Film Review: To Save a Life (Updated with Trailer)

I've just started reading The American Catholic blog, and saw this review. I liked this part of the review, and must remind myself to try to get to this movie (or borrow it from the library when it becomes available on DVD.

And of course we all know that Christianity really is the coolest thing amongst all the kids, that no one has ever been made fun of or ostracized for standing on a moral principle, that any typical teenage boy could throw away a hot girlfriend, his basketball teammates, parties on the weekends and the approval of his parents just to make a big deal out of helping a strange kid who no one likes and who he hardly knows and everyone would just stand up and applaud, because Christianity is just that hip.

Read the rest of the review here: To Save a Life: The Film Commissars Attack

Update: Here's the trailer.

Pro-Life in the House (Updated with Forgotten Links)

Though the show occasionally makes me want to pull my hair out, Travel Man and I really enjoy watching "House."  I think it's a vicarious thing: he says whatever comes to mind without care if it bothers anyone else.  Sometimes you just wish you could say stuff, but social contracts (and manners) tell us "no."  

He's really a sad case, Dr. Gregory House, but it's an interesting show.  A bit predictable, but what do you want?  It's television.  

This past week, we watched what was probably the MOST pro-life show we've ever seen - from anyone.  And I'm not even sure if the writers intended it to be that way.  

This post will contain spoilers, so if you've got "House" stored up on the DVR, then skip this one and come back when you've watched it.

You've been warned.  

Go away now if you don't want to see the entire plot.

Last chance!

Okay, here we go.

The show opens in the patient's perspective.  Doctors and nurses appear, blurry, slightly out-of-focus, mumbling.  Everything goes dark, then it all comes back in a slightly different setting.  Still mumbling, not clear.  Finally, we see a doctor who says, "He'll make a good heart donor."

 

The focus becomes sharper as we hear a voice cry out, "No!  I'm not dead!  I'm right here! Listen to me!  Listen!  I'm not dead!"  Yet the doctors cannot hear.  

Dr. House comes in from the side, and tells the doctor that he doesn't think the patient is brain dead, despite the incredibly low brainwaves that typically denote a lack of cerebral function.  However, House isn't AT his hospital.  He's a patient in the ER there.  And this doctor is not interested in his opinions.  House insists that the patient is in there somewhere.  "If he's brain dead, how come his eyes are following you?"

So far, we have nothing but the patient's perspective, and, quite frankly, it's a bit scary.  He's in there, trying to communicate, agreeing with House, begging for a reprieve from his death sentence.  

His wife is brought in, and she's tearful.  House appears again, in a hospital gown, and tells her (not that anyone asked him) that her husband is NOT brain dead.  He's in there, but has "locked in syndrome," which is preventing him from speaking to them.  The patient thinks/says, "I like him.  Make him my doctor!"  She looks at her husband with doubt, and House insists.  He asks a question, tells him to blink once for yes, twice for no.  When the patient responds, we know he's in there, and we know he'll be in the care of Dr. House soon.

Throughout the show, House is compelled to find a way to save this man, restore his communication abilities, and give him back to his family.  The man sees this as a gift from God, but House sees it as interesting (and nothing more).  House is accidentally doing the right thing.

All throughout the show, we are put again and again in the patient's body, thinking thoughts of love and desperation to family, begging doctors for help, crying out in pain.  None of it is heard at all.  When his children come to visit (after he blinks twice for no so his wife doesn't bring them to see him this way), he realizes that his wife is afraid he will die and has brought the children to see him "one last time."  Another doctor hurries the family out, then leans down and says, "You were crying..."  Your heart just breaks for this man, trapped inside of himself.

House works like mad to save him and release him from the prison that is his body, and finally does it.  But, as I said before, House's motivation is to break the code, solve a puzzle.  To him, the patient is a puzzle, not a human being.  But the man knows better.  "God sent you," he says to House at the end.  

The idea here, the whole thing, was so amazingly pro-life that we saved the episode to watch again.  With all the talk of "quality of life" and "brain death" and whether or not organ donors are really and truly gone when their organs are harvested, this episode was very, very timely.  We were forced into the situation, forced to think about what it might be like to be that person that doctors said was beyond hope, beyond recovery.  But, as the Anchoress is fond of saying, doctors don't know everything.  And they are sometimes wrong.  There are many people out there who prove this every day.  And many people whose lives, on paper, look like they'd be frightening and unfulfilling and pointless, but are not.

Locked-In Syndrome is real, too.

One more amazing thing here.  This episode was aired on Monday, March 30, the day before the fourth anniversary of the murder of Terri Schaivo, who was not ill, did respond to her parents and family, and was heartlessly dehydrated to death over a painful, two-week-long process.  

What might her thoughts on the situation have been?

[image source]

Pro Life Themes on TV: Journeyman

Soccer Dad and I watched the first episode of "Journeyman" on NBC last Fall, then promptly set up a DVR schedule to include it. Then we didn't have time to watch it until the writer's strike left us without our "never miss" shows (The Office and Heros, mostly). Then, when his travel schedule lightened up a little, we caught up with House and CSI, figuring that we'd at least watch shows that we had on the schedule last year. After that, I said, "You know what? Journeyman looked neat. Let's start in on that.

Two-a-days are the usual if we can get the girls into bed. And we've only got two episodes left in the DVR! But what a fascinating show!

Basically, this guy (Dan) finds himself suddenly going back and forth through time for no apparent reason. He will wake up to find himself in the past, and he'll struggle to learn when he is (it's always San Francisco, his hometown) and what his "mission" is. He spends the show helping someone from the past, which slightly tweaks his present time to make it better.

In episode after episode, Dan tracks a single person and helps him through a struggle, usually saving a person's life in some way, whether it is literally preventing his death or by helping them turn his life around for the better.

And I've come to a realization. It reminds me strongly of It's a Wonderful Life. Each person he tracks seems insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but what Dan does for each person makes the world a better place. No one else notices anything different in 2007-08, but he knows. Everyone else would have said that they didn't notice a difference.

I remember when I was pregnant with Big Girl, and I discovered online chat rooms. I was up at night, unable to sleep, and I'd go to the abortion debate rooms. Again and again, I was told by pro-abortion women that no one knows any different when they abort. Who cares? How can we miss something (never someone) that we never experienced?

I couldn't put my finger on it. It's really too hard to put into words. But I think that Journeyman makes the case, week after week, in small and subtle ways.

We might not see the difference when 3,000 children die in the womb today here in America, but there is a difference. Our world is much poorer for it.

And who knows what amazing people those children would have grown up to be? What would they have taught us? What would we have seen? What great things might they have done?

What if one of those children was destined to be my son-in-law? Or my son, through adoption?

One life makes a difference. Every life does. And that's why we pray and work to help end abortion.

**************************

If you are suffering because of a past abortion, you are not alone. There is help available in many places. The Church does not shun women like you. Below is a sampling of various resources:

• From Rachel's Vineyard:

What is Rachel's Vineyard?

Rachel's Vineyard weekends for healing after abortion are offered throughout the year in locations across the United States and Canada, with additional sites in Portugal, Australia and New Zealand. We also offer a 13-week support group model for Rachel's Vineyard. Rachel’s Vineyard is a ministry of Priests for Life


The program is an opportunity to examine your abortion experience, identify the ways that the loss has impacted you in the past and present, and helps to acknowledge any unresolved feelings that many individuals struggle with after abortion. Because of the emotional numbness and secrecy that often surrounds an abortion experience, conflicting emotions both during and after the event may remain unresolved. These buried feelings can surface later and may be symptoms of post abortion trauma.


Married couples, mothers, fathers, grandparents and siblings of aborted children, as well as persons who have been involved in the abortion industry have come to Rachel's Vineyard in search of peace and inner healing. The weekend is a lot of work but yields a fruitful harvest for all who are willing to labor there. To learn more, please read about our weekend retreats. Also, please see comments from people who have attended the weekends, as well as our explanation of the name "Rachel's Vineyard."

