Diane: Amateur Catholic

Hello,

I've just started an amateur Catholic blog - my first ever blog (it's coming along ..... sort of)

It's mainly a way for me to share my Catholic photography, with some commentary and good links to solid Catholic sermons & talks by my pastor. I plan to continue to share from my backlog of photographs, in addition to adding more photos as I take them at various events.

http://www.te-deum.blogspot.com

God Bless!

Diane

Welcome Diane. It's nice to have another local, especially one that can provide evidence that Hell hasn't totally conquered Detroit yet. Keep up the good work and welcome to the B-Team!

Leonora Afuyog: Amateur Catholic

I'm definitely an amateur amateur. My blog is "Jack Shall Have Jill..."
http://hownowspiritwhitherwanderyou.blogspot.com/

--
Leonora Afuyog

Okay, I believe you. Welcome to the B-Team, Leonora!

Anthony: Amateur Catholic

Am I ready?

To move up to the B Team?

--
Anthony

http://romancathanachronism.typepad.com

I don't know if you're ready to move up to the B-Team, Anthony. Are you willing to accept that moving up in this case is actually a move down? If so, welcome aboard! ;)

William Eunice: Amateur Catholic

Subject: two years and still only a handful of readers

This email is a tremendous amount of work you know?

I started my blog Full Circle ( http://earlychurchfathers.org/fullcircle ) in 2004. I think I have about five regular visitors and I am related to most of them. I am thrilled when web searches happen to drive ten visitors by my site on a given day. According to those web searches I find I most often attract visitors who happen to spell church chruch. At one time I was on the short list of happening links for the web search " excuses to avoid the in-laws". I accomplished this without ever including that phrase on my blog. Those were the A days. Since noting it however, I have plummeted from the A-list even on that topic. I am a "Pile of Dirt" in the TTLB ecosystem and I bowl in a league called "Slackers".

I know I could be faulted for running my own website instead of kowtowing to the man by using Blogspot but I pay for it and even though I am a database professional by trade my blog uses only the most recent advances in text file technology. I have even been too lazy to report the trackback bug that exists on my blog to the developer team so I find myself regularly commenting on items that will never be read.

From my about me page:

"I am not a famous apologist or author. I am not even educated in theology, psychology, journalism or English. You have no reason to trust anything that I say."

In light of my overwhelming demonstration of ongoing mediocrity, please add me to the B-Team.

Hey William, welcome to the club. FWIW, though I seldom stop in and comment, I catch up with you via bloglines. In fact, I have used your Early Church Fathers quote matrix as a reference source for some apologetics work, and referred others to it. I'd recommend that all B-Teamers stop by http://www.earlychurchfathers.org/, check it out and bookmark it for later use. Thanks for making that available and welcome again!

Amateur Catholic blogging

The above sign was generated at Church Sign Generator which was brought to my attention by fellow Amateur Catholic, MrsDarwin - and I do mean Amateur! Unfortunately MrsDarwin hotlinked to the image she generated rather than uploading it to Blogger or another server. Apparently people who offer a free service for our entertainment draw the line at buying bandwidth to host our images...go figure! Anyway, if you stopped by the Darwin blog this afternoon you would have gotten a chuckle over the lesson MrsDarwin learned. The host of the Church Sign Generator site replaced MrsD's image with one that said something like, "Hotlinking makes Baby Jesus cry".

Poor MrsDarwin, she's not the first Amateur to get a scolding, for sure. Being the sensitive and charitable guy that I am, I sent MrsDarwin the B-Team's latest publication free of charge - The 2006 edition of Amateur Catholic Blogging for Dummies.



Since I am confident that MrsDarwin will master the subject handily, I have already booked her a speaking engagement for next Friday at Our Lady of Martyrs in fashionable Chillicothe, Ohio.




Break a leg, MrsDarwin!

B-Team happenings

First, I would like to apologize for Amateur Catholic not being updated recently. I have been extremely busy, and presumably our other administrators have been too.

Following up on a couple of emails that were sent in, I'd like to draw your attention to something by Carol at Alabama Improper created.

Used without permission because that's what Amateurs do...

Gotta love it. Thanks Carol.

Also of interest: Amy, the good DRE of the East, sent this offering on the sorry state of catechesis along with an Easter blessing. Good going, Amy.

Happy Easter all.

Usceae: Amateur Catholic

Hi, B-Team.

