Day Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko

Day Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Loneliness, dejection, the contempt or pity of people around you--these are unpleasant feelings. But they are precisely the things that produce genuine Dark Ones.

As with the previous book in the series, Night Watch, this is comprised of three stories. Unlike the previous book, this is told from the Dark Ones' point of view and by three different protagonists. Intriguingly, it begins with statements opposite to those which open Night Watch. We are told that this text is not approved because it is deleterious to the cause of Light (signed the Night Watch) and deleterious to the cause of Dark (signed the Day Watch).

The first story is told from a Dark witch's point of view as she is sent to recover from a difficult assignment. It was definitely dark and almost kept me from continuing. It's funny because it isn't as if the story contained anything that I haven't encountered in other books and it definitely isn't because it is told from the dark point of view. There was just something about it that made me not want to read it, which is a tribute to the author's ability to convey atmosphere in his storytelling.

I thoroughly enjoyed the second story which was a mystery within a mystery as a man riding a train realizes he has amnesia ... and is an Other. The third story brought the other two together in a climactic trial by The Inquisition.

As in Night Watch, each story examined a facet of Dark or Light. I was especially interested in the third story where most of it is shown from the point of view of Edgar, a Dark Other, or Anton, our familiar Light Other from the first book. Several times each was judging the other for the very same thing while thinking, "Just like a Light/Dark Other..." In this story we also hear about how Inquisitors see things and it was an interesting contrast to the Others.

Day Watch uses these engrossing stories to examine good, evil, love, and sacrifice, continuing the themes found in Night Watch. As such it gave me pause while I thought about the author's representation of the very thin line that separates good from evil, and true love from a self-serving pretense of love.

It was quite good overall, although it was not quite as good as Night Watch. Definitely recommended. I am eagerly anticipating receiving the next book from the library.

Good Story Podcast is Finalist in 2013 About.Com Awards

Now this is fun! And exciting!

A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast is a finalist in the 2013 About.com Catholicism Awards.

And I like their description:

Rather than create a podcast about Catholic books and movies, Julie Davis and Scott D. Danielson discuss classic books and movies "as Catholics."

They get us! They really get us! (Ok, no more channeling Sally Fields...)

I saw we are in there with Fr. Barron, Pray-As-You-Go (a regular listen of min) and other big podcasts I admire. What honorable company Scott and I have risen to!

We haven't a chance, but we're the only one of our sort. Mostly. iPadre being a different sort of conversation. (That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!)

Perhaps we'll get some folks dropping by to try us out though, which would be the best! We can always do with new book-and-movie lovin' pals.

Check it out, and be sure to look at the other categories too. The blogs, books, and suchlike that I recognize are top-notch. Which means I'm definitely going to be checking out the ones I don't know.

And vote ... of course ... definitely vote.

I don't want to have to bring the Hypno-Toad out for this one. But you know. I'll do what I have to.

Weekend Joke: Exact Change

This is from Seth Peters, who regularly supplies me with great jokes. As he said, "It's a doozy!" Thank you Seth!

A man walks into a restaurant with a full-grown ostrich behind him.

The waitress asks them for their orders.

The man says, "A hamburger, fries and a coke," and turns to the ostrich, "What's yours?"

"I'll have the same," says the ostrich.

A short time later the waitress returns with the order. "That will be $9.40 please." The man reaches into his pocket and pulls out the exact change for payment.

The next day, the man and the ostrich come again and the man says, "A hamburger, fries and a coke." The ostrich says, "I'll have the same." Again the man reaches into his pocket and pays with exact change.

This becomes routine until the two enter again. "The usual?" asks the waitress.

"No, this is Friday night, so I will have a steak, baked potato and a salad," says the man.

"Same," says the ostrich.

Shortly the waitress brings the order and says, "That will be $32.62."

Once again the man pulls the exact change out of his pocket and places it on the table.

The waitress cannot hold back her curiosity any longer. "Excuse me, sir. How do you manage to always come up with the exact change in your pocket every time?"

"Well," says the man, "several years ago I was cleaning the attic and found an old lamp. When I rubbed it, a Genie appeared and offered me two wishes. My first wish was that if I ever had to pay for anything, I would just put my hand in my pocket and the right amount of money would always be there."

"That's brilliant!" says the waitress. "Most people would ask for a million dollars or something, but you'll always be as rich as you want for as long as you live!"

"That's right. Whether it's a gallon of milk or a Rolls Royce, the exact money is always there," says the man.

The waitress asks, "What's with the ostrich?"

The man sighs, pauses and answers, "My second wish was for a tall chick with long legs who agrees with everything I say..."

Blogging Around: The Benedict Edition

I'm out of touch, more or less, because it is our semi-annual Beyond Cana marriage retreat for our parish. Tom and I are part of the presentation team and so have turned our focus elsewhere.

In the meantime, here are some good things to read from other places.

 IS IT HYPOCRISY? 

The Curt Jester addresses those with this complaint:

Catholics who eulogized Pope John Paul II for serving to the bitter end now praise Pope Benedict for quitting. Make up your minds.

Being Catholic is the both/and approach that doesn’t try to flatten all things into a decision tree with simple yes/no paths. The Curt Jester nails it. As always.

 DISCERNING GOD'S WILL 

Scott Danielson talks about our remarkable Pope and the one thing that struck him most in the resignation.

One thing that strikes me in Benedict’s statement is his explanation of how he made this decision. He did not say, “God told me to.”

 WE'RE MARKED MEN 

Archbishop Timothy Dolan on Ash Wednesday and Pope Benedict's continual gift to us in his leadership.

And now, he lets us know that, he, too, is a marked man, closer to death, slowed down and frail, more and more in need of God’s grace and mercy, humbly admitting his mortality, his own sinfulness, eager to prepare to be united with His Lord and Savior in His dying and rising.

Learning to Love the Pope Through His Writing

I did glance over some of the pieces in the Wall Street Journal this morning about Pope Benedict's pending resignation. They were more even-handed than many of the pieces I saw elsewhere which led off with inflammatory opinion. (For shame Reuters! I knew you when you were cool!)

However, even these were putting forth points of view which baffled me. Until I recalled that these people were outsiders. Those of us on the inside, who had learned to love Pope Benedict in these short eight years could not simply call him a "bridge" or "placeholder" after a historic pope.

As I mentioned yesterday, it was through the Pope's writing that I learned to love this gentle shepherd who spoke of sin in order to keep us safe, not to make us feel shame.

So it was with great pleasure that I read Will Duquette's tribute which puts my own thoughts into much better words. Here's part of it.

In these books I discovered a teacher, a man who wished always to speak the truth, but who could speak the truth in love and gentleness. I discovered a pastor, one with great compassion for human frailty, but who refused to water down the gospel just to make people feel better about their sins. Sin is a moral illness; what we need is a cure, not an anesthetic. In these books, in which the future pope spoke of the problems of the day, he addressed all of the problems I was familiar with from my time in the Episcopal Church, the forces that were driving that communion to schism and irrelevancy. Not only did we need a cure; the Cardinal was familiar with the cure we needed.

I went on to read books he’d written himself (I’ve got a whole shelf of them now, many of which I’ve read and many I’ve not gotten around to yet). I discovered a clear thinker, and a clear speaker, a man I could learn from. And in a short time, I came to love this man, Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI. I still do.

Pope Benedict's Resignation

I wrote some of this to send to our RCIA small group since this a papal resignation has startled most of us, much less those getting reading to enter the Church.

My take, which I did not send to anyone is sheer gratitude for God's having given us Pope Benedict for eight years.

My goodness, think of what that man has done for us. The homily series full of teaching about saints, apostles, Fathers of the Church, prayer, and more. The Jesus of Nazareth books and the encyclicals. The trips all over the world. Assigning bishops who will be true good shepherds to us. And then preparing to spend his days in prayer for us.

I think that reading his general audience homilies, courtesy of the Curt Jester, has taken my appreciation and love of our Papa to a new level, so perhaps I feel this more than others might.

For anyone wanting more of my opinion, I think that reading the essence of what I advised our RCIA group about will give an answer. So, here it is ...

=============

I did want to offer a bit of guidance about Pope Benedict's resignation, based on my experience as a Catholic when Pope John Paul II died and Pope Benedict was elected.

You'll hear:

• Speculation about the reasons for the resignation and why it is good / bad.
  
  
• How bad / good this is for the Church. Especially at this particular moment in history!
  
  
• How we need a more progressive / conservative pope than Pope Benedict.
  
  
• Speculation about who will be elected as the next pope. That speculation is rarely correct, by the way. Very few, if any would have picked Josef Ratzinger to be the next pope.

In other words, you will hear a lot of talk that mostly reflects the people talking, rather than the truth about the situation.

I tend to ignore it as much as possible.

And most of it doesn't matter to us much anyway because this is an election that only the cardinals will take part in. (Here's how the election works, if you want to know more.)

What we can do that is helpful is to pray.

Pray for Pope Benedict's future. I myself am so thankful that we were given such a good shepherd, who did so very much in 8 years, as Pope Benedict.

Pray that the cardinals will be guided by the Holy Spirit and select the person God wants to be our good shepherd.

Since the rules call for the cardinals to gather within 15 days of the pope leaving (whether by death or resignation) we will likely have a new pope before Easter.

If you get your news from the Vatican instead of American media, that may help filter out some of the extra chatter.

==========

The full text of the Pope's announcement follows. I got this from CNA (Catholic News Agency) which is a trustworthy source.

Dear Brothers,

I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering.

However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.

Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.

From the Vatican, 10 February 2013
BENEDICTUS PP XVI

Blogging and Google

My question for you is how do you manage to make your blog easily discoverable by google? I have heard there are tricks of the trade. I am not nearly as internet savvy as you are.

I was asked this question recently when my blog popped up as a likely match for someone using Google. They then mentioned that they haven't done much with their blog but had this question.

Like most bloggers I get this question a lot. Here's my answer.

I post every day. I post authentic content. In other words, I'm out there.

That's all that Google wants. Real posts by real people saying something that is their own.

Rest assured that there may be tricks, but like most of life the best way is just to do the job. In that way, blogging is just like real life.

Show up. Do the job. Eventually when you've got 8,000+ posts, Google will notice.

And if Google doesn't notice, you'll still have the satisfaction of having blogged. Which is the real point of blogging in the first place, after all.

Blogging Around: Seeing the Other Side

AMERICA IN FILM Here's an interesting question. You want to teach someone about America, using movies. Which movies do you choose? Rose has one for being American and another for pop culture. The discussion has begun at Double Exposure ... check it out.

LETTERBOXD NOW OPEN TO ALL
Letterboxd is like Goodreads, but for movies. I have been enjoying it for a while but it was invitation only. No longer. Jump in. It's a free for all!

SUPER BOWL BETTER BECAUSE OF "THE BLIND SIDE"
Whenever we watch the Baltimore Ravens play, Tom always points out the real life player who was portrayed in The Blind Side. Watching the Super Bowl was just that much better because we knew about his story. Tony Rossi gives the Christopher Closeup inside story of the family behind the movie.

Many of you have seen the Christopher Award-winning movie “The Blind Side,” which told the story of Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy (played by Tim McGraw and Sandra Bullock) adopting homeless teen, Michael Oher, supporting him and his education, and helping to launch his football career with the Baltimore Ravens. It was a happy ending by both Hollywood and real-life standards.

That ending got even happier this past Sunday when the Ravens won the Super Bowl with a little help from Michael Oher, whose adopted family was with him.

MUSHROOM STROGANOFF
This looks delicious, whether one has Lent on the horizon or not. Veronica at My Catholic Kitchen came up with it. I'm going to put back in the Worcestershire sauce instead of the soy sauce because fish is allowed for Lent. As well as chicken broth (guess what's going to happen to that 1 cup of water and the vegetable bouillon cube? yep ... ).

BISHOPS' STATEMENT ON NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING REGARDING HHS MANDATE
Archbishop Dolan gives us the scoop and the link to the bishops' actual statement. Accept no substitutes.

Yesterday, I issued a statement in my role as President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding the HHS mandate. Unfortunately, there were some news reports today that claimed the bishops “rejected” the White House proposal, ignoring the fact that we bishops said, “we welcome and will take seriously the Administration’s invitation to submit our concerns through formal comments, and we will do so in the hope that an acceptable solution can be found that respects the consciences of all.”

LORD, OPEN MY HEARD
CWG Blog features the devotional I wrote last year ... and is very, very kind. Thank you, Jen!

If you are a looking for a bigger, sweeter piece of devotional pie, also consider Julie's book Happy Catholic. You'll feel like you're cheating, since it's fun and interesting and not at all penitential, but it's a great way to kickstart the habit of seeing God in every day life.

Keep Your Fork ...

Lynne is reading over Happy Catholic posts starting from the very beginning. I am in awe. Certainly I've never done that! It's interesting to hear her observations so far.

One thing that's not really representative of the blog from the beginning is that I usually go back and remove the old art and quotes that are over a year old. This is because Blogger only lets me access 5,000 posts (only! ha!) so if I need to update or access an old post, such as a Bible study or novena for example, then I can't get to it.

Unfortunately, this means that not only does Lynn not get to see all the old quotes and art, but sometimes I still can't access old stuff.

So I may be replacing things now as she lets me know about outdated links that led to things we all liked around here.

Here's the first, a charming story about a lady who wants to be buried with a fork. Go read it because it is still just as good as way back in 2004 when I first posted about it.

Thanks Lynne!

Lent begins next week.

Should I panic now?

No. I'll wait until next Tuesday.

As Ecclesiastes tells us, there is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to live for today and a time to choose Lenten penance.

The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've been working my way through the audiobooks, as many of you already know. The further I get into The Lord of the Rings, the more glorious is all the stuff I missed in past readings. Admittedly the last reading was a while ago and without the benefit of guides along the way to help me see below the surface. More than anything though, listening forces me to slow down and take in the whole book, not just the exciting part I'm dashing through for the adventure.

What becomes very noticeable to me at this point, listening as opposed to reading, is the juxtaposition of the two kings and their hobbit observers. One has been brought back to himself after being under the Dark Lord's sway and the other is prideful and arrogant. It is a striking contrast.

Another thing is how touched I was by the description of those coming to the defense of Gondor, early after Gandalf and Pippin got there. They were the few, those coming out of common need to defend themselves and their lands, in answer to the king's call. It made me understand just how personal war is on that level. It kept coming back to me for hours.

It occurs to me that we are also loathe to let surprises unfold by themselves. I was thrilled at the way Tolkien keeps everyone in the dark over the identity of the stern young man who took Merry up on his saddle, until the crucial moment. I literally wanted to cheer at the moment of revelation. Whereas the movie had to let us in on the secret very early, I suppose in support of girl empowerment. *sigh* Because THAT hasn't been done before.

Listening also allowed me to suddenly notice how Aaragorn's speech has been transformed into something lordly and formal, nobler and grander than when we met him as Strider. It was especially noticeable when he was speaking to Eowyn. "Lady," he would begin every statement to her. In my mind's eye, it was as if he was transformed into the king that we know he is underneath the travel-stained ranger.

The final realization, at this point, is just how the movies lessened the epic scale by making all the heroes less heroic than in the book. They were portrayed with ordinary fears and doubts. I imagine the idea was to give us someone to relate to. However, we already have the hobbits who are, as they themselves would tell us, as ordinary as dirt and happy to be that way. Tolkien's epic storytelling, by contrast, allows the heroes to be imbued with nobility and qualities that emerge as situations require.

We need heroes to look up to who are imbued with something grander than we ourselves have. Otherwise, what is there to strive for? If all our heroes have been knocked down to average, we have only ourselves to look to. And that is not helpful in dire circumstances like those faced in this struggle in Middle Earth. Or even in our own everyday lives.

Trucker Ghost Stories: And Other True Tales of Haunted Highways, Weird Encounters, and Legends of the Road edited by Annie Wilder

If you're a fan of real-life ghost stories, then this is the book for you.

If you're a fan of truckers, those modern-day "cowboys" of the highways, then this book is doubly for you.

Truckers are on the road at all times of night, in all weather, and, evidently, when every sort of ghost, monster, or UFO is out and about. This collection of stories runs the gamut from terrifying to tame. I was fascinated by the story of a trucker attacked by a UFO full of aliens but who refused to be abducted. I got the creeps listening to the story of a trucker parked for sleeping who was attacked by evil spirits who evidently muffled even his cries for help from other sleepers nearby. Other stories, such as a floating red light, were less satisfying.

As with all "real" ghost stories, it is up to the listener to judge whether these incidents were authentic or due to tricks of light, lack of sleep, or a handful of uppers for the road. Adding to the authentic feel, although not necessarily to any literary value, is the fact that the stories were written by the truck drivers themselves and not professional writers. This leads to a lot of "sign offs" such as "That is my story."

The stories are narrated by Tavia Gilbert and Peter Ganim who have personable styles and will even give the tale a regional twang if the story mentions a city of origin.

What I discovered from this book is that I'm not nearly as big a fan of real-life ghost stories as I thought. Or perhaps it is that listening to a steady dose of them for several hours is just not my cup of tea. If you are interested in the supernatural, paranormal, or just in hearing some straight forward, sincerely told ghost stories, give it a try.

This review originally appeared at SFFaudio.

Blogging Around

Why Isn't a Show Funny?
Largely because of unwillingness to take a stand which should be no surprise at all. As we just saw illustrated on 3rd Rock from the Sun last night (2nd season of a series that is holding up amazingly well over time), sometimes the best comedy comes from being willing to alienate people in order to make a point.  Why don't the network executives understand this? Double Exposure deconstructs The Middle, which I'd never heard of before. Now I understand why. Keep an eye out in the last bit because several excellent shows are recommended for your viewing pleasure instead.

The jokes that don't revolve around Frankie complaining often contain baffling lapses in logic. For instance, when Frankie is taking a bath because of her bad back, nine-year-old Brick wanders in and she asks him to turn on the hot water. Brick reminds her that he is not allowed to use the hot water (bringing up some disturbing questions about how he takes showers) but he turns on the hot water anyway. When Frankie asks he to turn it off, he winds up turning it up because apparently hot water faucets are so different than cold water faucets that when given two options of how to turn it off, he repeatedly chooses the wrong one.

Preach Always. If Necessary, Use Words.

By God’s grace, I am learning to trust the wisdom of the Church. By God’s grace, I am learning to rely on the Holy Spirit.

By God’s grace, all is redeemed.

Glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit
as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be
world without end.
Amen.

Elizabeth Esther has a really wonderful story that left me glorying in God's goodness and the Holy Spirit's quiet, subtle ways. I myself have had many occasions to thank Him for nudging instead of bludgeoning and this story is a wonderful example. Don't miss it. Via The Wine Dark Sea.

Thank you Archbishop Gomez
This is what it means to have a trustworthy shepherd. Joanne McPortland expresses my feelings exactly in her post.

Tonight, Archbishop Jose Gomez broke his silence on the recently released documents concerning efforts by his predecessor, Cardinal Roger Mahony, to cover up instances of clergy abuse. Like me, Archbishop Gomez found the documents “brutal and painful reading.” He did not stop at repugnance, however, but in a letter to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, assigned accountability...

Catholic Bishops of Colorado Respond to Catholic Hospitals’ Claim of Unborn Twins Personhood
Frank Weathers at Why I Am Catholic does an excellent job of tracking the call and response from the hospital and bishops, as well as pointing to a thorough story on the case.

A couple of days ago, my blog neighbor Deacon Greg Kandra shared a news item about a Catholic hospital in Colorado that is a defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit. The story is noteworthy because the Catholic hospitals’ legal defense team argued that while the patient (who died seven years ago), Lori Stodghill, was indisputably a person, they noted that under Colorado law, her unborn twins, 28 weeks of gestation at the time of death, are not considered persons.

As you might imagine, given the Catholic Church’s belief that human life, and thus personhood, begins at conception, this line of defense has been seen as a controversial one. 

The Real Reason to Criticize Roe
Fascinating article from Public Discourse, found via Frank's post above.

Actually, Roe did not introduce legal abortion to the United States; it did something even worse. Prior to Roe, legal abortion existed, but so did a large, vigorous pro-life movement, and that movement was beginning to win the public debate on abortion. Roe deprived the pro-life movement of its legal victories and allowed abortion to become more available to poor and minority women. It subverted the democratic process and led to a partisan polarization that only grew worse with time. Perhaps worst of all, it nullified the pro-life movement’s constitutional arguments and enshrined in case law a constitutional interpretation that deprived the unborn of any constitutional rights.

Recall Abortion
Since we seem to be on the subject of abortion, new book that just came out: RECALL ABORTION: Ending the Abortion Industry's Exploitation of Women. I don't have time to read it but it looks at the subject from an interesting standpoint.

The book is unique in that it examines abortion as a product, demanding a "recall" for the harm done to women. It is a very compelling and well-organized compilation of information and testimonies.

Spinnin' the DVDs: Looper / Ace in the Hole

No football this weekend gave Tom and me a chance to watch a couple of flicks, both worth watching if you haven't seen them.

Movie description:
HUNTED BY YOUR FUTURE, HAUNTED BY YOUR PAST. In the futuristic action thriller Looper, time travel will be invented but it will be illegal and only available on the black market. When the mob wants to get rid of someone, they will send their target 30 years into the past where a looper, a hired gun, like Joe is waiting to mop up. Joe is getting rich and life is good until the day the mob decides to close the loop, sending back Joe's future self for assassination.

My take: 5 stars
An interesting time travel concept that avoided going in the ways I expected it to. I am loathe to say too much about it beyond the basic description because I don't want to ruin it. It is about much bigger themes than one would think and the way those are connected leave one with much food for thought. This is definitely one that opens up when it is talked about and so, I imagine, would lend itself to repeat viewings.

Movie description
One of the most scathing indictments of American culture ever produced by a Hollywood filmmaker. Kirk Douglas gives the fiercest performance of his career as Chuck Tatum, an amoral newspaper reporter caught in dead-end Albuquerque who happens upon the story of a lifetime and will do anything to ensure he gets the scoop.

My take: 3-1/2 stars
I can't say I liked this movie but I didn't dislike it. We watched it because Tom's been intensely curious about it ever since reading a bio of Billy Wilder and learning that he thought this one of his best films ... and we'd never heard of it. It is completely effective as a scathing indictment of the American media circus that arises under the guise of "caring," whenever disaster strikes somewhere. As we all know, this is a trend that has not changed in the slightest today, so the story is very modern. Kirk Douglas does a fantastic job as the sleazy, self-serving media hound who corrupts almost everyone near him in order to be the sole mouthpiece for the story of a man caught in a cave. I imagine this probably also hasn't changed much these days, if only we knew the entire story.

The Tribune by Patrick Larkin [Updated]

The Tribune by Patrick Larkin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Promoted to a tribune of the Sixth Legion, Lucius Aurelius's task is to quell a war in Galilee that has already claimed the lives of the Emperor's foot soldiers. But the scene of the alleged slaughter turns up only a peaceful settlement of farmers, leaving the suspicious Lucius to question why has he been sent on such a futile mission...

I really enjoyed this book about young tribune Lucius Aurelius, a first century Roman whose personal guiding star is honor. Unfortunately for Lucius, few of his superiors have that same value and the ones who do are not very good at guarding their backs against their ambitious counterparts. Weaving his way through greed and corruption while trying to unravel a mystery which constantly has just one more thread to a larger story, Lucius must feel his way to the truth. His family physician, a small boy, and a corps of Gallic cavalry are on his side but that doesn't seem like enough when the odds are stacked against him. There are a couple of very nice twists in the story which I foresaw only a few pages ahead of Larkin's explication.

This is the first of Patrick Larkin's books that I've read. He has written a string of political thrillers from the looks of his body of work and you can see that history in this lean, tautly driven story. I was often surprised by the direction the plot took. The only lack of surprise was when our hero finds himself in Judea meeting a few recognizable characters, albeit often briefly. I enjoyed those encounters, especially since Larkin made them enough his own that I gradually forgot to think of a Biblical association.

Sometimes Larkin's background as a thriller author shows in other ways such as the occasional lack of character development. For example, in the case of a romantic encounter, the subsequent attachment seems all out of proportion, as does the guilty response. A little more depth would have been welcome.

These things aside, I did enjoy reading the book which kept my undivided attention until I finished it. That is no mean feat. I was glad to see a chapter of the sequel at the end of the e-book because I had grown fond of Lucius Aurelius and would like to read more of his adventures.

[Update]
This review was revised because of a significant change made to part of the book, which is not reflected in the print version. I would give the print version 3 stars because of a graphic sexual encounter.

When the King Was Carpenter by Maria von Trapp

When the King Was Carpenter by Maria von Trapp

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I discovered this poking around in the Kindle resources after seeing a book by Maria von Trapp was used by CatholicCulture.org for their liturgical year e-books (which I really, really like, by the way).

What a treasure this little book is. Unable to answer questions from her children about what Jesus ate for breakfast, von Trapp began asking priests and collecting books to find out about daily life for the Holy Family. She then wrote this account which, although simple, I find strangely riveting.

It is just brushed slightly with the fiction brush, being largely a historical "you are there" book to bring us into what life was like for a faithful Jewish family back then. Von Trapp doesn't dwell on Jesus' future as Messiah and these tend to read a bit more like the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. In fact, I was so engrossed reading about 6 year old Jesus that it struck me like a blow when she was talking about the family's annual trip to Jerusalem for Passover and ended by saying:

As a little boy He had greatly enjoyed spending part of the day roaming around with cousins and friends through the fabulous bazaars of Jerusalem, but as He grew older, He no longer felt drawn to these childish pastimes. He wanted to "dwell in the courts of the Lord," as had His ancestor David.

More and more, too, He saw that their Feast of the Passover had a twofold meaning. It was a memorial of the great things God had done for His people in the past, but it was also a symbol of things to come when, in a much greater Passover than the ones they were then celebrating, He would redeem His people from their sins."

There used to be many books of this sort written in the 1950s or so telling us about what life was like in those days. I wish some of them would either be reprinted or a new tradition would arise to write some today. In the meantime, this is a fine start. I'm looking forward to searching for the books in the bibliography listed in the back of the book.

Weekend Joke: Board Games of Star Trek

Many thanks to Doug Savage for this touch of humor which hit our household just right.

Back to the Blogs!

Last week I realized that those easy "Share" buttons have changed my blogging somewhat. I will share things on Facebook and Twitter that I never bother to take five extra minutes and include here.

What is the world coming to? I am not a real participant at either Facebook or Twitter. I believe blogs are much better. And yet, I fell into their trap.

Melanie Bettinelli at The Wine Dark Sea realized she also had fallen into that trap. As have many others I imagine.

No more!

Here is this week's worth of links, which usually I'd call Blogging Around, but in honor of my realization, I am calling Back to the Blogs!

Damn you all to hell
Tom Hanks' charming letter (it really is ...) written to the Nerdist podcasters after they asked him to appear on their podcast and bribed him with a 1934 Smith Corona typewriter. I'll just say right now that I love Hanks even more since discovering that he's a typewriter collector.

