Five Things You'll Probably Never See

By Drew

I don't know how many of you have seen the new Pepsi ads. You know, the ones with the logo that looks suspiciously like that of the President-Elect, being used in place of an O. The other night I saw one that had the kind of urban ghetto-speak so popular in advertising nowadays. "Fo Sho," it said, with Pepsi logos for the Os, and the only thing I could think of was that old bit from Buckwheat (or Eddie Murphy, whichever you prefer). And I imagined how in some back room at Pepsi's ad agency, someone was even now at hard work on the next Pepsi catchphrase:


Nah, I thought. We'll never see that. But it got me to thinking about the five things we'll probably never see in our lifetimes. Here are the other four:

2. A university with a "Kennedy Chair of Ethics."
3. An all-white version of Porgy and Bess.
4. An athlete blaming God for a loss in the big game. "It's because I'm Jewish, isn't it?"
5. Oprah telling her audience, "But don't listen to me - I'm not an expert."

What else might we not see in our lifetimes?

The Artlessness of Snark

By Mitchell

Terry Teachout has a terrific piece on snark. Read the whole thing here, but I particularly liked this quote:

I just don't like snarkiness. It's a cultural trend, I think, driven by the Web, where snarkiness is considered a virtue. It's legitimate to be funny in a review, but there's a certain kind of nastiness that I don't like. Sneering about the serious efforts of a serious artist is not, in my opinion, an appropriate way to respond to things.

Now, I'd extend the definition of "art" to cover serious writing (which, sadly enough, is also a commodity in short supply on the Web). And in doing so, it is clear from some sites out there (many sites) that tolerance for opposite viewpoints is fleeting.

There are a few things about this that bother me. One, of course, is the lack of civility that snarkiness has bred. But just as disturbing is the intellectual shallowness which arises from snark, where namecalling is taken as a substitute for serious discussion.

There's one blogger out there whom I've commented on before, who uses the tag line, "So That No Thought of Mine, No Matter How Stupid, Should Ever Go Unpublished Again!" who then goes on to prove it. What saddens me about this blogger (whose name I will not mention; follow the link if you're interested, and I'll only add that his last name is the same as that of the former home of the New York Mets) is that much of his writing is quite good. He has a profound sense of God, and his prayers are often very well done.

However (and I'll bet you knew that was coming), all this good that he might do he proceeds to undo via snark. He might think of it as humor, but there's no small amout of meanness to it as well (for which, to his credit, he has several times aplogized). He's just one of those guys with whom it is very difficult to conduct a serious conversation, because he makes you so angry, you lose respect for his opinion. And while it's up to us to not let ourselves be provoked in this manner, I think he also has a responsibility to try and avoid acting in that manner in the first place. Through his actions he becomes, quite possibly, the worst advocate possible for his beliefs. And this is a shame; as I mentioned, there's much good in what he writes. But it's hard to get past that because of the tone he uses. I fear he's turning away people who might be helped by what he has to say, but are disgusted by his manner. I might be persuaded by some of his arguments, if they were made by someone else. He could argue, of course, that you don't have to listen to him - you can get the same information from others. But if he is turning people away, how likely are they to pursue further investigation? From an advocacy point, this is somewhat counterproductive, to say the least. Sometimes I think he ought to consider changing his last name to Sneer.

(On a side note, I have to add that bloggers like him are what prompted us to turn this site away from being a full-time religion blog and toward a more general culture blog. Frankly, the tenor in the Catholic blogosphere can be quite, what should we say, un-Catholic. And again, in helping to create this atmosphere, a blogger - no matter how good his intentions, no matter how strong or orthodox the faith - becomes a poor ambassador for his beliefs.)

Oh well. It's not as if we haven't been guilty of this in the past ourselves, and I suspect we will again in the future. But there just has to be some sense of responsibility that goes hand-in-hand with the keyboard, doesn't there?

Doesn't there?

Ricardo Montalban, R.I.P.

By Mitchell

I don't have an intensely personal story to share on Ricardo Montalban, who died yesterday at age 88. But one can't let his death go unnoticed, either. There's so much to choose from: Rich Corinthian Leather! Zee Plane, Boss! Khan! I'll remember him most from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, when his wonderfully over-the-top villain helped save a franchise that, in its first movie incarnation, threatened to become bogged down in metaphysical and philosophical mystery. Khan was what the Star Trek movies desperately needed: a juicy, exciting, action-packed shootout in space. It had it all, topped off by the scenery-chewing of Shatner, Montalban, Walter Koenig, and all the rest. That was a two-popcorn-tub movie.

But Montalban, though he may never have been a mega-star, was a star indeed, with a long and successful career. CNN refers to his "dignified demeanor and rich accent" - Ricardo Montalban was a class act on the screen, and that's the way we'll remember him.

Patrick McGoohan, R.I.P.

By Mitchell

I was in high school the first time I saw The Prisoner on television. It ran, as most British series did at the time, on our local PBS station, in this case at 10:30 on Sunday nights. I kept seeing the listing in the TV Guide for this show with characters who had numbers instead of names, and after a few weeks of this I decided I had to check it out for myself.

I was hooked, as so many high school kids of that era would have been - high school being the time for angst and existentialism and deep introspection, of course. I knew nothing of the background of the series, of the controversy it had caused during its initial run in Britain in the 60s. It didn't always make sense - actually, to be perfectly honest, it often didn't make sense. And since I had no idea how many episodes there were in total, I had no clue that, after a few weeks of viewing, the series was approaching its stunning finale.

That final episode - appropriately entitled "Fall Out" - had an opening unlike that of the other episodes, and that, along with the bizarre conclusion of the previous episode ("Once Upon a Time"), gave me the hint that something was up. And at the end of that magnificent, mystifying, infuriating, mind-bending hour, I sat in front of the TV and thought to myself, "Did I just see what I think I saw?" I won't tell you what it was, of course, since some of you may not have seen The Prisoner, but suffice it to say that I had, indeed, seen what I thought I saw - I just wasn't quite sure what it meant. Then or now. Which puts me pretty much in the majority of people who have, at one time or another, watched Patrick McGoohan's most famous television project.

It was a premise that, in other hands, could have been quite hoary: a secret agent, for reasons unknown, retires from active duty. Soon after, he is kidnapped and held prisoner. His captives? Well, we're not sure. They could be the enemy, trying to find out his secrets. On the other hand, it could be his own side, desperate to make sure he doesn't spill them. And about that opening sequence - wasn't that something? McGoohan, as the Prisoner, demanding of his unknown captors, "What do you want?"

"Information," an unseen voice would respond. "We want information, information, information."

"Who are you?" McGoohan would ask. (Although, with his booming voice, it was more like a demand.)

"The new Number 2," the voice (a different one each week) would inevitably respond. To McGoohan's question "Who is Number One?" the voice simply and blandly replied, "You are Number 6."

"I am not a number; I am a free man!" McGoohan would bellow. And at that, the voice would simply laugh.

Week after week, we would watch the desperate attempts of the guardians of this place - "The Village" - try to elicit information from Number 6. Or rather, the answer to one question and one question only: why did you resign. It was a question that Number 6 refused, week after week, to answer. Sometimes he would outwit his captors totally, turning the tables on them. Other weeks, they would defeat his attempts to escape. In the end, - but then, I'm afraid I can't give that away.

Patrick McGoohan, who died today at age 80, was what George Clooney wishes he was: handsome, articulate, provocative, brilliant. True, Clooney's got the good looks (he even looks good in a tux), and he's no slouch when it comes to words; but the shallow political fables that he tries so very earnestly to sell to the public can't begin to hold a candle to the layered depth and sinister undertones present in The Prisoner" and many of McGoohan's other works.

He first came to the public eye in a half-hour British spy series called Danger Man, which later expanded to an hour and was known (in this country) as Secret Agent. In it, he played a mysterious agent named John Drake, who never carried a gun and fought the bad guys with his wits as well as his fists. He was twice offered the role of James Bond in the 007 movies, and twice turned it down. He won two Emmys for his work with Peter Falk in Columbo.

