We, as Catholics and citizens who value religious liberty, must remember that the Obama Administration’s Department of Health and Human Services puts our religious liberty in jeopardy.  Just this past week Commissar Kathleen Sebelius showcased before congress how very little the administration cares for religious liberty and how very little the administration has even thought about religious liberty.  Their “mandate” that all religious institutions necessarily provide contraception, sterilization and access to abortion through their insurance plans is a mass attack on the ability of free born citizens to practice freely their religion.  This violates the 1st amendment of the Constitution.

But, as the following video showcases, the administration has thought very little about the Constitution in passing down this “mandate.”  Mandates passed down from up on high – directly from unelected officials and with sweeping power.  Sounds a lot more like Soviet Russia than the U.S.  But, this is the new world order in which we live under Obama.  And, it’s yet another reminder of how important the November election is – that is for those of us that still value bedrock freedoms such as an individual’s ability to practice their religion without interference from the all powerful state.

My congratulations to Congressman Gowdy of South Carolina in his cross examination of Commissar Sebelius.  Enjoy!

Of the many precarious social situations in which one finds oneself throughout life, perhaps the most prickly and ambiguous one is when an innocent man wanders into a bathroom at work and finds the toilet clogged.

You have a problem.

You are not the one who clogged the toilet, mind you.  Some scoundrel clogged it and left it for the next person to wander upon.  There are several possible outcomes for this strange situation:

1.  You try to flush the clogged toilet.  This is a high risk, high reward type of choice.  On the one hand, your problem might disappear instantly.  A high power public toilet is your best ally if you’re trying to flush your problems away.  On the other hand, you may get to experience the most terrifying feeling known to man once you pull the trigger:  the feeling of seeing water in the toilet come up instead of down.  I deem this the worst possible choice you can make because it’s highly likely that you’ll find yourself running out of the bathroom with a giant tsunami wave of toilet water chasing you down the hall.  Even if this is the only bathroom on your floor, I wouldn’t suggest flushing.  Just go to another floor or an adjacent building.  Whatever you do, don’t risk it!

2.  You try to find a plunger, which will necessarily mean asking someone for a plunger.  This is probably the second worst outcome for you.  You are ensured to be the assumed culprit, the assumed “clogger “in this messy scheme.  Your reputation as a toilet clogger will spread like wildfire in the office.  Asking a nearby secretary or surly janitor is a surefire way to establish your reputation as a weird-o toilet clogger.

3.  The only real option for you is to run away and pray that no one sees you leaving the scene of the crime.  This is the best option for you.  You must get away and avoid being seen in the process.  If someone sees you, they will tie you to the crime and you’ll be back in the social dilemma of #2.  But, if you’re stealthy like a cat, you can tip toe away without being seen.  Then, later on, if someone brings it up, you can pin it on them, Tommy Boy style.

You’re in the clear!

I would like to submit for your consideration two videos that I’ve come across this past week that illustrate some moving problems in our country and around the world.  In the first, Mark Steyn, as ever, gives a bit of humor with the gloomy truth. Free speech is increasingly under attack in our politically correct world and Mr. Steyn offers some thoughts on the subject.

In the second video, Dr. Charles Murray discusses his new book Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010with Peter Robinson on Uncommon Knowledge.

I hope you enjoy both and that they get some neurons firing!

I am very pleased to announce the arrival of our second child, and our first son, G. K.!  Mother and baby are doing well and both are healthy.  He is a very large baby, at 11 lbs 10 oz, and he loves to eat.  He’s also quite bald.  Thus, we know he’s our son and officially part of the family.  In fact, he looks a little bit like Winston Churchill… but then again, don’t most babies?

All babies look like Winston Churchill

I will give an account of the birth very soon, after we have a chance to process everything together in a more in depth way.  But as I sit here in the hospital, in an uncomfortable vinyl chair and with mother and baby sleeping close by – nothing on the TV but HGTV – I though I’d provide you with some very practical tips for having a baby in a hospital.

This will not be a post on birthing techniques or on the philosophy and merits of having a baby in a hospital vs. at home.  Much has been written on these topics.  No, this will be a post on things you can do to make your trip to the hospital go much smoother and make your stay much more comfortable.  Here is a list of my suggestions:

1. Pack like you’re going on vacation.  Pack one duffel bag with at least 2 days of clothes for Mom and Dad.  Bring your camera, bring your phone chargers and lap top.  Most importantly, bring SOAP and a TOOTHBRUSH.  Both Mom and Dad will need these things.  You may even want to consider bringing your own towels for when you shower.  But, if you do bring your own towels, don’t expect to be able to take them home… You’ll know what I mean after the birth…

2.  Bring a small flashlight.  Hospital rooms at night are very confusing to parents that have only had 3 hours of sleep in the last 48.  There might be important phone numbers written on a white board to see at night, or you may need to find the bathroom.  A small flashlight will help prevent blunders and also keep the bright lights off so other people can sleep.  I’m thinking of something like this:

3.  Dads:  bring a watch with a second hand and a pen and paper.  You’ll want to keep track of contractions and med schedules/feeding times etc. Bring shorts to sleep in and shower shoes.  Old flip flops to shower in are a must… you’ll thank me later…  Oh, and one more thing Dads, it would be wise to consider the bathroom in the hospital room as Mom’s bathroom and to just use the public bathroom down the hall.  Again, you’ll thank me later.  Lastly, keep the room neat and clean.  It will make things easier on Mom to be in a clean room and will make guests feel better too.  Throw away garbage, put food trays near the door, fold unused blankets, put dirty clothes in a hamper, etc.

4.  Learn when the communal snack room is restocked every day and show up 10 minutes after it’s restocked.  People are free food vultures so the room will be picked dry pretty regularly.  For example, it’s noon now and our snack room only has saltine crackers, a knock off brand Jello, an apple, and old coffee in it.

5.  If you bring your lap top, bring a few movies and your headphones.  You’ll have lots of down time to relax (and time to heal for Mom) as the baby sleeps.  New born babies sleep 20 hours per day.

6.  Take those free diapers home with you that they put in your hospital room…

7.  If you’re in doubt about what to bring to the birth, just toss it in the trunk anyway.  Dad can always run out to the car when Mom and baby are sleeping/eating.  Better to have it in the car than to have to go out and buy it.

8.  Don’t be afraid to ask people coming to visit to bring food and good coffee.  The free coffee in break rooms is quite wretched.  Bring food that Mom likes and that is light enough to eat during labor.  Amanda loves these organic fruit snacks from Target.  So, we brought them, some Powerade, and granola bars for snacking.

9.  Don’t be afraid to ask people visiting and nurses to leave if Mom and baby are getting stressed.  The room should be a safe place for the new trio to get acquainted, rest, and recover.  If you feel your space is being invaded, just politely ask people to leave, but don’t forget to thank them for visiting and for helping.  To soften the blow for visitors, Dad might be able to take the group out to the waiting room to sit and chat for a while.  People will want to hear the story, after all!

10. Bring diapers, a change of clothes (3 or 4 at least), and the car seat for the new baby.

11.  (From Amanda, my wife) Moms:  Bring some nightgowns for yourself (2 or 3 at least).  The hospital night gowns are unflattering and reveal a bit too much.  Plus, with people visiting, you’ll want to look good…  Also, bring a pillow designed for breast feeding.  Hospital pillows will work fine, but pillows designed for breastfeeding will be a big help, especially with a new baby that is still learning to eat and who will also want to eat many times a day.

Support Catholic hospitals!  More so, support Catholic hospitals that are authentically Catholic!  Our hospital was perfect for us.  Though it’s a bit older and not as shinny fancy, the folks here allow us to do our more natural stuff, to follow our birth plan, and to incorporate our faith into the process.  Our pro-life OB prayed with us during delivery and labor, for example.

Anyways, I hope these recommendations make your stay at the hospital more tolerable.  Bringing new life into the world is truly an astounding miracle.  Focus on that and on the love of your marriage and children!  Don’t worry about the other stuff that you won’t remember in a few weeks anyway.

Cheers.

Andrew Breitbart passed away today at the young age of 43.  He was a happy warrior for the conservative movement, an innovator, and the founder of the Big Government site.  He helped run the Drudge Report and was a pioneer for the tea party.

Breitbart was a fighter as he famously said in his recent book, Righteous Indignation:

I love my job. I love fighting for what I believe in. I love having fun while doing it. I love reporting stories that the Complex refuses to report. I love fighting back, I love finding allies, and—famously—I enjoy making enemies.

To be sure, the loss of Breitbart is a huge blow to the conservative movement.  He never backed down from a fight, especially when that fight was with someone was disingenuous and dishonest.  He was on our side and was a strong fighter.  I will pray for his soul and hope his influence is felt for many years to come.