Author: joseph mailander

Int’l Catholic Bishops to promote hectoring pro-life document tied to Communion

It’s Sunday (barely), I’m Catholic, and I’ll be toddling off to the usual Mass at the new Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels here in Los Angeles.

But it’s with increasing disinterest that I attend any Catholic services at all since Ratzinger took the ring.

Church already looking more Republican under Ratzinger
At a confession last year before the election, I told a priest that it was hard enough to be a Catholic, but much harder to remain a Catholic if you also happened to be a Democrat.  Of course, Cardinal Mahony here in LA is one of the most pro-union/pro-Democrat Cardinals left in America, but the Church is allowing the “life” issues to trump issues like peace and the poor, and it will only get more difficult for American progressives to remain even nominally Catholic at all during the Ratzinger pontificate.

Republicans get a lot out of the Republican-Christian alliance–Christians, not so much, just split churches and the frustration of pursuing one big phoney carrot they will never reach.

The Plasma of Terror

[From the diaries by susanhu with slight edits.] Hi, everyone.  I was invited to tell you a little bit about a novel I’ve recently come out with, currently exclusively in online formats. It’s called “The Plasma of Terror,” and it takes place in the weeks following 9/11.

Image Hosted by ImageShack.usI wrote about it at Daily Kos:

The Plasma of Terror.

Saturday, three-day weekend, summer, SJO’C resigns, Rove implicated in blowing Plame: not an optimal time for self-promotion. But if you’ll indulge me a moment, I’ll make it quick.


I’d like readers to know, before I take it out to the lugubrious stew that is known as print media, that I’ve got a fairly political online novel up at St. Genevieve Press that may (or may not) be of interest. “The Plasma of Terror” is a short summery read–138 pp. I’m retailing it for $10.95. It’s about three fairly learned liberals responding to the paranoia around them in the month after 9/11 … MORE BELOW:

I tried to write a cultural document of a specific time, when so much was in flux. I’ve written lots of fiction in my life–and I’m also availaing another, less political title at my online press, St. Gen’s–but this particular book was an urgent matter to me. If you like fiction, you may find it worthwhile. At minimum, it was superbly well edited, and should flow very well. If you happen to read it and have opinions about it, let me know. Of course, I’d love you to read it based on the sample pages alone; but also know that you support our left-leaning weblog, Martini Republic, which does not accept political advertising, should you make a purchase. Thanks much for the intrusion. Enjoy your great holiday weekend. And now–back to unscheduled programming.

Here’s the story about the launch of our press, St. Genevieve Press, from our website, Martini Republic:

Summertime at St. Genevieve Press

There have been lots of novels about 9/11 in Europe, but the subject as a cultural phenom has not been fleshed out much here in America.  I find that a bit odd, but I’ll get into it later, I hope.  Anyway, much flattered by the opportunity to post something here; I’ll be back really soon!