Is Cursive Dying?

This little write-up at PSFK talks about the "death of handwriting" but doesn't tackle what I would suggest is the root cause: the decline of religious sisters in our Catholic schools.

After all, I think that Sister Mary Stanley was solely responsible for and the sole shareholder in the Palmer Penmanship method. Right?

Seriously, though, the article reports:

In today's world, this seems logical - formal cursive handwriting just
doesn't seem necessary when so much communication is done via keyboard
entered text. Even schools are phasing out penmanship. The Globe
reports that A 2007 US Department of Education study shows nine out of
10 teachers only devote an average of 70 minutes per week to the
teaching of handwriting.

Wow. I think nine out of 10 of my teachers devoted 70 hours per week to handwriting exercises. In fact, I think Suzanne was once awarded a "best penmanship award" of one sort or other at our school. Me not so much. That lowercase "z" always got to me. Of course I'm reminded of that now every time I write my wife's name on the envelope of an "I love you" card.

In all seriousness, I do all I can to keep penmanship alive and well when I write in my journal every day. Or week. Or month. Or whatever else it ends up being. And I will be excited to help ensure Thomas and Matthew develop good penmanship as they graduate from crayons to pencils.

Read the whole article.

The Mormon Index

Photo: Monday Jan. 12 2009: Deor Jorgensen helps restock the shelves at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Bishops' Storehouse in Bridgeton. Jorgensen, of O'Fallon, Ill., volunteered at the food pantry on Monday. (Ryan Gladstone/P-D/STLToday.com)

It's called the "Mormon Index."

It's an obscure gauge of the economy's direction, tied to food assistance and stockpiling by members the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It's been called the Mormon Index, and it's rising.

For Mormons, heeding their church leaders' call to stockpile food fills a psychological need to be prepared for calamities. And when Mormons build up those stockpiles, some economists prick up their ears.

Tim Townsend of the Post-Dispatch writes of the rise in the Index in the St. Louis area and nationwide.

He continues...

"We believe temporal welfare is important to how we live as Christians," said Kent Holt, president of the church's O'Fallon, Ill., stake, one of four local geographical subdivisions, each of which includes about 10 congregations. "The church has a focus on helping its members be self-reliant and maintain their independence."
...
In the wake of the Great Depression, church leaders said they received a revelation from God that Mormons should keep a long-term supply (currently one year) of essential food staples, and a three-month, rotating supply of food eaten more frequently
....
"The revelation to store food may be as essential to our temporal salvation today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah," he said
....
"If you have three months' worth of food and for some reason you couldn't leave your house, or you lost your job, that's one thing you wouldn't have to think about right away," Winona Black said.

It's a fascinating article, and brings to mind imagery of our own food store at our house, the efforts of MARTHA at our church, and our current economic outlook.

Culture of responsibility is culture of life

It starts with a byline of "The black poverty rate, which has been frozen at twice the national average for decades, is almost exclusively a phenomenon of single parent homes."

It boldly continues "Maybe our first black president doesn't know that, despite blacks being
just 12 percent of the American population, black babies constitute 37
percent of all our aborted children. One of every two black pregnancies
is aborted."

And then "But if there is no problem in destroying the unborn child, why is
reducing abortions a goal? If it is okay to do once, why not twenty
times? Or a million times a year, like now?"

And the valid observation "For those who claim that Christian conservatives care only about
abortion and gay marriage and are indifferent to social issues such as
poverty, know that they are all one and the same issue...

"No, this is not about "reproductive freedom." This about respect for life, for others, and a true culture of responsibility... What can be done?... Understand
that our crisis is one of values. Restore law that protects all life.
And free at risk children from the tyranny of government schools where
they are taught moral relativism. Allow these children the freedom to
go to church schools."

Read the whole thing.

If electing a Barack Obama as president frees and empowers a national commentator to write such open, piercing, and necessary thoughts and questions, could we go ahead and elect a few more?

In prayerful vigil for President Obama's "new era of responsibility..."

Imagine the Potential

This is remarkable. Of course, I have to give credit. I've seen this come up in my Google Reader on several blogs the last few days, but it was Home Built Upon the Rock's entry that finally got me to click through and check it out.

I hope "He" thinks about this side of the issue before making any big "choices"...

CatholicVote.com

Now off to our evening of Prayer & Penance For Life here in the Tri-Cities.
Reconciliation & the Rosary at 5:45...
Mass at 6:30...
Light soup & bread dinner afterward.

Please join us at Holy Family tonight.