Around the House: Wolfmen, Mousetraps, Brisket, and Mud

Clap for the Wolfman
Taking Rose's advice from her summer watching, we watched a movie I never would have thought of in zillion years (yes, zillion), Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. I believe her actual words were "laugh riot." While we did not find this a laugh riot, it was moderately amusing in that the plot hung together in a very coherent fashion. As well, we were bemused though out by the fact that main roles were held and well played by Lon Chaney as the Wolfman and Bela Lugosi as Dracula. Really. Unexpected and amusing in its own way for those qualities.

Mousetraps: They're Not Just for Mice Any More
Thank goodness that Tom remembered the strategy we took to break our previous Boxer, Daffy, from treating our furniture as her own to bound upon at will. Set many mousetraps to snap, turn them upside down, gingerly put sheets of newspaper (or in our case, an actual sheet) over them so as to leave them set. Wait just a little while out of the room for the robust snap of one or two and watch Zoe racing, ears back, tail tucked, out of the room. It is a very satisfying exercise. Especially if you arise, as we did on Sunday, to find that in the middle of the night your two young boxers were mud wrestling in the night and then playing leapfrog all over the couch in your back room. While grabbing your new pillows (the ones that say dry-clean only) and tossing them with zest and glee around the room.

By the way, emboldened by advice read long ago in Home Comforts, I took the pillow covers off and washed them on the "Hand Washables" setting, then dried them on the "Air Fluff" setting and they were as good as new ... and did not shrink, despite the fact that they were 100% cotton from India. Another quite satisfying exercise, I must say.

It's Raining. It's Pouring.
So a Beyond Cana pool party for those who had just attended the last retreat was move to the church's St. Ann's Hall which mercifully was not booked that evening. A miracle, let us note. I only bring this up because a good time was had by all, as far as I could see. Certainly Tom and I had a good time.

Let me just say this ... you may think that smoking a 15 pound brisket will feed 50 people, many of whom are teeny-tiny kids. Not so. I hang my head with shame for not checking out a few references on this point. Thank goodness there were tons of tasty side dishes and desserts. Next time I am doing two briskets. I will share the recipe later as it is hands-down the easiest and best tasting one I've done at home. No smoker required and only one hour of attendance over a grill. Yep. That's the element that made many of the guys' eyes light up with interest.

Mud. Lots and Lots of Mud.
It has been raining here for three days straight, going on four. I actually don't mind the rain, once I remember to reset to "can I beat the challenge?" reality show style mentality.

However, with a side garden bed in the back (unplanted because that's the way I roll ... non-gardening style) and the aforementioned two young boxers, I feel as if we now have a fine patina of North Texas mud on every surface.

You think I'm kidding.

I'm not.

The absolute worst moment came during the last hour of the Cowboys' game yesterday, when Wash came trotting in, flung himself at my feet and then yawned and licked his nose ... with a tongue of pure gray. Pure. Gray. Not a fleck of flesh showing through because evidently he'd been eating the stuff.

Four paws coated in mud up to the ankles.

This from the dog who we are trying to break of using the dry part of the patio as his own personal outhouse because he doesn't like to get his paws wet when it rains.

Aaaargh.

He was compliant but curious during the subsequent dragging outside to have his feet wiped down ("not the web between my toes, noooooo ...") right afterward.

A Good, Informative Source for Influenza and Swine Flu Info

I'm a fan of The House Call Doctor from the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.

He did two very informative episodes about the flu which you can either listen to or read. Here are the links:

• What is Influenza?
  
• What You Need to Know About Swine Flu

Hannah and Rose ... if your schools offer swine flu shots at any time, take them up on it. That flu affects people in their 20s much more than the average flu.

Me? I've been getting flu shots regularly ever since Hannah began daycare (yes, that long ago) and Tom and I endured a winter of complete torture suffering from one horrible illness after another. Our doctor recommended flu shots and we've never looked back. I'm going in to get mine next week (which is for the regular flu ... thanks to Terri for reminding me to mention that ... news reports say that the swine flu shots are still being tested, with recent determinations that adults will only need one shot.).

From Aural Delight to Writen Word: StarShipSofa Stories Volume 1

Some of you may recall me mentioning how much I love the StarShipSofa podcast. (If you listen to the podcast I know you are thinking, "Lord, have mercy! Again?")

It began life as two pals talking about science fiction authors they enjoyed. One pal had to move on, but Tony stuck with it. By being open to the opportunities of the moment, he has created a most unusual and delightful podcast.

Essentially the Sofa is a science fiction magazine. Aurally delivered. Each episode has a major story by a modern science fiction author, usually some flash fiction (very short story), some poetry (yes, science fiction poems do exist), an editorial by "my good self" as Tony always says, and some nonfiction commentary. The nonfiction ranges from a scientist (who is also a fantastic fiction narrator and has his own podcast, Uvula Audio), an English teacher with some wonderfully insightful pieces into genres and authors, a film reviewer, a book reviewer, and various other assorted features as they come along. I, myself, have been privileged to narrate some fiction and poetry for the Sofa.

In the next evolutionary step, Tony tells us that they are going to the written word with some of the Sofa's stories. I can see from the TOC that this features some of my favorites (Tideline, The Sledge Maker's Daughter) and some of science fiction's cutting edge authors. I'm thinkin' Christmas gift time here, people. If you know a SF lover, this is a fantastic collection.

Tony sent along a nicely worded press release, but I prefer his more informal style (as always, luv) so I just edited his email. The website is not yet up but you can always drop by StarShipSofa and they'll have the link soon.

Well you might know or you might not but StarShipSofa's Aural Delights is 100 shows old in a couple of weeks and to celebrate StarShipSofa is doing something quite unique - she is putting out her very own book: StarShipSofa Stories Volume 1. This will be a PoD dead-tree type and there will also be a free PDF download. There will be a new website and art commissioned by Skeet. It's all a jolly time over here at StarShipSofa HQ but I'd love some help in promoting this adventure.

I'm hoping you can post info on your blogs or pass on any news that might help StarShipSofa get her shinny new book out and about. All authors have kindly donated their stories to the Sofa in the hope it will raise funds to keep StarShipSofa going for many years to come.

StarShipSofa Stories Volume 1
1. "Into The Blank Where Life Is Hurled" by Ken Scholes
2. "London Bone" by Michael Moorcock
3. "The Second Coming Of Jasmine Fitzgerald" by Peter Watts
4. "Lest Young and The Jupiter's Moons' Blues" by Gord Sellar
5. "Vampire Kiss" by Gene Wolfe
6. "Vinegar Peace (or The Wrong-Way Used-Adult Orphanage)" by Michael Bishop
7. "Godzilla's 12 Step Program" by Joe R Lansdale
8. "Jesus Christ, Reanimator" by Ken MacLeod
9. "The Sledge-Maker's Daughter" by Alastair Reynolds
10. "Mars: A Travelers Guide" by Ruth Nestvold
11. "The Empire of Ice Cream" by Jeffrey Ford
12. "The Ant King: A California Fairytale" by Benjamin Rosebaum
13. "In The Olden Days" by Spider Robinson
14. "Tideline" by Elizabeth Bear

Remembering the tragic, sudden, and violent loss of 2,996 innocent Americans

I turn on the TV and watch as the plane slowly flies into the Tower.
Hail Mary, full of grace
My daughter wanders downstairs, shoes in hand,
Turns to look at what has me transfixed on a weekday morning.
The Lord is with thee.
"Where is that, Mommy?" she asks.
Blessed are you among women
"New York," I answer. She nods. The name is familiar,
Like Venus,
Like Mars
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
"Do we know anyone there?" Her eyes are blue and full of innocent concern.
Jesus.
"No," I answer, thinking of friends, family, business associates, safe here.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
She has seen the green glass tower where I work,
Tucked amongst taller builders.
Pray for us sinners
But a skyscraper in one city looks much like one in the next.
Now
"Where's the tallest building in the United States?"
And at the hour of our death.
"Chicago."
Amen.
My daughter looks relieved.

Written by March Hare, copied to my quote journal

Looking over my previous posts about September 11, which seem to grow like mushrooms as I add links, I see that last year I said:

I see that the year before last, I got an email last week mentioning that a deadline was September 11. Maybe it's silly but seeing that date attached to a deadline shocked me. No reason not to have it be a deadline but it seemed ... somehow ... irreverent to have the usual business of the day on that date.

Today I realized there was something more shocking. In the press of my unusually busy life lately, I completely forgot September 11 myself. I don't think that I had reason to look at a calendar beyond any particular day but in the past I would have seen the 8th, the 9th, the 10th as they came and have been bracing myself mentally for that fateful 11th memorial date. Not this year. I was completely startled when the front page of the newspaper reminded me of the larger meaning behind this date.

It is that which made me linger especially over last year's post, remembering it all.

I would say that if there is one thing I would recommend from that post it is reading Heather Ordover's memory of surviving that holocaust. I know her as personally as one can via frequent emails and listening to her wonderful podcast, CraftLit. She does not dwell on those memories but they are never far away as she struggles regularly with respiratory problems that resulted from breathing ashes during her ordeal.

Obviously my forgetfulness means I was not part of this year's Project 2,996 but many were not so forgetful (and I have signed up for reminders to be sent).

Heather has a lovely memorial for a victim

The Anchoress has a thoughtful meditation about eight years afterward.

Deacon Greg has a prayer from Archbishop Foley.

First Things features a remembrance from a young man whose first day at work in downtown Manhattan was on that fateful day.

Maureen has a prayer for the dead.

March Hare (author of the piece at the beginning of this post) has a memorial for one of the victims.

Whispers in the Loggia has Pope Benedict's prayer from Ground Zero.

Catholic Mom gives us the military wife perspective and also looks at private memory versus history lesson.

Update
Links added above as I come across them.

Also, I was searching in vain for my post when I did participate in Project 2,996. I remembered so many details about that fireman but none of them yielded his name (or the post) to my search. I cannot thank his cousin enough for speaking up with his name in the comments here. I now can honor again Captain Daniel O'Callaghan. I have tagged his post so he will not be "lost" in my archives again.

Thumping My Cane Like a Good Curmudgeon Should ...

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 will effectively phase out incandescent light bulbs by 2012-2014 in favor of compact fluorescent lamps, or CFLs. Other countries around the world have passed similar legislation to ban most incandescents.

Will some energy be saved? Probably. The problem is this benefit will be more than offset by rampant dissatisfaction with lighting. We are not talking about giving up a small luxury for the greater good. We are talking about compromising light. Light is fundamental. And light is obviously for people, not buildings. The primary objective in the design of any space is to make it comfortable and habitable. This is most critical in homes, where this law will impact our lives the most. And yet while energy conservation, a worthy cause, has strong advocacy in public policy, good lighting has very little.

Save the Lightbulb! (WSJ)

As someone whose husband has long been enamored with the concept of fluorescent lighting for saving money and hopeful that the industry's promises of "now we're just like regular lightbulbs" are true ... I can tell ya, it just ain't so. He has finally managed to find a coloring that I can stand but those fluorescent lights just don't give off the good light that a regular light bulb does. Period.

He has tried in vain to find a fluorescent light manufacturer who is brave enough to give a number for their light a la the normal bulbs. No. Hiding behind such euphemisms as "cool white," they refuse to do so. We know this is because such a thing would expose the lie behind which they hide.

I can't even tell you how horrified I was when we stayed in a Holiday Inn Express recently. Normally a reliable favorite in innkeeping, our Holiday Inn room was lit by fluorescent bulbs that gave it a creepy "haunted house" feel. Definitely offputting. I can take the "green friendly" tags in each room asking us to reuse towels which are du rigeur in these "correct" times. Must I travel with my own bulbs now?

(Can you tell I've been rereading The Grand Sophy lately? Nothing like a little Georgette Heyer to raise the spirits with her intelligent, humorous writing, I must say. Even when it's pure drama.)

However to return to the main thread of my conversation. Tom has been keeping an eye on the geek blogs, hopefully scanning for the bold manufacturer who will market LED lights in this country. Even for an unreasonable price, much less a reasonable one, which I feel would happen once the government bears down with its big, light-hating thumb on the helpless citizenry. Alas. No such savior has yet arisen.

At this point, I am seriously considering stockpiling light bulbs.

Here is where it is a problem to read so many old books. I look at how the government was content to govern within their own baliwick and stay out of people's business to a large extent. (Yes, I know many excellent safeguards are instituted by modern government ... blah, blah, blah ... but they have overstepped their bounds when they step upon my light bulbs, sirrah!)

Harumph!

Honoring Veterans

But his most heartfelt weekend activity took place elsewhere, out of sight of Washington politicos and devoid of any potential for gain or notoriety. It came under a brilliant Saturday-morning sun, when the former Republican presidential candidate, now a bit more frail than most Americans recall him, stepped out of a car and strode to the National World War II Memorial to greet, one by one, 108 fellow World War II veterans who had been flown to Washington from South Carolina to see the monument built in their honor.

To these veterans, 29 of them in wheelchairs and several toting oxygen tanks, Mr. Dole was like a rock star. They gathered around to shake hands, to have their pictures taken with him, to crack a joke about their ages. ...

This is a scene that Mr. Dole quietly repeats week after week. A grass-roots organization, the Honor Flight Network, has sprung up with the sole purpose of flying World War II veterans to Washington so they have a chance, in the autumn of their lives, to see the memorial built to mark The Good War in which they fought.

I was so pleased to see this story on page two of the WSJ this morning. I loved reading about Dole and the veterans having that time together.

Then I did a double take while reading it. Honor Flight is a website that our little company built to the designer's specs while simultaneously adapting to Honor Flight's additions (such as registration data bases and the like). As happens with most websites, of course.

Our time is donated, like that of most people involved with the project, but it was still nice to think that we had a very small part in that story.

My Defining Post

As we may recall, prompted by Jen at Conversion Diary, I put this question out there. Not too many people answered, however I found it interesting to see the variety of directions in which their thoughts ran.

There are the features are regulars around here:

• Worth a Thousand Words where there is fine art displayed on weekdays.
• A quote from one of my quote journals (yes "journals" ... I have four of them at present), falling into one of three categories: Well Said, Lagniappe (a little something extra and frivolous), and A Word From Our Sponsor. Also a weekday feature.
• Blogging Around, an occasional feature that generally appears weekly or so. Links to different stories in the blogosphere that are too good to leave to my Google Reader links in the sidebar.
• Weekend Joke
  
• First Friday Fast to End Abortion

For others, there are specific issues that came to mind:

• My Conversion Story
• A series I wrote (unintentionally ... I didn't intend it to become a series) about our dissatisfaction with the local newspaper and switching to the Wall Street Journal:
• Goodbye Dallas Morning News. Make Room for the Wall Street Journal
• Update on Our Move from the Dallas Morning News to the Wall Street Journal
• All the News That's Fit to Print ... And Punny Headlines Too

What comes to my mind is something I wrote waaaay back in August 2004. I have written other posts since then that combine my faith and my life, of course. However, for me this is a defining post:

• A Really Good Prayer
  I use this constantly, by the way, and if you're not familiar with it I encourage you to go read it. It really will help change your life for the better.

Catholic Funerals

There has been a lot of talk back and forth between those who criticized Ted Kennedy's funeral and those defending it. Up to and including Cardinal O'Malley who had it mostly right. Mostly. He also had it wrong. In which case, he practically handed detractors an argument with both hands. As we shall see.

I will just also mention here that I am not siding with those uncharitable people complaining that Kennedy didn't deserve a Catholic funeral and certainly I was appalled that the Vatican released Kennedy's letter to the pope. I stand corrected (this is how very little attention I pay to most political things actually), turns out it was Kennedy's family that released the letter ... so that is par for the course on the publicity trail, I think. In that case, I am appalled that his family shared something that I believe should have remained secret. (So I think that is a round robin of disapproval ... yes, I think I probably have annoyed everybody possible now ...)

In all that, I have not seen anyone take it back to basics. Catholic basics, that is. There are a couple of issues when heated debates arise and I always wonder why no one knows what the Catechism says. They simply argue.

Celebrity Catholic funerals like this are such an issue, especially in these polarized days. So let me mention here that the Catechism has it all spelled out.

1688 The liturgy of the Word during funerals demands very careful preparation because the assembly present for the funeral may include some faithful who rarely attend the liturgy, and friends of the deceased who are not Christians. The homily in particular must "avoid the literary genre of funeral eulogy" and illumine the mystery of Christian death in the light of the risen Christ.