• From Sisters for Life:

Stepping out “Go, pick up the pieces lest they be lost.” (Jn 6:12) With these words, John Cardinal O’Connor directed the Sisters of Life to a ministry of reverence for women and men who suffer following the tragedy of abortion. Since 1996, we have, with the help of Theresa Bonopartis, heeded that call through Entering Canaan: A Sacramental Journey to an Inheritance of Mercy for those Suffering Abortion. Post-traumatic suffering is the untold story of abortion. There are literally millions of women and men who, too often silently and alone, suffer some of the most serious psychological and spiritual consequences of contemporary society’s disregard for the sanctity of human life and the sacredness of human sexuality. Taking its name from the Exodus experience of the Jewish people from slavery and debasement into the Promised Land, Entering Canaan accompanies those who have suffered abortion on a Sacramental journey into the true Promised Land of the Heart of Jesus. Fundamental to this mission is the belief that each person, no matter what they have done or how they feel, is to be cherished and loved as a unique reflection of God’s love. Those who join this caravan of faith - hundreds thus far - find hope and confidence in the fact that regardless of how long their healing takes, regardless of the battles fought, won or lost, they have a community of people to whom they can turn in time of need, who will be there for them unconditionally, to help them on the way to true healing with patience and love.

• From Priests for Life:

After Abortion...


There is healing for you!


If you are hurting from an abortion, you have a home here. Priests for Life embraces with compassion and forgiveness those who have had abortions. We will lead you to the healing that comes from the Lord, and the care of the Christian Community. We are ready to talk with you and listen to you.


Priests for Life works with ministries worldwide that offer this healing.


The Priests for Life page linked above then goes on to mention several ministries, both Catholic and otherwise, that offer help to men and women who are post-abortive.

• Pope John Paul II said this to post-abortive women:

Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life), #99

I would now like to say a special word to women who have had an abortion. The Church is aware of the many factors which may have influenced your decision, and she does not doubt that in many cases it was a painful and even shattering decision. The wound in your heart may not yet have healed. Certainly what happened was and remains terribly wrong. But do not give in to discouragement and do not lose hope. Try rather to understand what happened and face it honestly. If you have not already done so, give yourselves over with humility and trust to repentance. The Father of mercies is ready to give you his forgiveness and his peace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. You will come to understand that nothing is definitively lost and you will also be able to ask forgiveness from your child, who is now living in the Lord. With the friendly and expert help and advice of other people, and as a result of your own painful experience, you can be among the most eloquent defenders of everyone's right to life. Through your commitment to life, whether by accepting the birth of other children or by welcoming and caring for those most in need of someone to be close to them, you will become promoters of a new way of looking at human life.

(Full text of Evangelium Vitae can be found here.)



Let no one say that the Church shuns women who have had abortions. It is simply not true. The Church, following the example of Christ, offers forgiveness and healing to all sinners. Because every one of us is a sinner.


If you are suffering after an abortion and need someone to talk to, please go to one of the sites I mentioned above, or call 1-877-HOPE-4-ME or 1-800-395-HELP (Rachel's Vineyard) or 1-800-5-WE-CARE (National Office of Post-Abortion Reconciliation and Healing). Also, if you'd rather not have to talk to a live person on the phone, you can go here and get help via AOL Chat.

Also, if you are considering abortion, you can go to that same site and chat with someone who wants to help. You are not alone, and your local crisis pregnancy center can do much to help you. For example, there is Good Counsel Homes, established by Father Benedict Groeschel. Their stated mission is:


Good Counsel is a private Catholic agency whose primary mission is to help homeless pregnant women by providing a loving family environment in a safe and secure shelter. Begun in 1985 by Fr. Benedict Groeschel and Chris Bell, both leaders in the pro-life movement, Good Counsel has grown to five homes in the New York greater metropolitan area.


Working closely with the Sisters of Life through our Lumina outreach we have developed an outstanding program of support and healing for those suffering from abortion related problems.


They have a 24/7 hotline for young women in trouble. Call them at 800-723-8331 if you need help.


And don't let anyone think that it's just about handing out diapers and maternity clothes. This is what Good Counsel Homes does:


Three key programs:

• Life Skills Program
  This in-house program prepares residents for independent living by covering topics such as Parenting, Spirituality, Health and AIDS Education, Career Development and Financial Management.




• Exodus
  Through this program, mothers participate in certain programs even after leaving a Good Counsel home so that they still receive transitional support.




• Technology
  The Internet is an essential tool in today's world. Good Counsel mothers are taught how to utilize our computer labs and the internet to advance their educational goals, search for employment, post their resumes online and much more.

Remember that you are NOT alone. There is help for you and your child.

You don't have to make a choice between you and your baby.

And, if you are trying to heal after an abortion, know that we love you and are praying for you.

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In Totally Unimportant News...

...The Daily Show and The Colbert Report have returned to the air.

Set those DVRs!






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Jesse Tree Reading: Second Thursday

Today's reading comes from 1 Samuel, which is 1 Kings in the Douay-Rheims Bible.

Turn to 1 Samuel 3:1-21.


[Our Jesse Tree Resource]

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And This is News Because ... Why?

Okay, I am really supposed to be getting on with the day, but I heard this and just felt compelled to ... well, vent.

Apparently, Kathy Griffin has just enough people out there who like her show enough to give her an Emmy. Personally, I've never understood why she's famous. But that's not even really important right now.

Last week, when she won, she had some interesting things to say. At least, that's what they want us to think on the news. Here's a bit from the article that I found on it:

In her speech, Griffin said that "a lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus." She went on to hold up her Emmy, make an off-color remark about Christ and proclaim "this award is my god now!"

Catholic League President Bill Donohue condemned the remarks on September 10, calling them a "vulgar, in-your-face brand of hate speech."

(full article here)

Let's take just the first paragraph to start. From what I know of her "humor," Griffin told the truth. Jesus probably had nothing to do with that award. I believe that her off-color remark might have been using the F-bomb, but I honestly can't remember. (That's sad, it's only been about three minutes since I heard them talk about it on the TV.) Anyway...the last comment - "This award is my god now!" - is also no surprise. Let's face it, we all have our own gods. Money, TV, the (ahem) internet, food, cars ... the list goes on and on. For Griffin to say that her Emmy is her god is probably one of the most honest things she's ever said! Problem for her is that she most likely thinks she was only making a joke.



Donohue, God bless him, defends our Faith when no one else is paying attention. But sometimes he makes mountains out of molehills, and we all look foolish. Instead of railing against her, he ought to point out just how accurate her comments are. I understand he'd like an apology from her for the comments, but I do hope he's not holding his breath. I mean, when you get wound up about this without being able to see the irony of the whole thing, people find it difficult to take you seriously about anything you say. So when something really awful is said or done, no one wants to pay attention.



Oh, and when I looked at the site for The Catholic League, I found just what she said. Classy. You kiss your mother with that mouth, Kathy? But, then again, what do you expect from someone who, when "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" won an Emmy last year, flipped them off and screamed that they could ... um ... do the same thing she told Jesus to do? And is still proud of that moment? I mean, she flipped off people who do this!



Again, this is nothing to be surprised about, unless you want to be surprised that she was honest.

[image source - where I just found out she's Catholic??!!?? Now THAT'S a surprise!]

Strangeness Abounds

When I posted a response to this blog post, I went looking for this (turn up the sound for this first one - it's kind of low - but remember to turn it back down on the rest):





...I somehow came across this:





...and this:





...which led to these, which I think Soccer Dad will love, given his addiction to "The Office" (and I'm surprised he hasn't found these):







You can see all kinds of strange Veggie/Adult TV pairings here.

