Thinking about Trolls and Troll Farms

I have a few commenters here who are clearly trolls. One in particular makes me think of  Saul Alinsky whenever he (I think it's a man.) comments. He uses many of Alinsky's rules for radicals like trying to freeze the target and put him/her on the defensive.

Reading up on professional, paid trolling I wondered if there are paid trolls out there who go after the websites, blogs, social media pages, etc. of orthodox/traditional Catholics.  I have no illusions about the influence of my blog. I generally have 300-400 visitors a day. If something I write strikes a chord, I can get as many as 700-1,000 visitors, but that's rare.

Optical Illusions and Reality: In the Age of AI, What Can You Believe?

Sitting at my computer this morning I experienced an interesting optical illusion. Looking across the field through the "frame" of two tree trunks, I saw the head of a roman wearing a laurel wreath in profile. He looked very much like this:

As the wind blew his mouth opened and closed as if he were speaking. Of course, I knew it was just an illusion created by my brain, but it fascinated me and got me thinking about illusions and truth.

What's Your Strategy for De-Stressing? We All Need a Few in Addition to Prayer!

My favorite sleuth is Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot played by David Suchet!

Strange and stressful times we live in, eh? How do you de-stress amid crises, besides prayer, the sacraments, and spiritual reading? What’s your prescription for maintaining your equilibrium? When I need a respite, a total break from the bad news, I’d rather turn to a puzzle than the boob tube: jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, logic puzzles, cryptograms, sudokus, mazes – brain exercises of all kinds. Instead of fanning the flames of anxiety with one more news report on the coronavirus, or the riots, or Pope Francis’ latest crazy statement, I brew a cup of tea and turn to a puzzle.

As a teenager, I read books every spare moment and particularly enjoyed murder mysteries. I think I read almost every mystery by Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Dorothy Sayers, Ellery Queen, and G.K. Chesterton. How I love Chesterton’s beloved little priest, Fr. Brown! His keen understanding of human nature and his kindness to all, even criminals, inspired me. Perhaps I like mysteries because they are so much like puzzles; although I’m never much of a sleuth. I’m more like Sherlock’s Watson, or Poirot’s Hastings, or the blockhead detectives schooled by Jane Marple.

How Do You Distinguish a Good Shepherd from a Bad Shepherd?

The amanita species can kill you quickly.

Discernment isn't an option these days; it's a necessity!

If you knew that a restaurant owner gathered mushrooms from the woods and didn't know anything about which were good to eat and which were poisonous, would you eat in that restaurant?

Suppose you knew that not only did he put poisonous mushrooms in his dishes, but he considered it a game of mushroom roulette to add a little "spice" to the dining experience. His motto might be "Eat, drink and be merry because tomorrow you may die." Hey, maybe he would even offer free meals for those willing to consume his mushroom dishes and see what happened, a life or death adventure.

Sunday Meditation: How did you use your talents today?

The gospel today was the parable of the three servants and the talents. The parable of the talents always gets me thinking about how the Lord wants me to use the gifts He's given me. He certainly gave me a heart for motherhood which is what got me involved in the pro-life movement. The little ones threatened and marked for death always made me think of my own children. How could I not be doing everything I could to save them when they were no different from my own babies? And so I rescued and educated and prayed and picketed and sidewalk counseled, etc. I still do a little of that, but I don't have the same level of energy I used to have and don't do as much of it. Also, thank God, there's no abortion mill nearby that is continually pricking my conscience. That was one of the greatest outcomes of our decision to "flee the city" in 2002! I traveled to northern Virginia every week for several years to counsel at pregnancy help center, but after several years decided it was just too far.