Welcome Trick-or-Treaters!

Hmmm ...

(Alternate Title: This is Why I Carry a Camera)

It's hard to imagine who these enormous footy-pajamas with glow-in-the-dark dinosaurs were made for, but the inside-out sleeve is evidence that someone tried them on. Really, the feet are mostly flat on the ground but it's still way above Jen's head!

election mail run amok

Along with the other 13 pieces of election-related mail received today was one from the Political Action Committee of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons encouraging us to vote for Norm Coleman.

I'm not sure how he's related to the group. The surgeons seem to support Norm's work to increase Pell Grants and Perkins Loans, and his vote to increase the child tax credit.

Day One of the Novena to Our Lady of Victory

Lord, have mercy on us,
Christ, have mercy on us,
Christ, hear us,
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

Our Lady of Victory, (Pray for us)
Victorious daughter of the Father, (Pray for us)
Victorious Mother of the Son, (Pray for us)
Victorious Spouse of the Holy Spirit, (Pray for us)
Victorious servant of the Holy Trinity, (Pray for us)
Victorious in your Immaculate Conception, (Pray for us)
Victorious in crushing the serpent's head, (Pray for us)
Victorious over all the children of Adam, (Pray for us)
Victorious over all enemies, (Pray for us)
Victorious in your response to the Angel Gabriel, (Pray for us)
Victorious in your wedding to St. Joseph, (Pray for us)
Victorious in the birth of Christ, (Pray for us)
Victorious in the flight to Egypt, (Pray for us)
Victorious in your exile, (Pray for us)
Victorious in your home at Nazareth, (Pray for us)
Victorious in finding Christ in the temple, (Pray for us)
Victorious in the mission of your Son, (Pray for us)
Victorious in His passion and death, (Pray for us)
Victorious in His Resurrection and Ascension, (Pray for us)
Victorious in the Coming of the Holy Spirit, (Pray for us)
Victorious in your sorrows and joys, (Pray for us)
Victorious in your glorious Assumption, (Pray for us)
Victorious in the angels who remained faithful, (Pray for us)
Victorious in the happiness of the saints, (Pray for us)
Victorious in the message of the prophets, (Pray for us)
Victorious in the testimony of the patriarchs, (Pray for us)
Victorious in the zeal of the apostles, (Pray for us)
Victorious in the witness of the evangelists, (Pray for us)
Victorious in the wisdom of the doctors, (Pray for us)
Victorious in the deeds of the confessors, (Pray for us)
Victorious in the triumph of all holy women, (Pray for us)
Victorious in the faithfulness of the martyrs, (Pray for us)
Victorious in your powerful intercession, (Pray for us)
Victorious under your many titles, (Pray for us)
Victorious at the moment of death, (Pray for us)
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Hear us, Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy, Lord.
Pray for us, blessed Lady of Victory.
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.


Let us pray:
Our Lady of Victory, we have unshaken confidence in your influence with your
Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Humbly we ask your intercession for all of us
associated under your title, Our Lady of Victory.
We beg your powerful assistance also for our own personal needs. (Please
mention here your special intention in you own words.) In your maternal
kindness please ask Jesus to forgive all our sins and failings, and to
secure His blessings for us and for all the works of charity dedicated to
your name. We implore you to obtain for us the grace of sharing Christ's
victory and your forever in the life that knows no ending. May we join you
there to praise forever the Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy
Spirit, on God, for all the ages to come. Amen.

Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To Thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To Thee do we send up our
sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn, then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us.
And after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of Thy womb,
Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary,
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God:
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that any one
who fled to Thy protection, implored Thy help, and sought Thy intercession,
was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto Thee, O Virgin
of virgins, my Mother. To Thee I come; before Thee I stand, sinful and
sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate! despise not my petitions, but in
Thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

All this we ask of The Father in the name of Mary's Son, Our Lord Jesus
Christ who lives and reigns with Him and the Holy Spirit forever and ever.
Amen.

Father Corapi's Rosary Novena for the Election

I've received this reminder to pray for the election outcome as an email forward from quite a few sources and will try to remember to update the reminders each day. Lord, please have mercy on our country!

From Father Corapi's Call For A Rosary Novena:

I strongly urge every one of you to make a Novena and pray the Rosary to Our Lady of Victory between October 27th and Election Day, November 4th. Pray that God's will be done and the most innocent and utterly vulnerable of our brothers and sisters will be protected from this barbaric and grossly sinful blight on society that is abortion. No woman, and no man has the right to choose to murder an innocent human being. May God grant us the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and counsel to form our consciences in accordance with authentic Catholic teaching, and then vote that well-formed Catholic conscience.

Update: I'll blog the reminders at the Church Lady site.

This could turn into something good!

Southwest Airlines to enter Minneapolis market

Southwest Airlines Co. plans to begin service next March to Minneapolis, its first new city in more than a year, even as the airline faces a "very significant risk of slowing demand" due to an economic slowdown, Chief Executive Gary Kelly said Wednesday.

The Minneapolis service will initially be limited to flights to and from Chicago.

Since Air Tran left last spring, Northwest has no competition allowing them to charge over $600 for some flights to and from Chicago!

And from the Strib:

Tickets on the Twin Cities-Chicago route currently are "very high priced," Kelly said in a Wednesday interview. "We love it when we find city-pair markets that are overpriced and underserved."

Tom Parsons, CEO of www.bestfares.com, said the Southwest development is huge. Southwest "saw high prices where they could come in and drop your prices like a rock," Parsons said. He added that Southwest also will appeal to consumers because it doesn't charge any fees for the first two checked bags. Northwest and many other big carriers now levy bag fees, such as $15 for the first bag on Northwest.

"You probably have 100 U.S. cities who are envious of Minneapolis, because they want Southwest," Parsons said.

I'm pretty sure you can get this for Dad once it's released on DVD