Deadly Thinking

Clown: Good madonna, why mournest thou?

OLIVIA: Good fool, for my brother's death.

Clown: I think his soul is in hell, madonna.

OLIVIA: I know his soul is in heaven, fool.

Clown: The more fool, madonna, to mourn for your brother's soul being in heaven. Take away the fool, gentlemen.
~ William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, I.V

What happens to us when we die? As a Catholic (heck, as a believer in one God), I know there is an afterlife: Heaven or Hell, depending on how one’s life is lived. Some believe in reincarnation, that the soul comes back after death in another body, the body determined by how the soul lived in its previous life. Whatever the religion, most believe that what we do in this life affects what happens to us after we die. Our choices and our actions steer us in a specific direction, as regards our souls after our deaths. In fact, those that don’t follow a religion in the strict sense seem to be the only ones who deny any sort of afterlife.

Doing good deeds gains you eternal life, or a better reincarnation, or some sort of blessing. Doing evil deeds pushes you away from the ultimate goal of salvation. This is the given.

Let us look at two public figures who have led rather different lives, one pushing good, and the other pursuing evil. Normally it is hard to actually compare such figures, because the two subjects might not have the same background or understanding of what is good and what is evil. A man raised in Communist China might have a different understanding of good and evil compared to a man raised in Belgium. This, however, is not the case with our current comparison. The two figures not only come from the same background, same religion, etc, but are from the same family, and are in fact siblings.

I am referring to the late Eunice Kennedy Shriver and the late Edward Kennedy.

The Kennedys were raised Irish Catholic, went to the best schools money could buy (and they definitely had money, although the story behind the acquisition of that money is not for this post), and grew up into the world of politics, a world in which their father, Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., preceded them. This is the same Kennedy family that produced John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver often played a part in the political careers of her brothers and her other relatives. Like her brothers, Eunice was a Democrat. She worked with Catholic charities throughout the country, and then helped found the movement for which she is best remembered: the Special Olympics. She devoted her life to helping the helpless. She was also a great supporter of the Pro-Life movement, supporting such notable organizations as Feminists for Life, the Susan B. Anthony List, and Democrats for Life. She vocally reprimanded the exceedingly Pro-Choice slant of the Democratic Party, as shown in a letter in The New York Times urging then Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton to abandon the aggressive Democratic Pro-Choice platform.

She died as she lived, devoted to others, devoted to the faith.

Edward “Ted” Kennedy was also involved in politics. As a United States senator, Ted Kennedy had a hand in most of the political debates swirling since the 1960s. Unlike his sister Eunice, Ted Kennedy was a typical Democrat, not willing to argue against the party’s policy on abortion and other Pro-Life issues. If fact, he received grief from the Magisterium of the Church over his refusal to accept the Church’s teaching not only on abortion, but also on embryonic stem cell research and gay marriage. In a 1983 speech, Ted Kennedy said the following:

I am an American and a Catholic. I love my country and treasure my faith. But I do not assume that my conception of patriotism or policy is invariably correct, or that my convictions about religion should command any greater respect than any other faith in this pluralistic society. I believe there surely is such a thing as truth, but who among us can claim a monopoly on it?

Ted Kennedy saw the world not as a matter of right or wrong, but more of “whatever you feel like,” even with regards to something universal like truth or patriotism. This is a far cry from his sister’s position on absolute truth.

Two siblings, two very different views.

This brings us to a very interesting realization I had upon hearing of Senator Kennedy’s death. I immediately said a “Requiem Aeternam” for him, something I’ve been trying to do whenever I hear of someone’s death. Then it hit me. What if he really needs the “Requiem”? We Catholics believe that God answers prayers in ways we cannot understand, since he is outside of time. Therefore, a prayer for something of which you don’t know the result can affect what happened in the past. A “Requiem” said for someone after they died could help that person reach heaven. We don’t know the state of anyone’s soul when the person dies. What we do know is that those who have led lives of sin need the prayers just as much, maybe even more, than the prayers of those who lived a good life.

Let’s connect the dots. We cannot be sure that either Kennedy is in heaven (neither, obviously, have been declared saints). We cannot say for certain that either one is in Hell (we just can’t know that. Sorry Dante). What we can do is pray.

This uncertainty is reflected in the above quote from Twelfth Night. Why pray for a soul that is in heaven? If one prays for a deceased loved one, it is a given that the soul needs the prayer, i.e., is in heaven. We therefore pray for those who are struggling in Purgatory, for they need our prayers. For all we know, our prayers helped them land there, rather than in Hell.

Pray for all deceased Kennedys, and all who have died, especially those who need our prayers the most.

What's Goin On

It has been over a month since I posted last. You would think with all the time I have, I would be doing things like posting blog posts or something productive.

Instead I job search.

But it’s ok if I don’t get a job. I did the math. I have enough in my account to pay off loans for the next 12 months, even if I don’t get any more income during that time.

I also have enough to start graduate school. But not at some really expensive school, mind you. No, I’m gonna get my masters from the Notre Dame Graduate School. No, not the fighting Irish. I’m going to attend the Graduate School of the College, where I went for my BA. I can only get the Masters in Theology, but there is a type of theology called Systematic Theology that’s kinda like a history/theology combo. Basically, as its name suggests, it sets down the truths of the faith in a “systematic” way, that is, orderly and following upon one another. Hence the emphasis of history. The record of history shows one even happening after the other. Church History shows the beliefs of the church developed and explained in time. Studying Patristics (the Church Fathers) allows the student to see the first men to really set down the beliefs of the Church, as well as looking at them in a historical context. Remember that the great anti-heretical definitions that we take for granted in today’s Church (the Nicene Creed, for example) are the result of Churchmen reacting to heresy.

So that’s what I’m studying. If I set it up right, I can finish in two years.

Its cheap too, did I mention that? One course (not credit hour, but course) at NDGS is $975. That’s about as much as a credit hour is at a big-time university.

Tell you all what. Check out the details at the graduate school’s website. If you are curious, I’m taking courses this Fall in Patristics, Holy Spirit and Ecclesiology, and Old Testament.

Three more announcements, please, everyone sit down.

I have joined a Young Adult softball team with other Young Adults from the Archdiocese of Washington. We are H. O. T. Y. A. M (Holy is Our Team Young Adult Ministry) and we are undefeated after three games. We won our first one, tied our second, and won our third. They are epic games, real nailbiters usually. Anyone around DC on Sundays for the rest of the summer should wander around all those ball fields (where the cricket players play) and look for a game. A good time is had by all.

Those crazy movie makers at Mirandum Pictures are at it again. Another short is in the works. I’m helping again, an opportunity I could not turn down. It’s an interesting little short, and they want extras, so if you’re in Front Royal sometime between August 4 and August 15, check it out.

On a related note, I’ve put a bunch of my movies made in college on You Tube, as promised. Check them out here.

And finally, check out the latest website for the Population Research Institute. They are trying to appeal to college-aged people, attempting to spread the word that OVERPOPULATION IS A MYTH! Some people still think this is the case (aka, the people running this country), and the word has to be heard. So watch the video, look around the site, and share it with others.

That’s all I got today. If you have any questions, please see me after class.

Some lively updates

Gosh, to read this blog you would think the most exciting thing to happen in my life was another Montauk Monster body.

Don't worry, that's not the case.

The biggest news by far is that I have, as one of my college friends put it, joined the fastest growing group of Americans: The Unemployed!!! (Coming to a theater this summer). That's right, I'm out of a job. I got the whole "We can't afford to keep you here" bit. Yes, even teachers get laid off. I can't say I didn't see it coming. There were a lot of 8th graders this year. There will be less than half their number this year. It was pretty crowded teacherwise up there this year, and I had a sneaky suspicion that one of us up there would get the cut. And being the weakest and youngest of the gang, I should have been more prepared.

It just goes to show you how we really don't know God's plan for us. I won't get into the details right now (its one of those personal things), but sufficed to say, I thought I had God figured out. I had told God "Ok God. If these three things are the case, then I'll do this." Well, the three things happened, I did what I said I'd do, and. . .

God threw me a monkey wrench. Now I definitely can't do what I was thinking of doing, and I need a job.

"I won't pay, I won't pay ya, no way
(now now) Why don't you get a job
Say no way, say no way ya, no way
(now now) Why don't you get a job" - The Offspring


And so the great job hunt begins. I've contacted a bunch of schools. A few have written back and said they did not need anyone for the upcoming school year. Its like a replay of last summer. I have also applied to jobs for the government. Fun Fun Fun. I have confidence, though, because God does not abandon those who trust in him, and He is who I turn to for help.

On a related note, I have a deep desire to videotape my efforts and make it into a Monster Quest parody. It might help with the coping, but it won't help me land a job.

Speaking of Monster Quest parodies, I have completed the Mammoth Movie, an infamous film I started filming my Sophomore year of college. It was going to be epic, and the finished product is a mere shadow of the original vision. However, it is finished, and God willing I'll find an internet connection strong enough to upload it for the world to see.

I finished reading J. R. R. Tolkien's retelling of Volsunga Saga. It was very good, although It would have been hard to follow without the notes or without having read the story before for class. Thanks Germanic One!

The Germanic One is one of my professors from college. Those who know him will know he is.

UMMMMMmmmmm......

WEDDINGS!!!

Bunches of friends keep getting hitched. Many are bloggers, most are not. Either way, they keep linking together in marriage.

Maybe I'll do a marriage post.



It's not like I don't have any free time now.

Another Montauk Monster?????

You may remember back last summer I posted about a creature that washed up on the shores of a beach in Montauk, New York. I believe the post was here. Long story short, some young people found a creature washed up on the shore. They took some pictures, and soon the whole thing became an internet sensation. So much so that even I had to post on it. So much so that the cable news stations picked it up (ok, to be fair, a dog has to sneeze funny, and it makes the cable news, but still, focus people). So much so that MONSTERQUEST mentioned it in a recent episode involving the Jersey Devil. You may remember me talking about the episode. I believe it was here.

No? Do you even read this blog?

More important than that though, is that they found ANOTHER MONTAUK MONSTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At least, that is how it seems. There is video, and pictures, and, better yet, the body. That's right, the people who found this one thought ahead and have preserved the body in a cooler of ice. Hopefully someone somewhere will be willing to do the DNA tests (it turns out the other body was "stolen" before anyone could get the DNA needed for a test.

Oh, alright. Here's a picture of the thing. Pretty damn ugly, if you ask me.





It does look a lot like the monster from last year, although it does have an uncanny resemblance to the descriptions of the aliens from the CCB 2008 (look it up on YouTube, if you so desire). Also, check out the official Montauk Monster website. Its pretty sweet.

I'll try to post any developments as they emerge.

Trapped in the '70s!

Crack-pot theories are much more bizarre when the person developing them is neither on crack nor smoking pot. I fall into this category, and have for your delight a rather strange theory.

We, that is, the world, has somehow spun into the past. That’s right, we have somehow returned to the 1970s!!!!

Preposterous, you shout. Ibid, you are on crack. Wrong, I reply. My blood shot eyes are due to the pollen, not the drugs.

Snort.

So anyway, yeah, the ‘70s. The decade of disco and the end of Vietnam and the rise of other stuff. The ‘70s.

There are several pieces of evidence in support of my theory. It consists of uncanny similarities between the decade 30 years ago and our present world. Those who are weak at heart might want to avert your eyes.

1. 3D movies – In the 1970s there was a burst of 3D movies, that is, movies which had specific scenes where the audience placed special glasses on their faces so that the images on the screen would jump out at said audience. It is an exciting feeling when a monster or exploding piece of rock flies off of the screen and right at your face. What better than films like Jaws 3D to exploit this marvel of moviemaking? What could be more exciting than 3D movies? Not much, and there was a plethora of 3D films at that time, each one designed to grab the audience and drag them into the movie. It was the closest one could get to living the movie. 3D movies died down after the 1970s, occasionally coming out of their caves to remind the movie-going public what they were missing without plastic 3D glasses (which, by the way, do nothing to the everyday items in our world; it merely bathes them in a sickly reddish-bluish color). Everyone seemed to be consoled that the 3D movie craze was over. Then, in the last couple years, 3D movies magically appeared in theaters and on movie screens. Maybe it was the strange obsession with having movies in IMAX, or maybe it was the need to find something new and exciting, and since there is nothing “new” in the world of entertainment, the old had to be re-hashed. It seems that every animated movie that is coming out this year is also in 3D. Some are filmed to highlight the 3D effect, such as the recently released Monsters vs. Aliens. This is a neutral gift from the days of yore, since on the one hand it makes watching the movie without the 3D glasses slightly surreal, yet on the other hand, with the glasses it is freaking awesome itself.

2. Skinny Jeans – Grant it, girls have been wearing skinny jeans for a long time. In that sense, they have never gone out of style since their creation. I’m more concerned with the more recent phenomenon of boys wearing skinnies. Haven’t seen it anywhere, save for gay men? Well, one of my students, a boy, has taken it upon himself to start a fashion revolution. This boy has worn skinny jeans to every single dress down day this year. One of those days (I believe it was St. Patrick’s Day, of all days), he wore purple ones. Note to all men: When girls ask you where you got your pants, with interest of purchasing a similar pair, it is time to seek new clothes.

3. Gas prices – Holy Crap! Our gas prices have reached CRAZY high prices, to the point where there has been crowding around the cheapest stations. Now, I wasn’t alive then, but I saw the signs and pictures, and have heard the stories of how there was a similar problem, oh I don’t know, in the 1970s. Now is not the time, my fellow Americans, to buy a gas guzzling monster truck. Now is the time to buy a more energy efficient car. Or, God forbid, walk or bike ride, or ride a bus, or a metro, or WALK! Gas prices might get higher, but so might the college students if they legalize pot. There are other things to do with our panic.

4. A Democrat is our President – After 8 years, the Dems have taken over the highest office in the nation. Not only is it a Democrat (not an evil in itself, mind you), but it is a FLAMING LIBERAL SOCIALIST! There, I said it. There is no middle ground when you ignore the other side. Yeah, how’s your Hope and Change working out for you, eh? If Good Ol’ Jimmy Carter was here. . . Oh well. But wait, there’s more. Our current president ran on a platform against the previous president, and won the heart of the trusting nation, including almost everyone I work with, as well as almost every parent at the school. So too was the case in the ‘70s, when the Dems charmed the common man. History repeats itself again. Is that really change we can believe in?

5. We are involved in unpopular foreign conflicts – Iraq and Afghanistan are not, obviously, the first wars of their kind in our history. Americans have a tendency to stick our noses in everyone else’s damn business. It happened at the end of the ‘60d and into the ‘70s in Vietnam. That was a PR disaster for us, as are the wars in the Middle East. Now, the similarity between the two wars has been made by other commentators, and even by protestors themselves. The above comment about our new president are tied in here, since the democrats running in the ‘70s promised a quick removal from Vietnam, as did Obama. There are even anti-war songs in our popular music. As MC Lars says in his song “I Generation,” “No Vietnam for us, yo Iraq its on!” The connection is there.

6. Bob Dylan has a new album out – Speaking of protest singers, Bob Dylan has released a new album. Now, this album isn’t necessarily filled with protest songs, but the fact that Mr. Dylan is still making music reminds one of the 1970s, for sure.

As you can see, there are several points in defense of my thesis. As a final note, I will remind you that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat its mistakes.

I will take any questions from the audience.

"Good Friday"

I began writing this poem a couple of weeks ago, when my students were taking their TerraNova testing. It is based on the Stations of the Cross. I will probably make it better later, but for now, I'll post what I have written. Think T. S. Eliot.

“Good Friday”

- Matthew B. Rose

Deus meus, Deus meus,

O Lord, save us, save us,

Through your mercy

Save us.

Adam, see what you started,

Eve, see what you did,

All your sins, and yours and mine,

He was somehow able to forgive.

Hear that sound, it is a gong,

A solitary steady song,

Hear it signal the end of strife,

And the beginning of our newer life.

I

There is anger in your eyes

Wrath unbridled

Betrayed and shaken by their lies

Truth defiled.

Peace to you is all I say

Hope so willing

Serenity please, I pray

Pain o’er spilling

Heart still hoping,

Head still bleeding

Love o’er flowing

II

The other day, when we were walking

(we are almost out of time)

I remember you said something serious

(jokingly, of course, of course)

something about a kingdom

(my kingdom for a horse?)

maybe it was something else

(what about hands)

that’s it, I remember

(The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand)

III

A man lays broken

Words unspoken

A priceless token

Freely given

But still riven

And yet he looks up

Breathes

And gets up.

IV

“My Lord.” “My Lady fair.”

“Speak lover.”

“Purest Beloved: Do you remember,

long ago,

a gift and blessing from my Lord?”

“Your Lord?”

“The Lord.”

“I remember misty warmth and whispery words,

Some unspoken, all were heard.”

“And I?”

“The Gift.”

“As well I do remember. His presence made present.”

“A Gift for all seasons.”

“I love you, mommy.”

“I miss you.”

“And I you, but remember,

I make all things new.”

V

My God, My God,

Why am I here?

Why the tortures

Horrors

Grimly I fear

This Dies Irae

It seems so dark

Lonely, lonesome

O God, where are you?

Answer Me!

VI

Come, all you who pass by.

Can you hear them moan and sigh?

Hot tears, bitter tears,

All your fears,

All those years,

Were they a waste?

I will not let it be a waste.

Here, man, if you will not turn back,

Here is a piece of my own slack,

What I should have been doing,

Hopefully, by this penance proving,

You Lord, are not alone.

VII

I can see Him now, coming up this way,

Murmuring words no man can say.

Worming his way along the path,

He trusted all, all for their worth

Broken, bleeding, he heard their pleading

A mother in love, a Father above,

Spittle flying, Love is dying.

I hear crying.

O My Lord.

See Him bearing, loving, sharing,

Falling, stalling, sighing, rising.

VIII

Mommy, who’s that man?

Why is he sighing?

Mommy, who’s that lady?

Why is she crying?

Mommy, who’s that man?

Why is she bleeding?

Mommy, who are these ladies?

Why are they weeping?

Why are you weeping?

Mommy?

Mommy?

IX

Why doesn’t he stay there?

It’s good for him, the old dusty air.

Kings of Kings have trodden here,

Holding dear

Sacred relics of God and Man,

Keeping them hidden, doing what they can to help God.

No, this man won’t enjoy the dirt.

He will not rest, His loins are girt.

Spit now, hit him hard,

Split his back, make it shards

Of broken glass.

This stubborn ass

Is making me mad.

Let’s kill him here, it’s not that bad

No.

Go.

We are to see he makes it there.

Executions are really not fair,

Working hard, little pay,

Hearing convicts whine half the day

Well, now he’s getting up.

Marcus, hand me that cup.

I’ll splash some water on his face.

No man earned such a disgrace.

And on we go; no we’ll see

What Hell awaits us on top of Calvary.

X

My pretty bird, sing for me.

My, what beautiful feathers,

What beautiful fetters.

I’ll take them off you,

And your feathers too.

My bird, my worm, dove turned to dirt.

Aww, you cry. I’ll wipe your face.

The back of my hand cleans that disgrace.

Foolish man, you are nothing now.

(Put me down for five and seven)

Weep man, cry out.

What is with him?

Get the nails, get the hammer.

I lost his robe, but I got some cloth.

Cloth for dusting, good ol’ dusting.

