The Good Wife: great summer TV

The seemingly endless days of high Texas temperatures have sapped my interest in talking about books. I'd recommend a movie but brainless summer movies like Transformers 3 or Zookeeper sap my energy even more.

What is a free mind that loves good stories to do? Turn to television, of course!

Allow me to recommend "The Good Wife," an addictive pleasure worth a lazy summer's evening. Part legal drama, part political commentary, and part soap opera, "The Good Wife" is intelligent, brilliantly nuanced, riveting entertainment. This show doesn't veer away from discussing faith and true human nature in authentic terms.

My latest A Free Mind column at Patheos ... read it all there!

Kate Wicker's review of Happy Catholic: " ... even pop culture can’t escape the wisdom of God."

... whether I’m reading something out of the mouth of a great theologian or an animated superhero from The Incredibles, I’m getting a glimpse of God and how He can be found everywhere – in humor, in sorrow, in the tabernacle, in a secular world, in the most quotidian particulars of life.

So much of our faith is found in living it, and it’s difficult to live our faith if we only feel God is nearby when we’re at church or when we’re participating in formal prayer. What I love about Julie’s approach to spirituality and religion is that there’s always an opportunity for growth and reflection no matter what you find yourself doing, seeing, reading, experiencing, or feeling.

That's not all Kate Wicker has to say in her really nice review of Happy Catholic (the book) ... including a special confession about the special place she goes to read it. I'm not tellin', I'm just sayin' you have to go read it for yourself.

While you're there, take a look around at Kate's blog. She's got her own new book out, Weightless, and you can see from her blog that she's another who sees God all around her. I especially liked "Why I Love My Grandma" (and no, it isn't as sappy as it sounds ... but you're used to that from being around here, right? Right!).

My interview on Christopher Closeup ...

... or how I discovered that it really is the interviewer who makes the interview good.

From my point of view anyway. I guess if you listen and don't like the interview, then we know who to blame ... and it ain't Tony Rossi.

I had exchanged emails with Tony for years but it was a real pleasure to get to talk to him in person. What a swell guy! He really is a fitting representative for a great group like The Christophers.

The podcast is now online at The Christophers.

If you like Catholic radio instead of podcasts, the show will air on:

• Sirius-XM’s The Catholic Channel (Channel 129) this Sunday July 24 at 7:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Eastern (6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Central).
• Relevant Radio the same day at 2:30 p.m. Eastern (1:30 p.m. Central).

Potatoes, Basil, and Creativity

There's a certain sense of accomplishment I feel when I am getting dinner ready, realizing that somehow I should be working in disparate ingredients from the CSA cooler. It's like being on one of those cooking shows, handed a box of odd ingredients and told to make dinner with it.

Certainly it pushes me out of my comfort zone and into inspiration. And sometimes ... every so often ... it pushes me into a place where my family is delighted with the inspiration.

Yesterday, for example, I was making Baked Salmon with Horseradish Sauce. I had picked up some fresh green beans at the store last weekend but was wondering what starch to have with the meal. Then I remembered the red potatoes from the CSA, some of them were fairly small. I could have potatoes and green beans.


Read the rest at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

John Carter of Mars Trailer

I could never get into the books (and oh how I've tried) but I could definitely get into this movie.

Directed by Andrew Stanton. Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo, Wall-E, and now this live action movie. I'm ready.

Via Scott at Rivets and Trees.

UPDATED
I forgot to say ... the music, oh the music! I am ready to buy that soundtrack now ...

For Better, For Worse, For God: the book every married couple should read - together

I have seen two different bloggers lately talk about the efforts they are making to reconnect with spouses. And I've gotten emails from two people that have mentioned the same problem.

We're talking "well-marriage" connections, which are an ever-present struggle for every couple, all the time. Let's just get that out there and think about it. All the time. Every couple.


This book really is like a marriage retreat in a book. I first reviewed this book back in 2009 and think that is it time to remind everyone about this great resource. I give it to newlyweds and it probably seems like an odd gift at the time. I hope that they crack the cover open later and delve into the goodness. There is much inside to help "well-marriages" get even better.

With that, let's rerun the review ...

For Better, for Worse, for God: Exploring the Holy Mystery of Marriage

... becoming one flesh means more than a physical union. Genesis says that God created man and woman to become one body. The Hebrew word for body or "flesh," refers to the physical body for sure, but it encompasses much more. Body includes the whole person: body, mind, and spirit. We're called to be united with our spouse physically, emotionally, and spiritually while retaining our unique individuality. God's design for this partnership is that it nurtures our lives and in so doing gives life to the world.

Men Are from Mars and Women Are from Venus--John Gray and his publishers picked a great title for his bestselling book on marriage. It has become a popular shorthand way of saying that men and women are profoundly different. They are so different that it often seems they live on different planets.

In addition to the obvious anatomical differences, men and women are "wired" differently in their communication styles, emotional makeup, and sexual responses. You and your spouse differ as individuals. Your temperaments are different. You come into marriage with dissimilar expectations, desires, hopes and approaches to problem solving. And while you don't really live on different planets, you come from different places. You were raised in different families. Your family of origin gave you ideas about marriage, child rearing, sex roles, and family values that are different from your spouse's. Some marriage experts say that incompatibility was never a valid reaon for divorce becuase all couples are incompatible to some extent.

Creating an "us" in the face of these differences is a challenging dimension of the vocation of marriage. to become "one," partners must understand the many ways in which they differ from each other and recognize how their differences can work in their favor in terms of their partnership. They also need to learn to manage these differences without hurting each other.

First, becoming an "us" is a realistic goal. The differences between men and women are great, but the desire to achieve unity is even greater. Men and women deeply desire each other; most men and women want to share their lives with a partner of the opposite sex. ... If God created us this way, we can be assured that he gives us the grace to achieve the union we desire.

Second, the work of becoming an "us" is spiritual work, and it requires spiritual disciplines, as already mentioned. Each vocation has its distinctive challenges, and becoming one with a particular other person for life is the unique challenge of marriage; the spiritual disciplines of marriage are the tools we use to achieve it. The disciplines we practice within marriage may seem mundane, such as counting to ten before returning an angry response, or waiting patiently for a spouse who is slow, but they accomplish something remarkable. They allow us to live in communion with someone who feels, perceives, reacts, responds, and loves differently from us.

Living in communion is holy because the conjugal life both mirrors and provides the world with an experience of belonging and acceptance God desires with us. Like the "communion" we experience in the sacraments of the Eucharist, marriage can provide the opportunity to "be one in Christ," the goal for all baptized believers.

Someone who has attended one of the Beyond Cana marriage enrichment retreats that Tom and I help to present may recognize many, if not all, of the principles above. Members of the presentation team definitely will. After working on these retreats for several years, I can tell you that I was blown away by Mary Jo Pederson's book. She consistently took the concepts that Tom and I have learned and practiced in that retreat and expanded upon them in knowledgeable, practical, spiritual, and even humorous ways.

If I included all the pieces that I read aloud to Tom, only to hear him say, "Wow. That is so true. This author is really good!" then we'd be here all day. This is the book I will be buying for newly weds, friends who wish they could make it to a retreat, and for our girls when they are getting married. It can't replace a retreat but it surely is a good supplement and a great grounding in reality for any married couple. Highest recommendations on this one.

Driveby Review: Two Brainless Movies

I rented these knowing that they required no brain and that I was going "off list" and that they hadn't really received critical acclaim.

I was going for summer blockbuster silliness. And we got it. Oh brotha, we got it.

Spoilers included because you've likely heard of these and they each had one point that annoyed me like crazy. As always, good reminders not to get your theology from Hollywood.

The A-Team
I suspended disbelief and so all was very well until we got to the part where Mr. T took up nonviolence. Actually, all was very well after that for some time because I was surprised and pleased that they would play with the action movie template in such an unexpected way.

Where I was annoyed was when Mr. T is pushed to give up his renunciation of his gangsta ways by using Gandi's quotes against him. Now, I get it. Obviously there's the set up so that Mr. T must choose to save his buddy from secondary villain. I was hoping that he would cleverly find a way to do it without killing him. Which would have shown Liam Neeson's character that he didn't know everything (btw, Liam looked like a wimpy grandpa amongst the macho guys in this film - he's no George Peppard ... I'm just sayin'). Wrong. When he pulled off his helmet to sport that gangsta/hood mohawk, I was so disappointed. Hannah said, "The worst thing is, most of the audiences probably saw this as positive character development." Ouch. That hurt even worse.

I'm not even gonna get into the "what were they thinking" comments we had about Jessica Biel's casting. No personality, an uptight character, and no chemistry with Bradley Cooper (who's got chemistry and to spare ... am I right, ladies?). Oh, I guess I did get into it.

Overall: not horrible if you are going for brainless action movie. Just not as good as it could have been. On the other hand, it was no Transformers movie, so it's got that going for it. What the heck. Rent it.


The Adjustment Bureau
If only I had known that it was based on a story by Philip K. Dick, I'd have expected the lack of free will nonsense being shown throughout the movie. Now, I haven't read the story but I'd bet it didn't have the nice, happy ending that they put in this. I'd bet there was memory erasure going at high speed. As for that "you can have free will if you're willing to fight for it" line ... that was pretty much nonsense if you look at all the trouble they went to hunting down Matt Damon and also freezing and adjusting people who got out of line with "the Chairman's plan." They weren't angels and the Chairman was a creepy vision of God. I was pulling for them to be fallen angels with the Chairman down under, if you know what I mean. However, stupid theology aside, the plot holes are big enough to drive a bus through.

Avoid this one.

Today We Saw the Face of God: trailer for the documentary Rose is editing

The team treated their last patient, gathered their supplies and set off towards their sleeping quarters.

And then the ground began to shake violently.

Instead of winging their way home from Haiti, the team of 23 volunteers found themselves the slender thread for survival as panic stricken Haitians thronged to their medical facility. They were suddenly first responders in an unprecedented medical crisis.

Today We Saw the Face of God is a true testament to the power of human connection in the face of unimaginable suffering.

Watch the trailer for Today We Saw the Face of God.

You can see Rose on the crew page (including her photo, which she blessedly did not put through Instagram ... the latest cause of fist-shaking in my codger-ish world).

Weekend Joke:

A very wealthy lawyer retreated for several weeks each year to his summer home in the backwoods of Maine. Every summer, he would invite one friend or another to stay with him there for a week or two.

One summer he invited a Czechoslovakian friend to visit him. The friend, happy to get anything free from a lawyer, eagerly agreed. When the time came, they spent a wonderful time, getting up early every morning and enjoying the great outdoors.

One morning, as the lawyer and his Czechoslovakian friend were picking raspberries and blueberries for their breakfast, they were approached by two huge bears~~a male and a female.

The lawyer noticed them in time to run for cover. His friend, however, was not so lucky. The male bear reached him and swallowed him whole.

Seeing this, the lawyer ran back to his Mercedes and raced for the nearest town to get the local sheriff. The sheriff grabbed his high~powered rifle and raced back to the berry area with the lawyer. All the while, the lawyer was plagued by visions of lawsuit from his friend's family. He just had to save his friend.

Luckily, the bears were still there.

"He's in THAT one!" cried the lawyer, pointing to the male. The sheriff looked at the bears, leveled his gun, took careful aim, and shot the female.

"What did you do that for?!" exclaimed the lawyer, "I said he was in the other bear!"

"Exactly," replied the sheriff. "Would you believe a lawyer who told you that the Czech was in the male?"

This 'N' That on the HC Homestead

An Arborist in the Family

The company Hannah works at was downsizing and in the "last hired, first fired" action, she lost her job. However, less than a week later, she has been hired by a tree company. She couldn't be more pleased. She loves animals but she loves trees just as much (I don't understand it, I just nod and smile). We're all thrilled at the news though and I, personally, feel that this was so easy, with so many components being set in the perfect place, that God wants Hannah's next job to be as an arborist. She begins studying for the test soon ...

Last Car Payment!

I just mailed off the very last car payment for our Ford Freestyle. Woohoo! So we now have no car payments. Not that we don't have other things to sock that payment into, but still, it feels good to have two cars, no payments. Now to drive them until they just won't drive no more!

When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbin' Along

Thanks to BirdNote podcast, I knew when I saw robins enjoying the sprinkler in a neighbor's yard on this morning's walk, that a lot of them probably had spotted breasts instead of red ones. I stopped my walk and began counting. There were twelve on the ground, with more in the trees. Sure enough, over half sported spotted breasts just tinged with a bit of red on the sides near their wings. They were watching the adults with some of them pecking at the ground in a desultory way. It didn't take long for every robin in the yard to soon fix me with an icy eye. You could see the wheels turning. "Do you eat robins?" they were all asking themselves. Taking no chances, after a minute they zoomed to the trees. Just a vignette of what happens when you keep your eyes open, even in a crowded suburb near downtown.

Flocks of Parrots Flying By

Lately both Tom and I have seen flocks of parrots flying overhead. Ten to fifteen large-ish birds whoosh together in and out of trees, flying pretty fast. These may be the legendary Quaker Parrots/Monk Parakeets of Dallas (I'm not kidding). If they are parakeets then they are much larger than that name implies. Noisy, green and ... really fast. It makes watering the lawn into a real birdwatching adventure.

Blogging Around: Why So Serious?

So many serious topics, sprinkled with something less so. All well written and worth taking a look at.

A Quality Of Irresponsibility Peculiar To This Century, Known Sometimes As Modernism

For Philip Larkin, the baleful influence of "modernism" on 20th century culture was embodied in "the three Ps": Pound, Picasso, and Parker (Charlie). Of course, we should bear in mind that Larkin was wont to play the role of reactionary Philistine in order to get a rise out of people (particularly interviewers). But he was entirely serious. And he was entirely correct.

Read it at First Known When Lost.

Heresy is Rare and Everywhere

We have a rule in our family: you may disagree and argue with someone on any topic as long as you can first state your opponent’s position to his satisfaction. Most folks cannot state the Catholic position on birth control, gay marriage, abortion or divorce with any understanding beyond crude bumperstickerspeak and caricature. They may say “the church hates abortion and gay marriage” but they won’t be able to articulate an understanding as to why. In this case, the heresy may be rooted in an ignorance that distorts intention, and the fault of their ignorance lies with all of us. In that case, if there is heresy, then we all of us have contributed to it, either by refusing to learn, refusing to teach, or teaching in a manner so off-putting as to foment resistance or dismissal.

An excellent rule of life which is in an excellent piece by The Anchoress.

Even Our Sissypants Wonk Patsies are Hardcore

What a prince Bill Keller is. In reviewing John Julius Norwich’s Absolute Monarchs, he warns that this “rollicking narrative” featuring “265 popes (plus various usurpers and anti­popes), feral hordes of Vandals, Huns and Visigoths, expansionist emperors, Byzantine intriguers, Borgias and Medicis, heretic zealots, conspiring clerics, bestial inquisitors and more” might not appeal to “devout Catholics.”

It’s a nice little warning label: The following history contains scenes that might shock or upset readers. Not recommended for expectant mothers or members of the Mystical Body of Christ.

I have one question for Keller: son, just who the hell do you think you’re talking to? ...

There’s real pride to be taken in knowing that even our screw-ups are epic and spectacular.

Max Lindenman ... he cracks me up. He's in the same territory as Harry Crocker III's Catholic Church history, Triumph ... if you're gonna glory in the church, go all the way!

Seven with John Desjarlais

Today, in celebration of the release of John Desjarlais‘s latest book, Viper, Sarah Reinhard brings you the man himself! I loved his first book in the series, Bleeder. I also loved Viper, though I haven't written the review yet. Go meet the man behind the mysteries.

Playing for Bob Dylan, Christina Aguilera, and God

Ray Hermann is a devout Catholic who's rubbed elbows with the biggies in his music career. The Deacon's Bench has the scoop.

In China, "It's a War"

For all the local difficulties that could easily keep the Vatican brass up at night, by far, one situation likely trumps all the rest these days.

That distinction belongs to the state of the beleaguered church in China, where recent months have witnessed a spike of tensions that've served to further roil an already tenuous balance between the state-sanctioned "official" church and the "underground" faithful who clandestinely maintain communion with Rome.

A really good piece from Whispers in the Loggia for those who don't know how the church is continually attacked by the Chinese authorities.

Shaun the Sheep: the Hedge Maze

Just go look. Simply amazing. State of Play has the maze pic and the original Shaun so you can compare them.

Snapshot: Tank the Boxer

At dinner last night, Hannah looked over at Zoe the Boxer and remarked that there was a fine young male Boxer who had the identical scars on his leg for cancer removal that she does.

Which led me to say how much I loved the name "Tank" for a Boxer.

Hannah then said, "What makes it even better is that he has two little girls in his family. When he came in for surgery his front toenails were painted pink and his back toenails were painted violet."

She added that when he left, sporting a brand new E-collar to keep him from worrying his healing leg, one of the vet techs had said, "Tank, I'm sorry you have to wear a lampshade on your head but at least you already had your nails done."

His owner laughed and said, "I forgot about that. That's nothing. They day they painted his nails, he was also wearing a tutu."

What a good dog.

A good, good dog.

Snapshot: East of Eden

East of Eden by John Steinbeck




I'm reading this for A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast ... we'll discuss it in a couple of weeks.


How ironic.

After years of steadfastly avoiding Steinbeck (after an unfortunate encounter with The Red Pony in school), I now read it because Scott loves it. No truer love hath a friend than to read a 600 page Steinbeck book, I always say.

Although it is about the book of Genesis, so there is that as well.

I am not going to feel one bit guilty when I make him read Jane Eyre. And it will happen, my friends. It will happen. (evil laugh, fade out)

What Do You Think of Georgette Heyer?

That is the question posed by Hope in Brazil at Worthwhile Books.

Now that I have recovered from being knocked out of my chair in being included with Michael Dirda as one of her two influences in trying a Heyer book ... I must report sadly that Hope didn't think much of the book she chose, The Talisman Ring.

She's asking whether Heyer is just not for her or whether she read the wrong book.

I, myself, like the Talisman Ring just fine but it is not my favorite. That honor goes to The Grand Sophy. I also would recommend Cotillion, Sprig Muslin, and something else that I can't remember now.

Honestly, I could have named ten others.

If you have an opinion about Georgette Heyer, click through and let Hope know. And possibly by then my comment will be approved and we can see which of my other favorites made the cut for my comment!

Snapshot: An Old-Style Way to Spend the Time

I have a friend coming over this afternoon.

We were going to have coffee but it is so blinking hot outside that we will be having iced tea. (And maybe some of those lighter-than-air, handmade crackers from The Central Market that our family enjoys during weekend happy hours ... but that is beside the point.)

She's coming over just so we can chat.

Now, when is the last time you did anything like that? Not as part of a book club, or kids playing, or whatever excuse we come up with?

I, myself, was feeling slightly guilty about not using that time "wisely."

Then it came to me.

What better use of time is there, if one has it available, than spending time talking with a dear friend?

None, really.

My Review of Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman

A short review for a short but very enjoyable book. The review is up at SFFaudio ... check it out.

A Conversation at the Gates ... or evidence that it is possible to have heart and soul in Hollywood

Sherwood Schwartz, famed 1970's television show producer of Gilligan's Island and The Brady Bunch, wanted The Hollywood Reporter to publish his farewell letter after he died.

It is an account of what he expects to find when he reaches heaven.

I'm still wiping the tears from my eyes. Gratitude is a rare gift. No wonder I loved his television shows so much.

Go and read.


Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord
And let perpetual light shune upon him
Amen

I wondered what Hannah looked like in her aerial silks class

Thanks to JC at Pound by Pound, I need wonder no longer.

Hannah's been rock climbing so long that she's got the upper body strength necessary to soar at this silks class ... though it looks as if she's a natural on pointing her feet. I don't think that's needed in rock climbing.

For more on both rock climbing and aerial silks, check out Pound by Pound.

Brief Review: Truth & Life New Testament audio Bible

I was fascinated by the fact that the Truth & Life New Testament has an imprimatur from the Vatican and wanted a way to listen to the Bible on the way to work in snippets, a chapter at a time.

This was the perfect answer, as I discovered, and money well spent. I listened to Mark and then went on to some of Paul's letters. I just finished Thessalonians and am beginning Timothy. It gives me the perfect bit for meditation later.

I found the music beds under the readings to be good at amplifying meaning without being overwrought. Also, I appreciate the fact that the producers foresaw that people would be using this a chapter at a time. Each is segued with a bit of background noise like a cough, a door opening, a fire crackling, water being poured, etc., so that the listener doesn't feel as if they have been plopped down in the middle of an ongoing speech. Very well done indeed.

The readers are uniformly excellent, thus far. Except, I am sorry to say, for Jesus. This is strictly my opinion, of course, but he has the problem that I found in Jesus of Nazareth (movie) where every single sentence is pronounced with equal emphasis, almost demanding awe. Never does he just have a sentence where he is curiously asking a question, etc. This isn't huge, but when listening to long speeches, it did wear on me after a while.

Highly recommended for anyone who wants an audio version of the New Testament. I'm hoping they will also put out an Old Testament production.

Snapshot: True Grit

I rented the most recent version of True Grit this weekend (Jeff Bridges, Mat Damon) and was most impressed by it.

I didn't expect it to be so funny in addition to the grittiness.

Check today's quote in the sidebar for what I mean.

Anyway, I was intrigued enough to now want to watch the first version to compare John Wayne to Jeff Bridges. And also read the book to see how well the movie stacks up to it. For me to be interested enough to even consider doing all that, it means I was well and truly riveted.

I also liked the way that any long shots (for the guns) were equaled by long shots from the camera, showing just how very difficult it was to see anything at the ranges being spoken of.

Recommended, though there are a couple of spots where the violence was truly horrific, albeit brief.

Aperol, St. Germaine, and Mrs. 404

What does that mean?

It means we've been enjoying our new hobby ... again.

Check it out at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

"Faith isn't leaping from Point A to Point B. It's leaping from Point A."

What was holding me back was knowing that getting sober meant that everything would change, and I had absolutely no idea what that meant. I could imagine what an alcohol-free life would look like. I saw no friends. I saw loneliness. Mostly, I saw a huge emptiness and felt the fear.

DL at Step Zero has begun a blog to try to offer "a little help for those trying to take that first step away from addiction."

He begins by telling a bit of his own story.

I have known DL via email for sometime and have been privileged to know about some of his struggles. Honest, sincere, and a dedicated Catholic, I believe that DL is going to offer a good resource.

I have always been very thankful that my own addictions are to much less harmful substances than alcohol or drugs. That said, I think we all struggle with our disordered desires and I think that this site will have something to say to everyone. Certainly the first post speaks to me about something I've been wrestling with lately.

Go by, check it out, and welcome DL to the blogosphere!

Weekend Joke

I love this ... thanks to Tom K. for sending it!

Sister Mary Grace and Sister Judith were shopping in the neighborhood market one hot July day. Walking by the cooler case, Sister Mary Grace said, "Goodness, a cold beer would really hit the spot today, but what would the owner say?"

"Leave it to me," Sister Judith said.

She took a six-pack to the counter and, when the owner looked up, said, "We use the beer to shampoo our hair." Without missing a beat, the owner grabbed a bag of pretzel sticks and put them on the counter next to the beer.

"Sister," he said, "the curlers are on me!"

The Words Aren't the Only Things Changing in the New Liturgy

I have been meaning to mention this since the classes our parish has been giving on the new liturgy have brought it up more than once ... the music is getting a do-over also.

I’m happy to report that the legislative ground has just shifted, and dramatically so. The new translation of the General Instruction removes the discretion from the music team to sing pretty much whatever it wants. The new text, which pertains to the new translation of the Missal that comes into effect on Advent this year, makes it clear beyond any doubt: the music of the Mass is the chanted propers of the Mass. There are options but these options all exist within the universe of the primary normative chant. There can be no more making up some random text, setting it to music, and singing it as the entrance, offertory, or communion.

Jeffrey Tucker, The Chant Cafe

This isn't a big deal for our parish, or at least for most of the Masses at our parish. Heck, the Saturday vigil has a men's choir already doing chant. Although I could foresee a weaning process for our 9 a.m. Sunday family mass. It is all very tastefully done, but it has the most "modern" music.

Read more at The Chant Cafe where they have a comparison of the old and new as well as some commentary. (Via New Advent.)

B-Movie Catechism: Answering The Age Old Question, “Could an omnipotent God create a stone so heavy that He couldn’t lift it?”

This isn't it.

But again, it’s Lansing as Scott who makes the movie. Like any good monster, he’s both sympathetic and frightening. You feel both his awkwardness and frustration in scenes like the one in which he comes upon his fiancé and brother sunbathing by a lake, and the pair immediately jump up and hurriedly begin putting clothes on over their bathing suits, almost as if Scott had stumbled upon them doing something else (which I’m pretty darn sure is just the association the movie wants you to make). But you also equally feel Scott’s creepy pent up lust and desire for control in scenes like the one in which he passes through the walls of Linda’s bedroom, gets mere inches from her face, and alternates between angry utterances and threats of a fatal kiss. Just the way he looks at Linda tells you he’s having major flashbacks to that experiment of thrusting a long wooden pencil into an iron block.

But it is from the post that leads to it and gives you a sample of his writing. Which I love.

B-Movie Catechism is one of my favorite blogs and I get pretty excited when I see that EegahInc has had the time to work on a longer piece (or perhaps it is that he is discussing a movie worthy of more discussion).

Anyway, he's clever, witty, and perceptive. Plus, I've gotta love someone whose tagline is: One man's desperate attempt to reconcile his love of his Catholic faith with his passion for cult cinema and really, really bad movies.

That's my kind of people.

In addition to discussing movies, he always sees a connection between these B-movies and the faith, usually through Sunday Mass readings.

Again, my kind of people.

So when he goes from a discussion of two brothers and a girl in a science fiction movie into this I was ready.

But ultimately, the only variation of the question to be of any real consequence is the one that’s come to be known as the omnipotence paradox, which basically asks, “Could an omnipotent God create a stone so heavy that He couldn’t lift it?” A number of atheists love this question because it would seem that either way you answer it, yes or no, you inevitably deny some aspect of God’s omnipotence. It’s a good enough question to have vexed a lot of people over the centuries, from Thomas Aquinas and Augustine, who both argued for certain understandings of omnipotence that differ from the one addressed by the question, to modern philosophers who speculate that there are different levels of omnipotence, to C. S. Lewis, who dismissed the asking of the question as utter nonsense to begin with. It’s all interesting, if sometimes convoluted, reading. And it may be a case of some people being too smart for their own good. Because, really, the simplest answer to the question might just be, “Yes, an omnipotent God could create a stone so heavy that He couldn’t lift it, because He already has.”

But then ... he tells how it works. I wasn't ready for that.

In a way that even I could grasp. Brilliantly.

Go read it for yourself at B-Movie Catechism.

(I've been meaning to tell y'all about this for a while ... enjoy yourself looking at some of his newer pieces while you're there ... I especially enjoyed The Crawling Hand just for the discussion of  how very bad that movie seems.

A Tight-Knit Community: Why Facebook can't match Ravelry, the social network for knitters.

The best social network you've (probably) never heard of is one-five-hundredth the size of Facebook. It has no video chat feature, it doesn't let you check in to your favorite restaurant, and there are no games. The company that runs it has just four employees, one of whom is responsible for programming the entire operation. It has never taken any venture capital money and has no plans to go public. Despite these apparent shortcomings, the site's members absolutely adore it. They consider it a key part of their social lives, and they use it to forge deeper connections with strangers—and share more about themselves—than you're likely to see elsewhere online. There's a good chance this site isn't for you, but after you see how much fun people have there, you'll wish you had a similar online haunt. The social network is called Ravelry. It's for knitters (and crocheters).

Ravelry's success is evidence in favor of an argument that you often hear from Facebook's critics: A single giant social network is no fun. Social sites work better when they're smaller and bespoke, created to cater to a specific group. What makes Ravelry work so well is that, in addition to being a place to catch up with friends, it is also a boon to its users' favorite hobby—it helps people catalog their yarn, their favorite patterns, and the stuff they've made or plan on making. In other words, there is something to do there. And having something to do turns out to make an enormous difference in the way people interact with one another on the Web.

A great article on Slate that Ravelry users will love. I am on Ravelry but only use the forums, my knitting being of the on-again, off-again, strictly-amateur sort ... which means that I not only finish projects slowly but I forget to update my info most of the time. Thinking it over, I believe that is actually the only place where I read the forums. Which, in and of itself, is something amazing.

Via Kindle Review, where there are not only frequent listings of free and discounted Kindle books, but thoughtful commentary on the eBook medium, Kindle, and Amazon.

In which Melvin and Sam pursue Earth's enemy, discover astounding new forms of life, and make a new acquaintance.

Yes, we're returning to the world of pulp science fiction goodness, perfect for summer reading ... or listening! Get it at Forgotten Classics where I also share which four TED Talks changed my life (sometimes in a small way, but change is change, right?)

Hard-Wired: Faith, Fiction, and Physics in the Stories of Ted Chiang

My latest A Free Mind is up at Patheos. Find out why Ted Chiang's excellent stories can provoke good questions for atheists and believers alike ... and begin fruitful conversations.

5 Free L. Ron Hubbard audiobooks

Or ebooks, but let's face it, I'll be getting the audio.

Get them at Galaxy Audio.

Via SFFaudio (of course).

Catholic Throwdown: Jack White (White Stripes) and Stephen Colbert

It's for reals, people. You'll laugh but also learn because these guys aren't kidding around.

Well, they are kidding around but they are quizzing each other Catholic culture mercilessly to see who can't answer.

If swearing bothers you, then skip this, but it actually made me laugh. These guys were into it.

           

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Exclusive - 2011: A Rock Odyssey Featuring Jack White - Catholic Throwdown
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive

Via Margaret at Ten Thousand Places.

Want New Sacred Music That Uses the Official Antiphons and Propers of the Church? Try Charles Thatcher.

We are really blessed in our church to have a premium put on excellent music. There are seven Sunday Masses (including the Saturday vigil) unless I have miscounted and they all have unique music.

To be truthful, I think one has no music and a couple have only a cantor with the organ.

However we also have a men's choir doing chant, an almost acapella choir singing charming arrangements of the "new" church music (I usually abhor the new church music but this is so well arranged by our music director that it goes down a treat), and a full choir singing at the 11:00 Mass, which is the one we attend.

Toward the end of Lent or maybe it was during the Easter season Masses, I began noticing a new quality to some of the music, especially that sung during communion. We don't have a sing-along during communion. There is music from the choir and then plain organ music when the choir darts down to the communion rail. (Yes, we still have a communion rail and also kneel for communion, but that's a different post.) We are left free to kneel (or sit) and pray.

It is nothing new to have astounding music at our church as we saw during the Easter season when every Mass seemed to bring a new Mozart or Bach composition of the Gloria ... and more. The fact that our choirs are entirely volunteer just makes their skill even more amazing. That music fed my contemplations of the words I knew by heart in a new way.

However, this new music was something different. For one thing, to get me to notice it during communion was surprising in itself, as I tend not to really be a "music person."

What I noticed was music that progressed from calm, "normal" (if you will) Alleluia's into almost wild, powerful music and singing that came later ... it put me powerfully in mind of the power and grace which is flowing under the surface at Mass but which we are too much in ordinary life to notice most of the time. Watching the congregation file by for communion, juxtaposed against this wild, barely contained strength contained in the music, I felt as if I were almost grasping a truth about God and us that was both moving and illuminating.

So much so, in fact, I tried to find a recording and could not. So I appreciate my exposure to this fine music all the more. Looking at the music handout I saw that every time I was so moved, the music had been written by Charles Thatcher. Writing to the music director to express appreciation, I received this reply, which I share in case any music directors out there are reading this who have questions about how the music fits into the Catholic liturgy.

I also enjoy those Thatcher antiphons. It's rare to find new sacred music being published which is of such high quality and uses the official antiphons and propers of our church, so to have discovered these wonderful antiphons by Mr. Thatcher was a blessing indeed.

As I say, I'm not a music person but if you are or know one who would appreciate something out of the ordinary but that adheres to the Catholic liturgy, then here's a link I found.

The Moral Outrage of Missing Girls - Updated Link

Maria Hvistendahl struck a nerve recently when she released her new book, "Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls, and the Consequences of a World Full of Men." New York Times columnist Ross Douthat then struck Ms. Hvistendahl's nerve, when he gently chided her for the contortions she must make to sustain her unequivocal commitment to "choice" while asking us to share her indignation at what those choices have wrought.

"The anti-abortion side has it easier," he wrote. "We can say outright what's implied on every page of 'Unnatural Selection,' even if the author can't quite bring herself around. The tragedy of the world's 160 million missing girls isn't that they're 'missing.' The tragedy is that they're dead."

Since those words appeared, the author and the Times columnist have had at each other, respectively, on Salon and the Times blog. At bottom they disagree on the nature of the crime. Ms. Hvistendahl's reserves her outrage for the sexism of sex-selective abortion and the consequences for women already here. She excoriates Mr. Douthat for thinking the tragedy might also have something to do with the millions of girls whose lives were snuffed out.

William McGurn's brilliant editorial about what happens when a feminist author inadvertently makes a powerful case against abortion. Read it all.

UPDATE
I have heard (and indeed experienced when I was preparing this post) that if one goes to the Wall Street Journal via Google then the entire piece may be read. In hopes that this holds true, here is the Google search link ... then click on the first or second entry (the headers are obvious) and see if you can read it all.

Look for the Little Ones

Stop and consider that the real saints are hidden. They follow the little way. If you were to tell them they were a saint they would laugh and tell you to keep searching. If you even had the sense and discernment to see the saint next to you--the ordinary person who perseveres--the little person who serves others--the plain Jane who takes life easily and simply loves people, then you would learn again what true holiness really is. If we only had eyes to see the simplicity of the saints, the extraordinary ordinariness of holiness, the practical good humor and humility of the truly grace filled ones.

Words to live by and to try to match ourselves. Like my grandfather did. Read the whole thing at Standing on My Head.

Recommendations for Book about St. Monica?

Stephanie Z. writes:

I wondered if you have any recommendations for a good book on Saint Monica. Given all the book reviewing you do, I am hoping you might have one to recommend.

I don't, but there are so many readers dropping by here that maybe someone will put a good idea in the comments box.

Ideas, anyone?

Weekend Joke

It seems like a good time to repeat this joke.

God was missing for six days.

Eventually, Michael, the archangel, found him, resting on the seventh day. He inquired, "Where have you been?"

God smiled deeply and proudly pointed downwards through the clouds, "Look, Michael. Look what I've made."

Archangel Michael looked puzzled, and said, "What is it?"

"It's a planet," replied God, and I've put life on it.. I'm going to call it Earth and it's going to be a place to test Balance."

"Balance?" inquired Michael, "I'm still confused."

God explained, pointing to different parts of earth. "For example, northern Europe will be a place of great opportunity and wealth, while southern Europe is going to be poor. Over here I've placed a continent of white people, and over there is a continent of black people. Balance in all things."

God continued pointing to different countries. "This one will be extremely hot, while this one will be very cold and covered in ice."

The Archangel, impressed by God's work, then pointed to a land area and said, "What's that one?"

"That's the State of Texas, the most glorious place on earth. There are beautiful mountains, rivers and streams, lakes, forests, hills, and plains. The people from the State of Texas are going to be handsome, modest, intelligent, and humorous, and they are going to travel the world. They will be extremely sociable, hardworking, high achieving, carriers of peace, and producers of good things."

Michael gasped in wonder and admiration, but then asked, "But what about balance, God? You said there would be balance.."

God smiled, "There's Washington DC. Wait till you see the idiots I put there."

Zombies in England

I've been enjoying reading about the Zombie Parent's misadventures as he and his family bravely travel to England. God is good, giving them many, many opportunities to develop their patience and sense of humor (poor things).

For example, where but England can you lock yourself in your own home and not be able to get out?

"Brave" Teaser Trailer

Now that we're all done hoping beyond all hope that Cars 2 would be better than the trailer looked ... here's a look at the teaser trailer for Pixar's next original movie. Which looks much more interesting.

Pat Gohn's Recommended Summer Reading: Happy Catholic

I got this ready and then discovered that it somehow went into drafts instead of posting! I'm just glad I discovered it there ...

Pat Gohn talked today with Brian Patrick on the Sonrise Morning Show about her summer reading suggestions. Imagine my surprise and delight when she gave me the heads-up that Happy Catholic is one of the books she discussed.

I was even more excited when I saw the distinguished company I was in, Edward Sri and ... wait for it ... Henri Nouwen. I never in my life imagined that anything I wrote would be mentioned in the same sentence with Henri Nouwen. Life is full of surprises, isn't it?

Thank you Pat!

Take a minute while you're at Pat's and look at her podcast, Among Women. Pat is a thoughtful and interesting podcaster and you're sure to learn something new. Don't believe me? Then just check out her column at Patheos. She's the real deal. Always inspiring, intelligent, and passionate about the faith.

Does the Pope Know How to Celebrate His 60th Anniversary as a Priest or What?

He's tweeting.

On an iPad.

Let no one say that it isn't important to stay young at heart.

Actually, he celebrated the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul at Mass and in his homily reflected on his vocation and on friendship. Happy anniversary, Papa and may you have many more!

A Jesuit Walks Into a Bar ...

No, wait.

I don't think one of these jokes begins that way. However, there are a lot of great Jesuit jokes up over at Siris (which I found via the Darwins, who like a good joke almost as much as I do).

Here's one of my favorites and then you can go over and read the rest.

At a conference discussing various religious orders and societies, the Jesuit representative was asked how Jesuits managed to maintain their vow of obedience.

"It's easier than you would think," the Jesuit replied. "Our superiors just ask us what we want to do and then direct us to do it, so that takes care of most of the problems."

Then someone asked about people who don't know what to do.

"Even easier," the Jesuit said. "We make them superiors."

The Sixth Seal ... from Dr. Boli

And I beheld when he had opened the sixt seale, and loe, there was a great earthquake, and the Sunne became blacke as sackecloth of haire, and the Moone became as blood. And the starres of heauen fell vnto the earth, euen as a figge tree casteth her vntimely figs when she is shaken of a mighty winde. And the heauen departed as a scrowle when it is rolled together, and euery mountaine and island were moued out of their places. And the Pope sent his first tweet.

How does he make me laugh so hard? Thank you, Dr. Boli!

It's An Ill Wind That Blows No Good ... or Blows a Pear Tree Down

Actually, if wind blew down our pear tree it was over a long time as when the tree finally went over it was with a gentle rustle that left Tom wondering what he'd heard outside.

In fact, we didn't discover it was the tree going over until several hours later since it was in the narrow gap between our house and the one next door.

Other than knocking off a hot air vent it did no real harm and gave employment to the arborist we employed to finish taking it down, grinding the stump, and all that jazz.

Now, with a gaping hole in our roof, we are just about the only people in North Texas who are hoping it doesn't rain. And we're waiting for Hannah to bring us a one-way animal door from her job so that we can keep critters out ... other than the one who was clearly trapped when Tom perched the air vent to block the hole. Yes, we had to take it down again to let Lil' Scratchy out ...

The good, other than there is one less blooming pear to annoy Rose's olfactory senses, is that we suddenly have a lot more light in our kitchen and guest bathroom. I never realized just how much was being blocked by that one tree.

That's a dark part of the house and I love lots of light so this is some good news that I think evens the tally column against the roof work and arborist costs!

How to Kill E. coli on Vegetables

Monica Reinagle, The Nutrition Diva, has the answer and it is not the one that I thought I knew. Everyone ought to get this information and be sure you listen to it all.

I wondered whether these very toxic strains of E. coli might be especially hard to kill. It turns out that they’re not really that invincible—they’ve just developed some very clever survival tactics. “If these E. coli bacteria were just floating around in a bucket of water, a little bleach or even some vinegar would kill them right away,” Dr. Brackett explains. “But once the bacteria have attached themselves to the surface of a vegetable, they become much harder to kill.”

You may read or listen to her information at the link, which I heard on her podcast.

Get Low: Why You Never Should Get Your Theology From the Movies or TV

Felix Bush (Robert Duvall) is a hermit who has no regard for anybody in the town or anyone who wants to get to know him. But one day, after a fellow old hermit as died and he hears people in the town telling stories about him, he decides that he needs to get these stories out in the public. He recruits Frank (Bill Murray) the local funeral home director to host his own funeral. This way he can hear what everyone is saying about him, and get the truth to his past out in the open. But will he be able to get anybody to come? And will he be able to reveal his secrets? (IMDB storyline)





This movie was recommended by a couple of people so it was one of the movies we watched this weekend.

It had several problems. First, the plot was extremely simple. There wasn't any subplot and I, frankly, never had much suspense as to whether Felix was going to get that party or reveal his secrets. It needed another time (or five or six) around the writing table. There were some humorous moments and some poignant moments, but not enough to make up for the lack of plot.

Second, Bill Murray may have been speaking the parts written for him but they all felt somehow as if he was improvising in a way that made it all too modern. The movie is set in the past and every other actor always sounded true to the time period (1920s? 1930s?). I'm not sure if it was Murray's acting or the directing, but he never quite fit in. I get it, by the way, that he was a Northerner living in the South and so he wouldn't fit in anyway. However, sounding too flip and modern wasn't the way to achieve that.

I did appreciate Felix's honesty in taking responsibility for his sin, which is one that many people these days wouldn't consider much of a sin. (It is, by the way, a big sin, but how times have changed, n'est ce pas?) I also appreciated the fact that he knew by becoming a hermit he had "put myself in prison for forty years."

However, after his preacher friend reminds him that he needs to ask God for forgiveness, Felix visits a graveyard and says:

They keep talking about forgiveness. "Ask Jesus for forgiveness." I never did nothing to him.

When the movie was over, we were talking it over and Tom brought up that quote. He said, "Jesus' forgiveness is supreme and over all other forgiveness. The point is that you will have to have His forgiveness or none other matters."

I'll just say right here that I'm paraphrasing because I was stunned ... I've never heard Tom make a statement like that before (he's the guy who lives his faith, doesn't talk about it). And he was absolutely right.

The other point is one that I made, which is when you sin against anyone, you are ultimately sinning against Christ, who resides in us.

This helps mitigate the quite unrealistic public confession that Felix makes later to a huge crowd, many of whom he doesn't know. For a hermit of forty years to just pop out a long story like this, just didn't feel right. Especially since he was making whooshing noises to illustrate catching on fire, which Hannah said later made her wonder if this was the "funny take" that wasn't supposed to be used but got edited in by mistake later.

At any rate, complaints aside, when we sin against one person, we sin against everybody, especially if one considers the fact that we are the Body of Christ. There is a ripple effect which we usually can't see or understand (mystical effects of sin being what they are on a global scale). But those effects are there and so, although I found the request for forgiveness wrong from a story point of view, it felt right from that standpoint. (Still doesn't trump the wrongness of not going to Jesus, but I probably hammered that nail hard enough already.)

However, that isn't enough to redeem either the story or the underlying moral underneath the story.

I've been trying to think of a movie to recommend instead. Tom thought we should rewatch Tender Mercies. I'm not sure that fills the bill here but will have to consider further.

ANOTHER TAKE
I went to read Scott Nehring's review of this movie which I'd been avoiding until I'd watched it myself. Scott and I often differ widely in our appreciation or lack thereof about different movies. This turns out to be one such film.

However, he did have a take on the "Jesus' forgiveness" comment that I found valuable and enlightening. Go read his review for that of someone who liked the movie, but I'll include his comment here for those who don't want to click through.

His misunderstanding of the point of Christ's sacrifice and that indeed he DID do something to Him is an important point.  Without His forgiveness man is condemned to live much like Felix did, alone and trapped in an isolating guilt, sentenced by our own conscious.

[...]

Ultimately, this is a tale of untended sin and the results of man trying to take on his condemnation alone.

Very good point.

I'm still not crazy 'bout the movie.

The Brands Cheat Sheet

Several people asked for a copy of the grocery store brands cheat sheet I put together so that I can avoid Kraft, PepsiCo, and Nestle products*.

 Here's a pdf that you can download. I realized that I didn't double check to be sure that it included Cadbury (owned by Kraft now) which has quite a few products of its own to watch out for. Obviously anything with Cadbury in the name, but also unexpected products like Trident and Chiclets are made by them.

Also, I removed most of the brands that are available only in foreign countries and a couple of things like power drinks that I never use. Just FYI.

I'll do that on Monday and update it if need be.

As well as boycotting, be sure that you write or email the companies directly to express your concern about Senomyx's flavor program and their participation. Also it would be nice to contact Campbells' and Solae to let them know you appreciate their pulling out of Senomyx' program once they knew the full truth.

To make it easy, I'm including the contact info again below.

Contact the companies at:

Kent Snyder, CEO
Senomyx
4767 Nexus Centre Drive
San Diego, California 92121

Paul Bulcke, CEO
Nestlé USA
800 North Brand Boulevard
Glendale, CA 91203

Jamie Caulfield, Sr.VP
PepsiCo, Inc.
700 Anderson Hill Road
Purchase, NY 10577

Irene Rosenfeld, CEO
Kraft Foods/Cadbury Chocolate
Three Lakes Drive
Northfield, IL 60093


Contact Campbell and Solae with appreciation at:

Edmund M. Carpenter, CEO
Campbell Soup
1 Campbell Place
Camden, NJ 08103-1701

Mr. Torkel Rhenman Chief Executive Officer
Solae
4300 Duncan Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63110

*Because of their participation in a flavor program that uses HEK 293 – human embryonic kidney cells taken from an electively aborted baby to produce taste receptors.

The Power of Rescuing Others

Powerful.

From the NY Times, thanks to Scott Danielson for sending me this.

A Cook and His Vegetable Patch

I forgot to mention here that I highlighted a cookbook I'm enjoying very much, Tender by Nigel Slater ... that's up at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

The Con is On: Reviewing "White Cat" by Holly Black

Found this via SFFaudio, as a free audio book from Random House. Here's the review that I wrote for them. I'm now listening to the second in the series, Red Glove which SFFaudio obtained as a review copy through Audible.com so, yes, you can see that I liked it quite a bit.

I wake up barefoot, standing on cold slate tiles. Looking dizzily down. I suck in a breath of icy air.

Above me are stars. Below me, the bronze statue of Colonel Wallingford makes me realize I’m seeing the quad from the peak of Smythe Hall, my dorm.

I have no memory of climbing the stairs up to the roof. I don’t even know how to get where I am, which is a problem since I’m going to have to get down, ideally in a way that doesn’t involve dying.

[...]

I’d dreamed of a white cat. It leaned over me, inhaling sharply, as if it was going to suck the breath from my lungs, but then it bit out my tongue instead. There was no pain, only a sense of overwhelming, suffocating panic. In the dream, my tongue was a wriggling red thing, mouse-sized and wet, that the cat carried in her mouth. I wanted it back. I sprang up out of the bed and grabbed for her, but she was too lean and too quick. I chased her. The next thing I knew, I was teetering on a slate roof.

A siren wails in the distance, drawing closer. My cheeks hurt from smiling.

Eventually a fireman climbs a ladder to get me down. They put a blanket around me, but by then my teeth are chattering so hard that I can’t answer any of their questions. It’s like the cat bit out my tongue after all.

Born into a family of curse workers, Cassell doesn't have the magical powers to be a "worker." Curses come in all shapes and sizes from transforming victims into something else down to emotionally influencing people. All that is needed is the touch of a finger. This makes gloves much more than a fashion accessory since they are a necessary item of protection.

Curse work is illegal so curse workers are all either part of the powerful crime families, con workers, or exist with their secret on the edges of society. Cassell's family owes allegiance to a powerful crime family and working cons is as normal as breathing. In fact, working the con is the thing that makes up for not being a worker and Cassell eyes the world from this vantage point, which makes him a solitary figure with few friends.

Cassell has a dark secret, a problem with sleepwalking, and a family who specializes in running cons. He also lost the love of his life, Lila, long ago. However, he put that all behind him and is concentrating on life in boarding school and building a normal life, along with keeping book on the side. (Hey, a guy has to have a little spending money, right?) So when a white cat begins following him everywhere, terrifying dreams bring Lila back into his waking thoughts, and those dark secrets begin surfacing again, Cassell begins to suspect that he is a pawn in a complicated con game.

Can he out-con the pros and solve his problems? Well, of course he can or what would be the point of reading the book? The fascination is with watching Cassell have to admit that he needs help from others, seeing his longing for family ties even as he fears that he may have been betrayed by them,

Holly Black has a fully realized alternate world where the presence of curse working and magic define much more than Cassell's personal problems. There is a slight but interesting subplot about an organization that is working for "worker's rights." The government has begun pushing a testing program, urging workers to come forward and be identified. Family loyalty along with the inner workings of crime families are also interesting embellishments to the plot. The magical abilities described are fascinating, as is the concept of "blow back" which besets anyone who works a curse. Nothing is done with impunity so you'd better be darned sure you want to curse someone because you will suffer some sort of severe reaction in turn.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the book is that Cassell is an unreliable narrator. What is more, he knows he is an unreliable narrator as he is afraid that he is too influenced by dreams or that his memory has been worked. Everyone around him is fairly unreliable as well since Cassell is never sure when someone is working a con or being natural. Although the major plot twists are fairly well telegraphed ahead of time, this hardly matters because we are so concerned with the fact that Cassell may be working a con we don't see or that he is being conned himself.

