Showing posts with label the human condition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the human condition. Show all posts

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Not Quite Ready for the Weekend

First, the good news: I should have access to the Internet again by late Sunday.

Now, the rest of the news: my usual 'Sunday' post won't be ready until Monday. Maybe Tuesday. Or later.

I had hoped that I'd have everything ready in time: but that didn't happen. Compared to what can, and occasionally has, happened, this is a minor frustration.

Oh, well; at least I can do my usual 'other posts' link list:
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Sunday, October 5, 2014

Joy and Standing Orders

My father reminded me of this good advice when I was in my teens: "...whatever is true, ... whatever is lovely, ... think about these things." My response was something like '...because they won't last.'

I wasn't happy about saying that at the time. Decades later, I still regret the statement. I can't, of course, undo what was done: and the time for telling my father "I'm sorry" has long since passed. In any case, I said "I'm sorry" too often, and that's almost another topic.

That quote is from today's second reading, Philippians 4:6-9. I'll get back to that.

Today, thanks to very powerful antidepressants and a few other psychoactive prescriptions, I no longer have to fight the controls to make my brain work. I even have moments when I feel good about who I am and what I do.

That's a nice change of pace.

Melancholia was being redefined as depressive reaction while I was growing up, then to depressive neurosis; so maybe it's just as well that my condition wasn't spotted then. In any case, if I'd spent my adolescence and the bulk of my adult life in a different way — I wouldn't be where I am today.

Joy, Zest, and Mud


As it is, I had an opportunity to reason my way out of suicide: and developed a knack for seeing beauty in just about anything.

I seldom felt that emotional rush of wonder and delight at seeing a crescent moon, or noticing symmetries and order in drying mud. But I learned to appreciate the beauty that's built into this universe.

A dictionary says that joy can mean intense happiness: particularly ecstatic or exultant happiness. Ecstasy can mean intense joy or delight, getting so emotionally whipped up that rational thought and self-control are impossible.

I've run into folks who seem to approach faith with a zest and enthusiasm worthy of a homecoming game pep rally. That's okay, but I very much prefer a faith that still works when all the light and color is drained from the world.

Since I'm a Catholic, my faith depends on what I believe: not how I'm feeling. Faith and reason get along: or should. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 30, 156-159, 274, 1706)

It's not all about cold logic, though. Now and then we get a glimpse of the beatific vision. Most of us, anyway. (Catechism, 163)

The Beatific Vision and Mirrors


The beatific vision is contemplation of God in heavenly glory. I put a definition at the end of this post. I can't tell you what it's like from personal experience: my metaphorical mirror isn't all that shiny.
"At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known."
(1 Corinthians 13:12)
That's okay: since, like 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, "we walk by faith, not by sight."

That's not the same as blind faith, or the sort that conscientiously avoids facts and reason. As a Catholic, I must believe that, using reason, we're "...capable of understanding the order of things established by the Creator...;" and that "conscience is a judgment of reason ... a law of the mind...." (Catechism, 1704, 1778)

And that's yet another topic. Topics.

Rejoice!

"Rejoice 4 in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!
"Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.

"Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 6 "
(Philippians 4:4, 6-8)
Some of those verses are from today's readings, the first comes earlier in Philippians 4. Nearly a half-century after my father reminded me about them, I've found that they're pretty good advice.

I still don't "feel" joyful very often, and that's okay. I may never have the "mountaintop experience" folks describe as being overwhelmed, 'knocked down,' by God's presence. That's also okay.

Emotions are part of being human. They're even useful, in their own way. But I've found that reason is a better tool for making decisions. Still more topics. (Catechism, 1763-1770, 1776-1794)

Folks have taken verses like Philippians 4:6, "have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God," and run straight off the edge of reality.

Christians, everybody, are wounded people, living in a damaged world. We're going to have trouble, no matter what. (Catechism, 386-390)

The trick is not being anxious about the troubles we face.

I think looking at the big picture helps.

Move Out!


Almost two thousand years back, Jesus, the Son of God, was conceived. He was born, lived, was tortured and finally killed on Golgotha. For anybody else, that would have been the end.

Jesus isn't just anybody. Three days later, Jesus stopped being dead.

If that seems unbelievable, don't feel bad. It took quite a few meetings and at least one working lunch to convince the Apostles that Jesus was, in fact, really — no kidding — not a ghost — sit-down-and-eat-a-baked-fish, alive.
"While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, 'Have you anything here to eat?'

"They gave him a piece of baked fish;

"he took it and ate it in front of them."
(Luke 24:41-43)
"Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, 'Peace be with you.'

"Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.' "
(John 20:26-27)
Then my Lord gave us standing orders and a promise. That scene, in Matthew 28:18-20, is one of my favorites. I also enjoy reading what happened next:
"While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.

"They said, 'Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.' "
(Acts 1:10-11)
Those verses from Acts remind me of a now-cliche scene from old movies, where the commander's inspiring speech is over — and the sergeant says something like 'alright! You got your orders: Move out!

Two millennia later, the standing orders haven't changed: and that's yet again another topic.

Not-entirely-unrelated posts:
A look at the deep end of prayer, by another blogger:
"BEATIFIC VISION: The contemplation of God in heavenly glory, a gift of God which is a constitutive element of the happiness (or beatitude) of heaven (1028, 1720)."
(Catechism, Glossary, B)
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Sunday, September 28, 2014

Reforming the World — We Must Try

'Kids these days! Nobody takes responsibility! Back in my day, nobody tried blaming the other guy!'

I've been hearing variations on that complaint for more than a half-century now. I started wondering if it was true in my teens. By now, I'm pretty sure that it's not: partly because now I remember the 'good old days:' and like I've said before, they weren't.

One of 'Those Crazy Kids:' Five Decades Later


I was one of "those kids" in the late '60s and early '70s.

Some of us were lazy bums, and others were only too eager to blame our parents, the government, or anyone else, for our problems.

But others were "irresponsible" only in the sense that we wouldn't accept the status quo.

