Easy

It is very easy to justify the purchase of a bike.

Easier still, when it is used as the primary method of going to and from a paying job.

Even more so, when gas prices move upward at a wallet gutting pace.

Learning to ask the right questions.

Sales is an interesting occupation.  At Costco our members (customers), see us in our red vests and ask the location of various things.  Or they have particular questions about computers or televisions. Sometimes they just need someone to load a safe onto a cart.

We emphasize customer service, even if there are only a few of us on the floor.

So when a members starts a conversation with: "A while ago you had a..."  I have a sense of dread.  Usually this item is something we do not have and may, or may not have in the future.  I can check the item and see if there are any in stock, at the warehouse etc. This only provides me a two week window on any given item. If you see something at Costco and you want it... buy it.  Because, it may not be there the next visit.

Answering the "why do you not have something" is a slippery slope.  Luckily, we have many long time Costco employees who have honed a response with experience. So I listen dutifully when one of these explanations, are spoken from a knowledgeable one. The corporate philosophy is to be honest and forthright.  Which works well for me.  I have never had management tell me not to tell a member something honest.  However, presentation in these situations is key.

TV contrast ratio

TV contrast ratio is one of the most controversial specifications when comparing televisions from manufacturer to manufacturer because the industry doesn't have an agreed upon standard of measurement.

Without a standard, we don't know exactly how each manufacturer tests their displays and how their process differs from other manufacturers. As a result, industry experts recommend using contrast ratio only when comparing HDTVs made by the same manufacturer.

The general thought among industry experts is that static contrast ratio is a more reliable measurement because it is more consistent with how the viewing display will show content rather than a "what if" scenario that dynamic contrast ratio employs.

Compliments

At work we have a salesman, he is very good at sales. I found out he was hired as a Supervisor, then due to over-hiring, he was bumped down to assistant, then to part time.

In short order he was able to become full time and quite an asset to Major Sales. Currently he is trying to step up to the position he thought he had originally. His experience makes him more then eligible for management. His stated goal is to learn as much as he can to be of more value to the company. Apparently, the length of employment is the primary criteria for advancement. Possibly above ability.

Anyways, he is very frustrated at this point in the narrative. When asked why, his response was:

"I want to learn more so I can advance, but that is not happening. The only one here who has taught me anything is Lee. His knowledge of electronics is amazingly vast."

:)

We have very different perspectives. I am really enjoying my position, in time I will start pushing for advancement. For now I have a contentment in being hourly and kicking butt.

Still, I should start pushing for cross training. Wouldn't want to stagnate.

On going being on and going.

I have a feeling of glee as I pick out what shorts to wear for work. This is especially whimsical during the winter months. I have my ankle socks and undershirt out on the bed ready for post daily hygiene ritual.

I know that sometime during the day someone will remark on how cold it is, wondering how I could be dressed this way. Truth be told, I really do not feel cold during my work day, dressed in this fashion.

Also, I have ridden a bike 5 plus miles earlier that day. This gets curious reactions as well. The entire trip, for me, is between 15 and 20 minutes depending on various factors. I am wearing a jacket, tuuk, gloves and my shorts. By the time I lock up my bike and enter the facility my legs have warmed up comfortably. Some people see my ride as one of necessity as I possibly have no vehicle. Others see me as a green warrior combating the evil oil cartels. And then I could be some fitness nut trying to hold back the wages of time.

Why do I ride? That is more complex then I have fully rationalized. I do enjoy not seeing $$$ go into the tank of a vehicle. Not to mention there is a lack of wear and tear as well. Also, being a tad eccentric in the eyes of others has an appeal to my Ego. The fitness reasoning has its place as well.

I recall, not to long ago, struggling up the 4% grade that awaits me. Now I have great satisfaction of power up that hill with aplomb. The traffic forces you to be very alert and possibly carves new pathways into my aging grey matter. By deference of probabilities I have avoided many a mishap. Also, many new skills of a near acrobatic nature have manifested in regards to jumping up curbs and quick redirection.

