Conlin's Corner

10.     In the Bedroom - 2001 Directed by Todd Field               This fantastic film takes viewers into the home of the parents of a young man named Frank who was murdered by his girlfriend’s ex-husband.   As the killer walks free due to lack of evidence, the parents (beautifully played by Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson) agonize over how to move on with their lives.   As they become alienated from the world and from each other, Frank’s father contemplates taking matters into his own hands to achieve justice.   The film is an emotional roller coaster, devoid of any macho Hollywood posturing and gratuitous violence.   In the Bedroom leaves viewers in a tortured state, wondering how far one should go to get justice, and whether the pain of loss can ever be alleviated.   9.  Minority Report - 2002 Directed by Steven Spielberg               More than any entry on this list, Minority Report begs that classic moral question of fate versus free will.   In a world in

For a human race that loves to engage in conversation, some of us sure are bad at it! Lately, it seems like people are getting even worse.  There are many avenues where we can try to place blame: social networking, text messaging or the increasingly fast-paced society in which we live.  Regardless of whatever or whoever is to blame, there are certain things we should rarely or never do when trying to have a polite conversation.  Here are ten of them.   1. “I’ll do you one better.” For some reason, too many people view every conversation as a contest.  They simply cannot listen to a story and allow someone else to enjoy telling it without trumping it with one of their own that they think is even better.  Polite conversation means allowing people to share the spotlight.  If I tell you about how I witnessed a bank robbery yesterday on my lunch break, there is no need for you to tell me the story of how your neighbor’s house got broken into when you were five. 2. “So, my doctor sai

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1.   Secret Cardinals The College of Cardinals is made up of about 120 senior bishops from around the world whom the Pope has chosen to elect his replacement.   Upon the death or resignation of the Pope, they meet in Rome to elect a new one, almost always from among their own ranks.   Only cardinals under the age of 80 may vote.   However, what most people don’t know is that there are a handful of bishops throughout the world whom the pope has secretly chosen as cardinals.   For a variety of reasons, usually out of concern for security, the Pope chooses not to reveal their names, sometimes even to the men themselves.   This is most common when the cardinal resides in a country where he may face reprisals from his government or face other types of persecution.   The late Pope John Paul II secretly elevated four bishops to cardinals.   One of them was from China, another from Latvia, and one from Ukraine. Their identities were revealed near or after their deaths.   The fourth remains

From 1968 until 1972, the United States sent a bunch of men to the moon.  Twelve of them actually got to walk on it.  Since then, nobody has been back.  As the years have passed, much of what those men did while they were up there has either been forgotten by an uninterested general public or ignored by people who didn’t really care in the first place. Most people know that Neil Armstrong was the first to actually walk on the moon, and many can even recite his famous words that followed his first step.  Thanks to the popular movie, many are familiar with the fate of the Apollo 13 mission, which miraculously made it back to earth after an on-board explosion.  A special few have made the lame argument that it was all a hoax, one of whom Buzz Aldrin dealt with by punching in the face.  However, there are tons of interesting facts about the things these men said and did during their historic journeys.  Here a few of the more obscure ones for enthusiasts and casual fans alike. These can

Why the Ten Commandments are for atheists, too The Second Commandment: You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain.    "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will make me go in a corner and cry by myself for hours." -Eric Idle                Words matter. A man is hanging a picture.   His hand slips and his finger shifts in front of the hammer.   Instead of hitting the nail, he hits his thumb.   “ Jesus Christ!” he shouts.                 He could have said a lot worse.   I have actually had this discussion with nonbelievers who see absolutely no reason why they should refrain from using such expressions.   Their attitudes usually soften when I point out that such language might offend people.   They also usually concede that such expressions should not be used around children.                 But can we look beyond expressions of anger or surprise?   A friend of mine who is a Catholic priest would routinely use expressions wi