I try to avoid most memes that make their way 'round the blogosphere (We really do need a better name, don't we?), but some are worth participating in. Take for instance the "interview game" that's the talk o' the 'sphere. I think it's a great way to get to know the people in neighborhood. Who are the people in your neighborhood? In your neighborhod? In your neigh-bor-hoo-ood…*smack* Sorry, Sesame Street flashback. Anyhow, I saw Jeff "Curt Jester" Miller's answers and figured since he's a regular reader of mine he'd be a good interviewer. Without further ado, here are my answers to his questions.
1. Being that your pseudonym Funky Dung was chosen from a Pink Floyd track on Atom Heart Mother, what is you favorite Pink Floyd song and why?
Wow. That's a tuffy. It's hard to pick out a single favorite. Pink Floyd isn't really a band known for singles. They mostly did album rock and my appreciation of them is mostly of a gestalt nature. If I had to pick one, though, it'd be "Comfortably Numb". I get chills up my spine every time I hear it and if it's been long enough since the last time, I get midty-eyed. I really don't know why. That's a rather unsatisfying answer for an interview, so here are the lyrics to a Rush song. It's not their best piece of music, but the lyrics describe me pretty well.
New World Man
He's a rebel and a runner
He's a signal turning green
He's a restless young romantic
Wants to run the big machine
He's got a problem with his poisons
But you know he'll find a cure
He's cleaning up his systems
To keep his nature pureLearning to match the beat of the old world man
Learning to catch the heat of the third world manHe's got to make his own mistakes
And learn to mend the mess he makes
He's old enough to know what's right
But young enough not to choose it
He's noble enough to win the world
But weak enough to lose it —-
He's a new world man…He's a radio receiver
Tuned to factories and farms
He's a writer and arranger
And a young boy bearing armsHe's got a problem with his power
With weapons on patrol
He's got to walk a fine line
And keep his self-controlTrying to save the day for the old world man
Trying to pave the way for the third world manHe's not concerned with yesterday
He knows constant change is here today
He's noble enough to know what's right
But weak enough not to choose it
He's wise enough to win the world
But fool enough to lose it —-He's a new world man…
2. What do you consider your most important turning point from agnosticism to the Catholic Church.
At some point in '99, I started attending RCIA at the Pittsburgh Oratory. I mostly went to ask a lot of obnoxious Protestant questions. Or at least that's what I told myself. I think deep down I wanted desperately to have faith again. At that point I think I'd decided that if any variety of Christianity had the Truth, the Catholic Church did. Protestantism's wholesale rejection of 1500 years of tradition didn't sit well with me, even as a former Lutheran.
During class one week, Sister Bernadette Young (who runs the program) passed out thin booklet called "Handbook for Today's Catholic". One paragraph in that book spoke to me and I nearly cried as I read it.
"A person who is seeking deeper insight into reality may sometimes have doubts, even about God himself. Such doubts do not necessarily indicate lack of faith. They may be just the opposite - a sign of growing faith. Faith is alive and dynamic. It seeks, through grace, to penetrate into the very mystery of God. If a particular doctrine of faith no longer 'makes sense' to a person, the person should go right on seeking. To know what a doctrine says is one thing. To gain insight into its meaning through the gift of understanding is something else. When in doubt, 'Seek and you will find.' The person who seeks y reading, discussing, thinking, or praying eventually sees the light. The person who talks to God even when God is 'not there' is alive with faith."
At the end of class I told Sr. Bernadette that I wanted to enter the Church at the next Easter vigil.
3. If you were a tree what kind of, oh sorry about that .. what is the PODest thing you have ever done?
I set up WikiIndex, a clearinghouse for reviews of theological books, good, bad, and ugly. It has a long way to go, but it'll be cool when it's finished. 
4. What is your favorite quote from Venerable John Henry Newman?
"Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt."
5. If you could ban one hymn from existence, what would it be?
That's a tough one. As a member of the Society for a Moratorium on the Music of Marty Haugen and David Haas, there are obviously a lot of songs that grate on my nerves. If I had to pick one, though, I'd probably pick "Sing of the Lord's Goodness" by Ernie Sands.
To continue the meme, I'm supposed to interview someone else. If you'd like to be interviewed, be the first person to ask (leave a comment) and I'll email your questions in a couple days.
Funky Dung
Comments 9
ooh, pick me! pick me!
But seriously, those are pretty interesting answers. I'm in absolute agreement about "Comfortably Numb", and I've always been fascinated by how well the lyrics created certain images in my head.
That's all I have at the moment.
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Posted 03 Mar 2005 at 5:26 am ¶I know it's a big radio song, but I've gotta go with "Us and Them". It brings such vivid images to mind, almost transcending sound and reaching in to visual art. Actually, I like the 1-2 punch of "Us and Them" with "Any Colour You Like" from Dark Side; they're kind of inseparable. Seriously, they're so cool; it's such a spacey couple songs that just float along.
What's your favorite Floyd album, Eric?
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Posted 03 Mar 2005 at 9:17 am ¶Yea I know asking which was your favorite Floyd track would be a toughie, though I give you extra points for answering the question with a Rush lyric.
If I had to pick just one Pink Floyd song, I think I would go with "Wish you were here" since I so love David Gilmour's singing and guitar on it
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Posted 03 Mar 2005 at 2:33 pm ¶Picking a favorite Floyd song is tough for any fan. I have to agree with Eric though. While Comfortably Numb is excellent all around, for me Gilmour's guitar work moves the mind in a transcendental way. It is truly unique in that manner.
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Posted 03 Mar 2005 at 7:00 pm ¶5. I'd like to answer this one. Since I can't ban all of these post Vatican II hymns, and since they all annoy me equally, I'll go with something else. I want to ban having "music ministers" that stand at the lectern and do the thing with the hand. You know, the "you may sing now, peons" hand sweep. The hand delenda est!
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Posted 03 Mar 2005 at 10:52 pm ¶Tom, you mean "manus delenda est", right?
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Posted 13 Mar 2005 at 9:18 pm ¶Dear Tom, I prefer knowing when to join the people in praying the Psalm response (and singing) then to guess what part of the music is my cue to stagger in behind everyone…that's almost like knocking the Priest for the invitation, "Let us pray," isn't it - only its being done with liturgical gesture, correct?
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Posted 12 Mar 2007 at 7:12 am ¶The priest belongs in the sanctuary. He has a distinct and ancient liturgical purpose. The music "minister" is a modern annoyance. Somehow we've muddled through mass for centuries without an annoying cantor maximus leading us, so I think we could do without one again. Check out a Byzantine liturgy sometime and you'll notice they use cantors tastefully and without creating a distraction in the sanctuary. Maybe if more parishes used chant for the psalms - as Vatican II intended - we wouldn't need help figuring out when to antiphonally respond.
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Posted 12 Mar 2007 at 10:09 am ¶From the just released post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation "Sacramentum Caritatis" (emphasis mine):
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Posted 13 Mar 2007 at 11:12 am ¶Trackbacks & Pingbacks 1
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