June Rambling: an atheist’s prayers, and stillness of the soul

101 Ways to Say “Died” that appeared in early American epitaphs

Useful phrases for the surveillance state.

Long-lost diary of Nazi racial theorist and Hitler confidant recovered.

George Takei remembers the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII, which included himself.

Why three states dumped major private prison company in one month. I’ve long been suspicious of private prisons with them “extracting guarantees of 100 percent occupancy.”

Cereal bigotry, Arthur’s response to the Cheerios ad controversy.

SamuraiFrog feels this is the most eloquent and exact statement about fat-shaming ever. And Lefty’s wanting to shake his disease.

Gay Men, Male Privilege, Women, And Consent.

In the literally OMG category: Christian Domestic Discipline… is a movement that seeks to carry out God’s will. “Which specific plan of God’s? Oh, you know, just that all women obey their husbands fastidiously — a dynamic that CDD thinks is best maintained through doling out corporal punishments.”

An atheist’s prayers.

Awkwardneϟϟ, Ken Jennings at his son’s elementary school for the annual “Festival of the Famous.”

Astronomy Picture of the Day: June 18 – A Supercell Thunderstorm Over Texas.

Steve Bissette Working On A Book About Alan Moore, Asks People To Publish His 1963 Stories Online For Free.

Meryl expands on the New York Times Magazine, “Who Made That?” article.

American and British pronunciation of Spanish (loan) words.

How Bugs Bunny saved Mel Blanc’s life.

Shooting Parrots likes to write about roguish folks you’ve never heard of – I’VE never heard of – such as Eugène François Vidocq and Ignáz Trebitsch-Lincoln. Interesting stuff.

To Parents of Small Children: Let Me Be the One Who Says It Out Loud.

Mark Evanier on the wealthy Zukors, the sweet but terrified Stearns, and his compassionate father, who worked for the IRS, part 1 and part 2.

My buddy and former neighbor Diana’s Lean In story.

Melanie: harp lessons, Italian rain, and traveling the world from home. Also, how stillness is a quality of the soul.

I wrote Love and cheating, and what I don’t understand.

Little by little things are disappearing from my house.

According to IMDB, Richard Matheson wrote 16 episodes of the TV show Twilight Zone, which included the “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” segment that was also used in the Twilight Zone movie.

101 Ways to Say “Died” that appeared in early American epitaphs.
to me

There’s a great new documentary out called 20 FEET FROM STARDOM. The movie is about backup singers – those incredibly talented musicians who you rarely hear about but are on all your favorite records. Coming to the Spectrum in Albany on July 5 – I WILL see it.

How a maudlin song became a children’s classic.

Great Coverville podcast honoring Cyndi Lauper, who won a Tony AND turned 60 this month; oh, I might have suggested it. Dustbury celebrates as well.

I’ve been ear wormed by Our State Fair, the opening song from the 1962 film ‘State Fair’, not a great movie, but the first non-kiddie film I ever saw.

In honor of summer, a visual representation of The Rite of Spring.

Tom Lehrer singing about The Elements, then and THEN.

K-Chuck radio: “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and cover songs and songs about Superman.

And speaking of the guy from Krypton: Superman was promoted at the 1940 New York World’s Fair. But who played him? It is a mystery! Also, Original ‘Superman’ Co-Star Interrupts ‘Man of Steel’ Conversation in Movie Theater Restroom.

Author: Roger

I'm a librarian. I hear music, even when it's not being played. I used to work at a comic book store, and it still informs my life. I won once on JEOPARDY! - ditto.

2 thoughts on “June Rambling: an atheist’s prayers, and stillness of the soul”

  1. I recently read an article on atheist prayers and think that mindset is very interesting. I also found this quote in your link interesting “Morality is built into our genetic code by evolution.” Obviously I don’t agree, but thought it was interesting justification for his “belief.” I’ll need to catch up on the rest of your links when I’ve got more free time!

  2. You are about to enter another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land of imagination. Next stop, the Twilight Zone. Those iconic words, spoken by the eloquent Rod Serling, served as the introduction to one of the most popular, groundbreaking, and trendsetting television programs ever, “The Twilight Zone.” Originally aired on CBS from 1959-1964, the show proved one of the most admired and respected series both then and now, setting the pace for science fiction, horror, and fantasy programs for decades to come, and influencing many top-flight science fiction, horror, and fantasy programs in the years since, such as “The Outer Limits,” “The X-Files,” and even “Masters of Horror” . The show remains a form of popular escapism in syndication today on the Sci-Fi channel. “The Twilight Zone” experienced a rebirth on television for a brief stint from 2002-2003 with actor Forrest Whitaker ( The Air I Breathe ) assuming Rod Serling’s role as narrator. Both critics and audiences found this new series a disappointment, so much so that UPN dropped the program after only one season. Half way between the original and the remake Hollywood offered us Twilight Zone: The Movie. In the tradition of the show, the movie features four segments, each hearkening back to an episode the original show had to offer (featuring the actors Dean Stockwell, Billy Mumy, Ernest Truex , and William Shatner). The four segments offered in the film featured the direction of Hollywood masters Joe Dante ( “Masters of Horror: Homecoming” ), John Landis ( “Masters of Horror: The Dear Woman” ), George Miller ( The Road Warrior ), and Steven Spielberg ( Close Encounters of the Third Kind ).

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