Gina's Blog

It's been a loooooong time

2007-10-05T08:10:00.001-07:00

I confess: I unceremoniously abandoned this blog a year ago when I got a position as blog editor at BreakPoint. To blog all day and then blog in my free time was just too much. However, I've heard that people still come to this blog occasionally and wonder what happened. So if you've been looking for me, you can now find me at http://thepoint.breakpoint.org. I apologize for not saying something about this much earlier. Thanks to those of you who read this blog, and please come join us over at The Point!

Remembering

2006-09-11T19:25:00.000-07:00

There's not much to say today that hasn't already been eloquently said over the past five years. The truest and the most profound things one could say are still the plainest and most obvious: Thank God for those who gave their lives for us that day -- perhaps quite literally for my colleagues and me who were in Washington at the time. God help the ones who loved them and will never forget them. God protect us and keep us all.

If you haven't already rewatched the footage today, James Lileks has posted a short compilation of clips that I really think is worth watching. It's personalized by shots of his daughter playing on the floor as the buildings went up in smoke. Nothing could be simpler or more heartbreaking.

The music at the end of the video is the same tune we sang in our church choir yesterday, with different words, under the title "A Prayer for our Time." The new lyrics were written for the first anniversrary of 9/11. I can't find them online to link to, but I can at least post the closing lines:

Eternal Father, ever be
Our refuge in the time of need. Amen.

Poor Tom Shales

2006-09-07T06:54:00.000-07:00

When is the Washington Post going to pull a Frank Rich and move this poor guy to the op-ed page? It's increasingly obvious (just ask him!) that this entertainment gig he's stuck in is holding back one of the most brilliant and original political minds of our generation.

Filthy bedfellows

2006-08-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

Had I known who Ned Lamont's new buddy was, I might have gone up to Connecticut and campaigned against him myself.

Welcome to product placement hell

2006-08-06T16:23:00.000-07:00

I grew up on the Anne of Green Gables books (the miniseries are NO comparison), and one of my favorites was Anne of the Island, about Anne's college years. One thing in it puzzled me, though, when I was a kid: the part where Anne writes a story, and a friend of hers secretly takes it and works in a couple of plugs for baking powder so that the story can win a contest. Anne's distress over this made no sense to me. I simply didn't understand what was so awful about advertising a product in a story.

Now that I'm grown up, I understand. Unfortunately, most of the grown-ups who make their living writing stories do not.

The new bigotry?

2006-07-26T17:18:00.000-07:00

So this guy is bellyaching to an advice columnist about his family signing the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment petition. She tells him he shouldn't condemn his family based on their names being on a website, that their names might have been put there fraudulently, that they might have misunderstood what the petition is all about, etc., etc.

Notice what she doesn't say?

She doesn't say that, if his family did sign the petition and did understand what it was all about, that this is their own valid point of view and their right to express it freely. The implication is clear: that such an action would be wrong on their part.

Think I'm exaggerating? I think this attitude has been developing for a long time -- you see signs of it all over the place -- and we're going to see more and more of it. Once homosexuality was declared an inborn and unchangeable trait (even for those who would like to change), it was inevitable that one day people who sign petitions against same-sex marriage would be placed on the same level as those who wouldn't let black people sit at lunch counters or at the front of buses. And that, of course, would mean that the petition-signers' views have no place and no right to be considered among decent people.

Superwuss (or, Is it really THAT hard to write a good superhero?)

2006-07-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

Two excellent writers, whom I'm lucky enough to call acquaintances, help explain why Superman Returns has been something of a superflop this summer. I'm not sure quite why or how this happened, but somehow our culture has lost the ability to create or to sustain a decent hero. First, the creators of Smallville, in the space of five years, manage to turn the perfectly nice teenage Clark Kent they started with into a lazy, selfish brat who's better at getting people killed than saving them. Now we get a dour movie with little of the joy or hope you'd expect from a Superman story, instead providing us with a heaping helping of superhero angst.

Which is why I ditched plans to see it and ended up going to the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie instead. It wasn't nearly as good as the first, but at least, thanks be to God, Captain Jack hasn't yet taken to whimpering that he's all alone in the world and nobody wuvs him. Right now that fact alone is worth quite a few points in my book, and apparently in a lot of other people's books as well.

Reason #3,417

2006-07-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

. . . why I want to be James Lileks when I grow up. (Scroll down and you'll know which section I'm referring to.) Nothing gets my goat quite as much as the fathomless contempt of the tolerant class for their inferiors. And no one skewers the tolerant class quite like the inimitable (sadly for me) Mr. Lileks.

You don't say

2006-07-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

"In-home eating 'rules' may improve teens' diet"

Wow.

I suppose the next headline will be, "Housebreaking keeps puppies from pooping on floor."

You've got to be kidding me

2006-07-06T06:23:00.000-07:00

So the Emmys were supposed to have this new "blue-ribbon panel" that were going to make the award nominations so much better and more well-rounded and more fair. And that means HUGH LAURIE GETS NO NOMINATION FOR HOUSE??

The Emmy people didn't upgrade their nominating process. They just started smoking a stronger brand of crack.

I'm still alive

2006-06-30T13:34:00.000-07:00

But just stopping by to wish The Blog Dad a very happy birthday. More soon (I hope) . . .

Can you stand one more?

2006-06-04T17:38:00.000-07:00

One more "Da Vinci Code" piece, I mean? I know, I know, you're all probably as Da Vinci'ed out as I am by this point, but no subject is ever complete until Lileks weighs in. The line about Granny and the bridge club alone makes it worth the read.

I'm a godmother!

2006-05-25T07:37:00.000-07:00

My best friend had her first baby yesterday, Lydia. Everyone is doing well last I heard. Time to brush up on my spoiling technique!

