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Tour 2009: Contador climb
The anatomy of a climb: Contador on the Verbier - its place in Tour climbing "history"
News Update: Based on Contador's amazing climb of the Verbier, a french scientist has estimated Contador's VO2 max to be 99.5 ml/kg/min. This was the catalyst for accusations of doping from numerous commentators, including Greg Lemond. However, is this estimation accurate? Does Contador really have a VO2max of 99.5 ml/kg/min, and can we say he might be doping? For discussion on these questions, read our latest post here.
Well, the response to the post yesterday describing Contador's climb has been overwhelming - being in SA, I slept through most of your emails and woke this morning to a deluge of comments and analysis of the climb. Thank you to everyone for your input. It would be wonderful to do a more detailed breakdown of the climb, but that would require accurate information regarding the profile and the specific gradients per kilometer.
Unfortunately, there is little chance of consensus on the actual figures for the climb. Many of you have commented in the last post and referred me to profiles, breakdowns, specific kilometer-by-kilometer gradients, and thank you very much for that. However, not a single person's input agrees with anyone else's!
For example, on the Tour website, the climb is listed as 8.7km at 7.5%. However, the profiles many of you provided vary quite a bit from this. The Tour profile indicates a 9km climb with a total rise of 638m (a gradient of 7.1%). Other websites were saying it was 8.8km at 7.5%, or 7.1%, or 8.3 km long. There was even a suggestion that it was only 7.2km long! Finding the real profile seems a mission impossible! This has obvious implications for the calculated wattage and VAM on the day.
I believe that the distance of the climb is 8.7km - I base this on the fact that at the bottom of climb, as the peloton turned left, the banner signalling the start of the King of the Mountains "competition" very clearly indicated 8.7km to the summit. I can believe that the Tour website might be incorrect, but I find it difficult to believe that they would also err on the actual measurement of the route. Also, one of you said that an SRM from a Tour rider showed the length of the climb to be 8.74km. So I think it's a safe bet to say that the climb is 8.7km long.
In terms of the vertical rise, it is more difficult. It seems that most are saying that it rises 638m. A few commenters said this, and it was also the assumption used Dr Michele Ferrari in his own analysis of the climb at 53x12.com. Finally, SRM data from yesterday suggests that the climb is 640m, which differs from the 653m that is inferred from the official Tour guide and even from the mapmyride.com route, which has a 653m rise over an 8.7km length.
As a result of all this "disagreement", doing a detailed analysis on this kind of data is fraught with assumptions and therefore possible errors. As it is, Contador's climbing rate is either 1858m/hour or it is 1900m/hour. A small error - 2%, but still, going into more detail than this makes that error even greater.
So unfortunately, a detailed breakdown of the climb is not possible until one knows the altitude and distances with greater certainty - at the moment, the figures just don't match up. The mere fact that there is so much "disagreement" from one profile to the next, where the climb begins and ends, and what the gradient was means it's pretty speculative to try to work out power output per kilometer. I was really hopeful this would be possible, because it would have been fascinating to track how Contador's power peaked and then stabilised as he first followed, then attacked and built his lead.
Comparison between Contador and the history of the Tour
Nevertheless, it is still interesting to compare Contador's climb to those of riders in the past. I said yesterday that Contador's rate of 1900m/hour (based on the 8.7km @ 7.5% assumption, recall) was a record in the Tour. I know a lot of people have said that VAMs alone cannot be used to compare one climb to another. If you do so 'blindly', I agree, but provided you acknowledge that length of the climb and its gradient influences VAMs, as you'll see below, then this analysis is still quite intriguing. It will reveal, for example, that Contador's high VAM was achieved on the least steep of all the top 10 climbs in the history of the Tour. Therefore, on a steeper climb, it would be even higher. Yes, it was also a short climb, but more on that below.
If we go with the more conservative climb of 640m (as per SRM data), then the climbing rate is lower, at 1864m/hour. That is still a record in the Tour, mind you, as the graph below shows. This is a graph of the twelve highest VAMs ever in the Tour de France (click on it to enlarge if it's too small):
So Contador surpasses Riis' climb of Hautacam 13 years ago, as well as those of Pantani, Armstrong, Leblanc (a surprise name on this list!) and Ullrich. Just as an aside, Pantani's form in 1997 was astonishing.
VAM and relative power output, and influence of gradient
VAM (or vertical ascent in meters per hour) is a measurement popularised by Dr Michele Ferrari (yes, that one) as a means of comparison between riders and climbs, because it can be used to calculate relative power output.
It is important to understand that VAM is affected by the gradient. According to Dr Ferrari himself, the higher the grade, the greater the VAM at a given power output. The relationship between VAM and relative power output is defined as follows:
Relative power (W/kg) = VAM (m/hour) / (Gradient factor x 100)
This gradient factor ranges between 2.6 for a gradient of 6% and 3.1 for a gradient of 11% (The gradient factor is equal to [2 plus (% grade/10)]. You can read more on this relationship here)
Implications for the Contador climb
This has implications for Contador's climb. For Contador, the relative power output can be calculated by taking the VAM (1864m/h) and dividing by 275 (the constant for 7.5%). This gives a relative power output of 6.78 W/kg. (Ferrari calculates 6.73W/kg, but he uses a VAM of 1852m/h, because his ascent is 638m, not 640m. This shows again the discrepancies in measuring this Verbier climb!)
The point I have to make is that on a steeper climb, the same power output would produce an EVEN HIGHER VAM. Therefore, if you look at that graph above, Contador's record VAM would have been higher on any of the other slopes - Alpe d'Huez at 8.1%, Hautacam at 7.7% and Joux Plane at 8.5% would produce higher VAMS. For example, had Contador been on an 8.5% slope, producing the same power output, his VAM would increase to 1932m/hour.
In other words, Contador's climb was a record IN SPITE of the more gradual climb.
Confounders and explainers
There are a number of things that have to be factored into all these performances, particularly that of Contador. I touched on some yesterday, but here are some other contributing factors:
It's been reported that there was quite a strong wind blowing up the valley on the climb. Alex very helpfully calculated what impact a wind would have on the required power output on the climb. It turns out that with NO WIND, the power output required on the climb is approximately 422W. A tail-wind speed of 3m/s (10km/hour) reduces the power output required to 387W, which is a pretty sizeable difference. Of course, the climb cannot have had a tailwind all the way up - it had hairpins and so there will have been headwinds and tailwinds. However, this is an average tailwind, and it seems reasonable. I tried to watch for signs of strong winds on the climb, but must confess it was not noticeable.
Also, in the graph above, there is no controlling for the wind. Perhaps LeBlanc had a mighty tail-wind on Hautacam in 1994? Perhaps Pantani faced a head-wind in 1997 and could even have been faster? It's impossible to factor that in, which is why it can be risky making judgements in isolation! That is why averages over longer time-periods provide more meaningful information than once off events. The average power output on climbs over the course of a Tour tells you more than single climbs (but more on that in other posts). However, it's safe to say that wind can have a substantial impact on climbing power calculated from ascent time.
Climb length
Many have been quick to point out that the climbing rate should be higher, given that Verbier is a shorter climb than most of those done at the end of Tours. This is certainly a factor, since most of the climbs in the above list are 35 minutes long (Hautacam) or even longer (Alpe d'Huez). Soler's climb in 2007 was short - 22 minutes, but the difference in length is certainly partly responsible. Therefore, Contador's record VAM is at least partly due to a shorter climb.
I say "partly", because I don't believe that the effect of length is as great as many seem to believe. It's certainly a factor, I don't wish to dismiss it, but not as large as one might first thing. For example, when the Tour did the time-trial on Alpe d'Huez in 2004, the climbing times of all the main riders was only just marginally faster than when the same climb was done at the end of a 200km stage (all the other times in that list above). Similarly, long climbs like the Tourmalet and Mont Ventoux are climbed only a few percent slower than the shorter climbs, and so while length plays a role, and would account for some of Contador's record ascent rate, it's not as simple as saying "shorter equals faster".
Race situation
I will say that the way this Tour had gone, the first big finish was always going to be spectacular. The Tour was effectively dormant for 8 days, and the Pyrenees were done with minimal attrition. Therefore, given the situation and the way that the race had developed, the climb was always going to be fast. This again illustrates how isolated climbs can't be taken out of context, and is the reason one should look at a collection of climbs to reduce the impact of these confounders as much as is possible.
Finally, I did mention in yesterday's post that given the change in pro-cycling over the last few years, one would expect a drop in climbing rates, not new records. People will wonder about what this record ascent means - it's only natural given cycling's history!
I've hopefully managed to explain some of the other factors that must be considered in the Contador climb, but this question remains, without a doubt. It would be naive to dismiss it out of hand. I will say that performance analysis of single performances does not constitute proof of anything. In fact, it's a weak method of inferring doping. That was never my intention in yesterday's post, by the way (in case it came across that way). The better approach is to look at all climbs and work on averages, as I did for Tour winners from 1989 to 2001 in a previous post.
Why? Because doping has an effect on the repeatability of the performance, just as much as it affects performance acutely. Many will think only of the acute doping effect, but in fact, most of the doping products exert an even bigger effect on recovery, and hence the ability to produce this level of performance over and over. Think testosterone, growth hormone, cortisone, insulin - all are used to reduce stress response or improve post-exercise recovery. Even EPO would have this effect. Therefore, one cannot infer too much from a once-off performance. Rather, you have to look at a collection of performances, which also partly addresses variability provided by wind speed, temperatures and race situation.
In time, however, this performance will be placed into context - one of perhaps 10 climbs in the 2009 Tour, just as there may have been 10 climbs in 2008, 2002 or 1996. At that point, one will get a better idea of what is happening, and hopefully the analysis we did of the Tour winners 1989 to 2001 will be comparable to what is happening now.
That's the short analysis of Contador's climb. It was spectacular, without a doubt - a record in the Tour, even factoring in wind and climb length. There are too many unanswered questions regarding wind, absolute power, gradients and distances, however, which is a pity. Hopefully the discussion and the great debate it produces is worth the absence of a definitive answer! Certainly it has generated a lot of discussion, for which we thank you once again!
Bring on day 2 in the Alps!
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Ross & Jonathan


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Tony Fortuna of the Lenox Restaurant gave this authentic recipe for biscotti to Dorie, and I'm thankful for that! Dorie also named it one of her top ten favorite recipes from this cookbook we're baking through.
Because they have a hard texture, they are best dipped in coffee or tea (or better yet a latte), then they absorb the flavor of your preferred morning pick-me-up and melt in your mouth, and before you know it you're digging into your Tupperware container for another hit of biscotti, repeating this motion until you run out of one or both.
Playing Around
I wanted to play around with the shape of biscotti. I pulled out my trusty coin wrappers again as I did for the Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters. This time, with the urging of a friend living in the United States who can't get twoonie or loonie coin wrappers like we have in Canada, I wanted to try making them in the smaller penny, dime, and nickel versions to show that it's possible.
Of course, stuffing biscotti batter into the coin wrappers is time consuming, but it's worth it because they make the best dunkers! As well, after the first baking, some of the batter spilled out. But it's easy to trim these parts off. Then, I carefully unpeeled the coin wrapper and baked them for the second time until they were golden.
Here's a great step-by-step article showing how to form traditional biscotti.
You can find the recipe for Lenox Almond Biscotti in the book Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or here or here. To see how the rest of the TWD group fared with this week's recipe, click here and then click on each blogger! Thanks to Gretchen from Canela & Comino who chose the recipe for this week.
Tasting Notes
I'm almost out of biscotti and will have to make this batch again soon. Mornings just won't be the same without a little biscotti dunked into my latte. I'm looking forward to playing around with the flavorings next time too.
Recipe for Next Week (October 21)
Pumpkin Muffins on page 13 chosen by Kelly from Sounding My Barbaric Gulp.
Gift Giveaway
I'm giving away a free 1-year subscription to Bon Appétit magazine. To enter to win, all you need to do is comment on this blog post. On Monday, October 20, I'll randomly select a winner from all the comments that have been submitted on this post. I will email the winner and post their name in next week's TWD post. Have a great week!

subset: commoncrawl


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Neil is obviously a great guy, and not just because he can rock a fuchsia dress shirt. No, he also sweetened his two-weeks notice with words like "joy and whim" in addition to all that yummy frosting. I bet every boss wishes their employees would be as thoughtful.
However, I submit that this cake is far too well-intentioned to qualify as a Cake Wreck. So for the rest of us - the ones who have daydreamed (or continue to) about telling the ol' boss-person where they can take our respective employment position and place it - I present Patrick's cake:
Obviously, Patrick was not as well-disposed towards his job at a "prestigious interactive agency"*. In fact, he was so fed-up with his boss's brow-beatings that on the day in question he picked up his paycheck, placed this cake on his desk, and simply walked out the door.
Here's what happened next:
And the boss? Apparently he didn't realize this was an insult. HR had to tell him it was a few weeks later. (Not sure what he thought it was before that - a joke, perhaps?)
Patrick tells me that folks in his industry still ask, "Are YOU the one who left the cake?". So maybe you should put this on your resume, eh, Patrick? And then put that on a cake. And then send it to me. And then I will eat it. (Mmm, cakey resumes...)
*I have no idea what that means, so I assume it's high-paying.


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Works: Hataraku Saibou
Characters: Macrophage
Length: 68cm
High Quality: Made of imported South Korea lustrous synthetic fiber, which is very suitable for long term use.
Adjustable Size: There are two adjustment straps inside the wig, which can be intertwined to a fixed position to suit different head sizes.
Daily & Cosplay Use: Very stylish design with natural pretty looking and soft touch. You can wear it to parties or for daily use.
Package Included: 1 X Wig
Type of shipping: STANDARD DELIVERY 4-7days Plus 1 Weeks Production Period.
Note: All Costumes ordered from us can be cancelled within 24 hours free of charge, but orders cancelled after 24 hours are subject to a handling fee equalling 50% of the item price. We thank you in advance for your understanding.


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What we're about
The Buffalo Outdoors Meetup (the BOM) is dedicated to everything outdoors, with tons of great people who love doing things outside, and occasionally inside. This is an informal group of people who share their own ideas and time to set up events out of a desire to help each other explore available opportunities for adventure in the Western New York outdoors and beyond.
Keep in mind that participation is always at your own risk, and your safety is your own responsibility. BOM is not a business or even a formal organization, and event organizers are not serving as paid tour guides. Think of scheduled events as a suggestion by the event organizer to do something at the same time and place that they plan to do it, with some information to help you decide whether and how to safely join them.
Everyone involved in BOM is a volunteer and shares their own time and resources to help other members find and enjoy these great opportunities. Organizers are happy to answer questions as we are able, but please don't expect too much pampering or "hand-holding". The comment pages are for questions and suggestions about events, not for gripes and complaints. Three NO SHOWs within a 12 month period, unsafe acts, persistent negativity or personal attacks by a member will lead to removal from BOM.
With those guidelines set, this is a really great group of people who know how to enjoy the outdoors together--we look forward to seeing you join us at some of our upcoming events.
-Seth (Former Organizer)


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Clayton Kershaw (18-5, 2.36) vs. Daniel Hudson (16-9. 3.41).
Dodgers versus Diamondbacks. Los Angeles versus Arizona. Cy Young candidate Kershaw versus probable playoff pitcher Hudson. Who do you think Josh Rawitch is rooting for? Although we've enjoyed watching the D'backs beating the Giants to lead the NL West, that pleasure comes in a distant second to Kershaw bolstering his Cy Young chances. So...C-Ya later, Snakes.
P.S.: Clayton, please don't throw at O'Parra. Ain't worth it.
photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images


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For those of you that held or participated in a Terra Madre Day, thanks you for bringing Slow Food's international celebrations to your corner of the world!
Following the day's success, we would now like to paint a picture of the global event, and showcase the hundreds of activities that took place. But we'll need your help!
Choose one or two photos that best capture the atmosphere and essence of your celebration, along with the main details of the event (what, where, when), and send them to us at: [email protected]
In next few days, you'll be able to find a gallery of images from each continent on old.slowfood.com/terramadreday and a small international selection on our Facebook page.
Thank you once again for all that you are doing as part of this movement for good, clean and fair food… a global revolution that would be nothing without it local roots.
Photo: © Kunal Chandra


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July has mysteriously vanished and as I head into August I am left to think that never have I had a month zoom past me at the warp speed I experienced this month.
Besides the vacation, the buzz at our household in July was most certainly Soeren starting 1st grade in August. In Germany the beginning of school (not pre-school) is rejoiced with a fete called "Zuckertütenfest".
To mark this milestone in a child's life, family and friends are invited to join the festivities. The child gets a "Zuckertüte", a sugar bag, filled with sweet treats and little toys. To sweeten the hard work they will be doing for a major part of their lives?
Apparently the legend has it that the Zuckertüte grows into a sugar tree! How sweet! Although Soeren just completed pre-school at the International School here in Weimar, the school has taken over this German custom for all their 1st graders too. I love this custom and can hardly wait for my son to start 1st grade, just so that I can plan the party!
Tom and I have been secretly planning, organizing and shopping for school supplies and goodies to fill his Zuckertüte. What fun – almost like Christmas in the middle of summer.
One day, a few weeks ago, as we were picking raspberries at a self-picking farm I asked Soeren what tree does he want his Zuckertüte to grow into. At the spur of the moment he said, with his mouth full of plump red raspberries, "A tree with all my favorite berries on it!"
We spent a good deal of our time at the self-picking farm gathering several berries and discussing the exciting path he would be taking. He is rather proud that he will be going to 1st grade as a 5 year old. A week later he turns 6!
Filled with the anticipation, I wanted to treat him with something sweet and berrylicious. Not a berry tree, but a berry cake, packed with juicy, sweet raspberries and nutty hazelnuts. The raspberries tartly kiss the cake, keeping it moist and soft. The whole hazelnuts add a lovely crunchy texture to the cake and plays off beautifully against the tangy tartness of the raspberries.
August will bring much more! Of that I am sure. But we are welcoming August with open arms. Zuckertütenfest and a birthday party are just two things that will be sweetening the new month for us – and whoever turned down sweet treats?
Printable version of recipe here.200g fresh raspberries
160g all-purpose flour
170g sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
150g butter, melted
100g whole hazelnuts, dry roasted
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Prepare a 26 cm long loaf tin by brushing it with a bit of the melted butter and flouring the insides. Tap out any excess flour.
In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs and sugar until creamy and pale.
In a separate bowl sieve the flour and baking powder together, then gently stir it into the egg mixture. Whisk only until the flour has been incorporate. Finally whisk in the melted butter.
Using a rubber spatula fold in 150g raspberries and 50g hazelnuts into the batter.
Pour a layer of the batter into the loaf tin, then layer with the remaining raspberries and hazelnuts. Pour in the rest of the batter into the tin.
Back the cake for 40-50 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Take cake out of oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes in the tin. Then tip onto a rack and cool.
Tip: If you are baking this cake only for adults drizzle some raspberry brandy onto the cake while it is still warm. ;-)
Summertime berry-time! For us berries become a staple food in the summer. I am always trying to incorporate them in recipes be it salads, desserts cookies or cakes. One of our favorite ways to enjoy them is baking them in simple loaves and cakes. I have not re-invented the wheel here, but I do think this cake is a simple way to delight anyone and if you love berries this cake will provide you with pure satisfaction.
Berries are also on Susan's mind this month, who is hosting Sugar High Friday #45. She picked a theme that any berry lover could not resist: Berries. So Susan are you loving Soeren and my berrylicious cake or what?
You might like these berrylicious creations from WFLH:
Rhubarb Raspberry Trifle | |
Tropicana Cream with Summer Berries | |
Strawberry Almond Muffins |
From around the blogs:
Indian Food Rocks' very berry Blackberry Shrikhand
Confessions of a Cardamom Addict's scrumptious spiced blueberry-maple syrup
Ammalu's Kitchen's fruity strawberry salad
Daily Tiffin Reading Tip:
Ayurveda and Food for Skin by Dee of Ammalu's Kitchen
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First


text: Here in Philadelphia, IASpromotes.com knows the value of products made in America. Show that your business supports the United States and it's workers by ordering customized promotional products that IASpromotes.com guarantees are produced in the United States. IASpromotes.com promises only high quality advertising products bearing your logo. You can hand these customized items out at tradeshows, marketing events, and promotional giveaways knowing Americans crafted them.


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EASY can be searched via a general free-text search. It searches in the metadata of all published datasets, but it does not extend into the contents of the uploaded files in datasets. Please use English as well as Dutch words for optimal search results.
A result list shows datasets that match the chosen criteria, mentioned in the 'Criteria' at the top of the list. Criteria may be removed individually using the 'x' mark beside them. Sort options are also available; clicking toggles the sort order (ascending/descending).On most result lists, refine options are available (at the right-hand side). Use those options to filter within the list (e.g. search within the result list).For more about refining and the meaning of the values of the field 'Access', refer to the help on refine (use the '?' mark next to 'Refine').
To search specific fields (and/or any field), use the 'Advanced search' link.To get a list of all published datasets, start with the 'Browse' link.
Search terms can be combined using 'AND','OR' and 'NOT'.
Refine options are available in a list of results. Use these options to filter within the list. After refining, a narrowed-down list of results appears (which may be refined again, depending on the criteria chosen).For other result lists options, e.g. removing criteria, refer to the search help (use the '?' mark next to 'Search').
Search and Advanced search are available on any list of results. That may be a list of published datasets obtained through search or browse or a list of your deposited datasets obtained through the 'My datasets' link.The functioning of search is explained in the search help (use the '?' mark next to 'Search').
Additional attributes of the dataset metadata may be shown with values which can be selected. For example, selecting 'Social sciences' from a list of audiences produces the result list again but this time with only datasets that have 'Social sciences' as Audience in their metadata. Note that only values that are present in the datasets in the result list are shown. If no dataset in the list has an Audience in Social sciences, then the value 'Social sciences' is not shown.
Note that Audience has a tree structure, so after selecting 'Social sciences' you get a new list of possible values within Social sciences. Selecting 'Social sciences' actually selects datasets that have Audience set to either 'Social sciences' or a more specific audience within Social sciences.
The access policy of datasets (within the result list) may show one or more of the following values:
Note that the access policy of the dataset may be an approximation of the actual access settings of its files. For example, the dataset may be 'Restricted -request permission', implying that its data requires permission. But some documentation files may be accessible without requiring permission.
On archaeological datasets (i.e. datasets with Audience: Humanities > Archaeology), additional attributes may be available that are specific to this discipline.


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Check a vehicles MOT history in Broadstairs. https://www.gov.uk/browse/driving/mot-insurance is a UK government site that lets you search the MOT history, check vehicle details and a lot more. Very useful site link.
Find a local MOT authorised centre near Broadstairs. MOT authorised centres is a free dataset from the UK Government and is freely available on sites such as: http://localmotcentre.co.uk/ and http://www.ukmot.com/ Tip google search "authorised mot centres" for more options
MOT costs in Broadstairs. Many centres state different prices but there is a staturiary price list for MOT's in Broadstairs. See https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot/mot-test-fees
Is there VAT on an MOT test? Answer NO, VAT is not applicable to MOT tests in Broadstairs.
I need an MOT but the car is not taxed. Always a taxing question (pun) as you cannot get your car taxed if it does not have an MOT. You are allowed to drive your car to an agreed appointment at a MOT station without being taxed. A good authoriative source of information regarding this issue is on the UK Police site https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q600.htm
Car Tyres in Broadstairs
What tyres are the standard ones for my vehicle? On a used car it is not safe to assume that the tyres currently fitted are the ones ideal for your vehicle. The manufacturers handbook is the obvious first place to check, but there are a lot of tyre sale websites that allow you to type in your registration and find the same manufactorer information e.g. http://www.kwik-fit.com/tyre-search.asp & http://www.national.co.uk/tyres/
What do tyre codings mean.
175/65 R14 T means 175mm width, 65 aspect ratio or the tyre side expressed as a percentge of the tyre width, R (radial), 14" wheel diameter, T speed rating 118mph. For a comprehensive list of these codings visit http://www.which.co.uk/cars/driving/car-tyres/best-car-tyre-brands/understanding-tyre-markings/ for some good examples
When do tyres need replacing? The legal minimum is 1.6mm depth of tread across the centre 3/4 of the tread for the whole of the tyre. However most suppliers will recommend replacing tyres when down to 3mm depth. Tyre depth can effect braking performance so it is important to get tyres replaced before they get too worn down.
Repairs can often be performed safely on a veichle without the need for a new tyre. A puncture doesn't mean you need a new tyre. A good tyre fitter in Broadstairs will be able to offer you good advice. Worn typres should always be replaced.
Car Servicing in Broadstairs
Do I have to use a manufacturer main dealer for servicing? NO.
Motorists are free to choose any garage to service their car without invalidating any manufacturer's warranty, providing the business is VAT registered, follows the manufacturer's servicing procedures, employs a suitably qualified mechanic and uses original parts, specified fluids or ones of matching quality.
Car servicing packages? These may often be part of a new or used car sale from a retailer or as an add on package. These sort of packages should cover the cost basic servincing labour costs and typically oils and filters. They tend not to include any work required for brake discs, tyres, exhausts and batteries.
It is always best to get a written quotation for a service beforehand. Always leave your contact number and ask that they confirm any extra work and costs with you before they are carried out.
When buying a used car it is often worth asking for proof of the cars service history. It will show whether the vehicle has been maintained properly and may include work that could still be covered by a warranty.
Car batteries for Broadstairs and car exhaushts for Broadstairs are usually covered in the topics covered above.


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Oracle has released an emergency Java patch addressing the latest in-the-wild exploit targeting the software. The company suggests users apply this update "as soon as possible" due to "the severity of these vulnerabilities." The full patch description and download is available through Oracle's Technology Network (you can also get the patch through the software's auto-update).
This particular vulnerability is being exploited to install a remote-access trojan dubbed McRat. The attacks targeted Java versions 1.6 Update 41 and 1.7 Update 15, which are the latest available releases of the widely used software. Security Editor Dan Goodin reported on the issue just three days ago, as attacks were being triggered when people with a vulnerable Java version visited a booby-trapped website.
It almost goes without saying—Java security has left something to be desired lately. High profile companies such as Facebook, Apple, and Twitter all fell at the hands of Java recently. These businesses disclosed that their computers were compromised by exploits later linked to a developer website hacked into a platform for Java exploits. Here at Ars, you can peruse nine separate stories involving Java exploits within the last month alone.


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Spelling Bee Mania! I love the Spelling Bee. Two years ago, I won the Page 2 Spelling Bee Fantasy League title. Last year, I remained enamored with it. This year, I'm still all in.
Darren Rovell and I have been friends for years, and the Bee is one of the things he and I mutually agree is fantastic. He does a much more obsessive job than I do in breaking down the field. He handicaps the race here.
We both agree on one thing: Samir Patel. Drafting Patel led to my Fantasy League title in '05, and I picked him to win last year (he didn't, but has a mean streak). Rovell likens Patel to the Bee's Peyton Manning, and he's right: It's Patel's year. He's my pick to win.
Mike and Mike will be doing the play-by-play. One of the things I liked most about Bee broadcasts was the earnestness of the otherwise anonymous broadcast team matched the sincerity of the kids. I really hope Greenberg and Golic don't turn this into a case of the "cool" kid and the "jock" kid turning the primetime event into a sarcastic mockery of the "smart" kids. That would be like re-living junior high for me, without the beatings. (Here's a hint that, if they do nothing else, will help: It's not about you, M&M, it's about the kids.)
I was looking around for a live-blog, and here's one I found. (Yes, but will they be doing the early rounds, found on the obscure cable channels?)
Meanwhile, around the sports that wish they had the authenticity of the Bee...
Cavs even up series with Pistons 2-2: When Larry Hughes went down with that injury, how many of you agreed with me that the Cavs were d-o-n-e? Hughes replacement Daniel Gibson (21 points) would like to disagree. (Bonus: Undersized combo guards at the NBA Draft "combine" get a boost!)
Vick Scandal, Day Nth: SI.com says Vick doesn't understand that dog-fighting is wrong. PFT is hearing that league folks think an indictment is inevitable. And there's something about the search/non-search warrant for his property, but I can't work through the thicket of intrigue. Just dig up the damn property already.
MLB Stud, Pitcher: Josh Beckett, who returned from the DL to win his 8th straight decision. ("Straight" should get a mild asterisk, given the break between starts.)
MLB Stud, Batter: Gary Sheffield, who hit 2 HR and had 5 RBI in a 14-2 Tigers clobbering of the D-Rays. For the first two months of the season, it sure looks like the Yankees messed up in letting him go.
Clemens Watch: The only real reason to pay attention to Roger Clemens' prep for the season was that he would make his first start for the Yankees at Fenway. Now, it looks like it'll happen against the White Sox. What a wuss.
(Actually, the other vets on the rotation set up to pitch there, and why mess with their turns? Well, for starters, because Roger Clemens is ALL ABOUT the special rules. Why stop at "doesn't have to travel with the team?" Why not add in: "Enters rotation when/where it makes the most dramatic sense?")
MLB Stats: "FORP." Alex Belth (via Emma Span) is pushing "FORP" (Fun Over Replacement Player), which is a pretty clever concept. Curious who your most favorite "fun" MLB players are. Here's the Belth link.
Duke Scandal: Will any of the "Duke Three" be able to lead normal lives? Reade Seligmann will find out: He has transferred to Brown. We'll see if he brings any stigma with him. That must have made for one hell of an application essay.
Marquise Hill's death was ruled accidental. That compounds the tragedy that he wasn't wearing a life vest.
Lakers owner Jerry Buss arrested for DUI: Forget the 74-year-old man. How about the fact that there was a 23-year-old woman in the car with him? I fully expect LA-based Sports by Brooks to have the photos ASAP. (Please be Lindsay Lohan... please be Lindsay Lohan...)
French Open: Andy Roddick ain't good on clay. For the second year in a row, he is bounced out of the French Open in the first round. Seven other
TV: Kudos to the rookie Big Ten Network for making ESPN's Dave Revsine its signature hire. Beyond being a Northwestern guy, he has always been one of the most underrated talents at ESPN.
My genius friends over at ProTrade have a new live-game application for baseball that could radically change the concept of understanding a game's turning point. Here's the link.
Rookiepedia is back for the NBA Draft.
More later.