Notice the specific mention of avoiding a eulogy? That's where Cardinal O'Malley got it wrong. He allowed the funeral to be derailed from the lines that the Catechism outlines by allowing eulogies. And we see where that got him and everyone.

Again, turning to the Catechism:

1689 The Eucharistic Sacrifice. When the celebration takes place in church the Eucharist is the heart of the Paschal reality of Christian death. In the Eucharist, the Church expresses her efficacious communion with the departed: offering to the Father in the Holy Spirit the sacrifice of the death and resurrection of Christ, she asks to purify his child of his sins and their consequences, and to admit him to the Paschal fullness of the table of the Kingdom. It is by the Eucharist thus celebrated that the community of the faithful, especially the family of the deceased, learn to live in communion with the one who "has fallen asleep in the Lord," by communicating in the Body of Christ of which he is a living member and, then, by praying for him and with him.

The time for eulogies and stories about the deceased is the wake and afterward with the "funeral baked meats." These were the lines along which my father-in-law's funeral proceeded. It allowed for plenty of time to appreciate him as family and friends, but also to have at the center that forced concentration on much larger issues of life and death. I had never been to a Catholic funeral before and was truly amazed at the wisdom of the entire traditional process ... the viewing of the body (he's really not here, that truly is just his body), the rosary, the life-affirming and joyful wake with stories and jokes, the solid center of the mass, the meal afterward with a turning toward everyday life mingled with sadness and stories. So perfect. It was, in a very real sense, my first look as an insider at the truth contained in tradition and Tradition.

I did not know at the time that in following the "old fashioned" funeral traditions, my mother-in-law was simply living out what is prescribed: "the Roman liturgy gives three types of funeral celebrations, corresponding to the three places in which they are conducted (the home, the church, and the cemetery), and according to the importance attached to them by the family, local customs, the culture, and popular piety." However, once I did read that section, I began realizing the practicality of the Catechism in regular life.

I would encourage anyone to go read the funeral section, via the links above.

Also ...
The Curt Jester has some interesting thoughts prompted by Ted Kennedy's funeral and the response from both sides.

From my in-box ...

... and for some of you, I'm very, very, very (VERY) sorry that your emails have languished so long. However, as always, better late than never, so here we go ...

Rosary.com - The Catholic Company saw this domain come up for sale and stepped out on faith to buy it so that there wasn't the chance of it being misused by anyone. Of course, they also got a nifty domain for selling rosaries. Not content with that, they also have a great resource center of articles about praying the rosary.

Aggie vocations: a good Catholic program is known by the fruit and St. Mary's at Texas A&M has it by the bushel basket: *Current Aggie priests/permanent religious = 128 *Current Aggies in seminary / religious formation = 42 ... and that's not all.

Ancient Christian Faith Initiative: remember when I wrote about it? (Sure you do...) I have heard some samples ... and it sounds really wonderful. Any program about the church fathers that Mike Aquilina recommends is sure to be good. Check it out.

The Inverted World of Grace: a really inspirational story sent to my by expat (thanks!).

Fifteenth Mexican state protects unborn by changing its constitution: WOOHOO! Mexico Bob knew I'd be interested in this ... and I was. "The Queretaro State Congress in Mexico reformed its constitution Tuesday with a 21-0 vote guaranteeing protection for human life from conception to natural death. The decision makes it the fifteenth Mexican state to enact such legislation." Go read it all.

British Actors Line Up for Movie About Opus Dei: There are some top notch actors and other film people connected with this. Looks interesting! Thanks to Mark at Soul Food Cinema for this one.

Tabernacle Stolen: read about it at Aggie Catholic and pray.

Coffee Cake ... to go with my Coffee Buttercream, says The Anchoress who alerted me to the Pioneer Woman's recipe for a cake loaded with coffee. Looks goooood! Though, being a contrarian, I'd have to pair it with a Chocolate Buttercream.

Coffee Buttercream Frosting

Mmmmm ... just right to go with Chocolate Buttermilk Cake. Pick it up at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

It's All Downhill from Here

A timely advertisement from Dr. Boli's Celebrated Magazine. Click the ad to enlarge.

No Prayer Request is Too Large, No Prayer Request is Too Small ...

... all of them are going, going, gone ... straight from our hearts to the Lord's (ummm) ears (?).

