Memoirs of a Neophyte

The Last Line Made Me Laugh

2009-02-13T15:12:00.007+08:00

Moscow, February 5, Interfax – Twenty-five buses with depiction of the Holy Trinity-St Sergius Laura and inscription "God EXISTS. Stop worrying and enjoy your life!" will drive London streets.

Thus, Russian-British Russky Chas broadcasting company has launched "a contra campaign" against recent ad action of the British Humanist Association, which put slogans "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life" on dozens of buses circulating in the British capital.

"Who says that faith in God prevents from enjoying your life? Our perplexity developed in a contra-campaign of both Russian and universal character. Its slogan will be even more positive and it’s very important in our complicated times. We’re facing intensive 'programming' of crisis and a person should summon up his strength and get an optimistic impulse," the Russky Chas Director Alexander Korobko was cited as saying by the Noviye Izvestia paper on Thursday.

Orthodox banners are twice bigger than atheist ads.

- Interfax, 05 February 2009, 14:12

The Trinty Lavra of St Sergius

One Less Reason to Fear "Russia"

2009-02-13T13:23:00.005+08:00

MOSCOW, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Russia is cutting military spending amid a deepening economic crisis but this will not affect purchases of new weapons and ammunition, the head of Russia's military said on Wednesday

"We have revised a number of items," Army General Nikolai Makarov, the armed forces' chief of general staff, told Reuters after closed-door hearings on army reform in the lower house of parliament, the State Duma.

"But I believe that on the issues we had wanted to resolve first, in particular, (new) weapons and ammunition, we will be fully covered. We will keep them at the planned level."

[...]

"Probably not a single ministry would agree to trim its spending," Makarov said. "But judging by the real economic situation of the country ... if there is just no cash, we simply cannot ask for it."

- Reuters North American News Service, Feb 11, 2009 11:09 EST

From a friend in ~~Komsomol~~ Nashi:
Well, we do need to save money. Plus, Medvedev is not the hardline militarist that Putin is (soon will be "was" all is pointing to it). He's a businessman. He sees when things are unprofitable and tries to fix that.

By contrast:

The Obama administration has given the Pentagon a $527 billion limit, excluding war costs, for its fiscal 2010 defense budget, an official with the White House’s Office of Management and Budget said Monday.

If enacted, that would be an 8 percent increase from the $487.7 billion allocated for fiscal 2009, and it would match what the Bush administration estimated last year for the Pentagon in fiscal 2010.

- CQ Politics, Feb. 2, 2009 – 12:52 p.m.

And yet, the neoconservative noise machine is gearing up to accuse Obama of "cutting defense spending".

If this seems utterly inexplicable to you, then you don't understand the central organizing (or is that disorganizing) principle of post-9/11 America.

过年好

2009-01-26T18:36:00.002+08:00

The Year of the Ox we do now see,
Long life and peace be e'er with thee.
Prosperity and plenty and plenty may'st thou enjoy.
Wherefore we say Gong Hey Fatt Choy!

Adapted from an original prose by Edward

Христосъ Крещается!

2009-01-21T02:50:00.005+08:00

This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Matthew 3:17

Today we remember how the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ and the great mystery of the Trinity were demonstrated. It is also from this that the present feast is called 'Theophany', that is, the divine manifestation, God's appearance among men. On this venerable day the sacred mystery of Christian baptism was inaugurated; henceforth also began the saving preaching of the Kingdom of Heaven.

In commemoration, photography blog Photo Polygon has presented a series of photographs on its celebration across Russia.

Theophany celebrations on the island of Sviyazhsk in Tatarstan

The faithful hurry to collect blessed water in Novosibirsk

In every church, water is blessed (typically in large water tanks) and faithful bring a little home with them. For more daring believers, however, there is a more challenging way to benefit from the sacred waters. Shedding their fur coats and parkas, Russian Christians cross themselves and jump into freezing river, lake or sea water, through a cross-shaped hole cut in the ice.

A young girl prepares to take the plunge in Sestroretsk

People anxiously wait their turn, Vladimir Oblast

A young lady crosses herself before she takes the plunge in Tsaritsiyno

A believer flashes the "horns" as he immerses in the waters of St Petersburg

As one emerges, another prepares to immerse, Moscow

Christians believe that on this day, all water becomes sacred and immersing oneself in it prevents ill health.

Taking the plunge in Volkhov

As some immerse in the water, others collect it

A child hurries out of the icy Istra river near New Jerusalem Monastery

All over Russia believers take a dip three times in icy water through these cross-shaped holes, called 'Jordans' after the Jordan River where Christ was baptised by John the Baptist.

Emerging from freezing waters around Sviyazhsk

This cossack doesn't seem to mind the cold Dnepr

This young lady in Sestroretsk hurries to dry off

An elderly man chooses to collect the blessed water instead of immersing in it

Helping a young lady out (or in, I really can't tell) of the icy waters

Warm refreshments await those who have taken the plunge

You appeared to the world today, and Your light, O Lord, has left its mark upon us. With fuller understanding we sing to You: "You came, You were made manifest, the unapproachable light."

Kontakion of the After-Feast (4th tone)

A Right to Exist

2009-01-17T19:09:00.000+08:00

Anarchist Catholic blogger Steph makes fine points regarding Israel's right to exist and defend itself:

Israel has no legal argument for its actions but likes to cite the right to exist as a quasi-legal defence for atrocity after atrocity. But this is a smoke screen, even though Israel was admitted into the UN on the 11 May, 1949, there is no international law that guarantees Israel a 'right to exist' and there is no legal justification for genocide or ethnic cleansing.

No state has the right to exist, if it was put to a plebiscite as Iran has suggested, a majority of Palestinians and Israelis, would elect to live in a single state of Palestine, as is there right. Israel can only exist by force of arms and denying Palestinians an equal democratic vote. But not only does Israel not have a right to exist the Palestinians have a right to resist occupation.

Israel’s other defence of its atrocities is the right to defend itself, which is no justification for genocide, and actually Israel doesn’t have a right of self-defence in Gaza. Israel is unlawfully occupying Gaza and the West Bank, which is a violation the United Charter and invalidates the right of self-defence under article 51. Israel also refuses to acknowledge Palestinian sovereignty.

So the Israeli argument is completely bogus.

What Do They Mean, Primary?

2009-01-16T19:12:00.005+08:00

The Vatican has just completed its report on the health of U.S. seminaries, which resulted from questions about the formation of priests brought on by the sexual abuse crisis. The report finds that most American seminaries are healthy and that seminarian morality has improved, particularly in regard to homosexual behavior.

- Catholic News Agency, Jan 15, 2009

Roman Catholic bloggers and friends alike wonder if journalists actually read the document in question past the first three lines.

How US Roman Catholic seminaries really fare, however, is none of my concern. What I am particularly perplexed by is this line from the report:

"It is, unfortunately, rare for American seminarians to have a proper grounding in Latin, which, as well as being of use for the liturgy, is indispensable if students are to have the ability to consult primary theological sources."

...Latin? Primary theological sources?

Hello?

A Rant about the Constant Orthodox/SSPX Comparisons I Get

2009-01-14T02:09:00.000+08:00

Originally posted to Facebook, 10 January 2009

I got another one yesterday. And I've just about had it.

So most of you Roman Catholics seem to either find:
a) the SSPX preferable to Eastern Orthodoxy when converting from a non-Roman Catholic faith
b) the Eastern Orthodox no better than the SSPX (both schismatic, cut from the True Vine, etc)

Well, I did a rudimentary comparison between the two, and here's what initial findings show:

Orthodox Communion
Founded: Pentecost, 33 AD
Rite: Byzantine, "Western"
Liturgical Music: Byzantine, Kievan, Znamenny, Valaam, Georgian, Carpatho-Russian, Galician, Gregorian (Western Rite Orthodox)
No. of Adherents: 225 million
Majority Religion: Belarus (80%), Bulgaria (82.6%), Cyprus (81%), Georgia (83.9%), Greece (98%), Macedonia (66%), Moldova (93.3%), Montenegro (74.24%), Romania (86.7%), Russia (80%), Serbia (84.1%), Ukraine (83%)
Significant Religious Minority: Bosnia & Herzegovina (36%), Croatia (4.4%), Estonia (13.9%), Finland* (1.1%), Kazakhstan (7.8%), Kyrgyzstan (10%), Latvia (6.6%), Lithuania (4.9%), Turkmenistan (9%), Uzbekistan (9%)
Notable Saints: Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrna, Basil the Great, John Climacus, Clement of Alexandria, Nicholas of Myra, Athanasius of Alexandria, John Cassian, Anthony the Great, Maximus the Greek, Cyril of Alexandria, Dorotheus of Gaza, Gregory of Nyssa, Maximus the Confessor, John Chrysostom, Sava of Serbia, Gregory Nazianzus, Barlaam of the Kiev Caves, John of Damascus, Dionysius the Areopagite, Seraphim of Sarov, Basil the Confesor, Dimitri of Rostov, Sergius of Radonezh, Olympia the Deaconess, etc
Notable Religious Contributions: First seven Ecumenical Councils, iconography, hesychasm, foolishness for Christ, etc
Notable Literary Works: Philokalia, The Way of a Pilgrim, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, The Spiritual Life
Notable Cultural Contributions: Cyrillic alphabet (used by 11 languages), architecture (Byzantine, Muscovite Baroque, Neo-Byzantine, Russian Revival, etc), Byzantine art, Classical Antique heritage
Notable Culinary Contributions: Paskha, kulich, kutia, kolliva, etc
Notable Churches: Hagia Sophia (Constantinople), St Basil's Cathedral (Moscow), Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Sofia), etc

* Has national church status

Society of St Pius X
Founded: 1970
Rite: Roman
Liturgical Music: Gregorian
No. of Adherents: 150,000 (approx.)
Majority Religion: None
Significant Religious Minority: None; Ecône probably
Notable Saints: None
Notable Religious Contributions: Highlighting the dangers of Modernism & the Novus Ordo mass, insight into what *exactly* constitues a valid mass/whether excommunication was incurred latae sententiae during consecration of bishops (only in 1988), directly/indirectly influencing the issue of Ecclesia Dei/Summorum Pontificum
Notable Literary Works: 100 Years of Modernism, Against the Heresies, Apologia pro Marcel Lefebvre
Notable Cultural Contributions: First to put lace on Byzantine vestment (no wait, that was the Greek-Catholics)
Notable Culinary Contributions: Ask Kenny
Notable Churches: St Nicolas du Chardonnet (Paris)

By their fruits, you shall know them, so the good book tells us. I think the results are clear. There is NO comparison. Any comparison done to liken the Orthodox to the SSPX in relation to the Roman Catholic Church is clearly derogatory/offensive and WILL incite anger - so if you absolutely must say it, stay clear of cossacks.

If you are a Roman Catholic who believes points a) and/or b) mentioned earlier, congratulations - you are no better than a racist. You think the Roman rite (it doesn't matter whether it's the Novus Ordo or Tridentine mass) is the ONLY worthy, divinely approved liturgy. The Byzantine liturgies are good too, but only for strange people with beards from the forests of East Europe. Worth a visit, but it's really not for decent, English-speaking, educated folk. Oh, and really, who gives a @#$% about the theological and liturgical contribution of the Orthodox East - heck, who cares about doctrine these days - because we know that once you sever that all-important, life-or-death link with the bishop of Rome, you ain't worth nothing.

Christians? What Christians?

2009-01-13T14:00:00.003+08:00

The conflict in the Middle East is commonly presented as a simple, two-sided conflict between Israeli Jews and Arab Muslims — and that is, in fact, how most Muslims in the Middle East regard it. Everyone, however, tends to forget the presence of Palestinian Christians.

Today it is believed that the number of Christians in Israel and occupied Palestine number some 175,000, just over 2 percent of the entire population.

Christianity - which has its origin in the Middle East - was once the dominant religion of the region from as far back as the 4th century (when the Edict of Milan was proclaimed) and for some time after the Muslim conquests of the 7th century, but that number is dwindling fast today.

The Christians of Lebanon, for example, once made up around 55% - a majority - of its population, but after repeated incursions and domestic instability, this majority has been lost.

It is one thing to be simply forgotten by Christians in West, who are usually quick to take up the cause of persecuted Christians abroad, but in Palestine, in a bizarre twist, they aid and abet those who would persecute these Christians. The Christians leave in their hundreds, and those who choose to remain have only Islamic militants as allies.

"We have received far more support and comfort from the Hezbollah in Lebanon than from our fellow Christians in the West," remarked one Christian Palestinian refugee in Damascus. "I want to know, why don’t the Christians in the West do anything to help us? Are the teachings of Jesus nothing but empty slogans to them?"

- The American Conservative, May 24 2004

Why is this?

The majority of Palestinian Christians belong to Apostolic Churches, and perhaps, in the eyes of Protestants, are Mary-worshipping idolaters who deserve no better than Muslim terrorists? That is, however, not the case - most Protestants are unaware of the existence of Palestinian Christians, much less the Churches they belong to.

It is Christian Zionism, a broad movement among Christians (especially the Evangelical Protestants) to champion the Zionist cause. The very establishment and existence of Israel heralds Armageddon and the second coming of Christ. There can be no redemption for mankind without the expansion of Israel to her "historical" borders - and thus, a key tenet of Protestant dispensationalist theology is absolute, blind support for the Zionist state. Palestinian Christians are, of course, acceptable collateral damage in this apocalyptic quest.

This view is, however, not shared even by Protestants who live there. Quoting Anders Strindberg's article from The American Conservative again:

Abbas is one of the handful of Palestinian Christians that could be described as Evangelical, belonging to a group that appears to be distantly related to the Plymouth Brethren. Cherishing the role of devil’s advocate, I had to ask him, "Is the State of Israel not in fact the fulfillment of God’s promise and a necessary step in the second coming of Christ?" Abbas looked at me briefly and laughed. "You’re kidding, right? You know what they do to our people and our land. If I thought that was part of God’s plan, I’d be an atheist in a second."

Apparently, it is up to them to ensure that the conditions as supposedly described in the Book of Revelation are established. Gee, isn't God capable of taking care of a simple task like that?

As Protestants continue to pray for the "triumph" of Israel, these incidents continue:

In a phone conversation today, from Gaza the Latin Patriarchate Church priest, Father Manaweil Musallam, clearly shaken, said, "her name is Christine, a tenth grade student. Her father is a doctor and she lived near the YMCA in Al-Remal area. She died of fear. Since the war started she felt apprehensive of the danger. She suffered from neurotic disorder and a hysteric situation just as many children are suffering. On Friday, during the shooting of F-16 missiles, she fell on the ground due to the dreadful sound. Her father tried to help, but he couldn't. Then he held her in his arms hoping to rescue her in the hospital, but she died before reaching there."

He continued, "the Latin Patriarchate school [where Christine attended] did not face any damages, however, the Rosary Sisters School did face physical damages, since it is located near to the Preventive Security building. Today, no one attended Sunday Mass, no one was able to reach the church... we tried to find an alternative place in the school to do the prayers…I tried to gather the nuns with my own car. Today, the area in which the church is located was shelled, we cannot go there."

Being part of the Greek Orthodox Church, the other congregation in Gaza, means that Christine and her family were looking forward to celebrating their Christmas on January 7th. Instead, they will bury Christine at a time where funerals are a rare commodity, for Gazans cannot keep pace with the mounting dead.

- Uruknet.info, Jan 4, 2009

If anyone ever needed a reason to regard the actions and the beliefs of conservative Evangelicals as both hypocritical and unworthy of serious consideration, this would have to be it. Their support — sometimes tacit and sometimes overt — of actions which harm Palestinian Christians just goes to show that they care far less about humanity and fellow Christians than they do about the ego boost they experience at the idea of coming out on top after Armageddon when everyone else suffers a horrible death.

Me, a Terrorist Sympathiser?

2009-01-12T01:14:00.007+08:00

Before anybody jumps to conclusions and accuse me of supporting terrorists in my last post, let me ask again: is it illogical and impossible for me to be on the side of the innocents who have borne the brunt of Israeli and Hamas atrocity?

Hamas ≠ Palestine

Remember that.

To Christians:
I am appalled that so many of you continue in your ignorance regarding the existence of the Zionist state and thus persist in supporting whatever the Knesset decrees.

Israel NO LONGER exists. It was created by God for His people, and was taken away from them when they rejected Christ. Israel can only be re-created by God, and for the Jews to presume that they have the authority to make Israel a nation by themselves is an act of arrogance so supreme that it boggles the mind.

Orthodox Jews would fully agree with me. Indeed, they loathe Israel more than most Muslims.

Anyone who defends Israel - as a Jewish state - is close to rejecting the exclusivity of the Church, and is drawing close to two-covenant heresy.

In the Old Testament, Israel was the physical nation as well as the spiritual people of God. When they ceased to be the people of God, they lost any claim to the land. The land now belongs to the Arabs (some of which are Christians). The fact that the majority of them are Muslims makes no difference.

The modern Zionist state is nothing but a collectivist agglomeration of people attached and made drunk by an idea of nation hatched in the dark workshops of Potsdam like a counterfeit that keeps passing as legal tender.

Regarding the establishment of [ersatz] Israel being prophesied in Sacred Scripture... where is that?

Indeed, the League of Nations approved the British creation of a Jewish state from the Palestine Mandate and the UN approved the creation of Israel along with an Arab state in Palestine in 1947.

And if that's the case, do you claim the League of Nations and/or the United Nations to be God?

And regarding assertions that the "re-creation" of Israel is an example of prophecy being fulfilled, I can only suggest that you have been reading far too much Darby and LaHaye. You may be right, but the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church has never given any authority to such a viewpoint, and to base politics on unproved eschatology is extremely dangerous.

That said, I haven't the faintest idea whether or not the average individual living in Israel believes in a Zionist ideal. I for one, have never spoken with the average individual Israeli. What I do know is that Hamas has killed, and will likely continue to kill innocent people by deceitful, cowardly, and insidious means.

So while I do not know the individual opinions of the modern-day Israelis, I am certain that they and their families do not want to die to and I am even more certain that they have a right to live. They have a right to defend themselves, but one cannot in good conscience say that the death and destruction wrought on the Zionist state was completely unwarranted.

British historian Arnold Toynbee wrote, "The treatment of the Palestinian Arabs in 1947 (and 1948) was as morally indefensible as the slaughter of six million Jews by the Nazis. Though nor comparable in quantity to the crimes of the Nazis, it was comparable in quality."

If you fail to grasp this point, then there is no point to continue reading. Dismiss me as a drink-sodden anti-Semite if you so wish, but I will not gloss over the ethnic-cleansing of non-Jews merely to 'win' an artificially-created war against Islam.

Israel Invades Gaza: What You Need to Know

2009-01-09T00:07:00.009+08:00

WHAT'S GOING ON?

Hamas (which does not equal "the men, women and children of Gaza")... piss off Israelis with their evil terrorist tactics and they tell the people who are walled into the ghetto and getting the crap blown out of them by Israelis that it's the Zionists who are killing and starving their kids. When your kids all die while they are sitting in geography class because an Israel shell blew the flesh off their bones, that's a fairly plausible take on things. So Palestinians rally round Hamas. What conceivable reason have they to trust Israelis?

Mark Shea
Catholic and Enjoying It!, 6th January 2009

WHAT DOES ISRAEL REALLY WANT?

Does it really believe it can stop the rocket fire from Gaza when previous Israeli governments have tried and failed, using every military means?

[...]

Israel's politicians are pursuing a parallel campaign, too - an electoral one... The Israeli public has a generally low opinion about how their government has handled what they call "Hamastan" - Hamas-controlled Gaza. Until it started talking tough, the hawkish opposition leader, Binyamin Netanyahu, was leading in the polls. Now the gap has narrowed.

Katya Adler
BBC News, 27th December 2008

WHAT WILL HAPPEN?

What we’re talking about here, what the IDF has in mind, is more what the Romans called “decimation”: killing enough of the right people to make Hamas weak for five or ten years, which may, just may, be long enough to give Israel’s allies the PLO/Fatah the edge in the Palestinian Civil War. That’s what this is about, getting your guys to win that war.

Will it work? Depends on the time frame. For a few years, yes; in the long run, Hell no. But if you’re the IDF, there are no good options in the long term. Demographics, dude; no way out of that spiral. The short term is all you’ve got, and in the short term Hamas is going to find out why it’s not a good idea to pretend you’re Hezbollah when you can’t back it up.

The War Nerd
Hamas Ain't No Hezbollah, 6th January 2006

WHAT ABOUT AMERICA?

Americans shouldn't be in the position of endlessly debating Israel's security situation and its endless religious and territorial conflicts with its neighbors. That should be for Israeli citizens to do, not for Americans.

Glenn Greenwald
George Washington's warnings and U.S. policy towards Israel

I TAKE IT YOU DON'T SUPPORT THE GAZA OFFENSIVE?

The Israelis don't want to exterminate the Palestinians; they just want to occupy the land they stole from them, fair and square, by killing 2550 Palestinians for the 17 Israelis killed in the past eight years.

It's eye-opening to see what a Qassam Rocket really looks like. (Not that I'd want one aimed at me, but let's have some proportionality for G-d's sake.) I was imagining V-2s, not what I used to make as a kid when model rocketry was my hobby.

Joshua Snyder
The Western Confucian, 6th January 2006

Qassam Rocket

US-Made Weaponry

WHEN WILL IT END?

The Israelis in Gaza, like the American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, are foolishly breeding the next generation of militants and Islamic radicals. Jihadists, enraged by the injustices done by Israel and the United States, seek to carry out reciprocal acts of savagery, even at the cost of their own lives. The violence unleashed on Palestinian children will, one day, be the violence unleashed on Israeli children.

This is the tragedy of Gaza. This is the tragedy of Israel.

Chris Hedges
Party to Murder, 30th December 2008

Thy Nativity

2009-01-07T12:11:00.004+08:00

...hath shined the light of knowledge upon the world; for thereby they that worshipped the stars were instructed by a star to worship Thee, the Sun of Righteousness, and to know Thee, the dayspring from on high. O Lord, glory be to Thee.

Apolytikion (4th Tone)

The incomprehensible and inexplicable Nativity of Christ came to pass when Herod the Great was reigning in Judea; the latter was an Ascalonite on his fathers's side and an Idumean on his mother's. He was in every way foreign to the royal line of David; rather, he had received his authority from the Roman emperors, and had ruled tyrannically over the Jewish people for some thirty-three years. The tribe of Judah, which had reigned of old, was deprived of its rights and stripped of all rule and authority. Such was the condition of the Jews when the awaited Messiah was born, and truly thus was fulfilled the prophecy which the Patriarch Jacob had spoken 1,807 years before:

A ruler shall not fail from Judah, nor a prince from his loins, until there come the things stored up for him; and he is the expectation of the nations.
Genesis 49:10

Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem celebrates the Nativity

Thus, our Saviour was born in Bethlehem, a city of Judea, whither Joseph had come from Nazareth of Galilee, taking Mary his betrothed, who was great with child, that, according to the decree issued in those days by the Emperor Augustus, they might be registered in the census of those subject to Rome. Therefore, when the time came for the Virgin to give birth, and since because of the great multitude there was no place in the inn, the Virgin's circumstace constrained them to enter a cave which was near Bethlehem. Having as shelter a stable of irrational beasts, she gave birth there, and swaddled the Infant and laid Him in the manger (Luke 2:1-7).

From this, the tradition has come down to us that when Christ was born He lay between two animals, an ox and an ass, that the words of the Prophets might be fulfilled: "Between two living creatures shalt Thou be known" (Abbacum 3:2), and "The ox knoweth his owner and the ass his master's crib" (Esaias 1:3).

Priests gather in the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

But while the earth gave the new-born Saviour such a humble reception, Heaven on high celebrated majestically His world-saving coming. A wondrous star, shining with uncommon brightness and following a strange course, led Magi from the East to Bethlehem to worship the new-born King.

The faithful prepare to receive Christ

Certain shepherds who were in the area of Bethlehem, who kept watch while tending their sheep, were suddenly surrounded by an extraordinary light, and they saw before them an Angel who proclaimed to them the good tidings of the Lord's joyous Nativity. And straightway, together with this Angel, they beheld and heard a whole host of the Heavenly Powers praising God and saying:

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men.
Luke 2:8-14

"Year of the Chinese and Russian Languages"

2009-01-02T23:48:00.000+08:00

BEIJING, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev exchanged congratulatory messages on New Year's eve on Wednesday, and announced the start of "the Year of the Chinese and Russian Languages".

[...]

China and Russia will embrace the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties in 2009, when China will launch "the Year of Russian Language," while Russia will launch "the Year of Chinese Language" in 2010, the Chinese leader said.

- China View, 2008-12-31 19:00:11

Those are incidentally the languages I need to devote this year to improving.

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T03:36:00.005+08:00

Dear friends, the time has come to welcome the new year. Let us congratulate our relatives, our dearest people. Wherever you celebrate this holiday – at home, with friends, or maybe even at work, this very moment we all think about our nearest and dearest.

New Year's Eve is a time of hope. I would to wish every one of us peace, love and the fulfillment of all your wishes.

I wish you happiness! Happy New Year!

- Dmitry Medvedev

At New Year’s, normally, people reflect on the past year. For Christians, this should be a time of prayerful recollection, perhaps, asking repentance for their sins. Of course, it is a time to thank the Lord for all the good that we received in the past year and for those things we shall receive in the coming year.

- Fr Mikhail Prokopenko, Communications Service of the Department for External Church Relations

Honour

2008-12-31T01:52:00.006+08:00

This entry was written following a heated argument with a person has repeatedly failed to keep her word. Though generally patient with others (especially foreign females), her excuses and failure to apologise broke the last straw, leading this blogger to accuse her of being devoid of what seems to have become a forgotten word: honour.

Honour is hard to define and is even harder to put into practice. Many today associate honour with murdered girls and blood feuds. We remember women murdered simply for listening to their hearts, refusing the wishes of their clans, and men left dead in attempts to 'defend their honour' after seemingly mild insults. It reminds us all too much of a culture that remains only in today’s street gangs. Or football pitches.

These people, however, did not kill over honour – they were saving 'face'. There is a distinction between the two. 'Face' represents social perceptions of one's prestige; a loss of which would lead to a (perceived) loss of authority. Honour cannot be taken away by an insult. Honour is lost when one believes the insults and seeks revenge, but it can never be taken away. Honour lies within oneself, and is demonstrated in how one responds to others.

Honour was developed in a violent time where society was driven by class and sex distinctions. This code disciplined the individual, permitting him to take a stand on principle, to become a reformer and to take on injustice.

Honour is first and foremost defined as the deferential recognition by word or sign of another's worth. Thus one would show honour to another by giving him his title if he have one, or by raising one's hat to him, or by yielding to him a place of precedence. One thereby gives expression to one's sense of his worth, and at the same time professing one's own inferiority to him.

We honour God first of all, as the source of all that is and will be. We honour our rulers, who have authority over us, being given by the Almighty. We honour our parents to whom we owe our life. We honour our fellow man, who is made in the image of our Creator.

It is right and proper that marks of honour should be paid to worth of any kind, if there be no special reason to do so otherwise. We are obliged to honour those who stand are superior to ourselves, and even those who are not, for being created in the image of God, they are worthy of basic courtesy and respect.

Why, the Apostle bids us give honour to whom honour is due. To withhold it or to show dishonour to whom honour is due is a sin against justice, and one is obliged to make suitable restitution.

The feudal world that gave life to honour no longer exists, and yet this very notion of 'honour' persists in this very different age. Honour occupies an interesting place in the human conscience. It enhances morality and understanding of God's will. In determining how our conflicts are handled, it aids us as we strive for the perfection of character. In it we are encouraged to return kindness for kindness, to uphold justice and treat all with respect.

There is a story of a master swordsman who sat calmly through numerous insults from bandits. Expertly catching four flies with his chopsticks, he walked away – thus avoiding a fight. A misunderstanding of honour would see this man rising to avenge himself, but nothing the bandits said would have diminished the swordsman’s honour or skill, and fighting them would neither enhance his honour nor skill. It was honourable to walk away.

Honour is courtesy and prudence. Without honour, cherished virtues would be meaningless. Truthfulness without honour leads to embarrassment. Courage without honour brings unnecessary harm to oneself and others. Loyalty without honour is blind obedience. Honour is clearly the hardest virtue to define, and yet the most essential. One must demonstrate courage, courtesy, benevolence, loyalty and truthfulness, finding the balance between humility, glory and respect – even if it means to swallow pride and ambition.

Honour is in right action, goodness and courage on behalf on those who cannot defend themselves – and what one decides to do everyday, one will be honourable. Or not.

Western Christmas in an Orthodox Land

2008-12-28T13:36:00.004+08:00

In Russia, there are about 500,000 Christians who follow the Western usage, and everything is almost ready for Christmas celebrations. The last decoration has been placed on the tree, and the last figurine has been placed in the Christmas cave. As in previous years, Catholic churches in Russia shall tell their believers the wonderful story of Christ's appearance in the world.

[...]

The New Testament does not give an exact date for the birth of Jesus, and it was not until the fifth century that a date for the feast was indicated. In 431, the Third Ecumenical Council agreed to celebrate Christmas on 25 December. Evil tongues say the first Christian clergy set this date to fight pagan practices that were very popular in ancient Rome. Indeed, at that time, the people celebrated the heathen Saturnalia, a merry feast commemorating the dedication of the temple of Saturn, the god of agriculture, fertility, and time.

A believer prays in a Novgorod church

A difference between the Gregorian and the Julian calendar systems also made it unclear when to celebrate Christmas, a spokesman for the Moscow Patriarchate, Fr Sergei Zvonaryov said in an interview with the Voice of Russia. "The difference in the dates for the celebration of Christmas is connected with what calendar is used [for the determination of the fixed feasts], there is the Julian calendar, which is used by most Orthodox Christians, and there is the Gregorian calendar, which is used by the Western Churches and by a minority of Orthodox Christians. There is a 13-day difference between these two calendars. This is the reason why the Gregorian calendar marks Christmas on 25 December and the Julian calendar celebrates it on 7 January.

In Russia, Western Christmas is a quiet family holiday. After solemn mass at church, as a rule, believers go home to lay a festive table. When the first star appears in the sky, the Nativity Fast is over, and people are welcome to eat whatever they will. The table is usually laid with a white cloth and is decorated with fir-tree branches. A separate place at the table is meant for an unexpected guest. It is believed that unexpected guests on Christmas night are sent by Christ. As a rule, in the centre of the table there is a small pillow spread with special Christmas wafers, and each member of the family eats a piece of it, whilst others give their Christmas wishes to a person as they break a piece off the wafer. The rite is finished by a joint recitation of the prayer, 'Our Father'.

There is a beautiful custom arising in modern Russia, for, today, the Orthodox clergy take pains to greet the followers of the Western confessions with Christmas good-wishes on 25 December. We have common values and Christianity is our common faith. That is why we always greet other Christians when they celebrate Christmas and are glad to see them enjoying their holidays. Indeed, we are all Christians, and Christmas is a very significant time for all of us since it emphasizes the importance of the history of salvation of mankind, which occurred here on earth due to the birth of Jesus Christ".

- Voice of Russia World Service, 24th December 2008

Happy Christmas!

2008-12-25T12:06:00.003+08:00

...never mind that is on the day according to the heretical, innovative, thrice-cursed, popish calendar.

We at Memoirs wish all Western Christians, as well as the Orthodox on the Revised Julian calendar, a most blessed feast of the Nativity!

To Christians who will be rejoicing in 13 days' time, we encourage you to prepare yourselves, persevere in the St Philip's Fast, and make ready to receive the most glorious incarnation of Our Lord!

"...Christmas is a feast of light. Not like the full daylight which illumines everything, but a glimmer beginning in the night and spreading out from a precise point in the universe: from the stable of Bethlehem, where the divine Child was born. Indeed, he is the light itself, which begins to radiate, as portrayed in so many paintings of the Nativity. He is the light whose appearance breaks through the gloom, dispels the darkness and enables us to understand the meaning and the value of our own lives and of all history."

- Pope Benedict XVI, Christmas 2008

This just in: Singapore has "extreme weather conditions"

2008-12-24T13:49:00.005+08:00

The world's largest observation wheel, the Singapore Flyer, will be closed until investigations into Tuesday's incident are complete.

[...]

The last time a technical glitch occurred was just three weeks ago, on December 4. The wheel was stuck for nearly five hours due to extreme weather conditions and some 70 people were affected. In July, the Flyer stopped due to a minor fault in the braking system.

- Channel News Asia, 23 December 2008 1843 hrs

You heard of science-fiction?

Well, this is news-fiction!

Uniquely Singapore!

via Ben

In Holy Russia...

2008-12-07T03:52:00.003+08:00

...even reporters cover their heads in church.

A reporter from Telekanal Rossiya interviews a priest of Pyanitsky parish at the consecration of a chapel for cancer patients.

More HERE

"EU More Atheist Than USSR"

2008-12-07T02:18:00.005+08:00

This bit of news is somewhat "dated", but news of the ratification of the EU's Lisbon Treaty on 9 December compelled me to post it anyway.

Renowned French traditionalist philosopher, geopolitical thinker, and founder of the intellectual movement Nouvelle Droite Alain de Benoist believes that modern Europe "has beaten the record of the USSR" in the depths of its mass atheism.

"Now, Europe has reached a level of atheism higher than that found in Russia, even after the forced totalitarian policy of the Soviet period", M de Benoist said at a meeting with Russian scholars at the Conservative Studies Centre of the Sociology Faculty of Moscow State University.

In his observation, today, religious values "are good for Russia, but, not for Europe. Indeed, I believe that a political party based on religious values would win absolutely no votes in elections in the EU", he said.

In particular, he said that 30 years ago France had a law providing punishment for the advocacy of homosexuality, but, today, it has another law that "bans saying anything critical concerning homosexuality". For instance, French schools are using textbooks entitled 'Against Homophobia'.

Professor Valery Rastorguyev, the Head of the MGU Political Theory Department, concluded, "Conservatism is possible only in Russia, for true conservatism should answer the question: Is there a place for God in this ideology?"

- Interfax-Religion, 25 November 2008, 11:18

[via Voices from Russia]

Patriarch Aleksey II (1929 – 2008)

2008-12-06T01:50:00.006+08:00

Aleksy II, the Russian Orthodox patriarch who led a revival of the Church after the fall of Communism and built close ties to the Kremlin under Vladimir V. Putin, died Friday at his residence in Moscow, news agencies reported.

The patriarch was 79, and the Church did not disclose the cause of death. He had long suffered from heart problems.

- The New York Times, December 5, 2008

Покой, Господи, души усопших раб Твоих.

Сам един еси безсмертный, сотворивый и создавый человека. Земнии убо от земли создахомся, и в землю туюжде пойдем, якоже повелил еси, создавый мя, и рекий ми: Яко земля еси и в землю отыдеши, аможе все человецы пойдем, надгробное рыдание творяще песнь: Аллилуия, аллилуия, аллилуия.

Give rest, O Lord, to the soul of Thy servant.

Thou alone art immortal, who didst make and mould man. But we mortals were formed from earth, and to the earth we return, as Thou who created me did command and say to me, "Thou art earth, and to the earth shall thou return," where all we mortals are going, and for a funeral dirge we make the song: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Why Can't Everyone Have Courts Like This?

2008-12-05T01:54:00.003+08:00

Last month the Court of Cassation Italy's highest appeal Court banned a couple from naming their son Friday - Venerdi - because the name "could expose the boy to ridicule".

The court said the name was derived from the manservant in Daniel Defoe's novel Robinson Crusoe, and was therefore associated with "subservience and inferiority". The judges ordered the boy to be renamed Gregorio, after the saint's day on which he was born.

Times Online, December 1, 2008

[via Orwell's Picnic]

Aside from it being assigned to a boy, I'm not opposed to 'Friday' as a name. After all, we do have a major saint who bore that name...

NOTE: I am told that St Paraskeva, like the Martyr Sophia and her daughters Faith, Hope and Love, was a pious analogy that became personified over the centuries. Edward, if you are reading this, please provide an explanation =P

24 Hour Wonder

2008-12-05T01:33:00.002+08:00

Despite the inclement climate, three wooden churches have been built under just 24 hours in the capitals of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus; just in time to celebrate the great feast of the Presentation of Our Lady! Слава Богу!

"Можем когда захотим! Русские - великая, сильная, но ленивая нация.", went a comment left at the video on YouTube by an impressed Russian.

"We can do anything when we want to! Russia - great, strong, but lazy nation".

Monks and Religious Vesture‏

2008-12-04T14:58:00.007+08:00

I received a rather humourous email from a seminarian friend some days ago, which I thought my readers (especially those familiar with the vestments of the Roman rite) might enjoy:

"I was just reading this book entitled Vestments and Vesture by Dom. E. Roulin OSB, a monk of Ampleforth Abbey. Unfortunately, I was reading this in the library during the period of Grand Silence. I say 'unfortunately' because in the middle of my reading I would interrupt myself with suppressed snorts of laughter, attracting curious glances as if enquiring what one could possibly find so amusing in such a seriously titled book.

Among other things, the book discusses lace. Dom Roulin's position is that lace is nothing more than Renaissance worldliness and frivolity to be reserved to domestic articles such as 'tablecloths, curtains and dresses'.

He goes on to mention that some priests have lace on their albs from the chest down with the soutane showing through, so much so that it is no longer an alba but a nigra. Any apparels or ornamentation should be strictly reserved to the skirt of the alb.

He goes on to mention surplices and how St Charles Borromeo required that they go past the knee. But I digress, I am supposed to mention what was so funny about the book."

In the centre stands Don Saturnino, who is wearing a baroque chasuble and lace alb. Flanking him are Fr Jim Tucker and another priest in the matching dalmatics. Easter Sunday in Macchia di Giarre, Sicily.
(Credit and more photos: Dappled Photos)

"Well, every so often, there would be pictures of a Roman Chasuble decorated in the Baroque fashion - what some of us would even say is beautiful. Underneath these pictures would be a clinical and snobby caption like 'This is an example of a chasuble decorated in a most vulgar and ostentatious manner; is suitable only for domestic curtains', 'observe the rubbishy design', or 'a flowered frontal - puerile work'.

The 2 pictures that produced the loudest snorts of laughter was a picture of some stoles in various designs. The first was of a Baroque stole (Fig. 120) in the fishtail ending and another with a trapezium ending (Fig. 123). Fig. 120 caption, Horrible shape and mincing ornament. A good stole should never end in a spade. Fig 123 caption, Stole in the new style; more suitable for a necktie.

The other picture was a drawing of a prelate in one of those super tall mitres (which I am rather fond of, to be honest). The caption read, A pretentious construction, badly shaped and much over-decorated. The face is not a portrait.

There you go! Hopefully this provided you at least 5 minutes of amusement."

1020 Years of Orthodoxy: 3 Churches, 3 Cities, 24 Hours

2008-12-03T22:38:00.001+08:00

The Povest' Vremennykh Let (English: Primary Chronicle; Church Slavonic: Повѣсть времяньныхъ лѣтъ), a history of Kievan Rus' from about 850 to 1110, records for us the miraculous tale of Prince Vladimir's acceptance of the true faith:

Vladimir was suffering at that moment from a disease of the eyes, and could see nothing, being in great distress. The princess declared to him that if he desired to be relieved of this disease, he should be baptised with all speed, otherwise it could not be cured. When Vladimir heard her message, he said, "If this proves true, then of a surety is the God of the Christians great," and gave order that he should be baptised.

The Bishop of Kherson, together with the princess's priests, after announcing the tidings, baptised Vladimir, and as the bishop laid his hand upon him, he straightway received his sight. Upon experiencing this miraculous cure, Vladimir glorified God, saying, "I have now perceived the one true God."

When his followers beheld this miracle, many of them were also baptised.

[...]

On the morrow the prince went forth to the Dnepr with the priests of the princess and those from Kherson, and a countless multitude assembled. They all went into the water: some stood up to their necks, others to their breasts, the younger near the bank, some of them holding children in their arms, while the adults waded farther out. The priests stood by and offered prayers.

There was joy in heaven and upon earth to behold so many souls saved. But the devil groaned, lamenting: "Woe is me! how am I driven out hence! For I thought to have my dwelling place here, since the apostolic teachings do not abide in this land. Nor did this people know God, but I rejoiced in the service they rendered unto me. But now I am vanquished by the ignorant, not by apostles and martyrs, and my reign in these regions is at an end."

Georgian Christian Mothers

2008-12-02T02:07:00.003+08:00

...of whom Ketevan Geladze (Joseph Stalin's mother) was a perfect example.

N. Kipshidze, a doctor who treated her in her old age, recalled a visit by the Soviet leader to his mother in 1935, when she was very ill:

He asked,
"Why did you beat me so hard?"
"That's why you turned out so well."

After a pause, she asked him,
"Joseph - who exactly are you now?"
"Remember the tsar? Well, I'm like a tsar."
"You'd have done better to have become a priest!"

See, I Live!

2008-12-02T01:41:00.003+08:00

Apologies, faithful readers, for the lack of posts!
However, I have a fairly good reason (I know, I know – no excuses). Much work and procrastination has taken me away from posting.

Hopefully, matters will be resolved by this week, and I can start regular posting by the weekend.

Thank you to those that are still checking this sites and join us this weekend for a long due November update!

Cheating at Confession

2008-11-03T04:20:00.004+08:00

"This was my mother, when she was growing up, her experience of confession.

Small town Pennsylvania - Pennsylvania has lots of small towns - and she was born in the 20s, so this was probably in the 30s - the 1930s - and at that time people went to communion and confession once a year; they went during Great Lent.

So in that little town that had lots of kids of Russian immigrants, had a church - the Russian church, that was called so anyway. Those kids got out of school early that Friday afternoon because they were all going to communion the next day, on Saturday. So that Friday afternoon, they were dismissed early, they all went up to the church and got in line for confession. Problem was, the priest was not English-speaking and the kids didn't know how to speak Russian because at home they spoke a dialect, like from the Ukraine and Poland and so on. So you have a communication problem.

So they put one of the older girls first, who understood Russian - who really understood Russian - and they would listen to her answers. So the priest would say, did you this, did you do this, did you do this, and they were listening.

"Da, da, nyet, da, da, nyet."

So they eavesdropped and they go back and send it to each person in the line, "2 das and a nyet. 2 das and a nyet!"

So everybody memorised the answers to confession."

Mother Christophora, abbess of the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, speaking at the Orthodox Christian Women’s conference in Montreal in March 2008.

I Don't Understand the Economy

2008-10-30T01:13:00.002+08:00

The creator of 'Dilbert', Scott Adams, wonders about on the current state of the US economy:

As a general rule, wherever you find a large group of people who are baffled by complexity, you will find a smaller group of people making a good living screwing them. It's true with all complex things: insurance, cell phone plans, legal stuff, technology, you name it. But it has never been truer than with the mortgage backed securities that are currently crapping down the throat of the global economic system.

As I understand it, a bunch of geniuses used something called math to make it seem like a good idea to loan money to people who are unlikely to pay it back. But here's the part I don't understand: Who invested in these risky securities?

According to a recent piece on 60 Minutes, there might be $50 trillion invested in these exotic financial vehicles. So why didn't anyone ever offer those investments to me? And why don't I know anyone else who invested in them? And why haven't I seen a crying widow on TV who wishes she hadn't invested her life savings in them?

As I understand it, banks and mortgage brokers offloaded their crappy mortgages to these investors, thus transferring the risk from the system that makes loans to a bunch of confused people who apparently ran out of regular things to invest in. So why is the banking system in trouble if they moved their worst loans to other people? And who are these other people?

Do you personally know anyone who invested in these exotic securities? And if not, how did we watch so much coverage of the economic crisis without learning such a basic fact?

Y'all Sound the Same

2008-10-25T03:32:00.003+08:00

So I was talking to a girl who recently added me on Facebook.
Her last name was Serbian, so I had started the conversation with Serbian hello, how are you, I'm fine, thanks, etc

Then she tells me...

Sanja says:
Super... Znaes makedonski??

Super... You know Macedonian??

I swear the Balkan Slavic languages are one and the same... even Svetlana agrees.
Sort of.

Светлана says:
no no
Светлана says:
but macedonian sounds like serbian dialect
Светлана says:
we call it South Serbia anyways

2008's Nobel Peace Prize Winner

2008-10-24T00:51:00.014+08:00

Peacemaker or Puppet?

Throughout the Western world, the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari has been widely hailed, where there has been an outpouring of praise for the man and his efforts.

But there is another side to this man that has not yet received attention:

"It really doesn't matter if Paraguay hasn't recognised," Ahtisaari said. "Well over 65% of the wealth of the world has recognised. That matters."

Ahtisaari said Serbia would have to recognize Kosovo if it wanted to join the European Union.

"You can't be poking the EU in the eye [while] saying you want to join EU," he said.

Although he was supposed to be an impartial mediator, Ahtisaari admitted he had sent private messages to all parties soon after taking his role as mediator, that Kosovo's secession was inevitable.

- Kosovo Compromise, Monday, October 20, 2008

Svetlana wryly remarked, "Well, then what about Russia? And India, or China?"

As if this blatant statement does not indicate whose interests Ahtisaari has served in the fiasco leading up to the Kosovar Albanian declaration of independence early this year, the man's "negotiating" techniques are anything but peaceful (emphasis mine):

Ristic reports that as Milosevic listened to the reading of the text, he realized that the "Russians and the Europeans had put us in the hands of the British and the Americans." Milosevic took the papers and asked, "What will happen if I do not sign?"

In answer, "Ahtisaari made a gesture on the table," and then moved aside the flower centerpiece. Then Ahtisaari said, "Belgrade will be like this table. We will immediately begin carpet-bombing Belgrade."

Repeating the gesture of sweeping the table, Ahtisaari threatened, "This is what we will do to Belgrade." A moment of silence passed, and then he added, "There will be half a million dead within a week." Chernomyrdin’s silence confirmed that the Russian government would do nothing to discourage carpet-bombing.

- CounterPunch, October 14, 2008

Many in the West say the continued Chinese presence in Tibet leads to the "mindless destruction" of monasteries, as well as "cultural genocide".

But they remain strangely silent when the very same occurs in Kosovo and Metohija. Hundreds of mediaeval Serbian churches and monasteries, the few remaining strongholds of Kosovo's Christian history, are being emptied and destroyed by Kosovar Albanians as NATO "peacekeepers" nonchalantly watch on. Truly, the Eastern European bias remains alive and well even after the Red Scare has been deposited in history's rubbish bin.

KFOR soldiers helplessly watch as Serbian homes burn near Priština

Gregory Elich concludes:

The selection of Martti Ahtisaari for the Nobel Peace Price was a reward for services rendered. This was a purely political statement, meant to underline an important principle in international affairs. The same Western nations that forcibly carved Kosovo from Serbia are vociferously complaining that independence for South Ossetia and Abkhazia violates international law and the territorial integrity of Georgia. This year’s Nobel Peace Prize affirms the lofty principle that it is only the West that will draw and redraw borders in the manner of 19th-century imperial powers.

It was these imperialist powers who drew the present-day boundaries in the Balkans - sometimes in ink, often in blood. And now they reward this "peacemaker" who has forcibly wrenched Kosovo and Metohija away from Serbia to give Albanian terrorists a country. No Orthodox Christian can ever accept this peace that leaves us with nothing but pain.

Orthodoxy Arrives in Cuba

2008-10-24T00:38:00.004+08:00

...most astonishingly, as a gift from the Communist state:

Legendary Actress Laid to Rest

2008-10-20T21:35:00.012+08:00

On October 15, Latvia bid farewell to legendary film and theatre actress, Vija Artmane. Fan and mourner alike gathered early morning in the capital's Nativity Cathedral for the funeral, presided over by Metropolitan Alexander Kudryashov. She was laid to rest at the Protection of the Mother of God cemetery. Andrejs Strokins captured the entire event on camera.

Born to a Baltic German father and a Polish mother, Alida Franzevna Artmane was raised in a village near Tukums on July 21, 1929. Fond of wild flowers, she spent her childhood playing the fields, learning to make flower arrangements and dolls. At 10, she became a shepherdess, tending a herd of cows for five years. She graduated from high school a year after the Second World War ended, and had dreams of becoming a lawyer, but thankfully, her passion for acting prevailed and she moved to Riga to study at the Daile Theatre Second Studio. Changing her name to Vija, she was critically acclaimed for her performance as Anna Karenina in the eponymous play by Leo Tolstoy; she also starred in Tolstoy's 'War and Peace', in Gogol's 'Dead Souls', and other classic Russian plays.

She achieved nation-wide fame for her role in the 1963 film, 'Rodnaya Krov', as a loving mother. Her subsequent film career was highlighted with such roles as Veda Kong in 'Tumannost Andromedy', as Catherine the Great in 'Yemelyan Pugachyov' and as Julia Lamber in 'Teatris'. Vija Artmane was honoured with the title, National Actress of Latvia and was named People's Artist of the USSR in 1969. The Culture Ministry of Latvia awarded her for her contribution to theatre and cinema in 1999. She converted to Holy Orthodoxy sometime in the early 2000s and her memoirs were published in 2003. She is survived by two children, a son and a daughter.