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Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Can the poor souls pray for us?
50 comments:
- Kuba said...
Just a quick remark. In the discussion over the Talents you spoke very harshly against any "anthropomorphic approach" to theology (in responce to Leo's comment). And here you quote St Alphonsus that uses this very same approach.
"If a father keeps a son whom he tenderly loves in confinement for some fault; if the son then is not in a state to pray for himself, is that any reason why he cannot pray for others? and may he not expect to obtain what he asks, knowing, as he does, his father's affection for him? "
Could you comment on when this sort of approach is acceptable and when it's missing the mark. - November 16, 2011 at 6:38 AM
This is decidedly an open question. While you may say that "nearly every Church Doctor has...held that the poor souls cannot pray for us," there are still those who assert that they can. Further, they are not lightweights.
Here is an exceprt from St. Alphonsus' (The Doctor Zelantissimus) "The Great Means of Salvation and Perfection": (1.3.2)
"Again, it is disputed whether there is any use in recommending one's self to the Souls in Purgatory. Some say that the Souls in that state cannot pray for us; and these rely on the authority of St. Thomas, who says that those Souls, while they are being purified by pain, are inferior to us, and therefore are not in a state to pray for us, but rather require our prayers. [2. 2. q. 83, a. 2] But many other Doctors, as Bellarmine, [De Purg. 1. 2. c. 15] Sylvius, [In Suppl. q. 71, a. 6] Cardinal Gotti, [De St. an. p. vit. q. 4, d. 2] Lessius, [De Just. 1. 2, c. 37, d. 5] Medina and others, affirm with great probability, that we should piously believe that God manifests our prayer to those holy souls, in order that they may pray for us; and that so the charitable interchange of mutual prayer may be kept up between them and us."
Here, too, is an excerpt from Francisco Suarez (not a Doctor) and his "De Poenitentia":
Maxime quia illae animae sunt sanctae et carae Deo nosque ex charitate diligunt et noslri recordantur noruntque saltem generaliter ea pericula in quibus versamur et quantum indigeamus divina ope et auxilio cur ergo non orabunt etiamsi alias suis pcenis solvanl quod debent?
(You may note that these are simply expanded references from the Catholic Encyclopedia artice on this subject.)
As I mentioned to begin with, this is an open question. A definitive answer is speculative, though not fruitless.
Kind Regards. - November 16, 2011 at 7:01 AM
You might want to keep this personal, but my 10 year old son, hears from 3 Holy Souls daily and last Sunday Mary told him that his suffering would be for them and he heard from new ones on Monday. They warn him, instruct him, even admonished him once. They answer some of his questions and seem to know absolutely everything about his life, even what he is thinking at times. I know this is all private revelation but they even help us with prayers that we should say because my son has to also deal with lots of attacks of the evil one. My take is the Holy Souls know whatever God wants them to know and they are the most wonderful friends in the world to have. - November 16, 2011 at 11:20 AM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
@Father S,
Yes, thank you for the citation from St. Alphonsus - you will notice that the same text is quoted in my article above, but without the references to the works of the other theologians (so thank you for adding those).
It is primarily on the authority of Alphonsus and also on account of the testimony of many saints that I believe that the poor souls can, with special divine permission, pray on our behalf -- however, I do not think that this is in the norm; and we ordinarily ask the prayers of the saints rather than of the poor souls.
Peace to you! + - November 16, 2011 at 3:39 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
You ask and excellent and very insightful question! :-)
The truth is that we can use anthropomorphic analogies in theology ... we just have to be very careful. This was what I meant to say in the comments on the earlier article (on the talents).
However, I would also note that St. Alphonsus is here discussing not so much the nature of God himself, as the relation of the souls in purgatory to us on earth -- hence, the analogy to human life is more fitting.
True, he does compare God to a father who has detained his son, but the point being made is principally about the poor souls and not about God in himself.
The other article (on the parable of the talents) was specifically about the Divine Love in itself, and less about the interrelation of human beings.
Still, you are correct, there is some overlap here ... in truth, I don't find that particular analogy in St. Alphonsus' argument to be very convincing (precisely because it is an anthropomorphic analogy) ... though I do agree with Alphonsus' conclusion. + - November 16, 2011 at 3:45 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
It will be very important for your son (especially as he gets older) to have a wise and prudent spiritual director to help him sort all this out.
In the meantime, frequent confession and additional mortification/fasting will be necessary for all.
Always, the key to holiness is charity - concrete acts of love for God and neighbor.
And, as you mention, it is certainly true that God will choose certain individuals to be special intercessors for the poor souls -- and this could be accompanied by various mystical phenomena.
Prayer will be very important! (and, as I said, a good spiritual director - for him, and probably also for you)
Peace to you! + - November 16, 2011 at 3:51 PM
- A Sinner said...
There's also the question of the ministry of the Angels isn't there? If we make it to heaven, we are said to reign with OUR guardian angel, so surely the Poor Souls still have theirs. Isn't there some sense in which their angels (even without an extraordinary intervention of God) could be "delivering" prayers to them?
- November 16, 2011 at 3:53 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
@A Sinner,
Thank you for mentioning the guardian angels! Yes, most certainly, the angel guardians are with the poor souls and encourage them.
However, the human soul - when separated from the body - has no natural way of learning. Thus, it can only gain knowledge through the beatific vision or through the infusion of knowledge upon the intellect.
Of course, the poor souls lack the beatific vision -- which means that the only way they could know would be through infusion of intelligible species.
However, this would require a special grace; just as (even for the living) special grace is needed to receive infused knowledge.
Hence, it is not "in the norm" - not even the angels can do this without the special assistance of God.
Additionally, the fact remains that the Church does not ask the prayers of the poor souls, at least not in the liturgy or in any of her official public prayers. This also indicates that praying to the poor souls is not in the norm, but neither is it to be totally excluded - it is simply extraordinary.
I hope that it is a bit more clear! + - November 16, 2011 at 4:01 PM
- RFSjr said...
Please consider the following data in support of the notion that the souls in purgatory pray in some manner:
1. Catechism section 1689, referring to the celebration of the funeral mass, says:
"The Eucharistic Sacrifice. When the celebration takes place in church … the Church expresses her efficacious communion with the departed: …. It is by the Eucharist thus celebrated that the community of the faithful, especially the family of the deceased, learn to live in communion with the one who "has fallen asleep in the Lord," … by praying for him and with him."
Assuming the funeral mass does not effect a canonization of the deceased, it would seem that the deceased would presumably be in purgatory at the time the deceased prays "with" us.
2. Fr. Ludwig Ott expressly opines that the prayers of the deceased merit us based upon "sententia probabilis" ("probable sentiment" of the entire faithful, one of the lower grades of certainty).
3. The 1914 Catholic Encyclopedia Prayer at the newadvent.org site in an article caption "Prayer" says:
"Even the souls in purgatory, according to the common opinion of theologians, pray to God to move the faithful to offer prayers, sacrifices, and expiatory works for them. They also pray for themselves and for souls still on earth."
In conclusion, in my opinion, the souls in purgatory pray with and for us. I speculate that this would more likely occur when we initiate the conscious contact by our prayers insofar as they are helpless without our prayers.
Pax Christi - November 17, 2011 at 2:00 PM
- Stomachosus said...
It is interesting to note that Leo XIII granted an indulgence to a pray to the Holy Souls in 1889. It was removed in 1937, and certainly is not definitive, but I do think it adds support for those who claim we can pray to the Holy Souls. There were also several provincial in various countries in the 19th century that explicitly taught that they can intercede for us (Vienna in 1858, Utrecht in 1865). I find it interesting that such prayer as a devotion was becoming more widespread up through the 1950's and the Church never acted against it, though other than the indulgence in 1889 the Church universal never encouraged it either. I thought of posting the prayer, but it is rather long.
I note that Ludwig Ott in his Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma holds that we must say they can intercede for us based on their belong to the Church, though he only (correctly) labels the proposition a "sententia probabilis". But Pohle-Preuss in their dogmatic work weigh against it with just as much certitude!
One question I have is that I was under the impression that the separated souls already receive infused species, even in purgatory, anyway (not necessarily of intercessory prayer though). Is that not the case? - November 17, 2011 at 2:07 PM
While I recall being taught that the poor souls cannot pray for us, I have in front of me a book with an imprimatur and a Nihil Obstat, a foreward by Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I. and an opening prayer of Blessed James Alberione to ask the poor souls to pray for us. o who is a Catholic susposed to believe?
Anne - November 17, 2011 at 6:38 PM
We seem to have neglected those who were once in purgatory and now reign in heaven. Their gratitude is not to be overlooked, and if one asks the intercession of the souls in purgatory, might not those who have previously benefitted from the prayers of the supplicant when they were in purgatory be most attentive to his prayers now that they share the beatific vision?
Dan Buckley - November 17, 2011 at 7:37 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
Thank you for the citation from the Catholic Encyclopedia (1914). I had not seen that particular quote before.
I will say that, if it was (as they claim) the "common opinion of theologians" in 1914, it certainly has not been the common opinion of theologians throughout the Church's history ... nor is it the common opinion of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church.
Still, as I mention in the article, I do believe that the poor souls can intercede for us ... I only state that this is not the norm.
As to the citation from the Catechism ... it is clear from the context that the prayers of the funeral Mass are not pleading the intercession of the poor souls in behalf of the living -- likewise, the Catechism (in that place) says nothing of the poor souls interceding for the living.
As to the authority of Ludwig Ott ... even he states that the poor souls could only pray if they were giving special knowledge of our prayers "by Divine Revelation".
Again, thank you for the citations from Ott, the CCC and the Catholic Encyclopedia. + - November 17, 2011 at 7:52 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
Regarding Ludwig Ott ... see my comment to RFSjr.
As to whether the poor souls have knowledge through infusion of species ... I do not see any reason to think that they ordinarily would receive such ... though, if you know of a source, I would be very happy to look it up!
From the Catholic Encyclopedia, and St. Thomas, I haven't seen anything to that effect; but I may well have overlooked something.
St. Thomas says very simply that, since they lack the beatific vision, they cannot (ordinarily) have any knowledge of things on earth.
Peace. + - November 17, 2011 at 7:59 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
I am not familiar with the prayer of Bl. Alberione ... but St. Thomas Aquinas is a Doctor of the Church (and a saint, rather than a blessed) ... hence, he would clearly have the greater authority.
On the other hand, I believe that St. Alphonsus (also a doctor) takes the best road -- stating that the intercession of the poor souls is possible, though not in the norm. - November 17, 2011 at 8:03 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
@ Dan Buckley,
Certainly, there is no question that the poor souls who are released and enter into heaven do pray for those who prayed for them.
However, this article discusses whether or not it is good to ordinarily request the prayers of the poor souls, while they are still in purgatory -- and we say that it is not in the norm, but is extraordinary. + - November 17, 2011 at 8:05 PM
Father, perhaps we can add a consideration that Thomas may not have had at the forefront of his mind. Since the 13th century, there seems to have been a development of doctrine regarding ecclesiology, especially at Trent and Vatican II. Without giving an entire other article, I will simply float the possibility that our more robust understanding of the mystery of the Church, especially as communio caritatis, would lend more weight to the idea of the holy souls praying for us. they are still in the state of grace, and still part of the communion of the Church. Our knowledge of their actual state is slim. It seems that there would be good reason to suppose that, given the full weight of the ecclesial mystery of which they are still a part, that the holy souls could exercise some form of apostolate of charity - e.g., intercessory prayer. It seems to say otherwise would relegate them to being outside the Church, outside the communion of charity, unable to be an active part of the life of the Church in any real sense, i.e., charity. Their state would seem to be worse than catechumens or excommunicates. While I would agree that their suffering was more, I think their dignity in the Church and in the life of communal charity is far greater.
Anyway. Just some meditations on why later saints, doctors, and approved theologians would disagree with earlier. I think it has to do with a clearer sense of the mystery of the Church. I just offer that for your reflection. - November 17, 2011 at 8:07 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
@Fr. Savio,
Yes! Most certainly, there have been some very significant developments in the field of Ecclesiology since the time of St. Thomas.
Still, I am quite certain that the Common Doctor would have rejected your statement that the poor souls must (or ought to) have "an active part" in the Church -- it seems to me that the primary nature of purgatory is "passive" purgation ... hence, the poor souls are not able to be "active".
Still, I think you are correct in your fundamental point ... and I believe that it is by the bond of charity that (by an extraordinary gift) God allows the poor souls to pray for us, though this does not seem (to me at least) to be in the norm.
Certainly, you make a good point. + - November 17, 2011 at 8:14 PM
- Stomachosus said...
Father, I had in mind S. Th. I q. 89 where St. Thomas talks about the knowledge of the separated soul. Particular interest is article 4 and article 8. He expressly states throughout the question that he is speaking of the natural knowledge such souls would have, and still affirms that the separated soul, like angels, understands through species received from the Divine light. That he affirms belongs to the separated soul by nature, and hence even the souls in purgatory. It knows singulars only in a confused way through this, and only those singulars that they have a disposition to know (through affect, former knowledge, natural fittingness, the disposing of the Divine order).
He does clearly explain in this why the dead don't know what goes on with the living, though he also admits exception to that (ad 1 of article 8) - November 18, 2011 at 6:16 AM
- Liam Ronan said...
For nothing is impossible with God...if the Church is one Body then are we to believe that one part of the Body is of no use to the other?
- November 18, 2011 at 7:11 AM
Part of me agrees with Fr. Savio, surely, but the other part naggingly reminds myself that supposedly the poor souls are no longer able to act out on choices for the good (prayers of intercession being such acts) or for the evil, i.e. they no longer have the luxury of using God's grace to, with it and because of it, act in faith, hope and charity, which is a graceful luxury that we enfleshed souls enjoy thanks to our wayfaring state. The poor souls are holy in the sense that they have met our Judge at the particular judgment and have been deemed passable, shall we say. But they are passive for now. Their passivity is no doubt a source of extreme consternation to them, since they still feel charity toward their fellow man. Perhaps this consternation is itself part of the purifying flame. Once they enter heaven, however, their prayers, acts, will beautifully flow! Of course, since we are talking about reality outside of time, perhaps the prayers of intercession they can and will offer from heaven can be applied retroactively to us here on earth, by order of a kind God who can do such wonders. Therefore, it would seem to us here on earth, according to our time frame, that the souls in purgatory are interceding for us "now", from where we consider them to be "now", in purgatory.
The preceding is just a layman's musing. I am sure I am very confused. It's hard not to be in this vale of tears! - November 18, 2011 at 8:11 AM
While this article is about Holy Souls still in purgatory, we don't know (apart from canonized Saints and Blesseds) when a soul moves from purgatory to Heaven (or if a particular soul even made it to purgatory). Thus we do not know when to ask such souls to intercede for us. Is it probable that asking the Holy souls for intercession now leads to their intercession when they enter Heaven?
Is it truly a pious practice to drop/ sprinkle Holy Water on the floor to alleviate the pain of the Holy Souls in purgatory?
Samantha - November 18, 2011 at 8:12 AM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
Liam Ronan,
Here we must recall that the Tradition does not hesitate to affirm that the souls in purgatory stand in relation to us as needing our prayers.
So yes, I think we can very safely say that - in the norm - the souls in purgatory do not pray for us ... still, we grow in charity by praying for them.
After all ... would you say that we are of "any use" to the saints in heaven? (clearly, they do not benefit from our prayers)
- hence, it is clear, that one part of the Body of Christ need not necessarily be "useful" to every other part -
Why should we be afraid to state that we do not (normally) benefit from the poor souls? Rather, indeed, we are of great benefit to them. - November 18, 2011 at 9:46 AM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
The question of the relation between time in purgatory and time on earth is a difficult one ... but we must assert that there is passage of "time" in purgatory (just as there is for the saints and angels in heaven), for only God is outside of time in the eternal "present".
Still, you are most certainly correct in affirming that God can apply a future prayer to the present moment. + - November 18, 2011 at 9:48 AM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
I am not aware of the practice ... perhaps others know something about this? - sprinkling holy water on the ground for the benefit of the poor souls.
Generally, holy water should be used to sanctify persons or things.
Peace! + - November 18, 2011 at 9:49 AM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
Yes, you are correct!
Thank you for the citation!
The poor souls do receive infused knowledge - just not (normally) about us.
Peace. + - November 18, 2011 at 10:01 AM
- Unknown said...
It seems that the poor souls "hear" in a different mode than the saints.
The saints have access to our prayers and all the circumstantial conditions of our requests through the Beatific Vision. As we all know, the poor souls do not have the Beatific Vision.
However, the poor souls do have charity, grace, and the indwelling of the Holy Ghost in their souls. So perhaps there is a way by which messages can be delivered to the poor souls.
Perhaps a helpful distinction would be to say that saints always do hear us and respond, but the poor souls can only do so by a special intervention via God, angels, or saints. This seems to be precisely what you saying. So the poor souls COULD perhaps hear us, but certainly not in the way that the saints hear us.
ad Jesum per Mariam,
Taylor - November 18, 2011 at 10:02 AM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
Thank you for mentioning also the role that the angels and saints could play in this. Certainly they could bring our prayers (in certain circumstances) to the poor souls!
Further, you make a good point (which is really the fundamental purpose of my article, but you said it more clearly) -- when it comes to intercession in our behalf, the poor souls are not like the saints. + - November 18, 2011 at 10:41 AM
- Liam Ronan said...
Dear Father Erlenbush, I'll grant you my characterization "any use" was inept however, if there is more joy in heaven over a sinner come to repentance than 99 just who have no need of it then it might be inferred that the joy of saints can be increased by human action and therefore while 'useful' might not be quite right it might be argued that we actually can increase the joy of saints by our actions on earth.
- November 18, 2011 at 11:54 AM
Luckily we are touching upon this subject and I want to ask you this question which I have not gotten a direct answer. Having read books about saints, one common theme (if I can call it that) is that it is costly and difficult to release one soul from purgatory. With that being said, is the prayer of St. Gertrude the Great factual? Does it actually release 1000 souls from purgatory every time it is said? I tend to dismiss it because it seems too easy.
Thanks - November 18, 2011 at 2:20 PM
My mother used to claim that when she had difficulty sleeping, she prayed to the poor souls. I told her we are supposed to pray for the poor souls, not to them. But I don't think she agreed with that bit of theology.
One case where poor souls might pray for someone: if their purgation is due to injuring or scandalizing some person, this might be a major source of their prayers. - November 18, 2011 at 2:23 PM
I haven't read all of the comments, so forgive me if this was already brought up, but what about those "Novena to the Holy Souls" booklets? Are they useless?
Veronica - November 18, 2011 at 3:48 PM
Dear Father Ryan,
Great post, but back the train up, Father! Have you explained elsewhere the concept of "time" for those in Purgatory and Heaven, with only God being "outside of time"? I always thought that once we died, we also left time as we know it... Do I win the dunce hat AGAIN??? Thanks, Father, I'm praying for the poor souls, God bless you. - November 18, 2011 at 8:20 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
As I understand it, the prayer of St. Gertrude is only found in certain manuscripts and not in the Revelations of St. Gertrude ... further, the promise is made solely to St. Gertrude and is contingent upon perfect love.
Still, it is most certainly a very valuable prayer and, I would think, that if it is said with perfect love it would free many souls from purgatory -- though, I doubt whether the average recitation of this prayer does in fact free 1000 souls.
Peace! + - November 18, 2011 at 10:19 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
@ Howard, You make a good point ... there could be something to the idea of certain poor souls having a special obligation in charity to some of the living.
@ Veronica, while I would say that the novena to the holy souls would ask for their prayers in an extraordinary way, i would not immediately discourage the use of that novena.
But I would say that our general devotion should be of praying in their behalf (rather than for their intercession).
Peace! + - November 18, 2011 at 10:21 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
@ Michelangelo,
Certainly, after death, we leave time "as we know it" ... but we do not leave time all together.
Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange speaks well to this point in "Life Everlasting", chapter 12 on the separated soul, "eternity and time" ... see the link to this work in the right tab.
Peace to you always! + - November 18, 2011 at 10:25 PM
- A Sinner said...
"Of course, the poor souls lack the beatific vision -- which means that the only way they could know would be through infusion of intelligible species. However, this would require a special grace; just as (even for the living) special grace is needed to receive infused knowledge. Hence, it is not 'in the norm' - not even the angels can do this without the special assistance of God."
Ah, see, I lean more towards the belief that it IS within the natural powers of the angels to infuse intelligible species (to lower spirits). After all, that's their manner of communicating with each other is it not? The infusion "downwards" of knowledge?
Maybe you have some reason, but if they do it naturally with each other, I'm not sure why they couldn't naturally with human souls.
Furthermore, there is the question of demons. Of course, we must say, "allowing a demon to interact with a person must be allowed by God"...but EVERYTHING must be allowed by God in the general sense of Providence. I think it's odd to think of things like as if God is giving "special graces" when demons possess someone (which I take to mean a certain type of infusing of knowledge.)
In fact, I thought that one of the whole points of guardian angels is that they protect all people (generally, unless for reason of sin or testing God has the angel "step down") from demonic influence or infusion (because, after all, only one angel can act on one "place" at a given time, so if my soul is already being guarded by my angel, a demon can't come in).
If there are reasons this position can't be possible, I would like to know them, but it seems to me that if angels have to rely on a direct act of God to communicate with a lower spirit every time...this would be quite a "gulf" in creation, given that we as humans can easily interact with animals and vegetables and minerals even just under our natural powers. - November 19, 2011 at 1:48 PM
Growing up I was always thought that we can pray for souls in purgatory and they can pray for us. They can't, however, pray for themselves - for their own needs. Anybody else remembers this...?
- November 20, 2011 at 12:07 AM
Pepin, I agree with that. Praying for oneself is a luxury afforded by the wayfaring state. The poor souls are no longer wayfaring.
- November 20, 2011 at 12:59 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
@pepin and brad,
I guess I'm just wondering how you would explain the idea that the poor souls are able to pray ... but just not for themselves.
This seems very odd ... for, if a man cannot help himself, how is it that he helps another?
Even Christ, through his Cross, merited first his own glory (i.e. the Resurrection) and then the salvation of others.
If the poor souls are able to pray, and this is in the norm -- how is it that they are unable to pray for themselves?
My explanation (which is really that of St. Alphonsus) would explain this by saying that, when the poor souls do pray for us, it is by a special divine dispensation and is not part of their normal abilities. - November 20, 2011 at 5:29 PM
- Liam Ronan said...
If anything this blog posting has provoked a sort of sensus fidelium and, if I'm not too obtuse, the sensus seems to hold for the belief that the Poor Souls (often our nearest, dearest, and closest in life) do not expunge us from their thoughts and prayers even while in Purgatory.
- November 20, 2011 at 5:54 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
Please do note that several of the comments have been in agreement ... I will not take the time to go back and count, but it is certainly not as though all those here speaking believe that the poor souls can ordinarily pray for us.
Further, the sensus fidelium is generally expressed through the sacred Liturgy ... and we see no reference there to the intercession of the poor souls.
Finally, the "sensus fidelium" is more than just those gathered at any one moment (especially, in a time like ours which is so ill-catechized) ... rather, we must look to the whole of the tradition ... and we see almost nothing of praying to the poor souls (at least not for the vast majority of the Church's history).
Still, I am inclined to think that the poor souls can pray for us by the special dispensation of God, in certain extraordinary circumstances.
Peace! + - November 20, 2011 at 5:59 PM
@FR Erlenbush: I suppose it's because once you have died you have 'sealed your fate', in that you have chosen to go to heaven or hell by accepting or refusing God; you can ever change that. Maybe by the same reasoning souls can't pray for themselves because that would constitute accelerating their purging process and in away would be altering their heavenly-ordained time in purgatory. Others, however, can ask for the mercy of Heaven to intercede on their behalf and shorten the process. I don't know, but besides my parents I received my religious education through diocesian priests and the nuns of Don Bosco and they sure knew their onions... :) pepin the short
- November 21, 2011 at 10:40 AM
Your site does not always allow one to log in under a name and to word-verify
- November 21, 2011 at 10:44 AM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
I understand that there is some problem with that ... which I why I request that (at the very least) the pseudonym be left at the bottom of the comment ... like so ....
- Fr. Ryan - November 21, 2011 at 12:23 PM
- A Sinner said...
"Further, the sensus fidelium is generally expressed through the sacred Liturgy ... and we see no reference there to the intercession of the poor souls."
Why would we expect to see it though?
We do see references to all the unknown (ie, not publicly canonized). Though we do not invoke them as individuals in public prayer, yet we know that there are many saints who are known "only to God" and in fact this is in some sense the point of All Saints.
I admit it may seem a bit odd to pray too the Poor Souls AS Poor Souls specifically. BUT, they are also "Holy Souls," their salvation is assured, and I don't see any reason why they wouldn't be covered by the general sense that all the faithful departed are interceding for us even if we only "single out" canonized Saints in public worship.
"I guess I'm just wondering how you would explain the idea that the poor souls are able to pray...but just not for themselves.
This seems very odd...for, if a man cannot help himself, how is it that he helps another?"
I guess I'm not sure of the exact formulation "can't pray for themselves," either.
Of course, there is no longer any satisfactory value to their prayer. They depend on us to give them that, on the Church to offer up the satisfaction they are lacking (and this is why they are "poor" in the sense of poverty; they are truly beggars in some sense).
However, satisfactory/expiatory value for sins is one thing...simple intercession is another.
I assume the poor souls are praying generally speaking. If purgatory is an ascesis, as it were, then prayer (in the general sense of worship/contemplation, etc) would be essential to their eventual perfection, no?
Whether it can be prayer "for" anything raises some interesting semantic questions. Surely in some sense the prayer of the souls in purgatory is to their own benefit (by way of ascesis), is ordered towards their eventual perfection and attainment of the beatific vision. - November 21, 2011 at 4:58 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
@A Sinner,
I think your comment shows well where this reasoning will lead ... for you end up concluding that the poor souls can (or should be able to) pray for themselves [which is contrary to the whole tradition].
Regarding the liturgy ... while we do pray to unknown saints (as on All Saints' Day), yet we never pray to the holy souls in purgatory ... this is the point you are missing: We only pray to the deceased insofar as they are in heaven, we never pray to them (in the liturgy) on the supposition that they are still in purgatory.
The whole point of purgatory is "passive purgation" ... they are not purifying themselves but they are being purified ... for this reason they are not able to actively pray for themselves.
The fact that you consider purgatory to be an "ascesis" -- which is generally thought of as an active asceticism, and active self-discipline -- shows that you do not recognize the essentially passive nature of purgatory.
Purgatory is not an act of asceticism ... it is the suffering of purgation (hence it is passive and not active).
Now, as I say, I am certain that the poor souls can, by the special permission of God, pray in our behalf -- this is not "the norm", but it could happen very often.
Peace to you. + - November 22, 2011 at 9:24 AM
- A Sinner said...
No, I assume it's in some sense like the passive purgation undergone in mystical advancement. However, persevering in prayer in the general sense (whether it is "for" anything or not) is surely still important for the living during passive purgations. Why are the poor souls different? Surely prayer could never NOT be good for someone. Or could it?
- November 22, 2011 at 4:39 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
@A Sinner,
I am delighted to see you connect purgatory with the passive purgations in the spiritual nights! You are most certainly correct in this insight (Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange was excellent in emphasizing this as well).
However, I point out that in these stages, prayer is more a work of God than of the individual.
Indeed, this is all the more true in purgatory -- their communion with God is essentially passive.
Whether they are able to "pray" is an interesting question -- certainly, they long for God.
Whether they can normally pray for something -- I would say "no", since they are in passive purgation.
Peace to you! + - November 22, 2011 at 5:57 PM
- Fr PJM said...
Saint Robert Bellarmine (De Purgatorio, lib. II, xv) taught that precisely because they are secure in their salvation, and permanently united to God, that they have a greater love for Him than the wayfarers, although he did not concede that they are aware of our particular circumstances. The Tridentine doctor, Francisco Suárez (De poenit., disp. xlvii, s. 2, n. 9), Bellarmine's contemporary and fellow Jesuit, asserts more. He argues thus: "that the souls in purgatory are holy, are dear to God, love us with a true love and are mindful of our wants; that they know in a general way our necessities and our dangers, and how great is our need of divine help and divine grace".
In the Bull of Beatification of Blessed Mary of Divine Providence, Eugenie de Smet, around 1957, it is stated that "it is the mind of the Church that the souls in Purgatory can pray for us."
In the post-synodal apostolic exhortation Reconciliatio et paenitentia, St John Paul II states "Everything takes place between the individual alone and God. But at the same time one cannot deny the social nature of this sacrament [of Penance], in which the whole church-militant, suffering and glorious in heaven- comes to the aid of the penitent and welcomes him again into her bosom, especially as it was the whole church which had been offended and wounded by his sin."
How can "the Church suffering" that is, the souls in Purgatory come to the aid of poor sinners on earth? They cannot merit. But they can PRAY.
"Our prayer for them [i.e. the poor souls] is capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective." (CCC 958) therefore THEY intercede. - October 25, 2017 at 5:44 PM
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Monday, May 30, 2011
The Most Uninspiring Med School Graduation Speech Ever
His essential message is this: Healthcare is far too complex for any one doctor anymore. So gear up to be an interchangeable part, a faceless drone who performs menial tasks according to checklists and algorithms that Really Smart People will provide for you. Don't be a Cowboy (in the romanticized, individualistic sense of a bygone era) unless you want to be like a real live lower-case "c" cowboy in Wyoming who functions as part of a team and follows protocols (Dr Gawande talked to one himself, it's true!). All that debt you've taken on to be a physician? It's so you can be an anonymous member of an integrated Team. Like a Pit Crew. Who doesn't get jacked up to join a pit crew? I sure do!!!
Is it any wonder that Dr Gawande is the very Messiah of future healthcare delivery to people like Maggie Mahar and Ezra Klein? Not a word about being a better physician, about recapturing the old ethic of patient ownership. Nothing about the challenges individual doctors face to stay on top of new medical developments and how they can be surmounted. Nothing about personal accountability. Nothing about putting your heart and soul into this noble calling.
31 comments:
A bit off topic. But a friend of mine a new RN but already in healthcare (2nd heatlhcare degree), who had worked with a very well known (and liked) doc for a few years sought him out as an important reference to land that great internship. He not only wrote a stellar letter of reference but actually took the walk over to personally represent for her. She not only did not get an interview, but was in so many words told at a later date that a doc's reference no longer holds any weight in this world. Now if she knew corporate administration that well things would be different.
-SCRN - May 30, 2011 at 7:59 PM
it distresses me to see how much praise this dude gets and is refreshing to see people out there like yourself that share my healthy distrust of him.
- May 30, 2011 at 8:58 PM
Umm Buckeye, for someone who thinks "Dotting the I" is the Mecca of College Athletics, you've got some nerve...
I don't even remember who spoke at my Med School graduation, we didnt get our real diplomas till a few days later when they made sure you'd paid all your library/parking fines...
and it was so bogus, cause you couldn't even check out any of the books, if you wanted Stolting's "Basics of Anesthesia" you had to Xerox it a page at a time...
and the really good books they kept chained to the desk like a grimy Gas Station Men's Room key...
thats right, we had unlimited Xerox priveleges until some a-hole starting copying Harrison's, Cecil's, and DSM-3(OK, I'm old)for the suckers, I mean residents who couldn't afford the real thang on there $18,000/yr salary...
the great thing is they couldn't even complain when they found out you'd only photocopied the first 20 pages of Harrison's, and then 800 copies of page 21...
Frank - May 31, 2011 at 7:26 AM
I haven't been overwhelmed with Dr. Gawande either. He seems a bit too "political". If he didn't have such "great ideas" about cutting costs, he'd not be doing much. (Oh, that and his books). His WHO guidelines to improve surgical outcomes work well in countries where they don't even have a pulse oximeter, but not sure they are going to do much to change outcomes here.
Thanks for the post. - May 31, 2011 at 9:36 AM
He has an article of psychobabble in the most recent JACS.
- May 31, 2011 at 10:59 AM
This shows why his name is pronounced, "a tool."
- May 31, 2011 at 11:27 AM
- Ruth Livingstone said...
Hmm, well I would rather fly in a plane where the pilot uses a checklist before taking off. Wouldn't you?
And I would rather have my appendix removed by a surgical team who take the time and trouble to make sure they have the right patient, are going to remove the right part, have the right equipment, know who everybody is and who is doing what - before they start cutting me open. Wouldn't you? - May 31, 2011 at 12:24 PM
For buckeye,
Do you then not believe in ATLS guidelines? Or ACLS? or PALS? - May 31, 2011 at 1:31 PM
Odd that he would pursue
Surgery as his actions suggest more of an Internal Medicine orientation.
The opportunity to speak at any commencement ceremony should obligate the speaker to affirm the graduates and their accomplishments. Anything less is in effect say, "you are all fools; you have sacrificed a good deal for this day and it is all for naught.
You will soon join a cadre of workers whose life is more of an existance rather than living. Seek not to explore,and differentiate yourselves, rather seek to fit in. Seek not the vivid colors of individual and professional success in favor of the gray's of conformance and medocrity.
Finally for the class of 2011, I leave you with this thought-since its formation in 1782, Harvard Medical School has educated individuals who imbued the philosophy of "a physician is who I am"; that is no longer the case. It is now "a physician is what I do". - May 31, 2011 at 2:22 PM
- Jeffrey Parks MD FACS said...
Anon 1:31pm and Ruth Livingstone-
That is a straw man response in the highest sense. I am not, nor is any other reasonable physician, opposed to guidelines and core safety measures. Gawande's message of "get used to being an interchangeable part of the Glorious Groupthink Whole" is the point of contention here. His address was dismissive and condescending toward a group of young people who have achieved something worthy and commendatory. "Excited about being a Doctor eh? Well don't get too effervescent kids. Because the real work of health care is being done by Superior Geniuses with PhD's and MBA's and Super Doctors churning out papers in academia." It was just a lousy address. Deflating and unnecessary. - May 31, 2011 at 2:44 PM
- Yitz said...
I'm a med student. When I read his first book years ago, part of what inspired me to go into medicine was the way he described the never ending battle to learn more, be a better doctor.
Now I see that all I need to do is just get a bunch of algorithms and checklists.
My admiration for him didn't last long. - May 31, 2011 at 2:44 PM
So I take it Dr. Gawande Won't be interviewing for the Ohio State head coaching vacany...
- May 31, 2011 at 2:58 PM
- minimumnz said...
"get used to being an interchangeable part of the Glorious Groupthink Whole"
Strawman calling a strawman a strawman much? - May 31, 2011 at 5:42 PM
After a few years of dealing with oncologists on behalf of a family member, I'm damned glad there's one less med school class entering the profession with romantic dreams that don't include ensuring that treatment is the most effective available or bothering with simple proven safety measures.
You write of the pit crew as if it was comprised of mindless drones checking off items with no real understanding of the interventions or the patient. That's also a straw man argument.
Working as part of a team and following established protocol doesn't prevent doctors (or nurses) from focusing on the patient and making careful and considered decisions on the finer points of care, especially as they concern that specific patient.
You might even think doctors would have more time for that when the other pieces have becomes routine. That's certainly what we found after we fled the oncology cowboys.
I can see potential problems in leaving protocol decisions to a insular group of experts, certainly, but that doesn't seem to be your complaint.
The one thing that's sacrificed here is the doctor's ego. I understand why that bothers you but from the patient's perspective? No loss. None at all. - May 31, 2011 at 7:11 PM
there is so much more to being a good doctor than acting as if you have true autonomy.
- May 31, 2011 at 8:12 PM
- Jeffrey Parks MD FACS said...
Um, the pit crew analogy was used by Gawande himself. Pit crews (for the Nascar-deficient) are comprised of similarly outfitted drones who swarm the race car when it pulls in for a pitstop, each with a highly specialized assignment (unbolt tires, bring new tire, wash windows, check oil, etc) This is Gawande's ideal apparently. It is an era of super specialization wherein only the Fellowship-trained Thyroid surgeons take out thyroids and colorectal surgeons take out colon cancers and only endocrinologists can manage diabetes and all patients with "indigestion" get sent straight to the gastroenterologist. It is asking individual doctors to be less responsible for the patient as a whole.
This has nothing to do with ego. I know it's fun to bash the stereotype of the Arrogant Physician, but how does inculcating into young doctors an ethic of patient responsibility/ownership reflect poorly on those who wish to promote it? I don't get it, honestly. - May 31, 2011 at 10:33 PM
But what improves patient outcomes the most? Really, I'm asking. Because none of it matters when fallible humans (that are doctors) err (when it could have been simply prevented) and a patient dies.
- May 31, 2011 at 11:09 PM
I could not disagree with your comments more. All of the world is evolving and most all jobs today are more complex than they were just a decade ago - requiring all of us to be better team members. Not just physicians.
Referencing protocols or guidelines does not diminish the role of the physician, but rather demonstrates the importance of science in the practice of medicine. Scientific evidence should be the primary guide to helping patients achieve better health.
But that's not to say that patients don't need the guidance of a wise physician. - May 31, 2011 at 11:31 PM
- mcneely011 said...
The pit crew analogy is not used by Gawande to suggest that every person act as a cog in machine, or drone as you put it. To say so is simply demagoguery. The pit crew analogy is used to show how communication, team-work, and coordination are applied in many different settings, and that doing so in medicine could result in better care for patients.
- June 1, 2011 at 1:15 AM
anyone here ever WATCH a Nascar race???
those guys crash all the time, its the only thang that makes the races watchable...
I remember the good ole days, before those commie restrictor plates when you had to pay attention or you might have #3's Monte Carlo in your lap...
Frank "Dale Earnhardt Jr Sucks" Drackman - June 1, 2011 at 11:39 AM
Being a member of that kind of "pit crew" only means that Buckeye, Frank, and I went to the same class about what checkboxes to click so electronically the patient received excellent care. This way we can remind each other of missed checkboxes so we don't get "dinged". And we, like all other providers will have given the most excellent care always. The checkboxes say we did.
-SCRN - June 1, 2011 at 4:02 PM
Wow. I cant believe how many people totally missed the point of this post. Dr. Buckeye, they should have had you give the speech highlighting your last blog post which included a sample case that was "solved" not by protocols or algorithms, but by wisdom, experience, critical thinking, & some old fashioned common sense. While protocols & algorithms augment safety & decision making processes, the challenge & excitement of medicine manifests itself in the physicians ability to think, which algorithms cannot do.
PrecordialThump - June 1, 2011 at 9:08 PM
Reading these comments I am most struck by the fact that nearly all are posted anonymously. Perhaps you should state your names as clearly and publicly as Dr. Gawande and stand up for the personal missles? Healthcare is changing and not all for the better. Maybe more doctors should find a visible platform and speak out.
- June 1, 2011 at 10:37 PM
I took exception to Mahar's comment "Buckeye's contempt for the patient", but of course she deleted my comment on her blog. I find it outrageous that any wonk could make such a charge.
Why is it these health wonk types go right for hitting below the belt. Maybe they need a little liability for their actions and they may see the world a little more realistically. - June 1, 2011 at 10:43 PM
- Mark Graban said...
Trying a 3rd time:
I'll assume a glitch caused my first comment attempt to not appear here... so I'll try again.
Dr. Gawande makes it quite clear in his book that checklists are to be developed by those doing the work, that they are NOT supposed to be handed down from on high. You're arguing against a straw man of your own creation.
Did you actually read his book or the New Yorker article on which it was based?
Are surgeons more interested in what's exciting or what's proven to be most effective for patients? @Kellie - the WHO proved checklists to be effective in Michigan, not just third world countries.
Why would it be mutually exclusive to have checklists to ensure that you have the right patient and right site, but then be as creative as necessary during an actual procedure? - June 2, 2011 at 9:58 PM
Mark, sweetie, we already do those checks, FYI. But, we'll just let you make the important decisions from now on due to your vast surgical/nursing experience trumping ours. That way you can get busy suing yourself.
-SCRN - June 3, 2011 at 12:53 PM
- #1 Dinosaur said...
Regarding the pit crew analogy, my response is, "Time and place." Not every car is a race car driving a NASCAR race. Not all car maintenance needs to happen in 30 seconds or less. Not all doctors need to be super-specialists taking care of diseases and conditions of the left nostril while referring out problems of the right. Knowing when that super-specialized care is appropriate for a particular patient and reserving it for those occasions is the real secret to containing health care costs.
BTW, I agree with Buckeye. - June 5, 2011 at 6:52 PM
I can't figure out, is Graban a doctor?
- June 6, 2011 at 9:28 PM
- MFS47 said...
So tell me who else is sticking their neck out to solve real problems. Inspire me.
- June 6, 2011 at 11:42 PM
- MFS47 said...
Who else is sticking their neck out to find solutions. Stop whining guys a new day has dawned.
- June 6, 2011 at 11:44 PM
You guys are pathetic. Look at the outcomes. That is what matters. --An emergency doctor
- December 13, 2011 at 9:25 AM


