The (Big) Boy

Lest we forget about the firstborn, a couple Damien stories.

On Sunday, as we were rushing out the door to Mass, Damien apparently thought we weren't rushing fast enough and wanted to leave. So he grabbed me, pulled me over to the hallway closet, opened it, took my hat out, put it on my head, then ran to the front door. He knows that daddy putting on his hat is the last thing that needs to be done before we leave.

Then today, after changing him, I had left his shoes on the floor because I was in a hurry to change Anthony. Damien picked up his shoes, took them to the closet, opened the closet, put away his shoes (in the proper place), then closed the closet.

Anne Marie comments that he's better about putting away his shoes than I am.

Peas and Pods

Can you figure out which picture is which brother? (Highlight to read answers.)

Anthony on left, Damien on right.

Anthony on left, Damien on right.

Ha! Trick question. Both are Anthony.

Damien on left, Anthony on right.

Damien on left, Anthony on right.

Damien on left, Anthony on right.

Anthony on left, Damien on right.

I just pray that they grow up as close to each other as I did with my brother.

Twins, separated by two years.

A Better Pain Scale

H/T Hyperbole and a Half

Key:

0: Hi. I am not experiencing any pain at all. I don't know why I'm even here.
1: I am completely unsure whether I am experiencing pain or itching or maybe I just have a bad taste in my mouth.
2: I probably just need a Band Aid.
3: This is distressing. I don't want this to be happening to me at all.
4: My pain is not @%&!ing around.
5: Why is this happening to me??
6: Ow. Okay, my pain is super legit now.
7: I see Jesus coming for me and I'm scared.
8: I am experiencing a disturbing amount of pain. I might actually be dying. Please help.
9: I am almost definitely dying.
10: I am actively being mauled by a bear.
11: Blood is going to explode out of my face at any moment.
Too Serious For Numbers: You probably have ebola. It appears that you may also be suffering from Stigmata and/or pinkeye.

The Laboring Murloc says her contractions fall between a 4 ("My pain is not @%&!ing around") and 5 ("Why is this happening to me??"), so we're heading to the hospital now. All further updates will be on Facebook.

The Official Rankings (Updated)

1. Anthropomorphic Superheroes
2. Anthropomorphic Monsters
3. Anthropomorphic Robots
4. Anthropomorphic Old Guys, Dogs, and Boyscout
5. Anthropomorphic Cars
6. Anthropomorphic Rats
7. Anthropomorphic Toys (third time)
8. Anthropomorphic Fish
   ---The good/great dividing line---
9. Anthropomorphic Cars (again)
10. Anthropomorphic Toys (again)
11. Anthropomorphic Bugs
12. Anthropomorphic Toys

Although it was not made by the studio whose mascot is an anthropomorphic desk lamp, last year's "Anthropomorphic Princess with really long hair" fits between #2 and #3 on this list, and although it was not made by the company whose mascot is an anthropomorphic mouse, last year's "Anthropomorphic Dragons and Vikings" fits between #4 and #5. Those are the only two non-anthropomorphic Desk Lamp 3D animated feature films that I can think of (off the top of my head) that fit somewhere on this list.

Happy 100th Birthday, Gian Carlo Menotti!

In honor of the composer of the first television opera (Amahl and the Night Visitors), we present to you a bit of culture.

The Telephone, an opera in one act, by Gian Carlo Menotti, heard in this 2000 recording, directed by Dr. Susan Treacy, with Celeste Ingram, soprano, Daniel Morton, baritone, and Yr. Obd. Svt., piano accompaniment.

Living History

Yesterday, I read, with a strange sense of loss, that perhaps the most historical man I'd ever met passed away. I am, of course, talking about Otto von Habsburg, who passed away on July 4th at the age of 98.

To give you an idea of what a piece of living history this man was, let me give you some background. He was born November 20th, 1912, the eldest son of Blessed Charles I of Austria (who you may remember, Blessed John Paul the Great beatified in 2004). Charles I was the last emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and a great Catholic statesman. Austria was the only power that did not engage in chemical warfare during the Great War, mainly because of Charles' abhorrence of it, and warfare in general. So dedicated was Charles to peace that he sought a separate peace with the Allies, apart from Germany (but the French managed to ruin that).

Otto von Habsburg was the last Crown Prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was a pretender to the thrones of about half of central Europe, and—through his family—a link to the once-great Holy Roman Empire. He was a stalwart opponent of both Nazism and Communism, for which the former group sentenced him to death for opposing the Anschluss in 1938. He was instrumental in aiding the Allies during World War II, and played a role in the downfall of Communism in the 80's.

During my Adventures in Austria, circa 2001, I had the great privilege of meeting this man, this living historical figure. The director of the Austrian program had invited him to the Karthause to speak to us students, and graciously, the Archduke agreed. I was interested in his visit, because as a recent graduate of Miss Smyth's Grand History of Western Civilization, I was well versed on House Hapsburg. He spoke to use students at length, one evening, giving a rambling talk about Austria, her history, her people, and his place in it. While the details of the talk have become hazy in the ten years since, I still remember a couple details quite clearly.

His Imperial and Royal Highness Archduke and Prince Imperial Otto of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia, seen here in this 2001 file photo. Photographer, Your Truly.

What struck me most about his talk was the personal, eyewitness accounts he gave of momentous historical events. He told stories about how he personally delivered Hungarian spy reports to FDR, or how, as a representative of Austria during World War II, he was given advanced notice of the Allied bombing raids. Invariably, each week an Austrian church or monastery would be targeted. He would speak with Roosevelt's assistant who, as a good Irish Catholic, would manage to postpone the raids that targeted churches.

One story I remember most clearly was the one he told about when he discovered the Allies' plans to divvy up Austria and give the lion's share (including Vienna) to the Soviet Union, as part of the peace treaty. He immediately rushed to see FDR and said, while he had always admired him and his methods of resisting the Communists, this was a bad idea. FDR agreed and told Otto that if he could get Churchill to agree, he would renegotiate. Otto immediately rushed to Churchill's room to speak with him. The secretary said that Churchill was sleeping, and he wasn't to be awoken, unless it was a matter of life or death. Otto said it was, and met with the sleepy Churchill, and convinced him to side with him and FDR. In the end, the Soviet Union took only a very small part of Austria.

Travelling Europe and seeing the history is interesting for an American such as myself, particularly one from Los Angeles, where anything older than 50 years is considered ancient. Seeing all these great monuments from ancient Rome, or cathedrals of the middle ages, or castles of the Renaissance. It's just something we don't have here. But there was another interesting side to Europe as well, and that was the history of the last hundred years. In that time, Europe had been the battlefield for the two greatest wars mankind has ever waged, and the site of the two most evil regimes the world has ever known. Here was a man who was linked to all of it, and spoke of it off the cuff, off the top of this head, as if this recent history was an old colleague of his.

Truly, the history of the 20th century is now just a little more remote.