Head-dibs

Please reflect on this quote and post your comments with respectful consideration for your fellows. " The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame " (Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900). Just for fun: Who is Oscar?

It took me two hours to cut my lawn, increasing my time from 45 minutes and I feel great! Like a teenager, my lawnmower began giving reasons as to why it did not want to cut the lawn so I called a friend who has the magic touch with all thing mechanized. The carburetor is non-repairable and must be replaced (must have gotten that trait from his cheap uncle). I’ve suddenly had the urge to go a different direction and instead of repairing the mower, made a note to self and seek out a Reel Mower—you know, the “old timey” kind with the 5 spinning spiral blades. In the meantime, the grass grows. Though I’ve mowed uncounted miles of lawns over the course of my lifetime, I don’t ever remember having as much difficulty as I’ve experienced the last few years when I mow. I am “done for the day” if I mow. This last year, I’ve had to cover my face to protect my sinuses despite the medication. Then this idea of the Reel mower creeps into my head: no engine noise, no parts to replace, no...

So here I am minding my own business, reading a short Bible dictionary entry on "Aaron." Here I make a startling discovery: “In addition to being Moses’ spokesman he also fulfilled a thaumaturgic role . . .” I sat back in my chair, stunned, splashing about in the shallow end of the pool of Biblical knowledge. I confess: I did not know this about Aaron. Did you know this about the brother of Moses? I fast-forwarded to the end of the article to seek out this eloquent scribe. I read, “R de Vaux.” Having studied de Vaux through a course in Biblical Archaeology, I remain impressed by his scholarship.   A most intriguing scholar, this de Vaux. Thaumaturgic. Now here is where my love for my Granny increasingly deepens. She taught me when to reach for the dictionary and here this word blackens the page across my eyesight and I hear her sweet voice, “Now. It is time.” I reach for the dictionary: thumb, thumb, thumb. Nothin’. What kind of dictionary does not have “thaumaturg...

Tip of the day: Beware of blaguers.  Attention Life-long learners! Chris at Apologetics.com offers excellent advice on studying Philosophy . Just in case: " How to Use a [BUSTED] Cell Phone to Meet 5 Basic Survival Needs ". Check the link at the beginning of the article for survival tactics using a certain women's personal item.

Looks like Venus was not alone in the solar transit. The Hubble Telescope crossed too (might have to squint a little)! Spectacular! Rare photo of Venus crossing the edge of the Sun in this stunning view from the Hinode spacecraft. Here's a photo of the sun rising over the Black Sea , Venus already in position. Explore some of the unique cultural and religious meanings of shaving and men’s grooming from history and around the world . If you think today’s man is overly fastidious about his appearance, wait until you get a load of the practices of our manly ancestors.

"The time would not pass. Somebody was playing with clocks, and not only with the electronic clocks but the wind-up kind, too. The second hand on my watch would twitch once, and a year would pass, and then it would twitch again. There was nothing I could do about it. As an Earthling, I had to believe whatever the clocks said--and calendars."  (Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. "Slaughter-house Five") Thanks, Ray. It was something wonderful.

Travel Like Your Grandfather: How to Hitchhike Around the USA. Sounds exciting (fueled by Steinbeck, London and other great Americans and writers)! Many volumes in the Loeb Classical Library are now in the public domain and available for free download in pdf files. Nook version of "War and Peace" contains embarrassing search-and-replace error. "Kindle" no more! Astronomers have found the faintest galaxy yet seen in the deep, distant reaches of space, an object whose light has taken 13 billion years to reach us.

With the transit of Venus (about now, if you are in my time-zone), here is a blast from the past (thanks, Kathy) via Tomita's interpretation of Holst's "Venus" from "The Planets" suite. Enjoy the ancient NASA footage (some actual, some artwork) of our visit to Venus in 1976: