Crosswords! Or, the End of Civilization As We Know It

Posted on March 26, 2022 by Brian H. Gill

New York Times 'Crossword Mania Breaks Up Homes' article (December 10, 11, 1924), New Britain Herald 'The Cross-Word Puzzles Bridegroom' cartoon. (July 18, 1924)
(From New Britain Herald, via Nieman Journalism Lab, Harvard College; used w/o permission.)

Ah! For those halcyon days of yesteryear!

Like the 1920s, the Roaring Twenties: the Jazz Age, or, if you like that European flair, the Années folles. That’s French, and means “Crazy Years.” They weren’t wrong about that.1

Crossword Puzzles and Divorce: 1924

Oliver Herford's 'Demon Rum' editorial cartoon. Demon Rum and assorted drug-addiction monsters bothering Uncle Sam. (1919)
(From O. Herford, via Life Magazine/Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)

Title page, 'The War That Will End War,' H. G. Wells. (1914) From Internet Archive, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.“The War That Will End War” was over.

In America, prosperity ran rampant while Charlie Chaplain made movies. Women had the right to vote, and Demon Rum had been banned from the land

Meanwhile, in Germany, policies, politics and punishments led to one gold German Mark being worth a trillion paper Marks.2 And that’s almost another topic.

But back here in the Land of the Free, speakeasies flourished and a creeping madness threatened the very foundations of society.

I refer to crossword puzzles. As perceived by at least some serious thinkers of the day.

“CROSSWORD MANIA BREAKS UP HOMES
“Neglected Cleveland Wives Said to Plan Divorces From Stricken Husbands.

“CLEVELAND, Dec. 10 [1924] — Homes in this city are now threatened by cross-word Puzzles. The innocent little white and white and black squares have fascinated so many husbands that legal aid organizations are being swamped with requests to solve the enigma or to start divorce proceedings.

“This direful state of affairs was disclosed today by the manager of one of the legal aid organizations, who said that his office was receiving an average of ten letters a day from wives who have to remain at home these evenings just because their husbands are suffering from ‘cross-word puzzleitis.’…”
(New Britain Herald (July 18, 1924) via Nieman Journalism Lab

I wouldn’t call getting 10 letters a day from worried wives a “direful state of affairs,” mostly because I don’t often use words like “direful.” But I would call it serious.

That’s partly because I think marriage and family are important. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2197-2233)

So is remembering that both are more important than crossword puzzles, social media, or playing pinochle.

Then there was the “Crossword Murder.”

“Driven to Madness by Crossword Puzzles…”

'Crossword Murder,' The Cincinnati Post. (December 18, 1925; page 15) Clipping from lansow91 and Newspapers.comI don’t know if The Cincinnati Post called for tougher crossword control laws in response to a 1925 Christmas season murder and attempted suicide.

“CROSSWORD MURDER
Man, Crazed by Them, Slays Wife and Wounds Self.

Brooklyn, N.Y., Dec. 18 — Driven to madness by crossword puzzles, Theodore Koerner shot and killed his wife because she declined to help him solve one….

“…The husband had suffered two nervous breakdowns since last summer.”
(The Cincinnati Post (December 18, 1925))

I don’t doubt that crossword puzzles were part of the “Crossword Murder.”

But, catchy as that “Crossword Murder” headline is, I don’t think crossword puzzles made Mr. Koerner kill his wife, any more than I would blame his wife. Even though she wouldn’t help him solve one.

Almost a century later, ‘husband kills wife’ and ‘husband kills family’ headlines are still part of the Christmas season.

I don’t know if there’s an uptick in domestic murders then, or if such tragedies are more newsworthy during the holidays. And that’s yet another topic.

Death and divorce weren’t the only crossword-related issues of the 1920s.

‘Experts Speak Out’

'A Familiar Form of Madness' op-ed, clipping, The New York Times (November 17, 1924)
(From The New York Times, via Nieman Journalism Lab, used w/o permission.)
(Op-ed, The New York Times. (November 17, 1924))

CROSS-WORD HEADACHE BOOMS OPTICAL TRADE,' 'Cross-Worditis...' and other headlines. (1920s)Medical experts said crossword puzzles hurt your eyes and steal memory from crossword addicts. Yes, crossword addiction was a thing in the 1920s; and may still be.

