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(Norbert Nerdly — my frustrations, personified.) If you have tried writing a comment on one of these posts, thank you! And if you have been unable to do so, sorry about that. You're not alone.... ...That process hasn't been made any easier by "difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes referred to as 'brain fog')" that I've been experiencing.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I spent part of Monday morning making notes for a talk with our parish priest. Then I called the Parishes on the Prairie office — P. on the P. are six parishes and a school in central Minnesota. I left a message, asking our priest to call me back. So far, he hasn't. Which is probably just as well. A bit after noon Monday, I ran an errand: picked up meds. After that, I — actually, I don't remember just what I did. But I do remember feeling cold. Unaccountably cold. Good news, the furnace was working fine, and inside temperatures were normal. A little below normal in some spots, since my wife was baking. But well within the normal range. Decades of experience told me that checking my temperature was prudent. So I did.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

It's been a year and a day since I talked about socializing, the pandemic and individual differences. "...I can sympathize with folks who really do need people: people who are physically close, not 'close' only in a virtual sense. I'm also willing to accept that not everyone is like me. For which we should all be thankful. And that's another topic. "That said, COVID-19 pandemic restrictions haven't cut into my social life all that much. "Before 'social distancing' — a poorly-chosen phrase, and that's yet another topic — started becoming a cliche, most of my social life was online...." (" People Who Need People — and the COVID-19 Pandemic " (January 24, 2021)) Somewhere during the last year, I noticed that I'd been enjoying my research and writing routines less. And had let some projects drop off the back burner. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I'd expected to hear about charisms during Mass this morning. I did, in the Bible readings. But the homily was about why killing innocent people isn't a good idea, even if it's legal. And why we should see killing innocent people as a bad idea. And help folks who maybe felt pressured into ordering a hit because it's 'for their own good.' At any rate, The last-minute topic change was due to Saturday's light show outside the National Basilica in Washington, DC., which wasn't part of the prayer vigil happening inside. So far, Saturday's light show doesn't seem to be a hot news item. Not for national-level traditional news media, anyway. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Monday afternoon was sunny and warm. For central Minnesota in January. The high was around 32° Fahrenheit, 0° Celsius. Our sidewalk and driveway were free(ish) of snow, with a bit over a half-foot covering the yard. The weather station at Sauk Centre Municipal Airport was back online Thursday afternoon, and then the National Weather Service posted a Winter Weather Advisory for this area. Sauk Centre Municipal Airport isn't in the Chicago O'Hare class. But with two runways, hangar space for 11 private aircraft, a fuel pump and a private airplane maintenance facility, it meets our needs. Granted, one of the runways is a grass surface marked with yellow cones. I don't know if it's usable in winter. And that's another topic.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

If you haven't already, you'll soon read about a new development in the war between science and religion. " How Covid Raised the Stakes of the War Between Faith and Science " Tish Harrison Warren, The New York Times (November 7, 2021) " Reviews | How Covid raised the stakes in the war between faith and science " newsnetdaily.com (November 7, 2021) Alleged war, at any rate. I can't read the original piece in The New York Times, since it's behind a paywall.... ...I did, however, find this snippet in an online blurb.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Since I'll be talking about COVID-19, variants, and the pandemic, clarifications may be in order. I had COVID-19 vaccinations in May and June, because I thought it was a good idea. Politicos, partisans and crackpots have been throwing accusations and assertions about the pandemic at each other. I'll be talking about that, but I'm not 'political.' I've neither been proclaiming that one political party is in league with the Antichrist, nor denouncing another as a tool of fascists and racists. And, although I think the COVID-19 pandemic is real, I haven't been dreading America's impending doom and destruction. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

              Como católico consciente y reponsable, la desición de vacunarse puede ser complicado, pues la forma de obtener y elaborar las vacunas incluyen uso de material de órganos y tejidos de bebés creados y sacrificados par tal fin o abortados.  Al vacunarnos... ¿Nos volvemos responsables de ésto? ¿Promovemos la muerte de más pequeños en aras de la salud mundial?  Además la efectividad de las vacunas no ha sido comprobada y hasta se ha llegado a considerar la necesidad de aplicar refuerzos a los ya vacunados al empezar a recibir enfermos de COVID que ya estaban vacunados.  ¿Estamos obligados a vacunarnos? Qué recomienda la Iglesia?  También los efectos secundarios de la vacuna ya empiezan a clarificar que la aplicación de la vacuna no es inocua. Y por otra parte no está comprobado que el estar vacunado garantice que la persona no transmita el virus (1)... Entonces.. ¿ Es inmoral no vacunarse? ¿Va contra nuestra con...

The 2020 Summer Olympics and Stearns County Fair are both in progress this weekend. One is an annual agricultural and commerce show, the other is half of a four-year Olympiad; but they're not entirely different. The COVID-19 pandemic shut both down last year, for example.... ...Can't say that I blame Tokyo officials for saying that they could keep athletes and visitors safe, though. My culture has variations on 'the show must go on' — and sometimes it makes sense. But the International Olympic Committee said 'not now, maybe next year.' Can't say that I blame them, either. I had quite a bit to say this week, mostly about Olympic history .... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

CANADA BURNS AS SMOKE SHROUDS MINNESOTA!!! Well, no. Not really. Although that'd make a dandy headline. On the other hand, maybe it's too obviously overblown. Maybe there's a fine line between headlines that grab attention without inspiring thought and those destined for supermarket checkout lines. Or maybe it's more a matter of style and content. And that's another topic, for another day. At any rate, wildfires in two Canadian provinces, Ontario and Manitoba, triggered an Air Quality Alert for my part of Minnesota. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

(Drought conditions in Minnesota. (July 13, 2021)) There's more to life than drought and disease, but that's mostly what I'll talk about today. Partly because discussing what I've seen in headlines would mean more research and effort than I have time for this week. Besides, apart from a Hubble update and the Pope's liturgical fine-tuning, 1 it's mostly routine. Take this sample from yesterday and today, for example.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I've been enjoying this week's bright blue skies and sunshine. I'd have been enjoying them more, if I hadn't been recovering from my second COVID-19 shot. And if our skies hadn't been quite so consistently clear. Sunshine's fine, but we need rain. On the 'up' side, my body's response to the mRNA vaccine could have been much worse. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

This week hasn't been a good time for India. Statistics say Tuesday was their worst day yet for COVID-19 pandemic deaths. It's also when the worst cyclone of recorded so far hit India's west coast. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I went to the local hospital this morning, got a sheaf of paper and a 3x5 card, had a short chat and followed green arrows to the elevator. I've walked down that corridor a fair number of times, and have even been in the elevator. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Life isn't back to normal, here in Sauk Centre, and won't be. Not if I see "back to normal" as "being just exactly the way it was two years ago." Time and reality don't work that way. At any, life may not be back to normal; but this fifth Sunday of Easter is less not-normal than last year's. The COVID-19 pandemic is still in progress, but regional rules — state and church — are relaxing a tad. Partly, maybe mostly, because mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are not just in the pipeline. They're here. And that's another topic. Topics. At any rate, life and my routines are less not-normal than they were at this time last year. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Between Saturday's sunshine and today's patches of green grass, I've enjoyed this weekend. For the most part. I picked up a bottle from the first of this year's holy water last Sunday, following up with blessing the house on Tuesday. I hadn't done that for quite some time. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

  Christ Pantocrator (Christ in Majesty) Monreale Cathedral, Palermo, Sicily [Web Gallery of Art] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Mark 1:40-45 ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India) A leper came to Jesus, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.”   Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him,  “I will; be clean.”   And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.  A nd Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once,   and said to him,  “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”   But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could n...

I only wrote 18 words for my current "Dr Faustus" post yesterday. Partly because the screen went black around mid-afternoon. On the bright side, my computer did reboot. Eventually. My plan for today is to get this journal entry finished, do more writing and maybe pick up prescriptions at the local Walmart. Not necessarily in that order.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

          La incidencia de la pandemia ha provocado una desesperanza generalizada entre las personas. Muchos han perdido a familiares y amigos y otros han visto mermado   su sustento y el de sus familias. 2020 fue un mal año y tenemos puesta nuestra esperanza en el 2021. Pero mirando en retrospectiva, y sin minimizar el sufrimiento que han generado los efectos del COVID 19 en todo el mundo, hay datos que nos brindan un optimismo hacia el futuro:   Ésta es la mejor época de la humanidad y la tendencia histórica es que vamos a la mejora.   leer más...

I never wear a face mask while at my desk. Make that almost never. I did this morning — Saturday, January 23, 2020 — while taking that picture. △ And I wore one I'd had at the hospital while taking a picture for " Back from the Hospital: The Masked Minnesotan Rides Again ."... The face mask I'm wearing in today's photo is from Sauk Centre's Walmart. And that brings me to one of the two things I was going to talk about today. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .