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The reason this blog is called "Iceman for Christ" is I was a member of Navel Mobile Construction Battalion that complete construction of the South Pole Station in 1974. At that time there was only one priest in Antarctica and I was asked by him to give the eucharistic to my fellow Catholics at a protestant service celebrated by the Battalion Chaplin on Sundays. At that time only priestly consecrated hands could give the eucharist. There were not eucharist ministers at that time. I was given permission by a letter from the bishop to handled our Lord. Years later I was reading the bible and read "and you shall take me to the ends of the earth." I reflected on it for a second and thought Yes, been there done that. Be not afraid and serve Christ King. Greater is HE; than he who is in the world.

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Friday, November 19, 2021

 

TOILET-PHILOSOPHY DAY- FULL BEAVER MOON

 

Proverbs, Chapter 2, Verse 1-12

1 My son, if you receive my words and treasure my commands 2 Turning your ear to wisdom, inclining your heart to understanding; 3 Yes, if you call for intelligence, and to understanding raise your voice; 4 If you seek her like silver, and like hidden treasures search her out, 5 Then will you understand the FEAR of the Lord; the knowledge of God you will find; 6 For the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; 7 He has success in store for the upright, is the shield of those who walk honestly, 8 Guarding the paths of justice, protecting the way of his faithful ones, 9 Then you will understand what is right and just, what is fair, every good path; 10 For wisdom will enter your heart, knowledge will be at home in your soul, 11 Discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you; 12 Saving you from the way of the wicked, from those whose speech is perverse.

 

Wherever your treasure is that is where your heart is and our hearts are made for the Lord.  Fear of the Lord means that we have a father/son relationship of care, respect and love.  Our God does not want to be objectified as some obtainable good.  Nor does our God want to be appeased with our prayers and obedience. God is not a insurance agent that guarantees us against losses if we pay our premiums in prayers.  If God is our treasure, he is our star, our life, our everything.  

In the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium of the Holy Father Francis, he states: 

We have a treasure of life and love which cannot deceive, and a message which cannot mislead or disappoint. It penetrates to the depths of our hearts, sustaining and ennobling us. It is a truth which is never out of date because it reaches that part of us which nothing else can reach. Our infinite sadness can only be cured by an infinite love. 

I am reminded of the love of Don Quixote in the play “Man from La Mancha”.  If God is our treasure, he should be our Impossible Dream because we are His.

World Toilet Day[1]

World Toilet Day aims to raise awareness of sanitation and hygiene issues around the world. Poor sanitation and hygiene refer to lack of access to clean drinking water, toilets and showers. Poor sanitation drastically increases the risk of disease and malnutrition, especially for women and children. Today, 2.6 billion people, about one-third of the population on the planet, do not have access to proper sanitation, a problem that kills nearly 1 million young children every year. World Toilet Day was designated by the United Nations in July 2013. It is celebrated annually on November 19 as people all over the world take action and support the basic human right of access to clean water and sanitation.

World Toilet Day Facts & Quotes

·        1 in 8 people in the world practices open defecation, meaning that the person must relieve him/herself without cover or shelter from other people.

·        The average person spends one hour and 42 minutes a week on the toilet, or nearly 92 days over his/her lifetime.

·        Diarrhea is the second leading cause of deaths in children under age 5 in developing countries. Diarrhea is primarily due to poor hygiene and sanitation

·        The 2030 Agenda calls on us to renew our efforts in providing access to adequate sanitation worldwide. We must continue to educate and protect communities at risk, and to change cultural perceptions and long-standing practices that hinder the quest for dignity. – Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations.

World Toilet Day Top Events and Things to Do

·        Watch a movie about toilets and the importance of sanitation. Some suggestions are: Guts For Change (2015), A New Culture of Water (2004) and A Thirsty World (2012).

·        Spread awareness by using the hashtag #WorldToiletDay, #WeCantWait and #ToiletAccessIsARight.

·        Tour a local sanitation plant. Sanitation plants throughout the US exist to recycle and clean water while properly disposing of human excrement and other waste.

·        Donate to the World Toilet Organization. All proceeds are used by the organization to help break the taboo around the toilet and sanitation crisis. They help lobby governments, public and private sector stakeholders to prioritize sanitation on the agenda.

·        Read a book about toilets and the importance of sanitation. Some suggestions are: Sanitation & Water Supply in Low-Income Countries, Sitting Pretty An Uninhibited History of the Toilet and The Big Necessity.

·        Check out Earthship technology.

To Squat or Not That is the Question

Enter the Squatty Potty[2]

One time, I took a dump in my backyard because the toilet had been broken for two weeks (blame our absentee slumlord). My best friend never let me live it down, but you know what? I didn't care, because on that crisp fall day in 2007, when the gas station whose toilets I had been relying on was unexpectedly closed, I learned something. Specifically, I learned that pooping outside is… kind of pleasant. But it wasn't until the advent of the Squatty Potty that I really started to analyze why that was. Basically, if you use a Western toilet on the reg, you're fighting against your body's anatomy. But now, there's a way to poop optimally that doesn't involve squatting behind the shrubs and hoping a neighbor won't walk by (though I do recommend everyone try that at least once). Here it is.

You don't know squat. The Squatty Potty is a small footstool designed to fit a toilet's curves. The idea is to elevate your feet and knees, so your body is closer to a squatting angle -- a natural pooping position -- than the upright position imposed on it by a porcelain throne. This isn't just hippie BS, either. There's actual science as to why a squat is the way to go when moving your bowels. "Defecating is actually really complicated and involves a lot of nerves and muscles relaxing and moving," says Dr. Michelle Cohen, a gastroenterologist at Mount Sinai. "When you sit, the puborectalis muscle is pulled in around the colon to create an angle, so the stool can't drop out."

Think of a kinked hose and you might be able to picture what's happening in your colon as the puborectalis muscle stays tight around it. In some cases, particularly in people with constipation or dyssynergic defecation (when your muscles fail to relax, making pooping more difficult), sitting with your thighs perpendicular to the ground can make it much harder to poop. Enter the Squatty Potty

The Squatty Potty was born in 2010 because of this exact scenario. "They say necessity is the mother of invention," says Bobby Edwards, CEO and co-creator of the defecation device. "My mother was constipated. It was definitely out of need." Edwards says his mother's physical therapist explained that constipation is, in many cases, "an anatomical thing," and that if she elevated her feet while eliminating, it would change the angle of the colon and make the whole process work smoothly, the way nature intended. She propped her feet up on a stool and loved the results, but the process wasn't ideal. "She couldn't quite get comfortable with a regular stool, and it was in the way in the bathroom," Edwards says. "I was taking design classes, and she asked if I could design a stool for the toilet, with the height and width to simulate a natural squat."

Boy, could he. Edwards made five prototypes before hitting on the perfect model. Delighted, his mother gave proto-Squatty Potties to constipated friends for Christmas gifts. "She thought everybody needed to be squatting," Edwards says. Word of mouth spread, and in 2012, Edwards launched the website. A media blitz ensued, and the rest is history.

Putting the potty to the test. I was pretty intrigued by the "squatting is better" maxim, so much so that I tried literally squatting on my toilet. Surprisingly (or not?), a militant vegan has uploaded a YouTube video about how to do exactly that. It was a little weird, and there was some serious splash back when shit hit the water, but I could tell stuff was rearranging itself in my colon -- that's the medical terminology, right? It felt good and correct, and I understood why my cats wear such serene, noble expressions when they poop.

Not only is that method impractical, but it’s also probably dangerous for older folks, people with physical challenges or injuries, and, well, everyone, honestly. I needed to try the real deal. The Squatty Potty was delivered to my office in a freaking huge (but mercifully unmarked) brown cardboard box. I sneaked it out to my car, hoping to dodge co-workers and the inevitable, "Ooh, what's that?" The box contained the white plastic stool, a Burger King-like crown with the hashtag #pooplikeroyalty, and a button that read "I Pooped Today!" (Though Squatty Potty entreats its Twitter followers to "share your Poop Like Royalty pics! #pooplikeroyalty," only one brave soul had risen to the challenge as of press time.)