Psychological addiction isn’t the same as substance addiction, but they’re similar enough to warrant similar names.

On the other hand, I’m a bit dubious when experts slap the “addiction” label on something that’s new and out of favor with my culture’s better sort.

Or when society’s self-appointed guardians recoil in horror from the latest “direful” threat. Like the angsty articles published during my youth, back when the telephone was destroying society.

My generation, I learned from these doomsayers, never communicated. We just sat for hours, talking on the telephone.

I didn’t, but I suppose some folk my age did. And do, since now I’m reading that folks pay too much attention to their smartphones.

Those 1920s medical experts had a point. Extended focusing on crossword puzzles, comic books, or needlepoint leads to eyestrain. Let’s see what medical experts who aren’t quoted in the news say about that.

“…Eyestrain can be annoying. But it usually isn’t serious and goes away once you rest your eyes or take other steps to reduce your eye discomfort. In some cases, signs and symptoms of eyestrain can indicate an underlying eye condition that needs treatment.”
(Eyestrain, Symptoms and Causes, Mayo Clinic)

I did a little checking, and learned that if someone reads for years and years, that that person almost always develops presbyopia.

Which, oddly enough, has nothing to do with being a Presbyterian. It’s what happens to our eyes if we don’t die young.3 A less highfalutin term is “age-related farsightedness.”

“Word-Cross” Origins, From Sator Squares to a Sunday Supplement

Queen Victoria's, 'Windsor Enigma,' from 'Victorian Enigmas, or Windsor Fireside Researches' by Charlotte Eliza Capel (1861))
(From Queen Victoria of England, via The Paris Review, used w/o permission.)

So, who is responsible for crossword puzzles? Did some malevolent mastermind corrupt our minds and blur our eyes, driven by dread desire and devious intent?

Well, no.

I’m pretty sure that The New York World’s Sunday Supplement of December 21st, 1913, held the first crossword puzzle. The first in more-or-less today’s format, that is.

The “mental exercise” was concocted by Arthur Wynne, formerly of Liverpool, England; and then employed as a journalist by the Pittsburgh Press and The New York World.

Mr. Wynne called his word-puzzle “Word-Cross.” An illustrator changed it to Cross-Word, Mr. Wynne didn’t mind, and now crosswords are part of our language.

Dodgson and an Ancient Palindrome

John Tenniel's Cheshire cat illustration for Charles Dodgson's 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.' (1869)But before that, Charles Dodgson invented a game he called doublets, where you’d change one word into others by changing one letter at a time. It’s sort of like a crossword puzzle, but not quite.

And before that, England’s Queen Victoria assembled the “Windsor Enigma,” which brought coals to Newcastle. By way of Naples, Washington, Cincinnati, and other famous cities.

And way before that, ancient Romans made their Sator Square their empire’s “Kilroy was here.” The latter showed up in the 1940s, probably, thanks to American soldiers, maybe. Origins of Kilroy are debatable and debated.

The earliest Sator Squares we know about were in Pompeii.

A Sator Square is a two-dimensional palindrome with four symmetries. The 2D palindrome’s symmetry group is the Klein four-group, not the dihedral group of order 8, for reasons that are yet again another topic.

R O T A S S A T O R
O P E R A A R E P O
T E N E T T E N E T
A R E P O O P E R A
S A T O R R O T A S

I’d keep talking about crossword puzzles, palindromes, academic debates and 20th century graffiti, but I’m running out of time. So if you’re interested, check out some of the articles I found: I’ve linked to them, near the end of this piece.4

It’s Still the End of Civilization as We Know It

Dik Browne's 'Hagar the Horrible:' 'It may be the end of civilization as we know it.' (February 25, 1973)
(From Dik Browne, used w/o permission.)

A century has passed since cross-word puzzleitis threatened America’s very foundations. According to some serious thinkers, that is.

And we’re still here.

Although this isn’t the America of the Roaring Twenties: or America of the Progressive Era and First Red Scare that came before.5

Priorities and Perspective

Walt Kelly's Deacon Mushrat, Pogo and Albert the Alligator, from 'The Pogo Papers.' (1953)Can’t say that I’m sorry those ‘good old days’ are over.

And I do not I yearn for the ‘good old days’ of my childhood, when “she’s smart as a man” was supposed to be a compliment.

Or the Sixties, when doomsayers mourned the end of civilization as they knew it.

They were right, by the way, it was the end of the old status quo.

I’m pretty sure that crosswords don’t deserve blame for divorce, death and other direful doings during the Roaring Twenties. Not as an underlying cause, at any rate.

I’m also pretty sure that some folks really were were letting themselves get distracted by crossword puzzles and trolley parks.

Just as today some of us give new tech more attention we should.

And just as this week I’ve been paying overmuch to a not-so-new game/simulation: SimCity 4. Which is why I’m rushing to get this written in time for Saturday morning.

Given what I’ve done this week, I could denounce or renounce SimCity 4,6 computers or recreation in general.

Instead, I’ll share my experience: and try putting my priorities in proper order next week. Or better order, at any rate.

And repeat what I’ve said before.

Change happens. Fearing change doesn’t make sense; or isn’t useful, at any rate.

And blaming crossword puzzles, telephones, social media or any other newfangled fad, fashion or tech for problems that have been plaguing humanity since the first of us made a bad choice doesn’t make sense.

Now, the usual ‘(sort of) related stuff’ link list:

1 Those were the days, my friend …:

2 Remembering the 1920s:

3 Addiction, dependence and our eyes:

4 More than you may want to know about group theory, graffiti and crossword puzzles:

5 … we thought they’d never end, but they did:

6 My distraction this week:

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Brain Defogging, Technical Issues, and Me

Posted on March 22, 2022 by Brian H. Gill

I’m doing a quick ‘it’s all about me’ post today, just in case I don’t get this week’s piece about crossword puzzles and other threats to civilization done. Perceived threats, I should say.

Okay. That’s why I’m writing this. Onward!

A week ago Monday — That’s March 14, 2022 — I felt less fogbound than I had since the end of January. That’s good news.

I’m still assuming that whatever bug I had is COVID-19. Whether it is or not, my fever is still going down. It’s fairly consistently below 100° F — which is probably linked with the comparative clarity I’m feeling. Again, good news.

On the other hand, staying focused on what I’ve decided should get done is harder than usual. Or harder than I feel it should be, at any rate. But again: the fog is lifting, and this is good news.

Technical Issues Continue

I’m pretty sure that Nobody can comment on ‘A Catholic Citizen in America’ posts.

As I said a few weeks back: sorry about that!

I am still getting ready to upgrade ‘A Catholic Citizen in America.’ The process might go faster if brain fog wasn’t a factor, and I talked about that before.

Let’s see. I talked about me, about the current technical frustration, and now I think I’m done.

Yep. Definitely. I’m done for the day. Done here, that is.

Good evening, and I hope you’ll check back on Saturday. The subject will be crosswords.

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Ukraine: Invasion, Annexation, Labels, and a Good Idea

Posted on March 19, 2022 by Brian H. Gill

Building in Kharkiv's Freedom Square hit by missile. Frame capture from BBC News video, used w/o permission. (March 1, 2022)
(From BBC News, used w/o permission.)
(Freedom Square, Kharkiv, Ukraine. Missile explodes, killing at least 10 people.
(BBC News (March 1, 2022))

I don’t know why Putin sent troops to Ukraine; why those troops bombed a hospital, a theater, and Kharkiv’s Freedom Square; or why Ukraine’s military didn’t either give up or get promptly defeated: but that won’t stop me from guessing.

Trouble in Ukraine: It’s Complicated

CIA's map of ethnic Russians in territory previously held by the Soviet Union. (1994))
(From the CIA/Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)

The trouble started February 24, 2022.

That’s when Putin said that he wasn’t invading Ukraine, and that he was protecting Ukrainians. Those who speak Russian, at any rate.

Then Russian troops invaded Ukraine. Or started protecting Russian-speaking Ukrainians. Or doing whatever it is they’ve been doing ever since.

Seems that we’re supposed to believe that Putin’s even protecting non-Ukrainians. He says that one of his goals is the “demilitarisation and denazification” of Ukraine.

“Denazification?”

Russia’s official line is that Ukraine is run by neo-Nazis. There’s almost a little truth in that claim, and I’ll get back to that.

Another ‘start of the trouble’ time was in 2004. That’s when someone poisoned Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko. Mr. Yushenko didn’t die, said the Russian government had sent the assassin, and won the election. Not necessarily in that order.

Or the trouble started in 2013 and 2014, when Ukraine’s Euromaidan movement boiled over. The Euromaidan folks thought closer ties with the European Union was a good idea.

Soon-to-be-former-President Viktor Yanukovych’s enforcers killed 108 protestors, but someone killed 13 police officers. So I don’t know how to figure the final score on that.

About the same time, Russia seized Crimea.

Quite a few folks, including those running Ukraine’s government, thought Crimea was part of Ukraine. But Russia’s leaders said no, and had the muscle to make their claim stick.

Maybe that’s why it’s called the “annexation” of Crimea.1

Maybe the “annexation” is legitimate, since quite a few folks living in Crimea have Russian ancestors. Then again, maybe not.

Quite a few folks living in central Minnesota have German and Irish ancestors. Which doesn’t make Stearns County part of Ireland or Germany.

A Commonwealth, Russia, Cossacks, and Banning the Ukrainian Language

Tonhar's map of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (green) and vassal states (light green) at their peak in 1619. (1865) From Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.Coming from another angle, the trouble started in 1569, when Ukraine became part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

That led to new ideas circulating, which in turn led to dissatisfaction with the status quo. And, indirectly, Cossacks. Then, in 1648, a bunch of Cossacks got fed up, starting the Khmelnytsky Uprising and The Ruin.

After that, at least some of the folks involved asked Tsarist Russia for help.

Following the Pereiaslav Agreement, Tsarist interest in Ukraine transitioned from protection to rule.

Whether Tsarist Russia’s banning use of the Ukrainian language made some Ukrainians feel even more Ukrainian, or Russian leaders banned the Ukrainian language because they thought it threatened their control, trouble followed.2

Skimming Over Four Centuries

Detail of 'The Apotheosis of Washington,' United States Capitol rotunda; Constantino Brumidi. (1865)During the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, Ukrainian intellectuals got out from under Russian disapproval of their language and culture by moving to the Austrian Empire.

On the other hand, many Slavic Ukrainians who stayed in Ukraine liked the pro-Slavic Russian line.

After that came the 20th century’s global war(s), the Ukrainian War of Independence, concentration camps and the Soviet Union. People died. Many people died.

On the ‘up’ side, Ukraine was free! Free from Tsarist Russia, that is.

But freedom is in the eye of the beholder — and the preferences of whoever’s talking. Let’s look at Ukraine’s existence as a nominally independent nation during the 20th century.3

The Holodomor, Wehrmacht, Liberation and Perceptions

Title page, 'The War That Will End War,' H. G. Wells. (1914) From Internet Archive, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.First came the Free Territory of Ukraine, an anarchist society that didn’t last; and then the USSR, which did.

This USSR is the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic, which then became the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.

There’s also the Ukrainian Soviet Republic and World Congress of Free Ukrainians, but this has long since gotten over-complicated.

The ‘Socialist Soviet’ to ‘Soviet Socialist’ name change was part of a reform or rebranding that happened in 1936.

It followed a particularly unpleasant part of Ukraine’s history.

Soviet authorities conducted Ukrainian peasants into a “bright future” of socialism and starvation.

Whether or not the 1932-1933 Holodomor led to the 1936 Soviet Constitution, that I don’t know. But a fair fraction of Ukrainians weren’t happy about Russia and the Soviet Union when World War II started.

Which may explain why some saw Nazi Germany’s Wehrmacht as liberators. Some even helped purge Europe’s gene pool.

Other Ukrainians formed pro-Soviet guerrilla groups. Still others began fighting both Wehrmacht and Soviet forces.

World War II eventually ended. And so, in 1991, did the Soviet Union.

Now it’s called the Russian Federation.4

Recent(ish) Changes and Labels

Equestrian statue of Peter I of Russia in Saint Petersburg: symbol of the city. From CIA World Factbook, used w/o permission.The extent to which the 1991 makeover is reform — or rebranding — that’s another thing I don’t know.

On the other hand, Vladimir Putin started out as a KGB agent.

So I’m willing to suspect that the Russian Federation is a Soviet Union reboot, run by folks who finally twigged that economic realities matter. Even if they’re not politically correct. And that’s another topic.

Now, about Ukraine’s current government being neo-Nazi: like so many other labels, it depends on who’s talking. And how selectively the labeler cherry-picks from reality’s tree.

