Lentorama 2016: #Lent

Day 17: Just hope you didn't give up french fries for Lent. Or chocolate. Or beer.

Belgian's Best: The Craze for #Carnival >> https://t.co/Hzgrt1bqPM #Belgium #Lent #MardiGras #travel

— GoAbroad (@GoAbroad) February 29, 2016

Though being there for Carnival means you've not started to give anything up yet. So enjoy!

Lentorama 2016: #Lent

Day 16: I'll stick with fish, thanks

Sure, Chaucer doth tweet, but doth Chaucer *eateth*? @LeVostreGC https://t.co/10SJKDiXBv #lent

— Benjamin Cooper (@BenCooper_MA) February 27, 2016

Lentorama 2016: #Lent

Day 15: 99 bottles of Chianti on the wall, 99 bottles of Chianti...

A "cold call" pick from #PopeFrancis asking "favor," Italian Servite to lead #Lent Curia Retreat...Bus departs Mar 6 pic.twitter.com/NUFG7FQnAW

— Rich Raho (@RichRaho) February 26, 2016

 

Lentorama 2016: #Lent

Day 14: Seriously, a good option for alms giving

Double the impact of your donations this #Lent! @DFID_UK will match what you give £1 for £1> https://t.co/RqrWqHp7gF pic.twitter.com/eHmEobRVSU

— CAFOD (@CAFOD) February 25, 2016

CAFOD is the aid agency for the Catholic church in England and Wales, and they've gotten the UK agency for international development to match donations for water projects in Uganda. Seems like a decent idea, even if the Ugandan government is dodgy. 

Lentorama 2016: #Lent

Day 13: Um, I think that's actually a dog.

9yo sister got her hair chopped off! That's 11 inches for Locks of Love. I couldn't be more proud. #Lent #BigFamily pic.twitter.com/SF6aZHVMSz

— Martha Myrick-W (@MarthaMyrick) February 24, 2016

 

Lentorama 2016: #Lent

Day 12: Let's keep this in mind for the other 325 days, too.

Our diverse team works to break barriers and reach all young people irrespective of how they might differ. #LENT pic.twitter.com/2fvI2YgPl6

— e:merge (@emergeonlineUK) February 23, 2016

 

Lentorama 2016: #Lent

Day 11: They didn't say it was a good idea. 

I have eked a whole LJ post out of my supermarket's ketchup-for-Lent suggestion https://t.co/UPp0pLkzee #Lent pic.twitter.com/AzlyL4OQjR

— one more voice (@morinotsuma) February 22, 2016

I hadn't planned on back-to-back food posts, but found this too unusual to pass up. I really would like to know in what way is ketchup a Lenten idea - use it, give it up, add some reality to your passion play? Inquiring minds and all that.

Lentorama 2016: #Lent

Day 10: You've heard of vegetables, right?

This is what happens on Fridays during #Lent when you don't like fish pic.twitter.com/te7NjGTz9q

— Chris Knoblock (@cknoblock17) February 19, 2016

This is actually something that hits close to home, as the wife doesn't really like fish (other than tuna out of a can). Her dinner this past Friday: an appetizer sampler with fries, mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers, and fried pickles (which she doesn't care for and give to me, to my everlasting thanks). Admittedly we were on the road and had fairly limited options (she was going to have pancakes, only the restaurant was out of batter)

Remember: a garden salad with beans is always a nice choice. Your local Indian restaurant will also have a number of tasty vegetarian dishes, which you can bulk out with paneer (a type of cheese), lentils (look for dal), or chickpeas (also used in dal sometimes, but usually called channa or chole). Just because it's Lent doesn't mean you can't widen your palate.

Lentorama 2016: #Lent

Day 9: Mixed messages

These appeared in order in my most recent search for Lenten tweets:

Consider a digital fast this #Lent and exchange some screen time for prayer time. He is eager to listen to you and speak to your heart!

