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July 03
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CERC WEEKLY UPDATE - July 2, 2009
NEW RESOURCES EDITORIALS OF INTEREST EDUCATION MATTERS
Note from the Managing Editor:
As Pope Paul VI instructed us in last week's update, "Error makes it's way because truth is not taught, we must teach the truth."
And when that truth is taught, it surely helps if the form the truth takes is itself beautiful.
That's why I was doubly delighted to begin reading The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization, by Anthony Esolen. Esolen presents the truth in a compelling and accessible manner. His book is gracefully written.
Russell Hittinger, the William K. Warren professor of Catholic Studies at the University of Tulsa, has this to say on the back cover:
"An acclaimed translator of Dante, and a brilliant teacher of Western civilization, Professor Esolen is the perfect Virgil, guiding the student through the fugue-like influence of Athens, Jerusalem, and Rome."
Our Virgil's book has been favourably received, though some have criticized its author for writing what amounts to "an apologetic for Roman Catholicism".
Well, yes, he has certainly done that, but necessarily so, since the Roman Catholic Church figures so centrally in the largely unknown story he tells.
You will be happy to have Esolen's book on your bookshelf. You can read the preface and a short excerpt below. - J. Fraser Field
Quote of the Week:
"We are like ignorant shepherds living on a site where great civilizations once flourished. The shepherds play with the fragments that pop up to the surface, having no notion of the beautiful structures of which they were once a part." -
Allan Bloom
New Resources:
• Preface - Anthony Esolen - from The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization
• The Early Church: How Christians elevated culture - Anthony Esolen - excerpt from chapter four of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization
• Salvation - Are You Saved? - Katrina J. Zeno
• The Great Philosopher Who Became Catholic - Deal Hudson - Inside Catholic
• Long Live Haydn - Robert R. Reilly - Inside Catholic
• Persistent Myths in Feminist Scholarship - Christina Hoff Sommers - The Chronicle of Higher Education
• Steady As She Goes - Theodore Dalrymple - New English Review
• Gran Torino Works - Jordan Ballor - Acton PowerBlog
• 'Lines that divide' - Charles Colson - Breakpoint
• Imagine - Robert Royal - The Catholic Thing
Editorials of Interest:
• Papal Programming - Catholic TV
• Pope to POTUS: "Thank You"? - Whispers
• Per "Caritas," Six Days' Notice - Whispers
• Bone Fragments Found in Tomb Are Paul's - Reuters
• Fragile Tanzanian Orphans Get Help After Mothers Die - New York Times
• Heartless - Slate
• Beware the Christians! - Pajamas Media
• Christians Can Save Islam - AsiaNews.it
• Black Church Opposes Gay Marriage - Washington Times
• Michael Jackson and Saint Guinefort - First Things blog
• Hotlanta: "Grain Once Scattered"... Now a Juggernaut - Whispers
• 'Stonewalling' by Obama - NCRegister
• A Tale of Two Prizes - Jerusalem Post
• Veiled threats: row over Islamic dress opens bitter divisions in France - Guardian
• Mexico City Policy Fallout - NCRegister
• Miracle in Kansas - The Wichita Eagle
• Atheist Summer Camps? - London Telegraph
• A Different Strategy for the Hearings - NRO
• "Totally Alone" - Inside the Vatican
• Doctor tells how Neda Soltan was shot dead by Ahmadinejad's basij - Times
• The Pauline Chapel Restored - Examiner
• Catholic iPhone Apps - YouTube
Education Matters:
• Enrollment down, scores up - New York Post
• The Blessings of A Catholic Classical Education - Catholic Exchange
• Religious Liberty Stops at the Schoolhouse Door - Catholic Exchange
• Muslim School Holidays? - The New York Times
• Can you talk yourself into feeling loveable? - Family Edge
• Back to the Dating Drawing Board - NCRegister
• Patterns: Drinking Age Affects Bingeing, to a Point - New York Times
• Modern Love - The New York Times
• Disney world ‘too heterosexual’ for children’s good - Family Edge
• New study reveals innate gender differences between boys and girls - Inside Catholic
NEW RESOURCES:
Preface - Anthony Esolen - from The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization
The other side has the mainstream media, the Ivy League, the political classes, and a lot more money. Thankfully, on our side, we've got thousands of years of history and some pretty big guns -- with names like Aristotle, Augustine, Burke, and Eliot.
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The Early Church: How Christians elevated culture - Anthony Esolen - from The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization
What did the Christians cherish from the pagan traditions, and what did they change?
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Salvation - Are You Saved? - Katrina J. Zeno
Many Catholics just don’t know what to say when someone asks them whether they are saved.
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The Great Philosopher Who Became Catholic - Deal Hudson - Inside Catholic
Eight years ago today, a famous American philosopher died who had lived as a Catholic the last year of his life.
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Long Live Haydn - Robert R. Reilly - Inside Catholic
May 31 was the 200th anniversary of Franz Joseph Haydn's death in 1809 at the age of 77.
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Persistent Myths in Feminist Scholarship - Christina Hoff Sommers - The Chronicle of Higher Education
"Harder to kill than a vampire." That is what the sociologist Joel Best calls a bad statistic. But, as I have discovered over the years, among false statistics the hardest of all to slay are those promoted by feminist professors.
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Steady As She Goes - Theodore Dalrymple - New English Review
The relation of language to thought has long been a philosophical puzzle, one to which no universally accepted answer has yet been given.
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Gran Torino Works - Jordan Ballor - Acton PowerBlog
Clint Eastwood’s 2008 project Gran Torino has recently been released on DVD, and what a delight it is.
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'Lines that divide' - Charles Colson - Breakpoint
A new documentary shows why we need to "stem" the tide of embryo-destructive stem-cell research.
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Imagine - Robert Royal - The Catholic Thing
Imagine, if you will, just as a thought experiment, a nation that for two generations has been forming almost all its children in state-run schools.
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EDITORIALS OF INTEREST:0
Papal Programming - Catholic TV
CatholicTV currently has the video of the Pallium Mass celebrated June 29 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
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Pope to POTUS: "Thank You"? - Whispers
In a normal year, today's feast of Saints Peter and Paul would be the Vatican's "last hurrah" before the summer exodus.
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Per "Caritas," Six Days' Notice - Whispers
This morning, the Holy See announced next Tuesday, 7 July, as the release date for B16's social encyclical "Caritas in Veritate."
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Bone Fragments Found in Tomb Are Paul's - Reuters
The first-ever scientific test on what are believed to be the remains of the Apostle Paul "seems to confirm" that they do indeed belong to the Roman Catholic saint, Pope Benedict XVI said Sunday.
up0
Fragile Tanzanian Orphans Get Help After Mothers Die - New York Times
The Berega Orphanage, a cluster of neat stucco cottages in this village of red dirt roads and maize plots, is a far cry from what the name suggests.
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Heartless - Slate
The disturbing glee at Mark Sanford's downfall.
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Beware the Christians! - Pajamas Media
People who think the religious right are just like Iranian mullahs are just like Iranian mullahs.
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Christians Can Save Islam - AsiaNews.it
A Jesuit priest explains how Christians may help Islam avoid cultural suicide.
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Black Church Opposes Gay Marriage - Washington Times
A number of black church leaders resent the comparison of gay marriage to the civil rights movement.
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Michael Jackson and Saint Guinefort - First Things blog
The death and veneration of Michael Jackson reminds me of my favorite medieval saint: Saint Guinefort.
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Hotlanta: "Grain Once Scattered"... Now a Juggernaut - Whispers
Suffice it to say, the fruit is considerable — in the heart of the Bible Belt, the North Georgia Church has seen a more than fivefold increase in membership over the last two decades
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'Stonewalling' by Obama - NCRegister
President Barack Obama implicitly endorsed the entire homosexual agenda in the remarks he made yesterday.
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A Tale of Two Prizes - Jerusalem Post
Norway is honoring a Nobel Prize winner who supported Nazism, but strangely neglecting Sigrid Undset, an anti-Nazi activist, the first woman to win the prize, and a Catholic.
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Veiled threats: row over Islamic dress opens bitter divisions in France - Guardian
In the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, with its busy market, fast-food joints and bargain clothes shops, Angelica Winterstein only goes out once a week – and only if she really has to.
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Mexico City Policy Fallout - NCRegister
Speaking to Vatican Radio, our Latin America correspondent Alejandro Bermúdez recently outlined some of the evil consequences of President Barack Obama’s cancellation of the Mexico City Policy.
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Miracle in Kansas - The Wichita Eagle
The case for the sainthood of a Servant of God, Fr. Emil Kapaun, may be supported by the remarkable recovery of an injured athlete.
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Atheist Summer Camps? - London Telegraph
An atheist worries about what will happen to children at atheist summer camps.
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A Different Strategy for the Hearings -NRO
Let Sotomayor talk — and get on the record what Dems don’t want explained about the law.
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"Totally Alone" - Inside the Vatican
A talk with two former members of the Society of St. Pius X who are seeking a home in the Church. A bit more on the upcoming encyclical. A note about Pope Pius XII. Plus, Suor Giovanna retires...
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Doctor tells how Neda Soltan was shot dead by Ahmadinejad's basij - Times
They were a few brief minutes that Arash Hejazi will never forget, that have changed his life for ever.
up
The Pauline Chapel Restored - Examiner
Less famous than the Sistine Chapel, it was also decorated by Michelangelo—the great artist’s last murals.
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Catholic iPhone Apps - YouTube
A brief video ad showing some of the many Catholic-related applications available for the iPhone.
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EDUCATION MATTERS:
Enrollment down, scores up - New York Post
In New York City's schools, Catholic students “trounce” all others in math and reading.
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The Blessings of A Catholic Classical Education - Catholic Exchange
Classical schools take for their model the kind of education that formed great men such as Benjamin Franklin and William Shakespeare.
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Religious Liberty Stops at the Schoolhouse Door - Catholic Exchange
In public school classrooms across the country, religious liberty is under assault.
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Muslim School Holidays? - The New York Times
New York's City Council votes to recognize two Muslim holidays in public schools.
up0
Can you talk yourself into feeling loveable? - Family Edge
One of the most influential ideas of the twentieth century was summed
up in the title of Norman Vincent Peale’s book, The Power of Positive
Thinking, published in 1952.
up0
Back to the Dating Drawing Board - NCRegister
Gina Zaccagnini laughs at the thought of her first date. She was in high school. Her little brother had to come along to the movie.
up0
Patterns: Drinking Age Affects Bingeing, to a Point - New York Times
A new study finds that as the drinking age has gone up, binge drinking has gone down — except among college students.
up0
Modern Love - The New York Times
In America, passion and its discontents may not be exactly what they seem.
up0
Disney world ‘too heterosexual’ for children’s good - Family Edge
Two sociologists have come up with a novel reason for fretting about kids’ exposure to media: the risk of seeing heterosexuality as normal and desirable.
up
New study reveals innate gender differences between boys and girls - Inside Catholic
A new study by researchers at Texas A&M University suggests that little boys are hardwired to prefer toy trucks, while girls have innate preferences for dolls -- and all of this apart from social conditioning.
