Yesterday from Wordsmith's a-word-a-day: A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: The belief in the possibility of a short decisive war appears to be one of the most ancient and dangerous of human illusions. -Robert Lynd, writer (20 Apr 1879-1949)  From The Guardian this morning: ‘We’re Catholic first’: Sunday mass attenders weigh in on Trump’s feud with Pope Leo More from The Guardian this morning: Trump’s presidency is what evil looks like: absurd, frightening, cruel Nesrine Malik Commentators have said that the US president’s clownishness and lack of ideology somehow make him less dangerous. They’re wrong Mon 20 Apr 2026 01.00 EDT Over the past few weeks, a random kaleidoscope of images has been flashing through my head. Some are characters from movies not seen since childhood. Others are snippets from literature or iconic art. What joins them all is an exaggerated, almost kitschy evil. These images seem to be standing in for the real carnage my brain is trying to process: the bodies pulled ...