Thursday, February 29, 2024

Listen in …

… Five Poets Recite (Peter Carellini, t.m. thomson, Edward Sankey, Diane Sahms, Tobi Alfier) - Viewless Wings. (Hat tip, G. Emil Reuter

Ah! Sun-Flower …

 … One of my favorites by my favorite English Romantic poet.

A haiku …

 The crocuses fight

The snowstorms, the wind, the cold.

They have hope like me.

Jennifer Knox

Better days ahead …

 … Leap year poem.

Something to think on …

 Nothing lives long. Only the earth and mountains.

— Dee Brown, born on this date in 1908

Another poem …

 Testimony


Trying to say things you are called upon

To say spares you having to say things

You’d rather not. So speech can form

A barrier against itself on your behalf.

Like Hamlet, you say what you must,

 Disclosing what courtiers and lackeys need

To hear, boasting of crimes timid souls regard

As grand (though mere eruptions of rage

And appetite), keeping to yourself embarrassing

Desires likely to arouse contempt or scorn.

And yet …to slay a beggar or a king, filch

A candy from a maiden aunt, or idly crush

A swarm of ants beneath your foot —

These graceless gestures differ

Only in degree. Brave souls stay

The hand, lift the foot, mount the scaffold,

Mindful of a throne’s discomfort.



A poem …

 …  The Missing Nymph at Dry Tortugas — Ange Mlinko. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Take a look at these …

 … Australia’s best photos of the month – February 2024. (Hat tip, Rus Bowden.)

Hmm …

 … The passive voice and weaselly prose? (hat tip, Dave. Lull.)

Getting one’s bearings …

 The Path Is No Path: On Not Becoming a Poet - The Millions. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Take a look …

 …  Shots: Compelling Images From Our Region. (Hat tip, Rus Bowden.)

A word for today …

… Bissextile - Word Daily.

Let us pray …

 … with the Little Flower — Daily Scripture & Reflections.

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Who knew …

It’s official: even Mary Poppins is ‘racist’ now.

A fresh look …

… Paul Davis On Crime: A Look Back At James Clavell's 'Shogun'.

Sad news …

 … Last scene of all…

American patriot …

 … Washington (not the one you already know) has a birthday.

Something to think on …

Take care that old age does not wrinkle your spirit even more than your face.
— Michel de Montaigne, born on this date in 1533

A poem …

 Daybreak


Now is the time 

When darkness fades

And sparrows arrive

In the silence before

Things get going again

A word for today …

… Accoutrement - Word Daily.

Let us pray. …

 … with the Little Flower — Daily Scripture & Reflections.

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Portraits in history …

 … Remarkable stories about exceptional men and women.

Well worth pondering …

…. (16) The Never-Trump Mentality - by William F. Vallicella.

Snowflakes …

 … On the occasion of the poet’s birthday.

Something to think on …

Books are the best friends you can have; they inform you, and entertain you, and they don't talk back.
— John Steinbeck, borh on this date in 1902

Tracking the decline …

 (16) Affirming our Children to Death.

… what is motivating the majority of parents to seek out the alternative of classical education is a horror at the progressive ideological agenda now being imposed upon students across this country.  The purposeful advocacy of racial animus and lurid sexual experimentation that is now indisputably occurring in our schools rightfully disgusts parents, and stirs in them justified distrust towards the teachers and administrators who are supposed to be nurturing the healthy growth of their children. 

Who knew?

My idea of Hell? Covering for an ill teacher. By Sophia Waugh - The Oldie: (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

I fear so …

 … KGB Punch: With Every Murdered Enemy, Putin’s Grip On His Terrified People Grows Tighter.

Hmm …

 …  Mamet’s Map and Netchoice V. Paxton. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

A
curious event in Supreme Court history happened last month: An amicus brief was filed that consists entirely of a short story. Although this kind of literary contribution to law may have occurred before, it is rare and notable—especially as it was written by none other than David Mamet. As put by Joshua Katz last week in the New Criterion, such a brief from such an author is a “surprising legal intervention.”

A word for today …

…  Camber | Word Genius.

Let us pray …

 … with the Little Flower —  Daily Scripture & Reflections.

Sunday, February 25, 2024

For your reading pleasure …

 …  Three stories.

Artful blogging …

 … Life and Form: On Phillip Lopate’s “A Year and a Day.” (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Lopate used the blog format simply as a change of pace from his usual book and magazine work, though still with the object of conveying ideas and impressions rather than hawking a product (apart from himself). Unlike most blogs, Lopate’s was largely a lark. He did not need to concern himself with cost-effective marketing, brand positioning, lead generation, content monetization, web traffic, or readers’ changing desires and interests.

Ah, yes, I remember …

 … Your Show of Shows premieres on February 25, 1950.

Just so you know …

…  Is it safe to shower during a thunderstorm?

Getting his due …

… Rhapsodic on Rachmaninoff. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Rachmaninoff left Russia, but Russia never left him. "I am a Russian composer, and the land of my birth has influenced my temperament and outlook," he wrote. "My music is the product of my temperament, and so it is Russian music." These words stand as the epigraph for Fiona Maddocks's study of Rachmaninoff.

Take your pick …

 … Hitting The Links: 2/25/24.

A word for today …

… Juggernaut - Word Daily.

Religion and abstract art …

 …  LEAPS OF FAITH (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Joseph Masheck's latest book views modernism through a sacred lens

Something to think on …

Every dogma has its day.
— Anthony Burgess, born on this date in 1917

A poem for today …

 … Cheswayo Mphanza — Frame Six.

 

Let us pray …

 … withe Little Flower — Daily Scripture & Reflections.

Saturday, February 24, 2024

So much for free speech and thought …

… COVID and Corruption of Science - Discussion with Stanford's Dr. Jay Bhattacharya.

The people we should ignore are those who want to censure others.

Very interesting …

 Lev Shestov on the Fall of Man - by William F. Val

Having studied philosophy with a distinctly existentialist slant, I am of course familiar with and sympathetic to Shestov. But I think the key point, if you believe in a God who created the world and mankind, is that he gave us free will. He didn’t create us as automatons. So right from the start there was the possibility that we would choose wrong. It was a risk God was willing to take. And his Son paid a high and awful price to save us from the consequences of that.

Sad, but true

 … California Sheriff Is Not Afraid To Speak The Truth.

Hmm …

 … Why Hitch Still Matters: On Christopher Hitchens’s “A Hitch in Time” (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

I always enjoyed reading or watching, but I don’t think he new this country as well as he thought he did.

Ah, yes …

… Zealotry of Guerin: Poetry and Fiction by Christopher Guerin: Violence In Peacetime.

Request …

 … 'My own heart let me more have pity on'

Step by step …

… Walking with John Cage | John Wilson | First Things. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

I just got the Kindle version. I still do as much walking as I can.

Something to think on …

 

He who repents his sin and acknowledges it, is forgiven.

— Wilhelm Grimm, born on this date in 1786

Why it’s good to know what you’re talking about …

 … Reporter goes viral for attacking Christians who believe rights come from God — and the responses are glorious.

In case you wondered …

… Why You Should Read Dostoevsky. Dostoyevsky beyond Crime and Punishment | by Rational Badger | Medium.

The way of wisdom …

 … Opinion: A call can come at any moment. It’s teaching me the importance of ‘one day at a time’ (hat tip, Dave. Lull.)

Just so you know …

(16) It's about the long game - by Tom Knighton.

A word for today …

… Pangloss - Word Daily.

Let us pray …

 … with the Little Flower — Daily Scripture & Reflections.

Friday, February 23, 2024

Yearning to be elsewhere …

 … I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree…

Making things clear …

… America First - by William F. Vallicella.

And the winners are…

 … I would have voted for the Eagles and “Hotel California”

Something to think on …

A scientific approach means knowing what one knows and what one doesn't. Absolute or complete knowledge is unscientific.
— Karl Jaspers, born on this date in 1883

Not what you might think …

… Lessons from Prisoners of War - The Oldie. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

A poem for today …

… Tucson hospital, waiting room | The New Criterion. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Another word …

… Bedizen - Word Daily.

Ch-ch-Changes …

 … Biblio File Broadening out.

A word for today …

… Innominate | Word Genius.

Let us pray …

 … with the Little Flower — Daily Scripture & Reflections.

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Baker’s dozen plus one …

 … Fourteen presidents: good, bad, and ugly administrations.

Break, break, break …

 … The thoughts that arise in me…

Gazing …

… I liked as well to see as other creatures…

Have a look …

… The week around the world in 20 pictures | Art and design | The Guardian. (Hat tip, Rus Bowden.)

Sounds very interesting …

… The Vanishing Woman by Kelly Dean Jolley - Books of My Heart. (Hat tip, Dave  Lull.)

Kelly Dean Jolley can turn contemporary into nostalgic classic with the turn of a phrase. 

Making sense of words …

… (16) Philosophy in Progress | William F. Vallicella | Substack.

Just so you know …

… Fiction and Time (1)    (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)


 John Wilson on how writers manage "serial revelations"

Let’s get to know …

… The Poet Whose Writing Will Be Launched Into Space | TIME: WOMEN OF THE YEAR (hat tip, Rus Bowden,)

A poem for today …

… For Trayvon Martin — by Reuben Jackson,  (Hat tip, Rus Bowden,)

Reuben Jackson passed away on February 16.

A word for today …

… Haptic - Word Daily.

Let us pray -…

 … with the Little Flower — Daily Scripture & Reflections.

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

A lot cleaner than today …

 … What 6 Major State Capitals Looked Like 100 Years Ago.

Recommended Reading …

 … 25 great novelists who reflect on faith.

Worth watching for sure …

… Jack Whitehall 'delighted' Netflix resurfaces his forgotten BBC drama | What to Watch. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

I just looked it up on Netflix, which said they don’t have it.

Well worth noting …

… and of course reading: Jesus's favourite reference when preaching: the Book of Psalms - Catholic Herald. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Who knew …

 … Being a Public Librarian Can Be Dangerous Work, Why Don’t We Acknowledge That?  (Hat tip, Dave Lull.’

No lie there … …

 … We’re Living Under A Tyranny Of Mediocre Morons.

Auden’s day …

 … Looking up at the stars…

Bloggng note …

 My internet is back. So I will be beblogging as usual later today. Right now, I have to get ready for my mandatory morning walk.

Haven’t watched it …

… and don’t intend to… The False Christ of The Chosen - Crisis Magazine.  (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

If you discover a new Christ outside the Church, who has never been presented within the Church, then every red flag in your vicinity should be whirring like a helicopter; every antenna should be up and beeping. Any “new” Christ you discover at this point is simply “another Jesus” that St. Paul warns us about (2 Corinthians 11:4).

Something to think on …

We can believe what we choose. We are answerable for what we choose to believe.
— john Henry Newman, born on this date in 1891

A word for today …

… Anachronistic - Word Daily.

A poem for today …

 … Stephen Dunn — In Other Words.

Let us pray …

 … with the Little Flower —= Daily Scripture & Reflections.

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Blogging note …

 I am writing this at the restaurant where Katherine and I are having dinner after Mass. my internet at home is down right now. So I won’t be blogging I get it fixed. 

Something to think on …

I said to the almond tree, 'Sister, speak to me of God.' And the almond tree blossomed.
— Nikos Kazanzakis, bor on this date in 1883

Saturday, February 17, 2024

Sounds like a difficult felow …

… Review: The ins and outs of a friendship with Graham Greene | America Magazine.

One day at a time …

 … Following the King’s advice.

Reasonable advice from the monarch …

 … How to get through life.

Heartbreaking…

 … Navalny’s friend speaks out: “Yes, it’s scary to talk, it’s been scary for a long time.

The world seems to be going, as they used to say, to hell in a hand basket.

This seems to happening everywhere …

… Diversity and the death of polite society - The Conservative Woman.

Such trends are a prime illustration of why diversity is not our strength. Quite the opposite: it means that society has no sound basis from which to function. Fragmentation is the proper term for what has happened to our country in recent decades; ‘diversity’ is its dishonest, ideological moniker. 

Zelda Fitzgerald

 


I'm not an expert on the relationship between Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. And I don't know how much of Zelda's famous novel -- Save Me The Waltz -- Scott rewrote. All I know is that I was happy to read the novel last week, and that the first part, especially, is excellent. Part of what I liked so much was the introduction of a new voice: this is the interwar period, the expatriate era, from the perspective of a woman, a wife, a mother, an artist. Sure, Zelda's writing was ornamented -- with lots of flourish and song; but that didn't bother me: instead, I thought that flourish contributed to her successful evocation of Europe between the wars. The second half of the novel, in which Alabama Beggs transforms into a succesful dancer and travels to Naples for her first major show, continued many of the themes introduced at the start of the book: this part, though, was perhaps more predictable in its arc. Still, I thought the work stood up against critique, and that Zelda had created a complete novel, one full of character and emotion. Ultimately, Save Me The Waltz is a sad book full of regret and nostalgia (and some humor, too). As a contribution to the expatriate cannon, it certainly deserves a place. 

But I may be repeating myself …

 … First – Chill – then Stupor – then the letting go –

Taking on Hell …

… Zealotry of Guerin: Poetry and Fiction by Christopher Guerin: Dulle Griet (Pieter Bruegel The Elder).

Author and musician …

… Anthony Burgess: The Devil Prefers Mozart. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Burgess often said that he thought of himself as a musician who happened to be a novelist. The Devil Prefers Mozart allows us to see the full range of his musical interests, both as a critic and as a composer. As you would expect from Burgess, these essays are written with the energy and panache that we associate with the best of his fiction


Something to think on …

Comparative religion is an admirable recipe for making people comparatively religious.
— Ronald Knox, born on this date in 1888

Worth pondering this days …

… C.S. Lewis and the Development of Doctrine - The Catholic Thing. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

What is required to make sound moral judgments, Lewis contends, is deep training in the virtues. For only when these virtues have been internalized and become second nature will we be able to make such determinations. As Lewis writes, referencing Plato’s Republic (and likely Dante as well), “Only those who are practicing the Tao will understand it. It is the well-nurtured man, the cuor gentil, and he alone, who can recognize Reason when it comes.”

A word for today …

… Shambolic - Word Daily.

Let us pray …

 … with the Little Flower — Daily Scripture & Reflections.

Friday, February 16, 2024

Let’s hope not …


Is Line Editing a Lost Art?  (The Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Hmm…

 …  “All, all are gone, the old familiar faces…”

Something to think on …

They know enough who know how to learn.
— Henry Adams, born on this date in 1838

An offbeat pastime …

 … An introduction to presidential grave-hunting. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

A poem for this morning …

 … A. R. Ammons — Everything.

I fear he may be right …

… Calvin Trillin paints a portrait of a disappearing journalism - Los Angeles Times. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Many may find this useful …

 … Announcing the new ‘Coddling’ documentary and some advice on fighting depression.

A word for today …

… Cavil - Word Daily.

Let us pray …

 … with the Little Flower — Daily Scripture & Reflections.

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Hmm…

 …In this short Life that only lasts an hour (1292)

It’s fun! It’s magic! …

 … Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo…

I can attest to that …

 … No, the 1950s Weren’t ‘Dull’ and ‘Conformist.’ Neither Were the Movies. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Mark thy calendar …

… Feb 17 - Feb 28 events from Moonstone.

Something by Southey …

 …  The Old Man’s Complaints. And how he gained them.

Metanoia …

 … ‘I Changed My Mind’. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Something to think on …

After you understand about the sun and the stars and the rotation of the earth, you may still miss the radiance of the sunset.
— Alfred Notth Whitehead, born on this date in  1861

The grand Falls …

… Niagara by William Wetmore Story - (hat tip, Rus Bowden.)

Story was born on this date in 1819.

From the Chinese …

… Deborah Bogen: Three poems by Yongbo Ma | Vox Populi. (Hat tip, Rus Bowden.)

A word for today …

… Torpid - Word Daily.

Let us pray …

 … with the Little Flower — Daily Scripture & Reflections.

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Hardly surprising …

 …Why People Hate The Media

It grieves me to see this, but it’s true.

Just so you know…

… Concealed Carry Crime Stats 2024: The Impact of Open Carry on Crime in the U.S..

Faith …

 … “What are we bound for?”

For the day …

… (16) Love Tips from Lucretius - Classical Wisdom.

Time for a smile …

… Paul Davis On Crime: A Little Humor: Celebrating Valentine's Day.

A poem for today …

 Flames of the Heart

By Jennifer Knox

Flames of the heart — can we crash and burn again?

Wind me up, then let my clock-work start!

Clench me, wench me, play with me, stay with me.

Be one in the echoing rooms of my heart.


I think of you in the grassy knoll

Where sweetly reign the bee and sparrow.

In our minds eye we can always go

Where times of love blot out life's sorrow.


Love's autumnal passage is a ride

Through fiery colors wistfully embraced,

Fond memories drip like honey from the lips

And slowly the saber rises from the lake.


Even as love's autumn leaves turn again

Flames of the heart, can we crash and burn again?

Listen in …

 … The Virtual Memories Sow —  Episode 576 – Aaron Lange

Another word …

… Postprandial - Word Daily.

Vintage romance …

… The world's oldest love poem is 4,000 years old. | Interesting Facts.

Old philosopher …

 … “I am ready to depart”

It’s not easy being green …

 … “Colorless green ideas sleep furiously”

A word for today …

… Diegesis | Word Genius.

For Ash Wednesday …

… On the Sermon of an Agnostic - The Catholic Thing. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

A poem …

 … Today’s Poem: Tichborne's Elegy. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.(

Let us pray …

 … withe the Little Flower — Daily Scripture & .Reflections

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Thoughts from a law professor …

 Time for Consequences - by Glenn Harlan Reynolds.

Robbing an orchard …

 … “We, the Fairies, blithe and antic…”

Time to find out …

… Did you know the stories behind these 12 catchy slogans?

On sale now …

… reutter, g emil - Glint | Moonstone Arts Center.

Going to the museum …

 … “I still hear the dishpan bell of the yellow trolley”

But will it work?

 … President orders sustained bombing campaign.

Just so you know …

… 6 Subjects That Are No Longer Taught in Schools.

These are pretty interesting …

… In Mexico City, Artist Theodora Allen Presents Mystical, Medieval Visions in Blue.

Something to think on …

If each one of us could make just one other happy, the whole world would know happiness
— Georges Simenon born on this date in 1993

A word for today …

… Anomalous | Word Genius.

Let us pray …

 … with the Little Flower — Daily Scripture & Reflections.

Monday, February 12, 2024

Looking back …

 Paul Davis On Crime: Inside Government Radio Program.

Time for a smile …

… Paul Davis On Crime: A Little Humor: Philadelphia's Four Major Food Groups.
 
I grew up with them and I live sround the corner from Pat’s and Genos.

Unlikely recruit …

 … Revolutionary War hero born in Poland on this day in 1746.

Resting in peace …

 … American patriot dies of a stroke at age 52 in Vermont.

Long overdue …

 … Homecoming 1973.

Musical history …

 … “It starts with an outrageous cadenza of the clarinet”

A masterwork for sure

 Happy Birthday, Rhapsody in Blue - The American Spectator | USA News and Politics. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Hardly surprising …

 … Composed in 1924, George Gershwin’s ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ Stands Tall to This Day.

Something to think on …

Something rubs off from everything you read, observe, and tinker with.
— R. F.. Delderfield born on this date in 1912

Things change …

 (16) Let newspapers die - Don Surber.

Another word for the da …

… Ratiocinate | Word Genius.

Cool guy …

… Small Is Bountiful - The American Conservative. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

A poem for today …

 … Dorothea Lasky — Mother.

A word for today …

… Furbelow - Word Daily.

Let us pray …

 … with the Ittle Flower — Daily Scripture & Reflections.

Sunday, February 11, 2024

Good for him …

 … and for us:  He Hunts Sloppy Scientists. He’s Finding Lots of Prey.

Meet Sholto David, whose error-spotting has raised a question: If researchers aren’t getting the little things right, what else might be wrong?

An American master …

 … Capote’s children. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

It’s a minor point, but Capote died at 59, about a month before his 60th birthday.

Sounds like a must-read …

 (16) Attack and Defense - by Glenn Harlan Reynolds.

And another word worth knowing …

… Sehnsucht - Word Daily.

Very interesting …

… Siddhartha Gautama Buddha prophecies Jesus - Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia.

A classy look at a classic biography …

 … Waugh Revisited. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Walking …

 … “…like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies…”

Conversation …

The Fine Art of Literary Fist-Fighting | The Brevity Blog. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Good question …

… Is the Media Prepared for an Extinction-Level Event? | The New Yorker.

Good news …

 A Second Year with Douglas Murray | The Free Press.

Something to think on …

So multiverse or not, we still have to come to terms with the origin of the laws of nature. And the only viable explanation here is the divine Mind.
— Anthony Flew, born on this date in 1923

Another word for today

 Disquisition | Word Genius.

Not surprising …

 … The Best Writing Advice I’ve Ever Read Comes From Robert Frost.. (Hat tip,mDave Lull.)

Bottoms up …

… The 9 best boozy books. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

A word for today …

… Sublunary - Word Daily.

Let us pray …

 … with the Little Flower — Daily Scripture & Reflections.

Saturday, February 10, 2024

RIP …

 … Hank Bradford Dies: Head Writer On Johnny Carson’s ‘The Tonight Show’ Was 88. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Heroism …

VIDEO: State Trooper Gets Call of 8-Year-Old Girl Who Fell in Frozen Pond—Then Training Took .Over

Very interesting indeed …

(16) A Quasi-Kierkegaardian Poke at Paglia, Catholic Pagan.

I’m glad this happened …

 So-called fact-checking site was embarrassed into telling the truth about Biden - Unmuzzled News.
 
I gave up on Snopes awhile ago.

Not good …

… Amazon enables Biden's censorship problem - Washington Examiner.

Beneath the sun …

… Zealotry of Guerin: Poetry and Fiction by Christopher Guerin: Light.

Toast …

 … “…I’m tired of being serious all the time…”

The dangers of ooera …

… The Imaginary Operagoer: A Memoir | The Hudson Review. (Hat tip, Dave lull.)

I was raised among Italians and Mexicans, all deeply Catholic, even the atheists. Yet they half agreed with the Puritans. Opera crossed some boundary. It might not be depraved, but it was virulent in its pretention and sentimentality.

Re-evaluation …

… Joan Didion From the Couch - Joseph Epstein, Commentary Magazine. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Far from hiding or working around this depression, Joan Didion wallows in it. In the preface to Slouching Toward Bethlehem, she reports: “I am so physically small, so temperamentally unobtrusive, and so neurotically inarticulate.” 

Something to think on …

The greatest pleasure I know, is to do a good action by stealth, and to have it found out by accident.
— Charles Lamb, born on this date in 1775

A word for today …

… Prospicience | Word Genius.

Let us pray …

 … with the Little Flower — Daily Scripture & Reflections.