That attitude didn't appeal to folks who believed in buying stuff they didn't need, with money they didn't have, to impress people they didn't like.

We thought we could reform the world: and certain that we had to try.

Five decades later, some of our reforms succeeded. Others didn't turn out as I had hoped. Some of my generation are part of the new establishment.

Me? I still think we can reform the world. I am certain that we must try.

Social Justice


Folks have been thinking about justice, rights, and society, for a long time. Philosophers like Plato and Aristotle generally get credit for first discussing such things, about two dozen centuries back.

But more than a thousand years before Plato and Aristotle, leaders like Hammurabi started writing law codes.

Babylonian law was an effort to define justice: balancing the severity of an offense with an equally-severe punishment.

The Code of Hammurabi's death penalty for robbery (Law #22) seems harsh — partly, I think, because we've made some progress in the last 3,700 years toward building truly just societies.

And we have a great deal more work to do in that direction.

The phrase "social justice" apparently comes from Catholics like Luigi Taparelli — in the 1840s.

Taparelli's "Civiltà Cattolica" says that capitalist and socialist theories don't pay enough attention to ethics. I'm inclined to agree with him. (February 27, 2012; March 13, 2010)

After becoming a Catholic, I had a lot of catching up to do. Most of what I'd heard or read about the Church was either several centuries out of date: or simply wrong.

One of my happy surprises was discovering that social justice, Catholic style, makes sense. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1928-1942 is a pretty good place to start learning about the Church's social teachings. I put links to more resources at the end of this post.

'I Love Humanity...'


A sincere desire to make the world a better place can slip into an 'I love humanity, it's people I can't stand' attitude: and I've been over that before. (October 15, 2012)

The basic rules are simple:
This "love" can't be an abstract attitude of social concern. Luke 10:30-37 shows that we're supposed to do something about our beliefs.

That's where personal responsibility comes in.

'It's Not Fair!'


Today's reading from the Old Testament start with a familiar complaint:
"You say, 'The LORD'S way is not fair!' Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?
(Ezekiel 18:25)
That chapter of Ezekiel starts with a proverb about grapes and teeth:
"Thus the word of the LORD came to me: Son of man,

"1 what is the meaning of this proverb that you recite in the land of Israel: 'Fathers have eaten green grapes, thus their children's teeth are on edge'?

"As I live, says the Lord GOD: I swear that there shall no longer be anyone among you who will repeat this proverb in Israel."
(Ezekiel 18:1-3)
The footnote explains that the 'teeth on edge' proverb was used by folks claiming that they were being punished for something their ancestors had done: not their own wrongdoings. You'll see the same proverb mentioned in Jeremiah 31:29.

Looks like trying to shift responsibility goes back at least 26 centuries. Now that I think of it, Adam tried blaming his wife: and God. (August 29, 2014)

While I'm thinking of it — today's readings are Ezekiel 18:25-28, Philippians 2:1-11, and Matthew 21:28-32.

Faith, Works, and Perspective


The Gospel reading, Matthew 21:28-32, is the one about two sons: one who said "I will not," but later decided to do his job anyway; the other, who said "yes, sir," but didn't.

Jesus went on to remind the chief priests and the elders that "tax collectors and prostitutes" had listened to John and accepting what he said:
"25 When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him."(Matthew 21: 32)
I could cherry-pick that verse from Matthew, and a few others, and decide that all I have to do is 'really believe.' That would be a bad idea.

Faith is important, but "faith without works is dead." (James 2:14-26; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1815)
"You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble.

"Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless?

"Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?

"You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by the works."
(James 2:19-22)
I can't 'work my way into Heaven.' My salvation depends on my Lord. But I can't 'believe' my way into Heaven, either.

Where I spend eternity depends on my faith and works. (Catechism, 1021, 1814-1816, 1987-1995)

Okay: I'm supposed to act as if my beliefs mean something; I can't shift responsibility to my parents, ancestors, society, whatever; and social justice is important.

What can I, as an individual, do to end world hunger, broker a lasting peace in the Middle East, and cure the common cold? I'm one man, living in central Minnesota, with a computer and an Internet connection: so the answer is — not much.

I can, however, do what is possible for someone in my position: act as if God matters, and work at conforming my will to God's.

As a youth, I realized that reforming the world would take time: and that anything I did would be only a small part of the work. Since then, I've learned more about humanity's back-story.

I think we'll still be supporting what is good, and changing what is not, when the United Nations Charter seems as remote as the Code of Hammurabi does today.

I don't think we'll have a perfect society in the 57th century, but we do have a reasonable hope of building a better world. And that's another topic.

More of my take on faith, hope, and social justice:
Background:
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Sunday, August 24, 2014

Charter's Internet Outage, Speculation, and "The Simpsons"


(From DownDetector, via Network World; used w/o permission.)

Our household's Internet connection fizzled, few minutes after 4:00 yesterday afternoon. My son reconnected us a few times, something to do with DNS, I understand.

Each time, the new connection stopped rather promptly. Finally, around 10:00, he reached a working landline connection to Charter — and heard a recording that said, basically, 'we know there's a problem, we're trying to fix it, really.'

This morning, service was back: and I was only about six hour behind on work that depends partly on what's online.

Looks like we had company:
"...Charter Communications, the 4th largest cable operator in the US, suffered major internet outages that some news outlets reported to be nationwide. Charter offers Internet to 'more than 27.6 million customers in 29 states.' If you zoom out on the map, then you see why it appears to be a nationwide outage.

"Many customers took to DownDetector, which peaked at 7,982 reports of being down within the last 24 hours and over 8,000 on August 23. For today, August 24, the outage heat map shows reports of Charter still being down in 'Homewood, St. Louis, Madison, Asheville, Plant City, Greenville, Ballwin, Athens, Chicago, and Birmingham.' On Saturday, Charter was reportedly also down in Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Atlanta...."
(Ms. Smith, Privacy and Security Fanatic, Opinion, Network World)
I don't know whether the two maps in Ms. Smith's op-ed were from different times during the outage, represent different degrees of 'outage,' or — something else.


