"Unnaceptable"

Unacceptable?!!!

A poorly cooked omlette is unacceptable. Budweiser is unacceptable. Robbie Williams in his capacity as celebrity is uncceptable.

When British and American soldiers are found (thought let's wait and see how deep the rot is) to be torturing, urinating on and generally abusing imprisoned Iraqis, I don't want want the word "unacceptable" to be heard, thought or said. How utterly short does that word fall of the evil of that?

I wasn't expecting the BBC to say that abusing prisoners was sinful, or disordered (which sounds practically benign to me, but Fr. Paul says is theologically severe) - how could they? It's unacceptable is what it is, "that's not how we do thing in America" says Bush, temperately, moderately, sickeningly. Actually, what you don't do in America is refrain from using nouns as verbs - we're dealing with a slightly more serious issue here. Can no-one say "this is inhuman" or even bring themselves to say "this is flat out wrong"?

It's pathetic. We (the West I suppose I mean) feel as though a bad thing has happened, but we can't commit ourselves to the idea that what has happened is an atrocity, a locus point of evil in our world.

All that "unacceptable" commits us to is reprisal,

not fit to wear the queen's uniform

and my but doesn't the punishment fit the crime. We punish the offenders (f*cking sartorially at that) because there actions didn't meet our relativistic, non-commital, post-Christian, Nike (just do it) bloody cultural standards. My moral sense compels me to vomit, but my body hasn't caught on.

Hello all. This is just a note to say that I'm back at Camberley HQ. Dad just picked me up from the station. He and I are both a little tired, so methinketh a still even is oportune; soon I shall be drinking Waggledance in the bath.

Brief mention of work today. Got about a million phone calls today (as it's that time of the month) including several that were some woman trying to send us a fax, and caused me befuddlement. Busy enough in general, but by no means exhausting - nice. Bad business near the end of the day though in the form of a woman who had been declared bankrupt, and wanted us to stop her pay going to her old bank account. We didn't get the new details in time, so she had to spend £20 for the privilege of the cancelation, while we issued her a cheque, but she neglected to ensure that we changed the name on the cheque so that she could actually cash it. The new details she gave us were her friend's. So she's got no money at the minute. She sounded pretty irritated.

Apparently Ati at work is a Seventh-Day Adventist. Presumably that involves a lot of theology I'm not aware of, but the signal thing seems to be that they keep the Sabbath with none of that Sunday nonsense.

I was just handed an exciting new phone to speak to Mum at work on. She's doing an on-call shift in the haematology department you know.

Beer and bath. It's the freaking bank holiday weekend. Woo!

Just a quick note to smirk at the washing up abilities of our house. I took a mug from the cupboard this morning with tea-stains in it, and my beakers had visible milkage.

Hehe.

Hello. I suppose if I'd had anything much about the weekend to blog, I would have blogged it at the weekend. James is back now though, so such things are less likely to occur.

Stayed up too late bumming around in James' room. Just as well Rob doesn't seem to have arrived back either, or I probably would nevr have got round to going to bed. Where is he anyway? Surely he has things to be doing.

Got sunburn on Saturday, sitting in the garden reading. It was quite irritating this morning getting up, but it seems workable now. Work is relaxed, but I don't seem to be getting much done. And no - that's not the reason. Remunerations keep thwarting me, so I think I'll start seeting some people up instead.

Seem to be spoiling myself recently - choc ices and Tunnock's Caramel Wafer Bars - mmmmm. And fruit - nature's candy. And beer. And nice cereal. And the weather is gratuitously pleasant. Why does it never rain on me? I think the reason I don't read so much these days is because a) I don't have to, and b) because it's boring to sit inside and read, whereas it is pleasant to sit outside and read. There are some nice places in Duryard - as opposed to our joke of a back garden - so I might spend some more time round there at the weekends, trying not to look too dodgy, which might work, as the students have come back now.

I love this time of year. But I wonder how I will stop myself from being envious when the students finish exams and, despite being concerned about their respective futures, are able to freely revel in it.

Trackback: 'cos it's only as embarassing as having no comments.

In James' absence, you may have noticed, copious use has been made of his computer. Such is the situation with his books, so I find myself, reading Mark Shea's Making Senses Out of Scripture (sic) being informed that "Bethlehem" means "house of bread", and being reminded that Jesus was laid in a feeding tray. "Bethlehem"- fine - I don't expect to discern Hebrew word-play, but you'd have thought I'd picked up on the manger after hearing about it like two jillion times.

It's very good to be reminded that you don't "get" Scripture in it's entirety, not because you don't know "the original Greek", but because "As the heavens are higher than the earth, / so are [God's] ways higher than your ways / and [God's] thoughts than your thoughts." Which reminds me of the Rosary. Twice in Luke 2, it says something along these lines - "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." - about things she didn't "get". Mysteries, you might call them.

Pat at Christians Together &c. said she overheard some people walking out of The Passion saying they'd seen worse. For the record, I think Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange disturbed me more than Gibson's film did. And this is fine I suppose, granted that I don't equate art with reality, 'cos Alex and his victims just don't mean with the same force as the agony in the garden, the scourging, the crowning with thorns, the carrying of the cross and the crucifixion, or indeed today's (glorious) mysteries.

[So] God, whose only-begotten Son, by his life, death and resurrection has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life; grant, we beseech you, that meditating on the Mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may both imitate what they contain and obtain to what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Not that I 've prayed the Rosary today. It'd be pretty weird if I didn't, having said that...

Lot of rambling going on today, in my head at least. Wish haloscan was running, then I could read my comments...

"When I woke up you were gone, and the TV was blue."

I added some links to entries where people introduced themselves to ease comprehension. If people want to post new ones, I guess I'll notice, and change the links.

I never wrote an introduction for myself, on the assumption that no-one who didn't know who I was would want to read a blog about my life. That's what this used to be you know - a personal blog. In recent times however, I've opened it up to the input of my near relations.

I, that is Mark Dobson, am a chap. My parents were good enough to give me a Christian upbringing (thank you) and I was recently received into the Catholic Church. I rather expect that I'm not the best person to try and summarise my personality, but I think I'd better give it a shot - for the sake of completeness you know. Quiet, generally calm and easygoing, pedantic. Although, as I say, I'm quite quiet, I like arguing with people at times. I have a violent dislike of being wrong about things, which sometimes leads to people to think that my opinion is worth seeking. I have a (ahem) catholic taste in art, mostly music and film, ranging from the gratuitously awkward to the tragically banal. I like Top of the Pops.

I live in Exeter, from whence I graduated with a, if I may be permitted to say so, first class degree in English studies. After a little time spent sponging off the state, I found a job as a payroll assistant for Devon County Council. I don't seem to do very much, but I do sing in the Exeter University Choral Society.

That should just about do it I think.

From Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum.

"Commissions as well as councils or committees established by the Bishop to handle ?the promotion of the Liturgy, sacred music and art in his diocese?[...]"

Wow - I hope the Plymouth diocese has one of these. I'd like to know what they're up to.

"As early as the year 1970, the Apostolic See announced the cessation of all experimentation as regards the celebration of Holy Mass[62] and reiterated the same in 1988."

Ooh - I think I'm glad I missed that.

"Nevertheless, from the fact that the liturgical celebration obviously entails activity, it does not follow that everyone must necessarily have something concrete to do beyond the actions and gestures, as if a certain specific liturgical ministry must necessarily be given to the individuals to be carried out by them."

Oh dear - are there churches where people feel under a constant obligation to be 'useful'? Hmm. Personally, I'm very happy to let the liturgy be performed by people who know what they're about, and to concentrate on what I am receiving rather than how I'm facilitating it. For this reason, I'm glad to have Wednesdays free again. I like playing guitar at mass, but I prefer to be caught up in it, and to be able to sing.

"(thus the word ekklesia is related to klesis, or ?calling?)"

Ooh.

"The reprobated practice by which Priests, Deacons or the faithful here and there alter or vary at will the texts of the Sacred Liturgy that they are charged to pronounce, must cease. For in doing thus, they render the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy unstable, and not infrequently distort the authentic meaning of the Liturgy."

I was given to understand that there is some flexibility involved in this - that priests can alter the readings, at least, to suit pressing pastoral needs. I guess this is probably more about things that occur in ever mass, like the sanctus &c.

There's more on this - hmm. No Liturgy of the Word without the Liturgy of the Eucharist - Hmmm.

Homily - never by a layperson. Hmm.

"[66.] [...] students of theological disciplines"

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Lisa a theology student? Actually, I probably just imagined it. Ignore me.

" In Holy Mass as well as in other celebrations of the Sacred Liturgy, no Creed or Profession of Faith is to be introduced which is not found in the duly approved liturgical books."

That's gotta hurt.

"It is appropriate ?that each one give the sign of peace only to those who are nearest and in a sober manner?"

That's interesting too. I am occasionally, not very often, inclined to think that it would be nice to offer peace to everybody. I gather that the idea of this is for the peace to be significant, but not divert from the Eucharist. Really, if I want to get chummy with the rest of the congregation, it would be a good thing to do so in the context of the messa, i.e. not limited to the building, or to Sundays.

"?The purpose of a variety of colour of the sacred vestments is to give effective expression even outwardly to the specific character of the mysteries of faith being celebrated and to a sense of Christian life?s passage through the course of the liturgical year?"

Having said that, I fully sympathise with Delian's unease at being obliged to wear pink at certain times of the year.

It's a good thing that the vatican has a website - otherwise, I'd have to look a lot harder to find this stuff. Woo. Thanks James.

A quick update, Dad phoned me last night and suggested that we borrow the little car and use Adrian and Emma's car as well which would give a great deal more flexibility than one big car. Also the little cars will be easier to maneuver and hopefully park.

Also I got caught by a pigeon playing poo-poo bombadiers yesterday morning on the way to work, thus my jacket and bag went into the laundry last night. Unfortunately someone else was already using the only washing machine, so I didn't quite have enough time to fully dry everything before the laundry room was locked for the night.

Adrian and Emma called me last night about a week-long holiday starting on the 5th of July. They asked me to make some suggestions about what would suit me.

I'd like to be able to go swimming especially in the sea, walks in woodland and along coastline. Adrian mentioned the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales.

I think I'd prefer renting a flat to Youth Hosteling, and it might be an idea to ask Mum and Dad if we can borrow the big car, since Adrian's little car might be a little squashed and underpowered if all five of us are in it.

With regards to work, I've changed my day off to Thursday and have made some progress with the clocks I'm working on, including a "wonderful" American clock and an unusual (to me) hybridised strike\chime clock. Linda and William are showing their customary efficiency and their provision of hot drinks and hob-nobs for those who enjoy them has been much appreciated.
A slight mishap that left me temporarily underpaid was quickly rectified when David found out about it.

I'll be at Camberley this weekend for a dentists appointment on Monday, so I may blog again sooner.

"lord laserous explosion" - that's fantastic...