Mea Maxima Culpa - the movie, and a rant

I’ve spent a portion of my Saturday watching a documentary on catholic priest child abuse. There's a dearth of good docos in Loughborough, the local cineplex catering for the masses, so rather than wait for curzon on demand, I wandered along to Mea Maxima Culpa.

A harrowing exploration of the systematic abuse of deaf children at a Catholic school for the deaf in Milwaukee, specifically by Fr. Murphy.
It was a legal challenge relating to this abuse by Fr. Murphy that led to the uncovering of the Irish child abuse scandals, and realization that the church had known of them for a long period of time. Interestingly a line in the movie suggested the church has documents of abuse stretching back to the 4th century. Their response to allegations appeared rooted in an older age, hide, deny, attack, and never admit. Although the church refused to offer their viewpoint to the documentary, it is unlikely to directly contradict evidence from a former (bishop??) who  at least was concerned by the impact on the victims - something rare by the evidence presented. Sadly he was undone in the eyes of the church by his admission of homosexuality, even though his was a relationship with an adult with no suggestion of impropriety.

No-one in the holy see came out of this looking good, and if even half of what was alleged to be known is true, then Pope JP and Bene appear highly complicit in the coverup.

Here's the trailer:


But it got me thinking. I'm not saying atheism is the correct choice for everyone, but one thing it does do is encourage criticism, whereas organised religion places certain individuals in positions of absolute power. And that seems wrong to me. No one is infallible, failure is the one constant in humans. But a continued mantra of priests are better than lay members offered an opportunity to abuse on a grand scale.
There was some effort at redemption by the group, but I was struck at how it appeared a self help/anonymous group. An argument was advanced that the litigants (remember this was America) were trying to reclaim the church for the people, an interesting humanist perspective.
Complicating matters is the legal position of Vatican city and its position as a state -an invention by Mussolini for support of his fascist party. Fascinating stuff.

So what should they do? Well transparency would be nice, but is unlikely to happen. A truth and reconciliation commission?? Could be a start. Indict pope bene - couldn't hurt. It would be nice to wake people up to the realization that papal infallibility is as real as political integrity.

One glaring point not explored was the stupidity of not enforcing the separation of church and state. I don't want to go all socialist on you, but separating the two helps critical thought. Which is why I am completely against faith based schools and academies. How can you teach critical thought if you are having to teach it with the understanding that Jesus was conceived by a virgin birth, or that Mohammed was the last prophet of god. Ridiculous.
It’s very hard to teach evolution if your default answer is ‘god did it’. For one thing, it prevents a full understanding of the complex issues of DNA change and subsequent inheritance.

I’m not against Michael Gove’s restructuring of the education system here, some of the monkeys I’ve had to deal with certainly argue that it needs it (no more so than in NZ tho’). But allowing academy’s to be faith based schools seems will produce a herd of non-critical, blind, and indoctrinated faith fodder. How, and I ask this in all seriousness, can a faith school of actively teach an intelligent and rational critique of another denomination - given they’re historically so loving and caring.

Aside from my rant, the movie was excellent. Go see it.

B

I am sick to death of Fíng appeals on TV

Before anyone points it out, yes I could turn the TV off, but I was watching something.

UK TV appears dominated by pathetic annoying ads begging for money for some starving minions somewhere, I care not where. sadly for them when watching an ad my initial response was ''oh an ad for euthenasia international''. therefore during the few times i don't switch off during ads, i just start giggling. not exactly what they want, i guess.

I appear to be getting more bitter about the stupidity of dumb twats on tv. I sense this could lead to interesting blogs, huzzah for idiots. I guess.

B (ranty)

It's encouraging but...

A report, that's made most news sources this week, from Durham University demonstrates that UK children deem the bible irrelevant. That's encouraging. The problem is that teaching them correct information as to why it's irrelevant, a lie, and causes so much confusion isn't occurring.

If they were taught how to think, and explained why the koran, the bible etc are the bastion of the ignorant, then I can see how the news would be good. It would mean they are thinking, and ridiculing of religious zealotry could potentially end a lot of conflict. It won't of course, but I live in a happy place.

