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If you use long lenses and you're looking for one of those win-win situations, you might want to consider the Lens Cradle Mount from DeluxGear. This lightweight, durable arc-shaped device attaches to any lens with a tripod collar and reduces stress on your neck and shoulders by supporting the camera and lens, keeping the lens horizontal rather than hanging down vertically. You can also quickly remove and invert the cradle mount, turning it into a bipod camera support that you can use on any handy surface for stable support while shooting.
The Lens Cradle Mount is designed for use with the DeluxGear Neo Duet Camera Strap, but you may also supply your own strap. The Lens Cradle Mount is made of a 60% polycarbonate, 40% ABS blend, for durability. A 1" rosette thumb screw provides quick and easy mounting to, and removal from, a tripod or monopod. The Lens Cradle Mount fits Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Minolta, Olympus, Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina lenses. Camera strap is not included.
- Lens Cradle Mount is designed in an arc to cradle the lens, and keeps the lens horizontal or hanging securely, to support your natural posture.
- Cradle mount can be quickly and easily removed and reversed for use as a mini bipod
- 1" rosette thumb screw quick and easy mounting to and removal from a tripod or mono pod.
- Patented quad rail design accommodates lens tripod mount bases up to 1.5" wide and can be used with a tripod quick release plate.
- Substantially reduce damage to your camera body and lenses.
- Relieve stress and pain on your neck and shoulders.
- Use on any lens with a tripod collar.
- Can be used with a tripod quick release plate.
- Photograph from any surface using the instant bipod functionality.
- Fits Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Minolta, Olympus, Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina.


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Tibet - Roof of the World
North of the Himalayas lies the roof of the world, a magical land of clear light and pure color rising more than two miles above sea level. This is Tibet, a land of wide-open spaces, ancient cultures, mystical Buddhist Tradition, richly decorated monasteries and temples and an aura of Mystery. Once known as the "Forbidden Land", Tibet now beckons adventurous travelers with a taste for something truly different.
Despite years of social upheaval, Tibet's grandeur, magic and mystery still remain undiminished-truly an adventurer's paradise. Tibet's breathing Himalayan range rising from the Tibetan Plateau; Holy Mt. Kailash; the ruins of lost cities Tsaprang and Tholing; and lake Manasarovar, one of the highest freshwater lakes in the world, are but a few places to which Earthbound Expeditions can escort you, either by road by air. We will provide you with all the necessary information. With a limited travel season for this region (April- November), early reservations are highly recommended to assure air transport availability.
The roof of the world Tibet is a unforgettable land of curious nomads, mysterious gompas and breathtakingly vast panoramas. In Lhasa, long the forbidden city, experience the timeless and most holy Jokhang temple and see the legendary eighth-wonder Potala Palace, go to visit the most Holy Mountain kaialsh and fresh water lake at 4600 mtr Mansarovar or go visit the ruins of Guge kingdom of 11th century. Admire north face of Mt.Everest from the moonscape of Everest Base Camp and end Tibet tour in exotic Kathmandu.
Tibet is an immensely historic place with unrivalled culture and is staggeringly beautiful in its stark simplicity. This is for you to discover and enjoy, we hope we can assist.
We are the operator based in Nepal but we have become one of the premier Tibet tour organizers, Rajan has travelled across Kailash and Tibet 14 times, completed ten koras of Kailash and even been to Simikot, Limi, Guge, Everest Lhasa we have trusted agent based in Lhasa and supportinmg staff in Nepal to ensure everything runs smoothly - use our experience for the journey of a lifetime to the most remote and beautiful part of the world.
You can begin the tour from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and other places but in many ways beginning in Kathmandu is better. All tours finish in Kathmandu. Our group size varies but tends to be 3-10 people and the maximum is 16 people, except Kailash pligrimage.
Flight informations to travel Tibet
Flight: rates subject to change:
Kathmandu - Lhasa: USD 425 (Tue, Sat & Thu in high seasons)
Chengdu - Lhasa: USD 230 (daily)
Beijing - Lhasa: USD 397 (daily)
Shanghai - Lhasa: USD 370 (daily)
Train to Lhasa from Beijing USD 230 on soft sleeper bed (subject to availability)
Tibet (Chinese) visa:
- USD 86 for all nationality (additional USD 115 applicable to American passport holder as levied by Chinese Govt.)
- Visa fee is only applicable to the travelers joining tour in Kathmandu.
All Tibet Packages
Browse By Theme
- All
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Kathmandu to Lhasa Overland Tour
HIGH ROAD TO LHASA Kathmandu to Lhasa highway drive, offers amazing views of the Himalayas and the picturesque Tibetan countryside greet you on the overland. En route, visit Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet and the Tashihunpo monastery. The seat of the Panchen Lama, Tashihunpo is a vast complex with golden rooftops and impressive […]View More
Multi Country Tours – South East Asia
This trip circles South East Asia visiting Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar, starting and ending in Bangkok.View More
Mt. Cho-Oyu Expedition
Greater Himalayas and border Himalayas offer many peaks and mountaineering expedition in Nepal and Tibet.View More
Gurla Mandata Expedition
The spectacular Gurla Mandata Massif makes up part of the western section of The Himalayan Himal lying in the Burang ( Purang) county of west Tibet.View More
Kailash Mansarovar Pilgrimage Tours Yatra
Mt. Kailash, 6,740 mtr high peak is situated to the north of the Himalayan barrier, wholly within Tibet. It is the perfect mountain with awesome beauty, with 4 great faces.View More
Mount Kailash – Mansarovar Yatra Helicopter Tour
This Kailash and Mansarovar Yatra by Helicopter is designed to all the pious pilgrims (yatris) who cross oceans and continents in order to have a glimpse of the abode of Lord Shiva in a short time and a bit easy way.View More
Holy Mt. Kailash – Mansarovar Yatra
This Kailash mansarovar yatra, an adventure travel begins with the drive across the Himalaya west into Tibet to Holy Lake Mansarovar.View More
Everest – Cho Oyu – Sishapangma Base Camp Trek
Tour of 3 Base Camps of the high mountains over 8000 mtr. and Lhasa Everest Base camp, Cho Oyu Base camp and Shisapangma base camp in TibetView More
Ganden and Samye Trekking
Ganden is situated 45 km East of Lhasa on the Highway that follows the south bank of Kyi Chu to Medro Gongkar.View More
The Khangshung Valley Trek
Khangshung, the east face of Everest is by far the most beautiful & is relatively unknown to most visitors.View More

subset: commoncrawl


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Dear valued Life Extension Forum user,
Life Extension will be closing the Forum on August 18th, 2015. We sincerely appreciate your participation and support in building this community over the years. Your input has made a difference. Moving forward, we encourage you to join us on social media to keep the conversation going. Connect with us here:
Thank you again for your continued support!
The Life Extension Team
From the abstract:
The presence of caffeic acid or chlorogenic acid inhibited DNA methylation predominantly through a non-competitive mechanism, and this inhibition was largely due to the increased formation of S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (SAH, a potent inhibitor of DNA methylation), resulting from the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT)-mediated O-methylation of these dietary catechols.
"For both chlorogenic and caffeic acids, the oral LD50
for redwing blackbirds was greater than 100 mg/kg (0.282 and 0.555 mmol/kg, respectively).
Few toxic effects resulting from acute exposure to chlorogenic or caffeic acid were noted in the reviewed studies. In rats dosed intraperitoneally (i.p.), chlorogenic acid at 4000 mg/kg (11.29 mmol/kg) induced death in 4 of 6 animals, and caffeic acid at 1500 mg/kg (8.326 mmol/kg) induced death in 5 of 8 animals, but doses of chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid lower than 2437 mg/kg (6.878 mmol/kg) and 1250 mg/kg (6.938 mmol/kg), respectively, were non-lethal.
Subchronic exposure of mice to chlorogenic or caffeic acid in the diet reduced aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) and glutathione-
S-transferase (GST) levels in the intestine, but did not induce clinical symptoms of toxicity. In rats, the effects of feeding chlorogenic or caffeic acid in the diet include reduced kidney and adrenal weights (chlorogenic acid), hyperplasia of the forestomach (chlorogenic and caffeic acids), and increased antioxidant capacity (caffeic acid)."
(The LD50 is the amount of a substance it takes to kill half of the animals tested.)


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The 2012 vintage started out very much like 2010 and 2011, with below average spring and early summer temperatures and plenty of cloud cover. Fortunately the weather during flowering was favorable, leading to a uniform fruit-set with ideal yields. In early August, at the time of veraison, the weather began to warm up, diverging from the cold 2010 and 2011 vintages. From veraison to harvest we saw temperatures moving back to historical averages. This late season heat allowed for the full development of ripe flavors and perfect natural acidity.
The grapes for the 2012 Gesture Viognier were sourced from J. Lohr's Gean Vineyard. The Gean Vineyard, planted in 2010, is one of Jerry Lohr's newest vineyards and is the western-most vineyard in the Paso Robles appellation. With a climate nearly identical to that of the Northern Rhône area, combined with well-drained soils of calcareous shale and weathered sandstone, make this vineyard ideal for Viognier. The warm days, with south and west exposures on this hillside vineyard, help to naturally develop ripe, lush flavors, while the cool nights allow for hang time, giving the wines power and depth.
|Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo County, CA
|91% Viognier, 9% Roussanne
|Harvest Date:
|September 13 - 20, 2012
|Harvest Process:
|Hand-harvested at night and whole cluster pressed
|Harvest chemistries:
|Brix 24.2°, pH 3.58, total acidity 0.63 g/100ml
|Yeast: VL1 and VL2
|Fermentation: In barrel for an average of 17 days
|Maceration: None
|Maturation: In French oak and stainless steel barrels for 7 months, with weekly stirring of each barrel starting November 2012 until March 2013.
|Bottling Chemistries
|pH: 3.52
|Total Acidity: 0.56 g/100ml
|Alcohol: 14.4% by volume
|Residual Sugar: 0.20 g/100ml
|Cases Produced: 484
|Drink now through 2017
"Subtle aromas of lemon curd, tangerine peel and honeysuckle flow seamlessly into layers of citrus and stone fruit flavors. The rich palate is balanced by supple acidity and lingering minerality."
-Jeff Meier, Winemaker
The 2012 Gesture Viognier complements aromatic spices like coriander, ginger, cinnamon and allspice found in Carribean and Indian cuisine. Chèvre, Gouda, double and triple cream cheeses, and dried fruits and nuts are a natural fit.


