THE SOPPY FATHER KENNY SELECTION

Posted at
RECTOR'S
RAMBLINGS:

Always the sucker for the sad story, The Rectory acquired a new family member yesterday, who goes by the name of Simba.

Her life has not been easy, and she had to be be rescued from a house where she was being mistreated.

She'd lived in a bathroom, and was going to be used simply to breed and make some money for the owners. (She's already had a litter and she's barely a year old)

THE PRAYER LIST - 22ND. JANUARY 2011

From REUTERS:

At least 207 people are still missing after Brazil's worst landslides in decades, authorities said on Wednesday, as the death toll from the disaster in a scenic mountain region reached 741.

***

With reference to THIS POST yesterday.

From Larry:

Should you venture over and read this post and the previous you will learn that Abby is terminal. She was just diagnosed last Sunday with Feline Leukemia Virus. She is responding well to steriods which is bringing her blood count back up slowly but in all likelihood I will lose her in a year or so (she's only 1 1/2). The disease is very similar to HIV and will continue to hit her with illness. There is a small chance it can go into remission so pray really hard. The good news is her sister (biological) tested negative so Cal is ok. Oh, and Abby has TWO opposable thumbs one on each hand.

***

Posted by Mark Brunson at
ENOUGH ABOUT ME: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY:

KATZIE UPDATE:

Dr. Carrie ran a scope Thursday, to see if it might be polyps in the throat causing the coughing. No polyps, but . . . swollen tonsils and a raw throat.

Now, Katzie is on prednisone (sic) and an antibiotic. Yesterday, there were no coughing fits. We're watching this weekend to see how it goes, and, if the coughing is gone through meds, the ekg takes on less urgency.

At this point, the bill stands at $392.10 and we have $150, which is a huge help in itself.

Thank you, and keep praying that this "gets" it.

***

Posted by Steve Tilley at MUSTARD SEED SHAVINGS:

Well ladies, gentlemen and those at that awkward in-between stage, I am back at my desk after my recuperation. My knee is doing well and the exercise regime seems to be working. Not bad for eight days after invasive surgery under general anaesthetic. It will be a while before I know the operation has been a complete success but optimism would not be out of place at this stage.

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MULTIPLE POSSIBLE UNIVERSES THEORYPROVED TO BE CORRECT

Just look at the size of her cellos!

DUMBING DOWN

There's nothing like a good education and, judging by the spelling on this record sleeve, these young ladies have had nothing like a good education.

TOURISTS AND HOW TO CONTROL THEM

This is a perfect example of the English sense of humour.

LOUD FRIDAY

They might be from San Diego, but they've got the 1976 London sound down to a tee.




BAND'S MYSPACE PAGE

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ELSEWHERE ON THE OCICBW... EXPERIENCE

THE ANCHORHOLD: "About Being Good"

ST. LAIKA'S: Daily Prayer podcast and stream for the Feast of Saint Agnes, with music. Join in or just listen and enjoy.

Ann Fontaine sent details of St. Laika's to some of her friends yesterday. This is one of the replies she received:

Thanks so much for sending this link. I hadn't realized how much I missed the ritual of a service. I have been house bound for the last couple of years. They bring communion, but this is different. thanks again.

I know it's ridiculous but it hadn't once crossed my mind that the daily prayer podcasts would be useful for people restricted to their homes. Silly me! Of course, it's ideal.

If you know of anybody who doesn't get out much or not at all please mention St. Laika's to them. The office of daily prayer will always be gentle and straight forward.

THE SOPPY LARRY SELECTION

That's Frankie on the left and Abby on the right.

Me and Lois were talking only yesterday, on one of the threads, about opposable thumbs. It must have been at pretty much the same time that Larry posted this photo on his blog showing his cat that has an opposable thumb.

I tell you, they're evolving fast. It's only a matter of time before we will be their slaves; tolerated only for our ability to throw balls and for our comfortable laps. Of course, some of us are already in that lowly position as far as our so-called "pets" are concerned.

For more on Abby, Frankie and the rest of Larry's
menagerie, check out RENZ IN THE WOODS.

THE PRAYER LIST - 21ST. JANUARY 2011

From THE NEW YORK TIMES:

President Obama warned President Hu Jintao that if China did not step up its pressure on North Korea, the United States would have to redeploy its forces in Asia to protect itself from a potential North Korean strike on American soil, a senior administration official said Thursday.

***

From ALJAZEERA:

Tunisians have begun a three-day period of national mourning for those who died during the month-long uprising that overthrew longtime ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. According to the United Nations, about 100 people died during the upheaval that swept across the North African country.

