ISN Conference Report

A good conference, and I hope it is the first of many for the Institute for the Study of Nature.


The flight down wasn't bad, no bumps or turbulence. Champaign is rather rural--I was surprised to see so many farms while flying over Illinois. There are some ugly strip malls, and the university itself is a prominent part of the town. I don't know if there are a lot of small farmers in Champaign, though I saw a lot of small farms on the flight over. I couldn't believe how hot it was--on Saturday it hit the mid-90s.


After checking into the hotel, I went to McDonald's for lunch, because I had a craving. Bad idea... I felt sick after eating the food there, and drinking too much soda is not a good idea for me. I should have picked some better places to eat, since I would have been reimbursed. Ah well...
I think I'm ready to swear off McD's (again).


Most of the papers were good, even though not all of them were written from an "Aristotelian" viewpoint. I think everyone appreciated the discussion of math and measurement, and I did like Dr. Lundberg's paper on Leonhard Euler and the vocation of the mathematician.



Euler 2007
Leonhard Euler - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
LEONHARD EULER
The Euler Archive - the works of Leonhard Euler online
The Euler Society
Euler's Formula
The Prime Glossary: Euler's constant
Project Euler


Dinner the first night was at a pizza joint in the second downtown, the downtown that served the college. Papa Del's, I think. Chicago-style pizza is good, but it's very unhealthy--thick crust, lots of cheese... Definitely better than what I had at Uno. Dr. Augros talked about talked a little about his dissertation and how he chose it--basically something that he would be interested i, but not so controversial and could slip in under the radar, without having to read a lot of secondary literature that would be forced upon him by faculty who thought itould be necessary to make it more "scholarly."


Someone brought up the GREs and standardized testing, along with IQ. Dr. Joe Audie (one of the tutors for the seminar) told us how he used to have faith in IQ and the Bell Curve, but then he read Thomas Sowell; the Flynn effect entered the conversation.




Race and IQ by Thomas Sowell -- Capitalism Magazine
The Inequality Dogma by Thomas Sowell -- Capitalism Magazine
Townhall.com::Race and IQ: part II::By Thomas Sowell


Dr. Mike Augros teaches for the Legionaries in New York. He is very very impressive, a true successor to the Laval school. I'm glad I got a chance to talk with him briefly. He did his grad work at BC, and I hope to get a copy of his dissertation. (I will have to e-mail him, since he said he would get me an e-copy, if it's not available through the microfilm service.) He also described himself as pessimistic at dinner, and I'm intrigued--what is he pessimistic about?


He also said he disliked writing merely to get published. He enjoys writing about things that he is interested in, and focusing on primary sources. Too many academic journals are concerned with staying up-to-date, and addressing issues raised in secondary literature, all in the name of "scholarship," when in fact what does get published is often very bad scholarship. Really--it's publishing for the sake of maintaining the appearance of being relevant. Since he doesn't have to write for the sake of his livelihood, he doesn't bother to "try to get published."


If the Legionaries in the U.S. are getting their training in philosophy from him, they are in good hands. I had been worried about their intellectual formation, but this is a good sign.


I sat next to Dr. Dougherty during dinner, and he mentioned that he had thought that I was a priest or a Benedictine, so he was tempted to say "Father" when he saw me. Scary. Though I do not think I have a vocation to the priesthood, comments like these do prompt me to re-consider, though not to much. As for the monastic life, I do see the appeal, but I don't think I would enter a monastery any time soon.


He has an article about culture at pensarecristiano? He likes Nicolas Sarkozy's book Testimony, and believes Sarkozy will help re-Christianize France.


Dr. Tom McLaughlin is currently the... president (or is it vice-president) of the Society for Thomistic Natural Philosophy--there should be some overlap between the missions of the two groups. His paper on inertia was thought-provoking, though I don't agree with his conclusion that inertia is something real. The Jacques Maritain Association also has some people interested in natural philosophy. Where is Dr. Marie George? Dr. Carrroll gave a paper on creation and modern-day cosmologies, and reiterated the point that Aquinas thought creation was a demonstrable doctrine, and that the metaphysical definition of creation is not the same as the theological definition.


Dr. Ryland mentioned the Westchester Institute. Just found out that it was founded by a Legionary, Fr. Thomas Berg.


I didn't get a chance to chat much with James Barham; he was also a tutor for the seminar, and seems to be surviving at ND, from what I hear. He seems to know a lot of the work done in biological structuralism, he mentioned Ho and some others. He's also written on emergentism, which I need to read more about.


After the last day of the conference, we went to Biaggi's for dinner. The food there was rather good. Probably should have gotten lunch there the next day. I think it's better than Olive Garden--I got the chicken marsala (as usual), and the chicken was not overdone.


Having gone to the vigil at the Newman Center, I was planning on getting some other things done on Sunday morning. Didn't happen. I went to lunch at Steak and Shake. The food there is probably overpriced, I'd prefer In and Out. There was a Hooters next to it, but I decided not to go there. Imagine trying to get reimbursed for that. hahaha



Several of the participants came up to tell me that they enjoyed the paper, which surprised me. (I wonder if they took it personally when I didn't return the compliment--not that it was appropriate since not all gave papers, but some of them did. I was a bit struck by the fact that they thought so well of the presentation, and then I wasn't so quick as to think of something positive to say about their paper.) Perhaps I should be reassured but instead I need to work even harder...

High Maintenance Woman - Toby Keith

I'm not really a fan of contemporary country or Toby Keith... I just liked the line "A high maintenance woman don't want a maintenance man."

Michael Moore, Sicko

He just said that only Al Gore has an idea about how to fix the healthcare system. Uh-huh.


Michael Moore

Sicko Trailer and Preview - Moviefone
SICKO - TRAILER
YouTube - Michael Moore's SiCKO (official trailer)

MOOREWATCH - Watching Michael Moore's every move

Campaign For Universal (Single Payer) Health Care
Universal Single-Payer Health Coverage Democrats.com
Daily Kos: Single Payer Health: Cheaper and Better Than Current System
Social Upheaval: It's Time for Universal, Single Payer Healthcare
Universal Coverage: Many Roads to Rome?

EB Commentary on "A World Without Oil"

the link to the original article is here

BP Statistical Review & The Independent's PO article
Staff, Energy Bulletin
Chris Skrebowski comments
Jeremy Leggett comments
The day 'peak oil' became a household word
Jerome a Paris: BusinessWeek tells the harsh truth
Lies, damned lies and BP statistics

3:10 to Yuma

starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale

trailer

A "traditional" Western? Or are RC's and CB's characters more "morally complex" than that?

8 Things About Me

I was tagged by the Western Confucian...

The Rules:

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

Here are my 8 facts.

1. At the moment I consider myself a civic republican, though I question whether the Italian city-states were true polities--were they more like aristocracies/oligarchies? Something to investigate. I used to admire the Confucian civil servant/literatus, who were better than the modern bureaucrat, and also European monarchies and serving in monarchical governments. (Can one really dispute that St. Thomas More was a saint through his service, and not in despite of it?) But now I have a different opinion about the origin of the European monarchies, and prefer the ideals of Romanitas (combined with Aristotle's Politics) to Confucianism.

2. I don't get any pleasure from alcohol. What I usually get are headaches and/or sleepiness. So, it's not a temptation for me, and if I'm looking for something to distract me from the pains and trials of life, it won't be alcohol. Probably not other drugs either.

3. I find women who are praying, wear a mantilla, put their hair up (or have it tied up or done in some other manner, the simpler the better of course) to be "hot." The same is true for women who are deep in thought.

4. I think that if I ever get married, the woman whom I will end up marrying will be someone who likes to write letters as much as or more than me.

5. I hate running long distances or jogging. Short sprints are fun though, and I like going for a long walk. I just need to find a good pair of walking shoes. If I could rely on a bicycle as a frequent mode of transportation that would be ideal. I hate flying on airplanes. I also hate being inactive, especially since it is a weakness.

6. I still have difficulties with judging amounts of ingredients and portion sizes. I suspect that I would probably eat less meat if protein sources were limited to small animals and I had to kill the animal, skin and gut it.

7. My favorite breakfast food would be some sort of congee, with ja leung or yau tieu. I don't think I'd ever get tired of Cantonese cuisine. What would come next? I'm not sure. I do know which restaurant I would visit first as soon as I return to California, and it's Korean. I may go to the Indian buffet too. Brazilian bbq is too salty and dry usually, but that's the fault of the people working there.

8. I like window shopping in malls and examining current fashion trends. I don't like shopping for clothing for myself.


Even if I got out of academia, I'd still wish that my Greek and Latin skills were better, and that I could learn classical Chinese. I'm a bit envious of Paul Potts's talent, I'd like to learn how to sing or chant at least. I don't think I'll ever get a chance to learn Hebrew or Arabic.


I tag Pete Takeshi, Seraphic Single, Sunshineg1rl, xin_lian_xin, alliesarang, James at CatholicPublius, Zoniax, imuhhater, FindingRhenie.

(No pressure on you all to do it, it's just for fun...)

Paul Potts on Britain's Got Talent

Nessun Dorma:

Semi-Final: Time to Say Good-bye (alt)

Top Chef Miami

Much better than Hell's Kitchen, though I do enjoy Gordon Ramsay's persona. Since the hotel had cable I was able to catch the first episode. The contestants are all very impressive, and it's this sort of talent that HK needs.


YouTube - Top Chef:Miami- Season 3 trailer

Bravo website
Yahoo TV

Top Chef 3 Miami - Contestant Bios
I think Micah is cute and very good in the kitchen (she reminds me a bit of Nelly Furtado); Hung has skills but his personality is... Casey is pretty. Some photos from the first episode.


From the second season:

Man versus Wild

Show on the Discovery channel.

Man vs Wild with Bear Grylls the new Series on The Discovery Channel

The star of the show:
Bear Grylls International Speaker Best selling Author ...
Bear's Blog
Bear Grylls Photos - Bear Grylls News - Bear Grylls Information

'Man vs. Wild' host Grylls lives to tell about it - USATODAY.com
Orlando Sentinel - Discovery's "Man Vs. Wild" gives dramatic ...
LES STROUD VS. BEAR GRYLLS - Topic Powered by eve community

I caught a couple of episodes on Sunday, while I was waiting at the hotel for a shuttle ride to the airport. (I was thinking of taking a photo of the hotel, but didn't get a chance to... a lot of wedding receptions are held there. There was a wedding reception involving Indians on Sunday--I don't know if the reception itself was Indian or not, but there were plenty of guests wearing traditional Indian clothing.)

Anyway, the show is interesting, but I wonder if most of the audience consists of lazy couch potatoes like me who probably won't find themselves in any of the situations presented on the show. Lots of good informative stuff on the show, as far as I can tell.

He should write a survival book.

Greenspan: Mexico oil output drop may spark crisis

His commentary is of a mixed quality--see what he says about immigration.

Mexico oil output drop may spark crisis
June 14, 2007 - 8:09AM

Declining oil output in Mexico could spark a major fiscal crisis there, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said on Wednesday, while also railing against US immigration policy.

"There is no doubt that Mexican overall (oil) production is down and if it continues down, and prices don't continue up to offset that, then there is a huge fiscal crisis pending," the former US central banker said via a video link to a business conference in Mexico City.

Mexico, the world's No. 9 exporter of crude oil and a key supplier to the United States, has seen its oil output taper off from historic peaks in 2004 due to declining yields at its huge but ageing Cantarell offshore field.

State oil monopoly Pemex, which provides more than a third of the country's fiscal revenues, is now aiming to keep oil production at 3.1 million barrels per day for the next few years, down 8 per cent from a 2004 peak of 3.38 million bpd.

Greenspan said Mexico needs to increase investment in its energy sector, though an amendment to lift a ban on private investment in oil production is "a political issue."

Faced too with an easing in global oil prices from recent record highs, President Felipe Calderon is working on fiscal reform aimed at boosting Mexico's low tax take and easing its economic reliance on oil exports.

Mexico's finance ministry said on Wednesday it has not set a date for unveiling its tax reform proposal, although a top ministry official told Reuters on Tuesday the proposal would come in two or three weeks.

On immigration - another top issue on Calderon's agenda - Greenspan said that while trade was very open between Mexico and the United States, US policies on the movement of labour were protectionist.

"There is no evidence on protectionism with respect to goods. There is protectionism with respect to people. And from an economist's point of view that is indistinguishable," he said.

He said Mexico would suffer from a brain drain as many of its best workers crossed the US border, legally or illegally, and said incomes would have to rise in Mexico before the flow of migrants slows.

"There is no way I know of that you are essentially going to prevent people who want to go across a very long border," he said.

"The only real solution to the immigration problem is for per capital incomes in Mexico to be brought up."

Mad Max Online

website; not sure if there is anything similar for the other movies

Andrew Bacevich on reforming the military

"Joint Failure" -- on the Joint Chiefs of Staff

via Conservative Heritage Times

Another theory that Tony got whacked

by Bob Harris, via Open Book

Vox Day interview with Ron Paul

here, thanks to Lew Rockwell

Prayer request

Just got the news from my mother that Mrs. Chow passed away a couple of days ago. She was severaly afflicted spiritually, and may have committed suicide. Please pray for her.

Trailer: Eye in the Sky

trailer (photos, downloads)

Trailer for The Assembly

I suspect the quality won't be that good.

Philip Bess, Introduction: Why Architecture Matters

Introduction: Why Architecture Matters

Tunnel plan shakes Gaudi treasure to its foundations

Tunnel plan shakes Gaudi treasure to its foundations
VICTORIA BURNETT
IN BARCELONA
WITH its soaring columns, Antonio Gaudi's unfinished masterwork, La Sagrada Familia, has always looked as if it might suddenly collapse on itself, like a giant cake.

And now the architect in charge of efforts to complete the church, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Spain, says the building is indeed threatened - by a train tunnel due to be built within a few feet of its foundations.

"The project could cause irreparable damage to the Sagrada Familia," said, Jordi Bonet, 81, who leads a group of 20 architects. "The slightest shift could cause ceramics to fall from the vaults. It could provoke cracks.

"What would possess someone to build a tunnel like this next to the heaviest building in Barcelona, the most visited monument in Spain?"

Yes, why? What's wrong with the Spanish. [High-speed] train travel should be facilitated (though the question of how necessary it is for people to travel that far that often should be raised), but to put at risk one of the great religious and cultural artifacts of Barcelona?

via NOR

'The Host' Sequel Planned For 2009

'The Host' Sequel Planned For 2009
Is this really a good idea? I don't see how a sequel could surpass the original... even if they do improve the cgi. (I haven't watched The Host yet, but my guess is that the CGI could be improved, based on the reviews that I have read.)

Comedians make jokies about women golfers, but... Park Ji-eun Named Among World's Sexiest Golfers

On Peace, a Call From Assisi

On Peace, a Call From Assisi
"May Weapons be Silenced and May Hate Yield to Love"



ASSISI, Italy, JUNE 17, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today to the crowds gathered at the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, where the Pope led the praying of the midday Angelus.

* * *

Dear brothers and sisters,

Eight centuries ago, the city of Assisi would have found it difficult to imagine the role that providence was assigning to it, a role that has made this city well known throughout the world, that has make it an authentic "place of the soul." An event that happened here imprinted on this city an indelible character. I am referring to the conversion of young Francis. After 25 years of an aimless and mediocre existence that was centered on seeking worldly pleasures and successes, in a moment of interior recollection, he opened himself to grace and gradually recognized in Christ the ideal for his life. My pilgrimage to Assisi today seeks to recall this event, to live its significance to the fullest.

I have stopped with particular emotion at the small church of San Damiano where Francis heard from the crucifix the directive "Go, Francis, and rebuild my church" (2 Cel 1,6,10). It was a mission that would start with the full conversion of his heart and would, in turn, become Gospel leaven handed in abundance to the Church and society.

I have visited the place in Rivotorto that, according to tradition, housed the lepers who St. Francis approached with mercy, thus beginning his penitent life. I have also visited the sanctuary of the saint's humble dwelling where he lived with the first brothers.

I have been to the Basilica of St. Clare, his "little plant," and this afternoon, after a visit to the Cathedral of Assisi, I will stop at the Porziuncola where Francis, in the shadow of Mary, directed the expansion of his fraternity and where he breathed his last. There, I will meet the youth so that young Francis, converted to Christ, may speak to their hearts.

At this moment from the Basilica of St. Francis where his mortal remains rest, I wish to make mine his prayer: "O Most High, Almighty God, good Lord, to you, praise, honor and blessing " (Brother Sun Canticle, 1). Francis of Assisi is a great teacher of our faith and our praise. When he fell in love with Jesus Christ, he found the face of God-Love; he became his passionate singer and an authentic "minstrel of God." In light of the beatitudes, we understand the meekness and humility with which he related to others, becoming a witness and agent of peace.

From this city of peace, I want to send my greetings to representatives of Christian communities and other religions who, in 1986, accepted the invitation of my venerable predecessor to come here, to the homeland of St. Francis, for a World Day of Prayer for Peace. I consider it my duty to issue an urgent and heartfelt appeal from this place to stop all armed conflicts that are bloodying the earth. May weapons be silenced and may hate yield to love, offense to pardon, and discord to unity!

We feel here the spiritual presence of all those who weep, suffer and die at war or because of its tragic consequences in any part of the world. Our thoughts are directed in particular to the Holy Land, a place so loved by St. Francis, to Iraq, Lebanon and all the Middle East.

