"They that go about the world asking riddles and doing puzzles (those enemies of the human race) used to have one particular game which, after ramifications of arithmetic, ended with 'taking away the number one first thought of.' It is a silly game and, like many other silly games, has been played by great empires and on a large scale." ILN March 9, 1912
The fact that games are played on a large scale by great empires reminds me of the latest in the world of anti-Catholic bias by the legal world.
Just like in England of old, when monasteries, churches and convents were sacked, and priceless things stolen, and tracts of land taken away, may I say again Stolen by Thieves, which is a crime against one of the Ten Commandments, and this crime accomplished by so-called Christians; today the same is happening in America by the legal industry. Stealing from the Catholic Church has become big business for lawyers.
In the public school system, where many a pedophilia has been shuffled from school to school, while many a principal has turned a blind eye and passed on a "problem teacher" to another school district, another school, another victim, has a safeguard against legal action taken against a teacher or school employee. They have a statute of limitations (180 days or so to bring up an issue) they have a financial cap (about $150,000, if they lift a ban which is in place which I'll mention next) and they have a ban which says that "since this is the government, you can't really sue us because we have no money other than your own money which came from you, the taxpayer, so if you want to sue us, it's like asking you to pay for your own legal action so don't do it" a ban which can be lifted by the school if it chooses, but then the cap of $150,000 or so is still there.
So, if you want to go after public schools, forget it. No big money.
Boyscouts? No big money.
Protestant church? No infastructure, can't get the group as a whole, so you can only sue small potatoes by suing the individual church.
Catholic Church? Ah. Now that's where the big money is. And what do bad lawyers do if they want big money? They go after the perceived source of the big money. They might have issues with the Church anyway, and this is a great way to get a stab in the back of something they hate, or perceive to be "wealthy".
There is a movement afoot amongst legal people to extend the statute of limitations even longer to the Catholic Church pedophilia cases, so lawyers can try to get money from incidents that happened 25-50 years ago. And I am not belittling the people who were hurt, but there are reasons statues of limitations are in place. People's memories fail. Witnesses die or are old and frail. Evidence is lacking. The fact that this is being considered is anti-Catholic. "Let's see if we can milk even more money from Rome, eh?" I can just hear the lawyers at lunch, pondering their next move.
Meanwhile, Catholic hospitals are being sued because they won't provide abortions. Or emergency contraception. Or pay for their employees birth control pills and devices. And that is not anti-Catholic? If the Muslims had a hospital, would lawyers sue them for these same "crimes"? Is anyone investigating if the Muslims have any pedophilia problems in their mosques? Let's route them out and drag them before the public and sue them for everything they have, right? Wrong. No one is doing it, no one will.
Catholic hospitals, catholic schools, catholic social services, food pantries, resale shops, nursing homes, and entire infastructure of Catholic America is at risk of being killed. Or replaced by....what? Muslim hospitals? Muslim schools? Is this really what people want? Is this what the lawyers want?
Games played on a large scale in front of the whole USA. The church is being tortured little by little.
However, the church is built on the blood of martyrs. Are we ready to die for it? And what can we do to save it, as the church will always be saved?
"Taking away the number first thought of." America was built on Catholic institutions and now America is trying to take that away. Will America be the same without it?
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Monday, February 27, 2006
Saturday, February 25, 2006
On the Degradation of Language
I'm one of those old fashioned mothers who believes that swearing and slang usage are lazy ways of talking, lacking in imagination, and offensive to myself and others. There also tends to be a slippery slope in language, noticeable in preteens and teens, where they try out "almost" swear words just to see if anyone cares or reacts. In addition, if you listen to kids talk, you can pretty much tell who has parents who swear in the house, because otherwise that kind of language wouldn't even be in mind.
I just saw a headline that for some award ceremony coming up (Grammy's? Emmy's?) two words are going to be "allowed" and I assume there will be a list of what is not allowed. Since these awards are live, they have to have rules. Since they are choosing to allow words that offend, they are at least warning the more civilized among us that we don't need to watch.
Words matter. Word choice (although we're not to judge) say something about the person and their thoughts and beliefs. Gutter language, as we used to call it, has no place in the public arena. It isn't "cool" and even if the movies contain an overabundance of that kind of talk, I find it scary that that kind of talk is slipping more and more into everyday life.
I have been offended by the language I hear going down the street. I was in a G rated movie with my children and a lady behind us let go an expletive at a certain scene, loud enough for all around to hear: I was offended and feel badly that my children have to hear such talk from adults who can't control their language choices.
I'd like to propose a higher standard. Let's leave gutter language in the gutter. Swearing, if it must happen, can take place when a bunch of guys are working and no children are around, or at such things as Four Men Feasts (again, no women or children around).
Now that I say that, I realize that swearing used to be reserved pretty much for men. Women were too refined, too dignified to swear. I'd like a return to that, too.
I just saw a headline that for some award ceremony coming up (Grammy's? Emmy's?) two words are going to be "allowed" and I assume there will be a list of what is not allowed. Since these awards are live, they have to have rules. Since they are choosing to allow words that offend, they are at least warning the more civilized among us that we don't need to watch.
Words matter. Word choice (although we're not to judge) say something about the person and their thoughts and beliefs. Gutter language, as we used to call it, has no place in the public arena. It isn't "cool" and even if the movies contain an overabundance of that kind of talk, I find it scary that that kind of talk is slipping more and more into everyday life.
I have been offended by the language I hear going down the street. I was in a G rated movie with my children and a lady behind us let go an expletive at a certain scene, loud enough for all around to hear: I was offended and feel badly that my children have to hear such talk from adults who can't control their language choices.
I'd like to propose a higher standard. Let's leave gutter language in the gutter. Swearing, if it must happen, can take place when a bunch of guys are working and no children are around, or at such things as Four Men Feasts (again, no women or children around).
Now that I say that, I realize that swearing used to be reserved pretty much for men. Women were too refined, too dignified to swear. I'd like a return to that, too.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Atheism quotes on Dawn's blog
The ACS interviewed Dawn. There's some connection with her very public firing. Happily, she is now employed again and making her way through RCIA. Her interview was in a past Gilbert issue, maybe about a year or so ago.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Blog Appearance Changes Coming--Head's Up!
Just so you know, I have an expert who runs the ACS web page checking into if he can match our appearance here with the main ACS blog so that we look like we're related to each other, because we are. If he can do it, you'll be surprised one day when things look different here, but everything will be the same except the look.
Also: There is a tab at the top of the ACS front page linking it to us, so if you go there, it will be easy to get here from there.
Also: There is a tab at the top of the ACS front page linking it to us, so if you go there, it will be easy to get here from there.
Life and Death in Holland
(btw, if there are three colorful dots before the title, that means the title is a hyperlink. Click the title to see the article.)
A fellow Chestertonian sends me this scary link to a proposal that's being proposed in Holland.
I've predicted elsewhere, and I'll predict it here, too. I see a time in our future, and sadly, possibly, not that far in the future, when insurance companies (who dictate many things in the medical field these days) will see an ultrasound result, that the baby has some sort of "defect" or problem or syndrome, something that will cost medically to fix or deal with in life, and they will say, "OK, we're paying for an abortion here, and that's our limit with this bit of fetal tissue."
In a sad way, there are tremblings of this already happening in our medical world. A friend recently went through a horrendous pregnancy, finding out at 21 weeks that there was a problem, a serious problem, with the baby's brain. There were several doctors who suggested to her, despite the fact that her pro-life stance was perfectly clear and that this was her eight pregnancy and sixth child, that she might want to consider termination, "for her own mental and physical well-being." She had to switch doctors mid-term, but the new one was no better. So, in a way, terminating "problems" is already a suggested option, although not mandatory yet, today. Scary.
A fellow Chestertonian sends me this scary link to a proposal that's being proposed in Holland.
I've predicted elsewhere, and I'll predict it here, too. I see a time in our future, and sadly, possibly, not that far in the future, when insurance companies (who dictate many things in the medical field these days) will see an ultrasound result, that the baby has some sort of "defect" or problem or syndrome, something that will cost medically to fix or deal with in life, and they will say, "OK, we're paying for an abortion here, and that's our limit with this bit of fetal tissue."
In a sad way, there are tremblings of this already happening in our medical world. A friend recently went through a horrendous pregnancy, finding out at 21 weeks that there was a problem, a serious problem, with the baby's brain. There were several doctors who suggested to her, despite the fact that her pro-life stance was perfectly clear and that this was her eight pregnancy and sixth child, that she might want to consider termination, "for her own mental and physical well-being." She had to switch doctors mid-term, but the new one was no better. So, in a way, terminating "problems" is already a suggested option, although not mandatory yet, today. Scary.
Monday, February 20, 2006
Chesterton on the Olympics
I just received a new book, Twelve Types and immediately paged to the chapter on St. Francis. Inside, I found this Olympian quote:
"If ever it should happen that the system of English athletes should vanish from the public schools and universities, if science should supply some new and non-competitive manner of perfecting the physique, if public ethics swung around to an attitude of absolute contempt and indifference towards the feeling called sport, then it is easy to see what would happen.
Future historians would simply state that in the dark days of Queen Victoria [or George W. Bush and Tony Blair] young men [and women] at Oxford and Cambridge were subjected to a horrible sort of religious torture.
They were forbidden, by fantastic monastic rules, to indulge in wine or tobacco during certain arbitrarily fixed periods in time, before certain brutal fights and festivals [think Olympics]. Bigots insisted on their rising at unearthly house and running violently around fields for no object.
Many men ruined their health in these dens of superstition, many died there. All this is perfectly true and irrefutable. Athleticism in England is an asceticism, as much as the monastic rules. Men have overstrained themselves and killed themselves through English athleticism. There is one difference and one only; we do feel the love of sport; we do not feel the love of religious offices. We see only the prices in the one case and only the purchase in the other." GKC Twelve Types, pg. 35.
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Cheney
OK, we haven't talked about this here.
He already said it was the worst day of his life. And he proved he was human by making a mistake.
I think there was an editorial that said it best: wars are happening, mudslides are taking the lives of thousands, countries are building nuclear weapons, and what does the media focus on?
Our media. Unbiased. Impartial. Focused on being neutral. Uh-huh. Yeah.
The only difference between Cheney and every other human on this planet is that most of us do dumb stuff and there is no reporter on our tail to let the whole world know about it.
I could tell you stories about the stuff I've done....but I better not say. Someday, I may want to run for alderman, and that kind of stuff would get public, and then where would I be?
He already said it was the worst day of his life. And he proved he was human by making a mistake.
I think there was an editorial that said it best: wars are happening, mudslides are taking the lives of thousands, countries are building nuclear weapons, and what does the media focus on?
Our media. Unbiased. Impartial. Focused on being neutral. Uh-huh. Yeah.
The only difference between Cheney and every other human on this planet is that most of us do dumb stuff and there is no reporter on our tail to let the whole world know about it.
I could tell you stories about the stuff I've done....but I better not say. Someday, I may want to run for alderman, and that kind of stuff would get public, and then where would I be?
Friday, February 17, 2006
One Man Dramatic Presentation of Orthodoxy
"In November, Nathan Gibson, a senior at Kentucky Mountain Bible College, performed a one-man dramatic interpretation of Chesterton's Orthodoxy. The title of the show was The Man in the Yacht.
This from the very first pages of Gilbert, an announcement in the Tremendous Trifles column by editor Sean Dailey.
I can only assume that Nathan wrote this production himself, and that it must have been based on the first section, the story of the man who travels all around the world to discover a new land, and then, of course, discovers it is actually his homeland.
I wonder what it was like? I would have liked to have attended. And it particularly excites me that at the conference this June, the Chesteron Society has announced a production of Chesterton's play The Surprise which should be very interesting. I suppose I ought to read it between now and then, since I never have, and then it would be a complete Surprise!
This from the very first pages of Gilbert, an announcement in the Tremendous Trifles column by editor Sean Dailey.
I can only assume that Nathan wrote this production himself, and that it must have been based on the first section, the story of the man who travels all around the world to discover a new land, and then, of course, discovers it is actually his homeland.
I wonder what it was like? I would have liked to have attended. And it particularly excites me that at the conference this June, the Chesteron Society has announced a production of Chesterton's play The Surprise which should be very interesting. I suppose I ought to read it between now and then, since I never have, and then it would be a complete Surprise!
Thursday, February 16, 2006
The Song
On page 34 in the latest Gilbert is a story called "The Song" by James G. Bruen, Jr. It has been mentioned in the comments below that this story is very Chestertonian. So, what makes it so Chestertonian? I liked it because of the romance aspect, and Chesterton was very romantic, too, so I supposed that's one aspect. What else? Did you like The Song?
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Somehow I forgot to mention this here
Chesterton and Friends reminded me of my own recently published study guide. It's just a little thing, to help high school students, or Chesterton groups who want to take it upon themselves to delve a little deeper into Chesterton's first Father Brown mystery, called The Blue Cross. It contains the entire text of the original story in its original form, unabridged, as well as a bunch of questions and ideas for getting more out of it. The discussion on reason alone is wonderful for the high school level student, and there are ties to the catechism. If you are interested, click on the title link. Thanks.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Christmas Quiz
One thing I've not heard mentioned from the Christmas Gilbert is the Christmas Quiz. I thought it was very clever and fun. It also was informational, as there were many answers I admit I admit I did not know. I think my answer gets me into a pub with the editor, according to his scoring system.
