Saturday, 16 April 2011
Friday, 15 April 2011
WHERE DOES HE FIND THEM?
This one is truly dreadful.
A thousand days off purgatory if you get through it. The aspirin are in the bathroom cabinet.
UPDATE ON OCICBW...'S NEW,
FAVOURITE COUNTRY SINGER
To listen to Sam, check out this MADPRIEST DIGS....
I for one will praying my hardest that she will continue to find the strength to defeat the addiction that laid her so low. I have known too many brilliant musicians whose work we have been denied because of hard drugs and the thought of never hearing another Sam Roark album is truly horrifying.
MADPRIEST UPDATE
I have a plan. It's realistic, necessary and, for once, I have people helping me out in achieving it.
It will hopefully get me back to worshipping in a church with a compassionate priest who can help me ditch some of the incredible anger and feelings of betrayal I am experiencing at the moment, which are making it impossible for me to get a job as I'm not very good at hiding my emotions. I am hoping that one day I will be able to preside in a church again. Being the stupid optimist that I am, I am even hoping that one day I will be allowed to be a real priest with responsibilities of my own and get paid for it.
It also involves moving out of my home for the past nine years (obviously, as the Bishop of Newcastle has decided it is time that the diocese stopped providing me with free accommodation and my last ditch attempt to get the Archdeacon to try and persuade him otherwise failed miserably as he agrees with the bishop).
Mrs MP can afford to pay the mortgage on a cheap house but we would have no money left over to live on. Many of you are being very generous in supporting me through monthly donations but I never did achieve the level of financial support that I need to use OCICBW... as the basis of a ministry that will keep our heads above water.
Therefore, I need to ask for your help again. If you are in a position to donate, even a small amount, to my work on a monthly basis, and you feel that you would like to, please consider using one of the choices below to do so. In return I promise to snap out of feeling sorry for myself and start to rebuild my life which will then be able to include all you, my good friends down the other end of the internet tubes.
It will hopefully get me back to worshipping in a church with a compassionate priest who can help me ditch some of the incredible anger and feelings of betrayal I am experiencing at the moment, which are making it impossible for me to get a job as I'm not very good at hiding my emotions. I am hoping that one day I will be able to preside in a church again. Being the stupid optimist that I am, I am even hoping that one day I will be allowed to be a real priest with responsibilities of my own and get paid for it.
It also involves moving out of my home for the past nine years (obviously, as the Bishop of Newcastle has decided it is time that the diocese stopped providing me with free accommodation and my last ditch attempt to get the Archdeacon to try and persuade him otherwise failed miserably as he agrees with the bishop).
Mrs MP can afford to pay the mortgage on a cheap house but we would have no money left over to live on. Many of you are being very generous in supporting me through monthly donations but I never did achieve the level of financial support that I need to use OCICBW... as the basis of a ministry that will keep our heads above water.
Therefore, I need to ask for your help again. If you are in a position to donate, even a small amount, to my work on a monthly basis, and you feel that you would like to, please consider using one of the choices below to do so. In return I promise to snap out of feeling sorry for myself and start to rebuild my life which will then be able to include all you, my good friends down the other end of the internet tubes.
LOUD FRIDAY
This single is taken from the debut album, "A Thousand Heys" by London band, Mazes. The flip side is called "Shit Priest" but I'm not playing you that because I'm sure it is a nasty dig at me.
BAND'S MYSPACE PAGE
BAND'S WEBPAGE
PURCHASE VIA MADPRIEST'S AMAZON STORE
THE SOPPY WENDY SELECTION
Oh, you must check out the photo story all about Tia at WENDYCAROLE'S STUFF. It's really good stuff. Here's a sample:
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
RICK'S GREEN GRASS - Joke of the day.
SHUCK AND JIVE - Excellent same sex marriage poster. Plus check out MadPriest's politically incorrect comment.
SHUCK AND JIVE - Excellent same sex marriage poster. Plus check out MadPriest's politically incorrect comment.
MADPRIEST'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
I fully understand why Jesus founded the Church for sinners rather than those who are perfect. What I've never been able to understand is why he gave the most imperfect the top jobs in it.
THE PRAYER LIST - 15TH. APRIL 2011
From REUTERS:
Syria's security forces have arrested hundreds of people arbitrarily since pro-democracy protests erupted a month ago and subjected them to torture and ill-treatment, a Human Rights Watch report said Friday. The forces, which include al-mukhabarat (secret police), also detained and tortured rights campaigners, writers and journalists who have reported or supported the protests against President Bashar al-Assad's rule.
***
From VOICE OF AMERICA:
Hamas security officials say they have found the body of an Italian activist in an abandoned Gaza City house following his abduction by radical Palestinian militants. The Italian Foreign Ministry confirmed that the man was Vittorio Arrigoni, an Italian national who worked for a pro-Palestinian group called the International Solidarity Movement. In a video posted online Thursday, Arrigoni's abductors threatened to kill him unless Hamas freed members of the Jihadist group.
***
From BBC NEWS (Asia-Pacific):
A suspected suicide bomber has attacked a mosque in Indonesia, killing himself and wounding 28 people. Most of the wounded are police officers, as the attack happened during Friday prayers at a mosque in a police compound in Cirebon, West Java.
***
From THE MAIL:
A British tourist was beaten to death by officers in a Dubai police station after being arrested for swearing. Lee Bradley Brown, 39, was on holiday at a £1,000-a-night hotel in the Arab state when he was thrown into a filthy cell. Police sources say he was ‘badly beaten up’ by a group of police officers, leaving him unconscious on the floor. Inmates told how they watched officers bundle him into a body-bag and drag him out of the building. During Mr Brown’s six days in Bur Dubai police station, guards refused to give him enough food and water and did not let him see a lawyer, it is alleged.
***
From UKPA:
Mercedes the polar bear has been put down after suffering health problems, zoo keepers have said. The 30-year-old female bear, visited by millions at Edinburgh Zoo, had advanced osteoarthritis.
Jane Harley, the Highland Wildlife Park's local veterinary consultant, said: "This has been a difficult decision for everyone who has been involved with Mercedes, but is the right decision for a very special bear."
***
THANKSGIVING
Posted by IT at GAY MARRIED CALIFORNIAN:
Delaware took a significant step toward equality Thursday when the house of representatives voted to legalize civil unions for same-sex couples. The proposal passed the senate last week and Gov. Jack Markell intends to sign the bill.
***
Posted by Shelly
at MAYBETHINKING:
For Jessie
It won't be long now!
***
If you would like to light
a candle as part of your
prayer, please click HERE,
then click on BEGIN and
follow the instructions.
Our group name is
Laika (case sensitive);
please type this into
the appropriate box
when requested.
Syria's security forces have arrested hundreds of people arbitrarily since pro-democracy protests erupted a month ago and subjected them to torture and ill-treatment, a Human Rights Watch report said Friday. The forces, which include al-mukhabarat (secret police), also detained and tortured rights campaigners, writers and journalists who have reported or supported the protests against President Bashar al-Assad's rule.
***
From VOICE OF AMERICA:
***
From BBC NEWS (Asia-Pacific):
A suspected suicide bomber has attacked a mosque in Indonesia, killing himself and wounding 28 people. Most of the wounded are police officers, as the attack happened during Friday prayers at a mosque in a police compound in Cirebon, West Java.
***
From THE MAIL:
***
From UKPA:
Jane Harley, the Highland Wildlife Park's local veterinary consultant, said: "This has been a difficult decision for everyone who has been involved with Mercedes, but is the right decision for a very special bear."
***
THANKSGIVING
Posted by IT at GAY MARRIED CALIFORNIAN:
Delaware took a significant step toward equality Thursday when the house of representatives voted to legalize civil unions for same-sex couples. The proposal passed the senate last week and Gov. Jack Markell intends to sign the bill.
***
at MAYBETHINKING:
For Jessie
It won't be long now!
***
If you would like to light
a candle as part of your
prayer, please click HERE,
then click on BEGIN and
follow the instructions.
Our group name is
Laika (case sensitive);
please type this into
the appropriate box
when requested.
Thursday, 14 April 2011
REALISATION AND MELTDOWN
I will never work as a priest again. Too many powerful people sincerely believe I should not be a priest and the truth is, I do not fit in with their concept of the Church, a concept they will do anything to protect. I know that now. I was a fool to think otherwise for so long.
My former bishop has said that I have to pay rent on the church house I am living in and I cannot afford to do that.
So, what to do now?
I doubt that it is easy for a fifty two year old man with no qualifications and no experience to get a job and anyway, I simply cannot envisage working in some tedious, rat race job whilst all the while aware of the fact that I used to be a priest. It would be a slow and painful death.
Jesus had it easy, he was only on the cross for a few hours.
My former bishop has said that I have to pay rent on the church house I am living in and I cannot afford to do that.
So, what to do now?
I doubt that it is easy for a fifty two year old man with no qualifications and no experience to get a job and anyway, I simply cannot envisage working in some tedious, rat race job whilst all the while aware of the fact that I used to be a priest. It would be a slow and painful death.
Jesus had it easy, he was only on the cross for a few hours.
HOMOPHOBE OF THE DAY
Yes, it's been a while - we were all getting bored of the repetitive nature of the haters' diatribes. But this bloke's ideas are so vile, and cause so much damage to the gospel of Jesus Christ that I have resurrected the feature just for him.
From THE RAW STORY:
The anti-gay Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is going on the attack against "those who are distorting the truth about priestly sexual abuse." The group bought an expensive full-page ad in The New York Times Monday that places the blames for the church's scandals on "homosexuality, not pedophilia." And perhaps most shockingly, it also claimed that some children were active participants in the abuse.
"The refrain that child rape is a reality in the Church is twice wrong: let’s get it straight - they weren’t children and they weren’t raped," self-appointed Catholic League president Bill Donohue wrote in the ad.
"We know from the John Jay study that most of the victims have been adolescents, and that the most common abuse has been inappropriate touching (inexcusable though this is, it is not rape)," he added, referencing a 2004 study by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, which was funded by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
"What accounts for the relentless attacks on the Church?" he asked in conclusion. "Let's face it: if its teachings were pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage and pro-women clergy, the dogs would have been called off years ago."
COMMENT: Actually, Satan's little helper may be right on that last point. The evidence shows that, although there is some abuse in denominations that are "pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage and pro-women clergy," it is nowhere near as prevalent as it is in the Roman Catholic denomination. So, yes, if Roman Catholic teachings were "pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage and pro-women clergy, the dogs would" never have gone sniffing round its vestries in the first place.
From THE RAW STORY:
The anti-gay Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is going on the attack against "those who are distorting the truth about priestly sexual abuse." The group bought an expensive full-page ad in The New York Times Monday that places the blames for the church's scandals on "homosexuality, not pedophilia." And perhaps most shockingly, it also claimed that some children were active participants in the abuse.
"The refrain that child rape is a reality in the Church is twice wrong: let’s get it straight - they weren’t children and they weren’t raped," self-appointed Catholic League president Bill Donohue wrote in the ad.
"We know from the John Jay study that most of the victims have been adolescents, and that the most common abuse has been inappropriate touching (inexcusable though this is, it is not rape)," he added, referencing a 2004 study by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, which was funded by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
"What accounts for the relentless attacks on the Church?" he asked in conclusion. "Let's face it: if its teachings were pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage and pro-women clergy, the dogs would have been called off years ago."
COMMENT: Actually, Satan's little helper may be right on that last point. The evidence shows that, although there is some abuse in denominations that are "pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage and pro-women clergy," it is nowhere near as prevalent as it is in the Roman Catholic denomination. So, yes, if Roman Catholic teachings were "pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage and pro-women clergy, the dogs would" never have gone sniffing round its vestries in the first place.
HOLY SPIRIT WINS APRIL FOOL JOKE CONTEST
From ZENIT:
The Italian-language translation of the "Youcat" is being temporarily suspended due to the erroneous translation of a question on contraception. The 300-page youth catechism was prepared in light of the upcoming World Youth Day; the text is being translated into 13 languages and will be given to some 700,000 pilgrims in their World Youth Day backpack.
The error in the Italian version is found in question 420, which asks: "Può una coppia cristiana fare ricorso ai metodi anticoncezionali?" (May a Christian couple resort to contraceptive methods?)
The answer given is "yes," and the text of the answer is the same.
The error in the Italian version is found in question 420, which asks: "Può una coppia cristiana fare ricorso ai metodi anticoncezionali?" (May a Christian couple resort to contraceptive methods?)
The answer given is "yes," and the text of the answer is the same.
SISTER MICHAEL TO THE RESCUE
From USA TODAY:
Sister Michael Marie spent nearly two weeks in Japan after the devastating earthquake and tsunami March 11, helping pet owners and farm owners cope and find hope amid the despair. Relief work is one of her callings, she says.
The 36-year-old nun from the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Clarksburg, Ohio is also a trained veterinary technician, a skill she acquired before she joined the convent.
Some people left their pets behind to go into evacuation centers and she'd go find the animals. Many stayed with their animals despite the dangers in the Fukushima prefecture and she'd visit the families and offer support during the stressful time.
COMMENT:For staying behind, Sister Michael is our . . .
BRICK OF THE DAY
Hat Tip to Deacon Greg at THE DEACON'S BENCH and thanks to Ann Fontaine for sending the story into MadPriest Towers.
The 36-year-old nun from the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Clarksburg, Ohio is also a trained veterinary technician, a skill she acquired before she joined the convent.
Some people left their pets behind to go into evacuation centers and she'd go find the animals. Many stayed with their animals despite the dangers in the Fukushima prefecture and she'd visit the families and offer support during the stressful time.
COMMENT:For staying behind, Sister Michael is our . . .
BRICK OF THE DAY
Hat Tip to Deacon Greg at THE DEACON'S BENCH and thanks to Ann Fontaine for sending the story into MadPriest Towers.
DON'T BLAME MADPRIEST, BLAME SKITTLES
I'M SHOCKED, I TELL YOU, SHOCKED!
A woman takes a lover home during the day, while her husband is at work. Unbeknownst to her, her 9 year old son was hiding in the closet. Her husband comes home unexpectedly, so she puts the lover in the closet with the little boy.
The little boy says, "Dark in here."
The man says, "Yes it is."
Boy- "I have a baseball."
Man- "That's nice."
Boy- "Want to buy it?"
Man- "No, thanks."
Boy- "My dad's outside."
Man- "OK, how much?"
Boy- "$250."
In the next few weeks, it happens again that the boy and the mom's lover are in the closet together.
Boy- "Dark in here."
Man- "Yes, it is."
Boy- "I have a baseball glove."
The lover, remembering the last time, asks the boy, "How much?"
Boy- "$750."
Man- "Fine."
A few days later, the father says to the boy, "Grab your glove. Let's go outside and toss the baseball back and forth."
The boy says, "I can't. I sold them."
The father asks, "How much did you sell them for?"
The son says "$1,000."
The father says, "That's terrible to overcharge your friends like that. That is way more than those two things cost. I'm going to take you to church and make you confess."
They go to church and the father makes the little boy sit in the confession booth and he closes the door.
The boy says, "Dark in here."
The priest says, "Don't start that shit again"
The little boy says, "Dark in here."
The man says, "Yes it is."
Boy- "I have a baseball."
Man- "That's nice."
Boy- "Want to buy it?"
Man- "No, thanks."
Boy- "My dad's outside."
Man- "OK, how much?"
Boy- "$250."
In the next few weeks, it happens again that the boy and the mom's lover are in the closet together.
Boy- "Dark in here."
Man- "Yes, it is."
Boy- "I have a baseball glove."
The lover, remembering the last time, asks the boy, "How much?"
Boy- "$750."
Man- "Fine."
A few days later, the father says to the boy, "Grab your glove. Let's go outside and toss the baseball back and forth."
The boy says, "I can't. I sold them."
The father asks, "How much did you sell them for?"
The son says "$1,000."
The father says, "That's terrible to overcharge your friends like that. That is way more than those two things cost. I'm going to take you to church and make you confess."
They go to church and the father makes the little boy sit in the confession booth and he closes the door.
The boy says, "Dark in here."
The priest says, "Don't start that shit again"
JOB SEARCH
THE PRAYER LIST - 14TH. APRIL 2011
Posted by Robert at THE RADICAL METHODIST:
I haven't been posting much due to endless headaches.
***
Posted at DIOBETH NEWSPIN:
Pray for our young men and women who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for their families:
Spc. Keith T. Buzinski, 26, of Daytona Beach, Florida
Spc. Brent M. Maher, 31, of Council Bluffs, Iowa
Pvt. Brandon T. Pickering, 21, of Fort Thomas, Kentucky
Sgt. Jose M. Caraballo Pietri, 32, of Yauco, Puerto Rico
Seaman Benjamin D. Rast, 23, of Niles, Michigan
Staff Sgt. Jason A. Rogers, 28, of Brandon, Mississippi
Staff Sgt. Jeremy D. Smith, 26, of Arlington, Texas
Sgt. Vorasack T. Xaysana, 30, of Westminster, Colorado
Pray also for the fallen heroes also of our coalition partners, and for the citizens of Iraq and Afghanistan who have died, unnamed and unknown to us, and for those who mourn ... and for an end to this endless war.
***
From XINHUA NEWS AGENCY:
Security forces have clashed with thousands of anti-government protesters in southern Yemen. At least one person was killed during Wednesday's crackdown in the region's main city, Aden. Supported by tanks and artillery, the army and anti-riot police fired live ammunition and tear gas into the crowd.
***
From AFP:
Three Afghan policemen were killed Thursday when Taliban militants struck at a police training centre in Aryoob Zazai district, Paktia province, in the second suicide attack to hit eastern Afghanistan in as many days.
***
If you would like to light
a candle as part of your
prayer, please click HERE,
then click on BEGIN and
follow the instructions.
Our group name is
Laika (case sensitive);
please type this into
the appropriate box
when requested.
I haven't been posting much due to endless headaches.
***
Posted at DIOBETH NEWSPIN:
Pray for our young men and women who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for their families:
Spc. Keith T. Buzinski, 26, of Daytona Beach, Florida
Spc. Brent M. Maher, 31, of Council Bluffs, Iowa
Pvt. Brandon T. Pickering, 21, of Fort Thomas, Kentucky
Sgt. Jose M. Caraballo Pietri, 32, of Yauco, Puerto Rico
Seaman Benjamin D. Rast, 23, of Niles, Michigan
Staff Sgt. Jason A. Rogers, 28, of Brandon, Mississippi
Staff Sgt. Jeremy D. Smith, 26, of Arlington, Texas
Sgt. Vorasack T. Xaysana, 30, of Westminster, Colorado
Pray also for the fallen heroes also of our coalition partners, and for the citizens of Iraq and Afghanistan who have died, unnamed and unknown to us, and for those who mourn ... and for an end to this endless war.
***
From XINHUA NEWS AGENCY:
Security forces have clashed with thousands of anti-government protesters in southern Yemen. At least one person was killed during Wednesday's crackdown in the region's main city, Aden. Supported by tanks and artillery, the army and anti-riot police fired live ammunition and tear gas into the crowd.
***
From AFP:
Three Afghan policemen were killed Thursday when Taliban militants struck at a police training centre in Aryoob Zazai district, Paktia province, in the second suicide attack to hit eastern Afghanistan in as many days.
***
If you would like to light
a candle as part of your
prayer, please click HERE,
then click on BEGIN and
follow the instructions.
Our group name is
Laika (case sensitive);
please type this into
the appropriate box
when requested.
MADPRIEST DIGS . . .
When I saw this album cover I very nearly passed it by. I assumed it was some home recording by a talentless teenager whose boyfriend had told her she could sing just to get inside her pants.
What a fool I would have been. Sam Roark is the most talented new country singer I have heard in a long, long time. She is a delight to listen to and her choice of songs is perfect for her voice. On checking her website I see that she is already making inroads into the Nashville charts and I'm not surprised.
She also, although still very young, has a tale to tell that explains her natural affinity with country music.
SAM'S WEBSITE
PURCHASE VIA MADPRIEST'S AMAZON STORE
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Our good friend, Terry, has posted another of his excellent "Best Of" lists on his educational resource site, THEOLOGY DEGREES.
This one is entitled "For Better or For Worse: Top 10 Gay Marriage Blogs," and anybody with an interest in the issues surrounding same sex, long term relationships should check it out to make sure their blogroll is up to date.
And while you're at it, check out the rest of this website as it is bulging with interesting stuff like the swimming trunks of a lifeguard working on a nudist beach.
This one is entitled "For Better or For Worse: Top 10 Gay Marriage Blogs," and anybody with an interest in the issues surrounding same sex, long term relationships should check it out to make sure their blogroll is up to date.
And while you're at it, check out the rest of this website as it is bulging with interesting stuff like the swimming trunks of a lifeguard working on a nudist beach.
LIKE PRESIDENT LIKE PUPPET BISHOP
From VOICE OF AMERICA:
A long-running dispute in the Anglican Church Diocese of Harare, Zimbabwe, hit a new low on Sunday when supporters of former bishop Nolbert Kunonga prevented the burial of a long-time Anglican parishioner because he belonged to a rival faction. The Kunonga loyalists blocked the burial of lifelong church worker Edward Rinashe, 70, in St. Mary's Cemetery in the Harare satellite town of Chitungwiza because he refused to recognize Kunonga’s authority and attended services led by Bishop Chad Gandiya, designated head of the diocese by the Province of Central Africa.
The Kunonga faction has been supported by the police over the years in gaining and maintaining control over disputed church property and claims ownership of all Anglican Church properties. Kunonga has been a staunch political ally of President Robert Mugabe.
Witnesses said that after skirmishes at St. Mary’s Cemetery Rinashe’s coffin was taken back to the funeral home which had prepared him for interment.
COMMENT: Kunonga is an outspoken homophobe. This may explain why there has been an almost complete silence emanating from the churches of the world about the abominable situation in Zimbabwe.
A long-running dispute in the Anglican Church Diocese of Harare, Zimbabwe, hit a new low on Sunday when supporters of former bishop Nolbert Kunonga prevented the burial of a long-time Anglican parishioner because he belonged to a rival faction. The Kunonga loyalists blocked the burial of lifelong church worker Edward Rinashe, 70, in St. Mary's Cemetery in the Harare satellite town of Chitungwiza because he refused to recognize Kunonga’s authority and attended services led by Bishop Chad Gandiya, designated head of the diocese by the Province of Central Africa.
The Kunonga faction has been supported by the police over the years in gaining and maintaining control over disputed church property and claims ownership of all Anglican Church properties. Kunonga has been a staunch political ally of President Robert Mugabe.
Witnesses said that after skirmishes at St. Mary’s Cemetery Rinashe’s coffin was taken back to the funeral home which had prepared him for interment.
COMMENT: Kunonga is an outspoken homophobe. This may explain why there has been an almost complete silence emanating from the churches of the world about the abominable situation in Zimbabwe.
WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE . . .
From THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION NEWS SERVICE:
The heads of Christian churches in Jerusalem have come out against the Israel’ government’s attempts to impose new taxes on churches. (Their statement) points out that such impositions mark “a radical departure from the consistent practice of every previous State to have governed any part of the Holy Land, including the Ottoman empire, the British Mandate, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the State of Israel itself". The new aggressive policy is " direct contradiction to the mandate of the United Nations Organization" on the founding of the State of Israel (Resolution 181 of November 29, 1947), which applies not only to Jerusalem but also to the two national states that it [The UN] authorizes to be established in the Holy Land. These new charges contradict the solemn promises given to the Churches by successive Israeli governments, most notably confirmed in the wake of the June 1967 war. Any person of good will must understand that the abrupt imposition of unprecedented new taxation on the Christian Churches could only come at the expense of their ability to maintain their presence in the Holy Land and to continue their ministries of pastoral care, education, welfare and health."
COMMENT: They should be careful. The last Christian to go around telling the tax collectors of Israel to repent ended up being treated rather badly by the authorities.
Of course, I expect this will all be Desmond Tutu's fault. If he had kept his mouth shut about the situation of Palestinians in the Holy Land in stead of blurting out the truth like some Old Testament prophet calling the world to account in the name of God, the Israelis would probably not be so pissed with Christians at this moment in time. But then, perhaps I am reading too much into the situation. I mean this is about money and the Jewish Israelis, despite unfair stereotyping, do not have the monopoly on greed.
The heads of Christian churches in Jerusalem have come out against the Israel’ government’s attempts to impose new taxes on churches. (Their statement) points out that such impositions mark “a radical departure from the consistent practice of every previous State to have governed any part of the Holy Land, including the Ottoman empire, the British Mandate, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the State of Israel itself". The new aggressive policy is " direct contradiction to the mandate of the United Nations Organization" on the founding of the State of Israel (Resolution 181 of November 29, 1947), which applies not only to Jerusalem but also to the two national states that it [The UN] authorizes to be established in the Holy Land. These new charges contradict the solemn promises given to the Churches by successive Israeli governments, most notably confirmed in the wake of the June 1967 war. Any person of good will must understand that the abrupt imposition of unprecedented new taxation on the Christian Churches could only come at the expense of their ability to maintain their presence in the Holy Land and to continue their ministries of pastoral care, education, welfare and health."
COMMENT: They should be careful. The last Christian to go around telling the tax collectors of Israel to repent ended up being treated rather badly by the authorities.
Of course, I expect this will all be Desmond Tutu's fault. If he had kept his mouth shut about the situation of Palestinians in the Holy Land in stead of blurting out the truth like some Old Testament prophet calling the world to account in the name of God, the Israelis would probably not be so pissed with Christians at this moment in time. But then, perhaps I am reading too much into the situation. I mean this is about money and the Jewish Israelis, despite unfair stereotyping, do not have the monopoly on greed.
DON'T BLAME MADPRIEST, BLAME BRUCE
Why I Am now Divorced
Last Thursday was my birthday. After getting out of bed I went downstairs for breakfast hoping my husband would be pleasant and say, 'Happy Birthday’' and possibly have a small present for me. As it turned out, he barely said good morning, let alone ' Happy Birthday.'
I thought.... Well, that's marriage for you, but the kids.... they will remember.
My kids came bounding down stairs to breakfast and didn't say a word. So when I left for the office I felt pretty low and somewhat despondent. As I walked into my office, my handsome Boss Rick, said, 'Good Morning, lady, and by the way Happy Birthday!' It felt a little better that at least someone had remembered.
I worked until one o'clock, when Rick knocked on my door and said, 'You know, It's such a beautiful day outside, and it is your Birthday, what do you say we go out to lunch, just you and me.'
I said, 'Thanks, Rick, that's the greatest thing I've heard all day. Let's go!'
We went to lunch. But we didn't go where we normally would go. He chose instead a quiet bistro with a private table. We had two martinis each and I enjoyed the meal tremendously.
On the way back to the office, Rick said, 'You know, It's such a beautiful day... We don't need to go straight back to the office, Do We?'
I responded, 'I guess not. What do you have in mind?'
He said, 'Let's drop by my place, it's just around the corner.'
After arriving at his house, Rick turned to me and said, If you don't mind, I'm going to step into the bedroom for just a moment. I'll be right back.'
'Ok.' I nervously replied.
He went into the bedroom and, after a couple of minutes, he came out carrying a huge birthday cake ... Followed by my husband, my kids, and dozens of my friends and co-workers, all singing 'Happy Birthday'.
And I just sat there....
...On the couch...
...Naked.
Last Thursday was my birthday. After getting out of bed I went downstairs for breakfast hoping my husband would be pleasant and say, 'Happy Birthday’' and possibly have a small present for me. As it turned out, he barely said good morning, let alone ' Happy Birthday.'
I thought.... Well, that's marriage for you, but the kids.... they will remember.
My kids came bounding down stairs to breakfast and didn't say a word. So when I left for the office I felt pretty low and somewhat despondent. As I walked into my office, my handsome Boss Rick, said, 'Good Morning, lady, and by the way Happy Birthday!' It felt a little better that at least someone had remembered.
I worked until one o'clock, when Rick knocked on my door and said, 'You know, It's such a beautiful day outside, and it is your Birthday, what do you say we go out to lunch, just you and me.'
I said, 'Thanks, Rick, that's the greatest thing I've heard all day. Let's go!'
