Beef: It's What's for Dinner

A few friends of ours in recent years have bought beef in large quantities from local farmers — which seemed to me like a pretty neat idea for several reasons, not the least of which is my affinity for distributism.

Then last summer, after watching the fascinating documentary Food, Inc. — one of the most pro-distributism movies I've ever seen — I became convinced that our pamilya should do the same.

So last fall, on a recommendation from a friend, we went in with another family and ordered a quarter of natural pasture raised beef from Windsweep Farm in Dixon, IL, and we picked it up last weekend.

Each of our families ended up with about 60 pounds of cow — a mixture of steaks, roasts, and ground beef:



The average cost — including delivery and processing — ended up being only about $3.80/pound. And, we get the satisfaction of knowing we're supporting a regional farmer instead of some big agribusiness company.

As for taste, we had some for the first time last night: Jocelyn made beef asado out of one of the chuck roasts, and it was powerful tasty.

Vacation, Part II

I mentioned earlier this week that I'd be including more about our recent vacation/3,000 mile road trip. Hence, this post.

We had originally planned only to go to Vail, Colorado (why there? Because we won a raffle), but then we found out about a 90th birthday to be celebrated in Dallas, Texas for my late grandmother's last surviving sibling.

Not wanting to miss that, we decided we wanted to go both places, although we weren't exactly keen on the idea of traveling with the seven of us in our minivan over that great of a distance.

Then my parents proposed a solution: they'd go with us, and we would rent a 12-passenger van.

That turned out to be a great idea, as the extra space made traveling easy and relatively comfortable.

For purposes of this entry on this here weblog, I couldn't possibly (and nor would I want to) include the sort of details I would include if I were writing a "What I did on my summer vacation" sort of account. But in lieu of these, here are some observations (in no particular order) of things I (we) saw/experienced/learned:

I enjoy nothing more than spending time with Jocelyn and our kids.

We spent a lot of most enjoyable time in Texas with many second and third cousins that I had never previously met. All of them are great people — warm, welcoming, generous, etc. — the kind of folks you're glad to be related to.

This is the third time I've been in Texas this year. The weather in Texas is hot. I mean, really, really hot.

Throughout the trip generally, and along U.S. highways particularly, we saw countless numbers of shuttered businesses — most notably gas stations. Some had "For Sale" signs, but many others that didn't looked as if they'd been abandoned for years. Kind of reminded me of Radiator Springs.

Although Metropolis Coffee is brewed only a few blocks from where I used to live, I first tried it 1,100 miles away in Vail. And, as Agent Cooper would say, it is indeed "damn good coffee."

The air in Colorado really did seem a lot cleaner.

Most of the people we encountered in Colorado seemed remarkably friendly.

We barely scratched the surface of the hiking trails in Vail, but what's there is phenomenal.

We saw dozens, maybe hundreds, of wind turbines during the course of the trip. I haven't decided what I think about wind energy (is it a boon? or a boondoggle?), but I will say this: wind turbines look really creepy.

In the corn uber-producing state of Iowa, we found that the 89 octane gas is actually cheaper than 87 octane, because the former has a higher ethanol content.

The cinnamon bread and pumpkin butter (made in the Amana Colonies) that we bought in Iowa are mighty tasty.

And now for a few pictures:

The 30th Anniversary of the Murder of Archbishop Oscar Romero

On this day in 1980, Archbishop Oscar Romero was assassinated while celebrating Mass in San Salvador, El Salvador.

I've had a special admiration for Archbishop Romero ever since I first saw the eponymous film about his life (and death). My admiration for him grew significantly when Jocelyn and I visited his tomb and the chapel where he was murdered during a trip to El Salvador 10 years ago.

When questioned about Romero by Italian journalists 3 years ago prior to his trip to South America, I was heartened to learn that Pope Benedict XVI remarked, "I have no doubt he will be beatified."

Here's the trailer for the movie:



As you can tell, this is no feel-good movie, but as far as showing the ugly reality of man’s inhumanity to man, and the insane brutality that so typified life in Central America in the last quarter of the last century, it’s amazing.

The closing scene, and a few others, too, are absolutely stunning — all the more so because despite some artistic license, the movie is depicting events that really happened.

The 29th Anniversary of the Murder of Archbishop Oscar Romero

On this day in 1980, Archbishop Oscar Romero was assassinated while celebrating Mass in San Salvador, El Salvador.

I've had a special admiration for Archbishop Romero ever since I first saw the eponymous film about his life (and death). My admiration for him grew significantly when Jocelyn and I visited his tomb and the chapel where he was murdered during a trip to El Salvador nine years ago.

When questioned about Romero by Italian journalists two years ago prior to his trip to South America, I was heartened to learn that Pope Benedict XVI remarked, "I have no doubt he will be beatified."

Here's the trailer for the movie:



As you can tell, this is no feel-good movie, but as far as showing the ugly reality of man’s inhumanity to man, and the insane brutality that so typified life in Central America in the last quarter of the last century, it’s amazing.

The closing scene, and a few others, too, are absolutely stunning — all the more so because despite some artistic license, the movie is depicting events that really happened.

Doh!

I've been outed.

If I ever encounter an overzealous neo-HUAC enthusiast who will stop at nothing to get an answer to, "Are you now, or have you ever been in conversation with a former member of the Communist Party?" I'll know who to blame.

Worth Watching

On a friend's recommendation, I recently watched The Ninth Day.

This site gives a synopsis:

February, 1942. A Luxembourg priest is released from the Dachau concentration camp and sent home. The Nazis, annoyed with the bishop of Luxembourg's refusal to co-operate, plan to use him to give public support to Hitlers policies. Gebhardt, a superior officer in the Gestapo, gives Kremer nine days to make a decision. If he refuses their offer, he will immediately be sent back to the camp.

I very much enjoyed this film, and highly recommend it.

So too does Stephen Greydanus, the National Catholic Register's film critic, whose review is here.

The 28th Anniversary of the Murder of Archbishop Oscar Romero

On this day in 1980, Archbishop Oscar Romero was assassinated while celebrating Mass in San Salvador, El Salvador.

I've had a special admiration for Romero ever since I first saw the eponymous film about his life (and death) — an admiration that was strengthened greatly when Jocelyn and I visited his tomb and the chapel where he was murdered during a trip to El Salvador eight years ago.

When questioned about Romero by Italian journalists last year prior to his trip to South America, I was heartened to learn that Pope Benedict XVI remarked, "I have no doubt he will be beatified."

If you haven't seen the movie, run, don't walk, to the nearest Blockbuster and rent it. Or, better yet, stay where you are and get it from Netflix.

This is hardly an “I’m gonna make me some popcorn and take it easy tonight” type of movie, but as far as showing the ugly reality of man’s inhumanity to man, and the insane brutality that so typified life in Central America in the last quarter of the last century, it’s amazing.

The closing scene, and a few others, too, are absolutely stunning — all the more so, because despite some artistic license, the movie is depicting events that really happened.

Movie-Related E-mails from Pro-Aborts

In the past week, I've gotten two e-mails from pro-aborts related to movies.

The first one came last Thursday:

The Illinois Choice Action Team is looking for volunteers to help canvass movie night in Grant Park! We had a lot of fun doing it last year and so we would like to take part in the closing event for the summer. We will be gathering signatures for the REAL Act and passing out pro-choice materials. Come join the Party! The movie starts at 8:00, so we will canvass from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm. I checked the ten day weather forecast, and it looks like Tuesday will be a nice day and evening.

Date: 8/28/07 (Tuesday)
Time: 6:00 pm
Meetup: SE Corner of Adams and Michigan ave - Chicago
RSVP to info@ilchoiceactionteam.org
Contact: B...
Movie: Aug. 28: 8:01 p.m. [Movie Title Omitted -JJ]
Hope to see you there!

Illinois Choice Action Team
http://www.ilchoiceactionteam.org/
info@ilchoiceactionteam.org

Illinois Choice Action Team Is a Committed Group of Volunteers Advancing NARAL Pro-Choice America's Mission.

Guess what's playing tonight:

If These Walls Could Talk?

The Cider House Rules?

Vera Drake?

No, no, and no.

Give up? It's only, like, one of the most pro-family movies ever: The Sound of Music.

Good luck with your canvassing there, Team.

The other movie-related e-mail came today to my work e-mail address:


Dear Pro-Life Action League,

My name is [Name Withheld]; I work for an independent documentary production company in New York called Zohe FIlms. Our new documentary film, FLYING: CONFESSIONS OF A FREE WOMAN, will be playing at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago Sept 14-18. While I recognize that your organization's members may not agree with some of the subject matter of this film, we here are Zohe FIlms would like to encourage an audience of diverse opinions in order to encourage a rich discussion after the viewing. We hope to include the Pro-Life Action League community in our dialogue and we'd be happy to offer a few complimentary tickets to see the film! I would also be greatly appreciative of any advice you can offer me on how to create good buzz for our Chicago screenings.



Here's a brief description of the documentary:



"The film takes as a hypothesis that owning and controlling one's own sexuality is the center of a woman's power and self. It also hypothesizes that the inverse is true: if a woman does not control the emotional and sexual life of her own body, she cannot be fully empowered. With all the advances that women have made for themselves, patriarchal systems still exists across the globe. Rarely is a woman fully in control of her own body or her own fate. Often and in some cultures, the subjugation is overt—female genital mutilation, the veil, lack of access to abortion, dowry, and rape as a tool of warfare. Just as often it is insidious—social condemnation of women who take joy in their sexuality, harassment defended as "harmless" flirtation, legislation prohibiting sexual education in schools and the consequences of the subsequent lack of knowledge, the equation of "female" or "feminine" with weak, incompetent or emotionally volatile."

The New York Times described "Flying" as: "playful, sexy, tragic and contemplative" and an "addictive soap about sexuality and sisterhood".

For more information, please check out the website (and trailer) at www.flyingconfessions.com.

Please don't hesitate to contact me...

Thank you so much for your time.

Sincerely,
[Name Withheld]

So lack of access to abortion is on a par with female genital mutilation and rape?

Mmm-kay.

I think I'll have to decline the invitation to be part of the "dialogue" for a whole host of reasons -- not the least of which is that this movie sounds astonishingly unoriginal.

I'm reminded of something Chesterton said:

My attitude toward progress has passed from antagonism to boredom. I have long ceased to argue with people who prefer Thursday to Wednesday because it is Thursday.

Something Mark Shea wrote a few months back also comes to mind:

Reminds me of when my old priest went, at the request of some local media, to see "The Last Temptation of Christ". The reporters, a herd of Independent Thinkers if ever there was one, clustered around him awaiting the fevered denunciations and cries of blasphemy after it was all over.

He told them he'd drifted off to sleep halfway through, it was so dull.

Heretics never seem to get that heresy is stupefyingly boring.

"I Have No Doubt He Will Be Beatified."

--Pope Benedict, speaking last week about Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was assassinated while celebrating Mass in San Salvador, El Salvador on 24 March 1980.

I've had a special admiration for Romero ever since I first saw the eponymous film about his life (and death) -- an admiration that was strengthened greatly when my wife and I visited his tomb during a trip to El Salvador seven years ago.

If you haven't seen the movie, run, don't walk, to the nearest Blockbuster and rent it. Or, better yet, stay where you are and get it from Netflix.

This is hardly an “I’m gonna make me some popcorn and take it easy tonight” type of movie, but as far as showing the ugly reality of man’s inhumanity to man, and the insane brutality that so typified life in Central America in the last quarter of the last century, it’s amazing. The closing scene, and a few others, too, are absolutely stunning -- all the more so, because despite some artistic license, the movie is depicting events that really happened.

More background on Romero here.