The View From The Foothills

These days, when I read something bad about someone on-line I tend to take with a grain of salt, or perhaps even several–I’ve too often taken such stories at face value when I shouldn’t have. But if this is true, it’s utterly despicable.

In light of McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate yesterday, I found today’s Doonesbury to be especially funny.

Sendak meets Lovecraft, courtesy of Dale Price. Looks like fun.

Here’s a new blog that I’ll be keeping an eye on; I found it in the referrers list for Blogging Aquinas. The author, “James the Least”, calls himself a modern iconoclast…which is to say, he’s dedicated to smashing the idols of the Modern Age.

Courtesy of Peeve Farm, I’ve found a web comic I’d not seen before: Basic Instructions. The main character reminds me of a friend of mine. Here’s a cartoon on “How to Analyze Classic Literature“:

Just a note that blogging is somewhat sparse here, I’m blogging quite a bit over at Blogging Aquinas. It might not be your cup of tea; but then, it might be.

As I’ve got a few unexpected minutes to hand, I’m going to post some of the links I’ve been enjoying.

Today is the 100th anniversary of the Tunguska Event. Michael Cleverly has (page 42 of) the story.

The Practicing Catholic has some good words on the virtue of obedience. My favorite, from St. Francis de Sales: “The Devil doesn’t fear austerity but holy obedience.”

Apparently we can’t we be having any of that “abstinence” stuff—even when it’s been shown to be effective.

It’s all a matter of perspective. My congratulations to both the artist and the photographer.

St. Paul found to be Catholic. Who knew?

If I watched more movies, I’d want one of these.

It’s the “No S” diet. Sounds like it might just work.

I’ve been doing most of my blog-reading via RSS feeds and Google Reader for several months now; it’s extremely cool, if you’ve not given it a try. And one of Google Reader’s features is the ability to tag particularly interesting posts with a “star”. I’ve been using this feature quite a lot, but to date I’ve done almost nothing with the star’d posts. So tonight I thought I’d be a follower and do a round-up post, just like everybody else. Who knows, maybe this will become a regular feature.

The Story of a Friendship: I dunno what’s in the water out Jennifer’s way, but I’d like to get me some of it. Or, what do you do about those kids who keep ringing your doorbell and running away?

The clue in the church bookstore: Or, what the folks at Jeremiah Wright’s church have been reading.

Ipods are Woobies: Or, have you noticed that none of the folks walking around with iPods are dancing like the silhouettes in the ads?

House of Formation: In which Sherry Weddell recalls saying to a flock of Dominican priests,

When you entered the Order, you spent years being educated and formed for your vocation. But I, too, am a preacher of the gospel in my own right - and where is my house of formation? Your parish is my St. Albert’s, the only house of formation I may ever have to prepare me for my vocation as an evangelizing change agent in the world.

I’d like some of the water from Colorado Springs, too.

Here’s a more balanced view of the Crusades than you usually hear these days. My chief complaint about the Crusades is not that they happened; they were a response to the Muslim conquest of the breadbasket of the Byzantine Empire, the heart of Christendom. My chief complaint is that the Crusaders succumbed to individual ambition and internecine bickering rather than working well with the Byzantines.

One kid’s thoughts on alphabet reform.