I'm so ignorant, I didn't even know we used to celebrate "Adam and Eve's Day." I like the sound of that. I picture plays or skits, lots of fruit for the snacks of course, bobbing for apples, etc. Sounds like a great children's celebration day.
Were there any "Christmas Facts" you didn't know? Were suprised to hear about? Thought Sean was making up? :-)
I'm so ignorant, I didn't even know we used to celebrate "Adam and Eve's Day." I like the sound of that. I picture plays or skits, lots of fruit for the snacks of course, bobbing for apples, etc. Sounds like a great children's celebration day.
Were there any "Christmas Facts" you didn't know? Were suprised to hear about? Thought Sean was making up? :-)
Monday, February 13, 2006
What about "The Flying Tomato?"
Because my own blog is called Flying Stars I was intrigued by the "Flying Tomato" name, as well as the person. In fact, today the Flying Tomato *IS* a Flying Star!
What have the Olympics to do with everything? The pageantry, the songs, the slogans, the fight to win, the race to win, the pursuit of excellence....it all ties in with things I am familiar with, and it seems so, well, symbolic of all of life.
Your impressions of the Olympics?
What have the Olympics to do with everything? The pageantry, the songs, the slogans, the fight to win, the race to win, the pursuit of excellence....it all ties in with things I am familiar with, and it seems so, well, symbolic of all of life.
Your impressions of the Olympics?
Quote of the Day
I have been informed (thanks to reader Jonathan that one of Google's quotes of the day is from Heretics by Chesterton.
There are no wise few. Every aristocracy that has ever existed has behaved, in all essential points, exactly like a small mob.
G. K. Chesterton, "Heretics", 1905
English author & mystery novelist (1874 - 1936)
Thanks Jonathan.
There are no wise few. Every aristocracy that has ever existed has behaved, in all essential points, exactly like a small mob.
G. K. Chesterton, "Heretics", 1905
English author & mystery novelist (1874 - 1936)
Thanks Jonathan.
Saturday, February 11, 2006
More than Meets the Eye
is the title of this month's All is Grist article, written by Joe Campbell. It is a marvelous article on "watching paint dry" from a new perspective.
I think when people normally think of "watching paint dry" they are referring to something like the side of a building (all being painted white) or the side of a wall (all being painted ecru). However, after reading Joe's article, I think I could even be interested in watching ecru dry.
What in this world isn't interesting? That's what I thought after reading this article. How about you? What'd you think?
I think when people normally think of "watching paint dry" they are referring to something like the side of a building (all being painted white) or the side of a wall (all being painted ecru). However, after reading Joe's article, I think I could even be interested in watching ecru dry.
What in this world isn't interesting? That's what I thought after reading this article. How about you? What'd you think?
Friday, February 10, 2006
Welcome (Again)
I know we were mentioned in the latest Gilbert Magazine and that has brought some new blog commenters here, welcome everyone. In addition, we are finally officially linked from the ACS web page (although not on the main page, ah-hem!, which I think we should be, however that is a quibble I have with certain web page handlers or whatever they call themselves). At least we are here on the Links page.
If you ever need the main American Chesterton Society page, there is a permanent link over there <-- on the left. Also, if you need translations into German, Italian, Spanish or French, the buttons over there do translate the whole blog, tell your foreign Chesterton buddied about it and have them come here. We have had a fellow from Buenos Aires drop by here, which was very fun.
Let's see, also if you ever need to e-mail me, I'm listed there, too, on the left. I moderate this whole thing, but I also have a family, homeschool my kids, and am artist assistant to my artist husband, so I can't be here every minute of the day. If something funny is going on (or there's spam I haven't noticed) please let me know.
In addition, we keep the Lord's Day a family day at our house by not using our computer, so that is the explanation of Sean's "six days a week" comment in Gilbert. You all can still talk here, there just won't be a new post on Sunday.
I subscribe to the "Welborn" blog protocol, that if you comment or e-mail me, your comments or e-mail may show up in a post unless you tell me specifically not to.
Again, welcome to the conversation, it's great you are here. Let's talk Chesterton!
If you ever need the main American Chesterton Society page, there is a permanent link over there <-- on the left. Also, if you need translations into German, Italian, Spanish or French, the buttons over there do translate the whole blog, tell your foreign Chesterton buddied about it and have them come here. We have had a fellow from Buenos Aires drop by here, which was very fun.
Let's see, also if you ever need to e-mail me, I'm listed there, too, on the left. I moderate this whole thing, but I also have a family, homeschool my kids, and am artist assistant to my artist husband, so I can't be here every minute of the day. If something funny is going on (or there's spam I haven't noticed) please let me know.
In addition, we keep the Lord's Day a family day at our house by not using our computer, so that is the explanation of Sean's "six days a week" comment in Gilbert. You all can still talk here, there just won't be a new post on Sunday.
I subscribe to the "Welborn" blog protocol, that if you comment or e-mail me, your comments or e-mail may show up in a post unless you tell me specifically not to.
Again, welcome to the conversation, it's great you are here. Let's talk Chesterton!
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Portrait of Chesterton I've Never Seen Before
Link above, via Chesterton and Friends Blog. I love seeing new pictures of Chesterton!
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Four Men Feasts
I suspect Ted's "Four Men Feast" is probably a one-of-a-kind as of right now. But I think part of his success is that in this world, there are very few places for men to gather together without women, and be men. Smoke cigars if they want, and talk Belloc and ideas, recite poetry or sing songs, where else is this happening?
My husband recently joined the Knights of Columbus. The Knights were formed in part as a reaction against things like Masonic Lodges with their secret entrance rites. But basically, they are both mens groups, where men do things together. The Knights have secret rites (one of which I know: they say the rosary) and they have a meal and play cards together, and meanwhile, they are always thinking of ways to help our parish. If anyone needs a ride, it's a Knight picking them up. Clean up after an event? The Knights are there. Help with parking? Knights. Delivering food pantry to the homebound? Knights. Etc. But I believe it is because of the bond of comaradarie that these guys stick together and help out.
Anyway, men, do you have a place to go with other guys to do guy stuff? Would you consider having a "Four Men Feast" as Ted described in the latest Gilbert?
My husband recently joined the Knights of Columbus. The Knights were formed in part as a reaction against things like Masonic Lodges with their secret entrance rites. But basically, they are both mens groups, where men do things together. The Knights have secret rites (one of which I know: they say the rosary) and they have a meal and play cards together, and meanwhile, they are always thinking of ways to help our parish. If anyone needs a ride, it's a Knight picking them up. Clean up after an event? The Knights are there. Help with parking? Knights. Delivering food pantry to the homebound? Knights. Etc. But I believe it is because of the bond of comaradarie that these guys stick together and help out.
Anyway, men, do you have a place to go with other guys to do guy stuff? Would you consider having a "Four Men Feast" as Ted described in the latest Gilbert?
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
From the combox: Big box stores and Distributism
I'll admit that I am not the expert on economic systems, so I hope you that are will help with this discussion.
Tom said:
"Can Distributism survive in a world of Home Depots? I certainly hope and believe so. I think Chesterton would argue that I should be more concerned with the welfare of my local hardware merchant than the dividend of Home Depot stock."
David Beresford also used this GKC quote at the top of his distributism article:
"I think the big shop is a bad shop. I think that it is bad not only in a moral but a mercantile sense: that is, I think shopping there is not only a bad action but a bad bargain." GKC "The Bluff of the Big Shops," The Outline of Sanity.
All I can say is as much as I didn't want to, we shop at Walmart once they put one in one mile away. Mostly, we buy our food there. The clothes are cheap, but cheaply made. A pair of pajamas that were very inexpensive already have a hole after about one month of wear. That does make a bad bargain. However, I still shop there. I just don't buy the clothes. Is shopping at Walmart a bad action AND a bad bargain?
Tom said:
"Can Distributism survive in a world of Home Depots? I certainly hope and believe so. I think Chesterton would argue that I should be more concerned with the welfare of my local hardware merchant than the dividend of Home Depot stock."
David Beresford also used this GKC quote at the top of his distributism article:
"I think the big shop is a bad shop. I think that it is bad not only in a moral but a mercantile sense: that is, I think shopping there is not only a bad action but a bad bargain." GKC "The Bluff of the Big Shops," The Outline of Sanity.