Nobody does it better

2006-05-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

I have a piece online about The Da Vinci Code. So does Mark Steyn. As usual, his is better.

(I also have up an interview with Steve Saint, about the controversial casting of End of the Spear, though it's a little late to be mentioning that.)

Give Dan Brown credit for this much

2006-05-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning one of our pastors began a four-week series on The Da Vinci Code. It was an excellent sermon steeped in church history -- which is something we hardly ever talk about at my church. He actually apologized that we weren't going to open our Bibles that morning, but just hear about extra-biblical historical sources.

Heck, we even recited the Nicene Creed!

Don't get me wrong, I love my evangelical church very deeply. But there's no denying we're lacking in knowledge about the church's historical foundations. And it's knowledge that we need. Without it, you get people like this guy. And, of course, people like Dan Brown.

We were way overdue for this. It's just a bit of a shame that it took a bestselling piece of heresy to make us get into it.

I'm a slacker

2006-03-30T05:40:00.000-08:00

. . . and I apologize. I've been shamefully neglecting the blog while tending to things like, well, real life. I haven't forgotten about it and am going to try for some updates this weekend. Just posting to let my readers (if I have any left) know that I haven't dropped dead!

A little Oscar reading

2006-03-05T15:38:00.000-08:00

I couldn't have said it better myself. Even the Blog Dad couldn't have said it better, and True Grit is his favorite movie (along with Patton).

A case for congratulations

2006-02-26T14:42:00.000-08:00

It wasn't a gold-winning performance, but it was a performance more than worthy of silver -- especially when accompanied by a winning attitude. Well done, Sasha.

Today's the day!

2006-02-23T05:52:00.000-08:00

Are you ready to root for Sasha Cohen for gold tonight?

If not, why not? Come on, people, let's get with it!

Happy birthday!

2006-02-15T18:39:00.000-08:00

My big sister is 33 today. And since she doesn't read this blog (that I know of), she won't know I just announced her age on the Internet. :-) But in case she does, happy birthday, Joy.

Ugh

2006-02-08T13:25:00.000-08:00

Do me a favor, okay? If I ever become famous -- or even if I don't -- don't let anyone talk politics, of any kind, during my funeral. Thank you.

One woman I would not want to be

2006-01-23T16:14:00.000-08:00

In honor of the new Mrs. Michael Schiavo: A serenade.

Go Steelers!

2006-01-23T16:11:00.000-08:00

Okay, I don't really follow football. But The Blog Dad does, and this is big for him, so many congratulations on the win.

(While we're on the topic of sports, I may as well mention a victory that meant a lot to me personally: Congratulations to Sasha Cohen, 2006 U.S. figure skating champion and up-and-coming Olympian!)

More housekeeping

2006-01-21T21:10:00.000-08:00

I now have a blogroll! Thanks a million for your help, Greg.

Cool news of the day

2006-01-11T08:16:00.000-08:00

Chris Rice, the most unique and poetic of Christian singer/songwriters -- perhaps the most unique and poetic of ANY living singer/songwriters -- has a blog. And unlike so many celebrities, he actually has something to say.

Also some new music -- or music that was new last summer when I meant to write about it. Newish, anyhow. They're some of his most beautiful songs yet, and I highly recommend them.

Housekeeping

2005-12-17T12:27:00.000-08:00

So I FINALLY figured out that there's a way to let people post comments on here even if they don't have an account with Blogger. And it only took me, what, a year? Sorry. I do think I mentioned earlier, though, that the technical side of computers is by and large a mystery to me. I seriously considered naming this blog "The Technological Dunce," just to warn everyone what to expect, or rather what not to expect, from me. (I STILL haven't figured out how to create a blogroll.)

So anyway, I've made the necessary arrangements; you may post away if you're so inclined. I apologize, though, that you'll have to take a simple test first to prove to the system that you're a human being. I figured out how to get that going as well, to cut back on the spamming. Seemed easier and cheaper than putting up barbed wire to keep the little pests out.

Channeling Schroeder

2005-12-16T23:40:00.000-08:00

A very happy birthday to my favorite composer. (I tried to find one of those Schroeder-playing-Beethoven strips to link to -- you wouldn't believe how hard they are to find!) Two hundred thirty-five years old, and he's still not showing his age. :-)

"But you should know . . ."

2005-12-05T22:17:00.000-08:00

". . . that not everyone is on the same side politically."

Good Lord, what a great line. Demolishes the Stepford mentality of the PC crowd in one simple sentence that can be said with a polite smile. Why didn't I ever think of this? I usually just splutter incoherently instead. I don't always agree with Cathy Seipp, but props to her for this one.

News from the REAL Wisteria Lane

2005-11-30T08:20:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I finished reading Jan Karon's final Mitford novel. This would be cause for great distress -- to be perfectly plain, I'd be sobbing in the fetal position -- had she not promised to write three more novels with Father Tim and Cynthia, even though they'll be set in different locations. Thank God for small favors!

Revisiting the American Girl front, while I'm still disappointed about the pro-abortion connection, I have to give credit where credit is due. Last night's American Girl movie had women saying things I never expected to hear on network TV -- things about how worthwhile it is to be a good wife and mother and take care of your family. Not to mention keeping your promises and helping others even if it means having to give up what you want. I may faint.

(Of course John Schneider's exceeding handsomeness in colonial garb has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with my opinion of the movie. Or with my fainting.)

Praise for chaste women

2005-11-15T12:41:00.000-08:00

It's always heartening to read something like this, especially when you've recently been wondering if there's a hope in Hades of getting this message across to your generation. And from the "Village Voice," yet! If you want to know just how amazing that is, take a look at some of the items in the lefthand column there (but only if you're an adult, please).

Of course, I think Bussel's a bit paranoid to think that Wendy Shalit's attacking her or anyone. But I'll forgive her for that one, since she gives out a link to Shalit's website. If any news is better than the idea that the "Village Voice" is willing to take a non-mocking look at chastity, it's the news that Wendy Shalit has a website!

Valley of the dolls

2005-10-20T12:30:00.000-07:00

First Barbie takes a page out of the Bratz book and goes slutty. Now the American Girl people are contributing to pro-abortion causes in the name of girl power.

What's next, same-sex weddings in the Cabbage Patch?

(Sorry I haven't been able to blog for a while.)

Best news I've heard in a while

2005-09-25T13:54:00.000-07:00

Wendy Shalit is back in the game -- I've seen two articles by her just this week, and apparently she's also working on her second book. Of all the writers our society should be listening to, she's up at the top of the list. (See also her brilliant first book.)

I'm shocked, shocked!

2005-09-24T21:00:00.000-07:00

Oprah fudges the facts.

Must-miss TV

2005-09-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

I decided it wasn't fair to hate Ghost Whisperer just because it took Joan of Arcadia's slot. So I took a look at it last night.

Now I just hate it because it's stupid.

And people in hell want ice water

2005-09-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

"Hinckley Wants Girlfriend, Psychologist Says in Court"

Sorry, but I don't need a guy THAT badly.

(Thanks to The Blog Dad.)

I think I need to stop writing about TV

2005-09-18T08:37:00.000-07:00

Because every time I give a show a good review, it then heads straight for the crapper.

I haven't given up on the show yet, as there are still good things in it. But with clowns like this at the helm, it makes me wonder if even the good things will be around for much longer.

And we think we have problems

2005-09-02T20:18:00.000-07:00

Puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

Hate to say 'We told you so'

2005-08-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

But, well, we told you so.

How (not) to win readers

2005-08-21T20:15:00.000-07:00

Insult the ones you already have. (Scroll to the second item.)

Finally . . .

2005-08-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

Someone talks sense about Dobson. There hasn't been a lot of that going around lately.

They're just not getting it

2005-08-17T22:17:00.000-07:00

This from USA Today on The Da Vinci Code:

"But many Christians have been offended by the book's central claim — that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had descendants."

Um, no. Many Christians have been offended by the book's central claim that Jesus is not the Son of God. (And that the church knew but tried to cover it up, and that His TRUE followers honor Him with secret sex rituals.) But I'll pay you five dollars for every explanation of that simple fact that shows up in any newspaper.

Honestly, people. Do your research.

Proof that we live in the 21st century

2005-07-27T07:24:00.000-07:00

Little boy calling to mom in airport: "Bye! See you on the webcam!"

I witnessed that little moment as I was leaving for vacation. Which I'm still on, and which will mean no updates for a while. (Blogging is not what I'm supposed to be doing with the company's laptop, although they probably won't mind this one update. And hopefully they won't mind the occasional message board visit either, although I'm trying to cut down there too. Someone send me the number for Web Junkies Anonymous, will you?) I'll see you all later!

It must be nice to live in Hollywood

2005-07-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

Because you're always getting surprised.

Politics, etc.

2005-07-19T21:56:00.000-07:00

Whoa. A conservative white male. I didn't think Bush had the nerve. But then, he does like to surprise people.

As for Mr. Bush's former rival, apparently he should've stuck to the Internet.

I realize I never said anything about the London bombings, by the way. I guess everyone else said it better than I could. But my prayers and my thoughts are there.

Bibliodeficiencyphobia

2005-07-11T22:27:00.000-07:00

Holy cow, there's a name for it. And I thought I was the only one who had it!

(Because Corner links rarely seem to work right, here's the text:

"OFF TO CRUISE [Rich Lowry]
Headed out, after confronting my usual packing problem. I have an obsessive fear of being caught short on reading material on trips. I don't know what this phobia is called--am I a bibliodeficencyphobic or something like that?--but it's a major crimp in my travel. Sure, I tell myself, this thick novel should be enough to last me a week. But what if it doesn't engage my interest? What if I have more time on my hands than I thought and get through it relatively quickly? Better take something else. But what if that other book proves very skimmable and it lasts less than a day? Better take something else. But what? What if I take the wrong thing, and feel the urge to read something else instead? And on it goes until I've stuffed my bag with so many books--the vast majority of which will go untouched--that I've got to worry about how to fit all my clothes.
Posted at 11:18 AM")

Speaking of Steyn

2005-07-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

I think he must have crawled inside my brain. I'm looking at my new "Little Women, The Musical" CD this morning (highly recommended by an online buddy) and wondering just why such a promising-sounding production did so badly on Broadway. I flip it open to read the synopsis, and my Steyn-trained eye immediately lights on "The story opens in New York City. . . . Jo March has recently arrived from Concord." Well, DUH. You don't open "Little Women" with Jo off by herself. There's the key to your flop, right there.

Good grief. I guess now I know everything there is to know about writing a musical, huh? Too bad I don't have a creative bone in my body. But anyone who loves theater, make sure you read Steyn's Broadway Babies Say Goodnight sometime. (And pay special attention to pp. 13-19 if you're wondering how it's possible for the first ten minutes to kill a show.) Brilliant work. The chapter on Sondheim alone ("to be cut from a Sondheim flop is as high praise as you can get") is worth the price of admission.

He's back, baby!

2005-07-08T19:09:00.000-07:00

"Monk's" back! "Monk's" back! Don't anyone try to get hold of me between 10 and 11 tonight -- I'll be getting my "Monk" fix. 'Cause he's back. (In case you hadn't heard.)

"She believed in grace"

2005-07-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

An epitaph worth having. A marvelous review that made me add to my to-read list again (which I really shouldn't be doing, as it's already about 17,000 books long).

Steyn rocks (even more than usual)

2005-07-06T23:03:00.000-07:00

So it seems there were all these big rock concerts last weekend for charity. I found myself looking at headlines and thinking, "Hm, guess I should've followed that more closely, maybe." And then I thought, "No need -- I'll get everything I need to know from Steyn."

As ever, the great one did not disappoint.

(And then, of course, I found myself assigned to write about the event for work and had to get serious about it. But out of everything I had to read for research, Steyn's was still the best.)

That's it, I AM old

2005-07-04T23:23:00.000-07:00

So I'm reading last week's Washington Post (the blog is not the only place where I keep getting behind), and I find this article about quotes that SHOULD have been on the AFI's list. (See below -- I'm too lazy to link right now). And what should hit me right smack-dab in the eye but Jack Lemmon's immortal "Captain, it is I, Ensign Pulver, and I just threw your stinkin' palm tree overboard."

I can't believe I forgot to gripe about that one not being on the list. My most abject apologies, Mr. Lemmon.

(And incidentally, how come you always got the movies with the best lines? You must have had an absolute genius for picking the right script.)

Just wondering

2005-07-04T23:16:00.000-07:00

When Washington is the nation's capital, how come Boston puts on a better show every year?

Oh, well, let's just be happy that there's a city that knows how to throw a birthday party for the nation, no matter which city it is. Happy Fourth!

Preach it, Peggy

2005-07-03T22:58:00.000-07:00

Wow. When Peggy the Perpetually Positive gets on your case, you know you need to make a change or two.

By the way, a belated Happy Birthday (June 30) to The Blog Dad. I keep telling him he needs to do something about his birthday being so close to Father's Day, but no success so far.

Oh, DEAR

2005-06-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

Just when everyone was getting sick of metrosexuals . . .

(Link courtesy of Dave Barry's blog. As if you couldn't guess.)

Let it never be said . . .

2005-06-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

. . . that conservatives can't be objective.

I think I'm getting old

2005-06-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

There was a time when I'd anticipate the AFI top 100 lists for weeks. I'd try to guess all 100 of the winners in advance, in order, and keep track of how many I got right. Now, it's all I can do to catch about half an hour of the show.

Still . . . this is a pretty darn cool list of quotes, when you come to look at it.

And . . . WHOA, will you look at Pierce Brosnan! Hello, handsome!

Maybe I'm not as old as I thought.

Let's hear it for Dad

2005-06-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

I've been reading a lot of good tributes to dads lately -- seems like a great day to share some of them! (I know, it never rains but it pours around here. You might want to set aside a half-hour or so if you want to read every one of these.)

-- First, if you haven't been following this story of a husband and father who's losing his wife but fighting for his child, please do. And say a prayer for them.

-- Second, read Jonah Goldberg's moving words about his father, who recently passed away: "He was, and will always be, what my entire world stands on."

-- Third, for some long overdue words of praise for my favorite TV dad, go here and here and here (one of mine). John Schneider, incidentally, is a Christian who's long been advocating better portrayals of fathers on televsion. Nice to see him finally getting some recognition for his own portrayal.

-- Last but far from least, a few words of my own: There's no better, wiser, or funnier dad out there, real or fictional, than The Blog Dad. He transcends Lileks's categories like no other: He can handle the mushy stuff just fine, yet he really did bench-press a Rottweiler for me once. True story. (Though if asked, he'll clarify that he didn't bench-press it, he body-slammed it.) A very happy Father's Day to him above all.

But was she already dying?

2005-06-18T13:56:00.000-07:00

The question that not enough people are asking.

I don't know about you, but I find it creepy that so many people are latching onto this "retrospective" argument. So every time there's doubt about how much brain damage a person has, we should kill him or her to find out?

Gasp!

2005-06-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

Mr. Lileks! You don't SERIOUSLY believe that all modern-day Sinatra fans are in it for the Mob Cool thing, do you? I did not expect such a narrow view from you, my columnistic (is that a word?) idol.

Listen, I'm not into the Sopranos at all -- and I don't particularly care for Kennedys, either. Mafia ties are something to mourn, not celebrate. Sinatra's not about that -- for me, or my best friend who introduced me to him (figuratively, of course), or for a whole host of other fans. He's about putting that CD into the player and getting carried away by the voice and the swing and the fun and the emotion and all the rest of it.

Badly put, Mr. Lileks.

However. I could forgive you pretty much anything for this gem of a review of Star Wars. "WAR! The crawl begins, helpfully noting that 'Evil is everywhere.' Yes, well, that'll happen."

And it just gets better from there. As with all the best Lileks writings, there's a magic to the way you put words together.

Kind of like the way Sinatra puts notes together.

If you'll forgive me for saying so.

At a bookstore near you

2005-06-06T23:01:00.000-07:00

I've got a review in the current issue of National Review, of Kazuo Ishiguro's novel Never Let Me Go. Excellent book. There, I just spared you the trouble of reading the review. :-) If you've got a subscription to NR, though, you can pull up the digital version on their website.

And while you're at it . . .

2005-06-01T22:24:00.000-07:00

Please read this blog entry from Karen Hall, sister of Joan of Arcadia's creator (and a TV writer in her own right). And then fire off a note to Sony as suggested. You may know that Joan's chances are looking pretty dead right now -- but Ms. Hall seems to think there just might be a sliver of hope. And if there ever was a show that deserved a second chance, folks, this is it.

Take a minute and speak up

2005-06-01T22:04:00.000-07:00

I just sent the following to faces@thewb.com. You might consider sending something similar (politely worded, of course).

I'm writing to say that I don't think it's such a great idea to be airing condom commercials during "Smallville." It's bad enough that the show sent some pretty damaging messages about sexuality this season. (Clark deciding to keep dating the girl who drugged him and nearly raped him? Not to mention small-town high school cheerleaders who look like "Playboy" Playmates? Please.) You really don't need to send the message that just using a condom makes sex all right for young people who are still too emotionally immature to handle all the ramifications -- or that condoms are 100 percent protection from diseases and pregnancy. I hope you'll rethink this decision and not air any more such ads in the future. Thank you.

"In God's Image"

2005-05-31T22:31:00.000-07:00

Wonderful piece here about worldview and creativity -- with a nod to Flannery O'Connor, whom I like, and Dorothy L. Sayers, whom I adore. (It's not exaggerating to say that the latter changed my life.)

Only paragraph I didn't care for was the old "Beethoven as the harbinger of the fallacy of Romanticism" stereotype. Maybe he was, but it's not like he did it on purpose. He certainly wasn't a Wagner or Nietszche type!

Oh, well. I'm off now to watch my new "Dukes of Hazzard" DVD.

Let's face it, I'm weird.

Memorial Day thoughts

2005-05-30T23:01:00.000-07:00

Another one of those holidays when it's hard to say, "Have a happy . . ."

I'll turn things over to Mark Steyn now, as he's one Canadian who truly gets what this day is about.

Will wonders never cease?

2005-05-29T20:56:00.000-07:00

I truly never thought I'd hear myself say this, but . . . Go Joan Didion! A very well-thought-out piece of work here. Now, if only she'd written it before Terri died instead of after . . .

(Thanks to Roberto and Douglas.)

The curse of the TomKat

2005-05-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

Make. It. Stop.

The next Gene Kelly?

2005-05-23T22:11:00.000-07:00

If this is true, kill me now.

Another hero

2005-05-22T23:00:00.000-07:00

To add a bit more to the last entry, there’s one more Loreno brother—the oldest—who didn’t get a mention in the article. He wanted to go to war, but the work he was doing as a welder was too valuable to the war effort, and they made him stay home.

Nonetheless, I think of my grandfather as a hero. I don’t want to be one of those people who overuses the word till it has no meaning left. But he was a man who stayed faithfully at his post and did a job that must have been tedious at best when he wanted very badly to be doing something else. And beyond that, Grandpa is my own personal example of what it means to love—not your enemies, perhaps, but at least your opponents. You might say, how to have opponents without turning them into enemies.

I’ll never forget one particular day Mom and I got into a political argument with him over something or other (he was an FDR Democrat to the day of his death). He caught me in the hall afterwards and told me, “I love you, my little Republican granddaughter.”

Does that make Albert Loreno a hero? In this day and age, I tend to think it does.

'Tribute to a fallen hero'

2005-05-19T22:59:00.000-07:00

I've been MIA again for some time, and again, I'm sorry. Still trying to get the hang of this blogging thing -- particularly the idea that you're supposed to do it EVERY DAY. Amazing how daunting that idea can be. But I am still alive, and I am still trying to keep this going. (My grad school class just finished for the summer, so that should be a help, I hope.)

That said . . .

I want to share something that ran in my great-uncle's local paper after he died on Good Friday. I can't find it anywhere online, so I'll have to reprint it in its entirety. It may look long, but it really is worth a read. Like this reporter, I'm another who will miss Uncle Chub's utterly fascinating war stories. (Everyone called him Chub -- I have no idea why, because to the end of his life the man was as fit as any 20-year-old who spends hours a day in the gym!)

"Tribute to a fallen hero
Earl Corp

"The word hero means different things to different people.

"To a kid it might be the Little League coach or Scout leader who takes time out of their own life to give the child an opportunity to succeed or feel special.

"To some, it could be the firefighter or cop who keep our lives and property safe.

"Or the single mom raising two kids and holding down two jobs.

"My definition of a hero is an ordinary person who has faced extraordinary circumstances or overwhelming odds and overcome them.

"Actually, the people who have put their life on the line to ensure I am free to sit at this computer and report the news are my heroes.

"In November, I had the opportunity to add to my list of heroes when I interviewed the four Loreno brothers.

"All four served in World War II and came home. None were wounded.

"Each of the brothers graciously took time to sit down and talk about their experiences with me.

"While all the stories were interesting, the brother to whom I felt most akin was Charles.

"Charles had been an infantryman in every major European campaign from Africa to D-day through the Battle of the Bulge.

"I also served as an infantryman in the U.S. Army, though not in combat.

"Charles told me stories that had me on the edge of my seat.

"Never making himself the hero or embellishing his role, Charles talked to me as if I was a comrade and made me feel very comfortable.

"Time seemed to fly as I listened to his tales, some humorous, others sad.

"When the war was over, Charles came home and started the life he had had to put on hold for four years.

"Over the next 60 years, he worked, raised a family and contributed to society.

"Just a normal Joe in Greenville, nothing fancy. You could have passed Charles in a store and never known you were in the presence of a hero.

"He didn’t make a big deal over his military service.

"To him it was just a chapter in his life.

"Unfortunately, the story ended for Charles last Friday, he passed away.

"His brother Ed told me during viewing hours Charles died peacefully in his sleep.

"Not a bad way to go, considering all Charles had been through during the war.

"The afternoon spent with Charles Loreno will always be a great source of pride for me as a reporter.

"I was given the honor to record history from a source quickly disappearing every day—a World War II veteran.

"I urge anyone to take advantage of the opportunity to talk to these living history resources before they’re gone.

