Check out this section in the New Pantagruel: Hymns in the Whorehouse for an interesting taking on Mel Gibson's The Passion.

Check this passage:

In fact, the whole concept of The Passion as a ministry and evangelization tool makes the movie into a Hollywood version of the Church itself. One would expect a Catholic Cardinal of all churchmen to recognize this. For the Church itself is to be the place where people are drawn in to be “moved” by an encounter with the Real Presence of the crucified and risen Christ. Most disturbing is Hoyos’s suggestion that he would gladly trade his own homilies on the Passion for the effectiveness of the film. His willingness to denigrate his own role in the Church and his eager grasping for a filmic “tool” suggests a too-easy demoting of the word and of the liturgical drama of the mass. Hoyos’s admissions are no incentive to go to a church stuck in musty old orality! The Passion is Even Better than the Real Thing. Apparently, the much more sensory, communal, participatory experience of the mass can’t touch sitting in a dark theater watching buckets of fake blood: the Terminator one Saturday, Jesus Christ the next.

My biggest complaint with the film is how churches and pastors and self-appointed evangelical spokespeople are all jumping on the bandwagon, many without having seen the movie. I've seen local news stories about churches planning to use the film as an outreach event, but have the leaders of the church seen the film? In most cases not. Then I read this take from the New Pantagruel, which also makes an intriguing point.

Having said all that, I'm certainly going to see this film for myself.

Here's my official work bio for the great and all powerful NTV News in good old Grand Island Nebraska

Weather Underground: Grand Island, Nebraska Forecast

we had rain over night.

then it snowed early this morning.

yeah, fun. icy, snow covered roads. at least people in the upper midwest know how to drive in it. i haven't seen any accidents.

Congratulations! You're Sam!


Which Lord of the Rings character and personality problem are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Congratulations! You're Sam!


Which Lord of the Rings character and personality problem are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

If you don't read Lileks, and I can't imagine you don't... you must read this and download his remix of the Dean scream :)

yup it's my bday!

nobody loves you when you're 23.

or 5 years past that ;)

had a meeting at church tonight -- no one even remembered. i almost thought it was gonna be a surprise party, so i did the whole i won't be surprised. i mean, we never have meetings, so why one on my birthday. oh well. no biggie. i found out my mom made me a vikings quilt! i have the best mom, don't i :)

my tv station finally has awebsite


but there's not much there yet.

like nothing.

oh well

Programming Language Inventor or Serial Killer?

I got 6 out of 10. Who knew?