Why don't we have a cafe culture?

I love Cafés. And I think I've finally found the one for me in Ann Arbor. If it wasn't so far away I'd walk to it nightly, with a good book by GKC under one arm and perhaps a friend in tow, providing they could remain quiet once in awhile so I could read.

The café had everything one needs from a café: outdoor tables for summer people-gawking, richly-clad red leather booths, dim lights still sufficient for reading, well-placed mirrors and murals to help a small area feel expansive, witty waitress who can banter back and ensure that the obligatory indecisiveness in ordering avoids tediousness, as well as a positively brilliant music selection of classical guitar, obligatory jazz and even brief closing-time forays into electronica and European downbeat techno (a la Dr. Benthall's "unique" selection of ambience offerings for Drogos)

Like all my discoveries, it wasn't actually my own, per se. It was Sean's, who insisted among our little party (which included new-seminarian Joe and old-seminarian Mark) that we find a new place to get coffee besides Starbucks - some place not involved in a national mom-and-pop-crushing corporate chain. What we settled on was the Café Felix.

Two hours later we decided it was quite satisfactory.

Why oh why doesn't America have a café culture? All the greats, (I'm thinking here of the Inklings), knew how important it was to devote a solid three to four hours every night to conversation and conviviality in a café. Of course the Inklings were mostly English so they went to Pubs. Fair enough, I might migrate over when I turn twenty-one.

In closing, I'm writing this email as I wait for our little cabal to muster its forces and prepare for another foray into the snow-laden, slush-piled streets of michigan in search of tonight's caffeinated speculations.

Wow, I'm eloquent and haven't even had coffee yet tonight. This proves a promisement.

B16 Homily on the Eucharist

This is an awesome homily by the Pope which he delivered at the beginning of this year's Synod on the Eucharist. I love some of the lines from the first paragraph in particular:

The reading from the Prophet Isaiah and today's Gospel set before our eyes one of the great images of Sacred Scripture: the image of the vine. In Sacred Scripture, bread represents all that human beings need for their daily life. Water makes the earth fertile: it is the fundamental gift that makes life possible. Wine, on the other hand, expresses the excellence of creation and gives us the feast in which we go beyond the limits of our daily routine: wine, the Psalm says, "gladdens the heart". So it is that wine and with it the vine have also become images of the gift of love in which we can taste the savour of the Divine.

read the rest of the homily.

hehe

"everything is temporary"

this blog will be changing drastically over the next week.

so don't get attached.

Time for an upgrade

Times they are a-changing...

and I'm tired of being just another blogspot plebian.

behold!

http://blog.americanpapist.com

that's where the action is now. :-)

Redirection

This blog will be reborn shortly.

In the meantime - a very happy and blessed Christmas season to you all!

free.

done.

A little story.

Hello there, folks. I have a little story I want to share with you.

You see, I have this friend. We'll call him ... "Benji." Benji is the second oldest of 4 children in India. Benji's parents have scrimped and saved their entire life so Benji could go to one of the only two medical schools in Bangalore, his hometown. Benji is a smart boy, but he also has to work a fulltime job in order to help cover his medical school loan payments, and so he doesn't always have as much time to study as the other kids.

Now, Benji has finals this week. And frankly, he's kinda worried because he needs to pass all of his classes, and Intro to Molecular Biology 101 has been very difficult for him this semester. So, he decides, like a good Catholic (which he is, by the way), to call up good ol' St. Joseph Cupertino for some last-minute help.

Here's how I envision his conversion went:

Heaven: *ring ring* "Hello, Heaven's switchboard speaking - you've reached the urgent prayer request hotline"
Benji: "Hi there! Man, I'm glad I finally found a representative to talk to... anyway, I was wondering if St. Cupertino was in, see I have this really important exam on thurs..."
Heaven: "I'm sorry, St. Cupertino is busy at the moment."
Benji: *silence*
Heaven: "Can I help you with anything else today?"
Benji: *slightly anxious* "Um, well, I thought he's a saint - how can he be busy?!"
Heaven: "Well, it is finals time around the world you know, and he sometimes has to work through a backlog of prayers - you can understand that."
Benji: *still anxious* "Well, yeah, but ... he's gotta expect that, right? I mean, this isn't the first time the students of the world have needed help!"
Heaven: "You're absolutely right, Benji. But you see, this year has been rather atypical - we've been registering some extreme requests from one of the European countries."
Benji: *slightly angry* "Europe?! But I need help too! Who's hogging the intercessions?!"
Heaven: "Hmm, I don't really know, but I can check for you if it's important to you."
Benji: *still angry* "You bet it's important! This is my life's dream on the line here!!"
Heaven: "Okay, one moment sir."
*3 minute pause on the line*
Heaven: "Sir? are you still with us?"
Benji: *eagerly* "Yeah - I sure am!"
Heaven: "Allrighty, looks like we've had a triple-request ultra-priority 72-hour petition for assistance from a McNally, B. registering at Kartause Maria Thron, Gaming Austria, with a dual-redundant Novena plus the optional "invocation-of-the-Holy-Spirit" special we had this week, and a fail-safe cross-intention-referenced-request to the BVM and SHJ (that's the Sacred Heart of Jesus, by the way - that one's really the clincher)."
Benji: *truly worried* "Oh my ... stars." *silence* "I didn't even know you could stack them like that."
Heaven: "Yep, matter of fact, this one also included a devotional poem (creativity and cross-disciplinary approaches always earn brownie points around here) and she even used an invocation of her guardian angel - and this particular guardian angel is well-known in our deparment for his service above and beyond the call of duty - we'll just leave it at that."
Benji: *sighing* "So, is St. Jude still around?"
Heaven: "You bet, I'll transfer your request now. Have a nice day and please feel free to call again."

...

