Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.
-- Abraham Lincoln
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Friday, February 16, 2007
Veronica Mars - Season 1 (2004)
Kristen Bell plays the lead character Veronica Mars with such charm and subtlty that this show quickly becomes addictive. The plot revolves around a modern day Nancy Drew who's father is a private eye. Veronica, a junior in high-school helps her Dad solve cases during the day while, at the same time, makes extra bucks on the side solving teen drama issues/investigations at school. She's both the most sought after and most despised student at fictional Neptune High.
Season 1 introduces the storyline in very quick fashion. We find out in the first episode that Veronica's best friend was killed and that Veronica's dad, as Sheriff, suspected the dead girl's father of the murder. The father/suspect, who runs a Bill Gates-ish software company, is cleared when another person confesses. The subsequent embarrassment and growing public pressure cause Veronica's father to be fired, her mother to leave them and her friends at school to dislike her. But, as one would have it, things are not as they seem. Over the course of the first season, each individual teen investigation that is dealt with per show is coupled with a long, intertwining uncovering of who really killed Veronica's best friend.
The cast is very good and Bell really carries the show. My teen daughter and I started watching the show this year at the beginning of Season 3, were so enamored by it that we rented Season 1 and haven't looked back since. Rare is a teen show that is smart and funny and charming and real and adventurous all at the same time. Veronica Mars is one of those shows that sets its goals high and actually achieves them.
So who really killed Veronica's best friend? Well, you'll have to watch and find out for yourself. You won't be disappointed.
For those of you not wanting to jump back two seasons, you can start watching this show at any time. They always catch the audience up to speed on the relevant information needed at the beginning of each show. So don't be shy and check it out.
Season 1 introduces the storyline in very quick fashion. We find out in the first episode that Veronica's best friend was killed and that Veronica's dad, as Sheriff, suspected the dead girl's father of the murder. The father/suspect, who runs a Bill Gates-ish software company, is cleared when another person confesses. The subsequent embarrassment and growing public pressure cause Veronica's father to be fired, her mother to leave them and her friends at school to dislike her. But, as one would have it, things are not as they seem. Over the course of the first season, each individual teen investigation that is dealt with per show is coupled with a long, intertwining uncovering of who really killed Veronica's best friend.The cast is very good and Bell really carries the show. My teen daughter and I started watching the show this year at the beginning of Season 3, were so enamored by it that we rented Season 1 and haven't looked back since. Rare is a teen show that is smart and funny and charming and real and adventurous all at the same time. Veronica Mars is one of those shows that sets its goals high and actually achieves them.
So who really killed Veronica's best friend? Well, you'll have to watch and find out for yourself. You won't be disappointed.
For those of you not wanting to jump back two seasons, you can start watching this show at any time. They always catch the audience up to speed on the relevant information needed at the beginning of each show. So don't be shy and check it out.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
The Eight Stages of Society
I saw an interesting presentation on the various stages of civilizations. The sad thing is that it appears we are in the final stages...
The scary thing is that, if this is true, we are at stage seven of eight. I guess only reverting back to spiritual faith could save us.
But is there enough faith left in this country to do just that? I fear not.
From bondage to spiritual faith
From spiritual faith to great courage
From great courage to liberty
From liberty to abundance
From abundance to complacency
From complacency to apathy
From apathy to governmental dependence
From governmental dependence to bondage
From spiritual faith to great courage
From great courage to liberty
From liberty to abundance
From abundance to complacency
From complacency to apathy
From apathy to governmental dependence
From governmental dependence to bondage
The scary thing is that, if this is true, we are at stage seven of eight. I guess only reverting back to spiritual faith could save us.
But is there enough faith left in this country to do just that? I fear not.
St. Claude de la Colombiere (1641-1682)
From Catholic News Agency...
Claude de la Colombiere was beatified in 1929 and canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1992.
Claude de la Colombiere was born on February 2nd, 1641 in a small town in the diocese of Grenoble, France. Claude's parents were very devout as is evidenced by the vocations of their children a Jesuit, a Sulpician Father, a Diocesan Priest and a Visitation Nun.
