There have been a couple of notable observations that I have made recently.
On June 11, 2007, I sent my first Gmail e-mail—my BusinessMirror column of that week—and have maintained the same address for the past 15 years. Needless to say, I must be a prominent “celebrity” on many e-mail address lists used by some of the finest “spam senders” on the planet. Two days without deleting and I can have nearly one hundred or more “Your $25,000 Settlement Check Has Arrived” and “I’m lonely and I tried to call YOU” in the Spam folder.
Gmail has a reasonably strong spam filter but that only puts these messages in a separate folder. I must confess that I am interested in reading the subject lines, as it is a revealing clue to what is going on in the world.
In the past months, “Ukrainian Brides are looking for you” have disappeared. But through 2020 and 2021, my spam folder was “hungry” except for the occasional “Covid Cure!.” However, since the beginning of 2022, the Spam Industry is back in business.
Is that a good sign that the pandemic is finished, and the global economy is coming back to whatever normal used to be?
The other phenomenon I have encountered since late-February is along the lines of this article headline from the Dallas Morning News. “I’m an atheist, but between Covid and nuclear weapons, I’m ready to give God a try.” The author goes on to write, “We are all pinwheeling, God, and I’m not sure how long we can remain like this. To be honest, I’m not even sure I believe in you, but I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt because I need someone to talk to.”
Much of the article is tongue-in-cheek but behind the humor (as always) is some truth.
I genuinely detest people who evangelize and proselytize, the difference being the first wants to spread the word hoping you will see the light. The latter has only one purpose—to convert you to their beliefs.
I do not care if you are in the service of Jesus, Allah, Odin, Krishna, Buddha, or if you believe that anyone who follows any of those beliefs are fools. In addition, “evangelizing” about your preferred sexual appetite, global weather patterns, or cryptocurrencies in my face will definitely be hazardous to your emotional and maybe physical well-being.
I forgot to mention pushing “your political views” to me.
An intelligent conversation about any topic is always welcome because that is what I enjoy and what also makes me someone you do not want to get stuck with at a party. At least that is what my wife says.
I am a card-carrying member of the Roman Catholic Church by choice because my life experience has taught me that, unlike for the other beasts of the field, religion can be comforting and grounding. I enjoy Catholicism for its comparatively unchanging dogma, its formal “worship” structure, and a relative simplistic philosophy.
Besides, since I do not have the discipline for meditation, I get my quiet contemplation time at Mass once a week.
However, I have not attended a physical Mass since March 2020. I may not attend again for some time as I am disturbed by what some people have told me. One nice neighbor lady– a good Catholic—was upset that at the Ash Wednesday Mass, the priest made clear that voting for a certain presidentiable was expected. And as a Man of God, the implication was clear.
Unfortunately, even at my advanced age, heaven and hell are not concepts that I fully understand. But I do still feel remorse for something that happened back in 1982. It was “through my most grievous fault” and I certainly do not want to add to my celestial burden by voting for the wrong candidate.
Wouldn’t it be an eternal disappointment if St. Peter turns me away because he did not like the way I marked my ballot in 2022? My eldest son tells me Lord Shiva is much more flexible but no cheeseburgers.
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