Podding Around

These podcast can all be found through iTunes.

KEEPING TELEPATHS AT BAY
Geek Survival Guide points out that the best way to ward off telepaths is not the much vaunted tinfoil hat. No, it is to always have a catchy tune running through your mind. To help us even further, Zach plays three catchy tunes to help us out. After all, who can listen to Code Monkey without wanting to hum along? My favorite was the song about the zombie co-workers but I fell in love with that after hearing it used in How to Succeed in Evil.

INTO THE DEEP IS BACK
After a period of adjustment to allow one member to move to Austria, the Into the Deep podcast is again posting new episodes. Their new series is spiritual combat and it is well worth listening to as are the rest of their offerings.

CLASSIC SCI-FI STORIES
Thanks to the SSFaudio Challenge we now have more classic science fiction stories available on both Podiobooks and Librivox. It has been interesting to watch various podcasters deliver on the challenge. And, of course, gratifying for those of us who like to listen to science fiction.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Baby, It's Cold Inside

It is obvious that I have lived in Texas sufficient years to not appreciate cold weather as much as I thought I did! It has been around freezing or less for several days and that is enough for me.

Perhaps I feel this way because the heat in my office is not working properly. When the maintenance man came in to fix it, I wound up with a stream of cold air coming in which just made things worse. I worked in my parka and felt as one with Bob Cratchit, wishing for a pair of those clever gloves without fingers so I could type with warm hands.

Today, we will be holding this fellow's feet to the fire (if we can find any!) and getting some relief.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

"No wonder I had to date an 11th grader when I was a senior."

So says Tom after reading the group emails suddenly being sent by his former classmates at the American School in London. Suddenly life histories are getting much more detailed than he would have thought, with a seemingly endless string of people proudly proclaiming their gay partnership.

The funny thing is, he knows of one old classmate who is living in a gay relationship with someone famous ... and that person simply chatted about children, job, and life in general. Guess she rightly figured that her private life was ... private!

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Claw of the Conciliator

Elliot asked if there is anything in particular I prefer about his blog, which explores the intersection of religion, mainly Christianity, with the genres of science fiction and fantasy.

I'll just answer here. No, I love it all. It is rare that Elliot writes something that doesn't provide an interesting and worthwhile link or thought provoking subject. Check it out.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

The Retreat

I just wanted to let y'all know that the Beyond Cana marriage enrichment retreat was a huge success!

Personally, I have never seen any event with so many factors (flu, babysitters backing out, rain and threatened freezing weather, etc.) combining to make it extremely difficult for everyone who had committed to help.

Every single person on the retreat team impressed the heck out of Tom and me with their dedication and determination to overcome all obstacles. There were people leaving sick babies with parents and coming in to do their part before hurrying back to care for their little one. A very sick wife gave her husband her blessings to go and do his part. Rain came down in sheets, making two people's journey take two hours when it normally would have taken 15 minutes. One person's flight home arrived at 7 a.m. instead of the night before ... he joked that there is nothing like sleeping on an airport floor all night to give you a good presentation edge. I could go on and on (and in fact I see that I already have). It was almost like a comedy to see what problem was going to turn up next.

Tom and I weren't personally called upon to jump through fire to be there ... but Hannah and Rose made huge personal sacrifices for us to be there. We left for the retreat on Friday morning and she went back to college on Saturday. Her only hint of feelings was to cuddle with "Mommy" for an hour Thursday night. Rose was the victim of a fender bender on Saturday morning in the rain (no easy thing for a driver of only one month's experience) and refrained from calling because "you were on retreat." (Thank heavens she had access to therapists Ben and Jerry for help in soothing her jangled nerves before we called her at 9 p.m.) Yes, we were very proud of both and so I pass that on.

Every time situations were handled with good humor and grace, thinking only of others. Which is to say that we saw sacrifice being made by everybody for the good of the couples on the retreat and to do God's work. What a privilege to get to see it in action.

I looked at all that and thought how many adversarial conditions we were facing throughout. So I also thought of the great Adversary and how he might be involved in these problems. Naturally that led to thoughts of what a very great blessing from God this retreat must be in people's lives for us to face this much adversity.

Tom pointed out that it showed the huge difference already showing in people's lives and marriages for the team to go to those lengths to make sure it happened. As we both know full well from the difference in our lives after attending Beyond Cana in San Antonio.

We agreed that we are both right on this one.

We got to see the fruit of that determination yesterday morning at Mass. Those couples were glowing. That glow was from personal encounters these couples had with the Holy Spirit in their lives and in their marriage this weekend.

Thank you so much for keeping this event in your prayers. You made this possible by holding us all up to God. And we can't thank you enough.

Please continue to hold this ministry in prayer as our parish continues with it.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

A Hell of a Book

I finally scored a copy of Inferno by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle that didn't cost a lot. I have been trying to get my hands on a copy of this for over a year after I discovered that this is their take on Dante's Inferno.

It has been out of print for some time so usually copies list for an outrageous sum like $80 and our library doesn't have a copy. It was waiting for me when we returned from the retreat. I read the first couple of chapters before sliding into a nap and it is fascinating so far. I think it might be a good intro to the real thing which I will be reading sometime as it is on my Christian classics list, Dante to Dead Man Walking.

The story so far is great, although you must keep in mind that I am a fan of the Niven-Pournelle collaborations in general. It is from the point of view of a science fiction writer who has been sent to hell and is trying to find his way out. Thus far, he has continually been filtering everything he sees through his sci-fi sensibilities ... maybe it is an alternate universe ... possibly a different planet, etc.

Check out the Amazon comments for further insight if you are interested. I have only begun it.

UPDATE
Meep gives a link to a paper she wrote: Dante's vs. Niven & Pournelle's Inferno. It looks fascinating but I am going to wait until I've read Inferno. Can't wait though!

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Gone Retreatin'

Off to help with our parish's marriage retreat. Back on Sunday or Monday.

Please keep us in your prayers.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Apple may have the sexy iPhone, but Google has Neil Gaiman’s son.

Via my husband who watches a different part of the blogosphere, as one of the uber-geeky Internet groupies who follow Matt Cutts. No wonder because Cutts is cool enough to really understand Neil Gaiman. (Not that I liked either the Sandman series or Stardust ... but do read Neverwhere and Good Omens which are two of my favorite books. I also would throw American Gods in there).

And if you don’t know who Neil Gaiman is, then I feel sorry for you. But also happy, because you get to read Neil Gaiman for the first time:
- Start with the Sandman series of graphic novels.
- Then get dark and eerie with Neverwhere if you want to know the real secrets of London. Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar are two of the most delightful villains I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.
- Lighten up with the hilarious Good Omens, which Gaiman wrote with Terry Pratchett.
- Round it out with Stardust, which wins my award for “Best use of the word ‘f***‘ in small print, exactly once, in a book.” You’ll have to read it to understand.

On the other hand if you are asking who Matt Cutts is ... he is currently the head of the Google's Webspam team. Yes, that calls for uber-geekdom.

I Knew It ... This Explains Everything

Bill Parcells: 'I've Always Hated Football'

DALLAS—In the last press conference Bill Parcells would give this year after leading the Cowboys through a frustrating 9-7 season and an excruciating first-round playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the hard-nosed coach surprised reporters by revealing that he "was glad to see the season, and with any luck [his] career, come to an end," stating that "I can't remember a time in my life when I haven't hated football."
Enlarge Image Bill Parcells

"Come on—anyone who paid attention to my career must have suspected it," two-time Super Bowl-winner Parcells told stunned members of the press at the Cowboys practice facility Tuesday, reacting to their disbelief with surprise of his own. "When did I ever look like I was enjoying myself? When did you last see me smile on the sidelines or in the locker room? You must have at least wondered why I was always so angry with everyone around me."

The Onion completely cracks me up. And, yet, it all makes sense ...

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Books Read in 2007

I have started this year's list. After counting how many books I have read for the last two years, I think I have established that it is a lot.

No need to keep track of that any more so I will be listing them by genres this year which I think will be more interesting and possibly helpful to anyone perusing the list.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Batman and The Garden of Evil

Click on image to enlarge.
Pure comic genius via Claw of the Conciliator.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Indeed!

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Her Exalted Highness Duchess Julianne the Complex of Longer Interval Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Via Her Most Noble Lady Christine the Surprised of Under Yockenthwaite.

Poetry Thursday

The Journey of the Magi

'A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For the journey, and such a long journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.'
And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,
And the silken girls bringing sherbet.
Then the camel men cursing and grumbling
And running away, and wanting their liquor and women,
And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,
And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty and charging high prices:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices singing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.

Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;
With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness,
And three trees on the low sky,
And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.
Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wine-skins,
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory

All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we led all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death,
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.

-- T. S. Eliot

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

The Blessing of the Thorns

A modern day parable via A Quiet Catholic. Originally posted for Thanksgiving, it works for any time.

Sandra felt as low as the heels of her shoes as she pushed against a November gust and the florist shop door.

Her life had been easy, like a spring breeze. Then in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a minor automobile accident stole that from her.

