3 ½ Time Outs

A Day Late and Still not a Flying Car Edition

Hosted by Acts of the Apostasy.

-1-

Link to video.

-2-

I've heard it said that if aspirin were created today, it would be called a super drug. In a similar fashion, toothpaste may be a super cleaner.

From Gizmodo:

11 Other Uses for Toothpaste

Besides keeping your teeth sparkly, toothpaste offers a wide range of cleaning, cosmetic—even healing abilities around the house. Just be sure to use the white pasty stuff, not gel. And for any of these tips that call for an actual toothbrush, just consider that tool off-limits for the mouth from here on out.

1. Perfume your palms - Cutting onions, cleaning fish, or handling garlic can leave a strong odor on your hands. Wash them with toothpaste to remove the smell.

2. Clean your Jewelry - Use a soft toothbrush with a tiny amount of toothpaste to brush dull metal jewelry, then rinse and polish it to a shine with a soft cloth. Soak seriously grungy metal in a cup of water with dissolved toothpaste. Don't use it to get a pearly white finish on actual pearls—toothpaste damages the surface.

3. Put paste on a damp sponge to wipe crayon off painted walls

4. Defog goggles - The mild abrasive in toothpaste is perfect for removing the crud that causes your sporty eyewear to fog up. As a preventative measure, just lightly rub toothpaste inside a diving mask, motorcycle goggles, or on a hockey helmet face guard. Wipe and rinse the surface clean. (Note: YMMV—toothpaste can remove special coatings like anti-glare treatments.)

5. Clear zits - Cover pimples with a dab of toothpaste before you hit the sack, then wash your face clean in the morning. This works for bug bites and bee stings too—just remove the stinger first. The paste will dry out and shrink your offending blemishes.

6. Do your nails - Toothpaste works on toenails and fingernails like it does on teeth. Clean your nails with a toothbrush and paste to make them strong and shiny.

7. De-funk a bottle - Wash baby bottles with toothpaste and a bottle scrubber, making sure to rinse them very well with water. The paste will get rid of that nauseating sour milk smell.

8. Remove soap scum - Rub a glass shower door with a damp sponge and a squirt of toothpaste. For heavy scum and soap stains, let the toothpaste sit on the door for several minutes before rinsing it off.

9. Polish chrome faucet fixtures

10. Hide drink rings - If you aren't fanatical about putting coasters under your drinks, then you probably have water rings on your wooden furniture. Rub them off with toothpaste and a soft cloth.

11. Remove stains - Scrub a carpet stain with toothpaste on an abrasive brush, then rinse with water. Tough stains require a couple of scrubbings. Toothpaste can also remove stains in cotton clothes, but it doesn't work for all types of fabric.

-3-

Link to video.

-3 ½-

And about those flying cars that should only be three years away if life imitates art:



Link to video.

They may be closer than you think.

3 ½ Time-outs

Some Catholic Stuff Edition

Hosted by Acts of the Apostasy.

-1-

With it being the first day of the month, here are Pope Benedict's prayer intentions for May. Feel free to join me in a daily "Hail Mary" for the pope's intentions.

General Intention - The Family. That initiatives which defend and uphold the role of the family may be promoted within society.

Mission Intention - Mary, Guide of Missionaries. That Mary, Queen of the World and Star of Evangelization, may accompany all missionaries in proclaiming her Son Jesus.

You can also check out reflections from the Apostleship of Prayer (website or pdf.)

-2-

"Workmen and all those laboring in conditions of poverty will have reasons to rejoice rather than grieve, since they have in common with the Holy Family daily preoccupations and cares." - Pope Leo XIII

Today is the Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker, which was established in 1955 by Pope Pius XII as a counter to the celebrations in Communist countries as the Day of the International Solidarity of Workers. St. Joseph gives all workmen a model and a protector and helps inform the Christian understanding of the dignity of work and providing for one's own family, as he provided for the Holy Family.

CatholicCulture.org suggests that today also would be a good day to pray for atheistic Communism's influence to cease and a proper application of the principles explained by Leo XIII in Rerum novarum and John Paul II in Centesimus annus to be the guide used by nations.

-3-

For Greater Glory, tells the largely untold story of the Cristero War and Mexico’s struggle with religious liberty.

The Cristero War (also known as the Cristiada) of 1926 to 1929 was an uprising and counter-revolution against the Mexican government. The rebellion was rooted in the persecution of Roman Catholics, namely the strict enforcement of the anti-clerical provisions of the Mexican Constitution of 1917 and the further expansion of anti-clerical laws. After a period of peaceful resistance, a number of skirmishes took place in late 1926 with the formal rebellions beginning in January 1927. The rebels were called Cristeros because their fighting cry was for "Cristo Rey" ("Christ the King").

