Morning Mimi,
I awakened this morning to a note on my computer from Roseann who says she and hubby are still in the cloud of unknowing. The tumor that was found was in the upper GI, and another endoscopy will be done early in the week along with a ultra sound. The nausea is worse that the pain and she hasn't slept or eaten since Wednesday.
She did say she can't blog or read comments from the hospital (which is wireless) due to some security level. She thinks her fine Roman hospital has blocked any sort of connection to the Mad Priest. (I'm happy to see her wonderful sense of humor is still intact.)
She says her e-mail address is located on her blog, and welcomes notes. The words of encouragement mean a great deal to her.
....
She's standing in the need of prayer folks, let's not let her down.
Thanks to you Mimi,
Sue
Let's not let Roseann down. The details on Roseann's other medical problems are here.
Pray, pray, pray. And go to her blog for her email address and send her encouraging words.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Gino Says, "Happy Valentine's Day!"
Gino, the Maltese puppy, is the latest addition to my daughter's family. That's not really Gino up there, because I forgot to take a picture of him yesterday when I saw him, but the puppy in the picture looks very like him. Gino is nearly weightless, and feels like a little stuffed toy. He's adorable.
Gino says, "Below is my grandmother, Mimi, in her younger days. She wishes you 'Happy Valentine's Day', too."
R. I. P Alison Des Forges
It is with enormous sadness that Human Rights Watch announces the death of our beloved colleague Dr. Alison Des Forges, who was killed in the crash of Flight 3407 from Newark to Buffalo on February 12, 2009. Des Forges, senior adviser to Human Rights Watch's Africa division for almost two decades, dedicated her life to working on Rwanda and was the world's leading expert on the 1994 Rwanda genocide and its aftermath.
"Alison's loss is a devastating blow not only to Human Rights Watch but also to the people of Rwanda and the Great Lakes region," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. "She was truly wonderful, the epitome of the human rights activist - principled, dispassionate, committed to the truth and to using that truth to protect ordinary people. She was among the first to highlight the ethnic tensions that led to the genocide, and when it happened and the world stood by and watched, Alison did everything humanly possible to save people. Then she wrote the definitive account. There was no one who knew more and did more to document the genocide and to help bring the perpetrators to justice."
May Alison and all those who perished on Flight 3407 from Newark to Buffalo rest in peace and rise in glory.
Almighty God, Father of mercies and giver of all comfort: Deal graciously, we pray thee, with all those who mourn, that casting every care on thee, they may know the consolation of thy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Book of Common Prayer, p. 489)
Thanks to Georgianne for the link to the announcement by Human Rights Watch.
The account of the crash from the New York Times.
Rowan Williams In "The Atlantic"
Paul Elie contributed a long article on Rowan Williams to the March issue of The Atlantic It's lengthy, four long pages, but although the author draws different conclusions than I on the puzzling (to me) words and actions of Rowan Williams, the entire piece is worth a read.
I've selected a few quotes from the article, in which Elie seems to think that the ABC, despite the criticism that's leveled at him, may be getting it just right, a conclusion which I cannot share.
It's difficult to be reminded of the ABC's change of mind regarding the appointment of his good friend Jeffrey John as Bishop of Reading. To me, it was his first serious misstep, one from which, in my humble opinion, he has never recovered. According to Giles Fraser, the vicar of Saint Mary’s, Putney:
...Jeffrey John is a Welshman and an old friend of Williams’s. He is gay and lives with another priest, Grant Holmes, to whom he was joined in a commitment ceremony, yet he is pledged to celibacy—which, his supporters say, makes him technically no different from a straight and unmarried priest. “At one point, when Rowan was bishop [of Monmouth],” Fraser told me, Williams and John “went to the archbishop of Canterbury about homosexuality, and Rowan apparently said to Carey, ‘Who pays the price for the gay policy? Gay people do.’ And he and Jeffrey lobbied Carey to make a change.”
But Carey made no change, and on top of that, he vetoed the nomination of Williams for the job of bishop of Southwark, near the Tate Modern in newly trendy south London, because of Williams’s obvious commitment to progress on gay issues. When Williams became archbishop of Canterbury, he sought to turn the tables. John was proposed for a post as the bishop of Reading, a half hour by rail from London, and Williams signed off on the appointment.
Then the campaign against the gay bishop began, with traditionalists on four continents forming a patchwork alliance. Fraser says those in America and England cared nothing about the views of the bishops of Africa until they saw the chance for an alliance against the progressives. They took up the ordination of gay bishops as a wedge issue, and made a show of unity; they claimed that a pro-gay agenda was a new form of imperialism against the global South. “They drafted the Church of Nigeria, with its numerical strength, as a way of raising a ruckus over it. They got the white man’s guilt going. The Internet sped it along.” And it worked. “Rowan backpedaled,” Fraser said. “He asked Jeffrey John to resign.”
There's an amusing bit in the article on the meeting of the "neo-traditional" bishops in Wheaton, Illinois:
The founding of a neo-traditional Anglican movement in Wheaton, Illinois, in early December actually confirmed the point. The event made the front page of The New York Times, but the facts belied the claims about its impact. The announcement took place not in Jerusalem, but in a borrowed church in a midwestern suburb, and none of the African bishops was present. Although the breakaway bishops claimed the support of 100,000 people, the 800-seat church was half-empty, and already those bishops faced conflicts among themselves—about the status of women priests, for example. It is the threat of schism, and the dramatic Reformation history that the word calls to mind, that gives the dissident bishops their power. Should they actually secede, they would soon be reduced from headlines to footnotes.
In the final paragraphs of the article, the ABC answers Elie's question about gay bishops in the Church of England:
In the Anglican Communion, I said to him, all the changes that the traditionalists have resisted—married priests, women priests, openly gay priests—have eventually come to pass. Did he think there would be openly gay bishops in the Church of England in 10 years? Was it just a matter of time?
“I highly doubt it,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll have progressed that far in our discernment process.”
It was not a no, just a not yet. Even as he declined to endorse the ordination of gay bishops, with that roundabout phrase about progress he left the possibility open—the possibility that it would come to pass eventually, and that he would think it a good thing, too.
The ABC is probably correct that a gay bishop in the Church of England is not likely within 10 years. I can hear him saying to himself, "Not on my watch!" How long do archbishops of Canterbury usually hold their positions? Will the ABC preside over another Lambeth?
I've selected a few quotes from the article, in which Elie seems to think that the ABC, despite the criticism that's leveled at him, may be getting it just right, a conclusion which I cannot share.
It's difficult to be reminded of the ABC's change of mind regarding the appointment of his good friend Jeffrey John as Bishop of Reading. To me, it was his first serious misstep, one from which, in my humble opinion, he has never recovered. According to Giles Fraser, the vicar of Saint Mary’s, Putney:
...Jeffrey John is a Welshman and an old friend of Williams’s. He is gay and lives with another priest, Grant Holmes, to whom he was joined in a commitment ceremony, yet he is pledged to celibacy—which, his supporters say, makes him technically no different from a straight and unmarried priest. “At one point, when Rowan was bishop [of Monmouth],” Fraser told me, Williams and John “went to the archbishop of Canterbury about homosexuality, and Rowan apparently said to Carey, ‘Who pays the price for the gay policy? Gay people do.’ And he and Jeffrey lobbied Carey to make a change.”
But Carey made no change, and on top of that, he vetoed the nomination of Williams for the job of bishop of Southwark, near the Tate Modern in newly trendy south London, because of Williams’s obvious commitment to progress on gay issues. When Williams became archbishop of Canterbury, he sought to turn the tables. John was proposed for a post as the bishop of Reading, a half hour by rail from London, and Williams signed off on the appointment.
Then the campaign against the gay bishop began, with traditionalists on four continents forming a patchwork alliance. Fraser says those in America and England cared nothing about the views of the bishops of Africa until they saw the chance for an alliance against the progressives. They took up the ordination of gay bishops as a wedge issue, and made a show of unity; they claimed that a pro-gay agenda was a new form of imperialism against the global South. “They drafted the Church of Nigeria, with its numerical strength, as a way of raising a ruckus over it. They got the white man’s guilt going. The Internet sped it along.” And it worked. “Rowan backpedaled,” Fraser said. “He asked Jeffrey John to resign.”
There's an amusing bit in the article on the meeting of the "neo-traditional" bishops in Wheaton, Illinois:
The founding of a neo-traditional Anglican movement in Wheaton, Illinois, in early December actually confirmed the point. The event made the front page of The New York Times, but the facts belied the claims about its impact. The announcement took place not in Jerusalem, but in a borrowed church in a midwestern suburb, and none of the African bishops was present. Although the breakaway bishops claimed the support of 100,000 people, the 800-seat church was half-empty, and already those bishops faced conflicts among themselves—about the status of women priests, for example. It is the threat of schism, and the dramatic Reformation history that the word calls to mind, that gives the dissident bishops their power. Should they actually secede, they would soon be reduced from headlines to footnotes.
In the final paragraphs of the article, the ABC answers Elie's question about gay bishops in the Church of England:
In the Anglican Communion, I said to him, all the changes that the traditionalists have resisted—married priests, women priests, openly gay priests—have eventually come to pass. Did he think there would be openly gay bishops in the Church of England in 10 years? Was it just a matter of time?
“I highly doubt it,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll have progressed that far in our discernment process.”
It was not a no, just a not yet. Even as he declined to endorse the ordination of gay bishops, with that roundabout phrase about progress he left the possibility open—the possibility that it would come to pass eventually, and that he would think it a good thing, too.
The ABC is probably correct that a gay bishop in the Church of England is not likely within 10 years. I can hear him saying to himself, "Not on my watch!" How long do archbishops of Canterbury usually hold their positions? Will the ABC preside over another Lambeth?
With Deepest Apologies To Male Readers
In case you missed it on 60 Minutes, here is what Andy Rooney thinks about women over 40:
60 Minutes Correspondent Andy Rooney (CBS)
As I grow in age, I value women over 40 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:
A woman over 40 will never wake you in the middle of the night and ask, 'What are you thinking?' She doesn't care what you think.
If a woman over 40 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do, and it's usually more interesting.
Women over 40 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you if they think they can get away with it.
Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated.
Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 40.
Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 40 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.
Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk, if you are acting like one. You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.
Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed, hot woman over 40, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year old waitress. Ladies, I apologize.
For all those men who say, 'Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?' Here's an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage. Why? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire pig just to get a little sausage!
Don't blame me. Blame Andy Rooney and Doug.
UPDATE FROM THE COMMENTS: Lynn said...
:-) urban legend on the authorship, it's an embellishment of a piece written by Frank Kaiser. Snopes link: http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/rooney2.asp
I've always liked this, a guy friend sent it to me in 2003, it was so unlike Andy Rooney I did a little research then.
60 Minutes Correspondent Andy Rooney (CBS)
As I grow in age, I value women over 40 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:
A woman over 40 will never wake you in the middle of the night and ask, 'What are you thinking?' She doesn't care what you think.
If a woman over 40 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do, and it's usually more interesting.
Women over 40 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you if they think they can get away with it.
Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated.
Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 40.
Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 40 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.
Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk, if you are acting like one. You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.
Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed, hot woman over 40, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year old waitress. Ladies, I apologize.
For all those men who say, 'Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?' Here's an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage. Why? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire pig just to get a little sausage!
Don't blame me. Blame Andy Rooney and Doug.
UPDATE FROM THE COMMENTS: Lynn said...
:-) urban legend on the authorship, it's an embellishment of a piece written by Frank Kaiser. Snopes link: http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/rooney2.asp
I've always liked this, a guy friend sent it to me in 2003, it was so unlike Andy Rooney I did a little research then.
More Prayers, Please
Mindful of the terrible loss of life last night in the Buffalo plane crash I'd ask your prayers for our brothers and sisters currently meeting at Seabury in Chicago.
Their meetings end today and they'll be travelling home to their individual parish and diocesan duties this week-end.
An extraordinary group of individuals, many of the greatest living blessings to our Church at this time , many of them very dear to me personally- among them +Gene , Elizabeth+, Susan+, +Tom.
I'd also ask prayers for the families in Newark and Buffalo living loss at this time and for the suffering and heroic people of Australia
David@Montreal
Their meetings end today and they'll be travelling home to their individual parish and diocesan duties this week-end.
An extraordinary group of individuals, many of the greatest living blessings to our Church at this time , many of them very dear to me personally- among them +Gene , Elizabeth+, Susan+, +Tom.
I'd also ask prayers for the families in Newark and Buffalo living loss at this time and for the suffering and heroic people of Australia
David@Montreal
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Urgent Prayer Request For Roseann
Evening June,
I sent you a note on FB a while ago telling you that Roseann is back in the hospital with a 103 fever, and vomiting. The doc's have begun testing to see what might be wrong. Would you send this on to the blog world? I'll keep you posted on her progress.
Suzanne
O God, the strength of the weak and the comfort of sufferers: Mercifully accept our prayers, and grant to your servant Roseann the help of your power, that her sickness may be turned into health, and our sorrow into joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
(Book of Common Prayer - p. 458)
Roseann is on dialysis, waiting for a kidney donor, because her kidneys were diseased and had to be removed. I think Roseann is quite brave. She kept her courage and sense of humor throughout a long period of of illness. Doctors recently discovered a suspicious spot in a mammogram, and now this. Please pray!
UPDATE:
Mimi,
Roseann has her laptop in the hospital, so if people would like to get in touch with her on Face Book they can.
She had an endoscopy this morning and a small tumor was seen, but she didn't tell me where it was. I'm trying to be cautious with what I pass on, but I think this turn of events should be shared.
I am very concerned for her.
Thank you for posting last evenings news on your blog.
Sue
I sent you a note on FB a while ago telling you that Roseann is back in the hospital with a 103 fever, and vomiting. The doc's have begun testing to see what might be wrong. Would you send this on to the blog world? I'll keep you posted on her progress.
Suzanne
O God, the strength of the weak and the comfort of sufferers: Mercifully accept our prayers, and grant to your servant Roseann the help of your power, that her sickness may be turned into health, and our sorrow into joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
(Book of Common Prayer - p. 458)
Roseann is on dialysis, waiting for a kidney donor, because her kidneys were diseased and had to be removed. I think Roseann is quite brave. She kept her courage and sense of humor throughout a long period of of illness. Doctors recently discovered a suspicious spot in a mammogram, and now this. Please pray!
UPDATE:
Mimi,
Roseann has her laptop in the hospital, so if people would like to get in touch with her on Face Book they can.
She had an endoscopy this morning and a small tumor was seen, but she didn't tell me where it was. I'm trying to be cautious with what I pass on, but I think this turn of events should be shared.
I am very concerned for her.
Thank you for posting last evenings news on your blog.
Sue
A Peaceful 200th Birthday To You, Abe
With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.
(Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address)
I pray that Lincoln found rest and peace in death as he seldom found it in his life.
Wingnuttery
If you like, you can read the entire editorial-length drivel in the The Washington Times, which suggests that if we allow our medical records to be digitized, the US will turn into Hitler's Germany, but it was the excellent commentary by Gavin at Sadly, No! that caught my attention.
What we learn today from the Washington Times is that medical records must not be digitized as the Obama plan proposes, but can only exist in paper form because YOU KNOW WHO LIKED EFFICIENCY HITLER THAT’S WHO. And certainly, such naïve, Godwin-unaware amuse-gueules of instaHitler are in the category of always-funny. I personally like to laugh at things that are funny, and would imagine that other people feel the same.
But it’s also the case that these tantrums represent something different to the wingnut mind than to the clinically normal one. To the wingnut mind, or according to the wingnut assessment of what would shock and upset liberals (a nearly identical consideration), the notion of the totalitarian dictator naturally refers to Barack Obama, and to a chain of previous images of Obama-as-cult-leader, Obama-as-false-prophet, Obama-as-Manchurian-Candidate, as usurper, as dictator, as “chosen one,” as false Christ. “Imagine,” the editorial is saying, “If Obama could access our medical records. What would stop him from euthanizing the weak, the so-called ‘unfit,’ or the ‘politically incorrect?’”
It’s not that wingnuts literally believe such things (or care what happens to the weak). They don’t really believe anything in the ordinary sense of the term, but rather make instrumental, conditional use of certain kinds of beliefs, much in the way that other kinds of people make use of thrill sports or porn.
Read it all. It's worth taking the time.
H/T to Michael F. at First Draft for the picture for the ages and the link to Gavin.
I should rename my blog "Stealing From First Draft".
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