16 March 2012. A Picture IS Worth a Thousand Words… There WAS a Cost Involved in Reaching for the Stars…

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The above image shows the funeral of Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov (1927-67), who was killed in the crash of Soyuz 1 on 24 April 1967. His widow, Valentina Yakovlevna Komarova (1929-95), grieves at his burial site. The exploration of space hasn’t been without loss to the cosmonauts involved (one thinks of Soyuz 11 or the American Space Shuttle Challenger).  Eternal Memory to them all… they knew the risks… they pressed on, regardless.

Believer or unbeliever, we all stand mute at the mystery of death… we clasp hands in human solidarity… we can do that, at the least…

BMD

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16 March 2012. A Most Interesting “Soldier” of World War II… Wojtek the Bear

Baby Wojtek with Polish soldiers in 1942

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The story of Wojtek begins at 0:39

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Tactical sign of the 22nd Artillery Supply Company of the Polish Army that fought in the Middle East, North Africa, and Italy

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Unit insignia of the 22nd Artillery Supply Company

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Wojtek at the Edinburgh Zoo after the war (he lived until 1963)

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Memorial to Wojtek planned in Edinburgh Scotland UK 

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EU Council Secretary Dismayed by Lukashenko Pardon Refusal

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In a communiqué on Thursday, European Council Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland condemned Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko‘s refusal to pardon two men sentenced to death over a subway bombing last year. Dmitri Konovalov and Vladislav Kovalyov, both 25, were found guilty of carrying out the bombing, which took place in Minsk on 11 April 2011, killing 15 people, and injuring more than 200. Jagland said, “Unfortunately, Belarus remains the only European country that practises the death penalty, despite this organisation’s many efforts to conduct dialogue on its abolition or at least a moratorium. I reiterate my call to the authorities in Belarus to put an immediate end to the use of capital punishment. The Council of Europe firmly maintains its position that death isn’t justice. This principle is enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and is one of the basic principles, which lays the foundation for the protection of human rights by the Council of Europe”.

On Thursday, Jean-Claude Mignon, the President of the 47-nation EU Council‘s Parliamentary Assembly appealed for clemency for Konovalov and Kovalyov, saying, “We very much fear … that something will happen any time now that cannot be undone. We formally appeal to the Belarusian authorities not to execute Konovalov and Kovalyov because as a matter of principle we are opposed to the death penalty and many questions remain about the fairness of their trial”. Belarus remains the only European country that allows the death penalty. Last year, Belarus carried out two people death sentences in Belarus.

15 March 2012

RIA-Novosti

http://en.rian.ru/news/20120315/172193390.html

Editor’s Note:

This is nothing but the usual Western posturing. “We’re superior and you’re inferior little brown brothers”. Nasty and arrogant, isn’t it? It’s not going to affect President Lukashenko, and the two scumbags will get the drop, deservedly so.

BMD

16 March 2012. Wisdom From Vladyki Mark Golovkov… His Holiness’ REAL Advisor on External Affairs

Archbishop Mark Golovkov of Yegorevsk (1964- ), His Holiness’ ACTUAL advisor on external affairs

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An interviewer asked Archbishop Mark Golovkov of Yegorevsk, “What does it mean ‘to play at spirituality?’” He replied, “You see priests who issue criticisms in such a tone that you see that they want people to believe that they’re ‘super-holy’ men; they say to people, ‘You’re not married, I smell tobacco on you, you missed yesterday’s service’, and so on. If a priest talks about spirituality, and doesn’t back it up with what he does, he’s a hypocrite. They don’t intend their conversations to care for the salvation of souls; they desire to draw attention to themselves, they desire to butter-up people, diverting any encounter to bring attention to themselves, using anything that they can. When people see that they do this deliberately, they reject them. I remember the wife of a famous person spoke disparagingly about a well-known cleric; she called him a phoney. People can smell a deceiver, they pay attention to how a priest acts, asking, ‘Is it appropriate, is it natural, is it suitable for the time and place, and… most importantly… does his behaviour spring from his soul?’

In another part of the interview Vladyki Mark said, “I think we need to separate the intellectual and human parts of the sermon. People pay attention not only to the words of a sermon, but also on who’s saying what. The words of an intelligent and educated man, full of all the ‘right words’, well, they’re lost and forgotten. However, simple words spoken by an honest person are etched in my mind for life, remaining in my heart”.

Editor’s Note:

You can have the loquacious wordiness of the konvertsy or you can have the straight-up talk of Vladyki Mark. You can tell the former… they’re the Fathers quoters and the Canon crunchers. You can follow Vladyki Mark (and His Holiness), or you can follow JP and Reardon… it’s up to you.

BMD