On Jacob's Ladder
On Jacob's Ladder is a new blog where John is going to try to spend 2013 reading the Bible from front to back and sharing my reactions. I like some of his reactions I have to admit. Such as being bored when God is working his way through the plagues of Egypt because Phaoroah is hard hearted.

But then suddenly I saw myself in the Pharaoh. God shows me the way--through the Word, through the Church, through the love of those around me; I promise to walk more closely in the path He calls me to; I wander off or get distracted and forget my promise; I feel lost; rinse and repeat. It particularly hit home during the plague of darkness, when the Egyptians could see nothing, not even the people around them. Like me when I wander off from God and forget Him.

A Message from Ben Bernanke
Dr. Boli recently received correspondence from his old friend and his musings are as salutary as always. Here's a bit.

Dr. Boli is pleased to hear from his old friend Mr. Bernanke (and he is sure he will recall when they met any moment now), but he does have one suggestion. Would it not be possible to hire, say, an advanced-placement English student from a local high school to tune up the punctuation and wording a bit?

Not to mention amusing.

Vote for Your Favorite Catholic Books, Blogs, Podcasts, and More

Every year, the About Readers' Choice Awards showcase the best products, people, organizations, and services in multiple categories, from technology to hobbies to parenting to religion. The readers of About.com make the nominations; each About.com Guide chooses the finalists (up to five in each category) from among the nominees; and the readers and others vote to choose one of the finalists as the best in the category for that year.

The About.com Catholicism GuideSite first participated in the Readers' Choice Awards in 2011, and the response was overwhelming, with thousands of nominations and tens of thousands of votes.

There are ten categories including everything from Catholic Books to Catholic Apps to the your favorite Catholics to follow on Twitter.

Be sure to check it out and nominate your favorites.

Thanks to Sarah for mentioning this at Happy Catholic's Bookshelf or I'd never have known about it.

In which Nan discovers how creatively everyone avoids telling the truth.

Chapter 9 of The Unforeseen is ready for your listening enjoyment at Forgotten Classics!

Eight Reasons Not to Use Graphic Abortion Images at the March for Life

Simcha Fisher has a great piece that you should read if you're considering doing this.

As someone at last weekend's march for life who was subjected to gigantic signs of such images (accompanied by neo-Nazi style shouting from the sign holders), I can assure you that she is right.

Free E-Book Wed. and Thurs.: Archangels: Rise of the Jesuits

I haven't read this yet, but if you're interested then Wednesday and Thursday are your chance to get it free ...

WHEN CONTROL OF THE VATICAN IS AT STAKE, MONEY TALKS AND NOBODY PLAYS FAIR.

Italian intelligence specialist and former Jesuit student Michael Visconte is shocked by the brutal murder of a Jesuit priest, who turns out to be a hedge fund manager for the Vatican. The victim, Father Matteo Pintozzi, achieved an unblemished record of extraordinary returns.

The next day, Michael is visited by two Jesuits who ask him to investigate the murder, and Michael soon finds himself in the middle of a struggle for power and control over the finances of the Vatican. Unfortunately, his lucky break—one that should provide critical evidence—blurs the line between good and evil and not only endangers the lives of Michael and the Jesuits, but also imperils the lives of his wife and children. 

ARCHANGELS: RISE OF THE JESUITS is published financial expert Janet Tavakoli's debut fiction thriller.

Via Amazon Kindle: United States, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Spain, Japan, Germany  Amazon Prime members can borrow this book for free on Kindle.

Don't Have a Kindle? No problem! Read your Kindle books on a tablet, phone, PC, or Mac with free Kindle reading apps, or try Kindle Cloud Reader.

Print Edition

The print edition (324 pages) is now available on Amazon and will be available in other venues within a few days. It hasn’t yet been linked to the electronic version, and the eBook reviews don’t show up yet, but that should happen in a few days; it’s the same book as the electronic version. I originally meant to put this out as an eBook only, but many people requested a print edition.

Dallas 2013 March for Life [UPDATED]

As always, participating in the march was inspiring. It was a sunny, warm day and there were more people than ever participating, which was really heartwarming. We were in the usual large parking lot behind the federal building and were asked to move over because so many people still were marching in. We couldn't believe that people were still coming.

I recalled that when we first participated in 2008 they were elated at having possibly a thousand people. I was shocked at the time and also ashamed to not have marched before.

You will understand then why it brought tears to my eyes to find that there were 8,000-10,000 people trying to find room to hear the speakers in that lot. All cultures, all ages, all races, and all passionate about giving life a chance.

I recently had a discussion with a friend who said that one of the reasons she supported abortion rights was because she didn't feel women were given enough support after having the babies, especially poor women. I know that kindness, however misplaced, is at the root of the issue much of the time. I also know that another common reservation is because of the terrible circumstances to which unwanted children may be born.

For that reason I really appreciated abortion survivor Angela Martinez Balderaz's story. Definitely unwanted and subjected to horrific conditions as a baby, she is now a vibrant, articulate young woman. She is grateful for her life and to God, no matter the early conditions in which she lived. This was a vivid testimony that none of us knows God's ways and it was through the many helping hands He sent that Angela Balderaz is the person we saw on Saturday.

The best photos I found for the event are at The Dallas Morning News, where I was gratified to see a great slideshow and an accurate accounting of numbers.

The Morning News was so much better than local NBC news coverage. Although the story itself was fine, their website headline showed just a touch of bias: "Hundreds Hold Anti-Abortion Rights Rally In Dallas"

Hundreds.

Anti-Abortion Rights.

As I said, the story itself was fine and that was what most would see. It was definitely better than the other news stations where we couldn't find any coverage.

What I learned this year, above all, was that the key is to personally invite people to march with us. If they have time to plan for it, many simply must be invited to feel that they will make a difference. My mistake was that by the time I began personally contacting people, they were locked into other activities.

So my strategy next year will be to issue those invitations early enough. It's on my calendar for January 2014, where I hope the numbers will be 10,000+.

UPDATE - Where are the men?
I forgot to mention another very powerful speaker, Chris Wheel, Fatherhood Ministry, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. Fatherhood Ministry. I love that, I really do. Especially when you consider that Chris Wheel's talk, which energized the crowd like no other, was punctuated continually by his cry of, "Where are the men?"

There are a lot of answers to that question, of course. But what occurred forcibly to me is that the question needs to be asked all the time, of every community, of ever culture where abortion is commonplace. Which is to say, everywhere.

SECOND UPDATE - Women in Crisis
A very powerful story about why the "women in crisis need abortion" argument is wrong. You need to go read for yourselves. Here's a bit:

When I got that positive pregnancy test, the one that changed my life, I was addicted to crystal meth.

And do you know what the people around me did? They didn’t take the secular line and say, “this baby’s life would be horrible. You’re unfit to be a mother. Better for it to not be born at all.”

But neither did they take the typical pro-life line in that situation and say, “you are clearly unfit to be a mother, but all you have to do is carry the baby to term and give a stable couple a wonderful gift.”

Saturday Joke: The Arcane Society of Western Pennsylvania

Via Dr. Boli's Celebrated Magazine.

J.R.R. Tolkien Book Giveaway

Brandon Vogt's giving away two books I'd dearly love to have (yes, I know it's a random selection of winners, but I'm just sayin'):

• The Lord of the Rings ... the one-volume version that I've been eying at Amazon over and over (but resolutely NOT buying)
• Tolkien: A Celebration - edited by Joseph Pearce ... which is the Pearce book that really caught my eye of the several Brandon listed yesterday.

Go here to sign up.

Books on J.R.R Tolkien's Catholicism

Brandon's giveaway ties in with his interesting list yesterday, passed along from Joseph Pearce's blog. Brandon thoughtfully included covers and descriptions to make it easy for us. Definitely worth perusing if you are at all interested in the subject.

I read the list with interest, since I have been making a list of my own of similar books, thanks to the insights I've been gleaning from The Tolkien Professor, whose podcast I recommend highly. (Either click on the course name or go to iTunes to get episodes.) I've mentioned this before but Professor Olsen's comments have really helped open up what Tolkien meant when he said that The Lord of the Rings had a Catholic moral worldview.

Here are a few from my list that weren't on Brandon's (or should we say on Joseph Pearce's). They're not specifically about Tolkien's Catholicism, but they are about looking below the surface, which in many ways is the same thing.

I'm in a huge hurry so won't be as thoughtful as Brandon, but there are links that will take you to descriptions.

• The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien - after getting to know Flannery O'Connor via The Habit of Being I am now a true believer in reading letters.
• Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" by Corey Olsen - yes, the Tolkien Professor wrote a book.
• On the Shoulders of Hobbits: On the Road to Virtue with Tolkien and Lewis by Louis Markos - forward is by Peter Kreeft, so I trust the book.
• Tree of Tales: Tolkien, Literature and Theology by Trevor Hart
• J.R.R. Tolkien: The Man Behind the Hobbits
• Mere Humanity: G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, and J. R. R. Tolkien on the Human Condition - Donald T. Williams
• "A Better Country": The Worlds of Religious Fantasy and Science Fiction by Martha Sammons
  
• A Hobbit Journey: Discovering the Enchantment of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth - Matthew Dickerson
  

Compendium: Catechism of the Catholic Church

Compendium: Catechism of the Catholic Church by USCCB Publishing

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I got this when it came out, flipped through it, and then put it on the shelf, where the poor thing was never moved until I gave an explanatory talk last night to the RCIA class about how to navigate your way around the Catechism (and other related topics such as Imprimatur stamps, etc.)

When I was looking through it this morning to attempt to answer a question (this group is sharp and curious, although I TOLD them I wasn't an expert on the Catechism, but was good at navigating the numbering system) ... anyway, so I was looking for specific info and realized I'd never given this a proper read.

The Q & A structure originally put me off, although now that I read the introduction I see it is meant to reflect an ancient style, to "reflect an imaginary dialogue between master and disciple ... that invite the reader to go deeper in discovering ever new aspects of his faith." And now that I've had more experience with having to answer the unpredictable questions that RCIA attendees ask, I can appreciate the format more. Also, it is intentionally kept brief, intending to spark interest in digging deeper in the actual Catechism.

Digging deeper I saw there are some very good features I never noticed. For example, although it has some absolutely gorgeous art, I never noticed that each illustration is accompanied by a thorough explanation, whether it be of the symbolism, related commentary, Church Fathers' meditations, prayers, or a combination thereof. Not only do these invite further reflection, they serve as examples of how to "read" devotional art.

Also, there's a nice appendix of common prayers.

I believe I'll be reading this along with my daily Catechism pages.

Forming Intentional Disciples

It’s easy to shrug off the call for evangelization and discipleship by saying, “Oh, we already do that.” We have a men’s club. We have religious ed. Everybody’s happy, all are welcome, Jesus shows up for every Mass – but sure, I’ve heard other parishes are in trouble. Mine’s fine.

Maybe so. But Weddell opens the book with extensive and detailed evidence that no, things are not fine. She defines the scope of the problem both statistically – how many Catholics in the pews don’t even believe in a personal God? – and qualitatively.

I've seen this book mentioned in a lot of places ... and although my "to read" stack is alarmingly high, I'm beginning to believe this is required reading. Jen Fitz's review at confirms that.

What the Church Teaches About End-of-Life Issues

What I learned is that the Church teaches, "God loves you, God loves you, God loves you." Always and forever, in the darkness of doubt, and in the light of the truth.

I did skip ahead a bit, but I just can't read that enough. It makes me smile. It makes me tear up a bit. And it makes me love God more.

Don't stop there, though. Go read all of Simcha Fisher's terrific piece.

The Julianne

A new cocktail creation ... at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko - UPDATED

Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sergei Lukyanenko is a science-fiction and fantasy author, writing in Russian, and is arguably the most popular contemporary Russian sci-fi writer. His works often feature intense action-packed plots, interwoven with the moral dilemma of keeping one's humanity while being strong.

In The Night Watch, set in modern Moscow, the "Others" live among us, an ancient race of humans with supernatural powers who swear allegiance to either the Dark or the Light. A thousand-year treaty has maintained the balance of power, and the two sides coexist in an uneasy truce. But an ancient prophecy decrees that one supreme "Other" will rise up and tip the balance, plunging the world into a catastrophic war between the Dark and the Light. When a young boy with extraordinary powers emerges, fulfilling the first half of the prophecy, will the forces of the Light be able to keep the Dark from corrupting the boy and destroying the world?

This book was recommended by both daughters and Jeff Miller. Plus I liked the movie, though I realize the book is different in many ways. And now I can say I'm reading Russian novels. No need to say which Russian novels since people assume the big classics ... right?

The book is three novellas, linked by their setting and the fact that each is told by Anton, a Light Other who is now getting field experience after being a file clerk for several years. As he gets more experience, the reader learns more about the subtleties and intricacies of the world between Light and Dark. Each of the stories is thoroughly engrossing and although they build upon each other, the first two stand alone fairly well. The third conclusion brings the book's overall story arc to a conclusion.

The first page of the book has two messages, which are puzzling and amusing as an introduction. However when I had finished the book I realized they also served to sum up how the author uses the different stories and characters:

This text has been approved for distribution as conducive to the cause of Light.

The Night Watch

This text has been approved for distribution as conducive to the cause of Dark.

The Day Watch

Final result: simply fantastic. The way the three stories all look at Light and Dark, treaties and compromises, and even what it means to be unyielding on one side or the other ... not only provides a gripping adventure, but food for thought about our own lives.

UPDATE

Audio notes:

I was delighted to find the audio CD available for only $10 and promptly began listening in preparation for discussion at A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast. Narrator Paul Michael has a low key style in reading this book. His dialogue reading features what sound like authentic Russian accents which enhance the book greatly since Anton's thoughts are read in a regular American accent. Initially I found this refreshing since I'd just been listening to one Jonathan Maberry's Joe Ledger series, which has a trademark intense, hard-hitting narrative style.

However, I soon noticed that whenever a character spoke there was very little emotion portrayed, no matter how stressful the moment. There are plenty of stressful, action-filled moments and to have them all conveyed in such a subdued fashion drained the color and excitement of the story for me. Eventually, the entire book seemed so colorless that I stopped listening and picked up the print copy to read the third novella.

My husband regularly has conference calls with Russians and says that he has noticed that monotonous quality when they are speaking English. He attributes it to the difficulty in speaking a foreign language and conducting business simultaneously. We both know from seeing the Night Watch movie that Russians are perfectly capable of verbally conveying a wide range of emotions.

Whatever the reason, I cannot recommend the audio if you want to experience the full flavor of the book.

Forgive me, Oprah, for I have sinned ...

I was shocked when Lance Armstrong was proven to have cheated and lied about his competitions.

However, I was unsurprised when Lance Armstrong admitted it to Oprah. Why else would he bother to appear? What is wrong with things when winning a sporting event is worth all that lying, cheating and trouble?

I know, I know, it's the way things are. Of course, that's part of our larger problem when we accept that such is the way of the world.

I was reading this morning in the WSJ how Armstrong's private defense until this point was roughly, "Every other pro sports discipline cheats."

I hadn't really thought about him until then but that was when I realized how immature Armstrong was, without a real moral compass, or possibly so confused by the unreal world he's inhabited for so long that he doesn't know which side is up any more? (And then I think of poor Tony Scott with all that the world counts precious who killed himself last year ... there are a lot of people who've been lied to about fame and fortune.)

It's been put into context because I've been listening to The Two Towers, the middle book of The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien.

I am just at the part where Gandalf talks to Saruman after the Ents destroyed Isengard. Their exchange makes me think of this whole situation, especially since I just heard the part where Tolkien remarks that Saruman's voice was so beautiful that people would be charmed. Then when they repeated his words later they would realize that they were very ordinary. It was his voice that was so compelling.

Suddenly another voice spoke, low and melodious, its very sound an enchantment. Those who listened unwearily to that voice could seldom report the words that they had heard; and if they did, they wondered, for little power remained in them. Mostly they remembered only that it was a delight to hear the voice speaking, all that it said seemed wise and reasonable, and desire awoke in them by swift agreement to see wise themselves. When others spoke, they seemed harsh and uncouth by contrast; and if they gainsaid the voice, anger was kindled in the hearts of those under the spell.

There is an awful lot in The Lord of the Rings about deceit and it's subtle ways that I find myself applying to my own life. Where do I rationalize and listen to the compelling argument because it is what I want to hear rather than what is actually true? We all do it. That's how we recognize it in the book and understand Saruman's power so well.

I feel sorry for Lance Armstrong. I pity him, rather like Gollum, addicted to his fame (his precious). How will he live without it? By crawling after it if he must ... poor fellow. Let's keep him in our prayers.

In which Virgilia sees big trouble ahead and Nan is left in the dark.

Chapter 8 of The Unforeseen is ready for your listening pleasure at Forgotten Classics!

The Partially Examined Life: Gorgias by Plato [AUDIO DRAMA]

The Partially Examined Life podcast is doing something different with their latest podcast, an amateur full cast production of Gorgias by Plato (sort of). Gorgias is a Socratic dialogue, basically a script in which characters discussing philosophy. It was probably written around 380 BC.

The subject of Gorgias is rhetoric, the art of persuasion, and is highly relevant to thinking about politic speech, advertizing, and personal charisma.

Interesting, isn't it? Get the link to the podcast at SFFaudio which is where I read about it.

Of Withered Apples ...

This is a Philip K. Dick story that is in the public domain. It's a fascinating riff on classic fairy tales, done the way that only Dick can do it. For example, darned if I know what fairy tale it is, but he invests it with "classic" all the way.

I read it for SFFaudio and also participated in the conversation about it afterward. Get it here.

A Smart Idea

Now here's a smart idea ... the Stainless Steel Grocery Bag Garbage Can, which I found via Orson Scott Card.

I don't have one yet. But I do need to replace a trash can or two around the house and this may be the perfect option. Just thought I'd share ...

Best Actress Nominee Quvenzhané Wallis

For a change I've seen several of the nominated movies for the 2013 Oscars. I don't think Beasts of the Southern Wild (my review here) deserves a Best Picture award, though I think that director will earn them in the future.

However, there is no doubt in my mind that pint-sized Quvenzhané Wallis, from that film, does. She was formidable.

Cafe Maria Theresia

Coffee, orange liqueur, and whipped cream. What's not to love? Get it at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

Review: Catholicism Pure and Simple by Fr. Dwight Longenecker

If a good person decides to fight against evil he will always be at a disadvantage. ...

The evil person will naturally use every devious and nasty trick he can think of. That's why he's bad: he is a liar, a cheat, a murderer and a thoroughgoing scoundrel.

However, the good person cannot use the same evil tricks. So the evil one will lie and scheme. He will punch below the belt and throw salt in the good guy's eyes. But the really good person is not allowed to lower himself to dirty tricks. Jesus taught us this principle. When our enemy slaps us we are told to turn the other cheek. When our enemy takes our coat we are to offer him our shirt as well.

This disadvantage that the good person suffers is the key that unlocks the whole mystery. You see, evil gets worse and worse in the world when we do not fight with goodness. We usually respond to suffering by causing more suffering. We seek revenge and return evil for evil.

When we do this evil breeds in the world and will never be defeated. This is why Jesus teaches us to return good for evil, to forgive our enemies, and pray for those who hurt us. Jesus is trying to get across to us that the only way for evil to be defeated is to smother it with goodness as water puts out a fire.

I've been a fan of Dwight Longencker's writing for a long time, definitely since before he became a Catholic priest. Catholicism Pure and Simple may prove to be my favorite of his books. For one thing, it is chock-full of passages like the one above, which helped me for the first time in my life really get a grasp of why Christ insists on the necessity of returning good for evil.

Overall Catholicism Pure and Simple is a basic explanation of the Catholic faith. It would be a great refresher for someone who wants to know their faith better, a good text for RCIA classes, or an introduction for those curious about what Catholicism teaches (rather than what "everyone" says it teaches). Following the general topic guidelines that the Catechism itself follows, Longenecker takes readers from why we believe God exists, through who Jesus Christ is, how the Catholic Church came to be, what it means to be Catholic and how to live the faith.

Although the explanations are basic, they are well developed and thought provoking. Catholicism Pure and Simple is a riveting read, written in straight forward terms, designed to take each person to an understanding Catholicism. I myself particularly liked the way Longenecker takes longstanding modern beliefs and stands them on their heads, encouraging us to look at what "everyone knows" with new eyes.

For example, what "everyone knows" is that religion evolved because cave men, afraid or impressed with thunder and lightning, concluded that a being lived in the clouds who needed to be appeased. From these beginnings came the development of religious worship. At least, that's the story that I always believed before becoming Catholic. Look at a bit of how Longenecker discusses it.

Did you notice how this argument makes certain assumptions about cave men? It treats the cave man as a noble savage. Because he feels a sense of wonder at the natural world he is portrayed as a ignorant, but touchingly sensitive brute; but have you seen the trick? Because he is a cave man we assume that he must be inferior to us; therefore his conclusion that there is a big person beyond the clouds who caused the thunder must also be primitive, and wrong.

Although cave men may not have been as educated as we are or have such whiz-bang technology, were they really so much stupider? ... We don't have evidence for that. Instead, when their graves are opened we find beautiful works of art and craftsmanship, and when we go into the cave itself we find mysterious and beautiful wall paintings. The evidence we have tells us that whoever painted those graceful bison and deer were not primitive brutes, but sensitive artists. ...

The caveman is being quite sensible, in his own way, to observe nature and see the signs of an unseen intelligence. Like most easy theories, this theory of where our religious instinct comes from is both right and wrong. It is right because it tells us that even primitive people can see the power of nature and conclude that there is a mind behind it all.

However, the theory is wrong in what it assumes. It assumes that because modern humans understand the physics of thunder, and have telescopes to study the stars, that they no longer have a need for God. ...

Catholicism Pure and Simple both delighted me with examples and inspired me overall by the pure and simple truth contained therein. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

History of Philosophy talks about Church Fathers

Peter Adamson, Professor of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy at King's College London, takes listeners through the history of philosophy, "without any gaps." Beginning with the earliest ancient thinkers, the series looks at the ideas and lives of the major philosophers (eventually covering in detail such giants as Plato, Aristotle, Avicenna, Aquinas, Descartes, and Kant) as well as the lesser-known figures of the tradition.

I've enjoyed this podcast in the past but had dropped it due to time constraints. Hey, you aren't gonna get through the Lord of the Rings in audio without a few sacrifices.

Imagine my surprise when I checked recently and found that Peter Adamson had made it to the ancient Church Fathers. Origen, Maximus the Confessor, the Greeks, the Latins ... and Augustine's confessions are among the episodes. Looks like it's time to begin fitting some History of Philosophy into my earbuds.

Get it on iTunes. Or get it from their website.

Review: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

Radio Announcer: The final mission to save mankind has failed...the 70 mile wide asteroid known as 'Matilda' is set to collide with Earth in exactly three weeks time, and we'll be bringing you our countdown to the end of days, along with all your classic rock favorites.

The world is going to be destroyed by a huge meteor. In the month that's left, what would you do with the rest of your life? Steve Carrell decides to find his high school sweetheart. Tagging along is his neighbor who's trying to get to her family. Yep. It's a road trip at the end of the world.

Finally. A Steve Carrell movie that I can recommend without saying, "Except for these stupid scenes." And one that made me interested in Keira Knightly in her recent roles since it seems as if she's matured some as an actress as well as in her appearance since the early Pirates and soccer movies I saw her in.

It's a gutsy and interesting movie that dares to take the above premise and make a romantic comedy. It mostly works except for a few plot holes which we were willing to overlook.

I enjoyed this all the way through. Tom felt the middle sagged but they grabbed him again in the last third. I would say the difference between our attitudes may lie in the fact that once I grasped this as an apocalyptic tale, I settled in for the standard formula of having the middle of the story being travel that exposes us to different ways of coping with the disaster. Tom didn't have that formula to fall back on. That said, this could have been a trimmer and nimbler film at 90 minutes.

More than anything, this affected me profoundly with the idea of everything being over. Done. Kaput. Finis. The End.

You'd think that, as a Catholic, I'd be used to the reality that life can end at any moment. Like many things, intellectual understanding is different than having a concrete example right in front of you. I like to think that I'd be ready to meet my Maker if I was hit by a truck today, but am I really? So this led me to some consideration of Final Things (death, judgment, heaven, hell) which was doubtless good for me. Certainly, it provided additional depth and direction to my spiritual meditations over the next few days.

Best Movies of 2012

Top movies I saw in 2012 with descriptions in 10 words or less. In no particular order. (My top books list is here.)

1. Red River (1948) directed by Howard Hawks, stars John Wayne, Montgomery Clift
   Possibly the perfect Western. (my review here)
   
   
2. Skyfall (2012) directed by Sam Mendes, stars Daniel Craig, Judi Dench
   An exhilarating combination of new and old which remakes the Bond franchise. (my review here)
   
   
3. Life of Pi (2012) directed by Ang Lee, stars Suraj Sharma
   One castaway boy, one raft, one Bengal tiger ... and God. (my review here)
   
   
4. Les Miserables (2012) directed by Tom Hooper, stars Hugh Jackman, et al.
   Mercy, courage, and God's saving grace. With some fantastic singing. (my review here)
   
   
5. The Avengers (2012) directed by Joss Whedon, stars Robert Downey Jr, et al.
   Supervillains from space threaten Earth. Superheroes save it. Spectacularly.
   
   
6. John Carter of Mars (2012) directed by Andrew Stanton, stars Taylor Kitsch
   Derring do, a maiden to rescue, a battered but worthy hero ... on Mars. (My review here)
   
   
7. Brave (2012) directed by Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Brenda Chapman
   Pixar's "girl" movie. A delightful fable with strong, likable women.
   
   
8. The Mill and the Cross (2011) directed by Lech Majewski, stars Rutger Hauer, Michael York
   Luminous masterpiece based on Pieter Bruegel's The Way to Calvary. (my review here)
   
   
9. Love in the Afternoon (1957) directed by Billy Wilder, stars Audrey Hepburn, Gary Cooper
   Frothy fun. Detective's daughter is fascinated by a playboy.
   
   
10. Margin Call (2011) directed by J. C. Chandor, stars Kevin Spacey, et al.
    24-hours of decisions in a financial crisis. It works.
    
    
11. Moneyball (2011) directed by Bennett Miller, stars Brad Pitt
    Building better baseball with computer analysis. Sounds terrible. It isn't.
    
    
12. Bill Cunningham, New York (2011) directed by Richard Press
    Documentary about a man obsessed with fashion. Unlikely but terrific.
    
    
13. The Mark of Zorro (1940) directed by Rouban Mamoulian, stars Tyrone Power
    Power is a subtler, funnier, better swashbuckler than Errol Flynn. Watch this.
    
    
14. The Body Snatcher (1945) directed by Robert Wise, stars Boris Karloff, et al.
    Grave robbing and worse in 1831 Edinburgh. Karloff's a stand out.

What Went Wrong With the Hobbit and How to Discuss It With Smart Kids

An excellent commentary from a smart movie watcher. (Check out her blog, Catholic All Year. We can all thank the mean Church Lady who prompted Kendra Tierney to begin blogging.)