Recently, I had two whole days off of work! So, to celebrate, I rented Doctor Who, The Complete Third Series from a local video store that offers a lot of television series rentals. In the episode Blink, an alien race called the Weeping Angels appear. They're "quantum locked"; that is, if any living thing looks at them, they turn to stone, but if nothing is looking at them, they come alive and can kill you. They're lightning fast, and at one point the Doctor leaves a video recorded message for someone who's being chased by the Angels. The last part of the warning goes like this: "They're coming. The Angels are coming for you, but listen...your life could depend on this: don't blink! Don't even blink. Blink, and you're dead! They are fast, faster than you can believe. Don't turn your back. Don't look away! And don't blink!"
This was the last episode I watched before bed one night. It affected my dreams. During the night, my roommate got up to go to the bathroom. He dropped the toilet seat, which woke me up. The noise caused a little pang of fear to go through me, and my first thought as I was scared awake was "They're coming for you! Don't even blink!"
Perhaps I shouldn't watch Doctor Who before bed anymore.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
A "memory" from my childhood...
One day, on a Thursday afternoon, during summer vacation, me and my sister Martha were pulling our red wagon down the railroad tracks. It was tough pulling the wagon, but we took it along anyway because we were collecting rocks in it. I turned around at one point and saw a train farther down the tracks heading our way. We were nowhere near a bridge, but that scene from Stand by Me played through my head. "Martha," I said, "there's a train coming. We need to get off the tracks." Martha looked back and said, "Oh, we don't need to get off yet. Wait for it to get a little closer." I said, "Okay."
A minute later, it was much closer. It was moving fast. "Martha," I said, "we need to get off now." "You get off the tracks," Martha said, "I'm going to beat that train." Martha was a fast runner. She always beat me and every child in our neighborhood in every race. If she had lived long enough, she probably would have made it to the Olympics! I tried telling Martha she couldn't outrun a train, but Martha was stubborn. Once her mind was made up to do something, do it she would!
Well, that train kept getting closer and closer, and I kept yelling "Faster, Martha, faster!" And Martha poured on the speed, but Martha couldn't outrun that train. There was this little projection on the front of the train. I don’t know what it was for, but it was about at the level of Martha's bottom. That little projection hit her and flung her forward a few feet and Martha completely vanished. It's like, she was there one second, and then she wasn't. After the train passed, I looked and looked for her, but couldn't find her. Martha had done strange things before, so I wasn't too worried. And I was still quite young at that time. Not knowing what else to do, I went home and told my parents what had happened. They called the police. My parents told me they were looking for Martha, and I didn’t understand why. I mean, she vanished! How could they find her? (As I said, I was quite young at that time. I didn’t realize how very differently adult minds and children's minds worked.)
Well, like I said, this was on a Thursday. I went back to the tracks on the following Wednesday (it was kind of a boring weekend without my sister Martha), and played. I looked under logs for toads and snakes and stuff, caught some crickets and grasshoppers to feed to my pet turtles, and then, all of a sudden, I heard this loud howling! There Martha was, rubbing her bottom, running along the railroad tracks, and screaming like a banshee!
Now, I had heard about somebody getting knocked into the middle of next week, but that's the only time I've ever seen it happen!
A minute later, it was much closer. It was moving fast. "Martha," I said, "we need to get off now." "You get off the tracks," Martha said, "I'm going to beat that train." Martha was a fast runner. She always beat me and every child in our neighborhood in every race. If she had lived long enough, she probably would have made it to the Olympics! I tried telling Martha she couldn't outrun a train, but Martha was stubborn. Once her mind was made up to do something, do it she would!
Well, that train kept getting closer and closer, and I kept yelling "Faster, Martha, faster!" And Martha poured on the speed, but Martha couldn't outrun that train. There was this little projection on the front of the train. I don’t know what it was for, but it was about at the level of Martha's bottom. That little projection hit her and flung her forward a few feet and Martha completely vanished. It's like, she was there one second, and then she wasn't. After the train passed, I looked and looked for her, but couldn't find her. Martha had done strange things before, so I wasn't too worried. And I was still quite young at that time. Not knowing what else to do, I went home and told my parents what had happened. They called the police. My parents told me they were looking for Martha, and I didn’t understand why. I mean, she vanished! How could they find her? (As I said, I was quite young at that time. I didn’t realize how very differently adult minds and children's minds worked.)
