My Podcast Has Moved

Since I disapprove of Google beginning to do business in China by immediately kowtowing to the Chinese government's desires to spy upon and imprison its citizens for doing the wrong Internet searches, I'm moving this blog over to Wordpress.com, which isn't owned by Google.

(Well, a copy of the old posts will stay here so people don't have to change their links to individual posts. I hate it when old blog URLs are taken over by new spam blogs.)

I hope you will follow me over to marialectrix.wordpress.com. I'm not done with construction yet, but it works; and it's been fixed up so that it has some really good features that this blog doesn't. (Even with the old posts and comments I imported from over here.)

If you subscribe to my Feedburner feed, all should be well.

If you subscribe to another feed, I hope all will be well. (You should have at least two new audiobooks by now. If not, you might want to switch to Feedburner.)

Thanks, everybody. I apologize for the inconvenience, and for the mess over at the new place. But I truly couldn't stand it anymore.

Oh, and if you need a search engine, remember that Dogpile's always been pretty good.

Blog Announcement

I am currently experiencing technical difficulties in getting my podcast up. (The radiator heat went off this weekend, and my parents decided to drop by this morning. Before work! And I swear I'm coming down with something again....)

A new podcast will be up sometime this afternoon or evening. My apologies for the inconvenience.

#90: "Love Among the Ruins" by Robert Browning

A Browning poem for Friday. With St. Valentine's Day coming up, it seemed appropriate.

#89: Ch. 2, The Eye of Osiris by R. Austin Freeman

The Eye of Osiris continues.

Chapter 2: The Eavesdropper introduces us more formally to our viewpoint character, and to the people involved in our little disappearing Egyptologist mystery.

27:12.

#88: Ch. 1, The Eye of Osiris by R. Austin Freeman

Today's Mystery Thursday. We begin a new Dr. Thorndyke novel, The Eye of Osiris (1911). It was published in the US and Gutenberg under the boring alternate title of The Vanishing Man. (Honestly, why are alternate US titles of mysteries usually so boring?)

In Chapter 1: The Vanishing Man, we learn the basic facts of a very knotty little case of a disappearing Egyptologist, his fortune, and his will.

14:01.

In case you're wondering -- yes, it's Horus' eye, but it's also called the Eye of Osiris because Horus gave it to Osiris after his rebirth, allowing him to rule the underworld. So it's definitely an eerie, borders of death and life symbol here.

#87: "Lecture III: On Baptism", Catechetical Lectures, St. Cyril of Jerusalem

Here it's still Ordinary Time, but in the early 300's, The Catechetical Lectures are being given during Lent. (Just thought I'd remind you.)

"Lecture III: On Baptism" provides more information, as well as a good dose of the sort of "sweet and gentle pastoral care" combined with "teacher stalking around the classroom engaging people who aren't paying attention" and "resistance leader trying to ferret out spies" that you're coming to know and love from Our Cyril.

Not to mention the local touch, which is easy to provide in a class on Christian doctrine if you're teaching it in Jerusalem. Still, very nice.

26:11

(I've said it before and I'll say it again -- this isn't class notes; this is a transcript. Somebody was a darned good note-taker. Or Cyril was a very overprepared teacher.)

#86: "Lecture II: Repentance and Remission of Sins", Catechetical Lectures by St. Cyril of Jerusalem

The Catechetical Lectures continue, with more sworn-to-secrecy classes in Christian doctrine! And you thought your teachers were strict.

"Lecture II: Repentance and Remission of Sins, and Concerning the Adversary".

34:13

#85: Mr Sponge's Sporting Tour, Ch. 33

Mr Sponge's Sporting Tour continues. Apparently, it is universally acknowledged that a man in possession of a pack and a good fortune requires a huntsman. Or at least, that's what's believed by the snobby huntsman whom Mr Puffington's about to meet.

Ch. 33: A Swell Huntsman.

18:40

#84: Mr Sponge's Sporting Tour, Ch. 32

Continuing to take Mr Sponge's Sporting Tour, we meet Mr Sponge's new host-to-be as he is now -- Mr. Puffington, a man of wealth, leisure, avoirdupois, and absolutely no interest in foxhunting. So why is he the Master of the Hanby Hounds?

Chapter 32: The Man of P-r-o-r-perty.

13:26

#83: Mr Sponge's Sporting Tour, Ch. 31, by R.S. Surtees

Mr Sponge's Sporting Tour continues.

Chapter 31, "Mr Puffington; or, The Young Man about Town", contains a flashback to the days of the Regency. (Even funnier if you read a lot of Regency romances and are familiar with the Corinthians, dandies, and Bond Street beaus.)

17:11

#82: "How I Lost My Gravity" by Fitz-James O'Brien

"How I Lost My Gravity" is today's cute little story from Fitz-James O'Brien. I know he's not noted for cute little stories, but there you go.

18:17.

#81: The Imitation of Christ, Part 22

The end of this week's section of The Imitation of Christ.

Part 22 deals with what to do in times of trouble and temptation.

6:43.

#80: The Imitation of Christ, Part 21

More of The Imitation of Christ.

Part 21 deals with the basis of Christ's peace.

10:32.

#79: The Imitation of Christ, Part 20

The Imitation of Christ continues some more.

Part 20 includes an invaluable list of four simple things that will bring peace to us. Unfortunately, it's "a minute to learn, a lifetime to master".

5:38.

#78: The Imitation of Christ, Part 19

The Imitation of Christ continues. (I actually had this up on archive.org yesterday, but I was too tired to put it up on the podcast. Sorry.)

Track 19 talks about putting God first.

9:28.

Blog Announcement

I've decided I don't like numbering posts A, B, etc. So I'll just number them separately. Sorry for the inconvenience.