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Starting & Managing
Starting a Business
Managing a Business
Loans & Grants
Small Business Loans
Surety Bonds
SBIC Program
Other Financial Assistance
Getting Started
Contracting Support for Small Businesses
Understanding the Federal Marketplace
For Contracting Officials
- HUBZone
- Non-Manufacturer Waivers
- Report Fraud, Waste & Abuse
- Protests
- Small Business Goaling
- Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR)
- Certificate of Competency Program
- Procurement Center Representatives
- Government Contracting Field Staff Directory
- Service Contract Inventory
- Partnership Agreements
- Goaling Program
- Interagency Task Force on Federal Contracting Opportunities for Small Businesses
Learning Center
Local Assistance
About SBA
What We Do
SBA Team
SBA Locations
SBA Newsroom
SBA Initiatives
- SBA Emerging Leaders Initiative
- Clusters Initiative
- 7(j) Management and Technical Assistance Services Program
- Small Business Teaming Pilot Program
- Small Business Jobs Act of 2010
- Startup America
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- Intermediary Lending Pilot
- Dealer Floor Plan Financing Program
- Greening SBA
- Small Business Saturday 2013
SBA Performance
Oversight & Advocacy
You are Here
Grants & Loans
by rogerdadson, Window Shopper
- Created: January 11, 2010, 3:33 pm
What are the qualifications for applying for the business loan/grant?
phanio | Contributor | 1/13/2010 - 1:31 pm
Grants are very unlikely for reasons already stated. For loans - lenders want to see two primary things. 1) the willingness to repay the loan (credit score) and 2) the ability to repay the loan (cash flow). Cash at time of application not what you think you may earn in the future. Once these are satified - they will then look to protecting themselves - they will look for other sources of repayment like collateral, personal guarantees, co-signers, etc. There are many optiosn for business financing - but they all come down to how much you are seeking and what the funds are to be used for.
Mcdaddy | Window Shopper | 1/13/2010 - 1:37 am
Private and government related loans has a huge diiference. I thinkg some government sectors doesn't grant fast loans like some private loan company offers. --- This post has been unlinked. Read about our linking policy here. Message Edited by ChristineL on 01-13-2010 01:49 PM
ChristineL | Former Moderator | 1/12/2010 - 10:45 am
Hi rogerdadson, Can you give us a bit more information about your business? What kind of loan or grant are you seeking?
mdlt | Creator | 1/12/2010 - 8:44 am
They are both different, you will usually only get a govt. grant if your business is a Non-Profit; an SBA small business loan is designed for small business. Go to http://www.sba.gov/ for more information. Message Edited by NicoleD on 01-13-2010 04:16 PM
mrhelpful | Contributor | 1/14/2010 - 5:21 pm
There area few other threads on this forum about the availability of grants for commercial enterprises, the general premise being that you can only get one if you're doing something the govt wants you to do. if not you're going to have to try and fund it yourself I'm affraid.
SBA Community
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- Tell Us...
- Discuss Popular Topics
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Sign up for
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P.E. Central Lesson Plan: Behavior Savers
Purpose of Activity:To reward and encourage positive behavior.
Suggested Grade Level:1-5
Materials Needed:Paint; wooden clothes pins; fine tip marker;
Lesson Plan:Description of Idea
I have painted and decorated wooden clothes pins. On each of them, I have written a positive message (i.e., great job, outstanding, super, way to go, fantastic, keep it up). When I see a student doing something really well, I give them a clothes pin to put on their shirt. This identifies the student to the class and makes them aware of what they should be doing. The student must maintain good behavior throughout the entire class to keep the clothes pin. Those students who received the pin get to line up first and the other students are encouraged to clap for them. The students really love receiving the clothes pins. It makes them feel really good.
Author:Carrie Tucker who teaches at Summer Hill School in Richmond , VA . Posted on PEC: 5/17/2000.
This lesson plan was provided courtesy of P.E. Central (www.pecentral.org).
Products for This Lesson:


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GRID 2 video game reviewSaturday, June 29th, 2013
Video game review by Michael Siebenaler – Toledo Free Press/Star
Grid 2 (Codemasters)
Players can take a wild ride on GRID 2 (PlayStation 3 version), the second installment in the World Series Racing video game series after 2008's BAFTA winning GRID…and yes, it was worth the wait. GRID 2 is part of Codemasters' RaceNet online community portal that also includes Dirt: Showdown, F1 2012, and F1 Race Stars.
Players can make a name for themselves in on several game modes: single player, split screen local multiplayer, and online mode. In the role-playing style single mode, fan base helps advancement while the 12-player online mode lets players earn cash for new vehicles and level up in special challenges, rival battles, and other events. Online play requires a VIP pass code and includes leaderboards, messaging, friend invites, voice chat, and a great new feature – gameplay video recording, editing and uploading on You Tube (account setup and/or association required).
The new Truefeel™ handling system lets racers tackle various, formidable challenges (checkpoint races, drift showcases, duals, etc.) with quick turns, drifts, and quick cuts requiring quick reflexes. Even if players miss a move, the new reverse feature lets them try again. The tutorials and audio comments also provide some positive feedback. Wrecks are fun and rewarding replays while the feeling of a thrilling comeback is even better. The driver AI does not overwhelm, but will battle for position and have their own entertaining spinouts, so players are never out of the hunt when they make a key mistake.
Racing rules (like defining "cutting corners") can be found in the pause menu at any time while the sound effects and memorable instrumental music tracks enhance the experience. This highly recommended game exhilarates and challenges in an all ages motorsports environments (***1/2, also on Xbox 360 and PC with special editions on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC). Got a lot of money to spare? Grab the GRID 2 BAC Mono Edition, which includes an actual BAC Mono supercar, for a cool $190,000…and if you don't have that much then get the special editions or the following additional downloadable content (DLC): Indy Car Pack ($6.99), GTR Racing Pack ($4.99), Headstart Pack ($4.99), Super Modified Pack ($5.99), and Unlock All Cars ($6.99).


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Sr. Joan and the "Organizing Committee of the Council of Elders" – Fr. Z, WDTPRS?
Dissident Theologians Demand Respect from Bishops: A 1-Way Street – Phil Lawler, Cth Cltr
Med. Experts Blast Claim that Nuns Need Contraception – Michelle Bauman, Cth Nws Agncy
Obama: "Gay Rights" Now US Foreign Policy – California Catholic Daily
Mary Graw Leary on Sexual Abuse & Moral Indifference – Robert George, Mirror of Justice
Don't Call Them Vegetables – Colleen Carroll Campbell, Catholic Lane
Sri Lanka's Cardinal & the Buddhist-Catholic Axis – Gianni Valente, La Stampa
Ben Franklin's Warning is Our Present Danger – Mark Shea, National Catholic Register
Movie Review: "The Greatest Miracle" is a Hit – Catholic League


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If it has wheels, you can race it. Mike Haag keeps you up to speed on the racing scene in and around South Texas in his Motorsports blog.
Posts filtered on Tag
Fort Worth drag racer Spencer Massey, Don Schumacher Racing part ways
NHRA Top Fuel dragster driver Spencer Massey of Fort Worth is no longer part of Don Schumacher Racing. DSR team owner Don Schumacher made the announcement late Friday afternoon. Massey's termination was made effective immediately. According to a team press release, Massey will not return to DSR to drive the dragster led by crew chiefs […] [Read More]
Texas' Spencer Massey battling for NHRA Top Fuel championship
Spencer Massey of Fort Worth is a man on a mission in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Top Fuel class. Massey, who drives the Prestone/FRAM Top Fuel dragster for Don Schumacher Racing, is currently tied with his teammate Antron Brown for the Top Fuel points lead. With four races remaining on the season […] [Read More]


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Video: Obama is a Threat to National Security – Southern Avenger
July 30th, 2010
July 30th, 2010
Thanks for sharing this video. I'm now following the Southern Avenger on Twitter — along with dprogram!
Jack Hunter is a voice of reason who makes some excellent points!
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Images not showing in the production evironment
13 Aug 2013, 22:32
Stian Drøbak (6 posts)
Just before reaching Iteration K2, it says "Nothing looks any different when you are running as a single user". Well, the production site look rather different. In the beginning, none of the assets was recognized, no javascript, no css, no images. After a rake assets:precompile and restart of rails the css and javascript was working. The images… still not working.
So is there a step or two I might have over looked? Except for the images it seem to work just fine.
Little piece of the log: "I, [2013-08-13T23:26:44.966769 #2730] INFO – : Completed 200 OK in 22ms (Views: 20.5ms | ActiveRecord: 0.0ms) I, [2013-08-13T23:26:45.152562 #2730] INFO – : Started GET "/logo.png" for ... at 2013-08-13 23:26:45 +0000 F, [2013-08-13T23:26:45.155056 #2730] FATAL – : ActionController::RoutingError (No route matches [GET] "/logo.png"):"
14 Aug 2013, 11:27
Sam Ruby (584 posts)
Did you uncomment
14 Aug 2013, 16:25
Stian Drøbak (6 posts)
As I said, this was before just before K2, which means that I haven't gotten to using Capistrano.
14 Aug 2013, 19:26
Stian Drøbak (6 posts)
I found the solution. I needed to use the asset_path method on the product.image_url.
|You must be logged in to comment


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August 4, 2015
The Reverend Monsignor John C. Malinowski, who is currently the Chaplin at St. Joseph's Hospital, celebrated his Golden Anniversary of Ordination to the Holy Priesthood of the Austin Diocese.
He has been an integral leader at St. Anthony's for years, and is celebrating 5 decades since he was first ordained in the diocese of Austin.
We spoke with the man of the hour who says the celebration is about more than his leadership.
"It is not about me, it is about the Lord. The Lord gave me that many years of service. That is what I want to celebrate," said Msgr. Malinowski.
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The call for abstracts will open 09 May 2014. Abstracts should be relevant to the topic of beer-mix beverages, including radlers, shandies, panachées, malternatives, etc., as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.Read more
Read more about events at the
Ottakringer Brewery
Following on from the very successful "From Chiller to Filler" which took place in September 2012 in Copenhagen, we now extend a warm welcome to the brewing sector and its associated stakeholders to come to the Ottakringer Brewery in Vienna, 7-9 September 2014. The topic of this year's EBC symposium is
The EBC Brewing Science Group meets as a brewing technical and academic forum to present results of their members' research activities. Members use the opportunity to gain input and commentary from their fellow researchers from other institutions and frequestly, findings are presented which will be then made public at the following year's EBC congress. Access to the Brewing Science Group is restricted and for members (and their nominated guests) only.


