The New Beginning: 3/23/08

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Always and Always 2

official website, via Twitch

I haven't seen the first one, but it appears that Koyuki stars in both? Readers should know that I like well-made period pieces, and this seems to qualify.

The twin-pack of both movies can be pre-ordered.

Useful articles on aquifer depletion

Water is Life - Groundwater drawdown
Aquifer depletion - Encyclopedia of Earth
Global Water Shortages May Lead to Food Shortages--Aquifer Depletion
The Ogallala Aquifer Depletion
China's Shrinking Grain Harvest by Lester Brown - The Globalist ...
AQUIFER DEPLETION THE REAL GROUNDWATER CRISIS Inadequate ...

Thomas Storck, What's Really Wrong With Riches?

What's Really Wrong With Riches?

Some vids and pics for Sarge

SAS doubletap

SAS teaching CQB

More from Ravenshield936. (Too much Rainbow Six? Hrm, there's a sequel to Rainbow Six Las Vegas.)

Andy McNab firing an MP5
His official website

SAS Snipers Training.

US Navy SEALs - CQB Training

Special Forces, Police, and SWAT Training. Glenwood, FL

Oh, and there's this:

ContactMusic gallery

From Yahoo!

Her MySpace.
UMGNashville

AN: Damascus, young girls the victims of prostitution

03/29/2008 SYRIA - IRAQ
Damascus, young girls the victims of prostitution - almost all of them Iraqis
The trap of prostitution is ensnaring more and more young girls, who are without work and have relatives depending on them, ready to sell themselves to scrape together a little money. Most of them are minors, and many are refugees from Iraq.

Peace and prosperity to Iraq, indeed.

FN Five-Seven

FNHUSA
-Five-seveN USG FDE
-Five-seveN USG ODG

FN FiveseveN Forum

Guns and Ammo: FNH USA 5.7 USG

Small and speedy: The 5.7x28 cartridge (center) stands in stark contrast to the 9mm Parabellum (left) and the .45 ACP.

FN FIVE-SEVEN

5.7x28mm - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

FN FiveSeven 5.7x28mm

Also from FN--FS2000:
FS2000 Standard
Defense Review - FN FS2000 Semi-Auto-Only Bullpup Tactical Carbine ...

Military Photos

FN Herstal FS2000 5.56x45mm

Bush Seeks Financial Regulation Overhaul

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of the way the government regulates the nation's financial services industry from banks and securities firms to mortgage brokers and insurance companies.
The plan would give major new powers to the Federal Reserve, according to a 22-page executive summary obtained by The Associated Press.
The Fed would be given broad authority to oversee financial market stability. That would include new powers to examine the books of any institution deemed to represent a potential threat to the proper functioning of the overall financial system.

I wait for informed commentary, such as Ron Paul might provide, but this does seem like a bad idea to me. After all, the Fed isn't even a part of the government. Why doesn't Congress enact legislation, if they are complaining that the plan doesn't go far enough? Or bring back some of the legislation that was repealed? Could it be because the Democrats are beholden to the same people?

1983 TV show openings

Found these on... youtube.
1983 TV Show openings Part 1

Friday, March 28, 2008

2 from Counterpunch on the economy

The Chop Shop Economy
Other People's Money

By ALAN FARAGO

Here is the point: even if we could export more, the sad truth is that after 20 years of globalization the manufacturing supply chain in the United States has rusted out. Except for airplanes and guns, every basic, wage-intensive industry that links raw commodities to end products has been shipped to low cost labor nations, either in whole or part.
The US economy spent the past decade balancing on one leg: housing. For a time, foreign investors in US debt were fine with arrangements that allowed them to charitably view this performance.

Let the Bankers Earn Their Money--Like the Rest of Us
Knocking Down False Economic Gods

By PETER MORICI

Are the intended customers really going to buy this?

Geek Monthly

Mandatory sharing of tips with shift supervisors

Seems unjust--if anyone should be rewarding shift supervisors for the good performance of employees it is Starbucks, not the customers through their tips.

Starbucks to Appeal Tip-Sharing Ruling

Starbucks responded in the statement that "shift supervisors are not managers and have no managerial authority," and customers don't differentiate between the supervisors and baristas when they tip.

Yes, we do.

KunstlerCast #5-7

KunstlerCast #5: Starchitects (mp3)
KunstlerCast #6: Zoning (mp3)
KunstlerCast #7: Fate of Flagstaff & Hydrogen Cars (mp3)

Sarge, the Julianne Hough interview

well, a part of it at least:

"I think to have sex before marriage is an individual one, but if you're just with one person, it's only for one good reason, and (waiting to have sex) will strengthen that relationship. I'm not trying to preach consequences here, but I think when you say no, down the line it will be a better decision."

Her official site. She sings "That song in my head" that plays on the website.

ABC -- short photoessay on her and her brother
DWTS photos
picture gallery

Alas, she's LDS. But maybe you can convert her, Sarge. Ha!

I was re-watching the final showdown between Obiwan and Anakin in Revenge of the Sith; the dialogue for this crucial scene (like the rest of the first three episodes) is so disappointing. The images in Lucas's mind, as they have been put onto digital film, are spectacular and are appreciated by American fanboys, but the script that accompanies them is so weak. (The poor acting also has a role to play; it probably can't save good lines, at least not while one is watching the movie. Reading the script by itself, or recalling the lines may be a different matter.) Also, Anakin is dominated by "emotion" at that point of the film, but because of what I consider to be a poor exposition of the behind-the-scenes machinations, as well as the overt political events in the Old Republic (including the Clone Wars), his one-liners don't have as much impact as they should.

Yeah, we would all be better off reading Beowulf...
Chronicles discussion: Part 1, 2, 3

Medieval Sourcebook: Beowulf (in Old English), Klaeber edition
Beowulf in Hypertext
Readings from Beowulf
Resources for the Study of Beowulf
The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Archive
Beowulf - Project Gutenberg
Old English : Beowulf
Grendel’s Lair : Beowulf

Old English resources:
Old English Dictionary
Old English at the University of Calgary
old english
Old English at UVA
Yamada Language Center: Old English Web Guide
Old English / Anglo-Saxon
Labyrinth Library: Old English
old english corpus
Modern English to Old English Vocabulary
Ye Olde English Sayings
Old English Aloud
Old English: A Historical Linguistic Companion - Google Books Result

TD on Ortega y Gasset

via Russell Seitz, At the forest’s edge

Jose Ortega y Gassett: The Revolt Of The Masses

Cristo Rey Network

Mark Shea posts a youtube vid of the Cristo Rey Network. The first school in the network:
Cristo Rey Jesuit High School: The School that Works.

The educational model.

It seems oriented towards preparing urban students for work, which isn't a bad thing.

Mongol trailer

@ Yahoo
Mongol | Official Movie Site | In Theaters June 6

Genghis Khan: His Life and Legacy - Google Books Result
Genghis Khan: Conqueror of the World - Google Books Result
The Mongols in World History | Asia Topics in World History
Genghis Khan a Prolific Lover, DNA Data Implies
Mongol Empire - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Daily Life in the Mongol Empire - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Historical Mongol Empire
Mongols: Empire
Map of the Mongol Empire - The Art of Asia - History and Maps
Ancient China: The Mongolian Empire: The Yuan Dynasty, 1279-1368
Mongol Empire

More on Fr. Zakaria Boutros

via Rod Dreher, the NOR piece.

Botros’s broadcasts are in Arabic — the language of some 200 million people, most of them Muslim. While several Western writers have published persuasive critiques of Islam, their arguments go largely unnoticed in the Islamic world. Botros’s mastery of classical Arabic not only allows him to reach a broader audience, it enables him to delve deeply into the voluminous Arabic literature — much of it untapped by Western writers who rely on translations — and so report to the average Muslim on the discrepancies and affronts to moral common sense found within this vast corpus.

Coptic TV Show Causes Controversy in Egypt includes his "10 demands":

Boutrus: "I live in a country (the U.S.) that respects freedom of speech. I exercise my freedom of speech and talk, and no one can deny my free will. Gone are the days of the sharp sword that cut off the tongues of our people and forefathers to prevent them from speaking in the Coptic language. Gone are the days people's heads would be chopped off if they did not convert to Islam."
Interviewer: "What should the Muslims do to make you stop saying these things?"
Boutrus: "My demands involve ten important issues. Let's call it ten demands. The first demand... They are not for my sake, but for the sake of truth, belief, and Jesus. First, striking out all the Koranic verses that deny the divinity of Jesus and the revelation of God in him. Second, acknowledging that Jesus is the spirit and word of God, as they truly believe, without hiding this fact. Third, striking out the Koranic verses and hadiths that incite to kill Christians, like in the Al-Tawba chapter, v.29: 'Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in Judgment Day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His messenger have prohibited, nor do they follow the religion of truth' – that is, Islam. Among whom? 'Among the People of the Book.'
Interviewer: "Who are..."
Boutrus: "The Christians and Jews. 'Until they pay the Jizya poll tax in submission.' This is murder. Number four, striking out the Koranic verses and Hadiths that incite to terrorism and oppression in all their forms."
Interviewer: "What do you mean by terrorism and oppression?"
Boutrus: "Terrorism – 'Urge the believers to fight,' and the hadith: 'I was commanded to fight people until they say: There is no God but Allah.' All this is terrorism and murder. Number six:Stopping the attack on Jesus and the Holy Book in mosques and in all the media. Number seven: Giving people and Muslims the freedom of... You may ask what do I care about the Muslims? No! They must have the freedom to choose their religion and the freedom to express their belief. Number eight:To abolish the punishment for apostasy, to stop torturing people who convert to Christianity, and to stop imprisoning or even killing them. Number nine:Formal apologies must be made by leaders throughout the Arab world for the murder of Christians in countries invaded by Islam. Number ten: Leaders throughout the Arab world should make formal apologies for the insults directed against our faith throughout Islamic history. The viewers may say: 'Is this priest crazy, or what? These demands could only be made by an insane man... To strike out Koranic verses... Does this make any sense? What is he going on about?' OK, if you cannot change (the Koran), why are you asking us to change our beliefs? Why do you demand that we say what you say, or else - the sword?
"(Al-Halabi) says: ' If the Prophet wanted an available woman...' – in other words, an unmarried woman, a widow, or a single woman – '...he was allowed to enter her...' I don't like to use the word i-n-t-e-r-c-o-u-r-s-e. '...without her guardian and without witnesses...' Without witnesses. '...and against her will.' Against her will. 'If he desired a married woman, her husband had to divorce her for him. And if he desired a servant-girl, her master had to give her to him. He can even marry off the woman to whoever he wants, against her will.'"
Interviewer: "We know that the Prophet is allowed what others are not."
Boutrus: "Why? Is he made of different stuff than the rest of mankind?"

Youtube video:

While he is in the "West" he is not invulnerable; I do wish that he is taking the proper precautions. May God watch over him!

In the vein of the Seventh Sign, The Prophecy, Constantine, End of Days

comes Legion. AICN has casting news. Maybe the Gnostics or Manichaeans were just imaginative people who couldn't find work writing scripts because Hollywood hadn't been created yet. Heh. "If there weren't a market for it, people wouldn't peddle it." I suppose I could start writing about artistic responsibility and the foundation of representational art in truth, but there wouldn't be much point in doing so. For the most part, Hollywood isn't interested in making movies that convey the truths of Christianity, and it's much easier to create dramatic conflict in a story dealing with spirits and material creation through some dualistic view of the universe and by diminishing the infinity of God and turning Him into a limited, imperfect being. It just shows how things have changed in the United States. How would the movie-going public have reacted to such movies 50 or 60 years ago?

Christians can refuse to go to the movies that are offensive to the Christian faith, but if they go to other movies (or purchase dvds), aren't they still contributing to the studios' treasury? Perhaps Christians really do need to unite and not just boycott Disney but everything coming out of Hollywood as well. Besides there are many more things they can use the money on.

Though I do enjoy watching movies (as you can tell from the blog content), this is something I too should think about... at least the Korean film industry is relatively Christian-'friendly' for now. I don't know if that can be said about movie making business in other foreign countries, especially Europe, but perhaps there are a few foreign producers/studios that have drawn a line as to what movies they will and will not make.

More on Southern Manners

Manners and Etiquette in the Antebellum South

How different was the etiquette of the elites in the South from that of the elites in the North before the war?

And how authentic is this? Etiquette with Miss Janice - Social Graces...Southern Style ...

And some more links on Regency etiquette:
Etiquette & the Regency Period
Jane Austen Regency Customs|traditions|tea time|picnic|manners ...
Amazon.com: Regency Etiquette: The Mirror of Graces, 1811: Lady of ...
Regency Etiquette by A Lady of Distinction Audio Book on CD ...
Calling Cards and the Etiquette of Paying Calls
Regency Manor
Regency Ramblings - Regency Etiquette and Social Observances
Manners and Customes in the time of Jane Austen
Bloomsbury.com - Bookshop - Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners
Amazon.com: Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners: Compliments ...
The Jane Austen Handbook

More Gummy

Gummy (ft. T.O.P) - I'm Sorry(Mar 23, 2008)

3/22/08 Gummy Ft. TOP - I'm Sorry (Music Core)

Music Bank - Gummy - I'm Sorry Comeback 080321

Eating Fossil Fuels

For Leo, in case you are reading this.

I first blogged about the book here. Author's note/intro (pdf). The book was written to show the dependence of industrial agriculture on petroleum.

"The miracle of the Green Revolution was made possible by cheap fossil fuels to supply crops with artificial fertilizer, pesticides, and irrigation."

Mud City Press review of the book

A conversation with Dale Allen Pfeiffer, Part 1, Part 2
[transcripts: pt 1, 2]

Plus an oldie by Richard Manning, "The Oil We Eat"

It began with the industrialization of Victorian England. The empire was then flush with sugar from plantations in the colonies. Meantime the cities were flush with factory workers. There was no good way to feed them. And thus was born the afternoon tea break, the tea consisting primarily of warm water and sugar. If the workers were well off, they could also afford bread with heavily sugared jam—sugar-powered industrialization. There was a 500 percent increase in per capita sugar consumption in Britain between 1860 and 1890, around the time when the life expectancy of a male factory worker was seventeen years. By the end of the century the average Brit was getting about one sixth of his total nutrition from sugar, exactly the same percentage Americans get today—double what nutritionists recommend.

Is this the true origin of afternoon tea?

Tea (meal) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Victorian Tea Parties - the History of the Tea Tradition!
Misconceptions about Afternoon Tea
High Tea, Low Tea, The Rituals of Tea
English Tea - Origin of a Winning Tradition

Thursday, March 27, 2008

AN: Pyongyang expels South Koreans, Seoul threatens attack

03/27/2008 KOREA
Pyongyang expels South Koreans, Seoul threatens attack
The regime of Kim Jong-il is driving out the "South Korean foreigners" from the inter-Korean economic complex in Kaesong, in response to Seoul's criticisms of the North's nuclear programme. The new commander of the South Korean army warns of a pre-emptive attack against nuclear installations in the North.

Fr. Samir, Magdi Christian Allam, a contested conversion

Magdi Christian Allam, a contested conversion
by Samir Khalil Samir, sj
The Catholic baptism of the well known journalist, Magdi Allam, Egyptian and non practising Muslim, has been criticised and despised by the Islamic world. Added to this, is the embarrassment in Christian quarters, of those fearful of seeing a new crusade being launched by Benedict XVI and the Church. Instead, just as with the Regensburg address, this baptism is a message in defence of religious freedom, of evangelisation and of co-existence between religions.

Misa Oaxaqueña

Misa Oaxaqueña 1, Canto de Entrada - INTROITO

See the other videos posted by BnZunni.

I just don't think brass instruments are appropriate for the liturgy...

What sort of influences are behind the music? European and indigenous American? While it is laudable that music composed by natives of lands evangelized by Roman-rite missionaries (and descendants of settlers as well) be used in the Roman rite when possible, I think polyphony composed in the "New World" is much more suitable for the liturgy--for some samples, see the two A Choir of Angels cds sold by the California Missions gift shop.

the rendition by the Tallis Scholars (adapted for a different key)

Dum Transisset Sabbatum - John Taverner

Some audio files:
Handel Collegium
I CANTORI canticum Seoul Choir(Dir. 남영철) ------------- -파일주소 Gloria- http://muse9.mireene.com/canticum/canticum_1214_01.mp3 ...

Julianne Hough on Jimmy Kimmel

alt

Julianne Hough and Adam Corolla, DWTS

So was she assigned Adam Corolla on purpose, so that she would not be able to win this year? heh.

DWTS 6 Adam Carolla & Julianne Hough - Mambo - Wk 2

alt 1
alt 2

DWTS - Adam Carolla with Julianne Hough - Week 1

Jimmy Kimmel with Adam Carolla & Julianne Hough - Part 1

Jimmy Kimmel with Adam Carolla & Julianne Hough - Part 2

ET with Adam Carolla & Julianne Hough

AR: The paradox of production

The paradox of production
John Michael Greer, The Archdruid Report
The obvious way to deal with the oncoming impact of peak oil is to find a way to produce more energy. as with so many obvious solutions, though, this one has a sting in its tail.
published March 27, 2008.

original

Carolyn Baker reviews World Made by Hand

Kunstler's World Made by Hand: Not just another book review
Carolyn Baker, Speaking Truth to Power
Kunstler has provided us with an incredibly well-written depiction of the demise of civilization and what that has already begun to mean and will mean for all of us and for future generations.
published March 27, 2008.

original

My Sassy Girl remake trailer

at Youtube, via Twitch

Ugh... It's so... American. And I don't mean the good side of American culture.

From the trailer she doesn't seem so 'sassy,' but what constitutes sassiness for an American anyways?
Publish Post
As for the hero... one can see how in the Korean original the male is at the extreme of the romantic backlash against a Korean "patriarchal" ideal of masculinity, but the American version just seems like another man-child who hasn't grown up yet.

Ultimate Fights for Kids?

Via Drudge: Ultimate Fights Expand to Include Kids

8 year-olds learning how to do mixed martial arts? Are they too young? Dr. Laura often advises parents to put children in karate class so they can learn discipline as well as self-defense. What's the difference?

Some questions to ask:
1. What is the chance of children inflicting or suffering serious injury?
2. Is there a moral component to the training? Sufficient adult supervision?
3. Is it teaching bad habits with regards to self-defense? (A claim often made by "reality fighters" with respect to many schools teaching traditional martial arts.)
4. Are 8 year-olds mature enough to learn how to not only defend themselves from other 8 (or 9 or 10) year-olds, but to do serious harm to others? It seems that a child can learn how to protect himself from schoolyard bullies without needing to know how to put a bully in a joint lock or to break noses/bones. In a world of predators and kidnappers, is more serious training necessary? And can an 8 year-old make the necessary distinction as to how much force he should use to repel an attack coming from another 8 year-old, as opposed to an adult?

2 compositions by Domenico Bartolucci

That Domenico Bartolucci, former director of the Sistine Chapel Choir.
I Had a Dream: The Music of Palestrina and Gregory the Great Had Come Back
A Change of Tune in the Vatican – And Not Only in the Secretariat of State

Domenico Bartolucci - Crux Fidelis

Domenico Bartolucci: Salve Regina

Amazon search results

Sicut Cervus (G P Palestrina), sung by Chavagnes Choir

Excellent! Here is the website for the school. I wonder if Fr. Vail is still chaplain there.

A Catholic boarding school for boys, at the heart of Europe ...
Chavagnes International College for boys
Chavagnes en Paillers: a Catholic college with a Catholic culture

See also: YouTube - A Year at Chavagnes International College

It would be nice to have something similar in the United States. (A school with all of the traditions and customs, that is.)

I have seen an advertisement in Chronicles looking for someone to help with the establishment of a new classical academy in the South. (The academy is associated with the editor of Chronicles.)

Peter Leithart: New Christian education that's decidedly old
A Protestant movement is putting the classics at the center of their religious schools

Classical Christian Homeschooling: Classical Education at Home
Classical Christian Homeschooling Conference
Classical Education, Circe Institute
Touchstone Magazine - Mere Comments: CiRCE Institute
The Circe Institute Forum - Index
CiRCE Leaders

Peter Leithart's blog

Wendell Berry on the obligation of writers

A letter he wrote to Alice Linsley's class.

Yes! The purpose of speech or writing is to communicate the truth.

Claire Lynch

Claire Lynch, Bluegrass Singer, Songwriter and Musician, Grammy ...

CMT.com : Claire Lynch : Artist Main
The Bluegrass Blog: bluegrass music news
CYBERGRASS The Internet Bluegrass Music News Magazine - Claire ...
The Bluegrass Blog » Jason Thomas with Claire Lynch: bluegrass ...wiki

Claire Lynch - Wallbash

Claire Lynch - Little Further In The Hole

Clarie Lynch - Be Ready to Sail

Claire Lynch - Who Knows What Tomorrow Will Bring

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Hayley Westenra - Sonny - live on '9am with David & Kim'

Let's Talk About Dating, last part

Let's Talk About Dating, Part 7: Love
by Denise Morris on Mar 25, 2008 at 1:59 PM

Fr. Fessio on the Reform of the Reform

and other related topics; the interview is at NLM, of course.

Abtei Heiligenkreuz im Wienerwald

I think this is the audition video that won them the contract with Universal Music (Universal Music Group).

Heiligenkreuz (English)
German
wiki

Eh! Should have looked at the comments section at Fr. Z's blog--would have found the url there...

NLM post on the contract
Eh! NLM posted the video a while back. I remember seeing the post, but not clicking on the video...
Other posts at NLM:
The New Liturgical Movement: Pontifical Mass (Extraordinary Form ...
All Souls... at Heiligenkreuz Abbey, Austria
A Report from Heiligenkreuz
The New Liturgical Movement: Corpus Christi at Heiligenkreuz, Austria
The New Liturgical Movement: Ordinations at Heiligenkreuz Abbey
The New Liturgical Movement: A Beacon for Catholic Church in the ...

wiki on the Cistercians

Monastère de Chevetogne

website

2 from Magister

25.3.2008

Holy Week: The Hidden Homilies of Pope Benedict

Hidden, except for those who were able to listen to them in person: a few thousand out of 1.2 billion Catholics in the world. Here are the complete texts. Required reading for understanding this pontificate

19.3.2008

The Via Crucis of the Archbishop of Mosul of the Chaldeans

Paulos Faraj Rahho is the latest of the Christian victims in Iraq. His martyrdom is part of the background to the dialogue between the Catholic Church and Islam. Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran comments on his recent meetings with Muslim representatives

Alan Munde

Alan Munde Gazette; myspace

Alan Munde - Mel Bay Profile
Recordings - Alan Munde - Elderly Instruments
Al Munde's Banjo College|
The Bluegrass Blog » Alan Munde - Old Bones: bluegrass music news
CMT.com : Joe Carr/Alan Munde : Artist Main
wiki

'softly and tenderly' by the alan munde gazette

Alan Munde-Fiddle tunes medley

Alan Munde-Powder Creek

Adam Granger Alan Munde "Old Bones"

Triple Banjos - Alan Munde, Tony Trischka, Bill Evans

Laurie Lewis & Alison Krauss : My Old Kentucky Home

Laurie Lewis - Is the Blue Moon Still Shining?

Is The Blue Moon Still Shining - IBMA 1992

Weary Lonesome Blues - Del McCoury & Laurie Lewis

Michael Gecan, Urban decline moves to the suburbs

via Lew Rockwell:
On Borrowed Time
Urban decline moves to the suburbs
by Michael Gecan

Yesterday I was subbing at Don Callejon, which is one of the newer schools in the SCUSD, if not the newest, and is located right next to Rivermark. The facilities are quite modern--the urinal in the men's bathroom doesn't require water to flush. (Well, it doesn't flush, actually, so I don't know what exactly is special about it, besides that it presumably saves water. But is there something different about its internals or plumbing?) The computers in the classroom aren't Dell, but look like Dell knock-offs. (At least the monitors aren't Dell; I didn't look at the case to see if it matched the monitor or not, but I didn't see a Dell logo on it.)

The school includes both primary and middle grades. Surprisingly, it's more diverse than many of the other schools I've been to in San Jose--there were 0 [full] Anglos in the first-grade class, though there was one with an English last name, but she is also half-Hispanic. 20% of the class was Indian. No doubt this reflects the diversity of the surrounding residential area.

On the wall of the classroom were student-made decorations for Easter and St. Patrick's Day. What is the significance of these two holidays? Do they even talk about what these holidays mean with the students? That sounds very unlikely. At another school I was somewhat amazed that the students even knew who Paul Bunyan is. They weren't familiar with other American folk tales, though. I know only a few more. Admittedly the sort of "cultural literacy" that I am talking about is primarily Anglo (though John Henry is African-American). But why should people who have been permitted to join a different political community be free from learning about the culture and mores of that community? But if there is anyone to blame for multiculturalism it is mainly those who are afraid to defend Anglo-American culture and pass it on, or worse multiculturalists who have power. While some immigrants do become advocates for their ethnic/cultural groups vis-a-vis public school curricula, it seems that of those who are concerned about passing their culture on to their children, most are content to do this at home or through private associations.

As I did not bring lunch with me today, I drove over to Rivermark Plaza in search of something to eat. I don't know how big the parking garage is but there aren't enough above-ground parking spots. (I also went at a bad time...) I ultimately settled on Baja Fresh--steak burrito ultimo. Baja Fresh is ok, but it's expensive and I don't think the food there is better than what one can get at a local Mexican eatery. (Is it healthier?)

As for Rivermark itself... while it's convenient to have a 'minor' shopping center (no clothing stores there, as far as I could tell) within walking distance of where one lives, it's still far from the ideal promoted by New Urbanism. I don't think there are many mom-and-pop stores at the shopping plaza--it looked like almost everything was a part of a chain (with the exception of Yo Yo Sushi or Mezbaan (yelp)?) There is no website for Rivermark, so I don't know what other restaurants are there. Maybe Mezbaan is worth a try later this week. But I don't think I would want to put up with the parking situation...

Would Safeway be considered the anchor store? Probably very little of what is sold at Rivermark is locally produced, and so while the area may be somewhat aesthetically pleasing, it's living arrangements are possible only because of cheap oil, and do nothing to solve the problems of petrocivilization.

How many teachers will lose their jobs because of the California state budget crisis? Is the attrition rate for new teachers still as high as it was 5 years ago? Many leave the profession because they cannot afford to live in the Bay Area on a teacher's salary, at least initially. (Though after 10-15 years and getting 'tenure' they should be doing ok? But do they earn as much as teachers in New York City with comparable experience and education?)

Last night we finally went Family Delight Cafe--my brother-in-law ordered beef chow fun, which he said was good, even though it didn't have much beef. I ordered the ginger green onion pork chop, which was good, while my sister KK ordered salt and spicy pork chop--which was only ok, as it was just a pork chop cut up and cooked. The rice dishes are $5.25 or more, $6.25 for chin min. Over at yelp one of the reviews called it "home cooking," and I would have to agree with that. If I were living in a different part of the South Bay, I don't think it would be worth the drive. It would be better to live in SF or Millbrae if one wants to have plenty of good HK/Cantonese restaurants nearby.

Should I try Korean BBQ and Noodle House in Fremont? I wonder if the buffet place off of Kiely is still in business or not... I still haven't gone to Korean Buffet in San Jose.

My brother-in-law told me that OLP has been reviewed in Yelp. Crazy--don't people have better things to do with their time than to evaluate Catholic parishes on Yelp?

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

A. Bacevich, The Crisis of US Military Policy

via The Western Confucian: The Great Divide--THE CRISIS OF U.S. MILITARY POLICY, Andrew J. Bacevich

Stop Loss

What will Southrons make of the movie? If it is well-done, those who are tired of the South sharing much of the burden for the American imperial war machine will at least approve of the movie's message, if not the movie itself.

While the stop loss policy in itself my not be illegal , since the possibility of being kept on active duty, or being recalled, is listed under the terms of one's enlistment contract (and it does seem from the trailer that the movie gets this wrong, as if the Army is breaking its part of the contract somehow), still there is a moral point to be made--is stop loss moral or just? Is it fair to demand so much from our soldiers (and their families), some of whom have had their rotations home cut short (of the "promised" period of time) so they can be redeployed to Afghanistan and Iraq again? If our stay in Iraq is so important, shouldn't GWOT cheerleaders be encouraged to enlist, or even drafted so we can meet the manpower requirements? Or should the draft be reinstated? (Of course, that will probably not happen, because the National Government is aware of the popular backlash that would result.)

Are our soldiers like the Roman legionaries, being sent away far from home on long campaigns for the glory of the Empire? How did the legionaries cope with being away from home? Are our soldiers somehow weaker if they want to be home instead of being far away? Or should we say instead that at least they still have an idea of what it means to be a free citizen whose devotion should be to home, rather than being an instrument of the American Empire to further goals that have nothing to do with protecting the homeland?

Unfortunately, pretty boy Ryan Phillippe may undermine the message of the movie. Does he make a credible soldier? Or a Southron, for that matter?

Rolling Stones review
Yahoo Movies
Rotten Tomatoes

A lecture series exploring how to create new communities based on the tradition and teaching of the Roman Catholic Church

Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family
4250 Harewood Road, NE
Washington, D.C.

The Shrine is just down the street from the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception on the left side of the road. Park in the rear and enter the building through the four large wooden doors on the front of the building.

February 11 – April 30, 2008

All lectures will be digitally recorded and posted on the website:
http://www.buildingcatholiccommunities.org/

All lectures are free and open to the public

Thomas Storck
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
7:00 PM
"Community and Dwelling Space: Some Reflections from Catholic Doctrine and Tradition"

Fr. Dominic Lenk, OSB
Thursday, April 3, 2008
7:00 PM
"Saint Benedict: Himself, His Rule, His Disciples"

Andrew Sorokowski, PhD
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
7:00 PM
"The Rule of St. Basil as a Model for Community Life"

John Sharpe
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
7:00 PM
"Our Birthright of Responsibility: Real Property Ownership and its Restoration Today"

Milton Grenfell
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
7:00 PM
"Beguinage: Cohousing in Medieval Flanders"

Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family
Building Catholic Communities

This is the series that was originally scheduled to be held at CUA, but was cancelled because of the controversy surrounding Dr. E. Michael Jones.

No audio files available yet.

2nd trailer for Redbelt now online

@ Apple

Alas, with these two trailers I think they gave away most of the story.

Donald Vandergriff has a blog now

via DNI: Don Vandergriff

He is the author of Path to Victory and Raising the Bar.

Raising the Bar, by Major Don Vandergriff
Unit Manning will Benefit the Many by MAJ Donald Vandergriff
The People Side Of Transformation: A Path to Victory
Atlantic Unbound | Fallows@large | 2003.01.15
Careers and Cohesion for Effective 21st Century Leadership: By Don ...
Not a Good Day to Die, Reviewed by MAJ Don Vandergriff

HBO's The Pacific

Found an ad for The Greatest Generation Foundations @ Laura Ingraham's website. The ad featured some photos for HBO's The Pacific, which is about the Pacific campaign during World War 2, focusing on the Marines. It's supposed to be in 10 parts.

Here's the HBO announcement:

August 16, 2007 | Production Begins on 'The Pacific'

Production has begun in Australia on THE PACIFIC. Shooting through mid-2008, the epic ten-hour miniseries is executive produced by Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and Gary Goetzman, the creative team behind the Emmy®-winning 2001 HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers."

THE PACIFIC is produced by HBO Films in association with Playtone and DreamWorks Television. The production is based at Melbourne Central City Studios in Melbourne, Victoria, with filming taking place in and around Melbourne, where U.S. troops camped in 1943, and multiple locations in Far North Queensland. Kary Antholis, senior vice president, HBO Films, is the executive in charge of the project. THE PACIFIC is scheduled to debut on HBO in 2009.

The miniseries tracks the intertwined odysseys of three U.S. Marines - Robert Leckie (played by James Badge Dale), Eugene Sledge (Joe Mazzello) and John Basilone (Jon Seda) - across the vast canvas of the Pacific. The extraordinary experiences of these men and their fellow Marines take them from the first clash with the Japanese in the haunted jungles of Guadalcanal, through the impenetrable rain forests of Cape Gloucester, across the blasted coral strongholds of Peleliu, up the black sand terraces of Iwo Jima, through the killing fields of Okinawa, to the triumphant, yet uneasy, return home after V-J Day.

Carl Franklin (HBO's "Rome"), Jeremy Podeswa (HBO's "Six Feet Under"), Tony To (HBO's "Band of Brothers"), Tim Van Patten (HBO's "The Sopranos") and Graham Yost (HBO's "From the Earth to the Moon") will direct episodes. Writers and additional directors will be announced as they are confirmed.

In addition to James Badge Dale ("The Departed"), Joe Mazzello ("Without a Trace") and Jon Seda ("Kevin Hill"), actors featured in THE PACIFIC include (in alphabetical order) Akos Armont, Jon Bernthal ("The Office"), Joshua Biton ("National Treasure"), Adam Booth ("Doctors"), Simon Bossell ("Hotel de Love"), Laurence Breuls ("Ghost Rider"), Tom Budge ("Last Train to Freo"), Linda Cropper ("McLeod's Daughters"), Brendan Fletcher ("Tideland"), Eamon Farren ("The Outsider"), Leon Ford (HBO's "Tsunami: The Aftermath"), Daniel Frederiksen ("Stingers"), Scott Gibson ("Lucky Number Slevin"), Joshua Helman, Ashton Holmes ("A History of Violence"), Andrew Lees, Rami Malek ("The War at Home"), Martin McCann ("Closing the Ring"), Ian Meadows ("Home and Away"), Toby Moore ("Joanne Lees: Murder in the Outback"), Rohan Nichol ("All Saints"), Henry Nixon ("Happy Feet"), Keith Nobbs ("The Black Donnellys"), Annie Parisse ("Law & Order"), Sam Parsonson ("Love My Way"), Jacob Pitts ("The Novice"), Rupert Reid ("The Matrix Reloaded"), Mitch Ryan, William Sadler ("The Shawshank Redemption"), Gary Sweet ("Down in Splendor"), Anna Torv ("Young Lions"), Sandy Winton ("Two Twisted"), Dylan Young and Ashley Zukerman. Additional actors will be announced as they are confirmed.

THE PACIFIC is based on the books "With the Old Breed," by Eugene Sledge, which was hailed by historian Paul Fussell as "one of the finest memoirs to emerge from any war," and "Helmet for My Pillow," by Robert Leckie (recipient of the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Annual Award), as well as original interviews conducted by the filmmakers. Continuing the World War II oral history work begun by his father Stephen E. Ambrose (author of the book "Band of Brothers"), Hugh Ambrose serves as a consultant on the miniseries.

THE PACIFIC is produced by HBO Films in association with Playtone and DreamWorks Television; executive producers, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, Gary Goetzman; co-executive producers, Tony To, Graham Yost; supervising producer, Bruce McKenna; producer, Gene Kelly; co-producers, Robert Schenkkan, George P. Pelecanos, Michelle Ashford.