Coincidence or conspiracy?

Yesterday, while exploring Google's image search capability, I ran across an interesting image in an article about Matteo Ricci, SJ (an article that, BTW, makes no mention of his memorization skill or teachings). That led me to what appears to be the home page of the Society of Jesus USA and to something called the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Today, while continuing a look-see begun yesterday of a TWiki site run by a fellow who runs an LJ clone, I came across a page devoted to... (drum roll, please)... the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Go figure.

In my reading, the Jesuits (when they appear) have often been the subjects of admiration and condemnation. I seem to recall that the aphorism that starts "give us a child for the first seven years..." is said to be straight from the Jesuit playbook. On the other hand, I've read that Jesuit education is really quite rigorous and of high quality, and that the order encourages critical thinking and scientific inquiry. I must confess I am at a loss as far as the facts are concerned regarding Jesuits.

In any event, to have quite randomly stumbled across the Spiritual Exercises twice in one day (or certainly in one 24-hour period) is sufficient cause for a brief raising of the eyebrows, don't you think?

I'm thinking the document may be worth a read.

Cheers...

Another fine mess...

The local "gang of four" (me, Mike L., Olga P., and Galina V.) have arranged to meet tonight at the Pappadeaux in Kemah at around 7:45 pm. Both for that reason, and the fact that I was tired, caused me to fall asleep at 10:30 am after returning home from my shift. Two hours later, fate managed to have me awakened, despite my having turned off all the phones. The postman came banging on the door with a delivery.

So, after spending an hour tossing and turning in a dark room (the aluminum foil crinkles, but does not admit light), I've gotten up to do a cursory e-mail check, have a bite to eat, and down some melatonin. On the e-mail front, there are lots of messages for me claiming to be bounces of virus-infected messages I purportedly sent to various people I've never heard of. Either someone is sending such mail with my name as the sender (not hard to do), or these are attempts to get me to open the message (which I will not do). All such messages went directly into the trash bitbucket. In other aspects, the mail was unremarkable.

I can hear thunder in the distance above the sound of the air conditioning system, but I'm not up to getting dressed to go outside and see what's developing, or in what direction. Whatever comes, will come (my, aren't I becoming quite the philosopher!).

I think I shall go do some quiet reading. (Come to think of it, do I ever engage in "loud" or "riotous" reading? I don't think so.)

Cheers...