tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158815582024-03-13T09:47:20.711-04:00It's All Straw"Everything I have written is straw"
--Thomas Aquinas
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger336125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-12032219622372252562016-08-19T18:13:00.000-04:002016-10-18T17:38:56.956-04:00So Where Have I Been?<div style="text-align: right;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8o5X2sGWOhNfdDfbiGvM-0EMu7eev4AXL0bjWK8qHB5BsktqQL7DDsTIYPqUbDwp4MXN7XwVj2IYt-IhfzTRlyt8LQOigrIt03VaxluBpQz8oOlegycpzXfMLjraULAdQ76A/s1600/disorganization.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8o5X2sGWOhNfdDfbiGvM-0EMu7eev4AXL0bjWK8qHB5BsktqQL7DDsTIYPqUbDwp4MXN7XwVj2IYt-IhfzTRlyt8LQOigrIt03VaxluBpQz8oOlegycpzXfMLjraULAdQ76A/s320/disorganization.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Things have been a little disorganized around here.</td></tr>
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Short answer: everywhere.<br />
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I've been up, I've been down. I've had highs, I've had lows, and I've had to readjust to "the new normal," but things are beginning to stabilize and get back to whatever passes for normal around here.<br />
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When last I left you, Gentle Reader, I had been trying to get back into the habit of creative writing by attempting to revive my interest in some of my old, unfinished superhero writing projects: one I called the Celtic League of Superheroes, and the other I called the Liberty Legion. However, try as I might, I just couldn't seem to get revved up about either of these projects. I created them some eight years ago and laid them aside, and it was difficult to pick them back up again I just couldn't seem to get my mind and my imagination back into that same "mental space," if you will, that I was in all those years ago. My life and my circumstances had changed, and somehow I knew I needed to begin a project that reflected that.<br />
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Last November, in observance of National Novel Writing Month (or <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo</a> for short), I posted a link on Facebook to a <a href="https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4086098/1/Shadows-of-Steel-A-ShadowSuperman-Adventure">Shadow/Superman fan fiction piece that I wrote several years ago</a>. One of my Facebook friends told me that he read it and enjoyed it very much and encouraged me to create something similar with my own characters. I thought I might be able to do this with my pre-existing projects, but they seemed to be going nowhere. Around the end of April, however, I got a sudden flash of inspiration. I had a mental image of a character very much like The Shadow, yet not The Shadow, for obvious legal and copyright reasons. He would be a character swathed in darkness and mystery, nearly invisible except for his burning, penetrating, unearthly blue eyes. I used the <a href="http://www.heromachine.com/">HeroMachine</a> website to create an image of this character, and once I did, the details of his backstory, his mythology, and the outlines of his first adventure came to me almost instantly.<br />
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I dubbed this character Blacklight and set to work writing his first adventure. I tried to explain his origins without dwelling excessively on them as I had done with my previous characters, but instead dove right into the action. I worked on this story almost constantly, a little bit every day, from the end of April to the beginning of July, when I felt it was finally finished.<br />
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It was then that disaster struck. On the evening of July 5, as I was trying to move from the bed to my wheelchair, I slipped and fell and suffered a "tibial plateau fracture," a break in a small bone in my left knee. The injury didn't require a cast or surgery, thank goodness, but it did require wrapping the knee up thoroughly in an Ace bandage and taking time to heal. It's still healing, as a matter of fact. Ironically, the day after the celebration of America's independence, I was reminded how <i>dependent</i> I am on other people. I had to spend the first three or four days after the accident in bed, and for several weeks after that I couldn't get into or out of bed without help .<br />
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With the help of a couple of dedicated physical therapists from the home nursing service that I work with, however, I was able to master a new way of getting in and out of bed using a hospital bed and an overhead trapeze bar. When getting into bed, I park the wheelchair by the bed, place a special homemade pillow (nicknamed Floyd) into the gap between the wheelchair and the bed, grab the trapeze bar, and slide and flop over into the bed, using the guard rail on the far side of the bed to finish pulling myself over. The reverse process of getting out of bed is similar.Using the hospital bed, I can raise myself to almost a sitting position, grab the trapeze bar, and slide over into the wheelchair, again using Floyd to bridge the gap between the chair and the bed. When I get out of bed in the morning, Floyd is already in position because he's right where I left him the night before. I owe my personal care attendant a very special thanks for creating Floyd. This is "the new normal" for me, and it looks like it will be for the foreseeable future.<br />
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Once I was able to get in and out of bed and sit in the wheelchair for extended periods again, I was able to get back to the final edits of my story. I sent copies of the story out via email to a small group of beta readers, who not only were enthusiastic in their praise, but also straightforward in their criticism, pointing out grammar and spelling mistakes, awkwardly constructed sentences, unclear transitions, and the like. Using their suggestions, I revised and edited the story into a final form that I'm happy with. What's most exciting to me about the story is that it leaves the door open for future stories about this character. The villain is vanquished, the day is saved, and the damsel in distress is rescued, but there is still a master villain lurking in the shadows, and complications ahead for our hero. Stay tuned! I'll have more to say about Blacklight in a future blog entry.<br />
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So that, Gentle Reader, is a rather long-winded explanation of where I have been the past several months. I do have ideas for more blog entries in mind, and I will do my very best to be a more regular and faithful blogger.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-27876468599684556522016-03-10T17:13:00.000-05:002016-03-10T17:13:21.884-05:00Swing: A ReviewNOTE: This review originally appeared on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1571559822">Goodreads.com</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1804476.Swing" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Swing: A Mystery" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328773801m/1804476.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1804476.Swing">Swing: A Mystery</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/45331.Rupert_Holmes">Rupert Holmes</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1571559822">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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Do you love classic mysteries with a noir feel? Do you love swing and big band music from the 1930s and 40s? If so, you'll love <em>Swing</em>. Rupert Holmes, composer of "Escape: The Pina Colada Song" and creator of the TV series "Remember WENN," turns his talents to mystery writing and delivers a smart, well-crafted, novel that combines music, mystery, and murder in an ingenious and absorbing way.<br />
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Like many members of the Jack Donovan Orchestra, a lesser-known big band from America's swing era, Ray Sherwood is a man with secrets, regrets, and a past he'd like to forget. However, as one of the band's saxophonists and its principal arranger, he gets along all right. In San Francisco for a gig in the fall of 1940, Ray figures his luck might be changing for the better when he's approached by Gail Prentice, a lovely and talented Berkeley coed, with a job offer: arrange her avant garde piano composition "Swing Around the Sun" for a jazz ensemble in time for its first public performance by a Japanese swing band at an international exposition in San Francisco.<br />
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Almost from the moment Ray agrees to take the job, however, strange and increasingly sinister things start to happen. A young French Jewish woman, who had proposed marriage to Ray just moments before, in order to avoid returning to her Nazi-occupied homeland, plunges to a grisly death from the top of a bell-tower. Or does she? A strange figure resembling the dead woman reappears at crucial moments and seems to be shadowing Ray and Gail. Gail herself disappears to make unexplained phone calls and apparently writes incriminating letters. She then denies it or contrives a patently false explanation. Who is she talking to and why?<br />
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Gradually, Ray is drawn more and more tightly into a web of lies, conspiracies, espionage, intrigue, and murder involving both American Nazi sympathizers and agents of imperial Japan. Eventually, Ray is presented with the stunning possibility that Gail may actually be his long-lost daughter, the result of a one-night stand almost twenty years earlier. Is Gail really Ray's daughter? Is she a pawn in a spy ring or a willing accomplice? Is "Swing Around the Sun" really an elaborately coded musical message designed to pass vital information about national defense to America's enemies? The answers to these questions will help Ray come to terms with his past and have vital implications for America's future as the nation stands on the brink of entry into World War II.<br />
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This book is more than just a crackerjack murder mystery and spy story. It's also a multimedia experience. The hardcover edition includes a CD of several original compositions by Holmes, both instrumental and vocal, in the big band style, that are referred to in the book, and may even provide alert listeners with clues to the solution of the mystery. The audio version, available through the library-based digital media service, Hoopla, integrates the songs into the story at appropriate points. I listened to it at a clip because once I got far enough in, I just couldn't switch off my smartphone. In the words of one of the songs this, "myst'ry with musical diction . . . speaks to me." I hope it speaks to you too.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4667872-niall-mor">View all my reviews</a><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-31997202273076123522015-12-31T14:48:00.002-05:002015-12-31T14:48:18.448-05:00Wrapping Up 2015<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbOns_RLXGCifKoMb1sV_Nu8_Oxm3FtK6au0t0AEI1glRQXT5SSNG7pIziVw23p30Zd8nF4GmaNQnP8JL8pZowfUEe5a_nj7HNBco2sP8pRBnP_NkxmAOitLG_SM7bUDfsThav/s1600/Goodbye-2015-Welcome-2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbOns_RLXGCifKoMb1sV_Nu8_Oxm3FtK6au0t0AEI1glRQXT5SSNG7pIziVw23p30Zd8nF4GmaNQnP8JL8pZowfUEe5a_nj7HNBco2sP8pRBnP_NkxmAOitLG_SM7bUDfsThav/s320/Goodbye-2015-Welcome-2016.jpg" width="320" /></a>My goodness! Is it December 31 already? Where did the rest of October go? Where did November go? Where did the whole year go?<br />
