Tom Hooper Will Not Cut the King's Speech
Why not? If Peter Hitchens is correct and there is no evidence that George VI used the F bomb as a part of his speech therapy, then it's not really necessary to the telling of the story, is it? --Unless it's not really story-telling, but deliberately intended to support the coarsening of manners... (and to give a subversive look at the British monarchy).
Monday, January 31, 2011
Some in the Catholic blogosphere have been discussing this
Message of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI for the 45th World Communications Day: Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity of Life in the Digital Age
Written in the same spirit as the Vatican 2 Document on the Media of Social Communications, Inter Mirifica? All things should be harnessed to serve Christ. Those who are using social networking websites should do so in the spirit of Christ. Still, one should ask whether a passing fad deserves such notice, or if Christians need a more radical re-orientation towards Christ and the order of charity. Pope Benedict XVI hints to the danger that we neglect real people while on the Internet -- but is this sufficient? And are there limits to what can be done online? How real can our friendships online become? As far as I can tell, it is rare that they develop into intimate friendships. Better to keep some emotional distance and to cultivate detachment, I would think.
I suppose only when it becomes obvious that the age of cheap energy is over will we see some adjustments made in pastoral advice.
Is it less a question of whether the message contains good principles and more of a question of whether the Church endangers its credibility by being too up-to-date when such innovations will be short-lived?
The new technologies allow people to meet each other beyond the confines of space and of their own culture, creating in this way an entirely new world of potential friendships. This is a great opportunity, but it also requires greater attention to and awareness of possible risks. Who is my “neighbour” in this new world? Does the danger exist that we may be less present to those whom we encounter in our everyday life? Is there is a risk of being more distracted because our attention is fragmented and absorbed in a world “other” than the one in which we live? Do we have time to reflect critically on our choices and to foster human relationships which are truly deep and lasting? It is important always to remember that virtual contact cannot and must not take the place of direct human contact with people at every level of our lives.
In the digital age too, everyone is confronted by the need for authenticity and reflection. Besides, the dynamic inherent in the social networks demonstrates that a person is always involved in what he or she communicates. When people exchange information, they are already sharing themselves, their view of the world, their hopes, their ideals. It follows that there exists a Christian way of being present in the digital world: this takes the form of a communication which is honest and open, responsible and respectful of others. To proclaim the Gospel through the new media means not only to insert expressly religious content into different media platforms, but also to witness consistently, in one’s own digital profile and in the way one communicates choices, preferences and judgements that are fully consistent with the Gospel, even when it is not spoken of specifically. Furthermore, it is also true in the digital world that a message cannot be proclaimed without a consistent witness on the part of the one who proclaims it. In these new circumstances and with these new forms of expression, Christian are once again called to offer a response to anyone who asks for a reason for the hope that is within them (cf. 1 Pet 3:15).
Written in the same spirit as the Vatican 2 Document on the Media of Social Communications, Inter Mirifica? All things should be harnessed to serve Christ. Those who are using social networking websites should do so in the spirit of Christ. Still, one should ask whether a passing fad deserves such notice, or if Christians need a more radical re-orientation towards Christ and the order of charity. Pope Benedict XVI hints to the danger that we neglect real people while on the Internet -- but is this sufficient? And are there limits to what can be done online? How real can our friendships online become? As far as I can tell, it is rare that they develop into intimate friendships. Better to keep some emotional distance and to cultivate detachment, I would think.
I suppose only when it becomes obvious that the age of cheap energy is over will we see some adjustments made in pastoral advice.
Is it less a question of whether the message contains good principles and more of a question of whether the Church endangers its credibility by being too up-to-date when such innovations will be short-lived?
Stimulus duds, bailout blanks
Richard Heinberg, Post Carbon Institute
In response to the financial crisis, governments and central banks have undertaken a series of extraordinary, dramatic measures. In this section we will focus primarily on the U.S....From Richard Heinberg's upcoming book The End Growth.
Richard Heinberg, Post Carbon Institute
In response to the financial crisis, governments and central banks have undertaken a series of extraordinary, dramatic measures. In this section we will focus primarily on the U.S....From Richard Heinberg's upcoming book The End Growth.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
More Bearfoot
Our friend MB posts a link to this piece from 2008: Bishop Hilarion Alfeyev: Liberal Christianity will not survive for a long time
It may not last long, but what will it take down with it?
It may not last long, but what will it take down with it?
While it may be normal and accepted, whenever I see a FB wall post that tells me someone is moving in with someone else, buying a house with them, and so on, all without getting married, I have to ask what is preventing them from doing something that is either just a mere formality or is actually something so important that they need to plan a big party for it. (Perhaps it is not the marriage that is being celebrated but the festive occasion itself. Or it is a display of narcissism.) When people have a simulacrum of a marriage, why shouldn't they faces the legal consequences of having one? Ah yes, there is the question of intention and consent. So they're not "ready" for marriage yet, but they're ready for the next step in the relationship, which may last from a year to ten years, during which time they might ("accidentally") have a child or two.
People can make bad decisions, but I'm not going to call that a right or defend it.
People can make bad decisions, but I'm not going to call that a right or defend it.
Firework
The third graders at this one school will be singing this song for a school performance -- maybe it is better than not having any opportunity to sing, but does it reinforce the notion that mass culture is the only culture? Does it promote celebrity adulation and the narcissism that Uhmerican celeb pseudoculture promotes? As for the song itself, is it too tied to a wrong understanding of self-esteem, despite "good intentions" of the songwriter?
Having no real culture in common, what can the students in a "diverse" area of California use except the mass entertainment which they all consume? I'd rather have students learn some traditional music, but then we'd have to settle the question of ethnic identity, unless we embrace some sort of multiculturalism as a guiding principle with respect to the selection of traditional music in schools as well.
Joel Salatin at SCU
He was in town last week...
Joel Salatin teaches philosophy of farming
PolyFace Farms blends Eastern, Western cultures
SCU Food and Agribusiness Institute
Joel Salatin teaches philosophy of farming
PolyFace Farms blends Eastern, Western cultures
SCU Food and Agribusiness Institute
TV.com: Gordon Ramsay Talks About The Return Of Kitchen Nightmares
I think the episodes of Kitchen Nightmares are getting stale, formulaic, and predictable -- I prefer the slower pace of the British original.
I think the episodes of Kitchen Nightmares are getting stale, formulaic, and predictable -- I prefer the slower pace of the British original.
'The Long Road to Freedom' - Lecture by Jean Vanier
Blackfirars Hall:
L'Arche profile
bio
More:
Interview with Jean Vanier
Interviewed by Lydia Talbot
The Wisdom of Tenderness
'The Long Road to Freedom' - Lecture by Jean Vanier from Blackfriars Hall on Vimeo.
L'Arche profile
bio
More:
Interview with Jean Vanier
Interviewed by Lydia Talbot
The Wisdom of Tenderness
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