Chateau Lloyd

Yesterday I finally finished the garden shed and began filling it up.  I get a sense that this is going to have a long-term and decisive impact on storage, exercise and gardening.  

Having the tools almost within arms' reach will save a vast amount of walking time.  No, it's not a great distance to the garage, but even a minute there and back adds up.  Moreover, the organization of the things is finally being rationalized, so less wasted time in searching for the thing I want.

One lesson: sometimes more is less.  Getting the right storage system forces you to buy more stuff, but it actually uses less room and saves time in the end.  The experience of doing this is giving me ideas for how to sort things in the house as well.

It is of course a process, not an event.  I recall how much easier things got when I created a parallel set of "garage tools" to save me a commute to the basement each time I needed something.

Put simply, I'm reducing the Clausewitzian "friction" involved in all aspects of yard work.  Save a few minutes here, a little exertion there, and I broaden the scope of what I can do with the same amount of time.  It's like motorizing my infantry and mechanizing my cavalry.  Areas of the yard that were out of reach are now closer to my logistics base, and I can increase the scope of my operations.

Because of my National Guard responsibilities, it was always a struggled to keep up with the yard.  Indeed, some years ago I decided on a strategic withdrawal from the back fence line.  It was always hard to mow, and I needed maximum effort to spray for bugs or weeds.  Falling back allowed me to consolidate effort closer to the house but also caused trees to start coming up, increasing my privacy from the neighbors.  I'm only a couple of years from a summer "green wall" providing complete seclusion from most angle.

Another factor is that the grandkids are now old enough to effectively help in the yard.  They rip out plants with great gusto.

Of course, nothing is certain, and this year may be yet another disappointment, but if nothing else, the failure will be much more efficient.

I first encountered David Horowitz through his "Heterodoxy" newspaper, which was distributed around campus in the 1990s.  It was a breath of fresh air, and part of the intellectual current that pushed me into a more independent - and often conservative - point of view.

I've always been something of a reactionary, and while I entered college as a Democrat, by the time I graduated, I was deeply dissatisfied with the party, which was already abandoning its principles to political expediency.

I next encountered Horowitz's work online, and regular read him for many years, but it was not until comparatively recently that I purchased Radical Son, his autobiography first published in 1998.  Horowitz was a classic "red diaper" baby, raised from birth by his Jewish Communist parents to carry out the long-awaited revolution.

In a sense, it's a secular conversion story, but what sets it apart is the penetrating analysis of the mentality behind the politics of the New Left.  Marxism is a rival religion, not an economic or political program, which is why people who believe in it have a quasi-religious zeal.  Horowitz laid out very clearly that the reason why so many American Jews "lived like Episcopalians but voted like Puerto Ricans" was because the synagogue had been replaced by the Party committee room.

This is still true today.

Many people of his generation followed the same path, and American popular culture reflected this drift through TV shows like Family Ties, where a hippy couple end up with apolitical or even conservative children, all the while living the middle class lifestyle they once condemned.

Having found his new faith, he carried it forward with zeal, and it is interesting to note what while many 80s conservatives turned against Trump, he instead embraced him.

Horowitz was a minor influence on my intellectual development, but an important one.  The seeds planted by reading his paper in the dorm cafeteria took deep roots and have remained with me ever since.  May he rest in peace.

Long-tine readers know that I've been intermittently acquiring vintage TV shows, which are a nice way to fill a bit of an evening before bed.  They don't require much engagement, have a nice nostalgic flavor and many of them have held up surprisingly well.

However, just about every TV series has its low points, and it was only recently that long-form plot arc were introduced to American productions.  This lends it self to high-grading the shows, watching only the best portions of the best seasons.

Typically, this is found in the second season, when the cast, crew and writers have found their rhythm.  I've been watching the second season of Miami Vice for this reason and it is outstanding.  This was the peak of the show, where its music, style, and action all achieved perfection.

The nice thing about having a library is that one has options.  I streamed Remington Steele and am thinking of adding that and Moonlighting to my collection.  One of my kids asked for all of MASH and I may dip into that as well.  Again, only the best years.

One of the themes of my criticism of modern entertainment is that while we may make fun of old shows and their tropes, they still had much better production values, acting and were more entertaining than what we have today.  Yes, the TV audience of the 1980s had less options, but competition was fierce to get those big numbers.  A #1 rated show would draw a minimum of 40 million eyeballs, which was a huge commercial opportunity.  It's interesting to see that with far more views, "hit" shows have half of that viewership.

As I pointed out during the Bleeding Fool Battlestar Galactica Wars, for all the critical acclaim of the reboot, its numbers were objectively terrible.  It would not have survived to a second season in the broadcast television era.

