liberal catholic sports music

2013-08-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

Most Americans are, or should be, aware that the United States is clearly the epicenter of protestant fundamentalism. By my rough estimate, around 80 per cent or religious focused TV sound the old themes of Biblical inerrancy ,skepticism of science . opposition to the findings science, no matter how widely accepted such findings are. All the way from the thousand year old earth, the denial of evolution. the mocking of global warming. sexual preference as innate ==the findings bearing on these issues. and others, are still stoutly denied.

But my focus here is not on the ignorance of these views but how such immunity to science and reason is effecting the American religious landscape and what it could lead to.

Must has been said and written in the last decades about the decline in numbers, and thus in influence, of what is called "the main stream churches." And such decline has clearly been evident. Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Lutheran, some forms of congregationalism struggle to keep membership figures. Even the Southern Baptist, historically fundamentalist. have had to creep up to the Republican Party, to help secure their, now mainly Southern anti liberal tendencies.

Now, I think there are two principal causes for the weakening of the main-line religions. First, the steady advance of science has made the rational undergirdings of supernatural religion less firm. What might have been accepted as quite believable ,say, 100 years ago, has become hard to accept. Just one example: The special creation by a creator of the world 5000 years ago is simply not acceptable even to those of very limited education. Denominations that attempted to grow by a combination of reason, tradition, and faith have seen reason(science) win much of the field , tradition not so sacrosanct , and faith, belief in the unseen, maybe not as good a tool to base living on

Second, we live in a world of many competing interest, and organized religion is just one among many. So how does organized religion 'hold its ground'?

Well, I suggest a "more bang for the buck" approach. I'm not just talking about bowling alleys, free movies, dawn to dusk activities, making the church your second 'home.'

No, I'm suggesting change the theological/practice scene, Bring back with much greater fervor the idea that was called "Enthusiasm" which was always around at least at the edge of historic Christianity and which Ronald Knox wrote so elegantly about. Religion is not primarily about reason and tradition. IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS RELIGION IS JUST A MATTER OF FEELING . Get the faithful together and through music, or preaching or visits of the holy spirit stir the emotional pot to boiling and reap the harvest of souls. How dare reason, tradition stand in the way of what we know by our own "inner feelings!!"

2013-08-21T07:34:00.000-07:00

MORMONS: Looney Tunes

I hate to be mean, but with this group, where do you start? Okay, it's our 'native' American religion, and it grows like a California wildfire. So there must be something there. RIGHT? Well, NO. Let's deal with METHOD, not Theology.

First, get a kind of shady crank guy.
Second, get some "Golden Tablets." straight from the BIG GUY or from one of his messangers..
Third, let your imagination run wild and make up some crazy history about jews and American Indians.
Four, throw in a little sex(man have many wives).
Five, spice things up with 'sacred temples'
Six. Have a university.
Seven Act like you have scholars.
Eight. Make it so garbled, you can just reinterpret any thing, anytime,

Hey, and don't forget the crazy underwear! Still can't figure that out. Your UNDERWEAR has religious significance!??

So, if your daughter wants to marry a Mormon? Not much you can do. Just swallow your pride. After all she might develop a yen for Scientology.

to have scholards

2013-08-20T12:23:00.002-07:00

Most reasonably educated Americans are familiar with the term "Fundamentalism" as that term us used American religious discourse. Historically it came into popular use around the term of the 20th to describe a reaction to liberalism in religious thinking associated with what was called "the higher criticism." This "criticism" turned a searching eye on the Biblical texts to see which were actual facts and occurencres as opposed to later, not always 'history,' in the sense of actual events or sayings.

The "fundamentalists," centered at first around Princeton University, rejected this "higher criticism" and drew up a list of 5 'fundamentals' which they claimed were absolutely essential to Christianity, indeed the very ;sine qua non' of the faith without which Christianity had no real eternal truth. In sum, the fundamentalist position was that the Bible was divinely inspired and was thus inerrant, that us without error in theology or fact. This inerrancy is still held by millions of Americans. This book with no errors might not be so troublesome if its perfection were confined to theological matters, but when expanded to history and science, the results become grotesque.

The problem with any type of fundamentalism is that it reeks of certainty. There is only one truth; all deviation from the 'fundamentals.' is, almost by definition, error ,if not outright evil, in religion and social thought.

Science, on the other hand, does not speak of certainty but probability. We call evolution in the natural world a theory, but as a theory with such a high degree of certainty that we slip into calling it a 'fact.' But if we say the evolving of species in a certain way is hard fact then we gave closed the door the further, if any, refinements of the basic theory. "Facts" cannot change. "Theories" leave the door open to further discoveries.

Now today we have three theories, accepted by many facts and thus not challengable , that are creating problems that are impeding the advance of knowledge. First is religious fundamentalism , the idea that certain writings Biblical cannot be subject to error; then political Islam, the belief that major parts of Islam must be force upon the rest of the world by force if necessary. and third, what I will call 'sexual fundamentalism,' doctrines about the sexual relationship of humans which, still day, cause major mischief in the lives and well being and happiness of millions.

50 percent solution

2013-07-10T19:35:00.000-07:00

The USA, when it comes to choosing a college to attend ,has advantage and problems. The over 3000 colleges gives an incredible range of choices. But also a problem: which one to go to? Having taught at Edison, Memorial, and Mason, I kind of know how students and parents generally go about making a decision about post high school formal education.
Of course, every parent thinks his/her child is as smart as can be. But as the child's schooling goes along, the parent comes to some reality. My experience with high schoolers shows three basic approaches to college selection. First, every parent dreams of the "Ivy League," although few students or parents can name these schools. The Ivy League to most is Harvard, Yale, and ,maybe Princeton, unaware of the other 6. But if the student gets accepted to one of these 3, then the parents have clearly established their superior genes! Second, if the "Ivies" don't 'call'---well what about a local or state public college? Local college can save big money. The student can live at home; the state public college gives real relief on tuition. Third, are what I call "prestige" colleges. The reason to go to one of these is not always clear. Maybe the student loves the school's sport program. So, how about Michigan, Notre Dame, or USC? Or maybe just the college name fascinates the youngster. Duke, Washington and Lee fit here. After all, Duke surely implies==well---aristocracy. And Washington and Lee , what name---the "founder" of our country AND a great, heroic general.
I'm not putting these colleges down. They're all first rate, but to many they are sought for the wrong reasons.
Well, how then to you pick a college to migrate to after high school? I suggest the student and his/her parents start by checking out 10 factors and compare. These factors are important to me, but maybe these could be starting points that should be looked at. My suggestions, then.
SIZE of student body. I prefer small student attendance. In addition to academics, a sense of community is important. And such a sense is hard to find if you're 1 of many thousands. I'll give a number just as a starting point. I'll use a maximum of 2500 students.
DISTANCE from your home city. I recommend within 800 miles from your home. The student may want to come home more than the three times you might find at a college on the 'other' side off the country. And, perish the thought,! your parents might want to visit you on campus a couple of times a year!
COMPETION I. In my experience with high school seniors, college should not be a constant struggle. So I suggest the student go there he/she is in the upper 50 per cent based on ACT or SAT scores. This gives you plenty to 'chase after' and plenty to---well, 'stand' on.
COMPETION II. Kind of like just above. Did you graduate in the upper 50 per cent of your high school class? You want others for you to 'chase' and others 'chasing' you.
ACCEPTANCE RATE. You may be near the top of your high school class; you may have really good ACT/SAT scores; BUT you may be competing for entry with hundreds or thousands just like you. Result: You may may not get accepted.
VARIETY. Most colleges want students from different states, different ethnicity, different social backgrounds etc. This factor can help or hurt you in being admitted.
LIVE ON C AMPUS. To me this is important. You're hardly in a community if the school is filled with commuters or off campus students.
WEEKENDS. Hopefully most students stay on campus on the weekend. You don't want to be left behind while a mob of your classmates go skiing or whatever
TUITION. You don't want to bankrupt your family. Need more be said.
DEBT. There are plenty of student loan programs . But who wants to spend the next decade or decades saddled with what could be heavy loan payments?
GREEKS. In other words, how many students belong to sororities and fraternities? Generally, I don't like them. They can further fragment the community feeling of the campus AND they can cost big money. But you may see it otherwise. So just reverse this negativity, and look at the Greek system as a positive

Where can you find information on the above criteria. The local library or bookstore has several huge books that will give you the answers you want. Not all these books 'tell' it all, but a combination of guides will reveal what you need to know.

