This morning, I attended church at Saint James Episcopal for the first time in quite some time. My absence on previous Sabbaths had not been out of sloth, but for various unavoidable causes; it seemed wise, nonetheless, during the life changes, that I assure the congregation that my absence in the next few months did not imply any lack of devotion to the institution.
I was listening to the service, I reached a revelation about something that has irked me for a long time, and irked me more than the sudden onset of scratchy throat this morning right before the first hymn began. The church at which I grew up, Saint Mary the Virgin Episcopal, which is neither Catholic nor attached to its neighboring building, Saint Vincent de Paul, used the following text during Eucharist: "Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again". My current church, on the other hand (in addition to many other modifications of the liturgy), uses this: "Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ is with us all". I have been meaning for years to ask one of the clergy about this change, but I always forget; now, however, I think that I understand.
It seems to me that the change in the third phrase stems from the ignorance of the masses of grammatical distinction that are subtle yet useful and an attendant miscomprehension of the intended theology of this part of the liturgy. The first phrase is indisputable among Christians (unless you happen to be some sort of neo-Docetist
- http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05070c.htm ),
but the difficulty arises (pun intended) in the English speakers' comprehension of the second phrase: "Christ is risen". Modern English congregants doubtless consider this a simple past, even if the phrase uses the dreaded passive. A speaker of Romance tongue, however, might analyze this phrase differently by distinguishing between "Christ has risen" and "Christ is risen". The former is the description of a past action without any necessary inference about the present, but the latter is the description of a present state dependent on a past action. The distinction between these two concepts largely determines the choice of "avoir" ("to have") or "etre" ("to be") as the complementary verb with a composite perfect in French; even in Latin, where the form of the two concepts is identical, a careful writer who wishes to make the distinction would use distinct "primary sequence" or "secondary sequence" for the verbal forms which follow in the subordinate clause.
Since "Christ is risen" is a description of a present state dependent on a past action, the tripartite temporal symmetry of the statement remains, and past, present, and future each recieve a sentence which they can call their own. "Christ is risen" is a statement about the present, not the past; the risen Christ has present power. The elimination within the English language of the distinction between the "avoir" and "etre" forms has prevented the less grammatically aware congregants from understanding this distinction, and the text comes to lack a Christological statement about the present. I cannot fault anybody for finding this lack unsatisfactory, especially on this day of Pentecost, because the essence of the Christian faith, as I see it, is the not the hope of future salvation, but the presence of Christ in this world right now through the members of his body. The replacement of "Christ is risen" with "Christ is with us all" places the weight of two-thirds of the tripartite division of time (present and future) upon one-third of the weakened tricolon; that one-third, moreover, deprives the statement of its element of future hope, and introduces a participatory element that the first two sentences, as well as the original third, lack. The orignal statement was explicitly and solely Christ-centered, and the results of the statement for believers implicit.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Parks and Propositions
On Thursday, there was an article in the Chronicle (which I still read in the old way, in a café with a coffee) which said that the continuing state budget crisis might force many of the state parks to close their gates. The connection of this unprecedented action with the abject failure of the propositions on the recent ballot is clear enough, but these closures would cripple the outdoor activities of many Scout troops and districts.
On the one hand, I understand why the park service needs money, but I have learned the history of propositions in California and no longer can regard their current use as a substitute for responsible government action as acceptable or worthy of my support. The propositions and initiatives, as originally conceived, were an emergency measure for times of crisis, and had they remained restricted to such times, their use in the current crisis would conscionable. The transformation of the proposition and the initiative into substitutes for governance has not only allowed the government in Sacramento to evade responsibility, but also deprived Californians of a valuable tool by dulling the blade so that the axe is useless when it is most needed. In nineteenth century Portugal, one of the factors in the stall of the national economy (other than the exponential imbecility of the monarchy - read Royal Babylon: The Alarming History of European Royalty for more information) was the cumulative effect of pious gifts to the church; a third of the land in the entire country was the property of the church, the world’s longest-lived legal person . A similar process happens when pressure groups incite well-meaning citizens to vote for propositions and initiatives that create mandatory uses and set-asides; the individual propositions may or may not add up to an extensive sum, but the cumulative effect is to diminish steadily the amount of flexibility that the state government can practice.
