Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Evil: “Pilot”

Stop me if you heard this one but apparently there was this guy who liked to investigate cases of a supernatural nature and his partner just happened to be a woman who was very skeptical about the supernatural...

Okay, there's obviously more to the new Evil show than that but unfortunately, I doubt I'm ever going to find out. After all, the last time I tried to watch the first episode by myself, my eyes started blurring and several hours later my blood sugar and my blood pressure crashed. I doubt the two incidents were related but then again, I'm not really eager to test that theory when it concerns a TV show that at best seemed to be so-so.

On the plus side, it was good to see actor Michael Emerson of Person of Interest back on prime-time TV again even if his role as a demon enabling so-and-so was far from sympathetic.

On the minus side, I'm not sure how eager I am to watch yet another TV show about demons. Especially since two of those demons had the same names as two of my relatives.

Quote of the Week

I know but of one religion in which the god and the victim are the same.
--Edward Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

Quote of the Week

Catholicism made me a humanist before I knew the word. When people rail against “secular humanism,” I want to ask them if humanism itself would be okay with them if it wasn’t so secular. Then I want to ask, “Why do you think it is secular?” This would lead to my opinion that their beliefs were not humanist.
--Roger Ebert, Life Itself : A Memoir

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Mom: “Dirty Money and a Woman Named Mike”

I had lost interest in this show during the first season and it wasn't until my youngest brother told me about this episode that I bothered to give it a second chance.

As for what happens in this episode:

Alison Janney's alcoholic character Bonnie Plunkett finally has a come to Jesus moment and guess who shows up? Frankly, I found it worth the time to watch this episode just to see Bonnie Plunkett's reaction to this week's surprise guest star. Boy, does that guy get around!

It's That Time Again

One of my Mexican-born aunts once told me that her local Catholic church had ceremonies like this back in her home town of San Francisco del Rincón, but I have never heard of such ceremonies happening here in Dallas until just last year. Even then, I had a little trouble believing that such a ceremony would take place at a Methodist church, much less a Methodist church in Dallas. Then again, I doubt Saint Francis of Assisi would mind and I'm sure that the animals themselves aren't likely to protest.

Indeed, given the number of self-proclaimed animal-lovers in Dallas, I suppose I should be more surprised that ceremonies like this are not more common.

TV Quote of the Week

Mankind has no need for gods. We find the one quite adequate.
--William Shatner, Star Trek, "Who Mourns for Adonais?"

Movie Quote of the Week

I should've killed myself when he put it in me. After the first time, before we were married, Ralph promised never again. He promised, and I believed him. But sin never dies. Sin never dies. At first, it was all right. We lived sinlessly. We slept in the same bed, but we never did it. And then, that night, I saw him looking down at me that way. We got down on our knees to pray for strength. I smelled the whiskey on his breath. Then he took me. He took me, with the stink of filthy roadhouse whiskey on his breath, and I liked it. I liked it! With all that dirty touching of his hands all over me. I should've given you to God when you were born, but I was weak and backsliding, and now the devil has come home.
--Piper Laurie, Carrie (1976)

Comic Book Image of the Week

An interesting take on the age-old "war" between religion and science -- from the now-defunct comic book series Ex Machina.

Why Do I Remain a Catholic?

1. Because it's a family tradition.

2. Because many of the brightest and most creative people that I've met in public school were Catholic.

3. Because the people who taught me most about love, generosity and other virtues were Catholic.

4. Because I wanted to.

5. Because I love the sight of stained glass.

6. Because I love the taste of Communion wine.

7. Because I love the taste of Communion wafers. (They taste like victory.)

8. Because I loved CCD class.

9. Because I underwent an experience which made it impossible for me to logically disbelieve in the Supreme Deity.

10. Because I believe there is more in heaven and earth than is dreamt of in your philosophy.

11. Because I like being part of a centuries-old tradition.

12. Because I'm pretty fond of the Virgin Mary and that Jesus fellow.

13. Because I promised my father.

14. Because I'm loyal to my godparents.

15. Because I don't consider the many differences between me and many of my coreligionists to be more important than our similarities.

16. Because I really like church music.

17. Because I really like confession.

18. Because I really like lighting candles.

19. Because I refuse to let my faith be defined by someone else's sins.

20. Why not?

Literary Quote I Like

So much bad theology and empty talk about faith over works. Better the dispirited cynic complaining as she dishes free food in the soup kitchen than the pieties of cloistered prelates, theologians, purveyors of empty rituals, thesis-writers, makers of religious regulations. If you’ve done no good for anyone in your life, then to Hell with you! Simple as that.
--The Celestial Narrator in Wilton Barnhardt's Gospel

Science Fiction Quote of the Week

“There is no such thing as magic,” she translated. “There are scientific principles, which scientists discover and write down, and these principles are followed by engineers who invent such things as what you call the flying monster or the electric lights. Scientists discover principles, engineers act on them. Yes?”

“Hail the priests of Science and their temple slaves the engineers,” I said. “Truly the god Science is a great god. You worship a great god.”

“It is not worship. It is science.” Semyonus angry, Olava smiling.

“I am sorry to have given offense to the god Science but you must understand this is a strange land to me. Will your god understand?”

Semyonus was very angry. Olava translated for him.

“Science, Eugeni, is immutable. It understands nothing and forgives nothing. It is what it is.”

“A mysterious god, great for the Pantheon.”

“Science is not a god. It would not like you calling it a god. If you think of it as a god, it will never let you know its mysteries. You must approach it in a scientific manner, with an open mind. Men devote years of their lives to it, their entire lives. It has given us everything we have today.” Thus said Olava for Semyonus.

“Hail Science, giver of things,” I said. “Let us sacrifice to it.”
--Richard Ben Sapir, The Far Arena

Movie Song of the Week: “The Rhythm of Life”

From 1969's Sweet Charity, it's the one song the late Sammy Davis, Jr., was born to sing. Or at least it's impossible to imagine this song without him.

For that matter, there are also some less than subtle attempts at social commentary in this number though by today's standards, this seems almost Shakespearean.

I hope you all enjoy it.

Movie Quote of the Week

I think science does not contradict the Bible. It has only made us more aware of how great the miracle was.
--Irene Dunne, Anna and the King of Siam (1946)

Pop Song of the Week: “One of Us”

It's one of the most spiritually ambiguous songs of our time. Is Ms. Osborne mocking the idea of a Supreme Deity? Is she arguing on Its behalf? You can find evidence in this video to support both points of view.

Maybe it's a Catholic thing but I always preferred to give Ms. Osborne the benefit of a doubt. After all, they used this song as the theme song for Joan of Arcadia so it can't be that bad, right? Right?

TV Quote of the Week

Do we have to keep talking about religion? It's Christmas!
--Lisa Wilhoit, My So-Called Life, “So-Called Angels”

Possible Responses to Joan Osborne’s Song Lyric “What If God Was One of Us”

1. What is this “If”? How do you know God wasn’t one of us?

2. What is this “One”? I happen to believe in a triform deity myself. I just don’t believe in this newfangled monotheism.

3. What is this “Us”?

Quote of the Week

The way I like to put it is, if religion is a crutch, then what do you call someone who goes around kicking crutches out from under people? A fearless seeker of the Truth or a bloody sadist?
--Stephen Browne, "The Hot Button Issue," Rants and Raves, September 22, 2006