It’s been a while on the blog posting but I figured we’d get it started again in style.  Welcome the new addition to the family.   Little Maryn Alise was 4 lbs 11 oz and 16″ long.  A little bit small but healthy and mom is doing fine.

It’s been a couple of months now and I’ve been neglectful in my positing. Mea culpa to the two of you that follow this blog. We’ll lets do the check in via topic.

Kids: Jake and Gabe are doing well. We just spent the Thanksgiving weekend enjoying time with friends and family. Gabe has a new goal of becoming a web star and has created his own website and youtube series called the Gabe show. Jake has been case as his costar. You can check out his work here at www.gabrielroy.weebly.com. The boys also finished up there first season of tackle football. The were among the smaller players on the team and played safety. Buy the end of it they really improved and have performed well.

Aimee: We’ll graduation is next Saturday. She has made it to be a speech therapist and for that we are very proud. And even more promising is she already has a job lined up with IPMR to begin work at the Pekin Hospital in January.

Charlie: I continue to dabble in the commodity markets, administer the local Catholic High School, and not much else as the former two seem to eat up 99% of my time.

There’s a lot to like about P.E.T.A. but there is much to question as well. Most Catholics would agree with the need to be wise stewards of the Earth. Respect for God’s creation, treating life in accords with its nature, and learning about the Creator though creation are certainly tenants that we hold. And for P.E.T.A.s work that mirrors these principals I commend them.

My first memories of this group were as a junior high student at St. John the Baptist Catholic Grade School in New Haven, IN. Our daily football game ended with some P.E.T.A. activists pushing trading cards through the chain link fence urging us to stop drinking milk. I’ve never cared for the white stuff on anything other than my cereal but I remember thinking it a little strange that people cared enough about milk to give goofy trading cards to school kids.

Anyway I applaud some of their efforts but find that often their adherence to a set ideology often prevents them from accomplishing any real change. Ideologies tend to do that. With that in mind an interesting news item has gained popularity lately. Chris Packham, a British naturalist, has began arguing that our efforts at saving the panda are rather misguided. He doesn’t believe they should die or be exterminated in Panda death camps but merely points out that the millions we spend annually on keeping them in cute reserves could be better spent if conservation is truly our aim.

Pandas are natural carnivores. In zoos and reserves they are fed a diet of costly bamboo shoots and living outside their natural setting is often believed to be the root cause of the low number of panda births. All of this adds up. Packham argues that our dollars would be better spent in preserving the rainforest and protecting areas rich in biodiversity. I’m convinced he’s right. But it is hard to truly do effective management of natural resources when so many self serving interests exist from corporate to cute.

I’ve been reading “Natural Capitalism” the past couple of weeks. The book is a decade old but it is worth a read. The book essentially argues that what prevents us from embracing technological advances is not a lack of their presence but our inability to change our thinking. From how we design buildings to installing pipes the inefficiency we take for granted is stupefying.

The end of the past week was the annual Diocesan Principals Retreat for the Catholic Diocese of Peoria. We returned to King’s House this year which is under new management and has been renamed Nazareth House.

The annual retreat usually features a combination of business meetings and retreat sessions. This year’s retreat master was Fr. Nuzzi from Notre Dame’s ACE Leadership Program. I’d give him a A+ for the weekend as he kept us thoroughly entertained and kept coming back to the central theme of school administrators needing to live the central mysteries of Christianity in our own lives. The Incarnation, Trinity, and Paschal Mystery are what define the Christian world view and are at the core of our evangelical efforts as Christians.

One story Fr. Nuzzi shared which was rather humorous and memorable was a tale from his own childhood regarding his parish pastor and the construction of a sign. Fr. Nuzzi grew up in Niles Ohio. In Niles you were either Italian or Irish. If you were Irish you attended St. Stephen’s if you were Italian Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Fr. Nick was the well loved pastor of many years who faithfully served the parish. The bishop had recently required all parishes to install a parish council. The first order of business of the parish council was to request the construction and installation of a large sign with the name of the Church clearly present for all to see.

Fr. Nuzzi at the time was around fifteen and had been working as the parish groundskeeper to earn tuition assistance at the local Catholic high school. The parish ordered a large sign that was carved from wood and painted beautifully in two-toned brown with the name of the parish spelled out in bold letters “Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish” for all to see. With any parish project it took a large number of men to complete the task. The truck was backed onto the beautiful grass. Holes were dug, concrete poured, wiring for the lights ran, and on and on. Finally after hours of work it was time to call for Fr. Nick to come and see the beautiful finished project. The men yelled for Nuzzi to go to the rectory and ring for Fr. Nick.

As he bolted across the lawn more yelling came with instructions to move the truck off the lawn so Fr. Nick’s view of the masterpiece would be unobstructed. “Nuzzi, Nuzzi !! Move the truck first!” came the cries. Always one to oblige Nuzzi hopped in the truck. The three pedal variety was not what he was used to and the stick shift protruding was what seemed a foreign gadget. As Nuzzi turned the key the truck lurched. The truck was still in reverse and as he turned the key the truck lurched backwards crashing through the newly installed sign ruining hour upon hour of hard work.

The screams came, the taunts followed, and a new level of shame and fear entered into Nuzzi’s world. “Go get Fr. Nick” the men shouted. Nuzzi made the long walk to the rectory door and rang the bell. Fr. Nick answered and nuzzi stared at his shoes. Fr Nick began, “Well….. I hope this helps you to learn to be more careful… I saw the whole thing…. but you know, Nuzzi, you’re more important to us than any old sign. Now go home and we’ll see you tomorrow at Mass.” Nuzzi remembers praying on the way home that he hoped he could be like Fr. Nick with true gentleness that comes only from real strength.

God has a sense of humor for sure. When Fr. Nuzzi was first ordained a generous family presented him with a Waterford Crystal patin and chalice. An expensive and beautiful gift. He celebrated his first Mass with them. The parish was having a little reception afterwords in the rectory basement and after shaking hands and greeting the congregation he went back to the sacristy to change. On the way he heard a tremendous crash. Swinging open the sacristy door he found the chalice and patin smashed upon the cement floor of the Church. Shivers of glass were everywhere. Full of rage he began looking for the culprit. There he was hiding under the sink. The altar boy. Just as he began to gear up for an explosion he remembered Fr. Nick. He started to laugh. And as he laughed he said, “Next time be more careful… but it’s alright… you’re more important to us than any old chalice …. go on home.” And home he went sprinting out the door and down the aisle with his cassock still on.

Over the past week I’ve been reading up on the Catholic Worker Movement. The “movement” began back in the 30′s during the lowest points of the great depression. Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin founded the movement with Day crediting Maurin for the underlying philosophy.

I finished up “Apostle to the World” which is Day’s biography of Peter Maurin. What intrigues me about Maurin’s philosophy are his keen predictions on the potential problems capitalism could bring. Maurin believed the only true economic solution rests with sustainable land and craft based communities focused on the use of goods as opposed to profit. Many modern readers would perhaps write him off as a crazy cook ranting against modernity and the materialistic joys that capitalism brings but Maurin to his defense proposed an alternative rather than just being a cultural critic. His call for the first “green revolution” were decades ahead of his time.

Maurin profoundly observed the dangers capitalism posed to the ecology of the Earth by the default view that natural resources and raw inputs could continue being devoured at an extraordinary pace without creating lasting damage. Keep in mind Maurin is writing in the 1930′s this was before the “oil crisis” of the 70′s and threats of global warming. He anticipated hyper globalization and the growing divide between the haves and the have nots.

Many Catholic Worker Houses continue in the States regardless of the fact that the movement was highly marginalized during World War II. The strictly pacifist approach of the popular “Catholic Worker” newspaper set the movement at odds with popular sentiment. This stance placed the movement at the fringe of society and lessened its impact on Catholic thought.

Maurin in many ways emulated St. Francis. He lived in voluntary poverty and devoted the latter half of his life towards service of others. He criticized the religious right as secularists who though comfortable with their prayers and piety failed to live out their faith. Catholic thought should always be followed with Catholic action. To rob thought of action is to half-ass the Gospel. This dualism afflicts many a modern bourgeois Catholic. I’d throw myself in with that lot. The challenge of the Gospel is always there. The response to Christ’s love calls us out of and beyond our own wants and desires. This message turned the world upside down 2,000 years ago and led to a new social order. The lived Gospel has the power to do the same today …. but do we have the courage to embrace it?

What if Catholics in large numbers embraced a more simple way of living: less consumerism, more authentic community, and the downgrading of the profit motive? In some ways it feels as if this movement is rising to the surface challenging the comfortable mostly affluent Catholic population to embrace more fully the Gospel. There is a new and growing attraction to the profound and often forgotten social teachings of the Church. Perhaps our minds and hearts have been opened by the current economic crisis.

If Peter were roaming the streets today he would probably offer many of the same criticisms. He was irritated most by the indifference to the Gospel he found amongst those who were materially blessed. Perhaps our affluence and wealth has produced a new dualism where we like our religion on Sunday but not if it threatens to upend our lifestyle. Our sloth to study and the blatant disregard in the west for the latest encyclical would trouble Maurin. But alas the grace of God continues to do it’s work.

Below is a little video I’ve always enjoyed I think Maurin would have approved of its message.

Well the summer is officially over in terms of school. Friday afternoon was the last calm one I’ll experience for quite a while in the school building. The staff comes back on Monday followed by the students on Tuesday. Granted a number have already been back. Primarily the good teachers. The shitty ones seem to wait till the last minute with some strange sense of only showing up for the obligatory days. I’ve never quite understood that attitude and how it helps children but hey what do I know I’m just an evil administrator.

The garden has been a smashing success. I’ve lost a few battles to raccoons but I’ve enjoyed sweet corn, home made salsa, salads, cucumbers, tomatoes, and endless supplies of peppers. I have some big plans to expand next year and will begin work on the expansion this fall.

This morning was the Ukon Gold potato harvest. I took my tire stack apart and was able to harvest around 15 lbs of potatoes. I fried up a few for breakfast and committed another chunk to mashed potatoes that I’ll enjoy over the next few days.

On Jake’s little garden he was able to harvest his first round of green beans today that I’ll boil up for lunch this afternoon. He’s now planted, grown, tended, and will soon eat his first crop. This has gotten Gabe in the mood and I’ll take him out this afternoon to plant some fall green beans in place of where my corn was. Hopefully a warm end of August and September will produce another fun fall crop of green beans of the french variety.

All the gardening has perked my interest in sustainable urban farming. Urban farming is essentially using small plots of land to produce rather large quantities of fresh, local food. Some noble minded groups have even targeted economically depressed parts of town for these developments to bring fresh produce to these neighborhoods that are often under served by grocery stores. It’s an interesting concept and one I imagine that will continue to grow in popularity. Below are some videos that explain the concept.

After giving the theology on tap presentation last week I had the chance to visit with a number of people after the session. Eduardo Galeano’s “Open Veins of Latin America” was mentioned a few times and it sounded like an interesting read.

The book details the history of Latin America from a different perspective than high school text books I remember. The idea of the Monroe Doctrine spreading market driven material bliss to the people of South America in the views of Galeano is a good that certainly never materialized. The history he pens claims the human and material resources of South America have been exploited from the very beginning. From one commodity to the next be it gold / silver, tin, coffee, sugar, rubber, or bananas the story is pretty much the same. The North grows rich while a small local oligarchy profits at the expense of the peasant workers who are paid dismal wages regardless of the market price of the commodity they serve.

Numerous examples are given from the banana fields of United (Chiquita) and Standard (Dole) Fruit to the clearing of forests for coffee planting. Galleano argues North America was left to develop on its own with an agricultural and mineral make up very similar to Europe. American industry was thus ignored and allowed to develop. The exotic tropical commodities of the South were highly desired in Europe and North America. From metals and sugar to coffee and cocoa the wealth of the South heads North while the capital that flows in remains largely in the hands of the small oligarchical class in these countries. The poor workers usually make enough to not starve but never enough to really improve their lot.

The story of Paraguay was interesting. From Galeano’s point the country of Paraguay evolved differently and chose to deliberately isolate itself from foreign trade. Before the war of the triple alliance Paraguay enjoyed the highest standard of living in all of South America.

In the Western media every time there is some type of populous movement and the corporations are tossed out our media usually paints whoever takes over as some crazy leftist who only seeks to enslave the people. What if we’re wrong? What if the people are just tired of being treated like crap and view the wealth they create as their own? Should the current generations be mistreated because of the poor selfish decisions made by those who are now gone?

To of course balance the liberal bent of my latest readings I’ve also purchased a copy of Tom Woods Jr’s “The Church and the Market Economy”. The book claims to be a Catholic defense of the free market so I’m looking forward to reading it this weekend to see how it meshes with Galeano’s take.

I’ll keep you posted.

On Tuesday evening I had the privilege of presenting the final session of the Summer Series of Theology on Tap for the Diocese of Peoria. The format of Theology on Tap is young Catholics gather at a local pub and listen to a reflection usually on some type of theological concept and then spend the rest of the evening enjoying the things that go on in pubs / bars. Delicious beer and all. If your local Diocese has such an offering some time I encourage you to round up a few friends and down a pint or two in good company and good faith.

I was able to present on the topic of faith and finances. Apparently my former days trading beans have made my an expert at all things financial. I will admit to an uncanny love of money and an interest in monetary theories. I split the talk into three topics with some interspersed questions for the tables to ponder. I focused on tithing / stewardship, usury and the Church, and the latest encyclical Caritas in Veritate in which Benedict articulates a Catholic critique on the pitfalls of globalization and an authentic call to authentic Christian humanism as the remedy to many of the evils of our day.

