November 21, 2007
Giant Microbes
Okay, I stumbled onto the cute little pokeman-like Noctiluca scintillans, but looking around, I found these giant microbes. Really interesting and cute.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 8:09 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 20, 2007
Feed Your Mind, Feed the World
Expand your vocabulary as you feed the world.
I scored a 50 and sustained it for four turns--so don your vair, avoid the pecculant, and help to prevent kwashiorkor.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 12:28 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 4, 2007
MIT Open Courseware
Here. Interesting and provocative. One wonders how effective it would be with most. As we are well aware self-pedagogues are among the rarest of individuals--at least "complete" self-pedagogues. It's probably a worthwhile source for "dipping into" from time to time.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 7:43 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 16, 2007
Branching Out
The Society of St. John of the Cross--an interdenominational group. How wonderful that his appeal is becoming more widespread. May it continue to do so.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 10:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 22, 2006
"Let's Say Thanks"
No matter how you feel about the war in Iraq, now is the time to let the people serving over there know how much we appreciate them. One major company has made it easier for us all to do so:
So, Let's Say Thanks to the men and women overseas who are away from the ones they love during this holiday season. Let them know we hold them in our hearts and minds and that we pray for them and for the families left behind every day.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 9:53 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 23, 2006
Check Out the Review of Battlestar Ecclesiastica
An excerpt:
Thogh the pees of Kent pleseth me much, yt is right hard to fynde goode bokes ther, so as ich make my stay in Londoun for Parlement, ich haue been going crazy about the purchasyng of bokes. Euery daye ich visit the scriveneres for to see the newe bokes and maken requestes for copyes. My shire doth paye me IV shillinges for ech daye ich am in parlement, and by cause of al the monkey business of this straunge parlement yt is lastinge longer than a voyage to Spayne. By cause ich lodge myself with my frende Langeland, ich spende but iii pens for a capon ech daye (and a somedeel greter amount for ale, wyn, and batidas), and thus a gret surplusage of cash moneye remaineth for the acquiringe of bokes.
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October 18, 2006
The Deception of Parliament
Don't miss the discussion of the subtleties and dangers of Parliament as revealed at Geoffrey Chaucer Hath a Blog. To wit:
Parlement Journale, Parte the Firste: Decepcioun!
O straunge worlde, for the dayes are fulle of selcouthes and no thyng is as it semeth. Alwey in my fantasie syn ich was a yonge man, ich thoghte Parlement to be a grete and noble assemblee, wher the wisdam of the reaume was spoken in the presence of oure sovereyn kynge for the sake of the commun good. But al thing in this worlde adoun is lyk vnto a cake fulle of beares– on the outsyde, it appeareth delicious and plesaunte, but inside yt is crawlinge wyth beestes that wisshe to clawe thee to deeth. For nowe ich see that Parlement is fulle of thretes and secretes, and matirs derke.
On Sundaye night, the daye bifor the grete openinge of parlement, ther was a speciale recepcioun for folk lyk myself who had come to parlement to speke for the shires. Yt was held in the halle of the exchequer, wyth the tables of rekynynges laden wyth metes and drinke. Michel de la Pole, the Earl of Suffolk and Chancellor of the reaume, frende of Kyng Richard, was ther, and he did shake the handes of al who were presente, and callid vs by oure names and bad vs drinken depe of the ale and maken murye. He yaf vs alle small billes, the whiche contayned the poyntez which we were to speken of for the good of the reaume, and he avised vs to keep the smalle billes secure.
The small billes were covered wyth thys text:
TALKYNGE POYNTEZ FOR PARLEMENT FOR THE LOIAL LIEGES OF KYNG RICHARD AND HYS CHANCELLOR MICHEL DE LA POLE
Whanne a felawe comoner of parlement or a cronicler or othir member of the media doth aske yow of the business of parlement, ye shal saye the following[and later]
“Fayre mayde, mene ye the meetinge at the exchequer wher the talkinge poyntez weren yiven vnto vs?”
“The, uh, talking points. Yeah, exactly. Good. I’m the handmaid for Sir...Roland...de Quelquechose. He was at the meeting and he, uh, well, he got a little drunk.”
“Goddes curse on men who are dronkelewe and guzzleres of ale,” ich sayde, and then burpid in a maner uncouth and my face wexed reede wyth shame. And yet the fayre wenche spoke further.
Oh, the horror, oh the shame.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 9:33 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 28, 2006
A Baptist on the Pope's Message
I haven't commented, nor will I; however The Western Confucian found a neat little link that offers a very satisfying interpretation of what the Pope said. As well, Tom, at Disputations provides his usual, moderate, thoughtful insights into the whole turmoil. If I were said to have a side in the matter, he has convincingly outlined it.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 2:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 18, 2006
Advice to Writers
from Jennifer Weiner here
and a Christian Guide to Pop Culture Here
Enjoy.
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Holy Terror
Thanks indirectly to Elliott at Claw of the Conciliator, I found Holy Terror which avers to be a site for those who would write "Christian Horror." No, not mutually contradictory, but a very fine line indeed and worthy of some attention. If you're interested in the genre, you might wish to check out what the site has to offer.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 11:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 22, 2005
Continuing Confession
I found this quite amusing-- (should link to a greeting Card--hope we don't overload the server)
Happy Thanksgiving
Posted by Steven Riddle at 11:11 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
September 11, 2005
Library Thing
This has to be one of the coolest things I've ever seen for library keepers. A community of cataloguers. I found the site at Elena's (My Domestic Church) and am contemplating spending the enormous sum of $10 to catalogue as many books as I wish for as long as the owner keeps the site up.
Below is, I hope a blog-widget that gives a sense of what is so very cool about what's happening here.
Oh, and you can craft the widget to display what you want it to display--random books, most frequent authors, etc. Really, nice.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 11:02 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
August 19, 2005
A Crossbreed of Eliot and Rowling
Witnit--a rather amusing, always entertaining blog that I somehow lost and now have found again alerts me to the presence of this wonderful bit of work--Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Poet For those already offended, this compounds the offense--for those amused by Potter, an amusement--for most a matter of no moment one way or the other.
A sample:
JUNE is the cruellest month, breeding
Voldemort out of the dead land, mixing
Crucio and Imperius, stirring
Harry to behave like a prat.
Winter kept us playing Quidditch, flying 5
Around with the stupid sport, ignoring
Our coursework until the exams.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 4:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 17, 2005
A Quotation for the Day
"Corporate responsibility does not dilute individual responsibility."
This was said during the trial of one of those convicted in the Abu Ghirab scandal.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 6:36 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 4, 2005
An Amusement for the Day
An Amish boy and his father were in a shopping mall. They were amazed by almost everything they saw, but especially by two shiny, silver walls that could move apart & then slide back together again.
The boy asked, "What is this Father?" The father (never having seen an elevator) responded, "Son, I have never seen anything like this in my life, I don't know what it is."
While the boy & his father were watching with amazement, an old lady hobbled slowly to the moving walls & pressed a button. The walls opened & the lady moved between them into a small room.
The walls closed & the boy & his father watched the small circular numbers above the walls light up sequentially. They continued to watch until it reached the last number & then the numbers began to light in the reverse order. Finally the walls opened up again & a gorgeous 24-year-old blonde stepped out.
The father said quietly to his son,"Go get your mother."
Posted by Steven Riddle at 8:16 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 26, 2005
A Protestant View of the Catholic Church
While I do not agree with all his points (and I'm sure the Internet Monk would not expect me to), there is a great deal of good in this essay/view of Catholicism. I particularly like the way he "got" Saints and really had a bead on John Paul the Great.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 9:32 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
For Kate, via Siris: On Andrea Dworkin
A more reasoned and reasonable discussion of Andrea Dworkin's contributions to modern thought.
Including this note, in which Canada demonstrates its superiority in at least one aspect of thinking:
In Canada, however, Dworkin's anti-porn efforts succeeded. A Canadian court ruled that pornography was not protected under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms and that it was in fact degrading to women. When Canadian Customs officers began seizing porn, GLBT advocates were outragedporn is big in the gay community.Dworkin's anti-porn crusade set off shock waves on the left. The right to pornography is the new third-rail of modern liberal politicstouch it and you'll die.
In the church of sexual libertinism, pornography is a holy sacrament. It is "high-brow" and liberating. The free flow of porn has become a leading indicator that the old moral values are dead and the new ethic of sexual narcissism is alive and well. In the view of many on the left, Dworkin's attempt to eradicate pornography amounted to censorship and showed an appalling lack of enlightenment.
What Andrea Dworkin knew instinctively is that male-female relationships are terribly broken, the pieces so scattered and torn that no one seems to know what the thing ought to look like. She blamed this brokenness on men, and there she made a philosophical wrong turn. But if she failed to understand the root causes of the evil she witnessed, she did not fail to grasp the terrible price women were paying in a society that views them as sexual objects.
[Later:]
The Christian view of marriage is a relationship modeled on the unbreakable covenant and unselfish love that God himself has for us. Marital sexuality is not rape, but a consensual commitment before God to create new life. It is to be a joyous experience of intimacy and trust, of mutual enjoyment and mutual giving.
. . . The Christian church has to answer the criticisms of people like Dworkin. In Christ there is hope: for peace, for respect, for love, for trust, for commitment, for fulfillment, all in the context of a marriage between a man and a woman. That promise too often goes unfulfilled.
The essay demystifies and removes some of the propaganda that surround Dworkin's thoughts. It is salutary reading for those who heard only the strident voices arrayed against Dworkin. Indeed, this essay is so good it's like Godiva Chocolate. I owe Brandon a great debt of gratitude. Thank you!
Posted by Steven Riddle at 8:42 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 12, 2005
Andrea Dworkin R.I.P
Andrea Dworkin who held views so monstrously silly that, were it not for the serious harm they do, they would provide hours of amusement has died. May she rest in peace.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 11:25 AM | Comments (13) | TrackBack
February 27, 2005
Interesting Comment at Another Site
At Mr. Shackleford's blog, noted below, this comment:
Is there not a group of, say, 100 not so peaceful men with shotguns who would enter that infamous "hospice" and free that longest ever hostage?
For heaven's sake, this is WAR, do you really want to have respect for this caricature of law that alows such barbarian acts as starving a disabled woman to death?
Wake, up, America, please, I'm on the verge of losing faith in you...
While I distinctly sympathize with the sentiments, not so with the methods. Nevertheless, the deep frustration one feels over this whole issue is given vent in such a comment. I have long wondered why the executive branch does not simply take this out of the court's hand. Why is it allowable to litigate a person to death but not allowable to kill a manatee? (Don't read this incorrectly, I don't think we should be killing manatees either.) But even a great and noble end does not justifiy any means--no matter how much we would like it to. Yet, it is hard to fault such fervor on the part of those most disenfranchised.
I am not one easily moved to support violent expressions, but this case has just about done it for me. How much more must we endure?
Newspaper articles often compare this case (unfairly) to Karen Ann Quinlan and others. But Karen Ann Quinlan couldn't even breathe on her own. Here is a living, breathing, reacting, loving person who has suffered a horrendous tragedy and so our solution to the problem is to starve her to death. Why can't a judge see how idiotic his "findings" are. He should get his officious, bumptious, judicious white butt off of his bench and spend some time in that room. Or on second thought, perhaps he should not because then we would have mandated executions of all persons with autistism, brain-damage, or palsy.
That God has withheld the justice of His hand from this for so long is a great measure of His abiding love and His desire for us to return to Him with our whole hearts. So as we pray for Ms Schindler, let us remember to thank God for his tremendous blessings and mercy. Oh, that we could live in the world where lovingkindness and mercy were the rule of the day and not the rule of our wayward gonads and warped desires.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 8:23 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 26, 2005
You Heard it Here First!
Florida Judge Orders Pope Removed from Life Support
NARAL, the ACLU, and attorney's for Michael Schiavo, Terri's husband, have already begun work on amicus curae briefs in support of the judges decision to euthenize the Pope. "The right to die is an essential aspect of human dignity," said George Felos, Michael Schiavo's attorney and spokesman, "and the right to kill those who no longer have any value and are a drain on the economy is unseperable from this right."
Posted by Steven Riddle at 7:09 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 14, 2005
A Farewell to Mortons
You may already have seen this, but it is worth another look--Ben Stein's farewell to Morton's.
(While you're at it, have a look at The Problem in Our Lives Is Powerlessness--the Solution Is Also Powerlessness. Another wonderful column. Were they not under copyright, I'd copy them out and keep them here forever. As it is, I have only the links, and I hope they last a while. A soupçon:
6. My greatest power comes from my surrender to God's will every moment of every day.
7. Fear is the common human condition. The only solution that lasts is faith in God.
8. What happens to me is not terribly important.
9. I cannot control other people, and when I try, it leads to disaster.
10. Acceptance of God's will is my only option today. It is not a choice but a necessity. )
Posted by Steven Riddle at 9:32 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 29, 2004
From an E-mail Correspondent
I received a very nice e-mail from the webmaster of this pro-life site. Be warned, the material is graphic, but it appears to have a wealth of quotes, information, and stories about abortion and people who have had abortions. It may be a good source of information when you are seeking to find something that would sway the wavering pro-choice advocate.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 7:51 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 18, 2004
Best Photograph of 2004
Copyright probably does not permit me to replicate this except for personal use; therefore I send you all here and say, particularly to fathers--look at the fifth photograph down. Certainly the best photograph of this much beleaguered year. (Number six is also evocative.)
Posted by Steven Riddle at 7:34 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
September 16, 2004
A Gift--Via Smockmomma
Here are like some of the most awesome valspeak excerpts from recent postings.
My Motto in Val Speak:
Ignoring the imperfections of others, preserving silence and a continual communion with Gawd will eradicate totally awesome imperfections from the soul and make it the possessor of totally awesome virtues.
San Juan de la Cruz
From "A Modest Proposal"
If like we cannot choose our own label and totally have it respected, perhaps the same courtesy should be offered the opposing camp. Like, gag me with a spoon! And as regards the child in the womb, anti-life is totally nothing short of true.
From the review of Soulmaking
I am SO sure! Like, oh my gawd Like, these are unfortunately entirely too infrequent, and each time they occur, the Author choses to explicate them at such length that by the time one totally has finished the phrase "beating a croaked horse" totally has suddenly got a picture to put next to it in the dictionary. . . .
Like, he understands a bitchin' many of the trials like we all face. Like, the problem is totally that he is totally foundationally incapable of sharing that understanding with a person in a gnarly walk of lilfe.
From the Chaos Entry
Floridians all over the state anxiously check the NOAA site on the web to see where Ivan is totally heading. If they check with each update they see amazing swings in the five day forecast. Two days ago, Ivan was like, you know, on a crash-course for Appalachicola Bay; yesterday early morning, he was like, you know, coming straight up the penisula through the everglades; yesterday mid-morning he was like, you know, following a Charley-like course; yesterday evening he was like, you know, back in the gulf Anyway... Sooo, like, this morning he is totally crashing into Tampa/St. Pete and heading north.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 10:26 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
August 24, 2004
Another Legal Blogsite
From Noli Irritare Leones, I found this wonderful site--Balkinization. I don't know how accurate it is (legally) or how profound the analysis--I have no criteria by which to judge. However, I found the two articles analyzing abortion decisions utterly fascinating in their scope and in the analysis of the politics of the Supreme Court.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 10:39 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
August 1, 2004
Interesting Writing Blogs
Small Town Press: Notes from a Writing Coach
Written Road Blog (A blog dedicated to travel writing
An article on Blogs As Writing Practice
And another, extensive list of writing blogs fromBlogit
Posted by Steven Riddle at 5:18 PM | TrackBack
May 20, 2004
The Holy Observer
Headline of the Day: Kerry Vows to Start New, Pro-Choice Catholic Church.
The subhead--New Cabinet Position Would Be Created to Head the Socially Progressive Church.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 12:14 PM | TrackBack
May 6, 2004
Opinions, Anyone?
Does this like it would do anything at all for or against spam?
It might be worth a try--after I figure out what their suggest URL actually DOES.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 9:21 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 10, 2004
Warning! A Particularly Pernicious Spam/Virus
If you get an e-mail that looks like this:
If the message will not displayed automatically,
follow the link to read the delivered message.
Received message is available at:
www.yahoo.com/inbox/xxxxxxxx/read.php?sessionid-xxxxxx
from anyone, do NOT click on the link. I'm sure you're all savvy enough not to do so, but for anyone who hasn't seen this sort of thing, it is particularly vile form of spam/virus delivery.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 10:36 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
March 19, 2004
Guess the Dictator
Father Jim of Dappled Things found this truly remarkable quiz I did defeat it, but now it can figure out Gilgamesh as well as all the other odd people I chose. Enjoy.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 8:23 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
March 9, 2004
A Review of St. Blogs
A very fine, it seems quite fair analysis of the St. Blogs community. (via Sursum Corda) While the person writing seems to intimate that traditionalism is largely a "negative response" to a perceived problem, much of what she has to say about the community is both fair and clear-sighted. It's refreshing to have an outside viewpoint. And equally refreshing is to find someone who ventured so far and wide within the community. She doesn't refer to everyone by name, but it is evident that she has seen a fair share of what we do here, and perhaps we would do well to consider her point about St. Blogs as evangelism.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 5:31 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
March 1, 2004
An Interesting Set of Resources
Can be found at Father Francis Peffley's Web Site
. Recommended.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 11:41 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 26, 2004
Marie Ely--A Tribute from Her Son
I received an invitation to review a site of poetry, some sacred, some secular, much of it very nice. What is nicer yet is that a son should have such deep and abiding love for his mother that after all these years he would wish to make her work known to all. If you wish to honor such dedication, please stop by Tribute to Marie Ely.
(Warning, the server for this site is a bit poky, so be ready to give it some time. I think you'll find it worth it.) A short excerpt from one of the poems follows.
In the Likeness of Our Lord
The hallowed saints whom we revere
Are of the past - - their lives and actions have
Been probed until the Church is without doubt
That they are worthy of this honored name.
But once they were as we - - with doubts and fears,
Temptations, struggles, triumph over sin.
'Twas with the grace of God they built their lives
A[n]d fashioned them to honor God alone.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 9:16 AM | TrackBack
January 30, 2004
Presidential Selector Surprises
From Pax Nortona a link to this Presidential Candidate Selector. Try it. You may be surprised as I was. Do note, however, that my top rated real candidate didn't just barely broke 50%. Indicative I think of my ambivalence. Also indicative of the fact that for the most part I don't think presidential candidates should be beholden from the start to any special interest groups. (See the latter half of the quiz.)
1. Your ideal theoretical candidate. (100%)Click here for info
2. Kucinich, Rep. Dennis, OH - Democrat (56%)Click here for info
3. Bush, President George W. - Republican (52%)Click here for info
4. Sharpton, Reverend Al - Democrat (46%)Click here for info
5. Kerry, Senator John, MA - Democrat (46%)Click here for info
6. Lieberman, Senator Joe, CT - Democrat (39%)Click here for info
7. Dean, Gov. Howard, VT - Democrat (38%)Click here for info
8. Libertarian Candidate (38%)Click here for info
9. Edwards, Senator John, NC - Democrat (36%)Click here for info
10. Clark, Retired General Wesley K., AR - Democrat (34%)Click here for info
11. Phillips, Howard - Constitution (18%)Click here for info
Posted by Steven Riddle at 9:20 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
January 7, 2004
Monochrome Me
Thank to Joel of Pax Nortona a monochrome self portrait (of me--not him!). Thanks to Mr Picassohead.
I especially like the Yves-Tanguy limbo-space in which to construct one's portrait.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 6:14 AM | TrackBack
June 11, 2003
Warning! Do Not Attempt This at Home
One of the joys of stats is that one can see who visits from whence. And occasionally that leads to a very interesting link. I have no idea how one gets to my page from the one that follows--but if you've ever wanted to create your own 1 atmosphere plasmoid and destroy your microwave, kitchen, and perhaps entire house in the process--here's the link for you. This is actually quite cool, and the page writer provides a real-media file to view the results for those disinclined to experimenting themselves.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 10:29 AM