Ashes to ashes; dust from dust.

XI

“My friends, you are my closest ones.

You alone I can trust.

You are my closest companions,

James, here, you have some dust

Stuck to your shirt,

There, cleaned off the dirt.

My three friends,

Peter, James, and John,

Are closer to me than the rising sun.

I tell you this, so that you might have faith,

When all your hope falls under the weight

Of the coming sorrow.

I will die, come back, and leave.

Yes, I have a trick up my sleeve.

But after I’m gone, I warn you of danger,

I tell you now, to calm your anger.

James, you first will give up your life,

Bowing your head at a glorified knife.

Peter, you too will give me your all,

But your body will rise, not fall.

John, you will be tortured and burnt,

But you will die old, and tell all you learnt.

This I tell you, to prepare your heart,

So you remember this when I depart.”

I remember his words, and his sweet thoughts,

But would never expect this horror, this rot,

This evil to innocence. What did he do

To deserve such evil for speaking truth?

I see the nails, I hear the sound.

I can count his bones, his body sinks down.

I cannot bear to look at him, but I can’t stop.

I’ll watch his family drop

To the ground and pray,

Here at the cross I will stay.

XII

+ Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.

I’m not saying they aren’t culpable,

But they don’t know better.

They choose this evil, but they don’t know why.

Working through them? Lord, I understand.

So forgive them their part, Lord, if they are willing.

Not my will, though, but Thine.

+ This day you will be with me in Paradise.

I know you, brother, I know you are sorry.

I’ve seen your face before, my friend,

And I know you know who I Am.

Thank you for the sympathies,

I’m indebted to you.

For you, I give a gift of gifts,

Salvation for your sorrow.

Come, baptized in blood,

Into your reward.

+ Woman, behold your son; Man, behold your mother.

Mom.

John.

I need you both to be strong.

I know you understand, both of you.

You are my family, the ones who stayed.

So mommy, I give you my friend.

Friend, you are my new brother.

Yet not just you, you know that by now,

But all, from now to the end,

All who bow and pray and praise the glory

Of this sacrifice.

Mommy, you are their mother.

John, you are their brother.

Be with each other as mother and brother,

Parent and Son.

+ I thirst.

I can’t feel my throat. It burns.

It is yours, O Lord.

I need to finish this. Lord, help me.

So thirsty. So dry.

+ My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?

I am this Psalm, and I start it now.

I finish it Lord, to glorify your name.

Help me,

Keep me,

Take me.

I have been the worm.

I have had my hands and feet pierced.

I can count all my bones.

They circle under me, like a pack of dogs.

How accurately is the prediction!

How thorough the fulfillment.

To the Greater Glory of God.

+ It is Finished.

I have fought the good fight,

I have done Your will.

The Passover is complete,

I have drunken the last cup.

This is my Last Will and Testament.

This is it. This is the Point of No Return.

I can do no more.

+ Into Your hands I command my Spirit

You have redeemed me, O Faithful God.

XIII

He’s dead? Already?

I was sure he would remain,

A living human stain,

Hanging up there, he should have been good

For another few hours of gory food.

I cannot believe this news.

You are sure? You saw it too?

Really?

Fine.

Do what you will. Take him down.

Let him be buried or thrown

Out. Get rid of the body. I see

Nothing more to this man’s story.

He’s dead and gone,

He’s dead and gone.

XIV

I am here, watching the hole,

Filled with a rock and still

There is danger, stupid anger.

I heard him speak once;

He was very good. Like a god.

Maybe he was a god.

Maybe he was God.

So we killed God and buried him in a hole.

He’s in the earth, dust to dust.

Dirty man, rotting away.

And here I sit and do nothing.

His friends, his followers,

They pray, they hope.

For what?

Maybe this isn’t the end after all.

The gift that keeps on giving

Time for an Obama rant. No, I'm not gonna talk about how he is going out of his way to attack life, nor an I gonna talk about how I don't want to help pay for the trillions of dollars we don't have to save our economy (it really doesn't make sense). I'm going to talk about foreign policy. It doesn't involve Iraq or any other war zone. It involves an ally, England, and Obama's treatment of the country since coming to office.

Foreign relations is an important part of any presidency, but it is pertinent when it is with an ally. Britain is our good ally friend. We have worked well together throughout the 20th century, and have continued this fruitful relationship into the new millennium. It would make sense, then, to keep being nice and thoughtful to this Father nation of ours.

If your predecessor was given a gift in a time of strife, would you return it when the strife was over? Ok, let's put it this way. Say you are a teacher at an elementry school, teaching 3rd grade. You retire, and leave behind a statue of Mozart, a gift from one of the other teachers, in your room. It was a special gift, but you figured it served its purpose better in the room with other 3rd graders.

This is the situation for George W. Bush, President Obama, and a bust of Winston Churchill. We need to go back to the time following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Then British Prime Minister Tony Blair gave the President Bush a bust of Winston Churchill, the great British statesman who worked hard with America to solve the problems of the early 20th century. The gift was put on desplay in the White House, a token of friendship between nations, so that any British or American citizen who was in the White House would know of the friendship between the countries. It is similar to the Statue of Liberty.

Here's where Obama comes in. Upon taking office, Obama returned the bust to Britain. He did not give it to Bush as a farewell present, or keep it on display. He returned it to its sender.

Is it just me, or is that kinda rude. BUT that's not all.

A few days ago, the new Prime Minister of Britain, Gordon Brown, came to visit Obama, gearing up for the G20 meeting. Obama, as is customary in all parts of the world, had some gifts for his guest (if you don't think that gift giving for guests is customary, think of it this way: you offer guests something to eat. That is a gift. QED). For the Prime Minister, the Obama's gave a collection of 25 American DVDs, including The Wizard of Oz, ET, and Star Wars.

I hope he didn't give him The Patriot or Braveheart.


I think this is the list, but I'm not sure. It may be a fake.















The gifts to the Brown children were not too exciting. The Obamas gave the two Brown sons each a model of Marine One, the President's helicopter.

In comparison, Prime Minister Brown gave President Obama an ornate pen holder made from the wood of the HMS Gannet, an anti-slavery ship that sailed the Atlantic during the 1800s. What makes this gift particularly special is that the sister ship of the HMS Gannet, the HMS Resolute, was used to make the large wood desk in the Oval Office back in the 1880s. Mr. Obama also received, in the words of The Daily Mail (the British paper that reported this story), "a framed commission for HMS Resolute and a first edition of the seven-volume biography of Churchill by Sir Martin Gilbert. "

I wonder if the Churchill biography is a backhanded gift. Reject the bust, take the biography.