But it was as Number 6 that the public most knew and identified with him. The Prisoner was always something of a cult favorite - one critic called it "brilliantly obscure." Not only was he the star, he was co-creator, wrote several of the episodes himself, and even suggested the show's famous theme. There was no doubt that McGoohan's DNA was imprinted on every inch of The Prisoner.

It will be interesting to see if any of the obituaries in the next few days touch on the religious overtones of The Prisoner. Mary Morris, the actress who played Number 2 in "Dance of the Dead," referred to McGoohan as "a very religious man." McGoohan's famous hand gesture, delivered with the cryptic "be seeing you" to fellow villagers, was, according to Morris, intended to represent the sign of the fish. Number 6 often put himself on the line for fellow Villagers, urging them to stand up for their rights, all to no avail; was it an allegory for Christ's self-sacrifice, which also went unappreciated by so many? In one famous scene, Number 6 is shown struggling against his captors, his body ridid, his arms stretched out to the side in what is clearly a Crucifix form. One of the definitive books on the series, The Official Prisoner Companion, devotes an entire section to the idea of Number 6 as "the Prophet." The apocalyptic overtones of "Fall Out" were unmistakable. (The fact that the role of Number 6 in the coming Prisoner miniseries is to be played by Jim Caviezel can only make that speculation more ironic.)

It will also be interesting to see what the obituaries make of the political content of The Prisoner. Based on several comments made in interviews, McGoohan appears to have been no political conservative; nonetheless, The Prisoner was most decidedly a cautionary tale against the pervasiveness of big government. "I am not a number, I am a free man!" was the rallying cry for the rights of the individual - rights that seem to disappear a little more each time we turn around. His weapon, the authors of the Companion point out, was "his uncrushable spirit." It was that spirit that we saw in Eastern Europe during the Cold War, in the rise of John Paul II and the fall of the Berlin Wall, and any other place where man years for freedom. In the words from another great British television series, Doctor Who, human beings "always have to fight for their freedom," and it was this sensibility that emanated from The Prisoner.

One of the enduring questions that Prisoner fans continually asked from the outset of the show: was Number 6 really John Drake, the star of Danger Man and Secret Agent? McGoohan insisted publicly that it was not so, but that could have been a product of not owning the intellectual rights to Drake, a character which he did not create. The real answer, one suspects, was - like so many things - to be found inside that brilliant mind of Patrick McGoohan. And that secret is now safe with him.

Oh, brothers

The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour: Best of Season 3
 Available on DVD through most retailers

When discussing the Smothers Brothers, one doesn't review a television show as much as an specific time in history. Not the era of the Smothers Brothers themselves, for they really flashed across the sky for but a brief moment; and not an epochal moment in history, for much of what the Brothers accomplished was, shall we say, less than timeless.

No, to understand the Smothers Brothers, and what their comedy was all about, one has to understand the 60s, or at least be conversant with them. Taking them out of context, watching or listening to them without that background information, can leave one wondering what all the excitement was about. (Frankly, even with an understanding of the 60s one might have that same reaction, but that is a discussion for another day.)

If you've ever wondered what all the shouting was about, why so many people supported and admired them while so many others were outraged and disgusted by them, why they were the idols of college campuses and the bane of politicians and network censors, then you could do worse than to have The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour: Season 3 as part of your DVD collection.

I remember watching them back in that year of 1968, and I suppose I understood the humor about as well as any eight-year-old could (even a politically savvy eight-year-old), but one thing I did understand was that the Brothers were very good at raising the hackles of a good many people.

So what was all the shouting about? You might ask yourself that very question after watching a few episodes from this, the third season. For one thing, taken in the context of other variety shows of the day (Ed Sullivan, Carol Burnett, even shows to come such as Sonny & Cher), the Smothers Brothers Show was amazingly conventional. There was an opening bit (not quite a monologue, since there were two of them), appearances by special guests (standup comedians and rock stars), scripted bits, production numbers, and other things one might expect from a variety show. If you wanted cutting-edge television, this wasn't it; Monty Python was certainly far more advanced in breaking the mold, and even Laugh-In was far more creative in establishing a new way of thinking about the variety show. It's true that the Brothers had The Doors as special guests, but then so did Sullivan. And while their clothes were often vintage 60s (try a red blazer and turtleneck, for instance), it's also true that if you let the coat out a bit and lower the cut, you come up with a fairly fashionable double-breasted coat, and that turtleneck cut down just a little looks like a very sharp mock-turtle. If you'll look closely, you'll notice that Dick (he was the one mom liked best) even wears cufflinks.

So the show wasn't nearly as cutting-edge as we might remember. Nor could one say that the writing was exceptionally clever. Nothing, certainly, like the talent on shows such as Your Show of Shows. (Try Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, Howard Morris for starters.) I doubt that the writing bench was as deep as those of Carson or Paar, for example. One thing that strikes me on watching these shows is that so many of these bits go on for far, far too long. The writers really don't know when (or perhaps even how) to end some of these sketches, which gives it more in common with Saturday Night Live than anything else.

(By the way, did you know that the original title of that show was NBC's Saturday Night? Why, you ask? Because the name "Saturday Night Live" was already in use - by Howard Cosell, in his short-lived Saturday night variety show.)

Anyway, I suppose the comparison to SNL is perhaps the best one on a number of levels, for what made the Smothers Brothers unique - the reason why I'm watching this DVD and writing these words - is that they took on the law and won (for at least a little while). Their comedy writers were those who wrote the lead stories in the nation's newspapers, and their targets were the politicians who ran the government, the church leaders who guided the nation's morals, and the suits who ran CBS.

I said earlier in this review that viewed out of context, without knowing what the 60s were like, much of the humor in these episodes (which, I should say, have been beautifully mastered, with the vivid color saturation that is so typical of 60s television) might fall flat, or at least seem tedious and didactic. Fortunately, some of the features included in this set help to set the table: a brief documentary featurette on the 60s helps to give the show some perspective, and optional opening and closing comments by the Brothers provide some real insight and background on the episode in question. There's the complete "Pat Paulson for President" special, with Henry Fonda (another old radical) as narrator. There's a rich collection of outtakes, uncensored (and never seen) episodes, and a rich collection of correspondence between the Brothers and CBS documenting the many disputes between them. I've already mentioned the beautiful look to these episodes, and the set itself is nothing if not comprehensive. No, if you're looking for quality and comprehensiveness, you won't have to look far.

The talent is certainly there, as well. One episode featured a very funny George Carlin and a brilliant performance by The Doors (brilliant, that is, if you're a fan of theirs), and other guest stars in this collection include Bob Newhart and Steve Martin, Judy Collins and Joey Bishop, Ike and Tina Turner and George Harrison. There's comedy, rock, folk - all kinds of stuff.

We are left, then, with the title stars themselves. This is a DVD review, not a cultural essay; anyone looking for information about the Smothers Brothers won't have far to look. But it is a fact that many watching these shows for the first time ever, or the first time in a long time, will be apt to find parallels between the political landscape of today and that of the 60s. Some will rejoice in that, others will roll their eyes.

The Brothers could be, by turns, funny, tiresome, smug, naive, entertaining, boring, infurating, and subversive. They showed then, as now, a pronounced lack of respect for current mores, for authority, for rules and regulations and propriety. There's no question that some of the tiresome molds of the era needed to be broken, but (as the Catholic Church as since found out) sometimes when you open up the windows to let the stale air out, you let a whole lot more come in. And once it's in, it's damn hard to get out. The Smothers Brothers helped change television, just as they helped define a generation. They didn't do it all themselves (for very little that is either very great or very evil can be boiled down to just one or two individuals), and while they might not have meant for everything to happen that has since come to pass, we all know that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Then again, maybe they did mean for it all to happen. Who knows?

