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PaperclipPerfector  1yr ago (text post)   2440 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for April 9, 2023

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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How did you spend your Easter?

The girl I like invited me to Easter dinner at her sister's house. It was a little bit awkward sitting around watching the golf with the men after dinner, so I went out back and played soccer with the kids, which was delightful. Someone needs to teach them all to defend without fouling though. Just because I'm 2.5 times their size doesn't mean they can kick me all over the yard smh.

With a ”fun” bout of norovirus. On the upside, it only struck on sunday evening and the views here at the summer cottage are much nicer than at home. On the downside, my sides and back hurt from all the vomiting.

Invited a friend to church for the service who actually came! Did a potluck after, then went to another event.

Came home and spent some time with my partner. I had quite a profound spiritual experience during the service, it has been nice rediscovering my love for spirituality and growth.

Assisting my parish in moving absolutely everything into a tent for holy week(our chapel is too small) and then back again.

There are quite a lot of moving parts in a Latin mass.

Saw my grandparents, who complained about the flamboyant organist in her church.

Listened to three pieces from Bach’s St Matthews Passion probably 30 times a piece in the week leading up to Easter. There is no greater Easter music or summation of the meaning of Easter which is the kernel of Christianity, really. My favorite two of the three:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=RnkSFKJ4rC0

behold!—Whom?—the Bridegroom!

Behold him!—how?—As a Lamb.

Behold!—what?—behold the patience, look!—where?—at our guilt.

See him, out of love and graciousness bear the wood for the Cross Himself. O innocent Lamb of God, slaughtered on the trunk of the Cross, patient at all times, however you were scorned. You have borne all sins, otherwise we would have to despair.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=pKc00BHvaas

Make thyself clean, my heart, I will myself entomb Jesus. For he shall henceforth in me For ever and ever

Take his sweet rest. World, begone, let Jesus in.

The whole text of the Passion is a great beginner’s guide to, well, the Passion. Because it’s a combination of the original text, explanatory notes (the recitative), and then the intended affective and transcendent dimension (arias): https://gbt.org/music/St_Matthew_text.pdf

Worked. Not too bad, some heavy shit (including four metal urns that had to weigh 160kg each). Finished four hours early, with time enough to find a sports bar and watch the football. I'm not really into football but I still had a good time. Then went home and played eu4 Byzantium. I didn't go to the gym in the morning because I was feeling somewhat unwell.

Easter is next Sunday here, and I don't plan on doing anything beyond rejiggling my menu to fit in a slice or two of kulić while maintaining caloric deficit.

I spent my Easter falling down the rabbit hole of behaviour genetics and HBD after discovering Shaun's video purporting to debunk The Bell Curve.

Fuck.

That video is terrible, which is a shame because it is also a "good" video. It's such a firehose of information (some of which is actually worth knowing!).

nothing special

I'm Orthodox, and wanted to take the kids to a Lazarus Saturday egg hunt yesterday and Palm Sunday fish feast today, but we all had colds, and services are long and far away, so we stayed home.

I started digging out a back yard pond and moved some paving stones around to make a path through the yard. It's finally feeling like true spring, so I got a lot of sun and took a long (for a three year old) walk with my daughter, by the local Catholic church, which was not in session at the time. Sometime I would like to visit for mass, since it's the center of an old Spanish colonial viliage and a comfortable walk from home, but never get around to it.

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