Well, like I said, this was on a Thursday. I went back to the tracks on the following Wednesday (it was kind of a boring weekend without my sister Martha), and played. I looked under logs for toads and snakes and stuff, caught some crickets and grasshoppers to feed to my pet turtles, and then, all of a sudden, I heard this loud howling! There Martha was, rubbing her bottom, running along the railroad tracks, and screaming like a banshee!
Now, I had heard about somebody getting knocked into the middle of next week, but that's the only time I've ever seen it happen!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
A Within-the-Octave of Easter post!
I really wanted to get this post up on Easter Sunday, but my work schedule on Saturday (13 hours), my sleep schedule, my visit-my-family-for-Easter schedule, and Easter Mass schedule all collided. Thusly, here is Easter's post:
The Easter homily of St. John Chrysostom
If any man be devout and loveth God, let him enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast! If any man be a wise servant, let him rejoicing enter into the joy of his Lord.
If any have laboured long in fasting, let him now receive his recompense. If any have wrought from the first hour, let him today receive his just reward. If any have come at the third hour, let him with thankfulness keep the feast. If any have arrived at the sixth hour, let him have no misgivings; because he shall in nowise be deprived thereof. If any have delayed until the ninth hour, let him draw near, fearing nothing. And if any have tarried even until the eleventh hour, let him, also, be not alarmed at his tardiness.
For the Lord, who is jealous of his honour, will accept the last even as the first. He giveth rest unto him who cometh at the eleventh hour, even as unto him who hath wrought from the first hour. And He showeth mercy upon the last, and careth for the first; and to the one He giveth, and upon the other He bestoweth gifts. And He both accepteth the deeds, and welcometh the intention, and honoureth the acts and praises the offering.
Wherefore, enter ye all into the joy of your Lord; receive your reward, both the first, and likewise the second. You rich and poor together, hold high festival! You sober and you heedless, honour the day! Rejoice today, both you who have fasted and you who have disregarded the fast. The table is full-laden; feast ye all sumptuously. The calf is fatted; let no one go hungry away. Enjoy ye all the feast of faith: Receive ye all the riches of loving-kindness.
Let no one bewail his poverty, for the universal Kingdom has been revealed. Let no one weep for his iniquities, for pardon has shown forth from the grave. Let no one fear death, for the Saviour's death has set us free. He that was held prisoner of it has annihilated it.
By descending into Hell, He made Hell captive. He embittered it when it tasted of His flesh. And Isaiah, foretelling this, did cry: "Hell," said he, "was embittered when it encountered Thee in the lower regions."
It was embittered, for it was abolished. It was embittered, for it was mocked. It was embittered, for it was slain. It was embittered, for it was overthrown. It was embittered, for it was fettered in chains. It took a body, and met God face to face. It took earth, and encountered Heaven. It took that which was seen, and fell upon the unseen.
O Death, where is thy sting? O Hell, where is thy victory?
Christ is risen, and thou art overthrown! Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen! Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice! Christ is risen, and life reigns! Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave. For Christ, being risen from the dead, is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
To Him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages.
Amen.
The Easter homily of St. John Chrysostom
If any man be devout and loveth God, let him enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast! If any man be a wise servant, let him rejoicing enter into the joy of his Lord.
If any have laboured long in fasting, let him now receive his recompense. If any have wrought from the first hour, let him today receive his just reward. If any have come at the third hour, let him with thankfulness keep the feast. If any have arrived at the sixth hour, let him have no misgivings; because he shall in nowise be deprived thereof. If any have delayed until the ninth hour, let him draw near, fearing nothing. And if any have tarried even until the eleventh hour, let him, also, be not alarmed at his tardiness.
For the Lord, who is jealous of his honour, will accept the last even as the first. He giveth rest unto him who cometh at the eleventh hour, even as unto him who hath wrought from the first hour. And He showeth mercy upon the last, and careth for the first; and to the one He giveth, and upon the other He bestoweth gifts. And He both accepteth the deeds, and welcometh the intention, and honoureth the acts and praises the offering.
Wherefore, enter ye all into the joy of your Lord; receive your reward, both the first, and likewise the second. You rich and poor together, hold high festival! You sober and you heedless, honour the day! Rejoice today, both you who have fasted and you who have disregarded the fast. The table is full-laden; feast ye all sumptuously. The calf is fatted; let no one go hungry away. Enjoy ye all the feast of faith: Receive ye all the riches of loving-kindness.
Let no one bewail his poverty, for the universal Kingdom has been revealed. Let no one weep for his iniquities, for pardon has shown forth from the grave. Let no one fear death, for the Saviour's death has set us free. He that was held prisoner of it has annihilated it.
By descending into Hell, He made Hell captive. He embittered it when it tasted of His flesh. And Isaiah, foretelling this, did cry: "Hell," said he, "was embittered when it encountered Thee in the lower regions."
It was embittered, for it was abolished. It was embittered, for it was mocked. It was embittered, for it was slain. It was embittered, for it was overthrown. It was embittered, for it was fettered in chains. It took a body, and met God face to face. It took earth, and encountered Heaven. It took that which was seen, and fell upon the unseen.
O Death, where is thy sting? O Hell, where is thy victory?
Christ is risen, and thou art overthrown! Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen! Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice! Christ is risen, and life reigns! Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave. For Christ, being risen from the dead, is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
To Him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages.
Amen.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Oh! I DO remember something!
I think everyone who reads my blog knows I struggle with the fact that I'm into guys. If not, you know now. This next sentence will not seem to be related to the previous sentences, but it really is: I was reading an interview with Anne Rice (I believe it was in Christianity Today magazine) about her novel, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt. CT has archived the article, so I'm not sure this is the right one. In the interview, she mentioned, and I'm paraphrasing horribly, that she didn't "disown" her previous works because they were her method of working the darkness out of her life. I've thought about writing a story, perhaps novel length, entirely for my own amusement, about a couple of twenty-something guys who are lovers but become chaste Catholics. There would be graphic sexual "scenes" in the work. This way I could work out my sexual feelings and my intellectual and emotional crises in story-form. I'm not sure I'll actually make the attempt, but am giving it serious consideration. I could follow David Shaner's lead and publish it in small installments online (David has two "series" on his blog). What have you, my reading public, to say about this?
A rather curious phenomenon occurs when I sit down at my computer.
It's one I've mentioned before, although I don't remember in which post. While I'm driving down the road, my mind thinks of many things I'd like to blog about. When I get home and sit down at my computer, they all magically leave my mind! And it's amazing how quickly the phenomenon occurs! It's 6:52am. I should be sleeping, right now, but I can't. My vacation started yesterday, and the night before I stayed up till sometime after 8am (I usually go to bed at 4 in the morning.) My intention was to go to bed early on Tuesday night, but I suffer from insomnia every once in a while, and I suffered from it on Tuesday night (which was really Wednesday morning, it being after midnight and all). So I slept till 4 in the afternoon. Now, I can’t get to sleep. I'm going to make myself stay up till noon, then I'll sleep till 3pm and hopefully go to bed early. I'm straying from the point.
Okay, so I forget whatever it is that I want to write about whenever I sit down in front of the computer. And I forget quickly. As I said above, I was trying to sleep, but my brain was active. It was thinking about things I can blog about. So I get up, turn on the computer, and promptly forget what I was going to write about! @#&!!
Okay, so I forget whatever it is that I want to write about whenever I sit down in front of the computer. And I forget quickly. As I said above, I was trying to sleep, but my brain was active. It was thinking about things I can blog about. So I get up, turn on the computer, and promptly forget what I was going to write about! @#&!!
Friday, February 29, 2008
I put in 14 hours on Tuesday.
My boss asked me into his office on Wednesday to speak to me about my hours. He's concerned that my life is suffering because of all the hours I work, and has helped me develope a plan to cut way back on them! As a result, I can go to school next Fall! I am so excited! I never thought my job would allow me to do so! I'm going to go to a local community college. The first class I'm taking is English. I was always good at English. I never had to write a paper, though. So I'm going to audit the class the first time and ask the prof. to help me learn how to write a paper. Then I'll take it again for credit. And Math. I want to take a Math class. It will probably have to be remedial Math 'cause my Math skills ar enot very good. Oh, well.
I don't know what degree I'm going for yet. The particular community college I'm looking at offers an Associates degree in Liberal Arts just for undecided people like me. I can tell you that no matter what major I decide on ultimately, my education will include these topics in addition to the requirements of the discipline: Classical Literature in Translation; The Bible (preferably semester long surveys of each Testament); Christian Thought before 1500; Modern Political Theory; Shakespeare; United States History before 1865; Nineteenth-Century European Intellectual History; Roman History; The Divine Comedy; Intro. to Modern Philosophy; Constitutional Interpretation; History of Economic Thought; Intro. to the History of Science; The English Novel; Music Appreciation; Art Apprecitation.
It's extremely important to me to have a well-rounded education, one that will shape my mind, broaden it, train it to think well.
My views of education have been molded by Dorothy Sayers' essay The Lost Tools of Learning; the Intercollegiate Studies Institute*; Father James V. Schall; and various articles and essays I've found on the web.
*especially ISI's booklets A Student's Guide to the Core Curriculum and A Student's Guide to Liberal Learning. A slightly longer (that is, longer than the booklet) and free version of A Student's Guide to Liberal Learning is available here: link.
I don't know what degree I'm going for yet. The particular community college I'm looking at offers an Associates degree in Liberal Arts just for undecided people like me. I can tell you that no matter what major I decide on ultimately, my education will include these topics in addition to the requirements of the discipline: Classical Literature in Translation; The Bible (preferably semester long surveys of each Testament); Christian Thought before 1500; Modern Political Theory; Shakespeare; United States History before 1865; Nineteenth-Century European Intellectual History; Roman History; The Divine Comedy; Intro. to Modern Philosophy; Constitutional Interpretation; History of Economic Thought; Intro. to the History of Science; The English Novel; Music Appreciation; Art Apprecitation.
It's extremely important to me to have a well-rounded education, one that will shape my mind, broaden it, train it to think well.
My views of education have been molded by Dorothy Sayers' essay The Lost Tools of Learning; the Intercollegiate Studies Institute*; Father James V. Schall; and various articles and essays I've found on the web.
*especially ISI's booklets A Student's Guide to the Core Curriculum and A Student's Guide to Liberal Learning. A slightly longer (that is, longer than the booklet) and free version of A Student's Guide to Liberal Learning is available here: link.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Vacation!
That's a somewhat misleading heading. It will lead some to believe I'm on vacation this week. Alas! This is not so! My vacation doesn't begin until March 12. I'm not going anywhere. I was supposed to go on a pilgrimmage (with a possible day trip to the beach--the real beach by the ocean, not the lake shore that passes for the beach here in Michigan), but my pilgrimmage/vacation buddy canceled (Mr. David Shaner, you owe me! Well, not really, considering the circumstances).
Vacation! I can't wait! Eight days, I'll have! Eight days to do everything I don't normally have time to do: hang out with friends, daily Mass, go to the library, catch up on e-mail, organize everything I own, get two more bookcases (for a total of eight, with the eighth one being for overflow from the other seven), watch all of Torchwood Season One on DVD, sleep!
Eight days without the stress of work! I'll be really ticked if I get sick!
I feel like a little kid in a car on a long trip: Are we there yet? (The Trekkie in me wonders if little Vulcan children ask their parents: "How much time will have elapsed before we have reached our appointed destination?")