Really, there's not much we can do except try to understand it. Sometimes that understanding can only come with perspective, with time and distance. And then we may find out that what we thought we knew we didn't really understand at all.

So is The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour: Season 3 worth your investment? If you're looking for a cultural artifact, a window into time, a sense of what it was like back in the day - then the answer is yes. As for the entertainment value, well, that is probably left in the eye of the beholder.
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Something's fishy at the Orchestra

Something truly was fishy when I was at the Koger Center for the Arts to attend Dancing with the Phil, the annual South Carolina Philharmonic Pops series concert that is the traditional Viennese New Year concert, complete with some ballroom dancing, the winner of a singing contest (with Tina Stallard and Maestro Morihiko Nakahara as two of the judges), and some things that I never thought we'd see.

I never knew how strange it would be when my voice teacher and friends, fresh off a lesson that afternoon, saw me already waiting at the ticket line when they knew they were in the line too.

The first thing that had me piqued (since I had never attended such an event) was the overture to Crazy for You -- I'd heard the pieces but as I am still admittedly not as experienced, I had to learn more about the movies of the past. I wish I could have seen Ken Jennings because he has a much bigger library of movies (as he's admitted in the past) than any of us could know. Also, since I had never experienced the Viennese New Year experience, Mori told the crowd (first with a laugh about English!), but then had me understanding that the waltz was the dance of a new year's concert in Wien, and also the Dvorák Slavonic Dance in E Minor, Op. 72, No. 2.

Obviously there's a reason my voice teacher and friends were there -- a student had won the singing contest, singing "Tutto è gioia, tutto éfesta" from La Sonnambula. The poor direction of the publishers of the program had me asking questions, since neither Mori nor the program described the opera, or the soprano's aria. The orchestra was loud at points that neither my teacher nor I could hear the aria.

The orchestra finished with some tango, and I wondered about the women's costuming -- it was a bit too over the edge for the classical music types who are accustomed to finely dressed sopranos. I don't think I'd see the soprano show as much leg as what the tango dancers showed. It was a bit too sultry and makes me wonder what lust would be there if I take ballroom classes so that I can find that lady that God has calling for me to dance! Waltz, tango, and swing (see later) would be much better than the country line material we see too many of this generation want.

This Just In

By Steve

God Accuses “Conversations With God” Author of Plagiarism

(PEARLY GATES, HEAVEN - January 12) Neale Donald Walsch, the best-selling “Conversations With God” author who was recently accused of plagiarism by a fellow writer, now faces an even more serious challenge – an accusation by God Himself that the author has “misquoted" and taken "out of context” comments made by the Almighty in their conversations.

“Of course I’m disappointed, although I’m not surprised,” God said. “Being omnipotent, it’s pretty hard for Me to be surprised. But, quite frankly, I was appalled, not to mention saddened, by some of the things Mr. Walsch quotes Me as having said. Over the centuries I've often been misquoted, distorted, and taken out of context, but that doesn't mean it doesn't still bother Me. I'll tell you this much," the Almighty vowed, with magisterial resolve, "this is the last time I'm talking to someone on the record without a tape recorder in the room."

Earlier this month, Candy Chand accused Walsch of having plagiarized the story “Christmas Love,” which tells about a kindergarten Christmas pageant. Walsch had passed the story off as a true incident which had happened to his own son. He later admitted he had made a “serious error” in having “convinced [himself]” that he had written the essay, and said he was “chagrined and astonished” that his “mind could play such a trick” on him. But he admits that the charges from God are quite a bit more serious.

“Look, every writer faces accusations of theft once in a while,” Walsch said in response to the accusation. “It’s an occupational hazard, especially when you’ve hit the big time like me. But it’s one thing to have your credibility questioned – it’s another to have your mortal soul in jeopardy.”

Richard John Neuhaus, R.I.P.

By Mitchell

I liked and admired him, and felt that I knew him in some way from his writing. Although I never met nor spoke to him, I read the words of many who did, including some whose acquaintance with him was merely casual. Many of those people have left reminiscences of him (read here, here and here for starters), and there isn't anything I can add that would be particularly worthwhile.

What I will say is this: a number of those writing on the web mention, in some way, that though their contact with Fr. Neuhaus might have been minimal (contacting him with a question or a request for a comment), he was always gracious in reply, and thoughtful in response. He was, in other words, approachable. He was also a parish priest, one who married and counseled and buired, who heard confessions guided conversions and celebrated Mass; and in the sense that he did so many other things (writer, editor, commentator), that can sometimes be lost.

So the moral of the story is this, and it's one that I must apply to myself as well as those whom I've admired throughout the years continue to fade away: never be afraid to approach anyone, whether it be the priest you see every Sunday or an author whose works you admire, someone you think might have the answer to a question, or even your parents. Don't be afraid to ask for an opinion, or some advise, or simply to pass along a word of support. It's kind of like the story about the most beautiful girl in class, the one who never gets asked out because every boy assumes she already has others beating down her door. Those who may seem most unapproachable may in fact be the ones just waiting to share a word with you. If you don't hear back from them, it's not as if you're any the worse off than you would have been if you had never tried. And even if you never become best friends with them, you'll probably emerge from the exchange richer in some way.

Because once they're gone, so is your chance.

Eartha Kitt, R.I.P.

By Mitchell

As promised in my comment below to Bobby, here's a little more on Eartha Kitt, who died late last month. Most people remember her as the Catwoman, or as the singer of the "sultry" (as all her obits seemed to describe it) "Santa Baby." She also dabbled a bit in politics, getting herself banned from the White House by LBJ during the Vietnam War. But here she is from the December 18, 1955 performance of Salome on CBS's Omnibus.

(N.B.: As the TV Guide close-up mentions, this is the original Oscar Wilde play, from which Strauss' opera was based.)

The Departed

By Mitchell

I've been woefully behind lately, particularly with our obituaries. Over at Stella Borealis, Ray has this excellent roundup on Avery Cardinal Dulles, who died in early December. (Sadly, it appears that Fr. Richard John Neuhaus may soon be joining his company.) The same day it was announced that the actor Van Johnson had died, and Dirty Harry's Place presented a very warm remembrance. The owner of the Minnesota Twins, Carl Pohlad, died earlier this week - I have nothing to add to that.

As always, Turner Classic Movies presented an elegant tribute to those in the entertainment industry who died in 2008, and in watching this see if you're not stunned at the magnitude of those who are no longer with us.

Random Thoughts

By Bobby

Al Franken as Senator. Liberals found a way to steal elections in 2004 when Dino Rossi in Washington was robbed of the Governorship. He won the election, but Democrats called continuous recounts to steal the election from the winner. This tactic is found again in Minnesota, where Al Franken is finding a way to steal a win after he had lose the election. At this rate, will we ever have free elections again when liberals find ways to turn elections into professional wrestling matches, where liberals are the heels, conservatives are jobbers, and referees are "bumped" by the liberals so elections will be fixed? This will be interesting.

What's Next for Opera? With the announcement last year that An Inconvenient Truth will become an opera, I wonder how liberal activists will turn opera into places to turn their activist maneuvers into places where culture will be removed and replaced by one-sided liberal activists that will indoctrinate people into their agenda that matches that of the Obama Administration. How many love stories will now be aimed at supporting bogus marriage? How many stories will be turned into very erotic stories that would anger most people? I have a scare in my thought that the Communist goal of inferior art will be enforced by stating the only way of showing superiority in their eyes is as much gore, sex, erotica, and fetish is art, and Godly standards must go. How can we make it government-endorsed?

We'll Comply With It versus You Must Pay For It. Ford said by not wanting any of the government bailout money for now that they will comply with the federal microcar mandate instead of fighting it, unlike GM and Chrysler which are saying it's an unfunded government mandate to the greens, and they will only produce the mandated vehicles if the government pays for them, since they cannot make a profit off them.