Would you please consider putting me down as an Amateur Amateur? I started a blog (www.usceae.blogspot.com) several days ago. Usceae stands for 'Unam Sanctam Catholicam et Apostolicam Ecclesiam'.

Usceae is also a nom de plume because I happen to be a Roman Catholic Christian living in a Muslim majority country, and the purpose of the blog is to discuss, in an open fashion (but without abuse) the experience of Christian living in a non-Christian environment (either majority non-Christian religious, or secular, depending on what the topical need appears to be). This cannot easily be done in the mainstream media where I live. As I do have a family, and commitments, and as freedom of speech and religion in my country is not as open as it is in the west (but not, I should mention, zero), I have chosen not to be identified on my blog, at this time. If you'd have a look at it, and see if it meets your standards, I'd be grateful.

My blog might also add an interesting Eastern dimension to the B-Team, since my perspectives are probably different from yours, notwithstanding we share the same faith. So, if you'll pardon my lack of significant writing skill, it might be fun.

To close, I probably should mention that I am not (as far as I can tell) a victim of persecution (although there is certainly subtle persecution of the Church in my country). Just an 'ordinary Joe' (I believe the phrase is) trying to make a contribution to the Kingdom of Christ.

Warm regards.
Yours in Christ,
Usceae
www.usceae.blogspot.com

Congratulations, Usceae, you're in. I just hope that you don't run the risk of being persecuted for being an Amateur. I'll say a prayer for your well-being and that of your fellow Catholics there. Welcome to the B-Team!

Denise Hunnell: Amateur Catholic

Please rest assured I am making no money as I blog away, much to my husband's chagrin. Once upon a time people paid me for my advice because I wore a white coat, carried a stethoscope and had these extra initials after my name. However, the title MOM became much more important than the title MD so I find myself preserving brain cells by blogging. Subject matters vary but all are filtered through the lenses of a Catholic Mom. Hence my blog, Catholic Matriarch in my Domestic Church aka Catholic Mom. http://catholic-mom.blogspot.com/

Thanks,

Denise

Wow Denise, you stopped practicing medicine to practice changing diapers and all that other uncool stuff. I'm impressed. Welcome aboard, it's good to have you.

Eric Woolhiser: Amateur Catholic

Should Catholic businessmen wear their religion on their sleeve?

I think so!
And it comes out in various ways, for example, I don't work on Sundays even
though most REALTORS® will be standing open houses.

I'm also closed for Holy Week.

Most of my clients are Roman Catholic, because while other REALTORS® tell
home owners to "tone down" their Catholic decorations when selling a house,
I encourage my clients to keep them on display.

There was one time though, I asked a client to put away his relics because I
was afraid that they might get stolen if they were on display.

Anyway, I've renewed my interest ing blogging, and I hope that I qualify for
an amature Catholic. You can visit http://cg59.blogspot.com to see my
writing.

--
Eric Woolhiser
www.woolhiser.com
EXIT Advantage Realty
phn: 978 392 9585 270 Littleton Rd #5, Westford, MA 01886
mbl: 978 660 7907 fax: 978 428 3081

Oh by the way, if you know anyone who would appreciate the same level
of service we provide you, please send us their name and phone number
and we'll be sure to serve them as well as we serve you!

I suppose it doesn't hurt for an Amateur Catholic to wear his business on his sleeve either, huh? ;)

Welcome to the B-Team, Eric!

Curmudgeon: Amateur Catholic

Hey kids!

I'm finally applying to the B-Team. Here's my blog--a few of your charter members--fellow Evil Traditionalists--know me already. I'm such an amateur that I didn't respond to the invitation when it was first presented long, long ago. I'm such an amatuer that I don't know how to use spell-check in blogspot. I'm amateur enought that I haven't updated my blogroll in months. And I'm also amateur enough that I don't have any worries about taking potshots at the professional Catholics, clerical or lay, or even the sacred Wanderer.

I've been waiting to apply to the B-Team, because I was sure God was going to send me the right powerball numbers and then I could quit my job and I wouldn't be an amateur Catholic any more (or at least I wouldn't have to remain anonymous anymore) That hasn't happened. It must mean that Our Lord wants me on the B-Team.

Am I good enough, am I smart enough, do you love me?

--Curmudgeon
a/k/a Krusty
a/k/a Darth Cantankerous
a/k/a Fred (although this nickname was given by a professional Catholic, of sorts, so it's inappropriate to use here)

I know how you feel. You can't imagine how many times I suggested to my special patrons, St Joseph and St. Therese that winning the lottery would be a great way to answer my prayers, but alas, apparently they're still not too fond of me. ;)

Hopefully, when your patrons come through for you, you'll still remain a B-Teamer in spirit. Welcome to the B-Team.

David Withun: Amateur Catholic

I would like to apply to be an Amateur Amateur Catholic because I am an amateur Catholic! Now, don't get me wrong, I've been trying hard for a long time now, and I still practice at least once a week, usually on Sunday morning. "Practice makes perfect" is what they say, right?

Anyway, but blog is called "Catholic At Work" and is at http://catholicatwork.blogspot.com

Please choose me! I was always the last one in gym class to get picked for dodgeball. It would be a real boost to my self-confidence.

David

A Catholic at Work blogging is indicitive of an amateur status for sure. Welcome aboard, David. Sorry for having taken so long to get this up.

Erin: Amateur Catholic

Dear Amateur Catholic,
Please let me be on your B-Team.

I think I qualify because on my seventh grade basketball team, I
wasn't even allowed to start the C - TEAM after the coach had one
taste of my game-time skills.

I also think I qualify because my blog it a little blog, where
myself and the five people who know about it go to read my posts
which, sadly enough, read just as my thoughts happen in my head. I
actually think like I write my posts...uh and note that is not
something I say with pride. I really do think with weird syntax due to
reading too much Jane Austen and Anne of Green Gables when I was in my
pre-teens... it formed me, and now I'm stuck with it. So the
cheesiness, the dwelling on small details which I alone find
absorbing, the willingness to relate ANY thing to something I heard in
a theology class recently... this all is really me, unsensored. Sad,
but true. Asking to be on your team is a not at all a sign of pride,
but a sign of humility, the willingness to face the fact that people
might actually READ my little corner of the Internet!

Three cheers for B Team! Goooo B Team!

In Christ,
Erin.... to be found at my blog, "Like A Child", located at:
www.judahswilderness.blogspot.com

Asking to be on your team is a not at all a sign of pride, but a sign of humility...

Gee, thanks - I think... It's always humbling to find out that people consider associating with you to be humbling...or is it more like humilating? ;)

Glad to have you, Erin, and please accept my apologies for taking so long to get this posted. Welcome to the lowly B-Team.

B-Teamer in need

UPDATE 04/04/06: Please take a moment to read Ron's latest update. Your generosity has been amazing. Beautiful even. I am finding the example set by this small virtual community to be quite touching. A real It's a Wonderful Life moment - but better - everybody knew George Bailey, many of you did not know Ron personally, but heard he could use a hand and you immediately reached out. Thank you, and most importantly, Ron thanks you.

God has a plan. Sometimes the glory in it is very apparent, sometimes it isn't. Sometimes it is brings joy to the heart, sometimes it brings pain. Sometimes it is easier to accept than others, but His plan always calls on us to help one another.

Fellow B-Teamer Ron Rolling, a man I consider a friend, is having rough go of things lately. Some of have been there, some of us will be there, and others will only be able to consider what it is like to be there. Whichever the case may be, we can empathize and sympathize and are intuitively drawn to help. As Catholics we know prayer is our greatest tool, and that's all well and good, but sometimes we have to put our prayers into action, and that's just what a number of people are doing.

Please remember Ron in your prayers, but if you can do anything at all materially, I know he would be very grateful, as would your B-team bretheren. He has a PayPal link on his blog, A Wing and a Prayer. Don't let it go to waste. ;)

Thank you and God bless.

Word from Ron this morning:

(UPDATE: The donor roll has increased to 59, as of a few minutes before the new day begins. The job interview that was scheduled for the past afternoon is postponed until noon tomorrow.)

Thank you B-Teamers and everyone else who has chipped in and/or prayed. It's actually quite touching when you think about it.

Danny Garland: Amateur Catholic

I'm so amateur, it took me a week to change the heading of my blog and there is still a strip of green on the side I couldn't get rid of. I've also discovered that it looks worse on certain browsers!

Danny

irishanddangerous.blogspot.com

I'm convinced. It's good to have you, Danny. I see that your image is 629px wide and your #wrapper is 692px. There lies your problem, I believe. Either resize the image you're using or change the #wrapper to 629 (sometimes you have to be plus or minus one or two for some reason). Don't forget to back up your template first, and to try it in both Firefox and the evil Internet Explorer. Welcome aboard, you Amateur!

La Dolce Divas: Amateur Catholic divas

Hi!

Diva Anne and I would like to apply for membership on the Amateur Catholic B-Team for our website, La Dolce Divas, www.ladolcedivas.blogspot.com. We are diva-lawyers who happen to be Catholic, or, if you prefer, diva-Catholics who happen to be lawyers. We don’t write books or do speaking tours, and frankly, we aren’t oh so impressed with many who do.

Our blog is not "about" Catholicsm, because then we would have to put up with the aforementioned people with whom we are not oh so impressed. It’s not about law, either, unless something really, really stupid happens that we feel we are ecclesiastically called to comment upon it. We mostly blog about fashion and wine and shoes, but sometimes we sneak in some serious stuff, like explanations about Lent, and recipes for meatless Lenten Fridays (with the correct wine selection, of course) and some occasional witty, scathing or possibly irreverent political commentary. We think the readers would rather we just stick to shoes, but we don’t care – it’s our blog, and as divas, we write about whatever we damn well please. But most importantly, we think the Amateur Catholic blog button will be a fabulous accessory for our sidebar (the colors coordinate beautifully!) and we will even put in a scrolling blogroll if you send us the code! A really nice guy from another website showed us how to do that - we don't "do" html, either.

We would be honored to join the company of other Catholics who actually have a clue about their importance in the big picture!

Thank you for your consideration.

Diva Leigh and Diva Anne

Nobody said that to be an Amateur Catholic blogger all your content has to be about the Church or Church related issues, so I'm not questioning you amateur Catholic credentials. However, I have to wonder about your legal judgment. It would seem to me that the picture you have posted of Cindy Sheehan being "escorted" is in violation of public decency laws. Yikes! And what's up with Susan Sarandon's physical aspects anyway? If they can make Charlize Theron look like Aileen Wournos, turning a skank like Sarandon into Sheehan is child's play. But I digress...

Welcome to the B-Team!

Julie: Amateur Catholic

Here's my blog address:

http://rc-clipper.blogspot.com

I am an amateur because:

-- I created my blog and then abandoned it for two weeks
-- I have a readership of zero, not counting myself (I'm kind of a fan, can't lie)
-- I don't make money from Catholic stuff, because there are no work-study positions available
-- I'm too wussy/sane to be an actual Classics major and not just a minor
-- I still read the New York Times online
-- I don't have a Gmail account

But so many of my favorite blogs are members of the B-Team! So please can I join?

--Julie

Sounds good, Julie. Well, maybe except for the part about being a fan of your own blog. That strikes me as a tad bit on the Professional side of things, but I suppose your honesty makes up for it. Welcome to the B-Team!

Suzy Rice: Amateur Catholic

Hi, Amateur Catholic:

I write a blog (BIRD which can be found at: http://suzyrice.com/BIRD), am a Catholic, and wondered if I could join your Amateur Catholic blogroll.

I tend to be outspoken mostly about cultural and political issues and some of that seems lately to be contrary to some positions taken by the American Catholic Bishops -- yet I maintain respect for the Vatican and blessed Pope Benedict (it seems the
American Catholic Bishops are often pushing the limits of what the Vatican directs, is my point, and I tend to side almost always with the Vatican so that puts me at odds with more liberal Americans among Catholics).

I don't know it that sets me apart from your blogroll or not but I would be proud to join your blogroll and to display your logo on my blog.

Please advise and best wishes,

S. E. Rice

It's okay Suzy. You're not alone in being at odds with dissenting bishops. But what really matters here is just that you're an Amateur Catholic and I believe you are. Welcome aboard!

Boomer Tom: Amateur Catholic

Rick...some of my best work has been at the B-team level....varsity status always seemed to elude me, tho I did ok at high school soccer til I got caught doing an impression of the coach in the locker room as a junior....then it was "ride the pine" for the rest of the year.........but I digress, which happens frequently...just read my blog.....
www.tomsboomertimes.blogspot.com

So can you put me in Coach.....? I'm ready to play.....today.

Well Tom, I think we have a rule about not admitting soccer types or something, and the reference to John Fogerty does nothing for this Progressive Rock fan, but since technically you stopped playing soccer, and didn't cite Haugen and/or Haas lyrics, we'll give you a pass. Welcome to the B-Team!