The Sci Fi Catholic Yak Module
The Media Fair is always a delightful affair..I was there Sat morning when they were setting up and got to linger a bit. It has been very helpful to pare down my formerly extensive library to only the titles that I truly love. Also my last move helped me make up my mind that I wasn't going to move any more 50 lb boxes of books up and down flights of stairs.
Deej picked up all the good sci-fi stuff, but I was able to get my hands on practically brand new copies of both Sunday and Daily missels, (which I have been secretly desiring for quite some time but was a bit set back by the published price) plus a delightful hardcopy edition of JPII's Lives of the Saints. Each life is only a page or two which will fit in perfectly with my limited reading time..it will be a good reading to supplement my Evening Prayers.
They're always having book fairs about every two months at my college's library. Sadly, most of the books they put up for grabs weren't worth glancing at.
I remember book fairs of my elementary/high school days fondly, because I wouldn't have become interested in fantasy if I did. I had to beg my mom to go get the first Harry Potter book after school hours on the last day of the fair, 'cause I had forgotten my money.
In Gr. 10, I came across the Wheel of Time series at a book fair during October. I read the back, and for some reason I'll never know, I was intrigued by the cliched soundbite. I knew very little of popular fantasy titles then. But before I knew it, I had finished "Fires of Heaven" (5th book in the series), by the end of the Christmas holidays, and had gained a fascination for fantasy epics. 
This post gave me a serious nostalgia for the used book store that's right next to NASA in Houston--they always had tons of good sci-fi.
Sara--you might keep your eyes open for Sarah Gallick's "The Big Book of Women Saints"--I picked it up at the library, fearful of feminist rantings, but it's solid & includes the saints JPII canonized.
Xena--thanks for the title..it sounds like it would be a good addition.
Deej had a good posting on Orthometer concerning the destruction of books. As a scientist and a moderate Catholic I strongly feel that we need to be aware of what is out there, and what it says, so that we can entertain good discussion. That's why we NEED to read books like DaVinci Code so that we can explain to others the inaccuracies..have the Cathecism of the Catholic Church and the Bible in your right had while you're at it. Your arguement fails if you cannot back up what you are saying. "This is a bad book because I believe it says this and this and this" does not fly.
I took an on-line course a few years back from Notre Dame that was controlled by feminists, along with the ranting as you say. They would get absolutely furious when I could back up my statements and they couldn't back up theirs. That is a sad state of affairs nowadays that students and academia can say whatever they want without a shred of proof or evidence, and then get majorly bent when you call them on it. We can't be "bobble-headed" dolls on stuff and dumbly nod on any flaky theory that comes along like its the gospel truth . If the comments are someone's personal opinion then that needs to be stated and clarified...but then I can decide whether it's worth entering into the discussion.
Can you tell that I'm in the process of finishing up a engineering study for work?? The devil's in the details...
Hi, Sara! I'm sorry to hear about the bad exp. from Notre Dame, my alma mater (where I did Not major in theology). I actually took a class there in feminist philosophy & the prof was respectful and sympathetic to me (the most conservative woman in the class); she was not an angry person herself and she did a good job of keeping the class from degenerating into identity politics. Of course, a few years ago ND gave an alumni award to Joan Chittister & I just about hurled. I wouldn't take anything from a Catholic college without getting names & books to be read before handing over $$$.
I have mixed feelings about destroying books. I seldom do, but have Marcus Borg and few toxic books on a designated shelf in my unheated basement out of reach to the not-yet-ready-for-garbage-exposure.
And I wonder if you've ever been to the NASA area? The hordes of engineers are all doing a good job of not being geeks--men dressed well, driving convertibles. And the parish serving Clear Lake is vibrant & served by Carmelite priests. Maybe you should ask God if he'd like to send you there...? 
I used to live in Houston, and I'm now an Aerospace engineer, so I know that bookstore well -- Half Price Books. It's a nice one.
Alas, I now live in a corner of Maryland that is nearly devoid of decent used book stores. I think the nearest one is in central DC. This is a terrible situation.
No doubt it will be rectified when I die, and my grandkids are forced to open a used book store just to clear out all my books.
"Let's All Kill Constance!" is actually the second sequel to "Death Is A Lonely Business" (or if you like, third book in the trilogy), after "A Graveyard For Lunatics".
And that's probably more than you wanted or needed to know, yes?
