Thursday, December 30, 2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
I Don't Have to Dream Today
...because I have a White Christmas! It's amazing and beautiful. Some of you may wonder why I'm so excited, but I don't remember having a real White Christmas before. A few with dustings of snow, but there's about 3 inches on the ground.
I'm at my brother's house in Athens, Alabama, which is about 15 miles south of the Tennessee border.
i didn't listen to the weather, and had no idea there was a chance of snow. My sister-in-law came into the den where I was reading and asked if I had looked outside, then drew back the curtains onto that beautiful scene. The snow was still falling then. It has stopped now, and melting rapidly, but for a few hours I've felt touched by Grace.... and literally, since the household here includes a cuddly dog named Grace. :-)
Merry Christmas, or whatever holiday you celebrate. May you and yours be blessed in the coming year.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Druids Celebrate the Winter Solstice at Stonehenge
...as they do every year. Story has a photo slideshow and video.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
9/11 First Responders Bill Passes Senate
Hooray! It is a bit watered down, but still a great thing to help out the 9/11 first responders who have gotten ill since then.
Happy Sundog! - Loldogs, Dogs 'n' Puppy Dog Pictures - I Has A Hotdog!
2 reasons -
(1) It's a Corgi - Hi, Mark!
(2) What a terrific expression of joy!
Paul Krugman on Government Employment
Seasonal Fun: Booklover's Carols
Part three, links at the bottom to parts one and two. Christmas carols rewritten by a mystery author.
For Parents: Best Websites for Kids
... from the American Library Associations Division the Association for Library Services to Children. List is updated every year.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Happy Solstice!
May all of you experience love and light as the Sun returns. Ring out, Solstice bells!
Humor: Google Classic
In an alternate timeline, perhaps. Reminds me of a popular saying for t-shirts, mugs, etc. marketed to librarians: Librarians, the Original Search Engine.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Jon Stewart's Outrage over Congressional Failure to Pass Relief for 9/11 Responders
As happy as I am over the DADT repeal, the failure of the bill to give releif to 9/11 responders is outrageous. Jon Stewart does a great job of covering it, including that the major news outlets gave it no coverage at all.
Celebrations of the Winter Solstice
Ok, so it's New York Times day. Just a lot of fascinating stuff, like this article on how the Winter Solstice is celebrated across the world.
Longfellow and Paul Revere's Ride
I love articles like this, that restore the context of a particular literary work. Never knew before that Longfellow was an abolitionist, and that the poem was written at a time of the greatest danger to the nation.
Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) Repealed
Huzzah and hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Yeah, I know I'm a little late on this, but didn't do news over the weekend).
Friday, December 17, 2010
Myths about the Old South
The biggest of which is that other causes were as important in secession as slavery.
Have I mentioned how much I hate the Old South, and particularly those who romanticize it? I do, and I think all the more virulently for being a native Southerner.
United States of AutoComplete
Amusing map of what Google's autocomplete comes up with when typing in a state name. I'm happy that for Georgia it is Georgia Tech.
Great Cartoons: Five Sci-Fi Children's Books
Very amusing! Since I've been watching a lot of Dr. Who lately, that one has to be my favorite for now.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Mashable: Top Ten Movies for the Modern Tech Geek
List focuses on film technology as well as the subject matter.
Bizarre Blashphemy
Blasphemy charges are always absurd, IMHO, though absurd may not be the right word when people are given the death penalty for it. But the case Ed Brayton mentions is definitely bizarre.
GO to Your ROOM! … NOW! - Daily Squee - Cute Baby Animals
A friend bought for me several pairs of holiday earrings, including a couple with penguins. So, all, I have to say is HAVE A VERY LINUX CHRISTMAS!
Why is a Raven Like a Writing Desk?
I thought that sounded familiar, and this post has more information than you want to know about it.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Jane Austen and Social Media
Interesting article on young people and their liking for Jane Austen. Especially noteworthy is Austenbook.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Glenn Greenwald on Wikileaks
I'm not really sure how I feel about Wikileaks, but what I'm pretty sure of is that the story is not, for the most part, being covered honestly and fully in the media. Greenwald thus provides a needed corrective and he has been intensively covering the story.
Humor site: Smugopedia
"Smugopedia is a collection of slightly controversial opinions about a variety of subjects. We offer you the chance to buy a fleeting sense of self-satisfaction at the small cost of alienating your friends and loved ones."
Xbox Kinect
Wow! I usually don't advertise products, but had no idea this kind of computing was possible now:
Up From Homophobia
Ed Brayton excerpts from a narrative of someone who was anti-gay and grew out of it, and says this is a common experience. It was for me as well. I don't think I was ever strongly anti-gay, but didn't think it "natural". One of my two best friends in high school came out to me as gay while I was in college and that started my path to acceptance.
Win Prizes from Wolfram/Alpha with Fun Facts
See here for contest information. Can win a copy of Mathematica, an iPad, etc.
Archaeology Goes 3D!
This looks really interesting. I've loved archaelology since I was a little girl and knew an archaeologist who was willing to show me things he did.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Library of Congress and Wikileaks
I pretty much agree with Sarah Houghton-Jan on this one. The Library of Congress is out-of-line. I don't know enough about the legalities of the situation, though.
More Gifts for the Geek
Another (short) list of gadgets for the geek. Some good information on ebook readers, in particular.
Facts on the New START Treaty
from Ed Brayton. Much of the older Republican establishment who have been involved in foreign policy fully support the treaty.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Rosa Parks Ride
I'm a little late in posting this. The 55th anniversary of Rosa Park's ride was Dec. 1st. This post gives some interesting background that one doesn't see that often. She mentions that Mrs. Parks was part of a group that had been trained in passive resistance and had visited the Highlander Folk School, where a number of people worked on ideas for improving the civil rights situation of blacks. Highlander was run by Myles Horton, a labor organizer for many years and a fascinating person in his own right. I read his autobiography, The Long Haul.
Rosa Parks is a hero, and I celebrate her memory.
Interesting Post: Gender Bias, Sexism, and the Science Cheerleaders
An interesting post that links to another interesting post. Makes good points about discrimination and how hard it is to get around the way society ingrains it into us.
Test Your Political IQ
A Pew Research Poll. I got 12 of 12 correct, which is better than 99% of responders. I strongly believe an informed citizenry is the backbone of democracy.
Monday, December 6, 2010
James Madison on the Concept of Property
Ed Brayton has an interesting quote from Madison in which he includes as property civil rights. .
Facts about Federal Worker Salaries
FactCheck.org has done a detailed analysis of the facts over whether federal government workers are overpaid or underpaid, and find that both sides of the debate distort the facts.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Random Hacks of Kindness
...is a global contest to create code for products useful in helping responders to natural disasters. Terrific idea!
A.O. Scott on Leslie Neilsen
I enjoyed Leslie Neilsen quite a lot in both his serious roles (especially Forbidden Planet) and his humorous roles. Scott captures his abilities nicely.
Both Sides Are Not Equal
This article by the columnist Wayne Besen points out once again an issue that has concerned me for a long time: in the media's zeal to present "both sides of an issue" they often present information that is not credible, but fail to point that out.
2 on the Holidays for Parents
Both from Neat New Stuff:
20 Safety Tips for Decorating with Toddlers and Babies
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2357292/20_
safety_tips_for_christmas_decorating.html
Tips on decorating while protecting your children from the trouble their natural curiosity can get them into. You'll be surprised at how dangerous some harmless-looking decorations can be.
Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2010 - New York Times
http://events.nytimes.com/gift-guide/holiday-2010/best-
illustrated-childrens-books-2010/list.html?ref=books
Great children's books are wonderful gifts, because when they strike a chord, the child will read them over and over. See also Publishers' Weekly's Best Children's Books of 2010,
<http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/
childrens-book-news/article/45090-pw-s-best-children-s-books-2010.html>
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Superb Counterprotest Against Racists
...is detailed in this post from Ed Brayton. Laughter is the best medicine and sometimes a great weapon.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Quote of the Day: Me!
"If upholding your religion means lying about a lot of things, maybe it isn't a religion worth upholding." Me, in personal correspondence, 11/29/2010.
And yes, fundamentalist Christians, I mean you. It came up in the context of lies Michele Bachmann tells, and I brought up the lies told by intelligent design proponents in the Dover, Pennsylvania ID trial.
Ed Brayton: Social Conservatives Getting Stronger in the Tea Party
Many libertarians, and there is a strong Libertarian element in the Tea Party, focus on ecnomic issues and are for few restrictions on individual liberty. They may be in the process of getting muscled out of the Tea Party by the religious right social conservatives.
Mother Jones: 8 Electric Car Myths Busted
Nice article including a comparison table of the Honda Civic (conventional), the Toyota Prius, the Chevy Volt, and the Nissan Leaf. The article first examines myths about electric vehicles, including that it will bust the electric grid.
More on GOP Congressmen and Their Anti-Climate Change Viewpoint
These are not the Congress people we need in a time when climate change is getting perceptibly worse.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
More Heroes
In my post on heroes I forgot to mention great humanitarians like Albert Schweitzer, Mother Theresa, and more recently Greg Mortenson and Paul Farmer.
Book Review: My Dream of Stars
| Title | My Dream of Stars: From Daughter of Iran to Space Pioneer |
| Author Hickam, Homer | Anousheh Ansari |
| Rating |   |
| Tags | non-fiction, memoirs, autobiography, iran, women, astronauts, business women, x prize |
| What a wonderfully inspiring story! Anousheh Ansari was born and grew up in Iran. She loved the sight of the stars as far back as she can remember. Life in Iran was difficult, particularly after her father left, and during the Iran-Iraq war. She came to the U.S. in the eighties and finished high school here. She had some thoughts of becoming an astrophysicist, but ultimately decided on electrical engineering. She found the love of her life, Hamid Ansari, and they went into business together, building it from nothing to an important company. When they sold the business they became sponsors of the X Prize, for the first commercial launch of two trips into space within two weeks. Doing so she made the contacts that enabled her to be a space entrepreneur, train with the Russian space program and make a week long trip to the International Space Station. Ansari is quite a woman. She combines vision with practicality and persistance, which allowed her to get degrees in a field not always friendly to women, develop the skills to manage a successful business, yet never give up on her dream. I really like that though she had the self-confidence to do all these things, she was always mindful of those people in her life who helped her and shaped her, and she gives them credit.Give this book to every adolescent. It may help them find and realize their own dreams.
| |
| Author – Hickam, Homer | |
| Publication | Palgrave Macmillan (2010), Edition: 1, Hardcover, 256 pages |
| Publication date | 2010 |
| ISBN | 0230619932 / 9780230619937 |
Heroes
Watched today bonus materials from the miniseries From the Earth to the Moon, and even these were inspiring and thrilling. Made me meditate on heroes and heroism. What is a hero? To me, it is someone who inspires, who makes me believe I can be a better person, that we all can be. It requires, I think, a persistance of vision, a willingness to endure hardship, an ability to share the vision with others. It does not require a person to be wealthy or powerful, and indeed those things may be handicaps.
Who are your heroes? I have, literally, more than I can name. Right now, after watching From the Earth to the Moon, it is once again astronauts, as it was when I was a child. But not only the astronauts, It was mentioned in the miniseries that 400,000 people were involved in the space program. Only 24 of those went to the moon, only 12 of those walked on it. Those who worked hard to make it happen were heroes too, who worked for a dream whose ultimate expression they could only experience vicariously.
I've also read a number of books on the Civil Rights movement, and it was also a story of too many heroes to name. Mastin Luther King, of course, who was the movement's prophet, but so many others who came before and after. Fanny Lou Hamer is one of my favorites, a sharecropper, virtually illiterate, who endured beatings and more to help create equality for her people. My Congressman, John Lewis, is another, and I recommend his memoirs of the movement, Walking with the Wind. Other great books include Taylor Branch's trilogy and David Halberstam's The Children.
In religion, my heroes are Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, the Dalai Lama, and Desmond Tutu. For women, there are the suffragettes. Another woman hero of mine was Margaret Sanger who fought for the right to use birth control, and to educate about it, after being a nurse and watching too many women die, and too many condemned to poverty, from having too many children.
There are a lot more. In science they include Galileo, Darwin, and Einstein. In the arts, so many whose writing and art contribute to making life worth living. In politics, the Founding Gathers of the U.S. and Nelson Mandela.
What about you? Who are your heroes? What does thinking about the make you feel, or what dreams do they inspire in you?
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Doctor Who and Craig Ferguson
Two of my favorite things that went well together. Last night's Late Late Show was all about Doctor Who, including having Matt Smith, the newest Doctor, as a guest. I haven't seen any of the Matt Smiths yet since I don't get BBC America, but he showed a great sense of humor as a guest. Maybe I'll forgive him for taking David Tennant's place.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Operation Circle Care Sending Yule Packages to Pagan Soldiers
To all the Pagans among you: Operation Circle Care sounds like a great charity to support, sending care packages of books, calendars, magazines, music CDs, and more to U.S. soldiers deployed overseas who are Pagan. I can imagine these things are difficult for the soldiers to get hold of.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Book Review: Stork Raving Mad
| Title | Stork Raving Mad (Meg Langslow Mysteries) |
| Author | Donna Andrews |
| Rating |  |
| Tags | mystery, series, meg langslow, humor, pregnancy, twins |
| This is the twelth in Andrews' series about Meg Langslow, blacksmith by trade, married to actor/drama professor Michael. The enormous old house Meg and Michael bought and are fixing up is as full as it can hold, as it is housing a lot of students from Caerphilly College whose heating plant is not working. Meg is 8 1/2 months pregnant with twins, so not getting around that much, but there's always people around to help her out. The head of the English department comes to tell one of the drama grad students that his dissertation proposal has been rejected along with another professor who is part of the administration. Dr. Wright, the English chair, is alone in the library while waiting for a meeting with the student and his advisers. Meg finds her dead, and with about 50 people in the house, including a Spanish playwright, there is no lack of suspects.Donna Andrews writes interesting characters and usually hilarious stories. This volume was not as laugh-out-loud funny to me - though maybe I'm just getting too used to her style. But the story is as well-plotted as ever. If you haven't read any of this series yet, run, don't walk, to get hold of it. | |
| Publication | Minotaur Books (no date), Edition: First Edition, Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages |
| Publication date | no date |
| ISBN | 0312533683 / 9780312533687 |
Daniel Radcliffe Does Tom Lehrer's The Elements
...and considers Lehrer great! If you don't know Tom Lehrer, he was a mathematician who did some of the funniest satirical music ever. Thanks to Mark for the tip.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Book Review: Fire Raiser
| Title | Fire Raiser |
| Author | Melanie Rawn |
| Rating | |
| Tags | fantasy, series, witchcraft, holly lachlan, gay fiction, human trafficking |
| This is the first book I've read by Melanie Rawn, and it will not be the last. I bought it not knowing it was the second in a series, so I'm particularly anxious to read the first one, Spellbinder.Holly McClure is a novelist, married to Sheriff Evan Lachlan. She hasn't been writing much since her twins were born a couple of years ago. They live in Pocahontas County, Virginia, which has more witches per capita than anywhere else. Holly isn't one of the more powerful witches - her power is that of binding and making more powerful other witches' spells. Her cousin Cam comes home after spending a lot of time abroad as a constitutional lawyer helping newly-formed countries write their constitutions. He sees again Jamey Stirling, now the DA in PoCo. Cam and Jamey had been in love in law school but Cam was unable at the time to accept living a life as openly gay.Evan and the family must attend a campaign event at the Westmorland Inn, a place that leaves the witches feeling twitchy. They are about to discover why.Rawn gets inside her characters' heads and presents them to us better than any writer I know except maybe Jane Haddam. The only thing to dislike in this book was that it meandered a while before getting to the plot. Overall, however, excellent, and a new author whose books I'll happily read. | |
| Publication | Tor Fantasy (2010), Edition: First Edition, Mass Market Paperback, 400 pages |
| Publication date | 2010 |
| ISBN | 0765354373 / 9780765354372 |
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Book Review: Jane and the Madness of Lord Byron
| Title | Jane and the Madness of Lord Byron: Being A Jane Austen Mystery |
| Author | Stephanie Barron |
| Rating | |
| Tags | mystery, series, jane austen, byron, brighton |
| This is the tenth volume in Barron's series with Jane Austen as the narrator and sleuth. Jane's brother Henry has just lost his beloved wife Eliza. Jane suggests he visit one of the coastal towns as a balm to blunt the edge of his grief. He decides to go to Brighton if Jane will go with him. She had thought one of the quieter towns like Lyme, but sees that Brighton, made fashionable by the Prince Regent, would better suit Henry's disposition. On the way to Brighton, they find a young lady bound and gagged in a carriage who has been abducted by George Gordon, Lord Byron. They rescue her and return her to her unpleasant father, and Jane gets to know the girl somewhat better in Brighton. So when the girl's body is found sewn into a sail from Byron's boat and dumped into Byron's bed, she feels compelled to find the killer. Is it Byron, so prone to passion? Is it Lady Caroline Lamb, whose passion for Byron is more inflamed the more he spurns her?This book is one of the best in a good series. In a sense, it does a violence to history, as the real Jane Austen would have never, could have never, been involved in such things. Yet it works because the reader believes that the author has captured the essence of Austen's character. She makes one understand Byron's magnetism, even though one feels Austen and Byron did not have much in common and would not have liked each other. Caro Lamb also comes to life, a creature about whom the term "drama queen" might have been invented. Highly recommended. | |
| Publication | Bantam (2010), Paperback, 352 pages |
| Publication date | 2010 |
| ISBN | 0553386700 / 9780553386707 |
Book Review: Hamlet's Blackberry
| Title | Hamlet's BlackBerry: A Practical Philosophy for Building a Good Life in the Digital Age |
| Author | William Powers |
| Rating | |
| Tags | non-fiction, technology, philosophy, thought, internet |
| I started this book rather in the mood of a sullen child told to put away her toys, for that is to some degree the message of the author. His thesis is that our now current state of constant connectedness via computer and mobile phones leads to shallowness of thought, an inability to focus and concentrate. The author gradually won me over by his arguments, however, as it is a sensible argument hard to refute. I especially enjoy the last half of the book where he discusses seven philosophers or technologists who have wrestled with the problem of a world too much with us and how to provide one's self with time free of distraction and able to ..."strike a healthy balance between connected and disconnected, crowd and self, the outward life and the inward one". (p. 210) Powers also talks about the experience of his own family in going disconnected on the weekends and how it has deepened what they do together. He is concerned that we be aware of the need for balance now, before the habit of times devoted to such balance is lost. A book worth reading. | |
| Publication | Harper (2010), Edition: 1, Hardcover, 288 pages |
| Publication date | 2010 |
| ISBN | 0061687162 / 9780061687167 |
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Pulp Science Fiction Magazine Cover of the Day
View them and subscribe to the feed at http://pulparchive.com/.
Great Quote of the Day: the Battle for the American Mind
Thanks to Ed Brayton for the post:
"For everything that's happened in the past two years, "The Daily Show" is how we cope," said one of the tea bags, a 40-year-old from Anchorage named S.J. Klein. "The battle for the American mind right now is between talk show hosts and comedians," said Alex Foxworthy, a 26-year-old doctoral student from Richmond, Va. "I choose the comedians."
Me too.
Copyright Resources
Internet Public Library has a nice post on the web and copyright. Very timely given the recent Cooks Source brouhaha.
Mysterious Book
Fascinating... a book written in an unknown language, possibly in the first half of the fifteenth century, with images of herbs and zodiac signs. Given the language, including alphabet, is unknown, I wonder if the author was J.R.R. Tolkien in a previous life. ;-).
Climate Scientists Plan Educational Campaign
One of the most worrying aspects of the recent election is that so many of the conservatives elected are climate change deniers. If you have children, global warming should be the number one issue concerning you, IMHO. The U.S. must make changes to improve the problem which will be very difficult with the conservatives in office. So the climate scientists are planning an educational campaign on the issue.
Another Great Anti-Westboro Baptist Church Rally
...by the citizens of a town called Weston, Missouri. They heard that Fred Phelps and his group were going to protest at the funeral of soldier from the town. In a town of only 2000, a very large proportion showed up early, took all the parking spots near the funeral site, and surrounded the family with patriotic music and flags. They did not interfere in any way with the free speech rights of WBC, just exercised their own. Brilliant!
Beautiful Digital Book
....called The Grammar of Ornament. Published in the late 1800s and early 1900s, this is a massive book about design and ornamentation. Some truly beautiful plates in the book, which has now been digitised. This is going on my list of stress revliever sites, along with lolcats.
Monday, November 8, 2010
MIT Suit May Help Astronauts With Bone Loss in Weightless Environments
A friend mentioned this to me the other night, and here's the CNN article on it.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
From the Earth to the Moon Miniseries
I've just finished seeing all 12 episodes of this miniseries produced in the 1990s. It is the story of humanity's greatest adventure, told beautifully. Each episode is a great story on its own, each with its own theme and mood. Episodes 5 and 10 should be shown in grade schools to teach kids about engineering and science - episode 5 is about the engineers at Grumman who designed and built the lunar module. Episode 10 is about teaching the astonauts geology, so they could recognize the rocks that would best tell the story of the Moon, the Earth, and the solar system. Episode 11 tells the story of the astronaut's wives, and the toll of absent husbands risking, and sometimes losing, their lives.
The acting is superb. Not movie stars, for the most part, but actors one sees in lots of roles, always excellent at their craft. Dave Foley did a lovely job at one of the lighter roles, astronaut Alan Bean. Tim Daly had one of the meatier roles as Jim Lovell, while Ted Levine, a favorite of mine, was wonderful as Alan Shepard. Stephen Root as Chris Kraft and Lane Smith as fictional journalist Emmett Seaborn were terrific as well as so many others.
One of the characters quoted something similar to Yeats' "Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire." This story lights fires of the mind and the soul, which is to me the definition of inspiration. Teech this to children and maybe they can create a world in which humans are on fire with invention and creativity. That soldiers give their lives for ideals is admirable, but what a wast of lives and resources war is. As a species, we can do better, and have. When the tale of humanity is told, it won't be the soldiers who will most be rememberd. It will be the Shakespeares and the Van Goghs, the Socrates and Einsteins and Darwins... those who lit the fires of knowledge and creativity.
Thank you, Tom Hanks. You done good.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Librarian Hobbies
Well, I seem to be a typical librarian, as 3 of the 4 most popular hobbies are ones I enjoy.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Stewart/Colbert Rally and Social Media
Some interesting stats about how interested people were in the rally. Haven't seen comparable stats for other events, don't know how this rates.
Republicans Like that River in Egypt
This article points out some problems the Republicans are causing. In the short term, in my opinion, their economic policies are wrong and will make the job situation worse. In the long term, I'm most concerned about their denial of climate change and the lack of will to do anything about it. We're killing the planet and they stand in the way of changing that.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Part Duck, Part Beaver, ALL CUTE! - Daily Squee - Cute Baby Animals
Ah, platypi... So odd looking.
My friend Mark and I have a religious joke about them... Seems the Goddess got drunk one night. She woke up the next morning, looked at the platypus, and said, "I did WHAT!"
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Obama Adds Video to the It Gets Better Project
I'm so glad, It is a good video, though the ACLU blog post also points to other concrete steps Obama can take to help.
50 Most Hated Characters in Literary History
Fun list. I find it interesting in that it contains a lot of characters that are loved by some, hated by others. I've always loved Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre for example, but he did some not nice things. Similarly, it includes a lot of the "Mary Sue" type characters - characters that you can tell are idealized versions of the author and that can do no wrong. Anita Blake is on the list and this is one I wholeheartedly agree with.
David Barton's Distortions on U.S. History
This post points out just a few of the lies and distoritions Barton promulgates.
If Jesus Were a Candidate for Office
Brilliant. I've said for years that if Jesus came back today the first to persecute him would be the Moral Majority types.
NPR Librarian Writes a Book
She's been asked to find some rather obscure information, and tells all.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Science Tarot Deck
Now here's a marriage of two different worlds I never expected to see... a tarot deck where each card represents a science concept. Here's a link to the website for the deck
John Corvino: Why "Love the Sinner" Rings Hollow
Excellent post that explains why Christians saying they hate the sin but love the sinner isn't helpful. First of all - GAY KIDS ARE DYING.
Great quote:
"But it doesn’t follow that every moment is an appropriate time to do so. It doesn’t follow that every conversation about homosexuality is an opportunity to showcase your theological position on marriage (as opposed to, say, your theological position on the dignity of all persons).
If Christians would spend even half as much time denouncing anti-gay violence as they do denouncing gay marriage, I might have more sympathy for Savage’s letter-writer. But the denunciations of violence are usually tepid, and they’re too often followed by a “BUT.” BUT we want to make it clear that we still think gay sex is wrong. BUT marriage is for a man and a woman. BUT we Christians are persecuted too, you know.
Even if one accepts the premises, such responses exhibit skewed priorities. They’re akin to saying that you are really concerned about feeding the starving, but first you want to make sure that they’re not going to burp at the dinner table."
Glenn Greenwald on NPR's Firing of Juan Williams
He brings up some excellent points on a contentious subject. Worth reading all the way through.
Five Books
Five Books is an impressive site with a simple idea...ask an expert in a subject to talk about five books most important on a topic. It is like hearing a mini-lecture that helps a layperson understand a topic while recommending books to get a more detailed picture. Kind of perfect for a librarian. ;-). Here, for an example, is the Five Books page on obstacles to political reform in China.
NY Times on Great Lines from Movies
Not so many memorable ones recently, apparently. Here's a Wikipedia article on the American Film Institute's list of top 100 movie quotes.
Great Ties
I'm happy I don't have to wear them, but if you do, here are some creative examples from Stephen Abram.