http://jmbalconi.stblogs.com Powered by StBlogs Catholic Blogs and Catholic News Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:23:37 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I've been driving after dark the last two days, and I'd forgotten how much I enjoy the sights and sounds of late autumn. Despite summers spent near the shoreline of Marquette, Michigan, and my daily travels near the St. Clair River, I never tire of freighters. There's something particularly majestic about ... http://jmbalconi.stblogs.com/2009/11/06/things-seen-and-unseen/ The goal of the NaNoWriMo is a completed 50K-word novel by December 1st. I believe I have about 250. *sigh* Mary Shelly wrote, "The beginning is always today." She just didn't mention that sometimes the beginning is today, tomorrow, and the day after that. (When should I end this chapter?) http://jmbalconi.stblogs.com/2009/11/04/a-goal-is-worth-50000-words/ October 30th, also known as "Devil's Night", was a blast of Indian Summer. The temperature rose steadily in the afternoon until it was 70 degrees in the evening.  But no hoodlums came to egg my house or break my neighbors' decorations - possibly because the worst teenagers moved out of ... http://jmbalconi.stblogs.com/2009/11/01/the-best-halloween-ever/ The Lady or the Tiger Dog? Check out this ambiguous photo by Canadian blogger and cue the spooky music... http://jmbalconi.stblogs.com/2009/10/31/a-photo-worth-a-halloween-tale/ Even if you already read the Bible regularly, Patrick Madrid's compact volume of Bible verses and commentary is worthwhile. Although he sometimes writes from his own experience or education, he often illuminates the particular verse with references to other passages of Scripture and/or commentary from scholars like St. John Chrysostom. ... http://jmbalconi.stblogs.com/2009/10/31/book-review-150-bible-verses-every-catholic-schould-know/ "If you write for God, you will reach many men and bring them joy. If you write for men, you may make some money and you may give someone a little joy and you may make a noise in the world, for a little while. If you write only for ... http://jmbalconi.stblogs.com/2009/10/29/writing-getting-ready/ It was controversial when Arafat and Carter won, but politically-motivated awards often are. Al Gore winning might have been chaulked up to hysteria over a perceived threat to the world. But giving a Nobel prize to someone whose international claim-to-fame is winning an election? Comparing President Obama to Lech Walesa ... http://jmbalconi.stblogs.com/2009/10/09/the-nobel-peace-prize-will-be-a-joke-from-now-on/ "(I)n 1973, the Michigan legislature passed a law intended to regulate unlicensed day care providers, not good neighbors, to ensure the health and safety of children." - Ismael Ahmed, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Services Recently the plight of a West Michigan woman made national headlines when she ... http://jmbalconi.stblogs.com/2009/10/04/neighborliness-nanny-states-and-christian-charity/ According to my uncle, the Secret of a Long Marriage was revealed during a husband-only marriage seminar at St. Mary's Catholic Church. At the session last week, the deacon asked Luigi, who was approaching his 50th wedding anniversary, to take a few minutes and share some insight into how he ... http://jmbalconi.stblogs.com/2009/10/03/an-italian-american-joke/ In referring to an article about the Obama administration's (so far) unsuccessful attempts to revive talks between Israelis and Palestinians: I don’t believe Kool Aid is Kosher. http://jmbalconi.stblogs.com/2009/09/21/greatest-bob-parks-quote-so-far/