Programming note: Tomorrow, Friday, we shall have another Clubland Q&A, with questions from Mark Steyn Club members live around the planet at 3pm North American Eastern/8pm Greenwich Mean Time.
Hello one and all and welcome to this week's edition of Laura's Links. As I prepare to file this week's column, I'm situated in my normal evening location on the couch with a fuzzy blanket and my son by my side. As usual, he's watching all kinds of weird stuff on the computer – right now it's a compilation of old Disney TV show promos. I have no idea how he finds this stuff, but it's honestly not any less mindless than some of the stuff that I watch when I want to relax.
It's freezing outside and the seasonal January blues trying to sneak into my mind are like the nasty, icy drafts aggressively trying to sneak into my house through small cracks. Like the intrusive blues, they find the most impossibly small entry points and just unabashedly bulldoze their way in.
Specifically, I am referring to the two-year anniversary of Kathy Shaidle's death which was noted here at SteynOnline earlier in the week. And while I don't think of Kathy every single day, it's pretty close. Despite how close we were, I had never dreamt about her until the night between Saturday and Sunday last week when I woke up out of my sleep in a sweat at 3:00 A.M having had the most vivid dream about her.
Unfortunately, it wasn't a reassuring or peaceful dream at all. Like other dreams, it's very difficult to know how much it was me speaking to myself, or Kathy speaking to me. Only angels know, but it was strange indeed to have had this experience almost two years to the day after I opened my phone after Shabbat to learn of her passing. Even though we all knew it was coming, it was still an utterly horrendous and heartbreaking reality to face.
My last words to Kathy were on Thursday, January 7th, in response to an email chain that she had characteristically titled "Morbid Request " (it was about posting her self-penned obituary). Her eyesight was failing and the plan was to go into hospice the next morning. I wrote:
Also I love you and am holding you in my heart and soul. I had never had a friend like you and will never again have a friend like you. A once in a lifetime gift.
The next day, Friday, she was admitted to the hospital, and Saturday she was gone.
I wish I could reassure you, or myself, that I believe in the "stages" of grief; that you finish one and then you're onto the next until you're done! Perhaps this paradigm works for some people, or even many. But as for me and my own experience with grief, I'm more comfortable with the idea that there are some things that you never "get over", you only get through.
I am more and more comfortable with the idea that grief is a human proof of love: if you grieve the loss of someone, that's your soul processing how important that person was to you. It shouldn't be a full-time occupation, but it also shouldn't be taboo either. Sometimes you get through the day with more pain of loss, and some days with less and that's OK. Sometimes life gives you something so exquisitely precious, it is only human to feel inversely bereft in equal proportion when it's gone. There needs to be a healthy balance between giving the loss space in your head and your soul and still living life to its fullest, with as much joy and meaning as possible. I believe this is a reasonable aspiration and I think Kathy would approve.
In other news, a few things to bring to your attention. Some very insightful thoughts here, something outrageous here.
Here's something truly demonic from Canada, and here's my piece in the Spectator about Dr.
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North America:
They are coming for us all.
Must read: VDH on the coup we never knew.
The trove of Dr. Jordan Peterson vs the Ontario College of Psychology documents is here.
America: not a serious country.
Umm, how about stop eating crap and get some exercise? I love you, America but you're too fat and too reliant on drugs and pills and medical interventions for regular human issues.
"Why do you rob banks? Coz that's where the money is." Why do you teach small children, strange human? This is a statistical problem, Houston.
Also in Canada, the tolerant left.
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Israel and Jews:
"The beautiful people hate the ugly people.
Alphabet i.e ALEPH BET.
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The Formerly Great Britain:
Prince Harry is such a colossal schmuck, it's so embarrassing.
Furthermore, he is clearly, utterly bonkers as well as being a terrible person. He needs to shut up and have a testicle transplant.
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Europe:
France: This is absolutely and perfectly normal, totally fine. Nothing to see here.
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Iran:
I mentioned on the Clubland Q&A that Iranians declared the anniversary of the assassination of Qasem Soleimani as "kotlet" (beef with potato and onion patty) day, i.e Trump turned him into a 'kotlet'. Anyway, here's more on the Iranian celebrity chef that was arrested for making fun of him and teaching Iranians how to make kotlet. More from Masih Alinejad here and photos here and here.
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Today in Satan:
"The PM of NZ not only looks like a goat, she is f-n Satan." Can't argue with that.
No words. This is just evil.
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Left Wing Predatory, Pedophile Kooks and Trans:
You need to find out where your doctor went to school, and be very careful where you take your kids.
Behold: "Platntifa".
This is a very gutsy piece by Melissa Mackenzie. Brava. "It's time to call out the misogyny of the transgender movement.
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Human Grace:
The kindness of strangers.
This is just outstanding. Behold: The ARK.
It's open thread time! Log into SteynOnline and let Laura know what you think of these stories or other happenings from week that was. Commenting privileges are among the many perks of membership in The Mark Steyn Club. While going off topic is permitted on Laura's Links, do stick to the other rules as you engage: no URLs, no profanity, and no ad hominem attacks.