In 1650 Claude was sent to a junior college in Lyons run by the Jesuits. At the age of seventeen Claude felt the inward calling to the religious life.He entered the Jesuit novitiate house in Avignon.
In 1675, after his solemn profession as a Jesuit, he was appointed superior at Paray-le-Monial, in which the convent of St. Margaret Mary was located. Here he became her spiritual director, encouraged her in the spread of the devotion to the Sacred Heart, and was described by our Lord as His "faithful and perfect friend."
Because of his remarkable gifts and judgment, he was sent to England, to be court preacher to the duchess of York, wife of the future James II, and took up residence in London. His radiant personality and splendid gifts were noted by everyone. When the alleged "Popish Plot" to assassinate King Charles II shook the country, Blessed Claude was accused of complicity in the plot and imprisoned. Through the intervention of Louis XIV of France, he was released, then banished from the country. He spent his last years at Paray-le-Monial.
He died on February 15, 1682, an apostle of the devotion to the Sacred Heart.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
St. Pete "Catholic" Blows It
You wanna know why Catholic education is taking a nose dive in this country? Because Catholic schools are not Catholic enough to be considered Catholic and not good enough to compete with elite private schools. The end result is an expensive school with pseudo-Catholic teachings that only confuses our children and, inevitably, weakens our faith.
This year at St. Pete "Catholic" High School the sophomore literature class was given the task of reading a book printed by MTV in which an observer in high school passively watches people engage in masturbation, rape, drug use, homosexuality, promiscuity and bad parenting, among other things.
Should these subjects be taught in school? Sure.
Should they be taught in a Catholic school? Absolutely.
But, should they be taught using a book that passively observes, in graphic detail, various aforementioned activities without any moral or ethical discussion or consequence? Absolutely not. And should such a book be used in a Catholic high school, a book in which the only reference to Catholicism is that the main character's lack of any religious faith is due to his parents having attended Catholic school?
Hello? Does that make sense? What ruling idiot thought that was a good idea?
Its hard to discuss such matters without it quickly being construed into "those darn ultra-conservative Catholics want to shield their kids from everything." That's not true at all here. All of the subjects could and should be discussed in Catholic schools, but not based on a book that holds none of the acts up to the standards demanded by the Catholic faith.
As stated before, the book explains in detail the acts mentioned, including a scene where two drunk teens engage in foreplay, where the man slips his hands into the girls blouse and pants even though she's repeatedly saying No. Or a scene where this main character brings his sister to get an abortion, after which, on the drive home, while discussing another subject they break into deep, hearty laughter.
You can just feel the remorse for killing the fetus, can't you? The weight of the potential consequences of sexuality, right? It's a perfect example of Catholicism in action, isn't it?
Really, you just have to randomly open up the book and you'll feel like you're reading Playboy or Penthouse magazine. When concerned parents discussed this matter with the priest Principal, their concerns were basically disregarded. As a matter of fact, the priest said he had actually read it himself two years previously and approved the book. He thought it would spur discussion.
What a complete moron.
If I were to convert this book into a film, I would have to put a big XXX rating on its cover... it's that graphic. This priest's justification for using this book... this book out of all of the books in print today... is equivalent of having the kids watch a porn video with with the expectation that it's to spur discussion on a Catholic view on abstinence.
It just shows you how pathetic Church leadership is today. What an embarrassment.
Do they expect me to believe that there is not ONE book out there that covers the same subjects in a way that is less graphic and that might even, oh I don't know, articulate potential consequences of certain actions on your life, let alone your soul? There's not ONE? MTV has cornered the market on providing thought-provoking books on sexuality to Catholic educators? Is that what they're telling me?
So, we are left with yet another Catholic school blowing it.
