Snow on Snow on Snow
Rossetti seems fitting tonight,
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
There is something contemplative about watching the snow fall. Tonight it is falling briskly.
Huckleberry Finn
The San Francisco Chronicle gets it exactly right in its editorial concerning the censoring of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn:
The moral hinge of the novel centers on Huck's realization that Jim's freedom is as important as his own. The rest of the country made this realization in a bloody but necessary way - and trying to deny that history is an insult to all of us.
Ironically, the censoring of Huck Finn removes a crucial element in Twain's biting attack on racist stereotypes. Making the characters appear to be more respectful of Jim is as effective of means for stopping racism as denying parts of the Holocaust would be for reducing anti-semetism. Could it be that those who find Huckleberry Finn most offensive are those for whom the novel's critique hits closest to home?
Happy Ninth Day of Christmas!
I hope everyone has a good day, today. Don't forget that there are still 3 2 official days of Christmas left!
The Matrix
Well, eleven years later, I finally watched the Matrix. The symbolism and allegory are fascinating. In the realm of drama and story, it seems like allegory is an under appreciated form, albeit one that is still richly rewarding. It is nice to see it used.
I think it is one of those films I will need to chew on for awhile. I cannot say I ever had much of a desire to see it… But I think it was good that I now have.
On the Eighth Day of Christmas...
I spent time on the phone with HP tech support, helping a friend get his MediaSmart home server back up and running. Working with it, I am struck that it seems to run far more quietly than the Netgear ReadyNAS I returned last summer (because of the ReadyNAS's malfunctioning fans producing noise). The unit is also a lot more hardware for the buck.
Yet, while Windows Home Server is a relatively interesting product, it feels somewhat rough around the edges. I cannot help but wonder if the fact that the system needed to be factory reset speaks of the unreliability of Windows being carried over into something on the verge of being a consumer electronics-type device. I really wish Apple would offer a full fledged NAS-like product done right.
Happy New Year!
Sorry to be scarce this week. Since Christmas things have been a little different than I expected or would have hoped. But, on this seventh day of Christmas, let me wish everyone a Happy New Year filled with joy and the best sorts of excitement.
I'll try to resume regular blogging, so stay tuned.
Merry Christmas!
I hope everyone has had a blessed and Merry Christmas! It has been a beautiful, white Christmas here with a nice snowfall yesterday and continued flurries today and into the night. Picture perfect and peaceful.
Remember this is just day one of the twelve days of Christmas — my goal is to get people to observe the whole 12 days of Christmas with lights, music and general “Christmasyness.” Will you join me in celebrating the next 11?
C.S. Lewis and the Influence of Books
In the Wall Street Journal, Michael Flaherty critiques Joy Behar's ignorant understanding of C.S. Lewis. Beside defending Jack against the unfortunate suggestion that he is only an author of children's books, the piece is worth reading for some excellent observations on books and stories in general.
Lewis would likely have appreciated making Mrs. Palin's reading list. But he probably would have appreciated the questions about it even more. For Lewis, one of the best ways to know a person was to know what they read. He was convinced that books defined us and shaped our character. He realized that books did more than prepare people for interesting conversations with journalists—they prepare us to respond to the crises we encounter in our own lives.
I keep thinking of John Henry Cardinal Newman right now.
Returning, Finishing
Well, I think I may have been away from my blog longer just now than at any other time in its almost nine year history. With all the projects swirling around finishing at seminary and trying to line up my next steps, I found I just did not have the inspiration to write anything here. Now, with my time at seminary wrapped up (assuming all the exams went OK, of course), I hope to return to regular blogging.
I have missed posting on here. The interesting thing about blogging is that it provides a creative outlet that is neither as long or involved as writing a column nor as short and quickly forgotten as a Facebook status update. I have a number of ideas of things I want to get to posting here again, so watch out… I am back.
