Catholic commentary on culture, media, and politics.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Naomi Rose Coffin: two years today

Today is the second anniversary of Naomi's birth into eternal life. She joined us on the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross, September 14, 2006, and left us on September 29, 2006, the Feast of the Archangels.

This morning, after dropping Mariclare off at her new school, St. Monica Academy in Pasadena, I stopped off at the San Fernando Mission Cemetery and paid a visit to Naomi's grave. I said a few prayers, sang a couple of songs to her, and sat down on the dew-kissed grass.

Then I had a very good cry. Some cries don't quite get off the ground, you know what I mean? You end up with a half-satisfied spirit and some mucus issues. Others are full bore releases, and you can literally feel your heart aching, stinging, pining. And the tears and sobs are wrenched from you. That was me today. Another layer of the grief onion peeling away. The thing is, I don't mind the grief. In a strange way, the grief feelings keep me connected with her. Part of me wants them to remain fresh, although it's painful, because the sorrow is shot through with joy.

There's gotta be a country song about this emotional state.

I know she's with the Lord, I do have immense peace about how exquisitely prepared she was to meet her Bridgegroom, and I rely on her prayers most every day. But I still miss her badly.

St. Naomi, ora pro nobis.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Hillary the courageous

Mrs. Clinton backed out of a public event called Stop Iran Now once she found out that Sarah Barracuda was going to be attending. The guts! The leadership!

But wait.

Clinton's spokeshole claimed that Her Courageousness was declining to come because the event was "partisan." If it was partisan, why was Senator Clinton invited at all? And does anyone think Elie Weisel is a card-carrying GOP member? Even if it was a Democrat sponsored event, would she stay away to avoid the appearance of partisanship?

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Hire Patrick Coffin

I want a new job. I hate recruiting, not just because of its many inherent torture factors, but mainly because it will never result in a green card.

It's the green card that I want. My TN visa is long past its original usefulness.

Which means, I must get a job that bears a substantial relationship to my education. Which means a job in the area of education or writing. Or thereabouts. Ideally, I'd like it to be in the entertainment industry that has some openness to a Christian worldview. Like, creative development. I can also host a radio show.

A green card will also enable my talented wife to launch her handmade fine jewelry importing business and make the Coffin family a handsome pile of dough.

And so, my three loyal Seize the Dei readers, I call upon thee and thine for a NEW JOB. or at least prayers for same.

Amen.

Thursday, September 04, 2008

A star is born



Sarah Palin gave the moribund MSM a jolt of terrifying electricity last night, eh. I personally loved the delicious hint of a snarl that lay at the edge of her smile, which seemed to appear whenever she was ginning up to respond to the outlandish attacks on her and her family in the last week -- as if to say, "You guys really wanna pick on the young daughter of this mama bear?"

She tore the mask off, among other things, the difference between her ticket and Obama-Biden. She named names and shouted things from the rooftop that many Republicans secretly think but are too chicken to whisper; and she drove a maternal knife into the heart of the Democratic/liberal media dragon.

Where to start?

The very sight of her husband and children on stage, affectionately framing the presence of button-cute baby Trig -- you can't buy that kind of marketing. In her speech she came across as assertive, confident and fearless, announcing that the gloves are officially off and that much more is at stake for America than the tiny victory of any one Party. Very impressive considering seven days ago she went to bed thinking she'd be Governor of Alaska for the indefinite future and woke up in the sharp glare of the world's news media.

No zangy orange pantsuits, no Greek columns, no rock concert aspirations, no uber-poetical turns of phrase.

Just a solid woman with something to say.

Raquel Welch meets a schoolmarm meets a pit bull with lipstick.