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Day: November 10, 2006

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Word Press and Akismet —“ help needed

I use Word Press as my blogging tool and Akismet to fight back against comment spam. Both work great and I do love them – for their effectiveness, ease of use, and for the fact that they do what they say they will do.

I was just reading Lorelle VanFossen’s post: I’m Winning the Battle Against Comment Spam.

Blogs by nature are tools of social interaction. Social interaction, commenting, and discussion are the modus operandi behind blogging. Lorelle’s post is a good intro into how to keep it that way, without going overboard in shutting off the ability to interact because of some bad apples.

Well, following his her guidelines have helped me win the battle (thus far) and to engage new friends from a lot of different places. However, I do have an issue and I can’t seem to find the answer.

I use the Yahoo! installation of Word Press and their modified version of Akismet. Every few days my spam count gets reset to zero. I’ve searched and searched for an answer and I cannot seem to find anyone who’s experienced the same.

I’m running WP 2.0.2 with the following active plugins:

Audio player 1.2.3
Akismet for Yahoo! 1.12-Yahoo
Creative Commons Configurator 0.2
Digital Fingerprint Beta 0.2
Dagon Design Form Mailer 4.2
Flickr Widget 0.1
SimpleTagsPlus 1.0
wp-cache 2.0.17
WordPress Database Backup 1.7
Sidebar Widgets 1.0.20060711

Any ideas on how to overcome this behavior?

Perspective

Rev. Al Kimel —“ leading the revolution

The Rev. Kimel makes some great points regarding ritual gestures* during the Holy Mass in his post Living on the ritual edge—”the wild world of crossings and bowings.

At the same time he’s acting like a neophyte.

Perhaps he missed the fact that the R.C. Church (at least in the United States) has been demanding absolute uniformity in regard to gestures during Mass (regardless of their conformity with universal law). Kneeling during consecration —“ no way. Come forward in the breadline and bow or kneel prior to receiving the Eucharist, take it in your hand, step aside, consume, walk away (like that happens —“ except on EWTN). Go back to your seat —“ and God forbid —“ DO NOT KNEEL.

Is the Rev. Kimel taking a stand against uniformity? Perhaps he should have waited until after ordination? Playing off Davey and Goliath —“ the Bishop isn’t going to like that Davey!

The Pope can’t fix this one, and that’s the problem —“ he’s not down in the chancery —“ nor do they want him there. When you place your hands into the hands of the Bishop Ordinary your loyalty is demanded, including loyalty to locally imposed norms. For good or bad (and I haven’t seen any Bishops deposed by the Pope recently —“ hint, hint, Tod Brown) you’re in. Thus, great humility is necessary.

BTW – those locally imposed norms have created a generation of ‘it’s all optional’ thinkers**. The catechesis necessary to break that cycle will take generations – that is, if there is any will to do so.

*Note that the things he mentions, crossing oneself at appointed times, and those to come (striking the breast, bowing at the name of the Lord and the Holy Trinity) is a living part of the Holy Mass in the PNCC. I love them not because of their form – but because they make you stop and think.

**Some of my R.C. friends – the ‘I just go to church’ types – get really ticked-off whenever additional rubrics, rules, gestures are imposed. What they share with traditionalists is the line, ‘Can’t they just leave my mass alone?’

Christian Witness, Current Events, Perspective

The ring-a-ding-ding season

Our PNCC seminarian Adam points to an article on Wal-Mart’s efforts to put the ring-a-ding-ding back in its cash registers (or ATM terminals) for Christmas. From USA Today: Wal-Mart wishes you a Merry Christmas

Wal-Mart will put “Christmas” back into the holidays this year, the retailer plans to announce Thursday.

A year after religious and other groups boycotted retailers, including Wal-Mart (WMT), for downplaying Christmas, the world’s largest retail chain will have an in-your-face Christmas theme this year.

“We, quite frankly, have learned a lesson from last year,” says Wal-Mart spokeswoman Linda Blakley. “We’re not afraid to use the term ‘Merry Christmas.’ We’ll use it early, and we’ll use it often.”

The operative word being use.

Wal-Mart told about 7,000 associates of the plans at a conference last month and “was met with rapturous applause. … We know many of our customers will feel the same,” says John Fleming, Wal-Mart’s executive vice president of marketing.

Fleming says the retailer, which recently lowered prices on toys and electronics, will be pitching Christmas almost as much as “value” to holiday shoppers.

…

The Christmas spirit is spreading. Macy’s, the largest U.S. department store chain, plans to have “Merry Christmas” signs in all departments. All of Macy’s window displays will have Christmas themes. At New York’s Herald Square, the theme will be “Oh, Christmas Tree.”

“Our intention is to make every customer feel welcomed and appreciated, whether they celebrate Christmas or other holidays,” spokesman Jim Sluzewski says.

Good Polish tolerant conservatism from Mr. Sluzewski.

As at Wal-Mart, Macy’s employees are encouraged to consider wishing customers holiday greetings that are appropriate to their race or religion, including Happy Kwanzaa or Feliz Navidad.

Because we’ll all being wearing tags that identify our race and religious preference (maybe they could miniaturize it and put it in the microchip on my credit card).

All of this brings up so many issues.

In the end, yes, take down the decorations, stop saying happy anything (although they should try to be polite), be who you are – a secular company, and please, stop co-opting and corrupting the Incarnation of God among us.

Otherwise most will come to believe that yes Virginia, there is no Jesus – just Santa.

Saints and Martyrs

November 10 – St. Andrew Avellino (Św. Jędrzej z Awelinu)

Boże, któryś miłującemu sercu błogosławionego Andrzeja Wyznawcy Twego, przez gorące pragnienie doskonalenia się w cnocie coraz ściślej łączyć się z Tobą dozwolił, daj nam przez jego zasługi i przyczynę, być otrzymanej przez niego łaski uczestnikami, abyśmy w pragnieniu coraz większej doskonałości, doszli do chwały wiecznej. Przez Chrystusa Pana naszego. Amen.

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