1.  I think the “big ugly” phase has begun for me.  While I was optimistic about the “Parking Spot for the Van” situation, it all went to pieces yesterday.  I knew this was coming, but had hoped to hold on for a while longer.  I think we should expect to suffer the same things that Our Lord suffered.  This probably falls under the category of Matthew 8:20.  This in combination with the interpersonal unpleasantness referenced below, which is far worse (see Genesis 2:18), is admittedly taxing, and I also admit that I am not handling it very well.  If you find yourself with all of the chores done, the cat fed, your hair washed and set, and every other possible prayer said, a very quick, “Help Ann man up” prayer would be most appreciated.  If you know the St. Michael prayer, you might send him my way.  The demons are definitely afoot, seeking the ruin of souls, including mine.  They don’t want me, or any of us, to ever see God.

2.  I think I have made this point before, but just because it is a real-time occurrence for me, let me restate that an economy in which it is illegal for individuals to transact business with cash or payment-in-kind physical commodities is a deeply immoral economy that will not survive.  When the commodity being purchased is something utterly necessary as a corollary to waking up breathing, as in this case, shelter, the gravity of the disorder is even more pronounced.

3.  Back in the day, the Papal States, the “country” that occupied central Italy of which the Pope was the earthly ruler from the 700s until ARSH1870, generated all revenues by holding a monopoly on all olive and wine production.  All olive groves and vineyards were owned by the Papal States and sharecropped, but there were NO TAXES otherwise.  I gotta tell you, I just keep coming back to this in my mind as I think about what the post-war paradigm plans need to be for you all.  The risk in this, I think, is having a state monopoly like this over something truly coercive, such as energy.  Olives and wine are food, and they are certainly staples, but are not utterly necessary to human life.  What would be a possible commodity that a post-War state could hold to generate revenue, but not use to coerce or murder its people?  It is something to think about.  Internet?  Sugar?  Alcohol?  Maybe just beer?  But just think, no taxes otherwise.  No income tax (obviously), no property tax (obviously), no estate tax (obviously), no welfare taxes, no sales tax.  Nothing.  People completely free to transact business as they see fit, with whatever currency or barter commodity they see fit.  Sigh.

4.  Did you know that there are more Catholics in China than DOUBLE the ENTIRE population of Canada?  63 million Catholics in China vs. a total population of 30 million Canucks.  For reference, there are technically 78 million Catholics in the former United States, but only 719 of them actually believe what the Church teaches.  The rest complain to their sodomite hairdressers about how the Pill makes them carry extra water weight and thus they can’t wear the super-hawt white yoga pants outfit when serving as an Extraordinary Monster of Holy Communion at Mass that makes their boyfriend’s ex-wife super-jealous every time they see each other when handing off the kids for visitation, but our lord and savior Pope Francis the Merciful is totes teh AWESOME, and totes lurves teh gays, er mah gaaaah.

5.  If I make another video presentation, it will be an expose/explanation of the physical reality and horror of sodomy and the sodomite lifestyle.  I know someone who did this years and years ago and has a research dossier.  Like the “Islamic Sexuality: Survey of Evil” video I made, I think simply exposing these realities to daylight and getting the truth out there would do a lot of good.  Sodomite fornication is NOT just another “technique”.  It is a vile, satanic, body-and-soul killing abomination.  Man, do I ever hate sodomy.  I HATE it.  #IHateSodomy .  Someone needs to make bumper stickers to that effect.  Also in Latin, because everything sounds better in Latin.  #SodomiticumOdi (??)

6.  To end on something positive, here is a really good recipe.  It is a salad of green beans (string beans, fresh are best but frozen work too) quickly boiled (blanched), diced new potatoes boiled to the still-firm salad stage, diced cooked chicken (cheap thigh meat works great) and CASHEWS.  Boil and chill the beans and taters, add the cold chicken meat and cashews, and dress with a simple lemon vinaigrette (lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, dried thyme if you have it).  This makes a great first course, or a stand-alone summer lunch.  The only expensive bit is the cashews, but they really make the dish.