ST JUSTIN MARTYR PRAY FOR US
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DRUMWALL,
a Carmelite Science-Fiction Thriller
http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=1772978 |
This ezine is also available online at: http://home.ezezine.com/1934/1934-2009.06.29.01.50.archive.htmlHummingbirds On-Line!
by Dr. H. Ross Hawkins
Founder and Executive Director
June 28, 2009
Issue 2009-02
In this issue:
Nest building in my PATIO?
Agastache--one of the best plants for hummingbirds
New Hummingbird DVD reviewed
Why did they build a nest on my PATIO???
Hummingbirds are fascinating to watch at our feeders and flowers, but witnessing their nesting process is really fun. Unfortunately, many people have never seen a hummingbird nest. This is not surprising, considering the nests’ tiny size: a quarter will just fit inside a new nest. In addition, the nest is camouflaged by the nest design, as shown in this typical Black-chinned Hummingbird nest in a Sedona sycamore tree.
Nests are always so hard to find–sometimes they are found on our porches, patios, and similar man-made structures. Why in the world would a female hummingbird choose a location so close to human activity? To answer this we need to understand her priorities: food, bathing, and shelter.
(1) FOOD: Hummers typically eat as much as twice their body weight (!) in nectar a day, so the nest must be close to dependable food sources. Later, when two chicks also have to be fed, proximity to food sources becomes critical.
(2) BATHING: Poking her bill in flowers and feeders for nectar is a sticky business. Mother will need a place to bathe several times a day—usually in shallow, moving water or a spray.
(3) SHELTER: With food and bathing issues settled, she’ll choose a location that wards off rain, sun, and wind. In a tree, she’ll look for a canopy of leaves to keep off rain and sun nest.
This is where you come in. Your patio, where you’ve hung the wind chime Aunt Sally sent you last Christmas, may be just the ticket. Being in a covered patio, the sun and rain won’t be a problem, and wind will be greatly reduced. Located 6-9 feet high, the nest will be pretty much inaccessible to cats, snakes, and squirrels, the third priority for the mother-to-be. The tiny nest can fit on most wind chimes easily, using sticky spider’s web to attach it. Look at the examples pictured below.
 Black-chinned Hummingbird Nest in J-Hook, by Jeff & Michelle Bierman
 Black-chinned Hummingbird chicks in nest on Fish wind chime, with missing chimes.
 Anna's Hummingbird nest on wind chime in Tehachapi, CA
In addition to wind chimes, I’ve seen nests on patio chandeliers, light fixtures, doorbell buttons, clotheslines, and even the “J” hook from which a wind chime is hung!
And people? Most hummers are amazingly tolerant of our presence, much more so than other bird species. They usually don’t see us as hazardous to their nests.
If you spot a nest quickly enough after it has been started, you’ll get to witness the whole process: nest construction, brooding the eggs (2 weeks), and feeding the chicks (three weeks). Holding a mirror above the nest, you’ll be able to see the two tiny, white eggs that are no bigger than small jellybeans, then watch the two hatchlings grow, test their wings, and finally, leave the nest. It is first-class entertainment, and you’ll have a ring-side seat.
Remember that food and water are mother hummer’s first criteria, so encourage her to nest near you by providing feeders and flowers, as well as a very shallow bird bath with moving water, or a spray mister. Putting out nesting material (more in a future story) helps, too. If you are successful, take some good pictures and share them with us! (But please send us small images, not big ones that fill up out mailbox quota; if you're not sure how to do this, upload your images to Yousendit.com and send us a link.)
Agastache: One of the BEST perennial plant families for hummingbirds!
Both serious and amateur gardeners often consult the familiar lists of flowers that attract hummingbirds because of their nectar content. For the most part, these lists are reasonably good, but many of them completely fail to mention the genus Agastache (pronounced Ag' us STACK' kee). This is a glaring omission that we here at the Hummingbird Society are working to correct.
Many species of Agastache are native to different states within the US. You can consult the Web or your local county's cooperative extension to find out which ones do well in your climate. Beyond these native plants, however, you'll find a rich selection of cultivars in colors of pink, magenta, orange, etc.
 Rufous Hummingbird at Agastache X "Desert Sunrise"
Hummers like Agastaches for their rich nectar content. Gardeners like them because they are (1) self-dedheading, (2) require little water, (3) have long blooming time [mid-summer to fall], and (4) have great fragrance, even in winter. The whole family is unbelievably heat-resistant and prefers only a weekly watering. Some sample species that work well with hummingbirds include A. cana (Double Bubble Mint), A. rupestris, A. aurantiaca (mixed yellow/orange).
Another characteristic that makes me personally love this genus is that they are mints--brush against the leaves and you'll get a sensory delight!
New Hummingbird DVD -- One of the Best Ever!
"First Flight: A Mother Hummingbird's Story" by Don and Noriko Carroll. $19.95.
Many videos have documented the process of a hummingbird nest, many quite competently. But NONE with the skill that Don and Noriko brought to the project. They had just moved from Manhattan to their new home in Las Vegas, and discovered a hummingbird nesting on a clothesline in their new patio. Don immediately saw an opportunity for documenting the nest with his camera (he's a pro), and Noriko's skill in storytelling and writing coupled with these images resulted in their book, First Flight, which has been very successful. Rather than resting, the next year they repeated the process with HD video.
This video has amazing scenes. Watch the mother actually lay the egg! Watch the process by which the chick emerges from his shell by skillfully perforating a ring around the egg, then stretches to push the two halves apart. And so on. You feel like you're right there, experiencing the process. And the music!! The music chosen for each segment skillfully reinforces the mood of the moment--one of the best couplings of images and music I have seen.
This DVD is being reviewed in the June issue of our member newsletter, The Hummingbird Connection. We notified the Carroll's about our rave review that we were planning to publish, and they offered to donate 10% of all sales back to the Society, provided they could identify the source of the purchases. If you'd like to benefit the Society when you make a purchase, just go to www.hummingbirdstory.com/friends-of-honey-info.htm.
Dr. Hawkins is founder and Executive Director of the Hummingbird Society, an international organization dedicated to teaching about hummingbirds and working to prevent their extinction.
Copyright © 2009 The Hummingbird Society. All rights reserved. Contact us for rights to reproduce any information contained herein. The offices of the Hummingbird Society are located at 6560 Highway 179, Suite 204, Sedona AZ 86351 USA.
Web site: www.hummingbirdsociety.org
E-mail: info@hummingbirdsociety.org
Telephone numbers: (800) 529-3699, (928) 284-2251; Fax is the same.
July 02
The CCEL Times 4.7 (July 1, 2009)Submitted by bdv4 on Wed, 2009-06-24 13:35.
This is an automated message. Replies to this address will not be read.
To view this newsletter on the Web, go to www.ccel.org/newsletter/4/7
In This Issue:
From the Director
July 10 is the big day—John Calvin's 500th birthday [ 1] [ 2].
Love him or hate him, there is no denying that he has been monumentally
important to Protestants, fundamentally influencing the way Protestants
read the Bible through his commentaries, summarizing and shaping Protestant theology through his warm, pastoral all-time classic Institutes of the Christian Religion.
On another note, we are continuing the summer book study series with an on-line study of Andrew Murray's Absolute Surrender.
A South African born to Scottish missionary parents and a prolific
author, Murray wrote more than 240 books, many of which are still
popular today. Every Christian should know the importance of total
dedication to God in order to serve him effectively, so if you haven't
already read this book, why not join the group?
Harry Plantinga
Director of the CCEL
Featured Classic
John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion
Reviewed by John Witvliet, Director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
This review was originally published in The CCEL Times 2.1
John Calvin was trained as a lawyer and a humanist and provided
some of the most mature theological statements of the Reformation
period. Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion is
arguably one of the top five theology books ever written. This
masterful work is filled with commanding knowledge of the Bible and of
church history, but Calvin also writes with a lot of pastoral concern
for real worshipers, and writes with a lot of enthusiasm for faith. And
so the work can nourish not only scholars in their studies, but all
worshipers in their daily prayer and reflections. Read this classic at the CCEL
Guide to Calvin's Institutes from the CCEL
Read more works by John Calvin at the CCEL
Listen to John Witvliet on John Calvin's legacy for worship renewal from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
Featured Hymn
All People That On Earth Do Dwell ('Old One Hundredth')
versification of Psalm 100 by William Kethe
The English text by William Kethe ... first appeared in the Anglo-Genevan Psalter of 1561 and in John Day's Psalmes of David in English Metre,
also of 1561. Since then it has been published in virtually all
English-language psalters and hymnals. ... Kethe lived in Geneva for
some time but traveled to Basel and Strasbourg to maintain contact with
other English refugees. Kethe is thought to be one of the scholars who
translated and published the English-language Geneva Bible (1560), a
version favored over the King James Bible by the Pilgrim fathers. The
twenty-five psalm versifications Kethe prepared for the Anglo-Genevan
Psalter of 1561 were also adopted into the Scottish Psalter of 1565.
His versification of Psalm 100 is the only one that found its way into
modern psalmody.
Learn more about this hymn at the Hymnary
Read about the Hymnary
Featured Discussion Group
The Prayer Warriors
The CCEL's longest running discussion group is hosted by Maria
Smith, who writes, "If you are a prayerful person, then this group is
for you, to find better ways to express what is in your heart." This
group was created a year and a half ago, and it is our most active
discussion group. Thanks in large part to Maria, new members are
readily welcomed, struggling members are comforted, and all
participants feel appreciated. The Prayer Warriors discussion group is
truly a blessing to all of us associated with the CCEL. Maria starts
her welcome to the group by stating, "This is a group that is vital to
the Christian life." This group is truly vital to the Christian life,
and it's also a vital part of the CCEL community.
Learn more about this group
Find more groups
Classic Reflections
Calvin's opening paragraph of the Institutes:
Our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and
solid Wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of
God and of ourselves. But as these are connected together by many ties,
it is not easy to determine which of the two precedes and gives birth
to the other. For, in the first place, no one can survey himself
without forthwith turning his thoughts towards the God in whom he lives
and moves; because it is perfectly obvious, that the endowments which
we possess cannot possibly be from ourselves; nay, that our very being
is nothing else than subsistence in God alone. In the second place,
those blessings which unceasingly distil to us from heaven, are like
streams conducting us to the fountain. ... Every person, therefore, on
coming to the knowledge of himself, is not only urged to seek God, but
is also led as by the hand to find him.
— John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 1, Chapter 1, Paragraph 1
Read this classic at the CCEL
Share With a Friend
Do you know someone who would benefit from receiving this newsletter? Please forward it
to them, and encourage them to create a CCEL user account and subscribe to this
newsletter. Thanks for your help!
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Dear Met News Subscriber,
Escape from the heat and immerse yourself in the treasures of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Whether you are visiting the Main Building or The Cloisters Museum and Gardens, you'll find no shortage of works of art to inspire you. While here, take advantage of the many programs the Met offers for adults and families—the majority of which are free with Museum admission. Search the calendar to find events that interest you.
Through September 7, the Museum presents Michelangelo's The Torment of Saint Anthony, the first known painting by the Renaissance master, in the special exhibition Michelangelo's First Painting. Learn more about this work of art with an interview featured in the August edition of Met News and listen to a discussion about the painting in a Met Podcast episode.
Banner image: Richard Watson Gilder, Helena de Kay Gilder, and Rodman de Kay Gilder, 1879; this cast, ca. 1883–84. Augustus Saint-Gaudens (American, 1848–1907). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of David and Joshua Gilder, 2002 (2002.445).
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Open Late Fridays and Saturdays
Did you know that the Main Building of the Museum is open until 9:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings?
Visit the galleries after work and enjoy a drink and refreshments at the Great Hall Balcony Bar with live classical music in an intimate setting. Or join friends at the Petrie Court Café and Wine Bar for dinner and, on July 31, a live musical performance.
Audio Guides: $5 after 5:00 p.m.
Take advantage of a special reduced rate of $5 for Audio Guides on Friday and Saturday evenings after 5:00 p.m. This offer cannot be combined with other discounts.
See Plan Your Visit for more information about Museum hours and admissions.
Young Members Party
You don't need to be a Member to don your finest "summer chic" apparel and make merry among priceless works of art at our annual Young Members Party.
Space is limited for this fabulous event, so purchase your tickets now. The price is $75 for Members and $125 for non-Members, which includes a one-year Met Net Membership.
Met Podcast
Curator Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen talks with Robert Ellison about his exceptional collection of American ceramics from 1876 to 1956, a promised gift to the Museum, in this podcast episode. The works are displayed on the mezzanine balcony of The Charles Engelhard Court in The New American Wing. More information about the American Decorative Arts collection is available on the Museum's Audio Guide.
Exhibition-Related Audio Guides
Developed by the Museum's curators and educators, Audio Guides provide insightful commentary about works of art in the Met's permanent collection and select special exhibitions, including Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul; Francis Bacon: A Centenary Retrospective; and The New American Wing Part 2: The Charles Engelhard Court and the Period Rooms.
See our Audio Guide page for more information, including rental rates.
Become a Member
As a Member of the Met, you will receive free admission to the Main Building and The Cloisters Museum and Gardens, invitations to exhibition previews and receptions, special dining privileges, and discounts at The Met Store.
Associate: $50
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Family/Dual: $190
Exact benefits vary by category. Please see Membership for a list of all categories.
Connect with Met Share
Visit Met Share to connect with the Museum and fellow art lovers. Share photos, comment on our YouTube videos, listen to a Met Podcast episode, sign up for a feed, and so much more. See you online!
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The Met Store's Featured Item
Monet Monthly Desk Calendar 2010
Vibrant reproductions of Monet's magnificent paintings grace the pages of this elegant calendar.
Member Price: $15.26
Non-Member Price: $16.95
Preview our new calendars for 2010 and save on special sets now through August 19.
Experience the fine art of shopping at The Met Store.
The Medieval Garden Enclosed
The Medieval Garden Enclosed is a blog dedicated to the plants and gardens of The Cloisters. Readers explore the role of plants and gardens in medieval life and art, learn how to find and grow medieval herbs and flowers, discuss the long histories of many familiar garden plants, and discover which roadside weeds were once valued medicinals.
Buy Museum Admission Tickets in Advance
Purchase admission tickets and Audio Guides in advance through TicketWeb.
Pick up tickets at the Information Desk in the Great Hall upon arrival.
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Interview: American Period Room
The Alexandria Ballroom is one of 12 period rooms that have been reconfigured and renovated in The New American Wing. Amelia Peck, the Marica F. Vilcek Curator in the Department of American Decorative Arts, recently spoke with Met News editor Jennette Mullaney about this stately public chamber.
The Alexandria Ballroom is a handsome space. Which features or aspects of the room did you concentrate on during its renovation and reinterpretation?
There were three things we focused on the most. The first was redoing the furniture layout so it was a little more dynamic than it had been in the past. There are different furniture types, not just mainly chairs as there had been in the past. And instead of just having platforms around the walls we created a little vignette in the center with a tea table and chairs—almost a room setting. On the back wall, behind the tea table, there's a slab table and an armchair on either side so you kind of get a sense of how a room might be furnished. We have pieces that relate to one another all in one place.
Continue reading the interview.
Image: Alexandria Ballroom, 1793. Alexandria, Virginia. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
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Medieval Art
Medieval art continues to fascinate art lovers of all ages. Explore the art of the Middle Ages through a special exhibition and a variety of free programs at the Main Building and The Cloisters. If you'd like to learn more about medieval art before your visit, see our collection of essays about the subject and video playlist on the Met's YouTube channel. You may also view selected works in our online Collection Database from The Cloisters and the Department of Medieval Art.
Pen and Parchment: Drawing in the Middle Ages
This exhibition, the first to examine in depth the achievements of the medieval draftsman, includes many works that have never before been lent outside their home countries. Through some 50 examples created in settings as diverse as the 9th-century monastic scriptoria and the 14th-century French court, the presentation considers the aesthetics, uses, and techniques of medieval drawings, mastered by artists working centuries before the dawn of the Renaissance. For more information, including sponsorship credits, see the exhibition preview.
Join us for gallery talks and a film held in conjunction with "Pen and Parchment." We will also be hosting a lecture program with the leading authority on information design, Edward Tufte, who will explain how drawings from the Middle Ages exhibit "graphical excellence."
The Cloisters
Though beautiful all year round, the gardens of The Cloisters are especially stunning during the spring and summer months. Take a garden tour, offered at 1:00 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, and then stay for a guided tour of collection highlights at The Cloisters. Gallery talks focus on a particular topic, lending insight to intriguing aspects of medieval art.
Image: Saint Jerome (detail), From Life of Saint Paul by Jerome and Life of Saint Guthlac. England, probably Canterbury, probably 2nd quarter of 11th century. Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, MS 389
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Share Your Photos of the Met
The Museum has a Flickr Group through which you can share your photos of the Main Building and The Cloisters. If you'd like to participate, join the Group and submit your pictures to our Group Pool.
If you are photographing The New American Wing, add your submissions to our pool with the tag "american_wing." We will select one photo to be featured in the August issue of Met News, which has a readership of more than 100,000 people. Read our discussion for more information and to submit questions or comments. For inspiration, see photos submitted to our "It's Time We Met" contest. Play a slide show of all the public entries and view the two winning photographs and five runners-up.
Browse our photo Collections and Sets to find photos that pique your interest. Among our recently added sets are photos of The New American Wing ribbon-cutting ceremony with First Lady Michelle Obama, beautiful photographs of our Asian-Pacific Heritage Month celebration, and behind-the-scenes and final installation pictures of the special exhibition The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion.
Image: First Lady Michelle Obama cuts the ribbon inaugurating the New American Wing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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Augustus Saint-Gaudens
Augustus Saint-Gaudens in The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Museum has some 45 sculptures by Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848–1907), the American Beaux-Arts sculptor. Through the lens of the Met's unparalleled holdings as well as some related loans, this exhibition offers a reappraisal of Saint-Gaudens's groundbreaking role in the history of late 19th-century American sculpture and the Aesthetic Movement. See the exhibition preview for more information, including sponsorship credits.
Enjoy a gallery talk about the work of Saint-Gaudens. Learn more about this exceptionally talented artist with an essay from our Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.
Image: Diana, 1893–94; this cast, 1894 or after. Augustus Saint-Gaudens (American, 1848–1907). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Lincoln Kirstein, 1985 (1985.353).
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For Families
School may be out for the summer, but the Met is offering an abundance of family programs designed to educate our youngest guests in a fun and relaxed environment. All programs, with the exception of Children's Art Classes, are free with Museum admission.
Family Day—"Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul"
Saturday, July 25, 11:30–5:15
Explore the rich culture of Afghanistan during a Family Day full of fun activities. Create art, take a tour, enjoy a presentation, and see a wonderful musical performance on the rabob, the traditional lute of Afghanistan. We will be hosting Family Day in Spanish as well, and bilingual educators will be on hand. This bilingual event is held in conjunction with the special exhibition Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul.
Children's Art Classes: Drawing in the Galleries
What better setting for our youngest guests to learn to create and appreciate art than the Metropolitan Museum? Students will explore a variety of drawing techniques and materials and create their own art works based on what they see. Sessions run from July 21 through August 27 and are $240 for each 12-week session or $20 per class. See the calendar for more information or register online now.
Family Films, Orientations, and Workshops
A wonderful collection of short films will delight children and parents alike. Family Orientations introduce youngsters to select special exhibitions, including Pen and Parchment: Drawing in the Middle Ages; The Pictures Generation, 1974–1984; and Augustus Saint-Gaudens in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Head over to The Cloisters for special gallery workshops that provide an interactive hour-long learning experience for children.
Before your visit to the Museum, help your children discover art through our online resources; visit Explore & Learn to see what's new, what's just for fun, and much more.
Image: Bracket element with a female riding a fantastic creature, 1st–2nd century A.D. Afghanistan, Begram. National Museum of Afghanistan, Kabul, 04.1.116. Photo: © Thierry Ollivier / Musée Guimet
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The Costume Institute Film Series
Held in conjunction with the special exhibition The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion, the Costume Institute Film Series offers a provocative look into the fashion world. Each of the three films explores the fashion industry from a different angle—idealized, satiric, and matter-of-fact.
Along with Harold Koda, Curator in Charge of the Costume Institute, and Kohle Yohannan, guest co-curator, special guests with a connection to the films will lead discussions at each screening. At 5:30 p.m. on Friday, July 10, legendary model Carmen Dell'Orefice will introduce Funny Face, a classic movie with an equally classic Cinderella story line. Qui êtes-vous, Polly Maggoo?, a scathing lampoon of the fashion industry, will be screened at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, July 17, with model and Polly Maggoo star Dorothy McGowan leading the discussion. Fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi will introduce Unzipped, a documentary about none other than Isaac Mizrahi, on Wednesday, July 22, at 5:30 p.m. Please note that Kohle Yohannan will not be available for this screening.
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Comments are welcome. Please email MetMuseum_Newsletter@metmuseum.org.
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Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
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| July at the National Gallery |
| A free exhibition opening this month, 'Corot to Monet', offers a breath of fresh air. See a newly cleaned Titian, be dazzled by the power of illusion, or play with National Gallery paintings while you’re on the move. |
Opening this month:
Corot to Monet: A Fresh Look at Landscape from the Collection
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8 July - 20 September 2009
Admission free
This exhibition charts the development of open-air landscape painting. It examines the influence of the Barbizon School – a group of ‘plein-air’ painters including Corot – on artists such as Monet, as they explored new ways of capturing light and atmosphere in paint.
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Detail from Richard Parkes Bonington, ‘La Ferté’, about 1825. Accepted by HM Government in lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to the National Gallery pending a decision on permanent allocation, 2007. Photo © The National Gallery, London | |
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Also opening
Titian’s ‘Triumph of Love’
21 July – 20 September
Admission free
This display showcases 'The Triumph of Love’ by Titian, following recent cleaning.
New research has revealed that the painting functioned as a 'cover' to conceal a female portrait. | |
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| Detail from Titian, ‘The Triumph of Love’. Copyright of this photograph reserved to The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. Photo: The National Gallery, London | | |
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| Photographic project: St Bede’s Catholic Primary School, Stockton-on-Tees. | | |
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| Attributed to Girolamo Macchietti, ‘ The Charity of Saint Nicholas’ (detail), about 1555–60 © The National Gallery, London | | |
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Now available
Love Art: The National Gallery iPhone app
Keep 250 National Gallery paintings with you at all times.
Explore with a range of features including zoomable high-resolution images.
Download Love Art from the iTunes Store. The app is free for a limited time only. | |
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| Get closer to the paintings and play on the move with the new National Gallery iPhone app. | | |
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New book
The National Gallery: A Short History
Former National Gallery Director Charles Saumarez Smith tells the story of the Gallery’s world-class collection, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at the tensions through the centuries between management and board. | |
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| This new book by a former director gives an insider’s perspective on the National Gallery. | | |
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| Enjoy modern European dining for less at the National Café this summer. | | |
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July Focus
Illusion
Free talks look at paintings that fool the eye
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whelk [welk, hwelk] 1) sea mollusk: an
invertebrate sea animal with a conical spiraling shell. Some kinds of whelk are edible. Family: Buccinidae; 2) inflamed
swelling: a raised spot or mark on the skin, e.g., a pimple, boil, or wheal
(Encarta Dictionary: English (North America)).
There's something truly amazing about a coffee that has a peachy flavor, and a warm coffee finish. Sure we were skeptical at first when we thought about drinking the Fair Trade The Perfect Peach K-Cups coffee from Green Mountain, but after our second and third cup the skepticism turned into delight. This is a very interesting, and complex flavored coffee, and refreshing in both hot and iced coffee formats.
This coffee starts with a very fruity and fresh nose, followed by a warm light coffee round the mouth feel. The flavor is very peach infused, but the finish is a very non-acid light to medium roast coffee flavor. We can't say enough good things about this coffee, and we highly recommend it.
- Aroma – 10 – Fresh and inviting with lots of peach notes.
- Acidity – 9 – Very mild.
- Body – 8 – Good moderate body - bigger at first sip.
- Flavor – 9 – Wonderful peachy notes, with a light coffee finish.
- Mouth Feel – 9 – Round and nice - fills up your moth.
- Coffee Drinker – Any light to medium roast flavored coffee drinker should like this.
Overall Rating: 92 – Exceptional
The Green Mountain Fair Trade The Perfect Peach K-Cups will work in your Keurig Elite B40 Brewer, Keurig B50, Keurig Special Edition Ultra Elite B60, Keurig Platinum B70 Brewer, Breville BKC600XL Gourmet Single Cup Brewer, and other Keurig K Cup brewers including the Keurig Mini B30.
At Green Mountain Fair Trade The Perfect Peach K-Cups for Keurig
Read how we review and rate single serve coffee and other single serve coffee beverages here.
Note: This variety of K-Cups is seasonal and available for a limited time, so make sure to check the Green Mountain Seasonal K-Cup page often and get your order in early.
 
More Recent Articles
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| Your requested content delivery powered by FeedBlitz, LLC, 9 Thoreau Way, Sudbury, MA 01776, USA. +1.978.776.9498 |
June 27
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CERC WEEKLY UPDATE - June 26, 2009
NEW RESOURCES EDITORIALS OF INTEREST EDUCATION MATTERS
Note from the Managing Editor:
The homilies, encyclicals, and other public pronouncements of the Popes have an obvious importance, but what is conveyed in private by Peter's successors can also have a great potency.
Shortly after being made a bishop in 1969, Edouard Cardinal Gagnon was in conversation with Pope Paul VI who told his new bishop:
"Error makes it's way because truth is not taught, we must teach the truth whenever we see something which is against the truth. We must teach the truth, repeat it, not attacking the ones who tell errors because that would never end; they are so numerous. We have to teach the truth."
Cardinal Gagnon writes:
"He told me truth has a grace attached to it. Anytime we tell the truth that is in conformity to what Christ teaches and what is being taught us by the Church, every time we say the truth there is an internal grace of God that accompanies the truth. He said error does not have grace accompanying it. It might have all the external means, but it does not have the grace of God accompanying it."
It's a message for our time. - J Fraser Field
This CERC Weekly Update is also available on our web site here.
You can view the previous CERC Weekly Update here.
subscribe/unsubscribe here
Quote of the Week:
"To live without faith, without a patrimony to defend, without a steady struggle for truth, that is not living, but existing." -
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
New Resources:
• Beauty and Desecration - Roger Scruton - City Journal
• The Shifting Middle - Father James V. Schall, S.J. - The Catholic Thing
• Where's Obama's 'Evil Empire' Speech? - Lorne Gunter - National Post
• Five Myths on Fathers and Family - Bradford Wilcox - National Review
• Virtue and "The Art of Living" - Edward P. Sri - Lay Witness
• Exploitative reality shows degrade us, too - Colleen Carroll Campbell - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
• Learning to love bravely - Doug McManaman - Life Issues
• Thinking About Moral Absolutes - Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk - Making Sense Out of Bioethics
• Stanley Jaki and the Saviour of Science - Father George W. Rutler -Weekly Column
Editorials of Interest:
• Pope Benedict explains why he created Year for Priests - CNA
• Some Quick Thoughts on Michael Jackson - National Review
• The God choice - USA Today
• President Obama Discusses the Importance of Fathers - You Tube
• Those Medieval Monks Could Draw - New York Times
• Bishop Bernard Fellay, Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X -Salt & Light TV
• Freeing Yourself with Forgiveness - The Washington Times
• This is your brain on religion - USA Today
• For 'Modern Gals,' Religion as Off-the-Rack Therapy - The New York Times
• Africa with Dambisa Moyo: Chapter 1 of 5 - Uncommon Knowledge
• The Rome Experience: American seminarians come to Rome - Rome Reports (video)
• Sarkozy says burqas are 'not welcome' in France - AP
• Blogging the Bible - Christianity Today
• Daredevil - Gary Wills - The Atlantic
• A Call for American Boldness in Iran - Daniel Pipes
• A Latte to Warm the Heart - Washington Post
• PBS Limits Shut-In Masses - Zenit
• The Unpardonable Sin of Hypocrisy - First Thoughts
• The Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia - You Tube
• No Choice but Democracy -Washington Post
Education Matters:
• Athenians and Visigoths: Neil Postman's Graduation Speech - First Thoughts
• Only Catholic College in Georgia Graduates First Class - NCRegister
• Internet, the thief of family time - Family Edge
• A List of Great Movies about Fathers - The Ruth Institute
• Throwing oil on the blaze of teenage sex -Family Edge
• Team of Researchers Blames Children's Films for Perpetuating "Heteronormativity" - LifeSiteNews
• High Tech's Great Leap Backward - WSJ
ST JUSTIN MARTYR PRAY FOR US
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DRUMWALL,
a Carmelite Science-Fiction Thriller
http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=1772978
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June 26
If your newsletter is not in a form you can use go to this link.
http://www.desertusa.com/newsletter/tp.html DesertUSA News & Product Updates
DesertUSA
NEWS & Product Updates
To see this information in graphic format, click here.
| DesertUSA NEWS - Check out our home page for weekly updates on current desert news. www.DesertUSA.com |
Desert Notes: Michael Jackson Passing
Michael Jackson, brilliant, tortured, embroiled in scandal and monetary problems at the end of his life – who can ignore this man’s passing? It seems he may never have had a chance to develop any ordinary sense of self, as he became a star at such a young age. His natural affinity for the stage disguised deeper issues, it seems. Fans ...
Death Valley to Mt. Whitney: Badwater UltraMarathon July 13-15
AdventureCORPS, Inc., an event production firm specializing in ultra-endurance and extreme sports events, will host the 32nd Anniversary Badwater Ultramarathon on July 13-15, 2009. Recognized globally as “the world’s toughest foot race,” this legendary event pits up to 90 of the world’s toughest athletes ...
Junior Ranger Program at Jackson Lake State Park Saturdays till Sept. 5th
ORCHARD, Colo. - Jackson Lake State Park’s Junior Ranger program has started for the year and will continue each Saturday through Sept. 5. The Junior Ranger program will include hour-long sessions on Saturdays as well as six intensive, four-day programs offered in late ...
Private CA Campgrounds Prepare for 4th of July with Special Events
AUBURN, Calif., June 17, 2009 — Feel like heading to the beach for Fourth of July weekend but don’t want to shell out money for a hotel? ...
Texas State Park Upcoming Events: Huntsville Outdoor Explorer Programs June 27th
June 27, 2009 — Huntsville SP — City of Huntsville Parks & Recreation’s Outdoor Explorer Program — Learn all the basics of biking, hiking and kayaking. Enjoy the rest of your day by exploring the park with the bikes, backpacks and kayaks that will be provided for you. Classes will be held at the Group ...
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DESERTUSA'S STORE features quality items at GREAT prices!
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| New Products |
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| New Seeds |
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| Live Giant Saguaro!!! |
They are back in stock after 2 years.
Live Giant Saguaro
The saguaro is 2 to 3 inches high and about 2 inches wide. Come with pot and dirt. Just add 1 tablespoon of water every month.
Description of Giant Saguaro
The magnificent Saguaro Cactus, the state flower of Arizona, is composed of a tall, thick, fluted, columnar stem, 18 to 24 inches in diameter, often with several large branches (arms) curving upward in the most distinctive conformation of all Southwestern cacti.
The skin is smooth and waxy, the trunk and stems have stout, 2-inch spines clustered on their ribs. When water is absorbed , the outer pulp of the Saguaro can expand like an accordion, increasing the diameter of the stem and, in this way, can increase its weight by up to a ton.
The Saguaro often begins life in the shelter of a "nurse" tree or shrub which can provide a shaded, moister habitat for the germination of life. The Saguaro grows very slowly -- perhaps an inch a year -- but to a great height, 15 to 50 feet. The largest plants, with more than 5 arms, are estimated to be 200 years old. An average old Saguaro would have 5 arms and be about 30 feet tall.
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| Hiking Death Valley |
 Hiking Western Death Valley National Park
A hiking and four-wheeling paradise
Lost between the rugged High Sierras and sunbaked Death Valley, bypassed by most visitors on their way somewhere else, this sumptuous alignment of low desert valleys trapped between mountains reaching over 11,000 feet is a little-known paradise waiting to be discovered. This is Death Valley one hundred years ago, a hiker's mecca filled with salt flats and sand dunes, old mines and ghost towns, awesome canyons, breathtaking summits, delightful springs and unexpected streams, and more miles of unspoiled desert than one can explore in a lifetime.
This is the first comprehensive guidebook dedicated to this fascinating region. Illustrated with hand-drawn topographic maps, filled with information about the area's rich human and mining history, geology, and botany, it will take hikers and four-wheelers to more than 200 destinations covering a wide range of interests and difficulties.
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| Gold Panning Set |
Gold Panning is Easy and Gold pan set
You can find Gold..... Believe it!! (DesertUSA did!! We started DesertUSA because of trips to the desert exploring and gold prospecting.)
Anyone can use a pan to recover gold from mountain streams, desert arroyos or wherever it awaits you. Roy Lagal, who has spent a lifetime finding gold, tells just how easy it is.
Take your next vacation in beautiful gold country. Follow the simple illustraded instructions in this book, you are certain to enjoy the glorious outdoors. And, you may experience the thrill of a lifetime as you find color of your very own!!!
Also, learn how to use metal detectors that can make discovering gold nuggets as easy as finding coins in the park.
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| New Coasters |
We have added 3 more coaster designs, check them out.
  
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| Desert Skunk |
 We added this soft and fury friend to our collection. Click here to learn more. See all our desert buddies. |
| New Books |
  Herbal Medicine of the American Southwest
New Edition: Gem Trails of Oregon
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| New DVD |
 Spring Comes To
The Harcuvars: DVD
If you were to go wandering in the Arizona desert on a spring day, what would you be likely to see? This video answers that question. Far from being the lifeless, hostile place that many people imagine, the Arizona desert in spring puts forth an astonishing display of flowers, and a wide variety of animal life.
"Spring Comes to the Harcuvars" contains information about 12 species of lizard, 5 rattlesnake species (and five other snakes), plus several birds and mammals. Over 60 different flowering plants provide a kaleidoscope of color. |
| New Mesquite Meal |
 Mesquite Meal (Argentine Mesquite Flour)
Mesquite meal or flour, made by finely milling the seeds and pods of the Mesquite Tree. Mesquite meal offers a sweet, chocolate/coffee flavor with a hint of cinnamon. Certified Organic Mesquite Meal is 100% natural. Gluten Free
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| Sale on Sonoma Lavender products. Up to 25% off. |
 SONOMA LAVENDER PRODUCTS.
25% OFF most products. Whenever you need a little pampering, cuddle up to your Sonoma Lavender. Heat Wraps, Spa Masks, Eye Pillows, Neck Wraps. Click Here |
| GARDEN DEPARTMENT |
 WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF UNUSUAL ITEMS FOR THE GARDENERS ON YOUR LIST, AT PRICES YOU WILL LOVE. Check out our GARDEN DEPARTMENT.
Live Cactus Egg (miniature Greenhouse for Cactus sprout) Set includes: 1 Live Cactus, Egg Incubator dome, and Instructions on planting and care, provides education and fun as you raise your own cactus! Click here to see it!
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| PRICKLY PEAR & DESERT FOODS DEPARTMENT |
 PLAN A DESERT-THEMED PRICKLY PEAR HOLIDAY PARTY, OR GIVE PRICKLY PEAR CANDIES AS A TREAT!
Try a Prickly Pear Margarita made with Prickly Pear Cactus syrup. The syrup also makes exceptionally flavorful Wine Coolers, Spritzers, and Prickly Pear Lemonade. The Syrup comes in 7 oz.,12 oz., 23 oz. and 1 gallon containers. Click Here for more information.
Enjoy Prickly Pear Cactus, Mesquite Bean and Margarita jelly candies - Half pound box featuring three mouth-watering candy selections. Tantalize your tastebuds with flavors of the southwest from the fruits of the desert.
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| CHILDREN'S GIFT DEPARTMENT PLUS STUFFED ANIMALS FOR ALL AGES |
 BOOKS, PUZZLES, BREAK AT HOME GEODES AND STUFFED ANIMALS!
Stuffed animal and book gift sets: Stellaluna and little fruit bat toy, Tortoise and the Jack Rabbit and Tortoise toy plus Jack Rabbit toy, and more!
Educational toys like Break-at-Home Geodes and 3D puzzle - 3 models - Tarantula - Scorpion - Gila Monster!
Stuffed animals of all kinds - coyotes, snakes, big horned sheep, horses, bats, prairie dogs, foxes, and more! Don't miss our adorable pair of wild horses. Honeycomb and Nutmeg are 7" tall microfiber plush horses. Honeycomb is a Palamino and Nutmeg is a Chestnut horse. Click here for the horses.
And special lucky Kokopelli, the Southwest Indians’ Humpbacked Flute Player, in his multi-colored stuffed form!
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| AGATE & QUARTZ DEPARTMENT PLUS DECORATIVE GIFTS FOR THE HOME |
  Agate Bookends, Rose Quartz Lamps, Amethyst Candle Holders, Agate Nightlights Southwest decor and more!
Our favorite for your gift list: 24K Brazilian Gold Flakes in a 1.75" tall Safety Glass bottle, only $4.95
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| DESERT BOOK DEPARTMENT |
 EVERY KIND of DESERT BOOK IMAGINABLE - from GEM TRAILS GUIDES to PARK PACKAGES, HISTORICAL and ANIMALS!
and WILDLIFE!
Check out our DESERT SURVIVAL BOOK and OUTDOOR GIZMOS 2-PACK set. We have a special section just for Rockhounds! Or you may want to read about Geronimo, in his own words. Find out all about the legend of Kokopelli. Or peruse this book with over 250 pictures of Rattlesnakes. Our book selection if phenomenal!
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| PET DEPARTMENT |
Joint Supplement - Do you have a dog or cat with arthritis or joint problems, or just a little slow from old age? Check out Nimble, a glucosamine product for dogs, that could help return them to pain-free movement. Click here for more information or to buy.
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| BATH & BODY DEPARTMENT |
 WE OFFER DESERT QUEEN FRAGRANCES - give her the rare and delicious scent of Desert Queen fragrance, capturing the scent of the Night-Blooming Cereus - 1.7oz Eau de Parfum Spray for only $38.95,Bath and shower gel at only $16.95 or Gift Trio at $64.95.
Also a great gift idea ISIS and AQUIS Hair Towels and Turbans reduce split ends and help dry hair faster at home or at the gym. Warning may result in smiles in the morning!
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| DVD DEPARTMENT |
 State and National Park DVDs - DesertUSA has an extensive selection of park DVDs including: Arches, Big Bend, Monument Valley, Death Valley, The Grand Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns, Zion, Yellowstone, Red Rock Canyon and many more. Click here to browse our park DVDs.
Joshua Tree NP DVD This is THE tool you need to plan a trip to Joshua Tree National Park.
DVDs ABOUT INDIAN CULTURE, BATS, & MONTEZUMA's TREASURE!
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| GIFT & UNIQUE ITEMS DEPARTMENT |
 Stumped? Need a gift idea? Visit our Gift Department
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| MAP & GPS DEPARTMENT |
MAPS MAPS MAPS! National Geographic Trails Illustrated ® Maps from Arches to Zion, Recreational Maps, and Atlas & Gazetteers with GPS Grids. Also the Topo CDs Western Region USA 7.0 - completely updated USGS topographic maps, on 5 CD Includes the latest DeLorme street and highway network 3-D flyovers, GPS compatible, elevation profiles.
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| SOUTHWESTERN MUSIC DEPARTMENT |
 Sounds of the Desert: Ah-Nee-Ma, John Huling, Robert Mirabal.
Let the sounds of nature and American Indian instruments transport you to peaceful canyons and wide open skies. Enchanting music of Native American flutes, drums, and chants with keyboard textures and guitars to form a rich landscape of musical sound paintings, inspired by the ancient cultures of the American Southwest. Listen online to clips.
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| NATIVE AMERICAN |
| Books with a Native American theme - Indian Uses of Desert Plants, Geronimo: His Own Story, Field Guide to Rock Art Symbols |
All revenue earned from our online reservation system and store sales are used to support the maintenance and development costs associated with the DesertUSA Web site. By placing reservations on DesertUSA's reservation system or by purchasing products from the Trading Post, you are directly contributing to the future development and continued maintenance of DesertUSA.
You can book reservations anywhere in the World from the DesertUSA Web site. So be sure to try our online reservation system for your next vacation and/or car rental. Make Reservations Now
Get ready for your visit to the desert with books, gifts and products available from the DesertUSA's Online Store.
DesertUSA's purpose is to provide a tool for discovery - a publication that entertains, educates and explores with our readers, the beauty, life and culture of the North American deserts. Visitors come to DesertUSA's Web site every month to read articles, participate in the Desert Talk message board, shop in DesertUSA's online store and explore the desert virtually.
DesertUSA encourages you to forward a copy of the Digital Desert Newsletter to friends, family and business associates who may be interested in receiving this newsletter on a monthly basis.
End of Newsletter
June 25
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from Melissa Mayntz
Greetings, birders! Summer has officially arrived, and that means the temperatures are heating up. It is critical to have water available to attract backyard birds, and this week's newsletter is packed with information about the easiest type of water feature to add to your bird-friendly landscaping: birdbaths. You can have more than one, in different sizes, styles and shapes, and you'll find you have more birds in your yard than ever before. Happy birding!
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In the Spotlight |
Bird of the Week: California Quail
This week's top bird is one of my absolute backyard favorites, the California quail. These chicken-like game birds are plump and perky, running across lawns, parks, streets in perfectly straight lines at precise intervals. They've tried - unsuccessfully - to fit through our neighbor's picket fence, and they are great to watch in family coveys. But do you know how to ID them from other quail species? And why are they called "California" quail if I see them so frequently in Utah?
Read more...
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Tips for Choosing Birdbaths
A birdbath is a quick and easy water feature to add to any garden, patio or yard, but how do you choose the right one? Different characteristics, including size, depth and texture, can make a world of difference in whether or not birds will visit the bath, and you want to be sure to pick one that you enjoy as well.
Read more...
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How to Clean a Birdbath
Scrubbing red, orange, black or green scum out of a birdbath is probably my least enjoyable backyard birding task, but if you know how to clean a birdbath properly, it's no chore at all. A clean birdbath attracts more birds, minimizes diseases and is a beautiful addition to your bird-friendly yard.
Read more...
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BIBLE IN THE NEWS: SHAVE AND A HAIRCUT
Biblical Samson--or at least his story--is still alive and well in modern times
In the current issue of BAR, Bible in the News columnist Leonard Greenspoon points out that the Biblical figure of Samson and his legendary hair still reverberates in our modern culture. Perhaps appropriately, sports provide a window into this particular Biblical phenomenon: players and fans both exhibit superstition when it comes to the length of a player's hair. But sports are not the only bastions of Samson echoes--from action figures to lovesick donkeys, Samson and his story still resonate today.
Read about Samson in our modern times
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BREAKING NEWS
Check out the latest news in Biblical archaeology and related topics--updated daily
This week in the news, 18th-dynasty tombs of officials are discovered in the necropolis of Dra Abu el-Naga in Luxor, Egypt. In Israel, the largest known cave in the country, thought to be an ancient Roman quarry, is discovered in the West Bank, while in Malta an ancient mystery is set to go on display.
Read more Breaking News
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EGYPT: LAND OF LEGENDS AND MYSTERIES
Travel a new and exotic path!
Travel a new and exotic path in Egypt! Once you've walked in the footsteps of pharaohs and kings, you'll want to return again and again. This tour not only introduces the first-time visitor to Egypt's wonders, but also reveals more of her secrets to those who have traveled this legendary land before. Whether it's your first visit or your tenth, we promise that you've never seen the legends and mysteries of Egypt like this. Your lecturer and guide is renowned scholar Dr. Chahinda Karim, who will introduce you to el-Amarna, Beni Hassan, the Pyramid of Meidum, St. Catherine's Monastery, the Library at Alexandria, the Red Monastery, Pharaohs Island, the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Luxor and more!
Sign up for authentic travel off the beaten track in the capable hands of Dr. Chahinda Karim
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CARTOON CAPTION CONTEST
Submit a caption
Write a caption for this cartoon! The author of the best caption will receive a BAS T-shirt, a Dead Sea Scroll mug and three complimentary subscriptions to give BAR to friends.
Runners-up will receive a BAS T-shirt and two complimentary subscriptions.The deadline for captions is October 15, 2009.
Submit your caption
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» CONTENTS
Bible in the News: Shave and a Haircut
Breaking News
Egypt: Land of Legends and Mysteries
Cartoon Caption Contest
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INVENTORY CLEARANCE SALE
Hurry! Sale prices good until June 30, 2009
Discounts up to 80%
FREE GIFT!
James Tabor's DVD lecture Locating the Herodian Temple with your purchase of two or more sale items.
Enter code E9X6E when ordering to get free gift.
View all sale items here.
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June 20
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CERC WEEKLY UPDATE - June 18, 2009
NEW RESOURCES EDITORIALS OF INTEREST EDUCATION MATTERS
Note from the Managing Editor:
The Times Literary Supplement had a positive review of Ian Linden's new book Global Catholicism in it's Easter issue. In the June/July issue of First Things, Jody Bottum alluded to the book and to the Times review:
"It's a book that begins with this Chinese proverb: When a tree falls it crashes with a noise, but when a forest grows no one hears anything. The same can be said of global Catholicism: The world only hears about condoms and clerical scandals, but in the meantime the real story is being ignored."
That story, told in Global Catholicism, is summarized by the Times reviewer:
"Secularists might be surprised to learn that the Church is the largest single supplier of healthcare and education on the planet, the principle glue of civil society in Africa, the strongest bulwark of opposition to the caste system in India, and a leading player in global campaigns for sustainable living. It provides almost the only charitable presence in Chechnya, and other black spots often forgotten by the rest of the world."
While these and many other positive contributions of the Church remain ignored and unknown to most everyone -- most egregiously Catholics -- the wondrous fact remains, as Bottum points out, that "...slowly, hidden from the eyes of the world, grace is at work, Christianity grows, and God's purposes are served." - J. Fraser Field
This CERC Weekly Update is also available on our web site here.
You can view the previous CERC Weekly Update here.
subscribe/unsubscribe here
Quote of the Week:
"The error of Diogenes lay in the fact that he omitted to notice that every man is both an honest man and a dishonest man. Diogenes looked for his honest man inside every crypt and cavern, but he never thought of looking inside the thief." -
G.K. Chesterton
New Resources:
• The Unquiet Men - Anthony Esolen - Touchstone
• June 1979 -- The Nine Days of John Paul II - George Weigel - The Catholic Difference
• The Seven Deadly Sins Revisited: Greed - Mary Eberstadt - The Catholic Thing
• Standing on the Mound: The Virtues of Baseball - Elizabeth Thecla Mauro - Inside Catholic
• Does Christianity exist? - Father James V. Schall, S.J. - The Catholic Thing
• Anti-abortion minister urges action by African Americans - Gerald Korson - The Catholic Voice
• Reversing the Deculturation of Fatherhood - Donald DeMarco
• Joyce Appleby, Catholic Conscience, and the Supreme Court - Matthew J. Franck - The Moral Accountability Project
• Obama Hovers From on High - Charles Krauthammer - Washington Post
• Henry VIII, 500 Years Later - Edward Pentin - National Catholic Register
Editorials of Interest:
• Year of the Priest Letter - Pope Benedict XVI - Vatican
• Caritas in Veritate update -National Catholic Register
• The Invisible Woman - YouTube
• Saint Chesterton - The Catholic Herald
• Our Historically Challenged President - NRO
• Rome, Inc. - Get Religion
• Theology of the Body Fight - NCRegister
• Lincoln's Memo to Obama - The Wilson Quarterly
• Obama's gay agenda - US News
• The smothering embrace of nanny government - Mark Steyn
• A Decade On, "Father Basil" on Prayer - Whispers
• Focus on the Family's new CEO shifts perspectives - Denver Post
• All Eyes Are on Tiger Woods, the Father - New York Times
• In Iran, an Iron Cleric, Now Blinking - New York Times
• Why Economists Failed to Predict the Financial Crisis - Knowledge Wharton
• What to Do About Darfur - The New York Review of Books
• Message for China's Catholics - AP
• "Culto DiNoia" Comes to Pass - Whispers
Education Matters:
• Michelle Rhee On Improving D.C. Public Schools - Washington Post (video)
• Reason vs. Faith: the Battle Continues - The Chronicle Review
• Sense of family obligation healthy for teens - Family Edge
• When Provided with Accurate Information, Public Support for Increased Spending on Education Declines - Education Next
• Demography as Destiny? - Education Next
• Silence, Please - Standpoint
• Please don't mention Jesus - CNA
• Education Behind Bars - NCRegister
• The bad news from Pottsville - The Republican Herald
ST JUSTIN MARTYR PRAY FOR US
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DRUMWALL,
a Carmelite Science-Fiction Thriller
http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=1772978
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June 18
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 PERGAMON: CITY OF SCIENCE ... AND SATAN?
Travel with us to Turkey as we explore one of its most Biblically significant sites
Perched atop a windswept mountain along the Turkish coastline and gazing proudly--almost defiantly--over the azure Aegean Sea sit the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Pergamon. Join us online to read about the magnificent city that is considered one of the Seven Churches of Revelation. BAS managing web editor Sarah Yeomans is your guide through the ruins of Pergamon and its history as we take a closer look at its Biblical significance.
Read more about the ancient city of Pergamon
See the wonders of Pergamon and Turkey yourself!
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BREAKING NEWS
Check out the latest news in Biblical archaeology and related topics--updated daily
This week in the news, new developments in the James Ossuary forgery trial come to light in Jerusalem while the Israel Antiquities Authority reveals plans to re-expose one of the largest and most beautiful ancient mosaics in the country. Also in Israel, the aqueduct that brought water to the "Sultan's Pool" is discovered, and a Thracian tomb is revealed in central Bulgaria. Meanwhile, archaeology enthusiasts will now have the chance to visit Baghdad's National Museum online, thanks to the Italians.
Read more Breaking News
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 EGYPT: LAND OF LEGENDS AND MYSTERIES
Save the date: January 9-25, 2010
Have you fantasized about tracing the footsteps of the Pharaohs or enjoying the breathtaking sunset over the Nile? Yes? Then save the dates January 9-25, 2010 for Egypt: Land of Legends and Mysteries--we promise you've never seen it like this before! Egypt has always been one of our most popular programs, but this year BAS has created a totally new experience that is perfect for the return traveler to Egypt as well as those visiting this land of myth for the very first time. Renowned scholar Dr. Chahinda Karim of the American University of Cairo will not only offer in-depth insight to Egypt's most famous sites, but will explore with you the magnificent, off-the-beaten-path places that very few visitors have the opportunity to experience..
This adventure is scheduled for January 9-25, 2010--check back with us for more information and updates!
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CARTOON CAPTION CONTEST
Submit a caption
Write a caption for this cartoon! The author of the best caption will receive a BAS T-shirt, a Dead Sea Scroll mug and three complimentary subscriptions to give BAR to friends. Runners-up will receive a BAS T-shirt and two complimentary subscriptions.The deadline for captions is October 15, 2009.
Submit your caption
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» CONTENTS
Pergamon: City of Science...and Satan?
Breaking News
Egypt: Land of Legends and Mysteries
Cartoon Caption Contest
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LOST CHRISTIANITIES: JESUS, JOHN AND THE JERUSALEM CHURCH
(DVD SET)
Now 40% off!
until June 30, 2009
Prominent Bible scholars Charles Hedrick, April DeConick and James Tabor rediscover lost Christianities. Dive into the texts of forgotten gospels, unlock the mysteries of Gnostic beliefs, and meet some of the most important people in Jesus' life and mission. This 3-Part DVD set includes 12 lectures and additional reading materials.
Was $119.95, now $69.95
FREE GIFT!
James Tabor's DVD lecture Locating the Herodian Temple with your purchase of two or more sale items.
Enter code E9X6C when ordering to get free gift.
View all sale items here. _______________________
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HOUSTON – Continental Airlines
said it has taken steps to ensure that proper procedures are followed after two
unaccompanied girls were placed on wrong Continental Express flights over the
weekend.
An 8-year-old College Station girl
erroneously ended up in Fayetteville, Ark., and a 10-year-old Massachusetts
girl was mistakenly sent to Newark,
N.J., after boarding planes
operated by ExpressJet, which is under contract with
Continental.
Houston-based Continental said in a statement Tuesday that the
mix-up was a "miscommunication among staff."
"I have never seen so much incompetence in all my life,"
Wendy Babineaux told the Houston Chronicle. Her
daughter was headed to Charlotte,
N.C., on Saturday to see her
father. She was sent to Fayetteville, back to Houston and then to Charlotte.
Babineaux's attorney, Wayne T. Rife, told The Associated Press Tuesday
night that his client became worried when the girl's father called to find out
where their child was. He said his client is concerned about how Continental
Airlines handled the situation.
"It was just a complete breakdown in the procedures that were
supposed to be implemented," Rife said. "And, in Mrs. Babineaux's perspective, Continental, to this point, has
not taken it seriously."
On Sunday, Jonathan Kamens said he put
his daughter, Miriam, on a Cleveland-bound flight at Logan Airport
in Boston to
visit her grandparents. He told WBZ-TV that shortly after the plane landed in Ohio, his father-in-law
called saying she had not arrived.
Kamens said for 45 minutes no one could tell him where his
daughter was. She was finally located unharmed in Newark.
Kamens said the number of people who failed to do their jobs is
"mindboggling."
Continental spokeswoman Kelly Cripe said
in an e-mailed statement that in both instances flights with different
destinations were being loaded at the same time from the same doorway and there
was miscommunication among staff members.
"In both circumstances the children were supervised
throughout the entire process and were rebooked and routed to the proper
destinations on the same day," Cripe said in the
statement.
Kamens said on his blog that the
airline offered him a $75 refund.
Source URL: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090617/ap_on_re_us/us_lost_girls_continental
If your newsletter is not in a form you can use go to this link.http://www.desertusa.com/newsletter/jun09.html
DesertUSANEWSLETTER JUNE 2009
To see this information in graphic format, click here. FEATURED ARTICLES
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, established in 1972, provides a dramatic example of one of nature's most inspiring settings, combined with a monumentally ambitious human project. Impounded behind the Bureau of Reclamation's Glen Canyon Dam, waters of the Colorado River and tributaries are backed up almost 186 miles, forming Lake Powell More...
City of Rocks State Park, New Mexico - At least fifty thousand people a year visit southeast New Mexico's City of Rocks State Park, located about mid-way between Deming and Silver City. The exotic collection of volcanic "art," set in the middle of a grama grass plain, was formed by a huge explosion called the More...
Navajo Rock Art and Pueblitos - Four-Corners holds secrets of Navajo history. Some of the most dramatic art galleries in New Mexico aren't in Santa Fe, nor are their priceless masterpieces stored in hermetically sealed vaults for safekeeping. The petroglyph images on canyon-wall galleries near Farmington have been exposed to the blazing sun and torrential storms of the Southwest for 300 years. More...
Shutterbug 101: Taking a visual journey - Continuing our chat about composition, let’s review a bit from last week. Putting the horizon line in the center of a landscape has a tendency to cut the image in half, where the two parts do not necessarily create a more harmonious whole. When you are standing or crouching in position you have to make a decision. More...
Shutterbug 101: Where do your lines lead? Lines are everywhere, roads, rivers, railings, avenues of trees, highway markings, telegraph poles and railroad tracks wending their way through the countryside. Use lines or objects to lead the eye into the image or to create the illusion of movement. The lines can be actual, like lines on a road, railroad tracks or they can be groupings of objects that create the illusion of a line. More...
Call to Discovery - West Texas' Northern Chihuahuan Desert - If you come from, say, the Eastern Woodlands, the Pacific Northwest or the Gulf Coast, with their forested hills and plains, you may suffer from environmental shock as you cross the northern Chihuahuan Desert, from western Texas over southern New Mexico and into Arizona. More...
Get the latest Colorado River Information - The rivers feeding Lake Powell are below average, but the lake starts to rise at this time of year. Lake levels are changing as the water flow down the Colorado river to Mexico through the dams and lakes. More...
DesertRoadTrippin' - Combating the Desert Heat: Heat Acclimation - After moving to the desert year-round, I learned that heat acclimation would be a necessity if I wanted to keep up with my regular outdoor activities during the summer months. My normal activities include running, horseback riding, golf and hiking. I couldn’t bear an entire summer indoors, so I opted to acclimate and to take on the heat. More...
Videos of the Month - Route 66 and Amboy - Amboy Road at Sheeps Hole Pass looks into the big basin of Bristol Dry Lake, which was covered by the sea about four million years ago. Across the salt lake, Amboy Dry Crater rises in the distance. The town of Amboy dates back to 1858; it became a critical gas and rest stop on Route 66 after World War II. When I-40 bypassed it in 1972, Amboy almost became a ghost town. Follow the DesertUSA team as they revisit old Route 66 in the Mohave and take a look at some historic sites along the way. More...
Trip of the Month - Riverside County Parks - Riverside County California extends from Santa Ana River the eastern end of the Los Angeles basin, eastward to the Colorado River. It includes the desert regions of the Coachella Valley and Palm Springs, as well as the San Jacinto, Little San Bernardino and Santa Rosa mountains. It contains portions of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and Salton Sea State Recreation Area, as well as most of Joshua Tree National Park. More...
DESERTUSA'S STORE features quality items at low prices! Shop NOW and get the LOWEST SHIPPING PRICES!
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| NEW BOOKS! |
 Hiking Western Death Valley National Park
Panamint, Saline, and Eureka Valleys
Lost between the rugged High Sierras and sunbaked Death Valley, bypassed by most visitors on their way somewhere else, this sumptuous alignment of low desert valleys trapped between mountains reaching over 11,000 feet is a little-known paradise waiting to be discovered. This is Death Valley one hundred years ago, a hiker's mecca filled with salt flats and sand dunes, old mines and ghost towns, awesome canyons, breathtaking summits, delightful springs and unexpected streams, and more miles of unspoiled desert than one can explore in a lifetime. Click here to learn more.
Hiking Death Valley National Park
A Guide to Its Natural Wonders and Mining Past
With elevations ranging from 282 feet below level to 11,049 feet, a world-famous climate, and some of the most spectacular scenery in the North American desert, Death Valley National Park is a year-round hiker's paradise. Hundreds of miles of trails and cross-country routes lead to countless canyons, springs, and abandoned mines, most of them infrequently visited. Whether you want to stroll on salt flats, hike a lonesome canyon, climb a rugged peak, visit a remote gold mine, or simply explore the backcountry by car, this comprehensive guidebook provides dozens of destinations suited to your interests. Click here to learn more.
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| NEW PLANTS! |
Live Giant Saguaro!!!
They are back in stock after 2 years.
Live Giant Saguaro
The saguaro is 2 to 3 inches high and about 2 inches wide. Come with pot and dirt. Just add 1 tablespoon of water every month.
Description of Giant Saguaro
The magnificent Saguaro Cactus, the state flower of Arizona, is composed of a tall, thick, fluted, columnar stem, 18 to 24 inches in diameter, often with several large branches (arms) curving upward in the most distinctive conformation of all Southwestern cacti.
The Saguaro often begins life in the shelter of a "nurse" tree or shrub which can provide a shaded, moister habitat for the germination of life. The Saguaro grows very slowly -- perhaps an inch a year -- but to a great height, 15 to 50 feet. The largest plants, with more than 5 arms, are estimated to be 200 years old. An average old Saguaro would have 5 arms and be about 30 feet tall.
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| NEW COASTER DESIGNS! |
We have added 3 more coaster designs, check them out.
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| NEW DVDS! |
Spring Comes To
The Harcuvars: DVD
If you were to go wandering in the Arizona desert on a spring day, what would you be likely to see? This video answers that question. Far from being the lifeless, hostile place that many people imagine, the Arizona desert in spring puts forth an astonishing display of flowers, and a wide variety of animal life.
"Spring Comes to the Harcuvars" contains information about 12 species of lizard, 5 rattlesnake species (and five other snakes), plus several birds and mammals. Over 60 different flowering plants provide a kaleidoscope of color.
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| PRICKLY PEAR LEMONADE IS GREAT FOR SUMMER! |
Try a Prickly Pear Margarita made with Prickly Pear Cactus syrup. The syrup also makes exceptionally flavorful Wine Coolers, Spritzers, and Prickly Pear Lemonade. The Syrup comes in 7 oz.,12 oz., 23 oz. and 1 gallon containers. At just $14.95, the 23 oz size is a great economical bargain! Click Here for more information.
Enjoy Prickly Pear Cactus, Mesquite Bean and Margarita jelly candies - Half pound box featuring three mouth-watering candy selections. Tantalize your tastebuds with flavors of the southwest from the fruits of the desert.
Desert Blush Lemonade (Makes 1/2 Gallon)
16 oz. Lemon Juice
3/4 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup Prickly Pear Cactus Syrup
48 oz. Water
Directions: Pour over ice or blend in a blender.
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| SONOMA LAVENDER PRODUCTS 25% OFF SALE!!! |
SONOMA LAVENDER PRODUCTS.
25% OFF most products.
Whenever you need a little pampering, cuddle up to your Sonoma Lavender.
Heat Wraps, Spa Masks, Eye Pillows, Neck Wraps. Click Here
Lavender Spa Booties
Overworked, cold feet are soothed while you improve your circulation. Just pop in the microwave for aromatic, moist heat. Lovingly hand stuffed and finished in Sonoma, California. Made in the USA! Just $26.95!
Heated Neck Roll - Dot/Plush
The Ultimate comfort. Cushy pillows you can heat or chill for muscle-soothing relief while the scent of lavender relaxes. Lovingly hand stuffed and finished in Sonoma, California. Made in the USA! Just $26.95!
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| AGATE BOOKENDS |
Agate Bookends - Beautiful, unique bookends of Brazilian Agate, in a wide range of colors from brilliant magenta to aquamarine and topaz colorings. Average size: 5" Tall X 8" Wide X 3" Deep but sizes vary. Hurry! Each one is different and they go fast!
Click here to take a look.
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| DESERT SURVIVAL BOOK AND OUTDOOR GIZMOS 2-PACK |
Fascinated with the desert and explorer programs? This fascinating and educational book set is 18.95 - great for budding scientists and explorers!
Desert Survival Handbook - Survival situations can and do happen to average people, as well as adventurous explorers. You'll have the capacity to handle these situations if you know and follow the fundamental principles of survival.
Outdoor Gizmos -Did you know that a few rocks, some sticks, a shoelace or two, a wrist watch, a dollar bill, and a drinking straw are all you need to make surprisingly accurate sun-powered and star-powered gizmos? It's a fact: In minutes you can construct a stick and rock sundial or compass, assemble a Sky-high Scope (included) that can measure the height of a tree or determine where you are on the planet, or figure out how long until the sun sets using nothing more than your hands. Click here to read more...
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| FOR THE OLDER DOG... | Joint Supplement - Do you have an older dog or a dog with arthritis or joint problems? Check out Nimble, a glucosamine product for dogs, that could help return them to pain-free movement. Click here for more information or to buy.
| SCENTSUAL ITEMS |
The rare and delicious scent of Desert Queen fragrance captures the scent of the Night-Blooming Cereus - 1.7oz Eau de Parfum Spray only $38.95.
Bath and shower gel only $16.95 cleans and moisturizes the skin with a special blend of mild cleansers, vitamins and botanical extracts, including aloe. Gift Trio at $64.95 includes .7oz Eau de Parfum Spray, 8oz. Hand & Body Lotion and 8oz. Bath & Shower Gel plus attractive gift bag!
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| PARK DVDs . . . | State and National Park DVDs - DesertUSA has an extensive selection of park DVDs including: Arches, Big Bend, Monument Valley, Death Valley, The Grand Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns, Zion, Yellowstone, Red Rock Canyon and many more. Click here to browse our park DVDs.2 Anza Borrego DVDs
Ghost Mountain DVD the story of Marshal South and his family's adventure of living on Ghost Mountain in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. To preview the DVD in Flash Click Here.
Anza Borrego Seasons in the Desert. This stunning DVD covers the various regions of the park, as well as indigenous flora and fauna.Joshua Tree NP DVD This is THE tool you need to plan a trip to Joshua Tree National Park.
