warm and soporific

April 30, 2004


So today it's warm, no downright hot, and I am not at the beach being a human signpost but at home attempting to be a tech writer, web developer, grant writer, and scientific editor all at the same time. Actually, add t-shirt designer to that list today because Ned came over to work on this idea he had for a t-shirt. I did the design and set it up on Cafe Press for him.

I mostly want to go to sleep. I've read that the southwest wind makes people sleepy, but it sure didn't do that yesterday. Personally I think it's the pollen and the humidity and the brief, fast-acting stomach bug I've had for a couple days. Well, that and lack of sleep because some Spanish-speaking guy called me at 3:30 in the morning thinking he was calling his girlfriend. At least that's what I think he said. I have learned enough Spanish to know not to feed the pigeons in the bus station but not enough to understand all the wrong number phone calls I get. Verizon really should provide a phrase book for all phone customers in the greater Lawrence area. Either that or figure out why so many calls get misdirected.

Speaking of phone calls, I got a very disturbing call a couple of days ago. It was one of those recorded political messages except that the speaker did not identify himself, there was no caller id, and the message though ostensibly political was vaguely threatening anti-gay hate speech. It started out as a political message calling for people to attend a rally against gay marriage but then segued into weird stuff about God's will and God's position not just against gay marriage but against homosexuality in general. It was creepy. I don't know if the religious driver for it was fundamentalist or Catholic. I sincerely hope it was not Catholic, but given some of the other weird stuff that has been going on here with Catholic legislators being harrassed (by fellow Catholics) if they believe in not writing discrimination into the state constitution, I'm seriously afraid it is a Catholic hate group making these calls. That's pretty hard to take. All that is good and decent and on the side of compassion and love and peace and social justice in my character comes from a strong Catholic upbringing and education. My drive to serve the community and work for peace and justice came entirely from Catholicism. The idea that the Catholic church is sponsoring anonymous hate phone calls is horrifying.

Speaking of the church and its foibles, the local bishop type guy who listed feminism among the evils of modern civilization along with the drug culture seems to have found a dictionary and realized that feminism is not quite what he meant to denounce. He has apologized publicly in the pages of the diocesean newspaper. I'm proud of the the prez of my alma mater for speaking out and standing up to him on this. The women of my alma mater seem to still have the kind of Catholicism I was raised on, if their response to the bishop guy's silly statement is any indication. If I had any money I'd up my annual donation to them.

The other interesting thing about the bishop's apology was that he expressed admiration for both Mother Teresa and Dorothy Day, both of whom are up for canonization. I have to admit that back in 2000 when I heard that the "cause" for Dorothy Day was accepted at the Vatican saint-making bureau (I forget what they call it) I didn't believe it. She will never be canonized during the reign of the current pope because her political ideas are too close to communism for him. I wish I could write about this better and more coherently.

Anyway, speaking of Dorothy Day is speaking of The Catholic Worker, which reminds me that the Wheels of Justice tour is visiting North Andover High today. That sparked controversy among the parents who were afraid the students would be exposed to anti-Semitism because there's a Palestinian speaker on the tour. The local school superintendent is a true hero of the first amendment. He invited opposing speakers and allotted lots of time for student questions. And apparently the thing went off without a hitch according to the article in the Eagle Tribune (benefit of writing "today's entry" on the day after -- you can reference the press coverage.)

Apologies to the three remaining readers of this journal, who were probably expecting used books and new birds rather than religious angst...

I want so much to believe that the universe is on the side of justice.

Today's Reading
The Big Year by Mark Obmascik

This Year's Reading
2004 Booklist

Today's Starting Pitcher
Bronson Arroyo (assuming they ever get the game started -- apparently it's raining and hailing in Texas)


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Copyright © 2004, Janet I. Egan