smockmomma: March 2004 Archives

the dweeb factor

air america is supposed to be the "new" liberal radio station. first of all, wasn't air america a mel gibson movie? and secondly, we already have liberal radio. it's called NPR. the liberal line up includes al franken, janeane garofalo and chuck d. that's all liberal radio has to offer?

GK, our four year old, would rather work herself up into a complete lather than ask for help. many times her father or i will hear her crying or even screaming in frustration because she cannot __fill in the blank__. rather than ask dad to tie her shoe or mom to turn her shirt right-side out for her, she'll try to do it herself until she's so frustrated she can barely speak. even our two older children will get frustrated and lament, "why can't you just ask for help?"

at first i was proud thinking she's such a go-getter, so independent. i know she isn't shy -- she isn't refusing to ask for help because she's painfully shy or afraid to ask. but now i'm wondering if there might not be another reason for her reluctance to seek help. this is such a foreign concept for me. i'm typically independent; still, i do not have a problem seeking or receiving help. any thoughts?

i got her, too. cool, moe.

MamaT and i went to see eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, an event i will not soon forget. my review of this flawless film is posted over at popcorn critics. anyway, the movie refuses to stop making my brain tick. i mean, the movie was over four hours ago and i cannot stop thinking about it's main theme. which brings me to the following questions i've lifted from the book of questions, just for fun, for our fair readers:

if you could spend a year in complete and perfect happiness but afterward would remember nothing of the experience, would you do it?

which is more important: actual experiences or the memories that remain when the experiences are over?

round cheer, we ain't too keen on astra'logical signs 'n such, but we kin appreciate a good suthren sign! thanks to alicia of fructus ventris, we have this t'offer:

OKRA (Dec 22 - Jan 20)
Are tough on the outside but tender on the inside. Okra's have tremendous influence. An older Okra can look back over his life and see the seeds of his influence everywhere. You can do something good each day if you try.

CHITLINS (Jan 21 - Feb 19)
Chitlins come from humble backgrounds. A Chitlin, however, will make something of himself if he is motivated and has lots of seasoning. In dealing with Chitlins, be careful they may surprise you. They can erupt like Vesuvius. Chitlins are best with Catfish and Okra.

BOLL WEEVIL (Feb 20 - March 20)
You have an overwhelming curiosity. You're unsatisfied with the surface of things, and you feel the need to bore deep into the interior of everything. Needless to say, you are very intense and driven as if you had some inner hunger. You love to stay busy and tend to work too much. Nobody in their right mind is going to marry you, so don't worry about it.

MOON PIE (March 21 - April 20)
You're the type that spends a lot of time on the front porch. A cinch to recognize the physical appearance of Moon Pies. Big, round, and sweet are the key words here. You always have a big smile and are happy. This might be the year to think about aerobics. Maybe not. Regardless, everybody loves a Moon Pie.

for several new posts by st. blog's parishioners

(click the bucket to visit popcorn critics)

michelle has posted preliminary findings of her Christian blog survey. stop by (her march 25th post) iffin you're curious.

miss knapp, of from the anchor hold, caused a little buzz by posting this beautiful and stirring rendition of the annunciation.

if i'm not mistaken, history was not seen as particularly linear until the nineteenth or twentieth century. in fact, Mary, Christ, the disciples, etc. were most often seen as "ever present" throughout the ages. this is why we see Christ calling a matthew who is wearing contemporary clothes in carravaggio's the calling of saint matthew or a dandy lazarus in the famous fifteenth century panel saint lazarus between mary and martha, just to name two.

i am deeply intrigued by this painting. modern depictions of Mary have been something i have been interested in for some time; in fact, hub and i have commissioned a modern artist to do a contemporary Madonna and Child for our home. we poured over several books, and i never came across this one. miss knapp thinks it's by john carroll collier. i cannot find anything about this piece. if anyone can verify the title and or the artist, i'd be much obliged.

SHAME ON ME: i just found out that this artist, indeed mr. collier, came to our parish and discussed this very painting. that's what i get for missing our lenten lectures. here is an article about his work on a 9/11 memorial and a website devoted to his work. make sure to view his rendition of the pieta. oh yeah, and best of all, he resides in TEXAS. yeeHAW.

on the front page of my star telegram today:

JUSTICES CONSIDER GOD'S ROLE IN PLEDGE

do the words arrogant and insolent come to mind?

our saintly salmagundi is hosting a grudge match betwixt Saint Athanasius and Saint John Chrysostom. be sure to visit and vote!

which art movement are you?
this quiz was made by Caitlin

i so identify with poor saint thomas. thanks to mr. otto de whozit, fellow baroquian, i've gotten the most coolmoe link to the most awesome painting this side of the seventeenth century: click the pic to have your mind blown!

with this quiz, for it gave me the same results as mr. riddle of flos carmeli who (at the very least) blogs much more holy than i.

You are the Cross of St. Benedict: This cross is
inscribed with several prayers for holiness and
peace including, -May the holy cross be my
light! May the dragon never be my guide- and -
Begone Satan! Never tempt me with your
vanities! What you offer me is evil. Drink the
poison yourself!-


What Kind of Cross are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

first of all, i'm glad to be back after a four day hiatus. isn't it funny how tired you can get while on vacation? all i want to do is jump in bed and veg. but as fellow parents know, being gone from the keep for four days means there's quite a bit of ... um, damage recovery to do.
but, that's okay today because while perusing the ether, i discovered something that's got me so excited, i'm ready to (as demurely as possible) bust a gut! mind you, i only know one other person who shares my enthusiasm for arrested development, hence the title of this post, but i'm sharing in case you're feeling adventurous. there's an arrested development marathon tonight! and if you enjoy cerebral humor, tune in or (if like me you're busier than a one arm paper hanger) tivo!

A father watched his daughter playing in the garden.
He smiled as he reflected on how sweet and innocent
his little girl was. Suddenly she stopped and
stared at the ground. He went over to her and noticed
she was looking at two spiders mating.

"Daddy, what are those two spiders doing?" she
asked.

"They're mating," her father replied.

"What do you call the spider on top, Daddy?" she asked.

"That's a Daddy Longlegs." Her father answered.

"So, the other one is Mommy Longlegs?" the little girl asked.

"No," her father replied. "Both of them are Daddy Longlegs."

The little girl thought for a moment, then took her foot
and stomped them flat and said "Well, it might be okay
in California, New York, or Massachusetts,
but we're not having any of that crap in Texas."

i'm embarking on a little study and i'd like to get your help. i plan on waxing philosophical, in the "tso's spam" tradition, about the fact that we're being nickled and dimed to death by bogus fees.
i am making a compilation of fees and other superfluous charges that show up on bills. i got the idea a few weeks ago when i had to mosey on over to the county sub-courthouse to pay for my car's registration sticker. most of the charges and fees sounded pretty, well, for lack of a better term, normal, but one poked me right smack dab in the eye. i had to pay an extra thirty cents for a "reflectorization fee." my first thought was shyuh, whatever, but after a little research i've found that, although "reflectorization" is not in the dictionary, it is a term used by the gubbament, namely the department of transportation, to describe the retroreflective surface of signs. uh huh. in layman's terms it's called the shiny stuff on signs, and as a nation we're paying a fortune for it.

anyway, in order to further my project, please share any bogus fees (even if they're just bogus-sounding fees) with me in the comment boxes. your generous help will be appreciated -- and, for your trouble, i'll even waive the retrouniversal multi-blogoshpere responsorializationer fee.

please offer a quick prayer for Terry, as she seems to be coming down with something icky.

1. What was the last song you heard?

2. What were the last two movies you saw?

3. What were the last three things you purchased?

4. What four things do you need to do this weekend?

5. Who are the last five people you talked to?

congrats to our sweet alicia, of fructus ventris, and our dear mr. miller, also known as the curt jester, for chapping the hides down t'uh the commonweal for being too ... catholic?

Quiz results moved to extended entry because the pictures were messing up our sidebar!

we have an awful lot of smart people hanging out around st. blog's, so i'm hoping someone might help me out. hub and i were discussing the passion and we wandered into some fairly deep metaphysical questions. one in particular is puzzling us both: when did the evil one figure out exactly who Jesus was...is...always shall be?

by lauren over at *fiat lux* posted under mel gibson's pieta.

please read this bit of serious news.