Mark P. Shea's Blog, page 1255

Wesley

Saw this recently at the Seattle Center's free Movies at the Mural night. The feature had shorts made by young filmmakers from NFFTY.org:

A Cloud No Bigger Than a Man's Hand

A weepy apologetic for the glory of bestiality --from the culture where consent is the sole criterion of the good. Expect only more of this as time goes on.

As Kathy Shaidle puts it in her inimitable way, "Come back, Luftwaffe! All is forgiven!"

Minature Football coaches!

Unite!

I used to have one of these as a kid. It was a gift wasted on somebody with no sports gene--but still cool!

Tony Rossi from the Christophers writes:

Since you're a fellow Audrey Assad fan, I wanted to send you the link to her new Live iTunes album. I was in the audience when she recorded it in New York, and it's worth a listen. Her new song "Sparrow" is especially beautiful and her cover of Springsteen's Hungry Heart is great as well.

Audrey Assad has a voice like an angel and can do no wrong. Behold!

Luke the Nordic Giant is a Bottomless Fund...

...of fascinating and useless film trivia. To wit:

I read Simcha Fisher's great article about Thomas Kinkade, which you linked on your blog. I had a nugget of weird Kinkade trivia I thought you and she might be interested to know, while the topic is hot.

Kinkade once worked with Dinotopia creator James Gurney

And Naked-Buxom-Space-People painter Frank Frezzeta

On a film by infamous x-rated-cartoon-maker and terrible-Lord-of-the-Rings-Adapter
Called Fire and Ice, which was a hand-rotoscoped animated epic fantasy in the vein of Conan the Barbarian.



He's right there in the crew list.

I hope your mind is as blown as mine was when I put that together. That's one of the strangest facts I know.

Your life is now richer and better. You're welcome.

Faith and the Scientific Imagination

In this corner, some atheist who yet again demonstrates that those who worship the intellect seem incapable of using it. His thesis: science fiction and religion are incompatible. Seriously, you have to actively work to make yourself that dumb.

Meanwhile, in serendiptous contrast, the elegant prose and deep thinking of John C. Wright is just so phenomenally good. Plus, there are great comments in the comboxes.

Oh, and John pens one of his quirky replies to the silly "sci fi vs. religion" thingie here. Jeepers that guy is droll. He cracks me up.

Catholic Youth are Alive and Well!

Gives Me the Willies

Hm. Well, after giving it some thought, I decided this post was generating a lot more heat than light, so I took it down. Sorry to have given so much offense. It wasn't my intention. I will try to be more charitable in future (an ongoing failing).

A reader writes:

Please pray for a friend, Shannon, who is in the ER. She miscarried this week but the baby has not been delivered and now she is having a hard time breathing. She has a history of serious hemorrhaging. Pray for her, her husband, and their 4 living children. Thanks!

Father, hear our pray for Shannon, that she be completely healed in body, soul, and spirit and returned to her family. Receive the soul of this little one and grant her eternal life. Give grace, peace, and strength to her husband and family. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Mother Mary, pray for this family!

The Black Sheepdog is nothing if not modest

In this updated and expanded version of John Corapi's life story, entitled "Don't Look Back"on DVD, you can glean new insights into his life. From his early days, to his ordination as a priest by Pope John Paul II, to his twenty years' labor for the sake of the Gospel, to his untimely and tragic betrayal and dismissal from the Catholic priesthood, you will learn things not previously known. During the time of his ministry, it is arguable that he was the most effective preacher and teacher the Catholic Church had. Why was he seemingly cast into the gutter almost overnight with no recourse, no hearing, no consideration for the very substantial contribution he made over a twenty year period? A synthesis of his autobiography, "THE BLACK SHEEP DOG…CROSSING THE RUBICON," you won't want to miss hearing the expanded version of his classic "Personal Testimony."

Um. He was not dismissed. He quit, vamoosed, bailed on his vows, ditched his vocation, defied and smeared his bishop and investigators--in order to stop the investigation of his drugging, whoring, sexting and unfitness to be a priest, as the findings showed. And that lie is all the warning you need that the latest phase of Fr. Corapi's career is to begin attacking the Church and playing victim as he continues his attempt to rebrand himself as the chaplain to Right Wing Generic American Civil Religion. His whole "I was the greatest Catholic of my time, but was shocked at the corruption and the Powers That Be had to silence me" schtick is taking shape.

I reiterate: the real hero of this whole sham is Bp. Mulvey.

And no, I'm deliberately not providing a link to the Black Sheepdog site. You can Google it if you really want to read it.