If you build it, they will tear it down...

Inspired by a comment in the ComBox of the last cartoon, here's the Pope doing what he can to rebuild some Tradition into the Church. Of course, every time that he does, you see the uproar and disdain from those committed to a "new Church", which claims a history only as far back as 1968.

Recently we saw the uproar over the whole SSPX/Holocaust issue. As though someone who thinks a certain way on a particular issue can't possibly be allowed in the Church. And, to be clear, I certainly wouldn't deny the Holocaust. But if someone wants to deny it, or take issue with the # of people lost, I figure, hey, it's a free world.

But the uproar that it created, both on the theological Left and Right, was just too over the top, when you consider that we have things like this =====> http://www.stbernadette.org/teenhaven.htm going on in parishes that are considered more "in communion" with Rome than an SSPX parish.

There are parishes like this all over the country, but I don't see anything being done about it. The silence, or in some cases, outright endorsement of this sort of thing by dioceses and Archdioceses (in this case, Baltimore), makes the uproar over Bishop Williamson seem hollow.

Parishes like this St. Bernadette's are "in communion". But an SSPX isn't. Wow.

Thou Shalt Not Kneel...

I've read in a couple of places (most recently Portugal), that some dioceses or individual parishes are mandating communion in the hand, to combat the spread of the Swine Flu. In some areas, to me, that sounds reasonable, especially if they also suspend the Sign of Peace (Portugal). I know in my own parish, during flu season, the priest will invite us to give one another a "nod" instead of pressing the flesh and back slapping one another.

Maybe it's just the cynical side of me, but doesn't it seem like (yet) another backdoor way to mandate communion in the hand altogether?

This is how the destroyers of the Faith work. They seize on any opportunity to make it work towards their ends.

First, communion in the hand was introduced. Then, after the horses were out of the barn, it was approved.

Then, when Tradition begins to push back, they mandate standing as the "norm" to receive communion. Was there really some need to mandate standing? Other than spite?

Will communion in the hand be mandated soon, based on some backdoor "need"? Naturally, they'd say "Well, we understand those who like to receive on the tongue, but due to (insert excuse here), we need to have everyone receive in the hand.

Here's a link to an article (I don't know anything about the writer, so don't take this as some sort of endorsement. It appears to be just a general Catholic column):

http://catholicism.about.com/b/2009/05/02/swine-flu-and-communion-in-the-hand.htm

Half-Pint Pygmy (1948)

Now here's a truly weird cartoon even by Tex Avery's standards. "Half-Pint Pygmy" (release date: 8/17/1948) is one of Avery's less known and rarely seen works, and it marks the fourth and final appearance of George and Junior.
These characters inspired by George and Lennie from John Steinbeck's depression-era novel "Of Mice and Men" have previously appeared in three very good and entertaining cartoons:

• Henpecked Hoboes (1946)

• Hound Hunters (1947)

• Red Hot Rangers (1947)


Then for some unknown reason, Avery decided to take away nearly all of George and Junior's specific traits. The relationship between characters in "Mice and Men" style has almost completely vanished. The voices were changed too. Most significantly, Irv Spence's excellent and very funny character design was scraped in favor of a new design by Louie Schmitt that depicts George and Junior as relatively bland and generic cartoon bears.

Tex Avery's best cartoons are brilliantly structured and constructed, but "Half-Pint Pygmy" plays almost as an abstract collection of random crazy gags that barely have a connection with each other. There's an odd and somewhat detached feeling about it that I don't have when watching any other Avery's MGM cartoon. However, there are many positive things to recommend about "Half-Pint Pygmy". The animation is top notch, with some especially nice and clear examples of anticipation (if there's interest, I'll post a more complete series of screenshots for some of these scenes). Also, many of the gags are very inventive, unusual and bizarre. In a way, this might be one of the ultimate chase cartoons.

Due to heavy racial stereotypes, this cartoon has been banned from TV for the last few decades, and it was also omitted from French Tex Avery DVD box set (together with "Uncle Tom's Cabana").

Here's a selection of screenshots, taken from "The Compleat Tex Avery" laserdisc box set:





























Does this fugitive from Wackyland look familiar to you? Yup, that's the bartender from "Who Framed Roger Rabbit".


















































And that's the end of George & Junior. They joined Screwy Squirrell in cartoon Heaven (or Hell). A moment of silence, please... :)

Finally, here's a whole cartoon in the best quality version that can be currently seen on the net (at Spike.com website):