Biggest news this week was the birth of my first nephew! Welcome Ilya Birch Goeple! (to my disappointment, he is not in fact named after the Russian folk hero Ilya Morumets). It is official: my last day at this job will be two weeks from today. Then I plunge into the unknown. Quite literally … Continue reading 7 Quick Takes Vol. 51
Author: DBreitenbeck
Thoughts on the Death Penalty
Recently, the Catholic blogsphere united (read: exploded into civil war) over the issue of capital punishment. Four publications and most of the Patheos blog channel all came together to call for the end of the death penalty in America. Probably against my better judgment, I’m going to weigh in here. Not on the … Continue reading Thoughts on the Death Penalty
Turn Me Inside Out!
I confess I’ve been nervous about Pixar’s latest film Inside Out. Of course, it’s Pixar, but they haven’t been quite at their best lately (I liked Monster’s University, but I think it’s fair to say it was far from their best work. I didn’t bother seeing Cars 2). Inside Out seemed to have a great … Continue reading Turn Me Inside Out!
Abbot and Costello, Charles Laughton, and Abraham Lincoln
Two of the greatest comedians of the twentieth century, one of the greatest actors of the twentieth century, and the greatest speech in American history. It truly doesn't get much better than this. Enjoy.
“Stop whining, Willard”
The wonderful Bob Newhart imagines how a non-expert might go about defusing a bomb.
7 Quick Takes Vol. 50
You may have noticed (well, probably not, but maybe now you will) that I’ve been enjoying my new blog. I think I mentioned last time that one of the reasons I made the switch was to have more flexibility in what I posted (I’m anal like that; if I decide that one particular thing only … Continue reading 7 Quick Takes Vol. 50
“What part of ‘Take up your cross’ Do They Not Understand?
Mr. Kevin Williamson, writing for the National Review, gives a bluntly solid defense of San Francisco Archbishop Codileone here and here. To summarize, His Excellency is attempting to clarify the employment rules for Catholic schools in his archdiocese, letting it be known that a condition of employment in Catholic schools is that teachers have to affirm Catholic … Continue reading “What part of ‘Take up your cross’ Do They Not Understand?
The Wisdom of Father Brown
As I noted before, I love quotes, and Mr. G.K. Chesterton was one of the most quotable men of the twentieth century. Mr. Chesterton's most famous character, Father Brown, of course shared his creator's proclivity for quick and pithy bits of wisdom. Presented below is a sampling (I'm not giving the stories where they may … Continue reading The Wisdom of Father Brown
A Little More on The Good
I wanted to expand a bit on the notion of ‘meditating on the good.’ Recently I read an article (which I haven’t been able to find since) describing how YouTube’s censors – the people who search for pornographic or similar videos to remove from the site – are only allowed to serve for one year … Continue reading A Little More on The Good
Adhering to Popular Opinion Does Not Make You an Independent Thinker
I discovered this rather hilarious / idiotic article this morning. It so wonderfully encapsulates just how self-deluded our current culture, and especially the generation to which I, alas, am a part of, really is, especially with regards to issues of truth. The article is reproduced below in bold with my comments in italics. My name … Continue reading Adhering to Popular Opinion Does Not Make You an Independent Thinker
Serpent's Den 