The underlying theme for my dressing down in the cold and riding my bike to and fro has to be happiness. I am really enjoying this particular time in this particular place.

Yet there is a tinge of guilt for having this much fun.

Moving da TV's

I like being the morning stalking guy in Major sales. Moving the TV's from one location to another and making it all look good for that opening is a pleasing pursuit. It is good, hard work and I am good at hard work...

I like the physicality and the mental gymnastics of the tetris type puzzle of getting things to fit. I am less then pleased when I have to resort to not facing a box, instead letting its edge only show.

TV's on a row, in order by type and size can make for a nice looking area. Although too much attention is being paid to TV's and not enough to Computers IMHO.

The powers that be are in some kind of struggle with having me closing the store rather then opening the store. I guess it shows me being an asset.

Hopefully, this latest move to mornings will be more perm.

5:00 AM comes early!

On of my "Dad Jokes" is to tell the kids to go to bed because 5:00 comes early. Welcome to CostCo's 5:15 to 1:45 schedule! So I am hoisted by my own petard!

Actually, I enjoy the early shift quite a lot. It is highly physical and very busy. They roll the door sup at 9:45 and we have to be in ship shape by then. The Manager of "Hard-lines" (read: the right side of the building as you enter, prior to food) . Has trust in me with orchestration product moves. Following our marketing plan. Items in our flyer go on the end of aisles (end caps) and certain products we are obligated to have on those "end caps" as well. Major product shifts are always planned by management, but they graciously accept idea's as well.

Each Television needs to have a demo-model set up and running and there is an envelope with Support information as well as two stickers that go onto the carton. Then the facing of the product has to be considered. Sony pays a lot of $$$ for that box artwork and we want to make sure it gets a good exposure.

Brian, my hard-lines manager has a knack for making rows of product perfectly fit within the given space. It is a frustrating talent for me to observe, when I have tried to duplicate and fail only to have him waltz in and arrange it in five minutes.

My talent must be in the execution of complex tasks in an efficient manner. And the technical aspect of getting everything up and running.

Lately I have had Thursdays and Fridays off of work. Which allows me to attend the TOPs meeting with Tina and have two days off in a row. Tina and I have a date night after TOPs and we opted to have Pizza and soda at CostCo. I was informed that two banks of TV's were not working and after some attempts they were going to wait for me to fix the issue. They did not know my next work day was Saturday.

Anyways Saturday arrived and I was surprised to find the same situation existed. One of my co-workers threw some doubt into a repair because he had worked on the situation on and off for the last two days.

It took me less then five minutes. The composite cables that run from each splitter to each bank of TV's has the wrong colors. During the opening I had taken a small TV set and troubleshot this, writing the actual colors on the wires.

So I got to feel smug for the next five minutes...

Attack of the pallets.

I am going through band-aids. Working with cardboard boxes and wooden pallets provides any number of scrapes and cuts. Yes, I have some nice leather gloves and I do use them when stocking. While I am sure that has saved my epidermis time and again, I do not wear them every minute and it is surprising how sharp an innocuous box edge can be.

My latest is a 1/2 inch scrape on the left side of my middle finger on my left hand. This is one of those that I did not notice until after the fact. I was moving blue tooth I-pod device blister packs. Go figure...

We have a bit of a scramble prior to rolling up the doors. There are pallets of items in the walkways, flat bed carts filled with cardboard and old stretch wrap and bands. Each needing to be stocked in a correct manner. Televisions have two stickers and an envelope that need to be put in specific locations that do not cover text (if possible) and there can be a layer of dust or oily residue that does not allow the quick bonding of the afore mentioned.

Some items need to be rotated so the newest is on the bottom. Other items are just resistant to being stacked. There is an ever increasing set of tricks you employ to bend the packaging to your will.

My strengths lie in some spacial geometric gift, to figure, on the fly, stacking patterns that allow the most items in the smallest area. Also, the speed and precision to employ said patterns in a minimum of time. The strength to move heavier items also helps.

