Monday, January 17, 2011

This Amuses Us: "Don't Let Them Tell You Less is More."

I'm not sure how we got there, conversationally, but recently we were all sitting around talking about movies while Tom supplied trivia by looking up imdb info (worst website redesign ever, by the way).

At one point we wound up talking about director/writer Stephen Sommers. The Mummy was his first and best movie (which we all enjoyed quite a bit, actually) but it's been all downhill from there, sliding eventually into his most recent release, GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

As Rose regaled us with the many laughable extremes found in GI Joe, Tom came upon two pieces of trivia that not only illustrated the point but that could stand on their own. In fact, they have now become standard catch phrases in the HC home.

1 - this personal quote
"Don't let them tell you less is more. More is more."

2 - Industrial Light & Magic's Stephen Sommers Scale, jokingly created to measure the extent of digital effects used in a given movie scene. The four parts of the scale, from lowest to highest, are:
  1. What The Shot Needs
  2. What The Computers Can Handle
  3. Oh My God, The Computers Are About To Crash
  4. What Stephen Wants

I knew those Sunday Mass readings sounded familiar

I am this week's lector for the Verbum Domini podcast, where you may hear daily readings from the Roman Catholic Liturgical calendar.

I recorded the readings several weeks ago and, although I knew they were posted recently, I had completely forgotten about it until listening to the Mass readings yesterday.

If you are interested in listening, they can be found on iTunes or you may download episodes at Verbum Domini by clicking on the "pod" button next to each day's headline.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Something I Like: RetroPets Art


Hannah was at a vet's pet event and picked up this poster for a dachshund loving pal. We were so taken by it that I investigated the RetroPets website and found a wealth of charming art, done by an artist who clearly understands the underlying characteristics for dog breeds. And cats. She also understands cats.

Anyone I knew who had a favorite breed (or who loves cats) got one of these posters. They are a standard size so it is easy to get a frame and ... voila! A delightful personalized gift. I must have given out at least ten of these. Every recipient was thrilled because the essence of their favorites was captured so well. As these few samples below will show. Be sure to check out the site.



Thursday, January 13, 2011

2010 Top Discoveries: Blogs

At last I have the time to return to these lists and share my favorite discoveries of last year. Today we look at blogs and these cover a variety of things. Enjoy!
  • Dust & Corruption
    Books and music, but mostly books of a Victorian horror sort.

  • A Life of Life
    Begin with the first post on March first and trace journey of life itself beginning with a trip from the sun. Sadly, this blog hasn't completed its mission, pausing on July 31 and not resuming thereafter. I hope it does resume eventually, however, your time will not be wasted by reading the almost daily short posts there.

  • Shelf Love
    A wide variety of books, well reviewed, with a large percentage that I find interesting enough to consider reading (a rarity!).

  •  Ten Thousand Places
    Margaret shares the ten thousand places she finds Christ, from poetry to photographs to quotes to links to books. A lovely place to dip into every day.

  • Hand Me Down Heaven
    Julie Cragon runs a Catholic book and church supply store with her family. I like her short thoughts on those she encounters there as well as her meditations on saints of the day which she anchors in her daily experiences.

  • Shirt of Flame
    Author Heather King calls herself "an ex-lawyer, ex-drunk Catholic convert with three memoirs: Parched (the dark years); Redeemed (crawling toward the light); and Shirt of Flame (forthcoming) (my year of wandering around Koreatown, L.A. "with" St. Therese of Lisieux, a cloistered 19th-c. French nun)." I haven't read any of her books yet but Redeemed has been recommended to me many times and I can see why from reading her meditations at her blog.

  • I Have to Sit Down
    Simcha Fisher writes honestly about her life. She's a mother of eight. She's a writer. She's Roman Catholic. And she's hilarious. In an honest way. Which is why she makes me laugh. For example: My family converted to Catholicism when I was about 4, and I’m not going anywhere. I consider myself a Hebrew Catholic, as my parents are both Jewish by birth. I’m still sorting out exactly how I ought to be preserving my Jewish heritage, beyond putting horseradish on everything; but in the mean time, don’t piss me off about Israel.

  • Art Inconnu
    Works by artists who are forgotten, under appreciated, or little known, as well as news, reviews and ephemera from the corners of art history. Works of startling quality can be found beyond the big names in the visual arts, whether it is just one exceptional work, an area of an artists oeuvre, or an entire career worth re-examining. And sometimes you might have seen them here too when I come across something I love too much to leave over there.

  • A Momentary Taste of Being
    Steven Riddle posts scads of links each day and you never know which one (or two or more) is going to grab you but I find something interesting about literature and reading here every day. My only wish is that Steven would share more of his own thoughts than the sentence or two which may grace a post. I like the links but Steven himself is the one whose thoughts interest me most.

  • xkcd
    How can a comic featuring stick figures be so darned funny? Because xkcd thinks like we do and then twists it a bit. (Like this, for example.) One of the funniest places on the internet.

  • The French Sampler
    Dash blogs about all sorts of things but they tend to be beautiful things. Architecture, style, design, a French sunset, and more all come under her curious gaze.

Monday, January 10, 2011

What's Goin' On: Be Careful What You Wish For

My sister was in town on business last week. In fact, she's still here, though not on business any more.

She came in a day early so we could share the evening together last week. In passing, I told her that I was only sorry we couldn't have more time together. I was horrified on Saturday afternoon to hear her barely discernible voice coming through our answering machine saying that she had a stomach bug, was very ill and needed help. Now!

As you can imagine, I loaded up with ginger ale, saltines, and raced over to her hotel. Once she'd recovered somewhat, we moved her back to the house where she has been gradually regaining normal health. Our bad weather and that in Atlanta (where she has to fly to make a connection to her home in Florida), have extended her stay another day or two.

Although we're delighted to have more time with her, I surely wish I had qualified a bit more exactly what sort of "more time together" I wanted!

"We live together, or we die together"

I have been seeing this mentioned since Friday and just now got the chance to go read about the bravery of these Egyptian Muslims in recognizing the demands of common humanity and protecting their Christian neighbors with their own bodies. Would that we would all recognize this in each other in daily life.
Egypt’s majority Muslim population stuck to its word Thursday night. What had been a promise of solidarity to the weary Coptic community, was honoured, when thousands of Muslims showed up at Coptic Christmas eve mass services in churches around the country and at candle light vigils held outside.

From the well-known to the unknown, Muslims had offered their bodies as “human shields” for last night’s mass, making a pledge to collectively fight the threat of Islamic militants and towards an Egypt free from sectarian strife.

“We either live together, or we die together,” was the sloganeering genius of Mohamed El-Sawy, a Muslim arts tycoon whose cultural centre distributed flyers at churches in Cairo Thursday night, and who has been credited with first floating the “human shield” idea.
Read it all here.

Well Said

Now that the season is back to ordinary time, we'll go on with the favorite quotes that were given for the Serenity prayer mug giveaway, where MM quoted Mother Teresa:
God doesn't require us to succeed; he only requires that you try.
Thank goodness for that, right?

Friday, January 7, 2011

Hereby Resolved ... Continuing the Book Fast

I have a number of ongoing resolutions which I strive for, fail at, and then renew. You know the sort. Keeping the house cleaner, being more focused, taking more walks, and the like.

Then there is the special one I made last year and actually kept, except for my end-of-the-year blowout where I gave myself the week in-between Christmas and New Year's off.

That resolution was my book fast. I didn't buy any books. Our city library is well stocked but if they didn't have it, then I didn't read it. The two exceptions were if my book club was reading something otherwise unavailable or if I needed it for doing the podcast or writing bulletin inserts or that sort of thing. That need didn't come up much, believe it or not.

I admit I did fall off the wagon in virtual space when I got the Kindle and a few extra short story collections somehow fell into my online cart. However, I didn't beat myself up about it and moving on was surprisingly painless.

This is a habit that has now stuck and I am going to continue with it for 2011.

I am tweaking it in a way that has to do more with my reading habits than buying habits.

I'm going to try to read the books that are stacked up at home before getting more from the library (other than those already in the house). Online library requests make it so very easy to flitter from book to book without reading what is right there next to me. Some of those poor babies have been waiting for several years for me to crack their covers. If I try and can't get through them, then I'm going to move on, but I at least should give them a fair chance.

Buoyed by the success of the 2010 Book Fast resolution, I made another.

You can't imagine how annoying it is not to be able to remember it right at this moment!

But when I do, you will be the first to know!

WOOHOO! UPDATE!
I remembered!

The new "resolution" is to return to a habit I used to follow a couple of years ago. Each week I'd try to dip into a different cookbook when planning the next week's meals. This was to try to encourage me to actually cook from all my cookbooks instead of the favored ten or so I always used.

It worked with varying results but I'm going to work my way through the shelves and see how that goes. It will add more variety in cooking as well as helping keep me more interested in the weekly planning and cooking.

If all works out, then I'll have a new recipe to share every week. So we all win!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Full of Grace: Meditations on Mary, Love, and Transformation

This review originally appeared at Patheos.

Among the practices indelibly associated with Catholics is the veneration of Mary and praying of the rosary. To outsiders it can seem as if Jesus is being cast aside while his mother is being unduly worshipped. Or, it might seem to be precisely the meaningless gabble of thoughtless prayer that Jesus warned against when he said, "In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words" (Mt. 6:7)

Anyone holding such opinion while encountering Judith Dupré's extraordinary book Full of Grace will soon realize how wrong those ideas can be. Dupré melds myriad written and artistic images -- a glittering mosaic of perspectives on Mary through the ages. Always, she is pointing to Her Son, Jesus. If one could produce a symphony in writing it would be similar to Full of Grace, which combines art, history, poetry and prose, personal experience and hearsay, traditional Catholic theology and Islam, and orthodoxy and feminist theology, into a marvelous and comprehensive look at the Mother of God.

Although Dupré educates and guides the reader, make no mistake, this is not intended as a historical or educational book. It is intensely personal as she shares in the introduction:
The narratives are offered as fifty-nine meditations, or beads, equal to the number of beads in a traditional rosary. The book is a journey undertaken, like the rosary, in the spirit of pilgrimage. The idea of the beads came to me nearly eight years ago when I began researching this book, but as my work progressed, I started to doubt the wisdom of the structure. I put the question to Mary: What to do? Moments later, fifteen dots of light -- fifteen being the number of the mysteries of the rosary -- appeared on the wall. Not trusting my eyes, I snapped a photo. The image you see in the margin has been a constant affirmation, for me, of the many ways in which Mary is with us.
Dupré is a proven master at communicating with images, as her books about skyscrapers, bridges, churches, and monuments have shown. Full of Grace branches out from her usual format to include Dupré's short essays, modern and classical images with explanatory text, and excerpts from other writers in the marginalia. Taken together, Dupré intends this to act as a midrash for the reader, engaging them on the subject of Mary from many views. Midrash is a traditional Jewish way of interpreting biblical stories to fill in many of the gaps left in scriptural narratives where there are only hints of actual events. What Dupré's work does is to widen the reader's view, open their eyes, and help pull back the veil between the material world and the divine. She does this by never losing sight of our human connection to Mary's experiences of love, grief, humility, compassion, maternity, and transformation.

Full of Grace is carefully directed toward anyone with an interest in Mary, not just believers. This leaves Dupré free to incorporate myriad viewpoints from sources one might not associate with the subject. Indeed, one must not take this as a theological guideline but remember that personal contemplation of the mysteries of the rosary may often take one far afield, just as this book does, while always keeping Mary and Christ at the center.

Appropriately beautiful, as befits the topic, the pages are glossy and the art is featured in stunning color. Great care was taken with the type and layout so that the reader can take in the intended mixture of reflections on each subject with clarity.

Finally, although this is not a theological work and there are a few points that might give an orthodox reader pause, the tone of the book is utterly respectful. Never is there an utterance that is the slightest bit irreverent, despite the many unusual sources excerpted. In fact, Dupré often reminds the reader, as is appropriate, that Mary's purpose is always to point to Jesus and never is there a word to imply that He is not the Son of God, our Savior.

All in all, this is a beautiful and unusual book that may be enjoyed by historians, art lovers, the inquisitive, and the faithful. Not only does it offer the faithful many opportunities to deepen their relationship with Mary, but it may well acquaint the merely curious with a person and model they want to get to know better.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

A Year With The Church Fathers: An Extraordinary Book in Every Way

I always know that anything Mike Aquilina writes is going to have solid worth behind it. When it is a book that has anything to do with the Church Fathers then I know it will be solid gold. Aquilina's passion for the wisdom of the Fathers always is passed on to readers in such a way that they appreciate the Fathers for themselves, which is no easy feat when one considers how long ago they wrote.

In A Year with the Church Fathers: Patristic Wisdom for Daily Living, Aquilina has surpassed himself. This is not simply a collection of interesting or informative excerpts from the Church Fathers' archives. It is a well-planned, daily retreat that is designed to progress through a year with the ancient Fathers as spiritual guides. The 365 meditations are intended to move the reader, with prayer and contemplation, to a deeper life with Jesus Christ.

Each day's title and brief summary from Aquilina put the reader in the subject. The selected Father's brief commentary then expounds on a topic. Lest one should worry that the language will be difficult, Aquilina made sure it is contemporary and accessible while retaining the full meaning intended by each author. This is followed by a question or two which help readers relate fully to what was just read. A brief but specific prayer end the session.

Tan Books has done this book proud. This book is a beautiful thing that reflects the value of the words within it to our souls. The cover may not be actual leather but it certainly feels like it. Pages are gilt-edged. A sturdy ribbon marker matches the cover. Moreover, the book design is elegant and decorative in an understated but classic way. A Year with the Fathers is not only useful but a book that could become an heirloom in your family. Readers will know that I do not give this praise lightly.

This book arrived at exactly the right time for Tom and me. We were resolved to return to a neglected habit of reading aloud to each other a brief spiritual piece each day. In the few days that we have been using this devotional resource, we have been mightily impressed by how easy it is to understand and by how there is always a point or two that speaks to one of us for further thought. Mike Aquilina has given the Church another treasure in this resource which I cannot recommend highly enough.

==========
I am sharing the first day's meditation in order to show the simplicity with which ideas are put, but the elegance and far reaching thought that is achieved. This is extremely timely both in beginning "at the beginning" and also in subject matter for modern times. (Note: Aquilina advises beginning with a prayer by simply saying, "Come Holy Spirit.")
Day 1
Put God at the beginning

No matter what scientific explanation you come up with for the origin of the universe, says St. Basil, you'll go far wrong if you don't put God at the beginning of it.

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

I stop struck with admiration at this thought. What shall I say first? Shall I demonstrate the vanity of the Gentiles? Shall I praise the truth of our faith?

The philosophers of Greece have tried very hard to explain nature, and not one of their systems has remained firm and unshaken. They are enough in themselves to destroy one another. Those who were too ignorant to rise to a knowledge of God could not allow that an intelligent cause presided at the birth of the universe—a primary error that trapped them in sad consequences.

Some fell back on material principles and attributed the origin of the universe to the elements of the world. Others imagined that atoms, and invisible bodies, molecules and tubes, unite to form the nature of the visible world.

It is because they did not know how to say, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Fooled by their inherent atheism, they thought that nothing governed or ruled the universe, and that everything was given up to chance.

To keep us from this error, the writer on creation, from the very first words, enlightens our understanding with the name of God: "In the beginning God created."
-St. Basil, Hexameron, 1.2

In God's Presence Consider...
In a world where science has made so much progress, what does it mean to put God at the beginning?

Closing Prayer
Father, you alone are eternal, and you alone live in unapproachable light. I thank you that you have made me in your image; have mercy on my sins, and save me through your Son Jesus Christ.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Speaking of Catholic Podcasts: Announcing "A Good Story is Hard to Find"

Scott Danielson from SFFaudio and I have a lot in common.

We're both Catholic.

We both love science fiction, mysteries, fantasy, books, movies ... in fact, we love good stories, wherever we find them.

We both love finding stories that have a deeper meaning that sheds light on faith, belief, life, and God. Especially when those stories are right out there in popular culture. The Lord of the Rings springs to mind.

We both love talking about our faith, stories, and deeper meanings.

Last, but not least, we love sharing the conversation.

Premiering this Thursday, Scott and I will begin the new Catholic podcast, A Good Story is Hard to Find.* (There will be more than a blank space at that link very soon!)

This bimonthly podcast will alternate discussing books and movies that we can't wait to talk about and to share with you.

We will begin by discussing The Reapers Are the Angels, Alden Bell's zombie apocalypse novel. (My review here.) The movie to be discussed mid-January will be: Serenity. You might be surprised at the themes these works carry about belief, faith, and free will. We were.

Join us and spread the word.

*Our patron author is Flannery O'Connor. Who else?

Catholic Podcasts

C. listens to my podcast and writes:
I have a question for you. I am a Catholic too and I was wondering if you had any good Catholic themed podcast recommendations? I was browsing the subject in itunes but it was really hard to figure out what was good from bad. It dawned on me to ask you (enthusiastic podcast listener) before I had to suffer through bad to get to good.
It occurred to me that it has been something like three or four years since I've done a faith-y podcast roundup.

There are some fascinating podcasts out there, both Catholic and more generally Christian, that range from Scripture study to movies to science. Here are my favorites, though they do not represent every good podcast out there. I will note if these are not Catholic.

INSPIRATION
  • Verbum Domini
    Daily readings of the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar. Good for anyone who wants a daily dose of scripture. I go in and out of listening but generally keep the week's readings on my iPod. I find that listening to the readings gives me a different perspective sometimes, although I also usually am reading them at some time during the day in my Magnificat. I will be an occasional lector for this podcast beginning on January 22. (iTunes link, website link)
  • Pray-as-you-go
    Daily prayer. This podcast is usually about 10 minutes. It begins with music (they use quite a variety from Lady Blacksmith Mogambo to French monks to contemporary worship style), then read from the scripture for the day. They give time for contemplation of this scripture with a series of gently asked questions that invite us to think about it in ways we might not otherwise. I go in and out of listening to this one at different times but always have it on my iPod (iTunes link, website link)
FAITH AND THE REAL WORLD
  • The Catholic Laboratory
    This is a podcast and website dedicated to helping the world rediscover the rich scientific heritage of the Catholic Church and to understanding the Church’s stance towards modern science. I especially enjoy the series (now doing a Theology of the Body focus) that help link modern scientific discoveries with the Church's teachings. Also very valuable for keeping up with science news.  (iTunes link, website link)
  • The Flicks That Church Forgot
    I have been listening to this podcast for some time now. Peter Laws, a Baptist minister in England loves horror movies and loves Jesus Christ also. As he puts it, "If God really does exist everywhere why can't we find his fingerprints in the scary places?" Each episode is usually a look at a horror film which Peter then follows up with a thoughtful look at something about Christianity or living a Christian life. It is really well done and always respectful to both Christians and nonbelievers. This post about his Halloween series will give you a good idea of how Peter handles the subject. (iTunes link, website link)
  • Two Edge Talk
    Deacon Tim and Cyndi talk about how to live our faith ... ranging from specific understanding of Catholic teachings to more general questions such as just how do we live an abundant life of faith when we’re so darned busy just surviving? I was alerted to this after seeing several nonCatholics mention how they had learned about Catholic teachings “so they make sense” by listening to this podcast. This is a must listen when it comes in every other week. (iTunes link, website link)

  • Watching Theology
    Host Joe Johnson and a co-host (which may vary) are Christians who explore the religious and ethical implications of the movies they watch. They are careful not to read anything into the movies that isn't there but they do dig deeper to see what worldview and belief system each story reveals in the telling. I do not always agree with their conclusions (most notably Gattaca) but they are always thought provoking. Now being produced on a fairly irregular basis but it is still coming out and there is a large back library to explore. (iTunes link, website link)
    INSTRUCTION
    • Catholic Stuff You Should Know
      Modeled after the popular podcast Stuff You Should Know, this podcast explains a wide range of topics ... everything from Stylites (standing on pillars in style) to Ethiopian Christianity to Bishop's Wear and beyond. (iTunes link, website link)

    • St. Irenaeus Ministries
      Scripture study that is practical. The teacher is extremely insightful in giving connections between scripture and daily life. He keeps it real and although he has an orthodox Catholic point of view, this is the podcast I recommend to nonCatholics. This is one that I listen to every week and since I tend to be behind on it, sometimes daily. An essential. (iTunes link, website link)
    [Note: if the podcasts above don't cover what you're interested in, be sure to check out the SQPN network of podcasts that are all trustworthy and also cover a wide range of topics from Catholic Under the Hood to The Catholic Foodie to Catholic Pilot to Lisa Hendey's Catholic Moments. (iTunes link, website link)]

    * Unless otherwise mentioned, any podcasts or audio can be downloaded to your computer (using the right click mouse button) and listened to there or burned to a CD if you don't have a mp3 player. I mention iTunes because that is what I use, however most of these also can be found through other podcatchers (usually mentioned on their sites).

    Friday, December 31, 2010

    A Delicious Champagne Cocktail

    Something anyone interested in a lovely looking and tasting drink that people who do not enjoy champagne will nonetheless enjoy (as Hannah and Rose will testify). Tom and I, who do enjoy champagne, liked it too.

    Well Said For the Coming Year: Ring In the True

    Via Amy H. Sturgis.

    Ring Out Wild Bells
    Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
    The flying cloud, the frosty light;
    The year is dying in the night;
    Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

    Ring out the old, ring in the new,
    Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
    The year is going, let him go;
    Ring out the false, ring in the true.

    Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
    For those that here we see no more,
    Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
    Ring in redress to all mankind.

    Ring out a slowly dying cause,
    And ancient forms of party strife;
    Ring in the nobler modes of life,
    With sweeter manners, purer laws.

    Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
    The faithless coldness of the times;
    Ring out, ring out thy mournful rhymes,
    But ring the fuller minstrel in.

    Ring out false pride in place and blood,
    The civic slander and the spite;
    Ring in the love of truth and right,
    Ring in the common love of good.

    Ring out old shapes of foul disease,
    Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
    Ring out the thousand wars of old,
    Ring in the thousand years of peace.

    Ring in the valiant man and free,
    The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
    Ring out the darkness of the land,
    Ring in the Christ that is to be.

    - Alfred Lord Tennyson, "Ring Out, Wild Bells"

    What's Goin' On

    I fully intend to continue with the top discoveries lists ... still uncovered are audiobooks, movies, blogs, and ... well ... discoveries in general.

    However, I was thrown off yesterday by having coffee with a friend before going in to work. Coffee that lasted 2-1/2 hours. So you can see where that wound up being problematic.

    Then, just when we were going to pick up Tom's car which had been refusing to recognize the key when he tried to start it (heaven save us from "smart" cars ... ), we got a panicked call from Rose about the bloody results of a dominance struggle between Zoe and ... someone. We're not sure which dog it was (our guess is Zapp) but Zoe was a sure thing because she's now missing a chunk out of her ear.

    You know how much ears bleed. Rose applied paper-towel-pressure while I came home and ferried everyone to the vet for a suture or two.

    Then, I returned to work to write a few paychecks, do some minor accounting, and drive Tom to pick up his car. After which, I picked up Zoe from the vet.

    So it was a tad busy.

    And today we are off work for our New Year's holiday (woohoo!) which means that I'm doing my Saturday chores today. Grocery shopping, cleaning, sweeping up the endless mud ... and all that jazz.

    More blogging later, to be sure ... and later today I will share a talented new artist I've discovered who has graciously consented to share his work on the blog so that many more can appreciate it!

    Next week, I'll tell you about a new project for 2011 which I think that some of you will get as excited about as I am!

    And on that note of mystery, I  will say, "Happy New Year everyone!"

    Wednesday, December 29, 2010

    2010 Top Discoveries: Podcasts

    Most of these actually were new in 2010. I'm a bit more up to date on the podcast scene than in other areas. Also, podcasts are a much newer concept (which you may read more about in my podcast sidebar if you are not familiar with them).


    These are those that I am fond enough to listen to repeatedly. As you can see, it has been a very good year for podcasts and there is something here for practically everyone. The description comes from the podcasters themselves for the most part ... enjoy!

    Spilled Milk - Matthew Amster-Burton and Molly Wizenberg combine food and comedy in a bowl and stir it up until it explodes. Join your jovial (possibly too jovial) hosts, Molly and Matthew, for recipes, cooking tips, winning lotto numbers, and catfights.

    The Sporkful - The Sporkful is an award-winning podcast and blog about food, but not so much about cooking or recipes or restaurants. We discuss, debate, and obsess over the most ridiculous food-related minutiae, always seeking new and better ways to eat. Hosted by Dan Pashman and Mark Garrison, former co-workers at NPR, The Sporkful is where sacred cows get grilled.

    Guys Can Read - A weekly podcast book discussion from a guy's perspective (two guys actually and the book talk is great).

    The China History Podcast - Five millennia of Chinese history brought to you each week for your podcast listening pleasure.

    A History of the World in 100 Objects - from the BBC (and unusually available in podcast form for all to enjoy).

    History of Philosophy - Peter Adamson hosts a podcast covering the entire history of philosophy... without any gaps!

    My Merry Christmas Podcast - The Merry Podcast is our audio edition of the best of MMC featuring one-of-a-kind programs exploring everything about Christmas with the help of the team from Merry Christmas Radio, our online radio station broadcasting Christmas year-round.

    Chop Bard - The podcast dedicated to picking apart the works of William Shakespeare, scene by scene, offering a fresh and entertaining look at some old goods- it is the cure for boring Shakespeare.

    Freakonomics Radio - Just like the books, Freakonomics Radio will explore “the hidden side of everything.” It will tell you things you always thought you knew but didn’t, and things you never thought you wanted to know, but do.

    Movie Date from The Takeaway - Each week, Newsday film critic Rafer Guzman and Takeaway producer Kristen Meinzer get in a heated, but friendly debate about the movies.

    99% Invisible - Trying to comprehend the 99% invisible activity that shapes the design of our world. (In the design category ...)

    A Short History of Japan - A quick tour through the cool bits of Japanese history.

    Catholic Stuff You Should Know - modeled after the popular podcast Stuff You Should Know, this podcast explains a wide range of topics ... everything from Stylites (standing on pillars in style) to Ethiopian Christianity to Bishop's Wear and beyond.

    It's All Downhill From Here

    A little something humorous to get us to the end of the week.


    by xkcd

    Reviewing "Full Catastrophe" - For Everyone Who Ever Wondered About Volunteering at Mother Teresa's Home for the Dying

    Since my foray into the morgue some time ago, I have often been deputised to inspect the inhabitants and make sure that all are present and correct. Today as I check the bodies, a movement on the seccond shelf on the left-hand side almost has me joining the residents of the right-hand side. With my heart pounding in my ears and the ever-present sweat turned to ice, I tentatively reach for the offending sheet. My fingers are shaking so badly I can barely untie the knot.

    I recognise the man and immediately realise he is still alive, if only just. Storming from the morgue I feel nothing but rage. The brothers are my targets and the first poor bugger that I see cops the full brunt of my attack. ...

    Gathering the brothers around me an hour later I ask the all important question: 'How do you tell if somebody is dead?' The general consensus among them seems to be that the person has to be cold and not moving. My hands bury themselves in my hair in an attempt to prevent them from strangling one of the brothers. With more patience than I ever knew I possessed, I carefully explain the rudimentary function of the heart and the lungs. They find this highly amusing and inform me that of course they know all that. At this stage I explode and yell, 'Well then, why didn't you bloody well check them on this patient?' I take them all back down to the man in question and with the aid of a stethoscope ask them to check his heartbeat. As fate would have it, one look at the man tells me that we are already too late; however, the first brother happily reports a heartbeat ...
    This book answers a question I have often wondered, though never thought about long enough to articulate. What is it like to actually be a volunteer in one of Mother Teresa's homes for the ill, destitute, and dying in Calcutta? Australian Tracey Leonard answers that and more in this book which also covers her brief time of volunteer work among the aborigines in Australia. About three-fourths of this book is about time spent in India with the Australian volunteering taking up most of the remaining book.

    Leonard is honest, unpretentious, and humorous. She gives what I imagine is an excellent look at the real world, shorn of the unrealistic expectations that practically every volunteer must have when reporting for duty with the Missionaries of Charity. As well, Tracey's frequent encounters with expats who befriend her provide a brief respite from the grueling volunteer work and show us a brief view of what life in Calcutta is like for other expats who are there for business. She follows a similar pattern in recounting her time among the aborigines.

    Inspirational moments are far and few between, but that does not seem to be what she is looking for. The few times she mentions such instances are the more powerful as the focus is mostly on the work of living in Calcutta or among aborigines and on providing care for the needy.

    (ONE SPOILER IN THIS PARAGRAPH)
    Leonard's car accident is the reason she wrote the book and one imagines that there would be more introspection given in the twelve pages covering the event and afterwards. However, that is not the case. We are told, in Leonard's characteristic, forthright style about what it is like to be a quadriplegic. As usual a quick summary of her thinking about the situation and what she has learned are covered in a couple of paragraphs and then she moves forward with an equally characteristic mental shrug and positive comment.

    Overall I enjoyed the book although I would have wished for a bit more depth on Leonard's motivations for doing all the volunteering, which we never really find out about at all. I also would have liked more than a sentence here or there about her thoughts on deeper subjects.

    It would have been nice if this book had been brought up to date. It was written in 1999 but is just now being published in this country. We wonder what happened to Tracey. However, all in all, the book was an enjoyable and informative look into actual experiences of working with those who are in desperate need, no matter what part of the world.