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By Nick SimeoneAmerican Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 28, 2012 In a round of Memorial Day television interviews today, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff urged Americans to reflect on the meaning of this national holiday, a message underscored by the on-going mission in Afghanistan as well as fresh reminders of the military's obligation to be ready to respond if called upon.
"I would ask people to take a solemn moment at some point during the day to remember exactly what we are celebrating and that is we're celebrating our freedom -- the freedom that was purchased by more than 2 million men and women throughout the course of our history and, of course, more than 6,400 or so in the past 10 years alone," Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told NBC's "Today" show in an appearance from the Pentagon.
On multiple morning news programs, questioning quickly turned to the war in Afghanistan, with Dempsey saying he defines progress there as having Afghans able to provide for their own security and governance.
"Success in Afghanistan will be when the Afghan Security Forces are capable of maintaining stability inside their own country and the central government of Afghanistan is able to provide governance. I think that has always been the definition of success both in Iraq and Afghanistan," he told CNN's "Starting Point" program. "I think we are moving positively toward those objectives."
Dempsey dismissed concerns about a possible resurgence of the Taliban, which Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta called 'resilient' on ABC's "This Week" program yesterday.
"I will say the Strategic Partnership Agreement that we entered with Afghanistan should give pause to the Taliban that they simply cannot wait us out," he said on CNN. That agreement, signed by President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul May 2, establishes the basis for cooperation between both countries over the next decade, after the end of the NATO mission. The agreement includes cooperation on counterterrorism and the continued training of the Afghan National Security Forces.
Dempsey's interviews coincided with reports of a massacre of more than 100 civilians in Syria, in apparent violation of a ceasefire between the government of President Bashar al-Asad and his opponents. On "Fox and Friends," the general called reports of the deaths "atrocious," and would not rule out a possible military option if such atrocities continue.
"My job as senior military leader is to provide the president options when a political decision is taken, … and I frankly believe the pressure has to be mounting on Asad and should continue to mount on Asad, and, if asked for those options at some point, I'll be prepared to provide them," he said.
But Dempsey's central message, as he told CNN, was the day itself, and he continued to return to what it means, including the daily reminder he receives of the nation's sacrifice every morning as he arrives at the Pentagon.
"I drive to work every day past Arlington Cemetery, and there are 260,000 small American flags planted at each of these gravesites, so I just want to make sure that they know that we will never forget."
Related Sites:Special Report: Memorial Day 2012Photo Essay: Obama, Panetta Attend Memorial Day Observance Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery


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Soaps Boards :: The Young and the Restless Forum :: Good Bye Old Friend
Please register and login to be able to post in this message board.
As a long time viewer of The Young and the Restless I am sad to say I am through with watching how utterly disgusting and trashy this show has become. Bill Bell has to be turning in his grave. I watched this show from the beginning with the Brooks sisters and the Prentiss brothers and when Jill and Mrs. C fought over Derek Thurston. I was going to give up viewing when they came up with that stupid storyline of Jill being Lauren's sister. Anyone that was a longtime viewer would know that Jill and Neal Fenmore were the same age so he could not be her father. I decided to give the show another shot. Then they come up with all of those recycled story lines of whose your Daddy and paternity tests being switched. Cane pretending to be Phillip and Chloe tricking Cane and Billy and Chelsea doing the same is snooze time. I was very disappointed in Mrs. C's memorial and her will reading. I would have liked to have seen more involvement with Brock. Giving Devon 2 billion and Victor Chancellor Industries does not follow the history of her character. I think it would have been more effective to give the company to Ashley and the record collection to Devon who by the way is a poor actor with his phony grief. Amber would have made a better choice for her grand child because on the Bold and Beautiful she had a twin sister that was a singer and her mother was a groupie and also played the first Patty Williams role. The stories now are either them jumping in bed with each others mate or the same ole same ole Victor and Jack feud.
Very well said.If they kill Delia i might be just done with the show too.These writers have no imagination or creativity to have to recycle old s/l that JFP has done on other soaps ,and it wasn't very well received then either.GH lost a lot of viewer's because of that s/l.the same one she is trying to shove down our throats now.This s/l is not going to be very well received and i don't think JFP is going to get the ratings she is hoping for.I think there is going to be a lot of heat going her way and Sony's for allowing her to do this once again.
what a great post...than you....as another long time viewer who stopped watching our once great Y & R I follow the boards....
Bravo OP! yes I recall so much of the original Y&R days of this show and the way it is playing out now, yuck! its recycled so much of what we are seeing. I am so growing tired of this dribble.
As another long-time viewer of Y&R from the earliest days with the Fosters, Phillip Chancellor, et. al., I too think that this show has really lost its substance, believability and creativity since Bill Bell left. I keep praying things will change for the better and I guess I'm just stubborn enough to hang in until things either change for the better or the show gets cancelled. I used to watch so many different soaps and Y&R is the only one I now watch regularly, kind of like Custer's Last Stand for me, so I will continue to hang on and fight for the changes necessary to try to restore this once great show.
As much as I do hate the idea of Delia dying, to me it's much more interesting than yet another miscarriage. I do not mean to dismiss those, but miscarriages are used so often as story and are either glossed over or the impact feels out of balance. I did, however, like how the show handled Chelsea's loss and its impact, too, on the future.
Excellent post OP!
This was about the best post regarding the show I too am probably going to stop watching this show...have to see Friday and see if they really will have this child die. So tired of Victor always being the one who wins at everything and he is not grateful he could have died but an Abbott decided to save him and for this he hates the Abbotts I have been a long time soap fan and recently stopped watching GH stories are more than dumb have not watch Days never watched B&B so ....my time without Y&R will be put to better use Good Bye to Y&R
Great post! I agree!
:( As a long time Canadian fan, you have summed it up very nicely! I agree with you. So sad. As Mom used to say - just bed hoping and killings......... Victor is always winning.
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Listen To Full Sampler
Back Home, ~Shiv and Let Die, ~The Onlooker, ~30 Days, ~Rig Pig, ~Blacklist, ~Senses
Charlottetown's reggae-rock quartet Fugato is set to release their sophomore album, The Stash, on the June 8th and 9th weekend. The Stash features 10 original tracks and is Fugato's first full-length studio record. This album showcases the original lineup of Mark Steele, Tamara Gough, Jonathan Holmes, Pete MacDonald, and Devin Stevenson, with the addidion of Mike MacDougal on percussion. The Stash was recorded in Charlottetown during the summer of 2006 by Trevor Campbell at Blip Flip Sutdios. Trevor also recorded Fugato's debut album, Grass Radio, wich earned them a PEI Music Award at last years event.
Here's the Deal, ~The Stash, Radio Song, ~Bacon and Scrambled Brains, ~Whitey, ~Gradual Apocalypse, ~ Foghorn, ~Do What'Cha Gotta Do, ~Green Eyes, ~I'm Sorry You Feel That Way
"Grass Radio is an enjoyable listening experience that will put a big old smile on your face whether you want it to or not! "
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James Carpenter- The 6-foot-5, 313-pound offensive lineman is listed as the No. 10 offensive tackle in the 2011 NFL Draft. Predicted to be drafted somewhere between the third or fourth round, according to nfldraftscout.com Marcell Dareus- ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper has Dareus at No. 3 on his NFL big board. Dareus is as dominant as they come in the 3-4 defense and is a lock to be a top 10 pick. Has the potential to play in multiple Pro Bowls before his NFL career is all said and … [Read more...]
5 Alabama players invited to 2011 NFL Combine
Tide blows out No. 9 Michigan State in Capital One Bowl
Saturday was not the ending Crimson Tide fans expected back in August. But it was a win, and a dominant one at that. Alabama's 49-7 victory over No. 9 Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl was its most impressive of the season and likely the most impressive bowl performance by any team this year. "It was annihilation," offensive lineman David Ross said. "Pure and utter annihilation." The 61,519 in attendance at the Citrus Bowl stadium saw Alabama post the largest win margin in Capital … [Read more...]
Missed opportunities take Tide's victory
It was the missed opportunities that took Alabama's victory away. At the time, neither the team nor the fans knew it, but in those two turnovers and two field goals, Alabama lost precious points that could've won the game. In the No. 11 Crimson Tide's 28-27 loss to the No. 2 Auburn Tigers, Alabama had 24 points in the first half, though the team should've had more. In the beginning of the second quarter, running back Mark Ingram was en route for a big gain for the Tide, running 41 yards … [Read more...]
Tide looks ahead to Iron Bowl
Alabama's 63-7 victory over Georgia State Thursday night may have been the exception to the Crimson Tide's 24-hour rule. While most games allow Alabama to enjoy a win or grieve a loss for one day, some of the Tide players may have had their eyes set on the next opponent before the blowout of the Panthers even ended. "Our attention might have been on [Auburn] a little bit already, mischievously so," said senior quarterback Greg McElroy. "I think we're ready for them. We're looking forward … [Read more...]
Comeback too much to ask for this time
It finally caught up. A team can put together only so many come-from-behind victories. And then one game, it won't be enough. For the Alabama Crimson Tide, this was that game. For the third straight SEC road game, Alabama fell behind early. The first time was last season against Auburn, when the Tigers jumped to an early 14-0 lead. But the offense put together one final drive of poise to win it 26-21. The second time was two weeks ago against No. 10 Arkansas in Fayetteville. After going … [Read more...]
Tide's streak finally ends
They say all good things must come to an end. Before Alabama's longstanding winning streak ended in Columbia, S.C., Saturday, however, there was a feeling that it never would. "We can't just show up and win just because you're Alabama," said junior running back Mark Ingram. "I don't think guys were ready to come out here. Guys thought they could just show up and win." With a 35-21 defeat at the hands of No. 19 South Carolina Saturday, the No. 1 Crimson Tide snapped a 19-game winning … [Read more...]
Tide escapes upset in SEC opener
Some things are better left unforgotten. In the second half of Saturday's game against No. 10 Arkansas (3-1, 1-1), it appeared the top-ranked Crimson Tide (4-0, 1-0) had put the first half behind them. Now that Alabama has completed an improbable 24-20 comeback victory against the Razorbacks, however, head coach Nick Saban wants his players to dig up those horrific first-half memories again. "I really don't want the players to put it behind them," he said. "I want them to remember what … [Read more...]
Victory was Tide's first true test
Alabama's 24-20 victory over No. 10 Arkansas wasn't pretty. As Alabama trailed by its largest deficit since the 2008 Sugar Bowl against Utah, there was a lot for this young team to learn. But in the end, Alabama prevailed, despite going into halftime down 17-7, despite Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett picking apart the Tide's secondary and despite quarterback Greg McElroy's two interceptions in the first half. "I think that's the great thing about this," McElroy said. "In order to beat … [Read more...]


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Press Room
PR Contacts:
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TRACKER Pro Gary Parsons Wins Optima Top Gun Title
Gary Parsons Wins Optima Top Gun Title
Claiming yet another In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail title, Gary Parsons was honored as the Optima Top Gun. The northern Wisconsin pro is widely recognized as one of the best all-around walleye leaders, innovators, promoters and teachers. But, what he really enjoys is being at the top of his fishing game.
For the past PWT season and starting 2008, he has excelled with an enviable and record-setting performance. Parsons scored top 10-place finishes in seven of the eight tournaments enroute to the Optima Top Gun Award. During the 2007 season, he won on Lake Winnebago (his original home lake in central Wisconsin), scored a sixth at Minnesota's Cass Lake, an eighth at Ontario's Wabigoon Lake, two ninth place finishes on the Missouri River in Chamberlain, SD, and Bay de Noc at Escanaba, Michigan, and a 10th place at the recent Mercury Championship, presented by The Dow Chemical Company in Bay City, Michigan.
No other angler in PWT history has had that many top 10 finishes during such a short span. His total top 10 finishes rank second to the PWT record holder in that category Mike Gofron. Parsons has 29; Gofron 34. The PWT began in 1989, and since the first Championship, Parsons has fished all but two of these prestigious events. With the $5,000 Optima Top Gun award, he increased his total PWT winnings to $601,706, and is ranked second overall in the "money-won" standings.
The Optima Top Gun is a ranking system that averages finishes, Angler of the Year standing (Parsons won that trophy and $25,000 from Johnsonville Brats and $10,000 from Mercury), and Championship finish. "I still don't know what happened, but my brother was killed in an accident the year before, and I posted his photo in my boat and thought about him often. I dedicated the year to him," Parsons said. Parsons now has three PWT Angler of the Year titles, more than any other pro.
Since statistics often tell the story, Parsons has won an average of $5,372 for every PWT tournament fished (a total of 112). He has cashed checks in 60 percent of events fished. He has won three times on South Dakota's Lake Oahe and once on Lake Winnebago. His 2007 record of five top-10 finishes stands as the mark to beat. He has been inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Angler.
He travels the country in the off-season conducting seminars and working closely with sponsors and dealers. He is owner of a TV fishing series, "The Next Bite," and the walleye web site of the same name. Parsons works closely with these companies: Tracker Boats, Mercury Outboards, Bass Pro Shops, MotorGuide, Berkley, Lowrance Electronics, Off-Shore, Mustad, Frabill, Smooth Moves Seat Mounts, Fin-Tech, Coot's and the Next Bite.
Parsons is competing in the 2008 PWT season with the next stop in Bull Shoals, Arkansas, June 25-27. The tour will see him in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, Sept. 11-13, and Hudson,Wisconsin, Oct. 15-17, followed by the PWT Championship Shootout on Oct. 18. He is also the captain of the United States Team, competing in the first-ever PWT Can-Am in Dryden, Ontario, Aug. 13-15. The Can-Am will also be the first artificials-only major walleye tournament.
More PWT news, photos, standings, daily results, contestant updates and future plans are available on the web site: www.professionalwalleyetrail.com. The PWT sponsor partners include Optima Batteries. Their deep cycle batteries with patented spiral cell technology provide extremely high power for constant performance quality, last up to two times longer than conventional batteries in many applications, are non-spillable and maintenance free, and are over 15 times more resistant to jarring and vibration than traditional flooded batteries.
The PWT is an integral element of the In-Fisherman Communications Network headquartered in Baxter, Minnesota, and InterMedia, America's leading producer of targeted media. PWT promotional partners include: Berkley, Lowrance Electronics, Optima Batteries, Minn Kota, Realtree, Outdoor Channel, Starcraft Marine, Northland Fishing Tackle, The Dow Chemical Company, Fin-Tech Tackle, StowMaster, Reef Runner,Yo-Zuri Quality Lures, Smooth Moves Seat Mounts, Kwik Pfyt Mud Flaps,Yellow Bird Planer Boards, Live Target, Allstar Graphics, Ram Mounts, Element Edge, Pflueger, Plano Tackle Systems, E-Cell, Cannon and Do-It Molds.
View 433_08GaryParsonsTopGunWin.pdf


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Ambassador Ido Aharoni Briefing in Atlanta
January 19, 2014 10:30 am
Congregation Or Hadash
Speaker: Ido Aharoni
Israel: Threats and Opportunities
9:30 am - 12:00 pm: Bring your computers and electronics for safe,
secure, recycling by Ecycle Services. Cost is $10 per computer/monitor.
10:00 am: Eco-Tour of the new Or Hadash Synagogue
10:00 am: JNF Israeli Emissary Ezra Ravins discusses current social issues in Israel
There is no charge for this community event.
Ambassador Ido Aharoni assumed the post of Consul General of Israel in New York in February of 2011 after serving as acting Consul General since August 2010. Ambassador Aharoni has brand management expertise as the former Head of Israel's Brand Management Team, in addition to his experience in various positions in the Israeli government.
For more information, please contact JNF Campaign Executive Abby Halper at firstname.lastname@example.com or 404.236.8990 ext. 852.
Contact the Southeast Region:
Serving: The Southeast Area
2 Reservoir Circle, Suite 204, Baltimore, MD 21208
Beth Gluck, Director, Southern Zone
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Water Challenges
In Israel the most precious commodity is water and it is at risk. Find out how you can help.


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I should be sleeping but I'm too excited! And what to do about this amniotic fluid everywhere...
Jessica, Wife to Owen (6/7/03), mom to Amina (9/20/06) : and Colm (5/30/09) :
OMG I'm so excited for all you mamas!
And a little jealous too I must admit! I wanna meet my girl!
SAHM CrossFitting mama to DS (6) and DD (3) and surprise #3 due in September!
Attached, homeschooling mom to Sam (10), Henry (8), Clara (5--now in public school Kindergarten) and Noah (2)
Not sure if these links will work...
Jessica, Wife to Owen (6/7/03), mom to Amina (9/20/06) : and Colm (5/30/09) :
SAHM CrossFitting mama to DS (6) and DD (3) and surprise #3 due in September!
: : : :
The Hippie & the Marine
My boys: S (4) & O (2) & Expecting #3 in Dec. 2011
Colm Owen
(Colm pronounced like column)
Jessica, Wife to Owen (6/7/03), mom to Amina (9/20/06) : and Colm (5/30/09) :
Like the name too!
Mama to Amelia (9.8.06) and Jonah (6.19.09)
Colm's birth story
Amy's Granny got to town on Wednesday and we spent Thursday with me showing her around and explaining Amy's routine. That day I had a huge urge to bake and I made a triple recipe of pot pie and some banana bread.
Then at 4:30 in the morning on Friday, I woke up suddenly for what seemed like no reason, then I felt a pop and thought it must be my water breaking. I told Owen I thought my water had broken and I walked to the bathroom and realized my water had definitely broken. After a while it became apparent that I wasn't going to be able to sleep because I was too wired, so I got up and tried to get on with a normal day while I waited for contractions to begin. Contractions started after breakfast and I spent the morning packing for UCLA and baking brownies and playing with Amy.
Later in the morning I called the midwife on call at the hospital and she said she wanted me to come in that afternoon. Owen and I decided to go see Star Trek and go to the hospital later because my contractions weren't that strong yet, and we thought traffic would be better later. After we got back from the movie, we went for a walk to the beach and I walked in the waves for a while, which was really nice.
Then around 6 we left for the hospital and picked up our doula, Robin, on the way. The ride to LA was actually ok because I was only having contractions every 7-10 minutes or so, and they were still very manageable. We got really lucky with the traffic and it only took us about an hour and a half to get to the hospital.
When we got to the hospital we went straight to L&D with our labor bag. We stood in the hallway and walked around for a while because they didn't have any rooms ready. When they finally got a room ready, it was just a triage room with a shared bathroom. The nurse put me on the monitor, put my hep lock in and asked loads of questions which she entered into the computer.
The midwife, P, also told us that the OB on call had said she wanted continuous EFM, but she said she had had patients refuse that before. So we said I would be on the monitors if I happened to be near them, but that I was going to do some moving around and wouldn't always be able to be on them. Also that if there was ever any concern about the baby, I would be willing to be monitored more at that point.
A resident came in and did a quick ultrasound to check the baby's position and check everything looked ok, which it did. Around 10pm P did an exam and I was 1 cm and 60% effaced. I had been hoping for more of course, but didn't feel too tired yet and knew I could go on.
I labored all night and did all sorts of things...watching funny videos, loads of different positions, walking, sitting on the ball, dancing, looking at pictures of Amy, looking at baby clothes (to try to remember what this was all for!) and lying down. What I really wanted to do this whole time was get in the shower, but our shared bathroom didn't have one. Owen and Robin helped me remember to say things like, "OK" rather than "no", and also helped me think of opening up and focusing my energy downwards, rather than running away from the pain by arching myself backwards, which seemed to be my natural tendency. They were both great with suggestions when I didn't know what I wanted to do.
Around 6 in the morning P checked me again and I was 4cm and 80% effaced. I was really happy about that because I felt like I had been working really hard and also it is further than I ever got with Amy so that felt like a triumph. However at that point I was also starting to get really tired, and I hadn't really eaten more than a little applesauce and some energy drinks since we'd arrived. P came in a bit later with C who was going to be the next midwife. She only works at this hospital once or twice a month and comes down from SB where she works at the county. It was kind of funny to be all from SB.
I kept going but really really wanted a shower and said so several times. When we got a new nurse in the morning, she said they still didn't have a room I could have, but that while they were cleaning one, I could use the shower in there, but I couldn't have the room because they had to keep one open at all times if they could in case someone came in in active labor. The shower was the best thing ever. I sat on a chair with a towel over my tummy and just let the warm water fall on my tummy. Owen came in too with his swimming suit on and massaged my back and stuff. I really should have just locked the door and stayed in the shower all day! It was really helping me. But eventually I went back to get monitored, and my contractions had slowed down some.
By 12pm I was getting pretty tired and having a lot of trouble relaxing with contractions any more. I was really thinking about an epidural and I got Robin to look up the part in Birthing from Within about the compassionate use of epidurals. I fit all the criteria (labor lasting over 24 hours, talk of pitocin when you aren't that far dilated) and thought it might provide the relaxation I needed. We talked with C about our options and decided to do one last exam. I thought that if I was further along than I was guessing I was, it might give me the strength to go on, but that if I was only 5 or 6, I would know the epidural was the right decision. Well, I was 5cm and 90% effaced, so I decided to get the epidural. I was really glad I had made it to 5 because the increased risk of c-section with an epidural goes away after 5 cm. I was really whiny for the last contractions I had before the epidural. I kept swearing and saying how it wasn't fair that other people have 8-10-12 hour labors and why do I get stuck with this 35 hour crap and so on. Also, as soon as I decided to get the epidural, there was magically a room free so we moved into the room and I got my epidural around 2pm and it started working pretty quickly. It was really nice to have a rest and both Robin and Owen eventually fell asleep. Before he fell asleep, Owen went to get some food and came back with some life savers candy for me and the cutest little lady bug swaddle blanket for the baby.
The nurse started me on one unit of pitocin, and came in every 20-30 minutes to see how many contractions I was having and upped it little by little to 4 units. I got help to change positions from one side to the other. After a while I started to feel a lot of pressure in my bottom with each contraction. I told Robin about it and she went out to tell the nurse. When Robin got back I started having a slight urge to push with each contraction. She went to tell the nurse again, and the nurse paged C again and told Robin to tell me not to push. Not pushing turned out to be impossible so I just pushed.
C came in and checked me and I was 7cm but stretchy to 9 during a contraction. She said the forewaters were in the way too, so she got a hook and broke them, then used her fingers in for a few more contractions and was able to push the cervix completely out of the way. Then the nurse and some other people (a resident, a first year medical student and a student nurse) helped hold my legs while I lay on my back and pushed. I didn't like that position so I tried on my side for a while. I kept saying I wanted to get up and squat or kneel or something and they kept saying I couldn't because my legs would be too wobbly. Eventually I just got up and turned around to face the head of the bed knelt holding on to the back of the bed. Everyone was surprised that I could do it, but I knew my legs weren't that wobbly! I pushed like that for a long time. (Robin says every time I had a contraction, everyone in the room crouched down to see what was happening.)
Eventually I guess his head was staying down between contractions so they asked me to get back on my back and I did. There was a flurry of activity and this panel in the ceiling opened and down came a huge light. He was crowning just a few minutes later. When his head was out or partly out, they asked me if I wanted to feel his head and I reached down and felt it. It was a funny feeling because it just felt all smushy and didn't feel like a hard head like I expected. Then a few pushes later he was out! They cut the cord and stuff, and then they handed him straight to me. It was amazing to get to hold him right away. He cried for a little bit but calmed down right away and just gazed at me. I will never forget those moments.
Meanwhile, I birthed the placenta, which was in good shape, and then I had my 2nd degree tear or tears stitched up by a resident and a medical student. Then after a few minutes Colm started acting like he wanted to nurse and he latched right on with only a couple of tries! After a while Owen and the nurse took Colm to the warmer and weighed him, trimmed his cord and put antibiotic ointment on his eyes. We tried to guess before they weighed him how much he would be. I was really surprised that he was 8 lbs 8 oz! Almost a full pound and a half heavier than Amy!
Now we are settling in well. It is great having Owen's parents here to help with Amy and cooking and stuff. Colm is nursing and sleeping well, and is very alert when he is awake and very smiley when he is asleep!
Jessica, Wife to Owen (6/7/03), mom to Amina (9/20/06) : and Colm (5/30/09) :
Tracey, mama of 5 beloved children here with me on Earth and one precious son I will meet again in Heaven 6/17/09 - 9/6/09.
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Blog Archives
He Who Keeps Doing It Wrong Is Stupid, Or Sold To The Enemy
The Unholy Father has not lost an occasion to make another snide remark at orthodox Catholic.
Commemorating the anniversary of the first Novus Ordo Mass in Italy, TMAHICH abandoned himself to the usual sugary rhetoric, saying that "[he] who goes back is wrong".
What a stupid, stupid thing to say.
If he who goes back is wrong no error is ever corrected, and no wrong is ever put right. This is another example of kindergarten rhetoric for the little children, the Pollyannas, the retarded and the enemies of Christ.
Fifty years later, how little people know of Catholicism is outright frightening. They understand the language of a Mass… they do not want to attend. They are the first generation (and a half) of Catholics who think the Church "wrong" when they do not agree with Her. They are being poisoned by the first generation (and a half) of priests telling them their input is very valuable.
The Novus Ordo must die. It has made enough damage already. Yes, it is valid. Yes, it can be celebrated reverently. Yes, you still have the duty to attend to it. But there is no denying that in the great scheme of things the deterioration of the liturgy has accompanied, and contributed to cause, the deterioration of Catholicism.
Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi, Lex Vivendi.
Novus Ordo, Moral Relativism, Abortion.
The Novus Ordo must die. He who wants to go on on this path of destruction makes the work of the devil.
More SSPX Wisdom
As a salutary antidote to the orgy of V II celebration, you may consider this reblog.
The reflections of this good SSPX priest are as ruthless as they are calm and reasonable.
Jesus, The Beatnik
I can't help thinking of Abp Annibale Bugnini writing the Missal of Paul VI and composing the present Lectionary through a haze of whatever was smoked in 60s. Maybe I am being unfair and he didn't smoke anything but the Pauline Lectionary has a decided 60s feel to it. The image of God, of Jesus is not organic, it has the feel of one particular period in history, to me it is decidedly Beatnik to early Hippie. If it hadn't been compiled after two World Wars and the Holocaust it would probably have been quite different, if Bugnini or Paul VI had been different types of men the image of God presented to us would be quite different. Because fundamentally it is their image of God, it is not the image that St Thomas Becket, St Francis, St John of the Cross, St John Vianney, or Padre Pio met every day at the altar.
The OF Lectionary presents us with a new theology; the ancient Lectionary formed the theology of the Church, it was an unchanging 'given'. What Bugnini produced was very much the product of the Council and 20th century theology. It comes from the same school that applied the scalpel to excise the cursing psalm, that separated that bit about eating and drinking one's own condemnation from the Epistle for Corpus Christi and so many other bits and pieces that they were uncomfortable with, that simply did not reflect the theological fashion of the time.
Yes, we now have a lot more scripture but it is carefully selected, carefully edited and from a very particular time in Church history and produced by very strange men indeed, some of whom were quite unsaintly, who had their own image of God they wanted to impose on the Church.
These excellent words reflect in a very beautiful way the problem of modern Liturgy concerning the way it transmits the Faith. It does it confusedly, wrongly, and one-sidedly.
There was a time – in the first years of comparing the Traditional Mass and the Novus Ordo – in which I thought the vastly more extensive readings of the latter would be an advantage compared with the older form.
Only slowly I have come to the conclusion that a deformed tree can never have straight branches, and what at first sight might seem good turns out after a more attentive examination to be faulty.
Yes, there are more scriptures in the Novus Ordo. But the faithful sitting in the old pews knew the doctrine much better, had a much better grasp of the Scriptures in what really counts – that is: the ordering of their own and their loved' lives – and had less Scripture at Mass simply because the Gospel and the other readings were not there to teach the faithful what the Scripture says, but to drive home a point in a short, forceful way.
Some readings of the Tridentine Mass are just a few lines. But those few lines drive a spear through your heart. It is a lightning, not a school lesson.
For now more than forty years, one and a half generation of faithful have been served the extensive Mass readings of the Novus Ordo, but their knowledge of the very basic truths of Catholicism is so dismal that illiterate peasants of, say, France circa 1850 would shame them day in and day out. Those simple people probably didn't have any meaningful or extensive knowledge of the Old Testament, but they knew perfectly well about life and death, heaven and hell, sin and repentance, rebellion and obedience, normality and perversion, morality and scandal. I am absolutely sure when they died they had a better hand of cards than many cafeteria Catholics of today; and mind, it is not that they weren't sinful, either.
Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi. Again, if the tree is bad the fruits will not be good, and if the liturgy is disfigured it is only a matter of time until the faith of the pewsitter is disfigured, too.
Very probably, neither Father Blake nor your humble correspondent will ever know whatever Bugnini & Co. smoked, but I suspect that in the mixture there must have been a good dose of accommodation, arrogance, irreligiousness, or outright faithlessness.
World Concelebration Day
And it came to pass that the priest announced, not without a tone of very special satisfaction, that on that particular festivity a total of seven priests would be concelebrating the Mass. Not, mind, all from the same Country, but from several of them, located in three different Continents.
Some "ahh" and "ohh" of delighted surprise was clearly audible, as if the showmaster had announced a guest of particular importance. Thankfully, most remained perfectly silent, and yours truly thought that perhaps, just perhaps, we will avoid the deepest part of the pit.
At the consecration, you would have thought it was the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games: fourteen arms stretched to make what the celebrant was doing perfectly well anyway; of which twelve, mind, belonging to priests rather perfectly inactive the rest of the time – the altar "boy", perhaps in his Seventies, would certainly not be displaced so easily – and who at least helped by the distribution, thus showing the air fare from India or Mexico has been a wise investment after all.
Was the consecration more effective because of the fourteen stretched arms? Was it more "international" because the arms belonged to priests from three Continents? Is there a special grace in having India and Mexico represented?
Well, exactly…
Catholics Without Catholicism
On Father Ray Blake's blog there is an interesting blog post touching on various topics.
What I found particularly worth mentioning is this section, that I allow myself to reproduce in its entirety (emphasis mine):
At the heart of St Vincent's words is the notion of continuation, a timelessness and universality, 'always, everywhere and by all'. The understanding of Catholic merely as 'universal' is a foreshortening, it is the timelessness of it that is important. In many ways the dismantling of the ancient liturgy following VII undermined the sense of 'always'. If the worship after 1968 could be changed, so could the content of 'the faith' and if the changes were enforced from above, from Rome then surely this is also the source of 'the faith', Again, if the liturgy could vary so widely from Mass at the High Altar of Brompton Oratory, with traditional vestments and music and in Latin to Father X sitting on a bean bag wearing just a stole making it up as he went along, why could 'the faith' not also be variable. Despite its intention VII taught, subliminally at least, especially through the liturgy, that Catholicism was what Ratzinger would define as 'Relativistic', most importantly of all by Father quite literally turning his back on that which was held holy by past generations, if not smashing it with a sledgehammer.
'The faith' post VII, was not the faith of the previous generations, it was in a state of flux. The movement of the Blessed Sacrament in some diocese from the centre of the apse to a side chapel or a tabernacle in the corner of the sanctuary and rubrics restricting the genuflections of the priest, said what we believed yesterday about the Real Presence is not what we believe today, similarly the change in funeral rites from sombre black, the Dies Irae, intercession for the dead to Mass in thanksgiving for the life of the dead person brought in a serious undermining of one of Catholicism most important certainties about death and judgement, again it said what we believed yesterday, we do not believe today.
I agree wholeheartedly with Father Blake's reflection.
To me, the consequence of this is brutally clear: the Novus Ordo must die.
It is absolutely true that the very fact that the Mass of the Ages has changed suggests that the content of the faith can be changed in the same way. The fact that this is simply not true does not change an iota in the collective perception; particularly if we consider that the New Rite was introduced exactly to signal the changes (not doctrinal, of course) going on in the Church.
The new mass destroyed mass attendance, and severely damaged the way Catholicism is perceived. This in turn caused the almost disappearance of the grandmother (correctly) teaching the faith to her nephews. Said nephews remained exposed to a priest that was, in many cases, a phony and a coward, desperately trying to look cool and to be popular. I could mention half a dozen of those from my youth without any effort. We all despised them and found them pathetic, and very unmanly. Then one wonders that there is a lack of vocations.
But really, the biggest bomb that was made to explode under the edifice of the Church was the introduction of the Novus Ordo. The Novus Ordo was wrong even before all the abuses that followed its introduction, because its very being "new" and its desire to signal "novelty" had to, had to, *had to* lead to those abuses and to the raping of the Catholic Faith.
Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi, Lex Vivendi.
Get the Traditional Mass, and you will end up with Pope Pius XII.
Get the Novus Ordo, and you will end up with the Bishop of Rome, Jorge Bergoglio.
The SSPX, The Novus Ordo And Us
An interesting discussion has erupted concerning the way a conservative, or traditionalist Catholic, should behave concerning attendance to the Novus Ordo Mass. Catocon was so nice as to prepare a mini-research of sources in the comment box of this post.
There is no doubt that whilst some SSPX priest arrives at times to say not worse than that the NO "provides a deficient spiritual diet to the faithful" (something on which, I hope, we all agree), the general stance is in the end harder, oscillating between attending only in case of "social emergency" (and even then only if the Mass is very reverent) and at the other extreme the softer, original position of Archbishop Lefebvre, who said:
However, "it is an exaggeration to say that most of these Masses are invalid." One should not hesitate to go a little further to have Mass according to the Roman Ordo; but "if one does not have the choice and if the priest celebrating Mass according to the Novus Ordo is faithful and worthy, one should not abstain from going to Mass."
Also, there seem to be no doubt even among versed priests somewhat less friendly to the SSPX than I am that for the SSPX priests a properly celebrated NO Mass is valid.
In all cases, it appears most priests of the SSPX would demand from yours truly that he exclusively attends a Traditional Mass; actually, their own Traditional Mass, as the doubts or misgivings concerning the indult/SP masses are also clearly there.
This blog was always, as every reader knows who read it even occasionally, on a different position.
Firstly, allow me to copy and paste – out of sheer laziness – a comment I have written in answer to a description of the NO as "abomination". The SSPX certainly do not go as far as that, but you get the drift.
I refuse to see the Novus Ordo as an abomination. I positively and squarely refuse to do so. If the NO is an abomination, the Church is a fraud. It cannot be that the Church of Christ has decided to offer an abomination worldwide, and it still is the Church of Christ. If I believed that, then I would be forced to believe that there is no Peter, that the Pope is an impostor and a masquerade. Again, I refuse to do so. In fact, as I have explained the only reason why I continue to attend the NO is that I do not want, one day, to think that the NO is an abomination. If a particular NO Mass is more than I can stomach, I can find another NO, or three. On no account would I ever think I am the one to decide that the Rite in itself is an abomination, and I am too good for what the Church offers me.
It's good to eat hard bread in a while. It still is the bread of life, and it keeps one honest. Works for me, at least.
2. I never said I am afraid that the Society might become Sedevacantist. My point is rather that if I pamper myself with the TLM every Sunday, I might end up thinking the NO is … an abomination. Should life, then, keep me away from a TLM I would then, coherently, not attend anymore. The one at risk is myself, not them. Now, either the NO (I mean, as a Mass; in abstract; and properly celebrated) is valid or it isn't. I truly do not think it is for me to say. I am a Catholic for a reason. Now, if I had serious reason to think some local NO is not sacramentally valid, I wouldn't attend there. If one has a TLM, I will encourage him to go there; if one hasn't there, I would encourage him to travel further to find one in reasonable distance. But if I heard him talking like you do, I would suggest that he attends a NO Mass every now and then, too.
3. Yes, the NO might bring less graces. It probably does. Particularly if one gets angry. But hey, I can't have my cake and eat it. To people like me, there are dangers on both sides. Been there, done that. Let me say very frankly that I do not want to die thinking that the Mass the Church of Christ offers me is an abomination, and offends Christ. Probably 99% of the Masses offered in the Roman Rite are NO. Many of them are reverently celebrated – even in Germany I can find decent ones without trouble -. If we throw the NO qua NO out of the window, we are saying the Church is a fraud to 99%. Thanks, but no, thanks.
4. You vastly overstate my influence as a blogger; but yes, I could influence the one or the other. On no account, then, would I ever suggest to them that they stay away from a NO Mass if they cannot have the TLM; because truly, the very thought is scary. The TLM is better, but the NO is still good, because it still is the Mass.
Second choice, I agree. But whoa, pay attention what you say.
One day I might well decide to only attend the TLM. Actually, it would be the more pleasant option by far. To do so, I would have to feel very safe that no antics of our clergy will drive me to distraction. I wish I could give you this security, but unfortunately I can't, or a part of me is afraid one day I could make such a mistake… You see, I could end up – and I say this without animosity, but with a certain apprehension – thinking like you, and I really do not want to.
I will cling to the acceptability of the NO as I cling to the Church. I do not live in Hippyland. Plenty of reverent masses around here. Actually, my "Mass tourism" also has the aim of seeing how things are, examining the lay of the land. Honestly, it could be much worse.
I belong to the Church. I love the Church even when she slaps me in the face. Already once I stopped attending because I thought I knew better, and was better. Already once I thought I do not need to go and listen to a stupid priest talking stupid waffle (obviously, no clue about the real reason why I went to Mass). Never again. If the Lord gives me less graces for that, so be it. I will accept the slap from him as I accept the love, and I will accept whatever slap I take for taking part to the Mass the Church of Christ gave me. Because, you see, the NO is still the standard Mass of the Only Church, and I can't throw the one from the window without throwing the other.
5. Then let us think to the end. if the NO is an abomination, the priest who celebrates the NO mass is an accomplice in this abomination. Not only the Mass might well be invalid – you probably think it is – but the other sacraments are, probably, too. What then? Do 99% of Catholic priest not impart a valid absolution? How many babies are validly baptised? How many adults validly married? How many of them, actually, validly priests?
It's a slippery slope.
P.S. To all my twelve readers. I believe the NO is okay. I truly do. Vastly inferior to the TLM, for sure; but seriously, it's fine.
I hope it will die one day, of course; but as long as it doesn't, it will deliver all right. It's the Mass of the Church after all.
You would be better served and more inspired by the TLM; but probably not, if this leads you to think a properly celebrated NO stinks.
Secondly, I would like to make the further consideration that if the SSPX are right, the likes of the London Oratorians are utterly wrong in continuing to celebrate the Novus Ordo ad populum, and we should consider participating at their NO Mass only in case of, say, a marriage in the family. Their NO is clearly, if you listen to some of the voices, not reverent enough for daily attendance.
Even worse it becomes if we take literally the reservations of the SSPX about priests who celebrate exclusively the TLM, but of whom it can be assumed they would not refuse to celebrate the NO if so ordered. In this perspective, not even the FSSP is good enough that their (TL) Mass can be attended to without reservations and moral distinguos.
What is the ultimate consequence of this? As I have already stated, it is that according to this thinking the Church of Christ serves poison and evil fare, day in and day out, to more than 99% of the Roman Rite faithful; who are, once again, not exactly a fringe group, but rather around 90% of worldwide Catholics. In a word, the Church would be the most efficient tool of Satan on earth, bar none.
I don't like Pope Francis. Actually, I do not even esteem him. I do not think he should have been allowed to become a priest, much less a Pope – the same as Pope Liberius, Pope Benedict IX, Pope Alexander VI or Pope Leo X by the way -. But, come on…
I refuse to espouse such an extreme position. I see a substantial difference between considering the NO like a hamburger compared to the TLM's porterhouse steak, or Coca-Cola compared to the TLM's Barolo, and considering it instead stale meat, or a poisonous drink. The difference is substantial in that the hamburger is still nourishment, and the Coca-cola still quenches the thirst.
I refuse to espouse a vision of the world that sees in the Church an almost complete evil-producing wasteland, as the only fully acceptable parts of it would then be the SSPX and their affiliates. I refuse to consider the London Oratorians not good enough for my lofty standards, and a Traditional Latin Mass with the FSSP something I should avoid if I can. With such a mentality, of course talking to the Vatican does not make sense. With such a mentality, of course it is infinitely better to have no agreement at all with the Vatican, not even if one is offered for free and without have to make any concession in return. If Rome is so evil, then they must be fought against, not dialogued with! When, and only when, one has this forma mentis, Williamson's behaviour becomes not only understandable, but actually coherent.
Frankly, I don't see it. I want the end of the NO mass as much as the next Traditionalist, but I refuse to consider poisonous or evil – much less "an abomination" – the spiritual nourishment the Church of Christ offers me and the other 99% of Roman Rite Catholics.
Some might say "but Mundabor, they say that the NO is evil, but they qualify by saying it that it is evil in the sense that it does not have a necessary good " (or suck like). I answer to this that either the NO is evil in the sense that you and I understand when we hear the word evil, or the argument fails to persuade. If "evil" isn't really "evil", then the argument isn't there in the first place.
I wonder how many within the SSPX truly share this view. They have supported Bishop Fellay like a man, and Bishop Williamson's exclusion has caused not more than a dozen or so defection (less, if memory serves). It is clear they look at Rome in a way well different from the creator and distributor of millions of poisonous masses daily.
I have left the words of the Archbishop up as a quotation, so that at the end of this long post one may want to read it again. Of course the Archbishop might have expressed himself differently in different contexts, and one must take his words in the frame of his beautiful love for the Church. But exactly for this reason, it seems to me that his softer stance is more reasoned and more coherent, as he clearly gives every NO mass celebrated by a "faithful and worthy priest" dignity of – to remain by the culinary metaphor – nourishing, healthy, un-poisonous hamburger.
The SSPX, This Blog And You.
After an observation or two in the comment box, it is perhaps fitting to say one or two words about this little effort, so that any uncertainty that there might have been in less attentive – or less assiduous – readers is definitively dispelled.
1. Read the statement from Robert De Piante on the right hand column of this blog:
What Catholics once were, we are. If we are wrong, then Catholics through the ages have been wrong.
We are what you once were. We believe what you once believed.
We worship as you once worshipped. If we are wrong now, you were wrong then. If you were right then, we are right now.
This is probably the most famous statement expressing in just a few words the essence of traditional Catholicism. It is there for a reason. I do not exclusively employ the term "traditionalist" because I think that "conservative" Catholic also perfectly fits the bill, though in a wider sense. Since this blog's inception almost three years ago, pretty much all of my posts have been tagged "traditional Catholicism". If some post isn't, it's because I forgot. My blog "line" (the one you also read on every search engine) is also very telling: tradidi quod et accepi, another famous traditionalist "punchline" commonly associated with the SSPX.
2. My blog posts in support of the SSPX are very many, though they are certainly not enough in number or worthy enough in their quality. I do not think I have ever been ambiguous in my approval of their work both in the present time and at the time of the disobedience/refusal to close down the seminary in Econe/appointment of the four bishops. Where I stood in the matter of the preambolo dottrinale is also very clear to everyone who reads my blog with a minimum of regularity and attention, and I dare to say I have made myself clear in as open a way as I could without thinking I was failing to show the proper respect to the office – and in the case of Pope Benedict, the person – of the Pontiff.
3. I attend very often Novus Ordo Masses, and will continue to do so. This I do because I fear the effect that an entrenchment on the Traditional Mass would have on me, given my uncompromising nature and the resulting tendency to incendiary emotions and hardline militancy; emotions and militancy that can be very dangerous, and might well lead me astray unless I recognise the problem and act accordingly to counter them and soften my approach. Therefore, as long as I have no doubt that the Novus Ordo Masses I attend to are sacramentally valid, I plan to continue to do so for as long as I see the danger of slowly slipping into Sedevacantism if I don't. I also see it as a form of penance, when I reflect that our sins (mine, and yours; not only the clergy's) are also a cause of the present mess.
Through the participation to a second-rate – but by all means not invalid – Mass, I figure I show the Lord my loyalty to the Church even when it hurts, and at the same time keep my inner religious arsonist in check. But this does not mean I think you should do the same. The Novus Ordo is vastly inferior to the Traditional Mass (I do love to call it "Tridentine", by the way), and if you can and want to attend it every time, more power to you. For the same reason (obedience to the Pope in as much as I can without conflicting with 2000 years of Catholicism) I go to confession to Novus Ordo priests, as I have up to now never met a priest in the confessional who was such a clown as to make me think, after due reflection, the absolution was not valid. I think most of my readers do the same. Or you can say this: as long as I think a Novus Ordo priest can provide me with a valid absolution, I personally see no reason to confess to an SSPX priest. But if had valid, constant reason to fear then I would happily recur to the services of the SSPX priest. But again, personal fears play a role in my decision: the day I decide a NO priest isn't good enough, how far am I from Sedevacantism? You may not have the problem. I do. Novus Ordo confessor is it, then.
Still, either the SSPX have supplied jurisdiction, or they haven't. As I am persuaded they have, after long reflection and opportune readings I have reached the conclusion that I can't see how this should not be extended to confession. The SSPX priests also obviously think in the same way, and as I would trust my path to salvation much more eagerly to them than to the most conservative of the Cardinals, I can't see anything wrong in that. In times in which the Popes are bad Catholics, a religious order can certainly be more Catholic than the Pope. Since March, I'd say this is not difficult at all even for a properly instructed layman. The Holy Ghost never promised the Pope would be a good Catholic, or would know the Ten Commandments, or wouldn't be a murderer, a robber, a fornicator, an accommodating coward, or a pious nincompoop. Read the contract attentively, it's in the small print.
4. In consequence of all the above, I think it should be clear enough to any reasonable reader what this blog is about. I notice, though, here and there a certain tendency – again, perhaps the fruit of insufficient reflection – to approve of what I write without considering what this necessarily entails. If you think that the SSPX are in formal Schism, then you must think that they endanger souls. If you think so, already the reading of the quote mentioned above and of the blog line should be reason enough for you to strongly disapprove of this blog, whose support of the SSPX is as staunch as its author can express with words. To behave any differently means either to take one's own salvation lightly, or to read this blog because of the titillation coming from the enjoyment of my somewhat robust prose (and many thanks for the compliment!), but without sufficient reflection as to the values this little effort constantly tries to defend.
I do not write this blog for the sake of a vast audience. I have never searched popularity or approval. Wretched sinner as I am, I write this in the first place in the hope the Blessed Virgin will one day look at my effort and find it certainly inadequate and unworthy, but not entirely useless.
I take my salvation extremely seriously. I spend a lot of time thinking of it, praying for it, hoping for it, fearing for it. I have found that the best course to follow is to be on the side of 2000 years of Catholicism; no ifs, no buts, and most certainly no Pinocchios. Faithful to the Church always. Obedient to the Pope as long as that faithfulness is not challenged. Whilst I am sure the day I die many horrible sins will reemerge to haunt my conscience, I am very confident my support for the SSPX will be on my assets, not my liabilities column. You who read these lines, do you think the same?
My dear reader, please reflect on the consequences of your reading this blog. Be wise and do not follow it merely for the sake of emotional satisfaction and enjoyment of my somewhat, ahem, Italian writing style. If the SSPX is wrong, then they are entirely wrong, as is this blog. If they are in schism, then not only 2000 years of Catholicism are in schism but both yours truly and you are, with my approval of them and your approval of me, being an accessory in this sin.
Of course, I do not think they are in schism, because I do not think 2,000 years of Catholicism can be declared "schismatic" without contradicting the very essence of what Catholicism is. I think the safest way is to live and die on the side of these 2,000 years, rather than following the madness of a new way of thinking that came to power during the Kennedy/ Khrushchev era. If logic and common sense were not enough to persuade me of this, the immense devastation of the last 50 years would.
Stuff Pinocchio. I for myself will take my refuge, and put my hope, in the Church transmitted to my grandmothers and to countless generations of devout Catholics before them; then if we are wrong now, they were wrong then. If they were right then, we are right now.
Spot The Error
Lately heard at a Catholic Novus Ordo Mass.
I confess to almighty God
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do;
therefore I ask blessed Mary Ever-Virgin,
all the Angels and Saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
And no, I am not kidding.
Mass Helpers
I'd like to say a few words about a rather strange experience of some weeks ago, in a small church in one of the Home Counties.
When the distribution of communion began, I just got up and went to take communion; then went back to my place and started to pray.
Seriously, I do not think I did anything difficult, or source of potential confusion. I could clearly see the sanctuary from where I was sitting, so there was no real danger of losing my way and having to ask for directions. Similarly, I did not experience any dangerous rabble, and I can tell you very confidently that I would not have been in any danger of being trampled even if I had been, say, a 95-years-old with a walking stick. Finally, I did not remember seeing anything atypical or having the impression of being in the process of doing anything dangerous, or wrong, or in any way needing of instruction.
I was, therefore, happily praying (sitting on my pew, not kneeling, as I did not want to be of obstacle to anyone) when a lady asks me whether I have been to communion. Strange questions, thinks I. Isn't it not, in the end, my business? When has an obligation to go to communion every week been introduced? Should I not be free to decide myself whether I am willing – or, in fact, worthy – to receive communion?
Life being what it is, I didn't start the discussion with the old lady asking me, and answered "yes".
"Oh, next time you are here you must say to me beforehand if you go to communion before your turn", more or less says the lady and I apologise if I do not remember the exact words, by such matters I never do. After which, she proceeded to channel my bench neighbours toward the sanctuary and only at that point I understood that I was, in these people's mind, supposed to wait for my turn like a good boy, possibly in the hope of getting a pat on my back from the old lady.
I must… what? And… why exactly? I left kindergarten an awful lot of years ago, and the idea of having to tell mistress that I am going to get up from my bench is not exactly my own idea of "adulthood". Besides, even after the most honest of efforts I am utterly, utterly unable to see what necessity should there be to have this kind of "helped" flow to the sanctuary.
It might be shocking to some of the readers, but I assure you that irrespective of how crowded the church is (and I have attended for a long time in really crowded churches; churches who would have caused the old lady to faint before she can say "you must") people are able to do these things without any help, without anyone being injured, and without any discomfort for anyone.
Do you see such ladies helping people to board a bus, or a train? Or to buy a cinema ticket? Or to do anything else where there is some beginning of halfway less than orderly proceedings? Have you ever asked yourself why? The answer is, because people are perfectly able to do these things by themselves, and do not need any help, or helpers.
I can almost hear the objections that would be opposed to this: oh, but this is soo uncomfortable for the oooold people, who are sooo frail. There might be (let me think…..) absence of oxygen; a sudden stroke with no place for the ambulance; or they might die just standing whilst waiting to receive communion!
I grew up attending Mass in a small church (a provisionally converted stall), where two thirds of those attending mass did so in standing. As a child you were obviously expected to stand, and many adults also had to stand in order to allow older people to sit. There was no need of service personnel, everything happened out of common sense and common courtesy. The church was, in fact, always so packed that some people always ended up staying outside of the church, following from outside what was going on inside through the door left open. You can imagine the rabble.
Still, the flow to receive communion was perfectly ordered, perfectly safe and perfectly sensible, without any need of any help from absolutely anyone. No strokes, either.
Nonetheless, if I were a tired nonagenarian fearing the, say, six-minutes queue to receive communion I'd use my God-given brains and get up for communion only towards the end, when the queue has been more or less dissolved. I am sure I'm not the first or the only one coming to such genial revolutionary conclusions.
Whenever I do not attend at the Brompton Oratory I end up wondering whether at Novus Ordo Masses it is considered a deminutio not to have any particular "role" at Mass: the number of gift bearers, children gift bearers, readers, sanctuary cleaners, "flow helpers", and what not being nothing less than prodigious.
I must now admit that, sadly, this appears to be the case.
The Irresistible March of the Tridentine Mass
In the last few days, two events have impacted the blogosphere:
1) The Birmingham Oratory announced the return to the Tridentine version for their sung Sunday Latin Mass. This must be, if London is any example, an old version of the Novus Ordo, very similar to the Tridentine already. I can easily imagine the other UK Oratories will follow suit in the near-ish future.
2) A high-profile blogger has announced a trial period of the Tridentine as the 9am Sunday Mass.
Both events are, in my eyes, clear indication of the following:
A) Even in the UK, the Tridentine's march is now slowly becoming unstoppable. The more Tridentine masses there is, the more there will be, as imitation sets in and the faithful begin to know that the Tridentine mass exists in the first place.
B) The rediscovery of traditional Catholicism after the drunkenness of the post V-II years doesn't go through a more pronounced use of the Novus Ordo in Latin (the Novus Ordo was, actually, meant to be mainly in Latin, with exceptions where allowed by the bishop), but through the rediscovery of the Mass of the Ages. This seems to be additional confirmation that within the Church there is a more and more pronounced feeling – expressed, or not – that there is no need to "integrate" Vatican II in the liturgy by rediscovering the Novus ordo as it should have been. What we had before V II was perfectly OK, and can be used exactly as it was. In particular, the decision of the Oratory seems very indicative to me, as the present Solemn Novus Ordo (Latin) very probably used is so similar to the Tridentine, that the decision to switch can in my eyes only have the ideological background I have just described.
In my eyes, this also takes care of all the waffle about the supposed liturgical enrichment brought about by Vatican II. Enrichment, my aunt. If you ask me, the fitting place for the liturgical innovations of V II is the rubbish bin. It seems to me that whilst others – particularly if religious – would not express themselves in the same way, this train of thoughts becomes more and more spread. At least I cannot detect any "renaissance" of the Novus Ordo in Latin, for sure. Not even as a by-product of Summorum Pontificum, or as an intermediate step.
In the next years, we will see an increasing number of Tridentine masses around. It will take some patience, but in time its beauty and reverence will be clearly perceived by the faithful. I can well imagine that those who will have the patience to persevere, and will make the small effort to absorb the Latin and follow the mass with a missal or bilingual booklet, will soon wonder how they could cope with the kindergarten version of the original for so long. Give them some more time, and they'll be speechless when asked what were all those ladies doing in the sanctuary, and why exactly were people receiving from laymen.
We are not there yet, but already at this point I can't see how the march of the Tridentine can be stopped, as its celebration is the best advertisement it can receive.
The future isn't Vatican II. The future isn't a desperate attempt to create some strangely concocted liturgical hybrid, either. The future also isn't a mixture of elements of the Tridentine with elements of the post-V II era (a Tridentine with altar girls, say).
If you ask me, it is clear enough what the future will be: it will be our beautiful, solemn, reverent past.
Bishop Fellay Again On Assisi III
I have already written a blog post about Bishop Fellay's intervention in favour of Summorum Pontificum.
In the same interview, he deals with Assisi III and this is probably worth of separate consideration.
Bishop Fellay points out to the following problems:
1) That Pope Benedict heavily criticises relativism in religious matters (and rightly so, of course) but indirectly promotes the same relativism by starting the Assisi 2011 initiative.
2) That Pope Benedict is now celebrating an initiative which he himself clearly boycotted in 1986.
3) That in his idea that it be impossible for Catholic and non-Catholics to pray together, but that it be possible for them to gather together as members of different religious affiliations he is "splitting hairs".
I find his criticism perfectly right on all points and whilst we will have to wait to see how Pope Benedict organises and shapes this meeting (that is: how he limits the damage that he has already done, the bomb of "interreligious gathering" being one which always causes a powerful explosion however orthodox your intentions), it is interesting to note that Bishop Fellay makes a supreme effort of explicate the inexplicable and theorises a desire to counteract the recent spate of persecutions as the real motive of this initiative.
Personally, I cannot see this as a real motive. Christians have always been persecuted and they always will; to water down the Christian message and to try to appease the persecutors will in my eyes only have the effect of increasing their aggressiveness. You just don't fight religious intolerance by watering down the Christian message.
If you ask me, I can only see one – or all – of these three motives:
1) Pope Benedict wants to re-make in the right way what Pope John Paul once made in the wrong way, thus erasing as far as possible the bad memory of Assisi I and II with a theologically impeccable Assisi III. This seems to me a bit like trying to make dung smell good but one can – with a stretch of the imagination – understand the logic.
2) Pope Benedict thinks that conservative Catholics are becoming too cocky (utter and complete dominance on the Internet; vast support among young clergy; resurgence of the popularity of old, once forgotten or ignored heroes like Pius XII and Fulton Sheen) and wants to help the "other side" a bit. The beatification of JP II before the beatification of Pius XII, the oh-so-liberal sounding convocation of Assisi III and, perhaps, a restrictive interpretation of the scope of Summorum Pontificum would all be parts of the same thinking.
3) Pope Benedict is simply trying (in the wrong way, if you ask me) to promote the JP II brand as he sees in it a powerful instrument of evangelisation. Again, one understands the logic. I just wonder why he would allow himself to be persuaded to pick the most controversial of JPII's many controversial inititatives to do so. It seems to me a bit like promoting Bill Clinton's presidency by remembering the Lewinsky affair.
We'll have to wait and see how all this pans out. In the meantime, I allow myself the comment that Pope Pius XII would have never dreamt of an initiative like Assisi (whatever numeral you may put to it); that Fulton Sheen would have never dreamt of encouraging interreligious gatherings of any sort, but exclusively Catholic gatherings of every sort; and that Padre Pio would have never dreamt of the necessity of a Novus Ordo mass, however "reformed after the reform" it may be.
In recent months, Pope Benedict seems to have been skating on rather thin ice. More the reason to pray for him.
Cars And Masses
This is the Ford (Europa) Scorpio Mk II. This car is remarkable for being one of the ugliest cars ever made, and one of the least successful cars ever to be produced by a mass car producer like the giant Ford.
The genesis of such an opprobrium is very simply explained: at the time, Ford Europe was led by an American, and this chap insisted that the lagging, but not gravely unsatisfactory sales of the Scorpio Mk I could be improved by giving the Mark II a decidedly american flavour. This, he thought, would spark enthusiasm and be enthusiastically received by the European crowds, now yearning for something new and impressive. The result was what you see here and now that you have survived the first shock I can show you a photo of the back without running the risk of causing you a heart attack. Predictably, the car was massacred in the showroom and its failure became the epitome of automotive seppuku.
Why do I mention the unlucky and deservedly failed Scorpio Mk II? Because this ungainly car shows uncanny parallelisms to the Novus Ordo mass.
This car was not of particularly bad quality. Its underpinnings were those of the Scorpio Mk I, a car able do honestly do its job and sold in halfway decent numbers for many years. Neither was this car very expensive and in fact it gave its owners (in pure "Detroit metal" tradition) a lot of kilos for their hard-earned money. True, it never came with prestige attached, but neither were the first Scorpio or the later Opel Kadett /Omega or the older Ford Granada, all cars which always managed to sell in satisfactory numbers.
In short, this car was perfectly usable as a car. It was a car all right. You could never deny that it was a car. But it was such an ugly way to make a car, that most potential buyers decided to stay well away of every risk of being seen at its steering wheel.
In this case, the mess was such that the reputation of the house for making big cars was damaged in such a way – and the financial hurt from the car was so keenly felt – that since then Ford never again produced a car of comparable size and market position. Not only the name "scorpio" was irreparably destroyed, but the market for Ford was destroyed too. This tells you how many clients you lose if you abuse them by trying to give them things they don't want, just because you think they're hip and modern.
Now, I am not saying that the Novus Ordo doesn't have sacramental validity. It certainly has. Like a Scorpio Mk II, it fulfils the function for which it is celebrated. But like the Scorpio Mk II, it does so in such an ugly way that I am all astonishment as to why people should insist in using such a mess, when they have the wonderful Mercedes 600 Pullmann available.
The latter is not the most modern of cars. It is, in fact, very old-fashioned. It doesn't have all the thrills and frills usually employed to attract the superficial, and the gullible, nor does it try to cut corners and be cheap to purchase. It is authentic, unmistakeably valuable and almost painfully beautiful. Every bolt in it, every screw says "I am wonderful but not easy to understand and not ready to follow the fashion of the day. I will not try to please you. You will have to deserve me." It is, in fact, a car that requires an effort, in the purchase and in the upkeep. It is the car for those who want it authentic and serious, rather than shallow and wanna-be.
Both cars fulfil their function. Both are authentic specimens of the genus. Both are valid examples of what you would call a car; both do what you expect from them.
But do yourself a favour: take the time to find and appreciate the Mercedes, even if this costs time and sacrifice both in the purchase and in the upkeep, and ditch the Mondeo Mk II.
Believe me, once you have learned to know and appreciate this car, you'll never look back.