Saturday, December 28, 2013
New York Times in Desperate Ploy to Save Hilary's Presidential Chances
BALTIMORE, Maryland December 28, 2013 - If it wasn't so potentially important, you'd laugh at it. Over one year after the Benghazi, Libya massacre of four American Citizens, including the U. S. Ambassador to Libya, the New York Times is going to press with a shabby piece of jouranlism that tries to resurrect the anti-Muslim video connection to the attacks.
I admit, up front, that I have not read the Times article as I post this blog at 7:40 pm on Saturday, December 28, 2013, only a USA Today summary of it. The purpose of the piece is to provide cover for Hilary Clinton's upcoming presidential bid. Hilary was directly involved in all phases of the Benghazi cover-up, and the Times article is nothing short of a life-preserver for the as-yet-unannounced campaign. As direct evidence mounts proving that Hilary and obama directly conspired to blame the video for sparking the attacks, Hilary's campaign chances appeared to dim. Within days of the attacks, Hilary and obama stood at Andrews Air Force Base with spouses and parents of the four dead Americans - and with the four coffins standing next to both of them - and expressly blamed the video as the cause of the attacks. Hilary was quoted as telling the father of one of the dead Americans, "I promise you that we will find and prosecute the makers of the video."
In fact, she and obama had spoken by phone within hours of the news that the four Americans were dead, to concoct this explanation for the attacks, after their abject failure to ramp up security at the annex in spite of repeated and increasingly desperate requests for security upgrades from Americans on the ground in Benghazi. These requests were made during the months, weeks and days before the attack. Before, during and after the attacks, obama was campaigning for re-election, and basing his bid in pertinent part on his claim that his killing of Osama bin laden had gutted al Qada and rendered it all but impotent as a source of international Islamic Terrorism. Both Hilary and obama feared that an increase in security at Benghazi would fly in the face of obama's campaign boasts. Only when the four were dead did he finally concede that al Qada was still a force to be reckoned with. In fact, many security analysts have concluded that Osama bin laden had been phased out as a day-to-day leader of al Qada months or years before Navy Seals ambushed and killed the mastermind of the "9/11" massacre of thousands of Americans in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania. The intense international manhunt for bin Laden by western nations had made it impossible for al Qada to rely on bin Laden for on-going leadership decisions.
The video was made by a California man and was virtually unknown outside of his inner circle. It had been posted on You Tube for months prior to the Benghazzi Massacre, but had only had several dozen hits.
As Congressional Committees have continued a relentless investigation of the Benghazi Massacre, advisors to Hilary have privately worried that revelations could short-circuit her campaign. This play by the far left-leaning New York Times to turn this investigation into a political battle is intended to throw Hilary a lifeline.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Monday, December 23, 2013
Burnley retakes Championship summit at Christmas
BALTIMORE, Maryland December 23, 2013 - The determined Claret of Burnley will spend Christmas atop the English Championship Table. Midfielder Scott Arfield scored only two minutes into the second half Saturday with a sizzling 40' rocket, and together with reliable Danny Ings 36' shot just seven minutes from the outset, presented Burnley with a 2-1 Yuletide victory over Blackpool. Combined with Leicester City's 1-0 win over the Queen's Park Rangers, the Claret triumph presents Burnley with a holiday atop the Championship table. The advantage is a mere point, but taken gratefully nonetheless. Sitting a point behind are QPR and Leicester. The holiday is also short, as the Claret collide with Middlesbrough the day after Christmas. In the Championship, the top two teams at season's end in May are automatically promoted to the Premier League, while the next four finishers enter a single elimination playoff, with only the winner getting a third coveted promotion.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
obamashame under the tree
BALTIMORE, Maryland December 22, 2013 - Three days before Christmas. Retail merchants who have survived, so far, the scourge of obama and obamashame (the name, here, for the ACA), count their blessings. Citizens, about to feel the real and most pernicious scourge of obamashame - the belittling, nauseating reality of non-advocates from obamaland invading their lives and telling them how and when they will get their medical care, ending freedom as this nation conceived it - nonetheless hit the retail scene to furnish Christmas for their families. In a country with millions unemployed, obama heads off for a multi-million dollar family getaway in Hawaii. "obamashame" no longer is the description of an inept manifestation of far left skulduggery, no indeed. Now, "obamashame" describes obama and his far far left, anti-American administration. Scrooge? Grinch? Nah. Those individuals wanted to ruin the day set aside to honor the birth of Christ. obama wants to ruin a good and decent nation.
Monday, December 16, 2013
In NCAA Soccer Championship: Terrible Officiating Lifts Irish over Terps
BALTIMORE, Maryland December 16, 2013 - The referee in the Division I National Championship College Soccer Game on Sunday put on a show of stunning incompetence that will be talked about for ages, and Notre Dame was the direct beneficiary. The official box score from the game will reflect that Notre Dame edged Maryland, 2-1, but it is perfectly safe and, also, totally correct to say that Notre Dame would not have won except for the sad display of officiating rarely seen at this level and especially in so important a game.
The referee, Hilario "Chico" Grajeda, missed three extremely obvious, even glaring, hand ball violations in the Notre Dame penalty box, two of which occurred within ten seconds of each other - and were 100% intentional. The first and most obvious missed call was recorded on national television, and on any other day would have resulted in a penalty kick for Maryland together with a red card for the Notre Dame defender who committed the violation. The Terps were molified at the time of the miss because less than ten seconds later Patrick Mullins controlled a loose ball in the box and rifled home the game's first goal. But by ignoring the grotesque rules violation that brought immediate and loud objections from every Maryland player on the field, Grajeda avoided having to issue the virtually mandatory red card for the violator, a Notre Dame sophmore midfielder. Such a red card would have forced the Irish to play a man down for the remainder of the match. The incident occurred early in the opening half.
The second missed hand ball violation - so discreet that national television completely missed it - was committed by Mullins in controlling the ball after it richocheted off of the Notre Dame player's outstretched arm. The manner in which it was discussed after the game speaks volumes about the incidents and those who committed them and missed seeing them.
"In the heat of the moment, I hit it down with my hand and, like any good forward, I hit it in the net," Mullins told the Associated Press and a Notre Dame student reporter. "That's not who I am and I'm very disappointed in how that play resulted. ... I will regret that one for the rest of my life."
Maryland Coach Sascho Cirovski, upon hearing of Mullins' admission, told the AP that the MLS team which drafts Mullins will get not only a great soccer player, but also a great individual.
"When I build my stadium, I'm going to bronze a statue with him out front," Cirovski said. "He's made from the best stuff on earth. It affected him. It affected him a lot. ... His conscience was hurting."
Playing at equal strength, Notre Dame tied the game just five minutes later. The Irish pushed ahead at about the thirty minute mark of the second half, again when they were at equal strength with Maryland. Then, with Maryland swarming the Irish box with about ten minutes to go, and in the immediate aftermath of a Maryland corner kick, a third obvious hand violation occurred, again followed immediately by obvious angry displays of protest by virtually the entire Maryland team. The television commentators on ESPNU continued to refer to the two Irish violations as game changers, which is at least true, and may well be an understatement. The first violation was clearly an intentional effort by the Irish Defender, identified in the Notre Dame publication "The Observer" as sophomore midfielder Patrick Hodan, to keep Maryland off the score board. Hodan, seeing the Keeper was nowhere near the shot, and also that the shot was going in, made the split-second decision to keep the game scoreless. Positioned on the goal line, Hodan stretched out his arm to a position parallel to the ground and directly into he ball's path. The struck ball hit his outstretched are near the elbow, then richocheted off and back into play. A second later, Mullins controlled and scored. But the violator avoided the deserved red card and Notre Dame was permitted to stay at full strength. Mullins, also, would have received a red card, but of course his violation would never have occurred if Grajeda had simply called the first. In defense of Hodan, he made no effort to hide or disguise his violation, and appeared ready to accept his penalty. The second Irish hand violation was only slightly less obvious. As the ball whisked by the Irish defender (whom this writer cannot now identify), and with the outcome of the game hanging in the balance, he lifted his arm to deflect the ball away from the Irish goal. The path of the ball in the instant before it was interfered with would have taken it across the mouth of the goal and close enough to Patrick Mullins - the nation's leading scorer - to allow him to one-touch a shot on goal. Again, all of the Maryland players in the box - about two-thirds of the eleven man side, raised their arms in anguished protest. Cirovski also screamed in disbelief as he stood just a foot away from an NCAA official stationed between the two teams' benches.
