I don't think I've seen it before; the Westminster Cathedral Choir has its own website now.

"It's Just Art"

Rex Reed on the TIFF: Critic Rex Reed Hails 5 Fall Movies, Screened at Toronto Film Fest, as Masterpieces

“EVERYBODY’S GAY!” shouts a Toronto newspaper headline. But like it or not, two popular subjects you can expect in the days ahead are same-sex marriages and gender fluidity. One audience favorite is Freeheld, adapted by Ron Nyswaner, the openly gay Oscar winner who wrote Philadelphia, from the true story of closeted lesbian New Jersey cop Laurel Hester (another brave, poignant performance by Julianne Moore) and her butch partner, sexy mechanic Stacie Andree (Ellen Page). Laurel’s new lifestyle alienates her fellow cops and leaves her boyfriend (Michael Shannon) feeling betrayed, but as time passes and old wounds heal, Laurel is diagnosed with cancer and the women are forced to face the reality of both death and what comes after. The movie follows Laurel’s desperate efforts to transfer her policemen’s union pension benefits to Stacie with the aid of a compassionate gay rights activist (a surprising turn by Steve Carell) who helps them challenge the prejudice of homophobic elected county officials determined to uphold “community standards.” Ellen Page, who has come a long way since Juno, says reading about this news story is what inspired her to come out of the closet herself and become a vociferous fighter for equal rights.

***

The most controversial unveiling at TIFF is the gorgeous, heartbreaking British film The Danish Girl, starring the spectacular Eddie Redmayne as 1920s transgender pioneer Lili Elbe, who was a talented landscape artist named Einar Wegener in Copenhagen, happily married to a loyal and devoted but less talented portrait painter named Gerda (Alicia Vikander). Slowly, when Einar first begins to realize his female side after trying on Gerda’s negligees, he takes the form of a shy lady cousin named Lili, polishing female postures, makeup and fashions, and perfecting the gestures and feelings of a woman while posing for exotic nudes that make his wife a celebrity in her own right. When Einar bites the bullet and makes the life-changing decision to undergo the experimental surgeries in Dresden that were unheard of at the time, Gerda stays by his side until his untimely death. Meticulously directed by Oscar winner Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech), this amazing film, based on Lili’s personal diaries published in 1933, is a medical-research thriller and unconventional heterosexual love story compromised by God and nature that will unquestionably register strongly at the American box office when it opens in November and rise to the top of the predictions in the forthcoming awards season.

The mass cultural elites are not promoting an agenda at all...

On the Backs of the Laity

Catholic Herald: Vatican welcomes its first family of refugees following Pope’s appeal

At least they're Christian.

Variety: Brie Larson in Talks to Play Billie Jean King in ‘Battle of the Sexes’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Because we should believe the contest was entirely legitimate (and of course, SJW triumphalism at AICN over the results of the match-up).

Marry a Good Catholic Man!

Don't waste life on being a celeb.

We <3 Yuna Kim

Posted by Soompi on Thursday, September 17, 2015

1944

Estonian movie about WW2

Putting the Nail in the Coffin of the Institutional Church

The Plenary Assembly of Swiss Bishops' Conference, held from 31 August to 2 September in Givisiez (in the canton of...

Posted by Vatican Radio - English Section on Friday, September 11, 2015

Hermann Geissler on Blessed John Henry Newman

Hermann Geissler writes in the Vatican newspaper about Blessed John Henry Newman and hope in Christian life.

Posted by Vatican Radio - English Section on Saturday, September 12, 2015

Chinese Pilgrims in Rome

During his weekly general audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis greeted pilgrims who had come from China!

Posted by Vatican Radio - English Section on Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Say No to Disney

Even if Jon Favreau is directing...


A cartoon with anthropomorphized animals who can talk... it seems like it'd be easier for one to accept the story than if it was turned into a live-action movie with CGI, in which case the clash between the story and reality would be too much. But movies tend to always have something about the unreal about them?

Clyde Wilson Links to Two Noteworthy Items

Life In The Old Land Yet By Clyde Wilson

Searching for Lincoln - FB

Understanding the War Between the States at Southern Historians

Another Jack Donovan Interview

Don't know what he's been up to lately as I've cut down on FB...

I'm five weeks out from playing a role in a movie where I run around fighting things wearing a loin cloth. The vast...

Posted by Tim Kennedy MMA Fan Page (Official) on Monday, August 31, 2015

The Big Local OCA Event Last Weekend

Posted by Holy Trinity Cathedral on Sunday, September 13, 2015

At this Sunday's Divine Liturgy, the faithful gathered at Holy Trinity Cathedral are blessed to bind their prayers to...

