'Extreme' Catholic traditionalists vs Theology of the Body.

I've recently learned that some traditionalist circles, some would deem them extremists even, are at odds with Saint John Paul II's Theology of the Body (TOB) and Chris West, a prominent advocate and presenter of the late Pope's famous (or infamous, if you're an 'extreme' trad) work.

Now I think TOB is quite good when it concerns sex and sexuality, and being someone who recently is taking his faith more seriously I was rather disappointed to learn that TOB is not liked at all in some circles in the traditionalist strain. I sort of view this like when I started actually cooking for myself. I was learning how to be more independent and learning through trial & error. I got better at certain dishes and I found out I was good at making various breakfast items. I learned that when it came to lunch my creativity lacked. I also learned that making dinner was plain fun.

Imagine thinking of what type of meat you'll purchase from the butcher to make that awesome dinner recipe Gordon Ramsey made in a mere 5 minutes on yotube. He's your "man". Soon after you come across non-meat eaters -- vegetarians and vegans. They say meat is bad and that one should abstain from meat entirely if you truly care about animals and not add to the deteriorating health of Mother Gaia (cow farts and whatnot). Now if you follow their advice you can't make that Gordon Ramsey dinner. In fact, you cut out a good portion of all the dinners you want to try. You feel deflated. You're just sharpening you cooking skills and a group of people say nope, sorry, put that brisket back. That brisket is murder. That brisket is an injection of poison to your body as well as to the earth. What? you think your yourself. You buy the brisket anyways. The non-meat eaters then throw around all these arguments, some paragraphs long (much longer than this post), that seem sorta right yet sorta off. What? That's how I feel when I think about the 'extreme' trads and their issues with TOB.

Like the non-meat eaters, those who are vehemently against TOB haven't said explicitly why it's a bastard work besides "ew modernity." I don't like modernity but c'mon. You got to  give me more than that. They write long paragraphs, typing much, but saying very, very little.

I'm taking TOB and I'm gonna enjoy it and proclaim it's rather good. If any Christian or Catholic asks about it or if the topic of sexuality and family comes up I'll recommend it.

The new "green juice": vegetarianism/non-meat eating. Sorta.

If you haven't been paying attention to the health world of the masses green juice was the "it" thing for sometime. Then studies came out and said that green juice, while good in its intentions, isn't all that when it comes to consuming nutrition and getting the best out of your greens and veggies.

There's a current post on facebook about a "weekday vegetarian" (he eats meats on the weekends) encouraging others to eat less meat and its health benefits. This was a TED Talk. Surprise. Now, I'm all for eating less meat - more so a moderation of it - because I do believe too much of any type of food is harmful. But I'm also not an advocate for full blown non-meat eating unless your diet necessitates it and/or religion forbids eating meat. This is why I give little credence to moral and ethical reasons for not eating meat purely on a secular level. It's not persuasive. It's horrible, horrible philosophy. It's rather shallow even.

One of my favorite brain farts of a non-meat eater:

"We should consciously think about what we wear and eat. Where are clothes come from. Where are food comes from."
"Can I ask you a question that veers off the non-meat eating path?"
"Sure."
"So, what about no premarital sex?"
"Well that's just crazy."

In the comment section of this facebook post there were many who lauded this move and shared their experience with cutting out meat and experience a "jump" in life. One man posted that he lost 13 pounds in two months by simply cutting out meat. I replied I lost about 16 pounds in the same amount of time while I ate meat - every single day. I ate about 4 ounces of chicken breast, a half a cup of rice, a cup of veggies for dinner. I limited my calories to about 1500 than the usual 2000. Add in an at least 45 minutes of exercise six out of seven days and I was losing about two pounds each week. Keep in mind I only ate meat for one meal and it was a limited portion. This is partially why I eye roll when I read enthusiastic stories of eliminating meat and experiencing some new form of self. 

Of course no one is immune to the pathetic philosophy of "do no harm to animals" which follows no meat eating. Fellow Christians and Catholics have express this and I just shake my head.

But hey, I have written about how I feel about the non-eating community that base their choice on "no harm" and ethics and saving the earth from cow farts. I think they're damn idiots. I follow Temple Grandin's thought on animal killing: do it humanely as possible.

I say to my fellow millennials and Gen-Y peers: It's sad that you're an SJW. It's also sad you're a non-meat eater. It's even more sad you're a non-believer. But I can work with non-believers. I can at least reason with them to see my point. The discussions are at least interesting. Non-meat eaters and SJW's? Cult-esque.

Now I'm going to go to Walmart and buy myself a 6lb bag of frozen chicken breasts. I need the protein to recover from my daily runs. It'll taste quite good with some barbecue sauce on the side. Oh, and I can't forget the white rice. 'Cause I'm Asian. Identity politics.

UPDATE: This is the response the poster responded back with -

So I assume you were exercising in addition to your meatless diet. If true, the difference between my diet and lifestyle and yours was that A) I wasn't eating healthy and B) that I lacked exercise. I was a chubby gnome. But you said you went meatless and lost weight. I said I didn't and lost weight as well. Then you throw in the moral and environmental scare cards and say no one's telling anyone to not eat meat. Um, I think you're strongly implying that people shouldn't eat meat for the reasons you give. As for meat not being a need but a luxury in terms of a diet? Isn't that a tautology regarding every person's diet on earth?

"There is simply no logical counter argument."

You've made no logical counter argument against killing animals for food.

Catholic education Part III: We're with the band.

With the future closing of Queen of Peace (QoP), St. Laurence High School (StL) will most likely be making some changes in its extracurricular activities. Activities that weren't offered at the all-male high school will see birth. I'll look at it from an activities director point of view, even a department head. I'm just offering my immediate thoughts of what could be developed.

Concert Band (class)

Recently StL's band director, PJ Henning, retired in the summer of 2015. With that swan song brought in a young band director - one who has done zero in developing both the program and membership enrollment of a once proud organization known on the Southwest Side of Chicago and 'burbs. Top musicians auditioned for All-District*, with a few earning All-State Honors. The past two years? Only a number participated at a local university festival band that I never heard of.

I see this story similar to the now very sad state of Chicagoland All-Catholic Band. All-Catholic Band, before I participated in it, was a festival that was well-run and very classy. You were proud to be part of it. Your parents were proud. College admissions probably knew about it as well. It was practically a mini All-District. The product was quite good once you factor in that only students from Catholic high schools were playing, unlike All-District where it pools from every school, be it public or private, large or small. Then the family that ran it decided to end a great story and handed it over to Vandercook College of Music. As with most changes in leadership the festival changed. When I participated you were practically guaranteed placement as long as you breathed in your audition tape. There were no live auditions this time around. Back in the mid 2000s All-Catholic musicians had to wear black and white. Now, you're just asked to dress your Sunday's best and given a bright blue shirt saying "All-Catholic" which was to be worn during the concert. Tacky. The concert is now held in a grey, depressing rehearsal room - a stark difference from the beautiful non-denominational chapel years before that housed the concert on the DePaul University campus. There's no pride in it. There's very little thought put into it.

Note: All-District has a quota where at least one (two?) student is chosen from each high school that auditioned -- the real talent lies in the middle and upper 2nd chairs and 1st chairs. Sorry back-end 2nd and 3rd chairs. If you play an instrument that doesn't have a hierarchy in sheet music (ex. tuba, bass clarinet), and make All-State, or are second or third in line at All-District, that's how your talent is judged in comparison. This means you're most likely a back-up to the musician who makes All-State. If he can't make the All-State festival for whatever reason expect a call to head down to Peoria. Congrats, you're an All-State musician.

Back to the band. With the "growth" of the school the current band director has some options for development. He can keep and refine the concert bands, keep it concert and symphonic, or add on a third competing ensemble - wind ensemble which would be the top concert band. Adding music theory class is a luxury and isn't necessary, though private lessons should be highly encouraged if not mandatory for every level of ensemble. Find a way to afford the weekly lesson, kids.

Get each ensemble to compete in State of the Art  and Midwest Music Festival. Forget solo & duo/trio contests - those are a waste of time. The real butter is getting the kids ready for clinical practice on their instrument. Life right after competitive marching was mainly focusing on those two festivals - excellence never took a rest until the end of April.

Season of clinical practice is Jan-April. Prepare once marching band season is over.

Competitive Marching Band (not a class but an activity)

Please bring back marching band. Please. If it ever comes back to life it'll be in the rebuilding stage. Have it compete down a class until it finds its legs.

Season is through early August to mid-November.

Jazz Band (not a class, but an activity)

I'm not sure if this is still offered, but if it isn't, offer it in conjunction with Brother Rice and Mother McAuley.  It was never competitive in nature and that's fine with me. Make it into an outlet for those interested in jazz music or those wanting to learn a second instrument.

I don't believe QoP had an orchestra, so unless there's a enough demand I'd say scrap it. Having an orchestra is a luxury; the band is not. Plus most high school orchestras sound like crap, even the top ensembles in each school.

Season is through Nov.-April.

Possible Additions

Winter Guard (activity)

This would be a fine training ground for the color guard, treating it as the "second" season for them. It just depends if a personnel or two can lead and develop it. Personnel should also help out with competitive marching band.

Season is through Jan-April.

Choral (activity)

I know QoP has a choral ensemble. Bring it to StL. Expand and develop it. Beginners Choir to Intermediate. If there are advance singers make it into an audition based ensemble like wind ensemble for concert setting. A more interesting thing is dividing the male and female singers into glee clubs, that is Men's Glee Club and Women's Glee Club.

Musicals and Plays

Have at least a winter musical and a spring, if not fall, play. Encourage those in band to play in the pit.

Regarding the possible additions

Staff are  needed to maintain this expansion. The sole band director at StL cannot do it alone (and I'm pretty sure he isn't even capable given his sorry ass efforts in the past two years). Either fire the bastard or put heavy pressure on him to change his ways. Hire the choral director of QoP. Hire an additional music director to help out the StL band director; make the current band director an associate.

You don't need a massive music/fine arts department to get a great, solid music education at the high school level. Just look at Marian Catholic. StL/QoP music "seasons" mirrored theirs. They focused on being the best at marching band in the fall then transitioned to competitive concert setting come winter/spring time. Two seasons. No winter percussion. No winter guard. No music theory class. They're the best. Oak Lawn? Argo? Reavis? Evergreen Park? Richards? What about them? Marian Catholic owns their music programs combined. StL once did as well. It was the band "that could." Now it's the band that can't.

Concerning parades - don't become a "parade band" like Marist, where all they do is march in parades. They weren't even good at it. There are two parades that are crucial and unique to the StL/QoP band: the first being Chicago's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the second being the infamous South Side Irish Day Parade held in the Beverly neighborhood. These are annual parades (SS Parade was reinstated in 2012 after a couple of years of hiatus) where StL/QoP was a staple.

Everything here are suggestions ...

How could you?

If you say you're an attacking helicopter on Thursday, a bisexual on Friday and Saturday, and a boring straight male the rest of the week you have no compassion and devoid of a soul.

Apparently one's compassion and soul is measured if you're really, really nice towards the LGBT, in this case the transgenders.

Also eating meat. Delicious murder. Gosh, where is your soul?

Catholic education Part II: funds

People think that Catholic schools are rich, thinking it's "private" in a sense where Duke University is rolling in dough, or how Harvard had an endowment that can afford its poorest students free tuition. Where I live? Not really. Some are wealthy; some are poor. A perfect example would be the music departments of Catholic schools versus public schools.

I'm a product of parochial schools (attended an all-male high school; co-ed grade school) only finally entering the secular educational world once I entered university. If there's one thing that public schools do have a clear advantage over Catholic schools is that their is more money to fund extracurricular activities and to hire more staff (hence more options for classes creating a robust curriculum). There is no orchestra at the grade school level for Catholic elementary schools in my area. If the Catholic school is lucky there will be a band, a very tiny band.

At the high school level my school only had band - no orchestra. Not only that, but one public high school nearby had winter guard, winter percussion and orchestra (divided into beginner and advance), pep band (pep band in my school was rarely formed - it only came into existence at the whims of those who wanted to form one for a particular game whereas football games were mandatory) in addition to the band. The music students had options to participate in solo-ensemble contests at nearby universities after marching band season. The high school had welding classes, it had a far more in-depth art department (we only had drafting) and not to mention a drama department boasting a choir and a couple of musicals (my school didn't have a drama department - we had a drama class but since the teacher who taught that retired there is zero drama education). We had no speech & debate while other public schools did.

Some Catholic schools were in much better financial shape with a more balanced curriculum than my alma mater. One all-girls Catholic school, Mother McAuley, does have many of the extracurricular activities mentioned with a heralded music, drama & fine arts department. That school focuses on the liberal arts. My alma mater is currently focusing on STEM which is a change from its previous, more balanced curriculum. The band director at Brother Rice, MM's "brother" school, just recently expanded their music program with a wind ensemble, adding to the already existing symphonic, concert and jazz ensembles, replicating where he previously taught. Now, if I were in charge of my alma mater I'd borrow some pages from MM as well as BR. But the thing is my school doesn't have the funds nor the does it see it as "challenging the status quo of Catholic schools" (whatever that means), says the current president of my high school. A large part has to do with the vision of a particular program and how those overseeing view it.. The current band director at BR is making the music department more robust despite being the sole teacher (?). He brought back the marching band after several years of its absence. The school's bands are expanding and winning competitions. The man even has a hand in growing the choir.

To go back to faculty, take for instance Lincoln-Way East and Mother McAuley. If you look at their music class selection there's no doubt it takes more than one person to teach all of those classes whereas my alma mater had two - a chair and an associate (usually a recent music ed major). When we did have a marching band (now defunct due to low membership) the associate band director headed it with a lady who focused on color guard. That's it. What's the difference between now and then? There was a healthy relationship between the president the band director. The president wanted the band to succeed.

With all that depressing facts aside my alma mater did excel at academics. What we lacked, oh so sorely lacked in extracurricular activities and faculty members, we somehow made up in discipline. There were several times were I wore my letterman jacket out in public, once at a grocery store and at the movies, where people went up to me and said, "That's a good school. You're lucky." I didn't get the feeling they felt that way about the local public schools. Reavis? Nope. Oak Lawn? Nope. Argo? Nope. Stagg? Nope. Don't even mention Bogan, the nearest CPS. Maybe Brookfield-Riverside, though.

Even though I admit that the school's music department was a pebble compared to the larger and wealthy ones it was highly respected. The band director, now retired and replaced by a much less ambitious - and much younger - band director, was also respected and well-known throughout area when it came to music directors. People knew our band (to be expanded in Part III).

As with teaching at a Catholic school, be it elementary or high school, hiring is a sacrifice. Take for instance the music department. You most likely don't have the financial means to hire a separate choral, jazz, orchestra and marching instructor. You either got one or two people putting on many hats: marching instructor, jazz director, symphonic and concert instructor. Music theory class? Now that's a sign of wealth.

In many ways I'm in awe of how the band was perceived in the community and what it did in its glory days as well as my days.

You may ask where I went to high school. I'm a Viking. I went to St. Laurence.

Compared to BR St. Laurence was known as the poor school. We're still poor but also more narrow in focus (STEM and sports). 

A more interesting question is if I had a child would I send him to St. Laurence. The answer to that is a definite no. I don't like where the direction of the curriculum is going. The band sucks; the local elementary public district band has better tonal quality. The president, President Joe Martinez, gives zero fucks whether or not it flourishes. If I had a girl she'd be looking at Mother McAuley. A reason I'd be hesitant to send her there is the feminism that runs through it. Like soon-to-be defunct Queen of Peace (who also jumped on the STEM trend, though they included art so it was STEAM) it practices the bizarre "we don't need men" narrative, which, apparently, was far more potent at Queen of Peace. But still. If a boy, Brother Rice or maybe St. Rita. I'd even look into St. Ignatius.

Part III will focus on my thoughts on St. Laurence and its current transformation. 

Catholic education Part I: a sensitive topic to those who dislike them.

In the United States there is a debate whether or not private/Christian/Catholic schools, on the elementary and high school level, educate their students better than public schools. Early studies say yes, some are mixed, while the most recent study says no. Whatever the consensus the articles I've read and ventured into the comment box have been telling, though only slightly.

The comment box attracts a lot of people. Me being one of them. In the articles in favor of private/Christian/Catholic education there seems to be three groups of people who dismiss such an environment. The first being the Catholic who says they were taught at a Catholic school but due the mean nuns left. The second are the people who sent their kids to Catholic school but took them out due the supposed arrogance, hypocrisy and elitism extolled by other parents. The third are atheists. These atheists aren't particularly sophisticated in their rebuttals, just saying that Christian schools indoctrinate their students and that public schools do not.

The main reason I write this post is because I've grown tired of these complaints. A wise poster did apologize for whatever rude attitude that was presented, saying that no school is perfect and, like public schools, Catholic schools vary. Your mileage may vary, basically. But that wasn't enough. The same anonymous poster insisted how hypocritical those who send their kids to Catholic kids are - not just in the past but present and future.

The bitterness by the people who were met by mean, cruel nuns is more understanding, but then again I was met with a very impatient, poorly talented math teacher when I was in 4th and 5th grade who made me fear math. I still get nervous when I know I have to a math course or test. I do not say math is a horrible subject or that all math teachers and the institutions that employ them are despicable. In some I've gotten over those horrid two years and I'm now self-teaching the topics I did so poorly on - with fervor and enthusiasm. I do not "hate" math - I'm just simply not that good at it. Within this group of bitter people some confessed to burning their school uniform (sure ya did).

The atheists are atheists. They're the modern types aka Gnus. I don't expect much out of them.They will say the usual talking points dismissing Catholic schools (indoctrination). I actually met one parent who said that the measurement of a good school is how many scientists they produce since, after all, science is the basis of our world. There were too many lawyers in his mind. He then proudly went to say his daughter is a product of public schools, has a masters in environmental geology, and is now a chief geologist. All with the Catholic upbringing. I then said I had two friends who were raised Catholic, attended parochial schools, where one went on to become a medical radiologist at Johns Hopkins; the other a child physician at a Level 1 hospital near his hometown. Both are millennials. But I only brought them up for context, not so much to brag.

Reinvesting in my faith.

Easter Sunday has past and Christ has risen. I type that without feeling silly or strange. I type that with a much deeper appreciation and knowledge of Catholicism. If you asked me to say that out loud during my university years, or even my high school days, I'd feel somewhat strange. Within the next couple of days I'll be starting a post about how I came to where I am today with my faith.

People lose weight. They make promises to learn a new instrument or "be their true selves" - whatever that means. In the past couple of years I've started to take my faith more seriously. And I've also loss some weight (I'm nearing my high school weight).

Now, this is both unique and strange since my generation, especially those who were (sorta) raised Catholic, well, probably don't take their faith seriously. Whether they attended parochial schools till university or were products of the CCD system. They're are either non-religious/fallen away or, at best, cultural Catholics if not spiritual.

Being in your twenties while buckling down to get "in shape" for mass is the strange part. It's unique because it truly sets you apart - not "I'm non-binary and/or LGBT" outlier type, but truly unique in terms of transcendence. Even if you are non-binary or and/or LGBT subscribing to something that says no to your sexual urges is unique. Same goes for straights. When you're under-30 and have decided to reinvest in your faith in a traditional manner that's unique. That's interesting.

People will ask why. They'll ask what's the point. Both are good questions. Both I will try to answer in the up coming days.

"And be not conformed to this world; but be reformed in the newness of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, and the acceptable, and the perfect will of God."  

- Romans 12:2

A damn excellent article by Social Matter about Mannerbund and other things.

Männerbund And The Sexual Dynamics Of Coordination.

As someone who attended an all-male high school; a fraternity member; whose maternal grandfather fought in an all-male infantry unit during WWII; and remembers fondly the dynamics between males and females during band class (female members went to an all-female high school), I rue the day of forced co-ed organizations in the name of "progress" or "the right thing to do."

I don't necessarily object to co-ed organizations or institutions, after all I did attend a co-ed grammar school and university, but single sex organization are unique. In the past I struggled to verbally communicate why such a thing was unique but the article does a fine job explaining why.

Single sex organizations and institutions are unique. Why? They just are. It's something you have to experience. Something that you should ask to be guest of - a meeting or formal.

This type of same-sex is the only same-sex I support.