SEE YOU LATER

OCICBW... is going off air for a while. It will be back.

CHIN WAG @ OCICBW... will remain open. Members are encouraged to keep things going until I return.

OF COURSE, I COULD BE ON VACATION... is a law unto itself, but is worth checking out.

It's almost certain that Grandmère Mimi will get too big for her boots without me to keep her feet on the ground. If you could just mortally offend her at least once a week that should keep her relatively docile.

KJ is in charge.

And I leave you with my niece (and Goddaughter), Larissa, singing something classical like. We are a bloody talented family, there's no doubt about that.

KINDLY LEAVE THE STAGE PLEASEMISTER RADIO TIMES REVIEWER

OIL SPILLS MADE SIMPLE (SO SIMPLE EVEN AN AMERICAN SHOULD UNDERSTAND IT)

There has been a heck of a lot of carping about the oil leak near Mexico, especially from Americans (which is a bit rich as it's not even in their gulf). It is obvious that most of this complaining is based on a knowledge base of absolute zero which, although considered acceptable for most US internal matters, is hardly the level of informed debate that is both enjoyed and expected in Europe and the English speaking bit of Canada, for example.

But help is at hand for our intellectually interesting friends living down the bottom bit of the good, old USA with the release of this video produced by the Australian media company, Speak Loud And Slowly Vids. It gives you all the details about the oil leak that you have clearance to know, delivered in a down to earth style by some bloke with an accent you can laugh at if the whole thing does turn out to be a little too complicated for you after all. Hopefully, after you have all watched it, we can then have a better informed and less hysterical debate on this minor incident, which, let's be honest, happened miles away from where anybody lives and not even on dry land. I'm sure we'll all be laughing about in a few years time.



A big thank you to Speak Loud And Slowly Vids' receptionist, Ellie, for slipping OCICBW.. a free copy in the post when the boss was out of the office. She's a good old broad.

WHO WILL SAVE THE WORLD?

+MAYA STRIKES AGAIN!

Which is exactly how my cat, Henry catches baby birds. He just sits there staring at their nests until, for some strange, supernatural reason, they throw themselves out of the tree onto the lawn. Then Henry gets up, casually wanders over to where they have fallen and eats them.

NO SECTS PLEASE WE'RE ALL CHRISTIAN

The Northern Province of the Moravian Church voted unanimously June 18 to enter into full communion with the Episcopal Church.

"I am abundantly delighted, and look forward to growth in mutual relationship and mission," Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said after learning of the decision. "I believe we have much to learn from the Moravian tradition."

From next Sunday at all Episcopal services the men will sit on one side of the church and the ladies on the other. However, the ladies will be allowed to wear their hats.

AT LAST, ROMAN CATHOLICS BRANCHOUT INTO MORE WHOLESOME CRIME

Archbishop of Naples Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, who was previously the Vatican official responsible for foreign missions, is under investigation for corruption along with an Italian ex-government minister. He is accused of colluding with Pietro Lunardi, a former transport minister, to offer cut-price property deals.

Until 2006, he was Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples. In that position he enjoyed access to the department's enviable portfolio of cash and property assets.

He is being investigated alongside Mr Lunardi under the scope of an magistrates' investigation into a major corruption scandal involving prominent politicians.The pair are alleged to have colluded over a property deal that saw Mr Lunardi buy a building in Rome from Cardinal Sepe's department in 2004. The Vatican said in a statement that it hoped the situation "could be cleared up fully and rapidly in order to eliminate any shadows, be they on the person [Sepe] or Church institutions".

OH NO, THE FORTESCUES OFTHE WORLD ARE AT IT AGAIN

From THE MACARTHUR CHRONICLE:

In the wild world of Campbelltown superhero Captain Memory Verse the accents are thick, the scooters are fast, and the teachings are most certainly furious. Otherwise known as the Rev Nigel Fortescue, from St Peter’s Anglican Church, the superhero has devised a novel, and some would say, unorthodox way to commute to the Campbelltown church from his nearby home - by scooter.

“The young kids think I’m just another normal person, but, let us say, the more mature members of the church do find it pretty funny,” he said.

“Scooters are a simple, easy, and economical way to get around. It’s also a good way to preserve God’s good world.”

Mr Fortescue has been at the church for about three months and along with riding his scooter to work, has introduced his alter-ego to the faithful.

According to those who’ve met Captain Memory Verse, he has the super-human power to speak in 15 different accents - many of them South American.

GOD BROUGHT IN TO STOP OIL SPILL

From WBTV:

The power of prayer. That's what parishioners at one local church are banking on to stop massive oil spill in the Gulf. St. John's Episcopal Church on Carmel Road in South Charlotte held a prayer vigil Thursday night as part of a National Hour of Prayer where churches all over America prayed for the oil spill from 7 to 8 o'clock p.m. local time.

Sarah Morgan said prayer is the one thing you can always turn to.

"I feel helpless in the situation but I believe in the power of prayer," she said. "And I believe that when we appeal to God, that God hears and will answer our prayers."

Other parishioners like Jane Golz says the disaster in the Gulf makes it clear who is in control.

"Clearly God is in control of this and we are not," she said. "We don't have the answers or the technology to stop it but we through prayer would hope that God can help."

AUSTRALIAN CATHOLICS ATTACKKIDDIE BRA MANUFACTURER

Melinda Tankard-Reist of the Collective Shout grassroots campaign against the 'pornification' of culture, is urging underwear manufacturer Bonds to immediately remove from sale a bra marketed to eight-year-olds.

In February this year, protests from Collective Shout helped remove "Tweenage" bras - which reportedly promised to give flat-chested pre-pubescent girls "adult curves" - from the shelves of Best & Less stores across the country. The company apologised and said the product had been intended for a women's petite range of 8 AA to 12 B.

Bonds' marketing a similar bra to eight year-olds "is a further reflection of the sexualisation of our children and what has long been known as middle childhood, the period from nine until 14, which is an essential and critical part of growing up, is fast disappearing," Tankard-Reist said.

According to Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, a former Associate Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne: "A bra for eight year olds blurs the line between what is a little girl and what is a woman and in doing so violates an important societal norm that states that children should not be seen as sexual objects."

Bonds' general manager, Kate Hann has defended the company's "Soft Cup Bra" for eight year olds, saying it has been "driven by consumer needs."

COMMENT: I agree with Tankard-Reist. I imagine that bringing a daughter up to have a responsible attitude towards sex is difficult enough for parents without having to put up with "respectable" underwear manufacturers telling eight year old girls to "get their tits out."

CARDINAL PELL ACCUSESENVIRONMENTALISTS OF SATANISM

Cardinal George Pell last night told a virtual audience of churchgoers that the Greens have an "explicitly anti-Christian" agenda. He told the audience that he is concerned about the likelihood that the Greens will gaining the balance of power in the next Senate.

"Their program is explicitly anti-Christian," he said.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott spoke with Christian leaders and churchgoers in a virtual gathering of 500 parishes of all denominations from across the country.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

You can't always
get what you want.

THE SOPPY SHEILA SELECTION

Today's feline pin up is +Maya watching her pet human, Jane R. doing some of that boring writing stuff.

SINGING A NEGATIVE SONG

From PM NEWS (Nigeria):

The Bishop of the Metropolitan See Of Anglican Communion, (Lagos West), Bishop Peter Adebiyi got what he did not bargain for from members of St. Paul’s Anglican Church Mushin, Lagos, Nigeria, yesterday. He had gone to the church along with over 50 Vicars of Anglican Communion in Lagos West to conduct the Sunday service and possibly make peace between the bishop and church members. But they were shocked that the members did not allow them to enter the church and when they were eventually allowing the church members disconnected the light and public address system and started singing negative songs instead of praises. This continued for about five hours between 7 a.m – 12 noon after which Bishop Adebiyiwas booed out of the church.

The bishop and the members of the church have been at loggerheads over the sacking of their former Vicar, Rev. C.E Mgbeokwere. The members protested that the Vicar was wrongly removed and since then they disowned the bishop and nobody has replaced the sacked one. The crisis got to a stage that the bishop ordered the closure of the church. But the members broke the lock and reopened the church and started conducting service on their own. Efforts to settle the rift have so far failed.

During one of the reconciliation meetings, the bishop used a foul language by referring to the church members as illiterates and this compounded the matter and the members backed out of the meeting.

The church had fixed 20 June, 2010 (yesterday) for their Father’s Day celebration. But the bishop informed the church that he was coming on that day and conduct the service. The members told him that he should change the date as they had slated that day for the celebration of Father’s Day. The bishop refused and said that the church was under him.

Reacting to the development, the church public relations officer, Tunji Oguntuase stated that he was shocked at the behaviour of the church members. He said that the bishop is the head of the Diocese and he can go to any church but the members were behaving as if they were on their own.

NOT JUST A PRETTY LESBIAN

Our divine neighbourhood atheist, IT, has written an ode.
IT first posted it at FRIENDS OF JAKE.

The Crisis over Kat in a Hat

A Bishop went Calling
in old London town
And she brought her hat
and she brought her gown

But someone at Lambeth
said, "not quite so quick,
We must see your papers
In case there's a trick."

Though she'd been there before
She obeyed their directive
To prove her ordination
and office elective

And then Lambeth begrudged,
"you may lead the prayer
but there's a condition:
you can't cover your hair!"

So the Bishop obeyed
And she carried her mitre
but she's a smart lady,
and known as a fighter

So she preached on the Gospel
On love and inclusion
And on hospitality
and at the conclusion,

She proved to be greater
than petty Lambeth priests
She said, "you are welcome,"
She said, "love has saved you,"
She said, "be at peace."

Thqanks to Dah-veeeeeeeed! for sending it in.

DON'T BLAME MADPRIEST, BLAME JIM D

This is bloody brilliant!

A priest said, "Anyone with 'special needs' who wants to be prayed over, please come forward to the altar rail."

With that, Albert got in line, and when it was his turn, the priest asked, "Albert, what do you want me to pray about for you?"

Albert replied, "Father, I need you to pray for help with my hearing."

The priest put one finger of one hand in Albert's ear, placed his other hand on top of Albert's head, and then prayed and prayed and prayed. He prayed a "blue streak" for Albert, and the whole congregation joined in with great enthusiasm.

After a few minutes, the priest removed his hands, stood back and asked, "Albert, how is your hearing now?"

Albert answered, "I don't know. It ain't 'til next week."

QUIET PLEASE!

From THE TELEGRAPH:

Although himself an avid football fan, the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, is worried that the forthcoming Papal visit could be marred by vuvuzelas.

"I have had enough of them already," says the Archbishop of Westminster. "I hope they stay in South Africa. Personally, I think the football would be more enjoyable without this constant cacophony."

He is concerned that some people have got into the habit of using the plastic horns during the World Cup in South Africa and might not be able to resist using them when Pope Benedict XVI, pictured, addresses crowds in Britain.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADPRIEST

A big thank you to everyone who contributed to my birthday celebrations. Mrs MadPriest and myself enjoyed a slap up meal at our favourite tapas bar yesterday and today Mrs MadPriest baked me a strawberry shortcake. I had to do something else today that made it a slightly unusual birthday but even that went a heck of a lot better than I was expecting.

THE SUNDAY GO TO CHURCH HOLINESS JUKEBOX

This track from Jesse Mae Hemphill should get those righteous feet of yours a-tappin'.

A CONCLAVE HAS BEEN CALLED

Chinwaggers.

Please read THIS POST at CHIN WAG.

Then read MadPriest's comment on the thread.

Be in at the beginning of something new (but very old).

Your suggestions are sought.

The Kingdom needs you.

(Details of how to access CHIN WAG @ OCICBW...
can be found in the right hand sidebar of this blog.)