Now, I'm going to try something a little different. Almost at random, I've selected 10 colleges and will try to quantify all the factors

2013-06-16T12:17:00.001-07:00

Basketball Conference To Watch for 'true' fans.

2011-12-31T15:09:00.000-08:00

As I've done with the Big 10, I will divide the Big 12 into three categories showing final conference standings.

WINNERS CIRCLE: Teams that have good chance to win regular season title: Baylor, Missouri, Kansas.

PLACE: Good teams, but not on same level as the above: Texas A and M, Kansas State, Texas.

MAYBE NEXT YEAR: OSU, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Iowa State.

Will give final standings later today or tomorrow.

2011-12-31T14:43:00.000-08:00

Our sports writer, jackjoe, is very excited about Big 12 basketball ths year. For the first time in years this major conference has a true home/away schedule for all teams. So he's dropping Big 10 forecast and doing Big 12 instead. Here's jackjoe.

Basketball

2011-12-26T12:58:00.001-08:00

I'll be posting on college basketball for a time.

MIMI THE HYPOCRITE

2011-06-05T10:43:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like a great hypocrite! AND the award(hypocrite of the month) must go to Mimi, the Louisiana gal. She loves the "Troll" defense. When she gets caught with her hand in the MP cookie jar, she screams "TROLL"!!!! See, she can't answer the comment.

But as a hypocrite, she is without competition. She claims I am a troll. BUT ignores that her master--MP--and one of his followers has sent, get ready---over , at least, 200 comments to my blog, the comments almost all consisting of no words, but just a long string of small 'boxes.' Maybe it's that MP love elixir she can't shake off.

Modine the Great

2011-05-14T20:24:00.000-07:00

The first dog Alice and I had after we got married was when our first child, John, was 3 years old. My wife and John went to a bad section of town to see the dog. The ad in the local paper had said 'part basset.' When they arrived at the owners trailer, they saw a medium size dog---that was about, let's say, 20 percent basset at best. No, it wasn't a classy looking dog, but both Alice and John immediately wanted the dog. They put the dog in the back seat with John and the dog rode to our home with her head in John's lap. And what to name her. Modine, Alice's kind of wrong side of the tracks hairdresser.

Modine(Mody) stayed in the house all day, but at night she slept in our garage. She had a good bed, right next to a hot water heater. Everything went great for awhile, until we noticed the door to our kitchen was being badly scratched by Mody. Most night she was very contented; but some nights she was nervous and wanted in. She was afraid of thunder we found out, and so she spent the rest of her years IN the house. She was a great house dog. Always going outside for her 'business,' and always kind and gentle. She loved the classical music I played on my stereo, lying in front of one of the speakers every time I started a record.Her preference was Vienesse music.

Probably our greatest memory of Mody was the Craig White "incident." Young (5) master White lived about 3 doors up from our house, and was a regular playmate of John and our first daughter, Meg. Craig was a nice enough kid, but was deathly afraid of Mody. His family had no pets. His mother told Alice that, of course, Craig was afraid of a large dog like Mody??? About 50 pounds at the most!! When Craig came down to play, he would knock at the door and timidly say,"Is Mody in." Meaning, is mody in the house and will she stay there.Mody loved to be in the yard with the kids, and they loved playing with her. But Alice, as the good neighbor, would keep Mody inside until Craig went home.\

But one day when the kids were playing in our front yard, and Mody was having lunch, Craig knocked on the door. "Is Mody in" he asked.Meaning can she not come out. Alice knew Mody could hurt no one. So Alice said, "Go get him Mody." And like a streak Mody ran as fast as she could with her heavy body. On her own , she pushed over the front screen, and chased Master Craig home, barking all the way, as Craig screamed as if attacked by a lion!!!

When Mody returned, Alice congradulated her, and Alice insists Mody had a smile on her face.

Dog Stories

2011-05-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

I believe it was Shakespeare who said something to the effect 'Never trust a person who doesn't love music.' In a way my wife Alice and I agree. But we were discussing the other evening what we thought was the absolute essential for us in evaluating any person. Surprisingly we came up with the same thing. 'We can't REALLY like a person who doesn't love and have a pet. Like a dog or cat.