The coolest part, to me, is working with Jean-Paul or Joel, who share the same strengths. Recently while stocking the kitty litter with Jean-Paul, we found that picking up the product in a certain way and tossing it a certain way allowed the other to quickly stack the item with the facing perfect just in time to catch the next.

This built a mutual respect and created an aspect of challenge and fun for the project.

A couple of nights later, I had finished the facing of my area (Hard lines) and headed over the help sundries.

"Okay, I have six minutes left on shift, who needs help?"

"You can't do anything in six minutes." was the response from a fairly new hire.

Looking at a knowingly smirking Jean-Paul I stated "I bet we can break down those two pepsi pallets in six minutes."

With a succinct nod from Jean, we wordlessly assumed a two man assembly line and hefted the rather heavy cubes of soft drinks into their location. Stopping only long enough to shift to the second pallet.

A short time later, job done I panted (slightly) "Okay, I got two minutes left on shift, who needs help?"

I think her jaw is still on the floor.

Have I mentioned how much I enjoy my job?

I hate exercising but I love exercise.

I hate exercising but I love exercise.

Five days a week I start the morning with 20 hindu pushups. Even with regular sets I find that increasing the number is a challenge. In my mind I would like to do 50 per set.

Next exercise I like to call, riding my bike to work. I have two hill climbs that required me to get off the bike and walk initially. Now the first one gets my cardio up and I can cruise up without down shifting from my initial hill climb gear (front 2 and back 4). The next hill is more taxing a 4% grade for a half mile. I need to down-shift, the same amount but later in the climb. My goal is to keep consistent pedaling speed. This really targets my glutes, which I feel protest near the top. For the rest of the trip to work it is pretty much a rolling uphill and downhill course.

At work the exercise changes day to day. Most of the time it consists of 7.5 hours standing and walking with an occasional short running and lifting of an object up to 200 pounds. Sometimes there is a four hour period of lifting and pulling heavy objects.

Followed by a ride home that has another two hill climbs (or a longer route and one less climb).

Once a week I like to spend skating. This is for around 60 to 90 minutes and involves a surprisingly large amount of muscle groups.

When I go to a gym I find myself unmotivated and bored quickly. If I have someone with me I do better. Still, it is way down on my list of things I want to do. I think it is the open ended nature and a feeling that I am actually preparing myself for... well... nothing...

There is a lot of satisfaction with my current exercises. Every gas station I ride by gives me a little thrill that my money is staying away. Even the colder mornings now are more bracing then miserable. I am wondering about the occasional icy morning.

So what to invest in?

Along with my 90 day probation period I get benefits including a 401k with matching funds. In looking at the various funds history's one thing is apparent. They have preformed poorly over the last three to five years.

So, getting to invest in something that looses money really does not sound all that great...

More about Werk.

On Sunday I will hit the 90 day mark of my employment. Meaning I will cease to be in my Probationary period. Seeing as my reviews have been stellar it was, to me, waiting for the planet to spin then worry. This is a very different employment situation for me. Since moving to Oregon I have had jobs that I enjoyed and some not so much.

The first one I enjoyed, then left for a better opportunity. That job was equally challenging and enjoyable. Due to a downturn in the economy I was laid off.

That lead to a job I was not that crazy about, but it paid the bills, the stress of making quota was horrid. The same company moved me to a position that was much more suited to my skill set. Then to a position that I was enjoying. They closed down that division suddenly one Wednesday. I fully understand from a business standpoint, personally it was a harsh time.

The next job I found challenging, then felt quite used as it became apparently they used me instead of hiring a contractor (Salary is so much cheaper you know). Only to be kicked to the curb with a "Job well done, goodbye!"

This lead to a long unemployed stint that, in retrospect, I could have utilized some grants for collage education. I was able to be active with my Daughters TV episode.

Next came another Full Time job at a good time for a pay cut. I was low man on the totem pole and immediately above me there was some frustration with knowledge crossovers, I adapted and there was some good opportunities available. It was with our local government so the benefits were pretty good as well. Things were tight but, manageable. Then they cut me back in hours and tight became, count the pennies tight. Just about the time they were going to cut me back to 20 hours I landed a full time at my current position.