(From DownDetector, via Network World; used w/o permission.)

When I checked the news this afternoon, Charter apparently still hasn't announced what caused this outage. It may, as Ms. Smith implies, be because the company's brass hats are embarrassed about being hacked.

On the other hand, I think it's possible that Charter's upper-level management may not know what happened, themselves. Whatever went wrong, it affected a complex network that's roughly 3,000 miles across.

The technicians who fixed the problem may not know what went wrong — and won't, until they have a chance to compare notes and discuss what they found.

It's possible, although I think unlikely, that this continent-spanning SNAFU happened because somebody tried playing PONG on Charter's network hardware.

Frustrating as being cut off from the rest of the world, apart from pre-Information-Age tech, was: the incident had a funny side.

The St. Cloud Times reported that "...the last tweet on Charter's Twitter page was a retweet from Entertainment Weekly regarding the FXX mega marathon of 'The Simpsons.'..."

News and views:
Oddly enough, being offline for well over 12 hours didn't produce appreciation for a low-tech world.

I don't miss the 'good old days,' partly because I've got a pretty good memory —
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Sunday, June 29, 2014

'Just Routine, Nothing Special' — Thank You, Father Statz

Quite a lot has happened, since Father James Statz came to the Our Lady of the Angels parish here in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. Most of it's routine, like the annual cycle of the liturgical year, some hasn't.

Today is the last time Father Statz celebrates Mass as our parish priest. I'm sorry to see him go, but very glad that he has been here.

Remembering, Mostly 2003


Some of it hasn't been routine, like when the Christmas tree — over a dozen feet tall — fell over behind him. That was in 2003.

I took that photo before the excitement. The choir director had told us that the last song would be "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" when the Christmas tree fell over.

Over a dozen children on the near side of the altar, and probably a few other folks, said "eee!" The tree fell neatly on the altar's far side.

Then we sang "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." Nobody was hurt, much, although Father Statz got clipped as the tree went past him, and the deacon was hit by the star.


(Procession of the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Fr. Statz. Sauk Centre, 2013.)

A Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe came to our area in June of 2003. The image is a full-size replica of Juan Diego's tilma.

The Image's arrival gave the two parishes in Sauk Centre a good reason for our first procession since I'd arrived, back in the '80s. That's Father Statz in the photo, just before we went into St. Pauls that day. More about the procession, and the Missionary Image:
Our Lady of Angels has become a bit more obviously Marian in the years Farther Statz has been here. The most obvious changes are a mural inside, and a garden.

Tom Kane used Tiepolo's Immaculate Conception as a model for a mural on the half-dome over our altar.

The Marian Garden, between the parish church and rectory, is a restful spot, and new since Father Statz came. I'll probably make it a destination for walking again this summer. (August 18, 2013)


(Marian Garden between Our Lady of Angels and the Rectory, July 2013.)

A less happy break in routine was when Father Statz returned to duty after a stroke could have killed him — but didn't. I was very glad indeed that he survived: and that he could stay with this parish as long as he has.

Lenten Chaplet



(Lenten Chaplet, introduced to our parish by Father Statz.)

This chaplet got started in Venezuela. Father Statz and Father Todd, who have been parish priests here in Sauk Centre, were in Venezuela when they developed this chaplet as a way to encourage prayer during Lent.

The original prayer cords had wooden crucifixes, carved from a sort of tree that grows in Venezuela. The cords were woven from fibers the folks got from the leaves of that tree.

In central Minnesota, our crucifixes have been metal and the cords some synthetic fiber: which is consistent with how our regional culture makes things. Around here, Venezuelan wood and hand-woven cords would be exotic.

As far as I know, what the cord and crucifix are made of doesn't matter, as long as the materials are sturdy and flexible enough to be worn and used for a minimum of 40 days.

There isn't a 'right' kind of crucifix, again as far as I know: the style here has been a little different each year, probably depending on what was readily available at the time.

Knowledge and Comfort When We Needed It


Father Statz talked with me and my wife, after we lost another child.

Miscarriage: Joy

We'd lost one child, several years ago, very early in the pregnancy. The best guess we have is that something went very, very wrong with some basic function in Joy's body. The human body is a wonderfully complex thing: Which means there's a great many things that can go wrong. This isn't a perfect world.

My wife and I sealed the results, for testing: but saw to it that Joy was buried, informally and briefly, in hallowed ground. I wasn't sure if that was quite what we're supposed to do, but I figured that 'it's easier to get forgiveness, than permission.' Testing showed no problems, aside from the miscarriage. As the years passed, two more children joined the two we'd been blessed with before Joy.

Stillbirth: Elizabeth

There was no reason to assume that our sixth pregnancy wouldn't end in a normal delivery. This baby was doing fine. We, and our four surviving children, were looking forward to seeing the newest member of the family.

When the contractions started, they weren't quite what we expected, but as I recall they were inside the 'normal' range. When it was "time," my wife and I headed for the hospital.

As nearly as I can tell, Elizabeth died as we were approaching the Interstate exit nearest the hospital. My wife told me that the baby was very active: and then completely still. At the hospital, the nurses could detect no heartbeat. And the delivery was not going well. At all.

Later that night I followed the ambulance carrying my wife to another hospital, about 45 miles away. And was with her when Elizabeth was delivered: beautifully formed; and quite dead. My wife and I took turns holding Elizabeth, as warmth left her body. Later, we learned that the center of the placenta had given way. The medical folks say if the failure had happened near the edge, my wife would have bled to death.

We have photos of Elizabeth, and of an ultrasound: but I haven't looked at those for quite a long time. There's no need. I remember what she looked like, the weight of her body in my arms: and I'm not likely to forget. Besides: God willing, I'll meet her, and Joy, in a few decades.

'Why be miserable?'

Talking over Elizabeth's death with my wife, and how we feel about it, she summed up the situation with something like "why be miserable?" She's a very practical woman. And, I think, she's right.

If I seem 'upbeat' about losing 1/3 of our children: It helps that Elizabeth died eight years ago. I've gone through the 'stages of grief,' more or less. Don't let anybody kid you: it's not an easy process. Knowing what was behind a nervous tic and auditory hallucinations helped me get through those years: but I'd just as soon not repeat the experience.

There will always be an 'Elizabeth size' hole in my heart — matching the one for Joy. But I've gotten used to the situation: just as people get used to their children living thousands of miles away. Besides, being dead doesn't make them less a part of the family. I still wish Elizabeth and Joy a 'good night,' every night, as I do for all our children.

'It's not fair.' So?

Being born with deformed hips gave me opportunities to think about — and meditate on — whether or not expecting life to be "fair" by American standards is reasonable.

I'm convinced that God is just, and that He is merciful: and that I wouldn't understand why things happen, even if He explained His Will to me. So I'm not going to demand an explanation. I've read the book of Job

Hey! This is about Father Statz!

After my wife and I got back to Sauk Centre, Father Statz spoke with us. Nothing earth-shattering, no dramatic revelations. Just words of sympathy and assurance. He also explained the idea of "baptism of desire." (It's nothing new: Thomas Aquinas and the Council of Trent mentioned it.) And, of course, Father Statz was there when we buried Elizabeth.

Some of the breaks in Father Statz's routine have been good news, like the new Marian garden between the church and the rectory.

Mostly, though, Father Statz has been 'just going through the routines:' celebrating Mass, hearing confessions, anointing the sick, that sort of thing.

He's just an ordinary priest, standing in for Jesus in a small central Minnesota town.

Which, when you think about it, is a pretty big deal.

Vaguely-related posts:
Background:
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Friday, June 20, 2014

Liebster Award: How About That!

Thanks, Melanie Jean Juneau.Well, that's nice: Melanie Jean Juneau (joy of nine9) gave me the Liebster Award. As she explained it:
"...It's a way to give bloggers an exposure boost, and a little love. Liebster is a German term of endearment that translates as that means sweetheart, beloved, or darling. ..."
I'm honored that she chose this blog, along with ten others on varying topics.

Accepting the Liebster


Accepting the award takes a little work:

  • Make a post about the award, thanking the blogger that nominated you.
  • State 11 interesting facts about yourself
  • Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger that nominated you
  • Nominate 11 new bloggers with 500 or less followers
  • Write 11 new questions for your nominees
This post takes care of the first point, or will: once I've completed the other four.

About Me


I'm taking, ah, creative liberties by using a set of 11 questions from a previous post:
  1. What is one word to define you? —
    Eccentric
  2. If you could live anywhere, where would it be? —
    Where I am now
  3. What is your favorite book? —
    Tolkein's Lord of the Rings trilogy, at the moment
  4. What is your dream job? —
    What I'm doing now
  5. What is your favorite Bible passage or verse? —
    John 21:25, among others
  6. What is your favorite holiday? —
    I don't have a single 'favorite,' but Halloween is fun
  7. Mountains, seashore, flatlands? —
    'All of the above,' but I grew up in the Red River Valley of the North: so nearly everywhere else seems — enclosed
  8. What is your greatest strength? —
    'I am firm-minded, you are stubborn, he is a pig-headed fool' :)
  9. If you could do life over again, what is the one thing you would do? —
    Get wiser, sooner
  10. If you knew life was ending tomorrow, what is the one thing you would do? —
    Besides the obvious end-of-life reconciliation, be with my family
  11. What is holding you back from doing that today —
    Nothing — I'm doing it :)
Here's that verse:
"There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written."
(John 21:25)
Looks like I need to come up with 11 more items about myself. I:
  1. Am only interested in three things, that which
    • Exists within the universe
    • Exists beyond
    • Might exist
  2. Love music, as most folks do
  3. Love language, the way we organize and share ideas
  4. Have learned to see beauty in nearly anything
  5. Was born with sub-standard hips
  6. Lived with undiagnosed major depression and (probably) ADD-Inattentive for decades
  7. Am an adult convert to Catholicism
  8. Have had an eclectic assortment of jobs
  9. Never stopped learning
  10. Have ancestors in Norway, Ireland, and Scotland
  11. Live in a small town in central Minnesota


My List of 11 Bloggers, or Blogs, or Whatever


  • The Black Biretta
    • "a cleric opines"
  • The Catholic Comedy
    • "Providing A Catholic Sense of Comic Relief for A Would-Be-Tragic Age"
  • Catholic Scot
    • "Commenting from time to time about stuff"
      stev hep
  • Diary of a Rookie Priest
    • "On June 14, 2008 I was ordained a Catholic priest. So, who am I now?"
  • En Fuego
      "Just trying to be who God created me to be"
  • Harvesting The Fruits Of Contemplation
    • "Since the Church began aiming more at temporal things than at spiritual, things have gone from bad to worse." – St. Catherine of Siena
      Michael Seagriff's blog
  • The hermeneutic of continuity
    • "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."
  • Never Give Up
    • "An ordinary man engages the circumstances of daily life, seeking to draw closer to the Mystery who gives meaning to everything."
      John Janaro's blog
  • Principium et Finis
    • "A Catholic husband and father trying to live the faith in a post-Christian world."
  • Roman Catholic Cop
    • "Thoughts and perusings of a Catholic Cop on his spiritual journey"
  • Two Catholic Men and a Blog
    Faith & Reason
    • "— Where Two or More are Gathered —"
I can't guarantee that those eleven blogs have fewer than 500 followers by the time you read this. I'm also aware that I've probably left out a blog that I'll remember in the small hours of the morning. However, if I keep stewing about this I'll never get done.

"New" Questions


  1. What's your favorite time of day? —
  2. You write blog posts: why? —
  3. What do plan doing tomorrow? —
  4. What sort of folks do you write for, what's your audience? —
  5. When did you start writing? —
  6. Who is your favorite author? —
  7. What is the hardest part of writing? —
  8. How do you decide on titles? —
  9. How do you decide on topics to write about? —
  10. Which season do you prefer? —
  11. What's your favorite sort of fiction? —
Now, my usual 'related posts:'
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Tuesday, May 13, 2014

The Dream


(From Donar Reiskoffer, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)

A Story
He woke, heart racing, breathless, wet with sweat, in the starlit time before dawn. He shuddered when something touched his arm. It was his wife.

"Again?" she asked, rolling her belly onto him. Soon she would bear his first child.

"Again," he gasped. He waited until his breath came more easily. "The same thing. It was awful."

She waited. He would talk soon. Perhaps then he would sleep.

"There were people everywhere," he said. "I couldn't walk twenty paces without passing another's camp. Too many people. I walked and walked, and finally came to open land."

She shifted, making room for the baby. Ord was talking now. He would tell her about his dream: the same one he had each night, now. Then he would relax, and she could sleep again.

"It was a meadow, but not a real meadow. All the plants were the same, in rows." Ord frowned. "Somehow I knew that people had put the plants there, and would eat them later."

"I walked through the meadow, and through another, then another. I never saw another hunter. But there was a camp nearby. More than just a camp. The people had made huts, like we do in winter, but huge. And there were more huts than we saw when the Clan gathered."

"They couldn't live like that! There were too many people, too little land, and no one was hunting! I might be able to support me, and you, on that land, but even then it would be hard. Game wouldn't like those strange meadows. And with so many people, all in one place, there would be war soon over who would walk out and bring back food for his people. Then they would starve."

"I kept walking."

"Finally I came to another cluster of camps. It was even more crowded than the first one. I walked to the center of the camps."

"People were busy there, but they were not hunting and not gathering food. They were moving little sheets of something like birch bark around, fiddling with complicated things I couldn't understand."

"And there were so many of them. All together. All in that one place. And somehow I knew that this cluster of camps was just one of many, many clusters. More clusters than I could count, and many of the clusters were much larger than the one I was in."

"Only a few even knew how to hunt. And to them hunting was something they did for pleasure. Think! A world where only a few know the joy of the hunt."

"And then I woke up."

His wife made a sympathetic sound and put a hand on his arm. He lay quiet until she was asleep.

Then Ord, hunter, warrior, mighty with club and spear, soundlessly arose and walked to the brow of the hill where they camped. Below, in the twilight before dawn, he could see a strange meadow someone had cut out of the valley. All the plants were the same in that little meadow. He had talked with the hunter who lived there.

It didn't seem natural to him, tied to a plot of land so that one could be sure of a few bits of seed and berry. It seemed even less natural after those dreams.

The sun was up now. His wife was stirring. Ord threw down the stone spear tips he had exchanged for a pile of furs. Fire-sharpened spears had been good enough for his father, and his father before him.

Ord knew better now. He would have perhaps one more child, then no more. His descendants would never be tempted, or forced, to crowd together as the people in his dream. They would never make those strange meadows. They would never spend their lives away from the hunting grounds.

Ord turned his back on the valley and the strange meadow, and returned to the forest.
Originally posted in Brian's Attic (2001). Also posted in Drifting at the Edge of Time and Space.

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Human Folly and Body Counts

Ragnarok didn't happen last Saturday. I'm pretty sure that the "Jorvik Viking Centre experts" were having a little fun while promoting their organization:
I quipped that Ragnarok, the day after, was a massive anticlimax on Google Plus. (February 23, 2014)

End-Times Bible Prophecy, the Zombie Apocalypse, and Godzilla

Selling 'End Times Biblical prophecy' books and Last Judgment fire insurance is a cultural tradition here in America. I've occasionally had fun with the less-serious sides of the perennial doomsday prediction in another blog:
I've toyed with the idea of writing my own doomsday prediction: maybe involving mutant squirrels, conspiring with corrupt pet store owners to enslave humanity in their nougat mines; or a revolt of the Roombas.

Two aspects of this plan have so far thwarted my ambition. First, someone might take me seriously, and a really don't need that kind of trouble. Second, the robot revolt has been done: including an insightful analysis by XKCD:


(From XKCD, used w/o permission.)

Tales about giant fire-breathing lizards and mutant ants can be fun. Real doomsday predictions: not so much.

The Coming Apocalypse: 634 BC — 2013 AD

After the current apocalyptic prediction fizzles, some folks who believed the 'End Times prophecy' recover: and some don't. Broken lives of believers are a tragedy. So, I think, is the effect that this recurring silliness has on folks who don't believe, and that's another topic.

Prophecies of doom, and their anticlimactic aftermath, is nothing new: and not limited to Christians. Wikipedia has a list of anticipated apocalypses: from 634 BC, when Rome didn't fall; to 2013 August 23, 2013, when Grigori Rasputin said fire would consume all life on land.

At least two 'prophecies' were accurate: in a very narrow, tragic, sense.

Guyana, a Gated Community, and Death

Jim Jones predicted that after a nuclear apocalypse on July 15, 1967, survivors would found a new Eden: socialist, of course.

Mr. Jones called his little group The People's Temple of the Disciples of Christ, but I don't think the People's Temple can reasonably be called a Christian church. Mr. Jones apparently called Christianity a "fly-away religion" that oppressed women and enslaved "people of color." Back in the '60s that notion may have seemed novel, and that's another topic.

1967 brought "Captain_Scarlet_and_the_Mysterons" and "All You Need is Love, but no apocalypse: nuclear or otherwise.

The mass murder-suicide in Guyana started November 17, 1978, when Congressman Leo Ryan; news media workers Don Harris, Bob Brown, Greg Robinson; and escaping Temple follower Patricia Parks were killed at an airstrip. On the evening of November 18, 1978, Jim Jones and his followers drank poisoned Flavor Aid. The final body count was 918: 642 adults and 276 children.

Marshall Applewhite and 38 of his Heaven's Gate followers spent their last days in a San Diego-area gated community. On March 24, 25, and 26, 1997, they methodically killed themselves.

By now, I suppose someone has blamed Christianity, Congress, flavored beverages, gated communities, vodka, or Star Trek for these deaths. I'm inclined to see them as somewhat extreme examples of human folly.

Standby Alert: Two Millennia and Counting

I'm a Catholic, so I take the Last Judgment seriously. That is emphatically not the same as quivering in fear every time something odd happens, or the latest 'prophecy' gets trotted out. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1038-1041)

This creation's closing ceremony could start any time, but my guess is that it's not imminent. We've been on standby alert for about two millennia, and that's another topic. (Matthew 25:13)

When the Second Person of the Trinity was here, my Lord said:
"21 But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, 22 but the Father alone.' ..."
(Matthew 24:36)
Pretty much the same thing is in Mark 13:32. I'm willing to leave the decision to God, and concentrate on my part of the job outlined in Matthew 28:19-20. Not everyone feels that way.

I could try slicing and dicing Bible verses and history trivia to get a nifty new Apocalypse prediction — but I really do not need that kind of trouble. My particular judgment is coming within the next few decades, and that's another topic. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1021-1022, 1051)

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Thursday, February 20, 2014

The "Fast Web" Impairs Thinking — or — Fear and Phaedrus Ride Again

The author has a point, sort of:
I don't doubt that some folks have the sort of trouble that Kevan Lee discusses: but a fast web isn't the problem. Not the underlying one, anyway.

Folks worrying about newfangled tech isn't new. About two dozen centuries back, one of the day's great thinkers warned that civilization was doomed by a new information storage technology called writing. Ironically, we know about his concerns because someone wrote about them, in Phaedrus. (January 25, 2014)

The Internet: It's Big


(From JaySimons, DeviantArt.com, used w/o permission.)
(Map of the Internet 1.0.; by JaySimons © 2013: poster available at www.zazzle.com.)

After a very quick read of Kevan Lee's article, I started an off-the-cuff response as a comment in a Google Plus post. (A tip of the hat to Jordan Henderson (February 20, 2014))

After about the fourth paragraph, I realized that the comment was becoming a post. Sometimes I rein in my impulse to write, but not this time.

Again, I think Kevan Lee has a point: but the problem isn't folks being distracted by technology. It's simply folks being distracted.

Impaired Judgment and Being Awake

A "fast web" can impair judgment. So can a clean window, a blank wall, or being awake.

I think these headlines from Kevan Lee's article are a good starting point: "Overtaxed + Overwhelmed = Vulnerable," "Decisions, Decisions, Decisions" and "The Brain Needs Alone Time."

The author points out that we need to sort through information: decide what's important and what's not; decide what's fact, what's opinion, and what's nonsense.

I'm quite sure that folks had those daily challenges when the latest cutting-edge technology was string. All that's changed recently is that instead of worrying about lurking dire wolves or cave lions on the way home, today's commuter worries about texting drivers. ;)

Learning how to focus on important information — and ignore both inconsequential information, irrelevant opinions, and nonsense — is still a vital skill. What's changed is how we receive information.

Learning How to Think

Not everybody has had my opportunities for learning how to think.

Instead of pursuing a successful career, I've been a college student, sales clerk, beet chopper, radio disk jockey, delivery driver, advertising writer and graphic designer, and "computer guy:" among other things.

I've spent most of my life sifting through information, applying what was useful at the moment, and remembering what made sense but didn't apply to the job at hand.

Not everybody is like me, thank God: but I think everybody can learn, and learn how to learn better.

Mapping the Digital Continent

The "digital continent" has grown since Catholic bishops in the United States said that social media was important, and useful for communication. I agree, and think folks can do as much good — or harm — with the Internet, as we could with movable type. (November 15, 2010)

Judging from Kevan Lee's article, some folks still don't know their way around the "digital continent." Some apparently get distracted by the wide open (virtual) spaces, and get lost.

Although I sympathize, a little, with folks who feel overwhelmed by access to an increasing portion of humanity's accumulated wisdom and folly: I don't think shuttering the windows, locking the door, and hiding inside makes sense.

I'd much rather learn how to not get lost.

By the way, that "Map of the Internet 1.0." may not help you find a particular piece of information: but I think it's a wonderfully attractive picture of the Internet. It's also a fine work of cartographic art by Slovakian graphic designer JaySimmons, available as 34 by 22 inch poster at www.zazzle.com.

Here's a closer look at his map.


(From JaySimons, DeviantArt.com, used w/o permission.)
(Map of the Internet 1.0.; by JaySimons © 2013.)

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Sunday, January 26, 2014

"When Fishermen Fish"

Readings for the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany:

Third Sunday after Epiphany 2014

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
January 26, 2014

This past week, as is my custom, I was out at Tutti-Frutti for lunch and of course you get to know the guys and gals and so, I said to one of the men, what was in his plans. He said I'm going fishing, the heat is turned up in fish-house and It's nice and warm I can't wait to go fishing.

So I'm back in my nice warm house and am preparing to write this homily. Wouldn't you know that one of the homily helps I picked up was titled When Fishermen Fish.

The details of the story are of a dad and his son who invite another young man to go fishing early in the spring, they could hardly wait.

So they load up the camper and head for the lake, it's nighttime by the time they arrive and so they set up and climb in the sleeping bags for the night. The next morning the weather is miserable, the wind is blowing, the lake is choppy, they can't go fishing.

But they brought along Monopoly and a Reader's Digest and spent the day, in the camper, even telling a few jokes.

That night again they crammed themselves into sleeping bags dreaming of fishing and once again when they wake in the morning they hear sleet hitting the top of the camper, so once again they must spend the day in the camper playing Monopoly, reading Reader's Digest and telling a few jokes.

The next day it was even colder and they could not go fishing, having dreamed of spending the day out on the lake in the sunshine and warmth of the sun, was all dashed. So they go home irritable and grumpy.

The dad learned an important lesson, that it was not so much about fishing, but about people. He says later, when those who are called the fish don't fish, they fight.

This is important for those of us who are members of a church to realize that when we don't fish, we fight. We may give lip service to bringing people into the family of Christ but like many churches we give up fishing long ago and are willing to accept the way things are, when fishermen don't fish, problems arise.

By this time all of you know the story of Jesus calling his disciples, Peter, James, John and how that they were all Fishermen. And how Jesus promised that they would be fishers of men. But their call is hardly in place when the mother of Zebedee's son, James and John, came to Jesus and asking a favor for her sons, and so wouldn't you know the argument begins who was to be the greatest. When fishermen don't fish, it is true, they fight.

Another story in the early days of the backcountry around 1770: there was a minister named of Charles from the Church of England. Assigned to the countryside of North and South Carolina. His first experience of preaching was rather crude and dramatic because the opposition brought all their dogs. He counted 57 of them.

So when he tried to preach all the dogs were howling and barking and fighting with each other, finally he had to give up and go home, only one dog followed him. Later in the day he sends this one dog back to its home with a message, maybe, he can do some good for you.

It's also true that when fishermen don't fish, they run away.

You recall the story of Simon Peter in the courtyard when Jesus is being interrogated and he is approached by a woman who seemed to know him, but he denied it. Sometime later someone else seemed to recognize him as a Galilean but he denied knowing Christ, three times this happened. Then he remembers what Jesus said, "before the cock crows" -- . For when fishermen don't fish they run away.

Another story of a little girl, her name was Twila and her mother was Winnifred.

They lived across the street from the First Baptist Church. An outreach from the church cause them to be a part of their effort to become a member and asked to be baptized.

Well apparently in that church it just doesn't happen. There has to be a consensus of the congregation before one can be brought into the congregation by baptism.Three times they were rejected and finally Dr. Williamson stood up and said he would like to talk with anyone who wanted to be part of a church who would welcome individuals like Twila and Winnifred. 300 people stood with him and so they founded a new church.

43 years later that's church is still going under strong leadership. For you see Twila and Winnifred were of color.

When fishermen don't fish they fight and when fishermen don't fish, they run away. And when fishermen don't fish, they forget.

Remembering to the story of Jesus' appearance to His disciples by the Sea of Galilee, it happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas also known as Didymus, Nathaniel from the from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and the other disciples were gathered together.

Peter said I'm going fishing and they said we'll go with you so they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Why did they catch nothing? I suppose you could say they caught nothing, simply, because that is not what and where they were supposed to be.

Jesus wanted to make them fishers of men and they were still content to fish for fish?

Of course we all know very well that fishing for people is harder than fishing for fish. We are all called to go fishing, even though a nice warm fish houses is inviting, and heaven forbid, that I should criticize anyone who finds comfort and peace in a nice warm fish house.

But, please keep in mind when fishermen don't fish, they fight. When fishermen don't fish, they run away. When fisherman don't fish, problems arise. When fishermen don't fish, they forget.

Someone said that there is a thin line between fishing and standing on the shore looking like an idiot. Maybe it's time we risk looking like an idiot for Christ sake. Let us get back to our primary task reaching out to and ministering to people.

Let us all go fishing.

So you all be Good, be Holy, preach the Gospel always and if necessary use words.
'Thank you' to Deacon Kaas, for letting me post his reflection here.
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Sunday, May 26, 2013

Married to a Black Belt

My wife and one of our daughters have a black belt in Soo Bahk Do, a Korean martial art. (April 15, 2012)

Does my wife having a black belt bother me? Honestly, yes: a little.

I was born in the Truman administration. It would be surprising if I hadn't picked up some of that era's cultural baggage.

But I'm 'bothered' only in the sense of having conflicts between old emotional responses and what I know to be true.

One of my wife's lifelong dreams was to earn a black belt, and I am glad that she realized that dream.

Those Dreadful Days of Yesteryear

I remember when telling a woman 'you're as smart as a man' was supposed to be a compliment. Some of the changes my generation worked for were desperately needed and long overdue. Although some of our reforms didn't turn out as I had hoped, I do not miss the 'good old days.'

Today's view of women, men, and marriage also needs correction. That does not mean that I sympathize with folks who like Ephesians 5:22, but seem oblivious to the rest of that chapter. (May 1, 2012)

Not a Doormat

Like many folks, I learned from my parent's example. Sometimes I learned the wrong lesson, and that's another topic.

Something I learned correctly, though, was the idea that women, and men, are people who matter.

My mother was far from being a doormat: willing or otherwise.

Her strength wasn't physical. She was five-foot nothing with a disinclination for physical activity that I, unhappily, inherited. I also seem to have inherited an echo of that diminutive black-haired daughter of the Vikings' capacity for intimidating others.

No bragging there, by the way. I also have blue eyes and dark hair: it's part of the equipment I have to work with.

Knowing my father, he was probably drawn to her indomitable spirit. She did not like it when someone said 'you don't look Norwegian,' and that's still another topic.

My wife is, I think, a bit like my mother was before a debilitating stroke: and that's yet another topic.

'It's in the Bible'

Some folks may still think that if something's 'in the Bible,' it's a good idea. That's not necessarily so.

Don't get me wrong: I take Holy Scripture very, very seriously. I have to. I'm a Catholic, and it's 'in the rules. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 101-133)

Crackpot notions about what the Bible says are (what else?) another topic. (November 16, 2010)

Folks we find in the Bible aren't necessarily good role models. Jezebel, for example, didn't end well; and Sampson isn't known for his common sense. (Judges 14:4; 16:1-17; 2 Kings 9:7, 35)

Europe's artistic and cultural preferences during the last few centuries can give folks a somewhat distorted notion about being 'spiritual,' and being a woman: or man, for that matter. (February 20, 2011; February 15, 2010)

Women in the Bible are not necessarily wimps. There's Deborah, judge of Israel; and Jael, wife of Heber, who is chiefly known for nailing a general's head to the floor. (Judges 4:4-5; Judges 4:17-22, Judges 5:24; and see Footnote 2 of Judges 5)

A Mother's Advice

Proverbs ends with a mother's advice to her son. (Proverbs 31:1-31)

Here's part of her description of a "worthy wife:" (Proverbs 31:10)
"She obtains wool and flax and makes cloth with skillful hands.

