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California Murders, and Remembering
I hadn’t planned on writing about murder and getting a grip this week. Or next. But another multiple murder is international news. “California shooting: Schoolteachers ‘saved’ children from gunman”...
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Antarctic ‘Hot’ Spots
Some scientists say there’ll be more carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere this year. They may be right. I think the information’s interesting, and may be meaningful. But I’m pretty sure this isn’t a...
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Disorders, Decisions
Whether you call it mental illness, lunacy, or insanity, being crazy isn’t fun. It’s not a lifestyle choice either. Not for most. Certainly not in my case. I’ll get back to that. Folks started talking...
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Happy Thanksgiving!
(“A Holiday Haven,” another installment in a tale of two turkeys.) If you are in or from the United States, I hope you are having a good Thanksgiving Day. If not, I trust that you’re having a good...
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Visitor from the Stars
Scientists thought ‘Oumuamua was a comet when they spotted it last month. Follow-up observations showed it was more like an asteroid: and going too fast to be from the solar system. ‘Oumuamua is from...
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Seeing the Big Picture
Today’s Mass is something new, introduced by Pius XI in 1925. We’ve had it on the last Sunday in Ordinary Time since 1970. Focusing on who and what our Lord is seems like a good way to wrap up the...
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Still Seeking Earth 2.0
We’ve known about 55 Cancri e since 2004. It may have lakes and rivers of lava. But that’s probably not what keeps its night side hot enough to melt copper. Ross 128 b, discovered this year, is a bit...
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Advent: Our Long Watch
‘Tis the season for frantic shopping, eye-popping light shows in suburban front yards, and Christmas television specials. It’s also the start of Advent. This is a season when we look back at ancient...
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No More Sunspots?
Sunspots come and go in an 11-year cycle. Our sun has acted that way for centuries. With a few exceptions. The sunspot cycle changed about 23 years back. I think we’ll learn a great deal by studying...
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Prepare the Way
Denouncing sin and sinful influences was a favorite activity in my youth, at least for many radio preachers and the more outraged Christian folks. I think they were sincere. Their antics started me...
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California Fires, 2017
The good news is that only a small fraction of California is on fire or incinerated. The bad news is that this year’s California wildfires have been big, destructive, and aren’t over yet. I’ll be...
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Rejoicing Anyway
If I thought my faith depended on feeling cheerful, I’d be worried. Since I’m a Catholic, I think faith is willingly and consciously embracing “the whole truth that God has revealed.” (Catechism of...
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Off the Rails
About 78 folks were on Amtrak Cascades passenger train 501 Monday morning. They’ll be late. At best. I’ll be looking at what happened, new and old technology. Also how I see change and progress. New...
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Bah! Humbug?
‘Tis the season to kvetch about Christmas: because it’s too commercial, too religious, or whatever. I won’t do that. I’ll look at why we celebrate instead. Also Scrooge and “A Charlie Brown...
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Celebrating Ever Since
We hear quite a bit of Luke 2 during the Christmas Masses, including this: “Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. “The angel of the...
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Science in 2017
It may not be an ‘official’ end-of-year custom, but many folks make lists as New Year approaches. BBC News made a list of eight “amazing science stories” of 2017. I can see how the stories are...
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Presenting the Holy Family
Today’s official name is the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. That’s a mouthful, so folks around here generally call it Holy Family Sunday. We don’t see much of the Holy Family in...
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Alien Life: Notions and Research
Scientists have been discussing alien life for some time: where it could be, what it might be like, and how we could find it. Quite a few non-scientists have been talking about the same thing. Some...
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The Magi, Meds and Me
It’s Epiphany Sunday. It’s not about the magi, wise men from the east. Not exactly. They’re involved; along with King Herod, religious experts, Mary and Jesus. But they’re not what this is all about....
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“Imagine All the People”
Someone’s ‘Tweet’ about sin and how someone else responded showed up in my Twitter feed Sunday. I noticed an unusually goofy item in my Google news feed that evening. Instead of expressing outrage and...
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