Grajeda is a highly regarded soccer official who has been assigned some of the most important and high profile soccer matches in the country in recent years, including at least one MLS title game. A check of Google does not immediately reveal any history of similar errors. But it is also true that such errors are often suppressed by game and league officials. There is an obvious and understandable fear that criticism of a game official may have future consequences. There is no indication that Grajeda has apologized to Maryland's team or to Cirovski, or if the NCAA intends to take any action against him. Nor is there any indication that Hodan apologized after the game. The Notre Dame publication that quoted Mullins as having apologized did not indicate whether it even asked Hodan for a statement.
Last winter, after game officials made a series of painfully obvious "bad" calls in a nationally televised basketball game at Iowa State University, between Iowa State and Kansas, which changed the outcome of the game, unnamed NCAA officials revealed to a midwest newspaper that the officials who made the calls would be disciplined. The spokesman would not reveal anything else about the NCAA's intentions, such as when the official discipline would occur, what it was, or even what it could be. In fact, there was no way of finding out whether the sanctions were ever actually imposed. Conversely, in a baseball game two seasons ago, a Major League umpire publicly apologized after blowing a call in the ninth inning that prevented a pitcher from accomplishing a perfect game, one of sport's most difficult accomplishments. A pitcher is credited with a "perfect game" when he retires each of the 27 batters he faces, without surrendering a hit or walk, and without hitting a batter with a pitch. The umpire was universally praised by players and fans, and the umpire and player actually became good friends in the wake of the incident.
Possibly in deference to Grajeda's reputation, and in spite of having victory ripped from them in a manner that should never have occurred, the Maryland athletic web site did not even refer to the incidents in their account of the game. The only hint of the two incidents on the Maryland web site is in the official box score, where the Notre Dame team - and not their keeper - is credited with "saving" a shot on goal. The game's two "assistant referees," or linesmen, were Paul Scott and Corey Rockwell. There was no way of determining what, if anything, they did to right the injustice, or even to address it.
Soccer referees often operate as a closed fraternity. In some locations - and Baltimore is one - there are competing organizations of officials. The competition involves the number and quality of officiating assignments each organization gains over the course of a season.
The referee, Hilario "Chico" Grajeda, missed three extremely obvious, even glaring, hand ball violations in the Notre Dame penalty box, two of which occurred within ten seconds of each other - and were 100% intentional. The first and most obvious missed call was recorded on national television, and on any other day would have resulted in a penalty kick for Maryland together with a red card for the Notre Dame defender who committed the violation. The Terps were molified at the time of the miss because less than ten seconds later Patrick Mullins controlled a loose ball in the box and rifled home the game's first goal. But by ignoring the grotesque rules violation that brought immediate and loud objections from every Maryland player on the field, Grajeda avoided having to issue the virtually mandatory red card for the violator, a Notre Dame sophmore midfielder. Such a red card would have forced the Irish to play a man down for the remainder of the match. The incident occurred early in the opening half.
The second missed hand ball violation - so discreet that national television completely missed it - was committed by Mullins in controlling the ball after it richocheted off of the Notre Dame player's outstretched arm. The manner in which it was discussed after the game speaks volumes about the incidents and those who committed them and missed seeing them.
"In the heat of the moment, I hit it down with my hand and, like any good forward, I hit it in the net," Mullins told the Associated Press and a Notre Dame student reporter. "That's not who I am and I'm very disappointed in how that play resulted. ... I will regret that one for the rest of my life."
Maryland Coach Sascho Cirovski, upon hearing of Mullins' admission, told the AP that the MLS team which drafts Mullins will get not only a great soccer player, but also a great individual.
"When I build my stadium, I'm going to bronze a statue with him out front," Cirovski said. "He's made from the best stuff on earth. It affected him. It affected him a lot. ... His conscience was hurting."
Playing at equal strength, Notre Dame tied the game just five minutes later. The Irish pushed ahead at about the thirty minute mark of the second half, again when they were at equal strength with Maryland. Then, with Maryland swarming the Irish box with about ten minutes to go, and in the immediate aftermath of a Maryland corner kick, a third obvious hand violation occurred, again followed immediately by obvious angry displays of protest by virtually the entire Maryland team. The television commentators on ESPNU continued to refer to the two Irish violations as game changers, which is at least true, and may well be an understatement. The first violation was clearly an intentional effort by the Irish Defender, identified in the Notre Dame publication "The Observer" as sophomore midfielder Patrick Hodan, to keep Maryland off the score board. Hodan, seeing the Keeper was nowhere near the shot, and also that the shot was going in, made the split-second decision to keep the game scoreless. Positioned on the goal line, Hodan stretched out his arm to a position parallel to the ground and directly into he ball's path. The struck ball hit his outstretched are near the elbow, then richocheted off and back into play. A second later, Mullins controlled and scored. But the violator avoided the deserved red card and Notre Dame was permitted to stay at full strength. Mullins, also, would have received a red card, but of course his violation would never have occurred if Grajeda had simply called the first. In defense of Hodan, he made no effort to hide or disguise his violation, and appeared ready to accept his penalty. The second Irish hand violation was only slightly less obvious. As the ball whisked by the Irish defender (whom this writer cannot now identify), and with the outcome of the game hanging in the balance, he lifted his arm to deflect the ball away from the Irish goal. The path of the ball in the instant before it was interfered with would have taken it across the mouth of the goal and close enough to Patrick Mullins - the nation's leading scorer - to allow him to one-touch a shot on goal. Again, all of the Maryland players in the box - about two-thirds of the eleven man side, raised their arms in anguished protest. Cirovski also screamed in disbelief as he stood just a foot away from an NCAA official stationed between the two teams' benches.
Grajeda is a highly regarded soccer official who has been assigned some of the most important and high profile soccer matches in the country in recent years, including at least one MLS title game. A check of Google does not immediately reveal any history of similar errors. But it is also true that such errors are often suppressed by game and league officials. There is an obvious and understandable fear that criticism of a game official may have future consequences. There is no indication that Grajeda has apologized to Maryland's team or to Cirovski, or if the NCAA intends to take any action against him. Nor is there any indication that Hodan apologized after the game. The Notre Dame publication that quoted Mullins as having apologized did not indicate whether it even asked Hodan for a statement.
Last winter, after game officials made a series of painfully obvious "bad" calls in a nationally televised basketball game at Iowa State University, between Iowa State and Kansas, which changed the outcome of the game, unnamed NCAA officials revealed to a midwest newspaper that the officials who made the calls would be disciplined. The spokesman would not reveal anything else about the NCAA's intentions, such as when the official discipline would occur, what it was, or even what it could be. In fact, there was no way of finding out whether the sanctions were ever actually imposed. Conversely, in a baseball game two seasons ago, a Major League umpire publicly apologized after blowing a call in the ninth inning that prevented a pitcher from accomplishing a perfect game, one of sport's most difficult accomplishments. A pitcher is credited with a "perfect game" when he retires each of the 27 batters he faces, without surrendering a hit or walk, and without hitting a batter with a pitch. The umpire was universally praised by players and fans, and the umpire and player actually became good friends in the wake of the incident.
Possibly in deference to Grajeda's reputation, and in spite of having victory ripped from them in a manner that should never have occurred, the Maryland athletic web site did not even refer to the incidents in their account of the game. The only hint of the two incidents on the Maryland web site is in the official box score, where the Notre Dame team - and not their keeper - is credited with "saving" a shot on goal. The game's two "assistant referees," or linesmen, were Paul Scott and Corey Rockwell. There was no way of determining what, if anything, they did to right the injustice, or even to address it.
Soccer referees often operate as a closed fraternity. In some locations - and Baltimore is one - there are competing organizations of officials. The competition involves the number and quality of officiating assignments each organization gains over the course of a season.
The Christmas Story
BALTIMORE, Maryland December 13, 2013 - More than two millennia after the incident occurred, the entire world is again reliving its annual celebratory observance of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The first Christmas occurred in the penultimate example of humbleness. God himself had impregnated a poor but righteous woman who was betrothed, but not yet married, to a similarly humble but righteous man. God's messengers, the Holy Angels, had visited both so that they would understand the meaning of the event. When the time for the birth arrived, the two were not at home surrounded by family, but instead had traveled by foot (Mary, the Holy Mother, may have made the trip on the back of a donkey or other domestic animal) over 100 miles, in adherence to a government decree, to a small nondescript town. When they arrived in the town, called Bethlehem, the town's inn was packed by others also traveling to keep with the government's orders, and the only shelter available was a stable. So there, in an apparently cramped place used to house domestic animals, the Son of God was born. In the Holy Bible, the emphasis on humility is realized perfectly by the manner in which Christ's birth is presented. There are but two such recitations: one in the first chapter of the Gospel of St. Matthew and one in the first and second chapters of the Gospel of St. Luke. In his Chapter 1, Saint Matthew begins by benignly reciting the names of those persons in each generation who kept alive the direct lineage from St. David to St. Joseph, the husband of Christ's Mother. Then, without warning or any kind of build up, the account of the Holy Birth is presented:
The Gospel of St. Matthew:
Chapter 1:
Verse 18. Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way: When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; 19. and her husband, Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; 21. she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. 22. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23. "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel (which means God with us). 24. When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, 25. but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.
Chapter 2:
Verse 1. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying 2. "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him." 3. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4. and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: 6. 'For you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who shall govern my people Israel.' " 7. Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; 8. and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him." 9. When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10. When they saw the star they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; 11. and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
The only other place in the Bible that the Birth of Christ is related is the Gospel of St. Luke. St. Luke goes back in time, before the birth, to relate the story of the birth of John the Baptist as well as the simultaneous pregnancies of Mary, the Mother of Christ, and Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. In Chapter 1 of his Gospel, St. Luke preliminarily explains why he is writing his Gospel, and he does so as if the Gospel were a long letter to the fellow Christian preacher, Theophilus. When he has concluded this preface, he begins his account of the Birth of Christ:
The Gospel of St. Luke:
Chapter 1:
Verse 5. In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abiah; and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. 8. Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9. according to the custom of the priesthood, it fell to him by lot to enter the Temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of the incense. 11. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth; 15. for he will be great before the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God, 17. and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared." 18. And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." 19. And the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news. 20. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things come to pass, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." 21. And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they wondered at his delay in the temple. 22. And when he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he made signs to them and remained dumb. 23. And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. 24. After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she hid herself, saying, 25. "Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men."
26. In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27. to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28. And he came to her and said, "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" 29. But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. 30. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father, David, 33. and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." 34. And Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no husband?" 35. And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come over you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. 36. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37. For with God nothing will be impossible." 38. And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
39. In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40. and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42. and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43. And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44. For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. 45. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord. 46. And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47. and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48. for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; 49. for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50. And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. 51. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, 52. he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; 53. he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. 54. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55. as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever." 56. And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house. 57. Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered. and she gave birth to a son. 58. And her neighbors and kinfolk heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have named him Zechariah after his father, 60. but his mother said, "Not so; he shall be called John." 61. And they said to her, "None of your kindred is called by this name." 62. And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he would have him called. 63. And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, "His name is John." And they all marveled. 64. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea; 66. and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him. 67. And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, 68. "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people, 69. And he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70. as he spoke from the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71. that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us; 72. to perform the mercies promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant, 73. the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, 74. to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 75. in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. 76. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77. to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78. through the tender mercy of our God, when the day shall dawn upon us from on high 79. to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." 80. And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
Chapter 2.
Verse 1. In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.. 2. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. 4. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5. to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. 7. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8. And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10. And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; 11. for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." 13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!" 15. When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." 16. And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17. And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child; 18. and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19. But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 21. And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
And that is the extent of the Biblical Account, as it is printed in the Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version, published by Thomas Nelson & Sons, Toronto, New York and Edinburgh. The printing contains this note on the title page: "Translated from the original tongues being the version set forth A.D. 1611, revised A.D. 1881-1883 and A.D. 1901, compared with the most ancient authorities and revised, A.D. 1952. I received this Bible as a Christmas Gift from my parents in 1962. If you contemplate the affect of the birth, with its absolute simplicity and modesty, and then recall that this simple account has captivated mankind for over two thousand years, it becomes breathtaking. Once, when I was either a pre-teen or young teenager, one of the major news organizations - I believe it was NBC - prepared a body of work for broadcast by member stations on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It was an account of Christ's birth as reported by NBC on-air reporters, had the event occurred when such reports were possible. Can you imagine today's secular reporters trying to get their arms around the appearance by an angel to a group of shepherds? How about if the reporter happened, for whatever reason, to be with the shepherds when first the angel, and then the "multitude of the heavenly host" appeared to relate the story of the birth and God's reaction to it?
I cannot explain why this stunning, yet extremely humble account has a such vice grip on me. I know in some objective and rational way that such an account should provoke skepticism. But it never has, despite the secular attacks on folk such as I who believe. I believe that only God could create such a conundrum, and allow it to exist over the course of all of the generations since it occurred.
The Gospel of St. Matthew:
Chapter 1:
Verse 18. Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way: When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; 19. and her husband, Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; 21. she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. 22. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23. "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel (which means God with us). 24. When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, 25. but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.
Chapter 2:
Verse 1. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying 2. "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him." 3. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4. and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: 6. 'For you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who shall govern my people Israel.' " 7. Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; 8. and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him." 9. When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10. When they saw the star they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; 11. and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
The only other place in the Bible that the Birth of Christ is related is the Gospel of St. Luke. St. Luke goes back in time, before the birth, to relate the story of the birth of John the Baptist as well as the simultaneous pregnancies of Mary, the Mother of Christ, and Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. In Chapter 1 of his Gospel, St. Luke preliminarily explains why he is writing his Gospel, and he does so as if the Gospel were a long letter to the fellow Christian preacher, Theophilus. When he has concluded this preface, he begins his account of the Birth of Christ:
The Gospel of St. Luke:
Chapter 1:
Verse 5. In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abiah; and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. 8. Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9. according to the custom of the priesthood, it fell to him by lot to enter the Temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of the incense. 11. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth; 15. for he will be great before the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God, 17. and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared." 18. And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." 19. And the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news. 20. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things come to pass, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." 21. And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they wondered at his delay in the temple. 22. And when he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he made signs to them and remained dumb. 23. And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. 24. After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she hid herself, saying, 25. "Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men."
26. In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27. to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28. And he came to her and said, "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" 29. But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. 30. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father, David, 33. and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." 34. And Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no husband?" 35. And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come over you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. 36. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37. For with God nothing will be impossible." 38. And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
39. In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40. and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42. and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43. And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44. For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. 45. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord. 46. And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47. and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48. for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; 49. for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50. And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. 51. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, 52. he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; 53. he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. 54. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55. as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever." 56. And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house. 57. Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered. and she gave birth to a son. 58. And her neighbors and kinfolk heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they would have named him Zechariah after his father, 60. but his mother said, "Not so; he shall be called John." 61. And they said to her, "None of your kindred is called by this name." 62. And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he would have him called. 63. And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, "His name is John." And they all marveled. 64. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea; 66. and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him. 67. And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, 68. "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people, 69. And he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70. as he spoke from the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71. that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us; 72. to perform the mercies promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant, 73. the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, 74. to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 75. in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. 76. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77. to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78. through the tender mercy of our God, when the day shall dawn upon us from on high 79. to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." 80. And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
Chapter 2.
Verse 1. In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.. 2. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. 4. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5. to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. 7. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8. And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10. And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; 11. for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." 13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!" 15. When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." 16. And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17. And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child; 18. and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19. But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 21. And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
And that is the extent of the Biblical Account, as it is printed in the Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version, published by Thomas Nelson & Sons, Toronto, New York and Edinburgh. The printing contains this note on the title page: "Translated from the original tongues being the version set forth A.D. 1611, revised A.D. 1881-1883 and A.D. 1901, compared with the most ancient authorities and revised, A.D. 1952. I received this Bible as a Christmas Gift from my parents in 1962. If you contemplate the affect of the birth, with its absolute simplicity and modesty, and then recall that this simple account has captivated mankind for over two thousand years, it becomes breathtaking. Once, when I was either a pre-teen or young teenager, one of the major news organizations - I believe it was NBC - prepared a body of work for broadcast by member stations on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It was an account of Christ's birth as reported by NBC on-air reporters, had the event occurred when such reports were possible. Can you imagine today's secular reporters trying to get their arms around the appearance by an angel to a group of shepherds? How about if the reporter happened, for whatever reason, to be with the shepherds when first the angel, and then the "multitude of the heavenly host" appeared to relate the story of the birth and God's reaction to it?
I cannot explain why this stunning, yet extremely humble account has a such vice grip on me. I know in some objective and rational way that such an account should provoke skepticism. But it never has, despite the secular attacks on folk such as I who believe. I believe that only God could create such a conundrum, and allow it to exist over the course of all of the generations since it occurred.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Mullins, Steffan send Terps to National Final; Basketball Terps ride Wells' 31 to win in ACC Opener
BALTIMORE, Maryland December 13, 2013 - An inexcusable error by Virginia Keeper Callie Brown left a wide open net for All American Patrick Mullins to shoot at with just over eleven minutes gone n the first half, and there was no way Mullins would miss a gift like that. Brown wondered far off the goal line, apparently thinking he could beat Mullins to a wonderful pass from Maryland's Miklas Eticha. He never came close, and was left watching from the top of the penalty area as Maryland took a lead it would never relinquish. Maryland won its eleventh straight game as it downed the Cavaliers, 2-1, for the second time in the postseason, and in doing so advanced to the NCAA Title Game Sunday afternoon at 3 pm. There they will face Notre Dame, another ACC team, which also advanced to the title game on Friday by defeating New Mexico, 2-0.
Eticha took possession of the ball in the midfield and ran a few steps forward before deftly lobbing the pass to a streaking Mullins, who had found space between two baffled Virginia defenders. Maryland took the resulting 1-0 lead into halftime. In the second half the Cavaliers increased the pressure on Maryland's young defense, anchored by freshmen at both center defense positions and at Keeper. But about thirty minutes into the second frame Tsubassa Endoh again fed Mullins as he broke between two retreating Cavalier defenders. Mullins easily controlled the excellent pass and launched a missle to the right side of the goal, easily beating a sprawling Brown.
Virginia, to its credit, did not quit. A mistake by the Terp's All-ACC midfielder Dan Metzger gave the Cavaliers a penalty kick just one minute after Mullins' second score, and Todd Wharton banged it home to pull the Cavaliers back to within a single goal. And still Virginia pressed the attack. With just over one minute left Virginia's Brian James ran onto a ball in the center of the box about twenty feet from the goal, and launched a shot just inside the right post. Steffan, positioned at the middle of the goal, dove hard to his right and got a hand on the low rocket, managing to deflect it wide of the goal. It was a scintillating save, and it saved the Maryland lead. Although the Cavaliers pressed again and gained a corner kick with ten seconds left, they did not again threaten the Terps. Notre Dame and Maryland finished tied atop the ACC at the end of the regular season, and the Irish advanced to the ACC Tournament Semifinal against Virginia last month in Gaithersburg, Maryland. In that game the Irish took a commanding second half lead, but let it slip away to a swarming Cavalier team. The match went into overtime but neither team broke through. A shootout ensued, which Virginia won. The NCAA does not count a Shootout loss as a loss on the team's record. Thus, Notre Dame enters the National Title Game on Sunday with a record of 16-1-6. The Terps are 17-3-5. During a brutal week in October Maryland played both Notre Dame and Virginia on the road with a space of three days, and earned a draw in each. In the game in South Bend, Indiana, the two teams battled to a scoreless draw in the first half, although the Irish seemed to control the ball more. After the half Maryland pressed the attack, but Vince Cicciarelli scored in the 59th minute to put the homestanding Irish ahead. The Terps would not give in and Mullins - who else? - tied the game for Maryland in the 71st minute. Both teams had chances to score a winning goal, but neither did, and the match ended a 1-1 draw. Three days later Maryland was in Charlottesville, where they played a wild 3-3 draw with the Cavaliers. Mullins made two penalty shots to allow Maryland to finish the trip without a loss. Incidentally, Notre Dame's only "real" loss was to Virginia, which beat the Irish in South Bend, 2-0.