The story is narrated by Jesse Eisenberg, who is probably best known for portraying the awkward college student in Zombieland or the equally awkward Mark Zuckerberg in Social Network. His trademark delivery works perfectly as the story is told by Cassell who is equally as awkward as either of  those movie characters. Furthermore, Eisenberg alters his voice slightly but effectively to portray different characters: a fortune teller, Cassell's mother, his roommate Sam, and the crime boss all get slightly different intonations which perfectly convey character. I would have liked the book anyway as a straight read, but with Eisenberg's narration I bought it hook, line, and sinker. Just like an average mark, in fact.

It is called urban fantasy but didn't really feel that way to me. It is fantasy because of the curse working element but other than that there are precious few fantastic elements. Likewise, it is labeled YA, but aside from the age of the narrator and some elements like having to attend classes, it didn't feel like something written for younger readers.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. What can I say? I like con stories. I like the universe Holly Black created. Jesse Eisenberg's narration pulled me into the story so I stayed there long enough to care about a boarding school student with an interesting set of problems.  I also liked the fact that the story arc was concluded in this book except for one element which obviously serves as a bridge to the second book of the series.

It's just plain fun all round and moves at a fast, addictive pace. Recommended.

Pulp Fiction, Purple Prose, and Great Fun: Space Vulture

My review of a space opera book that is a wonderful throwback to the 40s and 50s ... by Gary K. Wolf and Archbishop John J. Meyers. Yes, you read that right. Archibishop John J. Meyers ... who knew he loves sci fi?

This week's A Free Mind column over at Patheos.

Free: Aquinas and More Catholic Classic edition of Story of a Soul for your e-reader

We're giving away the Aquinas and More Catholic Classic edition of Story of a Soul for your e-reader as part of our Catholic Summer Reading celebration. All you have to do to get your copy is like our Facebook page and download it!

It doesn't get much easier than this!

While you're at Aquinas and More, browse the store. You're gonna see something you need! Plus they're super-nice!

An Appreciation of Happy Catholic (UPDATED)

From my good friend, Scott, comes this wonderful appreciation of Happy Catholic, the book.

If I had this book back when I was feeling conflicted, I’d have realized that I was not alone. When Robin says to Batman, “Self control is sure tough, Batman,” I would have known that I’m not the only one that thought “Isn’t that interesting… my priest said that in a homily last week. It’s not supposed to be easy.”

He shares some of his personal faith journey as a context for his appreciation ... which means a lot to me. Thank you, Scott.

UPDATE
Scott generously put his review on Amazon, Goodreads, and Library Thing. I was stunned to see that there are more Amazon reviews than the last time I looks ... and also very pleased to see that people liked the book enough to take the time to write something.

Thank you to all who have gone to the effort to review the book in a place where others might be interested. That is like receiving a lovely thank-you note.

I really, really appreciate it! :-)

Drive-by review: Don Juan Demarco

A young man (Johnny Depp) in a cape, mask, and old-school Spanish garb winds up in the looney bin (yes, it was that sort of movie viewing weekend since we saw K-Pax the day before). He tells doctors that he is a descendent of Don Juan, the famous lover. Certainly from what we see of his credentials at the beginning of the film, it seems like a fair bet.

Dr. Mickler (Marlon Brando) takes on the case only to find that as Don Juan tells his story, his own life is becoming transformed. The real delight in this for me was the flashback storytelling done by Depp's character. It is perfectly in the old style of movie making and story telling, while retaining just enough modern honesty that Depp's comments occasionally are hilarious in their effect. Overall an enjoyable light film.

The Father Corapi Thing

If you've never heard of Father Corapi ... he's a celebrity priest who was accused of sexual misconduct, loudly declaimed his innocence and frustration with "the system", now is loudly declaiming some more, and also leaving the priesthood ... although not, as I understand it the Catholic Church.

Don't like that description? Sorry, but I know next to nothing about him so you may be interested in knowing that is the general vibe of who he is and what his deal is.

So, amongst all the writing, I have found these to be the most helpful, in order of helpfulness to me.

1. The Curt Jester's analysis ... fair and even-handed to both sides and reflects my own feelings, based on what I have read (which has included some of Fr. Corapi's declaiming)
   
   
2. This opening from a blogging priest's reflections at the hermeneutic of continuity, which struck me as good advice not just for priests but for us all. Though the whole piece is good. I'll add that I read this much, nodded and moved on (much struck by that wisdom), only coming back to read the rest later. I think this is enough, frankly.
   

   Fr Corapi has published another defence of himself, including a further attack on his accuser, the process by which he was being investigated, and the people conducting it. I think most priest bloggers will be profoundly disturbed by all of this, and, if sensible, will make a serious examination of conscience.

3. This was not a commentary at all, but struck me quite forcibly after reading through some of the various pieces about Fr. Corapi. Via Margaret at Ten Thousand Places, it is from A Man For All Seasons.

   William Roper: So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!
   Sir Thomas More: Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?
   William Roper: Yes, I'd cut down every law in England to do that!
   Sir Thomas More: Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down, and you're just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!

Keep in mind that I proffer these for two reasons. First, there are two or three Catholics I know for whom this is their sole source of Catholic news. I thought they might be interested in some good links should they hear of the story.

Second, I look at this as an opportunity to do that self examination. Other than prayer, I can't affect anything about Fr. Corapi or the whole situation. But I can look at my own response when accused. How often I fail to turn the other cheek ... so often ... and yet, that is what Christ taught in both words and example. I see this as a real-life cautionary tale.

Embracing the Opportunity To Be Liturgical Codgers

I mentioned before how much I was enjoying The Ironic Catholic's book which pulls together some of her amusing send-ups, written as news articles.

Our weekly scripture study has turned to studying the USCCB's program on the new liturgy, under our pastor's tutelage. We have had the chance to ask questions and also studied a prayer for Advent in the original Latin, the 1973 version, and the 2010 new version. Very enlightening and, although I have read several books on the subject, this is enriching my understanding.

Some of the conversation last night (though not the attitudes) put me in mind of IC's gentle humor and one piece in particular. This, more than anything, shows her talent and why you need to take a look at her book.

39-Year-Olds Embrace Opportunity To Be Liturgical Codgers

The Vatican II generation of the Catholic Church now has their chance to wax poetic about "the way things used to be"....

With the change of the English translation of the liturgy, the oldest of the those born and raised with the initial English vernacular translation of the Mass--used for nearly four decades--are expressing relief that they, too, will get the opportunity to be the "old liturgical codgers" of their Church.

"I can't tell you how many times I heard from my dad that he gave up on the Catholic Church after learning all that Latin to be an altar boy and being told it was unnecessary," said St. Michael's parishioner Susan Tarrywood, 39. "Nothing has ever measured up for him since. I am in awe that my dad has spent most of his life complaining about this; that's just who he is. Now, here's my chance. This is my opportunity to be an old codger just like him wailing 'it isn't as good as back when...' for the second half of my life."

Other middle-aged parents of teenagers and elementary school children agreed wholeheartedly. "I've been looking for a cause to get grumpy about in my impending dotage, and this will fit to a tee," said Roger Lerdton, 37. "We've had a few great models in the elder generation of our parish--they still complain that the priest expects them to pay attention to the Word and Eucharist rather than pray the rosary during Mass. Personally, I think I can nurse this 'not worthy to have you under my roof' line for a long time."

Elena Garcia-Lopez, 38, was grateful to the bishops for providing some focus in her discontent. "Let's be honest, we all want to be grumps for the younger generation. It's a cultural tradition and a church tradition--no one likes the younger generation's music, or taste in movies, or liturgies. It's part of the rythym of life. So I embrace my impending codgerhood as part of our catholic tradition. And I thank the bishops for giving me a focal point: I will bemoan the loss of the liturgy I grew up with the rest of my life."

Susan Tarrywood smiled wryly. "I'm calling on my inner Amos to get me through to my eighties."

Drive-by review: K-Pax

Kevin Spacey plays Prot who is from K-Pax (or IS he?) and who gets picked up by the NY police and then sent to the looney bin.

Unlike most of this sort of movie where we are taught the truths that only the gentle inmates can see, this actually focuses mostly on whether Prot is really an alien and the psychiatrist's (Jeff Bridges) efforts to solve the mystery of what trauma caused him to form such a perfect false persona to hide behind. Also, we see Jeff Bridges' alienation from his family due to work and generally being a jerk to his wife (no wonder she is his second one) ... this part is fairly shallow and predictable.

For me the most interesting thing was whether Prot was an alien or not. Well acted, well shot, and well edited.

Florida Journal

A few snippets of things from my visit to central Florida last week.

• First and foremost, thank you to everyone who prayed for my mother's health and wrote to me. She began improving steadily from the moment I arrived. (Isn't that nice? I got the fun of watching her improve while my poor sis got the worry of watching her decline ... )
• Tempting the invalid's appetite became my daily occupation. It was an unexpectedly interesting occupation to see what starchy dish (doctor's orders) sounded good and then to figure out how to keep it retaining flavor and appeal while steadfastly keeping any additional fiber out of it. I learned much about grating onions, for example, and straining the juice while discarding the fiber (there is more than you'd think in an onion). Also, I kept forgetting that Mom had cookbooks handy and cooked out of my head for the most part. Pasta with basil and parmesan, potato salad (twice), and Risotto alla Milanese (for that I used the cookbook) all were received with approval. Which was gratifying as well!
• Florida ... quite warm, but more than that - humid! So very humid! I didn't mind the heat since north Texas has been getting hot blasts for some time but I melted a lot when out of doors.
• My sister's porch serves as an ideal wildlife observation deck since two sides of her backyard is edged by a tiny wilderness of undeveloped lots. We would sit out there first thing in the morning, drinking coffee, watching doves dive bomb tiny mammals away from the bird seed, a bunny on his hind legs pulling down a leafy stalk to nibble ... and jump when a nearby woodpecker would hammer on the flashing and sound like a jackhammer on the metal.
• I was reminded of the importance of "living in the present moment." It is hard to do much else when one is hanging out or cooking most of the time. However, when I returned home I realized yet again how much I allow myself to be distracted by email, the internet, and so forth. They creep into a lot of my day where they aren't necessary ... and I need to keep them shoved back into their own allotted places in my schedule.
• I also was reminded of what a privilege it is to serve others. This realization came not just from cooking for my mother but in watching my sister who is a cheerful and practical servant to my mother and her own family. She might argue that her own needs have been pushed aside, but I would say that is because of emergencies that have arisen. Watching her made me realize that I had been doing too little of that for my own family and indulging too many of my own hobbies (see above note on distractions).
• When you leave a husband and 22-year-old daughter to their own devices for a week, they will take care of animals, do their own laundry (as they always do), and dust/sweep/etc. before you return. They will, however, live like the ultimate bachelors ... off of cereal and sandwiches. And when all the good bread (white) is gone and all that is left is kinda gross (whole wheat), they will just go ahead and eat the whole wheat rather than go to the store themselves. Ahhh, I am needed! If only to go grocery shopping and cook meals! ha!
• When you get home after a week in Florida and it is 6 p.m. and you know about those bachelors ... the best thing to do is go straight to Mariano's for beer, refried beans, and brisket tacos. Don't go home. Just go straight to the restaurant.
• Heroism in action: despite my laughing about bachelors,  Tom and Hannah had hard duty since right before I left Wash hurt his knee to the point where he wouldn't put weight on his foot. The vet's orders? Bed rest to try to avoid surgery. Which for a Boxer means 100% time in the crate except for necessary walks outdoors. This particular Boxer had never been alone in his life and so would howl like a banshee when everyone left the room. Luckily we had enough crates to move one to the living room (which would then be taken to the bedroom each night ... don't forget: howling banshees otherwise). But it was no picnic for anyone. However, it seems as if it has paid off. He is 90% better and we are now taking him for short exercise breaks to rebuild strength. Fingers crossed, he'll be out of the crate soon and jumping around like a Mexican jumping bean!

Still in Florida, But Talking as Much as Ever ... Today With "The Catholics Next Door" at 11:20 Eastern Time

Gee, I think that headline says it all!

Here's where you can see more about The Catholic Channel on Sirius 129 XM ... and about Jennifer and Greg Willits, those Catholics next door.

Hope you get a chance to listen in!

The Ironic Catholic News ... All the Catholic News That's Fit to Laugh At (and more...)

Hear ye, hear ye! Felon Blames 1970s Church Architecture for Life of Sin: The Ironic Catholic News, Vol. I is published and available as an ebook atAmazon (for Kindle) andSmashwords (for every other e-reader out there, as well as your trusty computer). Other online retailers to come! And the paperback version will be complied with volumes 2 and 3 later this year.

It's no secret (or shouldn't be) that I'm a fan of Ironic Catholic's humor which is evident everywhere on her blog.

I received a review eBook and haven't had a chance to read all the way through. But I have read enough to know that you need to go get your own copy. I'll be picking up the print version when all volumes are ready ... this is too good to keep to myself. So. Very. Funny!

Today I'm Talking with Wendy on Relevant Radio at 2:00 (Eastern time--because I'm in Florida right now)

Relevant Radio ... where they bridge the gap between faith and everyday life.

Sounds tailor-made for Happy Catholic, doesn't it?

We'll be talking about the book and who knows what else ... maybe zombies? For a full hour. So tune in.

And if you don't have Relevant Radio station in your area or can't listen at 2:00 (or 1:00 Central, etc.), then here is the archive where you can pick it up at your convenience (they think of everything, don't they?).

Elsewhere in the Blogosphere ...

I may be out of town and away from my computer most of the day, but everyone else isn't. And they're letting me know what's going on. Here's the best of the mailbag ... check it out!

• The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox is available again thanks to Subterranean Press. This book is super hard to find and I count myself lucky to have taken a flier on the Science Fiction Book Club omnibus long ago when I noticed it. I received permission lately from author Barry Hughart to podcast The Bridge of Birds, the first book of the trilogy.  (Thanks to Scott, my partner in crime at A Good Story is Hard to Find, for passing this info along.)
  
  From Publishers Weekly (Starred Review):
  "Reading Hughart’s endearing historical fantasy trilogy, first published almost 20 years ago, is much like 'wandering blindfolded through a myth devised by a maniac,' in the words of Master Li, the greatest and most frequently intoxicated wise man in a colorful seventh century 'China that never was.' Their rollicking adventures pit them against everyone from murderers and thieves to emperors and gods. Numerous Chinese legends, filtered through Ox’s simple perspective, blend seamlessly into both lighthearted and heartrending.
  
  
• Building a Catholic eBook Library on the Cheap: Brandon Vogt is a new Kindle-maniac (I can relate!) and has compiled an interesting and useful list of Kindle formatted books of special interest to Catholic readers. He lists prices along with the links, which is really handy. Plus he give links to Catholic publishers with good eBook sources and the Why I Am Catholic bookshelf. A great post to bookmark and keep handy.
  
  
• Pay It Forward: many thanks to Holly for honoring Happy Catholic as her choice for the Pay It Forward blog this week. What's Pay It Forward?

  “Pay It Forward” is an avenue to connect with each other, and reap the benefits from what that connecting can do: find new friends, make you laugh a little, cry a lot (maybe that was only me), and affect you in a way that keeps you thinking for days afterwards.

  You can see why I loved seeing Holly name Happy Catholic for this ... not only for the Catholic stuff but also for the Texas Enchiladas and the latest thing that drove me B.A.T.T.Y.! Thank you Holly! Go check out her blog and the other Pay It Forward participants.

Out of Town for a While

The timing worked out for me to zoom over to Florida to visit my sis and, more importantly, my mom. Haven't seen her for waaaay too long.

So blogging will be light, though I'll be in and out. Thank you for your patience!

Weekend Joke

This little vacation joke is British but we'll move it to the U.S.

Two fortune-tellers met at the beach one sunny summer day.

"Lovely weather," said the first fortune-teller.

"Yes," said the second. "It reminds me of the summer of 2014."