asymptotes

Below are some sites which could help us assess if a movie is worth watching : Mercatornet   -   http://www.mercatornet.com/quick_picks/ Gives ratings of recent and past movies; also gives suggestions on which movies are really good for viewing The Internet Movie Database   -   http://www.imdb.com/ You can search a film and its ratings. It contains a portion "Parents Guide" which lists the occurence of Nudity, Violence, Profanity Screenit -   http://www.screenit.com Similar to IMDB. Watching movies is a passtime for many people. Movies can be a source of formation or mal-formation depending on its content and message. Before watching a film, it's good to find out if it is worth watching in the first place, or if there are some portions of it which are objectionable. We actually do something similar when we buy a merchandise like a cellphone or a computer- we immediately check if it's working as it should (if it will actually help us or would just be...

A letter to the editor I sent, complaining about the obscene pictures that come out in their newspaper. Dear Sir, I would like to congratulate you on the recent anniversary of your newspaper. Your effort in giving a new look to respond more to what the readers want is to be lauded. However, I am alarmed at the new format of the Life section of your newspaper. For the past several days, I have noticed in the centerfold of that section , big indecent pictures. I would even say that they are pornographic. One day, out of disgust, I got the entire section and just threw it to the thrash bin. I hope that the newspaper I have been reading do not fall into the sex bandwagon. I believe that the editors and staff of your newspaper know of more creative ways of attracting the readers other than having to flaunt obscene pictures at them 

I attended the wedding of a cousin today. I was swept away by the ceremony and the liturgy. Not that I felt overly sentimental; I just appreciated more the beauty and the necessity of having signs and symbols to express meanings that otherwise would be impossible , difficult, or at least less effective to express. These signs and symbols are moreover matched by prayers that evoke their meaning. Then came to my mind this quotation from C.S. Lewis: "God never meant man to be a purely spiritual nature. That is why he uses, material things like bread and wine to put the new life into us. We may think this is rather crude and unspiritual. God does not: He invented eating. He likes matter. He invented it.’” -C.S.Lewis, Mere Christianity Photo credit: 'Gold rings' by ollycb in www.sxc.hu

Act1v8  refers to WYD 08's theme taken from "ACT"s "1 V"erse" 8": “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses."  It’s been a year since World Youth Day 2008 . The chants, cheers, greetings and fanfare of those days have died down, but their memories still find echo in the minds and hearts of the participants. Memorable experiences With a bishop from US after the catechesis. Walking along the streets of Sydney, chanting with thousands of other pilgrims: “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie… Oi, oi, oi”.  The youth of the world seems to be waking up the slumbering church in Australia.  Seeing the flags of China and other Middle East countries in the pilgrim walks . It encouraged praying for the Church in those countries where Christianity is a minority.  Singing the WYD theme song, in a dark night dotted by the lights of the candles held by the pilgrims.  It enkindled in the hearts of many a great hop...

Aia María quanta Eruanno i Héru as elye · aistana elye imíca nísi · ar aistana i yáve mónalyo Yésus : Aire María Eruo ontaril á hyame rámen úcarindor sí ar lúmesse ya firuvamme : násie : The Hail Mary in Quenya (High Elven)  -JRR Tolkien   Tolkien had a deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In one of his letters, he fondly referred to the Blessed Virgin in the following way: "Our Lady, upon which all my own small perception of beauty both in majesty and simplicity is founded." There are at least two types or figures of Mary in Tolkien's world.   The first figure is Galadriel, the elven lady of Lothlorien who possesses great wisdom and beauty. Galadriel is the greatest and wisest of the remaining elves in Middle Earth. Because of this pre-eminence among the elves, she became proud and wanted a realm of her own. This is the reason why she was still in exile in Middle Earth. [1] The Blessed Virgin is pre-figured by Galadriel bec...

I reminisce the good times I had with him in high school: studying together, playing pranks on our classmates, making fun of our teachers,  singing old-fashioned songs . Those were great times I will always recall with fondness. I lost contact with him after college. I wished I could still see him, talk to him, laugh with him. But I never had the chance to talk to him or laugh with him again. I was, however, able to see him one last time. He was lying in a coffin.   I was shocked: struck at the fact that someone so intelligent and with so much potential could die at a very young age; stunned that this someone is actually my friend. Unbidden, a question spontaneously arose in my mind: "When will it be my turn? "    I then picture my own death. I lay in coma in a hospital. Around me were people who loved me and people I loved. I drew my last breath and passed into the twilight. A vigil was held for me. My family, friends and acquaintances came to pay me their l...