Star Trek: Nemesis – The Secrets of Star Trek

The last of the TNG films is widely marked as the weakest. Dom Bettinelli, Jimmy Akin, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss th film’s strengths and weaknesses and its themes of identity and the moral and ethical considerations of cloning and artificial sentience and more.

https://youtu.be/Wz1l1mJIz1E

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A Satanist Asks for Help (Possession, Obsession, Vexation, Infestation) – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World

When a Satanist recently asked Jimmy Akin for help with whether he might be possessed, Jimmy offered his best advice. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli discuss that advice and explore how one could approach a similar situation with empathy, charity, and reason, while taking this kind of situation seriously.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSANzPZRTGU

Help us continue to offer Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?

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This Episode is Brought to You By:
Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World is brought to you in part through the generous support of Deliver Contacts, offering honest pricing and reliable service for all your contact lens needs. See the difference at delivercontacts.com.

Rosary Army. Featuring award-winning Catholic podcasts, Rosary resources, videos, and the School of Mary online community, prayer, and learning platform. Learn how to make them, pray them, and give them away while growing in your faith at RosaryArmy.com and SchoolOfMary.com

Tim Shevlin’s Personal Fitness training for Catholics. Providing spiritual and physical wellness programs and daily accountability check-ins. Strengthen yourself to help further God’s kingdom. Work out for the right reason with the right mindset. Learn more by visiting fitcatholics.com.

The Grady Group, a Catholic company bringing financial clarity to their clients across the United States. Using safe money options to produce reasonable rates of return for their clients. Learn more by visiting GradyGroupInc.com.

Great Lakes Customs Law, helping importers and individuals with seizures, penalties, and compliance with U.S. Customs matters throughout the United States. Visit GreatLakesCustomsLaw.com

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Support StarQuest’s mission to explore the intersection of faith and pop culture by becoming a named sponsor of the show of your choice on the StarQuest network. Click to get started or find out more.

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The Weekly Francis – 14 March 2024

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week, from 26 February 2024 to 14 March 2024.

Angelus

General Audiences

Homilies

Messages

Speeches

Papal Instagram

Warrior of the Deep – The Secrets of Doctor Who

The 5th Doctor is caught in an undersea Cold War thriller that mixes in two old foes as well. Dom Bettinelli, Jimmy Akin, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss the highs and lows of the story; the more than usually bad effects; and the ethical underpinnings of the Silurians and Sea Devils.

https://youtu.be/IoSCWR88WOQ

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Fallen Hero (ENT) -The Secrets of Star Trek

T’Pol’s hero isn’t what she seems. Dom Bettinelli, Jimmy Akin, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss the story’s themes of trust, earned, broken, and granted; the clash of human and Vulcan values; and the glimpse of future human-Vulcan friendship.

https://youtu.be/69je2hvHYy0

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Don’t Make Fun of Renowned Dan Brown!

Today I was talking with someone about works that I’ve had to read as part of my job as an apologist–whether I wanted to or not–and he suggested that Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code might be one of them.

Indeed, it was.

I regarded the book as not only wildly historically inaccurate but as just, plain badly written.

Linguistics (the study of the phenomenon of language) is one of my hobbies, and I used to read linguistics blogs that would just savage Dan Brown’s horrible English prose.

That brought to mind an article I read back in 2013 in renowned British newspaper The Telegraph.

My favorite line has always been “It made his insect eyes flash like a rocket.”

Unfortunately, that article is now behind a paywall, but it’s a devastating parody of Brown’s abysmal writing style.

Fortunately, I found it elsewhere online.

In the service of preserving its memory, I present it here.

Don’t make fun of renowned Dan Brown

The snobs and critics will have a field day with the US author’s latest work – but I’m not joining in.

 

Renowned author Dan Brown woke up in his luxurious four-poster bed in his expensive $10 million house – and immediately he felt angry. Most people would have thought that the 48-year-old man had no reason to be angry. After all, the famous writer had a new book coming out. But that was the problem. A new book meant an inevitable attack on the rich novelist by the wealthy wordsmith’s fiercest foes. The critics.

Renowned author Dan Brown hated the critics. Ever since he had become one of the world’s top renowned authors they had made fun of him. They had mocked bestselling book The Da Vinci Code, successful novel Digital Fortress, popular tome Deception Point, money-spinning volume Angels & Demons and chart-topping work of narrative fiction The Lost Symbol.

The critics said his writing was clumsy, ungrammatical, repetitive and repetitive. They said it was full of unnecessary tautology. They said his prose was swamped in a sea of mixed metaphors. For some reason they found something funny in sentences such as “His eyes went white, like a shark about to attack.” They even say my books are packed with banal and superfluous description, thought the 5ft 9in man. He particularly hated it when they said his imagery was nonsensical. It made his insect eyes flash like a rocket.

Renowned author Dan Brown got out of his luxurious four-poster bed in his expensive $10 million house and paced the bedroom, using the feet located at the ends of his two legs to propel him forwards. He knew he shouldn’t care what a few jealous critics thought. His new book Inferno was coming out on Tuesday, and the 480-page hardback published by Doubleday with a recommended US retail price of $29.95 was sure to be a hit. Wasn’t it?

I’ll call my agent, pondered the prosperous scribe. He reached for the telephone using one of his two hands. “Hello, this is renowned author Dan Brown,” spoke renowned author Dan Brown. “I want to talk to literary agent John Unconvincingname.”

“Mr Unconvincingname, it’s renowned author Dan Brown,” told the voice at the other end of the line. Instantly the voice at the other end of the line was replaced by a different voice at the other end of the line. “Hello, it’s literary agent John Unconvincingname,” informed the new voice at the other end of the line.

“Hello agent John, it’s client Dan,” commented the pecunious scribbler. “I’m worried about new book Inferno. I think critics are going to say it’s badly written.”

The voice at the other end of the line gave a sigh, like a mighty oak toppling into a great river, or something else that didn’t sound like a sigh if you gave it a moment’s thought. “Who cares what the stupid critics say?” advised the literary agent. “They’re just snobs. You have millions of fans.”

That’s true, mused the accomplished composer of thrillers that combined religion, high culture and conspiracy theories. His books were read by everyone from renowned politician President Obama to renowned musician Britney Spears. It was said that a copy of The Da Vinci Code had even found its way into the hands of renowned monarch the Queen. He was grateful for his good fortune, and gave thanks every night in his prayers to renowned deity God.

“Think of all the money you’ve made,” recommended the literary agent. That was true too. The thriving ink-slinger’s wealth had allowed him to indulge his passion for great art. Among his proudest purchases were a specially commissioned landscape by acclaimed painter Vincent van Gogh and a signed first edition by revered scriptwriter William Shakespeare.

Renowned author Dan Brown smiled, the ends of his mouth curving upwards in a physical expression of pleasure. He felt much better. If your books brought innocent delight to millions of readers, what did it matter whether you knew the difference between a transitive and an intransitive verb?

“Thanks, John,” he thanked. Then he put down the telephone and perambulated on foot to the desk behind which he habitually sat on a chair to write his famous books on an Apple iMac MD093B/A computer. New book Inferno, the latest in his celebrated series about fictional Harvard professor Robert Langdon, was inspired by top Italian poet Dante. It wouldn’t be the last in the lucrative sequence, either. He had all the sequels mapped out. The Mozart Acrostic. The Michelangelo Wordsearch. The Newton Sudoku.

The 190lb adult male human being nodded his head to indicate satisfaction and returned to his bedroom by walking there. Still asleep in the luxurious four-poster bed of the expensive $10 million house was beautiful wife Mrs Brown. Renowned author Dan Brown gazed admiringly at the pulchritudinous brunette’s blonde tresses, flowing from her head like a stream but made from hair instead of water and without any fish in. She was as majestic as the finest sculpture by Caravaggio or the most coveted portrait by Rodin. I like the attractive woman, thought the successful man.

Perhaps one day, inspired by beautiful wife Mrs Brown, he would move into romantic poetry, like market-leading British rhymester John Keats.That would be good, opined the talented person, and got back into the luxurious four-poster bed. He felt as happy as a man who has something to be happy about and is suitably happy about it.

 

Why Did God Create Dinosaurs? (& More Patrons’ Questions) – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World

We regularly give Patrons the opportunity to ask Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli their mysterious questions and make them available exclusively to Patrons first and then later to the whole audience. This time the questions cover why God created dinosaurs; Dom & Jimmy’s own mysterious experiences; foo fighters; and more.

https://youtu.be/1F69yW8urA8

Help us continue to offer Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?

Links for this episode:

This Episode is Brought to You By:
Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World is brought to you in part through the generous support of Deliver Contacts, offering honest pricing and reliable service for all your contact lens needs. See the difference at delivercontacts.com.

Rosary Army. Featuring award-winning Catholic podcasts, Rosary resources, videos, and the School of Mary online community, prayer, and learning platform. Learn how to make them, pray them, and give them away while growing in your faith at RosaryArmy.com and SchoolOfMary.com

Tim Shevlin’s Personal Fitness training for Catholics. Providing spiritual and physical wellness programs and daily accountability check-ins. Strengthen yourself to help further God’s kingdom. Work out for the right reason with the right mindset. Learn more by visiting fitcatholics.com.

The Grady Group, a Catholic company bringing financial clarity to their clients across the United States. Using safe money options to produce reasonable rates of return for their clients. Learn more by visiting GradyGroupInc.com.

Great Lakes Customs Law, helping importers and individuals with seizures, penalties, and compliance with U.S. Customs matters throughout the United States. Visit GreatLakesCustomsLaw.com

Want to Sponsor A Show?
Support StarQuest’s mission to explore the intersection of faith and pop culture by becoming a named sponsor of the show of your choice on the StarQuest network. Click to get started or find out more.

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The Androids of Tara – The Secrets of Doctor Who

Prisoner of Zenda in space! Dom Bettinelli, Jimmy Akin, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss this 4th Doctor story and Romana’s active role in it; the use of androids and technology in a feudal society; and the story’s exploration of social class, technology, and hierarchy.

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Initiations (VOY) – The Secrets of Star Trek

A-koo-chee-moya! Dom Bettinelli, Jimmy Akin, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss this Chakotay story featuring guest star Aron Eisenberg, including themes of fatherhood and cultural identity, as well as the missed narrative opportunities while praising the twist ending.

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Your Mysterious Experiences! – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World

We’re celebrating our 300th numbered episode and so Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli are discussing more of our listeners’ and viewers’ mysterious experiences and what Jimmy makes of what you’ve shared with them.

https://youtu.be/_1RgnjwAWO8

Help us continue to offer Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?

Links for this episode:

This Episode is Brought to You By:
Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World is brought to you in part through the generous support of Deliver Contacts, offering honest pricing and reliable service for all your contact lens needs. See the difference at delivercontacts.com.

Rosary Army. Featuring award-winning Catholic podcasts, Rosary resources, videos, and the School of Mary online community, prayer, and learning platform. Learn how to make them, pray them, and give them away while growing in your faith at RosaryArmy.com and SchoolOfMary.com

Tim Shevlin’s Personal Fitness training for Catholics. Providing spiritual and physical wellness programs and daily accountability check-ins. Strengthen yourself to help further God’s kingdom. Work out for the right reason with the right mindset. Learn more by visiting fitcatholics.com.

The Grady Group, a Catholic company bringing financial clarity to their clients across the United States. Using safe money options to produce reasonable rates of return for their clients. Learn more by visiting GradyGroupInc.com.

Great Lakes Customs Law, helping importers and individuals with seizures, penalties, and compliance with U.S. Customs matters throughout the United States. Visit GreatLakesCustomsLaw.com

Want to Sponsor A Show?
Support StarQuest’s mission to explore the intersection of faith and pop culture by becoming a named sponsor of the show of your choice on the StarQuest network. Click to get started or find out more.

Direct Link to the Episode.

Subscribe on iTunes. | Other Ways to Subscribe.

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