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35 Ancient Pyramids Discovered in Sudan Necropolis
At least 35 small pyramids, along with graves, have been discovered clustered closely together at a site called Sedeinga in Sudan.
Discovered between 2009 and 2012, researchers are surprised at how densely the pyramids are concentrated. In one field season alone, in 2011, the research team discovered 13 pyramids packed into roughly 5,381 square feet (500 square meters), or slightly larger than an NBA basketball court.
They date back around 2,000 years to a time when a kingdom named Kush flourished in Sudan. Kush shared a border with Egypt and, later on, the Roman Empire. The desire of the kingdom's people to build pyramids was apparently influenced by Egyptian funerary architecture.
At Sedeinga, researchers say, pyramid building continued for centuries. "The density of the pyramids is huge," said researcher Vincent Francigny, a research associate with the American Museum of Natural History in New York, in an interview with LiveScience. "Because it lasted for hundreds of years they built more, more, more pyramids and after centuries they started to fill all the spaces that were still available in the necropolis." [See Photos of the Newly Discovered Pyramids]
The biggest pyramids they discovered are about 22 feet (7 meters) wide at their base with the smallest example, likely constructed for the burial of a child, being only 30 inches (750 millimeters) long. The tops of the pyramids are not attached, as the passage of time and the presence of a camel caravan route resulted in damage to the monuments. Francigny said that the tops would have been decorated with a capstone depicting either a bird or a lotus flower on top of a solar orb.
The building continued until, eventually, they ran out of room to build pyramids. "They reached a point where it was so filled with people and graves that they had to reuse the oldest one," Francigny said.
Francigny is excavation director of the French Archaeological Mission to Sedeinga, the team that made the discoveries. He and team leader Claude Rilly published an article detailing the results of their 2011 field season in the most recent edition of the journal Sudan and Nubia.
The inner circle
Among the discoveries were several pyramids designed with an inner cupola (circular structure) connected to the pyramid corners through cross-braces. Rilly and Francigny noted in their paper that the pyramid design resembles a "French Formal Garden."
Only one pyramid, outside of Sedeinga, is known to have been constructed this way, and it's a mystery why the people of Sedeinga were fond of the design. It "did not add either to the solidity or to the external aspect [appearance] of the monument," Rilly and Francigny write.
A discovery made in 2012 may provide a clue, Francigny said in the interview. "What we found this year is very intriguing," he said. "A grave of a child and it was covered by only a kind of circle, almost complete, of brick." It's possible, he said, that when pyramid building came into fashion at Sedeinga it was combined with a local circle-building tradition called tumulus construction, resulting in pyramids with circles within them.
An offering for grandma?
The graves beside the pyramids had largely been plundered, possibly in antiquity, by the time archaeologists excavated them. Researchers did find skeletal remains and, in some cases, artifacts.
One of the most interesting new finds was an offering table found by the remains of a pyramid. . It appears to depict the goddess Isis and the jackal-headed god Anubis and includes an inscription, written in Meroitic language, dedicated to a woman named "Aba-la," which may be a nickname for "grandmother," Rilly writes.
It reads in translation:
Oh Isis! Oh Osiris!
It is Aba-la.
Make her drink plentiful water;
Make her eat plentiful bread;
Make her be served a good meal.
The offering table with inscription was a final send-off for a woman, possibly a grandmother, given a pyramid burial nearly 2,000 years ago.
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He sang a gentle song that became a hit and something of a theme song for 1967's "Summer of Love."
Scott McKenzie, best known for San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair, died Saturday in Los Angeles. He was 73. According to the singer's website, he "had been very ill recently and passed away in his home after two weeks in hospital." The Associated Press says he "had battled Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a disease that affects the nervous system, and had been in and out of the hospital since 2010."
San Francisco, the AP reminds us, was written by John Phillips of The Mamas and the Paps. McKenzie could write songs as well. He co-wrote The Beach Boys' 1988 hit Kokomo.
Haven't heard San Francisco in a while? McKenzie's website has it playing here.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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A collection of 5 exciting talks on Theology of the Body and Dating from today's top Catholic speakers.
Curtis and Michaelann Martin - Christlike Principles For Dating: If You Want to Hook the Right Mate, Then You Need to Be the Right Bait
Dr. Edward Sri - The Sacrament of Love: Five Pillars of the Theology of the Body
Kevin & Lisa Cotter - Love Story: Not Taylor Swift Style
Lisa Cotter - Why Do I Do That?: What Chick Flicks and Love Songs Have to Do With Chastity
Vicki Thorn - What They Didn't Tell You in Sex Ed: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made


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Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon marked the pinnacle of achievement of the human spaceflight effort through the sixties. But Apollo was only the last step in a series of spaceflight programs, beginning with the single-seat Mercury, followed by the Gemini program where Americans learned to live in orbit, and culminating with Apollo 17, the last human mission to the moon.
Since Apollo 17, human spaceflight has continued to achieve new milestones, provide valuable research, and even heal some of the ties severed by the Space Race.