My friend Joseph is a published movie reviewer!!

Check this out: Obscure Russian Movie review.

 

Jackie Moon Old Spice Commercials *All 8*

Ridiculously funny.

Chesterton on You Tube, part 2

Chesterton on You Tube

"Un-freaking believable!!"

 

 

Sent to you by Rob via Google Reader:

 

 

"Un-freaking believable!!"

via The Blue Boar by chestertonian on 2/8/08

Well this is stunning. The St. John's Valdosta blog says that chess grand champion Bobby Fischer was familiar with G.K. Chesterton through Dale Ahlquist's book, The Apostle of Common Sense.

According to the blog, when Fischer, who died January 17 in Iceland, was arrested in Japan in 2004 for allegedly attempting to travel on a revoked passport. "San Diego attorney Richard Vattuone, a Catholic, flew to Japan to act as counsel for Fischer. After his release, Fischer emigrated to Iceland." The blog says further:

Vattuone is intrigued by Fischer's final act. "When I met him in Japan, I gave Bobby a book about G.K. Chesterton, The Apostle of Common Sense. The book covered many matters of culture and religion. I know Bobby had read at least some of the book. Chesterton was a convert and the book contained an article about his conversion. We had also discussed religion." While Vattuone makes no claim that he "converted" Fischer, he can't help but wonder if he played some role in moving Fischer towards the Church.

A January 23 article from the Catholic News Agency confirms that Fischer had a Catholic funeral, which he had requested before he died. However, Church officials in Iceland could not confirm if he died a Catholic, though "that doesn't mean he didn't," the CNA article quotes a priest as saying. Fischer was notoriously guarded about his private life.

By a small miracle I just reached Apostle of Common Sense author Dale Ahlquist, who is in Seattle giving a series of lectures, and gave him this news. His calm and measured reaction: "No way!! Un-freaking believable!!" Chaa! This is HUGE!

Yeah, I know that Fischer had some unsavory opinions. Though a Jew, he was known for harboring anti-Semitic opinions and even, I've read, expressed support for the 911 attacks. Reprehensible though that may be, we are all sinners. Has any of us had even a day when we did not play in the muck? And if Bobby Fischer did find solace at the end of his life, the kind of solace that leads to one only place, Chesterton's "ultimate inn," the inn at the end of the world, then let us raise our glasses in joy, and raise a prayer of thanskgiving to Heaven for G.K. Chesterton, who is the Apostle of Common Sense, and yet more prayers for the soul of Bobby Fischer. Checkmate, Professor Lucifer.

And good going, Dale.

EDIT: Robert Kumpel, from whose blog I got the original story on this, also has a comlete article here.

 

 

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Took my lady to a show...

You, too should go.

Gemini Trumps Cancer

This is so unbelievably cool.

Happy Birthday to Amy

I love my wife. Love her. (That's her on the left.)

She's great. She's greater than great--she's super great.

She makes me feel like a s'more. She's just terrific.

Today is her birthday so I bought her the song below on iTunes. Everyone in the whole wide world knows it from the Mac commercials. There are many things to like about the song, but I like it because it's like Amy--delightful and it makes you smile when you think of it.

I dare you not to smile when you hear this song or when you think of Amy. It can't be done.

Advice for Angela

Angela, one of my co-workers is getting married soon. When her fiance arrived to take her home, Paul--the only other male on staff at St. Max--and I seized the opportunity to pontificate a little about married life.

My advice (to the fiance) was "If you think about it, you're not all that attached to your opinion." I owe my life of bliss to following that proverb, and I don't care who knows it. Consequently, my recommendation to every engaged man is "Surrender. Resistance is futile."

Paul's wisdom was directed toward Angela: "You have three years to train him. If you don't like how is by then, it's your own fault."

Of course, Chesterton, who wrote "Marriage is a duel to the death that no man of honor should refuse," is far more poetical in his advice:

"Every woman has to find out that her husband is a selfish beast, because every man is a selfish beast by the standard of a woman. But let her find out the beast while they are both still in the story of 'Beauty and the Beast.' Every man has to find out that his wife is cross -- that is to say, sensitive to the point of madness: for every woman is mad by the masculine standard. But let him find out that she is mad while her madness is more worth considering than anyone else's sanity."
-- G.K. Chesterton, "Two Stubborn Pieces of Iron" in The Common Man

Angela, may you and John's domestic safari be as wild and fun as mine has been.

HT to Chestertonian at the Blue Boar for the Chesterton quotation.

Fr. John Becker, S.J. (July 9, 1925 – January 19, 2008)

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

The first class of my high school career was Fr. John Becker's 6th period English class. Over 20 years later, some of the most influential books of my life are the ones that came from his assigned reading list.

Fr. Becker was my favorite teacher and the best I've ever had. He is likely responsible for whatever writing ability I display and definitely to blame for my love of really, really bad puns.

When we worked together at Brophy, Fr. Becker became a close friend and mentor. He always insisted that the purpose of a Jesuit education was to prepare young people for an "eyeball to eyeball" meeting with Jesus Christ. As a teacher at Brophy, I always did my best to stay true to that ideal. In spite of my many shortcomings, I think I can say that I did that much.

I will always cherish the man who introduced me to Chesterton and nurtured my latent natalist tendencies with stories of Suzie Schmotts and books like Cheaper by the Dozen. I'll write more about Fr. Becker when I'm not like the butcher who backed into the meat grinder--a little behind in my work.

Rest in Peace, Old Priest.

Obituary

Feel Free to Patronize Me

I would really like to go to this and could use some a$$i$tance getting there...