***

Posted by Ormonde Plater at THROUGH THE DUST:

This has been a terrible week in metro New Orleans with twelve murders in all--one of a small tot and another of a young mother murdered in her bed with her child beside her (who remained unharmed), both hiding under the covers. Six murders occurred on Monday while we were celebrating the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King. Please pray for our city, the following victims, their families, and their murderers:

1/14 Titus Gooseberry 2 M Beaten Jefferson
1/15 Tyinell Carter 20 F Shot Orleans
1/15 Derrick Picard 15 M Shot Orleans
1/17 Felicia Hughes 32 F Shot Orleans
1/17 Kenan Breaud 36 M Shot Orleans
1/17 Erroll Meeks 19 M Shot Orleans
1/17 Devin Hutton 20 M Shot Orleans
1/17 Steven Powell 28 M Shot Orleans
1/17 Anthony Williams 18 M Shot Jefferson
1/18 Corey Blue 18 M Shot Orleans
1/18 Ricardo Gomez-Espinoza 35 M Shot Orleans (Died of wounds received 12/23)
1/20 Unidentified (this murder happened early this morning so no details except shot in Orleans Parish)

***

From THEMETHATISME:

Please add my father to the prayer list.

He has been unwell, in addition to the dementia for a few months now, but a battery of tests have revealed nothing conclusive. Last Saturday he collapsed whilst out shopping and was taken to hospital. Again things have remained uncertain through the week until the appearance of substantial bruises les to a very specific blood test. He has this evening been diagnosed with Acquired Haemophilia and will be transferred to the haemotology unit at a local hospital in the morning where hopefully the internal bleeding will be brought under control.

***

Posted by MarkBrunson at
ENOUGH ABOUT ME: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY:

KATZIE UPDATE:

Unlike the urinary tract problem, which was immediately identifiable, this is still a bit of a mystery. Two different tests have definitively ruled out heart worms. There's no evidence of a hairball, and his g.i. tract is basically cleaned out. So, it's tests, right now.

If you can by donating something towards this little cat's tests please contact Mark direct via his blog.

***

THANKSGIVING

Posted at DIOBETH NEWSPIN:

One of the privileges and joys of my ministry has been serving on the Moravian-Episcopal Dialogue for our national Church, which drafted the full communion proposal for our two Churches. So I am delighted to invite you to join in the celebration service inaugurating our full communion relationship on Thursday, February 10, at 6:00 p.m. at Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem. Our Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori will be the celebrant, joined by the heads of the Provincial Elders’ Conference of the Northern and Southern Provinces of the Moravian Church in America.

What is full communion? It is a way for denominations to come together without merging; acknowledging the fullness of the church in each other, working together for mission and ministry, and exchanging clergy.

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IF CATHY WAS A DOG(I'VE FORGOTTEN WHAT NUMBER)IN AN OCCASIONAL SERIES

I've met Cathy and this is ridiculously accurate.

WHERE DOES HE FIND THEM?ALISON'S GETTING MARRIED IN THE MORNINGROMANCE SPECIAL

"As long as we just have each other
and the love of our dear mother . . ."

Aaaaaarrgghhhh!



There's no point in offering any days off purgatory on this one because most of you varmints gained yourself a plenary indulgence on the sandwiches post. So, just give yourself a pat on the back if you get through it. Knowing you lot as I do you'll all be in need of another plenary indulgence by Sunday at the latest.

AN HONEST WOMAN AT LAST!

From our longstanding friend, Alison:

Tomorrow (Friday, Jan. 21) I will be married with Alan, my high school sweetheart and love of my life, on a beach next to the Pacific Ocean in California. Every day will be a little miracle, since we were separated for so many years. Hope is a mighty powerful thing.

Aaah! How lovely. It's just like in the movies.

MadPriest is a grumpy, old sod but he loves himself a wedding.

At OCICBW... we have campaigned ferociously over the years for the right of any couple who love each other to be allowed to marry officially. We have done this not because it is an academic justice issue and not because the Bible says people should get married, but because we love the whole idea of two people making a lifelong commitment to each other in which they promise to be together no matter what life throws at them. I know from experience that a good marriage between two people in love is one the best institutions that human beings have ever invented. Me and Benny agree on that. Where we differ is that he likes to exclude people from such happiness and I want humankind to allow such happiness to everybody who wants to give it their best shot.

Happiness v. unhappiness? What would Jesus choose for those he was willing to die for?

THE OTHER BIGOTRY OF CHRISTIAN INSTITUTIONS

From THE EPISCOPAL CAFE:

THE SOPPY PSEUDOPISKIE SELECTION

From THE NEW YORK TIMES:

Chaser, a border collie who lives in Spartanburg, S.C., has the largest vocabulary of any known dog. She knows 1,022 nouns, a record that displays unexpected depths of the canine mind and may help explain how children acquire language.
Enlarge This Image

Chaser lives with John W. Pilley, a psychologist who taught for 30 years at Wofford College, a liberal arts institution in Spartanburg. In 2004, after he had retired, he read a report in Science about Rico, a border collie whose German owners had taught him to recognize 200 items, mostly toys and balls. Dr. Pilley decided to repeat the experiment using a technique he had developed for teaching dogs, and he describes his findings in the current issue of the journal Behavioural Processes.

He bought Chaser as a puppy in 2004 from a local breeder and started to train her for four to five hours a day. He would show her an object, say its name up to 40 times, then hide it and ask her to find it, while repeating the name all the time. She was taught one or two new names a day, with monthly revisions and reinforcement for any names she had forgotten.

Dr. Pilley does not know how large a vocabulary Chaser could have mastered. When she reached 1,000 items, he grew tired of teaching words and moved to more interesting topics like grammar.

One of the questions raised by the Rico study was that of what was going through the dog’s mind when he was asked to fetch something. Did he think of his toys as items labeled fetch-ball, fetch-Frisbee, fetch-doll, or did he understand the word “fetch” separately from its object, as people do? He addressed the question by teaching Chaser three different actions: pawing, nosing and taking an object. She was then presented with three of her toys and correctly pawed, nosed or fetched each one depending on the command given to her. “That experiment demonstrates conclusively that Chaser understood that the verb had a meaning,” Dr. Pilley said.

The 1,022 words in Chaser’s vocabulary are all proper nouns. Dr. Pilley also found that Chaser could be trained to recognize categories, in other words common nouns. She correctly follows the command “Fetch a Frisbee” or “Fetch a ball.” She can also learn by exclusion, as children do. If she is asked to fetch a new toy with a word she does not know, she will pick it out from ones that are familiar.

COMMENT: As somebody who has had the honour of living with border collies for nearly 52 years this surprises me because of the numbers involved, but that is all. I long ago came to the conclusion that dogs, and many other animals, have the same potential for language as human beings, that the thought processes needed for thinking and communication are already in place - they are not something unique to humans and evolved well back in the tree of life.

I think it is only a matter of time before somebody breeds a basic voice box into a dog or an ape and we are chatting together like long lost friends. That will be a real wake up call to humankind and we will have to throw most of our philosophy, biology and, above all, theology books in the bin.

How do I know this will happen? Because it is possible and because my youngest collie talks to Mrs MP and myself all the while. And she gets so cross that we are too stupid to understand what she is saying. This claim is not anthropomorphism, it's just how things are as anybody who has lived with dogs, and who has eyes to see and ears to hear (which rules out a lot of scientists, especially those researching animal behaviour) will tell you.

There is a video of chaser outsmarting the average X Factor contestant at the newspaper's website.

MADPRIEST DIGS . . .

This is superior country and the CD sleeve is brilliant.




CALEB'S WEBSITE

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A CASE FOR BROTHER CADFAEL

From THE BBC:

A monk and two other people who were stopped at a Greek airport with the skull and bones of a nun say they were taking the remains of a saint to a monastery. Police said the three were going to Cyprus when the remains were found in their luggage at Athens airport. The three have been charged with theft and desecrating human remains. They deny the charges.

Police said the nun, who had once lived at a convent on the island, had moved to Greece before she died.

ELSEWHERE ON THE OCICBW... EXPERIENCE

ST. LAIKA'S: Daily Prayer with music plus "Saints Of The Day"

THE ANCHORHOLD: "Gazing As Prayer"

THE REJECTIONS ARE GETTING NICER

Hand typed by the bishop himself and the morning after the decision. I am sincerely impressed although the rejection is as disappointing as ever.

THE PRAYER LIST - 20TH. JANUARY 2011

From CNN:

A suicide car bomb attack on a police checkpoint in Baquba killed at least four people and wounded 33 others today. Two of the dead and nine of the wounded were police officers.

***

Posted by Brian R at NOBLE WOLF:

Everyone knows there was a major earthquake in Christchurch (New Zealand) in September. There have been continual tremors since. Altogether 54 tremors in the last 7 days.

Naturally people are worried that weakened structures will fall, lots have had their chimneys removed in case. And doctors report many illnesses due to stress. Prayers are needed for those who live there and put up with it every day.

***

Posted at WOUNDED BIRD:

UPDATE ON AILEEN

From Aileen's husband, Mike:

One step forward. One step back. Incredibly, Aileen's kidneys suddenly started working 2 days after kidney doc said they were probably done! So much so, that the doc took her off of dialysis today!! However, they had to reopen the incision as the internal bleeding caused some of the infection to move around the incision. She is in much pain and is on a pain medicine drip. Major infection concern, again. Please continue prayers.

***

Posted by Diana at THE KITCHEN DOOR:

I was praying at bedtime earlier this week, telling God how uncertain the future seems to me right now. I feel like I'm walking across a lake that hasn't completely frozen, and with each step I'm holding my breath, listening for cracks.

As I prayed, it seemed that a startling thing happened: God laughed. Not unkindly, but with perspective and good humor. Did you forget I can walk on water?

Oh. Right, then. I still know the ice is likely to crack. But I'm not going to fall through.

***

Posted by Dianne at FORKS OFF THE MOMENT:

Isadora has been going to the vet a lot. Her auto-immune issues and her gum disease have been acting up.

Posted by Kelvin at WHAT'S IN KELVIN'S HEAD:

I saw my doctor yesterday and we agreed that although I’m improved, I’m not recovered from the flu yet. I am ever more convinced that real flu (Not “man flu”, not “a bit fluey”, not “I had the flu yesterday” but the real enchilada) can’t be messed with. The doc has assured me that it can take more than a week to get back to normal and has instructed me to take a further few days off or risk being properly ill again. So, he has signed me off work up until this weekend. I expect to be back to work on Monday and hope to be firing on all cylinders then.

***

THANKSGIVING

From THE GUARDIAN:

Over the past few days, something remarkable has happened in Sudan. As the polls closed this week in the referendum on southern secession from the north, apocalyptic predictions of violence and even a cancelling of the plebiscite had not come to pass.

Voting has been overwhelmingly peaceful with observers, both domestic and international, not only praising the process but privately expressing surprise, not only at the lack of disturbances but the high standards in general.

The 60% turnout threshold was surpassed in many areas and first counts indicate that, as expected, separation has been the choice.

We pray that peace will persevere in Sudan and that the succession and the period afterwards will also occur without unrest and bloodshed.

***

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THE SOPPY ELLIE SELECTION

From PAW NATION:

Amos, a kind and lovable chocolate Lab in Michigan sometimes puts in long days at the courthouse. He's not sniffing for bombs or patrolling the grounds, but he is protecting and serving. Amos works as a canine guardian and comforter of sorts and helps reduce anxiety for children who have to appear in court. He has been trained to sit patiently near children for hours as they either wait to take the stand or testify in court. Recently he accompanied two young victims who each testified for more than two hours against a defendant in a sexual misconduct trial.

The dog is part of the Canine Advocacy Program, the first of its kind in Michigan, and its services are offered at no cost to law enforcement or the courts. The program is funded by donations. Similar programs exist in California, Washington and Florida.

Not everyone is as positive about the role of animals in the courtroom. One prosecutor cited concerns about jurors with allergies or a fear of dogs.

For being there, Amos is our:

BRICK OF THE DAY

For being a dickhead, the prosecutor mentioned
in the article is our dickhead of the day.

CAPTION COMPETITION

Courtesy of Whiteycat.

             

KATZIE POORLY AGAIN

Unfortunately, Mark Brunson's little cat, Katzie, is poorly again.

Please read all about it at Mark's blog
ENOUGH ABOUT ME: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Poor little cat. Poor Mark.

There's a photo of Katzie on today's Prayer List.

DON'T BLAME MADPRIEST, BLAME MAD DAD

ELSEWHERE ON THE OCICBW... EXPERIENCE

THE ANCHORHOLD: " O Beauty ever ancient, ever new."

ST. LAIKA'S: Daily prayer with music for the Feast of Saint Wulfstan. Suitable for joining in with or just listening to.

ST. LAIKA'S ET AL ON FACEBOOK

Cathy has set up a page for St Laika's on Facebook. The aim is to help MadPriest by increasing the number of readers visiting St. Laika's and his other blogs. The page will provide links to any new material on St Laika's, the Anchorhold and to Jonathan's soul podcasts. If you are on FB and would like to help out you can join  by visiting the site by clicking HERE and choosing the "Like" option. Please do feel free to invite any of your FB friends who you think might enjoy St Laika's, the Anchorhold, or the soul mixes, to also join. 

Every little bit helps, eh? ...

World domination - here we come!

THE PRAYER LIST - 19TH. JANUARY 2011FEAST OF SAINT WULFSTAN

From THE PRESS ASSOCIATION:

Thousands of people in the south east of Australia have been advised to flee their homes with three days of supplies after a surging river threatened another community in the flooding crisis that has devastated the country's mining industry. Up to 1,500 homes in Kerang, in the north of Victoria state, could be affected if the Lodden River rises any further. Across Victoria state, more than 3,500 people have evacuated their homes, with 51 towns and 1,500 properties already affected by rising waters.

***

From THE TELEGRAPH:

A strong earthquake hit south west Pakistan collapsing walls and damaging buildings in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The 7.2 magnitude earthquake could be felt as far as Delhi and the Gulf, but Pakistani officials said there were no immediate reports of casualties. Television showed people fleeing in terror into the night when the earthquake struck at 1:23 am (8.23pm GMT). Pakistan's Meteorological Department predicted aftershocks for the next week.

***

From REUTERS:

A suicide bomber driving an ambulance killed 12 people and wounded more than 50 in an attack on Wednesday on an Iraqi police training centre in volatile Diyala province.

"There are more bodies buried in the ruins," the governor's spokeswoman, Samira al-Shibli, told Reuters.

***

Please pray for Mark Brunson and his cat, Katzie who is poorly again.

Posted by Jan at A CHURCH FOR STARVING ARTISTS:

I'm leaving the congregation I've loved and served for almost 22 years sometime in the next few months. I'm leaving because my husband - also a pastor - was called to serve a congregation in another part of the country.

***

From JCF:

I ask your prayers for Yours Truly. This Saturday, I have a test for a Federal job that, while it would probably be boring, would provide those sweet, sweet Federal benefits (I who have been w/o health insurance for 6 years, y'know?) Please pray I do my best and that my appearance (oh, alright, AND personality) doesn't scare them TOO much. :-/

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TWITFACE

To be honest I'm feeling a bit lonely at the moment. Every day seems to see fewer and fewer comments being posted to the threads at OCICBW...

Of course, I don't blame myself for this, heaven forbid (although begging for money may have put a few people off). I blame the following:

1) There is not so much to moan about nowadays. The Grand Tufti has been kidnapped by aliens, the opposition have mostly buggered off and the population of the USA have somehow managed to elect themselves a half-decent president who doesn't say embarrassing things in public.

2) Twitter and Facebook is the place where most of the chattering classes hang out nowadays. People used to chat with each other on the blogs but now they just leave the odd pithy comment and then go back to the social networks to talk to each other about the correct way to barbecue and talk about the weather.

3) Grandmère Mimi. (This is for no other reason than I discovered quite a while back that life is a lot less stressful if you blame Mimi for everything that goes wrong. It also save a lot of time as you don't have to worry about who is actually responsible for each thing that goes pear shaped in your life.)

Now, there's nothing I can do about number one above. And there more than likely nobody on earth or in heaven who can do anything about number three. So that leaves number two and I have decided to have another go at encouraging banality at OCICBW...

TwitFace, will be an occasional posting in which I will simply give you a word, or short phrase, and you then just waffle on about the subject in any way you see fit. Nobody (except Grandmère Mimi, of course) will be told off for going off thread.

If the number of comments on any one TwitFace post gets to fifty, all those who have commented will receive 500 days off purgatory. Should the comments ever reach one hundred I will grant all the participants a general plenary. Now, you don't get offers like that on Facebook!

Your subject for discussion today is:

SANDWICHES

Off you go then!

NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT

I thought I'd post this job vacancy as somebody out there might be interested. (No, Grandmère Mimi, you have a husband to look after!).

MADPRIEST DIGS . . .

Now, this is one extremely talented, young man. Even if you don't usually go for his style of music, I think you are going to be gobsmacked by his playing. I certainly am.

He's from Italy, by the way.





ANTONIO'S MYSPACE PAGE

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MADPRIEST HAS LOST ANY FEELINGS OF GUILTHE HAD IN THE PAST AND IS NOW BRAZENLYASKING HIS READERS FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT

This stuff doesn't make itself up, you know. Writing such high quality copy burns off a lot of calories and so I need to eat loads. Unfortunately its difficult to follow my high protein regime when my jobseekers' allowance is only £63 per week. So, brothers (and sisters) if you can spare a dime, please do consider sending it my way.

The monthly subscriptions already pledged remain at £340.00 ($531). If I am to go for the self-empoyment option I will require a minimum of $1000 per month.

Of course, you can still help clothe and feed me with a simple donation.


See this MADPRIEST UPDATE for full details. 

Option 1 : £5.00GBP - monthly Option 2 : £10.00GBP - monthly Option 3 : £15.00GBP - monthly Option 4 : £20.00GBP - monthly Option 5 : £25.00GBP - monthly Option 6 : £50.00GBP - monthly Option 7 : £75.00GBP - monthly Option 8 : £100.00GBP - monthly Option 9 : £30.00GBP - monthly

Another way to help Jonathan is to buy Amazon products via his Amazon shop. Details of how to do this can be found in the right hand sidebar.

I apologise for the bluntness of my tone in this post but as I've set myself a target I feel I should go for it wholeheartedly. But don't worry, if it doesn't work out, I will not be sulking and I won't be going on about it for months to come. I will simply go back to looking for a permanent, full time parish job and reduce OCICBW... content accordingly. To be honest, I don't know what God wants me to do with the rest of my life and I'm using this experiment in fundraising to see if I can get him to show his hand, so to speak.

VATICAN NO LONGER TO "SKIRT"AROUND TRANSGENDER ISSUES

In a move that has caught the LGBT community by surprise, the Vatican has relaxed it's previously strict condemnation of transsexualism. Although post-op priests will not, as yet, be allowed to dirty up the sanctuary with their mincing about, they will, from now on, be allowed to adopt female names for themselves. To show the Vatican's commitment to its new attitude the first two priests to "come out" officially were both high ranking cardinals and their courageous decision has been made public in the international Catholic media.

From EWTN:

In a, rarely granted, telephone interview, OCICBW... was able to ask Poppa Benny what he thought of men dressing up as women and calling themselves sissy names.

"If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck, me ducks," he replied in a broad Nottinghamshire accent.

In another surprise move, the Vatican has announced that, due to his penchant for keeping a whip in his wardrobe and self-flagellating, Pope John Paul II will be given the job of "Patron Saint of Masochists," now that he has passed the miracle test.

A Vatican spokesman quipped to our reporter, "We've had nearly two thousand years of venerating the BVM. It will make a nice change to have a BDSM to worship from now on."

GAGGING FOR IT

From THE MOSCOW NEWS:

In an argument which Western feminists thought had been resolved decades ago, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, head of the Orthodox Church’s Synodal Department for Church and Society, suggested that a drunk woman in a miniskirt had no right to be surprised if she was raped.

“If a woman wears a miniskirt, it can be provocative,” Chaplin said.

“If she is drunk at the same time, it’s especially provocative. And if that encourages people to try to make contact, she can’t be surprised if that contact ends up with rape.”

Men, meanwhile, would be regarded as pitiful objects if they slob around in ill-fitting sweatpants and string vests.


COMMENT:
Archpriest Chaplin is a right clown,
isn't he? And all in glorious black
and white. It's a shame he is not a
silent movie.

CHURCH OF ENGLAND CAMPAIGN TOATTRACT MORE MEN INTO CHURCH CONTINUES

From TECHNORATI:

GOD BACKS OCICBW... BABELICIOUS CAMPAIGN

From EVERYDAY CHRISTIAN:

Teresa Scalan was crowned Miss America on Saturday night.

Prior to last week's pageant, she posted the following on her blog: "I know that this is exactly where God wants me to be, and He has a plan for each and every day of my life, not only this year, but every year... If I win the title of Miss America, I will know it is His will. How incredibly calming it is to know that my life is in His hands!"

COMMENT: Oh, dear. I just know what JCF's comment on that last sentence is going to be.

HEADLINE OF THE DAY

From BIGNEWS NETWORK:

Dirty old man!

UP YOURS, ADOLF!

From BIGNEWS NETWORK:

A church stained glass window created in France at the height of the Nazi Occupation, which reportedly shows Adolf Hitler portrayed as a blood-thirsty King Herod killing a Jew, has been revealed for the first time after 70 years.

The extraordinary work of art was inaugurated in July 1941 at the St Jacques Church in Montgeron, south of Paris, reports the Daily Mail. If it had been pointed out at the time of its opening it would have meant almost certain death for those who created it.

"The figure has Hitler's hair, but his moustache has been hidden behind his arm to avoid serious trouble," said Father Dominique Guerin, pastor of the parish.

The window was spotted by a journalist earlier this month, and then highlighted by the church authorities.

The window was created by a pair of brothers called Maumejean, master glassmakers, whose work adorns numerous churches in France.

THOSE EVIL SWEDES

From THE LOCAL (Sweden):

With the wolf hunt in its third day on Monday, there are only five wolves left in this year's quota of 20: three in Värmland in western Sweden and one each in Örebro and Västmanland in central Sweden.

Over the first two days of the hunt, 14 wolves were killed by Monday. Among the wolves that have been killed, four were alpha animals. Eleven were classified as adults and only three pups or juveniles.

Sweden's wolf hunt violates EU law, environment commissioner Janez Potocnik said on Monday, vowing to drag Sweden to court for allowing the hunt to continue this year.

Coincidently, Swedish film director, Ingmar Madpriestender, has just announced that, in a surprising change of career, Sarah Palin has agreed to play the title role in his film adaption of a newly discovered Stieg Larsson novel, "The Girl Who Shot At Anything." The world famous director told OCICBW... that he had asked her to star in the earlier Larsson film, "The Girl Who Played With Fire," but Palin's press officers had warned her against accepting the role just in case some nutter took her at her word and started shooting at human beings and not just anything on four legs.

DON'T BLAME MADPRIEST, BLAME DAVID

An elderly man in Florida had owned a large farm for several years with a large pond in the back. It was properly shaped for swimming, so he fixed it up nice with picnic tables, horseshoe courts, and some apple & peach trees.

One evening the old farmer decided to go down to the pond, as he hadn't been there for a while, and look it over. He grabbed a five-gallon bucket to bring back some fruit.

As he neared the pond, he heard voices shouting and laughing with glee. As he came closer, he saw it was a bunch of young women skinny-dipping in his pond. He made the women aware of his presence and they all went to the deep end.

One of the women shouted to him, 'We're not coming out until you leave!'

The old man frowned, 'I didn't come down here to watch you ladies swim naked or make you get out of the pond naked.'

