Church and the Pandemic

In late March, the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, my church, closed to live worship and began streaming  various services.  I tried listening/watching my Sunday 9:30 mass.  First of all, I felt sad for the celebrant, alone at the altar, even though I grant he...

“Bosch”

I recently watched six seasons of an American detective drama, each season having ten episodes.  The series is called “Bosch” because our star detective is one Hieronymous Bosch, called “Harry” by his colleagues and friends.  And yes, his name...

Strange Fruit

In 1939, Billie Holliday recorded the powerful song about lynchings of black people in America. Its title is “Strange Fruit.”   On June 15, 1920, three black men were lynched in Duluth, MN.  They were Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson, and Isaac McGhie.  In the...

Alchemy in the Pandemic

In the 12th century, many experimental thinkers tried to turn base metals into gold.  This enterprise was knows as alchemy and attracted many proto-chemists and pseudo-scientists.  This school of natural philosophy classified metals into “base” as in lead,...

May Day

The first day of May has several public meanings attached to it.  In Mexico, it is Labor Day, though I suspect that most Mexicans who “labor” won’t get the day off to celebrate themselves.  In the world of leftist politics, it’s a major day in...