I merely think that declaring a homeless, apolitical, non-violent hippie in first century Palestine as someone who would bless a twenty-first century terrorist militia in North America is a bit of a stretch.
by Lynne Olson, part of my Britain in WWII reading. One of the most outspoken supporters of Germany was the Prince of Wales, who told a German prince in 1933 that "it was no business of ours to interfere in Germany's internal affairs either [regarding] Jews or [regarding] anything else" and that "dictators are very popular these days and we might want one in England before long.' Indeed, the prince was so vociferous in his praise of the Nazis that on one occasion even his pro-German father thought he had gone too far and told him to tone it down.The aforementioned quote wasn't going too far?
by Terry Pratchett which was good, but not his best. If you've never read Terry Pratchett you might want to start with Equal Rites
or Wyrd Systers
--some of the earlier ones. Still, he has more insights per page than most other authors I know, and does it with great good humor. Random example:Why do we tell one another that the leopard cannot change his shorts? she mused as she watched him scurry away. Has anyone ever seen a leopard wearing shorts? And how would they be able to put them on if they had them? But we go on saying it as if it was some kind of holy truth, when it just means that we've run out of argument.
Regular readers of this blog will know that, besides my obsession with obits, there is a particular subgenre to which I am drawn as a moth to the flame: the spy obit. There's something about all the skullduggery and/or derring-do suddenly being revealed that makes those obits particularly appealing.She was realistic about her capacity to conduct "honeytrap" operations, noting: "Do I look like Mata Hari?"
On one occasion, when living alone [in the Belgian Congo], she chased off an intruder by leaning out of her window and shouting: "I am a witch! And if you don't instantly go away your hands and feet will fall off!"
On another occasion she was driving a Land Rover when she saw a machete-wielding mob coming towards her. She jumped out, stuck her head under the bonnet and told her potential attackers: "Thank goodness you've come along – I think I have a problem with my carburettor." The men laid down their weapons and offered their assistance.
"I always looked just like a fat missionary, which was very useful," she said in later life. "Missionaries get around, you know."
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Why does Mary Glasspool's receiving consents garner a comment from the Archbishop of Canterbury almost instantaneously (they must have had the text pre-written for either scenario) whereas when one of the 38 primates of the Anglican Communion nearly loses his life in an assassination attempt that results in his driver being gravely injured we hear nothing?
On March 23, Romero exploded with his most direct appeal to the members of the armed forces:
"I would like to make an appeal in a special way to the men of the army, to the police, to those in the barracks. Brothers, you are part of our own people. You kill your own campesino brothers and sisters. And before an order to kill that a man may give, the law of God must prevail that says: Thou shalt not kill! No soldier is obliged to obey an order against the law of God. No one has to fulfill an immoral law. It is time to recover your consciences and to obey your consciences rather than the orders of sin. The church, defender of the rights of God, of the law of God, of human dignity, the dignity of the person, cannot remain silent before such abomination. We want the government to take seriously that reforms are worth nothing when they come about stained with so much blood. In the name of God, and in the name of this suffering people whose laments rise to heaven each day more tumultuously, I beg you, I ask you, I order you in the name of God: Stop the repression!
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
Today's teaser is from Terry Pratchett's--oh, excuse me, Sir Terry Pratchett's latest Discworld novel, Unseen Academicals (appropriate cover for this time of year, n'est-ce pas?)."The University Council at the time took the very decent view that it might be the moment for a leader who was not stupid, mad or dead. Admittedly, most of these are not exactly qualifications in the normal sense, but I like to think that the skill of leadership, tactics and creative cheating that I learned on the river also stood me in good stead."
But I was struck today to read the bio of James de Koven who was elected bishop of Wisconsin in 1874 and of Illinois in 1875 "but because he was 'controversial' he failed both times to have his election ratified by a majority of Bishops and a majority of Standing Committees of Dioceses, as required by canon law."This met opposition from other Christians who were suspicious (1) of anything that suggested Roman Catholicism, (2) of anything that seemed fancy and pretentious, as opposed to the plain, blunt, simplicity that was considered to be an American virtue as well as a virtue of the New Testament Church, and (3) of anything that varied from the practices they had become used to as children.
Billy, don't you lose my number
cause you're not anywhere
that I can find you
Have you ever looked at the sunset
with the sky mellowing red
and the clouds suspended like feathers?
Then I'd say (then I'd say)
you've seen Jesus my Lord.
What has truly caught my notice, however, is that absolutely NOTHING has been made of the fact that another woman was elected bishop in LA that day. Diane Jardine Bruce (that's her picture, there) was approved with pretty much a yawn.News about her election and now about the consents for her election, almost always carry the banner that includes the word 'lesbian.' She is touted as the first partnered lesbian elected bishop, the first lesbian bishop (how do they know), the second homosexual partnered bishop (lesbian subset), and so on....It seems that almost everyone looks at this election as one filled with 'portent' because of her being put in a category of persons.... Apparently, no one in the world of ecclesial news and views gives a damn about who anyone is, but only what category of persons they belong to.
As I arise today, may the strength of God pilot me, the power of God uphold me, the wisdom of God guide me. May the eye of God look before me, the ear of God hear me, the word of God speak for me. May the hand of God protect me, the way of God lie before me, the shield of God defend me, the host of God save me. May Christ shield me today...Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit, Christ when I stand, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. Amen.
In the face of what they had lost, it is inconceivable that the Baganda would have rioted. But, the army was deployed. And, of course, they threw stones at these oppressors. That is what they saw.
Museveni goes there.
Who doesn’t know that he is the president? And, who doesn’t know that despite the fear of the man, the angry traditionalists would be hurling insults at the president? It was their day of moaning. The King’s Tombs had been burnt down. They suspected the government. And, the personification of the government came….
So, seven lives lost. To bullet wounds. Which only the security forces had. The guns.
But we make His love too narrow
By false limits of our own;
And we magnify His strictness
With a zeal He will not own.
Went to the ER this morning. Explained the situation. They wrote “Stabbed by chicken” on my chart. Then they asked if I had any “psych issues” and I thought they said “psychic issues” and I was all “Like, can I read your thoughts?” Then they put me in a private room. Lesson here? If you fake mental illness you’ll get better service.
Here’s how it will work. There will be 32 saints signed up for the tournament. Each day I’ll print some information about two of them and then we’ll take a vote. We’ll continue Lent Madness until we have crowned a saintly champion.
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Michael went through a period of depression, as I’m sure you would expect. He seems to have come through that now, for the most part. He knows he is dying, and he says he is at peace. Though he will still say with unashamed honesty, “I don’t want it to all be over at age 53!” he has the confidence of knowing that he has run the race God set out for him. He believes he has done the work our Lord intended for him to do, and if the last task God has for him in this life is dying, then he will do that to the best of his ability.
Yesterday, I said that I found myself drawn to WWII books these days, and later on I think I discovered why: it's the obits! Especially the British ones which seem to feature amazing WWII veterans and survivors every day. I feel immersed in these stories from that period because many of the actors from that time are now dying.Her first act of defiance took place as German troops entered the town, when she gave shelter to a group of fleeing French soldiers and begged her neighbours for civilian clothes for them so they would not be captured.
Within weeks she was made head of an under-section of the organisation, responsible for sending information to the Allies...By establishing contacts in the dockyard, Andrée was able to pass on information about naval installations, as well as about troop movements and the results of Allied aerial attacks. [snip]
During her three years with the Resistance – during which she was known first as Agent X and then as Agent Rose – Andrée helped save the lives of more than 100 Allied pilots. Her team used torches [flashlights] to guide Allied planes to improvised landing strips and smuggled fugitive airmen aboard submarines and gunboats on remote parts of the coast, often feeling their way in the dark past German coastal shelters.
She was arrested and taken to Gestapo headquarters where she was stripped naked, interrogated and subjected to a series of tortures, including simulated drowning and being savagely beaten around the throat.
As a firing squad drew near, she wrote later, the terrified prisoners heard a telephone ringing in the camp commandant's office. It was a message from the Americans to the effect that the firing squad had been seen entering the camp and that if they wanted to live, they would spare the lives of the prisoners. The soldiers fled.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
It was an amazing night, though, for images of how far we've come from the first International Women's Day in 1911. I love this picture of Barbra Streisand, the presenter for best director, with Kathryn Bigelow, who won it. I remember when Barbra presented for best director before, back in 1994 when Jane Campion was up for the award. So sixteen years have gone by with only one other woman nominated (Sofia Coppola in 2003) when Barbra opened the envelope, waited a beat, and said, "Well, the time has come." Beautiful moment.
Ms. Beezle-Bubb wants you to know that today is National Grammar Day, brought to you by the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (SPOGG).
Language is something to be celebrated, and March 4 is the perfect day to do it. It's not only a date, it's an imperative: March forth on March 4 to speak well, write well, and help others do the same!
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:"By God, woman," Thor exclaimed, his voice booming, "you get prettier every time I see you!"
"And you, Mr. Gibbs," she said airily, "get more and more full of baked beans."
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