"History books or movies can’t give the same feel for an event as someone who had been there and done that.

"It was a privilege to have met Charles and his brothers. It was a pleasure to record their stories.

"I know heartfelt condolences go out to the Loreno family from myself and the entire Record-Argus family.

"--Earl Corp is a (Greenville, Pa.) Record-Argus staff writer."

What's sauce for the goose . . .

2005-05-03T08:43:00.000-07:00

Warning: This piece, about the long overdue backlash against "V-Day," contains adult language and crude descriptions. But it's definitely worth a read.

'Stay-at-Home Moms Deserve High Pay, Analysis Shows'

2005-05-02T18:17:00.000-07:00

No joke, Sherlock.

Scott Peterson in your pew

2005-05-02T17:21:00.000-07:00

"You probably didn’t notice Scott Peterson in church this past Sunday. But he was there. . . . There were little boys and young men in our congregations this past Sunday who are wondering what it means to be a man, who have no idea what it means to be a protector of women and children."

This is one amazing article, ladies and gentlemen. Please make sure you read it and pass it along. (Thanks to Catherina for sharing it with me.)

Just when you think it can't get worse . . .

2005-04-28T20:46:00.000-07:00

It gets worse.

(Here's contact info for Paramount. Lord knows if it'll do any good to contact them, but it's better than doing nothing.)

More on 'Joan'

2005-04-22T07:10:00.000-07:00

From creator Barbara Hall:

"I wanted to do a show about a girl warrior. It's based on the life of the actual Joan of Arc. God didn't ask her to do anything simple. He asked her to get an army together and go to war. That's why she's my favorite saint, because that sounds so un-godlike. We all have a hard time dealing with that particular God. Even Joan of Arc had trouble dealing with it. It was a violent calling.

"One of the commandments of this show is that evil exists, and that's why we're not Buddhists. It isn't just in how you look at it, not in my world."

Again, if you haven't yet contacted CBS about saving this show, make sure you do.

A Protestant on the new pope

2005-04-20T07:36:00.000-07:00

He may be a non-Catholic (heck, so am I), but still, Lileks nails it.

"The selection of Ratzinger was initially heartening, simply because he made the right people apoplectic. I’m still astonished that some can see a conservative elevated to the papacy and think: a man of tradition? As Pope? How could this be? As if there this was some golden moment that would usher in the age of married priests who shuttle between blessing third-trimester abortions and giving last rites to someone who’s about to have the chemical pillow put over his face."

Nice guys finish first

2005-04-14T22:46:00.000-07:00

I've been a bad and neglectful blogger lately. But I'm coming out of hibernation to celeberate the fact that Gilead won this year's Pulitzer Prize for fiction. It's the story of a truly good man -- my favorite kind of story. (Not to be accused of sexism, I'll add that stories of truly good women are also high on the list. :-) ) And it's written by a devout Christian, which helps explain the assumption that goodness does exist and is something worth striving for. Highly recommended.

So, a living will solves everything?

2005-04-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

Yeah, right.

Don't let this one get away

2005-04-06T17:26:00.000-07:00

Please take a moment tonight and contact CBS (just scroll down to "Feedback") to ask them to renew Joan of Arcadia. My mom and I love this show -- one of the few that actually explores issues and relationships with real depth, heart, and humor, and acknowledges that the divine just might have a role to play in our world. In particular, they've brought a refreshingly mature attitude (and I mean really mature, not "mature" as in supposedly "mature films") to the subject of teen sexuality. Not easy to do, as anyone could testify who's witnessed Smallville's remarkably ham-handed approach to the topic this season (and I say that as one who loves Smallville). Too many good shows get canceled early -- let's see if we can help this one survive.

Speaking of my mother, I was going through some old posts the other day and noticed that I completely forgot to mention her birthday, which was the same month as my sister's. (I did celebrate it with her, I just forgot to blog about it!) A very belated but very sincere "happy birthday" to The Blog Mom.

Rest in peace, Terri Schiavo

2005-03-31T12:08:00.000-08:00

"Schiavo Dies 13 Days after Tube Removed"

***

"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." --Paul

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." --Jesus

Peace lovers

2005-03-30T16:36:00.000-08:00

"Earlham student hits pundit with pie"

Read it all -- the last line's the kicker.

I'm begging you

2005-03-30T14:03:00.000-08:00

Please, if I ever end up in any kind of incapacitated state, don't let this nutjob anywhere within a hundred miles of me. I always suspected Felos was a little weird, but this beats all.

(By the way, "three sheets to the moonbeam" is my new favorite phrase.)

Stop the presses!

2005-03-29T16:54:00.000-08:00

"College Faculties a Most Liberal Lot, Study Finds"

You don't say.

Have a blessed Easter

2005-03-27T09:09:00.000-08:00

"He is not here; for He is risen, as He said."

Read it and weep

2005-03-26T22:56:00.000-08:00

Susan Konig:

"When I saw The Passion of the Christ, the moment that affected me the most was Mary trying to get to Jesus as he labored under the cross through the streets of Jerusalem. A disciple led her through the back streets past the crowds to her son and the whole time I'm thinking, what will she say when she gets to him? What could anyone say to someone who is suffering so much, who is so seemingly without hope? When she finally reaches him she says the perfect thing — the words any child wants to hear from his mother, 'I'm here.'

"It was so moving because it was so right. Director Mel Gibson imagined this meeting, the dialogue. But how precise.

"I've been thinking about this a lot lately — I'm writing this on Good Friday. Watching Terri Schiavo's tragedy unfold in front of the world, I think of the videotape where her mom moves her daughter's head to be able to look into her face and suddenly Terri's eyes brighten and she seems to smile. Her mother, Mary Schindler, is there saying, 'I'm here.'"

'In Love with Death'

2005-03-25T05:32:00.000-08:00

Peggy Noonan on Terri Schiavo, again:

"Why are they so committed to this woman's death?

They seem to have fallen half in love with death.

What does Terri Schiavo's life symbolize to them? What does the idea that she might continue to live suggest to them?

Why does this prospect so unnerve them? Again, if you think Terri Schiavo is a precious human gift of God, your passion is explicable. The passion of the pull-the-tube people is not."

***

Or as my mom asked the other day, "Why are people so gleeful that she's going to die?"

Why, indeed?

Good Friday thoughts

2005-03-25T05:27:00.000-08:00

My sister and I always used to wonder what you were supposed to say to people on this day. "Happy Good Friday" just doesn't seem suitable, somehow.

David Rensberger has some significant thoughts to offer on the subject:

"Good Friday is the one Christian “holiday” that the wider culture, even in America, has not taken up. It is the one holy day whose Christian significance cannot be bleached out to leave a commercially viable residue. Christmas can be for children and families, for shopping, for feasting. Easter can be bunnies and baby chicks, the newness of spring and a whole lot of chocolate. Even a couple of days marked out to honor saints in some Christian traditions—Valentine, Patrick—have been pretty much entirely taken over by a culture of romance and hedonism, sex and shopping.

"Not this day. There is nothing marketable about Good Friday. Suffering, sacrifice, injustice, betrayal—what’s to celebrate? What’s to shop for? Who could pig out on a day like that?

"The absolute impossibility of adapting Good Friday to consumer culture is most evident in the fact that even the greeting card industry, which seems capable of churning out more or less appropriate little notes for every conceivable religious event and life occasion, has nothing for today. Can you imagine it?
Because he bled and died,
    We’re all choked up inside.
It’s not a lovely day,
   But I still hope you’re okay.

   Wishing you and yours a joyless, grave,
   and yet oddly hopeful Good Friday."

"There is simply no way for a culture devoted to lightweight enjoyment and superficial relationships to come to terms with Good Friday. It is, in a sense, the last bulwark of genuine Christian spirituality against the sea of pop religion that has overwhelmed the American churches."

If she could only say it

2005-03-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

"I promised Terri I would tell the world that she had tried to say, 'I want to live.'"

(Thanks to Ed for sharing this one.)

On to the Supreme Court

2005-03-23T07:50:00.000-08:00

"Reinsertion of Schiavo Feeding Tube Denied"

Please, please keep saying your prayers. They're running out of time and options.

Kathryn Lopez provides this link to one doctor's opinion of the scan of Terri's brain that's been used in court. I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, but as far as I can tell with my very limited knowledge, this man makes a lot of sense. Read it and see what you think.

(But was his mother a nurse? Sorry, I have no idea.)

'Corner' thoughts

2005-03-22T23:04:00.000-08:00

For those who've been following the debate in The Corner: I'm not sure I can ever read Derb the same way again. Not that I expect them all to march in lockstep over there -- far from it. And not that I've never disagreed with him before, as you'll know if you're familiar with this little blog.

But "drop in at my house for a beer and a chat. By all means bring Jodi and the kids"? This while Michael Schiavo's wife is dying? No matter the reason, the method, or the motivation, or whether you agree that she should die or not, she is dying. That remark has a degree of coldness I never expected from John Derbyshire.

I realize he was probably going for shock value. But he didn't shock in the way he intended. It's not the adultery that's the point here, it's the conflict of interest. Which he blows right past, with a merry quip, when it has everything in the world to do with the point he's arguing. That's what's shocking, and deepy disheartening.

On the other hand, Ramesh Ponnuru and Kathryn Lopez (and others over there) rock. There's always a silver lining.

(I hope that second link works, by the way. If not, just scroll down a little way.)

And incidentally, it's about time Derb gave up that "my mother was a nurse" argument. I've seen him use it before, for various issues, and the first couple of times it was effective, if not wholly persuasive. Now it's beginning to wear thin. My father used to be a soldier, but that hardly qualifies me to determine what our Iraq policy should be.

Tell it like it is, Peggy

2005-03-22T08:23:00.000-08:00

From Peggy Noonan:

"Bill Frist and Tom DeLay and Jim Sensenbrenner and Denny Hastert and all the rest would be better off risking looking ridiculous and flying down to Florida, standing outside Terri Schiavo's room and physically restraining the poor harassed staff who may be told soon to remove her feeding tube, than standing by in Washington, helpless and tied in legislative knots, and doing nothing."

Don't miss the Churchill quote, either. Or the Reagan quote. In fact, make sure you take time to read the whole thing. Great stuff, from a great lady.

Another setback

2005-03-22T07:38:00.000-08:00

"They're going to talk and talk and she's going to die." That's about the size of it.

What I can't understand is how so many people -- including some near and dear to me -- can truly believe that anyone is just trying to let this woman die a peaceful death. Listen carefully, people: YOU CAN'T "LET" SOMEONE DIE IF THEY WEREN'T ALREADY DYING IN THE FIRST PLACE. She wasn't dying until they took her food and water away. They're CAUSING her to die, not letting her die!

What kind of society thinks so frivolously and understands so little about death that it can get the two mixed up when all the facts are out there in the open, plain as day? Where did we get these twisted ideas?

Only in America

2005-03-21T13:21:00.000-08:00

I don't have much time to blog today, but keep an eye on The Corner -- they've got all the latest updates on Terri. (I think they may also have a link to that skewed MSNBC poll that I promised but neglected to provide.) I'll just add this: A country where the legislators work around the clock and the president gets up at one in the morning to save one woman's life -- when that woman is brain-damaged and, as some would have it, not at all a useful or productive member of society -- is a country that I'm proud of.

Wow!

2005-03-19T22:11:00.000-08:00

If you'll allow me to slip into fangirl mode for just a moment . . .

Oh my gosh oh my gosh Sasha Cohen won silver at Worlds with no falls in the free skate! EEEEEEEEEEE!!

(Ahem)

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog.

The fight goes on

2005-03-19T07:35:00.000-08:00

Key quote: "She can breathe on her own, but has relied on the feeding and hydration tube to keep her alive."

Translation: She needs food and water to live. Like, oh, about, six billion or so of the other inhabitants of the planet.

I hope people understand this. There was a poll online yesterday (I'll dig it up later when I have time) that was blatantly dishonest in its wording about taking her off "life support." Results were about as skewed as you'd expect.

And, on a more personal level, I talked last night with two ladies at my church who hadn't followed the case at all and were surprised by what I told them. That was what really got me. We're a church -- we need to know these things. I will say my church is really good at keeping people informed on current events, but this is one story that really rates at least one mention from the pulpit or in the bulletin -- at the very least as a prayer request -- and it hasn't had one yet.

Anyway, it sounds like the congressional Republicans haven't given up yet. Keep it up, guys! I have moments when the Republican party drives me up the wall -- doesn't everyone? -- but certain members of it are really doing themselves proud on this one.

Grab bag

2005-03-18T07:49:00.000-08:00

-- There's a lot of information here, and it's a little hard to sort out. But the main point appears to be that the fight for Terri goes on, even though the two houses of Congress apparently failed to reach consensus before their Easter break. Andrew McCarthy puts it nicely: "Easter, of course, is the day we mark because the Savior of the World, without even taking a recess, sacrificed Himself to redeem us. I hope our congress enjoys their recess."

-- NRO, by the way, has the most informative piece I've seen yet on the medical side of the story. Even if you're familiar with the Schiavo case, this is a must-read.

-- And in related news, The Blog Dad contributes this deeply disturbing piece. Apparently, if you live in Texas, you don't get to decide whether your child gets hospital care or not.

But the kicker is the last line: They didn't want to treat him, but they're "deeply saddened" he died.

I'm lost for words. Which is perhaps just as well, because I have a feeling any words I could come up with for these jerks wouldn't fit on a PG-rated blog.

-- Now that I've got myself worked up, time for a change of pace: this new piece from my old friend and former colleague Laurel Robinson. "In times when prudence says, 'be quiet,' your silence can be a statement to God, yourself, and even others that you believe God is really in control and will work things out the way HE wants them. It is an act of faith." Lord knows I need to be reminded of that fairly frequently. Nice work, Laurel.

Practically perfect

2005-03-16T07:59:00.000-08:00

So a commercial comes on TV last night for the WB's latest reality show, The Starlet, and this appears on the screen:

"PERFECT!!! -- The New York Times"

Now I'm no great fan of the New York Times, but even I give them more credit than to call this piece of bilge "perfect." Or to use three exclamation points to describe anything, including the end of the world. So I do a little Googling, and here's what turns up:

"Together they have concocted the perfect reality show for the age of celebrity and instant gratification -- the Schwab's overnight discovery myth as reality show."

Yep. Advertisers. Gotta love 'em.

Along the same lines . . .

2005-03-15T07:43:00.000-08:00

. . . as the Schiavo story, here are two takes on Million Dollar Baby -- very different from each other, but both well worth reading.

Wesley Smith, "Million Dollar Missed Opportunity"

Diane Shreve Singer, "Surrendering to Grief"

Oh, and don't miss reading about what the real Million Dollar Baby (yes, it seems there really was one) thought of the movie.

So much to read, so little time . . .

Call to arms

2005-03-10T20:19:00.000-08:00

Congress is taking action on the Terri Schiavo case. Read about it and contact your congressmen. Major thanks to FRC for expediting the process.

Ouch

2005-03-08T19:55:00.000-08:00

I'm no Dan Rather fan, goodness knows, but isn't Cronkite supposed to be his friend? Or at least a well-wisher? My gosh, Peggy Noonan was nicer to him. But then, Peggy Noonan has a little class.

Terri ruling

2005-02-28T22:57:00.000-08:00

So, no spine, eh, judge?

And already her parents have filed fifteen motions. God love them. How is it possible to have that much persistence, strength, resourcefulness, and love? The grace of God, is all I can come up with.

Oh, and a Philadelphia columnist changes his mind on the case. He finally noticed -- after how many years now? -- that there were some details that weren't that savory. I'll choke back the remark I want to make, and merely point out that I'm glad that this particular member of the media has seen the light.

And I'll also quote this:

"Clearly, Schiavo's husband has moved on to a new life, and who can blame him? It's been 15 long years. But parents cannot move on. Parents cannot give up. Their child will always be the precious gift they brought into the world.

"If the Schindlers want to dedicate the rest of their lives and resources to caring for their brain-damaged daughter, if they want to shower her with attention and affection she likely will never recognize, who among us will tell them they cannot?

"It won't be me."

Again, her parents deserve every bit of that tribute. But should we really be letting Michael Schiavo off the hook? No matter how tempting it might be to move on to "a new life" -- and my guess would be that it's pretty darn tempting -- didn't he make certain promises when he married her? Something to do with sickness and health? Why should parental love be binding and not marital love?

Just wondering.

Thank God

2005-02-24T08:02:00.000-08:00

Terri gets a little more time. Now, come on, Judge Greer. Show us you've got a spine.

In related news, The Blog Dad recommends this story. I sincerely hope the judge takes it into consideration. (I'd send it to him, but I'm sure 3,571 people already have. Gotta love the Internet.)