On Thursday night, Maryland's Basketball team broke a disheartening two game losing streak when Dez Wells exploded for 31 points, including 18 in the second half, to propel the Terps to an 88-80 victory over Boston College. The Terps, 6-4, 1-0, had let a double digit lead slip away and actually fell behind the Eagles, 3-7, 0-1, by as many as four points in the second half. But Wells put the Terps on his back and carried them to the win, driving time and again to the basket for key baskets as time ran down. Freshman Roddy Peters was a huge help, scoring a career high 14 points. Jake Layman added 13 and Nick Faust had 11. All of Wells' second half points came in the final seven minutes. The Terps now return home for five consecutive wins, beginning Saturday when they tangle with Florida Atlantic at 2 pm.
Eticha took possession of the ball in the midfield and ran a few steps forward before deftly lobbing the pass to a streaking Mullins, who had found space between two baffled Virginia defenders. Maryland took the resulting 1-0 lead into halftime. In the second half the Cavaliers increased the pressure on Maryland's young defense, anchored by freshmen at both center defense positions and at Keeper. But about thirty minutes into the second frame Tsubassa Endoh again fed Mullins as he broke between two retreating Cavalier defenders. Mullins easily controlled the excellent pass and launched a missle to the right side of the goal, easily beating a sprawling Brown.
Virginia, to its credit, did not quit. A mistake by the Terp's All-ACC midfielder Dan Metzger gave the Cavaliers a penalty kick just one minute after Mullins' second score, and Todd Wharton banged it home to pull the Cavaliers back to within a single goal. And still Virginia pressed the attack. With just over one minute left Virginia's Brian James ran onto a ball in the center of the box about twenty feet from the goal, and launched a shot just inside the right post. Steffan, positioned at the middle of the goal, dove hard to his right and got a hand on the low rocket, managing to deflect it wide of the goal. It was a scintillating save, and it saved the Maryland lead. Although the Cavaliers pressed again and gained a corner kick with ten seconds left, they did not again threaten the Terps. Notre Dame and Maryland finished tied atop the ACC at the end of the regular season, and the Irish advanced to the ACC Tournament Semifinal against Virginia last month in Gaithersburg, Maryland. In that game the Irish took a commanding second half lead, but let it slip away to a swarming Cavalier team. The match went into overtime but neither team broke through. A shootout ensued, which Virginia won. The NCAA does not count a Shootout loss as a loss on the team's record. Thus, Notre Dame enters the National Title Game on Sunday with a record of 16-1-6. The Terps are 17-3-5. During a brutal week in October Maryland played both Notre Dame and Virginia on the road with a space of three days, and earned a draw in each. In the game in South Bend, Indiana, the two teams battled to a scoreless draw in the first half, although the Irish seemed to control the ball more. After the half Maryland pressed the attack, but Vince Cicciarelli scored in the 59th minute to put the homestanding Irish ahead. The Terps would not give in and Mullins - who else? - tied the game for Maryland in the 71st minute. Both teams had chances to score a winning goal, but neither did, and the match ended a 1-1 draw. Three days later Maryland was in Charlottesville, where they played a wild 3-3 draw with the Cavaliers. Mullins made two penalty shots to allow Maryland to finish the trip without a loss. Incidentally, Notre Dame's only "real" loss was to Virginia, which beat the Irish in South Bend, 2-0.
On Thursday night, Maryland's Basketball team broke a disheartening two game losing streak when Dez Wells exploded for 31 points, including 18 in the second half, to propel the Terps to an 88-80 victory over Boston College. The Terps, 6-4, 1-0, had let a double digit lead slip away and actually fell behind the Eagles, 3-7, 0-1, by as many as four points in the second half. But Wells put the Terps on his back and carried them to the win, driving time and again to the basket for key baskets as time ran down. Freshman Roddy Peters was a huge help, scoring a career high 14 points. Jake Layman added 13 and Nick Faust had 11. All of Wells' second half points came in the final seven minutes. The Terps now return home for five consecutive wins, beginning Saturday when they tangle with Florida Atlantic at 2 pm.
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