Anyway, you get the point.

Got an email apologizing for not having a really serious problem but wanting a prayer. Nooooo, never apologize for wanting prayers. Sometimes the things I have to pray about the most are quite small.

What's that saying?

Work as if it all depends on you and pray as if it all depends on God.

Or words to that effect. And that means a lot of prayer over all things great and small.

From my noon reading ...

I am rereading, slowly, the best book I have ever read about confession, Prayer and Pardon: A Sinner's Guide to Confession by Fr. Francis Randolph. This went straight to my heart and perhaps your heart needs it also today.

It is the love of God that makes the sacrament of confession possible. More than anything else, that is what I want you to remember out of this book: that God loves us already and is on our side in the struggle to reflect that love, to accept it, to pass it on to others. The heart of the Christian gospel is the message that God was born as one of us and that his name shall be called "Emmanuel", which means "God is with us."

From the Top of the Stack

A little something that struck me from my current reading, Render Unto Caesar by Charles Chaput.

The church engages the world in two ways: through the life of each individual believer and through the common action of believers working together. Every Christian life, and every choice in every Christian life, matters. There's no special headquarters staff that handles the action side of the Gospel. That task belongs to all of us. Baptism, for Catholics, does not simply wash away sin. It also incorporates the baptized person into a new life; and part of that new life is a mandate to act; to be God's agent in the world. Laypeople, clergy, and religious all have different tasks within the community of faith. Everybody, however, shares the basic mission: bringing Jesus Christ to the world, and the world to Jesus Christ.

Laypeople have the special task of evangelizing the secular world. And this makes sense. Most Catholics--the vast majority--are laypeople. They have jobs, friends, and families. They can witness Jesus Christ on a daily basis, silently or out loud, directly or indirectly by their words and actions. If we look for opportunities to share our faith with others, God always provides them. This is why self-described Catholics who live so anonymously that no one knows about their faith, Catholics who fail to prove by their actions what they claim to believe with their tongue, aren't really living as "Catholics" at all.

It's also why asking Catholics to keep their faith out of public affairs amounts to telling them to be barren; to behave as if they were neutered. Nothing could be more alien to the meaning of baptism. The Christian idea of witness, which comes from the Greek word martyr, isn't limited to a bloody death in the arena for the faith. All Christians have the command to be a martyr in the public arena-to live a life of conscious witness wherever God places them, no matter how insignificant it seems and whether or not they ever see the results.

I am privileged to see this sort of Catholic witness every six months, although this is at a time when my Beyond Cana retreat team friends are stepping out of their daily lives. They willingly and gladly step up and make heroic sacrifices to serve married couples in our parish. Most have little ones and must arrange babysitting for an entire weekend. When they return home, they are plunged right back into the thick of daily life with no time for rest. Couples with babies as young as 1 month old have sacrificed mightily in order to give a talk or serve even a greater role ... not because they lightly offered, but because there was no one else to step in, because the need was great and they could help.

Tom and I were called to this ministry at a convenient time with our children in high school and now in college. We do not have to give what these couples give. However, we see it as a moment when we can witness a microcosm of what the Church does in the lives of others each and every day ... through the lives of laypeople.

Ominous Music Heard Throughout U.S. Sends Nation into Panic

Ominous Music Heard Throughout U.S. Sends Nation Into Panic

Trust The Onion to come up with something so funny. Via The Anchoress.

Summing up the "donnybrook" over Kennedy's passing ...

... which Tom and I observed with prayers for his soul, but otherwise complete indifference. So much for "a nation in mourning."

However, in other places the blogosphere was reeling from punches exchanged right and left by various Catholics. The Anchoress sums up in her inimitable way, while turning the focus back where it belongs ... on ourselves.

And we should perhaps consider what our acceptance of a preferred, easier-to-take narrative concerning a dreadful summer night in Massachusetts has wrought forty years on; we are now a society comfortable with relativistic “truthiness.” Something may be true, simply because one wishes it to be.

How culpable are we for that? How much damage did we do to Kennedy, and to ourselves, by indulging and enabling his reckless behavior, because we loved his familial myth?

A good piece (as all hers are) and one that should be read by anyone who wonders why politicians do what they do ... and who should also consider our culpability. That includes everyone, I think, including Tom and me.

The Butterfly Circus: Interesting, Original, Unusual, and Full of Hope

At the height of the Great Depression, the showman of a renowned circus leads his troupe through the devastated American landscape, lifting the spirits of audiences along the way. During their travels they discover a man without limbs at a carnival sideshow, but after an intriguing encounter with the showman he becomes driven to hope against everything he has ever believed. Starring Eduardo Verástegui (Bella), Doug Jones (Pan's Labyrinth, Fantastic Four) and featuring the debut performance of Nick Vujicic.

About 20 minutes long and well worth the time.

Catholic Media Review where I saw this mentioned, says it is up for only one day so don't delay.

What's my defining post?

That's the question raised by Jen at Conversion Diary. Sheez. That gal is great at coming up with interesting questions. She has her answer and for the rest of us to join in, is holding an impromptu carnival to see what everyone feels their own defining posts are.

I'll be thinking about this, but frankly I feel I am so all over the place with posts that I really am not sure. I mean do I go with something like the post I wrote about forgiveness, the post where I first 'fessed up I was married in a nightgown (not the one with the photo and story ... the prequel to that), or the first movie I want to see in heaven? There must be something in between that is more defining.

If anyone has suggestions, maybe something that just springs to mind, I'll be more than happy to hear them.

Back to Movie Watching ... With a Vengeance

It occurs to me that the three movies we watched this week all had an element of, shall we say, forcefulness that was unintentional. C'est la vie ...

• Chinatown
  The classic neo-noir movie starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, featuring a host of "hey, it's that guy!" character actors. Rose loved this movie so much that she continually asked if I'd seen it yet. Well, now I can say yes and, sadly, tell her how unimpressed we both were. The look was great, the actors were great ... but where was the dialogue? Out for a nap, evidently. Accompanied by the plot, which I found less than impressive as well. My grade: B-/C+


• Gran Torino
  I basically knew the plot of an aging Korean war veteran, Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood), whose neighborhood has changed drastically as it filled with Hmong immigrants and now edges on ghetto. I was ready for the racist talk, the helping the picked-on kid next door to learn what it means to be a real man, the look at how America has changed. What I was completely unprepared for was the much larger lesson underlying the entire movie. I appreciated those who didn't spoil my discovery by spelling out more, so I also will leave that unrevealed. This is going into my Top 20 Movies list ... although I'm not sure what I'm going to kick out to make room. My grade: A+


• JCVD
  Here's what I knew about the movie. Jean-Claude Van Damme plays himself in a self-aware role. I liked that idea. More about the plot:
  

  Jean-Claude Van Damme is an aging action star going through a bitter divorce and custody battle. He needs money to pay his lawyers, and new roles are not exactly rolling in by the pile. With few doors left open in Hollywood, Van Damme opts to return to Brussels, his roots, in order to clear his head and maybe find a renewed career in the international market. Upon arriving in Brussels Van Damme travels to the local post-office to pick up the funds he needs to pay his lawyer, only to stumble into a robbery attempt that quickly turns into a hostage situation. Through a combination of bad luck and public (mis)perception, Van Damme gets fingered for the crime-in-progress; his face gets splashed all over the news, and even while cops surround the post-office, a larger crowd of fans begins to gather outside the post office in support of their hometown legend. (Screen Rant)

  Here's what I didn't know about the movie. We expected it to be played much more lightly, a la My Name is Bruce (haven't seen it, only read about it) where actor Bruce Campbell is called upon for help by a town who mistakenly thinks his movie powers apply to real life also. That movie was played very lightly as I understood it.
  
  We didn't expect to see an art house quality movie where Van Damme breaks the 4th wall repeatedly. A fairly simple story, it showcased Van Damme's acting abilities which were surprisingly good. As well, we know all the jokes about Van Damme's career. So, it seems, does he and these are used in a very effective spot where we see him factually assessing his life and career, for the good, the bad, and the ugly. I'm not sure if we liked it so much because it was so completely something we didn't expect or if it was just that good. At any rate, my grade: B.
  

May God, who has begun this good work in you, now bring it to fulfillment

Via Deacon Greg. And, yes, I cried.

UPDATE
The Anchoress didn't cry but instead had some very uplifting thoughts which she shared with us. Go and read.