The more immediate effect the closure would have on my way of life would be the sudden and catastrophic deprivation of camping and hiking sites for Troop 14 (my troop) and other troops around the Bay Area. I am sure that we will find new venues or new activities if the closure should happen, but the focus within Troop 14 on camping and hiking (since some troops have a different focus, and I do not presume to know the activities of all other troops in the Bay Area) makes it an area of particular concern.
The effects of closing the parks would be in the main undesirable. Modern buildings, unlike the sturdy stone structures of my academic background, are not designed to weather well without maintenance, and many years of repairing the troop’s traditional campsite at summer camp has taught me that it is more expensive to repair delayed maintenance than to maintain the structure in a regular manner. The population of the parks, too, would change. The absence of both rangers and visitors would encourage an influx of homeless (which might not be altogether bad, if they consumed some of the ubiquitous mule deer and provided a predatory niche whose lack has encouraged the explosive overpopulation) and pot-growers. I should be clear here: my concern in this essay is not the legality or legitimacy of the weed farmers, but rather the displacement of the native flora. I may blog on my thoughts on homeless and potheads on a separate occasion.
I find it exceedingly difficult to write conclusions, and this is my blog, so I feel no obligation to do so.
On the one hand, I understand why the park service needs money, but I have learned the history of propositions in California and no longer can regard their current use as a substitute for responsible government action as acceptable or worthy of my support. The propositions and initiatives, as originally conceived, were an emergency measure for times of crisis, and had they remained restricted to such times, their use in the current crisis would conscionable. The transformation of the proposition and the initiative into substitutes for governance has not only allowed the government in Sacramento to evade responsibility, but also deprived Californians of a valuable tool by dulling the blade so that the axe is useless when it is most needed. In nineteenth century Portugal, one of the factors in the stall of the national economy (other than the exponential imbecility of the monarchy - read Royal Babylon: The Alarming History of European Royalty for more information) was the cumulative effect of pious gifts to the church; a third of the land in the entire country was the property of the church, the world’s longest-lived legal person . A similar process happens when pressure groups incite well-meaning citizens to vote for propositions and initiatives that create mandatory uses and set-asides; the individual propositions may or may not add up to an extensive sum, but the cumulative effect is to diminish steadily the amount of flexibility that the state government can practice.
The more immediate effect the closure would have on my way of life would be the sudden and catastrophic deprivation of camping and hiking sites for Troop 14 (my troop) and other troops around the Bay Area. I am sure that we will find new venues or new activities if the closure should happen, but the focus within Troop 14 on camping and hiking (since some troops have a different focus, and I do not presume to know the activities of all other troops in the Bay Area) makes it an area of particular concern.
The effects of closing the parks would be in the main undesirable. Modern buildings, unlike the sturdy stone structures of my academic background, are not designed to weather well without maintenance, and many years of repairing the troop’s traditional campsite at summer camp has taught me that it is more expensive to repair delayed maintenance than to maintain the structure in a regular manner. The population of the parks, too, would change. The absence of both rangers and visitors would encourage an influx of homeless (which might not be altogether bad, if they consumed some of the ubiquitous mule deer and provided a predatory niche whose lack has encouraged the explosive overpopulation) and pot-growers. I should be clear here: my concern in this essay is not the legality or legitimacy of the weed farmers, but rather the displacement of the native flora. I may blog on my thoughts on homeless and potheads on a separate occasion.
I find it exceedingly difficult to write conclusions, and this is my blog, so I feel no obligation to do so.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Malay Exercises 8-9
Ex. 8
1. Rendah tembok puteh itu The white wall is low.
2. Meja panjang itu rendah The long table is low.
3. Bilek itu kechil The room is small
4. Rumah ini tinggi The house is high
5. Bakul hijau itu kosong The green basket is empty
6. Manis buah merah itu The red fruit is sweet
7. Panjang-lah tali itu The rope is long
8. Buku hitam itu besar The black book is big.
9. Daun kechil itu hijau The small leaves are green.
10. Kosong mangkok ini The cup is empty.
11. Bakul yang besar lagi elok A large fine basket
12. Bakul besar itu elok The large basket is fine
Ex. 9
1. The tall house is large Besar rumah tinggi itu.
2. Green fruit is sour. Masam buah hijau
3. Small green leaves Daun hijau lagi kechil
4. The black book is small. Buku hitam itu kechil.
5. A large clean courtyard Halaman yang besar lagi berseh
6. The blue flowers are pretty. Bunga biru itu chantek
7. The long string is white. Tali panjang itu puteh.
8. The white cup is small Mangkok puteh itu kechil
9. The houses were small and low. Rumah itu kechil lagi rendah.
10. Small low houses rumah kechil yang rendah
11. A long thin hand Tangan panjang yang lengan
12. This cord is blue. Biru-lah tali ini
1. Rendah tembok puteh itu The white wall is low.
2. Meja panjang itu rendah The long table is low.
3. Bilek itu kechil The room is small
4. Rumah ini tinggi The house is high
5. Bakul hijau itu kosong The green basket is empty
6. Manis buah merah itu The red fruit is sweet
7. Panjang-lah tali itu The rope is long
8. Buku hitam itu besar The black book is big.
9. Daun kechil itu hijau The small leaves are green.
10. Kosong mangkok ini The cup is empty.
11. Bakul yang besar lagi elok A large fine basket
12. Bakul besar itu elok The large basket is fine
Ex. 9
1. The tall house is large Besar rumah tinggi itu.
2. Green fruit is sour. Masam buah hijau
3. Small green leaves Daun hijau lagi kechil
4. The black book is small. Buku hitam itu kechil.
5. A large clean courtyard Halaman yang besar lagi berseh
6. The blue flowers are pretty. Bunga biru itu chantek
7. The long string is white. Tali panjang itu puteh.
8. The white cup is small Mangkok puteh itu kechil
9. The houses were small and low. Rumah itu kechil lagi rendah.
10. Small low houses rumah kechil yang rendah
11. A long thin hand Tangan panjang yang lengan
12. This cord is blue. Biru-lah tali ini
Malay Exercises 4-7
Ex. 4
1. Tulang panjang long bones
2. Kerusi tinggi a high chair
3. Mangkok puteh a white bowl
4. Bilek kotor a dirty room
5. Halaman besar a big courtyard
6. Piring berseh a clean platter
7. Sekolah kechil (“kechik“) a small school
8. Hidong panjang a long nose
9. Suara lembut a soft voice
10. Rambut hitam black hair
11. Bibir merah red lips
12. Buah masam sour fruit
13. Bumbong tinggi a high roof
14. Tembok rendah a low wall
15. Daun hijau green leaves
16. Bunga biru a blue flower
17. Gambar elok a beautiful picture
18. Leher panjang a long neck
19. Muka chantek a pretty face
20. Dahi tinggi a high brow
21. Tangan kotor dirty hands
22. Papan hitam a black board
23. Mangkok kechil a small bowl
24. Kuku pendek a short nail
25. Bakul penoh a full basket
26. Kayu hitam black wood
27. Pinggan puteh a full plate - a white plate
28. Janggut panjang a long beard
29. Lantai hijau a green floor
30. Chawan merah a red tea-cup
31. Buku ini this is a book
32. Rumah kosong an empty house
33. Meja ini this table
34. Kulit itu that hide
35. Papan itu that hand - plank
Ex. 5
1. A white plank papan puteh
2. Empty bowls mangkok kosong
3. White hands papan puteh - tangan
4. Clean nails kuku berseh
5. A short cord tali pendek
6. Big baskets bakul besar
7. Hard wood kayu keras
8. A small picture gambar kechil
9. Large leaves daun besar
10. A clean school sekolah berseh
11. Large books buku besar
12. Blue plates pinggan hijau - biru
13. A short beard janggut pendek
14. Green fruit buah hijau
15. Clean floors. lantai berseh
16. High walls tembok tinggi
17. Long roofs bumbong panjang
18. White planks papan puteh
19. A high house rumah tinggi
20. A large rock batu besar
21. Sweet fruit buah manis
22. Pretty flowers bunga chantek
23. A thin arm lengan kurus
24. Low benches bangku rendah
25. Fat cheeks pipi gemok
26. Small rooms bilek kechil
27. Empty baskets bakul penoh - kosong
28. Dirty floors lantai kotor
29. A small mouth mulut kechil
30. A red bowl mangkok merah
31. This face muka ini
32. Those faces muka itu
33. That head kepala itu
34. These tables meja itu
35. Those eyes mata itu
Ex. 6
1. Bangku tinggi high benches
2. Rendah tembok itu That wall is high
3. Kotor-lah bilek ini The room is dirty
4. Sekolah besar a large school, the school is large
5. Rumah kechil a small house, the house is small
6. Berseh rumah itu The house is clean
7. Panjang-lah tali ini The cord is long, this is a long cord
8. Bunga chantek pretty flowers, the flowers are pretty
9. Mulut besar a big mouth, the mouth is big
10. Kotor pinggan itu the plate is dirty
11. Masam buah ini the fruit is sourt
12. Bumbong rendah low roof, the roof is low
Ex. 7
1. White flowers bunga puteh
2. The fruit is sour masam-lah buah itu
3. The roof is high bumbong tinggi
4. Fine houses rumah elok
5. The picture was large besar gambar itu
6. Dirty hands kotor tangan itu
7. The book is blue biru buku itu
8. A clean floor lantai berseh
9. The basket was empty kosong-lah bakul itu
10. A long arm lengan panjang
11. The chair is low rendah-lah bangku-itu
12. Red fruit buah merah
1. Tulang panjang long bones
2. Kerusi tinggi a high chair
3. Mangkok puteh a white bowl
4. Bilek kotor a dirty room
5. Halaman besar a big courtyard
6. Piring berseh a clean platter
7. Sekolah kechil (“kechik“) a small school
8. Hidong panjang a long nose
9. Suara lembut a soft voice
10. Rambut hitam black hair
11. Bibir merah red lips
12. Buah masam sour fruit
13. Bumbong tinggi a high roof
14. Tembok rendah a low wall
15. Daun hijau green leaves
16. Bunga biru a blue flower
17. Gambar elok a beautiful picture
18. Leher panjang a long neck
19. Muka chantek a pretty face
20. Dahi tinggi a high brow
21. Tangan kotor dirty hands
22. Papan hitam a black board
23. Mangkok kechil a small bowl
24. Kuku pendek a short nail
25. Bakul penoh a full basket
26. Kayu hitam black wood
27. Pinggan puteh a full plate - a white plate
28. Janggut panjang a long beard
29. Lantai hijau a green floor
30. Chawan merah a red tea-cup
31. Buku ini this is a book
32. Rumah kosong an empty house
33. Meja ini this table
34. Kulit itu that hide
35. Papan itu that hand - plank
Ex. 5
1. A white plank papan puteh
2. Empty bowls mangkok kosong
3. White hands papan puteh - tangan
4. Clean nails kuku berseh
5. A short cord tali pendek
6. Big baskets bakul besar
7. Hard wood kayu keras
8. A small picture gambar kechil
9. Large leaves daun besar
10. A clean school sekolah berseh
11. Large books buku besar
12. Blue plates pinggan hijau - biru
13. A short beard janggut pendek
14. Green fruit buah hijau
15. Clean floors. lantai berseh
16. High walls tembok tinggi
17. Long roofs bumbong panjang
18. White planks papan puteh
19. A high house rumah tinggi
20. A large rock batu besar
21. Sweet fruit buah manis
22. Pretty flowers bunga chantek
23. A thin arm lengan kurus
24. Low benches bangku rendah
25. Fat cheeks pipi gemok
26. Small rooms bilek kechil
27. Empty baskets bakul penoh - kosong
28. Dirty floors lantai kotor
29. A small mouth mulut kechil
30. A red bowl mangkok merah
31. This face muka ini
32. Those faces muka itu
33. That head kepala itu
34. These tables meja itu
35. Those eyes mata itu
Ex. 6
1. Bangku tinggi high benches
2. Rendah tembok itu That wall is high
3. Kotor-lah bilek ini The room is dirty
4. Sekolah besar a large school, the school is large
5. Rumah kechil a small house, the house is small
6. Berseh rumah itu The house is clean
7. Panjang-lah tali ini The cord is long, this is a long cord
8. Bunga chantek pretty flowers, the flowers are pretty
9. Mulut besar a big mouth, the mouth is big
10. Kotor pinggan itu the plate is dirty
11. Masam buah ini the fruit is sourt
12. Bumbong rendah low roof, the roof is low
Ex. 7
1. White flowers bunga puteh
2. The fruit is sour masam-lah buah itu
3. The roof is high bumbong tinggi
4. Fine houses rumah elok
5. The picture was large besar gambar itu
6. Dirty hands kotor tangan itu
7. The book is blue biru buku itu
8. A clean floor lantai berseh
9. The basket was empty kosong-lah bakul itu
10. A long arm lengan panjang
11. The chair is low rendah-lah bangku-itu
12. Red fruit buah merah
Monday, May 18, 2009
Phoenix Preserve
Recently I read this article
(http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090515/ap_on_re_as/as_indonesia_bird_beach_3)
on the maleo, a bird native to Sulawesi, which put me in mind of the mythical phoenix. The maleo is mostly black, but has prominent pink plumage, yellow facial skin, and red-orange beak color. Both of these colors would lend themselves to the idea of flame, especially in climes where the birds are generally less particolored than in tropic lands. Even the black back of the maleo could be attached to the idea of flame, by way of ash.
The female maleo lays her remarkably large egg in volcanic sand or soil and wanders off. This is not a species where a hen and her brood troop gamely through the forest! When the egg hatches, the young maleo is ready to fly and forage. A full-grown bird emerging from the hot sands would indeed appear to be self-generating. There's no particular association of the maleo with spices, such as the frankincense with which (according to Herodotus) the phoenix immolates himself, but spices came from a wide area of the ancient world, and I am not arguing that the legend of the phoenix reflects biology with full accuracy (see Pliny the Elder for particularly egregious examples). I am, however, convinced that reports of this remarkable bird contributed to the myth of the phoenix.
(http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090515/ap_on_re_as/as_indonesia_bird_beach_3)
on the maleo, a bird native to Sulawesi, which put me in mind of the mythical phoenix. The maleo is mostly black, but has prominent pink plumage, yellow facial skin, and red-orange beak color. Both of these colors would lend themselves to the idea of flame, especially in climes where the birds are generally less particolored than in tropic lands. Even the black back of the maleo could be attached to the idea of flame, by way of ash.
The female maleo lays her remarkably large egg in volcanic sand or soil and wanders off. This is not a species where a hen and her brood troop gamely through the forest! When the egg hatches, the young maleo is ready to fly and forage. A full-grown bird emerging from the hot sands would indeed appear to be self-generating. There's no particular association of the maleo with spices, such as the frankincense with which (according to Herodotus) the phoenix immolates himself, but spices came from a wide area of the ancient world, and I am not arguing that the legend of the phoenix reflects biology with full accuracy (see Pliny the Elder for particularly egregious examples). I am, however, convinced that reports of this remarkable bird contributed to the myth of the phoenix.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
JROTC Spared?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/05/12/BAH317IIES.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea
I certainly hope that Mr. Yee is right and that JROTC is spared. The sort of students who often sign up for this could use the discipline and collegiality a military program can provide. And if you are a kid from a broken home in a bad neighborhood, what's wrong with seeking a career in the military? My grandfather joined for the job. On the PE credit question, though, I can understand the hesitation. The amount of exercise in comparative military and civilian programs may be equivalent, but I do not know how the individual components compare. Any exercise, however, would be welcome, in the current obesity epidemic.
I certainly hope that Mr. Yee is right and that JROTC is spared. The sort of students who often sign up for this could use the discipline and collegiality a military program can provide. And if you are a kid from a broken home in a bad neighborhood, what's wrong with seeking a career in the military? My grandfather joined for the job. On the PE credit question, though, I can understand the hesitation. The amount of exercise in comparative military and civilian programs may be equivalent, but I do not know how the individual components compare. Any exercise, however, would be welcome, in the current obesity epidemic.
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