If the fact that some Ukrainians liked the Wehrmacht means Ukraine’s current government is neo-Nazi, then folks like Vidkun Quisling prove that today’s Norway is run by skinheads.5

Which strikes me as a daft notion. Effective propaganda, maybe, since “Nazi” is an emotionally-charged word, but daft nonetheless.

Death and Strange Targets

Mariupol city council's photo of courtyard and maternity and children's hospital attacked by Russian forces. Mariupol, Ukraine.
(From Mariupol city council, via BBC News, used w/o permission.)

A cease-fire was in effect on March 9, 2022. So the Russian Air Force bombed a maternity and children’s hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine. On March 10, 2022, Russian officials said the attack was okay, because Ukrainian forces were somewhere around there.

In any case, Russian forces only killed four or five people in that attack: depending on whether the child who was stillborn counts as a person.

Maybe the Russian line has a grain of truth, that Maternity Hospital No 3 was a rebel base, and that children and women giving birth there were enemies of the (Russian) state.

Maybe, but I don’t think so. I find the idea of a tactical children’s hospital a trifle hard to swallow.

I’m not surprised that Mariupol’s Deputy Mayor Ukraine’s president called the hospital bombing a war crime and genocide, and that Ukraine’s president said the attack was “proof that the genocide of Ukrainians [was] taking place.”6

But, according to Russian officialdom’s version of reality, they’re both neo-Nazi. Which, again, doesn’t make sense. Not to me.

Bad Times in Mariupol, Ukraine

BBC Research, Institute for the Study of War's map; showing Mariupol explosions, and areas controlled by Russian forces. (March 9, 2022)
(From Mariupol city council, via BBC News, used w/o permission.)

Russian forces have been busy in and around Mariupol. Besides a tactical children’s hospital, they’ve protected Ukrainians from enemies of the people in a couple residential areas and a strategic Epicenter K store. That last happened on March 2, 2022.

And that’s enough snark for today. Maybe too much.

Anyway, folks in Mariupol are — according to Russia’s official line — now part of the Donetsk People’s Republic.7 And besides, maybe they’re getting in the way of Russian progress along the Sea of Azov coast.

Bombing a Theater in Mariupol

Maxar's satellite image of Mariupol theater. (March 14, 2022)
(From Maxar, via BBC News, used w/o permission.)

Somewhere between 500 and 1,200 folks were sheltering in the Donetsk Regional Drama Theatre in Mariupol on March 16, 2022. Then at least one shell and/or bomb dropped on the place.

It’s not all bad news. Quite a few folks in the theater weren’t killed. But some were.

I’ll give folks in Mariupol credit for trying to discourage the March 16 theater bombing. Somebody wrote “дети,” “deti” — “children” in Russian — on the ground outside the theater.

Ukrainian officials say that Russian forces shelled the theater.

Russian officials say that the Azov Battalion are the villains in this piece. The Azov Battalion is — you guessed it — a neo-Nazi outfit. Such things do exist.

Whoever blasted that theater, the current invasion has affected several culturally important sites in Ukraine.

The Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center, and cemetery, was damaged but not destroyed. The same goes for Kharkiv’s Dormition Cathedral, although the cruise missile that hit the Kharkiv city center damaged some artwork and stained glass.

Zavorichi’s St. George’s Church burned on March 7, 2022. And, like I said, airstrikes on the Donetsk Regional Drama Theatre damaged the building and killed some folks sheltering there.

I don’t know why Russian forces attacked a maternity hospital, folks in Chernihiv queuing to buy bread, and a theater with “children” written on the ground outside. Unless, of course, nasty neo-Nazis are the nogoodniks in the latter case.

Maybe from the air, a breadline looks like an armored convoy. Or maybe the unguided aerial bombs used in Chernihiv were aimed at some other target at the intersection of Viacheslava Chornovila and Kruhova streets.

Officials from Ukraine, the United States, and Amnesty International have called these attacks war crimes. Maybe they’re right.8

Maritime Trade and a Motive: Maybe

CIA World Factbook's map of Russia.
(From ‘CIA World Factbook,’ used w/o permission.)

Assuming that Russia’s leader(s) had a motive for invading Ukraine seems reasonable. It’s hardly the sort of thing I’d expect to be a whim or passing fancy.

Putin and company have been pretty clear on what they say they’re after: saving Russians from neo-Nazis and defending parts of Ukraine they say are independent countries.