Posted by Holy Trinity Cathedral on Saturday, September 12, 2015

In Northern California Next Month!

The Wailin' Jennys

Fortunately She Didn't End Up Dead

It's a relief that the show follows proper safety measures...

Posted by Soompi on Sunday, September 13, 2015

Happy News for a Favorite

Han Hye-Jin / 한혜진 and Ki Sung-yueng welcome their first child!

Posted by Soompi on Sunday, September 13, 2015

Shim Eun Kyung Starring in Sageuk Movie

Hope this is good.

Shim Eun Kyung and Lee Seung Gi's sageuk movie goes into production!

Posted by Soompi on Sunday, September 13, 2015

Money to be Made All Over the World

Universal Studios Entertainment to invest in Korean adaptation of Chinese drama "Scarlet Heart"

Posted by Soompi on Monday, September 14, 2015

neoliberalism...

Not a Documentary Available for Free, Of Course

Finally the BBC has woken up to the war on Middle Eastern Christians - Could Christianity be driven from Middle East? by Jane Corbin

OCA and ROCOR News

Posted by Orthodox Church in America on Monday, September 14, 2015

On Saturday, September 12, 2015, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon and His Eminence, Archbishop Michael of New York and...

Posted by Orthodox Church in America on Monday, September 14, 2015

Posted by Orthodox Church in America on Saturday, September 12, 2015

http://wadiocese.org/news_150909_1.html

Posted by Western American Diocese, Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia on Wednesday, September 9, 2015

http://wadiocese.org/news_150910_2.html

Posted by Western American Diocese, Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia on Thursday, September 10, 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1&v=9hw51KSi-AI

Posted by Western American Diocese, Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia on Friday, September 11, 2015

War of the Planet of the Apes continues casting; but who wants to watch a movie in which the humans are defeated after warring with the apes and the apes come to reign over the planet? The original series avoided showing how that state of affairs came about; the last movie in the original series was the weakest, and it showed the human and ape survivors co-operating, though hinting at what was to come in the future, as depicted in the first movie. Maybe the masochistic SWPLs and SJWs would enjoy War of the Planet of the Apes.

Not Doomed to Failure?

Despite the heresies and disorder that plagues the Anglican Church? An Anglican Benedict Option

Community of St. Anselm


If it is co-ed and fails to observe proper ordering between the sexes, it will fizzle.

William Lind, The View From Olympus: Puffery

Why was the German chain of command able to do what ours cannot? The answer lies in the characteristics the German Army looked for in its officers. First, it demanded complete honesty at all times. Not only was active dishonesty not tolerated, neither was passive dishonesty: keeping your mouth shut and letting something you knew was wrong go through. The sin of omission was considered worse than the sin of commission.

Second, it despised careerism. The surest way to guarantee you would not get promoted was to show you cared about it. Of course, like any army that does not want to institutionalize moral cowardice and the Peter Principle, it did not have a rule of “up or out.”

Third, the characteristic the Wehrmacht valued most highly in an officer was strength of character, which it defined as an eagerness to make decisions, take responsibility, and get the result the situation required, regardless of orders, procedures, or obstacles.

Never got into G+, so its apparent defeat doesn't have much of an impact on me. Would it really have been a better alternative to Facebook with respect to privacy issues and the promotion of corporate power? Still, how much of a loss is this for Google?

Google admits defeat and guts a key part of Google+

Video on the Jesus Prayer

Check out this short animation.

Posted by Orthodox Christian Network on Sunday, September 13, 2015

Two on Mass Migration

John Seiler, Fourth Generation War and the Migrant Invasion of Europe
Refugee Flows: a Grand Strategic Weapon of Mass Destruction by Franklin Spinney (also published at Unz)

Apparently Martin van Creveld's essay in Riding the Red Horse talks about migration as a hostile action.

Philip WInchester Is Back

His current gig, after Strike Back. Not afraid of being typecast? At least he's sporting his native (or at least American) accent this time.



More:

"They're not really Christians."

As many American Protestants think...

AmCon: The Most Invisible Christians in Washington by Kelley Vlahos
Even as Middle Eastern churches face extinction, their lobby struggles to be heard.

Related:
The Optimism of the Cross in the Face of Genocide by Jonathan Coppage

Six Flying Dragons Posters

What a cast!

Posted by Soompi on Saturday, September 12, 2015