Friday, September 28, 2007
For My Avatar
I decided to put an image that, more or less, encapsulates the image Reasshatters have of us liberals (especially us queers). You do have to vies it full size to really see it, though.
Lemming Meringue?
From a poster on Fr. Jake:
Is megalomania the psychiatric issue here? Try this on for size, from Episcopal Life Online:
During his short homily at Eucharist, Duncan urged the congregation of about 100 to be fruitful even if their fruit is not what the world wants, and to be willing to face the consequences of their actions. Those consequences in the past, Duncan said, have included death.
"My prayer for us who have gathered here is that...we will be such a threat to the present order that we will be found worth killing, if only Columba's white martyrdom, but, if it be so, let it be the red martyrdom," Duncan said, contrasting the "martyrdom" of asceticism with that of death.
I couldn't believe this quote, so I had to look it up
Now, not only is this the absolute height of Pride, making oneself some sort of plaster-saint martyr, but it's frightening. I'm worried what a person capable of making such a melodramatic statement, completely divorced from reality, will do to others . . . even his own followers.
It's completely my worry. It may just be his usual bombast and self-glorification, but it's just disturbing.
Is megalomania the psychiatric issue here? Try this on for size, from Episcopal Life Online:
During his short homily at Eucharist, Duncan urged the congregation of about 100 to be fruitful even if their fruit is not what the world wants, and to be willing to face the consequences of their actions. Those consequences in the past, Duncan said, have included death.
"My prayer for us who have gathered here is that...we will be such a threat to the present order that we will be found worth killing, if only Columba's white martyrdom, but, if it be so, let it be the red martyrdom," Duncan said, contrasting the "martyrdom" of asceticism with that of death.
I couldn't believe this quote, so I had to look it up
Now, not only is this the absolute height of Pride, making oneself some sort of plaster-saint martyr, but it's frightening. I'm worried what a person capable of making such a melodramatic statement, completely divorced from reality, will do to others . . . even his own followers.
It's completely my worry. It may just be his usual bombast and self-glorification, but it's just disturbing.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
It Can't All Be Serious
Last year, the game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance came out. I never got it, until it was on sale - mainly because, while I love Marvel comics heroes, I really find most superhero-based games weak and silly.
Not this one.
It's got all the big players and most of the villains, and, since you can build a team of four or choose a four-person team based on canon teams (New Avengers, Fantastic Four, Marvel Knights) you have an incredible number of characters you can play, all with pretty decent AI.
Some of the heroes (playable):
Doctor Strange (Hell, yeah!)
Ghost Rider
Fantastic Four (Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing)
Blade (another Hell, yeah!)
Iron Man (whom I have come to really like -- sorry, James)
Nick Fury (seen in clip below)
Black Panther
Elektra
Luke Cage
Ms. Marvel
Spider-Man
Spider-Woman
Iceman
Storm
Silver Surfer (unlockable)
Daredevil
Deadpool
Wolverine
Captain America
Thor
Heroes (nonplayable):
Black Widow
Dum Dum Dugan
Triton
Black Bolt
Gorgon
Crystal
Medusa
Jean Gray
Nightcrawler
Karnak
Hank Pym (Ant Man)
The Vision
Sif
Tyr
Balder
Heimdall
Wong
The Ancient One
Wyatt Wingfoot
Professor Xavier
Namor
Namorita
Uatu the Watcher
Villains (could be playable on multi-player or online, haven't tried):
The Masters of Evil:
Dr. Doom
Loki
Ultron
Enchantress
Baron Mordo (a reflected Hell, yeah! for the archnemesis of Dr. Strange)
Scorpion
Ultimate Scorpion
Lizard
Bullseye
Winter Soldier
Radioactive Man
Fin Fang Foom
M.O.D.O.K.
Executioner
The Wrecking Crew
Arcade
Crimson Dynamo
Other Villains:
Mandarin
Gray Gargoyle
Mephisto
Blackheart
Hydra
Attuma
Warstar
Starbolt
Gladiator
Hussar
Neutron
Deathbird
Galactus
Here's the intro:
And, a fairly recently-conceived hero, Deadpool ('90's) whom I have come to love for his cheerful insanity, complete refusal to take superheroism seriously and good-natured brutality for the good guys. So, here's the "Merc with the Mouth":
Not this one.
It's got all the big players and most of the villains, and, since you can build a team of four or choose a four-person team based on canon teams (New Avengers, Fantastic Four, Marvel Knights) you have an incredible number of characters you can play, all with pretty decent AI.
Some of the heroes (playable):
Doctor Strange (Hell, yeah!)
Ghost Rider
Fantastic Four (Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing)
Blade (another Hell, yeah!)
Iron Man (whom I have come to really like -- sorry, James)
Nick Fury (seen in clip below)
Black Panther
Elektra
Luke Cage
Ms. Marvel
Spider-Man
Spider-Woman
Iceman
Storm
Silver Surfer (unlockable)
Daredevil
Deadpool
Wolverine
Captain America
Thor
Heroes (nonplayable):
Black Widow
Dum Dum Dugan
Triton
Black Bolt
Gorgon
Crystal
Medusa
Jean Gray
Nightcrawler
Karnak
Hank Pym (Ant Man)
The Vision
Sif
Tyr
Balder
Heimdall
Wong
The Ancient One
Wyatt Wingfoot
Professor Xavier
Namor
Namorita
Uatu the Watcher
Villains (could be playable on multi-player or online, haven't tried):
The Masters of Evil:
Dr. Doom
Loki
Ultron
Enchantress
Baron Mordo (a reflected Hell, yeah! for the archnemesis of Dr. Strange)
Scorpion
Ultimate Scorpion
Lizard
Bullseye
Winter Soldier
Radioactive Man
Fin Fang Foom
M.O.D.O.K.
Executioner
The Wrecking Crew
Arcade
Crimson Dynamo
Other Villains:
Mandarin
Gray Gargoyle
Mephisto
Blackheart
Hydra
Attuma
Warstar
Starbolt
Gladiator
Hussar
Neutron
Deathbird
Galactus
Here's the intro:
And, a fairly recently-conceived hero, Deadpool ('90's) whom I have come to love for his cheerful insanity, complete refusal to take superheroism seriously and good-natured brutality for the good guys. So, here's the "Merc with the Mouth":
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
S. O. B.
Standard Operational Bullshit
This is what we've gotten from the House of Bishops, and, like Fr. Jake, I was taken aback by the fury at what has been, pretty much, the status quo.
It actually gives me hope, but only if we can direct that anger. Here's what I wrote on Fr. Jake's site to another poster:
Well, to me, FS, it's not just a matter of good clergy, bad clergy in terms of spiritual qualities (humility, lack of restraint, et al) but what we seem to expect of them. We want businessmen good administrators. One of the very, very, very few things I respect about Reasserters is their emphasis on clergy's being called - though it is to a wrong and harmful vision, at least it's a vocation. We seem to be more concerned, in general, with having clergy who are well-spoken, diplomatic, a dab hand at the outgoing host, a good head for figures and fund-raising - in short, good businessmen - and little emphasis on their belief, their actual pastoral qualities (as opposed to merely being social), their empathy, their spiritual life -- I've heard the reports on spiritual development from seminarians referred to as "merely jumping through hoops!"
This may make for good business, but it makes for an abysmally mediocre episcopate. It's one of the reasons I actually oppose married clergy - particularly bishops - because ordination has to be more than a career choice.
I'm not speaking of the clergy I've known here, and I'm sorry if my words offend, and, especially, if they hurt, but I just think that we need to look differently at this HoB outcome.
I suppose, in essence, I agree with Jake that it's business as usual. But I find that sad and unacceptable - the "we're only human" line only stretches to the point that something has actually been attempted.
We should be regarding this, not as a slap in the face, but a rough shove into conscious awareness of the mediocrity that we've helped build into our leadership. We can simply be upset, or realize that we - the people of the church - are responsible for choosing our clergy, and from that clergy our bishops and that serious reform in that process has to happen.
The problem has been systemic.
Grandmere's bishop has seemed mostly to be a deer frozen in the headlights. My bishop has been resolute in ignoring any sort of problem in the church, whatsoever. Look at our diocesan website -- it's as if there was no Reasserter nonsense going on anywhere. I understand the need to put a good face on the inaction, the lack of clarity (usually masked by "We have to listen to the entire argument,") that our bishops have engaged in. I know my bishop, personally. Great guy. Great spiritual leader? Hell, no. It was painful to come to that realization, but it's true. There's no fire. Too much politician and too little guru. Unfortunately, I've heard the same under the defensiveness of certain other liberals as well.
The simple fact is, liberal or moderate, they simply were completely unprepared for anything like this. When it came down to it, they were playing "business as usual" and those they speak for were serious. That, I must say, the Reasserters have all over us. They actually are passionate about the beliefs, and the articulation of those beliefs, they represent. We are damned with lukewarm praise and tepid support from bishops who, though decent people, are completely unequipped for dealing with real theological controversy. They're great a homiletics, but it's all just regurgitating what they read in seminary. They think gay relationships are fine, but they have not really thought about it, and lack both the ability and conviction to clarify that position, and certainly lack the passion and fire to defend it in the teeth of "revilings, persecutions" etc. My priest is clear, theologically and socially, and concise on his defense of homosexual relationships with monogamy being the normative state. My bishop is clear on why we need to build more churches. He can't even explain what is the absolute good of the Anglican Communion.