The populations of these places have experienced for too long the horrors of war, terrorism, blind violence, the illusion that force can solve conflicts, and the refusal to listen to the reasoning of others and do them justice. Only a responsible and sincere dialogue, sustained by the generous support of the international community will be able to end so much suffering and give new life and dignity to individuals, institutions and people.

May St. Francis, man of peace, obtain for us from the Lord, the grace of an increasing number of people who will agree to become "instruments of peace" through thousands of small gestures in their daily lives. May those who are in positions of power be motivated by a passionate love for peace, an indomitable will to obtain it, and may they choose the adequate means to reach it.

May the Holy Virgin, who the "little brother" loved with such a tender heart and to whom he sang with such inspiration, help us to discover the secret of peace in the miracle of love that took place in her womb with the incarnation of the Son of God.

[Translation by ZENIT]

Globalized World Needs the Gospel, Says Pope

Globalized World Needs the Gospel, Says Pope
Marks 25th Anniversary of Culture Council



Vatican City, JUNE 15, 2007 (Zenit.org).- In an age of globalization, it is urgent that the Gospel becomes leaven for culture, says Benedict XVI.

This is the message the Pope issued today in a meeting with Cardinal Paul Poupard, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, and other dicastery officials and members. The council is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its establishment by Pope John Paul II.

The Holy Father stated that the importance of the council has become decisive for the Church, "Thanks to the formidable development of the mass media and the resulting intensification of the social network."

"It has become, therefore, evermore urgent that the Church promote cultural development, valuing the human and spiritual quality of both the message and the content," the Pontiff stated.

Benedict XVI continued: "Culture today is inevitably affected by the process of globalization, which, if not constantly accompanied by vigilant discernment, can rebel against man and impoverish rather than enrich him.

"And, how great the challenges we face in this regard in our evangelization efforts!"

Intertwined

The Pope said that "the history of the Church is inseparably linked to the history of culture and art."

The Holy Father made reference to various works, "such as the Summa Theologiae of St. Thomas Aquinas, the 'Divine Comedy,' the Cathedral of Chartres, the Sistine Chapel and the cantatas of Johannes Sebastian Bach."

"These constitute incomparable syntheses of the Christian life and of human expression," said the Pontiff.

Benedict XVI clarified: "If, indeed, these are, so to speak, pinnacles of the synthesis between faith and culture, their encounter is realized daily in the life and the work of the baptized, in that hidden work of art which is the love story of each individual with the living God and with one's neighbor, in the joy and toil of following Christ in everyday life.

"In the cultural arena, Christianity has to offer everyone its powerful capacity for renewing and lifting up, that is, the love of God that becomes human love."

The Pope continued, quoting from the letter with which John Paul II instituted the Pontifical Council for Culture: "Love is a great hidden force lying in the heart of cultures that encourages them to overcome their unavoidable finality, and opening them to him who is its source and summit, giving them, when they are open to his grace, a fullness and richness."

"Recreational Marijuana" Is a Myth, Says Doctor

"Recreational Marijuana" Is a Myth, Says Doctor
Psychiatrist Asserts Marijuana Is a 1st Step to Other Drugs



ROME, JUNE 17, 2007 (Zenit.org).- There is not a single scientific report that has proven that the recreational use of marijuana offers any benefits, says an expert in systemic-relational psychotherapy.

Italy was recently shocked by the death of a 15-year-old who died in the hallways of his Milan school after smoking marijuana. So ZENIT spoke with Doctor Maria Del Poggetto about the debate over legalizing the drug.

Del Poggetto explained that while it is clear "that marijuana serves as an 'entry door' for the use of other drugs, we also know that the use of marijuana, especially during adolescence, contributes to the development of schizophrenic disorders."

Del Poggetto lamented "having heard by chance on the radio a colleague who, instead of identifying the use of marijuana as both the origin and product of behavioral problems, declared that youth need to be taught 'where, when and why' to consume marijuana, as if there were 'a where' and 'a when' in which it is beneficial to get high."

She added: "The medical profession is progressively increasing people's awareness of the dangers caused by the use of marijuana.

"It is no coincidence that the American Academy of Pediatrics, aware of these harmful effects, has published an article titled, very poignantly: 'The Use of Marijuana: Why Legalization Is Not a Good Idea.'"

"Sadly," the psychiatrist said, "what we frequently see in family therapy is the result of an educational attitude adopted by parents, usually unconsciously, characterized by a friendly" approach to their children and drug use.

"Such an attitude, though it has some positive elements, frequently ends in the parents expecting a level of responsibility and maturity for which their children are not ready," Del Poggetto warned. The "young people have not yet received ethical maps capable of offering them the proper guidance."

For parents, "it is not a matter of assuming an authoritarian role," she explained, "but of recovering a dimension of authority."

"If certain myths are not abandoned," about marijuana use, Del Poggetto maintained, "we will be responsible for entire burnt-out generations."

Father Cantalamessa on the Pearl of Great Price

Father Cantalamessa on the Pearl of Great Price
Pontifical Household Preacher Comments on Sunday's Readings



ROME, JUNE 15, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of a commentary by the Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, on the readings from this Sunday's liturgy.

* * *

A Woman Came With an Alabaster Flask of Ointment
11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
2 Samuel 12:7-10,13; Galatians 2:16,19-21; Luke 7:36-8:3

There are some Gospel passages where the teaching is so much connected to the action that the former cannot be fully understood if it is detached from the latter.

The episode of the sinful woman in the house of Simon the Pharisee that will be read at Mass this Sunday is one of these. The opening scene is silent; there are no words, only silent gestures: A woman enters with an alabaster flask of ointment. She nestles at Jesus' feet, washes them with tears, dries them with her hair, and kissing them, douses them with the ointment from her flask.

She is almost certainly a prostitute, because at that time this was what was meant when the term "sinful" was applied to a woman.

At this point the focus turns to the Pharisee who invited Jesus to dinner. The scene is still silent, but only in appearance. The Pharisee is "speaking to himself": "When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.'"

The Gospel then takes Jesus' word so as to present his judgment on the actions of the woman and on the thoughts of the Pharisee, and it does this with a parable: "'A creditor had two debtors: One owed him five hundred denarii and the other fifty. Not having anything to pay him with, the creditor forgave both of them their debts. Who will love him more?' Simon answered: 'I suppose the one who he forgave the most.' Jesus said to him, 'You have judged well.'"

Jesus first of all allows Simon to be convinced that he is in fact a prophet since he read the thoughts in his heart; at the same time, with the parable, he is preparing everyone to understand what he is about to say in defense of the woman: "'For this reason I say to you her many sins are forgiven her because she has loved much. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.' Then he said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven you.'"

This year is the 800th anniversary of the conversion of Francis of Assisi. What do the conversions of the sinful woman of the Gospel and Francis have to do with each other? Unfortunately, when we speak of conversion our thought goes instinctively to what one leaves behind -- sin, a disordered life, atheism -- but this is the effect, not the cause of the conversion.

How a conversion happens is perfectly described by Jesus in the parable of the hidden treasure: "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field; a man finds it and hides it again, then he goes, full of joy, and sells all he has and buys the field." It is not said that "a man sold everything he had and then went out in search of a hidden treasure."

We know how the stories that begin this way end. One loses everything he has and does not find any treasure. These are stories of deluded people, visionaries. No, a man finds a treasure and sells all he has to acquire it. In other words, it is necessary to have found a treasure in order to have the strength and the joy to sell all.

This is done with a heart "full of joy," like the man about whom the Gospel speaks. This is how it happened for the sinful woman of the Gospel and for Francis of Assisi. Both had met Jesus and it is this that gave them the strength to change.

The point of departure of the sinful woman of the Gospel and Francis seems to have been different, but this difference was an appearance, external. Deep down it was the same. The woman and Francis, like all of us after all, were searching for happiness and they saw that the life they were leading did not make them happy, but rather it left dissatisfaction and an emptiness in the depths of their heart.

I was reading recently the story of the famous convert of the 19th century, Hermann Cohen, a brilliant musician, idolized as a the young prodigy of his time in the salons of central Europe: a kind of modern version of the young Francis.

After his conversion he wrote to a friend: "I looked for happiness everywhere: in the elegant life of the salons, in the deafening noise of balls and parties, in accumulating money, in the excitement of gambling, in artistic glory, in friendship with famous people, in the pleasures of the senses. Now I have found happiness, I have an overflowing heart and I want to share it with you. ... You say, 'But I don't believe in Jesus Christ.' I say to you, 'Neither did I and that is why I was unhappy.'"

Conversion is the way to happiness and a full life. It is not something painful, but the greatest joy. It is the discovery of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price.

Megan Fox

Who? Sarge, she's the actress in Transformers. (Eh... the tattoos...)

fansite; popoholic post, another