Okay, now that I got all of that ranting out of my system in the last post, I can be happy again. I have been following BooMama's entertainment posts through Pioneer Woman. A few weeks ago, BooMama was discussing John Hughes films and recommended Ferris Bueller, among others. http://thepioneerwoman.com/entertainment/2011/08/my-eight-favorite-john-hughes-films/
I watched Ferris for the first time last night, and I really enjoyed it. I thought that the writing, directing, and Matthew Broderick's and Alan Ruck's performances were absolutely enjoyable. Ferris is what everyone wants to be, and his friend is what most of us are. I have the other 7 films in my queue, and I look forward to seeing them.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
I'm Tired of the Politically Correct-this is a diatribe
When I was young, I was a complete adherent to the dogma that a woman can do anything a man does and do it better. When people tried to disagree with me, I assumed that it was because they had been "brainwashed" by "society", and that they couldn't help themselves. Now I think that I was the one who had been brainwashed by a destructive form of rhetoric. I was politically correct and anyone who disagreed with me was simply wrong.
Now I see the realities that I once dreamed of on TV, movies, novels, etc., and I think about my brothers and nephews and wonder why it's okay to make fun of white, heterosexual males, the elderly, fat people, and women, like Sarah Palin, who aren't politically correct. Just imagine the firestorm that would descend if someone had called Hilary Clinton "Redneck Barbie" during her run for the presidency! Or what would have happened if someone created a children's movie in which the girls don't rescue the boys, in fact, gasp!, the boy rescues the girl! Why is it less demeaning for the girl to always rescue the boy, than it is for the boy to always rescue the girl? Why are we brainwashing our boys and men to think that they are always going to the butt of every sitcom joke? That they are never as bright or competent as a woman? Why is it never okay for the woman to be soft, and to have a man who does everything he can to cherish her and take care of her?
Why do we believe that 100 pound women are able to pound 200 pound + men into the ground, even if they are equally matched in fighting abilities? If the disparate sizes were both men, this would never fly - unless one were Jet Li and the other a bad man who hadn't spent his entire life practicing martial arts.
Why do we believe that Native Americans were absolutely pure and that all evil was on the side of the whites? We have people in today's society that torture others as a form of entertainment, and we call them serial killers, gangs, triads, mafia, etc. Why do we hold a society up for emulation that made a ritual of death by torture? Why do we insist that cultures that condoned cutting off a woman's nose for adultery were matriarchal cultures? It was so refreshing to see Lonesome Dove and it's prequels and sequels, and to have them address the battles between Anglos and Native Americans realistically and without judgement on either side.
Why does our society weep as a nation when a small child is kidnapped, tortured, murdered, but when a fetus is ripped limb from limb, we stoutly adhere that it's none of our business? I know that as a nation, this country has a truly soft heart. We can see it anytime the helpless come to our attention. We weep with the suffering. But then in a completely schizophrenic split, we defend abortion as a solution to an awkward pregnancy. Why are we always told about women dying in 'back street abortions', but no one mentions the fact that right now in a legal atmosphere there are thousands of botched abortions, women and girls die every day from post-abortion problems, the devastating effect that abortion has on a woman's mental and physical health?
I think that the real problem is that the politically correct stances on various issues are always based on at least one lie. The lie that underpinned my feminism was the myth that if I put a woman up against a man (in a physical confrontation), and both were equal in their training, musculature, etc, then the man couldn't out-perform the woman. I now know that given absolute equality in everything, the man would out perform the woman because of the differences in our physical makeup. The lie that underpins the myth of Native American nobility is a European romanticism of the "noble savage" and the leftist dogma that the whites who moved West were all degenerate, racist, rapists who had no self-control or moral constraints. The lie that underpins the demand for legalized abortions is the idea that carrying a child for 9 months will somehow destroy a woman's life, and that legalized abortions are always safe, convenient, and hygienic. The lie behind the girl always rescuing the man in modern entertainment is the idea that if the girl sees women being rescued, she will automatically grow up passive, weak, and inferior, and that the boys will grow up believing themselves superior to girls.
Now I see the realities that I once dreamed of on TV, movies, novels, etc., and I think about my brothers and nephews and wonder why it's okay to make fun of white, heterosexual males, the elderly, fat people, and women, like Sarah Palin, who aren't politically correct. Just imagine the firestorm that would descend if someone had called Hilary Clinton "Redneck Barbie" during her run for the presidency! Or what would have happened if someone created a children's movie in which the girls don't rescue the boys, in fact, gasp!, the boy rescues the girl! Why is it less demeaning for the girl to always rescue the boy, than it is for the boy to always rescue the girl? Why are we brainwashing our boys and men to think that they are always going to the butt of every sitcom joke? That they are never as bright or competent as a woman? Why is it never okay for the woman to be soft, and to have a man who does everything he can to cherish her and take care of her?
Why do we believe that 100 pound women are able to pound 200 pound + men into the ground, even if they are equally matched in fighting abilities? If the disparate sizes were both men, this would never fly - unless one were Jet Li and the other a bad man who hadn't spent his entire life practicing martial arts.
Why do we believe that Native Americans were absolutely pure and that all evil was on the side of the whites? We have people in today's society that torture others as a form of entertainment, and we call them serial killers, gangs, triads, mafia, etc. Why do we hold a society up for emulation that made a ritual of death by torture? Why do we insist that cultures that condoned cutting off a woman's nose for adultery were matriarchal cultures? It was so refreshing to see Lonesome Dove and it's prequels and sequels, and to have them address the battles between Anglos and Native Americans realistically and without judgement on either side.
Why does our society weep as a nation when a small child is kidnapped, tortured, murdered, but when a fetus is ripped limb from limb, we stoutly adhere that it's none of our business? I know that as a nation, this country has a truly soft heart. We can see it anytime the helpless come to our attention. We weep with the suffering. But then in a completely schizophrenic split, we defend abortion as a solution to an awkward pregnancy. Why are we always told about women dying in 'back street abortions', but no one mentions the fact that right now in a legal atmosphere there are thousands of botched abortions, women and girls die every day from post-abortion problems, the devastating effect that abortion has on a woman's mental and physical health?
I think that the real problem is that the politically correct stances on various issues are always based on at least one lie. The lie that underpinned my feminism was the myth that if I put a woman up against a man (in a physical confrontation), and both were equal in their training, musculature, etc, then the man couldn't out-perform the woman. I now know that given absolute equality in everything, the man would out perform the woman because of the differences in our physical makeup. The lie that underpins the myth of Native American nobility is a European romanticism of the "noble savage" and the leftist dogma that the whites who moved West were all degenerate, racist, rapists who had no self-control or moral constraints. The lie that underpins the demand for legalized abortions is the idea that carrying a child for 9 months will somehow destroy a woman's life, and that legalized abortions are always safe, convenient, and hygienic. The lie behind the girl always rescuing the man in modern entertainment is the idea that if the girl sees women being rescued, she will automatically grow up passive, weak, and inferior, and that the boys will grow up believing themselves superior to girls.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
33 Days to Morning Glory
I've started a 33 day consecration to Jesus through Mary, using 33 Days to Morning Glory by Michael E. Gaitley, MIC. I'm on day 2, and so far the book has been very inspiring for me. I really enjoyed his discussion of the "wild-men [Celtic] warriors" that Saint Lois de Montfort was descended from. Since I am the proud grandchild of Scottish immigrants who homesteaded in eastern Colorado, and built up a sheep ranch, I resonated when he spoke about the remarkable courage of the Celts. I hope that I am able to engage that berserker mentality in my quest to get the most out of this retreat and the consecration that waits at the end.
I know that Tolkien's discussion in the Lord of the Rings trilogy about how every spiritual journey has to go through long times of boring flat lands is true. I'll happily store up the excitement I've felt the last two days against the days of monotony ahead.
I know that Tolkien's discussion in the Lord of the Rings trilogy about how every spiritual journey has to go through long times of boring flat lands is true. I'll happily store up the excitement I've felt the last two days against the days of monotony ahead.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Seduced by the "Gentle Reader" or How I ended up on the Jerry Springer show
I think that I'm starting to understand why youngsters (in my world view this means anyone under 40) end up posting/sharing/videoing tremendously personal information/moments on the Internet for all the world to see. When I was a career adviser at the university, I was always shocked when young adults posted really personal information/photos on their face book page, or uploaded potentially embarrassing videos to the web, where their prospective employers could view their drunken monologue about what a jerk their current boss is, see them in the wet tee shirt contest, etc. I never grasped why people would go on a show like Oprah, or Jerry Springer, and reveal humiliating and private information.