Vacation! I can't wait! Eight days, I'll have! Eight days to do everything I don't normally have time to do: hang out with friends, daily Mass, go to the library, catch up on e-mail, organize everything I own, get two more bookcases (for a total of eight, with the eighth one being for overflow from the other seven), watch all of Torchwood Season One on DVD, sleep!
Eight days without the stress of work! I'll be really ticked if I get sick!
I feel like a little kid in a car on a long trip: Are we there yet? (The Trekkie in me wonders if little Vulcan children ask their parents: "How much time will have elapsed before we have reached our appointed destination?")
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
This post is not for children and I'd never talk about this around women, either!
But since this is on the web and I don't know the age and sex of the individual(s) reading it...
I've been asking God for a while now to help me know and understand myself better, and to honestly face up to the truth about myself, even if it's painful. God said, "Yes." I'm realizing things about myself I never realized before. And some of it is painful.
I'm realizing that I'm deeply ashamed of myself. This insight came about as I reflected on the fact that I'm very rarely in my own sexual fantasies. My body-image is so bad, that I have to imagine other men having sex with each other! I just realized this today. It's not healthy. You know, a few months ago it occurred to me that one of the reasons, perhaps the primary reason, I lust so much after hot guys is that I'm jealous of their looks. I'm overweight (which I can change but am too lazy to) and, while I'm not ugly, I'm not one of the best looking guys in the world. I've started praying that God will help me like myself, and make the changes that I ought to make for the right reasons; that is, I should lose weight and tone up my body, not for vanity, but because it's healthy.
I'll probably edit and add to this post later. Right now, I'm going to bed.
I've been asking God for a while now to help me know and understand myself better, and to honestly face up to the truth about myself, even if it's painful. God said, "Yes." I'm realizing things about myself I never realized before. And some of it is painful.
I'm realizing that I'm deeply ashamed of myself. This insight came about as I reflected on the fact that I'm very rarely in my own sexual fantasies. My body-image is so bad, that I have to imagine other men having sex with each other! I just realized this today. It's not healthy. You know, a few months ago it occurred to me that one of the reasons, perhaps the primary reason, I lust so much after hot guys is that I'm jealous of their looks. I'm overweight (which I can change but am too lazy to) and, while I'm not ugly, I'm not one of the best looking guys in the world. I've started praying that God will help me like myself, and make the changes that I ought to make for the right reasons; that is, I should lose weight and tone up my body, not for vanity, but because it's healthy.
I'll probably edit and add to this post later. Right now, I'm going to bed.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
A Recent Telephone Conversation I Had at My Parents' House
Ring, ring
Me: "Hello."
Female voice on line: "Who is this?"
Me: "I don't know. I can't see you."
Female Voice: "Well, I can't see you either."
Me: "We seem to be at an impasse."
Female Voice: "Who is this?"
Me: "I don't know. I can't see you."
Female Voice, a little frustrated: "I can't see you either!"
Me: "Well, we're at an impasse!"
Female Voice, a bit more frustrated: "Look. I called this number because I found it on my Caller-ID and don't recognize it."
Me: "So you call my house and ask me who I am? Don't you think the polite thing to do would be to start out with, 'My name is so-and-so. I found your number on my Caller-ID and was wondering who you are?'"
Female Voice, very rude: "Good-bye!"
Me: "Hello."
Female voice on line: "Who is this?"
Me: "I don't know. I can't see you."
Female Voice: "Well, I can't see you either."
Me: "We seem to be at an impasse."
Female Voice: "Who is this?"
Me: "I don't know. I can't see you."
Female Voice, a little frustrated: "I can't see you either!"
Me: "Well, we're at an impasse!"
Female Voice, a bit more frustrated: "Look. I called this number because I found it on my Caller-ID and don't recognize it."
Me: "So you call my house and ask me who I am? Don't you think the polite thing to do would be to start out with, 'My name is so-and-so. I found your number on my Caller-ID and was wondering who you are?'"
Female Voice, very rude: "Good-bye!"
My parents would be so proud!
This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:
missionary (7x)
sex (4x)
death (3x)
dead (2x)
erection (1x)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)