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The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack...

The House is under new management but is operating under business as usual as it prepares to pass a continuing resolution (CR) that once again extends spending levels and policies pushed through by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in last December’s lame duck session. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is moving a laddered CR that extends current spending levels for Agriculture, Energy and Water, Military Construction-VA and Transportation-HUD spending bills through January 19 with the remaining eight bills extended through February 2.

Every year on January 1, I dread looking at social media. I know it’ll be flooded with the same old tosh. Giving up chocolate as of today… Doing Dry January… Going vegan… Stopping smoking… Not only are these posts incredibly boring – but they are, in most cases, blatant lies that people will not adhere to past a week. We all tell ourselves these tall tales. We dress them up as ‘resolutions’ but we know the truth. They’re fibs we parrot, again and again every single year. It’s why I’m having none of it. Statistics show that although resolutions are...

By this time, you might have broken your New Year’s resolution. But fear not, tomorrow is Monday when the new year really begins, and you can recommit. In addition to whatever behavior you have committed yourself to do or not do, this study suggests an all-encompassing, life-changing resolution of thought and attitude. We begin with the backstory; that is the lesson. About 10 days ago, and without any warm-up, husband David announced, “I must decrease, while He increases” was his new guiding-life principle. (Not your typical Adams family Tuesday night dinner conversation.) Since David is a godly man, I knew...

Happy New Year 2021. What are your hopes for 2021? What are you fears for 2021?

As part of my helpful “How To Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions For Sure This Time” tutorial I would like to post this public service announcement. It’s a gentle reminder that the most important part of accomplishing any resolution is, well:Henceforth Wednesdays are dedicated to actually doing all those things you put on your “To Do This Year List” - the one’s you’ve been wanting to do, meaning to do, threatening to do or just feeling guilty about not doing. For example, #1 on my list: re-grouting the shower. Yeah, that’s not happening today. Maybe not even this year. Next!Posted...

I see no one started a thread for this. Any New Year's Resolutions? Share 'em if you've got 'em!

How to GUARANTEE Success with Your Health and Fitness Program Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared last year, but the principles haven’t changed, and what better way to start the new year! I’ve recently been discussing why so many are failing to implement health and fitness programs—it’s because health and fitness are NOT a priority. But let’s say that you received that message and are ready to make health and fitness a priority. How will you guarantee the success of your program? The power of habit. Uh, okay,,, you may be thinking that the answer sounds pretty basic. But I...

2018 Resolutions

Post "em here

Resolution: Remember That the World Will Not Satisfy Msgr. Charles Pope • January 2, 2017 • Here’s another New Year’s resolution: Remember that the world has only trinkets; God has treasure. It’s amazing how much effort we put into pursuing things that are like sand running through our fingers. In the end they cannot satisfy or last. In this new year, resolve to remember that world we know cannot satisfy us and it is passing away. Teach this to your children as well.The video below is good for teaching both children and adults. It is a humorous depiction of...

Expecting a different outcome this time falls under the definition of insanity generally attributed to Albert Einstein: “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results With every passing day, the United Nations is becoming more useless in helping to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis. Tough rhetoric and a series of resolutions from the UN Security Council ramping up economic sanctions on the North Korean regime have failed to slow down North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. This was evidenced again last Friday by North Korea’s second ICBM launch, following its first on July...

Now that the dust has settled on the elections, the time has come (or so some of the punditry in the media assure us) to set aside political acrimony and unite under the new leadership of President-elect Donald Trump and the new House and Senate. Although it’s far from clear what President Trump will choose to prioritize, now that he will face the realities of entrenched political interests in Washington instead of his fired-up political base on the hustings, it seems at least possible that he will show much more sympathy for certain constitutionalist and Americanist causes — such as...

1. Be honest. Know yourself. What is your strongest virtue? What is your worst vice? Therefore, tailor your resolution so it strengthens your good side and fights your bad one. A one-size fits all resolution is useless. 2. Be specific. Don't use generalities. They don't work. For example, if you need to be more humble, just saying "I am going to be more humble," is useless. You need to zero in on one situation where you need to practice humility and resolve to improve in that one situation. 3. Be simple. Don't make it complicated. Focus on something you...

The UN has in essence declared war on both Judeo and Christian civilizations with the resolutions passed in the past few days. There will be more to come, both in the Middle East and here in the United States. The Western culture, long the bastion of prevention of crimes against humanity and a culture of laws that have helped maintain a reasonable peace through the world has been usurped by a United Nations that is anti-Semitic and assisting, along with the European Union in the establishment of a Caliphate One World Order. This year has seen great advancement in the...

In a move dubbed "surreal" by a leading UN watchdog, and as a campaign of daily Palestinian terrorist attacks continues to target Israelis, the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday adopted six resolutions - all of which bar none condemned Israel. Not a single mention was made of the Palestinian attacks, which have left 22 Israelis dead and hundreds wounded, nor did any other countries - even serial human rights violators such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia and others - receive any of the General Assembly's attention. More disturbingly still, five of the the UNGA resolutions were sponsored by the...

My old alma mater—the University of Scranton—recently made the news with a year-old study on New Year’s resolutions. Richard Asa reported in the Chicago Tribune on December 16, 2014 that “a 2013 University of Scranton study found that 8 percent of people achieve their New Year's goals. Part of the reason: Resolutions are often not accompanied by an achievable or realistic plan, says Carrie Krawiec, executive director of the Michigan Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and a practicing therapist at Birmingham Maple Clinic in Troy, Mich.” “When it comes to children, ‘parents can start by helping (them) set reasonable...

I want things to change. I want my children to grow up in a world that values life and in a world where people are working towards building a more just and humane society. At home, I am working hard to reinforce good virtues, but that is not enough. It cannot be enough. With the Culture of Death continuing its pursuit for souls, I must do more to be an agent of change to lessen the burden my children and all children will face as adults. A new year is coming and many are thinking about resolutions and new starts....

Every year many of us do it. Make those same, predictable, boring resolutions. We keep making these same resolutions year after year...and don't stick with them, so I’ve come up with a more reasonable list of resolutions for 2015. 1. Eat more carbs. You’re going to anyway. Why suffer without bread, potatoes, and for God’s sake, even orange juice. We all like our carbs and you should be sure you include them in every meal. You’ve been eating them all along, and you probably don’t weigh 400 pounds, so who cares? 2.Forget exercising. You’ll waste your money joining a gym...

I have written the New Year’s resolutions which I am planning on accomplishing. Daily MassI definitely plan on accomplishing this New Year’s resolution as faithfully as I can. There are many days which make going to Daily Mass exhausting such as College, studying, and other personal obligations, nevertheless this is something that I am definitely adding in my New Year’s resolution. Many people fail to realize the abundant graces which come from attending the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and that includes attending Mass Daily. For those interested Fr Chad Ripperger gives very good insights in both the nature of...