The Obama girls each recieved an outfit from Topshop, a British clothing line, and six books by British authors which have not yet been published in America.

I like those gifts. I wish I had gotten them. If President Obama is reading this: CAN I HAVE YOUR GIFTS???? I mean, its better than returning to the senders.

So what have we learned here? Is it time to bash Obama? Is this time for ad hominem attacks?

Nope. It's time for the moral of the story:

Don't let the Obama's go Christmas shopping for you.

MQ. . . WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?

So, if you have been following this blog at all (Ok, that might not be fair, but anyway), you know that I am a HUGE MonsterQuest fan. So you know when I say I am not happy with the direction an episode takes, or if I think an episode is odd, you know I mean it.

Right? No? Bueller?

Anyway.

The point behind MonsterQuest (at least, I felt, the first season's purpose) is to investigate stories of sightings of cryptids (hidden animal creatures, like Bigfoot, Nessie, and the ilk). Season One was very interesting, and there were several episodes where some evidence was found, either for or against the cryptid's claim. Even the one episode that was kinda lame that season, the Rods episode, was interesting, and I feel that they did a good job disproving the claims made by Rod supporters. Eitherway, the show focussed on Cryptozoology and investigations in that field.

Season Two was also very interesting, although some of the episodes were not really in the same field as others (the Super Rats one was more humorous than suspenseful episodes). This was also the season that broke from the search for hidden animals (Cryptozoology) into a more paranormal world. This was shown in two episodes, one dealing with Ghosts and one dealing with Vampires. Even those episodes, however, had exact targets (or prey, if you will) that the investigators were hunting. They were looking for ghosts in that house. They were looking at a particular person to see if they were a vampire. There was still the immediate hunt.

Season Three, at least so far, as broken the trend a bit. The second episode this season deals with Cattle Mutilations, the strange phenomenon of cows and other livestock randomly appearing overnight in fields, cut open with particular organs removed, almost as if a person did not do it. An interesting phenomenon, yes, but not one that deals with Cryptozoology in particular. And, for the first time, there was not an exact prey. They were not hunting an exact creature, but were more just looking at mutilations and wondering what they were and what caused them. An interesting idea for UFO Hunters, another show on History, but not MonsterQuest.

Also disappointing, though now I'm just being picky, deals with last night's episode dealing with the New Jersey Devil, who has been around for about 250 years. They tried to connect the NJ Devil, which looks like this:


























with the Montauk Monster, which I posted about earlier on this blog, back in August. The Montauk monster looks like this:
















As you can see, it doesn't exactly look like the Jersey Devil. In fact, it doesn't look much like it at all.

So I ask MonsterQuest, "WHY? HOW?"

Sigh. I guess I'm just being picky. I'm still gonna watch the show though. The next episode is about Alligators in Sewers. Fun.

Oscars

I did something I have never done before the other night (Sunday). I watched the Oscars.

I know what you're thinking. Ibid! You love movies, and you've never watch the Oscars? Well yes, the answer is that I have not watch the Oscars before Sunday night.

But now I have. One more check off the "TO DO" list. One more thing to say I've done, and lived to tell about it.

Here is my telling.

It was a fairly entertaining show. Hugh Jackman did a fine job hosting. He showcased his talents (literally dancing and singing, all while wearing a full tux!) and did what he had to do to win the hearts of the audience. They did something kinda cool this year, with older winners of the acting categories presenting the awards to this year's winners. For example, in the Best Actor category, past winners of the Best Actor category said some words to the nominees, and then they announced the winner. It was kinda cool, just looking at the history behind the movies. Also cool was the way they set up most of the awards. They presented the awards in the creative order that a movie goes through, i. e., starting with a screenplay, moving to cinematography, sets and costumes, special effects, and then ending up with the final categories: Actor, Actress, and Picture. It was neat; a bit odd, but neat.

Good Parts

1. Slumdog Millionaire pretty much sweeped the show, winning Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, as well as a bunch of other ones. It's always nice when smaller, independent films beat up the "Made for Oscar" movies like Milk or The Reader. Plus it looks like the movie has heart, which is always a good thing to have in a Best Picture winner.
   
2. Heath Ledger won for The Dark Knight. If he had not won, I might have given up the movie award system for the rets of my life. He literally kicked butt in his role (as everyone knows, his last big one before his death) and well deserved his reward. Few performances this year could top his transformation.
   
3. Man on Wire won for best documentary. Despite its random sex scene, this was not only the most interesting documentary movie I think I've ever seen, it was one of the more facinating movies I saw this year.
   

Bad Parts

1. Sean Penn won for Milk. Now, I'm sure Milk is a good movie, and I'm even more sure that Sean Penn did an award worthy job playing the title character. The problems were thus: When you have an actor who took a role not because it was a great character, but because he wants to prove a point, you inevitably get an acceptance speech that is part sermon. Sean Penn is a classic Hollywood liberal. Remember, this is one of the people who went down to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to bash Bush. His acceptance speech at the Oscars was no different. After thanking some friends ("you commie, homo-loving sons of guns"), etc, he proceeded to speak to those who voted against Proposition 8 in the most recent election. (Proposition 8, for those who don't know, was the chance for the voters of California to vote on whether or not they wanted marriage between homosexuals to be legal. The result of the election proved that the majority of Californians do not support gay marriage, much to the shock and horrification of Hollywood. End of digression.) Shame on you, he told the voting public of California, for your hatred and bigotry. It was not the time or the place for such a speech, and not just myself but many fans of films are offended not as much with the content, but with the arrogance that Mr. Penn demonstrated.
   

Other than that, I enjoyed the show. Hope its good next year too.

VOLSUNGASAGA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Besides the fact that that word means absolutely nothing to some of you. . .

How many of you have heard of J. R. R. Tolkien? Good, put your hands down. He's the guy who wrote The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, etc. Well, what a lot of people don't know is that he was also a great medieval literary scholar. In fact, he was one of the most influential contributors to the study of Beowulf, the Old English poem of monsters and heroes.

That's part one of what you need to know. Here's the second part.

There is an Old Norse saga called Volsungasaga (The Saga of the Volsungs) which involves a hero (Sigurd) slaying a dragon (Fafnir) and taking the cursed gold, ending up in the middle of the most epic Medieval cat fight, and tragically dies. Tolkien encountered the story at a young age in the form of Andrew Lang's Fairy Books. He incorporated the story into his fantasy literature (the legend involves dragons, a cursed ring, and other motifs Tolkien adapted) and always considered it a great work, listing Fafnir as the only other true dragon in medieval literature, next to the one that is in Beowulf.

Now for the exciting part. Remember how I said the saga is in Old Norse. Well. . .

TOLKIEN TRANSLATED IT!!!! AND THE BOOK FORM OF THE TRANSLATION IS COMING OUT IN MAY!!!!!!!!

Check out the website.

I had never heard of the translation before, which is surprising, given all the detail I went into in my thesis. Noting that Tolkien translated the work would have been worthy of note.

But anyway, I WANT TO BUY THE BOOK!!!!!!!

Just to let you know. . .

I've seen 103 out of 241 films

[I got this from Facebook, but I figured I would have a wider readership here. Besides, the posts become notes on Facebook, so posting here covers all my friends. Enjoy!]

SUPPOSEDLY if you've seen over 85 films, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. There are 241 films on this list. Copy this list, go to your own facebook account, paste this as a note. Then, put x's next to the films you've seen, add them up, change the header adding your number, and click post at the bottom.

( ) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
( ) Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At Worlds End
(x) Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
( ) Starsky and Hutch
( ) Neverending Story
(x) Blazing Saddles
(x) Airplane
Total: 7

(x) The Princess Bride
(x) Anchorman
( ) Napoleon Dynamite
( ) Labyrinth
(x) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
( ) Anger Management
( ) 50 First Dates
(x) The Princess Diaries
(x) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total so far: 12

( ) Scream
( ) Scream 2
( ) Scream 3
(x) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
( ) American Pie
( ) American Pie 2
( ) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
Total so far: 13

( ) Harry Potter 1
( ) Harry Potter 2
( ) Harry Potter 3
( ) Harry Potter 4
( ) Resident Evil 1
( ) Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
(x) The Village
(x) Lilo & Stitch
Total so far: 16

(x) Finding Nemo
(x) Finding Neverland
(x) Signs
(x) The Grinch
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) White Chicks
( ) Butterfly Effect
( ) 13 Going on 30
( ) I, Robot
() Robots
Total so far:20

(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
( ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
( ) Along Came Polly
( ) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
(x) Never Been Kissed
(x) Meet The Parents
( ) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
( ) Joe Dirt
(x) KING KONG
Total so far:24

( ) A Cinderella Story
( ) The Terminal
(x) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
(x) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
(x) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
( ) Halloween
(x) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving X-MAS
(x) Flubber
Total so far: 29

( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
( ) Practical Magic
(x) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
( ) Hellboy
( ) Secret Window
(x) I Am Sam
( ) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards
Total so far: 31

( ) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child's Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
(x) Bride of Chucky
(x) Ten Things I Hate About You
(x) Just Married
( ) Gothika
( ) Nightmare on Elm Street
(x) Sixteen Candles
(x) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
( ) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
Total so far: 37

(x) Bad Boys
( ) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Slevin
(x ) Ocean's Eleven
(x) Ocean's Twelve
(x ) Bourne Identity
(x) Bourne Supremacy
(x) Bourne Ultimatum
( ) Lone Star
( ) Bedazzled
( ) Predator I
( ) Predator II
( ) The Fog
(x) Ice Age
( ) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
Total so far: 44

( x) Independence Day
(x) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
(x) Christine
(x) ET
( ) Children of the Corn
( ) My Boss’s Daughter
(x) Maid in Manhattan
(x) War of the Worlds
(x) Rush Hour
( ) Rush Hour 2
Total so 51

( ) Best Bet
(x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(x) She's All That
( ) Calendar Girls
(x) Sideways
( ) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
(x) Ever After
(x) Wizard of Oz
(x) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
(x) The Terminator
(x) The Terminator 2
( ) The Terminator 3
Total so far: 59

(x) X-Men
(x) X-2
(x) X-3
(x) Spider-Man
(x) Spider-Man 2
(x) Spider-Man 3
( ) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
( ) Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Little Mermaid
(x) Freaky Friday
(x) Reign of Fire
( ) The Skulls
(x) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x) Shrek 2
Total so far: 71

( ) Swimfan
( ) Miracle on 34th street
( ) Old School
(x) The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
(x) Krippendorf's Tribe
(x) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
( ) The 40-year-old Virgin
Total so far: 74

(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
(x) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Total so far: 81

( ) Baseketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
(x) Elf
( ) Highlander
(x) Mothman Prophecies
( ) American History X
( ) Three
Total so Far: 83

( ) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
(x) Monsters Inc.
(x) Titanic
(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
(x) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard
Total so far: 87

( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
( ) Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
(x) Hook
(x) Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
(x) Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian
(x) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
( ) Waterworld
Total so far: 91

(x) Kill Bill vol 1
(x) Kill Bill vol 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
(x) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) the Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness
Total so far: 94

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(x) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor
Total so far: 100

(x) The Matrix
(x) The Matrix Reloaded
( ) The Matrix Revolutions
( )Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
( ) Team America: World Police
( ) Red Dragon
(x) Silence of the Lambs
( ) Hannibal
Total so far: 103

Now Add them up and...

Put "I've seen… out of 241 films" in the subject line and repost it

MQ Season 3

NEW SEASON OF MONSTERQUEST (already?) STARTS WEDNESDAY, 2/5/09!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





Excited? HECK YES!!!!!!!!!!

Snowflakes

I wrote this on the fly when I saw some snow falling outside my window at school. I was alone, so none of the students would interrupt. Here is the result. Its a little rough, since I haven't added to it or anything.

"Snowflakes"

Forgetful flakes falling fast,
Falling forward, then forgotten.
Running right along the sky,
Right along, settlin' down.
Settle there, failing friend,
For friends fail few fellows,
And few fellows fail their friends

Life Issues at the Movies: Part II

Bella (2006)

“A Love Story that goes beyond Romance.”

That was one of the taglines for the surprise hit independent film of 2006. Bella, however, is not really a Pro-Life movie. It’s not a movie that argues the Pro-Life cause through arguments between its characters. Rather, it saturates the viewer with depictions of life, showing the beauty that can be found in living, loving, and learning, but especially in the closeness of the family. It is all about how one day, one instant, changes one’s life forever. There are choices, plenty of them, but what are the right ones?

The movie tells the story of a former soccer star, Jose (Eduardo Verastegui) and a waitress, Nina (Tammy Blanchard) who work for Jose’s brother’s restaurant. Nina is broken, fired from the job at the restaurant, and pregnant. Jose goes after her, and the two travel through New York City, arriving eventually at Jose’s family, and there both of them are reminded what it means to live. The family is not tearing each other apart, is not seeking to destroy itself, is patient, is kind, and is indeed love. It is this encounter that reminds Jose of his family, and an encounter that forces Nina to face her life, and she turns and embraces it.

