Monthly Archives: January 2012

I’m watching that Franciscan spirituality/theology/history show, My God and My All, on EWTN. It mentioned that St. Francis (I think it was him) sometimes would sing the glory of God in French (ie, doing his troubadour thing) while playing a … Continue reading →

Woodrow Wilson’s grandfather was an abolitionist newspaperman in Steubenville, Ohio. Woodrow Wilson’s dad and mom moved south of the Ohio in 1851, bought slaves and rabidly supported slavery, favored secession, and always stayed Confederates at heart. Which was why Wilson … Continue reading →

Well, I thought that the worst case scenario was that my severance pay would be taxed about 30%. Oh, no. Adding all the taxes together, it’s going to be over 36%. Sigh. However, this is probably going to be enough … Continue reading →

Here’s a news story — and a law commentary — that’s not for the weak of stomach. And it involves babies, so feel free to look away now. Oklahoma state senator Ralph Shortey, like a lot of other people, thought … Continue reading →

So seeing as I’ve never heard of this guy before, and his feast day is tomorrow, I thought I’d better research Brother Michele Pini. History says he was from Florence, and of good family. He was born in 1440, 1445, … Continue reading →

For them as wants it, there’s an approved and very traditional “Rosary of Our Lord” that was invented by Bl. Michele Pini, a Camaldolese monk of the early 1500′s. His feast day is tomorrow! (So yeah, I just happened to … Continue reading →

Ever since I got rid of the CFL bulbs in my place, I’ve been feeling a lot healthier. But I’ve been getting mighty tired of sitting around in the dark. See, I had to resort to some HUGE bulbs previously, … Continue reading →

Filling out job applications is pretty grueling. You’d think, “Oh, it’ll be quicker now that you can do it online.” Nope. Actually, some companies seem to feel that since it’s all computerized, you ought to have time to give them … Continue reading →

Dr. Oz had lingonberries on his show this afternoon. Lingonberries are awesome on Swedish pancakes, but you usually can’t get them. (Ikea has ‘em in their food store, but otherwise you have to find frou-frou or ethnic grocery stores.) Dr. … Continue reading →

Amy Welborn’s made a book out of her trip to Sicily with her young kids, not long after her husband died. She blogged about it back at the time, with wonderful (and moving and uplifting) pictures and stories. If you’ve … Continue reading →

I found a new job posting this morning, figured out who the cryptic email address was, customized the cover letter and resume, and got everything ready to go… And then my computer grayscreened. Arrrrgh. Thanks to some problems with my … Continue reading →

People signed up two years ago to recreate fifteen second clips of Star Wars. (The original. A New Hope. That one.) They came back with clips in every form of media there is, from pencils and chalk to 3D CGI. … Continue reading →

The lyrics are by an anonymous poet who wrote during Spain’s post-reconquest/colonial period. They have been attributed to St. Juan of Avila, Br. Miguel de Guevara, Lope de Vega, St. Teresa of Avila, etc. The poem is called “Soneto a … Continue reading →

A lot of Hispanic parishes in the US get stuck with whatever yuck the music publishers are dishing out this week. So a lot of folks have a low opinion of Spanish devotional and liturgical music, even though (of course) … Continue reading →