ugh

If summer were no worse than this, I could deal with it, but I really don't want to have summer yet. Can we please just have another month and a half of spring, the way we're supposed to?

*sigh*

john_arundel, check this out. It bears on part of our conversation last night.

Ratzinger elected pope

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4462077.stm

Ah, how long has it been since the head of the Holy Office of the Inquisition was actually elected pope?

I forsee a schism in the church during this papacy, as liberal catholics from North America and western and eastern Europe and conservatives from Latin America, Africa, and southern Europe pull the church entirely apart. I don't think progressive catholics are willign to give up on the church, but I don't think they're willing to accept the sort of iron hand they're probably going to get from Benedict XVI. Perhaps the conservative faction of the Anglican church can swap places with liberal catholicism, and Roman Catholicism can uphold the standard of blinkered, stubborn, doctrinnaire, bloody-minded antiEnlightenment while the rest of the catholic church moves forward.

just to be clear

Despite the tone of the last few entries, I'm really very happy right now. My sweetie and I are doing well; we've just had a lovely weekend and are looking forward to another one. I had a nice evening with john_arundel last night, and I am temporarily without grad school work to do. Work is OK. Both of my tax refunds have come in, and I can now pay off a big chunk of credit card debt. I have insurance for my car. My cats are well (if you don't count someone throwing up his breakfast just outside the bathroom this morning). I did 4-5 loads of laundry and lots of ironing. I changed the sheets on the bed. I put my hammock back up. And I'm actually liking my face now that the beard is gone. Life is pretty good.

I still need to

arrange for our car hire for Scotland
take notes on things to do and see
plan packing
help Nora get a new camera
resolve the latest "In the Shadows of Byzantium" turn
balance my checkbook
organize my papers
put stuff on eBay (and thin out my personal possessions generally)
find a guitar tutor

and
sit otuside in the hammock with a book and a cold drink and enjoy the fresh air of spring!

wow

I don't really know what else to say. This looks incredible. And after reading through 20 pages of text, I think it's going to be good, too.

(no subject)

Thanks to brithistorian for pointing out this piece by Rowan Williams. It's a thoughtful essay on the interconnectedness of economy and environment. I only wish I thought more "business" minded people were inclined to listen to this sort of reason.