Interview Of Fr. T By Fr. Z...!

Heheheheh... I've just discovered this interview by Fr. Zuhlsdorf... of Fr. Tim Finigan. There's a bit about St. Bonaventure for the first quarter of an hour; the interview itself starts at 16 minutes.

I think Fr. Tim might want to start ducking after referring to Terry Wogan as an "English" radio commentator...

Sponsored Cycle Ride

Reading the blog of the Sisters of the Gospel of Life, I see that a young man called Mark Lynch has offered to raise some money for the Cardinal Winning Pro-Life Initiative by cycling from Kirkcaldy to Surrey, a journey of about 500 miles. He plans to leave Kirkcaldy on Monday 28th July, and if all goes well, he should fetch up at Woldingham School, Surrey, a week later, just in time for the Faith Summer Session.

Mark has already managed to raise £500. If you’re interested in supporting the wonderful work done by the Sisters by sponsoring Mark, you can contact the Sisters of the Gospel of Life on 0141 433 2680. Cheques can be made out to the ‘Cardinal Winning Pro-Life Initiative’ and sent to 106 Dixon Avenue, GLASGOW, G42 8EL.

I Must Be Tired...

We've still got a week to go before we break up for the holidays. I realised how tired I must be when, driving back from school this evening, I heard the announcement that Cardinal Hume was to be dug up in preparation for his beatification...

I have to admit that I nearly crashed the car in surprise. I hadn't realised that Cardinal Hume was considered to be England's most famous convert.

...And then I listened more closely: it was Cardinal Newman they were discussing. I think I need an early night!

Active Participation

Active participation at Mass does not mean "everybody has a job" ! It doesn't even mean, in the case of the Traditional Latin Mass, that everybody has to follow every single word. Fr. Tim gave two excellent talks on the TLM; the first concentrated more on the reasons behind Summorum Pontificum, while the second talk was more practical advice on how to participate at Mass. He used a PowerPoint presentation during the second talk which is shown below...

Participating in Traditional Liturgy - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: Participating in Traditional Liturgy

No Smoking In Church...

Along with other public buildings, churches in England are legally required to put up "No Smoking" signs. No-one has declared a "No smoking-thuribles" policy... yet... though reading about the latest research on the effects of incense suggest that this will soon be on the cards.

Anyway, I shall suggest to Fr. Tim that he consider using the following variant on the "No Smoking" sign...

Mantilla twitched in the direction of the Ironic Catholic.

Don't Panic...

Hearing about the Bishops of England & Wales wanting to "control" priests in the Blogosphere brought to mind the classic line from Dad's Army: "Don't panic, Captain Mainwaring!" I have searched You Tube, but no joy... at least, not yet. However, I did have fun watching some of the old clips, so I thought I'd share this one: "Don't tell him, Pike!"

Cappaphobia...

This is, apparently, a mental disorder affecting elderly progressive Catholics. It goes without saying that "progressive" Catholics are all elderly, and seem to spend their time going on and on about the "wonderful changes" brought in by Vatican II. The fact that most of the younger people listening put Vatican II in the same historical bracket as World War II, World War I and Queen Victoria escapes these progressive types, as does the equally disconcerting fact that Vatican II actually didn't bring in the changes they love most...

But I digress. Read the following article about cappaphobia (it's very entertaining!) and spare a prayer or two for all those sufferers who will, no doubt, be experiencing further attacks in the next few days due to World Youth Day.

Twitch of the mantilla to Fr. Loren Gonzales.

And The Winner....

...of the "No shit, Sherlock?!" award has got to be the author of this headline. An absolute scoop... then again, maybe not...

Catholics to attend World Youth Day

Mantilla-twitch to the great Curt Jester.

UPDATE: Karen, that incomparable San Diego Oceanic Gem has taken me to task for not including a graphic...

Bishops Contemplate A Bit Of Blogger...

Finally, I get to post something original... and I haven't caught even a smidgeon of this in the blogosphere, so this could even be a Mulier Fortis exclusive. Please remember this little fact when you see it later on more famous (and more interesting) blogs... it would be nice to have a busy com-box for a change...
;-)

I have heard a rumour or two (no names, no pack-drill) that the Bishops of England and Wales discussed the blogging phenomenon during their Low Week meeting this year.