During this Thanksgiving week she would have delivered a son. She grieved over her loss. As if that weren’t enough, her husband’s company threatened a transfer. Then her sister, whose holiday visit she coveted, called saying she could not come for the holiday.

Then Sandra’s friend infuriated her by suggesting her grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer. She has no idea what I’m feeling, thought Sandra with a shudder.

Thanksgiving? Thankful for what? She wondered. For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an airbag that saved her life but took that of her child?
“Good afternoon, can I help you?” The shop clerk’s approach startled her.

“I....I need an arrangement, “ stammered Sandra.

“For Thanksgiving? Do you want beautiful but ordinary, or would you like to challenge the day with a customer favorite I call the Thanksgiving “Special?” asked the shop clerk. “I’m convinced that flowers tell stories,” she continued. “Are you looking for something that conveys ‘gratitude’ this thanksgiving? “

“Not exactly!” Sandra blurted out. “In the last five months, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.”

Sandra regretted her outburst, and was surprised when the shop clerk said, “I have the perfect arrangement for you.”

Just then the shop door’s small bell rang, and the shop clerk said, “Hi, Barbara...let me get your order.” She politely excused herself and walked toward a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of greenery, bows, and long-stemmed thorny roses. Except the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped: there were no flowers.

“Want this in a box?” asked the clerk.

Sandra watched for the customer’s response. Was this a joke? Who would want rose stems with no flowers! She waited for laughter, but neither woman laughed.

“Yes, please,” Barbara, replied with an appreciative smile. “You’d think after three years of getting the special, I wouldn’t be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it right here, all over again,” she said as she gently tapped her chest. And she left with her order.

“Uh,” stammered Sandra, “that lady just left with, uh....she just left with no flowers!

“Right, said the clerk, “I cut off the flowers. That’s the Special. I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet.”

“Oh, come on, you can’t tell me someone is willing to pay for that!” exclaimed Sandra.

“Barbara came into the shop three years ago feeling much like you feel today,” explained the clerk. “She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had lost her father to cancer, the family business was failing, her son was into drugs, and she was facing major surgery.”

“That same year I had lost my husband,” continued the clerk, “and for the first time in my life, had just spent the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too great a debt to allow any travel.”

“So what did you do?” asked Sandra.

“I learned to be thankful for thorns,” answered the clerk quietly. “I’ve always thanked God for the good things in my life and never questioned the good things that happened to me, but when bad stuff hit, did I ever ask questions! It took time for me to learn that dark times are important. I have always enjoyed the ‘flowers’ of life, but it took thorns to show me the beauty of God’s comfort. You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we’re afflicted, and from His consolation we learn to comfort others.”

Sandra sucked in her breath as she thought about the very thing her friend had tried to tell her. “I guess the truth is I don’t want comfort. I’ve lost a baby and I’m angry with God.”

Just then someone else walked in the shop. “Hey, Phil!” shouted the clerk to the balding, rotund man.

“My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving Special....12 thorny, long-stemmed stems!” laughed Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue-wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator.

“Those are for your wife?” asked Sandra incredulously. “Do you mind me asking why she wants something that looks like that?”

“No...I’m glad you asked,” Phil replied. “Four years ago my wife and I nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord’s grace and guidance, we slogged through problem after problem. He rescued our marriage. Jenny here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she learned from “thorny” times, and that was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific “problem” and give thanks for what that problem taught us.”

As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, “I highly recommend the Special!”

“I don’t know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life.” Sandra said. “It’s all too...fresh."

“Well,” the clerk replied carefully, “my experience has shown me that thorns make roses more precious. We treasure God’s providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember, it was a crown of thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love. Don’t resent the thorns.”

Tears rolled down Sandra’s cheeks. For the first time since the accident, she loosened her grip on resentment. “I’ll take those twelve long-stemmed thorns, please,” she managed to choke out.

“I hoped you would,” said the clerk gently. “I’ll have them ready in a minute.”

“Thank you. What do I owe you?”

“Nothing. Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart. The first year’s arrangement is always on me.” The clerk smiled and handed a card to Sandra. “I’ll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you would like to read it first.”

It read: “My God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to You along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of Your rainbow look much more brilliant.”
Praise Him for your roses; thank him for your thorns!

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

This Might Actually Make Me Check Out Hemingway

One of my very favorite books, Bellwether by Connie Willis, is all about fads throughout history including those in our politically correct times. Among the infuriating trends that the protagonist faces is her local library's tendency to throw out books if they haven't been checked out in the last year. Therefore, whenever she goes to the library she picks out a classic to take home, thereby "saving" it for another year on the library shelves.

I was struck by this and have thought of it often when coming across a classic, but likely little read novel, on the shelves ... wondering if it would come to that in our library. Sadly, truth is imitating fiction, at least in Fairfax, Virginia.

"For Whom the Bell Tolls" may be one of Ernest Hemingway's best-known books, but it isn't exactly flying off the shelves in northern Virginia these days. Precisely nobody has checked out a copy from the Fairfax County Public Library system in the past two years, according to a front-page story in yesterday's Washington Post.

And now the bell may toll for Hemingway. A software program developed by SirsiDynix, an Alabama-based library-technology company, informs librarians of which books are circulating and which ones aren't. If titles remain untouched for two years, they may be discarded--permanently. "We're being very ruthless," boasts library director Sam Clay.

As the WSJ points out, this brings up the ultimate question of whether a library's purpose is to be a cultural storehouse or to reflect public tastes.

I don't know enough to debate the answer to that question. What I do know is that if I ever hear of a similar policy being issued in Dallas, I will be going home every week with a classic to "save."

UPDATE
I received this thoughtful response from a librarian who reminded me that media spin is probably responsible for making it sound as if librarians are gleefully tossing copies of books at the drop of a hat. I thought that y'all would like to consider it as well.

Sadly it is true that when classics do not circulate they often get removed. As computer programs beginning to track every book, it will happen more often. Checking out a classic is a good plan to save it for everyone. Why not read it as well?

I disagree entirely with the attitude of the article however. It implies that Librarians are delighted to see this happen. It is not true. What is true is that the political bodies that fund libraries are interested in only one thing--constantly rising circulation figures which drives us to purchasing more DVD's than books.

I am in charge of a very large Children's Department that serves as an afterschool site for school age children, a coloring and craft center for little ones, as well as a refuge for many mothers from other countries who are trying to adjust to American culture. ( Where else are they going to go that is halfway and sane if they have limited income and no car. The Mall?). The Mayor's office however is totally unimpressed with any of these services. Funding for staff and books has been cut every year since I joined the staff. I have sadly come to the conclusion that these funding bodies are looking for any excuse to cut money to public libraries. Could it be that the young (and not so young) upwardly mobile males that make up most of our political officials simply do not read nor see any reason to do so? And therefore do not see any use for libraries.

Yes the Director is right. If he is not ruthless he will lose his job. Saving the classics may be a matter of campaigning with the Library and the local political body to establish a library policy that it will maintain a classic collection as its core. If the point is made by citizens (not librarians, no one listens to us) the politicians might listen.

She makes a good point about reading the books when we have them checked out ... which any of the interested people in the Dante to Dead Man Walking Project comments would definitely agree with. I will say that I have tried Faulkner enough times to know that I ain't a gonna do it agin ... though I will be happy to save him for someone like Rose who is working her way through classic American authors. If not for the library we would have had to buy the copy of Anna Karenina that she is working her way through now. How would I ever have known that Uncle Tom's Cabin is one of my favorite books if not for our library having it available? We certainly can't afford to buy all the classics that we want to read.

The point about afterschool care made me think of a recent announcement here in Dallas. The Nashers are a family who I applaud for giving the public such wonderful luxuries as sculpture gardens and the like. They own Northpark mall near our house where they display many pieces from their modern art collection. They are going to donate the space and buildout for a public branch of the library to be at the mall. I thought that was a wonderful way to possibly convert nonreaders or, at the very least, people who don't remember to use the library.

It very well may be that the only thing stopping ruthless cutting of library funds in Dallas is that noble organization "Friend of the Library" and wealthy supporters such as the Nashers. If you don't know what the state is of library support in your area this is a good wake up call to check it out and send a letter to your local government about areas needing support. Your librarian will thank you ... and, as a library lover, so will I.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

I Call This Part of My Life ... Reality Check

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.”

Philo of Alexandria

This is the story of a man who made a couple of bad decisions about money and began the downward slide toward poverty. His wife leaves him, he and his small son become homeless, and one would expect this to be a very depressing tale indeed. However, Chris Gardner, portrayed by Will Smith in a fine and understated display of excellent acting, refuses to quit trying to better himself and his situation. As a result this story is filled with hope, determination, and a wonderful message about what really matters in life.

This movie is full of contrasts. As Gardner lives and works in privileged circles trying to earn a way out of poverty, we see the difference that five dollars can make when someone is really on that ragged edge. He reflects on this often, considering Thomas Jefferson's words in the Declaration of Independence about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (the misspelling is somewhat explained, however without satisfying me as to why it was included ... perhaps reading the book will tell me more).

What is ultimately satisfying about this story is Gardner's character. He doesn't whine, complain, or blame anyone else for his misfortune. He is underappreciated in many instances, yet uncomplainingly shoulders his responsibilities and soldiers onward through frustration and setbacks in the best way that he can.