Finally!!! (American Idol Spoiler Alert)

Sanjaya is finally off American Idol! It's about dang time! That boy was WAY out of his league.

Total Geek Alert!

So, for Christmas, I got a gift card to Barnes & Noble from my bosses. (I have a very part-time job teaching baby sign language - well, really ASL to parents of children 6 months to two years.)

Today, we went to B&N to spend my money. I was really happy because for the next week, I get 25% off anything I buy there because I am a teacher! (Homeschoolers, check it out! Usually, I only get 10% off my classroom stuff, but there are occasional specials for teachers. B&N can give you details on how to sign up.)

Hubby and I discussed what we could get, and one thing we wanted was a Players' Handbook for D&D. Yes, I am trying to get REALLY White and Nerdy by learning to play Dungeons and Dragons. After reading The Lord of the Rings, I decided that perhaps this would be a neat game to learn. So Hubby has been trying to teach me when we have enough time to sit and play for a while. And recently, he got the idea to create Catholic campaigns where we'd use cleric characters. (I almost understand what I'm typing here, you know.) And today, I thought how neat it would be to modify D&D to create campaigns specific to the Crusades. And to make it friendly for the girls to play, too. This means downplaying some of the more mystical and magical stuff and playing up things more related to God. (D&D is based on LOTR, and Tolkien was Catholic - devoutly so - and so I don't believe this will be too much of a stretch.)

So anyway...I've had LOTR on my mind today.

And then I found a link to this at Joel's blog. Helm's Deep, to scale.

In candy.

Hubby says that some people have too much time on their hands. I say this is one of the coolest things I've ever seen! (Oh, there is a slight language alert. Just a couple of words, but one is the F-bomb. Just a word of warning in case the kids are around.)

But it's still VERY cool!

Praise God in Heaven!

Charlotte's Web is rated G!!!

Why is the New Movie for Christians Flopping?

Phil Vischer has some interesting comments about The Nativity movie, much of which I agree with. Still not sure we'll get to see it, especially since this is a tough time to get a sit and we already have about two family movies we want to see, includine Charlotte's Web. (By the way, these are the reasons we might choose not to see it in theaters, not because it doesn't portray the Blessed Virgin in a Catholic way.)

Vischer discusses a lot of reasons why Mel Gibson was able to pull off what New Line Cinema can't seem to, but the big "oh, yeah!" comment is this one:

I would suggest this particular film never had much of a chance due to two factors: First, it had no well-liked artist behind it whose involvement would create high expectations or intrigue, and, second, it told a story that we've seen told a million times in the corniest of animated specials and low-budget Christmas dramas. No intrigue about the artistic vision, combined with no intrigue about the subject matter, leaves a movie with very little to stand on except, "Hey Christians! Please come see our movie about your savior! We made it just for you!" And that pitch, as Hollywood is about to learn, will only get you so far.

Christian filmmakers need to have legitimate artistic visions for their work, and need to choose or create material with inherent intrigue for a sizeable audience. If you have great ideas and great vision for bringing them to life, you will, over time, earn an audience for your work. But the "Hey Christians, we made another movie just for you guys!" pitch isn't going to work. Sure, a few Christians will show up out of a sense of obligation, but the bulk of that now coveted Passion of the Christ audience will be in the next theater over, watching Pirates of the Carribean 2. Why? Because it's fun. And that, at the end of the day, is why America goes to the movies. Even the Christians.

The whole post is worth reading, and it's not even that long. Head on over and check it out.

Culture of Life Movie

Well, actually, it's a Warning-About-the-Culture-of-Death Movie.

If you haven't watched it yet, go out and rent The Island, which stars Ewen McGregor and Charlotte Johansson. Hubby wasn't sure at first, but figured two hours and sixteen minutes of Charlotte Johansson couldn't be too bad. When we were done, he said, "That was the best movie you've picked out in a while!"

Quick synopsis:

We meet people who have been rescued from a catastrophic event that rendered the entire world pretty much uninhabitable. They are brought to this place where they cannot go outside because of the contamination, and they all work and live in a very controlled environment. But there is a place, called The Island, where people can live uncontaminated. It's a safe haven, and lotteries are held regularly to see who can go and live there, working to repopulate the world again. The lucky winners are chosen and interviewed just before they leave. Such a great honor!

Turns out, though, that there is no Island, and being chosen is not the great honor that people think it is. If you want more, I'll issue a spoiler alert, and you can scroll to the bottom of this post for a little bit more about the movie.

Culture of Death Watch:

The lines used by those who run this center are earily like the things that scientists say today. See above spoiler alert and scroll down for more.

Go check out the Rotten Tomatoes reviews (it only has a 40% rating) for some of the views critics took with it. I didn't think it would resonate well with the liberals who are pro-cloning and pro-abortion. Oh, and I havne't seen Coma. I wasn't allowed to watch scary movies when I was a kid. Maybe I'll rent it now.

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SPOILER ALERT!

Okay, so the people there are clones. They are grown as "product" and "insurance policies" for the very rich. They are grown in adult form, so no one in the project area has ever even seen a baby before. One woman, who is clearly pregnant, gets an automatic ticket to The Island when she goes into labor. What happens after that is absolutely in the skin-jumps-off-my-body-and-crawls-around category. Lincoln (Ewen McGregor's character) discovers the outside world and what really awaits the Lottery winners, and spends the rest of the movie trying to save Johannson's character from her fate just after she is chosen to go next.

And the things that are said about the clones (agnates, they are called) are things that we have been reading in the news lately. Cloning proponents call the clones they wish to create "tools" and promise to "cure child lukemia in two years" (see Mary Meets Dolly for perfect examples). The clones "are not human" or "are not really human" or "are not really people."

BIGGER SPOILER ALERT!

The public in the movie is told that the clones never gain consciousness, and they are kept in a vegetative state. They don't feel a thing when they are killed to provide you with organs so you can live another 60 to 70 years. But they clones are conscious, and while some people balk and change their minds about the idea of using the agnates in this manner, some people want to live at any cost and do not care a whit that they are killing a fully sentient, complete human being. Someone with a life, with feelings, with a desire to live.

I'm telling you, it was downright creepy. But it was also excellent.

Higly recommended, in short.

Bob and Larry Unbound!

Phil Vischer is reporting on his blog that NBC hasn't asked for references to God and the Bible to be edited out of the next few episodes to air (which include Madame Blueberry and King George and the Ducky). He has no idea why they decided to leave them be, but I think it's a good thing. Thank You, Lord!

Also, in case you missed it, NBC will also refrain from airing Madonna's mockery of the crucifixion. Maybe they realized that pre-emptively cutting God out of a children's cartoon when nary a peep was made about it while leaving in what nearly 800,000 people complained about because it mocked God was a kind of contradiction. I know that when I wrote to NBC about Madonna's performance, I asked them about the two things while also asking them why they seemed bound and determined to purposely offend such a large portion of their viewers.

Who knows? Maybe enough people pointed that out to them. I know I couldn't possibly have been the only one to do so.

Looks Like I Will Still Be Able to Watch "Heros"

Hat tip to Amy Welborn for this one.

Fox News is reporting that NBC will not show Madonna's mock crucifixion (instead opting for a different camera angle to avoid the scene) during her concert to air November 22. Which means that I won't need to boycott NBC, which means I can still watch Sunday Night Football and, even better, "Heros," which is one of my new favorite shows. Hooray!

Of course, it still stinks that it took nearly one million complaints just to get this when NBC won't let Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber quote the Bible. And no one complained about that.

But at least they aren't going to insult Christianity too badly. (Madonna is still pretty insulting in general, but that's a different story.)

Humor Break

I thought what with all the serious stuff going on here, I'd lighten things up with a joke from Good, Clean Funnies. (A link to the joke is in the post title, and if you poke around that site, you can sign up for daily jokes in your e-mail. They are truly clean jokes with a happy, light spirit.)

Anyway, here's today's joke:

A group of high school coaches went to a coaches' retreat. To save money, they had to room together.

No one wanted to room with Coach Daryl because he snored so loudly. They decided it wasn't fair to make one coach room with him the whole time, so they voted to take turns.

The first coach slept in Daryl's room and came to breakfast the next morning with tousled hair and bloodshot eyes. One asked, "What happened to you?"

The first coach replied, "Man, that Daryl snored so loud, I couldn't sleep, so I watched him snore all night."

The next night it was a different coach's turn. The following morning, the same thing happened as the second coach appeared with hair standing up and eyes bloodshot. One asked, "What happened to you? You look awful!"

He said, "Man, that Daryl shakes the roof. I watched him sleep all night."

The third night was Frank's turn. Frank was a burly ex-football player. The next morning, he came to breakfast bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. "Good morning," he said. The other coaches couldn't believe it. One asked, "OK, so what happened?"

Frank replied, "Well, we got ready for bed. I went and tucked Daryl into bed and kissed him good night. I heard he watched me sleep all night long."

A Timely Program and Other Notes

EWTN is running a show tomorrow night that looks to be rather timely. Here's their summary:

THE CROSS AND THE CRESCENT (30:00)

This video provides a detailed history and explanation of how Christianity has survived in the Middle East - which witnessed the birth of Jesus and where he called forth his disciples - and yet has become overwhelmingly Muslim. The suffering endured by present-day Catholics (and other Christians) under Muslim domination is clearly addressed.

Tuesday September 26, 2006 3 AM & 6:30 PM

Other programs of interest (especially for certain bloggers who wish EWTN would have more guests who are hip) include this one:

Thursday September 28, 2006 at 8:00PM ET

Life on the Rock with guest Dion DiMucci - Legendary Rocker Dion visits the Rockhouse (more)

And, finally, if you want an update on Mother Angelica, you can go here for it.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Explanation of icon:

"Out of the deserts of the Middle East comes an ancient Christian tradition. Although it has been overshadowed by the Greek and Latin traditions, it is their equal in dignity and theological importance. It is a Semetic tradition, belonging to those churches that use Syriac as their liturgical language. Syriac is a dialect of Aramaic, the language spoken by Christ himself.
This icon celebrates the richness of Syriac Christianity. The inscriptions in the upper corners read "Jesus Christ," and at the bottom, "Christ of the Desert." The Syriac language has ties to the earth that are deep and rich. It is more inclusive than most European languages. The theological experience of Syriac Christians is different because they have encountered the Gospel in such a language. Theirs is an unhellenized expression -- one that is neither Europeanized nor Westernized.

Semitic as it is, the Syriac tradition knows no dichotomy between the mind and heart. The heart is the center of the human person -– center of intellect as well as feelings. The body and all of creation longs to be reunited with God.

A constant theme in Syriac literature is homesickness for Paradise, a desire to restore Paradise on earth. Christians pray facing east because Paradise was in the east. This longing was expressed in monastic terms in ancient times, but its implications today reach far beyond monastery walls. With earthy roots, this longing for Paradise involves concrete responses in the realms of politics, ecology, and economics. "

[icon and explanation found here]

NBC, Veggies, and Madonna (UPDATED: See end of post)

NBC is now saying that they will not make a final decision on Madonna's blasphemy, and with that, they are also commenting that they did not edit down the Veggies because of content (i.e. God and the Bible mentioned) but because of length.

Phil Vischer, at his blog, not only denies it, but gives us the e-mail sent to him by NBC that proves his point. Here's his post, in its entirety, but I recommend you stop by his blog and see the rest, too. (He has a long series of posts on what exactly happened to Big Idea.)

This item appeared today on the trade journal Broadcasting & Cable's website. It is very interesting.