We went to lunch. But we didn't go where we normally would go. He chose instead a quiet bistro with a private table. We had two martinis each and I enjoyed the meal tremendously.
On the way back to the office, Rick said, 'You know, It's such a beautiful day... We don't need to go straight back to the office, Do We?'
I responded, 'I guess not. What do you have in mind?'
He said, 'Let's drop by my place, it's just around the corner.'
After arriving at his house, Rick turned to me and said, If you don't mind, I'm going to step into the bedroom for just a moment. I'll be right back.'
'Ok.' I nervously replied.
He went into the bedroom and, after a couple of minutes, he came out carrying a huge birthday cake ... Followed by my husband, my kids, and dozens of my friends and co-workers, all singing 'Happy Birthday'.
And I just sat there....
...On the couch...
...Naked.
A CHURCH DIVORCED FROM REALITY
Posted by Suem at SIGNIFICANT TRUTHS:
News today that Nick Holtam is to be the next Bishop of Salisbury. He will be the first bishop married to a divorcee to be appointed, although I think there are those who have married divorcees after their appointment. Nick Holtam is Liberal Catholic, a member of Inclusive Church. He supported Changing Attitude in holding their 10th anniversary at St Martin's in the Fields and welcomed Gene Robinson to attend.
COMMENT: It is always good news when a good man is chosen to lead God's people. Mind you, it was only to be expected in this case as the Diocese of Salisbury is renowned for choosing Christ-centred priests for its episcopal throne. However, nowadays we can take nothing for granted (see: Appointment of Rowan Williams as Archbishop of Canterbury) and so must be grateful that the Church of England has not yet been hijacked completely by the narrow minded and their strange bedfellows, liberal wimps and appeasers.
Although it should not be, the big news here is the demotion of a priest to the episcopacy who is already married to a person who has, in the past, undergone the painful, human process of going through a divorce. Of course, in the Kingdom of God, this should never be a big deal and in this particular case, to make a song and dance about it, is ridiculous. I understand the future first lady of the Diocese of Salisbury, was married and divorced as a teenager. Heck, we all make mistakes - remember, Jesus, the dog and the crumbs under the table? The vote last year to allow the episcopal office to include people in such situations was absolutely right, just and downright Christian.
Now that we have bishops (a person in authority over us) who are in second marriages (at, least for one of the partners) there is no reason why questions regarding marital history should not be removed from clergy application forms and banned from discussion in interviews. If you have been previously married you need to get special permission from the Archbishop of Canterbury to be ordained. This permission follows a lengthy and intrusive enquiry. That should be enough. If you have been judged to be of the moral character necessary in a priest by the highest representative of the national church then I do not believe anybody else in the church, at any level, has the right to enquire further about past marital circumstances or make negative decisions concerning the employment of a priest who has been judged worthy under, one hopes, the influence of the Holy Spirit. It is particularly vile to pry into the sexual past of the person in the partnership who is not being considered for holy orders. Such abusive questioning is not allowed by law in secular employment situations. This is another example of the Church having to catch up with the moral superiority of much of the world outside its sacred ring fences.
News today that Nick Holtam is to be the next Bishop of Salisbury. He will be the first bishop married to a divorcee to be appointed, although I think there are those who have married divorcees after their appointment. Nick Holtam is Liberal Catholic, a member of Inclusive Church. He supported Changing Attitude in holding their 10th anniversary at St Martin's in the Fields and welcomed Gene Robinson to attend.
COMMENT: It is always good news when a good man is chosen to lead God's people. Mind you, it was only to be expected in this case as the Diocese of Salisbury is renowned for choosing Christ-centred priests for its episcopal throne. However, nowadays we can take nothing for granted (see: Appointment of Rowan Williams as Archbishop of Canterbury) and so must be grateful that the Church of England has not yet been hijacked completely by the narrow minded and their strange bedfellows, liberal wimps and appeasers.
Although it should not be, the big news here is the demotion of a priest to the episcopacy who is already married to a person who has, in the past, undergone the painful, human process of going through a divorce. Of course, in the Kingdom of God, this should never be a big deal and in this particular case, to make a song and dance about it, is ridiculous. I understand the future first lady of the Diocese of Salisbury, was married and divorced as a teenager. Heck, we all make mistakes - remember, Jesus, the dog and the crumbs under the table? The vote last year to allow the episcopal office to include people in such situations was absolutely right, just and downright Christian.
THE PRAYER LIST - 13TH. APRIL 2011
Posted at WITH A SONG IN MY HEART
(see THE PRAYER LIST 8th. April 2011):
Eric went home from hospital yesterday. It sounds like he's still pretty uncomfortable, and he will be on medication for a long time, but is stable.
***
Please pray for MadPriest's friend, Kevin. His mother, Shirley died last Thursday after quite a long illness. It was expected and even prayed for, but it is still sad for her family and friends. Kevin lives some distance away from his mother's home and has made many journeys over the last few months to be with her. He was at her bedside when she passed away. The funeral will take place next Monday.
***
Please pray for me. I am pretty certain that I have now reached the endgame as far the Anglican Church is concerned and my attitude to living outside of the Church has, over the last year and a half, moved from anger and incomprehension to a begrudging acceptance and incomprehension. I will find out over the next couple of days if I am correct in my understanding of my situation. If, as I believe will be the case because of past experiences, the outcome is negative then I will have some huge decisions to make. But the hardest thing to cope with is the thought that my life is over - that my "great life's work," my vocation, my calling, has been thwarted by a series of unfortunate circumstances and by people who view the Church as a career or institution or social club, and not as the Kingdom of God on earth.
***
From THE ENFIELD INDEPENDENT:
London Ambulance Service has announced plans to cut 890 jobs over the next five years to save money. The service is aiming to cut £53m in spending between now and 2015, including axing 560 frontline jobs dealing directly with patients.
This is just one example of the cuts being made in my country following the bailing out of rich bankers a couple of years ago. Of course, cuts to our welfare services will result in the increase of the suffering of people and death. But, because of my own situation, my heart goes out mostly to those who are facing unemployment. It will be hard enough to deal with the financial problems that unemployment brings and feelings of uselessness. But on top of this our welfare system in England is deliberately designed to degrade its clients, make unemployment very unpleasant and shame the unemployed into getting a job. Of course, if there are no jobs to get then we are left with hundreds of thousands of degraded, miserable, shamed citizens who believe they have nothing to live for.
***
From SKY NEWS:
Police have criticised a website which is warning people not to "snitch" on those behind the shooting of a five-year-old girl. It features a video of youths rapping against talking to officers and was set up after Thusha Kamaleswaran was seriously injured when a gunman fired into a shop in south London. A message on the website says: "No-one likes a rat. Remember the police are not your friend." Leaflets telling people not to contact police were also posted through doors near the crime scene.
Thusha, remains in serious but stable condition in hospital.
***
From BBC NEWS (Africa):
Police in Swaziland have used tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters calling for elections in Africa's last absolute monarchy. The demonstrations were called to mark the 38th anniversary of the banning of political parties. The authorities have banned the protests and arrested five organisers.
***
From REUTERS:
Hundreds of women from a Syrian town that has witnessed mass arrests of its male population took to Syria's main coastal highway on Wednesday to demand their release.
***
From BBC NEWS (Africa):
Ivory Coast's new President Alassane Ouattara must put a stop to reprisal attacks against followers of his rival, Amnesty International has said. The UK-based rights group said armed men in uniforms were conducting house-to-house searches in Abidjan looking for Laurent Gbagbo's supporters. Many people in the west of the country had also fled to hide in the bush after villages had been burned, it said.
***
THANKSGIVING
From Ellie Finlay:
I would like to offer thanksgiving for the grace of my vocation on this the 17th anniversary of my Solemn (life) Profession.
***
Posted by Kelli Anne Busey at PLANETTRANSGENDER:
HB235 Killed in the Eleventh Hour! WE WON!
Our hard work and determination killed the "anti-discrimination bill" without public accommodations provisions! The Maryland transgender groups Transmaryland and Trans-United members, the past Equality Maryland Board President, current EQMD members and allies lobbied legislators so passionatly to oppose this bill apparently made a impression connecting with there need to "Do the Right Thing" in this desperate eleventh hour.
***
If you would like to light
a candle as part of your
prayer, please click HERE,
then click on BEGIN and
follow the instructions.
Our group name is
Laika (case sensitive);
please type this into
the appropriate box
when requested.
(see THE PRAYER LIST 8th. April 2011):
Eric went home from hospital yesterday. It sounds like he's still pretty uncomfortable, and he will be on medication for a long time, but is stable.
***
Please pray for MadPriest's friend, Kevin. His mother, Shirley died last Thursday after quite a long illness. It was expected and even prayed for, but it is still sad for her family and friends. Kevin lives some distance away from his mother's home and has made many journeys over the last few months to be with her. He was at her bedside when she passed away. The funeral will take place next Monday.
***
Please pray for me. I am pretty certain that I have now reached the endgame as far the Anglican Church is concerned and my attitude to living outside of the Church has, over the last year and a half, moved from anger and incomprehension to a begrudging acceptance and incomprehension. I will find out over the next couple of days if I am correct in my understanding of my situation. If, as I believe will be the case because of past experiences, the outcome is negative then I will have some huge decisions to make. But the hardest thing to cope with is the thought that my life is over - that my "great life's work," my vocation, my calling, has been thwarted by a series of unfortunate circumstances and by people who view the Church as a career or institution or social club, and not as the Kingdom of God on earth.
***
From THE ENFIELD INDEPENDENT:
London Ambulance Service has announced plans to cut 890 jobs over the next five years to save money. The service is aiming to cut £53m in spending between now and 2015, including axing 560 frontline jobs dealing directly with patients.
This is just one example of the cuts being made in my country following the bailing out of rich bankers a couple of years ago. Of course, cuts to our welfare services will result in the increase of the suffering of people and death. But, because of my own situation, my heart goes out mostly to those who are facing unemployment. It will be hard enough to deal with the financial problems that unemployment brings and feelings of uselessness. But on top of this our welfare system in England is deliberately designed to degrade its clients, make unemployment very unpleasant and shame the unemployed into getting a job. Of course, if there are no jobs to get then we are left with hundreds of thousands of degraded, miserable, shamed citizens who believe they have nothing to live for.
***
From SKY NEWS:
Police have criticised a website which is warning people not to "snitch" on those behind the shooting of a five-year-old girl. It features a video of youths rapping against talking to officers and was set up after Thusha Kamaleswaran was seriously injured when a gunman fired into a shop in south London. A message on the website says: "No-one likes a rat. Remember the police are not your friend." Leaflets telling people not to contact police were also posted through doors near the crime scene.
Thusha, remains in serious but stable condition in hospital.
***
From BBC NEWS (Africa):
Police in Swaziland have used tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters calling for elections in Africa's last absolute monarchy. The demonstrations were called to mark the 38th anniversary of the banning of political parties. The authorities have banned the protests and arrested five organisers.
***
From REUTERS:
Hundreds of women from a Syrian town that has witnessed mass arrests of its male population took to Syria's main coastal highway on Wednesday to demand their release.
***
From BBC NEWS (Africa):
***
THANKSGIVING
From Ellie Finlay:I would like to offer thanksgiving for the grace of my vocation on this the 17th anniversary of my Solemn (life) Profession.
***
Posted by Kelli Anne Busey at PLANETTRANSGENDER:
HB235 Killed in the Eleventh Hour! WE WON!
Our hard work and determination killed the "anti-discrimination bill" without public accommodations provisions! The Maryland transgender groups Transmaryland and Trans-United members, the past Equality Maryland Board President, current EQMD members and allies lobbied legislators so passionatly to oppose this bill apparently made a impression connecting with there need to "Do the Right Thing" in this desperate eleventh hour.
***
If you would like to light
a candle as part of your
prayer, please click HERE,
then click on BEGIN and
follow the instructions.
Our group name is
Laika (case sensitive);
please type this into
the appropriate box
when requested.
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
AMAZING RECORD SLEEVES OF ALL TIME
What on earth is going on here?
My guess is that the photographer
is asking but the band is refusing.
My guess is that the photographer
is asking but the band is refusing.
MADPRIEST'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Definition of a paranoid person: Somebody you have let down and hurt so many times in the past they do not trust you anymore.
PINKO NEWS
Longstanding friend of OCICBW..., Elizabeth Kaeton continues to pursue her new career as the Episcopal Lady Ga Ga, by following up her smash hit single, "I'm A Lesbian," recorded under the pseudonym, Lizzy The Lezzy, with the brand new track, "I'm A Lefty." This time she is backed by the band, THE STINKIN' PINKOS. And very stirring it is, too. Raise the red flag and woman the barricades, peeps! You have nothing to lose but your medicare.
COMING HOME TO ROOST
From my local newspaper, THE CHRONICLE.
The Church of England was today under pressure to explain why it employed a verger at Newcastle Cathedral - knowing he had a sex conviction. MPs today called for an investigation after (a man), who worked at St Nicholas’s Cathedral, was found guilty of three counts of indecently assaulting a boy in Llandaff, Cardiff, 20 years ago. The 58-year-old already had a previous conviction for gross indecency in a public toilet with another man.
Jurors at Cardiff Crown Court heard how he worked as a head verger in a church in Wales, where he groomed and indecently assaulted the schoolboy.
North East MPs today branded the case a disgrace and called for the Church of England to be “held accountable”.
Chi Onwurah, MP for Newcastle’s central constituency, told the Chronicle today: “I think the church is accountable for who it employs. Faith is put in the church for people chosen to take on positions of such great trust as Mr Adams. When that trust is broken there are terrible consequences.
“I expect the church in Newcastle to explain itself in this case and be held accountable on how and why this man was employed.
“I would like to see that the church’s investigations into how this happen are open and honest. They need to understand the deep sense of betrayal these crimes engender.”
COMMENT: Oh, the story I could tell.
The Church of England was today under pressure to explain why it employed a verger at Newcastle Cathedral - knowing he had a sex conviction. MPs today called for an investigation after (a man), who worked at St Nicholas’s Cathedral, was found guilty of three counts of indecently assaulting a boy in Llandaff, Cardiff, 20 years ago. The 58-year-old already had a previous conviction for gross indecency in a public toilet with another man.
Jurors at Cardiff Crown Court heard how he worked as a head verger in a church in Wales, where he groomed and indecently assaulted the schoolboy.
North East MPs today branded the case a disgrace and called for the Church of England to be “held accountable”.
Chi Onwurah, MP for Newcastle’s central constituency, told the Chronicle today: “I think the church is accountable for who it employs. Faith is put in the church for people chosen to take on positions of such great trust as Mr Adams. When that trust is broken there are terrible consequences.
“I expect the church in Newcastle to explain itself in this case and be held accountable on how and why this man was employed.
“I would like to see that the church’s investigations into how this happen are open and honest. They need to understand the deep sense of betrayal these crimes engender.”
COMMENT: Oh, the story I could tell.
CHIT CHAT (10)
"Chit Chat" is a weekly posting in which I simply give you a word, or short phrase, and you then just waffle on about the subject in any way you see fit.
If the number of comments on any one Chit Chat 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!
Following on from the
blackbird post below,
your subject for
discussion this week is:
MY FAVOURITE SOUND
I would suggest that if you want this thread to be interesting and lead to conversation you should give some explanation for your choice.
If the number of comments on any one Chit Chat 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!
Following on from the
blackbird post below,
your subject for
discussion this week is:
MY FAVOURITE SOUND
I would suggest that if you want this thread to be interesting and lead to conversation you should give some explanation for your choice.
FROM OUT OF THE SONG
I know when spring has arrived. It is on that first, mild evening of the year when the male blackbird finds a high perch and sings his little heart out as if he was a messenger with most wonderful news for the whole world.
It is, by far, my favourite birdsong, and I have heard the nightingale, lark and song thrush. Complicated and unique to each bird it has been shown to include the regular sounds of the blackbird's neighbourhood. Children playing, the conversation of other creatures and even the sound of passing traffic can be mimicked and included within this dusktime, avian sonata. Maybe it is the gritty reality and everydayness of his song that draws me, in the same way that I am drawn to soul rather than classical music.
I have been thinking about the blackbird's song for some time, meditating on its complexity, and I have come to the conclusion that within it may lie the reason for that which makes us human beings.
I expect that once, hundreds of thousands of years ago, when our species inhabited the forests of Africa, that we were as limited in the sounds we could make as our cousins, the chimpanzees and bonobos, still are today. But as the climate changed and the savannah grew, humans came out of the forest and began to explore and then inhabit the open spaces of the plains. Perhaps we found that the more variation there was in the notes of our calls to each other across the vast spaces of our new home the more possible it was to hear each other at a distance. There may be a remnant of this in yodelling and the vocal acrobatics of the people of Mali and elsewhere in the world.
At this point I can imagine the intelligence of evolution kicking in and the gradual invention of the larynx which in turn led to more complicated calls and songs. My guess is that eventually humans discovered that the voice box was capable of far more subtlety than just loud cries and that we began to speak to each other. Nothing complicated at first, but our brains responded by growing in size and capability in order to accommodate and enable our new skill.
I do not believe that humans are intelligent and animals are not. I think intelligence is on a scale and human intelligence has evolved far ahead of other creatures because of our gradual use of language and the evolution of the human brain to make this possible.
To me the clincher for my proposal is that humans have a widget in their brains that makes the sounds of people talking sound like talking. If we did not have this widget we would hear singing all the time as human speech is made up of different notes. Our brains evolved this ability quite late on in our evolution which says to me that we were originally singers not talkers.
Who know, perhaps one day, in the far distant future, blackbirds will have evolved in the same way from out of their song and any human beings that are still around will actually be able to understand the wonderful news the blackbirds keep trying to tell us.
THE PRAYER LIST - 12TH. APRIL 2011
Posted at the MAD PADRE blog:
By Lindsay Wise, Houston Chronicle, April 9, 2011
Marine veteran Clay Hunt... took his own life at his Sugar Land apartment (last week). The 28-year-old had narrowly escaped death in Iraq four years ago, when a sniper's bullet missed his head by inches. But he wrestled with post-traumatic stress disorder and survivor's guilt over the deaths of four friends in his platoon who weren't so lucky.
"Two were lost in Iraq, and the other two were killed in Afghanistan," said his mother, Susan Selke. "When that last one in Afghanistan went down, it just undid him."
In many ways, Hunt's death is all too familiar: the haunted veteran consumed by a war he can't stop fighting. Suicides among Texans younger than 35 who served in the military jumped from 47 in 2006 to 66 in 2009 — an increase of 40 percent, according to state records.
Hunt's suicide was baffling to friends and family, but not because he hid his struggle or failed to get help. It baffled them because he faced it, head-on, leading from the front like any good Marine.
***
Posted by Tracie at ON HOLLADAY:
Remembering and Praying
For Jenny, my coworker, who lost her father today.
For Mike T, another coworker, who lost his wife over the weekend, very suddenly and very unexpectedly.
For my ex Dann, who says he's in stage 4 renal failure, and who just got back from the hospital having some diabetic ulcers treated.
***
From WADE:
Posted on the website of The Cathedral Church of St. Luke:
Dear Cathedral Family,
It is with great sadness that I bring news of the death of The Very Rev. Donald Webster, Dean Emeritus. Father Webster suffered a stroke on Saturday night and passed away early this morning. Father Webster deeply loved and was deeply loved by the Cathedral and it's people. Our prayers are with his wife Priscilla and their children.
A service will be held this coming Saturday, April 16, at 10:00am in the Nave.
If anybody gets a moment to say a prayer or two for Father Webster I'd appreciate it. St. Luke's has been Welcoming/Affirming for over 40 years, dating back to before there were words for describing the practice.
The first time Victor and I attended Mass at St. Luke's we enjoyed a thought provoking sermon by this curmudgeonly Priest. He shook our hands on the way out, and I was surprised at his reply when I asked if the Parish welcomed gay couples. As was typical of Father Webster it was short and to the point.
"I should hope so!"
We've been at home here ever since.
***
Posted by Sam Norton at ELIZAPHANIAN:
A few weeks ago Ollie managed to snap the cruciate ligament in his right knee, and had surgery to correct it. Unfortunately he then managed to tear the sutures inside the wound, which meant that his kneecap started wandering around. He had a second operation last Friday to correct this, and has since been in this heavy bandage and confined, not just to the house, but often to a cage in my study, to inhibit exercise. Please send up some thoughts or prayers for him, he's getting lots of love for all of us, but he's still a poor sorry beastie!
***
From THE NEW YORK TIMES:
Japan has decided to raise its assessment of the accident at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to the worst rating on an international scale, putting the disaster on par with the 1986 Chernobyl explosion, the Japanese nuclear regulatory agency said on Tuesday.
The decision to raise the alert level to 7 from 5 on the scale amounts to an admission that the accident at the nuclear facility, brought on by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, is likely to have substantial and long-lasting consequences for health and for the environment. Some in the nuclear industry have been saying for weeks that the accident released large amounts of radiation, but Japanese officials had played down this possibility.
***
From THE INDEPENDENT:
Eleven people were reported dead and 126 injured last night after an explosion at a metro station in the Belarusian capital of Minsk. Much about the blast was unclear yesterday evening, including who may have been behind it.
***
From REUTERS (Africa):
Ugandan police charged Uganda's main opposition leader and detained others as they prepared to march in protest over rising food and fuel prices in the east African country. Police charged Kizza Besigye, President Yoweri Museveni's closest rival in February elections, with inciting unrest after arresting him near his home in the capital Kampala. A Reuters witness said Besigye was bundled into a police vehicle. Civil society and opposition parties were planning to hold a "Walk to Work" protest on Monday over rising food and fuel prices in the east African country.
***
From THE GUARDIAN:
Global spending on arms amounts to more than $1.6tn (£0.96tn), with South American and Africa accounting for the biggest increases last year.
***
THANKSGIVING:
Posted by UKVIEWER at JOURNEYOFDICOVERY:
Had my latest DDO interview today. Again, a positive one with much food for thought, reflection and prayer at the end of it. Things are now starting to move forward a little. The DDO has concluded that I am now ready for the next step (a Diocesan Panel) in the next week or so.
I thought that I would be anxious about this, but it just seems that the relaxed, settled feelings that I have been blessed with, have continued. A gift for one, who is by nature a worrier and frets at things, when they do not move on quickly enough.
***
Posted by Red at APPLES OF GOLD in the
comments to her post "Disappointment":
I do feel peaceful about it all now. Had lots of lovely words from people at church and the vicar was talking to me about what he would like me to be involved in anyway so I feel less 'rejected' now!!!
***
If you would like to light
a candle as part of your
prayer, please click HERE,
then click on BEGIN and
follow the instructions.
Our group name is
Laika (case sensitive);
please type this into
the appropriate box
when requested.
Marine veteran Clay Hunt... took his own life at his Sugar Land apartment (last week). The 28-year-old had narrowly escaped death in Iraq four years ago, when a sniper's bullet missed his head by inches. But he wrestled with post-traumatic stress disorder and survivor's guilt over the deaths of four friends in his platoon who weren't so lucky.
"Two were lost in Iraq, and the other two were killed in Afghanistan," said his mother, Susan Selke. "When that last one in Afghanistan went down, it just undid him."
In many ways, Hunt's death is all too familiar: the haunted veteran consumed by a war he can't stop fighting. Suicides among Texans younger than 35 who served in the military jumped from 47 in 2006 to 66 in 2009 — an increase of 40 percent, according to state records.
Hunt's suicide was baffling to friends and family, but not because he hid his struggle or failed to get help. It baffled them because he faced it, head-on, leading from the front like any good Marine.
***
Posted by Tracie at ON HOLLADAY:
Remembering and Praying
For Jenny, my coworker, who lost her father today.
For Mike T, another coworker, who lost his wife over the weekend, very suddenly and very unexpectedly.
For my ex Dann, who says he's in stage 4 renal failure, and who just got back from the hospital having some diabetic ulcers treated.
***
From WADE:
Posted on the website of The Cathedral Church of St. Luke:
Dear Cathedral Family,
It is with great sadness that I bring news of the death of The Very Rev. Donald Webster, Dean Emeritus. Father Webster suffered a stroke on Saturday night and passed away early this morning. Father Webster deeply loved and was deeply loved by the Cathedral and it's people. Our prayers are with his wife Priscilla and their children.
A service will be held this coming Saturday, April 16, at 10:00am in the Nave.
If anybody gets a moment to say a prayer or two for Father Webster I'd appreciate it. St. Luke's has been Welcoming/Affirming for over 40 years, dating back to before there were words for describing the practice.
The first time Victor and I attended Mass at St. Luke's we enjoyed a thought provoking sermon by this curmudgeonly Priest. He shook our hands on the way out, and I was surprised at his reply when I asked if the Parish welcomed gay couples. As was typical of Father Webster it was short and to the point.
"I should hope so!"
We've been at home here ever since.
***
Posted by Sam Norton at ELIZAPHANIAN:
A few weeks ago Ollie managed to snap the cruciate ligament in his right knee, and had surgery to correct it. Unfortunately he then managed to tear the sutures inside the wound, which meant that his kneecap started wandering around. He had a second operation last Friday to correct this, and has since been in this heavy bandage and confined, not just to the house, but often to a cage in my study, to inhibit exercise. Please send up some thoughts or prayers for him, he's getting lots of love for all of us, but he's still a poor sorry beastie!
***
From THE NEW YORK TIMES:
Japan has decided to raise its assessment of the accident at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to the worst rating on an international scale, putting the disaster on par with the 1986 Chernobyl explosion, the Japanese nuclear regulatory agency said on Tuesday.
The decision to raise the alert level to 7 from 5 on the scale amounts to an admission that the accident at the nuclear facility, brought on by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, is likely to have substantial and long-lasting consequences for health and for the environment. Some in the nuclear industry have been saying for weeks that the accident released large amounts of radiation, but Japanese officials had played down this possibility.
***
From THE INDEPENDENT:
***
From REUTERS (Africa):
***
From THE GUARDIAN:
Global spending on arms amounts to more than $1.6tn (£0.96tn), with South American and Africa accounting for the biggest increases last year.
***
THANKSGIVING:
Posted by UKVIEWER at JOURNEYOFDICOVERY:
I thought that I would be anxious about this, but it just seems that the relaxed, settled feelings that I have been blessed with, have continued. A gift for one, who is by nature a worrier and frets at things, when they do not move on quickly enough.
***
Posted by Red at APPLES OF GOLD in the
comments to her post "Disappointment":
***
If you would like to light
a candle as part of your
prayer, please click HERE,
then click on BEGIN and
follow the instructions.
Our group name is
Laika (case sensitive);
please type this into
the appropriate box
when requested.
Monday, 11 April 2011
ELSEWHERE ON THE OCICBW... EXPERIENCE
A guest sermon by Themethatisme has just been posted
at ST. LAIKA'S. As always, it is well worth reading.
Themethatisme has relaunched his CONSCIENTISATION blog and it is once again open for all to read.
at ST. LAIKA'S. As always, it is well worth reading.
Themethatisme has relaunched his CONSCIENTISATION blog and it is once again open for all to read.
THE OUTRUNNERS' HALL OF FAME
JAKE THE WIENER
From KJ:
Due to growing health concerns, today my partner and I had Jake the Wiener put down. Since this community has had to read more than its fair share of Wiener stories and references, it's only fitting that there should be a Jake pictorial tribute. We choose to believe that Jake is now eating human food and grain-filled kibble to his heart's content.
Jake at 4 months
Just a sample of the poor quality of life a dog
can come to know while its gay owners are
intent solely on having sex until they die.
Wiener prey.
The "Beds are to be worn" phase.
The Noble Wiener
Due to growing health concerns, today my partner and I had Jake the Wiener put down. Since this community has had to read more than its fair share of Wiener stories and references, it's only fitting that there should be a Jake pictorial tribute. We choose to believe that Jake is now eating human food and grain-filled kibble to his heart's content.
Jake at 4 months
Just a sample of the poor quality of life a dog
can come to know while its gay owners are
intent solely on having sex until they die.
Wiener prey.
The "Beds are to be worn" phase.
The Noble Wiener
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