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Have something nice to say about this site?
Good karma is healthy for everyone who reads this page!
Say it here.
Have something nice to say about this site?
Good karma is healthy for everyone who reads this page!
Say it here.
Beautiful site…great information…do you live anywhere near RI?????
Hi Jean
Love your blog and all your interesting articles!
I am a mad scrapbooker and card maker here in Aus!
You have helped me also when first setting up on wordpress with a few things i was stuck on!
Great work
Kerri Smith
Jean, I am so grateful you sent the email with your blog address. I stopped in at The Paper Palace and miss everyone. I am going to start scrap-booking because I no longer have any of my dogs living with me. Given that, I will be reading for new storage ideas!
What a good job you did with Stamphenge! It's so well-organized, easy to read, and has mounds of useful information. Thank you! I hope to send it to members of a calligraphy class I'm taking. One of our assignments was to make a book to put samples of our calligraphy in, thus, the relevance of this site.
By the way, I tried to leave a comment in the "post a comment" section but only got a page error.
Hi Jean.. Your site is pure pleasure! And so warm! I landed here, because I am thinking of binding my own sketchbook, and I am so glad I did! You have a wealth of information here! Kudos!
I would like to write a blog-post about your site, if that's ok with you. Thank you… And really, Good karma is healthy for everyone who reads this site!
Hi Jean.. I posted an entry about your site at http://linishasjournal.blogspot.com/2011/08/wonderful-site-for-binding-books.html
I am just making my first basic sketchbook, but I think I would be making more sketchbooks of different kinds too! Thank you…
Wow thank you so much I came across your page whilst surfing the net for the accordion booklet instructions and will now keep it in my favourites. Thank you so much for taking the time to update and show all your lovely work and, links and finds. A great page that I shall be recommending to my crafty friends :))


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The Brassy Bands
Cornel Gheorghita
At the beginning of the last century, Romanian peasants discovered the solemn music of the military bands when they went into the cities. They were so impressed by these that they wanted to have brass bands in their villages as well. With the arrival of the communists, these popular country marching brass bands were invited to participate at official events. The regime confiscated their land, built immense industrial complexes and many of the farm-workers became factory workers. The brass bands then became a symbol of the people's well-being and the brotherhood between the farm and factory workers. With the fall of the Communist regime, many factories closed down.
- Year
- 2007
- Type of film
- Shorts
- Running Time
- 52 mins
- Format
- DV Cam
- Director
- Cornel Gheorghita
- Producer
- K Production
- Co-Producer
- K Production
- Editor
- Nathalie Mougenot
- Screenwriter
- Cornel Gheorghita
- Director of Photography
- Nicu Mihali, Geo Balint, Giani Oprina, Tudor Mircea
- Sound
- Viorel Ghiocel
Please let us know if we need to make any amendments to this Film entry mailing us directly at
Last updated 31st January 2008

subset: commoncrawl


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Oh how I love a wishlist
So the last couple of days I've been featuring things from Me+Em as their new look book just arrived through my door. And it just full of things that are too too lovely.
After a manic day when I had hoped to get over to their store in London for a massive trying on session (as things always look different on than they do on the model), I had to abandon mission due to having to collect children. To be fair, they were mine....sometimes they just get in the way though, don't they? Obviously I'm joking. My two boys chose as their special treat tonight - which they were owed - a trip to Subway. Subway?! It's their idea of heaven. Their total giddiness at discovering the three stools - it's a very compact Subway - free so they could eat in, was just too delicious to witness.
Dog walk, sorting the 12yr old out with homework (kill me now) which always takes longer than I anticipate, not to mention a dash to the supermarket and I am have a glass of wine with my mission tonight bring to pick my favourite pieces from the new season at Me+Em before I go and try them on next week.
Currently 20% (code ORDER20) off, so this completely makes sense (in a woman's head. No man would think this made any sense at all).
Starting with trousers. Cropped trousers. I've said it before and I'll say it again. You just have to live with cold ankles. Or do pop socks. Or, as someone suggested yesterday which I thought was genius - sheepskin liners in your trainers. But honestly, mine just don't get that cold.
I love the look of these. They are absolutely ideal for work - they look amazing with a jumper and sneakers and any sort of coat, jacket, or trench for off duty dress.
Button Hem Slim Crop Trousers £135
However it's the sports luxe look that Me+Em have nailed. This whole outfit I adore.
I have to start with the most useful and ingenious idea that Me+Em do and that's their layering shirt.
They don't seem to have the plain white one that I had last year but this one is just as good. In fact, I would go so far as to say more versatile as it has a detachable tie. With the tie - it's a perfect top in its own right. And how I love things that will work in multiple outfits. The oversized cuffs and white collar mean it's perfect under a jumper too.
Swing Jersey Layering Shirt in black and white £99
Or there's the grey and white version which is in the sale at £50
Or the pleated collar layering shirt which is all sorts of fabulous, worn on its own or as a layer.
Pleated Collar Layering Shirt £99 also available in ivory These cuffs are verging on a work of art.
And then to top the shirt - some fabulous swing tops.
So the above Zip Cuff Swing Sweat at £75
If a sweat or jersey top doesn't float your boat - second to their layering shirts, I am a huge huge Me+Em knitwear fan. And there is genuinely something for everyone knitwear wise (just have a peruse through their knitwear section), but for me, after the striped polo from the other day, it would be the merino swing polo necks with their super long sleeves that are my number one choice.
Perfect Swing Polo £99
And in the soft pebble again £99
Just in case you didn't see the striped polo. Check. This. Out. (sorry, it's actually a turtle neck...)
Striped Turtle Neck £149
And then of course more trousers - Luxe Track Pant - as above - £135 in black and white - also available in navy and white.
Then for everyday (and I happily dress them up to be much smarter) the slouchy jogger.
Slouchy Jogger in black £58 also available in navy.
But my absolute absolute favourite has to be the Boyfriend Leather Jacket.
I will admit - when I first saw this at the beginning of the season, I though, nah, I am wedded to a cropped biker. But. But but but - check it with an oversized jumper. Which historically has been a super difficult thing to put a coat over. Not any more it isn't. A genius (and possibly one for a Christmas list although this is where the 20% off does make a big difference). And I think the trend is going towards the oversized. Dare I suggest teaming this with a maxi dress? It's got to be worth a go.
Boyfriend Leather Jacket £699 in black although again this comes in navy.
Would love to hear any recommendations. As well as what I should try next week - requests taken!
Clearly feeling all the love for the monochrome (I've just looked up and this blog is almost exclusively black and white. Oops. It works though - it just works) today.
White and black striped polo neck - Second Female at Collen & Clare
Black bonded midi skirt - M&S
Black Onyx biker jacket - hush
Silver bag - Anya Hindmarsh at Collen & Clare
Black buckle boots - Toga Pulla
I had the worst sleep last night which is probably why I am so exhausted today (as well as leaving at 7 to take the 12yr old to school for her Drama club and dropping the boys at breakfast club). So it's bed for me now - all the glamour. Whilst I go and dream in monochrome. Is anyone else a fan? And is it wrong to confess I feel vaguely (ie very) French in it, which is only a good thing.


