Terry and Me

There’s a great blog on this, the WWW, that occasionally has comments on topics that leave me scratching my red-head. It’s the sort of blog that keeps me connected to the big world outside of this sleepy little burg I live in, to the world of literature, theater, and other good stuff that I have limited access to otherwise. I love reading his opinions and comments on so many different topics. A perusal of “About Last Night” can lead to a marathon session of pleasurable and informative browsing as well as the discovery of little gems of literary references. My dear friend is an avid fan of this blog as you will discover by checking out her comments here. (Incidentally, there’s a whole lot more wonderful “stuff” on her blog that will amuse and entertain you.)

What an apropos name for one who “teaches” about such varied venues, Terry Teachout. I love his reviews of many of the stage presentations extant in our land. Although I love the theater, I rarely have the opportunity to get to a Broadway show, so it gives me some satisfaction to know which shows I am better off missing. Somehow though, I seem to have missed one about a show I will be seeing in January, “Jersey Boys”. I’m sure Terry has mentioned it somewhere, sometime, but I’m also sure I will enjoy it. How could I not, it’s my time and my music for Pete’s sake!! and these "boys" were even from New Joisey! (…and thank goodness the strike is over!)

In a recent post he noted something else that piqued my interest and I was not disappointed. Imagine that!
Terry and I both seem to be intrigued by dinosaurs, or could it have been the literary reference to John Updike he was focused on? Whichever it might be, check out the “dino” link (fascinating), and by all means, check out his blog. It will enlighten and entertain as well as teach.

School Plus Church?

I recently had the pleasure of spending an entire Sunday in church. You may well ask what’s so unusual about that? Well, this was a tour sponsored by a local Community School program, what I like to call “School Plus”. School today is not just the three R’s, it’s learning-plus delivered in so many different and interesting ways to kids of all ages. One of which is the “day trip” offering geared mainly toward adults. Many of these trips are indeed an adventure in education and entertainment in unique ways.

This particular offering intrigued me. Especially since it was centered in the not so desirable destination city of Newark, which has a reputation not quite connected with religious worship. What, I wondered, could be the fascination of “touring” different churches. Of course, I had my own ideas, and the day certainly proved some of my instincts to be right on target. My personal feeling is that for Christians there should be no separations or schisms brought on by different forms of worshipping and glorifying God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, since we are all praising the same triune divinity. Unfortunately, there is strife that arises from the differences in the dogmas of different divisions of Christianity and the resulting styles of worship. However, whether you are Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, etc., etc., you must remember we all love the same Lord God Jehovah.

Our first stop was a well-known church in this, the East Coast of the USA, New Hope Baptist Church. A black gospel Baptist church. The people were so warm and openly welcoming to our group. The choir and congregational singing was rousing and animated, joyfully and loudly praising the Lord in song. There was witnessing to the congregation with responses of praise loudly proclaimed by others, and friendly greetings and interaction among the congregants and our group. Since I’ve attended a Baptist church before I felt so very much at home and eagerly joined in with everything.


Then on to the Roman Catholic Sacred Heart Cathedral Basilica. It was officially designated a Basilica in 1995 by Pope John Paul II who said, "This magnificent building stands in the heart of Newark as a powerful reminder of God's steadfast love for his People and as a sign of faith in Christ, our 'hope of glory.'" The architecture was spectacular in the style of European cathedrals, it’s spires majestically soaring heavenward. The interior was beautifully designed with the finest woods and Italian marble. It truly was awe inspiring. The service, in contrast to New Hope, was reserved and somewhat sedate but certainly imbued one with a feeling of piety and respectful worship through it’s quiet reverence. There was little interaction with the congregation because of the different style of worship in this glorious edifice.

We paused for lunch at the Priory Restaurant and enjoyed their sumptuous Sunday Jazz Brunch buffet. A bountiful Cajun/Creole/Southern style inspired selection along with the more mundane offerings. The food was excellent and there was so much variety to satisfy anyone’s tastes. The gastronomic delights were enhanced by a jazz pianist who serenaded us throughout lunch with various gospel selections. His adaptations of well-known tunes into worship songs was delightful. One example; “Georgia on My Mind” became “Jesus on My Mind”. It was almost like breaking bread with the Lord! ;o)

We then visited the Grace Episcopal Church after all services were finished for the day but were in for a special treat. Here, again, the beautiful architecture, reverently beautiful inside as well, as the cathedral was. Our treat was a “private” concert of worship hymns performed by the organist on one of the most beautiful church organs I’ve ever seen. It was a stirring performance by a master on a magnificent instrument. The melodies soaring to God’s Heaven as beautifully as they did in the regular services, perhaps joined then by the voices of the congregants.

