Miscellaneous Rambling
Those pictures yesterday perfectly capture a project I've long thought (fantasized) about: building a local outdoor shrine. An actual "shrine," of course, requires designation by the bishop, but it'd be a shrine in intent, if not official approval. I always thought such a thing would be good for my community, both in terms of blessings and potential tourism. I haven't given up on the idea, not by any means, but I'm still waiting for the price of farm land to drop to reasonable levels before giving it much further thought.
Funniest thing about my deceased client's secular sanctuary: I'd long felt a special connection with him. There was something about him I really liked and I kinda felt he reciprocated the affection, even though we were primarily professional acquaintances. Maybe there was something similar inside us that values something like an outdoor sanctuary (his of secular bent, mine of Catholic: but the same bent nonetheless) and that "something" sensed a counterpart in the other person. But then again, I think over 300 people showed up for his memorial service, most of them obviously very fond of the man, so maybe he is just the kind of guy that intuitively forms ties with people.
If you didn't see it last week, check out this piece by the American Thinker: "Charlotte Observer: Girls must overcome 'discomfort' at seeing male genitals in locker room." The editors (predictably) compare men in a girl's restroom to the discomfort whites felt at having blacks in their locker rooms. The disingenuous (or downright stupidity) makes the mind reel. The Thinker picks it apart facilely enough: "How is this issue remotely connected to race relations? It isn't, but gullible Americans will believe it, despite the disconnect from reality. Black and white people did not choose their race. By its very definition, transgendered people choose their gender identity. That's a monumental difference hidden in this politically correct message."