I get it now - they have been seduced by the Gentle Reader. Blogging is like living in a huge city, such as New York or Hong Kong. The very size of the population gives a person the illusion of complete anonymity. No one will know or care, because no one is paying attention. When blogging one also has the seduction of the imaginary audience who sees, hears, understands, and appreciates whatever one happens to be sharing. In the days of Jane Austen, that person was the Gentle Reader.
I find that I have fallen under the spell of the Gentle Reader. Throughout the day I think about things that happen to me and ways I could write about them. It makes me more aware of my life, because I have this anonymous, compassionate witness who never condemns me for writing poorly or being boring. On the other side of this coin, I also know, and count on, the fact that due to the staggeringly large number of people sharing on the internet, I am as likely to have someone read my blog as I am to be hit by a piece of space debris. It's very freeing (especially since I'm not looking for work).
I imagine that the people on Jerry or Oprah are just like me, only more so. I suspect that they are residents of large cities, and their personal sense of anonymity is so large that they feel unrestrained even in the venue of a television audience. After all, no one THEY know is going to be watching, so why should they worry about what people think? But don't worry, Gentle Reader, we would have to develop a long relationship before I could take my personal quirks on local tv, let alone national!
I get it now - they have been seduced by the Gentle Reader. Blogging is like living in a huge city, such as New York or Hong Kong. The very size of the population gives a person the illusion of complete anonymity. No one will know or care, because no one is paying attention. When blogging one also has the seduction of the imaginary audience who sees, hears, understands, and appreciates whatever one happens to be sharing. In the days of Jane Austen, that person was the Gentle Reader.
I find that I have fallen under the spell of the Gentle Reader. Throughout the day I think about things that happen to me and ways I could write about them. It makes me more aware of my life, because I have this anonymous, compassionate witness who never condemns me for writing poorly or being boring. On the other side of this coin, I also know, and count on, the fact that due to the staggeringly large number of people sharing on the internet, I am as likely to have someone read my blog as I am to be hit by a piece of space debris. It's very freeing (especially since I'm not looking for work).
I imagine that the people on Jerry or Oprah are just like me, only more so. I suspect that they are residents of large cities, and their personal sense of anonymity is so large that they feel unrestrained even in the venue of a television audience. After all, no one THEY know is going to be watching, so why should they worry about what people think? But don't worry, Gentle Reader, we would have to develop a long relationship before I could take my personal quirks on local tv, let alone national!
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Spring and the Pope
Another beautiful day here in Southeast Missouri. The wind is blowing and making my bell chime ring. I can hear it while I'm blogging. I love the sound. The sound it makes is similar to those wind chimes made from metal pipes that are several feet long. I love the deep resonance of the notes, and my bell chime is similar, though not so deep.
I really love spring. It is my favorite season. I love the new leaves, the flowers, the singing birds, the wind, the increasing length of the days. I love the temperatures, which are ideal-balmy during the day, and cool at night. Mostly, I like the sense of hope. I always want to plant flowers in the spring, but when summer comes I don't want to water them, because I'm too warm. Then I feel guilty when the flowers are struggling. I actually imagine the flowers' feelings of abandonment as I walk past them into the house. (Can you spell codependent? How about neurotic?) Anyway, I have finally learned to "think the flower through" and save myself from MONTHS of guilt by not planting in the spring. I just realized that I never feel guilty for not watering my lawn. I wonder if that's because I didn't plant it. I must be of the ancient oriental belief that if I plant a flower I make myself responsible for it's life.
Father was talking about the Pope's resignation today at mass. He reminded us of the Pope's humility in giving up the power of the papacy. He linked that back to the gospel reading about how the devil tempted Christ in the desert. Father said that sin is always beautiful. I have heard this concept before, but never so succinctly put. Sin is always beautiful, but it's wage is death. Father also pointed out that everything the devil offered Christ was temporary, that none of it lasted. That's true for me, too. When temptation comes to me, it is always disguised as a good, and it is of no lasting value. If I reach for it, I will die or Christ will die for me. The Pope has refused to reach for the illusion of being indispensable. I hope that this Lent will teach me to discern between evils, which are always disguised as goods, and true goods. I hope I will learn to reach for the true goods, rather than the temporary 'goods' of temptations.
If you read this, then thank you for being my imagined audience for today. Happy spring and happy Lent!
