Inedible Ink

I like Bill Tammeus, he’s like steel to my flint, I don’t throw many sparks without guys like this:

Bill’s ‘Faith Matters’ Weblog: Jan. 24, 2007
THE POPE WAS NO QUITTER

Perhaps you’ve read or heard in the last day or two reports about Pope John Paul II considering resigning when his health got bad. I may be in a minority here — and because I’m not a member of the Catholic Church, my vote should count for less than those of Catholics — but I have long thought it to be simple hubris for an ailing pope or, say, an ailing U.S. Supreme Court justice to imagine that he or she is so essential to the church or the court that there can be no resignation. The pope felt God wanted him to continue, according to a new memoir (A Life with Karol) by his private secretary. I have no way of knowing what God did or did not want in that case. But for him to think that he’s the only person out of one billion Catholics around the world capable then of being pope strikes me as arrogant.

Arrogant? Hubris? Seriously, Bill, are we talking about the same man? Is there any hint of arrogance in the very public record of this man’s service?

When you post on John Paul II on the occasion of the publication of the memoir of his dear friend, written in a language you do not read, then you wrap your own opinion in three layers of toilet paper, (“I may be in the minority…”, “my vote should count for less…”, and “I have no way of knowing”) then it is easy for me to tell where that opinion belongs.

I tried Amazon, the memoir Bill mentions was published last week, in Polish only. I hope it is translated.

You know you want one:

Popular Science Blog - Episode 31: Homemade Zamboni
Inventor Damian Renzello has been making portable skating rinks and related accessories for years, so it’s not surprising that it’s come to this: a homemade super zamboni

Edit: Also on Make, but you saw it here first.

The picture is of a toy, but the DoD is not playing.

X Ray gun x 4 Photo Originally uploaded by Hubmedia.

Originally uploaded by sneaks85.

… a blender. Rather, it was the exposed impeller blades of the filter pump. No wonder that thing said ‘unplug before cleaning’ on the package.

Rest in peace, little Goldy, sorry about that.

Dean Karnazes has gone home.

After running 50 marathons in 50 days Dean set out to run across the country from New York home to his family in San Fran. He made it to St. Charles, Missouri and having run 1300 miles in 28 days chose to hitch a ride back to see his kids.

I discovered this while dusting the blog’s sidebar, that list of links over there to your right, a good many of those links were dead, including Dean’s old blog.

The Where’s Dean Tracker had stopped bobbing along westward and there’s this story on Runner’s World. Dean has a blog on Runner’s World’s site.

Maria Lectrix has her SOTP (State of the Podcast) post up. When I read it I felt that I must repond here.
State of the Podcast: Maria Lectrix

Yes, it’s a boring stats post. It’s been a year and a third since I started this thing. Time to report.

Both my blog and this podcast are currently Slimy Molluscs in the Truth Laid Bear Blogosphere Ecosystem. Only with your linky support can Maria Lectrix stay clam and Aliens in This World be my oyster.

Mollusc! How can this podcast possibly be a mere mollusc? There is a data error! There is injustice! Both!!

I apologize for the “Mollusc” ecosystem jibberish, it is simply a cutesy way to classify blogs. In this case it means that not very many people, relatively, visit Maria Lectrix.
Some time ago, I gave you all my iPod filler post. Full of my favorite links to MP3 audio for your listening pleasure. Maria Lectrix is on my list particularly for recordings of the Church fathers’ writings, but there is much more to choose from.
Please stop by her site and charge up the iPod with good stuff, you won’t regret it.

Maureen, I would like the opportunity to buy or build you a pop screen for your mic. It’s the least I can do for all the hard work you’ve put into free audiobooks for us all. Drop me a note, OK?

What, exactly, is this so-called Cornish Game? What role do the hens play? surely it stunts their growth, but are these hens the original birdies in some colossally brutal Cornwallish badminton, or are they players that made the ultimate sacrifice for their team? If the loser gets plucked and roasted, what does the winner get?

This butcher’s site says they’re not as strong as partridge or quail, but strength isn’t everything, what about their endurance, speed, work ethic, resiliency to injury, their ability to adapt as they see the plays develop on the field.

Cross Country Skiing at U of A

Originally uploaded by Patrick O.

Snow on the U of A mall.

Patrick and other flickr users have tagged 410 pictures with both “snow” and “Arizona” already today.

op29online.com

The service members and interpreter were serving with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, a Twentynine Palms, Calif.-based battalion. The four service members were four months into a seven-month deployment when they died.