The Great Fast is almost here. For the Latin church, Lent will begin on March First this year. I’m still trying to figure out when the Fast begins for the Eastern Church. I know that last Sunday was “Sunday of Meatfare” and next Sunday is “Sunday of Cheesefare” and as far as I can tell, we begin Lent Sunday evening after vespers– so, the twenty-sixth of February, sometime after dark. I am notoriously easily confused about times and seasons. At least... Read more
I have a quick message for a certain type of Trump supporter. Specifically, this message is for everyone out there who’s still answering every objection to TV’s Donald Trump with “But Hillary!” This is particularly for those people who dislike and fear Trump, didn’t want Trump in the first place, but keep reminding everyone that they voted for him and had to do it because Hillary Clinton would have been worse. Judging by my combox and the comment sections of my friends, there... Read more
It is said that good poets have drunk the honey mead that was distilled from the blood of Kvasir, who was himself formed from the saliva of the gods. Odin dispenses this mead himself, and to drink it is a privilege not given to many. It is said that bad poets have sipped a drop of that mead when it dribbled from Odin’s beak, during the episode in which he transformed into an eagle to steal it from the giants. In the version of... Read more
Well, that escalated quickly. Over the past couple of days, the Lepanto Institute’s Facebook page put up two memes, each muddling social justice and giving to the poor with the sin of Judas. I dialogued with the first meme myself the other day. The other meme implied that social justice and giving to the poor was the reason modern churches are so ugly, even though a modern design is just as expensive as a Baroque one. The meme coined the hashtag #Judaschurch to... Read more
The name “Lepanto” always makes me think of rabbits. For as long as I can remember, every time I hear “Lepanto” I automatically picture a knight in full jousting armor, holding an enormous dead chestnut-colored buck rabbit by the big hind feet and using it to smack people upside the head. “The Battle of Lepanto” brings to mind a whole field of knights in full jousting armor, hitting each other with rabbits. I couldn’t say why until I remembered that... Read more
I received a message from a reader whose husband is in the country illegally. After trying and trying since we were fianceed to get him legalized, after finally achieving a job where I almost made enough to sponsor him (I fell 1000 short this year) and after spending close to 1000 on multiple lawyer consultations alone, Trump got elected. We were going to fill out the i130, and then the 601a. We knew it was going to be difficult. The i130... Read more
My friend Nina just posted this on Facebook: Things I never thought I’d have to warn my kids about: school shooters and immigration sweeps. I worry that my kids will end up being rounded up by immigration in a sweep of “illegal aliens” at school. You might say that’s irrational, but when US Citizens who happen to have foreign sounding names are being targeted at airports and there are immigration sweeps happening at schools, it’s not a far fetched idea.... Read more
It’s time to talk memes again. I have seen several different versions of an irritating meme circling around. This meme always has a tacky, Thomas Kinkade-style painting of a wrought-iron gate up in the clouds on it. Superimposed over the Heavenly gate is some version of the following: “Remember, Heaven has a wall. It has a big beautiful door. And you need extreme vetting to get in.” At first I thought this meme was being promulgated to defend President Trump’s travel... Read more
I don’t watch football. I don’t care if anyone else watches football. I don’t imagine that I’m a better person than somebody who watches football. I just don’t personally care for it. So, I wasn’t watching the Super Bowl this weekend. I was “Trying to get some writing done,” which means absentmindedly scrolling around on Facebook hoping one of my friends said something witty enough to inspire a blog post. I’ve been a bit sick and foggy headed, so the... Read more
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Just Call Me “The Author”
(Note: These are all real comments I’ve received, here in the Disqus or on Facebook or sometimes in person, in response to my blog posts; some of them are paraphrased, but they all happened.) Q: This post seems judgy. A: I’m an internet blogger. Q: I am surprised that Patheos allowed an article so poorly written to be published. A: I’m an internet blogger. I could write “I want sprinkles!” a dozen times and click “publish,” and by the... Read more