Category: Blog

Your good old-fashioned blog, It’s where I reflect on (but not exactly “review”) a variety of movies and where I post my thoughts on different issues as it seems necessary.

Catholics, Yoga, and Words

Posted on by Father Albert
You know, words are a funny thing.  That's important to remember when we ask this question because, I think, much of the problem will come down to what we mean by the word "yoga."  I can't speak for other languages and cultures, but American English at least has a pretty nasty track record of dragging words through a while bunch of meanings before leaving them, muddy and muddled, with a definition that was really better served by a word that already existed.  "Gentleman" is one famous example, the word "gay" is another.  My point here is that "yoga" might well...Read More

Where We Come From

Posted on by Father Albert
[caption id="attachment_1697" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Ancestry Data from 2010 Census, via Wikipedia (Not the same Map used by Ancestry.com)[/caption] Not too long ago, I came  across a cool map of American Migration based on Ancestry.com's genealogical data.  It started me thinking about how many people I know or have heard about who have decided to delve into their ancestry.  Indeed, others have noted that there is a growing number of people who are interested in their genetic history and discovering their roots.  Something about being able to point to a specific place, to a specific set of people and say "that's where...Read More

Freedom in the Forest

Posted on by Father Albert
[caption id="attachment_1684" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The view from Black Balsam Knob, a mountain not from from the camps. Via Wikimedia.[/caption] As I write this, I am in one of my favorite places in the world: Camps Kahdalea & Chosatonga.  It's a pair of superb wilderness camps nestled in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Parkway at the edge of the Pisgah National Forest.  Staffed by an exceptional group of counselors, these camps take seriously the modifier "wilderness."  They expose youth aged 8-18 to a wide array of adventurous activities from white-water kayaking to rock-climbing to spelunking.  And they have the whole...Read More

Now Is The Time For Political Involvement

Posted on by Father Albert
As the venerable rector of Notre Dame Seminary often says "well, there it is."  The Election is over and our future president will be Donald J. Trump.  All the arguing, doomsaying, and worrying aside, 100 million people each made their one decision about whom to vote for.  A decision they can repeat every four years.  Think about that - your vote was a single decision, out of 100 million, that you made one time in four years.  How many other decisions do you make?  The estimates range from 27 "judgments" (conscious, deliberate choices) to 35,000 decisions every day (including all...Read More

Making Hell For Ourselves: Thoughts on Suicide Squad

Posted on by Father Albert
Suicide: the intentional taking of one's own life or the destruction of one's own interests or prospects. Whatever the faults of DC's "Suicide Squad," I will say that it is, at the very least, aptly named. {Spoiler Alert!} Why is that? Because the way this story plays out is a good example of how one can destroy their own interests. What starts as an attempt to manipulate evil people ostensibly to fight some future evil ends up causing the very evil they have to fight. Amanda Waller's ambitions and manipulation of Enchantress are what lead her to level a city...Read More

Crafting our own demise: Thoughts on the Warcraft movie

Posted on by Father Albert
Been a while! Just watched Blizzard's Warcraft movie. Back in the days when I was just a few kilobytes, I played this game for hours. I'm not sure I'll ever know how much in imprinted itself on my imagination, but I do know that orcs, elves, human, and the whole gamut of siege weaponry in the game will forever swirl around in the mixture of fancy that occupies that part of my mind. Anyway, I mostly enjoyed the movie, but I have a few thoughts I'd like to share on some particular scenes. At this point, I should go ahead and...Read More

Revenant or Reverent?

Posted on by Father Albert
Whoa! If I had to pick one word to describe The Revenant, it would have to be "intense." This movie has made something important very clear to me... people are crazy to live that far north! Grizzly bears, deadly snowstorm, treacherous frozen rivers... Why in the world would someone want to live in such a place?! I know I wouldn't. Thankfully, it's usually pretty warm on the internet with all the electric currents and what not. And what is their to fear? A few viruses, some snobby trolls? Bah, no big deal! With a backup server and a little mental...Read More

Log on for Lent?

Posted on by Father Albert
Say what?! Lent is in one week?!!!1!!!!!1!!1! What am I going to sacrifice? What can I possibly give up that will give me all the holiness? Cue the mass exodus of Catholics (and protestants?) from Facebook! Every year, thousands of Christians shut off their accounts in an effort to cut out some noise and make room for listening to God. Not a terrible idea, and it kind of touches on of the three pillars of Lent (and Christian life in general): Almsgiving, Prayer, and Fasting. If that's what you really want to do, go for it, but I have a little proposal...Read More

Men, Memory, Monuments, and Meaning

Posted on by Father Albert
Heyo! After floating around the ether of the Internet for a while, I began to wonder where it all came from. Pondering on the history of the internet left me with a kind of homesickness for a place I've never been, so I decided to go there. What I'm saying is that I decided to take a pilgrimage to the place it all began... Al Gore's Brain! ... ... Alright, not really. It's hard to pin down a single "birthplace," but with the help of a "tour guide" of sorts, I was able to see how it all began... I...Read More

Episode VII: The Call of the Force?

Posted on by Father Albert
{Spoiler Alert} May the Force be with you! And with your spirit! The long awaited return of the franchise has finally arrived and our journey through the Star Wars movies is complete, for now. Now the whole world can debate whether or not our beloved Star Wars will do well in the hands of Mickey Mouse and companions. I have some thoughts on that subject, but that's not the point of this blog so I'll leave that to reviewers and fans and stick to my own task. First of all, thank goodness that Luke still serves the light. This avoids casting shadows...Read More