Oh, Ok I'm an *Expensive* Beer

Bass is a beer. Duh!

Thanks to TS O'Rama of Video for the link.

I'm a Fish?

Bass (66% dark & bitter, 0% working class, 100% genuine)

So the deal with this test is that each taker, based on his or her scores, is assigned a beer that fits their personality (Corona, Bud Select, and so on), and along with the personality description, there's a poster or an ad for that beer. As you can imagine, most of the images feature booty models, sports cars, or, maybe even more depressing, retro kitsch. It's a testament to Bass Ale, and therefore to YOU, that when I went to look for ads for Bass, all I found was this. An ad from 1937. Bass is legit, and if your scores are true, so are you. I tip my glass to that. Personality-wise, you have refined tastes (after all, Bass is kind of expensive), but you know how to savor what you get. Your personality isn't exactly bubbly, but you're well-liked by your close circle of friends. Your sense of humor is rather dark, but that's just another way to say sophisticated, right? Cheers.

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 33% on dark You scored higher than 0% on workingclass You scored higher than 33% on genuine

Link: The If You Were A Beer Test written by gwendolynbooks on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Beer

Well, what else was I going to say? My customary Saint Patrick's Day observance is to watch some pseudo-Irish movies and drink beer. This year I got some Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale (from Guinness). The odd little nitrogen ball inside the can provides an interesting head. Nice tasting, though undoubtedly not as good as draught. Some reviewers complain of the aluminum taste.

My pseudo-Irish movies? Darby O'Gill and the Little People and The Quiet Man. When time permits I'll round it out with a real Irish movie: The War of the Buttons.

Egyptian Blogger Expelled from Al-Azhar

Egyptian Blogger Expelled from Al-Azhar: "

One of the reasons we see so few rational Muslims speaking out against the tide of jihad is that when they do, this happens. (Or worse.)

Abdel Karim Suliman, the Egyptian blogger who was arrested then released for his controversial views, was expelled from his university Al Azhar.

Abdel Karim Nabil Suliman [AKA: Kareem Amer] is a 22 year-old Egyptian student of law at the Azhar University in Egypt (Largest Islamic University in Egypt and the Islamic world), Damanhour Campus, and a women-rights activist. He also maintains his own blog where he posts articles expressing his views on the need for political reform as well as reforming Islam.

On Wednesday March 15th, 2006 Karim wrote on his blog under the ‘Events of Al Azhar Inquisition’ saying:‘Yesterday, I went to my college in Damanhour to attend the disciplinary council I was referred to because of my views and articles that I post online, the accusations ranged from defaming Islam to atheism to libel against the grand Imam of Al Azhar and some of the university scholarsKarim adds: (They simply turned criticism into libel and defamation, they considered the criticism of terrorist teachings as a derogatory act against religion), Karim went on to say ’

‘ I did not try to deny the writing of these articles that they took as an incriminating evidence, but rather I insisted that they are my personal product despite their warnings that by admitting so, I might face many consequences’

On March 17th, 2006 the semi- official Algomhuria Egyptian newspaper published the following:‘Professor Hamdi Shalany, PHD., Dean of the School of Islamic Sharia and Law in Damanhour decided to expel the student Abdel Karim Nabil Suliman for perpetrating acts and writings that defames religion in addition to defamation and libel against the grand Imam of Al Azhar The disciplinary council has submitted a copy of the investigation documents for public prosecution’."

(Via Little Green Footballs.)

Memories of Rome

Multiple posts from Amy at Open Book had me pulling Lorna to the computer screen to re-live memories of last year's trip. We've also enjoyed scrolling through Amy's Rome pictures. And watching Rome's Hidden Churches on EWTN. So just to record our pleasure here is a picture of ours from last year:



We both climbed up the narrow stairs inside the cupola to the top on a gorgeous day. Deo Gratias.

For those with a Bizarre Sense of Humour...

there's this.

Thanks to Father Shane Thorp at Catholic Ragemonkey.

Beware...

A brief awakening from the slumbers of real life. I got a little thrill reading Amy's post about the Largo Argentina. Lorna and I saw this in passing a couple of times. But I never figured out what it was about. Lorna can't remember this at all. My most vivid memory of the area is the Gelati place on the West side by the tram station.

Beware...: "The Ides of March, of course. Now, as a commentor has pointed out, Julius Caesar wasn't actually assassinated on exactly this spot: (Also the cat sanctuary)...but nearby. That's okay - close enough. According to this site, the wall of Pompey's..."

(Via open book.)

The Clash?

An inordinate amount of my limited blogging seems to be about Islam and what the future holds for Muslims and the rest of the world. Well, lets face it, I can't afford really good wine or beer (to brag about) and the Canucks aren't playing all that well. And, having grown up under the shadow of the Iron Curtain, it's a strange new world for old fogeys like me. 9/11 is still reverberating in my psyche.

Anyway, Kathy Shaidle of *Relapsed Catholic* links to an interesting essay by David Warren. He focuses on Dr. Wafa Sultan, apparently an apostate Muslim and fearless critic of Islamism. Her interview and debate on Al-Jazeera tv prompted this article.

But what niggles at the back of my mind in this search for moderate Muslims is how many of these have reached moderation by leaving Islam?

Women and the Pope

Matthew of the Shrine of the Holy Whapping has some interesting thoughts on the role of women in the Church. Is Benedict considering something supremely Medieval? The role of (some) women was arguably at it's height during that time. What kind of structural changes, if any, would be necessary to achieve a Medieval state of womanly status? Isn't it really our attitudes towards power and women that would have to be changed?

There were no women priests back then, no women cardinals. One of the differences is, I think, that power, in the Church and in the State, was more diffuse. The apparent decline of women's roles in the Church may be associated with the rise of centralization of power and the nameless bureaucracy associated with popes and kings. Hmmm...

Maybe the greater role of women was due to greater personal access to the princes of the Church and the World.

Envy

is rarely, if ever, logical. But here I am seething at Amy's clan parading around my Rome. Oh, what I wouldn't give to go back. Wait a minute. When I first went in '72 I dutifully put a coin in the fountain in the hopes of returning. And I did (return that is). And Lorna did her coin toss in turn:

Oh, but that means she'll return. I'll just have to renew my efforts to outlive her...

Secularism and Freedom

Just finished five twelve-hour days and am a bit under the weather. Here's an interesting post to contemplate while I recover:

UPDATED: Rushdie, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Bernard-Henri Levy, and Others: "UPDATE 2: Mark Steyn writes...

'Paul Belien's response to the declaration by Rushdie, Levy et al is close to my own thinking. So too are Kathy Shaidle's observations on 'secularism' and 'apostasy'. This manifesto is an insufficient banner with which to rally the west.

***
The manifesto reads, in part:

'We reject 'cultural relativism', which consists in accepting that men and women of Muslim culture should be deprived of the right to equality, freedom and secular values in the name of respect for cultures and traditions. We refuse to renounce our critical spirit out of fear of being accused of 'Islamophobia', an unfortunate concept which confuses criticism of Islam as a religion with stigmatisation of its believers.'

"{snip}

"Do read the whole thing."

(Via religion blog ++ relapsed catholic ++.)