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I'm not quite sure, but I know I'm happy to have made it through another year without any major crises, disasters, emergencies, or upheavals. Thanks be to God for a little ordinariness, and to be perfectly honest, a bit of dullness. As I sometimes say half jokingly, "Dull is good." Especially if it means the alternative is crises, disasters, emergencies, or upheavals. As I also say, "Nobody was arrested, nobody died, and nothing caught fire or exploded recently."</div>
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I was looking back through the blog entries last night, and I noticed a long list of resolutions or goals that I wanted to accomplish in 2014. As I feared I might, I failed miserably at accomplishing every one of them. In 2014 I didn't even bother to make a list of resolutions for 2015, and I think I'll keep that trend going for 2016. I do have some things I hope to accomplish, but I'll keep them to myself, make no hard and fast promises, and keep them small and manageable if I possibly can.</div>
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We will see what 2016 brings. May God in His merciful providence keep us free from all needless trouble and worry, but if and when trouble does come, may he give us the grace and courage to face our troubles according to His most holy will, and in imitation of His Son our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-3432889170498712892015-09-08T16:40:00.000-04:002015-09-08T17:32:44.818-04:00The Sinister Shadow Reviewed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-Undx0Wn0Mqlr56Ngdkk7fdPat422kWMquyrgGnelMGTqFoLRFCN5JoI0-nFQLcsFsAlmk_5JQYYxKx_8uLIXKe6HSZ8BPWjuF2fwP95vJJXVXoRckMB63x1KC-YQvyUs9Y7/s1600/the+sinister+shadow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-Undx0Wn0Mqlr56Ngdkk7fdPat422kWMquyrgGnelMGTqFoLRFCN5JoI0-nFQLcsFsAlmk_5JQYYxKx_8uLIXKe6HSZ8BPWjuF2fwP95vJJXVXoRckMB63x1KC-YQvyUs9Y7/s320/the+sinister+shadow.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<b><i>Doc Savage: The Sinister Shadow</i></b><br />
<b>by Will Murray and Lester Dent, writing as Kenneth Robeson.</b><br />
<b>copyright 2015, Altus Press</b><br />
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For the last several weeks, I've been reading the e-book version of <i>Doc Savage</i>: <i>The Sinister Shadow</i>, a new pulp novel by Will Murray, in which The Shadow and Doc Savage each battle a mysterious new villain calling himself The Funeral Director, eventually joining forces to defeat him. An afterword to the book explains that early in his career as a pulp writer, Lester Dent, Doc Savage's creator, was asked by editors at Street and Smith, publishers of <i>The Shadow Magazine, </i>to submit some sample chapters and an outline for a Shadow story. Dent's first effort was rejected, but later, the editors asked him to write the very first Doc Savage novel, <i>The Man of Bronze, </i>using the pseudonym Kenneth Robeson. With the permission of the estate of Lester Dent and of Advance Magazine Publishers, Inc., who now own the copyrights to The Shadow, Murray wrote this new novel using portions of Dent's sample chapters and fleshing out and rewriting the outline.<br />
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I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I'm delighted to see The Shadow back in print with a new adventure. I've been a fan of The Shadow ever since my first introduction to old-time radio in the 1970s and finding reprints of Walter B. Gibson's Shadow novels at my local library at about the same time. On the other hand, I've never been a particularly big fan of Doc Savage, finding him a bit too much of a stuffed shirt and a goody-goody for my taste, but I'm willing to put up with him if it means I get to see The Shadow back in action.<br />
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This new novel opens in the 1930s as wealthy men throughout New York City are mysteriously dying of heart attacks. Both Doc Savage and The Shadow, however, suspect that these heart attacks are not natural occurrences and are being caused by some outside agent. It is revealed that many of these men had criminal connections that they wished to keep secret, and were being blackmailed by someone calling himself The Funeral Director.<br />
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One of the men being blackmailed, however, is Lamont Cranston, millionaire and sometime alias of The Shadow. Unlike the radio version of Lamont Cranston, who actually was The Shadow, in this novel and in Walter B. Gibson's original pulps, Lamont Cranston was merely one of many aliases and assumed identities used by The Shadow. The real Lamont Cranston goes to see Theodore Marley "Ham" Brooks, a prominent attorney and one of Doc Savage's closest associates, one of his hand-picked "Fabulous Five" personal assistants. Cranston believes that the mysterious personage calling himself The Shadow and making weekly radio broadcasts may actually be The Funeral Director. Brooks suggests that they go to see Doc Savage and present the problem to him, but before they can reach Doc's headquarters, they are kidnapped by minions of The Funeral Director.<br />
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This sends both The Shadow and Doc Savage into action--at first on a collision course. Doc suspects that The Shadow and The Funeral Director are one and the same, but the real Shadow has to clear his name and prove to Doc that he is not the villain. Doc also disapproves of The Shadow because The Shadow is willing to use violence, including gunplay, to get the information he wants, while Doc and his associates prefer to use Doc's special "mercy bullets" that contain a nonlethal anesthetic. The Shadow is not above killing criminals, while Doc prefers to rehabilitate them using surgery and a stint at his special "criminal college," a hidden facility in upstate New York.<br />
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The Shadow races to find Lamont Cranston, while Doc and his friends Andrew Blodgett "Monk" Mayfair, a brilliant chemist, and Thomas "Long Tom" Roberts, a genius electrical engineer, likewise scramble to locate Ham Brooks. We are told that Doc's other companions, William Harper "Johnny" Littlejohn and John "Renny" Renwick, are out of the country pursuing their own adventures. There are many twists and turns, red herrings, and dead ends, but eventually we learn that The Funeral Director is an old foe of The Shadow, and his aim is to hold Cranston for ransom, thereby drawing The Shadow into a final confrontation. When Cranston's niece Weltha is unable to raise the funds to pay the ransom, The Funeral Director releases Cranston and kidnaps Weltha instead. Eventually, Doc and The Shadow realize they have a common enemy and join forces to defeat the villain. Doc and The Shadow, despite disagreeing over each other's methods, each recognize that the other is ultimately on the side of justice and declare an uneasy truce, if not an alliance.<br />
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Author Will Murray displays a thorough knowledge of the mythology and details surrounding both heroes, and the book is loaded with inside references that will make fans of both characters smile and nod in recognition. Three of The Shadow's most famous agents, Cliff Marsland, Harry Vincent, and Clyde Burke all make guest appearances and contribute to the plot at key moments.The author also introduces the eerie and memorable device of having The Funeral Director communicate with both his underlings and intended victims by means of tiny recording machines shaped like coffins.<br />
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My one real criticism of the book has to do with its prose style. It's impossible to tell how much was written by Lester Dent himself so long ago, and how much was written by Will Murray a good bit later, but I found the book rife with stilted dialogue, clumsy awkwardly constructed sentences, sentence fragments, and outright grammatical errors that called attention to themselves, slowed down the pace of the story, and took away from my enjoyment. In a pulp style action adventure story, the action should move at breakneck speed, or at least a brisk clip. I don't read a novel with an editor's blue pencil in hand, but gross mistakes in style, usage, and grammar jarred me as a reader and took me out of the story just as huge potholes in the highway can distract you from enjoying a Sunday drive. Will Murray may be a fine storyteller, but he needs a better editor. He's written several new Doc Savage titles for a series called "The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage," but I'd like to see what he can do with a straight Shadow story. Will he write one? Only The Shadow knows!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-43406943145080881452015-08-10T17:23:00.000-04:002015-08-10T17:28:28.453-04:00The Return of the Writin' Fool!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEienJTPPYGir0fttTEMa6PB00B-7hMHq1leEu9jgBtgl-Xx6iP6E3DiqZBqCzx1JJSWeZC1yKEbxLAR__k7daaZifCF9RDymY_In7PpBb68jlnqwYQecF_lkk9sfZCVbYxgpK0a/s1600/Escapist+and+Friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEienJTPPYGir0fttTEMa6PB00B-7hMHq1leEu9jgBtgl-Xx6iP6E3DiqZBqCzx1JJSWeZC1yKEbxLAR__k7daaZifCF9RDymY_In7PpBb68jlnqwYQecF_lkk9sfZCVbYxgpK0a/s320/Escapist+and+Friends.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Left to Right: Omar, The Escapist, Big Al, and Miss Plum Blossom.</td></tr>
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Hooray, Huzzah, and Hallelujah! For the first time in ages, I managed to complete a work of fiction. This weekend I put the finishing touches on "Curse of the Golden Dragon," a piece of fanfiction featuring Michael Chabon's The Escapist. I also used Dragon Naturally Speaking software to dictate it, so the story is significant for another reason: it's my first piece of fiction created almost entirely by dictation. I haven't yet decided if I'll put it up on a blog or a website somewhere so that all and sundry can admire my handiwork. Some time ago, I conceived the idea of creating a separate blog and website for my fanfiction and original fiction that would be somewhat similar to an old time pulp magazine, but this second website suffered from shameful neglect. It hasn't been updated in over a year. Even this blog, as you can see, gentle reader, has languished from inattention. No matter. The blog begins again today.<br />
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In many ways, this story was a return to my roots. Over 10 years ago, on the recommendation of a friend, I read Michael Chabon's remarkable, Pulitzer prize-winning novel, <i>The Amazing Adventures of</i> <i>Kavalier and Clay, </i>a loving tribute to the Golden Age of comics, pulp fiction, and old-time radio. The novel itself is the story of how two down-and-out Jewish kids in New York City in the late 1930s create the comic book character called The Escapist, who becomes the lost hero of comics' Golden Age. The character combines the strength and virtue of Superman with the escape artist abilities of Harry Houdini. The novel touches on many broader and deeper themes including portraits of Prague and New York City from the 1930s to the 1950s; the beginnings of the comic book industry; the "high art" of literature versus the "low art" of a comic book; and the mysteries of the creative process, especially how events in the "real" lives of the novel's characters get translated into the adventures of their fictional creation. There is also a strong pro-gay rights and gay marriage subtext, as one of the central characters, Sammy Clay, discovers that he is gay and must carefully suppress his sexual identity in an environment that is very hostile to same-sex relationships. As a supporter of traditional marriage, I found this last element to be the most problematic thing about the book, but it's hard not to feel sympathy for Sammy in those circumstances.<br />