The “tour” concluded with a stop at the Newark Museum before heading home.

For me this was a day of joy and refreshment. Worshipping the Lord is always a joy and experiencing the differences in these churches only served to once more prove to me that for those of us who love the Lord, there is no difference. He is our God, we love and adore Him, each in our own way, yet each with the fullness of our hearts, minds, and souls. Praise God, and all the people shouted, “AMEN!”.

Thoughts About Giving Thanks...

Prayer of Thanksgiving

We give thanks
Lord, for all you have given to us,
For lighting our way through the
Darkness of this world,
For giving us truth,
For loving us unconditionally.
For all Your blessings, Lord,
We thank You.

The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies;
but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and,
as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find,
in every hour, some heavenly blessings!
- Henry Ward Beecher

O God, when I have food,
help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work,
help me to remember the jobless;
When I have a home,
help me to remember those who have no home at all;
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer,
And remembering,
help me to destroy my complacency;
bestir my compassion,
and be concerned enough to help;
By word and deed,
those who cry out for what we take for granted.
Amen.
- Samuel F. Pugh

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

On the Lighter Side

So logically Illogical…LOL!



"What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul." Yiddish Proverb

Freedom is Not Free

God bless all who have served and still serve,
Who have given all to secure our freedom
And preserve all we hold dear.

It is the Soldier

"It is the soldier, not the reporter,
Who has given us freedom of the press.

"It is the soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.

"It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

"It is the soldier, who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag."

-- Father Dennis Edward O'Brian, USMC

Chuckles & Grimaces

With a bow to my pal, Lady Wordsmith for steering me to this fun site.

I am now a Titled "Dame"...LOL. You shall now address me as...

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Reverend Lady Evie the Feline of Chalmondley Chumleyton Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

or, if you prefer...

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Very Lady Katgal the Pertinacious of Chipping Sodbury Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

BOO!

Happy Halloween to kids of all ages…

Alimentary (er! Elementary), My Dear!

Oh, the pure joy of re-reading literary classics! I am in the midst of reading one of the most intricately and beautifully crafted works of mystery and deductive reasoning ever written. James Patterson, hang your head and hide…but the Master of Deduction will find you out. Alex Cross, though an accomplished sleuth and finely crafted character, is no more than a poor imitation of the master sleuth, Sherlock Holmes.

I think I am enjoying these stories so much more on this reading. Sherlock Holmes is without question, the most famous literary detective ever created. Sherlock Holmes knew the value of observing not only the obvious, but the minutiae overlooked by mere mortals who lacked his finely honed powers of observation and intellectually superior reasoning. Created by Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle, and what a mind Conan-Doyle had. For there, my friends, is the source of Holmes’ inimitable skills of observation and deduction. From that mind flowed these intricately woven tales of discovery. The characters--Holmes, Watson, Lestrade, the infamous Professor Moriarity, (the quintessential arch-villain), come alive in all the facets of their personalities in these pages of intrigue. As for the personality of Holmes himself (the archetypical sleuth in his Deerstalker, smoking his Meerschaum)…he is arrogant, dismissive of “lesser mortals” and openly disdainful of them, opinionated, superior…and let’s not forget addictive. He is also a lover of the arts, and naturally has a keen grasp of many scientific disciplines.



Whoa, hold on a minute here…do I deduce some similarity here? A similarity to one of my very favorite TV shows? Why, it is elementary my dear! Dr. Gregory House/Sherlock Holmes? My, my…the game is afoot. The similarities are blatantly obvious…Holmes=House the brilliant, arrogant, non-conformist who disdains “the establishment“, Dr. Watson=Dr. Wilson, his trusted and faithful confidant and friend. The music lover, the addict, the brilliant scientist, the willingness to “bend the rules“…even the names. Of course, the solution is obvious…”House” IS the medical detective, the Sherlock Holmes of the world of medicine. There are many, many similarities, all outlined beautifully in the link.

Ah, but now I am compelled to return to my “real” book and once more leave this world for the intrigue and fascination of priceless and inimitable fiction.

In the Beginning

“…And God saw that it was good.”
Genesis 1:18






How can anyone, anyone capable of intelligent thought, doubt the power of God?
No words, only wonder and awe and reverence. He IS an awesome God.

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle."
--A. Einstein

To Boldly Go…

One of my favorite TV shows of all time was “Star Trek”, now identified with the letters TOS as The Original Series, to distinguish it from the many spin-offs. ST:TOS was produced on a shoe-string budget with lots of hokey stuff for the special effects. However, it was a ground-breaking show--original, creative, forward thinking, intelligent (the network originally considered it too “cerebral” for the average viewer) and appealed, at first, to a narrow audience of “thinkers”. It’s creator, Gene Roddenberry utilized some of the best sci-fi writers (and some not so sci-fi) of the era to bring his vision of the future to life and to tackle some highly controversial issues, religious, social and political. I am proud to have been, and still am, among the many “cerebral” fans of the show. Those fans were and are among the cream of the intellectual crop of Americans who saw beyond the hokey effects, makeshift scenery, and sometimes over-emotive acting, to the real Star Trek and it‘s deeper messages and lessons. On ST:TOS morality, honesty, integrity, and brotherhood were alive and well, along with a lot more American values.

So, I offer you this, from one of my favorite blogs--The Corner, published by NRO (and one of my favorite NRO writers). Enjoy and be edified. I certainly could not have written it better! Live long and prosper!

"It's Time For A Confession [Jonah Goldberg]

I've decided I really just don't like Star Trek: Next Generation (ST: TNG) very much. For years, I was its defender against all comers. I liked it a lot when it was still on the air. And I liked it in reruns for awhile. But the more I watch it, the less I find redeeming about it (you might see my influence on this score in this quasi editorial). There are things I still like about it, but it's become increasingly difficult to separate the quadrotriticale from the chaff. But, for now let me speak in broad brushstrokes. Everything good about the show, they fell over backwards into.

Indeed, almost everything about TNG was designed to be the opposite of The Original Series (TOS). They originally thought that Ryker was going to be this really powerful personality, a James T. Kirk as second-in-command who actually kept the captain safely on board. But, he sucked. He was a bad actor, and he allowed himself to be upstaged by a Euroweenie with a French attitude and name (in fairness Patrick Stewart is a much better actor). The original Trek was a Cold War drama where a Kennedy-esque captain, exploring the new, final, frontier was willing to pay any price, bear any burden for decency and freedom. The enemies were totalitarians — Klingons, Romulans etc. The new Trek took the Prime Directive deadly seriously and went out of its way time and again to set itself off from the understated Americanism of the original series. Now, the greatest enemies were the Ferengi — runaway capitalists with bullwhips who looked like a mix between Nazi caricatures of Jews and the original Nosferatu. They failed miserably as villains and, over time, had to become comedic relief. The Borg were eventually introduced as the signature bad guys of Star Trek because — guess what? — collectivists always make for better enemies than capitalists, even bad capitalists. But one gets the distinct impression that if the producers had their druthers, the villains in Star Trek would have remained anti-environmental, free-market, unilateralists until the bitter end.
But we can come back to that. What also drove me crazy was how someone got it into their head that Star Trek needed to be a showcase for the acting chops of the entire ensemble. So one episode we get to follow Dr. Crusher around the ship for a frick'n hour as she tries to muster a feminist complaint in the 23rd century. In another episode, we're expected to sustain interest in Troi's romantic life. The constant explorations of Data's inner life at least had some sci-fi benefits — he was an android after all — but even here the priority seemed to be to show that Brent Spiner can act.

Which brings me to the hideous holodeck. It makes noooooo sense scientifically. But we can forgive that, I guess. But it makes even less sense dramatically — for a sci-fi show. Who wants to watch the crew of the USS Enterprise solve a 1930s crime story — a billion frick'n times? In interviews, you could tell that the actors though the holodeck was perhaps the best part of the show because it allowed them to do all sorts of different and exciting things as actors. Well guess what? The show is not about the actors! The most successful star of the whole series was William Shatner for Pete's sake.

What's interesting, to me at least, is that TOS still holds up, while TNG basically does not. The acting, the effects and even, in a sense, the writing of TNG is better. But the original series has a soul and a clear vision. The vision of TNG is a post Cold War vision and as such it lacked coherence. It tried to marry Roddenberry's optimistic dream of the future with a critical stance toward the present, and it came up with mush. The best things about TNG were those things that the fans wanted — more war, more Worf, more action — and the producers stumbled on. Contrast this with Battlestar Galactica, which has a critical, albeit complicated, vision of our own time but also has a pessimistic vision of our future (or what might turn out to be our future). One could defend TNG college-administrators-in-space goody-goody banality by arguing that it was an interesting and somewhat accurate reflection on the "holiday from history" zeitgeist that saturated the 1990s while Battlestar Galactica reflects our more interesting times. But that just underscores how Battlestar Galactica is, in fact, interesting and Star Trek the Next Generation really isn't, at least not anymore.”