Even Cats . . . . .

. . . . have relationship problems.

Today's WTF? Moment is brought to you by . . . .

. . . HBO.

It's a good thing BushHitler didn't do this.

Grownups: Go Away

Getting Nowhere

What Does Barbie Want?

Of course Freud didn't get to ask quite that question, but we think he would have. Mattel has a new answer: Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken. And why not?

Cool sophistication in breezy Palm Beach! Sporting a dashing jacquard-patterned jacket with a light pink polo shirt and crisp white pants, Ken doll is ready for Palm Beach social season, sunning by the pool and a stroll with his little companion.

We can't be sure until ours arrives, but we don't think that collar will actually fit Barbie.

"Damn it feels good to be a victim . . . "

Crap!

I hate it when that happens. The goalposts keep moving. How can a poor, broken, tired seeker-of-truth make any progress when truth keeps changing!

Here I am wasting my time studying Jerome, Augustine, Athanasius, even golden-mouthed St. John, only to learn from a former priest, writing in the Boston Globe (of all places) that the meaning of existence has changed!

Equally damaging, the Vatican’s preemptive exploitation of Anglican distress explicitly ducks the large and urgent challenge facing every religion and every religious person, which is how to positively reconcile tradition with the massive changes in awareness, knowledge, and communication that come with the scientific and technological breakthroughs that daily alter the meaning of existence.

Daily! Did you hear that? The entire meaning of existence changes daily!  I've "ducked the challenge" to figure out, every morning, what the meaning of existence might be today.  (I hope it's nachos today.  I love nachos.)

How can I ever catch up if I'm still wasting my time studying the "meaning of existence" in Alexandria in 350 A.D.?  As it stands, I've got something like 600,000 daily meanings-of-existence to plow through before I even get to Cardinal Newman.

I'm really bummed.  I hate it when that happens.

Snakes on His Chain

"When the man dropped his pants, the officers found 10 cans taped to his legs, each containing a lizard . . . "

Free Marketplace of Ideas

"So we are clear: A prominent University censored content from a book based on the opinions of experts who had not read the book in question."

Gumbo, Oreos, Jambalaya

Say what? Careful, they're all racist.

A Browncoat for Halloween

Excellent costume, Nate.

The Nacho Cycle

Sigh . . . . .

Charlize Theron reacts to the news that GF would NOT bid $150,000.

Skirt Boys?

"I'm not wearing this because it's what girls wear, but because I like the line and the texture of the material."

I guess that's all right, then.

Speaking of Cults

The Anglican Experiment is Over

The Telegraph reports that the Right Reverend John Hind, the (Anglican) Bishop of Chichester, has said that he would be "happy" to be reordained in the Roman Catholic Church.  And The Rt Rev John Broadhurst, the (Anglican) Bishop of Fulham, has gone so far as to say that "the Anglican experiment is over".

Here in the United States, the disintegration of the Episcopal Church proceeds apace.  Yesterday the (Episcopal) Diocese of South Carolina voted to "distance itself but not completely split from the national Episcopal Church . . . ."  Whether this is but a step on the path to association with the break-away Anglican Church in North America remains to be seen.

It is tempting to say that the troubles of Anglicanism stem from the abiding Protestant sin of pride.  Since Luther and Calvin -- and Cranmer -- took it upon themselves to redefine Christian doctrine so as to conform more closely to their own thoughts and purposes, it has always been so.  Every man free and entitled to follow his own "conscience," to define his own orthodoxy, to found his own church -- unless, of course, he is so unfortunate as to find himself at odds with Calvin -- or Cranmer -- and to fall into their conciencious hands, in which case the pyre may be lit.  While it clangs on our modern ears, schooled by The World's Church of What's Happenin' Now, where individual conscience replaces submission, atomism follows.

But that, we think, is not the problem.  While it is the mechanism by which Anglicanism will continue to tear itself to shreds, it is not the cause.  The cause is faithless shepherds, wolves in the fold.  From the dithering Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, to the worldly "progressive" Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, the flock is led away from eternal life and into The World.  A Christian not at war with the world is not doing it right.  Rejected by those they had thought to be faithful shepherds, individual Anglicans mill about, rightly frightened, longing for the protection of the Good Shepherd.  But infected by the deadly virus of Luther and Calvin -- and Cranmer -- they take refuge amongst a remnant of their own, huddle together, conduct a vote (how progressive!) and appoint one of their own as shepherd.

It is a scandal.

St. Crispin’s Day -- Oct. 25, 1415

Caturday Morning

YOU, SIR, ARE AN IMPUDENT TWIT

Incredible. Remarkable. Really Nice.

We bow in humility to the articulosity of True Genius:

I Hate It When That Happens

"Dave apparently didn't know the location of the security cameras at his Late Show studio."

Hey wait!  I've got an idea!

Only a Crazy . . . .

Mark Steyn:  "If you say, “Chairman Mao? Wasn’t he the wacko who offed 70 million Chinks?”, you’ll be hounded from public life for saying the word “Chinks”. But, if you commend the murderer of those 70 million as a role model in almost any schoolroom in the country from kindergarten to the Ivy League, it’s so entirely routine that only a crazy like Glenn Beck would be boorish enough to point it out."

Blasphemy

THIS should prove useful in the coming time of tribulation:

In the [United Nations] resolution, the [Obama] administration aligned itself with Egypt, which has long been criticized for prosecuting artists, activists and journalists for insulting Islam. For example, Egypt recently banned a journal that published respected poet Helmi Salem merely because one of his poems compared God to a villager who feeds ducks and milks cows. The Egyptian ambassador to the U.N., Hisham Badr, wasted no time in heralding the new consensus with the U.S. that "freedom of expression has been sometimes misused" and showing that the "true nature of this right" must yield government limitations.

His U.S. counterpart, Douglas Griffiths, heralded "this joint project with Egypt" and supported the resolution to achieve "tolerance and the dignity of all human beings." While not expressly endorsing blasphemy prosecutions, the administration departed from other Western allies in supporting efforts to balance free speech against the protecting of religious groups.

Thinly disguised blasphemy laws are often defended as necessary to protect the ideals of tolerance and pluralism. They ignore the fact that the laws achieve tolerance through the ultimate act of intolerance: criminalizing the ability of some individuals to denounce sacred or sensitive values. We do not need free speech to protect popular thoughts or popular people. It is designed to protect those who challenge the majority and its institutions. Criticism of religion is the very measure of the guarantee of free speech — the literal sacred institution of society.

Why We Love The Interwebs

Once upon a time, in a Galaxy far far away, convenience stores did not have surveillance cameras.  Time passed, man advanced, and lo! they did!  Then they were connected to VHS recorders.  Then they were connected to digital recorders.  And then . . . and then . . . the video could be edited, uploaded to YouTube, and blasted through cyberspace.

Now that would have been enough for your humble and obedient servant but, as has ever been the case, we did not anticipate the onward march of technology, and the sketchy snarky sense of humor of the technologically literate.  The raw surveillance footage was funny, uploaded to You Tube it was hilarious, but processed, manipulated, edited and with a sound track added, we have genius. Ladies and Gentlemen, we present for your entertainment the silent film, "Drunkest Guy Ever: Larry Goes to the Market":

War!

Quagmire!

We Are Amused

Professional illegal aliens? Not so much.

Mass en Masse for Anglicans?

[FINAL UPDATE] For commentary and analysis above our pay grade, tune in to The Anchoress at First Things.

[UPDATED BELOW]

At 5:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, there is a press conference going on at the Vatican regarding the relations of "Anglicans" to the Holy See. At the same time, there is a press conference going on in London featuring the Archbishop of Canterbury (chief prelate of the Church of England) and the Archbishop of Westminster (de facto spokesman for the Catholic Church in England and Wales).  More HERE and HERE.

[UPDATE - 5:30] AP reports:

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI has has created a new church structure for Anglicans who want to join the Roman Catholic Church.

Cardinal Joseph Levada, the Vatican's chief doctrinal official, said Tuesday the new legal entity will allow Anglicans to join the Catholic Church while maintaining their Anglican identity and many of their liturgical traditions.

Levada said the new structure is a response to the many requests that have come to the Vatican over the years from Anglicans who want to join. Many Anglicans have become disillusioned by the ordination of women, the election of openly gay bishops and the blessing of same-sex unions in the 77-million strong Anglican Communion.

[UPDATE - 6:06 A.M.] Reuters now reports:

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict has approved a document that would make it easier for Anglicans to join the Roman Catholic Church.

The move comes after years of discontent in the 70 million-strong worldwide Anglican community about the liberal attitudes of some parts of the church toward women priests and homosexual bishops.

The Vatican said on Tuesday that the document, known as an "apostolic constitution," would provide a structure for Anglicans who want to join Catholicism, either individually or in groups, while maintaining some of their own traditions.

The move was announced at simultaneous news conferences in Rome and London.

The Vatican said the pope decided to prepare the document to respond "to the many requests that have been submitted to the Holy See from groups of Anglican clergy and faithful in different parts of the world who wish to enter into full visible communion."

More from The Guardian, and the never-reliable CBC.

[UPDATE - 7:00 a.m. EST]: Here is the official Vatican announcement.

[UPDATE - 7:10 a.m. EST] Finally, we hear from Canterbury:

The announcement of this Apostolic Constitution brings to an end a period of uncertainty for such groups who have nurtured hopes of new ways of embracing unity with the Catholic Church. It will now be up to those who have made requests to the Holy See to respond to the Apostolic Constitution.

The Apostolic Constitution is further recognition of the substantial overlap in faith, doctrine and spirituality between the Catholic Church and the Anglican tradition. Without the dialogues of the past forty years, this recognition would not have been possible, nor would hopes for full visible unity have been nurtured. In this sense, this Apostolic Constitution is one consequence of ecumenical dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion.

So Benedict XVI gives much, while the Archbishop of Canterbury has nothing left to give. Dare we say, "More mush from the wimp?" Or would that be too unkind, if accurate?

Liturgical Abuse: Dancing During Mass

What? Did I miss something?

Cats & Hyperbole Don't Mix

There's Something About Tampa

Two old guys get into a fight at the city council meeting.  Loser can't find glasses, winner's flowered shirt unmussed.  We suppose this sort of thing happens elsewhere, but not so much.

Obesity in America

Filippa Hamilton is too fat for Ralph Lauren.

Modesty

Green Thugs

"Man Shot by Assailants on Bicycles Near Capitol Hill: Al Gore Held for Questioning"

Words Fail

Hottest Heads of State. Make up your own punchline. Discuss.

Link SFW.

Oremus

Bob Dylan has a Christmas album:

"Christmas in the Heart" includes "I'll be Home for Christmas," which, as sung by Dylan, sounds like a threat. We couldn't find a a clip of what will no doubt be our favorite, Bob's own inimitable treatment of "Adeste Fideles."

Burritos Don't Kill People . . . .

. . . but they can bust your windshield and leave you personally beaned:

"John Addie was driving his Honda when he noticed someone lean out of an approaching white Dodge and throw something. The next thing Addie knew his front windshield was cracked and he was covered in refried beans."

Before we overreact, let's wait to find out if the assailant had a burrito permit.

Caturday Morning

Breaking News!

Sigourney Weaver is 60

Hey, Wait! They Have Those?

"Many people believe it's a spy blimp that can see through walls to look at our women," said Ghulam Ghami . . . ."

Peace Prize Riddle

Ann Althouse asks: "Why didn't Barack Obama win the Nobel Prize for Literature?"

Well SURE . . .

. . . but did they actually READ anything?

From the Ministry of Truth

This just in: BARF.

Calvary Nudist Baptist Church

"Do not disrobe in the parking lot; use the foyer. You may carry a small bag into the church or use the clothing check system near the restrooms."

Loose Lips Sink Ships

Shorts Are Cool

Bunker - English subtitles
Uploaded by bebealien. - Full seasons and entire episodes online.

It All Makes Sense Now

". . . guys want to be princesses sometimes."

OF COURSE they do.

Most Stupid Toy Ever

Mission Impossible

Seen on bendecho

Novo Ordo

"A possibly less-than-credible man during public comment complained that a local minister asked him 'to have sex with a young girl,' and despite his refusal, he had witnessed parishioners 'kissin' on each other and lickin' on a dog.'"

One Expects This From Our Baptist Brothers, but . . . .

"Mass" at Plobsheim, France, Pentecost 2009 from Donald Jenkins on Vimeo.

Try as I might, I just can't find this in my Missal.

Good Question

Pie Chart

Legislative History

Senator Thomas Carper (D.-Del.) is a member of the Senate Finance Committee.

Caturday Morning

International Olympic Committee Racist!!

In Nomine Barack . . .

You just can't make this stuff up.

Orthodoxy Review

It's Mantilla Week at The Crescat. This follows Tonsure Week and Man-Lace Week. Because Kat sometimes gets complaints from the Thought Police of the Calvinist Wing of the Roman Catholic Church, we thought we'd check today's offering for Orthodoxy:

Let's see:  Mantilla?  Check; Communion Rail? Check; Communion Received Kneeling? Check; On the Tongue? Check; by a Really-Truly Priest? Check.  Looks good to us.

Nihil obstat.

I Don't Think He's One of Ours

I'm pretty sure CN isn't Catholic. But B16 roundhouse-kicking infidels would be interesting.

100 Best Internet Videos

. . . in 3 minutes. If you recognize more than 10, don't go to your room.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.