Poor Benji. There's always vetinary school.

Final Thoughts

I'm taking a wierd sadistic pleasure in depriving myself of sleep and food this finals week. I think it is because I am newly enjoying many old experiences that I was used to at AVE, but haven't necessarily had to subject myself to this semester because of my lighter work load.

That said, I can't appear to stop shaking. Is this bad?

Anyway, I've been postponing so many fun things that I'm looking forward to doing that once I turn in my last paper I shall be ... how shall we say? ... filled summa cum gaudio. :-)

Cheery-Byes!

The flip has happened

Days feels like Nights, and Nights feels like Daze.

Less is More, More or Less.

Oh, and if I can give everybody a Tip For This Finals week:

"Water: it's not just for the fishes."

Catch you folks on the flip! :-)

Habemus ... Michael?!

I bet you all thought that the impressive german guy named Benecict XVI in Rome was the real Pope, at least, I sure did.

Well, betcha didn't know it's actually David Bawden. Yep, the oppressed guy on the left.

One of my favorite quotes from his amazing website:

"H.H. Pope Michael replies: Some doubt the validity of Our election as Pope, but let Us ask one simple question:

Where were you in 1990? We attempted to contact all Sedevacantists in the world and encourage them to hold the election, and when they failed, we proceeded.

--David Bawden, known in religion as Pope Michael"

And here, I thought this Friday would be boring!

They were even kind enough publish the proceedings of their "conclave." Some hightlights:

• "These dates [for the conclave] are the best suited to our effort because they are perfect in God's sight, being conformable to the laws of Holy Mother Church."
• "The United States has been chosen as the country in which to hold the election owing to the fact that the largest number of QUALIFIED electors reside here." [Sure.]
• "Proximity to the library [named "Christ the King Library"?] is especially important since many questions may be posed during the election process which can only be answered by consulting the various theological sources available there. "
• "Some will object that this gives the Bawden family the opportunity to control the outcome of the election [because the "conclave" is being held in their house!]. To answer such objections David Bawden will gladly renounce any possible qualification as voters to allay such fears of those present, if such is deemed necessary."
• "But the electors of H.H. Pope Michael were not all from the same family. Of the five who voted for him, excepting his mother and father, the other three were not his blood relatives." [apparently some people accused poor Michael of being elected only by his family, but Michael definitely demonstrates that 3 out of the 5 electors were NOT in actuality related to him!]
• The so-called "Mystical Claimants" are to be ruled out as heretics. [those 20 other people claiming to be pope are CRAZY!]

Anyway, you can support the poor Pope-in-Hiding at his home address:

• His Holiness, Pope Michael the 1st
• The Vatican-In-Exile: 4127, 102nd,
• Delia, Kansas. 66418. U.S.A.
• E-Mail: Pope@VaticanInExile.com.
• Website: The Vatican-In-Exile.

Poor guy. God have mercy on his clearly distracted soul.

Caption-o-matic

Okay, everybody, take your shot at captioning this picture. :-)

Fact of the Day

While reading this interesting article about a population explosion of giant jellyfish near Japan, I discovered an interesting, and (I believe), highly promising fact: "A collection of jellyfish is known as a smack."

Well, "interesting" in so much as I'm bored and waiting for Pizza to arrive, and "promising" in so much as I'm sure other people will eventually think of a clever joke to make with this new-found ammunition.

My, that is alot of sushi.

A question posed

Why do the shortest assignments take the longest to complete?

I'd post a despar.com poster at this point, if i wasn't so demotivated.

*irony*

Remember when?

Okay, pop quiz folks: What were we looking at?

Bonus Question: Who were we each portraying?

And hey, for all the ladies, here's your daily Bible fashion tip - right from the mouth of Moses in Deut 22:11: "You shall not wear a mingled stuff, wool and linen together."

Okay, you all heard the man. Don't mix fabrics! :-)

And, well ... this one is for everyone: Deuteronomey 23:12-14. hint.

Press Release - 12/03/05

- For Immediate Release -

Detroit, MI - Peters Media Relations, Inc., has the honor to announce the upcoming appearance of Dr. Edward Peters, J.D., J.C.D, on the national daily television program, "The Dr. Phil Show" on Monday, December 5th, at 3P.M. on CBS (please check your local listings for channel). Dr. Peters, a leading American lay canon lawyer, teaches, writes, and consults on a wide variety of canonical issues, impacting the Church in the United States and around the world. He currently holds the Edmund Cardinal Szoka Chair at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Michigan.

Please include the following graphic with all reproductions and disseminations of this release:

Cool beans. :-)

UPDATE 1: Hey, it could be on NBC, and not CBS - who knows? It's there somewhere.

UPDATE 2: Well, the show has aired (at least on the east coast). Now, I know my Dad didn't get much air time (which is all they taped, apparently). The excellent thing is that Dr. Phil's promotion of the book did make it into the final cut, so we're all partying over here! :-)

Chronicles of Narnia

"As Prince Rilian, you are brave, noble and intelligent, but easily misguided!

Just make sure you don't go after any green women."

Which Narnia character are you?

I was one point off from being Jewel (next Peter, then Caspian and ... Reepicheep?!)

While Aslan was too much to hope for, boy, Jadis would have been a whole lot of awesome.

Mark your calendars: Chronicles of Narnia - Dec. 9th!

Pictureless Post

My head feels as if it is about to explode with the collective information I am trying to cram in it from my six classes, and my exam in Patrology tomorrow, and my exegetical research paper on Genesis, and my theological methodology paper on the Winnipeg statement, and my 120 or so Hebrew vocabulary words (devoid of all cognates), and my preparations for my two MA pre-req exams. I'm almost ready to take up drinking this evil drink again. But not yet.

I am so ridiculously, ridiculously type A. Now, if only my blood was type O...