Maybe so.

But I’ll suggest a motive that I haven’t seen discussed. One that may make more sense than fighting neo-Nazis who aren’t really.

Russia is not, technically, a landlocked country. It’s had coastline on the Baltic, Black and Caspian Seas, and Arctic Ocean for a millennium, off and on. And, since conquering the Khanate of Sibir, the Pacific Ocean.

But the Arctic Ocean isn’t exactly a prime maritime trade zone.

Almost as bad from a ‘Russia first’ viewpoint, Russia shares Baltic, Black and Caspian Sea access with other countries. Including, recently, former Russian holdings like Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. All three of which are members of NATO, and the European Union.

Small wonder a sufficiently-edgy Russian leader might feel threatened by all those foreigners being between Russia and the open ocean. Particularly since it’s a long haul from Moscow to Vladivostok.9

Conquering Ukraine wouldn’t improve Russia’s ocean access issue much, since Turkey holds the Black Sea’s south coast. And shipping on the Black Sea has to go through the Sea of Marmara and Aegean on its way to the Mediterranean.

Still, maybe Russia’s leaders are taking the long view. They might figuring that after Ukraine, all that stands between Russia and the world ocean is Turkey, the eastern Mediterranean and Egypt. And that conquering those countries will be easier than invading Ukraine.

Or maybe not.

Thinking About Life, Death, Defending Others, and Prayer

Lx 121's photo of memorial 'altar' at the John McCrae House (birthplace, museum, & memorial) in Guelph, Ontario Canada. Remembrance Day, November 11, 2009. Via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.

I don’t like war. War breaks things and kills people.

But I think that sometimes war is better than other alternatives.

I’d make a terrible pacifist.

Since I’m a Catholic, I can’t be a sabre-rattling warmonger, either.

That’s because I think human life is sacred. It’s a gift from God. Each of us is made in the divine image. (Genesis 1:27; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2258, 2260)

Demonizing the ‘bad guys’ isn’t an option either.

I’m obliged to love my neighbor and see everyone as my neighbor. Everyone. No exceptions. (Matthew 5:43-44, 22:36-40; Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31 10:25-27, 29-37)

“Love” isn’t “approval,” and that’s yet another topic, for another day. Week. Month. Year, maybe.

I think human life is sacred.

So how come I don’t say that using force to stop someone who’s killing another person is always wrong: since the attacker is human, and force might kill the attacker?

Legitimate defense, intending to preserve one’s own life or the life of an innocent person, is a good idea. (Catechism, 2263-2267)

Murder, intending to kill an innocent person. or not-so-innocent person when doing so is avoidable, is a bad idea and we shouldn’t do it. (Catechism, 2268-2269)

Here’s where it gets a bit complicated.

Basically, it’d be okay for me to try stopping someone from killing another person; even if I had to use force which might kill the attacker. St. Thomas Aquinas talked about this. At length. (“Summa Theologiae,” Second Part of the Second Part, Question 64, Article 7; St. Thomas Aquinas (ca. 1250))

I understand the idea of “moderate defense,” As St. Thomas Aquinas put it.

But I’m profoundly glad I’ve never had reason to use lethal force to stop an attacker.

And I’m sure not going to criticize Ukrainians who are trying to stop foreign troops from killing Ukrainians. And I’m not surprised that they’re earnest about protecting their homes.

War and Alternatives

Nagasaki City Office's photo of Urukami Cathedral, Nagasaki, Japan. (1945)
(From Nagasaki City Office, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)
(Memorial service outside Urukami Roman Catholic Cathedral. (November 23, 1945))

I sympathize with Ukrainians who want other countries to do more than just express disapproval of what Russian forces are doing there.

On the other hand, I’m glad that a fair number of American and other leaders are showing a little sense.

I’m still — concerned — about Putin’s implied threat to use nuclear weapons, back on February 28. So far, Putin and company haven’t been exhibiting reassuring levels of good sense and peaceful intentions.

And some possible actions by NATO and other non-Russian outfits, like establishing a no-fly zone over Ukraine, seem like a good idea.

Except that doing so could turn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine into open war between Russia on the one hand and NATO and America on the other.10

It’s frustrating.

So far we don’t have an international authority that’s able to deal with the likes of Saddam Hussein and (apparently) Putin — without waging war.

And until we do have a sufficiently competent international authority, governments are obliged to maintain military forces. And occasionally use them. (Catechism, 2308)

I don’t like that situation. But, apart from suggesting that finding alternatives to war sounds like a good idea, there’s not much I can do about it.

Coming Soon: Consecrating Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Vatican News photo, 'Pope Francis in Fatima, Portugal.' Used w/o permission.
(From Vatican News, used w/o permission.)

“Pope to consecrate Russia and Ukraine to Immaculate Heart of Mary”
Vatican News (March 15, 2022)

“Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Friday, 25 March, during the Celebration of Penance that he will preside over at 5pm in St Peter’s Basilica.

The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, said in a statement: ‘The same act, on the same day, will be performed in Fatima by Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, papal almoner,’ who is being sent there by the Pope….”

The Vatican News piece recaps some of what was said during the 1917 Fatima event.

“…Our Lady had asked for the consecration of Russia to Her Immaculate Heart, stating that if this request were not granted, Russia would spread ‘its errors throughout the world, promoting wars and persecution of the Church.’

“‘The good,’ she added, ‘will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be destroyed.’…”
(Vatican News (March 15, 2022))

I still occasionally cringe when I read those words, since I grew up hearing rabid anti-communist, anti-Catholic and anti-rock music rants. Which set me on a path that led to me becoming a Catholic, and that’s yet again another topic.

But I think that Fatima11 quote accurately describes some of the 20th century’s events.

After Fatima, we’ve had several consecrations to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

  • Pope Pius XII consecrated
    • The entire world (October 31, 1942)
    • The people of Russia (July 7, 1952)
  • Pope St Paul VI renewed the consecration of Russia (November 21, 1964)

And Pope St. John Paul II composed a prayer called an ‘Act of Entrustment’ in 1981. That’s something I haven’t looked up yet.

About Prayer and Consecration

Brian H. Gill's photo, outside Sauk Centre's Saint Faustina Adoration Chapel. (2019)Prayer is important. Folks have been praying for a long time. (Catechism, 2558-2565, 2566-2567, 2568-2589)

And it’s a good idea. (Catechism, 2598ff)

Consecration is a good idea, too.

Consecration: The dedication of a thing or person to divine service by a prayer or blessing. The consecration at Mass is that part of the Eucharistic Prayer during which the Lord’s words of institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper are recited by the priestly minister, making Christ’s Body and Blood—his sacrifice offered on the cross once for all–sacramentally present under the species of bread and wine (1352, 1353).”
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, Glossary)

I haven’t run out of words today, but I have run out of time.

Recapping, Russia’s government sent more troops into Ukraine recently. They’ve attacked a maternity and children’s hospital, bombed a breadline, blown up a theater — without killing all the folks inside — and made life very unpleasant for surviving Ukrainians.

The official Russian line seems to be that they’re defending Russian-speaking Ukrainians from neo-Nazis, and protecting parts of Ukraine that Russia’s leaders say are really independent countries.

I am very glad I don’t live in Ukraine.

Maybe Putin and company really believe their version of what’s happening. Maybe not.

Either way, I’m pretty sure that Ukraine’s military and a quite a few Ukrainian civilians are fighting Russian forces because they don’t think killing Ukrainians is a good idea.

Restraint, or Maybe Diffidence, and a Good Idea

Elizabeth Fraser/Arlington National Cemetery's photo of Arlington National Cemetery. (2018)The situation is anything but simple, and there are centuries of history behind the mess. Millennia.

Ukraine’s leaders, understandably, want more military support from other countries.

Leaders of other countries have, so far, seemed unwilling to start direct conflict between Russia and major Western nations.

I figure that’s admirable restraint, regrettable diffidence, or a mix of both. Folks will probably be discussing — and arguing — about that for decades. Me? I don’t know nearly enough to have a reasoned opinion.

Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary next week. I think that’s a good idea, and will be looking for a transcript of what he says.

Finally, links to other stuff I’ve written, and then resources you might find interesting.

1 “Annexation,” invasion and a little history:

2 Cossacks, Tsars and more history:

3 Language, culture, nominal independence, concentration camps and death:

4 The Soviet Union, an allegedly “bright future,” Nazi Germany and still more history:

5 Scary words, history and politics:

6 Maternity Hospital No 3 and official versions of reality:

7 Marupol, Ukraine; briefly:

8 Death in a breadline, and perceptions:

9 More names you don’t often hear, and still more history:

10 A little background and analysis:

11 Very briefly:

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Comments, Technical Difficulties and Other Frustrations

Posted on March 12, 2022 by Brian H. Gill

Brian H. Gill's 'Meet Norbert Nerdly.' (2015)
(Norbert Nerdly — my frustrations, personified.)

