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Good stuff from Dave Kopel today! This is a laugh riot!

The Cheney presidency. For two, two and a half, hours America was captivated by the charisma, charm, and vigor of our new president. It was a shimmering time of high hopes, new frontiers, and low-fat salad dressing.
After 18 months of steady, paternal leadership by the grandfatherly war hero George W. Bush, America was ready for the infusion of youthful energy and out-and-out sex appeal that President Cheney represented. Taking the reigns of power with his glamorous wife Lynne by his side, the new president stirred a nation with his fiery eloquence, calling upon all Americans to embrace “the next couple of hours” as a time when the “torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans born in the middle — or, actually, a little bit before the middle — of the last century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter personal trainer who’s really putting me through my paces weight-loss-wise.”

As for me I enjoyed the Cheney Presidency while it lasted. Though I respect the man immensely as a statesman and a capitalist, I doubt he would ever win the top spot in an election.

I’ve heard from a number of readers on a great resource: http://www.latinliturgy.com/

It’s a directory of Masses in Latin, using either the classical or reformed Roman rite, in either USA or Canada. Thanks to everyone who wrote!

Steve – you know Marty Haugen is not on my top 40 list, but this week several of his pieces fit fine and the congregation sang the roof off. The plain chant Gloria (in English) was sung with as much fervor as “Gather Us In.” So – I’m happy with how things went on Sunday. Don’t worry – it won’t be the Summer of Haugen. And for all you bloggers out there who hate “Gather Us In” both musically and theologically, all I can say is: every now and then you need to stop by McDonalds and get a BigMac and fries.
BTW – there’s two big reasons why Arvo Part can’t replace Haugen: you need a professional choir to do it right, and the congregation can’t sing along. One of these days we’ll try the Beatitudes – but even that is way out there in terms of the difficulty level.
I haven’t blogged about Church music much lately… maybe it’s time I get off the wagon!

We’ve got masstimes.com, now we need latinmasstimes.com. I’m serious! This from a reader in Maryland who wants to find a nearby church with a regular norvus ordo Latin Mass. If any of our wonderful readers know of such a parish, please email me and I’ll pass it along.

I am a neophyte at St. Blog’s (still sitting in the back wondering how
the Communion line forms) but I really have enjoyed the posts at
Catholic Light. I came in too late to see your post about the Latin Mass
at your parish. Any chance it will continue?
I am a luckless mezzo cantor stuck in central Maryland surrounded the
liturgical produce of His Eminence the Cardinal. Do we have drums with
little tinkly chimes in our butt-ugly churches? You betcha! By any
chance do you know of a decent looking church with properly revent
music going on during the Holy Sacrifice in the domain of His Eminence?
I’ve tried calling various parish offices and asking “Has your music
director sold his soul to OCP?” but a lot of the wymen answering the
phones think I’m asking for birth control and refer me to the local
clinic. Sigh. But seriously, I hate the thought of my children growing
up thinking that Marty Haugen invented Catholic music. There must be a
way to show them the other side but can it be done without putting
thousands of miles on the very unsexy minivan? That is the question.

If this blog had no readers I wouldn’t get email like this:

The Arvo Pärt is a good idea: you hafta purify yourself
after all that gloppy Haugen-Dazs.