Holding the bucket up he said, 'I'm here to feed the alligator.'

OVER AT ST. LAIKA'S

Daily Prayer with music.

Click HERE. Join in or just enjoy.

THE SOPPY PSEUDOPISKIE SELECTION

Posted at SOME DISAGREE WITH MOM:

For a picture that is worth a thousand words,
check out THIS POST at The Friends of Jake.

THE PRAYER LIST18TH. JANUARY 2011

From REUTERS:

A suicide bomber wearing a vest filled with explosives attacked Iraqi police recruits on Tuesday in former dictator Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, killing at least 42 and wounding over 100. The attack took place outside a police recruiting center where Iraqi men were lining up with their documents, hoping to get a job.

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From RAJM of SCATTER CUSHIONS:

For around 4 months last year I was working up for a company in Northumberland. It was a fixed price contract and I was assured before I started there would be money paid to me at some point during the contract with the remainder at the end. Unfortunately no money has been paid, not even my expenses (I was staying in a local hotel).

There seems to have been an intention on their part of pushing the completion back. So from last October I've stayed away saying I wasn't returning until I got some money which would at least cover my expenses (over £5000 so far). There's been nothing and it looks as if my only recourse is going to be taking them to court. Unfortunately my contract is with an umbrella company who have a contract with the computer agency who did initial interviews who have a contract with the company I was working for. So I need to take the umbrella comp to court who will then presumably take the agency to court who will then sue the real culprits. The amount is over £10000 so, alas, it's out of the small claims court region. In the meantime I'm, at last, trying to sort out a job seekers claim so at least some money is coming into the house apart from my wife's small salary.

Clearly we are in a situation of some stress here. Prayers would be appreciated.

***

Posted by Father Kenny at RECTOR'S RAMBLINGS:

January comes, and with it the seemingly endless news of deaths. Today (17th. January) we commend Una to Our Lord, an incredibly dignified, elegant old lady who in her time was as beautiful on the outside as she was on the inside. Although the last years were blighted with dementia, the love and affection which belonged to Una amongst us all has not diminished within our church family. She will get an appropriate send-off!

OH, GROSS!

From WSFA12 NEWS:

A vial containing blood drawn from Pope John Paul II shortly before he died will be installed as a relic in a Polish church soon after his beatification later this year. Piotr Sionko, the spokesman for the John Paul II Center, said the vial will be encased in crystal and built into the altar of a church in the southern city of Krakow that is opening in May.

MADPRIEST DIGS . . .

GILLES' MYSPACE PAGE

PURCHASE VIA MADPRIEST'S AMAZON STORE

ROMAN CATHOLICS SAY "UP YOURS"TO CHURCH OF ENGLAND

From CATHOLIC ONLINE:

Saturday morning, January 15, 2011, in Westminster Cathedral, three former Anglican Bishops, who had resigned their ministry in order to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church through the Anglican Ordinariate, were ordained as Catholic Priests. The Ordinariate was dedicated to Blessed John Henry Newman.

COMMENT: The build up to this re-ordination service has seem many occasions when the Roman Catholic hierarchy has basically taken the piss out of Rowan Williams and the Church of England. Up to Saturday the biggest insult was Benny's shunning of good manners when he announced his takeover bid without consulting the Archbishop. But the deliberate choice of John Henry Newman is, in my informed opinion, an even bigger antithesis of Christian charity.

John Henry may have defected to Rome but for many years he has been regarded as a saint by the Church of England and revered by its liberal and catholic members, far more, than the Italians have ever done. He was, up to Saturday, regarded as a symbol of unity between the two churches. The recent rehabilitation of Newman by the Roman Catholics (the hierarchy has been suspicious of him and his real catholic theology since he poped) was obviously just part of the build up to their disgraceful act of triumphalism on Saturday.

Well, two can play at that game. I suggest that the Church of England declares Francis of Assisi as the patron saint of the upcoming Royal Weddings, especially the one where the Canadian, bride to be converted to Anglicanism so that her fiance could still keep his place in the royal succession.

Up yours back at you, Benny!

GET YOUR THINKING HATS ON!

From THE CHURCH TIMES:

The diocese of Oxford hopes to tackle the shortage of men who attend church. The diocese has joined Men and the Church (MATCH) to host a one-day conference on 5 February, “offering resources and ideas for churches wanting to reach unchurched men with the gospel, exploring why so many men leave the Church, and [encouraging] new strategies for evangelism to men."

The Church of England’s head of research and statistics, the Revd Lynda Barley, said that about two-thirds of regular worshippers were women. The Revd Paul Eddy, founder of MATCH, said that, in many churches, the ratio was one man to every four women.

Clergy across the diocese, both male and female, were “very concerned” about the shortage of men in their congregations, he said, and had asked for “resources and support” to help attract them.

