October 29, 2003

  • Ya know what's funny? When I click on 'New Blog Entry,' my web browser chooses to draw the big text entry square before it draws the window and the rest of the page on the screen. So, for just a split second, there's a big white square with a 3-4 pixel border in the middle of the monitor.

    And you know what else looks like that? Well, back in the good old days, Macintosh system software had a debugger called MacsBug. Whenever software would crash, it would draw a big white square with a 3-4 pixel border in the middle of the monitor, with a text prompt where you could find out what just happened.

    So every time of late that I've started to 'blog, there's a split second where I think my computer has crashed. I'll use this lame excuse to explain why I haven't had much to say here lately.

    To make it up to all my loyal readers and loving friends (and despised enemies), here's some music for your auditory edification: 'Changes' by Paul Whiteman And His Orchestra. One of the singers is Bing Crosby, though you really can't tell. Recorded November 23, 1927. It always reminds me of Frank Zappa.

    A propos of nothing, here's the first item in the list of things Google mentions as having happened that day:

    The young priest's health was poor. He was especially troubled with constant stomach pains. His return to Mexico was a joy on the one hand and suffering on the other. He saw his people suppressed by the government that should have been serving them. Father Pro realized that he could bring them spiritual comfort. He could forgive their sins through the sacrament of Reconciliation. He could bring them the Eucharistic Jesus to be strength. And that he did. Miguel was ingenious at disguising himself. He slipped in and out of buildings and rooms and lives. He was always just on the verge of getting caught. Then he would slip out of sight.

    Father Pro performed his ministry heroically until November 23, 1927. He was caught and condemned for being a Catholic priest. He faced the firing squad and stretched out his arms until his whole body was like a living cross. Then he called in a loud voice: "Visa Cristo Rey!" (Long live Christ the King.)

    The idea of Bing Crosby (Catholic, educated by Jesuits) singing this song while Father Pro was being martyred makes one wonder what's happening in the world while you're, say, sitting on the toilet doing crossword puzzles.