Lamblike Endings?

 Thirty-one days ago, I referenced the old saying that March comes in like a lion and goes out like lamb, and noted that the first half certainly seemed to be true this year.

Whether the second half of the saying is true depends on how you feel about rain, I suppose. Temps are to be in the mid-60s today, which for end of March around here is somewhat above average, but we're expecting rain in the afternoon and evening. On the other hand, yesterday, to next-to-last day of the month, had temperatures near 70 and sun.

April, though, is set to come in cold and raw.

Doctor Doom

 "I'm going to reflect on the reoccurring feeling I have of impending doom. We have so much reason for hope, but right now I'm scared".

--Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control.

 While I understand that Dr. Walensky wants to avoid unwarranted optimism, I'm not sure phrases such as "impending doom" serve any useful purpose in the current situation. No one, not even Dr. Anthony Fauci was using terms that dire even at the height of the pandemic, before we had even the hope of vaccinating anyone, last summer. Beyond being emotionally depressing, I fear such pessimism only strengthens the more virulent anti-mask, anti-vaccine, politically motivated segment of the population.

"Why should I bother with any of this?" they will ask. "The President says we will all be vaccinated by the summer, but his top medical expert says we are 'doomed,' anyway. Why should I inconvenience myself if it's not going to do any good in the long run?"

Not that these people really need an excuse for their behavior, but why give them one? A little cautious optimism is the preferred mood to display, I think. "We still have problems, and normalcy is still weeks away, but the nation and the world are in a better place now than they were just three months ago. Stay the course, don't panic, we're on the right track." That is the appropriate message.

"Channeling" the Canal

 Reports are that the ship that has been blocking the Suez Canal for a week is finally freed, in an operation that took far less time than experts had predicted (it was said it could take another week, at least). Of course, now they have to be sure the ship remains sea-worthy before it makes its way out of the canal.

It's also reported that, in contradiction of earlier news, that the ship went out of control not only because of weather conditions but also, at least in part, due to human error.

This leads me to an image of the captain on the bridge, yelling to the helmsman, "Port! I said port, you idiot!"

Sympathy

 As we go into the 13th month of lockdown, a look at the people I feel sorry for:

The people who have had to deal with the public this whole time (I, luckily, only had to do it for two months, since I retired in May of last year)

Teachers who have had to work out some way to have effective instruction in ways they were never trained for (and I have to wonder how instrumental music teachers have made it work)

Students who have had to learn to cope with all the things that can go wrong in an on-line environment and somehow still learn other new things

Parents who have had to work from home while simultaneously helping their children with on-line school

(And this one my be worse than the last) Parents who have had to work outside the home while their children struggle with on-line school

Clergy who have spend this time trying to minister to congregations they see only on computer screens, if at all. (I especially sympathize with the rector in my own parish, who took over in November and three months later was faced with pandemic and lockdown, long before she had gotten to know most of her parishioners by face, let alone by name.)

There are many more, but those are the ones that come immediately to mind.

Spring Sprung Sprang 2

 OK, this is just a pretense to post this photo of the forsythia in our backyard:

Gym Dandy

 I did something this morning I haven't done in at least 18 months, since before the pandemic. I went to the gym (local Planet Fitness) and used the treadmill. I did about a mile altogether in two 20 minute shifts. I had planned for a mile and a half, but discovered that walking at any real speed with a mask on is more difficult than I thought. In better weather, I'll do it outdoors in an area where I can walk without the mask.

Couple of interesting observations: While the gym wasn't packed, there were still a number of people in there between 8 and 9 AM. And the TV choices were interesting: The four major broadcast networks, ESPN, NBC Sports, TBS, Discovery, CNN, Fox News. What's obviously missing from that lineup? MSNBC, anyone?

Post-Shooting Questions

 I've heard and read several people make the argument that, in the aftermath of mass shootings like those of the past two weeks, we do not need to understand the reasons the shooters took action as they did, that those reasons are irrelevant because the facts of the shootings are plain or because the shooter is dead (as is most often the case) and therefore his motives are moot.

I disagree. First, in the case of a surviving shooter (as in the most recent incidents), there will be at least a hearing and more likely a trial. Motive will always be a factor in court proceedings, if only in determining whether the defendant is competent to stand trial. Second, when the shooter is dead, it is worthwhile to know what drove any human being to such actions, in order to recognize the same problems and situations in other lives and attempt to prevent further tragic outcomes.

I've also seen an argument that "it all boils down to hate"--not the hatred of specific groups that constitutes a "hate crime" under the law, but a generalized hatred of humanity itself, misanthropy, if you will. This seems far too simplistic to me, a way of saying in effect, "well, he was crazy, what can you do about that?"

Alexander Pope once said, "The proper study of mankind is man". If that applies to anything in the modern world, it applies to this.

 

Gun Sense

 In a conversation about gun control in the aftermath of two mass shootings in ten days, a Facebook user was asked. "Why do you need to carry your automatic weapon into Wal-Mart?" The answer given was "Maybe I have no safe place to lock it up while I'm shopping."

My immediate response: "How about behind the locked doors of your home? Why did you feel the need to bring it with you on a shopping trip at all? What did you think you might encounter that would require a weapon that can fire 45 rounds in one minute? Or any weapon at all?"

I am constantly amazed that so many of the same people who refuse to wear masks during the pandemic because "I will not live in fear" carry guns because they are deathly afraid of being attacked while performing normal daily activities.

Some Things I Don't Understand

 I don't understand....

why anyone would refuse to be vaccinated (not just for COVID, for anything), absent a real medical complication--immuno-disease, allergic reactions.

why people cannot return their shopping carts to the storefront or the cart corral in the parking lot.

why people wait until they are pulling out of a parking spot to start a call on their cell phones (and why it's always the people in the biggest honking vehicles who do that).

and, while we're discussing cell phones, why people will walk around in a public space with their phone on speaker, having what ought to be a private conversation at the top of their lungs (really, I do not need to know that your "ex" is in prison again).

why motorcycle riders have to repeatedly rev their engines when stopped at a traffic light (especially annoying because I live right off an intersection with a light).

 

A Shot in the Arm

 I received my first dose of the Moderna vaccine this morning (the second is set for about a month from now). I have to give high marks to the folks running the Delaware County vaccination operation at the Aston Community Center. They were well organized, kept things moving (although, due to the number of people, it took longer than we had figured), and were very helpful. Jill was using her cane and every single person we spoke to asked if she wanted a wheelchair. (She declined; as long as there were places she could sit periodically, she was fine.)

Right now, some three hours since the shot, I feel fine. I don't even have the usual soreness in my arm from getting an injection.

Song Sung Blue

 I miss singing. I haven't sung in public (not even in church with the rest of the congregation) since last March. No performances, no karaoke, not even a Zoom session.

I'm not a great singer. I am a pretty good baritone, suitable to certain kinds of musical theater roles, especially in amateur productions. My biggest asset is being able to act the role, rather than just sing the notes. I can find the phrasing, the pauses, the emphasis to make the lyrics more than just words set to music, but a character's speech on tune. Even when doing a pop tune (I love singing Billy Joel in karaoke!), I find a character in the words and play that.

So, I miss singing.

Spring Sprung Sprang

 Today is the vernal equinox. For those whose Latin skills are lacking, that literally means "spring equal night"--the time when the sun crosses the equator and the day is equally divided between day and night (at the equator, that is; here in North America, that will actually happen in a week or so), better known as the first day of spring. Of course, in the southern hemisphere, this is the autumnal equinox, the first day of fall.

The next major astronomical event will be the summer solstice, when the sun reaches the Tropic of Cancer (as far north as it ever gets), the longest day of the year in the north, the first of summer. (In the south, of course, it's the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.)

In September, we can discuss the astronomical events around fall and winter.

Super-Story Telling

 A frequent complaint about Superman is "he's just too powerful, you can't confront him with a credible threat." I think the first four episodes of Superman and Lois put that argument to rest.

How? Well, not by putting him in physical danger...and that shouldn't be the point, anyway. A good superhero story (any superhero, not just Superman) isn't about how he uses his extraordinary abilities to defeat the bad guy (we all know he's going to do that), it's about how he does that and maintains his humanity and his real life. So far, in S&L, the super-powered battles have been a clothesline upon which to hand the far more interesting human conflicts faced by the Man of Steel and his family.\

Spoilers ahead.

Two scenes in the latest episode, "Haywire," demonstrate that. First, there's the confrontation between Clark and Lois over his failure to appear at the town council meeting (because he was summoned to fight Killgrave). Lois knows Clark is right...and Clark knows that doesn't matter, because he broke a promise on something very important to his wife--and maybe to their whole community. 

Second is the confrontation between Clark and Sam Lane over the conflict between parenting and being a hero. Watch as Clark stands his ground and makes Sam back down--not by a physical threat but by the force of his moral argument. Sam put duty before family and was, frankly, a lousy husband and father, whose daughter resents what that choice meant to her growing up. Clark knows he can do better--and will.

And all this comes while still telling a satisfying action-adventure story.

No Campaigns for Me

 As part of the discussion of my most recent letter to the editor of our local paper, a friend asked if I had considered running for office. At one time, when I was younger, not long after we first moved here, I did...but decided against it for two reasons:

1. I was a brand-new resident with only a passing knowledge of local issues (and only one, the new high school, in which I had a passionate interest);

2. I would be a Democrat in what was then an overwhelmingly Republican community, with about as much chance to win an election as I would have to win a marathon (in fact, my odds in the marathon might have been better).

Today, I know more about the community (after living here for 20 years), I am better known in the community (thanks to those letters in part), the community is more evenly split politically (although the township and school board governments are still 100% Republican), but I am still reluctant. Mostly, I think I'm too old now. If the Democrats are going to crack the GOP hold on the township (as they did the county government last year), they will want and need young people to run, so that they can hold office for a long time and maybe even form a base for higher office. I'm almost 70; IMO, too old to begin a political career.

So, my political activities will be limited to supporting candidates I believe in and writing scathing letters to the paper.

Gas Pains?

 A constant complaint I see in the local paper is that gasoline prices are on the rise, and a certain very vocal group blames that rise on President Biden's policies--notably the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline and suspension of new drilling permits on federal land. Of course, the problem is, neither of those decisions have any direct effect on gas prices, and certainly not in the short term we're talking about here.

None of the oil that would have gone through the Keystone XL pipeline would have wound up  in US refineries that produce gasoline. It was all destined for refineries on the Gulf Coast that make products that go into manufacturing plastics used in foreign countries. Any new drilling planned for federal lands now would not have produced oil for years, possibly decades.

What's causing the rise? First and foremost, the OPEC members have all cut production because (after a year of a worldwide lockdown) there's a glut of oil on the world market. Second, as the US comes out of lockdown, more people are driving--but the refineries had cut production over the past year and it takes time to build inventory again.

But I have a question for these complainers: where are you going with that gas in your car? I filled my tank over a week ago...and I still have three-quarters of a tank left. Local traffic is still way below pre-lockdown levels (and I can tell because I live on a main artery). Are you just taking joy-rides, because you're certainly not commuting to work. And business at local stores and restaurants is still way down, so you're not going there.

Why do I have the feeling these are just pro-Trumpers who have to find something to blame Biden for, even though eight weeks of his administration can hardly have had any real impact?

Trivial Pursuits?

 I've enjoyed playing trivia since the earliest days of Jeopardy, back when it aired on NBC at noon and was hosted by Art Fleming. Over the years, I've realized that I have a wide range of knowledge that isn't particularly deep except in a few areas.

Those areas include most forms of pop culture, including film, television, comics, and theater. I'm also not bad in history and geography and language (as long as we're sticking with the Greek, Latin, and Germanic-related words). My science knowledge is OK at the high-school level, but weak if you get any more complicated than that, and I recognize a lot of mathematical terms, but would be hard pressed to apply them properly.

What I know of classical music comes from church, a little high school chorus, and a lot of animated cartoons. OTOH, I have a pretty good handle on a lot of fine art. I used to be good on pop music...but my knowledge and interest in most of what's been recorded in the past 20 years is very low. I'm not hopeless in sports, but my knowledge is a mile wide and inches deep.

I do well, usually, when playing in a bar or something like that. I'm currently participating in an on-line trivia league. Last year, when I first joined and was playing against other "rookies," I routinely won and came out among the top contestants. This year, having moved up to what might be called the "AAA" level, I'm struggling. Still having fun, but learning my limits.

Editorial Commentary

 First off, for the record, the local paper ran the letter I posted here yesterday in this morning's edition. Which leads me to today's topic:

Do you ever write to your local paper? (For those in big cities, this might be a tough call.) How often? Do your letters get published? My letter-writing career locally began not long after we first moved here, as the school district was planning a new high school building and there was a very vocal minority opposed to the plan. I started by speaking up at school board meetings defending the plan and then started writing to the paper whenever something was published by one of the opponents. I became so well known for my stand on the issue, I was interviewed by a reporter for a feature article about the controversy. (The new school was, indeed, built, and is now about 18 years old.)

After that, I started writing whenever there was something I felt strongly about. Unfortunately, the paper carries two very conservative local columnists (one of them is Christine Flowers, of whom I complained yesterday), and I frequently find my dander raised by their opinions. In fact, I have to stop myself from writing in opposition to their every column, for fear of being termed a mere crank. (They used to have a liberal columnist, too, but budget cuts caused them to stop paying these freelance writers; the two conservatives, who have lucrative full-time gigs--Flowers is a lawyer--continued to work for free, the liberal frankly admitted she couldn't justify the commitment to a regular weekly column without being paid. She still occasionally contributes an op-ed.)

I can't remember a time when my letter was not published. I am, probably, more articulate than many of their citizen correspondents, but I am proud to be able to represent the more liberal view as often as I can.

Vaccine Hypocrisy

 There's a columnist for my local paper, Christine Flowers, who seems to have but one hobby horse--abortion. Somehow, no matter what other subject she's writing about, abortion will be mentioned. This morning, she was writing about the COVID vaccines, and sure enough, there was her old wooden mount.

So, I decided a letter to the editor was in order, and here it is:

Christine Flowers' hypocrisy and fuzzy thinking were clearly on view in her column this morning. In one paragraph she says " I want abortion criminalized. I want it banned. I want it to be recognized as the single greatest act of inhumanity in recent times." And, then, just a few paragraphs later, she says " While we can never impose Catholic morality on secular law...." And yet that is precisely what she proposed doing in her earlier stated desire--to make the Catholic position on abortion the law of the land! Which is it, Ms. Flowers?

Later, she goes to great lengths to explore the morality of using cloned fetal tissue initially derived from abortions in developing the COVID vaccines...ultimately deciding that the time distance between the initial abortions in two vaccines makes them more acceptable than the third one, in which the fetal tissue was more recently acquired. This seems to me to be an odd distinction. If "abortion is murder," as Ms. Flowers so often declares, then the date of that event is immaterial--there is no statute of limitations on murder in state or federal law. Which is it, Ms. Flowers?

Finally, she has decided to get the vaccination--indeed, she already has--determining that the benefits of vaccine outweigh the problematic nature of its origins. It seems if research using fetal tissue benefits Ms. Flowers, all is well and good...but, as she has stated in the past, and as her Catholic morality holds, similar research into cures and treatments for Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, MS, ALS, and a host of other musculo-neural ailments is anathema and must cease. Which is it, Ms. Flowers?

The Selfish Lockdown

 What's the hardest part of a lockdown? Isolation? Lack of exercise? Boredom? All of the above and more?

I think it's the constant reminders that "we're all in this together," because, plainly, we are not. There are far too many people who have taken the stance that their own comfort and amusement outweighs all the reasons for following the rules. This is not to say that those people constitute a majority of the populace, but they are of sufficient number that collectively they have turned what doctors and scientists initially predicted to be, perhaps, a six-month annoyance into what now looms to be an 18-month marathon.

Think what it might have been like if all the people who felt the need to gather in large groups had not done so; if all those who traveled or partied over the winter holidays had stayed home; if those who thought worshipping together in a closed building was holier than protecting all of us by not doing that had followed the overwhelming commandment of all religions--"love your neighbor as yourself".

We might have been open widely now, instead of in May. We might be cautiously hugging our extended families. We might all be going to our houses of worship. Our kids might be in classrooms.

The problem? For too many Americans, "independence" translates as "selfishness."

Never Satisfied

 Reading some of the online comments from my more-liberal friends, following passage of the $1.9 trillion recovery package and President Biden's speech last night, I have come to the conclusion that some of them will never be satisfied by any practical accomplishment.

I have seen remarks such as "If Bernie were president, that bill would have included a minimum wage hike, universal basic income, student debt forgiveness, police defunding...." and for all I know "peace in our time". Of course, the problem is, no matter who the president might have been, none of that would have gotten through the House, let alone the Senate. Not even all Democrats support all those positions.

There's a line delivered by the Che character in Evita: "Politics, the art of the possible." It's one of the truest things in that play and movie. Every politician has to decide what he wants...and what it is possible to get. He has to remember that not even all the people who voted for him support all his proposals--many simply support most of his proposals, or more of his proposals than those of his opponent. And if he insists on getting everything, he may (and probably will) wind up with nothing, which will disappoint all his supporters.

"Half a loaf is better than none." "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good." Those are also wise political thoughts. If you get the half loaf now and the public sees that it was a benefit to everyone, you can convince them to support the other half in the future. If you pass the "good" bill now and the public sees the benefits, you can pursue the perfect one later. Medicaid led to Medicare, which led to the ACA. Workers comp led to OSHA.

It's time for the far left in this country to realize that, no matter how much good their plans might do, they need to win first.

I'll Follow the Sun?

 At 2 AM on Sunday, we move the clock ahead one hour. At one time, there were good reasons to do this--when we were an agrarian society, when more daylight working hours aided in a war effort, when streets and roads weren't lighted at night.

I even made sense (or at least more sense) when the amount of the year we spent in "standard" time was greater than or equal to the amount we spent in "daylight saving" time. But it isn't that way now. We now spend 7-1/2 months--something like 30 weeks of a 52-week year--living one hour ahead of the sun...and only 22 weeks in line with the sun.

 If this is a benefit for nearly 60 percent of the year, why not just continue it for the whole calendar and not bother setting the clocks back an hour at the end of October? Sure it will make winter mornings and late afternoons a bit darker...but the overall number of hours of daylight won't change.

Think about it.

Norton Juster, RIP

 

You might not recognize his name, but you know his work: The Phantom Tollbooth.

I read it to my sons, adopting different voices for all the characters: Tock had a growl, the Humbug sounded like W.C. Fields, etc. A brilliant and amusing book, filled with wordplay, number play and just plain silliness....but with a message about using rhyme and reason to resolve problems.

Q About Oprah

 Apparently. the latest QAnon nonsense is that Oprah Winfrey was wearing an ankle bracelet monitor during her interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Not sure what they think she'd be under house-arrest for.

Actually, if I were one of the Q-nuts, the conspiracy I would be touting is that there is a deep plot to re-install a monarchy in the United States, by way of two children in the British line of succession having US citizenship. Archie is arguably a US citizen by birth, because his mother is; and his soon-to-come baby sister will definitely be a US citizen, by virtue of being born here.

Or is that too outlandish for even QAnon?

Who's Canceling Who?

 In recent days, the term "cancel culture" has reared its ugly head again, in reference to the decisions to end publication of six books by Dr. Seuss (a decision made by the company that represents the author's estate) and to drop the word "Mister" from Hasbro's line of "Potato Head" toys (although the male version of the characters will still bear that name and the female will still be Mrs. Potato Head).

That led me to thinking about the worst case of "canceling" in modern history and who was actually doing the canceling. I'm speaking, of course, of the Hollywood Blacklist, an effort in the 1940s through the early '60s by the extreme right-wing in American politics to deny work to people in the entertainment industry who "were or had ever been" (to use the words of the oft-asked question) a member of the Communist Party, had associated with those who were, or--perhaps most insidiously-refused to name those among their friends and colleagues who might fit that description.

It began in 1947 with just ten people, named for refusing to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and subsequently blackballed by all the major film studios in a document that came to be known as the Waldorf Statement. It was followed by the studios demanding "loyalty oaths" of all employees.

By 1950, in a scandalous pamphlet called Red Channels, 150 people were named as Communists or sympathizers. Although no official action was taken, those people were soon unemployable anywhere in the the entertainment industry--film, broadcast, or theater. By the mid-1950s, the entertainers, writers, producers, directors who were essentially blocked from working in the United States numbered more than 200, and included people who had won awards for their work in the past. (A list of them is included in the article linked below; I bet you'll be amazed by the names you see there.)

Some of those who worked behind the scenes (writers, directors, producers, designers) continued to work without credit, thanks to friends who hired them, but could not risk letting that fact be known.

The blacklist was finally broken by courageous people like Alfred Hitchcock, Betty Hutton, Otto Preminger and Kirk Douglas, who hired and gave credit to writers, producers, and composers previously unable to find work in their chosen professions. But remnants of the blacklist lasted until well into the 1970s, in part because of the political stances taken by stars like Ronald Reagan and John Wayne.

Naturally, the conservatives who speak of a "cancel culture" today never speak of their part in the worst example of it in American history; in fact, some of them still point to it with pride.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_blacklist

 

Chasing WandaVision 4 (Spoilers)

 Meh...and even Bah, humbug!

That's my reaction upon seeing the "finale" of WandaVision. I put finale in quotes, because by my lights, it doesn't fit the definition. A "finale" should resolve all the plotlines, bring the story to a satisfying close and not leave loose ends for the audience to contemplate. Because of the post-credit scene, WandaVision episode 9 does none of those things.

Had they left it where it was as the end-credits began to roll (or even with the mid-credits scene--BTW, that was a Skrull who met Monica Rambeau, right?), everything would have been fine. But the post-credit scene, with an obviously obsessed (possessed?) Wanda peering through the Darkhold tome, it remains unclear who, exactly, was responsible for the events in Westview and--if it was Wanda--is she really aware of the damage she did and care about it?

And was there a hint of something more, someone else, in that scene? I'd swear another visage is superimposed on Wanda's in the final split-second, but despite four or five attempts to freeze-frame on the image, I was unable to determine if what I think I saw was real. And that's bad story-telling, too. The ability of the individual audience member to "get" the intent of the creators should not depend on the technology they use. Either show it or don't.

One of the problems with the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been its complete inter-connectivity...to the point that no one movie--or even line of movies--tells a complete story. It's as if, to give an example from a different genre, Rodgers and Hammerstein had decided that all their musicals are somehow connected and you don't get a full story unless you have seen them all, from Oklahoma! to The Sound of Music, including the minor works such as Allegro, Me and Juliet, and Pipe Dream.

"Endings" like this one only make it worse.

TV Superhero Stuff

 FTR, I haven't watched the finale of WandaVision yet...and I've avoided spoilers...so no comments on that until tomorrow at the earliest.

I did, however, catch the second episode of Superman & Lois, which I continue to enjoy for the most part. My reservations are on how long it will take for them to completely reveal the secret of Captain Luthor and whether his prejudice against the Kal-el of his planet will affect Sam Lane's already icy relationship with his son-in-law.

I find I am not as bothered by the storylines involving the sons--they may be the only thing that keeps this from being typical Arrowverse stuff about deep conspiracies and dark views on being a hero.

What I Miss

 Well, here we are, just about a year since lock-down began...and the question is, "what do I miss?"

Well, I miss face-to-face communication with people. I've had a little bit over the past 12 months with a limited number of people. I was working for the first two months, so I had my colleagues and customers then. But since May, I've had occasional meetings with people from my church (the rector, the youth minister) as I assist them in dealing with running the parish under lock-down. But little else.

Even in those situations, I miss seeing smiles. Yeah, a real smile shows in the eyes as much as the mouth, but that lower half of the face is important...and a lot of the emotion is simply not transmitted on video.

I miss casual conversation. All my interactions now are scheduled, so that we all know what time we have to be at our computers...and because the technology is not up to handling cross-talk, we all have to take turns (and frequently mute ourselves) rather than have the natural interruptions and interjections of in-person conversation.