COMMENT: Of course, OCICBW... has been leading the way in the push to get more men into church. Our campaign to get rid of ugly female vicars so we can replace them with babelicious stunners has not, so far, been embraced by the Church of England. But as soon as we get rid of Rowan "Under Jane's Thumb" Williams, I'm sure it will be taken up throughout the land. Personally, I've done my bit. At my last church I imposed a very strict dress policy. The hem line on any woman under the age of forty (and those over forty without varicose veins) had to be at least six inches above the knee or they weren't allowed in. And howzabout getting rid of those embarrassing overhead screens with those even more embarrassing praise hymns projected onto them, and, in stead, showing Sky Sports on a proper big screen?

But I'm sure you lot have loads more good ideas. What can the local church do to attract blokes into their services? Over to you!

JESUS WHERE'ER THE PEOPLE MEETTHEY'RE TOLD THEY MUST STAY IN THE STREET.AND WOMEN MUSTN'T MAKE A SOUNDWHERE EVERY PLACE IS PRIVATE GROUND

From THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD:

For almost 40 years the International Women's Day march has set off from Sydney Square, between the Town Hall and St Andrew's cathedral in the city. But this year the march organisers received a rude shock. Unknown to them the square is mostly owned by the Anglican Diocese of Sydney. And the church has put the International Women's Day Collective on notice. Women can rally in the square one more time, on Saturday, March 11. But in future years they must start the march somewhere else.

The Jensen Family Firm prescribes that women must submit to the "headship" of men in the church and in their marriage. It also opposes ordination of women. But a spokesman for the diocese, Russell Powell, said the women were not being singled out. A new policy on all rallies in the square was being considered by the board of the Glebe Administration Board, which is the church's business arm.

"It's private land," he said.

When Gabe Kavanagh, one of the organisers, received the email from the Glebe Administration Board she was shocked. She got the strong impression in her follow-up conversations with board managers that it was an "image issue" and that the church was sick of having protests in its space.

THE SOPPY MICHAEL SELECTION

MADPRIEST'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

Yes, because animals have ears.

OVER AT ST. LAIKA'S AND THE ANCHORHOLD

THE ANCHORHOLD: "Choosing Ourselves; Honesty Before God"

ST. LAIKA'S: Daily Prayer for the feast day of Saint Antony of Egypt

If anybody preached a sermon yesterday and would like it posted at St. Laika's during the week, as text or audio, please do send it in to me.

THE PRAYER LIST17TH. JANUARY 2011

From THE TELEGRAPH:

Tunisian forces have exchanged fire with members of the deposed President's security guard, according to reports. Gun battles at the Presidential Palace, Central Bank and Interior Ministry grew steadily more widespread during the day overshadowing efforts to bring the opposition into a government of national unity. Two days after Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was forced to flee the Arab world's first popular uprising in 50 years, the army's efforts to restore order in the capital city appeared to be floundering.

***

From THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD:

Up to 20 towns in addition to those already flooded or under threat are expected to be hit by floodwaters in coming days, and tens of thousands of Victorians face the prospect of no electricity.

***

From THE BBC:

At least nine Afghans have been killed by a roadside bomb in the northern province of Baghlan. Police said all were wedding guests and their car was destroyed in the blast. The news came as officials said six civilians were killed in a roadside blast in the south on Saturday.

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Posted by Ormonde Plater at THROUGH THE DUST:

The murdered in the metro New Orleans area this week are:

Melissa Warren 34 F Shot Orleans
Donavin Donald 20 M Shot Jefferson

Please pray for the victims, their families, and their murderers.

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Posted by Ginny at BLOGULA RASA:

Our cat Riley has been diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and we’re about to embark on “the new normal” with him. He seems fine but his weight is down since last year and his white blood cell count was high, so our vet Dr Esbenson of Arlington Cat Clinic sent a sample on to the feline oncologist. So in a small scale we’re experiencing some of the fear and uncertainty that anyone with a cancer diagnosis faces.

It’s the chronic form, slow to develop, and depending on how this chemotherapy and steroids regimen works out, he could be happy and relatively healthy for years.

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Posted by Kelvin at WHAT'S IN KELVIN'S HEAD:

Although a little better today, I’m still not up to taking meetings and services and so others are filling in left right and centre and I’m most grateful to everyone.

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THANKSGIVING

Posted by Paul at BYZIGENOUS BUDDHAPALIAN:

This morning (14th. January) the surgeon removed the stents on either side of my septum and I can now truly breathe freely. Woohoo! I can, mostly, return to normal life. There is some follow-up care and it is easy. I see the doc in a couple of weeks to check up on how it is doing. Things look good at this point. The goal is to have everything clean going forward so he will not have to do any follow-up surgery.

I want to thank everyone for all the love and prayers that have come my way through this. Compared to the ills others go through, this was chump change but I am grateful to have had friends all along the way.