Day of the Sun

We praise You, Lord, for all Your creatures,
especially for Brother Sun,
who is the day through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor,
of You Most High, he bears your likeness.

Laudato sie mi signore cum tucte le tue creature spetialmente messor lo frate sole. lo quale iorno et allumini per loi. Et ellu e bellu e radiante cum grande splendore. de te altissimo porta significatione.

— St. Francis of Assisi

Summer, By My Calculation

According to the U.S. Naval Observatory, the 2006 Summer Solstice occurs 12:26 GMT on June 21. By my calculation, that means it occurs tonight, 6/20, at 8:26 p.m. EDT.

It's the perfect time to get your bearings. Observe where the sun sets (@ 20:29) tonight, and note that direction as true west. Starting tomorrow, it will take the first step on its journey south (yes, I know the sun isn't really moving, it's the Earth's tilt, but just go with it, OK?) and the days will begin getting shorter again. :-(

Happy Summer!

Another Great Bumper Sticker

"If you voted for Bush, a yellow ribbon isn't going to make up for it."

Eight Thumbs Up!

It was a big week for movies. Last weekend, the holiday, my betrothed and I made the trek to suburban D.C. to see Water, since it didn't seem like it was ever going to play in Baltimore. We got there too late for the show, so instead we saw The Lost City, a family story set during the revolution in Cuba that brought Castro to power. Andy Garcia starred and directed. There were a few weak moments, but overall a really nice film. Garcia's love for his subject matter showed.

From there, on to the traditional Chinese symphonic concert in Rockville. It was quite good, but too lullabye-like; we didn't make it past the intermission, and instead headed back to Bethesda for Water. This Indian movie was powerful and very well-done.

The next day, The da Vinci code. Much better than the reviews. And I was proven wrong in my ranting about casting Tom Hanks. I still think it could have been better-cast, but he did fine. Enjoyed it. And Audrey Tautou was quite good. She earned this role from her stellar performance in Amelie, and I'm sure a bunch of other movies I have not seen. It didn't bother me that her hair was not red.

Last but not least, go see it even if it's so inconvenient you have to travel: An Inconvenient Truth. Took three of the kids to it Saturday. They were not particularly moved. But it was informative and compelling. It's real, and urgent. Made me think Al Gore should try to get re-elected in '08.

Coincidence?

A story on NPR this morning reported that psychiatric professionals have codified "rode rage" as "Intermittent Explosive Disorder," or IED. These initials have also become familiar in the reporting from Iraq, referring to "Improvised Explosive Devices," the most common roadside bombs. Coincidence? Maybe we should just stop driving.