Election News

Diebold Accidentally Leaks Results Of 2008 Election Early

Celebrity Face Recognition

Look who I look like...

Oh, _That_ Andorra...

Nation Of Andorra Not In Africa, Shocked U.S. State Dept. Reports

Let's talk of happier things...

How much do coffins cost these days?

That was the phrase my best friend's friend and mentor Dr. Nicky used to use to change the topic of conversation when things got too dark...

Well, about $1,000 if you get them from the Trappists of New Melleray Abbey in Iowa. They make some lovely, simple wooden coffins ("blessed by an actual monk" - which seems to be the only aesthetically questionable part of their marketing strategy, in my humble opinion...) and urns, and deliver next day if needed - or you can pre-plan, which might be a nice final gift for your family.

Also, the simplicity of a wood coffin without lots of bells and whistles might help you in having an eco-friendly burial while maintaining some of the look of traditional Christian burial. But if you're looking for a less traditional option that is still pretty stylish, why not try the Eco-Pod, currently produced in Britain, entirely out of recycled paper, with or without an "Aztec Sun "design?

Not Dead Yet...

Watch this space...I'm still kicking, still reading, just not been blogging as much. But still have some things to say here and there.

Here's one fun tidbit: an article from the theologian Donna Freitas on the deeply theological roots of Philip Pullman's Dark Materials series from today's Globe.http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

Jim Martin on Stephen Colbert

And in addition, check out The Wørd: A Blog for Catholic It-Getters. Oh, and watch this space for something I've got up my sleeve.

The Most Immature Montage Ever

From the Daily Show, a report on the Democratic candidates debate on all things gay, concluding with "The Most Immature Montage Ever":

August Explained

A cartoon from a few weeks back by Danziger.

Stanley Phished

From Slate: The Worst Op-Ed Ever (and perhaps one of the best slice-and-dices, if not ever, that I've seen in a while...)

Addition, 8/16: A whole article on Starbucksiana on the Internet, also from Slate.

BaptizedPagan, Simpsonized

So I know all the cool kids did this last week, but there were still some glitches on the Apple before...works fine now. See yourself Simpsonized! (BTW, the movie rocks, Spider Pig and all...)

Oscar the Death Cat

In the good ol' days we would have burned Oscar as a witch...now we write him up for the New England Journal of Medicine.

Today's Globe has a story on Oscar the Death Cat entitled "With a Purr, Death Comes on Little Cat Feet." He's a cat who comes and snuggles up with patients in an advanced care unit in Rhode Island who are about to die. And only when they are about to die. Some highlights:

When death is near, Oscar nearly always appears at the last hour or so. Yet he shows no special interest in patients who are simply in poor shape, or even patients who may be dying but who still have a few days.

In any event, when Oscar settles beside a patient on the bed, caregivers take it as sign that family members should be summoned immediately to bid their loved one farewell.

"Oscar is a normal cat with an extra-normal sense for death," [Dr. Joan Teno] said. "He is drawn to death. Either he wants to give comfort. Or he is just attracted to all the quiet activity that surrounds a patient close to dying.

Oscar makes regular "inspection" rounds of the unit, sauntering in and out of patient rooms -- as if checking on the condition of the occupants. But he never joins them for a snooze.

Until.

"He only shows great interest in individuals when they are about to die," said [Dr. David] Dosa.

But what's most interesting about the article is the way in which the writer doesn't seem to know what tone to take with the subject. It reads a little more like an Onion article than an actual newspaper story precisely because the tone is so cutesy -- as if a story about a little death cat wandering around your hospital and crawling into bed with you when you're about to die (to steal your soul?) were in the same genre as a puppy and a duckling who have become fast friends or a dog who knows when the train is going to pass by every day...

So disturbing...

So, a story in today's NY Times on toy testing in China involves this nightmare-inducing photo: Chicken Dance Elmos being lined up to meet their doom or, as the caption says, "undergo tests." Who's giggling maniacally now?

Happy Feast of St. James

Today is the Feast of St. James, and one of my great dreams has always been to walk the camino del Santiago, the historic pilgrimage route that ends at the shrine of St. James at Compostela in Spain. And I wouldn't be traveling simply for the weather, or even for the plenary indulgence, but also for the chance to see the botafumeiro live and in action. The largest censor in the world, I don't know exactly how fast it goes, but it goes pretty damn fast. And it did go through the window one year. So happy Feast of St. James! Next year in Compostela...

The God Machine Cometh

So I'm doing my last preps for my dissertation defense next week, and then I can get back to the important work of this blog which some of you have been clamoring for (hi, Chris!).

But as a teaser, for those of you drooling over the future of the iPhone (hi, Dave!), here are a couple of fun pieces I've come across lately:

Rocco Palmo, of Whispers in the Loggia fame, has dedicated his column this week on Busted Halo to the theological implications of the God Machine.

Hilariously, a very bitter media reporter from Slate has a funny little piece on how the media responds to the Apple striptease entitled "Apple Suck-up Watch" (although watch for the lack of the subjunctive mood at a crucial point...).

Personally, I'm hoping that my partner will decide that now's the time to switch to Cingular/AT&T and get hisself an iPhone I can play with...it would also make a great dissertation completion present, hint hint...

Project Bread Walk for Hunger!

No pressure, because I know this is a busy time for everyone, but I'm going to be walking 20 miles this coming Sunday in Project Bread's Walk for Hunger. I'm proud to say that the Walk actually started 38 years ago as a way for my church, the Paulist Center downtown, to raise money for our own weekly meal for the needy and our food pantry; since then it's grown dramatically, and the funds from the Walk go to support 400 food pantries, soup kitchens, food banks and food salvage programs in Massachusetts. Project Bread still provides 83% of the operating budget for my church's outreach efforts to feed women, men, and children in Boston.
If you'd like to make a donation to support me, you can do so by credit card directly at my walk webpage.
And, if you'd like to come along on Sunday, there's still time to start asking for donations and to get your walking shoes ready!
Thanks for any support, material or spiritual!

Pimp your iBook

Check out Mozaikits, and the special laptop Mozaikits with Apple logo cut-outs. Thanks to Cool Hunting for the link.

New York and Taxes

Just back from a quick overnight jaunt down to Manhattan after a stressful-ish week that included a 36-hour job interview. Thanks to all for their thoughts and prayers on that front, I'll keep you posted.
New York was lovely; we did a tour of the Brooklyn Brewery, sampling some of their product, followed by an oh-so-fabelhaft evening in Astoria working on our French pronunciation and catching up. We eventually ended up at some less reputable establishments...Barricuda and then (gasp) Mr. Black's. Fun was had by all.

Mass the following morning at St. Francis Xavier parish at 6th Ave. and 16th St. Wonderful service, just the right mix, IMHO, of some Latin chanting and some good Gather hymnal standards to make me feel at home (despite the inclusion of one of my least favorite hymns that sounds like a song rejected from Les Miz: "Jerusalem, my dest-iny"). When in New York, I usually hit the jazz mass in the evening at the Church of the Ascension up on the upper West Side, but we were going to be leaving too early in the day for that; and I hadn't been over to St. Joseph's in the Village since Fr. Aldo Tos was pastor (before a whole bunch of Dominicans showed up...).

Then it was back to Boston; today was the first day back to class for Harvard after spring-break, and now we're in it for the long haul. I'm trying to get caught up on other things in order to be able to spend my time editing later in the month, and this morning also got my taxes done. Now, if you're a poor graduate student, say, and have an AGI under $28,500,
or qualify for the Earned Income Credit, or are active duty military with an AGI under $52,000, then you can use a version of TurboTax online for free. The one catch, as your correspondent discovered, is that you need to start filling out your information by going to that website; otherwise, you won't be able to get the free credit and will have to enter all your information in twice. If you're in Massachusetts and a number of other states, your state return will also be free. It's always helpful when the calendar works this way, and the government provides you with an opportunity for penance and almsgiving right in the middle of Holy Week...

Santa, Santa Hilarita

So the AP presents the first of its Evita-like photos of Hillary Clinton. Expect many more in the coming year and half, my descamisados...

Ironing

In a spirit of ecumenism, I wanted to point you to Peacebang's reflections on ironing.

One favorite: "There are thousands of garments made especially for the iron-averse. Those who hate to iron should stay away from cotton in their professional wardrobe, which is made to look crisp and put-together. Don't insult the integrity of cotton garments by donning them in wrinkly form." Well said, my dear. Respecting God's good creation and its integrity means treating cotton well. Oh, and being cautious around too many artificial fibers...