Nothing too surprising (or noteworthy) in that, you might think. Practically everything on the planet, if it possesses a pulse, has heard of blogging. It's even been mentioned on BBC Radio 4.

The interest arises from the further rumour that their Lordships discussed the "reining in" of several priestly bloggers in their dioceses... allegedly. I think there may even have been mention of some sort of "imprimatur" being required...

This is hugely entertaining, in view of the fact that almost no publications bother with the imprimatur these days, not even RE textbooks produced for use in Catholic schools... and, in reality, it is possible to be promoted in Catholic Cathedrals while publicly dissenting from Catholic teaching...

For some strange reason, the phrase "Come and have a go, if you think you're hard enough!" keeps flitting through my consciousness... I have a sneaking suspicion that one or two priestly bloggers of my acquaintance would smile seraphically at whoever attempted to deliver the gagging order and boot the whole issue straight "upstairs" ! I don't know which Vatican Department deals with such appeals, but I have little doubt that the priests in question would get a favourable hearing.

Out Of The Mouths Of Babes...

Sometimes the kids I teach really kill me!

Picture the scene: the end of the school day. Everything's packed up, and the chairs are up on the tables, but the bell hasn't actually gone. Woe betide any teacher who lets her class out early. So, to fill up the time, I say a few sentences to sum up the lesson. Most of the youngsters are listening. One is mucking about with a chair, scraping it along the table top. These are Science Lab tables, so the effect is a bit like nails on a blackboard. I get a bit tetchy, and tell him to stop making that awful racket when I'm talking...

...out of the corner of my eye, I see him grin, and very quietly lift the chair up by the legs, and then put it down again. This is, actually, quite funny, as he hasn't really disobeyed me. Of course, I'm not going to admit it...

So, I inform him that he now will have a detention... His face fell, until I added "on Thursday" when he brightened up, and cheerfully accepted his fate.

"Hang on," I said, "Are you out on a school trip on Thursday?"

"Yes, Miss!" he replied, grinning.

"Fine. We'll make the detention Friday instead!"

I could almost see him kicking himself...

(And no, I didn't actually give him a detention. I kept him back for a minute after the bell under the pretext of writing the detention in his planner, and then told him he would be flayed alive if he put so much as a toenail out of line next lesson... We both were unable to keep straight faces!)

"To Let - Vacant..."

THAT is what should be tattooed on the foreheads of those in charge at Westminster Cathedral.

We have had inappropriate films being shot inside the Cathedral, inappropriate concerts being played inside the Cathedral, and inappropriate books being launched...

Now, it seems, the authorities have given the go-ahead for a charity that supports destructive research on human embryos and the creation of human-animal hybrids to hold an event in the Cathedral's hall. It was held last Friday, 4th July.

The Parkinson’s Disease Society’s website states: "We have been lobbying Parliamentarians to ensure they support human/animal research in any votes on this issue in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill."

Mantilla-twitch to Richard Marsden of Bashing Secularism.

I'd Forgotten This One...

...the celebrations after the release of Summorum Pontificum... I think I was the body behind the camera (Fr. Tim's) for this one...

Twitch of the mantilla to the NLM for putting up a whole lot of memories!

Novus Ordo 2.0

The new, improved marketing campaign for the new, improved Mass...

I laughed like a drain. My favourite bit has to be "Now with 50% less Bugnini" !

Twitch of the mantilla to the Curt Jester.

"Happy Birthday, Motu Proprio...!"

...well, "Happy Birthday, Summorum Pontificum" doesn't scan as well.

It is hard to believe that it's already a whole year after the feverish expectation of the release of the Holy Father's Motu Proprio, Summorum Pontificum.

From my side of the pew, it has been interesting to observe the increase in enthusiasm for the TLM, and to note that more and more parishes seem to be making provision for it.

I am not "against" the Novus Ordo Mass, and have seen it celebrated with great reverence, dignity and devotion. But I have also seen it celebrated badly, with scant regard for its sacrificial nature, and little recognition that liturgy is something given by God for our benefit, and not something which we do for God, and which can be changed to fit in with what suits us.

Fr. Z has the first part of an interview he gave to Zenit posted HERE. Fr. Tim has given the first of two talks in the parish on the traditional liturgy, and I will post a link to the texts as soon as he gets around to publishing them (which he has promised to do... eventually!)

In the meantime, I thought I would sneak in a re-post of Fr. Tim's celebration video, released on the morning of the publication of Summorum Pontificum.

Ebbsfleet...

I drove down to Ebbsfleet this afternoon. The place is seriously spooky. There was hardly any evidence of life.

I couldn't resist taking a few photos, which caught the attention of one or two security types. They sauntered over, keeping a wary eye on me, and then decided that I was just some ditsy blonde, and left me to it.

Finally, some evidence that life exists in Ebbsfleet... cars!

Strangest Things You Find In London Pubs (2)...

Following the success of my last "Strangest Things" post, I thought I'd add this to the collection. Of course, technically this is not a London Pub (it's the Parish Club) and there was no biretta in evidence, but I'm not sure when the next photo opportunity will present itself...

So, here we have the "Blessing of Beer" according to the Roman Ritual... (Fr. Tim was blessing the Master Brew Real Ale, not the Novus Ordo Eurofizz, just in case you were wondering...)

... let's just hope that none of the Holy Water actually fell into anyone's pint...

UPDATE: Fr. Tim has very kindly posted the prayers.

Entertainment For Friday Night...

A friend emailed me the following video clip, which I then located on You Tube... I was pretty sure it would be there...

Anyway, this clip basically shows how a teensy, weensy little butterfly can put a crimp in your day!

Still Fighting...

After the shameful passage of the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Bill, the Report Stage and 3rd Reading of the Bill has been announced for 14th July.

We mustn't stop campaigning against this truly vile legislation.

The pro-abortion lobby, emboldened by its success so far, has tabled amendments to the Bill which would allow abortion on request up to 24 weeks' gestation, remove the requirement for two doctors to give their consent, and allow nurses and midwives to carry out abortions.

John Smeaton, director of SPUC, has an excellent summary of the issues, as well as a post of Cardinal O'Brien's letter to all MPs, urging them to reject the pro-abortion amendments.

The Cardinal ends by describing how he will question his actions at the end of his life, and whether he could have done more to defend the rights of the unborn.

It is a salutary reminder that we will also have to look back and consider our actions, when we face Our Lord on Judgement Day.

Prophetic Statements...

I teach both boys and girls. There is a definite difference in the way they approach any task or problem: not necessarily better, just different.

It's often a subtle difference. Sometimes not so subtle.

It can be tricky, in a classroom situation, to cope with the different needs of boys and girls, to allow them the freedom to express themselves and to explore their talents and interests. I am becoming more and more convinced that single-sex education is actually better: not necessarily single-sex schools, just the actual lessons.

We've had single-sex Confirmation classes for two years, last year by accident, this year by design (as last year was so successful.) I've also noticed that the boys are more keen to serve on the sanctuary when there aren't any girls in evidence. They also really don't like to dress in the same way as the girls if there is any hint of a choice...

So I was very interested to read the following quote on Fr. Ray's blog...

John, Cardinal Heenan apparently said this after attending the first demonstration of the Novus Ordo.

"At home it is not only women and children but also fathers of families and young men who come regularly to mass. If we were to offer them the kind of ceremony we saw yesterday in the Sistine Chapel we would soon be left with a congregation mostly of women and children."

How very prophetic.

Things You Hear...

...I was on my way to a restaurant this evening: one of my (few) planned car-less excursions. The taxi driver was a chatty soul. "Here," he said, "I had to drive this chap to Farnborough airfield. Do you know, we were waved right through onto the runway, because he had one of those private Leotard jets..."

Crunch Time...

It's that time of year again... the exam results for the KS3 SATs exams are due. Maths have already been returned (although not analysed) as their papers are the simplest to mark. English papers always seem to come in last, and have occasionally not been ready until September. The rumour round the Science department is that the Science results have arrived, and we're just waiting for the information to be passed down from the exams office.

The information comes as a long, long handwritten list. The teachers then get to go through the list and identify the students they teach and make a note of their results, and then tell the students during lessons...

This means that the Year 9 students are getting very twitchy...

... but not half as twitchy as all the teachers whose performance management reviews depend on the students' results...

Time To Redress The Balance...

Ok. Nearly half a day with a dog poster in the top spot of the blog. Time to remedy that...