And why? Well, even more than humans at almost any stage, a pet is the most helpless. Not only physically, but in understanding. You kick a child, and maybe they can 'rationalize' it, now or later in life. But a cat or dog; they just feel the pain, the fear and the insecurity.

Both my wife and my familes felt the same.Probably the only times in my life when I might have been taken to the local lockup involved dogs.My brother Bob (Bunny,as every one called him) and I were playing baseball 'catch' in our yard oner day when I was nine and Bunny was eleven.The man who lived in the house right behind us came yelling out of his house whipping his dog with a belt. No doubt for some misdead like peeing on the man's carpet. Looking back today---the fence is still there---I don't see how we jumped it. But we did. I had a ball bate and Bunny had himself, a super athlete and strong as any kid in our neighborhood. We ran up to the man, I, with a bat, Bun with just himself. Conversation: Bun and I: 'You hit that dog one more time and we'll knock every tooth out of your ugly face!!! The man ran into his house. The dog stayed in his yard and we never heard him yelp in pain again. Did the dog whipper call the police to have us taken 'in' for dangerous threats. No. And he soon moved away.

My second escape from the law occured about 17 years ago. I was sitting on a bench in my front yard about thirty feet from our quiet residential street. A man and his wife came down the street with their "fashionable" dog on some type of lease.Apparently, the couple were "training" the dog. It was a big dog, and everytime it walked in front of the couple, the man would jerk hard of the lease and the dog would rear back in pain.Good training, I guess. I yelled "Hey, buddy, come here." He came over , with his wife, to my bench. " Listen, buddy, pull on that chain again and I'm going to take it off your dog and put it around your neck, walk you down the street, and jerk it every five steps!!!" They left and, at least, never came down my street again. Did they call the law? No.

Real close scrapes with the law? You bet. But both threats on my part and Bun's were in the interest of helping, at least for a short time, those least capable of defending themselves.

In my next several posts, I'm going to pay tribute to Alice and my 'best' friends. Our human pets.

Einstein/Fudd

2011-05-08T12:33:00.000-07:00

Guys that have been following my college picks and advice: I will be terning things over to Dan F. and Father Will.Both are just as anxious to help you as much as they can. So, I'll leave, for now, and mention ten colleges I think you should look at depending on your particular situation. Dan and Father has the formula I worked out for you. Using it should be fun. Here are the schools for the above average---you ain't Einstein, but you're not Mr. Fudd either---student. And to all of you "Prayers Ascending." I'll explain that later.
Ten Colleges You Might Look At.
Not in order of preference. Several in Ohio. I was offered job at one, so kind of know scene.

Hiram College (Ohio)
Marietta College (Ohio)
Wittenberg College (Ohio)
Emory and Henry (Virginia)
Hendrix College (Arkansdas)
Baker University (Kansas)
Benedictine College (Kansas
Saint Edward's (Texas)
Drury College (Missouri)
Lynchburg College (Virginia)

NEW TREMENDOUSLY IMPORTANT BLOG NOTICE

2011-04-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

NEW BLOG POST. iF YOU WANT TO READ FRANKLANCE NEW POST,GO TO MY COMPLETE PROFILE AND PUNCH ON THE FRANKLANCE BLOG NAME AT THE BOTTOM OF MY PROFILE PAGE. FRANKLANCE TELLS ME HE POSTED ABOUT THE SAME THING ON HIS BLOG. DUPLICATION TO BE SURE. YOU JUNIORS NEED PARENTAL OKAY TO GO TO FRANKLANCE BLOG ;) :)

2011-04-28T11:49:00.000-07:00

Several of you have suggested I post some questions on college picks, give them numerical value,and, just for fun, and maybe a little enlightment, and see what results.

So here are the factors I am considering now. Remember we are taling about "above average" students, not the super smart or--well you see what I'm getting at.

At this point, these are the questions.

Would your SAT or ACT score be above average for the school?
Will you probably graduate in the upper two/fifths of your class?
Do you want a good majority of your college classmates to live on campus?
Do you prefer a school of 3,000 or less undergraduates?
Do you plan on joining a sorority/fraternity?
Do you have a maximum percentage of Greeks you would like at your college?

I have a couple of other ideas I'm mulling. I've been reading college profiles 'till almost blind.

See you later here, or in B...... Saturday.

Blog Notice.

2011-04-28T11:32:00.000-07:00

I am blogging at the present exsclusively on college choice. My son(who many of you met in S......Sunday is using the blog "Franklance" for a religious discussion. Continue to send your questions by e-mail. Thanks

The college "Greek System"

2011-04-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

The sorority/fraternity system at many colleges is something I believe potential students at the college should look at. Why? Well, at some schools these "Greek" groups are very dominant socially and prestige wise. And the Greek system is hierarchical. In other words, WHAT sorority or fraternity you belong to may be a factor in your campus life and recognition. Graduates of almost any college with a Greek system can, rather easily,"rank" these organizations from 'most desirable/pretigious' to be invited to join to 'least desirable/prestigious' to be invitedf to join.' And, at many schools your 'prestige' is important; going all the way to what parties you are invited to, to who you date.(I'm dating a Chi Omega---oh, yes, this is not uncommon).

Okay, call me a hypocrite, but I belong to a fraternity, as did my wife, and part of our choice of which one was determined by the 'prestige' of that group on the campus.We both did very well in the 'prestige' Greek organization we joined; but we both know today that the 'prestige' factor ir absurd in most cases.

Another factor: At a 'large' college/university (say over 5,000 undergrads) a sorority/fraterity membership can be important. Such membership gives you a "community" to attach to. The smaller the school, the less significant to you should Greek membership be. Sure, membership is okay at any school, IF, you don't get caught up in 'social/prestige' emphasis.

College search

2011-04-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

I'm coming back to my college suggestions, analysis, and opinions. For the past few days I have been reading 6 of the so called "college guides." They're all good. Of course, personal opinions are all over the place; but I don't think that's bad. In fact, it can be helpful.

The only drawback is the guides are not completely up to date. For example, almost all in material on Antioch College in Ohio which is now closed. But this little lag in information is not significant. After all almost all our colleges have been around for decades. I doubt if they change must in a year or two.

A couple of e-mails I've received ask me to state my 'preferences.' I think I've touched on them , but let me restate.

I favor small liberal arts colleges; not more than 5000 students at most.

I favor attending a school away from your home city.

I favor attending where you would fall , not at the bottom of the applicants, and not at the very top, but somewhere in the top 30 per cent.

Be back soon. I have almost caught up with your e-mails.

Check out your neighborhood asylum.

2011-04-03T12:03:00.000-07:00

Just got back last week from the East basketball regional. I'll try to catch up on my e-mails and questions. But I still need it appears to get my philosophy about 'choosing' a college first.

Several of you have sent me copies of and quotes from the many college guides available at the bookstores.Also the net has almost endless sites on how to choose a college. I see basically two mistakes that many potential college enrolees make.

" I want to go to A college because I'll have a chance to be taught by a Nobel prize winner." This is a rather common refrain. But there are two problems. One the Nobel prize winner, in all probability, wont teach a class you take. And two, he may be a great scientist or economist or whatever, but there is a good chance he/she may be a dreadful communicator==teacher.

Most of the questions from the high school kids are based on "How do a get some extra points on my SAT or ACT so I can "slip" into the "best" (prestigious?) college I can. Okay, my young friend,pay thousands for tutoring on these test and you might get your wish. So you won??You might slip into Harvard where---HOLD ON---you have a great chance to rank at the bottom of your classes with a possibility of a trip to your neighborhood psych clinic.

I've said before that at almost any college you attend will be staffed with profs that know at least 100 times what you know. And if you're a good student you may 'remember' about 15 per cent of what he's trying to get across. Or you can go to the "best" school you can "slip" in, and the profs (some of them ) may know 300 times what you know about the subject but for what good? You're still going to absorb the same amount of knowledge from the 100 per cent or the 300 percent teacher. So good luck.

Creepy English 'clergyman.'

2011-03-06T20:24:00.000-08:00

Guys, I definitely will answer your questions. I have several to get do.Your comments do not appear instantly because a weird little clergyman in England who can't find a job (no church will hire him) has collected a group of malcontents and fellow weirds around his blog. The guy is kind of preacher who is always asking for money so he can sit at home and and not have to work. I have to put 'comment moderation' on my blog since the little creepy or his 'flock' like to comment negatively on my blog because I have spent a good deal of time exposing his scam.

