A new take to "Keep Christ in Christmas," that corny slogan you see so much at this time of year. I'm not sure that I support everything in the article, but I definitely support how much it makes me laugh!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
The Hunger Games
On to the next work of fiction.... I am filling my break time quite well. The Hunger Games hold the remarkable distinction of being one of the few works of fiction that Wendy and I both love.
SPOILER ALERT: Please stop reading here if you do not want to know about what happens in any of the three Hunger Games books.
Shelly lent me the series at the end of exam time, thus taking away the two excuses I had not to read them. Within two pages, I thought, "I am Katniss Everdeen." Then I decided this was just my projecting myself on the main character, which meant she was well-written. When Wendy and I chatted about the books, she was 150 pages from the end; I was 50 pages. And she told me that she basically thought Katniss was me. At that moment, I knew Katniss and Peeta were going to end up together, although I'd been rooting for Gale. Though, quite frankly, her eternally rationalized issues with authority are stronger evidence for our similarity than her romances.
Before I picked them up, I was worried that The Hunger Games would be another Harry Potter -- decent enough books, but not worth the hype; maybe even a little annoying. Or worse, another Twilight -- four weekends of my life I will never get back from the land of poor writing, underdeveloped characters I don't like, and misplaced value systems (the value systems of Harry Potter are an entirely different discussion). Instead, I found three new favorite books.
Reasons Why The Hunger Games Are Awesome: They are well written. They are young adult fiction and not the type of literature that will be taught in English classes in years to come, but the writing is good.
The characters are realistic. They are complex and don't behave as you want or expect. I especially loved seeing into Katniss's head. She has a great combination of selfless and loving on one hand, and selfish and self-focused on the other. And she can't sort out the two. Another way in which I had fellow feeling for her. She also had a wonderful mix of being incredibly aware and oblivious of other characters' actions, feeling, and motivations.
The books ask big questions. About right and wrong in terms of individual actions and societal structures. About personal responsibility and culpability. The answers aren't simple, so the books make the reader think.
And finally, any book that can combine a heroine carrying a bow and arrow and the principles of MAD cannot but be awesome.
SPOILER ALERT: Please stop reading here if you do not want to know about what happens in any of the three Hunger Games books.
Shelly lent me the series at the end of exam time, thus taking away the two excuses I had not to read them. Within two pages, I thought, "I am Katniss Everdeen." Then I decided this was just my projecting myself on the main character, which meant she was well-written. When Wendy and I chatted about the books, she was 150 pages from the end; I was 50 pages. And she told me that she basically thought Katniss was me. At that moment, I knew Katniss and Peeta were going to end up together, although I'd been rooting for Gale. Though, quite frankly, her eternally rationalized issues with authority are stronger evidence for our similarity than her romances.
Before I picked them up, I was worried that The Hunger Games would be another Harry Potter -- decent enough books, but not worth the hype; maybe even a little annoying. Or worse, another Twilight -- four weekends of my life I will never get back from the land of poor writing, underdeveloped characters I don't like, and misplaced value systems (the value systems of Harry Potter are an entirely different discussion). Instead, I found three new favorite books.
Reasons Why The Hunger Games Are Awesome: They are well written. They are young adult fiction and not the type of literature that will be taught in English classes in years to come, but the writing is good.
The characters are realistic. They are complex and don't behave as you want or expect. I especially loved seeing into Katniss's head. She has a great combination of selfless and loving on one hand, and selfish and self-focused on the other. And she can't sort out the two. Another way in which I had fellow feeling for her. She also had a wonderful mix of being incredibly aware and oblivious of other characters' actions, feeling, and motivations.
The books ask big questions. About right and wrong in terms of individual actions and societal structures. About personal responsibility and culpability. The answers aren't simple, so the books make the reader think.
And finally, any book that can combine a heroine carrying a bow and arrow and the principles of MAD cannot but be awesome.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Happy Christmas Adam!
When I was a small child, I needed a quicker way to say, "the day after Christmas." I also liked a good word play and associated Christmas Eve with Eve of Genesis. So the day after Christmas became Christmas Adam. Happy Christmas Adam, and keep spreading the joy!
Merry Christmas, faithful readers! Thanks to my Theology of Christ class, I have a new appreciation for the mystery of the Incarnation that we now celebrate. I hope, in the midst of whatever celebrations you enjoy, you have a chance to meditate on the awe-inspiring reality of the Infinite God becoming finite man.
Merry Christmas, faithful readers! Thanks to my Theology of Christ class, I have a new appreciation for the mystery of the Incarnation that we now celebrate. I hope, in the midst of whatever celebrations you enjoy, you have a chance to meditate on the awe-inspiring reality of the Infinite God becoming finite man.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Lord of the Rings
SPOILER ALERT: If you do not want to read about what happens in Lord of the Rings or How To Train Your Dragon, read no further!
After finals ended, my study break group embarked upon a Lord of the Rings marathon. Somehow, I got blessed enough to have a group of friends who are also nerds and possess more Lord of the Rings knowledge than I do (I'm no LOTR expert). And who like to talk through movies. So we sprawled over my couches and floor, spread chips and chocolate throughout the room, and drank copious amounts of tea for the duration of three extended version films (11ish hours, over 2 days).
In addition to enjoying the movies themselves, I enjoyed watching people watch the movies. Especially the guys, who picked up on different parts than the ladies did. The epic battles, glittering swords, embattled heroes moments. For the last 3/4 of the final film, I started asking myself, "What is it that makes these movies so powerful?"
I came up with three answers -- three things these movies show that our society lacks and longs for. Actually, the movies don't just show these three things. They are the driving themes of the films. These three themes: Objectivism, Virtue, and Intimacy.
Objectivism: For the most part, watching LOTR, we don't wonder who's the good guy and who's the bad guy. Sauron is evil. His army of Orcs is evil. The ring is evil. (Shelly pointed out that it presents metaphysical problems if it has a will... but that's a different discussion.) The quest to destroy it is good. The fellowship is good. Sure, some of the characters are complicated and have to make difficult, heart-wrenching decisions. But it is a story of Good versus Evil.
At one point, as an army of Orcs marched against the united peoples of Middle Earth, I found myself thinking about How To Train Your Dragon. Percy and I saw it over the summer and he pointed out the irony of the message of tolerance (the dragons aren't evil -- they are misunderstood) in light of the ultimate climax of the movie (destroy the truly Evil Monster). What is the message to take home there? We find no such confusion in LOTR. And it's a relief to find an evil we are allowed to name and to fight, especially in the midst of the confusing relativism that plagues our world.
Virtue: In an age of relativism, we often seek and praise values. Where values guide one person's behavior, virtues provide guiding light for everyone. When we can sort Good from Evil, we discover that some people act in accordance with good. Some do not. Some, like Saruman who desired power of his own, act out of evil motives. Others act out of weakness. Some characters -- the main characters (Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Aragorn, Gandalf, Gimli, and Legolas to start with, along with many others) and a host of minor characters -- exhibit a conviction toward good, in spite of hardship. Whether for the greater good of society or the personal good of a friend, these people ignore themselves and act heroically.
I found myself riveted by Sam's unquenchable loyalty, even after Frodo rejects him. By Pippin's determination to save Faramir from his father. By basically everything about the character of Aragorn. By the way each powerful character stood against temptation and turned down the chance to take the Ring. By the ways that characters, again and again, proved themselves loyal, selfless, honest, courageous, virtuous.
Intimacy: Partway into the third movie, I mentioned aloud something I had noticed in the previous one that was still going on: There was so much face-touching! Everyone was touching everyone else's face. It actually made me uncomfortable, because the people who were touching each other's faces were not close enough to be doing that. The face-touching was the physical dimension of the theme of intimacy that fueled the film.
Most of the intimacy was not romantic. Indeed, the Aragorn/Arwen story formed only a side tangent. Instead, the intimacy was between friends, families, companions, and comrades. Sam and Frodo exemplify this the best, although Merry and Pippin were the ones who nearly made me cry when, for the first time, they were separated. Our society tends to view romance as the only locus for intimacy. Tolkien reminds us that love runs deep and pure in other places.
These three forces are especially poignant considering that the books were written during WWII, when Good and Evil were clashing in Europe. But I think they are things that we yearn for today as well.
After finals ended, my study break group embarked upon a Lord of the Rings marathon. Somehow, I got blessed enough to have a group of friends who are also nerds and possess more Lord of the Rings knowledge than I do (I'm no LOTR expert). And who like to talk through movies. So we sprawled over my couches and floor, spread chips and chocolate throughout the room, and drank copious amounts of tea for the duration of three extended version films (11ish hours, over 2 days).
In addition to enjoying the movies themselves, I enjoyed watching people watch the movies. Especially the guys, who picked up on different parts than the ladies did. The epic battles, glittering swords, embattled heroes moments. For the last 3/4 of the final film, I started asking myself, "What is it that makes these movies so powerful?"
I came up with three answers -- three things these movies show that our society lacks and longs for. Actually, the movies don't just show these three things. They are the driving themes of the films. These three themes: Objectivism, Virtue, and Intimacy.
Objectivism: For the most part, watching LOTR, we don't wonder who's the good guy and who's the bad guy. Sauron is evil. His army of Orcs is evil. The ring is evil. (Shelly pointed out that it presents metaphysical problems if it has a will... but that's a different discussion.) The quest to destroy it is good. The fellowship is good. Sure, some of the characters are complicated and have to make difficult, heart-wrenching decisions. But it is a story of Good versus Evil.
At one point, as an army of Orcs marched against the united peoples of Middle Earth, I found myself thinking about How To Train Your Dragon. Percy and I saw it over the summer and he pointed out the irony of the message of tolerance (the dragons aren't evil -- they are misunderstood) in light of the ultimate climax of the movie (destroy the truly Evil Monster). What is the message to take home there? We find no such confusion in LOTR. And it's a relief to find an evil we are allowed to name and to fight, especially in the midst of the confusing relativism that plagues our world.
Virtue: In an age of relativism, we often seek and praise values. Where values guide one person's behavior, virtues provide guiding light for everyone. When we can sort Good from Evil, we discover that some people act in accordance with good. Some do not. Some, like Saruman who desired power of his own, act out of evil motives. Others act out of weakness. Some characters -- the main characters (Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Aragorn, Gandalf, Gimli, and Legolas to start with, along with many others) and a host of minor characters -- exhibit a conviction toward good, in spite of hardship. Whether for the greater good of society or the personal good of a friend, these people ignore themselves and act heroically.
I found myself riveted by Sam's unquenchable loyalty, even after Frodo rejects him. By Pippin's determination to save Faramir from his father. By basically everything about the character of Aragorn. By the way each powerful character stood against temptation and turned down the chance to take the Ring. By the ways that characters, again and again, proved themselves loyal, selfless, honest, courageous, virtuous.
Intimacy: Partway into the third movie, I mentioned aloud something I had noticed in the previous one that was still going on: There was so much face-touching! Everyone was touching everyone else's face. It actually made me uncomfortable, because the people who were touching each other's faces were not close enough to be doing that. The face-touching was the physical dimension of the theme of intimacy that fueled the film.
Most of the intimacy was not romantic. Indeed, the Aragorn/Arwen story formed only a side tangent. Instead, the intimacy was between friends, families, companions, and comrades. Sam and Frodo exemplify this the best, although Merry and Pippin were the ones who nearly made me cry when, for the first time, they were separated. Our society tends to view romance as the only locus for intimacy. Tolkien reminds us that love runs deep and pure in other places.
These three forces are especially poignant considering that the books were written during WWII, when Good and Evil were clashing in Europe. But I think they are things that we yearn for today as well.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Prayer Segment #7: Friends in High Places
Another member of the Grad/Non-Trad women's group once shared her belief that the saints fight over us. Over who gets to be each person's patron. I came into the year with two and found saints clamoring left and right to be included in my litany. I offer you this litany in thanksgiving to them, because these wonderful men, women, and angels have gotten me through the first semester of grad school and I'm sure will have my back for the second!
St. Michael, defend us in battle.
St. Anthony, pray for us.
St. Paul, pray for us.
Holy Father Francis, pray for us.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us.
St. Cecilia, pray for us.
St. Catherine Laboure, pray for us.
St. Elizabeth of Hungary, pray for us.
St. Catherine of Sienna, pray for us.
St. Therese Liseaux, pray for us.
St. Teresa of Avila, pray for us.
Bl. John Paul the Second, pray for us.
Bl. Frederic Ozanam, pray for us.
St. Raphael, pray for us.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
St. Michael, defend us in battle.
St. Anthony, pray for us.
St. Paul, pray for us.
Holy Father Francis, pray for us.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us.
St. Cecilia, pray for us.
St. Catherine Laboure, pray for us.
St. Elizabeth of Hungary, pray for us.
St. Catherine of Sienna, pray for us.
St. Therese Liseaux, pray for us.
St. Teresa of Avila, pray for us.
Bl. John Paul the Second, pray for us.
Bl. Frederic Ozanam, pray for us.
St. Raphael, pray for us.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Monday, December 19, 2011
I Came, I Saw...
I have finished 1/4 of my Steubenville education! I am judging this by semesters, not by credits. (I haven't bothered to do the math involving my prereq classes.) Papers are turned in, exams are taken, grades are posted! It turns out I'm still good at being a student. Which is something of a comfort, even if it will do me no good once I actually reach the goal of my efforts. Stay posted for my summary of the semester, but this past week, I've been recuperating. Tuesday I finally got past the SLEEP FOREVER stage and started taking responsibility for life again, so I'll be back blogging regularly again.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Chemistry Question
Okay, science-minded friends, I have a question for you about the world around us. I experienced an interesting phenomenon yesterday.
I have had a water bottle (of the plastic, disposable variety... I know, awful) in my car for a few days. I have observed it with curiosity as I scrape ice off my car each morning, because it remained half-full (I'm an optimist) of liquid water, despite sitting outside for hours in freezing temperatures. (We get into the 20s at night.)
Yesterday morning, I was thirsty, so I decided to drink it. I opened it -- and watched a whiteness spread from the top of the water through all the liquid as it froze into a soft slush. I have no idea how this happened. Why did the water not freeze over the past few nights? Was it exposure to the air or a change in pressure that caused the freezing, or something else entirely?
I have had a water bottle (of the plastic, disposable variety... I know, awful) in my car for a few days. I have observed it with curiosity as I scrape ice off my car each morning, because it remained half-full (I'm an optimist) of liquid water, despite sitting outside for hours in freezing temperatures. (We get into the 20s at night.)
Yesterday morning, I was thirsty, so I decided to drink it. I opened it -- and watched a whiteness spread from the top of the water through all the liquid as it froze into a soft slush. I have no idea how this happened. Why did the water not freeze over the past few nights? Was it exposure to the air or a change in pressure that caused the freezing, or something else entirely?
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Day-Maker #53
A spreadsheet created by a friend to figure out the optimal time for TWAMPy Christmas break.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Making God Laugh, Part II
I posted not too long ago about God's sense of humor. I've encountered it again.
I start praying for some virtues lately, because, let's face it, I'm in need of some virtues. Plus I've heard that they are good thing for which to pray. Here's the thing though: virtues aren't commodities. They're habits. So when I started praying for virtues, God didn't snap His fingers and make me virtuous. Instead He did this sneaky thing where He gave me the occasion to practice the virtues. Unfortunately, since I do not yet have them, can you guess what's the first thing that I do?
That's right: complain to God about it.
I hope it makes Him laugh, because I, at least, can see the humor in it. I'm asking for an "A" on the test, and God's giving me a study guide. Which I don't like, because it means I have to work! He's answering my prayer, just being sneaky about it. As Sister Helen Prejean once said, "We need to seriously dwell on the sneakiness of God." Amen, Sister!
I start praying for some virtues lately, because, let's face it, I'm in need of some virtues. Plus I've heard that they are good thing for which to pray. Here's the thing though: virtues aren't commodities. They're habits. So when I started praying for virtues, God didn't snap His fingers and make me virtuous. Instead He did this sneaky thing where He gave me the occasion to practice the virtues. Unfortunately, since I do not yet have them, can you guess what's the first thing that I do?
That's right: complain to God about it.
I hope it makes Him laugh, because I, at least, can see the humor in it. I'm asking for an "A" on the test, and God's giving me a study guide. Which I don't like, because it means I have to work! He's answering my prayer, just being sneaky about it. As Sister Helen Prejean once said, "We need to seriously dwell on the sneakiness of God." Amen, Sister!
Friday, December 2, 2011
More Ways to Procrastinate
I had a fun (for me at least) idea of a new way to procrastinate as I write my paper! I am going to "live blog" my paper (by length, not time). I have banished myself from Facebook between breakfast and dinner, so this is my alternative to obnoxious status updates every 10 minutes as I write.
The Topic: Jesus as the Lamb of God. I wanted to write about covenant curses; then I could write about women eating their children and other such cheery topics. However, that topic was rejected. There is not enough scholarship on it: evidently few scholars are as morbid as I am.
Blank page: My topic is too facile. I should change it. I don't have time to change it! I fail at life!
3/4 of a page: You know how when you look at a word for too long...? I'm already starting to pronounce it "lam-B" in my head.
One page down: Am I proving myself wrong? My thesis doesn't have any support! How can an idea be self-evident and wrong? Can an idea be self-evident and wrong?
1 1/4 pages: Googling names that appear in other books, to make sure I am not quoting heretics. Good news: I am quoting saints.
2 pages: Realizing I can type without looking at the keyboard OR the screen. I didn't believe it when they told me in elementary school computer class that this was actually possible.
Just over 4 pages: I MADE IT ONTO THE FIFTH PAGE! I'VE WRITTEN SO MUCH! .... I still have so much to write....
4 1/2 pages: This is circular logic. I wonder if I should point it out. Or maybe I can just hide it. Does circular logic invalidate my argument if no one notices its existence?
5 pages: I begin considering the fact that I am rewarding myself for paper-writing with housework. Question: Which is a bigger problem -- that I think this is a good idea, or that it works?
6 pages: I am so over this paper. Why did I give up Facebook during the day? Google + has never looked so appealing.
6 1/2 pages: Spell check wants me to change "Eucharistically" to "Eucharistic ally." Which is wrong, but an interesting concept.
6 3/4 pages: People really need to use Google + more.
7 pages: I HAVE A GOOGLE + NOTIFICATION!
8 pages: Holy crow! I made it to 8 pages!
8 1/4 pages: The excitement runs out. I start researching what food group mushrooms are in.
8 3/8 pages: My sticky-note tore a thin layer off a page, removing the words I need to quote. I didn't know that was even possible.
8 1/2 pages: I have a love-hate relationship with Taylor Swift, Scott Hahn, and myself.
8 3/4 pages: I miss sociology papers. At least if I was wrong there, I would just be an idiot, not an idiot and a heretic.
9 pages: I got to use "penultimate" in a sentence! That's awesome!
9 1/2 pages: I give up and go to a study party at Tim Horton's (think Dunkin' Donuts of Ohio), that appears to be more party than study. Coffee at 11pm!
10 pages: I have developed a thumb twitch. I think this is a variation of the TWAMP eye-twitch.
11 pages: Coffee finished and "Taylor the Latte Boy" appears.
12 pages: I hit the word limit! I still have so much to do. THANK YOU, JESUS, that Dr. Hahn will let us go over!
At this point, however, the bulk of my paper is "done"!
The Topic: Jesus as the Lamb of God. I wanted to write about covenant curses; then I could write about women eating their children and other such cheery topics. However, that topic was rejected. There is not enough scholarship on it: evidently few scholars are as morbid as I am.
Blank page: My topic is too facile. I should change it. I don't have time to change it! I fail at life!
3/4 of a page: You know how when you look at a word for too long...? I'm already starting to pronounce it "lam-B" in my head.
One page down: Am I proving myself wrong? My thesis doesn't have any support! How can an idea be self-evident and wrong? Can an idea be self-evident and wrong?
1 1/4 pages: Googling names that appear in other books, to make sure I am not quoting heretics. Good news: I am quoting saints.
2 pages: Realizing I can type without looking at the keyboard OR the screen. I didn't believe it when they told me in elementary school computer class that this was actually possible.
Just over 4 pages: I MADE IT ONTO THE FIFTH PAGE! I'VE WRITTEN SO MUCH! .... I still have so much to write....
4 1/2 pages: This is circular logic. I wonder if I should point it out. Or maybe I can just hide it. Does circular logic invalidate my argument if no one notices its existence?
5 pages: I begin considering the fact that I am rewarding myself for paper-writing with housework. Question: Which is a bigger problem -- that I think this is a good idea, or that it works?
6 pages: I am so over this paper. Why did I give up Facebook during the day? Google + has never looked so appealing.
6 1/2 pages: Spell check wants me to change "Eucharistically" to "Eucharistic ally." Which is wrong, but an interesting concept.
6 3/4 pages: People really need to use Google + more.
7 pages: I HAVE A GOOGLE + NOTIFICATION!
8 pages: Holy crow! I made it to 8 pages!
8 1/4 pages: The excitement runs out. I start researching what food group mushrooms are in.
8 3/8 pages: My sticky-note tore a thin layer off a page, removing the words I need to quote. I didn't know that was even possible.
8 1/2 pages: I have a love-hate relationship with Taylor Swift, Scott Hahn, and myself.
8 3/4 pages: I miss sociology papers. At least if I was wrong there, I would just be an idiot, not an idiot and a heretic.
9 pages: I got to use "penultimate" in a sentence! That's awesome!
9 1/2 pages: I give up and go to a study party at Tim Horton's (think Dunkin' Donuts of Ohio), that appears to be more party than study. Coffee at 11pm!
10 pages: I have developed a thumb twitch. I think this is a variation of the TWAMP eye-twitch.
11 pages: Coffee finished and "Taylor the Latte Boy" appears.
12 pages: I hit the word limit! I still have so much to do. THANK YOU, JESUS, that Dr. Hahn will let us go over!
At this point, however, the bulk of my paper is "done"!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
You Know You're Too Tired When...
... flipping through a stack of notebooks, you discover a 20-page paper that was due before Thanksgiving and have a five-second panic attack because you can't figure out how you didn't turn it in. Before you realize that you did turn it in and have already gotten it back, graded.
I am currently swamped by papers and exams as the end of the semester draws suddenly near. So I've been contemplating this statement, from the Building Cathedrals blog:
I am currently swamped by papers and exams as the end of the semester draws suddenly near. So I've been contemplating this statement, from the Building Cathedrals blog:
Women aren’t wired simply. When our mental, physical and emotional tanks are drained, they don’t just stay dry until we find rest. They immediately begin refilling themselves with all kinds of poison–first impatience and anxiety or sadness which quickly give way to self-doubt, guilt, blame, jealousy, irrationality, hysteria and panic, hatred. Rest is the solution...
The good news: I get rest in less than two weeks! The bad news: everything that needs to be done in less than two weeks!
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