Defending the 12th century since the 14th; blogging since the 21st.

Catholicism, Conservatism, the Middle Ages, Opera, and Historical and Literary Objets d'Art blogged by a suburban dad who teaches law and writes stuff.


"Very fun." -- J. Bottum, Editor, FIRST THINGS

"Too modest" -- Elinor Dashwood

"Perhaps the wisest man on the Web" -- Henry Dieterich

"Hat tip: me (but really Cacciaguida)" -- Diana Feygin, Editor, THE YALE FREE PRESS

"You are my sire. You give me confidence to speak. You raise my heart so high that I am no more I." -- Dante

"Fabulous!"-- Warlock D.J. Prod of Didsbury

Who was Cacciaguida? See Dante's PARADISO, Cantos XV, XVI, & XVII.


E-mail me

 
I see where the rumors about Edwards as VP candidate have gotten so hot, he's started to deny them. That's when you know it's serious.

OK now -- blog-break until Tuesday Feb. 2. Happy Candlemas.
posted by Cacciaguida at 12:56 PM

 
NH again: Clark has pulled ahead of Edwards for third. Better not blog again until 100% of districts have reported.
posted by Cacciaguida at 9:32 PM

 
Cacciadelia at the podium

Older brothers: "Why can't they be quiet when I tell them to be quiet?"

Texas v. Johnson: "Don't they ever burn someone else's flag? Like Canada's?"
posted by Cacciaguida at 9:15 PM

 
New Hampshire

Kerry wins again, so he should be in like Flynn unless he sinks in the southern and western primaries, which would suggest that he can't win nationwide. But, which of them can? Dean??

Maybe (so the thinking might go) Edwards. His third-place finish in NH means he can go confidently into South Carolina. But he pretty much has to come in first there to stay in the race. If Kerry beats Edwars in SC, then watch for Edwards to drop out and endorse Kerry -- then look for a Kerry-Edwards ticket. It would have regional balance, and it would bring substantial trial-lawyer money into the campaign.

Clark's fourth-place finish should knock him out of the race, but given his ego and ambition, it probably won't. Lieberman will probably drop out if he doesn't clear the double-digit threshold tonight. Right now he's at 9%.
posted by Cacciaguida at 9:13 PM

 
Lord Molyneaux, who helped liberate Bergen-Belsen, reminisces.
posted by Cacciaguida at 11:44 AM

 
Borscht-Belt Bush

At the Alfalfa Club Dinner, the Prez shows a flair for stand-up comedy:

On former secretary of state Jim Baker: "Jimbo's been going around getting countries to forgive Iraq's debt. Next, I'm going to send him out and see what he can do about ours."

"But what a stellar crowd," Bush continued. "It looks like the index of Paul O'Neill's book. Let me say something about that book. Paul said I was disengaged because he talked to me for 45 minutes and I didn't say a word. I wasn't disengaged. I was bored as hell and my mother told me never to interrupt. . . .

"I feel especially good tonight. The economy is coming back. We're creating new businesses. Just the other day, I read that Pete Rose and Bill Bennett are opening a casino."

From the Reliable Source column in today's Washington Post, Style Section.


posted by Cacciaguida at 10:26 AM

 
Diocese of Lincoln, NE, won't participate in sex abuse study. Bishop Bruskewitz says, inter alia, that it is designed more to "satisfy curiosity" than to prevent future abuse, and that its results will be skyhook figures because no comparison will be made with, e.g., Protestant clergymen, Boy Scout leaders, public school teachers, etc.

Meanwhile, Bishop Robert Morlino of Madison, WI, supports policy of next-door diocese of LaCrosse on refusing communion to pro-abortion politicos. Bp. Morlino will not go that far yet, but he has gone out of his way to keep Bp. (soon to be Archbp.) Burke from seeming isolated.

Little by little, good examples within the hierarchy spread.
posted by Cacciaguida at 4:55 PM

 
Return of the King wins four Golden Globe awards. More likely, or less, that it will win some Oscars too?
posted by Cacciaguida at 4:23 PM

 
Just updated the addy for David Morrison's Sed Contra in my links column. Sorry for the delay in doing so. David, whom I have known for over a decade, is a leading spokesman for men with SSA living in accordance with the Church's teaching.
posted by Cacciaguida at 10:05 PM

 
Great post here by the Old Oligarch on the-unitive-and-the-procreative.

"People who contracept don't know what they're missing." -- Anonymous
posted by Cacciaguida at 10:08 AM

 
Here's the haul from a morning of reading the backs of cars:

1. A bumper sticker with the Coast Guard emblem and the slogan, "You sink 'em, we save 'em." H'okayyyy, whatever.

2. License plate: "LDS MOM". Evidently, in my state, that one was still available when the good lady asked. In Utah, you'd have your own planet long before your turn came to have that license plate.

But hey, I shouldn't rag on the Mormons. Without them, my publishing career would be in the tank. I figure that should be good for, what, a moon somewhere? -- that's minimum.
posted by Cacciaguida at 9:38 AM

 
Hmm. I don't try to be neutral between good and evil, but, you know, that wicked streak -- the doctors just don't know what to do about it.


You're a dragon. You're smart and cunning, and
enjoy taking risks. Your need for independence
is an advantage, but sometimes it alienates you
from others. As far as *good* and *evil*,
you're pretty neutral--but you may have
something of a wicked streak.


What mythical beast are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

posted by Cacciaguida at 5:29 PM

 
Today's headlines on British politics:

The Scotsman: Howard promises to reverse relaxation of laws against cannabis use

The Weekend Australian: Blair's woes lift Tories to high

posted by Cacciaguida at 11:02 AM

 
Inventor of "Munchausen's by proxy" discredited

The Sunday Herald Sun reports:

LONDON -- Thousands of parents whose children were taken into care are to see their cases reviewed.

The move follows the discrediting of pediatrician Professor Sir Roy Meadow.
His theory of Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy -- that some mothers harm their children to draw attention to themselves -- was widely followed for years by social workers and at family court hearings.

It is estimated that up to 5000 youngsters were judged to be at risk and taken from their families.

But many experts now believe the syndrome does not exist.

Solicitor-General Harriet Harman's announcement follows the ordering on Tuesday of an urgent review of 258 criminal cases where a parent was convicted of killing a child -- also due to doubts about 70-year-old Sir Roy's evidence.

more

From The Scotsman:

Mrs X had never heard of Professor Sir Roy Meadow, but it is a name she will not now forget.

It was his controversial child abuse theories which almost destroyed her family, put her children into care and left her battling to clear her name.

more

The Independent: Minister orders review of 285 cot death 'murders'

More generally, see Wendy McElroy on child protection issues here, courtesy of Foxnews.com.

posted by Cacciaguida at 4:16 PM

 
Rachel McNair, a psychologist former president of Feminists for Life, has this interesting piece at NRO. Kudos to her, and to NRO for running it and several other Roe-annivesary-related articles. (Have they heard that some of have been wondering what their commitment-level to the "social issues" is?)
posted by Cacciaguida at 12:16 PM

 
March for Life

If you're in or near DC, and if it's not later than mid-afternoon when you read this, get downtown and join the March for Life. It starts at the Ellipse at noon, then moves down Constitution Ave. to the Supreme Court. Plenty of marching still to do up until 3 pm or so. Even after that, you may be able to join the rally in front of the Supreme Court, which is how the March usually ends.

If you like, stop off for some hot chocolate at the Family Research Council.

Read Zorak's declaration here.
posted by Cacciaguida at 11:57 AM

 
SOTU -- Prez's mention of possible support for Marriage Amendment

FRC says it's not enough.

Chuck Colson says it's a step in the right direction, and found much else to praise as well.

Robert Novak says: Not until all but nine minutes had passed in a 54-minute speech did he raise the gay marriage issue -- and then ducked. "Our nation must defend the sanctity of marriage," he said. But instead of proposing a constitutional amendment, he called for a debate and left up in the air what course he will take.

Writing before the speech, Eve said: Finish your drink [only] if Bush actually commits to pushing the amendment (not just in that wussy "if necessary" way). By this test, I assume there was disappointment and relative sobriety chez Eve.

I'm not by any means ready to ditch Bush over this wussiness, but I do note two things:

1. He has a regrettable tendency to resolve grave moral issues by splitting the difference. Compare the stem cell decision of August '01.

2. He has not yet internalized the idea that the amendment issue is about marriage, not about "being nice to gays" versus "being mean to gays." FRC and other sociocon groups get agitated when a GOP President meets with gay groups. Frankly, I'd smile on twenty such meetings in exchange for solid presidential leadership in support of the amendment. I.e., be nice to gays if you insist, but above all, be nice to marriage.

posted by Cacciaguida at 11:02 AM

 
Dean was very funny last night, though not from his supporters' point of view. Byron York narrates his post-caucus antics at NRO here.
posted by Cacciaguida at 12:51 PM

 
Say what?

Michael Novak, apostle of capitalism to Catholics, says this at NRO about Gephardt:

Dick Gephardt was the same classy, down-to-earth, rooted public servant we have always known, surrounded by family and friends, a happy man in what must have been a very painful defeat — and at the same time both quite admirable and a little boring in the constancy of his devotion to an older labor union view of the world. It's hard not to like that guy, and respect him, and thank him.

This, about the only Democrat in the race who rejected a pro-life stance that he had once taken? Sheesh, do I have to rethink the whole free-market thing now? Thanks, Mike, I like so totally needed that, right in the middle of the Electrolux debate.


posted by Cacciaguida at 12:49 PM

 
Iowa

Wow, this is this blog's first presidential election cycle! Well, I may be a Dante character from the 12th century (and btw, my comments infra on Electrolux notwithstanding, I do defend the 12th century!), but I confess to a virtual addiction to current American electoral politics. Brits too. They're as byzantine as Italian politics in Dante's time, and marginally less gory.

So Kerry -- written off two weeks ago as, at best, Al Sharpton's running mate -- won the darn thing. Hmm. Last time either party nominated a sitting U.S. Senator for President, it was Bob Dole in '96. He lost. The last time the Democrats did it, it was McGovern in '72. He lost too. Before Dole, the last time either party did it was Goldwater in '64. He lost too.

The last time either party nominated a sitting U.S. Senator for President and won was Kennedy in '60. And he didn't really win: Richard Daley worked his vote-early-and-often magic in Chicago, tipping Illinois -- and the election -- to Kennedy. (Not that Nixon would necessarily have been a great alternative. Who knows, he might have cut taxes less than Kennedy did.)

Yeah, old Mayor Daley. "Early and often" -- and cemeteries, too. Mustn't forget the dead vote. Chesterton said that "tradition is the democracy of the dead." Daley got that slightly mixed up, believing that "the democracy of the dead is a tradition."

The early betting (e.g. Fred Barnes) is that Kerry would be harder than Dean for Bush to beat. Ida know. Dean certainly had (I think we can use the past tense on him now, unless he comes roaring back with a first-by-a-mile finish in New Hampshire) self-destructive tendencies. But Kerry? Mild-mannered frat boy W versus mirror-gazing über-preppy Kerry? I think the Prez stands a good chance.

Meanwhile, Clark is still in it, and so is the surprisingly #2 in Iowa, Edwards.

Lastly, it's great to see Dick Gephardt go down in flames. Career-long pro-aborts are bad enough, but when a pro-life Democrat turns tail in order to go national, as Gephardt did, he deserves not only to lose, but to be very loudly laughed at as he goes. Ta ta, ex-House Democratic leader, ex-two-time-presidential-also-ran, and footnote-to-history.
posted by Cacciaguida at 11:53 AM

 
Yessss!


You are Pope Pius XII. You're efficient and
dedicated, but not very approachable.


Which Twentieth Century Pope Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

posted by Cacciaguida at 8:12 PM

 
Electrolux

Much talk at St. Blog's about Eloctrolux moving its plant from Michigan to Mexico; for example here and here. The correct view is given by Fr. Jim Tucker here.

My $0.02:

1. Is there any reason in Catholic social teaching why job-creation in one community is inherently more or less worthy than job-creation in another community? Or, not to put too fine a point on it, why American job-seekers have a claim that is morally superior to that of Mexican or Asian job-seekers? Doesn't that conflict with the Church's rejection of nationalism (as distinct from patriotism) and her insistence on equal human dignity?

2. If Electrolux can make, say, $10 million a year more by moving to Mexico, but some statute intervenes to prevent its moving, then that statute is, in effect, a $10 million/year tax on Electrolux, for the benefit of the local community, particularly its workers. Well. If the local jurisdiction is so convinced that the (local) common good requires such redistribution, it should levy a jurisdiction-wide tax for the benefit of those who will be burdened by Electrolux's move. Public goods should be either foregone, or else paid for by the public.

It's like the Walmart argument. I'm sure the mom-&pop stores want to stay in business -- because I'm sure Mom and Pop want to keep making money. I'm also sure that, as the father of a large family, I want to save money. I see no obvious reason why my desire to save money is entitled to any less moral prestige than Mom and Pop's desire to make money. Neither is entitled to aid from government. (Yes, I believe that the absence of government action constitutes a neutral baseline. Stone, Seidman, Sunstein & [Mark] Tushnet -- eat my dust!) Those who want to subsidize Mom and Pop with their patronage are of course free to bypass Walmart, but I don't see anything in Catholic social teaching that privileges Mom and Pop over my family.

Btw, I'm seeing these days a lot of theorizing under the general rubric of "Catholic social teaching" that implies that any economy larger than a medieval village involves mortal sin. If a twelfth-century economy really is an affirmative requirement of Catholic teaching, the Church had better start saying so much more clearly than it has ever done.
posted by Cacciaguida at 7:26 PM

 
Separated at birth?


         
Sheik Ahmed Yassin,                 Saruman
founder of Hamas


posted by Cacciaguida at 11:30 AM

 
Finally linking to Barbara Nicolosi's blog, Church of the Masses. Don't know why I didn't do so ages ago. Barbara's art form is the movies. As I've said before -- taking back the culture, one art form at a time.
posted by Cacciaguida at 11:15 AM

 
THE PRESIDENT JUST USED HIS RECESS APPOINTMENT POWER TO PUT CHARLES PICKERING ON THE U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT.

Pickering's long-stalled nomination probably has majority support in the Senate, but the Democrats have used the filibuster to prevent a vote on him and several other judicial nominees.

This is very big. One, it shows the President is serious about judgeships; two, it shows that he's willing to use the powers the Constitution gives him to fight back against the Senate's constitutionally dubious power to stop judicial appointments by filibuster; three -- historically, most recess-appointed judges have subsequently been confirmed by the Senate.

Refresher:
Article II, Sec. II of the Constitution, paragraph 2, gives the President the power to appoint (inter alia) federal judges, "by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate." The latter has always been thought to mean a majority vote of the Senate.

Perhaps filibusters of judicial nominees -- which in effect raise the confirmation threshold to a 2/3 supermajority -- are constitutional, perhaps not. In any event, paragraph 3 of the same section gives the President the power to appoint judges (and others) during congressional recesses. Such appointments take effect immediately: the text says the President acts in such cases by "granting Commissions" to such appointees, which means they're in like Flynn -- the only catch being that such commissions "expire at the End of their [i.e. the Senate's] next Session." I.e., Pickering is on the 5th Circuit at least through 2004, though not necessarily longer.

The vast majority of recess-appointed federal judges have later been confirmed. Recess-appointed Supreme Court Justices include Earl Warren and William Brennan. Maybe that doesn't sound like a recommendation for the procedure, but I'd like to see Chuck Schumer contest the legitimacy of such appointments.

More here.
posted by Cacciaguida at 5:06 PM

 
Former Treas.Sec. Paul O'Neill: forgotten, but not gone.

Arduous task of making this story interesting attempted in The Wall Street Journal by Daniel Henninger and by Lawrence Lindsey.
posted by Cacciaguida at 12:19 PM

 
Iraqi women protest ironic side-effect of American occupation of Iraq: too much Islam!
posted by Cacciaguida at 11:41 AM

 
Hmmm, just like Elinor, who would rather be Nemesis. (If I weren't Athena, Apollo sounds cool....)


Athena


?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
brought to you by Quizilla

Yeah, I feel funny turning up as a goddess, but otoh, "gray-eyed Athena" has always been my favorite on the distaff side of the Greek pantheon.
posted by Cacciaguida at 10:08 PM

 
Thanks to the indomitable Little Green Footballs, I have the honor to reproduce for you (and especially for readers who may be in southern California next week) the following press release:

American Middle East Christian-Jewish Association
P.O. Box 8152, Hemet, CA 92545
Tel: 909-766-8820 Fax: 909-766-8827

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 19, 2004

For more information contact Steve Klein

AMECA TAKES ISSUE WITH CAIR, Council on American-Islamic Relations & ISLAMIC SLAVERY.

We strongly protest the ongoing lawsuit of CAIR against Congressman Cass Ballenger, R-NC, and the intimidation of Paul Harvey and Dr. Laura Schlessinger and the Sudanese Government’s insistence of enslaving Christians and Animists in Sudan.

American Middle East Christian-Jewish Association (AMECA) has learned of these ongoing tactics by CAIR frightening American Citizens from enjoying their cherished First Amendment.

It has been determined that criticizing or suing our Judeo-Christian leaders is fair game for CAIR but turn about is not. While CAIR can criticize well-known Americans, those who criticize CAIR had better not even utter a word against CAIR or Islam that they don’t like or the lawsuits and demands of sponsors to cut shows will be served.

AMECA will conduct a peaceful educational seminar in accordance with our First Amendment rights on the public sidewalk in front of the Anaheim CAIR office at 2180 West Crescent Avenue, Suite F, Anaheim, CA 92801, on January 19, 2004 from 10:30 AM - NOON.

As it is Martin Luther King, Jr. day, we will also have a number of Sudanese who fled Islamic dominated Sudan to prevent becoming slaves of these Islamists. We will have a number of experts in Islam to share quotes from the Koran in both Arabic and English. We will provide an American civics lesson for both CAIR and those who wish to see our FIRST AMENDMENT exercised peacefully and profoundly: A RIGHT FOUND IN NO ISLAMIC CONTROLLED NATION ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.

Also, here's a link to Robert Spencer's blog Jihad Watch.

posted by Cacciaguida at 11:00 AM

 
Fr. Benedict Groeschel, OFM Cap., is in "critical but stable" condition after being hit by a car at an airport. Details here. Prayers requested.
posted by Cacciaguida at 10:27 PM

 
Just so you know

Among the reasons that I devote time and attention on this blog to the crimes and depradations of the followers of Mahomet is that, for now, it's still legal to do so. If you wonder how much longer this will be the case, you'll be interested in this column by Mark Steyn, which begins:

Let me see if I understand the BBC Rules of Engagement correctly: if you're Robert Kilroy-Silk and you make some robust statements about the Arab penchant for suicide bombing, amputations, repression of women and a generally celebratory attitude to September 11 – none of which is factually in dispute – the BBC will yank you off the air and the Commission for Racial Equality will file a complaint to the police which could result in your serving seven years in gaol. Message: this behaviour is unacceptable in multicultural Britain.

and continues:

....According to Ibrahim Nawar of Arab Press Freedom Watch, in the last two years seven Saudi editors have been fired for criticising government policies. To fire a British talk-show host for criticising Saudi policies is surely over-reaching even for the notoriously super-sensitive Muslim lobby.

But apparently not. "What Robert could do," suggested the CRE's Trevor Phillips helpfully, "is issue a proper apology, not for the fact that people were offended, but for saying this stuff in the first place. Secondly he could learn something about Muslims and Arabs – they gave us maths and medicine – and thirdly he could use some of his vast earnings to support a Muslim charity. Then I would say he has been properly contrite."

Extravagant public contrition. Re-education camp. "Voluntary" surrender of assets. It's not unknown for officials at government agencies to lean on troublemaking citizens in this way, but not usually in functioning democracies.

and also says:

....[S]ocietal organisation-wise, things seem to be going Islam's way swimmingly - literally in the case of the French municipal pool which bowed to Muslim requests to institute single-sex bathing, but also in more important ways. Thus, I see the French interior minister flew to Egypt to seek the blessing for his new religious legislation of the big-time imam at the al-Azhar theological institute. Rather odd, don't you think? After all, Egypt isn't in the French interior. But, if Egypt doesn't fall within the interior minister's jurisdiction, France apparently falls within the imam's.

Anyone know anything about that French swimming-pool case? I've been unable so far to find any reference to it via Google News, except for Steyn's column itself. Is he misinformed? Have I not searched long enough yet? Or is it just "not news" outside the town where it occurred?

(Fwiw, here's a link to Arab Press Freedom Watch, mentioned by Steyn. Its stated mission is "to establish an independent organization which is able to help Arab journalists and Arab media organizations to preserve the basic right of freedom of expression and to maintain a positive role for the media in the progress of Arab societies towards democracy, peace and prosperity." The site is sore at Robert Kilroy-Smith, but otherwise it seems constructive.)


posted by Cacciaguida at 9:28 PM

 
Various peaks into pro-abort doings in the international arena

Enjoy this speech from last November by the head of a pro-abortion UN NGO ("non-governmental organization"), decrying the fact that the Bush administration "supports and promotes only those civil society organizations that share and promote … its own fundamentalist Christian ideology, and its correspondingly rigid conservative world view."

Regrettably, only the conservative media are picking up on this. We owe the knowledge of it to the indispensable C-FAM -- which, by the way has recently been bullied by pro-abortion lawyers for revealing the contents of a Center for Reproductive Rights strategy memo that was leaked to it. The memo includes agenda items such as:

* using human rights commissions to create the illusion that international law recognizes abortion as a right (which it does not, as the memo acknowledges)

* removing consensual adult-child sexual relations from the list of recognized forms of child abuse.

See Maggie Gallagher's column on all this here. Rep. Chris Smith, R-NJ, dean of House pro-lifers, read the CRR memo into the Congressional Record last December 8. See Chris's reelection campaign site here.
posted by Cacciaguida at 3:54 PM

 
Announcing a new Catholic magazine for poetry and short prose: The St. Linus Review. Taking back the culture, one art form at a time.
posted by Cacciaguida at 10:17 PM

 
LaCrosse WI Bishop Raymond Burke (about to take over as Archbishop of St. Louis) bans pro-abortion politicians from Communion.

The Bishop's pastoral in pdf format here.


posted by Cacciaguida at 5:31 PM

 

You are Statler or Waldorf.
You have a high opinion of yourself, as do others.
But only because you are in the balcony seats.

ALSO KNOWN AS:
Those two old guys in the box.
SPECIAL TALENTS:
Heckling, complaining, being cantankerous

QUOTE:
"Get off the stage, you bum!"

LAST BOOKS READ:
"The Art of Insult" and "How To
Insult Art"

NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT:
Their pacemakers.


What Muppet are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

posted by Cacciaguida at 5:19 PM

 
Archbishop O'Malley denounces SSM; focuses on "cost of the breakdown of family life"
posted by Cacciaguida at 11:21 PM

 
Cardinal Keeler of Baltimore, Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Richmond, cautiously endorses creation of a new diocese for southeastern Virginia.
posted by Cacciaguida at 11:18 PM

 
"To the moon, Alice!" -- and beyond

The President's two recent policy sorties are amnesty for illegal aliens and sending men to the Moon and to Mars. When will the Michael Savages of the world figure out that the two may be connected?

Yep -- round 'em up at the restaurant kitchens and the WalMarts, suit 'em up, and BLASTOFF! Opportunities up in el norte? You have no idea! The sky's the limit!

(N.B. I grew up during the Mercury and Gemini programs, so I thought "blastoff" was the lowest number, one less than zero. You know, as in "five, four, three, two, one, zero, BLASTOFF!"

Also, I grew up in a Manhattan apartment building, so I thought the highest number -- the one after 20 -- was "penthouse," which in those days had no obscene connotation and meant merely the luxurious apartment(s) on the top floor. That was how I understood the number-line: from blastoff to penthouse.)
posted by Cacciaguida at 11:19 AM

 
On the one hand:

No 'smoking gun' in Iraq, Powell admits (Int'l Herald Tribune, running NYT story);

But on the other hand:

Powell confident of WMD claims (BBC)

And furthermore:

OSAMA BIN LADEN and Saddam Hussein had an operational relationship from the early 1990s to 2003 that involved training in explosives and weapons of mass destruction, logistical support for terrorist attacks, al Qaeda training camps and safe haven in Iraq, and Iraqi financial support for al Qaeda--perhaps even for Mohamed Atta--according to a top secret U.S. government memorandum obtained by THE WEEKLY STANDARD.

In part this is a Powell-v.-hardliner/realist/neocon thing.
posted by Cacciaguida at 11:11 AM

 
Protestants against contraception?

Seriously: I'm looking for people who fit that description who might be willing to talk about it at a conference organized by -- well, by the Protestant against contraception!

No joke: she and I (her name's Dorothy, and yes, we know she's not in Kansas anymore) were blue-skying about such a conference today, and the hardest part was coming up with names of Protestants who (a) are against contraception and (b) haven't converted to Catholicism yet.

Better get those names to me fast -- before Dorothy goes over too!
posted by Cacciaguida at 6:35 PM

 
FRC and the Coalition for Marriage announce a Zogby poll showing "69% of likely voters in Massachusetts want to vote on a constitutional amendment to keep Massachusetts a traditional marriage state."
posted by Cacciaguida at 6:31 PM

 
New Phoenix Bishop spends Christmas Eve praying outside abortion clinic with crowd of 200.

Said Bishop Olmsted: "This is Calvary, an innocent victim is dying here."

He also said: "I have a special obligation, especially to Catholics in whatever position they occupy in society, to explain the Church teachings and to share the good news about life. That includes politicians."

Via Catholic World News.

Like new St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke, Bishop Olmsted is part of a new generation of bishops. May all the dioceses awaiting appointments be similiarly blessed.


posted by Cacciaguida at 5:11 PM

 
Oh, just what we need for a change of pace: an anti-Catholic movie. The latest is THE STATEMENT, starring Michael Caine as a Vichy-era Nazi protected by the Church. It's "A timely 'Statement'", the Chicago Sun Times assures us in the headline to its fawning review.

From the review (the person quoted is director Norman Jewison, who, according to the article, is a Protestant):

"Is this the right time to expose the French Catholic Church's involvement in the rounding up and eventual massacre of 77,000 citizens there? I don't know. But it's a film that should be made, and it's a story that should be told. If we don't make films about our own history as a human society, how are we ever going to learn anything?" Jewison said....

In "The Statement," British actor Michael Caine portrays Pierre Brossard -- the character based on Touvier -- as pathetic, psychotic and devoutly (if misguidedly) religious, a man obsessed with securing his own spiritual absolution before he dies or is hunted down and killed.

Brossard lives on the run for more than 40 years after he, as an 18-year-old Vichy storm trooper, orders the rounding up and death by firing squad of seven Jews in a small French village. In the film, Caine's character is given spiritual and financial support from members of a secret society called "Les Chevaliers de Sainte Marie." The Chevaliers hide Brossard in various religious institutions throughout the south of France, moving him under the cloak of darkness and alerting him when civil authorities are closing in on him.

Brossard, and it would seem the Chevaliers, believe he is being persecuted for his beliefs -- religious and spiritual.

"He was a righteous person, in his mind," Jewison said of the Brossard character. "I've never met a racist yet who thought he was a racist, or an anti-Semite who thought he was anti-Semitic.

"[Brossard] is the personification of evil. I don't think he's repentant in any way. That's all he wants. He wants to die in a state of grace," instead of living in one, Jewison said. "Ergo te absolvo are the three most joyous words in his religion."


posted by Cacciaguida at 10:26 PM

 
Fireballs over Spain: Meteorite falls on Leon -- apparently on a pilgrimage to Compostela!

