Weekend Parting Shot: Greta Is Back

Happy Friday, Gentle Readers.

To be honest, I was on the fence about doing a “Weekend Parting Shot” this time around. This seems like the wrong time for levity, which is pretty much what this feature is all about. I started it back in December as a lighthearted look at less serious news items to give you and me a break after what is often a grueling week of stories. And, of course, wine reviews. I thought about taking a week or so off while we deal with what the Apostle Paul would call “this present darkness.”

But the more I thought about it, especially on this “Day of International Jihad,” or “Day of Rage,” the more I realized that the goals of terrorists, both foreign and homegrown, is to not only cause damage and physical pain but to inflict emotional conflict and distress. Terrorists, whether they are members of Hamas or a student organization, want to disrupt life and make everyday people miserable since such things are all the better for advancing their agendas. And I also recalled a sermon I watched that was posted from a synagogue. The rabbi said that throughout history, no matter the circumstances, the Jews have always managed to dance and sing. Let that be a lesson to us all.

The Return of St. Greta

Yes, there has been a vision of the Blessed St. Greta Thunberg of the Blessed Recycling Bin. St. Greta, it seems, has found a new cause. More likely, she realized that it had been a while since the name “Greta Thunberg” had been in the news cycle. Now that she has come into her majority, she is not as cute or as interesting as her supporters have made her out to be, and she may well be on her way to becoming the environmental movement’s version of The Simpson’s Crazy Cat Lady. If she doesn’t maintain a high profile, she might have to resort to starting a subscription site: Only Aluminum Cans.

According to Just the News, St. Greta made an appearance at a protest Thursday in Oslo, Norway. The protest actually kicked off on Wednesday, but Greta was straightening out a court appearance in Sweden following her arrest in July for disobeying the cops during a protest at an oil terminal. After coughing up a whopping $250 fine, she was off to Oslo to arrive fashionably late for the next protest. Any guesses as to what the protest was against? Oil or gas wells? No. A coal mine? Wrong answer. A pipeline? Nope. This time, St. Greta the Great and her disciples were protesting a wind farm.

Wait, what?

Normally, one would think that a wind farm would make Greta waltz around like Snow White while cartoon bluebirds whistle a happy tune and add flowers to her hair. But this particular wind farm is located in an area where the indigenous Sami population hunts reindeer. The sound of the turbines is driving the reindeer away and playing havoc with a cultural tradition. I can’t say I blame them. The sound of a wind turbine is enough to drive anyone away. It works on me. And apparently, back in 2021, Norway’s Supreme Court ruled that the permits for the wind farm did violate the rights of the Sami, but an order was never issued to tear the turbines down or cease operations.

The screwy part of this story is that a decade ago, you would have been hard-pressed to find an environmentalist who wasn’t enthusiastically supportive of kicking indigenous farmers and hunters to the curb to save the environment. And let’s face it: if you want wind and solar farms to stop global warming/cooling/whatever, they gotta go somewhere. But if your entire persona and raison d’être is to be perpetually petulant and p***ed off, you have to get your outrage where you can find it.

Blessed St. Greta, intercede for us sinners! And if that doesn’t work, good luck with the website.

Wine Recommendation: Because you need to step back for a minute and decompress. The world will still be going to hell when you’re done.

The 2020 Kaiken Estate Malbec out of Mendoza, Argentina, is a nice, relaxing red, perfect for giving yourself a few minutes’ breather.

This wine has an excellent color and an understated but slightly tart bouquet, with just the right amount of flavoring from the oak barrels to complement the black fruit taste. Think blackberries, black cherries, and maybe a dash of plum with a little chocolate. There is a little spice in the finish, which will last you a good, long time. It’s advertised as having a hint of tobacco, and you can taste just a little of that if you give it some time. It will work well with traditional red pairings, but try it out with some lamb chops or something a little savory.

That is it for me. Spend some time in prayer this weekend, and spend some time with the people you love. I’ll see you on Monday.