Tuesday, September 30, 2003
Hey, everybody, let's do the Moloch Shuffle!
Found this over on the HMS blog:
Gaylord Diocese paper messes it's pants in a mad scramble to portray Gov. Granholm's abortion stance as a principled matter of her deep Catholic faith
Now, I am not a letter writer by nature. I find boycotts and protests distasteful. When GOP protestors were picketing in FL after the 2000 election, I was scandalized (I mean, picket signs? That's what the lefties do!).
But there is no way this one was going to slip by without me opening my big mouth.
So, here's what I wrote to the gaylord guy. I mean the Gaylord guy (sorry, couldn't resist):
I was dismayed to read the particularly laudatory piece (one might even say glowing) in your diocesan paper profiling Governor Granholm. This article, coming from the paper of record for the Faithful of the diocese of Gaylord, is particularly troubling. One might see this sort of "we can disagree on the abortion issue" apologetic coming from a secular news agency, but the fact that it is being printed by the diocese is, to use an older term, a scandal.
What sort of message does this send to the faithful of your diocese (and, in this age of rapid communication, the faithful of the US)? It says that one's faith and one's life are separable. That the faith is a nice thing to have around, to use to justify decisions that you already want to make, but that if you come up against a "hard saying", you can "agree to disagree". I think John 6 is an appropriate passage here. When Our Lord delivered his "hard saying" on the Eucharist, he did not say, "Well, we can agree to disagree here." He looked at the apostles and said, "Do you take offense at this . . . .Do you also wish to go away?" The words of the apostle Peter are held up by the Church as our guide in these situations: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." (Jn 6:61-69)
I believe you are doing a disservice to the faithful of your diocese by soft-peddling this kind of rhetoric, the rhetoric that gives children over to the modern Moloch. The governor’s commitment to the least among us is admirable as far as it goes. But in abandoning the teaching of the Lord in his Church on the abortion issue, she puts herself against the Lord on the most important and pressing social issue of the day.
And by giving truck to this rhetoric, you tell your faithful that when the chips are down, the Church really has nothing to say to them. That when they encounter a hard saying, they are invited to walk away from the Lord.
Thank you for taking the time to read this email. I hope I have not been too forward or at all offensive. If so, please let me know and I will attempt to clarify any points that are not clear, or make amends for any misstatements that I have made.
Lizzie thinks I should have left off the last bit, but I thought it was necessary. Hey, I'm a nice guy, see. See?! I ask for correction. I want reconciliation. Aren't I nice?
Found this over on the HMS blog:
Gaylord Diocese paper messes it's pants in a mad scramble to portray Gov. Granholm's abortion stance as a principled matter of her deep Catholic faith
Now, I am not a letter writer by nature. I find boycotts and protests distasteful. When GOP protestors were picketing in FL after the 2000 election, I was scandalized (I mean, picket signs? That's what the lefties do!).
But there is no way this one was going to slip by without me opening my big mouth.
So, here's what I wrote to the gaylord guy. I mean the Gaylord guy (sorry, couldn't resist):
I was dismayed to read the particularly laudatory piece (one might even say glowing) in your diocesan paper profiling Governor Granholm. This article, coming from the paper of record for the Faithful of the diocese of Gaylord, is particularly troubling. One might see this sort of "we can disagree on the abortion issue" apologetic coming from a secular news agency, but the fact that it is being printed by the diocese is, to use an older term, a scandal.
What sort of message does this send to the faithful of your diocese (and, in this age of rapid communication, the faithful of the US)? It says that one's faith and one's life are separable. That the faith is a nice thing to have around, to use to justify decisions that you already want to make, but that if you come up against a "hard saying", you can "agree to disagree". I think John 6 is an appropriate passage here. When Our Lord delivered his "hard saying" on the Eucharist, he did not say, "Well, we can agree to disagree here." He looked at the apostles and said, "Do you take offense at this . . . .Do you also wish to go away?" The words of the apostle Peter are held up by the Church as our guide in these situations: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." (Jn 6:61-69)
I believe you are doing a disservice to the faithful of your diocese by soft-peddling this kind of rhetoric, the rhetoric that gives children over to the modern Moloch. The governor’s commitment to the least among us is admirable as far as it goes. But in abandoning the teaching of the Lord in his Church on the abortion issue, she puts herself against the Lord on the most important and pressing social issue of the day.
And by giving truck to this rhetoric, you tell your faithful that when the chips are down, the Church really has nothing to say to them. That when they encounter a hard saying, they are invited to walk away from the Lord.
Thank you for taking the time to read this email. I hope I have not been too forward or at all offensive. If so, please let me know and I will attempt to clarify any points that are not clear, or make amends for any misstatements that I have made.
Lizzie thinks I should have left off the last bit, but I thought it was necessary. Hey, I'm a nice guy, see. See?! I ask for correction. I want reconciliation. Aren't I nice?
Monday, September 29, 2003
Watch. Sit in Awe. Raise your hands in triumphant glee. Repeat.
Return of the King trailer
"This day, we fight!"
Great stuff. Hopefully will be on par with the "What we do in life, echoes in eternity" speech from Gladiator. Best first 10 minutes of a recent movie.
"Strength and honor!"
Return of the King trailer
"This day, we fight!"
Great stuff. Hopefully will be on par with the "What we do in life, echoes in eternity" speech from Gladiator. Best first 10 minutes of a recent movie.
"Strength and honor!"
Well, this is interesting . . .
How does one translate the word foot from Hebrew or Aramaic?
Now you know, and knowing is half the battle
NB: Best half-the-battle quote?:
"Yes, many things are half the battle. Losing is half the battle. Let us think about what is all the battle."
Elliot Ness, The Untouchables
How does one translate the word foot from Hebrew or Aramaic?
Now you know, and knowing is half the battle
NB: Best half-the-battle quote?:
"Yes, many things are half the battle. Losing is half the battle. Let us think about what is all the battle."
Elliot Ness, The Untouchables
The Philosophical Disconnect of Union Leadership
I was, some years back, a line-haul manager at Roadway Express. Meant I had to deal with Teamsters and the dreaded contract. For the most part, the Teamsters were all good guys who wanted to do a good job. There were a few who would run around bitching about "the Contract" and would raise hell and file if you asked a bid #83 to do something before asking the #82. And if things were going bad, even the best worker could start playing "Sh*thouse lawyer". But mostly everything was fine, and we all did our work.
The funny thing about Unions is that while so many of the workers are generally socially conservative, Union leadership is generally not. This creates a strange kind of duality within the Union world.
Exhibit A:
This article about the UAW and their latest round of contract talks (thanks to Sed Contra for link)
I saw first hand how the membership was getting fed up with the leadership. These were all conservative, mostly Baptist, country boys who went to church. I had a long talk with some guys one night about what politicians the Union gave money to, and they were livid. They all voted the other way.
I have been thinking that there might be a sea change coming in the Union world. I think there is a good opportunity for a guy to step forward and say "The leadership doesn't care about the things you and I care about, etc". The Dems better be careful, b/c if a conservative populist mood grips the Unions, that's a ton of money that would fly out of the coffers.
I was, some years back, a line-haul manager at Roadway Express. Meant I had to deal with Teamsters and the dreaded contract. For the most part, the Teamsters were all good guys who wanted to do a good job. There were a few who would run around bitching about "the Contract" and would raise hell and file if you asked a bid #83 to do something before asking the #82. And if things were going bad, even the best worker could start playing "Sh*thouse lawyer". But mostly everything was fine, and we all did our work.
The funny thing about Unions is that while so many of the workers are generally socially conservative, Union leadership is generally not. This creates a strange kind of duality within the Union world.
Exhibit A:
This article about the UAW and their latest round of contract talks (thanks to Sed Contra for link)
I saw first hand how the membership was getting fed up with the leadership. These were all conservative, mostly Baptist, country boys who went to church. I had a long talk with some guys one night about what politicians the Union gave money to, and they were livid. They all voted the other way.
I have been thinking that there might be a sea change coming in the Union world. I think there is a good opportunity for a guy to step forward and say "The leadership doesn't care about the things you and I care about, etc". The Dems better be careful, b/c if a conservative populist mood grips the Unions, that's a ton of money that would fly out of the coffers.
Thursday, September 25, 2003
Gerard et Augustin
I was curious about this earlier this year, but never heard anything else about it. Is it true that Gerard Depardieu has come home to the Church? Or is he just doing his own spiritual thing with St. Augustine attached to the project?
I was curious about this earlier this year, but never heard anything else about it. Is it true that Gerard Depardieu has come home to the Church? Or is he just doing his own spiritual thing with St. Augustine attached to the project?
Oh my little pretty one, pretty one; When you gonna give me some time, Sharia!
My My My My MY SHARIA!
In a rare display of jurisprudential wisdom, the Nigerian Sharia Appeals court have decided not to allow a woman accused of adultery to be stoned to death.
But, as wonderful as this is, it should be put in perspective. And that perspective is provided by Judge Sule Sada. The noted Nigerian juror issued the dissent, which boils down to: "She confessed, stoning is the penalty, somebody get me a really big rock." And he is absolutely right. The fundamental question here is not one of due process. Sure, there are due process issues. The question here is this:
What would have been the result if she had had her lawyer present when she confessed to having sex with a man who was not her husband and had fully understood the nature of the charge? The result would have been many goodly-sized chunks of limestone hurled at her head by a mob, that's what.
Nevermind that the man had said he was going to marry her (and how often is this one going to work before the ladies stop believing it. If history is any judge, no time soon). She was toast.
Sharia law is a danger more threatening than terrorists. I heard tell that the State department was cool with letting the Afghan judiciary go back to a Sharia system. Great news for the quarry business in Kandahar, I'm sure.
I am less and less amused by the "religion of peace" apologetic. I used to think it was funny. Like the whole "Mormons, we're just you're average Christians" routine.
Islam is not, in it's pure form, a religion of peace. It is the deconstrctionists who have made it so. It is, at it's base, the religion of stones.
P.S. - Well, and let's look in our own back yard, shall we? Florida, Schiavo. Roe. etc.
It seems we have two competing theories here for the title of least just/most likely to kill.
One: Sharia law - stonings, honor killings, etc.
Two: Western Judicial Activism - Abortion, Euthanasia, gay marriage, etc
Now, these two seem to me, as a layman, diametrically opposed. One is code set down by a scripture and not fond of abstraction or amendment. The other is highly abstract, inserting principles (or obliterating them) in the name of some progressive ideal.
Now, not being a legal scholar, I may cork this up. But, it would seem that the answer here is is a proper understanding of Common Law. Sharia is bound to tradition come hell or high water. Common law allows for change over time. But unlike the "deconstruct them all and let Gaia sort 'em out" Western Judicial Activism, Common Law has a respect for the organic continuum of society. Stick to historical precedent, but don't be a nudge about it. If reason and common sense see an exception or the need for an alteration, make your case, and the organic continuum will have grown somewhat.
But that growth isn't some utopian perfect world that must be constructed at any cost. It is the growth of a people toward the END. It is eschatalogical in meaning, but not in action, i.e. the end is what the society is moving towards with the law as part of the whole (and that end, in Western law, is implicitly the consummation of all things in Christ). Law is the guardian of Justice, the holder of values in service to a the good of the society as it moves towards the end.
Modern judicial activism seems to me to be eschatalogical in its action. It is the law as the driver of progress. It is the SWAT team of an Hegelian "Justice". It is not a protector, but an avenger. It will use it's power to make the end come about. Rather than shepherding a society and judging based on past experience with a view towards the good, it will determine and dictate the good on it's own to BRING ABOUT it's own end.
OK, I'm confusing myself, so I'll stop and reflect. Talk amongst yourselves (or, as is probably the case with this blog, yourself).
My My My My MY SHARIA!
In a rare display of jurisprudential wisdom, the Nigerian Sharia Appeals court have decided not to allow a woman accused of adultery to be stoned to death.
But, as wonderful as this is, it should be put in perspective. And that perspective is provided by Judge Sule Sada. The noted Nigerian juror issued the dissent, which boils down to: "She confessed, stoning is the penalty, somebody get me a really big rock." And he is absolutely right. The fundamental question here is not one of due process. Sure, there are due process issues. The question here is this:
What would have been the result if she had had her lawyer present when she confessed to having sex with a man who was not her husband and had fully understood the nature of the charge? The result would have been many goodly-sized chunks of limestone hurled at her head by a mob, that's what.
Nevermind that the man had said he was going to marry her (and how often is this one going to work before the ladies stop believing it. If history is any judge, no time soon). She was toast.
Sharia law is a danger more threatening than terrorists. I heard tell that the State department was cool with letting the Afghan judiciary go back to a Sharia system. Great news for the quarry business in Kandahar, I'm sure.
I am less and less amused by the "religion of peace" apologetic. I used to think it was funny. Like the whole "Mormons, we're just you're average Christians" routine.
