"ST. CLARE and her community practised austerities, which, till then, had scarcely ever been known among the tender sex. They wore neither stockings, shoes, sandals, nor any other covering on their feet; they lay on the ground, observed a perpetual abstinence, and never spoke but when they were obliged to it by the indispensable duties of necessity and charity. The foundress in her rule extremely recommends this holy silence as the means to retrench innumerable sins of the tongue, and to preserve the mind always recollected in God, and free from the dissipation of the world, which, without this guard, penetrates the walls of cloisters. Not content with the four Lents, and the other general mortifications of her rule, she always wore next her skin a rough shift of horse hair or of hog’s bristles cut short; she fasted church vigils and all Lent on bread and water; and from the 11th of November to Christmas-day, and during these times on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays ate nothing at all. She sometimes strewed the ground on which she lay with twigs, having a block for her bolster. Her disciplines, watchings, and other austerities were incredible, especially in a person of so tender a constitution. Being reduced to great weakness and to a very sickly state of health, St. Francis and the Bishop of Assisium obliged her to lie upon a little chaff, and never pass one day without taking at…

  FOR A  very special couple celebrating their second wedding anniversary today while under government-mandated quarantine, here is more Kate Smith. Happy Anniversary!  

IN A TALK about the Catholic land movement at In the Spirit of Chartres, Tim Ehlen recommends great general resources for those wanting to learn more about gardening and farming, such hot topics today. This interview will be available for free until September 1. Ehlen has lots of interesting things to say about small-scale farming. Self-sufficient farmers are vital to political liberty. Farmers can't be fired, and therefore tend to be more independent-minded. The instincts for independent thinking die when most people face possible loss of livelihood for contrary views. Most people literally can't afford to think anymore. It's the most dangerous of hobbies. That's one reason (of many) why we need more small-scale farmers.    

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THE PURPOSE of the Trump presidency has always been to discredit once and for all American nationalism, associating people who love this country and its traditions with "white supremacy," "Nazism" and crude, egotistic personality traits. Trump has succeeded with flying colors, leaving his base with unfulfilled hopes and those who hate this polarizing candidate more than willing to elect a corrupt Democratic puppet with dementia who probably won't even serve his full term. One extreme leads to the other, the Hegelian "thesis" and "antithesis" preparing us for the "synthesis" of global government. Starting at minute 36:00 in this podcast, the financial analyst Chris Pirnak makes some forecasts for the upcoming presidential election. I highly recommend his sobering observations. Don't invest energy in this election. It's theater.  

  IN THIS 2010 lecture, German virologist Stefan Lanka challenges the dominant thinking on germ theory, which he maintains is used for unethical profit.  

FROM KTA: California state prison officials say as many as 17,600 inmates may be released early due to the coronavirus. That’s 70% more than previously estimated and a total that victims and police say includes dangerous criminals who should stay locked up. Among those released last week was Terebea Williams, who served 19 years of an 84 years-to-life sentence for first-degree murder, carjacking and kidnapping. She was deemed at high medical risk for the virus, though officials couldn’t say what put her in that category The earlier releases also are causing consternation as probation officers and community organizations scramble to provide housing, transportation and other services for inmates who may pose a public health risk because several hundred have been paroled while still contagious.