Scattered thoughts

There doesn't seem much point making further comment on the Papa business. My attempt to write a letter to the Guardian kept degenerating into a pompous rant which could be summarised as, 'You stupid, stupid people!' Not very constructive. A medievalists' email list I'm on raised the question of why we haven't seen Catholic protests in defence of the Pope's honour. I don't think the Pope's honour is really the point here. What sort of protests could one stage, anyway? As Aelianus suggested, if his lecture were expanded into an encyclical, it could be a very good one; but no doubt the world media would again completely fail to engage with it. Going down the local mosque with placards saying, 'Mohammed is a false prophet, sign up for RCIA here [using Evangelium, natch]' would be...ummm... counter-productive, I think. Going down the local mosque (about 500 yards from my office, as it happens) with placards saying, 'Rationality is proper to God's nature' might result in some interesting dialogue, actually. But I'm not going on my own... Saying the Rosary (especially on October 7th) looks like the way forward. Today's Gospel in the new rite is on the 'more excellent way' of Charity...

Joee Blogs is providing rather good coverage at present, and Paulinus presents more guilty pleasures in his liberal liturgy series.

Currently I'm afraid I'm mostly preoccupied with semester-starting misanthropy. As my office-mate says, there's nothing quite as nice as a University without undergraduates in it. It's an entirely selfish fondness for space and quiet which prompts this thought, but it's true. Seriously, pray for us that we don't go down the too-easy route of cynicism in teaching. Especially when the first-years bring their 'orrible germs with them to tutorials. Cough, splutter.

More randomly, why is it that, however thoroughly you clean the bath, the next time you look at it there will be a hair stuck to it somewhere? Why? Why?!

And who decided that leggings were back in fashion? And these weirdsville ankle-boots (zum Beispiel) that are in the shoe-shops? I think not. Happy leg-covering (you could even add the magic of the petticoats, sadly under-appreciated garments). Happy boots. Thermal dressing: not rocket science.

Lastly: the good thing about playing the viola is that, even if you're not very good, you'll probably still be better than the worst violist your friends have ever heard. Sorry to play to type, but it's true.