Worth a Thousand Words

An Oddment by Duane Keiser
What's an oddment? Click through and find out.

Blog Awards Time Rolls Round Again

I tend to focus more on the Catholic Blog Awards because, let's face it, Catholic blogs are where I live.

However, I see that this year's Weblog Awards have returned Best Religious Blog as a category.

Nominate your choice for Best Religious Blog. This is a return for a category that was dropped last year. Our objection was that most of the nominated bloggers were not primarily religious bloggers, but were usually mostly news and politics bloggers. We'll be watching the nomination pool this year to see if the religious blogger community is larger than it was two years ago.

I know that folks who swing by here know of lots of fantastic bloggers who are primarily religious. Let's go nominate them so that the category will be taken seriously and others can see what a resource is out there should they be interested in reading thoughtful religious commentary.

Also, I like this awards because they have categories that relate to the Technorati authority (size) and so even the smallest bloggers have their own category (Hidden Gem). Here's the overall category listing if you want to venture further afield. I have to say that I can't find movie blogs for a nomination I want to make ... even though they have so much variety that there is even a podcast category (hint, hint) ... that's got to be because I'm not reading carefully enough.

A Fresh New Look for Loyola Press's Website

I heard they were redoing it but ... wow! This really looks great!

Via Not Lukewarm.

A "Champion of Abortion" Becomes Defender of Life

Madrid, Nov 12, 2008 / 09:21 pm (CNA).- Stojan Adasevic, who performed 48,000 abortions, sometimes up to 35 per day, is now the most important pro-life leader in Serbia, after 26 years as the most renowned abortion doctor in the country.

"The medical textbooks of the Communist regime said abortion was simply the removal of a blob of tissue," the newspaper reported. "Ultrasounds allowing the fetus to be seen did not arrive until the 80s, but they did not change his opinion. Nevertheless, he began to have nightmares."

In describing his conversion, Adasevic "dreamed about a beautiful field full of children and young people who were playing and laughing, from 4 to 24 years of age, but who ran away from him in fear. A man dressed in a black and white habit stared at him in silence. The dream was repeated each night and he would wake up in a cold sweat. One night he asked the man in black and white who he was. 'My name is Thomas Aquinas,' the man in his dream responded. Adasevic, educated in communist schools, had never heard of the Dominican genius saint. He didn't recognize the name"

"Why don't you ask me who these children are?" St. Thomas asked Adasevic in his dream.

"They are the ones you killed with your abortions," St. Thomas told him.

Read the whole story which literally gave me chills when I read it. Truly amazing and a real blessing to both Adasevic's soul and the lives of the people he will touch from now on.

Much thanks to Mark Windsor for sending me the link.

There's No Such Thing as a Free Book. Or Is There?

Caite at a lovely shore breeze reviews plenty of books with a discerning eye. She receives review book copies and now takes up the question of whether receiving a review book constitutes an unspoken contract with the publisher.

She covers the myriad attitudes taken by different bloggers and also considers what the publishers expect in return. (She also lists many programs whereby bloggers can seek out review books ... you may want to read it simply for those program names if you blog and are an avid reader.)

I have seen blogs that don't really review but rather just sort of describe a book. I have read bloggers who say, happily, that never write a bad review. I don't 'get' that and it's not my cuppa tea, but if that's what floats your boat, grand.

But I want to be a salesman for books. Good books, exciting books, moving books, books that will change people, or make them scared or make them cry or make them laugh, books that they will remember for years and want others to read. That is my pleasure in a blog.

This is something that I have pondered myself, if not in such depth. My policy is that if I have picked up a book at the library or some such place or have received an unexpected package with review books ... they are fair game. I will give a good or bad review as I feel fit. Admittedly, I give few bad reviews because, like Caite, I usually am more interested in urging people to try books that I, personally, get excited about. Heck, I even began my Forgotten Classics podcast for the specific purpose of pushing my favorite books on others by reading aloud.

I will give the occasional bad review to books I feel it necessary to warn others against. However, many books are mediocre or just not to my taste and I don't bother mentioning them. There are plenty of those.

The only time I will decline to give a bad review, or any review at all, is if it is for a book that I have been specifically asked if I would like to review. I do feel that my agreement of having some interest in the book is an unspoken "contract" to that extent. This is especially true since some of these requests come from authors and I feel that it would be a kick in the teeth to take a book from them and then to trash it publicly. There are several cases where I have contacted an author or publisher's rep in such circumstances, explained my problems with giving any sort of review, and offered to return the book. On the other hand, I don't automatically feel it is necessary to give a glowing review in such circumstances. I always will be honest above all. Y'all know, though, that where I love, I love passionately or not at all. So ... you can take it from there.

Worth a Thousand Words

Mother Superior by Karin Jurick

A Little Useless Information

It is a very sad thing that nowadays there is so little useless information. -- Oscar Wilde

FRANCIS • This has been a common name for men since the 1600s. Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) gets most of the credit for the popularization of the name, but he was actually baptized Giovanni. It was his nickname that would stick--Francesco--coined by his father after he returned from a trip to France. In Late Latin, the word franciscus means "Frenchman."

The Word Origin Calendar

The Onion on International Con Man, Barack Obama

CHICAGO—In a devastating blow to millions of unsuspecting Americans, newly elected president and international con man Barack Obama fled the country Wednesday with nearly $85 million in campaign funds. ...

"If you are reading this, then I have already left your silly country in my private jet, and am right now sipping fine champagne with my lovely associate, a woman you have come to know as 'Michelle.'"

Oh, The Onion, how funny it can be. I found the photos especially humorous. (Comment: humor can be explicit. Use your own discretion.)

UPDATE:
Elizabeth has some hilarious clips from the South Park post election special. Laugh out loud funny!

Christmas Shopping from Monastic and Cottage Businesses

I was going to assemble a post like this ... but I see that The Anchoress is waaay ahead of me (I'm not surprised!). I'm a sucker for fruitcake and mustard which I see among the offerings but I've got to admit I'm very intrigued by this lip balm and the lavendar hand lotion.

I’ve already proclaimed the lip balm made by the Dominican Nuns of Summit, NJ to be the BEST. Lip. Balm. Evah but I have to tell you the more I use their lavender scented hand lotion, the more I love it. The scent is light, the glide is smooth, the ingredients are pure and a little goes a looooong way. I like it as a whole-body lotion, too, not just for the hands. The sisters are getting very creative with their little shoppe, introducing a line of Christmas-themed soaps and pump-action room sprays in delicate scents. I haven’t tried the room sprays, yet - I’m not much of a girl for those things, as a rule, but they sound worth a shot. They also have balm/lotion samplers, soap gift crates and more. As the sisters are engaged in raising money to meet their day-to-day expenses, but they’re trying to make repairs to their growing house of prayer, and so they’re especially grateful for their customers.

I may be doing a lot of shopping from the folks in her post.

These Days Atheists Don't Understand How to Be Atheists

"Our reason for doing it during the holidays is there are an awful lot of agnostics, atheists and other types of non-theists who feel a little alone during the holidays because of its association with traditional religion."

I tell you, although I wish with all my heart that my mother and father would find faith, whining stories like these make me proud of their honest-to-goodness atheism.

They don't mess about pretending to be "left out." In fact, they practice that virtue which many of us wish that some of our religious brethren would take up ... they keep it to themselves, don't proseltyze, and let everyone believe what they wish.

Feel threatened because of "the holidays?" They would laugh at that. As true humanists, they glory in the secular aspects of Christmas and Easter (candy and lamb and some classic movies on tv). To feel threatened is to give power to something that they believe is nonexistant. As for needing an ad campaign to be good people ... they would scoff. We were raised in the good, old-fashioned secular way of being good people. No ad campaign needed for that. Just good values. Believe it or not, nonbelievers have them.

Give me a real atheist any time. They are honest enough with themselves that if the light shines bright enough then they might be honest enough to stop, wonder, and investigate it.

Thanks to The Anchoress for the heads-up on this one.

Thank You to Our Veterans

Although we Americans don't always appear to remember the sacrifice of our veterans, there are people in other countries that clearly do. Recently, my 86 year old father was in the hospital. One of his excellent nurses was from the Philippines. I mentioned to her that my dad had been in the Philippines during World War II. The nurse asked, "During the Japanese Occupation?" I said yes, that he was in the Army Air Corps in the South Pacific and had landed in Manila on the way home. She said, "So, you're one of those guys who liberated us?" ...

A touching commentary to which I add my wholehearted, "Thank you!"

52. It's a Comic Book. No, It's a Graphic Novel! NO, It's an Audio Book!

An audio book in two parts, to be precise.

My review can be found at SFFaudio.

This. Is. A. Gorgeous. Book

The Vatican: Secrets and Treasures of the Holy City

A few weeks ago I received an elaborate mailing piece for this book. I looked through it longingly and then resolutely threw the pieces in the trash. I had no business purchasing a book right now, even if it was a DK Publishing book ... those grown-up picture books that I love so much.

You can easily imagine my delight then when I received an email offering a review copy the next week.

What you may not be able to so easily imagine is just how beautiful this book is. In fact, I took it to my Scripture Study class the night I received it and was afraid I wouldn't get it back. Person after person paged through, lingering over the beautiful photography of the gardens, treasures, and buildings. Each of them asked the price ($35) and then would say, "That's all? But it's such a big book with so much in it..."


Actually, upon checking, I found that DK offers it for a nice discount and Amazon for an even steeper one.

So now that all those preliminaries are out of the way, just what is in this book?

The author is a historian and former Vatican employee who clearly knows his way around the ins and outs of Vatican City. He also knows the Vatican officials well enough to have gotten full cooperation and to be able to display some things that the regular visitor would never see.

Divided into six sections that cover the Church year, history, architecture, daily life, people and treasures, the book goes into much more depth than one would expect. True, many of the 320 pages feature the stunning photography that is DK's trademark. However, the history section has a succinct yet thorough overview of popes and their accomplishments than I expected. In fact, it is nice to see one that handles the basics so well without getting bogged down in the details. Admittedly I tend to read some very indepth books.


I think that my favorite section features people and their jobs. We see at work those famous Swiss Guards (and their training), the ceremonies assistant, the mosaic restorer, the papal photographer, and even what extensive practice that one must have to sing in the choir. All these have multiple photos and captions that put us in place with them.

However, I also enjoyed the architecture section more than I thought I would. Let's face it. It is unlikely that I will ever go to Rome, much less the Vatican. This book puts me there where so much that is integral to the Catholic faith takes place and has taken place for hundreds and hundreds of years.

This is well worth the price and would make a wonderful special Christmas gift for someone. Highly recommended.

To see more inside spreads, visit DK.com

Worth a Thousand Words

Macrocercus ararauna
Blue and yellow maccaw
by Edward Lear

(yes, that Edward Lear ...
read all about it at Bibliodyssey as well as see more of these gorgeous drawings)

Just Because It's Been Kinda Serious Around Here Lately, I Present ... The Hamburger Dress

Via Serious Eats. Is this great or what?

I Won! I Won!

I never win things. If you want to win something have Tom enter for it. He wins a disproportionate amount of the time.

But that streak is now broken. Here's the review of A Thousand Veils that inspired me to enter in the first place. It sounds like a fascinating book.

NaPraGoMo 2 (National Pray to God Month 2)

Why are we here at this blog? ...Or why are we here, period? Believe it or not, this post answers both questions.

Many of you may be familiar with NaNoWriMo, the month where everyone who bears a novel within buckles down and writes it out. As a twist on that fine idea, this is also a perfect month to gets one's prayer life jump-started, improved, deepened, etc. Hence "NaPraGoMo" (National Pray To God Month).

Prayer is the best of habits; it truly does change the way you see things. In stopping and lifting your mind and heart to God, you are giving God permission to act in you (God doesn't need permission, but He wants to be invited). Prayer also tells you in indelible ways who God is and who you were created to be. This website is a simple invitation to pray 15 minutes more than you usually do every day.

I will post a prompt (a prayer, a reflection, a picture, etc.) everyday. These will be more the greater lights of the Christian tradition and Scripture; that is, not me! As I am Catholic, some of these pieces may be rooted particularly in Catholic tradition, but my hope is that all Christians would find this a very welcoming place to be for the month. We share a love for the one, true God. I hope this website could lead people to become more accostumed with taking their concerns to God, and learn to listen a bit better and more often.

A fantastic idea ... which I'm late mentioning, naturally ... but don't let that stop you. Go check it out!

Cardinal Francis George - No Holds Barred on Abortion in Speech

Cardinal George from Chicago laid it on the line when opening the USCCB's meeting this morning. Per John Allen:

Cardinal Francis George, speaking this morning as president of the U.S. bishops’ conference, said all Americans should “rejoice” that a country which once tolerated slavery has elected an African-American as president – and, in the same breath, he issued a blunt challenge to the new administration on abortion.

“If the Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision, that African Americans were other people’s property and somehow less than persons, were still settled constitutional law, Mr. Obama would not be President of the United States,” George said.

"Today, as was the case a hundred and fifty years ago, common ground cannot be found by destroying the common good," he said.

“The common good can never be adequately incarnated in any society when those waiting to be born can be legally killed at choice,” George said, drawing sustained applause from the bishops.

George said that while efforts to end racism and to promote economic justice are “pillars” of Catholic teaching, so too is opposition to abortion. His address drew a standing ovation from the bishops.

I love that guy!

Read all of John Allen's report here. Whispers in the Loggia has the full text of the speech.

Denying Humanity Through Language

... Yet I noticed that when I became pregnant with my first child, I wasn't terrified of losing the "fetus" to miscarriage; I was terrified of losing the baby. When I was 10 weeks pregnant I didn't buy a handheld Doppler so that I could lie in bed and listen to the "clump of tissue"'s heartbeat; I was listening to my child's heartbeat.

When my doctor first told me that I was pregnant, I remember her asking me what vitamins I was taking. I told her about a brand I liked from Whole Foods, and she cut me off in mid-sentence to give me a stern lecture. It was my responsibility to look out for this little person, she told me, and proceeded to inform me of all the amazing development my baby was going through right now. She gave me a prescription for superior vitamins and rattled off a list of dietary changes I needed to make to nourish my baby.

Less than a year later an acquaintance went to this same doctor with a surprise pregnancy that she did not want. The doctor assured her that the procedure for expelling the "fetus" was a simple one and scheduled her for an abortion. This woman was at the same stage of pregnancy as I had been at that first visit, but the word "baby" was not used at her appointment. I was offered an ultrasound to see my new child with my own eyes; she was not. ...

Jen from Conversion Diary has more to jolt us into thinking about what we choose to overlook and downgrade in her piece, Abortion and Holocaust Comparisons.

Worth a Thousand Words

Stuck taken by Hey Jules at Late to Life