The Con is On ... Again ...

My review of Red Glove, book 2 in the series that began with White Cat, is up at SFFaudio.

Vi sørger med deg, Norge. (We grieve with thee, Norway.)

Kan dine barn hvile i fred. (May thy children rest in peace.)*

One of the problems with getting practically all your news from a printed newspaper and with not reading blogs (or at least many of them) over the weekend, is that the television, the blogosphere, and all that other new media move so fast past any big news story.

I was horrified to read about the massacres in Norway.

As *Maureen says so well, we grieve with you and pray for you.

Weekend Joke

Ok, I know it is the wrong time of year for this, but I just couldn't help it. You've got to have this joke!

I was driving down a lonely country road one cold winter day when it began to sleet pretty heavily. My windows were getting icy and my wiper blades were badly worn and quickly fell apart under the strain.

Unable to drive any further because of the ice building up on my front window I suddenly had a great idea. I stopped and began to overturn large rocks until I located two very lethargic hibernating rattle snakes. I grabbed them up, straightened them out flat and installed them on my blades and they worked just fine.

What! You've never heard of . . . wind chilled vipers?

Audio: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, narrated by Jim Dale

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

My rating: 5 of 5 stars




Everyone knows this story.

I read this aloud to the girls, long ago, when it first came out. In fact, it was handy having the series coming out as it did. We read along with each book. Harry's world got more complex as he grew older and the girls grew older just at the right time to enjoy each one. We must have read at least the first three or four books in the series that way. Then we'd get the new one and pass it around, reading at break-neck speed and steadfastly refusing to discuss it until the last person had finished.

With the last movie coming out, I began thinking about rereading the books but already have too much reading on my plate. So I got the audio for the first book from the library.

What a treat!

Jim Dale is such an accomplished narrator that the book is taking on new life. Not only am I rediscovering what a wonderful book it is, but his voicing of the characters is giving each of them new depth and life as well.

That is what the really good audiobooks do, though, is make a book into a new experience. It also becomes more immediate, more personal, if you will. (I discovered that listening to East of Eden, when I had to switch to the regular printed book in order to distance myself from the bad people Steinbeck was writing about.)


My Goodreads reviews. For my older reviews, see the Books page on this blog.

Snapshot: I got into Google+ ...

... it echoes in there.

It's strange to be a place that is essentially Facebook but with so few people.

Kind of nice though. Like just having moved into a house, before you get all the furniture.

And the "circles" idea is good. Though I haven't done much with any of it yet.

Not that I do much with Facebook either, though.

The Good Wife: great summer TV

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My interview on Christopher Closeup ...

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

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

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

The podcast is now online at The Christophers.

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

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

Potatoes, Basil, and Creativity

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

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

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


Read the rest at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

John Carter of Mars Trailer

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

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

Via Scott at Rivets and Trees.

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Driveby Review: Two Brainless Movies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Avoid this one.

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

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

And then the ground began to shake violently.

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

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

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

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

Weekend Joke:

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

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

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

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

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

Luckily, the bears were still there.

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

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

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

This 'N' That on the HC Homestead

An Arborist in the Family

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

Last Car Payment!

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

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

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

Flocks of Parrots Flying By

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

Blogging Around: Why So Serious?

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

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

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

Read it at First Known When Lost.

Heresy is Rare and Everywhere

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

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

Even Our Sissypants Wonk Patsies are Hardcore

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

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

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

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

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

Seven with John Desjarlais

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

Playing for Bob Dylan, Christina Aguilera, and God

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

In China, "It's a War"

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

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

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

Shaun the Sheep: the Hedge Maze

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

Snapshot: Tank the Boxer

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

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

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

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

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

What a good dog.

A good, good dog.

Snapshot: East of Eden

East of Eden by John Steinbeck




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


How ironic.

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

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

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

What Do You Think of Georgette Heyer?

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

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

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

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

Honestly, I could have named ten others.

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

Snapshot: An Old-Style Way to Spend the Time

I have a friend coming over this afternoon.

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

She's coming over just so we can chat.

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

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

Then it came to me.

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

None, really.