Prayer Request. Ingrid Schlueter, whom I've quoted a few times and have developed friendship, is pregnant in her 40's with another child. Keep the family in your prayers. Also, another college friend, Lorann Cook (http://www.houseofcook.blogspot.com/), is pregnant with a third son of hers and husband Jason.

Is the BCS Moving to Pay-Per-View?

By Bobby

The global economic crisis has led to many discussions of finance in various discussions. RTL has made changes to both of their major television franchises in the United States, eliminating the “Gives Back” show on the US version of their Idols franchise for the upcoming season, while the types of prizes and values on The Price Is Right has been increased (fancier prizes, especially leather, that had previously been banned, have been legalised, and also values of some games have increased, most notably the $25,000 on the bonus spin in the Showcase Showdown).

But the economic crisis has hit the media harder than what most people would expect. Companies are reducing advertising budgets, cutting back on 30-second commercials while the rates are continually increasing to pay for higher budgets caused by wage hikes for labor such as production staff and cameramen, which are used even in “reality” television programs. Such a problem led to the Bowl Championship Series bids by the three networks (NBC, CBS, Fox) to be considerably lower than cable (ESPN).

The result is starting in 2011, the BCS moves exclusively to cable on ESPN, at a rate of $125 million per year for four years. This could also bring to fruition the constant discussion of mainstream sports moving to pay-per-view, which is a constant issue being discussed by many in the sports business market. With the current economic downturn hurting advertising, this may be the time that ESPN implements pay-per-view for the BCS Championship, considering that most of the country were unable to see the Big 12 battles weekly except for pay-per-view under ESPN's policy on all college football being regional on the ESPN Broadcast Network. (Only the Southeastern Conference, on CBS, has a national game on network television weekly.)

The economic value of a BCS Championship pay-per-view after four BCS bowls on the ESPN Cable Network is now much easier to pull off than it was in the past because of the advertising policies.

First, ESPN has a $2.96 (current as of the time) per-subscriber rate it charges to cable and satellite providers. Raising it to $3.50 per month for the 90 million subscribers would generate about $48.6 million per year for the three BCS games, where they can sell advertising for the games on the ESPN cable network.

Second, ESPN can charge about $250 per bar (50,000 bars in the US), for a rate of $12.5 million total after all 50,000 bars to show the BCS Championship Game. Large venues (over 25 people) in areas near the two schools' hometowns would also buy the large venue fee.

Third, ESPN can use the pay-per-view to charge $30 per home, and with about three million homes that would buy a BCS game, that amounts to $90 million. This game would not be “televised” for purposes of NCAA media policy.

Together, ESPN could easily profit $150 million a year on the BCS, and when production costs are considered, they could easily turn a tidy profit for the BCS Championship Game on pay-per-view (the rights fee is $125 million a year for four years), and the other four games on the ESPN Cable Network.

This, when added to internet pay-media coverage of the games and highlights, was too much in easy profit that the networks could not offer. The concern now is that the BCS could easily go to pay-per-view, considering that the pay-per-view could easily make home at least $102.5 million (or more if the bar rate was increased) of ESPN's $125 million for the five games.

Therefore, the consideration of a pay-per-view of the BCS is now more serious than ever because ESPN has the resources to make the championship game a pay-per-view option that would make profits at the expense of viewers.

Poetry Wednesday

By Judith

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne?

CHORUS
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne.

We twa hae run about the braes
And pu'd the gowans fine
But we've wander'd mony a weary foot
Sin' auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We twa hae paidl't in the burn
Frae morning sun till dine
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin' auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And surely ye'll be your pint stoup
And surely I'll be mine
And we'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne.

CHORUS

Robert Burns, 1788

Notable Quotables, 2008

By Bobby

The 2008 edition of Notable Quotables is here, and I've released a list of quotes I've made in various e-mails, comments, and other places. I hope some of these will make you think of what we can say!

"The first time I had heard the term '7-Eleven' music in regards to modern worship came many years ago at my former church (which no longer exists). The term is a colloquialism for the fact many of the songs are simply 'seven words sung eleven times'. In other cases, they have been compared to New Age (especially Buddhism, which is the modern version of Baal worship, with these extravagant Buddhas reminiscent of the classic Baals of the past) mantras because they are consistently repeated."

-- On the popularity of "worship music" that lacks theology.

"Somehow that snarling bear has decided to drill me and I had to react to Mad Dow Disease that struck when those two parts of my ING IRA went crashing down on me today as I was thinking of singing!"

'O cessate di piagarmi, O la scia te mi morir . . . O la scia te mi morir . . .'

"I almost wanted to do the Old School (Jim) Cramer tactic of throwing that chair across the room (Are you ready, ski daddy?) to start the TD Ameritrade Lightning Round!"

-- To my voice teacher. Two stocks had dropped badly one day in January, and I went a bit satirical, considering the song I was learning.

"Consider eighteen years ago in high school, I met a certain 'America's Sweetheart' from 1984 -- and Thursday I can show why I say age is an issue . . . Guess who turns 40? Call for a partial knee replacement! (Saw her mug on a billboard for that on New Year's Day whilst travelling.)"

-- on Mary Lou Retton-Kelley's birthday on her birthday. I met Retton in 1990.

"One night on a drive home, the station (that carried Dr. Laura Schlessinger's show) had a song which I enjoyed as bumper music ('My Life Is in Your Hands,' Kathy Troccoli and Bill Montvilo). Dr. Laura commented following the break, 'Someday, I'll master these notes'. I chuckled and on a dare with a friend (the one whom I went to Nashville last spring for her wedding), wanted to sing that very song at a BCM Coffeehouse! A few months later, Holly Gatling and I worked to get Special K to speak at the March for Life because of a promotion of the then-39-year old Long Islander. "

--About an old Dr. Laura joke. Kathy turned 50 June 24.

"To modern liberalism, keeping self-esteem means more, and losing is acceptable. That is unacceptable when we are at war."

-- On the “Just lose, baby” attitude of liberals.

“. . . probably would say something about it if the setting was changed from operas where the setting was not originally from Egypt (i e a Gianni Schicchi performance in Nouvelle-Orléans last year set there., not in Fiernze)“

-- I asked my voice teacher if performances called “Opera on the Nile” were based on either familiar operas or l'opéra nouveau.

"The first two times (going eastbound on 29th Street) around it seemed flat, but the final time around (westbound to the finish) it was a climb -- I was dehydrated and weak, and headed towards the finish."

-- To my voice teacher. At the performance, Nicholas Smith discussed the da capo style of singing. The ornamentation reminded me of my thoughts as I ran 29th Street during the Bi-Lo Marathon. I am training for the 12th renewal of the Myrtle Beach classic February 14.

"To (youth), dancing to 'Saviour Song' or 'Call Him Up,' was more fit for church than singing 'Crown Him with Many Crowns,' singing an unadulterated Isaac Watts or Charles Wesley hymn, or reading the Bible. What does it say about children in church when they are fed the poison of the postmodern philosophy that even bashes the Bible and God's Word?"

-- on the Emergent Church

"She cannot sing, and I say that because it has to be amplified and brought down by the beat that there is no message to any of the songs. I have a garnet-and-black soprano friend (Ainsley, I think you'd know what that means) who can outsing this prostitute, and understands technique of what it means to sing -- not yelp, wheeze, or whine, which is the 'music' of this Ashley Dupré. This prostitute cannot sing and is using this story to cash in on her lack of talent on 'singing'. What if she went to college and was a cellist for an orchestra?

-- on the Spitzer call-girl scandal, and the offender herself. This was written to a Fox and Friends Weekend host (now assigned to Hannity) and I graduated from the same university, around the same time, so the reference is intentional.

"Oh, by the way: I was surprised that Jason (Castro) wasn't tossed from Idol after his performance Tuesday. He sang Grizabella's aria from Cats, and Paula (Abdul) defended it as a 'pop ballad'. That aria is Grizabella's lament at her old age, and is the signature aria of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. But the one who was ejected was tossed for not interpreting the song properly!"

-- A commentary to a friend on the April 23 Idols. One contestant on Andrew Lloyd Webber night (a male) sang “Memory” from Cats. Knowing the song's content, it was not appropriate for him to sing it.

"The reason the '4' is not used in parts of Asia comes from the fact when said (in Chinese especially), '4' sounds similar to the word for 'death'. 'F' is the first letter of 'FOUR' in English and obviously, hospitals in Taiwan do not have a Floor #4 for that reason.

At Florence's Darlington Raceway, the home of a Grand Slam event for NASCAR until a lawsuit was filed to replace it with a race in Fort Worth, TX, the pit stall #13 was never marked. The thirteenth Southern 500 in 1962 was called the 'Twelfth Renewal of the Southern 500' (there would be 55 before it was sued out of existence) for that reason."

-- Ken Jennings asked why the number 4 was not used on elevators in Asia, especially in hospitals.

"With some of the lyrics in 'modern worship' being nothing more than sappy secular pop love songs, and aimed at anyone (not God), the concern has grown to a boiling point for me. Maybe it's because I've aged and have had the experience of knowing young aspiring pastors through friends in college, but one thing I can assure you is much of today's 'contemporary Christian' is actually 'positive hits' -- code for secular pop tunes. Positive hits is the direction the record label bosses want considering that it sells the most."

"Some of the 'garbage' that goes for 'modern worship' is devoid of theology and doctrine, and the worst part is we have a generation that does not know sacred song. They won't stand for Händel's 'Hallelujah' from Messiah, but they will stand for Chris Tomlin or the next big megarock artist (as shown at a friend's wedding in Nashville I attended). When you've sung Händel for a friend's church production of selections of Messiah, and attended a few sing-alongs, and seen that Laurel, MS soprano for another with the South Carolina Philharmonic, what happens? When you've sung 'O Rest in the Lord,' 'Crucifix,' and 'Panis angelicus,' what does it say about your vocal resume when you look at the songs that go for 'modern worship' and see no theological content?"

-- To a friend on “modern worship” songs.

“If (kids dancing to 'Every Move I Make') is what the kids want in church, and do not want a Hill or Cuttino solo from Haydn's The Creation, Händel's Messiah, or even an old-fashioned sacred song in the hymnal, we're in trouble. Years ago the kids wanted to dance to this song and nothing else. They still want only to dance in church. What gives?"

-- on a video found of kids dancing to the said “worship” song. I had seen a performance of The Creation in June with my voice teacher as soprano soloist.

“The hot dog eating contest was disgusting that I had no inkling of even wanting to watch it. Fortunately, I was on my way home after running as one of 55,000 in the XXXIX Peachtree Road Race yesterday, having checked out, I had a sit-down lunch with no worries about watching anything insane.

It's better to be one of 55,000 runners at the Peachtree Road Race climbing hills, going 10,000 meters, instead of watching twenty eaters eat too many hot dogs. “

-- to a Fox News reporter on the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest. As for the Peachtree, I clocked a 1:17:19.

“Rush Limbaugh has influenced the growth of modern talk radio and conservatism that liberals, fresh off regaining control of Congress and itching to snatch back the Presidency, want to knock off talk radio and to push radio to offering only bad rap and rock music, and remove not just talk radio, but news and weather. Mr. Limbaugh's influence is huge, but it will drop out when federal laws outlaw news/talk radio to appease the 'Just lose, baby' crowd of liberals.”

-- on the plans of the Fairness Doctrine.

“Somebody at a church downtown, just a mile from work, didn't heed instruction during Seven Last Words of Christ, performed for Maundy Thursday. At times the microphones conked with the annoying sounds during the solos and during the performances. Poor Tina Milhorn Stallard was confused. (I've seen Mrs. Stallard more than my fair share of times, including Washington Street UMC Messiah Sing-along 2006.) The bonking amplification just made it impossible to hear 'O Sacred Head, Now Wounded' (the second verse was the soprano's solo) and even parts of the main piece.

I said back home at church, we need to redo the entire church leadership, and I recommended a real pipe organ, stating, 'An organ designed for a (classically)-trained voice is much better than a karaoke machine designed to be disc jockey for dancing kids, or 'singers' who are so weak they need the crutch of faking it to 'sound' good based only on the beat.'”

-- on bad amplification on a Maundy Thursday service. The original comment had a few sensitive names which I removed. Mrs. Stallard was the soprano in question (NOT Bobby's voice teacher!)

“The infamous bond between (my voice teacher) and (her friend) broke when (her friend's) beloved Cheeseheads traded a player near and dear to her heart (and from my teacher's backyard) to East Rutherford . . ."

-- This reference was made about my voice teacher and one of her friends, who had taught me voice for a year. The friend is from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and told me of her family of Cheeseheads. My voice teacher is from Mississippi, and naturally, the football player we're discussing is none other than . . . (see if you can answer that one!)

“I quit the choir at church when they started to go karaoke exclusively. For 'back to school' the production was the choir singing exclusively karaoke to these songs including 'Our Love is Loud.' When you're paying (amount has been removed for security reasons) to work with an opera soprano to take lessons, and the church music leaders are turning back on singing and taking the focus towards kids who dance to pop tunes with no theology, what gives?"

-- Someone wanted responses to a commentary on church music.

“This type of (age) fraud (at the Olympics) is an old Communist game. It wasn't just here in China. Kids do this with fake ID's to purchase alcohol and tobacco. Communists do this to show "superiority". Now we see there's more fraud, and when the most celebrated victim of this lives in Atlanta and has to show her real birth certificate publicly to show her real age at events, what do you expect?"

-- On the Chinese gymnastics age fraud scandals. Romanian gymnast Daniela Silivas admitted age fraud was taking place by the Communist government in Romania when the domicile of Cobb County (near Atlanta) applied for her marriage licence.

“Dippy junk . . . I can't stand it anymore. Choral books from Integrity actually had 'On Eagle's Wings' and it now appears in the hymnal I mentioned.”

“Good question on the dippy junk. I told a friend at church Sunday I have been away to others to avoid the 'dippy junk,' or as others call it, material lacking doctrine and theology. Somehow I think Bono (Kevin Manion, not the U2 singer) is in the Oval Office awaiting to enforce discipline on anyone called to the Oval Office for violations such as the 'dippy junk'.

-- to Cathy of Alex, on what she called “dippy junk” music in church.

“Furthermore, feelings is the dominant trend in the country because feelings is the only thing that counts regarding society today. Feelings is the only 'logic' behind the (current energy policy) that is forcing automakers into microcars with Japanese-style laws to prohibit family sedans and mandating 2-seat microcars, as is the ban on regular light bulbs, and other inefficient laws. Feelings is the logic behind the 1973 decision by the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality from the list of disorders -- I still refer to it as one, and am attacked for saying such."

-- On the controversy of a “gospel” singer admitting (and being proud) of being a sexual deviant. Feelings dominate today, and that showed in the election of 2008.

“Imagine the #1 news-talk station changing from news-talk into an unpopular gangster-rap music format ordered by federal authorities in order to appease the new policy. It has all the workings of an RCTV (Venezuelan television station seized by Chávez because it ran anti-Communist policies). No wonder they are saying Obama has Chávez type aspirations. Could we see Obama rewrite laws with 60 in the Senate to eliminate the 22nd Amendment and create new rules that supress speech in order to mandate only the government can speak their propaganda?”

-- On a potential Fairness Doctrine.

“With all of the Emergent Church's idea of pop culture themes, I wonder why not all pop culture references are OK . . . I wonder if a church will attempt a Match Game themed sermon. Unfortunately, it might run aground of Saddleback. Match Game 90 host Ross Shafer and wife Leah are Saddleback members, and Leah has been on the "worship team" at the church.”

-- On the Emergent Church themes.

“Put an SUV (not a crossover) and a federally mandated microcar into Turn 1 at Texas Motor Speedway the way Michael McDowell did in his Toyota Camry recently at 100 MPH and see which is more survivable."

-- On the government's plans to force us into microcars and out of sport-utility vehicles.

“(Michael Buffer voice): The three judges ringside scoring on the ten-point must system tonight are F. Marc Rattray, Tina Stallard, and Walter Cuttino."

-- Someone commented Idols was a popularity contest, and not based on singing. I struck back with this parody. The prophetic irony was the person who introduced Cook and Archuleta for the finals on Idol.

"The Spartanburg Philharmonic is promoting a concert (sold out one of two nights) called 'Mother Earth'. The theme sounds very much to be of the 'worship of the planet' mentality of modern liberalism, if you ask me, and is the mentality of Al Gore, the Nobel Peace Prize organisers, and those dictators who wrote the Pelosi Energy Act of 2007."

-- on a concert promoted as "Mother Earth".

"So indeed, the 'fat lady sings' for Dan Cook, the man who gave us a Wagnerian approach to sports."

-- on the death of Dan Cook, who let us know in sports, it wasn't over until "the fat lady sings". I don't know if my voice teacher and I could say something about it.

"Some liberals now have the belief that the alteration of the song without the songstress' permission is a must, and it should stay politically correct. Now if you're singing the song with the politically correct lyrics, are you changing the entire message of the song? It has to, considering the way she wrote it."

-- on A Different Road (from June). The same could be said about "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," as I recently mentioned.

"The network of the bulls gets ready to fuel some alcohol-fueled beats."

-- on Versus with the IRL contract.

"I thought if I had attended a South Carolina Philharmonic concert 10 seconds late, I'd be locked out for 35 minutes. If I attended an opera 10 seconds late, I would be locked out for 40 minutes. When Darrell (Waltrip) did the gig for (the Nashville Ballet's) Nutcracker a few years ago (until last year, a male celebrity would play Mother Ginger in that production; in recent years it had been Tennessee Titan players who played the role!), if I was 10 seconds late, I would be locked out for 35 minutes."

"A few years ago, I went to a recital with my (voice teacher) in concert (she had a duet with the feature artist); I was late a few seconds and locked out for 25 minutes."

-- to a sportscaster. During the Subway Fresh Fit 500k in April at Avondale, AZ, Fox had overrun with the Yankees-Red Sox game, and the start of the eighth round of the NSCS event did not reach but the part of the crowd that did not get the NYY-BOS game. When the broadcast started, they were on the dogleg on Lap 1. Seven months later, ESPN cut the last 35 laps of the fall race at Avondale (see ESPN: Chase the Heidi Game II) to show prerecorded programming, which was Round 9 of the playoffs. Ironically, the sportscaster in question called the TB-MIN game that sent TB into the playoffs.

"A visit to the county fair, which usually is held in late September-early October, was a good time for me to help out and see friends, but not play the games this year. But churches were prevalent, and it showed how churches have declined in what is now offered.

All four churches that offered their services at the fair featured teen dance teams jiggling to all sorts of pop-rock music. If that is the only team that matters, what is that teaching us? God's Word is now eliminated in favour of the latest and greatest pop tune on the radio for girls to jiggle. Now this isn't Southern Strutt. This is supposed to be a church music ministry, and instead we offer teen girls to dance to pop tunes?

"I talked to a friend Monday at the fair (she has been on my side and sympathised after I told her that I had been virtually tossed for fighting the Emergent attitudes) and it's just sad what happened to churches. Teens dancing to pop tunes is more important than a choir singing masterpieces of sound doctrine and solid theology. The MTV effect has been successful in the move to teen dancers. Oh dear . . . "

-- on the County Fair with church performances.

"Ashley Force is now a member of the Powerade Drag Queen Club with her victory today in the Summit Racing Southern Nationals in Commerce, GA, and the first Drag Queen in a Flopper."

-- on Ashley Force's win. Current active members of the Full Throttle Drag Queen Club are Melanie Troxel, Ashley Force, and Hillary Will among the car group. There are plenty of bikers in that club too. To be a member, you must be a real woman who whips guys on the Christmas Tree down 1,320 foot (or 1,000 foot in nitro classes).

Hit and Mitzi

By Mitchell

Well, it's been a busy month here, and I owe you some reviews. So let me start with the new DVD Mitzi Gaynor: Razzle Dazzle! The Special Years.

I don't know how many of you remember Mitzi Gaynor, but it's a pity that more people don't. Her biggest role was that of Ensign Nellie Forbush in the 1958 film version of South Pacific. After that she had a very successful run in Vegas with her own show. Mitzi Gaynor could do it all: she was vivacious, she could act, she could sing - and boy, could she dance.

And from the first moment of her 1968 special, simply entitled Mitzi, it was apparent that television showcased her talents to the utmost. It was a confluence of factors that made these annual specials, which ran between 1968 and 1978, so spectacular. By 1968 color TV was hardly a novelty, and these shows take full advantage of the color saturation that was common to the era, with hues that fairly leap off the screen.

Then too, broadcast standards had eased somewhat by then (this was the 60s, after all), and the costumes by designer Bob Mackie played this to the hilt. The fabrics often appeared nude or semi-nude, accompanied by a judicious placement of spangles. (Mackie later adapted some of these costumes for use by another of his famous clients: Cher.)

The specials were loaded with big-name guest stars of the era; some of their names might not mean as much to you now as they did then (Mike Connors, Ross Martin, and Ken Berry), while others should ring a bell (Jerry Orbach, Suzanne Pleshette, Michael Landon and George Hamilton, to name a few). And they featured great production numbers, mostly choreographed by the great Tony Charmoli.

But the biggest asset to these specials was Mitzi herself. Between her terrific dance moves, the Mackie costumes, and her own formidable figure, one can only regret that these were not originally telecast in HD. (Or perhaps not; Mackie mentions one Mitzi dance that the network censor deemed a little too provocative, ordering her to be shown only from the mid-upper body up. The disc shows, for the first time, the full-body footage as it was originally shot.) Need more evidence? Check out the trailer below:



So why have I gone on for so long without telling you much about this DVD? Because it's important for you to know why you should want it. The hour-long program features highlights from Gaynor's eight specials, along with comments by Gaynor, Mackie, and others such as Kristin Chenoweth, Carl Reiner, and choreographer Charmoli. Now, since this show is popping up on public television pledge drives all over the place, you might figure that you'll just wait and let the DVR take care of it. Which is where you'd be wrong. The extras on this disc are wonderful; over an hour of features, including extended musical numbers from each of the specials, a sit-down (or more like a stand-up) with Mitzi and Mackie, reviewing the designs for some of her outfits, and Mitzi herself sharing stories of her career (including her headline appearance on the Ed Sullivan show - which just happened to come on the same night as the Sullivan TV-debut of the Beatles!).

This is a slick, good looking disc from City Lights Home Entertainment, with sharp graphics and a menu that's easy to maneuver. If there's one bone to pick (and it's a slight one), it's that many of Mitzi's co-stars are not identified by on-screen graphics. Yes, it's true that at the time they were all well-known, but viewers today who might be drawn in by Mitzi's charisma might wonder who that clumsy dancer was in that very funny bit. (Hint: it was Michael Landon.)

Mitzi Gaynor's specials ended in 1978, and that's probably about right. By then the era of the big-budget variety special was well on its way out, and although Mitzi even managed to survive the disco era, the format was living on borrowed time. But for those among us who remember those glory years, along with anyone who wants to see what those big, high-rated TV specials really looked like, you couldn't do much better than Mitzi Gaynor: Razzle Dazzle! The Special Years.

Time For a Little More Christmas?