Xena-- In my office we have a sign up.. CYS... Cite Your Sources.. The current white paper I'm editing has 3 pages of text, 2 pages of diagrams, and 5 pages of sources. Our technical editors foam at the mouth when they see all the footnotes and subscripts/superscripts they have to keep straight
I personally haven't been to Houston but I have had the distinct pleasure working with NASA and JPL folks on several spacecraft projects, although I don't quite have the academic background to join the JPL folks--long way away from post-doctoral stuff. I even got a cool certificate from NASA in support of the Stardust space probe. A visit to Houston wouldn't be a bad idea though, especially with a good Carmelite Parish, and I am always open to new employment opportunities, as the Spirit leads. Just let me stay in one place long enough to make my First Promise
I have mixed feelings about destroying books. I seldom do, but have Marcus Borg and few toxic books on a designated shelf in my unheated basement out of reach to the not-yet-ready-for-garbage-exposure.
Ah, Marcus Borg. I got to have Borg himself when I studied at Oregon State. It boggles me that anyone ever took him seriously. Another professor, who unlike Borg was a real scholar, once commented in my hearing that he hopes Borg dies before the winds of fashion change and the criticism starts coming and Borg gets completely reamed for his incompetent scholarship.
Oh, A Graveyard For Lunatics. Another title I've heard but haven't read. I really haven't kept up with Bradbury's more recent work. I'll take R Is for Rocket instead, please.
Sorry about the comment unrelated to what you posted, but I was just wondering if you were ever a Doctor Who fan and if you are you still?
I was but unfortunately cannot stomach the new episodes for reasons detailed here:
http://claresiobhan.stblogs.com/...-on-doctor-who/
Your input is welcome!
Clare
D.G.--did you notice how your post goes from death of Borg to "Graveyard of Lunatics"? Subconscious, I'm sure.
When I ran across the Borg bit in your conversion story when I first found the blog I said, "eeewwww! He teaches??" I got "Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time" because I'd come across several references to it in lefty Catholic books. I thought his autobiographical stuff at the beginning was just tragic & knew he wasn't qualified to write about matters of faith (regardless of his paper credentials) before I'd read the first chapters. And though I didn't read quite all of the book, my overall impression was that it was tragic. He's on my list of folks I ask God to send a prophet whenever I come across a reference.
Xena--
On second thought--Houston might be nice...better weather to ride my motorcycle..it's kind of a bummer when it's in the garage 4-6 months out of the year...and I'm a fair-weather rider..was WAAYY too cold this past weekend.
It would be fun to zoom past the well-dressed engineer types in their convertibles.. It's also helpful to be able to stay about 10 steps ahead of the wives/girlfriends
Madonna had a good quote recently.. "I am not going to be defined by my age....why would any woman?? I'm not going to slow down, get off this ride, stay home and get fat. No Way!! " Great words to live by Although she may not be the greatest Catholic female role model out there-- She and Cher and Oprah and several others have busted the door wide open for successful women who have made their own way and not been afraid of what the public thinks. If it wasn't for them leading the way I probably would not be where I am at now..
Sara, I'm sure that's first time any orthodox blog has had a post extolling Madonna as a positive anything. And she's not Catholic.
Houston has at least five different Lay Carmelite groups & the education & training available from the archdiocese is phenomenal. Really, you should ask God about it---it's a vigorous Church w/ much better leadership than LA.
AS good Catholics we should be praying earnestly, with good faith and kindness for lasped and non-practicing Catholics, that they return to the sacraments and be welcomed with loving arms back into the Church. I will always recall one Christmas Penance Mass the first year I was Catholic, and a man coming up to me after Mass, to recommend a priest for Confession...it had been almost 30 years since his last Confession... I gave him one of my "cheat cards," and said that I would wait with him... His face lit up and said "Would you??" "Of course." and smiled. I waited and prayed for him that he would make a good Confession. When he was finished he was like a new man...and he thanked me for waiting...but it was actually him that blessed me.. with God all things are possible.
I have always been attracted to the rabble-rousers and the non-conformists...and of course now I am studying two of the biggest...St John of the Cross, and St Teresa of Avila..Beloved St Francis also stirred the pot in his day.. it may be good in some cases to be in places where we are comfortable, but oftentimes God wants us to be uncomfortable to do His work too..
Sara-that's just a fabulous story about waiting with the man for Confession! Thanks for sharing!! And yeah, I should probably pray for Madonna like I do for Borg.
I think almost all the saints are rabble-rousers to some degree, like every holy priest. The Gospel shows its radical truth in every committed Catholic. I once flippantly complained to my then-Confessor that my life was so turned upside down by God since my previous Confession he should really put a warning label on the side of The Box. He shot back with great intensity, "You are the warning!"
And on the Sci-fi side....
My female mentor is Ishka..Quark's mother on DS9...
Of all HORRIBLE things...she WORE CLOTHES and MADE PROFIT!!! considerable profit at that And she sure knew how to schmooze the guys..
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