Monday, August 30, 2010

L.A. cartoonist was obscure and misunderstood — the epitome of avant-garde - Los Angeles Times

L.A. cartoonist was obscure and misunderstood — the epitome of avant-garde - Los Angeles Times: "George Herriman and his bizarre 'Krazy Kat' comic strip had some elite supporters — Woodrow Wilson, William Randolph Hearst and Vanity Fair among them — but much of the rest of the country just didn't get it."

Rev. James Martin, S.J.: Glenn Beck vs. Christ the Liberator

Rev. James Martin, S.J.: Glenn Beck vs. Christ the Liberator: "I have no idea if President Obama espouses liberation theology. But I do. And for me it's personal. Between 1992 and 1994, I worked with East African refugees in Nairobi, Kenya, and participated in Catholic parishes who tried to help poor parishioners (i.e., all of them) reflect on their daily struggles through lens of the Gospel. And the Gospel passages that spoke of liberation for the poor were a lifeline to me and to those with whom I worked. Oh, and it's not only Jesus. His mother had something to say about all that, too. 'He has filled the hungry with good things,' says Mary in the Gospel of Luke, 'and sent the rich away empty.'"

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Rev. Peter M. Wallace: A Basket of Summer Fruit (And the Potential for Spoiling): What God Thinks of Societies That Fail the Poor

Rev. Peter M. Wallace: A Basket of Summer Fruit (And the Potential for Spoiling): What God Thinks of Societies That Fail the Poor: "When I go grocery shopping, I tend to over-buy fruit because it all looks so good. For instance, Georgia peaches are in season right now. Sink your teeth into that sweet, luscious fruit and it's instant bliss.

Nearly 3,000 years ago, God gave the Hebrew prophet Amos a vision that must have looked a lot like the fruit bowl on my kitchen table. 'Amos, what do you see?' God asked. And Amos answered, 'A basket of summer fruit.' Sounds nice.

But God went on to declare that God's people Israel -- who were actually doing pretty well at the time in terms of power and wealth in the region -- were about to come to ruin (Amos 8:1-3)."

Read on...

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Opening Date Set for ‘Spider-Man’ Musical - ArtsBeat Blog - NYTimes.com

Opening Date Set for ‘Spider-Man’ Musical - ArtsBeat Blog - NYTimes.com: "After decades of web-slinging over the streets of New York, Spider-Man looks ready to fly, finally, inside a Broadway theater.

The much-anticipated, much-delayed musical spectacular “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” with music and lyrics by U2’s Bono and the Edge, has been given a date for the start of preview performances – Sunday, Nov. 14 – at Broadway’s newly renamed Foxwoods Theater (formerly the Hilton Theater). The show’s producers announced on Tuesday that they had also set an opening night, Tuesday, Dec. 21. The musical is estimated to have a budget of $50 million – the largest in Broadway history."

Digital Explosion! New Stats on the Information Revolution - Flunking Sainthood

Digital Explosion! New Stats on the Information Revolution - Flunking Sainthood by Jana Riess: "The back page of Newsweek often has some interesting factoids about cultural change. In the July 26 issue, the focus was on exactly how much the digital revolution has changed our lives in just the last ten years. I was shocked. Here are some tidbits:"

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Who Are These Lapsed Comics iPad Readers Anyway?

Who Are These Lapsed Comics iPad Readers Anyway?: "Digital comics have been big news for a while, but the iPad is be the current big dog getting the attention, with even DC Comics—traditionally the least tech-friendly major publisher—jumping into the fray with their app. Retailers fret about losing customers. Publishers dream of getting new readers, or at least getting some lapsed ones back."

Latest HuffPost Blog: Unlikely Saints: Stan Lee, Soupy Sales and the Golden Rule

Rev. Peter M. Wallace: Unlikely Saints: Stan Lee, Soupy Sales and the Golden Rule: "Decades after my first encounters with them, a couple of my childhood heroes have continued to lift my spirit and entertain my soul. These two people contributed, at least in some small way, to forming my belief system and maybe even my personality. Who are they?

Stan Lee and Soupy Sales.

Surprised? I'm serious."