Tag Archives: history

BART Drivers and the Importance of Being Human

San Francisco’s BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) system wasn’t the world’s first automated transit system, or even the first in this country. But it was among the first all-new American rapid transit systems designed in the 20th century. BART was … Continue reading

Posted in Family Stories, Journal, Series | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Elijah’s Cup: a Reminder, a Tradition, and a Memory

I can’t claim Abraham as an ancestor. My ancestors very likely hadn’t even heard of Abraham and Isaac until missionaries arrived, and I’ve mentioned that before. I have, however, learned a bit about our Lord’s family history. That brings me … Continue reading

Posted in Being Catholic, Discursive Detours, Family Stories, Journal, Series | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Voting As If What I Believe Matters

A little over a week from now, November 5, I plan on going to Sauk Centre’s polling place. Then I’ll vote. I’m not looking forward to that. But I’ll vote anyway. That’s because I’m an American. Voting is part of … Continue reading

Posted in Being a Citizen, Being Catholic | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

First Helene, Now Milton; Yikes: Another Major Hurricane

First, the good news. Folks in Florida knew that another major hurricane was heading their way. That, and some out-of-the-box thinking, helped them get ready. Now, the bad news. Folks in Florida were still cleaning up after Hurricane Helene, when … Continue reading

Posted in Discursive Detours | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Porphyrion: Black Hole Jets on a Cosmic Scale

We’ve known about “black hole jet systems” for some time, but never one as big as Porphyrion: a 23,000,000 light-year giant. I’ll be talking about that today, along with how astronomers have been studying it, a plausible explanation for its … Continue reading

Posted in Discursive Detours, Journal, Science News | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments