What if Starbucks marketed themselves like a church?

Late last year, the London Sun reported that Government bureaucrats over in England have rejected the term “youth,” insisting that they must be called “young persons” instead.

The language change provoked fury, sparking accusations that the Labour party is being far too soft on the teenage criminals.

The order came in a code of practice issued by the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Children, Schools and Families. It reads: “A number of responses suggested the term ‘youth’ had negative connotations and should be replaced by ‘young person’.  “Therefore throughout the code (with the exception of the term ‘Youth Conditional Caution’) ‘youth’ has been replaced.”

It all reminds me of My Cousin Vinny

As Valentine’s Day is around the corner, I thought I’d offer a special love note to a beloved family member . . . My daughters’ dog, Charlie.

Charlie is always beyond enthusiastic upon your arrival and continuously nearby… and it’s king of hard not imagining the Creator being the same.

Anyway, this is for funsies, not theology, so enjoy and pet and rub the belly of the ones you love today (in a child and youth protection friendly sort of way.)

While I have kept myself busy with silly tasks such as shoveling, the good sisters of the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary over at the Monastery of Georgetown were out playing in the snow.  Click on the pics to enlarge and go to their site for a full report.

h/t to Jeff Miller

So, there was this great episode of The Office where the staff played Office Olympics while Michael, the boss, was away.

Now, The Office is a rather popular TV series that, like everything else on NBC, is about to be wipe-out by the Winter Olympics that are being held, seemingly, in Clay Imoo’s backyard.

All of which is to serve as an intro to this video which I tripped across  recently.  It’s awesome.

St. Joseph Life Teen in Modesto, CA along with their Director of Youth and Family Ministries, Carlos Gonzales, deserves kudos in putting together this promotional video for a (September) parish event.

Somewhere out there, Dwight Schrute is pleased.

Last Saturday, I ran a full review of some of my favorite shows.

Turns out, I have not been alone in sending a little love towards tv shows.

Recently, the Vatican’s newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano  congratulated The Simpsons on its 20th anniversary, praising its philosophical leanings as well as its stinging and often irreverent take on religion.

The paper identified Homer’s religious confusion and ignorance as “a mirror of the indifference and the need that modern man feels toward faith,” the paper said.

It commented on several religion-themed episodes, including one in which Homer calls for divine intervention by crying: “I’m not normally a religious man, but if you’re up there, save me, Superman!” “Homer finds in God his last refuge, even though he sometimes gets His name sensationally wrong,” L’Osservatore said. “But these are just minor mistakes, after all, the two know each other well.” More from the Associated Press article.

Here is my DVR confessional.

I still will watch reruns of West Wing without any excuse and will double check the story-line of a Star Trek: The Next Generation before deleting it. There you have it… the “comfort food” on my media library.

Tomorrow, I (or my DVR) will be there as Season 8 of 24 kicks in. Same thing for the Lost season premier on  Feb. 2 (Groundhog Day?  Seriously? Someone tell me that’s not a nod to the Bill Murray movie and the “present” story-line!)

And, I like the reality competitions where we watch folks improve week after week.

Everyone of these shows are about passion and passionate folks living out their lives and dreams. All of which is to indicate why I can not resist Glee !

Every now and then there comes an anthem for a generation that speaks a truth…

> Bob Dylan’s The Times They Are a-Changin‘

> Wang Chung’s Everybody Have Fun Tonight

> and now…

From this week’s American Idol search in Atlanta comes 62-year-old  General Larry Platt’s new musical rant against baggy-trousered B-boys, the instant classic “Pants On The Ground.”

Of course, this will lead to inevitable imitations such as when Neil Young allegedly  
appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to sing his own version.

“Call yourself a cool cat, lookin’ like a fool walkin’ downtown with your pants on the ground.”

What can I say . . . I do enjoy pop music.

Here is DJ Earworm’s (one imagines that this was not his baptismal name) masterful mix and mashup of the Top 25 Hits of 2009, according to Billboard.

Everyone get up and dance!