— Bishop Paul Loverde (@Bishop_Loverde) February 18, 2016

 

Listen to the free podcast of Reflections for #Lent. https://t.co/H89p6bk0Jw pic.twitter.com/0kXxNZbPiH

— Ch House Publishing (@CHPublishingUK) February 18, 2016

Which led me to think about the number of people who give up social medial for Lent. I can say anecdotally this is a growing thing, as it seems like I've seen more mention of it this year than last. Based on this article about Google's research into what people are giving up, there are four states where some form of social media topped the list.

I can see why this would be a popular choice - social media is time consuming (says the guy on his blog) and can be relentlessly negative. Taking some time away would give a person a chance to clear their minds and focus on the season. On the other hand, I did see one tweet (right when I started to think about this year's theme, which I forgot to save/bookmark/do whatever you do in Twitter to save posts) which wondered if Lent was the right time to abandon relationships, even digital ones, when they can be so supportive.

For me, I tend towards the latter camp (says the guy on his blog).  It's not that I don't think that giving up social media isn't worthy of Lent, as I do think it would provide a tangible loss (if not an actual physical sacrifice). But like many people I use social media to keep in touch with friends and family, and while I could do something crazy like actually call or write, I think the value of more frequent, less formal contact outweighs what good I could get from giving it up. But as they say online, YMMV (does anyone actually say that anymore?).

Lentorama 2016: #Lent

Day 8: Stay right there, Jesus is coming over from the last post with a special message.

Failed in the first week of #Lent? Don't fail in the future! Here's our tips for funding your #retirement: https://t.co/dAFe1nisDP

— Parasol (@parasolgroup) February 17, 2016

I'm as much a fan of solid financial planning as the next guy, but maybe this isn't the best angle for drumming up business.

Lentorama 2016: #Lent

Day 7: Bernie Sanders approves! (Inasmuch as he can as a non-Christian).

Tuesday in the 1st week of #Lent: "#Jesus entered the temple of God & cast out all those who were selling & buying" pic.twitter.com/JHto7CB9jE

— Silverstream Priory (@cenacleosb) February 16, 2016

Lentorama 2016: #Lent

Day 6: And if he doesn't... there are still 40 days in Lent.

A Little Lenten Levity from @ASCpas #Lent #Lent2016 #EpiscopalChurch pic.twitter.com/fjLoaLlW4L

— Susan Russell (@revsusanrussell) February 15, 2016

 

Lentorama 2016: #Lent

Day 5: Thanks for the clarification!

If we gave something up for #Lent, can we indulge in it on Sundays? pic.twitter.com/27tpwUzs7d

— Archdiocese of TO (@archtoronto) February 14, 2016

There's always confusion about how Sundays fit into Lent, and this is a pretty good one sheet explanation of how things work. Those Canadians, always so helpful!

I was trying to find a tweet about Lent and Valentine's Day, but the first two that kind of fit the bill put me off of further searching:

Hey, Christians. This is not Valentine's Day. This is the 1st Sunday in #Lent. (Unless you are Orthodox, in which case, you get a pass.)

— Drew McIntyre (@DrewBMcIntyre) February 14, 2016

I'm just trying to fuck all of you for #lent

— kylie aqua (@circaqua) February 14, 2016

With things heating up in the US Presidential primaries, it's time to give out the coveted Blogalicious endorsements.

On the Democratic side, Blogalicious endorses Bernie Sanders. We don't think he'd make a particularly great President, but do think he's spot on about the increasingly corruptive influence of dark money on politics and the burgeoning financial-governmental complex. A Sanders presidency would also make various GOP heads explode, which would be entertaining.

Speaking of the GOP, Blogalicious endorses John Kasich, due to his positive campaign and executive experience. He's not as moderate as portrayed - we think he gets the label by being graded on a curve, and he's been pretty conservative where abortion is involved - but is moderate enough that bipartisan governing is a possibility.  He's not exactly the candidate for this cycle where the party is concerned, but in the long term is more likely to attract independents and conservative Democrats, which will help in the swing states that someone like Ted Cruz is unlikely to win.

So there you go, endorsements for candidates who have almost no shot at winning - until now!

Lentorama 2016: #Lent

Day 4: Crossover episode!

The best novels, poetry, and more for #Lent https://t.co/5S9VF7aX45

— Christianity Today (@CTmagazine) February 13, 2016

Today's installment not only works for Lentorama but for the Book Log as well. It's actually an interesting list, with a couple of books that I've read but never considered in a Lenten context.

Lentorama 2016: #Lent

Day 3: Monetizing the suffering of our Lord!

On this first Friday of #Lent, try one of these 5 classic New Orleans shrimp recipes https://t.co/pLjI3IDtye pic.twitter.com/yGsKIILydc

— NOLA.com (@NOLAnews) February 12, 2016

#Lent is here. We are stocked, but #crawfish will be tight around town this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/dKdbkcz1p2

— Bevi Seafood Co (@BeviSeafoodCo) February 12, 2016

Looking for a seafood option for lunch or dinner? Our fresh oysters are the obvious choice. #Lent #MeatlessLent pic.twitter.com/xjTjWlv5Zo

— Doc Crow's (@DocCrows) February 12, 2016

Just three of the many tweets from companies who want to make a buck off of Catholics help maintain Lenten discipline.  Honestly, though, these may have helped, as there were very few "OMG, I ate meat!" tweets. But that could just be my lack of search skills on Twitter.

Lentorama 2016: #Lent

Day 2: Clearly, someone is better at this than I am.

The #Lent Madness Saintly Smackdown bracket is pure genius: https://t.co/FWFQbuyC0N

— Ally Ley (@allyley) February 11, 2016

Yes, a Lenten bracket for saints. And to think how much time I've wasted here! Well done.

It looked for a while like this may be the year that Lentorama finally went by the wayside. I didn't even have any marginally interesting ideas, and didn't think anything I could come up with would reach even my incredibly modest goals for humor. But then I had an idea: why not let others come up with my entries for this year. Which is how we got to:

Lentorama 2016: #Lent

Yes, 40 days of letting someone else do the heavy lifting while all I do is search and repost the tweets that I like the best. Hope Twitter doesn't go under before we get to Easter!

Day 1: #AshWednesday

Sticking through it. #AshWednesday - http://t.co/7dVkvSuEBh pic.twitter.com/UzDItmcCh7

— someecards (@someecards) February 18, 2015

A few weeks back I was driving home from work and heard Adele's "Hello" and The Police's "Don't Stand So Close to Me" back to back. Ever since then, I can't hear Adele's song without thinking she's singing from the point of view of the girl in "Don't Stand So Close to Me," who is trying to reconnect with the teacher from the song.

It's not a perfect fit, but I do get some humor out of thinking that the girl (now woman, really) is trying to get back in touch with the teacher, and maybe doesn't understand that the teacher would be reluctant to talk to the person over whom he (probably) threw away his career. No, he never did make it out of that town where nothing ever happens because he can't afford to move based on what he's making by working as Tesco. Not that it isn't his fault.

Book Log 2016 #2: The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz

So when we last left the Millennium trilogy the talk of a fourth book was stalled as Stieg Larsson's  long-time partner was in possession of a partial manuscript for a fourth book and all of Larsson's notes. But thanks to an improperly witnessed will, Larsson's estate was awarded to his father and brother. And with ownership of the series, they hired Lagercrantz to write this book.

And I'm not sure he was the best choice, based on the results. The book is OK, but it just feels like your average thriller steeped in the Edward Snowdon/shadowy intelligence community zeitgeist, but with the Millenium characters. It does set up the future conflict between Lisbeth Salander and her twin sister (who now heads the criminal empire started by their father), but I don't know if I'm all that interested in that story at this point.

I suppose it was too much to hope that all of the parties would get together and figure out a way to get the Millennium series written more towards what Larsson had in mind. But I hope that future attempts to cash in on the characters will be more of a piece with the original books.

(2016 Popsugar Reading Challenge: a book translated into English)