9 December 2011. Monomakhos Allows “Username” Posting… That DESTROYS Its Credibility

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People are telling me about a website called Monomakhos. I’ll simply say that it allows “username” posting. This destroys the cred of the entire operation. If someone posts under their real-world name, that’s one thing, but any “anonymous” post is only fit to be shit-canned, and that’s that. I’ve seen that Tikhon Fitzgerald and James Silver post under their own names… and they post the same sort of rubbish that they post on Indiana and the Forum (not the faults of the respective moderators, I’m sure). For instance, a nameless “Jacob” tossed darts at Garklavs… and insinuated that Garklavs and his family had accepted a dacha as swag from the Russian government. I’m all ears… but what’s their source? If there’s really a dacha… let’s have a photo! Most dachas are just izbas with a hook-up to the electricity, that’s all. I think that Garklavs is a Renovationist screwball (with ties to Waffen-SS Baltic Legion crud), but that doesn’t make him corrupt or dishonest. Everyone knows about the Tikhvin icon’s return in ’04… it sat in a bank vault for nearly sixty years (click here for an image of an 19th century copy). Bishop John Garklavs nicked it during the confusion in the final days of World War II… but he didn’t profit from it. He could’ve sold it, you know, but he didn’t. In short, it’s far less serious than than some pump it up to be. In fact, it’s far less serious than many of the nasty situations Syosset solved by using “confidential settlements”. Now, that’s something that I’d like to know… how many “confidential settlements” have they made over the years? A putative dacha is mere piffle compared to that.

Keep a simple rule in mind… ALWAYS listen to all those who sign their real-world names, even if they’re wrong-headed. They’re standing up and being counted… that’s always respectable and I’ll even pass ‘em the jug for a friendly jolt or two. NEVER listen to cowardly pond scum who post under “usernames”… and that goes double to lousy sneaks like Fester and Dreher who’ve been caught out at it (which torpedoes the whole lot at OCA Truth, doesn’t it?). I ALWAYS sign my name or post my initials. I’m not ashamed of what I write, and I’ll stand up for my beliefs any day of the week. If I tell you that His Holiness speaks against the Free Market, I’ll give you a source to check, I see to that. “Hey, ‘Jacob!’ … or whatever the hell you’re calling yourself now… as they say in Oz, ‘Get rooted!’ It may even put a smile on your face (for the first time in your life)…”

It DOES take ALL kinds… do pass me the jug, and take a hit yourself…

Barbara-Marie Drezhlo

Friday 9 December 2011

Albany NY

9 December 2011. Sunday 18 December is the Second Anniversary of Vladyki Job Osacky’s Passing… Is Your Parish Going to Say Pannikihida for Him?

Archbishop Job Osacky of Chicago and the Midwest (OCA) (1946-2009)

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The first person says, “You don’t agree with me. That means you aren’t with me. That means you don’t like me. That means you’re against me. That means you’re out to get me. That means you’re attacking me. That means I have to destroy you”.

The second person should reply, “No, it means I don’t agree with you. That’s all. Let’s have a cup of coffee and discuss it, and maybe you’ll convince me, or, at least, we might be able to reach some compromise”.

But, my friends, our reality has shown that the exchange wouldn’t take place. The second person would never have been given the opportunity to respond, and the attack by the first person, with the motive of character assassination would begin. And, my sisters and brothers, there’d be no opportunity for discussion, for dialogue, or for compromise. This scenario was repeated again and again, and continues today, and has become the basis for promoting personal agendas and lusting after power and authority. Is this noble; is it righteous; is it Christian? Can it ever be justifiable as being “for the good of the Church?” God forbid! And may He help us all, because this is how we’ve been operating in the Holy Synod and Central Church Administration for years, and we’re slow to adopt an alternative.

Archbishop Job Osacky

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On Sunday 18 December 2011, it’ll be the second anniversary of the passing of Vladyki Job Osacky… I think that our parishes should have Pannikhida said for his soul after Liturgy’s over. 18 December is the Sunday after next Sunday, it’s nine days away. That gives people time to make kutia and to prepare all the other little things that we do for a Pannikhida. Job Osacky was the “last honest bishop” of the OCA… and we should honour him and his podvig*. Do you want to honour Vladyki’s honour, character, and podvig? Then… stand against secrecy and “business as usual” as he did, come what may. It means standing up publicly against Paffhausen and his cabal, just as Vladyki stood up publicly against Bobby and the Syosset gang. However, our first duty as Christians is to pray for his soul, in common, as “Church”, if possible. Shall your parish do so? God willing, at least one parish somewhere will do so…

*NB:

Podvig is a virtually untranslatable Russian word for a feat or exploit that’s so heroic and exceptional that it’s almost unbelievable. Podvizhnik (the possessive form of the word) is even more untranslatable… there’s no single word in English with the proper “tone”… “Champion” is too weak (and carries overtones of athletic competition not found in the Russian)… “Hero” isn’t quite it, either. Needless to say, Vladyki Job’s stand against all odds made him a podvizhnik… no doubt you can fathom it without further explanation.

Barbara-Marie Drezhlo

Friday 9 December 2011

Albany NY

9 December 2011. THIS is What Newt Wants… Child Labour… Not For All Kids, Just Poor Ones…

These are the hands of a child labourer in the American puppet-state of Afghanistan. The Republican Party supports child labour throughout the world… why should it surprise you that it want to impose it here too? Oh… the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was AGAINST child labour… the American-backed Islamocist dictatorship is all for it… what does that tell you?

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I don’t believe it right for one group to impose its vision of morality on an entire society.

Nelson Rockefeller

Governor of New York State 1959-73, US Vice President 1974-77

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Every man holds his property subject to the general right of the community to regulate its use to whatever degree the public welfare may require it.

Theodore Roosevelt

Governor of New York State 1899-1901, US President 1901-08

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To the limits of my strength and ability, I’ll be the President of black, brown, red, and white Americans, of old and young, of women’s liberationists and male chauvinists… and all the rest of us in-between, of the poor and the rich, of native sons and new refugees, of those who work at lathes or at desks or in mines or in the fields, of Christians, Jews, Moslems, Buddhists, and atheists, if there really are any atheists after what we’ve all been through.

Gerald Ford

US Representative (from Michigan) 1949-73, US Vice President 1973-74, US President 1974-77

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Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labour laws and farm programmes, you wouldn’t hear of that party again in our political history. There’s a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H L Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number’s negligible and they’re stupid.

Dwight D Eisenhower

US President 1953-61

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Read this:

Would You Trust Newt Gingrich With Your Children?

GOP presidential candidate and disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich made it clear last week that he felt child labor laws… meant to stop children from being exploited… were, in his words, “truly stupid”. Tonight he repeated his belief that children living in poverty as young as 9 should be forced into becoming school janitors… to teach them responsibility. ”Really poor children in really poor neighbourhoods have no habits of working and nobody around them who works”, Gingrich said today according to The LA Times. He ought to try telling that to the children of the families at the Goose Hollow Family Shelter and other shelters across the nation that house families who are homeless and include working adults. Learning responsibility from Newt Gingrich, who committed several ethics violations while in office, is a paradox. But this is what’s passing for “serious debate” in the GOP’s nomination contest. Gingrich has long supported economic policies that have increased poverty… with children being the hardest hit. Kids living in poverty need strong schools, strong families, and strong communities that’ll help lift them up and give them every advantage to succeed. What kids don’t need is a president who doesn’t understand the issues, and lacks both the personal responsibility and integrity to govern. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me…” Gingrich seems to respond by saying,”And give them a mop to clean up after my mess”.

6 December 2011

Rev Chuck Currie

United Church of Christ

Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-chuck-currie/would-you-trust-newt-ging_b_1125633.html

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Let’s keep it focused and simple… Newt believes that rich kids should go to school and that poor kids should push brooms. He said so. Newt wants to run for President of the USA. I say that anyone who wants to overturn child labour laws is a dangerous radical and fruitcake, we must frustrate his bid for political office, and we need to kick him out of real politics and exile him to Fox News as a commentator, where he’ll make much “Sturm und Drang”, but it’ll signify nothing (as was done with feckless Lil’ Mizz Sarah Palin).

I wonder what TR, Jake Javits, Gerald Ford, Rocky, and Ike would say of the current “Republican” crop? These Republican greats would call ‘em “Republicans in Name Only”… do think on that… and do look at what the Republican Party believed in before the greedy, grasping, violent, money-grubbing, rightwing boobs and yokels took it over. The real Republican Party’s dead… the Reaganites and Tea Party killed it. You can have Rocky and Ike, or you can have Rush and Newt. It’s your choice. Do remember this… “You can never go home again…”

Barbara-Marie Drezhlo

Friday 9 December 2011

Albany NY

9 December 2011. Video. Take a Break from your Christmas Preparations and SMILE… Traviata as You’ve NEVER Seen It Before…

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Sit down, pour yourself a nice adult beverage, and forget about shopping, cookies, or the kids for a moment. Here’s the ticket… a cute little animation about cake decorations and how they stage a “revolution”… it’s sure to make you smile. You’ve NEVER quite seen Traviata done like this! Oh, yes… you have 15 days to get ready for Western Christmas… Orthodox people are luckier, we have an additional 13 days. You WILL survive it… you got through last year, didn’t you? Take a few moments and SMILE… then, it’ll be time to pick up one’s “woman’s burden” yet again…

BMD

9 December 2011. Citicorp CEO Charles Prince STEALS 1,000 Times His Fair Share of America’s Wealth… the Republican Party Slobbers its Vacuous Approval… What’s WRONG with this Picture?

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Read this. Reflect on this… the Republican Party APPROVES of the actions of Charles Prince. It not only approves of them, it considers itself a morally-superior body for having approved of them. The Republican Party has the god-damned gall to point fingers at everyone else in the world… whilst it steals elections (Bush in 2000) and approves of massive corporate corruption that makes Russian oligarchs and Saudi princes look like pikers. If you vote for the Republican Party you’re massively brain-dead. Charles Prince makes over 100 Gs a DAY. Do you make that in a year? If you listen to Rush Limbaugh, that’s what you approve. If you identify with the Tea Party, that’s what you approve. That’s why I won’t ever vote for ANY Republican candidate under any circumstance. Ponder this… the Religious Right supports such corporate greed and thievery and calls it “divinely ordained”… it truly does. That’s why I’ll NEVER join forces with Evangelical Proddie slimers on anything. Any Orthodox Christian who has ANYTHING to do with such godless theomachistic swine spits on Christ and His Church, and that’s that. Notice that Potapov, Paffhausen, Lebedeff, Webster, Dreher, Whiteford, and Mattingly all support the pro-oligarch policies of the GOP. What does that tell you about their theology? If their politics are crook, it’s at least even money that their theology’s crank too.

Our society’s SICK… and our Church has caught the disease. It’s our duty to attend to BOTH. Vote out the Republicans and run the Paffhausen/Potapov cabal out of the Church… then, and only then, shall our society and Church recover. There’s no other way.

Barbara-Marie Drezhlo

Friday 9 December 2011

Albany NY