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Is this America's 'Catholic moment'?
The editors at Religion & Politics wanted to know, and I answered "yes," though my affirmation was not based on the obvious metrics -- Catholics filling two-thirds of the Supreme Court slots, a Catholic incumbent Vice-President and VP candidate, a Catholic Speaker of the House etc. It's not about Catholics as the new WASPs.
Rather, it is the substance of Catholicism that is having its day, thanks mainly to the elections focus on the economy, the attendant debate about the balance between the American common good and the American ideal of individualism, and how to translate this balance into actual tax and spend policies. From the social justice tours of the Nuns on the Bus to fights over Paul Ryans budget plans, classic concepts from Catholic social teaching are now invoked with a regularity that must astound Catholic theologians. Instead of talking to glassy-eyed undergrads in college lecture halls, Catholic scholars and politicians are debating the finer details of papal encyclicalsconcepts such as subsidiarity and solidarity and prudential judgmenton national cable news shows.
Those topics are also of course familiar to Commonweal readers. But also familiar to everyone here is the paradox of this moment:
Just as the nation debates a vision of the common good that is Catholic at its core, and just as our politics demands Catholic concepts to translate that communitarian ethos into policy, Catholic leaders and Catholic voters cant agree on what they think these Catholic teachings actually mean. Nor can they agree on how, or whether, those teachings might apply to the public square.
My concern is that by overlooking or redefining Catholic social and moral teaching at this crucial juncture, Catholics themselves are missing out on "the Catholic moment." What's more, a nation that is in dire need of this Catholic wisdom may well miss out on it.The piece is called "Is 2012 Americas 'Catholic Moment'? and you can read it all here. Feedback welcome, natch.PS: And yes, I know the academics here never leave their undergrads glassy-eyed.
About the Author
David Gibson is a national reporter for Religion News Service and author of The Coming Catholic Church (HarperOne) and The Rule of Benedict (HarperOne). He blogs at dotCommonweal.
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Sometimes the popes, when they engage in Catholic social teaching, get carried far away from their sphere of competence and, perhaps not always despite themselves, barge like papal bulls into the realm of partisan politics. Luckily for the survival of the Church, Catholics are not bound to believe that every papal utterance comes directly from the mind of God. Guidance is good, but Catholics, being individuals, are perfectly capable of thinking for themselves and looking elsewhere for guidance, as well. Help the poor, yes, but do it according to your own best lights.
I don't believe Leo XIII and Paul VI would see a "Catholic moment" in Catholics arguing over the individualistic morality of Rand I while agreeing that, whatever happens to social spending, military spending must remain the same or increase.I have trouble seeing a "Catholic moment" in a Supreme Court that has six Catholics, five of whom -- a court majority -- were appointed by the party that says it is pro-life and none of whom are eager to revisit Roe v Wade, without which promises to de-fund Planned Parenthood smack of being promises to violate oaths to uphold the Constitution (which currently permits abortion as it once permitted slavery). Finally, I sincerely hope that the continued shame of Guantanamo and the newly asserted role of the president as assassin-in-chief are not examples of a "Catholic moment" in the United States. For the record, the only presidential candidate I heard denounce drone assassinations was Jill Stein of the Green Party.Your post, Mr. Gibson, recognizes that we may be blowing the "Catholic moment" by our disunity and disarray. You see the glass three-fourths full, though, where I see red-state Catholics and blue-state Catholics defining themselves more by their politics than by their Gospel.
I think another big reason we can't leverage a Catholic position is that American Catholics themselves can't even agree on whether we support "official" Church teaching. This is different than David Smith's point that some particular government act might not be required by Church-teaching or that there is some vagueness as to the actual teaching. I'm thinking more of where we might agree that something is in fact Church teaching, but we think the teaching is wrong and we don't support it. You mentioned masturbation as an example of an intrinsic evil that is not a political issue. I'm sure it is not a political issue for a whole lot of reasons, but at least one might be that no one really considers it an intrinsic evil. But artificial contraception is a political issue. Sort of. (I think those who object to it are losing). Hardly any Catholics consider the responsible use of contraception evil, quite the contrary. And since everyone, including non-Catholics, knows this, how can there be a Catholic political stance in opposition to it?What would be the top 3 issues that Catholics could find some solid majority agreement on? Those Catholics who don't believe government has a role in much of anything, probably can't be successfully brought to the table. But what about all of the rest of us? Is our Catholic leadership (and who is our Catholic leadership?) working honestly to bring the base together? I could get on board with a political platform I didn't entirely agree as long as I had a voice in its formation (or at least had the opportunity to help shape it, even if I didn't choose to take advantage of it). Is anything happening on that front?
First of all, citing Pelosi and Biden as public examples of Catholics is laughable and deserves no further comment. Next is the notion that there is such a thing as a doctrinaire Catholic Social Teaching. Catholics who tend toward the Left politically, also tend to think more dogmatically about social justice; that it is their way or the highway. Catholics who tend toward the Right politically, tend to be quite doctrinaire when it comes to pro-life issues.The difference of course is that the Church is quite clear and straightforward when it comes to abortion and euthanasia, whereas she leaves a lot more room for variance when it comes to social justice.Catholic social teaching involves many prudential judgments. The Catholic doctrine about pro-life is much more simple and straightforward.
David G, it's a great insight - maybe this really is a "Catholic Moment".Maybe I'm rowing against the tide of opinion here, but I don't think it's especially important that Catholics be united politically. In my opinion, our role is to be salt for the earth and light of the world within our respective political parties. For conservatives, I think our great Catholic tasks are to shore up support for the social safety net and ensure that war is a last resort. For liberals, there are three that come to mind: promote policies that respect the sanctity of life; urge government to live within its means; and protect religious liberty.
Great piece, David.Contributing terms for a debate never guarantees that the subject will be debated well or decided wisely, but it is worthwhile nonetheless, if only because it sends thoughtful people searching along lines that can be productive.
An interesting split is developing already. Irene Baldwin says..."I could get on board with a political platform I didnt entirely agree as long as I had a voice in its formation (or at least had the opportunity to help shape it, even if I didnt choose to take advantage of it)." I agree with that with only the proviso that the impetus for the platform should come from the Gospels and not from reading the Gospels backwards into the needs of a party's candidate. I don't see this as a call for a Catholic Party like the Center Party in old Germany but more like a platform from which the parties' pathetic attempts can be viewed and criticized.On the other hand, Jim Pauwels already is promoting a leaven approach instead of a united platform. I would need more provisos before going along with him. I believe the Republicans need not only a strong dose of social justice but also a basic renunciation of the individualism ("I built it") and materialism on which their whole platform rests. By their basic predisposition for freedom for guns and corporate persons, they might be expected to be in favor of abortion, and I can't help suspecting they will be on the day we succeed in turning the Democrats were against it.What the Democrats need, along with a brain transplant, is more love and respect for people who don't live on the upper West Side but are, anyway, more than a manipulable voting bloc. Both parties need a strong dose of belief in peacemaking, which will have to be applied from the outside because they stand in fear not of God but of being called "soft on national security."If we were to choose the leavening approach, though, would it still be a "Catholic moment"?
I agree with Jim P., we Catholics should act as leaven in political discussions. As a Catholic Republican, I routinely come up against a train of thought that amazes me regarding social justice issues like war, immigration and capital punishment. I try my best to get hard-right types to see that their hearts are not really that hard; that we can and should go a bit easier on our fellow man. It seems then that likewise, Catholic Democrats have the challenge of showing their fellow Democrats how they can and should soften their hearts when it comes to abortion, euthanasia etc..
"For the record, the only presidential candidate I heard denounce drone assassinations was Jill Stein of the Green Party."Ron Paul, a Congressman from Texas's 14th District, who participated as a candidate in the Republican Party presidential primaries in 2012, ran on a foreign policy platform which included, in pertinent part, ceasing the war crimes you are referring to as well as other ongoing war crimes Vice President Biden's administration is participating in such as allowing third-parties to torture Muslim civilians on his behalf.
I'd like to leaven the discussion by just seeing if all Catholic's could agree to a 'basic renunciation of the individualism' in both parties. The 'right to choose' and 'I built it' are equally individualistic IMHO.
MAT, not to be contentious, but Ron Paul is not on the presidential ballot in my state, and Vice President Biden's administration was, last time I had the radio on, still Barack Obama's administration to which the vice president is just an appurtenance. I hoped I had subsumed rendition, a/k/a torture, under Guantanamo since it is one of the outrages that spans two administrations -- so far. And it will continue for the next four years either likely way.
"MAT, not to be contentious, but Ron Paul is not on the presidential ballot in my state..."I was not suggesting you (or anyone) consider voting for him; I was just mentioning that there was a legitimate presidential candidate from one of the major political parties who rejects the legality of many of the "fruits" of the 2001 AUMF. I referenced the Vice President since he is Catholic and the author says "it is the substance of Catholicism that is having its day". To my mind, that may or may not be true on the issues the author references, but by its omission from the essay, it appears to me it is not the case with respect to torture and the other crimes the Vice President is currently participating in."I hoped I had subsumed rendition, a/k/a torture, under Guantanamo since it is one of the outrages that spans two administrations..."Interesting. I did not realize that. I like to treat the detention of alleged alien enemy combatants separate from torture for reasons which are not related to the scope of this response but I will certainly conform to the convention.
David Gibson: For a Catholic moment to emerge centering on Catholic social teaching, non-Catholic Americans would have to be interested in Catholic social teaching. Is there any evidence that suggests that non-Catholic Americans are interested in Catholic social teaching, or in learning more about Catholic social teachings?For a Catholic moment to emerge centering on Catholic social teaching, informed journalists such as yourself and Peter Steinfels and others would have to write and publish articles about Catholic social teaching in influential secular newspapers and magazines such as the NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE, so that non-Catholic Americans can learn more about Catholic social teaching as presented by Catholic lay authors.So why don't you and Peter Steinfels and other informed journalists conspire with one another to organize an effort to publish pieces about Catholic social teaching in influential secular newspapers and magazines?
Thomas Farrell:I believe that a fair number of Catholics would profit from such articles too. That is to say, I have strong doubts about this being a "Catholic moment."Yes, there are more Catholics in high judicial and legislative positions. Some practicing, some not. Some influenced by Church teaching, others very little at best.
"Catholic Democrats have the challenge of showing their fellow Democrats how they can and should soften their hearts when it comes to abortion, euthanasia etc.."It should be possible but Republican based Catholic pro-life groups used large amounts of money to defeat pro-life Democrats in 2010.
John is right; this is not a "Catholic Moment".
Don't you think it a slight bit hubristic to think that the public at large has the remotest interest in CST qua CST? Individual items might hold a momentary interest to a smallish group of them, and attempting to interfere in US politics under the mantle of CST will certainly raise the hackles of many of them. But CST in general? Really??
As to whether this is a "Catholic moment," I would argue that yes it is. To my mind the great debate of this election is about the economy and social justice, and the common good versus individualism. Those are topics that are central to Catholic thinking about the world, and Catholicism has a lot to say on those topics. Moreover, Catholicism has the language to discuss and defend the promotion of social justice and the common good. That many Catholics do not do that is the problem, it seems to me.
John Page: I have no quarrel with your statement that "a fair number of Catholics would profit from such articles too." I am sure that is correct.Like you, I also "have strong doubt about this being a 'Catholic moment.'"But such doubts can be self-fulfilling.So instead of expressing my doubts, I chose instead to challenge David Gibson and Peter Steinfels and other informed Catholic writers to take action by writing and publishing articles in the secular press about Catholic social teaching.If such articles were to succeed in stirring up interest in Catholic social teachings among non-Catholics and Catholics alike, such a positive response might even galvanize further interest and further articles and perhaps some healthy pro-and-con debate about Catholic social teaching.So in this respect, I intended my statement, as I intend the present statement, as a challenge to David Gibson.Give it a try, David Gibson!Better to have tried and failed to galvanize a Catholic moment than not to have tried at all!Strike while the iron is hot, David Gibson!The two Catholic vice-presidential candidates will quickly fade from memory after the election results are in.(Because Fr. Komonchak prefers not to see bishop-bashing all-the-time, I want everybody to note that I have avoided bishop-bashing by explicitly calling on David Gibson and Peter Steinfels and other informed lay Catholics to go to work to bring about a possible Catholic moment in American culture centered on Catholic social teaching.)
Jimmy Mac, it might be hubristic, but what the heck, say I. I think promoting the common good, toning down the denunciations, mitigating polarization, protecting the vulnerable and all those things CST can do are worthwhile endeavors. Whether we have to make it an explicitly "Catholic" campaign or not doesn't matter so much. We remain a Protestant culture, by default, I think, for good and sometimes not so good. I'd be for changing that a bit. Thomas Farrell, thanks for your exhortation and encouragement! I wish I had such expertise, or influence, or such access to write such articles in such outlets. We do what we can. But whatever I do, Peter Steinfels can do much better, or likely already has, and with greater authority. I am in the retail business when it comes to this stuff. I don't make it myself. But yes, always good to push it out there.
Fair enough, David. You don't have the expertise to write about Catholic social teaching. I understand.However, that difficulty may not be insurmountable. For example, you could interview someone who does have such expertise. Or perhaps more than one expert.As to having influence, what you need to find is an interested editor of a secular outlet. Or more accurately, you would have to lobby an editor to help him or her become interested in what you might be able to write up. Yes, to be sure, if you already had such connections, that would be an easier task. But you don't already have such connections. So don't let this impede your efforts. You'll never succeed if you don't try.Now, in terms of sequencing these two endeavors, I would urge you to find an expert to interview first. Start with the Catholics who signed the document titled "On All Our Shoulders."If the interview goes well and you've gooten a lot of good stuff from the interview to write about, then start beating the bushes for an editor of a secular outlet -- before you actually write up your planned piece. Let the editor guide you about writing it up and about its length.I'd urge you to shoot for the NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE first. Because Peter Steinfels used to work for the NYTimes as a columnist, perhaps he could help you figure out who to contact about a piece in the MAGAZINE.
That Catholics differ on social justice can be mainly traced to Augustine of Hippo. Augustine catered to the rich while trying to stay faithful to the gospel. Thus the rich did not have to sell all to get into heaven. They had to "expiate" their sins by alms giving, by bequeathing their estates to monasteries. This distinction made it ok to be rich contrary to the words of Jesus which stated that it would be very difficult for them to enter heaven. So even today the wealthy are persuaded that it is better to build 100 million dollar churches than to give to the poor. This is why Romero is ignored and empire builders are made saints. Augustine justified the rich while Jesus said it would be difficult for them to enter heaven. One could see how this translated in the Middle Ages to alms giving through indulgences which virtually purchased heaven. Thus the centuries continual courting and easing the conscience of the rich by the bishops. Cardinal Hayes ostracized the ambitious Spellman for getting to close to his rich friends. Cardinal Spellman knew the game well. Yet. largely ignored, is the action that Augustine asserted should accompany alms giving---forgiveness of enemies. How one was strongly held on to while the other practically forgotten suggests that the rich used the advice to justify holding on to their wealth. While using the artifice of Augustine to justify riches many today go to the extreme of saying that the poor deserve their misery because they are lazy. Dives never looked so good. Augustine and Ambrose owed their positions to rich Romans and they apparently never forgot it. Augustine's dalliance with Pinianus and Melania showed his willingness to ease the conscience of the rich. All of this does not mean that Augustine did not express concern for the poor in innumerable passages. What it says is that when it came to confronting the wealthy Augustine buckled. As he did when he consented to the use of force to compel Christians to enter the orthodox church. This is why wealthy, partisan bishops can continue without opposition in many quarters. Augustine made it easy for them.
ISTM that Alasdair MacIntyre has proven that Catholic (Aristotelian-Thomistic) ethics is indeed of interest in the U.S., at least among people who read books. There are now non-Catholic ethicists who subscribe to some of the A-T principles and defend much of Aristotle. It is true, however, that the unwillingness of Rome and the bishops to even *talk* about the hot-button issues makes many non-Catholic thinkers think that the Church has nothing to offer that makes any sense.It also seems to me that one reason that you don't find the middle-aged Catholic journalists writing about Catholic social teaching is because after Vatican II Aristotelian-Thomist philosophy was pretty much dropped from the philosophy curriculum at Catholic universities (even as it was entering some secular schools), and in many cases those middle=aged graduates scorned and still scorn what they don't know. (No, Vatican II was not all good, and the neglect of Aquinas by VII was very bad.)In fact, in philosophical circles Thomas has returned as an respected thinker. And, wonder of wonders, Thomas Nagel's new book, which keeps being compared to Aristotle, argues against materialistic science and the neo-Darwinians has been extremely well-received. This shows a willingness on the part of some contemporaries to start taking Arisotle seriously again. My point is that when Catholic ethicists are extremely competent, as is MacIntyre, they are indeed listened to, and now with Nagel (an atheist) making teleology interesting again, I think the opportunities for Catholic ethics are blooming. This assumes, of course, that the bishops who don't know Catholic ethics don't get in the way.
I'd not count on Catholic Social Teaching carrying any weight with anyone on the outside. Non-Catholic intellectuals have more or less the same thing from plenty of other sources, and the common folk who don't read books - and who are generally despised for it by most of the good folk who blog and comment here - don't care a fig for academic philosophizing. For the common folk, one needs to show, not tell. And American Catholics are doing very little showing these days. Nuns have vanished and priests are thinning out and being badly overworked.
David S. --Look again. Alasdair MacIntyre is now one of the most respected ethicists, and his After Virtue was very popular outside of academe as well as in it. And I should add that Charles Taylor, the Canadian social and political philosopher, is among the most highly regarded in his field -- AND his works Sources of the Self and A Secular Age have been quite popular both in and outside of academe. Both are Catholics.Get with it.
"and the common folk who dont read books " Isn't that a little disdainful of the common folks? Check out your branch library and see who is there.
With public "Catholics" like Pelosi and Biden, it is no wonder few non-Catholic Americans give Catholic social teaching much thougthful consideration.We would need a man like old Bishop Sheen on TV every week for ten years to explain Catholicism and Catholic social teaching properly - I liked watching him then, and I still really enjoy listening when they replay the audio of his shows on our local Catholic radion station (in CA). He was a man "the common folk" like me could understand.
Catholic social teaching is one of the most under-reported and discussed doctrine of the Church. When it is discussed, it is compelling. For example, during Iraq you heard a lot about the just war principles and prudential judgements.The just war provides a VERY useful framework for any politician or leader of any faith or none to consider when contemplating options. Economically and politically notions such as subsidiarity (which Ryan emphasizes), common good and preferential option for the poor (Biden) are very important to really understand. The thing is, though, that the doctrine should be parsed to fit into a libertarian or more socially democratic type ideology. The doctrine challenges both political and ideological spectrum in different ways and that is a good thing.I believe that there is indeed a demand for Catholic social teaching and given its predication on natural law (not that I am a fan of natural law but that aside), it is easy to discuss in the public square.
Obviously any social justice doctrine or social teaching that is too complicated for the common man to understand is of no value. How can he employ it if he cannot understand it?That is why Catholic social teaching (based on natural law) can and for many years was, such a good fit with the more general American social mores.In spite of the failings of Catholic clergy and Catholic laity, Catholic teaching is still correct.The fact that American social mores have in recent decades drifted away from Catholic social teaching means only that Americans mores are wrong; Catholic social teaching is still correct.
Irene --As an old public librarian I have to agree that most Americans don't read much beyong Maeve Binchy and Steven King. in fact, most Americans don't read more than one or two books of any sort a year.I was very surprised when I went to Merida, Mexico about 15 years ago to find at a street fair some works by the existentialists on a table of used books that were for sale. Can't imagine that in the U. S. though maybe some select suburbs might have some. And, I"m told, a goodly number of the French read heavy stuff.
Ken --You underestimate what people can learn. When ordinary people are highly motivated to read something (when they know it's *really* important) and when it is taught in small enough increments they can learn a lot more than even they think.
My concern is that by overlooking or redefining Catholic social and moral teaching at this crucial juncture, Catholics themselves are missing out on the Catholic moment. Whats more, a nation that is in dire need of this Catholic wisdom may well miss out on it. (Commonweal)Yes, this could well be, should well be, Americas Catholic moment. The question is whether American Catholics will be part of it. (Religion & Politics)Overlooking, redefining, and the need for Catholics or the nation or beyond are all tools, (among many other tools) which will make the Catholic moment, keep ticking for its survival and necessary evolution and metamorphosis in the twenty-first century. The metamorphosis (and it will be a metamorphosis) occurs through studying the relevant information, taking the required action for a post-axial age faith and moral agency, and sustaining our evolutionary journey that was our indicator from the beginning of the universe. The experts, facilitators, and resources are or potentially are out there in our world ready to go. Its a matter of political will to make it happen. Occupiers where are you? We need you.


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On Feb 23, 2010, at 3:32 PM, George Bosilca wrote:Ralph, Josh,
We have some comments about the API of the new framework, mostly clarifications needed to better understand how this new framework is supposed to be used. And a request for a deadline extension, to delay the code merge from the Recos branch in the trunk by a week.
We have our own FT branch, with a totally different approach than what is described in your RFC. Unfortunately, it diverged from the trunk about a year ago, and merging back had proven to be a quite difficult task. Some of the functionality in the Recos framework is clearly beneficial for what we did, and has the potential to facilitate the porting of most of the features from our brach back in trunk. We would like the deadline extension in order to deeply analyze the impact of the Recos framework on our work, and see how we can fit everything together back in the trunk of Open MPI.No problem with the extension - feel free to suggest modifications to make the merge easier. This is by no means cast in stone, but rather a starting point.
Here are some comments about the code:
1. The documentation in recos.h is not very clear. Most of the functions use only IN arguments, and are not supposed to return any values. We don't see how the functions are supposed to be used, and what is supposed to be their impact on the ORTE framework data.I'll try to clarify the comments tonight (I know Josh is occupied right now). The recos APIs are called from two locations:1. The errmgr calls recos whenever it receives a report of an aborted process (via the errmgr.proc_aborted API). The idea was for recos to determine what (if anything) to do about the failed process.2. The rmaps modules can call the recos "suggest_map_targets" API to get a list of suggested nodes for the process that is to be restarted. At the moment, only the resilient mapper module does this. However, Josh and I are looking at reorganizing some functionality currently in that mapper module and making all of the existing mappers be "resilient".So basically, the recos modules determine the recovery procedure and execute it. For example, in the "orcm" module, we actually update the various proc/job objects to prep them for restart and call plm.spawn from within that module. If instead you use the ignore module, it falls through to the recos base functions which call "abort" to kill the job. Again, the action is taken local to recos, so nothing need be returned.The functions generally don't return values (other than success/error) because we couldn't think of anything useful to return to the errmgr. Whatever recos does about an aborted proc, the errmgr doesn't do anything further - if you look in that code, you'll see that if recos is enabled, all the errmgr does is call recos and return.Again, this can be changed if desired.
2. Why do we have all the char***? Why are they only declared as IN arguments?I take it you mean in the predicted fault API? I believe Josh was including that strictly as a placeholder. As you undoubtedly recall, I removed the fddp framework from the trunk (devel continues off-line), so Josh wasn't sure what I might want to input here. If you look at the modules themselves, you will see the implementation is essentially empty at this time.We had discussed simply removing that API for now until we determined if/when fault prediction would return to the OMPI trunk. It was kind of a tossup - so we left if for now. Could just as easily be removed until a later date - either way is fine with us.
3. The orte_recos_base_process_fault_fn_t function use the node_list as an IN/OUT argument. Why? If the list is modified, then we have a scalability problem, as the list will have to be rebuilt before each call.Looking...looking...hmm.typedef int (*orte_recos_base_process_fault_fn_t)(orte_job_t *jdata, orte_process_name_t *proec_name, orte_proc_state_t state, int *stack_state);There is no node list, or list of any type, going in or out of that function. I suspect you meant the one below it:typedef int (*orte_recos_base_suggest_map_targets_fn_t)(orte_proc_t *proc, orte_node_t *oldnode, opal_list_t *node_list);I concur with your concern about scalability here. However, I believe the idea was that we would pass in the proc that failed and is to be restarted, a pointer to the node it was last on, and return a list of candidate nodes where it could be restarted. Essentially, this is the equivalent of building the target node list that we do in the mappers whenever we map a job.So in the implementation, we use the rmaps base function to assemble the target node list for the app, and then go through some logic (e.g., remove the old node, look at fault groups and load balancing) to prune the list down. We then pass the resulting list back to the caller.If we are going to have frequent process failures, then rebuilding the candidate node list every time would indeed be a problem. I suspect we'll have to revisit that implementation at some point.HTHRalph
On Feb 19, 2010, at 12:59 , Ralph Castain wrote:WHAT: Merge a tmp branch for fault recovery development into the OMPI trunkWHY: Bring over work done by Josh and Ralph to extend OMPI's fault recovery capabilitiesWHERE: Impacts a number of ORTE files and a small number of OMPI filesTIMEOUT: Barring objections and/or requests for delay, the weekend of Feb 27-28REFERENCE BRANCH: http://bitbucket.org/rhc/ompi-recos/overview/======================================================================BACKGROUND:Josh and Ralph have been working on a private branch off of the trunk on extended fault recovery procedures, mostly impacting ORTE. The new code optionally allows ORTE to recover from failed nodes, moving processes to other nodes in order to maintain operation. In addition, the code provides better support for recovering from individual process failures.Not all of the work done on the private branch will be brought over in this commit. Some of the MPI-specific code that allows recovery from process failure on-the-fly will be committed separately at a later date.This commit will include the infrastructure to support those advanced recovery operations. Among other things, this commit will introduce a new "RecoS" (Recovery Service/Strategy) framework to allow multiple strategies for responding to failures. The default module, called "ignore", will stabilize the runtime environment for other RecoS components. In the absence of other RecoS components it will trigger the default behavior (abort the job) to be executed.This branch includes some configure modifications that allow a comma separated list of options to be passed to the '--with-ft' option. This allows us to enable any combination of 'cr' and 'recos' at build time, specifically so that the RecoS functionally can be enabled independently of the C/R functionality. Most of the changes outside of the ORTE layer are due to symbol cleanup resulting from this modification.For example, C/R specific code paths were previously incorrectly marked with:#if OPAL_ENABLE_FT == 1They are now marked as, where appropriate:#if OPAL_ENABLE_FT_CR == 1Additionally, C/R specific components have modified configure.m4 files to change:AS_IF([test "$ompi_want_ft" = "0"],to:AS_IF([test "$ompi_want_ft_cr" = "0"],We have created a public repo (reference branch, above) with the code to be merged into the trunk. Please feel free to check it out and test it.NOTE: the new recovery capability is only active if...(a) you configure --with-ft=recos, and(b) you set OMPI_MCA_recos_base_enable=1 to turn it on!Comments, suggestions, and corrections are welcome!_______________________________________________devel mailing firstname.lastname@example.com://www.open-mpi.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/devel
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Mary Lou Williams, Jazz, and the Liturgy
Now featured on our home page, Ian Marcus Corbin on the vexing legacy of Catholic jazz composer and pianist Mary Lou Williams, who in 1969 received a commission from the Pontifical Commission on Justice and Peace to compose her third Mass, called Music for Peace:
As the 1970s began, Williams turned her energy to the task of seeing this Mass celebrated in a symbolic center of Catholicismeither St. Peter's Basilica or New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral. To her Catholic friends and boosters, the compositiona bright and exuberant romp through various jazz styles, along with some pop-rock and funk tingesseemed the perfect liturgy for a new postVatican II Catholicism, an ebullient departure from stiff, musty Eurocentrism. But many clerics Williams approached expressed serious reservations. Church leaders in both Rome and New York repeatedly offered to stage recitals of the piece, but declined to accept it as a setting for the Mass. Doggedly undeterred, Williams approached New York's Cardinal Terrence Cooke (she would later recount chasing him across the campus of Fordham University), who assented, hoping such a move could help draw young people back to the church. In February 1975, "Mary Lou's Mass" was finally celebrated, and Williams left St. Patrick's in raptures.This breakthrough did not, however, mark the dawn of a new era. Williams's repeated attempts to have her composition performed as a Mass in the Vatican were unsuccessfuland thirty-seven years later jazz remains, at the very best, on the periphery of liturgical music in America. This fact needs some explaining, because, as Williams always insisted, jazz is the only serious art form created exclusively in America. And it is indeed serious art; the highest achievements of jazz belong to the first tier of great Western music. So why hasn't jazz found a more central place in the liturgical life of the Catholic Church in America?
Read the whole story (which includes video and audio links to performances and interviews) right here.
About the Author
Dominic Preziosi is Commonweal's digital editor.
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With all due respect to Ms. Williams' artistic skills and accomplishments, I am disinclined to believe that jazz, at least in it's present state of development, has a place in Catholic liturgy. Take the Miles Davis Kind of Blue album: It is to be sure an altogether splendid piece of music, but it's entire esthetic is a complete misfit for a Catholic mass. It is mournful, nostalgic, even seemingly despairing - not celebrating the crucified and resurrected Christ, but the inward-gazing seeker of some alien god. Or John Coltrane's frenetic, galvanizing solo on his Giant Steps piece. It is exhilarating, bombastic, and totally awesome, but...I love jazz, but I don't want to hear it at mass. Just a thought...
I wonder if (1) her gender and/or (2) her race may have had just a bit of influence on her early lack of acceptance in pursuing the performance of her jazz mass.
Dave Brubeck, white, male, Catholic, jazz artist also wrote a Mass that, to the best of my knowledge, hasn't been performed at the Vatican. And I'd probably know because I watch for it. Parts were used at a Mass said by Pope John Paul II in San Francisco. The whole Mass was recorded (as To Hope, on Telarc) by Russell Gloyd and the Cathedral Choral Society and Orchestra, the Brubeck Quartet, the Duke Ellington School of the Arts Show Choir and three soloists in a concert version. The Gloria came at the end, and if you hear it you know why they saved it for last.The recessional is a doozy, too, but it really needs the whole 6 minutes and 33 seconds it got in the concert to make its point. That's a bit long for the average parish's Sunday liturgy. I use the psalm (The Desert and the Parched Land) as meditation preparation in some seasons.
A few miscellaneous thoughts:* Liturgy is ritual, but jazz is marked by spontaneity. How may the spontaneity of jazz serve the ritual needs of liturgy?* Jazz tends to lionize the solo performer, but liturgy is communal in nature. Again, how may the solo performer serve the communal nature of liturgy?* In jazz, instrumental music is primary, but liturgy is verbal; sung music (even and perhaps especially unaccompanied sung music) is primary. How does the instrumental nature of jazz serve the verbal requirements of liturgy?* Jazz seems to be essentially performance music - music for its own sake; but liturgical music is music in service to something else: to the liturgy. How does the performance nature of jazz music serve the liturgy?* Liturgy, at least as understood by the liturgical renewal initiated by Vatican II, is rather democratic: it calls for sung participation by the people, as well as by cantors, choir, celebrant and so on. The democratic nature of post-VII liturgy is evident in a number of ways: the music styles, such as folk music, which composers have chosen to clothe the ritual in music; the simplicity of the musical arrangements; the mass distribution of those arrangements. Jazz is rather undemocratic: it is generally performed by specialists. The liturgical reforms of Vatican may not have been congenial to jazz in this respect.Having said all that: there is jazz, or elements of jazz, to be found in liturgical praxis. You can hear it in our parish, because we have a music director who is comfortable in that idiom. You can certainly hear it in at least some African American parishes. Artistry is irrepressible. It will blossom, sometimes where you least expect it. I listened to some samples of Mary Lou Williams' mass, following the links in the article. How would it work without Mary Lou Williams performing it? How can it be adapted to today's liturgy? How can it be edited and arranged for the average parish musician? Or is it really a performance piece? If so, what is the meaning and importance of performance pieces for liturgy?
Jim P. --It seems to me that the greatest of solo performers manage to express *both* what is common to all and what is unique. And it is possible to express both what is common and what is unique spontaneously.Earlier jazz was quite verbal. Think Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald and even Bing Crosby -- yes, him. He was respected as a jazz singer.Jazz undemocratic? It was born among the slave in Congo Square in New Orleans. True, if you haven't heard much of it it might be strange to you, an elitist sort of hobby, and it's true that the most sophistocated sort of jazz is extremely complex music. But the same can be said of Bach -- he wrote some fine simple hymns and some fabulously intricate music. (Try singing a Toccata :-)I have to admit though, that in the predominantly black Catholic school I taught in that at that time there wasn't any effort to incorporate jazz of any sort into the liturgies. But in those days the interest was in everything purely African, not things American, not even Jazz. Even the spirituals were rarely included in liturgies. But spirituals, though African-American, aren't jazz either.
Friends in Seattle have for many years sung the praises of St. Therese Church which has a terrific jazz-gospel choir---with wonderful liturgies that have full participation by the laity.http://www.saintthereseparish.org/#/worship/4538315866I'll echo some of the comments from above:*that jazz is America's classical music---Armstrong, Ellington, Basie, Fitzgerald, Davis, Coltrane, Williams, et al are our Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Handel, Ravel, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, etc. *that jazz is a thoroughly democratic (though meritocratic) art form;*that jazz improvisation is an expression of the performer's soul and as such, often fits beautifully and powerfully within Catholic liturgy (just as 18th century European performers of classical music regularly improvised).
I don't think Palestrina composed for "the average parish musician" but seems to have become Holy Musical Writ in certain liturgical circles.I'm not big on jazz, but might find it a welcome change from ritualized liturgical music. Try Misa Luba, Misa Flamenca and Misa Criola and tell us that those deviations from what is being pushed as acceptable liturgical musical styles are not up to acceptable liturgical style for the people in the pews.
Big jazz fan and great article. On Jim's point that "Jazz tends to lionize the solo performer, but liturgy is communal in nature. Again, how may the solo performer serve the communal nature of liturgy?"Corbin discusses the individualistic or even personalistic element of jazz but argues that, as an art, it is compatible with Catholic experience. Although, it is an art whose "final goal is interpersonal communion, not communion with the divine. It is a music of earth, not of heaven", it does speak to a communion at least with the artist and listener. Corbin writes:F
Briefly put, a great jazz performer like Mary Lou Williams is an exemplary specimen of the artist as heroic individual. This individualism is not of the isolating sort bemoaned by all serious observers of Americasince Tocqueville, but rather a more romantic and ultimately communal sort. Joseph Conrad, in his celebrated preface to The Nigger of the Narcissus, put forth a vision of the artist as one who descends to the "lonely region" within himself, in order to study and then speak to our capacity for delight and wonder, to the sense of mystery surrounding our lives; to our sense of pity, and beauty, and pain; to the latent feeling of fellowship with all creationand to the subtle but invincible conviction of solidarity that knits together the loneliness of innumerable hearts: to the solidarity in dreams, in joy, in sorrow, in aspirations, in illusions, in hope, in fear, which binds men to each other, which binds together all humanity.
I listened to this interpretation of Animi Christi from her album Black Christ of the Andes.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtFPM-Dccqk
Jim Pauwels' questions about jazz raise some interesting issues about liturgy.How do spontaneity and repetition interact in liturgy? Is liturgy only about perfect repetition? To what extent should it elicit spontaneous movement within people?Liturgy depends on solo performers, Christ first but also the priest, lector, etc. Each of these does something similar to what a jazz musician does as described above, descending from Heaven into the lower depths of our humanity to raise us up.Is liturgy verbal? The rite can be a set of words, but the ritual is the enacting of those words. They strain toward a meeting of minds and hearts in front of God.To what degree is liturgy a performance? Is it something that needs only to be performed once a week? Or is it something to be experienced, an encounter with God that creates our lives?Is liturgy democratic? It is done by specialists whose intent should be IMO to bring out the contributions of others. Music generally, and jazz in particular, aims for a common experience among the listeners, very much like liturgy. Jazz, by grappling with the above issues, probably has something to say to liturgy. How do individuals become a group? Individual experiences become common property? To what degree are elements repeated, to what degree improvised?
Having been very much involved in the performance of Mary Lou Williams's Mass in Rome in January1969, I want to express my thanks to Ian Marcus Corbin for the excellent article and add add a few points from my memory of the occasion. After Mary Lou was in Rome and involved in pulling together a group of singers and musicians from the students at North American College and various members of Religious Orders, I received a call from the Office of Worship in the Vatican to be of help to them. She was pushing for performing the Mass at a papal liturgy and saw such an event as a validation of both Jazz and her role as a Catholic musician. She was totally naive about how Rome works. Pope Paul at that moment was still wrestling with the approval of the Missa Normativa. He had announced his approval in April of the year before, but was still hesitating and sending back texts for revision. By that time some of the complaints from bishops around the world about abuses started to come in and make him even more upset. As a musician he was tone-deaf -- lacking the musical tastes of Pius XII, John Paul II, or now Benedict XVI and seeing the proper music for liturgy just Gregorian Chant and perhaps some polyphony.After the possibility of performing the Mass for the Pope fell through, we searched for a suitable church. The latin American College Chapel seed best since it was somewhat modern, boasted of good acoustics, and was not too large. The Mass was to be celebrated in honor of the first anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King on late Saturday afternoon. I relayed all this information to the Vicariate talking to the Auxiliary bishop in charge of that area of the diocese. In all the proceedings I never spoke with the Cardinal Vicar, Cardinal dell'Aqua.When I went for the rehearsal on Saturday morning, I noted at once that there were TV cameras everywhere. Four reporters from the four major networks. The piano and the musicians were center-stage and the altar almost hidden. I must honestly say that the musicians were not up to the task, lacking the knowledge and the skills needed. Mary Lou was incredible, but could not immediately make professional out of amateurs. The singing, too, was not free and the style did not come naturally to the young men involved. Mary Lou's idea of a Mass was naturally that of the old traditional form -- Lord have mercy, Glory to God, Holy, holy, holy, and Lamb of God, with a beautiful bluezy song for the Offertory and Communion. I could not have conceived of celebrating Mass under these conditions.Then I went to the Vicariate for the final meeting there with the bishop of the region. I agreed with the decision to celebrate a "quiet" MAss in honor of Martin Luther King's anniversary and the the Mass would be sung afterward as a concert. When I announced that decision most of the cameras lost interest. They wanted to make sure it hit the 11:00 o'clock news in New York and seemed satisfied with the little bit they had already recorded. Mary Lou was truly desolate. At no point did I ever hear Cardinal dell'Aqua say anything about drums! The first time I read that comment was in 1999 in the biography of Mary Lou written by Linda Dahl. I have no idea what the Cardinal may have said to the press as we never talked personally.The event pointed out one fact clearly to me: the liturgical renewal would now be very culturally orientated whether we liked it or not. A type of music that is an instrument of prayer for one congregation might not be for another. Secondly, musicians had to learn that there is a place in every culture for religiously inspired music if it is of quality, but not all such fine and inspired religious music is appropriate for liturgy. I confess that this explanation did not seem to be understood by Mary Lou nor encouraging to her.
Was that REALLY Abp Weakland who posted above?
Thank you, Archbishop. Would you know what Ms. Williams thought of retaining music such as chant and polyphony for some liturgical settings?
Yes, this is Archbishop Weakland, I cannot reply to the question about what Mary Lou would have thought of retaining some chant and polyphony. We never discussed it. She did not seem to be concerned about such questions. In retrospect I would have wished I had asked her about the question of Jazz and the participation of the faithful. Her presentations still seemed to be a performance by choir and musicians, but I never attended any of the Masses she was a part of at St. Thomas Church in Harlem.
Archbishop --How do you feel about having different sorts of music for different sorts of groups and liturgical occasions? As a musician, priest and bishop you must have several different sort of perspectives on the issue. Me, I don't see why it has to be either-or, although given the essentially geographical structuring of Catholic parishes , I can see why it would be difficult to have many styles featured in one parish.
I have no problem with the use of different musical styles provided they are integrated into the liturgical moment and not just set pieces for entertainment purposes. There is, however, a law of association that must be kept in mind. Certain musical pieces and certain musical styles bring to our minds associations that may not bee appropriate. For example, to sing pieces from Fiddler on the Roof during liturgy puts one in the theater or dancehall and not in a worship space. That may have been the underlying meaning of the Cardinal's comments to the press about the use of drums. There were some at that time saying that music with a strong beat or syncopation did not belong in Church since the style was too associated with the dancehall. Associations vary from culture to culture.
If polka masses are acceptable (I come from that part of the country and have, at best, mixed feelings about them!), drums and other forms of liturgical music certainly should fit within the scope of Catholic acceptability. I realize that the Vaticanes can be lathered about them, but I think that the fast-growing African church might have a thing or two to add to the discussion.
Archbishop --I agree that some musical associations just distract us from the liturgy. But what about music that isn't familiar at all? So many people seem to think that unfamiliar music ought to be unwelcome. Unfortunately, I think that's one of the things that happened after Vatican II with "guitar Masses". Guitar music (i.e., rock) was unfamiliar to the old folks, and they didn't want even the instruments used to remind them of the hated music. But there is another problem with guitar music, one that has nothing to do with age. I'm thinking of guitar music in ordinary sized and large churches. There is no way a guitar can be heard well in those churches -- their sound is just too soft, and hitting the strings hard doesn't help much. Guitar accompaniment in a small chapel might be beautiful, but in large old churches they're hopeless, just a lot of jingle-jangle. But people want the forms of music they're familiar with, so the young ones want guitars), and there seems to be a stalemate about what instruments should be used in church these days. We old folks are dying off, or can't hear, so that problem is going to disappear, but I think that the problem of small guitar sounds in ordinary sized churches will persist. And the same thing is sometimes true of pianos.But what about drums, clarinets, saxes, and trumpets typical of jazz? And why not organs? If anything, trumpets and drums might be too loud for ordinary churches, though large organs in large churches do have trumpet stops.So many of these aesthetic issues are dependent on the relationships among the factors == instruments, rhythm, voice, harmony, even acoustics, etc. Little is absolutely so, so much "all depends. . ." I guess it's not really possible to generalize about what is and what isn't appropriate. Though it' easy to say what's bad, it's hard to say what's good. Sigh.
I admit, Jim, I dislike no end Polka Masses. I cannot see how anyone could seriously sing "Lord, have mercy" to a Polka beat. I have heard solo guitar music during Communion, Ann, that I thought was very reverential and edifying What has happened, though, is that it is hard to find truly great guitar players for such uplifting artistic music. Perhaps we have let our Church music become the domain of every amateur and not sought quality. I hope Benedictines are holding to the Rule of Benedict that not everyone should read or chant in public but only those who can edify the listeners.
Archbishop ==Yes, guitar can be edifying. I once hear Segovia in recital in a relatively small auditorium, and it was one of the great musical experiences of my life. Lots of quiet Bach :-) But, as you say, there just aren't that many fine guitar players (not that they'd have to all be Segovias). But I still think that in a cathedral even Segovia would not be heard to advantage. That might not be apparent to a priest on the alter, however. There's one strange thing about most of the young people I know -- most of them think that they were meant to be musicians. Sincerity seems to be the quality they appreciate most. They do have a point, don't they, even when it comes to liturgical music? On the other hand, someone sincerely singing a hymn off-key would be, well, blasphemous. I dunno. What I'm sure of is that more of the available great artists of various sorts should be involved in creating new forms of liturgy. For instance, get Seamus Heaney to help with new Mass translations. Get Paul MacCartney to write some hymns or set some poems to music. I bet they'd do it.
Before getting into my comment, I just want to thank Archbishop Weakland for joining the discussion. His memoir of trying to get the Williams mass performed in the Vatican is great first-hand stuff.My apologies to those who have tried to engage me in conversation; I'm just returning from a Thanksgiving break. Ann, you wrote:"Earlier jazz was quite verbal. Think Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald and even Bing Crosby yes, him. He was respected as a jazz singer."I'd not want to constrain jazz (not that I have the authority to do so) by decreeing what it is and what it isn't. It's impossible to pin down, in no small part because creative geniuses are always pushing the envelope. But here is my point of view: the author used the example of the song, "My Funny Valentine". That is a great song - I'd argue, a masterpiece of its genre. But its genre, properly speaking, isn't jazz: it's a show tune. The jazz isn't when Bing Crosby sings the Rodgers melody and the Hart words; the jazz happens after the song is sung, and the musicians take over for their rounds of improvised solos. Then, if it follows the classic jazz pattern, it all comes together again at the end for a recap of the orginal melody, and a big finish. I've worn the church musician hat at various times in my life, and I can attest that improvisation is a nice skill for a church musician to have. Jim McK rightly notes that liturgy is more than words, it's ritual action, too, and if musicians can improvise some variations, perhaps in order to underscore liturgical action - well, that's aesthetically a lot more satisfying (or it can be a lot more satisfying, if it's well done) than simply repeating a melody over and over again.Another point of view I have about the ethos of jazz is that it tends to be a competitive sport; the jazz musician not only wants to create improvised music that is beautiful; she wants it to be more beautiful than what the other guy can manage to do :-). This competitive streak is one of the things that drives the unbelievable accomplishments of great jazz performers. (And to be sure, it is not all about besting a rival; there is a wonderful tradition of homage to other great players in jazz, too). But topping the other guy is generally a form of self-aggrandizement, and self-aggrandizement in church musicians is to be rigorously eschewed (in my opinion)A couple of folks claim that jazz is democratic. It may be democratic in its roots, but it hasn't evolved into a very democratic art form*. It's a specialist art form that had broad consumer appeal during the first half of the 20th century - but the fickle consumer tastes have evolved in other directions. Of course, Bach and Palestrina are also for specialists and also don't have a ton of consumer appeal these days. The challenge for the parish musician is how to take great music, whehter it is Bach or Palestrina or Mary Lou Williams, and fit it to the liturgy, according to the liturgical norms that prevail today. (In actuality, I daresay most parish musicians don't accept that challenge.)* However, within that orbit of elite specialists, jazz can be very egalitarian; everyone gets their turn to solo, and there is a wonderful interplay between the soloist and the accompanying instruments that strikes me as consonant with good liturgy.
Thanks, Ann, for the good suggestions. Most artists, as we found out right after the Council and were seeking to get some to try their hand at writing for the Liturgy, had never really written for anything other than solo consumption. Here I find Iam Marcus Corbin.s analysis perceptive. Our musical concerts are so strongly centered on the individual performer, or band of performers, that participation of the whole group takes on a different quality than the liturgical demands.I close this participation with an other comment more pertinent to the life and work of Mary Lou Williams and her desire to have that work recognized as part of the liturgical life of the Church. I could think of one incident when I felt that Jazz was the right liturgical response!!! I would love to have a jazz band and jazz singers performing "When the Saints go Marching in" when my body is taken to the grave -- not in the dirge form, but with all the joyous rhythms of the confident, Faith-filled crowd. Peace.
Sorry, that last comment was too long, but let me just add one more thought on democractic music. The ethos of democratic music-making is just about disappeared in the US - except in churches and in ball parks during the 7th inning stretch. It used to be broader. Frank Capra gave us some idealistic illustrations: in "It Happened One Night", when everyone on the bus sings, "The Man on the Flying Trapeze", or the moving final scene of "It's a Wonderful Life". People used to follow the bouncing ball in movie theaters. These days, people don't even know the lyrics to Christmas carols.
Just read an amazing thing at Wikipedia. Organs are an ancient musical instrument. They were first associated with the gladiatorial games of Rome!!! Only later were they acceptable for church music.In the arts, never say never.
Maybe it should also be noted that in its original form jazz incorporated African rhythm, French music hall melodies, and Carribean and South American elements. So can the Church arts incorporate diverse elements from all cultures in some unified form(s)? Why not? It would take a confluence of liturgical geniuses, no doubt, but the Holy Spirit could find and inspire them. Pray that we the Faithful can have the open minds that are required to love all peoples, no matter how different from ourselves. Art is, after all, the melding of what is diverse, even of what is opposed.
JIm P. --ISTM you're right about choral singing in the U. S. In the 19th century in New Orleans there were dozens of choruses of German-Americans who sang together but not in concerts or recitals or anything fancy like that. They just liked to sing. I always suspected that the reason the German peoples have produced so many of the greatest musicians is because their culture supported music from the bottom up in ways other European cultures didn't.Jazz includes groups of instrumentalists, but not choral music, at least I can't think of any. I wonder if that was because the slaves in New Orleans came from different African countries and spoke different native languages. That wouldn't lend itself to choral singing. Maybe it's the huge influence of jazz here that dampened our choral singing instincts. Choral music doesn't lend itself to the improvisation that jazz requires.This brings up a theological question: must Mass be entirely a group practice? Is there no room for solos, whether of music or prayers? The sermons on the Biblical texts of the day are semi-solo practices, aren't they? Your preaching is *your* preaching. Maybe Catholics are so in love with uniformity that we can't tolerate, much less appreciate, any sort of singlarity, especially not at Mass. Hmmm. I wonder if this is a good thing.
Archbishop --Dixieland isn't quite dead in New Orleans, and there are still occasional jazz funerals. I'm sure that, with a couple of days notice, a jazz band could be arranged for your last celebration :-)
Although I had dropped out of this dialogue, I could not help but add a word in the light of the current discussion. About a year before Mary Lou Williams arrived in Rome, that is, in January of 1968, Pope Paul, still very worried about the Missa Normativa decided to experience the new Mass himself in three forms, namely, a very simple form with almost no singing, a form with everything sung, and then a mixed form with the essentials sung but not everything. He was among the parishioners, about twenty-five of us, and someone else celebrated. After the Mass in the chapel, he invited about five of us into his study to discuss how it went. He asked me to be in that smaller group each of the three evenings. He had invited the students of the German College to do the singing for the second evening, that is, the form with everything sung. As we were sitting down in his study the second evening, he turned to me and asked: "Father Abbot, what do two Italians do when they meet abroad?" "I don't know, Your Holiness," was my reply. "They open a barbershop," he said. "What do two Greeks do when they meet abroad?" I don;'t know, Your Holiness." "They open a restaurant." "What do two Germans do when they meet abroad." "I don't know your Holiness." " They sing in four part harmony." That is the only papal joke I know! One final point: yes, the role of the cantor was reintroduced in the liturgical reform of Vatican II. The cantor is by definition a solo role. There is now, thus, a greater variety -- congregation, choir, cantor.
:-) :-) :-) :-)


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Dead locking latch bolt operated by knob/lever from either side except when outside knob/lever is locked by the push or turn button inside. Key outside or operating inside knob/lever releases push or turn button unlocking outside knob/ lever except when push or turn button has been rotated to keep outside knob/lever locked. Inside push or turn button must be manually operated to unlock outside knob/lever. Inside knob/lever always operates latch bolt.
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We're pretty sure that our 2 month old baby suffers from a gluten intolerance but when we spoke to our doctor she claimed that it was impossible for babies to get gluten from the mother's breast milk. However the midwife did believe it was possible for babies to suffer from gluten intolerance from breast milk.
So are there any studies that show that gluten will pass through into the breast milk?


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When experiencing alpha decay, atoms shed alpha particles made of 2 protons and 2 neutrons. Why can't we have other types of particles made of more or less protons?
The reason why alpha particles heavily dominate as the proton-neutron mix most likely to be emitted from most (not all!) radioactive components is the extreme stability of this particular combination. That same stability is also why helium dominates after hydrogen as the most common element in the universe, and why other higher elements had to be forged in the hearts and shells of supernovas in order to come into existence at all.
Here's one way to think of it: You could in principle pop off something like helium-3 from an unstable nucleus - that's two protons and one neutron - and very likely give a net reduction in nuclear stress. But what would happen is this: The moment the trio started to depart, a neutron would come screaming in saying look how much better it would be if I joined you!! And the neutron would be correct: The total reduction in energy obtained by forming a helium-4 nucleus instead of helium-3 would in almost any instance be so superior that any self-respecting (and energy-respecting) nucleus would just have to go along with the idea.
Now all of what I just said can (and in the right circumstances should) be said far more precisely in terms of issues such as tunneling probabilities, but it would not really change the message much: Helium-4 nuclei pop off preferentially because they are so hugely stable that it just makes sense from a stability viewpoint for them to do so.
The next most likely candidates are isolated neutrons and protons, incidentally. Other mixed versions are rare until you get up into the fission range, in which case the whole nucleus is so unstable that it can rip apart in very creative ways (as aptly noted by the earlier comment).
$\alpha$ particles are really $He^4_2$ nucleus i.e made up of 2 neutron and 2 protons.
As you can see in this graph, $He^4_2$ ion has a high binding energy per nucleon, i.e. it is highly stable among all the neighboring nuclei. This makes them easy to sustain their existence and makes it easier for the nuclei to emit them in radioactive decay thus making the resultant nuclei much more stable than if a $He_2^3$ would have escaped.


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Legislature should embrace medical pot
New polling numbers show strong bipartisan support and an all-star cast of political operatives are coalescing around a push to put a medical marijuana referendum on the 2014 Florida ballot, according to a Miami Herald report this week. The effort faces many logistical and monetary obstacles, but deserves serious consideration for voters and the Legislature, which could clear many of those obstacles by simply putting the measure on the ballot itself.
We have argued in the past that not only should marijuana be allowed for medical purposes, but that it should be legalized or at least decriminalized. 24 states and the District of Columbia have either legalized, decriminalized or allowed medical marijuana. Of those eighteen states have medical marijuana laws and two, Colorado and Washington, legalized pot outright last year. A legalization referendum will be on California's ballot in 2014 after narrowly losing in 2010.
The case for medical marijuana in Florida is strong, especially given the state's elderly demographics. The prospective ballot language specifies the conditions for which physicians can prescribe pot. It reads like a litany of diseases that afflict our aging population: Alzheimer's, cachexia, cancer, chronic pain, chronic nervous system disorders, Crohn's disease, epilepsy and other seizure disorders, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's. The measure also would provide doctor's with dicretion for prescribing marijuana to treat other ailments, leeway they have with many other prescription drugs. Among conditions or diseases commonly treated with marijuana are migraines, insomnia, lupus, Post-Tramatic Stress Syndrome, anxiety and appetite loss.
We support the medical marijuana effort as a first step toward overall legalization in Florida and nationwide. The medical marijuana measure is a no-brainer considering the medical oversight built into the proposed law. Far more dangerous drugs than marijuana are prescribed to millions of Floridians each year. Thousands of prescription drug abusers die from overdoses of illegally obtained drugs, such as oxycodone.
Florida already treats marijuana possession in a pseudo decriminalized manner, diverting cases through non-criminal drug courts that levy light fines, rare jail sentences, probation and drug counseling. True decriminalization would reduce even that wasteful administrative overhead to revenue-producing civil fines similar to traffic tickets. Outright legalization would eliminate even that waste of law enforcement resources to more pressing public safety issues.
With a poll conducted for People United for Medical Marijuana showing support for a medical marijuana referendum at 70 percent, the measure would easily clear the state's 60-percent threshold. But getting on the ballot won't be easy, as it requires verified signatures from more than 680,000 registered voters, a process that would cost up to $3.5 million, according to the Herald report. That's why the Legislature should take it on.
That medical marijuana would relieve symptoms and raise the quality of life of thousands of residents should be enough reason to approve it. But at a time when government waste and scarce revenues are a priority for voters and elected officials, it makes sense that Floridians would support a measure that would reduce waste and generate revenue.
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text: Hey guys! This is my third time creating a tutorial recorded from my new webcam. In this cool lesson, we'll be learning a few tips and tricks on "how to draw a snake head". I had fun experimenting with this video, and hopefully you'll enjoy. Chillax to the rockin' music and "drawing snake heads"! Tools Used: Prismacolor Black, Common Mechanical Pencil, Regular Paper


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To approximate a function $G$ over the interval $[0,1]$ by a polynomial $P$ of degree $n$ (or less), we minimize the function $f:R^{n+1} \to R$ given by $F(a) = \int_0^1 (G(x) - P_a(x))^2\,dx$, where $P_a(x) = a_nx^n+a_{n-1}x^{n-1}+\cdots+a_0$ and $a = (a_0,a_1,\ldots,a_n)$.
Find the equation satisfied by the optimal coefficients $a_*$ (necessary condition). Show that this equation can by written as a linear equation of the form $Ma_* = B$ for some vector $B$ in $R^{n+1}$ and some symmetric matrix $M$ in $R^{(n+1)\times(n+1)}$.
To be honest, I have never seen a question of this type and don't know where to start, any help in regards to the thought process would be appreciated.


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Micheal Porter's Five Forces industry analysis and strategy development is a staple in most business schools. Having come across it again in book I was reading I decided to apply it to our web design industry to see what kind of analysis we get. The result was not promising. Here are the five forces in […]
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Applying Micheal Porter's Five Forces Model to the Web Design Industry
Posted by Ron on February 4th, 2013


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text:
10 Ways to Give Thanks This Thanksgiving
8 of 11
Volunteer at a senior center or a veteran's home.
"Back in my day..." Have you ever noticed how the elderly love to talk about when they were young? This Thanksgiving, volunteer to chat, listen, or play a simple game with those of a different generation. They will surely appreciate spending time with youngsters, and you just might learn a thing or two. Visiting a veteran's home is also a great way to honor America's veterans, and this is the perfect time to do it — November 11 is Veteran's Day!


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What is the male/female ratio here?
I happen to be a guy. I am curious about the rest of you.
Tag: are-you-an innie-or-an-outie?
34 Answers answer
To quote a song..
"Dude looks like a lady"
I have really, really long hair...
I'm an outie
The Easiest way to do this would be:
Vote Here for Male!
Vote here for Female!
Of course these results wont be fully accurate. But it might paint us a somewhat fuzzy picture,
Vote here for other!
@grimskull89: aaah, but so do I.
It would appear that you voted for both (unless the two -1's were you zeroing the counters... except that I'd have presumed you qouldn't have zeroed the male counter...)
BTW- I'm an outie.
@baqui63: Me Zeroing doesn't count as a downvote.
Oh also I'm an innie
Being a statistics expert, this poll is biased. You will only include those people who read and answer questions. That could be more gender specific. For example, men might be more willing to answer this question than women (or vice versa). The exclusion population is too large to get a good sample size to make this a valid poll.
Er... I took "outie" to mean male and "innie" to mean female (for reasons that I shouldn't need to explain). :-)
For the record, I am male and my navel is an innie.
True, your zeroing wouldn't be a down vote. So that means some poor confused sod downvoted ... or maybe it's one of those iDevice people who cannot make their browser work with the new deals.woot site...
Bahahah! First time I'd heard the terms "outie" and "innie" used like that.
Outie here
@cowboydann: Yes, that would give a nice summary....and I did vote....but would not clarify gender for those who have sexually-ambiguous usernames. I still crack up at how many people think @ThunderThighs is a male, because to me that's a female name.
I am female, btw. (As Elaine would say, "I don't know how you guys walk around with those things down there.")
@reginafilangee: Please tell me that ThunderThighs is female. I truly do not know, but I have always thought the voice (expression, pacing, topic matter) struck me to be feminine. Consider me red-faced and apologetic if I am mistaken.
male and innie
Innie in both definitions.
This ratio is depressing me
Interesting poll. I generally assume there are more men here than women. There was another question a while back - I think about how you got your username? - and it shed some light on the gender of many folks. I'm female.
@mkdr: My response to that may have been deceptive, as I generally use the names of roleplaying characters for my usernames. But although all my roleplaying characters are male, I am female.
@p2002: yes, @thunderthighs is a female, as is @inkycatz, and @pemberducky, and @agingdragqueen. as for the rest of the mods and staff that show their post around here i think most are male.
does it really make a difference? yes, i know genders of several of the users here but i don't treat them differently.
also it would depend on time of day. over in the chat room (which is tonight by the way) the guys are more active during the day (while at work) yet the ladies are more active in the evening .
I assumed everyone here was a hot female supermodel just looking for good deals. That's just the way my mind works. Obviously I am a male.
I don't know who gets true credit for creating this, but it is semi-appropriate nonetheless:
The internet: Where the men are men, the women are men, and the children are FBI agents.
@wnyx585am: You did forget the small subset of men who are actually women but use male usernames to help discourage harassment by the men who are men but also pigs/dogs/trolls/etc.
And, for the count, I'm female.
@gt0163c: That's really interesting. I would have never thought women would feel the need to do that. You learn something new every day...
So, what's your phone number?
I haven't changed in the last 2 months. Not that way anyway.
bonus points if you can go back through peoples comments and take something they've said out of context changing whichever gender they've claimed.
Pretty self-explanatory.
Ain't no doubt about it, I have a gentle sway to my back porch and I can hold up strapless dresses, hands free.
@pooflady: You're unfamiliar with the British term "poof" and what it means?
@lavikinga: Oh, baby, oh!
@magic cave: "You're unfamiliar with the British term "poof" and what it means?"
I considered going there but decided not to do so. :)
@p2002: Sorry if my wording was confusing: yes, she is female.....at least, that's the word on the streets. I've never personally checked her out, but she says she has boobiez.....
@wnyx585am: Well yes.....how did you know??? I am indeed a hot supermodel, who greatly resembles how Jaclyn Smith looked back in her Charlie's Angels 70s TV series days. ;-)


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We're about to the cross the finish line for the 40-Day Bible Reading Challenge as we read through The Message Bible. Up next, we're going to be diving into a bunch of Epistles.
The majority of the New Testament is made up of Epistles (all except the Gospels, Acts, and Revelation). These documents are written for a specific occasion or event. Epistles often shed light onto a doctrinal disagreement or address a behavior that needs correcting within the early church.
On the surface, the Epistles may seem straight-forward, but sometimes these letters aren't always easy to interpret. [Tweet this]
For example, read 1 Corinthians 11:6 on the topic of head coverings:
"For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head."
There are several different ways to interpret this passage: Continue Reading...


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I have a troubles. Can you help me? I have a task, called "slippery activity".
Boy (he has $m=45kg$) Stands at ice and tries to move a big box ($M=90kg$) with a string (rope). Boy's Slip ratio is 0.4 and box's is 0.3. With which minimum angle to the horizon Boy must pull the rope for move the box?
When I tried to solve this task, I had equation with 2 unknowns.


text:
Samantha Brunhaver
From Designing Education Lab
- email@example.com
- 650-630-9397
- Center for Design Research
Stanford University
Building 560, Room 116
424 Panama Mall
Stanford, CA 94305-2206
Samantha (Sam) Brunhaver is a Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford. Her primary research interests include engineering education, academic and professional pathways in engineering, and engineering knowledge and skill development. Samantha's dissertation explores the effects of social and cognitive factors on early career engineering graduates' current occupation and future career plans. She is undertaking this work as part of the National Science Foundation-funded Engineering Pathways Study (EPS).
Samantha's teaching interests include design and manufacturing, statics and solid mechanics, introductory engineering, senior capstone, and engineering education. At Stanford she has served as a teaching assistant for statics, finite element analysis, and design for manufacturing courses, and as a co-instructor for a graduate-level engineering education seminar. She contributed to the course design of Engineering 14: Intro to Solid Mechanics. She has also done program evaluation work for both the Stanford Mechanical Engineering Department ABET assessment committee and the National Science Foundation Emerging Frontiers in Research Innovation (EFRI) Research in Mentoring (REM) program.
Samantha is a Stanford DARE Fellow. For the past three years, she has been co-president of the Stanford Mechanical Engineering Women's Group, which holds an annual seminar series and welcome reception for graduate engineering women. She is also a founding member of the Stanford student chapter of the American Society for Engineering Education. Samantha has industry experience working at The Procter & Gamble Company, The Boston Scientific Corporation, and A.W. Chesterton.
Curriculum vitae, pdf
- Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, June 2014 (expected)
- Ph.D. Minor in Education, Stanford University
- Certificate in Product Creation and Innovative Manufacturing, Stanford University
- M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, 2010
- B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Northeastern University, 2008
Select Publications
- Brunhaver, S., Gilmartin, S. K., Chen, H. L., Grau, M. M., Warner, M., & Sheppard, S. (2013). Not all the same: A look at early career engineers employed in different sub-occupations. American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA, June 23-26. (Presenter).
- Brunhaver, S., Gilmartin, S., Chen, H., Grau, M., Warner, M., Matusovich, H., Winters, K., Carrico, C., & Sheppard, S. (2013). Differences in the work characteristics and experiences of early career engineering graduates. American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, April 27-May 1. (Presenter).
- Brunhaver, S., Gilmartin, S., Chen, H. L., & Sheppard, S. (2012). Factors associated with the current occupational status of early career engineering graduates. Association for the Study of Higher Education Annual Conference, Las Vegas, NV, November 15-17. (Presenter), pdf.
- Brunhaver, S. R., Lande, M., Sheppard, S. D., & Carryer, J. E. (2012). Fostering an enterprising learning ecology for engineers. International Journal of Engineering Education, 28(2): 355-363.
- Brunhaver, S., Eris. O., & Sheppard, S. (2011).Looking at engineering students through a motivation/confidence framework. American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference, Vancouver, B.C., June 26-29. (Presenter), pdf[[|]].
- Brunhaver, S., Korte, R., Lande, M., & Sheppard, S. (2010). Supports and barriers that recent engineering graduates experience in the workplace. American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference, Louisville, KY, June 20-23. (Presenter), pdf.


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3 FREE Months of PlayStation® Plus w/ 1 year + FREE Games/Minis/DLC/Betas for $0
$49.99 for one year (Plus 3 Months FREE) [For limited time]
$17.99 for 3 months
The website is worth checking out, especially if you want to get an idea of what this is...also;
Go to the [in game] PlayStation Store to see some of the things that they're offering with this...(it's in the PlayStation Plus section...) You don't have to be a member to hang out in the members section :D.
It's always good to hear from people who already own things, so post up if you feel like it...
If it matters, I'm gonna pick up at least the 3mo membership...heh
22 Comments add a comment
My only real concern with this is that they'll use the plus membership as an excuse to drop the quality of the free stuff we've already been getting -- for instance, a sudden dearth of demos for PSN games or vanishing free content updates.
I agree with eneref. Also don't like that the PSN games that you get while in the membership you can only use while you are paying for the membership.
I was excited about the Playstation network untill they actually revealed the plans. Think I'll stick with my Xbox Live Gold.
Oh man - the fanboy's last stronghold remaining argument "i get to play online for free" is going away? and its a plan thats piss poor in comparison?
wow... i can feel the world stopping on it's axis right now...
ok - snarky comments aside - the plan will likely evolve... and the level of service will improve once it moves to a pay plan... it has to becuase now they are financially accountable for said quality of service.
That's always been my one big thing about xbox gold vs. psn. I played on psn plenty of times - and the amount of exploits, cheating, inappropriate behavior, etc was so rampant, it became unenjoyable. on xbl - though it happens too - its far less because xbl moderators respond quickly to complaints and will pop in-game to make sure everything is kosher.
I know for a fact they take action against violators too - my nephew got his account suspended for a month and banned from forza for an exploit he was using.
I hope they choose to moderate!
Er... did you decide the title of this deal? Kind of misleading there. $49.99 gets you an extra three months free. You can't just get 3 months free right now to try it out.
Regular promotion. Not sure it should be on deals.woot. That, or the title should have been changed, as it is very misleading.
not a deal sorry... more like a promotional offer with purchase required
title is very misleading
Not a deal. In fact it's something of a rip off in my opinion. What kind of idiot would post this?
Forget posting. What idiots allowed it to get on the "Popular Deals" page??
@goatcrapp: I'm getting a little sick of this comment, people who say this are uninformed or the proverbial "fanboy" you're speaking of. It's still free to play, this is a content subscription, if you want some more games for a little bit of a discount, albeit on a pay per play basis, then you get this. If you don't want the games, don't subscribe. You can still play online.
(mod edit: profanity) Sony, first you take away my linux and now this?
I am definitely not buying a ps4.