A great story, a beautiful depiction of families, particularly Latino families (I don’t know about you, but all the Latino families I have met resemble the family in Bella more than a broken street family of some other movie), but what does that have to do with the Pro-Life movement? There is a pregnant unwed mother in it, but isn’t it a stretch to link that plot point and the family eating dinner together? After all Ibid, you did say this wasn’t really a Pro-Life movie.
Point taken, fair reader. However, remember that I was saying the movie is not a Pro-Life movie because it doesn’t have characters arguing the two sides of the debate. It is a pro-life movie in the sense that the movie has the story of life perpetually in the background. It is Pro-Life in the sense that life, not just the life of the unborn but life of the living, is more important than any selfish human goals. Death is a tragedy.

It is interesting to note that Jose’s attempts to turn Nina away from having an abortion are not through moral persuasions or rational arguments. The movie is not about arguments; it is about touching people through example. Disturbingly, Nina seems to know that the child inside of her is a real life. In fact, her reason for an abortion is more to keep the unborn child from suffering in her own terrible world (New York City is not a forgiving place for single mothers). Jose suggests adoption, but Nina rejects it, suggesting that abandoning the child in that way would be worse than having the abortion. It is only later in the movie that she realizes why Jose is so supportive of adoptions. This discussion of abortions and adoptions occurs on the train out of the city, a sort of exodus away from the trap that is the city, into the suburbs where there is love and family. It seems that it is a sort of confession, a sort of necessary first step in a direction of honesty for Nina.

This turn towards honesty is one that every person in today’s world, whether they are a single pregnant mom or a married man or a priest or a Satanist (although Satanists are not necessarily people I would condone in any way), desperately needs. It is purgation, a sort of T. S. Eliot “Ash Wednesday” conversion from no hope (“Because I do not hope to turn again”) to an almost reluctant realization that there is no other way (“Although I do not hope to turn again”). This honesty is the only way to live, and only when faced with the really real world can we appreciate what we have and what we’ve lost. It is a message for not only the Pro-Choice armies, but the legions of the Pro-Lifers and the rest of the world as well.

LIfe Issues at the Movies: Part 1

For the next few posts on this blog, I will examine the treatment of life issues in what has become the most prevalent medium of culture: Movies. Though there is firm competition from television for this position, movies have, over the last 100 years, proved their staying power. Thus, if one desires to reach a wide audience, one should make a movie. This is the mentality behind several independent film companies and filmmakers, and it is also behind the movies to be discussed in the coming posts.
Unfortunately, there are few films that portray the pro-life cause. Besides the fact that contraception is almost universally accepted as the norm not only in Hollywood, but throughout the United States as a whole, falling on one side or another in the debates concerning life opens the door for the challenge most filmmakers cannot afford to face: debates. However, there are some films that have portrayed one side or another of the debate. These films, some against life, some for it, will be the focus of this blog up until the March For Life on January 22. Hopefully they will be interesting and enlightening for all readers.


The Sea Inside (2004)

Few movies touch on the subject of euthanasia, just as few movies touch on the subject of abortion. Even fewer movies center around either of these two atrocities. The Sea Inside, however, does just that, focusing its scope on the life of Ramon Sampedro (played by Javier Bardem), a Spaniard who shocked his native Spain, and the world, with his vocal desire to end his own life. Sampedro became a paraplegic after diving into too shallow of water on the coast of his native Spain. He spent the next 30 years of his life trying to argue that he should be allowed to “die with dignity” (the universal euthanasia call heard around the world) while living with his brother’s family. He eventually succeeded in his venture, providing a hero to the “right to die” movement.
Director Alejandro Amenabar hoped to paint a sympathetic portrait of the man and his cause, throwing his support with Sampedro. He wanted, however, to make the movie more than just an argument for or against euthanasia. Rather, he wanted to tell the story of the man. In that regard, he does succeed. The story in the film is a moving one, and the characters are compelling. However, the central story of the desire to die permeates the film, overwhelming any other facet, such as the love or joy Ramon experiences, of the storyline.
The movie does present both positions in the debate, with several characters arguing against Ramon about his desire to end his life. Ramon, however, is a rationalist, a man who will not accept any argument if it cannot be proved through rational means. In one scene, he tries to get his nephew to tell him why, rationally, he (Ramon) should allow him (the nephew) to watch a soccer game on the TV in Ramon’s room. Ramon makes the comment that he will only allow him to view the game if there is a rational reason. The love of rationality also appears in Ramon’s argument with a paraplegic priest, who is trying to convince him to abandon his fight for death. The priest’s arguments are not helped by the fact that the same priest had appeared on TV previous to their meeting and commented on how Ramon’s family must not love him, much to the anger of Ramon’s sister-in-law Manuela, who does everything she can to take care of her brother-in-law. The arguments on both sides are rather stale, and it ends more with two angry men than with two agreeing parties. Likewise, Ramon’s brother and father are against his pre-natural death, with the brother arguing that he, as the older brother, would not allow any killing in his house. The father makes the incredibly moving point that it is hard to loose a son, but even harder when the son tells you he wants to die. Even the people who are there to support Ramon in his quest for death (the RDD [Right to Die with Dignity, I believe] representative who has Ramon’s case; the attorney who helps with his case and then helps publish a collection of Ramon’s poetry) all reflect some reservation in supporting Ramon’s request to die. The attorney even contemplates dieing herself, but does not (the deleted scenes on the DVD expound upon this rather well, adding a sort of beauty to her story, but were unfortunately cut for time.
On the other hand, these counter arguments seem to fail when pitted against Ramon, who is perpetually shown as the hero of the tale. Every claim brought against him is knocked aside, followed by another argument for the right to life and the right to death. Even his own self doubt of his cause, a nightmare at night where he wonders “Why? Why? Why can’t the others change, Manuela ? Why can’t I make due with this life? Why? Why do I want to die?” is discarded in the morning. It seems he is, as his friends and family insist, “thickheaded.”
Ramon’s argument throughout the film is that he has no dignity living the way he does, with no movement except his head. Even when others touch his life and seem to make him enjoy living, it is more of a spark of joy, rather than a flame of happiness. The character comes across as sad, distant, even bitter. He rejects love, claiming that those who really love him are the ones who would help him get what he wants (i.e., help him die). In the end, however, it seems that no one is truly happy to see him go. The only one who eagerly yearns for the end of his life is Ramon himself. However, even Ramon has moments where he almost, almost recants, only to push on even harder. In the end, he succeeds, sipping some water with cyanide in it, thus ending his life.
What this film shows is that even men so obsessed with death like Sampedro can be made into heroes. The follower of the Gospel of Life might see the movie as disturbing, and rightly so (I’m pretty sure it got an “O,” that is, “morally objectionable,” rating by the USCCB), for it is a disturbing movie. Sampedro does not believe there is any purpose to his life, nor an afterlife. There could be one, he muses, but probably not. He has spiraled to a strange despair, for he hates his life, but relishes in the beauty he does see. He is a man who has given up, not as much run away, as some characters hint at in the beginning of the film. He has abandoned himself to his obsession with death, and thus provided a tragedy for the world, not a sort of canonization, as the Pro-Choice followers would hold.
Where lies the success in such a story? Is there really a freedom to end your own life? Is that even a freedom? This continual reasoning, followed through, leads to a mess of disorder, where any authority at all is diminished. It becomes a matter of what I want for myself, not what would be better for the common good, or even those who love me. The world slips into a hellish wasteland, burnt and charred in its own disgust.
This, it seems, is the goal and unfortunate result of this “right to die” movement.
Therein lies the horror. We are still a society of Mr. Kurtzes, dead and hollow, only left to murmur to ourselves “The horror, the horror.”