All I can say is as much as I didn't want to, we shop at Walmart once they put one in one mile away. Mostly, we buy our food there. The clothes are cheap, but cheaply made. A pair of pajamas that were very inexpensive already have a hole after about one month of wear. That does make a bad bargain. However, I still shop there. I just don't buy the clothes. Is shopping at Walmart a bad action AND a bad bargain?
Monday, February 06, 2006
Gilberts, anyone?
Let me know if your Gilbert arrived so we can start talking. And also let me know if there is a particular article you'd like to talk over.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Journalism 101-Final Edition
Chesterton:
"The scene now changes to the newspaper office. The writer of the article has discovered his mistake and wants to correct it by the next day: but the next day is Sunday. He cannot post a letter, so he rings up the paper and dictates a letter by telephone.
He leaves the title to his friends at the other end; he knows that they can spell "Gray," as no doubt they can: but the letter is put down by journalistic custom in a pencil scribble and the vowel may well be doubtful. The friend
writes at the top of the letter " 'G.K.C.' Explains," putting the initials in quotation marks.
The next man passing it for press is bored with these initials (I am with him there) and crosses them out, substituting
with austere civility, "Mr. Chesterton Explains." But - and now he hears the iron laughter of the Fates, for the blind bolt is about to fall - but he neglects to cross out the second "quote" (as we call it) and it goes up to press with a "quote" between the last words.
Another quotation mark at the end of "explains" was the work of one merry moment for the printers upstairs. So the inverted commas were lifted entirely off one word on to the other and a totally innocent title suddenly turned into a blasting sneer.
But that would have mattered nothing so far, for there was nothing to sneer at. In the same dark hour, however, there was a printer who was (I suppose) so devoted to this Government that he could think of no Gray but Sir Edward Grey. He spelt it "Grey" by a mere misprint, and the whole tale was complete: first blunder, second blunder, and final condemnation.
That is a little tale of journalism as it is; if you call it egotistic and ask what is the use of it I think I could tell you. You might
remember it when next some ordinary young workman is going to be hanged by the neck on circumstantial evidence."
I like the little knife point at the end!
And it seems to me that this essay could easily be called "GKC Explains."
It reminds me of an editing gaff I found once in a book, my own writing, unfortunately had been butchered, and I realized that no book, no article, can ever be perfect, for humans are working on it at every step of the way. A friend who pays attention to such detail recently related how he found two errors in his Bible. Things happen. Letters are overlooked, misprints happen. Remember that when you see spelling errors right here on the 'ole ACS Blogarooba, please.
"The scene now changes to the newspaper office. The writer of the article has discovered his mistake and wants to correct it by the next day: but the next day is Sunday. He cannot post a letter, so he rings up the paper and dictates a letter by telephone.
He leaves the title to his friends at the other end; he knows that they can spell "Gray," as no doubt they can: but the letter is put down by journalistic custom in a pencil scribble and the vowel may well be doubtful. The friend
writes at the top of the letter " 'G.K.C.' Explains," putting the initials in quotation marks.
The next man passing it for press is bored with these initials (I am with him there) and crosses them out, substituting
with austere civility, "Mr. Chesterton Explains." But - and now he hears the iron laughter of the Fates, for the blind bolt is about to fall - but he neglects to cross out the second "quote" (as we call it) and it goes up to press with a "quote" between the last words.
Another quotation mark at the end of "explains" was the work of one merry moment for the printers upstairs. So the inverted commas were lifted entirely off one word on to the other and a totally innocent title suddenly turned into a blasting sneer.
But that would have mattered nothing so far, for there was nothing to sneer at. In the same dark hour, however, there was a printer who was (I suppose) so devoted to this Government that he could think of no Gray but Sir Edward Grey. He spelt it "Grey" by a mere misprint, and the whole tale was complete: first blunder, second blunder, and final condemnation.
That is a little tale of journalism as it is; if you call it egotistic and ask what is the use of it I think I could tell you. You might
remember it when next some ordinary young workman is going to be hanged by the neck on circumstantial evidence."
I like the little knife point at the end!
And it seems to me that this essay could easily be called "GKC Explains."
It reminds me of an editing gaff I found once in a book, my own writing, unfortunately had been butchered, and I realized that no book, no article, can ever be perfect, for humans are working on it at every step of the way. A friend who pays attention to such detail recently related how he found two errors in his Bible. Things happen. Letters are overlooked, misprints happen. Remember that when you see spelling errors right here on the 'ole ACS Blogarooba, please.
Friday, February 03, 2006
Journalism 101-part Seven
I can tell that if I were Chesterton, trying to blog this, I'd have to figure out that "Read More" function so that this would have been one long post, and not broken up into bits. Then those who really were interested could read it all at once, and those who weren't would have new things to read.
When I get time next week, I'll investigate that "Read More" feature. Now, on with Chesterton's essay:
"He sits down desperately; the messenger rings at the bell; the children
drum on the door; the servants run up from time to time to say the
messenger is getting bored; and the pencil staggers along, making the
world a present of fifteen hundred unimportant words, and making
Shakespeare a present of a portion of Gray's Elegy; putting
"fantastic roots wreathed high" instead of "antique roots peep out."
Then the journalist sends off his copy and turns his attention to
the enigma of whether a brother should commandeer a sister's
necklace because the sister pinched him at Littlehampton. That is the
first scene; that is how an article is really written."
And that is no doubt, exactly how this particular article of Chesterton's was written (I originally wrote "scritten" a sort of combination of "scribbled" and "written" and I rather like that word!) which gives us a great idea of how his mind works, don't you think?
When I get time next week, I'll investigate that "Read More" feature. Now, on with Chesterton's essay:
"He sits down desperately; the messenger rings at the bell; the children
drum on the door; the servants run up from time to time to say the
messenger is getting bored; and the pencil staggers along, making the
world a present of fifteen hundred unimportant words, and making
Shakespeare a present of a portion of Gray's Elegy; putting
"fantastic roots wreathed high" instead of "antique roots peep out."
Then the journalist sends off his copy and turns his attention to
the enigma of whether a brother should commandeer a sister's
necklace because the sister pinched him at Littlehampton. That is the
first scene; that is how an article is really written."
And that is no doubt, exactly how this particular article of Chesterton's was written (I originally wrote "scritten" a sort of combination of "scribbled" and "written" and I rather like that word!) which gives us a great idea of how his mind works, don't you think?
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Journalism 101-part Six
Chesterton:
"Just as he is solving this problem upon principles of the highest
morality, it occurs to him suddenly that he has not written his
Saturday article; and that there is only about an hour to do it in.
He wildly calls to somebody (probably the gardener) to telephone to
somewhere for a messenger, he barricades himself in another room
and tears his hair, wondering what on earth he shall write about.
A drumming of fists on the door outside and a cheerful bellowing
encourage and clarify his thoughts; and he is able to observe some
newspapers and circulars in wrappers lying on the table. One is a
dingy book catalogue; the second is a shiny pamphlet about petrol;
the third is a paper called The Christian Commonwealth.
He opens it anyhow, and sees in the middle of a page a sentence
with which he honestly disagrees. It says that the sense of beauty in
Nature is a new thing, hardly felt before Wordsworth. A stream of
images and pictures pour through his head, like skies chasing each
other or forests running by. "Not felt before Wordsworth!" he thinks.
" Oh, but this won't do . . . bare ruined choirs where late the sweet
birds sang . . . night's candles are burnt out . . . glowed with living
sapphires . . . leaving their moon-loved maze . . . antique roots
fantastic . . . antique roots wreathed high . . . what is it in As You
Like It?"
This is not unlike some Gilbert columnists, who, they will recall, are coming up on a deadline (Feb. 5th) for whom I may remind that the editor is waiting, his hand at the door, ready to pounce, ready to maim any columnist who does not succeed in producing a column of no less that 900 words by Sunday! Sunday! That reminds me of Thursday, which is today. I think I need to go listen to some Mozart to straighten out my thinking so that I can work on my column and have something interesting to say...
"Just as he is solving this problem upon principles of the highest
morality, it occurs to him suddenly that he has not written his
Saturday article; and that there is only about an hour to do it in.
He wildly calls to somebody (probably the gardener) to telephone to
somewhere for a messenger, he barricades himself in another room
and tears his hair, wondering what on earth he shall write about.
A drumming of fists on the door outside and a cheerful bellowing
encourage and clarify his thoughts; and he is able to observe some
newspapers and circulars in wrappers lying on the table. One is a
dingy book catalogue; the second is a shiny pamphlet about petrol;
the third is a paper called The Christian Commonwealth.
He opens it anyhow, and sees in the middle of a page a sentence
with which he honestly disagrees. It says that the sense of beauty in
Nature is a new thing, hardly felt before Wordsworth. A stream of
images and pictures pour through his head, like skies chasing each
other or forests running by. "Not felt before Wordsworth!" he thinks.
" Oh, but this won't do . . . bare ruined choirs where late the sweet
birds sang . . . night's candles are burnt out . . . glowed with living
sapphires . . . leaving their moon-loved maze . . . antique roots
fantastic . . . antique roots wreathed high . . . what is it in As You
Like It?"
This is not unlike some Gilbert columnists, who, they will recall, are coming up on a deadline (Feb. 5th) for whom I may remind that the editor is waiting, his hand at the door, ready to pounce, ready to maim any columnist who does not succeed in producing a column of no less that 900 words by Sunday! Sunday! That reminds me of Thursday, which is today. I think I need to go listen to some Mozart to straighten out my thinking so that I can work on my column and have something interesting to say...
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Journalism 101-part FIVE
Chesterton:
"And now I will tell you exactly what really happened. It is honestly
rather amusing; it is a story of what journals and journalists really
are.
A monstrously lazy man lives in South Bucks partly by writing a
column in the Saturday Daily News. At the time he usually
writes it (which is always at the last moment) his house is
unexpectedly invaded by infants of all shapes and sizes.
His secretary is called away; and he has to cope with the invading pigmies. Playing
with children is a glorious thing; but the journalist in question has
never understood why it was considered a soothing or idyllic one. It
reminds him, not of watering little budding flowers, but of wrestling
for hours with gigantic angels and devils.
Moral problems of the most monstrous complexity besiege him incessantly. He has to decide
before the awful eyes of innocence, whether, when a sister has
knocked down a brother's bricks, in revenge for the brother
having taken two sweets out of his turn, it is endurable that the
brother should retaliate by scribbling on the sister's picture-book, and
whether such conduct does not justify the sister in blowing out the
brother's unlawfully lighted match."
I love this section! I could write columns like this, too....she took the gymnastics mat away and is using it for a fort! Well SHE said she'd play cards with me and now she won't. Well that's because we were playing chess, and she stopped in the middle because she saw I was winning! I did that because you looked at me like you knew you were going to win. Well, I was! Yeah, but you didn't have to look at me that way.....and on and on....
"And now I will tell you exactly what really happened. It is honestly
rather amusing; it is a story of what journals and journalists really
are.
A monstrously lazy man lives in South Bucks partly by writing a
column in the Saturday Daily News. At the time he usually
writes it (which is always at the last moment) his house is
unexpectedly invaded by infants of all shapes and sizes.
His secretary is called away; and he has to cope with the invading pigmies. Playing
with children is a glorious thing; but the journalist in question has
never understood why it was considered a soothing or idyllic one. It
reminds him, not of watering little budding flowers, but of wrestling
for hours with gigantic angels and devils.
Moral problems of the most monstrous complexity besiege him incessantly. He has to decide
before the awful eyes of innocence, whether, when a sister has
knocked down a brother's bricks, in revenge for the brother
having taken two sweets out of his turn, it is endurable that the
brother should retaliate by scribbling on the sister's picture-book, and
whether such conduct does not justify the sister in blowing out the
brother's unlawfully lighted match."
I love this section! I could write columns like this, too....she took the gymnastics mat away and is using it for a fort! Well SHE said she'd play cards with me and now she won't. Well that's because we were playing chess, and she stopped in the middle because she saw I was winning! I did that because you looked at me like you knew you were going to win. Well, I was! Yeah, but you didn't have to look at me that way.....and on and on....
The Man Who Was Thursday on Audio
And soon, Orthodoxy.
Here's the scoop!
From Christian Audio:
I'm enthusiastic to let you know about our MWWT and our upcoming Orthodoxy.
Please visit www.christianaudio.com and click on the big orangish button in the upper right that says "Free Download." That will take you to the page where you can use a coupon code to get the free download of MWWT.
Also feel free to drop by www.hovelaudio.com. That is our publishing site, and it will show you all the audiobooks that we have produced.
David Michael Bruno
Co-founder
Christianaudio &
Hovel Audio a Christianaudio imprint
Here's the scoop!
From Christian Audio:
I'm enthusiastic to let you know about our MWWT and our upcoming Orthodoxy.
Please visit www.christianaudio.com and click on the big orangish button in the upper right that says "Free Download." That will take you to the page where you can use a coupon code to get the free download of MWWT.
Also feel free to drop by www.hovelaudio.com. That is our publishing site, and it will show you all the audiobooks that we have produced.
David Michael Bruno
Co-founder
Christianaudio &
Hovel Audio a Christianaudio imprint
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