2020 and…No Toilet Paper?

Yes, with the COVID 19 and a screwy election people are scared, and the first act of desperation is to raid the local Walmart and clean it out of one of life’s necessities. Not to worry. Check out “The Proven Preppers” Advice.

Historical Substitutes for Toilet Paper[3]

According to Wikipedia, Joseph Gayetty invented the modern version of toilet paper in the United States in 1857. Just how did people wipe before toilet paper?

The Romans provided a sponge attached to the end of a stick for citizens to use in public toilets. It was returned to a bucket of brine (saltwater) after each use. Have you ever wondered where the saying, “picking up the wrong end of the stick” came from?

Ancient Jewish practice included carrying a small bag filled with pebbles, dry grass, or smooth edges of broken pottery. Vikings used discarded sheep wool. Eskimos used tundra moss in the warm months and handfuls of snow in the winter. Snow!? Doesn’t that just make you want to run to the store and stock up on a bit more toilet paper?

Colonial Americans used corn cobs until newspapers became common. The French invented the bidet for proper cleansing, which is still quite popular.

The wealthy may have used wool, lace, linen or hemp. The poorer population resorted to using their hand when defecating near water sources.

Other recorded options included rags, wood shavings, leaves, grass, hay, stone, sand, moss, water, snow, maize, ferns, plant husks, fruit skins, seashells, or corn cobs. The various products used were influenced by country, weather, or local customs.

World Philosophy Day[4]

 

Shit Happens! Forrest Gump

 

World Philosophy Day seeks to promote human thought, new ideas and critical thinking to confront today's challenges.  Philosophy refers to the study of knowledge, experience, existence and reality. According to the United Nations, philosophy provides the conceptual bases of principles and values on which world peace depends: democracy, human rights, justice and equality. World Philosophy Day was proclaimed by UNESCO in 2005. Since then, every third Thursday of November has served as a celebration of philosophical knowledge.

 

World Philosophy Day Facts & Quotes

 

·       Rene Descartes is considered to be the father of modern Western philosophy. He is widely credited with being the first to use the concept of reason to develop the natural sciences. He lived from 1596 to 1650.

·       Thales of Miletus is widely considered to be the father of philosophy. He was a Greek philosopher, mathematician and astronomer that lived around 624-546BC.

·       Truth in philosophy means that concept and external reality correspond. – George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, a German philosopher of the late enlightenment period.

 

World Philosophy Day Top Events and Things to Do

 

·       Spread awareness on social media by using the hashtags #WorldPhilosophyDay, #PhilosophyDay and #PhilosophyandCooperation.

·       Tune in to the live webcast of the philosophical debates on UNESCO’s website. It can be streamed in French or English at the UNESCO site.

·       Watch a movie that touches on philosophy. Some suggestions are: The Matrix (1999), Blade Runner (1982) and Being There (1979).

·       Donate to the Philosophy Foundation. Any money raised is put towards providing specialist teachers to schools that need it most but can’t afford it. The organization aims to support young people in higher education studying philosophy.

·       Read a book on philosophy. Some suggestions are: Plato’s Republic, Critique of Pure Reason and A History of Western Philosophy.

Like a Drop of Water as It Falls into the Ocean[5]

The month of November opens with two Feast Days lived intensely by the Liturgy and by popular piety: All Saints and All Souls. These two feasts give depth to the month traditionally dedicated to praying for those who have crossed the threshold of hope. When we pray for the faithful departed, or better, for those living in the Next World, we are reminded of the ultimate realities of human existence. Authentic Christians are ever more keenly aware of this dimension as they pray for the souls in Purgatory, who are unable to help themselves and rely on our prayers.

O good Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell and take all souls into Heaven, especially those most in need of your mercy.” With this brief and intense invocation, Our Lady in Fatima asked people to pray to Jesus for the holy souls in Purgatory. Each of us is called to holiness and if we were to take seriously the wonderful vocation to live here in earth in communion with the Lord Jesus, then death would be simply “departing” for Heaven.

Thinking of human freedom there comes to mind what Jesus said: “many are called but few are chosen” (Mt 22, 14). God calls everyone to holiness, but few heed the invitation to a banquet of intimate communion with Jesus, the banquet of eternal life which starts here on earth. We are too distracted by many things, like the guests in Gospel who make excuses with the host saying: “I have bought a piece of land and must go and see it. Please accept my apologies." Another said, "I have bought five yoke of oxen and am on my way to try them out. Please accept my apologies." Yet another said, "I have just got married and so am unable to come." (Lc 14, 18-20).

We may feel we are entitled to live life without entrusting it day after day to the one who created and redeemed us, without spending it entirely for the Kingdom of God, because there are so many other important things on which apparently it can be spent: success, profit, so-called “well-being”, a career, power… in general anything which favors affirmation of self, among the wide range of opportunities presented by the world today.

And so life is full of concerns which suffocate loving attention for our Lord and God, and interest for him disappears. The believer is tempted to put off prayer until 'after' his radical conversion: when I have more time I will pray, when I have less concerns I will give more thought to others, when I feel like it I will go more often to church…

The life which the saints lived was not about waiting until tomorrow simply because tomorrow does not belong to us. Ours is only the present moment and it is today that we must convert our hearts, refusing compromise with sin, which is the real enemy of happiness, earthly and heavenly. Grave sin stops supernatural life and, consequently, holiness, that is growth in Jesus Christ.

On life's horizon, the believer and every person, has to look at death. Certainly, we celebrate earthly birth, surrounding it with much attention, but not to be forgotten either, is the “birth” prelude to the great birth to Heaven! For the believer in Christ, life on earth runs towards eternal Life in God. The saints knew this and their funerals were celebrations, because their death was lived as their “birth” to Heaven.

Life on earth is like a drop of water as it falls down into the ocean waiting to embrace it. It falls in a very short time. What a wonderful, consoling truth for the believer, awareness, certainty that comes from faith, of the promises of the Risen Lord, life does not fall into nothingness, it is joined forever with the infinite love of God, plunged into the boundless sea of His Divine mercy! As the Holy Father Benedict XVI, said with these luminous words: “Today we confirm our hope in eternal life founded on the death and resurrection of Christ. ‘I am risen and will be with you forever, says the Lord, and my hand will support you. Whenever you fall, you will fall into my hands and I will be there even at the door of death. Where no one can accompany you and where you can take nothing with you. There I will be waiting to change the darkness into light” (Benedict XVI, Angelus, 2 November 2008).

— by Mgr Luciano Alimandi, Agenzia Fides

Things to Do:

·       Today would be a good time to meditate on our own last end. Maybe pick up the Imitation of Christ and read Book 1 Chapter 24.

·       Make sure you have your Advent wreath ready, candles and all. Decide what ceremony and prayers you will use with your family.

·       If you are going to make or use an Advent calendar or the Jesse tree gather everything you need today.

·       If you plan to stir-up plum pudding on Sunday be sure you have all the ingredients.

Full Beaver Moon

According to the almanac today is a Full Beaver Moon; plan to spend some time watching the Narnia series or reading “The Witch the Lion and the Wardrobe” with your children or grandchildren. Also, today is World Monopoly Day and you could play the game.

Daily Devotions

·       Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

·       Drops of Christ’s Blood

·       Iceman’s 40 devotion

·       Universal Man Plan

·       Operation Purity

·       Rosary





[3]https://theprovidentprepper.org/no-toilet-paper-no-problem-14-emergency-alternatives/

[4]https://www.wincalendar.com/World-Philosophy-Day

[5]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2021-11-19



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