Something In The Air

It's March 29th and I thought I smelled something familiar in the air today. I couldn't quite place it, but it evoked a sense of calm and relaxation, with just a hint of paradise. I took another whiff and the aroma became stronger...freshly cut grass, the faint scent of sausage, peppers and onions and the smell of broken in leather. Before I knew it, I was also hearing familiar sounds. I could hear the sound of a perfectly shaped piece of wood striking a leather bound rubber sphere. I could hear the muffled roar of a large group of people cheering, and even the melodic sounds of organ music.

What is that warmth I'm feeling inside? A long winter coming to an end, colors returning to the trees and lawns. Rain washing away the dreariness of a long 5 months without my love, my passion. I saw a little boy playing catch with his dad the other day, and to me it was like seeing the perfect work of art.

In 6 days, the 2010 Major League baseball season will be upon us. 30 teams will each play 162 games over the next 5 months. Add to that the tens of thousands of minor league, college and youth games around the country, and you have a little slice of heaven just bout everywhere you look.

The greatest sport ever invented is about to commence...go out and enjoy a few games. You don't have to spend a fortune, some of the best games I ever attended cost me about 6 bucks and took place in a Single A ballpark.

The boys of summer are taking the field...Go Sox!

I'm Back and I'm PISSED!

I haven't been blogging lately, just don't seem to be able to find the time. However, with everything going on in the world lately...I see it as a good opportunity to make a comeback!

Today's Topic: The Vatican and the Pope
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In the spirit of full disclosure, I am a non-practicing Irish Roman Catholic. I was brought up in the church until I made my Confirmation, and then was allowed to make my own decisions. I am thankful to my parents for raising me that way, and I truly do believe in a higher power, if not the God that I worshiped as a child. My life experiences have molded my beliefs and I came to the conclusion that my God would not "require" me to worship Him in a church, that my God would not condone religious zealots, murdering abortion doctors or the meticulously amassed wealth of the Catholic Church.

That all being said, I have always maintained a distant loyalty to the church and a healthy respect for the pontiff. However, as the shame of the worldwide child molestation plague infests even the Pope, I have finally come to a point where I may wash my hands of the Catholic Church. It is one thing to systematically attempt to cover things up all these years (lest we forget that "Cardinal" Law is treated like a king at the Vatican these days), but when the holiest of the holy, the leader of our faith and the voice of God himself is implicated in the cover-up...well, it's just time to do the right thing.

The pedophile epidemic is nothing new to us here in the U.S., it is a permanent mark of shame on our country. But the rest of the world blamed our society for that shame. Now, the real truth comes out...Europe, Ireland and now Germany have shown that the infection was indeed worldwide. What is even worse is that the man responsible for allowing some of the molestations was then Cardinal Joseph Ratzniger...or as we know him now, Pope Benedict XVI. In 1980, he presided over a meeting of a priest accused of molesting children in Germany. He transferred the priest to another parish with no punishment. Six years later that priest was finally convicted of further molestations in his new parish. The Pope is responsible for those children being abused. I am ashamed to be a Catholic today. I am ashamed that my spiritual "leader" would accept the post knowing that he is complicit the rape and molestation of kids.

It is time that the Catholic Church itself is held responsible for these crimes. The Pope must do the right thing and step down. The victims must be compensated using the billions of dollars the church has in assets. I know this will never happen, but it is the right thing to do.

I feel for the thousands, if not tens of thousands of children that were abused. As for me, I am now more conflicted than ever. My faith has always existed on the edge of my existence, and now I don't even have that to count on. I have always, and continue to believe in a merciful higher power; but I also hope He is a vengeful God. If there is a God, I beg of you...damn these pedophiles and their protectors to an eternity of pain and suffering...and let it begin soon.