I thought I give this a try. There is a "meme" floating around that has the following instructions...1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.
This could be interesting. I'm not going to tag anybody, but I snagged the closest book (about a foot from my left eyeball): New Orleans Stories: Great Writers on the City (Ed. by John Miller). On page 123 is a story called "Mumbo Jumbo" by Ishmael Reed (which, if set anywhere other than New Orleans, would be dismissed as comedy):
"The mayor passes the flask of bootlegged gin to Zuzu. She takes a sip and continues to spread sprawl and behave skittishly. Loose. She is inhaling from a Chesterfield cigarette in a shameless brazen fashion."
You were tagged!
ReplyDeleteHe was still in the 5th grade when I was, but he should have been in the 8th. And he was making a straight "D" report card — "D" was the lowest grade they gave in those days. He had been in trouble and I overheard the principal telling my Grandpa about it.
ReplyDeleteHa! Though I can't say why, this is truly a great little bit of fun (though I, like yourself, will refrain from the whole "tagging" bit). As I read your post, I was in my study - no novels or such laying about, only ecclesial publications of varying types. One question: Should this little exercise apply to just novels and the like? The first book I blindly siezed was "Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions" (just 'cause it was close). The quote: Well, there was none; it was woodcut depiction entitled: "Preaching Justification". So there ya go! Be cool, Father Hollywood, and thanks for the great and innocuous timekiller.
ReplyDeleteTim:
ReplyDeleteI was? Suddenly it's not as much fun when it's a requirement.
Michael:
OK, I give up. I know it's not Mark Twain, because they actually failed people back then.
Jon:
On the one hand, your parishioners will be glad to know you don't have any tawdry New Orleans novels in your study, but on the other hand, they're going to know you read blogs "on the clock" - especially frivolous ones like Fr. Hollywood. ;-)
Nice to hear from you - and I pray all is going well for you in the Lord's service. I have no doubts you're "preaching justification" to the faithful.
Tim:
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, I really was tagged. How did I miss this? Anyway, since I have been tagged, I think I'm obliged to tag five people now. I know what happens to people who "break the chain" - I know it's true, because it is on the 'Net!
How about...
Rev. Dr. John Warwick Montgomery
Dr. Clyde Wilson
Lew Rockwell
Pope Benedict XVI
Pres. Gerald Kieschnick
I suspect these guys only occasionally scan my blog, but what the heck? ;-)
The book is called Growing Up, Spiritually by Kenneth E. Hagin. He was growing up in rural Texas in the 1920's... I was pretty floored by the "they didn't do F's in those days" part, but I guess different places may have done different things. 'Course, just because they didn't call it "F" doesn't mean it wasn't a failing grade. :)
ReplyDeleteI could swear that when I was a kid the grades included "E" and that they went kind of percentagewise with a C or D being about a 50-60% score... but maybe I just didn't understand the grading system that well. Fortunately school came relatively easy to me and maybe I just never explored those regions enough to know what kinds of monsters were down there. ;)
Dear Father:
ReplyDeleteCarol here...and you got me when I was doing my Java programming homework. Page 123 in my textbook is a terminology list, plus some fill in the blank sentences. Here you go.
a)A house is to a blueprint as a(n) ______ is to a class.
b) Each class declaration that begins with keyword _______ must be stored in a file that has exactly the same name as the class and ends with the .java name extension.
c) Every class declaration contains keyword ______ followed immediately by the class's [sic] name.
d) Keyword ______ creates an object of the class specified to the right of the keyboard.
e) Each parameter must specify both a(n) ______ and a(n) _______.