If you'd asked me twelve months ago, I might have described myself as an introvert, someone who was happy to work alone. Now, I'm not so sure.

Who Was That Masked Man?

Hypothetical: Around Halloween this year, the CDC announces it believes we have reached herd immunity in the United States. Those areas that have not already lifted restrictions begin to do so--it is no longer mandatory to wear a mask in stores and restaurants, full occupancy is restored, movie theaters and sports arenas are operating, schools have all returned to in-person learning.

Question: What will you do? Will you continue to wear a mask, just in case? Will you start going out to eat again? Will you socialize with friends at their homes and yours? Will you attend large gatherings like weddings? Will you celebrate the holidays "normally"--dinner with extended family on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve services, New Year's Eve parties?

How soon will your life go back to normal?

Mistakes on the Left and Right

 There are moments when I don't know what I despair of the most--the extreme right or the extreme left. Each side, IMO, did things that made them look stupid yesterday.

On the right, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (spurred by a pronouncement from the Archbishop of New Orleans) "urged Catholics to avoid taking the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine and to choose alternatives from Pfizer or Moderna instead because Johnson & Johnson used cells derived decades ago from an abortion to create the vaccine." It called the J&J vaccine "morally compromised". (https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/03/02/archdiocese-new-orleans-johnson-vaccine/) Yes, indeed, your eminences, the death of an unborn child decades ago is more important spiritually than the health and possible death of your congregants in the here and now.

On the left, after urging from a study in 2019, Dr. Seuss Enterprises has decided to cease publication of six of the children's author's works, on the basis that "portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong." The six titles in question are And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, If I Ran the Zoo, McElligot's Pool, On Beyond Zebra!, Scrambled Eggs Super!, and The Cat's Quizzer.  (https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/02/us/dr-seuss-books-cease-publication-trnd/index.html) On looking at the things that were considered in these books, I don't disagree that they are inappropriate by modern standards, but I do disagree with the steps taken. Why not simply publish new editions with the kind of "disclaimers" that companies like Disney and Warner Bros. have placed on some of their older material--that these works represent cultural standards of their time and should be viewed in that context?

In each case, again IMO, the authorities in question simply make themselves look foolish and hidebound.

Conspiracy Generators

 This morning, as we were watching Morning Joe, Jill asked: "What is it that has, in the past decade or so, made conspiracy such a popular method to explain things?"

I suggested the following:

When a formerly majority opinion becomes the minority position, those who still hold that opinion are hard-pressed to explain why their long-held belief is no longer popular--especially if, as is often the case, "all my friends agree with me." They simply cannot believe that the vast majority of the country has altered so greatly or that those who hold this once-reviled position (gay rights, minority rights, atheism/agnosticism, etc.) have legitimately gained power; clearly there must be sinister forces at work.

Hence, a conspiracy: If no one I know supports these ideas, then there must be some small, powerful cabal that is secretly pulling the levers behind the scenes ("a man behind the curtain," if you will). And in an age where powerful communication tools are available to just about anyone, it is ridiculously easy to spread this idea widely. And if you point out that there is no hard evidence for their view, the response is often "that just proves how powerful the conspiracy really is."

It's a concept that has been tried in the past, with somewhat less success. Father Coughlin attempted it using radio, Joe McCarthy with the press and the early days of television, the John Birch Society with pamphleteering. Each had some influence, but it waned as the "gatekeepers"--editors and publishers--pointed out the flaws in their methods and ideologies.

Today, those gatekeepers are no longer as powerful as they once were. In some circumstances, there simply are no gatekeepers. And so, all the nonsense flows through.

Leonine Beginnings

 Proverbially, March comes in like a lion and leaves like a lamb. Well, it's certainly acting lion-like over the next two days.

Today is wet and damp, starting in the mid-40s and dropping quickly through the afternoon as the skies clear and winds pick up. By tomorrow morning, temperatures will be in the teens with wind chills in the single digits...and it will stay that way throughout the day.

March begins testing out its more ovine characteristics later in the week, when temps rise into the 40s and 50s. What will it be like in 30 days? Who knows?