Блажени, яже избрал и приял еси, Господи. Память их в род и род.

Blessed are they whom Thou hast chosen and taken, O Lord. Their memory is from generation to generation.

A note to non-Orthodox readers: placed on the forehead of the deceased is a paper chaplet bearing the words of the Trisagion, representing the crown of victory at the end of the contest. The coffin is never closed, because we believe the body to be an honourable and even a holy thing. For us, the body is not something to be hidden away or hurriedly disposed of, and should be treated with reverence. One sometimes gets the impression that in closed-casket funerals, the deceased is the only person who is not present and does not matter.

Metropolitan Alexander Kudryashov presided over the funeral

"Сам, Господи, упокой душы усопших рабов Твоих Вия: в месте светле..."

Give rest, O Lord, to the soul of Vija, in a place of light...

Hundreds of Rigans turned out to say goodbye to Vija

A last kiss

Во блаженном успении вечный покой подаждь, Господи, усопшым рабом Твоим, имена, и сотвори им, вечную память.

Give rest eternal, O Lord, in blessed repose, to the soul of Thy departed servant, and make her memory eternal.

ВЕЧНАЯ ПАМЯТЬ!

Poetry

2008-10-17T04:20:00.001+08:00

Хочется дурой набитою стать,
Чтоб не уметь ни писать, ни читать,
Чтобы валяться круглые сутки...
Чтобы смеяться на глупые шутки...
Чтобы переться от розовой шмотки,
Чтобы подруги - одни идиотки,
Чтоб в ридикюле духи и жЫвачка,
Чтоб Петросян насмешил до ус ....ки.
Чтобы компьютер - большой калькулятор,
Чтобы с ашипкай писать > "гиниратор",
Чтобы Дом2 - "зашибись передача",
Кучу любовников и побогаче.
Чтобы в наушниках - "Шпильки" с Биланом,
Чтобы трусы - только "Дольче Габана",
Чтоб "кибернетика" - страшное слово,
Чтобы "политика - это не клёво".
В общем, хочу быть набитою дурой,
Брать не умом, а лицом и фигурой,
Всё достигать, обнажая коленки...
Стать бы такой... И убица ап стенку
Станешь такой - офигеешь от скуки!
Будут вокруг не подруги, а суки.
Все мужики будут гады и жмоты,
Отдых достанет ну просто до рвоты.
Будут в квартире не стены - застенки.
Будут скучать друг по другу коленки.
Так что ресницами глупо не хлопай.
Взгляд в монитор и работай-работай!!!

Beer - A Sign of God's Love!

2008-10-16T16:17:00.005+08:00

With the Oktoberfest nearing its end, Memoirs thought it good to remind all "why malt does indeed offer convincing proof that God does indeed love us":

And yet, I can offer something about beer-brewing that proves, to my pagan mind, why malt does indeed offer convincing proof that God does indeed love us. In the process of brewing beer, there is a critical temperature. It is the temperature of the "sparge" water, the water used to wash the sugars out of the barley malt, and it must be 167 degrees. A few degrees lower, and you won't get all the sugars, a few degrees higher and you will get unpleasant tannins along with the sugars.

Yet, in the days before thermometers, which include most of the days during which mankind, Christian and pagan alike, have brewed beer, how did they possibly know when the water had reached that critical number? Boiling point is easy to find, but boiling water will ruin the wort. So how did they know? As it turns out, there is a sudden change in the reflectivity of water just at this critical temperature; that is to say, you can detect the change in temperature just by looking at the water, no thermometer required. Now, one can invoke mere coincidence to explain this. But to invoke coincidence is to reject not just God but science. For if we can attribute such miracles to coincidence, then we never need look for the cause of anything. And I think it quite reasonable, nay, quite scientific, to attribute such an amazing "coincidence" to the care and concern of God for his creation.

[via The Distributist Review]

"You don’t win a Nobel Peace Prize without having blood on your hands"

2008-10-14T03:27:00.006+08:00

Russia was outraged at the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Martti Ahtisaari last week. The former Finnish president was the UN envoy to Kosovo until 2007, when he quit amid vehement Russian opposition to Kosovan independence from Russian ally Serbia. Deputy leader of the Russian parliamentary foreign affairs committee, Leonid Slutsky, likened Ahtisaari's peace plan for Kosovo to the opening of a “Pandora's box”. Kosova declared independence on February this year.

- The Budapest Times, Monday, 13 October 2008

As if the committee wasn't discredited enough - Ahtisaari wins Nobel Peace Prize. First Kissinger, then Gore, now Ahtisaari?

This man's "supervised independence" plan for Kosovo and Metohija was a complete failure, a plan which solution was tacitly predetermined from the start. Ignoring Serbian interests, imposing one side's interests over another, and providing Kosovo's criminal overlords with all the prerogatives of a state (constitution, border/air traffic control, army, secret service, etc), has resulted in Kosovo's declaration of secession early this year. In addition, Ahtisaari's plan legitimizes the post-war discrimination of minorities, and fails to guarantee restitution of state, social or church property, resulting in widespread acts of violence against the remaining Serbs in Kosovo, as well as the continued destruction of churches and monasteries.

Johan Galtung, Norwegian founder of peace studies, hit the spot when describing Ahtisaari as a man who does not hesitate to favour solutions that bypass the United Nations and international law. "Ahtisaari does not solve conflicts but drives through short-term solutions that please western countries", Galtung adds - and his words will prove to be prophetic.

Kosovar secession is not "the last step in the disintegration of Yugoslavia", as so many have happily mentioned, but rather, the first step in further destabilization in the Balkans.

Who Needs Depth Perception...

2008-10-13T23:47:00.002+08:00

...when you can't drive anyway?

A Muslim cleric in Saudi Arabia has called on women to wear a full veil, or niqab, that reveals only one eye.

Sheikh Muhammad al-Habadan said showing both eyes encouraged women to use eye make-up to look seductive.

- BBC News, 14:51 GMT, Friday, 3 October 2008

I Don't Ask For Much...

2008-10-13T15:02:00.001+08:00

...but why is it sooo hard to get an Orthodox date in this @#$% country?!

The Church Militant

2008-10-11T23:24:00.004+08:00

Kris Kuksi's Church Tank Type 5A

[via bookofjoe]

Excuse Me, Normal?!

2008-10-09T04:40:00.008+08:00

If this does not show how inherently flawed Internet personality quizzes are, I honestly don't know what will.

Your result for The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test...

Joe Normal

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.

You scored less than half in all three, earning you the title of: Joe Normal.

This is not to say that you don't have some Nerd, Geek or Dork inside of you--we all do, and you can see the percentages you have right above. This is just to say that none of those qualities stand out so much as to define you. Sure, you enjoy an episode of Star Trek now and again, and yeah, you kinda enjoyed a few classes back in the day. And, once in a while, you stumble while walking down the street even though there was nothing there to cause you to trip. But, for the most part, you look and act fairly typically, and aren't much of an outcast.

I'd say there's a fair chance someone asked you to take this test. In any event, fairly normal.

Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

Take The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test at HelloQuizzy

СЛАВА БОГУ!!!

2008-10-06T00:54:00.001+08:00

Её телефонная линя была востановлена!

Behind Religious Harmony

2008-10-04T18:26:00.005+08:00

Camille of Forsan et Hæc Olim Meminisse Iuvabit alerts us to this little-known article from Singapore's leading newspaper and ~~official organ of the ruling party~~:

ZOROASTRIANISM is the 'sign of Zorro'. Islam is when 'their marriages take place in the void deck'. Buddhism is 'about filial piety'.
These were some comments made by youth here on various religions, as found in a study by former Aware president and educator Phyllis Chew.

[...]

While 76 per cent said they were 'tolerant' of other religions, their idea of tolerance was 'not talking about it'.

And while a whopping 92 per cent expressed desire to find out more about other religions, the majority said they would do so from the Internet.

At the same time, Dr Chew found that they switched religions through an emotional process. 'They will usually say things like, 'I've a good feeling (about this religion)' or 'My friends influenced me'.

'So it's not a very rational decision, like what are the pros, what are the cons. It's not very cognitive. The switching process is usually an emotional one.'

- News @ AsiaOne, Sep 14, 2008

It is as I have long feared. Religious tolerance (or 'harmony', as official sources often phrase it) in Singapore does not rest on mutual understanding and cooperation, but on a massive foundation of profound ignorance.

After all, what else can explain the existence of both 'Christian' and 'Catholic' as choices on official question forms? The leading newspapers continue to perpetuate this ignorant mistake, year after year, despite numerous friends writing in every so often to request that they refrain from doing so.

I disagree somewhat with the good doctor on the second quoted bit. Religious choice is hardly, if ever, a rational one. Some people are very systematic and insist on studying every detail, but these only make up a small percentage of converts. Most choose to convert based on a wide variety of factors, with intellectual rationalism usually not very high on their list of priorities.

Although, this would account for the massive increase in megachurch attendance this island nation has seen over the past few years - so much so, that a (nominally) Buddhist classmate was compelled to ask me if speaking in tongues and ecstatic Praise & Worship services were traditional components of Christian worship.

*sigh*

This is nation where students swim all day in the Sea of Knowledge and still come out completely dry.

Question

2008-10-04T18:23:00.001+08:00

Now, who is more irrational: the person who believes in a God who they cannot see, or the atheist who is offended by a God they do not believe in?

I Stay Up Late and I Don't Do Anything Productive

2008-10-03T22:10:00.007+08:00

...like learning the Serbian Cyrillic alphabet from Svetlana at four in the morning:

In other news, Memoirs announces a new category of posts!

Eid ul-Fitr

2008-10-01T23:06:00.004+08:00

I wish 'Eid Al-Mubarak' (literally, 'blessed Festival' in Arabic) to Muslim friends today, and while Malays and Turkmen generally understood me, the Kazakhs had no idea what I was saying.

Curious.

Return to Krasnodar

2008-09-28T22:58:00.004+08:00

On 15 September 2008, a remarkable, though little-publicized event took place in Prague at the Dormition Chapel, in Olšany Cemetery. There, in the heart of Prague's largest graveyard, Kuban Cossacks gathered to bring the remains of Fyodor Shcherbina, first historian of the Kuban Cossacks, home to Krasnodar, in Russia. A pannikhida (memorial service) was held, and Vova Pomortsev of Photo Polygon was there to capture it all on film.

God's Intention for Man

2008-09-28T22:21:00.007+08:00

First of all, one thing must be clear to us: God has created us not for sorrow, but for joy. Where do we see man for the first time? In Paradise!

According to the testimony of the Holy Bible, especially of the New Testament, man is intended for Paradise, not for hell. The fact that many are perishing does not yet mean that such were God's intentions for man.

God is love.

He does not want the death of the sinner, but on the contrary, "will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth".

The following situation is very significant: on Judgment Day, the Saviour will say to the righteous: "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world". And He will say to the sinners: "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."

From this, it is clearly seen that, according to God's plan, Paradise was prepared for men, and hell - for the demons.

Archimantrite Seraphim Aleksiev, 'The Meaning of Suffering', The Christian Message from Moscow

Now I've Seen Everything

2008-09-22T15:33:00.002+08:00

http://www.sspxsingles.com/

What Russia Wants

2008-09-22T15:06:00.005+08:00

...is perfectly natural:

Russia’s actions in Georgia are not much different from the typical conduct of other great powers—including the United States—in their neighborhoods. A few weeks before the onset of the fighting, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asserted that the notion of "spheres of influence" in world affairs was obsolete. That argument was either naïve or hypocritical. Certainly, Washington’s conduct in the Western Hemisphere suggests that U.S. officials have not abandoned their belief in an American sphere of influence. Since World War II, the United States has invaded and occupied the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Panama, and Haiti. Washington orchestrated a successful coup against the government of Guatemala and tried to do the same both to Fidel Castro’s regime in Cuba and the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. It is a bit much for American leaders to admonish the Russians not to molest small, hostile neighbors.

Moscow is also increasingly angry at the West’s repeated disdain for Russian policy preferences—indeed, core Russian interests—in Europe. The insensitivity of the United States and its allies was already apparent in the mid-1990s, with the effort to expand NATO by adding Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. That move violated assurances given to the Kremlin when Mikhail Gorbachev’s government agreed to the reunification of Germany and continued German membership in NATO. Secretary of State James Baker assured Russian officials that the alliance would not expand eastward from Germany.

Not content with that provocation, in 2004 the U.S. pushed through NATO’s incorporation of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania, entities that had been part of the Soviet Union. And NATO expansion is not the only manifestation of contempt for Russia’s interests. So is Western policy in the Balkans, traditionally a key region for Moscow. In 1995, NATO forces intervened in Bosnia’s civil war to undermine the Serbs, Russia’s coreligionists and longstanding political allies. Then in 1999, the United States and its allies waged an air war against Serbia, ultimately wrenching away its province of Kosovo. They bypassed the UN Security Council to do so, thereby evading a Russian veto.

Not Pictured: Reality

Russia may be capable of establishing a modest sphere of influence along its perimeter, but it does not have the strength to reconstitute the Soviet empire—much less pose an expansionist threat to the heart of Europe as the USSR did during the Cold War. American opinion leaders need to curb their alarmism. Moscow’s conduct in Georgia may have been brutal, but it is not out of the norm for a great power to discipline an upstart small neighbor. There is no credible evidence that Moscow has massive expansionist impulses. And even if it did, Russia lacks the power to achieve such goals. Russia is not the Soviet Union, and it certainly is not the equivalent of Nazi Germany.

- The American Conservative, September 22, 2008 Issue

The myth of Russia is built on an expansive foundation of many half-truths and hidden facts. It is a neoconservative creation. It was shaped by them to serve as an "enemy" for America, to provide some variation to the Islamic terrorist threat. Picking up from the heady days of the Cold War, American officials made the decision to fabricate the tale of a mythical totalitarian monolith that threatens the very peace and stability of the world itself.

The tense drama that was planned for this region, dreamed-up by the sick mind of Dick Cheney and his pals from the dark side over at CIA, is over. For now.

But the neoconservative remains restless, and many American pundits have plans for the Georgians, brilliant schemes designed to get Georgia into a big war with the Russians. Take this cheery article from the neoconservative Weekly Standard, for example.

The insane notion of turning Georgia into the Black Sea Hezbollah to fight the evil ~~Soviets~~ Russians is a continuation of the same tragedy that has played out in various accursed regions for the past half century or so.

But Russia is not interested in seizing Georgia, and US politicians need to accept that 1) the Cold War is over and 2) Russia has returned to the world stage as a great power. The US can no longer afford to ignore, much less trample, on core Russian interests.

[via The Young Fogey]

Blogging to Resume

2008-09-21T20:17:00.001+08:00

Sorry I haven't been around much lately.

I'm easily distracted by shiny objects.

Turning 9 on 9.09.08

2008-09-09T14:35:00.005+08:00

С Днём Рождения Вика!!!

Choosing a Wife

2008-09-06T05:06:00.006+08:00

A resident of the state of Chu had two wives. Another man tried to seduce the two women. First, he tried his tricks on the elder one, but was sworn at. Next, he approached the younger one, who easily fell prey to his charms.

Before very long, the husband of the two women died. Both of them were ready to remarry.
The go-between asked the interloper, "Which of the two women do you wish to marry?"
"I prefer the elder one."
The matchmaker replied, "Didn't the elder one curse you? And didn't the younger one comply with your wishes?"
"What you say is true. As long as the younger one was another man's wife, I was glad to have her as my lover, but I prefer a fierce woman who knows how to swear and is unlikely to become another man's lover."

Ding Cong, Wit & Humour from Ancient China (Asiapac, 1997), translated by Ma Mingtong & Xu Hui

Gains from Trade

2008-08-30T14:17:00.006+08:00

I don't normally post anything about the economy (a topic I have little interest in), but this has proved to be a most fascinating read. James Fallows on who benefits most from China's manufacturing boom:

Has the move to China been good for American companies? The answer would seemingly have to be yes—otherwise, why would they go there? It is conceivable that bad partnerships, stolen intellectual property, dilution of brand name, logistics nightmares, or other difficulties have given many companies a sour view of outsourcing; I have heard examples in each category from foreign executives. But the more interesting theme I have heard from them, which explains why they are willing to surmount the inconveniences, involves something called the “smiley curve.”

The curve is named for the U-shaped arc of the 1970s-era smiley-face icon, and it runs from the beginning to the end of a product’s creation and sale. At the beginning is the company’s brand: HP, Siemens, Dell, Nokia, Apple. Next comes the idea for the product: an iPod, a new computer, a camera phone. After that is high-level industrial design—the conceiving of how the product will look and work. Then the detailed engineering design for how it will be made. Then the necessary components. Then the actual manufacture and assembly. Then the shipping and distribution. Then retail sales. And, finally, service contracts and sales of parts and accessories.

The significance is that China’s activity is in the middle stages—manufacturing, plus some component supply and engineering design—but America’s is at the two ends, and those are where the money is. The smiley curve, which shows the profitability or value added at each stage, starts high for branding and product concept, swoops down for manufacturing, and rises again in the retail and servicing stages. The simple way to put this—that the real money is in brand name, plus retail—may sound obvious, but its implications are illuminating.

At each factory I visited, I asked managers to estimate how much of a product’s sales price ended up in whose hands. The strength of the brand name was the most important variable. If a product is unusual enough and its brand name attractive enough, it could command so high a price that the retailer might keep half the revenue. (Think: an Armani suit, a Starbucks latte.) Most electronics products are now subject to much fiercer price competition, since it is so easy for shoppers to find bargains on the Internet. Therefore the generic Windows-style laptops I saw in one modern factory might go for around $1,000 in the United States, with the retailer keeping less than $50.

Where does the rest of the money go? The manager of that factory guessed that Intel and Microsoft together would collect about $300, and that the makers of the display screen, the disk-storage devices, and other electronic components [in Malaysia, Korea, and elsewhere outside China] might get $150 or so apiece. The keyboard makers would get $15 or $20; FedEx or UPS would get slightly less. When all other costs were accounted for, perhaps $30 to $40—3 to 4 percent of the total—would stay in China with the factory owners and the young women on the assembly lines.

Other examples: A carrying case for an audio device from a big-name Western company retails for just under $30. That company pays the Chinese supplier $6 per case, of which about half goes for materials. The other $24 stays with the big-name company. An earphone-like accessory for another U.S.-brand audio device also retails for about $30. Of this, I was told, $3 stayed in China. I saw a set of high-end Ethernet connecting cables. The cables are sold, with identical specifications but in three different kinds of packaging, in three forms in the United States: as a specialty product, as a house brand in a nationwide office-supply store, and with no brand over eBay. The retail prices are $29.95 for the specialty brand, $19.95 in the chain store, and $15.95 on eBay. The Shenzhen-area company that makes them gets $2 apiece.

In case the point isn’t clear: Chinese workers making $1,000 a year have been helping American designers, marketers, engineers, and retailers making $1,000 a week (and up) earn even more. Plus, they have helped shareholders of U.S.-based companies.

- China Makes, The World Takes, The Atlantic, July/August 2007

There's just one problem with this. The low-income class in America who aren't benefiting from this form the largest voter section, and I doubt they enjoy the fact that their richer peers are making more while they get nothing out this.

Just one of many reasons why democracy is something the majority can easily abuse.

Quake Rocks Tibet

2008-08-26T03:22:00.003+08:00

BEIJING (AFP) - A 6.3-magnitude earthquake rocked Tibet in southwestern China late Monday, the US Geological Survey said but there were no immediate reports of major damage or casualties.

The quake struck at 9:22 pm (1322 GMT), 225 kilometres (140 miles) northeast of Jumla, Nepal, at a depth of 35 kilometres, the USGS said.

- Yahoo!Xtra News, August 26, 2008, 5:03 am

A friend remarked, "Any karma theories this time?"

"We Can Still Be Friends"

2008-08-24T03:45:00.005+08:00

A friend's advice regarding a phrase that continues to haunt me, three weeks after it was said.

.:Раде Брдар:. says:
well when girls tell you that

.:Раде Брдар:. says:
they try to be nice, even though they have chosen the other guy, then they are hoping that u never call them again or try to talk to them, but when that other guy @#$% them over they fly to you

.:Раде Брдар:. says:
thats when u tell her to @#$% off

"Do You Guys Have Any Short-Term Memory?"

2008-08-23T15:58:00.002+08:00

The Daily Show's Jon Stewart takes on the American response to the 2008 South Ossetia war:

'Traditionalist'

2008-08-22T04:05:00.009+08:00

George Orwell, best-known for his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, mused in his 1946 essay, "...language merely reflects existing social conditions, and that we cannot influence its development by any direct tinkering with words or constructions".

Those words came to mind late last night during a conversation with a Roman Catholic. Let's call him G for the sake of writing. G had used the word 'trad' several times this year (rather freely too, I might add), when referring to a plethora of church events, activities and people - from masses to priests to books. Time after time, however, I found myself raising eyebrows at the event/person/practice he gave that appellation to - and always due to stunned shock, disbelief or sheer disappointment. Needless to say, I began to suspect what he actually meant when he used that term.

Now, the common understanding of a 'trad' (i.e. traditionalist) is (almost always) a Roman Catholic who advocates a return to Tradition, namely the Tridentine mass, doctrinal orthodoxy etc. Also, a trad tends to oppose rather stubbornly against modernism and various innovations (such as communion in the hand).

I have been asked this before, but I don't think Orthodox traditionalists exist. Quite simply, how do traditionalists exist in a Church whose traditions have remained, for the most part, largely unchanged? The gulf between say, Old Calendarists (or even Old Believers for that matter) and mainstream Orthodox is not as wide and vicious as the one that exists between the Roman Catholic trads and mainstream Catholics, but I digress.

There are various degrees of Roman Catholic traditionalism, and to say that all traditionalists are one and the same would be nothing but sheer ignorance. Edward, longtime contributor to now defunct blog, The Cassock and Cotta, distinguished 3 categories of traditionalists (where 'X' indicates the New Mass, i.e. Novus Ordo, and 'Y' represents the Tridentine mass):

1) Those who believe the X is equally valid, if perhaps sometimes rather problematic. These people prefer Y over X for historical, cultural and various reasons, but do not see X as heretical.

2) Moderates. These believe X is seriously problematic and has heretical tendecies - Y is the solution to these modern heresies. These believe that while X is not invalid or graceless, they prefer to wall themseleves off, keeping Y and the true uncompromised faith, forming a sort of resistance, hoping for better times.

3) Extremists. These believe X is heretical and invalid and graceless. Those who adopt X have become heretics, outside the True Church, and that grace leaves that jurisdiction. Those who use X may only be saved if they renounce X and join Y, the only place where true believers may be found.

'Traditional' practices would refer to Catholic practice which began after the Council of Trent and largely died out since the reforms of the Second Vatican Council in the 60s.

Now that we are clear, one who would use the 'traditionalist' to describe something would refer to either one of the aforementioned categories. The terms are hardly, if ever, used to describe an event/practice or even person for that matter, if it is anything less. For example, A Novus Ordo mass celebrated in Latin is not 'traditional', and although traditionalists may attend or even form the bulk of the congregation, it does not change the fact that such masses did not exist before the Second Vatican Council. One would not use the word 'traditional' to describe it. I think the word Edward would use is 'pointless'.

G has applied the term to such masses. And to Stations of the Cross. And rosary. And confession. At which point, I'd stop and seriously question his definition - which I did last night:

Constantine: You seem to be applying it everywhere
G: ok firstly....my definition of traditional would be to follow what the catholic church has always taught till today
G: and that is how the catholic church defines Tradition

30 minutes of attempting to clarify later, the discussion (if you may call it as such) came to this:

G: strictly speaking....the catholic church is traditional
Constantine: No, no... not 'traditional', traditionalist.
Constantine: 'Traditionalist', as in an advocate of the Tridentine mass and various other Roman Catholic practices that have since fallen out of use
G: this is not an official ecclesial terminology right
Constantine: Never has been
G: anyway i am 'traditionalist' therefore but i also subsribe to the normative rite
G: as all catholics are oliged to...with the exception of sspx...(hence they are in an irregular position)

Another half hour of attempts later:

Constantine: When most of us use the word 'trad'/'traditionalist', we follow popular usage
Constantine: Else we wouldn't use it otherwise
G: when u say most...i guess u mean traddys right
G: cos many people i speak to are also non traddys
G: and they also use the 'traditional' term
G: but it wouldn't mean any of the above u named
G: but none of these people are 'traditionalists' per se
G: they are novus ordo catholics
G: who follow the tradition of the church

OK, never mind the fact that he probably didn't understand me, but this revealed why he was misusing the term: he has obviously confused 'tradtionalists' with Sacred Tradition. This is not unlike confusing Democrats with democracy...

This begs the questions: has he misunderstood my use (and very possibly, others') of the terms throughout the past year? Was he not confused himself? He reads the New Liturgical Movement; shouldn't he know?

This obviously doesn't make any sense, but G hasn't made sense for quite some time now. The conversation then moved to the recent World Youth Day in Sydney, and several negative comments (mostly centered around Stations of the Cross) from yours truly later:

G: on the positive side (of World Youth Day) about a 200 000 people went for confession
Constantine: Uh, that's a "good" thing how?
G: so well many souls were restored to grace...u wouldn't find this even in the vatican
Constantine: It's a given that a good Catholic go to confession regularly
G: it is not a given nowadays
Constantine: Please, don't lower your standards....
G: thats why the church needs to 'encourage' young people to go
G: through such means
Constantine: That's not the answer, you realise
Constantine: You might as well give out free beer with every confession

I think I'm beginning to see how he could have used the term so loosely. He has lowered his standards and expectations to the point that even something vaguely Latin would appear 'traditional'. I could very well blame the Second Vatican Council for the decline in faith, as some 'traditionalists' are wont to do, but I won't. Perhaps for G, his language truly is a reflection of his social condition - the climate of political correctness must have rendered him reluctant to offend anybody, while relativism blinds him to objective standards and so blurred the meaning of the term.

Standards are important. In morals, in faith, and also in language. Language is important. It turns a mass into something solemn and powerful - or into a farce. It can bring people to raise their minds and spirits to God - or it can get them to join their minds and spirits to each other, and forget all about God.

Let us not make the same error G has made, and stick to clear, concise meaning when we use words!

Elena Isinbaeva's New World Record

2008-08-20T02:22:00.006+08:00

Incredible.

She continues to amaze; not only has she taken yet another Olympic gold, but she has also broken yet another world record.

Nothing seems to stop Elena Isinbaeva from breaking records. Not even the supposedly 'polluted' air over Beijing; she broke yet another record yesterday - her own, no less - clearing an unbelievable 5.05 metres at the women's pole vault finals.

I first saw her in action (and consequently became a fan) during the 2004 Athens Olympics. What caught my eye initially was her extremely long (relatively speaking), braided hair then as well as the small, gold St Olga cross around her neck (ah, athletes from Orthodox countries!).

Almost all the competitors I grew to admire at the last Olympics have since retired from their respective sports. Elena however, continues to reign supreme.

Strong and resolute, she is an inspiration to us all!

"The sky is my only limit," she said. "Life would be boring without records to break so I want to continue on forever."

Isinbaeva murmured before each attempt, she decoded the murmuring, "Do it, do it, just do it. Just be confident, I'm OK."

- Sina.com, 2008-08-19 03:16:43 GMT

And for those who have not yet seen, or wish to watch that exciting moment again:

The 2008 South Ossetia War: A Guide

2008-08-19T23:58:00.010+08:00

A disabled Georgian tank lies in Tskhinvali after a failed assault

WHO STARTED IT?

There are two basic facts to keep in mind about the smokin' little war in Ossetia:

1. The Georgians started it.

2. They lost.

[...]

They were doing something they learned from Bush and Cheney: sticking to best-case scenarios, positive thinking. The Georgian plan was classic shock’n’awe with no hard, grown-up thinking about the long term. Their shiny new army would go in, zap the South Ossetians while they were on a peace hangover (the worst kind), and then…uh, they’d be welcomed as liberators? Sure, just like we were in Iraq. Man, you pay a price for believing in Bush.

The War Nerd
South Ossetia, The War of My Dreams, 11th August 2008

A CLASH OF PRINCIPLES

Up until now, this war was framed as a simple tale of Good Helpless Democratic Guy Georgia versus Bad Savage Fascist Guy Russia. In fact, it is far more complex than this, morally and historically.

[...]

At the root of this conflict is a clash of two twentieth-century guiding principles in international relations. Georgia, backed by the West, is claiming its right as a sovereign nation to control the territory within its borders, a guiding principle since World War II. The Ossetians are claiming their right to self-determination, a guiding principle since World War I.

These two guiding concepts for international relations–national sovereignty and the right to self-determination–are locked in a zero-sum battle in Georgia. Sometimes, the West takes the side of national sovereignty, as it is in the current war; other times, it sides with self-determination and redrawing of national borders, such as with Kosovo.

In that 1999 war, the United States led a nearly three-month bombing campaign of Serbia in order to rescue a beleaguered minority, the Albanians, and carve out a new nation. Self-determination trumped national sovereignty, over the objections of Russia, China and numerous other countries.

The NATO bombing of Serbia

Why, Russians and Ossetians (not to mention separatist Abkhazians in Georgia’s western region) ask, should the same principle not be applied to them?

The answer is clear: because we say so. That sort of logic, in an era of colossal American decline and simultaneous Russian resurgence, no longer works on the field.

Mark Ames, The eXile
South Ossetia: The War We Don’t Know, 15th August 2008

THE MEDIA

Georgian forces in Tbilisi

What is troubling is the U.S. media's willingness to similarly toe the party line, but in the absence of any of the coercive measures, such as the state censorship, that the Russian press endures. There have been no William Dunbars on CNN, despite the fact that every report I've seen on the channel yesterday had been framed as 'Russian invasion,' with endless clips of Saakashvili alleging Russian crimes, etc., in a loop of totally pro-Georgian coverage. Georgia is a key U.S. ally, the 3rd largest troop contingent in Iraq, and occupies a strategic, oil rich zone. The self-policing in the U.S. media, which has basically been uncritically promoting government talking points, is very disturbing.

[...]

To the uninformed viewer, it was Russia, not Georgia, which used the cover of the Olympic games to invade; in reality, they both did. In addition, there have been several mentions of Georgia as a fledgling democracy, but no mention of Saakashvili’s recent crackdown on the media and civil society. The US media has been guilty of a procrustean tendency to distill a messy conflict between two flawed states into a Manichean struggle between good and evil.

Foreign Policy Association
The CNN Effect: A Tale of Two Wars, 13th August 2008

To sum it all up, the War Nerd concludes:

The bottom line will be simple: the Georgians overplayed their hand and got slapped, and we caught a little of the follow-through, which is what happens when you waste your best troops - and Georgia’s, for that matter - on a dumb war in the wrong place. We detatched Kosovo from a Russian ally; they detached South Ossetia from an American ally. It’s a pawn exchange, if that. If it signals anything bigger, it’s the fact that the US is weaker than it was ten years ago and Russia is much, much stronger than it was in Yeltsin’s time. But anybody with sense knew all that already.

Преобразился еси на горе, Христе Боже...

2008-08-19T23:22:00.004+08:00

For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
2 Peter 1:17

You were transfigured on the Mount, Christ God revealing Your glory to Your disciples, insofar as they could comprehend. Illuminate us sinners also with Your everlasting light, through the intercessions of the Theotokos. Giver of light, glory to You.

Apolytikion (Grave Tone)

War in the Caucasus

2008-08-13T21:59:00.004+08:00

Russian forces en route to South Ossetia
Photo: Dimitriy Kostyukov, AFP

Little Bezhenka from South Ossetia rests on a bed in Vladikavkaz, Russia, 4th August
Photo: Kazbek Basaev, AFP

Georgian rocket artillery bombardment of South Ossetia, 8th August
Photo: Bano Shlamov, Getty Images

A Russian battalion passes through the Caucasus as President Saakashvili declares martial law, 9th August
Photo: Dimitriy Kostyukov, AFP

Georgian soldiers in Gori, 9th August
Photo: Dimitar Dilkoff, AFP

A doctor tends to the wounded in the cellar of a destroyed hospital in Tskhinvali, 10th August
Photo: Dimitriy Kostyukov, AFP

People hold candles in protest of the war outside the Georgian embassy in Moscow
Photo: Sergey Karpukhin, Reuters

via Trinixy

Mighty Lord, preserve us from jeopardy.
Take Thee now our faith and loud crying in penitence.
Grant victory o'er our treacherous and cruel enemies
And to our land bring peace.

O mighty Lord hear our lowly prayer,
And by Thy shining holy light.
Grant us, O Lord, peace again.
O mighty Lord hear our prayer
and save our people
Forever, forever!

The Face of 20th Century Russia

2008-08-05T12:18:00.006+08:00

Aleksandr Isaevich Solzhenitsyn
(1918 - 2008)

AsiaNews.it's Stefano Caprio offers his obituary:

Religion is a primary element in the message of Solzhenitsyn, a man of faith but hardly sectarian, and a great admirer of the simplicity of the people and of moral rigor, just like Tolstoj, and deeply involved in the turbulent experience of everyone's life, like Dostoevskij. His prophetic, solitary figure allowed him to avoid both excommunication and marriage, leaving room for everyone to participate in his own journey of conversion, beginning from the rediscovery of the dignity of man and culminating in consent to Christian revelation in its historical expression. For him, a follower of the 19th century Slavophiles, this religion was nonetheless Orthodox and national, without any concession to ecumenical rhetoric and the Western banalization of Christianity, of which he was an implacable and uncompromising critic.

Вечная память!

Quote of the Week

2008-07-29T00:11:00.002+08:00

The written word is all that stands between memory and oblivion. Without books as our anchors, we are cast adrift, neither teaching nor learning. They are windows on the past, mirrors on the present, and prisms reflecting all possible futures. Books are lighthouses erected in the dark sea of time.

Jeffrey Robbins, 'A Lighthouse In The Sea Of Time'

East-West Reunion?

2008-07-28T04:40:00.002+08:00

But their respective claims are mutually exclusive, as the former insists on papal supremacy and the latter on the received faith of the ecumenical councils. Thus, despite whatever superficial similarities Rome and Byzantium may have, they are different ways of understanding what it means to be catholic.

- Dan Dunlap

100 Things About Me

2008-07-28T03:38:00.002+08:00

Got this off an ex-classmate:

1 Birth date?
Same as the Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaievna, but on the New Calendar, 92 years later

2 Place of birth?
Singapore

3 Blood type?
A+

4 Height?
170 cm (5'7")

5 Weight?
50 kg (110 lbs)

6 Shoe size?
EU 37/38, UK 7 (I think)

7 Work? Study?
Both. I work as a clerk at an insurance firm, and study media at Republic Polytechnic

8 Childhood nickname?
Ask me nicely, and I might consent to tell...

9 Average hours you sleep in a day?
Not enough

10 Time you go to bed?
Formerly 5 am, but now 2 am

11 Any siblings?
Two

12 Eyesight – short-sighted, long-sighted or perfect?
Short-sighted, unfortunately

13 What languages do you speak?
English, Mandarin, some Russian

14 What languages would you like to speak?
Russian, Greek

15 Nickname on Messenger?
Formerly Sol Invictus, now my name in Cyrillic

16 What do you collect?
Books, various curios

17 Model of cellphone you are using?
Nokia 6070

18 What is on your shopping list?
Several DVDs, a suit

19 Favourite t-shirt brand?
None

20 Favourite cut of jeans?
Never wore them

21 Favourite fashion designer?
None

22 Favourite clothing label?
None

23 Favourite shoe label?
Clarks

24 Favourite bag label?
None

25 Most dominant colour in your wardrobe?
Black

26 Most worn-pair of shoes?
Black oxfords

27 Favourite shampoo?
Am not too picky

28 Favourite conditioner?
Never used

29 Favourite bath product?
?

30 Favourite facial product?
Aloe vera

31 Favourite cosmetics?
Never used

32 Favourite art movement?
Byzantine, Realism

33 Favourite artist?
Andrei Rublev, Ilya Repin, Viktor Vasnetsov

34 Favourite gallery?
Probably the State Tretyakov Gallery

35 Favourite cold drink?
Black tea

36 Favourite hot drink?
Black tea

37 Favourite flavour of ice-cream?
Chocolate mint

38 Favourite cuisine?
Sichuan

39 Favourite sandwich?
Roast lamb

40 Favourite cake?
Black forest

41 Favourite chocolate?
Dark

42 Favourite fast food?
Fish & Chips

43 Favourite sushi?
Ikura gunkan maki (salmon roe)

44 Favourite breakfast?
Eggs, scrambled

45 Spaghetti – tomato, cream or pesto sauce?
Cream

46 Beef – rare, medium rare, medium, well-done?
Medium rare

47 Restaurant you frequent most?
Liu Da Ma's Mutton Chuanr

48 Best dining experience?
See above

49 Worst dining experience?
Cafe Le Caire

50 Favourite book?
After Jesus: The Triumph of Christianity

51 Favourite movie?
Malèna

52 Favourite artist writer?
Wha-?

53 Favourite actor?
Sean Connery

54 Favourite actresses?
Amy Yasbeck, Maria Poroshina

55 Favourite record?
None that I know of..?

56 Favourite singers?
Anna Vissi, Elena Paparizou, Ruslana

57 Favourite bands?
Blestyashchie, Fabrika, VIA Gra

58 Favourite lyrics?
For now, Elena Paparizou's Το Φιλί της Ζωής (The Kiss of Life)

59 Favourite TV show?
Batman: The Animated Series

60 Favourite newspapers?
I don't really have a choice here...

61 Favourite magazine?
TIME

62 Favourite flower?
Rose

63 Favourite animal?
Grey wolf

64 Favourite country?
Too many

65 Favourite street (in your country)?
Temple Street

66 Favourite street (overseas)?
Like I'd know!

67 Favourite sport?
Soccer

68 Scariest movie?
Can't recall

69 Funniest movie?
Can't recall

70 Favourite leisure activity?
Reading

71 Favourite public transport?
Metro

72 Favourite weather?
Partly cloudy

73 Dream honeymoon destination?
Prague

74 Computer you use?
Lenovo 3000

75 Wallpaper on your computer?
Ostankino Tower

76 Screen saver on your computer?
None

77 How many hours on the internet a day?
Too many

78 Favourite blog?
Orwell's Picnic, The Western Confucian

79 Favourite news site?
Pravda.Ru

80 Favourite site?
Probably Facebook.com for now

81 First pet?
A terrapin named 'Michelle'

82 Favourite cartoon from childhood?
Transformers

83 Favourite toy from childhood?
Robocop action figure

84 What makes you smile?
The children I babysit

85 What makes you cry?
News regarding Kosovo and Metohija

86 Which celebrity would you like to be?
Dennis Kucinich

87 What colour would you be if you are a crayon?
Blue

88 If you can go back in time, which period would you want to be in?
Late Middle Ages

89 If you can have your own business, what would you venture into?
Precious metals, energy

90 What TV program would you like to go on?
«Женский взгляд Оксаны Пушкиной»
(en: Oksana Pushkina's Woman's View)

91 How satisfied are you with your current situation?
Not very

92 What would you rather be doing if you have a choice?
Dating

93 The most important thing that has happened in your life?
Knowing my friends

94 What do you think you’ll be doing 5 years down the road?
Reading

95 Most desired now?
Her love

96 Biggest worry now?
Falling ill

97 Most unforgettable incident?
Too many

98 New Year resolution?
To actually make one next year...

99 Your motto in life?
'Nemo vir est qui mundum non reddat meliorem'
(What man is a man who does not make the world better?)

100 Who do you want to answer “100 Things About Me”?
Let's try Francis & Karen for starters

Pilgrimage

2008-07-28T00:39:00.005+08:00

So it has been nearly a month since I last posted, and while much has happened since, I'm disinclined to discuss them in detail. Though, I will let readers know I've been working at insurance firm for slightly less than half a month now. Seeing as how it essentially consumes half a day, posting will continue to be sporadic. Anyway, enough of idle chatter; on with the post.

OK, we've all heard about the time-honoured Roman Catholic custom of 'penitential walks', from the centuries-old Way of St James and the Chartres pilgrimage to the smaller, but no less fervent pilgrimages springing up elsewhere in the world. Questions abound about the existence of similar practice in the Christian East.

That said, Memoirs is once again proud to bring you yet another fascinating piece from Photo Polygon; from the lens of Sergey Kozmin.

Pilgrimage - not just for Roman Catholics

In the 14th century, so legend goes, an icon of St Nicholas miraculously appeared on a pine in a forest by the river. Attempts were made to bring this wonder-working icon from the small village of Velikoretskoye to Khiynov (modern-day Kirov), but they all failed - it was only after numerous prayers, as well as promising sincerely to return the icon every year to Velikoretskoye, was its transfer possible. And so it began, the oldest annual pilgrimage in Russia, which begins at Kirov and ends at Velikoretskoye.

The icon leaves Kirov

Since the 1990s, the pilgrimage has been revived after years of Soviet suppression. Pilgrims walk 180 kilometres (approx. 112 miles) for 5 days through the countryside, woods and bogs. Every two hours, the journey stops for a service by the roadside, as well as 30-40 minutes' rest. The day ends at 9 o'clock, and pilgrims spend the night in schools or the huts of local villagers, but most find rest only in the streets. Between 1:30 to 2 in the morning, the pilgrims awake to yet another service. The journey continues shortly afterward.

Pilgrims endure muddy forest paths...

...snow

...and rain.

This year alone, over 20,000 pilgrims participated in the walk from Kirov to Velikoretskoye, and despite every trial nature sends along - snow, heat, rain, hailstones, mosquito swarms, callouses, tired ankles, sleepless nights and unbearable weariness, the majority of pilgrims nevertheless arrive at their destination.

The pilgrimage attracts the young....

...and old

...and monarchists.

To an Orthodox Christian, undertaking the journey to Velikoretskoye is a special act of contrition and purification of the soul. To walk on this pilgrimage is to truly grasp the soul of the Russian people.

More photographs available HERE.

Who Would You Marry?

2008-06-29T08:08:00.004+08:00

Two unedited excerpts from two conversations with two girls (one of whom I'm currently seeing, and the other whom friends tried to set me up with) recently:

A) Another reason why i shouldn't marry or have kids. They only serve as irritating accessories that bog down my mobility and freedom of choice.

B) ya kids are the best!!! they are so sincere, they just do what they realy want and tell what they realy think

Newsflash: Italians Want To Be... Italian

2008-06-29T07:04:00.006+08:00

Steve Sailor takes on the latest multi-culti boffin outrage:

Wouldn't the whole world be better off if Italy weren't so damn Italian? I mean, what has Italian culture ever contributed to anything? When will the Italians get with the program and adopt the Universal Globoculture? The New York Times wants to know!

More HERE

With Friends Like These...

2008-06-27T23:51:00.003+08:00

Today, right after Akathist, Novice Valentina specifically asked me to go to church tomorrow (even though I usually do). Somewhat perplexed, I sent an SMS text message to Edward, seeking his opinion. He replied:

Either you're sacrifice or you've been deemed worthy to join the weapon-smuggling wing of the KGB tomorrow, and Alex* was out confirming appointment at embassy.

* He's almost always in church, but was not present that evening

Ever Wonder Why...

2008-06-25T04:24:00.005+08:00

...it matters what you wear to church on Sunday?

After all, it doesn't matter whether you wear slippers or tuxedo - all of this is meaningless externals. God loves you no matter what, right?

Why do little things matter?

via Orwell's Picnic

Elena Paparizou, Pro-Family

2008-06-20T05:39:00.008+08:00

Here's a woman who has her priorities right:

I believe that family is the most natural thing, the thing I want in my life. And what is my preference? To not have kids so I can continue my career? One day it will end. I cannot be on stage everyday, like I am now at 25.

Kallipolitou, Giota & Papaioannou, Eleni. "Cover Story: Elena By Night", Celebrity Magazine, May 2007, p. 120.

One wonders if Elena's Greek upbringing has anything to do with it.

Why the West Reveres the Dalai Lama

2008-06-19T04:32:00.004+08:00

The Dalai Lama has effectively been turned into a cartoon good guy. In America and western Europe, where backward anti-modern sentiments are widespread amongst self-loathing sections of the educated and the elite, the Dalai Lama has been embraced as a living, breathing representative of unsullied goodness. Despite the fact that he advertises Apple, guest-edits Vogue and drives a Land Rover, he is held up as evidence that living the simple eastern life is preferable to, in the words of Philip Rawson, westerners' "gradually more pointless pursuit of material satisfactions". Just as earlier generations of disillusioned aristocrats fell in love with a fictional version of Tibet (Shangri-La), so contemporary un-progressives idolise a fictional image of the Dalai Lama.

- Brendan O'Neill, 'Down with the Dalai Lama', guardian.co.uk, Thursday May 29 2008

May 29, 1453

2008-06-11T15:19:00.005+08:00

God rings the bells, earth rings the bells, the sky itself is ringing,
The Holy Wisdom, the great church, is ringing out the message,
Four hundred sounding boards sound out, and two and sixty bells,
For every bell there is a priest, for every priest a deacon.
To the left the emperor is singing, to the right the patriarch,
And all the columns tremble with the thunder of the chant.
And as the emperor began the hymns to the Cherubim,
A voice came down to them from the sky, from the archangel’s mouth:

Cease the Cherubic hymn, and let the sacred objects bow;
Priests, take the holy things away, extinguish all the candles:
God’s Will has made our city now into a Turkish city.

But send a message to the West, and let them send three ships:
The first to take the cross, the second to remove the Gospel,
The third, the finest shall rescue for us our holy altar.
Lest it all to those dogs, and they defile it and dishonour it.
The Holy Virgin was distressed, the very icons wept.
Be calm, beloved lady, be calm and do not weep for them.
Though years, though centuries shall pass, they shall be yours again.

Anonymous Song of Lamentation
for the Fall of Constantinople in 1453
Translated by Richard Stoneman

Чем выше любовь, тем ниже поцелуи

2008-06-11T01:58:00.005+08:00

A line of a popular Russian song goes, "The less the love, the more the kisses".

I ask those who have experienced being in a relationship: is this true?

Children in Church

2008-06-08T07:01:00.005+08:00

From Russian photography blog, Photo Polygon, Elena Devyashina gives us this touching photo-story:

NOTE: The original article was translated, with much help, for the benefit of readers who do not read Russian. I take no credit whatsoever for its content.

Children are children.
Children are children wherever it may be. Children will be children anywhere: be it at school, in the sandbox, hospital or church. They can be jolly or tired, busy with their stuff or listen attentively. They can be everything, yet, they are far more natural than us adults.

Children in church are not an isolated species, succumbed to its own milieu - not at all. They are no different from any normal children we see every now and then, anywhere around us.

10th February 2008
Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, Seversk
Darya in Sunday school

The process of dialogue in Sunday school flows freely and quietly, like a stream, as children busily engage in drawing and reading while listening to the priest. This photo-story, however, is not about Sunday school, but rather simply about children in church.

Church of St Sergius of Radonezh, Tomsk
The girls, a little tired from a long service, take a seat

Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, Seversk
Palm Sunday

Church of St Sergius of Radonezh, Tomsk
Little sisters

Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, Seversk
Before Holy Communion

Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, Seversk
Palm Sunday: Darya smiled, posed and presented me with a willow

A Word to Traditionalists

2008-06-08T06:37:00.007+08:00

Roman Catholic or Greek Orthodox, Father Seraphim Rose warned against excessive awe of ritualism:

Anyone who is attracted merely by glittering censers, incense and beautiful vestments, he, first of all, will fall down before Antichrist.

War of the Babies

2008-06-08T05:29:00.009+08:00

Many friends look upon my little fixation with the Kosovo issue the same way they see my other obsessions: with utter bewilderment. Unless one is of Slavic extraction or of the Orthodox faith, one would be apprehensive about confronting the tangled knot of ancient history and warring ethnicities that is the Balkans. And of course, this blogger doesn't make it any easier for the average person when he tries to explain. What, with all the esoteric terms I use and the unheard-of events I reference.

Recently, I was asked how the supposedly weaker Albanians "conquered" the ancient heartland of a people who spent centuries holding off the Turkish incursion into Europe. I know the answer, but I won't say it - you know what happens if I do.

Instead, I will allow Gary Brecher - the War Nerd - to do so. If you are an "average" reader of Memoirs or one of many friends unable to understand me, I implore you now to read on. The War Nerd is nowhere as incomprehensible as many make me out to be.

In this piece, aptly named War of the Babies, he details the Albanian "conquest":

To succeed in the post-1918 world, the world Woodrow Wilson dreamed up where "small nations" have rights even if they can't defend them, you need to use slower, less obviously military methods, like birthrate and immigration. The classic example of this kind of slow conquest is Kosovo. The Serbs could always defeat the Albanians on the battlefield, even when outnumbered, but the Albanians had a huge advantage in the most important military production of all -- babies. According to the BBC, the birthrate of Kosovo Albanians 50 years ago was an amazing 8.5 children per woman.