But I don't think this report is encouraging, I think it's a reflection of ignorance. I know the bible, I've read it many times, I've cited sections, I 've critiqued sections. I also think it's a pile of crud, but I know why I think that. I think these kids don't know why its irrelevant, as if things were going well, they'd be answering that evolution has led to the rich diversity of life we're busy killing. But they don't. And although the level of evolutionary teaching in the UK isn't good - it's certainly better than parts of bible-belt US tho'.

My position is similar to this report, evolution should be taught as soon as possible - and I agree with that report that 5 years old would be about right. The insidious nature of the right-wing creationalist idiots, means the early kids are taught to think, the better. This paper also suggests an early start, and also reflects my position that evolution should be taught as fact, not theory. It is well beyond any concept of theory as the public understands the term.

On the positive, if slightly surreal, side Richard Dawkins (he who thinks Steve Rothery is God), has set up a rival to scout camps. A summer retreat for non-believers, read about it here.

Most of this rant has been writing while listening to the Blind Boys of Alabama. I find that quite funny :)

me

The Amy Post

In homage to the (ex)blonde, you know what I hate?
Crowds. Particularly people in crowds who are just standing around in main thoroughfares, blocking it for everyone else. And then have the feckin audacity to look pissy when you end up (in this case accidently) knocking them.

Children in supermarkets. And the height of annoyance, small children pushing shopping trolleys while their parents watch in delighted amusement. Not once do they stop to think, oh what about everyone else who are having to avoid child randomly pushing trolley around the aisle. I've given up trying to avoid them. If the dumb bastards walk into me, I'll push back. Seems simple. Oh and whats worse? having the kids push the trolleys at 1pm on a Sat avo', why yes, that is the quietest time for shopping with children.

Radio announcers. Those on commercial radio anyway. There was one of that type downtown today, getting very excited about something, yabbering away about some great deal, and his radio station. Noise pollution it's all you are mate. Piss off.

None of this was helped by me having left my ipod at Suz's last night, so I couldn't disappear into music like I usually do. It appears my ipod maybe the only thing keeping me from going postal.

On the plus side, the metal show is good. Except for Lamb of God, what's the deal with them? They seem utter crap, yet are really popular? Is it just the nu-metal idiots who like them? I dunno, the only nu-metal fan I know says he doesn't like them, but he might be lying (well S2H...are you?)...

And the minions and I had a few beers and generally got a shedload of work done yesterday avo', thanks guys.

B

Slightly relaxed post

Right it's been awhile since I blogged about feck all, so with a glass of pinotage I approach the empty page with booze fuelled enthusiasm. I also have the Blackfield DVD on, which I like a lot. It's Steve Wilson exploring the shorter song format with Aviv Geffen (from the pseudo country - hahah there's the first wind-up, more to come!).
I've even had Jews try to explain the point of Israel and get confused halfway through. A simple pour quoi tends to bugger things a bit.

With that introduction, let's stick with music. I'm not a big fan of Led Zeppelin. Overblown, boring, over-hyped, and lacking creativity. I don't mind some of the blues stuff and some of the later things, but all in all, given me Deep Purple any day - a band seriously overlooked in the rawwwkkk stakes.
This view seems to raise concerns with many rock fans, apparently it's impossible to like rock music and not love LZ 4 - for those rest of you, that's the album with the dude carrying sticks and has 'that' song. The one about the lady who seems to have fuck all idea whats going on, and hasn't hired a gardener to chop her hedgerow. Although I believe Elton John volunteered to clean up the garden...unless its a refernece to the lady being particuarly hirsute. Now there's a word that needs to be used more. Apparently hirsute refers to women specifically, I didn't know that. So everytime some twat uses the word referring to a guy, rip them! DO IT !

It occurred to me the other day that everyone rips pop music lyrics, witness Ed Byrne's brilliant savagery of Alanis' feckin spoon song. So it's passe now, but when he first did, my god were we laughing. Only topped by Eddie Izzard's surreal exploration of digging cats. I should really track that down one day.


But apparently LZ are, as we all know, ROCK GODS and their lyrics are, although stupid, above reproach. Well my half empty bottle of pinotage says, bugger that buddy!
Randomly choosing a song, I've ended up with:

The Battle Of Evermore
Queen of Light took her bow, And then she turned to go,
The Prince of Peace embraced the gloom, And walked the night alone.
>>The Queen left, leaving the Prince alone (shades of Freud?)

Oh, dance in the dark of night, Sing to the morning light.
The dark Lord rides in force tonight, And time will tell us all.
>>You're drunk, dance stupidly at night. Sober in the morning will make you moan/LZ apparently liked LOTR, and the last sentence makes no sense.

Oh, throw down your plow and hoe, Rest not to lock your homes.
Side by side we wait the might of the darkest of them all.
>>Quick run away, so we can steal your stuff. You'll probably die.

I hear the horses' thunder down in the valley blow,
I'm waiting for the angels of Avalon, waiting for the eastern glow.
>>Look to the East for I will come (actually it was West wasn't it? LOTR geeks?) otherwise, nibble some magic mushrooms or blow.

The apples of the valley hold, The seeds of happiness,
The ground is rich from tender care, Repay, do not forget, no, no.
Dance in the dark of night, sing to the morning light.
>>Find ye some cider. Get drunk, dance at night, I've already told you that.

The apples turn to brown and black, The tyrant's face is red.
>>The tyrant, or bourgoisie, is upset his profit crop has gone off as you buggered off to eat mushrooms

Oh the war is common cry, Pick up you swords and fly.
The sky is filled with good and bad that mortals never know.
>>There's crap in the air. You're too thick to understand.

Oh, well, the night is long the beads of time pass slow,
Tired eyes on the sunrise, waiting for the eastern glow.
>>Where TF is that feckin army, Gandalf lied. Stupid hat wearing twat.

The pain of war cannot exceed the woe of aftermath,
The drums will shake the castle wall, the ring wraiths ride in black, Ride on.
>>Oh dear god, it is a LOTR reference. Damn you LZ ! Go feck a hobbit.

Sing as you raise your bow, shoot straighter than before.
No comfort has the fire at night that lights the face so cold.
>>We're all fucked, so if you sing the opposition can work out where we are. Cunning eh?!

Oh dance in the dark of night, Sing to the morning light.
The magic runes are writ in gold to bring the balance back. Bring it back.
>>Drink some more. Find some writing in the bottle.

At last the sun is shining, The clouds of blue roll by,
With flames from the dragon of darkness, the sunlight blinds his eyes.
>>And so it comes to pass we all die from the dragon. Lay of the hard drugs kids.

Love, me.

Ballet and Beer

Right, a scotch report coming very very soon (like within the hour) but briefly: I went to Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev score) last week with another brunette. It was great, and excellent stage layout/design. But that's not the point of the post.

The ballet was at the St James, quite a nice venue for ballet/opera (and, oddly, Apple product launches...). And they have a crap selection of beer. I counted four, maybe five types. the best of which, and I struggle with the term 'best', was 'Stella Artois'. Yup, wifebeater was the best beer they had. 

I didn't manage to finish the bottle.

I've done this rant before, but WhyTF can't decent venues realise there is a market for good quality beer? they have a huge wine selection, but I don't necessarily want a glass of wine. On it's own you lose the complexity, as food lifts and adds to wine. Beer can be enjoyed without this, a good beer does stand on its own. I went in really wanting a nice lambic - so I could sit around, read my book, sip something interesting, reasonably light (tasting) and wait for the brunette.

It really pisses me off the arrogant stupidity of places like this. 

Of movies. tv, restaurants, Anzacs and music

I was thinking of dividing this into a number of posts, and that may still happen, but let us kick into things and see what happens.

My current rant consists of the commercialisation of Anzac Day. There was blanket coverage of various ceremonies, documentaries and 'we will remember them' ad nauseum on Friday. It will come as no surprise that I'm against war - but my major issue with the coverage was not so much the glorification, as the lack of perspective. All of the doco's were focussing on the 'heroics' of people running around in the line of fire, killing gooks/krauts/*insert offensive racist epithet d'jour*, without critiquing the twats who were sending them there. There is no-one out there who would describe the British generals in WWI as 'competent' particuarly those in charge of the NZ/Aus forces. So why not rip the crap out of them? Why focus on a bunch of ignorant displaced kiwi's who had never been out of the North/South Island who figured they were supposed to run into a hail of lead?

My other major problem with Anzac Day as it stands, is the insistence that it was the beginning of our nation. WTF? Stoically running into bullets at the behest of a bunch of dumb Brits doesn't sound nation defining to me. If a number of them had point-blank refused to leave the ships due to the stupidity of the operation, then yeah I would support that as nation defining. The fact that our government was so happy to send our youth over to fight a war is, I guess, noble, but selling it as everyone has to do their duty and go fight Harry Hun? Nah, not buying it. That way leads to radicalism and chauvinism (in its original meaning), which brings to mind a current conflict. During WWI/II this led to white feather postings (also see Marillion), but to my mind that would be a far better definition of a country - separating us from England.

This does raise questions as to what could define NZ as a country. I'd suggest something from: Sir Ed climbing a mountain; an early All Blacks team; John Walker; Peter Snell; possibly Katherine Mansfield; Colin McCahon; Douglas Lilburn. Aside from the sports examples, which do typify New Zealands focus, the others are all examples of where NZers began using their own voice, rather than reflecting a British focus.

Hmmm that rant went on a bit. Oh well, no major surprise there :)

Movies wot I watched over the weekend. First up was Charlie Wilson's War. First up, I avoided watching this at the cinema as it has Julia Roberts. And she is, as usual, mindblowingly bad and ugly. The best thing I can say is that she is a fantastic example of horrendous casting. Aside from that the movie is interesting and does critique America (sort-of). It's a lot better than I thought it would be, and largely enjoyed it. Philip S Hoffman and Tom Hanks work well together. It's like a hollywood version of Syriana (Syriana-lite). 7/10 (when I was expecting a 3/10).

I've already reviewed I bought a vampire motorcycle, so #3 was 'Conspiracy' which looked at the Wannsee Conference where the Nazi's sorted out the Final Solution for the Jew's. My there were a lot of capitals in that sentence! Brilliant performance by Ken Branagh as Heydrich who was running the meeting. At times a bit disconcerting hearing the British accents, but a fantastic movie. And should be compulsary for all budding meeting managers out there. Nicely laid out giving people the opportunity to complain, then gradually either pulling them in or bullying them in to get a consensus. Superb. Almost in real-time as well.

We went out to Charlie Bills for dinner on Saturday for S's birthday. It had a great write-up the other week. But all in all I can't say I'd rave about it.

Entree: Hot smoked salmon on a sweet potato parmentier, with an apple and cashew nut salad and curry vinaigrette The salmon was excellent, really good subtle smoking, but was over-powered by the curry vinaigrette which was disappointing. Even if it hadn't I'm not sure how well the two flavours would have combined anyway.
Main: Bûche de chèvre and basil pesto pastry parcel with manuka honey roasted pumpkin and cumin lentils This was very good. Nice strong flavours from the pastry parcel without being overpowering, and the lentils were excellent and added to the flavour nicely.
Dessert: Sweet cream cheese soufflé with cassis poached pears, spiced cake and hazelnut ice cream Yup this was great. Probably the best of the three.
Service was fine, food was good. But it was all lacking something. The entree smacked of the bad aspects of fusion, and the main was lacking a wow factor. Although I was impressed that their limited menu they had a vege option and a fish option, so half of the entree and main menu wasn't red meat. Cool.

Music: just been posting stuff overseas, the new Sam Flynn Scott, Shihad and Odessa. So I might review them soon. In the meantime I should review the new Mesuggah and Dimmu Borgir. Maybe later.

me xxx