Julie and Scott have this locked room mystery solved, but it turns out that was just a distraction.

  We talk about the good priest, the bad priest, and the unbeliever in Rian Johnson's new mystery — Episode 371: Wake Up Dead Man

And the Winner Is — 1943

  Our family is working our way through Oscar winners and whichever nominees take our fancy. Also as they are available, since these early films continued to be hard to find.

Nominated films that we didn't watch either because we'd scouldn't find them were The Pied Piper and Wake Island.

WINNER

it shows how the life of an unassuming British housewife in rural England is affected by World War II.

Simply stunning in the way that it takes you into this family's life and then shows the effects of war on the British as WWII breaks out. Definitely deserved to win.

 NOMINEES

The spoiled young heir to the decaying Amberson fortune comes between his widowed mother and the man she has always loved.

Wonderfully made but with a story I really hated.

A film of the life of the renowned musical composer, playwright, actor, dancer and singer George M. Cohan.

I didn't care for having encapsulated versions of Cohan shows dropped in everywhere but that is how this form of musical genre works. The Ziegfeld Follies did it best. Alexander's Rag Time Band did it worst. This falls just between the two.

The story of the life and career of the baseball hall of famer, Lou Gehrig.

An affectionate, straight-forward telling of Lou Gerig's life. Not especially Oscar worthy except, perhaps, as a sentimental favorite because of the subject.

Five young adults in a small American town face the revelations of secrets that threaten to ruin their hopes and dreams.

I liked it much more than I thought I would, certainly more than The Magnificent Ambersons which had Orson Welles' wonderful style but a drag of a story. And Ronald Reagan did a great job.

A German U-boat is sunk in Canada’s Hudson Bay. Hoping to evade capture, a small band of German soldiers led by commanding officer Lieutenant Hirth attempts to cross the border into the United States, which has not yet entered the war and is officially neutral.

We were surprised at how much we liked this. It was much more propagandistic than winner Mrs. Miniver, but it was still really good. Thus proving, I suppose, that top notch talent can elevate and improve upon a basic message. In a sense it was somewhat like a mystery, watching which of the group of Nazis trying to get back to Germany would be picked off next and by whom.

Hilarity ensues when a falsely accused fugitive from justice hides at the house of his childhood friend, which she has recently rented to a high-principled law teacher.

A lot more interesting than the description made it sound. We really enjoyed it.

Wandered away from his asylum, an amnesiac World War I veteran falls in love with a music hall star but his amnesia makes it difficult to last.

An extremely frustrating amnesia plot. Good amnesia plots provide character growth by forcing the victim to begin anew. This one was just a huge soap opera full of inexplicably missed chances to help Smithy remember a crucial 3 years. It's a real waste of wonderful actors. So annoying.

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All the Oscar viewing is here.

After Vespers

After Vespers, Frederic Leighton

Help becomes honorable, because it may become mutual.

Help is humiliating when it appeals to men from below, taking heed only of their material wants. It humiliates when there is no reciprocity. When you give the poor man nothing but bread or clothes, there is no likelihood of his ever giving you in return.

But help honors when it appeals to him from above. It respects him when it deals with his soul, with his religious, moral and political education, and with all that emancipates him from his passions. Help honors when, to the bread that nourishes, it adds the visit that consoles, advice that enlightens, the friendly handshake that lifts up flagging courage. It esteems the poor man when it treats him with respect, not only as an equal but a superior, since he is capable of suffering what we perhaps are incapable of suffering. After all, he is the messenger of God to us, sent to prove our justice and our charity and to save us by our works.

Help then becomes honorable, because it may become mutual. Every man who gives a kind word, good advice, a consolation today, may tomorrow need a kind word, advice or consolation The hand that you clasp, clasps yours in return That indigent family whom you love, loves you in return and will have largely acquitted them­selves toward you when they shall have prayed for you.

Frederic Ozanam, 1848, "De l'Aumône" (On Almsgiving)

published in the newspaper L’Ère Nouvelle.

Quoted in Voices of the Saints by Bert Ghezzi

This is the heart of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. It can't be better expressed how we are benefitted by our neighbors while they are being helped by us. Truly, this is something of the Lord. It is also the heart of our founder, Frederic Ozanam. The more I read about him, the more I admire him.

Book of Durrow

The beginning of the Gospel of Mark from the Book of Durrow.
Source: Wikipedia

There is a sense of space in the design of all the pages of the Book of Durrow. Open vellum balances intensely decorated areas.

I'm a sucker for illuminated manuscripts, especially Bibles. I'd love so much to have an illustrated Bible, old school.

I'm also a sucker for good use of space and not feeling one has to fill every bit of the page up. And for stylized animals as parts of capital letters.

So this scores on several fronts.

Why was John the Baptist killed?

I need add no commentary to this.

Why was John the Baptist eventually killed?

It wasn't because he preached about God.

It wasn't because he said a Messiah was coming.

It was because he told people to reform their lives.

