Insight Scoop | The Ignatius Press Blog

Behold the Olympics!

by James V. Schall, S.J. | Catholic World Report

Watching the Olympic Games on NBC has been more than frustrating. The actual events are cleverly isolated midst ad after ad, and chatter after chatter, on the screen. In frustration, I turned to a Spanish station that showed soccer, boxing, and races that were not yet available on NBC, which seems exclusively interested in what Americans do at the Games. No doubt, Ethiopian, German, or Chinese television networks feature their respective athletes.

I suppose that if I were in London, the logistics of getting to where separate events were actually happening would be daunting. No one could see everything as it was happening. And while each event has its own history and fascination, some people will be bored by swimming and others enthused by shooting or the pole vault. But, no doubt, something worth watching can be found in any event.

In the course of two weeks, we see boxing, rowing, equestrian events, track, shooting, jumping, vaulting, diving, swimming, weight-lifting, judo, volley ball, field hockey, basketball, soccer, wrestling, ping pong, gymnastics, badminton, hurdles, and marathons. The only things missing are football (American, Australian, Irish, and Canadian), sailing, baseball, poker, golf, lacrosse, hunting dogs, cock fights, bass fishing, auto racing, tractor pulls, and horse shoes. We see the world's fastest men and women, as well as the strongest, the most agile, and the most enduring. When we finally are allowed un-interruptedly to watch a complete event, it is precisely a spectacle, something to behold, to watch, fascinated.

Aside from the occasional athlete who blesses himself before a race, the heavy garb of some Muslim women, and the "God" when "God Save the Queen" is sung in honor of some British gold medalist, we see or hear no indication of religion, aside from shots of Westminster Abbey or St. Paul's. The opening and closing ceremonies feature no blessings. Perhaps it is just as well. Security is difficult enough as it is.

Yet, the Olympics did have religious origins in their Greek beginnings. Mt. Olympus was the home of the gods.

The idea that men did their best before the gods is not to be ignored. And what could men do? Were there any limits? Is there something finite about us?

Continue reading on the CWR blog.

The Serious Games of Life and Death: A CWR Review of "The Hunger Games"

The Serious Games of Life and Death | Meryl Amland | Catholic World Report

Box-office hit The Hunger Games depicts the fight for freedom and dignity in a dystopian future.

One of the most popular dystopian novels in recent literature, The Hunger Games, was released this past weekend as a major motion picture. Critics are estimating the new hit could possibly generate more revenue than either Harry Potter or Twilight. The first weekend at the box office brought in $155 million, so I am willing to bet those estimates are correct. Suzanne Collins’ trilogy has captivated audiences of all ages, and the first movie is a surprisingly good adaptation of the book.

The Hunger Games is set in what we assume to be a future North America, now divided into 12 districts, known as Panem. These districts are ruled by the Capitol, where the Hunger Games—much like ancient Rome’s gladiatorial games—are held each year. One boy and one girl, between the ages of 12 and 18, are chosen at random from each district and then sent to the Capitol to fight to the death in a giant arena. Twenty-four “tributes” go in; only one can come out alive. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) lives in the impoverished District 12. When her little sister, Primrose (Willow Shields), is chosen as the female tribute for their district, Katniss volunteers to take her place. Along with the male tribute, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), Katniss must learn what it takes to survive the Hunger Games.

Those worried parents who think this is just another popular-teenage-hormone-story-competing-with-the-Twilight-books-and-now-made-into-a-movie should consider watching the movie, or better yet, reading the book. Admittedly, stories about a bunch of teenagers killing each other for reality television did not appeal to me either at first, considering such stories can be found on television already (if not quite so literally). Not even the popular Katniss-Gale-Peeta love triangle attracted me.

However, I discovered a rather more crucial theme underlying the entirety of the film: the value and dignity of human life in the face of a tyrannical government.  Don’t believe me? Read on.

Read the entire review at www.CatholicWorldReport.com...

Feeling much better, thank you...

... after today's events at the local Gridiron Temple (located just a few minutes away). Not that I worship there. But I do keep tabs on the autumnal worship services, and this one, I must admit, was quite entertaining.

• Not feeling so great this evening (Sept. 3, 2009)

On a lighter note, let's play...

... the "Random iPod Playlist" game, as instituted by Fr. Jim Tucker of Dappled Things. The directions are simple:

Get your ipod or media-player of choice, select your whole music collection, set the thing to shuffle (i.e., randomized playback), then post the first ten songs that come out. No cheating, no matter how stupid it makes you feel!

I'm going to play a revised edition of the game, using iTunes since I have a better selection (13,350 songs) than my iPod allows (3,500). Here goes:

1. "Leit af lífi", Sigur Rós, from "Von brig"
2. "Running Boy," Frost, from "Melodica"
3. "November Rain," Guns N' Roses, from "Greatest Hits"
4. "Please, Please Baby," Dwight Yoakam, from "Austin City Limits: Live From Austin, TX"
5. "Sister Moon (Feat. Sting)," Herbie Hancock, from "Possibilities"
6. "Premiere Lamentation Pour Le Jeudy Saint Au Soir", by Joel Cohen; Boston Camerata, from "Lamentations-Holy Week In Provence"
7. "By Candlelight," Peter White, from "Acoustic Heart: Acoustic Guitar Masters"
8. "So What," by Donald Harrison Jr., from "Kind Of New"
9. "O Sanctissima," by Our Lady Of Good Counsel Choir, from "Sacred Music of Our Church"
10. "Libra," by Mary Lou Williams, from "Zodiac Suite: Revisited"

Okay, ten more:

11. "Love Now Till Eternity," Asia, from "Anthologia: 20th Anniversary Geffen Years Collection, 1982-1990"
12. "Blackbird, Bye Bye," by Keith Jarrett Trio, from "Bye Bye Blackbird"
13. "Deep River," by Denyce Graves, from "Angels Watching Over Me"
14. "Still Motion," by Ben Monder, from "Oceana"
15. "There Is A River," by Jars Of Clay, from "Good Monsters"
16. "King Arthur - Aire," composed by Purcell, Henry, from "Purcell: Ayres For The Theatre"
17. "Home," by Sarah McLachlan, from "Solace"
18. "Blue In Green (Evans)," by Anthony Braxton, from "23 Standards (Quartet)"
19. "Le Mistral," by Keith Jarrett, from "The Impulse Years, 1973-74 /Treasure Island"
20. "Summertime In England," by Van Morrison, from "Common One"

Hmmm...641 Sinatra songs and not one appears, compared to 222 songs by Keith Jarrett who appears twice. And, for the record (ha!), I don't know how that Guns N' Roses tune got in there. I'll have to talk to my six-year-old daughter; she was probably responsible.

Proof that video games destroy brain cells, distort reality, and waste time...

...is now available. (UPDATE/Disclaimer: This post and its headline is meant to be humorous. It is not meant to disparage or make light of the important and positive work done in the video game market by hard-working, morally-upright, innovative programmers. It is simply meant to mock the Coded Craziness. Period. That's it. Nothing more.)

I Love Mankind, It's Just that I Hate People

Dr. Peter Colosi explores the ethical contradictions of Princeton's Peter Singer, a man who heads the Center for Human Values and who once criticized Mother Teresa for loving the individual human person rather than mankind as a whole.  The article is at Godspy and here is the link.

http://www.godspy.com/issues/WHATS-LOVE-GOT-TO-DO-WITH-IT-The-Ethical-Contradictions-of-Peter-Singer-by-Dr-Peter-J-Colosi.cfm