By Mitchell

Tomorrow I'll have a review of the new DVD Mitzi Gaynor: Razzle Dazzle! The Special Years. But in the meantime here's a clip of Mitzi from her 1967 Christmas special on the Kraft Music Hall.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

By Bobby

We are in the middle of what is commonly called "the twelve days of Christmas," and many different thoughts have been made about the song. But what we're learning as we go through the "golden rings," "laying geese," and "swimming swans," or even the "milking maids" we celebrate on New Year's Day is that the terms have more serious Christian messages that were in code. This was shown at a poster in church recently

Much of it was based on religious imagery, as it was written in 1780. But many Christians have used the song as an allegory to Christmas, similar to the poem read by Wink Martindale regarding playing cards and a soldier.

What are, as legend says, is the code of the song?

"True Love" - God

"Me" - Believers

"Patridge in a Pear Tree" - Jesus Christ on the cross. The Savior is referred as a mother partridge who fakes injury to protect her children, and even willing to die for them. It is said this tree refers to the fall of man because of Adam and Eve, and the redemption of Christ on the Cross.

"Two Turtle Doves" - The Two Testaments of the Bible (Old and New)

"Three French Hens" - The Three Gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 13 - Faith, Hope, and Charity

"Four Colly Birds" - The Four Gospels who sing the song of salvation. In the New Testament, it refers to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

"Five Gold Rings" - The First Five Books of the Bible, also referred as the Jewish Torah. They are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

"Six Geese a-Laying" - Creation, as mentioned in Genesis 1. It took six days to create Earth.

"Seven Swans a-Swimming" - As mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-13, in the Catholic Church, it refers to the Catechism. They are wisdom, knowledge, judgment, courage, understanding, piety, and the fear of God.

"Eight Maids a-Milking" - The Eight Beatitudes, mentioned in Matthew 5.

"Nine Ladies Dancing" - The Fruits of the Holy Spirit - Galations 5:22-23. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

"Ten Lords a-Leaping" - The Ten Commandments, as found in Exodus 20.

"Eleven Pipers Piping" - Eleven Faithful Apostles - Simon Peter, Andrew, James (son of Zebedee), John (James' brother), Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew (tax collector), James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot. Found in Matthew 10:2. A twelfth apostle betrayed Christ, and is not mentioned.

"Twelve Drummers Drumming" - The Apostle's Creed, a fundamental document of faith.

Belief in God the Father, Almighty, the Maker of Heaven and Earth
Belief Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:
Conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.
Was punished by Pontius Pilate, crucified, dead, and buried. Descended into Hell.
Rose from the dead on the third day.
Ascended into Heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Father.
Judges the quick and the dead.
Believe in the Holy Ghost
Believe in the holy universal (some Catholic), and the Communion of Saints.
Believe in the Forgiveness of Sins,
The Resurrection of the Body,
And Life Everlasting.

Interestingly, one famous setting of the Apostles' Creed is the song "Creed" by the late Rich Mullins (1955-97), a singer-songwriter from Richmond, Indiana. The irony of his death came because he was helping independent singer-songwriter Mitch McVicker with a new album the young artist was recording, and on the way to a concert after a recordiing session, Mullins and McVicker were thrown from their truck in a crash. Neither wore their seat belts, and Mullins was hit by a passing truck, and killed instantly. McVicker was injured but survived. Eighteen months later at the GMA Dove Awards, Mullins and McVicker had won Song of the Year for "My Deliverer".

The irony of neither man was wearing a seat belt in the highway crash came when they had won the award, since the presenter of the award to McVicker and also to Mullins' brother David was a popular female vocalist compared to Susan Lucci for her inability to win awards (she won her first the previous year, and another award that year), and a triple NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion of the 1980's who wore six-pointed safety harnesses, full-face helmets, and later, the HANS device.

And what do those twelve days mean?

The twelve days is the Epiphany, or the day the Wise Men came to visit the Baby Jesus. That is celebrated January 6. So celebrations of the Advent, sadly, have been omitted in recent years. But we should remember why we celebrate Christmas, and this list shows the interesting meanings of it.

This Just In

By Bobby

NFL Docs Pull Plug on Lifeless Lions
Management Cited for "Failing to Field a Team"

(NEW YORK CITY -- December 29) The National Football League Competition Committee has voted unanimously to terminate the Membership of the Detroit Lions, effective immediately.

The termination of the Membership was ordered by the Board upon an investigation into the 2008 season of the Lions, where management was found to have failed to field a team for play during the 2008 season. Under the by-laws of the National Football League, failure to field a team is grounds for automatic termination.

The NFL stated in a news release, "We are very disappointed for our fans, league partners, and other member teams. The NFL would like to thank the Detroit area fans for their support of the Lions for over 70 years. However, by the organisation failing to field a team for play in 2008, and instead fielding jobbers, the Competition Committee has declared the Membership must be immediately terminated."

The search for a 32nd franchise is being immediately conducted to find a replacement team as soon as possible, and the League hopes to find the new franchise, regardless of city. However, it is expected the city of Los Angeles is highly expected as one of the cities in contention for the new franchise. That area has not had an NFL team since the 1994-95 season. Such a franchise would begin play immediately in 2009-10, with the entire roster of jobbers on the former Lions squad being available for the new team.

Carol For Another Christmas

By Mitchell

Once upon a time the Christmas season didn't just automatically end on December 26 - it actually lasted all the way through New Year's Day. The time between Christmas and New Year's was a time for parties; for example, the Andre champagne commercial I linked to the other day always ran after Christmas. Ads for the New Year's parades and bowl games clearly were packaged as a part of the holiday season, complete with holly and berries. There are few things that get my goat at this time of the year more than seeing Christmas trees at curbside the day after Christmas.

This "Christmas after Christmas" extended to the TV programs we watched back then. A prime example is the made-for-TV movie Carol For Another Christmas, which was shown for the first and only time on this date in 1964. Read more about it here, in this excerpt from my TVParty! article entitled "The UN Goes to the Movies".


* * *
The first and probably best-known program in the series was Carol for Another Christmas, shown on December 28, 1964. Loosely based on the Charles Dickens’ classic, it boasted perhaps the strongest pedigree of all the episodes: written by Serling, directed by Academy Award winner Mankiewicz (his one and only foray into television), with music by Mancini, and featuring an all-star cast led by Sellers, making his first acting appearance since suffering a near-fatal heart attack. Sellers epitomized the contribution many made for the series, working for $350 rather than his customary $250,000 fee.

Serling’s modern-day version of A Christmas Carol tells the story of Daniel Grudge (Sterling Hayden), a wealthy industrialist still mourning the death of his son Marley (Peter Fonda, whose scenes were cut from the final version and appears only as a portrait hanging from the wall) on Christmas Eve, 1944. Grudge, embittered by Marley’s death, has become an isolationist, opposing American involvement in any international situation.

Into his unhappy life come three ghosts: Christmas Past, (Steve Lawrence), a World War I doughboy who shows Grudge the need for diplomacy by taking him on a trip to Hiroshima, showing him the ultimate horror of war; Christmas Present (Pat Hingle), an epicurean spirit demonstrating the selfishness of modern man by feasting on fine foods while starving war refugees stare from behind barbed wire; and Christmas Future (Robert Shaw), who takes him to a post-apocalyptic world peopled by a sect of survivors led by Sellers, playing an original character called Imperial Me.

Sellers’ character, the greatest departure from Dickens’ story, appears to be a ridiculous character, dressed in cowboy hat and pilgrim collar – but his message is anything but laughable. He parodies Grudge’s isolationism - “Each behind his own barricade! Follow me, my friends and loved ones, to the perfect society! The Civilization of ‘I’!” – with tragic results, as Grudge’s butler (Percy Rodrigues), trying to talk sense, is shot to death for his troubles.

Grudge returns to the present with a changed view, but it is not necessarily the glorious transformation of Dickens’ original. Grudge may concede the need for diplomacy and intervention, but it does not change the fact that the world is a brutal place.

The cast in “Carol,” which also included Ben Gazarra as Grudge’s nephew Fred, Eva Marie Saint as a Navy WAVE, and Britt Ekland (Sellers’ then-wife) as one of Imperial Me’s followers, was almost uniformly strong. In particular, the turn by Steve Lawrence, better known for his singing career with his wife Eydie Gormé, came in for critical praise, with Mankiewicz’s son Tom telling the New York Times years later that Lawrence’s portrayal was his father’s favorite. “He only knew Steve as a singer, but he really impressed him as an actor. He thought he was a natural.” Mancini’s score, particularly the theme (available on many Christmas collections) was also praised.

Despite this, however, the program itself received mostly negative reviews. Many critics saw the production for what it was – a noble but heavy-handed, preachy, moralizing effort. “Earnest” was the word that popped up often, stated or implied. It was an important project to the cast and crew, perhaps too important - C. O. (Doc) Erickson, production supervisor, remembered that “Joe and Rod were inspired to do it because they felt it was important to do the U.N.’s business and promote it.” According to Erickson, “I thought it was overdone. It was too long, too tiring and beat you over the head too much.”

This kind of heavy-handedness was not unique for Serling, who was given to lapsing into what Twilight Zone director Lamont Johnson referred to as “messianic moods.” This often happened when Serling felt strongly about his subject. “Serling has two poles in his writing,” said Marc Scott Zicree, author of The Twilight Zone Companion. “There’s his powerful, human-oriented writing, and his very didactic writing, and ‘Carol’ falls on the didactic side.”

(Photo Credit: Peter Sellers as Imperial Me in Carol For Another Christmas; Courtesy Peter Sellers Appreciation Society)

Happy Boxing Day!

By Drew

Oh, wait - not that kind of boxing...

Over the River and Through the Woods

This the scene in your home? (Minus the new Plymouth, of course.) If not, it should be!

On behalf of everyone at Our Word, the Merriest and Blessed of Christmases to you all!

A Christmas Message

By Bobby

As we come tonight towards Christmas Eve, and we head towards church tonight, most of us will do so at the appointed hour of 2300 hours, we understand that this is the time we celebrate the Birth of our Lord and Saviour.

Once we make it to these wonderful cathedrals and listen to the real music of Christmas that to those who understand it, we can once again assure that we know why we are here on this wonderful night.

We listen for those glorious songs of old, and can hear those strong words, whether it is the Magnificat, or the Messiah, or the Gloria, or even the hymns of old that no longer appear in the corrupted hymnals of today's denominations, those which have been made irrelevant by today's modern rock movement of the OCP, GIA, or the major secular publishers.

We then hear our clergy preach the message of the Advent of the Risen Saviour, and what His Birth over 2,000 years ago symbolises.

As we walk out of our church tonight, let us be reminded once again why we are here. We are to celebrate a birthday. We celebrate the Birth of our Saviour.

Merry Christmas.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas Dear Bloggers

By Kristin

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house.
Not a computer was stirring, not even it's mouse.
The ink pens were filled by blank paper with care,
In hopes that the writers soon would be there.
The bloggers were nestled all snug on the couch,
While browsing the op-ed’s, looking for something to write about.
And Ma with her memoir and I with my laptop,
Had just started writing, hopefully not the next flop.
When out in the study we heard such a noise,
At first I thought it was my brother, playing Pink Floyd.
Away down the stairs I flew like a dog,
In hopes that a comment had been posted on my blog.
The moon’s night light cast a still glow on the monitor,
As the cursor stood motionless, refusing to go farther.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a tiny envelope in the corner from Outlook, beckoning me near.
I darted to the chair, sat and double clicked,
A thought crossed my mind, “A note from my editor, Mr. Nick”.
Then more emails appeared, by the dozens, hundred, thousands,
“So many”, I yelled so loud to be heard in all the neighborhood houses.
I opened the first email, from Old Nick, of course,
“We have a masterpiece,” he wrote, “sitting before us”.
“This blog entry is spectacular, and not too soon it came,”
All the other emails from readers read practically the same.

What will happen to our Blogging Hero? Will his latest entry truly be the next great blog? Or was this a clever spam email just trying to get his attention? We will find out...as the 25th approaches....

It's Not Politically Correct . . . It's How I Wanted it to Be!

By Bobby

The song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" had a controversial change to its lyrics when it was first sung in a movie by Judy Garland.

Songwriter Hugh Martin had a religious reference "Through the years we all will be together if the Lord allows," altered to remove religious references when it was first released in "Meet Me in St. Louis". In 1990, Michael O'Brien, a California clergyman, met Hugh Martin, who wrote the song, and explained the story of the politically correct incident. At the church where Mr. O'Brien was pastor, Mr. Martin played piano and Mr. O'Brien sang it as was requested by the writer. After Mr. O'Brien joined NewSong, the group recorded a Christmas album fresh off its megahit "The Christmas Shoes," and they recorded the song, as was requested by the writer, with the religious reference kept in the song, instead of luck.

Twila Paris and Kathy Troccoli have also recorded the song with the correct lyric.

What Lyrics Are These?

By Mitchell

Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

You might not recognize this, but it is the chorus to the second stanza of the Christmas favorite, "What Child Is This."

Listen carefully the next time you hear it on the radio, when it's being performed by Josh Groban or Sarah McLachlan or SheDaisy or Carrie Underwood or any of today's pop stars. Look at the words in the hymnal when you sing it in church. Is this the version you hear?

It's a shame if it isn't, for these words show how the gifts of the three kings - gold, incense and myrrh - foreshadow the events to come. It serves as a reminder that while Christmas is a wonderful thing - the coming of God made man, after all - that it is much more than presents and decorations, than lovely songs and beautiful Christmas trees. It is about Christ's mission on earth, which will inevitably culminate in His suffering and death on the Cross on Good Friday, and His Resurrection on Easter Sunday. It is a reminder that our own salvation depends on that suffering, and there is no way around it.

Here's a version that does feature those lyrics. It's performed by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge:

Christmas Don't Be Late

By Mitchell

From the 1961 CBS series The Alvin Show, which featured the immortal adventures of Alvin, Simon and Theodore, this is the animated companion to the 1958 hit "The Chipmunk Song,"otherwise known as "Christmas Don't Be Late." Alas, one look at the new Chipmunk movie from a year or two ago, let alone the 80s revival, is enough to reaffirm my adage that remakes are seldom as good as the original. So enjoy the real Alvin and the Chipmunks!

Wish I'd Written That

By Drew

At The Corner, Ramesh Ponnuru quotes John Judis, then adds his own coda:

"[M]any Americans feel they owe the Kennedy family something for their service." Beyond immunity from prosecution?

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

By Mitchell

And after a half-foot of snow this weekend, it certainly looks that way here. So who better to sing about it than Perry Como?

Como's TV Christmas shows were a tradition for 40 years; after his regular series ended in the 60s, his specials often took him to exotic places such as Mexico (1975), Austria (1976), Williamsburg, VA (1978), Israel (1980), Paris (1982) and Dublin (1994). His laid-back smoothness became something of an affectionate joke (SCTV's Perry Como: Still Alive), but there was no joke when it came to the talent of the barber from Milwaukee.

Here he is singing "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" from his Christmas show in 1958.

Christmas Stencils!

By Mitchell

Do any of you boomers out there remember Christmas stencils on the window? You thought they looked really cool in the ads - trees and Santas and candles and wreaths and reindeer - and somehow conned your mother into going along with it. Only they never looked as cool in real life, and your mother was so mad she wouldn't talk to you for two days, or approximately the same length of time it took her to scrape it off the window afterward. And later on you wondered how you could have been fool enough to fall for this kind of scam.

Well, after looking at this commercial, maybe you'll get the itch to fall for it again. Then again, maybe not. And definitely don't let your children get any ideas about it.

Mr. Christmas

By Mitchell

Yes, Andy Williams is Mr. Christmas, one of the few entertainers remaining from the Golden Age of Christmas on TV. Here's a clip of him performing "Silent Night" from an early 60s Christmas special.