Notes from a commute

[magid]

Just once, I'd like to hear the weather report finish "cloudy, with a chance of" with "meatballs."

There is much locally about the installation of the new cardinal in Boston. I'm fascinated by the pomp of it, all sorts of specialized words dusted off and used widely for the first time in ages (cathedra, crozier, etc.). The clip of part of the installation (I'm so sure there's a specific word for this I'm not remembering) included something that surprised me: massive applause. Not that the new guy doesn't deserve it, or anything like that, but I never quite think of applause as appropriate in the midst of a religious service.

Bright blue popcorn is just wrong. Blueberry crackers are also wrong, but not nearly so much.

I find it extremely strange that there's a Kabbalah bookstore in Newton. Come on in! Learn the mysteries of the universe! Free classes every Wednesday! Commercialized Kabbalah, or any mysticism, is just not how things should be.

Comments

[prog.livejournal.com]

Yup. I think your initial observations were astute. (I say this coming from a Boston-area Catholic education background (three years' worth, anyway), including frequent Masses lorded over by an archetypical nun, who would have spit acid at the idea of any kind of noise from the pews (other than singing on cue).)