My unanswered response

Fall as it ever is in my mind

As many regular guests to my blog know, we are a family of seasonal traditions.  And no season gobbles up more time and effort tradition-wise than that greatest of all seasons: Fall.  This year, with a host of changes and obligations and time constraints, we'll again have to broaden what, when and where we do things.

In the olden days, the rules were binding: We didn't begin 'Fall things' until after the Autumnal Equinox.  That is, no cider, caramel apples, bonfires, hayrides or fall decorations.  Then came October, when we quickly turned to the spooky side of life, with ghost runs in cemeteries, Halloween specials, horror movies (kid appropriate) and all the fun that went with that time of year.  In those days Fall and Halloween largely overlapped. 

Eventually we had to spread things out.  As the boys got older and filled up more space on their calendars, time became limited.  So we expanded to all things Fall by early September, right after Labor Day.  For a while we began with some 'generic' horror mystery type reading or viewing even in August - The Invisible Man, The Hound of the Baskervilles.  But our second oldest requested we hold off until after his August birthday.  So it was back to post-Labor Day for fall.

We still kept Halloween proper until October.  Nonetheless, as the years went on, we found a loophole and decided to designate the time after Michaelmas as the time we turn towards that season of spooks.  We still try to decorate only shortly before Halloween since I believe too early and the decorations lose their umph. 

This year we have to expand again.  Our second oldest granted us a dispensation by saying we can have our annual Harvest Fest before his birthday this year.  Heck, we can even watch a few things like Fantasia, that we've sometimes used as sort of kick-off viewing.  

Our youngest is old enough that we'll likely set aside some of the things we've continued to do for his sake.  Plus with my son's bookstore opening up over Labor Day, he will be an occasional guest visitor to the house.  This doesn't count the increasing time burden on the other two older sons in their vocational pursuits, plus more responsibilities for my wife with her position, and my mom who continues to move along nicely, if also more needy. 

That's why now, in these unusually cool August days, I find my mind beginning to wax autumnal.  Which brought to mind a 'spooky' fall post I did a year ago that cost me a reader.  Now there was some debate among my longer term readers if he was, in fact, a troll or not.  Since he usually kept things on topic - a tactic almost anathema to internet trolls - I generally assumed good intentions. 

Nonetheless when I posted my reflections on our secular age of tech and industry with spirit stuff relegated to Sunday mornings before the coffee hour, he swooped in with a very curt comment then kicked the dust off his heals and moved on, never to comment again. Here is the post with his comment and my response.  

I still stick to my guns, as my response that he never responded to makes clear. The older I get the more I become convinced that we Christians went the wrong direction in light of the amazing era of discovery and invention in which we grew.  We allowed the non-believer to have his way, and replaced the Christian worldview with a rather atheistic one, with religion stepping in  only if all else fails.  That was the purpose of my post, which set off who had become a somewhat regular commenter. .

A visit from Sam Rocha

If you recall, I commented on a Twitter post of Sam where he blasted EWTN, Word on Fire, and other Catholic outlets.  He asserted that they avoid discussing the teachings of Pope Francis because they're cowards intimidated by everyone's favorite boogeymen, Republican conservatives.

OK.  I poked fun at how he framed it, and mentioned that it sniffed of the old liberal definition of diversity (that is, anyone right of center is a fascist ready to storm the walls with pitchforks and torches).  Something I've listened to tolerant and open minded liberals claims for decades. 

Anyhoo, Sam visited the comments section to take issue.  Initially his focus was on setting the record straight about his particular job title and educational position.  Fair enough.  A couple of us, however, tried to get Sam to speak to the subject of the post itself.  Sam insisted I had taken the Twitter post out of context from a thread of Twitter posts on the subject.  He also said this existed within the framework of larger conversations he has had about the issue. 

Despite attempts to get him to comment or provide links to the greater conversation, he didn't make further comments or provide links. So I did my best to find what I could to set the record straight.  

I was unable to find any blog posts or articles by Sam that seemed to touch on the subject, though he might have accounts I don't know about or can't access.  With some help I was able to piece together the larger Twitter thread which contained the post I referenced (remember, I personally don't have Twitter, but usually get images of Twitter posts from other sources).   Here is what I found, my comments below:

Maybe it's me, but I didn't see anything in the surrounding Twitter posts that changed my impression of the initial post.  It's mainly saying people are ignoring Pope Francis's teachings, especially referencing Fratelli Tutti, which he sees as prophetically calling the Ukrainian war.  He mentions that individuals refused to read Fratelli Tutti, and then he wades into EWTN and WoF.  After that, he takes a shot at 'post-liberal' Catholics.  

Not sure what he means  by that.  There is such a thing as post-liberal theology.  Go Yale.  If he means the same, but within Catholic contexts, I don't know. Or if he is using it in some other manner I'm likewise not sure.  Nor do I know what he means by coy liberalism.  I guess that's one of those traits of social media that I fall into sometimes - using my own personal terms and assuming everyone knows what I'm talking about. 

The only troubling part I caught was his assertion that WoF doesn't speak to Pope Francis's teachings where they might offend those Conservative Republicans.  With a quick Google search, I found several links to WoF articles and videos where they do cover his teachings, and that includes ones I know that conservatives take issue with.  So that's a case where it's not true they don't speak to those teachings.  Perhaps Sam means they don't speak to them to the degree or in the manner he would prefer. IMHO,  however, that doesn't rise to being called cowards, simply because something isn't done up to a personal standard. 

But there you have it.  Sam provided no links to broader conversations about the topic, so I can't speak to those.  I obtained images from the larger Twitter thread.  I don't know if that was all the context or not.  But unless something big was missing, nothing in the surrounding Twitter posts really changed my assessment of his initial post - a leftwing partisan style swipe at people more or less not on the left side of the tracks, or at least Sam's assessment of what should be the proper side of the tracks.  With scholar talk. :) 

On John Kasich at the DNC

I already wrote on this here, so won't repeat myself.  

I just post this due to the MSM's coverage this morning, suggesting once again that Kasich's 'shocking' turn is due to Trump.  No, it isn't.  It started back when he tried to copy Scott Walker and ended up getting spanked for his efforts.  Soon afterward we in the Buckeye State noticed he was beginning to sound, shall we say, a bit more 'left of center' as the months droned on.  So just a reminder as so many run about saying 'It's because of Trump that Kasich has taken this bold move!'  

Nope.  Like so many Never-Trumpers, it's almost impossible not to believe this is where he wanted to be all along.  Or at least where he wanted to be as the signs of the times made it clear where the national winds were blowing. 

I am not a prophet

Repeat, I am not a prophet.  Just because I see things I wrote year ago coming true, it merely means I can read the signs of the times.  There were others who also saw it coming.  It's just that now that the War on the West is here, some seem taken aback by the obvious.  Even now, some are following the old 'just meet them halfway, and I'm sure it will work' approach. 

A fine reflection on the religion of Global Warming

And the counter-religion of infallible financial progress.  By me, no less.  How about that.  I have my moments.  And I was taken by how much of what I said almost a decade ago has proven to be everything I imagined, and more.  Not bad for a non-pro amateur novice non-wordsmith. 

An old post on the importance of laws

In light of our growing move toward new forms of bigotry, racism and discrimination.  In an age where people have no problem saying 'I don't care about or I don't want that many white men around', it's not hard to see why the mentality behind supporting illegal immigration is a recipe for disaster.  When you say 'laws only matter depending on your nationality, ethnicity, religion or skin color', it's not hard to imagine once you discover a new skin color or ethnicity you can proudly dismiss, the next step of applying laws accordingly won't be far behind.

Anyhoo, here is a link to it.  I don't know why but sometimes an old post will suddenly be hit with a wave of page-views.   That's when I notice these old thoughts.  It's amazing how prophetic some of them turn out to be, if I do say so myself.  I look at some of what I was worried about only a couple years ago and see we're already well past where I feared we would be by this point in history. I can't imagine what the next ten years will hold.

Oh, and speaking of laws, you just can't have a discussion about their importance without this famous clip from a classic movie:

Reflections on Autumn

Here are several old posts I did singing the glorious praise of Autumn - the most wonderful time of the year.  Here, and here, and here, here and here.   There is plenty of nostalgia, memories, reflections, and good old Riley poems.  Enjoy.

Multiculturalism and the Dying West

One of those 'not bad' pieces of mine from a year or so ago.  It's my thoughts on how the Left's desire to destroy the Western Tradition has been aided immeasurably by this entire Multicultural Education movement.  The piece was from a news story back then, but I have seen nothing to suggest things have changed for the better since. 

Not bad

Every now and then some old post picks up a string of views.  Someone, somewhere stumbled across a piece because of something, and runs with it.  That's what's happened here.  An old post I did in the early year or so reflecting on life, death and trees in a cemetery.  I have my moments.

Another reminder about why Trump won

This post popped up on my visited posts today.  That happens.  Every now and then some old post will be visited, and it will pop up on my dashboard. 

Anyway, it is a post I did reflecting on how Obama could have a 43% approval rating when, by 2014, it was clear things were unraveling.  Obamacare brought as many problems as solutions, our foreign policy was in tatters, domestic strife, racial tensions, and general infrastructure were a mess.  Our VA hospitals had become the disgrace of the nation.  And our economic recovery continued to crawl along, getting better by half steps while a growing number of Americans were falling behind.  How could a president in the midst of this warrant a 43% approval?

Easy, the press was there to stir up Obama-worship, and attack as racists all who questioned Obama's efficacy and industry.  In the post is a little reminder of the God-praise that was given to Obama over the previous years, when he was declared the first person in history who God prays to everyday (read the quotes, they're hilarious in a 'creepy cultist' sort of way).  And, of course, if you questioned it you were a racist.

The thing is, I don't think nearly as many Americans bought the emperor's new clothes as the media driven Obama tent revival suggested.  In fact, so wrong were they, that the result ended up being Donald Trump.  I don't think it was because Trump was Trump, and sometimes I don't think it was because Hillary was Hillary.  I think many simply refused to pull a lever for another candidate who would be placed between the horns of the alter and lifted up in another cult of personality by the media that is supposed to protect us from the same.  I think anyone not associated with Obama would, in the end, have had the advantage. 

For the Star Wars hajj

I link to a post I wrote for the last Star Wars film.  I'm sure the devoted fanboys will declare it hte greatest Star Wars film of all time.  That's something that Fanboys are known for.  The latest whatever is the most awesome example of awesomeness, in the awesome history of awesomely defining the awesome word awesome. At least until the next movie they like comes out. 

Whatever it is, it will never match the impact of the original, as every movie, Star Wars sequels or otherwise, has discovered.

What we watch in November

November and Thanksgiving have never generated as much cultural trapping as the two flanking holidays.  Nonetheless, we manage to scrape together a few films and specials for seasonal watching.  There are others than those mentioned, but at least they give an idea of what we look for during the month of Thanksgiving.

Some thoughts on the awesome season of Autumn

I've always loved the Fall.  For reasons I'm not going to repeat.  But here are some posts over the years in which I try, in my amateur way, to explain just what it is about Fall that I love so much.  Here, here, here and here.  Some of those may tend more to be rants about our lives at the time, but they include snippets about how important this season has always been.  Enjoy. 

Where are the posts?

As can be seen, blogging hasn't been a consistent thing here at Daffey Thoughts.  Life and all.  As I've said, I began this a century ago, when several parishes were inviting me to speak, and priests suggested I write, and this and that and so on and so on and scooby dooby doo.

Well that was years ago.  Since then our family has been through it.  We're still hanging on by a thread, and for some reason, the Church has more or less shut us - or at least me - out.  Suddenly my services stopped being considered, and as I became more direct in trying to find my niche in the Church as a former Protestant minister, it seems I'm in even less demand.

Recently, after a series of talks and meetings, I was pointed to the man in charge of vocations in our diocese.  He seemed cautiously optimistic that we might be able to find something for me.  He said there were other individuals with far more baggage than I have that they've worked with.  So he was to meet with the Bishop and bring my case to the powers that be.  That was a few weeks ago, and I'm awaiting news on that front.

But since that particular part of my life is in stall formation, and the rest of our lives have been a series of upheavals and near misses, it's taken away the time to do things like blog regularly. Not to mention other staples of the old Griffey Family.  And to be honest, if I'm going to be shut out and my ministry days ended, keeping up with a blog even remotely associated with conveying thoughts and kicking things about ceases to be on even the top 1000 list of things to do.

Nonetheless, I remain cautiously optimistic.  Despite reasons to be skeptical of any future resolution, I'm still holding out.  So I come today for my annual Halloween post.  OK, it's a cheap cop-out, like those old cartoons that were simply rehashing earlier cartoons, or those best-of shows that just looked at old scenes from earlier shows.  The following are some posts from former years, both with the boys and thoughts on the season in general.  Feel free to enjoy the day and have a Happy Halloween.

Some posts that every person should read are here, here, here, here, and here.  

A dialogue with atheists

Is going on here, on a former post.  It's not been terrible.  But a clash of world views, as the atheist in question can't seem to get why I can't provide evidence of God that presupposes a materialistic only universe.

Reflecting on blogger tendencies

Especially in the Catholic blogosphere.  One of my better reflections, and the more things unfold, the more I'm convinced I was onto something.  Rather than rewrite the whole thing, here's the link.  BTW, I thought the title was pretty clever too, if I do say so myself.  :)

Bloggers note

I was asked about my post on Catholic Stereotypes in which I referenced the old made for TV movie of Ivanhoe.  I said that the movie was, as TV movies go, not bad in keeping with the basic gist of the book.  I then went on to describe the characters and what I was getting at about stereotypes.  It was pointed out that, in the book, Lucas Beaumanoir is actually quite the believer, the zealot and the fanatical font of superstition and lunacy.  So much so that Brian de Bois Guilbert (perhaps the true main antagonist in both book and movie, truth be told) references his style of witch hunt mentality as the thing that future generations will scorn. In an attempt to keep up with things, I should have clarified I was referring to the TV portrayal, where the general idea seems to be he only believes it to a point, shooting sidelong glances and willingly lying, basically not being the zealous yet true hearted believer he is in the book.  I should have specified.  Just keeping up with those who are keeping up.  Thanks.

I have my moments

I noticed this piece has been hit a slew of times today. Don't know why.  It happens sometimes.  A post of mine from months ago will suddenly shoot to the front of the pack, at least out of proportion of its chronology.  Still, it wasn't bad.  I was pretty pissed off when I wrote it, but I stand by everything in it, and with each passing day, will stand by even more.

One of my best riffs ever

And that's not saying much.  Not to ring my own bells, but I was in rare form that day.  The best from the post:

Some have read the latest issue to be a comparison between the two presidents.  Many on both sides are, naturally, upset by the comparison.  Me?  I'm not surprised.  After all, in addition to Ronald Reagan, Obama has been compared to Abraham Lincoln,  Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, George Washington, James Madison, James Monroe, Martin Van Buren, John Tyler, James K. Polk, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Rutherford B. Hayes, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, Harry S Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, John F. Kennedy, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt,  Winston Churchill, Charles DeGaul, Otto Von Bismark, Richard the Lionheart, Charlemagne, Julius Caesar, Caesar Augustus, Caesar Romero, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, St. Aquinas, St. Godric, St. Cuthbert, Gary Gygax, DaVince, Descartes, Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler, Einstein, Hawking, Washington Irving, Denzel Washington, Freddy 'Boom Boom' Washington, Harrison Ford, Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, Gary Grant, Cash and Carry, Carry me out to old Virginia, and any other comedy rift by Alan Alda as Hawkeye Peirce, MacArthur, Patton, Sun Tzu, the Buddha, Mohamed, Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, John, Paul, George, Ringo, George Martin, and even Pete Best for good measure,  the guy who invented the sewing machine, Thomas Edison, Zeus and Odin, and God the Creator of the Universe.  

And yes, that's about how my ADD mind works.  Which is why factory assembly line work is out.

An old blog post revisited

Sometimes I have my moments.  This is one of my earliest blog posts.  It takes on the irony that today's liberals, who once stormed the wastelands of American traditionalism, screaming censorship if anyone so much as suggested day time pornography demonstrations on network TV wasn't a good thing for kids, are now the ones most likely to call for tactics they once decried as censorship.  Not a bad take really, and given the last couple years, darn prophetic.