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Tuesday, December 27, 2011
I want to welcome you to my blog and thank you for being here. I am Sarah Cooley and this is Making Cooley Stuff. If you are here, chances are you are either a busy mom like me who likes to make things easier on yourself as much as possible, or someone who has a creative streak and enjoys making things. My blog will incorporate a little of both my creative side and my desire to keep my sanity by making life a little easier. I will share my best easy recipes, craft projects, and do-it-yourself tips and tricks. So stay tuned... I promise you we'll have fun!
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Configuring public link on Pydio 6Created on 2018/01/27,
Configuring public folder seems to be complicated and confused to some typical user. Some don't know where is public folder, some don't know how to configure "Rewrite Rules" and some others are stuck in blank page in public link. In this how-to, we hope that you can configure public folder easily.
NIX System
The most important is URI for Public in Pydio. As you know, there is a place in your system that all user can create a accessible path to file or folder to public where user from outside can download/upload without credential. Due to security reason, this location must be applied a special policy and could be located in other location than data and code of Pydio. Before doing configure public folder, make sure that you have URI for public folder.
1.1 Default URI
By default, public folder is shipped with pydio package (PYDIO/data/public). If you installed pydio from apt-get, you can have: URL for pydio: http://your_server_address/pydio URL for public: http://your_server_address/pydio/data/public in this case URI for public is /pydio/data/public. In this case, you can access to public folder because of: URI /pydio/data/public => VirtualDirectory /pydio in Apache point to /usr/share/pydio. => /usr/share/pydio/data (symbol link) => /var/lib/pydio/data/public
1.2 Customized URI for public link
If you don't want to use default uri for public (because of long string), you can create a new uri by your own: Create a VirtualDirectory in webserver point to public folder
alias /public-for-pydio /var/pydio_public
<Directory "/var/pydio_public">
Options FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride Limit FileInfo
Require all granted
In this case, the new URI for public is /public-for-pydio and user can access to data by URL: http://your_server_address/public-for-pydio/abcd01.php
2. .htaccess file
In Pydio version 5 and ealier, when you create a public share, Pydio will create a new real file in public folder. Since version 6, generation a real file has been no longer used but database. When you request http://your_server_address/public-for-pydio/abcd01.php, module rewrite in web server will convert abcd01.php to an url parameter for share.php – a file auto created in public folder. That means in version 6, there is no .php file in public folder except share.php.
2.1 Verify rewrite module
Be sure that rewrite module for web server is enabled. In debian, you can enable by command:
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo service apache2 reload
2.2 .htaccess file
In this article, I take a example for .htaccess for apache, but you can easily convert .htaccess to rules in Nginx (http://winginx.com/en/htaccess) or web.config in IIS (with import tool) .htaccess example in public folder /var/pydio_public
Order Deny,Allow
Allow from all
<Files ".ajxp_*">
deny from all
RewriteEngine on
RewriteBase /public-for-pydio
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule ^([a-zA-Z0-9_-]+)\.php$ share.php?hash=$1 [QSA]
RewriteRule ^([a-zA-Z0-9_-]+)--([a-z]+)$ share.php?hash=$1&lang=$2 [QSA]
RewriteRule ^([a-zA-Z0-9_-]+)$ share.php?hash=$1 [QSA]
3. Configuration in Pydio
After defining URI for public, and appling rewrite rule in .htaccess, you open Pydio and finish configuration: – SERVER URL: url for server, in this case is: http://your_server_address/pydio – DOWNLOAD FOLDER: physical folder for public: /var/pydio_public – DOWNLOAD URL: url for public folder: http://your_server_address/public-for-pydio
For permission of public folder, you can visit:https://pyd.io/permission-for-pydios-filesfolders/
If you are running IIS 7 on windows server 2008, you have to install rewrite module manually. Go: http://www.iis.net/downloads/microsoft/url-rewrite
In windows 2012 and IIS8, it is enabled
By default, public folder are shipped with pydio package in PYDIO/data/public. But in this article, I will take an general example. I supposed: – Pydio location: C:\inetpub\wwwroot\py605 – I need to use C:\inetpub\py605_public for public folder – We are running this web app by application pool name "py605".
- Be sure permission is set correctly (for more information: https://pyd.io/configure-applicationpool-for-pydio-in-windows2012-iis8/)
- Create a virtual host for public folder
In IIS management, right click and select Add Virtual Directory
Configure public folder/url in Pydio
Try to generate a new public share link in Pydio, at this time, you got an error of IIS:
Because you have not configured yet rewrite rule for this folder
– Now, open IIS, click on Virtual Directory "public-for-pydio"
– Click on "rewrite URL"
– On the right menu, click on "Import Rule"
** Note: When you create a public share linke, Pydio will verify and create (if necessary) some default files: share.php, .htaccess, 404 …
Select file C:\inetpub\py605_public\ .htaccess
** Note: RewriteBase is incompatible line, you just delete this line to besure that there is no error. You also can modify rule name by right-click on each rule. At the end of this step, you click on "Apply" on the top of right menu.
Verify the share link you 've create above and you can browse the link correctly
If you don't want to follow steps above, you just simple create a C:\inetpub\public-for-pydio\web.config and fill it by:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rule name="Pydio-Public-Folder-Rule-1">
<match url="^([a-zA-Z0-9_-]+)\.php$" ignoreCase="false" />
<conditions logicalGrouping="MatchAll">
<add input="{REQUEST_FILENAME}" matchType="IsFile" ignoreCase="false" negate="true" />
<add input="{REQUEST_FILENAME}" matchType="IsDirectory" ignoreCase="false" negate="true" />
<action type="Rewrite" url="share.php?hash={R:1}" appendQueryString="true" />
<rule name="Pydio-Public-Folder-Rule-2">
<match url="^([a-zA-Z0-9_-]+)--([a-z]+)$" ignoreCase="false" />
<action type="Rewrite" url="share.php?hash={R:1}&lang={R:2}" appendQueryString="true" />
<rule name="Pydio-Public-Folder-Rule-3">
<match url="^([a-zA-Z0-9_-]+)$" ignoreCase="false" />
<action type="Rewrite" url="share.php?hash={R:1}" appendQueryString="true" />
For more information about permission, visit: https://pyd.io/configure-applicationpool-for-pydio-in-windows2012-iis8/


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Truck Loads of Easter Fun!
To sign up for the Mickey Mouse giveaway please click HERE
Today I would like to show you two Easter box cards for little boys. It is very hard to find Easter cards for boys, I love these.
Aren't they cute? I like how they have tail lights with EAS-TER as the license plate.
I am entering these box cards into the following challenges:
DL ART April Linky Challenge
Thank you so much for stopping by
9 comments:
You are so right! Those are soooooo adorable. Do you have a pattern that is available somewhere for those trucks? If you could let me know, my nephew would love those. My email is firstname.lastname@example.com Thanks.ReplyDelete
Gorgeous creations, love all the added details.ReplyDelete
Valerija xx
More fun and cuteness for Easter. They're precious.ReplyDelete
Oh, these are so sweet!! The trucks are adorable!! Love, love these, my friend!! Thank you so much for playing along at DL.ART!! Have a great day!! Big hugs :)ReplyDelete
A Mermaid's Crafts
I think they are SUPER cool and fun!!I love them!! Awesome job my friend!! I hope that you are feeling better.ReplyDelete
Have a wonderful day,
Crafting with Creative M
Oh my gosh, this is loads of fun!!! Hehe! Such a fun idea...love it!ReplyDelete
Hope you are feeling a little better! Thinking of you and sending prayers:)
Sherrie k
This is so super cute! Carri~AbusybeeReplyDelete
That sure is one neat truck!ReplyDelete
Those are so cool! LOVE the look of them...ReplyDelete
Theresa's Crafty Creations
"My old grandmother always used to say, Summer friends will melt away like summer snows, but winter friends are friends forever."
― George R.R. Martin, A Feast for Crows


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In 2014, I set a personal goal to publish a 200+ page non-fiction book. My friend, Andy Traub, had published a book on Amazon and I figured if he could do it, I could do it too. That effort culminated about four months after it began, with the launch of 40 Rules for Internet Business […]View Post
Business Growth Day by Day is Now Available
My newest book, Business Growth Day by Day, is now available on Amazon in Kindle e-book, paperback and audiobook formats. Get your copy here. —- Want to start or grow a business, but aren't getting any traction? Worried that you chose the wrong business idea? Entrepreneurship is a hard game to play, but it doesn't […]View Post
My 10 Favorite Business Books (Of All Time)
As you might know, I read a lot of business books. There was a good five-year stretch where I was reading anywhere from 3-5 business books per month. By now, I've pretty much read every best-selling business and entrepreneurship book that's been released in the last 15 years. A lot of people ask me what […]View Post
My Five Favorite Personal Finance and Investing Books of All Time
I don't know about you, but I love to read investing books. Whenever someone comes out with a hot new title about their strategy to beat the market, generate alpha or reduce volatility, I gobble it up. While I take a lot of what I read with a grain of salt, there are some great […]View Post
My 2015 Reading List (Part 1)
It's hard to believe that we're already through the first quarter of 2015, but here we are. My reading habits made a marked changed this quarter. Instead of the usual mix of repetitive business books, I've branched out and have read biographical works and more fiction. I read a total of 20 books during January, […]View Post
My Q4 2014 Reading List
Now that 2014 has come and gone, it's time again to share the books that I've been reading in the last few months. I had the opportunity to read a lot of good books during the fourth quarter. The amount of day-to-day work that my business required has slowed down as I've brought on a […]View Post
My Q3 Reading List
I really only do a handful of things outside of building my business and spending time with my family. I don't have a lot of crazy hobbies or extra-curricular activities. Of the few hobbies that I do have, I put a lot of energy and effort into them. One of those hobbies is reading. I […]View Post
My Q2 Reading List
I have a reputation for reading a lot of books. As a result, I often get asked for book recommendations, which I'm happy to provide. In order to streamline the process, I've decided to publish a list of books that I read every quarter in 2014. I had previously published the books that I read […]View Post
I'm Writing a Book
[UPDATE 7/21/2014]: 40 Rules for Internet Business Success is now available on Amazon in paperback, Kindle e-book and audiobook formats. Click here to get your copy. A couple of months ago, I attended a new event for entrepreneurs in Sioux Falls called 1 Million Cups, in which an entrepreneur shares their story for six minutes […]View Post
Want to Be a Millionaire? Become a Voracious Consumer of Content
Author Thomas Stanley did a survey of self-made millionaires and compiled the results in his best-selling book, The Millionaire Next Door. One of the interesting things that Stanley found in his survey results was that millionaires didn't tend to watch a lot of prime-time television, but they do read one non-fiction per month on average. […]View Post


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And here we go with another Infinity model. The Celestial Guard with Combirifle, underslung light grenade launcher and Kuang Shi control device (remote detonator).
It's a girl if you didn't notice her breasts, hair and naked bellyalready - Yay for Manga. Better pictures to follow (again- I know) but I added a group shot of what I have so far as well- and it's getting playable already. So exciting! :)
|I also added some more basing material to the Lieutenant


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About this Blog
The blog focuses on the essence of wine and food, not how many points or stars it receives. The opinions are mine and should be taken only as that, an opinion not gospel.
Like many collectors, initially I was very much influenced by wine ratings. I purchased wines based on points, even if I had never tasted the wine. And it was much worse than that. I would drink a wine with a high rating, not like it, yet since it was highly rated I'd rationalize that I did not yet appreciate the wine, or that my palate was not sophisticated enough to understand the wine. How's that for lunacy? As a result my cellar grew in all directions while my palate narrowed. By the time I realized the style of wine that I enjoyed, my cellar abounded with wines whose styles I did not enjoy. All of these wines were very highly rated, just not my cup of tea, or glass of wine to be more accurate. Fortunately I was able to sell many of these wines to those who either enjoyed them or wanted highly rated wines. Don't misunderstand, I am not against wines with high ratings, in fact I own many. It is just that I now purchase wines based on the producer, the style and my palate, not the rating. Nor do I shun reading reviews. I very much respect Antonio Galloni, Alan Meadows, Eric Asimov and John Gilman and read their reviews routinely. I pay attention to what they write, not the points they award.
Monday, April 25, 2011
A couple of lunches with good friends
We began with manila clams in spicy white wine broth; perfectly cooked crustaceans in a sauce that demands that you sop up every last drop with good crusty Italian bread. A decanted bottle of 2003 Gravner Anphora Ribolla Gialla drank beautifully with the clams, but then again I have never had a bottle of Gravner that did not drink beautifully with whatever I was eating. Ribolla Gialla is a white grape from the Friuli Venezia region of Italy. Gravner is close to the Slovenian border in Gorzia, Italy. In my opinion he is one of the great winemakers in the world. Talk about Old Word traditional wines, here is one of the masters. His wines go through an extended fermentation in beeswax-lined clay amphorae, which are specially made for him and transported, from Georgia, Russia. The wine is then transferred to large barrels of Slovenian oak where it rests for another three years before bottling. The result is a magnificently pure wine that is a complete expression of nature. To quote the man ""I am convinced that wine is a product of Nature, not of Man, whose role therefore is to accompany its maturation process while avoiding any artificial intervention". Amen.
His long maceration process of 7 to 8 months on the grape skins produces a wine with an absolutely gorgeous orange/yellow hue and mind-boggling complexity, balance and purity. THIS IS A WHITE WINE THAT IS MEANT TO BE DRUNK AT RED WINE TEMPERATURE. In fact the wine should be decanted for a minimum of 3-4 hours before drinking. If you drink this wine cold, you will miss it. The wine continues to evolve with each sip. It is a true wine experience. If you prefer your white wines very cold, skip this one. But I digress, well a bit any way. Back to the '03 we drank. Two words describe it: stunning and delicious. Nothing else can or need be said. This is a wine with soul. (Did I just say something else/?)
On a side note, a while ago I met a close friend of Gravner (Joskel is his first name) who comes to the US periodically to promote the wines. He suggested that the next time I opened a bottle and did not finish it to put the cork back in and put it back in the wine cellar for a month, and then try it. Well I did, and I was amazed at how good the wine was. It had lost nothing. The wine was only slightly oxidized and had taken on a bit deeper orange hue, but was still perfectly balanced and delicious on the palate. $85.
Next up on the menu was homemade papparadelle pasta with a sauce of fresh capon. It was amazing. We had two reds with this. First was a 1998 Guigal Chateau d'Ampuis Cote-Rotie. 100% Syrah, this bottle was very good. It started out a bit tight, even after an hour of decanting. Began to open in hour 2. Nice pepper and spice and sense of place. Enjoyable now, but will definitely benefit from more cellar time. $95
Alongside this we had a 1996 Francesco Rinaldi Barolo Cannubbio that was just superb. Another traditional winemaker, Francesco's wines a beautifully crafted. This bottle sang today. Glorious bouquet of the earth and the grape. Pure, complex and balanced on the palate, with a lengthy finish. The essence of old world Barolo. $80
A few weeks later, with friends Emil and Howard, found me having lunch at one of Montclair, NJ newest and hottest dinning spots, Salute Brick Oven Bistro on Glenridge Ave. Baccala cakes, pasta fagioli and rock shrimp arrabiatta are among my favorite items here and we had them all along with 3 fabulous wines.
We began with a 2001 Gravner Breg Anfora. The Breg is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling Italico, Chardonnay & Pinot Grigio. It is made in the same manner as the Ribolla Gialla mentioned above. Again the wine was just superb. Pure and delicious on the palate with a lengthy finish. $85
Next up was a 1967 Angelo Gaja Barbaresco. I am not a big fan of Gaja wines. He has become more modern in his methods the past 10 years or so. He adds the Barbera grape (about 5%) to his Barbarescos. Since this does not conform to recent changes in Italian winemaking law in Piedmonte, he cannot put the word Barbaresco on the label. To be labeled a Barbaresco the law states that the wine must contain 100% Nebbiolo. I also find his current wines to be a bit over extracted. Add to this the very high price the Gaja name commands, I pass on his wines. The 1967 however was absolutely terrific. Probably made by Angelo's father this was a beautiful example of an old world Barbaresco. Brownish red and a bit oxidized upon opening, the wine just kept evolving after being decanted. Within 30 minutes we knew we were in the presence of a spectacular wine and the next hour only confirmed. It showed a great sense of place. A wine with a great deal of soul. If Gaja made his wines today like this wine I would bite the bullet and pay the price. Thanks Emil for bringing this one.
The last wine (thank you Howard), 1994 Quintarelli Alzero is one of the great wines of all time. It is impossible to describe this wine other than to say it is completely round and delicious. The wine is made from predominantly Cabernet Franc and in the same method used to make Amarone, in which the grapes are dried for several months prior to vinification. The resulting wine is unbelievably rich in color and ethereal on the palate. A wine that provides a provocative wine tasting experience. I have had the 1996 and 1997 vintages of this wine and each is superb. Alas greatness does not come without a price. Expect to pay a price in the mid $300 range for this wine.
Allow me to close this blog with an old proverb (I believe Arabian) Emil sent me:
"Good wine praises itself"
Until next time,


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Saturday, June 20, 2015
Why are we such cowards?
Buenas Noticias: Blog de Jose Antonio Pagola
June 21, 2015
Mark 4:35-41
"Why are you so cowardly? Do you still have no faith?". These two questions that Jesus addresses to his disciples are not, for the evangelist Mark, an anecdote from the past. They are questions that Jesus' followers must hear in the midst of their crisis. Questions we are to ask today too: What is the root of our cowardice? Why are we we afraid of the future? Is it because we lack faith in Jesus?
The story is brief. Everything begins with Jesus' order: "Let us cross to the other side." The disciples know that on the other shore of Lake Tiberias is the pagan territory of the Decapolis. A different and strange country. A culture hostile to their religion and beliefs.
Suddenly a heavy storm -- a graphic metaphor for what is happening in the group of disciples -- comes up. The stormy wind, waves crashing against the boat, water beginning to invade everything, express the situation well: What can Jesus' followers do against the hostility of the pagan world? Not only is their mission in danger, but also the very survival of the group.
Awakened by his disciples, Jesus intervenes, the wind dies down, and a great calm comes over the lake. What is surprising is that the disciples "remain terrified." Before they were afraid of the storm. Now they seem to fear Jesus. But something crucial has occurred in them: They have turned to Jesus. They have experienced a saving force in him they didn't know. They begin to wonder about his identity. They begin to sense that anything is possible with him.
Christianity is now in the midst of a "strong storm" and fear is beginning to take hold of us. We dare not cross to the "other side". Modern culture is a strange and hostile country to us. The future frightens us. Creativity seems prohibited. Some believe it's safer to look back to move forward better.
Jesus could surprise us all. The Risen One has the power to inaugurate a new phase in the history of Christianity. We are only being asked to have faith. A faith that frees us from so much fear and cowardice and commits us to walk in Jesus' footsteps.
Posted by Rebel Girl at 7:46 PM No comments:
Friday, June 19, 2015
The Magna Carta of Integral Ecology: Cry of the Earth - Cry of the Poor: An analysis of Pope Francis' encyclical
Jornal do Brasil (em português)
June 18, 2015
Before any commentary, it is worth emphasizing some unique aspects of Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si'.
It is the first time that a pope addresses the subject of ecology in the sense of integral ecology (so it goes beyond the environmental) so completely. Big surprise: he develops the theme within the new ecological paradigm, something that no official UN document has done to date. His argument is basic with the surest data from life and Earth science. He reads the data affectively (with sensitive or cordial intelligence) because he discerns that behind them are hidden human tragedy and much suffering of Mother Earth too. The current situation is grave but Pope Francis always finds reasons for hope and confidence that human beings can find workable solutions. He honors the popes who preceded him, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, quoting them frequently. And something absolutely new: his text is inscribed within collegiality as it is enriched by the contributions of dozens of bishops' conferences around the world ranging from the USA, to Germany, to Brazil, to Patagonia-Comahue to Paraguay. He welcomes the contributions of other thinkers such as Catholics Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Romano Guardini, Dante Alighieri, his teacher -- Argentine Juan Carlos Scannone, the Protestant Paul Ricoeur, and the Sufi Muslim Ali al-Khawwas. Finally, its addressees are all human beings, for all are inhabitants of the same common home (a word used a lot by the pope) and suffer the same threats.
Pope Francis isn't writing as a Master or Doctor of the faith but as a zealous pastor who cares about the common home and all beings, not just humans, who live in it.
One element merits highlighting as it reveals Pope Francis' "forma mentis" (the way of organizing his thinking). This is attributable to the pastoral and theological experience of the Latin American churches that, in the light of the documents of the Latin American bishops (CELAM) from Medellin (1968), Puebla (1979) and Aparecida (2007), made an option for the poor against poverty and for liberation.
The text and the tone of the encyclical are typical of Pope Francis and of the growing ecological culture. But I'm aware that many expressions and ways of speaking also go back to what has been thought and written about primarily in Latin America. The themes of "common home", of "Mother Earth", the "cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor", "caring", the "interdependence of all beings", "the intrinsic value of each being", "the poor and vulnerable", the "paradigm shift" of "the human being as Earth" that feels, thinks, loves and worships, "integral ecology" among others, are recurrent among us.
The encyclical's structure follows the methodological ritual used by our churches and for theological reflection linked to liberation practice, now assumed and consecrated by the Pope: see, judge, act, and celebrate.
First, he reveals his greatest source of inspiration: St. Francis of Assisi, whom he calls "the example par excellence of care for the vulnerable and of an integral ecology...[and] particularly concerned...for the poor and outcast." (no.10; 66).
And then he starts with the see: "What is happening to our common home" (nos.17-61). Says the Pope, "we need only take a frank look at the facts to see that our common home is falling into serious disrepair." (no.61). In this part, he incorporates the most consistent data with reference to climate change (nos.20-22), the issue of water (nos.27-31), the erosion of biodiversity (nos.32-42), the deteriorating quality of life human and degradation of social life (nos.43-47), he denounces the high rate of inequality globally, affecting all areas of life (nos.48-52), the main victims being the poor (no. 48).
In this part, he uses a phrase that brings us back to a reflection made in Latin America: "Today, however, we have to realize that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor." (no.49). Immediately afterwards he adds: "the cries of sister Earth are united to the cries of the abandoned ones of this world" (no.53). This is absolutely consistent, since at the beginning he says "we are earth" (no. 2; cf. Gen. 2:7.), well in line with the great Argentinian indigenous singer and poet Atahualpa Yupanqui, "human beings are the Earth that walks, feels, thinks and loves."
He condemns proposals to internationalize the Amazon, which "only serve the economic interests of transnational corporations." (no.38) There is a very strong ethical statement: "[It is a] terrible injustice...[to] obtain significant benefits by making the rest of humanity, present and future, pay the extremely high costs of environmental deterioration." (no.36)
With sadness he acknowledges that "never have we so hurt and mistreated our common home as we have in the last two hundred years." (no. 53) In the face of this human assault on Mother Earth that many scientists have denounced as the inauguration of a new geological era - the Anthropocene one, he laments the weakness of the powers of this world who, deluded, think that everything can continue as is as an alibi for keeping "their self-destructive vices" (no.59) as well as seemingly suicidal behavior. (no.55)
Prudently, he recognizes the diversity of opinions (nos. 60-61) and that "there is no one path to a solution." (no.60) Yet "the present world system is certainly unsustainable from a number of points of view, for we have stopped thinking about the goals of human activity" (no.61) and are lost in the construction of means for unlimited accumulation at the expense of ecological injustice (degradation of ecosystems) and social injustice (impoverishment of the people). Humankind has simply "disappointed God's expectation." (no.61)
The urgent challenge, then, is to "protect our common home" (no. 13), and for this we need, to quote Pope John Paul II, "a global ecological conversion" (no. 5), "a 'culture of care' which permeates all of society." (no. 231)
The seeing dimension having been accomplished, it's now time for the judging dimension. This judging is carried out in two aspects, one scientific and the other theological.
Let's look at the scientific one. The encyclical devotes the entire third chapter to the analysis of "the human roots of the ecological crisis." (nos.101-136) Here the Pope intends to analyze technoscience, without preconceptions, agreeing that it has brought "important means of improving the quality of human life." (no. 103) But this is not the problem. It has become independent, dominating the economy, politics and nature with an eye to the accumulation of material goods (cf.no.109). It starts from a mistaken assumption that there is an "infinite supply of the earth's goods" (no.106), when we know that we are already touching on the physical limits of the Earth and most of the goods and services are not renewable. Technoscience has become technocracy, a real dictatorship with its steely logic of domination over everything and everyone. (no.108)
The big illusion, now dominant, lies in the belief that all ecological problems can be solved with technoscience. This is a misleading endeavor because it implies "separat[ing] what is in reality interconnected." (no.111). In fact, "everything is connected" (no.117), "everything is interrelated" (no.120) -- a statement that permeates the entire text of the encyclical like a refrain, as it is a key concept of the new contemporary paradigm. The major limitation of technocracy is in fact "the fragmentation of knowledge" and "loss of appreciation for the whole" (no.110). The worst thing is that it "doesn't recognize the intrinsic value of other beings, and even denies any special value to humans beings." (no.118).
The intrinsic value of every being, however minuscule it may be, is permanently emphasized by the encyclical (no. 69), as it is by the Earth Charter. By denying that intrinsic value, we are keeping each creature from communicating its message and giving glory to God. (no. 33)
The largest deviation produced by technocracy is modern anthropocentrism. Its illusory assumption is that things only have value insofar as they are ordered to human use, forgetting that their existence has value in itself. (no.33) If it is true that everything is related, then "we human beings are united as brothers and sisters...[and] in fond affection with brother sun, sister moon, brother river and mother earth." (no.92). How can we claim to dominate them and see them through the narrow perspective of domination by human beings?
All of these "ecological virtues" (no.88) are lost through the will to power and domination of others and of nature. We are experiencing an anguishing "loss of meaning of life and coexistence." (no.110) Several times, he quotes the Italian-German theologian Romano Guardini (1885-1968), one of the most read in the last century and who wrote a critical book against the pretensions of modernity. (no.83, Das Ende der Neuzeit, 1959)
The other aspect of judging is theological in nature. The encyclical reserves plenty of room for the "Gospel of Creation" (nos. 62-100). It begins by justifying the contribution of religions and Christianity since, being a global crisis, each body must, with its religious capital, contribute to the care of the earth (no.62). He doesn't stress doctrines but the wisdom present in the various spiritual paths. Christianity prefers to speak of creation rather than nature, because creation "has to do with God's loving plan" (no.76). More than once he quotes a beautiful text from the Book of Wisdom (21:24) where it says clearly that "creation is of the order of love" (no.77) and God emerges as "the Lord and lover of life." (Wis 11:26)
The text opens into an evolutionary view of the universe, without using the word, but making a circumlocution, referring to the universe "shaped by open and intercommunicating systems." (no.79). It uses the main texts linking the incarnate and risen Christ with the world and with the whole universe, making matter and the whole earth sacred (no.83) In this context, he cites P. Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955, no. 83 note 53) as a precursor of this cosmic vision.
The consequence of the fact of the Triune God being a relationship of divine Persons is that all things in relationship are echoes of the divine Trinity (no.240).
Citing the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of the Orthodox Church, he recognizes that sins against creation are sins against God. (no.7). Hence the urgency of a collective ecological conversion to rebuild the lost harmony.
The encyclical concludes this part, rightly: The analysis "has shown the need for a change of direction...[we need to] escape the spiral of self-destruction which currently engulfs us." (no.163). This is not about reform, but, citing the Earth Charter, seeking "a new beginning." (no.207) The interdependence of all with all leads us to think of "one world with a common plan." (no.164)
Since reality has multiple aspects, all closely related, Pope Francis proposes an "integral ecology" that goes beyond the usual environmental ecology (no.137). It covers all fields -- the environmental, the economic, the social, the cultural, the spiritual -- and also everyday life. (nos. 147-148) He never forgets the poor who also evidence their form of human and social ecology, experiencing bonds of belonging and solidarity with one another. (no.149)
The third methodological step is to act. In this part, the encyclical sticks to the great themes of international, national and local policy. (nos.164-181). It emphasizes the interdependence of the social and educational with the ecological and sadly notes the constraints that the prevalence of technocracy brings, making changes that would slow the voracity of accumulation and consumption and could inaugurate something new, difficult. (no.141). It again takes up the topic of economics and politics that should serve the common good and create the conditions for potential human fulfillment (nos.189-198) It goes back to stressing the dialogue between science and religion, as has been suggested by the great biologist Edward O. Wilson (cf. the book The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth, 2008). All religions should seek the protection of nature and the defense of the poor. (no.201)
Also within the act aspect, one challenge is education in order to create "ecological citizenship" (no.211) and a new lifestyle, based on caring, compassion, shared sobriety, the alliance between humanity and the environment, as both are inextricably linked and co-responsible for everything that exists and lives and for our common destiny (nos.203-208).
Finally, the moment of celebrating. The celebration takes place in a context of "ecological conversion" (no.216) which implies an "ecological spirituality" (no.216). This derives not so much from theological doctrines but the motivation to which faith gives rise to take care of the common home and nourish "passionate concern for the protection of our world." (no.216) Such experience is first of all a mystique that mobilizes people to live in ecological balance, "within ourselves, with others, with nature and other living creatures, and with God." (no.210). Here, "less is more" seems true and we can be happy with little.
In the sense of celebration, "rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise." (no.12).
The fresh fraternal spirit of St. Francis of Assisi permeates the entire text of the encyclical Laudato Si'. The current situation doesn't mean a predicted tragedy, but a challenge to take care of the common home and each other. In the text, there is lightness, poetry, and joy in the Spirit and unwavering hope that as great as the threat is, the opportunity to solve our ecological problems is greater still.
It ends poetically with the words "Beyond the sun," saying, "Let us sing as we go. May our struggles and our concern for this planet never take away the joy of our hope." (no.244)
I am pleased to end with the final words of the Earth Charter that the pope himself cites (no.207): "Let ours be a time remembered for the awakening of a new reverence for life, the firm resolve to achieve sustainability, the quickening of the struggle for justice and peace, and the joyful celebration of life."
Posted by Rebel Girl at 6:49 PM No comments:
Labels: Boff, church, environment
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
A pontificate of novelty and resistance: Special interview with Tina Beattie
IHU On-Line (em português)
June 6, 2015
"The Church must get real about motherhood, and that means getting real about the fact that, every day, 800 of the poorest women in the world die from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, and thousands are injured," says the writer.
Francis' pontificate is a "novelty" because he "repeatedly stresses the priority of love in practice over abstract doctrines" and "constantly emphasizes a poor Church for the poor," says Tina Beattie in an interview with IHU On-Line via email. Despite the innovation inaugurated by the pope in the Church, it's obvious, she says, that "there are doctrinal teachings he can't change." Tina calls attention to the debate about "how far he can go, for example, regarding the readmission of divorced and remarried Catholics to the sacraments, the inclusion of people in relationships with people of the same sex within the Church's understanding of the goodness of sexual love and marriage, the ordination of women (which he has said is now a closed matter)."
In the opinion of the theology professor at the University of Roehampton in London, "Francis continues to repeat some of the teachings of his predecessors in a way that shows a certain reluctance to fully embrace the insights and challenges of women theologians and feminists." Similarly, the Pope "has a very negative attitude towards gender theory, continuing to promote the concept of sexual 'complementarity' that has been widely criticized, and he occasionally makes jokes about women, which some find trite and bit paternalistic," she points out.
Despite her support for gender arguments, the theologian points out that the "idea of autonomy should be used with caution" because, as human beings, we are creatures who depend on one another. "The modern secular individualistic idea of autonomy is not really compatible with the Catholic understanding of co-dependent and relational creatures. That said, the Catholic tradition places great emphasis on the duty of every individual to follow his or her enlightened conscience, and that means there must be authority control when intimate matters of personal decision-making are concerned," she explains.
Tina Beattie is a theologian and specialist in ethics and feminism issues, a member of the board of the British Catholic review The Tablet. Aong other works, she is the author of Theology after Postmodernity: Divining the Void (London and New York: Oxford University Press, 2013) and New Catholic Feminism: Theology and Theory (London and New York: Routledge, 2006).
Check out the interview.
IHU On-Line - What is the great novelty of Francis' papacy?
Tina Beattie - Pope Francis has moved beyond the somewhat authoritarian style of both his predecessors, Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, to create a more welcoming and inclusive church, which focuses more on joy, forgiveness and Christ's mercy than on the application of strict rules and dogmas. He repeatedly stresses the priority of love in practice over abstract doctrines. This is a novelty, and the other is his constant emphasis on a poor Church for the poor. In an era of increasing economic divisions between rich and poor, many people welcome his willingness to be a strong voice to remind us of the importance of justice for the poor, the marginalized, the excluded and refugees, and his clear commitment not just to talk about it, but do it. This is a pope who embraces the simplicity of which he speaks, and that's inspiring.
IHU On-Line - What have been the main limitations of his papacy?
Tina Beattie - I think it's fair to say that the Church today is divided between those who accept the more informal and populist leadership style of Pope Francis, and those who pine for the more doctrinally and liturgically conservative style of Pope Benedict XVI. It's not correct to describe these distinctions as "liberal vs. conservative" or "progressives versus traditionalists", but certainly one of Pope Francis' challenges is dealing with these two polarized positions. And of course, there are doctrinal teachings that he can not change. There is much debate about how far he can go, for example, regarding the readmission of divorced and remarried Catholics to the sacraments, the inclusion of people in relationships with people of the same sex within the Church's understanding of the goodness of sexual love and marriage, the ordination of women (which he has said is now a closed matter).
However, this is a pope who, in my opinion, truly believes and trusts in the Holy Spirit. It's God's Church, and by creating a more open and admittedly contested space for these things to be discussed, he is, I believe, allowing the Spirit to guide the Church. I don't think he feels any need to control this process, even though his role as pope is to ensure wise leadership and discernment. The word 'discernment' is the key to his papacy. As a Jesuit, that's the mark of his spirituality. He also speaks repeatedly of the primacy of time over space - you need to give time to the processes of human transformation, taking into account the limitations and the context of inevitable failures.
IHU On-Line - What advances have been made in these last two years regarding the participation of women in the Church?
Tina Beattie - Pope Francis has repeatedly called for women to play a more significant role in the Church, and there have been some changes. He increased the number of women on the International Theological Commission from two to five, and recently the first woman was appointed to take over as rector of a pontifical university - Sister Mary Melone at the Antonianum. The new Pontifical Commission for Child Protection, established by Pope Francis has several women members, including the respected British psychiatrist, Baroness Sheila Hollins [1] and the abuse survivor Marie Collins [2]. In the first months of this year there were a number of conferences and meetings organized by various institutions of the Vatican to discuss the role of women, and this is a sign that things are changing. That said, Pope Francis continues to repeat some of the teachings of his predecessors in a way that shows a reluctance to fully embrace the insights and challenges of women theologians and feminists.
For example, he has a very negative attitude towards gender theory, continuing to promote the concept of sexual 'complementarity' that has been widely criticized, and he occasionally makes jokes about women, which some find trite and bit paternalistic. He's a man of his time and his culture, but he's also willing to be open and learn, so we should accept his advice and recognize that human transformation takes time and we can't expect him to do and be aware of everything immediately.
IHU On-Line - To what extent do these modifications challenge and revise the patriarchal structure of the ecclesiastical institution? What are their limits?
Tina Beattie - It has often been observed that for the patriarchal structures and androcentric institutions to change, it's not enough to just include a few selected women. There must be a critical mass of women, for example, on pontifical commissions, in universities and other leadership positions. Women theologians should be involved in shaping the doctrine of the Church, and these should be women who represent the rich and vast diversity of life of Catholic women in different cultures and contexts. All this is possible without us radically challenging the teaching of the existing church. Sooner or later, however, the question of women's ordination will have to be discussed and open to a full and serious theological debate. When so many other churches are ordaining women, it's not possible for the Catholic Church to just keep on hoisting the drawbridge on this issue. Pope Francis wants the Church to spread the joy of the Gospel, for us to be evangelizers, for us to be "good news" for all the people of the world, especially the poor. But in today's world, an institution that continues to block women's sacramental representation of Christ on the altar doesn't seem like "good news." Christ took on human flesh in order to redeem humankind - it's his humanity, not his masculinity, which is the most significant in terms of redemption. For women today to hear this message, we need to see that women also represent Christ.
IHU On-Line - Why does the absence of women's influence manifest itself more clearly in relation to the Church's teachings on sexual and reproductive ethics than in any other place?
Tina Beattie - There are huge problems surrounding the Church's teaching in these areas, with respect to a failure to understand and reach out to women who have difficulty with dilemmas and heavy responsibilities in the areas of sexuality, reproduction and motherhood. The official church teachings and papal pronouncements still romanticize motherhood and don't take sufficiently seriously the challenges of maternal mortality, overpopulation and the need for women to have sexual and reproductive rights as an expression of our own ethical responsibility. Moreover, in a world where so many girls and women still lack any role or control over what happens to them sexually, it is ethically shocking to deny them access to safe contraception.
Abortion is a very complex issue, and I know very few Catholic women who embrace the pro-choice movement uncritically. The goal should be to prevent abortion -- in the words of Hillary Clinton, make it safe, legal and rare -- but the lives of unborn children aren't saved by making abortion illegal - it simply ensures that many women will die along with their aborted child. This is an extremely complex ethical dilemma, but women should talk to women about these issues. The idea of a hierarchy of celibate men proclaiming itself the final moral authority over women's bodies, on their sexuality and their reproductive capacity simply ensures that our daughters will move away from the Church en masse, because they realize that it's a ridiculous situation.
IHU On-Line - These days, what do the Church's exhortations and controls on sexuality, especially women's, mean?
Tina Beattie - Of course, there is a need for men and women to think together about what it means to express our sexuality in a responsible and loving way, and take full responsibility for the children we engender. I don't think many people would like the Church to stay silent on such issues. But there is also a strong element of control in some of the teachings on sexuality. In all cultures, the female reproductive system is of enormous importance and is always subject to high levels of control and supervision, but with the advent of women's rights and gender equality, this model no longer has any credibility. We need an ethical transformation.
IHU On-Line - To what extent do these Church policies on women's sexuality represent an obstacle to them achieving their autonomy as individuals?
Tina Beattie - The idea of autonomy should be used with caution. As human beings, we are relational creatures - dependent on one another and responsible for each other. The modern secular individualistic idea of autonomy is not really compatible with the Catholic understanding of co-dependent and relational creatures. That said, the Catholic tradition places great emphasis on the duty of every individual to follow his or her enlightened conscience, and that means there must be authority control when intimate matters of personal decision-making are concerned. The Church can teach, guide, inform and pray, but it should not coerce, force or intimidate, nor should it seek to use the law to enforce those fundamental moral principles of virtue of an individual nature.
IHU On-Line - Why do you say that Francis tends to romanticize motherhood? What does that mean in practical terms?
Tina Beattie - See above. The qualities of nurturing, caring and offering affection associated with motherhood should be the qualities of every Christian, and indeed, Pope Francis himself manifests these qualities to a large extent. But mothers are human, and as women, we often face great injustice, difficulties and injuries in relation to our mothering abilities. The Church must get real about motherhood, and that means getting real about the fact that, every day, 800 of the poorest women in the world die from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, and thousands are injured. This is the equivalent of two jumbo jets falling every day, and yet official Church documents never mention this as a serious ethical challenge. And while it's impossible to assess accurately how many women die from unsafe abortions, the numbers are in the tens of thousands each year. These are complex challenges. They have to do with economic and social justice, not just with sexual ethics. The international community has made great strides in reducing maternal and child mortality over the last two decades, but the Church's anxiety about contraception and abortion shows that instead of leading such efforts, it has very often been an obstacle.
IHU On-Line - What is the nexus that links poverty and mortality among women? What is the Church's role in changing that scenario? How could Francis could intervene in that sense?
Tina Beattie - About 99% of maternal deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia among the poorest women in the world. When a mother dies, it also has a devastating impact on her surviving children. Women's lives are blighted by infant mortality and of course, the inability to limit the number of children. However, there is abundant evidence that contraceptive campaigns aren't enough. When women are educated, and when infant mortality is reduced, population numbers begin to decline and women have fewer children. The Church is right about that, and has said so many times. This is important because even Western nations sometimes promote aggressive policies of population control that take away the rights and autonomy of poor communities and of women in particular. So in that respect, the Church could be a champion of poor women's rights. But for an educated woman to limit the number of children, she needs access to safe contraception. This is the stumbling block for the teachings of the Church.
IHU On-Line - In view of your critical stance on the Catholic Church, which do you remain tied to Catholicism, specifically?
Tina Beattie - Catholic faith tells us that the world is blessed by God, that we participate in God's being and the beauty of creation is a manifestation of divine grace. It offers a sacramental view of creation and our place in it, and its core doctrines of the Incarnation, redemption, Trinitarian love and solidarity with the poor are to me the formative beliefs around which my entire life and aspirations revolve. Why would I leave it just because of some temporary difficulties with moral teachings that very few people, after all, follow? The Catholic Church is a lasting human reality, and of course there are struggles, difficulties and differences as we are discern what that means in terms of time, history and a rapidly changing global culture. But it is precisely here where I want to put my efforts and my commitment.
[1] Sheila Hollins (1946): professor of psychiatry of learning disability at St George's University in London. In 2010, she received the title Baroness Hollins of Wimbledon in London Borough of Merton and Grenoside in county of South Yorkshire. She was president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists 2005-2008, succeeded by Dinesh Bhugra. She was also president of the British Medical Association and is currently president of the BMA Science Council. In 2014, Pope Francis named her member of the newly created Pontifical Commission for Child Protection. Check out more information on the topic on the IHU site. The pope completed the Commission for minors: eight women and ten lay people, available here. (IHU On-Line Note)
[2] Marie Collins: Irish woman who at 13 years old was sexually abused by a priest while she was an inpatient in a hospital. It was the first time she had been away from her family. Years later, she found out, after having been released, that the hospital discovered that the priest "was a specialist in abusing inpatient children" and that the Church's only "punishment" was transferring him to a parish. Today, she is part of the committee that advises the Vatican in the fight against child abuse in the Church. On the topic, check out the IHU site: "'Meeting in the Vatican on controversial Chilean bishop was very good,' says survivor of sexual abuse", available here; "'Whoever covers up sexual abuse should also be punished": Interview with Marie Collins, available here; "'I will make the voice of a woman abused by a priest heard,' says Marie Collins", available here. (IHU On-Line Note)
Translator's Note: All articles mentioned and hyperlinked in the footnotes are in Portuguese.
Posted by Rebel Girl at 12:03 PM No comments:
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
The meeting between Pope Francis and Ana Maria Araújo, widow of Paulo Freire
Boa Informaçao.com
May 27, 2015
Ana Maria Araújo Freire, widow of Paulo Freire (1921-1997) and an educator too, was received last month by Pope Francis in a private audience at the Vatican. According to Nita, as Ana Maria is known, the meeting lasted 40 minutes.
The pope received Paulo Freire's widow and told her he had read Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Ana Maria gave him a letter in which she asked his help to open the Vatican archives, in an attempt to understand what influence Freire's ideas had on the pontificates.
Brazil's most renowned educator, Freire based his work on the idea that, instead of receiving knowledge passively, students need to form critical consciousness -- only then would they be citizens with autonomy.
The meeting was mediated by Dom Cláudio Hummes, Archbishop Emeritus of Sao Paulo and the Brazilian priest closest to the pontiff.
At the audience, in which she was accompanied by her daughter Heliana Hasche and a couple of friends, Nita gave Francis a letter in which she praised his papacy and asked for help that he might intercede with priests ("mostly Dominicans, Jesuits and Salesians") to surrender letters they had received from Paulo Freire on liberation theology.
The current of Latin American origin that advocates for a Church turned towards the poor, always close to Marxism, as Freire was, has had access to the Vatican again with the coming of Francis to power -- it was persecuted during John Paul II's papacy (1978-2005).
The educator also asked the pope to study the possibility of opening the Vatican archives "so that we might know if there was, and what was, the influence and presence of Paulo Freire's ideas with Pope Paul VI and other papacies, since the publication and assimilation of Pedagogy of the Oppressed in 1970."
Nita gave the pope a box with all of Paulo Freire's books (in Portuguese), as well as the biography she wrote of the educator, to whom she was married ten years.
Finally, she invited Francis to eat pizza in the streets of Rome as if he were an ordinary mortal and, on his next visit to Brazil, to taste a feijoada made by her. According to the educator, the pope laughed.
Posted by Rebel Girl at 10:08 AM No comments:
Labels: church, solidarity
Monday, June 15, 2015
Mercy Begins at Home: An Open Letter to Pope Francis
Although I am a mere laywoman, I listened attentively to the video of your talk at the recent priests' retreat (posted below, in Spanish) and I liked much of what I heard.
Yet, as you spoke so eloquently about the need for priests to show a merciful Church to the faithful, to forgive seventy times seven as Jesus taught, my mind kept coming back to how unmerciful the Church has been with its own and I would like to challenge you to do two things to make the Year of Mercy more than just pretty words.
First, I am mindful of the priests who have been not only stripped of their priestly faculties but completely excommunicated in recent years because they had the audacity to publicly express their disagreement with Church teachings on issues such as women's ordination and gay marriage. I am thinking specifically of Nicolas Alessio (Argentina), Roberto Francisco Daniel, aka "Padre Beto" (Brazil), Roy Bourgeois (United States) and Greg Reynolds (Australia), but I'm sure there are others who fit this profile. For these men, who gave up wife and family to serve God's people, this banishment from the table has been the most painful experience of all.
If you really believe, as you told the priests' retreat, that the squabbles that exist in the Church are a sign that the Church is alive, then you must recognize that the presence of these dissenters is healthy. Use the power of your office to lift the excommunication that has been imposed on these men and let them speak their minds.
As you spoke, I was also mindful of the many workers who have been treated unmercifully by Catholic Church institutions in my country -- the United States -- and elsewhere. Workers have been terminated for "offenses" ranging from merely expressing opinions contrary to Church teaching in the social media, to conceiving a child out of wedlock, to exercising their legal right to marry their same sex partner.
I heard your anger as you told the story of the young single mother who cried to you because a priest refused to baptize her baby. You passionately declared that if this woman had the courage to bear her child and not "return it to sender" (abort it), the least the Church could do is baptize that child. Can we not also add that the least the Church could do is not deprive that woman of her livelihood and health insurance at this critical time? These sorts of terminations for private activities that don't impact the individual's job performance need to stop. I implore you, in the upcoming Year of Mercy, to publicly instruct Catholic bishops worldwide to stop the termination of church workers in their diocese without just cause.
If you can find it in your heart to do these two things, many of us will find it easier to believe that your talk of mercy is more than just empty rhetoric.
Blessings and thank you for your inspirational words,
Rebel Girl,
Blogger, "Iglesia Descalza",
June 15, 2015
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Labels: church, labor, reflection
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Had the fun pleasure of photographing Leenard and Renee's engagement session just before Thanksgiving. They ended up deciding 2View full post »
Solvang Vineyard Engagement Session Photos for Pop and Gamm was so much fun!
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We had the pleasure of photographing the engagement session photos for Terence and Emily in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. We had ourView full post »
Victoria Beach is a beautiful gem hidden in Laguna Beach. The Pirate Tower at the Victoria Beach made for a stunning backdrop for part 2View full post »
There are many popular locations for pre-wedding and engagement sessions that I've photographed for my wedding couples. ThoseView full post »
I have the bestest couples. Period.
I've photographed weddings for George's family for close to a decade! Jinny andView full post »
Karlene & Michael reached out to me to photograph their traditional Vietnamese wedding engagement ceremony at their home because myView full post »
Yvonne and Albert is another one of my awesomely sweet couples that is a referral from one of my past couples. This time Javier &View full post »
Had the pleasant opportunity to photograph Vicky and Alan at the Venice Canals on this beautiful day in Southern California. Take a lookView full post »
Annie and Francis' Sunset Engagement Session at the LA Arboretum in Arcadia.
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Hong and Candy had a long day of photography for their Engagement / Pre-Wedding Photo Session. We started out having some full on bridalView full post »
Happy Valentines Day Everyone <3
For those of you who has been checking out my Facebook PageView full post »
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Getting Google AdSense approval is not easy. You have to own a stable blog which is at least 6 months old and has regularly published contents. As long as you completely fulfill the TOS (Terms of Services), your way to get into this advertising network is widely open. Otherwise, you may only get rejection. But, it is not the only phase you have to be aware of. Once officially being notified as an AdSense publisher, you should think forward, considering the revenue optimization.
Although you have a pack of Ad units displayed on your page and made some money, you can earn more. Pay attention to the keys success of Google AdSense, i.e. keyword research and targeted traffic. It also means that to optimize your AdSense revenue, you will always have to deal with the internet marketing strategies. The purpose is to bring more massive decent traffic to your site which will increase the number of advertisement clicks. So, here are things that you can do:
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Hey everyone,
Bring it on!!! About two weeks ago, Edith left a comment on my Pineapple Tarts...two ways post. She was rather straight forward and I was a lil' startled in fact. Here's what she said:
I shoot her an email with my address only to find out later her intention was to send me nastar mould to ease my life. It came in last week. And it not only came with a nastar mould, it also came with this lovely heart shape open face tart mould in it!!! Edith, I cannot thank you enough for the moulds. Edith thought I have been nice and kind to her but the inner me thought Edith was the one being nice and kind to me. I totally don't deserve the moulds and no, I have not met Edith in real life before. Not even once!
It surprises me how sometimes blogging has built my network and brought nice people closer to me. I know good people when I see one. I can't wait for the bloggers meet up in KL. I can't wait to meet Zurin in real. Zu, I hope pomegranates are still available next week so I can get them for you as fresh as possible! I can't wait to meet Angie.
I have so much more to learn about baking. I have long way to go in cooking. I have more flavours to invent for cool concoctions. And I just cannot tell you all enough how little things like leaving me a comment and even just dropping by and bookmark my page sparked my life. You don't have to send me gift to make my day!
I have never thought I would be where I am today. All these started off as a past time and it shall continue to be. I am a professional engineer now, I have already graduated. I have no regrets and will not turn my head and look back at those times thinking I should have worked on a Pastry Chef Degree instead.
And to those of you who sent me hate mails and hate comments saying I'm not posting frequent enough, I am getting boring and my skills aren't right here and there, jeeeezzzz.....go get a life. I'm not here just to entertain you. I am a self-taught, never had the luxury to attend a single class like you. I don't mind if you tell me nicely. But if you do it like how you did on my Old-Fashioned Tiramisu or my French Toast, trust me you'll either get deleted or on days when I'm up for an argument, I'll approve you and shoot the hell out of you along with other people. I'm here to entertain myself and hope I might entertain you too. It's a symbiosis process, a two-way thing. Not like you, you parasite! Blog! blog! blog! Did you care about my life? Did you ask me how am I faring if I didn't tell you?
Let's not go there. Edith, thank you so much again. You have made me so happy today I couldn't sleep last night. That is true. I sure will have fun with the moulds you sent me.


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Part II Assistant – Residential Schemes
- Recruiter
- Adrem Group
- Location
- Central London
- Salary
- Posted
- 29 Jul 2013
- Closes
- 26 Aug 2013
- Ref
- Sector
- Architecture
- Function
- Architect, Architectural Assistant
- Job Type
- Permanent
Part II Assistant – Residential Schemes / Central London / £25,000 – £28,000pa
SKILLS REQUIRED:- AutoCAD (required) Revit (advantageous), Design, Technical, Housing, GLA Guidelines.
Specialist award winning practice who work across many sectors delivering projects for residential, commercial, retail and mixed use schemes are currently working on a number residential schemes in the London area. Due to practice growth and expansion they are now looking to recruit an experienced Part II Assistant with the ability to work on post contract projects working closely with senior staff and Partners to deliver these projects. As well as this housing project, you will be working on other, design & technical focused residential and mixed use projects. Previous development experience in the housing/residential sector essential, as well as being up to speed with all London housing guidelines is required.
-Excellent presentation skills, both verbally and drawing;
-Excellent working knowledge of CAD systems, ideally including REVIT;
-Experience of working directly with the client, contractor and design team, with a good knowledge of current housing guidelines and how to apply them
-Candidates must have strong interpersonal skills, be highly computer literate, self-motivated and a clear thinker, alongside a strong team player who can work in a multi-disciplinary team and able to work to tight deadlines.
If you feel you have the experience needed for this position then please send your CV and work examples to Gina at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Adrem Creative Careers / Architecture Jobs / Architectural Assistant Jobs
Adrem Group are specialists in Creative Careers.
Similar jobs


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Again and Once More, Again
Kristie MacDonald, Myfanwy MacLeod, Mitch Robertson
December 3, 2016 to March 5, 2017
Gallery 3
Curator: Emily McKibbon
Reception: Thursday, December 8, 7 to 9 pm
Artist Talk by Myfanwy MacLeod: December 7, 10:30 am, Campus Gallery, Georgian College. Admission free
In Again and Once More, Again artists Kristie MacDonald (Toronto), Myfanwy MacLeod (Vancouver) and Mitch Robertson (Toronto) work with archival and found photographs as starting points to address failed or incomplete histories, troubling outdated assumptions while generating new narratives.
Robertson's work examines the convoluted and fantastical history of Oak Island, Nova Scotia, with ten hand-painted versions of an identical gelatin silver print offering ten possible explanations of the treasure hidden there. MacDonald restages and repairs torn photographs of people she finds in her daily life, undoing these acts of anger. MacLeod engages with the MacLaren's collection of Soviet-era press photographs, creating a series of flags featuring cheerleaders in rare moments of introspection, complicating notions of camp, gender, athleticism and nationalism. A transmutation is at play in each of these disparate works, suggesting that passionate failure is as generative a starting point as any.
In Every Direction
Jessica Hein, Sylvia Matas
December 8, 2016 to March 12, 2017
Janice Laking Gallery
Curator: Renée van der Avoird
Reception: Thursday, December 8, 7 to 9 pm
In Every Direction brings together works on paper by two Canadian artists whose drawings invite contemplation on the complex nature of human experience. The artworks of Jessica Hein and Sylvia Matas resemble maps: symbolic depictions of relationships between spatial elements. Like cartographers, both artists observe, interpret and chart natural phenomena. However, where a mapmaker strives for objective accuracy, Hein and Matas pursue a more subjective goal: to explore the crossover between psychological landscapes and the natural environment. Neither navigational nor to-scale, their maps open new possibilities for imagining the world around us.
Jessica Hein received her Master of Visual Studies at the University of Toronto in 2013. She has exhibited in Halifax, Stouffville and Toronto. Originally from Sudbury, she lives in Toronto. Sylvia Matas is an interdisciplinary artist from Winnipeg. She received a Master of Fine Arts from the Chelsea College in London, England in 2008. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, most recently in Winnipeg, Reykjavik and Toronto.
Look Once, Look Twice: Altered Photographs from the Sovfoto Archive
December 3, 2016 to March 5, 2017
Joan Lehman Gallery
Curator: Emily McKibbon
Reception: Thursday, December 8, 7 to 9 pm
Look Once, Look Twice presents altered photographs from the MacLaren Art Centre's collection of Soviet-era press photographs. The Sovfoto Archive comprises 23,116 vintage gelatin silver prints dating from 1936 to 1957, all originating from New York-based press agency Sovfoto. This collection has a particular focus on World War II and its aftermath, as well as Soviet life in the pre-war and post-war periods. Established in 1932, Sovfoto received state-sanctioned photographs from the Soviet Information Bureau (Sovinformburo) on consignment. Photographs were selected, often retouched, and appended with English captions, all before leaving the USSR. Sovfoto later became Sovfoto/Eastfoto and continues to operate under that name.
The majority of images in this exhibition were retouched for print legibility, with backgrounds removed or simplified and highlight details sharpened. While these changes may have been made to clarify the image for halftone reproduction, these alterations remain a cogent reminder that the "truth" of a photograph isn't always fixed in photochemistry.
Guarding Landscape
December 8, 2016 to March 5, 2017
The Carnegie Room
Curator: Renée van der Avoird
Reception: Thursday, December 8, 7 to 9 pm
IAIN BAXTER& is one of Canada's leading conceptual artists. For over forty years, he has been working in various media including painting, drawing, sculpture, installation and performance. This selection of monoprints from the MacLaren's collection highlights BAXTER&'s use of satire to make social and ecological commentary. This prolific artist challenges conventions of landscape and still life genres by incorporating seemingly disconnected images in highly graphic, pop art-inspired compositions. These playful works look critically at contemporary culture, highlighting the commodification of our landscape and our dependence on consumer goods.
IAIN BAXTER& is a Professor Emeritus at the School of Visual Arts University of Windsor. He has received numerous awards including a Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts in 2004 and was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2003. Reflecting his lifelong approach to non-authorial art production, BAXTER& legally appended an ampersand sign to the end of his last name in 2005.
Image captions: Jessica Hein, The colour of there from here E'N, 2013, graphite on paper, 130 x 130 cm (left); Myfanwy MacLeod, Flagspreader, 2016, nylon fabric, wooden flagpole, brass acorn finial, 386 x 252 x 28 cm. Photo: Dennis Ha (right). Images courtesy of the artists.
About the MacLaren Art Centre
The MacLaren Art Centre is the major public art gallery in central Ontario serving the residents of Barrie, the County of Simcoe and the surrounding area. The Gallery has a permanent collection of over 27,000 works of art and presents a year-round programme of innovative world-class exhibitions, education activities and special events.
The MacLaren Art Centre gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of its Friends, Patrons, Donors, Sponsors, Partners, the City of Barrie, the Ontario Arts Council, the Government of Ontario and the Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Heritage and exhibition sponsor Barriston Law LLP.
Gallery Location
37 Mulcaster Street, Barrie, Ontario, L4M 3M2, 705-721-9696 www.maclarenart.com
From Toronto: From highway 400 north, 90 km north of Toronto, take the Dunlop Street East exit to Mulcaster Street and turn left. The MacLaren is one block north on the right hand at the intersection of Collier Street and Mulcaster Street.
Gallery Admission
Suggested admission $5
Gallery Hours
Monday to Friday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Wednesday 10:00 am to 7:00pm
Saturday and Sunday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Closed December 25, 26 and January 1. Open Family Day, February 20, 2017, noon to 4 pm.
Wheelchair accessible


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"Blue Dots" by RPES
22" x 30"
Marker, Paint Marker and Spray Paint
RPES, originally from the south of France and best known for his work in the PMB crew, he's been making a name for himself all over Europe as well as 2 other continents. RPES fell in love with graffiti culture in the early 2000's and with a strong urge for traveling and exploring, came to the Bay Area and never looked back. With nearly a decade of work under his belt with the PMB crew, he was easily able to make a name for himself here in the states. His art has evolved over the last 5 years into a very refined graffiti style.


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The Dorset Food and Arts Festival will take place at Queen Mother Square square in the heart of Poundbury on Saturday August 2, the weekend closest to the late Queen Mother's birthday.
This year's event will celebrate local food and drink and artistic creativity in Dorset.
Organisers Dorset Food and Drink, Dorset Farmers' Markets and the Duchy of Cornwall will also be working with the New Hardy Players, the Dorchester Community Play and Screen Bites, Dorset's food and film festival.
Continue reading Dorset Food and Arts Festival 2014 date set for Poundbury


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By the looks of it, the Government has started to turn things around near the end of the year, after a disastrous start in which the primary deficit seemed completely out of control. Since June, the primary deficit has flatlined and since September it has stayed below 2010 levels. September and November were particularly good months. That said, three months do not a reverse snafu make and December could well be a different story, as indeed the whole of 2012.
All of my usual caveats apply: a large proportion of savings are unsustainable, either because they are one-off tax revenues or because they are based on deep cuts to public investment. Sooner or later the potholes will need filling and the tax admin IT systems will need mercy-killing; and of course there's only so much you can tax when an increasing number of would-be taxpayers are under the poverty line.
Moreover, I'm still unable to explain why last year's deficit figures have been revised upwards by about 834m as of November. This revision accounts for about half of the gains that the government appears to have made against 2010 figures. Moving the goalposts is a time-honoured tradition but I don't expect it's fooling anyone anymore.
As for next year, much hinges on what kind of measures the government goes for. Remember, the order of preference should be:
Benefit cuts > Public consumption cuts > Direct Tax Hikes> Public Investment Cuts > Indirect Tax Hikes
I can't see how a government with no mandate (three non-mandates do not make a mandate) will manage to pull off further benefits cuts, or indeed how further taxes are going to be viable given their history of missing revenue targets. Public investment is down to virtually zero, so that's not an option. So next year is going to be the year the moist-eyed public consumption puppy really gets it.
For the more visual characters among you, the charts below show the evolution of the primary deficit during the past three years.
So to conclude, I don't know how long this is going to last, but let's cheer this latest batch of figures. Long-term, the solvency of the Greek sovereign is not in question in the same way as the half-life of a snowflake in hell is beyond dispute.
But lest we forget, PRIMARY SURPLUS = SOVEREIGNTY so the closer we get to it the better. Yay.


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Bill Fay – Still Some Light (Coptic Cat)
I should probably warn at the outset that this is likely to be a somewhat confused and disoriented piece of writing, the British singer-songwriter Bill Fay having been a musical infatuation of mine for a while now. I chanced upon the See For Miles reissue of his two albums originally made for Decca in the early 1970s in my local library some time in the early years of the last decade. I picked it up purely on the basis that I knew nothing about Fay and because the original cover images were striking. Later, when working on a piece on Fay for John Kell's Unpredictable Same fanzine, I discovered that Fay was also being championed elsewhere. MOJO's Jim Irvin had drawn attention to these classic, underappreciated albums, whilst Wilco's Jeff Tweedy had been performing Fay's 'Be Not So Fearful' in his solo concerts, having been introduced to the Decca albums by Jim O'Rourke.
After his Decca contract folded, Fay had not, as many imagined disappeared, but had continued to write and record music at home, away from the commercial imperatives of the music industry. Some of this was released by David Tibet on Current 93 on the excellent, spacious and mysterious 'Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow' set. It's entirely probable that, much like the home tapes of the late, great Arthur Russell, there may be numerous unheard Fay recordings that are worthy of release.
'Still Some Light' contains the first brand new Fay recordings for over thirty years, recorded alone at home. It is packaged, delightfully, with a generous set of demo recordings made between 1970 and 1971 with the superb band that made 'Time of the Last Persecution' – guitarist Ray Russell, drummer Alan Rushton and bassist Daryl Runswick. All three musicians play beautifully. Russell, better known as a jazz musician with an enthusiasm for 'freer' musical forms makes some dramatic and searing contributions, emphasising Fay's apocalyptic themes of cosmic battle between good and evil.
A number of these demo recordings are invaluable. There are stripped back versions of two songs from the eponymous debut album, which had been embellished with huge orchestrations from Mike Gibbs. 'The Sun Is Bored' has even greater menace with the focus shifted from string section to Russell's violent bursts of guitar, whilst 'Sing Us One of Your Songs May' retains its eccentric charm. Then there is the bulk of 'Time of the Last Persecution', in prototype form, but largely faithful to the cleaner recordings that ended up on the album itself. The quality of these recordings is not good – there is plenty of residual hiss from the tape sources and the vocals frequently clip in a way that is not easy on the ear. Fay is honest about this in the sleeve notes, and I would argue that he is right that the feel and atmosphere of these sessions, as well as the quality of the songs and the musicianship, outweigh the limitations of the equipment used. It's actually a great pleasure to hear these songs in such a raw, pure and direct form.
Perhaps even more notable amongst the demos are those songs that did not appear on either 'Bill Fay' or 'Time of the Last Persecution'. There's a wonderful 'Love Is The Tune', which eventually appeared on 'Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow' and the charming 'Arnold is a Simple Man' seems to be another of Fay's brilliant character portraits of sympathetic eccentric individuals. It's a more than worthy addition to his canon. More unexpected is the distorted sturm und drang of 'There's A Price Upon My Head'.
The new material is considerably harder to judge. Recorded at home using a Korg keyboard and a basic microphone, it is awash with generic synth pads, facsimile piano sounds, plinky mock pizzicato strings and very basic drum machines. These arrangements will likely present difficulties for those, like me, who love both the lavish Mike Gibbs scores and the excoriating immediacy of the band recordings. It's quite a similar feeling to listening to those recent low budget albums Leonard Cohen made with Sharon Robinson, although 'Still Some Light' rather lacks their sense of irony.
'Road of Hope', 'City of Dreams', 'Fill This World With Peace', 'Be at Peace with Yourself', 'Peace on Earth' – the song titles certainly offered a clue as to the mood of 'Still Some Light'. It's a sincere and earnest collection of songs searching for the spiritual or the numinous in a troubled world. To many people, this may come across as idealistic, spiritual dreaming - to others, the sincere sense of peace, contemplation and devotion may strike a real, personal chord. It's tempting to suggest, however, that Fay has already written a couple of definitive examples of this kind of spiritual-inspirational song with 'Methane River' and 'Be Not So Fearful'. In those songs, the sentiments were mysterious and eccentric – here, they are sometimes transparently platitudinous. The nadir is probably 'Hello Old Tree', a mercifully brief and very whimsical track in which a tired sounding Bill takes a brief pause to commune with nature.
It's also a challenge to adapt to Fay's changed singing voice, which may have been diminished by his years of smoking. It's a weaker instrument now, although much of its conversational, intimate character is retained. Whether Fay's tepid attempts at vocal treatment – double tracking and reverb particularly – serve to improve the sound of the vocals is a matter for personal taste. I find myself frequently wishing he'd left them dry. Perhaps the biggest obstacle of all is the gentle, hushed dynamic, languid pace and consistent muted tone. Over twenty six tracks, it begins to become more oppressive than it is dreamy or peaceful. A little more rhythm would have been appreciated.
Yet, even though the production values are modest, perhaps even bizarre, there are still flashes of inspiration that remind us of Fay's dignity, compassion and melodic invention. If we try and imagine these songs as home recorded prototypes for a studio recording that might never be, it starts to make a little more sense. Imagine the mysterious 'City of Dreams' with a real vibraphone and some dusty, brushed snare drum and it might sound a whole lot more evocative. There's a humane soul in 'There is a Valley' and 'Road of Hope', in the frailty of Fay's voice in the latter and in the expansive narrative of the former. One can't help but wonder if the Willie who has a dream in the forest in 'All Must Have a Dream' is the same Willie of 'Gentle Willie' from the debut album. There's a sense that the benign feeling at the heart of these songs might be a genuine inner peace and tranquillity from which a conscious rejection of conflict and intensity results.
In his sleevenotes, essentially a history of his career in the form of an embellished acknowledgements list, Fay comes across as a gentle, calm, very dignified human being. It might therefore be unfair to expect any grandstanding musical statements from him now. For all its pleading for hope and peace, 'Still Some Light' still seems like an insular and hermetic work. Perhaps it's all the more interesting for that. Those who have not heard those two incredible Decca albums should certainly start there rather than here – they are wonderful recordings and, honestly, contain some of my favourite music of all time.
Friday, January 15, 2010
A Solipcist's Prayer Meeting
Labels: Music, Songwriters
1 comment:
- xtianDC said...
Not confused or disoriented at all! I'm still very much digesting this new batch of songs from Bill Fay and greatly enjoyed reading your well-formulated thoughts. My affection for those first two records is also vast...so I consider this in the same way I do Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow; I'm just grateful for its existence, even if it falls short of those essential cornerstone albums. Hard not to root for Mr. Fay in any case, isn't it?
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2017 Toyota C-HR
0 Defect Investigations from the NHTSA
NHTSA Defect Investigations for the 2017 Toyota C-HR
The Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) is an office within the NHTSA which investigates serious safety problems in the design, construction or performance of vehicles. The NHTSA is authorized to order manufacturers to recall and repair vehicles, if the ODI finds a safety issue. NHTSA investigations for the 2017 Toyota C-HR, both ongoing and closed, are listed below:
- Currently there are no NHTSA investigations for the 2017 Toyota C-HR.