text:
Please enter a maximum of 5 recipients. Use ; to separate more than one email address.
In August 2012, OxyChem signed a memorandum of understanding with Mexico's Mexichem to evaluate a joint venture for the cracker. It is anticipated to have a capacity of approximately 1.2 billion lb/year of ethylene, or just above 500,000 tpy. Financial terms have not been disclosed.
Occidental Chemical (OxyChem) and Mexichem are targeting
February 2017 for possible startup of a proposed new ethane cracker at an existing
Occidental site near Ingleside, Texas.
OxyChem disclosed the timetable in a recent air permit application to the US Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA). Previous reports had the cracker starting up
operations in 2016.
In August 2012, OxyChem signed a memorandum of understanding
with Mexicos Mexichem to evaluate a joint venture for the
cracker. It is anticipated to have a capacity of
approximately 1.2 billion lb/year of ethylene, or just above
500,000 tpy.
The companies awarded contracts to CB&I for the
technology license, basic
engineering and front-end engineering and design (FEED)
The scope of work for CB&I includes the basic engineering
for the ethylene technology and five SRT (short
residence time) cracking heaters from CB&I's Lummus Technology business unit.
The cracker will receive ethane feedstock from a pipeline or from a
planned natural gas liquids (NGL) fractionation plant to be
built on an adjacent property, OxyChem said in its
Most of the ethylene would be used by OxyChem at its Ingleside
plant to produce 1 million tpy of vinyl chloride (VCM), which
it then would sell to Mexichem under a long-term supply
Mexichem would then use the VCM as a raw
material to produce polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in
The feasibility study on the new cracker is expected
to be completed in the 2013 second quarter.
All comments are subject to editorial review.
All fields are compulsory.
T M Chowdhury
Wish you good luck.
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A searchable database of project activity in the global hydrocarbon processing industry
Engineers and designers are highly skilled individuals. Forcing them to enter design changes using tables, forms and spreadsheets is unproductive and uneconomical, and it increases the likelihood of human error—this is the way that most instrumentation software systems currently work. For too long, software vendors have denied engineers and designers the simple practicality of a graphical visual engineering interface with "drag and drop" capability and inbuilt intelligence, ensuring changes are automatically replicated into all the associated data and databases.
Is 2016 the peak for US gasoline demand?
Too soon to tell
July 2016


text: I think I started something fierce and that is the tutorial creation of various Hunger Games character drawn in chibi form. Up next I will fill another request made by more than five members, and that is "how to draw chibi Peeta", step by step. I know how popular Hunger Games is, and is going to be when it is released in theaters. There is a few actors that I recognize who will be playing the parts of Katniss, Peeta, and Gale, but other than that, your guess is as good as mine. Anyways, this chibi version of Peeta came out to be pretty cute and sweet and I really like how he came out. Whenever I draw chibi characters, I try my hardest to make sure that the chibi version of the person I am drawing has some kind of trait of the real deal individual. Nonetheless I think you will enjoy drawing chibi Peeta, and who knows maybe I will do Gale Hawthorne next. For now have fun, and enjoy. Make sure to leave comments and ratings as well.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The English version of this document is for guidance only.
The Arabic version is the governing text.
Article 1 :
The following expressions and terms shall have the meaning ascribed beside each, unless the context deems otherwise:
THE COUNCIL: The Supreme Economic Council.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS: The Board of Directors of the General Investment Authority.
THE AUTHORITY: The General Investment Authority.
THE GOVERNOR: The Governor of the General Investment Authority and Chairman of the Board of Directors.
FOREIGN INVESTOR: The natural person of non-Saudi nationality or otherwise the body corporate, where all partners are non- Saudi nationals.
FOREIGN INVESTMENT: Investment of Foreign Capital in a licensed activity under this Act.
FOREIGN CAPITAL: The Foreign Capital in this Act shall mean, for example but not limited to, the following funds and rights as long as they are possessed by a Foreign Investor:
• Money, securities and commercial instruments.
• Foreign investment profits if they are invested to increase the capital, expansion of existing projects or establishment of new projects.
• Machinery, equipment, supplies, spare-parts, means of transportation and production requirements relevant to the investment.
• Legal rights i.e., licenses, intellectual properties, technical know-how, administrative skills and production techniques.
PRODUCTION FACILITIES: Projects for the production of industrial and agricultural products (plant and animal).
SERVICE FACILITIES: Service and construction projects.
THE ACT: The Foreign Investment Act.
THE RULES: The Rules of Implementation of this Act.
Article 2 :
Without prejudice to the requirements of regulations and agreements, the Authority shall issue a license for a Foreign Capital Investment in any investment activity in the Kingdom, whether permanent or temporary.
The Authority shall make a decision about the investment application within thirty days after the completion of documents provided for in the Rules. In the event that the specified period elapsed without the Authority rendering a decision about the application it shall be obligated to issue the required license for the investor.
If the Authority shall deny the said application within the specified period, then the pertinent decision of denial shall be justified, and the party against whom the decision of denial had been issued shall have the right to contest such decision according to regulations.
Article 3 :
The Council shall have the authority to issue a list of activities excluded from Foreign Investment.
Article 4 :
Subject to Article 2, the Foreign Investor may obtain more than one license in different activities, and the Rules shall specify the necessary measures.
Article 5 :
Foreign Investments licensed under the provisions of this Act, may be in either of the following forms:
1 - Facilities owned by a national and a Foreign Investor.
2 - Facilities wholly owned by a Foreign Investor.
The legal form of the Facility shall be determined according to regulations and directives.
Article 6 :
A project licensed under this Act shall enjoy all the benefits, incentives and guarantees enjoyed by a national project according to regulations and directives
Article 7 :
The Foreign Investor shall have the right to reallocate his share as derived from the selling of his equity, or from the liquidation surplus or profits generated by the facility, out of the Kingdom or to use by any other legal means, and he shall also be entitled to transfer the required amounts to settle any contractual obligations pertaining to the project.
Article 8 :
The foreign facility licensed under this Act shall be entitled to possess the required real estates as might be reasonable for practicing the licensed activity or for the housing of all or some of the staff as per the provisions for non-Saudi nationals real estate acquisition.
Article 9 :
The Foreign Investor and his non-Saudi staff shall be sponsored by the licensed facility.
Article 10 :
The Authority shall provide all those interested in investment with all necessary information, clarifications and statistics, together with all services and procedures to facilitate and accomplish all matters pertaining to the investments.
Article 11 :
Investments related to the foreign investor shall not be confiscated wholly or partially without a court order, moreover, it may not be subject to expropriation wholly or partially except for public interest against an equitable compensation according to Regulations and Directives.
Article 12 :
(a) The Authority shall inform the Foreign Investor in writing when violating the provisions of this Act and its Rules in order that such violation be rectified within a period of time determined appropriate by the Authority for rectifying such violation.
(b) Without prejudice to any greater penalty, the Foreign Investor under the existence of the violation shall be subject to any of the following penalties:
(c) The imposition of the penalties referred to in paragraph (b) herein above, is rendered by a resolution by the Board of Directors.
(d) A petition against the penalizing resolution may be brought before the Board of Grievances according to its regulations.
Article 13 :
Without prejudice to the Agreements in which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia shall be a party of:
• Disputes arising between the Government and the Foreign Investor relating to his licensed investments under this Act shall as far as possible be settled amicably, and if this shall prove to be impossible, then the dispute shall be settled according to regulations.
• The disputes arising between the Foreign Investor and his Saudi partners relating to his licensed investments under this Act shall as far as possible be settled amicably, and if this shall prove to be impossible, then the dispute shall be settled according to regulations.
Article 14 :
All Foreign Investments licensed under this Act shall be treated in accordance with the Tax code valid in Saudi Arabia and its amendments.
Article 15 :
The Foreign Investor undertakes to abide by all regulations, rules and directives valid in Saudi Arabia together with international agreements in which it is a part thereof.
Article 16 :
The implementation of this Act shall not prejudice the vested interests of Foreign Investments that legally existed before this Act shall come into force, however, these projects in conducting their activity or increasing their capital shall be subject to its provisions.
Article 17 :
The Authority shall issue the Rules, which shall be published in the Official Journal, and shall be effective as of the date of its publishing.
Article 18 :
This Act shall be published in the Official Journal, and shall be effective thirty days after its publishing, and shall invalidate the Foreign Capital Investment Act issued by the Royal Decree no. (M/4), dated 2/2/1399 (H), together with any contradicting provisions.
Real Estate Law
As a corollary to the Foreign Investment Law, enacted in April 2000 to encourage non-Saudi investment in the Kingdom, the government announced a new Real Estate Law seven months later. The new law, with eight basic articles, was aptly named 'The system of real estate ownership and investment of non-Saudis'. This law entitled resident non-Saudis to own real estate for their private residence with the permission of the Interior Ministry. It also allowed ownership of real estate by foreign investors to conduct their business activities and own properties required for their accommodation and that of their employees. The law also entitled investors to rent their properties. It is anticipated that the new law will encourage major international companies and property developers to enter and influence the Saudi real estate market.
The law, however, makes provisions for preventing artificial price hikes and real estate speculation. To ensure this, it stipulates retaining ownership for at least five years. Previous laws permitted investors to keep properties only for three years before selling. The law also states that at least SR 30 million should be invested for receiving the license for purchasing land and buildings for selling and renting purposes. This law prevents foreigners from owning properties in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, except through inheritance and endowments. Renting within the two cities is, however, permitted for not more than two years. The application of the new law does not cancel the rights of foreigners and GCC citizen to own properties as per previous regulations.
On 8/4/1421 H, The Council of Ministers endorsed a new Saudi Real Estate Law to allow foreigners to own, sell and invest in the Real Estate Market.
The following is an overview of the new Law:
(a) Non-Saudi Investors, either Persons or Companies, may own the required Real Estate for their licensed businesses provided the approval of the Licensing Authority is obtained. This includes property for personal residences and workmen's housing. The property may also be leased to other entities.
(b) If the concerned License allows for the purchase of Real Estate or land for construction, investment, and sale or leasing, the total cost of the project, both land and construction, will not be less than SR 30 million. The Investment will have to be carried out within the first five years of ownership.
Non-Saudi expatriates enjoying normal legal residence status in Saudi Arabia may own Real Estate for housing purposes, provided they acquire a License from the Ministry of Interior.
Foreign accredited missions in the Kingdom may, on the basis of reciprocity, own the property where the Chancery and the official residence are based. International and Regional Organizations may also own property where their Headquarters are based within the limits of the Agreements that govern their operations. A License from the Minister of Foreign Affairs is conditional in this case.
With the exception of inheritances, non-Saudis may not own Real Estate in Makkah or Madinah unless the estate is endowed to a particular Saudi Institution in accordance with the Regulations of Shari'a (Islamic Law). However, non-Saudis may lease property in Makkah and Madinah for a two-year renewable period.
The enforcement of these Regulations will not override the following:
(a) Property ownership privileges acquired by citizens of GCC countries by virtue of GCC Ownership Regulations;
(b) Acquisition of ownership rights or rights in term of property by Inheritance;
(c) Regulations, Cabinet Resolutions, and Royal Decrees prohibiting Real Estate Ownership in certain locations.
First: Definitions
Article 1 :
The Council
The Supreme Economic Council
The Board of Directors
The Board of Directors of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority
The Chairman of the Board of Directors
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority
The Governor
The Governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority
The Authority
The Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority
Foreign Investor
A natural person who is not a Saudi national, or a corporate entity, partners thereof are not Saudi nationals
Foreign Investment
Investment of Foreign Capital in an activity licensed under the Act and the rules
Foreign Capital
For purposes of the Act and the Rules, Foreign Capital shall mean, but is not limited to, the following assets and rights so long as they are held by a Foreign Investor:
The Act
The Foreign Investment Act
Products Facilities
Projects for the production of industrial and agricultural products (crops and livestock)
Service Facilities
Service and contracting projects
The Rules
The executive Rules of Foreign Investment Act
The Center
Investors Service Center Stipulated in Article (9) of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority's Act
Second: The Fields of Investment
Article 2 :
The Authority is authorized to issue a license for foreign capital investment in the Kingdom for any investment activity whether permanent or temporary with the exception of the activities excluded under the third article of the Act.
Article 3 :
The Board of Directors shall periodically review the list of activities excluded from foreign investment in order to shorten it and submit it to the Council to consider its approval.
Article 4 :
Foreign Investments licensed under the provisions of The Act and The Rules may be in either of the following forms:
• Entities jointly owned by a national and a foreign investor.
• Entities wholly owned by a foreign investor.
Third: Benefits, Incentives and Guarantees
Article 5 :
Foreign Investment projects shall enjoy all the benefits, incentives and guarantees extended to national projects, including the following:
Fourth: Licensing Conditions and Criteria
Article 6 :
The conditions for granting a Foreign Investment license by The Authority shall include the following:
(a) The amount of capital invested shall not be less than twenty five million Saudi Riyals for agricultural entities.
(b) The amount of capital invested shall not be less than five million Saudi riyals for industrial entities.
c) The amount of capital invested shall not be less than two million Saudi riyals for other entities in accordance to detailed conditions and criteria laid down by Board of Directors.
Article 7 :
The Foreign Investor may obtain more than one license to practice the same activity or a different activity(s) subject to the following conditions:
Article 8 :
The Foreign Investor may purchase local or foreign investment entities or shares thereof subject to the conditions set forth in Article (5) and Article (6) of the rules.
Fifth: Licensing Procedures
Article 9 :
The Authority shall prepare an investment guide containing a description of the procedures for obtaining both permanent and temporary licenses and their modifications, as well as the forms, required documents to obtain the licenses and any information needed by the investor. The guide shall also list the incentives, benefits and guarantees to be enjoyed by The Foreign Investor. In addition, the guide must contain substantial information about the following:
The guide shall also contain special sections on the customs and traditions observed in the Kingdom and shall be updated regularly.
Article 10 :
Applications to obtain a foreign investment license shall be submitted to the Applications Reception Unit of The Center, using the designated form. The application must contain all the necessary information; satisfy all documentation requirements cited therein and be signed by the applicant or his duly authorized representative. The Center shall notify the license applicant by a written or electronic receipt note including the number of the application record and its date.
Article 11 :
The Authority may accept complete licensing applications and the required attached documents that are delivered by post, e-mail or fax. The licensing decision may be issued accordingly; provided that it will be delivered to the applicant only after The Authority receives the original documents when deemed necessary.
Article 12 :
Decisions on submitted applications are subject to the provisions of The Act, The Rules and the resolutions of The Board of Directors. The Governor, or his assigned delegate, shall sign the licensing decisions within thirty days. National holidays shall be excluded from the mentioned period.
Article 13 :
The Center shall notify the investor, by hand delivery, registered mail, e-mail or any other means, of the final decision issued with respect to his application.
Article 14 :
If The Authority rejects the application for a new license or the modification of an existing license, its rejection shall be justified. The foreign Investor may object to the rejection decision before The Board of Directors within thirty days effective from the date on which he is notified of the rejection decision.
Article 15 :
The Board of Directors shall consider the objection and reach a decision on it within thirty days from the date of its submittal. If the objection was rejected, the license applicant shall have the right to challenge the rejection decision before the Board of Grievances.
Sixth: Obligations of the Foreign Investor
Article 16 :
The licensed investor shall start the practical steps required for setting up the entity in accordance with the time schedule submitted by him to The Authority. The Authority shall, if The Foreign Investor shows adequate reasons for delays in the implementation procedures, extend the period specified in the schedule, provided that the extensions shall not exceed one year in total. The extension shall not exceed one year unless a decision to that effect is made by The Board of Directors.
Article 17 :
When The Authority does not approve the extension requests specified by the time table, and if The Foreign Investor is found not to be diligent after the extension, The Board of Directors may then revoke the license. A Foreign Investor whose license is revoked under this Article shall bear the consequences of revocation.
Article 18 :
Licensed entities must abide by the conditions and primary objectives upon which the licenses are issued. No modifications shall be made unless approved by The Authority.
Article 19 :
Owners of licensed entities shall adopt an accredited accounting system and a budget for their entities approved by an authorized accounting office. Upon request, owners of licensed entities shall provide The Authority with statistics or information in respect of their entities.
Seventh: Violations
Article 20 :
Authority officials, empowered by a written mandate by The Governor or his designated representative, shall have the right to monitor the implementation of the provisions of The Act and The Rules. For this purpose, they have the right to examine records and all documents relating to the investment activity and shall pinpoint violations and submit necessary reports to The Governor or his designated representative. The assigned officials shall maintain the confidentiality of the information and documents they examine.
Article 21 :
The Board of Director shall issue a list of violations and penalties pertaining to the violation of the provisions of The Act, The Rules, the licensing conditions and the rules of their implementation and the implementation of the penalties therein.
Article 22 :
The Authority shall notify the Foreign Investor in writing regarding any violation of the provisions of The Act, The Rules and the licensing conditions; and shall allow a suitable period of time, as specified by the list of violations and penalties, to correct them. If the Foreign Investor fails to implement the necessary corrections, he shall be subject to any of the penalties provided for in the list of violations and penalties.
Article 23 :
The Board of Directors shall form a committee consisting of at least three members, one of whom shall be a legal counselor and shall develop rules and procedures for its functioning. The responsibilities of the committee shall be to review violations of the provisions of The Act provisions and The Rules and the licensing conditions .The committee shall hear the parties accused thereof, to consider their defenses and to suggest what it sees according to what specified by The Act and the list of violations and penalties. The Board of Directors shall render the penalty decision.
Article 24 :
The Foreign Investor with to whom the penalty decision is issued according to Article 23 of The Rules may object to the rejection decision before the Board of Directors within thirty days effective from the date on which he is notified of the rejection decision.
Article 25 :
The Board of Directors shall consider the objection and make a decision on it within thirty days from the date of its submittal. If The Board of Directors confirms the penalty the license applicant shall have the right to challenge the rejection decision before the Board of Grievances within 60 days effective from the date on which he was notified of the decision.
Eighth: Disputes Settlement Committee
Article 26 :
The Board of Directors shall form, subject to Article 13, paragraph 2 of The Act, a committee composed of at least a chairman and two members to be named The Investment Disputes Settlement Committee. This committee shall consider the disputes arising between the Foreign Investor and his Saudi partners in respect of a licensed investment under The Act. The committee shall work to settle the dispute amicably. In case an amicable settlement could not be reached, the dispute shall be settled through arbitration according to the Arbitration Act and its executive rules issued by Royal Decree No. (46) Dated 12.7.1403 H. This committee is the competent body to consider the dispute as stipulated in the Arbitration Act.
Negative List
(Activities excluded from Foreign Investment)
The Supreme Economic council (SEC) approved the list of economic sectors from which foreign investors will be excluded under the new Foreign Investment Law. The economic activities that are not open to foreign investors are:
Manufacturing Sector
• Oil exploration, drilling and production.
Except the services related to mining sector listed at (5115+883)
in International Industrial classification codes.
• Manufacturing of military equipment, devices and uniforms.
• Manufacturing of civilian explosives.
Service Sector
• Catering to military sectors.
• Security and detective services.
• Real estate investment in Makkah and Madina.
• Tourist orientation and guidance services related to Hajj and Umrah.
• Recruitment and employment services including local recruitment offices.
• Real estate brokerage.