A NEW YEARS POEM

I decided to have my reflection this year be in metrical form.

Try and keep up, would you now deary, thank you.

“New Years 2008”

Another year is closing, another one dawning,
And somewhere, out there, someone is yawning.
Some major big changes happened this year,
So shut up your singing and lend me your ear
(I’m sorry to bother you, but I think you should hear).
I wrote a big thesis, it weighs a ton
But during the writing, boy I sure had fun.
I have a BA, (but its sort of BS),
Since I majored in English and History, I guess)
Worked through the summer, then got a real job
Teaching some youngsters, most of ‘em slobs!
(I don’t mean that jab. Please, no tears and sobs)
I visit my friend, and strain for a life,
Outside of teaching and grading and dodging the scythe
(And yes, I’m still single, and still have no wife)
And thus I look forward to the New Year ahead.
Will it be lively, or will it be dead.
(With Dems in charge, I’m voting for dead)
Lets hope it gets better, rather than worse,
And maybe a sports team will throw off its curse,
And maybe I’ll find out my vocation
And spend some time during summer vacation
Traveling round to places so cool,
And maybe the College will get a new pool.
(Non Sequitor, I know, but it rhymes with “cool”)
So here’s to the prayers for luck and success,
And blessings and blessings and all of the rest.
Happy New Year to you, and yes, you too.
I’ll see you on the flip side, East-side of this zoo.

Christmas Reflection 2008

The time has come once again for my clichéd Christmas reflection. I know you have been looking forward to this moment all year, some probably hoping I would forget, and thus, here it is: My Christmas Reflection. Small children should probably leave the theater. One of my favorite Christmas songs is “White Christmas.” If sung well, the vocals are haunting, the music pleasant, and the words comforting. “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas / Just like the ones I used to know.” The words speak to me, although the second line of the song, quoted above, is the sole exception. I cannot remember a White Christmas because I’ve never had one. I’ve dreamed and hoped for them, sure, but I’ve never actually had a real White Christmas (flurries don’t count).

This brings up the distressing situation of this reflection. This year has had record low temperatures around the world. Snow has fallen around the country. Even Malibu had snow last week. Malibu, California! You know, with the beaches, and palm trees, and girls running around in bikinis? Yeah, they got freaking snow. So did up north (which has been getting it since November). But guess who hasn’t gotten any snow. That’s right, the DC area. Oh we’ve had plenty of precipitation and low temperatures, but not at the same time. While everywhere else was freezing and being smothered in snowdrifts, we were drowning in rain (uncomfortably 35 degree rain). It’s sort of unfair, seemingly unjust, and all around depressing. Which brings me to my next topic.

For many, Christmas is a depressing time of year. Suicides skyrocket during this time of year. Maybe it’s because people are lonely. They found out their spouse has been cheating on them, they got laid off, their girl/boyfriend dumped them, they realize they are dying, or they just realize that they miss home. Whatever the reason, people decide it is the time around Christmas that would be the best time to take their life.

This does not have to be the case. It shows a real distress among our world. Christmas has become a superficial day, not one of hope and love, but one of stress or partying. This is not Christmas. New Years, maybe, but not Christmas. This is the time devoted to Christ’s birth. This is a time to remember that God became Man to save us. He didn’t have to, but he did. It is the focal point of history, the poetic climax, the answer to all philosophy, the solution to the sciences, and the summit of Theology. This reality is incompatible with the modern consumer, and by extension, the suicide, mentality.

Pope Benedict XVI, several years before he became pope, collected some homilies and thoughts concerning Christmas into two different books. These two books, in turn, were collected recently into the book entitled The Blessing of Christmas. At one point in the book, Ratzinger notes the following concerning Christmas and the suffering Christian:

"If God exists, then there is no meaningless time, no time devoid of significance. Every moment has its value, even if all I an do is to endure my illness in silence. If God exists, then there is always something to hope for, even where no human voice can any longer summon me to hope. And old age and retirement are no longer the last stage of my life, a position from which all I can do is look backwards: for something greater always lies ahead, and it is precisely the time of an apparent uselessness that can be the highest form of human ripening. Christian hope does not devalue time. On the contrary, it means that every moment of life possesses its own value; it means that we can accept the present and that we out to live it to the full because everything we have accepted in our heart will remain." (Joseph Ratzinger [Pope Benedict XVI], The Blessing of Christmas, p. 26)

This is the meaning of Christmas, having faith and hope on God’s promises, and loving Him for those very same promises. Those who have abandon hope take their own lives, but those who hold fast to that faith, hope, and charity not only keep their lives, but find their lives anew, flourishing in the darkness of winter.

May you have a Merry Christmas.

God Bless,

Ibid

MCing "Midnight" Mass

I'm MCing "Midnight" Mass at my parish. I say "Midnight" because the Mass is actually at 7:30 pm, but will have the Midnight readings, etc. And I'm MCing it. It won't be the first Mass I've MCed at my parish (I did it for the Corpus Christi Mass and procession last year), but it will be the first I've done without Fr. C, who's a bastion of tradition, a great priest, and rather willing to let me serve Mass like at the College.

Fr. S is a little more apathetic, so maybe I'll be able to MC a good Mass on Christmas as well.

So here's my reason for posting: Any Suggestions? I want to have the Mass be the most beautiful it can be. I have a limited idea of what fits well at a Christmas Midnight Mass.

Well, let the suggestions begin!