The Serb/Albanian conflict offers damn near perfect lab conditions to prove my case that birth rate trumps military prowess these days, because the Serbs always beat the Albanians in battle, yet they’ve lost their homeland, Kosovo. Here again, we can blame Woodrow Wilson and his talk about "rights". In places where tribes hate each other, a tribe that outbreeds its rival will become the majority, even if it can’t fight. So, after generations of skulking at home making babies, letting the Serbs do the fighting, the Albanians finally became the majority in Kosovo and therefore the official "good guys", being oppressed by the official "bad guys", the Serbs. At least that’s the way the nave American Wilsonian types like Clinton saw it. So when the Serbs fought back against an Albanian rebellion in Kosovo, and dared to beat the Albanians, Clinton decided to bomb the Serbs into letting go of Kosovo, the ancient heartland of a Christian nation that had spent its blood holding off the Turks for hundreds of years.

The Kosovo Albanians proved that military skill doesn’t matter, because they tried and failed to conquer Kosovo the old-fashioned way: armed rebellion by the Kosovo Liberation Army. It was a wipeout: local Serb militias, a bunch of tired middle-aged part-timers and cops, crushed the KLA. What happened next is a beautiful illustration of the way losers win these days: the Albanians took the bodies of KLA men who’d been killed in battle, stripped all weapons and ammo from them, and showed them to gullible Western reporters as victims of a Serb "massacre". It was a massacre, all right, but only because the KLA couldn’t fight worth a damn. Alive and armed, they were a joke; dead and disarmed, they helped win Kosovo by making their side the "victims", which led directly to U.S. military intervention.

To win the way the Albanians won in Kosovo, you need to make a lot of babies. It’s that simple. And to see how it works, you have to drop the namby-pamby liberal idea that people only have babies out of "love". In lots of places on this planet, baby-making is a form of weapons production.

Peter G. Peterson wrote in his book, Will America Grow Up Before It Grows Old?, "demographics is destiny". No matter what others say to convince you otherwise, one doesn't have to look very far to see that war being fought and lost. With many first world governments seemingly consulting Planned Parenthood on sustaining society, and birth control easily available, many nations face a demographic débâcle unprecedented in world history. Who continues to heed God's first command to our first parents, "Be fruitful and multiply"?

The answer, I'm afraid, is frighteningly obvious.

Lost in Spelling

2008-06-07T18:04:00.002+08:00

[21:59:10] Vincenzo says: what does mean God has a plane for you
[21:59:38] e-octopi says: God has an aircraft? :P

On KFC Drink Packets in China...

2008-06-07T03:03:00.004+08:00

DaveMintheOffice:
[2:15]
i hope that said products are not made from panda
[2:16]
at first i thought it said "WTF"

Christ is Ascended!

2008-06-05T04:27:00.004+08:00

What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
John 6:62

On high is His body, here below with us is His Spirit. And so we have His token on high, that is His body, which He received from us, and here below we have His Spirit with us. Heaven received the Holy Body, and the earth accepted the Holy Spirit. Christ came and sent the Spirit. He ascended, and with Him our body ascended also.

St John Chrysostom

On This Day, 1521

2008-05-26T03:24:00.008+08:00

Martin Luther is condemned as a heretic; a judgment that cannot be undone.

The men gathered to address Luther and his Reformation were certainly perceptive:

He says that there are no such things as superiority and obedience. He destroys all civil police and hierarchical and ecclesiastical order, so that people are led to rebel against their superiors, spiritual and temporal, and to start killing, stealing, and burning, to the great loss and ruin of public and Christian good. Furthermore, he institutes a way of life by which people do whatever they please, like beasts. They behave like men living without any law, condemning and despising all civil and canon laws to the extent that Luther, by excessive presumption, has publicly burned the decretals and (as we might expect) would have burned the imperial civil law had he not had more fear of the imperial and royal swords than he had of apostolic excommunication.

- The Edict of Worms (1521)

The consequences of Luther's defiance continue to haunt us after 500 years, with the Church of Me (i.e. "I’m spiritual not religious"), being the most prevalent religion in the Western world today.

Please Stand By

2008-05-22T01:45:00.000+08:00

Technical problems! Laziness! Heat exhaustion! Updating last post! Will the excuses never end?

Look for exciting new posts coming soon!

Pascha, Ransom from Affliction!

2008-05-05T03:39:00.040+08:00

The myrrh-bearing women at the break of dawn drew near to the tomb of the Life Giver. There they found an angel sitting upon a stone, he greeted the, with these words, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? Why do you mourn the incorrupt amid corruption? Go, proclaim the glad tidings to His disciples."

Paschal Stichera, 5th Tone

This is the day which the Lord has made: let us rejoice and be glad in it!

As the Lord would have it, this year's Pascha was different. This year's Holy Week was different as well; Great Lent was no exception. As some readers may know, there are now two Orthodox churches in this country; in addition to my parish, Holy Resurrection Church, Moscow founded the Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God late last year.

Great Lent flew by this year, owing to the fact that I had not invested as much effort and time as I should have. One found oneself implicated (by one's own choice for the most part) in the quagmire of Roman Catholic affairs throughout Great Lent. It was a fruitless endeavour spanning the duration of Great Lent and Holy Week, and one emerged from the fiasco an embittered, poorer man. I should have directed my efforts to prayer and contemplation. I should have listened to my godmother about interfering in the spiritual lives of others. As they say in America, hindsight is 20/20.

Holy Week, or Passion Week as we call it, was somewhat lacking this year. One is accustomed to attending the numerous services bringing to memory the sterile fig tree, the wise virgins and the fallen woman who repents, but sadly, there were none. Holy Resurrection Church, my parish, was evicted (for reasons still unknown) and was only able to procure a temporary location from Great and Holy Thursday onwards. The Russian chapel, on the other hand, had no services during the first three days of the week either for reasons still unknown.

The day of Resurrection arrived soon, and caught one by surprise - it shouldn't have; had I been paying attention, I would have known the troparia of the first three days of Holy Week had warned, "Behold, the bridegroom comes in the middle of the night".

Great and Holy Saturday passed the same way it did for the past five years: I answered questions ("Constantine, do you know where can I buy kulich?"), researched ("Did the Holy Fire descend this year?"), conversed at length with my godmother (currently in Romania) and rested in preparation of the night's events.

A little fun before embarking on the whole three hours of the Paschal services

The sanctuary was sumptuously draped in celebratory red; the relics of Pope St Clement and numerous others are visible to the right and left of the royal doors

The evening of Holy Saturday saw the largest gathering of Orthodox faithful in church this year - it is the the feast of feasts, after all. Nobody wants to be left out.

My request to serve was denied, and I was condemned to marinate with the hundred or so people who turned up - the Paschal crowd was split into two groups this year (one for each church), but I barely noticed the difference.

We had invited close to twenty visitors from the Roman Catholic Church, but apparently, a saboteur had spread the word that our Paschal service lasted till 6 am and the bulk of these Catholics, balking at the thought of standing for seven hours, refused at the last minute. Why so many chose to believe this person instead of calling Edward or I is beyond comprehension...

Despite being confronted with an outlandish liturgy in an alien tongue, some friends still came! Only a mere three were to last the night.

Even the pious are unable to stand throughout: Vikotoriia takes a much needed rest outside the chapel

Being at the Russian chapel, there was to be no Arabic or Romanian this year (although, the nuns performed a rather odd rendition of the Greek Paschal troparion). Pity, I was looking forward to that.

You rich and poor together, hold high festival!
You sober and you heedless, honour the day!
St John Chrysostom

Proclaiming the Resurrection: Христос воскресе!

The three who survived the services had no stomach to stay for the festivities. A great loss it was, for the Russians, more than any other ethnic group in local Orthodoxy, love to eat, and numerous women had worked tirelessly to prepare the fine feast awaiting us after the long Paschal liturgy. You can't find better East Slavic food any where else in Singapore; after all, everything was homemade, and much love and care went into their preparation.

The table is full-laden; feast ye all sumptuously.
The calf is fatted; let no one go hungry away.
St John Chrysostom

2008 broke all previous records for the number of kulichi prepared locally

Forty days of abstinence (meat, eggs and dairy) and three hours of standing is sure to work up an appetite. The remaining congregation rushed for the food, particularly meat, as soon as they were blessed.

Despite hunger and lethargy, Russians are still quite capable of being picky

Meat!

The food was enjoyed thoroughly: Alexandra & Viktoriia

Let no one bewail his poverty, for the universal Kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one weep for his iniquities, for pardon has shown forth from the grave.
St John Chrysostom

Nine-year-old Elizaveta remained wide awake even throughout, having ingested 1/2 of the world's sugar supply before arriving

Not everyone was as alive as Elizaveta was: a visibly tired Mother Olympiada, the choir mistress, manages a smile

Fighting back lethargy, one had a wonderful meal, met many new people (the late hour was a potent recipe for bloopers: one was speaking to a lady for a good 2 minutes or so before realizing she spoke no English) and chat with parishioner and visitor alike. For the first time since I discovered Orthodoxy, a "youth group" was formed that very night for an hour or so. Its microscopic number notwithstanding, one thoroughly enjoyed oneself talking to people of similar age group.

Enjoy ye all the feast of faith:
Receive ye all the riches of loving-kindness.
St John Chrysostom

And how true his words were, for that night was truly a feast!

Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook?

2008-04-30T04:58:00.006+08:00

WELLINGTON (AFP) - - The biggest squid ever caught, at up to 10 metres long and boasting a fearsome beak and razor-sharp hooks, may be small compared to others still lurking in the depths, scientists said Tuesday.

[...]

It weighs 495 kilograms (1,090 pounds), has eyes the size of dinner plates and is estimated at up to 10 metres (33 feet) long.

But that may be relatively small, scientists say after initial examination, suggesting other colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) under the chilly Antarctic waters might grow much larger.

On a museum blog following the progress of the thaw, Chris Paulin -- who is projects manager at the museum, known as Te Papa Tongarewa, said Tuesday that the beak of the colossal squid has been exposed as the flesh defrosts.

The size of the lower beak -- used to chop prey into bite sized pieces -- is around 43 to 45 millimetres.

Colossal squid lower beaks previously found in the stomachs of sperm whales have been as long as 49 millimetres.

Extrapolating the relationship between the length of the beak and body size from another smaller specimen being examined suggests the species could grow much bigger, Paulin said.

"Can we assume that this species reaches three quarters of a tonne in weight?" he asked.

- Yahoo! Singapore News, Tuesday, April 29

This is incredible; this mighty 'devil fish', as Victor Hugo wrote, is but a small specimen! One can scarcely imagine the other monstrous wonders that lurk in the depths.

The ocean depths, hellish and distant, are our last frontier - where wonders innumerable await the next generation of brave explorers who choose to journey there. Let us hope we live to see the day that these amazing creatures are brought to light.

P.S.: Memoirs would like to wish all readers a very happy Easter; a special Paschal post is currently in the works and will be ready soon!

Holy & Great Friday

2008-04-25T11:41:00.005+08:00

By Your precious blood
You have redeemed us from the curse of the Law.
By being nailed to the cross and pierced by a spear
You have poured forth immortality for man.

O Our Saviour, glory to you!

Sessional Hymn, Tone 4

A fearful, awesome mystery is performed today!
The releaser of Adam is arrested!
The trier of hearts is unjustly tried!
The God before whom angels stand in fear stands before Pilate!
The creator is struck by the hand of the creature!
The judge of the living and the dead is judged to death - on a tree!
The destroyer of hell is sealed in a tomb!

Compassionate Lord and Redeemer, glory to you!

Vespers, Tone 6

Holy and Great Tuesday

2008-04-22T14:06:00.003+08:00

In envy the priests and scribes
Cunningly gathered a council against you, Saviour,
Moving Judas to betrayal.
He shamelessly went forth and spoke against you,
Saying to a transgressing people:
What will you give me if I deliver him into your hands?
From his condemnation save our souls, O Lord!

Kathisma, Tone 4

Why are you idle, my wretched soul?
What useless cares cause you to be lost in dreams?
Why busy yourself with things that pass away?
The last hour is at hand, and we shall be parted from all earthly things.
Therefore, while there is yet time, rouse yourself and cry:
I have sinned before You, my Saviour.
Do not cut me off like the barren fig tree.
In Your compassion, O Christ, take pity on me who call out with fear.

Ikos

Great and Holy Monday

2008-04-21T23:18:00.000+08:00

Today Christ's Holy Passion dawns upon the world as a saving light,
For He comes of His goodness to suffer:
He who holds all things in his hand
Consents to be hung upon the wood
In order to save mankind.

Invisible Judge,
How have you been seen in the flesh?
How have you been slain by lawless men,
Condemning our condemnation by your sufferings?
Therefore with one voice, O Word,
We ascribe glory, dominion and praise to your power!

Kathisma, Tone 1

Palm Sunday

2008-04-20T22:30:00.003+08:00

Sitting on Thy throne in heaven, and carried on a foal on earth, O Christ God, accept the praise of angels and the songs of children who sing: BIessed is he who comes to recall Adam!

Kontakion in the Plagal of the Second Tone

Tagged!

2008-04-18T05:05:00.007+08:00

By Josephus Flavius

The rules are:
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about himself.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

What was I doing 10 years ago:
Studying English, Math, Sciene & Chinese at primary school. Absolutely hated the last subject. And girls too.

Five things on my To Do List today:
1. Attend an 'Emotional Intelligence' workshop.
2. Buy blueberries for Liza & Vika.
3. Give a talk at Holy Family [Roman Catholic] Church with Edward on Holy Week & Easter in Byzantine Christianity.
4. Store more songs in my mp3 player.
5. Spend less than $3 on journey home.

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
* Donate to orphanages.
* Purchase land, build a church in the image of the Kazan Cathedral in Moscow and donate it to the local Russian Orthodox church.
* Buy an SUV for my father (probably the Audi Q7).
* Campaign to end bride kidnapping in the Caucasus.
* Move into Orchard Parksuites.
* Buy homes in Moscow, Prague, St Petersburg, Athens, London, Chicago, Paris, Yalta, Montréal and Vladikavkaz (don't ask).
* Meet PLANKA.
* Optional: send Karyn off to Nativity of the Mother of God South-Ussury Convent (Archdiocese of Vladivostok).

Three of my bad habits:
1. Procrastinating too often.
2. Being infatuated with all the wrong women.
3. Over-educating myself in all the things I shouldn't have known.

Five places I’ve lived:
Uh? I haven't moved since I was born.

Five jobs I’ve had:
1. Shop assistant
2. Babysitter
3. Altar server
4. Office temp
5. Surveyor

Five books I’ve recently read:
1. Illustrated History of the World: Powers of the Crown AD 1600-1700
2. The Origins of Everyday Things
3. 1000 Wonders of Nature
4. Conflict in the 20th Century: The Cold War
5. London: In the Footsteps of the Famous

The five I tagged:
1. The Western Confucian
2. Camille
3. Andrew
4. Ben
5. Karyn

This Week's Weird News

2008-04-16T03:26:00.004+08:00

A man in New Zealand has been charged with using a hedgehog as a weapon, the New Zealand Herald has reported.

Police said William Singalargh, 27, had hurled the hedgehog about 5m (16ft) at a 15-year-old boy.

"It hit the victim in the leg, causing a large, red welt and several puncture marks," said Senior Sgt Bruce Jenkins, in the North Island town of Whakatane.

It was unclear whether the hedgehog was still alive when it was thrown, though it was dead when collected as evidence.

The police spokesman said the suspect was arrested "for assault with a weapon, namely the hedgehog."

Mr Singalargh is due to appear in court on 17 April. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.

- BBC News, 09:35 GMT, Monday, 7 April

Yes, you read correctly.

No, no, not this.
No mere mortal could hurl something like that across 5 m.

Something more like this.

Arousing Desire

2008-04-14T18:21:00.018+08:00

So I have been speaking with this teen-aged lass from the SSPX for some months now. Like most girls her age, she is impetuous, headstrong and eclectic.

She's got a log-sized chip on her shoulder from being in the SSPX. For rather inexplicable reasons, being in the SSPX for nearly 4 months now and receiving personal catechism didn't instill in her a feeling of obedience toward the hierarchy or empathy for their uncompromising views. Instead, it just fed her adolescent self-consciousness and sexual paranoia. The bad news is that she doesn't seem to have gotten over it yet.

The views of SSPX Bishop Richard Williamson, particularly those on women, have caused her much grief. She takes much offence at "women being fit only for the kitchen and bedroom", and has been airing her grievances at me, expressing her frustration with every opportunity at this supposedly widely-held perception of women.

I don't know the people who tell her these things, but isn't it obvious in modern society, women have never had it easier?

They enjoy freedom of choice in the job market, or can opt to stay at home and raise children (or do both). They are perfectly free to use marriage and divorce as businesses, enriching their personal fortunes by doing nothing more than providing sex. They are allowed to manipulate men with sex and tears to get whatever they want. They have been granted permission to usurp traditional male jobs yet still - with bold-faced hypocrisy - expect men to finance their social lives. They can choose to serve in the military without fear of losing their lives in combat. They expect to be able to denigrate the male gender and treat men like emotional punching bags without protest. They force men to endure "sensitivity training" to pressure them into becoming more like women.

All of this is apparently absent in the SSPX, and all she hears about the fairer sex comes from Bishop Williamson; "true universities are for ideas, ideas are not for true girls, so true universities are not for true girls". That the SSPX wishes its female adherents to return to the state of women before the 1960s should come as no surprise to some. In most affairs, ranging from liturgical practice to taste in fashion, the SSPX is generally conservative.

Whatever the case may be, one could not afford to be ignorant in the age of Google and Wikipedia - one sifted through the mess that is the Internet and found writings from our friend, Bishop Williamson. Now, as much as some women find them antiquated and bigoted, I personally found them to be quite offensive toward men.

In an October 13, 2007 column on the subject of female Doctors of the Church, the bishop contended that "any woman set up in public view is liable to arouse unclean desire in men".

One would think that Williamson has never laid eyes upon a womyn priest before. They inspire much, but I don't any of it constitutes an "unclean desire" in men.

The SSPX has long denounced the use of women in advertising, and the good bishop's words merely follow the trend. As much as I agree with the former, I find the latter to be insulting and contemptuous - with those words, Bishop Williamson has joined the SSPX to centuries of belief that men have unquenchable sexual drive and are unable to control their urges. It's only natural, of course.

Why, this puts the good bishop more in league with the local mullah than with any Catholic bishop today. Whatever the case, any woman who takes Bishop Williamson's words seriously ought to have her head examined. After all, this is someone who condemned The Sound of Music as virtually pornographic!

I cannot speak for all masculinity, but one can safely say that men are NOT aroused by the sight of ANY woman - not even those who have been deprived of female company, like those working in the military, or in engineering. "But hold on, Constantine," you may be yelling at your computer, "what about the men who rape elderly women and have intercourse with animals?" Well, do all men rape elderly women and have intercourse with animals? Certainly not. Just like not all Moslems are terrorists.

On a side note, rape is often a crime of power and control rather than purely that of sex - but that is a story for another time.

Who are these women who have "set [themselves] up in public view"? They are myriad; we have police officers, models, politicians, ballerinas, insurance agents, actresses, salesgirls, bank tellers, singers, royalty, famous-for-being-famous types, waitresses, etc. The list goes on and on.

Are we to say that all these women arouse unclean desire in men? Why, the poor men won't be able to leave home without suppressing serious testosterone urges first - but since men are incapable of doing so, how are we to solve this troubling issue?

Those who have propagated that message have given us a solution: keep women covered up and out of the workplace, a la Yemen. Better yet, why not arrest every man, as he is likely to commit a criminal offence? After all, growing on every man's body is an organ which may be an accessory to rape.

This goes to show how ridiculous the notion is. Most women would like to have the power to arouse men on sight, but unfortunately (or fortunately), that is not the case. Men do not arouse as easily as certain people would like us to believe. Why, as many have already pointed out - it is often used as a tool to keep women chaste and submissive. This is not to say, however, that women should now do the reverse and flagrantly display their uh, feminine virtues with utter abandon.

Being chaste is a good thing, but it should not be achieved on a foundation of lies told about men.

Church of Cyprus Sues Turkey

2008-04-13T00:04:00.005+08:00

Nicosia, Apr 8 - The Church of Cyprus has decided to take legal action against Turkey at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) for the destruction of Cyprus’ religious heritage in the Turkish occupied areas of the island.

Archbishop of the Church of Cyprus Chrysostomos II has said that the decision "is final" and added that the legal advisors of the Cypriot Church are ready to proceed with the case.

"We have already assigned the case to our lawyers and we are in the process of registering all properties of the Church of Cyprus all over the island with the Land Registry", he said.

Since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus about 550 churches have been desecrated and 15,000-20,000 icons are missing, believed to be stolen or sold on the black market.

Some Orthodox Churches situated in the Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus have been converted to mosques, military camps, barns, mortuaries or silos.

- Embassy of Cyprus in Washington D.C.

It's about time the Church stood up to Moslem injustice.

Readers may remember Sandro Magister's report, 'Cyprus: Portrait of a Christianity Obliterated' from two years ago. I doubt much has changed since.

An excerpt:
...most of the mosques in Greek Cypriot territory have been restored, while [the Turkish Cypriot] government has authorized the transformation of churches into restaurants and hotels

What is this, but yet another example of the famous Moslem double-standard?

If we live in a world where the strong rule and the weak submit, why is it that whenever Muslim regions are conquered, such as in the case of Palestine, the same Islamists who would never concede one inch of Islam’s conquests resort to the United Nations and the court of public opinion, demanding justice, restitutions, rights and so forth?

As in Kosovo, the Moslem occupiers of Northern Cyprus have undertaken a similar, systematic obliteration of historic Christian culture. The world vexes over Iran, supposedly the "most active state sponsor of terrorism", when eyes should be on Turkey - genocide of its native Christian population is not known in Iran.

I am doubtful that bring this matter before the ECHR would resolve anything. The Court, based in Strasbourg, is dominated by the same politically correct Western European ilk who run the bureaucratic monster in Brussels. The West has always been slow to respond to the needs of Eastern Christians; as we have witnessed in recent months, neither do they care.

Virtually all of Western Europe has consented to the surrender of Kosovo and Metohija to Albanian crime lords. Earlier in 1999, NATO killed a few thousand Serbs then too stupid to realize their fellow Christians didn't give a @#$% about them.

Why, in the 17th century, France provoked Russia to war when Napoleon III forced Ottoman Turkey to recognise France and the Roman Catholic Church as the sole Christian authority in the Holy Land, with control over the Christian holy places and possession of the keys to the Church of the Nativity, formerly held by the Orthodox Church. Looking back further, we remember the Sack of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade and the establishment of the Latin Empire. We remember how the Teutonic Knights, seeing how the Orthodox Novgorodians were in need of salvation as much as the pagans, invaded the Russian territories, only to be inflicted a crushing defeat by the 21-year-old St Alexander Nevsky.

When they were Christian, the Western powers were reluctant friends at best. Now, one does not expect much help from these postmodern, secular states.

Fuss-Free Wedding

2008-04-11T03:49:00.009+08:00

Like most men (except those seeking alcohol binge opportunities), I have an utter distaste for large, lavish weddings - particularly the obligation involved and the tendency to focus on attendants other than the bride and groom.

A Moscow couple had the ideal alternative. They held their wedding in the metro (subway for some of us) and had the "reception" at a fast food joint:

And that's how weddings ought to be.
Pity about the church ceremony (or lack thereof), though.

More HERE.

Return to Christian Roots?

2008-04-10T06:04:00.005+08:00

I don't think this is what the Second Vatican Council meant when it decreed that "elements which have suffered injury through accidents of history are now to be restored to the earlier norm of the Holy Fathers".

Holy Thursday Mass, St Aidan's Cathedral
Enniscorthy, Ireland

This almost looks pagan.

[via Catholic Church Conservation]

The Rising Market for Russian Icons

2008-04-10T05:53:00.005+08:00

Fueled by religious patriotism and encouraged by both the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church, Russia's tycoons are reclaiming masterpieces that were scattered worldwide by the chaos of the Russian Revolution, the flight into exile of those opposed to the Communists, and the illegal export of art, which continued into the 1990s.

Russians are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to reacquire all kinds of Russian art, not just icons. To help the process, the government has eliminated customs duties on the import of art.

- Washington Post, February 17, 2008

Whatever the reasons are for buying them, these spiritual treasures are returning home.

I Live!

2008-04-10T04:12:00.009+08:00

Greetings, faithful readers!

My sincerest apologies for the dearth of posts for more than a month now. The ugly farce in Priština had kept one embroiled for weeks on various discussion boards, in a vain attempt to fight ignorance of Balkan history (as one can witness in my previous posts as well).

Following that, one found oneself drawn into yet another protracted dispute on another discussion board. This time, it involved the Roman Catholic faith and the "Charismatic Renewal" in the Christian West. As with the former, one was engaged in a vain attempt to fight ignorance of history (details can be provided upon personal request). Contrary to what most people might tell you these days, knowledge of history remains as vital as it ever has been - history grants one perspective and a context for various deeds; without it one cannot make value judgment. But I digress.

The editorial team at Memoirs thought we'd kick-start this new blogging season with a picture:

As it turns out, this is not the removal of yet another monstrous symbol of the atheist philosophy that had dominated half of Europe for over five decades.

This "monument" was made from plastic foam for the upcoming movie Budapest, which was filmed in well, Budapest - capital of Hungary (itself a former communist state). Though, be it a stone Lenin or a foam one, it is a beautiful and apt illustration of the phrase sic transit gloria mundi (thus passes the glory ofthe world)!

Lord Have Mercy

2008-02-22T04:52:00.002+08:00

Serb anger has finally boiled over.

Police are using tear gas to disperse crowds of rioting people who have been attacking embassies in Belgrade. The closed US embassy building has been set on fire. The Turkish, Croatian and Bosnian legations have also come under attack. More than 30 people have been injured.

Why America Supports Kosovar Independence

2008-02-19T21:05:00.003+08:00

TO CONTROL CASPIAN OIL

Is this another Guantanamo in the pristine mountains of Kosovo? What's the 21st Century term for "gunboat diplomacy?"

In June 1999, in the immediate aftermath of the bombing of Yugoslavia, US forces seized 1,000 acres of farmland in southeast Kosovo at Uresevic, near the Macedonian border, and began the construction of a camp.

Camp Bondsteel is known as the "grand dame" in a network of US bases running both sides of the border between Kosovo and Macedonia. In less than three years it has been transformed from an encampment of tents to a self sufficient, high tech base-camp housing nearly 7,000 troops - three quarters of all the US troops stationed in Kosovo.

Exposing the War on Terror™

2008-02-19T19:00:00.011+08:00

ARUSHA, Tanzania - President Bush on Monday hailed Kosovo's bold and historic bid for statehood, saying "The Kosovars are now independent."

[...]

"It's something that I've advocated along with my government," Bush said in an interview on NBC's "Today."

- Yahoo! News, Mon Feb 18, 11:06 AM ET

We've long known US President George W. Bush's War on Terror™ to be nothing more than a sham, serving only to justify unilateral preemptive war, perpetual war, human rights abuses, and other violations of international law, but this takes the cake.

In an interview two years ago, Gore Vidal rightly pointed out, "It’s like a war against dandruff. There’s no such thing as a war against terrorism. It’s idiotic. These are slogans. These are lies. It’s advertising, which is the only art form we ever invented and developed."

American recognition of Kosovar "statehood" is proof yet again that America is not the least concerned with curbing violent extremism, but with furthering its quest for global hegemony.

As with American foreign policy since the Second World War, Washington continues to arm and support known terrorists today for no explicable reason other than to "contain" Russia, now but a shadow of its former self. As it trained and armed Osama bin Laden in the 80s, so it recognises Kosovar statehood today.

The politicians of America have learned nothing from the past. They have funded terror in the past, and they continue to do so today.

It is a state governed by the political arm of the terrorist UÇK (the deceptively named Kosovo Liberation Army), and ruled by Hashim Thaçi, a convicted criminal and known organiser of the Drenica Group, which has been involved in the smuggling arms, stealing cars, oil and cigarettes as well as with prostitution, the establishment and maintenance of connections with the Albanian, Czech and Macedonian mafia.

This very UÇK, which NATO supported against the legitimate Serb authorities in Kosovo during the 90s with four months of continuous bombing, is, according to Human Rights Watch, "responsible for post-conflict attacks on Serbs, Roma, and other non-Albanians, as well as ethnic Albanian political rivals... widespread and systematic burning and looting of homes belonging to Serbs, Roma, and other minorities and the destruction of Orthodox churches and monasteries... combined with harassment and intimidation designed to force people from their homes and communities... elements of the UÇK are clearly responsible for many of these crimes."

These are the people the West hands Kosovo and Metohija to on a platter today.

So much for being the guardians of freedom and democracy.

Seven years ago, President Bush said in an address to Congress, "Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated."

So much for "every terrorist group".

So much for the "War on Terror".

But we have hope.

Edward writes:
Remember, my friends - Kosovo remained Serbian during those five long centuries of Ottoman darkness, to be liberated in 1912. It is no less Serbian now, the ugly farce in Priština notwithstanding. It will be tangibly Serbian again when the current experiment collapses and when the very names of Bush, McCain and Clinton are rightfully consigned to the rubbish bin of history. Serbia has suffered worse, and she will emerge from this triumphant again - I have faith in the Serbian people, and in God, who sees and judges justly.

The Serbian Orthodox Church Speaks

2008-02-19T02:07:00.005+08:00

During its extraordinary session held at the Patriarchy on the 17th of February 2008, the following statement on the latest developments in Kosovo and Metohija was issued by the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, aimed at the national and international public:

Just like uncountable times before, the Church is announcing once more today, that Kosovo and Metohija was and must remain an integral part of Serbia, in accordance to the Charter of the United Nations, Security Council Resolution 1244, as well as according to all relevant international conventions on human rights, the rights of peoples and on the inviolability of internationally recognized borders.

[...]

In this particular case, this means granting new legitimacy to centuries of Ottoman violence with its impact on the entire region, as well as re-applying the fascist solution (that of Mussolini and Hitler) to the Kosovo issue dating back to the times of WWII, when Kosovo and Metohija were annexed to so-called Great Albania, when thousands of Orthodox Christian Serbs were expelled from their secular homes, just like in 1999, with the objective of not having them return, ever.

We are deeply appalled by the fact that, according to the words of an American Ambassador, it was because of the presently announced illegitimate and illegal recognition on behalf of the governments of the United States of America, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy and others, of the self-declared Kosovo independence - Serbia and Montenegro were bombarded in the first place. Thus, the presumed protection of human and minority rights by using bomb attacks with the code name "Merciful Angel", represented only a preparation for this final trampling on justice and tearing the heart out of Serbia's breast.

More HERE.

The Noose Tightens

2008-02-17T22:58:00.013+08:00

Kosovo's parliament has overwhelmingly endorsed a declaration of independence from Serbia in an historic session.

The declaration, read by Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, said Kosovo would be a democratic country that respected the rights of all ethnic communities.

The US and a number of EU countries are expected to recognise Kosovo on Monday.

- BBC News, Sunday, 17 February 2008, 14:50 GMT

Now a great cloud hangs over all the land; and it is deepening.

Kosovo and Metohija is the historical heartland of Orthodox Serbia. The mediæval Serbian state was centered around Kosovo, and today remains the heart of Serbian Orthodoxy; home to more than 1,300 churches and monasteries.

Yes, that is the full name of that province: Kosovo AND Metohija. The latter was used to denote a territory of the Church in the Middle Ages; Albanians and the Western media tend to simply use "Kosovo", ignoring the word that would imply that Kosovo belongs to the Orthodox Church.

During the last decade, the Christian Serbian population have been driven from their homeland by Albanian terrorism, openly supported by bombers of the defunct Cold War relic, NATO. Today, the criminal overlords of Kosovo declare independence. Today, yet another piece of Christendom is lost to Islam.

For the last five years, Albanian terrorists, the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army (UÇK), who have strong ties to al-Qaeda and are now the de facto rulers of Kosovo, have systemically been destroying ancient churches, libraries and monasteries, with the open consent of the occupying NATO forces.

When Saddam Hussein annexed Kuwait, the Western powers insisted that sovereignty, borders determined by international law and the United Nations and must be protected. Now, those same guardians of international law seem to have forgotten their own arguments and are doing everything to ensure that Kosovo becomes independent from Serbia.

The Americans and British are hypocritically supporting this farcical independence because they still believe in "containing" Russia, and this move would supposedly balance Russian influence in the region. Serbia, demonised by the media since the Yugoslav wars of the 90s, is powerless to do anything.

We're going to have yet another Muslim terrorist state.

Say a prayer for Kosovo.

One takes comfort in the words of Elder Barnabas of Gethsemane Skete from more than a century ago:

"Persecutions against the faith will constantly increase. There will be unheard-of grief and darkness, and almost all the churches will be closed; but when it will seem to people that it is impossible to endure any longer, then deliverance will come. There will be a flowering. Churches will even begin to be built. But this will be a flowering before the end."