• Printing and publishing. Except the following activities:
• Pre-printing services internationally classified at 88442
• Printing Presses internationally classified at 88442
• Drawing and calligraphy internationally classified at 87501
• Photography internationally classified at 875
• Radio and Television Broadcasting Studios internationally classified at 96114
• Foreign Media Offices and Correspondents internationally classified at 962
• Promotion and Advertising internationally classified at 871
• Public Relations internationally classified at 86506
• Publication internationally classified at 88442
• Press Services internationally classified at 88442
• Production, selling and renting of computer software internationally classified at 88
• Media consultancies and studies internationally classified at 853
• T yping and Xeroxing internationally classified at (87505 + 87904)
• Distribution services, wholesale and retail trade including medical retail services and private pharmacies internationally classified at (631 + 632 +6111 + 6113 + 6121). Also commercial agencies, except franchise rights listed at (8929) by international industrial classifications.
• Audiovisual and media services.
• Telecommunications services, except the following activities:
• Telex services internationally classified at 7523
• Telegraph services internationally classified at 7522
• Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) internationally classified at 7523
• Enhanced/value-added facsimile services, including storage, forwarding, and retrieving internationally classified at 7523
• VSAT services internationally classified at 75291
• Fax services internationally classified at 7521 + 7529
• GMPCS services internationally classified at 75299
• Internet Service Provider (ISP) services internationally classified at 75299
• Electronic Mail internationally classified at 7523
• Provision of online information and database retrieval internationally classified at 7523
• Information provision and online retrieval and/or processing, including transaction processing internationally classified at 843
• Land and air transportation.
• Satellite transmission services.
• Services rendered by midwives, nurses, physiotherapists and paramedics listed at 93191 by international classification codes.
• Fisheries.
• Blood banks, poison centers and quarantines


text:
Healthy Winter Recipes for a Crock Pot (Slide 16)
(Slide 16 of 18) Start at the beginning | View recipes as list
View as: Thumbnails List
Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna
Sure, the slow cooker's great for stews and soups, but it also happens to make a mean lasagna! In …View slide
Middle Eastern Lamb Stew
This brothy stew is boldly flavored with a blend of characteristic Middle Eastern spices and finishe…View slide
Slow-Cooker Black Bean-Mush…
Black beans, earthy mushrooms and tangy tomatillos combine with a variety of spices and smoky chipot…View slide
Wine & Tomato Braised Chicken
Here chicken thighs cook in a simple herb-infused tomato-and-wine sauce. The bone-in thighs give it …View slide
Slow-Cooked Brisket in Onio…
This brisket is cooked with beef broth and loads of onions that melt down into a luscious gravy. Ser…View slide
Eggplant & Chickpea Stew
This tasty vegetarian stew, studded with plenty of eggplant and protein-rich chickpeas, is reminisce…View slide
Southwestern Three-Bean & B…
Serve this zesty bean and barley soup garnished with chopped fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime, i…View slide
Rich Chicken Stew
A blanquette is a classic French stew of veal, chicken or lamb with mushrooms in a velvety sauce. Th…View slide
Hungarian Beef Goulash
This streamlined goulash skips the step of browning the beef, and instead coats it in a spice crust …View slide
Greek Chicken & Vegetable R…
Chicken thighs stay moist and succulent during slow cooking, infusing the accompanying vegetables wi…View slide
Irish Lamb Stew
Lamb stew is Irish penicillin: a rich stew full of potatoes, leeks and carrots that'll cure whatever…View slide
Fragrant Shredded Beef Stew
This stew has a simple list of ingredients, but plenty of great flavor thanks to flank steak, a cut …View slide
Squash, Chickpea & Red Lent…
Modeled on North African stews, this aromatic vegetarian main course can be served over brown rice o…View slide
Flemish Beef Stew
For this slow-cooker interpretation of Carbonnades Flamandes, a Flemish stew made with beer, if you …View slide
Chicken & Sweet Potato Stew
Here's a dinnertime warmer with a hint of spring's sweetness, designed for that day when you'd rathe…View slide
Coffee-Braised Pot Roast wi…
This recipe is reminiscent of a pot roast made with onion-soup mix, but the flavors are true and pur…View slide
Slow-Cooker Braised Pork wi…
With just a few ingredients, you can produce a full-flavored, meltingly tender pork stew in your slo…View slide


text:
Many examples comes to mind, the most famous being the Gödel's theorems viewed as formalisations of the Liar's paradox. I just realised that the proof of non-calculability of Kolmogorov complexity is a positive rewriting of Berry's paradox. My question (perhaps to be made into collective mode) is a) what are the best examples you know ? b) (more important) is there some explication of this productivity of paradoxes (or, conversely, do you know of paradoxes with no interesting follow-up) ?
Kritchman and Raz adapted the surprise examination paradox (a/k/a the unexpected hanging paradox) to prove Godel's second incompleteness theorem (extending the ideas underlying Chaitin's Berry's-paradox-inspired proof of Godel's first incompleteness theorem).
I blogged on this here.
If you accept that the Banach-Tarski result is a "paradox" (although not an antinomy), then it was a productive paradox insofar as it led von Neumann to consider finitely additive invariant measures, work which eventually blossomed into the study of amenable groups.
Russell's paradox resulted in formulation of type theory and set theory.
Zeno's paradox on Achilles and the tortoise is related to the formula for infinite geometric sums and more generally to the idea that infinite sums can lead to finite outcomes.
It is quite remarkable how relevant 17th century calculus is to Zeno's three paradoxes. In fact, it looks that in a different universe these paradoxes could have started calculus. Terry Tao remarked on some post I made about it: "Zeno's arrow paradox can be reinterpreted in the light of the theory of differential equations that the equations of motion must be second-order in time rather than first-order, since one has to specify initial velocity in addition to initial position in order to have a well-posed system. So the arrow paradox may well be the earliest precursor of Newton's famous equation F=ma..."
More in the spirit than the letter of the question, some of Alan Turing's work can be seen as applications of contradiction. The development of the Turing Machine and using it to resolve Hilbert's Entscheidungsproblem can be seen as a successful use of the Liar Paradox, and elsewhere I read a quote which suggested that Turing took a result from mathematical logic (from a contradiction one can prove anything) and used it to help build one of the codebreaking systems used in World War II.
Gerhard "Ask Me About Me Unasking" Paseman, 2012.12.15


text:
1957 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 Hardtop - Makin' A Date With A Rocket 88Written by Eric Geisert on August 1, 2009 Ron Finch's '57 Oldsmobile Hardtop
It shouldn't be a stretch of the imagination that most folks have a pretty good opinion of the car they're driving around, but that thought gets amplified when it comes to people who own a hot rod. Some may tell you their car "Has the best lines of any ever made," which is how Ron Finch, from Fresno, California feels about his '57 Olds Golden Rocket 88 hardtop.
Sure, he had one of these cars when he was younger, which might augment the bias in this retired computer specialist, but it didn't alter the fact that when he finally decided he'd like to own another one (building it for his wife, Bonnie), nothing was going to slow him down.
Finch found this '57 in Arizona, but it got there via an extended trip from Michigan and Colorado. He bought it 8 years ago as a fairly solid car with only a little rust and a few dents here and there, and with an engine that had a couple of frozen, rusted pistons.
Nonetheless Finch took on the rebuild, blowing the body off the frame and starting with the chassis. The original rear end (3.73:1) was used, though the leaf springs were reworked and a set of Gabriel air shocks were bolted up. The original front suspension was also used, though Finch opted for a set of disc brakes rather than stay with the stock front drums.
Chassis and suspension pieces were powdercoated by Caps Powdercoating (the company responsible for also coating the exhaust and other pieces throughout the car). The steering column is a new unit, too, and came from Flaming River, while Billet Specialties delivered both the steering wheel and road wheels (16-inch Legacy wheels wrapped in Michelin rubber).
The Olds Rocket 88 debuted as a vehicle in 1949 ("You've got to drive it to believe it! so said the slogan) and came with the company's new Rocket engine, brimming with 135 horses of overhead valve technology. Every few years Olds would up the displacement and performance of their Rocket engines and, by 1957, had three different versions of their 371-inch motor. Each with 10:1 compression, the engines differed on induction, which netted different horsepower ratings. The econ-o-way carb version offered 265 hp, the Quadrajet version ponied up 305 hp, but the top-of-the-line J-2 engine, with its six-barrel, triple-two carb system offered 300-plus horsepower with 415 lb.ft of torque.
Finch knew the J-2 was at the top of the class of Olds engines for a '57, but for this ride he upted the ante a bit by having Dave Hyatt bore the block .060 over for a final displacement of almost 400 cubes-more than enough power even for a heavy boat like this.
Finch turned to Doug Omstead for help in assembling the motor, which uses a group of parts (including many of those found in the heads) and pieces from Egge Machine. Offenhauser valve covers were obtained, and a four-barrel air filter was modified to cover all three carbs. A custom exhaust system was fabricated (exiting through Flowmaster mufflers) and the V-8 was soon mated to a 700-R4 transmission (equipped with a B&M Transmission shift kit).
And even though Finch declared the car had great lines, he found a way to improve on them by shaving the door handles as well as the trim on the hood and trunk. After the body was perfected by Va Song, the car was taken to Fortney Auto Body in Clovis, California, for black-with-blue-pearl paint job.
Finch says Bonnie wanted a blue car, and he wanted a black one. The compromise was that the blue pearl would show up better in the daytime (when Bonnie would drive it) and Ron would have his black car for cruising Fresno at night!
Reassembly soon began, and Finch got help in that department from Rick Anderson of Custom Fabrication (Fresno, CA) who worked on the entire build-up. Rechromed parts from Clovis Specialty Plating were added and Finch ordered a set of gauges from Dakota Digital for a spot in the dash in front of the steering wheel. The stereo system came from Custom Autosound and installed at Cooks Communications in Fresno. The major electrical work for the car was then finished up by Bob Cook, who used a Haywire wiring kit as a base to work from.
A 60/40 split bench seat, taken from a '86 Lincoln, was recovered in black and beige leatherette by Dave Stoeckel of DSco Interiors in Madera, California. DSco also created the small center console under the dash, which houses the controls and vents for the Vintage Air climate control system.
With the car finished after a seven-year build, Finch was happy to get behind the wheel and get some miles on the car. Not interested in the car show trophy scene, Ron is happier when driving his ride down the road with his wife, Bonnie, by his side. But other times she's following in the couple's other hot rod: a '29 Ford Tudor, which Ron had built back in 1994. Both cars have an unmistakable attitude, and both are fine examples of the early-late hot rod combination that are found in the garages of today's hot rodders.
More Photos From This Article View Slideshow
Ron and Bonnie Finch pose with their two rides: the Olds and a '29 Tudor. The Model A has been a family member since 1994.It seems the Olds J-2 engines have been popping up a lot lately in various hot rods, but it's right at home in the engine bay of the Olds 88. The Rocket 88 V-8 debuted in 1949, but with 303 cubes and a measly 135 horsepower rating. By 1957, the displacement had been bumped to 371 and, with the J-2's triple-two carb setup, delivered 300-plus horses. Finch took his a step further by having the motor bored .060 over to almost 400 inches, which is more than enough to push the big Olds down the street. B&M Transmission supplied the 700-R4 trans, which was modified with a shift kit.A '86 Lincoln gave up its 60/40 split bench seat for the cause, and was recovered in beige 'n' black leatherette by Dave Stoeckel of DSco Interiors in Madera, CA. The dash now sports a Dakota Digital gauge panel and the Vintage Air climate controls are found in a custom center console. A Billet Specialties steering wheel and a Flaming River column add a bit of class to the interior, and a Custom Autosound stereo system provides the proper soundtrack for those evening cruises.


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AmazonLocal : Free Voucher Worth $20 Off a Certified Refurbished Kindle on Amazon.com ($49…
20.00 off coupon for a Refurbished Kindle.
City does not matter.
You have to be signed up or sign up for Amazon Local
I have confirmed it works.
Order Total: $51.94 (for the kindle after coupon applied)
46 Comments add a comment
Was just about to post this deal but I got one for myself first and you beat me to it. Great find. Not sure who's getting a kindle cause I've got one already but for 50 bucks I don't think I can go wrong.
Awesome. This will help towards my mother-in-law's Christmas present!~
Think you kind fellow for posting this! Have been waiting for the right moment to replace my broken one. Awesome.
the Kindle in this deal is old used outdated tech that can be bought at almost any flea market for $50 or cheaper
Awesome deal! If you're on the fence, know it is free and you can sit on the voucher until you have $50 for your kindle.
Great deal on a very nice device. My visually impaired technophobe mother will love it! Thanks OP!
@jrpigman: Voucher must be redeemed by May 29, 2012
@fkajames: Thanks man! This will at least get me to payday :)
For those of us who don't already own a kindle, of any kind, this IS a good deal. A certified refurbished item with a one year warrently from Amazon sounds good to me. Doubt you would get that at a flea market...
I'm sure people assumed as much, but it's for a Kindle with offers.
@ali1331: That's the best kind! That will pay for itself in no time...
I was about to post this deal as well. Verified it worked, got the leather case with it for $76.99. My wife as an older version, so not sure if I'm going to use this or if we'll let the kids use it.
Great deal over all.
I will vouch for Amazon backing their refurb (r0xorz!) Kindles. I bought one of the refurbished Kindle DXes from Woot in December. The display was a little flaky (would occasionally go dark), but not really enough to make me want to return it.
This became a huge problem in the beginning of April. The display would go so dark that I couldn't read it. I sent them an email, which recommended calling Customer Service. After 5 minutes on the phone detailing the problem and what I had tried to fix it (multiple hard resets, recharges) he suggested replacement. 3 days later I had a brand new Kindle DX (retail value = $379).
So, don't worry about buying a refurb, they will be fine.
Good deal, just in time for my road trip across America.
@hawkeyes: Don't read and drive.
I LOVE this deal. If we weren't already supplied with Kindle Keyboards that include free 3G, I'd be in for at least two of these, and just rely on wifi.
Note the one year warranty!
Buy this tablet on an American Express card like the Starwood AMEX Consumer Card, the Starwood AMEX Business Card or the AMEX Premier Rewards Gold and you'll get an extra year (double the manufacturer's warranty) of top notch warranty coverage from AMEX for free, even on refurbished items! Have a problem with the tablet during the year after the manufacturer's warranty expires? AMEX will pay to fix the problem or refund the entire purchase price of your tablet, free of any hassle!
Nice find! Ordered one for my sis cuz she broke the screen on hers a couple of days ago. Perfect timing
@bdoug399: I have one with offers and my husband has one without. We like them both. If someone were thinking of gifting, they may not want to gift one with offers. Depends on the receiver.
In case you wanted a good deal on a Kindle Fire (refurb, but same 1 yr warranty), you can go here and get one for $149 after coupon.
Does redeeming a purchasing mean the same thing? If I add the item to my cart and apply the voucher, is this considered redeemed? Or only purchased is truly redeemed?
@capguncowboy: I tried to apply the voucher for the refurbished Kindle Fire, but got "The promotional code you entered cannot be applied to your purchase.".
@billove: phhoooiee! That's too bad. I was going to order one. I wonder if it will work on a new Fire
@billove: Well, if that is true it solves my conundrum, since I had $35 in amazon gift cards I had saved up, so I was seesawing on the fence since $100 bucks for a Fire wouldn't be a bad way to use them.
Oh well. I'll keep hoarding my gift cards for now.
@cornellbigred: Did she put it in her back pocket like the woman in the ad?
@jrpigman: The voucher is only good until May 29th.
This is not helping with my "don't spend money" goal.
@timthetortoise: To accomplish such a goal one would really need to stay off Woot, Amazon, SD, FW, ebay, etc. Even visiting these sites is just feeding the addiction...
I grabbed one even though I already have a Kindle Keyboard and Kindle Fire. I'll probably give this to hubby for Father's Day. He and my brother are the only ones in my immediate family (including siblings, parents, and in-laws) still without a Kindle, though he does read on his iPad.
My 2yo would love to have a new Kindle, but even at this price I don't think he's ready just yet. I can't wait to get him whatever is the latest when he does prove himself responsible enough, probably in 8 or 10 years.
Having a fully functional Kindle 2 (with 3G! Omigosh!) I'm not sure if it's worth spending extra $50 on a lighter-weight but keyboardless and wifi-only Kindle.
Oh, the temptations.
@kezef: FWIW, the warranty extension works on every card that AMEX has, as far as I'm aware. I have the "Blue Cash" card (which they've apparently discontinued as they're pushing a new variant of it at me), and it has the great warranty coverage, as well as the initial purchase theft and damage protection. I don't know why anyone would use any other credit card company.
Considering the Kindle is largely just a vehicle for enabling more amazon purchases, they really ought to give them out for free. IMO!
@storbinc: Maybe you should look at the link first. It's the current 6" Kindle non-touch. The $79 one.
That's CURRENT tech, not outdated.
@namorama: The Touch version is worth the upgrade, but I do not think the coupon is valid for kindle touch purchase. I switched from a Kindle keyboard with 3g to a 3g touch. Only thing I miss is 3g web. The touch is 3g amazon only. Well book store only. It will not access amazon.com via 3g.
My wife is a avid iPad user for everything including books. She did not like the Kindle keyboard, but fell in love with the Kindle Touch. Now we have 2 Kindle 3g Touches. The on screen keyboard is vastly better. The new cases are better too. Kids books and magazines = iPad 3. All other books = Kindle.
*I feel sorry for anyone buying the bottom kindle. That navigation button would drive me nuts. I did not like it on a kindle keyboard, and I loved that Kindle.
@archiestone: Look at the price history. They almost do.
* I have over a thousand free books from amazon in my Kindle. And it now supports library lending. I get free books from my local library wirelessly on my Kindle.
It's not perfect but I'm a fan, but not for this version.
As a heads up, Amazon is apparently working on a backlit Kindle for release some time this summer (http://hothardware.com/News/Next-Amazon-Kindle-May-Light-Up-Your-Night/).
I would take this unloading of refurbed Kindles to indicated that this is true and is probably coming soon.
Just so people don't get buyer's remorse in a couple weeks/months.
I have a Fire, but I got this for a gift. Awesome, thanks!
vouchers are sold out.
Wow... I just got the voucher, and ordered my Kindle... then went back to the voucher offer page to share on Pinterest/Facebook/Twtter, and they're sold out!
Looks like I got in on the deal just in time. :)
Thanks for sharing this, I am so happy. :D
Sold out :-(
Boohoo. That's what I get for waiting all day......
sold out :(
@lje2all: You can always go to the flea market with "storbinc" and get a Kindle free!
I guess y'all are sayin the vouchers are sold out, because the Kindle sure look available, HERE:
This is a good deal, but there will be better ones. I just bought my mom a brand new kindle from Walmart for $49 for Mothers Day. It was $79, but they gave me a $30 gift card to Walmart. I think that's a better deal than this one.
@alleykitty02: Thats the same price as this one, but you have to spend your savings at Wally World.
Edit to add:
The beginning price difference between $79 and $69 may be due to refurbished discount


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Metal Repair - One Week InWritten by on May 15, 2012 5-day metal rebuild
It was a long five days, and all I can say is that I'm glad we survived the ordeal. Everyone knows restoring a car usually takes months, if not years, to actually complete just the metal work. With that in mind, we had what we thought at first to be a hair brained idea, but after some not-so-careful thought, our idea quickly turned into a plan. It was a plan that was developed at the spur of the moment, and up until we actually carried out said plan, it would cause me sleepless nights, hoping we could accomplish it. But here it is. After five days of cutting metal, sandblasting rust, and installing a couple hundred spot-welds, we finally had a rebuilt Dart. But I guess I'm getting ahead of myself.
The original plan/idea was that we would work with the guys at the AMD Installation Center, to completely rebuild the body of a rusty '69 Dart GT in five days. You heard that correctly. Now, there wouldn't be a crew of 20 people working around the clock to build a completed car. Actually there would be two (maybe three on occasion) people working on the car at any given time, and our given time would be between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Since that was the case, said plan was to simply get all of the required metal replaced on the body, so the car could be painted at a later date. Even though the installation center consists of two guys, we were being somewhat realistic, and felt that we could actually do just the metal work in this short period of time. So, the plan was hatched, and it was time to start cuttin' and weldin', and cuttin' and weldin', and...
Day One and a Non-Productive Day Two
It was around 10:00 Monday morning when work began at the AMD Installation Center run by Craig Hopkins. The plan was that he and his shop manager, Chris Dyer, would completely rebuild the rusted '69 Dart by replacing as much metal with new AMD stuff as required. When we actually got started, what was required to be replaced was the entire floor from the firewall to the rear seat location, the trunk floor, outer wheel houses, the Dutchman panel, the hood and trunk lid, the driver-side door jamb, front fenders, and the quarter-panels. It seemed like a daunting task, and we weren't even sure we would complete it, but we were hell-bent on trying. Day one had us disassembling and cutting all of the rusted metal off of the car. When we were finished hacking, some of us were questioning our sanity, as all we had left was a skeleton of a car. Some of our metal was bolt on, and the removal of those items was straight forward. As for the rest of the metal, with the help of an air chisel, die grinder, and anything else that would cut, we were able to dissect the car on day one.
What I forgot about when planning this little endeavor, was that even though I say we planned to do this transformation in five days, I forgot to figure into this time frame the fact that the mediablasting guys would have the car for a day as well. That meant we actually only had four days to rebuild the Dart. We weren't worried--at first. On day two, since we had no car to work on, we decided that a trip to Auto Metal Direct's facility was in order. After all, where else could we get all of the metal we would need. We spent most of the day at AMD taking a tour, and getting things around for the car, and late in the afternoon we made the trip to Black Mountain Sandblasting to pick up what was left of our Dart.
Day Three
Wednesday morning saw us getting started around 10 a.m., and it didn't take long for things to get accomplished. By 11:43, the trunk floor was in place and ready for welding. While Chris handled that, Craig and I were fitting the floorpan that stretched from the firewall to the rear seat area. I have to admit, I was skeptical about how this new sheetmetal was going to fit, but in the end, I had to concede to the fact that it did, and it fit well.
By 2:30 in the afternoon, the trunk floor was installed, and the cabin floor was having the finish welding done. I did get nervous, though, at about 1:00 when I saw Craig grinding and welding a pair of clamping pliers, but was pleasantly surprised when I saw the sheetmetal clamp that he made to fit over the rocker panel and secure the floorpan to the rocker. When 5:00 rolled around, Chris had the outer wheel houses and trunk extensions ready to accept the first quarter-panel, and it was time to go grab some grub and a beer--or something like that.
Day Four
With the car's floors finished up on day three, and the back half of the car temporarily clamped together, it was time to focus on actually installing the quarter-panels. To do this, the trunk extensions, the outer wheelhouses, the trunk lid, and the doors all need to be installed on the car, but not welded in place. This is where a lot of clamping pliers come into play. Think about it, without having the doors, wheelhouses and trunk extensions in place, there is no way to know if the quarter-panel is properly located. By temporarily assembling all of the panels that coincide with the quarter-panels, the body lines and gaps can be set up like they need to be. By 9:30, the pieces were clamped into place, and the passenger-side quarter-panel was being positioned on the car.
The driver side was a little trickier, however, as the door striker/jamb area needed to be replaced as well. The nice thing about fitting panels on a Mopar is that there are alignment holes, and locating "tabs" that help position the pieces being installed. By 11:30, the driver-side quarter-panel was also hanging in its new location--albeit temporarily. We were really beginning to think that we might make it after all. With the back half of the car clamped together, it was time to cut and remove the Dutchman panel.
The Dutchman panel is the panel between the rear window and the trunk lid, and ours was in bad shape. Over time, water and dirt collect in the window channel, and the result is unwanted rust that creates unnecessary vent holes. It was close to 3:00, and we wanted to at least have everything clamped in place before the end of the day. Things were going our way, and when 5:00 came around, the Dutchman panel and the rest of the back half of the car had been spot-welded into place, and was ready for final welding on day five.
Day Five
What I forgot to mention about day four, is that a couple of guys from the Tennessee Valley Mopar Club made the trek to North Georgia to see how things were going. Since they decided to hang out with us, we decided to put a couple of them to work. In hind sight, they might not come back since we did, but they were cool about it. Anyway, as with any situation where a bunch of guys get together, the night following day four was spent conversing and partaking of the cuisine at the local German eating establishment after we all finally found out where it was, right guys? It was a pleasant surprise to find out that they served beverages there as well--the 8 a.m. wake up time came too soon. Anyway, this was our final day to complete the job, and it looked like we might make it.
While Chris started to handle some of the finish welding, the Tennessee Valley Mopar guys helped Craig get the front fenders and hood mounted. The AMD fenders were the first to go on, and since these were preproduction pieces, we didn't know what to expect. What we learned was that it took several sets of fenders being made to get them right, and the pair we had must have been the latest set, because they looked great to us. The headlight bucket areas had the right mounting points for the headlights and bezels, and the body lines were crisp and in the right spot. Although we didn't have a veneer caliper, the metal felt to be the same as the factory stuff was. What we were told about them, though, was to be careful with them, because they cost roughly $100,000 a piece. Since they were preproduction pieces, that was roughly the cost of R&D to get to this point. We were assured, though, that the actual production pieces will cost a lot less. The hood itself was something A-Body guys have needed for a while. The GT style hood had the correct bulges, and the attaching points for the hood chrome are as good as the factory mounting points.
Part Cost
|Four-Speed Hump
|Trunk Floor
|Trunk Extension Panel
|$109.95 (x2)*
|Outer Wheel Houses
|$139.95 (x2)*
|Dutchman Panel
|Driver-Side Doorjamb
|Front Fenders
|$549.95 (x 2)*
By 3:00 on Friday--day five--the newly rebuild Dart was ready for the next phase of restoration, bodywork and painting. But we were done, both literally and physically. We had accomplished our goal, the body was welded back together, and would be able to head to the body shop for the finish work and painting.
We learned that the AMD installation center is a great place for those enthusiasts that really want to restore their car, but fear the problems that can arise when major metal repair is needed. Craig has developed a table/jig system that firmly places the car in the proper position so that assembly is a snap, and the body doesn't flex, twist, or get out of shape when large pieces of metal are removed. We definitely found a shop that can help you get your car back together. Apparently, nothing is ever too far gone to rebuild.
More Photos From This Article View Slideshow
1 Like many projects, the first appearance usually doesn't give the full picture of how much rust a car really has. At the beginning of day one, we thought the week would be easy. Although it doesn't look too bad now, when we were done cutting the pieces out that needed to be replaced, there wasn't much left.2 All you need to remove a little metal is a cut off wheel and a plasma cutter. If you're going to be removing a bunch of it, a body table like the one that Craig made is a must to keep the body from completely and literally falling to pieces. The table locates certain points of the body that will ensure it doesn't distort or flex out of shape when the metal is removed.3 By 4:00 on day one, the remains of the Dart were ready to head for mediablasting. If you're planning to mediablast the body of a project car, by removing the panels that will be replaced before blasting, the body can be thoroughly stripped of all rust before the reassembly begins.4 Craig made this high-tech trailer to support the body in all of the right locations to move it to the mediablast shop. What was left of the car would be subject to an abrasive shower and epoxy primer. Again, if the body is properly supported, no damage will occur.5 John, Timothy, and Mitchell worked late into the night on day one and into day two in order to get the remains of our car blasted and primed. We were able to take it back to the shop by 3:00 on day two. Once the old paint is removed, the body will flash rust in a short amount of time. The best way to protect the car is to apply an epoxy primer over the bare metal. Epoxy Primer is a two-part primer consisting of the primer itself, and an activator. It can be used as a direct-to-metal primer (DTM) because it has excellent corrosion resistant properties. Depending on the brand you use, it can also be reduced and used as a paint sealer. However, it is not meant to be sprayed over rust. It is not a neutralizer; the metal must be clean. Epoxy primer will adhere to all properly prepared metals, and can be used underneath body filler.6 With the car back from mediablasting, the guys at the AMD Installation Center got to work putting the puzzle back together by starting with the trunk floor. Our AMD floors came as complete sections, meaning the trunk floor is one piece, and the cabin floor is the same way.7 I have to admit, I was impressed at how well the full floor pan fit in the body of the Dart. I was ready for major hammering and tweaking, but none was needed. Now, don't kid yourself and think that any replacement panel will fall into place, and attach itself. There are too many variances built into each car for that to happen. Even when these cars will newly-built at the factory, the assembly guys had hammers.8 When replacing this much sheetmetal, having the right tools is crucial. The welder that Chris is using is a pinch welder that not only makes the repairs resemble the original factory welds, it saves a lot of time. You can make do with a drill and a MIG welder, which will cost a lot less. Simply place the panel in its location, and mark the framerails from underneath. Once you have everything marked, drill holes just inside your lines, put the panel back in place, and then weld the drilled holes to the structure.9 Speaking of having the right tools, if you don't, just make them. These locking pliers were modified to aid in keeping the floor tight to the rocker panel for welding. This area of the body is too big for the welder that Craig has, but you can see the drilled holes that will be fill-welded to attach the floor.
10 Most A-Body cars have had the jamb/striker area crack, and now AMD makes this complete jamb area to fix that problem. The jamb comes with alignment embossings formed into the panel to help you get it back in place properly.11 Like we said earlier, to properly install the quarter-panel, you have to temporarily install the rest of the parts that attach to it. At this point, everything is only clamped together to allow for any adjustments that need to be made for proper alignment.12 Since the Dutchman panel needs replacing, it's removed, and the replacement is temporarily put in place to allow for alignment of the entire rear half of the car.13 The quarter-panels are finally put into place. Now, don't just plan on these falling into place and everything being fine. You've just cut a car apart, and some adjustments will need to be made for it all to fit perfectly. After four days, it's finally starting to look like a car.14 It would be impossible to set the gaps for the trunk lid without having it installed. AMD didn't have a reproduction trunk lid available at the time we were rebuilding the Dart, so the original was reinstalled for fitment.15 Again with the pinch welder. We're sure that not everyone has one of these, so drilling holes around the edge of the panel before installing it gives you a place to fill-weld, and is just as good of a repair. You'll just need to grind the weld a little bit to clean it up.16 While Chris was focusing on welding the back half of the car, the guys from the Tennessee Valley Mopar Club jumped in and started putting the front end together. The hood is a reproduction piece from AMD, and the front fenders that we installed were the very first ones that AMD had made. These cost about $100,000 a piece, as they're prototypes. Yours will cost you a lot less--we're guessing around $600.17 Done! It took five days of bloody knuckles and rusty metal removal, but now the Dart is almost as good as new. Now it's time for some final bodywork, but maybe we'll wait until next week for that.


text:
Birmingham City Laboratories - Occupational Hygiene Section
The Occupational Hygiene Section works across a wide range of disciplines to help enable a business or organisation to provide a safe and healthy environment for its employees, and anyone else who may be affected by its activities, and comply with current legislation .
The Health and Safety at Work Act etc.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations and The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations place a duty of care on both employers and employees to provide a working environment free from risks to health and safety.
Specialist Services Include
- Asbestos Management Programmes
- Asbestos Surveys and Air Sampling
- Sick Building Syndrome Investigations
- Work place investigations of hazardous substances


text:
• Aarhus -- Denmark's second largest city, Aarhus is located about 115 miles northwest of Copenhagen in the center of the country. The city is also a popular cruise port during the summer season. Major attractions include the city's Old Town, the ARoS Art Museum and Tivoli Friheden, an amusement park.
• Odense -- Odense, Denmark's third largest city, is best known for its connections to the writer, Hans Christian Andersen. Located about 100 miles southwest of Copenhagen, Odense is home to the Hans Christian Andersen Museum and boyhood home, the Danish Railway Museum and Saint Canute's Church, which dates back to the 13th century.Denmark tourism is one of the country's primary industry. The country welcomes more than 8.5 million visitors each year.
Danish is the official language of Denmark, although German is also widely spoken, particularly in the southern portion of the country. The majority of Danes (as many as 85 percent) speak and understand English.
The official Danish currency is the krone. American dollars and euros are also widely accepted, particularly in tourist areas.


text:
Maureen Malloy
Maureen began her radio career at WRTI in 1999 while studying broadcasting at Temple University. Determined to make it in the entertainment industry, she took advantage of all the creative opportunities presented to her at WRTI - she hosted the overnight jazz broadcasts through her entire college career, she was an arts and culture reporter, and she soaked up the jazz biz from her many WRTI mentors.
After graduation, Maureen held many positions in the broadcasting and entertainment industries. She worked in casting and as a booking agent for local talent. She taught speech and acting classes for children. And she had a stint in commercial radio working in production. Along with being an independent music promoter in her spare time, Maureen still managed to host jazz at WRTI. And soon it was clear to her that jazz was her true calling.
Maureen finally found her home in an office full of amazing music, and with a sign on the door that reads "Jazz Program Director."
Maureen can be heard on Mondays through Thursdays, from 9 pm to midnight. She hosts the Jazz Hot 11 Countdown on Monday nights from 10:30 to midnight.


text:
Girls soccer roundup for Sept. 10
Litchfield, Wolcott post wins
Not a subscriber? You can purchase a single-day subscription for only $0.75 to read this and access all of our content and our E-Edition. CLICK HERE purchase a single day subscription.
Become an electronic subscriber to the Republican-American for only $8 a month. CLICK HERE.


text:
16 Feb 2012 1:37 AM #1
autoRef, userClassName, itemId and initComponent !
Hi guys,
I am trying ExtDesigner with ExtJS 4, I have some problems referencing items in the iniComponent function, in first I tried the itemId property, but it causes an exception ! when I searched the forum I heard about autoRef property, but I couldn't find it in ExtDesigner! I guess it was replaced with userClassName, I tried it but it doesn't work also.
how can I acces child components at run time in the iniCompoenent function to avoid working with Ids
thank you
16 Feb 2012 5:54 AM #2
autoRef is gone.
userClassName is the javascript class that will be created.
You can use itemId and then getComponent('myItemId'). You can also get your components via ComponentQuery.Aaron Conran
16 Feb 2012 4:43 PM #3
thank you for the reply, you and your team are doing a great job, keep going, as we plan in my company to buy a license for Ext Designer, I tried the Sencha Designer 2 this afternoon and it's absolutly amazing ! we were waiting for code aditing in the Designer to buy the license, and I think it would be for the version 2.
very good job.
16 Feb 2012 5:48 PM #4
Thanks for the feedback.
Let us know how it works out for you.Aaron Conran
17 Feb 2012 5:22 AM #5


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Pope Benedict on Vatican II
The current Commonweal editorial makes reference to the annual Lenten meeting of the Pope with the clergy of Rome. Speaking only from notes, Benedict reminisced on his experience as a young theologian at the Second Vatican Council. As one of the last surviving participants in the Council, his words have particular interest and significance. Here are some of his remarks:
it is worth while to keep going back, over and above the practical outcomes, to the Council itself, to its profundity and to its essential ideas. I would say that there were several of these: above all, the Paschal Mystery as the center of what it is to be Christian and therefore of the Christian life, the Christian year, the Christian seasons, expressed in Eastertide and on Sunday which is always the day of the Resurrection. Again and again we begin our time with the Resurrection, our encounter with the Risen one, and from that encounter with the Risen one we go out into the world.
The rest is here.The meeting occurred only days after Pope Benedict had announced his resignation. I asked a good friend, a Roman priest who had spent many years in Chile working with the poor, if he had been at the meeting with the Pope. Here is his reply:
S, sono andato. Un applauso, dai preti, che non finiva mai...Yes, I was there. Applause from the priests that went on and on.
About the Author
Rev. Robert P. Imbelli, a priest of the Archdiocese of New York, is Associate Professor of Theology Emeritus at Boston College.
46 comments
- All
- Editor Featured
JRP writes: "Surely dialogue with the conferences would have been better than the brusque decision that was taken."RPI responds: "Amen!"
As one of the last surviving participants in the Council, his words have particular interest and significance.Who are other surviving participants? Archbishop Hunthausen would be one. What about his words? I wonder if his reminiscences have been solicited, at least in Montana where he lives.
"And although I am about to withdraw, I remain close to all of you in prayer, and I am sure that you too will be close to me, even if I am hidden from the world."Does the Pope sound sad to you? It would make me sad that the Pope's sad.
"Applause from the priests that went on and on." And what would the "applause" have been like if the room were filled with victims of sexual abuse by priests whose crimes were hidden by bishops? Or perhaps filled with some of the millions who suffer from AIDS in Africa, knowing that the church actively lobbied governments and international agencies in efforts (sometimes successful) to thwart the distribution of condoms which might have helped at least somewhat to reduce the infection rate? How much applause if the room had been filled with women - whom he insists are divinely ordained to be subservient to males in the church and in marriage? Does the pope seem sad? Perhaps - and perhaps not surprisingly. As the saying goes, one reaps what one sows.
This address was indeed very poignant, and sadly characteristic of Benedict. His blaming of the media at the end for the ills that followed the council was a glimpse of the angry, blame-shifting Ratzinger who always lurks in the shadows, and did so even during his pontificate, emerging on occasion. It was a particularly graceless way to exit the scene now, but perhaps understandable in light of his personality and the current pressures he has been under. Still ironic that one of the great practitioners of ecclesial politics over the last 50 years should accuse others of "politicicizng" the church. So it goes. He is in many ways a victim of his own machinations.
Perhaps what troubles Ratzinger the most is that he made the wrong choice on Vatican II. Stunned by the students who usurped his microphone he fell back into rigidity and the Council of Trent and the monarchical church. He certainly deserves praise for censuring Maciel. But that is minimal in the church of the Crucified where humility is preferred over Inquisitions. The lingering and potential bombshell waiting in the wings alla Cardinal Dolan signifies a failed leadership in Rome and the American church. http://fox2now.com/2013/02/21/milwaukee-lawsuits-shadow-new-york-archbis... "graceless" way to exit indeed. He went for safety and status quo when he should have chosen the dynamic of the Crucified who triumphed over evil with humility. Not domination.
I like Pope Benedict and think he did a good job. He dealt with the abuse scandal in a good way using both dicipline and reform, he tended the liturgy well by reviving the Tridentine mass and ushering in the new English translation of the Novus Ordo mass, he honestly tried to engage the Muslims, and he sucessfully usher some Anglicans back into communion with Rome.Quite a bit for only eight years.I wish him well.
To David Gibson - Ah but the media does indeed deserve a good deal of the blame for what happened after the council, imposing a political narrative of left and right on the Church, just as it does in its coverage of the Pope and the Church in the present. The article by John Waters in the Irish Times today highlights the media's distorting influence. By "graceless", you mean that it's such a pity he didn't just shut his trap as regards the pernicious effects of a lousy news media. There's nothing graceless about speaking the obvious truth. Your profession isn't at all graceless, is it Mr Gibson? No, you just tell it like it is, don't you? Sure, only a few days ago I read a piece by you where you ended it by making a snide remark about another reporter at Get Religion. You could have left it alone but you couldn't help yourself. Perhaps it's understandable in light of your personality and the current pressures you've been under.http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2013/0222/1224330366270.html
This is from 10 years ago. http://www.seattlearch.org/ProgressArchive/101702/index.htmArchbishop Hunthausen recalls impacts of Vatican IIThe archbishop said the world today would be striving for peace instead of war if the leaders of the various cultures would only get to know one another. Fundamentally, it means becoming friends...knowing one another, respecting one another, loving one another, he said. Its what Jesus said.Vatican II also impressed upon him the importance of shared responsibility. Finding the right vehicle to promote that concept takes much time and energy, he said, but its the only way to listen to everyone and respect who we are. During his time in the Archdiocese of Seattle, one of his vehicles became the Parish Leadership Development Program.
I'm less convinced on the blame-the-media theme. Especially since we're talking about many different aspects of news reporting and public commentary.The media today exists as a means of selling product by large corporations. These entities are served by keeping serious issues off the public plate. Much of the "official" Catholic media exists to prop up the institution. It gives no news. Provides even less discussion on serious issues. Psts the bishop's schedule and which hands he shook and which photo ops he granted. Archbishop Dolan is a product of each of these, in a way. He glad-hands like a traditional parish pastor: smiling, benevolent, and charming. Who can't like a nice guy? But he was looking under the wrong carpets in Ireland, from what we heard of his reports there. The man can offer a good time, but I don't think he has much depth or perception.Pope Benedict does seem to have a bitter streak. Commenting on it doesn't make me wish he hadn't said anything. His comments are a window on the man. I'm glad he made them. I think he's seriously mistaken, and colored by the trauma of 1968. But that doesn't make him a bad man. Just a misguided one.
I hope Pope Benedict is physically able (and willing) to continue writing for the Church, and that his withdraw is not total. His words always slow things down, and who can be surprised at the warm response he received from the priests of Rome. Though to some, I fear, the applause would be considered just another gaffe. Note, the theologian cited in the editorial is Reverend Joseph A. Komonchak.
Pope Benedict's rant against the media is relatively short - only the last two paragraphs. Forget those. The main part of the reflection could be interpreted as directed towards the members of the upcoming conclave:He recalls: On the programme for this first day [on the VII Council] were the elections of the Commissions, and lists of names had been prepared [...]. But straight away the Fathers said: [...] We want to make our own lists and elect our own candidates. It was not a revolutionary act, but an act of conscience, an act of responsibility on the part of the Council Fathers.Is that a hint to the members of the conclave? Do not follow the lead of the Curia but your conscience?He recalls: "an intense period of actively getting to know our counterparts, something which did not happen by chance. [...] Where I was staying, we had many visits"Is that a hint to the members of the conclave? Get to work and start networking?He further recalls: "not everyone knew what to do. The most prepared, let us say, those with the clearest ideas, were the French, German, Belgian and Dutch episcopates[...]. And in the first part of the Council it was they who pointed out the path; then the activity rapidly broadened, and everyone took part more and more"Is that a hint to the members of the conclave? Do not be afraid by your relative inexperience or lack of Roman connections?And again: "bishops collectively are the continuation of the Twelve, of the corpus of Apostles. We said: only one bishop, the Bishop of Rome, is the successor of a particular Apostle, namely Peter. All the others become successors of the Apostles by entering into the corpus that continues the corpus of the Apostles. Hence it is the corpus of bishops, the college, that is the continuation of the corpus of the Twelve, and thus it has its intrinsic necessity, its function, its rights and duties"Is that another hint to the members of the conclave? A call to responsibility?
Putting side by side Abp. Hunthausen's brief remarks (quoted above) and Pope Benedict's long discussion around the Body of Christ, People of God, and responsibilities, I see (or imagine) a certain convergence of thought on the essentials.
"But straight away the Fathers said: No, we do not simply want to vote for pre-prepared lists. We are the subject. Then, it was necessary to postpone the elections, because the Fathers themselves wanted to begin to get to know each other, they wanted to prepare the lists themselves. And so it was. Cardinal Linart of Lille and Cardinal Frings of Cologne had said publicly: no, not this way. We want to make our own lists and elect our own candidates. It was not a revolutionary act, but an act of conscience, an act of responsibility on the part of the Council Fathers."Such an irony. It was JP II and Benedict who crushed collegiality and made the bishops "like altar boys" as one Cardinal lamented. That Benedict could praise something that he crushed is so insincere. On the whole Benedict gave a nice summary of the council. His criticism of the media is particularly remarkable. Certainly the media can be problematic. But without the media Cardinal Law would still be giving Lawn parties and the Neocons would be leaders in the church.
And yet there's widespread abuse in schools across the US and the media doesn't seem to care much. If only the media were genuinely fair and balanced (unlike Fox News), they'd have credibility, but they're not.
Interesting that Pope Benedict contrasts "revolutionary act" with acts of conscience. Seems the old anti-modernist viewpoint lives.
David, apples and oranges. If that.The equivalent situation would be a coverup in public education engineered at the level of state and federal government. We all acknowledge sex abuse exists. It happens most often where access is high--in families. Thing is, teachers are prosecuted. No school administrator, to my knowledge, has ever willingly reassigned a teacher predator to another school. There is simply nothing within the legal culture or the sociological reality of faculty/administration that would support widespread coverup as has been demonstrated among bishops. There is hardly the level of cultural similarity between teachers and administration/school boards as there is between priests and bishops.Abuse isn't really news. Covering it up is.
Since I linked to the "Commonweal" editorial in my post, ecumenical courtesy suggests a link to the editorial of "America" is in order: http://americamagazine.org/issue/point-departureThe editors say in part:"Five years old when the Nazis came to power in his native Germany, the pope witnessed first hand the destructive power of a cult of personality. One can easily see why, given this experience, the pope can become visibly uncomfortable when the crowds chant his name. We must distinguish, he says, between the man and the office, between contact with the person of the pope and being physically in touch with this office, with the representative of the Holy One, with the mystery that there is a successor to Peter. Pope Benedict knows full well the truth of what Bernard wrote to Eugenius: You are Peter, not Jesus."
But Todd, the way we now use the word "cover-up" doesn't necessarily mean a concerted effort to keep things hushed up, but can and often does mean general neglect, to pay insufficient attention to problems in one's sphere. I can easily imagine - and it undoubtedly happens - that heads of state education simply don't make it their business to find out if sexual abuse is happening under their nose, and it most certainly is.If teachers in the numbers that I would expect are being prosecuted, why isn't it making the headlines more often? As for a teacher being reassigned to another school, I've heard it does happen and that there's even a name for it.Of course there's something within the culture that would support widespread cover-up, the simple fact of a principle or teacher not wanting the school to be on the receiving end of bad publicity. There isn't an institution that doesn't go out of its way to protect itself, schools included.
David:"Ah but the media does indeed deserve a good deal of the blame for what happened after the council, imposing a political narrative of left and right on the Church, just as it does in its coverage of the Pope and the Church in the present."My recollection of the time after the Council was that the media was very receptive to and affirming of the council and the aftermath. Any polarization that the media documented came from within, from us. These were turbulent times, partly because so few of us were really prepared for the changes in outlook, theology, liturgy et al despite the Catholic education that most of us received. Given the cultural forces in the 60s and '70s, I often wonder where we would have been had the council not happened. I suspect that we would be much worse off.
School administrators and boards are far more afraid of litigation than they are of the bad publicity of one offending teacher. I will grant that fear of litigation might also prevent an abuse case from being drawn out into the news. But unlike clergy, teachers are free agents. As long as they have a degree and certification, they are free to seek jobs wherever they wish. It is not quite the same with clergy, who need the permission of two bishops to switch dioceses and start fresh.In the past twenty years, there is no way in hell a principal would give a predator an easy out to teach in another school or district. That would be playing with legal fire, and there simply isn't the same connection that a priest has with a bishop.Like a priest, a predator teacher will gather allies and groom them in an attempt to head off confrontation. Bishops tend to be more convinced by such snow jobs. School administrators, both in the public system and in Catholic schools tend to be more knowledgeable, more vigilant, and more discerning. Kansas City is an illustrative case of that.No, the notion that bishops aren't so bad because other people cover up sexual crimes just doesn't cut it with me. They should be exemplars, not lumped in with sinners.I'm far more worried about families--and you should be too. An abusive parent is far more likely to groom allies among other family members, even the spouse. The home is where most sexual abuse occurs. That's a difficult thing for the media to sell for its corporate masters, I'll grant you that.
Claire, thank you for unearthing those quotes from Archbishop Hunthausen.It seems to me that the 2nd Vatican Council emphasized peace more than virtually any church leader I can think of today.
May I request that all posters please use their first and last names?
I stopped reading "Get Religion" quite some time back because the testiness there was a bit much.
That Benedict could praise something that he crushed is so insincere.I don't think that's the right word. I don't doubt Pope Benedict's sincerity. It's not so great to extol collegiality when he's on his way out but not when he could have done something about it, but what else would you expect? It's not insincere; it's just the way most people are.It reminds me a little of the movie "A royal affair", when the man who passionately advocated for freedom of expression, once he found himself in power and a target of malicious writings, ended up crushing his opposition - he thought he had no choice (at that moment in the movie I gripped the arms of my seat and shouted silently: "Don't do it!").
When I read the text of Pope Benedict's address to the clergy of Rome, I was delighted to learn about his reminiscences about Vatican II. I have strong interest in what occurred during the event. On my bookshelf there is a prominent place for Xavier Rynne's "Vatican II", "Voices from the Council" edited by Michael R. Prendergast and M.D. Ridge, published by OCP (a real gem with interviews and reflections by over 30 participants including bishops including Archbishop Hunthausen, periti, theologians, and observers at the council ) and more recently, Congar's "Journal of the Council."But at the end of the popes talk, it was such a let-down. It reminds me of a comment that someone made when Cardinal Ratzinger was elected pope. He said: "Watch the remaking of Ratzinger." I just wonder what issues he has hiding in the back of his brilliant mind.
"May I request that all posters please use their first and last names?"Or, at the very least, use a link to your own web site, where you use your full name. If you are speaking the truth, at least as you declare it, then you should have nothing of concern.
Claire's reading of the first part of the speech as offering a model for enlightened collegial interaction at the conclave seems plausible to me. But his lengthy reminiscences also reinforce his particular take on continuity and change in the Church. In contrast, the last two paragraphs, though cast as a rant against the journalistic media, really attack, and cruelly caricature, a widely held view of continuity and change in the Church that he simply can't abide.
Susan Gannon,what is the "widely held view of continuity and change in the Church" that you see the Pope "attacking" here?