With 90 days I get to enjoy the many benefits and I am really enjoying the job. The entire experience falls so well into my mindset and skill-set one could almost think it came about through "intelligent design". My supervisor delegates a laundry list of tasks with a high level of trust. The management has tapped me for various assignments above and beyond. They have also been quite generous with accolades. In any given day I get to field questions about electronics, troubleshoot problems with our various displays, move products to better locations and make executive level decisions, with a near rubber stamp from those in charge.

Mentally there is no Monday morning dread of the work week starting. Rather, it is a giddy anticipation. I get to ride a bike into work, wear shorts and during busy times the hours tick by at an amazingly fast pace. Best of all, work stays at work.

Have you ever had a job were the management did not seem to have a clue, yet presented themselves as all knowing? I see every manager on the floor every day in every conceivable position. Stocking shelves, sweeping up messes, driving fork lifts and planning moves for the next shipment. It is quite inspiring to have a boss who keeps pace (sometimes out paces) you.

I really feel I have fallen into something great.

Werking at the Company of Costs.

For the last 11 weeks I have been gainfully employed full time. It is still a lot of fun. My title is Major Sales. I will greet people as they enter, field questions about electronics and diamonds, and give my best directions as to where a given item might be located. Our store is a warehouse in name and nature. Things are moved to make room for other things every single day. It is a treasure hunt atmosphere. Luckily my brain is wired well for recalling where items are located.

I have become quite versed on HD televisions, blu-ray adding to my knowledge on computers. Thanks to my sister in law Connie I got a laymen level of information on jewelry which I am supplementing. My goal in talking to our members (read customers) is to make sure they get the product that fits the need. They should be able to explain why they chose that computer or that Television. "Zero returns" is my personal sales motto.

I was able to fix the Gordian knot of component cables that run our Televisions. In general I am become the go-to guy for fixing frustrations.

Also, I passed the safety test on forklift driving, which will allow me to start training on them (woot!). Further the marketing folks have tapped me to do the front board pictures. This is a rather fun assignment with some frustrations on the slowness of our intranet printing (4 min 23 sec a page).

Then comes the unexpected new projects. Where they need to squeeze six pallets worth of new items into an area that has one pallet worth of room. It is a challenge and requires some creative solutions.

In the past I have worked at places where the management would sit in offices, hand down expectations with a vagueness that would set one up for failure. Or they would come out of their hovel, bark orders for seemingly no purpose then to display alpha dominance then walk away not caring about the outcome. This is not the case currently. I see management running forklifts, restocking product and sweating it out like the rest of us. Most of them have been with the company in nearly every position. It is VERY common to see them manning cash registers, sweeping up messes and pitching in during heavy times. This, to me, is inspiring.

What I find I enjoy is showing up, doing the job then heading home. When I hop on that bike I might have a thing or two about work to consider, but as the miles roll on those too fade.

Life is good.

55 inches!

Maybe its the shorts...

The powers that be decided that our neck of the woods would like 26" to 37" Televisions. We got the obligatory Samsung Series 7 3D sets (which some of the other store imports for opening told us would be a tough sell). We sold them all in the first four weeks of being opened.

Other stores have not seen any inventory go out the door.

Also the 55" 240 hz LED LCD have been nigh impossible to sell at other locations. We sold all of ours and we have been getting in other stores inventory (which, by the dust on top, have been stored for a while). We cannot seem to keep the things in stock. We got four last night, two already are spoken for.

The TV's we carry are all the newfangled flat HD televisions. There are a few things to know about them.

The size is still measured diagonally, so getting the height and length requires some searching the literature or having a tape measure at the store.

1080p is the top resolution for High Definition. It refers to the number of lines that make up the image. You may see 720p or 1080i as well. The 'p' stands for progress, the 'i' stands for interlaced. Progressive is better as it displays the full image faster.

120hz is the speed at which the images are displayed. 120 frames per second is about the best on a bigger screen. up to 32" a 60hz would be fine the hz rating seems to be noticeable at 37" and up. There are some 240hz machines out there that would provide the smoothest action.

However, that is more Dependant on how your brain and eyes are wired.

Finally the way the TV displays the image. Plasma, LCD or LED. Plasma gives a good big picture at a lower price. The plasma gets rather hot and uses more electricity then other sets. Also, most of the ones are still at 720p.

LCD is lighter but require a back light. There are limits to how bright you can get these sets. So they may require more shading.

LED are LCD screens that use LED's for the light source. These are brighter then your LCD and can even fight the suns glare. These also have the lowest electrical consumption and are the thinnest at under 2" in some cases.

The interesting bit to me is how these numbers compare to broadcasts. Nothing broadcasts in 1080p at 120hz. The best is 1080i at 60hz. The 120hz sets do something kind of cool. They take the current image and the next image and create a new frame that is inserted in the mix. This makes the motion look better.

Selling Pie

It turns out my little Cost Co is pretty good at selling big TV sets. When I say big I am referring to 55" or greater. We have some pretty dynamic people.

For the holiday they moved the pumpkin pie bin up front and are giving out samples, this along with the dollar off coupon (no limit). We are letting people know we can provide for the pumpkin pie needs.

In my group we decided to let people know that we have pie, were the samples are and the coupon information, as they head through our department. It was pretty gratifying to see all the carts with two pies in them.

This was on a Saturday and the next day I learned that we had outsold our "rival" stores. So I allowed myself a small pat on the back.

And Tired.

The other night I went to bed at 8:30pm. I was asleep deeply until 4:00AM. One of the longest I have slept in a decade. I feel like I am over eating and yet my weight is constant.

Dang...

Price Club

What a difference a week makes. At the beginning of July my hours went from a belt tightening 34 hours a week to a, do we eat or pay mortgage, 20 hours a week at the Library. Prospects for the library to even be functional next July is slim to none. So with 22% unemployment (U6 number). I have been hopefully applying to various jobs trying to land a part time or better.

The big news in town is that CostCo, after years of red tape, had finally gotten to the point of reality here in town. I applied and read that they got over 3000 applications for a scant 100 part time jobs. We went on vacation, which may have not been a fiscally good choice. Still the decompression did help and many prayers and intersession requests.

When we got back to town I re-applied and got an interview which became two interviews. That got me a call back for a third interview. Then came a job offer and acceptance. They kept talking about this being part time position. So I was planning on dual employment until such time as they would take me on full time.

Last Tuesday I had my orientation and found out I was full time! Which could have meant I had to turn in my two weeks notice. At the library I explained the situation and requested a waiver for the two weeks. They complied and Thursday I started full time at the new job.

The building opens to the public on August 12th and there is much to be done. Lots of product needs to be put out on display and even more construction needs doing. This is the literal hive of activity and my desk bound body is getting quite the workout.

Pallets are those wooden platforms that allow a forklift to gain access and move freight. They are referred to as "boards." Building a Board, means to take a shipment load open it up and unpack the product and stack it for identification and access. These boards are then situated in an area that makes sense to our shoppers (members). So you do not have baby diapers next to automotive tools. As we only have one grand opening we are very careful to make sure everything aligns up and the product is impeccably faced. While I am quite sure that the bulk of our members will not appreciate the aesthetics, some will and overall it gives a quality and care vibe of pride. The store is looking awesome!

So I am cutting shrink wrap, breaking shipping bands, carrying boards lifting, twisting, moving and learning the lingo. The first couple of nights I was really be sore and needed some liniment, massage and ibuprofen. My steel toe shoes gave me nasty blisters and bruises. Luckily the job sight was released from construction, and I was able to switch to my new balance.

Loosing the weight and being more physically fit has paid dividends. I find myself able to perform on par or better then my co-workers. I noted several times they would up their pace to match mine. My energy level has been complimented and those thanks I pass on up to the Lord.