If you have tried writing a comment on one of these posts, thank you!

And if you have been unable to do so, sorry about that. You’re not alone.

Earlier this week, my oldest daughter told me that she tried and failed to leave a comment on A Catholic Citizen in America. She got an error message telling her that she wasn’t logged into WordPress: the software that runs this blog.

That’d make sense if it was me, trying to edit something here. But you’re supposed to be able to write a comment here, whether you have a WordPress account or not.

The comment glitch didn’t surprise me, since I’ve been getting similar error messages when attempting to reply to comments. And write posts.

So far, I’d been able to work around the problem. On the other hand, I’ve also been unable to figure out exactly what’s giving me — and now you — trouble.

I do, however, have a pretty good idea what’s been giving me fits.

Basically, it’s time for me to upgrade hosting for A Catholic Citizen in America — and Brendan’s Island, the website it’s on.

I’d have done this earlier, but “upgrade” means “more cost,” and that’s something I have been sincerely trying to avoid.

However, since glitches that have been frustrating me are now frustrating you, probably, I’ve been looking at my options for upgrading.

Long COVID (Probably) and Me

Brian H. Gill: brilliant, talented and on medication. (2021)That process hasn’t been made any easier by “difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes referred to as ‘brain fog’)” that I’ve been experiencing.

That, and a persistent fever, seem to be my “post-COVID Conditions.”1

Can’t say that I’m enjoying the experience, but it could be worse. Much worse.

Or it could be better.

Either way, I’m dealing with what is.

Which, this week, has included deciding that I needed to stop trying to maintain my Adoration chapel commitment, starting what I call due diligence before upgrading this blog’s hosting, and — saving the best (?) for last — discovering that I ran out of methylphenidate2 Friday.

Happily, a few phone calls, frazzled nerves, and a short drive later, I’d collected the meds. Plus a few groceries.

So that’s why I’ve been writing this quick ‘what happened this week’ piece, instead of looking at how crossword puzzles threatened the very foundations of Western civilization.

And that’s another topic.

So are these — except for the ones that aren’t — other topics, that is:

1 Good news? It’s not just me. Bad news? Same thing:

2 Methyl-what now?:

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COVID-19 and My Adoration Chapel Routine

Posted on March 9, 2022 by Brian H. Gill

Brian H. Gill's photo of the Adoration chapel windows in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. (2017)

I’ve been spending an hour in Sauk Centre’s St. Faustina Adoration Chapel every Wednesday afternoon for several years. At least since 2014.

At first, the time felt like an hour of ‘doing nothing.’ But I kept going, because I thought it was a good idea. I’ve talked about that before. The usual links to related stuff are at the end of this post.

After a while, maybe a year or so, the time still felt more-or-less like an hour. But not an hour of ‘doing nothing.’

I’ve been enjoying my regular hour spending time with our Lord.

Then, at the end of January this year, I got sick. Each week, I’ve let the folks organizing the Eucharistic Adoration know what the current situation is.

Then, last week, since I was still running a fever, with no clear end of the situation in sight, I let the folks know that I can’t be sure I’ll be there regularly. For the foreseeable future.

That’s among the least-favorite decisions I’ve made. But I think it made sense.

Good News, Not-So-Good News, COVID-19 and Me

Brian H. Gill: brilliant, talented and on medication. (2021)The bug I’ve got is the COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 one that’s been a regular news item. Probably.

I’ve got a routine checkup coming, and plan to ask about getting tested for the SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

The tests aren’t 100% accurate — nothing of that sort is — but I’m curious, and it’ll be something to talk about.

The good news is that I’m not as sick as I was during the first part of February. The not-so-good news is that — well, I’m sufficiently not-well to quit what has become one of my favorite devotions.

I’ll still be going to the Adoration chapel, as circumstances permit. And I’ll probably be talking about this bug I’ve been hosting, and the effect it’s had.

And that’s another topic, for another week. Month. Whatever.

Finally, here’s that link list:

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