Obit du jour: The 6th Earl Grey

It would be wrong of me not to let you know that the 6th Earl Grey, the great-great-grandson of the Earl Grey who gave his name to Earl Grey tea, died in September. It should also be noted that he (the 6th Earl, that is) was the president of the Cremation Society of Great Britain.

Dead people and tea. He's my kind of guy. Or was.

Check out the full obit here.

This is my kind of dog

More about Lucky, and other Dogs of Shame.

Various & Sundry: Starting with National Hot Tea Month and ending with sloths

Let's see what's been piling up during the week that I'm bursting to share with one and all.

First things first: January is National Hot Tea Month. Well, to be honest, every month is National Hot Tea Month, as far as I'm concerned, so I don't have any special celebrations planned. I did think that these tea pods were pretty cute, though.

See how the tag is a little origami boat so it floats on the tea water?

What? Too precious for you? Fine.

How about a website that helps you plan your living wills and stuff? That real enough for you? It's called Get Your Shit Together.

I don't have all my shit together, but I did get my flu shot today, thanks in part to this old post of mine about passing the peace without spreading the flu. I kept noticing it coming up in the stats as people look for what to do in the midst of the flu outbreak. I've added a brief update, based on the comments that were made. I wish there were a perfect solution - or no flu.

After going to the meeting on Wednesday about how Washington plans to reduce gun violence, I was drawn to two articles focused on the NRA: this article traces the fairly recent history of the NRA's connection to fighting for the interests of the firearm industry as opposed to gun owners; while this article suggests the White House may just ignore the NRA. I'd be fine with that.

Lance Mannion has been writing Miserable Thoughts about Les Mis and tying them to our contemporary culture, politics, and religion. I thought his post about the character of the Bishop of Digne was particularly spectacular. Truly, I hope you'll read it. Here's how it ends:

Conservative Christian leaders are quick to tell us that every hurricane, terrorist attack, and school shooting is an angry God’s will. He’s punishing us for abortion, feminism, secularism, “the homosexual agenda,” etc. But he never punishes us for our greed and our lack of charity. We’re punished for allowing gay couples to get married but not for letting children go hungry and old people freeze or swelter to death or sick people to go without medicine or a doctor’s care.

God is always punishing us for not being mean enough to each other and ourselves and never for not doing a good enough job of loving one another.

I'd never heard it put that way. His Fifth Miserable Thought on Jalvert the Republican (French, not American) is also fantastic.

This long reflection on how we need to ask ourselves questions when we consume media was eye-opening to me. I had never thought of the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast as an abuse-apologist narrative. Now, I will not be able to see it as anything but.

I get that it’s hard to see something you love get lambasted, or tarred with a brush you’d rather not think about, or called bad names. I get that it feels like things are being ruined, like people are looking for things to hate, like people are taking things too seriously.

But consuming media critically is a skill, and in an age where media is more prevalent than ever before, it’s a skill worth having. It’s a skill worth having because you are going to continue to be exposed to media, and it is going to continue to attempt to manipulate you. It’s a skill worth having because it makes it less difficult to see people talking shit about things you like, not more. It’s a skill worth having because some of the shit being taught en masse by media is horrible scary damaging shit, and maybe you don’t think you’ve learned that horrible scary damaging shit, and maybe you don’t think you’re susceptible to that horrible scary damaging shit, and honestly? Maybe you haven’t. Maybe you’re not. I don’t know you. But I know that a classroom full of average southern Ohio state school students went silent in horror at the full realization of what Beauty and the Beast teaches kids too young to know better.

On a lighter note, I admire the chutzpah of the man who claimed he was driving legally in the carpool lane with two people because he had Articles of Incorporation in the passenger seat. Corporations are people, my friends.

And finally, because it's been a long week, slow down with some true facts about sloths.

Various & Sundry: Can't Touch This

It's been a while since I've had a chance to do the random round-up. Let's see what I've got here...

In tea news, you'll be glad to hear that the London-based loose-leaf brew bar, "Bringing better cups of tea to the streets of London: loose leaf, custom-brewed and served from a 1974 Citroen H van," has already been oversubscribed on Kickstarter. I definitely plan to get a cuppa if and when I get to London.

I saw the movie Argo a couple of weeks ago, and really appreciated Lance Mannion's take on it. It's less a review and more a meditation on the lessons it may have to teach us in this day and age.

There are times when there really isn’t anything we can do. There are problems that can’t be solved. There are situations where even someone as powerful as the President of the United States has no control. Under those circumstances, when success isn’t an option, despair and surrender are temptations that must still be resisted. The best thing we can do is do our jobs, to exercise what little control we have in the little sphere in which we still have it, and instead of holing up by ourselves, reach out to those nearest whom we can help. We have to take care of each other.

One person who exercised what control he had in his sphere was James R. Dumpson, who died this week at the age of 103. The headline for his obituary was "defender of the poor," and what a wonderful accolade! He was the NYC Commissioner of Welfare in the early '60's, and had a message that still needs to be heard today: that "the only test for public assistance was a citizen’s need, not morals."

I almost always find something to love in David Lose's daily blog posts, but this one, entitled Theology as Conversation, I found particularly compelling. Probably because it's exactly what we're trying to do with Confirm not Conform. "True belief," he says, "grows only in the space created by the freedom to question." Amen to that.

Meanwhile, in a less...reverent part of the blogosphere, Lent Madness mastermind Tim Schenck prepared a wonderful Litany for Diocesan Conventions.

From those compelled to speak from any available microphone even with nothing to say,
Good Lord, deliver us.

From liturgies that include the clapping of hands and hymns no one knows,
Good Lord, deliver us.

Amen again.

Oh, there was an election this week, wasn't there? In President Obama's acceptance speech I appreciated his comment that "We are not as divided as our politics suggest." One scientific study, at least, tends to back him up on this sentiment.

It was a wonderful speech. I appreciated what he had to say about democracy, about debate, about patriotism.

Then there's this. I admit I like this too.

Various & Sundry: Patriotic Food, as women bring home the bacon and Alan drinks his tea

Well, I'm not done with all the work I set for myself today, but I crossed a good chunk off my to-do list and I've hit a wall on the lesson I'm revising for CnC Adult, so I'm taking a break to write another blog post of odds and ends goodness before taking the dogs for a walk. Ready? Here you go:

Let's start with bacon. September 1, as I'm sure you know, is International Bacon Day and to celebrate, Archie McPhee posted this 1901 essay on the patriotic nature of American Bacon. "Without bacon, this superbly flourishing domain would in all probability be a howling wilderness at the present moment," it explains.

Let's follow this up with some patriotic ale. I'm pleased to report that, in response to an on-line petition, the White House has released the recipe for its Honey Brown Ale, reportedly the first alcohol brewed or distilled on the White House grounds. Kegger at Obama's!

And while we're talking about food and politics, I'd like to point out the article headlined Canadian Thieves Pull Off  Big Maple-Syrup Heist. Note the lead (emphasis mine):

TORONTO—Sticky-fingered thieves made off with as much as 30 million Canadian dollars (US$30.4 million) worth of maple syrup from a little-known strategic reserve in rural Quebec—leaving authorities to investigate just how much is missing and where it has gone.

Yes, my friends, if they can tap Canada's strategic maple syrup reserve, America's bacon is next! Be alert!

On a less frivolous note (not that there's anything frivolous about maple syrup), PeaceBang explores the "woeful undercompensation" of new clergy

For too long, ministers have jumped with joy at the very notion of getting a pulpit. It’s time to partner more respectfully and professionally with our churches, to negotiate ethical compensation packages and to nicely inform underpaying, over-demanding congregations that you’ll work X amount of hours or weeks for what they’re able to offer. Be clear about that hours, and keep them firm. Then get a second job at someplace local and interesting, tutoring or teaching or making coffee or selling books. The church won’t get into the cozy habit of exploiting clergy and you’ll get to hold a healthy boundary around your professional obligations to them, while staying in touch with non-parish sources of income.

Preach on, PeaceBang.

Tangentially related, I'm interested in the new book The Good Girls Revolt by Lynn Povitch, coming out next Monday, that describes the fight of the women at Newsweek over the opportunity to become writers and reporters. The New York Times has a good write up about it.

Meanwhile, Hanna Rosin, author of the new book The End of Men, also coming out next week, thoughtfully answers the question Why are boys doing so badly?

And then, to finish with a cup of tea, please settle in for seven minutes of Alan Rickman intensity. Oh, I do love this.


Or you can watch it in real time, which is 11 seconds.

Various & Sundry, Revisions and Remixes

Whew! I have a couple little things left to do for the (first round of) Confirm not Conform revisions, but the bulk of the work I needed to hand in is IN, the last will go in today. So I'm starting the day off right, with a Various & Sundry blog entry.

Because I was typing away like mad last week, I didn't get to services for Trinity Sunday. Twitter to the rescue! Jill Cox forwarded on the fabulous sermon from her church in Little Rock (her tweet: "Our priest talked about squirrels and/or zuchinnis falling out of trees...his best EVER!" You know that's going to be good). And Lent Madness Supreme Executive Committee member Tim Schenck provided the Definitive Trinity Sunday Sermon, ending with the immortal words,“Blah, blah, blah Unity, blah, blah, blah Godhead, blah, blah, blah Essence.” You're all set for next year.

I loved these postage stamps of British fashion, issued in honor of the Queen's Jubilee--but really, do you need an occasion?

In the world of tea, this week I learned that Dr. Horrible has a signature tea blend: Dr. Horrible's Tea of Evil Tea! I realize this won't be interesting to anyone who doesn't know about Dr. Horrible. Or likes tea. But too bad. I think it will be excellent for those days when you can't quite find your evil laugh. Or death whinny. Yeah, you need to check out Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog for this to make any sense.

In all the obits that I read this week, the one that stood out for sheer loveliness of life was that of Andy Hamilton, a tenor saxophonist from Jamaica who was "a leading figure in Birmingham’s [UK] West Indian community for more than 60 years."

In 1949 Hamilton decided to try making it in the British jazz scene. While staying with friends in Birmingham, he met his future wife, married, took a job in a factory and settled down. He played for weddings and parties at weekends and, in 1953, formed a band, the Blue Notes, with the pianist and fellow Jamaican Sam Brown. He also went into promotion, putting on bands at ballrooms and clubs across the city. 

At the same time, he was informally teaching young would-be musicians who came to him for advice. He preferred to describe it not as “teaching” but as “helping”, and he had his own unique method, which began with getting the pupil to relax and listen.

He recorded his first album at the age of 73. It was one of the year's best sellers. Alongside Kathryn Joosten, it's been a week for recognizing people late in life.

On the other end of the life spectrum, the baby hawks that I've been watching through the HawkCam have up and flown away! Here's a great video of one of the young hawks fledging.



And finally, for your listening pleasure, the new hit from Mr. Rogers: The Garden of Your Mind. It's mighty catchy! (h/t Anibundel) Enjoy!

Various & Sundry, February 24

It's been a couple of weeks, but I'll try to keep it succinct.  Let's start with getting ourselves settled with a nice cup of tea, preferably made with a Tea Monkey Infuser.

Although as I pointed out to the blogger, Lahikmajoe, there's something a little disturbing about the fact that you put a monkey in water and the water turns brown.  Still mighty cute, though.  Looks like he's soaking in a hot tub.  And turning it brown.

At any rate, once you've got your Golden Monkey tea, you're ready to check out the Tea and Biscuit Dunking Guide (also available as a high-resolution PDF) that tells you exactly how many seconds to leave each kind of cookie in your tea (when served between 150-160 degrees F) to prevent sogginess or the dreaded floppage!

Now that you're settled in, I've got a bunch of interesting stuff for you to read.

On the subject of writing, Ta-Nehisi Coates does it again with this meditation on U.S. Grant's memoirs, the skill of clarity, and how writing "has no real respect for credentialism," that "intelligence is so messy, that it would show itself in people we disdain or think we know."

On the subject of popular culture, Tom & Lorenzo had an inspired rant about the latest episode of Glee and the increasing victimization of its gay characters.

"Remember, my brothers? Remember that ten-year period when the mass media definition of “gay man” was “noble, diseased victim?” Is this new trope of gays as noble, weepy, child victims really a step in the right direction? Because just as in the eighties and nineties, when the majority of gay men were not dying of AIDS; the majority of young gay people today are doing relatively okay for themselves."

It's a very interesting perspective.

Also an interesting perspective on the political front from Dan Drezner on "Why I like power-hungry bureaucrats more than whistle-blowers." I don't see it as an either/or, but it's certainly thought-provoking. And a great headline, eh?

PeaceBang relates a powerful anecdote to relate from a WeightWatchers meeting. As a person (trying to) give up shame--not for Lent, but forever--this had a lot of resonance for me. At what point does our motivation devolve into shaming ourselves? And what can we do about it?

Finally, on the romance front, the Futility Closet shows us how it's done with this unique wedding proposal from Evelyn Waugh.  Excerpt:  "I am restless & moody and misanthropic & lazy & have no money except what I earn and if I got ill you would starve. In fact it’s a lousy proposition. On the other hand I think I could do a Grant and reform & become quite strict about not getting drunk and I am pretty sure I should be faithful." Who would even think of refusing?

The Empire stops for a cuppa

"I find your lack of milk disturbing."

Various and Sundry, May 6

Let's focus on the fluffiest of the fluffy today, shall we? (Rustling of links...)

Ah...here we go. Let's start with an iPhone app for making tea. A tea app, you ask? Yes, indeedy. Here's the description:

Every tea has its sweet spot. Tea for iPhone is here to help you find it. Create tasting notes and save your brew settings with ease. Share them with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. Use Tea’s inventory tracker to keep track of how many brews you have left. A terrific timer is built in too.

Even I am not that hard core.

Some priests swim the Tiber. Others, apparently, ship the church to the local winery. I liked this story about "a century-old church [being] ferried down the Minas Basin on a vessel captained by a man named Lord. The building — formerly St. Matthew's Anglican Church — is being moved to Avondale to become part of the new Avondale Sky Winery." I actually think it's rather sweet.

Futility Closet made me happy this week, first with the Hairy Ball Theorem: "A hairy ball can’t be combed flat — it must always have a cowlick." Just so's you know. And also with this story:

In 1984, Bob Ellis, managing editor of the Eldorado, Ill., Daily Journal, announced a contest “to recognize and honor the American summer tradition, Daylight Saving Time.”

“The rules are simple,” Ellis wrote. “Beginning with the first day of Daylight Savings Time this year, those entering the contest must begin saving daylight. Whoever saves the most daylight … will be awarded prizes.”

He arranged for the contest to end on April 1, and hoped he had inserted enough absurdities that readers would see the joke. No pre-dawn light or twilight would be accepted, and moonlight was disallowed. Contestants could store their light in any container and deliver it to the Journal’s office. “All entries will be donated to less fortunate nations that do not observe Daylight Saving Time.”

But they didn’t. Ellis was contacted by media in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Dallas, “every section of the nation” seeking more information about the contest.

That was all right with Ellis. He’s written the piece as “change of pace from the usual and often gloomy side of the news,” he said, so that people “could laugh at the world, and me, and perhaps even at themselves, with reckless abandon. And feel good. And therein lies the worth of such a diversion.”

Hope you catch some rays this weekend!

Sunday Funnies

Details here.

I'll be moving on from the Royal Wedding now, I promise.

Various and Sundry, January 21

In "Things I Never Thought You Could Use Social Media For" news, this morning Maria Shriver sent out a tweet saying, "If you would like to follow the wake and funeral for our father, please follow @sargememorial today and tomorrow. CNN.com will have it live." Following a funeral on twitter? This I must see. I have to admit, it seems like a very practical use of twitter: a temporary account for a singular event.

The Dirt Therapist lists 10 gardening chores to do in January--well, actually 11. I've done some of them, anyway, but it was an excellent reminder to spray some copper on the roses.

Here's another list: Buzzwords to avoid for 2011. They are summed up nicely in this comment on the blog: "In these economic times we need to, literally, more than ever take it to the next level and ideate our people-centric skills and increase our bandwidth by using the cloud to initiate contact with the twitterverse." Like that.

I would just like to say HA! in reaction to this article headlined Tea 'Healthier' Drink Than Water -- though I don't appreciate the 'quotes'. "Drinking three or more cups of tea a day is as good for you as drinking plenty of water and may even have extra health benefits, say researchers." So there. And chocolates have flavinoids.

I'll probably have more to say--certainly more to think about--in regards to the question of how the building projects of the post-war boom are being played out in today's church. But just this morning, I saw news of a friend, Scott Gunn of Seven Whole Days fame, being part of a church merger.

Gunn sent out a letter on Jan. 10, stating in part, “After much thought, prayer and listening, our vestry (or Board of Directors) has come to the conclusion that we can do the work God has given us to do more effectively if we merge … It is very sad to think about leaving behind our beloved buildings. No one would say these are 'just buildings,' or that this is an easy choice.

“However, as Christians, we are people of hope, who proclaim a resurrection faith,” it continued. “We firmly believe that out of this sadness will eventually come joy and freedom in our new life as a congregation — (one that's) able to focus on mission and ministry, and not mere maintenance and survival.”

As they do, they might want to check out the Internet Monk's Suggested Program for the Church.

If you're willing to cringe a little bit (at least I cringed), take a look at this video, "I want to be an aid worker." Ouch!



Finally, thanks to Futility Closet, I checked out the Amazon reviews for A Million Random Digits with 100,000 Normal Deviates. Really. It's a collection of a million random digits with...well, you know. But the reviews! People went to town. One man reports that he had put the book on his wish list just to read the reviews and his wife accidentally bought it for him.

Here's one-star review:

The book is a promising reference concept, but the execution is somewhat sloppy. Whatever algorithm they used was not fully tested. The bulk of each page seems random enough. However at the lower left and lower right of alternate pages, the number is found to increment directly.

Other tidbits:
* “I had a hard time getting into this book. The profanity was jarring and stilted, not at all how people really talk.”
* “Once you get about halfway in, the rest of the story is pretty predictable.”
* “If you like this book, I highly recommend that you read it in the original binary.”
* “I would have given it five stars, but sadly there were too many distracting typos. For example: 46453 13987.”
* “I really liked the ’10034 56429 234088′ part.”
* “Frankly the sex scenes were awkward and clumsily written, adding very little of value to the plot.”
* “For a supposedly serious reference work the omission of an index is a major impediment. I hope this will be corrected in the next edition.”

One can only hope.

More on helping

Ajiri Tea won a prize for "Best Packaging" at the World Tea Expo and I'm still struggling with how I feel about that. Struggling because how much of that was a "Look at what the humble natives can do with our help" kind of a thing. And yet I would love to see Ajiri succeed, and the recognition from the World Tea Expo cannot but help.

Here's the info from Ajiri's website:

Ajiri Tea was started with the social mission of creating employment for the people of western Kenya and of educating the local orphans. Through the sale of Ajiri Tea, we hope to create a sustainable cycle of community employment and education. Ajiri means "to employ" in Swahili, the national language of Kenya.

We buy our tea from a tea factory in the Kisii district of Kenya and employ women in Kisii to handcraft the box labels, beads, and twine. All profits are sent back to the community through our donation to the Ajiri Foundation to educate orphans by paying their school fees and purchasing their books and uniforms. By supporting farmers, employing women to create the unique handmade labels on every tea box, and paying school fees for orphans, we hope to make a difference in Kenya today and in the future.

There's just something so...wincingly saccharin about this to me. And how can I be so callous? But there's something about the combination of "orphans" and "handcraft" and "women" and "farmers"--just the whole thing--that makes me squirm. If only they had been orphaned women farmers!

I'm glad these folks are doing this. I really am. It sounds to me like they are doing a lot of good and making some real impact. And yet I am disquieted. Perhaps by the "Let us come and help you" aspect (according to Sarah Vowell in The Wordy Shipmates, this is a long-held American trait). Perhaps it's the confluence of so many liberal buzz-words in one small space. Perhaps it's my own experience, seeing the production of "handcrafts" to play on the pity of folks in the west, all made to spec with supplied materials. I still may buy the tea, but something about this--this kind of helping--doesn't sit right with me.

You know what I think it is? It's the power thing--that I can help you, but you don't have anything that can help me. Even though that may not be what's really going on, that's what it feels like to me. And, of course, the people who founded Ajiri Tea are themselves earning a living this way. Nothing wrong with that. But I think those of us in the helping professions are kidding ourselves when we forget that we owe our livelihood to the people we're trying to help.

Infuse this!

I got a kick out of all of these wild and crazy teabags and I hope you will too.

Happy National Hot Tea Month!

Yes, my friends, January is National Hot Tea Month. Says who? Well, the Tea Council of the USA, for one, so you KNOW that's official.

The question I have is, is this a strictly American observance or is Tea Month observed elsewhere?

As for me, I think it's important to celebrate Hot Tea Month all year long. May the spirit of hot tea infuse your being now and always.

Seasonal news from the world of tea

Just what the religious tea-drinker needs: a TEA ADVENT CALENDAR! No, I am not making this up. Check it out:

The Tea Advent Calendar is back! The Tea Advent Calendar is numbered from 1 to 24 - a tea surprise for every day of Advent! 24 different, delicious infusion bags filled with organic tea.

As a child we were so excited when we had an advent calender to help us get through the long wait until Christmas Eve. The pleasant anticipation was wonderful, just like the excitement when we got to open a new door each day and fish out the mostly sticky contents!

Today it is healthier, easier and even more fun with the unique Tea Advent Calendar for all organic tea lovers. Each of the 24 bags are individually packaged and beautifully decorated.

The individual bags are numbered from 1 to 24 for each day with a wonderful Christmas illustration.

A great idea, beautifully packaged, perfect as a small present or souvenir for someone special!

All I have to say is...ummm...I can't think of anything to say, actually.

Thanks to TeaBoat on Twitter for bringing this to my attention. Her comment: "Make of this what you will." I'm with her.

Sunday funnies

News from the World of Tea

I hope you recall that last weekend was the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas. I am here to inform you that the results of the World Tea Championships are in!

For your information, "The WTC is made up of two classes: Hot Tea and Iced Tea. Each class consists of its own categories and judging panel. The Hot Tea class will be evaluated April 30 and May 1, 2009. The Iced Tea class will be evaluated the morning of May 2, 2009 at the Expo. All submissions are evaluated blind and through organoleptic analysis."

This makes me happy for the sole reason that I can now use "organoleptic analysis" in daily conversation.

Tea makes headlines again

From this morning's SFGate:

Tempest in a teacup?
Tea lovers steamed at politically charged "Tea Parties"

Yeah, you tell 'em!

Also, there's news about the World Tea Expo in Vegas, May 2-4. I am so there!

And now I'm going to have another cup of English breakfast.

California Tea Rooms

It is my duty to direct you to this article in the Chronicle describing five California tea rooms. I believe it will also be my duty to visit these tea rooms and ensure their quality and gentility for you, the Infusion reader. Such is my devotion to your well-being.

Tannins make you tough

Headline: Miss. woman survives being shot in head, makes tea

Got this link from a friend who sent it with a message, saying, "Who knew tea drinkers were so freakin' tough?"

Oh, yeah, baby. Don't be messin' with no tea drinkers.