The sequel to Hepburn's Mass Katharine Hepburn died at 2:50 PM EDT "The Consecration and Sacrifice effected by the priest (standing in the place of Christ) is, then, the visible manifestation of an eternal and timeless act. After the Consecration, as Gueranger says in The Liturgical Year, 'the divine Lamb is lying on our altar!' Thus we see that the Mass is the visible reality, here and now, of the timeless eternal Mass of Heaven, described in the Apocalypse. Through it we participate in the Celestial Liturgy; through it the gates of Heaven are opened to us and the possibility of eternal life is made available to us." The Source: The Church Militant recommends For a different viewpoint, Posted 6/29/2003 at 11:00 PM |
Every Boy Has a Daddy Today is the Feast of Saint Peter. The most timely quote I know of for today's religious observances is from Oh What a Web They Weave, by F. John Loughnan: This was written as part of an attack on the father of a Latin-Mass Catholic who authored the website Ecclesia Militans, which has the logo Note the resemblance to the Iron Cross. Soldier of Fortune magazine, April 2002, contains a brief discussion of the German motto "Gott mit uns" that is relevant to the concept of The Church Militant. Soldier of Fortune, The actor on the cover, Mel Gibson, also serves to illustrate our meditation for today, "Every boy has a daddy." See Christopher Noxon's article in the New York Times Magazine of March 9, 2003: Is the Pope Catholic... Enough? Noxon attacks Gibson's father Hutton -- like his son Mel, a Latin-Mass Catholic, and author of A related "Every boy has a daddy" attack appears in the June 2003 issue of Playboy magazine. An entertaining excerpt from this attack on Joseph P. Kennedy, father of JFK, may be found at Orwell Today. Finally, let us meditate on the ultimate "Every boy has a daddy" attack -- by novelist Robert Stone on the alleged father of Jesus of Nazareth:
The New York Times Magazine article mentioned above was prompted, in part, by Mel Gibson's current movie production, "The Passion," about the final 12 hours in the (first, or possibly second) life of Jesus. If I were producing a Passion play, as Peter I would certainly cast Stone. See also the 11 PM sequel to the above. Posted 6/29/2003 at 4:22 PM |
For Fred Sandback: The following entry of Feb. 25, 2003, was written for painter Mark Rothko, and may serve as well for minimalist artist Fred Sandback, also connected to the de Menil family of art patrons, who, like Rothko, has killed himself.
The following is from the cover of a reprint of Our Exagmination Round His Factification
Paris, Shakespeare and Company, 1929. As well as being a memorial to Rothko and Sandback, the above picture may serve to mark the diamond anniversary of a dinner party at Shakespeare and Company on this date in 1928. (See previous entry.) A quotation from aaparis.org also seems relevant on this, the date usually given for the death of author Malcolm Lowry, in some of whose footsteps I have walked: "We are not saints." — Chapter V, Alcoholics Anonymous Posted 6/27/2003 at 6:16 PM |
Countin' Flowers on the Wall Today, the birthday of Bob Keeshan (aka Captain Kangaroo), seems an appropriate day to meditate on religious issues. The death of minimalist artist Fred Sandback on June 23, coupled with my vitriolic attack on Christianity of that same date, suggest that I should give some recognition to defenders of that bizarre religion. Two of Christianity's most able defenders are singer Martina McBride and professor of English Gerald McDaniel. McBride has stated loudly and clearly her conviction that "Love's the only house big enough for all the pain in the world." I may be mistaken, but this sounds to me like a profession of faith in the Christian church. McDaniel's Cultural Calendar includes many items of Christian interest (saints' days, etc.) but also includes a greater variety of general cultural history than any other online calendar I know of. Like all Christian documents, it displays little regard for the truth (dates are often wrong), but its heart seems to be in the right place. Most important, in light of McBride's persuasive song lyric, is the fact that McDaniel's calendar -- and therefore, perhaps, his church -- does seem to be big enough -- at least in principle -- for some of the pain in the world, as well as some of the joy. Unfortunately, the church has much less room for truth than for emotion. For emotion, see McBride's album of that title. For some thoughts on truth, see McBride's fellow country singer, Patty Loveless (whom I greatly prefer to McBride). The above reflection was prompted by McDaniel's having a written a document that includes both of the following items for June 27:
These two items appear to have been placed by McDaniel in the right date slot. (Christians may sometimes have the right values, but should never be trusted to have their facts straight.) Posted 6/27/2003 at 4:05 PM |
Magic "I really don’t believe in magic. I believe in some kinds — the magic of imagination and the magic of love." — J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter's creator, Amen, Sister. Posted 6/26/2003 at 9:57 PM |
ART WARS: From the web page Art Wars: "For more on the 'vanishing point,' On Midsummer Eve, June 23, 2003, minimalist artist Fred Sandback killed himself. Sandback is discussed in The Dia Generation, an April 6, 2003, New York Times Magazine article that is itself discussed at the Art Wars page. Sandback, who majored in philosophy at Yale, once said that "Fact and illusion are equivalents." Two other references that may be relevant: The Medium is which deals with McLuhan's book Through the Vanishing Point, and a work I cited on Midsummer Eve ... Chapter 5 of Through the Looking Glass:
"When Alice went Posted 6/26/2003 at 5:00 AM |
In memory of Staige D. Blackford: "...they [the clergy] believe that any portion of power confided to me, will be exerted in opposition to their schemes. And they believe rightly; for I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." "Stately, thin Thomas Jefferson came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed.... He held the bowl aloft and intoned: With apologies to the University of Virginia, to the Virginia Quarterly Review, and to James Joyce. "Man, it's long... See also memorials to George Axelrod and Leon Uris, both of whom died at the summer solstice, June 21. Posted 6/25/2003 at 2:45 AM |
In memory of Leon Uris: Mate Change ProblemWhite to mate in 2 moves
H.W.Grant, 1st Prize, The concept of "mate change," appropriate on this, the coronation date of Henry VIII, is explained at Chathurangam.com, my source for the above problem. For the connection with Leon Uris, find the "key" to the above chess problem... i.e., the notation for White's first move. From the New York Times, June 24: "Reviewing Mr. Uris's 1976 novel Trinity in The Uris, 78, died at the summer solstice... Saturday, June 21, 2003. See also Force Field of Dreams. Posted 6/24/2003 at 7:59 PM |
Some comments on yesterday's entry that are too good to be hidden under a "comments" link. References are to Through the Looking Glass. My understanding of the "Red Queen" was that it was a metaphorical reference to a womans menstrual cycle. The two queens were representative of a womans behaviors throughout. Or some such thing. Posted 6/24/2003 at 11:12 AM by oOMisfitOo Humn. [affects very proper British Accent:] I suppose then the good reverend is out of his bloody mind? Posted 6/24/2003 at 11:14 AM by oOMisfitOo Speaking of religion, blood, and the 23rd, perhaps Sissy Spacek should play both the Red and the White Queen in Looking Glass. Remember her prom night? See my entry of May 23rd, The Prime Cut Gospel. Posted 6/24/2003 at 2:46 PM by m759 For today's musical offering, click here. Posted 6/24/2003 at 3:43 PM |
Harry Potter Lest the incautious reader gain the impression from yesterday's entry "The Real Hogwarts" that Christianity is anything other than a pack of damned lies, or that the phrase "oasis of civilisation" I used yesterday was meant otherwise than with tongue in cheek, I would like to nominate a well-known professional Christian liar as Queen of the Fairies this Midsummer Eve. The reader is referred to The Good Book: by the Rev. Peter Gomes, Plummer Professor of Christian Morals at Harvard and pastor of that institution's Memorial Church. The Rev. Gomes, an acknowledged homosexual, gave a commencement address recently wearing a gorgeously red academic gown. This comported well with his contention that the real heroine of "Through the Looking Glass" was not Alice, but the Red Queen. The reason? The Red Queen, Gomes says, could believe as many as six impossible things before breakfast. Apparently this is a virtue in Christian Morals, at least at Harvard. For a RealOne video of Gomes's address, click on the link below: (Actually, the queen who discusses "six impossible things" in Chapter 5 of Through the Looking Glass is the White Queen, but clergymen never let a little detail like truth stand in their way.) Posted 6/23/2003 at 7:45 PM |
Trance of the Red Queen In memory of playwright George Axelrod, who died Saturday, June 21, 2003. From the Chicago Sun-Times:
"Don't you draw the queen of diamonds, — The Eagles, "Desperado" Another quotation that seems relevant: "The hypnosis was performed by See entries of June 4 and June 15. See also two items from Tuesday, June 17, 2003: A 6/17 Arizona Daily Star article on Phoenix bishop Thomas O'Brien, and the 6/17 cartoon below. Tony Auth, Philadelphia Inquirer, For background, see Frank Keating in the New York Times, 6/17/03. My entry of 5 PM EDT Saturday, June 14, 2003, which preceded the death involving Bishop O'Brien, may also be of interest. Posted 6/22/2003 at 9:00 PM |
The Real Hogwarts is at no single geographical location; it is distributed throughout the planet, and it is perhaps best known (apart from its disguises in the fiction of J. K. Rowling, C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and other Inklings) as Christ Church. Some relevant links:
Christ Church, Christchurch Road,
Finally, on this Sunday in June, with The New York Review of Books of July 3, 2003, headlining the religion of Scientism (Freeman Dyson reviewing Gleick's new book on Newton), it seems fitting to provide a link to an oasis of civilisation in the home town of mathematician John Nash -- Bluefield, West Virginia. Christ Church, Posted 6/22/2003 at 2:28 AM |
The Order of the Phoenix Some links of interest The Royal Order of the Phoenix Knight's Gold Cross awarded to St. James Church Cemetery, Kerikeri, New Zealand In Loving Memory of
See also Cullinane College. "The dark lord re-emerges, but thinking he can now kill Harry, discovers that Harry is still protected, since both his wand and Harry's wand have as their essence two feathers from the same phoenix, a phoenix that has only given two feathers, and they cannot be used against one another." — Harry Potter: "The question is — why does the same story keep getting told? The answer is that we’re still trying to figure it out." — Me and Frodo Down by the Schoolyard Posted 6/20/2003 at 1:28 AM |
Claves Part II http://www.skytopia.com/project/scale.html http://www.tunesmithy.connectfree.co.uk/ http://www.kirnberger.fsnet.co.uk/ Posted 6/18/2003 at 6:33 PM |
On actor Gregory Peck, who died Thursday, June 12, 2003:
As Peck noted in a videotape played at his memorial service June 16,
June 16, besides being the day of Peck's memorial, was also Bloomsday. My entry for 1 PM on Bloomsday, a day celebrating the Ulysses of James Joyce, consists of the three words "Hickory, Dickory, Dock." A comment on that entry:
The following, from the Discordian Scriptures, provides a connection between the Bloomsday mouse and the Wake of patriarch Gregory Peck. Hickory Dickory Dock
The Bloom of Ulysses has a certain philosophical kinship with Yale literary critic Harold Bloom. For material related to the latter Bloom's study of Gnosticism, see Chaos Matrix. For the conflict between Gnostic and Petrine approaches to religion, see Poul Anderson's Operation Chaos. From an account of Peck's memorial service: "Mourners included... Piper Laurie...." OK, he's in. Posted 6/17/2003 at 5:20 PM |
Bloomsday, 1 PM Hickory Dickory Dock. Posted 6/16/2003 at 1:00 PM |
See Bloom and Midsummer Eve's Dream. Posted 6/16/2003 at 12:00 PM |
Readings for Trinity Sunday
For more on the structure For theology in general, see Posted 6/15/2003 at 3:00 PM |
The Irish Cliffs of Moher Who is my father in this world, My father's father, Go back to a parent before thought, They go to the cliffs of Moher Rising out of present time This is not landscape, And the sea. This is my father A likeness, one of (Collected Poems, 501-02) Posted 6/15/2003 at 2:09 PM |
In memory of Bernard Williams, Oxford philosopher, who died Tuesday, June 10, 2003. "...in... Truth and Truthfulness [September, 2002], he sought to speak plainly, and took on the post-modern, politically correct notion that truth is merely relative..." "People have always longed for truths about the world -- not logical truths, for all their utility; or even probable truths, without which daily life would be impossible; but informative, certain truths, the only 'truths' strictly worthy of the name. Such truths I will call 'diamonds'; they are highly desirable but hard to find.... A new epistemology is emerging to replace the Diamond Theory of truth. I will call it the 'Story Theory' of truth: There are no diamonds. People make up stories about what they experience. Stories that catch on are called 'true.' The Story Theory of truth is itself a story that is catching on. It is being told and retold, with increasing frequency, by thinkers of many stripes.... My own viewpoint is the Story Theory...." -- Richard J. Trudeau, The Non-Euclidean Revolution, Birkhauser Boston, 1987 Today is the feast day of Saint Jorge Luis Borges (b. Buenos Aires, August 24, 1899 - d. Geneva, June 14, 1986). From Borges's "The Aleph": "The Faithful who gather at the mosque of Amr, in Cairo, are acquainted with the fact that the entire universe lies inside one of the stone pillars that ring its central court.... The mosque dates from the seventh century; the pillars come from other temples of pre-Islamic religions.... Does this Aleph exist in the heart of a stone?" ("Los fieles que concurren a la mezquita de Amr, en el Cairo, saben muy bien que el universo está en el interior de una de las columnas de piedra que rodean el patio central.... la mezquita data del siglo VII; las columnas proceden de otros templos de religiones anteislámicas.... ¿Existe ese Aleph en lo íntimo de una piedra?") From The Hunchback of Notre Dame:
Lena Olin and Harrison Ford Posted 6/14/2003 at 5:00 PM |
Born on this date: "Surely some revelation Behold a Pale Horse: In Slouching Towards
Today's site music, a piano rendition of "Speak Low," from "One Touch of Venus," was suggested by
Ms. Hollywood has an essay in the April 2003 Princeton journal Theology Today. My own theological interests (besides those expressed in the "black triangle" link above) are much closer to those in a 2001 First Things essay, The End of Endings. Washington Square Press paperback, 1981, page 222 Posted 6/13/2003 at 3:17 PM |
Posted 6/13/2003 at 12:02 AM |
From yesterday's New York Times:
Posted 6/11/2003 at 3:33 PM |
xxx Posted 6/10/2003 at 7:11 PM |
The Triangular God From the New York Times of June 10, 2003:
Related material:
From "The Cocktail Party," Act One, Scene One, by T. S. Eliot:
From T. S. Eliot, The Complete Poems and Plays, 1909-1950 (Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1952), page 144:
From the end of that same book:
For more on this song, see
See also my previous journal entry of and the perceptive analysis of the Shakti-Shiva symbol that I quoted on May 25, 2003. Here is a note from Sept. 15, 1984, for those who would like to See also Block Designs from the Cabinet of Dr. Montessori and Sacerdotal Jargon. Posted 6/10/2003 at 4:35 PM |
Of Time and the River Today is the feast day of Saint Gerard Manley Hopkins, "immortal diamond."
Jeff MacNelly, who died on this date in the Year of Our Lord 2000,
From my Monday, June 2, 2003 entry: Two quotations from "The Diamond Project":
Here are some other thoughts from the same date, but a different time, fictional time, Faulkner time:
The concluding link from my June 2, 2003, entry furnishes a clue to the timelessness of Quentin Compson's thoughts above:
From the King James Bible's rendition of the Song of Songs:
For Quentin Compson's thoughts on his little sister Caddy, consult the online hypertext edition of Posted 6/8/2003 at 3:04 AM |
For the birthday of Miss Jessica Tandy
The web page where I found today's midi of "Wien, Wien, nur du allein" offers a view of the pulpit of the Stephansdom in Vienna. From Hermann Weyl's Symmetry:
The closest to Weyl's Figure 41 that I can find on the Web is located here. Perhaps Stanley Kowalski had a lower opinion than Blanche DuBois of swastika-like wheels. Posted 6/7/2003 at 6:00 AM |
"Philosophers ponder the idea of identity: what it is to give something a name on Monday and have it respond to that name on Friday." From my entry of Monday, June 2, 2003: William Holden and Martha Scott
From a website titled Child of a Voice:
From a July 1999 review of a novel: "The good news is that this is perhaps Ben Mezrich’s finest thriller. The irony is that he used a pen name on it."
Posted 6/6/2003 at 4:04 PM |
Regime Change Departing New York Times executive editor "Remember, when a great story breaks out,
From the date "Good Will Hunting" was released:
Postscript of June 5, 2003: "...while the scientist sees everything that happens in one point of space, the poet feels everything that happens in one point of time ... all forming an instantaneous and transparent organism of events...." Posted 6/5/2003 at 7:11 PM |
Fearful Meditation, Part II — "Where is Evelyn Waugh when you need him?" "Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell — Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell. Click on pictures for details. Posted 6/4/2003 at 5:24 PM |
Fearful Meditation — A follow-up to yesterday
O fearful meditation! Where, alack, — Shakespeare, Sonnet 65 Pop Culture's answer: "Flashes of fire,
Click on the album title "0304" for details. A different answer:
Click on the date "03/04" for details. Posted 6/3/2003 at 3:04 AM |
Solomon's Seal — A follow-up to my May 28 entry, From the New York Times of May (Mental Health Month) 31, 2003: Martha Scott,
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Yet Another False Statement
From Xanga.com:
60 Hours and Counting...
Xanga News
Thursday, May 29, 2003
Posted 6/1/2003 at 2:05 AM |