This ought to be self-evident

Alas, in the beyond-satire world in which we live, it takes The Steyn to point out the stuff of basic logic (and freedom). I fear for the future of western civ.

It’s easy to cheer on the thugs when they’re thuggish in your name. [...] It’s not about marriage, it’s not about gays, it’s about a basic understanding that a free society requires a decent respect for a wide range of opinion without penalty by the state.

Are you busy?

A good post to read for summer: "Busyness, et cetera" over at Pundette's.

No busyness for me now. I'm on holiday. For my part, blogging will be light for the next two weeks.

Yes, I know: these pictures are old. Sue me! Just substitute any of the following titles for the Steyn book above, because I'm taking them with me to the lake:

Flannery O'Connor: Spiritual Writings (edited by Robert Ellsberg)

Led by Faith by Immaculee Ilibagiza

The Abbess of Andalusia by Lorraine V. Murray

Flannery O'Connor: The Complete Stories

and (just in case camping doesn't turn out so well this year)

The Divine Comedy 1: Hell by Dante (translated by Dorothy L. Sayers)

No, I don't intend to read them all. But I like to have something to suit every mood. And I usually have every kind of mood when I go camping in very, very hot weather. 

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From our way WAY beyond satire files

When Mrs. Beazly sent me this link, at first, I thought, 'YAY! Mark Steyn wrote a new book!!"

Then:

"Whoa, it's not Mark Steyn," followed by "gee, that's a lot of effort to spend on a piece of satire.' 

Then I thought,

"Wow, this is serious?"

Then:

"This was written about 4 and a half years too late."

Then I thought,

"Wow; this is just really really embarrassing." 

The Rev. Mark sounds like he's been drinking a bit too much of the Bozzuti juice. 

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If you want to see me go absolutely ballistic

...and if you want to be subjected to a long ranting lecture, call me, or come up to me and say (in a whiny voice) "I'm bored."

The first of my July posts at MercatorNet.
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Sorely tempted

to give in to Amazon's exhortation to "Get Yourself a Little Something." Except from my budgetary perspective, this is hardly a 'little' something. But, as my 3-year-old once said when gazing at a toy mermaid in a store: "All my life, I've longed for one of these."

I've seen this machine priced at close to $700 in some swanky kitchen shops. On Amazon it's usually $549 and now it's $120 off.

So shiny

Oh, if only I lived in the U.S.! I could swing this as a preventive health care expense and somehow get the taxpayers to pick up the tab! (I want the pasta attachment too, and a grain grinder, so I can start making whole wheat pasta for my family, which of course is much healthier than white...)

Alternately, I could be like some bloggers and beg our readers to buy me stuff. Except that my two sisters and one brother who read DOH probably don't have the extra cash either.

Alternately, my birthday is coming up within a few weeks. Calling all daughters...
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LOL and I really mean it.

I consider a piece of writing funny if it makes me laugh out loud--once. And that's not easy to do. When I read this, I lost count of the LOL moments, somewhere around 8. He is (she said under her breath) almost funnier than Mark Steyn.

"Paint-by-Number Hymns" by one Anthony Esolen. He should keep his day job (English prof) but also look into doing church stand up comedy. I am so going to look into his other writing.

And I am so jealous that I didn't write this. (Indeed couldn't write it if I tried.)
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Like a kid in a candy store

is how I feel when I get to read about Pope Benedict XVI and Flannery O'Connor in the same article.

Damian J. Ference, at the wonderful site, Dappled Things. Enjoy.

[B]oth O’Connor and Benedict write for a similar audience, an audience that for the most part, thinks that Christian belief is absurd.

Being an admirer of both writers, it has struck me that there is a deep connection between them, that as Catholic Christians, Flannery O’Connor and Benedict XVI both ground not only their work, but their very lives, in belief in the Incarnation, and that both O’Connor and Benedict are unapologetic in working to bring their readers to a fuller understanding of and appreciation for the specifi city of the person of Jesus Christ.

But Damian, you need not be "struck" by this. That is how Catholicism works.




Mybad: Mrs. B sent me the link for this article, and I was remiss in not mentioning that.
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Your daily irony supplement

While working on a post for MercatorNet, I googled Helen Reddy's 1970s hit "I am Woman." In the sidebar, up pops an ad for "Asian girls for Dating: Beautiful Chinese ladies seek men for love and marriage."

And of course it's not just Chinese ladies, but ladies of nearly every stripe, creed, temperament and denomination. Most of us still wanna find a good man and settle down for life. You can't change human nature, not even if you are invincible. Sorry, Helen.
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Do you want to be Queen of the Beach?

Gawrsh, how I love vintage ads...  "Let's vamoose," indeed.

But "ironized yeast" doesn't sound very appealing, dear. You can get the same results with chocolate cheesecake. "I feel swell," will take on a whole new meaning.

And some things never change. Sorry, dude, it's still true: a skinny man hasn't a chance.

See the entire slide show (alas, just eight ads) here.  And I agree with one of the comments protesting the idiocy of the Yahoo headline, re: when women wanted to be "fat." These gals are not fat, just curvy. There's a difference.
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Oh, and before even more time elapses

Welcome to our 18th follower. In your honour, one of the most bizarre yet funny Avett videos I have ever seen. Happy Friday.

The Avett Brothers - Slight Figure Of Speech - watch more funny videos      

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Check, check and check

1) contemptible

2) cultish

3) helping to kill feminism

I'm most proud of number three. In praise of stay home moms. Christopher Orlet, American Spectator.

h/t Pundette

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Deliver us

The other day we were praying our morning devotions in the family room, where the aftermath of the previous evening's birthday revelry still sprawled in all its glory (see below). Instead of concentrating on the prayers, I was staring straight at the bag of Aero candy on the fireplace hearth. Concluding the Lord's prayer, I caught myself before saying aloud, "...deliver us from Aero." 

Considering how much weight I'm trying to lose right now, and how much chocolate I ate the night of the party, I guess it was pretty much a Freudian slip. A bubbly orange, chocolate-coated Freudian slip. 

What light by yonder winder shines?

Rest in Peace, Andy. You gave us many laughs over the years. Here's one of my favourites (Shakespeare will never be the same again).


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I want this

If only I had some wall space in my kitchen.

Found with many other cool vintage posters here. 

Sorry for the non-blogging. Still very backlogged with other writing deadlines, but at least our household is back on wireless.

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