Damnatio Memoriae

was an old Roman way of erasing an enemy from the record. Is Google the new technology for this? Google allegedly "sandboxes" sites, which effectively erases them from being searched by the search engine. Read and decide for yourself.

Currently, the fearless Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugged has been deliberately Google-Damned. Google has long ago morphed from a democratical new-tech garage service to a do-goody power-mongering octopus, with an ever-larger intrusion into our digital and private and real-world lives....

Read the whole thing.

(Via Free Mark Steyn!.)

What Happened and What Do We Do Now?

are two of the questions I've been meditating on, particularly with reference to the American situation. The really smart people are already out of the block, but I 'm still puzzling about what it means to ask: "who did catholics vote for and why?" Just who are catholics anyway?

While I'm working that out you can read some of the quicker minds on this subject:

Unsettle settled patterns of mindlessness: George Weigel's latest column is a common-sense response to the question What is to be done? now that the American people have elected the most pro-abortion president in U.S. history...

Read the whole thing.

(Via Ten Reasons.)

Reading (At Last)

TV and Internet have been getting in my way. So I've eliminated all the series recordings on our PVR (an equivalent to TiVo DVR) where I was the only one in the family that was watching them. So good-bye to Stargate Atlantis, New Tricks and Midsomer Murders. So now I have time to read.

John Finnis' Natural Law and Natural Rights is a primer on Thomistic philosophical reasoning. It's not light reading, though I'd rate it as a good 100-level textbook. It will definitely go on my "re-read" list. (It's mildly annoying that all Amazon Canada has is a used $500 hardback. I ended up buying a new paperback from Amazon.com.) In any case, it's only for those really in love with philosophy.

BIG BLUE WAVE: A fetus is a human being. That’s a scientific fact

It's interesting to see that this is one of the premiere interactions in the cultural war over the moral liceity of abortions. "It's just a fetus" my beloved Aunt said to me many, many years ago. "But it sucks it's thumb, so what is it?" was my reply. She wasn't convinced, but it did startle her to form that image in her mind. Maybe the images are more powerful arguments than all the reasoning, after all?

BIG BLUE WAVE: A fetus is a human being. That’s a scientific fact: I thought I would reply to some comments on my blog with another posting because I want to write at length about this topic.

In response to my contention that it is a scientific fact that fetuses are human beings, Logically Speaking wrote:

Read the whole thing.

(Via Big Blue Wave.)

My funeral

Ok, don't get too excited: nothing is planned, as yet. But Rich Leonardi's meditation did get me thinking about that final celebration. No hymns composed later than, say, 1960. Latin should make an appearance at least (Immaculate Mary doesn't seem like quite enough). Would there be a place for Tantum Ergo?

Anyway, while I'm pondering this, you can read Rich's list:

My funeral: While doing this gives me a strong sense of the macabre, what follows below are requests for the celebration of my funeral Mass, which hopefully is a long way off. It was inspired by the discussion of the reportedly excessive celebratory nature of the funeral Mass for Fr. Dan Schuh last weekend.

Read the whole thing.

(Via Ten Reasons.)

Intellectual freedom in Canada: Prof hired to examine (whitewash?) the "human rights" commissions turns on them!

I haven't blogged on the on-going issues of late. But this item is making waves:

Intellectual freedom in Canada: Prof hired to examine (whitewash?) the "human rights" commissions turns on them!: The Canadian blogosphere is alive with this story, so I will only post a few items:

Read the whole thing.

(Via Post-Darwinist.)

Polls and Pols

have an odd intersection, at least here in Canada. It's easily determined that a majority of Canadians want restrictions on legal abortions But taking such a position publicly as a pol is considered suicidal up here. Consider the following:

Poll Shows a Solid Majority of Canadians Want Legal Protection for Unborn Children:

November 21, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A new Environics poll shows a majority of Canadians want legal protection for the unborn child at some point before birth. This is consistent with survey results over the past seven years.

Canada remains the only country in the developed word with no legal limits on abortion throughout all 9 months of pregnancy.

Read the whole thing.

(Via LifeSiteNews.com.)

Friday Procrastination: Link Love : OUPblog

Maybe I'm guilty of thinking in old-technology terms. An education (of sorts) appears to be as close as my ipod:

Friday Procrastination: Link Love : OUPblog: Take classes at Oxford University from the comfort of your home.

Read the whole thing.

(Via OUPblog.)

November 21 - The Presentation of Mary

†Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam†: November 21 - The Presentation of Mary: November 21 - The Presentation of Mary
"O thou most beautiful among women." Canticles 5:9.

Read the whole thing.

(Via †Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam†.)

Could Be

that this "analysis' gives some meaningful insight into my character, though I'm skeptical. Still, it's fun to do this sort of thing:

Typealyzer: STJ - The Duty Fulfillers

The responsible and hardworking type. They are especially attuned to the details of life and are careful about getting the facts right. Conservative by nature they are often reluctant to take any risks whatsoever.

The Duty Fulfillers are happy to be let alone and to be able to work int heir own pace. They know what they have to do and how to do it.

(Via Mirablilis.)

From Catholic Apologist Dave Armstrong

I've been blog-slumbering the last few weeks. The main excuse is that I've been on four weeks of early dayshifts--and I'm not an early riser by temperament.

Anyway, I have been thinking about the intersection of Catholicism, ethics and politics, as evidenced by many of my pre-(American)election posts. In the calm of the aftermath, I will try to collect some of those thoughts together and share them. In the meantime, I've added an ad for Dave Armstrong's books to my sidebar. Have a look.

From Catholic Apologist Dave Armstrong 15 E-books for...: From Catholic Apologist Dave Armstrong

15 E-books for $25!

Read the whole thing.

(Via Video meliora, proboque; Deteriora sequor.)

Housekeeping

I just "upgraded" my Blogger account and changed the Layout in the process. I hope I didn't drop anything important. I do like the cleaner look to this template.

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Aesthetics

The New American Anthem

after Tuesday, that is. I've been listening to it for a few days now and it's quite catchy:

Spreading The Wealth Around:

A little anti-redistributionalist Calypso for you! I play the ukulele on it. Download, listen, and enjoy!

Victor Lams - “Spreading The Wealth Around”

(Via StudioLams Weblog.)

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Politics, Humour