I think that the opportunity here is to realize that we, and the priests and deacons, are gonna have to do this, leaving the dazed and worried bishops home to guard the silverware. When it's over, when can start real talks about reforming who and how we choose our clergy and our leadership from among them.
This is what we've gotten from the House of Bishops, and, like Fr. Jake, I was taken aback by the fury at what has been, pretty much, the status quo.
It actually gives me hope, but only if we can direct that anger. Here's what I wrote on Fr. Jake's site to another poster:
Well, to me, FS, it's not just a matter of good clergy, bad clergy in terms of spiritual qualities (humility, lack of restraint, et al) but what we seem to expect of them. We want businessmen good administrators. One of the very, very, very few things I respect about Reasserters is their emphasis on clergy's being called - though it is to a wrong and harmful vision, at least it's a vocation. We seem to be more concerned, in general, with having clergy who are well-spoken, diplomatic, a dab hand at the outgoing host, a good head for figures and fund-raising - in short, good businessmen - and little emphasis on their belief, their actual pastoral qualities (as opposed to merely being social), their empathy, their spiritual life -- I've heard the reports on spiritual development from seminarians referred to as "merely jumping through hoops!"
This may make for good business, but it makes for an abysmally mediocre episcopate. It's one of the reasons I actually oppose married clergy - particularly bishops - because ordination has to be more than a career choice.
I'm not speaking of the clergy I've known here, and I'm sorry if my words offend, and, especially, if they hurt, but I just think that we need to look differently at this HoB outcome.
I suppose, in essence, I agree with Jake that it's business as usual. But I find that sad and unacceptable - the "we're only human" line only stretches to the point that something has actually been attempted.
We should be regarding this, not as a slap in the face, but a rough shove into conscious awareness of the mediocrity that we've helped build into our leadership. We can simply be upset, or realize that we - the people of the church - are responsible for choosing our clergy, and from that clergy our bishops and that serious reform in that process has to happen.
The problem has been systemic.
Grandmere's bishop has seemed mostly to be a deer frozen in the headlights. My bishop has been resolute in ignoring any sort of problem in the church, whatsoever. Look at our diocesan website -- it's as if there was no Reasserter nonsense going on anywhere. I understand the need to put a good face on the inaction, the lack of clarity (usually masked by "We have to listen to the entire argument,") that our bishops have engaged in. I know my bishop, personally. Great guy. Great spiritual leader? Hell, no. It was painful to come to that realization, but it's true. There's no fire. Too much politician and too little guru. Unfortunately, I've heard the same under the defensiveness of certain other liberals as well.
The simple fact is, liberal or moderate, they simply were completely unprepared for anything like this. When it came down to it, they were playing "business as usual" and those they speak for were serious. That, I must say, the Reasserters have all over us. They actually are passionate about the beliefs, and the articulation of those beliefs, they represent. We are damned with lukewarm praise and tepid support from bishops who, though decent people, are completely unequipped for dealing with real theological controversy. They're great a homiletics, but it's all just regurgitating what they read in seminary. They think gay relationships are fine, but they have not really thought about it, and lack both the ability and conviction to clarify that position, and certainly lack the passion and fire to defend it in the teeth of "revilings, persecutions" etc. My priest is clear, theologically and socially, and concise on his defense of homosexual relationships with monogamy being the normative state. My bishop is clear on why we need to build more churches. He can't even explain what is the absolute good of the Anglican Communion.
I think that the opportunity here is to realize that we, and the priests and deacons, are gonna have to do this, leaving the dazed and worried bishops home to guard the silverware. When it's over, when can start real talks about reforming who and how we choose our clergy and our leadership from among them.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
FALL
Fall is a difficult time for me. I remember all the friends and family who've either died or moved away (and there's more than my share for 39 years old). It's a time when the air, after the heavy syrup of humidity and heat that surrounds us in summer, has a peculiar silent quality, expectant, as if voices were trying to find the words to say, or one's ears were poised most expectantly, trying to catch that half-heard whisper beyond . . . well, Beyond.
I'm tempted to put it down to my Celtic blood and the old tradition of Fall being that time when the Veil thinned between living and dead, but I know it's no more than nostalgia. Fall is redolent, especially for an American boy. It stirs memories of early morning walks to a new year of school, meeting friends missed over the summer. It stirs memories of a Mom, so different before Dad died, showing me how to make little people with dried leaves, preparing huge Halloween parties. Halloween itself, with trips through darkness, "brave" friends all packed close together, waiting for older kids in masks stinking of rubber to jump out (and the possibility of more supernatural frights). My father, raking leaves, burning them in the yard in the days when you could burn them in the yard legally. All gone, now - Mom, Dad, my friends Dwayne (dead), Jimbo (married), my nieces and nephews grown, most with their own families, except Gus, who, like Dwayne, died too early. James moved away and getting on with a promising life. That which, perhaps, fills me with the most sorrow is the loss of that child I was, thinking how badly my life sucked, not realizing then how sweet and full it was.
Older, not necessarily wiser. Perhaps it's appropriate -- this is the dying season, after all -- that these ghosts pull at my heart.
I'm tempted to put it down to my Celtic blood and the old tradition of Fall being that time when the Veil thinned between living and dead, but I know it's no more than nostalgia. Fall is redolent, especially for an American boy. It stirs memories of early morning walks to a new year of school, meeting friends missed over the summer. It stirs memories of a Mom, so different before Dad died, showing me how to make little people with dried leaves, preparing huge Halloween parties. Halloween itself, with trips through darkness, "brave" friends all packed close together, waiting for older kids in masks stinking of rubber to jump out (and the possibility of more supernatural frights). My father, raking leaves, burning them in the yard in the days when you could burn them in the yard legally. All gone, now - Mom, Dad, my friends Dwayne (dead), Jimbo (married), my nieces and nephews grown, most with their own families, except Gus, who, like Dwayne, died too early. James moved away and getting on with a promising life. That which, perhaps, fills me with the most sorrow is the loss of that child I was, thinking how badly my life sucked, not realizing then how sweet and full it was.
Older, not necessarily wiser. Perhaps it's appropriate -- this is the dying season, after all -- that these ghosts pull at my heart.
Monday, September 3, 2007
HOT FUZZ
A great fight scene from a funny movie.
Where else would you see Billie Whitelaw and Paul Freeman in a running, no-holds-barred gun battle?
*Major Spoilers if you haven't seen the film*
Where else would you see Billie Whitelaw and Paul Freeman in a running, no-holds-barred gun battle?
*Major Spoilers if you haven't seen the film*
Strength Is For the Weak!!
I haven't responded or posted much, lately, but that's simply because I find myself finding it so difficult to pull myself out of the game.
Truthfully, I find my exposure to the Reasserters to be doing me damage. Their hatred and simple ill-will has seeped into me. It's ruined my Peace and Serenity, my goodwill, even my sense of humor. I find myself moving farther from my daily direct experience of God, often having to surface from my own preoccupations, wounds and rage to look around for Him. To answer the ABC, no, this game is NOT worth that candle. So, I've been withdrawing from everything about the AC trying to get away from church and back to God.
It is a game, you see. Whoever wins, God's already won, and none of us will be lost. I don't know how. I don't know how that fits in with sin and damnation, but I trust God. I believe the Reasserters are, without reservation, Truly Bad People - but that's part of the game, too - God still holds them. I'd started to believe the game was real life, and it isn't.
Don't misunderstand me; people are being hurt by this game run amok, and we have to stand between them and their aggressors - like adults breaking up a schoolyard fight. Now, I'm not called to soothe the Reasserters, as their way of expression infects and twists my own, but for those who are, you are blessed.
I love you all, and hope you'll keep badgering me when I don't answer, til I get my sense of humor back.
Truthfully, I find my exposure to the Reasserters to be doing me damage. Their hatred and simple ill-will has seeped into me. It's ruined my Peace and Serenity, my goodwill, even my sense of humor. I find myself moving farther from my daily direct experience of God, often having to surface from my own preoccupations, wounds and rage to look around for Him. To answer the ABC, no, this game is NOT worth that candle. So, I've been withdrawing from everything about the AC trying to get away from church and back to God.
It is a game, you see. Whoever wins, God's already won, and none of us will be lost. I don't know how. I don't know how that fits in with sin and damnation, but I trust God. I believe the Reasserters are, without reservation, Truly Bad People - but that's part of the game, too - God still holds them. I'd started to believe the game was real life, and it isn't.
Don't misunderstand me; people are being hurt by this game run amok, and we have to stand between them and their aggressors - like adults breaking up a schoolyard fight. Now, I'm not called to soothe the Reasserters, as their way of expression infects and twists my own, but for those who are, you are blessed.
I love you all, and hope you'll keep badgering me when I don't answer, til I get my sense of humor back.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
For James
The boy with the ringed eyes is Gaara, his sister Temari is on the left, his brother Kankuro is on the right in the bunraku puppeteer's "kitty ears" and the Kabuki makeup.
You have to understand, Gaara had a rough childhood.
You have to understand, Gaara had a rough childhood.
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