Yesterday we unloaded 800 shopping cards and pushed them in sets of 10 (per the rules) to a location outside. For some reason moving large heavy things has always been a source of fun. I was easily the fastest at pushing and the leg pumping action was quite the workout.

The people are great. The management know all facets of the job at hand. Seeing upper management jump onto a forklift and handle it like a pro is inspiring. I have not seen any posturing or sniping. Everyone is on task and on mission.

It feels like I won the lottery, job wise.

So I have a job

A full time job with the prosepect of overtime paid at time and a half (w00t!). I went to orientation expecting to have two part time jobs... They hired me FULL TIME!

I started on Thursday, unwrapping pallets of goods. Re stocking them on nicer pallets in a display manner. Then clean up all the packing materials, rinse and repeat.

These are long physical days and my poor old body feels the mileage at the end of the day. However, I am keeping pace with the younger group (where did all the people my age go?). Surprisingly, I am feeling quite recovered after a good nights sleep. I surmise my morning four mile runs have something to do with that. Not that I have been running yesterday or today.

The people are excellent and everyone pitches in, the respect I have gleaned from my co-workers has been earned without expectation of having to do so. Good hard workers one and all.

Where in I discuss my thighs.

My T-shirts.... *snif* my T-shirts are much to big. They have a good 12 inches of girth around them. That means they are destined for the rag pile before their time. Sad really, few things are better in life then donning a soft, comfortable, T-shirt after a good days work.

It is one of those I-lost-weight-observations that I had not considered prior to said observation occurring. Odd that...

Previously I observed my fat head, now my old hats fit without inducing a migraine. Also, it takes a substantial change to notice you "feel better" and that is a mental, not physical state. Also, riding a bike sans 60+ lbs is much more fun.

My river sandals no longer fit tight. I would be out of pants if not for my buddy Jack who lost weight as well, sent me a care package of his "fat clothes" (he went from 210 to 148).

I think my hockey roller skates will fit again. Need to test that theory out.

My shirts that fit are now being confused with my son Trevor's on laundry day.

People only give you compliments to a certain weight, then they start cautioning you. It goes from "Wow, your looking good!" to "Your wasting away."

Then the oddest observation yet thus far. Leg hair. To be specific inner thigh leg hair.

At a certain point the fatty deposits around the upper thighs can lead to a "meeting in the middle." This provides a near constant friction that will lop off the hairs at skin level. It can also lead to chaffing and other unpleasant details I opt not to elucidate upon.

Lo and behold while doing a biological function on a porcelain decedent of John Crappers lifestyle changer. I made note of a hirsute addition to my previously shorn abductors.

I pondered for a moment, as one does. Finally coming to the aforementioned conclusion.

This overall event left me both curious and fearful of what will be next.

Something about WiFi

Wi-Fi - A brand name developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to ensure compatibility among products which communicate data wireless via the IEEE 802.11 Standard. It is not an acronym.

or

"Wi-Fi" Means your wireless data device that conforms to the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) standard number 802.11 can work at that location. Note: the use of the word 'can' in that last sentence.

The library in which I work has free wireless Internet access (Wi-Fi). We regularly have several patrons taking advantage of this service. Every so often we have patrons with a lack of understanding about how Wi-Fi works and the inability to accept possibilities. For example...

One of our Reference desk people called up the tech department to let us know the Wi-Fi was not working. As we started drilling down to find the "real" issue (which is something you just need to do with technical issues). We found something amiss and headed out to the floor to confirm.

The patrons Laptop was not connecting to the Internet and not seeing the Wi-Fi signal (nor the signal from the Tavern across the street). Further, several other patrons were busy doing Myspace, watching You Tube and playing games over the Internet, via the Wi-Fi connection.

Wi-Fi is a radio signal, it beams from a device called an Access Point, which both receives and transmits. This radio wave goes out in a circular pattern and depending upon certain obstacles has a range in the hundreds of feet. If you are in this "circle" your computer should see the signal identifier and be able to connect to the signal in some fashion. If the laptop to your left and laptop to your right are connected, you can deduce you are indeed in range and the issue is not the Access point. Logical so far?