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I was so moved by this story that I was inspired to write a piece of Escapist fanfic as a get well card for my friend when she became seriously ill. It launched me on a journey of exploration into the world of comic book superheroes that I've been on ever since. Since then, I've had ideas for other Escapist stories, including the one I just finished. I had this story more or less completely mapped out in my mind, but it lay unfinished on my hard drive. I finally decided to complete it when another favorite superhero series I really enjoy, "The Red Panda Adventures" podcast, aired what sounded like its final episode. I felt almost as if someone had to take up the torch and continue telling superhero stories. The world still needs heroes, perhaps now more than ever, and I believe that comic book superhero stories, at their best, inspire us to think that even ordinary people like ourselves, in moments of crisis, can rise to the occasion and become heroes. Comic book superheroes, for all their melodrama and ridiculous costumes, show us images of the people we wish we could be, of the people we want to be. I want to be a hero, but if I can't be a hero, at least I want to be someone who creates heroes for the rest of us.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-29165596756465305082015-06-23T15:34:00.000-04:002015-06-23T16:48:00.573-04:00The Latin Mass and Me: Two Years Later<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVr8KWYC2twEjL-69kfk1tA7GkGvM6BaFlTHzF4UYfTQMedNp57kB1l6E4Z7KNx_7vHE-PXuLQ-z0d23KIgWU5KSrtqLj2tBwaQx6WKmBRM02Y8Ag3Z6DoaTphK_630zHflaRn/s1600/latin-mass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVr8KWYC2twEjL-69kfk1tA7GkGvM6BaFlTHzF4UYfTQMedNp57kB1l6E4Z7KNx_7vHE-PXuLQ-z0d23KIgWU5KSrtqLj2tBwaQx6WKmBRM02Y8Ag3Z6DoaTphK_630zHflaRn/s320/latin-mass.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
This month marks an anniversary of sorts for me. Approximately two years ago this month, I attended my first Mass in the Extraordinary Form (a.k.a. the Latin Mass, The Traditional Latin Mass). You can find my first reactions to that event <a href="http://allstraw.blogspot.com/2013/06/dicas-latinae-pars-secunda-do-you-speak.html">in this blog post</a>. As you can probably tell from that post, I was curious and a bit skeptical about whether or not the Traditional Latin Mass was all that much better than the Mass in English (the Ordinary Form) that I had been attending. My, how times and attitudes have changed! I would say that I have gone from being something of a skeptic about the Latin Mass to a wholehearted supporter of it.<br />
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What brought about this transformation? Above all, I would say it was an openness to it. Yes, I was somewhat skeptical of the Traditionalist movement, but as I've said before, I loved the sound of Latin, Gregorian chant, and sacred polyphony. The music of the Traditional Mass keeps drawing me back to it, and when I hear Gregorian chant and polyphony sung live, at their most beautiful, and for the glory of God, I cannot imagine why so many in the Church decided to abandon this beautiful music for cheesy and superficial "folk hymns" in the name of "relevance" or "the spirit of Vatican II"--a decision the Vatican II Council Fathers explicitly rejected. The Vatican II documents on the sacred liturgy expressly state that the use of Latin and Gregorian chant should be maintained (<i>Sacrosanctum Concilium</i> 36.1) and that Gregorian chant should have "pride of place" when choosing liturgical music (<i>SC</i>, 116). The idea of reconnecting with an ancient form of worship that Catholics had used for centuries and even millennia before me appeals to me deeply. In attending this Mass, I am recovering my heritage as a Catholic.<br />
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Unlike some Catholics who say they were attracted to the Traditional Mass from the very first time they attended, it took me quite a while to become familiar with the parts of the Mass and its structures and rhythms. At first I found it baffling, quite frankly. However, something about this Mass kept drawing me back to it. Like Rubik's Cube, it was a puzzle that needed to be solved, at once frustrating yet intriguing. I kept attending. I talked to people. I read things, both online and in print, that helped me understand the Traditional Mass. Among the most helpful of these resources was Msgr. George Moorman's book <i><a href="http://birettabooks.com/go/webstore/product/the_latin_mass_explained/">The Latin Mass Explained</a></i>, a concise yet thorough explanation of the actions and prayers of the Mass and their significance.<br />
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Another helpful resource was my own missal. After some deliberation I chose the <i><a href="http://birettabooks.com/go/webstore/product/roman_catholic_daily_missal/">Roman Catholic Daily Missal</a></i>, published by Angelus Press and available from the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius in Chicago. Although I still consider the <i><a href="http://www.ccwatershed.org/Campion/">St. Edmund Campion Missal and Hymnal</a></i> from Corpus Christi Watershed to be an excellent resource, after using it for only a few Sundays I found it too big and too heavy to use conveniently as a hand missal. The <i>Roman Catholic Daily Missal</i> is much more portable and compact. Someday, if my funds permit, I'd like to purchase a copy of the <a href="https://www.baroniuspress.com/book.php?wid=56&bid=4#tab=tab-1">1962 Daily Missal published by Baronius Press</a> for comparison.<br />
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After using all of these resources and regularly attending the Mass for a while I became familiar enough with its actions and prayers and structures and rhythms that I could relax a bit, stop worrying about trying to follow every single word in the missal, and simply prayerfully watch the actions on the altar. I began to recognize the similarities and the differences between the Extraordinary Form and the Ordinary Form, and eventually the Extraordinary Form didn't seem as alien and bizarre as it first appeared. I would like to continue attending this form of the Mass as long as it is available in my parish, and I would like to see it made more widely available throughout the Catholic Church as a whole. Indeed, I've actually come to prefer it to the Ordinary Form of the Mass in English.<br />
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I've come to believe that if more Catholics were regularly exposed to this form of the Mass, they would ask for it from their priests and bishops. However, sadly and somewhat inexplicably to me, there seems to be a great resistance to this form of the Mass among many priests, bishops, and laypeople. I think in some cases it stems from ignorance or from outright hostility to the older traditions of the Church out of the same misguided sense of "relevance"that I mentioned earlier. The Ordinary Form is somehow seen as more "contemporary" while the Extraordinary Form is somehow seen as antiquated or old-fashioned. Truth is not and can never be old-fashioned. The beautiful and more elaborate ceremonies of the Extraordinary Form are often dismissed as ostentatious displays; the simpler, more stripped-down ceremonies of the Ordinary Form are said to be preferable. However, what exactly is wrong with as much beauty, dignity, and reverence as possible in the worship of Almighty God?<br />
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On a few occasions I've gone to the Ordinary Form Masses in my parish, and even though they are celebrated by the same priest who celebrates our Masses in the Extraordinary Form, and even though they are celebrated correctly according to the rubrics with as much dignity and reverence as possible, the Masses themselves just don't seem the same. Somehow they are oddly flat and truncated, as if some important parts are missing, and the parts that remain don't fit together very well. I would like to see the traditional Latin form of the Mass preserved, perpetuated, and made available for future generations. Please God, may it be so!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-45259069018073604022015-05-25T15:31:00.000-04:002015-05-25T15:42:22.759-04:00Here There Be Dragons!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1to2MBS7BgdfuZSiTbhkS7f4A2Ju27dVA7Ll4vCJjTsKxEPP5JjWKjOnU6C9LdQ8dpWBYF25qCXgBWKykjI77yI1SF687sSttIX49Xzs5xKyEuLAwJuhyphenhyphenNmp0VxJ5R4KwC-I/s1600/dragon-rider-1-1680x1050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1to2MBS7BgdfuZSiTbhkS7f4A2Ju27dVA7Ll4vCJjTsKxEPP5JjWKjOnU6C9LdQ8dpWBYF25qCXgBWKykjI77yI1SF687sSttIX49Xzs5xKyEuLAwJuhyphenhyphenNmp0VxJ5R4KwC-I/s320/dragon-rider-1-1680x1050.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I'm dictating this blog post using Dragon Naturally Speaking dictation software. As promised, my brother Bill came to Charlotte this weekend and installed the software and I've started playing around with it. It's really quite remarkable. The bundle he bought also includes the <i>Dragon Naturally Speaking For Dummies</i> book. According to the book, right out of the box the software is about 99% accurate. I found this to be largely true. I can update my Facebook status, and I'm learning how to use Dragon Naturally Speaking to dictate text, and eventually, I hope, to resume work on my fiction writing without even touching the keyboard and mouse; or at least touching them as little as possible. The ultimate goal is to be able to dictate stuff while I'm tilted back in my wheelchair. I'm getting there! It's exciting. I still can't order the computer to produce a cup of Earl Grey tea (Ha! The software even automatically capitalized Earl Grey! Captain Picard would be delighted); but with the next generation of Dragon software, who knows?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-80914686387105960072015-05-15T16:49:00.001-04:002015-05-15T16:51:12.866-04:00More Adventures in Dictation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ViYCzIWBnzxjasYEqVsF6P-FdpB9p4ixrRbb1f4F6_589jVzstKJfESd8kAuGImk48IlrY3WkbW0QrLyQ5lchnVpjM0iVS0YYj6vfz13wjEu3pIesxVq_anDyBaVDfLKmA8X/s1600/dictation1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ViYCzIWBnzxjasYEqVsF6P-FdpB9p4ixrRbb1f4F6_589jVzstKJfESd8kAuGImk48IlrY3WkbW0QrLyQ5lchnVpjM0iVS0YYj6vfz13wjEu3pIesxVq_anDyBaVDfLKmA8X/s1600/dictation1.png" /></a></div>
A few days ago I tried an interesting little experiment. Just for fun I tried dictating a snippet of a fiction project I'm working on using the ListNote dictation app and my Android smartphone which uses Google's voice recognition technology. It's surprisingly accurate, but there are some limitations. You do have to speak slowly and carefully and pause frequently to see if the software correctly interpreted what you said. As you speak, the words you say (or more accurately, the words Google thinks you said) slowly appear in a tiny text window in the app. The app *DID* distinguish between "Wales" and "whales" (the word I wanted was "Wales"), but not between "wore" and "war." (The word I wanted was "wore"). The app and Google working together do recognize many proper names (such as for characters and specific places) and and will automatically capitalize them. Google also has a certain ability to learn specific, unusual words you use frequently and learns to reproduce them correctly. You also have the ability to type in corrections manually using the phone's virtual keyboard. All that said, however, dictating a lengthy document such as an entire short story or chapter of a novel might be a lengthy and perhaps tedious process, but with time and practice it might become easier.<br />
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When using the ListNote app and Google's voice recognition capabilities, you do have to pronounce commonly used punctuation marks: period, question mark, exclamation point, comma, and colon, for example. In most cases, you simply say the word and you get the punctuation mark you want. The spoken commands "new line" or "new paragraph" will insert the equivalent of a line break or paragraph break into your document. However, for some unknown reason, the command "quotation mark" works less than 50% of the time. Sometimes, particularly near the beginning of a document, when you say "quotation mark," you will get the desired punctuation, but more often you will get the words "quotation mark" fully spelled out. I have no idea why this might be. Obviously, this poses a problem if you are writing fiction and using dialogue between characters. It's possible that the developers of this app imagined that it would be used mostly for nonfiction expository writing, such as business and professional purposes, so indicating, creating, or reproducing dialogue would not be an issue. I can only hope that future versions of the software will correct the problem. Another thing that puzzles me about the app is the seeming inability to automatically capitalize the first word after a period. Sometimes, if you pause for several seconds between the end of one sentence and the beginning of another, the software will capitalize the first word of the new sentence, but not always. Capitalization for the first word of a sentence is a basic rule of English grammar, and I don't understand why that rule isn't written into the software somewhere. Back to the drawing board, software developers!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-30264237221990685122015-04-28T15:33:00.002-04:002015-04-28T15:49:31.071-04:00The Great Dictator<div dir="ltr">
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I'm continuing to experiment with Blogger's dictation feature. I've been advised to sit with my wheelchair seat tilted up and back as much as possible in order to relieve pain in my back, legs, and feet. Unfortunately, however, when I do this, it becomes difficult or impossible to use the computer keyboard and mouse. Therefore, I'm using my smartphone, Blogger's android app, and the app's dictation feature as a way to continue to blog even without using the keyboard or the mouse. It takes a bit of getting used to, I must say. Sometimes the voice recognition software will mistake one word for another or will fail to capitalize a word when I would like it to. If I keep at it, however, I suppose I'll get used to it after a while. My brother Bill has promised to install Dragon Dictation software on my desktop computer so that I can blog, write, or operate the computer as much as possible by using voice commands. I don't know if I'll be able to simply speak into the air and order the computer to produce a cup of Earl Grey tea the way Captain Picard did on <i>Star Trek: The Next Generation</i>, but it's fun to imagine and to realize that idea may be closer to reality than we thought.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0T9W7eVDmhXs_9mVpjVD6zltFPEMN-v31vrzfbFVOwEYZ2mbSLPEpY5LbbJROmswsRhyE3-En3KvVVDEjcQvSYRT-USHvWU__dviR7inIdoy-0Ohuw-X78oFJRG-GvWEk3_9/s1600/picard-picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0T9W7eVDmhXs_9mVpjVD6zltFPEMN-v31vrzfbFVOwEYZ2mbSLPEpY5LbbJROmswsRhyE3-En3KvVVDEjcQvSYRT-USHvWU__dviR7inIdoy-0Ohuw-X78oFJRG-GvWEk3_9/s1600/picard-picture.jpg" height="320" width="242" /></a></div>
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I'm also trying to recover my old habit of reading for pleasure. This is also something I can do while the chair is tilted back. It's an embarrassing thing for an English major and former librarian to say, but somewhere along the line I lost the habit of reading for pleasure. I think it was the result of years of work as a cataloging librarian, a job I eventually came to despise. After being surrounded by books all day long, the last thing I wanted to do was to read more books when I got home. Also, I think I couldn't face the silence when I came home to my otherwise empty apartment in the evenings. This feeling was especially acute when I knew my parents were dying of cancer. I didn't want to be alone with my thoughts and my grief, so I turned on the television or surfed the Internet to create the illusion that I had company or activity in the apartment. Now, however, I'm becoming much more comfortable with the idea of silence, and I'm rediscovering the joys of reading.</div>
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Recently I reread Gregg Taylor's first Red Panda novel, <i><a href="http://decoderringtheatre.com/books/the-crime-cabal/">The Crime Cabal</a></i>, and really enjoyed it. Then I decided to read Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain, a series of children's fantasy novels loosely based on Welsh mythology. I read one of these books years ago when I was in grade school but never got to read the entire series. I'm making up for lost time. I'm now about halfway through the second book in the series and I plan to complete the series in short order. Then for a change of pace, I think I'll read <i>Wayfaring Strangers</i>, Fiona Ritchie's account of Scottish and Irish immigrants to the United States and their enormous influence on the development of American Old-Time, bluegrass, and country music. I have many varied interests, and I'm trying to learn to move between them without thinking about whether or not they're consistent. Ralph Waldo Emerson was in many ways a pompous, blithering gasbag, but I do recall one useful thing he said: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."</div>
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One benefit of getting older is the realization that you can read what you want, watch what you want, or listen to what you want without worrying about whether or not it's "cool" or consistent or fashionable. When we are young, we often think about what other people think of us and if we are reading the right sort of books, watching the right kind of movies and TV shows, or listening to the right kind of music so that the cool kids, whoever they are, will approve of us and think that we're also cool. Eventually, however, we realize we can stop worrying about what's cool and simply like what we like and enjoy what we enjoy. Ideas of what's cool are constantly changing, but the things in life that give us true joy and pleasure seldom do and are much more important.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-49092817552672808982015-04-21T02:32:00.001-04:002015-04-21T02:35:49.337-04:00Test post<p dir="ltr">This is another test post of Blogger's dictation feature. The first post seems to have frozen up on me and I can't delete it or publish it. It seems to be stuck in some sort of electronic limbo. Let's see if this post is more successful.</p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-80861871469640024652015-04-16T14:59:00.001-04:002015-04-16T15:11:33.704-04:00Restart, Reboot, Reset, Re . . .<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0HM0rqt6HoHCi7U_9-EVNRwz0pSCOeQmmR062ciTWlIAtCxAMcjhZ8h15rg6a13dYz4hnrQM332H0nCAiE66-epzLI6fnqm7CDnEqF46miL74PLiT4NpjsYlKW4pujv5uCm9/s1600/restart-button-hi.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0HM0rqt6HoHCi7U_9-EVNRwz0pSCOeQmmR062ciTWlIAtCxAMcjhZ8h15rg6a13dYz4hnrQM332H0nCAiE66-epzLI6fnqm7CDnEqF46miL74PLiT4NpjsYlKW4pujv5uCm9/s1600/restart-button-hi.png" height="102" width="320" /></a><i>Niall rolls up to his blog, blows away the dust, sweeps away the cobwebs, taps it gently, and says:</i><br />
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"Hello? Is this thing on?"<br />
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Well, after what could be one of the most epic blog fades in history, I've decided to restart this crazy blog thing. I really have no explanation for my absence (except possibly a serious addiction to Facebook). My previous blog post was in August. Late Summer faded into Fall, Fall faded into Winter, and now Winter has faded into Spring. April showers and all that, dontcha know.<br />
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Usually after Christmas I go into a kind of blue funk that lasts through January and February, but usually in March and April I feel myself coming back to life. I wouldn't exactly call it Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) but sometimes it sure feels like it. I feel as though I really don't have very much to say that's interesting, either about myself or about the Catholic faith and the Catholic Church or any of my other passions or interests. What has been said about the Catholic Church has usually been said better and in a more timely fashion by writers far better than I. I've thought about shutting the blog down or at least moving to another blogging platform for a new look and a fresh start. For now though, I've decided to keep the blog where it is and keep going.<br />
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Now that Spring is here, however, I feel the itch to do some writing, and I thought perhaps it would be best to start small with some new blog posts. I have been working a tiny bit on some unfinished fiction projects that have lain dormant for a long time, and perhaps I'll have more to say about that later. My renewed interest in writing isn't helped by the fact that I'm frequently hampered by pain in my lower back, legs, and feet that seems to be getting steadily worse. About the only things that really help are prescription pain relievers and sitting with my wheelchair seat tilted back at an angle. Unfortunately with the wheelchair seat tilted back, it's impossible to use the keyboard and mouse. However, I'm thinking about possible solutions including using a lap tray and wireless keyboard or even dictating my stories to at least get them out of my head.<br />
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It also didn't help that in the last few days I discovered my computer was infested with malware, spyware, and for all I know, under-ware, that made it nearly impossible to use the internet without millions of annoying ads and pop-ups appearing. Desperate for a solution, I had to call HP, renew the warranty on my now aging desktop machine, and get a couple of technicians to take over the computer remotely and purge it of all the offending unwanted software. A whole afternoon and at least $50 later, the computer is now malware free, at least for the moment. The whole experience has made me skittish about using, and especially downloading, anything from the internet, at least for the time being. It made me nostalgic for the days of manual typewriters or the pre-internet days of the late '80s and early '90s where each computer was a standalone machine and one could use it without fear of being infected by something evil.<br />
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So that, Dear Reader (if I have any regular readers left), in a few brief paragraphs, is a summary of where the blog is today. I will do my utmost to be a more regular and faithful correspondent. Until next time, friends.<br />
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Your humble and obedient servant,<br />
Niall MorUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-60717125470048277042014-08-04T13:39:00.000-04:002014-08-04T13:40:51.347-04:00So Where Have I Been?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4nalFTzVMnJIzoSFkA-U5WJ2eB1CB83cLysKCfTsDcSYh07yEG5W4jivrib3-xqaGfnB_SQ8ZrEUtNoikjssKGDoc1t3NxzWEz2keHDFV1sXqlmVCa_G2l9weOuWHKrdke1b/s1600/Kindle+Fire+HD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4nalFTzVMnJIzoSFkA-U5WJ2eB1CB83cLysKCfTsDcSYh07yEG5W4jivrib3-xqaGfnB_SQ8ZrEUtNoikjssKGDoc1t3NxzWEz2keHDFV1sXqlmVCa_G2l9weOuWHKrdke1b/s1600/Kindle+Fire+HD.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Precioussss!</td></tr>
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Nowhere much, but the blog has suffered, unfortunately. In May I received an <a href="http://ww.amazon.com/kindle-fire-hd-best-family-kids-tablet/dp/B00CU0NSCU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407172897&sr=8-1&keywords=Kindle+fire+HD">Amazon Kindle Fire</a> from my brother Bill, something I'd been hoping for and hinting at for quite some time whenever possible birthday and Christmas presents were mentioned. I am ready to proclaim this thing the coolest gadget in the history of gadgets. Being able to take a library of e-books, apps, and podcasts, with me anywhere I go on one little easily portable device has been enormously liberating for me. On these lazy summer days, I can read, chat on Facebook, play a game, or surf the web from anywhere in the house, including my nice comfy bed if I so choose. Interestingly, I find myself downloading a slew of superhero-themed e-books and comics, returning to an old interest of mine. The Kindle revolutionizes the experience of reading, so I'm dusting off some old, unfinished superhero writing projects of my own and daydreaming about the time when they just might appear on an e-book reader near you. We shall see.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-45868610235593191532014-08-04T12:45:00.001-04:002014-08-04T12:59:22.160-04:00Stratford Caldecott, RIP<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaLGEKUOox3LzEjHz0Z8lQDvd-QEgP5Sf4QVC8XVgy40vWzDsEb8oZ-3lgP0PhDifyLABbMokujNPs3E8ldsIWF-63eUrghP1xx5_nkNe6P5FG9RPIM6peqUadaqczuAqSK_pi/s1600/Stratford-Caldecott.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaLGEKUOox3LzEjHz0Z8lQDvd-QEgP5Sf4QVC8XVgy40vWzDsEb8oZ-3lgP0PhDifyLABbMokujNPs3E8ldsIWF-63eUrghP1xx5_nkNe6P5FG9RPIM6peqUadaqczuAqSK_pi/s1600/Stratford-Caldecott.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a>Stratford "Strat" Caldecott, the British Catholic author, speaker, and Marvel Comics fan that I blogged about in my last entry, has died. He passed into eternal life July 17 with his wife and daughters at his side. Here is a link to <a href="http://www.secondspring.co.uk/">the obituary</a> published by <i>Second Spring</i>, the journal he edited. I had not heard of him until recently, and of course I did not know the man personally, but I wish I had. I shall have to read one of his books. Any man who loved Marvel Comics, J. R. R. Tolkien, and the Catholic faith is someone I would like to have met. <br />
From all accounts, he was a man of deep faith, profound intellectual insight, and a gentle sense of humor. I am sure he will be missed by those who knew and loved him. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul, and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-71115711571105161712014-05-17T16:27:00.001-04:002014-05-17T16:27:10.009-04:00Avengers (And I) Assemble for Stratford Caldecott!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I #CapforStrat!</td></tr>
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I heard about this yesterday on Facebook, and I thought it was so cool I had to join in.<br />
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Catholic writer and Marvel Comics fan Stratford "Strat" Caldecott is in the last stages of a long fight against prostate cancer. In order to make his remaining time as pleasant as possible, his daughters have asked Marvel Studios for an advance copy of the <i>Captain America: The Winter Soldier</i> DVD because Mr. Caldecott was too ill to go to the theater and see the movie. They've also reached out to stars of the Marvel superhero movies and the TV show <i>Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D</i>. via Facebook and Twitter asking them to tweet photos with messages of love and support with the hashtag<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23CapForStrat&src=tyah"> #CapforStrat.</a> <a href="http://sophiecaldecott.wordpress.com/2014/05/16/136/">Mr. Caldecott's daughter Sophie reports</a> that Marvel executives have arranged for a private screening of the film, and that many Marvel stars and ordinary people alike have tweeted their support. I'm not a movie star, but <a href="https://twitter.com/NiallMor/status/467451133300985856/photo/1">I'd like Mr. Caldecott and family to know I'm with them. </a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-10296552772591700662014-04-17T13:02:00.003-04:002014-04-17T13:05:46.014-04:00Repost from Holy Thursday 2012<b>NOTE:</b> I originally posted this on Holy Thursday 2012, and unfortunately once again I'm ill on Holy Thursday, so I'm going to have to repost this. Prayers for all my readers as we enter the Blessed Triduum.<br />
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Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend tonight's Holy Thursday liturgy due to illness. For all those in a similar situation, whether due to illness or some other reason, I offer this, the beautiful Eucharistic hymn "Tantum ergo sacramentum," traditionally sung as the Eucharist is removed from the Tabernacle to a place of repose. The lyrics in Latin and in English are as follows:<br />
<br />
Tantum ergo Sacramentum<br />
Veneremur cernui:<br />
Et antiquum documentum<br />
Novo cedat ritui:<br />
Praestet fides supplementum<br />
Sensuum defectui.<br />
<br />
Genitori, Genitoque<br />
Laus et iubilatio,<br />
Salus, honor, virtus quoque<br />
Sit et benedictio:<br />
Procedenti ab utroque<br />
Compar sit laudatio.<br />
Amen.<br />
<br />
Down in adoration falling,<br />
Lo! the sacred Host we hail,<br />
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing<br />
Newer rites of grace prevail;<br />
Faith for all defects supplying,<br />
Where the feeble senses fail.<br />
<br />
To the everlasting Father,<br />
And the Son Who Reigns on high<br />
With the Holy Spirit proceeding<br />
Forth from each eternally,<br />
Be salvation, honor blessing,<br />
Might and endless Majesty.<br />
Amen.<br />
<br />
A Blessed and Holy Easter Season to all my readers!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/esNb4FlSCW0" width="420"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-83452852432496121972014-03-17T15:30:00.001-04:002014-04-05T20:27:50.264-04:00The Lorica of St. Patrick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>The Lorica of St. Patrick</b></div>
<br />
I arise today<br />
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity<br />
Through belief in the threeness<br />
Through confession of the Oneness<br />
Towards the creator.<br />
<br />
I arise today<br />
Through the strength of Christ with his baptism,<br />
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,<br />
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension<br />
Through the strength of his descent for the Judgement of doom.<br />
I arise today<br />
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim<br />
In obedience to the Angels,<br />
In the service of the Archangels,<br />
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,<br />
In prayers of patriarchs,<br />
In predictions of prophets,<br />
In preaching of Apostles,<br />
In faiths of confessors,<br />
In innocence of Holy Virgins,<br />
In deeds of righteous men.<br />
<br />
I arise today<br />
Through the strength of heaven:<br />
Light of sun<br />
Brilliance of moon<br />
Splendor of fire<br />
Speed of lightning<br />
Swiftness of wind <br />
Depth of sea<br />
Stability of earth<br />
Firmness of rock.<br />
I arise today<br />
Through God’s strength to pilot me:<br />
God’s might to uphold me,<br />
God’s wisdom to guide me<br />
God’s eye to look before me,<br />
God’s ear to hear me,<br />
God’s word to speak for me,<br />
God’s hand to guard me,<br />
God’s way to lie before me,<br />
God’s host to secure me<br />
against snares of devils<br />
against temptations of vices<br />
against inclinations of nature<br />
against everyone who shall wish me ill,<br />
afar and anear,<br />
alone and in a crowd.<br />
A summon today all these powers between me and these evils<br />
Against every cruel and merciless power that may oppose my body and my soul,<br />
Against incantations of false prophets,<br />
Against black laws of heathenry,<br />
Against false laws of heretics,<br />
Against craft of idolatry,<br />
Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,<br />
Against every knowledge that endangers man’s body and soul.<br />
Christ to protect me today<br />
against poison, against burning,<br />
against drowning, against wounding,<br />
so that there may come abundance of reward.<br />
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,<br />
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,<br />
Christ on my right, Christ on my left<br />
Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise<br />
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,<br />
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,<br />
Christ in every eye that sees me,<br />
Christ in every ear that hears me.<br />
I arise today<br />
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,<br />
Through belief in the Thrones,<br />
Through confession of the Oneness<br />
Towards the Creator.<br />
Salvation is of the Lord<br />
Salvation is of the Lord<br />
Salvation is of Christ<br />
May thy salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/celtic/ctexts/p03.html">Find the original text here.</a><br />
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<i>St. Patrick, patron of Ireland, pray for us! </i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-66642018836531376172014-03-05T15:59:00.000-05:002014-03-05T15:59:55.137-05:00Ash Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Now therefore saith the Lord: Be converted to me with all your heart, in fasting, and in weeping, and in mourning.
And rend your hearts, and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your
God: for he is gracious and merciful, patient and rich in mercy, and
ready to repent of the evil. Who knoweth but he will return, and forgive, and leave a blessing behind him, sacrifice and libation to the Lord your God?
Blow the trumpet in Sion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly,
Gather together the people, sanctify the church, assemble the ancients,
gather together the little ones, and them that suck at the breasts: let
the bridegroom go forth from his bed, and the bride out of her bride
chamber.
Between the porch and the altar the priests the Lord' s ministers shall
weep, and shall say: Spare, O Lord, spare thy people: and give not thy
inheritance to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them. Why
should they say among the nations: Where is their God?
The Lord hath been zealous for his land, and hath spared his people. And the Lord answered and said to his people: Behold I will send you
corn, and wine, and oil, and you shall be filled with them: and I will
no more make you a reproach among the nations.<br />
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(Joel 2: 12-19, Douay-Rheims Version, Epistle for Ash Wednesday Mass in the Extraordinary Form) Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-6833635489824096672014-02-03T18:08:00.000-05:002014-04-05T17:34:07.736-04:00Surely Not, Sherlock!Well, I wasted two hours of my life last night.<br />
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No, not watching the snooze-fest that was Seattle's absolute trouncing of Denver in Superbowl XLVIII, although that might have been preferable. No, I watched the third season finale of <i>Sherlock</i>, the BBC's postmodern update and reboot of the Sherlock Holmes stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, with Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson. I watched the first season of this show when it premiered on PBS in the United States a couple of years ago, wasn't especially impressed, and skipped the second and third seasons. I decided to give the show another look, however, when some recent late night pain and insomnia kept me up, and I needed something diverting to watch while waiting for the pain medications to kick in. Before I knew it, I was hookednot on the pain medicine, but on Sherlock. With each "season" being only three episodes long, it was a fairly simple matter to get caught up. I plowed through seasons 1 and 2, and the two previous episodes of season 3 in order to prepare for the big finale last night. What a letdown!<br />
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For those who haven't seen the show, perhaps a few words of explanation are in order, but <b>here there be spoilers. You have been warned.</b> In this contemporary update of the Holmes universe, some elements and vestiges of the original stories remain, although often transmuted and transmogrified. Holmes is still a brilliant but asocial, eccentric oddball, a violinist, and a sometime nicotine addict, residing at 221B Baker Street, London, and attempting to make a living as the world's only "consulting detective." In his day job, he's a pathologist at London's St. Bartholomew's Hospital, but he's forever running his own bizarre experiments on the cadavers to test equally bizarre theories that his coworkers find incomprehensible. His coworkers, however, are just as incomprehensible to Sherlock as he is to them. One of his colleagues, the timid, mousy Molly Hooper (brilliantly played by Louise Brealey) has a massive crush on him, but he's oblivious to her attentions. When Detective Inspector Greg Lestrade of Scotland Yard (Rupert Graves) calls Holmes a psychopath, Holmes snaps back, "High functioning sociopath. Do your research."<br />
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While Conan Doyle's original Holmes was definitely an asocial eccentric, he could, if need be, muster a modicum of social skills, and, on occasion, a kind of gallantry, particularly, if a woman was in danger. He could rally to the defense of a damsel in distress. For much of this new series, Holmes, as played by Cumberbatch, isn't that classy. He's simply arrogant and condescending to anyone he considers his intellectual inferior, which is to say most people. To put it bluntly, he's a jerk. For much of the series, Holmes insists he isn't really interested in questions of right and wrong, good and evil, and the needs of the people who come to him for help. People are merely ciphers, minor factors in a complex intellectual problem. However, as the series progresses, we see that despite his protestations to the contrary, he really <i>does</i> have a sense of right and wrong and a desire to help people achieve justice. In a way, the series is as much about Sherlock's coming out of his shell and learning to form normal social relationships as it is about solving mysteries. Sherlock matures as the series progresses, especially through his relationship with Watson, but with each season being only three episodes long, we don't get to see that relationship develop as much as we might like.<br />
<br />
Sherlock's brother Mycroft, on the other hand, remains largely the same throughout the series. Brilliantly played by series co-creator Mark Gatiss, Mycroft "<i>is</i> the British government," a sinister and calculating spook and spymaster, holding a shadowy but powerful position in the British intelligence services. Mycroft does have a more human side, but we don't get to see it until the very end of the series. The long-suffering Mrs. Hudson (Una Stubbs), Holmes's housemaid in the original stories, is now his landlady, who owes Sherlock a favor: he saw to it that her drug-dealing, abusive ex-husband was sent to prison.<br />
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Watson, for his part, is a veteran of the current war in Afghanistan, who has been advised by his therapist to keep a blog as a means of treating his post-traumatic stress disorder. Holmes and Watson, both in need of a roommate, are introduced through a mutual acquaintance, and a legendary partnership is born. Watson blogs about Holmes's adventures, the website attracts new clients, and the two detectives battle an assortment of serial killers, art thieves, terrorists, assassins, and blackmailers, most of whom, it seems, are under the control of the psychotic master criminal Jim Moriarty (chillingly played by Irish actor Andrew Scott). Throughout the series there are all sorts of clever, winks, nods, and references to the original stories, from episode titles and names of characters to plot points and little passing observations Holmes makes. Often the writers will combine and update elements from two or more different Conan Doyle stories and give them a contemporary spin. Most of these references and updates are clever and well done, but not all: I wasn't a big fan of making Irene Adler, the opera singer who actually manages to outwit Holmes in the original Conan Doyle story "A Scandal in Bohemia" into a high class prostitute and dominatrix in the updated version, but I was willing to overlook it because the series up to that point had been pretty good.<br />
<br />
I suspected the show was headed for real trouble, however, as season 2 ended and season 3 began. At the end of season 2, in an episode loaded with references to the Conan Doyle story, "The Final Problem," Holmes and Moriarty have an epic confrontation, Moriarty apparently succeeds in destroying Holmes's reputation, Moriarty apparently commits suicide, and Holmes likewise apparently leaps from the roof of St. Bartholomew's Hospital to a bloody, suicidal death right in front of a helpless Doctor Watson. As season 3 opens, however, we find that Holmes never really died and his apparent death was all a piece of remarkably clever stagecraft managed by British Intelligence. By this time, Watson has moved on and proposed to Mary Morstan, the love of his life (who originally appears in the Conan Doyle novel, <i>The Sign of the Four</i>), and is furious to find that Holmes deceived him. Since we don't get to see the relationship between Holmes and Watson develop in depth over time, and because Holmes is such a jerk for so much of the time we do see, Watson's emotional collapse at Holmes's apparent death and outrage at Holmes's fraud and deception, don't ring entirely true. The second episode of season 3, which takes place on Watson's wedding day, is little more than a clip show and a comic relief episode in which Holmes struggles valiantly to give a best man speech, recount some "humorous" cases, and solve a mystery that's taking place at the wedding reception itself.<br />
<br />
The real deal-breaker for me, however came with last night's season finale. Holmes and Watson, having forged an uneasy truce after Holmes's deception, go up against a particularly loathsome blackmailer, tabloid magnate Charles Augustus Magnusson ("Charles Augustus Milverton" in Conan Doyle's original story). Mary Morstan Watson, John Watson's wife, is also going after Magnusson, because he knows that sheget ready for thisis actually a foreign intelligence agent and international assassin <i>posing</i> as Mary Morstan. Sherlock deduces the truth about Mary and tricks her into confessing to him and to John. John is again outraged, but somewhat incredibly, decides to forgive both Mary and Sherlock. Sherlock and John return to confront Magnusson, but discover that all the incriminating information Magnusson has about Mary is in his head, and only in his headthere are no paper documents or files on computer hard drives. When Sherlock points out that Magnusson thus has no proof of Mary's real identity, Magnusson coolly replies, "I don't need proof. I'm in newspapers."<br />
<br />
Knowing that Magnusson will be a threat to John and Mary as long as he's alive, Sherlock calmly shoots Magnusson in cold blood. In order to save Sherlock from a long prison sentence, Mycroft proposes a deal: Sherlock can go to Eastern Europe and perform some high level espionage for the British government, or he can go to jail. Sherlock agrees to do the spy work, leading to what looks to a final parting between himself and John Watson. Just minutes into Sherlock's exile, however, Mycroft calls him back to England; it seems none other than Moriarty is alive and up to his old tricks. End episode, roll credits.<br />
<br />
Will there be a fourth season? I don't know. Will I be watching it? After that turkey of an episode, I <i>really</i> don't know. I don't mind the secret agent stuff so much if it's done in moderation. From my reading of the original stories, I know that at times, largely because of Mycroft, Holmes is called upon to be as much a secret agent as a detective, performing certain highly confidential services for Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria and the other crowned heads of Europe, so there is that precedent in the source material. This reboot, however, really overdoes that whole aspect, transforming Holmes from a nerdy science geek who solves crimes into some kind of badass James Bond-style superspy. I like James Bond and superspy stories too, but when I tune in expecting one kind of genre and get something else, it really bugs me.<br />
<br />
It would have been perfectly plausible to imagine what might happen if Magnusson knew something incriminating about Mary Morstan. It would have also been perfectly plausible to imagine what might have happened if she had confronted him about it; but that incriminating something should have been something believable. Maybe, years before, she had embezzled from her employer, or had an affair with an important married man. She should have been what she had been portrayed as up to that point, a middle-aged woman happy to find love at last, and desperate to keep an incriminating secret; not a spy or an assassin, or some ridiculous baloney like that! Come on! And the whole "Sherlock and Mycroft at home with their parents for Christmas" subplot? Please! Honestly, sometimes I think even I could write something better than that. Why don't I?<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-30273688077601007722014-01-17T19:01:00.000-05:002014-01-17T22:36:05.995-05:00Writing with Drive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My fiendish plan worked! As I said in my previous post, I've been thinking lately about doing some writing, both dusting off some old unfinished projects, and starting on some new stuff. Both of these projects would require some library research, so I got the bright idea to upload what I had written to Google Drive (Google's online word processing app) so that whether I was at home or at the library, I would have access to all my files without the aid of a laptop, tablet, smartphone, or other portable device that I can't afford right now. This morning on a visit to the nearest branch of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library, I logged into Google Drive, found one of my unfinished stories, and made a small addition. When I got home and checked my computer, there was the addition, ready and waiting. I've spent the last few minutes rereading what I've written so far and tinkering with it. It's a strange feeling; it's been years since I worked on this story, but in another sense, it feels as if I've never been away. Can I keep this going? I hope so.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-39491461828568852972014-01-06T16:48:00.002-05:002014-01-06T16:50:21.949-05:002014: Looking Ahead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In my previous post, I looked back over the major events of my life in 2013. Now I'd like to look ahead a bit and think about what I'd like to accomplish in the New Year 2014. It's been frequently noted (indeed, I'm sure most of us can see it in our own lives) that most "New Year's Resolutions" fail miserably. As my Facebook friend and fellow blogger <a href="http://logofthecourtier.com/2013/12/30/running-toward-your-resolutions/">William "Billy" Newton observes</a>, <a href="http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/">based on statistical evidence</a>, human beings tend to make grand, noble-sounding plans to "lose weight," "get in shape," "get organized," or "be a better person," but usually give up in a short time because our goals aren't specific and measurable enough. If your goal isn't specific enough to be measured, how will you know when you've reached it? If you don't know when you've reached your goal, what will motivate you to keep pressing on until you've achieved it?<br />
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I myself am notorious for making grand plans, announcing a course of action, and then failing to follow through, usually when I realize it's going to take more work than I figured to reach my goal. Yet at the same time I've been thinking about how the New Year does gives us an opportunity to take stock, start over again with a clean slate, and maybe, just maybe, do things a little differently, and a little better than we did in the past. I'm especially conscious of this, having recently relocated to a new city and a new and better living situation than I've had for many years. I'd like to set out some goals (I hesitate to call them "resolutions" because somehow that seems more formal, grand, and ominous) that I'd like to achieve in the new year. In setting them down here, I realize I'm committing myself to something. I may look back on this post in a year and realize I've failed miserably and embarrassed myself, but on the other hand, writing these goals down and posting them in public may just shame me into keeping them. Here goes.<br />
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I have three broad areas of interest in my life right now: broadening and deepening my Catholic faith and my relationship with Jesus Christ; resuming and continuing my genealogical and family history research; and resuming and continuing my creative writing. I have specific goals I'd like to achieve in each of these areas.<br />
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As far as my Catholic faith is concerned, I would like to continue attending the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (the Traditional Latin Mass) and learn more about the spirituality behind it until I am as comfortable and familiar with the Traditional or Extraordinary Form as I am with the vernacular or Ordinary Form. I would like to go through the entire calendar year (from this past June when I started to going to EF Masses until next June) and through the entire liturgical year (from Advent to Advent) with the Extraordinary Form. I've said on Facebook that somebody needs to write <i>The Extraordinary Form for Dummies</i> or something like it, and lately, I've even begun to entertain the preposterous idea that I could be that somebody. I would know when the book would reach its intended audience of dummies because I would be the Chief Dummy. I'm not a theologian, liturgist, priest, or religious; I'm just a poor, dumb schmuck in the pews, trying to get to heaven like everybody else. If the book made sense and was helpful to me, maybe it would make sense and be helpful to other people. I've begun making notes and doing preliminary research. I will aim to have a first draft ready by this time next year.<br />
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I would also like to learn to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, but this may be too ambitious if I am also writing and doing research. I purchased a breviary and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Divine-Office-Dodos-Step-By-Step/dp/0899424821/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389039059&sr=8-1&keywords=divine+office+for+dodos"><i>The Divine Office for Dodos</i></a> by Madeline Pecora Nugent, a guide for learning the Divine Office, by several years ago, but found both the learning process and the guidebook more difficult than expected. Nugent tries so hard to make her writing style cheerful and encouraging that it actually backfires and comes across as annoyingly chirpy and a bit condescending, cheering the reader on as if he is a slightly dimwitted child. Daria Sockey's book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Catholics-Guide-Liturgy-Hours-ebook/dp/B00BSI816S/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389039847&sr=1-1&keywords=daria+sockey"><i>The Everyday Catholic's Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours</i></a>, has been recommended to me, and I'd like to try it. I will purchase the book this week and see how far I can get with praying the Hours by this time next year.<br />
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As far as my genealogical research is concerned, my research has been stalled for over a year and I'd really like to change that. I've been able to establish that my great-great grandfather James E. Leslie (1823-1875) was born in Iredell County, NC, moved to Lowndes County, AL some time before 1850, set up a blacksmith business, and served in a Confederate cavalry regiment as a blacksmith during the Civil War. However, I don't know where in Iredell County he was born, who his parents were, and when or why he moved to Alabama. I sent e-mail and made a phone call to the <a href="http://iredellcogs.com/">Genealogical Society of Iredell County</a> but received no reply whatsoever. I will make contact with the GSIC by the end of this month, and if that fails, I will see what I can find through other channels including the <a href="http://www.nccourts.org/county/iredell/default.asp">Iredell County Courthouse</a> and the <a href="http://www.history.ncdcr.gov/">North Carolina Office of Archives and History</a>.<br />
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Finally, as far as my creative writing goes, I have no fewer than three unfinished superhero origin stories (which sometimes feel like three versions of the same story) on my hard drive waiting to be completed. My interest in the superhero concept has waxed and waned periodically over the years since I first discovered the <a href="http://allstraw.blogspot.com/2008/03/i-have-just-discovered.html">HeroMachine website and software</a>, but I'm still intrigued by these characters I've created with it, and it's always bothered me that I haven't yet been able to finish their stories. Maybe this is the year. I will have a completed draft of at least one origin story ready by this time next year.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-51000629132226357892014-01-03T15:07:00.000-05:002014-01-03T15:20:55.828-05:002013 In Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVkTG44rpzi35Augitu29Hw63khSL1MB4rTvBsSPMSpicJYG-COpUDjlmY8oUQ9iCT4uCl9zzMmyekmBM0snuhdpBH5HFVJuH1cFsXqpSC9g5EvvTp5UIjowNCYisn350xtMxx/s1600/goodbye-2013-welcome2014_1x.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVkTG44rpzi35Augitu29Hw63khSL1MB4rTvBsSPMSpicJYG-COpUDjlmY8oUQ9iCT4uCl9zzMmyekmBM0snuhdpBH5HFVJuH1cFsXqpSC9g5EvvTp5UIjowNCYisn350xtMxx/s320/goodbye-2013-welcome2014_1x.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Happy New Year!<br />
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It's high time to bring this blog up to date, and I thought one way to do that might be to take a brief look back at the year just past and speculate a bit about the year to come. For me personally, 2013 was a year of <a href="http://allstraw.blogspot.com/2013/02/invasion.html">invasions</a>, <a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2013/february/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20130211_declaratio_en.html">abdications</a>, <a href="http://allstraw.blogspot.com/2013/03/relocation.html">relocations</a>, <a href="http://allstraw.blogspot.com/2013/07/and-while-youre-praying.html">infections</a>, and <a href="http://allstraw.blogspot.com/2013/06/dicas-latinae-prima-pars-do-you-speak.html">explorations.</a><br />
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The year got off to a rough start with a <a href="http://allstraw.blogspot.com/2013/02/invasion.html">home invasion</a> in mid-January that turned my life upside down for quite a while. Until that time, my principal occupation had been researching my genealogy and family history, but dealing with the invasion and its aftermath largely brought that to a halt. After my family and I got over the initial shock of the event, we decided it was time for me to move to a safer location, and my brother and sister in the Charlotte area quickly set to work finding a new place for me to live. They found the condominium where I now live remarkably quickly, and February and the early part of March were largely devoted to my packing up and preparing to move. During that preparation phase, the world received the stunning news that Pope Benedict XVI had decided to <a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2013/february/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20130211_declaratio_en.html">abdicate and step down from the Chair of Peter</a>, a thing not seen in several hundred years. It seemed change was in the air for the whole Catholic Church, not just for me.<br />
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<a href="http://allstraw.blogspot.com/2013/06/greetings-from-charlotte.html">I arrived in Charlotte in early March</a> and immediately got to work lining up the medical and social support services I knew I would need: doctors, home nursing care, medical supplies, attendant services, Medicare and Medicaid, Social Security disability benefits, and transportation services. There were, of course, some bureaucratic tangles, but on the whole, the process went remarkably well. One afternoon in March, as I was in the bathroom taking a break from filling out forms and making phone calls, my brother called to tell me that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Francis">Pope Francis</a> had just been elected. It seems the whole world, Catholic and non-Catholic alike, is still trying to figure out what to make of this unconventional Pope, the first from the Americas, who seems to be a reformist and a man with a gift for saying and doing the unexpected and surprising thing.<br />
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Ironically, just as the Catholic Church and the world at large seemed to embrace this pope who is developing a reputation as a progressive and a reformer, it seemed my own personal practice of the Catholic faith moved in a more conservative and traditional direction. Ever since I had arrived in Charlotte, I'd been seeking a church home; I had visited a couple of parishes in the Charlotte area, but neither of them felt quite right. One of my Facebook friends in Charlotte recommended her parish, which is very tradition-friendly. I've blogged before about how much I've come to love <a href="http://allstraw.blogspot.com/2006/09/palace-of-tallis.html">sacred polyphonic music</a>, and when I saw that my friend's parish regularly celebrated the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (aka the Tridentine Mass or the <a href="http://allstraw.blogspot.com/2013/06/dicas-latinae-prima-pars-do-you-speak.html">Traditional Latin Mass</a>), I thought this might be an excellent opportunity to hear some of the music I had come to love in its proper context, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. I started attending the Extraordinary Form masses in June, and to be perfectly honest, found them baffling at first. My fellow Mass-goers, however, explained that the Extraordinary Form does take a bit of getting used to and urged me to keep coming. I have kept coming to the EF Mass, and with each liturgy I attend, the rite becomes a little more familiar and a little more comfortable. I consider it part of my continuing education as a Catholic.<br />
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Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go to Mass or anywhere else for much of the month of July, as I came down with a nasty <a href="http://allstraw.blogspot.com/2013/07/and-while-youre-praying.html">infection</a> that kept me sidelined for over a month. Eventually, however, I did get well, and aside from some occasional trouble with sciatica or a pinched nerve, I've been able to avoid any major medical catastrophes since then. May it remain so, at least for a while, for awhile, please God!<br />
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In mid-November, I received a letter from the solicitor's (prosecutor's) office back in South Carolina that the police had made an arrest in my home invasion case, and the solicitor was preparing to bring the case to trial. I wrote a detailed letter back describing my recollections of the crime and its effect on me. I also spoke by phone with someone in the solicitor's office who told me that the defendant in this case is facing other outstanding charges, and in all likelihood will "plead out" or plead guilty to a lesser charge in order to avoid doing time for a greater one. The defendant in my case is being charged with armed robbery, and the case is likely to come before a judge sometime in February. I'll post more information as it becomes available. I've heard crime victims on TV news shows talk about the need for "closure," and for the first time in my life I understand what they mean. With the perpetrator of my crime behind bars and preparing to face the justice he deserves, I feel as if I can truly begin to close this chapter in my life and move on to whatever comes next.<br />
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December and my first Christmas in Charlotte were quiet and low-key but peaceful and happier than my Christmas celebrations have been for some years now. Like many adults who are getting older, I feel a twinge of nostalgia and melancholy as I recall all those long-ago childhood Christmases with their mix of feverish anticipation, excitement, and delight. I miss my parents, who worked so hard to make Christmas special for my brothers, sisters, and me. As my sister observed, Christmas just doesn't seem quite as much fun without them around. Yet this year, we were able to get almost everyone together (on New Year's Eve, if not Christmas Day) and we were truly happy to be together. For that moment we were all content with the present and unafraid of the future. Whatever hardships may come, I pray we will face them together because we are a family and we love each other. I feel extraordinarily blessed to be here at this time in this place. <i>Deo gratias</i>! Thanks Be to God!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-70566518541843703332013-11-06T18:47:00.000-05:002013-11-06T18:51:39.180-05:00Beard, beard, beard, beard, beardy beard! (Or I can't stop giggling over this) Congratulations to the Boston Red Sox and their fans who are probably STILL celebrating the Sox recent victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. I didn't have a huge emotional investment in this year's series (my team of choice would've been the Atlanta Braves), but I have friends and family members who are originally from the Boston area, so I was pleased for their sakes that the Sox came out on top.<br />