I really love spring. It is my favorite season. I love the new leaves, the flowers, the singing birds, the wind, the increasing length of the days. I love the temperatures, which are ideal-balmy during the day, and cool at night. Mostly, I like the sense of hope. I always want to plant flowers in the spring, but when summer comes I don't want to water them, because I'm too warm. Then I feel guilty when the flowers are struggling. I actually imagine the flowers' feelings of abandonment as I walk past them into the house. (Can you spell codependent? How about neurotic?) Anyway, I have finally learned to "think the flower through" and save myself from MONTHS of guilt by not planting in the spring. I just realized that I never feel guilty for not watering my lawn. I wonder if that's because I didn't plant it. I must be of the ancient oriental belief that if I plant a flower I make myself responsible for it's life.
Father was talking about the Pope's resignation today at mass. He reminded us of the Pope's humility in giving up the power of the papacy. He linked that back to the gospel reading about how the devil tempted Christ in the desert. Father said that sin is always beautiful. I have heard this concept before, but never so succinctly put. Sin is always beautiful, but it's wage is death. Father also pointed out that everything the devil offered Christ was temporary, that none of it lasted. That's true for me, too. When temptation comes to me, it is always disguised as a good, and it is of no lasting value. If I reach for it, I will die or Christ will die for me. The Pope has refused to reach for the illusion of being indispensable. I hope that this Lent will teach me to discern between evils, which are always disguised as goods, and true goods. I hope I will learn to reach for the true goods, rather than the temporary 'goods' of temptations.
If you read this, then thank you for being my imagined audience for today. Happy spring and happy Lent!
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Learning to write
I'm starting this blog because one of my brothers thinks that I should write. (He thinks I'm funny, sometimes when I'm trying to be. Bless his heart!) Anyway, between his encouragement and being inspired by Pioneer Woman's blog and my niece-in-law's beautiful writing at The Narrative Heiress, I was inspired to at least practice writing using a blog. We'll see where it takes me. Right now, I'm thinking that it will be an interesting way to journal.
So what's happening with me right now? I have been granted disability, so I can stop worrying about having an income stream. What surprised me was that I spent the week after the notification worrying about everything under the sun. On reflection, I think I was in the habit of worrying and was anxious because there was nothing to worry about. I'm starting to get my balance back, and am more relaxed this week.
For Lent I am adding positive habits to my life. Of course I had a list of habits as long as the congressional records, but with the help of a friend, I narrowed the list to the top three activities that I have wanted to add to my life since I was laid-off. So I'm going to daily mass and exercising M-F, and going to two AA meetings a week. I started yesterday, and am really excited about this. It addresses mental, physical, and spiritual health, and I think it's a good spiritual exercise.
When I practiced the pool walking yesterday, something was really giving me stuff to offer up (another good spiritual exercise!). There were some college boys playing water volleyball, and some other boys playing basketball. Because of the way the pool is set up I had walk between the two, and circle the volleyball 'court'. During the 50 minutes I was in the pool, both walking and resting, I was hit 4 times with the volleyball! Boy! was I grumpy by the end of the walk! I didn't think of offering it up at the time, but I had made my morning offering so it was taken care of. Since I was so grumpy about it, it's debatable how much I grew from the experience. Oh, well, baby steps!
I heard birds chirping outside my window this morning! I love spring, and it looks like we're going to have an early one this year! I can hardly wait to hear all the song birds!
So what's happening with me right now? I have been granted disability, so I can stop worrying about having an income stream. What surprised me was that I spent the week after the notification worrying about everything under the sun. On reflection, I think I was in the habit of worrying and was anxious because there was nothing to worry about. I'm starting to get my balance back, and am more relaxed this week.
For Lent I am adding positive habits to my life. Of course I had a list of habits as long as the congressional records, but with the help of a friend, I narrowed the list to the top three activities that I have wanted to add to my life since I was laid-off. So I'm going to daily mass and exercising M-F, and going to two AA meetings a week. I started yesterday, and am really excited about this. It addresses mental, physical, and spiritual health, and I think it's a good spiritual exercise.
When I practiced the pool walking yesterday, something was really giving me stuff to offer up (another good spiritual exercise!). There were some college boys playing water volleyball, and some other boys playing basketball. Because of the way the pool is set up I had walk between the two, and circle the volleyball 'court'. During the 50 minutes I was in the pool, both walking and resting, I was hit 4 times with the volleyball! Boy! was I grumpy by the end of the walk! I didn't think of offering it up at the time, but I had made my morning offering so it was taken care of. Since I was so grumpy about it, it's debatable how much I grew from the experience. Oh, well, baby steps!
I heard birds chirping outside my window this morning! I love spring, and it looks like we're going to have an early one this year! I can hardly wait to hear all the song birds!
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