And Tears Prick My Eyes (Another of David's marvellous poems)






  ¶ 4:19 pm 0 comments

  There's dust, and there's dust... Maybe because at heart I'm still a science fiction and role-playing games fan (and no, I still haven't written much on that front, and really must), anyway I found this interesting.

Another insight into the wonderful cosmos... (or, simply, "hey, look what we found!")  ¶ 7:14 am 0 comments

  If I really have to vote... I know. Election looming. Democratic responsibilities. "How can you tell when a politician is lying?" etc etc.

But nevertheless Humble Secretary has a link to a useful and thought-provoking site, thus:

Who should I vote for?

Your expected outcome:

Liberal Democrat

Your actual outcome:

Labour -18
Conservative -37
	Liberal Democrat 55
UK Independence Party -9
	Green 51

You should vote: Liberal Democrat

The LibDems take a strong stand against tax cuts and a strong one in favour of public services: they would make long-term residential care for the elderly free across the UK, and scrap university tuition fees. They are in favour of a ban on smoking in public places, but would relax laws on cannabis. They propose to change vehicle taxation to be based on usage rather than ownership.

Take the test at Who Should You Vote For

And now the bad news...

Given the 'wonders' of the first past the post system and the constituency in which I live, the Lib Dems are probably the third party -leaving me to ask a slightly different question - do I mistrust Tony Blair enough to vote for a smarmy xenophobe?

And that, of course, is the crux of the problem. The vote is for a local MP, who is not a delegate in the strictest sense, who is not the party leader, and who is subject to toe-ing a party line whether (s)he likes it or not, and probably doesn't want to defy the whip.

*sigh*

Oh, the joys of parliamentary democracy. However, Nouslife, has some ideas. Anyone for demarchy?

Then again, "Cardinal Ratzinger, sorry, Benedict XVI for PM" anyone?

:)

  ¶ 4:45 pm 0 comments

  A new threat to order and society as we know it! A big (if clandestine) round of applause for the Unitarian Jihad (Tongue firmly in cheek!)

Thanks to Kathryn for this one.

Sincerely,
Brother Boot Knife of Quiet Reflection  ¶ 9:42 pm 0 comments

  And the winner is... Cardinal Josef Ratzinger as Pope Bendict XVI!

Cheesy Monty Python Announcer: "and so a big hand for His Holiness! Over to you Holy Father..."

I shouldn't be so flippant really. On the one hand the election of the new Pope will have very little impact upon the Church of England - for example I can't see Pope B XVI changing the declaration on the invalidity of Anglican Orders in the sight of Rome. On the other, however, I do know of Anglican clergy who would openly admit that they take orders from Rome as having a higher priority than anywhere else (implicitly Canterbury).

And any of the more revisonist tendencies in the Anglican Communion will find no support from him (although I doubt that they would have expected any, either!)

Do I have any pearls of wisdom on this? Not really, I have to admit. And even while I am highly unlikely to ever leave the Church of England for Rome, the election of Cardinal Ratzinger as Pope would have little impact (at present) on my thoughts.

I wonder how it will go down in Germany? And, as an unworthy and mischevious thought, what will ECUSA make of it?

(Having now "broken my duck" over recent posts, normal service will be resumed as soon as possible!)  ¶ 7:25 pm 0 comments