The Flatland Almanack

The Flatland Chronicles for 21 March 2007. A Wednesday Meme: 12 Centrist Blogs and Websites I'd Recommend for the Bi[partisan]- Curious.

  There's a lot to be said for memes, and one of them is that they give you a starting place for blogging on days when you're too rushed to do anything extensive.  "Iterations" is a new meme site; for this round, the meme was "12 iterations on a common theme." 

Since I've been exploring the centrist blogosphere, I put together a list of 12 centrist blogs and websites I've looked at.   It's a sort of sampler (though there are many many many more).

Useful for me, helpful to others, and also sort of fun.  For the link to the "Iterations" portal---you could play too!---and to today's iteration, JUMP TO THE FLATLAND CHRONICLES NOW.   
 

The Flatland Chronicles and The Digital Artwork Gallery for 30 August 2006 through 1 September 2006. Gordon Ramsay. Other Matters as Well.

I decided today to make this page an index/table of contents for all my other blogs and to relocate the actual content I was posting here to "The Flatland Chronicles", located here.  The main reason I decided to make the switch is that I am having problems with this particular blog; it isn't updating properly, even when I ping Technorati individually, and I have no idea what to do about it.  Anyway, the new addition to my weblog family is HERE.

I've done a fair amount of posting in the past couple of days, as follows: 

IN THE FLATLAND CHRONICLES [MY NEW "EVERYTHING GENERALLY" BLOG], I HAVE POSTED THE FOLLOWING: 

• CHRONICLES FOR 29 AUGUST 2006:  On August 29, I was in a ruminative frame of mind.  I started talking about my work and how the fact that I'm passionate about it makes me feel good about getting back into it full time; and somehow from there segued into another discussion of Gordon Ramsay and the episode of Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares we happened to be watching.  That somehow brought me to Deadwood----<SNIFF>---and how pointlessly annoyed I am with HBO for not giving us a couple more full seasons.  It's sort of a long and winding road but eventually I arrived where I was going.
• QUIDDITIES & ODDITIES [30 AUGUST 2006]:   Believe it or not, there is a connection:  free books, Bartleby the Scrivener, the Encantadas, dinosaurs, hobbits, and the late, great Mr. Edward Gorey.  BONUS:  For fans of the macabre, I included two of Edward Gorey's remarkable limericks!  (Not recommended for the squeamish).
• CHRONICLES FOR 1 SEPTEMBER 2006:  THE GROCERY BAG SANDALS---PART 2.  I've been meaning for days to get around to writing about the charming note I received from the maker of the original grocery bag sandals.  They got me thinking.  Then they got me making things.
• THE BLOGCOMBER FOR 2 SEPTEMBER 2006.  REAL LIVE PREACHER---THE NATURE OF EVIL.  In my new cateogry, I respond to two fascinating essays by the author of my favorite Christian blog, "Real Live Preacher."

IN THE DIGITAL ARTWORK GALLERY:

• Blue glass.
• Striped satin.
• Sapphire ribbon on white.
• Globe & hieroglyphs.
• Dragonfly gems.
• Red & blue decorations.
• Red & blue ornament.
• Woven metal.
• Multi-colored flower.
• Dancing star.
• Mystical cross---light against the darkness.
• Gold tubular cross with jewelled centerpiece.
• Gold and sapphire bead.
• Antique amethysts.
• Sapphire cross.

The Flatland Chronicles, The Digital Artwork Gallery, and More for 28-29 August 2006.

Updates to this blog ("The Flatland Almanack.")

• In The Flatland Chronicles I (Reality Bites):  To Congressional Democrats:  for God's sake, REPRESENT.
• In The Flatland Chronicles:  for 29 August, more about Gordon Ramsay and Deadwood; also a brief expression of optimism at the prospect of going back to work. 

Updates to THE DIGITAL ARTWORK GALLERY.  Lots!  I've been having fun.

Posted August 28:

• "High Twos!"
• The mother-of-pearl circus.
• Flying rainbow ladies [2 designs].
• Silver scarf 2.
• Silver star.
• Glass flower globe in pink.
• Crystal Rings.
• Silver brooch with amethysts.
• Miniature cross in gold with hyacinths.
• Tilting globe in orange and gold.
• Flower mandala.
• Inset jewel.
• Floating gemstones.
• Peach and yellow bauble?
• Golden, um, FRISBEE.
• Glass bottles.
• City Lights in the Rain.

Posted August 29:

• Chiffon Box (in honor of...my mom!) [2 designs]
• Graffiti Moon.
• Gold shield.
• Carved agate (for Frannie).
• Elaborate bead.
• Rainbow jewel (honoring Martha Beck).
• Sunburst in Clay (for Frannie).
• Satin Bow in Teal (also for Frannie).
• Silver hurricane.
• Fleur-de-lys.
• Swirl banner.
• Silver ornament.
• Jewelled crosses/jewelled stars.
• Ice cube.
• Baby tropical fish (violet).
• Baby tropical fish (blue).
• Crystal ornament.
• Weird little pictures.
• Modern art brooch.
• Green platter with sunburst.
• Four-pointed star in shell.
• Star-lidded pillbox.
• Decorations on lavender silk.
• Glazed clay mandala.
• Flower bubble.
• Potpourri Jar.

The Flatland Chronicles, Versus/Reversus and The Digital Art Gallery for 26-27 August 2006

   IN THIS BLOG [THE FLATLAND ALMANACK]

• In Reality Bites, a brief note on Katherine Harris's attempts to "clarify" the meaning of that quote about "separation of church and state" that I discussed previously; a great deal more on the subject of the city of New Orleans (inspired partly by When the Levees Broke, partly by Real Time with Bill Maher, and partly by the hurricane that's even now working its way north.  That note is here.

IN VERSUS/REVERSUS:

• Christopher Hitchens' Middle Finger.  He really acquitted himself in true neocon style on Real Time with Bill Maher, failing completely to rise above the audience's disapproval and finally resorting to rude gestures that I would have thought he'd consider beneath him.  Heh. This is the same guest, by the way, who during his last RT appearance was rebuking Bill Maher for "lack of chivalry" toward Laura Bush.   

IN THE BLOG ART BLOG:  A lot of new postings. I've made a lot of images and keep forgetting what I've done; it just seems like a good idea to go ahead and post them.

• Glittering Sphere.
• Metalwork:  Indigo Flowers.
• Cute sea serpents.
• The flower wheel.
• Pink and blue pendant
• Pendant with glass centerpiece.
• Remembering Katrina.
• Eeeevil.  Except Not.  An Object Lesson.
• Copper cross (two designs)
• Patterned ornament.
• Silver scarf for Julie.
• Indian scarf (for Julie too)
• Flower child (for Carlan)
• Purple cushions for Carlan
• Lacquered box
• Pink and blue pendant 2 (kissing snakes)
• Sea flower (2 designs)
• Parallelogram
• Black paperweight with confetti
• Iridescent star
• Teal planet (2 designs)
• Neon mandala.

The Flatland Chronicles and the Digital Artwork Gallery for 24-25 August 2006

  Here's a summary of recent updates:

In "The Flatland Almanack" (this blog):

• In "Quiddities and Oddities," good news about tea; and some information that really ought to interest everyone (believers and non-) about why "The Veronica's Veil" is nothing at all like the shroud of Turin---an artifact which is a lot stranger than you probably imagine or than skeptics so far can explain.  24 August 2006.
• In Reality Bites:  they're taking away Pluto.  BASTARDS. When I did a quick net check, most people are as outraged as I am.  24 August 2006. 
• In Reality Bites,  I say nothing at all nasty or snide about Katherine Harris; I just let her do the talking herself.  Also:  a poll that should show Democrats AGAIN that they really need to reach out to God botherers who are serious about Christian morality.  24 August 2006.

In The Blog Art Blog, new clipart:

Honestly, if I do say so myself, you really should check out my free clipart.  I really am working at it, and some of my designs are pretty cool.  I've been posting a lot of new samples---several new pieces a day.

• New clipart for 24 August 2006.
• New clipart for 25 August 2006.

Updates for 21-23 August 2006. When the Levees Broke; Gordon Ramsay; and the Homelife of Whales.

Updates for 23 July 2006:

In this blog:

In The Flatland Chronicles, my initial reactions to Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke, Acts 1-2; what governments could learn from Gordon Ramsay & a kick-ass idea for a reality show. 

In Quiddities & Oddities, some information about the homelife of whales.

In Digital Artwor Gallery, some new additions:

• Green and gold pendant.
• Carnival glass.
• Beads.
• Metallic gold chrysanthemums.
• Silver and Gold ribbons.

Get some little pieces of original artwork for your blog (free, naturally).

Updates for 22 August 2003: 

• In "Reality Bites,"  Reflections on Joel Stein's article in this week's Time, "Cupcake Nation"; and the imminent [FINALLY] return of Bill Maher's Real Time.
• Many rhetorical and non-rhetorical questions, and reflections on civility, in The Flatland Chronicles.

   

For 21 August 2006.

• In Quiddities & Oddities, an article on the music of the spheres (literally!) & how Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon led to the recovery of an important moon landing tape.
• In The Flatland Chronicles:  The Restoration of Civility---some thoughts.

The Flatland Chronicles and The Digital Artwork Gallery for 19 August 2006. First the bad news, then the bad news.

Since yesterday: 

IN THIS BLOG:

REALITY BITES:

Bitter Bad.  Haditha.   

Hard to Swallow.  My fellow Dems keep cranking out the conspiracy theories.  I am trying to understand how this is productive or if it's even supposed to be. 

QUIDDITIES & ODDITIES.

Asteroid Busters!

Rejuvenations & Interventions.

RELATED BLOGS: 

IN THE DIGITAL ARTWORK GALLERY 

• Gold & Silver Seals (three images of seals---not the sea creatures, but the other sort--- from one Florida photograph)
• Grapes & Pomegranate.  A "chi" cross in neon green, gold and brown.
• Bronze & Gold Cross.  A more conventional cross.   

The Digital Artwork Blog, The Flatland Chronicles, Versus/Reversus & A Marginal Christian's Handbook for 11 August 2006. New Content!

POSTINGS FOR TODAY:

For today, I  added artwork to the "gallery".  Specifically:  A pair of rather Baudelairian flowers, one of which you see right here and which is posted for downloading here.  The other has a boxy metallic look which for some reason makes me think of the weird blue box in Mulholland Drive into which "Rita" disappears right before Diane wakes up, a very shivery moment.  It doesn't really look like that box, but for me it evokes it.  Anyway.  It's here.

I also posted a pretty silvery butterfly that showed up on my screen and an amusing flower that looks like a child's colorful summer camp project.

Okay, right, I have a good imagination, okay?

In addition,  I created a new category for dealing with short snippets of news called Reality Bites.  I posted commentary on an article I read discussing the relief efforts in Lebanon; and on on a blog entry by David Mamet arguing (in effect) that the negative criticism of Israel in the media is motivated by anti-semitism.  Finally, I included some brief remarks on an article from BBC Online giving the full story on Mel Gibson.  It's posted here.   

Because there is so much material in these last couple of days, I cobbled together several articles dealing with the UK investigations and some of the ways in which the UK problem differs from ours.  I really hadn't realized.  I published that posting also in The Flatland Chronicles, here.

Finally, I have included a comment on an interesting blog by Max Blumenthal and related article addressing the emerging "Christian Zionist" movement.  It's posted in my Versus/Reversus blog, here.

Love in the Time of the Internets, The Marginal Christian's Handbook, and the Chronicles for 5 August 2006.

   Here are my updated postings for the last couple of days:

Christianity, Christ, and Mel Gibson.

Heart breaking?  Heart broken?  Some recommendations.

Also, in my new category, "Quiddities and Oddities," some discussion of an article on the Bermuda Triangle, which sorts out fact from myth, plus a digression concerning the Brown Mountain Lights, a current scientific explanation, and my own personal encounter with a similar phenomenon.  Weird science, yay!

Anglo-Saxon Attitudes, Floridiana Gloriana, and Chronicles from the Flatland Almanack for 3 August 2006.

Okay, then!

Today's postings include:

In my Anglo-Saxon Attitudes Blog (& imported from my previous blog), two postings:

An Update on the Cirencester Problem; and

English Food, American Tourists

In Floridiana Gloriana (my Florida blog):

Some beautiful photographs from Fort Island Gulf Beach, Florida; and

A page showing various houses in and around North Florida that we especially liked.

Two facinating little snippets in my new category, Quiddities and Oddities:

A wonderful UK site called Atmospheric Optics.

An article (mostly pictures) of unusually elaborate crop circles that recently appeared---pretty!----and a website about the people who make them.

TO SEE ALL POSTINGS UNDER A SPECIFIC TOPIC, CLICK ON THE CATEGORY LINKS ON THE RIGHT.

TO SEE DAILY POSTINGS FROM ALL CATEGORIES, CLICK ON THE ARCHIVE LINKS OR ON THE DATE ON THE CALENDAR IN THE SIDEBAR.