The movie stars Andy Garcia, Peter O'Toole, and Eva Longoria. It is scheduled to release in the US in June.

-3 ½-

Keeping with both the religious liberty theme and in honor of the many May crownings with flowers happening today... We will know the end of our great republic is near when this joke ceases to be funny to 2nd and 3rd graders:

Q: If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?
A: Pilgrims!

Thankfully, giggles aplenty were heard from Troglotykes #5 and #6.

3 ½ Time-outs

Around the Horn Edition
(sports, culture, economy, science/tech)

Hosted by Acts of the Apostasy.

-1-

The University of Minnesota has hired Norwood Teague as its new athletic director. Mr. Teague comes to the U from Virginia Commonwealth, where he established a record of fundraising and facilities development, both of which are glaring and growing needs at Minnesota. Critics are concerned that VCU does not have a varsity football program indicates a hole in his background, but supporters are quick to point out that that should make Teague feel right at home with the Golden Gophers.

-2-

The split earlier this month of “Mike and Ike” over “creative differences” has been characterized on both the left and the right as a gay “divorce.” However, as Anderson Cooper has reported, Mike and Ike are not gay, much less “married.” Just sayin’.

-3-

As of about noon CDT…

US National Debt: $15,680,107,000,000 and counting
US National Debt to GDP: 103.67% and counting

-3 ½-

It looks like there is more hope on the horizon for the “folically challenged,” this time through stem cell therapy:

3 ½ Time-outs

The Tax Day Edition

Hosted by Acts of the Apostasy.

-1-

Ugh! Glad that's over.

-2-

One silver lining for this year (I guess) of making less money than last year is that our effective tax rate penalty for large families (aka AMT) was only about 1%. Small favor.

-3-

I'm not one to get too worked up about millionaire politicians who insist that the "rich," who have "won life's lottery," do their "fair share" to "lend a hand up, not give a hand out" by "giving back(!)" to those who have been "less fortunate," while they themselves only have single digit percentages of charitable donations on their tax returns. After all, there is no law that requires anyone to declare charitable giving on his taxes. In fact, I, for one, don't declare everything for various reasons (call me crazy), some reasons more saintly than others, and would like to be generous in giving them the benefit of the doubt. However, on this day, perhaps more than others during the year, the feeling I get is that they believe authentically that paying taxes to the government at the point of a gun is a charitable act.

"If ever a time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in Government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

-3 ½-

Now it's off to chaperoning 6th graders on their field trip to Camp St. Croix.

3 ½ Time-outs

The Rick Santorum Edition

Hosted by Acts of the Apostasy.

-1-

This wasn't the high point of his campaign, but it may have been him at his best.

-2-

I have major reservations when the case for a candidate is predicated greatly on biography, which is partly why I didn't buy the electability argument to be necessarily in Romney's favor. If you were to ask Republicans for a list of desirable biographical traits for president, this would likely be a compelling list:

• Rags to riches story (the bootstrap thing)
• Devoutly religious, preferably Christian
• College degree, preferably from a prestigious institution
• Military experience, preferably active duty, preferably an officer
• Private sector experience, preferably a business owner
• Political experience (enough to not be a n00b)
• Executive experience, preferably as a governor, but military, or business OK

A pretty good list for Republicans I should think. So what's the rub? We've had a president who met all 7 criteria. Who? Jimmy Carter. In the end, it's really about the man...

-3-

Yes, irreverent, juvenile, crude, and even predictable to a certain extent, but one thing I will miss is a summer's worth of L. Brent Santorum.

-3 ½-

With this being, as Rick Santorum said, one of the most important elections of our lifetimes and a fight for the future of America, wouldn't it be nice to be able to call on some saints who could really bring it? Oh, wait... we can do that.

3 ½ Time-outs Tuesday

Hosted by Acts of the Apostasy.

-1-

Real men pray the rosary. Cowboy up.

-2-

I'm all in for Rick Santorum. To the convention. I caucused for him in February. I voted for delegates to our CD and state conventions that support him. For the first time, I've given money to a presidential candidate's campaign during the primary. Yes, I've committed a lot of chips. And I realized it doesn't matter what cards come up next Tuesday, or next month, I would just keep calling to the end. I still like my hand, so I'm pushing them all in, to the point that I'm a micro-bundler. I don't buy the early "unity" argument for the fall, or that there's damage in "dragging it out." Respect the process; play it out.

-3-

An early indicator that Facebook may have just peaked. Of all things, a QR code? Really?

-3 ½-

I really don't know what all happened with Trayvon Martin. And neither do you. Respect the process; let it play out.