Informing the patron that the problem appears to be with her computer was taken personally...

"Okay, we do have a strong signal going and several people are online without any issue. I wonder if your wifi device is turned off?"

"No, its not turned off. I come here all the time and my laptop connects perfectly! You need to fix your Internet."

"The Internet is working for all these other people, could I possibly take a look at your system? Maybe I could see something?"

"No, I do not want you touching my computer! It works every time I come here, the problem has to be with YOUR Internet!"

"I am sorry ma'am but there isn't anything I can do on our side to connect your computer. It could be your wireless is not working for some reason. I would be more then happy to look on your Laptop."

"It is not my laptop, it is working fine. For some reason I think you have blocked me"

"Nothing else I can do here then. I am sorry"

"So you are refusing to fix your Internet?"

"It is working fine, otherwise the other patrons would not be able to connect"

"I do not know why your Internet has blocked my computer, but this just is not right!"

"Again, I am sorry ma'am. I am willing to check your computer, but that would be your call"

And I backed away slowly...

It could have been worse... Maybe...

The best that can be said about Ted Kennedy's funeral is, It could have been worse.

The celebrant, who strove to avoid masculine references to God in the liturgy (his verbal substitutions plainly clashing with the voices of others sticking to the approved texts), managed to forget the Mysterium Fidei during the Eucharistic Prayer, and later asked the congregation join him "in the words Our Father taught us."

The homily, which started well enough but steadily deteriorated, fell into various holes like (I'm quoting from memory): "the fruits of [Kennedy's] work in politics well-prepared him for God's kingdom" (Lord, I hope that's not what he really meant); and "Kennedy tied his faith to justice in the land" (good grief, justice? for millions of unborn babies in the land? was that the fruit of Teddy's faith?); and "we are confident that Kennedy has entered into the new dwelling of God" (maybe you are, Father).

The kid's intercessions came out as unabashed advertisements for Democratic Party policy goals.

Mercifully, all the major networks used a single video feed, and pretty obviouslysomebody got to somebody ahead of time and ordered "Don't, under any circumstances, show the Communion lines!", so we were spared wincing as this famous Catholic pro-abort or that approached the Eucharist.

And finally, whodathunkit?, President Obama's eulogy, though offered in violation of liturgical law, was actually the most palatable of what turned out to be threeeulogies offered in violation of liturgical law, the first, Teddy Jr.'s, being maudlin, but mostly coherent if at times inappropriately partisan, while the second, that of Rep. Pat Kennedy, was embarrassingly pathetic and even included a joke about "that damn Kennedy" from the sanctuary. Sigh.

But what, in the end, most struck me, through whole ceremony, was how oblivious all the participants seemed to be (again, with the sole exception of Obama, who at least made one veiled reference to Kennedy's "public faults", and who was the only speaker to offer a prayer for Teddy's soul), how oblivious, I say, all the participants were to Ted Kennedy's disgraceful and chronic failings to defend the natural right to life (e.g., abortion, embryonic stem cell research), his refusal to protect the natural institution of marriage lately under such attack, and his bad example on a host of other issues of importance to Catholics and to the country. While a funeral is no place to rehearse, say, a man's role in the death of a beautiful young woman, such events and conduct should have, I think, instilledsome restraint in the rush to proclaim the man's accomplishments. (As for those "accomplishments", well, if one is wedded to the idea of a gigantic state, then Teddy's accomplishments were admittedly many. But if you're not enamored of statism, one might say that the damage Teddy helped inflict on the nation was great.) Instead, one speaker after another gushed on and on about Ted.

The whole experience left me less hopeful about "dialogue" on life issues (not that I was very hopeful to begin with): we are, it seems clear, talking to people who haveno sense of the enormity of the crimes being committed daily against the innocent. None. None.

So, as I said, the best one can say about Ted Kennedy's Catholic funeral (to which, yes, he had a right, in accord with law) is, it could have been worse.

I suppose.

--thanks to Edward N. Peters, JD, JCD.