I would like to give concrete examples yet hesitate to do so as I don't want to reveal too much of the movie. Perhaps most telling were our reactions. Rose came out of it saying that she was thankful she had a home to live in. I came out feeling how truly rich our family is. Our entire family came out of it feeling uplifted and thankful to have seen the movie. Highly recommended.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

What is a Happy New Year for Christians?

But, what do most people mean by Happy New Year? Doubtless they mean a year free from illness, pain, trouble or worry; that instead, everyone may smile on you, that you flourish, that you make plenty of money, that the taxman doesn't get you, that you get a rise in salary, that prices fall, and that the news is good every morning. In short, that nothing unpleasant may happen to you. (G. Chevrot, Eigth Beatitudes).

It is good to wish these material good things for ourselves and others so long as they do not make us veer away from our final goal. The new year will being us our share of happiness and our share of trouble, and we don't know how much of each. A good year for a Christian is one in which both joys and sorrows have helped him to love God a little more. It is not a year that comes, supposing it were possible, full of natural happiness that leaves God to one side. A good year is one in which we have served God and our neighbour better, even if, on the human plane, it has been a complete disaster. for example, a good year could be one in which we are attacked by a serious illness that has been latent and unsuspected for many years, provided we know how to use it for our sanctification and that of those close to us.

... Let us resolve to convert our defeats into victories, each time turning to God and starting once again.

And, finally, let us ask Our Lady for the grace to live during this new year with a fighting spirit, as if it were the last that God was going to give us.

In Conversation With God Vol 1: Advent and Christmastide

I know I said I wouldn't post again until tomorrow but this hit me right between the eyes and I couldn't get it out of my head, so I thought I'd share it.

A good year for a Christian is one in which both joys and sorrows have helped him to love God a little more. Obviously this is a no-brainer but sometimes I have to see things put together just the right way to have it sink in. We can't avoid the bad or good. Each is coming our way in the coming year. Indeed. Either can bring us closer to God or take us further away from Him depending on how we approach it. That just make it more imperative that I thank God for helping me through both. And to give me that fighting spirit.

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God

Image from Chant Art

All the feasts of Our Lady are great events, because they are opportunities the church gives us to show with deeds that we love Mary. But if I had to choose one from among all her feasts, I would choose today's, the feast of the Divine Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin ...

When the Blessed Virgin said Yes, freely, to the plans revealed to her by the Creator, the divine Word assumed a human nature, with a rational soul and a body, formed in the most pure womb of Mary. The divine nature and the human were united in a single Person: Jesus Christ, true God and, thenceforth, true man: the only-begotten and Eternal Son of the Father and, from that moment on, as Man, the true son of Mary. This is why Our Lady is the Mother of the Incarnate Word, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, who has united our human nature to himself forever, without any confusion of the two natures. The greatest praise we can give to the Blessed Virgin is to address her loud and clear by the name that expresses her highest dignity: Mother of God.

St. Josemaria Escriva, Friends of God

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

Coincidences: "Just for you!"

One could argue that these things were coincidences, that I ended up working with Chance and becoming friends with Henry Van Dyke's descendant because we are drawn to people with whom we share something. But I think it's more than that. I think these are examples of the ways that God delivers joy -- in new life, in new relationships, in pairings that seem unlikely, in circumstances that seem impossible. Part of the delight comes from recognizing the planning as well as the Planner. Like someone at a surprise party thrown in his or her honor, we're tempted to say, "For me?" The resounding response from heaven is always "Yes, my child! Just for you!"

The Rosary: A Path into Prayer by Liz Kelly

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity

The Haul

Let me just start with the fact that I loved each and every gift I received. But here are a few of the coolest ...

We were given a 3-month Netflix subscription and should have our first three movies by today or tomorrow. We begin with a nicely eclectic mixture of Superman Returns (Rose's choice), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Hannah's choice), and I Have Seen It (my choice, an Indian Bollywood-ish version of Sense and Sensibility). These will go far toward making our regular New Year's Eve movie and game fest interesting.

The download of John Cleese reading The Screwtape Letters. I haven't had a chance to listen to much yet but Cleese so far is sardonically perfect in his delivery.

This collection, Sugar Hill Records: A Retrospective, was given to Tom. Lucky us because it features an impressive range of artists. If you like bluegrass at all, consider getting this collection.

We also got some great dvds ... Love Actually, Rio Bravo, Monsoon Wedding, The Simpsons - The Complete Ninth Season, and Monty Python's Flying Circus: Set 2, Episodes 7-13.

Yep. Good times ...

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity