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Folks who saw virtue in unquestioning devotion to established values didn't like the 1960s. No institution, custom or belief seemed safe from scrutiny. Even the idea of progress — a cherished heirloom from the Age of Enlightenment — was challenged disputed, and ultimately rejected. Visions of a technotopia, where our greatest challenge was deciding how to spend our leisure time, were fading. Hopes for nuclear power's abundant clean energy were giving way to fears of an atomic holocaust and reactor meltdowns. Assuming that pollution didn't kill us first. ( July 28, 2017 ; February 17, 2017 ) Perhaps even more disturbing for social Luddites, the nation's youth seemed ill-suited for their assigned role as torchbearers for liberty, conformity and suburban living. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Someone's 'Tweet' about sin and how someone responded showed up in my Twitter feed Sunday. I noticed an unusually goofy item in my Google news feed that evening. Instead of expressing outrage and (self?)-righteous indignation over either or both, I made a few notes and went on with my day. That's no great virtue on my part. I'm no fan of emotional outbursts. I like them even less when I'm the one melting down. Avoiding that sort of eruption is much easier now.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

About 78 folks were on Amtrak Cascades passenger train 501 Monday morning. They'll be late. At best. I'll be looking at what happened, new and old technology. Also how I see change and progress.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

The good news is that only a small fraction of California is on fire or incinerated. The bad news is that this year's California wildfires have been big, destructive, and aren't over yet. I'll be talking about a few of the fires, why I think troubles aren't over for folks living in California, a little about wildfires in general. Also how I see disasters, God, nature and beliefs: sensible and otherwise. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Yesterday’s celebration of Christ the King is such a perfect way to end out the liturgical year. It’s one of the better changes made in the new missal; I think it seems out of place in the Old Rite, stuck in October. So here we are, at the end of the year, and we get to meditate on the Kingship of Christ. The homily I heard mentioned that God isn’t a genie that we can call up when we need Him, He is a King that we owe our allegiance to. Father also mentioned that we Americans tend to take issue with the idea of being subject to anyone and specifically to a King, but that there is no better monarch to swear our fealty to. Pretty basic thoughts, but I want to go a little more in depth on them. A genie is a fairly simple creature. Rub the lamp, get your wish, genie goes back  in the bottle. Notwithstanding an evil sorcerer and a deranged parrot, you could carry the lamp around with you and call up phenomenal cosmic power every time you get in a pinch. That’s all there is to it.

("A Holiday Haven," another installment in a tale of two turkeys.) If you are in or from the United States, I hope you are having a good Thanksgiving Day. If not, I trust that you're having a good November 24th. Some folks write sober monographs for this holiday, thoroughly discussing the myriad reasons we have for being thankful. Others present schmaltzy pieces on the same topic: about as deep as a rain puddle.... More, but not much more, at A Catholic Citizen in America .

(From Getty Images, via BBC News, used w/o permission.) ("Police say a number of students had to be medically evacuated from the school" (BBC News)) I hadn't planned on writing about murder and getting a grip this week. Or next. But another multiple murder is international news.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

That's Devin Patrick Kelley, and First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. We're still not sure why he opened fire on the folks gathered for worship yesterday morning. At the moment, it looks like he was in a snit because he’d been arguing with his former wife and in-laws. That doesn’t mean I think we should ban marriage because it leads to mass murder. That makes about as much sense as my SADIST proposal. ( November 6, 2017 More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Perhaps I should remember my station, and be respectfully silent before the weekend's mighty display of power and glory. I am, after all, but one of those who live neither in the Northeast megalopolis nor the shining lands of San Francisco and Los Angeles. Daylight Saving Time — Again — Still Enough of that 'umble posturing. If you live in America, there's a pretty good chance that you remembered to set your clock back an hour during the weekend. We've gone through this routine every year for — too long, I think. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

This universe is bigger and older than some folks thought, a few centuries back. I don't mind, at all. Besides, it's hardly new information. We've known that we live in a big world for a long time. " 4 Indeed, before you the whole universe is as a grain from a balance, or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth." ( Wisdom 11:22 ) If that bit from Wisdom doesn't sound familiar, I'm not surprised. It's not in the Bibles many Americans have. The one I read and study frequently is the unexpurgated version.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Quite a few parts of the Bible don't talk about forgiveness. But quite a few do, and they're not just in the New Testament. This morning's second reading doesn't mention forgiveness directly, but the verse right after it does. They all say why forgiving is a good idea. It's enlightened self-interest, in the long run.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Harvey's in the news, a lot, and probably will be for days. I noticed stuff piling up in my notes, and decided that getting part of my 'Friday' post done early was a good idea.... ...News reporting generally uses more superlatives than I like. "Unprecedented" seems to be particularly popular with BBC News editors at the moment. I don't mind things being biggest, smallest, newest, or whatever. But I've learned to be rationally skeptical when I read that something is the biggest, worst, or most devastating thing of its kind.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Harvey was still a tropical storm when it went over the eastern Caribbean. That was a little over a week ago. Folks in Barbados were without power for a while. At least one house was destroyed, and more folks had to evacuate their homes. Pretty much the same thing happened in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Suriname and Guyana had wind and rain: enough to kill at least one person, a woman whose house collapsed with her inside. Harvey was a category 4 hurricane when it reached the Texas coast, between Port Aransas and Port O'Connor . That was around 10:00 p.m. Friday.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

A Solar eclipse sweeping from coast to coast dominated Monday's news in America. I saw headlines describing the event, weather in different states, how folks had prepared and how they reacted, and some of the science involved. It was nice while it lasted.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Danae's odd view of Papal infallibility isn't accurate. ( July 30, 2017 ) But I'm not upset by Non Sequitur's 'Church of Danae,' particularly since I see the funny side of the cultural quirks Wiley Miller highlights. I do, however, occasionally use Danae's distinctive theology and Eddie's "Biblical Prophecies" as a contrast to my faith. I'm a Christian, and a Catholic. I have well-defined views on social and legal issues: but I am not conservative or liberal. I'm Catholic. That means acting as if Jesus, love, and people matter.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

A vehicular homicide case near the intersection of Fourth and Water streets in Charlottesville, Virginia, is international news. I regret the loss of life, particularly since the driver apparently intended to harm or kill the victims. I'll get back to that. Heather Heyer had been with several other folks there, protesting something — or maybe someone — which or who she felt should be inspiring more outrage. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Using drones to deliver vaccines seems reasonable for places like Vanuatu. But vaccines won't help if folks don't know how to use them correctly, or can't. Others avoid vaccines because they believe warnings from dubious sources. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Today is American Independence Day. It's also the anniversary of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland's publication and Trois-Rivières founding day. Ashikaga Yoshiakira's birthday, Pactum Sicardi , and whole bunch of other stuff make this day important, too. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Wanting respect is reasonable. I think folks who support Gay/LGBT Pride Month for that reason have a point. I don't agree with much of what's said on the gay/LGBT pride issue — and explained why I won't spit venom in today's earlier post. Basically, I should love God, love my neighbor, and see everybody as my neighbor. No exceptions.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Gay/LGBT Pride Month will be over in about two weeks. Wanting respect is reasonable, but I don't agree with much of what's said on this issue. Don't worry, I won't be spitting venom. Even if I felt like it, which I don't, that kind of trouble I don't need. First, I'd better talk about love and respect, and why I think both are important.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .