Archive for the 'Culture & Society' Category
Posted by Eric (December 5, 2006 at 3:31 pm)
I was quite pleased with myself the other day for coming up with the term “McWalBucks” to describe the takeover of all commercial activity by massive retail chains and the attendant homogenization of the landscape and indeed of the entire culture. However, a Google search of the term yielded no fewer than nineteen original uses of the term, going back at least as far as 2004, including the site McWalBucks.com, which appears to be some kind of front for a rap music recording business. Pretty clever.
So while I can’t claim to have invented the term McWalBucks, I can at least aspire to hit Google Post #1 with this blog. There are but 19 links to supercede. So I ask you—please to link to this post. We’ll see where we rank in a search for “McWalBucks” in a couple weeks.
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Posted by Eric (November 14, 2006 at 5:37 pm)
The other day I picked up a couple of sacks of green and red M&M’s. But they are not Christmas M&M’s. No. As one of the young students in my home school co-op English class pointed out, they are “Happy Holiday Mix” M&M’s.
There is, as far as I know only one holiday popularly connected to the colors red and green—but that’s the Holiday That Dare Not Speak Its Name. It is the “Happy” Holiday, though it was my impression that all holidays are meant to be happy, so I’m not sure what that adjective is supposed to accomplish. (more…)
Posted by Eric (November 2, 2006 at 9:25 pm)
You wouldn’t think it was a point that needed to be made, but apparently it does: fascism is wrong. I make the point because yesterday I was called a fascist by a young arty-looking fellow in downtown Chicago. We were outside the Art Institute of Chicago holding one of our Face the Truth Tours.
The young fellow called out from across the street, “Fascist!” I held my hand up to my ear, as to say, “Explain.” “You fascist!” he cried, “You can’t decide for us what’s right and wrong!”
“Okay!” I answered. He walked on and I had time for no more response than that. But I meant that: He’s right that I can’t decide what’s right and wrong for him, or for anyone—including myself. All any of us can do is to discern what is right and what is wrong. (more…)
Posted by Eric (September 22, 2006 at 1:40 pm)
In all this hubbub over Pope Benedict XVI’s speech at Regensburg, there are a few unanswered questions:
1. Are any of those who have told us the Pope gave a speech attacking Islam, condemning violence by Islamic extremists or condemning any use of violence in furtherance of religion ever going to read it?
Benedict XVI gave a speech about the relationship between reason and culture, and the necessary connection between reason and faith—arguably the overarching theme of his entire career as both an intellectual and a shepherd of souls. He gave reference to Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus’ dialog with a “learned Persian” about Christianity and Islam because it was relevant—not only to the topic of faith and reason (where Christianity and Islam differ) but to the day (when Christianity stands between the foes of secularism and Islam).
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Posted by Eric (May 17, 2006 at 6:44 pm)
We’ve got a new frontrunner for the Stupidest Thing I’ve Read This Year Award (previously held by “Spiritually, the guitar is the bedfellow of the kazoo”). Here’s The Da Vinci Code director Ron Howard (via Barbara Nicolosi):
To deny the right to see the film is a fascist act.
My wife April’s reply to this this weird statement: “Who’s trying to deny anyone the right to see The Da Vinci Code?”
My answer: “The guy at the ticket booth, if you don’t fork over your eight bucks. I guess he’s a fascist.”
Now I have a “right” to see The Da Vinci Code. You can toss it in the bucket with the other new rights that I’ve been hearing about lately, such as my right to pay less for car insurance, to have a full head of thick, luxurious hair and to earn a six figure income from my living room whilest wearing my pajamas.
Not to mention Ron Howard’s right to be a complete idiot.
BTW, Barbara Nicolosi, one of those smart-guy Catholics I was talking about the other day—and a real hoot in the bargain—is Da Vinci blogging at Church of the Masses. Also worth a visit:
