Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Now I'm Going to Have to Watch Gold Rush



Thanks to Rose who pointed out this adorable and funny little dance after yesterday's art featured the Gold Rush poster.

Monday, April 11, 2011

I feel the need to say that the interwebs are a wonderful place.

Where else would I get the chance to chat with an author I admire (Steve Hockensmith) about his podcasting of some of his short stories on the Ellery Queen magazine and Alfred Hitchcock magazine podcasts?

While getting a review copy for my Kindle of his new collection of Dear Mr. Holmes, the Holmes on the Range short stories?

All thanks to Tweet and email.

God bless the ether!

By the way, if you haven't come across the Holmes on the Range stories, they are wonderful. A clever pastiche on Holmes because they are written about the cow punching brothers who admire the Holmes stories  they read in the papers. I am listening to the first novel now and loving it.

The Curt Jester: "I simply loved this book."

Nothing could have made me happier!

Unless it was the rest of Jeff's review of Happy Catholic.
Now Julie is a self-confessed book skimmer in that she often will skim through a book and then come back later and re-read it. I am not as much of a book skimmer and certainly did not skim through this book for fear of overlooking a good nugget. It also did not hurt that Julie pulled her quotes from areas and sources I also love. To have a book quoting Alice Cooper (now an Evangelical), Futurama, Firefly, SF Movies, and a vast swath of culture not in the SF realm is certainly to my taste, but her reflections should benefit all.

I simply loved this book. ...
Jeff is a logical and analytical thinker who loves the Church and loves books. Plus I read his blog before I had one of my own. So to say his review gladdened my heart is a huge understatement.

He even included a quote by me that he liked. That put me over the moon!

There is much more so if you are considering buying the book, you may be interested in reading the whole thing. Certainly I will be doing so several more times.

Thank you Jeff!

Food in Science Fiction and Fantasy

That is the latest topic under discussion at SFFaudio where Scott and Jesse welcome guest Luke Burrage. I can't wait to listen to this one. Two of my favorite topics being discussed by three of my favorite people!

Friday, April 8, 2011

Eagle-cam Alert!

Eagles from atop their tree at the fish hatchery in Decorah, Iowa.

Oh. my. goodness.

I just went to get the link and the mother was feeding the eaglets!

Also, Hannah tells me that 911 Wildlife is going to have a screech owl cam soon. Can't wait!

Thanks to Cindy J. for the link!

Vatican announces a meeting for bloggers will take place in Rome on the afternoon of Monday, May 2, 2011

No, I'm not kidding.

Yes.

The Vatican is calling for a bloggers meet. Actually a "new media" meet for the day after Pope John Paul II's beatification.

Whispers in the Loggia has the whole story and the email link for those who would like to attend. Because of space requirements it is being limited to 150 bloggers. If you blog and could swing the trip, then send that email!

It is the first time I've ever seen anything that made me wish I could afford to go to Rome.

I was telling my husband about it and then about an email from a friend who pointed it out and said I should go. He said, "Send an email. Let's see what happens. I'm curious ..."

So I did!

I feel fairly sure this is an event I will simply be reading about on other people's blogs. Which will be exciting enough, believe me.

However, I am also a firm believer that if you don't ask, then you don't get. So, I asked. It is fun to have an exciting possibility to dream about. Even if the dream doesn't come true, it is sometimes enough to have the fun of doing the dreaming.

And, right now, that's fun!

"A scrappy little volume ... seasoned with Julie's own sauce."

The Anchoress highly recommends Happy Catholic and includes two essays with quotes near and dear to my heart.
... a book I am highly recommending to you, not because Julie is a friend, but because it’s a scrappy little volume that serves up morsels from some of the most surprising sources (Alice Cooper? Bender from Futuerama? Hank Hill and H. G. Wells?) and then seasons them with Julie’s own sauce.
When someone of The Anchoress' caliber is enthusiastic then I am both relieved and proud. (Yes, the eternal insecurities come out ... but it keeps me humble and grateful, people ... so it's perfect for Lent, right?)

Go grab a couple more excerpts by reading her review. Thank you Anchoress!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Good Vibrations: Exploring What It Means to Do the Right Thing

The Responsibility Project

I already loved this overall concept from Liberty Mutual so this cartoon delighted me on several levels. This engaged every person fully when we watched this at the end of an old TED talks that Tom showed this morning in our creativity meeting. About five minutes but worth the time.

Quick! Who is the Patron Saint of Gaming?

C'mon, I know you know it ...

What's taking you so long?

Maybe it's because, as Thomas L. McDonald tells us, there is none.

Never fear, he goes over the options in a most interesting and entertaining post at State of Play.

The Christopher Awards 2011

The Christophers should be known better ... so let's start there.
The mission of The Christophers is to encourage people of all ages, and from all walks of life, to use their God-given talents to make a positive difference in the world. The mission is best expressed in The Christophers’ motto: “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.”
One of the ways they do this is with their annual Christopher Awards. This year:
A mother strives to improve the lives of autistic children; an African-American nun establishes greater racial equality within the Catholic Church; two brothers travel around the world to discover the commonality of the human experience. These are just a few of the powerful stories told in the books, films, and TV programs that make up the winners of the 62nd annual Christopher Awards.
Go see who won and why. You're going to find new books to read, movies to see, and heroes you didn't know about.

Happy Catholic: the perfect devotional for the busiest person you know (Shameless Self-Promotion cont.)

Marge: All right, already! Everyone knows [Thomas Edison] accomplished a lot. Maybe because he didn't spend every moment talking about Thomas Edison!

Homer: Oh, that's where you're wrong, Marge. He was a shameless self-promoter.
I believe Rose had this in mind when she mentioned in a recent phone call that she noticed how frequently I mention the book.

Well ... well, yes. I cannot deny it.

And when I am as delighted that another friend whose good opinion matters to me liked the book, then I just can't keep it to myself! Sarah Reinhard, the Snoring Scholar, approves in the way that makes me happiest ... by seeing what I did not and surprising me.
Davis, as she does so often in her other pursuits, reminds us that faith and life cannot be separated. That’s why you find quotes from Alice Cooper and the TV show Joan of Arcadia. It explains the quips from the Simpsons and the dialogues from various movies and novels.

This book isn’t just a good read, though it is that. It’s also the perfect devotional for the busiest person you know. It’s a great resource for the practice of finding faith right in front of your face. It’s an indispensable handbook for a moment with the God who took the time to get down and dirty by becoming one of us.
If you are interested, do go read it all. She was also kind enough to post her review at Amazon and Goodreads. Sarah, thank you!

i-confess.com Video Contest - voting

Remember that contest I mentioned a while back?
In an effort to help promote New York’s All Day Confessions event, happening Monday April 18th, The Diocese of Brooklyn in conjunction with both the Archdiocese of New York and Diocese of Rockville Centre are launching a grassroots digital campaign called i-Confess. Using both social and digital media, the goal of this campaign is to generate interest in the act of Confession throughout New York State.
The videos are up and the voting has begun.

Go check them out. Be sure to watch them all because you never know when genius is lurking right around the corner!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Our Friend Billy Wins Peabody Award


Billy is the happy guy on the right who may be just a touch flushed because he's used to being behind the camera instead of in front of it. He is part of local Channel 8's Peabody Award winning investigative team.

I have to say that they do a wonderful job. They take the time to explain the whole story, instead of dropping two facts and a helicopter shot on you before whizzing on to the next thing like other local stations seem to do. And they dig up things that definitely need digging up.

We were proud to know him already because he is a stand-up guy. He and his wife have been on the Beyond Cana marriage enrichment retreat team for several years. They give an honest and inspirational talk. They know what being a Christian means and they live it as honestly as they can.

Plus, I've just got a soft spot for Billy so I like to see him get recognized for his work, which he has a true passion for.

Congratulations, Billy! (Oh yes, and the rest of the team too ... of course!)

Save a forest. It's ok to print this email.

I've never had an email signature before but after reading this editorial, I had to do it. It not only brought out the contrarian in me, but the truth teller.

I lifted it from one of the editorialists and just slightly rearranged it to suit my sense of logic (of course no one is surprised by that, right?).

Now that I have had several people compliment me on it, I thought I'd share.
Save a forest. It's ok to print this email.

Paper is a biodegradable, renewable, sustainable product made from trees. Working forests are good for the environment and provide clean air and water, wildlife habitat and carbon storage. Growing and harvesting trees provides jobs for millions of Americans.Thanks to improved forest management, we have more trees in America today than we had 100 years ago. (Want to know more?)

Unofficial, biased, partial review of Happy Catholic

The people you want respect from the most are your family. Of course.

So when I both my mother and sister recently said they received their copies, you'll understand I was curious.

Both said the same thing.
  • "It sounds just like you."
  • They like it.
My sister added:
  • "It makes me happy when I read it."
Calloo, callay, oh happy day!

(We shall see if those verdicts hold true throughout the book, but the odds are good. Right? Right!)

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Want Free Books for Your Kindle? Keep an Eye on Kindle Review.

Kindle Review covers more than just Amazon's free Kindle offerings. But they tell those too ... every day. Plus cheap deals.

Check out today's listing.

The Milky Way Over Tenerife

You simply must go see this photo (it only takes a click) on NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day.

Here is some of the explanation to tempt you:
Have you ever seen the band of our Milky Way Galaxy? Chances are you have never seen it like this -- nor could you. In a clear sky from a dark location at the right time, a faint band of light is visible across the sky. This band is the disk of our spiral galaxy. Since we are inside this disk, the band appears to encircle the Earth. The above spectacular picture of the Milky Way arch, however, goes where the unaided eye cannot.
The photo is under copyright so I can't share it here (though I must request permission to share some of TWAN's photos, they are wonderful). And the explanation is fascinating as well.

St. Francis Mission

I've featured the St. Francis Mission here before, but it's been a while so here's some basic info.
St. Francis is a ministry of the of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) among the 20,000 Lakota people on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in south-central South Dakota. The Mission is a not for profit organization founding in 1886, whose mission is to serve the spiritual, educational, and physical needs of Lakota Catholics and those who are un-churched on the reservation.

We have many programs ongoing at the mission – schools, recovery, religious education, a radio station and a museum. Right now, I’m looking for individuals who may be interested in sharing information about the St. Francis Mission and our programs with their readers/listeners. We have a blog and website. We also have a radio station, KINI Radio.
They are asking for prayers during Lent and Easter, as well as providing a more tangible way to assist through their April online donation campaign.

It is something that is worth considering for your Lenten almsgiving and beyond. This is a place where the need is ongoing right here in the United States. Drop by and take a look around.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Blog Tour: Murder in the Vatican - The Church Histories of Sherlock Holmes

I completely forgot to post the schedule for Murder in the Vatican's blog tour!

Better late than never (as I always seem to have to say) and this is not really that late.

Why do I care? Well, for one thing I enjoyed the book quite a bit.

For another, take a look at the 7th! That's right, we'll be co-hosting here. I'll have a review up. Hopefully, Ann will drop by and answer any questions in the comments box. I have had the privilege of chatting with her in email and she is really delightful.

Don't wait until later this week though. Go along on the tour.
TOUR SCHEDULE
April 2nd - Tribute Books Reviews & Giveaways

April 2nd - Fabianspace

April 2nd - PUTTING WORDS DOWN ON PAPER

April 2nd - Time With Tannia

April 3rd - Marian Allen

April 4th - A Pius Man

April 5th - The Baker Street Blog

April 6th - One Writer's Journey

April 7th - Happy Catholic

April 7th - CatholicMom.com

April 8th - Impact Reviews

April 8th - The Writing Life For Me

April 9th - One Hot Mess

April 11th - Litland.com Book Reviews

April 12th - Litland.com Reviews!

April 14th - Katie Hines - Walking on Water

April 15th - Sherlock Holmes Fan Wiki

April 16th - Teresa's Simplicity In Words

April 18th - The Book Connection

April 20th - Author Caprice Hokstad

Sunday, April 3, 2011

First review in: "It’s a textbook on critical thinking in disguise."

Jennifer at Riparians at the Gate has a thoughtful review of Happy Catholic up. There is nothing like that simultaneous feeling of delight and dread upon seeing that one's book has been reviewed by someone that you like and respect.

I believe I will have to look through the book again because she saw more than I remember putting in there. Which, of course, is a good thing.

The point that made me proudest is the one she made about critical thinking ... Tom literally cheered when I read it to him, while I clapped. There is nothing I appreciate more than a logical, critical thinker so it is wonderful to be considered one. And it is one of the things that I love about the Catholic faith most of all. The logic found there is incredible once one begins looking into it.

If you are interested, please do go read it. I myself will be doing so several more times in the next few minutes, I can assure you!

Here's another bit I especially appreciated.
What I like most: Julie grapples with popular culture head-on.  Lots of quotes from popular books, TV shows, movies.  And she doesn’t always agree! Sometimes, there’s a quote that sounds good, the kind of thing that someone says at a dinner party and everyone’s nodding and agreeing with it, and you want to say something very uncharitable because really even though it sounds so wise, it’s just drivel.   Julie takes quotes like that and answers them directly:  What’s the underlying truth?  What’s the lie?  What’s a catholic to do with that sentiment?
Jennifer, thank you so much.