What Teachers Make

Awesome.

Update: Stolen Relic of the True Cross Found

In my post about relics--just over a month ago--I focused on the tragic story of a relic of the True Cross stolen from Holy Cross church in the Archdiocese of Boston.


As a marvelous answer to the faithful's prayers, the relic was recovered by the Vermont State Police on August 9th. (And returned to Holy Cross church on August 15th, the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.)

Thanks be to God!

Scott Pilgrim Rocks

I just got back from seeing "Scott Pilgrim VS the World" and had to at least try to briefly articulate why I still feel so happy.

I'll first admit that I was already looking forward to the movie. The trailers piqued my interest, and I had a cursory acquaintance with the graphic novels on which the movie was based. But trailers are meant to "over-hype" their respective movies, and we all know that--besides some notable exceptions--book-to-film adaptations have a tendency to be rather disappointing. Despite those trends, this movie was awesome.

For a video game appreciating, indie band loving, Torontophile like myself, "Pilgrim" offered absolutely everything my greedy inner geek desired. Countless explicit and implicit video game references, well-choreographed over-the-top fight sequences, excellent dialogue, well-developed major (and minor!) characters and on-site scenes from all around Toronto kept me hooked the entire time. Every scene served a purpose and advanced the plot, allowing the film to dive deeper into the incredible array of characters while avoiding the two possible extremes of a narrative long-windedness or a sense of being rushed. The casting and subsequent performance by the actors both delivered exactly what the story called for. The "shiny" action sequences, complete with their anime-like effects, were as polished and well-crafted as the entire movie.

A perfect movie? No. But I definitely left satisfied and smiling.

1,000,000 points!

A Beautiful Little Piece

I just found this beautiful video for the Topsy Foundation, an organization founded to take an integrated approach to combating HIV/AIDS and its effects in society. The video itself is remarkably simple and beautifully filmed. Paired with a piece of music that is also notable for its elegant simplicity, the entire work exudes hope: hope that this terrible disease can be cured once and for all. Pray for those suffering from AIDS, for the scientists doing research, and for people like those in the Topsy Foundation who minister to AIDS patients and their families!