NBC says it has made no final decision on what will or won't be in its broadcast of a Madonna concert during the November sweeps.

The Parents Television Council and the American Family Association are making noise about NBC's planned broadcast of a London stop on her "Confessions" tour. PTC wants NBC to explain its "decision to air bigoted, anti-Christian Madonna concert "(though it has not asked individual members to write NBC, as initially reported here).

Their beef is with Madonna's appearance during the concert hanging on a cross wearing a crown of thorns, saying that NBC is "demeaning and degrading Christianity."

"NBC is awaiting delivery of the special and, once we see it in its entirety, we will make a final decision," said NBC in a statement.

PTC also claimed the network had altered its Saturday morning series, Veggie Tales, of "God and the Bible," suggesting some pattern of dissing Christianity.

NBC counters that it edited the shows for time. They are 30-minute home videos that must fit in 22 minutes or so of airtime. It did clip off the beginning and ending tags, which are Bible verses, but they were also arguably the easiest cut to make. The network says the message of the shows remains intact

"Veggie Tales was originally created for home video and, in most cases, each episode is over 30 minutes long," the network said in a statement. "As it appears on Qubo [NBC's Saturday morning Block, which is a co-venture with four other kids TV producers including Veggie Tales], Veggie Tales has been edited down for broadcast without losing any of its core messages about positive values."

Regarding Madonna, NBC had already stated at least twice that they found her performance "acceptable" and would air it as is. Now, apparently, they're reconsidering that position.

More interesting, though, is what they say about VeggieTales. NBC told Broadcasting & Cable that VeggieTales was "edited for time" not for content. In other words, they're saying the edits made were only to bring the shows down to TV length, not to decrease Christian content.

Well, that's kinda funny, because as the guy required to do all the editing, I know that statement is false. We sent them our first episode for TV, which was already edited to EXACTLY the right length, and they rejected it because, at the end, Bob the Tomato said, "Remember kids, God made you special and he loves you very much." They demanded we remove that line. The show wasn't too long, it was too Christian.

Then we sent them the next episode, which contained a slightly shortened version of Minnesota Cuke. Again, the episode, as we delivered it, was perfectly timed for television. What did we get back from NBC? An email with a list of lines that needed to be removed from the show, each of them containing either the word "God" or "Bible." The show wasn't too long, it was too Christian.

In fact, would you like to see that list? Here it is, in an email from NBC on August 24th…

As discussed, there are a few edit notes for Episode # 2 MINNESOTA CUKE

We list the time-code with the specific dialogue lines to be deleted:*

11:50-11:52 - "Calm down. The Bible says we should love our enemies." (on phone)

16:53-17:06 And the best part is God gives us strength too. He gives us an even greater power than Samson's, the power to love our enemy and even be kind to them." (on phone)

18:36 - "Because God gives us the power to love everybody, even our enemy." (on phone)All of the lines are from MARTIN's voice-over during phone conversations

Greatly appreciate your attention to Program Standards notes & concerns. As soon as the edits have been addressed, we will need to re-screen for broadcast approval.

This was the list of offensive lines we needed to removed before Minnesota Cuke could be aired on NBC. The show was already cut down to the proper length, so timing had nothing to do with it. These lines were unacceptably Christian.

I'm not trying to cause trouble for NBC, but whoever is making these statements to the press is either misinformed, or is actively misrepresenting what has happened. They certainly have the right to decide what is or isn't appropriate for their own network, but if they are going to reject programming because they feel it is "too Christian," they should at least own up to it.
We're making the edits because NBC is requiring us to do so. Regardless of what they are now saying to the press.

Crazy stuff, man.

Yeah, Phil, crazy.

Funny how the spiritual attacks are coming faster and harder, and everyone can see them easily now.

UPDATE: Phil has an update on the press release from NBC here. And don't worry if you don't see the Veggies this weekend.

Cute Video

Family friendly and silly. Kid-approved by my eight and five year olds.

(Click on the link in the post title.)

Hat tip: Esther