Home sweet home?Try something new.

2011-02-17T14:48:00.000-08:00

Okay, guys I'm looking forward to commenting on your preliminary lists. But a brief detour.

I think all of you probably wonder if you should go to the college 'down the road' a bit from your home.Of course there are advantages to going to college within, say, 300 miles of your home. Easier to get home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holidays.But remember I think going to a college should be like moving to a new 'hometown.' You need to be part of a community.You need to adjust to a community, a new community where you might just know 2 or3 people if that many. Part of anyones education to adapting to new surroundings and new friends.You can also make yourself over. If, for example, you were the class cut up in high school you can make yourself over about any way you please if you are in a new community.

So sure, come home at Christmas. But if you come home every weekend or on all 'holidays' then you might lose a great opportunity to have new experiences.College is a learning experience beyond just hearing lectures.

Picking a college. Three

2011-02-11T12:38:00.000-08:00

Hey, you highschool juniors in E....Your questions have been great. I'm holding responses to your questions in the hope I may answer them in a post. Don't worry, I read each one and in a few days will respond.

Now a majority of students I have worked with,a pattern becomes clear. Like a first love most of you have a college you are mad to be accepted at. And if you don't get accepted at your first love, then with broken heart you go to one of your state public university. That's fine. But I suggest you broaden your horizon. As a said in my earlier post:There is a college looking for you. Look wider and you may find that college.

First, then, I suggest you go by groups to start your college search.

I'll suggest a pattern that I follow and then you can adjust it to your situation.

So here we go.

I know your parents, and probably you, wonder how you might get into an Ivy League school.

Harvard, Yale, Princeton,Dartmouth---sure, there are other Ivies, but in our part of the country these are the Ivy League.Columbia and Penn and Cornell are Ivies, but they are large school with many graduate students and most first year college seekers from our part of the country usually find these last three a bit forbeidding. And we must add what I call Ivy League WEST. Standford, Cal, Tech, Cal Berkeley.

Group two are eastern colleges that are highly selective, but maybe you are not familiar with. In the public mind these schools may not be well known but they are fine schools just a little below the Ivies in prestige.Let me suggest a few.Williams, Lafayette,Colgate,Lehigh, Bucknell, and Holy Cross (for you papist::). There are a lot of schools in this category---I call them Ivy League "Lite." These are eastern schools, but you can make your own lists if you're not big on the East.

Group three are schools that are selective, yes, but for one reason or another are somewhat easier to get in to. Again there are lots of schools in this category so I've picked a state---OHIO---and mention several in that state that may be looking for an Okie if---and it can be a big if---the applicant ranks at least in the top quarter of his/her highschool graduating class. You might look at:Denison, Oberlin,Hiram, Wittenberg,Ohio Wesleyan. Okay, you haven't heard of these, but to people who know colleges these are fine schools.

Group four are schools within our general area: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas.They are generally comparable to the schools in Group Three. But a bit easier to get into. Four should be checked. Trinity University ( San Antonio), Austin College, Southwestern (Georgetown, Texas), and Hendrix College (Conway, Arkansas)

Now let's say you didn't set yourself on fire with the books in highschool. Are you destined to sell pencils on a street corner? Absolutely not. As life has it you may someday interviewing your best friend---a Dartmouth grad---for a home loan. But remember, you don't go to college just to get a better job. You go to college to get an INTRODUCTION to learning, and knowledge. You also will known, then, that learning and knowledge are mainly up to the individuals. So I recommend you guys in this group check out the schools in our home state. There are several that you can be accepted to. The school is the guide. But what you make of it is up to you.

Picking a college 2

2011-02-10T14:25:00.000-08:00

Since my last posting, I have received several comments and a handful of e-mails. Just a reminder: I do not like to make recommendations about particular colleges. If I slip and DO make a particular recommendations, remember the person who asks my opinion must make the final decision.

Before I get into the procedure I believe can be helpful, let me deal with a question on the minds of students AND parents, ie, should a potential student consider how well the school is known by the general public. I had this question decades ago when I was applying for a fellowship to work on a doctor's degree. To make it brief, I narrowed the offers down to Duke and Emory. I took the Emory offer and when I told my sainted mother her reply was "why didn't you pick a school people had heard about?" ZAP!!!

I don't believe prospective employers really care WHAT college you graduated from. Sure, they want you to have a degree--it shows you can stick to something. But whether you graduated from, say, Kansas State or Bucknell,really makes little difference.

Not considering the Ivy League schools, most students and parents basically know a college by its football team. Thus, in my grandson's catholic middle school most of the kids want to go to Notre Dame. Most don't even know about Georgetown, unless by chance they are a close follower of basketball.

Three students I had in a class at a highly ranked high school illustrate my point. Jerry wanted to go to Georgetown. But his scores on the SAT were good but not that good. Out of kindness I ask my father-in-law, a graduate of Georgetwn and a close friend of the Chancellor at the school to see if the school would take a chance on letting Jerry come to the school. To my surprise, Georgetown accepted Jerry. Alas, Jerry 'candied' out and emrolled in our state university. Jim, a state champion swimmer, joined by his parents was crazed to go to Yale. Great academically and national champion in swimming. His parents asked me to tutor Jim on the vocabulary test on the SAT. He retook the test---the first time he took the test he did well but not up to Yale's standard. He did better the second time, but still not enough---so Jim, like, Jerry, went to one of our state universities.And then another Jim was set on Washington and Lee, but at the last minute wen to our hometown---very good University.

College 'picking.'

2011-02-06T13:19:00.000-08:00

I'll have to leave the "scam man"(MadPriest) and his "enablers"(life is a conspiracy against YOU) to continue their "dance" while I devote several posts to a group of high school juniors who are trying to find their way to choosing a college to attend next year.

I had the opportunity to meet with these high scool juniors in a forum called "Where Shall I Go?". The forum was held in a high school in a city about 75 miles from my hometown. All of us had a great discussion, and I am continuing with my thoughts here on my blog. A few startibg points.

There is a college looking for you. The USA has over 2500 colleges and universities. And one or several schools would be delighted if you came to their campus as a student.

A college education is just a beginning of your education. When we oldsters look back, we see that most of our knowledge comes AFTER college. A college education is just a small part of the knowledge you will obtain in your lifetime.

The college you go to need not be loaded with 'nobel' prize professors. All the teachers you will have know more than you do. Take advantage of their intelectual achievements.

You should look upon the college experience like moving to a new town. All aspects---classroom time dorm life---yes, even the food you will eat---all of these and many others--- are things you need to check out. In most probability you will live at your campus for 4 years.

Don't be defensive. The colleges you look at need you just as much or more than as you need the colleges. You are the consumer; the college is the seller.

I'll be back here in a couple of days. I have some observations you might want to consider. If you have question, you might want to wait to see my predelictions. And then fire away.

Of course I can't choose for you. But my experiences in helping students find the "right" college may be of help.

Here we go again.

2011-01-10T15:26:00.000-08:00

Over at MadPriest blog the 'enablers' are out in full force.They say just one thing: MP, you are right and the Church is crapping on you.

MP probably doesn't realize what has happened. His 'friends' have spent several years encouraging him to believe he is God's gift to humanity! Any moderation, any understanding of those he disagrees with---all these are anathema to MP and his enablers.

I just hope MP can see what has happened, and that his latest self martyrdom is not just a ploy to get more money.

Thank God. And his name is JONATHAN

2011-01-06T10:13:00.000-08:00

Both President Obama and the Repubs. insist their primary goal is to create JOBS. There are many suggestions as to how to acheive more jobs.

Well, we Americans need to swallow our pride and look to the mother country---England.

A cleric or ex-cleric in our mother country has solved the problem of unemployment.

HOW: If you are unemployed, get a blog. Show with multiple posts how your fellow Americans have let you down.On your blog, get a paypal account and ask those who pass your way to send you MONEY!! Afterall it's the government's fault,Christianity's fault,some bishop's fault you can't find a job-----you could tailor your 'meanies' to suit your position in life!!

Bingo. There are plenty of suckers in our country, and if each will send you just a 'small' amount of money---hell, you may wind-up never having to find employment. Just sit at home in front of your computer, let the MONEY roll in. At times you may need to 'fire up' your patrons with some posts on how life has picked you out to s..t on.So, Obama look to our 'mother.' She has the answer. Thank God she has given, or sent us a savior. Thank God for MP!!