"In the past twenty years, there is no way in hell a principal would give a predator an easy out to teach in another school or district. That would be playing with legal fire, and there simply isnt the same connection that a priest has with a bishop."Exactly. It is the cover up by the church which is the most damning.
Setting the "Council of the Fathers" over against a false, imaginary Council fobbed off on the laity by the media is insulting to the clergy and people, worldwide, who studied the documents of the Council seriously and found in them deep respect for tradition and positive direction for the future.Many Catholics in good faith believe that decentralization of power in the church might be a positive development, think that the "people of God" and their Bishops should bear more responsibility in the governance of the Church, and would strongly object to Benedict's characterization of their approach to liturgical change as "profane." But though clergy and laity may disagree with Benedict about practices, policies, ways of approaching governance and the value of specific scholarly approaches to scripture, he is mistaken in thinking they do so because they are deluded by the media. They learned the lessons taught by the wise Fathers of the Council whose respect for tradition and willingness to innovate appropriately Benedict praises in the earlier section of his talk. And they, like Benedict himself, are trying to apply those lessons to the challenges of our time. In many ways they are on the same page with him, and don't deserve to be dismissed lightly.
I fear I still see Benedict as I learned to see him early in his papacy -- there are two of him. One is the gentle, generous, kindly old man who doesn't want to hurt anyone. The other is completely rigid about some things and will act harshly if he thinks he is called to. The latter Benedict has loyalty as his predominant trait. The first has kindness. He has been something of a Hamlet, too, wavering between values.
Ann,I'll only consider Benedict "something of a Hamlet" when I learn that he decided against avenging children for fear that their abusers, momentarily engaged in prayer, might go to heaven and not straight to hell.
Susan Gannon,Thank you for the continuing clarification. It's helpful. Let me join in the conversation. My reading of the Pope's reflections (and his many other addresses) leads me to think he would not at all deny that many indeed "studied the documents of the Council seriously and found in them deep respect for tradition and positive direction for the future." It is this approach he is seeking to support by contrasting it with a hermeneutic that is only a partial and inadequate reception of the Council -- one that tends to import categories from the political arena into ecclesial discernment (which is what, in his view, the media tend to do).You also say: "they, like Benedict himself, are trying to apply those lessons to the challenges of our time. In many ways they are on the same page with him, and dont deserve to be dismissed lightly."Again, I do not read him as at all dismissive of them. Indeed, I think he has only supported such efforts. That does not mean that all the fruits of such efforts are healthy or are, whatever the good intentions of individuals, faithful to the tradition.He concludes his talk to the clergy of Rome: " it is our task, especially in this Year of Faith, on the basis of this Year of Faith, to work so that the true Council, with its power of the Holy Spirit, be accomplished and the Church be truly renewed. Let us hope that that the Lord will assist us."I think we can both say "Amen" to that hope.
Ann Olivier:I think that psychologists call it compartmentalization, a coping mechanism or defense strategy.
It takes a psychologist to know about compartmentalization, projecting their own worries and inadequacies onto others.
"And we knew that the relationship between the Church and the modern period, right from the outset, had been slightly fraught, beginning with the Churchs error in the case of Galileo Galilei; we were looking to correct this mistaken start and to rediscover the union between the Church and the best forces of the world, so as to open up humanitys future, to open up true progress."How many caught this in the pope's speech? Comparable to Galileo is the church's stand on contraception. Contraception is considered one of the great health advances of the twentieth century. Yet the RCC has given more grief and caused more harm with its resistance to condoms and other methods to limit birth. Will a future council or synod seek to "correct this mistaken start and to rediscover the union between the Church and the best forces of the world, so as to open up humanitys future, to open up true progress."Then came Ottaviani, Woyitla and Humanae Vitae. And of course, those self aggrandizers, Neuhaus, wiegel and Novak. Quite an interesting comment by the pope. Do we see the irony?
One problem with that talk is that Pope Benedict opposes, on the one hand, "the second Vatican council, as I see it", that is, the "Council of the Fathers", the "real" Council, the "true" Council - his version of the council; and on the other hand, what he calls the "Council of the media", the "virtual" Council, which caused disasters and suffering: "seminaries closed, convents closed, banal liturgy". Everything about it is bad.This black and white presentation seems to leave no room for other voices: Pope Benedict is the one who holds the correct view, and any view that differs from his must be a mixture of his correct view and of the incorrect view of the "Council of the media". He has the entire truth. That rules out the existence of legitimate differing views, and such a position is problematic, even if his talk is, as Bill says, "a nice summary of the council on the whole".
Robert, Id like to reply to something you said @ 2/23, 6:08 am, in your response to Susan Gannon (whose points I second). Here's the quote:'You also say: they, like Benedict himself, are trying to apply those lessons to the challenges of our time. In many ways they are on the same page with him, and dont deserve to be dismissed lightly.Again, I do not read him as at all dismissive of them. Indeed, I think he has only supported such efforts. That does not mean that all the fruits of such efforts are healthy or are, whatever the good intentions of individuals, faithful to the tradition.'You may be correct with respect to theology. But in the area of liturgy, I could not disagree with you more when you say that Benedict "has only supported such efforts." In fact, he has been strongly opposed to those who do not share his own very particular and sometimes peculiar views, and has dismissed, demoted, and replaced many who faithfully and intelligently and responsibly implemented the liturgical reforms of the Council over the past fifty years. Look at the persons he has appointed to the CDWS. Look at ICEL. Look at Vox Clara. Look at the undertakings and books he endorses. He has put into place a change of course so dramatic that a whole generation of scholars and churchmen has been effectively disenfranchised from the official structures. If this is support, I dont know what opposition would look like. How can anyone read Liturgiam Authenticam and not regard it as dismissive of the main stream of implementation of the Council's direction for the forty years previous? This document was written without any serious consultation and has been decried by scholars of great probity and learning. And he was behind that, without a doubt, even though it appeared during John Paul's pontificate. How can anyone look at the fate of the 1998 translation of the Roman Missal, the fruit of 15 years of work, approved by all the English-speaking bishops conferences, and thrown in the trashbin none of it reused -- and still say that Benedict has only supported such efforts?You observe that not all the effects of sincere labor are faithful to the tradition. True enough. But I am wondering if what you are implying is that Benedict alone is to be taken as the arbiter of what is authentic tradition. History will show, I am afraid, that Benedict has been a poor judge of authentic and inauthentic developments arising from the Council. Even while deploring the fabrication of liturgy, he has invented a tradition that isnt there, namely two forms of the Roman rite to name only one example. Again, I speak not of theological disputes but of liturgical ones.
Thanks, Rita. That needed saying.
Rita,Sincere thanks for your thoughtful, detailed (even passionate!) comment. I cannot match your knowledge of specific issues regarding liturgical developments in the last two pontificates. I have long regretted the failure to approve the 1998 translation at least for a period of 10 years. That failure left us with a clearly inadequate translation for far too long; and it is certainly debatable whether the present translation "sings" as eloquently as the rejected one. How much this can be laid at Benedict/Ratzinger's door is, of course, arguable. But it is best argued by some, like yourself, who have real knowledge of the matters of fact.The quote from the Pope's remarks which I included in the body of the post is one to which I know you would say "amen." The very next paragraph of the text reads:"Then there were the principles: intelligibility, instead of being locked up in an unknown language that is no longer spoken, and also active participation. Unfortunately, these principles have also been misunderstood. Intelligibility does not mean banality, because the great texts of the liturgy even when, thanks be to God, they are spoken in our mother tongue are not easily intelligible, they demand ongoing formation on the part of the Christian if he is to grow and enter ever more deeply into the mystery and so arrive at understanding. And also the word of God when I think of the daily sequence of Old Testament readings, and of the Pauline Epistles, the Gospels: who could say that he understands immediately, simply because the language is his own? Only ongoing formation of hearts and minds can truly create intelligibility and participation that is something more than external activity, but rather the entry of the person, of my being, into the communion of the Church and thus into communion with Christ."Here the Pope expresses what is dear to his heart and what I have tried to put at the center of my own ministry in preaching and teaching. If you tell me that the Pope has not always been wise in his discernment of what these principles entail or always prudent in the concrete measures he's taken to implement them, I can only welcome the insights and perspectives you provide and try to put them into dialogue with other perspectives offered. Lastly, I do not suggest that the Pope is alone "the arbiter of what is authentic tradition:" and his resignation of the Petrine office brings that recognition once more to the fore.
My thanks, too, Rita.
I also am grateful for Rita's chronicling of the unhappy history of liturgical decisions taken by Rome over the past decade and a half.I believe that the CDF under Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger did have a role in the preparation of Liturgiam Authenticam (2001) and in the denial of the recognitio (2002) to the English-speaking conferences' individual canonical approvals of the 1998 Missal. Surely dialogue with the conferences would have been better than the brusque decision that was taken.I acknowledge that I was more than a spectator to parts of the history that Rita narrates.
Rita: My thanks, my thanks, my maxima thanks.Re: your comment"How can anyone look at the fate of the 1998 translation of the Roman Missal, the fruit of 15 years of work, approved by all the English-speaking bishops conferences, and thrown in the trashbin...?"Is it too much to hope that under the next pope the work of the Visitation of our American sisters will end up in the trashbin?
Helen, I echo your thanks of Rita. The difference between the sisters and the English-speaking bishops is that the former demonstrated more spine, and that the attempted investigation there has largely ended up in the circular file. Mainly because its targets care little for red hats, or the promotion to larger dioceses liable to "merit" one.I pray daily for the forces of the antigospel to be in retreat among the ranks of the upper hierarchy. And who knows? Crazier prayers of mine have been answered.
The history chronicled by Rita is one reason why I cannot bring myself to yield to the new missal. I don't see a way to resolve it other than forcing myself to pick up the cheat sheets and saying the words of the new missal along with the others, but I can't do it. I have an almost physical aversion to it. It would be like making myself do something that I know is wrong, something that I really, really don't want to do. It would be degrading.