What's up?

When beggars die, there are no comets seen;
The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes!

-- Julius Caesar, Act II, Scene II
posted by Cacciaguida at 6:47 PM

 
RIP John Toland, an exemplar of historical writing outside the academy.
posted by Cacciaguida at 6:41 PM

 
From today's Daily Telegraph

1. Church's 'third way' on women bishops
By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent
(Filed: 05/01/2004)

The Church of England may have to split in two if women become bishops, one with female clergy and one without, an official report has concluded.

An enclave for opponents of women priests could be created to avert a mass exodus when women are consecrated, possibly within five years.

The faction, effectively a church within a church, could have its own archbishop, bishops, parish clergy and training colleges. But it would exclude women clerics.

Ah, a new Anglican ecclesiastical entity with which Rome can negotiate, with some of the most nettlesome reunion issues pre-solved....


2. Hey, unmarried and childless Brit blokes -- use it or lose it.
posted by Cacciaguida at 3:12 PM

 
SSM: On the "dangers of cultural assimilation"

Overheard in an opera conversation recently:

Interestingly, I read many of the same concerns among gay and lesbian commentators as gay culture becomes more accepted into the mainstream and is on the brink of breaking into major institutions like marriage and recognized positions in, for example, the Episcopal Church.

That's sort of the "What elephant?" question underlying the SSM debate: if queer becomes normal, what happens to queer? And it's gay people who are asking it.

posted by Cacciaguida at 11:26 AM

 
Seen in one of those remainder-table, please-buy-these-books-before-we-pulp-them catalogues:

TWILIGHT OF THE WAGNERS: The Unveiling of a Family's Legacy. By Gottfried Wagner. The great-grandson of the composer details his life, and recounts how he was disinherited by his family for speaking out against his great-grandfather's legacy and how he became a champion of a greater understanding between Germans and Holocaust survivors worldwide.

So, Gotfucked, you lost an intra-familial power play, and now you're getting back by touting your supposed virtues and promoting the myth that the Master himself -- your own great-grandfather -- personally dropped the zyklon-B into the chambers.

Guess what, Gotfucked. Your great-grandfather wrote great operas, while I'll bet you didn't even write your own book. Your sister will be running Bayreuth when you'll be lucky to be running cable. The Master definitely had you pegged -- Gunther or Melot, I'd say; maybe Mime. Not Alberich or Klingsor -- you're not smart enough. And not Telramund either -- the sense of honor is missing. Maybe Beckmesser, but he at least could sing. You're a loser. Now get lost.
posted by Cacciaguida at 10:34 PM

 
What romance movie are you?


"You must remember this, a kiss is still a
kiss". Your romance is Casablanca. A
classic story of love in trying times, chock
full of both cynicism and hope. You obviously
believe in true love, but you're also
constantly aware of practicality and societal
expectations. That's not always fun, but at
least it's realistic. Try not to let the Nazis
get you down too much.


What Romance Movie Best Represents Your Love Life?
brought to you by Quizilla

posted by Cacciaguida at 7:24 PM

 
My new personal assistant?

Those of you who know how I feel about (a) the phone ringing, and (b) other people's music choices, will understand why I'm thinking of interviewing Mr. Gregory Pepin.
posted by Cacciaguida at 6:57 PM

 
What a New Year's present!

I return to the blogging station, and find that, just like Zorak, I've now passed the 30,000 hit mark. Many thanks to my readers!
posted by Cacciaguida at 11:23 PM

 
Otto reads the New York Times?

You don't have to, my friend (unless it's part of your job). I just spent five days in New York (with family, and with exams still to be graded -- time-consuming, you know, or I'd have looked many of you up!), and I got by very happily with the Wall Street Journal and -- if you haven't heard of this brainy little neo-con M-F daily, you should -- The New York Sun.

(Given the New York City context, I guess I should specify that M-F means "Monday through Friday.")
posted by Cacciaguida at 11:14 PM