Lots of amazing stuff around the web

I have lots of writing to do, but both Father Z and the Anchoress have some great posts this morning.

Be sure to listen to the videos and audio in this post. Really interesting contrast and I think we can see the same thing up here when you put the very much alive Ezra Levant or Mark Steyn up against the bafflegab, doze-fest speakers of the progressive left.

The Anchoress writes:

She may drop her g’s and she may get a little guttural when she is enthusiastic, and yeah, she may even get a little shrill, here and there, but listen to this audio, and that staccato delivery; you cannot ignore the fact that Palin is a feisty roman candle of a woman; in a world full of dead things* flowing with the stream Sarah Palin is alive! She is wide-awake with that peculiar American Genius that has nothing to do with SAT scores and Ivy Leagues. And she dares others to swim against the stream of kneejerk, unilateral moves from the establishment.

Listen to this audio; she crackles with life.

It's true. The sheer common sense and passion will amaze you, since, er, why is it so rare.

Then listen to the video she has of the new New Jersey governor. Great stuff. If only all politicians were like that, we would know what we were voting for.

And watch this video and see why it is so easy to, well, watch the video.

Father Z comments on the Holy Father's message to bishops in Fatima:

[Watch this…] As you see, the Pope needs to open himself ever more fully to the mystery of the Cross, embracing it as the one hope and the supreme way to gain and to gather in the Crucified One all his brothers and sisters in humanity. [This is a bit humbling for me, especially having known the Pope before his election. The Pope is saying here that he has failed in some ways in his love of Christ crucified. He says that he needs to have a deeper conversion. This is humbling.] Obeying the word of God, he [Benedict] is called to live not for himself but for the presence of God in the world. [Remember that this is to bishops.] I am comforted by the determination with which you too follow me closely, [Here is something for pastors of souls… get this! ...] fearing nothing except the loss of eternal salvation for your people, [HOLY COW!] as was clearly expressed in the words of greeting spoken by Archbishop Jorge Ortiga upon my arrival in your midst, and which testify to the unconditional fidelity of the Bishops of Portugal to the Successor of Peter. [The cura animarum... so seldom spoken of today. I wonder… I wonder how many pastors of souls really think in terms – primarily and foundationally – of the salvation of the souls in their charge. They do what they do for the salvation of souls.] From my heart I thank you. I thank you as well for all the attention that you have given to organizing my Visit. May God reward you, and pour out the Holy Spirit in abundance upon you and your Dioceses so that, with one heart and with one soul, you may bring to completion the pastoral work which you have begun, [And echo of ordination?] that is, offering each member of the faithful an exacting and attractive Christian initiation, one which communicates the integrity of the faith and genuine spirituality, rooted in the Gospel, and capable of forming free and generous labourers in the midst of public life. [Again, we need strong Catholic identity for the sake of what we bring to the public square. Also, I hear in that reference to "labourers" an echo of Papa Ratzinger’s motto from his coat-of-arms, "Co-workers in the truth".]

There's a lot more, so please go and read the whole thing. Wonderful. Sobering.

Gotta finish my breakfast and get cracking.