It was a great experience. To top it all off I received a check for speaking I didn’t know was coming and promptly did my part to stimulate the economy by ordering more books on monetary theory and economic policy. I created a wiki page as a starting off point for future learning on the topics.

link to wiki here

and these were the lovely table questions:

1. Do Catholics have to tithe?
2. What is usury? Did the Church flip flop?
3. What is the purpose of money and the difference between money and currency?
4. Which is more Christian of an economic system: capitalism or socialism?
5. Why did Teddy Roosevelt say , “Latin America will never embrace capitalism as long as she remains Catholic?”

Ever wonder what exactly is in the french fries you receive with your run of the mill fast food burger? Turns out it may be more than just potatoes. Technically you might not even be eating potatoes but a product that is legally regarded as a pesticide.

Over the past few weeks I’ve been enjoying reading the works of Michael Pollan. I started with “An Omnivore’s Dilemma“, followed with “In Defense of Food” and recently finished “The Botany of Desire“. In the last title Pollan features a chapter exploring the history of the potato plant. What struck me as very intriguing was the rise of the New Leaf Potatoe by Monsanto in the late 1990s.

Every plant has its pest. The traditional enemy of the potato plant is the Colorado Potato Beetle. To prevent loss farmers have resorted to spraying large amounts of pesticides. Unfortunately certain fruits and vegetables end up containing the trace amounts of poison. Pound for pound these tubers store more pesticides than many other vegetables. Monsanto engineered a potato which actually produced the pesticide within the plant eliminating the need to spray. These New Leaf Potatoes as they were marketed became a hot commodity as farmers looked to increase profit potential by eliminating the need to spray. The interesting piece that Pollan points out is that the product itself was classified not as a plant but as a pesticide due to its altered nature. Once again not a plant but a poison.

Rest assured consumer chagrin lead to the product being dropped rather quickly as shareholder demands and threats convinced many corporations, McDonalds included, to drop the purchasing of genetically modified plants.

I’m puzzled by a few thoughts after reading Pollan:

1. How removed we all are from where our food comes from. I’ve never given it much thought. I go to the store I buy what I like or looks good and I eat it. I think I should give it more thought. Is it normal to eat Asparagus in February when you live in the Midwest? Just how far did my food have to travel anyway? What type of life did the animal that produces my Sunday bacon live? Was he a happy pig rooting around in the mud or trapped in feed cage and force fed corn for the last few months of his life? Should I care after all I’m going to eat him anyway?

2. What role does the consumer, big business, government play in all of this? Reading about the potatoes was certainly interesting. It was also frightening. But what created this system to begin with? I could rant against the corporations but they are just providing the consumers what they want: cheap food. The government and the farm bill certainly encourages monoculture agriculture which is problematic in and of its own right. Monoculture means to raise one crop on a large scale. Doing this disrupts a balance with tends to increase the threat of pest. This increases the needs for chemical controls. The pest builds up a tolerance and new poisons are needed and on and on it goes. We could give up monoculture. Think of a garden. If you plant carrots next to onions the onions repel the carrot fly and the carrots the onion fly. The natural synergy prevents the need for pesticide. But the trade off is farms in such a manner can’t really produce food on the scale we need to feed the population we have.

3. What is the alternative?
So if we want a safe nutritious food supply what is the solution? I don’t know. Personally I feel motivated to have my own land and grow my own food. I’m growing tired of pushing paper and like a challenge. Gardening this summer has opened my eyes to a whole range of possibilities I’ve never considered before. I’m inspired by new farm heroes like Joel Salatin featured below and in Pollan’s “Omnivore’s Dilemma”.

I’ve enjoyed gardening this summer. It’s my first foray into the field but I have found it to be incredibly stimulating and enjoyable. I’ve probably posted more about the garden than I should but hey this is all new to me. I’ve learned the hard way that the intensity of a jalapeno pepper is directly related to the temperature under which it is grown.

Earlier in the season I enjoyed some peppers from my garden which were rather mild in flavor. I made the mistake of assuming all the peppers would be equally mild throughout the season. I picked four or five this evening along with a few big boy tomatoes, green beans, and my first cucumber. I diced the cucumber and ate it with some ranch dressing, boiled the beans and melted some butter over them and enjoyed them with some salt. I made the mistake of presuming I could eat the jalapenos raw. After I took a large bite I immediately realized this latest batch of peppers has much more intense than the last. I felt as if I was going to vomit.

Live and learn.

Tomorrow I will try to make some poppers out of the remaining peppers tomorrow. I’ve experienced with some cream cheese combinations and diced peppers before. To try something new I’ll stuff these ones with various cheeses and bread and fry them. I’ll keep you posted and make a movie of it perhaps.