Old trade paperbacks are more than a good value; they're often a time capsule.  Yes, there's the text of the book, but the blurbs, the quotes from reviewers and even the advertisements in the back that really set it in a specific time and place.

I bought A Burnt-Out Case simply because I wanted to read more of Graham Greene.  I knew nothing about the book, but the pull-quote featured on the cover assured me that it was his best work.

Well, I've only read three of his books and, I think it's in third place.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy it.  It's quite the page-turner and if I had been able to read it on a reliable basis, I would absolutely have gotten more out of it.  When you're reading a novel, taking days off at a time really disrupt the flow.

The plot is interesting if a bit contrived:  a famous Catholic architect grows tired of the world and seeks seclusion and meaning at a leper hospital in the Congo.  The title is derived from the name the doctors give to lepers who have lost all their fingers and toes and have become disease-free.  Such a person is a "burnt-out case," and it soon clear that the main character (known only as "Querry") is spiritually the same.

It is full of vivid description and Green's affectionate satire of Catholic clergy.  It starts slow, and picked up speed as it moves towards yet another unpredictable ending.  I appreciate Greene for that.  His endings are surprising, but never contrived.  They could have been "just so," but are not.  I'm looking forward to reading more of his work.

The news this morning that Pope Francis passed away seemed oddly fitting given all that has been going on.  I imagine that he held on for one more Paschal Feast and, with the task accomplished, shrugged off the mortal coil.

He brought enthusiasm and chaos to the Catholic Church, and it seemed inevitable that a quieter, more consistent candidate will be chosen to succeed him.

For all the problems he caused, the Church is growing, vocations are up, and there is a real possibility that the schisms between Rome, the Copts and the Easter Orthodox may well be resolved.  Certainly, I think there is more sympathy for a less authoritarian papacy, and some sort of stricture may well be enough to resolve long-standing disputes.

Papal politics are famously opaque, but one gets a sense that Francis' turbulent tenure has been exhausting.  Even his liberal allies in the College of Cardinals have to be breathing a sigh of relief that there will be no more off-hand statements that require a careful walk back.

And that's really all the Church needs at this point.  

At several points this week, I intended to write something, but events invariably called me away from the keyboard.

I didn't resist because real life should take priority.  Each day I've gone to bed relatively early and immediately fallen into restful, healing slumber.

This Easter will be one of my busiest in years, and there remains much to be done today.  Indeed, the operational tempo around here is probably not going to  ease until June, but it is all positive, productive work.

In the wider world, the usual anti-Catholic antics took place, but they seem to be either ineffective or counterproductive.  The report that 40% of young adults in England go to Catholic Mass each week sent shock waves through the religious community.  By contrast, only 20% attend Anglican services.  While England is something of a basket case at the moment, its future within the Church seems bright.  I can't help think that the nonsensical attempt to ban silent prayer has people wondering what it is like.

I must be powerful stuff if you're willing to lock up old ladies over it.

France is having another banner year of adult conversions, and the final number seems close to 18,000, which is yet another increase over the previous year.  This trend has been going on for a while, and while 18,000 in a nation of millions seems paltry, it is happening year after year.  Indeed, much of Europe seems to be seeing similar trends.

The great exception, of course, is Germany, where the numbers of Lutheran and Catholic alike are crashing down.  The actions of the Catholic leadership can only be explained as either insane or demonic.  It is insane because all of the "reforms" they are pushing have already been tried by state Protestant churches for decades without any positive effect.  Indeed, the one comfort Catholics might derive is that they will soon outnumber the Lutherans because the rate of loss among Protestants is higher.

The other predictable result will be schism and excommunication, which is why I say it is demonic.  They know that Rome is not going to bend the knee on questions of core doctrine like sexual morality and the ordination of women.  

In a sense, this challenge has been coming for a long time, and presumably the liberal Catholics who dominate the upper ranks of the German Church see this is their last opportunity to ram through their long-desired 'reforms.'

Another miracle was announced this week at Lourdes, bringing the grant total to 72.  It should be noted that this list is far from comprehensive - these are only the most well-documented and completely inexplicable healings.  There are plenty more where people found healing, but it was within the tiniest margin of probability.  

Finally, archeologists working beneath the Holy Sepulchre have found evidence that there was once a garden on the site, closely following the Gospel  of John.  It is interesting that scientists constantly denigrate the Catholic Church, yet it tirelessly subjects its beliefs to scientific validation.  

Over the past few months, I've noticed the appearance of a strange new creature: the Calvinist Catholic.

These seems like an oxymoron, but as with so many things, contradiction can often coexist in the disturbed mind.

Catholic Calvinists are people who have bought fully into the idea that the Utterly Depraved are incapable of doing good.  One can never judge them by the fruits of their action, but only by their perceived motivations.

The Case Zero for this is of course Donald Trump.  Objectively speaking, Trump has been the most pro-life president of my lifetime.  Not only did his appointments overturn Roe v. Wade, but his subsequent actions (including recent executive orders), have further hammered abortion providers, forcing Planned Parenthood to close numerous clinics.

Yet when presented with these facts, one gets a remarkable set of excuses, such as Trump was motivated by DEI to hit Planned Parenthood, and the pro-life aspect was unintentional.  Similarly, his economic and governmental reforms are always characterized as chaotic and random even when it is clear that they are moving an a long-planned progression.

Maybe this is vanity.  Maybe the Catholics in question have much knowledge of theology and little of economics or politics.

It is tempting to write this off as the all-too-familiar Trump Derangement Syndrome, but these people are otherwise sensible and important voices in the Church.  It is illogical to expect them to change their opinion of Trump personally, nor should anyone ask that they do so.  He is a polarizing figure.

But when we move into the realm of policy, such distinctions assume a secondary character.  This is especially true when there is no moderate alternative.  The opposition has wedded itself to abortion without any limits at all, and their other policies are equally morally abhorrent.

When Trump is wrong, Catholics should speak out, but their criticisms will be much more effective when coming from voices that were hitherto friendly and supportive.  Simply carping at him non-stop, qualifying any praise while indulging in personal attacks are unwise and counterproductive.  It is also not particularly Christian.

Over the weekend someone recommended this lengthy essay about mental illness in general and delusional behavior in particular.  It is a long, repetitive read, and the summary version is that an increasing number of people seem unable to deal with reality and resort to creating delusions as a way of avoiding reality.

I think there are two reasons why this kind of behavior is even possible.

The first, and probably the easiest to fix, is that we live in a secular society driven by materialism.  As the pandemic lockdown showed, most of our elites regard religion as a secondary thing rather than a first thing.  Religion to them is a form of self-help, fine so long as it doesn't challenge the secular materialist worldview.

This is why the UK feels it appropriate to ban prayers near abortion mills.  Prayer is not a human right, it's a thing you are permitted to do only if no one else objects (unless you are Muslim, of course).

Restoring religion - and in particular, Christianity - to its rightful place at the center of Western civilization has seemed like an insurmountable challenge, but we are now seeing a wide-ranging revival, in part because Christians have ceased trying to be "nice" and are returning to moral language and moral condemnation.

Surging Bible sales are another indicator that people feel the "faith of things" has failed.

To bow before God is to be humble and remain grounded.  Christianity teaches a rational and ordered worldview, and also that good people can - through no fault of their own - experience bad things.  The key is to understand why, to learn from them, and continue in the faith.  I will say that I am having the worst Lent of my life.  Between sickness, a painful medical procedure with lengthy recovery, and the normal fasting, I'm not having a good time.

On the other hand, I'm having a great time, because this is some serious Lenten suffering.  What a blessing to offer up all this misery to God!  I have taken so much for granted and as I heal, I rejoice in so many small things.

This leads us to the larger problem, which is that society is increasingly alienated from actual work, and our connection with the natural world has been severed.  The woman in the essay is a programmer, which means her labor has no direct connection to her pay.  She pushes buttons and gets (digital) money in return.

This is a far cry from tilling a garden and watching it crow, or raising livestock.  All of her relationships are built around an artificial Californian society that was built in a couple of generations without any roots or continuity.  It is no accident that Hollywood dwells so much on suburban alienation.  Few, if any, have the sense of rootedness one finds in middle America.

As the lockdowns slowly lifted, I went to northern Michigan and sat on the beach at Rogers City, watching waves come crashing into the shore via a strong north wind.  I sat there for about an hour, watching the sun set over a vast sky and darkening horizon.  The enormity of it all exposed how futile it is think that we are worth of CIA surveillance or trans-national hit teams.  In the greater scheme, we are as insignificant as one of the rocks on the shore, and as fleeting as a frothing wave.

When you are in the world, interacting with it, you become aware of how many other stories are taking place around you.  The prayer intentions at Mass sketch out other hardships, deaths and illnesses.  The baptismal announcements and weddings also point to new things emerging, seemingly spontaneously.  You didn't will them, had nothing to do with them, yet there they are.

For a time, people are able to function in the abstract, God-free environment, usually because they are preoccupied with building up their wealth and status.  They are worshipping the god of the two-car garage, and it can be quite fulfilling at first.

But after a while, the pursuit of things and status rings hollow and is no longer fulfilling.  Without any spiritual formation or connection to tangible things, the mind will start roving, seeking meaning in any way it can.

The author stresses that people can't be forced out of a delusion, but there are two answers to this.  The first is that one can't replace something with nothing - you cannot take away one vision without another to replace it.

In addition, modern American society has uniquely evolved to cater to these people through cheap transportation, easy movement, and our boundless affluence.  Whether one mooches off of wealthy relatives or exploits public assistance, it's remarkably easy to start over, and repeat the cycle without learning anything, and the essay shows this quite clearly.

The American obsession with individualism - even when it is deeply harmful - buttresses this.  We used to lock people up for their own good, but that became viewed as totalitarian.  It is now seen as better to tolerate sidewalk encampments than put people in supervised living where they do various chores to renew their understanding how work is connected to fulfilment, and labor can have a tangible, immediate result.

Society itself now labors under several delusions regarding fantastic Russian conspiracies, hidden Nazi cells, and the notion than men can actually become women.  These beliefs substitute for actual faith, and lead to still further fantastic notions that allowing one's lawn to grow wild in May will please Gaia or something.

And yes, there is a spiritual aspect to this as well, because demons love souls in torment.  The wrath and energy that comes with these delusions helps sustain them.  It is like a drug, and a great many people are addicted to it.

The upshot is that these people don't have a single thing go wrong, and many of them have multiple factors that drive them into insanity and keep them there.  Reason is useless, and in many cases I think an exorcist is more effective than a therapist.

One of the most disturbing - and yet comforting - revelations of the past few months is just how much money is wasted on bogus aid programs.  It's disturbing because most people assuming that the US was incapable of Third-World level corruption.  We're not.

At the same time, it is comforting because we now know that there are vast amounts of resources that could be redirected to do immense good (or at least lowering the tax burden and reducing the national debt).

There is also newfound scrutiny being directed at the almost entirely useless "non-profit" sector.  Most of these organizations serve as pass-through recipients, who take a cut of whatever grant they get and then pass it on to others who then take a cut and pass it along again.

The mission statements of these entities is invariably open-ended.  They "advocate" or "raise awareness" or "build networks" and so on.  Their staff is well-compensated, with the CEOs living in luxury.  It was not always so.

Before women became preponderant in the office environment, actual charities were primarily staffed by volunteers, typically housewives whose kids had reached a point where they no longer demanded close supervision.  My grandmother was one of these women - having raised five kids, she now turned her attention to various societies and right up until her death, she was constantly busy organizing and attending meetings, events, and so on.

In those days, women gained status by having thriving families and doing good works (yes, she was Catholic).  To not contribute one's time was shameful.  How could you sit around the table at the country club without recounting your various activities, many of which you shared with your dining companions?

We have long since replaced this concept of charitable obligation with charity as an income generator, and the very uselessness of non-profits is held to raise them above grubby for-profit business, which of course are what powers the economy that keeps them afloat.

This shift is one of the engines that has powered Yard Sign Calvinism, which has no concern over whether any of their labor accomplishes anything, it is all about looking good and feeling good.  Pulling down hundreds of thousands of dollars in salary while running a food bank into the ground is the epitome of this mentality.

There is also the problem of where the money that isn't wasted on staff perks actually goes.  In the above example, some of it went to electioneering, which is clearly fraud.  

The fact is that we live in a fallen world, and one way to avoid aid being misused is to keep it close to home and under close observation.  Even nominally religious organizations can fall victim to a bureaucratic mentality.

As I have repeatedly pointed out, my parish bulletin is simultaneously asking for help in resettling foreign migrants while also lamenting the depletion of the food pantry and housing resources.  We are literally robbing Peter to pay Paul, all the while preening about our virtue.

Indeed, there is almost a perverse delight in this, as the Protestant work ethic is weaponized against native-born poor, who are condemned as lazy, ill-educated and of course racist, while those from overseas bear none of the sins of this blighted nation.

Our charities are increasingly uncharitable, designed to comfort the comfortable, and punish the suffering.  I see these discoveries as an opportunity to make a radical change, sweeping out the corruption and refocusing on truly good works.

Val Kilmer has died, and it is not particularly surprising.  The image he put forth in his documentary a few years ago was not one of a healthy man.

In many ways, his appearance in Top Gun: Maverick was something of a final sendoff, and the scene of his final farewell to Tom Cruise's character is deeply moving, in large part because the vocal limitations on Kilmer were real.

In many ways, the end of "Iceman" paralleled that of the actor who played him.  In his prime, Kilmer was outstanding, but more than anything else, his illness destroyed any attempt at him making a comeback.  The contrast between Kilmer and Cruise was remarkable, and again, added to the gravity of the moment.

As I wrote before, Kilmer professed to be a Christian, but it was not much in evidence, even in the documentary.

Nevertheless, it is to be hoped that he died in Christ and that he and his family find some measure of comfort through that.