YOU! Can Prevent Election Interference by Foreign Social Media Trolls

Last updated on: September 18, 2020 at 11:28 am By Jennifer Fitz

Clemson University’s Media Forensics Hub has an educational quizlet online, testing whether you can tell the difference between foreign trolls and ordinary American citizens spouting their preferred propaganda: spotthetroll.org. The quiz takes you through screenshots of a series of real social media profiles that have been investigated by law enforcement or verified by the university’s research team. The goal of the quiz is to help you learn the difference between the features of a foreign-made fake user profile and that of... Read more

Safer Trick-or-Treating During a Pandemic

Last updated on: September 16, 2020 at 2:34 pm By Jennifer Fitz

I want to follow up on my post in favor of not outlawing trick-or-treating with some thoughts on how to make a pretty-safe activity into a more-safe activity. Some ideas: #1 You don’t have to do this. In terms of exposure to a respiratory virus, I think standard trick-or-treating is similar to going the grocery store. Early on in the history of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was concern that touching shared surfaces could be a major vector of transmission; over... Read more

How to Create a Safe, Fun Autumn’s Night Activity for Children

Last updated on: September 12, 2020 at 11:51 am By Jennifer Fitz

There’s a pandemic on, and it can be tough to find ways to let kids get out and have fun in a safe manner, especially if you want to do something that brings the whole community together in, say, a traditional cultural celebration. So here’s an idea: Think up a theme for your event that makes it easy to include masks in a fun, playful way. Perhaps something involving costumes? Create a “drive by” (walk-by) type event, where rather than... Read more

Stepping Off the Political Fear-Mobile

Last updated on: September 8, 2020 at 6:52 pm By Jennifer Fitz

Full disclosure before we begin . . . I’ll be getting in line at my local polling place this November (I anticipate no problems, it’s a well-run precinct) to cast my three-for-the-price-of-one vote, if my critics are to be believed: One vote for a third-party candidate TBD, and therefore, I’m informed, that also means I’ll be casting one vote each for Trump and Biden. Okay, that’s fine. Let’s talk about why. This afternoon I commented to the SuperHusband that the... Read more

Not Everything is Political

Last updated on: August 31, 2020 at 4:43 pm By Jennifer Fitz

Today I was alarmed to find myself needing write this. So let me explain something, again, about Southern culture: We honor the dead. To my knowledge there is one, single, possibly-valid argument for maintaining Confederate memorials, and it is that regardless of their sins, it is good to remember our forebears and honor their virtues. If you are an old-school Republican governor of one the reddest of the red-states, a state so certain to swing for Trump that MAGA hats just are... Read more

Quit Feeding the Rhetoric of “Fear”

Last updated on: August 27, 2020 at 3:23 pm By Jennifer Fitz

From the Archdiocese of Atlanta, emphasis mine: Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., encourages those who are healthy and are not burdened with the fear of being exposed to the virus to begin returning to Mass and receive the grace of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist. There are two ways to read this, and the more charitable reading is that the archbishop is graciously acknowledging the suffering of persons with phobias. That’s super, I approve, and for more ideas about providing... Read more

Social Scientists Unclear on How Wage-Earning Works

Last updated on: August 26, 2020 at 7:16 pm By Jennifer Fitz

The Institute for Family Studies is reporting that, after controlling for demographic variables, children from two-parent families where the mother works only part-time outside the home or not at all are most likely to attend a selective college. You can read the summary of the study here. Small hitch, unless the author of the study, Nicholas Zill, is being coy about his methodology: He controlled for family income, not per-parent income. The median family income among those families where both parents work full... Read more

IVG and Poly-Parenting vs. Adoption and Step-Parenting

Last updated on: August 22, 2020 at 11:50 am By Jennifer Fitz

“IVG” is in vitro gametogenesis, an emerging technology that allows the creation of babies (baby mice, at the moment) from the genetic material of one, two, three, or more parents. You can have a baby genetically descended from a lone parent, a baby genetically descended from a half-dozen gene-donors . . . whatever suits. It is the next-level in designer baby-making. [False cognate alert: “IVG” in French means interruption voluntaire de grossesse, aka avortement — abortion. So take note in translating back and forth... Read more

Cultivating the Virtue of Perseverance in Prayer

Last updated on: August 13, 2020 at 1:56 pm By Jennifer Fitz

Fr. Matthew Schneider did a great job covering the recent case of a priest who reacted poorly to a disruptive child during a private baptism. Please read: “Video Shows the Need to Train Priests on Disability.” No, seriously. You need to go read it. Thank you. If you obeyed, then for a treat, here’s my small side comment to add to Fr. Matthew’s excellent post (which you read, right?): Quit using other people as your excuse for poor spiritual training.... Read more

How to Treat Gentiles and Tax Collectors

Last updated on: August 12, 2020 at 8:40 am By Jennifer Fitz

Today’s Gospel is the instruction on what to do with erring members of the Church: If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell the... Read more