movie is quite good, but it isn't one you'd likely see a second time. If you are at all squeamish about a possessed man savagely killing other human beings, you might not want to see it the first time.

As for the couple who followed us from the Oriental Cafe to the theatre, that was just a coincidence. After all, I live in the real world.

Loosen Up

Sometimes I think I am too conservative - gray hair, gray suits, straight lines. I look at Nathaniel and he's just letting loose with thoughts that come to mind. I envy his courage!

Creating a Legacy

I was in Utica, NY today for a sales call. As with most of the communities within America's Rust Belt, the loss of manufacturing jobs has made the city a shell of what it once was. In 1960 Utica had a vibrant population of 100,000 including 8,000 GE employees. As of 2003, the population had dropped below 60,000, and the GE jobs moved to China. I get a bit melancholy passing through dying industrial centers. Family neighborhoods without any families. Local churches without any locals.

After my business call I headed south towards New Jersey. Coming into Pennsylvania I stopped at the Welcome Center where there was an exhibit of the coal mining history in Lackawanna County. My father was born in Lackawanna County. My grandfather was a coal miner from the borough of Jessup, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania.

Unlike the radio manufacturing jobs that left Utica, coal mining in northeastern Pennsylvania died when home heating coal was replaced by other energy sources. Anthracite was out of favor after 1945 and as the need for buckets of coal diminished, so did the jobs. Family neighborhoods without any families. Local churches without any locals.

As I was studying a photo of a group of miners, I couldn't help thinking that someday no one would know anything about these men. Actually, no one knows these men today. They are but iconic characters from our past.

The legacy of the coal barons will always live on aided by the benefits of wealth. Rockefeller, Carnegie and Morgan are hard names to forget. Generations after the patriarchs of these families have perished, their names endure through foundations, avenues, libraries, monuments, schools and historic literature.

My grandfather was an iconic character. His name was Frank James Mullen. He was born the son of Irish immigrants in 1881 and died in 1954, three years before I was born. I only know him through the stories told to me by my siblings which is to say, "I hardly know the bloke!"

I do know, and never take for granted, that he worked in the mines until he took ill with black lung disease. Working in the coal mine was hard labor fraught with health risks. In Pennsylvania alone, 18,000 men (some boys) died in mining accidents from 1877 - 1940. My father often talked about hearing the siren from the mines as a young boy. In 1923, Dad would have been 7 years old when 5 men died from a roof collapse at Mount Jessup No. 1.

My greatest on-the-job injury risk is carpal tunnel syndrome, and unless I start typing up a lot more proposals, even those odds are pretty slim. 100 years ago, my Grandfather put his life on the line everyday and exposed himself to a debilitating disease with every swing of the pick axe. He did this for pennies on the hour.

Pick! Pick! Pick!

In the tunnel’s endless gloom,

And every blow of our strong right arm

But helps to carve our tomb.

But what is that to thee

Who live by our blood and toil?

For mining royalties must be made

To glut the coal barons’ spoils.

- Miner's Song, 1913

There's no street in Jessup named Mullen. There is no library for Frank. But he lives through the words on the page today, and for years to come on the Internet. At least until Google goes the way of the Pennsylvania coal mines; it'll happen someday.

Propitiousness

Monday the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, ran an editorial criticizing the choices for this year's Academy Awards. Observing that the majority of the awards went to two dark films filled with violence, the editor questioned whether or not America had become a hopeless society. "A sign of the times? Probably," wrote journalist Gaetano Vallini.

The Vatican daily would have preferred to see Juno garner more accolades than No Country for Old Men, or There Will Be Blood. Hard to argue the logic from their perspective as Juno took on teenage pregnancy, and a savvy young girl chose life over death.

I saw Juno on the big screen and the theatre was packed. It was a good movie and people left on an upbeat note which is a good indicator of the quality. It wasn't Oscar winning material, but what would it matter if people were excited to see the movie?

I'm not sure when the Oscar became the barometer for America's collective conscience, but other winners since 2000 include Crash, Shakespeare in Love and A Beautiful Mind. You'd be hard pressed to count those as dark films. The Lord of the Rings won the 2003 Best Picture. J.R.R. Tolkien once described The Lord of the Rings to his friend, the English Jesuit Father Robert Murray, as "a fundamentally religious and Catholic work, unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision." Such darkness.

I haven't seen No Country for Old Men. I did read the reviews and I have no doubts the film has few redeeming values. But if the indicator that our society is on the decline is violence, you could have made that call more than 30 years ago when The Godfather was the Oscar winner.

I'd love to see Hollywood produce more Father O'Malley sequels (Going My Way), but then again, lynchings were still a tactic used to intimidate blacks in 1944. There also were no women in high office. In 2008, there is strong chance the next President of the United States could be black or a woman. I think you could make a case we are still evolving and progressing as a democracy. And, if immigration trends are any indication of the promise and hopefulness of America, I wouldn't worry about what is playing at the movies.

If you want to get a pulse on what is going on in the U.S. with regard to Catholic teachings, you need look no further than the agencies established and run by the U.S. Bishops and other Catholic organizations. Here are some hopeful facts about the Catholic Church in America:

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) - international humanitarian relief agency that serves destitute people in more than 100 countries. With an annual budget approaching a billion dollars, 94% of all donations are spent on programs. If there is a hot spot in the world, CRS is there long after everyone else has gone home. CRS was the vision of U.S. Catholic Bishops.

Catholic Charities USA - domestic services providing food, shelter and clothing. A $3.6 billion dollar organization designed to "give people a leg up when life has knocked them down." There are 173 agencies serving 7.8 million people per year throughout the United States. A lot of the work is done by an army of 240,000 volunteers.

Bishop's Annual Appeal - grass roots fund raising effort at the local level to provide financial assistance to social service agencies, schools and medical facilities. The fund in our Hartford Archdiocese is just shy of $10,000,000. Most of this money comes from the people sitting in the pews who commit to giving beyond the weekly envelope.

Catholic hospitals and other health-care facilities form the largest network of private, not-for-profit health care providers in the United States. Catholic Charities USA, is the single largest provider of social services to all Americans, regardless of race, creed or national origin.

Eternal World Television Network (EWTN) - largest religious media network in the world, transmitting programming 24 hours a day to more than 123 million homes in 140 countries. Based in Birmingham, AL, EWTN was established through the dreams, work and dedication of an American nun, Mother Angelica. The spiritual heart of the EWTN mission is to bring the Eternal Word of Jesus Christ to all.

Annual Pro-Life March - pilgrimage to Washington D.C. by 200,000+ lovers of life. People come in by bus from all over the country to meet each January 23rd to march on the Supreme Court in opposition to Roe v. Wade. Mass is celebrated the evening before with as many as 10,000 faithful packed into the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (photo).

I don't think we're done with the dream in America just yet. There are still lots of people working to do what is right and what is just for the benefit of all mankind. Sounds a lot like God's work to me.

propitious - full of promise

Choose Your Words Carefully

National Geographic has an article in this month’s magazine about the learning capacity of animals. Titled Inside Animal Minds, the piece features tales of a variety of mammals with people-like attributes.

There is an orangutan who communicates through a keyboard. I can do that. There is also reference to a problem solving crow. I can’t do that.

How about an elephant that recognizes himself in the mirror? For anyone who ever lived in a one bathroom house with multiple teenage residents, having a pet elephant who likes the mirror doesn’t seem like a great idea. You know, I always thought elephants were rather narcissistic. I mean they always look right past you, don’t they?

One gray parrot has grasped the concept of zero. When shown a flashcard with math riddles resulting in zero, he sings “Nothin’ from nothin’ leaves nothing!” Why in God’s world would you want to teach a parrot about nothingness? Nice bit of brainwashing for a bird that may have to live through 80 years of depression. A harder trick would have been to see if he could explain infinity to the rest of us.

Chimps, bonobos, and gorillas that can use sign language are almost old school at this point. Bonobos? Where did the monkeys go?

I’m particularly fond of the English sheep who never forgets a face. He has an easier time remembering people he met who were wearing a wool sweater, but some 2 years later he can recall your mug. That’s more advanced than a human as I know I wouldn’t be able to remember the face of a woolly 2 weeks later.

Finally, there is a dog with a vocabulary of more than 300 words. Most of the words are related to a toy and the word “fetch”, so it isn’t like you are going to help out the parrot with his hopeless feeling. Still, 300 words are pretty impressive compared to what Truffle understands.

Truffle is my own dog. She falls into the category of a 50 word dog which is the baseline for most canines. Half of the words Truffle understands are swear words picked up during potty training we she was a pup. Now that she's domesticated, I wish I could substitute “stupid f%&king dog” for something more constructive, but it’s too late.

These are the phrases Truffle understands:

“Need to take a shit? Go ahead out, Truff.” Dog dutifully goes out into the backyard and goes the bathroom. Actually, this level of communication is all you really need with a dog.

“What the f%&k?” Dog understands something is wrong and cowers in the corner. “Not you, Truffle. Good dog.”

“Want to go for a ride, Truff?” Dog runs through the screen door and jumps up on passenger side door. Car looks like it’s been keyed a hundred times. “Get down you stupid f%&king dog!”

“Truffle, did anybody feed you?” Dog sits and begs. Julie fed her 15 minutes earlier.

“Truff, c’mon and give me a hug!!!” Dog saunters over and sits by your feet.

Who needs 300 words when the dog understands the most important one? Love.