...despite having gone to bed rather later than intended, and then being struck with a case of insomnia (I was afraid I'd oversleep!) I somehow managed to get to church at 6:40am for Mass at 7am. I was very, very tired. If Fr. Tim had been even slightly more cheerful than he was, I might have strangled him with his own maniple... I hate people who are cheerful first thing in the morning...

I am now even more tired, and figure that it's late enough for me to go to bed and not wake up at 2am thinking I've overslept...

See you all tomorrow.

I Loved This Poster...

I am not a dog-person. I'm very keen on cats, and, although I don't actively dislike dogs, I just am not particularly fussed.

This poster was, however, just too cute to resist (even though I don't actually have a day off just yet!)

Twitch of the mantilla to Adrienne.

Ever Been Bothered By Cold-Callers...?

I was sent this by email, and it was so good that I was considering loading it up onto You Tube... and then I wondered whether anyone else had beaten me to it. They had, and it's well worth listening to. It's a clip from a radio show where the presenters are discussing a prank played on a telemarketer by the previous week's guest, Tom Mabe...

Lesnes Abbey Blessed Sacrament Procession

Every year, some time towards the end of June, the Deaneries of Bexley and Greenwich get together for a Blessed Sacrament Procession in the grounds of Lesnes Abbey.

I only discovered about 5 years ago that it was Lesnes Abbey which gave rise to the name of the area on the outskirts of London "Abbey Wood"... I knew that there must have been an abbey around sometime, but I didn't know that the ruins were still visible... I'd assumed that the whole lot would have been built over in the intervening years.

The Abbey was founded by Richard de Lucy as reparation for his indirect involvement in the murder of St. Thomas of Canterbury in 1170. It was one of six houses of Augustinian Canons in Kent, and offered hospitality to travellers passing from London to the Continent, as well as ministering to the local inhabitants.

The Abbey was closed by Cardinal Wolsey on behalf of Henry VIII, for financial gain.

I'd been on the procession several times before, but mobility problems usually meant that, by the end of the procession, all I wanted to do was get home as quickly as possible. This year I decided that I would skip the procession itself and just wait by the area where Benediction was to be given. This meant that I was able to have a good look at the ruins beforehand.

It's incredibly moving. There is so little left, but what there is speaks volumes. You can see the basic plan of the monastery and the Abbey church, and little plaques have been put up to indicate where things would have been.

The temporary altar for Benediction was set up roughly where the High Altar of the Abbey Church would have been (ie. facing Eastwards) so this photo was taken from the West Door of the church:

Walking "in" through the door and up the nave, there are steps going up, into another area which has a tomb-like structure inset into the floor... I assume that this would then be where the monks would have sat in choir. Perhaps someone can confirm this (or correct me) in the com-box... I took this photo standing in what I assume was the monks' choir stalls looking at three more steps going up into what I thought was the Sanctuary.

And then this photo shows the East wall - you can see the temporary altar set up in front of more stone steps, and I assumed that the High Altar would be right at the back. I didn't want to go and walk up any further while things were all set up for Benediction.

This photo was taken in the area to the right of the High Altar. There was a plaque on the back wall proclaiming it to be the Lady Chapel.

Because of the dodgy knee and ankle, I have to be quite careful where I walk. As I walked over a threshold, I realised that I wasn't looking at more ruined stone walls and foundations but some properly tiled steps... somehow that really brought a lump to my throat.

These two photos were taken from the entrance to the Chapter House, to the left of the North Transept of the Abbey Church...










And this was an intriguing area, at the northernmost end of the Abbey, which was some sort of cellar... You can't see it well (and I was having a bit of trouble negotiating my way round the ruins, as the grassy slope made it difficult for me to walk) but from this angle, looking west, you can see the door, which is barred, at the end...

And this photo is taken from the westernmost end of the cellar area. The grilles over the top are probably a later addition to stop anyone falling in, because there is quite a drop... The previous photo is quite deceptive, because the ground level is really high - the walls are about thigh-high this side, but the previous photo shows that there is enough of a drop for a full-sized door. I did wonder if it was some sort of punishment cell...

This photo shows what remains of the steps going up to the dormitory, to the left (north) of the Chapter House...

Finally, some pictures of the procession as it made its way from the Abbey grounds round to the West door of the church...