All revenue earned from our online reservation system and store sales are used to support the maintenance and development costs associated with the DesertUSA Web site. By placing reservations on DesertUSA's reservation system or by purchasing products from the Trading Post, you are directly contributing to the future development and continued maintenance of DesertUSA.
You can book reservations anywhere in the World from the DesertUSA Web site. So be sure to try our online reservation system for your next vacation and/or car rental. Make Reservations Now
Get ready for your visit to the desert with books, gifts and products available from the DesertUSA's Online Store.
DesertUSA's purpose is to provide a tool for discovery - a publication that entertains, educates and explores with our readers, the beauty, life and culture of the North American deserts. Visitors come to DesertUSA's Web site every month to read articles, participate in the Desert Talk message board, shop in DesertUSA's online store and explore the desert virtually.
DesertUSA encourages you to forward a copy of the Digital Desert Newsletter to friends, family and business associates who may be interested in receiving this newsletter on a monthly basis.
End of Newsletter
June 14
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View this newsletter in your web browser.
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Summer is always a delightful season at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and it is especially so for Members. Parties on the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden, an array of exhibition previews and receptions, summer dining privileges in The Trustees Dining Room, and other benefits make this a wonderful time to be a Member.
We encourage you to visit us often this summer to enjoy all that the Museum has to offer.
With warm best wishes,
Barbara Dougherty
Managing Chief Membership Officer
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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In This Issue
"Afghanistan" Previews,
Reception, and Lecture
"Roxy Paine on the Roof"
Evening Reception
Exclusive Dining
Summer Fête
For Young Members
Members Double Discount Days
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"Afghanistan" Previews, Receptions, and Lecture 
Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul
Opens to the public June 23
Celebrating the rich heritage of ancient Afghanistan, this exhibition commemorates the heroic rescue of the region's most precious archaeological treasures, all thought to have been destroyed. See the exhibition preview for more information, including sponsorship credits.
The Trustees Dining Room will be taking lunch reservations during daytime previews and dinner reservations during all Member evening events except for Monday, June 15. Please call 212-570-3975.
Daytime Previews
Regular Museum Hours
Supporting, Met Family Circle, Apollo Circle, and Sustaining Members: June 16–21
Family/Dual and Individual Members: June 17–21
Evening Viewings and Receptions
President's Circle, Patron Circle, and Patron Members: June 15, 6:00–8:00 p.m.
Sponsor, Donor, Contributing, Met Family Circle, and Apollo Circle Members: June 17, 6:00–9:00 p.m.
Sustaining Members: June 18 and June 23, 6:00–9:00 p.m.
Members-Only Lecture
For Members beginning at the Family/Dual level
Saturday, June 20, at 11:00 a.m. and Sunday, June 21, at 1:00 p.m.
Elisabetta Valtz, curator, Ancient Near Eastern Art
Denise Leidy, curator, Asian Art
Image: Pair of bracelets in the shape of antelopes, 1st century A.D. Tillya Tepe, Tomb II. Gold with turquoise and carnelians; each 8.5 x 6.3. cm. National Museum of Afghanistan. © Thierry Ollivier / Musée Guimet
 Send to a Friend
"Roxy Paine on the Roof" Evening Reception 
Roxy Paine on the Roof: Maelstrom
Through October 25
Giving viewers the sense of being immersed in a cataclysmic force of nature, Maelstrom is American artist Roxy Paine's largest and most ambitious work to date.The latest in a diverse body of work, this sculpture is one of the artist's Dendroids based on systems such as vascular networks, tree roots, industrial piping, and fungal mycelia. Set against Central Park and its architectural backdrop, the installation explores the interplay between the natural world and the built environment amid nature's inherently chaotic processes. See the exhibition preview for more information, including sponsorship credits.
Evening Viewing and Reception
Donor and Contributing Members: June 24, 6:00–8:00 p.m.
Send to a Friend
Exclusive Dining 
This summer, all Members are invited to enjoy The Trustees Dining Room's new light summer menu on Friday and Saturday evenings. The two-course prix fixe dinner costs $32 per person. Additional courses and à la carte menu items are also available.
In addition to our light summer menu, we are offering a "100 mile" tasting menu that showcases local farmers and indigenous agriculture within 100 miles of New York City. The four-course menu costs $59 per person.
For reservations or inquiries, please call 212-570-3975.
Wine Dinner with Michael Mondavi
Savor a sumptuous Wine Dinner on Saturday, June 13. Michael Mondavi will host the dinner, highlighting his family's celebrated wines. The Trustees Dining Room's chef de cuisine, Fred Sabo, will prepare a four-course tasting menu to complement the specially selected wines.
Cost for the evening is $250 per person, plus tax (gratuity included). For more information, please call 212-570-3986. Reservations are required and space is limited.
Send to a Friend
Summer Fête 
For Family/Dual, Sustaining, Met Family Circle, Apollo Circle, and Supporting Members
Join us for a festive affair on Wednesday, July 15, from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. The evening begins with cocktails on the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden (weather permitting), which boasts Roxy Paine's stunning installation, Maelstrom, and a breathtaking view of the Manhattan skyline. Afterward, enjoy an elegant dinner and dance in the Carroll and Milton Petrie European Sculpture Court. Designed as a classical French garden, the Sculpture Court serves as a framework for the presentation of Italian and French sculpture dating from the 17th through the 19th century.
Tickets are $400 per person. You may purchase your tickets online. For more information, please call Karen Rienzi at 212-570-3887 or email karen.rienzi@metmuseum.org.
Send to a Friend
For Young Members 
Young Members Summer Party
Don your finest "summer chic" apparel and get ready to make merry among priceless works of art. On Thursday, July 9, from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m., we will be hosting our annual summer party for Young Members. Dance and sip cocktails in the Carroll and Milton Petrie European Sculpture Court. Relish an exclusive viewing of the Costume Institute's latest exhibition, The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion. Socialize on the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden (weather permitting).
Space is limited for this fabulous event, so purchase your tickets now. The price is $75 for Members and $125 for non-Members. Not sure what to expect (or to wear)? See photos and a video from last summer's party.
Special Offer
Join or renew as an Apollo Circle Member and receive two free tickets to the party!
Summer Fridays
Young Members from any of the 15 Membership levels and Members of The Apollo Circle may partake in a special series of "Summer Fridays" in the Petrie Court Wine Bar and Café. This intimate wine bar offers a delectable menu and excellent rotating selection of wines. The first Summer Friday, on June 26, will feature live music and a special offer for Members: a free glass of wine with dinner and 20% off your final bill.* The last seating in the Wine Bar and Café is at 8:30 p.m.
* Discount does not include alcoholic beverages.
Send to a Friend
Members Double Discount Days 
Find a unique wedding or Father's Day gift—or just treat yourself—during Members Double Discount Days at The Met Store. From June 16 through June 21, Members enjoy a 20% discount that can be used online or in person.
If you are not yet a Member, join now to take advantage of these extra savings.
Send to a Friend |
Become a Member
Travel with the Met
Sicily by Sea (PDF)
October 16–26, 2009
Enjoy a privileged view as we circumnavigate Sicily aboard the legendary Sea Cloud. Jerrilynn Dodds, a popular lecturer in the Metropolitan's Concerts & Lectures program who has traveled on previous Met voyages, will accompany us. Stop to view magnificent art, impressive ruins, and romantic hilltop towns.
Land/cruise rates: from $6,995
For a list of upcoming trips or more information, please visit Travel with the Met, call 212-650-2110, or email travelwiththemet@metmuseum.org.
Met Store Featured Item
Modern Garden Shawl
Our shawl is based on a Wiener Werkstätte postcard depicting a decorative garden with vibrant red blossoms.
Member Price: $76.50
Non-Member Price: $85.00
Experience the fine art of shopping at The Met Store.
Garden Tours at The Cloisters Museum and Gardens
Offered Tuesday through Sunday at 1:00 p.m., these tours provide visitors with horticultural, architectural, and historical information about The Cloisters and are free with Museum admission.
The Medieval Garden Enclosed
The Medieval Garden Enclosed is a blog dedicated to the plants and gardens of The Cloisters. Learn how to find and grow medieval herbs and flowers, discuss the long histories of many familiar garden plants, and discover which roadside weeds were once valued medicinals.
The William Society Gazette
The William Society Gazette features stories about friends of the Museum who have made gifts to support the future of the Metropolitan, information about planned giving, and news about special events for William Society Members. Now published biannually, the latest issue is available here (PDF). The Gazette is named for The William Society, the Museum's recognition group for supporters who have chosen to include the Metropolitan Museum in their will or estate plan.
If you would like information about planned giving or joining The William Society, please contact the Planned Giving Program at 212-570-3796, by e-mail at planned.giving@metmuseum.org, or visit us online.
Met Podcast Episode
In a new podcast episode, Metropolitan Museum curators Morrison Heckscher and Amelia Peck discuss the details of an 18th-century period room furnished with the belongings of the Verplanck family.
Audio Guides
Members always receive a discount on Audio Guides, which provide insightful commentary developed by curators and educators about works of art in the Museum's permanent collection and select special exhibitions. This month, Audio Guides are available for the exhibitions The Pictures Generation, 1974–1984, Francis Bacon: A Centenary Retrospective, and Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul. |
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028
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CERC WEEKLY UPDATE - June 11, 2009
NEW RESOURCES EDITORIALS OF INTEREST EDUCATION MATTERS
Note from the Managing Editor:
There is much clear thinking and good writing in this week's update.
Being delighted while being culturally and religiously edified is the expected effect of reading Father George Rutler, and he doesn't disappoint this week.
It seems every time Roger Scruton puts pen to paper something penetrating happens, as it does below.
While most all of the writers we feature here are bold and powerful advocates of a properly formed Christian understanding, Robert P. George's "exchange of views" with Douglas Kmiec on the question "The Obama Administration and the Sanctity of Human Life: Is there a common ground on life issues? What is the right response by 'Pro-Life' Citizens" is a proper schooling in how to dialogue with candor and courtesy. - J. Fraser Field
This CERC Weekly Update is also available on our web site here.
You can view the previous CERC Weekly Update here.
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Quote of the Week:
"Love means to love that which is unlovable, or it is no virtue at all; forgiving means to pardon that which is unpardonable, or it is no virtue at all -- and to hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all." - G.K. Chesterton
New Resources:
• Devotion to the Sacred Heart Today - Father John A. Hardon, S.J. - The Catholic Faith
• Film Review: Taking Chance - Ray Nothstine - Acton PowerBlog
• Look Who's a Believer Now - Timothy Larsen - Wall Street Journal
• Never let a crisis go unused - Father George W. Rutler - Weekly Column
• Exiles on the Way Home - George Weigel - The Catholic Difference
• Obama and His Pro-Life Apologists - Ro | |
Tools 
Help
Recreation Lakes of California
Sonoran Desert Life
Josha Tree National Park DVD
Wolves Blu-ray DVD
Free Keychain the the purchase of any Agate bookend
Mixed Dish Garden Cactus Seeds
Gift Set of 4 Seed Tubes
Date Palm Tree Incubator Set