Our kids today are getting inundated with consequence-less sexuality on a daily basis. Other than the home, Catholic schools are the last places dedicated, faithful parents have to look for assistance in filtering through the barrage of illicit behavior by, instead, tempering them through the beliefs and expectations of our faith. Yet, time after time, our schools that call themselves Catholic fail this very simple task.
Why would I spend $40,000 to send my child to St. Pete "Catholic" when I could send my kid to a public school for free and get the same curriculum? Well, now, I'm not.
Is this a condemnation of this book? No. It's a condemnation of our church leadership. It's about entrusting my children in the hands of people who make so blatantly bad choices. What other bad choices are being made there? And do I want to risk finding out?
Nope.
For what it's worth, my children will not be going to St. Pete "Catholic" as we had planned. That's $80,000 of my money that just left the school's coffers.
I hope that spurs a lot of discussion.
This year at St. Pete "Catholic" High School the sophomore literature class was given the task of reading a book printed by MTV in which an observer in high school passively watches people engage in masturbation, rape, drug use, homosexuality, promiscuity and bad parenting, among other things.
Should these subjects be taught in school? Sure.
Should they be taught in a Catholic school? Absolutely.
But, should they be taught using a book that passively observes, in graphic detail, various aforementioned activities without any moral or ethical discussion or consequence? Absolutely not. And should such a book be used in a Catholic high school, a book in which the only reference to Catholicism is that the main character's lack of any religious faith is due to his parents having attended Catholic school?
Hello? Does that make sense? What ruling idiot thought that was a good idea?
Its hard to discuss such matters without it quickly being construed into "those darn ultra-conservative Catholics want to shield their kids from everything." That's not true at all here. All of the subjects could and should be discussed in Catholic schools, but not based on a book that holds none of the acts up to the standards demanded by the Catholic faith.
As stated before, the book explains in detail the acts mentioned, including a scene where two drunk teens engage in foreplay, where the man slips his hands into the girls blouse and pants even though she's repeatedly saying No. Or a scene where this main character brings his sister to get an abortion, after which, on the drive home, while discussing another subject they break into deep, hearty laughter.
You can just feel the remorse for killing the fetus, can't you? The weight of the potential consequences of sexuality, right? It's a perfect example of Catholicism in action, isn't it?
Really, you just have to randomly open up the book and you'll feel like you're reading Playboy or Penthouse magazine. When concerned parents discussed this matter with the priest Principal, their concerns were basically disregarded. As a matter of fact, the priest said he had actually read it himself two years previously and approved the book. He thought it would spur discussion.
What a complete moron.
If I were to convert this book into a film, I would have to put a big XXX rating on its cover... it's that graphic. This priest's justification for using this book... this book out of all of the books in print today... is equivalent of having the kids watch a porn video with with the expectation that it's to spur discussion on a Catholic view on abstinence.
It just shows you how pathetic Church leadership is today. What an embarrassment.
Do they expect me to believe that there is not ONE book out there that covers the same subjects in a way that is less graphic and that might even, oh I don't know, articulate potential consequences of certain actions on your life, let alone your soul? There's not ONE? MTV has cornered the market on providing thought-provoking books on sexuality to Catholic educators? Is that what they're telling me?
So, we are left with yet another Catholic school blowing it.
Our kids today are getting inundated with consequence-less sexuality on a daily basis. Other than the home, Catholic schools are the last places dedicated, faithful parents have to look for assistance in filtering through the barrage of illicit behavior by, instead, tempering them through the beliefs and expectations of our faith. Yet, time after time, our schools that call themselves Catholic fail this very simple task.
Why would I spend $40,000 to send my child to St. Pete "Catholic" when I could send my kid to a public school for free and get the same curriculum? Well, now, I'm not.
Is this a condemnation of this book? No. It's a condemnation of our church leadership. It's about entrusting my children in the hands of people who make so blatantly bad choices. What other bad choices are being made there? And do I want to risk finding out?
Nope.
For what it's worth, my children will not be going to St. Pete "Catholic" as we had planned. That's $80,000 of my money that just left the school's coffers.
I hope that spurs a lot of discussion.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
