A little less than a year ago, Morten Lauridsen — my favorite contemporary classical composer by a long stretch — wrote a fascinating piece for the Arts and Entertainment section of The Wall Stree Journal. Entitled “It’s a Still Life That Runs Deep,” it’s Lauridsen’s attempt to explain some of the thoughts and emotions that went … Read more
Oh, no! Uncle Harry signed the contract!! But that’s not the end of the story–how could it be, with nephews like his? This ten-part 1960 serial, written & illustrated by the prolific Frank Borth, originally appeared in Treasure Chest of Fun and Fact, which is maintained in Catholic University’s online archive. You know, … Read more
My latest aimless meanderings through the mind-sucking wastelands of The Ultimate Timewaster have produced yet another unusual time-laps YouTube video for me to share this Friday afternoon: I’m fascinated by this sort of animation, partially because I have never been (and, sadly, will never be) this imaginative. And partially — OK, mostly — because I cannot … Read more
I always enjoy the comments of Michael Sean Winters at America‘s blog — though he did annoy me once or twice. His latest, a response to my thoughts about the possibility of a Catholic Tea Party, is insightful, but it avoids the substance of my argument. Winters attributes my agitated state of mind to the … Read more
The Eastern Catholic and Orthodox tradition of Forgiveness Sunday — otherwise known as Get Out of your Comfort Zone Sunday — is fast approaching. (As my husband is canonically a Ukrainian Catholic, I have the good fortune of discovering another world of “new” old practices.) On the Sunday before Lent, during a Vespers service, you … Read more
I always enjoy the comments of Michael Sean Winters at America‘s blog — though he did annoy me once or twice. His latest, a response to my thoughts about the possibility of a Catholic Tea Party, is insightful, but it avoids the substance of my argument. Winters attributes my agitated state of mind to the … Read more
Time for a few Friday links: Rhode Island Representative Patrick Kennedy has announced that he won’t be running for reelection. No word on whether it’s because he’s tired of tangling with Bishop Tobin. President Obama appears ready to shut down Constellation, NASA’s manned space exploration program. Some say that the cost-benefit analysis simply makes sense, … Read more
Brother Michael Gaitley, MIC watched the NCAA National Championship game at my house between the University of Alabama and the University of Texas. What a delightful man! He came with his sister, Heather McGrath, whose husband Michael McGrath is on the board at Magdalen College. Brother Michael’s book, Consoling the Heart of Jesus: A Do-It-Yourself … Read more
Last year, my Constitutional Law class was discussing the so-called war on Christmas, part of the effort to remove all things religious (or at least all things Christian) from the public square. One of my students argued that holidays did not need to have a religious basis. As an example, she mentioned Valentine’s Day. I … Read more
This film is for those who’ve suffered from religious bigotry. Its sold-out screenings at Sundance and in Salt Lake City are the first step for people to learn the truth about such a damaging and divisive effort. I’m sorry. I just couldn’t help myself. The combination of yesterday’s Variety report on Red Flag Releasing’s acquisition of 8: … Read more
As if Mad Men were not enough to persuade you that everything was cooler in 1961, here’s yet more proof: I understand they also make Shirley Temple toothpaste for the kids.
I’ve picked on Ohio numerous times in the past, and I’m about to do it again. A new report by the Trafficking in Persons Study Commission (formed last year by Ohio Attorney General Richard Condray) found that Ohio is not only a destination place for foreign-born victims of human trafficking, but also a place of recruitment. In … Read more
The Washington Post has published the findings of a recent poll showing that, when it comes to health care, Americans want it all. Over at the American Catholic blog, “DarwinCatholic” breaks down the numbers: Solid majorities think that the current HCR bills are too complex and too expensive, but majorities also approve of the main components: … Read more
Last June, Margaret told you about video game giant Electronic Arts’ newest action title — a loose adaptation of Dante’s Inferno. Very. Loose. Dante, the one in the game, is no poet. Instead, he’s a war-ravaged crusader with serious post-traumatic stress disorder. But he has his domestic side, too. In fact, the game opens with … Read more
Over 750 “tea parties” were held on April 15 of last year, protesting the excesses of the Obama administration — in particular, the pork-stuffed stimulus bill. Initially, the mainstream media tried to ignore the movement. They downplayed its size and influence, until the steady slide of President Obama’s popularity, the growing opposition to Congress’s health-care … Read more
This is what my neighborhood here in Baltimore looked like after our storm over the weekend. And today we just got another 15 inches dumped on us. So, naturally, that must mean it’s time for idiots to try driving in it! It amazes me that anyone would consider heading out in this mess; the city … Read more
Earlier this morning, while drifting through the fantastic world of Naxos Music Library, I stumbled across something quite unexpected. As a long-time fan of Arthur Sullivan’s music — the Kevin Kline-headed Pirates of Penzance is a staple in the Susanka household — I have been aware of (if not quite familiar with) his “serious” music. Yet I … Read more
People sometimes ridicule the Church’s teaching against artificial contraception, but frequently, they just don’t see why the Church teaches against it. To clearly explain Catholic doctrine in this frequently misunderstood area, Fr. John Baptist Ku, O.P., will present a FREE lecture, “Humanae Vitae? Are You Serious?” on Saturday, March 20, at 10:00 AM at Mt. … Read more
It would be easy — too easy — to toss off Sloth as a sin that only afflicted the lazy. My initial instincts in writing about this deadly sin led me to do just that. But friends pointed out to me that there’s another and subtler form it takes, which occurs among the busiest workaholics. … Read more
Damian Thompson has a few words for traditional Anglicans still agitating for concessions from Canterbury: The Anglican Church will eventually ordain women. Either accept that, or leave. I am not saying that if you are an Anglo-Catholic who opposes women’s ordination then you must now seek to join the Ordinariate that Pope Benedict has set … Read more