Another sort of March for Life...

...or rather, a march of life...



First Daughter is wisely off somewhere with her mother.

Today in Porn, Science Edition

Today's entry deals not so much with porn as with porn's red-handed stepchild, masturbation. Doonesbury readers will recall, no doubt, the furor that erupted six years ago when its creator penned a strip referencing a study that claimed a link between masturbation and the prevention of prostate cancer. (The hubbub was, of course, about the mention of "self-dating" in the funny papers, not about the the study itself.)

BUT NOW, the Manhattan Lawyer points us to a recent entry from Gawker, referencing a study that claims pretty much exactly the opposite:

"Men who are very sexually active in their twenties and thirties are more likely to develop prostate cancer, especially if they masturbate frequently, according to a study of more than 800 men. However the UK research team also found that frequent sexual activity in a man’s forties appears to have little effect and even small levels of activity in a man’s fifties could offer protection from the disease. Most of the differences were attributed to masturbation rather than sexual intercourse."

Well, science, which is it? And yes, we here at Godsbody are tickled at the thought of federal legislation demanding that all pornography feature a label warning that masturbation increases your risk of prostate cancer.

March for Life 2009

Hi, Mom and Dad!

Memento Mori

Third Son takes picture of his old man.

Second Daughter: You took a picture of Daddy?

Old man: Why would you do that?

Third Son: I know why! Because when you die...

[Photo found here.]

Danger Love

The last one has a broken elbow - hence the single-handed adventure.

Happy Feast of St. Francis de Sales!

The patron saint of writers! When I first bought my painting (below), I imagined it depicted St. Jerome. Now, I'm not so sure. The robes may be a touch fancy. St. Francis de Sales, on the other hand, was a bishop... At any rate, I need his help these days. Trying to finish a project.
[UPDATE: An esteemed Father has just kindly sent word that, given the attending angel and the saint's attire, my painting is almost certainly of my namesake, St. Matthew the Evangelist. Quelle chance]!

Hope

My first version of this had a caption that was rather more caustic:



But in light of the following, I'm going with the kinder, gentler route:



Thanks to Manhattan Lawyer for the heads up.

Today in Porn, Sundance Edition

The circle is now complete, or something. Twenty years ago, indie director Steven "I Just Want to Remake Ocean's Eleven for Yuks" Soderbergh showed up at what would become the Sundance Film Festival with his seminal film sex, lies, and videotape. And it was kinda sorta porny - except not really! Because while James Spader's character did get all steamed up watching home movies of various womenfolk, it wasn't fleshy exposure he had on tape - it was personal. He got 'em to reveal their secrets, to open up and let him in while the camera was running - a whole 'nother sort of recorded intimacy (sort of).

This year, Soderbergh showed up with a rough cut of The Girlfriend Experience, which is, again, kinda sorta porny - except not really. Vulture reports that the film, starring home-schooled* porn star Sasha Grey, plays "a high-end call girl who does all the little things that provide the titular experience." So instead of sexless emo porn, we now get porny emo sex. Yay!

*That's right! Who says that homeschooling retards socialization?

File Under: Preparing Your Kids For The Future

Dude's name is Minimum Wage.

Product description: "Minimum Wage gets the job done! See that apron? Told ya! Wage is hard working and super smarty, just like you. Hired, fired, never come back... Wage has heard it all, and doesn't need to know what any of it means. Why? Hmm yeah. But Wage does know that come pay day, it's time for cookies, snacks and plain ole chillin' with Ice-Bat, his best buddy Babo...and you, the human!"

Last night's sky.

Today in Celebrity Juxtapositions: Who's Crazier?

How have these two not been cast in a buddy picture?

Amanda Seyfried was born the year Michelle Pfeiffer starred in Ladyhawke

Godsbody: All celebrity juxtapositions, all the time. Still, the resemblance is uncanny, no?

Andrew Wyeth, 1917-2009

The Wife and I attended a stellar exhibition at the Norton Museum in Kansas City shortly before we got engaged. I think he is part of the reason why I sometimes feel that my life here in Southern California is a shade less than real.

In my living room:



In my bedroom:



In my family room:



Decent look at the man here.

Middle-Aged Actors Agree: "It's Time to Unbutton That Second Button."

Memo to Myself: Do the Dumb Things I Gotta Do.*

Going offline for a while. Going off-blog, too. See y'all on the other side.

*Source:

Sensing a Pattern

Lessee... brothers as struggling artists - check. One pure and brilliant, one compromised by economic necessity - check. Eventual violent conflict in which each side airs its long-simmering grievances - check. I swear I wasn't looking for this - it was just what got the most attractive plug on Hulu last night. But The Fabulous Baker Boys makes a pretty telling (thank you, Mr. Subconscious) followup to Big Night. Memo to myself: get to work.

Well, yes, but to whom?

"I've been so relieved and so grateful to not have a god to believe in."

Cloris Leachman, actress.

[Via Goldenfiddle.]

Best Last Scene Ever?

I think there's a good case for it. At any rate, Big Night is easily in my top ten favorite films. I sometimes tease The Hollywood Farmer for his unconscious fondness for backstage movies. He very kindly refrains from pointing out my unconscious fondness for movies about struggling artists.

"Hoping to bring a new and vibrant way of doing Catholic morning radio."

I'm pretty sure that my chat with the good folks at the Son Rise Morning Show was the only time anyone ever asked me on-air about this blog's Today in Porn feature. And now, they've found syndication on EWTN Global Catholic Radio. Huzzah!

Here we go.

From today's Divine Intimacy, which considers the significance of Christ's circumcision:

"Every undertaking must receive its baptism of blood in order to be fruitful."

Well, now.