"Like merchant ships, she secures her provisions from afar.

"She rises while it is still night, and distributes food to her household.

"She picks out a field to purchase; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

"She is girt about with strength, and sturdy are her arms."
(Proverbs 31:13-17)
Besides managing the household, manufacturing cloth and clothing, investing in real estate and operating a vineyard, this lady "is girt about with strength, and sturdy are her arms." (Proverbs 31:17)

- - - and not one word about being 'as smart as a man.'

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Sunday, March 17, 2013

Designed as Stewards

I'm not surprised that we don't have particularly good built-in senses and neural circuits to guide us. The way we travel, specialized systems might be more trouble than they're worth. (March 15, 2013)

So far, we have permanent settlements on every continent except Antarctica: and maintain year-round outposts there. (March 15, 2013)

Earth's oceans are still largely unsettled, but outfits like Freedom Ship International may change that. A few of us even walked on the Moon for a few days.

No matter where we are, humans have learned to move around without getting lost. The trick is paying attention, and using our brains.

Nature, Humans, and God

I've seen the Victorian-era assumption that science and technology will solve all our problems give way to the equally-silly notion that science and technology will kill us all.

Expecting science and technology to replace God was wrong; so is worshiping nature. Adoring anything that's not God is called idolatry, and is a bad idea. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2110-2114)

But that doesn't make science, technology, and the natural world bad. (November 19, 2012; January 27, 2013)

Studying this astounding creation, discovering how it works, and developing ways to work with it, are part of being human. (Catechism, 2293)

'And God Spake These Words: Saying the World is Ours, to Ravage and Squander' - Not

The 19th century notion that we own nature, and may pillage it without consequence, is wrong. Ethics apply to how we use this creation. (Catechism, 339, 2292-2296)

I think we'll be sorting out the Industrial Age's mess for generations. The physical damage may be the easiest to fix. Long after the last toxic waste dump is reclaimed, Some folks will probably still believe that Christianity destroys the environment.

Born-again atheists claiming that Christians think we own the natural world is, perhaps, understandable. Christians making the same claim: not so much. I'm running into less of the old-school attitude toward nature in recent years: for which I'm duly grateful.

I think part of the problem comes from folks getting the wrong idea from Genesis:
"4 Then God said: 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.'

"God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. "
(Genesis 1:26-27)
I'm a Catholic, so I have to believe that humans are made in the image of God. But I also have to believe that we don't own the universe. Our position is more like 'shop foreman' or steward. (Catechism, 355, 337-349, 2415)

Made in the Image of God: A Scary Thought

The idea that we're images of God, put in this creation as stewards, may be scarier than assuming that God isn't involved at all.

Think about it: how would the steward of a feudal manor feel if the lord of the manor returned to find the fields untended and a party going on in the castle; or a shop foreman, if the owner showed up when the factory was a smoking ruin?

The good news is that we're equipped with everything we need to do our job, including wonderfully adaptable brains.

The disquieting news is that we can use our intelligence as we see fit. As images of God, we're both spirit and matter: animals equipped with reason and free will. Each of us is someone, not something. (Catechism, 355, 1700-1706, 1730, 1951)

We're also responsible for our decisions. (Catechism, 1020-1022)

"With Great Power ..."

"With great power there must also come -
great responsibility!"
(Stan Lee, in Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962) (the first Spider-Man story))
Knowing that God gives us reason and free will, and the job of running creation, is scary.

I've never been a CEO, put in charge of a company: but I imagine that getting your own parking space and keys to the executive washroom must feel good, for a few minutes.

Sooner or later, a responsible executive realizes that every decision he or she makes affects hundreds, sometimes thousands, of stockholders, receptionists, and mail room clerks. For me, that sort of pressure isn't worth a parking space and a corner office. (December 9, 2012; August 31, 2011)

Today, Minnesota: Tomorrow, the Stars

Finally, getting back to our lack of built-in navigation aids: I don't see that as a design flaw.

Specialized senses are fine for creatures that stay in one place. We're designed as stewards, able to develop skills and technology for every locale we call home: and for those we haven't reached yet.



I think it's easy to forget how far we've come, and how much we've done since we started.

Scientists have been piecing together what happened before we developed the sort of external memory we call writing. What they're finding makes me pretty sure that my ancestors left Africa somewhere between 60,000 and 125,000 years ago.

My branch of humanity's appearance changed during our travels, but we're still optimized for an environment that's 'room temperature' all year: ranging from about 66° to 83° Fahrenheit in cold months, 73° to 92° in warm seasons. (19° to 28°, 23° to 33° C)

I live in a part of the world where water is a mineral for several months each year. Living here is easier than it is in places like Antarctica or Earth orbit, but we need technology to survive Minnesota winters: whether it's the latest WHRU, or old technologies like fire and clothing.

That doesn't mean that God never intended humans to live in central North America: only that developing the necessary technology, and getting here, took time and effort.

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Marian Apparition: Champion, Wisconsin

Background:Posts in this blog: In the news:

What's That Doing in a Nice Catholic Blog?

From time to time, a service that I use will display links to - odd - services and retailers.

I block a few of the more obvious dubious advertisers.

For example: psychic anything, numerology, mediums, and related practices are on the no-no list for Catholics. It has to do with the Church's stand on divination. I try to block those ads.

Sometime regrettable advertisements get through, anyway.

Bottom line? What that service displays reflects the local culture's norms, - not Catholic teaching.