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The morning after the victory, Facebook friend, blogger, and Bostonian <a href="http://www.bettnet.com/">Dom Bettinelli</a> posted this little opus to Facebook and I've been chuckling over it ever since:<br />
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/117799047" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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In case you were wondering, yes, it's a parody of "What Does the Fox Say?" that annoyingly catchy, earworm-producing dance tune by the Norwegian pop band Ylvis:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/jofNR_WkoCE" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Enjoy! (He says with a fiendish laugh).<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-8509923234172638082013-10-16T17:45:00.000-04:002013-10-16T17:45:34.102-04:00Superman: 75 Years in 2 MinutesIn honor of Superman's 75th anniversary this year (<i>Action Comics</i> #1 was published in June 1938), here's a nifty little animated short film from Bruce Timm and Zack Snyder chronicling the Man of Steel's journey from comics to TV and film. Timm is the creative mastermind behind recent animated versions of Batman, Superman, and other heroes from the DC pantheon, both on television and in direct-to-DVD releases. Snyder is the director of the recently released <i>Man of Steel</i> movie. Notice how the drawing style changes to reflect Superman's evolution over the decades.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ebXB0lBoaQ0" width="420"></iframe><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-29236217389170614922013-09-16T17:29:00.000-04:002014-02-07T15:28:52.173-05:00Guided Missals<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hGdP-lj8RQBjs-J6lpC8Gopu6YPoKl0LOrHQuicmfPJUEZj-jtyppeMy4TrdRpCnpJsIqL24s_g2FMg1ZtnLvaYuM4nt1bRkHj2SNAY-sML8rXAZhfL0rXHX8B4Vx5RjlGy-/s1600/568_Traditional_Latin_Mass_Hymnal.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hGdP-lj8RQBjs-J6lpC8Gopu6YPoKl0LOrHQuicmfPJUEZj-jtyppeMy4TrdRpCnpJsIqL24s_g2FMg1ZtnLvaYuM4nt1bRkHj2SNAY-sML8rXAZhfL0rXHX8B4Vx5RjlGy-/s320/568_Traditional_Latin_Mass_Hymnal.png" height="320" width="228" /></a>As part of my ongoing exploration of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (aka Traditional Latin Mass, Tridentine Mass), last week I took the plunge and ordered the second edition of the <a href="http://www.ccwatershed.org/Campion/">St. Edmund Campion Missal and Hymnal for the Traditional Latin Mass</a>, published by Corpus Christi Watershed. My parish uses the <a href="http://www.ccwatershed.org/vatican/">Vatican II Hymnal</a>, also published by Corpus Christi Watershed, as the missal and hymnal for its Ordinary Form Masses, and I am impressed by the attractiveness of its presentation and the selection of hymns. I've also been impressed by some of the recent liturgical musical compositions published and released by CC Watershed which are truly beautiful, reverent, and clearly inspired by and modeled after chant and polyphony, which I love.<br />
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The Campion Missal was very favorably reviewed by <a href="http://wdtprs.com/blog/2013/08/review-st-edmund-campion-missal-hymnal-for-the-traditional-latin-mass-2nd-edition/">Father John Zuhlsdorf (Father Z.)</a> and mentioned on Facebook by another priest friend of mine, Father Gaurav Shroff. Because the publishers just released the second edition, they are trying to promote it by offering individual and bulk copies at a considerable discount, and the net price is better than that for many comparable hand missals out there. On Monday of last week, I called the fulfillment house that's shipping the new missals, placed a phone order, and received my copy on Saturday, just in time for a "road test" at this Sunday's Mass. Overall, I was very pleased with the new missal. The Mass Propers are at the front of the book, with the Ordinaries for both High and Low Masses towards the middle. Prefaces for Feast Days are further toward the back, with a <i>Kyriale</i>, or collection of Gregorian Chant settings, and a generous selection of traditional hymns at the very back. As bonuses, the book also includes interior line art, color photos of the EF Mass being celebrated, and photos of pages from ancient and medieval manuscript missals.<br />
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Some users of the first edition complained that the cover and interior artwork of the first edition were excessively colorful, elaborate, and distracting, so the publishers have toned down these features just a bit for the second edition. The second edition now features a more sedate plain gray cover, and the ornamental capital letters for some of the interior text in the first edition, that were designed to be reminiscent of those in medieval illuminated manuscripts, have largely been simplified or eliminated. While the first edition had no bookmarks whatsoever, the second edition includes a single gray ribbon bookmark. Some users on Father Z's site complained that more ribbons would have been useful, but others pointed out that the bookmark problem can easily be corrected with holy cards or a multiple-ribbon bookmark available from any Catholic bookstore or seller of religious goods.<br />
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The book is considerably larger than many hand missals, and this may be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on one's point of view. It's an advantage insofar as the larger page size allows for a larger, easier to read typeface and less flipping back and forth between the various parts of the missal. The Ordinaries for High and Low Masses are printed in special color-coded sections on heavier quality stock than the rest of the book, making them easy to find and flip back to during the Mass.<br />
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The book's large size may be a disadvantage, however, if users find it heavier, bulkier, and less portable than other missals. It's really meant to be a church book, purchased by the parish, used, and left in the pews rather than a hand missal purchased and used by individual parishioners. Nevertheless, for someone like me, who is still trying to become familiar with the Extraordinary Form, this is a very attractive and useful resource. It's a high quality book at a very reasonable price.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZqyasrtZi_HxqOMaVzdG3rx2fubkX1XdtyyZPzfpjiXrqwbmtdwIgXuusoAKPkVPATQyLblX21DuPqd6m8ihuMSmMkk3EWwZ8ByG969dFJ0LEQ0dJiueDF0I7Bo6R3EMKt6O/s1600/Latin_english+booklet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZqyasrtZi_HxqOMaVzdG3rx2fubkX1XdtyyZPzfpjiXrqwbmtdwIgXuusoAKPkVPATQyLblX21DuPqd6m8ihuMSmMkk3EWwZ8ByG969dFJ0LEQ0dJiueDF0I7Bo6R3EMKt6O/s320/Latin_english+booklet.jpg" height="320" width="204" /></a>If purchasing a hardcover missal is a bigger investment than many individuals or parishes are willing to make, there are lower cost alternatives. My parish uses the <a href="http://ecclesiadei.org/Booklet%20Missals.htm">Latin-English Booklet Missal for Praying the Traditional Mass</a> (also known as <i>Pray the Holy Mass</i>) published by <a href="http://www.ecclesiadei.org/">Coalition Ecclesia Dei</a> and available from many Catholic booksellers. A Latin-Spanish version is also available. This little paperback booklet includes only the Ordinary of the Mass, but it's available for about $7 a copy and is far less expensive and far more portable and affordable than many comparable products. My parish's website also includes links to an <a href="http://www.fsspolgs.org/liturgical1.html#liturgical_1">online version of the liturgical calendar used before Vatican II</a> and <a href="http://stanncharlotte.org/content/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=861&Itemid=102">a list of PDF handouts with the Propers for each week's EF Mass</a>. It's a simple matter to consult the calendar, find out which Propers will be used that week, print them, fold them, and insert them into the missal. Many Mass-goers find this a simpler and more convenient option than using a larger and more expensive hand missal. I may try this option myself next week.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15881558.post-58274321629248525492013-08-13T20:17:00.000-04:002013-08-13T20:17:03.497-04:00Dicas Latinae? Tertia pars (Do you speak Latin? Third Part)<i>Dicas Latinae</i>? (Do you speak Latin?) <i>Fortasse</i> (Maybe).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPjiO9iLepvJ2niRZZsVOoRHbT-8aSoCoRiQ2g7bOPbwAeZE3wnA3tx1VJexIqgHv_bb_0YNoR_7svaynR1pjrJ4cpEHtHnfq8PJtC5LhiQyhqE16Jo8t5fcJh0jg6ItG27LY/s1600/latin-mass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPjiO9iLepvJ2niRZZsVOoRHbT-8aSoCoRiQ2g7bOPbwAeZE3wnA3tx1VJexIqgHv_bb_0YNoR_7svaynR1pjrJ4cpEHtHnfq8PJtC5LhiQyhqE16Jo8t5fcJh0jg6ItG27LY/s320/latin-mass.jpg" width="267" /></a>I'm continuing with my explorations and investigations of what is variously called the Traditional Latin Mass, the Tridentine Mass, or the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, but it's clear I still have a lot to learn. For instance, I just figured out that the Latin phrase I have been using to open each post in this series may actually be wrong. I learned it from an old retired priest who was filling in at a parish I used to belong to back in South Carolina. He was old enough to remember the days of the Latin Mass and could even remember the days when seminary classes were conducted in Latin to improve would-be priests' command of the language. He said he could recall instances where his brother priests greeted him with a phrase that sounded like "<i>Dicas Latinae</i>?" meaning "Do you speak Latin?" I learned the word <i>fortasse</i> (maybe) by using an online translation website. However, when I try to translate the English phrase, "Do you speak Latin?" using an online translator, I don't get <i>Dicas Latinae</i>, but something else. When I type in <i>Dicas Latinae</i>, I get something like, "The phrase you entered is not in the dictionary." Hmm. If someone out there in the interwebs can help improve my Latin and tell me which phrase to use, I would be grateful<br />
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Be that as it may. Since I last blogged on this topic, I've been to the Extraordinary Form Mass a few more times and officially joined the parish here in Charlotte where the EF Mass is regularly celebrated. (Those familiar with the Charlotte area or anyone else who really cares to can probably figure out which parish that is, but I will refrain from mentioning them by name here). For purposes of comparison, I've also attended one of their Ordinary Form (English) masses, and I found that both forms of the liturgy were celebrated with beauty, dignity, and, most importantly, reverence for Christ present in the Eucharist. I am ever so slowly beginning to get a sense of what's what in the EF, but much about it still mystifies me. I don't know if I'll switch to the Ordinary Form or continue with the Extraordinary Form. The little paperback hand missal for the Extraordinary form that I have (which is also available at the church) has only the Ordinary of the Mass but not the Propers. I'm pondering purchasing a hand missal which would have the Ordinary, the Propers, and perhaps some explanatory material which would help me understand, appreciate, and participate in this form of the Mass more fully.<br />
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On the other hand, perhaps the key to participating in the EF is not so much reading and following along and understanding as it is watching and listening and praying. A few weeks ago, I was privileged to attend the first Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by Father Jason Christian, the Diocese of Charlotte's newest priest. Father Christian chose to celebrate a Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form, assisted by several brother priests and numerous acolytes, servers, singers, and musicians, in addition to the <i>schola cantorum</i> of the parish. It was glorious to hear Gregorian Chant and sacred polyphony in their proper context, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, but I was frustrated by my inability to follow the liturgy because so many of the prayers of the priests and servers are said in a low, inaudible voice. Then it occurred to me that perhaps what I should do is not read along but watch, listen, pray, and enter into the liturgy that way.<br />
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I'd like to suggest that we do a similar thing when we watch a play or a movie. If I were going to see a performance of <i>Othello</i>, for example (my favorite Shakespeare play), I probably wouldn't take along a paperback copy of the script and read along with the actors as they deliver each line. If I did that, I'd miss the action on stage and miss the drama and excitement of the theatrical experience as the actors brought the story to life. Instead, I would probably reread the story beforehand so that I would know what to expect from the plot, thus freeing myself to watch the story unfold on stage, react, and relate to the characters.<br />
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I'm just thinking out loud here, but perhaps, in a similar way, we can view the Extraordinary Form as the greatest and highest kind of liturgical theater. By this I DO NOT mean that it is merely a show put on for our entertainment in the manner of a Broadway musical. I mean that it is a sacred drama whose story we already know: the re-presentation of Christ's sacrifice of his Body and Blood on the Cross for the salvation of the world. We can read the "script" or the story for this drama any time we wish by opening and reading the words in our missal. By attending Mass, praying, watching, and listening attentively, however, we can see and react as the "actors" in this drama, the priest, deacons, and servers, bring the story to life liturgically.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0