"We are bidden to 'put on Christ', to become like God. That is, whether we like it or not, God intends to give us what we need, not what we now think we want."
For Dune fans, here is an interesting article that finally makes clear the source of the name and inspiration for the Butlerian Jihad in Frank Herbert's science fiction universe. I printed it today (5/29/2014) from the microfilm archives of The Herald held at the Everett (WA) Public Library. Frank Butler was our family attorney before his retirement. Article citation and annotation: Wootton, Sharon. "Stanwood Butler Did It." The Herald [Everett, WA] 03 Dec. 2000, Books sec.: 2D. Print. Frank Butler, attorney from Stanwood, Washington, is identified as the source for the Butlerian Jihad in Frank Herbert's Dune universe.
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving , first published in 1820, is the quintessential American ghost story. I read it every Autumn before Hallowe'en, and I am always impressed by Irving's abilities. Irving was a great tale-teller with a gifted imagination, and a talent for vivid, drawn-out descriptions. The Headless Horseman actually appears in the story only briefly. The rest of the time, Irving carefully develops a strong sense of place, mood, and character, three elements necessary for a successful ghostly tale. For instance, in helping the reader experience Sleepy Hollow, a real place quite familiar to him, Irving writes: "Not far from this village, perhaps about two miles, there is a little valley or rather lap of land among high hills, which is one of the quietest places in the whole world. A small brook glides through it, with just murmur enough to lull one to repose; and the occasional whistle of a quail or tapping of a woodpecker...