A Message to Marco Polo

Mr. Polo,

When I first received your letter, I confess to having been a little alarmed. The Hong Kong postage, the brown paper, the blood red ink, all these and more awoke in my fevered imagination visions of a mad Chinaman, obsessed with this humble online blog. Only later did I realize that such exquisitely insane penmanship (perfectly executed), intelligent (though slightly delirious) writing, and strange parchment all pointed to one author: yourself. For a brief moment I wondered if a talented family such as the Mahoneys might have written it as a clever feat of correspondence, but in the end, I knew that only you, yourself could have understood the powerful message encoded within my story. I am honored by your acknowledgement. Please accept my humble thanks for your painstaking efforts to reach me through such a fascinating and effective (though a little alarming) means.

I await your further instruction in the mysteries of the Light...

Your faithful servant,

Benjamin Wolaver

A Children's Book in Progress

So for the past year, I've had a work in progress, a children's book entitled, When The Dickens Is Will Lillywhite? Since it is sometimes difficult to get feedback on such projects, I've decided to go ahead and post the first chapter on my blog. Other chapters will follow as I complete them. Hope you enjoy!

Sacajawea Goes to Hollywood

On our twenty plus hour drive across the Great Plains, my thoughts returned to that legendary trio of Lewis, Clark, and Sacajawea, and how they conquered the overwhelming odds to map the breathtaking vistas of the Western United States. It occurred to me that Hollywood had never given these three pioneers their proper place in the canon of film glory. To correct this, I have attempted something monumental - a screenplay retelling the story of Sacajawea for a new generation. Loosely inspired by the real life drama of Lewis, Clark, and Sacajawea, my work in progress brings the heart of this adventure to stunning Techni-Color life. I present to you:

SACAJAWEA: The Major Motion Picture

One man was a scholar, the other was a soldier. Their friendship started a quest to discover a new land, but what they discovered instead was the love of a beautiful woman - a love that would tear their friendship apart.

Foyle's War: Great Quotes

Here are a series of great quotes from possibly my favorite series ever, Foyle's War. It chronicles the adventures of a steely detective with a hidden heart of gold named Christopher Foyle as he solves crimes along the British coast during the chaos of World War II. For those of you who haven't seen the series, go check it out!


Andrew Foyle: [Looking at a fish his father just caught] What is it dad, a starter?
DCS Christopher Foyle: You are very difficult to please, Andrew, it's a main course. Perfect.

Military Officer: I was simply doing what I thought was best for the war!
DCS Christopher Foyle: I'm sure a great many Nazi's will be saying the same thing when this war is over.

[Referring to the suspicion that Foyle's son, Andrew, might have committed murder]
Sgt. Paul Milner: I'm sure Andrew is above suspicion.
DCS Foyle: Is he? He's not above mine.

["Smith" has been caught stealing valuables from bombed-out houses]
"Smith": I haven't got anything to say to you.
DCS Christopher Foyle: Well, that doesn't surprise me. You know, I sometimes wonder why I do this job. And then I come across someone like you. I mean, we're living in such evil times, when the whole world seems to be sinking into some sort of mire. And as if Hitler wasn't enough, we got the likes of you, who capitalize on other people's misery, who hurt them, make things even worse for them when they're at their weakest. And it's with the likes of you that this... mire... begins. And it's some small consolation to know that I've helped to clean up just a little bit of it.

Samantha Stewart: Can I ask you something? Were you tempted to let him go? I mean, even for a moment?
DCS Christopher Foyle: Yes, I was. I mean, hanging him is probably not going to do anybody much good, and I suppose he had a point...
Samantha Stewart: But...?
DCS Christopher Foyle: In the end, I'm a policeman, I'm here to do a job. It's simple as that. If I start bending the rules, I might as well pack it in!

Christopher Foyle: You have a commanding officer with the name of -------, I'd like to speak to him.
Armed Guard: I'm afraid that's not possible.
Christopher Foyle: Well, there's been an outbreak of anthrax here in Hastings and he's responsible for it. If I'm not in his office within the next two minutes, I'l be back with the army, the police, the home guard and the press. Would you feel able to convey this to him at your earliest opportunity?

DCS Christopher Foyle: [after punching a criminal] You know, I quite enjoyed that.

Excerpt of the Day - Letters to Malcolm

Have you ever wondered if prayer changes God's plans? In this wonderful excerpt from an oft neglected work, Letters to Malcolm, C.S. Lewis tackles that question with his usual wit and aplomb. He begins by criticizing a common view of God's sovereignty, championed by Alexander Pope, a famous English poet, that maintains that God works like a giant manager, making sure that "everything goes according to plan". Needless to say, Lewis has other ideas:

'On Pope's view God has to work in the same way. He has His grand design for the sum of things. Nothing we can say will deflect it. It leaves Him little freedom (or none?) for granting, or even for deliberately refusing, our prayers. The grand design churns out innumerable blessings and curses for individuals. God can't help that. They're all by-products.

I suggest that the distinction between plan and by-product must vanish entirely on the level of omniscience, omnipotence, and perfect goodness. I believe this because even on the human level it diminishes the higher you go. The better a human plan is made, the fewer unconsidered by-products it will have and the more birds it will kill with one stone, the more diverse needs and interests it will meet; the nearer it will come - it can never come very near - to being a plan for each individual. Bad laws make hard cases.

But let us go beyond the managerial altogether. Surely a man of genius composing a poem or symphony must be less unlike God than a ruler? But the man of genius has no mere by-products in his work. Every note or word will be more than a means, more than a consequence. Nothing will be present solely for the sake of other things. If each note or word were conscious it would say, "The maker had me myself in view and chose for me, with the whole force of his genius, exactly the context I required." And it would be right - provided it remembered that every other note or word could say no less.

How should the true Creator work by "general laws"? "To generalize is to be an idiot," said Blake. Perhaps he went too far. But to generalize is to be a finite mind. Generalities are the lenses with which our intellects have to make do. How should God sully the infinite lucidity of this vision with such makeshifts? One might as well think He had to consult books of references, or that, if He ever considered me individually, He would begin by saying, "Gabriel, bring me Mr. Lewis' file."'

--From Letters to Malcolm by C.S. Lewis

Quote of the Day

"You can always count on Americans to do the right thing -- after they've tried everything else." - Winston Churchill


Note: For those of you who are not familiar with the life of Winston Churchill, Paul Johnson (one of my favorite historians) has written a wonderful biography of him.  Churchill was a man who saw his own time with perfect clarity and was denied the power to do much about it until the pivotal moment when everything hung in the balance. A fascinating study...

Across the River

This original poem, inspired by the film The Thin Red Line (one of my favorites), was itself the inspiration for one of our favorite songs in concert, Beyond the River. Enjoy!

A Birthday Poem for My Cousin, David!

My cousin's birthday was yesterday and since he won't be joining us for FASA this year (he's going to seminary), I've decided to post this little reminder of him!

For David On His Birthday

On this auspicious day in July

I now will endeavor to try

To craft a great ode for a Donica

Whom I'm glad is called David, not Monica

His wit is the life of the party

His shirts and his pants are quite smarty

His dance moves and smiles come pouring 

And all his friends keep on encoring

Way deep down inside his big heart

He's really as light as a lark

A cuddly fuzzball of love

Whose arms keep on giving us hugs

But now he's revealed his best secret

It's this: he knows how to preach it!

We're proud of old David called Donica

And glad that his name is not Monica!

Mark Steyn on Independence

Great hard hitting article by Mark Steyn.  Be sure and read it.

An Important Article on X-Men

John Podhoretz is a great writer and a very penetrating film critic.  I enjoy a lot more films than he does, but his reasons for not enjoying them are always spot on.  In his review of the new X-Men movie, he raises some very stark issues about the portrayal of evil on screen, particularly as it relates to the Holocaust.  Food for thought...

Read it here.

An Interview with the god, Thor

Marsha Hamilton lands the interview of the year with the god, Thor!

Marsha Hamilton:  Hello!  My name is Marsha Hamilton, and I am here with the real life inspiration for the movie Thor... the god Thor!  Mr. Thor, thank you for sitting down with us today.  It's quite an honor!

Thor: My title is the God of Thunder, not this "Mr…".  

Marsha: Sorry, my mistake!

Thor: Harrumph...

Marsha: As our viewers know, you have a brand new film coming out depicting your life as a god, called (inventively!) Thor. Tell us how this film came about!

Thor: Centuries ago, my worshippers were swept from the face of Earth.  I was content at first to remain in the fastnesses of my Northland. Then Loki, my brother, insulted me to my face at the dishonor of my isolation, and so I descended in storm and cloud upon the face of the northern city, Seattle, to reclaim my followers from the peoples of this planet. 

The Crimes of Lord Llewellyn

Lord Peter Llewellyn decapitated a cigar, smelled the black dusty blood, struck a flame, and drew a deep, gaseous breath. He smiled in a silent chuckle. It was his favorite bad habit.

Tapping the entrails from his stick of tobacco, he turned his attention to breakfast. In front of him lay a silver platter full of favorites: eggs, potatoes, bacon, and coffee, accompanied by three little bowls of salt, pepper, and garlic. It was a peculiarity of Lord Llewellyn that he never allowed anyone to season his meals except himself.

A slight pinch of salt, a steady shimmer of pepper, and an avalanche of garlic clothed the steaming meal in a soft aroma, and Llewellyn smiled. Only then did his eye settle on the regal sheaf that awaited him.

Ronald Reagan, C.S. Lewis, and the Evil Empire

Just watched this clip of Ronald Reagan's amazing "Evil Empire" speech.  For those in my generation who have never watched the real thing, watch it! :)

A Dialogue on the Modern Age

The Modern motioned to the Cosmos and turned to his friend, The Clown. 

"What say ye?"

"What say you, you mean," he replied.

"I was going for dramatic effect," said the Modern. "A question has more weight when asked with older words."

"But clarity, my dear fellow, is the most important thing about a question."

"I thought it was the answer."

"Every question is an answer."

The Modern paused. "I'm not sure that makes sense."

"The better the question, the more one knows the answer already."

"Tell that to the scientists."

"There are a few in my line of work," the Clown replied.

Great Speech by Geert Wilders on the Future of Europe

"The Failure of Multiculturalism and How to Turn the Tide"

Signore e signori, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends of the Magna Carta Foundation, molte grazie. Thank you for inviting me to Rome. It is great to be here in this beautiful city which for many centuries was the capital and the centre of Europe's Judeo-Christian culture.

Together with Jerusalem and Athens, Rome is the cradle of our Western civilization - the most advanced and superior civilization the world has ever known.

As Westerners, we share the same Judeo-Christian culture. I am from the Netherlands and you are from Italy. Our national cultures are branches of the same tree. We do not belong to multiple cultures, but to different branches of one single culture. This is why when we come to Rome, we all come home in a sense. We belong here, as we also belong in Athens and in Jerusalem.

It is important that we know where our roots are. If we lose them we become deracinated. We become men and women without a culture.