Talk About The Passion

The second commandment forbids, among other things, making any kind of representation of Jesus. So of course I don't approve of His portrayal in film, especially films with "evangelistic" intent (it makes for bad film and worse evangelism). However, the latest film about our Lord and Savior, The Passion, seems to be getting-up everyone's dander because it isn't politically correct... so it's probably, more or less, historically "faithful." I'm bracing myself for the flood of "conservative Christian" gushing that the film is bound to induce.

The film is in Aramaic, Latin, and Hebrew, however, so maybe the evangelicals will stay home.

Hope is Dead

The recent death of Hope... that is, Bob --you know, the entertainer-- has led me to reflect on the nature of grief. Not that I was particularly attached to the celebrity or anything. I mean, I thought he died a long time ago. But I was disappointed that I didn't hear anyone make an obvious joke out of the headline.

Anyway, here is my own construal of the "Five Stages of Grief":

shock / denial
anxiety / panic
hostility / anger
guilt / humiliation
depression / despair

Of course, these "stages" may be experienced as overlapping, often accompanied by a general confusion, and may persist indefinitely.

Beyond Metaphysics

Today was a day for contemplating the pataphysical, if such a thing is possible.
I fear that I have always been, and will remain, too perturbable.

In The Neighborhood

Last night Baltimore’s annual ArtScape began. I took in the funkadelic stylizations of the All Mighty Senators while eating a pickle about the size of my forearm. I was also pleased to see The Book Thing doing their thing in one of the tents.

I Know What You Mean

“I am like a ripe stool, and the world is like a gigantic anus, and so we’re about to let go of each other.”

--Martin Luther, commenting to his wife Katie over dinner
[Table Talk, Winter 1542/43, No. 5537, WA. TR 5.222; LW 54.448.]