In Soviet Russia, You Own Avalanche

Lent, Unplugged

Like last year, I gave up Twitter and Facebook for Lent. A couple of weeks ago, I wasn't sure how I would spend the time (yes, I do spend a lot of time on both). My random thoughts couldn't be shared via text... I might actually have to say it to another person.

I'll admit that social media has influenced the way I think and communicate, and not necessarily for the better. For as shy as I can be, I have always been a people person, and my social skills have atrophied as a result of social media. Now, social media isn't all bad. Do I know more people as a result of social media? Yes. Am I close with all of them? No. It's networking in the classic sense. Perhaps my biggest complaint is my tendency to default to social media instead of turning around and saying hello to the person next to me, or cracking a joke in my Monty Pythonesque way. My inability to turn to the person next to me and make eye contact or say anything is wreaking havoc on my life, and I don't like it.

These thoughts have been winding around in my head at least for the past year. The loss of creativity, flexibility and spontaneity I had not so long ago, are a true loss to me. When I came across this article by Fr. James Schall, SJ, I thought that someone finally understood what I had been experiencing. As human beings, we are made for relationship. If we don't have relationship, the part of us that is able to bond to another person will suffer. That part of us that bonds can never be written out of our code... it will always come back to remind us.


Fr. Schall captures this very well...

"The truth of Christ is the full and authentic response to that human desire for relationship, communion and meaning which is reflected in the immense popularity of social networks." But the limits of friendship and finiteness remain. "He who is a friend of everyone is a friend of no one," as Aristotle said. And I suppose that he who communicates with everyone knows no one in any meaningful sense.

Something else that is interesting about social media... real everyday relationships are full of ups and downs and moments we can't control. In the virtual world, we actually have more control over our interactions with other people. We can think of something clever to say, cite our positions with google searches and links, shut down the conversation or delete it entirely. Nobody would ever know that we disagreed with someone, been incorrect, said enormously stupid or vile things. And the people we hurt or hurt us can never see our facial expressions, hear the changes in our voices, or truly know the impact of the interaction with the other person.

The exception to this, is the group of folks that I have met via blogging since 2006. We are a very close group, see each other often, and are a part of each others lives. Damn, I miss them lately too... So much is lost in the digital age.

Including time that we can be spending with people in real life. So I gave up Twitter and Facebook for Lent so that I could do a few things:

- clear my mind
- focus on priorities of my life (which are conveniently forgotten when you're getting attention at will online)
- to spend time with people, in person

And how could I not put at the top of my list....focus on faith. Lent is my favorite season. I'm very fortunate to belong to a parish that is gentle and instructive. Every year I learn more about what it means to have faith and what God asks of us. It's not always fun to educate your conscience, but it sure makes life more satisfying (albeit challenging).

So it has been good so far... I have more work ahead of me, and more brain space at my disposal.

And Now Ladies and Gentlemen, Miss Ruth Buzzi, Laughing

Watch this video on VideoSurf or see more Ruth Buzzi Videos or Ruth Videos

Everybody needs good neighbors

I got home a little late this evening and noticed that my neighbor Tony's door was open.  I figured he might step out and say hello. But as usual, I rushed in and got settled. 

I thought of Tony a few times today.  How I call him "Mr. Tarantino" even though he's my neighbor, this morning I wondered if the alarm I set in the kitchen to keep me on schedule ever wakes him up in the morning.  His parking spot is near the back entrance to the building, and I recalled when one of the windows fell off the building and smashed the back window.

My garbage.  Man, it stunk.  Snuggy pants and a sweatshirt are not the way you want to be seen in your building on any given day, but the stinky stuff had to go.  At the elevators, my neighbor peeked out of her door and said that my neighbor Tony had died... the coroners were there at that very moment tending to his body.  I took the trash out so that I could get back upstairs and talk with my neighbor.  The door to Tony's apartment opened and I was about to see what I really didn't want to... the suited coroners bringing out the gurney with his body in the bag.  Police.  My apartment manager Mark, who is a sensitive soul and is also who received the call from Tony's daughter that he hadn't answered the phone. He opened Tony's door for her today, and thus there when his body was discovered. 

The coroner said that he collapsed in the kitchen, probably after hanging up the phone with his son. I've said this many times, but they always wait until they've been able to say goodbye or otherwise touch base before they sneak away.

I think of Tony as a man the way men used to be.  He carried himself like an adult and had a good sense of humor, you always felt valued around him.  He was a gentleman.  So much so that I called him "Mr. Tarantino".  He said, "please, call me Tony."

Moral Rigidity

"If you can't be perfect, why bother being good".

I heard this on a sitcom, of all places.  It easily explains ...and rationalizes at the same time.


I'm glad I made a different decision, which wasn't the easiest decision, but nobody can take it away or discredit it.  No matter  how hard they try.

The Best Comment Text, Ever

This about sums it up. Best comment text, ever, from The Big Picture:

"Please use the comments to demonstrate your own ignorance, unfamiliarity with empirical data, ability to repeat discredited memes, and lack of respect for scientific knowledge. Also, be sure to create straw men and argue against things I have neither said nor even implied. Any irrelevancies you can mention will also be appreciated. Lastly, kindly forgo all civility in your discourse . . . you are, after all, anonymous."

The only thing I'd add is, "Please feed the trolls. Arsenic."

An Ode to Bob Baumann and the "Historic Preservation Commission"

Why, you'd think Groucho wrote this just for our beloved blowhards at city hall.

At least someone had some foresight, at some point.

Troooo.....

Dear Dogs and Cats

The following was found posted very low on a refrigerator door.

Dear Dogs and Cats: The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate of food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough.


Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door:


TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:

(1) They live here. You don't.
(2) If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it 'fur'-niture.
(3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
(4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don't speak clearly.

Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they:
(1) eat less,
(2) don't ask for money all the time,
(3) are easier to train,
(4) normally come when called,
(5) never ask to drive the car,
(6) don't smoke or drink,
(7) don't want to wear your clothes,
(8) don't have to buy the latest fashions,
(9) don't need a gazillion dollars for college and
(10) if they get pregnant, you can sell their children ....

Happy.....

Oh, 2010

A quick twirl through Facebook and the Twitter give me the impression that a lot of folks are saying, "don't let the door hit on the way out", to 2010. While I respect that everyone's life is different, I can honestly say that 2010 was a beautiful year in the life of Madame Jones.

Sure, there were things I was very unhappy about: getting involved with someone who seemed like the One, only to find out he was an abusive jerk; some of the pain that came along with strengthening my boundaries where friends were concerned, my vacation was spoiled, and I realize that my time with Grandma is coming to a close. And, as some of you know, I have anxiety. That's not going to change very much, but it's mine.

But for all of the heartache and other things that came with 2010, I don't understand the mindset of saying, "get out of here [insert year]". It's kind of criminal to be ungrateful for your life. Here you are, in all of your glory, and the best part is that you can make CHOICES and that your life belongs to you. Isn't that something to be extremely thankful for? Bad stuff happens, sure, but think about all of the joyful moments of 2010....

- time with your family, they are here and as healthy as they can be in this moment
- your friends, who like your family, are not always perfect. Friends and family heal you, share in your joys and sufferings (if you let them), and help you grow.
- We live in the most abundant country in the world. If you don't have that 88 inch plasma TV, who the fuck cares? The things you actually need are a phone call or a short drive away
- we live in the freest country in the world, even with all of the encroachments. We are still free to use our energy and wherewithal to pursue our dreams - even if we're not doing that right now to our fullest potential
- all of the graces that God grants us, even when we are not able or awake enough to recognize or appreciate them

Life is a good thing in and of itself. If we don't like it, we can change it. But it's a shame to shut it out and lump the good with the bad and dismiss it. Isn't that what's happening with the way history is taught nowadays? Don't let that be you. Yes, 2010 is history, and it's yours.

That's all I can stands, I can't stands no more

Along with much of our once grand culture, this quote from Popeye is sorely overlooked and forgotten. 

And so damn good and relevant today.

If you've gotta hear it (I did), advance to 4:40

Want!

How funny would it be to put one of these into a friend or relative's bed?

Now you can own your very own Horse Head pillow!


I dare you to beat me to it.  Dareya.

Discovering Fulton Sheen

Being a traditional Catholic keeps getting better all the time. It's never stagnant, never the same old tepidity of the Novus Ordo (that's modern Catholicism if you're not familiar). So sad that the traditions of wisdom and fruit of the spirit have fallen by the wayside. Without truth, nothing can progress. Without truth and discipline together, we just sit there.

While reading my more usual Catholic reads, I often heard the name of Archbishop Fulton Sheen. While I knew he was renown, I didn't know that he also had radio and television shows from the 30's through the end of the 60's. The magic of the interwebs provides a platform for anyone to access his television programs. Yesterday, I watched a couple of episodes of his Life Is Worth Living program. I wanted to share these with you, and encourage you to take time to watch other series by the Archbishop. Watch these or any other episodes of his program, and you'll see a style of teaching and authority of presence that was once more common in education. Maybe not everywhere, but more than we see today. They taught us how to learn.

When I watch videos like the ones posted here, I am reminded that all inspiration and law comes from God. It's hard to be human, we want and we want so much, we want it now, and preferably for our own selves, first. Without slowing down and thinking about our thought, it's easy to let things get away from us and take on lives of their own... right under our own roofs.

The truth is simple in itself, but hard to adhere to. We make things complicated in extrapolation and hiding from what we don't want to see. With that in mind, you may find this very refreshing. Enjoy.

Immaculate Conception

Today is Immaculate Conception, a holy day of obligation in the Catholic church. I attended the solemn high mass this evening and the old rite Latin mass never disappoints. Although I was tired and mentally slushy, God still finds ways to shake me from my slumber in all his reverent ways.


At the end of mass, I found this prayer in my missal:






Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

O Mary, Virgin and Mother most holy,
behold I have received thy dearly beloved son,
Whom thou didst concieve in they immaculate womb,
didst bring forth and nourish and strain to thyself
in sweetest embrace.
Behold Him Whose every glance filled thee with joy and all delight:
Him I present and offer to the in loving humility,
to be clasped in thy arms and loved in thy heart,
and to be offered in supreme adoration to the most Holy Trinity,
for thine own honour and glory,
for my needs, and for the needs of the whole world.
I beg thee, therefore, most dear Mother,
obtain for me forgiveness of all my sins,
the precious grace of serving thee more faithfully for the future,
and that final grace of being able along with thee
to praise Him through endless ages.
Amen.