It was because he told Herod he shouldn't have married his half-brother's wife.

John was preaching a touch message of personal and moral reform.

No one will kill me or get angry with me because I say, "I believe in God." But if I start talking about how the teachings of Jesus should change the world, or how the teachings of Jesus should change the way we live—for this people could get mad at me.

Little Blue Book, Advent 2025

X

X
by Karin Jurick

A glass ceiling projecting patterns and shadows on the floor while a young woman sketches in the Sculpture Gallery of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.

La Tour Eiffel

Robert Delaunay, Tour Eiffel, 1926

Truly gorgeous. And colorful for a wet, gray, cold day.

Why let worry spoil right now?

If you know that whatever you're worried about would be resolved tomorrow, would you still let it spoil today? If not, then why let it spoil right now?

Father Mike Schmitz

This is the thought that makes it possible for me to go back to sleep in the middle of the night when I wake up with something on my mind. I'll let Jesus handle it. And face it tomorrow morning. (To be fair, it calms me in the middle of the day also.)

St. Francis De Sales Memorial

Francis de Sales, CO OM OFM Cap. (French: François de Sales; 21 August 1567 – 28 December 1622) was a Bishop of Geneva and is honored as a saint in the Anglican and Catholic church. He became noted for his deep faith and his gentle approach to the religious divisions in his land resulting from the Protestant Reformation. He is known also for his writings on the topic of spiritual direction and spiritual formation, particularly the Introduction to the Devout Life and the Treatise on the Love of God.

This summary is from Wikipedia but I liked the emphasis on St. Francis De Sales' gentle approach because he changed a lot of people's minds and hearts about Calvinism.

I think he is a good patron for today where we encounter so much ill informed opposition to the faith, both from within and without the Church. For daily living, I can especially recommend Introduction to the Devout Life as a down-to-earth, surprisingly modern book.

Here's an example of St. Francis's good advice which spoke to me when I was reading today's reflection in In Conversation with God, vol. 6. They are brief but were good reminders to me.

Humility is not only charity. It is also sweetness. Charity is the humility which appears on the outside. Humility is the charity which is on the inside.

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We have to be indignant towards evil while at the same time being as polite as possible toward our neighbor.

Here is one of my very favorite quotes from St Francis de Sales — perhaps I need to reread Introduction to the Devout Life. It's been a while.

Day is continually turning to night, spring to summer, summer to autumn, autumn to winter, winter to spring; no two days are ever exactly alike. Some are foggy, rainy, some dry or windy; and this endless variety greatly enhances the beauty of the universe. And even so precisely is it with man (who, as ancient writers have said, is a miniature of the world), for he is never long in any one condition, and his life on earth flows by like the mighty waters, heaving and tossing with an endless variety of motion; one while raising him on high with hope, another plunging him low in fear; now turning him to the right with rejoicing, then driving him to the left with sorrows; and no single day, no, not even one hour, is entirely the same as any other of his life.

St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life

For anyone interested in this book, Scott and I discussed Introduction to the Devout Life on A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast.

Rest in Peace, John Allen, Jr.

I was sorry to see that John Allen died yesterday. I remember reading his All the Pope's Men and being impressed not only by the book itself but by his even-handed writing. I was truly impressed by the honesty with which he acknowledged his horror when his younger self was told by a respected mentor that he was a very biased writer. By the time I encountered him, Allen was someone I really respected. Even when I might not have agreed with all his conclusions, I respected him. And that's rare. 

I tend to agree with The Pillar's piece which says:

I think much of that came because John pioneered something in contemporary Church life: The idea that the Church could be covered in depth from a perspective that was neither cloying piety nor dismissive skepticism; that it could be considered the proper subject for proper journalism, understood and evaluated on its own terms, and by its own self-understanding, rather than by the imposition of ideologies or by broad and unoriginal presumptions about religion and religious people.

As a convert from secularism I appreciated that quality a lot.

Eternal rest grant unto John Allen, O Lord,

and let perpetual light shine upon him.

May his soul,

through the mercy of God,

rest in peace.

Amen

[Two other books of his that I loved: To Light a Fire on the Earth (with Robert Barron) and A People of Hope. Another book of his which I recall liking - not sure why I didn't review it - The Global War on Christians.]

Worrying Rama, comforted by his brother

A depiction of Rama in the Ramayana. Worried about his wife Sita,
he is consoled by his brother Lakshmana.

I happen to know the story of Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana (not to mention Hanuman and Ravana). It is depicted in numerous Hindi movies and often serves as a subtext which many Indians know like the back of their hand. I was looking for an image of someone worrying and loved when this popped up. He has reason to worry, by the way. Sita was his wife who had been kidnapped by the ten-headed demon Ravana. Don't worry it turns out ok in the end.

Bitterness, worry, and God

Bitterness is believing that God got it wrong. Worry is believing that God got it right.

Timothy Keller

I don't struggle with bitterness but I am a bit of a worrier. This is solid gold for helping me relax and trust.

Readers and Writers and Literature. Oh my!

It takes readers as well as writers to make literature.

Flannery O'Connor, Catholic Novelists and Their Readers

Simple but profound.

Don Quixote in the Study

Don Quixote in the Study, Gustav Dore

 Since our quote today is about reading. The link below the photo goes to a post that has lots of paintings of people reading. A lot of fun to look at.

The Plunge

The Plunge, Remo Savisaar

Remo tells us:

The kingfisher, having carefully spotted the exact location of its prey and waited for the perfect moment, suddenly tucks its belly in. This makes it look slimmer, but the purpose is to pull its feathers close to its body, leaving as little air as possible. In an instant, it propels itself into the air and plunges like a dart into the water. Splash! Just a second later, it emerges with a fish in its beak. It all happens incredibly fast! In my experience, the kingfisher almost always catches its prey — very rarely does it leave the water without a catch. After all, the kingfisher!

Go to the link to see the photo larger.

2026 is the Year of — John Carpenter, Pope Benedict XVI, and the Brothers Karamazov

 

Long ago, I used to have a long reading and viewing list at the beginning of each year. I dedicatedly worked my way through them. I posted them as my book and movie challenges.

I was heavily influenced by the blogging world in that way because that wasn't my natural way of doing things. My natural way was to skip, hop, and jump through what attracted me at the time. I've fallen back into that over time. However, my family has fallen into a few directed ways of watching movies and I have a few reading ideas for this year.

OSCARS — Our family enjoys things like picking a director (Billy Wilder, William Wyler) and working our way through their filmography. That's what led to our leisurely purusal of Oscar winners and nominees. Since September of 2024 we've covered them from 1931-1942. We're continuing with that viewing, which is occasional.

JOHN CARPENTER — round Chrismastime we got interested in John Carpenter because of an overlap with watching 1970s and 80s science fiction movies. Rose loves that crazy time in sf films because it is a transition period which results in some of the most iconic "of their time" sf. And it takes Tom and me back to when those were just some of the movies that came out when we were in high school and college.

In watching Escape From New York, we thought of Halloween (love it) and Carpenter's work as a top B-movie director of sf/horror. A new goal emerged — we're watching Carpenter's films from Dark Star on. Also occasionally as one can only take so much John Carpenter in a row. We are discovering him to be a very efficient director with a particular way of telling a story that we do enjoy. Also fun is seeing the "regulars" who are cast — beginning with Donald Pleasance.

POPE BENEDICT XVI — Last year I read John Paul II's complete encyclicals. It was really wonderful. It was a slow process but completely worth it. That made me want to read from his successor's writing. I also love me some Pope Benedict XVI. Last year I read, In the Beginning and that helped rekindle my desire to read more of his writing.

I've read a number of his works a while back, most specifically the Jesus of Nazareth trilogy, his encyclicals as they came out, and some of his teaching homilies published in book form. I read his Apostles book last year as a start to my focus and am now reading about the Fathers of the Church. I'm also interested in rereading the encyclicals and other works — for example, I am now reading a selected collection of his Advent, Christmas, Marian, and saint homilies.  That will be going on through the year.

BIG BOOKS — I've meant to reread Middlemarch for some time. I think this year will be that time. I also am going to attempt The Brothers Karamazov for a last time. I've now read just enough Russian novels that I might be able to get my head in the right space. No guarantees on this — I do not love Russian novels. But I at least understand them a little more.

There will be other big books because Scott and I are going to discuss Kristin Lavransdatter on A Good Story is Hard to Find. Also I've gotten interested in Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell again — this will be the third time. 

We'll see what else I find as I hop, skip, and jump through 2026.

Two Young Girls at the Piano

Two Young Girls at the Piano, Auguste Renoir

Since today's quote was about playing the piano (or fingers at any rate), this seemed like a good picture.

Woah. No musles in our fingers?

In order to allow dexterity and slimness for actions such as piano playng, the finger contains no muscles; tendons transfer force from muscles in the forearm and palm. In all, seventy separate muscles contribute to hand movements.

Dr. Paul Brand, Fearfully and Wonderfully ...

This blew my mind. Which is pretty much what the whole book did anyway.

Koyla (Coal)

A village girl agrees to a marriage to a king she has never met after he sends her a photograph of himself. But the man in the photograph is not the king but his most loyal slave, the handsome but mute Shankar.

Just a perfect viewing experience if you like 1990s Indian movies - and we do. That means this is for the experienced Indian movie viewer. We'd never have liked this seven years ago but now we relished every moment.

This is a villain heavy dramatic thriller with a good dose of Madhuri Dixit's classical dancing, Amrish Puri's over the top villain and, of course, Shah Rukh Khan's inimitable heroic style. You will believe that the hero can be mute (which really bemused us at the beginning of the film).

We really loved the "5 hands" scene which was very skillfully done for genuine laughs. I've never seen Johnny Lever with so few over the top moments, which was interesting. Anyway, it was a hit with us.