This guy is just brilliant : http://www.trosch.org/

I particularly enjoyed his comments about the Challenger disaster . . .

In case you want to keep your blood pressure at a normal level the thrust of his argument seems to be that God destroyed Challenger as just punishment for Hilary Clinton having appointed a woman to be Commander of Columbia : 1 Tim. 2:12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man.She must be quiet.

Never mind that Challenger was years before Hillary turned up on the scene, I guess God already knew what she was going to do and thought he'd get in first.

Plus of course, ladies, in case you were wondering why you’re having relationship difficulties, it’s probably because you don’t have brushed hair, a clean face and a quiet and modest demeanour. Or an arranged marriage. Because remember – the thing that God dislikes the most is “haughty eyes”. I’m assuming that Fr Trosch is referring only unto womankind there, but perhaps I’m doing him an injustice. But I doubt it.

The really scary thing is that this guy seems to be a genuine Catholic priest - though it's hard to tell of course . . .

Now while it’s fun to laugh at these people it shouldn’t be forgotten that people like him are genuinely dangerous, not necessarily because of his extreme religious views, but because he is obviously unbalanced to the extent that he not only believes the voices in his head but is willing, and indeed happy to act upon them as well. Again that’s normally OK, but when those voices are saying things like the murder of an abortionist is a justifiable and legal killing you have to start to wonder . . .

Actually is that in fact an illegal act – to have a web site that is, to all intents and purposes, endorsing, or at the very least sanctioning murder? I’m fairly sure that the right to free expression doesn’t include the right to promote violent criminal acts – even on the internet – even in Mobile, AL.

So in the interests of tolerance and community amongst women and men (NB – that’s a particular Trosch bug bear – mentioning women before men), please do not give Trosch the kicking he so richly deserves, but instead send him a fair and balance email outlining any disagreements you might have with his socio-eclesiastical position. I have.

However should you actually be in Mobile, AL please don’t worry that I’ll be offended should you in fact choose to lock Father Trosch in a coffin full of broken glass, set it on fire and then kick it over a cliff.

I know I shouldn’t let whack jobs like him get to me but I can’t help myself. To use a phrase I’m sure is close to his own heart : “All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing” and ‘rising above’ or ‘refusing to pander’ to psychos like Trosch can sometimes look pretty much like doing nothing. Ignoring people like him won’t make them go away, it just encourages them to believe that their spewing boiling hatred of their fellow human beings is acceptable. I’m somewhat reminded of the scene from Manhattan (and I paraphrase) :-

Party Guest 1: Did you read that piece about Nazis in the New Yorker Magazine
Party Guest 2 : Yes – there’s nothing like really biting satire to get through to these people
Allen : ReallY? I find with Nazis that nothing gets through like a baseball bet

Regular readers (if there are such things) will know me to be a generally peaceable live-and-let-live sort of guy, if a trifle vocular (not to say opinionated) on occasion, but this guy has really got me ticked off.

But enough of such nonsense. On Sunday I was very, very happy for no particular reason which is not particularly like me but nice all the same. Went to a fun party on Saturday night – total strangers, but pleasant all the same. I feel my mojo may be returning. Not in any obvious way, but somehow, something . . .

Anyway felt a bit rough on Sunday, unsurprisingly, but had to get going as we were having lunch at Angela Hartnett at The Connaught. OK, by the time you’ve added on wine, water & coffee it might seem a bit steep, but actually this was money very well spent indeed, and I’m not the only one who thinks this. Given that it’s almost impossible to pay any less than half what we paid for an entirely average and forgettable experience I can’t recommend strongly enough going out less, but going somewhere good. The food may be modern French but it was, make no mistake, an immensely superior, formal and grown up experience.

The sheer pleasure of immaculate service can’t be underestimated either – the sight of a phalanx of waiters approaching with laden trays almost made me swoon like a girl. It took six of them to serve each course – 3 to carry the trays and 3 to dish out the grub. As I said it doesn’t come cheap but still – 8 people, 3/4 courses (+ an amuse bouche), 4 bottles of wine, 6 bottles of mineral water, coffee, petit fours : £500 inc 12.5% service. Bargaineous. IMHO

Cauliflower puree, truffle oil, pheasant ravioli, calves liver, just FANTASTC.

So I was feeling very amiable by the time we finally wheeled ourselves out of the dining room at 4.30 and into the pub for a couple and then off to Notting Hill to meet Phil. But that’s another story.