The music was dire, and there was a pretty deafening silence from the majority of those present, except when "Sweet Sacrament divine" was sung, and also for the Latin response after the incensing of the Blessed Sacrament (which, strangely, wasn't actually in the booklet... but most people were able to respond anyway... so much for "Oh, but Latin is a barrier to participation..."!) There were far too many readings, and having a "reflective narrative" from Harvest for the World (whatever the heck that is... the booklet didn't say) seemed totally unnecessary, and was probably there to indicate some sort of Justice & Peace theme. Yawn. I think the time could have been more profitably spent by praying a rosary or two... or three... (well, I did say that there were too many readings!) Also, walking round in procession makes it hard to listen to readings over outdoor loudspeakers, and following them in booklets while walking is just impossible. The regular cadence of the prayers in the Rosary actually makes walking in procession easier... just look at how well the Lourdes torchlight procession goes...

The homily, which had some interesting points in it, was waaaaaay too long, especially given the number of little children, and the fact that, having walked round the grounds for the best part of 45 minutes, most people didn't want to stand still for another 20 while waiting for Benediction itself... there wasn't much in the way of seating available, unless you brought your own, and the ruined stone walls were just a trifle uncomfortable, even when they were about the right height to sit on!

Still, it was an important witness to our belief in the Real Presence, and probably quite an eye-opener for the usual Sunday-strollers! So, despite the teeth-achingly awful choice of hymns and readings, I think I shall make the effort to go again next year... Hmmmnnn. I wonder how one gets onto the Organising Committee...

Happy Birthday To Me...

No blogging today (well, yesterday, actually, as it is now Sunday morning!) on account of it being my birthday and I was nowhere near a computer.

I did have a lovely day.

Since it is now way past my bedtime, I shan't go into details... as a last birthday "treat" I shall check my facebook messages, and then go to bed.

And, no. I have no intention of telling anyone how old I am.

Fly In The Ointment...

This made me chuckle. It pretty much ranks up there with "Face it, hippies, it's over..." as one of my all-time favourite quotes.

Twitch of the mantilla to the Pastor in Valle who spotted it first.

One-ape-manship?

The UK has sunk pretty low in the morality stakes after passing laws to allow human-animal hybrids and "saviour" siblings.

But Spain has, I think, just trumped the UK in the crazy stakes. They now want to introduce legislation giving rights to apes.

John Smeaton has a very clear exposition of why this is completely illogical - especially in view of the fact that Spain allows unborn human babies no rights at all.

Wow!

I was ever so disappointed that, due to the dates of our Parish Pilgrimage to Lourdes, I missed my friend's wedding. She has finally returned from her honeymoon, and has even gone so far as to abandon her avoidance of being snapped... a selection of her wedding photos is now on her blog, with the promise of more!

Below you can see Newhousenewjob, along with New Man, looking totally radiant. Many congratulations to the two of them.



I have two questions for the happy couple...

1) Did you save me any wedding cake?

2) When do I get invited round for lunch/dinner to be shown all the wedding and honeymoon photos??

Fasting Before Communion

The inimitable Fr. Z has a post on extending the fast before Communion. At the moment, the Church requires communicants to fast from food and drink (other than water) for an hour before Communion. Canon lawyer Dr. Edward Peters suggests calculating the fast from the start of Mass and extending the requirement to three hours before Mass.

I have to say that I believe the argument for calculating the fast from the beginning of Mass overwhelming. Sunday Mass generally lasts about 45 minutes (well, the Novus Ordo ones I've attended last that long, unless they're special events like Confirmation Masses - in which case they're even longer.) If you're calculating the fast from the time of receiving Communion, you are basically starting the fast about 20 minutes before Mass. Unless you scoot in just before the Entrance Procession, that means that you just have to refrain from eating or drinking as you make your way to church. Effectively, this isn't a fast undertaken as deliberate preparation for the reception of Our Lord's Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.

Re-introducing the obligation of a three-hour fast strikes me as a very good idea. People would have to consider carefully whether they wished to communicate at the Mass, and would have to plan (and prepare) accordingly. I think it would help to interrupt the assumption that reception of the Blessed Sacrament is automatic just because a person was present at Mass.

Three hours is not an overly taxing period to go without food. If Mass was very early, say 8:30am, then a person could just skip breakfast, and have a leisurely brunch after Mass. This is hardly an impossible task: many people have a very lengthy lie-in on Sunday mornings, surfacing some time around 11am wanting to be fed... it's the explanation many give for preferring to attend evening Mass!

Alternatively, if the Mass attended was later, say 10:30am, then, should breakfast be considered absolutely essential, a person could arrange to get up early and have breakfast before 7:30am...

Of course, fasting from midnight is even more salutary...

Lager and Ale...

I am not keen on Real Ale. I have been known to drink it, when it was the only option, but I'm definitely not an aficionado. I associate the stuff with the comic book "Asterix in Britain" where Asterix and Obelix are horrified to discover that the locals drink warm beer and eat boiled meat, both considered to be culinary atrocities. A very funny book... and, being brought up in a family of (semi-European) wine and spirits consumers, I hadn't realised how much warm beer was part of the national stereotype.

Now I know better. All the traddies in my parish are into Real Ale. They are quite scathing about lager, and Jonathan actually nicknamed the brew "Novus Ordo Eurofizz" to demonstrate his contempt for the stuff... a name which has caught on. The parish club has been persuaded to get in a supply of Real Ale on tap, as well as the bottled variety.

Curiously, there is a special blessing, in the Old Rite, for beer... I believe that Fr. Tim is waiting for the most opportune moment, and I shall endeavour to capture the occasion for posterity (and the blogosphere!)

Anyway, it seems that Real Ale is having a bit of a resurgence in popularity, and not just in our club. The Daily Telegraph has more on the boom in Real Ale sales HERE.

That Time Again...

Yes, folks, I've been sent another blonde joke. I'm too tired out after tonight's Parents' Evening to post on anything more serious... you can find that stuff by visiting the usual suspects (the Brighton Blogger, His Hermeneuticalness, the chap with the Latin dictionary, etc. etc.) ... but blonde jokes are my own speciality, so....

Last year I replaced all the windows in my house with those expensive double-pane energy-efficient kind.

Yesterday, I got a call from the contractor who installed them.

He was complaining that the windows had been installed a whole year ago and I hadn't paid for them yet.

Now just because I'm blonde doesn't mean that I am stupid. So I told him just exactly what his fast-talking sales-rep had told me last year, namely that, in just one year, these super-dooper windows would pay for themselves!

"Helllooooo!" I told him, "It's been a year!"

There was only silence at the other end of the line, so I finally just hung up... He hasn't called back, probably too embarrassed about forgetting the guarantee they made me. Bet he won't underestimate my intelligence again...

Empire Building

I was surprised at how many people responded to my last post on Ikariam, the web browser game which lets you build up a civilisation. I'm curious to find out whether people stuck with the game, or got bored and moved off to pastures new. I do know that a certain blogging priest admitted to having checked on "his people" first thing in the morning before heading off to Westminster Cathedral for the Pontifical High Mass, and wanted to know how many towns I had!

Well, time for an update: I have four towns, and the capital is at level 17 (a maximum capacity of 1541 individuals.) All four of my towns are at maximum capacity, and I am holding back on increasing capacity for the moment as I'm keen to get a fifth town up and running. I haven't decided which resource I shall try to get... marble seems to be the most useful commodity for building and expansion purposes, but I'm not sure I'll be able to keep my citizens happy unless I can increase my wine production...

...and some time on Thursday morning, my scientists should have succeeded in researching bureaucracy, and I'm intrigued as to what will happen next.

So far, my capital city has progressed from this...

...to this...

...and somehow, by dint of arranging museum collections for them to admire and keeping them supplied with plenty of wine in the tavern, I have succeeded in making my citizens very happy indeed...

Interesting...

You Are a Boston Creme Donut

You have a tough exterior. No one wants to mess with you. But on the inside, you're a total pushover and completely soft. You're a traditionalist, and you don't change easily. You're likely to eat the same doughnut every morning, and pout if it's sold out.

What Donut Are You?

Mantilla-twitch to that fellow Boston-Creme Donut, Karen.

Proof...

...that Martin Luther didn't check his till receipts properly...

Not Silenced... Just Relocated...

Before you start to panic, and assume that the Bishops of England and Wales and the Tabletistas have successfully dismembered Damian Thompson and buried his remains along with those of his blog, be assured that the blog and its author are not deceased... but Mr Thompson's blog has moved.

Not quite sure why...

But anyway, you can find it HERE. Mantilla-twitch to the Pastor in Valle.

His picture is an improvement.