Columns, Freedom is a Constant Struggle and the Knicks
We’re still on baby watch here.
This week, I’m going to send out that column arguing those concerned about animal welfare should oppose Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination as Health and Human Services secretary. If you’d like to submit your own writing to newspapers, give this a gander: https://slaughterfreeamerica.substack.com/p/how-to-write-letters-to-newspapers-6eb
Anyway, it’s time for (Cell) Culture Talk. Here’s what I’ve been reading and watching recently.
Book — All God’s Animals by Christopher Steck. As the subtitle makes clear, this text seeks to establish a Catholic theological framework for animal ethics. Long stretches were over my head. From the little I know, it strikes me as fairly orthodox and academically rigorous. Unfortunately, the author’s conclusions are quite modest.
Book — Freedom is a Constant Struggle by Angela Y. Davis. The celebrated intellectual discusses a variety of topics in this brief collection of interviews, speeches and essays. In some ways, the 2015 text feels like a time capsule from the pre-Trump era. In many others, however, her comments are just as relevant today, if not more.
Movie — The Substance. Demi Moore stars as an aging celebrity who takes a black-market drug which transforms her into a younger version of herself, played by Margaret Qualley. The satirical body-horror film with a feminist message was written and directed by Coralie Fargeat. It’s very good, but a little too disturbing for my taste.
Movie — The Remarkable Life of Ibelin. This is a moving documentary about a young Norwegian man with a debilitating muscular disease, whose parents discover his rich gaming life and community after his death. Members of the man’s World of Warcraft guild reach out to his family to express their condolences and share stories.
Sports — Knicks beat Raptors, 112-98. New York snapped a three game losing streak. Karl-Anthony Towns returned from injury, notching 27 points and 13 rebounds. It looked like his knee was still bothering him. The broadcast showed Towns wincing a number of times as he ran up the court. I worry the starters aren’t getting enough rest.
Sports — Knicks lose to Thunder, 126-101. I feel like I’d enjoy this season more if I could make peace with the fact New York isn’t a championship contender, and might even be worse than last year, despite giving up all their assets. Oklahoma City dominated from start to finish. New York didn’t look like they belonged in the same league.
Sports — Knicks beat Bucks, 140-106. That was an excellent bounce-back performance after an embarrassing loss. There were some scary minutes in the third quarter, when Jalen Brunson went to the locker room with what looked like a potentially serious shoulder injury. However, he returned and finished the game with 44 points.
Sports — Knicks lose to Pistons, 124-119. New York was tired and banged up on the second night of a back to back. Towns, who scored 26 points, played through an injury to his thumb he suffered in the first half. Brunson was questionable to appear due to shoulder soreness, but ended up leading the Knicks with 31 points.
Meditation passage — Christ In Them All by Caryll Houselander. Usually, I stick to selections on the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation website, but I decided to branch out on my own for this one. It comes from Chapter 13 of Houselander’s memoir, A Rocking Horse Catholic, in which she describes a mystical experience on a train.