While I don't think it's a great deal, they're not taking anything away from you. It's optional, and you can still play online without paying. They tried getting people to pay for their video magazine thingy that came with exclusive demos and such (Qore), now they are trying this. XBox Live is fun, but you have to pay AND it still has ads. That really annoys me, I must say. I only really use my Live Gold membership to play online with friends and use Netflix... it's annoying to have to pay. At least with my PS3, I can still play online for free. Also, I love my XBOX 360 and my PS3, but my 360 has already broken down on me once, and I'm pretty sure it'll happen again... makes me wary of the next XBOX, since the build quality is so terrible on the 360 and MS took their sweet time fixing it with this latest version (I have the Elite and it's no better quality than a launch unit).
For those of you who found it interesting enough to look at it, cared about it enough to post on it and whiny enough to complain about it..:
The "DEAL" aspect is as follows;
3 FREE months of PS+ (that's worth $18 bucks) When you get 1 year. [for a limited time]
Almost equally as important, it's new and it's interesting. Obviously you found it interesting enough to troll on in.
FYI...Title "3 FREE Months of PlayStation® Plus w/ 1 year..." There's a difference between misleading and misreading...Damn I'm witty.
As far as things nobody else cares about...I've wasted my life playing both PSN and Xbox LIVE!. All I can say is this; you get what you pay for...literally. Xbox LIVE kicks ass as far as features, user-friendlyness, being able to connect to friends etc.
PS3...well PS3 is very free. It doesn't give you any more than you need...sometimes, not even everything that you need. BUT, the Ps3 hasn't been hacked [in the mainstream sense].
Which means you don't have to worry as much about little rich kids - who's parents hate them - and middle aged, virgins, using aim bots and modded 360s to 'pwn n00bs' on COD.
Unfortunately there's always gonna be a douche with a light-switch spliced into his router.
XBox LIVE is definitely worth $30 a year (a la Woot/Dell), but I've been playin PSN lately, 'cause I don't have the extra money for XBL heh...
Actually, online gaming on PS is staying free. I thank Sony for that.
As of now, I think PSPlus isn't worth it. With the extra free months it comes out to about $3 a month for the service, which is fairly cheap but you just don't get that much good stuff from it. This is really only worth it, in my opinion, to someone who buys damn near anything the Playstation store has to offer. The free stuff you get isn't that great, and the discounts aren't on really worthwhile stuff.
I do see this having potential though. It'd be a lot better if they gave you options. For example, they have 40 or 50 things free and say you can choose 15 or 20 or whatever it was. Variety would make this far more appealing.
I agree with the concerns about the reduction of free stuff, but meh. As far as what I've read says, people with this account will only get it earlier. "Oh noooo, you got a costume in Littlebigplanet before I did! What a tragedy!"
@goatcrapp Just to hammer home a point that everyone else has already made, PSN is still free to play. Plus just gets you Hulu. Ohh and access to a number of good games included in the price. If this pace for deals/content keeps up Plus will be worth it.
@thedogma: There ARE definite benefits. I'm sure they'll become more enticing as time goes on...I gotta buddy who lives in NZ and they get free Killzone 2 DLC and a FREE copy of Little Big Planet (Full Game). That's pretty damn sweet...
I checked the store out, and there's some worthwhile stuff...half price Mortal Kombat II, etc...heh, sounds good, eh? Anyways...you know what they really need to add; is a party system, like XBL. Voice messages too. I hate having to TYPE everything...such a simple thing that'd bring a lot more people to PSN.
sony give you what you need for free, you have to pay extra for the bells and whistles.
xbox says all or nothing, so pay up suckers.
i have both because all my friends didnt pick the same systems. for the most part they are both the same except that its easier to talk/group up with friends on xbox 360.
so no more fan boy QQ and bitching. if you dont like the deal then quietly leave.
@jro2020: good until hulu disappears which is starting to crest on the horizon
@all: i haven't upgraded my ps3 since the sony april fool's day joke went bad. i see no reason to give sony any money now or in the future when they can do as they please with my hardware (regardless of their service, license or terms of use). sony has alienated a number of its users and unfortunately in talking with former sony employees, sony really doesn't care either. i like the sony brand but am put off by their actions. (i get the fact they are trying to protect their intellectual property in removing the OtherOS feature, but only 1% of the world would have taken the time to go through the hassle of truly modding their machine just to prove a concept. a concept mind you with no actual fruit bearing results!)
\endrant goto coffee
Already ordered this. Well worth it IMHO. I dlded Wipeout HD for free, RallyCross for my PSP for free, and that Zombie game for free as well. Time to get my race on.
Basic online gaming is still free to non-subscribers. This is a content subscription service. Not a play online game service. Between my Xbox live gold and this, I have to say this is a better deal.
I only bought a few games from the online store but one of them was Wipeout which I think I paid $15 or $20 for. Wish I could get a credit or another game for people who already paid for the free game. I'll probibly join plus. I did Qore for the first year, but it was weird how they made you go back to the date of purchase or the origional subscription every month to download the new issue.
I think PSHome is kind of fun now, first few months it was sad now they have some good content, but the still need more. They need free video that isn't just game previews. I liked the free PSN reality show they had, even though it was just to win a crappy entry level job at Sony.
I like the PSN but nearly everyone says that XBox live is better. I wish you could do Netflix without the Disk, TIVO and XBox don't need a disk to stream online movies. I wouldn't be a big deal if I didn't have a toddler who takes disks out all the time.


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Ulyana Lopatkinaballerina
Posted 20 July 2005 - 08:53 PM
Included is a beautiful, large photo of her Odile, and one of her with her three year old daughter. I've read that she's Russia's Assoluta, but have never seen her when the Kirov/Mariinsky has visited New York. Are there any eyewitnesses to her Odette/Odile who can describe what it is about her that is so special?
Posted 21 July 2005 - 07:24 AM
Posted 21 July 2005 - 07:40 AM
Posted 21 July 2005 - 07:48 AM
She is very tiny,
Actually, she's rather tall.
Posted 21 July 2005 - 08:03 AM
She seems to be extremely intelligent and thoughtful based on the interview, but sometimes people who think too much aren't very moving artists.
Posted 21 July 2005 - 08:29 AM
She is very tiny,
Actually, she's rather tall.
She has a tiny build. I have seen her dance. I didn't think she seemed tall.
She has a very expressive face, too.
Posted 21 July 2005 - 08:58 AM
Clement Crisp, from yesterday's Links says
I'd be interested to hear whether people find her emotionally expressive or cold and calculating. The reviews I've read make it sound as if she is remote to the point of ignoring everyone else onstage, but Ismene Brown found her very effective.
" She has claimed this role over a decade with an interpretation that has acquired a thrilling resonance. Here is the Princesse Lointaine as swan, the enchantress Odile as icon, the dance as haiku, molto adagio the dynamic norm, a reading more expansive in timing than I have seen with any other ballerina. It is intensely personal, as if she poses a series of questions to herself about the nature of the role, and about the ballet itself."
...and goes on to describe a very personal, internalised performance. It may just be that she is boring to some, profoundly deep to others: a little like responses to McKerrow's Giselle over the years.
About the size issue: perhaps her trunk is slight but her limbs are long?
Posted 21 July 2005 - 09:38 AM
When young, she was painfully thin but since experiencing motherhood her physique has improved noticeably. I am sorry that she now dyes her fair hair dark though, as it gives her a somewhat hard look at times.
Posted 22 July 2005 - 03:25 AM
Kirov Swan Lake, London
Posted 22 July 2005 - 04:15 AM
Mashinka, I wonder if Lopatkina dyed her hair to have more of an effect onstage?
Posted 22 July 2005 - 11:03 AM
Posted 22 July 2005 - 10:34 PM
Yes, she is at least 5'10". I believe she is the tallest ballerina the Kirov has ever had.
I would have to agree with those that say she is rather tall.... I would venture a guess at 5ft 10 in....
Posted 23 July 2005 - 12:39 PM
Dreamy and very mysterious in the adagio, brilliant and witty in the scherzo (and the only ballerina who could handle the scherzo -- Pavlenko, who was gorgeous in the adage, looked behindhand and, well, tired, in it)....
She was also a fiery Zobeide.....
Posted 25 July 2005 - 11:44 AM
Thanks for the info, Paul. Ballet.co magazine's August issue has an in-depth interview with her, after a recent Swan Lake performance:
She was magnificent in Diamonds when the kirov came to Berkeley a few years ago.
Dreamy and very mysterious in the adagio, brilliant and witty in the scherzo (and the only ballerina who could handle the scherzo ...
An excerpt:
Basically speaking dancing is very hard work says Uliana Lopatkina, whose breathtaking performance in the dual role of Odette/Odile last week emphasised yet again her position as the current worlds greatest female classical ballet dancer. So adored in her native country, which venerates dancers with almost the same passion we reserve for footballers, Lopatkina, 31, is dubbed by the Press as The Soul of Russia.
Talking to her backstage dressed in a simple black trouser suit, her only jewellery small silver ear loops and her short auburn hair pinned behind her ears with plastic combs, it is clear where her sanctification comes from. Unlike the Imperial ballerinas building empires on diamonds thrown by adoring Tsars, Lopatkinas power base is the strength of her own convictions. Her deeply religious beliefs inherited from her mother are widely known.
Posted 04 September 2005 - 06:17 AM
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How often do you go for the smaller downloadable games? I like them to pass the time or when I'm not in the mood for a 15-hour committment.
Some recommendations from PSN -
Mushroom Wars - Cute real-time strategy with frenetic pacing.
The Last Guy Zombie apololypse played from a view that looks like Google maps. Rescue survivors and bring to safety. Oddly this game feels a lot like Pac-Man. Speaking of which...
Pac-Man Championship Edition DX - Better than a cup of coffee in the morning. Reworking of the original, adds puzzle elements and faster gameplay.
Dead Nation - Excellent zombie game that plays like Smash TV. Perfect atmosphere.
Pixeljunk Monsters - Solid tower defense game.
Pixeljunk Shooter - Interesting shmup where you manipulate different fluids to solve puzzles.