Islam is not, in it's pure form, a religion of peace. It is the deconstrctionists who have made it so. It is, at it's base, the religion of stones.
P.S. - Well, and let's look in our own back yard, shall we? Florida, Schiavo. Roe. etc.
It seems we have two competing theories here for the title of least just/most likely to kill.
One: Sharia law - stonings, honor killings, etc.
Two: Western Judicial Activism - Abortion, Euthanasia, gay marriage, etc
Now, these two seem to me, as a layman, diametrically opposed. One is code set down by a scripture and not fond of abstraction or amendment. The other is highly abstract, inserting principles (or obliterating them) in the name of some progressive ideal.
Now, not being a legal scholar, I may cork this up. But, it would seem that the answer here is is a proper understanding of Common Law. Sharia is bound to tradition come hell or high water. Common law allows for change over time. But unlike the "deconstruct them all and let Gaia sort 'em out" Western Judicial Activism, Common Law has a respect for the organic continuum of society. Stick to historical precedent, but don't be a nudge about it. If reason and common sense see an exception or the need for an alteration, make your case, and the organic continuum will have grown somewhat.
But that growth isn't some utopian perfect world that must be constructed at any cost. It is the growth of a people toward the END. It is eschatalogical in meaning, but not in action, i.e. the end is what the society is moving towards with the law as part of the whole (and that end, in Western law, is implicitly the consummation of all things in Christ). Law is the guardian of Justice, the holder of values in service to a the good of the society as it moves towards the end.
Modern judicial activism seems to me to be eschatalogical in its action. It is the law as the driver of progress. It is the SWAT team of an Hegelian "Justice". It is not a protector, but an avenger. It will use it's power to make the end come about. Rather than shepherding a society and judging based on past experience with a view towards the good, it will determine and dictate the good on it's own to BRING ABOUT it's own end.
OK, I'm confusing myself, so I'll stop and reflect. Talk amongst yourselves (or, as is probably the case with this blog, yourself).
RIP
One of the great bogeymen of the America-is-Evil academic establishment has died.
Edward Said, Palestinian frontman and famous rock-thrower, has died in NYC.
His noxious and deconstructionist rhetoric on the Israel/Palestine question will not be missed. He was the go-to guy for any opinion which expressed hatred of American policy and support for suicide bombers.
However, I am deeply saddened by his passing. I can't say why, only that the death of someone who was so intent on justifying murderous terrorists seems to me a moment lost. I know nothing about him personally. He was probably a good guy, as most people who hold and teach evil things are often fairly normal in their personal lives. Maybe not. I can only hope that I will meet him some day, and therein be shown the wideness of God's mercy.
God knows I could benefit from a certain amount of latitude.
But I have this sinking suspicion that if things go right with me, we will never meet. I hope for Mr. Said's sake I am wrong.
One of the great bogeymen of the America-is-Evil academic establishment has died.
Edward Said, Palestinian frontman and famous rock-thrower, has died in NYC.
His noxious and deconstructionist rhetoric on the Israel/Palestine question will not be missed. He was the go-to guy for any opinion which expressed hatred of American policy and support for suicide bombers.
However, I am deeply saddened by his passing. I can't say why, only that the death of someone who was so intent on justifying murderous terrorists seems to me a moment lost. I know nothing about him personally. He was probably a good guy, as most people who hold and teach evil things are often fairly normal in their personal lives. Maybe not. I can only hope that I will meet him some day, and therein be shown the wideness of God's mercy.
God knows I could benefit from a certain amount of latitude.
But I have this sinking suspicion that if things go right with me, we will never meet. I hope for Mr. Said's sake I am wrong.
Wednesday, September 24, 2003
Shelton for President
Can we dump Dubyah and run General H. Hugh Shelton instead? Great stuff out of a celebrity forum at Foothill College.
I particularly love the lines about the doctor and the congressman's U-2 fly over proposal.
Can we dump Dubyah and run General H. Hugh Shelton instead? Great stuff out of a celebrity forum at Foothill College.
I particularly love the lines about the doctor and the congressman's U-2 fly over proposal.
Saturday, September 20, 2003
A consistent Hagiography and Historiography is a Terrible Thing to Waste
Oy, where to begin.
I am, I suppose, happy that these dear people are discovering the sacramental and liturgical traditions. However, the historical fracture of Christianity has obscured the fact that the Catholic Church has exhibited, and still does exhibit, all of the cited characteristics (we'll skip modern charismatic elements for now, they make me nervous as currently practiced). Read the didiche, people!
I feel sorry that Dr. Howard has been drug into this hodgepodge mess (without his consent or knowledge, I'm sure). It's like C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. I'm sure that is an influence on these people, but Lewis would be a little taken aback by this.
Also, interesting point: they never mention bishops. All of this stuff is supposed to be coalesced around the person of a bishop. I guess that's just a little too much historical accuracy for these folks. Sound like perfectly nice people, though.
Oy, where to begin.
I am, I suppose, happy that these dear people are discovering the sacramental and liturgical traditions. However, the historical fracture of Christianity has obscured the fact that the Catholic Church has exhibited, and still does exhibit, all of the cited characteristics (we'll skip modern charismatic elements for now, they make me nervous as currently practiced). Read the didiche, people!
I feel sorry that Dr. Howard has been drug into this hodgepodge mess (without his consent or knowledge, I'm sure). It's like C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. I'm sure that is an influence on these people, but Lewis would be a little taken aback by this.
Also, interesting point: they never mention bishops. All of this stuff is supposed to be coalesced around the person of a bishop. I guess that's just a little too much historical accuracy for these folks. Sound like perfectly nice people, though.
May Light Perpetual Shine apon Them, O Lord.
It's 4:13 AM, Auggie and I are having a midnight snack (he's having his usual choco - milk that is, I'm having a small slice of cheese and one of the boys' juice boxes).
All is well, but now Daddy's crying. This started as a cute "Auggie and I Have a Midnight snack" post. Now I'm fighting back tears, angry as much as anything. Why?
Read THIS.
At 4:00 AM, with my son on my lap choo-chooing Thomas on they keyboard after a quick glass of choco, this makes no sense. NONE. Under no cirumstances.
WHAT THE HELL ARE WE DOING?!!!!!!!
It's 4:13 AM, Auggie and I are having a midnight snack (he's having his usual choco - milk that is, I'm having a small slice of cheese and one of the boys' juice boxes).
All is well, but now Daddy's crying. This started as a cute "Auggie and I Have a Midnight snack" post. Now I'm fighting back tears, angry as much as anything. Why?
Read THIS.
At 4:00 AM, with my son on my lap choo-chooing Thomas on they keyboard after a quick glass of choco, this makes no sense. NONE. Under no cirumstances.
WHAT THE HELL ARE WE DOING?!!!!!!!
Friday, September 19, 2003
Building Peace, Love and Understanding Around the World . . .
. . . while completely destroying the ability to love, know or understand one's neighbor. Like what the world needs is more connectivity. We need fewer push/talk-global-communication-chat-text-IM breakthroughs, and more talks across the back fence.
Chicago company enables metrosexuals to instantly connect with French boulanger to place important, Fed Ex-delivered baggett order
Well, that could be one use.
I am as guilty as anyone. I don't mind IM'ing total strangers or flaming a commenter from God-Knows-Where on a message board. But talking to a neighbor scares the crap out of me sometimes.
. . . while completely destroying the ability to love, know or understand one's neighbor. Like what the world needs is more connectivity. We need fewer push/talk-global-communication-chat-text-IM breakthroughs, and more talks across the back fence.
Chicago company enables metrosexuals to instantly connect with French boulanger to place important, Fed Ex-delivered baggett order
Well, that could be one use.
I am as guilty as anyone. I don't mind IM'ing total strangers or flaming a commenter from God-Knows-Where on a message board. But talking to a neighbor scares the crap out of me sometimes.
Pigs Responsible for NORAD Defcon 1 Alert Scare, Satan Buys NHL Franchise
I actually agree (mostly) with the National Catholic Reporter. I know, I was surprised, too.
Making my usual Friday morning check to see if John Allen's "Word from Rome" was up, I ran across this editorial:
But in less than two months, O'Malley has brought the Boston church to a place few thought possible prior to his installation. He did so by acting with intelligence, integrity and decency. By acting like a Christian leader.
Amen and right on. What impressed me most was what he said in his first press conf:
"I have always told diocesan lawyers in the past that settlements are not hush money or extortion or anything other than the rightful indemnification of persons who have suffered gravely at the hands of a priest. Even when I have been told that there is no legal obligation, I have always said, if there is a moral obligation then we must step up to the plate."
Exactly right. No appeals to "justice" (wrongly understood), but an appeal to Justice. That hit the right tone with me. Concrete, moral, compassionate (rightly understood). An understanding, so seemingly lacking in a great majority of the episcopate, that there has to be a reckoning. Not a punishment of the diocese, but a reckoning for the wrong done.
Now, there are flaws in the editorial. It IS the Nat'l Cath Rep, afterall. Objectively citing poll numbers to show that ". . . the bitterness runs so deep among some that no amount of money, compassion or contrition will ever suffice." How exactly do you gauge this:
The challenges O'Malley and his church face remain formidable. The clergy is fractured, frightened and quarrelsome. Fewer than 15 percent of Boston Catholics attend Sunday Mass, donations are down, and, according to a pre-O'Malley Boston Globe survey, 40 percent of the archdiocese's Catholics think the local church should consider breaking from Rome.
Is that 40% of the 15%? I would tend to doubt it. What would those 40% have said had the scandal never happened? My guess is that the numbers would have been the same. Why worry about the 40% if only 15% are going to Mass? Or vice versa. If you give credence to the judiciously informed opinions of people who are CINO, why worry about whether only 15% are going to Mass?
And here's another interesting thing. The argument always is this: Be more inclusive, be more open, and they'll come back. Accomodate the modern world in all those controversial areas and people will respect the Church and come back to her.
My guess is that the answer you would get would go something like this: "Wow! Great that you've caught up to the rest of us. Now, why should I waste my time with you when I can get the same experience by getting a triple-moca half-caff latte and watching 'Sex and the City'. I mean, you used to be neaderthalic morons, but at least you STOOD for SOMETHING? Why do I need to see Mother Linda do an interpretive dance expressing her feelings about the faith experience of Mary of Magdala? I mean, that's just so 70's."
The stampede coming back into the "church" would be such that several small puppies would be safe in its midst. So even the practical argument for making the church "relevent" doesn't pass the BS test, if you ask me. And that is the only coherent argument.
By the way, The Word from Rome wasn't up. But check it anyway. Allen is good.
I actually agree (mostly) with the National Catholic Reporter. I know, I was surprised, too.
Making my usual Friday morning check to see if John Allen's "Word from Rome" was up, I ran across this editorial:
But in less than two months, O'Malley has brought the Boston church to a place few thought possible prior to his installation. He did so by acting with intelligence, integrity and decency. By acting like a Christian leader.
Amen and right on. What impressed me most was what he said in his first press conf:
"I have always told diocesan lawyers in the past that settlements are not hush money or extortion or anything other than the rightful indemnification of persons who have suffered gravely at the hands of a priest. Even when I have been told that there is no legal obligation, I have always said, if there is a moral obligation then we must step up to the plate."
Exactly right. No appeals to "justice" (wrongly understood), but an appeal to Justice. That hit the right tone with me. Concrete, moral, compassionate (rightly understood). An understanding, so seemingly lacking in a great majority of the episcopate, that there has to be a reckoning. Not a punishment of the diocese, but a reckoning for the wrong done.
Now, there are flaws in the editorial. It IS the Nat'l Cath Rep, afterall. Objectively citing poll numbers to show that ". . . the bitterness runs so deep among some that no amount of money, compassion or contrition will ever suffice." How exactly do you gauge this:
The challenges O'Malley and his church face remain formidable. The clergy is fractured, frightened and quarrelsome. Fewer than 15 percent of Boston Catholics attend Sunday Mass, donations are down, and, according to a pre-O'Malley Boston Globe survey, 40 percent of the archdiocese's Catholics think the local church should consider breaking from Rome.
Is that 40% of the 15%? I would tend to doubt it. What would those 40% have said had the scandal never happened? My guess is that the numbers would have been the same. Why worry about the 40% if only 15% are going to Mass? Or vice versa. If you give credence to the judiciously informed opinions of people who are CINO, why worry about whether only 15% are going to Mass?
And here's another interesting thing. The argument always is this: Be more inclusive, be more open, and they'll come back. Accomodate the modern world in all those controversial areas and people will respect the Church and come back to her.
My guess is that the answer you would get would go something like this: "Wow! Great that you've caught up to the rest of us. Now, why should I waste my time with you when I can get the same experience by getting a triple-moca half-caff latte and watching 'Sex and the City'. I mean, you used to be neaderthalic morons, but at least you STOOD for SOMETHING? Why do I need to see Mother Linda do an interpretive dance expressing her feelings about the faith experience of Mary of Magdala? I mean, that's just so 70's."
The stampede coming back into the "church" would be such that several small puppies would be safe in its midst. So even the practical argument for making the church "relevent" doesn't pass the BS test, if you ask me. And that is the only coherent argument.
By the way, The Word from Rome wasn't up. But check it anyway. Allen is good.
Wednesday, September 17, 2003
English Catholicism in Spain
I am, temperamentally, an English Catholic. I was received into the Church with a group of Anglicans who were fleeing the sinking ship . . . I mean, converting to Catholicism. My first few years were spent in a small Anglican Use parish here in Fort Worth. My college was founded and nurtured mostly by ex-Anglicans of the high church persuasion.
I believe the English Catholic devotional and liturgical, as well as social, traditions are the most beautiful you will find. Both Recusant and the separated Established dreamers of the post-Elizabethan era who tried to follow the "via media" (particularly as the Established catholic tradition has been finding its way home, cf. Cardinal Newman et al. Charles? Did I loose you there, Charlie?).
Our Lady of Walsingham? Great. Sarum Missal? Excellent. Archjerk Cranmer's liturgy? Great liturgy, lousy guy. Brideshead Revisited and Father Brown? Super keen.
Now, that being said, I am a sucker for articles and books about English Catholicism. And my favorite paper online is Britain's Daily Telegraph. So you can imagine the heights of sublime joy I reached while reading this article from the travel section of the Telegraph provided by the inimitable Miss Welborn. I got a little teary. No martyr can produce that effect for me quite like an English martyr. And the Vulnerata? Fuhgit about it! I'm a goner.
Sentimental? Maybe. But I hope it is sentiment, and not sentimentality.
Now, if only my wife would get on board with naming a son Campion Newman Scagel . . . .
I am, temperamentally, an English Catholic. I was received into the Church with a group of Anglicans who were fleeing the sinking ship . . . I mean, converting to Catholicism. My first few years were spent in a small Anglican Use parish here in Fort Worth. My college was founded and nurtured mostly by ex-Anglicans of the high church persuasion.
I believe the English Catholic devotional and liturgical, as well as social, traditions are the most beautiful you will find. Both Recusant and the separated Established dreamers of the post-Elizabethan era who tried to follow the "via media" (particularly as the Established catholic tradition has been finding its way home, cf. Cardinal Newman et al. Charles? Did I loose you there, Charlie?).
Our Lady of Walsingham? Great. Sarum Missal? Excellent. Archjerk Cranmer's liturgy? Great liturgy, lousy guy. Brideshead Revisited and Father Brown? Super keen.
Now, that being said, I am a sucker for articles and books about English Catholicism. And my favorite paper online is Britain's Daily Telegraph. So you can imagine the heights of sublime joy I reached while reading this article from the travel section of the Telegraph provided by the inimitable Miss Welborn. I got a little teary. No martyr can produce that effect for me quite like an English martyr. And the Vulnerata? Fuhgit about it! I'm a goner.
Sentimental? Maybe. But I hope it is sentiment, and not sentimentality.
Now, if only my wife would get on board with naming a son Campion Newman Scagel . . . .
A Study in Nonsense
Mr. Shea provides the blogsphere with this little tidbit from Fr. Phil Bloom:
The AmChurch Consolidated Homily.
New winner of the "Ecclesial Humor of the Year Award".
Mr. Shea provides the blogsphere with this little tidbit from Fr. Phil Bloom:
The AmChurch Consolidated Homily.
New winner of the "Ecclesial Humor of the Year Award".
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
New from Mossad Toys!
She 's the defender of all thing Zionist! She makes sure that the Israeli dogs can drink the blood of Muslim children in safety and decadence! She has Ariel Sharon on the speed dial of her colour-coordinated PDA/Cell Phone/Lip Gloss case!
She's Jewish Commando Barbie!
And this account of the flap from my favorite paper of record, the Hindustan Times.
Ain't the Wahabists grand? You know, I may not be the most enlightened guy on the block. I realize that on the Islam question I'm more Urban II than Edward Said. But there really are times when I wish the "Crusader" moniker that is thrown about in the Muslim word were accurate.
On this account I, or rather the Lord, beseech you as Christ's heralds to publish this everywhere and to persuade all people of whatever rank, foot-soldiers and knights, poor and rich, to carry aid promptly to those Christians and to destroy that (insert outdated inflammatory cultural rhetoric here) from the lands of our friends. I say this to those who are present, it meant also for those who are absent. Moreover, Christ commands it. . . . Dieu li volt!
OK, so I chickened out on the "vile race" line. And, of course, I have no real wish to have thousands of Frenchmen put red crosses on their shoulders and march off to the Holy Land to do battle with the infidel (and really, what good would that do these days, non?). And I'm no great lover of the "sell sex to kids" culture that hold sway in modern America (I saw this line of dolls called "Bratz" advertised during SpongeBob the other day, and caught myself giving forth that crotchety growling noise that prospectors in old westerns specialized in).
But compare the effect that Beach Fun Barbie has on the youth of Islam with this. This is, I'm sure, something the Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice is down with.
She 's the defender of all thing Zionist! She makes sure that the Israeli dogs can drink the blood of Muslim children in safety and decadence! She has Ariel Sharon on the speed dial of her colour-coordinated PDA/Cell Phone/Lip Gloss case!
She's Jewish Commando Barbie!
And this account of the flap from my favorite paper of record, the Hindustan Times.
Ain't the Wahabists grand? You know, I may not be the most enlightened guy on the block. I realize that on the Islam question I'm more Urban II than Edward Said. But there really are times when I wish the "Crusader" moniker that is thrown about in the Muslim word were accurate.
On this account I, or rather the Lord, beseech you as Christ's heralds to publish this everywhere and to persuade all people of whatever rank, foot-soldiers and knights, poor and rich, to carry aid promptly to those Christians and to destroy that (insert outdated inflammatory cultural rhetoric here) from the lands of our friends. I say this to those who are present, it meant also for those who are absent. Moreover, Christ commands it. . . . Dieu li volt!
OK, so I chickened out on the "vile race" line. And, of course, I have no real wish to have thousands of Frenchmen put red crosses on their shoulders and march off to the Holy Land to do battle with the infidel (and really, what good would that do these days, non?). And I'm no great lover of the "sell sex to kids" culture that hold sway in modern America (I saw this line of dolls called "Bratz" advertised during SpongeBob the other day, and caught myself giving forth that crotchety growling noise that prospectors in old westerns specialized in).
But compare the effect that Beach Fun Barbie has on the youth of Islam with this. This is, I'm sure, something the Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice is down with.
Monday, September 15, 2003
That's the problem with pluralism . . .
. . . it's never quite as plural as one would wish.
I mean, this is just not cricket.
Fmr Archbishop Carey must be pouring himself an extra dry with two olives and chuckling to himself right about now. "I TOLD Tony not to go with the Welshman, but NO, heh, heh, heh."
. . . it's never quite as plural as one would wish.
I mean, this is just not cricket.
Fmr Archbishop Carey must be pouring himself an extra dry with two olives and chuckling to himself right about now. "I TOLD Tony not to go with the Welshman, but NO, heh, heh, heh."
Sharpen those pencils, boys. Now that we got that taken care of, we got us some taxes to raise.
My condolences to Chris Weinkopf and all his fellow Californians. The recall of Gray "Could Mom Have Chosen a Better Colour to Name Me After?" Davis appears to be stalled indefinitely by everybody's favorite Revolutionary People's Tribunal . . . I mean, federal court, the Ninth Circuit. Now, the recall was a freak show of the highest order. And if Arnold won, Bishop Weigand would have the same problem on his hands as he does now in Sacramento. But at least there was a POSSIBILITY that Arnie was going to give Cahllyvornians some tax relief. Now?
Chris, let's start the pool. I bet registration on your car is 1.5 times the blue book value next year. Wanna bet?
My condolences to Chris Weinkopf and all his fellow Californians. The recall of Gray "Could Mom Have Chosen a Better Colour to Name Me After?" Davis appears to be stalled indefinitely by everybody's favorite Revolutionary People's Tribunal . . . I mean, federal court, the Ninth Circuit. Now, the recall was a freak show of the highest order. And if Arnold won, Bishop Weigand would have the same problem on his hands as he does now in Sacramento. But at least there was a POSSIBILITY that Arnie was going to give Cahllyvornians some tax relief. Now?
Chris, let's start the pool. I bet registration on your car is 1.5 times the blue book value next year. Wanna bet?
And There was Much Rejoicing
There you go, 1-1. Nice job by the Pats, but I think their offense looked a little sluggish. D looked great. I concur with the guy from the Herald who thinks this had more to do with the Eagles' inability to get anything going. But, hey, Belichek and Crennell put a super defensive game plan together, and the guys executed well. Particularly the 'backers.
Still, Buffalo scares the crap out of me. They look really tight.
Here we go, on to a 15-1 season for the Patsies!
There you go, 1-1. Nice job by the Pats, but I think their offense looked a little sluggish. D looked great. I concur with the guy from the Herald who thinks this had more to do with the Eagles' inability to get anything going. But, hey, Belichek and Crennell put a super defensive game plan together, and the guys executed well. Particularly the 'backers.
Still, Buffalo scares the crap out of me. They look really tight.
Here we go, on to a 15-1 season for the Patsies!
Thursday, September 11, 2003
Kenneth McClellan Scagel III - CV (OK, how verbose can a CV be? Read and find out)
Name: Kenny Scagel
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Born: August 21, 1972 - Lowell General Hospital, Lowell, MA. Grew up in Westford, MA and Epping, NH. Generally, when asked, I say I am from New Hampshire, NOT Massachusetts. Fits better, I think.
Schooling: Eaglebrook School, Deerfield, MA (8th and 9th, boarding); Middlesex School, Concord, MA (10th-12th, boarding). Loved boarding school. All parents/kids should have the luxury of a boarding school relationship between the ages of 12 and 18. Works out best for all concerned. Kids get freedom and have to be responsible for themselves (OK, so I wasn't an ace at the latter), and parents don't have to have mental breakdowns every time junior doesn't come home by curfew. I'm sure I'll be speaking ad nauseum about the loss of tradition in society, and especially at my alma mater MX.
College: College of Saint Thomas More, Fort Worth, TX. Took about four years off between 18-21/22. The College is the place that made me, so to speak. Found the tradition I'd always known was out there, and learned that it was the Tradition. Learned that the Greeks and Romans knew what they were talking about. Learned that Thomas Aquinas didn't start a bunch of schools. Learned all that I had always wanted to learn, but never knew where to look.
Met the most important people of my life there:
-Dr. Patrick, Fellow in Theology and Provost who destroyed my last historically flawed argument against joining The Church when he asked, "Mr. Scagel, are you going to let the Borgia family stand between you and the salvation of your eternal soul?"
-Mr. Lacy, Fellow in Classics and general mentor, one of the most singular people I will ever meet.
-Lloyd Newton, former Professor of Philosophy, now at Benedictine College in KS, the man with whom I learned philosophy. I say "with whom" b/c he always managed to throw in some of what he was doing for his PhD at Univ. Dallas. We had a blast reading all the greats together.
-Dr. Judith Shank and Dr. Don Carlson, Fellows in Literature, taught me there is more then one way to skin the cat of knowledge, and to tell an image from an allegory.
-Father and Mrs. Hart, my priest and his wife. Anglican converts to Catholicism. Luckiest break I ever got from Divine Providence was meeting Father Hart and his wife, Ladorne (sic?). How many people can say they were received into the Church with their priest? You will definitely being hearing about Fr. Hart, best homilist in Texas.
-Charles Warnky, who is sure to make some guest appearances in blogdom. My constant boon companion in all things, but especially in unraveling the mysteries of the Great Books and the Lesser. Warnky is my best friend, and the most frustrating life-long Anglican you will ever meet ("Irregular sacraments?! What the hell are irregular sacraments, Charlie?!"). Formally the goofiest Marine in the Corps, he is now a super-secret CT in the Navy (reserve) and IT groundling at Lockheed. If you are so inclined as to remain an Anglo-Catholic, you should find whatever parish Charlie will pastor in 10 or so years. At least the liturgies will be superb. You'll need illuminating footnotes for the homilies though, I'm sure. "Did you get Fr. Warnky's homework for next week's homily?" "Yeah, I'm gonna have to cram to finish that Deely semiotics book and that Scruton article, but luckily I've already read the Aristotle and The Critique of Judgement for last year's homily for The Feast of the Ascension."
-Jonathan Wallis, seminarian of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth. Auggie's Godfather. I would love to tell you more about Jonathan, but he's in seminary in San Antonio, and these walls have ears . . . .
-My wife, Elizabeth (see below). No need to go into it here. She is the best person I know.
Married: August 1, 1998 to the former Elizabeth Leigh Jarvis at St Mary of the Assumption, Fort Worth - Liturgy was Anglican Use, Tempature was about 106 degrees, Air Conditioning was non-functional.
Children: 3 - Kenneth McClellan Scagel IV ("Mac" age 4), Augustine Graham Scagel ("Auggie" age 3), "Peanut" (due 3/04)
Favorite Activities: Reading, arguing about obscure points of philosophy/theology with friends and/or acquaintances and/or the guy I met in line at the store, telling people about the wonders and glories of Cicero, playing trains with my sons until my hands are numb and my mind is permanently trapped on the Magical Island of Sodor (don't get me started on the evils of Sir Topham Hat's Utilitarian-based Totalitarian state - motto: Be Really Useful, or We'll Chop You Up for Spare Parts to Repair the Engines Who Are), watching football, reading about football, betting on football, telling my sons what great football players they are going to be, trying to find a lacrosse game on the cable sports networks (they list some every spring, but then they are never on), and the fine art of appearing to be busy at home while actually doing nothing.
Best Books Ever:
Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton - The book that, more than any other, brought me to Christ (as much as any book can be said to participate in that movement).
Introduction to the Devout Life by St Francis de Sales - Big ups to my patron. Great book that incarnates deep theological reflection in sound, practical pastoral instruction. No one should not read this book.
De Officiis and De Re Publica and De Finibus and De Amicitia and De Senectute and De Oratore et al by Marcus Tullius Cicero - Great quote about Cicero: "The problem with the modern world is that Cicero has ceased to be the foundation of the education of young minds. If I had the money, I would send every politician in Washington a copy of De Officiis." - Kenny Scagel
OK, I know I shouldn't be quoting myself, but I think I'm right. On this one, I KNOW I'm right. Here is a man who, for me, is the perfect example of a citizen/politician/philosopher. Was he a deep original thinker? No. But he brings a concreteness to his philosophy that gives a guide to how a man can live his life according to right reason and reflection that was, until recently, the foundation of any good Western education. His sythesis of the philosophical world of 1st Century BC Rome (Academic, Peripatetic and Stoic) is the best example of what 99% of us should be: doers of philosophy, taking in the great works of the philosophers and incarnating them in our lives. If you have not read Cicero, GO GET ONE OF THE ABOVE AND START READING (De Senectute [On Old Age] is short and a good read. De Officiis [On Duties] is my favorite, along with De Amicitia [On Friendship])
Nichomachean Ethics and Politics or anything else by Aristotle - Aristotle, the master of common sense. Read anything of his, but the two above are required, you hear me, required! I guess you can skip the Politics if you want, but I'll be marking off for it!. Helpful but not necessary to have a teacher/guide or commentary on hand.
Anything by Plato. Everybody should read one dialogue per year. Mandatory. Singapore-style canings for refusal to comply. And generally, if you only read Plato and Aristotle and Cicero for your philosophy, you will not be missing out on anything. You would never make it at Big University Philosophy Dept's cocktail party, but that's a plus in my book.
Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogal - Don't know why, but this is my favorite Russian novel.
Any short story by Katherine Anne Porter - fell in love with her in high school. She and Flannery O'Connor describe a sort of Belloc/Chesterton extreme within the short story genre. Miss Porter is definitely the Belloc. Haunting, sometimes a little depressing, but always top notch.
"The Mahogany Frame" by Andrew Lytle - Great short story, great stuff about the nature of family and history, and a super repudiation of "Half-the Horse" Abstraction in modern life.
The Painted Word and From Bauhaus to Our House by Tom Wolfe - Another great attack on modern abstraction, and funnier than my kids when they spin themselves around and get dizzy. Laugh out loud funny. Great read (although I generally ignore his vitriolic treatment of St Thomas Aquinas and the Scholastics, they work in the context he's putting them in, but they still tick me off). All in all, any Tom Wolfe non-fiction is the top-of-the-line in bathroom reading. Well, right after the ODCC.
Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book by Walker Percy - The definitive swipe at modern abstraction. And THE funniest book I have ever read in the fields of the "modern dilemma" and semiotics. The Semiotic Intermezzo is required reading, even though I have a friend who says that Percy's lack of a complete collection of C.S. Pierce's works leads him to completely mischaracterize Pierce's semiotic. That's just nitpicking. I think it is genius.
Critique of Judgement by Immanuel Kant (yes, I said Kant, you got a problem with that!?) - His least systematically coherent work, and amen for that. Great work on aesthetics. There is real gold here amoung the Kantian dross, as evidenced by the fact that whole passages of another favorite, Jacques Maritain's Creative Intuition in Art and Poetry sound like they were lifted from the Critique. If you get similarities in Kant and Maritain, you'd better look closely, there's gotta be something there.
Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien - The book that fed me before I knew I was hungry.
OK, that's a little of the who what and where (and then some). Sorry, as you can tell my style is digressive.
Name: Kenny Scagel
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Born: August 21, 1972 - Lowell General Hospital, Lowell, MA. Grew up in Westford, MA and Epping, NH. Generally, when asked, I say I am from New Hampshire, NOT Massachusetts. Fits better, I think.
Schooling: Eaglebrook School, Deerfield, MA (8th and 9th, boarding); Middlesex School, Concord, MA (10th-12th, boarding). Loved boarding school. All parents/kids should have the luxury of a boarding school relationship between the ages of 12 and 18. Works out best for all concerned. Kids get freedom and have to be responsible for themselves (OK, so I wasn't an ace at the latter), and parents don't have to have mental breakdowns every time junior doesn't come home by curfew. I'm sure I'll be speaking ad nauseum about the loss of tradition in society, and especially at my alma mater MX.
College: College of Saint Thomas More, Fort Worth, TX. Took about four years off between 18-21/22. The College is the place that made me, so to speak. Found the tradition I'd always known was out there, and learned that it was the Tradition. Learned that the Greeks and Romans knew what they were talking about. Learned that Thomas Aquinas didn't start a bunch of schools. Learned all that I had always wanted to learn, but never knew where to look.
Met the most important people of my life there:
-Dr. Patrick, Fellow in Theology and Provost who destroyed my last historically flawed argument against joining The Church when he asked, "Mr. Scagel, are you going to let the Borgia family stand between you and the salvation of your eternal soul?"
-Mr. Lacy, Fellow in Classics and general mentor, one of the most singular people I will ever meet.
-Lloyd Newton, former Professor of Philosophy, now at Benedictine College in KS, the man with whom I learned philosophy. I say "with whom" b/c he always managed to throw in some of what he was doing for his PhD at Univ. Dallas. We had a blast reading all the greats together.
-Dr. Judith Shank and Dr. Don Carlson, Fellows in Literature, taught me there is more then one way to skin the cat of knowledge, and to tell an image from an allegory.
-Father and Mrs. Hart, my priest and his wife. Anglican converts to Catholicism. Luckiest break I ever got from Divine Providence was meeting Father Hart and his wife, Ladorne (sic?). How many people can say they were received into the Church with their priest? You will definitely being hearing about Fr. Hart, best homilist in Texas.
-Charles Warnky, who is sure to make some guest appearances in blogdom. My constant boon companion in all things, but especially in unraveling the mysteries of the Great Books and the Lesser. Warnky is my best friend, and the most frustrating life-long Anglican you will ever meet ("Irregular sacraments?! What the hell are irregular sacraments, Charlie?!"). Formally the goofiest Marine in the Corps, he is now a super-secret CT in the Navy (reserve) and IT groundling at Lockheed. If you are so inclined as to remain an Anglo-Catholic, you should find whatever parish Charlie will pastor in 10 or so years. At least the liturgies will be superb. You'll need illuminating footnotes for the homilies though, I'm sure. "Did you get Fr. Warnky's homework for next week's homily?" "Yeah, I'm gonna have to cram to finish that Deely semiotics book and that Scruton article, but luckily I've already read the Aristotle and The Critique of Judgement for last year's homily for The Feast of the Ascension."
-Jonathan Wallis, seminarian of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth. Auggie's Godfather. I would love to tell you more about Jonathan, but he's in seminary in San Antonio, and these walls have ears . . . .
-My wife, Elizabeth (see below). No need to go into it here. She is the best person I know.
Married: August 1, 1998 to the former Elizabeth Leigh Jarvis at St Mary of the Assumption, Fort Worth - Liturgy was Anglican Use, Tempature was about 106 degrees, Air Conditioning was non-functional.
Children: 3 - Kenneth McClellan Scagel IV ("Mac" age 4), Augustine Graham Scagel ("Auggie" age 3), "Peanut" (due 3/04)
Favorite Activities: Reading, arguing about obscure points of philosophy/theology with friends and/or acquaintances and/or the guy I met in line at the store, telling people about the wonders and glories of Cicero, playing trains with my sons until my hands are numb and my mind is permanently trapped on the Magical Island of Sodor (don't get me started on the evils of Sir Topham Hat's Utilitarian-based Totalitarian state - motto: Be Really Useful, or We'll Chop You Up for Spare Parts to Repair the Engines Who Are), watching football, reading about football, betting on football, telling my sons what great football players they are going to be, trying to find a lacrosse game on the cable sports networks (they list some every spring, but then they are never on), and the fine art of appearing to be busy at home while actually doing nothing.
Best Books Ever:
Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton - The book that, more than any other, brought me to Christ (as much as any book can be said to participate in that movement).
Introduction to the Devout Life by St Francis de Sales - Big ups to my patron. Great book that incarnates deep theological reflection in sound, practical pastoral instruction. No one should not read this book.
De Officiis and De Re Publica and De Finibus and De Amicitia and De Senectute and De Oratore et al by Marcus Tullius Cicero - Great quote about Cicero: "The problem with the modern world is that Cicero has ceased to be the foundation of the education of young minds. If I had the money, I would send every politician in Washington a copy of De Officiis." - Kenny Scagel
OK, I know I shouldn't be quoting myself, but I think I'm right. On this one, I KNOW I'm right. Here is a man who, for me, is the perfect example of a citizen/politician/philosopher. Was he a deep original thinker? No. But he brings a concreteness to his philosophy that gives a guide to how a man can live his life according to right reason and reflection that was, until recently, the foundation of any good Western education. His sythesis of the philosophical world of 1st Century BC Rome (Academic, Peripatetic and Stoic) is the best example of what 99% of us should be: doers of philosophy, taking in the great works of the philosophers and incarnating them in our lives. If you have not read Cicero, GO GET ONE OF THE ABOVE AND START READING (De Senectute [On Old Age] is short and a good read. De Officiis [On Duties] is my favorite, along with De Amicitia [On Friendship])
Nichomachean Ethics and Politics or anything else by Aristotle - Aristotle, the master of common sense. Read anything of his, but the two above are required, you hear me, required! I guess you can skip the Politics if you want, but I'll be marking off for it!. Helpful but not necessary to have a teacher/guide or commentary on hand.
Anything by Plato. Everybody should read one dialogue per year. Mandatory. Singapore-style canings for refusal to comply. And generally, if you only read Plato and Aristotle and Cicero for your philosophy, you will not be missing out on anything. You would never make it at Big University Philosophy Dept's cocktail party, but that's a plus in my book.
Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogal - Don't know why, but this is my favorite Russian novel.
Any short story by Katherine Anne Porter - fell in love with her in high school. She and Flannery O'Connor describe a sort of Belloc/Chesterton extreme within the short story genre. Miss Porter is definitely the Belloc. Haunting, sometimes a little depressing, but always top notch.
"The Mahogany Frame" by Andrew Lytle - Great short story, great stuff about the nature of family and history, and a super repudiation of "Half-the Horse" Abstraction in modern life.
The Painted Word and From Bauhaus to Our House by Tom Wolfe - Another great attack on modern abstraction, and funnier than my kids when they spin themselves around and get dizzy. Laugh out loud funny. Great read (although I generally ignore his vitriolic treatment of St Thomas Aquinas and the Scholastics, they work in the context he's putting them in, but they still tick me off). All in all, any Tom Wolfe non-fiction is the top-of-the-line in bathroom reading. Well, right after the ODCC.
Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book by Walker Percy - The definitive swipe at modern abstraction. And THE funniest book I have ever read in the fields of the "modern dilemma" and semiotics. The Semiotic Intermezzo is required reading, even though I have a friend who says that Percy's lack of a complete collection of C.S. Pierce's works leads him to completely mischaracterize Pierce's semiotic. That's just nitpicking. I think it is genius.
Critique of Judgement by Immanuel Kant (yes, I said Kant, you got a problem with that!?) - His least systematically coherent work, and amen for that. Great work on aesthetics. There is real gold here amoung the Kantian dross, as evidenced by the fact that whole passages of another favorite, Jacques Maritain's Creative Intuition in Art and Poetry sound like they were lifted from the Critique. If you get similarities in Kant and Maritain, you'd better look closely, there's gotta be something there.
Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien - The book that fed me before I knew I was hungry.
OK, that's a little of the who what and where (and then some). Sorry, as you can tell my style is digressive.
